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Nov-20-2009
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Views expressed here are author"s own and not of this website. Full disclaimer is
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Introduction:
The document was prepared for student with 10th grade and higher education. For some topics familiarity with introduction to higher education in science may be advantageous.
Youth and young adults may and should use my articles as introductory information. I want to stimulate their interest and thinking with outlines I have provided to motivate them to increase their knowledge of Hindu heritage for them to pursue if they have time and curiosity to learn more about Hinduism.
Unless we learn we tend to have blind faith out of ignorance. This is the first step to leave ignorance behind.
It is, to put an analogy, like wanting to reach a summit. It is hard to reach mountain top; unless one goes through the experience one is generally likely to realize the value of their education that can now be used to explore areas other than the professional field for making a living.
The references to Wikipedia and two books should provide a starting point. Most youth are competent to use Wikipedia. I am not for spoon feeding. All valid e-mail inquiries and discussions will receive my attention.
Part I Basic Hindu Beliefs and Scriptures
Synopsis: Part I of the Introduction to Hinduism presents basic Hindu beliefs and scriptures revered by Hindus. In the Appendix two classes of religions (mono- and polytheism) are compared.
Hindus believe in one God. Unlike core monotheist practices1* (*see Appendix in references and notes), Hindus have a choice to worship, perceive and connect to intangible, unmanifested-Supreme God through tangible idols for convenience of establishing relationship to Gad. Unmanifested God means God is not directly perceptible to the sense organs.
Idols come in number of forms; idol worshiping Hindus are called polytheist. What should be understood and appreciated is that all idols individually and collectively represent only one and same God.
Hindus also have a choice of scriptures2 - several religious and philosophy texts are available for the seeker to develop an understanding of God, God"s creation and relationship to humans, and of practices that lead to self realization and attainment of Nirvana or Moksha3. Most Hindu ancient scriptures, which are in archaic Sanskrit, have been translated into English and most major global dominant languages.
I have used only English translated texts and information available through internet searches as source material for this five part series.
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References & Notes:
Acknowledgement: I sincerely acknowledge contributions - reviews and suggestions to improve it - of Mrs. Usha and Mr. Laxmi Mehra
References and Notes for Part I
1. Monotheism and Polytheism: See Appendix, next page.
2. Hindu scriptures include, naming just three, starting with oldest Vedas, Upanishads, and Gita (which is a part of Mahabharata).
. For timeline to Hindu scriptures and key references to developments of civilization and society please browse after clicking on various shown periods at, http://www.google.com/search?q=vedas+and+upanishads&hl=en&rlz=1B2GGFB_enUS217US219&sa=X&tbo=p&tbs=tl:1,tll:3500BC,tlh:3001BC&ei=LcJnSpnnKsLblAeSy7XACQ&oi=timeline_histogram_main&ct=timeline-histogram&cd=1
. Vedic period dates back to 3,500 BC and Vedic people engaged in many rituals such as yajna or yagna (worship by the fire) to make offerings of grains, purified ghee and other ritual sacrifices to please spirits or God.
. Vedic practices and Vedic people were primitive compared to those of Upanishad period (1,500 BC). Relative to Upanishads, Vedas in general represents a lower evolved logic.
. Vedanta Spiritual Library at http://www.celextel.org/108upanishads/ offers translations of 108 Upanishads and Bhagwat Gita.
. Vedanta means end of vedas; Vedanta represented beginning of the Upanishads according to Adi Shankaracharya (788-820 AD).
. Vedas may be considered equivalent of Old Testament, Talmud and Torah; these three collectively represent philosophy of Judaism, the original Abrahamic monotheism. See: God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York (1955) and also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmud and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah
. "Upanishads to every Indian Brahmana," according to Dr. Paul Deussen, a 19th century ideologist scholar, "are what the New Testament is to the Christians."
. Gita of Mahabharata (6th century BC) represents a period of higher evolved logic and Gita is considered Gospel of Hinduism5.
3. Hindu philosophers - Gita Chapter 18 - emphasize Nirvana or Moksha as a goal for each person. Nirvana means escape from cycle of reincarnation through yoga of self-realization for attainment of moksha.
. The philosophical arguments of Nirvana/Kaivalya8 are supposed to deliver you to or unite you with God, the cosmic power or Absolute energy, which in the laymens interpretation is "heaven." The Sankhya theorys8 concept of reincarnation may be considered comparable to the rewards and punishment arguments offered by Abrahamic religions, except there is no judgment day argument in Hindu scriptures.
. The yoga of self-realization is arduous process with a variety of modes of operation centered on a core value of living a life of sacrifice. In my view, one should strive to make heaven on earth by developing a mindset free of ego and performing actions beneficial to all on this earth and not to worry about what may happen after one leaves for the intangible world beyond. Ke sara, sara...
Appendix
Monotheism and Polytheism
. Broadly speaking two classes of religions are monotheism and polytheism. Monotheistic religions originated in Semitic and non-Semitic regions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam are Abrahamic religions of Semitic origin; Zoroastrianism is of non-Semitic Persia origin.
. Judaism is original Abrahamic religion. Christianity and Islam are of Abrahamic origin.
. For a history of the church and the Jews see, "Constantines Sword," by James Carroll, First Mariner Book Edition 2002, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York; ISBN 0-395-77927-8 ISBN 0-618-21908-0 (pbk.)
. Encyclopedia of Islam, New Edition in 12 volumes (2005) published by E. J. Brill at http://www.brill.nl/m_catalogue_sub6_id7560.htm; see also at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopaedia_of_Islam). Encyclopedia of the Quran (EQ) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Qur%27an
. Both Christians and Muslims have replaced the idols that existed in Abrahamic temples and other places of worship with some other symbols such as a cross, a grave or a meteorite rock as in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
. Most common symbols in Christian churches include a cross, a statue of Jesus, Mary with baby Jesus, etc and numbers of icons decorate orthodox churches. Many icons are imbedded in the stain glass windows of beautiful churches. The walls of many orthodox Greek and Russian churches are decorated with icons or paintings depicting Jesus, Mary with baby Jesus, various saints, and scenes from biblical times. Sistine chapel, a Catholic church, home of Vatican Rome is known for Michelangelos painting on the ceilings, its architecture and frescos depicting the life of Moses and Christ.
. The Holy Masjid of Mecca is famous for Kaaba - a black piece of meteorite - and many other Masjids all over globe house buried remains of dead dignitaries. Taj Mahal of India for example is home for its builder Emperor Shahjahan and his beloved Mumtaz.
. Hindus are considered polytheist even though they believe in one God or Bhagwan. Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Hinduism are based on ancient Vedic teachings of more than 1,500 B.C. Buddhism is credited to Gautam Buddha, Jainism to Mahavir Jain and Sikhism to Guru Nanak; followers of each of three religions do not idol worship.
. Unlike Hinduism, which may be viewed as a philosophy or a religion and other religions connected to Vedas, each Abrahamic Semitic and Zoroastrian non-Semitic religion maintains that it was delivered by God through a chosen messenger.
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