FAQ's on Hinduism

Discussion in 'Hinduism' started by Hindu, Feb 23, 2015.

  1. Hindu

    Hindu Member Staff Member

    Where did the word Hindu and Hinduism come from?

    The real and original name of Hinduism is SANATANA DHARMA or Righteousness Forever. It was the Persians who came to India in the 6th century B.C. who gave the name to people India as Hindus (People who follow the thought process of Hinduism) meaning the religion of people living near the Indus river.
    In Persian language the letter H and S are pronounced almost the same, so they mistook the word Sindhu (the Sanskrit name for Indus) to H and then started calling Hindus and Hinduism.
    As per my research work the word Hindu was found in Persian literature, Hindu-e-Falak which means ‘the black of the sky’and ‘Saturn’.
    Next point of view which I found was that the word "Hindu name was given by Islamic invaders to humiliate original Aryan race of Ancient India, where in as per author the word Hindu means slave & as per Islam, those who do not follow or embrace Islam were termed as slaves.” (Maharishi Shri Dayanand Saraswati Aur Unka Kaam, edited by Lala Lajpat Rai, published in Lahore, 1898, in the Introduction)

    Another very interesting meaning of the word "Hindu" as per Persian dictionary which was titled "Lughet-e-Kishwari" (published in 1964 in Lucknow) is chore [thief], raahzan [waylayer], dakoo [dacoit] &Ghulam [slave].”One of similar dictionary named Urdu-Feroze-ul-Laghat (Part One, p. 615) shows the Persian meaning of "Hindu" as kaalaa (black), barda (obedient servant) and sia faam (black color).

    There is no word named "Hindu or Hinduism anywhere in the holy books of Sanatana dharmic (Hindus)

    Are Souls different from god ?

    There are several theories to expalin this but no one knows for sure which one is cordorrect......... According to one approach the whole universe is one same reality. there is no distinction or duality between God and the soul except in our preception. god and soul are the one and the same.the soul has never been separeted from the God and never would be. the same supreme act as indivisual...... soul without undergoing any change or division.thhis is Adviata or non- dualistic school of philosphy.

    According to the another line of thinking in the same school, there is no actual division or separation between the God and soul. But as the God comes in contact with the earthly nature abd enters the earthy form, he starts reflecting some peculiariities or qualities, though a reality they are only illusory and there is no actual difference between the............. God in these forms (Saguna) and the without these forms (nirguna ). this is called vishishtadviata or qualifies non-dualism school of thoughts.

    According to another school of thought known as Dviata philosphy founded by shri Madhvacharya, there are two sets of reality: one the Brahaman and the other the independent souls and the lifeless objects. The souls are not created by Gd or Brahman but the distinct and different from the beginning. Thus the reality is dual, consisting of the One and the Many. The indivisual souls are real physical entities similar to the one in every aspect except in space and time and some qualities.The soul undergoes several births and deaths till it attains liberation through its own efforts.

    These are major currents of thought that are speculative in nature.............Many hindus even don't understand subtel differences that exits among the various interpretations. And no one can tell us what is yhe ultimate nature of things. a subject like this cannot be clarified by anyone. Everyone has to realize it by himself through self-realization.

    What is God ?

    There is an indefinable mysterious Power that pervades everything.It is this unseen Power which makes Itself felt and yet defies all proof. It transcends the senses....This Power or Spirit is can be called as God....It can be seen in the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth, truth persists, in the midst of darkness light persists. Therefore God is Life, Truth, Light. He is love. He is supreme good. God to be God must rule the heart and transform it.

    Why we go to the Temple while it is a known fact that the God is everywhere?

    Idols and Statues


    Every Temple performs a series of rituals on the Statues before allowing devotees to worship. A simple statue without any 'avahan' is sold in market plenty, but it has no value....


    'Prana pratishta' is done by certain rituals, and the spirit is invoked. And with the invocation the spiritual prana' enters the statue. And then the 'statue becomes alive' for the devotees to perform the meditation. Actually the real interaction starts only after 'prana pratishtha'

    'Prana pratishtha' means, invoking the soul-spirit in the Idol/statue of the divine whose statue we have made. Hindu philosophy of spirituality says. That man has seven layers of his existence. And first is the Physical body, and last is the cosmic body... in between, etheric, mental, spiritual etc bodies are there. Now the spiritually evolved person only has realized the cosmic body. And hence he only has power to be reconnected in statue if his statues are made. This is not an ordinary phenomenon.

    Now the spiritual person when was alive in his/her body could be approached... but after he left his body... a system of Statue worship is created. The statue will revive the same energy field that was felt when the person was in body. And it helps devotees to perform the Bhakti, meditation, prayer on statue with love and same ease and relaxation as if the person is alive and in front of them.


    Temple Structure


    The word ‘devalaya’ which is frequently used to denote at temple, actually means ‘the house of God’. It is the place where God dwells on earth to bless mankind. It is His house, His palace. Infact, there is another word to denote a temple, ‘Prasada’, which means a palace with a very pleasing appearance. When looked at this way, the dhvajastambha represents the flagpost on which flies the insignia of the deity. The outer walls, prakara, are the walls of the fort. The gopuram is the main gateway.

    'Vimana’ is another word which is often used to denote a temple in general, and the garbhagrha (sanctum sanctorum) in particular. The simple etymological meaning is a ‘well – proportioned structure’. As an extension of this meaning derived God the Creator, as a combination of Siva and Sakti, who ‘measures out’ as it were, this limited principle. It further means an aeroplane. It is the aeroplane of the gods landed on the earth to bless mankind.

    Temples are an Integral part of the socio cultural mosaic of India. The temple culture is a way of life of the people and it pervades their external as well as internal development. The temple played a significant role in the cultural life of the people. It enriched their religious life and contributed a lot for the furtherance of their education, literary pursuit, Music, Dance, Art and the architecture.

    If God is one, then why Hindus worship so many Gods?

    Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti

    There is One and only God and One Truth. The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial, Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One, Sages call it by different Names Rig Veda, 1-164-146. God, Brahman, Allah, Isvara, Jehovah, Ahuramazda, etc., are one. I offer my worship to that Supreme Being the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible mass of bliss and intelligence whom sages describe in a variety of ways through diversity of intellect.

    All of God’s creation does not just center around man, but that man shares the universe with numerous life forms. Some life forms have less powers and abilities than humans while others have more. God grants some of these various higher beings cosmic powers and assigns them the responsibilities of running the “machinery of the universe.” These higher beings are also known as devtãs, devãs or gods. While respecting these gods to be higher than humans, and even propitiate them in times of need, Hindus readily acknowledge that these gods are clearly subservient to and have their origin and sustenance in one Supreme God. Hindus are thus monotheists, worshippers of one Supreme God, in every sense of the word.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 26, 2015
  2. garry420

    garry420 Well-Known Member

    HOW OLD IS HINDUISM AND HINDU LITERATURE ?

    Hinduism is the oldest of all religions. Since it was not propounded by an individual, it is the aggregation of the dharmic thoughts of many sages / Rushies. So who has contributed to these thoughts for the first time cannot be clearly declared. If at all one venture to say that it is Veda Vyasa, Vasishta…or Agastya, we cannot say with a proof, who has contributed for the first time for these bunch of thoughts of Hindu dharma. Interestingly, our Rushies, who wrote Vedas, Upanishads, itihasaas, puraanas, upavedas, were focusing mainly in conveying the subject / knowledge / message /… they never tried to focus WHEN they lived and when did they write/ gave / taught these messages.

    The historical facts were not crucial for learning the absolute knowledge of life. That may be the reason why they focused only on the knowledge even without mentioning their names, in any place. (However for the astronomy / mathematics / chemistry books written for the last 2,000 years the authors have clearly mentioned the date of composing, their date or the date of birth of their teachers because those data are important)

    WESTERN APPROACH VIEWSON THE DATE OF VEDAS . One should very clearly understand that the western scientists, historians, archeologists will never give the credit of Indian culture beyond 2500 BC, mainly because according to Bible, the God created Adam and Eve on 12th October, 4.00 pm on 4012 BC (or so). So according to their calculation human beings cannot exist before that. Based on this biased / false/ non scientific notion they calculated the historical facts on Hindu culture.

    They also had a European superiority complex which prevented them to give credit to Indian culture (as the most ancient). They wanted and always tried (even now) to project Greek, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, and so on as the oldest. However after 1947, Many great Indian and foreign unbiased scholars have proven that the first artifact of human made copper and copper items could be excavated from Kalibangan, Bhagavan pura and so on from 8275 +/- 100 BC. Perhaps we can say the archeological evidence of Indian culture starts from this point, even though Dayananda Sarasathy, Balagangadhara Tilak, and many great Indian scholars and few western scholars have put the period from 10,000 to 50,000 yrs.

    YUGA CONCEPT OF HINDU DHARMA

    According to the Yuga concept, Kali yuga has 4,32,000 yrs, dwaaparayuga 4,32,000 x 2 threthaayuga is 4,32,000 x 3 yrs , Krutha yuga is 4,32,000 x 4 yrs. The present mahayuga is the 28th Mahayuga of the Vaivaswatha manvanthara which is the 6th manwanthara out of 14. If we calculated the first day from the the first Manswanthara onwards, it will come to 2990 million yrs. (which in modern science is known as archesoic era) If Ramayana was written in Thretha yuga and Mahabharatha in dwapara yuga, just calculate the period……… the credibility of the period based on astronomical parameters given as above is left to the readers. That means Hindu dharma has a heritage of lakhs of yrs.

    How ever based on the present archeological evidences Hindu dharma is minimum 10,000 old. Any one would like to fix it further back, with proof he can correct and teach the students. We can definitely say Islam is 1300 yrs, Christianity 200 yrs, Jews of 3000 yrs or so and Hindu dharma is minimum 10,000 yrs. The Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc are part of Hindu dharma and hence their age need not be discussed here.

    rena Wrote:
    i know this may seem as a dumb question but why blue?

    Hindu religion is full of symbolisms and the blue color is also a symbol.

    Blue is the color of the infinite. All Hindu gods are an attempt by the human mind to give form to the formless Brahman (God). The color blues symbolizes immeasurable and all pervading reality – formless Brahman.

    whatever is immeasurable can appear to the mortal eye only as blue; thus the cloudless summer sky is blue to us because the endless distance of space is interpreted by the physical eye as blue in color.

    The blue color thus teaches us that what appears as Lord Vishnu, Krishna and Shiva is the all pervading reality. Brahman (the Supreme Reality) takes a particular form to satisfy the human mind.

    How is the caste system related to Hinduism?

    The caste system was an important part of the Hindu way of life. During the Vedic age a social classification system called "Varnashrama" was devised so that the human race could have a smooth and ordered life in society.

    The system created the castes of Brahmins, the intellectual class, Kshatriyas, the warrior class, Vaishyas, the trader class and Shudras, the service people. Don't you see that every society has a need for teachers and/or preachers, defense, trade and commerce, and service even today? Our forefathers realized this need for order in society even then. Of course, the original concept of social order has been abused over the ages into its present mutilated form. The original caste system also supported the moving of individuals from one caste to another based on one's actions and performance in society.

    What we consider today as the caste system is originally the ancient
    division of all human beings based on their aptitude. This was called var
    ṇa,which literally means color. Based on the “color” of their skill set and
    talents, people were classified as workers, business people, rulers, law
    enforcers, lawmakers and priests. These classifications were not
    determined by birth, and allowed movement form one caste to the other.
    For example, the Ramayaṇa was composed by Sage Valmiki, who was
    once a low-caste robber.

    shudra-s or workers and artisans like the agricultural workers, service providers, cobblers etc.caste is based on of their actions not their birth.

    As with any system, over time, the skills and aptitude based system, and
    exclusion of criminals became a rigid hereditary hierarchy. This distortion
    was a result of certain social practices and taboos gaining acceptance over time and countless invasions by foreign civilizations. It should be
    emphasized that there is no basis for a discriminatory caste system in
    ancient Hindu scriptures. Vedic and non-Vedic scriptures advance the
    concept of equality of all mankind.
    What is Mantra?

    A mantra is an embodiment in sound of a particular Devata.
    It is not a mere formula. Nor is it a magic spell. It is the Devata Himself or Herself. And so, when a mantra is repeated with concentration of mind and the worshipper makes an effort to identify him with the worshipped, the power of the Devata comes to his help. Human power is thus. Supplemented by the divine power. A prayer is different from the re petition of a mantra. It is a purely human effort. Prayers may be offered in any language and in any form.

    But a mantra, being an embodiment of a Devata in sound, has to be repeated in that form alone in which it first revealed itself to the mind of a Rishi. It is not to be learnt from books, but from the living voice of a Guru who gives the Upadesa or initiation. And it has for its aim the gradual trans- formation of the worshipper into the like ness of the worshipped. Therefore the more worshipper advances in his/her japa the less is he himself/ she herself and more does she/he partake of the nature and wield the powers of the Devata.
     
  3. garry420

    garry420 Well-Known Member

    CONCEPT OF GOD IN HINDUISM:

    While many religions believe that God is a voyeuristic person sitting up there watching and waiting to punish humans, Hinduism teaches that God is 'Achinthium', 'Avyaktham' and 'Anantharupam'! Achinthium= unimaginable, Avyaktham= not perceived by the senses, Anantharupam= formless! With this concept of God Vedantha teaches us that all Kosmos is one, that is Brahman. (Kosmos= cosmos+living things) Brahman is the formless energy called God, which means everything is God. To view everything as God is called Pantheism. To view everything as one is Monism. Vedantha is ruthlessly Monotheistic! The Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Shakthi, Jesus etc people worship are personal Gods and you can have any number and anything as personal God! Most humans are incapable of imagining a formless, unimaginable, imperceptible entity; they need an image! On a superficial level Hinduism appears to be Polytheistic, on a deeper level it is Monistic. Hinduism does not view God as a person sitting up there and spying on people!

    What Is Karma ?

    Do you have the answers to the following questions?

    Why are some born healthy and some with severe health problems?

    Why do some people suffer more than others?

    Why do some people live a good life and some a miserable one?

    Why is life full of ups and downs? One day we are happy, another day we are sad

    Why do some people die from diseases like cancer and some naturally?

    Why are some people born more fortunate than others?

    Why is there a difference between each person's lives?

    Why do some children suffer from birth and die at very young age?

    Sanatan Dharma is the only religion which can answer all of the above questions, and with complete satisfaction.

    A Christian woman went to a Christian preacher and asked him why her young son had died at a young age. The Christian preacher could not give her an answer. She found the answer to her satisfaction in the Bhagavad-Gita.

    The answers to all the above questions is:

    The Law of Karma

    For every action you take there will be a reaction in the future. This is the law of Karma.

    Whatever activity we do, good or bad, brings us good or bad reactions. For every action you take, you will face a reaction in the future, which could be a few seconds away or 20 years away or your next incarnation. If you take good actions, you will face good reactions. This may come in the form of good health, wealth or birth on higher planets etc. If you take bad actions, you will face bad reactions in the future. The bad reactions may come in the form of disease, poverty or birth on one of the hellish planets etc.

    When we suffer, we are facing the bad reactions to our bad actions taken in the past.

    Our actions include everything we do, including our physical deeds, our words and thoughts. There will be a reaction to all our actions.

    Taking good actions builds our good karma (joy and happiness in the future).

    Taking bad actions builds our bad karma (disease and suffering in the future).

    Actions, which result in bad Karma: Eating meat, violence, ignorance, harshness, untruthfulness, lust, anger, greed, attachments, desires, gambling, ego, and alcohol.

    Actions, which build good Karma: Vegetarianism, non-violence, generosity, charity, self-control, truthfulness, simplicity, forgiveness, religiousness, and cleanliness. Free from attachments, desires and ego.
    Your destiny is in your own hands. You are held responsible for all your actions.

    The reason why some people suffer more than others is that they sinned more than others in their past and thus they are now facing the bad reactions to the bad actions taken in their past.

    The reason why some good people suffer all their life is because although they are now good. They still suffer because they are now facing the bad reactions to the bad actions taken in their previous lives. But because they are now taking good actions they will face good reactions (be happy) in their next life.

    The reason why some really rotten people enjoy a good life despite being rotten, is that they are now facing the good reactions to the good actions they took in their previous lives. However, because they are taking bad actions now (being rotten), they will face bad reactions in the future (suffer).

    God does not make one happy for no reason nor does God make one suffer for no reason. Karma is a very just law.

    If a person takes good actions in life and thus builds good karma, he or she will be born into a better life in the next incarnation. A sinner who leads an immoral life may be born as a poor person or as an animal in the next incarnation. A person is born again and again to reap the fruits of his or her own actions. This cycle of birth and death continues until the person attains moksha or freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Moksha can be achieved through Krishna consciousness.

    Karma and the Human Law and Order System.

    Why do we have the police, judges, courts and jails? We have a system of Law and Order in each and every country, which makes us responsible for our actions. If we break the Law, we are arrested, taken to court and the Judge decides on the punishment we receive, which will be in proportion to the crime committed, then sent to jail, punishment for our crimes.

    Without the Law and Order system that we have, without the police enforcing the law, life would be pure hell. People would go round killing, looting, stealing, raping and vandalizing property. Simply because people, would not be held responsible for their actions.

    Without the Law and Order system there would be no peace and justice in the world.

    We have the human Law and Order System in every country and the citizens of each country are held responsible for the actions they take; those who break the law are punished.

    Just as we have the Human Law and Order system. God has a Law and Order system, the Law of Karma. We are held responsible for all our actions. The differences between the human system and God's system are:

    With Karma, we are responsible for all our actions, including words and thoughts.

    With Karma, there is no escape; you will face reactions to each and every action you take in the future, that is guaranteed. With the human system, some people do get away with murder and other crimes.


    With Karma, we are punished for our bad actions and rewarded for good actions, in the human system we are punished if we are caught breaking the law, but we are not rewarded for abiding by the laws.

    If you accept that we cannot live peacefully and be treated fairly without the human system of Law and Order, then you must accept that God also has a Law and Order system, the Law of Karma.

    Sanatan Dharma is the only religion, which preaches the Law of Karma as this knowledge comes from God and man.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 28, 2015
  4. Aum

    Aum New Member

    Why we blow Conch or Shankha?

    When the conch (Shankha) is blown, the primal sound of Om emerges. Om is the sound that was emanated by God before creation of the universes.

    Visnu incarnated as a huge golden fish ie Matsya Avatar and killed the demon. After this the Lord is supposed to have blown the conch- shaped bone of the ear of Sankhasura. From this, arose the sound Om and from this sound emerged the Vedas. The conch is therefore known as sankha after Sankhasura. The conch of Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna is called the Pancajanya. It represents dharma or righteousness, which is one of the four objectives (purusarthas) of human life. The sound of the conch also symbolises the victory of the good over the evil.
    During the ancient times, conches would be also blown before the start of a battle.There are two well-known verses in the first chapter of the Bhagvad Gita which describe the conches of Lord Krishna and the Pandavas on the battlefield of Kuruksetra-

    Lord Krishna (Hrisikesa) blew His conch shell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of herculean tasks, blew his terrific conchshell, called Paundra’.
    King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conch shell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the King of Kasi, the great fighter Sikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, the unconquerable Satyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadra, all blew their respective conch shells.’

    Conches also have been blown during aratis and important festivals in temples to serve as a reminder to those villagers or citizens who had missed the worship. The sound of the conch helps people to make their minds concentrate on God while praying and drive away other stray thoughts. The conch is placed in temples and even in domestic shrines as a symbol of Nada Brahma or the sound of Om, the Vedas, dharma, victory and auspiciousness. It is also at times used to give tirtha water (holy water) to devotees in a temple.

    Because of its close association with Lord Vishnu, the blowing of the conch is an essential part of Vaishnavite ritual practices.

    It is believed the blowing shankha destroys enemies and also pleases goddess Lakshmi.

    Not just for religion, blowing shankha has scientific and ayurvedic benefits also. As per them, blowing shankha during puja has benefits on our lungs. This is because for blowing a shankha pure air reaches the lungs and impure air comes out. This makes the lungs strong.Blowing shankha also cures diseases of intestines.

    Necessity of Incarnation

    When you read scriptures, which are discourses of past human incarnations, you will get so many doubts demanding clarification. If original Lord is not available, we have to depend on other fellow human beings for clarifications. Suppose you study a correspondence course. When you get a doubt, you have to depend on your classmate, who is studying the course similarly. He is not competent to clarify your doubts & you will be poisoned by his wrong interpretations.

    Suppose you study same course in a college & lecturer explains in the class. Whenever you get a doubt, you can ask him then & there & you will surely get correct interpretation at correct moment. The clarification is important at correct moment because without clarification latter part of the lecture may not be understood or may be misunderstood. Such a facility does not exist with past human incarnations & past scriptures.

    The present generation is very much blessed because of the facility of computer technology. You can clarify your doubts through this computer system without any strain of traveling to the human incarnation in person. All divine preachers in this world are in contact with God and are doing the divine preaching to various levels of devotees. Their preachings may be mixed with some ignorance and it is not their fault because such mixing with ignorance in various proportions is required for various lower levels of human beings.

    The complete and pure knowledge without any trace of ignorance can be grasped only by a very few highest devotees. The number of advanced research students studying under a professor is always very small. So the direct human incarnation is recognized by a very few top level devotees only.

    === Why should we salute and serve the elders =गुरुजनों को प्रणाम एवं उनकी सेवा क्यूँ करना चाहिए ===

    अभिवादनशीलस्य नित्यं वृद्धोपसेविनः।
    चत्वारि तस्य वर्धन्ते आयुर्विद्या यशो बलम्।।

    ~ मनुस्मृतिः २.१२१

    " जो गुरुजनों को प्रणाम करता है और उनकी सेवा करता है, उसकी आयु, विद्या, यश और बल चारों बढ़ते हैं। "

    " He who habitually salutes and regularly serves the aged* obtains an increase of four (things), (viz.) length of life, knowledge, fame, (and) strength. "

    {Note : In the assembly of preceptors or superiors ~ Kulluka Bhatta's Commentary}

    ॐ शांति शांति शांति
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 30, 2015
  5. Aum

    Aum New Member

    What is Hinduism?
    Hinduism is a set of beliefs and traditions, not a religion. Hinduism is a way of life based upon a number of religious movements and is not based upon a single scripture or the teachings of a single prophet. There is no central organization in Hinduism to control its movements or progress.

    What is the Meaning of the word Hindu?
    Hindu is a secular word with no religious meaning. It is derived from the name of a major river in India, the Sindhu. The Greeks and Armenians called the people of this region Sindhus. When the Muslims arrived they called the people Hindustanis. The British identified the local religions collectively under the name of Hinduism.

    Does Hinduism have a founder?
    No, Hinduism is based upon the experiences of many saints, sages and seers.

    Who is Brahman?
    Brahmin is the Absolute, Eternal, Impersonal state of Being.

    What is the Atman?
    The Atman is the expression of Brahman in each individual.

    What is Hinduism's sacred book?
    The Vedas are the closest thing to a sacred text as they could be said to be the core of Hinduism. But Hinduism is not based on one single textbook.

    Why do Hindus have so many gods and goddesses?
    In generalHindus believe in only one God.But there are many devas. The devas are actually the powers that support life. The Sun, Moon, and Air can all have deities to represent them. God is called devadeva because all other things need it to survive.

    Do Hindus worship idols?
    There is only one God who is beyond a definite form with specifiable attributes. For those unable to realize God in his divinity he appears in various forms for easy comprehension.

    What do Hindus believe?
    At the highest level of understanding Hindu teachings are in fundamental agreement with Buddhism. Both Buddhism and Hinduism stress the need of letting go of the ego or the self, so that we can realize The True Self, or selflessness. At more a more popular level, Hinduism differs with traditional Buddhism in that it has many ornate rituals.

    What is Yoga?
    Yoga is a spiritual path one takes toward realization of his true self. The Hindu yogas are jnana yoga (the path of knowledge), bhakti yoga (the path of love and devotion), karma yoga (the path of work and resolving personal conflicts), and raja yoga (the royal path or path of the mind).

    What does Advaita mean?
    The philosophy of Advaita was founded around 50-250 BC by Shankara. Advaita means non-duality. Brahman and being are one. "Aham brahmaasmi", I am Brahman. "Tat tvam asi", you are 'That'. ‘That’ is god.

    What does Vishishtadvaita mean?
    The philosophy of Vishishtadvaita is a type of non-duality. It states that there is an inseparable unity which is one and has no second, but matter and individual souls are attributes of that reality.

    What does Dvaita or Tattvavda mean?
    The philosophy of Dvaita was founded around the 13th century CE by Madhava. Dvaita means duality and it maintains that there is an eternal distinction between the individual self and the absolute.

    What does AUM or OM mean?
    Om is the most sacred syllable of any Hindu rite. It is composted of three different letters of the Sanskrit alphabet "a", "u", and "m". It represents the Trinity. The Trinity is composed of the three supreme Hindu Gods: Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer.

    Are Hindus vegetarian?
    Hindu scriptures do not say specifically not to eat non-vegetarian food, but they do emphasize the mode of goodness in considering the selecting of the foods we eat. Also meat eating could be avoided for spiritual benefits and kindness towards fellow creatures.
    The selection between the two types of foods is up to the individual.

    How can I become a Hindu?
    A belief in Hinduism does not require you to join any group. You are not compelled to worship god, only to live a way of life compatible with Hindu ideals. You may follow any religion, as it is your Karma, but the Religion should speak correctly of God.

    What is the Hare Krishna movement?
    Hare Krishna is a sect within Hinduism. In general Hinduism can be divided into those who worship through Shiva, and those who worship through Vishnu. Krishna was the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. Hare Krishna is a type of Bhakti yoga, a form of worship. Hare Krishna focuses on the adoration of Krishna.

    What is the Bhagavad-Gita?
    The Bhagavad-Gita tells of the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna, a warrior on a battlefield. Krishna, who has been Arjuna's charioteer, tells the meaning of life to Arjuna. The Gita is to Hare Krishnas what the Gospels would be to a Christian.

    Is Hinduism compatible with Christianity?
    Hinduism tolerates Christianity, but Christianity has an uncompromising attitude in matters such as the infallibility of the Bible and allegiance to Jesus Christ.

    What is the caste system?
    We never had caste system in Hinduism we have had jaati and varna system during the Vedic age to bring about a smooth and ordered social life. The four Sects were the Brahmins (intellectual class), the Kshatriyas (warrior class), the Vaishyas (trader class), and the Shudras (service people). Over time the original system was corrupted into rigid birth determined occupations and abuse due to superiority complexes of certain castes. The caste system has been virtually dismantled.

    What are the marks on the forehead of Hindus?
    Kumkum or chandan dots protect a power locus located between the eyebrows.
     

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