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Question : Indra, Carribean F/29 8th April 2009
Page 51
Copy Right Sugway 2008 -2010
Namaste Swamiji..
Of recent im debating on a forum about various faiths,where im debating for hinduism , and a few misceants are going on directing me to questions which defame our hindu gods on the subject of lust..they accuse our gods from the manu and vedas stating the verses where our gods raped gautamas wife..and our gods were womanisers and what not..how can i answer this query ?im so disheartened coz i know somethings wrong with this question but they are quoting it from the scriptures..pls help me and forgive me .
Of recent im debating on a forum about various faiths,where im debating for hinduism , and a few misceants are going on directing me to questions which defame our hindu gods on the subject of lust..they accuse our gods from the manu and vedas stating the verses where our gods raped gautamas wife..and our gods were womanisers and what not..how can i answer this query ?im so disheartened coz i know somethings wrong with this question but they are quoting it from the scriptures..pls help me and forgive me .
Reply
Dear Indra, Namaskar and Aashirwad,
I understand how awkward you would have felt when the people pointed out the immoral behavior of Hindu Gods, when you wanted to tell them about greatness of Hinduism. Please do not call the people, who criticized Hindu Gods as “miscreants”. Probably, it is your own failure to convince the people on Hinduism and Hindu Gods. Hinduism is a natural religion of the world. It is not found by any person whom the people after his death called God or Messenger.
Hinduism is above humanism because Hinduism teaches “oneness” of not only all the humans or the creatures but also of all the living and non-living substances in the universe. It is very difficult to teach Hinduism to people from religious text books like in other religions, because Hindu mind is made mostly by the observation of parents, teachers and respectable elders in the society since childhood, rather than depending on reading holy books. In Hindu ideology, principle of non-duality (Adwaita) is supreme and the stories of Gods are secondary. Stories of Hindu Gods only depict good and bad side of the human nature and human behavior and call upon the people to understand the difference between what is bad for the human society and what is beneficial for their mental and physical health. It is unfortunate that most of the people who talk on Hinduism are unaware of the basic teachings of “ Adwaita” expounded by Upanishadas, and therefore, often become pray to the criticism of Hindu Gods.Most of the Hindus do not understand the difference in the concept of God by Hindus and by other religions. The religions not originated in India mostly believe in God as creator who creates and regulates the universe.
In Hinduism “Mayadhish” (creator and regulator of Maya) is known as God and the creation is called Maya. Maya means illusion (nothing real). Naturally, when Maya is nothing, it will have no creator and regulator. How there could be a creator of “nothing”? However, due to nescience, people of the world do not understand the illusory nature of the creation (universe). It is extremely difficult to make people understand that this all is only an illusion, and hence it is extremely difficult to make people understand the very basic principles of Hinduism. Hindu hermits and the saints after renunciation, concentration and deep study, understood and experienced these facts written in the knowledge part of Veda, called Upanishadas. Common people have their mind involved in the worldly affairs and hence the austerity observed by the saints is impossible to be observed by the common people. The hermits who wrote the scriptures knew natural material tendencies of human being. They knew that knowledge of (true) God was almost impossible to be obtained by common people of the world due to their mind involved in material world.
The epics and Puranas were therefore, written with an intention to make this knowledge easier by the make-believe stories. The main concept of (true) God in Hinduism is Nirguna Nirakar God. (God without qualities and properties). In the stories in Hindu mythology Gods are depicted as if they behaved like ordinary human beings. The mix of emotional and devotional stories of Hindu Gods is meant to keep the people take lessons and to make their own life pious and full of devotion. This (piousness) is a first step to learn about God. The ancient hermits and saints wanted people to be pious to get an entitlement to the knowledge of God and hence the stories. So, the Gods in mythology of Hinduism are imaginary. Unfortunately, most of the Hindu saints going abroad tell the people stories of God or teach Yoga and earn honor and money; but take the example of Swami Vivekanand. He explained the Hindu eternal knowledge to Americans. What is important is the doctrines of Hinduism and not the stories of God. In Hinduism God is told to be Jnanmaya ( God itself is knowledge). God can’t be in any shape and hence the stories are intended for education only. Many Gods are only symbolic, they never existed.
Please therefore, do not feel bad about the people who opposed you and asked questions on the characters of Hindu Gods. Instead, learn the knowledge of self realization. (Atmajnan) from learned Guru and make your life more happy and contended. Also, once you become a knowledgeable person make others like you by educating them and making your own disciples, so that no body shall ridicule you due to half knowledge.
Lastly, I shall request you to read each and every word in the website www.onlineselfrealization.com <http://www.onlineselfrealization.com/> and in case of any difficulty please do not hesitate to ask me question. You can also work for Sugway if you think it okay.
Swami Aniljee
Dear Indra, Namaskar and Aashirwad,
I understand how awkward you would have felt when the people pointed out the immoral behavior of Hindu Gods, when you wanted to tell them about greatness of Hinduism. Please do not call the people, who criticized Hindu Gods as “miscreants”. Probably, it is your own failure to convince the people on Hinduism and Hindu Gods. Hinduism is a natural religion of the world. It is not found by any person whom the people after his death called God or Messenger.
Hinduism is above humanism because Hinduism teaches “oneness” of not only all the humans or the creatures but also of all the living and non-living substances in the universe. It is very difficult to teach Hinduism to people from religious text books like in other religions, because Hindu mind is made mostly by the observation of parents, teachers and respectable elders in the society since childhood, rather than depending on reading holy books. In Hindu ideology, principle of non-duality (Adwaita) is supreme and the stories of Gods are secondary. Stories of Hindu Gods only depict good and bad side of the human nature and human behavior and call upon the people to understand the difference between what is bad for the human society and what is beneficial for their mental and physical health. It is unfortunate that most of the people who talk on Hinduism are unaware of the basic teachings of “ Adwaita” expounded by Upanishadas, and therefore, often become pray to the criticism of Hindu Gods.Most of the Hindus do not understand the difference in the concept of God by Hindus and by other religions. The religions not originated in India mostly believe in God as creator who creates and regulates the universe.
In Hinduism “Mayadhish” (creator and regulator of Maya) is known as God and the creation is called Maya. Maya means illusion (nothing real). Naturally, when Maya is nothing, it will have no creator and regulator. How there could be a creator of “nothing”? However, due to nescience, people of the world do not understand the illusory nature of the creation (universe). It is extremely difficult to make people understand that this all is only an illusion, and hence it is extremely difficult to make people understand the very basic principles of Hinduism. Hindu hermits and the saints after renunciation, concentration and deep study, understood and experienced these facts written in the knowledge part of Veda, called Upanishadas. Common people have their mind involved in the worldly affairs and hence the austerity observed by the saints is impossible to be observed by the common people. The hermits who wrote the scriptures knew natural material tendencies of human being. They knew that knowledge of (true) God was almost impossible to be obtained by common people of the world due to their mind involved in material world.
The epics and Puranas were therefore, written with an intention to make this knowledge easier by the make-believe stories. The main concept of (true) God in Hinduism is Nirguna Nirakar God. (God without qualities and properties). In the stories in Hindu mythology Gods are depicted as if they behaved like ordinary human beings. The mix of emotional and devotional stories of Hindu Gods is meant to keep the people take lessons and to make their own life pious and full of devotion. This (piousness) is a first step to learn about God. The ancient hermits and saints wanted people to be pious to get an entitlement to the knowledge of God and hence the stories. So, the Gods in mythology of Hinduism are imaginary. Unfortunately, most of the Hindu saints going abroad tell the people stories of God or teach Yoga and earn honor and money; but take the example of Swami Vivekanand. He explained the Hindu eternal knowledge to Americans. What is important is the doctrines of Hinduism and not the stories of God. In Hinduism God is told to be Jnanmaya ( God itself is knowledge). God can’t be in any shape and hence the stories are intended for education only. Many Gods are only symbolic, they never existed.
Please therefore, do not feel bad about the people who opposed you and asked questions on the characters of Hindu Gods. Instead, learn the knowledge of self realization. (Atmajnan) from learned Guru and make your life more happy and contended. Also, once you become a knowledgeable person make others like you by educating them and making your own disciples, so that no body shall ridicule you due to half knowledge.
Lastly, I shall request you to read each and every word in the website www.onlineselfrealization.com <http://www.onlineselfrealization.com/> and in case of any difficulty please do not hesitate to ask me question. You can also work for Sugway if you think it okay.
Swami Aniljee
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