I never understood Hinduism.
It's Ganesh Chaturthi now and Hindus celebrate getting drunk with loud club music dancing on the streets. I guess that's what their Ganesha wants.
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Vimala · F
@dattaswami what is god and who is god. You are God and I am God ,nature is god. We Hindus pray trees animals even inanimate things. We believe God is present every where(Omnipresent).
One fine example is as long as you are alive and have consciousness people come to you talk to you,dine with you, chat with you and allow you to be close to them, but when God in you vacates your body only the flesh,your skeleton and your frame remains still without any motion. At this stage people will be scared to come near you,they will try to dispose your mortal remain as per your custom asap. Even your wife who has been close to you all the will will stand away from your dead body.
God is every where but you can not see him. Can you see the cream in the milk, you cannot deny the fact that milk contains cream,yet you cannot see ( of course unless you churn it, similarly to perceive God you have to have immense devotion(bakthi we call) and surrender yourself to him then, you may perceive him.
Like this Hindhusim is not like other religion, it very deep rooted.
One fine example is as long as you are alive and have consciousness people come to you talk to you,dine with you, chat with you and allow you to be close to them, but when God in you vacates your body only the flesh,your skeleton and your frame remains still without any motion. At this stage people will be scared to come near you,they will try to dispose your mortal remain as per your custom asap. Even your wife who has been close to you all the will will stand away from your dead body.
God is every where but you can not see him. Can you see the cream in the milk, you cannot deny the fact that milk contains cream,yet you cannot see ( of course unless you churn it, similarly to perceive God you have to have immense devotion(bakthi we call) and surrender yourself to him then, you may perceive him.
Like this Hindhusim is not like other religion, it very deep rooted.
SW-User
@Vimala Yes, Reality is very democratic, without favorites.
Hee-Jin Kim on the zen master Dogen:-
[i]Mystery, in Dōgen’s view, did not consist of that which was hidden or unknown in darkness or that which would be revealed or made known in the future. Rather, it consisted of the present intimacy, transparency, and vividness of thusness, for “nothing throughout the entire universe is concealed” (henkai-fuzōzō). Nevertheless, the mystery of emptiness and thusness had to go beyond this: intimacy had to be ever penetrated (tōkamitsu).[/i]
Good stuff. But so many prefer exclusive "only ways" (i.e. their own - which is often the one they were brought up in)
Hee-Jin Kim on the zen master Dogen:-
[i]Mystery, in Dōgen’s view, did not consist of that which was hidden or unknown in darkness or that which would be revealed or made known in the future. Rather, it consisted of the present intimacy, transparency, and vividness of thusness, for “nothing throughout the entire universe is concealed” (henkai-fuzōzō). Nevertheless, the mystery of emptiness and thusness had to go beyond this: intimacy had to be ever penetrated (tōkamitsu).[/i]
Good stuff. But so many prefer exclusive "only ways" (i.e. their own - which is often the one they were brought up in)
dattaswami · 51-55, M
@Vimala You are not God, you are soul alone. Soul is not God. Soul becomes God , when God charges that soul by entering into it as in the case of Human incarnations of God like, Krishna, Rama, Jesus, Muhammad, Shankara , Sai Baba etc etc, such human incarnations alone is God and not all the souls in the world!
When the disciples of Sankara thought that they are also the Lord, Sankara swallowed the molten lead and asked the disciples to do the same. Then they fell on the feet of Sankara. Then Sankara told "Shivah Kevaloham", which means that only He is Shiva.
If every man is already God what is the use of all this ‘Sadhana’? Who is to get salvation? If you are already God, do you mean that God gets salvation? If there is no salvation, why all this sadhana, (effort)? Why Prahlada did not accept his father as God? Narasimha killed Hiranya Kashipu. Both of them are Gods. Then God killed God, which means God committed suicide!
Then Shankara preached them that He alone is God (Shivaha kevaloham). The word ‘kevala’ denotes that Shankara alone is God and not everybody. Then, the disciples realized the true knowledge and surrendered to Him by falling on His feet (Bhava Shankara deshika me sharanam). Every advaita philosopher should realize this truth from the practical incident performed by Shankara. One should know that practical knowledge is more valid than theoretical knowledge, which can be easily misunderstood. The misunderstood theory is always rectified by practical demonstration.
The human incarnation is a direct proof of the unimaginable God. In the case of miracles, which infer the unimaginable source, the proof is indirect as inference. The unimaginable power of God is exhibited in three ways, which are seen in knowledge, strength and activity as said by the Veda (Jnana bala kriyaacha). The unimaginable knowledge is seen in the Gita, the unimaginable strength and activity are seen in lifting the huge mountain by the tender finger. The knowledge is more important for any human being because it clarifies all the doubts giving the correct concept and correct guidance to achieve the grace of God. The strength and activity denote only the existence of unimaginable God.
The concept of human incarnation should be isolated from the forcible entry of God in to the world through worldly logic since God enters the world by His free will in the case of human incarnation. No human being can become human incarnation by His aspiration because God enters a human being whenever He likes to do the activity that guides the humanity. In fact, as long as the aspiration to become God exists, one can never become human incarnation. Hanuman is the best example in this concept.
Shankara also clearly stated that a specific human being becomes God by the free will and grace of God alone (Eshwaraanugrahaadeva...). The word ‘alone’ (Eva) indicates that the free will of God is the only cause. Once God decides to enter this world through a human form, the selection of a specific devoted human being is based on the deservingness of such devotee. The fundamental basis of the deservingness is not to have the aspiration to become God but to have the aspiration only to serve the God. Your proposal is always disposed by God. This concept can be very clearly realized through the example of Hanuman.
When God enters the human being as human incarnation, not only He is unimaginable but also the process of His entry is unimaginable. The entry of God is not only in the soul (awareness) to give unimaginable knowledge to the humanity but also in the body as seen in the unimaginable process of lifting the mountain by the tender finger (Antar bahishcha... Veda). This concept of monism (Advaita) indicating the oneness of God and human form is important for the devotees, who worship the human incarnation as God. In this angle, Shankara stands. The human being in which God exists should not think that it is God. It should always think that God is in it for the sake of humanity. If it thinks that it is really God, the human part of the human incarnation is insulted like Parashurama.
The human part should be always in dualism (Dvaita) as preached by Ramanuja and Madhva. Both these angles should be maintained separately since one angle spoils the other. The devotees and human part are human beings only and therefore, both these angles are for the welfare of the humanity only. The Veda states this point very clearly by saying that God remained in His original form (Sat) and simultaneously became the medium (Tyat) in to which He entered (Satcha tyatcha). This can be understood by the example of electrified wire. The electricity in the electrified wire is in its original form of stream of electrons (Sat), which is totally different from the chain of metallic crystals or wire and at the same time, the electricity is identified with the wire because the wire exhibits the property (shock) of the electricity anywhere touched.
When the disciples of Sankara thought that they are also the Lord, Sankara swallowed the molten lead and asked the disciples to do the same. Then they fell on the feet of Sankara. Then Sankara told "Shivah Kevaloham", which means that only He is Shiva.
If every man is already God what is the use of all this ‘Sadhana’? Who is to get salvation? If you are already God, do you mean that God gets salvation? If there is no salvation, why all this sadhana, (effort)? Why Prahlada did not accept his father as God? Narasimha killed Hiranya Kashipu. Both of them are Gods. Then God killed God, which means God committed suicide!
Then Shankara preached them that He alone is God (Shivaha kevaloham). The word ‘kevala’ denotes that Shankara alone is God and not everybody. Then, the disciples realized the true knowledge and surrendered to Him by falling on His feet (Bhava Shankara deshika me sharanam). Every advaita philosopher should realize this truth from the practical incident performed by Shankara. One should know that practical knowledge is more valid than theoretical knowledge, which can be easily misunderstood. The misunderstood theory is always rectified by practical demonstration.
The human incarnation is a direct proof of the unimaginable God. In the case of miracles, which infer the unimaginable source, the proof is indirect as inference. The unimaginable power of God is exhibited in three ways, which are seen in knowledge, strength and activity as said by the Veda (Jnana bala kriyaacha). The unimaginable knowledge is seen in the Gita, the unimaginable strength and activity are seen in lifting the huge mountain by the tender finger. The knowledge is more important for any human being because it clarifies all the doubts giving the correct concept and correct guidance to achieve the grace of God. The strength and activity denote only the existence of unimaginable God.
The concept of human incarnation should be isolated from the forcible entry of God in to the world through worldly logic since God enters the world by His free will in the case of human incarnation. No human being can become human incarnation by His aspiration because God enters a human being whenever He likes to do the activity that guides the humanity. In fact, as long as the aspiration to become God exists, one can never become human incarnation. Hanuman is the best example in this concept.
Shankara also clearly stated that a specific human being becomes God by the free will and grace of God alone (Eshwaraanugrahaadeva...). The word ‘alone’ (Eva) indicates that the free will of God is the only cause. Once God decides to enter this world through a human form, the selection of a specific devoted human being is based on the deservingness of such devotee. The fundamental basis of the deservingness is not to have the aspiration to become God but to have the aspiration only to serve the God. Your proposal is always disposed by God. This concept can be very clearly realized through the example of Hanuman.
When God enters the human being as human incarnation, not only He is unimaginable but also the process of His entry is unimaginable. The entry of God is not only in the soul (awareness) to give unimaginable knowledge to the humanity but also in the body as seen in the unimaginable process of lifting the mountain by the tender finger (Antar bahishcha... Veda). This concept of monism (Advaita) indicating the oneness of God and human form is important for the devotees, who worship the human incarnation as God. In this angle, Shankara stands. The human being in which God exists should not think that it is God. It should always think that God is in it for the sake of humanity. If it thinks that it is really God, the human part of the human incarnation is insulted like Parashurama.
The human part should be always in dualism (Dvaita) as preached by Ramanuja and Madhva. Both these angles should be maintained separately since one angle spoils the other. The devotees and human part are human beings only and therefore, both these angles are for the welfare of the humanity only. The Veda states this point very clearly by saying that God remained in His original form (Sat) and simultaneously became the medium (Tyat) in to which He entered (Satcha tyatcha). This can be understood by the example of electrified wire. The electricity in the electrified wire is in its original form of stream of electrons (Sat), which is totally different from the chain of metallic crystals or wire and at the same time, the electricity is identified with the wire because the wire exhibits the property (shock) of the electricity anywhere touched.
SW-User