Frequently Asked Questions about Hinduism

1). Where does the word “Hindu” come from?

Hindu is a name given to people living east of the river Indus in India.
Thus “Hinduism” became the term used to describe the religion practiced
by these people. Those who practice Hinduism usually refer to the religion as “sanatana dharma” (eternal truth).

2).Who is the founder of Hinduism?

There is no single founder of Hinduism in the way that Jews can trace the beginnings of their religion to Abraham and Muslims can trace the historical beginnings of Islam to Mohammed.

3). What country has the most followers?

India has the most followers, with an estimated 700 million Hindus out of the total population of 1 billion.Nepal, although having a population of only 25 million, is the only official Hindu state in the world. Approximately 13 per cent of the world’s population is Hindu.

4).What is the holy text of Hinduism?

The basic texts are collectively known as the Vedas and were compiled in Sanskrit. They are:

Rig Veda—hymns and chants of praise
Yajur Veda—liturgical prose
Sam Veda—readings for chanting
Atharva Veda—chants and songs for correct living

Hindus believe that the Vedas have no authorship and have been eternally existent. Hence they are called apaurusheya—not authored or made by anyone. The Vedas do not owe their authority to anybody, they are themselves the authority, being eternal—the knowledge of God.

This knowledge is what is meant by ‘the Vedas’ (‘Vid’—to know).Other epic texts are also central to understanding Hinduism. These include the Mahabharatha (which deals with the life of Lord Krishna) and the Ramayana (which deals with the life of Lord Rama).

5).Are there different sects of Hinduism?

Hindu philosophy is contained in the end portion of the vedas and is called the Gnana Kaanda or Knowledge portion or Vedaanta. This has been interpreted differently and many schools of thought emerged but Advaita,Visishtadvaita and Dvaita are the most well known
schools of thought on Hindu philosophy. According to Advaita the creator and the created are the same. The created is a part of the creator according to Visishtadvaita and as per Dvaita the creator is different from the created. The practice of Hinduism and worship of particular gods varies tremendously both within India and in other parts of the world.

6).What do Hindus believe?

The spiritual goal of all Hindus is to overcome the cycle of birth and death and become one with the Paramathma. All Hindus believe that there is a soul (atman) within every living thing and that this soul is part of the Universal Soul (Paraman), which is formless but can nevertheless manifest itself in any form it desires. Thus, the aim of the atman is to seek reunion with
the paraman, and thereby get out of the cycle of births and rebirths (samsara). This is also called Moksha. The quality of one’s past deeds is known as karma. When one’s karma is of sufficient quality,he or she will escape the cycle of birth and rebirth and rejoin the Universal
Soul.

Hindus believe in ahimsa (not doing harm to other living things), and since this includes not killing living things, a staunch Hindu is generally a vegetarian.

Although they believe in the Supreme Being, Hindus generally pray to a pantheon of Gods in various forms and which are both male and female. Central to this pantheon is the trinity of gods

Brahma (Creator)
Vishnu (Preserver)
Siva (Destroyer)

Hindus pray to a multiplicity of Gods and Goddesses depending on their aspirations and goals. For example,to avoid obstacles they pray to Ganesha. For wealth they pray to Lakshmi and for learning they pray to Saraswathi. Hindus also believe in the reincarnation of the Supreme
Being as avatars (the descent and incarnation of a deity). Two of the most well-known reincarnations Rama and Krishna.

7). What are the holy places of Hinduism?

They are found all over India, from Khasi and Varanasi and Banares in the North to Cape Comorin and the various temples for Lord Muruga (son of Lord Siva), known collectively
as the Aru Padai Veedu (Six Incarnations temples). As for Lord Ganeshs, the elder son of Lord
Siva, temples of worship housing his statue are found in almost every nook and corner of India and other countries where Hinduism is practiced. These places of worship are associated with the different gods who were deemed to have come down and lived with the people, and they are therefore the sacred original abodes of these gods.

8).Where do Hindus worship?

Hindus generally worship either at their homes, where some of them build elaborate altars, or in temples big and small, simple as well as elaborate.

9).How does a Hindu worship?

Worship is called puja. One can worship either in Sanskrit or in the other Indian languages, by reciting ancient mantras and/or chanting the names of the deities. Much worship
takes place in the home at a shrine or alter dedicated for such a purpose. Generally, there is an invocation,followed by addressing the specific god and presentations of offerings (usually flowers, fruit and delicacies) at the altar. Elaborate rituals are associated with the
different Gods and Goddesses.

10).Are there any special dietary practices?

A staunch Hindu is a vegetarian and will also abstain from alcohol.
Other Hindus may include milk and milk products (butter, cheese,
ghee), as the cow is considered sacred and dairy products are admissible
as permitted food. Because the cow is considered sacred,
Hindus may not eat beef.

11).What are some Hindu rituals?

Birth Birth is a special event, whereby the astrologer is immediately summoned and commissioned to chart the child’s horoscope.

After 11 days, the priest and astrologer are part of those invited for the official child naming ceremony.After 30 days, there is a bigger event, involving family members and friends, to put the child in the cradle. At the end of 1 year, the child’s head is shaved and prayers
offered at a temple, usually for Lord Muruga.

Weddings For weddings there are also elaborate rites, starting from the matching of the bride’s and groom’s horoscopes by astrologers. Once, there is a match, an auspicious auspicious
date for the wedding is fixed that is in harmony with the stars of the couple. The wedding may last as long as three days, with numerous rituals conducted by the priest and community elders. On the wedding day proper, the bride and groom take seven steps (sapthapathi) around the sacred fire (agnihotra) while the priest chants Sanskrit mantras from the Vedas.

Finally, the groom ties a sacred thread with the thali (symbol of marriage) around the groom’s neck.After this, the couple is blessed by elders and friends. This is usually followed by vegetarian lunch/dinner.


Death.

Death ceremonies are also elaborate. The priest lights the sacred fire (agnihotra) and chants
Sanskrit mantras. The eldest son/brother or other male then uses a tinder from the fire to light up the heart of the dead person’s body,and the body is then cremated.(Since only the soul is needed for reincarnation, cremation is the standard practice among Hindus.) On the 13th day, friends and relatives gather for a cleansing/thanksgiving ceremony, inclusive of food. Subsequently,the death anniversary is remembered through prayers at a
temple dedicated to Lord Siva.

12).How are Hindus organized?

There is no strict organization or hierarchy as one would see for example
in the Catholic church. There are Hindu Sangams, either as voluntary
bodies or as statutory bodies which oversee the administration of the temples and make rulings
on some issues, but they are not binding and are usually restricted to the geographical area in
which the temple/sangam is located. Many sects have their own organization and rules. In the
Sangams, the leaders are called Swamis, while in the temples, the priests are called acharya (North India) or pandaram (South India). Rituals are usually performed by the
priest caste known as Brahmins.


13). What are the special days or times of the year?

Hindu New Year is the most widely celebrated. It falls on the first day of the month of chithirai, and goes according to the Hindu (lunar) calendar. Another popular festival in
both north and south India is Deepavali or Diwali, which is the festival lights that commemorates
the triumph of good over evil. In South India, Malaysia and Singapore, the popular festival is
Thaipusam, a festival to make offerings (and penance) to Lord Muruga. Penance takes the form
of carrying kavadis and piercing parts of the body with skewers.Another popular festival is
firewalking, which is carried out in temples that worship Goddess Mariamman.

14). What happens after death?

On the fall of the physical body the athma merges with the Paramathma if the karma has been
completely extinguished. Otherwise there is travel for the Subtle and Causal body bundle till it finds a suitable womb to lodge itself for the next birth and the type of womb depends on its karma palan which it has to go through.

15). Is Hinduism similar to other religions?

Siddhartha was a Hindu, who attained enlightenment and became Buddha. He was also one of the ten avatars of Vishnu.Mahaaveera, also a Hindu, was the founding saint of Jainism, an important religion in India.Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism
are sometimes called the Vedic Religions.

Good theory is never disturbed -

Without healthy enough lungs there is little you can do.

PRANAYAMA has very little to do with breathing. Yet ordinarily it has.The whole scope of Raja-yoga is really to teach the control and direction of prana in different ways.
Sometimes in your own body the supply of prana gravitates more or less to one part; the balance is disturbed, and when the balance of prana is disturbed, what we call disease is produced. To take away the superfluous prana, or to supply the prana that is wanting, will be to cure the disease.
The most obvious manifestation of prana in the human body is the motion of the lungs. If that stops, as a rule all other manifestations of force in the body will immediately stop.
If you are strong and healthy, those who live near you will also have a tendency to become strong and healthy ... There have been cases where this process has been carried on at a distance. But in reality there is no distance which admits of gaps. ... Cases of healing from a distance are perfectly true. Prana can be transmitted to a very great distance; but for one genuine case there are hundreds of frauds.
Why should not the soul, by intensifying its action, attain perfection in this very life? ...

THE WORLD-MOVERS, endowed with gigantic will-power, can bring their prana into a high state of vibration; and it is so great and powerful that it affects others in a moment,
In this universe ... (each) form represents ... one whirlpool in the ... ocean of matter. The whirlpools are ever changing. ... Not one body remains the same. ... Not one is constant, but everything is changing ...
Think of the whole thing as a circle, the centre of which is perfection. The farther you move from the centre, the slower are the virations. Matter is the outermost plane; next comes mind; and Spirit is the centre.
Yogis say that ... the mind can function on a still higher plane, the superconscious. When the mind has attained that state, which is called samidhi - perfect concentration - it goes beyond the limits of reason and comes face to face with facts which no instinct or reason can ever know.
That part (of pranayama) which attempts to control the manifestations of prana as mental force, is called Raja-yoga.

TO PERCEIVE when there is more or less prana in one part of the body than there should be is also part of pranayama. The perception will be so subtle that the mind will feel that there is less prana in the toe or the finger than there should be and will possess the power to supply it.
cheers
Arun ..pls practise pranayama .....

Purpose of Life- what is the purpose of life:

What is the purpose of life. Why are we living?


The whole Cosmos ... everything contained in the Cosmos ... all galaxies, stars is but the size of half a thumb at the beginning of the Cosmos (and also at the time of the pralaya ... end of the Cosmos). No human being can ever conceptualize the massive energy this half the size of a thumb carries. At the time of pralaya (end of the Cosmos) ... everything whatever is contained in the Cosmos collapses ... and the whole system is reduced to the size of half a thumb.

And what is the meaning of this half the size of a thumb as stated in Bhagavad Gita (the doctrine dictated by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the battlefield of Mahabharata). Does it mean that this half the size of a thumb which comprises of only pure energy ... the combined power of all the Atmans (souls) in the Cosmos is related to God ... Yes, this defines what God, in the Almighty Creator is all about. We can safely define God, the Almighty Creator as the collective power of all purified Atmans in the beginning of the Cosmos ... the Parmatman (Brahman) ... the power of the Creator.

Bhagavad Gita states that by default ... in whatever stage they may be ... all the Atmans at the time of pralaya come to their 8.4millionth manifestation ... the last goal of cosmic life. The journey having ended for every Atman (the Soul within) ... all Atmans at the time of pralaya (end of the Cosmos) get liberated from the cycle of Birth and Death forever. It is free for all. All Jivas attain Moksha (Salvation). One may be in the stage of the mosquito; a plant, animal and all Human Beings ... all attain Moksha (Salvation).

After the pralaya (end of the Cosmos) occurs ... all Atmans (after their purification) combine together and this is what the half the size of a thumb is all about. This massive source of energy is unable to retain itself. God explodes with a Big Bang (the theory of Big Bang was being disputed by scientists for hundreds of years ... it is only about 30 years before that a consensus was built confirming formation of the Cosmos by Big Bang). The scientific system needs proof.

All god realized souls ... be they Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus Christ, prophet Mohammed, RamaKrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana ... all knew this absolute truth. But kept mum in the matter ... they knew very well that the masses would not believe in the concept, as the scientific society required proof and Spiritual masters never have one.

source http://vijaykumar.com/purpose_of_life.html

Why Meditate?

Why Meditate?

Man is born out of Divine Energy. Man is made up of 5 major elements, namely Earth (Prithvi), Water (Jala), Fire (Agni), Air (Vayu), Ether (Akasha). Man emerged from these 5 elements, lives in these elements and will go back to them – the original source.

Existence or Cosmos or Prapanja is made up of these 5 elements. All the 5 elements are different forms of the same Energy called God or Self or Atman. Muslims call it Allah, Hindus call it Brahman, Christians call it God and so on.

As Thythreya Upanishad says “…from Existence came Ether, from ether came Air, from air came Fire, from fire came Water, from water came the Earth and from the Earth came Life….”

When Man is at ease or is in tune with these 5 elements, he is all right. When he is not at ease with them, he is dis-eased. All the meditation techniques that Masters have designed over the years are aimed at tuning man to these 5 elements.

The basis of all religions lies in tuning Man to Existence through these 5 elements. The thirst to get in tune with the source of the all-pervading Energy has given rise to many religions. Idols are made up of clay (Earth). Idol worship is trying to realize the Cosmic Energy through the Earth element. Idol worship is the first plane of tuning. Bathing in holy rivers is trying to realize the Energy through the water element; 80% of our body constitutes water. Performing Yagnya or Homa (rituals with fire) is trying to realize this Energy through the Fire element. The fire outside represents the fire inside us. Chanting or repeating mantras is trying to connect to this Energy through the Air element and finally Meditation or Dhyana is trying to connect to this Energy through the Ether element. Ether is the subtlest form of Energy. Man should attempt to graduate from Idol worship to Meditation.

Inspired by these ideas on meditation, may you merge with Existence and attain Nithyananda (Eternal Bliss). Let you all become awakened and become Buddhas. My love and blessings to you.
source http://www.dhyanapeetam.org/WhyMeditate.asp

Himalayan Lineage

UPANISHAD TWELVE: PASSING ON THE POWER

Sloka 151

What Is Hinduism's Natha Sampradaya?

The Natha Sampradaya, "the masters' way," is the mystical source of Saivism. The divine message of the eternal truths and how to succeed on the path to enlightenment are preserved within the Natha tradition.

Sloka 152

What Is the Holy Kailasa Guru Lineage?

The Kailasa Parampara is a guru lineage that is thousands of years old. It is part of the Nandinatha Sampradaya. In the 20th century it was headed by Sage Yogaswami, who ordained me in Sri Lanka in 1949 to carry on the great tradition.

Sloka 153

Who Were the Early Kailasa Gurus?

Among its ancient gurus, the Kailasa Parampara honors the great yogi known as Rishi Tirumular and his generations of successors. In recent history we especially revere the silent sage called "Rishi from the Himalayas."

Sloka 154

Who Were Kadaitswami and Chellappan?

Kadaitswami was a dynamic satguru who revived Saivism in Catholic-dominated Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in the 1800s. Chellappaswami was a powerful sage, full of God consciousness, who repeated mystical truths to himself and God.

Sloka 155

Who Are the Most Recent Kailasa Gurus?

Sage Yogaswami, source of the songs called Natchintanai, protector of dharma, was satguru of Sri Lanka for half a century. He ordained me with a slap on the back, commanding, "Go round the world and roar like a lion!"

Views of Reality

Sloka 146

What Are Saiva Siddhanta's Two Schools?

There are two Saiva Siddhanta schools: pluralistic theism, whose teachers were Aghorasiva and Meykandar, and monistic theism, taught by Tirumular. While differing slightly, they share a religious heritage of belief, culture and practice.

Sloka 147

What Are the Two Views on Creation?

Monistic theists believe that Siva creates the cosmos as an emanation of Himself. He is His creation. Pluralistic theists say that Siva molds eternally existing matter to fashion the cosmos and thus remains apart from His creation.

Sloka 148

What Are the Views on God and Soul?

For the monistic theist, the soul is created out of God Siva and will merge back in Him as a river to the sea. For pluralists, God pervades the soul but did not create it; thus, in their view God and soul remain separate forever.

Sloka 149

What Are the Differing Views on Evil?

For monistic theists, the world is Siva's perfect creation, containing each thing and its opposite. For pluralistic theists, the world is tarnished with evil; thus, they say, it could not be the creation of a perfect God.

Sloka 150

What Are the Views on the End of the Universe?

Monistic theists say that when the universe ends, all creation is withdrawn into Siva, and He alone exists. Pluralistic theists state that the world and souls persist in subtle form beyond the great dissolution and will later reemerge.

Monism and Dualism

UPANISHAD ELEVEN: MONISTIC THEISM

Sloka 141

What Are the Many Hindu Philosophies?

From ancient times, India's sages and philosophers have thought about the nature of reality. Out of their search have blossomed hundreds of schools of thought, all evolving from the rich soil of village Hinduism.

Sloka 142

How Do Monism and Dualism Differ?

To most monists, God is present in the world and part of time and evolution. He is creation itself, but not its creator. To most dualists, God is beyond the world and is timeless. He creates the cosmos but is not part of it.

Sloka 143

What View Combines Monism and Dualism?

Monists, from their mountaintop perspective, perceive a one reality in all things. Dualists, from the foothills, see God, souls and world as eternally separate. Monistic theism is the perfect combination of these two views.

Sloka 144

What Is the View of Monistic Theism?

Monistic theism is the union of monism and dualism. It says God is transcendent and immanent, eternal and temporal, Being and becoming, Creator and created, Absolute and relative, efficient and material cause.

Sloka 145

Is Monistic Theism Found in the Vedas?

Again and again in the Vedas and from satgurus we hear "Aham Brahmasmi," "I am God," and that God is both present in the world and beyond it. Taken together, these are clear statements of monistic theism.