04-14-2007, 03:11 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-Hauma Hamiddha+Apr 13 2007, 09:31 PM-->QUOTE(Hauma Hamiddha @ Apr 13 2007, 09:31 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-sengotuvel+Apr 13 2007, 09:24 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sengotuvel @ Apr 13 2007, 09:24 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->A Hindu is a person who undertands that he is part of creation and all of creation is one with him. <b>He understands that God is everywhere and in every form. </b>To guide him he has a rich hertitage of knowledge in the form of the Vedas and Upanishads. His code of life is guided by the principles of the ideal just and wise human being as described in the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
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The above sounds reasonable except for one point that is often overlooked by most modern Hindus. Hindus really did not have God. They had entities like Ishvara, brahman, Atman, jIvAtaman, devas, dharma etc.
Several modern hindus translate Ishvara and in some cases brahman as God, but these are indequate expressions of the Hindu terms. It should be kept in mind that in some important hindu systems there is no Ishvara either (they are atheistic if Ishvara were translated as God). One of the most important issues is that most Hindu systems explicitly reject an extra-universe creator.
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A query to Gurus on this forum: is it true that mention of Gods and Godesses like Shiva, Laxmi, Ganesh and others is found only in Puranas and there is no mention of them in Vedas and Upanishads?
Also, in Hinduism are God and Parmatama(Param Aatmaa) different? We used to hear a story in childhood that a hermit prayed for years on end and Shiva appeared before him. The hermit asked Shiva 'who are you'? so Shiva replied 'I am God'. At this point the hermit asked Shiva that if he is God to whom did he himself pray sitting in the Himalayas? So Shiva replied 'I pray to Parmatmaa'. So the hermit replied 'I then want to see Parmatmaa'.
The hermit prayed for some more years and finally the hermit heard a voice from the sky 'you want to see me' So the hermit asked 'Are you Paramatma'?. The reply was 'yes'. So when the hermit expressed the desire to see Paramatmaa he again heard the same voice from the sky 'In which form do you want to see me as I have no form'. So the hermit expresed his desire to see Paramatmaa in such and such form so Paramatmaa gave him 'darshan' in the form the hermit had requested Paramatmaa.
Of course, one Hindu School of thought also has conception of "God" as "Satyam Jnanam Anantam" ( Existence Awareness Limitlessness Absolute ).
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The above sounds reasonable except for one point that is often overlooked by most modern Hindus. Hindus really did not have God. They had entities like Ishvara, brahman, Atman, jIvAtaman, devas, dharma etc.
Several modern hindus translate Ishvara and in some cases brahman as God, but these are indequate expressions of the Hindu terms. It should be kept in mind that in some important hindu systems there is no Ishvara either (they are atheistic if Ishvara were translated as God). One of the most important issues is that most Hindu systems explicitly reject an extra-universe creator.
[right][snapback]66951[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A query to Gurus on this forum: is it true that mention of Gods and Godesses like Shiva, Laxmi, Ganesh and others is found only in Puranas and there is no mention of them in Vedas and Upanishads?
Also, in Hinduism are God and Parmatama(Param Aatmaa) different? We used to hear a story in childhood that a hermit prayed for years on end and Shiva appeared before him. The hermit asked Shiva 'who are you'? so Shiva replied 'I am God'. At this point the hermit asked Shiva that if he is God to whom did he himself pray sitting in the Himalayas? So Shiva replied 'I pray to Parmatmaa'. So the hermit replied 'I then want to see Parmatmaa'.
The hermit prayed for some more years and finally the hermit heard a voice from the sky 'you want to see me' So the hermit asked 'Are you Paramatma'?. The reply was 'yes'. So when the hermit expressed the desire to see Paramatmaa he again heard the same voice from the sky 'In which form do you want to see me as I have no form'. So the hermit expresed his desire to see Paramatmaa in such and such form so Paramatmaa gave him 'darshan' in the form the hermit had requested Paramatmaa.
Of course, one Hindu School of thought also has conception of "God" as "Satyam Jnanam Anantam" ( Existence Awareness Limitlessness Absolute ).