What is Hinduism by Ed Viswanathan

It is the true culture of Indians in India. Many call it "A way of life." It is not an
organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. It has no Pope. It
has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually
studying about the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy
Bible you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews. 

Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the world.
Buddhism, Sikhism and to some extent Jainism and Zoroastrianism came from
Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during Rig Vedic Period. Statues of
Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and founder of Jainism was found in the
Mohenjadaro, Harappa excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism.
Judaism, Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All
three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus Christ
many times in the Holy Koran.  

Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist wrote,
finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and Christianity. The first
[Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and concepts from everywhere and later
[Christianity] will keep away from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S.
Lewis wrote is very true.

Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture and kill
every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture is a very dynamic
living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism lies in its most amazing ability
to adapt to different circumstances and different ages while maintaining its very
strong continuity with the past. How does it do that? That is a billion dollar
question. 
Who is the founder of Hinduism? 

No body in particular. It is the research output of countless learned men called

Rishis who were Christ like masters, through centuries. 

Who is a Hindu? 
I believe anyone who search after truth is a Hindu. There is One and only God
and One Truth.  The very first book of Hindus named Rig Veda proclaim,
"Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti". (There is only one truth, only men
describe it in different ways). So a Jew or a Christian or a Moslem who is in
search after truth is automatically a Hindu. There are about 800 million Hindus
in the world. There are more than 800,000 Hindus in the U.S., and about
160,000 in Canada.

What Attracts One to Hinduism? 

The concepts of utmost freedom of thoughts and actions. That's what attracts
many to Hinduism. Hinduism never forbids any one to question its
fundamentals. On one side, in Hinduism, you may come across people
worshiping pests like rats, and still on other side you will come across concepts
parallel to Quantum Physics and Neil's Bohr Theory of nuclear structure and
reactions. On one side Advaita (There is only one) philosophy is discussed and
promoted, still on other side Dvaita (Two -   duality) philosophy is discussed
and promoted. Hinduism never ever banished any one, since he or she wrote a
wrong scripture or did not observe a particular ritual. 
There was never a Salman Rushdie (author of Satanic Verses) in Hinduism and
never will be there one. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, even atheists can call
themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact the Charvaka philosophy or
Nastika philosophy, (existed during the Vedic period) founded by Charvaka
rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration. Voltaire
in Essay on Tolerance wrote: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will
defend to the death, your right to say it." Hinduism is the symbol of what
Voltaire wrote. 

When did Hinduism Take Birth? 

Nobody knows. If you go by Hindu mythological stories, Hinduism is trillions

of years old. If you go by Max Muller, the German philosopher, it is at least
8000 to 9000 years old. Hinduism might have started as Dravidian civilization
and later merged with Aryan civilization. Of course, my friend David Frawley
has written a wonderful book, explaining that Aryan Invasion of India never
happened and it is a myth. 
However studying the relics of Mohenjadaro and Harappa excavations, I
conclude, relics of the Indus civilization shows merging of many cultures and
concepts. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban
civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. Harappa and
Mohenjodaro were cities in the Indus Valley civilization that flourished around
2,500 B.C. in the western part of South Asia. The roots of Hinduism can be
traced to this civilization. The language spoken here is believed to be from
Dravidian family, which includes Tamil. Hinduism has the strange capability to
absorb and grow from all quarters and that is why in it you can see relics of all
other civilizations like Egyptian, Celtic, Mayan, Greek, Roman etc. To me it
does not matter the exact date it was born, since nobody can prove or disprove
the exact date. I am more concerned about what it has to give to the world. 

What was the original name of Hinduism? 

Sanatana Dharma or Righteousness Forever was the original name of Hinduism.

It was Persians who invaded India during 6th century B.C. who gave the name
Hinduism meaning the religion of people living near the Indus river. In Persian
the letter H and S are pronounced almost the same so they mistook the word
Sindhu (Sanskrit name for Indus) to H and then started calling Hindus and
Hinduism. 

What is the language in which the Hindu scriptures were written? 

Sanskrit older than Hebrew and Latin. The first words in English language came
from Sanskrit. The word mother came from Sanskrit word mata and father came
from Sanskrit word pita as per the PBS video "The Story of English".  Believe it
or not the word geometry came from a Sanskrit word named Gyaamiti meaning
'measuring the earth'. The word trigonometry came from the
word Trikonamiti  meaning 'measuring triangular forms'.  Sanskrit, which
literally means "cultured or refined" was the classical language of India and is
the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. Forbes Magazine,
(July, 1987) wrote: "Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages and is
the most suitable language for the computer software." 

How was Hinduism Started? 

According to Hindu scriptures it started as Shruti - that which is heard.  The

great seers of ancient times called Rishis who had perfected themselves have
heard in their hearts, eternal truths and they taught those truths to disciples by
telepathy and later they wrote them in books. Vedas and Upanishads are known
as Shruti literature rest is called Smriti - that which is remembered -  literature. 

All Hindu scriptures were considered as revealed truths of God. In fact Hindu
scriptures say that all Hindu Scriptures were written by God.  According
Christian theologians Holy Bible is considered to be Holy Spirit inspired book. 
According to Mimamsa school of thought, all Shruti literature existed all
through eternity in the form of sounds. Therefore those sounds of words of
Vedas and Upanishads are very important to Hindus. 

What are the Sacred Books of Hinduism? 

The very first sacred books of Hinduism are called Vedas. Vedas means
knowledge. There are four Vedas and they claim to teach men the highest
aspects of truths which can lead them to God. Vedas and Upanishads are Shruti
scriptures. The word Veda came from the root word "vid" meaning "to know".
Vedas are the very first scriptures of Hinduism. Vedas as per scriptures was
written by God. Vedas state "Self Ralization" is one and the goal of human life.
Vedas also discuss in detail rituals and ceremonies to attain self-realization.
There are 4 Vedas. They are: 

Rig Veda - Knowledge of Hymns - 10589 verses 

The Hindu Rig Veda is the foremost book of Hindus. It is the oldest book in the
world. Nobody knows when Rig Veda was written. According to Bal
Gangadhar Tilak it was written in 5000 BC. German philosopher Max Muller
dates 1500 BC. According to some it took centuries to write this book from
1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rig Veda is older than Gilgamesh (2500 B.C) and the
Old Testament. 

The very first Veda, Rig Veda very clearly shows that it was written, when
nomad man first settled down on the banks of rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra,
Indus etc. That is the reason why, in Rig Veda, you see, people are worshiping
natural powers like lighting, rain, Sun, fire (Agni); water; air, that effects
cultivation. It consists of 1028 hymns, comprising of 10,589 verses in 10
chapters known as Mandalas. 33 gods are worshiped in Rig Veda. There are
100 hymns addressed to Soma; 250 addressed to Indra; 200 hymns addressed
to Agni; Many addressed to Surya. Few addressed to Ushas, Aditi, Saraswati,
Varuna and Asvins. Lord Vishnu is a minor god in Rig Veda. 

One of the most important statement came from the Rig Veda is "Ekam Sat,
Viprah Bahudha Vadanti"  - meaning "Truth is one but men describe it
differently". Lord Vishnu has minor importance in Rig Veda. Name of
Lord Siva is mentioned asRudra. Soma in Rig Veda is intoxicating drink to
gods. The word Sura came those who drink an intoxicating drink which I think
is Soma. The word Asura came from those who do not drink that drink. Another
word that caught my attention in Rig Veda is the word Rta which means some
kind of cosmic order. I think the word Dharmaoriginated from the word Rta. 

One of the most prominent hymns of Rig Veda "Purusa-Sukta  - Purusha (man)

and the Primordial sacrifice of Purusha for the betterment of man and the
world". Another one is "Creation Hymn. 

Caste system started in Rig Vedic period. The Rig Vedic Hymn, known
as Purusha-Sukta (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states: "The Brahmin
was Purusha's  (cosmic man - the first principle of Sankhya Philosophy in
Hinduism) mouth, theKshatriya his arms, the Vaisya his thighs and Shudra his
feet. 

Yajur Veda - Knowledge of Liturgy - 3988 verses 

Yajur Veda deals with knowledge of rites. This Veda is based on Rig Veda. It
contains rules and regulations explaining how to conduct rituals. It consists of
prose as well verse. This Veda is indeed a priestly handbook, even describing
the details of how to make an alter. Sacrifice is one of the most important aspect
of this Veda. 

Sama Veda - Knowledge of Music - 1549 verses 

Sama Veda deals with the knowledge of chants. Sama means "melody". The
classical Indian music originated from this Veda. This Veda is also based on Rig
Veda. Verses from this Veda is sung when "Soma Sacrifice" is performed. Sama
Veda is similar to Psalms in Christianity. To some extent much of this Veda is a
repetition of the Rig Veda sung in melodious format. Invocations of this Veda is
addressed to Soma(moon or the narcotic drink Soma); Agni (fire); Indra (god of
heaven). One of the Upanishads that came out of this Veda is Chandogya
Upanishad. 

Atharva Veda - Knowledge given by Sage Athrvana - 6000 Verses 

Atharva Veda contains the knowledge given by sage Athrvana. Some state that
sage Athrvana did not formulate this Veda but was the chief priest in the
ceremonies associated with it. Atharvana who is mentioned in the Rig Veda was
considered as the eldest son of Lord Brahma (God of creation). Atharva Veda is
also known as Brahma Veda, because it is still used as a manual by Hindu
priests and Brahmins. Ayurveda is a part of Atharva Veda. 

A large number of Upanishads came from Atharva Veda. Belief it or not, much
of Hindu exorcism of devils came from this Veda. At the same time, the oldest
records on Veda do not talk about this Veda. There is absolutely no reference
about this Veda in the Chandogya Upanishad or in the Brahmana tests or in the
Jatakas or in the Bhagavad Gita. That very clearly shows Atharva Veda was
non-existent when other 3 Vedas were composed. 

Ayurveda

Ayurveda - The Hindu Medicine Scripture - consists of more than 100,000

verses initially. Still it is considered as a upa Veda of Atharva Veda. 

More Books of Hinduism 

Samhitas - basic texts for hymns to deities, formulas and chants. The Sanskrit
word Samhita  means "put together". 

Brahmanas - description as well as directions for performance of rituals. The

word originated from the word Brahmins. Brahmins are the original Hindu
priests and they follow Brahmans to conduct rituals. 

Aryanakasb - contain Mantras and interpretations of rituals. This book also

known as "the forest books" since book is used by saints who meditate in the
forests. 
Upanishads - texts revealing ultimate truths by different saints. Upanishads
teach men that there is One and Only thing and that is BRAHMAN. You and I
are just reflections of Brahman. Or we are indeed God... Upanishads teach us
"Tat Tvam Asi" - That Thou Art. In fact, the word Upanishad  can be broken
down as upa (near) ni (down)shad (sit) meaning that teachings of Upanishads
were conveyed from masters to students when students sat very next to masters
and nobody overheard those teachings. 

There are a total of 108 Upanishads. Principle ones 13. Some of the Upanishads
are named after the sages who answered all questions. Some as per the first
word in the Upanishad. 

1. Isa Upanishad, 2. Kena Upanishad, 3. Katha Unpanishad, 4. Prasna

Upanishad, 5. Mundaka Upanishad, 6. Mandukya Upanishad, 7. Aitareya
Upanishad, 8. Taittirya Upanishad, 9. Chandogya Upanishad, 10. Brihad-
Aranyaka Upanishad, 11. Kaushitaki Upanishad, 12. Shvetashvatara Upanishad,
13. Maitri Upanishad. 

Smriti Literature consists of large number of books. 

Vedangas - scriptures attached to Vedas. 

1. Dharma Sutras - Codes of Manu, Yatnyavalkya etc

2. Jyotisha - Astrology and Astronomy 
3. Kalpa - rituals and legal matters
4. Siksha - phonetics
5. Chhandas - measurements
6. Nirukta - Etymology 
7. Vyakarana - Sanskrit grammar 

Upa Vedas 

1. Ayurveda - Hindu science of health and longevity 

2. Dharnur Veda - Hindu science of archery and war 
3. Gandharva Veda - Hindu science of Music 
4. Artha Shastra - Hindu science of governing by Kings 
Darsanans - Hindu Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge 

1. Nyasa - Sage Gautama wrote Nyaya sutras

2. Vaisheshika - Sage Kanada wrote Vaisheshika sutra 
3. Samkhya - Sage Kapila - Gita starts with this philosophy 
4. Yoga - Sage Patanjali wrote Patanjali Yogasutra 
5. Mimamsa - Sage Jaimini wrote Mimamsa Sutra  
6. Vedanta - Sage Veda Vyasa 

Vedanta (At the End of the Vedas) meaning it started at the end of Vedic age,
has two parts : 1. Advaita Philosophy - One Only - great exponent Adi Sankara
and 2. Dvaita Philosophy - Two - almost all Vaishnava Saints.  

Itihasas or Epics : Mythological Scriptures 

Ramayana -   story of Rama, written by Valmiki. Ramayana is the story of

Rama and princess Sita. Valmiki wrote the whole Ramayana as the narration of
a crying dove (who just lost her lover to a hunter's wicked arrow) to him. This
beautiful poem consists of 24,000 couplets. Lord Rama is one of the avatars of
Lord Vishnu and Ramayana is a story which projects Hindu ideals of life. There
are many versions of Ramayana. The Hindi version was written by sage Tulsi
Das The Malayalam version (Kerala state) was written by Thuncheth
Ezuthachan. The original text was written in very stylish Sanskrit language 

Mahabharata - story of Pandvas and Kauravas 220,000 verses, 18 chapters

Bhagavad Gita  is part of this scripture. It is lengthier than Homer's ODYSSEY.
It consists of episodes, dialogues, stories, discourses and sermons. It contains
110,000 couplets or 220,000 lines in 18 Parvas or sections or chapters. 

Apart from 18 parvas there is a section of poems in the form of an appendix

with 16,375 verses which is known as Harivamsa Parva. So in total there are 19
Parvas, even though many saints do not consider the last Parva as an important
parva. The Bhagavad Gita is part and parcel of Mahabharata.   

Is Bhagavad Gita the Hindu Holy Bible? 

Bhagavad Gita is a part of the epic Mahabharata, appearing in the middle of the
great epic. Many consider Bhagavad Gita as the most important scripture of
Hindus. If the entire Upanishads can be considered as cows, then the Bhagavad
Gita can be considered as milk. It is the essence of the Vedas. 

Bhagavad Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 verses. It deals with all type of
Yogas, means of self-realization. It is in the form of a very lively conversation
between the warrior-prince Arjuna and his friend and charioteer Lord Krishna,
at the outset of the great Mahabharata war, in the middle of the battle field. Just
before the beginning of the war, Arjuna refused to fight, when he found he had
to kill thousands of his own kinsmen to be victorious in the war. Lord Krishna
advised him on a very large variety of subjects in a question and answer format.
At the end, Arjuna took Lord Krishna's advice and fought and won a very fierce
war. Gita has an answer to every problem a man may face in his life. It never
commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action
and thought. Throughout Gita you will not come across any line starting or
ending with Thou Shalt Not. That is the reason why Gita is the darling of
millions of seekers of truth throughout the world. 

Versions of Gita   

The very first English translation of Gita was done by Charles Wilkins in 1785,
with an introduction by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of India.
One of the most popular translation was done by Sir Edwin Arnold, under the
title The Song Celestial. There are many translations of the Gita and one of most
descriptive translation on Gita was done by Swami Sri Prapupada of
International Krishna consciousness. Almost all saints in India have published
their versions of the Bhagavad Gita. Recently the Self Realization Fellowship,
California have published an excellent translation of the Bhagavad Gita. Most
intellectuals in the world go through Gita at least once in their life time. Aldous
Huxley wrote: The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most systematic scriptural
statement of the perennial philosophy" in his introduction of the The Song of the
God by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood. Gita won the
interest and admiration of great intellectuals such as Von  Humboldt of
Germany and Emerson of America. It has influenced thinkers like Hagel and
Schopenhauer. 

Father of Atom Bomb and Bhagavad Gita 

Robert Oppenheimer, the very first Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission

and father of Atom bomb was a great admirer of the Bhagavad Gita. He learnt
Sanskrit during Manhattan Project to understand the true meaning of Gita. He
really shocked the world, when he quoted a couplet from Gita (Chapter 11:12)
after witnessing the first Atomic Explosion in the state of New Mexico. Later
when he addressed congress regarding Atom Bomb he said Atom Bomb remind
him of Lord Krishna who said in the Bhagavad Gita, "I am death devourer of
all". 

Puranas - 18 are most important

Mahabhagavatam is the most read important scripture of ISKCON (Hare

Krishan). Puranas are religious stories which expound truths. Just like the
parables told by Jesus Christ, these stories are told to common folk to make
them understand the higher truths of life. According to Jesus Christ "Mysteries
of the universe are revealed to those who are spiritually awake, but to others
those mysteries have to be explained in parables".  On that Puranas are called
the Vedas of the Common folk, for they present the mysteries through myth and
legend. Six puranas addressed to Lord Vishnu are 1-Vishnu Purana 2-Narada
Purana 3-Srimad Bhavata Purana 4-Garuda Purna 5-Padma Purana 6-Varaha
Purana. Six Puranas --addressed to Lord Siva are 1-Matsya Purana 2-Kurma
Purana 3-Linga Purana 4-Vayu Purana 5-Skanda Purana 6-Agni Purana. SIX
Puranas addressed to Lord Brahma are 1-Brahma Purana 2-Brahanda Purana 3-
Brahma-Vaivasvata Puranaor Brahma-Vaivarta Purana 4-Markandeya Purana 5-
Bhavishya Purana 6-Vamana Purana . Apart from that we have 22 minor
Puranas 

Agamas - Sectarian Scriptures  

They are a group scriptures worshipping God in particular form and they
describe detailed courses of disciple for the devotee. Like Upanishads there are
many Agamas. They can be broadly divided into three sets of Agamas. 

Vaishnava Agamas - worship God as Lord Vishnu 

Saiva Agamas - worship God as Lord Siva 
Sakti Agamas - worship God as Mother Goddess. 

Believe it or not there is no Agamas for Lord Brahma (God of creation).

Saivates have 28 Agamas and 108 Upa Agamas (minor agamas). Saktiates
recoganizes 77 agamas. I am not sure about the actual number of the Vaishna
Agamas. Vaishanavates consider Pancha Ratra Agamas as one of the most
important agamas. Each Agama consists of Philosophy, mental discipline, Rules
for constructing temples and Religious practices. 

Tantras 

Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology, erotic exercises etc.
Tantra is very important and very vast. Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand.
Tantrism researched into Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology.
Chakras and Kundalini power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world.
Of course Tantras also states salvation through sex. In any other religion
scriptures like Tantra literature will not be tolerated. In Christianity, the first
person William Tyndall who translated Holy Bible into English was mercilessly
burnt at stake, and copies of his Bible burnt, since church did not like his
version of the Holy Bible! That is why I take my hats off to Hinduism. 

Charvaka - Hindu Materialism 

Just like Tantras, Hinduism tolerated Chrvaka philosophy. Its founder was
Charvaka. The most important book was Brihaspati Sutra. I am stating things in
past tense since I am not aware if copies of this book are available in India.
According to Charvaka, "Material world alone exists and our knowledge comes
from sense perception". This philosophy openly propagated that there is no God,
the Law of Karma has no basis and that the Vedas were written by clowns. It
adds " Enjoy life while you can, for once cremated, you will never return to
earth." There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say that there
are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism.......We will now start discussing
about each individual scripture.... 

What is the Hindu Concept of God? 

Hindus believe in One and Only God - Brahman which expresses itself in

trillions of forms. Hindus do not believe God has human form or any other
form. God is nameless and timeless. But there is nothing wrong to worship a
God with name and form (nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything
without any name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism, God
or Brahman  has been described asSaguna Brahman (God-Brahman with
attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman (God-without attributes. In the
Upanishads, God is described as Neti - Neti (not this-not that) method. So first
Hindus worshiped 33 natural gods in the Rig Veda. Then Hinduism came to the
realization that there is one and only God - Brahman. Just like one and only Sun
shines over the mountains of Afghanistan, dry deserts of Saudi Arabia;
Penthouse of New York, there is one and only God which is present in the
Hindu temple, Christian church, Moslem Mosque, Jewish synagogue, Buddha
Vihars and Sikh Gurudwara. 

If there is only One God, Why Hindus worship many God forms? 

During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis (scientists of that day)
said there is only One God - Brahman, they found out that laymen could not
understand that concept. So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas
[mythological stories] filled with many gods, with the concept that when you
worship any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God
Brahman.  Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, "Call me by what ever
name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes to One and Only
Supreme Reality." So a Hindu when worshiping any God form is actually
worshiping One and Only God Brahman. In Christianity One God expresses
himself in three forms, Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. 

In Hinduism One God Expresses itself in trillions of forms. That is the reason
why Hindus have no problem in calling Jesus and Buddha avatars (incarnations)
of God, even though Buddha did not reorganize the authority of Vedas or belief
in Brahman. 

Believe it or not there is no word Trinity in the entire Holy Bible and it
originated only after emperor Constantine became a Christian. He did that to
fuse pagan Rome to Christianity. Only mention of Trinity concept of God in the
Bible, is in the St. Matthew's account of Christ's last command to the apostles,
"Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and the son and of the Holy Spirit" [MAT 28:19.] According to
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia the Trinity doctrine was not established until 363
A.D. It says that Trinity is the result of three or four centuries of theological
development. The New Catholic Encyclopedia also states that devotion to
Trinity had begun in monasteries at Aniane and Tours, during 8th century. 
Why Hindus Worship Idols? 

Show me any person [except may be Jews], who does not believe in an idol,
image, or symbol and I will show you the greatest liar on earth. All religions
have some concept of God with name and form, but Hindus alone have the
courage to admit that fact. 

The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ, the statue of
Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone in Kabba are all idols. If
anyone bow in front of any of them, they are breaking laws of Old Testament
[LED . . . 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.] Idol worship is every where and I never ever
met a man who does not worship something or someone. In fact, the first
sculpture of Christ was in the form of a small boy holding on to a sheep. Now,
everywhere in the world, people have pictures of Christ according to their
culture. A loving young white man in USA, a tough man looking like a judge in
Russia, a nice black man in Africa and a man looking like a typical man from
China with a sheepish beard in China. 

I respect all those pictures. Believe it or not, all of them are idol worships. Once
again, God is spirit...No word or image can describe or depict God or can
encompass the greatness of God.  God is neither the father nor the mother. Since
man cannot conceive anything without name and form, man has the right to
worship God with a form. At the same time, every worship leads to a God
without any name and form in course of the development of the seeker in
spirituality. 

What are the Hindu Moral Codes? 

Hindu moral codes are written a collection of books called Dharma Sutras.
Hindu moral Codes are the integral part of Hinduism and they come under the
big umbrella called Dharma. It is very difficult to translate the word Dharma.
Some of the codes are Ahimsa (non-
killing), Satya (truth), Dharma (duty), Karuna (compassion), Virya(fortitude), 
Dama (self-restraint), Saucha (Purity).  

What is an Avatar? 

An Avatar is an incarnation of God. Whenever God come down to earth in any

form then Hindus call that an Avatar. According to that definition, Christ can be
considered as an Avatar, even though there is no mention about Jesus Christ in
any of the Hindu scriptures. 

What is Salvation according to Hinduism? 

Hindu salvation concept is different from Christian salvation concept. Hindu

salvation is known as Self Realization. In Hindu salvation a person realizes that
he is not the body, but the immortal soul (Adman) within. That is the reason
why Hindu salvation is known as self realization or "Realizing that he is the
Immortal self and not the perishable body. In Hindu salvation the identity of the
soul is lost when it attains salvation. Hindu salvation can be compared to a
pinch of salt trying to find the bottom of the ocean. The moment the pinch of
salt touches the surface of the mighty ocean, it becomes part and parcel of the
Ocean. Similarly, when a person seeks after God according to Hinduism,
becomes One with God when he attains salvation. Hinduism never ever boasts
monopoly on salvation. In fact, as per Hinduism, any one even an atheist can
attain salvation. A Jew, Christian and Moslem can attain salvation, irrespective
of whether they read any Hindu scriptural book. 

What is the Law of Karma? 

Hindus believe in life after death. They also believe in the Biblical concept
"Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap". That is the basis of karmic law.
Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus believe that every thought
and every action is weighed on the scale of eternal justice. The law of karma is
one of cause and effect. Nobody can escape from the Karmic debt. I believe
Christ took care of the Karmic debt of all the apostles so that he can make them
fishermen of men. 

What happens to us when we die? 

According to Hinduism, the body alone dies. the soul within the body never
dies, But the path the soul takes is decided upon the past actions which are
known as karmas. So the actions of former body does not die with the body.
Past actions are attached to the body and they decide what kind of body the soul
takes in the next life.  When an individual soul exhausts all its karmas and
merges with God then Hindus say that soul has attained salvation. 
Does that mean one has to take millions of lives to achieve salvation? 

No, absolutely not. That question is the question many ask. Hindu scriptures,
especially the Bhagavad Gita very clearly says that one can attain salvation in
one life, provided one surrender his will to the will of God 100%. Lord Krishna
said: "Those who surrender all actions to me and regard me as the supreme goal
and worship me with whole hearted devotion, will be saved by me from
repeated births and deaths."  In another verse, Lord Krishna said: "Give up all
your righteous and non-righteous actions and come to me; take refuge in me.
Then I shall free you from all sins; grieve not."  That me who is mentioned is
not the Lord Krishna but the absolute soul or God. Krishna is one of the
representations of that God. That God can appear in another form like Christ or
without any form or name at all. 

How can one attain Salvation? 

Through four paths 

1 Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge

2 Karma Yoga - Path of Selfless Actions
3 Bhakti Yoga - Path of Devotion 
4 Raja Yoga - Path of Breath Control and Pranayama 
Most of all religious devotees of all religions are Bhakti yogies whether they
believe in Hinduism or not. Very good Christians go to church everyday and
surrender themselves to the deity of Christ are Bhakti Yogis. So too Moslems.
Hinduism is the only religion that explains the four paths very well. 

What is Aum (Om)? 

It is the Hindu word. It is a syllable that stands for absolute. It is uttered in the
beginning as well as at the end of all Hindu prayers. To some extent it is the
logos of the Holy Bible. 

Do you believe that John 1:1 came from the Hindu Scriptures?

Yes, I think so. Long before JOHN 1:1 [70 AD] was written, Hindu Vedas [ at
least 5000 BC] wrote the same thing "Prajapathi Vai Agre Aseet" In the
beginning was Prajapati, The Brahman, The God "Tasya Vag dvitiya Aseet"
with whom was the word: "Vag Vai Oarama Brahman" and the word was verily
the Supreme Brahman - The God. John 1:1 states: In the beginning was the
word, and the word was with God and the word was God." 

Why do women wear a dot on their forehead? 

That dot is supposed to be the meeting point of eye brows. That important point
is called Angina Chara or spiritual eye. Everyone is supposed to protect that. In
fact all saints protect that point with sandalwood paste. But later women alone
started protecting that area. 

What is Namaste'? 

It is the popular Hindu greeting performed by pressing two hands together and
holding them near the heart. The whole act communicate to the world 'You and
I are one. I salute and worship the God within you, which is a mirror image of
myself". 

Do Hindus Practice Monogamy? 

Hindus practice monogamy and Hindus have stopped "child marriages in India
by SAADA Act (1929) under the British. It is the Moslems in India who are
allowed to marry four wives and Moslem Sharia law allows child marriages for
Moslems in India.

Do Hindu Scriptures Forbid Abortion? 

Yes they do. Hindu scriptures forbid abortion. From time immemorial, Hindus
consider children as gifts from God. In the code of Manu, Manu forbids
abortion. One of the worst acts described in the scriptures is Sis-Hatya meaning
destruction of the unborn fetus. There are prayers in the Rig Veda to guard a
growing embryo. Only time abortion is allowed is when the fetus is known to be
defective as per Susruta Samhita, the Hindu Ayurvedic book. 

What is Caste System? 

There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as caste system. It emerged as a part

of division of labor among people during the days of Rig Veda. The greatest
apostle of caste system, was Sage Manu. He laid down all provisions governing
caste system in Manu-Smriti. 

Brahmins - Priests 
Kshatriyas - Fighters and warriors
Vaisya - Business men 
Shudras - helpers of every one 

Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed and accepted even by St.
Paul (Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44- 55
Thessalonians 3:22), there is no statement in the entire Hindu scriptures to ill-
treat lower castes, except Sage Manu's Code, where punishments of lower castes
are severe comparing to punishments for the higher castes for the same offense.
There is no word "untouchable" in the entire Hindu scriptures. Still caste system
degenerated in India. It is indeed the greatest curse on Hinduism. It attacks the
core of Hinduism. It resulted in large scale conversion of Hindus to other
religions. I sincerely pray and hope, caste system eventually will go away,
making it a relic of the history. Hindus should do what Christians did. Even
though slavery is mentioned and accepted as a practice in the Holy Bible, even
though during Civil war many such as Jefferson Davis, President of the
Confederate States of America quoted from the Bible to support slavery,
Christians took it upon their chin and eliminated slavery completely. 

Once upon a time, India had 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. Even there
were 1,800 Brahmin castes in India. Even different Brahmin castes did not
mingle themselves socially or otherwise, in ancient times. Last of all, ancient
India, persecuted a large group of people called untouchables.  Mahatma Gandhi
said: "Untouchability is a crime against God and men." Ambedkar once wrote
out of his own experience, "To the untouchables, Hinduism is a veritable
chamber of horrors." 

Why Hindus Practice Suttee (Sati)? 

None of the Hindu scriptures mention about Sati. Suicide of the consort of Lord
Siva, Sati, has nothing to do with Sati or Suttee. Suicide of queen Madri in the
epic Mahabharata has nothing to do with Sati. Suicide of 16000 wives of Lord
Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam has nothing to do with Sati. At the same
time Suttee is the most horrendous way of widows jumping into the funeral pyre
of their fallen husbands. It is an ancient ritual practiced by a warrior race of
India called Rajputs. Nobody else in India, practiced Suttee. Once again, Suttee
is never mentioned in any Hindu religious scripture. There is not even one
episode of Suttee in the vast Hindu mythology. 

Many state Hinduism is very Complex and Contradictory! 

All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and
Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like
Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them.
So too Buddhism and Jainism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part
of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of
history. Hinduism on its part, never had any house cleaning in its history. Since
Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion
as well as very advanced thoughts. 

II have repeatedly stated that Hinduism has the good, the bad and also the ugly
aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. We have to boldly
face facts and eradicate the bad and the ugly aspects, to better the lives of
millions of Hindus, for years to come. 

The greatness of Hinduism can be summarized in few words. "Freedom of

Thoughts and Actions." That is what Hinduism stands for