Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

  1. #1

    Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

    Namaste,

    I'm troubled by what I'm reading this that book as follows, on page 245:

    On Salvation and God’s Will
    EASTERN VIEW: Salvation is through strict obedience to God’s
    will and the descent of His grace through the enlightened
    spiritual preceptor.
    WESTERN VIEW: Salvation is through strict obedience to God’s
    will, usually through a messiah, prophet or priest.

    I thought that Sanaatana Dharma is not salvific in that sense. Please advise from SD perspective.

    Dhanyavaad

  2. #2
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

    hari o
    ~~~~~~

    Quote Originally Posted by deafAncient View Post
    Namaste,

    I'm troubled by what I'm reading this that book as follows, on page 245:

    On Salvation and God’s Will
    EASTERN VIEW: Salvation is through strict obedience to God’s
    will and the descent of His grace through the enlightened
    spiritual preceptor.
    WESTERN VIEW: Salvation is through strict obedience to God’s
    will, usually through a messiah, prophet or priest.

    I thought that Sanaatana Dharma is not salvific in that sense. Please advise from SD perspective.

    Dhanyavaad
    Let's see if I can assist (even slightly)...I would have said it this way:


    EASTERN VIEW: Salvation is through His grace.

    WESTERN VIEW: Salvation is through His grace.

    The medium though which His grace ( anugraha¹) arrives is of less in importance.
    Think of electricity that is used around the world - some have 120v current , others have 220v current. Yet the electricity traveling though the wire is the same and will light your lamp on your desk.

    Now does that suggest we discount all the gurus, the muni's, etc. ? No , they are none other then the representatives of the Supreme. In fact some will argue they are the Supreme in the flesh - yet this can cause some consternation for some.

    And this obedience - IMHO a better term ( as I see it) is discipline . In the west it is construed as a form of punishment ; in the east it is considered self-control and a form of tapas¹.

    iti śivaṁ

    words

    • anugraha - kindness , showing favor , conferring benefits
    • tapas is from tapa - to heat up; with ~heat~ a purification is possible; tapas is that self control that purifies. In jyotish tapas is considered the 9th lunar mansion (dharma). Hence the alignment to dharma and that which upholds.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  3. #3
    Join Date
    September 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Age
    70
    Posts
    7,191
    Rep Power
    5038

    Re: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

    Vannakkam Deaf ancient:

    My view is simply that it's saying you need a Guru. In the western view you don't need a Guru.

    Aum Namasivaya

  4. #4

    Re: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

    hello,
    I may have read this wrong elsewhere, but I recall that SD is not a salvific religion in the sense that Christianity is, i.e., you don't need to be saved, or you'll go to hell. It sounds like what you are trying to say is that you instead become liberated when you read moksha. Is that right?
    Last edited by yajvan; 22 July 2014 at 09:47 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

    hari o
    ~~~~~~
    namaste

    Quote Originally Posted by deafAncient View Post
    hello,
    I may have read this wrong elsewhere, but I recall that SD is not a salvific religion in the sense that Christianity is, i.e., you don't need to be saved, or you'll go to hell. It sounds like what you are trying to say is that you instead become liberated when you read moksha. Is that right?
    Let me offer a few ideas...
    First there is nothing wrong with you now... nor is there anything wrong with this earth, yet many will tell you so. This always causes some consternation, but for now let's say what I mention ( which is the view of from the wise) is correct. If this is true then what are you to be saved from ? Let's take a look.


    Note too that moka = liberation. Now if we again take some liberties, we could say one is ~saved~ from one's own ignorance of forgetting one's true Self. This is what occurs with the notion of moka. One word that is used on occasion is pratyabhijñā - it means recognition or re-recognition. If one has forgotten their natural (sahaja¹) level of being then this moka is the re-recognition of it once again.

    We stretch the meaning of being ~saved~ from ignorance of our forgetting our own natural Being. This is the blessing ( anugraha- grace) that is offered to all humans.


    iti śivaṁ
    1. sahaja - by nature; hereditary , original , natural
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  6. #6
    Join Date
    September 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Age
    70
    Posts
    7,191
    Rep Power
    5038

    Re: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

    Quote Originally Posted by deafAncient View Post
    hello,
    I may have read this wrong elsewhere, but I recall that SD is not a salvific religion in the sense that Christianity is, i.e., you don't need to be saved, or you'll go to hell. It sounds like what you are trying to say is that you instead become liberated when you read moksha. Is that right?
    Vannakkam: Yes indeed. Often in comparative point to point charts like this, similar words are used, just do the reader can better understand/relate.

    Something to add on this though is that in the western view there is no guarantee ... you can go to hell for eternity. In the east all souls 'attain' moksha without exception. It just may take awhile longer for some.

    Aum Namasivaya

  7. #7

    Re: Book - How to Become a Better Hindu

    Hare Krishna !

    Dear deafAncient,

    I am also as new as you are in this HD Forums. If I may join in, I would like to tell you, please close that book and try for the 'salvation'. God alone knows best how He should come to you. And if He wants to come to you to make your human life significant and successful I do not see any reason why He would need to come using the help of a medium, Guru or a prophet.

    No matter who your Guru is or which prophet is supporting you, nothing would be attainable unless you are trying for it whole-heartedly with love, respect and sincerity.

    In India, there is a saying that " Guru mile hazaro, chela mile na koi" meaning that thousands of gurus are available but alas, there is no disciple. Even if a Guru is a charlatan and fake guru, if the disciple has faith, sincerity, love and respect for his own purpose of achieving 'salvation', he surely succeeds. Because even if the Guru is fake, the Mantra that he gives to initiate, carries the Lord's name and vibration which is not fake. So, that (The name, the mantra) does all the actual job.

    Please do not misunderstand me. I am sorry if I have hurt your feelings.

    Let there be the light of the divine consciousness upon all true seekers.

    Lots of love and best wishes,

    Dilip.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 2 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 2 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 44
    Last Post: 06 April 2014, 06:07 AM
  2. khalsa rejects
    By GURSIKH in forum Sikhism
    Replies: 44
    Last Post: 26 March 2012, 02:28 PM
  3. Replies: 17
    Last Post: 18 March 2012, 09:38 PM
  4. Was TAJ MAHAL a temple called TEJO MAHALAYA?
    By brahman in forum Hot Topics
    Replies: 30
    Last Post: 26 March 2011, 09:32 AM
  5. A Personal Hindu Library
    By saidevo in forum Dharma-related Websites
    Replies: 42
    Last Post: 17 March 2009, 12:31 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •