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Thread: 24 and Hindu

  1. #1

    24 and Hindu

    Quick note: I realised I should have posted in the introductions topic first but I felt my introduction has more to do with why I'm here followed by a few questions. I felt maybe it was more appropriate to post this topic here instead(?) If you feel this still belongs to Introductions, then please feel free to move it.

    Hi everyone!

    I'm new here. I'm a male from London, 24 years of age. I joined this forum because I would like to know more about my religion from people that know it and not just blindly follow it.

    I was a Hindu first because I was born into a Hindu family. I was not given any lessons on what Hinduism is, why it is and why it should be my way of life. Probably because my parents were also Hindus because they came from Hindu families. I was told to do and don't do loads of things to do with traditions and religion; No eating meat on Tuesday, strictly no beef, visiting temples on Tuesdays and Sundays etc... and I just became used to these things, still oblivious to the reasons why we must do this. I have always been respectful towards the religion and followed whatever I did understand of it. As life went on, I still tried to search for answers but to no avail as none of my friends were Hindu and whoever I was able to talk to babbled on about how I should never question religion and should do the right thing, which was to follow it.

    Eventually, as I began to lose my 'forced connection' to Hinduism.

    But recently, I have come across some events in my life where I have turned to a higher being for courage and hope. I felt there was someone/something more powerful than us, I could feel it internally. I began to read about all different religions and tried to match up my feelings to what other people felt in their religions. In the end I was brought back to Hinduism. I was convinced that I was born into a Hindu family for a reason.

    To me, being a Hindu allows me to be free and not be judged/punished. It was a way of life where I am free to make decisions based on what my heart wants and not have to follow rules that force me to do things I don't believe in. I will not be judged but if I do do something wrong, I will be taught how to travel along a better path. I feel I can close my eyes while sitting in a park, or listening to music, or generally getting lost in my thoughts while in the middle of anything and connect to God, as equally as anyone would by visiting a temple or Mandir, as I feel Him inside of me at all times.

    I came here because I wanted to know more about Hinduism. I wanted to type all of this out and see what others feel about my definition of Hinduism.
    Am I thinking along the right path? Or is Hinduism something totally different?
    Does Hinduism have rules, or does it have paths we are free to choose to travel along?

    I feel it is genuinely OK for me to eat meat (and have an occasional drink) and feel no less of a Hindu than the next person. Am I right in thinking this way?

    If anyone can help me through these questions, I would be hugely grateful. I do apologise for the long read, and any mistakes if I have made any. I've never thought of all of the above in words before so I was thinking as I was typing, it was all pouring out. I have searched for answers for a good part of my short life so far and it would be nice to get some closure.


  2. #2

    Re: 24 and Hindu

    Hi and welcome to the forum

    I am by no means an expert in Hinduism, but as I understand it, I agree that there is no standard 'default' position in Hinduism, you are welcome to worship any part or avatar of God that you wish, in the way that you wish it.

    Myself, I follow the words of Lord Krsna as much as I am able, day to day. For me that means I cannot and should not eat meat, not just for religious reasons, but for moral and ethical reasons also. I believe that that Jiva within all living things makes eating meat the same as eating oneself or one's loved ones.

    Also, according to the 8 limbs of yoga, specifically the first limb yama, and the first precept, ahimsa, means to do no harm.

    What I am saying is that everyone brings their own interpretation of their own Hindu faith, and their beliefs are coloured by all of this.

    I also recently (last weekend) decided that I will no longer drink alcohol and I am pretty sure I will soon only eat sattvic foods, so that all I eat I can offer to Krsna as prasad.

    I am not saying that you are right or wrong to consume meat and alcohol, just that I also consider myself Hindu, having been brought up in a White British atheistic household, and my interpretation of our faith is coloured by all of my social conditioning.

    My own belief is that as long as you sincerely believe in God and ask for his shelter then that is the core of faith.

    Obviously there are the many approaches, such as Bhakti, Karma, Jnana and Raja yoga as well.

    May I recommend a book that has helped me greatly in my search for God and leave you with a quote from it that has moved me profoundly:

    "The Atman Does not Love: It is Love Itself.
    It Does not Exist; It Is Existence Itself.
    It Does not Know: It Is Knowledge Itself."

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Know-God.../dp/0874810418

  3. #3
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    Re: 24 and Hindu

    Vannakkam Leo: Welcome to HDF, and I'm glad you made it 'home'. Unfortunately, I think your story is a common one with immigrant Hindus. Back home, your parents were surrounded by Hinduism, and it sort of just permeated the beings.

    But just as you have indicated, it gets lost in the first or second generation Hindu who are born in the west. Instead of Hinduism permeating life, you have to make an effort to go and look for it, and it just happens once or twice a week in a temple. So if parents don't recognise the need to take a more active role in educating their kids, the loss of culture happens.

    it just does. Ask any cultural group who emigrated for 3 or 4 generations. Chinese Canadians no longer speak Mandarin, Ukrainian Canadians no longer speak Ukrainian, etc.

    If there was education it was more the "Shut up and Listen" variety, rather than anything really substantial, which is what you wanted in the first place. So what is a kid supposed to think?

    My personal recommendation for education is Himalayan Academy. (But I'm biased.) If you browse their fairly large website. you'll find most of the answers to most of your questions in fairly easy to understand language.

    As for your specific questions, you will always get a variety of answers, especially on sites like this, so you have to bear that in mind. Hinduism is vast, and this forum is a microcosm of that.

    In most traditions, it is recommended to be a vegetarian. But many Hindus do eat meat, and sometimes it has to do with geography in India. Those living near the sea tens to eat more fish, for example.

    As for finding God at any time within yourself, that's pretty true. Some will say that its easier at a temple. Almost all Hindus believe that God permeates all substance.

    As for alcohol, the range is from total abstinence to polite social drinking, and certainly never goes over to getting smashed being okay. Personally, I get sick from the stuff pretty quick, so I may have 3 beers a year in a western social setting. We don't have really strong prohibition rules, more just common sense.

    Best wishes in your sojourn, here and there.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: 24 and Hindu

    Hi Leo. Same story on my end: I grew up Hindu, didn't really take it seriously, and then decided recently that I'd like to learn more about my religion. Actually, you at least went to temple more than I ever did back in the day. My parents did Satyanarayana Puja every month and that was pretty much it. Anyway, I've found the posters here to be very helpful when it comes to explaining Hinduism and what it means to be a Hindu. I think you'll have a similar experience.

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    Re: 24 and Hindu

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    Quote Originally Posted by Leo View Post
    I came here because I wanted to know more about Hinduism. I wanted to type all of this out and see what others feel about my definition of Hinduism.
    If we consider hinduism = sanātana dharma and this translates into personal dharma there are uplifting things one can do; there are also things we may do that are not life supporting. One then needs to ponder one's selection of actions and choose accordingly.


    Life ( and hinduism ) as I see it is not a free-for-all. We have guidelines that support our growth, behaviors, and improve society as a whole.


    And where can we find some of these guidelines? The mahābhārata , aṇusāsana¹ parvan comes to mind. It is king yudhiṣṭhira that asks bhīṣma-ji¹ all types of questions for all walks of life ( varṇa) on what is proper and improper within the rules of dharma.


    What are just a few of the things bhīṣma-ji points out to yudhiṣṭhira ?
    • by abstaining from meat and fish,one gets long-lived children
    • one who speaks the truth succeeds in sporting with the deva's themselves
    • by abstention from cruelty one obtains health and freedom from disease.
    • one who gives peace to every creature ( non-injury) is freed from every region
    • by presentiing light at places which are dark and frequented by men, one aquires good vision
    • by giving away beautiful objects one aquires good memory and understanding
    • by giving away scents and garlands ( I will assume garlands of flowers) one aquires fame that speads over a large area ( region).
    Do as you see fit.

    praṇām

    words
    • varṇa - class of men , tribe , order , nature
    • Who is bhīṣma ? He is son of śāṃtanu and gaṅgā . In the great war of the bharata-s he took the side of the sons of dhṛtarāṣṭra against the sons of pāṇḍu , and was renowned for his continence , wisdom , bravery , and fidelity to his word ;The bhāghavataṁ says that there are only twelve men in the whole world who know the ins and outs of dharma in all its subtlety.
      • These twelve are: brahmā, the Creator; nārada, Lord Śiva; Lord Subrahmaṇya, the sage Kapila; manu the law-giver, Prahlada; king janaka; bhīṣma, king bali; sage śuka son of vyāsa the narrator of the bhāgavata-purāṇa, and yama, the lord of death and dispenser of justice.
    • More here on bhīṣma : http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=45091&postcount=28
    • aṇusāsana - this word can be seen in a few ways:
      aṇu+sā+sana : aṇu = finer +sā =knowledge + sana = presenting, gain, acquisition. Hence the section (parva) presenting finer knowledge.
      • anu + śasana : anu = after or afterwords + śasana = killing. Hence the section (prava) after the war.
    • More on veda vyāsa who compiled this mahābhārata: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=49765&postcount=35
    Last edited by yajvan; 10 March 2012 at 08:29 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: 24 and Hindu

    Explore with an open heart, the whole of the philosophy. Hindus gave great gifts to this world, we should not ignore them in our lifetime.

  7. Re: 24 and Hindu

    One request please, do not use colourful texts and moreover light colours, this way text become difficult to read. Use colour to make some different paragraphs or a dark color for something you are pointing at.

    Hinduism is not a religion but "Dharm", more now a way of life. What we have to do and don't are already mentioned in our Dharma Grantham by .

    Tamsic products including meat and alcohol are strictly forbidden. However now this is no more accepted, anyone can eat or drink what they want but they still can be Hindu. Strictly no beef, and not eating meat on Tuesdays are still followed by most of the Hindus, some sections now also prohibits on Mondays.


    You are here to learn more about Dharma, to learn more about the living of your forefathers. Yajvanacharya is the most trusted and learned in HDF, he is always guiding others.
    [CENTER][B][FONT=Arial Black][SIZE=7][COLOR=Yellow] ॐ[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/B]
    [/CENTER]

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