Guest guest Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Wow! What an interesting sub thread this has generated ! Who is a 'Hindu ' ? i always wondered about this - am i really a Hindu ?Oh yes ! I was born in India also known as Hindustan , therefore i am a citizen of India - and i am therefore a 'Hindu' . But in recent years , i acquired U.S. Citizenship ( a i have adopted U.s.a as my country of domicile) therefore i am an American! Do O I STOP BEING A HINDU ? how ridiculous! All my forefathers and ancestors are So called Hindus , therfore by definition I am A hindu ! So , i enjoy a certain 'diplomatic' immunity - i don't have to practice any of the hindu ways!How exciting! smile :-) and then I am born as a high class brahmin woman specially from the sub caste 'vadama' - i am a hindu by birth even though i never practice any of the tenets of Hinduism as outlined in hindu scriptures ! How Convenient! and above all I believe in Karma and reincarnation , therefore i am a hindu ! Not so simple! My dear watsons in this group ! ! Let me reproduce here What Mahatma Gandhiji says " Thus the devotion required by the Gita is no soft-hearted effusiveness. It certainly is not blind faith. The devotion of the Gita has the least to do with the externals. A devotee may use, if he likes, rosaries, forehead marks, make offerings, but these things are no test of his devotion. He is the devotee who is jealous of none, who is a fount of mercy, who is without egotism, who is selfless, who treats alike cold and heat, happiness and misery, who is ever forgiving, who is always contented, whose resolutions are firm, who has dedicated mind and soul to God, who causes no dread, who is not afraid of others, who is free from exultation, sorrow and fear, who is pure, who is versed in action and yet remains unaffected by it, who renounces all fruit, good or bad, who treats friend and foe alike, who is untouched by respect or disrespect, who is not puffed up by praise, who does not go under when people speak ill of him who loves silence and solitude, who has a disciplined reason. Such devotion is inconsistent with the existence at the same time of strong attachments. We thus see that to be a real devotee is to realize oneself. " As we see from the above paragraph it is no use saying one should have faith and devotion ! Faith and devotion has no meaning if you just pay LIP SERVICE TO THE TEACHINGS IN THE SRIMAD BHAGVAT GITA on a daily basis ! it has to be reflected in your dealings with others ! in my vyavahara , i will do as i like - Hurt everyone i come into contact with but in my religious belief i am an advaitin ! no! gentlemen! being a hindu is not that simple , rather it is very complicated ! Long ago , i read somehwere , i cannot recollect where ! " na hinayati iti hindu " ( one who does not Hurt others is a Hindu! ) - so , it is a mistaken notion to believe 'hindu' is the corrupted version of the word 'sindu' This is what Gandhiji said on Hinduism " My Hindu instinct tells me that all religions are more or less true. " " The sacred thread and the tuft of hair without a pure heart and a spirit of toleration did not make a Hindu. " So, what is the royal conclusion ! Faith in scriptures alone is not sufficient ! Faith must be reflected in our daily living ! We cannot say 'in my vyavahara, i will be dualistic but in my belief i am an advaitin' - it does not work that way! You cannot say 'my bank balance is mine and your bank balance is yours' - Every beegar on the street was a millionaire in his last birth! Even Sri Lakshmi will not stay if you keep HER hoarded in your bank locker ! sri Lakshmi ( hoarded money) increases when you let her circulate - this is called velocity of circulation in 'banking' ! This is where Karma yoga kicks in! REMEMBER THE FIRST VERSE OF ISHA UPANISHAD ( gandhiji's favorite)! & #299; & #347; & #257;v & #257;syam idam sarva & #7743; yat kiñca jagaty & #257; & #7743; jagat tena tyaktena bhuñj & #299;th & #257; m & #257; g & #7771;dha & #7717; kasya svid dhanam " all this (idam sarvam) is pervaded by the Lord (Isavasyam), whatsoever, (yat kiñcha) the created world (jagatyam jagat). What is given by him (tena tyaktena) do enjoy (bhuñjitha), do not covet (ma grdhah) anyone else's (kasyasvid) wealth (dhanam). " Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong. " YES! GANDHIJI SAID 'If everything in the world is destroyed and only the first verse of Isa upanishad remains , Hinduism will survive' " Aum Shanti! Shanti! Shantihi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 bhagini_niveditaa <bhagini_niveditaa namaskaram very nicely said Niveditaaji, Why delete messages? Unlimited storage is just a click away. Go to http://help./l/in//mail/mail/tools/tools-08.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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