Why?

[king]

Inspite of its glory and greatness why hinduism seems to be getting diminished?

Why Hindus get converted while others are not?

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[maadhav]

reasons are many. ingorance, disunity, poverty, unoranized status againts the organized enemies, undue importance given to ahimsa and gandhi, etc. thingss will change soon.

 

 

[Guest guest]

stop insulting Gandhi and his ahimsa philosophy.

 

The main problem Hinduism has is its own ignorant followers. Those who persecute others because of what caste they belong to, or what gender they are, the strict rules in temples where in some temples only brahmins or "true" Hindus can go in. What I mean by "true" Hindus is the perception that you aren't a Hindu unless you were born in India. That is a natural limiting factor in the number of devotees of Hinduism decreasing.

 

Of course, there's also the perpetuation of ignorance in the West, where so-called Indologists try to pervert the spirituality of Hinduism and the Vedas, stubbornly clinging to Aryan Invasion theory, the idea that Vedas were not monotheistic (which it IS primarily), etc. which disenchants many Hindus who live in the West and turn away from the religion believing it to be silly superstition and borne from racism.

[gurukul]

I dont think hindusim is getting diminshed.

 

if you are understanding that hindusim is just vedas or gita or ramayana then think about it again.such an understadning is given by the extremist political parties promoting their communal agenda to divide and rule.

 

I think Hindusim is a civilisation and thus a broader term embracing religions,cultures,values and people of any nation.its arms are far wider than we can ever think.Its a democratic view of allowing people to practise what religion or culture or faith they want to.hence a hindu can beleive in christ and yet be a hindu or in buddha or krishna or islam.his identity will never change as a hindu from a egalitarian point of view.Its not like taliban carrying guns to force people to beleive though there are few (individuals and parties who try to bring such ideology within the hindu community and innocents fall victim to it).we as a hindu must looks forward to development of our nation for the betterment of our millions of people residing in providing each hindustani with basic amenitites of life.comparmentalising indians,blaming and stopping people of other faiths for their social and spiritual uplifment will only breed contempt,stunt development, and put india backward.we have come all the way through because of each one being together.only one particular commmunity will not be able to cater to the billions.hence lets not fall victim to the political agendas but move forward helping one another.maybe in such a big vast community we may agree to disagree with respect.

 

Such an egalitarian view is necessary to understand that hinduism is not diminshing but making a new way by shedding its dry branches as modern India -the pride of nations.no better example than our tricolor flowing side by side with the developed nation.why stop that development by using words like desi,swadewshi and pardeshi.?

 

May God bless hindustan.

 

 

[king]

Hey, I think the thoughts of people like that of Gurukul spoils the growth of hinduism. I agree that is is a dharma-way of life, but now today, when all have invaded and split up as different relegion, it is a foolishness to convience ourself by saying that i agree all. Sorry gurukul, my intention is not to hurt you but my worry about ourself. Do you think all religions way of life are similar.. definetly not. The way in hinduism is to attain the moksha but not creating war against the non-believers or to increase the number of people in its own religion.

 

The following is not my own script but holds here:

"

A Lesson for Parents

When we make the sentimentally comforting, yet unthinking, claim that "

All

religions are the same", we are unwittingly betraying the grandeur and

integrity of this ancient heritage, and contributing to weakening the

philosophical/cultural matrix of Hinduism to its very core .

 

No Radical Universalism, Please!

Each and every time a Hindu upholds Radical Universalism, and

bombastically

proclaims that " All religions are the same ", she does so at the dire

expense of the very Hinduism she claims to love. To deny the uniqueness

and

greatness of Hinduism leads, in turn, to a very unhealthy psychological

state of self-loathing, a sense of unworthiness and a schizophrenic

confusion on the part of anyone who wishes to consider themselves

Hindu.

"

All religions are not same. I dont say to make other religions as your enemy or to kill the non-believers of your religion (afterall it is not the aim of a hindu - there is another religion for this). I say understand the truth in your religion.

 

[king]

Every american is proud of being so, and says it aloud everytime. Why you dont want to say swadeshi? Are you shy to say this ?

 

[Guest guest]

"undue importance given to ahimsa and gandhi"

 

I completely agree.

 

Sir, you call this statement foolish. Well, because of yours and others ignorance, we are suffering even today in the hands of communal riots, terrorism, caste system, hindu muslim dis-unity and....there is no end to the list.

[gurukul]

I didnt say all religion are same.what I am implying is that we agree to disagree and yet live together for the development of our country.

 

Secondly hinduism is a civilisation that is open to all religions.hinduism is democracy that allows to practise each one what they want to believe even if other may or may not have a correct belief.it encourages spiritual and social persuasion to convince one another about their own faith.even if a person in india after persuasion turns to any other faith that exisit within the country(it maybe islam ,sikhism buddism ,christianity etc), he/she yet remain a hindu.now the person may agree or disagree but its the truth .because the person by default is born within the fold of hindusim.so hinduism is like an umbrella with its spokes as various religions.

 

Today few political parties and individuals has made it a sectarian view for the benefit of political power and divided each one to its own harm.but if we view hindusim from larger point of view then its not diminshing but growing in a new way.

[gurukul]

I am not ashamed to call myself as swadeshi.I am proud to be one.only the point is raising slogans is merely a lip service to nation just like some extremist politicians trying to put a show off or many of indians going to west ,serving them,eating their food,earning their money,paying them taxes and then and raise emotional slogans that they love being swadeshi-thats a double life and lip service.

 

My being swadeshi is not by talking but serving the nation through means with those who has a heart to serve and see our country flourish and our people helped and transformed.

[Sephiroth]

However, Hindus ARE NOT.

 

No matter how great a religion is, if the followers are not capable of researching, following and glorifying their own religion, then it will diminish.

 

When I come to this forum, I will say it frankly that I was DISQUSTED with attitudes of some people.

 

Many of them labelled Puranas as myth - something to discard and not to follow, even among Hindus in my own society.

 

When I comes out with Scientific explainations on what some Puranas means (like Cambrian Explosion described by Kurma Avatar, possible connections of Avatars and the Mass Extinctions which the World had underwent since the past 600 million years) and such, I even confronted by some (self-proclaimed) Hindus who asked me back WHY I bothered to rationalize old Puranas. What sort of attitude is that?

 

Both Christians and Muslims busy trying to rationalize their own beliefs and shove it down on your throat, YET you don't even bother to educate yourself and find truth in the stories of your forefathers, quickly labelling them as myth and pushing it aside.

 

How to become great devotees of (your) God if you go around thinking that puranas which glorifies God in your religion is nothing more than fairy tales? Might as well come out and say Hindu Gods are nothing more than fairy tales.

[maadhav]

<< However, Hindus ARE NOT. >>

 

Yes, but not true for all the Hindus. Things will change for better. We have to be the agents of the positive change.

Talking is first thing, doing is next, helping others do is next.

 

 

[Sephiroth]

When they are STILL ruled by people who follow Adharmic religions and beliefs?

 

Two months ago, I listen to news that Indian President, Abdul Kalam was coming to Asia for a visit and I was happy. I thought India Government finally opened its doors for their neighbours.

 

What did he do? He went to Singapore and kiss up to the government there without even bothered to come to Malaysia and see how Indians had progressed. Then he went to Philiphines and kiss up to the government there.

 

And I end up asking - WHAT the HELL wrong with this person? Is he so close-minded that ONLY thing he sees is American (Christian) clones in Singapore and Philiphine Government?

 

Another thing which made me upset is the Presidential Election where Sonia Gandhi won. The People gave her the trust to rule because of Gandhi's name and what does she do? She GAVE the rule to another person as if the Voices of the People of India is nothing but some annoying fly in her ears.

 

Did anyone actually elected Manmohan Singh? Where in Democractic Practise did it say that a candidate which chosen by the People can give the power to another which was not chosen?

 

Sorry to say, as long as the Government is in hands of this sort of jokers, you will have tough time with Hindusm resurfacing.

 

For now, you can do what Hindus in Malaysia doing - organize small gatherings (usually in temples on Sundays) where they will teach children various things - including Gita, Thirukural, Bharatha Natyam and such.

[gurukul]

The people choose the congress and not sonia gandhi.

when sonai gandhi was about to take the leadership there was a great political uporaring among the extremist parties and people not to make a foreginer as the PM.she has to succumb to that demand.

 

The president is a muslim why should he purposely avoid malaysia -another muslim nation? there must be some solid reason for not visitng.dont become so emotional.presidents dosent move at their own whims and fancies of self and people.All things are planned for the benefit and security of our country.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Not to divert the topic.. heading is different.

Ultimately as steph told, hindus(not all) think that the stories are fake. Why you should not take the great morales in them and the truth in them.

The answer for the heading is "Hindus-themselves are the reason for its diminishment". But There are few yet thinking how to make it well. Steph, King - Keep going !

To answer one of the blog:

Dont say that it is taking a new form- i cant accept. If a Honda car is modified in all its parts, it is no more called as Honda car - it is called as assembled car.

[Guest guest]

Hinduism is great and so are (some) Hindus!

 

I understand you trying to rationalise the puranas, but that is to do with interpreattion - a way of looking at it. Those who say we shouldn't follow them are right if we don't take them literally, but we take them sybolically. There is nothing wrong with this as people are becoming more rational and scietific so as with all times Hinduism continues to evolve to meet rationa and scientific challenges.

 

If we do take the stories of the Puranas literally they appear quite absurd and unbelievable, whereas taking lessons from them and learning the philiosphy from them is not wrong at all. But in the end it still comes down to the puranas being myth, which means not all are literally true, they are stories with similies and metaphors, it didn't happen just as it was written, for example Shiva didn't really cut of Ganesh's head and the gods do not exist as they are described, but are only depicted that way.

[Sephiroth]

by gurukul

 

The people choose the congress and not sonia gandhi.

when sonai gandhi was about to take the leadership there was a great political uporaring among the extremist parties and people not to make a foreginer as the PM.she has to succumb to that demand.

 

Oh really? Why is it that there is NO uproar now (and before - in 1980s) when a Muslim took over Indian Presidential post but there is one NOW when Sonia wanted to be given power? What? Muslims are good people and Christians are not?

 

And furthermore, IF she wants to succumb to the People's Demands, then what she should have done was made another reelection, NOT past the torch to someone and still remain in the background like some Dowager Queen, ruling through a Puppet.

 

Also, if she was sooo eager to sacrifice her position and power to the people, then what is she still doing in politics? By right, when she had known that the people don't accept her, she should resign and allow Indians to rule their own nations.

 

The president is a muslim why should he purposely avoid malaysia -another muslim nation? there must be some solid reason for not visitng.dont become so emotional.presidents dosent move at their own whims and fancies of self and people.All things are planned for the benefit and security of our country.

 

Nonsense ... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

Like I said before, he wasn't avoiding Muslims, he was avoiding Hindus in Malaysia who were faring better than Hindus in India.

 

Why don't you tell me how visiting Philiphines - a country that have to rely on USA to safeguard its territories, going to be beneficial and promote security?

 

 

by Guest 2

 

I understand you trying to rationalise the puranas, but that is to do with interpreattion - a way of looking at it. Those who say we shouldn't follow them are right if we don't take them literally, but we take them sybolically.

 

THERE! THAT is the attitude I was talking about. WHO told you to take them symbolically? WHY must anyone take them symbolically?

 

I said take them like what they said by rationalizing them through Science. I didn't say anything about making symbols out of Puranas.

 

100 years ago, when Hindus listened to stories about Vishnu expanding Himself to become the Universe, people laughed. 60 years ago ... even Albert Einstein who created Theory of relativity agreed with Hindusm.

 

60 years ago, when Ramayana stated that Man and Apes are "brothers" by showing Sri Rama and Hanuman embracing, Hindus laughed. 20 years ago - Science proved that Man and Apes shares same genetic make-over and differs ONLY BY 2% difference.

 

For years, Hindus laugh at the notion of the great "mountain" Meru (as according to Kurma Avatar) which the length could touch the Sun according to the Ancient Hindus' calculation, NOW ... I have come out with notions that what Kurma Avatar mentioned was actually an ACTUAL event called Cambrian Explosion which happened over 650 million years ago and brought forth Quantum Consciousness and that "mountain Meru" which mentioned in the Purana is "Energy" absorbed from the Sun when the Earth titled 45 degrees toward the Sun and absorb directly the energy.

 

Matter a fact, you can even find Historical and Geological Proof that the North Pole DID shift 45 degrees and the pole was where the Equater was 650 millions ago during the time of Cambrian Explosion. ASK any Scientist why and they won't be able to answer.

 

If we do take the stories of the Puranas literally they appear quite absurd and unbelievable, whereas taking lessons from them and learning the philiosphy from them is not wrong at all.

 

THIS is why Hindusm is dying. You already going around with notion that Hindusm is false.

 

But in the end it still comes down to the puranas being myth, which means not all are literally true, they are stories with similies and metaphors, it didn't happen just as it was written, for example Shiva didn't really cut of Ganesh's head and the gods do not exist as they are described, but are only depicted that way.

 

How do you know? To believe or not to believe is your choice but that doesn't mean you are correct and Gods don't exist.

 

Even Judaism have no problem in thinking Dieties exists. In Judaism, they are called Elementals - Beings born from the Nature before Man existed. In Judaism, it stated that Jews shouldn't bow to them and bow only to God who controls all of them.

 

Just because Judaism don't bow to the Elementals, it doesn't mean Jews goes around denying they don't exist and others who believe in them are false, like what some people, calling themselves Hindus believe.

[Guest guest]

Sephiroth

 

Thanks for your great reply

 

OK here we go...

 

{WHO told you to take them symbolically? WHY must anyone take them symbolically?}

 

As a matter of fact many of our contemporary leaders in Hinduism have said so. Blame these leaders for misleading us poor souls if you like, but come up with a good argument to replace what they said.

 

{I said take them like what they said by rationalizing them through Science.}

 

rationalizing them through science...but why? We never did this before, why now? Because we are being challenged by the scientific community? Is it because we need to prove to others and ourselves how scietific they are?

 

I think in a way you agree with me but are just using flowery language to cover it up.

 

{100 years ago, when Hindus listened to stories about Vishnu expanding Himself to become the Universe, people laughed. 60 years ago ... even Albert Einstein who created Theory of relativity agreed with Hindusm.}

 

Yes Vishnu expaning himself agrees with that theory, but for arguments sake it doesn't make Vishnu as described in the puranas as a real existing deity. It simply means whoever wrote the story of Visnhu expaning was familiar with the theory of relativity long before einsten. It was written by a sage...maybe vyasa and it is him we should honor and respect.

And by the way Einstein agreed more with advaita vedanta than the puranas.

 

I think our sages were no doubt truly great people but they were good story tellers too and managed to present their findings through these stories in a sybollic form.

 

{THIS is why Hindusm is dying. You already going around with notion that Hindusm is false.}

 

No my friend, I do not think Hinduism is false, just the mythology I don't take literally. I just got over the mythology and saw how much more it has to offer. I honestly think Hinduism is the greatest religion in the world because of it's vastness and spiritual traditions and ability to adapt to changing times. It had produced so many truly great sages and will continue to do so in the future, whereas other religions are following their dead prophets who all died a long long time ago. So if I don't believe in the puranas does that mean I'm not a Hindu?

 

{To believe or not to believe is your choice but that doesn't mean you are correct and Gods don't exist.}

 

It's not about that, I do believe God has revealed itself to devotees in different ways, but I don't like to place a limitation on God. God can be Vishnu or Shiva, but God is still alot more than that.

Our friend Einstein was a jew and he didn't believe in the jewish religion...well not literally anyway. If I don't take the puranas literally but take the messages from them do I lose my Hindu identity?

 

[king]

Dear Guest2, First believe in yourself, I mean believe something is there in the stories or puranas in Hinduism. The way you expressed "absurd" - such of kind of words in public makes me to think that u r a non beliver. This is a wrong attitude. This attitude will kill the Hinduism. You can understand and talk, but the lesser literate person when seeing your first comments will think there is nothing in hinduism. DO NOT MAKE FALSE IMPRESSIONS. We are Great !

 

"Unbelievable" is another word u used. Even if you say a red colour it is unbelievable to person who is having colour blindness. We might be in that position. Dont make open wrong statements, IF you are really a believer.

I Cant explain much for a unregistered Guest. Thanks.

[Guest guest]

I personally believe it is to do with the lack of teaching... i dont believe the majority of parents are not educating their children about hinduism...then when they grow up they become confused and are vunrable to follow different religions... my parents taught me to the best of their knowledge however they couldnt answer all my questions, and it is hard nowadays to find good teachers or places to learn... fortunatley for me i met the right people who guided me and educated me further and now i have 110% faith in hinduism...

 

[Sephiroth]

As a matter of fact many of our contemporary leaders in Hinduism have said so. Blame these leaders for misleading us poor souls if you like, but come up with a good argument to replace what they said.

 

Excuse me ... you are making excuses. WHO are the leaders? In your life, you are the leader of your own life. If you want to become like a cow, waiting to be dragged around from one place and to another by some cow herder, then you might as well become a Cow and not a Human.

 

Your society's so-called leaders can say all they want, where is your common sense to think for yourself?

 

rationalizing them through science...but why? We never did this before, why now? Because we are being challenged by the scientific community? Is it because we need to prove to others and ourselves how scietific they are?

 

What do you mean Hindus never done it before? HOW do you think Ayurveda, Yoga, Science in so many fields, medicine etc came from if not by rationalizing what Hindus have learnt from the Scriptures.

 

When Europeans still burning people for stating that the Planet is revolving around the Sun, Hindus already discovered the distance between Earth and the Sun and also existence of other Planet and even named them collectively as Grahams.

 

I say Hindus done it before BUT forget how to do it because because they were fooled by Europeans into thinking that Hindus are barbaric and uneducated and that European Knowledge will bring India to a new level (of ignorance).

 

I'm not telling you to start something new (by rationalizing Religion through Science), I'm telling you to restart what Hindus have forgotten for the past 1,000 years since the coming of Muslis and Christians. You cannot do it, STEP ASIDE.

 

Yes Vishnu expaning himself agrees with that theory, but for arguments sake it doesn't make Vishnu as described in the puranas as a real existing deity.

 

It simply means whoever wrote the story of Visnhu expaning was familiar with the theory of relativity long before einsten. It was written by a sage...maybe vyasa and it is him we should honor and respect.

 

Sorry, that your explaination. I have no interested in hearing your short-sighted explaination which based on probablity and not logic. Hindus had NO equipments to view the Universe and have no way of knowing how the Universe could have formed.

 

No my friend, I do not think Hinduism is false, just the mythology I don't take literally.

 

Same ... no difference whether you say it is false or just myth.

 

It's not about that, I do believe God has revealed itself to devotees in different ways, but I don't like to place a limitation on God.

 

Whether you are a devotee or not, is yet to be determined, so, most likely He will not reveal Himself to you. So what is the use of you not liking to put any limit on God? The fact is, you already limited yourself by rejecting Puranas.

 

And yeah, I doubt you are still a Hindu. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Sephiroth]

... fortunatley for me i met the right people who guided me and educated me further and now i have 110% faith in hinduism...

 

Do you study your religion and rationalize it with Science and Technology of today?

 

Who was the one who guided and educated you?

[Guest guest]

some may not take the puranas literally, just like some christians don't take the bible literally. For me the puranas are more than symbolic. And you couldn't convince me otherwise. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Guest guest]

{Excuse me ... you are making excuses. WHO are the leaders?}

 

Well please read the works of Hindu leaders like Vivekananda and Aurobindo to name just two and you will see what they say about the puranas. But since you don't agree with them, I guess they're not Hindus right?

 

{where is your common sense to think for yourself?}

 

It's right there. They don't have to convince me that the puranas are mythological stories, the evidence is right there for everyone with a brain and some common sense to see. I believed the puranas were myth when I heard them. These Hindu swamis or leaders just confirmed what I thought all along.

 

{HOW do you think Ayurveda, Yoga, Science in so many fields, medicine etc came from if not by rationalizing what Hindus have learnt from the Scriptures.}

 

Now you're steping off the mark here, we are talking about the PURANAS here, bot ayurveda, yoga, etc. The word Hinduism lumps all these things together

 

{ I have no interested in hearing your short-sighted explaination which based on probablity and not logic.}

 

Well I have no interest listening to someone who thinks he's knowledgeable about Hinduism but cannot even understand that ancient people knew alot of facts we today have yet to re-discover. Not only the Indians but the Greeks and Egyptians knew alot of scientific facts too, but we don't believe in their mythology. What makes our mythology more true, when we dismiss the worlds mythology?

 

{no difference whether you say it is false or just myth}

 

You just proved that you don't understand what I'm saying. I said the Puranas were mythological stories, there are many truths discovered by Hindu sages, there are spiritual teachings in the Upanishads. The puranas are a relatively small part of Hinduism compared to the rest. If you want to place so much emphasis in the puranas, go ahead, but there is far more to Hinduism than you can see.

 

{so, most likely He will not reveal Himself to you.]

 

I'm not asking God to reveal himself to me, and seeing your ego-problem, I doubt God will want to reveal himself to you either.

 

{The fact is, you already limited yourself by rejecting Puranas.}

 

Do you know that the Original rishis of the Vedas had experience of God. This was done in the time the puranas didn't even exist. There were a long period between the composition of the puranas after the Vedas. So I take it by your rationale the people of the Vedic period did not experience God?

 

As for limiting myself by rejecting the puranas, I have no problem with that as I don't take it literally, so I don't need it in my life. You can go ahead and believe in your myths if it makes you happy. I know it makes many people happy that's why it's still popular.

The Upanishads, the Gita and yoga-sutras offer so much to Hinduism already, what would I want with the puranas?