Animesh and others

[sabrina King]

Animesh- Thank You

fr your reply...glad that I had the endurance to read through all the bickering to get to it

 

And I beleive you ahev answered one of my questions regarding Hinduism..the semantics one.

 

My second question was overlooked however by everyone..or perhaps disregarded as a hot potatoe

 

But I do not mean it as such at all.

My question is I have been told that it is construction of the Hindu faith that women should focus their worship directly toward their homes and their husbands...live through "action". And that women should not read the vedas etc..or attempt to live through "study".

I would like to know your opinion as to whether this is a construct of the faith itself..or a social constraint in India..alone?

Why I ask is imperative..I am not, as was questioned, doing it to "stir the pot".

I ask it as an earnest question...for if I wish to follow this path it would seem to me I should do so with respect and within the confines of my own gender. For those of you gun shy because you fear I am some feminazi in disguise and waiting for you to say something and attack you...I haven't the time or the inclination. I am a housewife..I adore my husband..that indeed

is why Iwas drawn to the Gita after reading the Kama Sutras rule for the only wife...being a submissive wife in the western world is a work in progress....I don't have a great deal of mentors around me..so I came here.

 

At any rate..why sabrina King, Animesh? And not princess or queen?

 

Easily. I have no gift for creating brilliant screen names. That is my married name. Sabrina King. King being my husbands sir name, and a house I serve proudly.

 

sabrina King

[kailasa]

>At any rate..why sabrina King, Animesh? And not princess or queen? Easily. I have no gift for creating brilliant screen names. That is my married name.

 

And I thought queen.

 

[premananda]

Sabrina,

 

Hindu religion is not only about serving one´s husband or wife. The higher goal is to realize one´s eternal nature and identity. This can be known and realized through meditation and by study of the scriptures.

In this life time you are a woman, but in the previous you may have been a man. Our identification as male or female in this world is temporary, whereas the true self is eternal.

 

P D

[Guest guest]

Originally posted by premananda:

Sabrina,

 

Hindu religion is not only about serving one´s husband or wife. The higher goal is to realize one´s eternal nature and identity. This can be known and realized through meditation and by study of the scriptures.

In this life time you are a woman, but in the previous you may have been a man. Our identification as male or female in this world is temporary, whereas the true self is eternal.

 

P D

Here is an article posted by 'zev' on 'beliefnet forums'.

 

HINDUISM

 

A very brief account of the fundamentals of Hindu Dharma.

 

By Pandit Nardev Vedalankar

 

Hinduism is the oldest religion of the world. The name Hinduism is not very old but it is the name by which this religion is generally known. It was originally called 'dharma' (religion) because it was the religion of all mankind. It is not the religion of any particular nation or country. It has been called by the name of 'Vedic Dharma' because the main scripture of the Hindus is the Veda. It is also known by the name of 'Sanatana Dharma' on account of it being most ancient and eternal.

 

The basis of Hinduism is the Veda which contains eternal knowledge. In fact, the source of all true knowledge is the Veda because it has been revealed by God. The message of the Veda is not limited to invocations and prayers to God but contains knowledge embracing every aspect of man's life. It is his guide. Manu, Rama, Krishna and all ancient as well as modern saints and sages have believed in the Veda. Together with the Vedas, some Hindus, according to the denomination they belong to accept Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Manusmriti, Upanishad, Thirukkural, Thevaram etc as secondary or supplementary religious books.

 

The beauty of Hinduism lies in the fact that its existence is not dependent on any great personality, nor is it confined to the biographies and teachings of any prophet as is the case with other religions. To become a follower of these faiths, one has to accept the prophet for it is through the prophet alone that salvation can be got. Hinduism on the other hand has no such founder. Even if the names of Rama and Krishna were obliterated Hinduism will continue without any difference to its fundamentals because Hinduism has existed even before Rama and Krishna were born. They, too, believed in Hinduism.

 

FUNDAMENTALS OF HINDUISM:

 

Five P's

 

The Hindu Dharma is like a huge banyan tree with thousands of spreading branches. It is, however, essential to have knowledge of its stem which is constituted of five fundamentals, the name of each one beginning with a P.

 

They are the five P's of Hinduism:

 

1. Parameshwara (God)

2. Prarthana (Prayer)

3. Punarjanma (Reincarnation)

4. Purushartha (Law of Action)

5. Prani Daya (Compassion for all living beings)

 

1. PARAMESHWARA (God):

 

The Goal of Religious Life: Realisation of Divine Power.

The Hindus believe in one God, Who is an incomparable, most exalted divine power. He is the Creator, Preserver and Dissolver of the Universe. He is omnipresent, omniscient and all-powerful. He is beginingless and endless. God has many attributes and functions according to which He has been given many names. These names, signifying various aspects, do not refer to different entities, but are merely descriptive of the one God. The Veda says: "God is one, wise men call Him variously" (Rigveda 1.164.46).

Of all of the names of God, the most sublime is AUM. Aum is composed of three letters A, U, M - whish stand for the three most important functions of God. A for Brahma (Creator), U for Vishnu (Preserver) and M for Rudra (Dissolver). The Bhagavad Gita too acknowledges AUM as God's supreme name. In Yoga, one is required to meditate on this very name AUM. The purpose of religious life is to attain moksha (liberation) and realise God for Divine Power.

 

2. PRARTHANA (Prayer):

 

The Path to Religious Life: Unity with Divine Power:

 

For seeking unity with God, Hinduism lays emphasis on prayer and other religious rites. Hinduism is not only a faith, but a way of life, the practise of which enables man to reach his ultimate destiny. Besides enjoining every Hindu to recite his daily prayer, the Rishis have laid down the performance of sixteen sanskaras (sacraments) covering his whole life from birth to death.

The 16 Sacraments that are laid down for our spiritual growth are unique to Hinduism. By means of prayer, we experience divine reality and obtain inner strength which enables us our baser desires by good ones. Prayer is the means of attaining unity with the divine power and walking on the path of spirituality. 3. PUNARJANMA (Reincarnation):

 

The Evolution of the Soul through Rebirth.

Hinduism teaches the immortality of the soul. It does not propound that this is the first and last birth. The human soul is also a beginningless and endless entity which undergoes a process of evolution by taking on the body in several births. This process leads to oneness with God - the ultimate purpose of life.

According to Hinduism, the soul's journey does not come to an end with this life. Spiritual progress continues to be made through reincarnation. In one life alone, which sometimes is very short, the soul cannot gain perfection. Therefore it takes many births before reaching moksha (liberation). By its teachings of Rebirth, Hinduism gives one hope in one's self, in one's faith and for a bright future. Reincarnation is the means for the fulfilment of religious life, that is, to attain moksha.

 

4.PURUSHARTHA (Law of Action):

 

The Attainment of Religious Life: Righteous Activity.

For man's spiritual progress, Hinduism recognises the performance of actions as essential. This necessitates faith in the Law of Action (Karma). "As a man doeth so shall he reap" is the maxim not only of this birth but of all cycles of birth. The Principle of Reincarnation is very closely related to the Law of Karma (Action). The conditions under which one is born are of one's own making. God does not arbitrarily make one at birth foolish or intelligent, rich or poor, deformed or beautiful. Behind all this is His immutable Law of Action. God does not of His own accord favour or curse anyone. Man is the maker of his own destiny. His karma is the aggregate of his successes and failures. For spiritual development, action is a necessity.

 

5. PRANI DAYA (Compassion for All Living Beings):

 

The Proof of Religious Life: Reverence for the Cow.

Reverence for the cow is one of the great teachings of Hinduism. It is not any fetish or animal worship but a basic principle which establishes spiritual unity of man with all living beings. The soul does not reside in human form only but in all creatures and this belief enables one to look at all with an eye of compassion. From this outlook of life stems the doctrine of Non-Violence. Reverence for the cow then symbolises man's love and compassion for all beings.

The position of the cow is likened to that of the mother. The mother brings up her child by feeding it with her milk. Similarly, the cow gives life to the young and the old, to children and adults, to the sick and healthy and to the Hindu and non-Hindu by providing all of them with milk. Therefore Hinduism holds the view that it is a sin to destroy the animal, the milk of which is so vital for our growth and development.

By extension of this idea of reverence for the cow one can reach the goal of non-violence and love. Unity of spirit should transcend humanity and embrace all living creatures.

 

The fundamentals of Hinduism are given above. They are not to be observed by Hindus only. They are the basic principles of religion. They are the fundamentals of the Religion of Man. They lead man along the path of spiritual evolution. By believing in these principles, man can attain his salvation.

 

[animesh]

Please ignore this post.

 

Sabrina ji,

glad that I had the endurance to read through all the bickering to get to it

 

Nothing wrong in having some bickerings among friends. Quarrel a little, don't take things to heart and be friends again.

 

Now, let me tackle your second question.

In the other thread I did not answer this question not because I felt that you were trying to attack us but because I could not find this question in your post (may be I did not read the question well -- my eyesight has become weak because of my very old age :-))

 

You have asked as to why women in India are not supposed to study. I do not know why but the people of other countries still think about India as it was many years ago. There is general perception that it is a sin for women to study, they should be confined within the walls of her house, girl babies are killed the moment they are born, widows have no right to live with dignity etc. etc.

 

All of the above were true in India many years ago (so many years ago that I have not seen these happening but just read in books).

I am not trying to say that, at present, these things do not happen at all. Now also, sometimes I read about such incidents. But now, these things are not encouraged in India. In fact, the opposites of these are encouraged.

 

[This message has been edited by animesh (edited 08-15-2001).]

[animesh]

PLEASE IGNORE THE ABOVE POST BUT DO READ THIS ONE

 

Sabrina ji,

glad that I had the endurance to read through all the bickering to get to it

 

Nothing wrong in having some bickerings among friends. Quarrel a little, don't take things to heart and be friends again.

 

Now, let me tackle your second question.

In the other thread I did not answer this question not because I felt that you were trying to attack us but because I could not find this question in your post (may be I did not read the question well -- my eyesight has become weak because of my very old age :-))

 

You have asked as to why women in India are not supposed to study. I do not know why but the people of other countries still think about India as it was many years ago. There is general perception that it is a sin for women to study, they should be confined within the walls of her house, girl babies are killed the moment they are born, widows have no right to live with dignity etc. etc.

 

All of the above were true in India many years ago (so many years ago that I have not seen these happening but just read in books).

I am not trying to say that, at present, these things do not happen at all. Now also, sometimes I read about such incidents. But now, these things are exceptions rather than rule. If women are treated badly, then it is considered to be illegal and the law of the land protects her.

 

[This message has been edited by animesh (edited 08-15-2001).]

[animesh]

Before writing anything further, let me say that I am neither encouraging nor discouraging you from converting to Hinduism. In my view, it should be a personal choice to decide what religion one wishes to follow. But I do encourage you to know more and more about Hinduism. It is not necessary to follow a religion in order to know about it. As an example, I am a Hindu. But I have absolutely no hesitation reading Bible and Quran.

 

Now let me say what scriptures of Hinduism say about women. It is true that the scriptures glorify women who serve her husband and children. But then the same scriptures also glorify men who serve their wife, children and parents. There are punishments for women if they indulge in unrighteous acts, but then, there are punishments for men too.