What Advantage is There in Becoming a Hindu?

The main advantage is a conscious connection to its traditions and lineages. It is like being part of a great family as opposed to having to struggle on one’s own. It affords a more intimate connection to the teachings. If one wants to practice Hindu-based teachings these will be more effective if one has the support of the greater tradition behind them – a tradition of over five thousand years and numerous Self-realized sages and yogis. It is like entering into a great stream that can carry one along. The tradition has a reality on the subtle planes that has great power and grace.

What About Other Vedic Disciplines Like Ayurveda or Vedic Astrology?

As in the case of Yoga one does not have to formally become a Hindu to benefit from these teachings on an outer level, like using Ayurvedic practices to improve one’s health. However, if one wants to connect to the deeper spiritual levels of these teachings one cannot do so without respecting the spiritual traditions behind them and following their principles and practices in one’s behavior.

Above all, one must have a dharmic foundation for one’s life. In this regard all the dharmic traditions of India, including Buddhism and Jainism, have used Vedic disciplines like Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology and contributed much to them.

But the origins of these teachings occur in the Vedas and their Rishi lineages, connecting to which gives a special power to them. For example, Ayurveda employs the Vedic language of Agni, Soma and Vayu, while Vedic astrology follows Vedic deities for its presentation of the zodiac, planets and Nakshatras. Through studying the Vedas one can gain a greater understanding of the original insights that brought these systems forth and which continues to nourish them.

Practicing Yoga

Can a Non-Hindu practice Yoga?

Yoga is a broad system, emphasizing meditation for the purpose of Self-realization, but the tendency in the West is to reduce Yoga to its physical dimension. Certainly anyone can practice the outer or physical aspect of Yoga regardless of one’s religious orientation. Even an atheist can do so. However, an atheist is unlikely to be able to practice Bhakti Yoga or the path of Devotion, which depends upon love of God, and is one of the most important yogic paths. One who does not accept karma, rebirth and liberation cannot practice deeper aspects of Yoga that are based upon a recognition of this process. It also depends upon the Yoga that one is following. Yoga paths strongly rooted in Vedic ideas require an appreciation of their background to really apply. Jnana Yoga or the Yoga of Knowledge rests upon a background of Vedanta, for example.

The problem is that certain religions, like Christianity and Islam, are still promoting aggressive missionary efforts against Hindus that commonly include denigrating such Hindu-based traditions as Yoga and Vedanta as well as their great teachers. Those following such religions who are attracted to Hindu-based teachings should recognize this sad fact and make some effort to change it if they can.

Those following other Dharmic religions like Buddhism and Jainism, will find benefit in connecting with Hindu or Sanatana Dharma, through their views and practices may have their variations. A unity of Dharmic traditions, which does not imply attempting to make them all the same, can be of great help to all of them as they are under similar challenges in the modern world.

Above all, if one finds value in Hindu-based teachings one should look into the tradition behind them and find out what it really is. If one finds benefit from this tradition one should also support it against attempts to undermine or misrepresent it.

Hinduism and Other Religions

Can members of other religions be Hindus? To do so they would have to accept the validity of Vedic knowledge and traditions, the pluralistic nature of spiritual paths, and the process of karma and rebirth. Anyone who does this is very connected to Hindu Dharma already.

Generally Hindus believe that all true religious and spiritual teachings are part of a universal tradition or Sanatana Dharma, which the Vedas are designed to reflect.

Hindu Dharma has a particular affinity with native, organic or nature-based religions like those of the Native Americans, Pre-Christian Europeans, and Native Africans. It seeks to grow organically through life and culture rather than artificially through adaptation of a belief. It is also closely connected to other Dharmic traditions like Buddhism and Jainism, that arose from it, and to related Asian traditions like the Taoist and Shinto. Buddhist and Jain traditions in India have shared many mantras and deities with the Hindus and have contributed much to such Vedic sciences as Ayurveda and Jyotish.

Nine Beliefs of Hinduism

Our beliefs determine our thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct our actions. By our actions, we create our destiny. Beliefs about sacred matters--God, soul and cosmos--are essential to one's approach to life. Hindus believe many diverse things, but there are a few bedrock concepts on which most Hindus concur. The following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality.

1. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality. 
2. Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion. 
3. Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution. 
4. Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. 
5. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny. 
6. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods. 
7. Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God. 
8. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed. 
9. Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding. 

Hinduism, the world's oldest religion, has no beginning--it precedes recorded history. It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations--Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism

Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma and Yoga 

Note: People often ask about the relationship between Vedas, Hinduism and related disciplines of Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic astrology, particularly to what extent one may need to embrace the spiritual and religious background of these teachings in order to really benefit from them.

In the same vein people often ask about the Vedic institute as to why it deals with religion, history and social issues and not simply confines itself to Ayurveda as a health discipline or Vedic astrology as a predictive tool.The following article deals with these issues.

Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma and Yoga
By David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)

Sanatana (eternal or universal) Dharma is the great tradition behind such multifarious teachings as Yoga, Ayurveda, Jyotish (Vedic Astrology), Samkhya, and Vedanta and much of Tantra as well. These disciplines are rooted in Vedic lineages and transmissions going back to their very origins. They constitute a comprehensive spiritual, sacred or yogic science dealing with all aspects of life, culture, and religion.

In the modern world Sanatana or Vedic Dharma is known as the religion/culture called Hinduism or Hindu Dharma. Hinduism rests upon the Vedas or mantras of the ancient Rishis, which are a diverse set of teachings about universal consciousness and cosmic creation. Vedic mantras reflect the very processes through which all the universes are created, by which they are sustained, and through which they are dissolved, by which individual souls come into the cycle of rebirth and through which they evolve into Self-realization. The Vedas have no one God, savior or scripture but reveal a unitary reality of Being-Consciousness-Bliss (Sacchidananda Brahman) that pervades everything and rests in all creatures as their true Self (Atman or Purusha), which can be approached by numerous paths and practices.

Yoga in general refers to the spiritual practices of asana, pranayama, puja, mantra and meditation which are the main vehicles for realizing Vedic wisdom. Yoga (and its many Sanskrit synonyms) is a common term in all Hindu teachings of the Vedas, Puranas and Tantras. The diverse yogic paths of Jnana (Knowledge), Bhakti (Devotion), Karma (Service) and Kriya (Technique) reflect the multidimensional approach to the Divine found in the Vedic teachings.

Yoga as a specific term refers to the Yoga Darshana, one of the six systems of Vedic (Astika) philosophy, those that reflect and develop out of the insights of the Vedas. The Yoga Darshana was compiled by the Rishi Patanjali, who based his work on older Vedic and yogic teachings in the Mahabharata, Puranas, Upanishads and Vedas. Other ancient yogic traditions go back to such Vedic sages as Vasishta, Shyavashwa, Yajnavalkya, Shwetasvatara, Jagishavya, Asita and Devala Kashyapa, and the great avatar Krishna whose Bhagavad Gita is itself considered to be a Yoga Shastra or authoritative yogic teaching like theYoga Sutras.

A question often arises: Does one need to be a Hindu to practice such Hindu-based teachings as Yoga and Ayurveda? A complementary question also arises: Is not one already something of a Hindu if one is attracted to them? As the formulation of a universal tradition, everyone must become part of it eventually.

The question behind this is what is a Hindu? As Hindu or Sanatana Dharma is an open, inclusive and pluralistic tradition, following its Dharma is not a simple matter of holding to a particular belief or thinking that one is saved by embracing a particular savior. Hinduism is not a religion in the Western sense of the word as a dogma, but is a vast culture that includes religion, science and art as well. Yet Hinduism does deal with all aspects of religion, with its own monastic orders, temples, and specific disciplines and teachings. Above all, it has its own lineages and transmissions, its teachers, associations and families. These are part of a pursuit of Self-realization for which ordinary religious practices are just the initial step.

Much of this discussion depends upon what is meant by Dharma. Dharma arose as a Vedic term meaning the laws of truth, cosmic law or natural law. Dharma is the nature of things and their appropriate action. It is the Dharma of fire to burn, for example. It is the spiritual Dharma of human beings to seek a higher consciousness. This higher human Dharma requires practices that free us from outer or unconscious limitations, biases and attachments, which is the basis of true Yoga.

Hindu or Sanatana Dharma has several key principles. Perhaps most important on a formal level is acceptance of the Vedasand Upanishads as projecting valid methods of knowing the ultimate truth. Yet Hinduism does not insist upon any one interpretation of the Vedic teachings, which themselves are multifaceted. Individual freedom is allowed in adapting the Vedasas long as the motivation is dharmic.

Perhaps the most important theory of Hinduism is a recognition of the process of karma and rebirth as governing the cosmic movement.

Perhaps the most important practical principle is that the One Reality, what one could call God, can be approached by many paths, which is Hindu pluralism. This takes the form of many different sages, scriptures and names and forms of the Divine (different Gods and Goddesses). Many Hindu paths are also theistic in nature, but not all of them are.

Yet most significant to Hindu or Sanatana Dharma is becoming part of a Hindu-based lineage, transmission or family, entering into its greater community. This is perhaps more significant than the above mentioned principles, which are more guidelines than rigid rules

University of Iowa Museum has “murtis” of Hindu gods

University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA) has “murtis” of Hindu gods.

A “murti”, per Oxford Dictionary of Hinduism, is “image, icon, or concrete form of a deity; i.e. its manifestation, or incarnation”.

UIMA has bronze murti of Brahma (creator god), brass murti of Ganesha (god of wisdom and remover of obstacles), murti of Lakshmi (goddess of good fortune and beauty) and murti of Hanuman (god symbolizing strength and devotion).

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended UIMA for showcasing murtis of Hindu deities.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, suggested UIMA to construct a small Hindu mandir (temple) within the Museum precincts and place these murtis in that temple. It would prove to be a good educational tool for the University of Iowa students and staff, residents of Iowa City and Iowa State, and UIMA visitors from world-over, Zed added.

Rajan Zed further said that Hindu priests could ritually install these amidst chanting of mantras and other ancient installation-related traditional ceremonies which would be an educational experience to watch; with Hinduism being the oldest and third largest religion of the world. The term “murti” first occurred in the pre-BCE Upanishads, Zed noted.

UIMA described murti as “embodiments of Hindu gods”, and in its collections, UIMA also states to have Hindu religious paraphernalia used in ceremonies.

UIMA, established in 1969, with 14,000 objects including Picasso and Braque paintings and prominent African artifacts, claims to be “one of the leading university art collections in the country”. Sean O’Harrow is UIMA’s Executive Director, while J. Bruce Harreld is University of Iowa President.

Source: World Hindu News (WHN)

RSS To Spread ‘Ayodhya Message’ Through Social Media.

Mission Ram Mandir: RSS to train 250 to spread the ‘Ayodhya message’ through Social Media Networks.

RSS to train 250 social media-savvy members on February 20 to spread ‘Ayodhya message’

Vasudha Venugopal |  ET Bureau | New Delhi | 9 Feb, 2016::  Ram Mandir on Twitter —Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is planning an intensive training session on the Ayodhya issue for members and sympathisers on social media. Titled ‘Ram Mandir —A Reality’, the session will happen on February 20. RSS leaders, who wished anonymity, said the session is a result of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent call to up the ante on Ram Mandir. RSS is no stranger to social media training sessions. It has held similar sessions on the intolerance debate and Article 370.

The registration form circulated among swayamsevaks requires them to compulsorily fill up their contact details and information on what social media platforms — Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp — they are most active on.

The sessions, said organisers, will be handled by fellow travellers who have a significant following on Twitter.”The idea is to put out facts…court orders, findings by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and even statements by Muslims who admit that Ayodhya being the birthplace of Ram needs to have the temple. When such information is posted or tweeted, people will get to know what the reality is,” a pracharak, who wished to remain anonymous, told ET.

RSS members organising the event said over 1,000 people have already registered and they expect the number to go up. But only 250 people will be chosen for the Ram Mandir session.”We want people who are really active on social media and who can use facts given to them to persuade Internet audiences.

Also, depending on what social media tool they use, they could be given relevant material,” the pracharak quoted earlier said.

Last month, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had urged people to come together to build the temple. “The temple will be built within my lifetime… We need to plan it carefully… (we need) a good mix of ‘josh’ and ‘hosh’,” Bhagwat had said. After the speech, RSS’ official Twitter handle sent out tweets quoting Bhagwat on the issue. One tweet was about Somnath temple getting rebuilt with the “efforts” of then Home Minister Sardar Patel.

Sangh outfit Vishva Hindu Parishad is also doing its bit to try and inject some momentum into the Ram Mandir campaign. It is organising exhibitions on Ayodhya, displaying images of what it calls is ancient Ayodhya and of ASI excavations. Three former ASI directors had taken part in a recent VHP seminar on the Ram temple.

ET view: ‘Ram Rajya’ Instead of a Ram Mandir

For a country that has no dearth of Ram mandirs, building the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya as part of a longstanding political ‘dare’ is incidental. Building the proverbial ‘Ram Rajya’, however, is what this country should be getting busy with. To build a prayer room at the cost of erecting a building is not just anachronistic, but also harmful as it takes the focus away from real challenges. For the RSS to assert its virtues as as social and cultural organisation working for the good of the nation, it should utilise its impressive network to help build this Ram Rajya, and not be re-fixated on a Ram Mandir proscribed by geography and ideology.