Hindu TWC Members

[Pra]

Are there any Hindus here on TWC? Any other religion would be fine too. :original:

[Rowan11088]

I'd totally be a Hindu, as long as I got one of the good classes...do they let you convert on that condition?

[Justinian]

And so these topics spread, eh?

[First Crusader]

I'd totally be a Hindu, as long as I got one of the good classes...do they let you convert on that condition?

That has to do with the Caste system, not Hinduism.

[therussian]

The caste system is intertwined with Hinduism. Heard of reincarnation? Karma?

[Bovril]

There is no such thing as orthodox hinduism, and the caste system is certainly not a nescessary feature of the religion.

[Guderian]

Im technically Hindu, but i stopped adhering to the faith when i was about 11-12. But now I want to get a deeper understanding of the faith, afterall it is the oldest religion and led to many other religions adapting the same religious practices as hinduism.

There is no such thing as orthodox hinduism, and the caste system is certainly not a nescessary feature of the religion.

Yeah but the caste system wouldn't last if not for it's relationship with hinduism.

[Pra]

There is mainstream Hinduism was almost villified by the Brahmins (my ancestors, also Brahmins, had coincidentally tried to reform the caste system) and then it went through many the mass reforms of Jainism and Buddhism; nevertheless, it unfortunately still suffers from the accoutrements of ritual.

Then there is intellectual, mystic, or true Hinduism; this is what it was meant to be- meditation without the personifications that have made Hinduism accessible to the masses. It is the understanding that we are all one with the Brahma, or simply condensed energy.

The caste system is intertwined with Hinduism. Heard of reincarnation? Karma?

Reincarnation and Karma are certainly not endemic to the caste system. These ideas were used by oportunistic Brahmins, but they certainly do not constitute the philosophy of the social structure.

I'd totally be a Hindu, as long as I got one of the good classes...do they let you convert on that condition?

You can convert now if you wish. You are Hindu whenever you wish it.

[Farnan]

I have a question for the Hindus here, sorry if it offends you it is not meant too. Do Hindus worship all the Hindu gods or just one. Also, how close is your religion to the old Polytheistic religions (Graeco-Roman, Celtic, etc)

[Pra]

I have a question for the Hindus here, sorry if it offends you it is not meant too. Do Hindus worship all the Hindu gods or just one. Also, how close is your religion to the old Polytheistic religions (Graeco-Roman, Celtic, etc)

All Gods are the various aspects of Brahma; Brahma is impersonal, or just is pure energy-that is Hinduism in its most correct form. The Polytheistic overtones, like the festivals and temples that honor the various Gods such as Ganesh and Krishna, do exist; however, it is also understood that there is only one God.

So in answer to your question, Hindus worship all the Hindu Gods that make up the Brahma. Furthermore, in the end we are all part of Brahma.

[Farnan]

Alright, thank you, always good to know something new about other religions.

[Guderian]

I think Prarara may have a better understanding of this, but I'll try and answer it the best I can.

1 We belive that the universe originated from a single source.
2 The god we worship are symbols. For example Ghanesh is the aspect of the single source which represents properity. So if you wish for prosperity you make your prayer to Ghanesh.
3 As for the images of the god, I may be completely wrong on this but i think they were created to simplify the concept above for the masses. So basically the common folk would have something that is visible that they could pray to.

[Pra]

3 As for the images of the god, I may be completely wrong on this but i think they were created to simplify the concept above for the masses. So basically the common folk would have something that is visible that they could pray to.

Yes'm.

TWC has a policy of having 5+ character per post rule; well TWC, thats not nice

[Rowan11088]

Hinduism is the oldest religion? I always thought Judaism had that one. Is it a close call? Judaism is I believe 5000+ years.

[Bovril]

Hinduism is the oldest religion? I always thought Judaism had that one. Is it a close call? Judaism is I believe 5000+ years.

Depends how you define Judaism. Judaism before the diaspora was very different to diaspora Judaism. Judaism before the Babylonian excile was even further removed. As a religious traditions both Hinduism and Judaism are prehistoric, although some historians and archaeologists place the begining of the Hebrews as a people at about 1200 B.C. If you accept Prarara's definition of Hinduism it is as old as the Upanishads which I think date back to about 800B.C (can anyone confirm), though the Upanishads obviously have their roots in a much older tradition of the Vedas and the oraly transmitted religion that preceded it. The oldest fairly unchanged religion is probably Zoroastrianism, which is a largely result of its having the oldest cannon of written texts.

[Kscott]

Hinduism dates back long before any written records. It comes from the Vedic traditions and thus is older than anyone can tell..

[Bovril]

Hinduism dates back long before any written records. It comes from the Vedic traditions and thus is older than anyone can tell..

Like I say, that depends on how you define Hinduism. The tradition it is part of is older than history, but the religion of modern India would be unrecognisable to someone living at the time of the formation of the vedas.

[Pra]

Like I say, that depends on how you define Hinduism. The tradition it is part of is older than history, but the religion of modern India would be unrecognisable to someone living at the time of the formation of the vedas.

*Some traditions of the modern religion would be unrecognizable; Hinduism is in constant evolution, yes, but in the essense it will give way to the same truth in itself. Moreover, there are still different sects that do practice the similar form of worship to the same forces and concepts of the original Hinduism; nevertheless, this is not the mainstream.

[Arjun]

hinduism dates back to the "indus valley civilisation"(3000bc-2000bc), even thou most of todays hinduism can be traced bacl to the vedic era about 1500bc.

there are statues of "yogis" (people who do yoga), and clay images depicting shiva, hence the roots of hinduism were found during the indus civ times

[Arjun]

and yes, chandrashekar, im hindu

also..there is no such thing as "god" in hinduism is it? technically its the "source" of wich we are all part of. hence there is no "higher" being. i prefer to call it the collective conciousness