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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
Path: awecim.enet.dec.com!verma
From: verma@awecim.enet.dec.com (Virendra Verma)
Subject: Re: Does Hinduism require belief in God ?
Message-ID: <Cqrt22.3EI@ryn.mro.dec.com>
Sender: news@ryn.mro.dec.com (USENET News System)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
References: <2sjb4r$f19@ucunix.san.uc.edu>
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 13:16:55 GMT
In article <2sjb4r$f19@ucunix.san.uc.edu>, * subbu sivaramakrishnan * <SXS144@PSUVM.PSU.EDU> writes...
>
>I've asked many people this question, but not got a clear
>answer : Does Hinduism require that one believe in God ?
Yes. But, the concept of God is very different than its
traditional meaning. A Hindu is told that everyone has
the potential of being united with Divine Being through
the practice of yoga. We are all Divine by nature. Even
animals are Divine by nature but they don't have the power
or capacity of recognizing this secret of our inner-self.
>It appears to me not, because Hinduism as I see it, is more
>of a way of life than a religion.
That is true. The basic idea is that the unity to Divine
Being can be achieved in several ways, and yet none of
these ways is superior or inferior to others. These different paths
are prescribed according to the nature of the aspirants.
Basically there are three types of people - satoguni (or airy type),
rajoguni (firy) and tamoguni (watery type, emotional). Gyana yoga is
appropriate for satoguni, karma yoga is appropriate for
rajoguni and bhakti yoga is best for tamoguni or watery type
of people. There are different lifestyles for each type of
yogas. For example, wealth and gyana yoga don't go together.
In my opinion, as long as
>one can detach oneself from the material aspects of life,
>always think and do good without expecting anything in
>return, one has lived the life of a Hindu.
Not necessarily. In fact a karma yogi must not detach from
material life. His duty is to earn wealth (or power and strength)
and support his/her family first, then help his/her immediate
neighbors, community, society, nation and the world depending
upon his/her capacity.
>
>Another question I would like to know the answer to is :
>Does Hinduism require one to be a vegetarian ?
No. But diet is an important aspect for spiritual practice.
It is hard for a non-vegetarian to practice spiritualism
in the sense prescribed by Hinduism.
namaste,
-- Virendra Verma
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"To dwell in our true being is liberation; the sense of ego is a fall
from the truth of our being" - Mahopanishad
"All is the Divine Being" - Gita XVIII 61
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