Re: "Stupid" Questions about Hinduism
Posted By Brian Strader (ak774@FreeNet.Carleton.CA)
22 Feb 1997 16:18:24 GMT
Balasubramaniam santhanam (santhan@ee.gatech.edu) writes:
> Paul Ciszek wrote:
> 1) Philosophy wise in Hinduism there
> is only one Supreme Being (Bhraman).
> All creation and everything else emanates from this being.
> This attributes of
> this being are beyond human measure. The supreme being does not have
> a beigining or an end (primordial being).
>
> 2) Since the true nature of this being is beyond human comprehension,
> and since by definition this being is Omniscient and Omnipresent
> it is not inconsistent to worhip this being in a particular form.
>
> 3) The different God's that are worshipped can be considered as
> different aspects of the this being. However, they are not
> different from the Supreme being (non dual being)
>
> 4) The Lord Krishna in the Gita says "No matter what form or name
> you worship me you will still come to me.
The various gods are "powers" of the Supreme source. Aspects.
Through various rituals, one can come into contact with these powers,
converse with them, use them. They are conscious and independent
and yet attached to the Supreme. Don't ask me to explain how.
The Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva trinity is not related to the Christian
idea of trinity. Christianity is still extremely vague on the
"who does what and why" in its trinity. In Hinduism, the three
are widely interpreted. They can be considered gods and thus
aspects of the undifferentiated One. Vaishnavas consider Vishnu
the Supreme. Shaivates consider Shiva the Supreme.
A good text on these things is: AGHORA: AT THE LEFT HAND OF GOD.
