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satay
30 April 2006, 04:50 PM
namaste,
With all the different sects, gurus, teachings, texts...what is a new hindu to do?

How and what does hinduism offer to a modern man as far as being practical?

Thoughts?

Singhi Kaya
01 May 2006, 01:11 PM
With all the different sects, gurus, teachings, texts...what is a new hindu to do? keep one's eyes and heart open for more new things to come...
practice what (s)he has learnt...
if the teachings are true, they should not contradict life...
If they dono't, search deeper, perhaves understanding is not right...


How and what does hinduism offer to a modern man as far as being practical? Hinduism is an answer to the question, "who am I?"...
Hinduism is an understanding of cosmos and my postion in this cosmos...
Doctrines are only to help me in that understanding, onus is on me, not G-d...
My understanding is reflected in my work...

----------------------

Don't know if I make any sense here:rolleyes:

devisarada
01 September 2007, 02:16 PM
namaste,
With all the different sects, gurus, teachings, texts...what is a new hindu to do?

How and what does hinduism offer to a modern man as far as being practical?

Thoughts?

Namaste Everyone,

Firstly, as a woman, I would like to change the question to "What does Hinduism offer to the Modern person, as far as being practical."

Hinduism is a philosophy and way of life that is inclusive. If you strip away all of the cultural deviations that have accumulated like dust on the shiny mirror of this philosophy, you will see that women and the female aspect of God have at the very least, an equal role to play along with the male aspect of God.

Consider RadheShyam, ShivaShakti, SitaRam etc.

So the first practical thing that comes to my mind as a woman, is that womanhood, motherhood, protectiveness, the rest of the so-called female qualities are highly valued in Hinduism.

Swami Vivekananda said:’This whole universe is the manifestation of the Mother, and She lives in every woman’s body.’ (V.4,170)

So, practically speaking, in Sanatana Dharma, women are more entitled to respect than in other religions.

devisarada
01 September 2007, 02:50 PM
to continue from my first post: there are so many paths that lead to the Goal within Hinduism, and it depends entirely on one's own temperament and state of spiritual development, which path one should choose.

There a very few absolute thou shalts. There are guidelines and recommendations, and the usual consequences of not following them is that it will take you longer to reach your goal, but, reach it you will. No one is ever condemned to eternal damnation.

So, as a practical example, most Hindus believe that vegetarianism is an ideal way of eating. As nourishment that was not obtained by doing violence to a fellow creature, it adheres to the principle of Ahimsa; and it is more conducive to inner sattvic qualities such as peace, contentment, bliss, and the ability go more deeply into meditation. Some even eschew onions, garlic, and other pungent spices for that reason. But Hinduism does not say:"thou shalt be a vegetarian or be condemned to everlasting hellfire!".

Hindus have all kinds of eating patterns, from just not eating beef and pork, to being totally vegan. It's up to you, and you can choose the branch of Hinduism which is most in tune with your current stage of spiritual development.

As a Hindu, you are in control of your actions, and you will reap the fruits of your actions, but you are not in control of what those specific fruits might be, or when the harvest is ready.

yajvan
01 September 2007, 02:54 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste Everyone,
So, pracitically speaking women are more entitled to respect than in other religions.

Namaste devisarada,

We offer you and the female quality respect...without such none of us would be on this earth.
In the Rig Veda, some of the best hymns are cognized from females.
Of the 400 (+/-) kavi's ~ 25 are female.

Many know that I am not a big fan of this word Hinduism - I can see how the name came about, yet believe a more accurate, pehaps noble name(s) are:
Sanatana Dharma - eternally that which upholds (Dhr)
Vaidika Dharma - the knoweldge or Dharma ( that which uphold) from the Veda
Arsa ( some write Aarsa) Dharma - the Dharma of the rishi's

If one asked me, of all the things you can discuss of this Sanatana Dharma i.e the lessons of the srutis, smrtis, itihasas, puranas, agmas and darsanas - what is the most practical and useful for modern man?

It would be ( for me) one or two lines of the Bhagavad Gita and if blossomed would change the individual in a nimesha (blink of an eye). Kesava's words to Arjuna: (Chapt 2.46 Gita) Yogastha kuru karmani - Established in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma).

This is the wisdom of the ages - this one thing is the foundation for a successful and balanced being on this earth... for a successful and balanced society. If one accomplishes this 'union' all has been accomplished. One is united with the SELF (Chapt 2.50) established in brahman. The vedas are of no more use (says Krsna) then a small well in a place flooded on every side (2.46).

Why is this of value? one gains skill in action - there no longer is any binding force back to the native. Each action is supported by the laws of creation, they are on your side... you operate from the level of the SELF e.g. balanced intellect, the art of living beyond or untethered from the 3 gunas - skill in action.

A most practical life as the gunas act within the field of the gunas and the native rests in the Universal Self.

And what of a town or society that achieves this balance? the rains come on time, the earth gives its best offers of crops, there is no crime, there is no upheavals. This is the offer of the balance, this is the most practical thing one could consider as the benefit of this Dharma coming to fruition.


pranams,

devisarada
01 September 2007, 03:15 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~


Namaste devisarada,

....
It would be ( for me) one or two lines of the Bhagavad Gita and if blossomed would change the individual in a nimesha (blink of an eye). Kesava's words to Arjuna: (Chapt 2.46 Gita) Yogastha kuru karmani - Established in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma).

This is the wisdom of the ages - this one thing is the foundation for a successful and balanced being on this earth... for a successful and balanced society. If one accomplishes this 'union' all has been accomplished. One is united with the SELF (Chapt 2.50) established in brahman. The vedas are of no more use (says Krsna) then a small well in a place flooded on every side (2.46).

Why is this of value? one gains skill in action - there no longer is any binding force back to the native. Each action is supported by the laws of creation, they are on your side... you operate from the level of the SELF e.g. balanced intellect, the art of living beyond or untethered from the 3 gunas - skill in action.

A most practical life as the gunas act within the field of the gunas and the native rests in the Universal Self.

And what of a town or society that achieves this balance? the rains come on time, the earth gives its best offers of crops, there is no crime, there is no upheavals. This is the offer of the balance, this is the most practical thing one could consider as the benefit of this Dharma coming to fruition.


pranams,

Namaste Yajvan:

"Yogastha kuru karmani[/I] - Established in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma)."

You have indeed taken the essence of the practicalities of Sanatana Dharma and distilled it into one beautiful line taken from the Gita.

But, practically, how does one go about achieving this union, which, once one is established in it,
will cause one to perform (right) actions (in the right way)?

yajvan
02 September 2007, 07:15 AM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste Yajvan:

Yogastha kuru karmani - Established in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma)."

You have indeed taken the essence of the practicalities of Sanatana Dharma and distilled it into one beautiful line taken from the Gita.

But, practically, how does one go about achieving this union, which, once one is established in it, will cause one to perform (right) actions (in the right way)?

Namaste devisarada,
This is a beautiful question.... We are taking this up on two posts :
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1773
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1822


That is, first to aknowledge the union and yoga is a worthy effort, then to explore what this union would look like; a road map or discussion thereof, these are the posts listed above.

Then one can say - what techniques are available to me that will allow this yoga to occur? That is, the notion of conversations allow the sadhu to understand the field, the end state to be realized , so when one looks for a method, technique , one has a clear vision of the end state and can choose accordingly.

The principle here, as I have been taught is, if you don't know where you are going, then any road will take you there. We are defining the end state of where that road should take you. This is the value of the conversations.

That said, one can then say after doing some study - I think Karma yoga makes sense for me, another may say Bhakti, anther Raja and others may say Jnana yoga.

It is my humble opinion that all have a common bond in mantra yoga. That is the notion of withdrawing the mind from the field of action and allowing it bathe in the silence of Being. This is what Krsna says in Chapt 2.45 of the Gita, Krsna says 'be without the 3 guna' ... 'possessed of the SELF (atmavan)'

So heres a most perfect instruction from Krsna . He says be without the 3 gunas. This whole creation is nothing but the 3 gunas in action. Where can one be if not there? He gives the answer, possessed of the SELF. This says, one needs to transcend this active layer of the 3 guna and experience that level of being where the 3 guna are not active, and that is the SELF, pure consciousness, Being, Bhuma (Fullness), Brahman.

This then fulfills the notion, yogastha kuru karmani. The notion of HDF , in part, is to discuss this upasana ( spiritual practice) what others are doing, how Sanatana Dharma supports this goal via the knowledge offered of the shruti, smirti, yama & niyama.

Yet all techniques or upasana require doing... and here we can discuss and ponder this doing, and may add an idea or two for the sadaka.

So now we are also fulfilling another formula - that is, Knowledge is the basis of action, action is the basis for achievements and achievements bring fulfillment ( this full-ness). So knowledge is tightly coupled with fulfillment.
Random actions bring random fulfillment... By us as a group discussing the end state, the potential methods and knowledge thereof , we assist the seeker on her/his path to be more knowledgeable in their spiritual pursuits. Like that - I hope that HDF can add value.

pranams,

devisarada
02 September 2007, 10:00 AM
Namaste Yajvan,

Thank-you for taking the time to give me such a well thought out answer. And the links to those two posts. I will take my time to read them and entire thread very carefully.