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SweetStar067
21 May 2011, 11:46 PM
Hi everyone! I am currently working on a research paper for a Religions class where I was asked to compare 2 aspects between two religions. For my paper I have Christianity and Hinduism and I have to compare the relation between individuals moral instructions as part of each religion and also comparing their takes on the afterlife.

I had to complete some sort of an interview and thought this may be a better way of doing it. So here are a few questions if any of you could help me out and answer all or some of them or even fell free to just comment anything that you think could be helpful!

Thank you!
J

Questions:
1) You're understanding of the "moral involvement" in relation to Hinduism.

2) You're understanding of the afterlife.

3) How closely you follow "the rules" set forth (stick to all of them, pick and choose what works for you, etc...).

4) If you're personal beliefs correspond to formal Hindu doctrine.


Thank you again!! :) I really appreciate anyone taking the time to help me with this!

Water
22 May 2011, 10:43 PM
For my paper I have Christianity and Hinduism and I have to compare the relation between individuals moral instructions as part of each religion and also comparing their takes on the afterlife.

Unfortunately, your "picks" are not quite compatible. It's a bit like trying to compare a toothpick to a forest. Hm... that sounds a bit derogatory, but I certainly don't mean it that way.

To explain the metaphor... Christianity, and even it's offshoots, all have roughly the same core beliefs and scriptures. "Hinduism" is a thousand different religions mashed into a single category. It's very likely that no two Hindu's will answer your questions the same way (as they, too, are being asked to describe a forest with only the knowledge of the toothpick).

You may want to better define "moral involvement," as well. It's somewhat ambiguous. The two words paired together can mean at least two different things while if interpreted as complimentary to each other.... it gets a little messy.

Here's my go at answering your questions to the best of my ability.

1) My own personal moral involvement stems from the desire of the middle path and ahimsa (non-injury). While I know that I cannot survive and function in society without violence and aggression against another, regardless of my own intent, I make the best effort with my ability.

For a simple example often taken for granted: In modern society, I cannot accept a promotion without causing anger and disdain among the other individuals that did not receive a promotion. I cannot even accept a job without injuring another whom has now lost the opportunity.

For socio-political moral involvement... I'm not very active, to be honest.

2) There is no after-life, no before-life, etc for me. My eternal soul will be reborn many times before eventually being free from the cycle. At that time, the part of me that is all of existence will become one again.

3) "Rules" are a bit odd to compare with Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma. There isn't exactly a simple set of commandments like in Christianity. :)

I suppose you could say it is a rule to have a Guru. Temple worship is also a staple in most sects. I do not have a personal guru as I do not want to be a burden - I would like to evolve a little more spiritually before asking that favor from someone.

Another important staple to me is that all paths of religion deserve respect and tolerance as they are all legitimate paths to God. Non-action in agnosticism and atheism are the same.

4) The Vedas are the core of every religion that composes Hinduism. To the best of my ability, I live to the guidance provided and truly believe the written words contained in them.

devotee
22 May 2011, 10:59 PM
Hi everyone! I am currently working on a research paper for a Religions class where I was asked to compare 2 aspects between two religions. For my paper I have Christianity and Hinduism and I have to compare the relation between individuals moral instructions as part of each religion and also comparing their takes on the afterlife.

I had to complete some sort of an interview and thought this may be a better way of doing it. So here are a few questions if any of you could help me out and answer all or some of them or even fell free to just comment anything that you think could be helpful!

Thank you!
J

Questions:
1) You're understanding of the "moral involvement" in relation to Hinduism.

2) You're understanding of the afterlife.

3) How closely you follow "the rules" set forth (stick to all of them, pick and choose what works for you, etc...).

4) If you're personal beliefs correspond to formal Hindu doctrine.


Thank you again!! :) I really appreciate anyone taking the time to help me with this!

You have no idea of what "Hinduism" is. Your every question has many valid answers in Hinduism depending upon from what peerspective you are looking at the things in questions.

OM

yajvan
22 May 2011, 11:22 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté



Questions:
1) You're understanding of the "moral involvement" in relation to Hinduism.

2) You're understanding of the afterlife.

3) How closely you follow "the rules" set forth (stick to all of them, pick and choose what works for you, etc...).

4) If you're personal beliefs correspond to formal Hindu doctrine.

First thank you for taking the time to consider sanātana dharma. I'd ask that your research paper consider this name as the foundational pillar of Hinduism.

This site is rich with information that addresses your 4 points. I'd suggest visiting the folder 'New To Sanātana Dharma' where there is a wealth of information to be had.

Yet I wish to address point 4 of your questions. It is one of alignment. This alignment to sanātana dharma comes via practice over time. One's personal beliefs are lifted to higher levels and principles as one studies, practices, learns, experiences this dharma ( that which upholds). That is, one's beliefs in the beginning are illuninated by the wise; of those beings on this earth who know Reality itself and wish to pass it on to those that take interest.
So, my beliefs are uplifted, revised, are more in line with Truth as time proceeds - personal beliefs are traded in for Universal Truths. This is why this dharma is so profound. It is grounded in Truths that are eternal. Much more can be said on this whole matter yet will leave this here.

My recommendation is to spend some time on this site and you will get a ~feel~ for the values we align to and for the knowledge we pursue.

praṇām

Eastern Mind
23 May 2011, 06:46 AM
Vannakkam SweetStar: Here is a point conterpoint paper that may be useful:

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics/point/

I'll give some short answers according to my version of Hinduism. As others have pointed out, there is no 'Hinduism'. Its a varied assortment of religions conveniently dumped together by earlier researchers.

1) Living a moral life is essential to further oneself on the path. The yamas and niyamas are the guides, as well as scriptures devoted entirely to morals, like the Tirrukkural.

2) Reincarnation, not with same personality, but as karma dictates it, somewhat intertwined with answer 1.

3) I try.

4) My beliefs correspond to monistic Saiva Siddhantha, a smaller branch of Saiva Siddhantha, in turn one of six schools of Saivism, in turn one of 4 or 5 main denominations, based primarily on Vedas, Saiva Agamas, and Rishi Tirumular's teachings. My school probably comprises about 0.001 % of all Hindus.

Aum Namasivaya

jasdir
23 May 2011, 08:00 AM
1) You're understanding of the "moral involvement" in relation to Hinduism.
Hinduism or Religion is not the thing to understand, because to understand anything we need brain and mind, and these things lies away from the boundries of Mind and brain.

Thus ... we cannot say anybody UNDERSTAND !!!, because we all are with minds and brains.:)


2) You're understanding of the afterlife.
My understanding of afterlife is that we should try to understand current life, Like: " Truely what for is life " or " Truely what is life ".

Thus ... i think there will be no afterlifes further if we understood the need and goal of this current life proplerly.

But... YES :) there is --- afterlife till then.

3) How closely you follow "the rules" set forth (stick to all of them, pick and choose what works for you, etc...).

_/\_ Only prayes, i am one helpless person anly prayers works for me. :)


4) If you're personal beliefs correspond to formal Hindu doctrine. I don't want to say that " ONLY ME IS CORRECT ", but very sadly sometimes i think that: Why my personal beliefs does not correspond to formal hinduism. :)

_/\_ Jasdir.

Adhvagat
23 May 2011, 11:21 AM
Hi everyone! I am currently working on a research paper for a Religions class where I was asked to compare 2 aspects between two religions. For my paper I have Christianity and Hinduism and I have to compare the relation between individuals moral instructions as part of each religion and also comparing their takes on the afterlife.

I had to complete some sort of an interview and thought this may be a better way of doing it. So here are a few questions if any of you could help me out and answer all or some of them or even fell free to just comment anything that you think could be helpful!

Thank you!
J

Questions:
1) You're understanding of the "moral involvement" in relation to Hinduism.

2) You're understanding of the afterlife.

3) How closely you follow "the rules" set forth (stick to all of them, pick and choose what works for you, etc...).

4) If you're personal beliefs correspond to formal Hindu doctrine.


Thank you again!! :) I really appreciate anyone taking the time to help me with this!

1) Morals in any path within Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) would be marked by the understanding that every living being is an atma, a speck of spiritual consciousness. There's no difference between a human, an animal and a plant, consciousness is equal in every life form, what differs is how the material body allow this consciousness to manifest. The understanding of the gunas are also very important, gunas are the modes of nature, the objective of one person would be to situate him/herself on sattva, the mode of goodness/purity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunas#Bhagavad_Gita - Read about the Gunas in relation to the Gita and to Samkhya.

2) Afterlife in all sects of Sanatana Dharma will be based on the understanding that every action has an opposite reaction, similar to Newton's law, by acting today we are molding our future tomorrow, the next decade and in our next lives. Life is beyond material nature, death of the body doesn't mean death of life, it means the life itself has just left, therefore the vehicle (the body) becomes obsolete. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_in_Hinduism

3) It's a personal question that varies from each person, there are strict shaivas, vaishnavas, shaktas, etc, and there are heterodox practitioners (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=54313&postcount=9). Orthodoxes would consider the Vedas and scriptures revealed knowledge and heterodoxes would see the scriptures as wise man-made observances made by wise spiritual seers. In both approaches there's gold to be mined.

Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Hinduism

Believer
23 May 2011, 12:50 PM
Questions:
1) You're understanding of the "moral involvement" in relation to Hinduism. Hinduism teaches purity of thought, word and deed. So it does guide my moral behavior.


2) You're understanding of the afterlife.Since Hindus believe the body to be just a vehicle for the soul, after death, the soul reincarnates into a new body. If the individuals clothing this soul do good deeds and raise the level of consciousness of the soul to the 'godly' level, then the soul is liberated from the cycle of birth and death (reincarnations), and does not need a physical/material body. It becomes one with the 'godly' entity.

3) How closely you follow "the rules" set forth (stick to all of them, pick and choose what works for you, etc...).
As closely as is humanly possible. There are times when I bend the rules or temporarily put them on hold, to get ahead in the material life.


4) If you're personal beliefs correspond to formal Hindu doctrine.
Being a Hindu, my personal beliefs are dictated by the Hindu religion. So yes, they do correspond to the formal Hindu doctrine.