Anyone here celebrate Christmas?

[ScottMalaysia]

As for Jesus, yes I view him as an avatar of God. If Shirdi Sai Baba had no problem praying to Allah in spite of the many bad things we find in the Islamic religion, I see no problem with the fact that Jesus is associated with the comparatively milder Christianity. But this doesn't mean that I waste my time studying the Bible or going to church. Personally I don't feel like I gain anything from these interfaith activities. There's enough Hindu Scriptures in existence that I could spend the rest of my life learning about my own religion and still not scratch the surface of it.

As the bhajan "Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram" states:

ईश्वर अल्लाह तेरो नाम,
सब को सन्मति दे भगवान
Iishvar Allaah tero naam,
sab ko sanmati de Bhagavaan

God or Allah is Your Name,
Lord, bless everyone with this wisdom.

This basically means that God can be called by many names.

You're right, Sanjaya - there is so much to read about Hinduism - 4 Vedas, 108 Upanishads, 18 Puranas, 2 Itihasas - there's just so much!

[DavidC]

I'm curious to know if there are any Hindus here who celebrate Christmas.

My grandparents were Christian, but my parents are philosophical and somewhat religious pluralist (except for non-ahmisa religions) from Christian and scientific viewpoints--though not as though Christianity is exclusive: they have studied schools of thought of India and similar ones. I mainly consider myself to practice 'The Perennial Philosophy' ('The Eternal Philosophy;' 'Sanatana Dharma,') though not everyone here considers me one who completely practices the Eternal Philosophy. I guess I have a very Orphic-Pythagorean-Platonic and even (the thing that some people do not like) Theosophist view of it, but I think most of the former was derived from India, because of the meaning and history of 'Indo-Europeans' and other things.

I've been thinking about going to a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve after I finish work at 10pm. Even though I'm now a Hindu, I still love the rituals and services of Christianity. I just don't like its teachings of exclusivity, accept-Jesus-or-you're-going-to-hell and intolerance.

Try to find a Nazarean/Essene (but some are weird--and I do not mean 'Nazarene,' which is probably nonsense unless they are Essene,) Unitarian Universalist, or Unity service, or maybe--if you want an interesting service--an Orthodox one. Some of the Northern European Protestantism (Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc.) also have nice services and are more liberal and do not always say other religions are false, but it depends on the priest, and some Orthodox priests also do not say that. The first three churches I mentioned would be interested in your ideas (though I have not gone to a Unity one yet) and the second three I mentioned would not bother you as long as you did not try to say Hinduism is the only path or maybe (especially in America) as long as you did not even bring it up. These are just some ideas for you....

[sanjaya]

As the bhajan "Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram" states:

ईश्वर अल्लाह तेरो नाम,
सब को सन्मति दे भगवान
Iishvar Allaah tero naam,
sab ko sanmati de Bhagavaan

God or Allah is Your Name,
Lord, bless everyone with this wisdom.

This basically means that God can be called by many names.

You're right, Sanjaya - there is so much to read about Hinduism - 4 Vedas, 108 Upanishads, 18 Puranas, 2 Itihasas - there's just so much!

Interesting bhajan, thank you for sharing it Scott.