EXCERPTS FROM the BOOK:
Am I A Hindu?
by Ed Viswanathan, published by Halo Books, copyright 1992.
This
book is a question and answer type dialogue between an American born boy who asks his father many questions about Hinduism. The
father is a Hindu man.
[p.1] "There
is one truth, only men describe it different ways." Hinduism pursues only absolute truth.
[p.2] "Hinduism has no problem facing any type of question.....it absorbs
new ideas like a sponge ....Hinduism recharges itself with modern thoughts. Technology,
psychology, parapsychology and genetics all enrich Hinduism."
"Within Hinduism, you can think and argue on any subject. You can even
make statements like 'There is no Krishna or Rama' and still be a Hindu. It has
no hierarchy, it has no establishment and it has no governing body."
[p.4] "Nobody knows what is right or what is wrong; Nobody knows what is
good or what is bad; There is a deity residing within you; Find out and obey
its commands."
"...please do not take the above statement as a licentiousness
and do things as one's emotions dictate. Emotions within a person are very
deceptive. They can come out with intellectual authority and make every action
look meaningful. They even dupe great saints and seers into believing in their
own personal egotistical sentiments and acting very foolishly."
[p.5] "IS HINDUISM THE ONLY WAY TO GOD-REALIZATION?"
"
...Hindus consider it absurd to state that any other true religion of the world is
false."
"In the Bhagavad Gita (4:11) Krishna (a Hindu word for God) says: 'Whatever and whichever way men approach
Me, even so do I accept them; whatever paths they may chose finally lead to
Me'..... From these lines, one can easily understand that Hinduism does not project itself as the
only way to God-realization. It claims no monopoly on wisdom. It tolerates all
forms of thoughts. A Hindu Yogi will never try to convert a person from another
religion to Hinduism. Instead he will try to make a person's faith steadfast in
his/her own religion. The Gita says, 'In whatever
form a devotee seeks to worship Me with faith, I make
his faith steadfast in that form alone.'"
"So, in Hinduism, you can worship the Almighty, which is formless and
timeless, as Krishna, Jesus, Allah, Moses or as anyone or anything. As long as
you have faith in that form of the Almighty, you will be following a true
religion and you will ultimately realize the truth, even if you are following a
crude form of worship. No one can be lost, according to Hinduism. In whichever
way one may seek God, one is always in the path of God."
[p.6] "When someone calls 'It' Jesus Christ, 'It' comes as Jesus Christ;
when someone calls 'It' Lord Krishna, 'It' comes as Lord Krishna. The great
Muslim mystics, the Sufis, said, Wheresoever
you turn, there is the face of Allah. In all forms of worship, ultimately the
worshiper will transcend the name and form of his/her personal god. All of them
started with their attachment to a personal god and finally ended up with an
almighty which is timeless and formless.... The word Islam means submitter to
the will of Allah, and Allah has no proper definition.... No religion has a
monopoly on God."
[p.7] "DOES HINDUISM BELIEVE IN FORCIBLE
CONVERSIONS?"
"Not at all. A true Hindu never proselytizes, but Hindus gladly
greet anyone who wants to join Hinduism out of love for Hindu ideals. The Bhagavad Gita urges everyone to
follow the religion in which he/she was born. Hindus never make false promises
to convert someone to Hinduism.... Just like Hindus, Jews are also very
tolerant of other believers of other faiths..... Jews never actively propagate
their faith.......Hindus look at religion as a basic science
.....There is only one truth."
[p.8] "IS HINDUISM TOLERANT OF OTHER RELIGIONS?"
"In Hinduism, tolerance is not simply a matter of policy but an article of
faith. Even today when Jews are being persecuted all over the world, in Cochin,
India, they have absolute liberty to worship in their synagogues."
[p.9] "Swami Vivekananda said, 'I am proud to belong to a religion which
has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not
only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. As different
streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so
different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though
they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.'"
"Hinduism not only allows but actually encourages one to seek truths from all sources....
After studying Hinduism well, a Hindu should read and study all other true
religions. Then he/she will be able to see Hinduism as the encyclopedia of
religions."
[p.10]"....In Hinduism there is no hierarchy....There are many monasteries
in India..... All of them are independent of each other, and all propagate
Hindu ideals in their own individual ways without criticizing each
other.....Nobody is excommunicated in Hinduism, and nobody is persecuted in
Hinduism."
"Hinduism started with ....'That which is heard'.
The Christ-like masters of the Vedic age ......heard eternal truths in their
hearts and taught their disciples telepathically, by actual transfer of
thoughts. Only later did languages like Sanskrit and Pali emerge. For long periods of
time there were no written texts. The Vedas and Upanishads were taught in chanted lyrics."
[p.11] "We know that thought is the best medium of realizing true knowledge, but since we
cannot transfer thoughts, we express them in languages. Verbal language is
better than written language in expressing thoughts."
"Unluckily, even the first edition of the King James version
(of the Bible) had more than 300 errors in it (see the book: How We Got the
Bible by Neil R. Lightfoot). This only shows how difficult it is to write
thoughts into words."
[p.12] "English right now is spoken by the vast majority of people -- its
vocabulary has developed abundantly, and it has become the prime means of
conveying thoughts. So English may be the only language in the world which can
express truths in a more understandable format. Fortunately for us, we also
have mathematics, physics and other sciences to aid us in understanding subtle
truths today."
"....Understanding is something very personal. For example, E = mc2 may be just a few letters for common
folks, but to students of science they speak volumes. So
eternal truths can be understood only if we evolve high enough to understand
them. This is true of Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and all other
religions."
"Taoism states that impressions of life cannot be conveyed by words. The
Chinese mystic Lao-Tse said, 'He who knows never tells. He who tells never knew.'
...It will be correct to conclude that the human mind can never
conceive the ultimate truths of the universe."
[p.13] "DO YOU REALLY THINK WORDS CAN BE MISINTERPRETED AND
MISUNDERSTOOD?"
"Yes indeed. I feel that if Christ or Krishna or Buddha came back today,
they would use electrons, DNA, electro-magnetism, and other scientific concepts
to explain subtle truths."
[p.14] "...religious scriptures should be properly scanned to get proper
meanings rather than considered as true in every written word."...
[p.15] "This is true of Hinduism and all other religions including
Christianity." Catholic Encyclopedia: "An agnostic is not an atheist.
An atheist denies the existence of God; an agnostic professes ignorance about
his existence. For the latter, God may exist, but reason can neither
prove or disprove it."
[p.16] "Most religions use the fear of God and hell to make people believe
in them. This you will never come across in Hinduism, where a believer, an
atheist and an agnostic can happily co-exist."
"Hinduism has its share of atheists and agnostics. The Charvaka
philosophy and to some extent the Vaisesika
philosophy question the existence of a personal God. Kanada,
the founder of Vaisesika philosophy, only mentioned
God as 'That' in all of his writings."
[p.18] "One thing I know for certain. We are all part and parcel of
nature.... On one side [the physical] we are just an amalgamation of chemicals,
we are just an array of DNA molecules. On the other side, we are conscious
entities."
"All religions of the world have not fully explained many of their
fundamental principles."
[p.19] St. Thomas (an apostle of Jesus) started Christianity in India in about
the year 52 A.D.. "Most of the teachings of St.
Thomas in India had a close resemblance to Hindu teachings. The world knows
very little of the teachings of Thomas today."
"Some parts of the lost original text of the Gospel of Thomas were found
in 1945." (Book: The Gnostic Gospels, by Elaine Pagels,
Vintage Books.)
"It is said that by 189 A.D., much of south India had a very large
population of Christians. It is said that a bishop from India attended the
great Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.."
Christianity spread a lot in India around 1498. By 1599, the Catholic Church
was well established in India. Christian missionaries brought mass education to
India. Christian Missionaries worked right along with Hindu theologians to
eradicate the evils in Hindu society. Several Hindu reformers were influenced
by the compassionate aspects of Christianity.
[p.21] No one individual founded Hinduism. It is the research output of many
learned men known as Rishis, all of whom were
Christ-like masters.
[p.28] "...both Hinduism and Judaism are the 2 mothers of all world
religions."
[p.29] "...I feel that being truthful to oneself is the most important
aspect of Hinduism."
"WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO HINDUISM?"
"Utmost freedom of thought."
[p.30] "So in Hinduism, you can argue on any subject and you don't have to
accept anything until you arefully convinced of the truth behind it. Again, Hinduism
has no monopoly on ideas. Ideas are the unwritten laws of the universe; they are open
to all who are in the relentless pursuit after truth."
"In Hinduism alone one can see the strange coexistence of an atheist, an
agnostic and a theist. ...In Hinduism one can find a religion tailor made for
each of us, whatever may be our way of thinking."
"Hinduism recognizes the fact that people are on different levels. matters do not apply or appeal to all persons in the same
manner."
[p.31]"Hindus believe in one God expressed in different forms. Hindus do not
believe that God has human form or any other form as described in mythology or
in the biblical Genesis. ...God did not make man in His own image as the old Testament says, but instead man made God in his own
image. God is indeed a timeless and formless entity. When Moses asked God, 'Who
are You?' the answer came from the burning bushes, 'I
am what I am'. That clearly proves that Jehovah ('I am') is not a being with
human attributes. The Holy Bible also states that 'God is spirit' (John
4:23-24), and that he who worships Him worships in spirit. Psalms 139: 7-10
states that God is a spirit that is everywhere. Luke 24:39
states that spirit does not have flesh and bones. No word or image can
express or describe the magnitude of God."
[p.32] Hindu concepts of God:
1) "All came from that which cannot be defined called Brahman
(monism)." 2) "All came from That, so all
existence is good and divine (pantheism)." 3) "There is only one God
(monotheism)." 4) "All of us are Gods. This, of course, is just like
saying that if you analyze one drop of seawater, then you know everything about
the entire sea, or that if you the properties of
electricity within the light bulb, then you know all about the electricity in
the entire network." 5) To search for God is like a pinch of salt finding
the depth of the ocean, it becomes part and parcel of the ocean. Similarly, a
devotee who seeks God becomes part and parcel of That."
"WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOD AND US?"
"It is a tough question to answer since God is beyond all definitions. But
to some extent I feel the answer is the same difference between the energy in
the light bulb and the energy of the entire network of electric power. The
energy in the light bulb is the exact replica of the energy in the network, but
light bulb energy is very small unless it is constantly links with the network
energy. So even though we are indeed God, we do not have the power of God
unless we constantly link with God. That can be achieved only by surrendering
the individual will to the will of God. That is more easily said than
done."
[p.33] Each of us is the center point of the universe.
But that 'I' is one. "There is no more 'you' and 'I'. There is no more
subject and object. One and one only.... one 'I' which is the
universe." "Hindus believe that there are eternal truths and
they are open to everyone who seeks them, even if they are ignorant of Hindu
scriptures or Hindu ideals. So a true Christian or a true Muslim or a true Jew
is automatically a true Hindu. Truths are existing
forever."
[p.34]" Many call Hinduism a personal religion. "Each Hindu prays and
meditates alone. Bhajans (devotional group singing)
are part of the modern trend in Hinduism. ...According to Hinduism, each
person's religion is unique. He / She is seeking
within for all answers, so we have to conclude that Hinduism is a personal
religion."
"The Hindu aims of life are human goals. They are: 1) right conduct; 2) material
gain; 3) sexual love; 4) salvation. "All men try to achieve all 4 goals in
their life."
[p.35]" In Hinduism, creation has neither beginning nor end. It is a continuous
process. Birth and death are part and parcel of creation. Millions of galaxies
take birth everyday and millions of galaxies destroy themselves everyday."
"....energy can be neither created nor destroyed. Hindus use the word
manifestation when they talk about creation. Creation is manifested out of
Nature, and then it goes back into its original source."
"...there is a rhythm of life, and man's ignorance of this important fact
is creating all problems for him....life is cyclic as well as rhythmic."
"All matter, including you and I, has rhythmic
movement within it, and our quest should be to create a proper rhythmic harmony
within ourselves."
[p.36] "According to Mantra Yoga, all living things in all states of
existence have bodily forms fully attuned to certain frequencies of vibration.
Mantra, a system of syllables made with particular frequencies of vibration is
used to change one's vibrational frequency to a
better state."
"You feel happy when you sit near an ocean because your vibrations try to
synchronize with the frequency of the waves....Earth and the universe
are in an eternal cosmic dance." (The Tao of
Physics, Fritjof Capra.)
"I feel the mysterious 'I' or 'ego' is the greatest paradox in
life. We always say 'I', 'mine', 'my son', 'my house', 'my car', etc., but do
we know the answer to the question 'Who am I?' When the soul leaves the body at
the time of death the dead body does not say 'I am here outside the body.' Yet
when body and soul join together we hear 'I' all the time."
[p.37] "...when the limited ego becomes the universal ego, we achieve
everlasting happiness....Of course, to transform the limited ego into
the universal ego is not an easy job, but by continual practice of different
methods of God-realization we can achieve that Herculean task confronting all
of us. According to Ramana Maharashi,
finding the real 'I' is the supreme goal of a man's life, and his teachings are
based on erasing the ego."
"Most of man's problems start when he fights with Nature."
"Going back to nature does not mean living like stone-age human beings. It
only means to bring back truth, love, and peace in everyday life."
"Lao-Tse said that the world moves in a cyclic and rhythmic pattern, and man's
happiness depends upon his capability to understand this rhythmic and orderly
nature of the universe. Nature is the basis of Taoism.
[p.40] "...Adolph Hitler was influenced by the Tantric part of Hinduism.
From where else did he pick up the swastika and his unique hand gesture which
resembled the Hindu Abhaya Mudra?
Anyway that is something for speculation."
[p.41] Hindu scriptures can be broadly classified into 2 groups. One is Srati ("that which is heard") literature and the
other is Smriti ("that which is
remembered") literature. Both are considered as "revelations of
God", just like all Biblical literature is considered to be God-inspired.
"Vedas" = "knowledge"
"Dharma" = "cosmic and sacred order"
Dharma became the universal law and the moral law of Hinduism.
[p.58] "ISN'T THE 'CASTE SYSTEM' AN OUTRIGHT DISGRACE TO
HINDUISM?"
"...please understand that through the Code of Manu [which created the
caste system], you are witnessing an evolving society
taking grass roots in the river beds of North India. So much of this code was
intended for that time period and it has nothing to do with the modern society
we live in. Similarly, if you read the Old Testament, especially Exodus, you
will see statements regarding the treatment of slaves, etc..
We all know that you cannot treat anybody the way they treated slaves during
Old Testament times.....history is part of every scripture, so much so that we
should not hastily judge different statements in them. A society maturing out
of dark ages is bound to make many mistakes."
"All religions of the world have given man an exalted position and
provided woman with a demeaning position. Please understand that at that point
in history, women were the weaker sex emotionally as well as physically. Today
nobody would ever even dream of making a statement like that. Remember, the
most popular democracy in the world, India, had a woman chief executive, and
all of us throughout the world are still proud of the departed Indra Gandhi. People may agree or disagree with her
policies, but all hats are off to her valor and capabilities. She is , as she wanted to be, the Joan of Arc of India."
"Please do not forget that Manu, who restricted the freedom of women, also
said, 'Women are to be honored and adorned by fathers and brothers, by husbands
and also by brothers-in-law, who desire much prosperity. Where women are
honored, there the gods rejoice, but where they are not honored, there all
rites are fruitless.'"
"Similarly, I have to tell you that the caste system is a disgrace to
Hinduism. I don't think anybody with a right mind supports the caste system. It
only helps Brahmin domination of the lower castes as well as causing the
large-scale conversion of Hindus to Islam and Christianity. Please also
remember that Buddha did not acknowledge the caste system, even the highest
castes in India."
"So the caste system might have emerged from certain needs, but as time
passed, it became a curse on Hinduism rather than a blessing. Gandhi said, 'If untouchability is part of Hinduism, I will discard
Hinduism.'"
[p.62] "DO THE LAWS OF HINDUISM CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME?"
"It used to be like that. The great Rishis
[Christ-like beings] who guided Hinduism from one age to another made all
changes as per the need of the time."
"[Hinduism] ...allows not only the introduction of new laws but also the
production of new scriptures. Right now Hindu society has grown very big, and
unfortunately most Hindus only know the mythological stories and a few lines
from the Bhagavad Gita."
Brahma Sutras are a number of concise statements regarding the whole teachings
of the Upanishads. They are also called Vedanta Sutras. They describe,
in-depth, the nature of the Brahman. AGAMAS are Smriti
(that which is remembered) scriptures, a group of literature dealing with the
worship of God in many forms & they prescribe details courses of discipline
for the devotee. There are many Agamas and they are divided into 3 main groups
for: Vishnu, Siva or Sakti. These correspond to the
three main branches of Hinduism -- Vaishnavism, Saivism, and Saktism. Vaishnavism Agamas praise the Almighty as Lord Vishnu. Saiva Agamas praise the Almighty as Lord Siva. Sakti Agamas praise the Almighty as the Mother of the
Universe (name for Brahma).
[p.66] Each agama consists of 4 sections: 1)
Philosophy; 2) Mental discipline; 3) Rules for constructing temples; 4)
religious practices.
Four methods of God-realization in Hinduism, known as Yogas or Margas. (A 'yoga' is used in many ways) The 4 Yogas
are: 1) Jnana Yoga -- the path of knowledge, the
Hindu philosophy; 2) Bhakti Yoga -- the path of
devotion; 3) Karma Yoga -- the path of action; 4) Raja Yoga -- the path based
on the practice Pranayama and thought-control. (These
paths do overlap each other.)
[p.67] Jnana Yoga has 6 systems:
1) Samkhya system -- most ancient in the world, no
personal God, it sees the universe with the forces of Purusha
(spirit) and Prakriti (matter).
2) Yoga system -- (Yoga means 'to join'); resembles Samkhya
system, based on dualism (seeing the universe as 2 -- subject and object), no
personal God. Talks about God as 'it'. Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga are the 2 most important yogas.
3) Mimamsa system -- based on avoidance of rebirth.
4) Vaisheshika system -- (means 'particularity'), the
"atomic" school of Hinduism. Teaches universe is 9 elements: earth,
water, air, fire, water, time/space. God is referred
to as 'That'.
5) Nyaya system -- logical analysis of the world and
its atheistic nature, resembles Vaisheshika system.
6) Vedanta system -- ("Vedanta" = "end of Vedas"), teaches
that God (Brahman) and the individual soul (Atman) are one and the same.
According to this, nothing exists but Brahman. Human problem is not sin, but
ignorance. The ignorance of the true nature of oneself results in endless cycle
of birth and rebirth. Two branches of Vedanta: Advaita
and Dvaita.
[p.69] Adi Sankaracharya:
Founder of Advaita philosophy; saint with Christ-like
powers; genius; "Sankara starts where Einstein
ends"; lived 788 A.D. to 820 A.D.; wrote many poems, literature;
established 4 monasteries in 4 corners of India; restored Hinduism from
Buddhist destruction, said: Brahman alone is individual soul; people are bound
by endless cycles of reincarnation due to ignorance. Ignorance is root cause of
all problems. Knowledge eradicates and delivers one from bondage; the
difference between God and man is a matter of degree. Ultimately, they are one
and the same being. That which is within the man is called Atman [spirit], and
that which embraces the universe is known as Brahman. They are one and the same
like the space inside a cup and the space outside the cup are one and the same.
[p.71] Sankara Himself states......this material
universe is indeed illusion or Maya, just figments of imagination. "Sankara never said that the world is not important. He only
pointed out the fact that the world we see is not the real world."
Dvaita philosophy is philosophy of duality propagated
by Madhava (1197 A.D.), who believed that devotion to
God is extremely important. His beliefs: the world is
real and there is a difference between man and God. There are 2 kinds of
reality: independent and dependent. God is the only independent reality. Matter
and self are dependent and controlled by God. Self is active and responsible
for its own release from countless reincarnations by devotion to God.
[p.73] Ramanuja, 1st apostle of Dvaita
philosophy, born in 1050 A.D., devotee of Vishnu said, "God is not an
unqualified principle, but a very personal God who can be loved and understood
through devotion. The difference between Advaita and Dvaita philosophies is degree, or level of
perception."
[p.74] "Without duality-perception, action is impossible. We can see the
world only because it is a series of contrasting dualities. According to Taoism
the Absolute One becomes two in creation."
[p.81] One of the most important works in the Hindu
philosophy is the Yoga Vasishtha writings, written
700 A.D., is 29,000 verses, and is a dialogue. One of the most important parts
of Yoga Vasishtha is the doctrine of mind, stating
that when the mind vibrates, the world comes into existence, and when the mind
stops vibrating, the world is destroyed! Valmiki (the
author) ends the Yoga Vasishtha with the statement
that he who listens to the dialogue between Sage Vasishtha
and Lord Rama will be liberated and will attain knowledge of the Brahman.
[p.83] The Mahabharata is longest poem in the world. Bhagavad
Gita is part of the Mahabharata.
[p.87] "The Gita has an answer to every problem
a man may face in his life. The Bhagavad Gita never commands one what to do. Instead, it gives the
pros and cons of every issue and the final decision is left to oneself.
Throughout the Bhagavad Gita,
you will not come across seven one line starting with 'Thou shalt
not'".
"When Christian scripture talks about permanent hell for sinners, the Bhagavad Gita proclaims salvation
for all in various chapters (4:36, 9:30, 9:32). All of us, whether we believe in God or not, are destined to attain
salvation one day. Only the time factor differs for the best and worst
of us. The Gita exhorts, 'The truth shall set you
free.'"
Robert Oppenheimer (1st chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission) shocked
the world when he quoted a couplet from the Bhagavad Gita (chapter 11:12)
after witnessing the very first atomic explosion test in the state of New
Mexico. Later in a congressional hearing he said that nuclear bombs reminded
him of the Hindu God, Lord Vishnu who said, "I am
Death, the devourer of all."
The whole Mahabharata (which the Bhagavad Gita is part of) was spoken on a battlefield by Lord
Krishna, the greatest teacher of all, to Arjuna, a
great archer, to create a proper atmosphere to convey to the world the
unwritten laws of the universe.
Veda Vyasa wrote the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam Purana.
[p.90] Lord Krishna is the Supreme Power who also "descended" into a
world as Buddha and Christ and Mohammed and other prophets of the world.
In Bhagavad Gita Lord
Krishna says, "I am the Way", and "Come to Me".
In Holy Bible, Jesus says the same thing. Both came as the Infinite Power in
finite forms.
[p.93-95] Lord Krishna died to fulfill the Karmic Laws of the universe. He died
because he had killed someone. He willingly accepted death, left the physical
body, and went to Vaikunta as Lord Vishnu after his
work (as his incarnation as Krishna) was finished.
[p.97] Puranas are religious stories which expound
truths, similar to the parables that Jesus told. Both the parables and the Puranas are told to common people to help them understand
the higher truths in life. The word Purana means
"ancient". Puranas always stress devotion
to God. Most Puranas deal with creation and
destruction of the universe, genealogy of the gods and saints, and details about
the Solar and Lunar dynasties. Some, like the Mahabhagavatam,
describe future events, like the Bible's Book of Revelation. The Puranas are written in question and answer form -- mostly
stories of the Hindu gods and goddesses, supernatural beings, seers and men.
[p.99] Srimad Bhagavatam is
very important to Hindus and Rama Krishna devotees. It consists of all the
incarnations (avatars) of Lord Vishnu in detail. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, the universe
and creation was willed to exist by God, as a sport (or Leela).
A realized devotee sees himself as part of God.
[p.100] HINDU
SCRIPTURES
Sruti -- "That which is
heard"
1. Vedas:
Rig Veda
Sama Veda
Yajur Veda
Atharva Vead
2. Upanishads: 108 Upanishads (see p.43 for the most important)
Smriti - "That which is
remembered"
1. Vedangas: Dharma Sutras (Manu Smriti, Gautama Smriti, Yatnavalkya Smriti)
Jyotisha
Kalpa
Siksha
Chhandas
Nirukta
Vyakarana
2. Darsanas:
Nyaya
Vaisheshika
Samkhya
Yoga
Mimamsa
Vedanta (Advaita and Dvaita
systems)
3. Ithihasas:
Ramayana
Mahabharata
4. Puranas:
Mahapuranas (see p.98)
Upapuranas
5. Upavedas:
Ayurveda
Dhanurveda
Gandharva Veda
Artha Shastra
6. Agamas: Vaishnava
Saiva
Sakti
7.Upangas: Logical, ritual form of thought
8. Tantras
9. Charvaka
[p.101] Thirukural scriptures -- only one written in
Tamil language.
-- holy bible of "Saivites"
(people who worship Lord Siva -- Lord of Annihilation)
-- universal in nature, teaches a man the values of life. In a way it is an
enlarged version of the 10 Commandments.
-- simple and short.
-- Jains love it because it exemplifies ideals of
non-violence.
-- Dr. Albert Schweitzer called it: "One of the grandest achievement of the human mind."
[p.109] "When God comes down to Earth in any life form, then we call it an
Avatar."
"Whenever there is a decay of Dharma (righteousness) and an outbreak of Adharma (non-righteousness), I descend Myself
to protect the good, to annihilate the wicked and to re-establish Dharma. I am
born from age to age." (Bhagavad Gita). Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Mohammed and others are all
Avatars. They happen world-wide.
[p.110] Like Christians and Moslems, Hindus believe that another Avatar will
come at the end of Kali-Yuga -- in 427,000 years!
[p.112] "To some extent, the Hindus' attitude to Buddha is similar to the
attitude of Jews to Jesus Christ."
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