Basics Of Hinduism - Are Hindus idol worshipers? (Part 6)

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Are Hindus idol worshipers?

Hindus do not worship a stone or metal “idol” as God. We worship God through the image. We invoke the presence of God from the higher, unseen worlds, into the image so that we can commune with Him and receive His blessings.

THE STONE OR METAL DEITY images in Hindu temples and shrines are not mere symbols of the Gods. They are the form through which their love, power and blessings flood forth into this world. We may liken this mystery to our ability to communicate with others through the telephone. We do not talk to the telephone; rather we use it as a means of communication with another person. Without the telephone, we could not converse across long distances; and without the sanctified icon in the temple, we cannot easily commune with the Deity.

Divinity can also be invoked and felt in a sacred fire, or in a tree, or in the enlightened person of a satguru. In our temples, God is invoked in the sanctum by highly trained priests. Through the practice of yoga, or meditation, we invoke God inside ourself. Yoga means to yoke oneself to God within. The image or icon of worship is a focus for our prayers and devotions. 

Another way to explain icon worship is to acknowledge that Hindus believe God is everywhere, in all things, whether stone, wood, creatures or people. So, it is not surprising that they feel comfortable worshiping the Divine in His material manifestation. The Hindu can see God in stone and water, fire, air and ether, and inside his own soul. Indeed, there are Hindu temples which have in the sanctum sanctorum no image at all but a yantra, a symbolic or mystic diagram. However, the sight of the image enhances the devotee’s worship. 

For the full article, please go to source at:Himalayan Academy

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Introduction to Path To Siva - Part 3

At a devotee's home on June 19, Yoginathaswami also spoke of Satguru Bodhinatha's new book, Path To Siva. Swami feels that it is a wonderful book, not just for youth but even for adults, as it answers the basic yet important questions that most Hindus ask, especially the youth. He also spoke about the Path To Siva QR Code posters.

Hindu Events Malaysia feels that this timely book is just what the Hindu youth of Malaysia need at the moment. There is quite a lot of confusion caused by 'misinformation'. Additionally, the social ills like gangsterism & bullying in our Hindu community which is on the rise have their foundation in lack of emphasis on spiritual education & good conduct. Path to Siva addresses these needs in a simple but effective way. Parents can use Path To Siva to guide their children from the early teens. 

With this in mind, Hindu Events Malaysia is sharing Path To Siva via the Path To Siva QR Code posters for those who haven't seen this page yet. These posters will be put up in Hindu temples & institutions around Malaysia but starting with the central states which are Selangor, Federal Territory of KL, Negeri Sembilan & Malacca. The QR codes in these posters will give you access to the Path To Siva e-book on your mobile phone absolutely FREE !

Our volunteers, known as the Path To Siva Road Cruisers will be putting up these posters in a town near you and sharing their journey with you on Facebook & Instagram. We also have a little surprise which we will share in the next post. Stay tuned & do share this post! 

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Yoginathaswami & Yogi Adinatha visit Malaysia

Yoginathaswami is one of the few monks in Kauai Aadheenam USA (Kauai's Hindu Monastery) who is of Malaysian origin. He & Yogi Adinatha stopped over in Malaysia after their pilgrimage in India & Sri Lanka. On the 19th of June, a wonderful Siva Puja was conducted by Swami in the house of a devotee.

After the puja, Swami answered questions & a key takeaway was that pujas can be as short as 5 mins or elaborate according to the amount of time a person has & his ability to conduct such pujas. However, the timing needs to be consistent. For example, if you pray at 7 am today, you should do it the same time every other day in order for the puja to be effective.

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Happy Father's Day!

Wishing all Father's a blessed Father's Day.

May the Father of all be a guide to all fathers !

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Photo credit: Kalki Deepavali Malar 1962 (www.kalkionline.com)

Basics Of Hinduism - Do Hindus have a Bible? (Part 8)

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Do Hindus have a Bible?

Our “Bible” is called the Veda. The Veda, which means “wisdom,” is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere as the revealed word of God.

LIKE THE TAOIST TAO TE CHING, the Buddhist Dhammapada, the Sikh Adi Granth, the Jewish Torah, the Christian Bible and the Muslim Koran—the Veda is the Hindu holy book. The four books of the Vedas—Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva—include over 100,000 verses. The knowledge imparted by the Vedas ranges from earthy devotion to high philosophy. Their words and wisdom permeate Hindu thought, ritual and meditation. 

The Vedas are the ultimate scriptural authority for Hindus. Their oldest portions are said by some to date back as far as 6,000 bce, orally transmitted for most of history and written down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia, making them the world’s longest and most ancient scripture. The Vedas open a rare window into ancient Indian society, proclaiming life’s sacredness and the way to oneness with God.

For the full article, please go to source at:Himalayan Academy

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Basics Of Hinduism - Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat? (Part 7)

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Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?

Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings. But in today’s world not all Hindus are vegetarians.

OUR RELIGION DOES NOT lay down rigid “do’s and don’ts.” There are no commandments. Hinduism gives us the wisdom to make up our own mind on what we put in our body, for it is the only one we have—in this life, at least. Vegetarians are more numerous in the South of India than in the North. This is because of the North’s cooler climactic conditions and past Islamic influence. Priests and religious leaders are definitely vegetarian, so as to maintain a high level of purity and spiritual consciousness to fulfill their responsibilities, and to awaken the refined areas of their nature. Soldiers and law-enforcement officers are generally not vegetarians, because they have to keep alive their aggressive forces in order to perform their work. To practice yoga and be successful in meditation, it is mandatory to be vegetarian. It is a matter of wisdom—the application of knowledge at any given moment. Today, about twenty percent of all Hindus are vegetarians.  

For the full article, please go to source at:Himalayan Academy

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Basics Of Hinduism - Why Do Hindus worship the cow? (Part 5)

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Why do Hindus worship the cow?

Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures.

HINDUS REGARD ALL LIVING creatures as sacred—mammals, fishes, birds and more. We acknowledge this reverence for life in our special affection for the cow. At festivals we decorate and honor her, but we do not worship her in the sense that we worship the Deity.

To the Hindu, the cow symbolizes all other creatures. The cow is a symbol of the Earth, the nourisher, the ever-giving, undemanding provider. The cow represents life and the sustenance of life. The cow is so generous, taking nothing but water, grass and grain. It gives and gives and gives of its milk, as does the liberated soul give of his spiritual knowledge. The cow is so vital to life, the virtual sustainer of life, for many humans. The cow is a symbol of grace and abundance. Veneration of the cow instills in Hindus the virtues of gentleness, receptivity and connectedness with nature.

For the full article, please go to source at:Himalayan Academy

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Introducing 'Path to Siva' – Part 2

Part 1 can be found here:

Introducing 'Path To Siva'- Part 1

Path To Siva is a book that will give Hindu youth (& even adults) a very good understanding of basic Hinduism & covers all the important teachings of Saivism which is the oldest form of Hinduism.

You may have heard of Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva & Merging with Siva by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Path To Siva is based on this voluminous trilogy & covers the most important teachings in 68 short lessons (only 1 or 2 pages) that are packed with information.

 

In our modern world, most Hindu children go to public schools which of course are secular and do not include in the curriculum the traditional Tamil works such as Auvaiyar’s Atti Chudi (basic lessons on good conduct from a Hindu standpoint).

Path to Siva is written by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's successor Satguru Bodhinatha. This book covers good conduct which builds good character which in turn is the foundation for a balanced & successful life. Other important topics covered include karma yoga, temple worship, meditation & Hindu philosophy. Absorbing these short essays will provide a clear understanding of Saivism’s practices, beliefs and philosophy and give you a deep comprehension of life that few people have. The knowledge, insights & understanding gained from this book will help you deal with life’s challenges in a positive way & guide you towards success in the world.
You can see all the topics covered and the entire e-book from this link:

Path To Siva

Satguru Bodhinatha

    

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Excerpts from: Introduction to Path To Siva by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

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Basics Of Hinduism - What is karma? (Part 4)

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What is karma?

Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become better people.

KARMA IS ONE OF THE NATURAL laws of the mind, just as gravity is a law of matter. Just as God created gravity to bring order to the physical world, He created karma as a divine system of justice that is self-governing and infinitely fair. It automatically creates the appropriate future experience in response to the current action. Karma simply means “action” or “cause and effect.” When something happens to us that is apparently unfortunate or unjust, it is not God punishing us. It is the result of our own past actions. 

The Vedas, Hinduism’s revealed scripture, tell us if we sow goodness, we will reap goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil. Thus we create our own destiny through thought and action. And the divine law is: whatever karma we are experiencing in our life is just what we need at the moment, and nothing can happen but that we have the strength to meet it. Even harsh karma, when faced in wisdom, can be the greatest catalyst for spiritual growth. Understanding the way karma works, we seek to live a good and virtuous life through right thought, right speech and right action. This is called dharma.

  

For the full article, please go to source at:Himalayan Academy

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Have a wonderful Vaikasi Visakam!

Vaikasi Visakam is a festival in honor of Lord Murugan, God of will, direct cognition and the purest, child-like divine love, and commemorates his creation and birth. On this day (Visakha nakshatra in May-June) elaborate abhisheka is conducted in all Muruga temples. It is a time of gift-giving to panditas and great souls, weddings, feedings for the poor, caring for trees, spiritual initiation, diksha, and conclaves of holy men.

 

Lord Karttikeya, Murugan, first guru and master of kundalini yoga, was born of God Siva’s mind. His dynamic power awakens spiritual cognition to propel souls onward in their evolution to God Siva’s feet. Aum.

We hope this video will inspire you to connect with this great mahadeva today when you a visit a Murugan temple nearby. Enjoy the darshan!

source: Kauai's Hindu Monastery & Dancing with Siva by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami.

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Basics Of Hinduism - Do Hindus believe in reincarnation? (Part 3)

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Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?

Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually. Finally we graduate from physical birth.

CARNATE MEANS “OF FLESH,” and reincarnate means to “reenter the flesh.” Yes, Hindus believe in reincarnation. To us, it explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual illumination. Life and death are realities for all of us. Hinduism believes that the soul is immortal, that it never dies, but inhabits one body after another on the Earth during its evolutionary journey. Like the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, physical death is a most natural transition for the soul, which survives and, guided by karma, continues its long pilgrimage until it is one with God.

I myself have had many lives before this one and expect to have more. Finally, when I have it all worked out and all the lessons have been learned, I will attain enlightenment and moksha, liberation. This means I will still exist, but will no longer be pulled back to be born in a physical body. 

Even modern science is discovering reincarnation. There have been many cases of individuals’ remembering their past lives. These have been researched by scientists, psychiatrists and parapsychologists during the past decades and documented in good books and videos. Young children speak of vivid past-life memories, which fade as they grow older, as the veils of individuality shroud the soul’s intuitive understanding. Great mystics speak of their past lives as well. So do our ancient scriptures, the Vedas, reveal the reality of reincarnation.

Reincarnation is believed in by the Jains and the Sikhs, by the Indians of the Americas, and by the Buddhists, certain Jewish sects, the Pagans and the many indigenous faiths. Even Christianity originally taught reincarnation, but formally renounced it in the twelfth century. It is, in fact, one of the widest held articles of faith on planet Earth.

For the full article, please go to source at:Himalayan Academy

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