Thanks, Irishgal49. I’m not sure I go to where your reference was supposed to take me? I see five religions listed and another link that doesn’t really take me to “other” religions. And it clearly has a christianist bias, at least as far as the ads I saw. I went here: beliefnet.com/Before you get raked over the coals I would recommend Beliefnet.com as they have all the religions you can think of and a few that I have never heard of myself. They give an unbiased listing of beliefs, practices, and history of the different religions.
Good Evening Pleroma: I see.Pleroma; Its an internal problem, a cultural problem, a heritage which we have lost and requires revivalism soon.
In what ways to you see the Smrithis as being in conflict with the Sruthi? I see them as complimentary, but I am always interested in opinions.Hence as Britannica says instead of the Sruthi it is the Smrithis which is in more prevalence in modern Hinduism but that’s only half the truth and is completely in variance with ancient Hinduism. Krishna and Bhagvad Gita is not the complete truth, if you think it is you are very much mistaken about Hinduism. Hinduism is much more than that.
Are you referring to Sri Aurobindo from Calcutta?I will quote the great Aurobindo in order to explain the problem that we are currently facing in India and with Hinduism.
I’m sorry that I have always been and continue to be totally unconcerned with any sort of nationalism. I have a dislike for such things as flags, oaths, clans, pledges, cliques, sports teams, and national identities. Such things only cause conflict and hardship in the long run. Without these, we quickly start to run our of people to fight and we start discovering real issues to focus our energy on.We have had a great National loss and it needs some revivalism, this is not dogmatism or fundamentalism but a fight for the truth and for what is lost and I am quite determined to bring it back.
Vedas and the Upanishads are esoteric scriptures and the Smrithis are the exoteric scriptures. Smirthis are those scriptures which the outward masses blindly follow having no knowledge of tradition and the Shruthis are those scriptures which is seriously followed by those who are initiated into the secret mysteries of the Vedas and the Upanishads.In what ways to you see the Smrithis as being in conflict with the Sruthi? I see them as complimentary, but I am always interested in opinions.
Yes Aurobindo, the great mystic.Are you referring to Sri Aurobindo from Calcutta?
I will not stop criticizing the western and eastern scholars and thinkers until and unless they do justice to my scriptures of late antiquity.I’m sorry that I have always been and continue to be totally unconcerned with any sort of nationalism. I have a dislike for such things as flags, oaths, clans, pledges, cliques, sports teams, and national identities. Such things only cause conflict and hardship in the long run. Without these, we quickly start to run our of people to fight and we start discovering real issues to focus our energy on.
The Secular World, the orthodox Catholic Church and the modern Hindus. It is with these people which my fight is against with.In regards to a fight for truth, who are you fighting?
The truth that human beings have forgotten the supreme Aeon of the Universe named Abraxas. The Holy Father of the Gnostics and Jesus Christ was sent by him and not by the maker of this world.In regards to truth, what is the truth?
This is very interesting. I would like to find a good starter book. This is the only religion I have not read about and I’d like to know more. I like to know about all faiths as I feel that strengthens my own and helps me understand others. Where would I start? Sadly there aren’t any Hindu groups of any kind where I live.You are quite right, Gary. And to just add my 2-bits to what Pleroma has already said, I believe that the central theme of Hinduism is indeed ‘Tat Tvat Asi’ - translates as ‘Thou art That’ - meaning all things - animate/inanimate, male/female, good/evil are ultimately manifestations of that Universal Self, which we call Brahman. However, we can not worship or even have a relationship with Brahman - we can only try to become One with It.
We instead worship the personal Gods (who are also all manifestations of Brahman) of which there are three uncreated ones - Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Krishna and Rama are human incarnations of Vishnu.
Good Morning Pleroma:Pleroma; There is a great difference between the two. There is a Veil and darkness over all those who follow the Smrithis and are blind from the truth and those who follow the Shruthis see only Light and redemption.
A little wisdom here and there can go a long way. Perhaps getting tied up in too many particulars can cause one to become lost in the sauce, as they say.I never said Smrithis are in conflict with the Shruthis, I said Smrithis do not possess the highest esoteric interpretation of Hinduism and its all nonsense and rubbish with a little bit of wisdom here and there.
What does doing justice to your scriptures of late antiquity look like? What should people be doing differently?I will not stop criticizing the western and eastern scholars and thinkers until and unless they do justice to my scriptures of late antiquity.
.The Secular World, the orthodox Catholic Church and the modern Hindus. It is with these people which my fight is against with
I am not aware that Jesus Christ is found in the Smrithis or the Shruthis. Whatever the case, such things are only contexts. The truth is simply the nexus of space and time where you are standing at this moment - your breath, your colors, your touch, your sounds, your pain, your orgasms, your laughter and your tears and your ability to love yourself and other creatures (including other people). If the world was simply about Jesus Christ or Abraxas or Mohammed, or Krishna, or Siddhartha Gautama, or Sri Ramakrisha or Anandamayi Ma or Neeb Karori Baba, or Isis, or Miley Cyrus, then it probably wouldn’t have taken the care to produce you. You are here. The question is what you are going to do about it.The truth that human beings have forgotten the supreme Aeon of the Universe named Abraxas. The Holy Father of the Gnostics and Jesus Christ was sent by him and not by the maker of this world.
Good Morning Irishgal. I feel the same as you. I see a confluence between them all. There is no much to know about Hinduism, but if you just want to sort through the weeds and get to the heart of it all, I would simply by a copy of the Upanishads as translated by Eknath Easwaran. The paperback is maybe $10 and and The kindle edition maybe $6 or so. Very easy to read.This is very interesting. I would like to find a good starter book. This is the only religion I have not read about and I’d like to know more. I like to know about all faiths as I feel that strengthens my own and helps me understand others. Where would I start? Sadly there aren’t any Hindu groups of any kind where I live.
Lower psychic Christians and psychic Hindus who have not seen the light yet.If you see only light and redemption, then who is there for you to fight?
All I want is a good English translation of the Vedas from anyone of your western scholars acknowledging the traditional view of the Vedas and not interpreting it as a series of ramblings from barbarians. The interpretations of Griffith and Keith sucks, it literally sucks they have interpreted the Vedas with the false assumption behind their heads that the Vedic people were nomadic barbarians and this view has to change. Its disappointing to see that many Hindus do not have other sources for Vedas except the misinterpreted texts by these western scholars.What does doing justice to your scriptures of late antiquity look like? What should people be doing differently?
The entire Pauline tradition is Brahmanical in its origin.I am not aware that Jesus Christ is found in the Smrithis or the Shruthis.
Thank you Gary I will dig into that as I’m free this afternoon. I am really enjoying the maturity and depth of the discussion.Good Morning Irishgal. I feel the same as you. I see a confluence between them all. There is no much to know about Hinduism, but if you just want to sort through the weeds and get to the heart of it all, I would simply by a copy of the Upanishads as translated by Eknath Easwaran. The paperback is maybe $10 and and The kindle edition maybe $6 or so. Very easy to read.
Thanks,
Gary
I hope you enjoy it Irishgal. I’m curious to know if you see the parallels when you read them.Thank you Gary I will dig into that as I’m free this afternoon. I am really enjoying the maturity and depth of the discussion.
What is a psychic Christian and a psychic Hindu?Pleroma;
Lower psychic Christians and psychic Hindus who have not seen the light yet.
Perhaps you should do a translation and publish it. I’ll buy a copy if you like.All I want is a good English translation of the Vedas from anyone of your western scholars acknowledging the traditional view of the Vedas and not interpreting it as a series of ramblings from barbarians. The interpretations of Griffith and Keith sucks, it literally sucks they have interpreted the Vedas with the false assumption behind their heads that the Vedic people were nomadic barbarians and this view has to change. Its disappointing to see that many Hindus do not have other sources for Vedas except the misinterpreted texts by these western scholars.
I wonder if anyone has the power to make a fool of another person. Setting out with the intent to make a fool of anyone is a foolish endeavor in and of itself. Kind of like spitting in the wind, I think. Anyone who has found the basic principles of love in whatever faith tradition they follow, and the wherewithal to live it out in their lives is anything but a fool, and this includes Hindus I should say. Splitting hairs over how we got to that point is foolish once we have arrived.They might have made a fool of the Hindus but I am not going to fall for it, I know what’s in my scriptures and how powerful the wisdom in them.
I’m sure that could be argued either way. Instead, I would rather see you stop fretting over such things.The entire Pauline tradition is Brahmanical in its origin.
A good introduction to the Rig Veda is by David Frawley: Wisdom of the Ancient Seers: Mantras of the Rig Veda. Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin ISBN 0-910261-36-9.Lower psychic Christians and psychic Hindus who have not seen the light yet.
All I want is a good English translation of the Vedas from anyone of your western scholars acknowledging the traditional view of the Vedas and not interpreting it as a series of ramblings from barbarians. The interpretations of Griffith and Keith sucks, it literally sucks they have interpreted the Vedas with the false assumption behind their heads that the Vedic people were nomadic barbarians and this view has to change. Its disappointing to see that many Hindus do not have other sources for Vedas except the misinterpreted texts by these western scholars.
They might have made a fool of the Hindus but I am not going to fall for it, I know what’s in my scriptures and how powerful the wisdom in them.
The entire Pauline tradition is Brahmanical in its origin.
He is the only one who truly understands our problems.A good introduction to the Rig Veda is by David Frawley: Wisdom of the Ancient Seers: Mantras of the Rig Veda. Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin ISBN 0-910261-36-9.
Such a view is not good scholarship or archeology but merely cultural imperialism. The Western Vedic scholars did in the intellectual spehere what the British army did in the political realm discredit, divide and conquer the Hindus. In short, the compelling reasons for the Aryan invasion theory were neither literary nor archeological but political and religious that is to say, not scholarship but prejudice. Such prejudice may not have been intentional but deep-seated political and religious views easily cloud and blur our thinking.
It is unfortunate that this this approach has not been questioned more, particularly by Hindus. Even though Indian Vedic scholars like Dayananda saraswati, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Arobindo rejected it, most Hindus today passively accept it. They allow Western, generally Christian, scholars to interpret their history for them and quite naturally Hinduism is kept in a reduced role. Many Hindus still accept, read or even honor the translations of the ‘Vedas’ done by such Christian missionary scholars as Max Muller, Griffith, MonierWilliams and H. H. Wilson. Would modern Christians accept an interpretation of the Bible or Biblical history done by Hindus aimed at converting them to Hinduism? Universities in India also use the Western history books and Western Vedic translations that propound such views that denigrate their own culture and country.
The modern Western academic world is sensitive to critisms of cultural and social biases. For scholars to take a stand against this biased interpretation of the ‘Vedas’ would indeed cause a reexamination of many of these historical ideas that can not stand objective scrutiny. But if Hindu scholars are silent or passively accept the misinterpretation of their own culture, it will undoubtly continue, but they will have no one to blame but themselves. It is not an issue to be taken lightly, because how a culture is defined historically creates the perspective from which it is viewed in the modern social and intellectual context. Tolerance is not in allowing a false view of one’s own culture and religion to be propagated without question. That is merely self-betrayal.
I cannot betray myself.
- David Frawley
Psychic Christians are those who do not have faith in the pneumatic Christ and Psychic Hindus are those who do not have faith in the Vedic Gods.What is a psychic Christian and a psychic Hindu?
Psychic Christians are lower compared to the higher Valentinian Christians and Psychic Hindus are lower compared to the higher Vedic Aryans.Compared to what are they lower?
If I was born in a family of royal Brahmin priests then I would have published them for free. It requires initiation, tapasya, revelation and linguistic skills to correctly translate them and give a transcendent interpretation of them.Perhaps you should do a translation and publish it. I’ll buy a copy if you like.
Good Morning Pleroma: I hope that you don’t end up falling into the same trap as many people often do. It seems to me that many people keep walking right past what they’re looking for because they’re busy arguing about the map and studying its particulars too closely. If people would simply forget worrying about the programs they are trying to follow, the Lord is easily found. But first I think people have to drop all the theories and mental concepts and simply see the Lord fully manifest in front of them. To do that, all you have to do is:Psychic Christians are those who do not have faith in the pneumatic Christ and Psychic Hindus are those who do not have faith in the Vedic Gods.
Psychic Christians are lower compared to the higher Valentinian Christians and Psychic Hindus are lower compared to the higher Vedic Aryans.
If I was born in a family of royal Brahmin priests then I would have published them for free. It requires initiation, tapasya, revelation and linguistic skills to correctly translate them and give a transcendent interpretation of them.