Hinduism

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mwmroe

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I got involved in Hinduism and the New Age movement many years ago. Hinduism is everywhere and it is infiltrating every area of our society and the Church. At the heart of yoga is Hinduism. You can’t separate yoga from Hinduism. For me, my guru was all important. He was God! I loved him and I gave my life to him. The goal of my guru was to convert people to his religion. At the time I was looking for a family community. I was looking for a sense of meaning and belonging and I tossed my Christian beliefs aside for Hinduism and the New Age. I was very naïve. I ended up surrendering myself to my guru and I gave up most of my possessions in pursuit of non-attachment. My Hindu beliefs taught me that there was no such thing as sin and that led me to die to the voice of conscience inside that told me that something was wrong. I had very little or no moral standards. I become completely consumed with my guru he was all I thought about. Everything I did or thought about was about my guru. If I were in his presence I would have been completely under his control. Eventually over time I loss my sense of identity. I no longer knew who I was. And it took me many years to recover my sense of identity. This was a horrible experience. I now realize the redemptive power of suffering, but to a Hindu suffering is only in the mind it is and illusion they call Maya. I learned that Hinduism teaches the opposite of Christianity. Hinduism teaches reincarnation, Christianity teaches the resurrection. They both can’t be true. Thru the practice of yoga I aroused the psychic force within called kundalini. I experienced the supernatural and it completely consumed my life. I felt like I was being possessed. This was very strange and dangerous, because I really didn’t know what I was doing. Eventually I gave up Hinduism and any New Age practices for Christianity and now I can say that I am much happier.

I found this video God’s of the New Age it has a lot of good information you may find it informative and helpful. What is you opinion about it? Also, Fr. Mitch Pacwa is very knowledgeable about New Age trends. You may find his book or his radio program helpful as well. When you start the video be patient. It takes a few seconds before it will start. You may want to wait until it is convenient for you to watch this video, because it is 1 hr 46 min long.

God’s of the New Age
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6272335793596892362&q=god%27s+of+the+new+age

Also, Fr. Mitch Pacwa’s book Catholic’s and the New Age

EWTN Audio Library File Index Audio by Fr. Mitch Pacwa
ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/file_index.asp?SeriesId=842969394&pgnu
 
Hinduism is not equivalent to New Age. New Age groups and individuals have indeed taken parts of Hinduism and used them for their own purposes (which may bear little to no relation to the way in which traditional Hindus use or understand them) just as they have taken and used Native American, Christian, Buddhist, etc elements.

As you can see from the timeline, Hinduism is hardly “New” anything 🙂 uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/hinduism/HHIST.HTM#bottom
 
KarenNC said:
Hinduism is not equivalent to New Age. New Age groups and individuals have indeed taken parts of Hinduism and used them for their own purposes (which may bear little to no relation to the way in which traditional Hindus use or understand them) just as they have taken and used Native American, Christian, Buddhist, etc elements.

As you can see from the timeline, Hinduism is hardly “New” anything 🙂 uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/religionet/er/hinduism/HHIST.HTM#bottom
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Neither does New Age have anything new to offer, it is a repackage job of of old pagan spirituality much based on Hinduism and its ideology. Of course we didn’t “waste” our time watching the video the OP suggested, did we?
 
Bennie_P said:
Neither does New Age have anything new to offer, it is a repackage job of of old pagan spirituality much based on Hinduism and its ideology. Of course we didn’t “waste” our time watching the video the OP suggested, did we?
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Perhaps you have the time to drop everything instantly and watch something almost 2 hours long. I do not have that luxury.

However, it is not necessary to watch a movie or to be an advocate of either Hinduism or New Age movements to know and state that Hinduism and New Age are not interchangable as is being done by the original poster.
 
KarenNC said:
Perhaps you have the time to drop everything instantly and watch something almost 2 hours long. I do not have that luxury.

However, it is not necessary to watch a movie or to be an advocate of either Hinduism or New Age movements to know and state that Hinduism and New Age are not interchangable as is being done by the original poster.
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They are not interchangable but one has great influence in the shaping of the other. Many that dabled in one finds themselves many times practicing the other.:cool:
 
Bennie_P said:
They are not interchangable but one has great influence in the shaping of the other. Many that dabled in one finds themselves many times practicing the other.:cool:
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Precision in language is a wonderful thing. As I said, I will agree that New Age movements have drawn upon a lot of elements of Hinduism, among other religions, but find it hard to understand how anyone can say that a religious movement of the 20th and 21st centuries has had “great influence” in shaping a religion that has been around for millenia.

Most Hindus are not “dabblers”. If someone who was a “dabbler” in a New Age movement and found a spiritual base in and converted to actual Hinduism, then it seems to me to be an improvement.
 
KarenNC said:
Precision in language is a wonderful thing. As I said, I will agree that New Age movements have drawn upon a lot of elements of Hinduism, among other religions, but find it hard to understand how anyone can say that a religious movement of the 20th and 21st centuries has had “great influence” in shaping a religion that has been around for millenia.

Most Hindus are not “dabblers”. If someone who was a “dabbler” in a New Age movement and found a spiritual base in and converted to actual Hinduism, then it seems to me to be an improvement.
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That is the problem, for many Christians that dabble in the “New Age” see it as something new and not threatening and a few of those look for the ancient knowldege then converts to Hinduism. Of course many go straight to Hinduism.All those options is far from an improvement. Either way whatever keeps one from finding out the depth of God’s love in Christianity blinds one to truth and puts one’s soul in danger. Of course all those that beleive anyway is a good way has lost thier way.

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; how know we the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also: from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. John 14:5 - 7
 
mwmroe said:
However, it is not necessary to watch a movie or to be an advocate of either Hinduism or New Age movements to know and state that Hinduism and New Age are not interchangable as is being done by the original poster.
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“Yoga in its many westernized forms is also at the heart of the New Age movement that has adopted Hinduisms basic beliefs and goals. In spite of the seeming variety and hundreds of competitive schools of yoga all forms come out of India and lead into the occult though most westerners are not aware of this.”

“This new yoga in the west went into a sort of amalgamation with occult and Gnostic groups and the Hindu mythology was put forward in a sort of demythologized way which we now recognize in such terminology as New Age. The age of enlightenment, the age of the superman, the man with super consciousness has begun. God is losing all importance man is the only thing which matters. Man is saving himself by his knowledge by the development of his mind faculties.”

Quote from God’s of the New Age
 
I, too, got lost in Hinduism-New Age for many years. It sounds like we had the same guru; or at least an almost identical experience. I even had a “spiritual” Hindu name and became someone else entirely. I wore saris and punjabis, played my guru’s music on sitar, went to “celebrations” twice a year, flying across the country; neglecting visits to my parents in favor of this extended family, whose detachment made it somewhat heartless.
I’ve been a returned Catholic for a year and 4 months. The exquisite beauty of it is beyond words. It makes the other “path” I was on seem brutish. Although I was advised by my parish monsignor (in a phone conversation) not to regret the time I spent away; I find his advice hard to follow when I think of all the Christmases, Easters, Communions, Confessions, real family experiences…I didn’t have. I’m trying to make up for lost time. I’m in the choir, go to mass as often as possible and to confession for faults and venial sins every two weeks if I can make it. The initial confession upon returning to the Church was major…after being in a group that didn’t believe in sin. They did have strict discipline but it didn’t suffice. I pray I’ll live long enough and have the strength and vitality to make up for my lost time. I truly understand your experience.
Peace and All Good
:blessyou:
 
Great video, now to get people on the forum to watch it.
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I’m glade you liked the video. It is my hope that more people on this forum will see it.
 
RosalieM said:
I, too, got lost in Hinduism-New Age for many years. It sounds like we had the same guru; or at least an almost identical experience. I even had a “spiritual” Hindu name and became someone else entirely. I wore saris and punjabis, played my guru’s music on sitar, went to “celebrations” twice a year, flying across the country; neglecting visits to my parents in favor of this extended family, whose detachment made it somewhat heartless.
I’ve been a returned Catholic for a year and 4 months. The exquisite beauty of it is beyond words. It makes the other “path” I was on seem brutish. Although I was advised by my parish monsignor (in a phone conversation) not to regret the time I spent away; I find his advice hard to follow when I think of all the Christmases, Easters, Communions, Confessions, real family experiences…I didn’t have. I’m trying to make up for lost time. I’m in the choir, go to mass as often as possible and to confession for faults and venial sins every two weeks if I can make it. The initial confession upon returning to the Church was major…after being in a group that didn’t believe in sin. They did have strict discipline but it didn’t suffice. I pray I’ll live long enough and have the strength and vitality to make up for my lost time. I truly understand your experience.
Peace and All Good
:blessyou:
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Welcome back. I’m glade to be back too. I’ve been back for almost two years now. I know it’s kind of hard to separate the two Hinduism and New Age. If I practiced one I also practiced the other. I’m not sure if we had the same guru. It’s probably not the best thing to mention them by name. I actually had a couple of guru’s and I studied many more. I worshiped several gurus, but one in particular I did a correspondence course thru the mail, but was never permitted to be in his presence. That was probably for the best. I had their murti’s (images) of them. I read their books and worshiped them from a distance. I desperately wanted to receive Darshan from the guru I was closest to, but like I said I was never was permitted to be in his presence even after spending hundreds of dollars through a correspondence course and buying and reading his books. I did however receive Darshan from other guru’s and in one instance I received Shaktipat from a female guru that I followed for a while. I really got lost in this religion and it changed my life in a terrible way. It made me insensitive and unloving towards my family. I was immoral. I felt like I was God. What a delusion. I’m now just starting to get my head straight it took me a few years to recover. It has been a slow process. I know the initial confession was huge. The priest asking me on a few occasions when I was going too finished. What I didn’t realize was that I should have called and made and appointment for a private confession, that way I could have taken as much time as I needed. But it all went well. I had a good confession.
Blessing
 
mwmroe said:
This document lists the key differences between New Age and Christianity. You may also find it helpful.

JESUS CHRIST THE BEARER OF THE WATER OF LIFE
A Christian reflection on the “New Age”
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html

This webpage kind of sums it all up.
hvk.org/articles/0203/42.html
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Jesus Christ the Bearer Of Water of Life I have a hard copy of and it is bookmarked on my computer and I have read FR Pacwa’s book on the subject and listened to EWTN Audio files of Fr Pacwa’s talks on the subject. (I have also downloaded them on to my computer) But that was the first time I saw that video. I too was once sudduced by eastern philosophies, then later on different aspects of the New Age. Growing up the 60s I have see how we have been bombarded with far eastern religions and philosophies. And it is so easy to dismiss them or, fully accept them without thought.

Here is what really began the “New Age” movement Theosophy
It was the first movement to combine and mix many spiritual beliefs and philosophies introducing bits and pieces of Hinduism and Buddhism into the western world and thought.
Theosophy is categorized as an Ancient Wisdom tradition. Ancient Wisdom has a timeless history, which cannot be traced. In general, the Ancient Wisdom is the prime source of all religions, knowledge, and moral principles. It is the foundation of all that evolved from this world. Theosophy states that all religions of the world today, although different on the surface, are basically the same (Ellwood 1994: 40-48). All deal with human morality, and on the importance of being good, loving, and compassionate. All emphasize something higher and grander than the material world—God, heaven, nirvana.
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Total religious indifferentism and syncretism.

Here is good source for an overview of most religions and religious movements - U of Virginia religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/profiles/listalpha.htm#t
 
Bennie_P said:
Jesus Christ the Bearer Of Water of Life I have a hard copy of and it is bookmarked on my computer and I have read FR Pacwa’s book on the subject and listened to EWTN Audio files of Fr Pacwa’s talks on the subject. (I have also downloaded them on to my computer) But that was the first time I saw that video. I too was once sudduced by eastern philosophies, then later on different aspects of the New Age. Growing up the 60s I have see how we have been bombarded with far eastern religions and philosophies. And it is so easy to dismiss them or, fully accept them without thought.

Here is what really began the “New Age” movement Theosophy
It was the first movement to combine and mix many spiritual beliefs and philosophies introducing bits and pieces of Hinduism and Buddhism into the western world and thought.

Total religious indifferentism and syncretism.

Here is good source for an overview of most religions and religious movements - U of Virginia religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/profiles/listalpha.htm#t
Click to expand...
It’s nice to hear from someone who is well informed about the dangers of yoga and the New Age. I think we could always have more of that at this forum. I’m glade you took the time to watch the video. I think the video was very well researched. Your right it is easy to dismiss this far eastern religious philosophy or accept it without thought. It sounds like we had to unfortunately learn this lesson on our own. Hopefully now we can educate other people before they ever fall into this trap.

Thanks for posting the link on Theosophy. I was aware of Theosophy’s role with the New Age movement. That’s a great link with the overview of most religions and religious movements. That will be useful.
Blessings
 
Bennie_P said:
Jesus Christ the Bearer Of Water of Life I have a hard copy of and it is bookmarked on my computer and I have read FR Pacwa’s book on the subject and listened to EWTN Audio files of Fr Pacwa’s talks on the subject. (I have also downloaded them on to my computer) But that was the first time I saw that video. I too was once sudduced by eastern philosophies, then later on different aspects of the New Age. Growing up the 60s I have see how we have been bombarded with far eastern religions and philosophies. And it is so easy to dismiss them or, fully accept them without thought.

Here is what really began the “New Age” movement Theosophy
It was the first movement to combine and mix many spiritual beliefs and philosophies introducing bits and pieces of Hinduism and Buddhism into the western world and thought.

Total religious indifferentism and syncretism.

Here is good source for an overview of most religions and religious movements - U of Virginia religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/profiles/listalpha.htm#t
Click to expand...
It’s nice to hear from someone who is well informed about the dangers of yoga and the New Age movement. I think we could always have more of that at this forum. I’m glade you took the time to watch the video. I think the video was very well researched. Your right it is easy to dismiss this far eastern religious philosophy or accept it without thought. It sounds like we had to unfortunately learn this lesson on our own. Hopefully now we can educate other people before they ever fall into this trap.

Thanks for posting the link on Theosophy. I was aware of Theosophy’s role in the New Age movement. The link with the overview of most religions and religious movements will be useful. I briefly looked over religious indifferentism and syncretism. That was and interesting read.
Blessings
 
KarenNC said:
Precision in language is a wonderful thing. As I said, I will agree that New Age movements have drawn upon a lot of elements of Hinduism, among other religions, but find it hard to understand how anyone can say that a religious movement of the 20th and 21st centuries has had “great influence” in shaping a religion that has been around for millenia.

Most Hindus are not “dabblers”. If someone who was a “dabbler” in a New Age movement and found a spiritual base in and converted to actual Hinduism, then it seems to me to be an improvement.
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Karen,

I think you and Bennie are miscommunicating, because Bennie doesn’t share the sentiment expressed in your last sentence. I suspect that for Bennie, the New Age is bad in large part because it can lead people to Hinduism–the reference to “shaping” probably referred to Hinduism shaping the New Age.

Edwin
 
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