Who is a Hindu?

[Titanium]

London: Britain's first state-funded Hindu school has come up with a unique definition of 'practising Hindus' as part of its admissions policy — those who pray daily, do voluntary work at temples, follow a vegetarian diet and abstain from intoxication.

According to the admissions policy, among the criteria to be used while considering applications are: "Looked after children from Hindu families, 10 nominations by Bhaktivedanta Manor of practising Hindu families, children from practising Hindu families, children from Hindu families who are broadly following the tenets of Hinduism."

The policy defines 'practising Hindus' as those who perform daily prayer and deity worship either at a temple or at home, and accept and follow Vedic scriptures, in particular the Bhagavad Gita. They must also be involved in at least weekly temple-related voluntary work, attend temple programmes at least fortnightly and abstain from meat (including fish and eggs), alcohol, smoking and drugs.

Now how many " Hindus" are there in India?
link

 

[roadrunner]

Niaz
Even Hindusim is a Monotheistic religion . but its belives that a person has the freedom to focus his devotion to that supreme being by imagening it in any physical form which is known as bhakti Marg . ( path of devotion)
There are other paths to achieve that supreme being like path of Knowledge , and path of ethical duties

It's not monotheistic

 

[Chanakya]

Road Runner ..
it is Monothetic .. but the diffrence is .. it has the freedom for any individual to have his devotion to any symbolism ....

Rig Veda,1:164:46
“ Truth is One, but sages call it by many names. (एकं सद विप्रा बहुधा वदन्त्य - ekam sad viprā bahudhā vadantya)

Monotheism can be divided into different types on the basis of its attitude towards polytheism:
inclusive monotheism ------claims that all polytheistic deities are just different names for the single monotheistic God; Smartism, a denomination of Hinduism, follows this belief and holds that God is one but has different aspects and can be called by different names

exclusive monotheism, -----on the other hand, claims that these other deities are either aspects of their supreme god, demigods (cognate with angels), invented, or simply incorrect, as Vaishnavism, a denomination of Hinduism, regards the worship of anyone other than Vishnu. However, according to the Bhagavad Gita (one of the most important Vaishnava scriptures) whatever form of God one worships it is in fact worship of Vishnu.

Exclusive monotheism is a well-known tenet in the beliefs of the Abrahamic religions.

 

[Chanakya]

Titanium

Shia , Sunni, Ahmedia , Bohra.. and there are many more .. somewhere i read its more then 150 sects in Islam . they all have some difference in the definition about there individual faith .. but they all are muslims right ?
so anyone can limit it self within his or her own perception.. no one is perfect

 

[roadrunner]

look no need to use word wizardry. Hinduism has many Gods and Goddesses. It is polytheistic. Not monotheistic.

 

[HK-47]

It is true that Allah or Ilahi means God in Arabic. However, at the time of our holy Prophet ( PBUH) Kaaba was a depository of many Gods. Some, such as Lat and Uzza, were female dieties. Total number of major and minor Gods ran into hundereds. Allah was one of the major dieties. That is why Allah o Akbar ( Allah is the greatest) and La ilaha il -a- llah ( There is no God but Allah). All the sanams ( any Idol or Image that is worshipped) were destroyed after the fall of Mecca to muslims in the 630 AD and since that time there has been no image or idol inside the Kaaba or Masjidul Haraam.

Allah means the One God,not just God If I remember correctly.weren't you talk about this:Reply To Robert Morey's Moon-God Allah Myth: A Look At The Archaeological Evidence

 

[Chanakya]

Road Runner
Brahman is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being. It is regarded as the source and sum of the cosmos, that constricted by time, space, and causation, as pure being, the "world soul." Thus, it was deemed a singular substrate from which all that is arises, and debuts .
for someone who has not achieved the wisdom but is limited to knoweldge God is Saguna Brahman, or God with personal attributes ( illusion). ...

for others who has achieved the wisdom Brahman is Nirgun Brahman (without any form ) which is the ultimate truth

 

[Chanakya]

RoadRunner
scared of words ?? or stuck with your own perception ?
which one is it ..?
Have you read anything about advaita vedanta or anything about the any Hindu philosophies ?

 

[roadrunner]

Road Runner
Brahman is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being. It is regarded as the source and sum of the cosmos, that constricted by time, space, and causation, as pure being, the "world soul." Thus, it was deemed a singular substrate from which all that is arises, and debuts .
for someone who has not achieved the wisdom but is limited to knoweldge God is Saguna Brahman, or God with personal attributes ( illusion). ...

for others who has achieved the wisdom Brahman is Nirgun Brahman (without any form ) which is the ultimate truth

Dude, this is the thing about Hinduism, or at least Hindus. You guys don't even know how to define your own religion. You've got 426 different defintions of Brahman, and everything can be changed to suit whatever you want. Isn't religion meant to give you guidance..not to be changed as you feel like it?

 

[Chanakya]

.

Dude, this is the thing about Hinduism, or at least Hindus

Well Road Runner
This is best thing about hinduism and its called as learning and evolving
from knoweldge to wisdom ..

You guys don't even know how to define your own religion.

Can you define your religion? there so many sects and they have diffrent opinions.

You've got 426 different defintions of Brahman

no My dear Definition of brahman is One ..Just one ( you are being disturbed by your own percpetion)

Isn't religion meant to give you guidance..not to be changed as you feel like it?

Guidance to where ??
and who will check and verify if this guidance is the ethical path and follows the golden rules of Humanity ? Have you ever thought about these question or just follow religion blindly ??
there will be and there are many ppl in who are blinded by their own perception and cant see truth ..so there is difference in opinions about definition . even your religion is not free from this ..
Not everyone is enlightend one .. there are roadrunners and Chanakya too

 

[Titanium]

Titanium

Shia , Sunni, Ahmedia , Bohra.. and there are many more .. somewhere i read its more then 150 sects in Islam . they all have some difference in the definition about there individual faith .. but they all are muslims right ?
so anyone can limit it self within his or her own perception.. no one is perfect

This is the closest any Brahmin can get to defining the so-called Hindus, find fault somwhere. This has been the case before and will be. Here are we discussing what......who is Hindu?

I will open another thread if you feel like...to discuss all the above.

No can I know your definition of "Hindu", coz am compiling...

 

[aryan2007]

for me Hinduism is not a religion..it is a way of knowledge and life...
the primary belief of a Hindu IMO is "Acharya Parmo Dharam"
Right Conduct is teh highest goal/duty


Rest there are various sects, schools, orders some are polytheist, some monotheist, some reject idol worship, some promote idol worship, some include renunciation and celibacy, some encourage householders life.....


""In 1995, Chief Justice P. B. Gajendragadkar was quoted in an Indian Supreme Court ruling:

When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define Hindu religion or even adequately describe it. Unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one God; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or creed. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more.""


I think the core Hindu texts such as Ramayana and Mahabharata esp Gita.. should be taught to all irresp of religion.. they are full of knowledge and teach us how to be good humans and will also help us practise our different religions better!!!

 

[Flintlock]

Dude, this is the thing about Hinduism, or at least Hindus. You guys don't even know how to define your own religion. You've got 426 different defintions of Brahman, and everything can be changed to suit whatever you want. Isn't religion meant to give you guidance..not to be changed as you feel like it?

Your religion is supposed to be a one-size-fits-all religion. However, as you can see, by the sheer number of interpretations/sects of islam, it is impossible to make such a religion in practice.

Hinduism discourages totalitarianism. There is always space for new ideas/new interpretations, and people follow what makes the most sense to them. Hinduism contains within its vast body of texts, everything from atheism through monotheism, deism to polytheism.
Moreover, Hindu philosophical texts are studied as a whole separate branch of classical philosophy along with greek philosophy.

This is why Hinduism is considered a peaceful religion. There is no conflict between sects of Hinduism because it is understood that the world has multiple truths. What may be the absolute truth for one man might be completely ridiculous for another.

 

[Titanium]

This is why Hinduism is considered a peaceful religion. There is no conflict between sects of Hinduism because it is understood that the world has multiple truths. What may be the absolute truth for one man might be completely ridiculous for another.

Killing for 'Mother' Kali - TIME

For the magic to work, the killing had to be done just right. If the goddess were to grant Khudu Karmakar the awesome powers he expected from a virgin's death, the victim had to be willing, had to know what was happening, watch the knife, and not stop it. But even tranquilizers couldn't lull 15-year-old Manju Kumari to her fate. In his police confession, Karmakar says his wife, daughter and three accomplices had to gag Manju and pin her down on the earthen floor before the shrine. In ritual order, Karmakar wafted incense over her, tore off her blue skirt and pink T shirt, shaved her, sprinkled her with holy water from the Ganges and rubbed her with cooking fat. Then chanting mantras to the "mother" goddess Kali, he sawed off Manju's hands, breasts and left foot, placing the body parts in front of a photograph of a blood-soaked Kali idol

Do I have to comment?

 

[Titanium]