Growing up, I was always searching for the universal truth, I really wanted to be religious and have faith. I wanted to know which religion was the true religion. I was jealous of those people who had a strong faith, I wanted that certainty and security, I wanted to know what or who God was.
Whilst researching all the theologies and ‘rule books’ of all the major religions, I felt conflicted and confused. I felt simultaneously attracted and repelled by separate parts of each religion. Unlike many people, I didn’t feel I fitted into a single religion. If only I could take all the pieces I felt resonated with me and ignore the other bits, but I assumed religion doesn’t work like that, religion doesn’t involve cherry picking. During my early teenage years, one of my friends told me that it didn’t matter how good of a person I was, I would go to hell if I didn’t become a strict Christian and go to Church every Sunday, that scared the sh*t out me for a while (just to be clear, that is not the opinion of many Christians).
When I moved to India, I slipped from an untraditional Christian tradition, into a traditional Hindu tradition. I automatically began to compare, contrast and search for the similarities between the religions my husband and I were born into. When you go to Church you pray, you look towards the altar, sing together, receive bread and wine which has been blessed. There will be flowers, candles and occasionally incense, there will be a sense of community. When you go to a Temple you pray, you look towards the deity, during aarti (a ritual) you sing together, receive prasad (a small token of food) which has been blessed. There will be flowers, oil lamps, incense, there will be a sense of community. I found the similarities between an Eastern worship and a Western worship, fascinating and I have found solace in both forms.
All religions at their heart value love, kindness, compassion, charity, faith, truth, peace, tolerance and forgiveness. All people should have those values too, sadly that’s not always the case (even those who would label themselves as ‘religious’). The way people from each religion worship, see the world and live their lives can be extremely different, but we humans are all different, this shouldn’t be a reason to discriminate and hate. Surely God, in his omnipresent and omnipotent splendor, would lay out more than just one road towards him/her. I now feel that wisdom can be found in every tradition, we don’t have to sign up to religious sect to feel worthy, we should concentrate on being good people.
“One should not think, ‘My religion alone is the right path and other religions are false.’ God can be realized by means of all paths. It is enough to have sincere yearning for God. Infinite are the paths and infinite the opinions.”
-Sri Ramakrishna
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Interesting post there Lauren 🙂
I’ve never been comfortable with how far from God I am, however I do believe there’s a supreme, omnipresent power out there…the thing is, I’ve never been affected to that presence. I am extremely interested in religion, specially Islam. I love it but I’ve never felt like I want to convert, it is just about possessing that knowledge. Lately I’ve been interested in Buddhism and will start some courses on it but I do think I will hardly ever be what you’d call someone with devotional faith. I guess it ain’t for everyone! I believe more in being a good person and caring for others.
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Hey Valeria,
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I think it’s so great to learn about the religions we are drawn to and we can get a lot of wisdom from all of them! I really hope you enjoy your Buddhism course, it’s a beautiful philosophy!
Being a good and compassionate person is definitely paramount!
I hope you are well, lots of love xx
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Great post. So heartily agree and love the Ramakrishna post!
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Thank you so much, Ellen!
You would really like more of Ramakrishna’s teachings! They are very good!
I hope you are well xx
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@Lauren
I heard a fascinating lecture about the concept of god. Ever since man came to this earth, he has been trying to find god. Why is the grass green? why does the sun rise in the east and set in the west?? why is sky blue?? these questions constantly fascinated him. Then he came to the conclusion that there is a power that controls the universe. He called it god. Now, this god was an abstract concept. How to connect to this abstract god?? Man started putting human qualities to the concept of god. God is kind, god is powerful, god is wise. As man considered god as his parent he put those qualities which are found in a good parent. Slowly, the concept of god started taking form like a picture comes alive with colours. Some relgions went a bit further and gave shape and face to god. Thus, the god which was formless and witout attributes became a god with form and attributes. God became a more familiar figure someone just like us but infinately more powerful. God is said to be indescrible and infinite but as soon as you put qualities in him, you start to describe him. He become finite. Somewhere simutaneoulsy rituals, prayers, hymnes were written and places of worship were constructed. They all served as a bridge between man and almighty.
It is also said that relgion was never invented to find god. Each religion teaches to be a good human being and help others. The salvation that is promised is freedom from vices like anger, lust, greed. In a way to become a good human being. However, we have reduced religion to a search for god and to emphasize which way is right and which is wrong. Religion is journey of searching oneself and in that journey, if at some point one finds god, then it is good luck.
As the great Indian saint poet Kabir summed it up it is relevant even today:
“Nobody became wise reading big fat books, but one who has learned how to spell the word ‘love’ became the the real learned one”
O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
Lo! I am beside thee.
I am neither in temple nor in mosque:
I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash:
Neither am I in rites and ceremonies,
nor in Yoga and renunciation.
If thou art a true seeker,
thou shalt at once see Me:
thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.
Kabîr says, “O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.”
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Well said; and the Kabir stanzas are right on – they do reflect the Dharma concepts of God being within oneself,
same as what Sri Krishan said in the Bhagavad Gita “I am ever present to those who see me in every creature. Seeing me in All life and every person, they are never separated from me”.
Many of India’s saints studied the Bhagavad Gita and they explained it in simpler language and easier to understand terminology.
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Dear Friend,
Wow, sounds like a great lecture. I have started studying an online course about Greek mythology and it talks about similar concepts, myth is a way to explain the world and culture. I always like to think that these qualities are put on God so we can have a relationship with him (and her). Religion should be seen as a social construct, it doesn’t mean that there is no divinity or truth within it, it just means we can be more tolerant to others. In my opinion, no one religion would fit every person and every person has the right to find the divinity within.
Thank you so much for another lovely comment!!
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Ah!! so well you described everything….am not getting words to applaud you. You are definitely very sensitive and pure or i may say innocent, which is the reason cosmic intelligence slides onto you, by itself.
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I think what you said is very true about how religion has become what it is today. I completely agree that love and not books are the answer :).
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Aww thank you so much, Rosy! So sweet of you ❤
Lots of love xx
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Dear Lauren:
Really Beautiful experience of faith! I am a great admirer of Sri Ramakrishna, and also believe that, as many faiths, there are as many paths that lead to the one loving God who created us… If we remove the most immediate aspects of difference, we find the same essence, and that is really great, and it makes intolerance almost unreal, because it all resumes to a beautiful unity, with-in and with-out.
Thank you so much for this beautiful post, and may God be with you!
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Dear Zelia,
Thank you so much, dear! Very beautiful comment, I totally agree!!
Lots of love xx
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@ Lauren, very good observation that “Surely God, in his omnipresent and omnipotent splendor, would lay out more than just one road towards him/her.” I grew up in a secular yet believing Muslim family, and went through many different stages of spiritual evolution – first becoming very practicing (at one point praying 5 times a day) despite my family’s objections, then becoming slightly more detached from the ritualistic practices but still remaining a strong sense of faith in God and my own religion. It’s an ongoing personal journey of discovery for me, as I respect all religions and do pray in a church or a mosque with equal conviction & devotion. A lot of my childhood friends are agnostics (including my husband) or atheists so I occasionally find it challenging to find spiritual like-minded people to relate to 🙂 Personally I believe that all religions lead to the Divine, as they are all inspired by the Divine, and even though my preferred path is Islam (leaning towards Sufism), I don’t judge anyone who does not follow the same path. We are all children of God, and being a kind, caring person with good values & ethics is the essence of any religion.
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Thank you so much for this insightful and beautiful comment! I have read a lot about Sufism and find it fascinating! You really have been on a great spiritual journey, keep going! You sound like a very peaceful and beautiful person, I love your philosophy!
Lots of love xx
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There can be certain religion and their rituals which are inhuman.
Then how to bring such religion inequality ?
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Hey,
My post what about finding the wisdom in religions, not having to agree with everything, just be tolerant. Things like animal sacrifice does not sit well with me and I don’t agree with it. Take care
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your got the basic thing of religion. So i don’t think you need to know more. Abut Hindu Reglion.. its another name is Sanatan Dharam..means which is always news..And there r lot of book written. After 4 Ved…18 Puran mainly followed by Hindu people. And there is a Shlok..which describe 18 Puran’s ….in 2 lines….one is when you are doing good thing for others..it is punya..if you are torture anyone…its biggest crime…and i follow this only
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Hey Rohit,
That is a very good philosophy to have, there is a similar teaching in Christianity. We should be compassionate and kind to each other, it’s paramount!
Take care
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Some eat rice some eat noodle, some prefer bread some prefer roti.. Regardless of the shape, smell and taste, these are all food, our nutrition and without them we can’t survive.. So, to live, it is not important what we eat or like to eat but the food.
(This is what I believe)
God is nutrition and the rest is religion.
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Dear Ango,
I loved this analogy!!! Thanks for sharing! 😀
Take care
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I don’t want to be one of those people in the Western world whose knowledge and care begin and end with the Western world. I try to learn as much as I can about about other places, cultures, and religions.
There is just something magical about India. As much as I try to learn about the rest of the world. I find myself drawn to learning more and more about India, it’s people, and Hindu.
Of all the religions I’ve learned about, Hindu is the only one that makes me wish I were born into it.
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If I may,I suggest a few books if you need to know about Hinduism–All the Upanishads,God Talks To Arjuna( Geeta as per Paramhansa Yogananda) and Second Coming Of Christ by (Interpretation of the esoteric verses of Bible) Paramahansa Yogananda.For practices ,I would suggest The Book Of Secrets by Osho.Do not fall in the trap of going after any Guru.There is none.As The Buddha said,( it’s originally found in Geeta/Bhagwad Geeta) Be A Light Unto Yourself.All religions mean the same thing,though not understood by all.Regards,
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Dear Bandoobandya,
Thank you so much for the recommendations. I have read the Bhagavad Geeta and Yogananda’s autobiography. I don’t really like the idea of a guru, I like to do read many things and think for myself and discuss with others.
I hope you are well!
Take care
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Hey Kimberly,
Yes, I felt the same (then I actually moved to India lol), I always love learning about the world, it’s cultures and traditions. I really love tribal traditions, very interesting. I used to feel that you would have to be born Hindu to be a Hindu (I read that in books) but really, you can learn the philosophy and visit temples without being born into the culture. India has so many religions and philosophies, it’s a great place to study!
Lots of love xx
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I definitely feel that we should concentrate on being good people; you don’t need religion to do that. I’ve found organized religion to be so intolerant that I’ve grown intolerant of religion. I’m spiritual and I pray but I don’t associate with a religion or pretend to know what happens after death. I like to think there is something more. I like to think there is a man or woman or creature or force or presence listening when I pray. I prayed so hard for a loving relationship and I do feel that something brought me together with my man.
But to tell people “this is right and you are wrong” seems so wrong to me. When people tell me I will go to hell for not going to church etc,. I tell them that if their God would send good people to hell then I want nothing to do with their God. God should not be an evil Hitler-esque dictator who sends good people to suffer and if you align yourself with someone like that then that is an abusive relationship. I find religion divides people and is the excuse constantly given for spreading hate and violence and intolerance and fear.
I just can’t understand why people would follow rules laid out in a book thousands of years ago in one of the most violent times this Earth has ever seen. People learn as they get older; generations become wiser, so why are we looking to such primitive texts for answers? People thought the world was flat back then, we didn’t have modern medicine, flying seemed an impossibility. If anything I think we should be using knowledge and reason and we should be growing and evolving, not trying to squeeze modern lives into an ancient box.
I hate when instead of using common sense like “treat others how you want to be treated” which makes perfect logical sense, people use writings from an ancient book to try and back-up their hate, their homophobia, their intolerance, their sexism etc,. “this book says this therefore it’s right.” I honestly don’t know how religion has managed to survive and that it continues to fuel wars etc,.
I used to love going to church as a child, mostly the shaking people’s hands part. But as I’ve grown older I’ve become very disenchanted with it. I find it to be extremely hypocritical and nonsensical. Religion teaches peace yet is so violent. The bible is a book of disturbing stories like human and/or animal sacrifice. The story of God sacrificing his son for our sins doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. What monster would let their child suffer if they could help them? Also, there is no logical relationship between the two things. “I’m going to let my son die so that I can forgive you guys for your sins.” What!?
Also, they eat fish in the bible. There’s always a hierarchy of beings. I think that every living creature is made equal; why do humans always think they are so special and the only ones who will go to heaven if such a thing exists? I also do not agree with any religion where women cannot be priests. It perpetuates very old, sexist hierarchies.
I find it interesting that you wanted to find the “true religion” as I’ve never had that want. I think that is a very dangerous thing; to believe above all else, above reason, above doubt that you are right about something in which you know little about. I don’t mind a little mystery. Of course, if you’re someone who doesn’t impose your beliefs on others and they are just that; your beliefs, I respect that. I think people should be able to hold their own beliefs and they don’t have to be the same as mine and that’s okay. As long as you are tolerant of other views.
Unfortunately religion seems all about being “right.” Why do we need to know what happens after we die? We will find out one day but I’m in no hurry!
Thanks for a thought-provoking post Lauren :).
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Dear LDR13,
Thank you for your great comment. I think you are definitely on the right path, prayer and compassion are both extremely important!! I too have found dogmatic religion hard to swallow, I like to make my own decisions through prayer, learning and following my instincts. When I was younger I did want to find the “true” religion because I thought that was the way it worked, since then I have learnt better.
I recommend reading “The Dance of the Dissident Daughter” but Sue Monk Kidd, she was very upset by the hierarchy of the church and the fact that women could not be priests. You would enjoy it!!
I hope you are well, thank you so much for writing such a thought provoking comment 😀 xx
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I’m glad you’ve also found a healthy balance between prayer but also trusting your instincts; and not being afraid to ask questions and challenge tradition.
I will check that out, sounds like a great read :).
Take care xx
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Balance is the key I personally think 😀
Let me know what you think of the book if you get a chance xx
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There are a couple of quotes from the Vedas and Upanishads which say thus;
1) Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti!!! There is one truth and its viewed by scholars in a different manner.
2) Tat Twam Asi!!! I am that
3) Aham Brahmasmi!!! I(means normal people) am that Truth
4) Ekameva Adwitheeyam Brahma!!! The Truth is only One (Brahman or Parabrahman is not Brahma… It means the Truth, formless, emotionless, timeless, genderless)
5) Aham Amruthe!!! Amrutham Brahmani!!! I(means normal people) is Immortal, and immortality is Truth
If you can find read some text about Upanishad published by Ramakrishna Math
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Hey WCG2,
I especially like the first one “one truth in many manners”, very nice!
Thank you 🙂
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Ramakrishna Math doing good job but i can see lot of unscientific and contradict sentences one can found while reading Swami Vivekananda books
” the Mohammedan religion allows Mohammedans to kill all who are not of their religion. It is clearly stated in the Koran, “Kill the infidels if they do not become Mohammedans”. They must be put to fire and sword.”
(The Teaching of S.V.P. 180)
“It is the followers of Islam and Islam alone who look upon and behave towards all mankind as their own soul.”
Vivekananda speak lot of about Hinduism but his opinion always contradict within himself .he was not a scientific person, because he praised English empire he was rewarded by all western people
One can see Swami Vivekananda as a hidden fascist
“India cannot yet produce great women, she must borrow them from other nations. Your education, sincerity, purity, immense love, determination, and above all, the Celtic blood make you just the woman wanted. ”
{ Vivekananda : A Biography by swami Nikhilanand P 259
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Bravo Lauren for a very deeply thought out philosophy of divinity.
The Rig Veda I. 164.46 has a “mantra” Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vedanti – translation: ‘SupremeTruth’ is One, sages call it by various names.
The path to salvation should be personal and always based on peace. During the Rig Veda times, there were really no other organized religions, so one can say this refers to the Sanatana Dharma people worshiping different Deities or belief systems.
That does not mean all religious tenets are equal, but one’s spiritual quest to find the Creative Energy aka God should be a personal and peaceful journey, without damming those to hell for not being members of any specific religion.
For a Hindu, there are various levels to find the path to Moksha: through bhajans/devotion/rituals, belief in multiple Gods or just one Deity, or Dharma (duty), or Karma (good actions) or Yagna (philosophy). Swami Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, the Vedanta Society, plus many other gurus follow the Hindu philosophy found in the Vedas and Upanishads. There are many Vedanta Society philosophy groups all over India, even in Nagpur. They tend to be sort of serious monastic group but generally have very good ‘pravachans’.
It is because India has been so permeated with the spirit of Ekam Sat Vipra bahuda Vedanti that she has known relatively little of religious fanaticism, of religious persecution, of religious wars or conversions. But it also meant that they were sitting ducks for others wishing to change them.
Which path people choose depend on their level of spiritual bent of mind. However , I think that understanding the ideas of the Vedas is fundamental to being a good Hindu. merely doing pujas will not make a person better, though the worship factor in pujas is a constant reminder of one’s connection to God. Just like going to church on Sundays does not assure one a place in ‘heaven’.
I also had to find a way to understand the core truths of each religion and I found these two site helpful to understand Sanatana Dharma: http://www.dharmacentral.com
http://www.belurmath.org/
In Peace,
Shobha
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Typo: Yagna should be corrected to Gyana
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Dear Shobha,
Thank you so so much for your lovely comment I love this “God should be a personal and peaceful journey, without damming those to hell for not being members of any specific religion.” Very true.
My grandmother-in-law has recommended I visit the Vedanta mandir in Nagpur and I am desperate to go, and I will do soon. We went there once but it was closed, I guess it wasn’t the right time ;).
Take care and thank you again xx
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dear LAUREN
christianity islam and judaism are the three axis of evil considering the amount of sufferings these religions have caused (from slave trade to colonization , from inquisition to terrorism ). therefore it is highly advisable that u clearly decide which faith to follow keeping in mind the incompatibility of the semitic and dharmic religions.
Secondly, I as an upper caste north indian feels that only those Indians who belong to lower strata of social caste system,who are usually not attractive opt for foreigners(especially white western or yellow mongolian). The incidence of people marrying foreigners is extremely among those people.
Third, most of the foreigners who come to India , come with some hidden propaganda (either of western nations or of the Christian church) which they try to push. There is a classical example to justify my point. (you very well know who i am refering to).
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Please stop commenting with your bile, the 50th copy and pasted comment was enough, thank you.
I know many Hindu people and they would all say that your opinions are disgusting. The fact you are speaking badly about your own people (I actually doubt you are a Hindu at all) speaks volumes on how disgusting you are.
Goodbye.
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IMHO in order to understand hindu philosophy one ought to explore upanishads. Most western philosophers (eg., Maxmueller) recommend KATHA Upanishad as a starting point.Of the 108 or so upanishads, ten are very important. By simply going to mandir and offering prayers no progress will be made. Thats merely religion, I’m afraid. A seeker in order to get on the path of Self Realization must first STUDY scriptures.(Reciting prayers wont do much, maybe help mediatate, in which case it is good to continue to pray). Also a seeker will have to explore advaita (non dualism) doctrine. One must ignore the allegory part of upanishads and perceive only the wisdom treasured in the verses.
P.S.: I feel sad, some posters are hostile to you Lauren. And thats not acceptable. Evangelicals and mullahs are adopting all kinds of tricks to convert the poor and the gullible there (read up on ‘love jihad’), These mad posters are lumping you with them. Sorry for the stress you have to go through on a daily basis. Power to you.
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Dear Surya,
I will definitely read more into Katha Upanishad, sounds very interesting! I guess as well as reading, meditation and pray can also give you progress, I have had lots of realisations in conversation with God, but also enjoy reading philosophy.
Sadly the poster avoid sent many many many pasted comments, luckily spam removed them (most of them) this is pretty tame compared to what I have received before. I have learnt to overlook it to a certain extent!
I hope you are well! God bless
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yes I agree. sadhana through both meditation (Upasana) and yoga are the essential means to accomplish Self realization. That will be made easy once we understand the grand scheme of things. Katha and the other 9 upanishads explain who we are(Atman) in reference to Brahman. Once that question is out of the way only then sadhana will take a firm direction. I strongly insist on reading them. There is a single volume small book by Nikhilananda; you can get it from Ramakrishna math for Rs104.The principal triad or Prastana tria canon are Upanishads, Gita and Brahmasutras. A seeker has to read them at the beginning of the journey of Self Realization.
As you rightly said I’m afraid hatemail is an inescapable part of a blogger’s life, I made an attempt explaining at least one reason why you are the target here. A case of mistaken identity obviously or a case of misplaced anger.
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Hey Surya,
When I visit Sri Ramakrishna’s center here in Nagpur, I will definitely look for that!! Thank you!
I guess that if the hateamil didn’t exist, there would be a lot more bloggers. So that is a shame, lots of valuable opinions and points of view have been shut out by haite, very sad!
I hope you are well! Take care
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Hi Lauren,
I am an American christian married to an Indian and I have enjoyed reading your blog.. I wish to convey God’s love to you from the Bible..
1 John 4:16 says – “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
God does not wish to send anyone to hell… John 3:17 says For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”..
God is so wonderful that he paid the price for us so we don’t have to go to hell..We don’t need to fear hell because our salvation has been provided for us by Jesus…Christians go to church on Sunday because they Love God, enjoy worshiping him and because of our love for God we want to be obedient.. but it’s only faith in Jesus finished work on the cross that gets us to heaven…
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.” 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. <3GodBless..
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Thank you for the very beautiful verses, Jen!
Jesus’ love and God’s love can be seen in various forms that speak to the various hearts!! That’s the great thing about God 😀
I hope you are well, thank you for reading! Lots of love xx
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Jesus love is a great thing but some people don’t feel so
Does woman have a soul ?
Not only the Church, but also the State denied that woman possesses a soul. Matilda Joslyn Gage writes :
As early as the sixth century a council at Macon (585) fifty-nine bishops taking part, devoted its time to a discussion of this question, Does woman possess a soul ? Until time of Peter the Great, women were not recognized as human beings in that great division of Christendom known as the Greek church, the census of that empire counting only males, or so many souls -no woman named. Traces of this old belief have not been found wanting in our own country within the century. As late as the Woman’s Rights Convention in Philadelphia, 1854, an objector in the audience cried out : Let women first prove they have souls; both the Church and the State deny it.
– Matilda Joslyn Gage
Don’t kill non-believers, but torture them
. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
– Revelation, 9/5
Thomas Jefferson, the third President of America, admits candidly :
It is between fifty and sixty years since I read the Apocalypse (Revelation), and I then considered it merely the ravings of a manac.
– Thomas Jefferson
The Bible is not a divine revelation from God. It is not inspired; on the contrary, it is a wicked book …. It has been responsible for more suffering and torture than any other volume ever printed
– Joseph Lewis
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the basic difference between christianity and hinduism is that hinduism gives you absolute power to debate everything where as the other religions starts with the word “assume”.and in hinduism you dont need any saver of your soul because in hinduism it is being said that you are yourself the saver of your soul as your karma(action) solely decide your lifes destiny and your eagerness of achieving mokshaa.
it is only hinduism which says that every body who takes birth on this earth is pure and each person on earth is child of immortality where as in christianity it has been said that every child who takes birth upon earth is actually bequethed the curse of “original sin” upon him/her,thats why they need jesus for it.Hinduism is actually the only religion which in true sense liberates people.
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Hey Garga,
Many Christians (and Muslims, Jews etc.) are very accepting to other religions. I would say that the other religions also consider every new life as pure. According to Christianity (from my understanding) the original sin was taken away when Jesus sacrificed himself. So, I think there is some misunderstanding there.
Whilst I agree that Hinduism has the power to liberate people, I disagree that it is the only religion that has the power to do so.
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Confuse person it is so hard for people to decide what is the right thing
i think you don’t understand Hinduism well. first you need to know that
Vedic Dharma (not religion like Hinduism and other ) is based on vedas
According to Manu, there are ten symbol of Dharma
patience
forgiveness
To maintain self control
No stealing
cleanliness
Senses under self control
intelligence
knowledge
truth
No anger
if you follow the above ten symbol then you are following vedic dharma
do you still think Vedic dharma would not fit for all religion ?
Always remember dharma don’t need believe of any person becuase it solely based on Karma/deed
Religion solely based on believe that is the basic difference between these two
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Thank you for this interesting comment,
It seems that Vedic dharma fits in to all religions very nicely. Thank you for sharing this list.
I hope you are well! 🙂
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then why christians need to be baptised to be a christian? a hindu does not need to follow any ritual to be considered as a hindu.
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Well, many feel you must be born Hindu to be a Hindu.
It’s very complicated, just remember we should try not to judge be kind. 🙂
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“….. .many feel you must be born Hindu to be a Hindu..”-Lauren
No thats not true. All sentient beings (animals included) have a Self or soul or atman in them which is nothing but Brahman or the one god. Hence the karma siddhanta applied to all uniformly and hence every sentient being will have to strive for moksha by resolving all their own accrued karma. So therefore based on that doctrine everybody is a hindu if one wants a label….hinduism offers many chances to right the wrong and also it summarily eliminated permanent hell for all. : )
PS: iam not able to ‘reply’ to Lauren’s comment below, there is no icon for it : (
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Hey Surya,
I totally agree with you, I was just saying that is a belief of some people!
I hope you are well! Sorry for the late reply! 😀
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Excellent obervation, Lauren! This is why my intertwined, spiritual path of Wicca & Hinduism fits perfectly with my being and my soul. For some it may take years to find what their path, while others may take many lifetimes. I’m glad you were able to come to this conclusion. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Los!
That is wonderful you have found a spiritual path that fits with your soul!!
I hope you are well!!!
Take care!
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[…] but pretty much their whole lives. Live with their in-laws, cook only Indian food, convert to another religion etc. When you first become a part of a new culture, you may happily slide into this new role, you […]
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