Hindu basics (Creator, salvation, purification, reincarnate)

[Trebek]

(borrowed from himalayanacademy.com)


Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.

Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.

Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.

Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.

Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.

Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

[jeffncandace]

Interesting. But I must ask, Trebek, with all sincerity: how do you reconcile Christianity, which claims to be the only way, with a belief that "no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding"?

[Trebek]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

Interesting. But I must ask, Trebek, with all sincerity: how do you reconcile Christianity, which claims to be the only way, with a belief that "no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding"?

Fair question Jeff.

I subscribe to the "no religion teaches the only way to salvation" standpoint.
God is God no matter what part of the world you are from.

There are four things in the bible that I don't subcribe to:

1. Hell is a firey pit that roasts people for all eternity.

2. That Noah put two of each animal on an ark, while our loving God drowned everything else.

3. The world is less than 8000 years old.

4. All non-Christians go to hell.

just for starters. This still leaves most of the bible as an excellent book of ancient wisdom. Proverbs is my favorite!