Post No. 12,576
Date uploaded in London – – – 11 October , 2023
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan
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Miss V’s further Questions
3. Hinduism is perceived differently by Hindus all over the globe, if we want accurate information on something, where can we go to? (Since many old texts would be lost or translation won’t do them justice if they were translated from Sanskrit etc.)
4. Are there any must/ strict do’s or don’t s in Hinduism? For instance, in Islam pork-eating is strictly prohibited. However, I know of many India-based and overseas Hindus who still consume Beef. Just because religious texts and practices are generally not enforced on us, I feel many people flout various ideas and tweak Hinduism to fit their agendas. Is my thinking flawed?
5. How does Yoga and meditation come into play with Hinduism? These are practices I’d like to incorporate for more mindful living, but there are various differing advices and opinions on these subjects. Is there any reliable group/ person/ text I can rely on?
I look forward to your assistance with these information.
Xxxxx
London Swaminathan’s Reply
Question 3
Very difficult to answer this question. Because there is not a single source which gives “accurate” information. It differs from sect to sect, from culture to culture. I give you one example. Diwali (Deepavali) is celebrated differently in different parts of India. Gujaratis celebrate it for several days and start their new year. Tamils say Krishna killed Narakasura on that day. North Indians say Rama came back to Ayodhya from exile on that day. Jains also celebrate it for different reason. You won’t find all these things in one source. I believe all are correct; they happened in different eras around Deepavali; Same about Pongal called Makara Sankranti; same about Tamil New Year day on 14th April. All South -East Asian countries celebrate these days under some pretext.
But basic information about most of the Hindu Gods and Hindu saints are available from Hindu Encyclopaedias.
Better follow your own sect’s way. If you are a Tamil join the Tamil Hindus and celebrate it that way; if you are a Bengali, jointhem and celebrate it that way.
Many years ago voluminous NEW Hindu Encyclopaedias were published. I read only the interviews and can’t say how good they are. Many other encyclopaedias are available free on the internet. But foreign authors are wrong , because they start the origin of religion in 1500 BCE following Max Muller. Neither Tamil nor Sanskrit say anything about Aryan Migration.
I will stop with one more paragraph.
Why is that there is no ONE source?
Hinduism is like Pacific Ocean, largest in the world; other religions are like little lakes where you can see the other end/ shore.
If you open the World Atlas, you will see only one water source occupying 70 % of earth surface. But the atlas names it as Pacific, Atlantic, Indian etc. If you enlarge the same atlas, you will see more seas such as Adriatic, Arabic, Gulf, Bay of Bengal etc. The same 70% water gets different names. But the wonder is they have different temperature, different percentage of salt, different species of fish, sea shells, animals, plants etc.
Hinduism is also has different aspects but it is one water. Since other religions are like little lakes, you don’t find much difference.
No one has read all the Hindu scriptures. It is not possible. But one can finish reading Bible, Koran, Dhammapada in one day or two days.
Bhagavad Gita is only 700 couplets; just 1400 lines; but there are 100 commentaries. And that is not the only one Hindu scripture. Same message is in Tamil in different books.
To cut it short,
You have to approach someone who has read many books and follow them. Max Muller has never visited India; Foreign authors are not Hindu followers; they are anti Hindu. So you must not depend upon them.
Nowadays WIKIPEDIA gives some basic information; but it is not 100% correct; like the BBC, the writer selects what he or she wants to project.
QUORA and other sites are full of idiots; you have to ignore them.
Googling will distract you more. I typed Bharati to get poet Bharati’s image; but I got Semi Naked girls named Bharati in the picture page.
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Answer to Fourth Question
Hindus don’t eat beef; killing bovine animals, particularly cows are considered a great sin. Hindus are not VEGANS. All Rishis/ seers used dairy products every day. They were vegetarians; but non -vegetarians food is allowed for laymen.
Like other religions, they also considered certain things as Great Sins
Manu says in 11-55
11-55. Killing a Brahmana, drinking (the spirituous liquor called) Sura, stealing (the gold or valuables ), adultery with a Guru’s wife, and associating with such (offenders), they declare (to be) mortal sins (mahapataka).
In short
1.Killing intellectuals
2.Drinking alcohol
3.Stealing others’ goods
4.Adultery
5.Associating with or helping bad people are great sins.
And you are very right in saying that learned Hindus bend the rules to suit their personal needs.
Manu Smriti banned Brahmins from going abroad; Tamil book Tolkaapiam banned Tamil women travelling abroad with their husbands. Nobody followed them.
Manu Smriti banned garlic and onion for Brahmins. Nowadays even garlic and onion are used in Sri Lankan temples.
I am writing all these things sitting in London, after violating Manu’s ban.
My Personal View on this,
Manu himself said when in doubt, follow the Elders in your community, if you are still in doubt use your conscience.
Before this statement, he said “Law book (Smriti) changes according to Kaala(Time or period), Desa (geographical location) and Vartamana (your living circumstances)”. Manu knew all laws are changeable.
We do come across some difficult situations and struggle to take right decision. Moral Dilemmas in Mahabharata is a book that explains such situations.
Lord Krishna violated several rules; he cheated a lot; but all were justified because the end was good/ just. Mahatma Gandhi wrote in his journal he did not like Mahabharata Krishna.
All that ends well is good was Krishna’s policy. Even Tiruvaaluvar and Adi Shnakara say You may lie provided it leads to good.
America dropped two atom bombs in Japan killing innocent Buddhists (actually Shintoists) in millions. No body condemned America because it ended the Second World War.
Certain evil things are considered good, because it ends bigger evil.
You may also violate Hindu scriptures provided it ends with good results. Most of the violations were done for the welfare of the general public not to one’s own family.
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Let me answer your last (fifth) Question.
Yoga and Meditation are very good. English word Yoke is related to Yoga. Your Mind and Body are yoked together to achieve something good.
Primary benefit –Good health and mental peace
Secondary benefit- easy to concentrate on God or spiritual matters.
(Sitting in Asana/posture and reciting God’s name or Japa multiplies the benefits)
For thousands of years Brahmin boys were taught Praanaayaamam (breath control) on the day of their sacred thread ceremony (Brahmins did it at the age of 7 , Kshatriyas’ at 9 and Vaisyas at 11). This helped them to live 100 years healthily.
Your last sub question to ‘recommend some one or some method’.
Since I don’t practise it, I am not in a position to advise you.
There are many organisations who teach Yoga and Meditation. In Western Countries it is a money making mission; most of them teach you gymnastics and NOT Yoga.
My suggestion is
Better study the books first.
Then watch them doing it.
Then ask the participants how log they are there and what they have learnt.
Then join it if you are satisfied.
TM taught by Mahesh Yogi was good. Now that he is no more, I cant say anything about the TM organisers.
I know there are very genuine people still in the field.
Yoga spread from Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (Divine Life Society); his disciple Vishnu Devananda (Flying Swamiji) took it to the West; Later Mahesh Yogi from Rishikesh took it as Transcendental Meditation (TM) to America.Iyengar Yoga started several branches in foreign countries.
Swami Paramahamsa Yogananda also played some part in spreading meditation.
When you have time, please read
An Autobiography of a Yogi (by Paramahamsa Yogananda)
A Search in Secret India (by Paul Brunton)
The Wonder that was India (by A L Basham, a balanced History of India)
FINITO
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There are more Qs from others; I will answer them soon.
Here are their Questions.
A S
To:swami_48@yahoo.com
Tue, Sep 26 at 12:41 PM
Dear Sir,
I appreciate your blogs which I read regularly.
Now I think you can clear my doubt with the repertoire of knowledge you have accumulated over the years.
Some people claim Sanskrit was spoken by the masses (we know pundits always speak Sanskrit) in the previous yugas.
My contention is that Sanskrit was never a spoken language though it was a lingua franca in the India of ancient times.
I request you to kindly furnish proofs to establish or repudiate the argument that Sanskrit was a spoken language.
Thanks and regards,
A. S
Phone No xxxxxxxxxxx, Chennai
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Q and A
K R.
To:swami_48@yahoo.com
Wed, Sep 6 at 6:56 AM
.
Namaskaram sir.
Can you oppose these statements with proofs and evidences.
1.there is no Hindu architecture in India before Sanchi stupa built by Ashoka.
2.there is a temple in India in Kanchi ,Badri etc before (they were) Jain temples and Buddhist temples.
3.in Siva Kanchi, boundary wall of temple has Buddhist idols .
—Subham—
Tags- Hinduism, Q and A, part 2, Yoga, Meditation
Tamil and Vedas 