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so who is religous here? |
whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
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From: India
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What do hindus read? Contrary to the popular belief that the bhagwat gita is the religious text/book of hindus, the truth is that the gita is a small excerpt from the vast epic mahabharata. Hindu tradition believes that ultimate reality lies beyond all scriptures, it also believes that scriptures help people orient their minds and lives towards "brahman". This attitude has given rise to a body of sacred litt so vast that by one calculation, it would take 70 lifetimes of devoted study to read it all!
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scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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@whizkidd
Sounds rather similar to Taoism in some respects.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
PeterKay
Joined: Jul 08, 2003
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From: The Ummah
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@whizkidd, people believe whatever they wish to belive in - many follow what their parents follow but i feel every human should follow his heart and have 100% satisfaction in his faith.
In all honesty, my religion gives me full satisfaction and i enjoy every day of my life as i follow the steps and actions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his ways are the best i feel.
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whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
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From: India
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In many religions, truth is revealed from a divine source and enters the world thru a single agent. Like abraham in judaism, jesus in christianity and muhammed in islam. These truths are then recorded in scriptures that serve as a source of divine wisdom. In the hindu tradition, however there is no single revelation or orthodoxy (established doctrine). Hinduism acknowledges that there are many paths by which people may seek and experience religious understanding and direction. |
whizkidd
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Brahman:The ultimate reality Various schools have contributed to hindu thought each one with different emphasis. The school known as vedanta has been the standard form of intellectual hinduism. According to it, the highest aim of existence is the realization of identity or union of the individual's innermost self (atman) with the ultimate reality. Although vedanta states that this ultimate reality is beyond name, the word Brahman is used to refer to it.
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scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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@whizkidd
In that last post you could be talking about Taoism!
In Taoism there is but one path, The Way, that which is in harmony with the Tao. One's goal is become one with the Tao, which is the the Way. The Tao is unknowable and indescribable, the words we attribute to it are less than adequate.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
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@scots. Indeed, i do find some similarities between hinduism and taoism when it comes to self-realization. But hinduism apart from vedanta has many other schools of thought which hindu scholars have systematisized in different ways. All these schools have enriched hinduism with their individual emphasis. Maya on rigorous logic, Vaiseshika on atoms and structure of matter, Sankhya on o numbers and categories, Yoga on meditation techniques, Vedanta on the nature and experience of spirituality..
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scotsboyuk
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@whizkidd
Taoism pretty much embraces all of those things. Taoism does not negate other religions or science, it embraces all because it sees all as being part of the Tao.
Most of the eastern religions share many similarities.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
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@scots, does taoism have any scripture or book? If anyone wants to learn more about it, what should they do? Hinduism too have no problems accepting other faiths and is a religion which does not endorse nor believes in forced conversions...I am awed at the fact how over the ages hinduism, in the manner of science is constantly experimenting with and assimilating new ideas. Also, like science, it is far less concerned with history of ideas than with their truth as demonstrated thru direct experience
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scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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@whizkidd
There is the Tao Te Ching of course, which the seminal text of Taoism, but there are no 'holy' texts so to speak. The Tao Te Ching is probably the best text to start with and you can read it here.
The Tao Te Ching is very simple, yet it can take a lifetime to approach any measure of tru understanding. A good book to read for an introduction of Taoism is 'The Tao of Pooh', which wou can find in all good bookshops or on Amazon.
Reading about Taoism is one thing, but one must experience it. Taoism is a practical 'religion', one should practice what one learns from Taoism. There is no use in reading about Taoism to gain a proper understanding of it, one has to practice Taoism.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
JK
Joined: Feb 24, 2005
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From: S. Africa - JOZI
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On 2005-08-22 13:22:00, whizkidd wrote:
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| On 2005-08-22 13:15:22, 02 wrote: @scotsboyuk very interesting, so Thus ur a free man!! U can do bad in this world and yet choose to go to heaven.. |
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As scots mentioned there is no concept of heaven or hell in taoism...so how is he gonna choose where he is goin?
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On 2005-08-22 15:21:27, scotsboyuk wrote:
@786KBR
Nomadic? Can you elaborate please?
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I think the basis of any religion IS direction... the journey to heaven/hell, Toaism (what I understand) sorta gives the message of 'do whatever you want good or bad, you're just worm food in the end and your soul will decide if it wants to go to heaven or hell, bit rhetorical hey!?' Sorry if its a bit harsh..
And @ whizz, also maybe a bit harsh or just my ignorance, Isnt brahmans gay hindhus who dont want to come out coz its against beliefs so they stay celibate??? coz I know a few ... ??
again no offence.
[ This Message was edited by: 786KBR on 2005-08-23 09:26 ] |
whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
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From: India
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@786, no it isn't. The meaning of brahman is what i have stated above. The problem is, you are trying to compare/evaluate other faiths with your set of beliefs. As mentioned before, Brahman is the name given to the unchanging, infinite and transcend reality that is the divine ground of all being. However, as time passed and the Upanishads were written, the concept of brahman grew in scope and complexity.
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JK
Joined: Feb 24, 2005
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From: S. Africa - JOZI
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no im not comparing nothing, this guy I met (very flamboyant) had these chains around his neck so I asked and he said he was a brahman(and another term I cant remember) and the friend i was with said hindhu gays become brahmans... so guess that BS, thanks for clearing it up 4 me and saving me from being red faced one day!!  |
whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
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From: India
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@786, the concept of brahman alone is too vast a topic to be explained in a forum like this....especially when i'm posting from a phone! But i would request you to read This to get a broader idea of the brahman concept...which of course is a small part of the vast hindu belief system.
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scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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From: UK
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Quote:
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On 2005-08-23 10:23:06, 786KBR wrote:
I think the basis of any religion IS direction... the journey to heaven/hell, Toaism (what I understand) sorta gives the message of 'do whatever you want good or bad, you're just worm food in the end and your soul will decide if it wants to go to heaven or hell, bit rhetorical hey!?' Sorry if its a bit harsh..
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Taoism teaches one to act in harmony with the Way, that is one should act in harmony with the natural order of things. Taoism certainly does not give one the message of 'do whatever you want', it gives one the message of 'act in accordance with the natural order'. Taoists believe in the inherent compasison of people and that one should always act with compassion.
There is no concept of absolute right and wrong in Taoism, there are perspectives. Taoism teaches action through inaction, doing by not doing. The view of life as seen by many Western religions whereby one acts good in this life for reward in the next does not exist in Taoism.
Direction is a matter of perspective, going backward and forwards are both directions, but which way are you going? Taoists do not look to a god for direction, they look to the Tao, that is they look to the natural order of things. Taoists seek harmony through compassion.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
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Posted: 2005-08-22 21:22
