Both Samirji and Sri GyanP are correct on many points and yet we have to have the freedom to agree to differ and not cut each other – this is also due to each individual’s KARMIC CHART!!!

By the way – Sri GyanP whose comment I read on the Coffeehousetheology – is extremely apt !!!

Let DHEERASAMIR-E and GYANGANGA KEEP ON FLOWING TOGETHER AND GAIN MOMENTUM TO REGAIN THE GLORY OF BHARAT!!!

I have taken the liberty of posting it to my friends !!!

Thanks !

But I am surprised as to why you felt that quoting from a scripture is irrelevant. True, you can be a Hindu without reading a scripture. And all the issues – regarding the nature of God, Atma, Parmatma, origin of the world, and so on – have been debated time and again by the minds which were obviously more intelligent than me.

You can believe in any of the so many gods and yet be a Hindu. You can be an atheist and yet be a Hindu.

You are free to say that you do not agree with me. And I will respect you for that.

But kindly allow me to say that there must be a few things that make a Hindu a Hindu. Without a system of ‘core concepts’, and by allowing everything to free-for-all interpretation, everything will be reduced to a fluff. There must be a basis for the core beliefs. Without any system whatsoever, we might well become a broken leaf in the wind. In such a case, you remain a Hindu by the mere fact of being born to Hindu parents, by mere inertia.

In your above article, when you were talking about the ‘Hindu belief in re-birth’, you were talking about ‘Hindu’ belief and not any other belief in the world, about the rebirth . I just took the discussion further by saying that it is a ‘core’ belief, which appears in our scriptures — that is how we come to know about it, how else? It is a core belief because we believe in Karma. And those Karmas are carried on from one birth to the next. That is a core Hindu belief.

Now, our core beliefs are there in our scriptures. You can say that you do not believe in them, and you are free to do that. But you cannot say that there is no core concept.

I am willing to believe that those core concepts may have been replaced by a new set of core concepts – even that will be fine. Hindu religion, and Hindus, including me, are not dogmatic. We respect others’ faith, others’ opinions, others’ right to live and express themselves.

But, it does not make us mind-less.

Secondly, you felt bad even when I quoted a scientific study. That was even more surprising. What is wrong if I say that our tradition is based on solid reasoning! That, it is not a mere dogma, a mere belief-system, which everyone has to believe just because someone said it a few thousand years back.

Our knowledge base comes from somewhere. It does not manifests itself to us just like that. If you are an artist, and I say a good one, then there is a whole artistic tradition behind you

There is one point I would like to comment on, because it is one I try to make on every occasion when I write on this topic. You say

… but there cannot be two views on the fact that Hindu Philosophy believes in the birth-rebirth cycle.
…There is no question of an interpretation, this is the one of the core tenets of Hindu philosophy.

That is very much your interpretation. As far as I’m concerned, the only core tenet of the Hindu philosophy is that there an an infinite number of paths. Quoting Hindu scriptures is mostly irrelevant because there is no mandatory requirement for the acceptance of all the scriptures. Greater minds than me and you have clearly disagreed with specific Hindu scriptures in the past, without anyone calling into question their place in Hindu philosophy.

As far as the issue of consuming animal meat is concerned, I presented one aspect of thought that leads to a high degree of vegetarianism in India and other Hindu cultures. I was not judging such a sentiment to be either right or wrong. We cannot ascribe a scientific basis to our philosophies if we choose to accept them blindly and unquestioningly.

If we gladly accept that modern science confirms animals have feelings, we must also contend as thoroughly with the fact that modern science is finding that plants have complex chemical senses and feel their own version of pain. Let’s abstain from the dogma; Hindu thought has been the one place where the challenge to dogma has always been allowed its rightful place, and I’d like to keep it that way.

It is also explained in Patanjali’s “Yoga Sutra”, as in most of the other Hindu scriptures. There is no question of an interpretation, this is the one of the core tenets of Hindu philosophy.

The soul goes through the cycles of birth and death, until at one stage, it decides to leave this endless cycle by purifying itself. If it is able to do so, it gets merged with the Parmatama. But, some souls are never able to do so.

Regarding, animal forms – I may come up with a detailed reply later on, but I will just draw your attention to the fact that Christinaity believes that there is no soul in animals. But, we do not think so.

It has been observed by the modern science also that animals do have feelings – they love, care for their young, get angry, etc. They are also seen to possess basic intellectual functions.

Due to this difference in perception, a Western does not feel much compunction, while most of the Hindus do feel a guilt, in eating animals’ meat.

There is a scientific basis for all our religious beliefs.
If you read the following article on what scientists came to realize about the belief in the holiness of cow, which has been mentioned in Rigveda, it will open your eyes to the truth hidden in many of our beliefs which have been there since Vedic times-

http://www.archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/sacred-cow.html

Just a little quote from the above article-

“The Vedas explain that dung from cows is different from all other forms of excrement. Indian culture insists that if one comes in contact with the stool of any other animal, they must immediately take a bath. Even after passing stool oneself, bathing is necessary. But the cow’s dung, far from being contaminating, instead possesses antiseptic qualities. This has been verified by modern science. Not only is it free from bacteria, but it also does a good job of killing them. Believe it or not, it is every bit as good an antiseptic as Lysol or Mr. Clean. ”

Do read the above linked article, it is enlightening, to say the least!

Good to hear it came across as simple to understand, that’s always a challenge. Big parts of it would have never come up in my mind if not for your questions, so thank you for that.

Samir

As far as personal faith and subscribing to big picture vs “selfish ideologies” goes, I really don’t think it’s that far removed from trying to find meaning as you might think. After all, there are supposed to be an infinite number of paths to the truth. I guess all these philosophical discussions could be considered the path of knowledge (Gyan Yoga), but that’s hardly the only way forward. Some choose to lose themselves in prayer (Bhakti Yoga), and maybe the “selfish ideologies” are more akin to striving for higher thought through ever higher action (Karma Yoga). I don’t think any of them can be considered to be a dead-end. We each choose the path with the scenery that suits our tastes and journey on.

Samir