Questions & Answers

   Q1.Can the soul be released from the continuous cycle of birth and death?
   Q2.What is the Hindu definition of God?
   Q3.Where Am I Going? What Is My Path?
   Q4.What is the Nature of Image Worship?
   Q5.Is Vegetarianism Integral to Noninjury?
   Q6.How do Hindus believe in the existence of various Gods and Goddesses when they have
   no founder from their religion to tell them so?
   Q7.How come Hindu's believe in many Gods?
   Q8.What Are the Ten Classical Restraints?
   Q9.Whom Is Good Conduct Learned?
   Q10.What Is the Nature of Human Dharma?
   Q11.What Is Sin? How Can We Atone for It?
  Q12. What Is the Source of Good and Evil? 
  Q13.What Is the Nature of the Physical Plane?
  Q14.What Is the Nature of the Kriya Pada?
  Q15. How Does One Best Prepare forDeath?
  Q16.What Is the Process of Reincarnation?
   Q17. Is There Good Karma and Bad Karma?
  Q18. How Do Hindus Understand Karma?
  Q19. How Do Hindus UnderstandMoksha?
   Q20. How Should We View Death and Dying?
  Q21. What Is the Nature of LordKarttikeya?
   Q22. What is the Ultimate Goal of Earthly Life?
  Q23. Who Am I? Where Did I Come From? 
  Q24. Does Hell Really Exist? Is There aSatan?
  Q25. What is the consequence of sinful acts?
  Q26. Why is there suffering in the world?
  Q27. Is it truethat one has to be born a Hindu to be a Hindu?
   Q28. What is the meaning of Sanatan Dharam?
  Q29. Is the water from the Ganges River very clear and pure?
  Q30. Why is Hindu Marriage viewed as a sacrament and not a contract?

 

  
Q1. Can the soul be released from the continuous cycle of birth and death?

A. Yes, One keeps returning in this world until all of one's karmas are resolved. There is a way out of this continuous cycle. Human life offers the only opportunity for one to evolve spiritually! It may take several lives to reach such a high level of spiritual maturity where all karmas are extinguished. At that point, the soul is released from the cycle of rebirth and merges with the Super Soul (God). Hindus call this state off liberation or release Moksha. Hinduism teaches; the main purpose of human life is to attain moksha! When one attains Moksha there is eternal peace, immortality and supreme bliss.

TOP    
       

  
Q2.What is the Hindu definition of God?

A. In Hinduism, God is defined as Brahman or the Supreme Reality; a conscience energy from which all energies flow. This energy or Brahman is the sole cause behind everything visible or invisible in the world. God isomnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He has no beginning or end. The Hindu Tradition teaches that God has a form as well as He is formless. For theprotection of his devotees and propagation of righteousness, God manifests Himself in the world.Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva are some of themanifestations of the same Supreme Realty (Brahman).

TOP    
       

  
Q3.Where Am I Going? What Is My Path?

A. We are all growing toward God, and experience is the path. Throughexperience we mature out of fear into fearlessness, out of anger intolove, out of conflict into peace, out of darkness into light and unionin God. Aum.

Bhashya : We have taken birth in a physical body to grow and evolve into ourdivine potential. We are inwardly already one with God. Our religioncontains the knowledge of how to realize this oneness and not createunwanted experiences along the way. The peerless path is following theway of our spiritual forefathers, discovering the mystical meaning ofthe scriptures. The peerless path is commitment, study, discipline,practice and the maturing of yoga into wisdom. In the beginning stages,we suffer until we learn. Learning leads us to service; and selflessservice is the beginning of spiritual striving. Service leads us tounderstanding. Understanding leads us to meditate deeply and without
distractions. Finally, meditation leads us to surrender in God. Thisis the straight and certain path, the San Marga, leading to SelfRealization--the inmost purpose of life--and subsequently tomoksha, freedom from rebirth. The Vedas wisely affirm, "By austerity, goodness isobtained. From goodness, understanding is reached. Fromunderstanding, the Self is obtained, and he who obtains the Self is freed from thecycle of birth and death." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP    
       

  
Q4.What is the Nature of Image Worship?

A. We worship God Siva and the Gods who by their infinite powers spirituallyhover over and indwell the image, or murti, which we revere as theirtemporary body. We commune with them through the ritual act of puja. Aum.

The stone or metal Deity images are not mere symbols of the Gods; they>are the form through which their love, power and blessings flood forth>into this world. We may liken this mystery to our ability to communicate>with others through the telephone. We do not talk to the telephone; rather>we use a telephone as a means of communication with another personwho >is perhaps thousands of miles away. Without the telephone, we could not>converse across such distances; and without the sanctified murti in the>temple or shrine we cannot easily commune with the Deity. His vibration>and presence can be felt in the image, and He can use the image as a>temporary physical-plane body or channel. As we progress in our worship,>we begin to adore the image as the Deity's physical body, for we know>that He is actually present and conscious in it during puja, aware of our>thoughts and feelings and even sensing the pujari's gentle touch on the>metal or stone. The Vedas exclaim, "Come down to us, Rudra, who art in>the high mountains. Come and let the light of thy face, free from fear>and evil, shine upon us. Come to us with thy love." Aum NamahSivaya.

TOP      
  

  
Q5.Is Vegetarianism Integral to Noninjury?

A. Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum ofhurt to other beings, for to consume meat, fish, fowl or eggs is toparticipate indirectly in acts of cruelty and violence against the animalkingdom. Aum.

Bhashya: The abhorrence of injury and killing of any kind leads quite naturallyto a vegetarian diet, shakahara. The meat-eater's desire for meatdrives another to kill and provide that meat. The act of the butcherbegins with the desire of the consumer. Meat-eating contributes to amentality of violence, for with the chemically complex meat ingested,one absorbs the slaughtered creature's fear, pain and terror. Thesequalities are nourished within the meat-eater, perpetuating the cycleof cruelty and confusion. When the individual's consciousness lifts andexpands, he will abhor violence and not be able to even digest the meat,fish, fowl and eggs he was formerly consuming. India's greatest saintshave confirmed that one cannot eat meat and live a peaceful, harmoniouslife. Man's appetite for meat inflicts devastating harm on the earthitself, stripping its precious forests to make way for pastures. TheTirukural candidly states, "How can he practice true compassion who eatsthe flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh? Greater than a thousandghee offerings consumed in sacrificial fires is not to sacrifice andconsume any living creature." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP      
  

  
Q6.How do Hindus believe in the existence of various Gods and Goddesses when they haveno founder from their religion to tell them so?

A. Already we have seen that Hindus believe that there is only the Godprinciple, which is all-pervading as the the very material of the entireuniverse. Gods and Goddesses are all represent the various functions of theGod principle, with reference to various function in this universe.

That Hindus have no one founder for their religion is a real blessing. Thesource for thier religion is the Vedas which are the revealed words of theLord himself, revealed to very evolved Seers. So the words of the Vedas arefree from th various defects which the human intellect possesses. Humanintellect has the defect of projecting (what it wants to see, rather thanseeing facts as they are), carelessness, incapacity, laziness. The Lord isfree of all these defects and the Lord himself revealed the mantras of theVedas. So Hinduism not having a particular founder other than God, does nothave the defects of human intellect in it, and it is also eternal, becauseit is the word of God who is eternal - there is no beginning for Hinduism -begining can only be there when there is a founder who is a human being whois born on a particular day.
  
TOP      
   

  
Q7. How come Hindu's believe in many Gods?

A. Hindus do not believe in many Gods. Hindus follow the Vedas, whichare a book of revealed knowledge about God. The Vedas reveal that there isonly God - so we do not say there is one God, we say there is only God. Forus this entire creation is a manifestation of God, so everything increation is God, everything in creation is sacred. So Hindus look upon Godnot only as the creator or efficient cause of the creation, but also as thematerial cause of creation and so for Hindu's there is only God.

The many Gods and Goddesses that we worship are all symbolic of theall-pervasive Lord in His various functions. They symbolise the functionaryrole of the same Lord alone just like in a large organisation you havevarious departments, headed by various department heads. The universe is sovast, we cannot even imagine how infinte is the Lord's capacity - and ourGods and Goddesses depict perhaps only a fraction of His Order and Hismight. We are on earth which is just a tiny speck like a dust particle, inthis vast and mighty Cosmos. We cannot imagine that we are the only peopleinhabiting it.

Another very importnat thing to note is that Hindus are truly blessed inhaving this wonderful capacity to symbolise the God principle which isundescribable - in this way, in forms of Gods and Goddesses - which aregiven by our ancient Seers, so that we can worship the God principle invery concrete ways. It is just like how we worship the country's flag - werevere it. The flag is a symbol for the country - and we are worshiping thecountry not the flag. So too when we worship our various Gods andGoddesses, our worship goes to the Lord alone, who is both the maker andthe material of this universe.

TOP      
  

  
Q8.What Are the Ten Classical Restraints?

A. Hinduism's ethical restraints are contained in ten simple preceptscalled yamas. They define the codes of conduct by which we harness ourinstinctive forces and cultivate the innate, pristine qualities of oursoul. Aum.

Bhashya: The yamas and niyamas are scriptural injunctions for all aspectsof thought and behavior. They are advice and simple guidelines, notcommandments. The ten yamas, defining the ideals of charya, are: 1)ahimsa, "noninjury," do not harm others by thought, word or deed; 2)satya, "truthfulness," refrain from lying and betraying promises; 3)asteya, "nonstealing," neither steal nor covet nor enter into debt;4) brahmacharya, "divine conduct," control lust by remaining celibatewhen single, leading to faithfulness in marriage; 5) kshama, "patience,"restrain intolerance with people and impatience with circumstances; 6)dhriti, "steadfastness," overcome nonperseverance, fear, indecisionand changeableness; 7) daya, "compassion," conquer callous, crueland insensitive feelings toward all beings; 8) arjava, "honesty,"renounce deception and wrongdoing; 9) mitahara, "moderate appetite,"neither eat too much, nor consume meat, fish, fowl or eggs; 10)shaucha, "purity," avoid impurity in body, mind and speech. The Vedas proclaim,"To them belongs yon stainless Brahma world in whom there is no rookedness and falsehood,nor trickery." Aum Namah Sivaya. 

TOP      
   

  
Q9.WhomIs Good Conduct Learned?


A. The first teacher in matters of good conduct is our conscience. Toknow what is right and what is wrong we can also turn to God, to oursatguru and swamis, to scripture and to our elders, family and trustedfriends. Aum.

Bhashya :Divine laws cannot be avoided. They do not rule us from above but arewrought into our very nature. Even death cannot efface the karma createdby evil deeds. Good conduct alone can resolve woeful karmas. Therefore,it is essential that we learn and adhere to good conduct. Good people arethe best teachers of good conduct, and should be sought out and heededwhen we need help or advice. Talk with them, the wise ones, and in goodjudgment be guided accordingly. Ethical scriptures should be read andstudied regularly and their wisdom followed. The loud voice of our soul,ever heard within our conscience, is a worthy guide. When we grasp thesubtle mechanism of karma, we wisely follow the good path. Good conduct,or sadachara, for the Hindu is summarized in five obligatory duties,called pancha nitya karmas: virtuous living, dharma; worship,upasana; holy days, utsava; pilgrimage, tirthayatra; and sacraments, samskaras. TheVedas offer this guidance, "If you have doubt concerning conduct,follow the example of high souls who are competent to judge, devout,not led by others, not harsh, but lovers of virtue." Aum NamahSivaya. 

TOP      
  

  
Q10.What Is the Nature of Human Dharma?

A.Human law, or ashrama dharma, is the naturalexpression and maturing of the body, mind and emotions throughfour progressive stages of earthly life: student, householder,elder advisor and religious solitaire. Aum.

Bhashya: The four ashramas are "stages of striving," in pursuit of thepurusharthas: righteousness, wealth, pleasure and liberation. Our first24 years of life are a time of intense learning. Around age 12, we enterformally the brahmacharya ashrama and undertake the study and skillsthat will serve us in later life. From 24 to 48, in the grihasthaashrama, we work together as husband and wife to raise the family, increasingwealth and knowledge through our profession, serving the community andsustaining the members of the other three ashramas. In the vanaprasthaashrama, from 48 to 72, slowly retiring from public life, we share ourexperience by advising and guiding younger generations. After age 72,as the physical forces wane, we turn fully to scripture, worship andyoga. This is the sannyasa ashrama, which differs from the formal lifeof ochre-robed monks. Thus, our human dharma is a natural awakening,expression, maturing and withdrawal from worldly involvement. TheVedas say, "Pursuit of the duties of the stage of life to which eachone belongs--that, verily, is the rule! Others are like branches of astem. With this, one tends upwards; otherwise, downwards." Aum NamahSivaya. 

TOP      
   

  
Q11. What Is Sin? How Can We Atone for It?


A. Sin is the intentional transgression of divine law. There is no inherentor "original" sin. Neither is there mortal sin by which the soul isforever lost. Through sadhana, worship and austerities, sins can beatoned for. Aum.

Bhashya : What men term sin, the wise call ignorance. Man's true nature is notsullied by sin. Sin is related only to the lower, instinctive-intellectualnature as a transgression of dharma. Still, sin is real and to beavoided, for our wrongful actions return to us as sorrow through thelaw of karma. Sin is terminable, and its effects may be compensated forby penance, or prayashchitta, and good deeds which settle the karmicdebt. The young soul, less in tune with his soul nature, is inclinedtoward sin; the old soul seldom transgresses divine law. Sins are thecrippling distortions of intellect bound in emotion. When we sin, we takethe energy and distort it to our instinctive favor. When we are unjustand mean, hateful and holding resentments year after year and no one butourselves knows of our intrigue and corruption, we suffer. As the soulevolves, it eventually feels the great burden of faults and misdeeds andwishes to atone. Penance is performed, and the soul seeks absolutionfrom society and beseeches God's exonerating grace. The Vedas say,"Loose me from my sin as from a bond that binds me. May my life swellthe stream of your river of Right." Aum Namah Sivaya. 

TOP      
  

  
Q12.What Is the Source of Good and Evil?

A. Instead of seeing good and evil in the world, we understand thenature of the embodied soul in three interrelated parts: instinctiveor physical-emotional; intellectual or mental; and superconscious orspiritual. Aum.

Bhashya : Evil has no source, unless the source of evil's seeming be ignoranceitself. Still, it is good to fear unrighteousness. The ignorant complain,justify, fear and criticize "sinful deeds," setting themselves apartas lofty puritans. When the outer, or lower, instinctive nature dominates, one is prone to anger, fear, greed, jealousy, hatred andbackbiting. When the intellect is prominent, arrogance and analyticalthinking preside. When the superconscious soul comes forth the refinedqualities are born--compassion, insight, modesty and the others. Theanimal instincts of the young soul are strong. The intellect, yetto be developed, is nonexistent to control these strong instinctiveimpulses. When the intellect is developed, the instinctive naturesubsides. When the soul unfolds and overshadows the well-developedintellect, this mental harness is loosened and removed. When we encounterwickedness in others, let us be compassionate, for truly there is nointrinsic evil. The Vedas say, "Mind is indeed the source of bondage andalso the source of liberation. To be bound to things of this world: thisis bondage. To be free from them: this is liberation." Aum NamahSivaya. 


TOP      
   


Q13. What Is the Nature of the Physical Planet?

A. The physical plane, or Bhuloka, is the world of gross or materialsubstance in which phenomena are perceived by the five senses. It isthe most limited of worlds, the least permanent and the most subject tochange. Aum.

Bhashya : The material world is where we have our experiences, manufacture karmaand fulfill the desires and duties of life in a physical body. It is inthe Bhuloka that consciousness is limited, that awareness of the othertwo worlds is not always remembered. It is the external plane, madeof gross matter, which is really just energy. The world is remarkablein its unending variety and enthralling novelty. Mystics call it theunfoldment of prakriti, primal nature, and liken it to a bubble on theocean's surface. It arises, lives and bursts to return to the source. Thisphysical world, though necessary to our evolution, is the embodiment ofimpermanence, of constant change. Thus, we take care not to become overlyattached to it. It is mystically subjective, not objective. It is densebut not solid. It is sentient, even sacred. It is rocks and rainbows,liquid, gas and conflagration, all held in a setting of space. The Vedasaffirm, "The knower, the author of time, the possessor of qualities andall knowledge, it is He who envelopes the universe. Controlled by Him,this work of creation unfolds itself--that which is regarded as earth,water, fire, air and ether." Aum Namah Sivaya.
TOP     
    


Q14. What Is the Nature of the Kriya Pada?

A. Kriya is joyous and regular worship, both internal and external, in thehome and temple. It includes puja, japa, penance, fasting and scripturallearning, by which our understanding and love of God and Gods deepen.Aum. 

Bhashya : Hinduism demands deep devotion through bhakti yoga in the kriyapada, softening the intellect and unfolding love. In kriya, the second stageof religiousness, our sadhana, which was mostly external incharya, is now also internal. Kriya, literally "action or rite," is a stirringof the soul in awareness of the Divine, overcoming the obstinacy ofthe instinctive-intellectual mind. We now look upon the Deity image notjust as carved stone, but as the living presence of the God. We performritual and puja not because we have to but because we want to. We aredrawn to the temple to satisfy our longing. We sing joyfully. Weabsorb and intuit the wisdom of the Vedas and Agamas. We perform pilgrimage
and fulfill the sacraments. We practice diligently the ten classicalobservances called niyamas. Our relationship with God in kriya is as ason to his parents and thus this stage is called the satputra marga. TheTirumantiram instructs, "Puja, reading the scriptures, singing hymns,performing japa and unsullied austerity, truthfulness, restraint of envy,and offering of food--these and other self-purifying acts constitutethe flawless satputra marga." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP   
      


Q15. How Does One Best Prepare for Death?


A.
Blessed with the knowledge of impending transition, we settle affairs andtake refuge in japa, worship, scripture and yoga--seeking the highestrealizations as we consciously, joyously release the world. Aum NamahSivaya.

Bhashya : Before dying, Hindus diligently fulfill obligations, make amends and resolve differences by forgiving themselves and others, lest unresolved karmas bear fruit in future births. That done, we turn to God through meditation, surrender and scriptural study. As a conscious death is our ideal, we avoid drugs, artificial life-extension and suicide. Suicide only postpones and intensifies the karma one seeks escape from, requiring several lives to return to the evolutionary point that existed at the moment of suicide. In cases of terminal illness, under strict community regulation, tradition does allow prayopavesha, self-willed religious death by fasting. When nearing transition, if hospitalized, we return home to be among loved ones. In the final hours of life, we seek the Self God within and focus on our mantra as kindred keep prayerful vigil. At death, we leave the body through the crown chakra, entering the clear white light and beyond in quest of videhamukti. The Vedas affirm, "When a person comes to weakness, be it through old age or disease, he frees himself from these limbs just as a mango, a fig or a berry releases itself from its stalk." Aum NamahSivaya.

TOP   
      

  
Q16.What Is the Process of Reincarnation?

A. Reincarnation, punarjanma, is the natural process of birth, death andrebirth. At death we drop off the physical body and continue evolvingin the inner worlds in our subtle bodies, until we again enter intobirth. Aum.

Bhashya : Through the ages, reincarnation has been the great consoling elementwithin Hinduism, eliminating the fear of death, explaining why oneperson is born a genius and another an idiot. We are not the body inwhich we live but the immortal soul which inhabits many bodies in itsevolutionary journey through samsara. After death, we continue to exist inunseen worlds, enjoying or suffering the harvest of earthly deeds untilit comes time for yet another physical birth. Because certain karmas canbe resolved only in the physical world, we must enter another physicalbody to continue our evolution. After soaring into the causal plane, weenter a new womb. Subsequently the old manomaya kosha is slowly sloughedoff and a new one created. The actions set in motion in previous livesform the tendencies and conditions of the next. Reincarnation ceases whenkarma is resolved, God is realized and moksha attained. The Vedas say,"After death, the soul goes to the next world bearing in mind the subtleimpressions of its deeds, and after reaping their harvest returns againto this world of action. Thus, he who has desires continues subject torebirth." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP  
       

  
Q17.Is There Good Karma and Bad Karma?

A. In the highest sense, there is no good or bad karma. All experienceoffers opportunities for spiritual growth. Selfless acts yield positive,uplifting conditions. Selfish acts yield conditions of negativity andconfusion. Aum.

Bhashya : Karma itself is neither good nor bad but a neutral principle that governsenergy and motion of thought, word and deed. All experience helps usgrow. Good, loving actions bring to us lovingness through others. Mean,selfish acts bring back to us pain and suffering. Kindness produces sweetfruits, called punya. Unkindness yields spoiled fruits, called papa. As wemature, life after life, we go through much pain and joy. Actions that arein tune with dharma help us along the path, while adharmic actions impedeour progress. The divine law is: whatever karma we are experiencing inour life is just what we need at the moment, and nothing can happen butthat we have the strength to meet it. Even harsh karma, when faced inwisdom, can be the greatest catalyst for spiritual unfoldment. Performingdaily sadhana, keeping good company, pilgrimaging to holy places, seeingto others' needs--these evoke the higher energies, direct the mind touseful thoughts and avoid the creation of troublesome new karmas. TheVedas explain, "According as one acts, so does he become. One becomesvirtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action." Aum NamahSivaya.

TOP       
 


Q18.How Do Hindus Understand Karma?

A. Karma literally means "deed or act" and more broadly names the universalprinciple of cause and effect, action and reaction which governs alllife. Karma is a natural law of the mind, just as gravity is a law ofmatter. Aum.

Bhashya : Karma is not fate, for man acts with free will, creating his owndestiny. The Vedas tell us, if we sow goodness, we will reap goodness;if we sow evil, we will reap evil. Karma refers to the totality of ouractions and their concomitant reactions in this and previous lives,all of which determines our future. It is the interplay between ourexperience and how we respond to it that makes karma devastating orhelpfully invigorating. The conquest of karma lies in intelligent actionand dispassionate reaction. Not all karmas rebound immediately. Someaccumulate and return unexpectedly in this or other births. The severalkinds of karma are: personal, family, community, national, global anduniversal. Ancient rishis perceived personal karma's three-fold edict. Thefirst is sanchita, the sum total of past karmas yet to be resolved. Thesecond is prarabdha, that portion of sanchita to be experienced in thislife. Kriyamana, the third type, is karma we are currently creating. TheVedas propound, "Here they say that a person consists of desires. And asis his desire, so is his will. As is his will, so is his deed. Whateverdeed he does, that he will reap." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP      
    

  
Q19. How Do Hindus Understand Moksha?


A. The destiny of all souls is moksha, liberation fromrebirth on the physical plane. Our soul then continues evolvingin the Antarloka and Sivaloka, and finally merges with Siva likewater returning to the sea. Aum Namah Sivaya.

Bhashya : Moksha comes when earthly karma has been resolved,dharma well performed and God fully realized. Each soul musthave performed well through many lives the varna dharmas, orfour castes, and lived through life's varied experiences, inorder to not be pulled back to physical birth by a deed leftundone. All souls are destined to achieve moksha, but notnecessarily in this life. Hindus know this and do not deludethemselves that this life is the last. While seeking andattaining profound realizations, they know there is much to bedone in fulfilling life's other goals (purusharthas):dharma,righteousness; artha, wealth; and kama, pleasure. Old soulsrenounce worldly ambitions and take up sannyasa in quest ofParasiva, even at a young age. Toward life's end, all Hindusstrive for Self Realization, the gateway to liberation. Aftermoksha, subtle karmas are made in inner realms and swiftlyresolved, like writing on water. At the end of each soul'sevolution comes vishvagrasa, total absorption in Siva. The Vedassay, "If here one is able to realize Him before the deathof the body, he will be liberated from the bondage of theworld." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP    
  

  
Q20.How Does One Best Prepare for Death?

A. Blessed with the knowledge of impending transition, we settle affairs and take refuge in japa, worship, scripture and yoga--seeking the highest realizations as we consciously, joyously release the world. Aum NamahSivaya.

Bhashya : Before dying, Hindus diligently fulfill obligations, make amends and resolve differences by forgiving themselves and others, lest unresolved karmas bear fruit in future births. That done, we turn to God through meditation, surrender and scriptural study. As a conscious death is our ideal, we avoid drugs, artificial life-extension and suicide. Suicide only postpones and intensifies the karma one seeks escape from, requiring several lives to return to the evolutionary point that existed at the moment of suicide. In cases of terminal illness, under strict community regulation, tradition does allow prayopavesha, self-willed religious death by fasting. When nearing transition, if hospitalized, we return home to be among loved ones. In the final hours of life, we seek the Self God within and focus on our mantra as kindred keep prayerful vigil. At death, we leave the body through the crown chakra, entering the clear white light and beyond in quest of videhamukti. The Vedas affirm, "When a person comes to weakness, be it through old age or disease, he frees himself from these limbs just as a mango, a fig or a berry releases itself from its stalk." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP       
  

    
Q21. What Is the Nature of Lord Karttikeya?


A. Lord Karttikeya, Murugan, first guru and Pleiadean master of kundalini yoga, was born of God Siva's mind. His dynamic power awakens spiritual cognition to propel souls onward in their evolution to Siva's feet. Aum.

Bhashya : Lord Karttikeya flies through the mind's vast substance from planet to planet. He could well be called the Emancipator, ever available to the call of those in distress. Lord Karttikeya, God of will, direct cognition and the purest, child-like divine love, propels us onward on the righteous way through religion, His Father's law. Majestically seated on the manipura chakra, this scarlet-hued God blesses mankind and strengthens our will when we lift to the inner sky through sadhana and yoga. The yoga pada begins with the worship of Him. The yogi, locked in meditation, venerates Karttikeya, Skanda, as his mind becomes as calm as Saravana, the lake of Divine Essence. The kundalini force within everyone is held and controlled by this powerful God, first among renunciates, dear to all  sannyasins. Revered as Murugan in the South, He is commander in chief of the great devonic army, a fine, dynamic soldier of the within, a fearless defender of righteousness. He is Divinity emulated in form. The Vedas say, "To such a one who has his stains wiped away, the venerable Sanatkumara shows the further shore of darkness. Him they call Skanda." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP  
  

  
Q22. What is the Ultimate Goal of Earthly Life?

A. The ultimate goal of life on earth is to realize the Self, the rare attainment of nirvikalpa samadhi. Each soul discovers its Sivaness, Absolute Reality, Parasiva--the timeless, formless, spaceless Self God. Aum Namah Sivaya.

Bhashya : The realization of the Self, Parasiva, is the destiny of each soul, attainable through renunciation, sustained meditation and frying the seeds of karmas yet to germinate. It is the gateway to moksha, liberation from rebirth. The Self lies beyond the thinking mind, beyond the feeling nature, beyond action or any movement of even the highest state of consciousness. The Self God is more solid than a neutron star, more elusive than empty space, more intimate than thought and feeling. It is ultimate reality itself, the innermost Truth all seekers seek. It is well worth striving for. It is well worth struggling to bring the mind under the dominion of the will. After the Self is realized, the mind is seen for the unreality that it truly is. Because Self Realization must be experienced in a physical body, the soul cycles back again and again into flesh to dance with Siva, live with Siva and ultimately merge with Siva in undifferentiated oneness. Yea, jiva is actually Siva. The Vedas explain, "As water poured into water, milk poured into milk, ghee into ghee become one without differentiation, even so the individual soul and the Supreme Self become one." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP     
  

  
Q23. Who Am I? Where Did I Come From?

A. Rishis proclaim that we are not our body, mind or emotions. We are divine souls on a wondrous journey. We came from God, live in God and are evolving into oneness with God. We are, in truth, the Truth we seek. Aum.

Bhashya : are immortal souls living and growing in the great school of earthly experience in which we have lived many lives. Vedic rishis have given us courage by uttering the simple truth, "God is the Life of our life." A great sage carried it further by saying, there is one thing God cannot do: God cannot separate Himself from us. This is because God is our life. God is the life in the birds. God is the life in the fish. God is the life in the animals. Becoming aware of this Life energy in all that lives is becoming aware of God's loving presence within us. We are the undying consciousness and energy flowing through all things. Deep inside we are perfect this very moment, and we have only to discover and live up to this perfection to be whole. Our energy and God's energy are the same, ever coming out of the void. We are all beautiful children of God. Each day we should try to see the life energy in trees, birds, animals and people. When we do, we are seeing God Siva in action. The Vedas affirm, "He who knows God as the Life of life, the Eye of the eye, the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind--he indeed comprehends fully the Cause of all causes." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP     
   

  
Q24. Does Hell Really Exist? Is There a Satan?

A. There is no eternal hell, nor is there a Satan. However, there are hellish states of mind and woeful births for those who think and act wrongfully--temporary tormenting conditions that lift the fiery forces within. Aum.

Bhashya : Hell, termed Naraka, is the lower astral realm of the seven chakras below the muladhara. It is a place of fire and heat, anguish and dismay, of confusion, despair and depression. Here anger, jealousy, argument, mental conflict and tormenting moods plague the mind. Access to hell is brought about by our own thoughts, words, deeds and emotions--suppressed, antagonistic feelings that court demons and their aggressive forces. Hell is not eternal. Nor is there a Satan who tempts man and opposes God's power, though there are devilish beings called asuras, immature souls caught in the abyss of deception and hurtfulness. We do not have to die to suffer the Naraka regions, for hellish states of mind are also experienced in the physical world. If we do die in a hellish state of consciousness--burdened by unresolved hatred, remorse, resentment, fear and distorted patterns of thought--we arrive in Naraka fully equipped to join others in this temporary astral purgatory. The Vedas say, "Sunless and demonic, verily, are those worlds, and enveloped in blinding darkness, to which all those people who are enemies of their own souls go after
death." Aum Namah Sivaya. 

TOP    
        


Q25. What is the consequence of sinful acts?

A.
When we do not think, speak and act virtuously, we create negative karmas and bring suffering upon ourselves and others. We suffer when we act instinctively and intellectually without super conscious guidance. Aum.

Bhashya : We are happy, serene and stable when we follow good conduct, when we listen to our conscience, the knowing voice of the soul. Thesuper conscious mind, the mind of our soul, knows and inspires good conduct, out of which comes a refined, sustainable culture. Wrongdoing and vice lead us away from God, deep into the darkness of doubt, despair and self-condemnation. This brings the asuras around us. We are out of harmony with ourselves and our family and must seek companionship elsewhere, amongst those who are also crude, unmindful, greedy and lacking in self-control. In this bad company, burdensome new karma is created, as good conduct cannot be followed. This papa accumulates, blinding us to the religious life we once lived. Penance and throwing ourselves upon the mercy of God and the Gods are the only release for theunvirtuous, those who conduct themselves poorly. Fortunately, our Gods are compassionate and love their devotees. The ancient Vedas elucidate, "The mind is said to be twofold: the pure and also the impure; impure by union with desire--pure when from desire completely free!" Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP  
       

  
Q26. Why is there suffering in the world?

A. The nature of the world is duality. It contains each thing and its opposite: joy and sorrow, goodness and evil, love and hate. Through experience of these, we learn and evolve, finally seeking Truth beyond all opposites. Aum. 

Bhashya : There is a divine purpose even in the existence of suffering in the world. Suffering cannot be totally avoided. It is a natural part of human life and the impetus for much spiritual growth for the soul. Knowing  this, the wise accept suffering from any source, be it hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, famine, wars, disease or inexplicable tragedies. Just as the intense fire of the furnace purifies gold, so does suffering purify the soul to resplendence. So also does suffering offer us the important realization that true happiness and freedom cannot be found in the world, for earthly joy is inextricably bound to sorrow, and worldly freedom to bondage. Having learned this, devotees seek a satguru who teaches them to understand suffering, and brings them into the intentional hardships of sadhana and tapas leading to liberation from the cycles of experience in the realm of duality. The Agamas explain, "That which appears as cold or as hot, fresh or spoiled, good fortune and bad, love and hate, effort and laziness, the exalted and the depraved, the rich and the poor, the well-founded and the ill-founded, all this is God Himself; none other than Him can we know." Aum Namah Sivaya.

TOP    
       

    
Q27.Is it true that one has to be born a Hindu to be a Hindu?

A. Only if we bring seekers into Hinduism properly through the namakarana  samskara, our name-giving sacrament, will they truly become a part of this time-honored tradition and be able to raise their children as Hindus. If we do not, they will have nothing to offer their children but an empty, negative abyss to slowly fall into when they grow up. We owe it to the next generation, the next, the next and the next to take these sincere Hindu souls in Western bodies fully into our religion, train them and help them to become established in one sect or another. It should be insisted upon that their children do not grow up without a religion, for that would prove harmful both to the individual and to Hindu society as a whole. Societies which do not foster religion foster crime by default. Crime is very expensive for an individual, for a community and for a nation. When we neglect religious training, we allow crime to gain a foothold on the youth, and we pay  for that neglect dearly. 

Therefore, I say that this next step must be taken, and taken fully, by all the swamis throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and around the world. We beseech all Hindu organizations worldwide to open their hearts and doors to these fine souls. This is a very serious situation. There are hundreds of thousands of people who have been dislodged from their parents' religion through their belief in reincarnation, karma and the knowledge of God's all pervasiveness, and yet they have not been fully taken into the Hindu religion or its community of devotees. Why? Because of color? Yes, that is partly true. Many Indian people say, "You have to be born a Hindu to be a Hindu. You cannot  adopt the Hindu religion. You have to be born a Hindu to be a Hindu."

This, of course, is not true. Other Indian Hindus say, "You have to be born in India and in a caste to be a Hindu." This also is not true. What about all of you who were born and live here in Sri Lanka? What about the Hindus in Bali, those in Malaysia or the Hindus born in Trinidad, Nepal, Europe, Guyana, Suriname and elsewhere? Are they not Hindus? We did some research on this erroneous statement: "You cannot convert to Hinduism." We studied dozens of books and noted down all of the quotes that we could find that said, "You have to be born a Hindu to be a Hindu" or "You have  to be born in India to be a Hindu." We found that these two quotes were only  in the books authored by Christians. These statements, we concluded, were  nothing more than Christian propaganda against the Hindu religion. 

Presumably, the Christians knew that if they could stop or at least slow down the growth of Hinduism through conversion, they would make more progress in their own conversions and in a few generations perhaps destroy Hinduism. We did not find these statements in a single book written by a Hindu author. In fact, eminent Hindu authors have said that you can convert to Hinduism. Swami Vivekananda proclaimed, "Born aliens have been converted in the past by crowds, and the process is still going on." Even if you only adopt Hindu practices, believe in reincarnation and karma and do a puja once a day, you are a Hindu and will be accepted by Hindu society. Unfortunately, a minority of Hindus of Indian origin, educated in Christian schools, and even a few
Western-influenced swamis and pandits and one or two Shankaracharyas, echo this misinformation with conviction. We can now see how the Christian propaganda has negatively influenced the growth of Hinduism worldwide. Their propaganda has infiltrated, diluted and destroyed the Hindu's faith in his own religion.

TOP    
    

  
Q28. What is the meaning of Sanatan Dharam?

A. If you have ever heard of yoga, meditation, vegetarianism, karma, reincarnation,kundalini, chakra, mantra, shakti, shanti and Om, for example, you have, to onedegree or another, been exposed to the oldest of the major religions known as Sanatan Dharma otherwise known as Hinduism.  If you have ever heard of, ormet, a Pandit, Yogi, Yogini, Sadhu, Swami or Guru, you have been introduced to apriest or spiritual teacher of Sanatan Dharma/Hinduism.

SanatanDharma is a Sanskrit word meaning "Eternal Truth/Teachings/Tradition." Just like the word "Namaste" which indicates the spiritual naturewithin all, Sanatan Dharma is the recognition of the spiritual essence of lifeand its infinite expressions. The Eternal Truth is also about many common-senseuniversal principles that make-up the spiritual lifestyle that helps one touncover the Divine that flows through all things.

Thewords Hindu and Hinduism came from the usage of the term Sindhu."Outsiders" who encountered Sanatanists living near the Sindhu riverin the western portion of Bharat (the original and still used Sanskrit name forIndia) referred to them as "Sindhus" and their unique form of worshipas "Sindhuism." Though there was a Sindhu river, Sindhu is actually ageneric term for river, and many believe this term was used in a metaphoricalsense implying the river or spirituality that flows through all thing–in otherwords, Sanatan Dharma. With this understanding, the terms Sanatan Dharma andHinduism become interchangeable with an identical meaning.

It is very important to understand that, though is was first in Bharat/India thatSanatan Dharma/Hinduism was encountered, Hinduism is not confined to just age ographical location and certainly not simply to an ethnic group. Just as thereare Christians, for example, who are not from the Middle East, not Hebrew and donot speak Aramaic, there are Hindus of all races and nationalities. And, just asanyone can become a Christian, anyone can become a Hindu.

SanatanDharma/Hinduism is considered to be the oldest religion that is still adhered toby millions around the world. No one knows how old is Sanatan Dharma, and thereis of course no one founder. Sanatan Dharma has also "given birth" toseveral other major religions; i.e., Buddhism, the Jain and Sikh religions.Sanatan Dharma/Hinduism is, of course, the religion of all aspects of(classical) yoga–though yogic spiritual disciplines are also taught by the Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs.

TOP       

  
Q29. Is the water from the Ganges River very clear and pure?

A. The name of the Ganges is known all throughout the land of India. This river that runs for 1,560 miles from the Himalayas all the way to the Bay of Bengal is more than just flowing water. This river is life, purity, and a goddess to the people of India. The river is Ganga Ma, "Mother Ganges." Her name and her story is known all throughout the land. It is the story of how she poured herself down from heaven upon the ashes of King Sarga's sons. Her waters would raise them up again to dwell in peace in heaven. Not only that, but anyone who touches these purifying waters even today are said to be cleansed of all sins.

As soon as the day begins, devout Hindus begin to give their offerings of flowers or food, throwing handfulls of grain or garlands of marigolds or pink lotuses into the Ganges. Others will float small oil lamps on its surface. Or as stated in "Banaras City of Light" by Diana L. Eck, "they may take up her water and put it back into the river as an offering to the ancestors and the gods" (Eck 212). In cupped hands they will also take the ritual drink of the Ganges and then fill a container to take with them to the temple. On great festival occasions, Hindus ford the river in boats, shouting "Ganga Mata Ki Jai!" (Victory to Mother Ganga!)

Every morning thousands of Hindus, whether pilgrims or residents, make their way into the holy water of the Ganges. All of them face the rising sun with folded hands mumering prayers.

The Ganges is a place of death and life. Hindus from all over will bring their dead. Whether a body or just ashes, the waters of the Ganga are needed to reach Pitriloka, the World of the Ancestors. Just as in the myth with King Sargas' 60,000 sons who attained heaven by Ganga pouring down her water upon their ashes, so the same waters of Ganga are needed for the dead in the Hindu belief today. Without this, the dead will exist only in a limbo of suffering, and would be troublesome spirits to those still living on earth. The waters of the Ganges are called amrita, the "nectar of immortality".

Cremation anywhere along the Ganges is desirable. If that is not possible, then the relatives might later bring the ashes of the deceased to the Ganges. Sometimes, if a family cannot afford firewood for cremation, a half-burned corpse is thrown into the water. A verse from the Mahabharata promises, "If only the bone of a person should touch the water of the Ganges, that person shall dwell, honored, in heaven."

For the living, bathing in the Ganges is just as important. Hindus will travel miles and miles to have their sins washed away in these holy waters. For years Hindus have declared that there is nothing quite as cleansing as the living waters of the River of Heaven. This "pure" water is suppose to wash their sins away.

The river Ganges draws all kinds of people and life seems to continually be bustling at its side. On the platforms and ghats are barbers cutting and trimming hair, and children flying their kites. You may see young men wrestling, exercising, or in deep meditation. Washer men are beating their clothes on stones at the edge. Multi-colored saris and all sorts of wet clothes are laid out to dry in the sunshine. A boy may be washing his dog while a mother is taking her yelling child into the Ganges for the first time. "Banaras: India's City of Light" by Santha Rama

Unfortunately, with all the life the Ganges brings, pollution is also brought. Some of the worst water born diseases are dysentery, hepatitis, and cholera. Money is being raised by the government and other groups such as the Swatcha Ganga to clean the Ganges. None the less, the Ganges is still the purifying waters for the Hindus of India. As stated in "Travel in India" by Jean Tavernier, "The land where the Ganges does not flow is likened in one hymn to the sky without the sun, a home without a lamp, a brahmin without a Vedas"

TOP       

  
Q30. Why is Marriage views as a sacrament and not a contract?

A. Most people tend to equate Hindu marriage with arranged marriage. The parents in order to meet this domestic obligation prepare themselves mentally and, more importantly, financially when their child reaches marriageable age. They search for a suitable partner keeping in mind the societal rules regarding cast, creed, natal chart, and financial and social status of the family. Traditionally it is the girl's parents who bear the cost of the wedding and to jumpstart their daughter's married life they shower her with gifts and ornaments to take to her in-laws. Unfortunately, this has aggravated people's greed culminating in the many evils of dowry system.

Arranged marriages in India differ from community to community and from place to place. These ceremonies are indispensable, highly religious and significant. The rites of marriage are also social and are meant to increase intimacy between the two families. However, with a little variation, the usual custom and rituals are more or the less the same throughout India.

In Hindu dharma, marriage is viewed as a sacrament and not a contract. Hindu marriage is a life-long commitment of one wife and one husband, and is the strongest social bond that takes place between a man and a woman.

Grahastha Ashram (the householder stage), the second of the four stages of life begins when a man and a woman marry and start a household. For a Hindu marriage is the only way to continue the family and thereby repay his debt to his/her ancestors.

In Hindu view, marriage is not a concession to human weakness, but a means for spiritual growth. Man and woman are soul mates who, through the institution of marriage, can direct the energy associated with their individual instincts and passion into the progress of their souls.

TOP