Hinduism

I don’t want to claim any religion is superior or inferior specially in comparison to Hinduism.

I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or beliefs intentionally during my talk. However, if any of the contents of my talk is contrary to your beliefs or practices; please accept my apologies beforehand.

Dr T Reddy

Origins

Date ??? 2500 -5000 BC

Founder ????? Scriptures

Vedas Upanishads and Puranas (Ramayan,

Mahabharat - Gita)

Hinduism

Outside – Chaotic / disorganised

Inside – runs smoothly and efficiently

Way of life Difficult to put in

Black & White

Hinduism

Gods and Goddesses

Hinduism allows greater freedom to understand and express God in their own way.

Hindus can pray to God in any form that they find particularly helpful.

One God Vs Many Gods

Brahman – the impersonal omnipotent, omnipresent and the source of all existence, incomprehensible (One God)

Gods and Goddesses are seen as symbols for describing ‘Brahman’ (Many Gods)

Common man to understand and easy to worship

TRINITY

Brahma – Creator Vishnu – Preserver Shiva – Destroyer Cycle – no real end

or beginning. The beginning is an

end and the end is a new beginning

Special Features

Families Male & Female Transport Stories for common

man to believe and worship

Imagination (Scientific basis)

Goddess of Power (Shakti) - Durga

Lord Ganesha (Obstacle Remover)

Ramayan - Hanuman

God - Omnipresent

Vedic Gods (Forces of Nature) Rain God (Indra or

Varun) Wind God Fire (Agni) Sun

Worship all living things

God is depicted in animal form

Way of Life (Hinduism)

Freedom Vs Conditioning – Thinking / Expression

Descriptive Vs Prescriptive Democratic Vs Dictatorial Non-Contractual (Open-Ended) Vs

Contractual (Covenant) Tolerance (Equality / Secular) Vs

Intolerance

Hinduism

No Conversion (Conflict / Terror / Persecution / War / Invasion)

Non-violence (Peace) Vs Violence ‘Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavanthu Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti’

Unity in Diversity

How to reach God (Moksha)?

Eternal Truth (Sanathan Dharma) ‘Oh Lord,

lead us from untruth to truth, From darkness to light, from mortality to immortality’

(Brihadanayaka Upanishad) Reincarnation (Birth – Death- Re-birth) Ways of reaching God :– Many different Ways

(Solo or Combination = 100%) Karma (good works) Bhakti (Prayer) Ghyana (Knowledge /Spiritual)

Hinduism

Ordinary citizen of India – village life – born into a Hindu family, grows in secular / diverse culture, understand, accept and respect (tolerance) other’s beliefs & festivals, feel part of community (Unity in Diversity)

Hinduness (Black hole phenomenon)

The average Hindu you meet in a million villages possesses simple,   innate spirituality and accepts your diversity, whether you are  Christian or Muslim, Jain or Arab, French or Chinese. It is this  Hinduness that makes the Indian Christian different from, say, a  French Christian, or the Indian Muslim unlike a Saudi Muslim. (Francois Gautier-Editor-in-chief of the Paris-based La Revue de  l'Inde)

Hinduism (Prayer)

Gayathri MantraOM Bhur-Bhuvah-Svah.Tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasva dhimahi.Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.

(Click sound icon to listen to Gayathri Mantra)

What it means? We meditate on the glory of the Creator; Who has created the Universe; Who is worthy of worship; Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light; Who is the remover of all Sin and Ignorance; May He enlighten our Intellect.