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मेरो व्यक्तिगत टिप्पणी

Monday, December 19th, 2011

मैले जब यी लेखहरु लेख्न थालें तब मेरा पाठकहरुका लागि मेरो व्यवहार र प्रेरणाका बारेमा बताउन एउटा व्यक्तिगत टिप्पणी लेख्न आवश्यक लाग्यो ।

मैले यो गरें किनभने इन्टरनेटबाट भएको संचार अधुरो रहन्छ, यसबाट व्यक्तिलाई चिन्न सकिन्न र लेख लेख्ने व्यक्तिको विचार पूर्ण रुपमा बुझ्न पाठक असमर्थ हुन्छ ।

त्यसैले मैले सुरुवातमा विभिन्न विश्वास भएका मानिसहरुकालागि छुट्टै लेख्न थालें । तर जब मेरा लेखहरु बढ्दै गए मैले भन्नुपर्ने सामान्य कुराहरु अव्यवस्थित रुपमा लेख्नुभन्दा एउटै ठाउँमा लेखेको छु ।

कहिलेकाहीं विश्वासका बारेमा कुरा गर्दा धेरै गाह्रो हुन्छ किनभने संसारबारेमा हाम्रो धारणा हाम्रो व्यक्तित्वको यति महत्वपूर्ण अंश हो कि व्यक्ति र उसको मुल्य मान्यताको भिन्नता नै हामीलाई थाह हुँदैन ।

एउटा व्यक्तिको विश्वासलाई एक हदसम्म मात्र फरक पार्न सकिन्छ तर उसको आफ्नो इच्छालाई उसबाट अलग गर्न सकिन्न । मानिसको व्याख्या र विश्लेषण उसको धारणात्मक संसारमा रहेर नै गरिन्छ र यो भन्दा कमले उसलाई बिना अर्थको मानिस बनाउँछ ।

मैले यो भन्नुको कारण धेरैपटक मानिसको धार्मिक विचारकाबारेमा कुरा गर्दा उसलाई व्यक्तिगत रुपमा आक्रमण गरेको जस्तो बुझ्छन् ।

तर मेरो अभिप्राय भने यो होइन । मेरो आशा प्रेम र सद्भावका साथ मानिसको मन र मस्तिष्कसम्म पुग्नु हो । मेरो इच्छा अनावश्यक बहसमा लागेर मानिसमा अनावश्यक निर्णयको भाव र क्रोध निम्त्याउनु होइन जुन यस्तो प्रकारको बहसले ल्याउँछ ।

मलाई लाग्छ कि इन्टरनेटमा तपाईंले यस्ता कुराहरु भएका थुप्रै मंचहरु पाउनुहुन्छ र यी लेसमा अल्मलिन आवश्यक पनि हुँदैन ।

म यो स्वीकार्छु कि यी लेखहरु लेख्दा मैले सीधा रुपमा लेख्न खोजें र कहिलेकाहीं म भावुक पनि हुन्छु तर म सबैले यो बुझुन् भन्ने चाहन्छु कि म कुनै पनि प्रकारले पाठकप्रति क्रोध र घृणाले प्रेरित छुइन । मेरो लडाइ ती सिद्धान्तहरुसँग हो जसले यी गलत प्रथाहरुलाई अंगालेका छन् । मलाई थाह छ कि सिद्धान्तहरु मानिस भएका कारणले नै हुन्छन् तर मेरो प्रेम मानिसहरुप्रति छ अनि म देखावटी संस्था र सिद्धान्तहरुको विरोध गर्छु ।

यी लेखहरुमार्फत यदि मैले तपाईंमा विवेक जागरण नगरि रिस उठाएँ भने मैले तपाईंलाई आफ्नो सन्देश दिन सफल भइनं । मेरा विचारहरु कुनै समुदायप्रति आक्रामक जस्तो देखिएपनि मेरो उद्देश्य भने यो अवश्य होइन । मैले गरेका सम्पूर्ण कुराहरु यदि घृणा, हिंसा र पक्षपातको रुपमा बुझ्नुभयो भने मेरा सम्पूर्ण प्रयासहरु असफल भएका छन् र मैले हामी दूबैको समय बरबाद गरेको छु ।

मलाई यो पनि थाह छ कि यो लेख पढ्ने सबैलाई यसले फइदा पुर्याउने छैन तर मेरो आशा र प्रार्थना छ कि कुनै प्रकारले कसैको जीवनमा यसले फइदा पुर्याएको होस् ।

हरेक मानिसमा कुनै प्रकारको छलको भावना हुन्छ र म यो पनि भन्दिन म अरुभन्दा फरक छु । कोही पनि मानिससँग जीवनका प्रश्नहरुको हरेक उत्तर हुँदैन । यी नाकारात्मक पक्षहरुले मलाई सत्यको खोजी गर्ने, सत्यको पक्षमा बोल्ने र सत्यको बाटोमा हिंड्नबाट भने रोक्न सक्दैन । मेरो तपाईंसँग यो अनुरोध छ कि यी लेखहरुमार्फत यो बाटोमा मसँग हिँड्नुहोस् ।

“सत्य” शब्दलाई उन्मुक्त रुपमा प्रयोग गर्न पनि धेरैकालागि असहनीय हुनसक्छ विशेषगरि जब हामी राजनीतिक रुपले सही समाजमा बस्छौँ जहाँ तुलनात्मक विचारहरुको निकै नै कदर गरिन्छ ।

हाम्रो समाजको काम गराई र मानवको अस्तित्व यही सत्यमाथि निर्भर छन् । कानून र व्यवस्था अनि विज्ञानमा यसको प्रयोग देख्न हामीलाई धेरै कठिनाइ हुँदैन तर धार्मिक विश्वासमा यसलाई प्रयोग गर्न भने हामीलाई अप्ठ्यारो लाग्छ ।

हामीले आफ्नो जीवनलाई यसरी बाँड्यौँ र सत्यलाई एउटै धरातलमा रहेर सोचेनौँ भने हामीले आफैँलाई झुक्याएको हुन्छौँ र झुटो रुपमा बाँचिरहेका हुन्छौँ । तर मानव समाज र संस्कृतिको महानता ज्ञानको खोजीले गर्दा नै सम्भव भएको हो । ज्ञान पाएर त्यसको खुला प्रयोगले नै उन्नति सम्भव हुन्छ र यसले नै हामीलाई विवेक पनि दिन्छ ।

यी लेखहरु पढ्नअगाडि विवेकशील बन्नुहोस् र संस्कृतिको सीमाभन्दा बाहिर आएर सोच्नुहोस् किनभने यसले जीवनप्रतिको तपाईंको धारणालाई प्रभाव पार्दछ र जीवनमा विभिन्न मर्यादाहरु खडा गर्दछ जसमा चेतना नभइकन नै हामी विश्वास गर्दछौं ।

जीवनको बारेमा पहिलेदेखि रहेको धारणाकाबारेमा फेरि सोच्नु पनि धेरै गाह्रो र डरलाग्दो काम हो । यसमा हामीले गल्ती गर्छौं कि भन्ने डर हामीमा सधैं रहिरहन्छ र यो गल्तीले हामीलाई नराम्रो परिस्थितिमा ल्याउँछ भन्ने पनि हामीलाई थाहा हुन्छ । तर जीवनको बारेमा सूक्ष्म रुपले नसोच्नाले हामी स्वेच्छिक अज्ञानतनमा परेर छलिने सम्भावना पनि उतिकै नै रहन्छ ।

हाम्रो समाज, परिवार र सरकारकोलाई पनि हामी आँखा चिम्लेर विश्वास गर्छौं । यसमा त्रुटीहरु हुनसक्छन् र आवाज उठाउन सकिन्छ भनेर हामी ध्यान पनि दिँदैनौँ । सामाजिक प्रतिष्ठाको बारेमा हामीलाई चिन्ता हुन्छ र साधारण सामाजिक मापदण्डमा नै हामीले जीवन बाँच्न सिकेका हुन्छौँ ।

यो हामीले पहिले विश्वास गरेर अनि त्यो विश्वासलाई बचाउन नै आफ्नो जीवन केन्द्रित गरेजस्तो हो । मेरा सबै लेखहरुको प्रमुख अभिप्राय मानिसहरुलाई भनिराख्नु आवश्यक पनि छैन कि परमेश्वरले मानिसलाई प्रेम गर्नुहुन्छ । यहुन्ना ३:१६ ले भन्दछ “ परमेश्वरले संसारलाई यति साह्रो माया गर्नुभयो कि आफ्नो एकमात्र पुत्रलाई दिनुभयो ताकि उहाँमाथि विश्वास गर्ने कोही पनि नाश नहोस् र त्यसले अनन्त जीवन पाओस् । ”

यो कटु सत्य कुरा हो कि हरेक संस्कृति, भाषा र जातिका मानिसहरु छन् जसले उहाँमाथि विश्वास गर्छन् । यो विश्वास कुनै डरमा परेर अथवा बाध्य भएर होइन तर परमेश्वरको प्रेमले गर्दा उनीहरुमा आएको हो जसले गर्दा उनीहरुको जीवन परिवर्तन भएको छ ।

परमेश्वरको प्रेम यो कुरामा पनि देखिन्छ कि उहाँले प्रभु येशुलाई हामीले व्यक्तिगत रुपमा चिन्न सकौं भनेर व्यवस्था पनि गरिदिनुभएको छ । उहाँको कामले उहाँलाई एक प्रभावकारी मानिस अथवा एक भविष्यवक्ता मात्र नभएर मसिहाको रुपमा चिनाउँदछ जसले मानिसलाई नशा, व्यभिचार, चोरी गर्ने प्रविति र अरु थुप्रै सामाजिक कुरितिबाट मुक्ति दिनुहुन्छ । उहाँले मेरो लगायत गन्नै नसकिने लाखौं जीवन परिवर्तन गर्नुभएको छ र मैले उहाँको जीवित शक्तिलाई आफ्ना लेखहरुमा अस्वीकार गर्नु भनेको तपाईंप्रति बैरी र बेइमान भावना राख्नु हो । प्रभु येशुले मानिसहरुलाई परमेश्वरको नजिक ल्याउन उनीहरुको अगाडि सर्तहरु राख्नुहुन्न , न त मानिसको योग्यता हेरेर श्रेय विभाजन गरेर उनीहरुबाट चुन्नुहुन्छ हामीले केबल प्रभु येशु जो धार्मिक हुनुहुन्छ, उहाँमाथि विश्वास गनुपर्छ र उहाँलाई आफ्नो मुक्तिदाता भनेर स्वीकार्नुपर्छ ।

येशुले भन्नुभयो “हे सबै मिहिनेत गर्ने र बोझले दबिएकाहरु मकहाँ आओ, म तिमीहरुको आत्मालाई विश्राम दिनेछु किनभने मेरो जुवा र बोझ हलुका छ ।”

उहाँले हामीलाई अनन्त शान्ति दिने वाचा गर्नुभएको छ जसको कारण हामीले कमाएको धर्म होइन र त्यो धर्म हामी कहिले पूरा गर्न पनि सक्दैनौं तर उहाँले क्रुशमा बगाएको रगत हो । उहाँले परमेश्वरको सजाय आफूले भोग्नुभयो र हाम्रो पाप आफूमाथि लिएर त्यसको ऋण तिरिदिनुभयो र परमेश्वरसँगको हाम्रो सम्बन्ध अनुकूल बनाइदिनुभयो ।

अन्तमा म तपाईंहरुलाई अनुरोध गर्दछु कि यी लेखहरु पढ्दा कृपया खुला सोच राखिदिनुहोला र परमेश्वरलाई इमान्दारी र गम्भीरताका साथ खोजीदिनुहोस् । मैले यो क्रममा कुनै कुराहरु मेरो स्तरभन्दा बढी भन्नगएछु भने मलाई माफ गरिदिनुहोला । मैले कसैलाई चोट पुग्ने कुनै पनि कुरा गर्दिन र मेरो उद्देश्य समाजकोलागि कष्ट हुने कुरा नगरेर फाइदा हुने कुरा गर्नु हो ।

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येशुसँग मेरो व्यक्तिगत गवाही

Monday, December 19th, 2011

मेरो नाम रब् हो र म अमेरिकाको टेक्सस्मा बस्छु । म तपाईँलाई आफ्नो बारेमा केही बताउन चाहन्छु । म धेरैजसो परमेश्वरमा आफ्नो विश्वासबारे बताएर आफ्नो गवाहीको सुरुवात गर्छु जुन मेरोलागि निकै महत्वपूर्ण कुरा हो । बीस बर्ष अगाडी मेरो जीवनमा यस्तो समय थियो जब सबैकुरा खालिजस्तो लाग्थ्यो । जब मैले येशु प्रभुमाथि विश्वास गरेँ तब उहाँले मलाई भरिदिनुभयो । अहिले मसँग संसारले दिएकोभन्दा बढी प्रेम, आनन्द र शान्ति छ । येशु मेरो जीवन र उत्साह हुनुहुन्छ ।

यदि मैले यस्तो सत्य नपाएको भए मैले धेरै अगाडि हार मानिसकेको हुन्थेँ र अन्य विश्वासका क्षेत्रमा खोज्न थालिसकेको हुन्थेँ । तर मेरो जीवन येशुसँगको व्यक्तिगत सम्बन्धले परिवर्तन गर्यो जुन कुनै धर्म र दर्शनभन्दा धेरै माथि छ । यो कुरा सत्य र स्पर्शनीय हो । यो त्यो समयको कुरा हो जब म उहाँसँगको सम्बन्धमा निर्णय गर्ने अवस्थामा पुगें । यसले निकै थोरै समयमा मेरो व्यवहार र सोच परिवर्तन गर्यो र म सधैंकोलागि परिवर्तन भएझैँ लाग्यो । म फरक व्यक्ति बनिसकेको थिएँ, यो सबैजनाले देखिरहेका थिए र यसलाई कसैले इन्कार गर्न सक्नेथिएनन् । म फेरी जन्मेको थिएँ र मलाई थाह थियो कि यो मैले कुनै अर्को चर्च फेरेजस्तो हुनेछैन । म क्रिष्टमा नयाँ सिर्जना बनिसकेको थिएँ । मेरो जीवनका केही परिवर्तनहरु प्रगतिशील थिए भने केही तात्कालिक थिए । मैले परमेश्वरले मलाई यस्ता परिस्थितिहरुबाट उद्धार गरेको देखेको छु जुनबाट मैले आफै पार पाउन असम्भव थियो । येशुले मलाई चुरोटको नशा र व्यभिचार लगायत थुप्रै पापहरुबाट छुट्कारा पाउन मद्दत गर्नुभयो । विश्वास गरेर मेरी पत्नी मृगौलाको रोगबाट र मेरो छोरा सासप्रस्वासको रोगबाट निको भएको पनि मैले देखेको छु । मैले यदि यो लेखमा आफ्नो धारणामात्र लेखेको हुँ भने यो पढेर तपाईले आफ्नो समय खेर फाल्नुभयो । तपाईंलाई म माथि विश्वास नलाग्ला अथवा तपाईं मलाई गलत सोच्नुहोला । म केबल अनुरोध गर्दछु कि तपाईं परमेश्वरलाई आफूबारे खुलाउन र येशुको सत्य प्रकट गर्न भनेर प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस् । यो लेख पढ्नकालागि धन्यवाद दिँदै म परमेश्वरसँग प्रार्थना गर्दछु कि उहाँले यसमार्फत तपाईंलाई आशिष दिनुभएकोहोस् ।

परमेश्वरसँग सम्बन्ध कसरी बनाउने

हिन्दु श्रोतहरु

हिन्दु-धर्म

My testimony with Jesus

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परमेश्वरसँग व्यक्तिगत सम्बन्ध कसरी बनाउने

Monday, December 19th, 2011

बाइबलले हामीलाई सिकाउँछ कि परमेश्वरले मानिस लगायत सम्पूर्ण संसारको सृष्टि गर्नुभयो । परमेश्वर पूर्ण र दोषरहित भए पनि मानिस चाहीँ दोषी छ । परमेश्वरले मानिसलाई एक स्वतन्त्र जीवको रुपमा सिर्जना गर्नुभयो र उसलाई सही र गलतबट आफै छान्ने स्वतनत्रता पनि दिनुभयो । परमेश्वरको पवित्र वचन बाइबल मानिसको निम्ति एक ज्योति हो जसले हामीलाई सिकाउँछ कि हामी सबैले पाप गरेका छौँ र परमेश्वरको महिमाबाट टाढा भएका छौँ ।

इदि मैले परमेश्वरका आज्ञाहरु ( जुन सहि जीवनकालागि आधार हुन् ) मध्ये केही भनेँ भने त्यसलाई पूर्ण रुपमा पालन गर्ने कोही पनि छैनन् । पाप भनेको परमेश्वरका आज्ञाहरु नमान्नु नै हो । परमेश्वरको नामलाई दुरुपयोग गर्नु र अरु प्रभुलाई पूज्नु पनि पाप हो । यी सबै कारणले नै मानिस आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण हृदयले परमेश्वरलाई प्रेम गर्नबाट चुक्दछ । परमेश्वरको आज्ञा नमान्नु भनेको आमाबुबाको अनादर गर्नु , हत्या गर्नु अथवा घृणा गर्नु , परस्त्रीगमन अथवा आँखाको लालसा गर्नु , चोर्नु , छिमेकीको गलत गवाही दिनु हो । गलत अभिलाषा र प्रेरणाले गरिएका कामहरु सबै पाप हुन् ।

यी आज्ञाहरुको उल्लंघन गरेकाले नै हामी अनन्तकालागि परमेश्वरबाट छुट्यौँ । हामी हरायौँ र उहाँबाट छुट्यौँ किनभने पवित्र परमेश्वर पापसँग मिल्न सक्नुहुन्न । पापले परमेश्वरको क्रोध यहाँमात्र नभएर अनन्तमा पनि ल्याउँछ । बाइबलले त्यसलाई कहिल्यै आगो ननिभ्ने भयानक दुःखको ठाउँ भनेर बताउँछ ।

अहिले अवस्था आशाविहीन जस्तो लाग्छ तर खुशीको कुरा के हो भने परमेश्वरले आफ्नो पुत्र पठाइसक्नुभएको छ जो पापरहित हुनुहुन्छ । उहाँको काम परमेश्वर र मानिसकोबीच मध्यस्तकर्ता बन्नु थियो । यो गर्न उहाँले आफ्नो भौतिक शरीर परमेश्वरको न्याय पूरा गर्न र हाम्रो पापको ऋण चुकाउनलाई दिनुभयो ।

उहाँ मानिसकोलागि केबल मर्नु मात्र भएन , मरेकाहरुबाट ब्यूँतिनु पनि भयो । अहिले उहाँ आफूमाथि विश्वास गर्नेहरुलाई भेट्न कुरिरहनुभएको छ । त्यसैले हाम्रो मृत्युपछि पनि हामी उहाँसँग हुनेछौँ र बाइबलले यस्लाई नै अनन्त जीवन भन्दछ ।

यो सबै तब मात्रै सम्भव हुन्छ जब हामीले आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण हृदयले येशु प्रभुलाई आफ्नो मुक्तिदाता मान्छौँ र हाम्रो पाप मेटाएर परमेश्वरसँग शान्तिमा ल्याउने उद्धारकका रुपमा चिन्छौँ । हामीले उहाँलाई आफ्नो प्रभुको रुपमा स्वीकारेर उहाँका आज्ञाहरु पालन गर्नुपर्छ ।

हामीले यी कुराहरु स्वीकार गरेपछि उहाँले स्वर्गको एक टुक्रा पवित्र आत्माको रुपमा हाम्रो निम्ति पठाइदिनुहुन्छ जो हामीसँग रहेर हामीलाई परमेश्वरकालागि बाँच्न सिकाउनुहुन्छ ।

विश्वास गरेपछि पानीको बप्तिष्मा लिनुपर्छ जसलाई पानीको चिहानको रुपमा लिइन्छ । यसले नयाँ जन्मको संकेत गर्दछ जसमा परमेश्वरको काम सुरु हुन्छ र भित्रैबाट परिवर्तन भएर मानिस नयाँ बन्दछ । यो एक आत्मिक सत्य हो जुन परमेश्वरलाई स्वीकारेपछि हामीलाई थाह हुन्छ ।

यो परिवर्तन साधारण देखिएपनि महत्वपूर्ण र अर्थपूर्ण छ । येशुले तपाईँलाई यो भनेर बोलाउँदैहुनुहुन्छ “ म कहाँ आऊ । जो थकित औ कष्टले दविएकाहरु हो, म तिमीहरुलाई आत्माको निम्ति विश्राम दिनेछु । मेरो कामकुरो ग्रहण गर अनि मबाट सिक । म विनयी र विनम्र हृदयको छु । अनि तिमीहरुले आफ्नो आत्मामा विश्राम पाउनेछौ । हो , मेरो काम कुरो ग्रहण गर्नु सजिलो छ । तिमीहरुलाई दिइने भार हल्का छ । ”

प्रिय मित्र यदि आज तपाईँ उहाँको आवाज सुन्दैहुनुहुन्छ भने कृपया आफ्नो हृदय कठोर नबनाउनुहोस् तर आफ्नो जीवन यस् आत्माका गोठालोलाई समर्पण गर्नुहोस् । उहाँले तपाईँलाई प्रेम गर्नुहुन्छ र यस्तो शान्ति दिनुहुन्छ जुन बुझिनसक्नु छ , उहाँको आनन्दको वयान गर्ने कुनै शब्द छैन । यसले यो भन्दैन कि तपाईँले जीवनमा कुनै अप्ठ्याराहरु भोग्नुपर्दैन तर उहाँले भन्नुभएको छ कि उहाँले हामीलाई कहिल्यै पनि त्याग्नुहुन्न ।

अन्तमा, म तपाईँलाईँ उत्साह दिन चाहन्छु कि तपाईँ परमेश्वरसँग प्रार्थना गनुहोस् कि उहाँले आफूलाई तपाईँसामु प्रकट गर्नुभएको होस् । यदि तपाईँले इमान्दारीसाथ यो कार्य गर्नुभयो भने तपाईँ निराश हुनुहुन्न किनभने परमेश्वर भलो हुनुहुन्छ भनेर बुझ्नकालागि उहाँ आफैले तपाईँलाई उत्साह दिनुहुन्छ ।

हिन्दु श्रोतहरु

हिन्दु-धर्म

How to have a relationship with God

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Lingayatism

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

Lingayatism or Virasaivism is a shaivite hindu sect which is considered reform in it practices due to its unorthodox approach towards traditional hinduism by rejecting various beliefs/practices in removing some of the unpleasantries of the hindu religion in advocating such matters as equality and social reforms. This is a favorable approach towards establishing a humanitarian platform which I applaud but do the beliefs that correspond with this movement necessitate a spiritual reality by repackaging this upgraded model of Hinduism? Furthermore Veerashaivism would not exist without the cornerstone and bedrock of traditional Hinduism and if the original foundation is weak and broken then any other structure which builds upon this philosophy crumbles as well. If it possible to change preexistent and ancient Hindu philosophies then it is also possible to question anything that associates itself with Hinduism after all which one is right if either.

Anyway Basava is credited with starting this sect even though it is believed that he just revived another movement. He is said to have brought about these modifications of equality but yet there remains some controversy to his character. Even though he rejected his position as a Brahmin he was also elected to the prestigious office of royal treasurer by the influence of his uncle who was prime minister and as a result of this prominent position there came allegations of inequality in that he was depleting treasury funds in order to further the Lingayat cause which would include supporting its guilds and some of its impoverished members which was seen as favoritism among the Jains and Buddhists who protested his actions which in turn caused him to flee the kingdom.

Also Basaveshwara made an illogical statement that divine experience can be achieved by everyone regardless of belief, tradition, religion or whatever. I think the problem with any movement that advocates equality by making claims of inclusiveness in eradicating all bias is fickle in the sense that members disassociate others who act and believe differently from the mainstream of that particular groups way of thinking and even though others may be tolerated there is still the denial of intimacy or fellowship of those who are outside of that circle. Even people who adopt a view that all paths or streams lead to God may at first appear to be making a statement of absolute inclusiveness but where does that leave someone else who has an incompatible world view of exclusivism. To have freedom of equality and complete acceptance within a movement is one thing but to have a universalist view towards everyone is dishonest when attempting to advance or convert someone else to a particularized practice or belief which is unique to that faith thus setting themselves apart from others who are adherents to another religion,faith, or creed. Brotherhood within the movement is one thing while unconditional acceptance is another. I don’t think the Lingayats can really claim to offer equality on every basis otherwise there would be no need for them to obtain a distinguishable name as a classification for their organization which identifies themselves as being defined under a descriptive title. For instance they wouldn’t claim themselves as being Catholic nor would they allow Catholicism to be integrated within their movement in a syncretistic or pluralistic fashion as a valid expression of their faith. With a name comes a particular personality and a associated identity which makes it unique.

Another thing by which this group differentiates itself is by the exclusivity of a monotheistic faith in elevating Lord Shiva as the one and only Supreme God from among the pantheon of other hindu deities. I am not for sure how they have effectively eliminated the other competitors in favor of selecting their divine mascot and yet to worship Shiva above Vishnu would be an affront to other religious movements within the culture of Hinduism.

Conclusively I am not saying that particularism is wrong its just that we need to recognize that this movement embraces an antithetical ideology to their statement of belief in displaying this illusory image of complete equality which is unfounded as being oxymoronic to their separatists or sectarian views. Just the nature of its origins alone as splitting themselves from the Brahmic institution of hinduism shows a break in its distinction as not including every person as holding to a valid expression of belief, tradition and religion.

Additionally even with the concept of ganāchāra comes the notion of elitism which is a defense towards maintaining their community along with its tenets.

Moreover I am not for certain how their conceptual ideas may vary from mainstream hinduism on karma and reincarnation because the traditionalist view would see the maltreatment and oppression of others which would include a persons social standing as a necessary means to the ends without any consideration of inequality regarding their karmic debt. I have previously written a post about karma and reincarnation which may be helpful at

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2010/02/16/hinduism-and-reincarnation/

Amazingly Basavanna preached that the devotion of people to God was a direct relationship and did not need the intervention of the priestly class. However there is a conflict here in that they have eliminated the hierarchal Brahmin priesthood while ironically adopting their own hereditary caste system in elevating the Jangamas who are the Lingyat priests or gurus. Also it is questionable in how that Basavanna who was a Brahmin effectively rejected and renounced his role as a part of the priestly caste when he asserted to head up this movement. Granted this movement needed a ring leader towards establishing its presence but why didn’t he get a lower caste member or a Dalit to herald his cause as a means of practicing what he preached.

Furthermore it is through the rite of Ahangrahopasana that the Lingayats get their name by donning and worshipping the Linga which is a personification of Shiva. Yet for the Ishtalinga to be a representation of the exalted and supreme majesty of Shiva in displaying his deity as a dung and ash covered stone when in every other respect Shiva is highly exalted is unthinkable. To bring Siva down to such a base representation as compared to the earthily filth of a trash heap is really untenable. Alongside of this they have rejected the worship of images nevertheless this is what is being done to this piece of iconic jewelry.

Another discrepancy is that they have repudiated ritual and yet they still practice such rites as the initiation of male children knows as Diksa and paying homage to the linga twice a day as being apart of the Panchāchāras. Some other rituals which are incorporated in their regular observances are the eight shields or Ashtāvarana with such actions as: Padodaka(Karunodhaka) in drinking the water from bathing the Linga, Prasada (Karuna Prasada) by presenting a sacred offering,Vibhuti the smearing of holy ash on oneself, Rudraksha the wearing of a string of holy beads and lastly the Mantra of “Namah Shivaya” as a means of giving adoration to Siva. Therefore ritual is not denied but rather it is affirmed based on their religious activities.

Anyway I know it is easy for me to criticize other belief systems but then again it is just as easy for others to justify their unfounded beliefs as well. I have pointed out some of the inconsistencies along with the shortcomings and weaknesses of this movement only in respect to challenge their standing in regards to achieving any kind of ultimate truth. Granted there are problems in each and every religious movement when scrutinized hard enough but perhaps this criticism has only affirmed what you may have already come to wonder or doubt about in your heart regarding its truth claims. At the same time maybe you are tired of trying to ascend the ladder of Shatsthala or perhaps you have fallen off wandering whether or not you will ever achieve shoonya which has left you feeling hopeless regarding the shame and guilt you carry.

The good news is that you don’t have to ascend the ladder on your own strength as Jesus descended in coming down so as to carry us and lift us up into the loving arms of God. You may not find the hope of aikya as a practicing Lingayat but there is a confidence that you can have in the person and work of Jesus who came to deliver us from the heavy yoke of religious duty by liberating those who trust in Him by freely giving them the gift of eternal life without all the insecurity that comes from having to earn or merit a sense of acceptance with God. He can truly deliver and set you free by uniting us with God as He removes the cares and burdens of our souls by shouldering the weight of our moral debt. You may have thought that Jesus is just some foreign form of western religious expression and yet Christianity originated as an eastern religion of which Israel is considered a part of Asia. The reason why Christianity is associated with western world is because God used Jesus to unite the east and the west and to remove all ethnical and societal boundaries by embracing every tribe,tongue and nation in unifying the world under the banner of Christ’s redeeming and saving work which is expounded in the gospel of John.

John 3:16,17

¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Maybe you are discerning a change or a prompting to seek for truth elsewhere and I would just ask that you would consider other possibilities such as with Jesus. In conclusion I hope that you forgive me if I offended you over the content of this post as my intention is not to slander but to uncover any perceived falsehoods of which need to be exposed for the sake of the worshipper.

In closing I would like to provide some resources in Kannada and Hindi which may be beneficial towards any research you may give this matter. Finally I ask that you honestly and simply ask and seek God in prayer so as to reveal Jesus in such as way so as to believe.

Matthew 7:7-8

⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Mt 11:28-30

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

How to know God

Lingayatism Resources

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Sai Baba Resources

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

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Sai Baba

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

When contemplating this religious worldview it has many attractive features and noted philanthropic works which include hospitals, schools and water projects. It also holds to the concept of loving others and this has been demonstrably expressed through the equality of women and the denouncement of the caste system. Additionally they have the belief that religion can only be valued if it is socially proactive rather than merely supporting philosophical propositions.

The position in which I challenge is when they transgress these social boundaries by establishing a religious belief system which is defined as the quintessential truth.

For instance when communicating the idea of God as being the same person with many different titles or names is a contradiction based on the study of comparative religions which show that God is not universal and in turn many of these religions have antithetical views as based on a God concept along with their associated doctrinal beliefs which at times are completely irreconcilable. This pluralistic and syncretistic ideal of having one God sounds nice but to try to distill or coalesce the essential part of all religions will only lead to having no God at all.

According to this movement if love is to be the basis for ones religious views then how about religions that support violence? Also if religion is supposed to be determined on commonalities then what happens to the movements which value exclusivity as a vital part of their religious view which would otherwise leave them unrecognizable?

If God is just a relative concept and is not a reality then all of this doesn’t really matter anyway and religion only becomes a matter of preference much like it is when choosing a brand of car or a sports team. Essentially most religions would not even consider this option and without distinctions religion would become extinct.

So essentially the idea that all paths lead to God is an over simplification of these religious systems and when you begin to study them you see that these paths don’t always converge but rather at times they are going in the opposite direction. Also to be sincere in your religion isn’t the measure of truth as you can be sincerely wrong in your religious views. Anyway I have written a post about this at

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2010/01/23/all-paths-lead-to-god/

In getting back to my subject of Sathya Sai Baba he is really just capitalizing on many of the ideas as already expressed through Hinduistic thought by applying a more moderate view therefore reorganizing this religious system to better suit the needs of the people. However, to reformulate different doctrinal views from its mother religion shows that distinctions are important and necessary rather than emphasizing the commonalities that they share. It is interesting how that Sai Baba indicates that he has not established an exclusive religion and yet it was necessary for him to assign his movement with a religious status as The Satya Sai Baba Society in 1976.

There are also specific teachings related to Sai Baba which is referred to as Sai truth which means if there is truth then there must also be non-truth as one pole can not exist apart from the other and therefore this shows the individualized nature which characterizes this religious culture.

Additionally, there is an emphasis on the Vedas by which they are given more of a precedence over the other supplemental religious texts which have been downplayed as being unnecessary for extensive study and perhaps that is because it would display the contradictory beliefs as associated with these other religious worldviews in contrast to the ideas of the Satya Sai Era.

Also if there is no distinction then why don’t they recognize all religious festivals as equally valid instead of just celebrating the predominantly Eastern holidays?

Another controversial aspect of Sai Baba’s religious views is that he is a self realized god(s). The irony is how can he be elevated by his devotees when according to their pantheistic views they are all gods anyway?

It’s one thing to have a “rock star” status but it’s quite another to be honored as a deity.

According to Sathya Sai Baba he is the reincarnation of the former guru Shirdi Sai Baba who supposedly was the incarnation of the god Shiva and yet Shirdi had been dead for about 8 years before Sathya was even born and so how does he account for this discrepancy in time. Also Sathya claims to have a dualistic god nature as both the embodiment of Shiva and Shakti and yet how was he able to take on another deification without the ontological problems of a split personality?

Also he claims that 8 years after his death that he is to be reborn as Prema Sai Baba in which he somehow loses Shiva in favor of Shakti by returning to a single identity apart from this previous schizophrenic state. Again what about the time lapse between his reincarnations? Is there some state of limbo by which he is to exist temporarily?

Also if he received enlightenment then why is it necessary for him to be reborn in this earth as the next Sai Baba since rebirth constitutes karma which signifies a lack of perfection?

When looking at Sai Baba’s biography I find it questionable as it mimics somewhat the life of Jesus as far as a having some form of a miraculous conception along with the working of signs and wonders.

Yet the examples of some of these alleged miracles could be described as either occultic or trickery. Many of these manifestations only satisfy the allurement of curiosity and is not even beneficial except for the dramatization that occurs with such actions.

Also these kinds of demonstrations do not prove deity as these same types of things have occurred among other spiritual leaders.

Additionally, a supernatural phenomenon does nothing to prove the nature of the being which can either be good or evil. Miracles or signs and wonders are not purely the grounds alone to judge or determine deity but rather it only communicates the reality of what can be termed as paranormal or maybe metaphysical in origin or it could just be that the hand is quicker than the eye.

Also if he has a divine status with miraculous capabilities then what has kept him from being bound in a wheel chair and sustaining a broken hip unless of course he is just as mortal as anyone else?

When Sai Baba was confronted to be studied for his miraculous powers he declined and then stated that visual manifestation can be deceptive and yet by saying this he has become his own critic concerning his actions.

In addition to this I find it incredible the statements that he makes regarding himself as being omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. That’s means that he knows everything and can ultimately control everything and if that is the matter then why doesn’t he completely eliminate all elements that cause human suffering which he has tried to do but with limited success. As far as having all knowledge well that is just how cult leaders brainwash the minds of others by which they are not allowed to think or question the authority of their spiritual guide. Of course omnipresence can no be achieved either because he still retains a material body and even if he could achieve bilocation as being present in two places at the same time this is still not the same as being everywhere all at once which is what is meant by being omnipresent.

He also makes humble statements as not wanting disciples or followers but in turn has called people to worship him.

On one hand he states that he doesn’t want fame or publicity and yet he alludes to his glory.

Also why is it necessary if he doesn’t want any followers to have 1200 religious institutions or centers along with various temples? Also if he doesn’t desire to have an established creed or doctrine then why is it necessary for him to teach things that is distinctly refereed to as being Sai truth? What he says is a contradiction to what is going on and this should alert those who are the practitioners of this religious movement.

As far as the occurrence of his enlightenment this did not take place through years of devotion and good deeds but rather it happened at a young age under the bad karma of being stung by a scorpion which somehow awakened his spiritual aptitude. What significance does a scorpion have in achieving enlightenment? I think his father may have had it right when he thought his son was under the influence of demonic powers.

There are also doctrinal contradictions which arise when facing his appeal to remove the social hierarchal system within Indian culture. The paradox is that if he holds to the retributive nature of karma, then the caste system becomes a necessary means by which to punish people as social outcasts in being born into a lower echelon of human existence and therefore to refute this system is to challenge the karmic forces which he prescribes to. I also wrote more about this at

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2010/02/16/hinduism-and-reincarnation/

Another contradiction of impossibility is to uphold the no harm policy of himsa which even the Jains through their strenuous and stringent efforts are not able to perfectly keep because it is very difficult to refrain from drinking microorganisms or trampling underfoot living beings as a part of their day to day living.

In conclusion I won’t go as far to support the claims of ex-members who have made allegations of abuse about Sai Baba and as far as I am concerned for now he remains innocent until he is formally tried and charged.

However, what I believe he is guilty of is his fraudulent claims as being a deity in which there is no credible evidence in proving himself to be a god.

My position on this matter is not one of needless slander but of observation and a challenge for you to rethink your position regarding the status of this man.

Like mother Theresa he may have been a great contributor to humanity but that doesn’t qualify him to be a divine avatar.

Also he has accomplished great things in life but to put him in the category as the Savior of the World is too gratuitous in light of the eternal work of Christ.

Finally Sai Baba’s father was an actor and it is said that Saytha is likewise gifted in the area of the fine arts and I am just wondering if this isn’t his drama and show by which he has followed in the footsteps of his father in taking the stage of a religious backdrop?

How to know God

Sai Baba Resources

Excerpts taken “From Handbook of World Religions, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission”

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Hare Krishna Resources

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Testimony of Hare Krishna coming to Christ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwyXaLon3I

Audio Resources

Written Bible

Watch the “Jesus Film”

Gods Plan of Salvation “The Four Spiritual Laws”

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Hare Krishna

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

The religion or sect that is called Hare Krishna or International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a movement that is steeped in Hindusitic thought. It is not original in all of its views as it borrows its influence and origins from its mother religion. Of course, there are differences in regards to what is believed but the face of the Hare Krishna can be clearly identified as the offspring of its mother religion of Vishnuism. This cultus was birthed as a way to personalize and popularize the concept of god unlike its Hindu counterpart which depicts their deities as being aloof.

When I lived in Dallas Texas we would go to the portion of the city which was called Deep Ellum and this was my first experience with ISKCON. Me being from rural Kansas this was quite a shock to see these bald, colorful and openly demonstrative people who were playing drums, chanting and dancing. At the time I did not not understand what all of this meant but now I realize that it has real significance to their religious ideologies.

This rhythmic style of worship is to be realized as a form of liberation due to chanting the mantra of its religious anthem in conveying the name of God as a magical component to somehow mysteriously and mindlessly release the inner knowledge of God. Its as if the words alone contain the magic to transform the ignorance of the person who is uttering them. Of course there is more to the equation than this but nevertheless this is a vital expression and a necessary component to their religious practices so much so that ideally they are to chant this mantra 108 times a day by using a type of rosary(japa mala) as a means of focusing in order to accomplish their goal. Even a stranger on the street could join in this mantra without any knowledge of Krishna and benefit from the life transforming power of these incomprehensible words.

All this however is very occultic in nature by which a person controls and manipulates words to satisfy the religious expression based on the joining of sounds, syllables, and phrases. It appears that through the endless repetitions that it could become almost trance like and monotone obtaining a hypnotic state that after a while the mouth is no longer conjoined with the sincerity of the heart of the worshipper . Although it is claimed that this response is not some form of artificial imposition on the mind I am skeptical as seeing it as just a tedious and endless vocative procedure. So what about a person who doesn’t have all of their mental or physical faculties and can not join into this devotional ritual to Krishna or how about someone who is handicapped and are not able to dance and clap their sins away? Does some one deem these incapacitated individuals as the product of bad karma and that they should just be given over to fate and hopefully with their next earthly assignment or rebirth they will be able to participate and benefit from this essential part of these religious expressions of faith?

This brings me to another controversial position which is common among the Eastern religions and that is the belief of samsara or reincarnation which is a central tenet to their religious views even though their seems to be no real evidence verifying this phenomena other than either personal deception or perhaps the influence of demonic inspiration upon the minds of those who hold to this concept.

Science is beginning to research this phenomena of life after death by means of gathering data through the testimonies of others to verify experiences that are beyond their ability as a terminal patient to control the death environment. I have blogged on life after death as based on near death and clinical death experiences and some have come back to tell their stories and much of what is being reported globally have concepts that relate more to a biblical view of life after death versus being reborn into another body only to go around again.

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2009/10/29/is-hell-real/

I think one of the major philosophical arguments against this position is how can a person be reformed when they would be ignorant of the sins committed in the previous life? Also how do you know if you have done enough to be released from the cycle and therefore since you don’t have the confidence of knowing where you came from or where you are going on this spiritual plane it would just lead to the fearful expectation of life and subsequent death or perhaps to a nihilistic view of living.

Also regarding the belief in the eternality of the soul, which conflicts with the notions of the empirical evidence of causality, how could this process be initiated since it would require a beginning point in time versus a timeless function and how would it be facilitated due to the temporal existence of the origins of the universe as seen through the telescopes and calculators of modern science?

Anyway in moving on I would like to discuss the contradictory nature of their views of God which on one hand are said to be monotheistic and yet on the other they uphold to the views of monism. They in essence do not see the idealized self or the one who attains Mukhti as a separate entity apart from their chief deity and once an individual reaches this elated spiritual state they are somehow reunited or absorbed back into the unity of the godhead. Yet I’m not for sure how god was originally divisible to begin with?

Paradoxically His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says that if anyone claims to be god then that person is a dog and yet essentially that is what this doctrine upholds. If this is the case then what of the supposed incarnation of god that was manifestly represented in the person of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

Another conflict to this movement is their supposed upholding of moral attributes which are commendable constituents in and of themselves yet they have been demonstrably lacking by its leaders and adherents as contrary to the essential nature of their salvific message of good works.

This movement has been shrouded in controversy and unlike the heyday of the 60‘s and 70‘s there seems to be less visibility to the spotlight that was once placed on its claim to fame. Some of this unholy exposure occurred after the death of their prestigious guru Prabhupada. It was at this point that the scandals of its leadership where brought into the light due to the inner power struggles culminating in the resignation of numerous leaders which led to the indictment and conviction of various leaders from such things as tax evasion, drug dealing and even murder. Ironically these men were to be committed to leading exemplar lives of holiness in the avoidance of wordily attachments and yet this cream of the crop was full of rotten apples.

Also the most surprising and disturbing aspect to this whole ordeal is that the chief diety Krishna is said to be able to participate in the pleasures of sin such as intoxication and fornication and yet the devotees are to restrain their indulgences which are consequential to their future state of being . This is untenable to have this kind of philosophy of do what I say and not as I do. The worshipper is to abstain from these things through devotion(Bhakti) in order to obtain liberation and then if they obtain the liberation or Mukhti then essentially they no longer need to abstain having been returned to the godhood and yet this all seems like some weird twist to logic which is incoherent and contradictory at best and at worst it is a lie which has cost the souls of many precious people who are caught up in the web of deception even at the price of renouncing their name and family affliation.

Finally Hare Krishna movement like other Indian religious groups relegate a sense of oneness to varied religious expressions. Yet practically speaking they have maintained exclusivity in their beliefs as a unique expression of faith versus a conglomeration of various religious views. Yet their portrayal of God as being represented as Allah, Jehovah, Buddha, etc. is antithetical in nature and if you were to study these other varied world religions you would see that their doctrine of theology is incompatible to one another.

Lastly Jesus is regarded by the observants of the Hare Krishna movement as the Son of Krishna and I would like to share with you Jesus’ words as taken from his disciples.

To begin with Jesus never saw that mankind was solely self sufficient in being able to achieve for himself the dimension of moral perfection outside of the intervention of God. We see an example of this from the biblical witness of the rich young man in Matthew 19 who in summary was moralistic in his behavior more so than your average Holy Joe which left even Jesus touched and yet he failed the test because of his riches which led his disciples to question then how is it possible for someone to be saved and Jesus replied with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.

The rich young man perhaps approached Jesus with a sense of self confidence much like sometimes we do when we compare our actions with others and perhaps we become like the religious zealots of Jesus day who would rehearse in prayer all of their righteous deeds before God and never realize their failures and sins and yet it was the despised and socially outcast tax collector who in his humility cried out in mercy to God to save him and therefore it was him who walked away justified that day, Luke 18.

Jesus came to liberate and save us by forgiving us of our sins and restoring us into a proper relationship with God(Matthew 1:21) and He also has caused us to be born again which is not to be confused with rebirth the former has to do with changing and transforming our internal nature while the latter has to do with reconstructing the molecular structure of the outwardly physical exterior. One was a change of hearts and the other is only a change of parts, John 3.

Regarding prayer Jesus says in Matthew 6:5-8 ⁵“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says ²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

He also declares John 8:36 ³⁶So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I know that I have said many challenging and hard things in my post and my desire is to never intentionally offend anyone. Yet my primary contention is with the institution even though I know the institution is personal as it is managed by people. I suppose from this perspective the points that I made can not be handled in some kind of impersonal vacuum and therefore it appears hostile and critical not just from a managerial position but from the heart of every practitioner to whom these concerns are regarded as sacred. I want to reassure you that my intention is altruistic and all I ask is for you to perhaps rethink or review your position from a objective view versus a subjective experience. To look beyond your religious culture and to pursue truth wherever it may lead you. If you are open I would like to share with you from my religious perspective as I have included other related links in communicating to you my thoughts. May God bless you in this endeavor.

How to know God

Hare Krishna Resources

“From the Handbook of World Religions,published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Posted in English | 2 Comments »

Hindu Resources

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Ravi Zacharias (former Hindu)

www.rzim.org/resources.aspx

A testimony of an orthodox Hindu Brahmin who received Jesus

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbToQCbZOOo

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Hinduism and Reincarnation

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Reincarnation is what many of the eastern religions conceptualize as a way of dealing with the karmic consequences of life after death. Hindus see life in a cyclical view of birth, death, and rebirths known as Samsara which is a direct result from the previous right and wrong actions that were administered by the individual in their former life(s) with a goal to reach the desired state of Moksha or Mukti, which is a form of salvation from the Samsara. So the ultimate fulfillment of the Hindu is to be released from this wheel of existence of “what goes around comes around” in order to achieve some form of purified state.
Some of the methods to accomplish this final state of existence or salvation comes as a person undergoes the rigors of performing yogas based upon the elements of knowledge, devotion, and works in order to finally liberate one’s soul or atman from the materialistic realm.

However, this system of belief is not provable though it is accepted and embraced by the practitioners of the faith as a cultural expression of their religious beliefs. I recently posted a blog on life after death based on the interviews of individuals and doctors who have encompassed the globe in a search for some form of empirical data concerning this phenomena of life after death and based on their research people were experiencing either a hellish or heavenly realm as described by the biblical accounts of the after life rather than these temporal purgatorial types of judgments by means of recurrent lives.

jesusandjews.com/wordpress/2009/10/29/is-hell-real/

To begin with I do believe Hinduism does recognize the problem of evil and the consequences of this reality yet their views on how this is regulated varies from the data of these near death experiences that I have previously mentioned and the biblical record.

In Romans1 and 2 it states how that God has given mankind a moral compass which is hardwired in the mainframe of our being as a spiritual barometer of right and wrong to indicate to us the base nature of sin and the concept of justice or judgment. This knowledge is common and it is what makes us human yet it is the outworking of this moral dilemma that creates a divergence in Christian belief versus Hindu thought in appropriating the consequential ideas of this innate intelligence.

The bible supports a man is to die once and then face the judgment while the Hindu believes in the transmigration of the soul which leads into a renewal of ones existence resulting from a cause and effect type of relationship which will hopefully culminate sooner or later into a desired state of being.

Some of the problems that I have observed in regards to a Hinduistic worldview, which I believe are in conflict or contradictory to the sanctity of human life, is seen through treating certain animals and trees with more decency and respect than a human being. What I am referring to are the people who have been labeled and classified as the Dalits or the “untouchables” which make up almost a fifth of India’s population.

This form of racism which is much like slavery in some instances has been formally outlawed by the government but it is informally upheld by the majority of the Hindu people within Indian society.

In reality this religious oppression helps to control the political and social structures of society by depending upon these types of individuals to perform their menial tasks as servants in supporting the success of their culture and therefore this degrading and debilitating behavior towards these lower caste members are tolerated by the government as a necessary evil.

These people are said to have been born to a lower position in life due to the consequences of bad karma therefore resulting in this fatalistic habitation of oppression. Yet I wonder how the Hindu philosophy of Ahimsa can avoid its no harm policy towards these individuals who are the dregs of society.

Christian missionaries have shared the love of Christ to the Dalit’s in displaying to them the high view that God has given all mankind and the radical Hindus have revolted against this effort in forsaking Ahisma by attacking and harming both Christian Dalits and missionaries.

Yet what they are protesting is their loss of control over the maintenance of their system and they have resorted to violence and fear tactics which are contradictory to there religious views which would portray them as pacifists.

For some Hindus, Ahimsa means abstaining from meat and sacrifices yet is it acceptable to sacrifice this so called lower caste people in order to satisfy the gods of Hinduism?

Also another point of contention is the wrong assumption in Hindu thought that there is an infinite regress to human life and yet on the other hand Hindu belief supports a finite earth. Science has also asserted the position to a finite universe through their telescopes by the observation of an ongoing universal expansion that has resulted from a beginning phase termed “The big bang.”

To conjecture that the human soul is infinitely present in the finite realm of existence is just nonsensical.

Therefore if life is integral to finitude than how did the first humans appear and how did they come to participate in the cosmic realm of karma if they didn’t preexist. In other words what necessitates the first birth considering there were no previous actions committed by a non existent entity? Somehow did god undergo a big bang and now we have to piece him back together through the efforts of Moksha?

So if the evidence points towards a starting point of time how did life as we know it originate and what prompted the first birth since birthing is a result of this karmic cycle.

Also another matter as related to karma is how can you be responsible for actions that you are unaware of in the former life or how will you know whether or not you have done enough in this life to appease for former responses? Who knows where one is and where one is going and ultimately where one will end up? This only leads a person into a form of nihilism or hopelessness. In the end a person is left without a determinative plan that would secure them in obtaining the critical element of Moksha.

Also how about the hopelessness of those who would be reincarnated as lower life forms such as bugs and animals who instinctively don’t have the capacity to perform the duties of yoga or what hope is there for an individual who is contemplating their future life as a maggot?

If Indian culture is the Zenith and the spiritual center of the world which has access to the expertise of the gurus then why, based upon the logic of an enlightened society, are there so many more karmic sinners in India. After all 2/3 of all leprosy cases and over half of the blind people in the world dwell within the epicenter of this faith.

Lastly is seems to me that this broken wheel of belief can not support or carry the load of the worshippers who have harnessed the sacred cow of Hinduism which is being guided by the reigns of the gurus in the hopes of it leading them to its ultimate or final destination.

Then again this whole system may just be an illusory mirage or maya that is sent to deceive a person into believing a philosophy that has no ultimate reality anyway.

Finally I know I have said some hard things and I do not desire to be disrespectful to my Hindu friends but I would challenge them to think beyond the cultural boundaries of their faith that has kept them from contemplating their religious system of belief. Again I am sorry if I offended anyone through this post yet it is never easy to challenge without appearing to be offensive and all I hope is that you take a moment in your spiritual journey to reflect on the validity of the truth claims concerning your beliefs.

In conclusion I believe there is hope for all people of which Jesus offers but not through the religious efforts of do’s and don’ts but rather through the simplicity of trusting in His person and work which will liberate you from the emptiness of your soul and the guilt of a condemned conscious by leading you out of the idea of rebirth towards a new birth.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 ²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

How to know God
Hindu Resources
English Articles on Hinduism

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