(1) What is Hinduism? Answer: Hinduism is the world’s oldest living tradition. Hindus prefer to call their tradition "Sanatan Dharma" – the universal tradition without a beginning and without an end, because the concepts it believes in are ageless and timeless. It’s not only a belief, but also a way of life. It is peace loving and culturally rich There is a saying that : Sanatan Dharma is timeless in its concepts, rich in its diversity, wise in its age, practical in its morality, enthusiastic in its festivals and thoughtful in its philosophy. Today Hindus worldwide can be proud of their ancient tradition and believe that this saying is the truth. (2) What do Hindus believe? Answer: There are principle 4 beliefs of Sanatan Dharma. They are: 1. Avatarvad: Manifestation of God on earth. God Himself incarnates on earth in various forms to establish dharma and grant liberation. 2. Murti Puja: Worship of God’s images and His different manifestations. Consecrated images represent the presence of God which is worshipped. The images help devotees offer their devotion to God. 3. Law of Karma: Karma means action. This means we receive the good and bad fruits of our past actions now, and we also have to bear the good and bad fruits of our present actions in the future. 4. Punarjanma (Reincarnation). Our souls are born and reborn in one of the 8,400,000 species until we attain liberation. (3) What is Prarthna? Answer: Prarthna is a way to communicate with God. By offering prayers to God we thank Him, ask Him for forgiveness for the mistakes we might have made, and ask Him to help us become enlightened and attain peace in our lives. God hears all prayers that come from the heart at all times of the day. By offering prayers to the Supreme God, we are able to live our lives without worries and stress, because we know that God will take care of us. (4) What is AUM? Answer: AUM is a divine sound. AUM was the first sound of creation from which life was formed. By chanting AUM it generates a creative and divine energy. The ‘A’ is the sound emanating from the base of the throat, ‘U’ is produced by the impulse rolling forward in the mouth and ‘M’ is produced by closing the lips. So ‘AUM’ covers the full range of sounds and the entire phenomenon of sound. AUM also symbolizes the three-fold functions of God: creation, preservation and destruction. (5) Why do we need a guru? Answer: A teacher is needed to guide us through school. Our parents are needed to guide us through our lives. A guru is needed to guide us on the spiritual path. Only a true guru knows how to reach God. We have to accept a true guru who embodies the saintly qualities of God as described in the Hindu shastras. A true guru is the only person who can guide us on the correct spiritual path that will lead us to moksh.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 05:51:06 +0000
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