What is God? A Hindu Perspective: Metaphysics & Philosophy
PublishedAugust 1, 2010
en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org The Vedas are the supreme authority for all orthodox schools. Six systems (Samkhya, Yoga, Vedanta, Mimamsa, Nyaya, and Vaiseshika) belong to the Astika Darsana, the term Darsana literally meaning “vision,” vision of the Absolute Truth. Astika means theist. On the other hand, Charvaka (materialism), Jainism and Buddhism, for instance are termed Nastika, ie not based on the Vedas. Each of the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Saman and Atharvan) is again divided into four sections, namely, Samhita (collection of hymns), Brahmanas (treatises on sacrifices and rituals), Aranyakas (“forest books” for hermits about sacrifices and contemplation), and the Upanishads, dealing with deeper metaphysics and theosophical speculations. Reincarnation (samsara) is the practical way in which one reaps the fruits of one’s deeds. The self is forced to enter a new material existence until all karmic debt is paid – “By means of thought, touch, sight and passions and by the abundance of food and drink there are birth and development of the (embodied) self. According to his deeds, the embodied self assumes successively various forms in various conditions” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 5,11). Arjuna inquired, “Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifest?” (Bhagavad Gita 12.1). Krsna, Supreme Personality of Godhead said, “Those who fix their minds on My …
25 Responses to What is God? A Hindu Perspective: Metaphysics & Philosophy
Brahmalokah? san?tanah? is Vaikun?t?ha, kingdom of God – the loka or abode of Brahman, or the Supreme Lord with eternal spiritual planets. Brahmalokah? san?tanah? is not the same as the Satyaloka planetary system (planet in which Brahm? resides). To distinguish between the two, the adjective san?tana has been used in this case.
They say that god is “the unknowable” and then say they know what it is, and then attach a name to it, “Hinduism”, and then make an entire religion with outfits and pictures and everything…
@anu123km About the caste system.
Do you know how it is described in the Vedas? There is no problem with it. It has been exploited by people themselves. Caste system was merely a designation based on the profession you choose to take up. The caste you have isn’t decided by birth. For example a Sudra could choose to be a Brahmana.
The basic tenants of Hinduism (as presented here) has a resonance for me, far beyond my (rejected) christian up-bringing, though I have no qualms eating dead flesh for life feeds upon life. I’m vaguely spooked to see so many of my personal suspicions about ( ) have already been in existence for so long. I knew nothing of Hinduism, and really still don’t. That symbol in the vid -I’ve seen that in my mind’s eye before. What is it?
@anu123km It’s just rare for any religious person to ever find a flaw in their obviously false perception of reality. In error they believe they know all, therefore they think there is nothing more to learn. All they have is Vague passages in some book that doesn’t mean squat to me. Emotional pleas and False data mixed with Lies is all they offer. While they brainwash your children and empty your wallet. Their proof is Wild claims that can be proven by more unprovable totally insane claims.
@anu123km anyways hinduism says-
what is knowledge?..knowledge is that which frees us..frees from what?..from the boundries/framwork of our own thinking and imaginations…
@GodKillerAtheist i can understand why u have more fun arguing with muslims…even i love arguing with them….well i am hindu since birth as born to hindu parents in india….but never been a practising hindu and serious differences with many things in hindu religion and society…had been near atheist several time in my life…last was 1 and a half year back….free thinking back and forth…where the mind and knowledge leads me…
@anu123km I think I have more fun arguing with Muslims Hinduism sounds boring. One last question so I can understand something precisely. Are you a hindu and if yes since how long, birth?
@GodKillerAtheist well many…to start with-caste system which even though is greatly weaken and withering away remains the greates weakness of hindu society, other ofcourse superstition especially in rural area(it a religion after all)….but i have noticed one thing that almost nobody today in hindu society argues on the basis of book(s) or religion says so, hindus are goverened by secular laws rather than religious law unlike say muslims here in india who are goverend by their retarded sharia
@GodKillerAtheist not necessary in isalmic or christian sense…infact a lot of people dont even pray formally especially young people who are more into meditation etc than formal rituals…..as said before its not a dogmatic religoin fixed in meaning & frozen in time but a highly fluid one which changes according to time constantly……..
@GodKillerAtheist @GodKillerAtheist i follow hinduism because it makes most sense than anyother religion,it says 1)only one thing is unchanging in the world -change it self 2)unity of all as all things as they are ultimately made up of same neutral constituents-atoms 3)evrtything rises from same energy source and merges back to it. 4) freedom of conscience-everyone has the? right to his/her own path to divine. HIndusim talks about- dharma, artha (money is honey),kam(desire) and moksha.
@GodKillerAtheist well i only suggested that you start from him…..i dont belong to any school as such becoz i dont think that any school of thoght can give u perfect knowledge and anyways knowledge has to be updated with time….also never had time to study all the schools in depth too busy in my economics….
C?rv?ka is not considered to be part of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. =) I’m more intrested in the 6 orthodox schools and not the Atheistic one that was considered invalid. +)
i think you should read about hindu philosophy you will certainly enjoy it…there are several schools of philosophy but you can start with charvak’s he was a formidable atheist and god(s) slayer of his time!! have fun….
@GodKillerAtheist hinduism does not claim to be the only on true religion or even absolute truth. It has a very strong atheist discourse build in its philosophy. The first book of hinduism Rigveda openly questions existence of god in famous verse about creation when its says (about how universe came into existence) “may be he knows or may be even he not for when there was nothing from where he came from”….
@GodKillerAtheist i follow hinduism because it makes most sense than anyother religion,it says 1)only one thing is unchanging in the world -change it self 2)unity of all as all things as they are ultimately made up of same neutral constituents-atoms 3)evrtything rises from same energy source and merges back to it. 4) freedom of conscience-everyone has the right? to his/her own path to truth.
@GodKillerAtheist oh yup we can may have a cube of time or something more if fourth dimension is discovered….hindu philosophers were trying to discover truth and in 10000 BC or 2000 BC or even in 4th AD they could only hypothesize….just tell me when was the last time hindus or even hindu extremists opposed stem cell research or some other scientific research on the basis of religion?
@anu123km “questioning god , rejecting god and challenging god is acceptable in hinduism”
Sounds boring. IF I had no one to pwne with the most basic of logic every morning I’d have to start drinking coffee to wake up and we can’t have that. I must rally against this horrible Hinduism. You guys eat all the first born babies correct?
@GodKillerAtheist i follow hinduism because it makes most sense than anyother religion,it says 1)only one thing is unchanging in the world -change it self 2)unity of all as all things as they are ultimately made up of same neutral constituents-atoms 3)evrtything rises from same energy source and merges back to it. 4) freedom of conscience-everyone has the? right to his/her own path to divine.
HIndu leaders dont say hinduism is right and other are wrong because of 4th point…
@wavyinfinity
hey bro …
we don’t know God means we can’t describe the mysteries of the Almighty …
and we know God means that we know he is present …
Brahmalokah? san?tanah? is Vaikun?t?ha, kingdom of God – the loka or abode of Brahman, or the Supreme Lord with eternal spiritual planets. Brahmalokah? san?tanah? is not the same as the Satyaloka planetary system (planet in which Brahm? resides). To distinguish between the two, the adjective san?tana has been used in this case.
Hinduism is bollocks…
They say that god is “the unknowable” and then say they know what it is, and then attach a name to it, “Hinduism”, and then make an entire religion with outfits and pictures and everything…
bollocks.
@anu123km About the caste system.
Do you know how it is described in the Vedas? There is no problem with it. It has been exploited by people themselves. Caste system was merely a designation based on the profession you choose to take up. The caste you have isn’t decided by birth. For example a Sudra could choose to be a Brahmana.
The basic tenants of Hinduism (as presented here) has a resonance for me, far beyond my (rejected) christian up-bringing, though I have no qualms eating dead flesh for life feeds upon life. I’m vaguely spooked to see so many of my personal suspicions about ( ) have already been in existence for so long. I knew nothing of Hinduism, and really still don’t. That symbol in the vid -I’ve seen that in my mind’s eye before. What is it?
@GodKillerAtheist well i agree to most of waht u say…..i think that now i will deabte with some muslim fan of zakir naik….
@anu123km It’s just rare for any religious person to ever find a flaw in their obviously false perception of reality. In error they believe they know all, therefore they think there is nothing more to learn. All they have is Vague passages in some book that doesn’t mean squat to me. Emotional pleas and False data mixed with Lies is all they offer. While they brainwash your children and empty your wallet. Their proof is Wild claims that can be proven by more unprovable totally insane claims.
@anu123km anyways hinduism says-
what is knowledge?..knowledge is that which frees us..frees from what?..from the boundries/framwork of our own thinking and imaginations…
@GodKillerAtheist i can understand why u have more fun arguing with muslims…even i love arguing with them….well i am hindu since birth as born to hindu parents in india….but never been a practising hindu and serious differences with many things in hindu religion and society…had been near atheist several time in my life…last was 1 and a half year back….free thinking back and forth…where the mind and knowledge leads me…
@anu123km I think I have more fun arguing with Muslims Hinduism sounds boring. One last question so I can understand something precisely. Are you a hindu and if yes since how long, birth?
@GodKillerAtheist well many…to start with-caste system which even though is greatly weaken and withering away remains the greates weakness of hindu society, other ofcourse superstition especially in rural area(it a religion after all)….but i have noticed one thing that almost nobody today in hindu society argues on the basis of book(s) or religion says so, hindus are goverened by secular laws rather than religious law unlike say muslims here in india who are goverend by their retarded sharia
@anu123km very strange. What flaws do you find with Hinduism? anything will do.
@GodKillerAtheist not necessary in isalmic or christian sense…infact a lot of people dont even pray formally especially young people who are more into meditation etc than formal rituals…..as said before its not a dogmatic religoin fixed in meaning & frozen in time but a highly fluid one which changes according to time constantly……..
@anu123km it actually sounds very boring. But don’t get me wrong I’m grateful for your information. Tell me do they pray in Hinduism? is it necessary?
@GodKillerAtheist @GodKillerAtheist i follow hinduism because it makes most sense than anyother religion,it says 1)only one thing is unchanging in the world -change it self 2)unity of all as all things as they are ultimately made up of same neutral constituents-atoms 3)evrtything rises from same energy source and merges back to it. 4) freedom of conscience-everyone has the? right to his/her own path to divine. HIndusim talks about- dharma, artha (money is honey),kam(desire) and moksha.
@GodKillerAtheist well i only suggested that you start from him…..i dont belong to any school as such becoz i dont think that any school of thoght can give u perfect knowledge and anyways knowledge has to be updated with time….also never had time to study all the schools in depth too busy in my economics….
C?rv?ka is not considered to be part of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. =) I’m more intrested in the 6 orthodox schools and not the Atheistic one that was considered invalid. +)
What school are you a part of tell me.
i think you should read about hindu philosophy you will certainly enjoy it…there are several schools of philosophy but you can start with charvak’s he was a formidable atheist and god(s) slayer of his time!! have fun….
@GodKillerAtheist hinduism does not claim to be the only on true religion or even absolute truth. It has a very strong atheist discourse build in its philosophy. The first book of hinduism Rigveda openly questions existence of god in famous verse about creation when its says (about how universe came into existence) “may be he knows or may be even he not for when there was nothing from where he came from”….
@GodKillerAtheist i follow hinduism because it makes most sense than anyother religion,it says 1)only one thing is unchanging in the world -change it self 2)unity of all as all things as they are ultimately made up of same neutral constituents-atoms 3)evrtything rises from same energy source and merges back to it. 4) freedom of conscience-everyone has the right? to his/her own path to truth.
@GodKillerAtheist oh yup we can may have a cube of time or something more if fourth dimension is discovered….hindu philosophers were trying to discover truth and in 10000 BC or 2000 BC or even in 4th AD they could only hypothesize….just tell me when was the last time hindus or even hindu extremists opposed stem cell research or some other scientific research on the basis of religion?
@anu123km why not a cube of time? the whole wheel sounds terribly flawed.
@anu123km “questioning god , rejecting god and challenging god is acceptable in hinduism”
Sounds boring. IF I had no one to pwne with the most basic of logic every morning I’d have to start drinking coffee to wake up and we can’t have that. I must rally against this horrible Hinduism. You guys eat all the first born babies correct?
@GodKillerAtheist i follow hinduism because it makes most sense than anyother religion,it says 1)only one thing is unchanging in the world -change it self 2)unity of all as all things as they are ultimately made up of same neutral constituents-atoms 3)evrtything rises from same energy source and merges back to it. 4) freedom of conscience-everyone has the? right to his/her own path to divine.
HIndu leaders dont say hinduism is right and other are wrong because of 4th point…
@GodKillerAtheist no silly heaven and hell or end of the world but wheel of time…