Satnam Satnam Satnam Je

Nine Beliefs of Hinduism

1 Hindus believe in the divinity of the Vedas, the world’s most ancient scripture,and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymn sare God’s word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma,the eternal religion which has neither beginning nor end.

2 Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent,both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

3 Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

4 Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.

5 Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

6 Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacramentsas well as personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.

7 Hindus believe that a spiritually awakened master,or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct,purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry and meditation.

8 Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, “noninjury.”

9 Hindus believe that no particular religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine religious paths are facets of God’s Pure Love and Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Ten Questions people ask About Hinduism............. and Ten terrific answers!

Humanity’s most profound faith is now a global phenomenon.Students, teachers, neighbors and friends are full of questions.Misconceptions prevail. Here are ten thoughtful answers you can use to instill correct understanding and set the record straight.

1. Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?

Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who Created the universe. He is all-pervasive. He created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers.

2. Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?

Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually.Finally we graduate from physical birth.

3. What is karma?

Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become better people.

4. Why do Hindus worship the cow?

Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures.

5. Are Hindus idol worshipers?

Hindus do not worship a stone or metal “idol” as God. We worship God through the image. We invoke the presence of God from the higher, unseen worlds, into the image so that we can commune with Him and receive His blessings.

6. Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?

Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings. But in today’s world not all Hindus are vegetarians.

7. Do Hindus have a Bible?

Our “Bible” is called the Veda. The Veda, which means“wisdom,” is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere as the revealed word of God.

8. Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

The dot worn on the forehead is a religious symbol.It represents divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu. For women, it is also a beauty mark.

9. Are the Gods of Hinduism really married?

It is true that God is often depicted with a spouse in our traditional stories. However, on a deeper, philosophical level, the Supreme Being and the Gods are neither male nor female and are therefore not married.

10. What about caste and un touch ability?

Caste is the hereditary division of Indian society based on occupation.The lowest class, deemed untouchables, suffer from discrimination and mistreatment. It is illegal in India to discriminate against, abuse or insult anyone on the basis of caste.

What do we mean by the word "Hindu" and "Hinduism"?

Hinduism differs from other organized religions in the following aspects:

It is not based upon a particular founder.
It is not based upon a particular book.
It is not controlled by a central institution or authority such as a church or a sangha or association.
It is not averse to examine and assimilate fundamentally diverse thoughts and beliefs into its system.
It accepts other religions as various paths to salvation and does not favor organized attempts to proselytize people.
It has been evolving continuously, through internal reforms and as a reaction to the threats and challenges without.

Is Hinduism a Religion ?

Truly speaking, when we talk of Hinduism, we do not know whether we are talking about a religion, or a group of religions, or a group of beliefs and traditions, some of which are diametrically opposed to each other. This some times gives rise to the argument that Hinduism cannot be considered as a religion in the strictest sense of the word, but as a complex theology that incorporates into itself many religious thoughts, practices, doctrines and world views.

How old is Hinduism ?

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions of the world. It is undoubtedly the oldest of the living religions. Hidden in its layers are traces of many ancient practices that have been erased completely over time from the memories of the earth. Many scholars north of the equator may not agree with these statements because most of them read or believe that the history of the world began in Greece, meandered through medieval Europe and then moved on through the imperialism of Europe and the industrialization of the new world. For them the world beyond the Mediterranean in ancient times was mostly barbaric and where it was civilized was but a poor imitation of the Greek and Roman traditions. While ancient people believed that the earth was flat and lived in little worlds of their own, many educated people in the western world presently think and speak as if the world begins in Europe and ends in America! The European historians of early 20th century grudgingly accepted the period of Indian history as beginning around 2500 B.C. with the supposed origin of its predecessor, the Vedic religion. But this is not true. Hinduism is a much older religion, whose antiquity is difficult to fathom. It is a tradition that evolved out of the amalgamation of numerous cultures and practices, not just Vedic religion. Just as it is very difficult to trace the origin of mankind itself, it is difficult to measure the antiquity of Hinduism.


The Evidence

The antiquity of Hinduism can be better estimated from the astronomical evidence available in the Hindu Scriptures, the folk-traditions and anthropological studies peculiar to the Indian sub-continent, and some geographical and etymological references mentioned in the Vedic literature. These evidences suggest that what we understand as Hinduism today, has a long and checkered history of at least 6000 years or more.

10 Hinduism and The Secret History of The Law of Attraction

Hindu Festivals Calender 2011

January 2011

01 Saturday New Year
05 Wednesday Guru Govind Singh Jayanti
13 Wednesday Lohri
14 Thursday Makar Sankranti

February 2011

02 Wednesday Mauni Amavasya
08 Tuesday Vasant Panchami
14 Sunday Valentines Day

March 2011

02 Wednesday Mahashivratri
19 Saturday Holi
20 Sunday Hola Mohalla
21 Monday Navroz

April 2011

04 Monday Chaitri Navratri Arambh
04 Monday Gudi Padva
04 Monday Bikrami Samvat (Hindu New Year)
11 Monday Durga Ashtmi
12 Tuesday Ram Navmi
14 Thursday Baisakhi
17 Sunday Mahavir Jayanti
18 Monday Hanuman Jayanti
22 Friday Good Friday

May 2011

06 Friday Akhand Teej / Parshuram Jayanti
08 Sunday Mother's Day
17 Tuesday Buddha Jayanti / Buddha Purnima

June 2011

12 Sunday Bhim / Nirjala Ekadashi
15 Wednesday Shri Kabir Sahib Jayanti / Purnima
21 Thursday Ganga Dussehra
16 Thursday Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Nanakshahi Calendar)
19 Sunday Father's Day

July 2011

03 Sunday Rath Yatra
15 Friday Guru Poornima

August 2011

04 Thursday Naag Panchami
07 Sunday Friendship Day
13 Saturday Rakhi /Raksha Bandhan
14 Sunday Independence Day
22 Monday Sri Krishna Janmashtami

September 2011

01 Thursday Ganesh Chaturathi
01 Thursday Onam
05 Monday Teachers Day
28 Wednesday Navaratra Begins

October 2011

02 Sunday Gandhi Jayanti
06 Thursday Dussehra
16 Sunday Karva Chauth
24 Monday Dhan Teras
26 Wednesday Diwali
27 Thursday Govardhan Puja
28 Friday Bhai Duj
31 Monday Halloween

November 2011

10 Thursday Guru Nanak Jayanti
14 Monday Children's Day
24 Thursday Thanksgiving Day


December 2011

06 Tuesday Shri Mad Bhagwat Geeta Jayanti
20 Tuesday Hanukkah (After Sunset) (Till 28th December)
25 Sunday Christmas