1. Dr. Ashok Agarwal Victoria Hindu Temple
Hinduism
Dr. Ashok Agarwal
Victoria Hindu Temple
4/24/2017

2. Outline Introduction Hinduism and humanity Respect for Earth
Science and religion
Hinduism in the community
Recent changes
4/24/2017

3. Introduction What are the four aims? What is “Om” and its importance?
What is meditation, bhakti, sadhana or devotion?
What is yoga?
4/24/2017

4. What are the four aims?
Hindus organize their lives around certain activities or "purusharthas." These are called the "four aims of Hinduism.“
Dharma: righteousness in their religious life
Artha: success in their economic life; material prosperity
Kama: gratification of the senses; pleasure; sensual, sexual, and mental  enjoyment
Moksha: Liberation from "samsara,"  
4/24/2017

5. What is “Om” and its importance?
"Om" is a holy word often spoken during the practice of any Hindu rites.
Represents the trinity of three supreme Gods
Brahma – the creator
Vishnu – the preserver
Shiva – the destroyer
Reincarnations of Lord Vishnu
Lord Rama (Ramayana)
Lord Krishna (Mahabharata and the Gita)
Gita narrates the meaning of life, karma, moksha, atma, and parmatma
Man is mortal…the soul is immortal!
4/24/2017

6. What is meditation, bhakti, sadhana or devotion?
It is essentially a language of love
This alone can give us the bliss of God-realization
Sadhana serves to attract the devotee’s attention to the Lord
This makes the devotee free from sorrow and suffering, and reveals Himself (God) before the devotee
4/24/2017

7. What is yoga? Method of keeping us in control of
our body, mind and actions
One must master these four types of yoga
Jnana yoga – the path of knowledge
Bhakti yoga – the path of devotion
Karma yoga – the path of action
Raja yoga – the path based on control of one’s actions and thoughts
Having learnt these, the body can be detached from the soul.
Achieve union with the supreme self or God.
4/24/2017

8. 10 Common Hinduism Questions
Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?
Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers
Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?
Yes, we believe the soul (without body) is immortal and takes birth again and again.
What is Karma?
Karma is the universal principal of cause and effect. Both good and bad karma not only decide our fate (sorrow and happiness) in the present life, but also in future life.
4/24/2017

9. 10 Common Hinduism Questions
Why do Hindus worship the cow?
By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor the creatures as well.
Are Hindus idol worshipers?
We worship God through the image so that we can commune with Him and receive His blessings.
Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?
Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way of life to not hurt living creatures.
Do Hindus have a Bible?
Our “Bible” is called the Veda which means “wisdom” and which reveals the word of God.
4/24/2017

10. 10 Common Hinduism Questions
Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?
It represents a divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu.
Are the Gods of Hinduism really married?
It is true that God is often depicted with a spouse in traditional stories, a symbol of love between husband and wife.
What about caste and untouchability?
Caste is the hereditary division of Indian society based on occupation (priests, warriors, business people, and workers). The lowest caste, untouchables, suffer from discrimination. It is now illegal in India.
4/24/2017

11. Hinduism and Humanity Code of Conduct Nonviolence (ahimsa)
Truthfulness
Patience
Compassion
Honesty
Purity
Giving
Faith in God
4/24/2017

12. Hinduism and Humanity According to Mahatma Gandhi, love, sacrifice
and truthfulness leads to comfort and pleasure
in everyday life.
Gandhi’s use of nonviolence was a strong weapon in achieving India’s independence
Pluralism
Hinduism promotes not only tolerance and respect for differences in belief and religion, but also acceptance of those paths as legitimate
4/24/2017

13. Respect for Earth
Hinduism teaches us the need to care for the Earth and all its beings by not killing animals and plants
Hindus worship mountains, oceans and the planets as God, to give respect for both earthly and heavenly things
Vegetarianism has been advocated for many centuries.
According to reincarnation all souls upon death are reborn in another body. Hence there is no difference between an animal soul and a human soul. We should respect every soul.
4/24/2017

14. Science and Religion
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. Albert Einstein
The roiling mystery of the world can be analyzed with concepts (this is science), or it can be experienced free of concepts (this is mysticism). Sam Harris
Scientific discoveries often take years to uncover the truth.
Spiritual leaders spend years, before finally achieving enlightenment.
4/24/2017

15. Science and Religion
God
Religion
4/24/2017

16. Science and Religion
Science and spirituality are the two different ways of seeking answers to life's questions
Technology and religion are to make living and dying more comfortable
Hinduism + Science sometimes agree and sometimes don’t
Hindus believe that the body dies, but the soul never dies; science disagrees.
Hindu astrology accurately maps the positions of heavenly bodies
4/24/2017

17. Hinduism in the Community
Community temple brings together people to share ideas and knowledge
Most Hindu knowledge is transferred by word of mouth at community gatherings
Children learn through cultural games, crafts and stories
Priest presents insight into various religious beliefs and practices
Prayers and devotional songs are sung
In Victoria we have the Victoria Hindu Temple
We meet every week on Saturday evenings and provide dinner after prayer
Everyone is welcome
4/24/2017

18. Recent Changes Traditional Hinduism Modern Hinduism
Derives origins from Aryans
Basic ideas are from the Vedas
Modern Hinduism
Hinduism has no notion of conversion (born Hindu)
Preserve existing beliefs and ideologies
Self-defensive, self-assertive, and even aggressive
More worldwide acceptance of Hindu ideologies
Spread of yoga, nonviolence and vegetarianism
Organizations such as ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), and Ramakrishna Mission
4/24/2017

19. Final Thoughts
Hinduism is a whole and complete view of life, characterized by wide tolerance and deep humanity.
It is a religion of love, goodness, kindness, and sacrifice.
It welcomes all religions.
“Giving rather than taking in life” should be our motto to bring peace and harmony in this modern world.
4/24/2017

20. Prayer O mighty God! we are yours
Bless us always so we may do good, and never do bad,
So we may die happily !!
Whenever there is a rise in crimes, take care of us;
Even when others do bad, we do good;
We should never have feelings of revenge;
All our efforts should be towards love,
So there is no hatred around us !!
Darkness is spreading around us, man is confused and without goal;
Our "hope of happiness" is dying;
But only your light can remove darkness and illuminate our life !!
We are truly yours !!
4/24/2017