Hinduism - Millions of Gods

[Forsaken]

Hinduism has millions of Gods. So why are Hindu's still so fucked up in their own country?

[Erinome]

Because none of them are the right god.

[fractal_mindscapes]

Hinduism has millions of Gods. So why are Hindu's still so fucked up in their own country?

That's not correct, its an idea that was perpetuated by western scholars who misunderstood the Hindu scriptures. What it was referring to were the Hindu Devas, which are a class of beings that do not have a physical body. However, they do not enjoy eternal existence and end up being reborn at some point just like everything else.

The early Vedic scriptures did reference multiple gods and goddesses, but there number was not even remotely close to the millions - maybe a few dozen or so. While Hinduism today does still revolve around multiple deities they are often reduced to three. There is Brahmā, Vishnu, and Shiva and represent the creation, maintenance, and eventual dissolution of the universe respectively.

When you start probing deeper into Hindu thought you find out that at the fundamental core of the religion it actually becomes monotheistic. Actually, pantheistic would probably be a better descriptor since Brahman, the 'One God', is 'everything'. Where as in the monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam there is a clear distinction between the creator and creation - when it comes to the Brahman in Hinduism such a distinction doesn't exist nor would it make any sense. Its not a figure or an identity, more of the projection of the consciousness that is 'Existence'.

[KichigaiNeko]

What makes you think that India is "fucked up"?

It works fine....for India.... Just because Anglo-Saxon minds can't fathom it is no reason to condemn it..

This is my thinking

[Forsaken]

Hinduism has millions of Gods. So why are Hindu's still so fucked up in their own country?

That's not correct, its an idea that was perpetuated by western scholars who misunderstood the Hindu scriptures. What it was referring to were the Hindu Devas, which are a class of beings that do not have a physical body. However, they do not enjoy eternal existence and end up being reborn at some point just like everything else.

The early Vedic scriptures did reference multiple gods and goddesses, but there number was not even remotely close to the millions - maybe a few dozen or so. While Hinduism today does still revolve around multiple deities they are often reduced to three. There is Brahmā, Vishnu, and Shiva and represent the creation, maintenance, and eventual dissolution of the universe respectively.

When you start probing deeper into Hindu thought you find out that at the fundamental core of the religion it actually becomes monotheistic. Actually, pantheistic would probably be a better descriptor since Brahman, the 'One God', is 'everything'. Where as in the monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam there is a clear distinction between the creator and creation - when it comes to the Brahman in Hinduism such a distinction doesn't exist nor would it make any sense. Its not a figure or an identity, more of the projection of the consciousness that is 'Existence'.

In fact, there are contradictions within the Vedas on who is the 'main' god. Shiv Puran tells us that Sada-Shiv (part of Shiv) is the first god who gave birth to other gods. However, for some reason unknown, Vishnu became the supreme head-god, relegating Shiv to mediate for eternity in the Himalayas. Vishnu also created Brahma to control the working of the universe. However, at any-time, one of these three can become the supreme one and do as he wishes.

Then comes those demi-gods, such as Indra, who are not full-fledged gods but can still kick the ass of those main gods whenever they desire.

I have studied Hinduism at depth and can only conclude that it is one of the most interesting mythological stories of all time (though everything is bull).

[orogenicman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nine_Bi...mes_of_God

"The Nine Billion Names of God" is a 1953 science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke. The story was the winner (in 2004) of the retrospective Hugo Award for Best Short Story for the year 1954.

This short story tells of a Tibetan lamasery whose monks seek to list all of the names of God, since they believe the Universe was created in order to note all the names of God and once this naming is completed, God will bring the Universe to an end. Three centuries ago, the monks created an alphabet in which they calculated they could encode all the possible names of God, numbering about nine billion and each having no more than nine characters. Writing the names out by hand, as they had been doing, even after eliminating various nonsense combinations, would take another fifteen thousand years; the monks wish to use modern technology in order to finish this task more quickly.

They rent a computer capable of printing all the possible permutations, and they hire two Westerners to install and program the machine. The computer operators are skeptical but play along. After three months, as the job nears completion, they fear that the monks will blame the computer, and by extension its operators, when nothing happens. The Westerners delay the operation of the computer so that it will complete its final print run just after their scheduled departure. After their successful departure on ponies, they pause on the mountain path on their way back to the airfield, where a plane is waiting to take them back to civilization. Under a clear starlit night sky they estimate that it must be just about the time that the monks are pasting the final printed names into their holy books. They notice that "overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out."

__________________
I had to read this in high school. It is still one of the best science fiction short stories I've ever read, even though it concludes that the monks were right (I guess it was easier to sell if it had shock value).

[Anomalocaris]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nine_Bi...mes_of_God

"The Nine Billion Names of God" is a 1953 science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke. The story was the winner (in 2004) of the retrospective Hugo Award for Best Short Story for the year 1954.

This short story tells of a Tibetan lamasery whose monks seek to list all of the names of God, since they believe the Universe was created in order to note all the names of God and once this naming is completed, God will bring the Universe to an end. Three centuries ago, the monks created an alphabet in which they calculated they could encode all the possible names of God, numbering about nine billion and each having no more than nine characters. Writing the names out by hand, as they had been doing, even after eliminating various nonsense combinations, would take another fifteen thousand years; the monks wish to use modern technology in order to finish this task more quickly.

They rent a computer capable of printing all the possible permutations, and they hire two Westerners to install and program the machine. The computer operators are skeptical but play along. After three months, as the job nears completion, they fear that the monks will blame the computer, and by extension its operators, when nothing happens. The Westerners delay the operation of the computer so that it will complete its final print run just after their scheduled departure. After their successful departure on ponies, they pause on the mountain path on their way back to the airfield, where a plane is waiting to take them back to civilization. Under a clear starlit night sky they estimate that it must be just about the time that the monks are pasting the final printed names into their holy books. They notice that "overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out."

__________________
I had to read this in high school. It is still one of the best science fiction short stories I've ever read, even though it concludes that the monks were right (I guess it was easier to sell if it had shock value).

It's a better story than the predominant religion of the western world had been able to come up with.

[fractal_mindscapes]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nine_Bi...mes_of_God

"The Nine Billion Names of God" is a 1953 science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke. The story was the winner (in 2004) of the retrospective Hugo Award for Best Short Story for the year 1954.

This short story tells of a Tibetan lamasery whose monks seek to list all of the names of God, since they believe the Universe was created in order to note all the names of God and once this naming is completed, God will bring the Universe to an end. Three centuries ago, the monks created an alphabet in which they calculated they could encode all the possible names of God, numbering about nine billion and each having no more than nine characters. Writing the names out by hand, as they had been doing, even after eliminating various nonsense combinations, would take another fifteen thousand years; the monks wish to use modern technology in order to finish this task more quickly.

They rent a computer capable of printing all the possible permutations, and they hire two Westerners to install and program the machine. The computer operators are skeptical but play along. After three months, as the job nears completion, they fear that the monks will blame the computer, and by extension its operators, when nothing happens. The Westerners delay the operation of the computer so that it will complete its final print run just after their scheduled departure. After their successful departure on ponies, they pause on the mountain path on their way back to the airfield, where a plane is waiting to take them back to civilization. Under a clear starlit night sky they estimate that it must be just about the time that the monks are pasting the final printed names into their holy books. They notice that "overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out."

__________________
I had to read this in high school. It is still one of the best science fiction short stories I've ever read, even though it concludes that the monks were right (I guess it was easier to sell if it had shock value).

Sadly I admit I've not read as much Arthur C. Clarke as I would like, but that story sounds rather amazing. I'll have to read it at some point. Reminds me a little of the origin story behind the Towers of Hanoi problem. The priests in charge with completing the puzzle for 64 disks, which would take billions of years, and when they finally complete it is when the world would end.

[ace1ventura]

Hinduism has millions of Gods. So why are Hindu's still so fucked up in their own country?

Yeah right, in fact we have so many of them that our heaven is already full and even the saints are sent to hell when they die.we have god for practically every problem on earth, god in every shape and form like trees, animals, planets and even an unmentionable body part.

[Wright]

I am from India and I was born a Hindu, so let me make this clear.
There are three main types of Hinduism.
Number one is Pagan Hinduism. It involves idolatry. pagan Hindus worship millions of so-called gods and goddesses. Some of them even sacrifice animals even today! Most of them are not vegetarians. They even drink the blood of bulls!
Number two is Krishna Hinduism. They only worship Lord Krishna, but some of them do use idols for their worship. But, they don't kill animals as sacrifice. Majority of them follow a vegetarian diet.
Number three is Gandhian Hinduism. It is similar to "agnosticism". Gandhi worshiped Truth as God. That's all. Gandhian Hindus follow strict vegetarianism and reject animal sacrifices. They also don't support idolatry. They respect the Bhagavad Gita and treat it as a Holy Book.