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1 Chapter 1 : Spiritual echoes in the Tao Te Ching, Bhagavad Gita and the Bible Street Smarts The Indian Upanishads were only first and partially translated into English from Sanskrit in, and only adequately from Since then many other texts have been published of numerous Indian classics, and cheap and reliable versions are available to the public. The Primary texts shrutis 1. Considered to be revealed texts 2. Linguistically, pinned to around B. Passed down by memory 5. There are 4 of them - Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva 6. Each of those are further subdivided into 4 sections - mantras chants, Brahmanas rituals, Aranyakas, and the Upanishads methaphysics, axiology, cosomology 7. The most famous of these being Ramayana and Mahabharata 3. The Bhagavat Gita is found within the Mahabarata Puranas 1. Praise for several specific deities. BhagavataPurana most well known: It focuses on cultivating a relationship with Vishnu. The vedas are systematized by later thinkers into 4 different darsanas loosely understood as philosophical schools Nyaya: Founded in 1st century A. By 15th century A. Nyaya and Vaisesika schools merged. Tries to categorize all knowledge, provides foundation for logic 4. Their somewhat well-known argument for god: All artifacts have a creator. Along with the nature of reality, the Nyaya school looks into rhetorics and fallacious ways of debating 6. Jayanta Bhatta 9th century, kashmir, Vaisesika: Founded in 6th century B. Considers the world to be made up of atoms Samkhya: Accepted to be the oldest darshana approx. Founded by Sage Kapila 3. His views can be found in the Bhagavat Gita, Bhagavat Purana 4. Cosmos born out of the meeting of Prakriti nature and Purush Person. The purush however is just an internal spectator, influenced by the gunas present in nature. Shares dualistic view of Samkhya 2. Differs from Samkhya in the path to self-realization. Yoga is the effort of the Purush to bring about liberation. Focuses on rituals of the Vedas. Kumarila, 7th Century A. The school contributed to the philosophy of language 5. While the Nyaya philosophers argued that words are temporary and mediated my human intention, Purvamimamsa held that words are permanent and have a necessary inborn meaning. Deal primarily with the Upanishads. Brahma Sutras by Badrayana: While the Brahma Sutras was an attempt to systematize the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras too were a bit obscure and therefore, there were three famous commentaries on the Brahma Sutra. Advaita argues that everything is a manifestation of Brahman. Jiva is Brahman too. However, Sankara devalues the importance of dharma and morality. If everyone is Brahman then the difference between good and evil becomes problematic Visistadvaita argues that Brahman is Vishnu. The body of Brahman manifests as mundane objects, our own body, while the mind of Brahman manifests as our own mind. Atma,Jiva and objects are all different. There is a hierarchy of different Jivas. Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : A Bible with reference to Hindu scriptures Comment: International shipment available. A used item that may have some cosmetic wear (i.e. shelf-wear, slightly torn or missing dust jacket, broken spine, creases, dented corner, pages may include limited notes and highlighting, liquid damage) All text in great shape! will ship best condition whenever available. What is more interesting is that these happened many millennia ago at 3 different places on the earth. These enlightened souls transcend action completely. Having arrived at this point of non-action, there is nothing which he does not do. In the Tao Te Ching the example of gentle water eroding the strongest rocks is provided as an example of this principle. They extol the need to be shower kindness and blessings even on those who treat you with derision and contempt. To those who are sincere with me, I am sincere; and to those who are not sincere with me, I am also sincere;â and thus all get to be sincere. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who treat you with disdain.. Show your right cheek if somebody slaps your left. Judge not, lest ye be judged. Condemn not, lest ye be condemned. Enlightened men are those who see the same in a Brahmana with learning, a cow, an elephant or a dog. In other words the yogi does not form opinions or judgments about others. A true yogi treats all persons with the same footing. Another common thread in the Bible and the Gita is that we need to look into ourselves to understand the divine Bible: For behold, the kingdom of the God is within you. Above the senses, the mind and the intellect is the Atman which is within you. The Atman is inside you and we become aware of it through self-inquiry. The Gita and the Bible enjoin us to cut desire at the root. You cannot serve God and Mammon at the same. Here Mammon refers to the desire for wealth. It is really amazing that these 3 enlightened souls had such remarkable clarity and similarity in their view of the path towards enlightenment. Page 2

3 Chapter 3 : Sacred-Texts: Hinduism Upanishads, Gita & Bible has 5 ratings and 1 review. Erik said: I was introduced to Indian religions by Kelly Fox, our young teacher of freshman Humaniti. This is an unprecedented venture as Indian scriptures Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Mausmriti have been used in a Bible by way of interpretations to biblical passages for the first time, says Catholic church spokesperson Father Paul Thelekat. This is an attempt to make contextual reading and understanding. There are 24 line drawings, including those of mosque, temple and church with slippers outside, by the late Christopher Coelho. As far as Catholics are concerned, they have to live and interpret their Christian faith and scriptures within the given culture. So they have to understand and interpret the culture, he said. About 30 scholars have worked on it from and made the interpretations which are published at the bottom part of the Bible, Fr Thekekat said. The text of the Bible is the accepted Catholic version, whose interpretations are made with an Indian cultural perspective. Thiruvananthpuam Archbishop Sosa Pakiam, in his preface to the Bible, says a unique feature of the New Bible is that it has many references to the spiritual message and biblical references to that of spiritual message and biblical values found in the scriptures of other great Indian religions. The article, quoting Fr Augustine Kanachikuzhy, general editor of the new Bible, says the references and quotations used in the Bible from non Christian scriptures "does not imply in any way, the Indian scriptural terms are parallel to Biblical terms or that the parallel references are saying the same thing as the Biblical text. Indian texts are used to interpret not only the New Testament, but also the Old Testament. The deluge story of the Book of Genesis is interpreted with reference of such stories in Mesopotamia and Satapath Brahmana 1. In passages where the Biblical interpretation differs from the Indian scriptures, that fact is also made clear, Thelekat said. Over such 70 references to non Christian texts have been made in the Bible and 30 scholars participated in making the commentary, Fr Thelekat said. There is nothing added or subtracted from the text of the Bible, which has been reproduced as such," Fr Thelekat added. SatyaDeepam, a fortnightly highlighting Christian values, quoting Bishop Dabre, said, "We cannot simply have a re-reproduction of the Bible. People must be able to assimilate and appreciate the Bible. The texts of the Bible must come alive. We can use it as a prayer of divine light, which illumines the human mind," the bishop said. Bishop Dabre said there could be resistance to such introductions. Our sacred text also must become meaningful to Indians of different religions. It will help to project our Bible in their context," he said. Father Thekelat said this is a positive step to understand in a positive manner, the sacred scriptures and literary texts of the land. Even St Paul quoted the local poet, he said. A Bible can be printed only after a non-objection certificate and express permission to print is given by the Mumbai archbishop. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent. Page 3

4 Chapter 4 : Upanishads - Wikipedia Full text of "Upanishads Gita And Bible A Comparative Study Of Hindu And Christian Scriptures" See other formats. Nomenclature[ edit ] The Gita in the title of the text "Bhagavad Gita" means "song". Religious leaders and scholars interpret the word "Bhagavad" in a number of ways. Accordingly, the title has been interpreted as "the Song of God" by the theistic schools, [16] "the Song of the Lord", [17] "the Divine Song", [18] [19] and "the Celestial Song" by others. According to Kashi Nath Upadhyaya, a Gita scholar, it is possible that a number of different individuals with the same name compiled different texts. This is evidenced by the discontinuous intermixing of philosophical verses with theistic or passionately theistic verses, according to Basham. Scholars accept dates from the fifth century to the second century BCE as the probable range, the later likely. The Hinduism scholar Jeaneane Fowler, in her commentary on the Gita, considers second century BCE to be the probable date of composition. Kashi Nath Upadhyaya, in contrast, dates it a bit earlier. He states that the Gita was always a part of the Mahabharata, and dating the latter suffices in dating the Gita. This would date the text as transmitted by the oral tradition to the later centuries of the 1st-millennium BCE, and the first written version probably to the 2nd- or 3rd-century CE. The dating of the Gita is thus dependent on the uncertain dating of the Mahabharata. The actual dates of composition of the Gita remain unresolved. These are the three starting points for the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. Smarta Tradition The Bhagavad Gita is the sealing achievement of Hindu Synthesis, incorporating its various religious traditions. It openly synthesizes and inclusively accepts multiple ways of life, harmonizing spiritual pursuits through action karma, knowledge jnana, devotion bhakti. The Indologist Robert Minor, and others, [web 1] in contrast, state the Gita is "more clearly defined as a synthesis of Vedanta, Yoga and Samkhya" philosophies of Hinduism. Thus Gita discusses and synthesizes the three dominant trends in Hinduism: According to Deutsch and Dalvi, the Bhagavad Gita attempts "to forge a harmony" between these three paths. The Gita disapproves of these, stating that not only is it against the tradition but against Krishna himself, because "Krishna dwells within all beings, in torturing the body the ascetic would be torturing him", states Flood. Even a monk should strive for the "inner renunciation", rather than external pretensions. According to Upadhyaya, the Gita states that none of these paths to spiritual realization are "intrinsically superior or inferior", rather they "converge in one and lead to the same goal". Therein, in the third section, the Gita forms chapters 23â 40, that is 6. An authentic manuscript of the Gita with verses has not been found. Each shloka line has two quarter verses with exactly eight syllables. Each of these quarters is further arranged into "two metrical feet of four syllables each", state Flood and Martin. The Pandava prince Arjuna asks his charioteer Krishna to drive to the center of the battlefield so that he can get a good look at both the armies and all those "so eager for war". He does not want to fight to kill them and is thus filled with doubt and despair on the battlefield. Because of differences in recensions, the verses of the Gita may be numbered in the full text of the Mahabharata as chapters 6. However, variant readings are relatively few in contrast to the numerous versions of the Mahabharata it is found embedded in, and the meaning is the same. Some Sanskrit editions that separate the Gita from the epic as an independent text, as well as translators, however, add chapter titles such as each chapter being a particular form of yoga. Two massive armies representing different loyalties and ideologies face a catastrophic war. With Arjuna is Krishna, not as a participant in the war, but only as his charioteer and counsel. Arjuna requests Krishna to move the chariot between the two armies so he can see those "eager for this war". He sees family and friends on the enemy side. Arjuna is distressed and in sorrow. He wonders if it is noble to renounce and leave before the violence starts, or should he fight, and why. Bengali script ; Bottom: The warrior Arjuna whose past had focussed on learning the skills of his profession now faces a war he has doubts about. Filled with introspection and questions about the meaning and purpose of life, he asks Krishna about the nature of life, soul, death, afterlife and whether there is a deeper meaning and reality. The chapter summarizes the Hindu idea of rebirth, samsara, eternal soul in each person Self, universal soul present in everyone, various types of yoga, divinity within, the nature of Self-knowledge and other concepts. This chapter is an overview for the remaining sixteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna replies that there is no way to avoid action Page 4

5 karma, since abstention from work is also an action. Every man or woman is bound by activity. Those who act selfishly create the karmic cause and are thereby bound to the effect which may be good or bad. Whatever the result, it does not affect them. Their happiness comes from within, and the external world does not bother them. Arjuna questions Krishna as how could he when those sages lived so long ago, and Krishna was born more recently. Krishna reminds him that everyone is in the cycle of rebirths, and while Arjuna does not remember his previous births, he does. Whenever dharma declines and the purpose of life is forgotten by men, says Krishna, he returns to re-establish dharma. The simultaneous outer action with inner renunciation, states Krishna, is the secret to the life of freedom. Action leads to knowledge, while selfless action leads to spiritual awareness, state the last verses of this chapter. Arjuna asks Krishna which path is better? The different paths, says Krishna, aim for and if properly pursued lead to Self-knowledge. This knowledge leads to the universal, transcendent Godhead, the divine essence in all beings, to Brahman - the Krishna himself. The final verses of the chapter state that the self-aware who have reached self-realization live without fear, anger, or desire. They are free within, always. For example, states Arthur Basham, verses 5. Page 5

6 Chapter 5 : Bhagavad Gita - Wikipedia Upanishads, Gita and Bible; A Comparative Study of Hindu and Christian Scriptures [Editor Geoffrey Parrinder] on blog.quintoapp.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali. In the Vedas, the earliest scriptures of India, we find this truth: As many religions, so many paths. All reach one and the same goal. Thus, from the earliest Vedic times up to our modern age this ideal of harmony and universality has been taught to every Hindu. A Hindu learns to respect every faith and every prophet; but it is impossible for him or her to understand any religion that claims to be unique. This does not mean that Hindus are actively interested in other religions. Rather, it means that they respect them. They respect the beliefs of others and their saints and prophets, though they may not obey their dogmas. For in India, each individual has, as it were, his or her own path to follow. Strange as it may seem to an Occidental, parents and children may live together collectively, yet individually worship God in different ways. Every member of the family is given the freedom to approach God in a manner which each finds most suitable to his or her temperament or inclination. Now let me tell you how I personally became attracted to Christ and Christianity and the teachings of the Bible. When I was sixteen years old I left the village where I lived and came to nearby Calcutta to enter the university. So I did not look at the Bible again for a long time. Then, several years later, when I joined the Ramakrishna Order, I had an interesting experience. A few days after my admission we held a Christmas celebration at our monastery; Christmas is celebrated at all the monasteries of the Order though not in Hindu homes. In one of the large halls the monks had built an altar, upon which was a picture of the Madonna and Child. Seated around the altar were many of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Imagine, if you will, the physical presence of Peter, James, John, Mathew, and so on. A disciple of Swami Vivekananda, who had dressed himself up as a Christian padre, performed the worship. He offered candles, flowers, and, strange as it may seem, a fruitcakeâ the kind you buy in a Western market. We also offered a cigar to him. You see, this again was our idea of what a Westerner might like. As the worship proceeded, all of us remained silent. Then my master, Swami Brahmananda, told us: Later, after the worship, my master made us all laugh with his jesting and playful humor. This is one of the characteristics, I am told, he shared with Sri Ramakrishnaâ this ability to make others literally roll on the ground with laughter. Yes, he would tell such witty remarks, and then the next moment create an atmosphere of serenity and holiness. It was in that atmosphere that everyone of us felt that Christ was as much our own as Krishna or Ramakrishna. There is also another reason why Christ is offered worship at our monasteries. As you might know, Sri Ramakrishna was interested in every religion, actively interested; for he followed their particular paths to discover the truth of them. And he found that all of them, like streams, mingled in the great ocean of love. A disciple of his would occasionally read the Bible to him, and then explain it in Bengali. In this way Ramakrishna came to know something of Christianity. One day, while visiting a devotee, he chanced to see a picture of the Madonna and Child. As he was looking at the picture, it suddenly became living to him. His heart was filled with love for Christ. For a period of three days and three nights he stayed in his room, filled with the presence of Jesus. He even refused to go to the Hindu temple or worship any of the Hindu gods or goddesses. Curious to know how the followers of Christ worshipped their Lord, he was granted a vision of devotees kneeling before Jesus and praying to him. On the third day, as he was seated outside his room, Ramakrishna noticed a luminous figure approaching him. At once he knew that this was Christ the Savior. The figure approached and embraced him and entered into his body. And so Ramakrishna came to understand that Jesus was an avatar, a divine incarnation. Christ has another significance for the Ramakrishna Order. After Ramakrishna passed away in, his disciples took their final vows of sannyasa on Christmas Eve. So you can understand why Christmas Eve is particularly sacred to us, for the Order was really founded on that day. But now let me try to explain the significance of Christ and his teachings. It is not possible to have an intellectual understanding of anything unless we relate it back to some other thing. In other words, it is impossible to understand a religion or a prophet of a religion without comparing them to some other teaching or teacher. If something is unique or has no parallel in history, it cannot be understood on an intellectual level. Therefore, I Page 6

7 must try to explain Jesus in relation to other great teachers. In this country it is a bit different. First of all we must go to the source. For instance, if I were to consider Christianity on the evidence presented to me by the theologians, I think I might have to reject itâ totally! Instead, the scriptures must be consulted to appreciate and understand any religion. If you go to the source, you will find that the same truth lies beneath all religions. The Gospel according to St. John gives us some indication of his role as an avatar. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. As you know, it is the Logos that is considered the only begotten of God, and it is the Logos which is one with God and became flesh in Jesus. Now in the Vedas, we find this statement: But it indicates that universality of truth. This truth is in the very atmosphere; it exists eternally, in every human heart. It only waits to be unfolded. For instance, let us take the discovery of a scientific truth. How did Isaac Newton arrive at his theory of gravity? He saw an apple fall to the ground. This thought came to him: It is the same way with spiritual truths; they too exist as eternal verities of life. How often we find this truth directly before us, yet even then refuse to accept it. Such has been the case with the greatest of men. Sri Ramakrishna, for instance, was regarded, while living, as an avatar by many of his disciples and devotees; but Swami Vivekananda steadfastly refused to accept this. Of course, he accepted the presence of God in all human beings and in that sense we are all incarnations of God, but he did not believe in any special manifestation of God in a human being. When Sri Ramakrishna lay on his death bed, Vivekananda was seated next to him. He knew that his teacher would not be with them long. He who was Rama and he who was Krishna was born again as Ramakrishna, but not in your Vedantic sense. What he conveyed to his disciple was that he was God himself, descended as a human being. What is so special, so extraordinary about a divine incarnation? About his own birth, Jesus said: Ye are of this world, I am not of this world. Sri Krishna, speaking in the Bhagavad Gita, replies to his disciple Arjuna: I seem to be born; but it is only seeming, only my maya. I am still master of my prakriti, the power that makes me. We are bound to the world by these karmas; indeed, we are of this world. But God comes through his own choice. God chooses to be born within this maya, the world of relativity. However, he is master of this maya, and we are slaves to it. That is the difference. Why does God come? Because of his grace and in the cause of truth. We also read in the Gita why avatars enter this maya: In every age I come back to deliver the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner and to establish righteousness. Like ocean waves, the cultures of the world rise and fall. Once so grand, where is the Roman Empire today? And the British Empire? Religion, as well, is subject to these same oscillating patterns. Great religious movements spring up and inspire millions; saints are born and carry the banner of truth. Page 7

8 Chapter 6 : Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad-Gita and the Bible: An Observer's Comments. I like studying other religions. In the past I have found that I have grown in my understanding of the grace of Christ and the relevance of Biblical ethics when comparing them to other religions. Is that where these two epics lie in what people believe of them? The issue is the same. Many of the events in the epics are also did take place, but there is also a lot of supernatural phenomena in them as well. The epics were passed down orally for a long time before they were written down, so many new things probably got introduced into them. So the Rama is a former incarnation of Krishna huh? Rama and Krishna are basicly the same people then, right? In Vaishnavism it is taught that different incarnations come to fulfill different purposes. Rama taught by example. Rama lived a life of high ideals, self-sacrifice, and in strict adherence to the principles of truth and dharma. A later version of the Ramayana actually contains a short section called the Rama Gita. The Rama Gita is a discourse between Rama and his brother, Lakshmana, and contains philosophical teachings. How do Shaivites and Shaktas view Krishna and Rama? Shaivite and Shakta theologies do not accept the doctrine of incarnation of God, but the truth is most Hindus follow religion very eclectically. So, Rama and Krishna are well known and highly respected among all Hindus. An alternate non-vaishnavite understanding of incarnation is that they are very highly evolved souls known as Paramuktas. The paramuktas are eternally liberated from the cycle of birth and death, but their individuality is very close to becoming but has not yet become one with Brahman. It is said that the paramuktas willingly take on an avatar for the sake of delivering a large number of people. And how did Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, and Devi came about? I will explain this according to Shaivite theology, which I understand best. They are not separate beings, but just aspects of Shiva. Shiva and Shakti are not distinct, they are one imagined as two. Shiva and Shakti are inseparable like the Sun and sunlight, or eyes and eyesight. I am not fully sure how Vaishnavite theology deals with this. But, I would really like to know, if someone knows And when do historians estimate when the events of the Ramayana and Mahabharata occured? Both epics contain a lot of astronomical references, which have been used by historians for dating. Liberal estimates go back much further. Page 8

9 Chapter 7 : Hinduism and Christianity: Hindu Teaching or the Bible? Get this from a library! Upanishads, GÄ«tÄ, and Bible; a comparative study of Hindu and Christian scriptures,. [Edward Geoffrey Parrinder]. God is spirit, not material or physical, and yet He possesses the characteristics of a personal individual. Man is not divine and cannot become God. Spiritually man is in the image or likeness of God Genesis 1: But our inner being is not divine, not of the essence of God, and not to be worshiped. They said they were men like with those attempting to worship them. It is not true that our inner essence is that of God. Therefore, it is not right to worship any man, neither ancestors nor religious teachers. God is different from man, infinitely above us. Three separate Beings possess Deity: But unlike Hindu deities, these three are completely united in will, goals, purposes, etc. All have complete authority over all aspects of creation in contrast to one over fire, one over wealth, etc. So, they are completely united to form one God John I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior. Hindus may believe in an all-pervasive god who has no characteristics of personality or in a multitude of different personal gods, often worshiped by images of gold, silver, stone, etc. But Christians believe in one true God, who is the living all-powerful, all-wise Creator of the universe. Since God has real personal characteristics, we can have a loving, caring personal relationship with God. We can communicate with God, so He speaks to us in His word and we speak to Him in prayer and worship. This cycle of death and rebirth continues on and on until one is finally released. Note some specific beliefs: Reincarnation "Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny. People often speak of what they were or did "in another life. This is called "karma" action. Everything good and everything bad that happens to us in this life comes as a payment for our own past conduct. Nothing is ever the fruit of what others did, but always the consequences of our own conduct. By doing good deeds in this life, therefore, one can improve his circumstances in the future, especially in future reincarnations. Liberation "Hinduism explains that the soul reincarnates until all karmas are resolved and God Realization is attained. All souls, without exception, will attain this highest spiritual summit, though it may take many lives. This is a mystical religion Hindus seek to be set free from birth, death, and rebirth, so they exist in a state of pure impersonal being without a physical body. The exact nature of this final state is not clearly defined. Some view it as a ceasing of consciousness, others as a sense of bliss. But the end result is that man is somehow absorbed into the eternal Being Brahman, becoming part of God. To the Hindu, therefore, punishment consists of continuing to exist on earth. There is no concept of a bodily resurrection, and no ultimate punishment of the wicked. In fact there is no ultimate spirit being who opposes God or urges men to do evil. So all will eventually progress, after a sufficient number of lives, to liberation. He cannot pass from a destiny of suffering to one of bliss, nor vice-versa. It follows that there is no such thing as reincarnation. This defeats the whole Hindu concept of future life. Rather than reincarnation, the Bible teaches resurrection. His spirit was reunited with His body. As in Adam all die, so in Jesus all shall be made alive. The guarantee of this is the fact that Jesus Himself arose vv Like Jesus arose, so the spirit of each person will be reunited with his body when Jesus comes again. It will then be changed to a spirit body to receive an eternal reward. Notice that each person will come back from the dead as himself or herself - the same person - not as an animal, a god, or some other person. We will be reunited with our own body, not that of someone else. In contradiction to the doctrine of karma, the Bible teaches that, on earth, men often do not receive fair or just rewards for their lives. So, when Jesus returns, He will judge all men and declare our eternal rewards on the basis of our lives, good or bad. Note that this reward is for what he did in the body - just one body, not many. The righteous receive eternal life, a state of bliss, in the presence of God. The wicked receive eternal punishment, suffering and sorrow, separated from God. So, the Bible teaches that both the righteous and the wicked will be rewarded or punished after we leave the earth, not while on the earth. And we have already learned that man can never become part of God. And remember, unlike any other religious system, the gospel of Christ offers eyewitness historical proof that the future it describes must be true: The founder of our faith has already demonstrated the truth of resurrection. Just as surely as Jesus arose from the Page 9

10 dead, so we too will arise, be judged and rewarded. The Hindu Concept of "Transcending" The hope of Hinduism is to escape material existence and the reincarnation cycle. This occurs when each person ultimately becomes absorbed into God. But Hindus often use other terms for this goal other than "salvation. There are several ways taught by which this can be done. Different groups emphasize different methods, but they do not reject the methods taught by others. Good deeds karma It is believed that, if people do enough good works - especially works that are unselfish and de-emphasize material interests - they will achieve a better reincarnation. This process continues till finally one escapes reincarnation and material existence completely. Austerity and self-denial One must live as a recluse, withdrawing from the pleasures and personal interests of life, putting no emphasis on possessions, etc. When he dies, he is released forever. Knowledge As one learns more and more, especially by studying the Vedas, he comes to understand that his true nature is part of the Diving Being. As he fills his mind with such ideas, his thoughts and deeds are less concerned with material interests. When he dies, physical life has no power over him, so he is released. Devotion worship If one continually expresses love and dedication to God, he will become so concerned for God that this life loses its attraction. When he dies, he is released from the reincarnation cycle. This is especially emphasized in the Hare Krishna movement. If one dies thinking proper thoughts about Krishna, he is guaranteed to immediately be taken out of the reincarnation cycle to the spirit realm. In order to be sure one is thinking right when he dies, his life must be filled with constant thought of Krishna. This proper thinking comes by reading the Vedas, but especially it comes by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra BG, pp. The easiest method for most people is to chant the Hare Krishna mantra: Meditation Yoga Life physical circumstances is thought to be a temporary illusion maya. It is not the ultimate reality. We think it is reality only because we do not understand that our inner self is part of God, which is the ultimate reality. By deep inner meditation in his self-conscious mind, one can discover his real self. This is called self-realization. As we understand this and begin to think and act accordingly, we become detached from the importance of this life. Things in this life become better, but especially when we die we are released from the reincarnation cycle. This method is also described in the Bhagavad-gita 6. In all these avenues, repeated reincarnations may be required as a person gradually moves to higher and higher levels till he leaves the cycle. He must bring this about by his own effort. The gods may help, but there is no concept of a Supreme Being who pays the penalty of sin on behalf of the sinner. He is then not dwelling within us. Because of this spiritual alienation from God, we will be separated from God eternally as described above if our sins are not forgiven. It follows that, contrary to Hinduism, God cannot be found within the heart of the sinner, because God is not there. Our souls simply are not part of God, nor are sinners in fellowship with Him. No amount of meditation or other form of soul searching can find in the heart of man that which simply is not present there. The incredible beauty of the gospel is that God Himself chose to do for His creatures what man could not do for himself. He did this at incredible cost of suffering and anguish to Himself. That is the gospel concept of Divine grace, but the concept is totally absent from Hinduism. We ought to live good lives, worship God, pray, etc. But if we do not receive forgiveness by Jesus, none of these can save. Yet every Hindu avenue to God is based on human works apart from Jesus. Page 10

11 Chapter 8 : Full text of "Upanishads Gita And Bible A Comparative Study Of Hindu And Christian Scriptures In some ways, Hindu religious writings on Brahma (e.g., the Upanishads) sound very much like the Bible in their theology. Brahma is the source of everything, including, especially, love. The ultimate goal is union with Brahma. The Once and Future Road: The Code of Manu seems bound too bound to a particular social and historical context: Further, there are too many things in it that would be hard to continue to believe once held up to a certain kind of scrutiny. Like the polytheistic systems of the West, Hinduism should have given way to the rationalizing point of view of Greek philosophy as soon as Western influences arrive. But Hindu polytheism was stronger and deeper than some of the other polytheistic systems. Stories like those of Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayana are attractive and one can see much to admire in these texts, much to support the Smith point of view that there are some essential truths that all the great world religions point to. The strengths of Hinduism are particularly apparent when one looks at the stories associated with what eventually emerge as the most-worshipped of the Hindu gods, Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu.. Brahma the creator god. In some ways, Hindu religious writings on Brahma e. Brahma is the source of everything, including, especially, love. The ultimate goal is union with Brahma. It is, instead, what we call pantheism: In order to experience union in God, one must overcome the world of "maya," illusion. The ultimate goal for the worshipper of Brahma is to attain Nirvana: Chapter VI Some learned men speak of the inherent nature of things and some speak of time, as the cause of the universe. They all, indeed, are deluded. He by whom the whole universe is constantly pervaded is the Knower, the Author of time. He is sinless and omniscient, It is at His command that the work which is called earth, water, fire, air and akasa appears as the universe. All this should be reflected upon by the wise. The yogi who first performs actions and then turns away from them and who practises one, two, three, or eight disciplines, unites one principle with another principle and with the help of virtues cultivated by the self and of subtle tendencies attains Liberation in course of time. He who attains purity of heart by performing actions as an offering to the Lord and merges prakriti and all its effects in Brahman, realises his true Self and thereby transcends phenomena. In the absence of maya, both collective and individual, all his past actions are destroyed. After the destruction of the prarabdha karma he attains final Liberation. Svetasvatara Upanishad The Great Lord is the beginning, the cause which unites the soul with the body; He is above the three kinds of time and is seen to be without parts. After having worshipped that adorable God dwelling in the heart, who is of many forms and is the true source of all things, man attains final Liberation. He from whom this universe proceeds is higher and other than all forms of the Tree of the World and of time. When one knows Him who is the indweller, the bringer of good, the destroyer of evil, the Lord of powers, the immortal support of all, one attains final Liberation. He is without a body or organs; none like unto Him is seen, or better than He. The Vedas speak of His exalted power, which is innate and capable of producing diverse effects and also of His omniscience and might. He has no master in the world, no ruler, nor is there even a sign of Him by which He can be inferred. He is the cause, the Lord of the lord of the organs; and He is without progenitor or controller. He who has known Him, the luminous Lord, the Great Cause, to be realised by Knowledge Samkhya and yoga, is freed from all fetters. He shining, everything shines after Him. By his light all this is lighted. It is He who, as fire, abides in the water. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death, There is no other way to reach the Supreme Goal. He who constantly rules the world is verily the cause of bondage and Liberation. Established in His own glory, He is the Immortal, the Embodiment of Consciousness, the omnipresent Protector of the universe. There is no one else able to rule it. Through the power of austerity and through the grace of the Lord, the sage Svetasvatara realised Brahman and proclaimed the highly sacred Knowledge, supremely cherished by the company of seers, to sannyasins of the most advanced stage. The profound mystery in the Vedanta was taught in the previous cycle. It should not be given to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a son or a disciple. The second of the three major gods is Shiva, the destroyer god. Why worship a destroyer-god? Well, partly through fear: The third or our major Hindu gods is Vishnu, the preserver god. Vishnu takes on human flesh avatars to fight against demons. Well, not quite as one sees from the stories told about Vishnu in two of his incarnations: Rama told in the Ramayana, summarized in Page 11

12 class and much better summarized at http: Krishna included in the Puranas and in the Bhagavad Gita, summarized in class. Jainism and Buddhism, religions we will look at in our next exciting lecture. Chapter 9 : 'Indian' Bible making waves in Kerala Thiruvananthapuram News - Times of India Upanishads are commentary on vedas and are said to contain the essence of Hinduism. It is basically a critique of vedas when a few influential people got together to codify all the diverse elements of Vedas. Page 12