Women's Dharma

Only the truths espoused in what are called shrutis have an abiding value in Hinduism. Smritis are temporal laws laid down by the hierarchy in society on the basis of its social organization at a particular point in history. Since most Hindus now live in India, we can say that the smriti relevant today is the Ambedkar Smriti or the Indian constitution. It is heretical under the Indian constitution to deny any rights to women.

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I think in understanding Hinduism we have to understand its two most important key words - Yoga and Dharma. All Hindu teachings come interwoven with the concepts of Yoga and Dharma. Yoga leads the individual to discover his/her potential and teachings of Advaita are at the acme of Yogic understanding. Dharma is all about attaining social harmony and would naturally be full of dos and don'ts. In practice a Yogi most often wishes to live in society and therefore subjects himself to all Dharmic injunctions to ensure that he contributes to the cause of social harmony. But there are Yogis who wish to live in isolation to pursue the higher Yogas and for such a person no dharma pertains except his own unique swadharma. It was no doubt to such persons that Krishna said, "Abandon all Dharmas and come to Me" ("come to Me" meaning - discover yourself). I think this license to the individual to abandon all Dharma, if necessary, in the pursuit of self-discovery is given in no other religion than Hinduism.

Why is there so much hatred on the web?

I simply googled Muslim doctors and was hit by a barrage of hate, the invincible army of Leningrad worth of hatred .. it makes me so sick.. even more sick that we are not doing anything about it.. Sob7an Allahhow much hatred do you think there is on the web?.. and is it only Muslims they so hate? in a way it makes me feel special lol

Let me add, daniel pipes is a turd laced lard ball, rather I should say a full turd ball who often quotes himself to cement a point.. who the hell is he that he should quote himself?.. what a stinky piece of manure defecating fat stink balls of himself all over the web.. It is almost impossible for me to browse the web without finding some crap spewed by his turdiness.. sheesh.. Hope he meets with Ron Silver soon enough Insha'Allah and painfully...

Do you hate other religions?

only the religion of atheism-- I find little truths in all the others, even if its practitioners are nut balls!

'Little truths' in other religions and all truth in Islam - how condescending.

Indeed-- and if you don't like it don't be Muslim? No one is holding a gun to your head? you are free to worship the blue multi-armed gods or the elephant gods and everything else in between.. I suspect people subscribe to the religion of their choosing only if they find it to be the complete truth?.. why subscribe to half truth or three quarter truth? or are you a hypocrite? all the best

C L O S E D

You speak as if the freedom to worship 'the blue multi-armed gods or the elephant gods and everything else in between' is a freedom granted by Islam. Such freedom exists in spite of Islam. Islam does not grant any freedom of choice in matters of religion - except at our peril. So it is the Muslim who is a hypocrite – he does not bar himself from enjoying the best of the non-Islamic world, while pretending his Islamic world is wholesome.

You are an undereducated Hindu, who should go bathe in cow dung and drink mouse milk.. I am not going to dignify your idiocy with a response, given you don't deserve it!all the best!

With Islamic representatives like you, Islam does not need enemies.

Dear K.Venugopal,You have received an infraction at LI Islamic Forum.Reason: Attacks against Islam in private messages.--------------This infraction is worth 20 point(s) and may result in restricted access until it expires. Serious infractions will never expire.All the best,LI Islamic Forum__________________

Yoga

Islamic forum is not a right place for asking about yoga because yoga was originated from Hinduism and contains Hindu's ritual.That was a reason why Malaysian and Indonesian ulema council passed a fatwa that ban yoga for Muslim.

Ardianto is quite right in saying that Yoga originated from Hinduism. I would add that the goal of Yoga reflects the Hindu philosophy of discovering divinity within ourselves. However, the yogic steps leading to its ultimate goal are many and in the early stages it is largely about achieving physical health and its practice is not dependent on the practitioner owing allegiance to any particular religious belief system.

islamic yoga?! thats kinda ... the way i see it is yoga is to them like salah is to us

Salat is about praying to God or worshiping God. Yoga has nothing to do with praying to God or worshiping God - it is about discovering our potential. It is another matter that in discovering our potential we discover God.

is it because it is to unite with the "god" that is in you?

I have a feeling that one of the moderators is going to step in and terminate this discussion of Hinduism in an Islamic forum. But I think it would be interesting if this discussion is allowed to continue.

It is not about "uniting with the 'god' that is in you". (This implies that there is something alien within you.) The Hindu understanding is that all existence is one. Yoga is about discovering this in practical living. Yogis (the practitioners of Yoga) are seeking to achieve a state of integrity in the very act of living. The result is the living of an enchanted and harmonious life, which is our very birthright but often obscured because we tend to think that the truth is "out there" - when we are ourselves the truth.

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It boils down to an individual attaining "peace that surpasseth all understanding". This yogic legacy of Hinduism is there to be claimed by any individual. Any denial of access to it, for whatever reason, would be artificial and temporary - Man needs to know himself before he can know anything else.

so it is 2 step process?1 I find myself2 after having found myself Brahman will just pop up and take up residence in me?

"Brahman" as used in Hinduism (not to be confused with Brahma or Brahmin, which words have a different meaning) does not mean God or Allah. God or Allah primarily means 'creator'. Brahman does not mean 'creator' but is the 'is-ness' of existence. I do not blame Muslims of being contemptuous of what they think is the Hindu claim of everyone being "God". For the Abrahamic religions, God is the entity that makes "footstools of nations". When Hindus say everyone or everything is God, they only mean that all existence is one. The oneness of all existence they call Brahman. This word Brahman has been misunderstood as God, the creator. God the creator is a concept that is transcended in the highest teachings of Hinduism - generally known as Advaita.

Therefore, to answer your question - discover yourself and discover you are God, nay - beyond God.

Originally Posted by doorster
would you please make-up your mind? what is the difference between me saying " discovering god within oneself" and you ealier saying "discovering divinity within ourselves"

So long as it is understood that by God we do not mean a creator separate from his creation, there is no difference between saying 'discovering god within oneself' and 'discovering divinity within ourselves'. We are thereby only saying that we are discovering the oneness of existence. God is not an alien.

Yoga

At a book-fair, I once glanced through a book written by a Muslim stating that the postures of salat are akin to yogic postures. In fact, the writer claimed that salat preempts the need for any yogic influence. Also, there are books on yoga which state that salat is an adaptation of yogic postures already enunciated by Hindus. The point I wish to make is that if something is beneficial for mankind, it is everyone's heritage - not just that of the pioneers. For example, the various medical systems prevalent in the world, including the allopathic, ayurvedic and unanai systems. As a Hindu, I would have no objection if yogic schools adapt the salat as part of its yogic routine - so long as it is not forced upon anyone.