Are there many Gods in Hinduism?

The truth is, in Hindusim we only have one Supreme God. Supreme Godhead in Hinduism is characterized by His or Her ability to Create the world and life. There is only One Being who has this ability. This is the One God whom we all pray to. A quote from the Rig Veda goes like this: "They call Him Indra, Varuna, Mitra or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan."

However in Hinduism we believe that All-Mighty God can appear to His or Her devotee howsoever He or She pleases. Thus in Hinduism we have many varied forms of a Singular Godhead. This is also why Hindus understand that people of other religions are also praying to the same God as we are, albeit in another form. Thus you will hear Hindus claim that there is One Truth but many paths leading to it.

An analogy commonly use to explain Gods appearance in varied forms, is as follows: Take a family man. This one individual, to his wife, he is her husband; to his children, he is their father; to his employees, he is their boss and to his friends, he is their buddy. In all his different relationships, though he is the same person, the experience of his wife, his children, his friends and his employees are all unique while having similarities. Even his name, though he will have one legal name, his wife, children, friends and employees will address him differently according to their social standing with him.

Indeed God has a penchant for creating variety. Just look at the world around you. You will see that despite the fact that we are all humans, no two of us are completely identical. Even twins have features that distinguish them from each other. God didn't create the world with just one kind of tree or one kind of bird. He created all sorts of beings and plenty of variety within them. So logically, we can assume that God too allows Himself (or Herself) this freedom of expression in variety.

http://www.myhindupage.org/index.php/9-common-qs-on-hinduism

Know God from Personal Experience

To have direct experiences of God, such as seeing God's Holy form through worship or experiencing God's presence or form through meditation. Such experience affirms a devotees belief of God's existence, thus creating a profound change in the devotees life. The perspective of the devotee changes from a materialistic base to a spiritual one. The ultimate goal of Hinduism is to guide its devotees to have personal experiences of God. Hindu Scriptures and gurus urge devotees to strive for such experiences.

The Scriptures explain that the soul is born on Earth countless times until it experiences God or in other words achieves God realization It is the experience required for the soul to achieve moksha. Knowledge of God from personal experience is differentiated from understanding the nature of God through the process of study or learning, which is academic and not personal. It is however helpful to first have an understanding of God academically before seeking God Realization. ( God Realization: The meditative experience of the meditator’s awareness merging into God’s Being. At the point of God Realization the meditator's awareness and God's Pure Consciousness are One.

There are many levels or experiences in God Realization, such as experiencing God as Divine Light, or Pure Love, or Infinite Vastness, or as Absolute Reality–the experience most yearned after by ardent spiritual seekers. The ultimate goal of the practice of Hinduism is to guide its devotees to the experience of God Realization. After the seeker has achieved God Realization he or she is said to be enlightened. According to Hinduism, God Realization is a required experience for each soul in order to achieve moksha. Hinduism also recommends that a seeker be under the guidance of a guru to learn to achieve God Realization. The Sanskrit word equivalent to God Realization is samadhi. Moksha: Liberation.

In Hinduism the salvation of the soul is defined as freedom from the cycle of reincarnation on the physical plane, or Earth. After moksha the soul abides eternally in heaven. Before moksha the soul will enter heaven or hell temporarily between births, depending on the merits or demerits it accrues in the form of karmas during it’s life on Earth. Moksha is in a sense a graduation from having to live life on Earth anymore. It is achieved after the soul has fulfilled all of it’s desires for life on Earth and has Realized God. It is synonymous with mukti.)

Courtesy of http://www.myhindupage.org/index.php/myhindupage-glossary-k

The Twelve Beliefs of Hinduism

1. Hindus believe in One Supreme God whose nature is All-Pervasive, while also Transcending the universe. His functions are Creation, Preservation, Dissolution, Showering Grace and Obscuring Grace.
2. Hindus believe in the existence of unseen spiritual worlds, abodes where God and His mighty band of Spiritual helpers–Mahadevas and devas–live. It is through worship and spiritual disciplines that we communicate with God and the Mahadevas.
3. Hindus revere the ancient Vedas–Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva–as our Holy Scriptures revealed by God.
4. Hindus believe in the existence and immortality of the atma or the soul, which is the spiritual body of light and divinity within them, created by God. The atma grows and evolves spiritually through the physical body during its incarnations on earth.
5. Hindus believe in the law of karma. The spiritual law of cause and effect. Karma dictates that whatever action one performs whether through thoughts, words or deeds, he or she will reap the same reaction. Such as goodness begets goodness while hurt begets hurt. Through karma our individual future is formed and our soul evolves through the lessons it learns from karmic effects.
6. Hindus believe in reincarnation, that the soul undergoes countless cycles of birth, death and rebirth on earth. The ultimate achievement of life on earth is the attainment of moksha–freedom from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth on Earth.
7. Hindus believe in the need for the personal experience of God. This is accomplished through temple worship, virtous conduct, by performing penance, self-inquiry and meditation. The personal experience of God is required for resolution of all karmas and to achieve moksha.
8. Hindus believe in dharma, or the inherent spiritual laws created by God to govern the spiritual and physical universe. Through dharma proper guidelines are drawn towards the achievements of the purusharthas, or the 4 goals of life, namely virtuous conduct, wealth, pleasure and liberation.
9. Hindus believe in the need for a guru to guide the devotee into an ever deepening experience of God.
10. Hindus believe in ahimsa, or non-violence in thought, word and deed as a cardinal virtue of life, and believe in the ultimate sacredness of the entire universe.
11. Hindus believe that the universe is governed by immense cycles of time called the yugas and repeating cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.
12. Hindus believe in the acceptance and existence of other genuine religions and spiritual persuasions. The existence of diverse religions are all part of God’s Grace and compassion for humanity. No particular religion has an exclusive claim to salvation.

  

Courtesy of http://www.myhindupage.org/index.php/hindu-beliefs

 

 

 

 

 

Me on 9 Jan

Health has been a huge issue these past few days. Its not allowing me to perform well at work. This in turn bring unpleasant reaction from my boss. Its seems like her reaction are genuine but is she being truthful? Only she can answer that.

I'm going crazy being stuck at home. Being sick has its perk whereby I get to rest, sleep the whole day. Mind at ease thinking of how to recover rather than other thoughts. Yet, its a boring thing to do. My friend did ask me out for a movie, but I choose to stay home instead and get some rest, prepare for work tomorrow.

I'm feeling more courageous these 2 days. Reason? I'm not sure. Maybe because I'm tired of being scared of every event that is going to take place each day. Let things unfold as its meant to be. I leave it to god to decide my action and reactions. Sure there is a reason for every thing that happens. I should face it all with courage. I know in my heart that I'm bound to my conscience and fear of god. Therefore, i shouldn't quiver over every thing.

This new found courage should stay with me all the time, I hope. I pray to god to keep me in line and sane. I pray for courage, bravery and strong will. May the lord be with me!

Poem

Mother love

Nothin' wrong with me
Mother love
Come and let me see
Mother love
Just leave me alone
Mother love
Now I'm dead and gone
Mother love
Never let me see
Mother love
Never let's me be
Mother love
Took my life away
Mother love
Hate me every day
Mother love
Take away my pain
Mother love
Make me go insane
Mother love
There is no such thing
Mother love
Hate is everything.

Me on 7 Jan

Still feeling sick. Haven't recovered since past few days. My mind is at peace for now. Things are calm at work. Till when? Only God knows the answer to that. Home? I'm not sure what's going through everyone's mind right now. The ritual are still going on for the death that recently occurred. There isn't time to reflect on the past few days events.

The fact that I'm not feeling well is really bring me down. Its making me disoriented and confused. All that medication cant do me good right. The weather hasn't been good either. Its raining day and night. Is mother nature feeling down as well? Maybe, she is.

'Just get over it, ' they say
I wish I could find a way
Living with it day by day
Memories won't go away
Medication helps to sway
Many feelings of dismay
But they do fail to decay
The loss that one does survey...

Me on 03 Jan

I truly learnt the meaning of life these past few days. Someone I know was admitted in hospital. He slipped into coma. Doctor's said he is just waiting to part. I had to live through few days fearing every phone ring, every message. He wasn't getting better and doctor's has given up. Of course the pain wasn't the same as the others close to him felt but then, the pain was definitely there. For him and for the future deaths. I have always had a problem dealing with death. I cant face it. My own, I will receive it with open arms but other? No..

Finally the reality hit me and I prayed. I prayed to god to bless his soul and be with him when he passes. His family did the same thing and he passed peacefully. Everything came to an end yesterday and today, he has peacefully moved on to the ether world. May his soul rest in peace. It was such a hard thing to watch, another life just slips pass you. How do one deal with death? With much courage. I wasn't sure what was that upsets me most. Still not sure.

Even during the funeral my mind was divided. Should I say good bye or should tend to the annoying messages I was getting from my boss. Small matter that as usual she blew out of proportion. She at least had the decency to stop messaging me after i replied but once I came home after the funeral, she drilled me and said that my explanation is not acceptable and I am to see her first thing when I report to work. Such a blow out.

I was so distressed. She could have solve it. She could have asked me to see her in person and explain, but NO. She had to send me a sarcastic message showing me who's the boss.. Well, you know what they say 'no one is spared, no situation is compromised'.

When I think of all this, I feel like the earthly matters are not my cup of tea. I want something beyond this petty minute matters. I want to feel god, experience him. I want a life beyond this. How do I achieve it? When will I truly be spiritually ready for this matters. I feel fed up of all this trivial. Is this what life is all about? Earthly nonsense. Are emotions irrelevant? I spent the past few days crying and I still feel like crying. When I got the message, I wanted to shout out, freak out, scream at the top of my lungs. Maybe god should have spared the person's life and take mine instead. I have not achieved anything neither I have independents. At least he could have spend more time with his family.

What is god's calculation? Where is my life heading to???