మూతిమీద మీసమున్న ప్రతి మగాడికీ ఇట్టాంటి పెళ్ళాం దొరికితే చాలు - భూమ్మీద గొడవలే ఉండవు, నిజం!

I'm gallery maheshwari and I'm Hindu.

Question:How would you define religion?
Answer:I would define religion as the study of the spirit and of how everything came to be.

Question:What are the basics of Hinduism?

Answer:Hinduism is a monotheistic religion,It believes in one God that is all pervasive, both immanent and transcendent. We believe in karma which is the universal law of cause and effect. We believe in rebirth and reincarnation and eventually once we have become perfected We'll achieve moksha where will merge with God. We believe in Dharma which is the necessity of righteousness living of living and seeing God within everybody and doing our duty to society. We believe that every religion is valid that the passion within each religion is what's important and not what name they call the God.

          కర్మము, ధర్మము, మోక్షము అనేవి ఎంతో సంక్లిష్టం అని మనం అనుకుంటుంటే, అవి ఇంత సరళమా అనిపించేటట్టు ఎట్లా చెప్పేసిందో!

Question:What is believed about the soul?

Answer:I'm the soul is essentially one with Brahman already. We just don't know it yet we have this veil of Maaya or tllusion which gives us the idea that we are seperate from God. Once we have achieved enlightenment then we will merge with God like a drop of water into the ocean, so we have a little spark of God within us and then it's called Atman.

Question:What are the sacred texts of Hinduism?

Answer:We have a lot of sacred texts.We have the Vedas which are the most important texts. They came from the Rishis or the seers in ancient India. When they were meditating, they heard the voice of God and they...they heard the voice of God and they spread the word and it finally became written down after thousands and thousands of years. We also have the epics like the Mahabharata and which has the bhagavad-gita in it and those capture the essence of what the Vedas are about and bring it to a level that everyone can understand. We have the Upanishads which were written by saints and the forest they would go alone and meditate and write down what they...what they thought and what they felt and those are deep;y mystical and spiritual and require a lot of study.The Ramayana has Raama and Sita and Hanumaan who show us how to be good people and it applies in every era. The stories are so universal that whenever we have a problem, we can just look into that text. It's huge so it will touch on anything we need to know and It'll give us guidance on what we should do and how we should behave.

          ఇదే ప్రశ్న ఏ గరికపాటి వారినో అడిగితే ఒక ఘంట లెక్చరు దంచేవాడు,ఇంటికెళ్ళాక గుర్తు చేసుకుంటే ఆయనేసిన జోకులు తప్ప అసలు విషయం గుర్తుకు రాదు - మరి, ఈ అమ్మాయేమిటి ఇంత సూక్ష్మంలో మోక్షం అన్నట్టు తేల్చేసింది?

Question:What distinguishes Hinduism from other religions?

Answer:Unlike the western religions,we do not believe and in..in an intrinsic evil.Hinduism doesn't have an eternal heaven and hell. It has states of being where karma is burned off either good or bad, and we're reborn. Once it equalizes karma can go into the next, your incarnation or 100 incarnations after that. There is no place that non-believers will go. If you have...if you have faith that you are a good person,then you achieve good karma. In western religions, the universe is created once and we will be destroyed once and Hinduism (tells) the universe is constantly being created,preserved,destroyed and recreated. There is no heaven or hell. There is everyone has one path and that is towards God. each person, each person will have different bumps in the path, some may take more lifetimes to achieve it, but no person, no soul will be denied oneness with God.

Question:Do Hindus actively seek to convert others?

Answer:Hindus do not try to convert people into their faith usually. We believe that every faith is valid and if you want to be a Christian, If you believe in Jesus,then that is perfect. We don't want to take you away from that. So, there are obviously always going to be radicals who say that this is the only way.But as a general rule Hindus do not believe that any other religion is wrong and so we won't force anybody into our religion. We do allow people to convert on their own will. It's a very personal thing, a spiritual thing. There is no formal conversion. It's - if you believe you are a Hindu, then you are a Hindu.So, a lot of people like to change their name like me to symbolize their new faith,or the faith that was always there, just not realized. So, that is very much a personal thing and not required (any conversion).

Question:What was the process for you in deciding to convert to Hinduism?

Answer:Well, I was raised Catholic and I never really connected with it.So,I was spiritual for a really long time and I was reading about all of the different religions to see if I fit into any of them, and once I started reading about Hinduism - my mind just opened. I was like "wow!this I believe.this,this is amazing".I didn't think anybody else really believed what I believed. So,I kept a reading and reading and reading and after about a year or two I decided to go to Temple.It was really scary because, you know I didn't know what to expect. But everyone there was so nice and I've been going ever since. It's nice to have a place where you have a community that is so similar to you, in such important ways like what you believe in.Just to worship with people, It brings a new level to spirituality. There's one thing to do pooja at home, but to do it with such passion around other people with such passion - there's nothing quite like it!

Question:What is the major misconception about Hinduism?

Answer:There are lot of misconceptions about Hinduism.One is that we are polythestic. We do believe in one God that takes many different forms and once you get to learn more and more about Hinduism, It becomes really apparent we don't also... we also don't worship idols necessarily. We do understand that that is a stone and somebody carved it and It's just a stone.But we need those tools to help us conquer our mind. Our mind wanders incessantly, so during the puja we have something to concentrate on, we had something to shower our affection on. It's hard to develop this love within you for God, when you have no place to really put it. You're just like I love you so, we do that and also the bells ringing helps focus us and clear your mind.You know loud noises just kind of point the mind towards what it's supposed to be doing and the incense puts us in a good mood. So it's all, all of the stuff that we do - all of the rituals we do are tools to help us find God within ourselves.

          ముష్టాఖ్ అహ్మద్ మరియు అలాంటి వాళ్ళందరికీ ఇక్కడ ఈ అమ్మాయి పెట్టిన గడ్డి  చాలుతుందా?ఇది చదివాక కూడా ఎవడైనా హిందూమతంలో బహుళదేవతారాధన ఉంది, విగ్రహారాధన ఒక మూఢనమ్మకం అని అంటున్నాడంటే అతను ఖచ్చితంగా తన మతానికి సంఖ్యాబలం పెంచుకోవటానికి హిందువుల నుంచి పిరికిమేళాల్ని భయపెట్టి లాక్కోవటం కోసం గూదుపుఠాణీ చేస్తున్నాడని అనుకోవాల్సిందే!

Question:At the heart of Hinduism, what is it all about?

Answer:It's all about oneness, all about being part of that supreme Brahman and realizing that both within yourself and within others, and by doing that everything else will fall into place. If you see God within everything, You'll act right,you'll do the things that you need to do.

Question:What is believed about the afterlife in Hinduism?

Answer:The afterlife!Well, when you die,depending on your karma, what you did during your life, you will get reborn higher as a human which would be great or lower as some sort of animal or plant or even just a human and less fortunate circumstances and it all just depends on what goals you need to achieve. If you need to realize humility then you'll be placed in a lefe where you understand,what ot's like to be lower or and you realize the Equality of everybody.So, there's not really a heaven and hell.Your karma burns out mostly in this life.You know the things that you go through will get you better or worse karma and it is possible to burn off karma between lives but heaven and hell aren't really a big part of Hinduism. And once you have evolved and have become enlightened, then you merge with God.

Questen:How have your religious beliefs impacted other areas of your life?

Answer:Well, Hinduism is very much a way of life rather than just a religion.It comes into every aspect of your being.What you think,how you feel,what you do - It's made me very humble when I realize God is both within me and that rock in that piece of grass, in that little bug. I am so thankful to everything and it makes me a kinder, gentler person since himsa and violence is such an important part.

Questen:What are the main gods in Hinduism?

Answer:So the main deities in Hinduism are Brahma,VishNu and Shiva. Brahma is the creator,VishnU the sustainer and Shiva the destroyer, dissolutioner. They both have,They all have their counterparts which are the feminine powerful aspects namely Saraswathi,lakshmi and Parvathi. And those are the most well known Hindu Gods.But there are also really important ones that aren't, but there are also other ones that are important as well.Ganesha is extremely important in every Hindu's life as he removes obstacles for worship,for becoming a better person for evolution.He gives us - he is that connection that we have to God.Krishna and rama and the other incarnations of Vishnu remind us what is to be a good person.So It's not just an form anthropomorphic, Vishnu out there somewhere.it's a concrete idea and an ideal that we can emulate in our lives.The planets are also really important in a lot of Hindus lives as they are believed to have a direct influence on our daily ecperiences. So worshiping the planets and the massive amounts of energy that they are is important.

Questen:How would you characterize God?

Answer:How would I characterize God at its essence is Brahman?God is not characterized about. He is without attributes, without form, totally beyond our perception. Our tiny little human brains can't understand it. If I was to describe the different deities that God has formed, I could do that. Ganesha has a great sense of humour. He's gentle and easy to please.Vishnu is full of love and compassion, and Shiva is strong in the most soft ways. If it makes sense, he's like water that wears away the stone.He is so flexible that it's powerful.God takes different forms depending on which job he has to do. So like a man can be a husband, a father and a fireman - her's the same man but is called by different things depending on what he does.And so that's what God is like when he's Raama and Vishnu and Shiva.

Questen:Why do you believe in God?

Answer:Why do I believe in God?I've never really given it thought about why. I feel it's kind of self-evident to me and I know to a lot of people, it isn't rational - but in my mind it makes total sense how nothing could become something. How all this science forms what we are, how little atoms stick together and form you and me. And everything I see and experience and learn just solidifies that belief that there's something.Now why Hinduism?You know I could be wrong I could definitely be wrong but it connects with me and I just believe it there's. There's something unexplainable about that connection with you and God.

Questen:Why is your religion important to you personally?

Answer:my religion is important to me because, it is the essence of life.It is the esence of what I'm doing here and why I'm doing it.It gives me purpose and what I accomplish whether it is something little like getting a good grade on my test or something big as in like changing the world in some sort of way.

Questen:Where do Hindus worship?

Answer:Hindus worship at the temple and at home in their litle mandirs,the little puja rooms.Temp;e is a place where Hindus can come together and wotrship together.And it becomes more powerful when you have all of those people with al that love around you. It's almost contagious and we treat God like at Temple. We perform abhishekam which is a bath of all the sweetest liquids we have. we give him our best food our best flowers. WE give him incense and chanted names and that helps us to bring out that devotion that is within us, bring out that connection to God and when there's other people there, the vibrations are just stronger and stronger. And at home - we can't go to Temple everyday - some, some do but religion and worship is important everyday and so we'll have something at home whether it's simply just puting a flower on the Lord or saying you know namaste and keeping that within your mind all day or when you are cooking and you just repeat the name God that in itself is worship or you know holding the door open for somebody who has their habds full, that's worship when you keep you know see, I see God in that person. I'm going to treat that person like a God - that that is worship and it's perfect.

Qiesten:What is a puja?

Answer:A puja, where we treat God as best we can to show - our devotion,how can you really express how much you love somebody? you do it through action and so that's what we're doing. We have the Moorthy, the idol that we can focus our devotion to and we treat it as best we can. With all the, you know the bells and whistles to help us get that devotion out and to. A Pooja is  where we approach is where we focus our devotion to God, and it can form - it can be at any, it can be in any form.It can be simply,you know chanting God's name with incense where flowers.It can be three hours long, you know mantras and pageants and different hints.It can be full a bit shaken or just a simple light going around. It takes whatever form the devotee needs it to be because the puja is really there for devotee to a stretch. It's a structure for us to worship with.

Questen:What is the structure of leadership in Hinduism?
Answer:THere is no structure of leadership in Hinduism.We don't know who the founder was,if there was a single founder and there's not really an authority that you go to..to answer questions or anything since there is no dogma of things that you need to believe. No one's realy telling you what is right and what is wrong.So you take the Scriptures what you want to take,leave what you don't believe and that's fine.And if you want to be a priest you only have your authority to go on. People will have to trust you. So you can get a job! but no one can tell you what to believe or what to do or if you can be a priest or if you can't be a priest.

Questen:What is the role of a priest in the temple?
Answer:The role of the priest is to take care of the idols,that the deities and also to perform the puja and the avishay comes. He or she chants the Vedas and different excerpts from the Vedas,the mantras and everything. They know what they're doing and they know the mantras have vibrations and so they bring with those mantras, great vibrations into,into the area and they also know, you know, how to. They're pure insde. They've done practices that have made them more pure and that makes them fit to do, You know, all these different things.

Questen:How do you respond to the questen - what is the meaning of life?
Answer:What is the meaning of life?The meaning of life is to evolve, and, well, God has refracted into so many colors and he is painting a masterpiece. So,just as a painter makes changes to the piece and grows on it and builds on it until it's perfect.So do we grow and change and build on ourselves until we're perfect as well, and once we'd become perfect, then we can go to God. And the meaning, the meaning behind all this is God's divine dance! It's a divine clay since we are essentially God. Ask yourself why are you here because it's (a childish laugh)!

Questen:What is truth?
Answer:Truth,the truth - the only true thing is God.Oh! Man,what is truth?We don't really know what the truth is!Honestly, we try to know and we get really close to it, but there is no one truth. The truth is different for everybody in different situations. The truth for me 10 years ago is different from the truth to me now. But they're both still the truth. There is no one truth. The truth is different for everybody and it's constantly changing. My truth and your truth are different, yet there is still the truth, and there can't just be one truth in the universe.

          శంకరాచార్యుడు చెప్పిన మాయా ప్రభావం గురించిన విశ్లేషణనీ "ఏకం సత్,విప్రాని బహుధా వదంతి" అనే గొప్ప సత్యాన్నీ కలిపి ఎంత మామొలుగా చెప్పేసింది!

Question:Is there a particular teaching or scripture that inspire you?
Answer:There's one that comforts me. It's actually not a scripture,It's from him, and it's chandrasekar Amash. Hey maaama Kimmy carry shitty by Yamaha which means I take shelter and Shiva, So what can death do to me, and anytime that I'm scared or lost or anything I just remembered that even death that touches every single one of us thousands and thousands of times can't even touch me.So  why am I worried about any of this.

Questen:Can you point to one event or was it a gradual process for you in becoming Hindu?
Answer:It was more of a gradual process,but when I attended my first opera shakem - it was lakshmi who remember and I just there was just this energy,this feeling taht was just like I am where I belong. And it's not really explainable and it had no trigger really.But I just remember thinking I am at home,I find it.

Questen:What is the role of men and women in Hinduism?
Answer:Whoo!This is a tough one. yeah,men and women in Hinduism in the religion itself - there is no difference in the culture of Hinduism.There can be a difference,especially when you go back it changes over time. The role of women and men in Hinduism in a very beginning right,when the Vedas were being composed there was no difference then.After the Muslim Invasion, everyone wanted to protect their women. So they stayed in the house and the men went out and fought. That created a culture where there was a separation between men and women - that the women had tgis place,they needed protection from this outside force and it became common to think that women weren't powerful anymore which is totally opposite from Shakti,the very meaning of the word,the feminine is power.So when we think about men and women in Hinduism, there is a big divide between what is really their purpose,their purpose is being human, no matter what gender they are and what people think from what their fathers,their fathers fathers taught them.So now we're trying to get rid of this old view on gender and the roles of gender,because it's outdated. We don't need it anymore. We've changed and we have grown it, had it might have had a purpose back when good job by the way, they might had a purpose back when you know, there were,there were things to protect their women from.But nowadays there's just no reason for it anymore, and every, almost every Hindu would agree that women and men right the same. There are always going to be radicals who, you know, take things and bend them and say women went for here,women can't touch the idols,women can't read the books, women can't do this madness in that. But that has no foundation in the Vedas,in any of the scriptures that has no basis.

Questen:What is the bindi?
Answer:The bindi is, where there's chakra which is the - I had spiritual insight. And there are a lot of theories about how it came like,how the bindi came about. Some say that we wanted to keep the bindi cool or that area cool,because it would create clearer flows of energy. Also when you see bindi on somebody, you remember they have God within them.I have to treat them like they have God in them and so it reminds you that that person is not just something that is someone and it creates respect. It also is just a symbol of like we believe in the same thing.

          హైదరాబాదులో గుడి దగ్గిరే వెధవపనులు చేసి ఒక నిండు ప్రాణం పోయేలా చేసి దబ్బుతో కేసు నుంచి బయటపడినవాళ్ళకి ఈ అమ్మాయి చెప్తున్న బొట్టు విలువ తెలుస్తుందా?ఈ సంస్కృతికి వారసుణ్ణి అని గర్వించే వాడు ఎవడయినా స్త్రీ పట్ల తేలికభావం చూపించగలడా?

Questen:What interactions have you had with those of other faiths?
Answer:Well, that varies. I've had experiences with every religion,also negative experiences with every religion. It doesn't really seem to matter which religion I'm talking to. It's - if they're extremists or not, there are a lot of Christians that I know that don't really see a difference between us. That were two people that have a religion that believe in God that spread peace and love and so that's great! there are other people who say you're wrong,you're a pagan, you know, you're all these bad things - Satan has captured you into his claws and (a childish laugh) serpents a house closet. Thanks and so it just it really depends. I don't see any relationship between rich religion I'm talking to and I've had, I've had great experiences with a lot of people and bad experiences,Some people.

Questen:What is the caste system?
Answer:THe caste system had a prep...the purpose of dividing labour between the society to get everything done that needed to be done.But also it wasn't really as rigid as we would think of it as it's more - are you a warrior at heart, are you, you know, strong person who wants to fight and protect.If so,then you're going to be except, yeah! you're going to go and fight.But if he has a son and that son is scrawny and brainy,you're not going to send him out into the field. You're going to make him a Brahmin, so he can go and learn. So it was very much plastic. That's not the right word - it's very much fluid!It was very much fluid and in the beginning and it depended a lot upon your soul.What kind of spirit you are and what your desire was.If you have a passion about something, You're going to fo it a lot better than if you don't.

Questen:Do you think it is important to learn about religions outside of your own,why or why not?
Answer:Yes!because, we all have truths and our religions and we also all have man-made things in our religions. So, you know, we're, we interact with people of all religions everyday. We need to know how to respect them,how to relate to them. And it's also just common courtesy really and religions and Hinduism.It - it doesn't matter what religion you are - why not learn about them?

Questen:Anything you would like to add?
Answer:I think a big thing that I want people to take away from this is that Hinduism isn't what a lot of people think it is. It's very much similar to the other religions and it's very deeply spiritual and we don;t worship idols, were not polytheistic, and there isn't anything wrong with being probably theistic. And just to remember that it's a religion of respect and don't judge IT!

P.S:ఈ అమ్మాయికి గనక ఇప్పుడు పెళి కాకుండా ఉండి, నాకు గనక ఈ అమ్మాయికి ఈడూజోడైన కొడుకు ఉంటే - కాళ్ళూ గడ్డాలు పట్టుకుని బతిమలాడి అయినా సరే మా ఇంటికి కోడలుగా తెచ్చుకుని ఉండేవాణ్ణి!

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About Bhagavad Gita , I have read the scripture and it's not only a religious book but a book of wisdom and spiritual knowledge. I will quote two phrases from it in my words.

Even if you are a sinner, you will come to me ultimately after many cycle of life and death , even if you are a hero , you will come to me after many life and death.

You and I are inseparable , we are destined to meet. In each warrior , I reside , in each mother's heart I dwell , I am love , I am eternal , I am eternal soul. I am happiness unbound.

Within one moment , I create millions of universes , within one moment , I destroy them. Within every atom of this universe , I have my essence.

You cannot measure me , you cannot judge me by your senses. I am vast , I am infinite.

All you can do is to give up your all beliefs , all ritual acts , all material world. Think of myself , chant my name with true belief , by utmost devotion and kindness in heart , one day you will become me.

Have any religious book said the above things . ? I am not glorifying Hindusim . I am an atheist.

 - Ved Mukherjee