On Hinduism

Hinduism’s core principle is the recognition of the Brahman–the primary source of energy and creation, all pervasive and eternal. We are a result and a part of this Brahman–often also referred to as the “Truth”. Hindus, therefore, often say, “Aham Brahmasmi”, or, “I am the Universe”. This view of our world, including us, as Brahman (God) asserts an identity that is not separate from God. It will rather generate a good debate from a Hindu.

Other reading material:
Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand

Contributor: Rajeev Singh

Location of this post (1b): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/why-are-we-separate-from-god/

Since the Vedic scriptures are highly cryptic, several schools of philosophical thought emerged in Hinduism, owing to different interpretations. Among them the most prominent one is the Advaita School.

The term Advaita refers to the darshana or philosophy that Brahman alone is ultimately real, the phenomenal transient world is an illusory appearance (maya) of Brahman, and the true Self, atman, is not different from Brahman.

Advaita is the path of knowledge. By removing ignorance of Self, knowledge is attained. It is a path of self-enquiry that leads to realization.

In Advaita you have to come to the knowledge that you are not the body, you are not the mind. Advaita leads to the knowledge that there is no self. Through that knowledge it leads to the state of no-self.

Advaita is the idea that there is only Brahman, and that everything is Brahman–non-dualism or monism.

Also read:

Other reading material:

Relevant videos: Swami Tadatmanda on reincarnation, 

Contributor: Rajeev Singh

Location of this post (1j): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/what-is-advaita/

Hindus believe that there exists a changeless, all powerful intelligent being called the Brahman (aka God or Bhagavan), which pervades through the entire cosmos. An individual is not just the body and mind. Brahman and Atman exist within each human being. Hindus believe it is possible for the Atman in each individual to reach the Brahman at a higher state of intelligence usually achieved through karma yoga or Bhakti yoga.

Who am I?

I am the Atma (aka Jeevatma), which is different from this body, senses, mind, breath, and its cognitive abilities. The relationship between the Atma and the Body is that of Owner/Owned. When the owner (Atma) leaves the Owned (Body) it is called death. When the Owner acquires a new body it is called birth. Atma is eternal and keeps on journeying from one body to another until liberation.

How am I related to God?

God in His Antaryami (Antaratma) form, pervades everything in this universe and beyond. He pervades this lifeless body as well the life (Atma) within it. The relationship between the Antaratma and Atma is one of Owner/Owned. That is, Antaratma is the Owner and Atma is the owned. 

Overall relationship:

God owns the Atma and directs it’s decision making.

Atma owns the body, makes decisions and directs its actions.

While Atma may move from body to body, God never disowns the Atma.

Sources used:  Hindu Community Institute Course materials on Counselor of Hindu Traditions; Book: Many Many Gods of Hinduism by Swami Achuthananda. Meaning of AUM per Sri Pancharatra Agama.

Other reading material:

Relevant videos

Contributor: Seema Garg Murthy and Sudershan

Location of this post (1m): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/who-am-i-how-am-i-related-to-god/

In non-Indic and Western parlance, Brahman’s loose translation and interpretation as “God” raises the natural question of it being male or female, which for Hindus is not an inquiry.  The recognition of the divinity of the eternal truth (Brahman) has many conduits, which may have a gendered identity.  Most often, these are the deities that represent aspects of the Brahman and have both male and female identities. 

Gender is related to a physical body. Brahman is an all-pervading cosmic life force that is genderless and formless.  Brahman in a male body and Brahman in a female body–that is how Hindus see the Brahman.  Brahman (God) is a genderless cosmic life force.

Other reading material: 

Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand 

Contributor: Rajeev Singh

Location of this post (2a): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/are-you-a-hindu-when-someone-clicks-here-it-will-open-up-full-write-up-below/

Just as the combination of many strong and weak, visible and invisible forms of energy gives rise to waves in an ocean, the Brahman/Atma (energy, soul is not a right terminology) gives life to entities around us and including us. Why were the waves created? We don’t know. Why were Atman created? We don’t know. It just is. 

GOD didn’t create Atmans. Atmans existed in the past, exist in the present and will exist in the future

na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin

nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ

ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre

The Atman is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The Atman is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.

Other reading material:

Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q & A: Why did God create souls?

Contributor: Rajeev Singh

Location of this post (16c): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/why-did-god-create-souls/

Ātman (Ātmā) is not exactly the same as what is commonly called the “soul.”

• In Christian thought, the soul is the incorporeal essence of a human being. At death, God determines the soul’s eternal fate—reward or punishment. The idea that “soul = God” is considered blasphemous in most Abrahamic traditions. Furthermore, only humans are said to have souls.
  
• In Hindu thought, Ātman is the divine Self—eternal, unchanging, and identical with Brahman (the Ultimate Reality). The Divine manifests in all living beings as Ātman, not only in humans but also in animals and all forms of life.
  

The Bhagavad Gita (2:22 or 2:20) explains that the Ātman moves from one body to another, discarding the old and taking on the new, just as we change clothes. The body is temporary, while the Ātman is permanent and in command.

Unlike the Christian soul, which can be corrupted by sin or the devil, the Ātman in Hinduism is never tainted. It remains pure and divine, beyond birth and death.

Other reading material: Rajiv Malhotra, Academic Hinduphobia, 2016 (p. 49)

Relevant videos:

Contributor: Dilip Amin

Location of this post (16f): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/is-atman-the-same-as-soul/

OM, ॐ or AUM (pranava) refers to Atman (soul, self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles).

OM is a mantra. Its meaning slightly differs depending on how it is used. First of all OM is a sound symbol for God or Divinity. Just like cross is a physical symbol for Christ, OM is also a symbol, but it is in a sound form. OM is used as a sound during meditation practice. You chant OM and listen to it. Here it is used just as a soothing sound. OM also means “Everything together” as in Infinity.

OM is made up of 3 letters followed by silence;  (In Sanskrit; breathing pattern is explained) A (expel air from stomach area) + U (expel air from the chest region) +  M (think like you are expelling air from your mind and mouth) + silence (a brief breathless period). AUM stands for beginning, middle and end + silence. 

Other reading material: Yoga Sutra 1.27 , What is AUṀ? , The Significance of ॐ: A Linguistic and Philosophical Analysis

Relevant videos:

Contributor: Dr. Jyoti Lulla

Location of this post (23a): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/om-what-does-it-mean/

Brahman (Brahm) is limitless, eternal all pervasive energy that is in everything and powers everything and it has no beginning and no end. It is the source of this universe, the Ultimate Truth. 

Brahma: Per Hinduism, everything in the universe follows the wheel of time (kaal chakra): cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Even the universe follows this wheel of time/kaal chakra and is created- preserved – dissolved and then created again. Brahma is the God of creation, responsible for manifesting the new srishti (creation, universe) after its dissolution/recycling by Shiva.

Brahmin: Brahmis are those (human beings) who have ‘sattva’ guna (harmony, knowledge and contentment) pre-dominant in them. According to Gautama DharmaSustra, a Brahmin should possess eight virtues: truthfulness, teaching the virtuous, following the rules of rituals, studying the Vedas, gentleness and nonviolence, self control and kindness and others. Brahmin’s dharma in society is to interpret and share the knowledge of Hinduism across generations. One does not become Brahmin by birth but by gunas (qualities) and karma (action).

Other reading material:

Relevant videos:

Contributor: Swati Sugandhi

Location of this page (32b): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/what-is-the-difference-between-brahman-brahma-and-brahmin/

Few of sanskrit words used related to God are:

Brahman is limitless, eternal all pervasive energy that is in everything and powers everything and it has no beginning and no end. 

Devata from root word div or dev (दिव, that which shines) with tva (त्व/तल् प्रत्यय, being) becomes devata (देवत्वम्/देवता; a masculine form) meaning the one capacity to give. The feminine form is “Devi” and the word Devta means both Dev and Devi. Anyone who has achieved a state of supreme mastery over something and has owned it is called a “Dev”/”Devi”.

Ishvar means the supreme lord through which everything came into existence. Shiva and Vishnu are considered as “Ishvars”.

Bhagavan is Bhag + Van (someone who uplifts the Bhagya (luck) of the subject), one that possesses Bhag: Collection of 6 qualities (1. Aishwarya, 2. Veerya, 3. Yashas, 4. Shree, 5. Jnaana, and 6. Vairagya). Bhagavan (sometimes translated as “Lord”) is an epithet for a deity, particularly for the deities of Lord Krishna, Rama, Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The term is also used by Jains to refer to the Tirthankaras, particularly Mahavira, and by Buddhists to refer to Lord Buddha in India.

Parmatma (Par + atman) means the supreme soul of an Individual. Something which is above and beyond the “atman” (soul). Every individual has a “Parmatman” inside it. You are nothing but a soul, trapped in a cage of flesh and bones. Your parmatman is the state of pure consciousness.

Prabhu means lord. The provider (master) is called “Prabhu”.

Other reading material: http://www.lonelyphilosopher.com/difference-between-prabhu-ishwar-bhagwan-devta-and-parmatma/

Relevant videos:

Contributor: Manju Gupta

Location of this page (32c): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/explain-sanskrit-words-that-are-translated-to-god/

Om Tat Sat is known as the triple designation of Brahman—the Ultimate Reality. Each word reflects a different aspect of Truth:

• Om – The primordial sound symbolizing the Absolute, the infinite substratum on which body, mind, and intellect appear and function. It represents the pure Self beyond all limitations.
• Tat – Meaning “That,” it points to Brahman as the eternal, changeless, and perfect goal of all spiritual pursuit.
• Sat – Meaning “existence” or “truth,” it is the principle of reality present in all things we see, feel, and think—pervading the universe as the essence of being.

Together, Om Tat Sat affirms that there is only one ultimate Reality—Brahman. Chanting or contemplating on Om Tat Sat helps purify the heart, elevate thoughts, and guide actions toward truth and harmony.

Contributor: Dilip Amin

Location of this post (32d): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/what-is-om-tat-sat/