On Hinduism

Hindus have a very modern relationship with Divinity. We know that the one single divinity, that pervades everything and everyone, can be known to our hearts in our own unique ways.

I will answer your question, but first I must ask–what is the color of your car? (assuming the answer isn’t “Black”. If they say Black, just ask another person that doesn’t have a black car).

So you have a Silver colored car? Did you pick it yourself? Why? Because you liked it!! Surely you liked the Black car as well?

Hindus have many expressions of divinity. You may translate these roughly into “gods”, but that is just a mis-translation. We have many expressions of divinity, and so you can say that Hindus are poly-theistic. That would only be partially right because usually, polytheism relates to the Roman/Greek pantheon of warring gods that are always at odds with each other. The Hindus don’t approach divinity in the same manner.

Now let me tell you the story of Mister Ford. He invented the modern factory, making automobile cars cheaply through his use of the conveyor belt. He was very famous, as I am sure you know, but he had some detractors. You see, some people didn’t want black cars. Why did they have a problem with our Mister Ford? He didn’t want to sell them colored cars. His Model-T car was only available in Black because he didn’t want to stop his conveyor belt to change the color of the car. So he declared that “people can have ANY color of car they want, as long as the color is BLACK”.

This Model-T-ism is the state of today’s monotheism. “You may have only one God as-long-as he is a white-bearded old man who is somewhat grumpy and gets angry at times”. That monochrome monoculture may work for those religions that spring from sparse ecologies but denies the obvious richness and variety that all creation represents.

To recap, Hindus have a much more modern relationship with God. We know that the one single divinity that pervades everything and everyone can be known to our hearts in our own unique ways. Whatever conception of divinity is dearest to us, Hindus believe that the idea of their chosen deity (Ishta devata) is the god (or deva) they will pray to.

Some hearts want a silver car, and they should have the ability to drive a silver car, wouldn’t you agree? Why should all of us have to deal with the Model-T-ism of divinity?

Other reading material:

Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand , Dilip Amin,

Contributor: Gaurav Rastogi

Location of this post (1c): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/is-hinduism-a-polytheist-religion/

Hindus believe in the one all-pervasive God who energizes the entire universe.  However, Hinduism does not deny God concepts in other religions.

There is the Godhead (The Divine Nature – Impersonal),  there is God (personification of the abstract Divine Nature – Personal) and there are deities known as Devas and Devatās often translated as “gods”.  

Everything in the universe moving and stationary is nothing but a manifestation of Brahman (The Supreme Divine Consciousness).  One can think of quantum energy as God.

The material cause of the universe, the efficient cause of the universe and the accessory causes of the universe are all ONE.  Some examples of many in one and one in many are: 1) everything made of clay is ultimately just clay, 2) all jewelry made of gold are nothing but gold and 3) all the manifestations of the ocean – water, currents, waves, icebergs, clouds, rain, etc. are in fact nothing but H2O.

Other reading material: 

Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q & A: What is The Definition Of God, Idol or Murti?  Intro to Hinduism by HAF,

Contributor: Nilesh Chaudhary

Location of this post (1f): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/what-is-god-concept-in-hinduism/

Most Hindus belong to one of four major deity traditions (denominations)—Shaiva, Shakta, Vaishnava, and Smarta. The central deity worshipped and certain philosophical tenets differ. All denominations, however, share many core beliefs such as maya, karma, and moksha. All uphold the validity of Vedas. Shaivas primarily worship different forms of Lord Shiva; Shaktas worship Shakti, or the Divine Mother in Her various forms; Vaishnavas worship forms of Lord Vishnu; and Smartas worship different forms of six major deities, including Lord Shiva, Shakti, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya and Lord Surya, holding them all to be forms of Brahman, the eternal, infinite, unchanging principle that is the substratum of the universe and is both immanent and transcendent.

.Other reading material: https://houseoflac.wordpress.com/2018/04/10/worship-in-sanatan-dharma/

Relevant videos

Contributor: Dharmi Sarkar

Location of this post (5a): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/what-are-four-deity-traditions/

Yes, God does incarnate. Hindus believe in incarnation (called avatars or descent). The incarnation of a deity in human or animal form is to counteract some particular evil in the world to establish balance. 

.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भव- ति भारत ।

अभ्युत्थान- मधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्- ॥४-७॥

परित्राणाय- साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्- ।

धर्मसंस्था- पनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥४-८॥

Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita tells his best friend Arjun (chapter 4.17): 

Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati bharata

Abhythanamadharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham

Paritranaya sadhunang vinashay cha dushkritam

Dharmasangsthapanarthay sambhabami yuge yuge

Whenever there is a decline of righteousness [dharma] and rise of unrighteousness then I send forth Myself. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I come into being from age to age (I descend myself). 

.

Lord Vishnu (lord of sustenance or protector of humanity) had 10 popular incarnations (or appearances): Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (half man, half lion), Vamana (dwarf), Parashurama (Rama with the axe), Rama (hero of the Ramayana epic, in Treta yuga/time period), Krishna (author of Bhagwad Gita, in Dvapar yuga/time period), Buddha (established Buddhism), and Kalki (the incarnation yet to come). The number of Vishnu’s avatars is sometimes extended or their identities changed, according to local preferences.

Actually, we are all God incarnate. Only in our case, we don’t remember our essential divinity.

Other reading material: https://www.britannica.com/topic/avatar-Hinduism

Relevant videos: Swami Nikhil Anand Hinduism Q & A: Does God Incarnate

Contributor: Nilesh Chaudhary

Location of this post (15a): https://www.hinduspeakers.org/ufaqs/does-god-incarnate/