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(Total activity, all pages, all sites, in page reloads, since 9/21/2000)
(12-11-98)
Sitaram: You want to learn about Hindu Beliefs
NiceMuslim: yes
Sitaram: are you Muslim
NiceMuslim: yes. do not hold that agasinst me I like to learn about other religions
Sitaram: Saalam Alehoum
Sitaram: Keph Alik
NiceMuslim: do you have one god, or many walaikum, asalaam
Sitaram: in Hinduims.... God is perceived as One.. with a trinity of three aspects
Sitaram: Brahman creator... Vishnu-preserver... Shiva - Destroyer
Sitaram: similar to Christian Trinity
Sitaram: and from Vishnu... comes.. Avatars.. Incarnations... God-Men... Krsna... Ram.. Jesus.. Buddha
NiceMuslim: the why dont you just go to the ONE, instead of the many. the one encompasses the all
Sitaram: similar to Christianity.. but we believe it happens more than once
Sitaram: well.. I will try to explain...
Sitaram: God is So powerful.. so omnipotent.. that God may simultaneously appear in many forms... male female.. animal... many Divine Names.. but at same time.. remain Namless and Formless
NiceMuslim: then, just approach God in one way.
Sitaram: so... (no offense intended).. but from Hindu perspective.. when Muslim says Allahu Akbar... he limits God...
Sitaram: because for Hindu.. God is simultaneously.. Infinitely Great.. and also.. Infinitesimally small
NiceMuslim: good point I never really though about it in that way
NiceMuslim: as for Islam, but we realize god is more than we can understand, but we choosd to approcah him in one way
Sitaram: I can give you the URL to my website on Hinduism.. and dialogues... Interfaith Dialogues.. with Christians Muslims... etc
Sitaram: I will give you my URL.. if you are interested in pursuing such concepts...
NiceMuslim: okay
Sitaram: but... I must explain to you... that there are several heated debates in the website... one between myself and a Muslim who is attacking Hinduism..... and several between myself and Christians who are also hostile and attacking
Sitaram: so... I do not want to offend you ... by giving you the URL.. without warning you of those several dialogues...
Sitaram: but.. there are many pages.. which are.. not hostile or unpleasant...
Sitaram: there is a pages about a Sufi martyr.. I assum you are familiar with Sufis...
Sitaram: and.. another page about Guru Nanak.. the founder of the Sikh Religion
Sitaram: so.. would you like to visit my website
NiceMuslim: a little. dont really understand it though. okay, tell me the address
Sitaram: Click here: A Hindu Dream - seeing GOD - Page 1
NiceMuslim: no no, just give me the address
Sitaram: ok.. I have also emailed you the URL and the address
Sitaram: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atlantis/3425/index.html
Sitaram: for your convenience
NiceMuslim: thanx, may God bless you for being open minded, and willling to share beleifs
Sitaram: I will mention to you the most significan quotation which I use from the Koran
Sitaram: it is from 5th Sura... around verse 43, or 48
Sitaram: where Allah says... "If I had wanted to.. I could have created all men as one religion... but for my own reasons...
Sitaram: I chose to create men with DIFFERENT RELIGIONS...
Sitaram: so if you must compete with one another
Sitaram: compete in DOING GOOD WORKS
Sitaram: .. and when you return to ME...
Sitaram: I shall explain the reasons for the differences."
Sitaram: end of quote
Sitaram: also.. from Surah 2 .... verse 252... "There shall be no compulsion in matters of religion."
Sitaram: so... from Surah 5.. from a HINDU point of view.. it is saying that.. it is the WILL of ALLAH.. that there be Hindus...
Sitaram: which... of course.. an Orthodox Muslim would perhaps object to...
Sitaram: but.. you cannot blame Hindus... for wanting to interpret it in that fashion
Sitaram: feel free to email me anytime.. with questions.. or comments... even of a negative nature...
Sitaram: also... I may recommend to you one excellent paperback.. to help you in your understanding of other faiths...
Sitaram: it is by Huston Smith... "The Worlds Religions"....
Sitaram: available in paperback..
Sitaram: also... "A Survey of Hinduism" by Klaus Klostermaier... by SUNY PRESS ...
Sitaram: have you any additional questions.. or comments.. I am at leisure to converse now..
Sitaram: also.. I have a number of URL addresses on Hinduism
NiceMuslim: what about statues, isnt that idolatry. I only kow it from my perpective, sorry if offense
Sitaram: no.. its ok.. I will explain
Sitaram: for the Hindu... of course.. God is everywhere present...
Sitaram: and has both a formless nameless aspect... similar to Muslim concept of Allah... which we call Nirguna (without qualities)
NiceMuslim: okay
Sitaram: and also a Saguna Aspect (with qualities)...
NiceMuslim: I thought Ishvar
Sitaram: so.. Hindus relate very well to the Muslim notion of the 99 names of Allah... Merciful... Compassionate.... even... Deceiver.... as in your 99 prayer beads
NiceMuslim: I never heard of sucvh a distinction
Sitaram: that would correspond to the Saguna with qualities
NiceMuslim: oh yeah, but we do not have 99 Gods. is that how hinduism works, different aspect of the same One
Sitaram: now.... the Moorty... or FORM (Idol)... is... a focal point for our meditation.. and we INVITE... God to come and dwell their.. during our worship
Sitaram: yes... different aspects of the One God...
Sitaram: even in orthodox Judaism.... in their mystical tradition... the Kaballa... there are the 10 Sephiroth... or Divine Qualities...
NiceMuslim: oh. that is kool. What are some of the rules for life in hinduism, like islam 5 pillars
Sitaram: as well as .. in Torah... (old testament) the Shekina (a word of feminine gender).. which is the APPEARANCE or Presence of God... as a Cloud in the Holy of Holies...
Sitaram: and corresponds.. to the Saguna (with qualities.. aspect)
NiceMuslim: you know alot, did you study theology?
Sitaram: and... in Hinduism.. it is the belief that.... through coming to know the Saguna Aspect of God... one is granted knowledge of the Nirguna (no-qualities aspeect)
Sitaram: yes... I am age 50... and I have studied the religions of the world all my life.. since age 16
Sitaram: at age 19.. I read the Koran cover to cover in english translation
NiceMuslim: wow, what got you interested in religion. I am 21
Sitaram: I learned ancient and modern greek at age 20... and became a Greek Orthodox christian.. and entered a monastery
Sitaram: and remained greek orthodox Christian for 17 years
Sitaram: then.. I studied Korean Zen Buddhism.. and all forms of Buddhism.. for 2 years...
Sitaram: Now.. I have been attending a Guyanese Hindu temple in Brooklyn New york... for 6 years...
NiceMuslim: what got you iteresed in religion to that extent
Sitaram: but... I was raised with no religion by nominally protestant parents who never took me to church even once...
Sitaram: well.. perhaps it was because as a child I was given nothing...
Sitaram: when you visit my website.. you will see on my first page.. a description of a dream which I had 4 years ago
Sitaram: in which.. I saw.. God as a triangular cloud.. and inside the cloud were the Images of Jesus, Buddha, and Krsna...
Sitaram: the description of the dream.. and what was said to me.. is in page 1...
Sitaram: but... one thing in the dream.. that God said... was... "Although I am present in Every religion.... I am beyond All Religions...."
Sitaram: so... because God told me of His presence in Every religion... (including of course... Islam)...
Sitaram: one day.. I visited a Masjid... on a Friday noon.. and did Wudu.. and entered.. and did 2 Rakas....
Sitaram: and.... during the worship.... I was looking at the front wall of the Masjid.. a beautiful white tile wall with Calligraphy of the words of the Glorious Koran...
Sitaram: when... suddenly... in a vision... the wall disappeared..
... and I saw the entire world.. forests, mountains, oceans, rivers... all things.. simultaneously...
and then ... that vision disappeared... and I saw only.... (this is hard to put into words..)... THE NAME...
the Holy Name of God... the Tetragrammaton... which is EVERY NAME.. for EVERY NAME is His... His name is Allah, His Name is Govinda, His Name is Ram...... and then.. the vision ceased.. and there was only the wall and the calligraphy.. as before...
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