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"Holy Mother" painted by Swami Tadatmananda

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Converting to Hinduism

I ran across this statement about a man converting to Hinduism. The context of this surrounds a man who was formerly Jewish ...

"Also, you cannot convert to Hinduism. It's a contradiction in terms. Hinduism decrees that we are all born into a caste (or tribe). He may be a follower of Vedic philosphy, but he can't "be" a Hindu. That's his karma."

It seems like many spirtual masters teach that one should remain in the religions of their birth. I seem to remember that Sri Ramakrishna addressed this issue, though not directly, as some Masters do (I've heard that some religious aspirants have been slapped for denying the religions of their birth)...

Is the above quotation true and is it even pertinent?

Any thoughts?

Re: Converting to Hinduism

Dear Sister Rosemary,

RE: "Also, you cannot convert to Hinduism. It's a contradiction in terms. Hinduism decrees that we are all born into a caste (or tribe). He may be a follower of Vedic philosphy, but he can't "be" a Hindu. That's his karma."

Comment: Here is an interesting quote from Jiddu Krishnamurti:

`WHEN you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.'


Here are a few quotes from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:

"God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true.
The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs
or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope.
You can also climb up by a bamboo pole."

"Bhakti be victorious! Blessed you are Sri Ramakrishna! Victory to you! You have embodied the universal view of sanatana dharma (the eternal religion). It is perhaps for this reason that you have such an attraction! You embrace the followers of all religions as your own without any difference! You have but one test ­ it is that of bhakti. You only see whether a person has love for God within, whether he has bhakti or not. If that is there, he immediately becomes your very own. If you see bhakti in a Hindu, he is at once your own. And if a Muslim has bhakti for Allah, he is also your own. If a Christian has the love for Jesus, he is also your near and dear one. You say that all rivers coming from different directions, from different regions fall into the same one ocean." (from: Chapter Nine, In the heart of the disciple)

Incidentally, today is the 120th Anniversary of Sri Sri Ramakrishna's Mahasamadhi, which took place on August 15, 1886.

Om Shanthi Om
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Re: Re: Converting to Hinduism

Thanks, Web Admin...

I am going to have to study on this some more...
this same question seems to keep popping up in my mind..and I may have asked it here before...

Thanks for your reply....

Re: Converting to Hinduism

I read the following at Ankur ji's blog. This concerns Swami Aseshananda (sp?)

"Once, I heard that some Catholic nuns had come to him, attracted by the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Though they wanted to embrace that ideal, he sent them back to their church. Later I learned that he had initiated them".

Re: Re: Converting to Hinduism

Hi Sister Rosemary,

You wrote:

"I read the following at Ankur ji's blog. This concerns Swami Aseshananda (sp?)"

"Once, I heard that some Catholic nuns had come to him, attracted by the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Though they wanted to embrace that ideal, he sent them back to their church. Later I learned that he had initiated them".

Comment: I found the following page, dedicated to this venerable Swami: www.srv.org/aseshananda.html

There is further elaboration on that quote:

"Once, I heard that some Catholic nuns had come to him, attracted by the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Though they wanted to embrace that ideal, he sent them back to their church. Later I learned that he had initiated them. This I cannot substantiate, but it would not surprise me in the least."

=also-

"In his adolescence he studied philosophy at St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College in Calcutta."

In other words, he was trained by the Roman Catholics.

Personally, I have serious doubts as to the veracity of the statement,
for the simple reason that Roman Catholic Nuns are governed by formal vows of stability (that is, to remain a member of a single monastic community), in strict obedience (to an abbess or prioress).

In other words, being initiated into another faith, would not be consistent with the above-mentioned. If such an occurence did actually take place, perhaps those women were members of the noviciate; meaning that they had not taken their final vows in their respective order, and were not 'nuns', per se.

I hope that the situation in your part of N. Carolina is under control,
and you have not felt too much, the adverse effects of Hurricane Ernesto.

Om Shanthi Om

Re: Converting to Hinduism

Thank you for your kind words, dear Brother.

We were blessed with very little trouble with this storm.

This is a most interesting looking man. It is also interesting that once he came to the US, he never returned to India. And he was here for many, many years. Longer than I have been alive, even.

Most interesting man!

Re: Converting to Hinduism

When I was a little kid, so long ago now, my Mom and Dad took us kids to The First Baptist Church in Gurdon, Ark. I was 'saved' one day during Vacation Bible School...it was during a sad song being played with the preacher telling us to "come to Jesus". I was overcome with emotion..i cried and felt like 'something' had happened....the Hell fire talk that went on and on over the years made me go away--i went to the Catholic church and fell in love with the wonderful Mother Mary....it all made sence when i first heard the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, and Found Holy Mother--I felt like that same 'something' had happened...this time with no sad songs...
I might not be a Hindu, but I'm sure not a Baptist....I guess I'm a big old Mama's boy....Praise Mother!!!

Location: San Francisco

Re: Re: Converting to Hinduism

Thanks for that Gary. Your story sounds so familiar.

Re: Converting to Hinduism

I have read similar comments and have a question...
What does one do if one is _not_ born into a religion?
The Bible, Koran, Buddhist texts do nothing for me. Only the Bhagavad Gita has ever made me feel the slightest comprehension of God.
Am I to remain outside this beautiful thing we westerners call Hinduism? Surely not!
This is also interesting
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/1997/9/1997-9-18.shtml
I have also read that Hinduism should really be called Sanatana Dharma. (It gets confusing after a while).
So I may never 'convert' in some public ceremony, but I hope that in my head and my heart I could feel that one day, maybe, I could consider myself a Hindu.

Location: United Kingdom

Re: Re: Converting to Hinduism

Namaste John,


You wrote: "The Bible, Koran, Buddhist texts do nothing for me"

Comment: Sri Ramakrishna said: "God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true.
The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs
or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope.
You can also climb up by a bamboo pole."

You also wrote: "Hinduism should really be called Sanatana Dharma"

Comment: Hinduism is comprised of many sects. besides the Sanatanis.
For instance, there are the Arya Samajis, the Vaishnavas, the Shaktas, the Shivaites etc etc etc. They are all refrred to as Hindus.

In my humble opinion, the only way you could effectively become a Hindu,
is if you are reborn as such, in your next incarnation.

Of course, there is always the old maxin: "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it."

In other words, you could end up being born into a poor family, living on the edge of starvation, but Hindu, nevertheless. Such a situation rarely invites the luxury of spiritual musing and speculation.

Personally, I would rather not be 'born again' as a Hindu, Christian, Mohammedan, Jew etc., but rather, not to be born again, at all.

That would be ideal!

Om Shanthi Om
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Addenda: Converting to Hinduism

Who is a Hindu?

Contributed By Dr. Shriharsha Sharma

Who is a Hindu ? This question arises all the time in various situations and Hindus are unable to answer it exactly, precisely, satisfactorily and with confidence. I have asked this question to many people including eminent Hindu scholars, Sadhus, religious leaders, professors and Pandits but without a satisfactory reply. Fortunately I have found the most fitting , exact, precise and above all satisfying definition of a Hindu by a great revolutionary, author, orator, poet and patriot Veer Vinayak Rao Damodar Rao Savarkar. In 1905 while in the prison at Andamon- Nicobar island he thus wrote :

Asindhu Sindhu Paryanta yashya Bharat Bhoomika,
Pitribhu Punya Bhuschaiva Sa vai Hindu Riti Smritah.

"There is a vast land between river Sindhu and Hind Mahasagar called Bharat and those who accept that this is their fatherland or / and a holy land, land of pilgrimage are all Hindu."

This definition includes Sanatanis, Saivas, Vaishnavas, Buddhists, Jains, Arya Samajis, Sikhs, Harijans, members of International Society of Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON, Adibasis, Tribes, Yogis, Sadhus, Dalits, followers of Swaminarayan, atheists and various other sects without exception are all Hindus . This is the first lesson the Hindu parents can give to their children. Teachers and leaders must learn this definition and covey and spread the correct information to unify the Hindu society.

Read More: http://www.hinduwisdom.info/articles_hinduism/272.htm

Re: Addenda: Converting to Hinduism

Referring to my previous comment: "Hinduism is comprised of many sects. besides the Sanatanis.
For instance, there are the Arya Samajis, the Vaishnavas, the Shaktas, the Shivaites etc etc etc. They are all referred to as Hindus."

HERE IS A FANTASTIC IDEA!

John, if you wish to be a Hindu, and you are attracted to the Divine Mother, then simply consider yourself as a SHAKTA. Nobody is going to argue with you on that...

T'was just a thought.

Om Shanthi Om

Re: Re: Converting to Hinduism

Try here
http://www.krishna.com/

Hare Krishna!

Location: Germany

Re: Re: Converting to Hinduism

You CAN be a hindu!
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/hbh/
I hope this helps you John.

Location: Scotland

Re: Re: Re: Converting to Hinduism

Namaste Susan:

You wrote: "You CAN be a hindu!"

Of course, John can be anything he wants. No question about that at all.

However, in order to avoid unecessary arguments,
and subequent loss of precious time; perhaps it is better to be more specific; like: VEDANTIST, SHAKTA, SHAIVA, VAISHNAVA etc.

"Hindu" is just too broad a term.

For instance, in the French dictionary, a 'hindou' is an 'Indian of India'.

In other words, according to the French definition, His Excellency, Cardinal Ivan Dias, R.C. Archbishop of Mumbai [Bombay], would be considered a 'Hindu'......

Do you see where the confusion arises?

Om Shanthi Om
==============

Correction: Converting to Hinduism

RE Previous Posting: "In other words, according to the French definition, His Excellency, Cardinal Ivan Dias, R.C. Archbishop of Mumbai [Bombay], would be considered a 'Hindu'......"

Correction:

It is actually, His Eminence, rather than His Excellency. Sorry about that.

Om Shanthi Om

What's In a Name?

When this question first arose I found myself wondering: Why do we need to "belong?"

In my own lifetime I longed to be Christian. I did not like Christianity as I knew it, but I longed to be Christian nonetheless. I had no "use for" Jesus as he was presented. Yet, I longed to be accepted as a Christian.

My coming in contact with Vedanta and the teachings of ancient and modern saints is the very thing that has given Jesus and Christianity meaning. Through the years, my own spiritual quest has become more important than traditional labels. I had always been a child of God. Now I am a Child of Mother. :)

Re: What's In a Name?

Thank you, respected sister Jayanti. I think Swami Vivekananda also said, "It is good to be born in a church but not to die in one!"
With regards and good wishes on Lakshmi Puja.

Location: Guwahati, Assam, India

Re: What's In a Name?

Dear Sister Jayanti,

You wrote: "When this question first arose I found myself wondering: Why do we need to "belong?"

In my own lifetime I longed to be Christian. I did not like Christianity as I knew it, but I longed to be Christian nonetheless. I had no "use for" Jesus as he was presented. Yet, I longed to be accepted as a Christian.

My coming in contact with Vedanta and the teachings of ancient and modern saints is the very thing that has given Jesus and Christianity meaning. Through the years, my own spiritual quest has become more important than traditional labels. I had always been a child of God. Now I am a Child of Mother. :)"

Comment: We agree, through our common experience, that the intense exposure to the Holy Trio, is 'the key' to understanding 'TRUE' Christianity.

Om Shanthi Om

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