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Principles
and Practice of Hindu Religion A
Comprehensive Study of the Ancient Tradition and
the Perennial Philosophy |
Chapter
- II : The Essentials of the Hindu Traditions | A
Short Note on the Basic Aspects of Hindu
Religious Beliefs and
Practice in the Evolution of the Spirit and the Culture |
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Lesson
- 28 : Evolution of Hindu Deities - One God in Many Forms Why
does `God' incarnate amongst us in each era? |
At
later periods, several other great community leaders also were recognized as "God
Siva" in various areas. Similarly many other scholars have shown "proofs" that
many of the manifestations worshipped as Deities actually represents superhuman
personalities in different places and times. They were worshipped as manifestations
of God, who came to protect the community. Rama was here about 5000 years ago
and Krishna manifested about 4000 to 4500 years back. All the ten great incarnations
of Vishnu, several manifestations of Siva and various Deities described in the
Hindu Puranas [Mythology] as God manifesting Himself, may be persons who actually
lived in our land. There are many people who believe that "God Siva" manifested
Himself as the great Hindu Saint Adi Sankara, and gave us the Advaita Philosophy.
Somehow ancient Hindu scholars, while writing detailed accounts of all their teachings,
never gave any description of historical or chronological details of the time
and date or the names of the Seers and Rishis who wrote these philosophical teachings.
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When God,
as established and described by the Religious teachings as Omnipotent and Omnipresent,
are often not conceivable or comprehensible for ordinary people, many religions
enforced the thoughts with a dogma and an unquestionable blind faith. Hinduism
gave the faith with a philosophy and the formless God in a neuter gender. It also
gave various forms to It, both as male and female, for daily practice of the faith.
Whereas the Vedas deal with the religious practice as recitations, rituals and
philosophical study of the Divine Truth, Agamas that describe Temple worship,
helps ordinary people to pray to "God" in the form they want and to serve their
need. The Divine incarnations serve such a role to teach proper faith and belief
to all men at every age. The greatness of Hindu religion lies in its ability to
make ordinary people with different levels of understanding to comprehend the
faith and practice it at different levels of devotion without departing away from
the core of the faith and its principles. |
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Sanãthana
Dharma ãsthra |
| Lessons:
- 17
, 18 , 19 , 20
, 21 , 22 , 23
, 24 , 25 , 26
, 27 , 28 , 29
, 30 , 31 , 32
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