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An Introduction to Hinduism
                                            R M N I. o r g
           J im S u t h e r la n d , P h D , D ir e c t o r



                                                      1
• Why focus upon Hinduism?
  – Ethnic religions are the last major
    frontier in World A—the
    unevangelized world.




                                          2
World Religions by Percentage and Size of
             World Population--2009

                                                  World Religions by Population
                                              Christians                         2,271,727,000
                                              Muslims                            1,449,614,000
                                              Hindus                                913,455,000
                                              Nonreligious                          773,947,000
                                              Chinese universists                   388,609,000
                                              Buddhists                             387,872,000
                                              Ethnoreligionists                     266,281,000
                                              Atheists                              148,346,000
                                              Other                                 228,306,000
David Barrett, Todd M. Johnson & Peter Crossing, “Christian World Communions: Five Overviews of
Global Christianity, AD 1800-2025,” Int’l Bulletin of Missionary Research, Jan. 2009, Global Table 5, p. 25.
Major Religion Numerical Growth: by Birth
         and by Conversion, 2005
                Natural           Conversion          Total
                Increase          increase            increase
                per year          per year            per year
                (sum)             (sum)               (sum)
  Hindus        13,120,170        -510,255            12,609,915


  Buddhists 3,166,543             3,048,352           6,214,895
                                  Significant
                                  conversion growth
  Christians    22,843,921 5,907,725                  28,751,647


               World Christian Database, 2005
Percentages of World Population: Hindu,
          Buddhist & Christian--2009

Annual percentage                     Percent of world Percent of world
growth rates as of                    population 2009 population 2025
2009                                                   (est.)
Hindu                                 13.4             13.6
1.35 per annum
Buddhist                              5.7                               5.5
.73 per annum
Christian (all groups) 33.3                                             33.9
1.32 per annum

   David Barrett, Todd M. Johnson & Peter Crossing, “Christian World Communions: Five Overviews of
   Global Christianity, AD 1800-2025,” Int’l Bulletin of Missionary Research, Jan. 2009, Global Table 5, p. 25.
Hindu
majority   Buddhist
           majority




                      6
HINDUISM




           7
The West Still Inquiring of the East




                                       8
Indians Are Prominent in East
             Africa
• Cross-cultural           • Consider
  ministry is not simply     evangelizing
  to Africans of other       Ugandan Hindus of
  tribes.                    Indian background,
• There is at least one      who have a
  Hindu temple in            disproportionately
  Kampala. We visited        large influence in
  in the late 1990’s and     East Africa.
  the priest was quite
  willing to help us
  understand Hinduism.                            9
Who is a Hindu?
• Hindus can be polytheists, monotheists,
  pantheists, dualists, monists, agnostics or
  atheists. How do these differ?
  – “Of all the world’s great religions, Hinduism is the
    most difficult to define. It did not have any one
    founder….It has many scriptures which are
    authoritative but none that is exclusively so.” Bruce J.
    Nichols, “Hinduism,” in The World’s Religions, Norman Anderson, ed., ISBN 0851113141, p. 136.)

  – The only general obligation is to abide by the rules
    of their caste, so as to gain a better reincarnation.
    (Noss, p. 72-73)
                                                                                                10
Hinduism as Philosophy
• Indo-European tribes conquered India from the
  northwest from about 1800-1500 BC. They
  produced the Vedas (“knowledge”) which are
  the oldest of Hindu sacred books. (Noss & Noss, p. 73-74).
   – The Greeks are another branch of these tribes. (Noss,
       p. 73).

   – “Only Indo-Europeans have continually returned to
     the fundamental problems of metaphysics, the
     Aryans in India (giving rise to Hindu Philosophy),
     the Greeks in Greece….” Arthur A. Custance, Noah’s Three Sons, Zondervan,
       1975, p. 31.
                                                                        11
   –
Religion                     Philosophy
• Founded upon                   • Founded upon reason
  revelation                     • Concerned with ethics
• Concerned with morals            – Ethics are relative.
     – Morals are absolute.          (School of Morals?)
     – Have to do with person-     – Are person-to-person
       to-God                    • Not concerned with
• Concerned with                   nature, but with
  “supranature”                    “metanature” (science
• Miracles are a part              concerned with nature)
• Goal is to find God            • Miracles are irrelevant
•   Arthur A. Custance, p. 29.   • Goal is to find truth 12
Hinduism as Philosophy

• “The gods of the early Indo-Europeans were
  gods of light, but this light was not moral light
  but rather the illumination of the mind or
  understanding.”
• Philosophy can be defined as “strictly rational
  speculation, concerned with the ultimate nature
  and meaning of reality, apart from revelation, to
  satisfy a purely intellectual need…” Custance, p. 30.
                                                   13
Hinduism as Philosophy

• The Greek and Hindu pantheons are alike,
  including worship of heavenly bodies.
  – Some gods are the same: Dyaus is Zeus (rules earth),
    Varuna is Ouranos (sky), Usas is Eos (dew). Godchecker.com
  – Orphism (from oracles), Pythagoras (c.580-500 BC) and
    Plato (c.428-348 BC) all taught transmigration of souls.
     • Here Greek philosophy shifts from the “physical to the
       spiritual, from the temporal to the eternal. Reality is not
       now what is perceived by the senses but what lies
       beyond them. The soul lives an independent life and is in
       itself the only true reality.” A.N. Marlow, “Hinduism and Buddhism in Greek
        Philosophy,” Philosophy East and West, #1, April 1954, p. 36, 39.    14
Hindu Scriptures
• The two classes of sacred text are shruti—that which
  was seen or heard by rishis (seers), and smriti—what
  is remembered, outside the Vedas--of lesser authority.
• The Vedas (2000 BC- 600 BC) were earliest, being
  mostly instructions to priests concerning sacrifices.
  They are four:
  • Rig-Veda (“veda of hymns”); Sama-Veda (“veda of chants”),
    Yajur-Veda (“veda of sacrifice”) and Atharva-Veda (“magic
    charms”)
       – These four vedas are in turn each divided into three parts: samhita
         (collections of hymns), brahmana (details of sacrifices) and
         upanishad (moving from ritual to philosophic treatises).
  •                                                                                                                                     15
      (Dean Halverson, Ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions, ISBN: 1556617046, p. 88; Hindu Scriptures, R.C. Zaehner, translator, Everyman’s
      Library, 1966, p. v-vi; Nichols, “Hinduism, p. 138).
Hindu Scriptures
• Of enduring interest, in 800-300 BC came the Upanishads (or
  Vedantas)—the end of the Vedas. These focus upon the union
  of Brahman (“the changeless essence that upholds the
  universe”) with Atman (“the same changeless essence that
  indwells the human spirit”). This earlier concept of Brahman is
  called Nirguna Brahman—or Brahman without attributes.
   • Other smriti are the Ramayana (Rama’s way); the
     Mahabharata epics (“the great story”)—within which is the
     Bhagavad-Gita (stories of Krishna); the Vedangas (law
     codes; the Puranas (genealogies of gods); Darshanas
     (philosophy); Sutras (codes of conduct) and Tantras (to
     attain demonic power). (Dean Halverson, Ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions, ISBN: 1556617046, p. 88,
         91; Zaehner, viii; Nichols, “Hinduism, p. 138).
                                                                                                        16
Shiva


                              Primary Gods
• Nirguna Brahman (without attributes)
  evolved into Saguna Brahman
  (with attributes), or Ishvara.
  – Brahman manifested in the trimuri (three manifestations):
    Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer).
    Shiva is most worshipped today, with Vishnu second. These
    all have at least one divine consort (devi or goddess). (Halverson,
    p. 88-89; sacredsites.com/asia/india/shiva/_shrines.html)

  – Additionally, there are supposed to be ten avatars, or earthly
    manifestations, of Vishnu, among them Rama, Krishna and
    Buddha.
  – The pantheon of Hindu gods is estimated to be around 330 17
    million in all.
The Ten Avatars of Vishnu
• Matsya, the fish.
• Kurma, the tortoise.
• Varaha, the boar.
• Narasimha, the half-man/half-lion.
• Vamana, the dwarf.
• Parashurama, Rama with the axe.
• Rama, Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya.
• Krishna (meaning "dark coloured" or "all attractive“).
• Gautama Buddha (meaning "the enlightened one“) (specifically
  as Siddhartha Gautama).
• Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness“)… is
  expected to appear…in the year 428899 CE. (cf. Mahdi,             18
  Messiah) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar
God

• “In Hindu philosophy there is no contradiction
  between belief in an all-embracing, all-
  pervading, omnipresent God and the puja
  (worship) of a variety of gods and goddesses in
  the Hindu pantheon…in theory they represent
  nothing more than imaginative pictures of the
  infinite aspects of one all-pervading God.”
  –   Nicholls, p. 141.




                                             19
Indian Temples—
  Old and New
817,112,705 Hindus were in
India in 2005, about 72% of the
population, and about 1.34
million in the USA. WorldChristianDatabase



                              Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil
                               Nadu, 1010 AD--dedicated to Shiva




    Nandi—the bull Shiva
 rides
“Salvation” in Hinduism
• For Hindus the problem is ignorance. We (Atman) are
  a part of God (Brahman), but we fail to unite with
  Brahman due to our bondage to earthly desires.
  – “Immortal in very truth is Brahman. East, west, north and
    south, below, above Brahman projects Itself; Brahman is this
    whole universe, most to be desired!” Mundaka Upanishad II.12
  – “Hence the man who thus knows will be at peace, tamed,
    quietly contented, long-suffering, recollected, for he will see
    the Self in self: he will see all things as the Self. Evil does
    not touch him: all evil he shrugs off. Evil does not torment
    him: all evil he burns out. Free from evil, free from doubt,
    immaculate, he becomes a Brahman (in very truth, for
    Brahman now indwells him).” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV, iv, 23
Bondage to Desire Subjects to
                 Karma
• “As a man acts (karma), as he behaves, so does he
  become. Whoso does good, becomes good: whoso
  does evil, becomes evil. By good (punya) works
  (karma) a man becomes holy (punya), by evil he
  becomes evil.
  – “But some have said: ‘This ‘person’ consists of desire alone.
    As is his desire, so will his will (kratu) be; as is his will, so will
    he act (karma); as he acts, so will he attain.”
  – “To what his mind [and] character are attached, to that
    attached a man goes with his works. Whatever deeds he
    does on earth, their rewards he reaps. From the other world
    he comes back here,--to the world of deed and work.”
  –   Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV. 5
Karma and Sin

• Halverson points out two basic differences:
   – While both are moral acts in nature, karma does not affect
     one’s relationship with Brahman, since we are one with
     Brahman.
   – The law of karma is inexorable. There is no forgiveness, only
     payment for one’s wrongdoing in the next life. (Halverson, p. 90)
• Sin is ignorance of truth (avidya), attributing reality to
  what is not real (maya), and mala, the sense of being
  an individual self. It is more metaphysical than moral.
  (Nicholls, p. 145)
Samsara

• The cycle of rebirth is called samsara. It is like a wheel
  —we reap in this life the karma of our former life, and
  we sow in this life what we reap in the next.
   – This has led to lack of compassion for those in
     difficult circumstances, since they are deserved.
   – Hinduism is a “works” religion, second only to
     Buddhism, potentially stretching thousands of
     lifetimes before good works enable to reach release
     (moksha).
Cremation on the Ganges is Believed
to Undo the Bad Karma of 1,000 Lives




   Bodies being cremated.          26
Four Ways (Yoga) to Moksha
      (Release from Samsara)
• 1. Karma marga (karma yoga) is the way of “selfless
  or disinterested action.” Karma for reward keeps us in
  samsara, however.
• 2. Karma bhakti (bhakti yoga) is the way of love and
  devotion to God via ritual or attempts to directly
  commune with God.
  – “Bhakti is devotion for its own sake rather than for the glory
    of God. It has value in itself; it is a method to merit the grace
    of God.” Nicholls, p. 146-147


                                                                27
Four Ways (Yoga) to Moksha
        (Release from Samsara)
• 3. Jnana marga (jnana yoga) is the path of
  knowledge, or meditation for intellectuals.
   – The Gita recognizes all three ways, but emphasizes bhakti.
      (Nichols, p. 147)

• 4. Raja yoga is considered by some to be the highest
  way. It’s practiced by mendicant monks. Steven Cory, “The Spirit of
  Truth and the Spirit of Error 2” ISBN: 0802482406

   – “Rising above their desire for sons, their desire for riches,
     their desire for [exalted] states of being, they wander forth to
     lead a beggar’s life. For there is no difference between a
     desire for sons and a desire for riches and a desire for
     [exalted] states of being: all of them are nothing more than
     desire.” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV, iv.22                 28
How To Evangelize Hindus
• It’s crucial to determine where this person is heading
  in Hinduism. How strongly does this person believe?
  What is the goal? In what is trust? How does the
  person hope to attain the goal? What is the person
  looking for in life? What god(s) is worshipped?
  – Ask how well the person is doing in the chosen path. Are
    there any failures? How will the person deal with those
    failures? Usually those failures will be moral, not
    philosophical or intellectual.
  – Instead of confronting eons of weary rebirth, we offer
    complete forgiveness of sins through the grace of God,
    rather than through personal effort, be it intellectual,
    devotional or praiseworthy.                              29
Relevant Scriptures
– Hebrews 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and
  after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once
  to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a
  second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those
  who are waiting for him.
– Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness and love of God our
  Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous
  things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us
  through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
  Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through
  Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by
  his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of
  eternal life.                                              30
Adding to the Pantheon
• It’s not unusual for Hindus to be very receptive to
  Christ. As with Muslims, Christ himself is often very
  attractive in His person and life. So we stress Him, not
  doctrinal truth or “Christianity.” Ghandi admired Christ,
  but did not become a Christian. He allegedly didn’t see
  Christ in Christians.
• A Hindu may simply add Christ to those revered. The
  uniqueness of Christ must be stressed:
   – Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no
     other name under heaven given to men by which we must
     be saved."
   – John 14:6 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way [yoga] and the
     truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except 31
     through me.
The Holiness of God

• Hindus gods are sometimes quite erotic, such
  as Krishna. Both the male and female phallus
  symbols are worshipped in Shivite temples.
                                            Krishna with a consort
  – 1 John 1:5 This is the message we
    have heard from him and declare to
    you: God is light; in him there is no
    darkness at all.



                                              From Wikipedia
                                                         32
Union With God
• Advaita Vedanta teaches the complete union of Atman
  and Brahman and is the most common form of
  Hinduism in the West. (Cory)
  – John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him,
    because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know
    him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
  – John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey
    my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to
    him and make our home with him.


                                                           33
God and Creation Differentiated
• Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the
  heavens and the earth.” There is no creation out of
  nothing in Hinduism. Creation either from the body of
  God or pre-exists as an egg. The creator and the
  creation are all of one essence, without differentiation.
  All is not identical with of God.
   – One creation account reads: “In the beginning this [universe]
     was the Self alone—in the likeness of a man.” “He was
     afraid,” and lonely, so he created a woman. Self split into
     man and woman and then had intercourse, creating human
     beings. Further relations produced the animals. “He knew
     that he was [the whole of] creation, for he had brought it 34       all
     forth. Hence he became [all] creation.” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I, iv:1-5
Not Focusing Upon the Transitory

• Matt. 6:25-34 shows our Father’s intimate provision for
  us.
  – We should not over-focus upon the desires and pleasures of
    this life, since we are pilgrims and strangers: 1 Peter 1:17
    Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work
    impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
  – Luke 12:15 15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your
    guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not
    consist in the abundance of his possessions."


                                                               35
Enjoy Life, Mindful of the Next
• 1 Timothy 6:17-19 NAS 17 Instruct those who are rich in this
  present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the
  uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with
  all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in
  good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up
  for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future,
  so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
   • We can earn rewards in heaven.
   • Christians are not told to be ascetics. That may be a special
      calling. We are to focus upon God, while enjoying His gifts.


                                                             36
1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep
     yourselves from idols.




                              37

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An Introduction to Hinduism

  • 1. An Introduction to Hinduism R M N I. o r g J im S u t h e r la n d , P h D , D ir e c t o r 1
  • 2. • Why focus upon Hinduism? – Ethnic religions are the last major frontier in World A—the unevangelized world. 2
  • 3. World Religions by Percentage and Size of World Population--2009 World Religions by Population Christians 2,271,727,000 Muslims 1,449,614,000 Hindus 913,455,000 Nonreligious 773,947,000 Chinese universists 388,609,000 Buddhists 387,872,000 Ethnoreligionists 266,281,000 Atheists 148,346,000 Other 228,306,000 David Barrett, Todd M. Johnson & Peter Crossing, “Christian World Communions: Five Overviews of Global Christianity, AD 1800-2025,” Int’l Bulletin of Missionary Research, Jan. 2009, Global Table 5, p. 25.
  • 4. Major Religion Numerical Growth: by Birth and by Conversion, 2005 Natural Conversion Total Increase increase increase per year per year per year (sum) (sum) (sum) Hindus 13,120,170 -510,255 12,609,915 Buddhists 3,166,543 3,048,352 6,214,895 Significant conversion growth Christians 22,843,921 5,907,725 28,751,647 World Christian Database, 2005
  • 5. Percentages of World Population: Hindu, Buddhist & Christian--2009 Annual percentage Percent of world Percent of world growth rates as of population 2009 population 2025 2009 (est.) Hindu 13.4 13.6 1.35 per annum Buddhist 5.7 5.5 .73 per annum Christian (all groups) 33.3 33.9 1.32 per annum David Barrett, Todd M. Johnson & Peter Crossing, “Christian World Communions: Five Overviews of Global Christianity, AD 1800-2025,” Int’l Bulletin of Missionary Research, Jan. 2009, Global Table 5, p. 25.
  • 6. Hindu majority Buddhist majority 6
  • 8. The West Still Inquiring of the East 8
  • 9. Indians Are Prominent in East Africa • Cross-cultural • Consider ministry is not simply evangelizing to Africans of other Ugandan Hindus of tribes. Indian background, • There is at least one who have a Hindu temple in disproportionately Kampala. We visited large influence in in the late 1990’s and East Africa. the priest was quite willing to help us understand Hinduism. 9
  • 10. Who is a Hindu? • Hindus can be polytheists, monotheists, pantheists, dualists, monists, agnostics or atheists. How do these differ? – “Of all the world’s great religions, Hinduism is the most difficult to define. It did not have any one founder….It has many scriptures which are authoritative but none that is exclusively so.” Bruce J. Nichols, “Hinduism,” in The World’s Religions, Norman Anderson, ed., ISBN 0851113141, p. 136.) – The only general obligation is to abide by the rules of their caste, so as to gain a better reincarnation. (Noss, p. 72-73) 10
  • 11. Hinduism as Philosophy • Indo-European tribes conquered India from the northwest from about 1800-1500 BC. They produced the Vedas (“knowledge”) which are the oldest of Hindu sacred books. (Noss & Noss, p. 73-74). – The Greeks are another branch of these tribes. (Noss, p. 73). – “Only Indo-Europeans have continually returned to the fundamental problems of metaphysics, the Aryans in India (giving rise to Hindu Philosophy), the Greeks in Greece….” Arthur A. Custance, Noah’s Three Sons, Zondervan, 1975, p. 31. 11 –
  • 12. Religion Philosophy • Founded upon • Founded upon reason revelation • Concerned with ethics • Concerned with morals – Ethics are relative. – Morals are absolute. (School of Morals?) – Have to do with person- – Are person-to-person to-God • Not concerned with • Concerned with nature, but with “supranature” “metanature” (science • Miracles are a part concerned with nature) • Goal is to find God • Miracles are irrelevant • Arthur A. Custance, p. 29. • Goal is to find truth 12
  • 13. Hinduism as Philosophy • “The gods of the early Indo-Europeans were gods of light, but this light was not moral light but rather the illumination of the mind or understanding.” • Philosophy can be defined as “strictly rational speculation, concerned with the ultimate nature and meaning of reality, apart from revelation, to satisfy a purely intellectual need…” Custance, p. 30. 13
  • 14. Hinduism as Philosophy • The Greek and Hindu pantheons are alike, including worship of heavenly bodies. – Some gods are the same: Dyaus is Zeus (rules earth), Varuna is Ouranos (sky), Usas is Eos (dew). Godchecker.com – Orphism (from oracles), Pythagoras (c.580-500 BC) and Plato (c.428-348 BC) all taught transmigration of souls. • Here Greek philosophy shifts from the “physical to the spiritual, from the temporal to the eternal. Reality is not now what is perceived by the senses but what lies beyond them. The soul lives an independent life and is in itself the only true reality.” A.N. Marlow, “Hinduism and Buddhism in Greek Philosophy,” Philosophy East and West, #1, April 1954, p. 36, 39. 14
  • 15. Hindu Scriptures • The two classes of sacred text are shruti—that which was seen or heard by rishis (seers), and smriti—what is remembered, outside the Vedas--of lesser authority. • The Vedas (2000 BC- 600 BC) were earliest, being mostly instructions to priests concerning sacrifices. They are four: • Rig-Veda (“veda of hymns”); Sama-Veda (“veda of chants”), Yajur-Veda (“veda of sacrifice”) and Atharva-Veda (“magic charms”) – These four vedas are in turn each divided into three parts: samhita (collections of hymns), brahmana (details of sacrifices) and upanishad (moving from ritual to philosophic treatises). • 15 (Dean Halverson, Ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions, ISBN: 1556617046, p. 88; Hindu Scriptures, R.C. Zaehner, translator, Everyman’s Library, 1966, p. v-vi; Nichols, “Hinduism, p. 138).
  • 16. Hindu Scriptures • Of enduring interest, in 800-300 BC came the Upanishads (or Vedantas)—the end of the Vedas. These focus upon the union of Brahman (“the changeless essence that upholds the universe”) with Atman (“the same changeless essence that indwells the human spirit”). This earlier concept of Brahman is called Nirguna Brahman—or Brahman without attributes. • Other smriti are the Ramayana (Rama’s way); the Mahabharata epics (“the great story”)—within which is the Bhagavad-Gita (stories of Krishna); the Vedangas (law codes; the Puranas (genealogies of gods); Darshanas (philosophy); Sutras (codes of conduct) and Tantras (to attain demonic power). (Dean Halverson, Ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions, ISBN: 1556617046, p. 88, 91; Zaehner, viii; Nichols, “Hinduism, p. 138). 16
  • 17. Shiva Primary Gods • Nirguna Brahman (without attributes) evolved into Saguna Brahman (with attributes), or Ishvara. – Brahman manifested in the trimuri (three manifestations): Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer). Shiva is most worshipped today, with Vishnu second. These all have at least one divine consort (devi or goddess). (Halverson, p. 88-89; sacredsites.com/asia/india/shiva/_shrines.html) – Additionally, there are supposed to be ten avatars, or earthly manifestations, of Vishnu, among them Rama, Krishna and Buddha. – The pantheon of Hindu gods is estimated to be around 330 17 million in all.
  • 18. The Ten Avatars of Vishnu • Matsya, the fish. • Kurma, the tortoise. • Varaha, the boar. • Narasimha, the half-man/half-lion. • Vamana, the dwarf. • Parashurama, Rama with the axe. • Rama, Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya. • Krishna (meaning "dark coloured" or "all attractive“). • Gautama Buddha (meaning "the enlightened one“) (specifically as Siddhartha Gautama). • Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness“)… is expected to appear…in the year 428899 CE. (cf. Mahdi, 18 Messiah) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar
  • 19. God • “In Hindu philosophy there is no contradiction between belief in an all-embracing, all- pervading, omnipresent God and the puja (worship) of a variety of gods and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon…in theory they represent nothing more than imaginative pictures of the infinite aspects of one all-pervading God.” – Nicholls, p. 141. 19
  • 20. Indian Temples— Old and New
  • 21. 817,112,705 Hindus were in India in 2005, about 72% of the population, and about 1.34 million in the USA. WorldChristianDatabase Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, 1010 AD--dedicated to Shiva Nandi—the bull Shiva rides
  • 22. “Salvation” in Hinduism • For Hindus the problem is ignorance. We (Atman) are a part of God (Brahman), but we fail to unite with Brahman due to our bondage to earthly desires. – “Immortal in very truth is Brahman. East, west, north and south, below, above Brahman projects Itself; Brahman is this whole universe, most to be desired!” Mundaka Upanishad II.12 – “Hence the man who thus knows will be at peace, tamed, quietly contented, long-suffering, recollected, for he will see the Self in self: he will see all things as the Self. Evil does not touch him: all evil he shrugs off. Evil does not torment him: all evil he burns out. Free from evil, free from doubt, immaculate, he becomes a Brahman (in very truth, for Brahman now indwells him).” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV, iv, 23
  • 23. Bondage to Desire Subjects to Karma • “As a man acts (karma), as he behaves, so does he become. Whoso does good, becomes good: whoso does evil, becomes evil. By good (punya) works (karma) a man becomes holy (punya), by evil he becomes evil. – “But some have said: ‘This ‘person’ consists of desire alone. As is his desire, so will his will (kratu) be; as is his will, so will he act (karma); as he acts, so will he attain.” – “To what his mind [and] character are attached, to that attached a man goes with his works. Whatever deeds he does on earth, their rewards he reaps. From the other world he comes back here,--to the world of deed and work.” – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV. 5
  • 24. Karma and Sin • Halverson points out two basic differences: – While both are moral acts in nature, karma does not affect one’s relationship with Brahman, since we are one with Brahman. – The law of karma is inexorable. There is no forgiveness, only payment for one’s wrongdoing in the next life. (Halverson, p. 90) • Sin is ignorance of truth (avidya), attributing reality to what is not real (maya), and mala, the sense of being an individual self. It is more metaphysical than moral. (Nicholls, p. 145)
  • 25. Samsara • The cycle of rebirth is called samsara. It is like a wheel —we reap in this life the karma of our former life, and we sow in this life what we reap in the next. – This has led to lack of compassion for those in difficult circumstances, since they are deserved. – Hinduism is a “works” religion, second only to Buddhism, potentially stretching thousands of lifetimes before good works enable to reach release (moksha).
  • 26. Cremation on the Ganges is Believed to Undo the Bad Karma of 1,000 Lives Bodies being cremated. 26
  • 27. Four Ways (Yoga) to Moksha (Release from Samsara) • 1. Karma marga (karma yoga) is the way of “selfless or disinterested action.” Karma for reward keeps us in samsara, however. • 2. Karma bhakti (bhakti yoga) is the way of love and devotion to God via ritual or attempts to directly commune with God. – “Bhakti is devotion for its own sake rather than for the glory of God. It has value in itself; it is a method to merit the grace of God.” Nicholls, p. 146-147 27
  • 28. Four Ways (Yoga) to Moksha (Release from Samsara) • 3. Jnana marga (jnana yoga) is the path of knowledge, or meditation for intellectuals. – The Gita recognizes all three ways, but emphasizes bhakti. (Nichols, p. 147) • 4. Raja yoga is considered by some to be the highest way. It’s practiced by mendicant monks. Steven Cory, “The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error 2” ISBN: 0802482406 – “Rising above their desire for sons, their desire for riches, their desire for [exalted] states of being, they wander forth to lead a beggar’s life. For there is no difference between a desire for sons and a desire for riches and a desire for [exalted] states of being: all of them are nothing more than desire.” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV, iv.22 28
  • 29. How To Evangelize Hindus • It’s crucial to determine where this person is heading in Hinduism. How strongly does this person believe? What is the goal? In what is trust? How does the person hope to attain the goal? What is the person looking for in life? What god(s) is worshipped? – Ask how well the person is doing in the chosen path. Are there any failures? How will the person deal with those failures? Usually those failures will be moral, not philosophical or intellectual. – Instead of confronting eons of weary rebirth, we offer complete forgiveness of sins through the grace of God, rather than through personal effort, be it intellectual, devotional or praiseworthy. 29
  • 30. Relevant Scriptures – Hebrews 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. – Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 30
  • 31. Adding to the Pantheon • It’s not unusual for Hindus to be very receptive to Christ. As with Muslims, Christ himself is often very attractive in His person and life. So we stress Him, not doctrinal truth or “Christianity.” Ghandi admired Christ, but did not become a Christian. He allegedly didn’t see Christ in Christians. • A Hindu may simply add Christ to those revered. The uniqueness of Christ must be stressed: – Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." – John 14:6 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way [yoga] and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except 31 through me.
  • 32. The Holiness of God • Hindus gods are sometimes quite erotic, such as Krishna. Both the male and female phallus symbols are worshipped in Shivite temples. Krishna with a consort – 1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. From Wikipedia 32
  • 33. Union With God • Advaita Vedanta teaches the complete union of Atman and Brahman and is the most common form of Hinduism in the West. (Cory) – John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. – John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 33
  • 34. God and Creation Differentiated • Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” There is no creation out of nothing in Hinduism. Creation either from the body of God or pre-exists as an egg. The creator and the creation are all of one essence, without differentiation. All is not identical with of God. – One creation account reads: “In the beginning this [universe] was the Self alone—in the likeness of a man.” “He was afraid,” and lonely, so he created a woman. Self split into man and woman and then had intercourse, creating human beings. Further relations produced the animals. “He knew that he was [the whole of] creation, for he had brought it 34 all forth. Hence he became [all] creation.” Brihadaranyaka Upanishad I, iv:1-5
  • 35. Not Focusing Upon the Transitory • Matt. 6:25-34 shows our Father’s intimate provision for us. – We should not over-focus upon the desires and pleasures of this life, since we are pilgrims and strangers: 1 Peter 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. – Luke 12:15 15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 35
  • 36. Enjoy Life, Mindful of the Next • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 NAS 17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. • We can earn rewards in heaven. • Christians are not told to be ascetics. That may be a special calling. We are to focus upon God, while enjoying His gifts. 36
  • 37. 1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 37

Editor's Notes

  1. Discuss Hath Yoga and yoga generally—what place and function does it have in Hinduism? In Buddhism? Also add castes.
  2. Approach a Hindu using diagnostic questions, like a doctor treating a patient for the first time. “ Do you believe in god?” “What god do you worship?” “ Have you ever done something wrong?” “How do you deal with that?” “Christians believe that….”
  3. Eventually Brahmin developed personal attributes ----saguna Brahman (Dean Halverson, Ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions , ISBN: 1556617046, p. 88).
  4. Eventually Brahmin developed personal attributes ----saguna Brahman (Dean Halverson, Ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions , ISBN: 1556617046, p. 88).
  5. Eventually Brahmin developed personal attributes ----saguna Brahman (Dean Halverson, Ed. The Compact Guide to World Religions , ISBN: 1556617046, p. 88).