The Ancients Hinduism - believing in magic and reincarnation

[akkaps]

Well, I'm a Hindu and we are brought up believing that 5,000 years ago people (and monkey, bulls, and bears) had magic powers that would allow them to fly, heal themselves and have great strength. We also believe in the powers of reincarnation you behave in this life can affect who you are in your next life.

The main two epics's in Hindu culture are the Ramayan, and the Mahabharat. These two epics, have large amount of magic, spells, and reincarnation. I will go further into these epics later, when I get a chance.

My question: Do you believe these stories?

 

[Iskender Time]

Not , being a Hindu, no.

I assume you believe them on faith alone.

 

[little graham]

Well, I'm a Hindu and we are brought up believing that 5,000 years ago people (and monkey, bulls, and bears) had magic powers that would allow them to fly, heal themselves and have great strength. We also believe in the powers of reincarnation you behave in this life can affect who you are in your next life.

Sounds like Christianity is a condensed version..

 

[akkaps]

Not , being a Hindu, no.

I assume you believe them on faith alone.

It's hard to believe that monkey can fly, and people can enter other peoples mind. But, there is one story of a God named Rama, who built a bridge made out of floating rocking from the southern tip of India to Lanka (now called Sri Lanka), he did this by first praying to the water god, and then the god told him to right his name on all the rocks and build a bridge that way. He took his whole over the bridge. And today, the bridge is still there, though it is covered over by water. And it is even on Google Maps/Google Earth.

Sounds like Christianity is a condensed version..

Hinduism is beleived to be one of the oldest religions on earth. Back then, Hinduism stretched as far as Iran.

 

[little graham]

Hinduism is beleived to be one of the oldest religions on earth. Back then, Hinduism stretched as far as Iran.

If you I knew an older one, with very similar core beliefs, would you believe me?

 

[akkaps]

If you I knew an older one, with very similar core beliefs, would you believe me?

Which is?

 

[Iskender Time]

It's hard to believe that monkey can fly, and people can enter other peoples mind. But, there is one story of a God named Rama, who built a bridge made out of floating rocking from the southern tip of India to Lanka (now called Sri Lanka), he did this by first praying to the water god, and then the god told him to right his name on all the rocks and build a bridge that way. He took his whole over the bridge. And today, the bridge is still there, though it is covered over by water. And it is even on Google Maps/Google Earth.

Have you looked into explanations by geologists for it formation and age?

 

[Long Live HFC]

But, there is one story of a God named Rama, who built a bridge made out of floating rocking from the southern tip of India to Lanka (now called Sri Lanka), he did this by first praying to the water god, and then the god told him to right his name on all the rocks and build a bridge that way. He took his whole over the bridge. And today, the bridge is still there, though it is covered over by water. And it is even on Google Maps/Google Earth.

obviously it is far more likely that the myth was created to explain the rock formation in question.

 

[akkaps]

obviously it is far more likely that the myth was created to explain the rock formation in question.

And now everyone all of India believes this story...

 

[Long Live HFC]

and?

 

[Duritz]

I can't bring myself to believe in flying monkeys.

 

[akkaps]

I can't bring myself to believe in flying monkeys.

Google: Hanuman

 

[iBeng]

I can't bring myself to believe in flying monkeys.

Havnt you seen The Wizard of Oz?

 

[akkaps]

Havnt you seen The Wizard of Oz?

But a monkey that flew from Sri Lanka to Nepal. This monkey can also change sizes.

 

[iBeng]

But a monkey that flew from Sri Lanka to Nepal. This monkey can also change sizes.

So can Lizards; See Godzilla.

Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk 4

 

[akkaps]

So can Lizards; See Godzilla.

Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk 4

Godzilla is a movie, and not claimed to be true.

 

[iBeng]

Godzilla is a movie, and not claimed to be true.

It would be pretty neat if it was though.

 

[Duritz]

All religions contain mythology, symbolism. The bible shouldn't be read literally, for eg.

 

[Partridge]

Well, I'm a Hindu and we are brought up believing that 5,000 years ago people (and monkey, bulls, and bears) had magic powers that would allow them to fly, heal themselves and have great strength. We also believe in the powers of reincarnation you behave in this life can affect who you are in your next life.

The main two epics's in Hindu culture are the Ramayan, and the Mahabharat. These two epics, have large amount of magic, spells, and reincarnation. I will go further into these epics later, when I get a chance.

My question: Do you believe these stories?

In a word, no.

Show me evidence and I might be swayed. Until then, no.

 

[estibador]

I was brought up to believe in a magical dude who came back from the dead (my Grandpa is actually an Anglican priest), but I've applied some healthy scepticism to that particular tale as I've gotten older, especially once I realised how much it was used as a guilt-trip to try control people.

Having said that, I'm open to the idea of a god, god-like force or other strange otherworldy stuff - including reincarnation - because I feel it's pretty arrogant for insignificant specks in the universe like us to assume we know everything about things that can't possibly known until you die.

What I'm not open to is following fundamentalist dogma laid down by people thousands of years ago who were so backwards and fearful of things like natural disasters that they invented divine explanations to try explain the unexplainable, with the added motivation of driving obedience into the general populace through fear. The fact some fundamentalists in the modern day still follow the word of these relative cavemen to the letter... well it makes me laugh.

I also reject any philosophy that tries to tell me a god can be omnipotent while also being petty enough to be a vengeful a-hole who commands death, mayhem and/or damnation. The two are completely incompatible in my view.

I'm not overly familiar with the Hindu theory of reincarnation (enlighten me please akkaps) but I do like the Buddhist's theory that each life is a chance to advance through good thoughts/deeds and meditation until you finally break free of the samasara (the material world). Even if the Buddhists are completely wrong it still seems like a pretty positive path to follow in comparison to some of the other religions.

 

[estibador]

Which is?

I'm guessing he's referring to Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.

All these creation stories have one thing in common - they all sound ridiculous to people who weren't brought up with them, even if those people were brought up to believe similarly fanciful stories from a different culture.

 

[MP_]

Religious arguments are pointless but interesting nontheless, it shouldn't matter what everyone else believes as long as you stay true to what you believe in. Just because you have never seen something like a flying monkey doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I actually believe in the healing power of crystals, I carry citrine, amethyst and obsidian when I sleep. I believe in past lives, angels and spirit guides. God I'm not so sure on , I believe in evolution but I still think there is some sort of unviversal power out there. The one thing I try not to do as I have gotten older is make fun of people's beliefs because if it is making them happy then it must be a good thing

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

My question: Do you believe these stories?

Only when Prakash Jha turns them into a political thriller

 

[grizzlym]

My question: Do you believe these stories?

Literally? Or as metaphors? Or even stories that culturally encapsulate belief and questions?

 

[Iskender Time]

Religious arguments are pointless but interesting nontheless, it shouldn't matter what everyone else believes as long as you stay true to what you believe in. Just because you have never seen something like a flying monkey doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I actually believe in the healing power of crystals, I carry citrine, amethyst and obsidian when I sleep. I believe in past lives, angels and spirit guides. God I'm not so sure on , I believe in evolution but I still think there is some sort of unviversal power out there. The one thing I try not to do as I have gotten older is make fun of people's beliefs because if it is making them happy then it must be a good thing

You can take the power of crystals on faith but your belief in their efficacy fails scientific scrutiny. Such faith in testable claims can only maintained in ignorance of the way human cognitive biases affect us and how scientific experiments seek to eliminate them as a factor.