Questions about your faith

[StudentLearning]

Hello everyone I am doing a paper for my faith and religion class, and I was hoping to get some feedback from some of you.

How do you define God and his attributes?
Do you believe in religious experiences - have you had one please explain
Do you believe their is evil in this world? why is there evil?
What is the afterlife like? how do you get there?
Any information on your faith will be helpful

Thanks for your time

[Agnideva]

Namaste Student,

In Hinduism (Sanātana Dharma), we have different answers to these questions depending on the denomination, philosophy, and the level of understanding the seeker has. I will try to give you very general short answers based on my understanding.

How do you define God and his attributes?

In Hinduism, the Divine is both immanent and transcendent; both Personal Lord (Ishvara) and Impersonal Reality (Brahman); definable with positive attributes (Saguna), and undefinable (Nirguna); both One and many; formful, pervading form and beyond form. Truth, Consciousness and Bliss are the three attributes traditionally ascribed to Ishvara.

Do you believe in religious experiences

Yes. Religious experiences can be had through a variety of means including devotional practices and yogic-meditational practices.

Do you believe there is evil in this world? why is there evil?

There is no absolute evil or tempting force like the devil or satan. Everyone has the capacity to perform good and evil actions. Evil arises from our own selfishness (identification with our own lower nature), and ignorance of our higher nature, so to speak. Good and evil are states of mind, and not absolutes.

What is the afterlife like? how do you get there?

Hinduism believes in reincarnation, and in many transient realms (lokas). Traditionally, there are 14 lokas – 6 higher (heavenly realms) and 7 lower (hellish realms), with our world in the middle. All these lokas are populated by various types of higher and lower beings, Devas, asuras, etc., and we may inhabit them in the interim between death and rebirth. Where we end up, and what we may experience there depends on our karma, and ability to adhere to our dharma. None of these lokas are permanent, and going to one of these lokas is not our goal. Instead the goal is moksha, liberation from samsāra, the cycle of birth and death, which is beyond the 14 lokas.

Hope that helps.

AUM Shanti,
A.

[Alex P]

I have a question, to add to the question thread

You still bathe and -drink- the waters of the river Ganga? Are there parts of the river that are still clean?