I was talking to a friend who is from India and is Hindu. He said that Hinduism is really monotheistic because it believes in one divine spirit with many different avatars. He said that we can't know God completely in one way so each of us understands God in different ways. He said all the "gods" of Hinduism are just different ways of looking at the same God. Is this true?
2007-02-26 03:17:39 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes. Although many forget this. There are fights between Shiva followers and Vishnu followers - saying their god is the one true god. Others recognize a trinity - Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. Others recognize a duality - as in a god and his consort.
BUT, on the higher levels of Hinduism - it is known that all the gods are faces of one God. Like many facets of one gem. Ultimately, there is only one Divinity - so that would make it monotheistic.
~ Eric Putkonen
2007-02-26 03:30:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very true - the different faces in Hinduism represent, more than anything, the powers of the One Supreme Being. Generally, the rpesence of different kinds of idols in temples leads people to think that it might be a religion with many many gods and goddesses but that is not the case.
The Bhagwan is One, Almighty and Omnipotent to them; the different dieties as such represent his powers. This is the core message of the Hindu scriptures.
Cheers & God bless.
2007-02-26 03:24:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.11)
Some excerpts from the purport by
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
Founder-Acharya of ISKCON
(International Society for Krishna Consciousness)
The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upanishads, as localized Paramatma by the Hiranyagarbhas or the yogis, and as Bhagavan by the devotees. In other words, Bhagavan, or the Personality of Godhead, is the last word of the Absolute Truth. Paramatma is the partial representation of the Personality of Godhead, and impersonal Brahman is the glowing effulgence of the Personality of Godhead, as the sun rays are to the sun-god. Less intelligent students of either of the above schools sometimes argue in favor of their own respective realization, but those who are perfect seers of the Absolute Truth know well that the above three features of the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views seen from different angles of vision.
Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita(4.7)
"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself".
So, Krishna who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends Himself from the spiritual world to the material world in many different avataras like Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Narasimha, Parsumrama etc....
2007-02-26 03:38:22 · answer #3 · answered by Gaura 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
According to the Hindus it's true. The Christian would tell you no! there is only 1 god but he comes in 3 parts.
I don't see how this is any different from avatars but they have some trinity magic they conjure that makes it all make sense.
2007-02-26 03:22:43 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Hinduism is Henotheistic.
It means they believe in one Creator God, and lesser Gods and Goddesses.
Henotheism (Greek εἷς θεός heis theos "one god") is a term coined by Max Müller, to mean devotion to a single "God" while accepting the existence of other gods. Müller stated that henotheism means "monotheism in principle and a polytheism in fact."
henotheism
1860, from Gk. henos "one." Belief in a single god without asserting that he is the only god. Coined by (Friedrich) Max M¸ller (1823-1900), professor of comparative philology at Oxford.
2007-02-26 03:22:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
All depends on your perception; what he said is true about what most Hindu's believe, but some take it differently and see it more as polytheism.
2007-02-26 03:22:38 · answer #6 · answered by silverleaf90210 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I disagree. There are at least the "big three" Gods...and they are called "gods" for a reason, because they are separate and distinct. Brahma(n), Vishnu and S(h)iva. One creates, one preserves and one destroys. At the very least they are "tri-theistic" - if not polytheistic.
2007-02-26 03:24:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
According to their beliefs and understanding: yes.
_()_
2007-02-26 03:23:51 · answer #8 · answered by vinslave 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I thought Hinduism was polytheistic. Huh......
2007-02-26 03:22:11 · answer #9 · answered by comicfreak33 3 · 0⤊ 5⤋