Aussie Thoughts
Just my 2 cents
Oh I realize that. I was asking about you, yourself. I understand if you'd rather keep that private though. Cheers.I'm referring to religious belief and paradigms, not geographic locations.
Oh I realize that. I was asking about you, yourself. I understand if you'd rather keep that private though. Cheers.I'm referring to religious belief and paradigms, not geographic locations.
Ok, but being from the west yourself, do you not have a western mind? Yet, you profess expertise on the east. Seems to me you're making an assumption you yourself have disproven.Very difficult if not impossible to explain eastern mind to western minds. Maybe this will help ....
I don't think he's making a disproven assumption. We're getting off track here though. Let's keep the conversation focused on the faith aspects, not the individuals providing the perspective. That becomes a slippery slope that brings about personal attacks. I'm seeing too much slippage in that regard on a number of threads recently.Ok, but being from the west yourself, do you not have a western mind? Yet, you profess expertise on the east. Seems to me you're making an assumption you yourself have disproven.
That's not exactly what I said mate. Senthil contends the west can't understand the east. What I said was, being from the west himself tends to disprove that assumption.I don't think he's making a disproven assumption.
That's exactly my point. Just because someone is from the west and may have a different way of expressing and using eastern philosophy doesn't mean they don't understand it. It's not fair to make assumptions on that basis.Let's keep the conversation focused on the faith aspects, not the individuals providing the perspective.
You're absolutely right and I do apologize.We're getting off track here though.
Not at all. When I said, "someone from the west" in my reply to Steve, I thought difference of paradigm was implied. Sorry if that didn't come across.Aussie you're still getting western/eastern geography mixed with western/eastern paradigm.
Your situation may very well be unique, but don't assume paradigm difference prevents west from understanding east. As I've said, it may change the way one expresses or uses Hindu philosophy, but not the ability to understand it or even be authoritative on the subject.Geographically, I am from the west, but paradigm wise at worst neutral as I was born into a Godless home.
Maybe as long as paradigm difference is not viewed as an insurmountable obstacle and a difference of opinion is not being mistaken for confusion.Aussie, from now on, if I indeed remember, I'll use the terms Abrahamic and Dharmic in reference to the paradigms, rather than eastern and western. That will hopefully cease the confusion.
I've heard there are atheistic Hindus, but in all my time in India, I never ran across one. My father-in-law's Gujarati, but my wife was razed Christian. She didn't meet her biological father until she was of age. She's still Christian, but gets rather Hindu-like at times. Especially around Diwali or when I need chastised.My father was an agnostic leaning to atheist. In Hinduism, as I've indicated earlier in this thread, atheism is totally acceptable, and within the umbrella of the dharmic paradigm.
True enough, except an overview of Hinduism was part of the documentary we were shooting. The interviewers actually asked. We'd hear some Hindus are atheist, but no one interviewed was. The same with the idea all Hindu deities come from one God. We'd hear many believe otherwise, but no one interviewed did. Mind, though we logged several thousand kilometers during our stay, we did not visit every region and it's possible not everyone was completely honest. Especially in the south.Religion isn't really on the forefront of everyone's chatter. Cricket, movies, and politics are all right up there.
exactly....your mileage may varyOne priest, one take,
A hundred priests, a hundred takes,
LOL, same with us! Roman or Orthodox Catholicism is strictly monotheist, the doctrines, dogmas, etc., are, the Catechism is ... but some of the popular devotions to the saints look 'suspicious' and Marian devotions even mores ... it's a popular accusation!... really hard with Hindus themselves. Even arguably the most monotheistic school within Hinduism, the Gaudiya Vaishnavas (Krishna is all) go on about demigods sometimes... Sounds contradictory to me, but I'm sure they have a great explanation that suits them.
It's no problem really ... the faithful are not expected to be theologians.