Articles on Hinduism – Progressive Hindu Dialogue

God is the creation of man! Or a man is the creation of God

Which one of these statements is right, and which one is wrong, or both right, or both wrong? One more question: if God is the creation of man, then is it an act of God as well? The creation debate has been around for quite some time. The basic reasons which aroused the dubious puzzle,…

INTRODUCTION OF GITA STUDY IN SCHOOLS WILL LEAD TO CRAM LEARNING FOR KIDS

Hindu holy book Bhagavad Gita has become part of school studies in Gujarat starting this year. Other states in India ruled by the Bhartiya Janta Party are likely to follow the Gujarat lead in instituting Hindu religious beliefs among the students in their early years. The introduction of ‘moral education’ through studies in Gita in…

Kamadeva, the Hindu god who arouse Lord Shiva’s love for Parvati

This god shoots love darts – but no, it’s not Cupid Jeffery D. Long, Elizabethtown College With the coming of Valentine’s Day, images of a chubby Cupid aiming his arrows of love at unwary humans’ hearts seem to be everywhere. The Cupid that Americans see splashed across greeting cards and chocolate boxes began life as a…

GETTING INVOLVED WITH MINDFULNESS

Staying in an environment exclusively reserved for the self leads towards an experience called mindfulness. Residing in this environment are the present moments connected to what one is doing, cohering internally with one’s own body and mind while keeping an absolute awareness of breath’s inhale and exhale flow. Mindfulness is the idea of being present…

Hindu Swastika Exhibits Tolerance, Fortune and Auspiciousness

Despite being stigmatized as a Nazi emblem of anti-Semitism, hate and violence, Swastika, the world’s most recognized sign, represents an auspicious and sacred symbol in Hinduism. The Swastika, derived from the Sanskrit word ‘svastika,’ means ‘lucky.’ Swastika’s geometric pattern of Swastika has its origin over 10,000 years ago in the Indus Valley Civilization. It got…

How one atheist laid the foundation of contemporary Hindu nationalism

Saba Sattar, The Institute of World Politics India’s position as a secular nation is under threat. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pro-Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the country’s 200 million Muslim minority population has been increasingly targeted. Over the past few years, so-called cow vigilante groups have attacked Muslims for consuming beef, an act that…

The many stories of Diwali share a common theme of triumph of justice

Natasha Mikles, Texas State University Sometimes called the Indian festival of lights, Diwali is arguably the most important holiday of the year for South Asian families. The festival, which is observed by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, lasts five days in its entirety. Traditionally the third day is considered the most important. During this day, families…