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2024/03/19
GITA FOR CHILDREN - CHAPTER 1
GITA FOR CHILDREN - CHAPTER 1
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ISKCON Congregation is encouraging communities to engage their children in the reading and understanding of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Radha Padma devi dasi, a young devotee of 12 years of age, living in Mayapur, presents a summarized recount of each of the chapters based on the Gita For Everyone program.
Those interested in finding resources for studying and presenting the Gita, please click the following links:
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BHAGAVAD GITA FOR CHILDREN IN ENGLISH ❯ ALL CHAPTERS SUMMARIZED
=====
Transcript
0:00
[संगीत]
0:17
एन क्रिश स्रोत
0:23
[संगीत]
0:38
शिवोहम शिवोहम
0:45
[संगीत]
0:55
[संगीत]
1:04
नेवासा तथा
1:05
[संगीत]
1:13
नया पानी पड़ो नाचो पर तापायूं
1:23
चिदानंद रूप
1:26
शिवा ओम शिवा ओम
1:30
[संगीत]
1:34
शिवा ओम शिवा ओम
1:40
[संगीत]
1:42
नमः शिवाय
1:45
ओम नमः
1:50
[संगीत]
1:52
शिवाय
1:54
[संगीत]
2:02
एन धर्म
2:09
[संगीत]
2:10
[प्रशंसा]
2:15
[संगीत]
2:21
श्री राम
2:26
[संगीत]
2:41
नामांतरण तीर्थ
2:44
नावेद ना
2:51
हम भजन होता
2:57
[संगीत]
2:58
[प्रशंसा]
3:01
चिदानंद
3:04
रूप
3:05
[संगीत]
3:11
जीना नंदन
3:13
[संगीत]
3:23
नाम मृत्यु
3:27
[संगीत]
3:29
[प्रशंसा]
3:30
[संगीत]
3:42
ना बंधु रे ना मित्र गुरुर
3:46
[संगीत]
3:48
नहीं वशिष्ठ
3:49
[संगीत]
3:52
द चिदानंद रूप शिवा ओम शिवोहम
3:58
[संगीत]
4:03
चिदानंद रूप शिवोहम
4:07
[संगीत]
4:13
हम नीर
4:18
विकल्वरूप
4:25
सरवत सर
Bhagavad Gita for Children
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Bhagavad Gita is one of the most sacred books of India. It is a part of the great epic Mahabharata and contains 700 verses. They were uttered by the Supreme Lord Himself at the start of Mahabharata War, when Arjuna did not want to indulge in war seeing all his relatives standing in the enemy army.
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Françoise FANGUET
5.0 out of 5 stars livraison payante !Reviewed in France on 20 February 2023
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Le livre est en parfait état, rien à dire, il es très beau !
mais j'ai du payer 15€ en plus pour la livraison, il n'est indiqué nul part que la livraison est payante, c'est une sacrée somme pour une simple livraison... voilà pourquoi la note est basse pour le service et non pas pour le livre.
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Rde
5.0 out of 5 stars The manual for humanityReviewed in Canada on 24 July 2023
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Its good to start early when we want our children to be righteous, virtuous and honest. The book has beautiful illustrations and wonderfully written for children to understand easily. Although the Bhagavad Geeta is not so easy to grasp even for adults and elderly...it takes a lifetime to understand all of the knowledge.
In the world of selfish motives and adharma, the Bhagavad Geeta is a shining luminous light.
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MRSH
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend this book for children.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 March 2019
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Excellent book with lovely illustrations for the little one. We can’t wait to read it with him and would highly recommend.
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Abby Cheeseman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great passing down of cultureReviewed in the United States on 14 July 2022
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Book came in great condition! Pictures are amazing and the stories are wonderful to teach kids!
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Kanth B
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book for kids... inculcate reading and spiritual wisdom.Reviewed in India on 1 March 2024
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Bhagavad Gita for children by Sudha Gupta is very excellent book. I was thiking that how to tell bhagavad geeta to kids, as it is not so easy task to explain it to young minds. The language used is very, very simple that to with lot of Pictures in every page which kids feeling interested to read. Every day my kid is reading this book. Thanks a lot... Feeling very, very happy.
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LEX_O
3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe for older childrenReviewed in the United States on 9 January 2023
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Just read this book to my 4 year old child. The words in this book have to be changed when read to a younger child. The amount of the word "kill" in this book is absurd. Also being 4 he is extremely impressionable. He loved the story of Krishna and I will read again but this can't be great for developing consciousness. Had to read the page above by covering up the picture.
2 people found this helpfulReport
Anirudhh Rajput
5.0 out of 5 stars good for Kids.Reviewed in India on 17 January 2024
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good for Kids.
One person found this helpfulReport
Vidhi
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for kidsReviewed in India on 28 September 2023
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The quality of the book is really good and as expected. The content is quite catchy with good picture and text quality.
2 people found this helpfulReport
Mr & Mrs R. Moonan
2.0 out of 5 stars For children? Really?Reviewed in the United States on 16 September 2023
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Bought this book with the intention of reading it for my 3 yr old thinking it to be appropriate for children. This image is far from being appropriate for CHILDREN! The author and publisher need to seriously re evaluate this image!
One person found this helpfulReport
AK
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent choice for kidsReviewed in India on 3 August 2023
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We had ordered this for our 9 year old son who is a fan of comics and superheroes. This book helped me get this attention and give him a basic intro into ramayan and the superhero and villaneous characters.
5 people found this helpfulReport
About Patrick Goodness
About Patrick Goodness
About
Home/About
1
2
Education
Marquette University: BA Philosophy & Theology
Advanced Studies: Cultural Anthropology
Macquarie University: Sydney, Australia
Waikato University: Hamilton, New Zealand
University of the South Pacific: Suva, Fiji
Patrick Goodness
Patrick Goodness is a globally recognized thought leader in the study of ancient cultural mythologies, and brings a profound knowledge of global cultures with an engaging approach to storytelling.
Patrick has traveled and lectured in more than 110 countries around the world, studying and teaching global cultures and a becoming recognizable voice for the preservation of ancient mythologies, indigenous tribal lore and global religions and practices.
Patrick lectures frequently at universities and global conferences and is a popular enrichment speaker among discerning cruise lines. His lectures are peppered with valuable research, thoughtful observations, powerful analogies and dry comedic wit that always bring smiles.
With degrees in Theology, Philosophy and advanced studies in Cultural Anthropology, Patrick Goodness is one of the most recognized speakers addressing critical topics relating to cultural anthropology, comparative mythology and global comparative religions. Patrick is recognized for his ability to engage audiences of all ages and educational levels, providing informational and entertaining lectures and seminars that change how people see their faiths and how they perceive the world around them.
As the ninth child in a family of ten children, Patrick learned early on how to carve out a niche for himself. At the age of 13, Patrick left home to study for the Catholic priesthood, studying first with the Franciscans for four years and then with the Jesuit order for another four years. It was during these formative years that Patrick opened his eyes to the study of world mythologies and religions.
After eight years of religious studies, Patrick left the seminary to study in the South Pacific, continuing his studies specializing in the indigenous mythologies and tribal lore of the Aborigines of Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Since then, Patrick has traveled to more than 110 countries around the world, becoming a student of global cultures and a recognizable voice for the preservation of ancient mythologies and religions. He lectures frequently around the world, and is recognized for his lectures on ancient indigenous cultures, mythology and comparative world religions.
About
Home/About
12
Education
Marquette University: BA Philosophy & Theology
Advanced Studies: Cultural Anthropology
Macquarie University: Sydney, Australia
Waikato University: Hamilton, New Zealand
University of the South Pacific: Suva, Fiji
Patrick Goodness
Patrick Goodness is a globally recognized thought leader in the study of ancient cultural mythologies, and brings a profound knowledge of global cultures with an engaging approach to storytelling.
Patrick has traveled and lectured in more than 110 countries around the world, studying and teaching global cultures and a becoming recognizable voice for the preservation of ancient mythologies, indigenous tribal lore and global religions and practices.
Patrick lectures frequently at universities and global conferences and is a popular enrichment speaker among discerning cruise lines. His lectures are peppered with valuable research, thoughtful observations, powerful analogies and dry comedic wit that always bring smiles.
With degrees in Theology, Philosophy and advanced studies in Cultural Anthropology, Patrick Goodness is one of the most recognized speakers addressing critical topics relating to cultural anthropology, comparative mythology and global comparative religions. Patrick is recognized for his ability to engage audiences of all ages and educational levels, providing informational and entertaining lectures and seminars that change how people see their faiths and how they perceive the world around them.
As the ninth child in a family of ten children, Patrick learned early on how to carve out a niche for himself. At the age of 13, Patrick left home to study for the Catholic priesthood, studying first with the Franciscans for four years and then with the Jesuit order for another four years. It was during these formative years that Patrick opened his eyes to the study of world mythologies and religions.
After eight years of religious studies, Patrick left the seminary to study in the South Pacific, continuing his studies specializing in the indigenous mythologies and tribal lore of the Aborigines of Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Since then, Patrick has traveled to more than 110 countries around the world, becoming a student of global cultures and a recognizable voice for the preservation of ancient mythologies and religions. He lectures frequently around the world, and is recognized for his lectures on ancient indigenous cultures, mythology and comparative world religions.
Hinduism for Beginners: The 330 Million Gods of Hinduism
20:58 / 46:19
Hinduism for Beginners: The 330 Million Gods of Hinduism
Patrick Goodness
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Learn the basics of Hinduism. Discover the origins of the world's oldest extant religion. Learn about the main gods and the defining principles of Hindu religion and philosophy. Uncover the basic principles of karma, moksha and samsara. See the origins of the Hindu caste system and how this system is still in practice today.
In a past lecture, I offered the number of 33 Million Gods of Hinduism. I realized (with the guidance of many Hindu friends) that my math was wrong. I have corrected this lecture to correctly reflect 330 Million Gods. This number however, is not meant to reflect an accurate number of Hindu gods. Indeed, no such count of 330 Millions Gods has ever been made. This number of 330 Million is symbolic and is meant to reflect an abstract understanding that the followers of Hinduism see gods in all things. Gods and divinity are inextricably intertwined in every facet of life.
One of the great elements of Hinduism is the almost complete lack of dogma and doctrine. Believers of Hinduism may agree on one element of their faith and disagree on everything else. This lack of consistency of belief and variation in beliefs and principles makes Hinduism one of the most dynamic and interesting faith traditions in human history.
======
Transcript
0:02
[Music]
0:11
[Music] thank you
0:17
[Music]
0:25
so let's get started talking about the 330 million gods of Hinduism
0:31
number one it warms my heart thank you
0:39
Hinduism is the world's oldest religion according to many scholars with roots and Customs dating back more than 4 000
0:47
years and many accounts Hinduism is even older than the Greek myths the Roman myths and
0:55
Judaism itself so what you're going to see when I tell some of these stories today are the
1:01
comparisons to your faiths as well roughly 95 percent of the Hindus in the
1:07
world live in India because Hinduism has no specific founder it's difficult to
1:13
trace its Origins and its history Hinduism is unique in that it's not a
1:19
single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies
1:25
so how did Hinduism begin Hinduism developed from the from the religion
1:32
that the Aryans brought to India with them at about 1500 BCE so about 3 500
1:37
years ago its beliefs and practices are based on The Vedas a collection of hymns that
1:43
refer to actual historical events that Aryan Scholars completed by about 800
1:49
BCE Hinduism encourages living a good life with the hope of being rewarded in this
1:57
life and the next what I hope that you gather from today is a new understanding
2:02
of karma that Karma isn't something that necessarily happens in the next life
2:08
Karma happens immediately and it's quickly as your next breath
2:15
Hinduism is the world's third largest religion after Christianity and Islam its followers known as Hindus number
2:23
1.15 billion or about 15 to 16 percent of the total world population Hindus can
2:29
be found all over the world most big populations are in India Nepal and Mauritius but you can find Hindus all
2:35
over the world the actual term Hindu is a Persian term that comes to recognize people who lived
2:42
beyond the river Indus Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas of spirituality and traditions and is
2:50
fundamentally different from other world religions there is no ecclesiastical order there's
2:57
no Pope there's no leader at the top there's no unquestionable religious
3:02
authorities so there isn't any one person who can say that this is the truth or that this isn't the truth
3:09
there's no governing body there's no prophets and there's no binding holy book
3:15
so as we would call this in the religious terms this is the religious Wild Wild West
3:21
basic Hindu Concepts Hinduism Embraces Many religious ideas
3:27
but it's mostly and generally referred to as a way of life
3:32
less a religion many forms of of Hinduism are henotheistic meaning that they believe
3:39
in one God as supreme or they believe in one God above all other gods and this is
3:46
important to recognize when we consider uh how Hinduism uh in its heenotheism
3:51
impacted other world faiths Hindus believe in the diraq and the doctrines of samsara the Cycles The Continuous
3:58
cycles of Life Death and reincarnation and Karma the universal law of cause and
4:06
effect one of the key thoughts of Hinduism is Atman the belief in a soul a personal
4:13
soul this philosophy holds that all living creatures have an Atman or a soul
4:20
which is part of the Supreme Universal Soul brahmana
4:25
so each one of us is an Atman and we belong to the Universal Soul of
4:33
Brahman the goal is to achieve Moksha
4:38
or salvation which ends the cycle of birth death and rebirth
4:47
the fundament one of the fundamental principles of the religion is the idea that people's actions and
4:53
thoughts directly impact their life now and their next life
4:59
Hindus strive to achieve Dharma which is a code of living that emphasizes Good
5:04
Conduct and morality Hindus Revere all living creatures and consider the cow a sacred animal
5:11
all of us in the world should be thankful that Hindus do not eat beef
5:17
imagine the condition of our uh of our climate today if even 1.15 billion more
5:26
people were eating beef food is an important part of life for Hindus most don't eat beef or pork and
5:33
many are vegetarians did you know that the swastika is actually a symbol of
5:39
Hinduism and many other ancient faiths the swastika which comes from the base
5:45
suasti means well-being or good it later became associated with evil which is
5:50
what we remember today under the Nazi party but here are some samples of swastikas from around the world that
5:56
came and originated with Hinduism
6:02
if you remember nothing more about today's talk I hope that you will
6:08
remember this and I'm going to read it because I don't want to make a mistake Hinduism is a way of life
6:15
according to the Supreme Court of India unlike other religions in the world the Hindu religion does not claim any one
6:21
Prophet it does not worship any one God it does not believe in any one philosophic concept it does not follow
6:28
any one set of religious rights or performances in fact it does not satisfy
6:34
the traditional features of a religion or Creed it is a way of life and nothing
6:39
more from a western standpoint we see it as a religion in India the term Dharma or way
6:46
of life is broader than the Western term of religion for us we think of religion somehow as
6:53
something that we do and something that we believe in for Hindus this is the way that they
7:01
live their belief impacts every moment from waking till sleeping
7:08
in their way of life in fact so broad is the range of theists
7:14
that belong to the Hindu faith that Hindus can be polytheistic belief in many gods pantheistic which is
7:21
a belief that God is imminent in all things he no theistic the worship of one
7:26
God while recognizing other gods monotheistic the belief in one and only God and monistic the belief that all
7:34
things come from a source that is distinct from us Transcendent from us agnostic the belief that God is
7:42
unknowable and the doubt in God atheistic disbelief in God you can be an atheist and be a Hindu you can be a
7:49
non-theist not really caring about whether or not there is a God or not and then a
7:55
humanist which is where many fall believe that the potential value and goodness of human beings should be our
8:02
sole concern humanists emphasize common human needs and seek rational ways of solving human
8:08
problems Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world and is often
8:14
referred to as the sanatana Dharma the Eternal Wayne meaning that its faith is beyond history we'll see these claims
8:21
reverberated through many religions that this truth is older than time itself
8:27
Scholars regard Hinduism as a synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions with diverse roots and no
8:33
founder this Hindu synthesis started to develop in modern day India and Pakistan
8:38
around 500 BCE so 500 years before Christ
8:43
the Hindu Faith was well developed although Hinduism contains a broad range
8:49
of philosophies it is linked by shared Concepts rituals cosmology shared
8:54
scriptures and sacred texts major scriptures include the upanishads the bhagavad-gita The Vedas and the
9:01
agamas sources of authority and eternal truths play an important role but there's also
9:07
a strong role of Hindu tradition and this tradition questions the
9:13
authority of these tasks questions whether or not the people who are saying these things are right and it allows
9:20
them to continue to develop truth as an ongoing part of their tradition
9:25
it's an admirable part of this faith the doctrine of Atman Brahman is an
9:30
interesting one most Hindus believe in Brahman in uncreated Eternal infinite Transcendent and
9:37
all-embracing principle Brahman contains itself in itself both
9:42
being and non-being and it is the sole reality the ultimate
9:48
cause the foundation source and goal of all existence
9:54
and we with our Atman are a part of that
9:59
each one of us in Hindu belief has an Atman a piece of Brahman the Eternal Soul
10:08
as the all Brahman either causes the universe and all beings to emanate from itself
10:15
transforms itself into the universe or assumes the appearance of the universe
10:24
you can't expect to understand this in this lecture this is a lifetime of
10:30
learning Brahman is in all things and is the self the Atman of all living beings
10:37
Brahman is the creator the preserver or Transformer and the reabsorber of everything it is the
10:45
beginning the middle and the end it is all things
10:51
karma is the universal law that drives Hindu principles by which good or bad
10:57
actions determine the future modes of an individual's existence Indian theories
11:04
of salvation believe that births future births and life situations will
11:10
result from your actions in this life but make no mistake karma is not
11:16
something that just happens in the next life it's something that happens now your actions accumulate and they impact
11:22
you in this life and in the next the common goal for all Hindus is Moksha
11:29
release from the cycle of birth and death and rebirth
11:34
Karma thus serves two main functions within Indian moral philosophy number one it provides motivation to live a
11:42
moral life and number two more importantly and so different from all of the other faiths
11:48
it explains the existence of evil I'm going to chat briefly about that
11:55
because I think it Bears discussion
12:00
Judaism and Christianity and Islam the abrahamic faiths believe
12:06
that original sin happened
12:12
in the Garden of Eden that at that moment when eve took a bite
12:17
that she revealed and that original sin this was the stain of humankind the stain of mankind we would look back to
12:24
the Greek myths we see that again
12:29
Pandora opened the box and released all of the evils on the world
12:35
here there is a source of evil and you lead look no further than the
12:42
mirror to find it the source of all evil is you it's me it's us
12:50
we are the reason that bad things happen in the world there's no God that is causing these things and Judaism
12:57
Christianity and Islam there's a God that punishes or rewards us for our actions however in the classical
13:03
traditions of India Hinduism Buddhism and jaundism they believe that no Divine
13:08
or external agent intervenes in the relationship of the Moral Moral act to an its inevitable result I love this
13:15
graphic whatever you do comes right back to hit you again whether it's good or
13:21
bad and this is the foundational principle of karma whatever you do comes
13:26
back to you and it's not so much that comes back to you in the next life we carry it with us
13:31
because we know intrinsically when we've done right or wrong we know and we carry
13:37
it with us and there's a wonderful quote from uh from Buddhism which is you will
13:43
not be punished by your anger you will not be part I'm sorry you will
13:48
not be punished for your anger you will be punished by your anger and in the same way you will not be rewarded for
13:56
your goodness and your kindness you will be rewarded by your goodness and your
14:01
kindness the law of karma represents a non-theistic explanation of why there is
14:07
evil in the world samsara is a wonderful concept to understand this is reincarnation
14:12
transmigration in Hinduism samsada is a journey of the soul the body dies but
14:19
not the soul which is the Eternal reality indestructible and blissful
14:24
everything is connected cyclical and composed of two things the soul and
14:29
matter the Eternal Soul called Atman your Eternal Soul called Atman never
14:36
reincarnates it is the same from body to body from life to life it cannot change
14:43
in contrast the body and the personality does change and it's constantly changing being born dying and being reborn again
14:50
Karma impacts your future circumstances in this life as well as the future in your
14:57
next life good intentions and actions lead to a good future bad intentions and
15:03
bad actions lead to a bad future we tell our children the same thing
15:08
right the range of samsara stretches from insects all the way to the god Brahma
15:14
the range of rank birth in the hierarchy of life depends on
15:19
one's actions so how you live in this life determines how you will live in the
15:24
next life the aim of spiritual Pursuits is self-liberation Moksha from samsara
15:32
there are four objectives to life artha prosperity Hindus believe that you
15:38
should be prosperous and you should enjoy your prosperity this is a good thing you should have a
15:45
purpose in life you should enjoy your life you should be successful and this material satisfaction allows us
15:51
to pursue the other purusatha the other four goals arth is kept in check by Dharma which is
15:58
a moral obligation of righteousness so if you have a lot of good things that's wonderful
16:04
but keep it in check never have too much and make sure that you understand your obligation that with every Right comes a
16:11
responsibility and with Good Fortune comes responsibility to manage that fortune
16:18
since abundance and prosperity are qualities of the Divine seeking and possessing such qualities is in
16:24
accordance with the design with this design however artha is a stepping stone
16:31
it is not the Cornerstone it's meant to help you it's not meant to be the goal
16:36
finding contentment in the necessities of life such as shelter food and knowledge allows one to pursue the other
16:43
three purusatas however when you have too much it can cause an imbalance as
16:48
imbalance can happen in all things comma not to be confused with Karma
16:55
means desire or pleasure most of us are familiar with this although we'll say that we're not familiar with it in the
17:00
Kama Sutra right the comma offers enjoyment and love for life this is again essential to being
17:07
part of the Divine Kama contributes to a balanced life but
17:12
should not become an obsession if calm is not fulfilled with mindfulness or is
17:18
suppressed this stops us from becoming whole so we shouldn't obsess about it but we also
17:25
shouldn't deny ourselves because when we deny we want it even more and so one must give and receive comma in
17:32
accordance with Dharma and also create and appreciate comma to pursue maksha to
17:38
find this balance to continue to live and to in to leave this cycle comma and balance
17:44
and I say this for all of you here find this balance even while on board the cruise ship sometimes I see people who
17:50
are having their dessertness oh I shouldn't have this dessert have the dessert
17:55
don't have five of them but have a dessert and enjoy it be fully
18:01
in the moment of appreciating that dessert but then when that dessert is gone
18:06
recognize that you might have to walk a little bit too right there's this balance compassion find compassion find joy and
18:13
a humble gesture find enjoyment through a massage or through
18:19
the act of sex with your partner the aesthetic appreciate the beauty of all that surrounds us when we're looking out
18:25
from this beautiful ship and seeing the ocean and the beautiful sights that we're seeing appreciate all of that recognize it for what it is that it's
18:32
beautiful however to over indulge in these things gives us an unstable comma greed
18:39
addiction sloth Hedonism any of these things that come at the cost of another
18:46
puts us and puts our lives and our futures an imbalance
18:51
there is a moral obligation this is one of the other purus Dharma Dharma refers
18:56
not only to Social and moral ethics but to what is Right steadfast virtuous and true
19:02
Dharma is the way of living properly it's involved Duty it involves moral
19:09
actions and service to others and involves sacrifice following Dharma is different for each
19:14
person each of us has called according to our gifts to express our Dharma and to reveal
19:22
our life goals in very different ways living out once Dharma means to act in
19:28
accordance with the law to come into one's Supreme self what does that mean
19:33
it means that I can't judge Myself by your goals and by your life nor should
19:39
you mine that were each responsible for our own lives were each responsible for
19:44
recognizing our gifts first and foremost what is our gift we all have them some
19:50
of us spend our lives denying them and what this tells us is that we need
19:55
to accept our gifts and to recognize the responsibility that comes from that gift to have a gift and to not recognize
20:02
one's responsibility is to not fully Embrace one's Supreme self
20:08
and therein is the imbalance Dharma is the natural law that upholds the world and keeps the universe in
20:15
balance it's important to recognize that accepting an event
20:21
and feeling it fully is important when you lose someone in your life
20:27
feel it fully allow yourself to grieve into loss when you have something good in your
20:33
life allow yourself to feel it fully feel Fully Alive and accepted but recognize
20:40
all of this is fleeting it's here now be grateful for it appreciate it and Let It Go
20:47
because it's when we hold on to these things that we cause imbalance in our own lives
20:55
holding tightly too tightly to one's vision of how things should be this is what my life is supposed to be
21:02
we do this with ourselves and we also do it with our children we want our children to live certain
21:08
ways and we want them to live ways that we think we don't know what their path is we
21:14
don't know what their life is or their true gifts are only they can know that and only they can find their path we
21:19
have to let go again coming back to this idea that's rooted also in Islam surrender to one's life but surrendering
21:26
also to the recognition of your gifts and understanding that what we think is fixed and reality is neither fixed nor a
21:33
reality Moksha again is the ultimate goal for believers this release from the cycle of
21:40
death and birth this comes before Nirvana moksha's this point in time where you have achieved all that you
21:46
possibly can achieve and then the next step is nirvana Moksha is a place of self-acceptance and
21:54
Oneness with the universe to reveal the Supreme self it offers a place of freedom and release
21:59
from the karmic cycle Life In Balance again attain wealth but don't let wealth corrupt or distract you
22:07
indulge and enjoy life's Pleasures but don't become obsessed by them be moral and righteous but don't become fixed and
22:13
rigid now we get to talk about the 330 million
22:21
gods and goddesses of Hinduism according to the Epic Mahabharata there are 33
22:28
333 Hindu deities other sources multiply this a thousand fold and this was my
22:36
mistake the first time I only multiplied it a thousand times you have to multiply
22:42
it a thousand by a thousand and that's what reaches 330 million Gods however
22:49
the gods are actually referred to as the 33. so here's where the whole mix-up
22:56
happened and I'll tell you what a whole world full of Hindus still don't understand this which makes it really
23:01
difficult for the rest of us to understand it but when Hindus discuss the type of gods the phrase 33 quote ish
23:08
is used in a spiritual religious context means 33 types of gods however in
23:15
mathematics the word koti also means million so someone along the way got
23:22
confused with the types and used the other meaning for the word million and said ah there must be 330 million this
23:31
dual meaning has created a lot of problems over the years for Hindus creating even more uh misunderstanding
23:37
and confusion and created the understanding of the 330 million Gods today to clarify 33 Cody is not 33
23:45
million or 330 million but merely 33 types of Gods
23:52
what are the 33 types of gods 11 rudras 12 adityas eight vasas and tuasvinis
23:58
that means nothing to you but what I'm going to show you here is what that really means eight vastness
24:04
these are the elements of material so we have Sky Earth Wind Fire Stars sounds like a 70s rock band
24:11
and then you have the 12 aditias this list sometimes varies but here the the personified deities not the elements of
24:17
nature and then the 11 rudras and these are really interesting these are the abstractions Bliss knowledge thought
24:24
breath or life revealing Grace concealing Grace self these are the other gods and then the
24:31
two Ash beanies these are known as the Divine doctor so this are the 33 different types of Gods
24:39
this is a quote from a sarcastic Hindu friend and it's a favorite of mine there are approximately a 1.15 billion Hindus
24:46
on the planet at any given time an average of about three of us may agree on a particular conception or
24:52
understanding of God the idea that Hinduism has 330 million Gods isn't hard
24:58
for me to believe at all I would actually think there would be more Hindus generally see God in everything
25:04
and everything in God some Hindus are strict conformists to
25:10
the sacred texts but some conceive of their gods with greater freedom and allow themselves to explore this
25:17
beautiful faith without restrictions and to see their God as it makes sense to them in this faith Gods can be male and
25:24
female animal anthropomorphic having qualities of a man or qualities of
25:30
animals even an element of nature nothing is known all is Mystery
25:38
so the question are there three 33
25:45
33 million or 330 million gods
25:50
I would say that the answers are relevant the inherent truth is that a belief in Gods no matter the
25:56
number is an Act of Faith in an entity or being that's eminent in all things and yet
26:03
transcends our understanding and this is in fact the definition of faith isn't it
26:09
to believe in what we can't see or can't understand or know doesn't take any Act of Faith to believe
26:15
in what you can see that's what science is for this is Faith it's something different altogether
26:21
Hindus acknowledge that the most fundamental level God is one without a
26:26
second here again we see this principle and we'll see it now of a triadic godhead but a Unity there is one God
26:34
without a second the absolute formless and only reality known as the brahmana
26:39
the Supreme and Universal Soul Brahman is the universe and everything in it
26:45
whatever you can touch whatever you can see whatever you can feel is Brahman if you can imagine it it's
26:52
brahmana all things are brahmana and brahmana is in all things Brahman has no form and no
26:59
limits Brahman is reality Brahman is truth
27:06
Hinduism is a pantheistic religion meaning that it equates God with the
27:11
universe God is in all things God is imminent if you can see it it is a God
27:16
but yet Hinduism is also polytheistic it gives expression so there's one God but
27:22
many faces Brahma the Creator now we're going to
27:28
talk about the Triune godhead this is one of the first trinities first expressions of a Triune godhead and this
27:34
is Brahma the Creator he's the first member of the Hindu Trinity Vishnu the preserver is the second
27:40
member of the trinity she also or vishna also is worshiped in many forms such as Rana and Krishna some
27:47
somewhat mysterious God Vishnu is the Divine Essence that pervades the universe
27:53
and then you have Shiva the destroyer and this is where it gets interesting so you have Brahma the Creator
28:00
vision of the preserver and now Shiva the Destroyer but Sheba destroys for one
28:06
purpose because in order to build and to bring new again what was old must first be destroyed
28:14
and in this we see the first inklings of the concept of Resurrection
28:21
the idea that what needs to be reborn again must first die
28:27
and this happens through Sheba the Destroyer Ganesha is one of my favorite
28:33
Gods I have a statue of Ganesha in my office and
28:38
when you go to India please pay close attention to your taxi drivers they will
28:44
have a statue of Ganesha often on their dashboard or hanging from their rearview mirror because they're praying that with
28:51
Indian traffic in some of the major cities that this is going to remove the obstacles in front of them it's a
28:56
wonderful religious bit of Comedy then if you see it you're part of the inside joke now
29:02
Saraswati the goddess of learning for those of you ladies who came to one of our question and answer sessions and
29:08
we're asking about goddesses and the power of women in faith here we see
29:15
evidence of female goddesses and their power in this faithi the goddess of learning a
29:22
really powerful goddess is the consort of Brahma the Creator so brahma's the
29:28
Creator and who does he choose he chooses the goddess of learning she's
29:33
worshiped as the goddess of learning wisdom speech and music and this is also before Athena the goddess of wisdom
29:40
right so she gives Saraswati gives birth now to the concept to the Greeks of Athena
29:47
Hindus offer prayer to swarasuti before beginning any intellectual Pursuit children will be saying praying to
29:53
Saraswati so here early on we see a wonderful balanced
29:59
prayer not only to the Creator God who has perceived as male but the goddess of learning who is female and children are
30:07
raised with this concept Lakshmi the goddess also of Good Fortune
30:13
wealth and love and well-being so if you want good things in your life
30:19
you will pray and spend time thinking and giving homage to Lakshmi who provides All Good Things wealth and
30:26
well-being Indra is the king of heaven and Lord of the Gods he wields a thunderbolt so again try to compare with
30:33
other religions we have Thor we have Zeus right the Thunderbolt these are the
30:39
origins of these gods that all come from Hinduism now my Greek friends will argue
30:45
with me till they are blue in the faith about this blue in the face about this and that's okay but the simple truth is
30:50
that Hinduism did predate the Greek mythologies but again we see this idea of people trying to explain the forces
30:58
of nature through God's and that's the story here that's the truth that these myths are not necessarily truth in and
31:04
of themselves they point to a deeper truth Surya is the Sun and look at Surya
31:09
as a Golden Warrior arriving on a chariot pulled by seven white horses how many of you've seen Helios or Apollos
31:16
this is the same thing that we're talking about or even in the Egyptian model you have ra being pulled through
31:22
the sky on kefri the dung beetle right and you have different different movements here but this is a same idea
31:28
of the sun being pulled across the sky by horses Agni the fire god
31:34
Hanuman The Monkey King and devoted servant he's featured in The Great epic ramayana and he earned a path to
31:40
deification by performing Feats of Strength for those of you who know the story of Heracles who later became the
31:46
Roman god Hercules this is the same story Hanuman is Heracles Heracles is
31:53
Hercules it's all the same this is a story that Constantine believed in as well and he said I associate myself with
32:01
this God Heracles because Heracles through his 12 acts Rises to become a
32:08
god and the beauty of Hanuman is that through all of us that we can through
32:13
our actions rise to the level of becoming a God that we are capable of
32:19
great things if we allow ourselves to do the work and to make the sacrifices that
32:26
we can become like a god there's dualism
32:31
in all of these faiths but it's evident in Hinduism the distinction represented by the gods
32:37
is not a distinction however between good and evil but rather a distinction between the two ways in which the Divine
32:45
manifests itself in this world so it's not about Good and Evil this is about how God manifests himself or herself in
32:53
this world both as benevolent yet fearful harmonious and disharmonious and both
33:00
Transcendent and imminent in all things
33:06
there are some wonderful key beliefs in Hinduism and it's more of a value system
33:12
to learn a common threat is a belief in the Supreme Being and adherence to Concepts such as truth Dharma and Karma
33:20
belief in the authority of The Vedas is an important element as well although people differ on their impressions of
33:26
how what The Vedas mean Hindus pursue knowledge and understanding of the truth the very essence of the universe and the
33:33
only reality of Brahman according to The Vedas truth is one
33:39
but the wise express it in a variety of ways and in the same way they look at
33:45
their God that God is one but it's manifestations and its expressions are many and hence
33:52
we see this understanding of polytheism and pantheism Brahman is truth and reality formless
34:00
Limitless all-inclusive and eternal it's not an abstract concept brahmana is all
34:05
things and in all things The Vedas are the books that are the ultimate Authority Hindus believe that The Vedas
34:13
are without beginning and Without End even when everything else in the universe is destroyed The Vedas will
34:20
remain Christian hold the same thing to be true with
34:26
Jesus Jesus is the word the logos he is the beginning and the end the Alpha and
34:31
the Omega and that when all things are gone Jesus will remain and really what we're talking about here is truth
34:37
isn't it that when all things are gone what will remain is the truth Dharma can be described as right conduct
34:44
righteousness moral law and Duty and everyone should strive to achieve Dharma
34:50
we should all make Dharma the doing the right thing Central to our lives individual souls are Immortal this is an
34:57
important lesson a Hindu believes that the individual soul the Atman is neither created nor destroyed it has been is and
35:06
will be world without and amen sound familiar
35:13
actions of the Soul ryre residing in the body require that it reap the consequences of those actions in the
35:19
next life the same soul in a different body
35:24
the process of movement of the Atman from one body to another is known as
35:30
transmigration so when you die your soul remains and then continues on
35:36
to another body to continue its Journey the kind of body that the soul inhabits
35:42
is determined by Karma actions accumulated in a previous life
35:47
so if you don't like your body folks you just have to ask yourself what you
35:52
did in the last life to deserve it Moksha is Liberation the Soul's release
35:59
from the cycle of death and rebirth but several paths can lead to this
36:04
realization here's the beauty there isn't Just One path for any of us
36:10
the path of Duty is One path The Path of Knowledge is another and the path of
36:15
devotion is yet another and here again we see this connection to Islam
36:21
unconditional surrender to God submission to the will of Allah
36:28
we'll talk we can't really talk about Hinduism without talking about the caste system and I want to spend a little bit
36:34
of time thinking about this how does the caste system work the main cats were further divided into
36:40
3 000 castes and then 25 000 subcasts so what they did with their gods they also
36:46
did with the caste system most societies have some sort of social class based on education culture and
36:52
income levels however in Ancient India this was inspired by the Hindu scriptures and people assumed these
37:00
vital roles based on their abilities at 3 000 years old India's caste system
37:05
is among the oldest forms of surviving social stratification today
37:10
while the caste system is seriously flawed its concept was based on this division
37:16
there are three or four different elements the Brahman the Priestly intellectual class this is the top class
37:22
their duties include serving as the gatekeeper of knowledge so again we see someone who has to receive the message from the gods provide intellectual
37:29
advice to the governing bodies who's going to help the government understand the meanings of the scriptures offer Priestly services and religious
37:36
leadership and grapple with fundamental questions of life so everything was being done with them so that they could
37:41
think about the most important things modern moderate examples of this would be philosophers religious leaders and
37:47
teachers then we have the chatriyas the warrior class these would be today the police officers government officials
37:54
these are people who defend the country from internal from external aggression or internal strife and they specialize
38:00
in arms and ammunition and tactics of warfare the visayas the trade and commerce class
38:06
is also important these are the people who keep the wheels of the economy moving the visayas specialize in trade
38:12
and commerce and they're primarily Traders and entrepreneurs this would be Artists Craftsmen
38:19
Merchants entrepreneurs any business owner today and then you have the sudras the labor class these would be anyone involved in
38:25
labor in the field anyone who is a woodworker or Carpenter this sort of cast is just above the lowest class but
38:32
it's an important level because this is where the real work gets done Farm laborers construction workers this is
38:38
the real meat and potatoes of the economy and then we have the lowest class The Untouchables the
38:45
ashutalis Untouchables perform the most menial
38:50
labor such as sweeping streets cleaning sewers and Tanning leather the creation of this group was a perversion
38:59
that was set forth and misinterpreted in he in Hindu scripture this perversion was challenged by the
39:06
modern Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and in many respects is still at play even today so how does
39:14
the cast work for centuries cast dictated almost every aspect of Hindu religious and social life with each
39:21
group occupying a place in their hierarchy rural communities were were arranged on the basis of castes the
39:27
upper and lower caste lived in segregated colonies the water wells were not shared does this remind you of
39:33
anything that happened in the United States in the 1960s right these same things happen over and
39:39
over again and we have to question why does it happen and I'll discuss this towards the end
39:46
brahman's would not accept food or drink from the shudras one could not could only marry with whom once cast
39:52
and the system bestowed many privileges on the upper class while keeping the lowest classes
39:57
doing without even the basics most times is the caste system legal in 1950 it was
40:04
said that it was no longer legal and they needed to start hiring from the lowest economic classes in society
40:10
however in 1989 they were still having problems and they still have problems today they even talked about other
40:17
backwards classes obcs which fall between the traditional upper castes and the lowest so anything that's not the
40:22
highest and the lowest called other backwards casts and they're still trying to help bring these people into greater
40:29
levels of economic prosperity and recent decades with the spread of secular education and growing urbanization
40:37
the caste system is somewhat declined but you will see it in full effect when you travel throughout India you can't
40:43
but see it despite the changes cast identities remain strong and you'll see it even in
40:49
people's names so even though they have eliminated it people's names still reflect their cast
40:56
the caste system continues to be justified by the concept of samsara and reincarnation here we see
41:02
where religion itself contributes to the degradation of certain people at
41:08
the lowest ends the consequences obviously with Karma have to do with your current life right
41:14
so if you are at the bottom portion of society if you have nothing if you're being treated like a slave it's because
41:21
you must have done something in past lives to deserve this you are exactly where you are supposed to be and of
41:28
course those at the top continue to perpetuate this because it keeps them in power and allows the people at the
41:34
lowest and to continue to receive nothing while the people at the top receive most everything
41:42
there are some wonderful lessons from the bhagavad-gita which is one of the Hindu scriptures and I'll go over these
41:47
briefly but I hope that you will take some time to read from the bhagavad-gita
41:53
set thy heart upon thy work but never on its reward do what you love
41:59
and the reward will follow but don't do it for the reward do it because you love it and the reward will follow
42:05
dream big we're kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a
42:10
lesser goal this is one of my favorites there's not obstacles that are stopping you it's just something easier that's
42:16
right in front of it that you choose to do instead why didn't I do this well I chose to do
42:22
something else he didn't choose to do nothing you chose to do something of lesser value that was easier to do we
42:28
have to choose the hard thing my wife told me today she heard a quote that said if your dream doesn't scare you
42:33
you're not dreaming big enough and that's the truth we should be dreaming big we should be setting our
42:39
hearts on great things and then working towards those not letting us being held up by smaller dreams
42:46
let go of attachment you came here empty-handed and you will leave empty-handed whatever you receive now
42:52
hold on to it for a little bit whether it's heart break
42:58
Joy sadness love hold on to it for a little bit
43:04
and then let it go because it's not meant to be yours to keep
43:09
this is a personal favorite of mine be careful when you follow the masses sometimes the m is silent
43:15
and I have to share with you this isn't from the bhagavad-gita but I had to share it anyways everything happens for a reason whatever
43:23
happened was good whatever is happening is good whatever
43:28
will happen will also be good what has happens happened it's all in how you choose to see it
43:35
there's nothing more to be done the future is a picture it's an illusion the future will never come because when the
43:41
future arrives it's no longer the future it's the present and it's called the present because it's a gift
43:47
it's ours to take into use and so you don't control the future you barely
43:53
control the present but we do control how we respond to it so live to the fullest We Are All One
43:59
this is a wonderful lesson the man who sees in me everything and everything within me will not be lost to me nor
44:06
will I ever be lost to him he was rooted in Oneness realizes that I am in every being wherever he goes he
44:13
remains in me when he sees all being as equal and suffering or enjoy because they are like
44:21
himself that man has grown perfect in yoga we are happiest and at our best when we
44:27
see the inherent goodness in all things everyone wants to be treated nicely kindly so do unto others as you
44:36
would do to yourself give without expecting something in return this is tough a gift is pure when
44:42
it's given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place and when we expect nothing in return
44:50
because if we give expecting something in return it's not really a gift is it you are what you think you are we behold
44:57
what we are and we are what we behold whatever you think of yourself you're
45:03
right at any given moment whatever you believe about yourself is right
45:09
and so it's up to us to think better of ourselves and about others closing thought today
45:15
is what we believe determines how we Act if we believe that we are all equal
45:21
we strive for equality don't we if we believe that we are better than others we subjugate others or we accept the
45:28
status quo for our advantage this is a hard one to swallow but our
45:34
world today accurately reflects what we believe For Better or For Worse
45:40
be of good intention your words and your actions will follow
45:46
and more importantly be the change that you want to see in the world and in this I close thank you very much
46:12
thank you [Music]
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