CHRISTIANITY VS HINDUISM

 

INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGIONS

     God is a common word in every religion. But each religion has its own name depending on their experience and faith Yet some believe that there is something common between all religions as the God is one and the same. Several Indian saints have understood this fact very well. Books written by them clearly indicate this fact.

     Writing this post is an attempt to bring out this interrelationship between religions mainly between Christianity and Hinduism.

1) Christianity: A Hindu seeing the Jesus is an indication that all Gods of      different religion in any form          are the same. Simply speaking God has no form. He appears in whatever form we want to see him. Ramadas wanted to see Rama and he achieved it as he imagined. Any Christian can also see Rama theoretically speaking.          

1) Hinduism: Fervently I imposed Christ to guide me in divining the true meaning of his words, many of which have been grievously misunderstood for twenty centuries.------One night I beheld the radiant form of the blessed  lord Jesus.--------His eyes were eternally wondrous; as I gazed -----I intuitively understood the wisdom conveyed.---- After a few        moments he uttered beautiful words, so personal in their nature that I keep them in my heart. (By Paramahansa Yogananda in his book ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’).                                                                                      
2) Christianity: Among Christian mystics who have been observed in sabikalpa Samadhi may be mentioned St. Teresa of Avila, whose body would become so immovably fixed that the astonished nuns in the convent were unable to alter her position or to rouse to outward consciousness.

2) Hinduism: The Hindu scriptures extol the yogic science because it is employable by mankind in general. The mystery of breathe, it is true, has occasionally been solved without the use of formal yoga techniques, as in the case of non-Hindu mystics who possessed transcendent powers of devotion to the Lord. Such Christian, Muslim and other saints have indeed been

3) Christianity: “The devil ----- was murdered from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a  liar, and the father of  it.” (Jonn 8:44).

“The devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

3) Hinduism: Satan in Christianity is equal to Maya in Hinduism according to some Hindu saints. Maya indicates the principle of relativity, contrast, duality, inversion, oppositional states. The ego principle  ‘ahankara’ is the root cause of dualism of the seeming separation between the man and his Creator. Ahankara brings human beings under the sway of maya (cosmic illusion) by which the subject  (ego) falsely appears as object; the creature, imagine themselves to be creators.

4) Christianity: Astrology:- It is not supported by the Bible and some of the  Christians don’t follow astrology. If astrology is true, life of the persons born to two different set of parents almost at the same place and same time should tally. This fact was examined and it is found to be true in most of the cases. This fact scientifically tallied and well educated and scientific minded Christians started studying astrology. In this regard Allan Leo. Sephareal, Raphael and Ellwyn George are few important astrologers who developed astrology. Earth rotates around its axis in one day to cover 360 degrees, and revolves around Sun in one year to cover 360 degrees. This fact one day = one year is the basis of western astrology.                      

4) Hinduism:  Astrology is an integral part of Hinduism. They fully believe that their lives are connected to the movement of planets in the sky.  They also believe that the position of planets at the time of their birth depend on their karma in the previous birth. The most important method of astrology followed in Hinduism is Vimsottari dasa system followed by Ashtakavarga system. Latest famous astrologers of Hinduism are B V Raman and Krishnamurthy.  

5) Christianity : Rebirth:-  Present Christians don’t believe in rebirth as it is not supported by the Bible. The early Christian church accepted the doctrine of reincarnation, which was expounded by the Gnostics and by numerous church fathers, including clement Alexandria, the celebrated origin (both 3^rd century), and st. Jerome (5^th century). The doctrine was first declared a heresy in A D 553 by the second council of Constantinople. But this truth is lost gradually in Christianity.

5) Hinduism: Hinduism fully believes in reincarnation as a result of karma of       past birth. And in each birth soul gains find ways to be closer to God.  Yet it takes about 2000 years to reach the next stage of astral world, from which the soul reaches causal world after about 2000  years and then reaches God after about                        2000 years in causal world and the becomes integral part of God. In some special cases if the soul gains knowledge by devotion it can reach God early. Certain practical studies proved that rebirth is true. There seems to be different views by different authours. 

6) Christianity: “Let there be light! And there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) ---- “His eyes were as a flame of fire. And His countenance was as the Sun shineth in his strength.” (Revelation1:14 to 16.) ---- “If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (Mathews 6:22) 

6) Hinduism: “Let there be light! And there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) ---- “His eyes were as a flame of fire. And His countenance was as the Sun shineth in his strength.” (Revelation1:14 to 16.) ---- “If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (Mathews 6:22) 

7) Christianity  ‘In him was life; and the life was the light of men.’ ----“And light shineth in darkness; and darkness comprehended it not.’ ---‘He came unto his own, and his own received him not.’ John1:4,5,11.

7) Hinduism: Parambrahma (Spirit or God) is everything, complete without beginning or end. It is one In

dividual Being. --- In it (Parambrahma) is the origin of all knowledge and love, the root of all power and Joy.(From the book Holy Science).

8) Christianity: Adam and Eve are the first human beings created by God.

8) Hinduism: Adam and Eve story of Hindus is recounted in the hoary purana, Srimad Bhagavata. The first man and woman (beings in physical form) are called Swayambhuva Manu (man born of the creator and his wife Satarupa.

9) Christianity: ‘Amen’ is the most used word in Christianity

9) Hinduism: The corresponding word in Hinduism is ‘Om’.

10) Christianity: “Before the world was created, the Word already existed; he was with God, and he was the same as God. From the very beginning the word was with God. Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him.” (Bible, the New Testament the book ‘JOHN’ Chapter 1, verses 1 to 3.)

These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.(Revelation 3:14)

10) Hinduism:  “What is this world after all? It is nothing but materialization of thought forms of God.” ----- “Thought is the primal force at the origin and back of all creation; the genesis of the entire phenomenal creation given as a single thought that arose in the Cosmic Mind.”  From the book ‘THOUGHT POWER’ by Sri swami Sivananda)

 

Parambrahma causes creation, inert Nature (Prakriti), to emerge. From Aum (Pranava, the Word, the manifestation of the Omnipotent force), come Kala, Time; Desa, Space; and Anu, the Atom (the vibratory structure of creation)

(from the Holy Science by Gnanavatar Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri)..