Thursday, August 20, 2009

 Hinduism penetrates in America

In Hinduism there are many paths which if followed leads one to self Realization & to God. Whether it is manifest aspect (praying to God in a form) or unmanifest aspect (praying to God without a form).
In Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna also states about the different paths:

"Whose minds are attached to the unmanifested aspect of God, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement in spiritual path for that person is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied in human form."
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 5)

"But those who worship Me, in body form, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O Arjuna—for them I am easily attainable to them & swiftly deliver that person from the ocean of birth and death."
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Twelve verse 6-7)

Now as per one Report, an increasing number of people in America are subscribing to the essentially Hindu belief that there is no one way to salvation and that many religions could lead to eternal peace.

"A piece in an upcoming edition of the Newsweek magazine quoting a recent poll says that Americans are slowly becoming more like Hindus "conceptually" and less like traditional Christians in the ways they think about God and eternity.

The article headlined "we are all Hindus now" cites a Newsweek poll in 2009 according to which 30 per cent of Americans call themselves "spiritual, not religious," up from 24 per cent in 2005.

It shows that the number of people who seek spiritual truth outside the church is growing.

"A Hindu believes there are many paths to God. Jesus is one way, the Quran is another, yoga practice is a third. None is better than any other. The most traditional, conservative Christians have not been taught to think like this," the article says. However, Americans are no longer buying it.

According to a 2008 Pew Forum survey, 65 per cent of Americans believe that "many religions can lead to eternal life" including 37 per cent of conservative white evangelicals, it says.

The theory of re-incarnation, which is central to Hindu belief, also seems to be finding acceptance, with 24 per cent of Americans saying they believe in the concept, the article said quoting a 2008 Harris poll. "

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