One may read directly the Rig Veda 2nd Mandala, which is an exposition on atheism. Also the real Samkhya Karika is now made available on the net, as are the works of the mimansha sage Jamini (Jamini Sutra), Kapil’s works, Sankhya Sutra, Akshapeda Gautama’s Nayaya Sutra, etc are also now readily accessible. Sadly though, to really understand knowledge of sanskrit is essential as most of the translations are inaccurate at best, (mostly spurious). Reading directly in sankrit has been totally worth it for me atleast.

I think these texts may well be a good read for even the most analytical.

(Notes-
Sanskrit of Sankhya = Numbers, Mimansha = Inquiry, Yoga = logical conjunction of 2 facts, Nyaya = Logic, and SUTRA is ‘a chain or THREAD of logic. Sanskrit of sutra = thread) (Nyaya sutra thus means: the “the logic of logic”!)

Also: Buddhists were also atheists, but were considered Nastik as they had no kul Sutra. So were the charwakas, who were another nastik atheist sect.

google keywords: Hindu Philosophy wiki

Very nice blog..and loved reading about the wedding. LOLed a lot!

Good wishes to both of you!

Context 1:

Western concept of liberty as a political system: e.g. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. It’s a very broad framework. It does not go into the minutia or stipulate what it is that would make you happy etc.. Does it mean, that you can bring in a rigid system of communism or fascism ideology under that framework of “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Obviously not since those political ideologies would violate the basic framework of liberty in the political context. However, you can still have socialism as normative values within the frame work of “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

Now apply the same concept when it comes to Hindu religion vs a vis other religions. There is no set ideology that Hindus should adhere to, to be a Hindu.. Hinduism is freedom of spiritual quest for an individual as long as the framework is not violated. if you insist that your belief or ideology is the only true one and the rest are false or that every other faith except yours is in violation, then you are violating the basic freedom of spiritual quest and most Hindus would not accept that as being Hindu.

Context 2:

Another illustration is how western liberal ideology is pilloried by some conservative societies of the world by pointing out to the worst in western civilization as an excuse for they not adopting a free society. e.g. They often point to pornography in the west as failure of a free society “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. They conveniently do not realize that westerners do not necessarily celebrate pornography instead consider that a price they have to pay for living in a free society.

Let me apply that to Hinduism. Because there are no rigid rules nor any Institution to enforce any in a “libertarian” faith called Hinduism, naturally you would find some odd and strange practices within Hinduism including some bizarre Tantric rituals. Missionaries and religious supremacists and leftists like Wendy often highlight these sects/practices to point to the failure of Hinduism just like countries that have a tyrannical political system who point to pornography as the central tenet of free society to rationalize the supremacy of their tyrannical ideology/belief system. Most Hindus would tolerate these bizarre tantric practices (within the context of a law and order) but not necessarily celebrate them as Hindu rituals/customs.

Context 3.

Process of scientific quest: Scientists and the process of scientific quest is about the pursuit of that never reaching wall of absolute knowledge. Its the pursuit and not necessarily about finding all the answers there is to know. They constantly keep pushing that wall of ignorance a little further and the constant debate to fine tune. Yet, you would find some individuals (Creationists) who would use this as a weakness to deride scientists and what they do for they claim their Green Goblin up in the heavens has created it all.

In Hinduism, its not about a set of revealed set of truth given to 1 or 2 individual that has adjudicated all questions and that subsequent generation would just have to accept this “adjudicated revealed truth” into perpetuity and that they would be punished if they challenge these “truths” (Its really hearsay packaged as Truths). Instead, Hindu beliefs are really musings of individuals over 4000 years. Its intuitive perceptions of seers while introspecting and meditating deeply without guarantees to what they say is the absolute truth (They are opinions). Its devoid of compulsion by way of intrinsic threats for one to follow and believe what they say. These musings still continue and will never end just like scientific musings are a never ending pursuit.

My SHQ (Supreme Head Quarters == wife) was a visiting student from a German, rigorously Catholic family, who met me in a class I was lecturing somewhere in Europe. Although we both felt it, it was she who had to propose because of standard “academic ethics”, and I had to respond in proper “approved” manner. When she returned home for vacation she let me know that she had decided to formally “come out” of the church.

I had offered that I had no problem with her Christianity as long as she did not try to impose it on me. But apparently, long and intense debates and expositions and references [I still lecture!] had made her decide that future generations should be brought up Hindu and that she wanted to belong entirely.

I have had a complicated journey through Marxist, and both the European as well as “Indic” philosophical schools, and a passionate obsession with history from quite early in life. But even my parents, coming from solidly orthodox streams of “Hinduism” chose not to have idols or symbols or rituals in our house. I, on the other hand, for most of my life have tried to “believe” but am still unable to close my mind off to believing that an ultimate answer is possible.

I find that only the “Hindu” allows my basic drive to a permanent quest rather than acceptance of a given answer. The pleasure of life, at least for me, is the pleasure of that journey, and not the destination itself. That non stationary position is a possible position within “Hindu” thought. It also fits in with both my intuitive openness to non-rational experiences as well as my firm involvement and commitment to the conventional scientific method of inquiry – and binds me to neither.

What does it all have to do with love and SHQ. Because her change forced me to analyze myself and clarify my position to her, something I had never felt the need before to do.

Perhaps a dialectical process of thesis, antithesis and synthesis – with the end product different from what we started out with.

At the end of the day, from both of us, let
“madhu vata ritayate/madhu ksharanti sindhava” for you and Aditya.

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Self-Realization-Bhaktivedanta-Swami-Prabhupada/dp/0892132868/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257366423&sr=8-1

I think you are confusing idolatry with symbolism. The goal of having the Buddha temple is not worshiping Buddha, but showing respect to what Buddha stood for.
 The best way to show respect for Buddha (actually Buddha didn’t wanted you to show him any respect) is to not build his temple but to work on his philosophy. His original work got so much diluted over the years that people are actually forgetting what he stood for.
the beauty of Hinduism and is symbolism is that different people can take different things from it. While it is common knowledge that the Shivalinga is an ithyphallic symbol – its meaning has changed over the years. The fact that many modern Hindus would be shocked by the origin of the symbolism does tell us that the significance has changed over time.

 True. Each and every symbol has a really important meaning to the era in which it was established. It’s fascinating; I am too interested in them. None of the Hindus I know (family n friends) knew about the Shivalingham. And when I explain them the actual thing, they were shocked.
 So to the OP (original poster) take your time, learn and enjoy reading about Hinduism.
 Does anyone know any good lit on religions in india from 1300-1600 AD. I am just missing that important era in time..

–> This is true, though most Hindu theologists would say that marrying into a Hindu family is a common interpretation of meeting the requirements for converting. This started during the Hindu revivalist movement in the late 19th century.

2)Please take off the Buddha idol or statue from your collection. If you really understand and know his philosophy it would be unfair to him. Read more about it on kill Buddha project.

–> I think you are confusing idolatry with symbolism. The goal of having the Buddha temple is not worshiping Buddha, but showing respect to what Buddha stood for.

3)The books you mentioned were written before gods were introduced in there. Try reading about why Buddha and Mahavir came out from Hinduism and formed Buddhism and Jainism respectively.

–> I am not sure what this comment is referring to… Also, technically, Mahavir did not form Jainism – he popularized it.

4)For worshipping Idols, here’s food for thought: Majority of Hindus who are follower of Shiva’s they worship an idol called “shivlingam” literally it means “Shiva’s penis”. Actually it is Shiva’s penis and Parvati’s Vagina (his wife). I was very amazed by the idea that these people who started worshipping this idol understood the origin of life. It sounds very rudimentary and primitive, but intelligent. If you sit down and think about it the actual idol is nothing but a penis and vagina and that’s the true origin of life. This is well before language started and later it was labeled as shivlingam. Read more about the origin or shivlingam..

–> the beauty of Hinduism and is symbolism is that different people can take different things from it. While it is common knowledge that the Shivalinga is an ithyphallic symbol – its meaning has changed over the years. The fact that many modern Hindus would be shocked by the origin of the symbolism does tell us that the significance has changed over time.

2)Please take off the Buddha idol or statue from your collection. If you really understand and know his philosophy it would be unfair to him. Read more about it on kill Buddha project.

3)The books you mentioned were written before gods were introduced in there. Try reading about why Buddha and Mahavir came out from Hinduism and formed Buddhism and Jainism respectively.

4)For worshipping Idols, here’s food for thought: Majority of Hindus who are follower of Shiva’s they worship an idol called “shivlingam” literally it means “Shiva’s penis”. Actually it is Shiva’s penis and Parvati’s Vagina (his wife). I was very amazed by the idea that these people who started worshipping this idol understood the origin of life. It sounds very rudimentary and primitive, but intelligent. If you sit down and think about it the actual idol is nothing but a penis and vagina and that’s the true origin of life. This is well before language started and later it was labeled as shivlingam. Read more about the origin or shivlingam..