Can one convert to Hinduism?

Spirituality Religion
#1

I thought I would start this thread and seek everyone’s views in the matter. Traditionally there are religions which convert like Christianity and Islam, while Hinduism, Jewism and Zorastrianism do not seek conversion. This raises the question of whether these systems formally permit conversion into its fold. The only authority I can quote right now is from a letter addressed by Swami Dayananda to the Pope in 1999. (to put things in perspective it was a letter requesting the Pope to stop conversions )

“You cannot ask me to respond by converting others to my religion because it is not part of my tradition. We dont believe in conversion even though certain Hindu organisations have taken back converted people…”

Of course " Tat Tvam Asi " is univerally true irrespective of your religion and beliefs…

#2

As Hinduism has no clergy, how can there be any formal conversions? Who is going to do it and how is it going to be decided?

Hinduism is simply a religion you accept. I was born Sikh, but I accepted Hinduism. Nobody converted me or even tried to convert me. I discovered it, got attracted to it, and finally accepted it. I began first by dabbling in the new age, especially my interests in ufology and parapsychology. I then started to do meditation taught to me by the Brahma Kumari sect. I left them and started to get very interested in quantum physics. I then realised all roads were pointing to Hinduism so I finally became Hindu.

I have followed a similar path that many Western converts to Hinduism have such as Erwin Schrodinger, Stephen Knapp, David Frawley, the transcendentalists, Arthur Schopenhauer. All you need is a glimpse of the Vedas, and if you are spiritually developed enough, you will resonate with it.

As controversial as this may sound the best test to see how spiritually developed you are is to read the Vedas and see how well you resonate with it. If you don’t, then you are on the lower rungs of the spiritual ladder.

#3

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;50320]th it.

As controversial as this may sound the best test to see how spiritually developed you are is to read the Vedas and see how well you resonate with it. If you don’t, then you are on the lower rungs of the spiritual ladder.[/QUOTE]

I am in agreement with you but I would prefer to say Upanishads -since these contain the philosophical teachings. others are mainly ritualistic.

#4

The Upanishads are part of the Vedic corpus.

The Vedas being ritualistic is just how colonial scholars have interpreted them to fit their theories of savage nature worshipping Aryans. If you read the Vedas using the authentic vyakarana method you will discover the Vedas contain very profoud Yogic wisdom.

In any case what I meant above is the entire corpus of Vedic literature, including the Gita, Yogasutras, Yoga Vaisstha, Samkhyakarika, Brahma sutras

#5

As controversial as this may sound the best test to see how spiritually developed you are is to read the Vedas and see how well you resonate with it. If you don’t, then you are on the lower rungs of the spiritual ladder.

Obviously your brand of spirituality does not see humility as a virtue. :wink:

#6

[QUOTE=thomas;50333]Obviously your brand of spirituality does not see humility as a virtue. ;)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, because “spiritual development” [B][I]from any tradition[/I][/B] is best gauged by “resonating” with SD’s “billion-year-old Indian Vedas”? :smiley:

#7

I haven’t read the Vedas yet. And maybe they WOULD resonate with me, and I too could consider myself to be on the higher rungs of spirituality, and could look down on the lowly less spiritual masses. I’ll have to see if I can find a copy. I could use an ego boost.

#8

[QUOTE=thomas;50333]Obviously your brand of spirituality does not see humility as a virtue. ;)[/QUOTE]

What humility?

I resonate with a text that teaches that we are all potentially divine and can all connect to the divine reality and become noble and virtuous in the here and now.

You resonate with a text where your gods and prophets kill, maim and rape men, women and children enmasse. Where billions of people on this planet are going to be condemned to eternal damnation because they are not the chosen ones.

It is an objective fact: I am more spiritually developed than you :wink:

#9

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;50338]It is an objective fact: I have more intellectual spiritual trivia than you ;)[/QUOTE]

Fixed :smiley:

#10

[QUOTE=thomas;50337]I haven’t read the Vedas yet. And maybe they WOULD resonate with me, and I too could consider myself to be on the higher rungs of spirituality, and could look down on the lowly less spiritual masses. I’ll have to see if I can find a copy. I could use an ego boost.[/QUOTE]

read the original sanskrit texts. Your vibrations will render the string theory obsolete !:stuck_out_tongue:

#11

As far as I am aware, I don’t think there is a formal conversion rite or ritual. If you want to become Hindu, simply start…believing. :smiley:

#12

[QUOTE=thomas;50333]Obviously your brand of spirituality does not see humility as a virtue. ;)[/QUOTE]

Humility isn’t a Christian virtue anyways. It is the product of being a HUMAN BEING. Besides, most Christians don’t exhibit this virtue at all. Even you Thomas, perhaps the most open minded Christian I have ever met, do not since you have reservations about the superiority of your religion (as do all Christians).

#13

[QUOTE=Nietzsche;50383]As far as I am aware, I don’t think there is a formal conversion rite or ritual. If you want to become Hindu, simply start…believing. :D[/QUOTE]

Since there is no clergy in Hinduism, and therefore no conversion rites, the general view is that while you may follow Hinduism, you can only be born a Hindu. A distinction is drawn between being born a Hindu and accepting /following Hinduism.

#14

[QUOTE=reaswaran;50386]Since there is no clergy in Hinduism, and therefore no conversion rites, the general view is that while you may follow Hinduism, you can only be born a Hindu. A distinction is drawn between being born a Hindu and accepting /following Hinduism.[/QUOTE]

No this is a belief of one of the minority sects of Hinduism. Most Vaishnavites and Shaivites, which constitute the majority of Hindus, do not believe this.

#15

[QUOTE=Nietzsche;50390]No this is a belief of one of the minority sects of Hinduism. Most Vaishnavites and Shaivites, which constitute the majority of Hindus, do not believe this.[/QUOTE]

N, Could you quote an authority for this view ?

#16

Here.

I don’t know what you think of Wikipedia but ample references are provided in case you are leery.

Just so you know, the reason I said most people of those groups do not believe in this “born into” idea is due to their largely liberal ideas and Bhakti oriented nature. Most derivatives of Bhakti Hinduism do not make any restrictions based on birth-related issues. That is what I meant when I said “believing.” If someone wants to start praying to Vishnu/Shiva and believing in the core tenants of Hinduism, then that is OK with them.

Of course, like anything else, there are regional variations, but most of the time, you will find the above to be the case.

#17

You can convert to any religion you like. They’re all invented by men who had no idea anyway.

#18

Since there is no clergy in Hinduism, and therefore no conversion rites, the general view is that while you may follow Hinduism, you can only be born a Hindu. A distinction is drawn between being born a Hindu and accepting /following Hinduism.

Yeah, but without there being a clergy, there is nobody to enforce this requirement on anybody.

There are several cases of Hindus who were not born Hindu, who have attained the highest posts in Hindu society. Hindusm, being a cosmological religion, does not contain any limitations based on time or place. In fact, in Hinduism it is presupposed that everybody is really Hindu, but they have degrees of amnesia. When one evolves they automatically become more and more Hindu. This is why I said that to gauge the spiritual development of somebody, you simply need to expose them to Vedic teachings, and see how well they resonate.

Erwin Schrodinger, Arthur Schopenhauer became Hindu simply by being exposed to Vedic teachings and resonating with them. Many of my friends, who are more spiritually developed than the average person, automatically resonate with Vedic teachings.

I have spoken to strangers before and floated Vedic teachings by them, and immediately noted how they responded to them. Some were not interested at all, but some were very keen and had a glint in their eye as if they listening to something that they always knew was true unconsciously. So to an extent it is true, they were born more Hindu. They are more spiritually developed souls.

Hindus cannot be humble on the matter of truth of religion. Our religion is true and all other religions are false.

#19

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;50501] Our religion is true and all other religions are false.[/QUOTE]

Yep… that sums up religion in a nut shell.

#20

Hindus cannot be humble on the matter of truth of religion. Our religion is true and all other religions are false.

You totally misunderstand the meaning of humility. You can certainly believe your religion is THE religion and still be humble. What is not humble is to look down on others who do not believe as you do, or to feel personally superior.

And even though I believe my religion is true, that doesn’t mean all others are false.

It is very shallow and simplistic to say your religion is true and all others are false, since there are many elements in other religions which would be in agreement with yours. Even though I believe my religion contains the fullness of the Truth which God reveals to man, I could not say another religion is “false,” since other religions share much of the same truth.

Also, aren’t there conflicting doctrines within Hinduism? Are they all true?