What is a Hindu Demon?

[Honza]

Hinduism is a practice of I AM. A path to enlightenment, whereby one reaches I AM/God through peace, love and meditation.

There is no devil according to Hinduism, only the ego which makes us believe we are seperate from God.

Yet, I have heard that there are demons in Hinduism. What creates a demon according to Hinduism? What are they? How do they form?

According to the west, a devil/demon is someone who rebels against God and who tries to be God for the power for themselves.

Is that what a demon is in hinduism too?

According to the west a devil/demon is someone who is thwarted by their own ego to start claiming power and superiority for themself. Is it the same in Hinduism?

[Thinker108]

Demons and gods are a yoni (creature) like any other creature such as humans, animals, birds etc. Gods and demons both are the son of Kashyap and; diti and aditi. gods are from diti and demons are from aditi. a name for a demon is Asur means who cares for only himself and gods cares for others also. Gods and demons quarrel always. It is called battle between good and bad (Devasur sangram). God always help gods. There are three main levels of humanity. Above is god, below is demon and in middle is human. This is a big story, if you want I will tell you more.

[Uma]

My understanding is that the demonic realms (called tala lokas or talas) represent lower (low vibration) levels of consciousness, and as Thinker said, selfishness even lower than the ordinary human kind. There is a tala for every chakra, meaning that for every positive quality, you also have its shadow side. In ordinary consciousness we have elements of both and the idea on the spiritual path is to keep shining your light, to express your best behaviour and not to succumb to your lower nature.

There are lots of stories about demons in Vedic texts and they are meant to teach us about ourselves, also warning of the pitfalls in the journey of life.

[Honza]

That sounds very interesting. Thanks to both. Please Thinker tell me more.

[Thinker108]

There are lots of stories about demons in Vedic texts and they are meant to teach us about ourselves, also warning of the pitfalls in the journey of life.

. Yes, it is right; there are numerous stories about demon. A famous storey is Ramayana, where lord Ram kills the demon Ravan. It is called victory of truth against lie. If we say about internal teach9ings of theses stories, I agree with Uma.

[mistogan]

Hello,

Is there a way to be protected against them ?

[Thinker108]

Hello,

Is there a way to be protected against them ?
have strong devotion to the God, it is the only way to protect self.

[Xan]

Is there a way to be protected against them ?

Since the nature of demons is extreme selfishness, acknowledging and letting go of our own selfishness frees us from that level of being.

Start giving and forgiving.


Xan

[mistogan]

have strong devotion to the God, it is the only way to protect self.

are there some prayers ?
and is there any translation for "God" in sanskrit or in one of the main languages in India ?

thankyou :)

[Xan]

In Sanskrit "God" is Brahman or Ishvara.

Few Hindus pray to the formless source but to one of the many gods they feel connected to. Krishna is a good one to pray to, and more relatable to most Westerners.


~ ~

[Animus27]

and is there any translation for "God" in sanskrit or in one of the main languages in India ?

thankyou :)
Deva is the masculine and devi is the feminine form.

[mistogan]

Im sorry but it's confusing me.

how God (singular, impersonnal) could refer to : brahma, krishna... or be feminine or masculine ?

[Animus27]

Im sorry but it's confusing me.

how God (singular, impersonnal) could refer to : brahma, krishna... or be feminine or masculine ?
The word god we use in English has several cultural assumptions based upon the heavy influence of monotheism in Western cultures. Hindu religions tend to believe in a single impersonal reality called Brahman. But calling it god wouldn't capture the idea of what Brahman actually is. Brahman is impersonal and formless, it doesn't think or do anything. It merely the immobile reality behind all things. Then you have devs (deva/devi) who are considered manifestations of the Brahman that can help make life easier. They think and act and represent qualities and forces. Depending on the sect, they can be seen as individuals with minds, or as abstractions.

So, when people refer to Brahman as god, they force it into a box that many people naturally use when we hear the word 'god'. Which is why ultimate reality is a better, if incomplete, phrase. While god(s) is better suited to devs like Shiva, Agni, Vishnu, Kali and Durga. Even so, you have to keep in mind that Hindu religions can vary greatly and teach contradictory things. Hinduism is anything but a monolith.

[mistogan]

The word god we use in English has several cultural assumptions based upon the heavy influence of monotheism in Western cultures. Hindu religions tend to believe in a single impersonal reality called Brahman.

I read something like that in the Upanishads, so I agree with you.

Brahman is impersonal and formless, it doesn't think or do anything. It merely the immobile reality behind all things.

And don't agree here : it doesn't think or do anything ? My opinion is that It is doing everything, and definitely not immobile, because as Buddha or Lao Tseu said, It's always moving, always changing.... Am I wrong by saying that ? please correct me if so :)


So, when people refer to Brahman as god, they force it into a box that many people naturally use when we hear the word 'god'. Which is why ultimate reality is a better, if incomplete, phrase.
Is it right saying westerners are more focusing on the personnal aspect of God and easterners are concentrated in the impersonnal aspect ?


Even so, you have to keep in mind that Hindu religions can vary greatly and teach contradictory things. Hinduism is anything but a monolith.

So how do we get the Source of Hinduism ?
I'm sure the monolith is the outside aspect.

[Xan]

Im sorry but it's confusing me.

how God (singular, impersonnal) could refer to : brahma, krishna... or be feminine or masculine ?
mistogan... There are many expressions of the one divinity, from infinite formlessness into forms.

Even in Christianity there is Father God and Holy Spirit, the feminine divine expression.

In fact, we also are expressions of our pure Source... in our soul essence.

The highest aim of spirituality and religion is to know this essence directly within ourselves.


Xan

[Xan]

So how do we get the Source of Hinduism ?

The source of Hinduism is the ancient religion of Brahmanism.


Xan

[Animus27]

And don't agree here : it doesn't think or do anything ? My opinion is that It is doing everything, and definitely not immobile, because as Buddha or Lao Tseu said, It's always moving, always changing.... Am I wrong by saying that ? please correct me if so :)
Neither Lao Tzu or Shakyamuni Buddha believed in Brahman. They taught similar, but different concepts. The most common description of the Brahman is a drop of water falling into a vast ocean. The droplet of water is usually said to represent the atman of each person, and it's apparent separation from the divine source of things. The idea of it being immobile or not, is more of a philosophical issue that can be debated among people. You can either see maya as being a movement of Brahman, or the movement itself being an illusion. I am not well versed on this subject, so I'll just say it can likely be either. :tongue:


Is it right saying westerners are more focusing on the personnal aspect of God and easterners are concentrated in the impersonnal aspect ?
In my personal experience I would say yes, more or less. Christianity, being the dominant religious demographic in most western countries, has a tremendous influence upon how people interact and speak of gods, afterlife and the relationship the divine has with mankind. Christianity is unique in the respect that it was one of the first religions to emphasize an all-powerful creator of the universe... who has a personal interest in your meager day to day life :wink:


Eastern religions, due to certain strands of thought, have more of an impersonal view on gods and so on. Both Buddhism, philosophical Daoism and certain sects of Hinduism emphasize one's own liberation and enlightenment, rather than pleasing a god, or gaining some kind of paradisaical afterlife. So yes, it can appear more impersonal when one looks at the relationships many Dharmic and Chinese religions have with their supreme "gods"/reality.




So how do we get the Source of Hinduism ?
I'm sure the monolith is the outside aspect.
Hinduism is a blanket term people use to describe thousands of cultural and religious practices native to India. Hindu traditions and religion are closely tied to ethnic and national identity when it comes to many things. And since India is a large and diverse country, there are naturally many types of Hindu practices and teachings. The only thing they usually have in common is that they share a common acceptance of the Vedas, Upanishads, and other epics and scriptures like the Mahabhrata. Which is why you can find atheist Hindus, Hindus who only worship Shiva as the supreme god, others who worship Vishnu, and still others who emphasize grotesque practices in order to reach moksha, like the Aghori.

[mistogan]

Ok, I understand better now thanks to both of you :)

What about the how-to pray ? From what I received, you just clean yourself (take a bath, or just wash your hands and face), then you recite hymns by focusing your mind on the deitie you want to pray. Is it all ?

Xan, you mentionned the highest aim of spirituality; what do you think about the aim of Hinduism ? I mean, each religion has a goal : paradise for christian, muslims; liberation of reincarnation for buddhists; But as far as I know, Hinduist want "just" a better future life (in better world/plane), is it correct ?

thankyou

[storymaker]

Hare Krishna!

Originally posted by Honza......

What is a Hindu Demon?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hinduism is a practice of I AM. A path to enlightenment, whereby one reaches I AM/God through peace, love and meditation.

There is no devil according to Hinduism, only the ego which makes us believe we are seperate from God.

Yet, I have heard that there are demons in Hinduism. What creates a demon according to Hinduism? What are they? How do they form?

According to the west, a devil/demon is someone who rebels against God and who tries to be God for the power for themselves.

Is that what a demon is in hinduism too?

According to the west a devil/demon is someone who is thwarted by their own ego to start claiming power and superiority for themself. Is it the same in Hinduism?
__________________________________________________ _______________

Dear Honza,

Thanks for your post and the question. To answer it makes me serious and again it tickles me to laugh. Dear, in all religions, we are the Gods and the demons as well. No demon is there outside. I am a big demon when I am with the senses of I & My and Mine & Thine and the qualities of greed, anger, desire, malice, infatuation, etc. When I am above all these qualities I become Godly. This whole life and the world is in a constant churning of the good and the evil. The Godly has to go past the demons by defeating them to reach God. This whole world is witnessing the Creator's endless divine game and for the game to go on there has to be a co-existence and perfect balance of good and bad. Glory to him who takes both good and bad nonchalantly. As both come from the Lord, you cannot take one and throw the other and in the process throw God away. That temple or church where you find only good or only bad people, is for sure without God. But that never happens. You cannot hug a tiger or a murderer but you can keep a distance with the respectful acknowledgement that they also belong to the Lord. Never hate or have disrespectful or evil thoughts of causing any harm to them.

Well, Honza, it is becoming to long. To sum up, Gods or demons - why bother much? After all, it is all manifestations of the Divine Lord, we must try to go above them to merge into the Divine Ocean of Consciousness.

Love and best wishes,

SM

[mistogan]

yes storymaker you re right, it was posted by Honza, and I think I changed the subject.

Sorry :smile:

[storymaker]

Hare Krishna!

Dear mistogan,

Thanks for your post.

Please do not feel sorry. It was my mistake or inability that because of my long absence I could not read all the posts. the thread initiating post by Honza had caught my eyes and I started writing.

However, if I may join Xan to share my views regarding your last post, I must tell you that cleaning up (Having bath, washing hands and feet, etc.) is for the body which helps just a little. More importantly, to pray successfully, cleaning up of mind is absolutely necessary. And it is again a very big question how you do and go about it. The best way is to become as simple as a small baby. Simplicity is the bathing water for cleansing your mind. It is easier said than done. Still we can try and the best way is to remember your Lord (If you want to call it chanting, O.K.) with love, faith and respect in everything you do, at all times. Very soon your mind will be as simple as a baby's. Then you go for praying and it will be answered.

Highest aim of spirituality as per Hinduism is not different from others. Descriptions by wordings are different but meaning is same. Knowingly or unknowingly we all, eventually, go back to where we come from. The aim is to liberate ourselves from all bindings and good or bad qualities , recognize ourselves as droplets of divine consciousness and merge into the paradise of the Ocean of Divine Consciousness.

Dear, I am sure Xan will join soon and enrich you with better knowledge.

Love and best wishes,

SM

[Xan]

Xan, you mentionned the highest aim of spirituality; what do you think about the aim of Hinduism ? I mean, each religion has a goal : paradise for christian, muslims; liberation of reincarnation for buddhists; But as far as I know, Hinduist want "just" a better future life (in better world/plane), is it correct ?
This depends on the individual, mistogan. As in any other religion some people want it for a better life in one way or another, while others go more deeply into their personal spiritual goals.

The highest aim among Hindus is for moksha - liberation, freedom from the limitations of the ego-mind... by realizing the Atman as Brahman - our true Self.

Meditation is widely practiced among Hindus as among Buddhists, whatever one's spiritual aims.


Xan

[mistogan]

I must tell you that cleaning up (Having bath, washing hands and feet, etc.) is for the body which helps just a little. More importantly, to pray successfully, cleaning up of mind is absolutely necessary.

Absolutely right. I mentionned taking bath, and washing hands and face, because I think its important. How to explain it ... We have our body, our mind, our conscience (tai chi and chi kong experts say physical body, etherical body, astral body etc...)
And as spirituality contain everything (every bodies), I assumed I have to clean my physical body, then as you said, clean my mind, then begin the worship. What do you say ?

The aim is to liberate ourselves from all bindings and good or bad qualities , recognize ourselves as droplets of divine consciousness and merge into the paradise of the Ocean of Divine Consciousness.


Is it what people call moksha ?


The highest aim among Hindus is for moksha - liberation, freedom from the limitations of the ego-mind... by realizing the Atman as Brahman - our true Self.

you confirm what storymaker said .

thanks for sharing your thoughts :)

[storymaker]

Hare Krishna!

Originally posted by mistogen.....
.................................................. .................................................. ...............
Originally Posted by storymaker
I must tell you that cleaning up (Having bath, washing hands and feet, etc.) is for the body which helps just a little. More importantly, to pray successfully, cleaning up of mind is absolutely necessary.


Absolutely right. I mentionned taking bath, and washing hands and face, because I think its important. How to explain it ... We have our body, our mind, our conscience (tai chi and chi kong experts say physical body, etherical body, astral body etc...)
And as spirituality contain everything (every bodies), I assumed I have to clean my physical body, then as you said, clean my mind, then begin the worship. What do you say ?


Quote:
Originally Posted by storymaker
The aim is to liberate ourselves from all bindings and good or bad qualities , recognize ourselves as droplets of divine consciousness and merge into the paradise of the Ocean of Divine Consciousness.



Is it what people call moksha ?


Quote:
Originally Posted by Xan
The highest aim among Hindus is for moksha - liberation, freedom from the limitations of the ego-mind... by realizing the Atman as Brahman - our true Self.


you confirm what storymaker said .

thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
.................................................. .................................................. ................

Dear mistogen,

Thank you for your nice post.

What was not told in my last post, I must tell you that now. Cleanliness- like every other thing- is in your mind. If your mind thinks your body is clean it does not matter even if you have not taken bath for 100 years. Dear beautiful soul, as long as your body is in your mind you are bound to think and bother about the cleanliness of your body and then you must follow the acts of cleaning to satisfy and prepare your mind. But when the sense of the body is gone and mind is either elevated above the senses of the mundane world or the mind is filled and occupied with the thought of the Lord, you won't even think for a moment that your body is not clean. People with clean and pure mind do prayers, chanting, meditation, etc. when they are in the toilet, seating on a comode and even during their conjugal intimacy.

Dear beautiful mind, if your mind makes you uncomfortable that you are physically not clean then do everything to clean up yourself. But please, please do not get caught into the rituals (Must do this and that following books). Rituals are the biggest obstacles on your path of quest for Moksha.


Moksha, to my understanding, is making this life significant. Realisation of the purpose of this life. If we have all come from God then to reach and know him. If this is not my own house then to search for my own house and reach my own people. Everything perishes, everything is in transition, look for the One who does not perish and is permanent...eternal. Everybody and everything leaves you one day so, to reach the eternal being who never leaves you. That is Quest and its successful eventuality is Moksha.

Lots of love and best wishes,

SM

[sarinmall]

Demon was during the first stage of evolution(satya yuga). They said to have illusionary power and were non-civilized . so, they would do all the wrong and illicit things they want to do.. Today, terrorist can be called as a demon..