How do Hindus explain the nastiness of life?

[JosephineB]

I've just joined this forum but have read with much interest your posts Shivani Devi. Wishing you well on your adventures.

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

I understand and I also apologise. The frustration and intolerance is showing... but this needs to stop and I am not talking about you, but about me...about this!

I am glad I have most of my friends and supporters on SF here, in this thread, because I have some news.

The next two days will be my last two days on SF for quite some time. I won't say indefinitely, but in the foreseeable future anyway.

It starts with a camping trip this weekend for three days...out where mobile phone reception does not exist.

Then, I am going to the Shanti Mission Ashram for a week of healing and Yoga...The woman who runs it and myself have a mutual friend (a rich friend) who has arranged for me to spend some time there, in return for giving a few lectures on Tibetan Buddhism. I will be very busy for that week... spending most of it in total mouna (silence).

After this, I shall be enrolling in a local Buddhist University (Nan Tien Institute) studying Mindfulness, Eastern Medicine and Psychology for three months, before going off on another retreat for a week.

When I get back from that, I will be working on getting my IYTA (Yoga Teachers Accreditation) which I had many years ago but it lapsed and saving up my pennies to spend a year traveling around South East Asia.

I need to put my focus and time elsewhere now because I feel that being here has served its purpose and now it is only holding me back from achieving my goals and dreams.

I will still check in from time to time...once every few months or so until I get established, after I find a life outside this forum and can come back and post here on my own terms.

I still have two days to tie up loose ends...do a few things online that I need to do and then I am off.

I will miss you all and wish you all only love, peace and happiness for the future.

Aum Namah Shivaya

Much of that sounds so lovely, SD.

We will miss your kind presence too, and wish you the very best in your endeavors and spiritual pursuits.

JL

[Honza]

Hi Shivani,

Have a great time. I'm sorry you find it frustrating here. SF is essentially a Western forum and so you will find many ideas which contradict Hinduism. I hope you find your inner peace and stay true to your path. I have learnt so much from the Eastern spirituality. I am grateful.

[HITESH SHAH]

Originally Posted by Honza

But the question I have right now is how does Hinduism explain the nastiness of life? In the West it is explained as a 'fall from grace'. What is it in the East?

Nastiness / injustice in Hinduism is explained following way .

1. Law of reward / punishment - Whatever happens to one , there is somewhere in his/her life (even in previous life) something has been done by the individual which till now has not been acted upon by life . So majorly everything boils down to Law of reward / punishment.

2. Advanced seekers do not just view it from glass of reward punishment. He/she views it also a lesson which seeker should learn , accept and practice as part of his /her holistic development.

3. Very advanced seekers like 24X7 practitioners of non-duality (which is extremely difficult) , do not feel anything nasty . They just feel divine play and they partake in the game of universe and be on the side of God in His arrangements to keep/run the universe in order.

[Honza]

Thank you, very interesting.

[Taking a Break]

Who can explain: "If a Brahmin (highest caste) abuses a Shudra (lowest caste), he is to be fined mildly, but if a Shudra abuses a Brahmin, he is to be killed. (Manusmriti, 8:267/268)"

BTW I was told that my ancestors were Brahmin.

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by Taking a Break

Who can explain: "If a Brahmin (highest caste) abuses a Shudra (lowest caste), he is to be fined mildly, but if a Shudra abuses a Brahmin, he is to be killed. (Manusmriti, 8:267/268)"

BTW I was told that my ancestors were Brahmin.

The Manusmriti has a lot of stuff in it that is controversial, out of date, and most certainly no longer practiced. Hinduism's collective scripture is a library, not a book, and this is one that Hindu critics often use. I would too.

As for explaining it rationally, I can't. I don't think anyone could. If a Brahmin were to mistreat someone, it would show he had no understanding of karma, because if he did mistreat, he;s most likely be reborn on the opposite end of that action.

Aum Namasivaya

[Busby]

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

The Manusmriti has a lot of stuff in it that is controversial, out of date, and most certainly no longer practiced. Hinduism's collective scripture is a library, not a book, and this is one that Hindu critics often use. I would too.

As for explaining it rationally, I can't. I don't think anyone could. If a Brahmin were to mistreat someone, it would show he had no understanding of karma, because if he did mistreat, he;s most likely be reborn on the opposite end of that action.

Aum Namasivaya

I like the 'out of date' bit. Solves a lot of problems.

[Taking a Break]

Hi Vinayaka,
I'm happy to hear that the Manusmriti is no longer practiced officially, but we all know that when a person with connections, lets say politically, financially or socially, commits a violation "Manusmriti like" rules are used today all over the world.
In my point of view the Manusmriti is learning or telling us something about our true nature.
Was it perhaps misinterpreted?

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by Taking a Break

Hi Vinayaka,
I'm happy to hear that the Manusmriti is no longer practiced officially, but we all know that when a person with connections, lets say politically, financially or socially, commits a violation "Manusmriti like" rules are used today all over the world.
In my point of view the Manusmriti is learning or telling us something about our true nature.
Was it perhaps misinterpreted?

I would venture to wager that the Manusmrti is the most controversial of all Hindu scriptures. It simultaneously has some great stuff and some horrid stuff. I think it's sad when people quote a scripture to justify adharma, or hate.

Fortunatley, Hinduism isn't really a 'scripture' based religion, and it's not authoritative. We are free to interpret or outright discount scriptures. There are other ways to determine what's right or wrong, such as looking to wise role models, our own conscience, or in many cases, just a healthy dose of common sense. So we're always faced with 'Does this make sense to me?" and are free to say, 'No!' even emphatically.

For me personally, the Manusmrti is meaningless.