Posted on 11/02/2009 11:56:57 AM PST by Psion
Edited on 11/02/2009 11:15:16 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
I may have been misled by my admittedly shallow understanding of the Mahabharata. It seemed quite like the Iliad in tone and substance.
Otherwise the Gods were worshipped and sacrificed to for purely utilitarian reasons, for the sake of personal and communal well-being in this world.
What do you think ethics means? If it isn't for a utilitarian means to the well being of a community then what is it?
eth·ics (et̸h′iks)noun
1. the study of standards of conduct and moral judgment; moral philosophy
2. a treatise on this study
3. the system or code of morals of a particular person, religion, group, profession, etc.
Laws that are intended merely to establish order and prevent conflict do not require an ethical foundation.
Laws intended to establish order are the foundation of ethics.
Your arguments grow tediously ridiculous. Having strayed far away from addressing my main point, that Mohammed's actions are the basis for the barbarism found in Islam, you have taken the discussion into areas where you have even less idea what you're talking about.
Oh, BTW, Buddhism preceded Christianity by 500 years, Hinduism much more than that and the Persians even further.
Otherwise the Gods were worshipped and sacrificed to for purely utilitarian reasons, for the sake of personal and communal well-being in this world.
There are no gods in Buddhism and neither Buddhism or Hinduism are purely or casually used for utilitarian reasons. That's pure BS. They most certainly do have concepts of good and evil as universal and objective principles and they do have concepts of salvation. You may choose not recognize them as such but that doesn't make it true.
I’ve been studying some of the above literatures for 40 years and it is very hard to get a grasp without first of all good translations (there are many very bad ones!), and also an understanding of the basic spiritual concepts that are the foundation of Vedic texts.
The Mahabharat is sort of - well, everything. But the most important parts are basically teachings - the Bhagavad Gita is but one chapter, and Bhisma Parva is Bhisma’s teachings to Yudishtira, incredible teachings. Actually, Vyasadeva composed the Mahabharat so that people who gneerally like to read dramatic stories would also get profound teachings mixed in the dramatic history.
There is only one complete translation of Mahabharat - by Ganguli, he wrote it in I think 18 years, in the late 1800s. All others are the Readers DIgest versions and they suck. Ganguli’s is in very classic somewhat stilted English, but if you can get beyond that, it is the best. I’ve read about 3 other versions and they can’t compare. I’m actually only about 1/4 through the Ganguli. It’s on Amazon. Very poor printing job but it’s readable.
I’ve been planning a Hindu Caucus for a long time.
I really should start one. I have a little list of people who wanted to be pinged when I start it. You can add your name if you’re interested.
Actually Hinduism has very deep understanding of different realms of salvation - different levels, in a sense.
The Vedas also detail various methods of demigod worship which were, as you noted, purely for utilitarian purposes - good health, good wife or husband, physical strength victory, good children, wealth, etc.
But such worship, or more accurately, placating the personifications of the forces of material nature, was actaully condemned in the Bhagavad Gita as inferior and temporary. But it was allowed for those who wished to do it.
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