The numerically largest Bahá’í neighborhood on this planet resides in India, and most of these Bahá’ís come from a Hindu background. Bahá’ís readily acknowledge Hinduism as one of many nice religions, and determine Krishna as one of many “Manifestations of God”. But, typically talking, Bahá’ís outdoors of India know little about this faith, and little or no about Krishna. They aren’t alone. Most non-Hindus might be able to evoke just a few widespread perceptions, resembling Hindus consider in lots of gods; cows sacred for Hindus; they consider in reincarnation and are vegetarians, proper?, but in any other case have little data of this faith.
This discuss goals to “decode” parts of what constitutes “Hinduism”, an historic and vastly complicated faith, to deal with these perceptions, and to look at factors of convergence and divergence between Hinduism and the teachings of the Bahá’í Religion.
Extra particularly, I’ll look at the next questions:
What do Bahá’í authoritative texts say about Hinduism and Krishna?
Who was Krishna and the way is He understood within the historical past of Hinduism?
What are a few of the areas of doctrinal distinction and convergence between Hinduism and the Bahá’í Religion?
What are the fundamentals of Hindu ethics and follow, together with ritual and worship, and what is likely to be some fruitful factors of interfaith dialogue from a Bahá’í perspective?
The discuss will finish with an summary of the historical past of the Bahá’í Religion in South Asia, together with the Bahá’í Home of Worship in New Delhi, now one of the crucial visited websites in India.
Anne M. Pearson holds a Ph.D. in spiritual research, specializing in South Asian religions. She taught for a few years within the Division of Non secular Research at McMaster College, Hamilton, in addition to the College of Toronto and the College of Waterloo, educating programs on world religions, Hinduism, gender and faith, Gandhi and nonviolence, amongst others. She has authored a guide (“As a result of it provides me peace of thoughts—Ritual Fasts within the Non secular Lives of Hindu Ladies”), articles and guide chapters on numerous subjects together with on Hinduism in Canada. She has been a school member of the Wilmette Institute for the reason that 1990s, concerned with programs on Hinduism and Buddhism for deepening and dialogue, and making ready for interfaith dialogue, amongst different programs. She lived in India for various years, and continues to go to and be concerned with organizations that promote ladies’s empowerment and peace-building. She has additionally been an lively participant within the Baha’i neighborhood since embracing the Religion as a scholar within the late 1970s.
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