Hindu Catholic Dialogue Commemorative Brochure 20150523

Author(s): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Publisher: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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things in God. Among all living beings, humans are uniquely equipped to be self-aware and seek spiritual growth; it is therefore the moral duty of each human being to cultivate the qualities necessary for spiritual evolution. For this, the scriptures enjoin worship, selfless activity for the good of society, charity, and spiritual discipline (known as Yajna, Dana, and Tapas).5
Ancient sages recognized that people differed greatly in their degree of interest in God, in their interest in or capacity to understand philosophy, in their willingness to take time away from their mundane pursuits, and in their ability to overcome their own pettiness. So they designed a variety of spiritual paths that variously emphasize devotion, philosophical inquiry, service, or ritual. Put differently, one's spiritual goal is, by any means whatsoever, to rest one's mind steadily in God and fully understand one's relationship with the Supreme Being and the universe.
B4. What are the religious requirements concerning diet, dress, etc.? The strongest prohibitions are against eating beef and using shoes or leather accessories in places of worship. From Vedic times, Hindus have seen cows as a gift from God to humankind, for cows are gentle creatures that give great abundance to humans. Everything about them is beneficial: they work on the fields, provide valuable dairy products, and even their dung and urine is used. Because of these qualities, cows are considered sacred and are not to be abused.
Many Hindus are strict vegetarians and the most orthodox may eschew onions and garlic. Fasting is prescribed on the eleventh day of each lunar fortnight. There are generally no rigid dress requirements, though traditional dress is preferred on special occasions.
GOD OR ULTIMATE TRUTH
C1. What higher power (God) or ultimate Truth is worshipped? How do you name God? Is God one or many? There is One Supreme Being who is Pure Consciousness, the single source of all existence, all awareness, and all bliss.? The One is known by many names and manifests in many forms so that, at a personal level, devotees may choose to worship a specific form and forge a more intimate connection with God (see C3).
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HINDU - CATHOLIC DIALOGUE