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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SCRIPTURE
D1. What are the main scriptures? What language were they written in? The foundational scriptures, known as the Vedas, are perhaps the oldest existing scriptures. They are in the Sanskrit language and were transmitted orally for many centuries. They include philosophical discourses known as Upanishads. The Puranas and the epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) present moral philosophy in the more accessible form of stories concerning the various manifestations of the Supreme Being. Moral prescription is the focus of the Manu Smriti. The most widely consulted scripture is the Bhagavad Gita, which clearly states the Hindu philosophy and provides a practical guide on how to embody that philosophy in one's daily life.
D2. What is their origin? The Vedas were revealed to sages in ancient times and are traditionally regarded as the very breath of God. The other scriptures were composed by sages.
D3. How old are they? The date of the Vedas is fiercely contested. Modern evidence and scholarship indicate that the Vedas existed prior to 3500 B.C.E.14
WORSHIP
E1. Describe a typical worship ceremony. A worship ceremony (puja) generally involves a figure representing a favorite form of God, either a simple stone form representing Shiva or an elaborately carved figure representing some other form of God. At a temple, the figure representing the God to be worshipped is ceremonially bathed and richly attired and decorated with flowers. To the accompaniment of mantras from the Vedas and other prayers, offerings of sanctified flowers, leaves, rice, fruit, incense, lamps, etc. are made.
The nature of the offerings depends on the material means of the devotees: some offer only prayers, others offer flowers, and some even offer gold. Physical offerings are less important than the devotion with which they are made. 15 At the end of the worship, all present receive a token portion of the offerings that have been made to the deity as a symbol of divine grace. The forms of worship are less elaborate in homes than at temples, but do not differ in essence.
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HINDU - CATHOLIC DIALOGUE