Hindu Council’s FAQ on Hinduism

Ahimsa – non-violence or non-killing is one of the basic tenets of Hinduism. Hindus believe in the Unity of all existence – “Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahma” proclaim the Vedas – all this universe is pervaded by Brahman, the Supreme Consciousness. Hindus revere life in all forms. A majority of Hindus are vegetarians to avoid cruelty to animals, especially a number of industrialized farming practices are very cruel, e.g. de-beaking of chickens, killing of male
calves for veal meat etc. It is not at all ethical to abuse animals for human use.

Hindus treat all animals with respect and care and do not kill them for
meat. In majority that is the case. Hindus even worship some animals e.g. cows are treated as mothers as they give us their milk. There are Goshalas (homes for cows), where cows, especially older cows who have stopped giving milk are taken care of in India.

In Australia, Hindu Council of Australia, with the support of ARRCC (Australian Religious Response to Climate Change) was first in Australia to launch “Meat Free Day” campaign on 2 nd October, 2008. Since then the campaign was taken to ARRCC and renamed as “Eat Less Meat” to appeal to meat eaters to reduce their consumption of meat. It is good for the  environment, good for our own health and good for the animals. Since then a number of similar organisations have come up, e.g. Meat-Free Mondays, Meatless Mondays, Meatless Fridays, Meat-free Week, No Meat May, Less Meat=Less Heat etc. The emphasis of these organisations has been more from the Climate Change point of view but there are a number of organisations like Animals Australia, RSPCA, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and Voiceless etc. who have been campaigning for the ethical treatment of animals.

Hindu ethics on euthanasia encourages us to live an ethical and moral life. There are times when we have to undergo hardships and if we are not morally strong in our beliefs we tend to breakdown and seek easy way out and commit suicide, which is not allowed in Hinduism. The practice of Prayopavesa provides a proper way out for the person who has fulfilled his responsibilities and may be suffering from a terminal disease and may not be in a position to perform the normal bodily purification function.

Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering by administering lethal dose to the person on his/her own request, who is suffering from an incurable and painful disease or is in an irreversible coma. It is only allowed in a very few countries. Australia does not allow it legally.

Hinduism does not support active euthanasia or “assisted killing”. Hindus believe in the Karma principle and rebirth. Hindus believe that we are not the body. We are the Atman, which never dies. It takes many births according to its Karmas. The ultimate aim of life is Moksha, freedom from samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth. If the life is intentionally ended one takes those Karmas to his/her next life. Thus prolonging that cycle.

However, there is a practice in Hinduism called Prayopavesa (in Sanskrit), which allows a person to end his/her own life by fasting to death. Such a person has no desires or ambitions left and has no responsibilities remaining in life. The decision to undertake this practice has to be declared by the person well in advance. There are examples of such practice undertaken in recent times. In 1982, Acharya  Vinoba Bhave  (spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi) died by prayopavesa. In November 2001, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami of Himalayan Hindu Academy, Hawaii USA subjected himself to prayopavesa. He was diagnosed to be suffering from terminal intestinal cancer. He later died on the 32nd day of his fast.

The mention of such a practice is found in the Hindu Scripture of Bhagavat Puran. It is mentioned that when the king Parikshit was observing  prayopavesa, sage Suka, son of sage Vyasa narrated Bhagvat Puran to him. When one is fasting one should do prayers and listen to holy scriptures.

We believe in a law of karma that is in operation all the time. There is not the judgement day in our way of thinking. There are multiple ways of achieving salvation and we do believe that accepting Jesus as the Savior could be one of them.

We believe in Jesus as Divine. We Hindus believe that Jesus added to the capacity of the human flesh to experience love. This is based on the Hindu concept that every incarnation enhances the ability for the matter that makes up humans to evolve higher. 

Christians perceive God as someone in heaven who is the ruler of this world. He loves each of His subjects but he is also bound by the law that he has laid down for humanity.

The nature of God cannot be described in words completely but we are all manifestations of God in different forms. God is present in all of us but we also worship God in a form external to us and in that form God is our protector and God loves us much more than we can love God.