so, with all the sex disscussion thats been going on (not appealing at all!), maybe some of you would like to think about other stuff(like me! why is sex so overrated anyway?) and answer a couple of questions that came up in a disscusion with orange vodka and orange juice (together mind you! )
so the question is..why are foreigners barred from pasupathinath?
if my friend who is wasnt a hindu, read up on hinduism, became aware of hindu ideoligies and knew more about it than the general nepali population and became a "hindu" and wanted to go inside pasupathinath to experience the glory of it (maybe because i talk about it so much?) how would she be able to go in?
how would she be able to prove herself as a hindu (shes fair skinned..)?
is there a legal way?
is it only my conception that the reason deciding whether one is a "hindu" or not is soley based on skin colour?
what makes a person hindu?
:) hope ur thursday night is as FINE as mine.and oh yea..thoughtful and insightful answers will be greatly appreciated..
~puchi..
please excuse typos and blame them on the vodka (not the orange juice..thats definately a healthy affair!)

O keta haru ho
kasto ketaketi kura gareko?
Unlike other religion Hindu is an unique religion in the sense that nobody can change to Hindu. Hinu is only by birth. As you know that there is already cast divided by birth..Brahmin, kshetri, baisya and sudra. A westerner can not be a Hindu on the basis of purely Hindu Ideology. Muslim, christian are that kind of religion that you can adopt muslism, christianism if you like the philosophy of that religion. Hindu is more a culture than a religion. there is no unique prophit in Hindu. In ancient time a kind of civilisation started in Indus valley. The people in this civilisation worshipped fire. that civilisation eventually became Hindu. The similar case is for jew also. Jew is also by birth. Christanity, muslism are the religion developed by some psycho of that time. Hindu is the religion developed gradually . I want to ask you a question. A brahmin can chage to Kshetri or damai. Can a Brahmin change to himself Gurung? because Brahmin, kshetri are cast but Gurung is a race. That is why a westerner cannot change to Hindu according to Hindu Ideology. Kura bujheko ho?

I think it's one of the most fundamental flaws of Hindusim. I'm not saying that others are better.
Beside Pashupati, have any of you tried to enter some temples in Patan where it clearly says on the sign "ONLY HINDU ALLOWED".
I'm not saying that's bad, but it's time to remove that. If your grandfather didn't do that, you should.

THE DEVINE AERIAL MAKES YOU A HINDU.
SO YOUR RECEPTION IS BETTER WHEN THE LEARNED ONE TRANSMITS THEIR MESSAGE. HE HE LONGER THE AERIAL, BETTER THE RECEPTION.
KEEP THAT CHANT ON PEOPLE....harey Rama Harey Krishna Dum maro Dum ....

the flaw is not in the religion, it is in the practice. the corupt priests have changed the way we believe in our religion. if you read the original books and interpret the right way...you'll notice that hinduism is not really about rituals and worshipping but the way you live... and act to your life... read gita... and you'll know the concept of dualism, karma, bhakti, gyan and divinity. gita encompases everything a Man needs to know about how one should live, rather than how one should practice religion.

sujanji,
i agree that the flaw is not in the religion but in the way we practice it...as to whether or not my friend can get inside pasupathinath..i guess i have to follow Ramji's suggesstion and take her and see if they let her in if she insists that shes a converted hindu (for some reason..i doubt it..chirna dincha hola ta..?)

dibya ji,
i do not agree that u can be only be born a hindu. i think race is a socially constructed conception.. let me give you an example. if a japanese women married an african american and gave birth to a son who looks like an african american and you see the japanese mother, the son and another chinese women( the mother's friend) walking in the street you would automatically conclude that maybe the chinese woman and the japanese women are of the same race (japanese) but the black dude is probably african american..but he is MORE japanese then the chinese woman.. (his has "japanese" genes....from this mother..)

Bathroomcoffee :)
i do have an antenna (ariel?)..though do not know what time i should expect the message...HELP! :D

~ puchi
ps: ram ji...its not a new vodka..its the caffine that keeps me awake..blame BATHROOMCOFFEE :P

What makes a person Hindu?

I go by what Lord Sri Krishna said in Gita: II18-66II

श्रीभगवानुवाच

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥१८- ६६॥

If you are faithful to and take Lord Sri Krisna as your saviour, you are a Hindu.

My two cents,

Prajesh

ITS SO LAME TO DWELL IN THIS BULLSHIT.
CAN WE JUST BE HUMANS ? ALL THIS HINDU MUSLIM CHRISTIAN CRAP IS MAN MADE.
GOD DIDN'T COME AND TELL YOU YOU'RE GONNA BE THIS AND THAT.
BOTTOM LINE YOU ARE WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT, BE IT BUDDHIST, HINDU OR MUSLIM.

Not letting in non-Hindus inside the temple of Pasupathinath is wrong interpretation of Hindhu beliefs I believe. I believe it displays the narrowminded attitude of some so called "ture Hindus" because it will protray all Hindus as people who exclude people of non-Hindu beliefs.

I guess these people should try to understand their beliefs in more detail and they need better understanding of Hindu teachings. These people could be in big dilemma if some people of European origin (who converted to Hindu) try to get inside the temple.

I believe in every religion there have been attempts to twist the facts and preceptions of religion in order to gain greater political and social accendence by some people or a group of people. Hinduism suffers in this matter more than other religions. Buddhism suffers the least among all religions. Probably this was the reason why many people turned to Buddhism from Hinduism in ancient India in order to escape the exclusion they suffered within their own former religion.

Dibya Raj dude

You are badly confused between "race" and "idealogy". First you need to figure out if Hinduism is either a "race" or an "idealogy". You are trying to mix "race" with "idealogy" because you either cant differentiate between these two or you are deliberately trying to do so.

Race is a tangable matter and is physical while idealogy is an abstract matter. Hinduism is an idealogy (so are all the religion) not a race. One can inherit all the physical characterstics of a perticular race at birth (and cannot change the race that he/she was born into thereafter) but one cannot inheirt the idealogy at birth.

Human brains are simpley not capable of understanding any idealogy at birth. It takes to be at least an age of 6 to begin to get the knowledge and grip of any kind of idealogy for any human being.

Dibya Raj dude
There is absolutely no doubt that no person can become a Hindu or a Christian or a Buddhist or a Muslim etc by birth.

Did you know why cow is worshipped in Hinduism when you were at the age of 1 without your parents or anyone telling you. If you dont knew why, then it a strong evidence that you were not Hindu by birth.

If I were to believe your notion of "one can become hindu only by birth" then you are NOT Hindu at all because to become a Hindu by birth you have to be born in this world with a full knowledge of total Hindu idealogy, all customs and practices of Hindusim..isn't it ?

sunjanks
You were not given the cookie at a Communion at a Catholic church...it's hard to believe...

I'm not a Christian but such a thing has never happened to me. Probably I have been to churches more times than to the Hindu temples or Buddhist monastaries and even the most conservative Christians (such as Adventists) did not do anything like that to me.

Talk about what makes a TRUE HUMAN rather competing between their religions.... All Religions are same........lemme tell you What will they tell you??? be a good and honest person...make love not war........nobody tells you to go and kill people.....everyone knows that.......... nobody have to come out here & say......this & that bout this & that religion...... If your smart, you should be judgin' that way....not good and bad about religions......
n yeh PUCHI or i ain't know how you say that shit......... tell yo TRUE HINDU WHITE FREN to go to Pashupatinath n ask the GUARD there...well not bout smokin' CHRONIC but how can s/he get in???......not here in SAJHA.......

"OooNE"

you are made hindu by your beliefs and your "karma".....You claim to be a hindu and go to a Mc donalds and order a Big Mac with extra cheese......Then you're just bullshitting yourself..

Different people had interpreted Hinduism in different ways. As far as i know, Nobody went to Tirtha in mahavarat. They worship the idol but for that they didn't have to go anywhere else. There was not a temple for that purpose. Temple is more like cultural thing than religion. I guess pashupati has more to do with Nepalese culture and identity than religion. In the days gone by, those who designed our identity and culture set that rule of not allowing non -hindus in Pashupati. When Hinduism was supposedly instituted, the term non-hindu had no meaning at all. So this particular pashupati culture is not hinduism.
yeah, so what 's the point here?
--- honestly i don't know.

every one is a hindu like it or not. because the definition of veidc culture is so broad there is no one thing that can be labeled as hindu or non-hindu

prajesh.. let me traslate that for you:

reliquishing all ideas of righteousness, surrender unto me exclusively, i will deliver you from all your sinful reactions, do not despair...

by the way.. the word hindu is not mentioned in any of the books of hinduiism...

how about a taste of somango for all of ya.. on auspices of shivaratri
.
.
.

i like your message.. birbhadra.. you are the first one.. ever to understand that.. thank you...

i agree with birbhadra...

our holy books do not define "hindu" as people who have faith on Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwor.... it fits everyone in the planet (my personal view)

Hinduism is about humanity... it's karma... says what you should do and what you shouldnt... just like the summary of 18 purans - "paropakar gare dharma hunchha, para-pida diye paap hunchha"..

it's not about spreading the religion, etc...
for me (and i guess it applies to many of you), hinduism is more a culture than a religion...

Dear All,

What is "Hinduism" and what makes someone "hindu"? I guess, we need a "real" scholar of hinduism to answer these two fundamental questions. But, anyways, if we are going to talk the talk, why not walk the walk?

First and foremost, any religion at it's core teaches love, peace and tolerance. But, down the ages it's been distorted by people who have taken advantages of seeming loopholes in the religios doctrines and used for their benefit rather than the good for all concerned. Why go far,when the evidence of such distortion is right in our backyard? Everyday, thousands(if not, millions) are poured in by the devotees into the Pashupatinath Temple. But, where does that money go? Why aren't people rising up to it? Where has the billions of rupees disappeared? Who are responsible for taking charge of the donated money at Pashupatinath? It is needless to say, that Nepal is one of the poorest country in the world. It's been plagued by poverty and ethnic intolerance for centuries. To add to this, now the country is burning in the heat of insurgency. Why couldn't this astronomical amount of money, till date, poured into Pashupatinath been used for philanthropic purpose. It's when such discrepancies arises in religions core and it's deviant practices that people lose their faith.Be it, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism or Christianity I am, at all, not trying to say that Hinduism is a bad religion. In fact, when I went over the scriptures, I said,"if only 'pujaris' practiced what they preach.....". Hinduism, from what I have known, is not at all a religion. It is, in fact, a way of righteous living. But, I belive this practice of sanity is missing, of course, apart from some pure devotees of hinduism.

The question is not just about "not letting non-hindus not enter Pashupatinath Temple'. The "real" question is, what message are we trying to send? Assuming you were a foreigner, who is Nepal for the first time. You are totally unaware about what culture and religion of Nepal is like. Then, your guide takes you the temple premises but not inside. He shows you that "it exclusively for hindus". What impression would you get? I were that person, I would personally take it as a far cry from the "impression" that it's trying to present to the world.

It's not rising against any religion. It's about those that practice the art of deception and lies, when actually they are supposed to spread the message of love, peace and tolerance.

I hope that this help people who are reading this thread see how much the world is made eyes shut to the insanity that "select" relgious teach, when actually they are supposed to be a "sample" of love, peace and tolerance.

May God bless us all. Because, we are "Children of God" after all.