A Hindu Perspective by Balliram Chadee. M.Hin.

www.thehanumanmission.com. bally@thehanumanmission.com or Bally 416-992-2487.

Question: Do Hindus really have and see this concept of Sin like other religions? Ans: I think the correct answer is YES! However, this topic as with many other topics in Hinduism must be viewed in context. As with most opinions, views and philosophies of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma, contextual meaning plays a very deep role in helping a person appreciate the perspective from which various practices and principles are executed. The act of “sin” or “paap” according to Hindu Dharma is believed to be as a result of previous karma and therefore must be atoned for by the person, during this current lifetime, before death, or else rebirth is guaranteed to complete that repentance and sacrifice. According to some other religions or beliefs, the concept of sin is very different. Some school of thought stipulate that the act of correcting a sin, can be by going to church or place of worship, making a confession and performing the sacrifice that was given by the holy father or spiritual leader and that sin is atoned. In Hinduism or Hindu Dharma, no man is capable of forgiving your sins or offering “kshma” to anyone in cases of where you have committed your sins. The “act of forgiveness for sins” and eventual merits re; “ the paap and punya ” system, according to Hinduism belief, is administered by the supreme eternal godhead only , and therefore no physical person here on earth , is equipped with the attributes; physical, spiritual or otherwise to forgive the sins or remove the sins committed by anyone . I am not agreeing or disagreeing with the practices of beliefs of any religion or religious faith, I am simply drawing reference to common practices as comparative education, based on my exposure in the primary and secondary education systems where I spent over 10 years in non Hinduism.

The question is generally asked by many people, Hindus and non Hindus alike; do Hindus pay for their sins like others? Do Hindus have Judgment day like others? Can Hindus perform acts and receive forgiveness for their sins like other religions? Various spiritualists and Hindu Pundits might offer varying opinions and thoughts on these questions but a common rule in Hinduism generally accepted states “ As you sow, so shall you Reap ” Therefore each individual is responsible for atonement or eradication of his sins created, collected or inherited. In Hinduism, it is believed that a guru or spiritual practitioner can provide guidance and advice to a person who has confessed and admitted to committing a sin, on how he may atone and repent for that sin, or at least to make those effects of punishment easier when accountable to the lord and master of supreme divinity above. Hindus believe in one of the fundamental concept of “ Reincarnation”, therefore if you have created or accumulated sins from a previous life or in this life, you are solely responsible for clearly your debts. There is no credit card, line of credit or bank draft to save a person from the clearing and atonement of his sins. Unlike the other faiths of forgiveness, Hindus must clear their sins with God , the supreme Brahman , the only authority which can remove the effects of sins and allow a person to move on in life. The topic of “Karma and Rebirth” according to the view of Hinduism and Hindu Dharma always come to mind in these situations as the concept of sin must be taken in this context. Hindus must pay for their own sins and pay they must; it cannot be forgiven by any man on earth. Therefore, one would hear of a “graha puja”, a “graah”, planetary disturbances etc, where under the advice of a Pundit, a certain ritual or puja is performed, generally believed to be the cuase of certain ills or disasters in one's life, commonly believed to be as a result of sins committed or inherited from a previous birth and must be cleared through intense devotion, prayer or sacrifice.

 

So the concept of sins and consequences as seen in Hinduism is different from other religions and we must always remember that the consequences of our sins and our actions which have sinful effects must and can only be repaid by us, right here on earth with our God. We are not exempted from our collected sins and therefore we must settle our own scores with the divine abode of spirituality above. Hindus do not believe in Judgment Day where our entire life will be displayed as an open book in front of God at the time of death. Our life is constantly evaluated and the consequences of our actions are revealed to us, good or bad on a regular basis. I am sure you have heard the phase:” this is a test from God ”, or God puts challenges in our pathways so we may atone for our sins, right? Well these are all situations where we are given the opportunity to atone for our sins, sometimes we are in good health where we can do some sacrifices, rituals etc on own. Other times we are physically unable to do so and as a result, we then need others to help us in our atonement, since we cannot even sit to perform a puja, offer a flower or even called the name of God.

Therefore in summary, I would like to say that as Hindus, we believe it is our duty to do good and be good . Failing this belief, we will suffer the consequences of our actions and therefore we must pay the price for clearance on our own, there is and there will be no help from anyone for our sins, we committed same on our own, we pay the price on our own. It is therefore let upon each one of us as Hindus, to evaluate our lifestyles and determine our activities for which we feel comfortable that our anticipated rewards would be great. Paap and Punya; sins and merits , we alone can build, create, destroy or minimize. Use the privileges God has grant us to do good, be good and help others. Worry about what you can do to make a difference, ignore what others say, because that is all they can do, talk or else they would be using their time to make a difference and not worrying about you. It is in you to do good, we have be born with that gift from god and so when we do good, the effects of our sins when committed might be less severe. We live in a materialistic world and a corrupted world to say the least and we all are capable of committing sin, in one way or another.

Since none of us are exempted , we should pave our own way while we can, so that the day we have to pay for our sins, and to pay we must individually if we commit any, then the almighty and gracious Lord above would certainly be compassionate to us and help us through the difficult moments. If we don't then our price to pay would be dear and hence sometimes we see people suffering for years and no medical attention and help can make a difference, why? The best medicine money can buy sometimes cannot help a suffering person and this is an experience we are all exposed to. Finally, remember as you sow, so shall you reap. It does not matter where you are and what others say, you and you alone will pay for your sins and no man on earth according to Hindu belief can relieve you of the effects of the sins you have accumulated. As Hindus we may be afforded guidance by learned persons in the performance of certain rites and rituals as atonement for our sins, which as we belief would help us. However ultimately, it is left to us to suffer for our sins or enjoy the benefits of our good deeds and we all have seen the effects of both among family, friends and others. So the choice is ours, what we wish to do, and how we are prepared to deal with our effects and consequences as a result. I trust and hope that this article helps shed some light on this topic, at least for us to comprehend the concept of Sin and the fact atonement or forgiveness as seen by Hindus, is only a feature of God and not man, which makes the concept of sin, seen or accepted differently by Hindus and other religions. Choice remains yours.