Thread: Hinduism- the idea of Brahman

For the past week, we've been studying Hinduism in my World Religions class. Although I practice Christianity, I feel that, so far, Hinduism best reflects my personality and beliefs as an individual. The concept behind Brahman ('Everything is everything', we all are one) was gripping to me because I see a little of myself in everybody I come across, regardless of race, class, age, etc. But it's hard to truly accept this notion in this individualistic society we live in, where it's every man for himself. My question to anyone who reads this is: "How connected do you feel to other people?"

What else is there to be connected to? Nothing really counts in life besides our relationships with the people around us.

ronnycarson - I do not feel connected at all to other people. But it’s nothing to do with every man for himself. It’s just the way I am. There’re plenty of us, too. And I bet you wouldn’t see even the teensiest smidgen of yourself in any of us.

garza - Last time I looked, “how” meant “in what way” or “to what extent”. Nothing to do with “who else” or “what else”. And nothing really counts, period.

Surely the fact that you interact on this forum shows that you do connect with other people?

My comment revolved around the word "feel".

Connecting to others is an existential need which makes what human beings are . This need is not survival as people think, it is necessarily existential and enriches everyone's individuality.
Feelings are, by definition, attitudes and reactions which are meant to be communicated with the other.


Zainab

It isn't about how you feel, it's about what you know.

Originally Posted by inspired being

Connecting to others is an existential need which makes what human beings are . This need is not survival as people think, it is necessarily existential and enriches everyone's individuality.

I really enjoy reading sentences like these, for their amusement value. If one takes the meaning of the word ‘existential’ and attempts to insert it into the above sentences, what one is left with is meaningless gobbledygook.

Feelings are, by definition, attitudes and reactions which are meant to be communicated with the other.

So you're saying that communicating attitudes isn't connecting?

Ox - I'm still trying to figure out your objection to the way I answered the question 'How connected do you feel to other people?'

I would think that by saying 'What else is there to be connected to? Nothing really counts in life besides our relationships with the people around us' it would be obvious that I feel very conected to other people.

That's taking 'how' to mean 'to what extent' and if I say that 'nothing really counts in life besides our relationships with the people round us' would that not signify a great extent of connectivity?

So, how connected do I feel? Very connected.

garza - If you go back up the thread you'll see where, in my comments to both ronnycarson and Lady S, I zeroed in on the word feel. It's not a lack of connectivity per se, but rather how I feel about that connectivity. That was the wording of the question in the original post and it was that to which I responded.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

And nothing really counts, period.[/SIZE][/FONT]

So what makes you think that statement counts?

Ox - Ah, so. You are drawing a distinction between the existence of my connectivity with others and my emotional response to that connectivity. Being connected with others leaves me feeling complete, satisfied, comfortable as a member of human society in all its amazing variety.

garza - I, on the other hand, am for the most part a loner.

Originally Posted by The Backward OX

garza - I, on the other hand, am for the most part a loner.

As a loner, you're in awesome company.

Being connected with others leaves me feeling complete, satisfied, comfortable as a member of human society in all its amazing variety.

It just isn't very comfortable when one of you goes left and the other right.

No comprendo.