Noahide Hindu
This wikipage represents research in progress.
Comments and suggestions are invited.
It is an attempt to review each of the largest faiths held by the Seventy nations. Following a description and brief summary of the religion, an attempt is made to identify which parts of that faith are incompatible with the Seven Laws of Noach. There are two goals in this effort: First, for believers who are currently belong to these faiths to become aware of what the Noachide Laws require of all humanity. Second, to try to isolate, identify and retain the national character of the faith so that a Noachide is left with a deep and fulfilling expression of his faith.
For each of the largest faiths, we include:
- Description of the faith.
- Documentation of which practices are not allowed according to the Jewish law
- Relationship to the Jewish Scriptures
- Relationship to authentic Jewish interpretation of Scripture
- Religious Council / Creed, as the defining interpretation of the faith
- Quote and teachings from leaders of this faith which confirm the above
This approach assumes that there is some relationship between religion, national faith, and Noachide nation. This needs to be explained further.
Teachings
Hindu scripture, in the Upanishads, contains a parallel which tends to support Benamozegh's argument that lawgiving would normally be a feature of the creation of the universe: "He still created further the most excellent law [dharma]. Law is the power of powers; therefore there is nothing higher than the law. Thenceforth even a weak man rules a stronger with the help of the law, as with the help of a king. Thus the law is what is called the true . . ." (Robert O. Ballou, editor, The Bible of the World. New York: Viking Press, 1939, page 41.) The creation epics and other early compositions of the Sumerians and Akkadians also contain parallels.[1]
Particular attention might be given to a citation such as the purported Prayer of Enheduanna (daughter of Sargon the Great, c. 2250 BC) which begins: "Queen of all the me (rules) ... who grasps in hand the seven me. " These me rules are understood by Sumerologists as being divine norms, duties, and powers assigned at Creation - a concept basic to the ancient world with a range from the dharma (laws) of the Upanishads to the divine Tablet of Destinies of early Assyria. What historical relationship, if any, might be found between the Seven Laws and these seven rules?[2]
References
- ↑ Lichtenstein, Aaron. "The Seven Laws of Noah". New York: The Rabbi Jacob Joseph School Press and Z. Berman Books, 2d ed. 1986.
- ↑ Lichtenstein, Aaron. "The Seven Laws of Noah". New York: The Rabbi Jacob Joseph School Press and Z. Berman Books, 2d ed. 1986.
