Reflection Questions:

1) How important is material gain and sexual pleasure in attaining liberation?

Hindus consider that everyone has unique life objectives. These include leading a
moral life, accumulating wealth, enjoying married-couple sexual pleasures, and being
freed from the cycle of rebirth. Our personal lives are important to us in terms of sexual
enjoyment. It reproduces and is considered to be a natural component of human intuition.
I believe it is vital to pursue money success and to have sexual urges, but we should not
get fixated on either and should maintain certain boundaries. I thought it was important to
separate ourselves from these worldly and sexual pleasures. We can only become free by
letting go of our self-interests.

2) Do you agree with the Indian government’s policy to protect cows even when most of
India is in hunger? Should religious symbolism stand superior over practical matters?
Religiously speaking, I do agree with the Indian government’s policy to protect
cows in the expense of their situation on hunger because basically, we can’t just go
against our religious beliefs just because our stomach grumbles. Putting similar scenario
into context, I am a Muslim and we are prohibited to eat pork because it’s HARAM. Pigs
are voracious scavengers and will consume almost anything, even dirty carrion and
garbage. Thus, according to Islam, pigs are unclean and eating pork is a sin. Additionally,
some Muslims believe that handling or selling pork is also prohibited because doing so
would make them complicit in the sins of others. Now, let’s say that there is nothing left
to eat but pork, no matter how hungry I am, I will not settle on eating it because of my
belief. My unfortunate circumstances in life should not be the basis of the strength of my
faith and religious belief. Going back to the Indian government’s policy to protect the
cows, I strongly agree that the poor eat to end their hunger, but when they can now afford
food, their hunger doesn’t end. They will continuously crave for more even they know
that sometimes they are putting their spiritual self and religious belief at stake. As a
human nature, we tend to always crave for a little more of everything. If those people in
India lives in an economically backward society, they would be living among people who
would be struggling for basic necessities. In such an environ, their threshold for
contentment would be those necessities that no one has. They would normally not think
beyond that point. On the other hand, if we made an effort to take better care of our
spiritual selves, we would experience unending fulfillment since our souls require
attention and nourishment. We will both prosper if we pay attention to it and take care of
it. Practically speaking, eating cows might satisfy their appetite, but without doing
anything else, even cows would run out themselves. What happens when they've had
finished everything? Will they search for another food source? Isn't it a little
disheartening on their side that they compromise their religious and moral principles for a
fleeting sense of fulfillment? There are many methods for people to support themselves,
the government can help feed the hungry, and there are other options available to them.
Thus, religious symbolism must stand superior over practicality because not only that we
 have responsibility to our physical self rather, we also have big responsibility with our
spiritual self.
3) Hinduism is the only religion that, since conception, openly recognizes the possibility of
the truth of other religions. How necessary was this in preservation of the Hindu faith?
I concur that one important aspect of what it means to belong to a certain religion
is respecting and acknowledging other religions. There are many paths to religious
insight and enlightenment, and no religion is totally true, in my opinion. All significant
faiths are parts of a single, all-encompassing global truth. Recognizing religious variety
broadens our horizons and aids in self-analysis and the evaluation of our beliefs.
Hinduism has been able to adapt foreign ideologies and customs while still adhering to its
fundamental principles. Therefore, by recognizing that other religions besides their own
are also true, it strengthens their faith and understanding. Understanding different faiths
enriches our own.