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Mouse
03 December 2007, 11:40 PM
Hello! I am just dropping a little note of greeting here because I've been lurking around recently.

I don't really know how to classify myself, in terms of religion right now. I've been down a long and winding path that has brought here. My parents were a mixed-denomination Christian couple (Catholic/Methodist) for whom religion was a sore spot, so I was raised without any religion at all, for the most part. I tried on Wicca, a more general kind of Neo-Paganism, Catholicism, various Protestant denominations, and Islam. That leads me up to about 10 years ago, when I first took an interest in Hinduism. I did some reading in that direction, but I was put off by hearing people say that you couldn't be Hindu unless you were born into it and my own fears about not being accepted because of being a white American.

The 10 years since then have been chaotic (at best!) and I had put the question of religion on a backburner (perhaps when it could have been most useful to me as an anchor or a compass or something), but I am coming back around to it. Now that I am older, my previous fears aren't so strong. I won't say I am totally past caring about acceptance (yet), but I have a completely different perspective. I've been trying to find out more, and that's how I ended up here. I don't know much, but I am trying to learn.

I love Lord Shiva. And Ganesha. That much I know. I guess that's a start.

ardhanari
04 December 2007, 01:41 AM
Namaste Mouse!
I give my spiritual obeisances unto God that dwells within you!

It is okay; although I am only 19 years old, I have been raised a nominal Catholic (and my whole family, extended and all, have been and continue to practice various branches of Christianity). By myself, I have ventured through New Age, Wicca, Pentecostalism, Catholicism, and the Baha'i Faith at present. I have studied Mahayana Buddhism and the basics of Islam with the Qur'an alone movement (anti-hadith).

Unfortunately, I do not feel that the Baha'i Faith is for me, although I have only been part of the religion for a year. In any case, I do some practices of (Vaishnavite) Hinduism, namely puja (worship of an icon), going to the temple, and japa (repeating the name of God in remembrance). I am on an informal, unofficial study of Hinduism for at least a year or two before I even adopt the name Hindu! And perhaps if I am spiritually mature enough, I may have chosen a Guru by then.

Only one of the main denominations of Hinduism (Smartism) says that you can not become a Hindu. Otherwise, the three other major denominations (Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism) allow for 'conversion'. I am a Filipino-Canadian with some Chinese extraction, so you can imagine a short Asian-looking 19 year old in a Hindu temple full of Indians speaking Fijian Hindi, bowing down before an icon or Lakshmi-Narayana!

Anyways, Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, and so variated in practices that it would take years of study! Hinduism accepts many paths as ways to God (although not all), and there are many methods, practices, sects, philosophies, sciences, variety of Scriptures, etc. that make Hinduism unique as a world religion.

So don't worry whether you are Indian, White, or Asian. The soul has no gender, class, sex, colour, etc. The Eternal Dharma is for all peoples! There is no Founder for Hinduism, and it is truly the 'changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future...' (Baha'i quote) ^___^

~ Ardhanari

meez
04 December 2007, 11:35 AM
Welcome to HDF!

Kaos
04 December 2007, 02:39 PM
Namaste,

Hello and welcome to HDF.

Eastern Mind
04 December 2007, 06:02 PM
Hello! I am just dropping a little note of greeting here because I've been lurking around recently.

That leads me up to about 10 years ago, when I first took an interest in Hinduism. I did some reading in that direction, but I was put off by hearing people say that you couldn't be Hindu unless you were born into it and my own fears about not being accepted because of being a white American.

The 10 years since then have been chaotic (at best!) and I had put the question of religion on a backburner (perhaps when it could have been most useful to me as an anchor or a compass or something), but I am coming back around to it. Now that I am older, my previous fears aren't so strong. I won't say I am totally past caring about acceptance (yet), but I have a completely different perspective. I've been trying to find out more, and that's how I ended up here. I don't know much, but I am trying to learn.

I love Lord Shiva. And Ganesha. That much I know. I guess that's a start.
'People' saying you can't be a Hindu is irrelevant. Of course you can be a Hindu. If you love Shiva and Ganesha, you are a Hindu. Fear of acceptance within the Indian community of Hinduism is something that time spent within that community will simply overcome. Spending time at a particular temple or satsang group for a year or so will have 'them' (in brackets because it will turn to 'us' eventually.) welcoming and admiring you. Its excellent for 'their' religious esteem to see westerners practising, as the British and Christian fundamentalists have had their impact on self worth amongst the Hindus. I am speaking from experience. I too am white, having officially adopted Hinduism 27 years ago through the namakarana samskara. The temple I attend welcomes me with open arms, and have for some 27 years. We have much to learn from the Indian ways, and the recent immigrants especially have something to learn about the west from us. So it is mutual respect and learning. I must note that not all temples are quite so welcoming to the whites. There is a certain drawbridge mentality, (exclusivism) out there in some places. The immigrant community is vast. Here in my city (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) within the Council of Indian societies there are some 15 contributing groups, mostly language or Indian province based, such as the Sindhi Association, the Andhra Association etc.
I'd like to know which city you're in and then myself or others can maybe point you to a temple or satsang group at least there locally.
Having chaos in your life is a great thing. Its the working out of Karma for the soul's evolution, which ultimately is the realisation of the Self. Sounds to me like you're at the right place in your life. So best of luck in your inward sojourn, and welcome to HDF, and to Hinduism. Aum Namasivaya

yajvan
04 December 2007, 11:13 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

I love Lord Shiva. And Ganesha. That much I know. I guess that's a start.


Namaste mūsaka मूषक ( mouse),

Musaka is Ganesha's vahana or vehicle... I will call you then mūsaka.

http://www.valdostamuseum.org/hamsmith/MusakaGanesha.gif


Welcome to HDF.

We know this mūsaka to be a mouse; there are other meanings too; a thief , plunderer ;part of the face, etc.

Now why would Ganesha be associated with a mouse and perhaps a thief?
Some see this mouse representing the mind, running heare and there. Trying to control the mind is like trying to catch a mouse, or a thief, there is nothing but movement.

Yet when this mind is under control of the SELF, Ganesha, liberation occurs. Ganesha sits on the mouse ( controls it). The mouse is able to carry this Divine Being.


pranams,

sm78
05 December 2007, 12:37 AM
We know this mūsaka to be a mouse; there are other meanings too; a thief , plunderer ;part of the face, etc.

Now why would Ganesha be associated with a mouse and perhaps a thief?


Ganesha is buddhi and viveka in human beings. viveka is also benchmark justice. So ganesha is the deity of justice in society and hence naturally takes on the duty of controlling thieves, plunderers and pests of the society.

sarabhanga
05 December 2007, 06:10 AM
oM namo gaNeshAya vighneshvarAya

muS means “to steal, rob, plunder, carry off, ravish, captivate, enrapture, blind, dazzle, cloud, obscure, break, cut in pieces, or destroy”.
muS indicates “stealing, robbing, plundering, removing, ravishing, captivating, blinding, dazzling, obscuring, breaking, cutting in pieces, destroying, surpassing, or excelling”.
mUS is “a stealer, thief, robber, plunderer, breaker, cutter, or destroyer” and thus “a mouse”, but also “a remover, ravisher, captivator, dazzler, or obscurer”, “who surpasses or exceeds”, and the plural form is mUSaH.
mUSaH is also the genitive and ablative singular form ~ “of or with the thief”, “of or with the destroyer”, “of or with the one who surpasses”, etc..
mUSa (nominative singular mUSaH) is “a rat or mouse” or “a crucible”.
mUSaka is “a little thief or plunderer”, “a rat or mouse”.

gaNesha is the god of wisdom and of obstacles (both causing obstacles and removing them), and the son of rudra shiva (i.e. of hara).

hara (from hR) indicates “bearing, wearing, conveying, bringing, taking away, carrying off, removing, destroying, receiving, obtaining, ravishing, or captivating”, and hara is “the seizer, destroyer, divisor, divider, thief, hunter, or fire”.

And the root hR means “to take, bear, carry, convey, fetch, bring, offer, or present”, “to take away, carry off, seize, deprive of, steal, or rob”, “to shoot or cut or hew off, sever (the head or a limb), remove, destroy, dispel, frustrate, annihilate, turn away, or avert”, “to take to one’s self, come into possession of, receive (as an heir), raise (as a tribute), marry, master, overpower, subdue, conquer, win, outdo, eclipse, surpass, enrapture, charm, or fascinate”, “to withhold, withdraw, keep back, retain, protract, delay, or divide”.

hR and muS are synonymous terms, as are their derivatives, hara and mUSa.

Before the conception of gaNesha, the name gaNesha or gaNapati belonged to shiva himself (and to indra, before that), and now gaNesha rides on his own father’s shoulders. ;)

gaNesha’s head (severed and replaced by hara) is recalled from the elephant airavata (once supporting indra, but now borne by hara).

vAhana means “drawing, bearing, carrying, conveying, or bringing”, indicating “a carriage or vehicle”; and vAhaNa means “carrying off, removing, or destroying”. So that vAhaNa (or vAhana) is also a synonym for hara and mUSa; and thus, gaNesha (as the heir of hara) has a mUSaka vAhana. :)

As an independent deity, his Rddhi shakti is remembered in his fondness for luxury and laDDu; while siddhi is seen in his broken tusk, which he severed to complete his transcription of the mahAbhArata.


http://www.geocities.com/sarabhanga/Divine_Family.jpg

yajvan
05 December 2007, 08:32 AM
oM namo gaNeshAya vighneshvarAya

muS means “to steal, rob, plunder, carry off, ravish, captivate, enrapture, blind, dazzle, cloud, obscure, break, cut in pieces, or destroy”.
mUSaka is “a little thief or plunderer”.


Namaste,

perhaps our little mūsaka is in good company... From the Rudra-Adhyaya or Satarudriya.

namo nisangina isudhimate taskarānam pataye
namo namo vancate parivancate stayūnām pataye
namo namo nicerave paricarāyāranyānām pataye namo namah


Prostration to the Chief of robbers, to Him who is armed with quiver and arrows; prostration, to the deceiving, the tricky and elusive lord of marauders; prostration to the ever-cunning leader of the thieves lurking at home and those wandering in the streets and the forests.

none other then Rudra.


pranams,

atanu
06 December 2007, 03:30 AM
Namaste,

perhaps our little mūsaka is in good company... From the Rudra-Adhyaya or Satarudriya.

namo nisangina isudhimate taskarānam pataye
namo namo vancate parivancate stayūnām pataye
namo namo nicerave paricarāyāranyānām pataye namo namah


Prostration to the Chief of robbers, to Him who is armed with quiver and arrows; prostration, to the deceiving, the tricky and elusive lord of marauders; prostration to the ever-cunning leader of the thieves lurking at home and those wandering in the streets and the forests.

none other then Rudra.


pranams,

Namaste Yajvan,

Is there any other praise of God as vibrant and as all-encompassing as the Satarudriya? I fervently wish that Rudra robs me, but possibly He does not find me rich enough.

Also possibly, one who has been dipped once in the waters of Sata Rudriya has been robbed already, only Rudra's time frame is unbearably long for the not-omniscient one to even perceive the robbery. No harm indulging in some wishful thinking.

Om

yajvan
06 December 2007, 08:34 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~


Namaste Yajvan,

Is there any other praise of God as vibrant and as all-encompassing as the Satarudriya? I fervently wish that Rudra robs me, but possibly He does not find me rich enough.

Also possibly, one who has been dipped once in the waters of Sata Rudriya has been robbed already, only Rudra's time frame is unbearably long for the not-omniscient one to even perceive the robbery. No harm indulging in some wishful thinking.
Om


Namaste atanu,

A wonderful thought offered.... let us all be robbed by Him. From this, how can Rudra not be one-and-the-same Hari?

From where does this Hari come from? ha + ra + i.

Hakara pingala varna or -the syllable ha means that there is no sense of the body.
Further it is said that sarva varna varottamam -It (ha) is the supreme letter.
Rakara teja varna sat or The syllable ra is the power of God in the body.
Ikara shakti dayaka or The letter i is the life of God given in you.So ha + ra + i is Hari, who is inhaling your breath. Hari comes from harati avidyam iti harià He who dispels darkness of ignorance.

According to Lahiri Mahasaya, Hari means "one who steals". When the jiva stage is stolen from you, the resulting stillness is Hari.

Let Rudra-Hari come and steal our breath!

________________________________________________________

ha ह_the Supreme; destroying , removing ; the sparkling of a gem
ra र _acquiring , possessing ;brightness , splendour
i इ___to advance , spread , get about ; to succeed; to arrive at , reach , obtain


pranams,

sarabhanga
06 December 2007, 11:27 PM
Namaste Yajvan,

harI is the feminine form of hara (“bearing, wearing, conveying, bringing, taking away, carrying off, removing, destroying, receiving, obtaining, ravishing, or captivating”), and the masculine hari has similar connotations.

hArI is the feminine form of hAra (“bearing, carrying, stealing, levying, raising, ravishing, captivating, charming, or delightful”), and the masculine hAri has similar connotations.

hari also indicates a particular color (“reddish brown, brown, tawny, pale yellow, yellow, fallow, bay, green, or greenish”), and hari is “the steed of indra, the wind, a ray of light, the sun, or the moon”.

hari commonly refers to viSNu, especially as kRSNa, and in this sense hari is often understood as “removing evil or taking away sin”.

yajvan
07 December 2007, 09:13 AM
Harihara Om Tat Sat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Namaste Yajvan,

hari commonly refers to viSNu, especially as kRSNa, and in this sense hari is often understood as “removing evil or taking away sin”.

Namaste sarabhanga,
thank you for the continuation of hari...

rudrānām śankaraś cāsmi
(of the) rudrah shankara I am ...Bhagavad Gita 13.23


pranams,

Mouse
08 December 2007, 01:47 PM
Thank you all for the kind and warm welcomes. I've enjoyed the discussion arising from my screen name very much, too. :) I am learning already!

yajvan
08 December 2007, 02:43 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

Thank you all for the kind and warm welcomes. I've enjoyed the discussion arising from my screen name very much, too. :) I am learning already!

Namaste mūsaka,

I am happy we did not scare you away :) .
Much to read on this HDF and lots of POV's.


pranams,

saidevo
08 December 2007, 09:09 PM
Namaste Sarabhanga.



harI is the feminine form of hara (“bearing, wearing, conveying, bringing, taking away, carrying off, removing, destroying, receiving, obtaining, ravishing, or captivating”), and the masculine hari has similar connotations.

hArI is the feminine form of hAra (“bearing, carrying, stealing, levying, raising, ravishing, captivating, charming, or delightful”), and the masculine hAri has similar connotations.

hari also indicates a particular color (“reddish brown, brown, tawny, pale yellow, yellow, fallow, bay, green, or greenish”), and hari is “the steed of indra, the wind, a ray of light, the sun, or the moon”.

hari commonly refers to viSNu, especially as kRSNa, and in this sense hari is often understood as “removing evil or taking away sin”.

'hari' and 'hara' are united in 'harihara', as a conjoined deity with a son, the famous 'harihara-suta' or 'harihara-putra'!

'harihara' also refers to the deities' carriers: Shiva's Bull and Vishnu's Garuda!

'hariharan' and 'harihara subramanyan' are common South Indian names.