Emily
25 February 2008, 04:25 PM
Namaste!
I've been looking for a lively Hindu forum for some time, and it seems as though I've found one.
Perhaps this is a good place to introduce myself. I have always been a very spiritual person, and have had spontaneous moments of experiencing God directly (a feeling of unity) since I was a very young girl. My spiritual tendencies led me to explore a couple of different Western religious traditions (Christianity being one) to no avail. Though I tried whole-heartedly to be a Christian, most of the religion just didn't sit well with me, and my questions about God and reality were not adequately answered.
For the past few years, I have considered myself a 'wanderer', and I have tried to contemplate truths on my own, without any particular religious orientation guiding me or telling me what to believe. Over the years, I have come to many deep realizations and understanding on my own. Until recently, I thought that my collection of self-derived beliefs were unique, that there was no one religious tradition that taught what I believed. And so I was happy to simply have understanding and insight and I stopped looking for a religion to call myself.
No sooner did I cease looking for 'religion', it came to me! Prior to about 6 months ago, I knew almost nothing about Hinduism. However, we had to study it in one of my classes, and I was absolutely taken aback when I read about it. Here were all the things I believed in - a collection of beliefs I had thought were unique to me - here they were, all in Hinduism! So, for the last six months I've been ardently studying Sanatana Dharma, reading all the books and scriptures I can get my hands on. I've also been to the Hare Krishna Temple a couple of times, and I met with a very helpful Pandit at one of the local Hindu Temples who helped answer some of my questions and gave me some very good advice.
I would like to convert to Hinduism in time, as Hindu beliefs were my beliefs before I even knew it was so, but I feel that at this point, I have barely scratched the surface of Hindu scriptures and practices, and it would be premature for me to call myself a Hindu until I have a deeper understanding and firmer commitment.
In any case, I assume that many of you on this board are non-Indians as well. My biggest concerns regarding joining this path are cultural, in essence. For instance, I would love to go to the Maha Shivaratri Festival, however, I have never been to a Hindu festival, or even seen puja done! I am too scared to go, worried that I will be unintentionally disrespectful, or that I'll stick out like an unwelcomed sore thumb and everyone will be wondering "Why is she here?!" To add to this, there is a also a language barrier. I sometimes wonder how Westerners ever truly integrate into the Hindu community.
If you have converted, have you done so formally or informally, and what did it entail, exactly? What have your experiences so far been like? Is it necessary to learn Sanskrit to really study scriptures? And for those of who are active in a local temple, were the people there generally accepting of you or other newcomers?
Thank you all for enduring my long post, and thank you for any comments or advice you have for me!
I've been looking for a lively Hindu forum for some time, and it seems as though I've found one.
Perhaps this is a good place to introduce myself. I have always been a very spiritual person, and have had spontaneous moments of experiencing God directly (a feeling of unity) since I was a very young girl. My spiritual tendencies led me to explore a couple of different Western religious traditions (Christianity being one) to no avail. Though I tried whole-heartedly to be a Christian, most of the religion just didn't sit well with me, and my questions about God and reality were not adequately answered.
For the past few years, I have considered myself a 'wanderer', and I have tried to contemplate truths on my own, without any particular religious orientation guiding me or telling me what to believe. Over the years, I have come to many deep realizations and understanding on my own. Until recently, I thought that my collection of self-derived beliefs were unique, that there was no one religious tradition that taught what I believed. And so I was happy to simply have understanding and insight and I stopped looking for a religion to call myself.
No sooner did I cease looking for 'religion', it came to me! Prior to about 6 months ago, I knew almost nothing about Hinduism. However, we had to study it in one of my classes, and I was absolutely taken aback when I read about it. Here were all the things I believed in - a collection of beliefs I had thought were unique to me - here they were, all in Hinduism! So, for the last six months I've been ardently studying Sanatana Dharma, reading all the books and scriptures I can get my hands on. I've also been to the Hare Krishna Temple a couple of times, and I met with a very helpful Pandit at one of the local Hindu Temples who helped answer some of my questions and gave me some very good advice.
I would like to convert to Hinduism in time, as Hindu beliefs were my beliefs before I even knew it was so, but I feel that at this point, I have barely scratched the surface of Hindu scriptures and practices, and it would be premature for me to call myself a Hindu until I have a deeper understanding and firmer commitment.
In any case, I assume that many of you on this board are non-Indians as well. My biggest concerns regarding joining this path are cultural, in essence. For instance, I would love to go to the Maha Shivaratri Festival, however, I have never been to a Hindu festival, or even seen puja done! I am too scared to go, worried that I will be unintentionally disrespectful, or that I'll stick out like an unwelcomed sore thumb and everyone will be wondering "Why is she here?!" To add to this, there is a also a language barrier. I sometimes wonder how Westerners ever truly integrate into the Hindu community.
If you have converted, have you done so formally or informally, and what did it entail, exactly? What have your experiences so far been like? Is it necessary to learn Sanskrit to really study scriptures? And for those of who are active in a local temple, were the people there generally accepting of you or other newcomers?
Thank you all for enduring my long post, and thank you for any comments or advice you have for me!