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Sherab
17 January 2010, 02:11 PM
Hello everyone.

making my return to HDF... I needed some time to think about my beliefs, and Hinduism seems even more clearer this time.

thanks everyone!

Jivattatva
17 January 2010, 02:45 PM
Pranam

Sherab

Welcome back

Eastern Mind
17 January 2010, 03:32 PM
Sherab: So how come it drew you back? Or would you rather not share. (That's fine if you don't. I'm just curious.)

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
17 January 2010, 03:53 PM
Sherab: So how come it drew you back? Or would you rather not share. (That's fine if you don't. I'm just curious.)

Aum Namasivaya

I have no idea, to be honest. I just needed timw to re-define and understand what I believe, and what matches that. and i need to stop religion shopping. I change every few months.

Eastern Mind
17 January 2010, 04:59 PM
Sherab: So did you get to the Baltimore temple that I suggested? What paricular things in Sanatans Dharma are you leaning to this moment?

Since I'm such an old man, I had to go re-read some of your earlier posts to figure out who you were. You must be somewhere on the east coast. My wife and I took a driving pilgrimage (about 3.5 days) to a Ganesha temple in Omaha. It was pretty nice. We sponsored an abhishekam. We could have been in Baltimore in two more days.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
17 January 2010, 05:07 PM
Sherab: So did you get to the Baltimore temple that I suggested? What paricular things in Sanatans Dharma are you leaning to this moment?

Since I'm such an old man, I had to go re-read some of your earlier posts to figure out who you were. You must be somewhere on the east coast. My wife and I took a driving pilgrimage (about 3.5 days) to a Ganesha temple in Omaha. It was pretty nice. We sponsored an abhishekam. We could have been in Baltimore in two more days.

Aum Namasivaya

Haha, thanks. I live in Pennsylvania. Never did go to Baltimore, is it a shiva temple? I'm learning how to drive still... Soon, i'll have a license.

Sounds like a good drive, though. Very good time :)

Eastern Mind
17 January 2010, 06:57 PM
Vannakkam Sherab: Then you can go exploring. The one in Penn Hills of Pittsburg is a Venkateshwara (Vishnu) temple. There are two close by each other in between Baltomore and Washington. One is a Siva/Vishnu temple, and the other (the one I want to go to) is a Murugan temple of course. But Temple net or other such sites have a ton of info on where they are.

Once you get your driver's license, you can really go for it.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
17 January 2010, 07:04 PM
Vannakkam Sherab: Then you can go exploring. The one in Penn Hills of Pittsburg is a Venkateshwara (Vishnu) temple. There are two close by each other in between Baltomore and Washington. One is a Siva/Vishnu temple, and the other (the one I want to go to) is a Murugan temple of course. But Temple net or other such sites have a ton of info on where they are.

Once you get your driver's license, you can really go for it.

Aum Namasivaya

thank you very much :)

What are you doing for mahashivaratri?

personally, i am buying a crystal lingam with base, ganges water, and also a abishek pot... I think i will just chant om nama shivaya as i do abisheka, unless i can learn otherwise...

Eastern Mind
17 January 2010, 07:14 PM
Vannakkam: Out temple does homa at 6 PM, then abishekhams at 9, midnight, 3, and 6. I haven't been for quite some time. (For some odd reason Sivaratri here tends to draw out the weirdos.) Maybe this year. I lot of people stay till after the 12 PM puja. If I do go, it'll probably be all night, as I'm not working right now. I'll take my japa beads and do a few quiet rounds sitting alone somewhere.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
17 January 2010, 08:30 PM
wonderful ji :)

Do you know of a good website to teach a (basic) abishekam i can do every 3 hours? sadly, bel (wood apple) grows in out backyard.. but as it is winter, it has died for awhile...

Aum Nama Shivaya.

EDIT: It is actually an english walnut tree (julans regia) and can be grown in tibet and north india... not Bel. Oh well :(

Eastern Mind
18 January 2010, 08:06 AM
Vanakkam Sherab: How simple? I can give you instructions, if its very simple. I was taught this mantra. Perhaps Yajvanji can take it apart.

Imam me gange yamune sarasvati sutudri stomam sacata parusnaya asiknya marudvrdhe vitastayarjikiye srnuhya susomaya

Himalayan Academy has a beautiful youtube abhishekham of a crystal lingam in their temple. That might help, but it is more complicated. On their site its called Kadavul Temple Abhishekham I think.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
13 May 2010, 01:36 PM
Back again after a run-in with Christianity... I realized that truth from others is good, but what we observe for ourselves is the greatest truth... which confirms hinduism to me on a personal level.

Hopefully I'll be here awhile :)

Eastern Mind
13 May 2010, 01:45 PM
Vannakkam Sherab and welcome HOME, where the soul belongs. Hopefully your sojourn wasn't too painful for yourself or for loved ones.

There are a ton of westerners on here now. Hopefully satay won'r kick us all out to start our ow version of WASH forums.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
13 May 2010, 03:44 PM
Vannakkam Sherab and welcome HOME, where the soul belongs. Hopefully your sojourn wasn't too painful for yourself or for loved ones.

There are a ton of westerners on here now. Hopefully satay won'r kick us all out to start our ow version of WASH forums.

Aum Namasivaya

Haha, me either Sir :)

No, it was not too painful. I think I need to relax and be MYSELF and follow the DHarma loosely. Not get all "caught up" in it, so to speak. Go slower. I mean last time was slow, but this time Hinduism can just be a "side" thing as I go to college.

BY THE WAY, my first semester ended well. Odd as I end the semester, I get drawn back to the experience that started it.. weird, eh?

Eastern Mind
13 May 2010, 05:33 PM
weird, eh?

Vannakkam: Weird? Coincidence. lol Nothing surprises me any more. You're just a young 'un. Welcome to the 'weird' . There are so many divine interventions and circumstantial happenings its not even funny. Like for example, just when you're thinking of something, somebody posts exactly that here on HDF. My advice would be to just get used to it.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
13 May 2010, 07:34 PM
Vannakkam: Weird? Coincidence. lol Nothing surprises me any more. You're just a young 'un. Welcome to the 'weird' . There are so many divine interventions and circumstantial happenings its not even funny. Like for example, just when you're thinking of something, somebody posts exactly that here on HDF. My advice would be to just get used to it.

Aum Namasivaya

Haha, thanks :)

Anyways, i'm just going to relax and read some Upanishads.

Sherab
14 May 2010, 09:14 AM
I think i'm going to go ahead and head back (gently) into the e-books...

Let's make this day 1 of my return to Hinduism, now i can keep count.. I could say that after a month and wanting to give up... I hadn't learned anything at all. :P

satay
14 May 2010, 01:25 PM
namaste,


There are a ton of westerners on here now. Hopefully satay won'r kick us all out to start our ow version of WASH forums.

Aum Namasivaya

I got a laugh out of your comment.

Did you know that HDF was born out of an idea that was shared among an indo/canadian and two WAS hindus? :)

Of course out of the original three, only I am left behind. The other two found other interests. :)

Eastern Mind
14 May 2010, 01:38 PM
Satay:

Here is the picture I am getting:

You're sitting around some Indian restaurant eating a fine rice and curry, and these two white guys happen to come in. You overhear them talking about karma, so you go over and say, "Hey I know about that. I'm from India."

They respond, "Yes, man, we figured that. Can we buy you a lassi?"
"Sure," you say, and soon the topic changes from Hindu concepts like karma to computer geekhood. After a few more quality `lassis`the three of you decide to set up a place where you can meet on line, since you are moving to a little known Canadian city (more of a town really, certainly not a metropolis) and one of the other guys is seriously going off to India for four months to study under some swami in Rishikesh saying he`ll come back a changed man. So you and the other guy are left with all the work. Within two weeks HDF is born, and googlers like Yajvan, Saidevo, Devotee, and many others like me discover the place. Some take a quick look and leave. Others argue for a bit and leave. Is this what happened.

Aum Namasivaya

Darji
14 May 2010, 01:40 PM
ahh got to love the auspicious nature of that creation myth... but better than "Let there be light" lol

satay
14 May 2010, 02:00 PM
Is this what happened.

Aum Namasivaya

Pretty much!

Well, to be honest, the other two hindus were sarabhanga and Shivaite (Bhakti Yoga Seeker on HDF).

Shivaite was the moderator on the hindunet.com. Sarabhanga was a regular poster there.

I had started posting on the hindunet forums a few years back. But we were fedup with the forum management there. We used to PM each other quite a lot because I was more or less an atheist then but having been found interest in hinduism again, I had a lot of questions to ask.

Hindunet.com forum had all types of ads showing up all the time. Most of them were completely inappropriate. We all complained about all that was wrong about the hindu net forum but no one actually did anything about it. Then the three of us dreamed about a forum without any ads and less traffic. A few months later, HDF was born when I bit the bullet and bought the forum software, sarabhanga made his first posts and Shivaite took his rightful position as the moderator of HDF. I was supposed to be more of the backend guy! :)

Eastern Mind
14 May 2010, 02:44 PM
Namaste Satay:

That is interesting. Somehow I envisioned it in real life, but I can see it clearer now. I hope Sarabhanga is doing well. This place has a lot of passers-by. Perhaps the ISKCON ites did take my and your suggestion for real and go start their own forum. I actually hope that they did. There would be less emotion then. So tell me, how long has it been now?

As far as I've looked this is the only forum that gets much action at all.

Aum

Darji
14 May 2010, 02:47 PM
Namaste Satay:

As far as I've looked this is the only forum that gets much action at all.

Aum


I am sure it is due to your wisdom EM-ji

I wonder why there are so many passers by? just people with a mild curiosity to itch?

Like it or hate it I'm here to stay :)

satay
14 May 2010, 02:52 PM
namaskar,

HDF is now four years old. http://hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=5468

Darji,
I suspect a lot of people leave due to my moderation style. Just looked at the members that have been banned from this forum! Sometimes, I can't believe it myself!!

But having a large number of members and posts was never the goal of HDF.

Sherab
14 May 2010, 02:53 PM
I am sure it is due to your wisdom EM-ji

I wonder why there are so many passers by? just people with a mild curiosity to itch?

Like it or hate it I'm here to stay :)

Haha, that may be me, but I am just at the point of "settling down" and my life course is set in stone. No matter how hard I try, I am "eastern" at heart.

Darji
14 May 2010, 02:54 PM
Odd, I view you as a just and forgiving master hehehe

I imagine running this forum does test your faith at the best of times and God bless you for it

satay
14 May 2010, 03:04 PM
No, it doesn't test my faith but some members do test my patience, ability and confidence. Not that I am complaining. :)

The way I see it, there are thousand sites if not more about hinduism on the net, those members can just go to those sites. HDF is not in alignment with everyone's agenda.




I imagine running this forum does test your faith at the best of times and God bless you for it

Sherab
15 May 2010, 11:04 AM
Going to start reading "how to become a hindu" again... not sure how i feel about the "no beef" thing since that's the only thing my mom cooks with :P

Darji
15 May 2010, 11:29 AM
LOL @ Sherab

I used to jokingly say to a Muslim (well nation of islam) co-worker of mine that I could never be a (N of I) Muslim because I like pork and white women too much, he got a good laugh out of that.

Seriously though, this is a minor change and I have heard stories about people who feel "lighter" after laying off the beef as it does want to sit in the colon for years rotting. Gross but true.

The way I see it, and I am sure others would agree, if Sanatana Dharma is truly in your heart such things as eating habits are easily overcome. I understand you are on the fence right now, but you have been reading and studying this subject for a good while now. What is keeping you on the fence?

For me, I was smacked across the head with a dharmic 2x4 with Om resonating in my ears.

Eastern Mind
15 May 2010, 11:31 AM
Going to start reading "how to become a hindu" again... not sure how i feel about the "no beef" thing since that's the only thing my mom cooks with :P

Vannakam: You're a young man! I tried the vegetarian in a meet eater's house for awhile but it was quite disharmonious so I waited until I moved out, and then insisted when I went back to visit. It can be quite the struggle. You might want to try the fake ground beef tofu stuff for awhile. I bet she wouldn't even know the differencwe if you cooked for her.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
15 May 2010, 01:58 PM
Vannakam: You're a young man! I tried the vegetarian in a meet eater's house for awhile but it was quite disharmonious so I waited until I moved out, and then insisted when I went back to visit. It can be quite the struggle. You might want to try the fake ground beef tofu stuff for awhile. I bet she wouldn't even know the differencwe if you cooked for her.

Aum Namasivaya

Yes! My sister is vegan, so I could just try being on her side, so to speak. That is, explain it to her, and she might be happy as to why, and so on. I do not work yet (I'm taking a semester off to get my license and also to get a job) but once I do, i could always buy my own food, and so on.

But yes, thank you all. I want to try and get a physical copy of some of Subramuniya Swami-ji's books, so I have something to read when bored, and to show my mother I'm a bit more serious.

On this note, she walked into my shrine room earlier today(she thought I was interested in Christianity yet) and she saw me sitting on the floor with a mala in my right hand and a small shrine to Shiva on the west wall facing east. She just laughed and continued on. =P

Anyways, does anyone have a good 4x6" image of Ganesha for me to frame? The old one i had was a rather rare four(maybe six) armed form.. Looking for something a little more "normal", and simple. A image i can print out would be great!

Eastern Mind
15 May 2010, 02:43 PM
Vannakkam: When I typed Ganesha images in the search engine, this is the number that popped out.. About 780,000 results (0.24 seconds)

Methinks you may find a nice one there if you have a color printer, and buy some photostock paper.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
15 May 2010, 02:45 PM
Vannakkam: When I typed Ganesha images in the search engine, this is the number that popped out.. About 780,000 results (0.24 seconds)

Methinks you may find a nice one there if you have a color printer, and buy some photostock paper.

Aum Namasivaya
Could you post an example of what is "normal" as to help me out? Or of course a text description: something such as two arms, with ladoo in one hand are normal, and so on.

Eastern Mind
15 May 2010, 02:51 PM
These sitting one's on a throne are all pretty standard.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/ganesha/Belia08/ganesha.jpg?o=16

Darji
15 May 2010, 03:00 PM
http://scriptures.ru/india/murtis/ganesha2.jpg

I like this one

Sherab
15 May 2010, 03:01 PM
These sitting one's on a throne are all pretty standard.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/ganesha/Belia08/ganesha.jpg?o=16

Is something like this okay?

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://scriptures.ru/india/murtis/ganesha2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://scriptures.ru/india/murtis/indexen.htm&usg=__v9dqEWmrSoqOapUbA-Pw91AOd9g=&h=2008&w=1752&sz=597&hl=en&start=10&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=PJloVAtFoPv-cM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=131&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dganesha%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26as_st%3Dy%26tbs%3Disch:1,isz:lt,islt:vga

Or how about:

http://holidays.vgreets.com/Ganesh_Chaturthi/Photos/Ganesh2.gif

(though I really like the first one)

Darji
15 May 2010, 03:08 PM
all look pretty standard to me... but you know this would look better on your alter :P

http://anuradhadasi.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/radha-krishna.jpg

Eastern Mind
15 May 2010, 03:09 PM
Yes, whichever brings out the vibration best for you personally.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
15 May 2010, 03:11 PM
Yes, whichever brings out the vibration best for you personally.

Aum Namasivaya

I like the first, but it seems to dark. I'll go with the second.

Darji:

Sorry, not the right size, and the Geeta was not one of the texts I found most illuminating. I identified too much with Arjuna(former military) and I did not like the ideas of Krishna in that text. He answered well, but it did not convince me. No offense meant!

Darji
15 May 2010, 03:13 PM
Nothing affects you huh EM? I'm trying to get your goat and you smile as I hope over the fence with it...

you're no fun old man, where's TatT, at least I can get something out of him :P

On a serious note Sherab, it's what you feel, what calls out to you., what gives you good vibes as EM says.

Sherab
15 May 2010, 03:17 PM
Nothing affects you huh EM? I'm trying to get your goat and you smile as I hope over the fence with it...

you're no fun old man, where's TatT, at least I can get something out of him :P

On a serious note Sherab, it's what you feel, what calls out to you., what gives you good vibes as EM says.

Watch it Darji, EM is like my uncle, making sure I was ready for college! :P

But seriously, relax bro.

Darji
15 May 2010, 03:24 PM
This is why I hate the internet... I make a joke and he's telling me to relax *shakes head*

Sherab
15 May 2010, 03:29 PM
This is why I hate the internet... I make a joke and he's telling me to relax *shakes head*

I'm joking too, relax :P Hahah!

Eastern Mind
15 May 2010, 03:30 PM
Nothing affects you huh EM?

Its either I am actually getting good at practising my Guru's teachings of affectionate detachment, or I have so much dementia, I can't remember.

There is one thing I have to work on though, and that's people who come on very strongly with "This is the way it is. I'm right. You're wrong, and are insulting to boot. But usually Satay takes care of them before the pain is prolonged. And yes, BTW, I don't put as much importance on BG as others.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
18 May 2010, 02:48 PM
Haha, EM, you are too funny! :)

I should be getting some money soon, so I can afford some books... and those shall keep me busy =P

Eastern Mind
18 May 2010, 03:37 PM
Vannakkam Sherab: If you get the 3 books of the Himalayan Academy's Master course, it shall keep you 'busy' for a very long time indeed. They are quite hefty. Each daily less on of the 365 daily lessons is 2 or 3 philosophical or learning meals alone.


Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
18 May 2010, 05:03 PM
Vannakkam Sherab: If you get the 3 books of the Himalayan Academy's Master course, it shall keep you 'busy' for a very long time indeed. They are quite hefty. Each daily less on of the 365 daily lessons is 2 or 3 philosophical or learning meals alone.


Aum Namasivaya

I was thinking about starting small, but that's also a good idea too, considering some of the smaller books are online already (how to become hindu, etc)

Eastern Mind
18 May 2010, 05:32 PM
Vannakkam Sherab:

There are a million places to start, but the key is to start. I think we are subjected to information overload with Hinduism. It can get frustrating. But the cards (books in this case) fall from where they may. Check the Amazon.com reviews.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
18 May 2010, 06:13 PM
Vannakkam Sherab:

There are a million places to start, but the key is to start. I think we are subjected to information overload with Hinduism. It can get frustrating. But the cards (books in this case) fall from where they may. Check the Amazon.com reviews.

Aum Namasivaya

Thanks EM.

Sherab
19 May 2010, 08:43 PM
How do we figure out what happens after death? Can we use human reason to figure out so? I am struck when i realize that everything i now see/experience will eventually end for me.

Eastern Mind
19 May 2010, 10:03 PM
Vannakkam Sherab:

If you are not drunk, drugged, or in a nasty form of dementia when you die, you will figure it out. Until then, just hope for the best!

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
20 May 2010, 12:30 AM
Vannakkam Sherab:

If you are not drunk, drugged, or in a nasty form of dementia when you die, you will figure it out. Until then, just hope for the best!

Aum Namasivaya

Haha, alright, thanks. :)

Eastern Mind
20 May 2010, 06:42 AM
Vannakam Sherab

On a more serious note, I'll give you my POV. The soul and its consciousness, in the astral realm will hang about for awhile until it decides (Mature evolved souls do this) or is pulled back (less mature, from attachments) to another body. If the mind is not clear, then it is more like pot luck off the astral.

So it is important to see death as a transition, and have some rarified ideas of what and where you wish to be born next lifetime. That would not guarantee your control of it, because seed karmas are involved. But if you're well on your way to clearing out karmic debt, it is more likely.

It is important to view yourself as a soul (and ultimately Self, inside that) having a physical body, not the other way around. This lifetime is rather temporal, like another physics class on the way to a degree.

Aum Namasivaya

Sherab
21 May 2010, 06:54 PM
Vannakam Sherab

On a more serious note, I'll give you my POV. The soul and its consciousness, in the astral realm will hang about for awhile until it decides (Mature evolved souls do this) or is pulled back (less mature, from attachments) to another body. If the mind is not clear, then it is more like pot luck off the astral.

So it is important to see death as a transition, and have some rarified ideas of what and where you wish to be born next lifetime. That would not guarantee your control of it, because seed karmas are involved. But if you're well on your way to clearing out karmic debt, it is more likely.

It is important to view yourself as a soul (and ultimately Self, inside that) having a physical body, not the other way around. This lifetime is rather temporal, like another physics class on the way to a degree.

Aum Namasivaya

Thank you so much.
Of course, i don;'t think that negates spiritual practice in this life.