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Ashvati
15 March 2010, 11:24 AM
I just stumbled across this forum today, and thought I would join so I can learn to function within and be a part of the hindu community with confidence. I'm an apostate episcopal christian who converted to hinduism a little over three years ago, and only recently began making temple visits. I felt completely lost and had little to no idea what to do when I first walked in and would like to learn more about temples and attending them, as well as better my understanding of the sanaatana dharma. And in case anyone asks, I don't even know if the name I chose means anything, but I'm certain that I read it somewhere and even thought I knew where I had read it until I went back and checked (wierd, 'eh?) and am hoping someone might eventually tell me some kind of meaning behind it.

I'm looking foreward to learning more about my adopted faith here and being a part of the community, if anyone has any questions about anything I left out go ahead and ask.

Eastern Mind
15 March 2010, 11:35 AM
Vannakkam Ashvati:

Welcome to these forums. If you let me know where you re in the US, I can probably suggest some temples. Temples are integral to many Hindus, and its a great way to learn. I'm also an adoptive (37 years or so) from agnosticism. Do you know which sect you favour, as temples and protcol often depend on that.

Aum Namasivaya

Ashvati
15 March 2010, 11:45 AM
I consider myself a Shaiva. I've been to two swaminarayan temples, and although I do like swaminarayan, I would like to be able to go to a Shaiva temple. I live in Amesbury Massachusetts. Fortunately the worst thing I did at either of them was when I decided to go back into the temple for a meal after a Shivaratri vigil and forgot to take off my shoes.

Eastern Mind
15 March 2010, 12:19 PM
Vannakkam again:

I would recommend this one:

http://www.srilakshmi.org/default.aspx

It is smarta, but you will find Siva, and Ganesh there. It is also South Indian style. Perhaps if you ciontact them they will set up an introductory tour for you.

Best wishes.

Aum Namasivaya

Ashvati
15 March 2010, 12:43 PM
Fun fact; when I became aware that Shivaratri was coming, it was through this site I think, I had been looking for a good wallpaper of Lakshmi if I remember correctly. I'll see if I can get directions. If its too far, at least the swaminarayan temple I went to for Shivaratri has murtis (assuming I'm using the word correctly to mean icons or statues) of Shiva and Ganesha.

Thanks!

Eastern Mind
15 March 2010, 12:55 PM
Vannakkam again:

I looked at the site again. Under guidelines there is an email address for a guide. That would be a good starter.

So why Saiva, if you don't mind me asking?

Aum Namasivaya

Ashvati
15 March 2010, 02:42 PM
I always felt the best connection to Shiva, especially after I had an awesome relationship end explosively (long story, I don't feel like going into it right now) and then I read the story of Sati and felt I could almost understand how Shiva felt after Sati's death. Also, an indian friend who I unfortunately hardly see anymore told me an interpretation saying that everyone is part of a specific god (usually one of the major ones like Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Brahma, etc.) and that I reminded him most of someone with a lot of the energy of Shiva about them. That and the ideas about the three levels of conciousness that I read about in the Shiva Sutras (at least the version I have) sound most like the thoughts on conciousness that I had durring the weeks of contemplation and introspection I had before I found hinduism.

LALKAR
16 March 2010, 10:14 AM
Namaste Ashvati,
Heartly Welcome

Brahma Vishnu and Shiv are not different from each other

But first I would like to say that, in Hinduism we always pray Ganesh first


Om

Ashvati
16 March 2010, 11:13 AM
I did eventually learn that part about Ganesh and have incorporated the mantra Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah in my morning prayers, but thank you for mentioning that, there are a lot of little things like that that I have yet to learn. Most of what I know is stories like how Ganesh got his elephant head, for example.

Ashvati
16 March 2010, 11:19 AM
And yes, I understand they're all manifestations of one god, that was one of the first things I learned and one of the things that drew me to hinduism in the first place, especially the unity and one-ness of the universe and all creatures that it entails.

LALKAR
17 March 2010, 10:00 AM
Namaste Ashvati :hug:


I did eventually learn that part about Ganesh and have incorporated the mantra Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah in my morning prayers, but thank you for mentioning that, there are a lot of little things like that that I have yet to learn. Most of what I know is stories like how Ganesh got his elephant head, for example.

Yes I know about that but the most important about Ganesh is He is Elephant heavy, but his vhichal is Mouse

This also resembles that Elephant is symbol of Wisdom and Mouse is symbol of Logic
it says Wisdom depends only on Logic


And yes, I understand they're all manifestations of one god, that was one of the first things I learned and one of the things that drew me to hinduism in the first place, especially the unity and one-ness of the universe and all creatures that it entails.

:grouphug:

Eastern Mind
17 March 2010, 10:44 AM
Vannakam Ashvati:

Not all of us see it as manifestations of one God. I would agree that for any Godhead worshipped as the Supreme, that is true. But in this lower world where duality exists, for me, Ganesha is a Real being separate from Siva, and capable of answering direct prayers. More like an archangel, but that's not a great analogy. Only the Ganapatyans and perhaps Smartans would see it that way.

Murugan is another example. He is considered the god of yoga.

This view of all same, all same may work for some Hindus, but not for others. if that were true, then why even have separate ones?

One of the ways I tell if they are different is by 'feel'. The darshana at different temples for different gods 'feels' different.

Aum Namasivaya

Ashvati
18 March 2010, 01:34 PM
Eastern mind: I think I know what you mean about getting a different feeling at different temples. I've been to a BAPS Swaminarayan mandir and an ISSA Swaminarayan mandir and I got a different feeling from the murtis at both. And I guess the way I think of it as far as manifestations is more like that in maya they're all seperate but at the beginning and end of each kalpa and possibly for a time between kalpas they're all brought together as one, along with all of creation (with the exception of one saiva pilgrimage destination I've read of that Shiva aparently places on the end of his Trishul before destroying the worlds so that its the only thing not destroyed and remade). I'm sure I'm misinterpretting something in there, but thats more or less the way it was written when I first started reading about hinduism.

LALKAR: ...okay, that last emote is the coolest emote I have ever seen.

Eastern Mind
18 March 2010, 04:30 PM
Ashvati:

Mystically, the energy within a murthi depends on a few factors. Here are some of them.

1) a culmination of the totality of devotion put towards it by all the devotees together who ever worshiped there (So every time a worshiper prays,its like adding another mystical brick)

2) the belief of the individuals, whether it is symbolic, or mystic reality, or combinations of these

In the second version, the soul body of the deity temporarily inhabits the stone murthi, or puja, and can see you 10 times clearer than you can see him. So the understanding of sight as darshan is Him seeing you, not the other way around.

3) how the temple was established, some are established by mystic visions, others are by 'this is a nice piece of land' For example the Ganesha temple in New York was established because a devotee had a dream where he saw Ganesha entering a Christian church. Same devotee drove around until he saw an old church, same one from dream

Some temples are established by Self-rearalised souls

4) architecture of the temple .. there is a mystic architecture laid out in Agamas, bases on geometry of rectangles and squares and circles and directions. Temples built according to this would tend to have higher vibration.

5) purity kept within temple premises, ... if people are allowed to eat or run around and talk a lot, vibration is diminished

6) nature of the priest, and his devotion

So from a natha sampradaya point of view (mine) it has less to do with philosophy, and more to do with bhakti.

Aum Namasivaya

Ashvati
18 March 2010, 09:52 PM
I had an idea that things like that may affect it, but I never heard it from anyone else. At the one where I didn't feel it as strongly, the mandir was part of a larger building that I think was for rent to businesses, and there were children running around and laughing in the same room that the murtis were kept in.