Amala
23 June 2011, 12:14 PM
LOL I must've just scrolled right on by this part! :-) I posted a bunch of things and missed this.
Namaste HDF members,
I'm so thrilled to be continuing to immerse myself in these concepts and hope to share the path with other bhaktis (devotees - See? I read the sticky! :D ). (I don't deserve the label saadhakaa (adept), yet.)
I lived with Hindus for 4 years and their ways got into me. I began to wear the clothes, cook the food, and ask questions about how they became so beautifully compassionate and warm and caring. Then one day I heard a recording of the RigVeda being sung. I nearly fell out of my chair. I believe in the kundalini yoga concept that the sounds impact our thinking. I thought that to be able to create those sounds would be life-altering. But I was studying Arabic at the time. A year later, the teacher came and I dropped Arabic completely. The teacher said that he has taken it upon himself to teach me Sanskrit. Even though I've already achieved my original goal, I continue to study. And the more the language study shows me about Hinduism ... sanatana dharma... the deeper I find it within.
So now, I am a student of Sanskrit (sanskr.ta in keeping with correct pronunciation). I have been studying intensely under a great teacher for the past 9 months. We meet for several hours at a time sometimes as many as 5 times/week. I am learning to sing the Gita (giitaa). I have about 11 s'lokas memorized and apparently can reproduce the sounds as well as an Indian, so say the several Indian sanskrit scholars who have heard me. I'm not tooting my own horn - I really can't see what they mean. I offer that solely for others' benefit. My vocabulary and grammar are very limited, but as for the sounds, that is my seva for anyone who needs advice in that regard.
As for the rest of it... learning puja, finding my ishta (is.t.a) and connecting with a community for learning and mutual sharing, that's what I hope HDF will help me with.
All the best,
With blessings,
Om s'aanti: s'aanti: s'aanti:
Amala
Namaste HDF members,
I'm so thrilled to be continuing to immerse myself in these concepts and hope to share the path with other bhaktis (devotees - See? I read the sticky! :D ). (I don't deserve the label saadhakaa (adept), yet.)
I lived with Hindus for 4 years and their ways got into me. I began to wear the clothes, cook the food, and ask questions about how they became so beautifully compassionate and warm and caring. Then one day I heard a recording of the RigVeda being sung. I nearly fell out of my chair. I believe in the kundalini yoga concept that the sounds impact our thinking. I thought that to be able to create those sounds would be life-altering. But I was studying Arabic at the time. A year later, the teacher came and I dropped Arabic completely. The teacher said that he has taken it upon himself to teach me Sanskrit. Even though I've already achieved my original goal, I continue to study. And the more the language study shows me about Hinduism ... sanatana dharma... the deeper I find it within.
So now, I am a student of Sanskrit (sanskr.ta in keeping with correct pronunciation). I have been studying intensely under a great teacher for the past 9 months. We meet for several hours at a time sometimes as many as 5 times/week. I am learning to sing the Gita (giitaa). I have about 11 s'lokas memorized and apparently can reproduce the sounds as well as an Indian, so say the several Indian sanskrit scholars who have heard me. I'm not tooting my own horn - I really can't see what they mean. I offer that solely for others' benefit. My vocabulary and grammar are very limited, but as for the sounds, that is my seva for anyone who needs advice in that regard.
As for the rest of it... learning puja, finding my ishta (is.t.a) and connecting with a community for learning and mutual sharing, that's what I hope HDF will help me with.
All the best,
With blessings,
Om s'aanti: s'aanti: s'aanti:
Amala