Greetings all!

[Stefos]

Hello,

I'm new here and I've received mantra diksha from a student authorized to give mantra from the current Sankaracharya of Sri Sringeri Peetham/Math.

I'm also a Yogic Studies student of the Bihar school of yoga.

Finally, I've done my own readings in Advaita Vedanta and some into Tantra and Kashmiri Shaivism too.

I'm here to learn.

Thanks,
Stefos

[Believer]

Namaste,

Welcome to the forum.

In addition to the schools of thought listed in your introduction, you have also listed some more in your other post. Just how many schools do you belong to? What do you practice on a daily basis, or are you in the shopping mode?

Pranam.

[Stefos]

Hi Believer,

Disclaimer: I am not condemning anyone nor proselytizing.....I only post to learn....Thanks

I have been a Christian for a number of years but my faith has been severely shaken. I have seen only talk about doctrine and nothing about real personal change.
I don't desire to attend churches to hear about doctrine which has been rehashed over and over again and has caused much division and wars too.

I have received Buddhist teachings as well as mantra diksha from an authorized student of the current Sankaracharya of Sri Sringeri Peetham who was given permission to give mantra.
The center I attended for this is the Advaita Meditation Center in Waltham, Massachusetts which has a connection to Sringeri. You can call them and ask about this person.

Sanatana Dharma addresses many levels of being.......Most Buddhist schools seem to address only the mind and I see "gaps" in their understanding.
Everything is conflated into mental phenomena and the nature of mind...........Spirits, Ghosts, Possession, etc. seem to be avoided altogether and something doesn't feel right with me about it.

This is where I'm at.
I apologize for any confusion.

Thank you,
Stefos

P.S. No, I'm not in shopping mode....lol

I have also been doing online Satsang with SSRF......a Vaishnavite group based in Goa, India
It seems that they are Bhaktis and I don't know whether I should continue to attend the Satsangs they have online.

Please check this out.......It's their website: www.ssrf.org
I appreciate your opinion and view.

Stefos

[Believer]

Namaste Stefos,

Thanks for taking the time to explain your pursuits in more detail. I have a few observations and some questions.

"I have been a christian for a number of years....."; did you follow some other faith before that?

I see your confusion and your dedication to overcome that. Looking at the SSRF website, it appears to be an extension of psychology based entity rather than one based on faith. So, their business is not to connect you with God but to cure behavioral/psychological problems to make you a bit quieter. I might be totally off base on that, but that is my conclusion after spending a few minutes on their website.

Regarding receiving a diksha mantra; that is normally given when after shopping around you find the one path that fits your personality and you decide to follow that path to the exclusion of others that you tested. So, to get a diksha mantra while you are still shopping around is a bit odd.

So, what should be the path from here on?
1. Reading 'What is Hinduism' at http://www.himalayanacademy.com/

2. Then reading an online translation of The Bhagwad Gita for Vaishnava teachings OR the literature available at the previous link (Himalayan Academy) for Shaivite teachings.

3. Visiting a Hindu temple on a regular basis and developing an association with other devotees. That is very beneficial for spiritual advancement.

It is a long road, but having the right road map and being persistent helps. To paraphrase H. G. Wells, when the mind grapples with an intricate problem, it makes its advances step by step, with little realization of the gains made, until one day there is a sudden illumination and there is clarity of thought.

Best wishes on your journey.

Pranam.

[adamantao7]

hello, Stefos,

So, you receive mantra diksha right, how was your experience?

Different traditions and sects treat diksha in various ways.

[Yogi]

Hi,

I am new here too. I was just curious when you mentioned sringeri mutt because it seems to be the buzzword these days. I checked the sringeri website and this center is not mentioned under its affiliations.

http://www.sringeri.net/activities/a...d-institutions