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Thread: A very confused newcomer

  1. #1

    Talking A very confused newcomer

    First off I want to say hello and I hope this post is going in the correct section. This website has been invaluable to me, I am a newcomer to Sanatana Dharma, I have been studying it for a few months. It seems funny looking back how I cam to be where I am now, it seems it was fate for me to discover Eastern thought and have so many questions answered that Western religion could not.

    Anyway, I have a question that may seem silly and may cause some eyerolls haha!!! I have not commited to any one sect, and frankly I don't think I can. I find beauty is Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and all of their various forms. It seems once I become content in one form, I discover another one that takes my heart. It may seem silly, since it is all one God, but here lies my question. I have spoken different mantras, to Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Ganesha, but is this a respectful thing to do? Some places I have read shun this, and say you should focus on only one mantra.

    What I am basically asking is can I worship all forms equally?

  2. #2

    Re: A very confused newcomer

    Namaste Mike.

    I am no expert when it comes to Hindu philosophy, but I don't see anything wrong with what you do. If we are truly to realize that there is only one being, who we call by many names, and see in many forms, how could we dare say what you do is improper? I know many Smarthas make a habit out of worshiping five or six particular deities; eg: Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Surya and/or Murugan. Now, I'm fairly certain most do have an ishta deva in particular, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a Smartha who worships all of these deities equally, so perhaps this type of worship you do isn't that uncommon after all.

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    Re: A very confused newcomer

    Namaste 'horrormike'.

    Welcome to HDF where you would truly belong to, eventually. Some of us have explained (in another thread) why we chose our particular userId. It would be nice to read about your preference behind that userId of yours, which seems a bit strange if not weird.

    Quote Originally Posted by horrormike View Post
    Anyway, I have a question that may seem silly and may cause some eyerolls haha!!! I have not commited to any one sect, and frankly I don't think I can. I find beauty is Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and all of their various forms. It seems once I become content in one form, I discover another one that takes my heart. It may seem silly, since it is all one God, but here lies my question. I have spoken different mantras, to Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Ganesha, but is this a respectful thing to do? Some places I have read shun this, and say you should focus on only one mantra.

    What I am basically asking is can I worship all forms equally?
    In what form do you like your father? What is your most preferred form of his? Do you relate to all his forms in the same way or relate more to some of them and less to some others and know nothing about yet some other forms of him? Generally, you might adore him in all his forms but relate to a few of them and have your personal preference to perhaps only one of them. (We might also mildly or strongly detest our father in some forms because he is only human.)

    It is the same way with worshipping God in many forms. Since you do not want to be committed to any sect, there is nothing wrong or there should be no uneasiness about worshipping as many forms of God as you prefer. For that matter, you can worship the Sun, the most visible deity, equating him with Brahman, and He, or rather God through Him, would grant all your prayers.

    Most Hindus (that includes many people in all the sects of Hinduism) do worship all the Gods you have taken to, and many more forms, visit their temples, attend and perform the festivals and pujas related to the Gods and feel happy about it. In the same way, Hindus chant mantras relating to all Gods and Devas. Most Hindus also have an iShTa dEvata-personal God and pour all their thoughts and feelings and prayers on that God. Many Hindus also worship their Guru, equating him with God. This is the Bhakti Yoga, the easiest of all the paths, and the most recommended for the Kali Yuga.

    In short, there is absolutely nothing wrong in your worshipping all forms of Gods equally, partially, selectively or personally. Don't you worry, one of those Gods will not mistake you or be envious of other Gods for worshipping him less and others more!

    All that matters is the worship and the relation between the God and the Devotee.

  4. #4

    Re: A very confused newcomer

    The only reason I asked was I remember reading that chanting different mantras was very bad, and you had to stick to only one. Thinking back, I may have read that in ISKCON literature, I know they seem to be more fundamentalist.

  5. #5

    Re: A very confused newcomer

    Quote Originally Posted by saidevo View Post
    Namaste 'horrormike'.

    Welcome to HDF where you would truly belong to, eventually. Some of us have explained (in another thread) why we chose our particular userId. It would be nice to read about your preference behind that userId of yours, which seems a bit strange if not weird.

    I am involved in the movie industry, particularly in horror and thrillers and that is the id I use on most forums I frequent.

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    Re: A very confused newcomer

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~

    Namaste and welcome to HDF Mike,

    I thought I would wait a few days before offering a POV on your question i.e.
    I have spoken different mantras, to Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Ganesha, but is this a respectful thing to do? Some places I have read shun this, and say you should focus on only one mantra.
    Having respect and adoration for the devatā you mention is a healthy thing and I see your point as you find qualities in each that are attractive. The question now comes to this notion of samāveśa (or samāvea) - entering ,meeting , absorption. But into what? Into and with one of the devatā you mention. The wise say 'only dig one well'.

    When it comes to becoming absorbed, choosing a path that brings one to the absorbtion of the the Divine that is adored, it is suggested then that one mantra is then used. From the standpoint of reciting ślokas i.e. Śrī Rudram, Viṣṇu-sahasranam, etc. all are welcomed.

    Yet when you are considering a-japa (or mental) japa, and the desire is to groom and experience turiya¹ then it is encouraged to stick to one mantra (or string) for the practice.

    So who do you pick i.e. which devatā? Where does your heart go? Another method is by Jyotish methods¹ and the best is by a guru giving you the right sound.


    pranams

    words and references
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: A very confused newcomer

    Quote Originally Posted by horrormike View Post
    Anyway, I have a question that may seem silly and may cause some eyerolls haha!!! I have not commited to any one sect, and frankly I don't think I can. I find beauty is Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and all of their various forms. It seems once I become content in one form, I discover another one that takes my heart. It may seem silly, since it is all one God, but here lies my question. I have spoken different mantras, to Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Ganesha, but is this a respectful thing to do? Some places I have read shun this, and say you should focus on only one mantra.

    What I am basically asking is can I worship all forms equally?
    There are three main sects in Hinduism:

    Vaishnavism - Lord Vishnu, and his expansions Rama and Krishna, are worshipped as the Supreme Lord. Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Hanuman are also worshipped.
    Shaivsm - Lord Shiva is worshipped as the Supreme Lord. Godess Parvati, Lord Ganesha and Lord Murugan are also worshipped.
    Shakta - Goddess Shakti/Parvati/Durga/Kali is the Supreme. I don't know a lot about the Shakta sect.

    Generally, a Hindu chooses one of these sects to follow. While it is possible to follow all three, it makes one's life so complicated with all the festivals and observances that it isn't practical in everyday living.

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    Re: A very confused newcomer

    Hari Om
    ~~~~~

    Namaste MIke (et al.)

    Let me, if I may, offer the wisdom from someone who knows - Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math ( some write mutt) , on this good earth from 1870-1953.
    He says,

    "Shiva, Ganesha, Surya, Shakti (Durga, Lakshmi) etc are the limbs of Bhagavan. Any devotee of Shiva can say 'Our Shankar (Shiva) is really Bhagavan', any follower of Surya can say that 'Surya is really Bhagavan', then this is really like not knowing the whole shape of the elephant.

    Some blind men took hold of an elephant's trunk and said 'This elephant it is like a pestle.' Seizing the foot one said it was like a pillar. Taking the ear one said it was like a winnowing basket. The thing is really this that the blind men having seen the elephant got stirred up in dispute. He who knows the whole form of the elephant will never say that the elephant is similar to a winnowing basket or to a pestle.

    In the same way, he who has taken a good understanding of Bhagavan, he can never say that Shiva is the true form of Bhagavan or Ganesha is the true form of Bhagavan or that the four-armed form of VisNu is really the form of Bhagavan. He who is familiar with the essence of Bhagavat (God) that all these several forms are really the separate parts or limbs of Paramatma (God). In truth worshipping any of the gods is really worship of Bhagavan. This is really the established truth of the shaastra".

    "He alone is the best devotee who sees his Adored One everywhere. For the devotee of VisNu the Lord is omnipresent. He should see Lord VisNu even in the images of Shankar, Devi, Ganesh and Surya etc. Likewise a devotee of Shankar, Devi etc. should visualize his Adored One omnipresent."

    pranams
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: A very confused newcomer

    Quote Originally Posted by horrormike View Post
    I have spoken different mantras, to Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Ganesha, but is this a respectful thing to do? Some places I have read shun this, and say you should focus on only one mantra.

    What I am basically asking is can I worship all forms equally?
    Namaste Mike,

    Brahman/Self is omnipresent and no form can really be omnipresent. A form, by definition, must have some delineating limits that contradicts all pervading nature of Brahman/God. But Brahman, which is indefinable, infinite, and formless takes on the form of Pragnya, again unlimited and formless but whose thoughts are various forms and names, taken up as if to aid alleviation of human misery caused through uncontrolled wandering mind. In fact, Rig Veda teaches us that heaven itself appears as Rudra (Ishwara) to teach us of Vishnu and Aditi.

    Sticking to one Ishta Devata's form and one mantra is recommended by most Gurus till attainment of one-pointed concentration, which allows pivoting of the attention on unlimited/formless spiritual Pragnya (state called stithi pragnya). After that grace of God works. Sometimes, however, love for a particular form takes on a sectarian colour, which should be avoided. Most new members of HDF will benefit by reading, at least once, the Yoga sutras of Patanjali, which speaks of the role of Ishwara.

    Om

    Best Wishes
    That which is without letters (parts) is the Fourth, beyond apprehension through ordinary means, the cessation of the phenomenal world, the auspicious and the non-dual. Thus Om is certainly the Self. He who knows thus enters the Self by the Self.

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