What is metaphoric and literal?

[Spiritualseeker]

Hello all,

In the scriptures how do we know that which is metephor and that which is literal? For example do we know if the story of Shiva cutting off the head of Ganesha and then putting on an elephant head is this story metaphor or did this happen?

As I mentioned before in another thread if Shiva is God of universe why did he not know of what he was doing before he chopped off the head? If it is metaphor then I could understand it a bit more. But how do we tell what is 100percent literal or metaphor?

[simex]

Depends who you ask. There is no central authority in Hinduism, and everyone is free to interpret scriptures as they see fit-- much to the chagrin of some.

Personally, I see it as all metaphoric. But you will find people with the exact opposite position. The beauty of scripture is that while it means different things to different people, it is always relevant to that individual.

[Spiritualseeker]

I see i can understand that. However, if one thinks its metaphoric they still have a belief that Ganesha does exist though right? Like that story may be metaphoric to some but they still worship Ganesha and believe him as a real being?

[MahaHrada]

I see i can understand that. However, if one thinks its metaphoric they still have a belief that Ganesha does exist though right? Like that story may be metaphoric to some but they still worship Ganesha and believe him as a real being?

Some will do and some will not.



Like i said before it is more about Self knowledge then anything else.

That there is a difference between that what is existing inside yourself and outside yourself is an illusion.

Worship is a method not a Goal. If you want a book to belive in and a god that is watching over the uiniverse like a boss of some factory or a general over his army, punishing and rewarding you, you need to become a christian or stay a muslim.

So what is real or unreal anyways?

When there exists nothing but the divine inside and outside, you can worship anything, a rat, a monkey, a tree, a cow, an elephant, your guru, a stone, your brother or sister your wife, just as you wish.

[Spiritualseeker]

Very interesting. It seems like some of the views and concepts are similar to Buddhism. I do agree with your views though. I have killed the belief that there is an external God who is angry at me for not being a good slave etc.. The only thing I am trying to figure out is if there is a Deity, or if it is just shunyata or emptiness.

Thanks for the response.

[MahaHrada]

Very interesting. It seems like some of the views and concepts are similar to Buddhism. I do agree with your views though. I have killed the belief that there is an external God who is angry at me for not being a good slave etc.. The only thing I am trying to figure out is if there is a Deity, or if it is just shunyata or emptiness.

Thanks for the response.

What does Deity mean? A creator god who oversees creation like some general does not exist in Hinduism nor in Buddhism, maybe at some time in the past Indra had an overseer function. But he was rather like a king among gods that is a very strong God. Otherwise you can say all beings who have reached self knowledge are identical with the impersonal deity. Imagine the diety is milk and this milk is inside everything you can see, and it is also inside you when you close the eyes, so wherever you stick a straw through the outer form, you can then drink that milk.

Remember it is always about you not about an outside god, you have to improve, you do not need a great god to be a great person, you can become a great self even if you only worship a simple or a small god or guru

If in the final analysis conciousness is some eternal continuum that is moving through modifications and therefore self, past, present, and future exists like the Hindus belive, or whether conciousness is an illusion created by the law of cause and effect (dependent origination) , in the exact present of here and now, and therefore all is momentary and changing, and there is nothing that abides, or is modified, like the buddhist belive we will maybe never find out. The only thing i know is that one can become a better person and improve the mind by sadhana, if one is a buddhist or a hindu or a taoist, while this is very rarely possible in case of christians and muslims, usually by adopting these religions one looses instead of gaining.

[Spiritualseeker]

This is an interesting yet may be odd to some story:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...C527&FORM=VIVR
Ganesha and the race with his brother

[Eastern Mind]

Hey they're all metaphorical to me. But that's just me.

[Spiritualseeker]

aha but when you mean its metaphoric do you still believe the deities to be real? Like in loving Ganesha he states that Ganesha is not just a symbol but is actually real. Can the stories be metaphoric yet the gods be real? Because something tells me the deities may exist, but some stories i cannot accept as being literal.

[Znanna]

Well, I've had my share of supernatural stuff happen to me over the years. Where did it come from, inside or outside?

It really doesn't matter one way or another. I'll fess up though to continuing to test the boundaries, though ... at some point I'll stop scratching the itch.

ZN