Shiva Bhaktaa

[Amala]

Namaste,

I am not a Shaivite, but I am a Shiva bhaktaa. I don't see any forum on this site for devotees who do not fit into any particular denomination. So, I thought I would start a thread... unless... maybe no one else feels he/she falls under this category...

Is there anyone like this, either bhaktaa or bhakta:?

[realdemigod]

Namaste Amala,
Anybody who is a bhakta of Lord Shiva is a Shaivite and you don't have to adopt elaborate rituals to make yourself believe that. And anyone who feels he or she doesn't belong to any sect but still worships as a devotee..worships the Supreme Braham or Universal Consciousness or Cosmic Consciousness

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: There will be a variety of opinions on this. There are 6 traditional Saiva schools, probably a few more, and Smartas with Siva as a chosen ishta. Never easy to tell without a detailed discussion. (Not that it matters)

Amala, some days there are as many denominations as there are people. For example, I might see two people at the temple who seem to be doing similar things, seem to be quite similar. but then when a conversation is started .... its 'whew ... those two people have very differing views. '

Aum Namasivaya

[sunyata07]

Namaste Amala,

Count me in as someone like yourself. Well, in a ways. I am also a Shiva bhaktar, but I cannot call myself a Saivite, mostly because I have not yet undergone formal conversion and have never been inside a Saivite temple or retreat as yet to perform worship. It's really up to you. The lack of a Smarta forum on HDF is probably due to the fact that a non-denominational devotee has his/her choice of any of the forums to start a thread on. In such a case, they have the best of everything.

I am inclined to think like realdemigod and EM in this. Sectarian labelling acts as a signpost for me on what modes of philosophy and worship I am most likely to find attractive, but I wouldn't say they define the devotee. Something I have found in my years studying and practising Hinduism is that it isn't as black and white a picture as you'd find within Christianity where there is an important distinction between identifying yourself as being either Catholic or Protestant.

Om namah Shivaya

[Rudy]

I worship Shiva, and Ganesha. But thats all at the moment.

[Amala]

Namaste,

Well, I didn't choose Shiva. It was a series of visions wherein the figure became more and more clear to me. I had to ask my teacher who it was. So, I don't know anything about what anyone else thinks of Shiva and all this talk is well beyond me. All I know is when I read a definition of Shaivite beliefs, it didn't reflect my own experience.

But, EM, it is probably a good thing to keep in mind, that even amongst those who feel at ease joining a group with Shiva at the center, there will be at times extreme variations. I actually find that somehow comforting. :-)

Still, there is more likely, it would seem, to be overlapping notions amongst Shiva bhaktas than others. No? This is exactly the sort of sharing I'd like to engage in. Is there "a vibe" with bhaktas of one god that is different from others? I would think so. Or maybe there's more to be shared amongst those who walk the path, say, of bhakti regardless of their ishta... ???

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Temples themselves, depending on who they are dedicated to, have different 'vibes'. That's the way its supposed to be. So naturally the devotees there would also have that aspect.

But the whole understanding of what bhakti is, what to do for it, how it feels, how it makes you feel after, the energy itself, where that energy is coming from, varies a lot from person to person. On the same day two people can go to temple. One will say, "Boy the energy there was strong today," and the other will say "I didn't feel a thing." So it's extremely individualised. At least that's been my experience. Even in comparing temples in India. On a group pilgrimage to 20 temples or more, if you asked, "So for you, which temple was the most powerful?" if the group was 20 people travelling together, you'd probably get at least 10 different answers.

Having said that, when I went with my daughter, we did agree on one.

Aum Namasivaya

[Amala]

hmmmm... So it really does seem that what is for us will get plopped down in front of us if/when it's to be ... and if it's meant to be, then I will hook up with others. That's what I'm getting out of this exchange. And for now, just be the bhaktaa I am.

I can't be the only one who longs to share the path, though. We are a communal sort, even if we all accept that we are ultimately alone in the human sense. ...never alone in the divine sense, of course.

lol At some point words don't do the topic justice, do they!

ॐ नम: शिवाय ।

Vannakkam: Temples themselves, depending on who they are dedicated to, have different 'vibes'. That's the way its supposed to be. So naturally the devotees there would also have that aspect.

But the whole understanding of what bhakti is, what to do for it, how it feels, how it makes you feel after, the energy itself, where that energy is coming from, varies a lot from person to person. On the same day two people can go to temple. One will say, "Boy the energy there was strong today," and the other will say "I didn't feel a thing." So it's extremely individualised. At least that's been my experience. Even in comparing temples in India. On a group pilgrimage to 20 temples or more, if you asked, "So for you, which temple was the most powerful?" if the group was 20 people travelling together, you'd probably get at least 10 different answers.

Having said that, when I went with my daughter, we did agree on one.

Aum Namasivaya

[Maya3]

I'm definitely Advaita, that's what I love and believe in.

Still, I love to go to my temple and in particular Shiva Puja. My temple is a Ganesha Temple, but we have (well all temples have different Murtis as well right?) Shiva, and several other smaller shrines too.

We had a man who was speaking on Advaita in a series of lectures at my temple, he said that; "sometimes you feel more in the mood for Bhakti and other times more for the philosophy of Advaita. It moves, depending on the mood and what is going on. Everyone is sometimes and sometimes that."

I liked that.

Maya

[realdemigod]

Namaste Amala,
Just like Maya3, I'm an Adavitin..even though I don't understand everything about it as of now..I'm convinced of Supreme Brahman to whom everyone goes in this life or other. But to worship Brahman is quite difficult as we don't know what he looks like so it's easy if you can worship a God as a means to reach Brahman. And I chose Lord Shiva as my dear Lord

Bhakti is important not rituals and practices.