Hello Everyone!

[BlueJayWay]

I look forward to learning with all of you here. I also look forward to expanding my relationship with the Lord.
As a child, I had no religious upbrining. However, I've always had an intense belief that their indeed was a God. This innate faith has led me here.
I remember a quote from Autobiography of a Yogi that says, "God is simple, everythis else is complex." That quote resonates with me personally because I may never be considered "this religion" or "that religion" but that isn't important to me. The thing that is at the utmost importance to me is living a life that the Lord can be proud of.

I hope that all makes sense!
I am excited to learn new things, and grow at these forums with all of you!

BlueJayWay

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Welcome to these forums. Is the name to do with Toronto, or just nature? It's less confusing if you're brought up with nothing. You have an open mind for religion because there's nothing already in it, in that regard. You're lucky. If your first encounter with religion at all is SD, I think it says something about a past life.

Aum Namasivaya

[BlueJayWay]

Thank you for the warm welcome Eastern Mind. Actually "Blue Jay Way" is a song by The Beatles, I always like the sound of it.

I guess your right, not being raised on a religion has allowed me to freely form my own opinions. I always felt strongly that their was a god, but no other religion, Catholocisim for example, what my Grandfather is, ever interested me. Than one day I decided to read the Bhagavad Gita and it just seemed right - the beliefs in that book and what not.

[Shanti29]

You and I are quite alike. Welcome!

[BlueJayWay]

You and I are quite alike. Welcome!

Then I look forward to speaking with you!

[Priti.7]

Hi, can I ask BlueJayWay...are you a Christian or...? Are you seeking to learn more about Hindu beliefs?
Peace.

[BlueJayWay]

Priti.7, no, I'm not Christian. I was never baptised, neither was I raised on a religion.

I'm just searching for God on my own spiritual path and thought this seemd like a good place to start. A lot of western religions never seemed right - the whole bible and everything. Not that I'm saying anything negative about them, they're just not for me.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Blue Jay: Not for you? Join the crowd. So what particular aspects or portions of Snatama Dharma interest you? Bhakti? philosophy? Its always great to hear more perspectives.

Here's a little story I wrote that describes my Christian involvement:

Hymn

The limiting boxes we draw around ourselves amaze me. My religious box was apathetic atheistic agnosticism or some such thing, in true Canadian spirit. The apathetic part overruled any real attempts at definition, and I still have difficulty overcoming apathy in the philosophical realms. My family went for bruising swims in the shallow, rock-filled river on Sundays. Since that building along the gravel road towards the community center wasn’t on the way to the river, it was no more than a granary with a strange roof to me. Apathetic parents didn’t let me know its use, nor did I ask. Earlier asking had been scolded, “You ask too many questions!” So I stopped, which lead to an extended childhood of naive ignorance, not that that is a bad thing.
My friends from India have a box that doesn’t allow for apathetic atheistic agnosticism. “Not possible!” they exclaim. “You can’t live without some sort of faith.” My bad ... sigh.
Somewhere nearing adulthood, being beholden to “Who is my favourite nephew?” syndrome of an extended family, I was coerced into accompanying my aunt, who was neither apathetic nor agnostic, to the granary with a strange roof. Besides, there had been recent heavy rains upstream and the river was all muddied up.
I might as well have been on pilgrimage to India, so foreign was the culture, albeit only 3 miles afar. My eyes popped forward as we approached. Cars were around the granary!
You’d a thunk I was a black man as I entered, dragged along by Auntie. The ball players, classmates, some other relatives, cursers of renown, and nearly everyone formerly known only as neighbours were all there! As an end of an old warn fancy bench welcomed me, my head went down and remained that way for two whole hours. The ears still performed their duty.
But I can’t say for sure it was all for nought, because it was the day I learned the difference between ‘song’ and ‘hymn’.


Aum Namasivaya

[Priti.7]

Namaste BlueJAy,

Ah ok, I see... however what you said about the Christianity/ Western religions I feel is true if you follow the crowd, but I have to say that if you take the Bible (especially the Old Testament) and read it alone, it is very different to what Churches preach. Mohandas Gandhi said himself:
'I love you Christ, but I do not love your Christians.' And for me this rings true, that if you truly take time to appreciate the symbolism of the Bible or any religious texts for that matter, there is a true sense of God that priests or instituitions cannot provide, at least in my opinion anyway.

Peace.

[BlueJayWay]

Eastern Mind : That was a well-written hymn! Such an interesting way to share your experience! As for your quesiton, I would say I am most interested in the philosophy. Labels, as they partain to religion, never really meant much to me. I think it is better to believe deeply in God, to have faith, than to define specifically your religious beliefs. I guess I'm more spiritual than religious - that would be an easier way to put it.

Priti.7 : That's a wonderful quote by Ghandi.

...if you truly take time to appreciate the symbolism of the Bible or any religious texts for that matter, there is a true sense of God that priests or instituitions cannot provide, at least in my opinion anyway.

I agree with you! I wasn't trying to put the bible down or anything, there are wonderful lessons in the bible. I was just trying to explain that I never felt a pull from western religions, a pull that I've had with other spiritual paths.