I know very little about Hinduism although this is something I've wanted to rectify for a long time. It seems so massive to me I just never know where to start my edification. I bought a copy of the Bhagavad Gita in a used book store a year ago but for some reason haven't been able to open it. There's something about it which seems so intimidating to me. Kind of like yoga. I want to do that too but just seem to never get started. All those Hindu deities... It's hard to keep them straight.
Anyways, one of my best friends and I are doing this thing online through the Elephant Journal- http://www.elephantjournal.com/author/bob-weisenberg/ . It's a blog discussion on Stephen Mitchell's particular translation of the Bhagavad Gita. It just started if anyone's interested. We're just now discussing the introduction to the book. So far, there's something about it which causes a sensation within me that I can't explain. I don't think there's an English term for what I'm feeling. Can't wait to delve deeper into its beauty and see where it takes me.
Posts
8 comments:
I think you'll continue to feel this enrichment. I've taken several comparative religion courses, with Hinduism being the most difficult for the Western mind to grasp, a circle one gasps at when realization dawns that it's all really quite simple. By the way, Catholicism is considered an Eastern religion. (Hint hint) Have fun!
I've been interested in Hinduism for some time and have realized much of it dovetails with other spiritual ideas that I practice. I especially like that they believe we are not learning, but remembering. That's my understanding and I can dig that, absolutely.
Good luck on your quest into Hinduism.
This is all part of my life these days. I provide child care to my ten month old daughter. I also work 40 hours a week. So, my time does not belong to me.
It is my experience with both my children that the only available religious practice that makes space for children is the Hare Krishna temple. These days, the Krishna temple functions as a traditional Hindu temple adapted to a Western cultural context. My kids can't do zazen of course. And they can barely abide Catholic mass.
So they run a mantra and they have darshan of their murtis -- gazing on statues of dimensions of Krishna as God in the same way that Catholics might contemplate the Eucharist as God. The statues are God right in front of you.
And my daughter does not need to be still or quiet or discursive. And they feed us Prasadam lunch. I don't make it there everyday, as I did with my son. But I get there when I can and gaze on the deities and run the mantra.
For me, religions are practices rooted in a community. I can't make much use anymore out of books and beliefs. So, Zen remains my primary religious identity because they have the treasure of a religious practice without metaphysics. But I value entering into devotion to Krishna and Radha and Rama and Sita and Hanuman, the Monkey King. And I am devoted to Neem Karoli Baba who was Ram Das' guru.
Ganesh the elephant God is the son of Shiva. Shiva as the God of destruction is a different, more tantric wing than the Vaishnavites who are devoted to Krishna and Ram among others.
I haven't read that translation, but I'd trust Stephen Mitchell with my life.
I am very happy to learn that you have started looking into Hinduism. You may remember…I went to Thiruvannamalai, India, and stayed there for a year in total from 1993 to 1997 and have been a Hindu since. For me, Arunachala and Bhuvaneshwari are the deities that represent my inner realities the best.
Hinduism is the religion that expresses the human complexity accurately. For every single tendency in the human cosmos of thoughts, emotions, instincts there is a deity or even several, all ambiguous within themselves, which correspond to the many contradictions within us.
Most important is the Hindu acceptance of the universe of different transcendent states that exist. And it also helps to map them and even provide guidance in exploring them through the different kinds of yoga and mystic scriptures.
Compared to the vastness and complexity of the Hindu mystic wisdom that I was confronted with in India through talks to Hindus, I have come to the conclusion that other religions – Buddhism for me is one segment of Hinduism – are isolated bubbles of tiny aspects of the whole picture, nothing more.
Negative about Hinduism is that it is embedded in the caste system. Although it has been loosening up for a while, the caste system is still far from being abolished.
Very positive about Hinduism is the vegetarianism it propagates. Imagine, it was Ashoka, more than 200 years before Christ appeared who advocated the respect not only for human beings but also for animals. Ashoka, a fascinating figure of Indian history, was the mightiest ruler of the Indian subcontinent who became a Buddhist after his armies had slaughtered about 100.000 people in the neighbouring kingdom of Kalinga in his attempt to unify India.
More than 80% of all Indians are vegetarians.
Martin
Beautiful Krishna, I believe, is a manifestation of God.
Thanks for being here everybody. I was getting that frustrated feeling, believing all of this was way too complex for my untrained mind, but your words gave me a little boost. Copithorne and Martin, I hope for a fraction of your understanding. Really appreciate the company from all of you. Thank you.
Actually, I am remembering that there is a Neem Karoli ashram in Taos.
http://www.nkbashram.org/
I've never been, but there are saints, there are sages and then there is Neem Karoli Baba who is for me a contemporary model of Jesus Christ.
You know, I spent a couple months in the New Mexico wilderness in Abiquiu at Monastery of Christ in the Desert. That was a couple of decades ago now. Happiest time of my life.
Post a Comment