All food from my local ISKCON temple is prasada; everything is offered to Krishna and then to the devotees. This temple runs a 'food for life' program and serves three meals a day every day of the year. The meals are 100% free to those attending. It is just... quite bland and too much ghee is used.
I used to attend the ISKCON temple nearby every Sunday but I have since... become lazy. I do not even visit Ma's temple often anymore. I need to redevelop that bhakti, I think. But I agree with you, flawed service is better than none. My only true problem, to be honest, with the Sunday meals is...
The Hayagriva form also has a prime place in both the Shiva Purana and the Devi Mahabhagavatam. It also explains the reason why some of the offerings during homa/yajna are given to the ants.
If I was asked to take a caste I would take shudra. I'm mleccha as it is and less then shudra as a result but I also work as a nurse. Nursing, caring for people, it is a service. Yes, I'm paid for it, but that's how the world works at the moment. It has always been a source of confusion to me...
I'm not good at prayer either. I feel stupid closing my eyes and praying... so what I do is turn my day into a prayer. I talk to Ma all the time but most especially when I am at home. She and Her family get a lamp lit almost every day and some incense and camphor (although I've since run out and...
While I'm probably excluded from this in that I am gay, I am also asexual meaning I don't experience sexual attraction (to get even more confusing I don't experience romantic attraction either). Much like @Fireside_Hindu I don;t think much of Radha. I'm very much a devout shakta but Devi does...
By the same author as Sword and Flute I recommend the Mahavidyas and Hindu Goddesses books that he wrote. The mahavidya book goes into a lot of detail about each mahavidya and it's fascinating. Try the Devi Bhagavatam as well, it's a good purana but the English is a bit unfortunate.
We were blessed this year with two nights for Shivaratri. How merciful is Shiva that he would give us two nights to celebrate rather than the single night we usually get?
Was/am unable to go to any temples as I am still recovering from being sick. Will stay up until midnight tonight and offer water and milk to Shiva and then go to bed. It's about all I can manage at the moment.
Hara Hara Mahadeva!
Mahashivaratri is upon us and I haven't seen any posts. What will those who observe this festival be doing? I have just come down with some sort of lurgy so I'm worried I might not be able to attend. My regular temple no longer allows devotees to attend and perform worship...
Sadly here in the Australia and the southern hemisphere, we are saying goodbye to Surya. He must leave us so that He can give you lot in the Northern Hemisphere more light. I have legit wondered if maybe we should be celebrating our holidays in reverse but when I have brought it up it has been...
I hope that in the future we see more SC/ST men and women taking up this mantle. Especially women. One day I hope for a quota for temples where 50% of the priests are women. We have something important to offer in the service of these deities and we should be allowed to do it professionally...
If the experience in the end is bliss what is the difference of how it is reached?
Satchidananda can only be experienced by that which is experienced and experience at once. This is a closed loop system. We become aware of our nature, dip in and dip out. If we are aware of this then it is...
Nitaidas, can you explain something to me? Are the eternally conditioned able to break free of that conditioning through love of God or is it impossible and they must always return again and against?