Converts to Hinduism: Did you change your name?

[Gaura Priya]

According to Satguru Shivaya Subramuniyaswami, he suggests strongly that those from Western tradition should change their names to reflect their new religious identities, whether Shaiva, Shakta or Vaishnava.

I have been thinking of changing my name to suite my Vaishnava beliefs, as undefined as they may be, as others may have done in their path towards Sanatana Dharma, according to my nakshatra. I have a few theophoric names in mind...

To those who are converts, did you or did you not change your name? Why? To those who were born in Sanatana Dharma, is it important to have one's name changed?

 

[Riverwolf]

I didn't have my name changed, nor do I see any real need to. I don't really follow any particular path, though, so this might change if I ultimately decide on one.

 

[Madhuri]

I don't think that it is very important to have a Spiritual name. I think that a main reasoning is that it is spiritually benefiting for people to speak the names.

There is a story in the Srimad Bhagavatam (I think) where a man is dying and about to be taken by the Yamadutas (spelling?). In fear he calls out the name of his son, who has a name of Vishnu (Maybe Narayan, I really don't recall this story very well...). As a result of calling out the name of God, he is saved from the Yamadutas.

 

[zenzero]

Friend madanbhakta,

A good question!

Can you tell me if there was any language before humans evolved?
NO.
When the concept that that out of which every form and no-form evolved was there any name to IT?
NO.
Names are labels.
Labels are used to identify a form or no-form likewise BRAHMAN/ TAO/ GOD are labels to understand that ENERGY that is universal of which every form and no-forms are parts off.

If one understands the qualities of that which one has labeled Brahman/Tao/God and the qualities are :

Nirguna Brahman: God "without qualities (guna)," i.e., formless, Absolute Reality, Parabrahman, or Parasiva- totally transcending guna (quality), manifest existence and even Parashakti, all of which exhibit perceivable qualities.

then names are understood as labels and so used for that understanding.
However the understanding of those qualities and merging or realizing IT is difficult for most minds as minds by its very nature likes to hold on to some straw [name] as long as possible and like to elongate friend Madhuri's explanation further that it is not that by calling a name that some imaginary YAMADUTA does not come BUT that names are indicators or labels and it is always possible that when one uses that label it may trigger or act as a pointer to the user about the qualities ascribed to that label and one's mind expands to that understanding.
Yamaduta [symbolically] keeps coming till one is not totally merged and that happens only after MOKSHA.

Love & rgds

 

[atmarama]

I don't think that it is very important to have a Spiritual name. I think that a main reasoning is that it is spiritually benefiting for people to speak the names.

There is a story in the Srimad Bhagavatam (I think) where a man is dying and about to be taken by the Yamadutas (spelling?). In fear he calls out the name of his son, who has a name of Vishnu (Maybe Narayan, I really don't recall this story very well...). As a result of calling out the name of God, he is saved from the Yamadutas.

Yes, this is the story of Ajamila He called out his sons name Narayana because he feared for his sons safety. Because he called the name of the Lord the yamadutas had no juristriction - and the visnudutas protected him.

My thoughts are that a spiritual name reflects the seriousness one has given to the spiritual life, but should not be accepted whimsically ie one should accept a spiritual name from ones spiritual master.

Hare Krsna!

 

[Madhuri]

Yes, this is the story of Ajamila He called out his sons name Narayana because he feared for his sons safety. Because he called the name of the Lord the yamadutas had no juristriction - and the visnudutas protected him.

My thoughts are that a spiritual name reflects the seriousness one has given to the spiritual life, but should not be accepted whimsically ie one should accept a spiritual name from ones spiritual master.

Hare Krsna!

Ah, thank you. It has been a long time since I read that story.

I agree about receiving a spiritual name from the Spiritual Master. Although I am still not entirely clear on how the guru comes to choose a suitable name. I remember someone telling me that the name you are given links to your eternal relationship with the Lord, or that it reflects something about your nature.

Madhuri is the name that my guru gave me

 

[Gaura Priya]

Sometimes though someone may wish to adopt a name out of desire for the tradition... Especially when someone like myself am not sure when I will ever take initiation into the sampradaya, and yet still wish to declare my seriousness in the religion.

Of course, the spiritual name given by the guru eclipses the former name, but sometimes it is nice to have another name. After all, even in ISKCON's early days, the devotees who did not take diksha was still given nicknames prior to initiation.

Especially when my birth name is somewhat of a Christian name! After all, Muslims generally change their names upon conversion, as did the early Christians, from Saul to Paul. Or even the Jews had to change to have a Jewish names...

To have a Sanskrit name is to invoke the sacred sound vibrations associated with the syllables, whilst names like William or Priscilla do not have any spiritual significance.

 

[atmarama]

Yes - that is a personal decision prabhu. I don't think anyone would object

I wanted to ask you, you have mentioned recently that you are a follower of Srila Sridhar Maharaja - have you found vaisnava association where you live (which is where?)?

Haribol

 

[Satsangi]

Ah, thank you. It has been a long time since I read that story.

I agree about receiving a spiritual name from the Spiritual Master. Although I am still not entirely clear on how the guru comes to choose a suitable name. I remember someone telling me that the name you are given links to your eternal relationship with the Lord, or that it reflects something about your nature.

Madhuri is the name that my guru gave me

Ajamila was leading a sinful life. One day Sage Narada visits him and he happens to serve him. That is when the Sage names his son Narayana who happened to be very dear to Ajamila.

When Ajamila was dying, he was calling his son's name "Narayana", but at the same time, he gets singularly focused on the meaning of Narayana which is Lord Narayana. This is when he is granted refuge by the God.

The morals of the story:- (1) Serving a sage like Narada can be instrumental in liberation (2) Fixing your mind on the God (or rather "dropping the mind" from the Mayic things as friend Zenzero puts) even for a short time before the death could liberate you because all the karmas are burned when you leave all the Maya and fixate on the God.

Regards,

 

[Gaura Priya]

Ajamila was leading a sinful life. One day Sage Narada visits him and he happens to serve him. That is when the Sage names his son Narayana who happened to be very dear to Ajamila.

When Ajamila was dying, he was calling his son's name "Narayana", but at the same time, he gets singularly focused on the meaning of Narayana which is Lord Narayana. This is when he is granted refuge by the God.

This story is so wonderful; I always loved the story of Ajamila from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. It makes me always think of the wonderful mercy of the Lord through His Holy Names!

Thank you for sharing the story, Satsangi!

 

[Gaura Priya]

Yes - that is a personal decision prabhu. I don't think anyone would object

I wanted to ask you, you have mentioned recently that you are a follower of Srila Sridhar Maharaja - have you found vaisnava association where you live (which is where?)?

Haribol

I have been a follower of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, or SCS Math, by the most wonderful philosophy of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. You can read his e-books for free from here: Sri Chaitanya Saraswath Math New Jersey

The Math began with Srila Sridhar Maharaj and his nectarian revelations on the teachings of Mahaprabhu, and then the torch was passed to Srila Govinda Maharaj. Then, the most recent acharya of the Math is Srila Acharya Maharaj. The main website is here: Front page, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

And I am from BC, Canada. There are no devotees practically of the Math in Canada, save one family; which are my godbrother and godsister.

I have to say though, I have been beginning to doubt the claims of Mahaprabhu as the Hidden Avatar and the Yuga-Avatar lately, along with the ISKCON centre in my locality who have hurt alot of individual devotees. I have been taking a step back, and researching about the other sampradayas lately, namely the Sri and the Nimbarka Sampradaya. I have to thank the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement in the West for that introduction, and I hope to one day take initiation under the lineage of this glorious Dharma.

With the rarity and scarcity of teachings of Nimbarkacharya, who knows how long until I will actually be in association with a Nimbarki!

 

[zenzero]

Friend madanbhakta,

To have a Sanskrit name is to invoke the sacred sound vibrations associated with the syllables, whilst names like William or Priscilla do not have any spiritual significance.

Sorry, any sound is finally a sound a and whatever sounds emanating are sounds of existence itself.
The words in sanskrit are also names and as there has been deeper studies by meditators and qualities ascribed to them however in english due to lack of meditators in great numbers the same maybe lacking.
It is certain that all words trigger the consciousness as they are all sounds in existence.

Also be of the knowing that there is nothing spiritual or material about sound. It is the mind's association that triggers the direction of the mind's journey one as mentioned towards the material and the other towards the no-mind which is spiritual if one labels it so.

Love & rgds

 

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

I respect what others has been said about names as it seems reasonable
yet it is wise to to consider that sound-and-form has been around forever...

The study of mātrikācakra has much to do with the highest śakti of sound-word or parāvāk.
This parāvāk (some write para-vac) is discussed in the Mālinīvijayottara Tantra for those that have interest.

It is by sound vibration we come to know things. Your name, you, are a bundle of vibrations.
Picking a name to reflect your particular vibration, really finding the vibration that will do you much good, I think is something one may wish to consider.

The quality of sounds ( that is found in creation) is part-and-whole of the study of mātrikācakra or the study/theory of akṣarāṇām ( phonemes) within the saṃskṛtā ~alphabet~ .

This Mātrikā means little mother and Mālini or śrī devī - She who wears a garland (māl&#257, in this case 50 akṣarā of saṃskṛtā alphabet. The difference between mātrikācakra and mālini is the arrangement letters - really vowels and consonants.

This notion that all of saṃskṛtā resides between a to kṣa in the mātrikācakra system is a beautiful thing in itself. If we look at a + kṣa we have akṣa. This akṣa is a seed of which rosaries are made i.e. a garland, a mālā, and we are back to mālini or śrī devī , the one with the garland of seed sounds , akṣara, around Her neck. Yet if we go a little further we can have akṣa + ra and have akṣara.

This akṣara means syllable, but it also is defined as imperishable (brahman), unalterable, śiva. It is śrī devī that wears the imperishable, the infinite in sounds as a garland. This can only be done by one that is Supreme, unsurpassable, anuttara.

praṇām

 

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

The quality of sounds ( that is found in creation) is part-and-whole of the study of mātrikācakra or the study/theory of akṣarāṇām ( phonemes) within the saṃskṛtā ~alphabet~

'when the infinite vibrates, the worlds appear to emerge' - ṛṣi vaśiṣṭha

praṇām

 

[atmarama]

I have been a follower of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, or SCS Math, by the most wonderful philosophy of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. You can read his e-books for free from here: Sri Chaitanya Saraswath Math New Jersey

The Math began with Srila Sridhar Maharaj and his nectarian revelations on the teachings of Mahaprabhu, and then the torch was passed to Srila Govinda Maharaj. Then, the most recent acharya of the Math is Srila Acharya Maharaj. The main website is here: Front page, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

And I am from BC, Canada. There are no devotees practically of the Math in Canada, save one family; which are my godbrother and godsister.

I have to say though, I have been beginning to doubt the claims of Mahaprabhu as the Hidden Avatar and the Yuga-Avatar lately, along with the ISKCON centre in my locality who have hurt alot of individual devotees. I have been taking a step back, and researching about the other sampradayas lately, namely the Sri and the Nimbarka Sampradaya. I have to thank the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement in the West for that introduction, and I hope to one day take initiation under the lineage of this glorious Dharma.

With the rarity and scarcity of teachings of Nimbarkacharya, who knows how long until I will actually be in association with a Nimbarki!

Have you read Caitanya Bhagavat, Caitanya Caritamrita? And the books of the six goswamis are very nectarian...

 

[Satsangi]

Friend madanbhakta,


Sorry, any sound is finally a sound a and whatever sounds emanating are sounds of existence itself.
The words in sanskrit are also names and as there has been deeper studies by meditators and qualities ascribed to them however in english due to lack of meditators in great numbers the same maybe lacking.
It is certain that all words trigger the consciousness as they are all sounds in existence.

Also be of the knowing that there is nothing spiritual or material about sound. It is the mind's association that triggers the direction of the mind's journey one as mentioned towards the material and the other towards the no-mind which is spiritual if one labels it so.

Love & rgds

Hi Zenzero,

There is a difference betweem music and noise; both are sounds though. In the same way, some sounds are special like "Aum"; this is not only a sound though as believed. "Aum" is that substratum which is the basis of the functioning of everything including the mind; this is not a "conditioned" thing but that is the way it is universally. The same can be said about the Mantras.

Regards,

 

[zenzero]

Friend Satsangi,

As mentioned sounds have been researched by meditators which has not been so by the west who has developed english.
Music too in the west has not reached to the depth to that as in the east is due to the same reason.
Again the idea of life is to reach to the state of no-mind and this can also be done through sound and om is the soundless sound which is from where existence starts and ends its journey and tuning In to that is like a direct entry to no-mind state.
Mantras too [read posts on matras thread earlier posted] help in tuning with the soundless sound.
The point raised, please understand that any sound like even a bird chirping enables one to reach the no-mind state likewise all sound are from existence and so reach to the same state.
Regards noise- if one is able to transcend noise too one can reach to no-mind; its all a question of tuning.
More on the subject as we go along.

Love & rgds

 

[Vinayaka]

Yes I changed my name... many years ago. There are many good reasons, but having a Hindu name on your passport is just one. People view you differently which is a reflection of you viewing you differently. I also like hearing it spoken to me.

Aum

 

[Akhilesh]

No need to change their name in hinduism it is personal decision yoga reincarnation self realization have attracted many to hinduism

 

[Jainarayan]

I have not changed my name, nor do I plan to. Not that there's anything wrong with it. When I joined the Eastern Orthodox Church many years ago, the tradition was to take the name of the saint whose day was one's birthday. Saint Prince Vladimir is the saint of my birthday. I said uh, no thanks.

Liturgically I used my middle name, Jason (YĀ-sōn in Greek). An ambiguous person named Jason was a traveling companion of Paul (maybe his lover, who knows?)... that would fit me as an ambiguous and enigmatic gay male. OK, that was overthought.

However, I may adopt a secret name or Sanskrit translation of Jason, which means "healer" or "to heal". And I think I am in a healing process. It may also come from Hebrew Joshua, meaning "Lord is salvation". OK, more overthinking.