Hindu Only: A strange feeling occurred when trying to learn more

[беспокойный путешественни]

I finally had an experience that I can't explain:

I tried for a few days (also motivated by some posts in this forum) to delve deeper into Shivaism, which, if I understand correctly, is not necessarily opposed to my (Norse) gods. Although I am actually quite an inquisitive person and even had a bit of boredom (i.e. opportunity) to pursue this desire, something told me not to do so because my gods are more than enough for me.

Was it the Indian gods who want to remain hidden from me, or was it mine who (wrongly) fear competition?

 

[Sirona]

Well, in Hinduism it’s the intent what counts a lot. The teaching I follow distinguishes between "selfish" devotion (mixed bhakti) and selfless devotion (pure bhakti). Although Hinduism isn’t a monotheistic faith, exclusive devotion to your "chosen deity" (ishta deva) is often considered good.

You see, if you meet someone for the first time, you want to know about them. You normally aren’t considering what to get from him or how to "exploit" him (at least most people don’t).

So if you want to worship Shiva because you need one more god in your "army of gods", you probably don’t have a good motive. However, if you want to know about Shiva for the sake of him, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t reveal himself to you.

 

[беспокойный путешественни]

Interesting, thank you!

However, if you want to know about Shiva for the sake of him, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t reveal himself to you.

That’s even more confusing now. I mean, I think my motive is to know more about him, and I don’t collect deities. I wonder what I do wrong.

 

[mangalavara]

I tried for a few days (also motivated by some posts in this forum) to delve deeper into Shivaism, which, if I understand correctly, is not necessarily opposed to my (Norse) gods.

Indeed, Śaivism is not opposed to your faithfulness to Æsir and Vanir. It’s not even opposed to any Álfar or Vættir that you might serve. If you look at Śaivism as it was practiced in Java and still practiced today in Bali, you will notice that Śaivism there includes room for the native animism and the veneration of bodhisattvas. Śaivism is adaptable and accommodative. In general, this is the nature of Sanātana Dharma, better known as Hinduism.

Your study of Śaivism, Sanātana Dharma, and Indic religions in general is sincerely appreciated, by the way.

Although I am actually quite an inquisitive person and even had a bit of boredom (i.e. opportunity) to pursue this desire, something told me not to do so because my gods are more than enough for me.

As Westerners, we might think that we are not supposed to study other religions or learn about other deities. This is so that our faithfulness to a deity or deities remains true. This is an influence of Christianity on our thinking.

Was it the Indian gods who want to remain hidden from me, or was it mine who (wrongly) fear competition?

I doubt that any deities fear competition or wish to hide from you. What occurred could have been an ancestral influence, by the way.

So if you want to worship Shiva because you need one more god in your "army of gods", you probably don’t have a good motive. However, if you want to know about Shiva for the sake of him, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t reveal himself to you.

Yup! The very name Śiva means ‘Favorable One’ or ‘Kind One.’ He is known to be easily pleased with a person’s service, intentional and even unintentional. I doubt that he would hide from Bespo (@беспокойный путешественни).

 

[Sirona]

That’s even more confusing now. I mean, I think my motive is to know more about him, and I don’t collect deities. I wonder what I do wrong.

Unfortunately I don't know much about Norse gods so I can't make statements related to them, but I noticed that in polytheist settings, every god tends to represent a certain aspect of one own's psyche. Back when I was a Greek polytheist, I wanted to "connect" with Apollo more than anything, but he represented perfectionism for me, and I was raised to be a perfectionist which I hated because I always had the feeling of constantly putting myself under pressure. Only when I could open up to Apollo's "healing aspect" instead , I found a basis for spiritual connection with that god.

Bhagavad Gita, chapter 7 verse 16 says that " O best amongst the Bharatas, four kinds of pious people engage in My devotion—the distressed, the seekers of knowledge, the seekers of worldly possessions, and those who are situated in knowledge."

(The Bhagavad Gita is a sacred conversation between Krishna and Arjuna, but I think it's the general idea that matters).

So I think you may have some introspection ahead of you to better understand your own motives for learning about Shiva. BTW, learning about a God (eagerly) already constitutes a form of worship through the intellect.

 

[Vinayaka]

I finally had an experience that I can't explain:

I tried for a few days (also motivated by some posts in this forum) to delve deeper into Shivaism, which, if I understand correctly, is not necessarily opposed to my (Norse) gods. Although I am actually quite an inquisitive person and even had a bit of boredom (i.e. opportunity) to pursue this desire, something told me not to do so because my gods are more than enough for me.

Was it the Indian gods who want to remain hidden from me, or was it mine who (wrongly) fear competition?

I think your Gods are enough for you, just as my Gods are enough for me. But just are you wouldn't be opposed to Saivite Gods, nor would we (Saivas, I'm a Saiva) be opposed to your Gods. Sounds like your inner wisdom speaking, to me. I think that whenever somebody goes looking for new Gods, they must sense that their own gods aren't doing something.

 

[беспокойный путешественни]

Your study of Śaivism, Sanātana Dharma, and Indic religions in general is sincerely appreciated, by the way.

Thank you.

As Westerners, we might think that we are not supposed to study other religions or learn about other deities.

I surely hope it's only imagination, honestly.

What occurred could have been an ancestral influence, by the way.

Oh! How so?

Back when I was a Greek polytheist

How did you make the step "over"?

I think you may have some introspection ahead of you to better understand your own motives for learning about Shiva.

Ah, that sounds like a lot of work ...
Good to know, thank you. I hope I'll be granted enough time.

 

[mangalavara]

Oh! How so?

I don't know how it might have been an ancestral influence. Nonetheless, ancestral influence is a possibility.

 

[Sirona]

How did you make the step "over"?

By your question I assume you mean why I gave up Greek polytheism and became a Hindu?

Well, you know, I am approaching 45. I grew up in East Germany where books on mythological religions were available aplenty, as the communists wanted to humiliate Christians by claiming that the story of Jesus was ”just a myth” and just as "untrue" or fictional as all the others. I grew up in a boarding school which I hated, and I didn't have any religious background from home because communists were expected to be atheists. The book I read on Greek mythology (it was the story of Heracles) became my first ever contact with religion at all and so I decided to become a Greek polytheist. I kept this to myself for two decades because I didn't want to appear as an oddball. Today, anyone can buy statues of gods and network with other pagans via the internet, but none of that existed when I was a kid. At the age of 23, I came across a book about Hare Krishna, and also I attended some of their meetings which were the closest thing to what I wanted to practise (you know, I just love to decorate and worship “idols”), and it was very important to me that I could practise with others so that I didn't have to feel so "odd" anymore. Nowadays, books on the practice of Hellenismos are also available, but I am not aware of any Hellenistic-pagan community in Germany, and I didn't want to be a solitary practitioner arguing with other solitary practitioners on the internet about the correct practice of a religion discontinued for millennia and only revived quite recently.

What’s your story @беспокойный путешественни ?

 

[JustGeorge]

I finally had an experience that I can't explain:

I tried for a few days (also motivated by some posts in this forum) to delve deeper into Shivaism, which, if I understand correctly, is not necessarily opposed to my (Norse) gods. Although I am actually quite an inquisitive person and even had a bit of boredom (i.e. opportunity) to pursue this desire, something told me not to do so because my gods are more than enough for me.

Was it the Indian gods who want to remain hidden from me, or was it mine who (wrongly) fear competition?

I've pondered awhile on this before answering. I've had these experiences before, and I've had the opposite.

What is it about Saivism that you like? Could your Gods be pausing you because the same thing already exists in your own system?

Do your Gods have jealous personalities? I come from a Pagan background, and did deal with a jealous Goddess once. Eventually, I did branch out. Things weren't quite the same with us after.

Do you have a hesitance? Do you feel somewhere deep down that this 'branch out' is a slight to your old Gods?

The Pagan to Hindu jump was interesting for me. I took some time to 'cement' my new identity. I indulged in only 'Hindu' activities, and tried to distance myself from Paganism. Looking back, this was normal. Much like a child moving out, I was trying to show who I was apart from my parent[religion].

Over time, I missed one of my favorite Pagan gods. I got a distinct impression from Sri Krishna that, with his gentle smile and teasing eyes, I was being ridiculous. "Your friend is my friend, too, you know! Why should you ignore him?" There was a lot of reflecting and meditating, and I learned a lot at his guidance. I won't bore with the details.

Long story short, I am a Hindu. But I still have my Pagan 'friend'. And there seems to be no objections anywhere. After all, if it wasn't for Paganism, I'd likely never have been comfortable with adopting Hinduism. I was born into a Christian family, and would have likely become a cultural Christian, with that 'nag' for something more, if I'd never been introduced to polytheistic religion.

You could try asking specific Gods you felt may have discouraged you to ask "why".

 

[Aupmanyav]

Was it the Indian gods who want to remain hidden from me, or was it mine who (wrongly) fear competition?

none of that. hindu deities are brothers and sisters to norse deities, both pagan. they had the same origin.
deities like shiva, durga, rama, krishna are different. they are of indigenous indian origin, others are from indo-europian fold. but they happily exist together in hinduism. thor is much like our indra. one name for indra is 'twastr'. like thor holds hammer, indra holds 'vajra' in the same manner. indra is very fond of drinking 'soma'. once high on soma, he uttered this poem: Rig Veda: Rig-Veda, Book 10: HYMN CXIX. Indra.

 

[беспокойный путешественни]

@JustGeorge Thank you, that leaves a lot of room for thoughts. I’ll think about this while calling the gods next time (in a silent moment), I think.

What’s your story @беспокойный путешественни ?

My story is easy. I was born into a Catholic family in West Germany, had few options as a child and then tried to talk to the gods through pagan friends. Loki (of all gods…) answered me. We became pretty good friends.

That doesn't mean that I don't believe that more can exist in the world. That's why this thread exists...

 

[беспокойный путешественни]

Does Shiva sometimes disguise himself as Odin? Loki may play his tricks, but my attempt to find Shiva ended in a wave of loneliness, with one (!) eye watching over me.

 

[Sirona]

Does Shiva sometimes disguise himself as Odin? Loki may play his tricks, but my attempt to find Shiva ended in a wave of loneliness, with one (!) eye watching over me.

So why do you pursue something that doesn't feel good to you? There is no "obligation to believe" in Hinduism.

 

[mangalavara]

my attempt to find Shiva ended in a wave of loneliness, with one (!) eye watching over me.

 

[SalixIncendium]

**MOVED TO RELIGIONS Q&A**​

 

[Sirona]

Does Shiva sometimes disguise himself as Odin? Loki may play his tricks, but my attempt to find Shiva ended in a wave of loneliness, with one (!) eye watching over me.

IMHO, the third eye is Shiva's third eye, by which he can see the subconcious, hidden things you might be consciously unaware. Moreover he is described as a staunch yogi meditating in the Himalaya in solitude.

Atheists often claim such things were humbug because they cannot be explained by rationality. But things such as images of deities, for example, contain a "language" which the subconcious can understand.