A few months back, I adopted Hinduism, after practicing Buddhism for about a year. I was drawn to the history, the deities, philosophy and rituals.
I absolutely love (and will probably always love) Shiva, Ganesha, Mahadevi, Hanuman, Narasimha, puja, aartis, meditation and the stories of the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita. However...
While I love the deities, the practices, philosophy and stories, I feel as if I'm still missing something. Not like how I was missing something when I was practicing Buddhism, but like I'm not fully devoted to my Hindu practice; and feeling as if I will never be. I have this feeling of mixing many practices to the point that I feel as if I'm making a mockery of the Sanatana Dharma.
I'm not leaving Hinduism as of yet. I still go to temple (and probably will still go even if I stop identifying as such) and will always love the deities and will perform puja for them (once I start doing home pujas). What I am going to do is re-evaluate my beliefs and see if Hinduism is really right for me.
Here are my beliefs:
-There is an infinite reality we call "God". The deities from the world's many religions are faces we have given it to try to know it better. This could probably be summed up as "Henotheism".
-Transtheism is my personal concept of God. To me, God is impersonal, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to get to know it.
-Knowledge is HIGHLY important. Possibly more than devotion. Although I certainly do have my devotion.
-Rituals, practices, meditation, prayer, etc., are our expressions of trying to know God.
-Living a good life and compassion are more important than obsessing over an afterlife.
-Speaking of which, I do believe in an afterlife of sorts (as well as reincarnation/rebirth), but it is not the most important part of my practice.
-I believe in Karma, but in a cause-and-effect sense; not as a cosmic judge.
-Life and the universe are just how they are, and we are simply along for the ride. There is nothing we can do to change that fact, but we can try to make the best of it.
-I'm 100% non-dualistic.
Any thoughts, anyone?
I absolutely love (and will probably always love) Shiva, Ganesha, Mahadevi, Hanuman, Narasimha, puja, aartis, meditation and the stories of the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita. However...
While I love the deities, the practices, philosophy and stories, I feel as if I'm still missing something. Not like how I was missing something when I was practicing Buddhism, but like I'm not fully devoted to my Hindu practice; and feeling as if I will never be. I have this feeling of mixing many practices to the point that I feel as if I'm making a mockery of the Sanatana Dharma.
I'm not leaving Hinduism as of yet. I still go to temple (and probably will still go even if I stop identifying as such) and will always love the deities and will perform puja for them (once I start doing home pujas). What I am going to do is re-evaluate my beliefs and see if Hinduism is really right for me.
Here are my beliefs:
-There is an infinite reality we call "God". The deities from the world's many religions are faces we have given it to try to know it better. This could probably be summed up as "Henotheism".
-Transtheism is my personal concept of God. To me, God is impersonal, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to get to know it.
-Knowledge is HIGHLY important. Possibly more than devotion. Although I certainly do have my devotion.
-Rituals, practices, meditation, prayer, etc., are our expressions of trying to know God.
-Living a good life and compassion are more important than obsessing over an afterlife.
-Speaking of which, I do believe in an afterlife of sorts (as well as reincarnation/rebirth), but it is not the most important part of my practice.
-I believe in Karma, but in a cause-and-effect sense; not as a cosmic judge.
-Life and the universe are just how they are, and we are simply along for the ride. There is nothing we can do to change that fact, but we can try to make the best of it.
-I'm 100% non-dualistic.
Any thoughts, anyone?
