I guess my approach is different.

[Vinayaka]

@stvdv hello! I am living in Germany and used to visit iskcon and can also relate to them being judgemental. Very much so. As well as belittleling other sampradayas or seeing other religions as beneath them. Not everyone does this, but I mean they openly preach how a person gets to the "final" stage of birth & death when they become Krishna conscious and accoding to them, Krishna devotees possess the "most sacred" knowledge of all. Which is essentially why they preach so much.. to "enlighten" others. *eye roll*

@The Crimson Universe hello! I saw your comment that you are from Kyiv. I am from Russia but living in Germany for many years. Iskcon was also my life for many years, but now I don't go there anymore. I also like Shiva and Krishna, as well as other hindu gods (or greek, pagan gods etc).

Have you been to the temple in Hamm?

 

[Laddu1]

Have you been to the temple in Hamm?

Not yet.. I have only been in iskcon temples so far (the last time I was in one was quite a few years ago though). So now I want to "branch out" and visit a hindu temple in a city nearby. And eventually the one in Hamm too. It looks very big though, I am not sure I would understand anything if I go there by myself. Maybe I'll find someone to go with me.

 

[Vinayaka]

Not yet.. I have only been in iskcon temples so far (the last time I was in one was quite a few years ago though). So now I want to "branch out" and visit a hindu temple in a city nearby. And eventually the one in Hamm too. It looks very big though, I am not sure I would understand anything if I go there by myself. Maybe I'll find someone to go with me.

What's to understand? You. God. Priest beseeching God. You feeling His presence. The finer details aren't really necessary.

 

[JustGeorge]

What's to understand? You. God. Priest beseeching God. You feeling His presence. The finer details aren't really necessary.

Except take off your shoes.

 

[Laddu1]

Except take off your shoes.

That I know

@Vinayaka You are right..

 

[Vinayaka]

That I know

@Vinayaka You are right..

That would be a first.

 

[Jainarayan]

That would be a first.

Nah, don't believe him, folks. I have a 3" thick notebook of dates and times when he said "I told you so".

 

[Vinayaka]

Nah, don't believe him, folks. I have a 3" thick notebook of dates and times when he said "I told you so".

We go back way too far.

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. I don't worship any dieties. Things like offering incense, flowers, sweets to idols is something that i don't like doing.
I'm terrified of crowds.
But in the privacy of my room that wasn't the case and i felt a deeper connection for the first time.

It has been like that from then onwards. I guess i'm just a devotee cloaked in the garb of an Advaitin. lol

If you feel comfortable that way, nothing in Hinduism stops you from doing that. A Godless person also can be a perfect Hindu. I have not lost my Hinduism even a bit though I am a strong atheist. The only must in Hinduism is to fulfill one's responsibilities.

Rituals also have their advantages. For some, they may even be necessary. Yeah, for deeper connection one needs privacy. There is nothing to be terrified by crowds. Why do you pay attention to the crowd? You can be alone even in a crowd.

Both things are possible, a devotee cloaked in the garb of an advaitin or an advaitin cloaked in he the garb of a devotee. When I reply to devotees, I am an advaitin cloaked in the garb of a devotee.

 

[Aupmanyav]

He lived among the Brahmins of eastern India (Puri, Orissa), and studied the vedas but when he started preaching the content of the vedas to the lower working classes of india, it angered the brahmins and they drove him away from their city.

That is fiction and it must be serving some purpose for the writer (making his books sell) and those who use that fiction.

That would be a first.

You are right more often then me.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

That is fiction and it must be serving some purpose for the writer (making his books sell) and those who use that fiction.

I doubt that its a work of fiction. The author in his book has mentioned that this information was taken from Tibetan manuscripts which were (and probably still today) are stored in one of their monasteries.

Swami Abhedananda, the disciple of Ramakrishna visited one of these monasteries (probably situated at Lhasa, if I remember correctly) and the texts were read out to him. The swami confirmed the existence of these texts.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I doubt that its a work of fiction. The author in his book has mentioned that this information was taken from Tibetan manuscripts which were (and probably still today) are stored in one of their monasteries.

Swami Abhedananda, the disciple of Ramakrishna visited one of these monasteries (probably situated at Lhasa, if I remember correctly) and the texts were read out to him. The swami confirmed the existence of these texts.

You are satisfied with the information presented, I am not.

 

[The Crimson Universe]

You are satisfied with the information presented, I am not.

I just like to keep an open mind, that's all. :=)

 

[Aupmanyav]

I too have an open mind, but let the evidence come to me.