Our Virtual Ashram

[Fireside_Hindu]

I've finished making the Laddoos. About 35. Not enough for everyone, but I will share mine. You can't have them yet though. I need to offer them to Lord Ram first.

 

[Aupmanyav]

A few days ago, I resolved my differences with my wife. Now I do not need to be on a frugal diet. But the two month experience has made me realize that frugal diet has its advantages. For one, I never felt acidity as I used to feel previously. So, I will continue with my frugal diet, perhaps not as frugal as before but still not as heavy also as I used to consume. The second point is whether I will continue to be a vegan? I am not sure of that - eggetarian? Perhaps. Perhaps I will eat non-vegetarian diet but less frequently and will not hanker after it as I once used to do.

 

[Chakra]

First of all, if you did intake any amount of dairy, then you were not following a vegan diet. Maybe a plant based diet or a vegetarian diet.

Secondly, you could use this period as a transition towards vegetarianism. Good luck.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, I am not a puritan. A few teaspoons of milk in a cup of tea do not make anyone an idol of evil. Otherwise also, as a Hindu, milk and products of milk are gifts of my mother, I feel no hesitation in using them.

 

[wolf2025]

If I Am a Christian Can I Be A Shiva Bhakta ? Will I Be Allowed To Enter Temple's To Pray to Lord Shiva ?

 

[wolf2025]

If I am Christian Will I still be Considers a Shiva Bhakt If I Pray To Shiv Ji ?

 

[Chakra]

Well, I am not a puritan.

Then "vegan" is not the right word.

A few teaspoons of milk in a cup of tea do not make anyone an idol of evil. Otherwise also, as a Hindu, milk and products of milk are gifts of my mother, I feel no hesitation in using them.

Well I hope the dairy industry in India is not the same as America's.

 

[wolf2025]

Can Someone Please Help Answer My Questions. I Really Want To Know Is it Possible to be A Shiv Bhakt . Because i am a Christian Who Prays To Lord Shiva. Sometimes i pray to Jesus But Majority of the time i go to Shiv Ji Temples and pray to Lord Shiva.I am Indian
Will People Accept Me As A Shiv Bhakt or will i be looked down by others.
Thank You For Your Help

 

[Chakra]

Can Someone Please Help Answer My Questions. I Really Want To Know Is it Possible to be A Shiv Bhakt . Because i am a Christian Who Prays To Lord Shiva. Sometimes i pray to Jesus But Majority of the time i go to Shiv Ji Temples and pray to Lord Shiva.I am Indian
Will People Accept Me As A Shiv Bhakt or will i be looked down by others.
Thank You For Your Help

I think most Hindu temples are quite accommodating even to Christians and Muslims.

 

[Vinayaka]

We Hindus accommodating wouldn't be the problem, I think. The problem would be the guilt he would get for breaking the commandments of Christianity. Not to mention the confusion by practising two entirely different paradigms simultaneously.

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. A Shiv Bhakt .. Who Prays To Lord Shiva.

And who can refuse a Shiva bhakta? What if the ganas of Shiva get angry with that person? No one is going to risk that.

http://www.aboutshiva.com/shiva-maha-purana.html
http://enfolding.org/multiplicious-becomings-tantric-theologies-of-the-grotesque-ii/

 

[wolf2025]

We Hindus accommodating wouldn't be the problem, I think. The problem would be the guilt he would get for breaking the commandments of Christianity. Not to mention the confusion by practising two entirely different paradigms simultaneously.

I Would Not Feel Guilty At All Here is the reason Why i am a very open minded person i have never been a christian to be honest i never believed in the church i never agreed with its teaching . I do not Like The Idea That Humans Are Born with Sin this is called original sin in christianity . i do not believe that there is only one god i beleive that there are many gods and goddess and that all lead to the same path . I Have always Tried To Pray To Lord Shiva . I Just Did not Know How But Recently i Have Learnt the way and have started going to Temples and Praying to Lord Shiva.

My Main Question Here is Do I need To Officaly Covert to Hinduism To Be Considered as a Shiv Bhakt . As Now Days I Pray Only To Lord Shiva. I Pray To Jesus Only At Times Out Of Respect For My Family .

 

[wolf2025]

And who can refuse a Shiva bhakta? What if the ganas of Shiva get angry with that person? No one is going to risk that.

http://www.aboutshiva.com/shiva-maha-purana.html
http://enfolding.org/multiplicious-becomings-tantric-theologies-of-the-grotesque-ii/

I am just very confused if i will be considered as a Shiv Bhakt. Because My Devotion Is To Lord Shiva . I Just Hope That Me Being A Christian On a Document which shows My Religion as Christian does not affect anything. Because i have never accepeted the teaching of Christianity.I Just At Times Out Of Respect Pray To Jesus To show respect for my parents Religion.Otherwise i never pray to Jesus.i Pray only To Lord Shiva .

I Hope I Can Say I am A Shiv Bhakt With Pride To People Who Ask Me What I am.
I Basically hope i am accepted by People of The Hindu Community as a Shiv Bhakt i hope i do not get insulted.

 

[Chakra]

I am just very confused if i will be considered as a Shiv Bhakt. Because My Devotion Is To Lord Shiva . I Just Hope That Me Being A Christian On a Document which shows My Religion as Christian does not affect anything. Because i have never accepeted the teaching of Christianity.I Just At Times Out Of Respect Pray To Jesus To show respect for my parents Religion.Otherwise i never pray to Jesus.i Pray only To Lord Shiva .

I Hope I Can Say I am A Shiv Bhakt With Pride To People Who Ask Me What I am.
I Basically hope i am accepted by People of The Hindu Community as a Shiv Bhakt i hope i do not get insulted.

So essentially, you want to be a Hindu but your family may look down upon it? That's not really a problem...just worship him when you are alone in your thoughts. You own your mind.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Do I need To Officially Covert to Hinduism To Be Considered as a Shiv Bhakt . As Now Days I Pray Only To Lord Shiva. I Pray To Jesus Only At Times Out Of Respect For My Family .

No, and do not do that in a hurry. If you have been worshiping Shiva, if you have his worship in your heart, then you are already a Shiva bhakta. I do not think any Hindu will object to that barring the foolish ones. However, going to some (a small number) of Shiva temples in India could be a problem unless you are officially a Hindu.

 

[Vinayaka]

I Would Not Feel Guilty At All Here is the reason Why i am a very open minded person i have never been a christian to be honest i never believed in the church i never agreed with its teaching . I do not Like The Idea That Humans Are Born with Sin this is called original sin in christianity . i do not believe that there is only one god i beleive that there are many gods and goddess and that all lead to the same path . I Have always Tried To Pray To Lord Shiva . I Just Did not Know How But Recently i Have Learnt the way and have started going to Temples and Praying to Lord Shiva.

My Main Question Here is Do I need To Officaly Covert to Hinduism To Be Considered as a Shiv Bhakt . As Now Days I Pray Only To Lord Shiva. I Pray To Jesus Only At Times Out Of Respect For My Family .

I think you should go see your local Arya Samaj chapter and deconvert. This would just be a matter of righting a wrong.

 

[wolf2025]

No, and do not do that in a hurry. If you have been worshiping Shiva, if you have his worship in your heart, then you are already a Shiva bhakta. I do not think any Hindu will object to that barring the foolish ones. However, going to some (a small number) of Shiva temples in India could be a problem unless you are officially a Hindu.

The Way I Worship Lord Shiva Is I walk Toward Lord Shiva Mandir I Take My Shoes Off I Enter The Temple I Ring The Holy Bell I Walk Towards The Shiv Ling I Bend Down I Place The Flowers Over And Around The Shiv Ling Which Is My Offering To Lord Shiva.

Then After I Give My Offering To Lord Shiva
I Offer My Prayers To Lord Shiva And After I Offer My Prayers I End My Prayer By Saying Jai Bhloenath Ji .

Is This The Right Way That I Worship Lord Shiva.

 

[wolf2025]

I think you should go see your local Arya Samaj chapter and deconvert. This would just be a matter of righting a wrong.

The Way I Worship Lord Shiva Is I walk Toward Lord Shiva Mandir I Take My Shoes Off I Enter The Temple I Ring The Holy Bell I Walk Towards The Shiv Ling I Bend Down I Place The Flowers Over And Around The Shiv Ling Which Is My Offering To Lord Shiva.

Then After I Give My Offering To Lord Shiva
I Offer My Prayers To Lord Shiva And After I Offer My Prayers I End My Prayer By Saying Jai Bhloenath Ji .

Is This The Right Way That I Worship Lord Shiva.

 

[Vinayaka]

There is no 'right' way because there are regional differences. Just do what the local Hindus do where you live.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Is This The Right Way That I Worship Lord Shiva.

Any way one worships God is the right way. Worship is in the heart. It is said that Sage Valmiki worshiped Lord Rama by saying 'mara' (reverse). That too worked because it was coming from the heart. IMHO, it would be good to worship Shiva with a mantra or two. Here is Shiva Gayatri mantra:

"Tatpurushāya Vidmahe, Mahādevāya Dhimahi, Tanno Rudrah Prachodayāt."
(Let us meditate on that personage (The Lord of three Worlds), may the great deity increase our intellect, may Lord Rudra make it brilliant)

Aupmanyav's translation. May not be 100% correct. I know but a little of Sanskrit, errors mine.
(Kindly note 'ā' means an enlogated vowel sound like in 'ask')

So while pouring water/milk on the 'lingam', offering flowers, or folding hands in 'namaskaram', recite this mantra. In my city, we used to ring the bell with a loud 'Jai Bholebaba ki'. That will be considered uncivilized today in most places.