Starting to drift away from Hinduism...

[Riverwolf]

Lately, I feel myself being drawn closer to the Gods and practices of my Celto-Germanic ancestors, and further from the Gods of India, except Kali who has been with me my whole life in one form or another; She'll always be Mother to me. I kind of feel like I've gotten as much out of Hinduism as I can right now (since Moksha in this life was never one of my goals), and I want to bring what I learned back to my own people. Even when I try to get the Gods' thoughts on it, I always feel that they're telling me to take what I learned back home.

I'm not going to stop with Hinduism just yet, as I feel like I need to do some sort of "graduation", for lack of better term, to help solidify what I bring back. (Any suggestions for what I could do would be appreciated.)

Anyway, just thought I'd share what's going on lately.

 

[Jainarayan]

I know how you feel, and I'm experiencing the same sort of thing. I can partly explain it here: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/3184193-post19.html

...Of course this could be an ingrained subconscious holdover from my Christian upbringing which taught only one God, but a multiplicity of saints and angels that did God's bidding to help us. Sure, God is omnipotent but there are lessons to be learned from association with these saints, angels and other deities.

For example, because I am drawing more into Vajrayana, I can see the buddhas and bodhisattvas as either deities and entities in and of themselves, or aspects of Vishnu who to my mind is showing me more expansions. Especially in the forms of the bodhisattvas of compassion, wisdom, fearlessness, etc. Or they are the equivalent of those saints and angels from whom I am to learn things.

I'm also questioning a lot of the rituals and what I consider superstitions. I've pretty much written off going to temple as more of a cultural and social event than a spiritual experience, which I feel more of at my own home shrine. I too don't feel that moksha is in the cards for quite a while, and odd as this may sound, I'm not seeking it now. Having realized that my calling, in my mind, is "to protect and serve", I'd prefer to delay moksha so I can keep helping others and become a guardian entity. This is all clearly a major departure from archetypal Hinduism (if there is such a thing). The gods will show the way.

 

[Maya3]

Maybe it's evolution of your spiritual journey?
You used the rituals for as long as you needed them and then when you gain more understanding of what lay behind you don't need it anymore.

Ramakrishna spoke of this I believe.

Maya

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

All of the pomp and ceremony are just tools to your own spiritual awakening. They're useful only as long as they are useful, then it's time to move on to other things. You can't really use just one thing to progress from step 1 to the goal, you need many things, like when you build a house, just one tool doesn't get the job done, you need many tools. Spirituality is a journey, which implies that one has to travel. Staying where you are, never moving, you're never going to go anywhere. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it's what you want to do and feel is the right thing to do, otherwise it will be in vain. As long as you're being led by your own spirit, you can't go wrong.

 

[Vinayaka]

There is a huge difference between this and what happened to Ramakrishna, and many other Hindu masters. After nirvikalpa samadhi, there is no Hinduism, no up, no down, no thinking, there just is pure awareness by itself. It took Hinduism to get him there, but after that 'beyond' point, not much matters in such a state of eternal bliss.

Still its a beautiful progressive step to understand that 'Hinduism doesn't work for me (at this time anyway) It certainly says something about introspection of the aspirant.

 

[Riverwolf]

I've no intention of completely giving up all ties to Hinduism. The philosophies of Vedanta, the divine stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, my love for Mother Kali, etc. will always remain with me, albeit I may express them with more European imagery (except for the Mahabharata, which is decidedly Indian.)

I've always been more of a wanderer than a settler (a stark spiritual contrast to my physical life in which I've barely moved at all).

 

[Madhuri]

Considering that everything is Hinduism anyway...you will simply have your own version of it

 

[Riverwolf]

Maybe it's evolution of your spiritual journey?
You used the rituals for as long as you needed them and then when you gain more understanding of what lay behind you don't need it anymore.

Ramakrishna spoke of this I believe.

Maya

Not quite.

I was never great at performing rituals consistently, but it's more that I want to practice the rituals of my own people.

 

[Riverwolf]

Considering that everything is Hinduism anyway...you will simply have your own version of it

LOL, perhaps. ^_^

 

[Me Myself]

May love and peace spread inwards and outwards everywhere you go and from every path you take, for you and your loved ones

m: Namaha Shivaya:namaste

 

[Gaura Priya]

I wouldn't worry so much about it, uncleji!

Wherever your spiritual journey leads you, I feel that one should follow that path. Divinity lies in wherever your eyes find worth and meaning, and that should be nourished, loved, and nurtured with the utmost beauty.

I've stopped going to temple regularly because I no longer feel that Krishna can be boxed even in the Vaishnava tradition, and that if He is indeed the same Divine Aspiration in every spiritual tradition, then it no longer is fitting for me to be in association with certain people who have triumphalist views of Vaishnavism.

I presently attend UU services and go to the temple for festivals, and because my extended family are Christian, I've even attended Mass once in a while! Like you, the Gita, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, Vishnu-lila. Vishnu-tattva, Vedic culture, etc. is part of my life, whether I like it or not, lol.

I struggle with identity and meaning, and am trying understand my place in this world as a Unitarian Universalist Hindu (UU Hindu). I hope that you will find truth and meaning in the gods that speak to you, as you have done in Sanatana Dharma.

 

[SageTree]

God hides behind the ritual.

Wonderous journey to you, Friend.

:namaste

 

[Jainarayan]

I've stopped going to temple regularly because I no longer feel that Krishna can be boxed even in the Vaishnava tradition, and that if He is indeed the same Divine Aspiration in every spiritual tradition, then it no longer is fitting for me to be in association with certain people who have triumphalist views of Vaishnavism.

I would go to temple regularly if there were a mainly Vaishnava temple or a Shankarnarayana/Harihara temple. I love Lord Shiva too, but there's too much going on at "my" temple to feel much of anything. How many shrines to Maa (Ambika, Kannika Parameshwari, Sri Andal, Mahalakshmi, at least) and Sri Vishnu (Sri Guruvayurappan, Sri Balaji/Venkateshwara, Satyanarayana) can you visit without repeating yourself in namaskars and obeisance?

 

[Gaura Priya]

I would go to temple regularly if there were a mainly Vaishnava temple or a Shankarnarayana/Harihara temple. I love Lord Shiva too, but there's too much going on at "my" temple to feel much of anything. How many shrines to Maa (Ambika, Kannika Parameshwari, Sri Andal, Mahalakshmi, at least) and Sri Vishnu (Sri Guruvayurappan, Sri Balaji/Venkateshwara, Satyanarayana) can you visit without repeating yourself in namaskars and obeisance?

I think you're right. I think that such a temple seems so... crazy, lol.

I think that it is more proper to have temples dedicated to one aspect of Divinity over trying to accomodate them all.

That being said, I am starting to miss the Deities of the ISKCON temple here, Sri Sri Radha-Madana-Mohana. I think it's time to get darshana soon! At least I have my Gaura-Nitai Deities at home.

 

[Jainarayan]

I think that it is more proper to have temples dedicated to one aspect of Divinity over trying to accomodate them all.

Exactly. Sri Guruvayurappan and Sri Venkateshwara are south Indian representations of Vishnu. It's a primarily, if not wholly southern style, which is fine. I'm just taken aback by three huge sanctums to three representations of Sri Vishnu, all in a row. Yet, no sanctum to Maa Kali.

 

[Maya3]

I like when there are several. Then each aspect can be worshipped, and everyone feels home there no matter which way you see God.

Maya

 

[Jainarayan]

That's true too, because as one person told me "We are from all over India". But I find it, and I hate to use the word 'silly', but I have no other, to walk from one Vishnu sanctum to the next to the next to venerate and pay obeisance to three forms of God. Parameshwari, Sri Ambika, Sri Andal, Mahalakshmi are spread out all over the place too. I'd feel funny being the only person to "snub" a sanctum"... it would actually feel creepy.

 

[Gaura Priya]

I like when there are several. Then each aspect can be worshipped, and everyone feels home there no matter which way you see God.

Maya

I suppose so, if you look at it that way. But the care taken over one set of Deities than many is found when you visit temples where there is a main set of Deities. Having one set helps focus the mind on the form of the Lord, rather than many and have it all over the place. It makes darshana all the more special, in my opinion!

Actually, it's the norm here. I've been to another Radha-Krishna temple, one Lakshmi-Narayana temple, and a Mahalakshmi temple. There are also Ganesha temples and one Durgadevi temple in my locality. Some may have a smaller set of Deities (Rama-lila Deities, or Hanuman), but there is always one main set on the altar which also characterises the temple.

 

[Maya3]

I see both of your points.
I can see what you mean with silly too. In my temple Ganesha is the main deity and most don´t go around and bow to the other smaller ones. I like doing it, but I do spend more time at my "favorites"

Maya

 

[Vinayaka]

This 'accommodation of all' phenomena for South Indian style temples is a phenomena unique to the west, rising out of Smartism, and financial issues in the community. I believe it has diluted South Indian Hinduism, and the power is much less than in a temple dedicated to one. In the North Indian style temples where there is more Vedanta, 'all is same' concept, there is a much longer standing tradition to have all the deities, in the Sanatan style temples.

Whether or not you can 'feel' the presence of divinity is the key. So why go to a temple if you can't feel this? For most it is some sort of habit pattern, or obligation now, limited to an intellectual or simplistic idea, not born of any real devotion. - Not much different than walking through a mall to have a look around.