Temple Visits from "Outsiders"

[Vinayaka]

Welcome to The Shiva Vishnu Hindu Temple of Greater Cleveland

The regular Puja and activity link isn't working, but they do have a calendar of events and classes.


ETA: I had considered this one first, but the address appears to be a residence.

Vedanata Center of Cleveland – "As many faiths, so many paths" ~ Sri Ramakrishna

For the Shiva Vishnu temple, their daily puja link isn't working, but there is some stuff on the 2017 calendar for festivals and the like. Generally the daily main pujas at most temples start either a half hour or an hour after the temple opens. So 10 AM and 6 PM would be good bets. Sundays are almost always busier times, because of the western work and school schedule.

The Vedanta Center is most likely more of a hall, with podium, or speaker's dais at the front, or on the side. There may or may not be a shrine where pujas are done. So these two would provide you with quite the contrast, one being a bhakti place, and the other being more to the philosophical side.

Hope that helps.

 

[sayak83]

Welcome to The Shiva Vishnu Hindu Temple of Greater Cleveland

The regular Puja and activity link isn't working, but they do have a calendar of events and classes.


ETA: I had considered this one first, but the address appears to be a residence.

Vedanata Center of Cleveland – "As many faiths, so many paths" ~ Sri Ramakrishna

Weekly events at Vedanta center

Activities – Vedanata Center of Cleveland

You should contact them first by phone or email.
Contact – Vedanata Center of Cleveland

For Siva Vishnu temple, here is the October calendar attached

 

[SalixIncendium]

Well, I contacted the Vedanta Center of Cleveland via email and they responded almost immediately. So, I'm going to my first Puja this afternoon. Today they are celebrating Durga Puja.

Thank you all for your advice in this thread.

 

[Aupmanyav]

SalixIncendium, Vedanta Center does not substitute for a temple.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I met a very nice group of people this afternoon. The Puja was interesting, and they they did it in two languages, which made it much easier for me to understand and to know what's going on.

While the Puja was nice, I was more enthralled by the individual conversations I had with a few of the members about their beliefs and Vedanta. We exchanged emails, and I'm planning on attending their talk next week.

Oh, and the food was amazing!

 

[SomeRandom]

I met a very nice group of people this afternoon. The Puja was interesting, and they they did it in two languages, which made it much easier for me to understand and to know what's going on.

While the Puja was nice, I was more enthralled by the individual conversations I had with a few of the members about their beliefs and Vedanta. We exchanged emails, and I'm planning on attending their talk next week.

Oh, and the food was amazing!

Ahh a house like Puja. Those are nice too. A little surprised at the bareness. Indians are rarely not extravagant. Maybe it's a Vedanta thing.
The murti looks real pretty too.

 

[sayak83]

I met a very nice group of people this afternoon. The Puja was interesting, and they they did it in two languages, which made it much easier for me to understand and to know what's going on.

While the Puja was nice, I was more enthralled by the individual conversations I had with a few of the members about their beliefs and Vedanta. We exchanged emails, and I'm planning on attending their talk next week.

Oh, and the food was amazing!

That looks really nice. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[Aupmanyav]

A little surprised at the bareness. Indians are rarely not extravagant.

Yeah, my home shrine is more decorated than that.

 

[Vinayaka]

This is the reason that it's best to get to a few temples, rather than just one. But any temple is a start to overcoming the trepidation of going to one at all. This place, because of it's welcoming attitude, was probably really good for that.

 

[sayak83]

Ahh a house like Puja. Those are nice too. A little surprised at the bareness. Indians are rarely not extravagant. Maybe it's a Vedanta thing.
The murti looks real pretty too.

House puja-s in Bengal are usually like this. Reasonably small and sparse. RK mission comes from Bengal, so probably that's why. We are more interested in the food. The Big puja-s happen on temple or community festivals. We are still interested in the food though .

 

[SalixIncendium]

How is Vedanta study circle going?

They were a bit dogmatic for my taste and I felt a bit uncomfortable and at times 'in the way' at some of their rites. They may or may not have picked up on this, as they haven't offered me a meeting location in a few weeks. I didn't pursue so it was possibly a sort of a mutual discomfort. I'm back to independent study.

Sorry to hear that.
Let's discuss in the Hindu Dir forum. Sad to see ppl feeling excluded due to divergent views in a study group.

The above is from another thread. @sayak83 wisely suggested to continue the discussion here.

 

[sayak83]

The above is from another thread. @sayak83 wisely suggested to continue the discussion here.

Me here. What was your experience? What put you off? Be frank and unbridled in your critical assessments.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Me here. What was your experience? What put you off? Be frank and unbridled in your critical assessments.

I will be as candid as possible. I only ask that no one take exception to what I say, as my personal comfort level is in no way intended to be an affront to any Hindu beliefs or practices.

There were group chants spoken in Hindi, and having never spoken and hearing very of this language, I had trouble with some of the phonetics and was unconformable reciting words of which I had little to no understanding. They were repeated in English after, which gave be some understanding, but this was after I had already spoken them.

There was a fair amount of emphasis on the avatars and gods, and for what I presumed to be an Advaita philosophy which was professed by them in discussion, there appeared to be Dvaita, or at the very least Vishishtadvaita nuances.

Finally, there was worship and reverence for different Hindu gods, with different attributes and associations. No offense to any of those with Hindu beliefs, but I honestly moved past anthropomorphism in my days as a Neo-pagan.

I was hoping that this would be more a study of the Advaita Vedanta school of philosophy, rather than a religious practice, which is why I opted for this group rather than going to temple.

 

[sayak83]

I will be as candid as possible. I only ask that no one take exception to what I say, as my personal comfort level is in no way intended to be an affront to any Hindu beliefs or practices.

There were group chants spoken in Hindi, and having never spoken and hearing very of this language, I had trouble with some of the phonetics and was unconformable reciting words of which I had little to no understanding. They were repeated in English after, which gave be some understanding, but this was after I had already spoken them.

There was a fair amount of emphasis on the avatars and gods, and for what I presumed to be an Advaita philosophy which was professed by them in discussion, there appeared to be Dvaita, or at the very least Vishishtadvaita nuances.

Finally, there was worship and reverence for different Hindu gods, with different attributes and associations. No offense to any of those with Hindu beliefs, but I honestly moved past anthropomorphism in my days as a Neo-pagan.

I was hoping that this would be more a study of the Advaita Vedanta school of philosophy, rather than a religious practice, which is why I opted for this group rather than going to temple.

So it was not really a study circle and more of a communal worship gathering. That is sad. I thought it would be more of a study/discussion followed by some meditation practice etc. Were they reading anything?

Hindus in general see icon worship and non-dualism complementary and seamlessly switch between them. Though I hoped there would be mix and match with some meeting devoted to study and meditation and some on worship and devotion. Then one can see what's the agenda and come when the meeting suits them. It's the usual practice in the West as newbies are unlikely to have the Olympic gymnast levels of theological flexibility when it comes to switching modes of practice.

 

[SalixIncendium]

So it was not really a study circle and more of a communal worship gathering. That is sad. I thought it would be more of a study/discussion followed by some meditation practice etc. Were they reading anything?

That's a good assessment. And I was hoping for exactly that (the bolded).

During one meeting we took turns reading from the Gospel of Ramakrishna, but they were near the end of the book and only a few pages were read, and no discussion followed, so I got very little from it.

 

[sayak83]

That's a good assessment. And I was hoping for exactly that (the bolded).

During one meeting we took turns reading from the Gospel of Ramakrishna, but they were near the end of the book and only a few pages were read, and no discussion followed, so I got very little from it.

Yes. If possible ask them to keep you informed about their meeting agenda and then you can choose to attend when something interesting happens.

The other option is to go to a nearby temple and ask the people there if they know of any ongoing book discussion and yoga/meditation group nearby.

How about an online book discussion thread here. Would that be interesting? Then I will put out a blurb.

 

[SomeRandom]

There were group chants spoken in Hindi, and having never spoken and hearing very of this language, I had trouble with some of the phonetics and was unconformable reciting words of which I had little to no understanding. They were repeated in English after, which gave be some understanding, but this was after I had already spoken them.

Consider yourself lucky. In my ma's prayer group it was/is the parents' responsibility to translate for those unable to fully understand Hindi lol!
Although English isn't exactly one for consistency haha

Finally, there was worship and reverence for different Hindu gods, with different attributes and associations. No offense to any of those with Hindu beliefs, but I honestly moved past anthropomorphism in my days as a Neo-pagan.

That's fair. The "idols" are often used as a training tool of sorts anyway.

I was hoping that this would be more a study of the Advaita Vedanta school of philosophy, rather than a religious practice, which is why I opted for this group rather than going to temple.

Hindus tend to be cloistered about their philosophical beliefs just in general. It is considered rude to bring up such matters because the idea is that you're taking over someone else's choice in the matter. Which is why proselytisation is so frowned upon. So you might find some groups more...........tight lipped about such things than others.
Keep shopping around, you might find something more your taste.

 

[Kapalika]

No offense to any of those with Hindu beliefs, but I honestly moved past anthropomorphism in my days as a Neo-pagan.

Honest question but isn't it a little hard to imagine Hinduism without at least the symbolism of deities? At least I'm having difficulty doing so, but I also think they are more than just symbols.

If any fellow Hindus feel otherwise I'd like to understand that view

 

[Vinayaka]

Honest question but isn't it a little hard to imagine Hinduism without at least the symbolism of deities? At least I'm having difficulty doing so, but I also think they are more than just symbols.

If any fellow Hindus feel otherwise I'd like to understand that view

In my sampradaya and school, deities are a conduit for the divine. God's energy comes through to this physical plane through the deity. You can see it in the face of a bhaktar, and many people can feel it strongly. Only those who can't feel it would logically assess (from their POV, and experience) that the deity is only symbolic. In the more intellectual branches of Hinduism, you get this POV, but in any bhakti school, the diety is absolutely real, and His/Her darshan is capable of working miracles, and often does.

When people talk about the energy around a particular old temple, this is what they're referring to.

A simple example is taking a problem to the feet of the deity, and then walking out having forgotten what the problem is, so strong in His eraser of troubles.

I took a friend (colleague) to our temple here once. After the puja, his first question was "_______, does your religion believe in some sort of energy?"

Another time I met a westerner coming out, as I was going in. He looked at me, with that beautiful blank stare of awe, and simply said, 'There's something in there!" I just smiled, because I've been feeling that 'something' for nearly 45 years.

 

[sayak83]

Honest question but isn't it a little hard to imagine Hinduism without at least the symbolism of deities? At least I'm having difficulty doing so, but I also think they are more than just symbols.

If any fellow Hindus feel otherwise I'd like to understand that view

Yes, it's possible for Hindus to practice without any icons or deities whatsoever. Gita certainly tells of ways to do it, and one can use Yoga sutra to do this as well.