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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Hinduism

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  #1  
Old 28-10-2016, 08:54 AM
Jared.L Jared.L is offline
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Practicing Hinduism

I have been on a journey lately to discover a religion I connect with. After much general research on many different religions I have found that Hinduism is a religion I would like to begin to practice. However I am slightly overwhelmed with just how much information comes along with this religion and I was curious if anybody who also commits Hindu practice had any pointers on where I should begin my journey.
Thank you in advance for anybody with advice.

I would also like to add that I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone's religion, I am completely new to Hinduism and very uneducated in the religion (that's why I'm here asking). So if I say something wrong please kindly correct me, there is much I still have to learn.
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  #2  
Old 28-10-2016, 12:00 PM
sky sky is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jared.L
I have been on a journey lately to discover a religion I connect with. After much general research on many different religions I have found that Hinduism is a religion I would like to begin to practice. However I am slightly overwhelmed with just how much information comes along with this religion and I was curious if anybody who also commits Hindu practice had any pointers on where I should begin my journey.
Thank you in advance for anybody with advice.

I would also like to add that I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone's religion, I am completely new to Hinduism and very uneducated in the religion (that's why I'm here asking). So if I say something wrong please kindly correct me, there is much I still have to learn.


Good luck on your journey, enjoy every step on the way
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  #3  
Old 28-10-2016, 12:31 PM
peteyzen peteyzen is offline
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HI Jared,
a good way to start is to go to a temple, and speak to one of the priests there. See if you like him and get a `feel` for the temple see if it feels right for you. Or get some pictures up on screen of Krishna/Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma and spend a little time looking at each picture, see which resonates with you and then pick that one and start to explore more about them, then go to a temple and ask a priest for direction. Another way is to work with an avatar, that would be Krishna or Mother Meera or Sai Baba, look these up and again see which one resonates with you (obviously the benefit of Mother Meera is she is alive and here now, so you could actually meet her).
Good luck and have fun
Jai Sri Krishna
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  #4  
Old 28-10-2016, 12:38 PM
Vinayaka Vinayaka is offline
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I second peteyzen's advice. Establishing a relationship with a temple and the deity there, then going once a week regularly will help a lot.

You can also start personal worship at home in some small way. The first thing would be to select a space where you live that is used for nothing else but religion. You can learn a simple puja, set up an altar, and if you meditate, do it there. This will establish a 'bubble' space of a different vibration than the world.
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  #5  
Old 21-11-2016, 01:54 AM
KalaMa KalaMa is offline
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Hi Jared, I am replying to you from the point of view of a western, ex-christian woman who came to Hinduism in my late 30s. Apologies in advance to anyone I may offend with my ignorance, I mean no offence.

Hinduism is a word to describe a variety of beliefs and practices, if you start exploring and find yourself going down a path that doesn't sit quite right with you, there may very possibly be another path that suits you better which is still under the umbrella of Hinduism.

My journey started when I felt an affinity with Maa Durga. I can't explain it, I just really felt I wanted her in my life. I printed out a few pictures from the internet and put them up around my house. I didn't know what else to do because I live in the middle of nowhere and there aren't any handy Hindu temples or communities nearby. I bought a CD of Durga mantras and played them too.

Then 'co-incidentally' (there are no co-incidences!) I met a girl who mentioned she had a guru, and there was a group in a town about an hour away. I felt like I was hit by lightning, I had to go. The group followed the teachings of a guru who focused on Durga!

As I went on I learnt more and began to experience other deities and participate in practices such as fire pujas and abhishekam.

My advice to you would be choose a deity that resonates with you and let them guide you. Of course you never choose a deity, the deity chooses you. Put out the intention you want to get closer to them and circumstances will conspire to help you do that. Of course if there is a temple or Hindu community nearby, definitely check them out. And mantra is very powerful, find an appropriate one and say at least one round of a mala every day. It is good to have an altar or sacred space to do this in.

When you are starting out there is so much to learn. But don't let yourself be overwhelmed. Just put one foot in front of the other and let your devotion to the deity be your guide. As you go on you will be helped by other deities too and a whole new world will open up.

And remember any deity you are seeking is not outside of or separate from you. They are within your heart.

The guru tradition is also a part of Hinduism. If you wish to find your guru pray for that to happen. Gurus are misunderstood in the west. A guru does their best to serve you and help you achieve the highest spiritual potential that you are karmically capable of.

I wish you all the very best on your journey, as long as you are coming from a place of love and devotion everything will work out to help you discover your highest and most satisfying path.

Namaste!
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  #6  
Old 21-11-2016, 03:30 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KalaMa
Hi Jared, I am replying to you from the point of view of a western, ex-christian woman who came to Hinduism in my late 30s. Apologies in advance to anyone I may offend with my ignorance, I mean no offence.

Hinduism is a word to describe a variety of beliefs and practices, if you start exploring and find yourself going down a path that doesn't sit quite right with you, there may very possibly be another path that suits you better which is still under the umbrella of Hinduism.

My journey started when I felt an affinity with Maa Durga. I can't explain it, I just really felt I wanted her in my life. I printed out a few pictures from the internet and put them up around my house. I didn't know what else to do because I live in the middle of nowhere and there aren't any handy Hindu temples or communities nearby. I bought a CD of Durga mantras and played them too.

Then 'co-incidentally' (there are no co-incidences!) I met a girl who mentioned she had a guru, and there was a group in a town about an hour away. I felt like I was hit by lightning, I had to go. The group followed the teachings of a guru who focused on Durga!

As I went on I learnt more and began to experience other deities and participate in practices such as fire pujas and abhishekam.

My advice to you would be choose a deity that resonates with you and let them guide you. Of course you never choose a deity, the deity chooses you. Put out the intention you want to get closer to them and circumstances will conspire to help you do that. Of course if there is a temple or Hindu community nearby, definitely check them out. And mantra is very powerful, find an appropriate one and say at least one round of a mala every day. It is good to have an altar or sacred space to do this in.

When you are starting out there is so much to learn. But don't let yourself be overwhelmed. Just put one foot in front of the other and let your devotion to the deity be your guide. As you go on you will be helped by other deities too and a whole new world will open up.

And remember any deity you are seeking is not outside of or separate from you. They are within your heart.

The guru tradition is also a part of Hinduism. If you wish to find your guru pray for that to happen. Gurus are misunderstood in the west. A guru does their best to serve you and help you achieve the highest spiritual potential that you are karmically capable of.

I wish you all the very best on your journey, as long as you are coming from a place of love and devotion everything will work out to help you discover your highest and most satisfying path.

Namaste!
Namaste.

What a beautiful post. I have been following this thread, not contributing because it's all been covered nicely, but this is also a very nice story and great advice.

I like to think my deity is outside me sometimes and in my heart sometimes and/or both simultaneously, but that's just the whole relationship I have with Shiva. If it weren't that way, I wouldn't have been attracted enough to Him in the first place.

Yes, it's all about finding that within the religion which resonates - for me, Shiva does and Tantra does and Agama does and Adi Shankacharya does and the Vedas and Upanishads do...it is like something I have 'always known'.

Behind this all is a Deity, the greatest of the Celestial Beings - Maha Deva, which appears as a conceptual analysis or an ocean of Light and Love - depending on where my focus is - but I always have immense fondness for his 'cosmic form' as well - with all of the attributes mankind sees.

I came to believe in and worship Shiva predominantly, according to what I knew about Balinese tradition (Acintya) and also adopted some local shamanic practices - my brand of 'Hinduism' is very very different - it's like what was practiced in the Indus valley some 5,000 years ago, when Lord Shiva was known as Pashupati (another of my chosen forms of Shiva).

Follow your heart and if something resonates...if 'bells ring' deep inside then something is there and something is going on...it's God changing you from the inside-out.

Aum Namah Shivaya
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  #7  
Old 21-11-2016, 09:27 AM
Shivani Devi Shivani Devi is offline
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Namaste..

.......and of course, it's always so glorious when I feel Shiva outside my heart. I felt it again, just now.

I was laying down, closing my eyes and letting my body relax on top of my bed.

Then, the room went bright and shining - like the light was on - but it was dusk and the light was off...a breeze came in through the window, touching my face gently...kissing/caressing my cheek.

Then I felt Him beside me, watching me rest...smiling...protecting me and healing my body, like a 'spirit doctor' but I know this is Shiva...it is a total..a total 'heart thing' and I also know He has been walking beside me as my friend and lover my whole life.

I got into the whole 'Hindu' bit during a Thaipusam festival in Malaysia and I mean, anybody that puts themselves through physical pain for a God because love is nowhere near enough...that was my kind of religion and I have walked on fire and taken certain substances in the name of it.

Aum Namah Shivaya
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  #8  
Old 22-11-2016, 03:38 PM
SimplyHindu SimplyHindu is offline
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 24
 
Hi Jared,

My best wishes for your journey. One possible way can be sacred texts or scriptures. It can be daunting to understand which classificiation of books to start with but you can choose among the following three categories depending upon your mental

The Vedas are direct truths that only the most evovled consiousness can understand. I haven't reached that level yet hence i resort to Upanishads and Puranas. The Vedas are the ancient truths of life revealed by the creator/supreme consiousness to the sages/rishis to pass one from yuga to another to preserve the knowlegdge from generation to generation.

For a newbie it is best to start by studying the Upanishads and Puranas. If you cannot relate to these two literatures Vedas are difficult to comprehend.

Now before choosing where to start: Upanishads or Puranas, you have to decide whether you relate to the knowledge from the perspective of Philosophy (Upanishads) or from Bhakti (Puranas).

The Upanishads explain the truth about consiousness, life, creation by delving into philosophy and mental speculation using dialgoues, debates, anecdotes, etc.

The Puranas explain the truth by relating stories about Gods, their dialogues and anecdotes.

The intent of both these literatures is the same but the wise sages in their wisdom have left two different commentaries to appease both the categories of people. Depending on your preference for philosophy/Bhakti you can start with Upanishad/Purana respectively.
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  #9  
Old 22-11-2016, 03:41 PM
SimplyHindu SimplyHindu is offline
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 24
 
Hi Jared,

My best wishes for your journey. One possible way can be sacred texts or scriptures. It can be daunting to understand which classificiation of books to start with but you can choose among the following three categories depending upon your personality alignment.

The Vedas are direct truths that only the most evovled consiousness can understand. The Vedas are the ancient truths of life revealed by the creator/supreme consiousness to the sages/rishis to pass one from yuga to another to preserve the knowlegdge from generation to generation.

For a new explorer it is best to start by studying the Upanishads and Puranas. If you cannot relate to these two literatures Vedas are difficult to comprehend.

Now before choosing where to start: Upanishads or Puranas, you have to decide whether you relate to the knowledge from the perspective of Philosophy (Upanishads) or from Bhakti (Puranas).

The Upanishads explain the truth about consiousness, life, creation by delving into philosophy and mental speculation using dialgoues, debates, anecdotes, etc.

The Puranas explain the truth by relating stories about Gods, their dialogues and anecdotes.

The intent of both these literatures is the same but the wise sages in their wisdom have left two different commentaries to appease both the categories of people. Depending on your preference for philosophy/Bhakti you can start with Upanishad/Purana respectively.
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