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Originally Posted by ajay00
Today, just two hours back, I was in an ancient orthodox Shiva temple, discussing with the Brahmins there that the Shivalinga represents a cosmic pillar of light, as per the Vedas, and not a human deity or phallus as per the tantrik interpretation.
They agreed with me and remarked that those who term it as a phallic symbol are foolish and ignorant. They also expressed their concern over the lack of proper knowledge of Hinduism among the so-called Hindus.
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Namaste.
There is a beauty within Hinduism and a beauty within humanity.
The beauty within humanity is, that the "foolish" do not consider themselves as being "foolish" and they will ALSO be correct.
For you see, each person in this world gets to create their OWN reality (as illusory as it ALL is!)
For example, you just took advice from "Brahmin Priests" after admonishing the caste system in a previous post, didn't you?
Anybody could call me "foolish" and/or "ignorant" and I could rightfully say; that is "according to YOU" or "according to YOUR school/sampradaya" which could be totally different from MINE and according to MY "philosophy" or "school of thought", I am NOT foolish/ignorant! ...Ah the many glorious ways that Kali Yuga can be exploited for one's own spiritual ends eh?
In Hinduism, there is really no definitive truth... There is nothing really... Maybe just the Mahavakyas "Brahman Alone Exists" and "That Thou Art" and everything ELSE has been "made up" to suit an agenda, with every school calling every other school "foolish" and "ignorant". This is how 33 crore of "Gods" came into existence in the FIRST place.
Yes, I am a Tantrika and just like any "persecuted minority" in human society, we can get to say that the reason why others abuse us and persecute us is due to a combination of fear and a lack of education. Isn't entitlement a grand thing?
Yet, when human beings tell you one thing and God tells you the opposite thing, to whom does one listen? Which is MORE important, the knowledge of people or the knowledge of a Deva? I personally subscribe to the latter, even though it has made me very lonely and isolated in my existence...but I also realise that I come into this world alone and depart the same way, regardless.
So, with such a huge population in the world and especially in places like India, people do not care about what others think or say because if they just look around, they are bound to find another who will agree with them anyway, DESPITE having 'other groups who may not because it is all STILL a matter for the individual human EGO...or even a collection of "puffed-up" EGOS who all have a shared agenda.
Basically...and for all intents and purposes, it sorta goes like this...
I am a Shiva Bhakta. I love Lord Shiva and ALL His Divine Leelas. I worship Lord Shiva in the way HE appeared to me...in the way my heart can associate with Him.
Now, if another person says that I am not worshiping Lord Shiva, but I am worshiping Shankar (when to me, they are one and the same thing), that is THEIR opinion and THEIR belief, it is not my DIRECT EXPERIENCE, so whatever they say has absolutely no relevance to me whatsoever.
Then, they may start calling me names like "ignorant" or "foolish" or "not a Hindu" and all I will say to them is "f*** off!" Just like any Aghori or Tantric would do, with impunity because religious tolerance works BOTH ways...You can't expect me to be tolerant of your beliefs when you are totally intolerant of mine, so I am getting in first!
In the end, everybody just leaves everybody else alone to "do their own thing" but criticises them in private...It is the whole reason why Hinduism (as a whole) is such a diverse religion and also why I will NEVER listen to anybody else who only THINKS they know better than I do.
All they will/can do is call me an "ignorant mleccha" and kick me out of their temple while Lord Shiva opens His arms in a full embrace for me and just laughs at them...This is also why He is known by the names of "Bholenath" and "Bhuteshvara". He takes those under His wing, those who society shuns for being "different" and those people whom others fear...Lord Shiva remains totally unperturbed because He understands what this is like....It is another reason why I love him so much.
Aum Namah Shivaya