Guest guest Posted March 24, 2003 Report Share Posted March 24, 2003 I received this via email and I strongly believe this should be in the message board : I am a 15 year old boy, and an adoptee of Sanatana Dharma. I have worshipped many, many forms of Brahman - The Absolute - and for some time, I have been thinking of whether to join the Vaisnava, Saiva, or Sakta sect...I think I finally know which one....SHAKTA! Shakta is the only sect which offers 100% of the aspects of God in the teachings. Vaisnava focuses on the Loving aspects, Saiva on the Impersonal Cosmic and Meditative acpects....but Shakta is all these things! Kali/Durga are the fierce aspects of the Mother who slay suffering, time, and the ego. Saraswati bestows knowledge and grace. Sita and Radha are prime example of feminine modesty and compassion....the Mother is all and all is the Mother, indeed! I do have some questions however. 1.) What are the different groups within Shakta? 2.) Can one still worship the other aspects of Brahman? 3.) What are famous Shakta scriptures? 4.) Who are some famous Shakta saints? 5.) What are some great mantras that one could chant using malas? Can anyone help us to answer to this young sadhak some of his questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2003 Report Share Posted March 25, 2003 Namaste_()_ I would be greatly thankful in knowing answers to these questions too please. I am still struggling with my Sadhana and no where near where I want to be. I also have a question of my own, If you call upon one deity and your mantra is addressed to that form, but you visualise another deity, is your Sadhana wrong? what does this mean? Should I be calling upon the other deity? this is worrying me a lot, as I keep losing my concentration because of this. love and blessings Valli. p.s- Shankaree, so glad to hear about your father. hugs. , "Nora" <ashwini_puralasamy> wrote: > I received this via email and I strongly believe this should be > in the message board : > > I am a 15 year old boy, and an adoptee of Sanatana Dharma. I have > worshipped many, many forms of Brahman - The Absolute - and for some > time, I have been thinking of whether to join the Vaisnava, Saiva, or > Sakta sect...I think I finally know which one....SHAKTA! Shakta is > the only sect which offers 100% of the aspects of God in the > teachings. Vaisnava focuses on the Loving aspects, Saiva on the > Impersonal Cosmic and Meditative acpects....but Shakta is all these > things! Kali/Durga are the fierce aspects of the Mother who slay > suffering, time, and the ego. Saraswati bestows knowledge and > grace. Sita and Radha are prime example of feminine modesty and > compassion....the Mother is all and all is the Mother, indeed! > > I do have some questions however. > > 1.) What are the different groups within Shakta? > 2.) Can one still worship the other aspects of Brahman? > 3.) What are famous Shakta scriptures? > 4.) Who are some famous Shakta saints? > 5.) What are some great mantras that one could chant using malas? > > Can anyone help us to answer to this young sadhak some of his > questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2003 Report Share Posted March 25, 2003 Namaskaram, At the outset may i say that i also a beginnner sadhaka and the opinions expressed below are based purely on advice given by some eminent people. Chanting a mantra to one deity and visualizing another deity is like calling aloud to your friend with someone else's name- each mantra embodies a form and to get quickest results, one should stick to one form. Usually in the course of mantra japa, the temptation arises to shift to another mantra or to stop it altogether- this merely indicates hidden subconscious vasanas that are coming out and the sadhaka wants to consciously avoid facing it. Mantra japa is like washing a cloth- at the beginning some dirt comes out.... During mantra japa, one should visualize the diety and possibly chant the mantra not only during the japa period, but during every available opportunity- eating, bathing etc. A good stage comes when you can take the japa to sleep, that is while you are asleep, the japa goes on automatically. Also of paramout importance is to stick to the same time every day (preferably around 4am)- if this is followed for sometime, one will find that if one missed the schedule time, the diety himself will come to wake up the sadhaka or one may hear voices asking him to wake up; yes there are divine beings around who are helping us in known and unknown ways. One way to quicken progress in japa is to take it the mantra diksha from a saint. Exception to the above occurs in Srividya for which there are more competant people on this board than myself who can comment on it. And as Swami Vivekananda quoted from the Katha upanishad- Uthisthada, jagrata, prapyavaram nibodatha (awake arise and stop not till the goal is reached) yogaman , "Karuna Ma" <sudha_sofan> wrote: > Namaste_()_ > I would be greatly thankful in knowing answers to these questions too > please. I am still struggling with my Sadhana and no where near where > I want to be. I also have a question of my own, If you call upon one > deity and your mantra is addressed to that form, but you visualise > another deity, is your Sadhana wrong? what does this mean? Should I > be calling upon the other deity? this is worrying me a lot, as I keep > losing my concentration because of this. > love and blessings > Valli. > p.s- Shankaree, so glad to hear about your father. hugs. > > , "Nora" > <ashwini_puralasamy> wrote: > > I received this via email and I strongly believe this should be > > in the message board : > > > > I am a 15 year old boy, and an adoptee of Sanatana Dharma. I have > > worshipped many, many forms of Brahman - The Absolute - and for > some > > time, I have been thinking of whether to join the Vaisnava, Saiva, > or > > Sakta sect...I think I finally know which one....SHAKTA! Shakta is > > the only sect which offers 100% of the aspects of God in the > > teachings. Vaisnava focuses on the Loving aspects, Saiva on the > > Impersonal Cosmic and Meditative acpects....but Shakta is all these > > things! Kali/Durga are the fierce aspects of the Mother who slay > > suffering, time, and the ego. Saraswati bestows knowledge and > > grace. Sita and Radha are prime example of feminine modesty and > > compassion....the Mother is all and all is the Mother, indeed! > > > > I do have some questions however. > > > > 1.) What are the different groups within Shakta? > > 2.) Can one still worship the other aspects of Brahman? > > 3.) What are famous Shakta scriptures? > > 4.) Who are some famous Shakta saints? > > 5.) What are some great mantras that one could chant using malas? > > > > Can anyone help us to answer to this young sadhak some of his > > questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 26, 2003 Report Share Posted March 26, 2003 I, too, am curious about the "saints" What defines a Hindu saint? prainbow , "childofdevi" <childofdevi> wrote: > Namaskaram, > > At the outset may i say that i also a beginnner sadhaka and the > opinions expressed below are based purely on advice given by some > eminent people. > > Chanting a mantra to one deity and visualizing another deity is like > calling aloud to your friend with someone else's name- each mantra > embodies a form and to get quickest results, one should stick to one > form. Usually in the course of mantra japa, the temptation arises to > shift to another mantra or to stop it altogether- this merely > indicates hidden subconscious vasanas that are coming out and the > sadhaka wants to consciously avoid facing it. Mantra japa is like > washing a cloth- at the beginning some dirt comes out.... > > During mantra japa, one should visualize the diety and possibly chant > the mantra not only during the japa period, but during every > available opportunity- eating, bathing etc. A good stage comes when > you can take the japa to sleep, that is while you are asleep, the > japa goes on automatically. > > Also of paramout importance is to stick to the same time every day > (preferably around 4am)- if this is followed for sometime, one will > find that if one missed the schedule time, the diety himself will > come to wake up the sadhaka or one may hear voices asking him to wake > up; yes there are divine beings around who are helping us in known > and unknown ways. > > One way to quicken progress in japa is to take it the mantra diksha > from a saint. > > Exception to the above occurs in Srividya for which there are more > competant people on this board than myself who can comment on it. > > And as Swami Vivekananda quoted from the Katha upanishad- Uthisthada, > jagrata, prapyavaram nibodatha (awake arise and stop not till the > goal is reached) > > yogaman > > > , "Karuna Ma" <sudha_sofan> > wrote: > > Namaste_()_ > > I would be greatly thankful in knowing answers to these questions > too > > please. I am still struggling with my Sadhana and no where near > where > > I want to be. I also have a question of my own, If you call upon > one > > deity and your mantra is addressed to that form, but you visualise > > another deity, is your Sadhana wrong? what does this mean? Should > I > > be calling upon the other deity? this is worrying me a lot, as I > keep > > losing my concentration because of this. > > love and blessings > > Valli. > > p.s- Shankaree, so glad to hear about your father. hugs. > > > > , "Nora" > > <ashwini_puralasamy> wrote: > > > I received this via email and I strongly believe this should be > > > in the message board : > > > > > > I am a 15 year old boy, and an adoptee of Sanatana Dharma. I > have > > > worshipped many, many forms of Brahman - The Absolute - and for > > some > > > time, I have been thinking of whether to join the Vaisnava, > Saiva, > > or > > > Sakta sect...I think I finally know which one....SHAKTA! Shakta > is > > > the only sect which offers 100% of the aspects of God in the > > > teachings. Vaisnava focuses on the Loving aspects, Saiva on the > > > Impersonal Cosmic and Meditative acpects....but Shakta is all > these > > > things! Kali/Durga are the fierce aspects of the Mother who slay > > > suffering, time, and the ego. Saraswati bestows knowledge and > > > grace. Sita and Radha are prime example of feminine modesty and > > > compassion....the Mother is all and all is the Mother, indeed! > > > > > > I do have some questions however. > > > > > > 1.) What are the different groups within Shakta? > > > 2.) Can one still worship the other aspects of Brahman? > > > 3.) What are famous Shakta scriptures? > > > 4.) Who are some famous Shakta saints? > > > 5.) What are some great mantras that one could chant using > malas? > > > > > > Can anyone help us to answer to this young sadhak some of his > > > questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2003 Report Share Posted March 28, 2003 Well our young sadhak is actually with us, but have maintain a low profile. Perhaps still shy to speak up. Do introduce yourself my young friend to the nice people of this forum. Meantime I shall try to answer your question, gradually. Sorry taking such a long time as I was caught up with some non web obligations. What are the different groups within Shakta? I wouldn't use the word groups, but rather path within the shaktas. Like to bring to your attention to message 4489 entittled : In conversation, The moderators speak : What is Shakti Sadhana. "M3 : What are the other path in Shakti Sadhana beside the Sri Vidya? M2 : There is Durga -Durga and her manifestations, Lashmi, Kali, Tara, The Dasa maha vidyas in short. Essentially in each path THAT Mahaa Vidya is treated as supreme and rest as subordinate." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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