Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Having been brought up as a Nice Jewish Boy, and initiated as a High Priest of a coven, I must admit that the word "priest" does not automatically evoke Catholicism to me. I do vividly remember a neighbor girl from the local parochial school telling my grade-school self to please stop being Jewish, because I was too nice to go to Hell... Are HINDUS offended by the use of the word "priest" to describe their technicians of the sacred? -- Len/ Kalipadma --- Mary Ann <buttercookie61 wrote: > Swamis, Amma's assistants, her "disciples," whoever > performs pujas - > what is the proper title, "brahmacharyins" ? But > "priests" to me > evokes Catholicism. I think (you would know better > than me) that > it's also a term used in Goddess worship, but from > what I have > heard, there is a (in my view mistaken) > over-emphasis on gender / > gender roles in Goddess worship, so the titles > "priest" > and "priestess" seem part of that to me. > > , Len Rosenberg > > <kalipadma108> wrote: > > > > By priests I mean the brahmacharyins who assist > Amma > > to give darshan. What would YOU call them? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 , Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108> wrote: > > Having been brought up as a Nice Jewish Boy, and > initiated as a High Priest of a coven, I must admit > that the word "priest" does not automatically evoke > Catholicism to me. > > I do vividly remember a neighbor girl from the local > parochial school telling my grade-school self to > please stop being Jewish, because I was too nice to go > to Hell... > > Are HINDUS offended by the use of the word "priest" to > describe their technicians of the sacred? > > -- Len/ Kalipadma > > > > --- Mary Ann <buttercookie61> wrote: > > > Swamis, Amma's assistants, her "disciples," whoever > > performs pujas - > > what is the proper title, "brahmacharyins" ? But > > "priests" to me > > evokes Catholicism. I think (you would know better > > than me) that > > it's also a term used in Goddess worship, but from > > what I have > > heard, there is a (in my view mistaken) > > over-emphasis on gender / > > gender roles in Goddess worship, so the titles > > "priest" > > and "priestess" seem part of that to me. > > > > , Len Rosenberg > > > > <kalipadma108> wrote: > > > > > > By priests I mean the brahmacharyins who assist > > Amma > > > to give darshan. What would YOU call them? > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 I also think of a "priest" as a "go-between," an interloper and interceder between me and the divine. And no such go-between is really necessary, but is required in and by hierarchically structured religions where li'l ol' me just isn't deemed capable of direct experience of the divine. And I thought guru-based spirituality emphasized one's relationship with the guru, not with go-betweens who walk around spouting dogma (incomplete understanding) as gospel. , Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108> wrote: > > Having been brought up as a Nice Jewish Boy, and > initiated as a High Priest of a coven, I must admit > that the word "priest" does not automatically evoke > Catholicism to me. > > I do vividly remember a neighbor girl from the local > parochial school telling my grade-school self to > please stop being Jewish, because I was too nice to go > to Hell... > > Are HINDUS offended by the use of the word "priest" to > describe their technicians of the sacred? > > -- Len/ Kalipadma > > > > --- Mary Ann <buttercookie61> wrote: > > > Swamis, Amma's assistants, her "disciples," whoever > > performs pujas - > > what is the proper title, "brahmacharyins" ? But > > "priests" to me > > evokes Catholicism. I think (you would know better > > than me) that > > it's also a term used in Goddess worship, but from > > what I have > > heard, there is a (in my view mistaken) > > over-emphasis on gender / > > gender roles in Goddess worship, so the titles > > "priest" > > and "priestess" seem part of that to me. > > > > , Len Rosenberg > > > > <kalipadma108> wrote: > > > > > > By priests I mean the brahmacharyins who assist > > Amma > > > to give darshan. What would YOU call them? > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Who could speak for all "Hindus"? - > Are HINDUS offended by the use of the word "priest" to > describe their technicians of the sacred? > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 The technical term is "pujari" (poo-jaa-ree) and that translates as priest. These folks do the worship in the temples for the various dieties. they are well-versed in mantras, stotrams, and mudras. no offence is taken at the word "priest". In a strictly guru-shisya world, pujaris are not a famailiar sight for the shisya, especially in the western world context. , "Mahamuni" <mahamuni@c...> wrote: > Who could speak for all "Hindus"? > > - > > > Are HINDUS offended by the use of the word "priest" to > > describe their technicians of the sacred? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Li'l ol' you is perfectly capable of direct experience of the divine. Such experience would make you a priest(ess) of Mary-Ann-ism. You are entitled to make up your own practice. I am interested in learning Hinduism. As such, I would seek advice from a person (male or female) who has been trained over many years in Hindu sadhana. As I learn more about Hindu sadhana, I suspect I will find myself more and more becoming the priest whose guidance I am searching for. It has been established that one can be a devotee of Ammachi without practicing much Hindu sadhana. Such people simply relate to Amma as their spiritual guide. Much as I love Amma, I guess Amma is NOT my only spiritual guide. I see her as a pathway to a closer relationship to Shakti, and it is important to me to develop a relationship with Devi (who lives in my heart). So I would not turn down advice from a competant Hindu priest or priestess (Amma initiates priestesses, a rarity in Hinduism!), at least until I become one myself. Standing on a dais, surrounded by hundreds of people at Devi Bhava, I would not have been able to ask Amma for information on uses of mantra (I'm blessed that she seems to remember who I am amongst thousands of devotees!). The technicians of the sacred who travel with Amma have helped me a lot. Even if I've mis-remembered their instructions, they seem to work for me. I never was a Catholic. I don't carry Catholic baggage. The word "priest" doesn't weird me out. On the other hand, I've made several attempts at learning Kaballah, and I always get hung up on the Hebrew, and the Jewish symbolism, and freak out over the memories of abuse (not sexual) I suffered while going to Hebrew School as an early teenager. We all have our vasanas... -- Len/ Kalipadma --- Mary Ann <buttercookie61 wrote: > I also think of a "priest" as a "go-between," an > interloper and > interceder between me and the divine. And no such > go-between is > really necessary, but is required in and by > hierarchically > structured religions where li'l ol' me just isn't > deemed capable of > direct experience of the divine. And I thought > guru-based > spirituality emphasized one's relationship with the > guru, not with > go-betweens who walk around spouting dogma > (incomplete > understanding) as gospel. > > > Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 aren't we being rather touchy about a word that will not in anyway offend? As someone said "whats in a name" *smile*. (I am not very letterature concious and I think old age is catching up with me. So I forget where the quotation is from). Each person names things according to where he was broght up and what words are used there I think. Mary Ann <buttercookie61 wrote:, Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108> wrote: > > Having been brought up as a Nice Jewish Boy, and > initiated as a High Priest of a coven, I must admit > that the word "priest" does not automatically evoke > Catholicism to me. > > I do vividly remember a neighbor girl from the local > parochial school telling my grade-school self to > please stop being Jewish, because I was too nice to go > to Hell... > > Are HINDUS offended by the use of the word "priest" to > describe their technicians of the sacred? > > -- Len/ Kalipadma > > > > --- Mary Ann <buttercookie61> wrote: > > > Swamis, Amma's assistants, her "disciples," whoever > > performs pujas - > > what is the proper title, "brahmacharyins" ? But > > "priests" to me > > evokes Catholicism. I think (you would know better > > than me) that > > it's also a term used in Goddess worship, but from > > what I have > > heard, there is a (in my view mistaken) > > over-emphasis on gender / > > gender roles in Goddess worship, so the titles > > "priest" > > and "priestess" seem part of that to me. > > > > , Len Rosenberg > > > > <kalipadma108> wrote: > > > > > > By priests I mean the brahmacharyins who assist > > Amma > > > to give darshan. What would YOU call them? > > > > > > > Beliefs of hinduism Traditions Divine Hinduism Visit your group "" on the web. for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 , Len Rosenberg <kalipadma108> wrote: > > So I would not turn down advice from a competant Hindu > priest or priestess (Amma initiates priestesses, a > rarity in Hinduism!), at least until I become one > myself. > Another note for Mary Ann (and everybody): Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa - one of the greatest mystics of modern times - was a priest by profession at the Dakshineshwar temple of Ma Kali. Indian priests are not necessarily spiritual, and mostly not famous beyond the context of the temple they serve in. But then, the profession being such (worship God day in and out), they are more likely to be more spiritual than you and I. I would not be surprised to find more than just a few gems in the class of professional priests. Openness is the key..... to attaining more knowledge. Jai Ma! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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