Guest guest Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 > I am new to the group. Being an incorrigible skeptic I am afraid that > all I can ever contribute here shall carry the marks of this frame of > mind. Please let me know if you find this stance inacceptable in this > group. I'll leave then respecting your opinion. Hello DharmaVidya, Welcome to the group. If you are from Germany we are 'neighbours' as this bag of dust resides in the Czech Republic. If we would meet in a cafy, i would not decline a chat since you start so gentle. On an egroup it is virtually not possible to see who is clearly established in the bliss of the knowledge (realisation / conviction) of the Self. Neither is it possible to discern who is a more devout servant of the Goddess. We can not even fathom the heroism in another. Knowledge is structured in consciousness. Your post raises questions with me. Why would it be that a God of the Hindu pantheon is not alive in a westerner? Who drew the borders on the Earth? How does all this language arise? Where is the source of the matrika? Reincarnation is widely accepted in the different schools of Hinduism except the carvak. I am born in the Netherlands and when i was 12 i painted the Aum-sign with goldpaint two meters large on the ceiling of my bedroom to look at it while falling asleep. I am the author of a book called "Shiva". What had to be bridged? I agree with you that there is something very strongly alive in India because all the saints and sadhaks. A certain quality of consciousness has been ignited and guarded for such a long time in so many unbroken traditions. Yet many of those traditions are now spread. Tantra is as much alive in the west. So many women and even men in the West worship a Hindu-Goddess. Many of my friends have Hindu-tattoos on their body. They are eternally connected and upholding the S. Dharma. The grace (Shakti) flows freely. I do not think more in India than in the West. Was this your presupposition? > I take it that most of you here think crossing the cultur gap between > east and west in religious (spiritual if you like) matters is really - > in an in-depths-way - possible. Ohterwise you would not be here. For > me, however, this matter is in no way resolved, notwithstanding the > growing amount of western practitioners of eastern spiritual paths. I > have been - in a certain way still am - one myself. I am convinced by > reading some of the literature and speaking to people that many - > certainly not all - of them have never examined their believes and > resemble in this regard old fashioned catholics or christians in > general whom the age of illuminations seems to have passed by completely. > > Can the gods of the Hindu pantheon really be internalized by a > westerner in such a way that they become kind of living entities? There are different forms or ways (Upayas) of Shakti-worship. > Aren't the gods and godesses in any religion fabrications of our > creative religious imagination whose iconographic seed has to be > planted in the soul at an early age by religious education to become > effective agents of divine intercession in our lives? This question was nicely answered by our friend and pelgrim Maharadanatha. Thanx for the reminder! Ralph Nataraj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 19, 2006 Report Share Posted January 19, 2006 Hi Ralph Friendly answer. Thank you. If you'll ever make it to Berlin send me an e-mail. We then can have a cup of coffee and talk. Good day to you D , "Ralph Nataraj" <108@p...> wrote: > > > I am new to the group. Being an incorrigible skeptic I am afraid that > > all I can ever contribute here shall carry the marks of this frame of > > mind. Please let me know if you find this stance inacceptable in this > > group. I'll leave then respecting your opinion. > > Hello DharmaVidya, > > Welcome to the group. If you are from Germany we are 'neighbours' as this bag of dust resides in the Czech Republic. > > If we would meet in a cafy, i would not decline a chat since you start so gentle. > > On an egroup it is virtually not possible to see who is clearly established in the bliss of the knowledge (realisation / conviction) of the Self. Neither is it possible to discern who is a more devout servant of the Goddess. We can not even fathom the heroism in another. Knowledge is structured in consciousness. > > Your post raises questions with me. Why would it be that a God of the Hindu pantheon is not alive in a westerner? Who drew the borders on the Earth? How does all this language arise? Where is the source of the matrika? Reincarnation is widely accepted in the different schools of Hinduism except the carvak. I am born in the Netherlands and when i was 12 i painted the Aum-sign with goldpaint two meters large on the ceiling of my bedroom to look at it while falling asleep. I am the author of a book called "Shiva". > > What had to be bridged? I agree with you that there is something very strongly alive in India because all the saints and sadhaks. A certain quality of consciousness has been ignited and guarded for such a long time in so many unbroken traditions. Yet many of those traditions are now spread. Tantra is as much alive in the west. So many women and even men in the West worship a Hindu-Goddess. Many of my friends have Hindu-tattoos on their body. They are eternally connected and upholding the S. Dharma. > > The grace (Shakti) flows freely. I do not think more in India than in the West. Was this your presupposition? > > > I take it that most of you here think crossing the cultur gap between > > east and west in religious (spiritual if you like) matters is really - > > in an in-depths-way - possible. Ohterwise you would not be here. For > > me, however, this matter is in no way resolved, notwithstanding the > > growing amount of western practitioners of eastern spiritual paths. I > > have been - in a certain way still am - one myself. I am convinced by > > reading some of the literature and speaking to people that many - > > certainly not all - of them have never examined their believes and > > resemble in this regard old fashioned catholics or christians in > > general whom the age of illuminations seems to have passed by completely. > > > > Can the gods of the Hindu pantheon really be internalized by a > > westerner in such a way that they become kind of living entities? > > There are different forms or ways (Upayas) of Shakti-worship. > > > Aren't the gods and godesses in any religion fabrications of our > > creative religious imagination whose iconographic seed has to be > > planted in the soul at an early age by religious education to become > > effective agents of divine intercession in our lives? > > This question was nicely answered by our friend and pelgrim Maharadanatha. Thanx for the reminder! > > Ralph Nataraj. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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