it is working!

[Guest guest]

Praise Ganesha!

 

I have been trying to post messages about the Hindu-Christian topic

going on, without success. I hope they go through now

 

I was reading in a book written by a Hindu (I haven't found many

books on comparing Hindu and Christian by a Christian author. If

anyone else has let me know, I would love to read it.)

He was comparing Ganesha to Jesus.

It was quite interesting. Christianity says you pray to Jesus to get

to the Father (GOD), this author claimed that we pray to Ganesha (THE

SON of GOD) to get to his father (SIVA). I found it an interesting

comparison

 

Someone else mentioned being taught as a kid that Jesus keeps the

world or universe in him. It is said Ganesha keeps the universe in

his stomach! I have not heard that Christian way, but there are many

ways to be Christian as being Hindu!

 

I learned that while I was living in India. I studied at a christian

college, and had to "lie" to get admission by saying I was Christian

or I wouldn't get the admission. Hence the first year I had to hide

my true belief. I just told my classmates and teachers I kept

Ganesha in my room 'as art' and I went to temples cause we did not

have them in US. Soon, though my classmates came to know the truth

and teased me, and even tried to convert ME back to Christianity. I

am not saying I have converted, I feel there is no 'conversion' in

Hinduism, as it is a way of life and not necesarily a religion (you

can believe in no god and still be a HINDU). But last Ganesh

Chathurthi was the worst for me. My class went to delhi for 10 days,

on the way back to madras we are supposed to take the train through

madhya pradesh, andhra, then into TN to chennai, but there was a

flood in AP which knocked out a bridge and so we went MP, Maharastra,

Karnataka, then TN into chennai. IT was 56 hours in that train. We

were supposed to be back the day before ganesh chathurthi, but due to

that we came back the night of. That morning on the train, as every

morning, my class held a (christian) prayer session. Before the

prayer, I went to find my hindu classmates who were doing puja (only

5 out of 23 were hindu) and my teacher (all teachers are christian)

asked did you eat breakfast? I said no, i am going to pray. They were

happy, thinking I am finally 'going to god' which I was, but when

they saw viboodhi and kum kum on my forehead, they all started

teasing me badly. During that prayer session, the leader said "it

seems one non believer has become a believer during the trip, but

there are still a few non believers there in our class" he looked at

me, and my friend devika, then so did all the other classmates with

condescending looks. I really felt bad, they couldnt' understand me,

and I couldnt' understand them.

 

The second experience I had in India was attending a very

unique 'Christian' festival. It was on MAY 1 of this year, it is

called Joseph's birthday. That day is full of a fair in the village

(village is 2 hours outside chennai, most people don't have TV, no

phone, few have electricity, this village is famous for this

festival) with mehendi tatoos, selling small goods and snacks, and

the full day the minister is speaking, it was all IN tamil, so I did

not get it. We went at 7 pm. First since the church is too small we

allsat outside. The whole village comes, ALL hindus and christians.

But inside the church you give your prayers. The 'alter' was

decorated in the center with Jesus, mary and Joseph statues, behind

Jesus on the cross, the right another Mary statue. First you go and

make prayer to the 'idol' then you walk around it just like in

temple, then all the people put kum kum and flowers on jesus mary and

joseph, even I did. I felt odd, but I did it. Then prostrated after

words.

 

In the night, mid night, the make a decorated cart, like how they put

Ganesha on Ganesha Chathurthi. They light it up with Christmas

lights and colorful decorations and three men pull it in the front,

it has wheels, but is pulled like a cart, and pushed in the back by

three men. It also plays some strange music. Joseph is on the cart,

full of garlands and kum kum stained on his forehead. He is paraded

and stopped at each family's house. THere all the family members come

out, light a candle and hold it walking around the Joseph three

times, then placing the candle on the 'cart' putting kum kum and a

garland of flowers on joseph's neck. I did all but kum kum. I was

hesistant to put the garland, but my friend 'forced' me to. It was

quite an experience I wish I had taken pictures. IT was so

interesting but I felt as If I were on another planet, it was so

surreal.

 

Jennifer

 

Enjoy being an Indyan at http://www.indya.com

[Guest guest]

DEAR JENNIFER,

namaste,

thanx for sharing all these but i have certain views wud like 2 share

,if u so permit .

 

 

"I feel there is no 'conversion' in

> Hinduism, as it is a way of life and not necesarily a religion (you

> can believe in no god and still be a HINDU)."

******8 here comes the gr8888 point of view which most of the hindus

dont even try to recognise ,forget understanding it ,HINDUISM IS A

WAY OF LIFE NOT RELIGION (JUST AS I WUD SAY FOR PAGANISM) , I wud go

to extent of saying there is no religion by name of HINDUISM but its

HUMANITY (neways long disussion ,though to be short if we just go to

one of the basic SCRIPTURES of HINDUISM ,THE GEETA , nowhere it wud

say that DUTIES OF A HINDU R SO & SO OR A HINDU SHUD DO THIS BUT IT

SAYS "MANUSHYA KA DHARM" DUTY OF HUMAN so its is humanity & same in

other scriptures ,not the ones added later "**********

 

 

" I really felt bad, they couldnt' understand me,

> and I couldnt' understand them."

 

******** no u wrong ,its not they cud not understand you but they did

not want to . MOREOVER THEY CUD NOT UNDERSTAND "GOD" THE FINITE

INFINITE WHICH IS SAME EVEN BY DIFFERENT NAMES call it allah ,god

,yesu ,jeseus, shiva HEHEHE IS THERE ANY WORD , ANY ALP ,ANY SOUND

,ANY VISUAL ,ANY ACTIVITY & NON, ETC. ETC THAT DOES NOT represent

god at same time can it completely REPRESENT??????/hehehe ehe ****

>

"jesus mary and

> joseph, even I did. I felt odd, but I did it. Then prostrated

after

> words."

******* hey come out of BLINDNESS whther its for hinduism or

christianity THERE IS NO SOLACE FOR BLINDS ON THE PATH OF

SPIRITUALITY & BELEIVE ME ,MOST OF THESE HINDU TEACHERS TEACH YOU TO

BE BLIND ,AS THATS WAT THEY HAVE TOO LEARNED ,NO DO'NT BE ONE OF THEM

,DONT LOOK BY EYES OF BODY BUT LOOK THRU BY EYES OF H& YOU WILL

DEFINITELY SEE A GANAPATI IN JESUS & MARY & JOSEPH & VICE VERSA!!!!

check my post on ISHTA AGAIN . REMEMBER EVEN SWAMI RAMKRISHRAMHAMSA

HAD TO BE TAUGHT OF UNIVERSALITY OF GOD WITH NO FORM BY HIS FOREHEAD

BEING CUT BY HLASS OTHER W WUD HAVE TO TAKE REBIRTH!!!!! STOP

BELEIVING ALL YOU SEE FROM UR EYES BUT OPEN THE EYES OF YOUR HEART &

NO THESE R NOT MEE WORDS ,SON YOU HAVE IT IN YOU BUT YOU HAVE TO DO

IT YOURSELF ,NO MATTER HOW MUCH ANYONE WANTS TO HELP YOU BUT TILL YOU

DO IT YOURSELF ,YOU WILL FALL & AGAIN ,TRY RECALL ALL TAT U DREM OR

MIGHT DREAM!!!!!!!*************

 

 

 

"""""I did all but kum kum. I was

> hesistant to put the garland, but my friend 'forced' me to. It was

> quite an experience I wish I had taken pictures. IT was so

> interesting but I felt as If I were on another planet, it was so

> surreal.""""""

reread these lins over & again ,,you hv written yourself ,get the

answer

 

REGARDS

rajat