Guest guest Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 is it importent what one call himself? to title one with christian, muslim, hindu, Krsna Con. etc? if sumone ask me what i am, i tell the im a simple mystic, drawn to the vaisnava school of thaught.. but many times i just say im a believer in God and nothing more.. is it importent to call 1 self vaisnava for example? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gHari Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 I just tell them I'm into God - the One on whose existence everything rests. Attempting to reveal the essence of life and religion through generic wisdom, I try to help Christians become better Christians, Muslims become better Muslims, and Swaminarayans become better vaisnavas. I don't seem to encounter Jewish people anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 if sumone ask me what i am, i tell the im a simple mystic, drawn to the vaisnava school of thaught.. but many times i just say im a believer in God and nothing more.. is it importent to call 1 self vaisnava for example? <!-- / message --><!-- sig --> Doesn't vaisnava just refer to a servant and worshiper of Vishnu the One Supreme God? We have to become attached to the meaning behind the word vaisnava and not the sanskrit word itself. Besides I feel the same way. I never call myself a vaisnava. Why should I claim to be on such an exalted platform while I am still so stuck in maya. I am also just a believer in God and find the vaisnavas the best source of information about God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->Doesn't vaisnava just refer to a servant and worshiper of Vishnu the One Supreme God? We have to become attached to the meaning behind the word vaisnava and not the sanskrit word itself. Besides I feel the same way. I never call myself a vaisnava. Why should I claim to be on such an exalted platform while I am still so stuck in maya. I am also just a believer in God and find the vaisnavas the best source of information about God. the same is with me, i dont wanna call me a vaisnava, because for me a vaisnava is a saint, like rumi, kadamba kanana swami, Srila Prabhupada etc.. and i dont even wanna asociate myself with such word for such exalted souls! even my siksa guru tells me that i am a aspiring vaisnava neophyte.. but still i cant call me that.. i can stretch so long to call myself a vaisnava mystic.. a mystic that has ones platform in the vaisnava community.. but in the end why call onself anything? it just between me and God.. and He dont care much what i callmyslf i think.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted August 12, 2006 Report Share Posted August 12, 2006 Yes the essential thing is to really do it internally. Jesus never called himself a christian for example. Even his immediate followers didn't. The term christian was given to them at Antioch by the people Paul was preaching to. He was preaching the message of Christ and therefor they called him a christian. The problem is if we overly identify with such labels as 'Christian' or 'vaisnava' then we may start to think that just by such identification we have in fact become a 'Christian ' or 'Vaisnava' and not recognize the need for inner transformation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2006 Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 Labels are helpful in communication. If someone asks me my religious/spiritual affiliation, and I say "I am a believer in God", that really doesn't tell them a whole lot. That could mean I am a Mormon, a Catholic, an Eckist, a Saivite, a Sikh, a Jew, a Jehovah's Witness, or a New Ager, or something else. It really gives them no real idea about my beliefs. Saying I am an "aspiring Vaishnava", will at least help people have a general idea of where I am coming from. Never met a born-again Christian ashamed to tell people they were a follower of Christ, so why should a Vaishnava be ashamed to say they are a devotee of Vishnu/Krishna? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theist Posted August 13, 2006 Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 I will answer the same question with I am interested in becoming devoted to awakening God conscious within myself but I have no interest in any particular religion. For me that is simply the truth. That is no compromise on my part and if the conversation progresses then I can speak more and more. My purpose anyway would be to direct that soul to the Lord in their heart. To impress upon them the immediate access they have available to the presence of the Lord within themselves. Since I am western by conditioning I speak plain english to people and avoid mixing in sanskrit terminology. Instead of Paramatma or caitya-guru I would refer to the Lord who is present in everyone's heart. I would mention the chanting of the Lord's names as the best way to approach Him along with prayer. And that any name for the Supreme Lord that someone has for God is just fine. Once a sense of broadness is established I will tell them that the Hare Krsna mantra is most attractive to me and that find Srila Prabhupada's books contain the most knowledge about our Lord that I have ever found. I never try to explain how "God has a girlfriend "etc. Different strokes for different folks I guess "aspiring vaisnava" is fine IMO. But then please explain what vaisnava means or they will be left with the impression that you are on some "hindu" path and they will think in sectarian terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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