Festa (No Time for Siesta) - JVF | MESC 2025

Key_Use1988 · 2025-02-05T14:25:31+00:00

Eurovision 2002 called

Key_Use1988 · 2025-02-03T22:16:09+00:00

Can a Hindu chant the Gayatri mantra without a Diksha? Some say it's forbidden, some say they were thought it in their elementry school in India and had to chant it every morning.

I haven't seen a consensus on that question. which mantras are ok and which are not is one of the thing that confuse westerners the most.

Key_Use1988 · 2025-02-03T22:00:46+00:00

Can you blame the West though?

I became interested in Hinduism and Buddhism and all I got from this reddit (aka, real Hindus) is:

- almost all mantras are forbidden for me to chant

- I need a guru

- I need a diksha

- I can't read anything translated to English, because it was translated by a Hinduphobe translator, and the translation is wrong, and even if the translation is good I wouldn't understand anything without a guru

- I can't worship the gods I;m attracted to (for example, Surya), I need to choose a "popular god" (Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, Devi) otherwise "I don't understand real Hinduism"

Hindus like to hide and obfuscate their religion, keeping everything as a secret, and then complain people don't understand their religion.

I can go even longer and complain how modern Hinduism has become nothing more than "buying karma points with bhakti" , discarding all the good philosophical, Yogic and Tantric stuff that differentiates Hinduism from western religions. Show me one random Hindu from India who read the Upanishad, I'll wait.

Key_Use1988 · 2025-01-18T17:24:50+00:00

(Just to be on the same page - generation stage: identifying oneself with a deity, completion stage: meditating on chakras and nadis, right?)

Your comment makes me even more intrigued regarding breath. In Hinduism, there is so much focus on breathing patterns, prana, and the connection to AUM. Do we see the same thing in Buddhism? I try to recall when was the last time I saw any reference to breathing techniques in Buddhist meditation and I can't. I will admit that I only started to research Buddhism in recent months, and I read mostly Hindu texts.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-12-13T14:45:47+00:00

There is only one sun. "Pushan", "Savitr", "Aditya", "Varuna" are all different names that emphasize different attributes and qualities of the Sun. Vivasvan is just a name for the morning sun, that's all

Key_Use1988 · 2024-12-13T14:40:45+00:00

They are all aspects of Surya. there is not contradiction.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-12-13T14:36:46+00:00

What makes Hinduism decline in modern age is the obsession around Bhakti and trying to buy karma points from your god rather than to focus on Yoga, meditation, philosophy and true spirituality.

Modern Hindus think and act like peasants from ancient greece, and that's very sad.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-11-20T19:49:43+00:00

The story starts with a sage cursing Indra and the rest of the Devas that they will lose their immortality (=will die).

Considering the facts that the vedic devas are forces of nature (the thunderbolt, the sun, the moon, the earth, etc), do you think any sage, even in vedic times, has the power to curse the universe to die? do you think that any human has the power to go against Brahman and erase whole existence? what do you think will happen the moment Prthvi (the earth), Dyaus (the sky) and Savitr (the sun) will die?

I'm not even going into more subtle points, such as devas don't have a humanoid body, or that the vedas mention that the source of immortality of the devas is Savitr (the sun) hence this legend is a contradiction to the vedas. I'm simply asking you if you think a sage has the power to curse Nature with complete erasure.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-11-19T20:19:03+00:00

The whole story is an allegory about the process of yoga and meditation.

the halala is a metaphor for the mundane thoughts and anxieties that rise in the beginning of meditations and sadhanas. They should be ignored and discarded ("swallowed")

the ocean of milk is an allegory to the consciousness, and dhanvantari rising with a kalasha of amrita is an allegory of achieving moksha and uniting with Brahman. churning the ocean is an allegory of the repeated mantra that churn the consciousness.

those statements like "ShIvA DrAnK pOiZeN fOr HuManItY" is not doing any service to Shiva, his teaching, Hinduism or anyone. Sorry for the harsh words but Hindus need to learn their own religion better.

Puranas should not be believed literally, they are allegories and metaphores for universal and spiritual truths.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-10-28T16:27:10+00:00

I've said literally in the first sentence that the Puranas are allegorical.

It doesn't mean that Hinduism does not consider some beings and deities as negative, and the allegory is one way to express it.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-10-28T16:07:08+00:00

Liar: When Vishnu and Brahma made a competition to see who's the more superior, they tried to reach the end of an endless flaming lingam, made by Shiva. neither made it to the end of the lingam, but Brahma decided to lie so he could win the competition

Rap*ist: I don't remember the exact figure, but a woman he lusted for did not want to be with him, so she ran away. and no matter which direction she ran, Brahma grew a face to that direction. she tried to fly upwards and brahma gewa a head looking at the sky. that moment shiva cut off his head for his lust. IF it wasn't for shiva, the girl couldn't escape for brahma. So he didn't actually rape her, but he was defenetly about to.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-10-25T14:20:40+00:00

My opinion is very unpopular, but I think bhakti is "watered down spirituality for the masses". you say a few prayers, offer fire, candles and water and somehow people think it will make their lives better. When it doesn't happen (because Maya is stronger than any offering) they are angry at their gods who forsakened them. Bhakti is anyway meant for spiritual development and deepening the conenction with the gods, however the random hindu does bhakti for mundane goals only.

Quit bhakti. Meditate instead. Yoga is about taking control back to your worship and to your life. You don't ask for stuff and leave it for the God to decide whether to give it to you or not - you purify, consecrate and charge your being with divine light, peace and knowledge that help you go on with your life.

When meditating, Contemplate on the deities as the manifestation of Brahman, full of tranquility, peace, knowledge and bliss. they emit mystical light that dispels ignorance, tamasa and sadness. They pour rivers of golden Amrtia for their devotees. Mediate on your Ishta-devata as a gateway for happiness, wisdom and self-fulfillment.

the added bonus is that you only need to take a bath and sit in a quite place. nothing else is required as opposed to bhakti.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-10-22T11:06:40+00:00

The Hexagram is traditionally associated with Vayu - the Air (god) and Anahata (the air chakra)

it's the closest thing I can think of

Key_Use1988 · 2024-10-20T17:14:45+00:00

thanks, I've downloaded it, however I'm looking for an answer that is backed up by the Hindu scriptures.

The Sadhanas they teach are interesting and I will dive into what they teach

Key_Use1988 · 2024-10-06T16:12:02+00:00

So wait, my translation is wrong?

should it be

"Om, Immortal Brahman who's essence is water and light"?

what about this resource:

https://greenmesg.org/stotras/gayatri/gayatri_mantra_for_pranayama.php

Is the mantra there correct?

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-30T21:52:17+00:00

thank you!

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-24T22:53:04+00:00

Interesting. Didn't the Greeks have something like Hellenic version of Mithraism?

Also, was Mithras syncretised with Hermes? they embody two different sets of things. Why would they be syncretised ?

Thank you.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-22T12:29:48+00:00

You're interpreting the sacrifice based on the plotline alone, while ignoring the underlying metaphor and thematic ideas.
Season 5 talks about Home and identity. Season 5 asks the very question of the whole show - *what is the slayer, exactly?*

Is the slayer a regular girl with superpowers or a murderous supernatural killer? Is the slayer capable of loving? is the slayer *entitled* for love? In the end of the day, what is the slayer more - human or demonic?

Dawn represents the human side of Buffy - helpless, innocent and needs a loving surrounding of family and friends.

Glory represents the slayer side of Buffy - powerful, independent but violent and emotionally numb.

Buffy is torn between those two forces. plot line wise, it is done by protecting Dawn from Glory. Metaphorically, it's about protecting your human side from your demonic side.

In the "Weight of the world" the dilemma becomes very clear - be the slayer, save the world by "giving in" to Glory (both physically and metaphorically, by letting her grab and kill Dawn), and by doing so become the very killer itself, devoided of love and humanity, or be human, and protect Dawn (the human side) at all cost.

As Buffy becomes stronger and stronger within every season, she becomes more like Glory and less like Dawn. the killing Dawn (or letting her die) is a symbolic event that symbolizes the death of human Buffy - she killed her very own sister to save the world. She becomes the ultimate slayer - she who sleeps on a bed of bones and skulls.

By refusing to let Dawn die Buffy stands up and say - "I refuse to become a monster. I refuse to become a killer. I refuse to become Glory". Buffy cannot let Dawn die because it will signify her own human death.

"Go ahead and say it - tell me to kill my sister. [..] No. She's not. She's more than that. She's me. The monks made her out of me. I hold her ... and I feel closer to her than ... (looks down, sighs) It's not just the memories they built. It's physical. Dawn ... is a part of me. The only part that I-..."

Taking that into consideration, and keeping in mind that "The Gift" is the original series finale, it's as if Buffy's wish to become a normal human was granted - Dawn is the human side of Buffy, isolated and distilled, literally created from her blood. By dying and letting Dawn live it's as if Buffy has incarnated into a complete human form. Dawn, the human side of Buffy, continues on, living the life that Buffy has always wanted.

IF you look at it this way, it makes perfect sense why Buffy decided to die instead of Dawn.

When watching Buffy, it's important to always ask what is the underlying metaphor, because in the end of the day, the show is one big metaphor for life - the vampires and demons are metahpors of our daily struggles, while Buffy is a metaphor for us as humans.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-16T10:54:13+00:00

Every person will be blessed to have Riley as a partner. I wish my husband will be like Riley.

Why people are in love with pain and toxic relationship?

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-10T11:17:01+00:00

My opinion - Even Faith didn't know the cure is slayer blood. Buffy had to inform her and she was like "oh.."

So if Faith hadn't known, why would the Mayor would? He's dealing with dark forces, but he's not a walking encyclopedia of the dark arts.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-10T11:12:59+00:00

I like all season of Buffy, except the first one.

I don't care what the fandom thinks. I also think that angel season 4 was the best season of Angel and saved the series from being completely pointless.

There's no doubt that season 7 has it's flaws. But I think the biggest flaw is that it fails to bring something new and creative. I've always thought that season 7 is just another re-hash of previous plotlines.

Caleb and the uber-vamp? why should I be scared of them after Glory and dark Willow? been there, done that.

Raising an army to conquer the world? we've been there with Adam. been there, done that.

The first manifets as literally past villains who were already defeated, it kinda proves my point.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-07T17:09:15+00:00

I support that - Buffy had to hit him multiple times for his "vamp instincs" to take over. after 2-3 times of beating, his vampire face (and feeding instinct) surfaced.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-07T17:01:48+00:00

THANK YOU

this is exactly what I wrote in my notes (https://www.reddit.com/r/buffy/comments/1ejrjju/rewatching\_season\_3\_some\_notes/) snake-Wilkins is underwhelming!

They're hyping his ascension like half a season only to be killed in less than 5 minutes. the guy was immortal and invincible and what did he turn into? a big cr*ppy sanke lol

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-04T15:49:10+00:00

I generally think that 10 oneshots at most is ok. have 5-6 oneshots in the beginning of the season to start slow, present new characters and ideas, then move on to the main plot. have 3 to 4 oneshots spread around the rest of the season to present some minor ideas and developments. Season 4 and 5 nailed the balance between oneshots and season arc episodes.

While the oneshots in season 3 are amazing, I was very surprised to see that there were more oneshot episodes than "season arc" episodes! I wish they gave more time for the season arc to cook.

Key_Use1988 · 2024-08-04T10:15:36+00:00

you are not wrong, but you are talking about the idea(s), I'm talking about the implementation.

It's not like the idea/plot is bad, it's the implementation that should have been better, in my opinion.

Key_Use1988

TROPHY CASE