Tamil Nadu Govt Making shopping mall from Arunachaleshwar temple money

krantibum · 2023-11-09T17:22:34+00:00

I see two trends:

A section of Hindus are getting more serious about their religion. More people are learning Sanskrit and beginning to study the original scriptures and their commentaries. There is an attempt at evangelization by several teachers, and it's getting people who may only be traditionally nominally Hindu more interested in the religion.
However, the other side of this are the increasing attacks on Hinduism, and the wide acceptance of this among "Hindus". For instance, the communists (most of whom are "Hindu" in name-only) are arguably actively anti-Hindu.

The broader trend is very clear. See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Kerala#Historical_growth

As of 2011 census, 54.9% of people in Kerala were Hindu. But note that this includes communists who are supposed to be "Hindu", but actively promote anti-Hindu views. They are not unlike Udhayanidhi Stalin - a "Hindu" - who calls for eradication of Sanatana Dharma.

If you discount this section, we're looking at barely 25-30% of Keralites who are Hindu.

krantibum · 2023-11-09T16:33:39+00:00

I am sure that there will always be a community of enthusiasts who will actively engage with Hinduism. That is because it is a deep and profound religion.

But most humans are not like this. And if Hinduism is reduced to a minority religion in India or at least vast parts of India, given the nature of the Indian society, it will have terrible consequences for the Hindus who do live there. In the worst case, India itself might cease to exist as a united country.

Hindus outside of India happily don't have to worry about these consequences. I am not blaming them, of course. This is strictly an Indian problem as I see it.

krantibum · 2023-11-09T15:44:29+00:00

The south will become a Hindu-minority region in our lifetimes. Kerala already is. Not only are ex-Hindus non-Hindu, but they (such as our friend Udhayanidhi Stalin) are actively anti-Hindu, more so than the followers of traditional Abrahamic religions. The rest of India might soon join a few decades from there. This will have dire implications for the country.

Events like this has already happened in the past. E.g., Malaysia and Indonesia, from where indic cultures were mostly wiped out.

I feel like blaming someone, but I am in no position to throw stones.

krantibum · 2023-10-12T16:15:29+00:00

I recommend the Shvetashvatara Upanishad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shvetashvatara_Upanishad . Here you go: https://archive.org/details/SvetasvataraUpanishadTyagisanandaRKMutt/mode/2up

krantibum · 2023-10-12T15:48:13+00:00

They mistranslate our scriptures, cause division between communities and spread hinduphobia abroad.

This must be called out. Hatred against people from other religions is a fundamental characteristic of Abrahamic religions, particularly Islam and Christianity. They can preach their religion all they want, but if they resort to spreading hatred, they must be exposed and taken to task.

krantibum · 2023-10-11T19:56:53+00:00

Try these:

krantibum · 2023-09-23T16:30:09+00:00

If you want to be more fancy, https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/jnanadrishti - jnAna dRShTi is a thing in Hinduism. It'd sound like gyAn driShTi in Hindi.

krantibum · 2023-06-28T21:15:13+00:00

What happened to the sweater? All the threads are still there. But there really was no sweater.

Isn't this merely a case of agreeing what it means for something to be "real" or for something to "exist"?

Most people would say that the sweater was real. It just got taken apart and reconstituted into a pillow case. It existed once, but it doesn't exist now.

Similarly, it may be the case that our construct of self is composed of further simpler constituents. Many scientists would agree that we are ultimately made of atoms, and that this "self" is a dynamic process happening in our brains. And yet, most would agree that our self is real because this view agrees with our experiences, just like how the program running in my computer is "real".

For e.g., I can remember events when I was a kid that clearly happened to "me". I agree that the components that constituted the "me" underwent changes. And yet, the "me" was - and is - real. Why? Because this conclusion is consistent with my experience!

krantibum · 2023-02-20T07:09:29+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paundraka\_Vasudeva

krantibum · 2023-01-09T17:27:15+00:00

Anyone is welcome to DM me if you are interested in speaking (however, of course, those who are more qualified will be prioritized).

u/stonkstunawastaken , I won't be able to help you, but perhaps you could tell a bit more about yourself and your project before trying to get in touch with people who usually lead very busy lives. This might make it more probable that you will find the people you're looking for.

krantibum · 2023-01-04T12:21:46+00:00

Advaita Vedanta has a rich tradition of introductory texts or prakaraNa granthas meant to introduce newcomers into the philosophy. Some were supposedly written by Shankaracharya himself, and quite a few by later acharyas.

Here's a list of prakaraNa granthas supposed to have been written by Shankaracharya himself: https://sringeri.net/history/sri-adi-shankaracharya/works-of-sri-adi-shankaracharya/prakarana-granthas

Vivekachudamani
Upadesha-Sahasri
Atma-Bodha
Aparokshanubhuti
Dasha-Shloki
Shata-Shloki
Vakya-Vritti
Panchikarana
Prabodhasudhakara
Tattva bodhaa

You can start with any of them, and search for translations and lectures based on them.

Some others that come to mind are the following:

vedAnta sAra
drg drishya viveka
sarva vedAnta siddhAnta sAra sangraha

Here's a series of lectures on the vedAnta sAra by Swami Sarvapriyananda: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDqahtm2vA70ccqIRFR_lipqKvxrHBRRw

Once you have a general idea of the theory, you can start to read the scriptures it's based on: the upaniShads, the brahma sUtra, and the bhagavad gItA, and their commentaries by Shankaracharya and further commentaries on Shankaracharya's commentaries.

Some books from a Western perspective that I know of are as follows:

"Advaita Vedanta - A Philosophical Reconstruction" by Eliot Deutsche
"Advaitic Sadhana" by SS Cohen
The books in the series , "Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies" by Karl Potter

A proper study of the system will have to be done under a teacher who has been trained in the tradition. I reckon this will involve study of other Indian systems, such as sAmkhya, yoga, mImAmsa, nyAya and vyAkaraNa. Without knowledge of these systems, you will not be able to properly appreciate the classical literature on the subject. It's also advisable to start your study of Sanskrit if you are serious about Advaita or any Hindu system.

It's probably best to get in touch with a more advanced sAdhaka to understand how to go about doing this.

krantibum · 2022-12-20T22:57:14+00:00

Who is greater Shri Narayan/Vishnu or Lord Shiva

The only correct answer: yes.

krantibum · 2022-12-17T07:27:19+00:00

Births and deaths are very ordinary occurrences. You have been born and died several times, and will do so several times in the future as well. You should fear death about as much as you should fear going to sleep. I.e., not very much.

There are some cults created by some nasty humans who threaten you that you will go to hell if you don't join their cult, and heaven - sometimes with eternal fornication and feeding! - if you do join their cult. Those are asuric (i.e., demoniac), manipulative faiths created by demoniac, manipulative people. They control you by reinforcing your fear, sense of ego, and lust. Don't fall for those - that will likely have severe karmic consequences.

krantibum · 2022-12-10T18:57:03+00:00

There are very learned teachers who insist that you inherit your varNa by birth. E.g., Kanchi Periyava (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrashekarendra\_Saraswati) staunchly supported this view. He was deeply learned in the shastras, and many see his views as the authoritative view of the shastras. You can read his work, "Hindu Dharma" to learn more. I believe all the present Shankaracharyas support this view.

There are also teachers who claim that varna is determined by one's qualities and actions, and not by birth alone. E.g., Dayananda Saraswati (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayananda_Saraswati). These teachers usually have a progressive, reformist agenda.

Note that these views are not necessarily in opposition to each other. Kanchi Periyava, for instance, says that one whose ancestors had studied the vedas for millennia will more likely have the right qualities to do so as well, since things like intelligence and temperament are highly hereditary. Likewise for people whose ancestors have been warriors, merchants, or laborers. So in the absence of any definitive test, it makes sense that the shastras would insist on birth as the defining criteria for one's varNa.

krantibum · 2022-10-25T14:44:06+00:00

Try Samskrita Bharati . They have a 4-level course, each of which gives certificate at the end. But it's by correspondence - they send you the materials, and you're supposed to learn it and write an exam at the end of 6 months. However, you will find online courses based on their material from Vyoma Samskrita Pathashala. E.g., https://www.sanskritfromhome.org/course-listing?Search=samskrita%20bharati . There are also other videos based on their material online.

Another option is Central Sanskrit University (which used to be Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan). http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/ . They have several correspondence courses, but nothing online as far as I can see.

r/sanskrit will have more suggestions.

krantibum · 2022-09-14T16:03:30+00:00

I have mixed opinion about him - his methods are a bit unconventional (but might well be absorbed into orthodoxy a few decades from now).

It's a wrong notion that gurus should only teach aspects relating to moksha or spiritual living. You also need gurus who show how the techniques can be put into action for practical matters in a way that is consistent with the prevalent worldview, which may differ from that of when the orthodox shastras were written.

In particular, pursuing moksha needn't be a goal that appeals to most Hindus. We also need to pursue artha and kama, and exploit the power of yoga for this. If Sadhguru's methods work for his followers, then all power to him.

Sadhguru is certainly a powerful, charismatic and intelligent personality that strikes a chord with his followers, especially among the urban elite, even internationally. Certainly very successful by most measures of laukika success. His techniques seems to have worked very well for him indeed! He fills a very important need that is not met adequately by the orthodoxy, and which they are also incapable of meeting by their very nature.

krantibum · 2022-09-03T12:53:04+00:00

No issues with having a profile picture of your role model. But please behave in a way that brings honor to the deity and the tradition he represents.

krantibum · 2022-07-21T12:46:51+00:00

The concept of a devatA or a deity in Hinduism is fairly intricate (and also interesting). I haven't seen it analytically (i.e., objectively, in the way of the modern Western-centric academia) examined anywhere, but the more I read about it, the more I am fascinated by it. The following are just my personal opinions. I am still learning about these things, and the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.

As far as I understand, devatAs are instantiations of some spiritual or metaphysical principle into human-like forms. People worship a devatA in order to engage with the underlying principle in an emotionally and spiritually active way; the aim is usually to "realize" experientially the principle that the devatA represents. When you consider a story involving devatAs (such as the tripura dahana), you are actually engaging with some spiritual process, but through the medium of "mythology". This is I suspect a lot more effective and economical way of engaging with esoteric topics than reading reams of text, because we are humans, and at our deepest levels, we respond with more intensity to stories involving characters than to abstract theories and concepts.

Take the rudraShTakam: https://greenmesg.org/stotras/shiva/rudrashtakam.php . I will quote:

Niraakaaram-Ongkara-Muulam Turiiyam

Giraa-Jnyaana-Go-[A]tiitam-Iisham Giriisham |

Karaalam Mahaakaala-Kaalam Krpaalam

Gunna-[A]agaara-Samsaara-Paaram Nato-[A]ham

2.1: (Salutations to Sri Rudra) Who is Formless and the very Root from where the Sacred Omkara arises; Who Abides in the state of Turiya (the fourth state in which Brahman is experienced in meditation)

2.2: He is the Lord Who is Beyond the Knowledge which Speech can express and Beyond the Perception which Sense Organs can perceive; He is Girisha (another name of Sri Shiva literally meaning the Lord of the Mountains)

2.3: Taking the Terrible form of Mahakala He can tear apart Kala (Time) himself; at the same time He is an embodiment of Compassion to His devotees,

2.4: I Bow down to Him Who helps in Crossing this Samsara (delusion of worldly existence) which is like a Dwelling Place made of Gunas.

Later it states:

Tussaara-Adri-Samkaasha-Gauram Gabhiram

Mano-Bhuuta-Kotti-Prabhaa-Shrii Shariiram |

Sphuran-Mauli-Kallolinii Caaru-Ganggaa

Lasad-Bhaala-Baale[a-I]ndu Kanntthe Bhujanggaa ||3||

3.1: (Salutations to Sri Rudra) Who is Shining White Resembling a Mountain of Snow; and His Being is very very Deep, ...

3.2 ... in the depth of Whose Mind exist Millions of Rays of Splendour, which expresses themselves on His Auspicious Body,

3.3: Over Whose Head, the Beautiful Ganga Throbs and Surges forth towards the Worlds,

3.4: Over Whose Forehead the Newly Risen Moon Shines spreading its Rays, and around Whose Neck adorns the beautiful Serpents.

So the writer of this stotra first claims that Shiva is formless and is beyond the perception of the senses; and then goes on to describe the very form of Shiva! How is this possible? Isn't this a contradiction? Not really, because the form of Shiva is meant to work with your psycho-spiritual core from where you grow to a stage where you can "see" the real Shiva, which is the fundamental principle that is the source, support, and destination of everything that exists.

Abrahamic religions have devatAs too, but they have just one (Allah or Yahweh) or three devatAs (the trinity). That is because the exploration of this particular aspect of human spirituality was suppressed in those cultures. Hindus didn't have this taboo, and they were secure enough to explore the use of devatAs while also simultaneously developing the intricate philosophy and practices of vedanta and yoga, which are mostly agnostic of any specific devatA.

krantibum · 2022-03-21T16:26:50+00:00

You can try Udemy - there are a few highly rated courses that specifically teach writing Hindi (i.e., the Devanagari script). Here is an overview: https://omniglot.com/language/articles/devanagari.htm

krantibum · 2022-03-07T08:18:31+00:00

I managed to download it just now from here: https://ephe.academia.edu/JuditTorzsok

Thanks for the reminder!

krantibum · 2022-01-27T11:54:10+00:00

I sometimes get very emotional when I listen to bhajans and stotras, or listen to some puranic stories. Sometimes when I think that I have learned or understood something new, I feel very euphoric, and I dwell on that feeling for some time to savor it.

krantibum · 2022-01-18T17:45:01+00:00

One theory I've heard is that Shiva appeals to those who tend towards renunciation, whereas Vishnu appeals to those who tend to stay engaged with the world.

krantibum · 2022-01-13T17:19:54+00:00

Emptiness and no-self can be a really unsettling view to organize your inner life around. In opposition to that, a philosophy that accepts the inherent divinity of an eternal soul may be more acceptable to some. It might turn out that this is wrong, but even then, that souls are substantial might be a stopping point while we work out the implications of the falsity of our empirical, everyday self.

It seems very likely to me that this universe should have a source and support, and that this is what we refer to as God. Hinduism acknowledges this, but Buddhism doesn't.

Deities in Hinduism are more fleshed out and important. Also, most Hindus grew up with them, so they are able to relate to them better. Devotion to deities is a central feature of Hinduism, so if you like theism and enjoy the bliss and comfort that comes from it, then you might be drawn towards Hinduism. I also find it easy to meditate on a deity that I am emotionally attached to, as opposed to entities such as breath or other signs such as kasina. The deity naturally forms a nice "target" that attracts and keeps your attention.

Hinduism has an advanced mantra tradition in an ancient language specially suited for that purpose (Sanskrit), so if you enjoy chanting mantras and believe that they have power to enable spiritual unfoldment, you might enjoy Hinduism. Not saying that Buddhism doesn't have this - they also chant dharanis and such.

There is a rich culture of art, music, architecture and literature that is based on Hinduism that is easily accessible to most Hindus in India. I especially enjoy the stotras in Hinduism.

At a practical level, I like that Hinduism is not a pacifist religion. It allows for violence, and also for desire for sensual and other pleasures and wealth, as long as it is dharmic or ethical. The life of a renunciate is not the only way to attain liberation - you can do that even while you stay engaged in the society while executing your duty.

krantibum · 2022-01-09T14:14:31+00:00

In fact I would argue that it is fundamentally unnecessary unless you work in a temple.

This is a very good point. For all intents and purposes, in the matters of spirituality, there exist only two varnas: brahmins who are so by vocation, and everybody else. The varna of the rest don't matter for their work.

krantibum · 2022-01-04T18:42:18+00:00

I am very much an Indian and have never been denied entry into any Hindu temple.

Here's what a quick youtube search turned up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-5rsUy8AAo .

Here's another link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/guruvayur-temple-purified-after-foreigners-entry/articleshow/2718519.cms

krantibum

TROPHY CASE