स्वस्ति

Taken from Google Image search

Some time ago… in fact just two weeks shy of 10 months ago I spoke with a friend and also with a client about superstition. To speak of, I’m not superstitious. But sometimes I do wonder if I’m not fibbing to myself. You see, I live almost entirely un-superstitiously for 99% of the time. But when I really want something, and even more so when I really need something, I pull out the ritual like a madman. And then, of course, regardless of what happens afterward, I wonder for some time as to whether my ritual had anything at all to do with what did/didn’t happen. (Of course, ritual is simply planned action, and all of everything experienced is the result of SOME kind of prior action. Whether or not we can discern the connection is a different story.) When I consulted a client about this, her opinion was that it wouldn’t matter if it was actually effective or merely superstition, because it provided a structure for your faith, hopefully for your betterment as a person. I’ll tell you a story to help illustrate this.

A year or so ago, I briefly stepped away from most social engagements and distractions and immersed myself in sadhana in a way like I’m not sure I had ever before. Propitiation with a big “P” is an understatement. It was intense. Pujas. Long long jaapa sessions, fasting, dhyan… I may or may not have ejaculated into a fire while intoning 4,500 year old Babylonian chants, it’s hard to say. But I really pulled out all stops. And it worked. The desired result was achieved AND it turned out to be even better than I thought it would be or hoped for. It’s gotta be the Babylonian spells.

At any rate, I did this again a few weeks ago. An opportunity presented. A shift on various levels. Shiva’s Tandava that I REALLY wanted for my life, and indirectly for the life of my best.

My beloved and I work for almost the same company, but really the same company. My company (before I came to it) bought his a while back. He recently moved into a different position, which is something he’d very much hoped for. In the position he’s leaving he was making a very nice income, plus decent bonus, and among other “perks” could work from home (this is a mixed blessing because on one hand you can work nekkid, but on the other hand there’s no such thing as a snow day, which the company is generally fond of). When he applied for and was given the position he’s about to move into, I applied for his current position. Of course, getting his position would mean an increase in pay for me, as well as an increase in my current bonus percentage.

But almost immediately after applying for the transfer, things seemed absolutely stacked against me. They didn’t seem very inclined toward an internal candidate. They wanted someone with far more technical experience than I bring – in fact, they were actually looking for an over-qualified candidate. And about 90,000 people seemed to be interviewing. These and other factors made the whole thing feel rather insurmountable. More than once I would lament to my beloved via the office IM about how hopeless I felt.

Naturally, as mentioned before, I buckled down and did my pujas, my japaa, my dhyan, and my sex spells (just kidding). This time, I even employed the Christian prayers of one dear friend and requested a Hindu on wheels to keep his eyes religiously crossed for me for no less than two weeks.

And once again, the obstacles were obliterated – and then some! I not only beat out all the other internal candidates, but also all external candidates except one (only because they were technically hiring two people). My first interview was dry, to say the least, but the second interview – which was where I would have been skewered – was a blast. As if simply getting the offer wouldn’t be enough to make me smile, the raise I received was far more than anticipated and even more than my beloved got when he was awarded this position and his new position.

As an interesting aside, a number of months ago I applied for a somewhat similar position elsewhere in the company, and the interview was about as close to an actual train wreck as I’ve ever known. For the purpose of this post, I should mention that I refused all “extra” ritual in the weeks leading up to that interview.

Also a number of months ago, my best confessed to me, “you have better karma than most people I know.” Knowing that karma is action, and that ritual is also action, and taking into consideration that nothing “just happens” and that everything is the result of some prior action (as per modern physics), does that mean superstition doesn’t actually exist? Or does our ascribing results to certain, possibly-unrelated actions, constitute superstition simply because we can’t technically trace the cause of something? Is it ok to marvel at stuff like this and possibly risk being sucked into a mental construct of what we must or mustn’t do to get or avoid certain life events? (Not unlike avoiding certain gods because we’re fearful of what Their presence in our life might mean) Or should we take a more atheistic view and only assign effects to discernible causes, negating most – if not all – wonder? I think I know the answers for myself. What are the answers for yourself?

If this is basically all just superstition, I should admit that by this point I’m increasingly inclined toward so-called superstition, at least the one(s) I’ve chosen. If the proof is in the pudding, I’m almost convinced I’m surrounded by bowls of it. And who in my shoes wouldn’t be? If Babylonian chants and fiery sex magic do the trick, then trick the damned thing out! No?

Om Mahaganeshaya Namaha
Om Shanti

Ganesha’s Panchashakti

Taken from Google Image search

I’ve been, little by little, working my way through “Loving Ganesha,” a tome by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniya Swami. To be clear, I love it. I’ve come to a part of the book where Ganesha’s “five powers” are detailed and I thought to share some of that here. Before digging into the five shaktis of Ganesha, allow me to quote some background info from the book regarding them.

“…it is this understanding of the five powerful positive powers, or shaktis, of Lord Ganesha and their five pwerful asuric counterforces that makes religion a working part of the devotees life and stabilizing force within the extended familt – which embraces kindred, friends, community elders, and close business associates. This knowledge and practical experience has helped them understand just how intimately Lord Ganesha works with each of us every day even in our mundane life…Their positive vibratory rates can be felt through your astral and physical body and should always be with you. All holy men and women emanate all of thee shaktis and you can, too, some stronger than others. Shakti is divine radiation from the Third World through the Second World into the First World. The astral body is in the Second World and lives inside the physical body. It is through the astral body that the Shakti is felt. The shakti comes from the Third World and permeates the astral body in the Second World. This is why the physical body sometimes seems to feel “filled up” with shakti from deep within permeating to the outside of our skin.”

The chapter further indicates that deeply awakened souls experience a filling of this shakti even beyond their physical skin and into the colorful film of light that surrounds the body and is felt by other people at attributed to a personal darshan. These five shaktis can also well be called the “feet of the Lord” and it’s at these feet that we develop ourselves and are able to function more dharmically within this world.

Shakti Ek

The first shakti emanates the feelings of love and compassion. For Hindus, love and compassion, as starting with the nuclear unit, is of great importance. “If love abounds in the home and virtue prevails, the home is perfect and its end is fulfilled.”

Shakti Do

The second shakti is the same feeling, except extended to other relatives, neighbors and friends. This shakti is more challenging to hold or maintain as conflicts often arise. Asuric forces often intervene and prevent the first shakti from growing into the second, however with steady and regular pujas and sadhanas, it is preserved and maintained and the vibrations of the first shakti merges with the second shakti, and bring in abundance the experience of the third shakti.

Shakti Tin

This shakti is beneficial on a greater scale and extends to everyone someone encounters in the external world. This often applies to honest and harmonious distribution of the world’s wealth. This is an immensely important vibration to be felt and maintained. Worldly forces will work against this shakti but once they are conquered, concerns are alleviated and heartfelt joy arrives. The Tirukural (120) states, ” Those business men will prosper whose business protects as their own the interests of others.”

Shakti Char

As might be assumed, the fourth shakti is built upon the first three: a combination of the first two shaktis and stabilized by the third. This shakti brings the creative-intuitive-mind. This grows the love of culture, religious formalities, and appreciation for discipline. Here is found the vibration of religion and brings the boon of creativity in music, art, drama and dance. It also pertains to devotion toward one’s ancestors and and all forms of positive community participation, and also through which the refinements of the past are carried into the future.

Shankti Panch

Interestingly, this shakti is the combination of the first shakti and the third shakti. “Loving Ganesha with all your heart and soul is the combined merging of these five shaktis. This gives the added boon of being able to be charitable; for those who love God perfirm charity, build shrines and temples, and participate in the overflowing generosity from their resources, earning abundant punya, accrued for this life and passed into the next.”

The good Satguru later indicates that any Hindu who manages to cultivate these shaktis will joyously be able to maintain the Hindu Pancha Nitya Karmas, which earns one even more punya. He also indicates that that these primary shakti lead directly to three other, higher yet, shaktis respectively referred to as the sixth, seventh, and eighth shaktis.

The sixth shakti belongs to Murugan and pertains to Raja Yoga. This shakti is only felt in yogic meditation when the crown of the head becomes the temple and the high-picthed “eee” tone rings within the head like a temple bell – indicating kundalini has been awakened. After this point he merges into jnana and the akashic ether surrounding the mind is penetrated. The seventh shakti reveals spiritual teachings from the brink of the Absolute, where Shiva is directly met. The eighth shakti itself is the outpouring of power felt when the mind collects itself and comes out of the Self.

Subsequent pages detail a fivefold abyss and sealing off of the “Lower Realms.” I’ll not share those here.

Om Mahaganeshaya Namaha
Om Shanti

33rd Appearance Day

Image taken from Google Image search

In the past, on my birthday, I’ve written about how birthdays are one’s personal new year and how I use the day to establish resolutions (which I don’t ever really do) and assess things in life, set a few new goals perhaps. It really is like a January 1st for me. This year is different, though. I have no interest in setting goals or personal resolutions on my body’s very own new year.

In recent weeks, however, I’ve been assessing a few things. A few things that are actually really very and truly important to me as an aspiring/developing Jnanayogi. In an earlier post, I mentioned the value is perpetual assessment and questioning. To be clear, I don’t mean to doubt. I mean to explore and to experience and to know.

Occassionally, I find nuggets that really hit home and help me do that assessing and either show me that I need to adjust or confirm that the direction I’m pointed in is correct for me. Recently I visited a blog that is one such nugget. I’ll encourage everyone to visit and follow that blog, which can be found here. Below, I’ve copied/pasted a lengthy post from there titled “Spirituality of the Intellect.” For me, this title is fairly synonymous with Jnana Yoga. If you read the post, and if it makes even a little sense to you, and if you implement some of this wisdom in your existence, you can be sure that so much else will fall into place. There are, of course, many other valuable and enjoyable posts on the blog which I also encourage you to read.

Om Mahaganeshaya Namaha
Om Shanti
————————————————————————————————————————————-

Spirituality of the Intellect.

One of the oft repeated assertions in spiritual circles is that the mind and intellect is a hindrance to true spirituality. This is only a partial truth, an oversimplification of the diverse possibilities of a misunderstood and ill-defined (in normal parlance) part of the human organism.

The mind is but a lose term for a collection of psychological processes-drivers of a human being. It can be broadly classified into 3 parts. First the sensory mind, also called manas, which controls and reacts to influences that reach the mind through the sense-organs. This part of the mind is driven by instinct and compulsive reactions. Then the chittah, repository of all impressions and influences, also called samskaras. Everything that a normal human being ever does, howsoever insignificant, plants an impression in the chittah. At odd times, in otherwise uncalled for situations, the chittah can throw up random, arbitrary images from an semi-forgotten past. The third part of the mind is a mental ahamkara. A very subtle I-sense whose job it is to endlessly and mindlessly oppose, sometimes in a secret and subliminal manner, any part of the human being that is asked to transform itself in the process of sadhana. The ahamkara will do just about anything to hang on to the old personality including all its various likes/dislikes/automatic-movements/passions/desires/comfort-zones ETC, for only by the survival of the older flawed frontal-personality can the ahamkara’s own existence be justified. Often people wrongly translate the word ahamkara to mean pride. Pride is just one manifestation of it, equally expressions of humility or pity or even friendship (or any human relation) can also be a work of the ahamkara. Any refusals to change the flawed habits of the surface personality is a work of the ahamkara fighting for self-preservation.

From this chittah, is thrown out another aspect of the mind – the part which in the realm of pure-thoughts. This is buddhi. In most people the buddhi part of the mind is inseparably tied to the manas and the chittah and the ahamkara. Therefore the thought process is driven in a very subjective manner by the randomness of the conditioning present in the chittah or the compulsive, reactive nature of the manas, or is taken for a royal ride by the ahamkara churning out comfortable but insincere logic to justify the preservation of the flawed, frontal personality. The Buddhi thus becomes severely distorted and defeats the very purpose of its own existence. Such a mind is terrible master.

On the other hand, if the Buddhi is taught to function without being influenced by the sensory mind or the repository of random impressions and conditioned thinking, or be at the service of the ahamkara, then it can work in an objective and non-distorted fashion, searching for the truth as it is, and a trying to find the route to that truth. Such an intellect, unsoiled and pure, is never outraged by anything for agitation is foreign to its nature, can look at all possibilities however obnoxious or repugnant in complete calmness, and weigh them on well defined parameters of judgement. To do this the intellect has to slay the demons of the sensory mind and chittah and ahamkara, at least temporarily if not permanently, which is the higher aim. The Rig Vedic Rishis named this pure intellect as Indra, one who has won the battle against indriyas (sensory mind, manas), the mighty slayer of the demon vritra (meaning envelop), and hence named vritahan.

Once this pure intellect is developed and instilled and one learns to operate from that platform of pure-reason, one must ideally head for the next stage of pushing the frontiers of the mind and intellect into a higher region of functioning, where by default the intellect can integrate apparently contradictory lines of thought in a harmonious manner. Even higher than this stage is an intellect with a natural illumination and unfailing intuition, which can known things by dint of a process that seems to bypass normal logical constructs. Beyond this intuitive mind, lies a vast Cosmic Mind, the mind of the Great Gods where like a Universal game of chess one see innumerable possibilities on every side, gigantic divergences, near-infinite karmic-chains and their exact repercussions right down to the minutest details. It functions not from the premise of piecemeal analogical building blocks of reason, for such a lower method simply cannot handle a universal complexity of unspeakable proportions, but from a perspective of spontaneous knowledge that does not need to strive. And then there is a mind beyond this too, the mind where direct knowledge of Truth comes by the inalienable oneness of subject and object, of viewer and the viewed, or the experiencing-agent and the experienced-subject, where everything is simultaneously and equally divided yet undivided. There is no point thinking of it from our normal mind. Whatever one may think, whatever one can think, will be inevitably flawed for sure, because this is as far beyond the ranges of the average human mind as a normal man is to a cockroach.

The one singular disadvantage of the intellect, though, is its habit of moving in endless circles when it hits a logical road-block. If one falls into that trap, the intellect hinders the seekers progress. However if one is well aware of limits of pure intellect, one can very well use it as a stepping stone into a higher range of the mind and beyond. But to imbibe the essence of these higher platforms of the intellect, one must first develop the pure intellect – uncluttered by manas, chittah and aham, which is the beginning of the spiritual planes. And therein lies the problem for 90% of people, as the mind in most has not learned to offload the retarding, retrogressive weights and soar high above on its own wings. Therefore the spirituality of the intellect is off-limits to most, and consequently the intellect gets unduly demonized.

Just thought you should know…

Taken from Google Image search

At the age of 33 now, it seems pretty inherent to who I am that I want people to know what I know.

Some, whose understanding isn’t quite “there” yet might perceive this to be me pushing my views or trying to make people agree with me. Although I’ve known people I definitely thought would benefit from thought pattern adjustments, this is (technically and practically speaking) different from pushing my views onto others. In fact, one of the few things that can make a Hindu a “bad” Hindu, in the same way that there can be “bad” Christians, is attempting to persuade others that they should be on a different path than they are. Hinduism is THE religion of “live and let live.”

Still, I’m confident in my own path as it is currently, and as I grow and develop my awareness through practicing Jnanayoga (as well as a few other yogas) I become increasingly at home with my Self. As this process unfolds, one finds that the work already done has a carrying effect.

Think of money. When you have more than you currently need, you are sometimes able to spend less time on the clock getting more money. So, you can occasionally coast a bit and know your bills are still getting paid. I recognize, sometimes more clearly than other times, that I am far from “retirement,” but I have also gotten enough work under my belt to occasionally take some time off and coast a bit without actually getting behind on my karmic bills. (Truly this is a recipe for moksha, but that’s an entirely different post waiting to happen!) Often, during the “free” time I’ve earned, and also quite often while still on the clock, I find it beneficial to myself and others to share what I know. Sure, that might sound a little off, but it isn’t really.

I find myself sharing what I know to be true for ME. I can certainly only ever speak in regard to my personal Truth as experienced through my personal effort and what makes the most sense to me in this world. However, sharing serves two purposes: First is making folks aware of what I think and knowing it usually rubs up against what they think and know, and hopefully (again depending on their current development) causes them to check what I share against what they think they know, and secondly will hopefully create dialogue enough that I end up challenged in return – the benefit of which is, of course, a Self reassessment. If you’d like me to go into either of those things more deeply, you’ll need to speak up and then watch for separate posts.

A big part of Jnanayoga and seeing/experiencing/realizing Truth is peeling away all that isn’t. There’s A LOT that isn’t. Jnanayoga and Advaita Vedanta have an expression (and Hindu scripture (the Upanishad and Avadhuta Gita) tells us) that Truth is “neti, neti.” It translates roughly as “not this, not that.” I think about the only way one is able to strip away the things that are neither “this” nor “that” is to experience – and that often means exploring and testing. How can you know where you stand or where you want to eventually stand if you aren’t sure of where you shouldn’t stand?

Please don’t ever stand where you stand simply because someone told you to. Don’t stand there because others before you stood there as well. It’s my hope and definitely is your responsibility to absolutely know why you stand where you do and where that will take you. If you’re not very certain, in the purest way, question it. The only thing that is ever threatened in this context is your own ignorance.

Om Mahaganeshaya Namaha
Om Shanti

Mamandaram

I’ve been kind of questining things lately. I mean… this is the usual mode of operation for me, to be honest, but I feel like I’m questioning different things these days. Going deeper in some ways, and testing the surface level in other ways.

Some time ago, I asked around about the necessity and importance of Hinduism’s deep foundational orthodoxy. My specific inquiry at the time centered on the dark-n-wondrous knowledge that was revealed and codified in the images worshipped in Hinduism, as well as the intonations and sigils employed in the Sanatana Dharma. The idea is that there are very very specific formulations in place, which are meant to be employed very intentionally and specifically, for very intentional and specific reasons. And so then, what if we “misuse” those formulations. What happens in alchemy when one follows the precise steps to turn lead into gold, but the whole time just wants to turn lead into aluminum? Or what if the formulation is for turning lead into gold but you start off with aluminum and not lead? Do you still end up with gold? Or would you get a form of gold that’s fucked up? That’s what this post is about….still.

Recently, as a treat to myself I made a purchase from the Himalayan Academy. To be clear, I LOVE the Himalayan Academy and the associated Saivite sect, known in the West as Saiva Siddhanta Church. There’s an incredible lineage behind this sect and if I were to formally join, I could do so with almost no hesitation. (More on that in another post.) I’ve ordered from the good monks a number of times and have only once been disappointed – something not worth mentioning further. Their literature can change your life; time and time again it marries modern science with truly ancient spirituality that literally predates what is now known as Sanatana Dharma.

As part of this recent purchase, I managed to get my hands on no less than five rudrakshas. And the questioning begins. You can see three of the rudrakshas below. For the record, while they FEEL like they’re made of a kind of resin, although they certainly smell as one might expect and the box they came in was marked with oil spots – I’m certain they are legit.

Rudraksha

But what if they aren’t legit? What if they’re just decent imposters?

When I asked my other question about letting much of the “realness” of Hinduism slide, and what that might mean, a number of responses indicated that Bhakti would essentially gloss over any glitches and the rest might just be in my head anyway. Would that apply here? Does it matter at all if these are imposters, so long as I BELIEVE they are real and am devoted the the essence of real ones? Surely, whether these are real or not, if I hold them in my hand and close my eyes and do my jaapa/sadhana with love in my heart they can be as plastic as Barbie and I’ll benefit all the same, no? Will I really? Does Bhakti cover all?

I know the Gita indicates that God will accept virtually any offering made with devotion and sincerity. I actually take refuge in that consolation and also that the Gita explains that there is literally no wasted effort in one’s journey toward our Source. You do what you can, with what you can, and keep moving. Baby steps are still steps, yes? To me, this is the power of Bhaktiyoga.

But is this all that’s needed and if so, why not just go to the craft store and grab any old bead and then call it a rudraksha? I think Bhakti is a tremendous path, but I still have this nagging suspicion in the back of my heart. Many would say, and in fact have said, that in the Kali Yuga Bhatki beats all. But surely, if you’re trying to turn lead into gold you really truly must be starting with lead, or you are quite likely not to end up with gold.

What are your thoughts on this?

Om Mahaganeshaya Namaha
Om Shanti

ShubhRakhi : 2-in-1

When I was very young, I almost invariably played by the rules in every instance. As a first born and closeted young person, my way in the world was found in being a good boy. To this day, the thought of disappointing my parents in any way causes me to cringe and break out in a sweat.

However, in my teen years some of that changed. This shift occurred primarily when I was forced to part with the first religious community I formally knew. It was a time of immense pain for me. From then since, it’s been of high value to me to always engage in the effort needed to know my heart, and then to follow it.

One way this manifests, yearly in fact, is a Hindu holiday known as Raksha Bandhan. I don’t know if, like many other Hindu things, there are multiple versions of this holiday’s origin, but the one I’m most familiar with involves Krishna (I think?) protecting his sister, which she then returns with a gesture of devotion by tearing part of her sari and making it into a bracelet around his wrist. Since the time of this supposed event, every year Hindu brothers and sisters celebrate their affection and devotion to each other. Brothers bring their sisters gifts and sweets and promise to always support and protect them. In turn, sisters tie a bracelet of sorts around their brother’s wrist, offer him treats as well, and likewise promise to support and be devoted to that sibling relationship. But that’s not exactly how I roll.

There are a number of people in my life, of no blood relation per se, who I value truly very much-ly actually quite-ly and immensely. Every year, for Raksha Bandhan (and in fact for months ahead of time) I purchase gifts to the best of my ability and bestow them upon my loved ones. If I can be honest, it’s the second most expensive time of the year for me, after the American Christmas holiday. Gift bags are assembled and packages are placed into the post… and when it’s all said and done, my wallet is usually, literally, more than empty. But my heart is so full. This holiday, celebrated almost entirely backward by yours truly, is my personal mahabhakti celebration.

More along the traditional lines of the holiday, though, is my relationship with my only blood sister. We’re about six years apart in physical age, and if ever a big brother had a baby sister… oh boy! Of the children brought here by my birth mother, my sweet sister and I are the only siblings remaining in the state. You can look at us and tell we’re related (because of a fine mix of Native American and European, we both have almond-shaped eyes and high cheek bones). I’ve included a photo of her in this post. Another likeness we share is our birth mother’s sheisty, feisty attitude. I think my sister’s absolutely beautiful, and I’m certain she hasn’t yet realized her tremendous worth to the world. I’m committed to helping her see this value and using it for her betterment and for the benefit of those others in her life. We talk/text regularly, and I love that we talk about boys. 🙂 If ever a sister expressed her devotion and support to a brother, it’s when my sister speaks to me. And if ever a brother was committed to protecting his little sister, it would surely be the brother who threatens to break the legs of any guy who causes her heart pain. Probably half of the communication between us is simple exchanges of “I Love you, bubby” and “I love you, too!”

More than anything in this life, people need to know how much they mean. The value found in the simple fact that they are breathing is something lost on most. Generally, I’m good about telling others how I feel about them – for good or bad! But this is the one day of the year when I really mean it when I say I’m glad you didn’t die when you fell down the stairs, or that I’m glad you are who you are and that you are amazingly beautiful whether you’re closeted or not, or how truly important our times in the rivers means to me, or that you are my sweet sweet little sister and I will always be here for you.

When it comes down to it, I really have no words. Not any that are adequate, anyway. Every morning and every night when I sit in my temple room before my mandir, my heart becomes obese – absolutely obese – as it sings the song within it. My sincerest hope, my brothers and sisters in this life, is that you know you are the very song of my own heart.

Jai Shri Mahaganeshaya Namaha
Om Shanti

2013 Board Chairman Report

Dear Friends and Devotees of HTCI,

I’m sure that you all are enjoying great summer weather. It is time for me to give you a brief update of our Temple construction project. As I mentioned in our last news letter, we have been trying hard through various avenues to obtain visas for Shilpies (Temple Artisans) to Indianize the Temple both inside and out. At last ten of them will be getting visas at the Chennai Consulate on August 26th and will be here by September 10, 2013. The Shilpies will immediately start working outside until the weather changes. Meanwhile, we are hoping to obtain visas for twelve more Shilpies in a month or two. These Shilpies may join us by the end of this year. All the Shilpies together are expected to complete the work both inside and outside of three major Shrines by June 2014 for us to celebrate partial Kumbhabhisekum in July of 2014. The team of 22 Shilpies will stay with us to finish the work on the remaining Shrines and Rajagopuram in the year 2015 for final Kumbhabhisekum. Afterwards we all can enjoy the full potential of our Temple.

The cost of the final phase of the Temple Project including materials and labor is estimated to be two million dollars. This means that we must raise the amount over the next 20 months but immediately we need one-half million dollars to get started. On behalf of the Temple, I wholeheartedly thank you all for having helped the Temple project so far. We have invested so much money and energy on this project that we cannot go back or take a pause, this is a very crucial time so please come forward and help us out. We request all of our community members to donate liberally. If you redeem past pledges immediately that will take care of our immediate needs. You all are very busy people with various life demands, so before you forget while this topic is fresh on your minds, please write a check for our Temple so that we may continue making progress with our project.

Lastly, I have a clarification for everyone’s information. Our Temple’s mission is to strive to meet all religious, cultural, educational, and social needs of our community members in Central Indiana as much as possible. With this in mind, our Temple also has some policies in which we must adhere to. At this time our Temple cannot afford to let any community member or a group of members to organize any fund raising activity in the Temple for an outside organization since our Temple is in the middle of a construction phase and is in need of monetary support. On special situations we will still consider negotiating mutually beneficial and acceptable agreements. I sincerely request and hope that you all understand the Temple’s position on this matter.

God Bless You All,
Satyanarayana R. Marri, MD
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Hindu Temple of Central Indiana

Jnana Crazy

I came across the video posted below on a friend’s Facebook page today. It’s of a well-known song, and I really enjoy this sing-able version of it. I’ve included the lyrics, too, in case you’re not familiar. Look only a little deeper into the words of this song and you’ll taste some Jnana. One of the most karmically beneficial skills my adventure into Jnana Yoga has provided me is the abibility to, at times, leave my mind aside and see not only how crazy everything here is, but also the peace of seeing what “so pleasant about that place” where even the mind cannot touch. Good stuff!

I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space

And when you’re out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn’t because I didn’t know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly [radio version]
Probably [album version]

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice, that’s my only advice

Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are,
Ha ha ha bless your soul
You really think you’re in control

Well, I think you’re crazy
I think you’re crazy
I think you’re crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember is thinking, I want to be like them
Ever since I was little, ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it’s no coincidence I’ve come
And I can die when I’m done

Maybe I’m crazy
Maybe you’re crazy
Maybe we’re crazy
Probably

Yantras, Mantras, & Murtis – OH MY

I’ve been thinking about something lately. Transcendance. I’ve known of or have been a part of a number of groups who ultimately forego all images of the Divine – not unlike Muslims. The Sahaj Marg is a prime example: Clearly Hindu. And yet essentially shuns all images of the Truth and has even been known to resist the label of “Hindu.” The reasoning, in digest version, is that these end up being things that bog down the human soul’s progress toward growth. Since attachments are essentially what keep us here, no murtis mean one less attachment.

Of course, everyone recognizes the value of an external focus. In the context of spirituality, or personal development in general, we (at least) start out being helped by external focus points. We pray to crucifixes, or statues, among other ritualistic suchery. In the beginning, this serves us well. It helps us to bring ourselves out of the claustrophobic encasement built by the mind and ego. First we learn to recognize Truth as separate from ourselves – in God, in our religion, in humanity. And as we grow that recognition, and serve It, we (hopefully) eventually come full circle and realize that the Self we see in God, our religion, in humanity – is within us. In fact, IS us. Sometimes you have to leave home in order to return. This can, of course, lead to issues if one fails to continue growing and persistently relies on that Other. As long as that Other is viewed as the Other and not one’s Self (which would change everything entirely), peace can never fully be realized. The Other is what this post is meant to be about.

In Hinduism, one has more freedom than anywhere else to choose their path to God and that includes the Shape they perceive God to have. Resultantly, Hinduism arguably offers the widest range of established Shapes. The Shape I’m most inclined toward, at least currently, is Ganesha.

I’ve been reading through “Loving Ganesha,” by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. It’s a fairly immense book, although not endless. As I’m working through it for about the fourth time, and thoroughly enjoying every word of the Satguru’s, I began to wonder about all this… structure. And it came to me: What if I had no Ganesha murtis? Could I not perform the pujas in the book? Would it be useless to chant the Ganesha Sahasranam if I only had access to a murti of Vishnu? What if I knew only Vishnu puja, but had only a murti of Kali?

I already knew the answer according to my typical logical workings and my own personal tradition centered around Ganesha, but I decided to ask others for their input. After all, THOUSANDS of years of contributions have gone into the development of what we know to be murtis and puja formulations. One can find tome after tome of Scripture detailing exactly why you do what you do and how to do it. Why does one use red flowers in Ganesha puja as opposed to dark purple ones? Did you know that each murti, when formally created, must adhere to very strict guidelines or it’s considered flawed? Have you ever paid attention to the Sanskrit sounds produced during one mantra or Sahasranama, versus another? You’re meant to be conducting very specific energies, and so you’re supposed to be forming very specialized sounds with your mouth. The same can be noticed in the various mudras employed by temple priests when performing pujas for the temple’s deity. From a standpoint of orthodoxy (which I’ve been known to pick and choose from), any aspiring pujari needs to know these things – and many others! – if he’s to be taken seriously by the community he hopes to serve. I’ve found that most Hindus might not know the exact right way about worship, but they can invariably discern the “wrong” way.

One source of input on this topic has come from the friend I mention frequently. Although I’m not sure I’ve put this exact question to him, the response has typically been that too much could be lost among the details and that one shouldn’t necessarily compromise what’s in the heart for the sake of the ritual itself. In theory, I’d agree with this. It’s a little more bhakti-centric than I was hoping for and than I am inclined to accept entirely, but the meat of that answer is something good for chewing.

To gain additional perspective, I took this question to a closed Facebook group I belong to for LGBT Hindus. Initially, some seemed puzzled by my question. This is almost certainly my fault, as I tried to keep the wording to a minimum for the sake of brevity. Some answers received were quite general and along the lines of, “Whatever your tradition allows is fine.” Yep. That’s true. No argument there. Additional sentiment received was similarly bhakti-centered, “You can worship any form of God through any form of God, as long as your heart is in it.” Fine. Fair enough. Again, I don’t disagree.

Still, I’m looking for something more substantial than heart-felt emotion. Something more calculated – like Hinduism itself. After all, the very religion we Hindus adhere to isn’t exactly a religion of the heart. I mean, sure, it is. But to say Hinduism is a religion of the heart would be an incredible disservice. Anywhere one looks within Hinduism, we see structure and knowledge. THIS is the house we Hindus live in. Everything, literally everything, is precise. The Sanskrit language we speak and chant in, mudras, yantras, mantras, and yes, the very shape of our temples and murtis are all exactly and precisely and concretely revealed and formulated. The rishis didn’t “feel” or “love” Sanskrit mantras into being. Mantras have a scientific and verifiable connection to the universe. The rishis transcended emotion and tapped into these deep, real, and concrete mysteries and just as systematically provided them to us. I digress?

So what if we were to ignore the structure provided for us by our beloved rishis? Would that mean Ganesha puja performed with a Hanuman yantra or a murti of Brahma is negated? If it doesn’t mean that, then what is the exact value of the effort (aka those very yantras, mantras, and murtis) of those rishis thousands of years ago and what does that mean for the current and future face of Hinduism? Could there be detrimental effects of this kind of mish-mashing? There are certainly tales of malevolent effects of misused, or even just mispronounced, mantras – even including spinal paralysis!

If I can say this without sounding condescending, I think the group I posted this question in isn’t used to questions that force one to go so deep into the value of things. In fact, 99% of the entre response thread that resulted was contributed by a Kraishnav who spent two-thirds of his entire effort in the conversation simply trying to convert me to his sect, saying that I should not only read the Gita “AS It Is,” but that my question is bogus and all worship of the so-called demi-gods goes to Krishna anyway. I really wanted to spit.

At any rate, a concrete and educated answer from other sects remains elusive and my hope for a substantial dialogue with others to deeply discuss this remains unfulfilled. Maybe I’ll try again later.

Om Shri Mahaganeshaya Namaha
Om Shanti

Ganesha-Lila, Do

Here’s another myth about Ganesha that I find humorous and interesting. I’ve encouraged others before to be bold and even bossy toward God. This story could have come from my own heart, except for it’s a story of bhakti. All the same, it’s wonderful.
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Once there was a fair honouring Ganesha near a temple outside a village. A little girl pestered her mother to let her join her friends who had all gone to participate in the festivities. Eventually her mother agreed and gave her daughter two churma laddoos, ‘Feed one to Ganesha,’ she told her daughter, ‘and then eat the other yourself.’

The little girl went straight to the Ganesha temple, offered a laddoo to the deity, and settled down in front of the image waiting for him to eat the offering. Hours passed and dusk approached. The little girl refused to leave until Ganesha ate her laddoo. She waited and waited. Eventually Ganesha, moved by her devotion, manifested Himself before her and she fed him the laddoo.

Then she grabbed one of His hands and refused to release her hold. Ganesha said that he would grant her whatever she wished if she would let him go. The little girl remembered the old saying: when offered a boon, ask for benefits that will extend over three generations. So she said, ‘I want to see my grandson eating from a gold katori in a palatial haveli where I am surrounded by seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. My husband is with me and together we watch our grandchildren playing.’

And so, indeed, it was.