Apep

Have a look here:

http://www.indiadivine.org/hinduism/categories/Hindu-Festivals/

Go down to the articles on Shiva Ratri.

The festival Holikotsava I have a question:

Do they celebrate Shiva on this day with the opening of his third eye? Is that a major festival of Shiva?

Have a look here:

http://www.indiadivine.org/hinduism/categories/Hindu-Festivals/

Go down to the articles on Shiva Ratri.

Thank You.

Also I am not advocating making a new website by no means.

I am only speculating a idea of making a new section for this already wonderful site we have here.

This site here is indeed great!

How about "Off Topic," which is the category most other discussion forums use?

That could work too.

I'm afraid I don't know too much about it, I'm a Smartist and Advaitist myself. Here's what I do know though; Like Jndas said there is a branch that is very active in the west; They are represented by the Hinduism Today magazine http://www.hinduismtoday.com/ ,

the Saiva Siddhanta Church http://www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/ ,

and the Himalayan Acadamy http://www.himalayanacademy.com/

Other than that I don't know much about it's origins or any differnt factions except that it's supposed to be very old. That original link I gave you has some good info on Siddhanta, it's belifes and scriptures. About the philosophy it says: "It is midway between Sankara’s Advaita and Ramanuja’s Visishtadvaita" So mabey when you are looking up these two philosophers that will help you out too.

Thank You for your help.

I can use all the help I can get. I too have heard it has it's origins going into ancient times.

Lord Shiva has attracted me for a very long time. Even when I was just reading about Hinduism he has attracted me. Also Lord Ganesh as well his son.

Well, there is the hinduism today group that alligns itself with Shaiva Siddhanta. I'm not sure how strictly they follow it as I have never studied their teachings.

I think their website is hindu.org.

Thank You. I will have to look at this site.

Anyone have suggestions for a name for the forum, and what topics it will cover?

I am confused to what you mean? If you mean you are looking for a name for this idea I would just call it a Social Lounge.

There you can talk about Hobbies,general conversation,opinions, Family,struggles,life,work,fun, and entertainment.

<BIG>~Shivaratri</BIG>

<BIG>~Arudra Darshan</BIG>

I don't suppose you know the dates for us gregorian users?

You must understand that without the bible or any of it's teachings there would be no Christianity. Everything you know of Jesus came from the bible.

The days when Jesus taught the huddle mass of people on the hill is over. Christianity since it's beginning has been a religion built upon a book. This goes for all the sects of Christianity.

That was me who posted that.

Your welcome,

There are different types of Saivism out there: In Kashmir Saivism worship is based on the Agamas and Tantras, this is also known as the right handed Tantric path; the Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy is a Shiva-bhakta movement from south India; In the Smarta sect Shiva is one of six main dieties that you may worship as a representation Brahman, your deity of choice (or that your drawn too) is called your Ishta-deva. Hope that helps in your searches.

<MARQUEE scrollAmount=4 scrollDelay=108 behavior=alternate><BIG>OM Namah Shivaya!!</BIG></MARQUEE>

I am more interested in the Siddhanta movement. Can you help me with that.

Well there is a Health and Well Being board which would cover a lot. People looking for cures to various diseases both pyschological and physical post there.

The Friendly Marketplace is you are looking to buy or sell something, looking for a job or have one to offer etc.

Yes that is good. Is that a ok place to discuss hobbies and other forms of entertainment and simple talk?

I don't want to offend or embarrass anyone, but I think you may need to read up on your New Testament/Early Christian history. It is too much to get into correcting specific errors. I would recommend the books of Prof. Bart Ehrman or Prof. Henry Chadwick as solid introductions to early Christianity and the history of the New Testament. I'm a religious studies major focusing on early Christianity. I grew up a Christian but have been practicing Krishna Consciousness for about 10 years.

Most of what I read about "Christian history," particularly the "Jesus in India" and "Jesus as a vegetarian threads," is shoddy scholarship, at best, and would get laughed out of any major university in the world. I always cringe when I see these Christianity posts, and then hear devotees repeating what they picked up on-line. It makes devotees look like idiots. Besides, if you want to play that game, studying the history of scriptures and religions and proving that every other religion was made up, thereby "proving" that our religion is the best, or whatever it is that people think these threads accomplish, well, you should hear what they say about our scriptures. The double edge on that sword is quite sharp. Hare Krishna.

You should hear what Christian priests say about non-Christians.

I should know I have talked to many in spiritual and religous debates.

Most non-Christians would be surprised to hear that Christian priests learn in missionary school how to divide people in foreign lands so they can get their word of God out on people.

When you divide a people through chaotic rhetoric it is easy to save their souls from the Christian satan.

You would be surprised.

I said 'blanket' statements. You know, like extreme generalization or stereotyping. And saying that they all derive their belief from the bible is another blanket statement that isn't true in all cases. There were in existance before the Roman church-state decide what was acceptable teachings and doctrine many other sects and scriptures. In fact at the same time they decide which ones were specificly unaccepted and listed them. Now, while the majority of Christians in the world today probably accept the "connonical" bible, there are traditions from that time period still in existance today that developed outside of the Roman church-states reach. There are also neo-gnostic Christians, Universalist Christians who worship under the same roof and right next to Buddhist's, Wiccans and other neo-pagans, and Hindu's; How can you say there is no Christian tolerance? Just because the majority of them are the most intollerant people in the world doesn't make it a quality shared amonges every sect and individual.

My friend you are a intelligent man for I have seen you in other threads. You are also kind. I want no bickering with you. I thought I might just say this so you know we are having a intelligent disagreement and I am not insulting your integrity.

I must profess my disagreement with you. Even the church traditions out of the Roman Catholic church whether it be Orthodox,Baptist,Lutheran, or any other have the same belief of non-believers in hell.

I have spoke with Gnostic Christians and you are right they do not adhere to the creed of the bible. I would say they are more pantheist than anything. Infact I am not sure if one can even group a agnostic or gnostic person with Christianity. That in itself would sound hypocritical. A agnostic or gnostic is themselves with their own reputation. Christians are Christians.

You must understand that Christianity the majority do not accept those groups because they see them as outside fringe groups of outcasts.

The bible is the bridge of Christianity. If a group does not follow that bridge then it can not be Christian. I have studied Christianity and most world religions I do know what I am talking about.

Also there was a time where there was no bible and supposedly a man named Jesus taught them on a hill. Those days are over in Christianity. It has been for a thousand years or so.

Christianity is a religion of the bible and has been for a long time.

If you read the bible you would know of their hatred of non-Christians. To the Christians the non-Christian is the enemy of their God and the seed of their satan.

That in itself should show you their hatred.

<BIG>~Shivaratri</BIG>

<BIG>~Arudra Darshan</BIG>

Thank You. I will have to look these up.

Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu represnt the six major schools of Vedanta. All of these except Adi Shankara are Vaishnava sects.

Kapila was the great sage of Sankhya philosophy.

Thank You! I can not wait to look up these philosophers on the internet for my personal studies. Thank You again.

We are trying to fuse our wordly lives with spiritual life by remembering and serving Krsna (God) through all we perceive and in every experience of our lives rather pleasant or problematic.

Considering this we can feel free to discuss problems we all face but we also want to apply the solution. Who wants a problem without a solution? So problems are seen as those which distract from thinking of Krsna. That is what makes them problems. And the solution will come in helping each other remember to face those problems by relying on Krsna.

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I understand that and I believe that to be a noble belief.

I was merely talking about having a section where people can speak plainly about their lives.

Like I said before making a blanket statment about billions of people like that is the height of ignorance. You don't know what each of those individuals believe or not! And aparently aren't aware of sects that believe differntly. My parents are serious Christians and they don't even believe in hell!

Also, most Hindu's who believe that Christians are evil probably believe they will suffer in their next life. How different is that from some Christians thinking non-Christians go to hell?

Get it?

I don't see how my statements are blank. All those billions of people derive their teachings and beliefs from one source and that is the Bible. Without the Bible their source of belief would cease to be. Without the bible there would be no Christians.

Suffering in the next life is temporary where hell is eternal there lies the difference. I actually don't believe all Christians will suffer in the next world only the zealots who speak of hell and brimfire will. I know there are some good Christians.

The good Christians may be good as individuals ,but one can not help but question the form of beliefs they have chosen.

I only judge the beliefs the way I see them. Christian beliefs is built upon fear of other people with different beliefs. There is no Christian tolerance.

Christianity says follow us or suffer in hell. There may be a tolerance on a individual level but that is about it.

I love Indian culture. I love hinduism in our endeavors to get closer to divinity.

I have heard about negative killings of people in India because they were claimed to be dark witches who cursed people. This has often plagued my mind and I don't understand.

Who is the people doing the killing and why?

I am new here and I got to say I really love this website. I have learned alot just chatting here.

I was thinking," Is there a part of this site where people can just talk about daily life beyond spirituality?

I know spirituality is a important aspect of all of us, I was just curious if there is a part to talk about worldly problems and life in general.

Base your bhakti on what the scriptures say, not on what the Shiva Purana T.V. serial tells you. There is nothing wrong with having devotion to Shiva, but base it on something solid.

What is more solid then trying to obtain peace with divinity? Who cares about trivialities of names?

Om Namah Bhagawate Vasudevaya!

Infact, this satvic and tamasic purana categories have been heard in gaudiya sampradaya only. I never heard of this anywhere else. For example, what exactly makes the Shiva Mahapurana a tamasic purana?? Because Shiva is considered as tamasic by some ill-informed people? Because he is the destroyer of the Universe? But then he is the sustainer and creator too. He himself says this to Rama and Rama confirms it. And Krishna and Rama are both Vishnu avatars. Yes Vishnu had ten avataras and Krishna was the one in Dwapar Yuga. Of course he is the Bhagwan period. Wouldn't want to argue on that.

So, If the aim of human life is to attain only the satvic guna, then why did Ved Vyas waste his time writing the tamasic puranas? Of course one can argue that no this was for people of lower understanding. But that is not so. These puranas and Upanishads contain the knowledge of the highest order and are the Vedas and by no means a chandal or lower tamasic person can understand it. So this categorization is mostly biased and frequently used as a lame excuse for a particular sampradaya to boost the scriptures in line with their own pholosophy. In fact the worship of Lord Shiva has been considered the vedic norm. And Lord Krishna and Rama have fulfiled that norm too. Whether it is Rama or Ravana, Krishna or Arjuna, Janak or Dasharatha, Vashishtha or Vishwamitra, Kunti or gandhari, all worshiped Lord Sadashiva. The references and quotations can be thousands. But where is the realization is the question. A guru may quote any number of books, but if he has no realization, then he is not a guru but just a 'panda', pathi / kathakar or an academician. Today thousands of these pandas in Mathura and Kashi can speak elaborately quoting sanskrit verses from books. But have they attained the Lord's darshan or have a siddhi is another issue. It is all theory. This is not the vedic mantra or yog practice. This practice is the result of bhakti kaal of last 700 or so years.

As to who should be worshiped, I would say worshipping Shiva or Krishna can never be wrong. It is a matter of individual intimacy and attachment that also happens due to past birth attachment to a particular form of the divine. Not all people have equal level. Some devotees may find it hard to practice pranayama and yogic and mantra sadhna as was done in the Vedic times. Other may find just beating symbols as a waste of time. It depends. But both Lord Shiva and Krishna can liberate a sadhaka from the cycle of rebirth and death. It all depends what is one's level. And finally though it may depend on the mercy of the Lord, a sadhaka / devotee still has to earn that mercy. No Guru would come and chant your rounds for you. You will have to do it. No matter how many books one reads. And just having emotions alone is not enough either.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Am I right to say that the true teaching lies in prayer and devotion to Gods and not always in the writings?

I have always put more emphasis on prayer,devotion, and meditation.

Everyone should understand the fact at there is only one God. He neither has a form nor has a name. It is because human's limited capacity, he gives names and forms and various other attributies to worships them. Our greatest foolishness is so many of us see God as a super-HUMAN because we don't know what real GOD is. We keep making our own images, giving them names, etc and amuse ourselves. The best thing that we can do it pray to whichever god we like and not make any judgements on who is greater than whom. There is no end to it. In doing so, we are trying to satisfy only or petty selves and not the real SELF.

Indeed that is the purest form of wisdom.

I am a convert of Shavism. I believe Shiva to be the lord of all things.

I know there are many here who disagree and that is fine. The important thing is we are all trying to get to the divine by being spiritual. The divine is manifested in many ways and names. As long as we try to follow the way then names and trivialities cease to be important.

We should stop with the trivialities of who is wrong and who is right.

That was me who said that. Why my computer kicks me out and makes me a guest is beyond me.

The authors of the Gospels and the other books of the so called New Testament were not Jews. Jesus and all the "Apostles" were Jews but the so called originals of all “Gospels” are written in Greek.

“Traditionally”, Jesus and all the "Apostles" are said to be Jews and all their associates and the people of their country with whom they came into contact, were Jews. But throughout the Gospels, scores of times, "the Jews" are spoken of, always as a distinct and alien people from the writers.

A few instances only need be given; they all betray that the writers were not Jews speaking of their fellow Jews.

1. The Greek writer of "Matthew" says:

"this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day" --

showing, too,that it was written long afterwards; a Jew must have said "among our people," or some such.

2. It is recorded by "Mark":

"For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands of it, eat not, holding to the tradition of the elders" (Mk. vii, 3);

no Jew writing for his fellow-Jews would explain or need to explain this Jewish custom, known to and practiced by "all the Jews."

3. “Luke” names a Jew and locates geographically his place of residence:

"Joseph, of Arimathea, a city of the Jews";

an American , speaking to another American of Hoboken, would not say "a city of the Americans" nor did Jews need to be told by a Jew that Arimathea was a "city of the Jews."

4. The Greek priest who wrote "John" is the most prolific in

telling his Pagan readers about Jewish customs and personalities; absurd in a Jew writing for Jews:

"After the manner of the purifying of the Jews" (ii, 6);

"And the Jews' passover was at hand" (ii, 13)

"Then answered the Jews, and said unto Jesus" (iii, 1);

"Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples

[all Jews] -- and the Jews about purifying" (iii, 25);

"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus" (v, 16);

"Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him" (v, 18).

More: "And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh" vi, 4);

no American would say to another American "the Fourth of July, a holiday of the Americans,".

These and many like passages prove that

1. No Jews wrote the Gospels;

2. They were written by foreigners for foreigners;

3. These foreigners were Greek-speaking aliens unfamiliar with Jewish customs;

The Four Gospels are thus demonstrated as:

1. Not written by Jews; not written by any of the "Twelve Apostles";

2. not written nor in existence for over a century after the supposed Apostles.

3. When finally the Gospel "according to" Luke came to be written, already, as "Luke" affirms, there were "many" other like "Apostolic Gospel"-biographies of the Christ afloat (Luke, i, 1); he added just another.

One flaw with that post, though I did enjoy it. Christians worship the old testament and so do jews as well.

The new testament has many factors that comes from the old testament. Yes foreigners did write the new testament but they did so with complete knowledge of the old testament as well with jewish customs and beliefs.

Q. Why then only show it in Christianity? Why not show the implications of corruption elsewhere too?

A. Because this is just an attack on Christianity with the pretense of something more noble. And a pretty transparent one at that!

Christianity is a religion of violence if you do not accept their God you in their eyes go to their Christian hell.

Get it?