Yoga Vs Homam (Need personal suggestion)

February 28, 2009

Namaste,

If one is able to do homam, it is the best spiritual practice in my opinion.

> Also you mentioned that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to say

> that Raja Yoga is not for this age. Did he advice people to worship

> through fire ? I'm a bit curious because my knowledge of him is

> that he was a priest and was worshipping the idol which means

> he chose 'earth' element.

I am not aware of Ramakrishna advising fire worship in that birth.

Shree Maa (see the recent mails on her) had visions and encounters with Ramakrishna (after he physically left the world), who she considers her guru. She claimed that Ramakrishna told her to do fire ceremonies and help establish truth and world peace.

My guru was told by the Mother to spread homam and create a community of people performing regular homam around the world. To me, Ramakrishna's words and the Mother's words are not that different. When he lived, Ramakrishna essentially carried out the Mother's will.

* * *

Ramakrishna's disciples were spiritual giants with impeccable backgrounds and pedigree. Still each of them needed really serious sadhana to find Self again. That is the nature of rebirth and Kali yuga. They all were lucky to have Ramakrishna's company. Ramakrishna taught the highest spiritual truths in simple words to them, made their thinking clear and inspired them so much. They had clarity from Ramakrishna's influence and meditated for 4-5 hours everyday and sometimes more. STILL, they needed one or two decades of such serious sadhana to become liberated again.

When one is able to meditate for 5 hours everyday, that may be sufficient and there may not be a need for homam. But lifestyles have changed in the last 100 years. If one is unable to meditate for 4-5 hours everyday, fire ritual is a great option. In other words, there may not have been a compelling need for a homam movement 100 years back, but it may be there now.

When Ramakrishna lived, intelligent young Indians were being indoctrinated with western thinking and started to look at Hinduism as primitive. Some of them were also attracted by the impersonal philosophy of Brahmo samaj and detested idol worship. Ramakrishna did two things: (1) To those attracted by the impersonal philosophy, he showed the magic of surrendering to a deity such as Kali or Krishna and demonstrated true bhakti, (2) He had his sishyas such as Vivekananda propagate the non-dualistic Advaita philosophy in the west and in India. This two-pronged approach countered the intellectual onslaught on Hinduism and kept many intelligent young minds from running away from Hinduism.

Times are different now and needs are different. IF Ramakrishna is reborn now, his specific teachings and approach may be different.

Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org

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Yoga Vs Homam (Need personal suggestion)

Dear Narasimha garu,

Namaste.

Just two days ago I asked Utpal Ji's suggestion on whether I should do Sudarshan Kriya (Art of Living) regularly or Homam regularly, since he too was practicing Sudarshan Kriya. He suggested to try one of them a weekly basis and the other daily if I can't practice both of them daily.

But again I was confused as to which one to practice daily and which one weekly.

Today I came across your mail where you said practicing pranayama, mudras and Bandhas (Sudarshan Kriya has these only) is difficult. Do you suggest me to prefer Homam over Sudarshan Kriya if I can't do both of them daily ?

Also you mentioned that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to say that Raja Yoga is not for this age. Did he advice people to worship through fire ? I'm a bit curious because my knowledge of him is that he was a priest and was worshipping the idol which means he chose 'earth' element.

Thanks and Regards,