Father and son, went to a temple, suddenly son shouted after seeing the pillars of Lions at the entrance of the...
Father and son, went to a temple, suddenly son shouted after seeing the pillars of Lions at the entrance of the temple
"Run Dad, or those Lions will eat us "
Dad consoled him saying "they are just statues and wont harm us"
Son replied " if those lion statues wont harm us then how could statues of God give us blessings"
The father wrote in his diary...
"I am still speechless on my childs answer and have started searching for God in Humans instead of statues.
--
A good story which I read today. Not sure whether this has been penned by an agnostic or atheist.
But forms a good question for discussion. What do you all think about this?
"Run Dad, or those Lions will eat us "
Dad consoled him saying "they are just statues and wont harm us"
Son replied " if those lion statues wont harm us then how could statues of God give us blessings"
The father wrote in his diary...
"I am still speechless on my childs answer and have started searching for God in Humans instead of statues.
--
A good story which I read today. Not sure whether this has been penned by an agnostic or atheist.
But forms a good question for discussion. What do you all think about this?
a statue gains power from the rituals done to it esp the vedic mantras. something like power reservoirs... as nowadays the rituals are not being observed properly the power of the deities are also not seen much.
ReplyDeletewhy different deities in different places are differently powerful otherwise, while HE is omnipresent, omnipotent?
How does the Vedic manthras help give the "power"? Also as an addendum, what is the role of "Yantra" in this regard?
ReplyDeleteIdol worship is not prescribed in Vedas. Rather it seems to be shunned too.
ReplyDeleteIn spite of modern apologists telling "No, we pray to god, not stone",
it is a fact that most people actually are prone to idolising their gods in their mind, and can't think beyond their idols and imageries.
Vedic mantras provide you with "spiritual power", it is not a kamadhenu or akshayapAtRa.
The spiritual power and knowledge that you gain from Vedas will help you to achieve what you desire.
Yantra is not a Vedic concept to say first.
Simply writing something, wearing or keeping that, not knowing its meaning and doing some another thing will not help you in anyway.
Such ritualists are going against the spirituality of Vedas.
"it is a fact that most people actually are prone to idolising their gods in their mind, and can't think beyond their idols and imageries."
ReplyDeleteLord Indra
Fully agreed.
Anantha Narayanan temple and related things are as per agama sastras. since i have my feet firmly on the ground and head is not in the clouds i can only see the multiplicity of realsing god and related things.
ReplyDeleteif you are a person who sticks only to upanishads please do so. don't confuse the lesser beings! :-)))
Vasudevan Tirumurti
ReplyDeleteTemple and related things are as per Agama sastras, not Vedas. Yes, that's right.
Since you yourself call to be a lesser being, we the "greater beings" ( ;-) ) should enlighten you, isn't it?
So please take that as an "enlightenment" instead of "confusion" ;-)
Vasudevan Tirumurti sorry if meant to confuse. I was just curious to know how the powers work. And does the yantra also fall under agama.
ReplyDeleteMy intention was not to confuse.
ReplyDeleteAnd please enlighten what is relation between Vedas and agamam.
ReplyDeleteI'm a total illiterate in this, hence asking.
ReplyDeleteTantra is a practice that came only after Upanishadic and Early epic age.
ReplyDeleteIt should have been contributed by the primitive non Vedic beliefs of India.
It is therefore called "Agama" (euphemistically, the arrived belief).
(Scholars propose another etymology, but this one is the result of psycho analysis)
The temples are non Vedic, and the seeming mantras they use in root is tantric moola mantras, not Vedic. Still, Vedic mantras can be used, combining the tantric concepts also.
As a Vedic person, I shall not believe nor encourage anyone to go after tantra, forgetting the Veda.
Every belief has a limit. A foreign child shan't kill the father.
KIRON KRISHNAN i never asked for enlightenment, did I? :-))))
ReplyDeleteAnantha Narayanan that is different -yantra sastra.
ReplyDeletethere are two types of temples in tamil nadu. one set follow the agama pratishta and the other vaidic pratishta.
ReplyDeleteVasudevan Tirumurti
ReplyDeleteJust a humorous lie, for you said a big lie that you are a "lesser being".
Vasudevan Tirumurti
ReplyDeleteBut pratishta is a tantric concept.
May be the mantras are Vedic, but practise is tantra.
Do you know that?
KIRON KRISHNAN thanks for the explanation. However I differ from your thoughts regarding non Vedic and hence would refrain from it. Each individual has some level of knowledge handed over through generations. We should not suggest they are not useful just because it did not arise in the Vedic period.
ReplyDeleteAgama and temple worship definitely helps a lot. In this age of materialism its difficult to meditate upon oneself purely as prescribed by Vedas. We live among a generation where internet is outsourced for knowledge, with constant diversions.
Temple worship is no evil, if you really understood why. God's definitely does not live in temples alone. But like everywhere they are in temples also.
Moreover the atmosphere inside the temple make sure that your attention is on nothing but god. Your senses which otherwise makes you think their way are tamed first.
Once senses are taken care of, next comes good discussions. Sadly this have changed now, with people carrying with then their troubles, pains, anger like emotions into temples. Earlier there used to be temple arts which entertain their minds, harikatha etc to make you think goodness.
The next important thing is to make sure people from all forms of life listen to Vedic hymns. The idea is to make them familiarised. How else do you make an agnostic/not sure person think.
If the temple visit is made as a practice, curiosity will arise, but not under existing situations.
The path of temples is meant to encourage self enquiry, that's my opinion.
Anantha Narayanan
ReplyDeleteIdol worship is not at all a sin, in fact there exists nothing as good or evil in a macro sense. It all depends on who experiences it.
But I would never "encourage" idolatry because I cannot think we, who have been for ages, famed for our philosophy and theosophy in the world, are such mean to lessen the concept of God to an anthropomorphic or animated form or concentrate His power to an idol. Vedic sages admit that nothing of God's power can be concentrated into even their most beautiful verses. (Rig Veda 1.8, 1.10...)
God exists everywhere, inside and outside the temple.
In the modern age of materialism, Veda remains the most potential influence. You have no time to go to temple, nor follow the rituals prescribed by Manu or Brahmanas.
The only way to be theistic is to be deeply spiritual. Veda asks for nothing more.
Actually, the "meditation" idea is its extreme, brought out in Upanishads for becoming great sages.
For those who don't have time, they can still be deeply spiritual, knowledge oriented, and achieve God through brain and knowledge.
A good scientist, in terms of Vedas, is also a great sage. This is why in ancient Greece and India, there existed no conflicts between science and religion.
People are afraid of Vedic knowledge now a days. Whenever one hears about Veda, they just think it's not their option. It's done higher form of knowledge. This is the first stumbling block to understand Vedas in their essence.
ReplyDeleteNext would be finding a teacher. That in my opinion is the most difficult part of the process. Without which Vedas are out of reach.
Hence the importance to worship in temple.
But the knowledge was supposed to be taught from generation to generation. Its we who have failed to do that. Its our careless middle era ancestors who did that. But, should we deny the knowledge of pure Vedas to our coming generations?
ReplyDeleteVeda is not a "higher form" of knowledge. It is simply knowledge.
when we Brahmins are initiated using upanayanam, what did we do? we considered father as our guru. But in most of the cases did the father teach us Vedas? He only probably taught us the gayatri mantra.
At least, we should not show this ignorance to our Vedas, and must not forget them in this era, where science and knowledge gets upperhand over myths and beliefs.
I shall at least teach my child no superstition, and teach him simply two Vedic poems - the Nasadiya, and the Yajur Veda 40, the Isha Upanishad. That is all which is elaborated in the Vedas.
And the language of these poems is more simpler, (but there are many interpretations, in that respect, it is no simple) and I would prefer children taught science to be enlightened by these poems too.
No beliefs beyond what Vedas tell is essential to live; so why trap yourself in the unending chain of myths and such things?
See, now also we can't even acknowledge our Vedic seers for their beautiful simple logic and philosophy when we believe in the complex circles of myths and superstitions!
This is the level of degradation we have experienced.
"Aiming low is a crime".
Anantha Narayanan
ReplyDeleteYea, people are afraid of Vedic knowledge because foolish people think it induces asceticism and other "negative effects".
In fact, only Vedas are the scriptures that speak against asceticism and promote "Rishi-hood", the active way of scientist philosophers.
Because of the reason that science is a big thing, shall we deny that to our children and instead teach him that earth is flat?
That would be meaningless.
Vedas are simple that no ghosts, no souls, no fear of death, no afterlife, no hard rituals, no self torture asceticism, no killing etc... are practised. It is not a religion.
In the present age when knowledge is given precedence, when brain is given precedence, when superstitions are of no value, I can't understand why we can't revert back to a similar Vedic philosophy.
Greek philosophers declined after Abrahamic religion engulfed them, Indian religion degraded after Vedas were shunned and misused for rituals.
The modern science flourished at this pace in Europe only after the "Enlightenment" age.
Most of the modern Europeans are reverting to "Neo paganism".
In India, day by day, our concepts are changing. Historically, this has costed much of Hindus to either change or start new sects in their religion. No Indians are revering the scientific philosophy of Vedas. That is what Indian Hindus are getting now... a brand name of "fundamentalists".
when my son went to study vedas after +2 people were aghast! they could think nothing except sanyasa! :-)))
ReplyDeleteVasudevan Tirumurti
ReplyDeleteDon't mind them, they are Fools!!!
Veda has nothing about sanyasa.
Let them read our posts in The Vedas community.
(In particular, Isha Upanishad)
Yea, we are here to remove the superstitions people have regarding Vedas too!!
av! that was way in the [past. he has finished studying krishna yajur veda, studied vyakarana, mimamsa and is taking bahsya parikshas!
ReplyDeleteSo nice...
ReplyDeleteKIRON KRISHNAN I wouldn't put the blame of breaking our traditions on our forefathers because they were planned to be trapped by British. The British made them believe that what they were doing was inferior. Slowly generations next to that took English education took over. The education system completely dismantled our Vedic knowledge, and also made them inferior in its own land.
ReplyDeleteAnd the reason for not studying the Vedic knowledge is that we need western interpretation of our Vedas. We have lost our language as well.
With interpretation we all know what will result. That's why I mentioned in this age, when our parents doesn't know the knowledge, how can they teach it to their children. Thus finding a good teacher is a must in this age.
We alone won't be capable of studying Vedas on our own.
Importance of Vedic knowledge has to be made simple enough that everybody understands the benefits first.
Vasudevan Tirumurti good to hear about your son.
ReplyDeleteSri Vasudevan Tirumurti it is good to hear your Son is going through the right Krama on Vedaadhyayanam. With whom he is studying Nyaya and Mimamsa ?
ReplyDeleteCan u plz give me pdf of vedic and upanishad literature plz??
ReplyDeleteDo you need Sanskrit versions?
ReplyDeleteHindi version
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have then English
ReplyDeleteIf u even don't have in hindi Aur english then give me in sanskrit
ReplyDeleteVisit Aryasamaj Jamnagar website.
ReplyDeleteWhy not just look for God.
ReplyDeleteWhere to look Dan G.
ReplyDeleteAnantha Narayanan everywhere. :)
ReplyDelete"All you seek is falling all around you like shards of gold".
~ Harbinger
Then why not in forms also?
ReplyDeleteAnantha Narayanan sure but upon Awakening God might manifest anywhere and everywhere. Idols, images, statuary even Gods themselves reflect various elements of God particular in Hinduism.
ReplyDelete