All About Lord Ganesh

Lord ganesh

Ganesha — the elephant-deity riding a mouse — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.

The Lord of Success

Lord Ganesh And Shiav Parvati 

The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.

Significance of the Ganesha Form
Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.

The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse.

How Ganesha Got His Head
The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.

However, there's another less popular story of his origin, found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana: Shiva asked Parvati to observe the punyaka vrata for a year to appease Vishnu in order to have a son. When a son was born to her, all the gods and goddesses assembled to rejoice on its birth. Lord Shani, the son of Surya (Sun-God), was also present but he refused to look at the infant. Perturbed at this behaviour, Parvati asked him the reason, and Shani replied that his looking at baby would harm the newborn. However, on Parvati's insistence when Shani eyed the baby, the child's head was severed instantly. All the gods started to bemoan, whereupon Vishnu hurried to the bank of river Pushpabhadra and brought back the head of a young elephant, and joined it to the baby's body, thus reviving it.

Ganesha, the Destroyer of Pride
Ganesha is also the destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride. He is the personification of material universe in all its various magnificent manifestations. "All Hindus worship Ganesha regardless of their sectarian belief," says D N Singh in A Study of Hinduism. "He is both the beginning of the religion and the meeting ground for all Hindus."

Ganesh Chaturthi
The devotees of Ganesha are known as 'Ganapatyas', and the festival to celebrate and glorify him is called Ganesh Chaturthi.

MORE ABOUT LORD GANESH:

Ganesh Chaturdi

Ganesh Mantras

Organic Ganesh

Diwali - Festival of Lights

Diwali Pooja ( Worship )

Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness.

The Origin of Diwali

Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepawali.' Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

School Students Celebrating '' Diwali '' 

These Four Days

Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

The Significance of Lights & Firecrackers

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.

Diwali Celebrate '' Obama ''

The Tradition of Gambling

The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva, and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year. Diwali is associated with wealth and prosperity in many ways, and the festival of 'Dhanteras' ('dhan' = wealth; 'teras' = 13th) is celebrated two days before the festival of lights.

From Darkness Unto Light...

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities. If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.

More About Diwali

> The Spiritual Side of Diwali

> 10 Reasons to Celebrate Diwali

> Diwali Around the World

Who is a Hindu?

Hindu

Hindu is a name given to people living east of the river Indus in India. Thus “Hinduism” became the term used to describe the religion practiced by these people. Those who practice Hinduism usually refer to the religion as sanatana dharma (the eternal truth).

A Hindu accepts the authority of Vedas (Vedic scriptures) and follows the common practices and worldview that has roots in sanatana dharma such as dharma, karma, samsaras and ahimsa. A Hindu is inclined to revere the divine in every manifestation and is tolerant of the peaceful practices of other faiths.

SHAKTISM - Sanatana Dharma

GODDESS '' SHAKTI ''

Shaktism (literally - "the doctrine of force" or "the doctrine of the Goddess") - one of the areas of Hinduism, based on the worship of Shakti or Devi - the Mother Goddess in Hinduism - both absolute and original form of God. Along with Vaishnavism, Shaivism and SMARTISM is one of the four major traditions in Hinduism.

Shaktism characterized by a strong tendency to mysticism. In ancient times, different sects Shaktism practiced ritual orgies, called the faithful to enter into a state of ecstatic union with the universal power of Shakti. Shaktism closely intertwined with Tantra, although not all areas of Shaktism are Tantric, and generally acts version of the Hindu Goddess worship in other religions.

HistoryThe roots of Shaktism go back to antiquity, as the cult of the Mother Goddess, he is apparently a relic of matriarchy. One of the central sacred texts Shaktism is the Devi-Mahatmya. Wrote the text in Sanskrit Rishi Markandeya and it is part of Markandeya Purana, written about 1600 years ago. This text describes the ultimate reality of God as a feminine being.

SchoolsShaktism is divided into many different trends and sects. However, there are two main areas (schools) Shrikula , common in southern India and Kalikula , common in the north and east of the country. Less common Srividya school.

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Shaktism - is one of the three pillars of Hinduism, along with Vaishnavism and Shaivism, the core of which is the cult of the Mother Goddess, the feminine, personified in different guises of Hindu goddesses and, above all, the wife of Shiva, known under the names of Devi, Kali, Durga Parvati, etc.

Shaktism taken in Indology, the code name of flow, which brings together Durgaa system of ritual and mifologicheskihvozzreny, cults and schools associated with the worship of Shakti - a higher power or energy, embodied in the female manifestation of the deity. For Shaktas God - both formless Absolute (Shiva) and the manifestation of the Divine (Shakti), Shakti is worshiped in the images of Parvati, Durga, Kali, Rajarajeswari, Tripurasundari, Tara, Saraswati, Mahalakshmi, Bhairavi, Matangi, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Chhinnamasty and other special attention is paid to the "woman" the manifestation of God, by which eventually reached "masculine" undeveloped.

The origins of these views are related to the archaic cult of the goddess-mother, as well as shamanic ideology. The representations of the goddess as Shakti - true energy through the power of God become particularly popular in the early Middle Ages. Mythological image of the goddess grows to impersonate almighty feminine Dzhaganmatri (Mother of the World), a fully dominant over their spouse without it he is passive, but from it he gets his creative energy. Proponents of Shakti - shaktisty (saktas) perceive it as a creative force and consciousness. Her knowledge they believe the only way to escape from the hardships of life. Saktas based on agama and tantra and perform esoteric rituals associated with yoga practice and psychophysiological training session, sometimes incompatible with brahminical ritual. The purpose of religious practices - internal likening their deity and merge with it. The most important rites of Shakta - Shakti worship in different images and its attributes, the worship of the guru, the recitation of mantras and other sacred formulas, the deity of sacrifice, etc. The main. sacred. texts saktas believe 77 Shakta Agamas which are regarded as tantra. Shaktism is especially popular in southern India, dravidoyazychnom habitat, as well as in Bengal and Assam. Shakta sect traditionally divided into school "right hand" and "left hand." The latter is much more closed, esoteric, their ritual practices associated with the use of the "five M" (panchamakara). Approach the "left hand" (Vamachara) more occult in nature, it is considered by the few. The way of "right hand" (Dakshinachara) is by nature more conservative.

Shakti is almost incalculable range of manifestations: from the active impersonal universal feminine creative principle to a set of specific rural goddesses. Especially popular are its embodiment in the images of Shiva's wife - Durga, Kali, Uma, Parvati, etc. Iconographically goddess is depicted in two main forms: the blessed, in the form of a young, beautiful and charming woman and angry, as the handling-armed demon with bared fangs, red tongue and a necklace of skulls. Symbol of the unity of God with his Shakti - Ardhanari, one being that combines the feminine and masculine, half man, half woman ...

History Shakta cult goes back centuries. Scientists believe that he was one of the main religions in the Indus Valley Civilization (23-18 cc. BCE). In the ruins of Harappa and other settlements related to this civilization, archaeologists have found many small clay figures of almost naked goddesses, in a complex headdress and frilly belts across his chest. Often portrayed as a female deity sitting on the branches of a tree. It should be noted that this cult was typical not only for the Indus Valley Civilization, but also for almost all the peoples who inhabited the ancient Eurasian continent. A vast area ranging from Spain to Siberia are still going back to the Paleolithic figurines of women, created from stone, bone and clay. These figures are called "Venus" and for all of them characterized by an exaggerated image of childbirth and lactation, while the head and limbs are displayed conditionally. Most archaeologists believe that these were the idols of the Mother Goddess, whose cult in the prehistoric era wore universal. Mother Goddess was the personification of the then people of all nature.

In the era of the spread of farming this cult gets an extra boost. Fertility of women in the representation of the first farmers were magically connected with the fertility of the earth. Earth, soil were likened to a woman sown field - a woman who "has suffered in her womb." The birth of the new heads of grain has been likened to the birth of the child. Therefore, in order to promote good harvests, as well as high fertility, worshiped the Mother Goddess. Likening a woman earth, various magic rituals ancient people tried to connect the power of female fertility of the fields and gardens. These ceremonies can take various forms: a ritual nudity and dancing before the god of rain, plowing fields naked women, erotic dances and ceremonies (Induizm. Jainism. Sikhism, p. 188). Later, along with massive, plump female figures appear several other women's images: for example, a figure with upraised hands to heaven and shapes combined with the altar and the ritual vessel. Perhaps this image priestesses, because many people in ancient times (the Gauls, ancient Germans, and others) cult went mostly women. You can also recall the priestesses of Dionysus in Greece or the Vestal Virgins in ancient Rome. Witchcraft and magic also involved, mostly women.

A typical example of an early farming culture, which was especially inherent in the cult of the Mother Goddess is tripilska culture that existed on the territory of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania. Its heyday came at the end IV - beginning of III millennium BC.
Later, in the early civilizations on the basis of the primitive cult of the Mother Goddess worship arises the great goddesses: Isis - in Egypt, Ishtar - in Mesopotamia, Cybele - in Asia Minor, Aphrodite - in Greece, Venus - in Rome and others. The ancient Slavs was distributed to the cult of women giving birth - goddess of fertility and abundance, the protector of mothers and young children. With the adoption of Christianity in Russia cult births gradually merged with the cult of the Virgin.

Definitely a milestone in the history of the Tantric iconography was the emergence of forms of

Kali, which is a Ardhanarishvarasignificant manifestation of Shakti, somewhere between the Kushan and guptskim periods. The earliest mention of it as one of the seven languages ​​Agni is contained in the Mundaka Upanishad (2.4). But Ashvaghosha, a Buddhist, a former author and Buddhacharita Saundraranandy, described it as a grisly woman (god?), Holding a skull (kapAla), which belong to the army of Mara, tried to avert the Buddha from his meditation. This shows that the Buddhist view on the goddess Kali was filled with some prejudice, but, nevertheless, it's very earliest mention of Kapali connection with the goddess Kali. The famous poet Kalidasa, who wrote in Sanskrit, refers to Cali Kumarasambhave; she wearing ornaments made ​​of skulls, attends the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. In Devi Mahatma most important Shakta and Tantric text, Kali is also referred to as Chamunda (7.18) and as Mahakali (12.37) in these forms it is terrible and destructive aspects of a Higher Power. Devi-Mahatmya, otherwise called Chandi or Durga-patha-saptashati is vital to study the development of Shaktism in the context of Indian history. Basically, it dates from the time of between 5 and 7 cc. n. e., but the lack of any mention of Ganesha and Ganeshani prompts to assume that it was written at a time when Ganesh has not yet been recognized as a Brahmanic deity. Other Brahmin gods like Shiva, Vishnu and Skanda are mentioned in the text, but Ganesh was not included in the scope of orthodoxy, therefore, the text should be dated before the fifth century BC, or the beginning of the fourth or third century. There is no doubt that Devi mahatmya has all the basic features of Tantra - a comprehensive devotion to the Goddess of sacrifice in the fire in her honor, the system of japa (chanting mystical) offerings, which include mention of flesh and admirer of material enjoyment (bhukti) and release (mukti) . The text refers to the triadic form of a Higher Power, which symbolically is based on three elements, it's Tamas (darkness), rajas (shine) and sattva (purity), which are represented by its dimensions, referred to as Tamasi or Yoganidroy, Mahishamardini and Saraswati. These forms, which are referred to in Devi Mahatma symbolize internal movement from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.

Goddess Kali or Dakshinakali depicted as a nude woman with tousled hair standing on the body of Shiva. The body color of dark clouds of Kali, she has three eyes, and she wears earrings in the form of dead bodies of children and a garland of skulls. She holds a Sri Yantrasword and a human head in two arms, two hands, she gives other signs of welcome and blessing. Dark blue color of her body symbolizes infinity of cosmic energy it mahanirgunarupy (devoid purest qualities of the image), that is the space itself. This color also characterizes it as sarvatattvatmika (which includes all the elements and colors). She is naked, because above all the illusory power, it Cali, because it manages and creates the future. Dead and powerless Shiva under her feet represents the Nirguna Brahman (outside of qualities or attributes). Her three eyes are the three sources of light, ie the sun, moon and fire. Her earrings are terrible Dharma and Adharma and her garland of skulls is fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet (varna-small), symbolized by the Shabd-Brahman (Union, leading to higher rest). Necklace of severed human hands around the waist reflects the exhaustion of karma or the end of all things. It gives protection and presents gifts to the word of knowledge, which she keeps in the upper left arm, and destroys the animal instincts, symbolized by a severed human head, which she keeps in the bottom left hand. A variety of weapons that keep Shakta deity, including Tara symbolizes liberation (mukti), at which it breaks all the shackles of attachment (Pasha). Because that Kali is the embodiment of destruction, it contains only the Yantra Shakti triangles or triangle top to bottom. Her yantra no triangles Shiva (facing up), because it does not symbolize creation. In contrast, the Sri Yantra contains five Shakti Tricon (Shakti triangles) and four Shiva Trikona (triangle of Shiva), meaning creation.

By around the 8th century in the Shakta Tantra is also included in Kundalini yoga. According to the basic concept of kundalini yoga, Supreme Power of the universe is present in the human body, which is in a static or dormant. The sole purpose is to awaken the kundalini tantric and cause a rise in the body through a variety of practices. Such attitudes are unequivocal expression in the Devi Purana (10.9.7-8) Saundaryalahari Shankaracharya (9.10) and Malatimadhave (5.1) Bhavabhuti. In this latter text also talking about the doctrine of Niassa (cleansing of the body through the recitation of mantras) (5.21) (23). Biggest yantra in the tradition of Tantric Shakta is the Sri Yantra.

The last important milestone in the development of tantric Shaktism was the inclusion of the most important goddesses in class ten Mahavidyas. This happened after the Tara Shakta pantheon in eastern India around the 12th century. Ten Mahavidya is Kali, Tara, Shodashi (Sundari), Bhubaneswar, Tripura Bhairavi, Matangi, Bhairavi, Matangi, Bagan, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati and Kamala (Lakshmi), they are identified with the ten avatars of Vishnu. Kali, Tara, Chhinnamasta and Dhumavati associated with kalikuloy remaining goddess associated with shrikuloy. In shaktism are two main forms: "Sri Kula" the family of the goddess 'Sri', ie Lakshmi, and "Kalikula", ie family of Kali. Sri Kula respects the brahminical tradition, it is prevalent mainly in the south of India, Kali-kula rejects her, and extended to the north and east India. Higher Mother revered equally by representatives of both directions, but for the initiation of devotees need to follow one of them, though both ultimately lead to the same goal.

Spiritual practices like Shaktism shayvistskim but saktas attach greater importance to the energy of God (the action force, and there is a potential or hidden), mantras (mystical formula that sounds) and yantras (graphic images of the Divine Energy, which is the Lord Himself), and seek cover the apparent opposites, see in their manifestations of a single-Divine: male-female, absolute-relative, pleasure-pain, cause-effect, the mind-body.
Indologists Western scholars are four main forms of Shaktism: People's shamanism, yoga, tantra, devotion, bhakti, and universalism.

SHAIVISM - Sanatana Dharma

KEY SCRIPTURE: Saiva Agamas, Vedas

SCHOOLS: Saiva Siddhanta, Pashupati Shaivism, Kashmir Shaivism, Veera Shaivism, Siddha Siddhanta and Siva Advaita.

Synopsis

Shaivism declares God Shiva is Love, He is both immanent and transcendent Creator and the creation. This world is the scene of our evolution, which gradually leads to moksha - liberation from birth and death. Aum.

Shaivism is a unique religion in which God manifested and unmanifested, and dual and nedvoystven, within us and outside of us. This religion is not strictly pantheistic, monotheistic or polytheistic. Its fundamental theology known as monistic theism, panentheism or Advaita ishvaravada. Monism, dualism, in contrast, is a study of reality as a unified whole existence without independent parts. Theism is the belief in God and the gods as immanent and transcendent. Shaivism monistic in their belief in one reality and hell-vayticheskoe unity of man and reality. Shaivism teistichen in their faith in the gods, and Lord Shiva as a loving personal God, the immanent world. Shaivism expresses the unity of the Party-Pasha Pasha (God-soul-world) covers non-dual and dual, faithfully carries both Vedanta and Siddhanta, clean Sanatama Dharma Vedas and Saiva Agamas. "Tirumantiram" states: "Suddha-Saiva (net Saivites) meditate on the following on his religious path: your Self, the Absolute Reality and the Primal Soul, on the trinity of God, the soul and the shackles of Maya, a clean release and all that binds the soul. " Aum Namah Shivaya.


The objectives of Shaivism

The primary goal of Shaivism is the awareness of its identity with Shiva - in perfect union and invisibility. This condition is called nirvikalpa samadhi, Self-realization, and can be achieved in this life. This ensures moksha, liberation from the eternal cycle of birth and death. Intermediate target is savikalpa samadhi, the realization of Sachchidananda experience of unity with the super-consciousness, which are learned perfect Truth, Knowledge and Bliss. Every soul is ultimately destined vishvagrasa, complete solution in the God Shiva.


Ways to achieve

The path of enlightenment is naturally divided into four stages: charya - virtue and selfless service; Kriya - Sadhana, yoga - meditation under the guidance of a guru and Jnana - the state of the wisdom of a realized soul. Aum.

Charya, kriya, yoga and jnana are a sequence of evolution of the soul, like the natural development of a butterfly from egg to caterpillar, from caterpillar to chrysalis and then the final transformation into a butterfly. This four pads, or stages through which every human soul must pass over many reincarnations to achieve the ultimate goal. Before reaching this stage of spiritual soul is dissolved in a low-marginal nature anava or egocentric way, limited by fear and lust, painful malice, jealousy, confusion, selfishness, ignorance and anger. Then the soul wakes up, reaching a state of charya, selfless religious service or karma yoga. Having developed in chare, the soul enters the state of the kriyas - worship, or bhakti-yoga, and finally blooms, reaching a state of Kundalini Yoga. Jnana - a state of enlightened wisdom, reached at the end of the path as a result of Self-realization. Four pads are not alternative paths, but progressive phases constituting one path - San Marga. "Tirumantiram" says: "A great worship Jnana - life is life. The vision of the light of life is the great worship yoga. The giving of life by calling for the worship of God is the exterior. The expression of adoration is charya. " We Aum oh Shivaya


Six schools of Shaivism 
(Satguru Swami Shivaya Subramuniya )

1. Saiva Siddhanta2. Pashupati Shaivism3. Kashmir Shaivism4. Veera Shaivism5. Siddha Siddhanta6. Siva Advaita

In search of peace, enlightenment and liberation can not find a more tolerant, more mysterious, more advanced or more ancient ways than Shaivite Hinduism. During its long history of Shaivism has generated a lot of lines and spiritual traditions, each of which has unique philosophical and cultural-linguistic character, and up to 1100 dominated the whole of India, from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka, on the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea. In this section, we present the main features of the six main traditions that stand out in the context of modern Shaivism. This Saiva Siddhanta, Pashupati Shaivism, Kashmir Shaivism, Veera Shaivism, Siddha Siddhanta and Siva Advaita. should be borne in mind that this is a formal and somewhat intelligent unit, as would be helpful it may be, can in no way be any exhaustive description of Shaivism, or even the only possible list of its traditions. Real Shaivism is much richer and more varied than is assumed by the scheme.

There is, for example, a kind of Shaivism who practice thirteen million people in Nepal, three million in Indonesia or fifty-five million induizirovannyh Javanese who worship Shiva named Batara. Think also about the millions of smarts and other universalists who took Ganesha, Shiva or Lord Murugan as their chosen deity, or the many fans Ayappana who commit worship in South Indian shrines of Lord Muruga. This is not to lose sight of the fact that only a handful of the millions of followers of Shiva Kashmir formally associate themselves with the school, which is called the "Kashmir Shaivism." Similarly, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Shiva is worshiped more than fifty million people, only a well-informed minority calls itself the Saiva siddhantinami. Our discussion of these six schools and their traditions are based on historical information. In historical records, there are significant gaps, but at every moment when the past raises the curtain in front of us, we can see that the worship of Shiva is present. In the Indus Valley 8000 years ago did the press, which was depicted as Lord Shiva Pashupati, sitting in yogic posture. In the "Ramayana", which dates back to 2000 astronomical methods E's. BC. e., Lord Rama worshiped Lord Shiva as his enemy Ravana. In the "Mahabharata", dating from about 1300-mi's. BC. e., we again encounter the worship of Shiva. Buddha was born in BC. e. Saiva in the family, and the historical records of the time talking about the Saiva ascetics who wandered over the hills and looked much the same as today. basis of all schools of Shaivism are the Saiva Agamas. The philosophy of these Agam - theistic, ie Shiva appears in them by God Almighty, immanent and transcendent at the same time accepting the worship of God as a personal and attainable through yoga.

This theistic concept runs through all schools. From a philosophical point of view agamicheskaya tradition includes the following basic doctrines: 1) the five energies or favors, Shiva, creation, preservation, destruction, concealment and revelation, and 2) three categories: Pati, Pasha and Pasha - God, soul and bonds, and 3) three types of bonds: anava, karma and maya, and 4) the triple energy of Shiva - iccha-, jnana and kriya shakti 5) thirty six tattvas, or categories of being, from the five elements of matter to God, and 6) the need to initiate and Satguru 7) power mantras, 8) four pods: charya, kriya, yoga and jnana. examining individual schools and lines the inside of Shaivism, keep in mind that they all adhere to these teachings. Our discussion will, quite naturally, focused on the differences between the schools, but the differences should not overshadow the impressive similarities that exist both in faith and practice. At the Saiva Agamas are and monism and dualism, and intermediate philosophy. Therefore, different schools may stand on different philosophical platform and thus all - rely on Agama.

The tradition of Kashmir Shaivism says that Shiva revealed different philosophies people of different mind-set, so that everyone can move forward on the spiritual path to the recognition of inner unity of man and God. At that very few of the followers of Shiva presently or in the past has been directly familiar with the Agama. Reading and writing was the prerogative of specially trained scribes, and even today Agama remain basically the same leaves Olam, in which they were handed down from generation to generation. Agamicheskaya philosophy and practice of the average person is transmitted through other channels, one of which is the Saiva Purana. These collections of oral traditions about the life of the gods imbued agamicheskoy philosophy. For example, "Shiva Purana" proclaims: "Shiva is the great Atman, for He is the Self of all, He is always endowed with great qualities. Devotee should realize that Shiva is identical to himself," I - only Shiva. '" second channel agamicheskoy philosophy - is Saiva temple, as the device of temples and performing temple rituals are set precisely in Agamas, in fact, it is one of the most important topics Agam. Priests are special guidelines (paddhati), which summarizes all the instructions for worship contained in the Saiva Agamas.

The third channel - these are songs and bhajans Saiva saints that "for all its simplicity, are powerful philosophical content. Channel Four - is continuous oral teachings of the guru, Swami, pundits, Shastri, priests and elders. So, Shaivism is not a single hierarchical system . Rather it is a collection of thousands of traditions, big and small. Some of them - the traditions of orthodox and pious, others - iconoclastic, and others - for example, Kapalika and aghori - rigidly ascetic, eccentric and orgiastic. For some, Shiva is a powerful, fearsome, terrifying destroyer but for the majority of He - embodied love, compassionate and gentle God. And for almost all of the millions of devotees of Shiva Shaivism - this is not a school of philosophy, and life itself. They just love to Shiva and to be honored traditions of their families and communities. These people visit temples and celebrate turning points in the life of the Holy Sacrament. They make pilgrimages, doing daily prayers, practice meditation and yogic discipline. They sing sacred hymns, listen to stories from the Puranas and repeat verses from the scriptures.

Today, all six schools of Shaivism, in one form or another, continue to exist. Their leaders and gurus reincarnated, pick up the threads of the past and stretch them in the twenty-first century. Seekers who worship Shiva, carefully choose a school. Guru - a dedicated, profane or self-appointed spiritual forces that within them - proclaim God Almighty God Shiva and adjacent to a particular Saiva line. Neinduisty raised profound philosophy of Shaivism, serve as volunteer missionaries. Many fully turned to Shaivism as a religion of their soul. In this modern era, in the late twentieth century, Shaivism gained new strength and power. School of Shaivism communicate with each other in love, kindness, compassion and understanding, share with each other their strength and the weaknesses of each other. Our supreme God Shiva knew that His creation is not the same. In a different mood, and at various times he has created different types of shower. Therefore, in His supreme wisdom, He created these six approaches to His grace on a common Vedic-agamicheskoy basis - one for yoga ascetics, one of the heroic nonconformists, one for the mystic kundalini, one for the astute philosopher, one of the immortal hermits and one for devotees nedualistov . No one has been forgotten. Indeed, today, Lord Shiva calls on the leaders from the ranks of supporters of the six philosophies preach His message in the sacred eloquence.

The Big Bang Theory

We have all heard it at school in the science class… In the beginning there was nothing… and from that nothing came a big bang, caused by no one coming from nowhere… It created all the mass of the universe completely by chance [according to Einstein's Theory]…

The mass then contracted and automatically formed all the planets and set them into motion, all orbiting around the sun [all by an impossibly unlikely coincidence!] Then some chemicals appeared from nowhere and mixed themselves together [once again all by themselves, another impossible and unlikely coincidence...] And, lo and behold, [for the first and perhaps only time :-) ] Life was created by chance from matter!!!”

So there you have it… The universe according to science… We accept it of course because they have brainwashed us practically from birth… But it’s complete nonsense. A thoughtful man cannot accept such hopeful ramblings of men desperate to paint God out of the picture at any cost… Science can’t prove any of it. They can’t demonstrate it in their labs… The whole thing is totally unscientific even by their own standards. And there are very few scientists who are prepared to defend the big bang theory now… I have tested it with scientists on the internet. When I confront them they say, “Well the Big Bang theory has lots of problems, but of all the theories it’s the best one we have…”

Of course the Big Bang theory is not the best theory they have to explain the creation of the universe. But science does not want to even consider the only other very obvious theory of creation… The theory that states there is intelligence behind the creation of the universe. It’s a completely reasonable assumption to make. If we look at a very nice new building in the city and I tell you it was created by a “big bang” last night, would you believe me? No. [unless you are crazy of course]. Because the building is there we know there were engineers, buliders, plumbers, electricions, etc… We may not see them, but we know they were there. The “big bang” explanation of the creation of the building is completely unreasonable…

We sometimes experience a “big-bang” in one of our big cities (there was a big one a few years ago in Oklahoma City). But we have never seen these “big bangs” produce anything constructive or create order. They destroy, and create disorder. Quite the opposite to what the original “big bang” is claimed to have done. And when we have one of these “big bangs” in a city what is the immediate question? Everybody asks “Who planted the bomb?” and “Why did they do it?” This would seem to be the natural response. Of course the scientists could get on the television and tell people that “Nobody planted the bomb — the explosion happened all by itself.” but who would believe them?

Now science is supposed to be a process of observation and experiment. They have conjectured this “Big-Bang” theory — now let them do some experiments and prove it. They can make a “Small-Bang” with some dynamite, or even a little atomic bomb… Let them create something substantial with a “small-bang”. If the universe can be created with a “Big-Bang” then surely they can create a small town, or failing that, at least a building with a “Small-Bang”. Unless science can prove the Big Bang theory by experiments why preach it? And why not consier the most logical alternative explaination of the creation of the universe, that there is an intelligent force behind the creation?

The motivation of the scientists in preaching the Big Bang theory is NOT science, it is NOT a search for the truth. The purpose of the BBT is to construct a philosophy allowing people to live debauched hedonistic lives confident that, “There is no God, there is no life after death, the universe was created by chance. I am just a combination of chemicals and when the body is finished I’m finished — so let me party to the max now!” This is no better than the life of the animals. Science is attempting to eradicate the one thing which separates us from the animals — our ability to understand and question the spiritual, more subtle aspects of our existence.

Science attempts to explain everything in terms of chemicals but no one has ever been able to show (and no one will ever be able to show) consciousness can be created by mixing some chemicals… It’s blind faith. The brainwashed general public are prepared to believe such nonsense when presented by the scientists ONLY because it allows a godless world-view. A mindset that enables me to do anything that “feels good” without considering the consequences. If these theories had to be rigorously tested according to the scientific method no sane man could possibly accept them. There is no observation and there are no experiments. Just mental speculation and some vague notions which have been formulated into a quite detailed religious dogma by the “scientific” community.

And they can’t prove anything, they can’t logically explain it. It all comes down to blind faith…

Krishna says:

manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhayeyatatam api siddhanam kascin mam vetti tattvatah

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.”

So searching for the real meaning of life is not such a common thing… Most people are happy with chasing women, some chase fame, profit, adoration and distinction, but only a few are interested in spiritual life. There must be some thoughtful scientists who are prepared to think independently from the “accepted dogma”.

Science is [like it or not] a set of beliefs. I agree it is a constantly changing one, but at any point scientists are very energetically “preaching” their beliefs. Their beliefs are certainly scrutinized by other scientists but there comes a time when the “beliefs” start to become “good science” and are generally accepted among scientists. When someone challenges this “good science” there is a big negative reaction. Scientists, like everyone else, have their world-view, their belief system, and when someone “rocks the boat” they don’t like it. But the important point is science is only a “temporary accepted truth”. If you read a science text-book from fifty years ago it will seem ridiculous… Similarly todays text-books will be also useless a few years down the track…

“Your points about missing the goal of life are profoundly true in my view. But this is to mistake science with materialism. Many eastern religions celebrate the awe of the universe in an incredibly beautiful way. It seems to me that this view of the world is fully compatible with science which shows us more of the universe everyday. What could be more delightful than that?”

Yes. The universe is also a form of God and real science is also a form of God realization. But many are not really interested in this. They have turned “science” into a dogma that supports the modern atheistic world-view. This is not science and it is not what real scientists are doing, but it is how the atheists are using science to destroy religious people in our society…

“I came across your post in which you said that the nature of what is behind the watch face, i.e. the supreme being responsible for setting this universe into motion, is completely unknowable to us. I realize I may be paraphrasing your actual statement, forgive me please. Could you tell me why you believe this to be true? Thanks, Todd.”

BIG BANG THEROY

I was referring to the scientists rather than the transcendentalists. For the scientists depend on a different process. One who believes in God can perceive His presence. God reveals Himself to His devotees. So they can see and experience the “supreme person who set this universe in motion.” They can also have some knowledge from the scriptures as to what is beyond this universe…

The scientists, however, only accept what they can see, hear, feel, touch and smell for themselves. They observe things and try to explain the observations with “scientific” theories. While this is certainly a process of acquiring knowledge, it is a very slow and imperfect one. All such “scientific” knowledge is always flawed because it is gathered by the scientists using their imperfect senses. All our senses are imperfect: we can’t see things that are very close or far away, we can only see a limited range of frequencies… But that is not all. Everyone has a tendency to cheat. If I want to prove my theory I will accept the evidence that supports it, but I may not pay too much attention to observations that contradict it… We are also illusioned… We accept so many things as facts which are not facts at all. Science is full of “initial assumptions”, and many of these may be wrong, so any theory which relies on these assumptions will also be wrong. If you are doing a big calculation and you make a mistake in the beginning, no matter how nice your calculations are after that point, the answer will be wrong… And finally we all make mistakes. So many experiments are performed but often there are mistakes and the results are not correct…

This “scientific process” is the ascending process for acquiring knowledge. It means finding out things using our own power… But it is not a very perfect method as I have described above. The other way to get knowledge is via the descending process. That means to find a perfect authority, someone who knows, and just accept the knowledge from him. It is not an unfamiliar process. If you want to become a carpenter you go to a carpenter and ask him to take you on as his apprentice… This is the best way to learn.

So we just accept the knowledge Krishna has given in the Vedic scriptures in India. There are thousands of Vedic scriptures on every topic, material and spiritual. There is the Auya-veda for medicine, the Danna-veda for the science of fighting and war, there is the Joyti-veda for astronomy and astrology, there are Vedic scriptures for everything… There are also Vedic scriptures describing the universe and what is beyond the universe, the spiritual sky.

The bona fide spiritual master simply presents this Vedic knowledge. He doesn’t inject his own ideas or philosophy. So the knowledge a bona fide spiritual master presents is perfect. He can tell you all about the supreme person who is responsible for setting this universe in motion. But such bona fide spiritual masters are rare. There are many charlatans presenting themselves as “bona fide spiritual masters” for fame, money, to attract followers, etc… So this has put a lot of people off. But still if we want to find the truth we have to find a real guru…

tad viddhi pranipatenapariprasnena sevayaupadeksyanti te jnanamjnaninas tatt va-darsinah

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)

There are so many things, even in this universe, that the scientists can not see so how can they ever understand them? The only way is to find an authority and get the knowledge in that way. Scientists can’t even get complete knowledge of the universe, they certainly have absolutely no ability to find out what is beyond the universe…

“Who caused the causer? That would be the next logical question.”

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahahanadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

“Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He as an eternal spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.” (Sri Brahma Samhita 5.1)

The difficulty is we are working on a different premise. Your premise is everything can be explained by chemical reactions only. My premise is matter doesn’t move without the touch of spirit. You say “life” is a combination of chemicals. I know “life” is a spiritual force completely different from matter. There is much evidence supporting my view and I have presented some of it but because you do not accept my premise that there is a spiritual component as well as a material one you don’t accept my evidence.

I see, from my perspective, that science has failed to justify it’s claims and can not back up the notion that like comes from chemicals. We see life coming from life around us all the time… that is sufficient evidence that life comes from life. But you say, without proof, without experiments, without even any real idea of how it happens, that life comes from chemicals. This is sentiment not science.

Follower of vedas

1. What Is Hinduism?

A Christian, visiting India from the West, would surely think it strange if he or she was told by an Indian, "You are a follower of Jordanism." Christianity, along with Judaism and Islam, hails from the region of the Jordan river. But it is unlikely that Christians, Jews and Muslims would like their faiths being lumped together under such an artificial, unscriptural category as "Jordanism." Yet just this sort of thing was done to the followers of the indigenous religions of India. The word "Hinduism" is derived from the name of a river in present-day Pakistan, the Sindhu (also known as the Indus). Beginning around 1000 AD, invading armies from the Middle East called the place beyond the Sindhu "Hindustan" and the people who lived there the "Hindus". (Due to the invaders' language, the s was change to h.) In the centuries that followed, the term "Hindu" became acceptable even to the Indians themselves as a general designation for their different religious traditions. But since the word Hindu is not found in the scriptures upon which these traditions are based, it is quite inappropriate. The proper term is vedic dharma; the next two paragraphs briefly explain each of these words.

The word vedic refers to the teachings of the Vedic literatures. From these literatures we learn that this universe, along with countless others, was produced from the breath of Maha-Vishnu some 155,250,000,000,000 years ago. The Lord's divine breath simultaneously transmitted all the knowledge humankind requires to meet the material needs and revive his dormant God consciousness of each person. This knowledge is called Veda. Caturmukha (four-faced) Brahma, the first created being within this universe, received Veda from Vishnu. Brahma, acting as an obedient servant of the Supreme Lord, populated the planetary systems with all species of life and imparted the Vedic scriptures as the guide for spiritual and material progress. Veda is thus traced to the very beginning of the cosmos.

Some of the most basic Vedic teachings seen within modern Hinduism are:

* Every living creature is an eternal soul covered by a material body. 

* The souls bewildered by maya (the illusion of identifying the self with the body) must reincarnate from body to body, life after life. 

* To accept a material body means to suffer the fourfold pangs of birth, old age, disease, and death. 

* Depending upon the quality of work (karma) in the human form, a soul may take its next birth in a subhuman species, the human species, a superhuman species, or may be freed from birth and death altogether. 

* Karma dedicated in sacrifice as directed by Vedic injunctions elevates and liberates the soul. Dharma is the essential nature of the Veda. The term dharma is translated as "duty," "virtue," "morality," "righteousness," or "religion," but no single English word conveys the whole meaning of dharma. The Vedic sage Jaimini defined dharma as "a good the nature of a command that leads to the attainment of the highest good." Now, there are different opinions as to what the highest good is that the Veda commands mankind to attain. These different opinions are the basis of the multifarious kinds of religious worship seen today within so-called Hinduism. From out of the gamut of Hindu piety, three great religious traditions emerge: Smarta-brahmanism, Shiva-shaktaism, and Vaishnavism. Each tradition is associated with one of the tri-murtis, the three main deities of Vedic dharma: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu.

The Smarta-brahmanas or hereditary priests preside over the religious affairs of millions of ordinary Hindus. These priests conduct the services for the different devatas (demigods) that bless common people with material benedictions (wealth, family happiness, good health and so on). The Smarta-brahmanas are grouped in gotras (families) that are said to descend from Caturmukha Brahma. They uphold and defend the caste system (jati-vyavastha) which determines a person's social position in Hindu society. For a Smarta-brahmana, the main qualification of brahmanism (priesthood) is birth in a brahmana-gotra.

The Saivites and the Shaktas worship Shiva and his feminine energy Shakti, who is addressed by names like Devi, Durga, Parvati and Kali. While Brahma is the lord of cosmic creation, Shiva is the lord of cosmic devastation. Shakti is the goddess of the total material nature, or prakriti. Because Shiva is very easily pleased, those who desire rapid material advancement for little effort are especially interested in worshiping him and Shakti. The worship of Ganesha and Muruga (Kartikeya) is associated with Saivism, because they are both sons of Shiva. Also associated with Saivism and Shaktaism are left-and right-hand tantra.

Vaishnavism is the worship of Vishnu, the controller of the sattva-guna, the mode of goodness, by which everything is maintained. Brahma controls rajo-guna, the mode of passion, and Shiva controls tamo-guna, the mode of ignorance. Of these three states of material existence, goodness is topmost. The universe is created and destroyed again and again. These cycles of work by Brahma and Shiva are maintained eternally by the goodness of Vishnu. The name Vishnu means "all-pervading." Lord Vishnu dwells in the hearts of all beings as the Supersoul, as well as within every atom. He is also the total form of the universe (visvarupa) and the origin of Brahma and Shiva. Beyond the universe, Vishnu has His own transcendental abode called Vaikuntha, the spiritual world. The original and most intimate form of Vishnu is the all-attractive, ever-youthful Sri Krishna. Lord Krishna, the eternal, omniscient, and incomparably blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, the most important text of the Hindu religion. The Bhagavad-gita rejects caste by birth and any form of worship motivated by material desire. Complete surrender to Krishna is said to surpass all other commands of dharma in the Vedas (see {Bhagavad-gita 18.66}). Surrender to Krishna delivers the soul from the cycle of repeated birth and death (samsaracakra) and returns the soul back home, back to Godhead.

2. What Is Vedanta?

The highest degree of Vedic education, traditionally reserved for the sannyasis (renunciants), is mastery of the texts known as the Upanisads. The Upanisads teach the philosophy of the Absolute Truth (Brahman) to those seeking liberation from birth and death. Study of the Upanisads is known as vedanta, "the conclusion of the Veda." The word upanisad means "that which is learned by sitting close to the teacher." The texts of the Upanisads are extremely difficult to fathom; they are to be understood only under the close guidance of a spiritual master (guru). Because the Upanisads contain many apparently contradictory statements, the great sage Vyasadeva (also known as Vedavyasa, Badarayana, or Dvaipayana) systematized the Upanisadic teachings in the Vedanta-sutra, or Brahma-sutra. Vyasa's sutras are terse. Without a fuller explanation, their meaning is difficult to grasp. In India there are five main schools of vedanta, each established by an acarya (founder) who explained the sutras in a bhasya (commentary).

Of the five schools, one, namely Adi Shankara's, is impersonalist. Shankara taught that Brahman has no name, form nor personal characteristics. Shankara's school is opposed by the four Vaishnava sampradayas founded by Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, and Vishnusvami. Unlike the impersonalist school, Vaishnava vedanta admits the validity of Vedic statements that establish difference (bheda) within Brahman, as well those that establish nondifference (abheda). Taking the bheda and abheda statements together, the Vaishnava Vedantists distinguish between three features of the one Vastu Brahman (Divine Substance):

* Vishnu as the Supreme Soul (Para Brahman). 
* The individual self as the subordinate soul (Jiva Brahman). 
* Matter as creative nature (Mahad Brahman). The philosophies of the four Vaishnava sampradayas dispel the sense of mundane limitation ordinarily associated with the word "person." Vishnu is accepted by all schools of Vaishnava vedanta as the transcendental, unlimited Purusottama (Supreme Person), while the individual souls and matter are His conscious and unconscious energies (cidacid-shakti). 

3. What Is Siddhanta?

Each Vedantist school is known for its siddhanta, or "essential conclusion" about the relationships between God and the soul, the soul and matter, matter and matter, matter and God, and the soul and souls. Shankara's siddhanta is advaita, "nondifference" (everything is one; therefore these five relationships are unreal). All the other siddhantas support the reality of these relationships from various points of view. Ramanuja's siddhanta is visistadvaita, "qualified nondifference." Madhva's siddhanta is dvaita, "difference." Vishnusvami's siddhanta is suddhadvaita, "purified nondifference." And Nimbarka's siddhanta is dvaitaadvaita, "difference and identity."

The Bengali branch of Madhva's sampradaya is known as the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, or the Chaitanya Sampradaya. In the 1700s this school presented Indian philosophers with a commentary on Vedanta-sutra written by Baladeva Vidyabhushana that argued yet another siddhanta. It is called acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which means "simultaneous, inconceivable oneness and difference." In recent years this siddhanta has become known to people all over the world due to the popularity of the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Acintya-bhedabheda philosophy maintains the same standpoint of "difference" as Madhva's siddhanta on the fivefold relationship of God to soul, soul to matter, matter to matter, matter to God, and soul to soul. But acintyabhedabheda-tattva further teaches the doctrine of shaktiparinamavada (the transformation of the Lord's shakti), in which the origin of this fivefold differentiation is traced to the Lord's play with His shakti, or energy. Because the souls and matter emanate from the Lord, they are one in Him as His energy yet simultaneously distinct from Him and one another. The oneness and difference of this fivefold relationship is called acintya, or inconceivable, because, as Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 18.78, "Nothing is different from the Supreme, but the Supreme is always different from everything." As the transcendental origin and coordinator of His energies, God is ever the inconceivable factor.

4. Shankara and Buddhism

 Sometimes Shankara's advaita-vedanta commentary is presented in books about Hinduism as if it were the original and only vedanta philosophy. But in fact Shankara's philosophy is more akin to Buddhism than vedanta. Buddhism is a nastika, or non-Vedic, religion. Before 600 AD, the time of Shankara's appearance, most Vedantist scholars did not endorse a doctrine of impersonalism. Evidence gathered from the writings of pre-Shankara Buddhist scholars shows that their Vedantist contemporaries were Purusa-vadins (purusa = "person", vadin = "philosopher"). Purusavadins taught that the goal of Vedanta philosophy is the Mahapurusa (Greatest Person). Bhavya, an Indian Buddhist author who lived centuries before Shankara, wrote in the Madhyamika-hrdaya-karika that the Vedantists of his time were adherents of the doctrine of bhedabheda (difference and nondifference). That Shankara borrowed Buddhistic ideas was noted by the Buddhists themselves. A Buddhist writer named Bhartrhari, a contemporary of Shankara, expressed some surprise that although Shankara was a brahmana scholar of the Vedas, his impersonal teachings resembled Buddhism. This is admitted by the followers of Shankara themselves. Pandit Dr. Rajmani Tigunait of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga is a present-day exponent of advaita-vedanta; in his book, Seven Systems of Indian Philosophy, he writes that the ideas of the Buddhist Sunyavada (voidist) philosophers are very close to Shankara's. Shankara inserted into Vedantic discourse the Buddhistic idea of ultimate emptiness, substituting the Upanisadic word brahman ("the Absolute") for sunya ("the void"). Because Shankara argued that all names, forms, qualities, activities and relationships are creations of maya (illusion), even divine names and forms, his philosophy is called mayavada (the doctrine of illusion).

However, to compare Brahman with the void is philosophically untenable. The Vedanta-sutra defines Brahman, not Maya, as the cause of everything (janmadyasya-yatah, Vedanta-sutra 1.1.2). How can that which lacks name, form, quality, and activity be the cause of that which possesses these features? Nil posse creari de nilo: "Nothing can be
created out of nothing." Mayavadi vedanta avoids the issue of causation by arguing that the world, though empirically real, is ultimately a dream. But dreams also have elaborate causes.

5. Differences Among the Four Vaishnava Sampradayas
The four Vaishnava sampradayas all agree that Vishnu is the cause, but they explain His relationship with His creation differently. In visistadvaita, the material world is said to be the body of Vishnu, the Supreme Soul. But the dvaita school does not agree that matter is connected to Vishnu as body is to soul, because Vishnu, God, is transcendental to matter. The world of matter is full of misery, but since Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12 defines God as anandamaya (abundantly blissful), how can nonblissful matter be His body? The truth, according to the dvaita school is that matter is ever separate from Vishnu but yet is eternally dependent upon Vishnu; by God's will, says the dvaita school, matter becomes the ingredient cause of the world. The suddhadvaita school cannot agree with the dvaita school that matter is the ingredient cause, because matter has no independent origin apart from God. Matter is actually not different from God in the same way an effect is not different from its cause, although there is an appearance of difference. The example of the ocean and its waves is given by suddhadvaita philosophers to illustrate their argument that the cause (the ocean) is the same as the effect (the waves). The dvaitadvaita school agrees that God is both the cause and effect but is dissatisfied with the suddhadvaita school's standpoint that there is really no difference between God and the world. The dvaitadvaita school says that God is neither one with nor different from the world --He is both. A snake, the dvaitadvaita school argues, can neither be said to have a coiled form nor a straight form. It has both forms. Similarly, God's "coiled form" is His transcendental nonmaterial aspect, and His "straight form" is His mundane aspect. But this explanation is not without problems. If God's personal nature is eternity, knowledge, and bliss, how can the material world, which is temporary, full of ignorance, and miserable, be said to be just another form of God?

6. Reconciliation of the Four Vaishnava Viewpoints
The Chaitanya school reconciles these seemingly disparate views of God's relationship to the world by arguing that the Vedic scriptures testify to God's acintya-shakti, "inconceivable powers." God is simultaneously the cause of the world in every sense and yet distinct from and transcendental to the world. The example given is of a spider and its web. The web emanates from the spider's body, so the spider may be taken as the ingredient cause of the web. But that does not make the spider and the web one and the same. The spider is always a separate and distinct entity from its web. Yet again, while the spider never is the web, the existence of the web cannot be separated from the spider.

There is a further lesson to be learned from this example: while the spider is clearly different from its web-creation, it nonetheless is acutely conscious of every corner of it. In philosophical terms, we could say the spider is transcendental to the web by its identity, yet simultaneously immanent throughout the web by its knowledge. This is a simple yet powerful demonstration of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. Lord Krishna, in Bhagavad-gita 9.4 and 5, says He pervades the whole universe by His complete awareness of the spiritual and material energies that make up the creation. Yet at the same time, in His identity as the source of everything, He stands apart from the cosmic manifestation.

The web is compared to God's maya-shakti (power of illusion), which emanates from the Real but is not real itself. "Not real" means that the features of maya (the tri-guna, or three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance) are temporary. "Not real" does not mean the material world does not exist. The essential ingredient (vastu) of the world is real, because it is the energy of God. But the form this energy takes at the time of cosmic creation is temporary. Therefore the maya-shakti is said to be unreal. Reality is that which is eternal: God and God's svarupa-shakti (spiritual energy). The temporal features of the material world are manifestations of the maya-shakti, not of God Himself. These features of maya bewilder the souls of this world, but they cannot bewilder God. God appears within this material world as the supreme person, yet He is not bound by this world, exactly as a spider moving anywhere in its web-creation is not bound by it.

7. Sanatana-dharma
Brahman, the Absolute Truth, the goal of vedanta, may be achieved in two ways. One way is by vedanta-darshan, or the philosophical comprehension of the conclusion of the Vedas, as described previously. Another way is by sanatana-dharma, the eternal religion of vedanta. Both darshan and sanatana-dharma are taught in the Bhagavad-gita, spoken by Sri Krishna to His disciple Arjuna 5000 years ago at Kuruksetra.

Darshan is explained in Bhagavad-gita 7.19:

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah

"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare."

Sanatana-dharma is explained in Bhagavad-gita 18.66. This verse is the culmination of the entire text:

sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

In both darshan and sanatana-dharma, surrender to Krishna is the goal, because Krishna is the goal of the Vedas, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita 15.15: vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham, "By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas."

What is the difference between religion (dharma) that is eternal (sanatana) and religion that is not eternal? The noneternal religion, which in Bhagavad-gita 18.66 Krishna asks us to give up, is of two types: bhoga-dharma and tyaga-dharma.

Bhoga-dharma, the religion of work (karma) for sensual pleasure in this life and the next, is summed up in Bhagavad-gita 2.42-43 thusly:

"Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification (bhoga) and opulent life (aisvarya), they say that there is nothing more than this."

Tyaga-dharma, the religion of withdrawal from karma, is rejected by Lord Krishna in this verse:

"Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection." (Bhagavad-gita 3.4)

Sanatana-dharma, the eternal religion, is bhakti-yoga, the yoga of devotional service to Lord Krishna. Shunning both work for selfish pleasure and the stoppage of all work, the bhaktiyogi works only for Krishna's pleasure. Bhakti-yoga liberates the soul from entanglement in the web of tri-guna (the three modes of material nature) and transfers the liberated soul to Krishna. Krishna's transcendental personal form is the source and basis of the impersonal Brahman effulgence (brahmajyoti), which shines forever beyond the darkness of material nature. This is all confirmed in Bhagavad-gita 14.26 and 27:

"One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman."

"And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness."

Sanatana-dharma is exemplified in the lives of the mahatmas, or great souls. Their religious practices are described in Bhagavad-gita 9.14 and 15:

"O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible."

"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."

Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita shortly before the beginning of the Kali-yuga, the present age of darkness, sin, and quarrel. After Krishna departed this world, mayavada philosophy became prominent. Because mayavada philosophy denies that Krishna is the eternal, transcendental Personality of Godhead, and because it distorts His teachings on bhakti-yoga with impersonal speculation, it thwarts both the method and goal of sanatana-dharma. Modern Hindus, confused by mayavada ideas, think mundane politics and social work are the method of dharma. And they think the goal of dharma is the impersonal jyoti (light). The mayavadis claim the jyoti is the truth behind God's personal form. But this claim is in direct opposition to Bhagavad-gita 14.27. Thus the path of the mahatmas given in the Bhagavad-gita is lost in much of Hinduism today.

Taking compassion upon the unfortunate, misguided souls of Kali-yuga, Lord Krishna descended again, only 500 years ago, to show mankind by His own example how to practice sanatana-dharma according to the Bhagavad-gita. This incarnation of Krishna is the Golden Avatara, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya accepted initiation from Isvara Puri of the Madhva Sampradaya. From Madhva's school, Lord Chaitanya accepted two principles: (1) opposition to and defeat of mayavada philosophy, and (2) worship of the transcendental form of Lord Krishna as the path of eternal religion. The first principle is darshan, and the second is sanatana-dharma. These two principles are the philosophical and religious foundation of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), established by His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

In Bhagavad-gita 4.2, Lord Krishna declares that the principles of eternal religion are handed down via the guru-parampara (disciplic succession). The parampara system protects eternal religious principles from corruption by unauthorized teachers who, without following the principles themselves, interpret the Bhagavad-gita through their speculative opinions. The disciplic succession of Madhva and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is known as the Brahma Sampradaya, because it originates with Brahma, who received Vedic knowledge from Krishna at the beginning of creation. Brahma's disciple is Narada, and Narada's disciple is Vyasa, who composed the Vedanta-sutra. After Lord Chaitanya accepted this sampradaya as His own, it was called the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya. In our time, this disciplic succession and its teachings of sanatana-dharma are represented to the whole world by ISKCON. Following in the parampara tradition, members of ISKCON refrain from adharma (irreligion) in the form of meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling, and intoxication, and follow sanatana-dharma as shown by the mahatmas.

8. The Avataras of Godhead
After explaining that eternal religious principles are handed down via guru-parampara, Lord Krishna then told Arjuna that from time to time, the system of disciplic succession breaks down. This is called dharmasya glanih, the disruption of dharma. When dharma is disrupted, humanity's very purpose is disrupted. The Vedic scriptures state, "Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special capacity of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life (dharma). Without spiritual life, humans are no better than animals." (Hitopadesa) In order to save humanity from the animalism of irreligion, Lord Krishna says tadatmanam srjamy aham: "At that time I descend Myself."

(B.g. 4.7)

When Sri Krishna descends from the world of spirit into the world of matter, His appearance here is called avatara. The Sanskrit word avatara is often rendered into English as "incarnation." It is wrong, however, to think that Krishna incarnates in a body made of physical elements. The seventh and eighth chapters of Bhagavad-gita distinguish at length between the material nature (apara-prakrti), visible as the temporary substances of earth, water, fire, air and ethereal space, and God's own spiritual nature (para-prakrti), which is invisible (avyakta), eternal (sanatana) and infallible (aksara). When the Lord descends, by His mercy the invisible becomes visible. As Krishna states in B.g. 4.6, "I descend by My own nature, incarnating in My form of spiritual energy" (prakrtim svam adhisthaya sambhavamy atma-mayaya). In 4.9 He declares, janma karma ca me divyam, "My appearance and activities are divine." Only fools think Krishna takes birth as does an ordinary human being (B.g. 9.11).

God has many incarnations. But of all of them, that form described in Bhagavad-gita 11.50 as the most beautiful (saumya-vapu) is God's own original form (svakam rupam). This is the eternal form of Krishna, the all-charming lotus-eyed youth whose body is the shape of spiritual ecstasy. The Srimad Bhagavata Purana confirms that Krishna is the original form of Vishnu: ete camsa-kalah pumsah krishnas tu bhagavan svayam indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge, which means, "All of the incarnations of Vishnu listed in the scriptures are expansions of the Lord. Lord Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead. All avataras appear in the world whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.28)

The Srimad-Bhagavatam provides us with the authorized list of scheduled incarnations of Godhead, of whom the dasavatara (ten avataras) are particularly celebrated. The ten are Matsya (the Lord's form of a gigantic golden fish), Kurma (the turtle), Varaha (the boar), Sri Nrsingha (half-man, half-lion), Parasurama (the hermit who wields an ax), Vamana (a small brahmana boy), Sri Rama (the Lord of Ayodhya), Baladeva (Lord Krishna's brother), Buddha (the sage who cheated the atheists), and Kalki (who will depopulate the world of all degraded, sinful men).

There are two broad categories of avataras. Some, like Sri Krishna, Sri Rama and Sri Nrsingha, are Vishnu-tattva, direct forms of God Himself, the source of all power. Others are individual souls (jiva-tattva) who are empowered by the Lord in one or more of seven ways: with knowledge, devotion, creative ability, personal service to God, rulership over the material world, power to support planets, or power to destroy rogues and miscreants. This second category of avatara is called shaktyavesa. Included herein are Buddha, Christ and Muhammed.

The Mayavadis think that "form" necessarily means "limitation." God is omnipresent, unlimited and therefore formless, they argue. When he reveals His avatara form within this world, that form, being limited in presence to a particular place and time, cannot be the real God. It is only an indication of God. But in fact it is not God's form that is limited. It is only the Mayavadis' conception of form that is limited, because that conception is grossly physical. God's form is of the nature of supreme consciousness. Being spiritual, it is called suksma, "most subtle." There is no contradiction between the omnipresence of something subtle and its having form. The most subtle material phenomena we can perceive is sound. Sound may be formless (as noise) or it may have form (as music). Because sound is subtle, its having form does not affect its ability to pervade a huge building. Similarly, God's having form does not affect His ability to pervade the entire universe. Since God's form is finer than the finest material subtlety, it is completely inappropriate for Mayavadis to compare His form to gross hunks of matter.

Because they believe God's form is grossly physical, Mayavadis often argue that any and all embodied creatures may be termed avataras. Any number of "living gods" are being proclaimed within India and other parts of the world today. Some of these gods are mystics, some are charismatics, some are politicians, and some are sexual athletes. But none of them are authorized by the Vedic scriptures. They represent only the mistaken Mayavadi idea that the one formless unlimited Truth appears in endless gross, physical human incarnations, and that you and me and I and he are therefore all together God. And since each god has a different idea of what dharma is, the final truth, according to mayavada philosophy, is that the paths of all gods lead to the same goal. This idea is as unenlightened as it is impractical.

When ordinary people proclaim themselves to be God, and that whatever they are doing is Vedic dharma, that is dharmasya glanih, a disturbance to eternal religious principles. Therefore Krishna came again, 500 years ago, as the Golden Avatara, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He established the yuga-dharma, the correct form of sanatana-dharma for our time. Sri Chaitanya's appearance was predicted in Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.32: "In this Age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by congregational chanting of the holy names of God."

The Avatara of the Deity and the Holy Name

The transcendental vibration hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare / hare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare is the avatara of the Lord in the form of the holy name (kali-kale nama-rupe krishna-avatara, from Chaitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 17.22). Anyone can prove to his own satisfaction that the Lord and His name are not different simply by chanting this spiritual sound constantly. The proof is the transcendental bliss (kevala-ananda) that envelops the soul the more the holy name is chanted. This higher taste renders insignificant the taste for degraded material pleasures like illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje: the eternal religion, or the yoga of pure devotion (bhakti) to Krishna, is evinced by the disappearance of sinful habits (anarthas.)

As Krishna appears in the sound of His holy name, so also He appears within the arca-avatara, His incarnation as the Deity worshiped in the temple. The central focus of every ISKCON temple around the world is the worship of Krishna's Deity form as represented in stone, metal, wood or as painted pictures. Through ceremonial services (puja) conducted according to Vedic tradition, the devotees fulfill the Lord's injunction in Bhagavad-gita 9.27: "Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform --do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me." This puja purifies the minds and senses of the devotees and connects them to Krishna in an attitude of love.

Mayavadis decry service to the Deity as idol worship. They argue that God is not present within the Deity, because He is everywhere. But if He is everywhere, then why is He not within the Deity as well? Moisture is also everywhere, even within the air. But when one needs a drink of water, he cannot get it from the air. He must drink the water from where water tangibly avails itself to be drunk: from a faucet, a well, or a clear stream. Similarly, although God is everywhere, it is in His Deity form that He makes Himself tangibly available for worship.

9. Liberation in Krishna Consciousness

"Back home, Back to Godhead" 
--what does it mean? It means the return of our consciousness to Krishna. Consciousness is the symptom of the soul and the reservoir of our desires. As conscious souls, each one of us is a tiny aspect of Krishna's personal spiritual potency (see Bhagavad-gita 15.7). Just as Krishna is eternally a person, so are we. But now our original personal nature is covered by Maya (illusion). Maya diverts consciousness away from Krishna. The temporary forms of the material world then beco
me the objects of our consciousness and all its desires. Thus prema (the soul's love for God) is perverted into kama (lust for material sense gratification). As long we confuse lust for love, we must take birth in this world again and again. For a devotee of Krishna, the method of liberation from birth and death is the method of purifying consciousness and desires until the ecstasy of pure Krishna consciousness is achieved. As the word ecstasy indicates (Greek ekstasis, "outside the body"), Krishna consciousness transports the soul beyond identification with the material body.

All the great religions of mankind teach that this present life is meant to cultivate the afterlife of the soul. Among the various sects within Judaeo-Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, two paths of cultivation can be discerned: 1) the path of elevation, and 2) the path of salvation.

1) The elevationists aim for an elevated state of material happiness in the afterlife. Their hope is to join their family and friends in the celestial realm known as heaven in the Bible and svarga in the Vedas. The Bhagavad-gita warns that although life in heaven is much longer than on earth, it is not eternal: "When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of elevation achieve only repeated birth and death." (Bhagavad-gita 9.21)

2) Salvationists, on the other hand, aim to be saved from their mortality. Buddhists, Mayavadi Hindu Vedantists, as well as Judaeo-Christian and Islamic Sufi mystics, often speak of salvation as the surrender of the mortal self to the eternal light that is Nirvana, Brahman or God. Some speak of salvation as a state of unbroken prayerful contemplation upon a personal deity. These are descriptions of impersonal Brahman and Paramatma realization. Impersonal Brahman, as explained in previous articles, is the formless effulgence of Lord Krishna's personal form. Mystics and yogis who are able to negate their minds' attachments to the world of material form may lose themselves within this formless light. Paramatma is Krishna's form as the Supersoul, who dwells within the hearts of all living beings as the overseer and permitter (see Bhagavad-gita 13.23). Paramatma realization is semi-personal, because the salvationist's relationship to the Supersoul in the heart remains passive. More than wanting to serve God, the salvationist wants to be saved from death and rebirth. Thus impersonal Brahman and semi-personal Paramatma realization are incomplete.

A famous verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam explains how complete realization of the Personality of Godhead is to be cultivated.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam

"Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Krishna, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) --these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.23)

After the steady practice of these nine processes awakens the ecstasy of love of Krishna in the devotee's heart, Krishna appears before the devotee. At that time all the senses of the devotee (the eyes, nose, ears, tongue, sense of touch) become the receptacles of the auspicious qualities of Krishna: His supreme beauty, fragrance, melody, youthfulness, tastefulness, munificence and mercy. The Lord reveals first His beauty to the eyes of the devotee. Due to the sweetness of that beauty, all the senses and the mind take on the quality of eyes. From this the devotee swoons. To console the devotee, the Lord next reveals His fragrance to the nostrils of the devotee, and by this, the devotee's senses take on the quality of the nose in order to smell. Again the devotee swoons in bliss. The Lord then reveals His sonorous voice to the devotee's ears. All the senses become like ears to hear, and for the third time the devotee faints. The Lord then mercifully gives the touch of His lotus feet, His hands and His chest to the devotee, and the devotee experiences the Lord's fresh youthfulness. To those who love the Lord in the mood of servitude, He places His lotus feet on their heads. To those in the mood of friendship, He grasps their hands with His. To those in the mood of parental affection, with His hand He wipes away their tears. Those in the conjugal mood He embraces, touching them with His hands and chest. Then the devotee's senses all take on the sense of touch and the devotee faints again. In this way, the devotee attains his rasa (spiritual relationship) with Krishna. There are five rasas: santa (passive awe and reverence); dasya (servitude); sakhya (friendship); vatsalya (parenthood); and madhurya (conjugal love). The most fortunate salvationists can attain only the santa-rasa. The four higher rasas are reserved for Krishna's pure devotees.

By flooding the senses with eternal nectar from the original, pure source of pleasure --God Himself --love of Krishna completely liberates the devotee from attraction to temporary material sense pleasures. Thus the consciousness of the soul completely takes shelter of its original position as an eternal associate of the Lord in the spiritual world. As long as he or she still possesses a physical body, the fully Krishna conscious devotee is called jivan-mukta, liberated while still within the material world. When he or she gives up the physical body, the fully Krishna conscious devotee remains forever with Krishna in the spiritual world. This is videha-mukti, liberation that transcends the material world altogether. According to the kind of rasa achieved, the soul in liberation displays a spiritual form as Krishna's eternal servant, friend, parent or conjugal lover. Just as our present material body permits us to engage in karma (physical activities), so the spiritual rasa-body permits us to engage in lila (Krishna's endlessly expanding spiritual activities).