I am no longer Hindu

Spirituality Religion
#136

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;72901]In any case you clearly are a religious fanatic and have no grounding in any rationality. You’ve not even been India and seen the realities there, and yet you have strong nationalist opinions on it :smiley: You regurgitate nothing but nationalist propoganda. You don’t have your own opinion or experiences.[/QUOTE]

The fact that I care about India’s state doesn’t make me a nationalist. If the definition of not being a nationalist was agreeing that the nation is full of idiots who are all doomed, than I would be a nationalist of many countries. You are just being heartless caring more on how you were treated by a few people than about the wellbeing of an entire nation.

#137

You haven’t even mentioned a single thing Vivekananda misrepresented about Hinduism you clown :smiley:

You clearly don’t get Hinduism I understand that now. For you Hinduism is an amalgamation of the rituals, stories and customs you followed growing up. For people like Vivekananda, Aurobindo and Ramana Maharishi Hinduism was a living truth that they breathed and lived and directly experienced in their own selves.

How old are you by the way?

#138

[QUOTE=Sarvamaṅgalamaṅgalā;72860]Anyone who turns against Hinduism will of course win a popularity contest on this forum.[/QUOTE]

Surya is simply stating his point of view.

What are you scared of? Hinduism will thrive for those who wish to follow it.

BUT…you should know that this is the age where the Dharma will be transformed. Perhaps Surya and those like him will be the instigators of this necessary transformation in order for the masses, worldwide, to hone in on its greatness.

#139

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;72910]You haven’t even mentioned a single thing Vivekananda misrepresented about Hinduism you clown :D[/quote]I have mentioned how he misrepresented himself as the representative of the dashanami order of Shankaracharya while he was actually never formally initiated into any sampradaya. There are a lot more things, but if you want to know more about this, I suggest you do some studying.

You clearly don’t get Hinduism I understand that now. For you Hinduism is an amalgamation of the rituals, stories and customs you followed growing up. For people like Vivekananda, Aurobindo and Ramana Maharishi Hinduism was a living truth that they breathed and lived and directly experienced in their own selves.
You are making up a story about me and telling what you think Hinduism means for me, but you actually have no idea how in my heart I experience my religion.

#140

[QUOTE=kareng;72912]Surya is simply stating his point of view.

What are you scared of? Hinduism will thrive for those who wish to follow it.

BUT…you should know that this is the age where the Dharma will be transformed. Perhaps Surya and those like him will be the instigators of this necessary transformation in order for the masses, worldwide, to hone in on its greatness.[/QUOTE]
This is not about any point of view, I have already shown how he has been telling lies and distorting information to suit his own agenda.

#141

This is not about any point of view, I have already shown how he has been telling lies and distorting information to suit his own agenda.

By the way this is the same person that says Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Ramana Maharishi distorted Hinduism for their own agenda :wink: I feel like I am in good company :smiley:

#142

I have only said that about Vivekananda.

#143

On this forum Surya Deva is also abusively calling himself a representive of the Jnana marga of Vedanta while he has no association with this path whatsoever.

Abusively?

This is why you are a clown and don’t get Hinduism. In order to study Hindu philosophy nobody needs to go through traditional routes today and be formerly ordained as a monk by some priesthood. One can study Hindu philosophy by reading themselves or they can undertake courses on Hindu philosophy at university.

Vedanta is contemplation and meditation on the self and the nature of reality. Why the hell do I need sanction and permission from some priest to do that?

#144

This is what vedanta says,

[B]“Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
Tasyaite kathitaa hi arthaaha prakashante mahatmanaha”[/B]

[I]“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith equally in both Sri Gurudeva and the Supreme Lord are all the confidential imports of Vedic knowledge revealed.”[/I]

~Svetashvatara Upanishad.

You can follow other paths without a guru, but not vedanta.

#145

asya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
Tasyaite kathitaa hi arthaaha prakashante mahatmanaha”

"Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith equally in both Sri Gurudeva and the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna are all the confidential imports of Vedic knowledge revealed.

Your translation is obviously fake Vaishnavist one. Show me in the original Sanskrit where it says 'Supreme Lord Krishna"

#146

No, I have removed that, but the point still stands.

#147

Haha, but you had it there in the first place, which clearly betrays your biases and prejudices and what prism you are interpreting it through(vaishnavist) How can I be sure that the rest of your translation is accurate?

#148

Read the Sanskrit I posted.

I merely copied the translation from a website and after posting it I realised it said Sri Krishna which I then removed, but your response was quicker. No need to nitpick, if you can understand Sanskrit, the point about the necessity of a guru is still standing. Go find another translation if you need.

#149

I knew there was something wrong with that translation the moment you posted it. I have a more accurate translation, with the context also given:

I-22: This highest mysticism, expounded in the Vedanta in a former age, should not be taught to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a worthy son, nor to an unworthy disciple.
VI-23: These truths, when taught, shine forth only in that high-souled one who has supreme devotion to God, and an equal degree of devotion to the spiritual teacher. They shine forth in that high-souled one only.

Translated by Swami Tyagisananda
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai

There is nothing new here. It had always been the tradition of the Vedic age to only teach Vedanta to a select few or chosen ones. Thus originally Vedanta was taught in the teacher-student tradition. Today, in the 21st century information age, such traditions are no longer relevent. Today anybody who has access to a computer, a library, a books store or a place conducting a course can learn Vedanta philosophy.

Get with the times.

I further read the Upanishad and I found that there is absolutely nothing being taught here that necessitates one MUST have a guru:

8: Placing the body in a straight posture, holding the chest, throat and head erect, and drawing the senses and the mind into the heart, the knowing one should cross over all the fearful currents by means of the raft of Brahman.
II-9: Controlling the senses with an effort, and regulating the activities in the body, one should breathe out through the nostrils when the vital activities become gentle. Then the knowing one, without being in the least distracted, should keep his hold on the mind as on the reins attached to restive horses.
II-10: One should perform one’s exercises in concentration, resorting to caves and such other pure places helpful to its practice – places where the ground is level without pebbles, and the scenery pleasing to the eyes; where there is no wind, dust, fire, dampness and disturbing noises.

I am not sure what period in time you are living in, but it clearly is not the 21st century. This knowledge today is public knowledge. It is studied and practiced openly and widely all across the world by hundreds of millions of people.

There was a time where the Vedas were not written down. Then they were. There was a time when only Brahmins could read the Vedas, today anybody can who either knows Sanskrit or has an English translation.

Rituals, traditions, customs and symbols change. It is the knowledge that is important here. If you don’t get that, I am sorry you are a simpleton who needs to develop a bit more before the real essence of Hinduism dawns on you.

#150

[I]VI-23: These truths, when taught, shine forth only in that high-souled one who has supreme devotion to God, and an equal degree of devotion to the spiritual teacher. They shine forth in that high-souled one only. [/I]

This translation you posted by Swami Tyagisananda is as good as any to support my point. The rest of your post is irrelevant. Computers do not replace gurus.

#151

Oh well, too bad people practice Yoga and Vedanta today without gurus or being ordained by the Shankarcharya of Kaanchi. What are you going to do about it :wink:

#152

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;72934]Oh well, too bad people practice Yoga and Vedanta today without gurus or being ordained by the Shankarcharya of Kaanchi. What are you going to do about it ;)[/QUOTE]

The Shankaracharya of Kaanchi is not the only guru who can initiate people into the study of vedanta. There are many more sampradayas of vedantic study.

What you are saying is false though, people who practice vedanta without a qualified guru are not actually practicing vedanta. There is nothing I have to do about this.

#153

What you are saying is false though, people who practice vedanta without a qualified guru are not actually practicing vedanta. There is nothing I have to do about this.

Do you realize us modern day Vedantins give your opinion as much heed as the Taliban? :wink:

Nobody can stop me from reading and practicing Vedanta. I do exactly the same thing as countless monks in India do: I read the Upanishads, the Gita, the Brahma Sutras and all the Vedanta classics. Stop me if you can :wink: You may also be dismayed to learn that recently my non-Hindu white spiritual friend ordered himself a copy of the Upanishads :wink:

#154

I have no interest in stopping you from reading vedantic texts and giving it your own imaginairy interpretations. That is your problem, not mine.

#155

You couldn’t even if you tried Sarva :smiley:

You represent to me a regressive, simple-minded, common folk. And as I have already pointed out how fundamentally at odds you are with the Vedic sages that founded Hinduism.

You don’t get Hinduism you clown lol You got a lot more development to do before you understand what Hinduism is all about. Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Ramanana Maharishi et al got it - you don’t get it.

Stop wasting your time here now, and go and feed milk to your elephant or monkey god :wink: