Ishta devata

[Polarbear]

Can smartists choose whoever they want as their Ishta devata? Even gods not from Hinduism/India? Is your Ishta devata synonyms with whom you view as the supreme being/Brahman?

[Vinayaka]

Yes, Smartans choose. The concept of ishta is central to Smarta. For the rest, the particular aspect of that sect's Supreme God is sometimes considered as an ishta .. for example, Venkatestwara, or Krishna, or Rama for Vaisnavites, or Kali, otrDurga etc. for Shaktites. As far as going outside of SD, I've never heard of it, but I'm sure it happens. These days lots happens.

[Polarbear]

Yeah it sure does! Thanks for your answer!

[Vinayaka]

Many people won't recognize the difference between a Smarta with an ishta, or a Sectarian. For example, I'm a Saivite with respect for all other branches, as we have some very important common traits. So when a Smarta sees me worshiping Siva, he just thinks, "Oh, that guy's ishta is Siva. How nice!" and they assume that I honour Adi Shankara. Then if I inform them that I don't, I follow a different sampradaya altogether, they get a confused look. (When you have been taught nothing else, and you hear a new language, it is to be expected to be confused.) Another common example is the teachings of the great modern sage Swami Sivananada. Most people think he is a Saivite, but he's not, he's Smarta. One easy way to see that is from the names of some of his disciples ... Venkatesanda, Vishnudevanda, etc.

So there is a pretty vague line between the two, and you can feel it more in the energy, as well as in the words. Smartas lean more to an intellectual take, and Saivas lean more to a mystical or bhakti take. Still there is more in common than not.

[Jainarayan]

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

As far as going outside of SD, I've never heard of it, but I'm sure it happens. Thesedays lots happens.

Something I read said that Smartas accept that non-Vedic deities are fine to worship outside of SD, but are frowned upon within SD. That is, they are perfectly fine with a Christian worshipping Jesus, but it's frowned on if a Smarta or Hindu of another sampradaya were to worship Jesus as ishtadevata.

[Polarbear]

Originally Posted by Jainarayan

Something I read said that Smartas accept that non-Vedic deities are fine to worship outside of SD, but are frowned upon within SD. That is, they are perfectly fine with a Christian worshipping Jesus, but it's frowned on if a Smarta or Hindu of another sampradaya were to worship Jesus as ishtadevata.

But what about pagan gods such as Isis or Zeus, are they acceptable?

[Vinayaka]

It's not really a question of being acceptable. We are a very tolerant lot, for the most part. I would personally never do it, nor would 99% of Hindus, but as to whether or not someone else wants to, that's entirely up to them. But I don't think you could gift a statue of Zeus to a Hindu temple like the one Jainarayan worships at, and expect them to accept it, install it, etc. But what you do on your own time, in your own shrine room, is all fine.

[Shuddhasattva]

In order for gods to truly be compatible (rather than the fuzzy acceptable) with SD, they have to have the requisite traits.

1. Mantra - the deity corresponds to the Speech (Vak) of Invocation (Hotra). This imbues divine energy (prana pratistha). In what does it imbue? Either the external idol, or the mind - mind, having the nature of emptiness, or a cavity, is like a temple, a chamber in which things are installed. The mind shapes itself around the deity and, when imbued by mantra and dhyan, the deity confers grace upon the sadhak (practitioner). More broadly, the mind unfolds into the subtle body, with its myriad altars.

2. A form full of meaning - each implement, gesture, etc. has volumes of meaning.


3. A rigorous system of sadhana (devotional yoga), by which communion or union with the deity is effected.

Fundamentally, Hinduism is not a religion of beliefs, it's a religion of practice. You don't get to heaven, or a good rebirth, or moksha, or apotheosis with just beliefs.

I believe, for example, that Jesus was truly a master yogi, to the extent of embodying Shiva. I don't have any practice around Jesus though. Why? He has no mantra that has survived, no upasana (method of worship), and no lineage of gurus to empower mantras through diksha and give shaktipat. I respect, honor and believe most of the teachings attributed to him in the gnostic gospels. Instead, I worship what is described in the Gnostic gospels but through the means (upaya) provided in the agamas instead, which also describe This.

Occasionally I see him meditation. I believe that Jesus is worthy of worship, but lacks means outside of spontaneous devotion - which certainly has its place. I believe that Jesus is important to SD, not because Hindus or those following the HIndu Dharma portion of SD somehow need Jesus in their lives, but because of all the people in Christianized societies who could so benefit from worship of Jesus in the context of SD rather than conventional Christianity. It would be beautiful to see him become ishta-devata for hundreds of millions of Ex-Christians.

[Maya3]

I think it is completely fine, you should use what brings you focus.

At the temple at the Ashram I belong to we have images from several religions, not only Hindu, though the temple there is not a "classical" Hindu temple.
Like Vinayaka said in a more typical Hindu temple I don't think they would install a deity that is not Hindu.

Personally, I have non Hindu images on my personal altar as well.

I'm Advaita but I could probably say that I'm a bit of a Smarta too

Maya

[Shuddhasattva]

Smartas are almost always advaitins, as Adi Shankara popularized both