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  1. punkdbass

    Quote from Jaggi Vasudev on Bhakti/Devotion

    Namaste! Sorry I have been away from RF for a while now, hope everyone here is doing well!! I've just been busy with school and my spiritual search (as usual ha). Anyhow, I was reading some articles and watching some videos from the Isha Foundation this morning, and found an inspiring quote...
  2. punkdbass

    What does Adi Shankara's poem, "Bhaja Govindam" mean to you?

    I'm specifically curious to hear what the Bhaja Govindam means to the practicing Advaitans here, but anyone is welcome to reply. In case you are unfamiliar with the poem, you can check out a wiki article here, as well as a pdf with English translation here. The Wiki article says the following...
  3. punkdbass

    Graham Schweig's Bhagavad Gita translation

    Namaste, So I was looking through my dad's bookshelf and found a Bhagavad Gita translation by Graham Schweig (see his wiki page here). Although I have barely read any of it, my initial impressions are very good. I already own 3 Gita translations by Paramahansa Yogananda, Eknath Easwaran, and...
  4. punkdbass

    Chaitanya Mahaprabhu... incarnation of Krishna?

    So I just realized today that many Vaishnavites believe Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was born in 1486, is an incarnation of Krishna. I found this out through reading an ISKCON book. Do many Hindus believe Chaitanya is an incarnation of Krishna? Or is it mainly just followers of ISKCON who...
  5. punkdbass

    Is 'Truth' personal or impersonal?

    On one hand, many people say that Life, Truth, Nature, etc are ultimately impersonal. The main teacher at my Buddhist Sangha loves saying that Karma and Nature are impersonal processes. On the other hand, many religions such as Christianity and Vaishnavism (sect of Hinduism), believe that...
  6. punkdbass

    The "Collective Unconscious"

    Namaste, I'd like to talk about the concept of a "Collective Unconscious", and I was hoping you guys could comment on what role such a concept, or similar concepts, plays within your Dharmic faith. Eknath Easwaran is one of my favorite writers on Indian Spirituality, and he often talks about...
  7. punkdbass

    Ramanuja on Bhagavad Gita 2:12

    Namaste, So I've noticed that the verse in Bhagavad Gita 2:12 plays a major role in Ramanuja's philosophy. This verse, among others, is used to support the idea that there is an eternal difference between the individual Jiva and God. See Ramanuja believes in a form of "Realism" - that is...
  8. punkdbass

    Thoughts on ISKCON and founder Bhaktivedanta Swami?

    Namaste, I have heard of ISKCON before, and I know that it is an organization that has greatly helped introduce Hinduism to the west. Other than that, I know very little about the organization. I went to a used bookstore today and picked up Bhagavad Gita As it Is by the founder of ISCON, A.C...
  9. punkdbass

    Few thoughts on relationship between Brahman, Atma, Jiva, and the Supreme Being

    Namaste, I want to share with you guys some of my thoughts regarding the relationship between Brahman, Atma, and Jiva. I sort of had an epiphany today of how these 3 concepts relate to one another. Easwaran defines Brahman as "The Supreme reality underlying all life, the divine ground of...
  10. punkdbass

    Few thoughts on Visnu

    Hello, ' So last night I was reading the Gita and had an insight into how Vishnu can be thought of as the great "Preserver." Love and compassion are very real forces within the Universe, they help to preserve and enliven things. In life, everything is constantly arising and passing away. So...
  11. punkdbass

    Eknath Easwaran

    Namaste, Just curious what your guys thoughts are on Eknath Easwaran? I own his translation of the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and the Dhammapada. I recently bought his book Essence of the Bhagavad Gita: A contemporary Guide to Yoga, Meditation, and Indian Philosophy, which I'm really...
  12. punkdbass

    How do Hindus view "evil"?

    Hello, I know in Buddhism, reality ultimately transcends concepts such as "good" and "evil", but rather Buddhists tend to think in terms of "skillfull" and "unskillfull" actions: i.e. actions that lead to wholesome or unwholesome states of being. Also the concept of Karma says you reap what...
  13. punkdbass

    Books for learning more about Vishnu?

    Hello, My research/experience with the Hindu deities is very limited, mainly to Krishna. Given that I have a month long break from school, I thought it be nice to get a good book to learn more about Vishnu. Afterall, since Krishna is an Avatar of Vishnu, it would make sense to learn more...
  14. punkdbass

    An interesting Vaishnavite perspective on Liberation

    Namaste, So I recently bought Penguin Classics Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God which is an English translation of the 10th book of the Bhagavata Purana - which seems to be a crucial book in learning about Krishna and Vaishnavism. Anyhow, in the introduction the author gives a great...
  15. punkdbass

    Few questions about Rebirth and Awareness

    Namaste, I have a few questions related to rebirth. I'm particularly interested in the Theravadan response to these questions, but I posted this in the Buddhism DIR for all Buddhists to answer. 1. When a human dies, does their awareness become annihilated at death, or does some level of...
  16. punkdbass

    Questions about languages associated with Hinduism

    Hello, What are the main languages associated with Hinduism? If there are many, then in particular, which languages would be useful to learn in order to better understand Vaishnavism? Although I don't plan on learning a new language anytime soon (too busy with grad school), I would like to...
  17. punkdbass

    Where can I buy Hindu Art or Deity Statues?

    Regardless of whether or not I end up committing to Hinduism, I absolutely love Indian culture and I'm very interested in Hinduism. Lately, I've thought about getting some Hindu related art for my room... are there any websites online you guys would recommend for buying this kind of stuff? Or...
  18. punkdbass

    A few thoughts on the cosmology of Vishnavism

    So while reading the Bhagavad Gita on the bus today, I had an ephiphany about how followers of Vishnu/Krishna view the cosmos. Hindu cosmology use to confuse the heck out of me but I think I understand it now, well at least one of the many different Hindu views on cosmology. Brahma is the...
  19. punkdbass

    Can followers of Buddha be considered "Hindus"?

    Hello, I remember reading in Swami Sivananda's All About Hinduism, that Hindus consider Buddha to be an incarnation of one of the major Hindu Deities (Vishnu perhaps?). So ignoring the idea of Buddhism as an "institution" or "concept", can one be a follower of the Buddha and his teachings and...
  20. punkdbass

    Must read texts of Vishishtadvaita?

    Hello, So from what I understand there are 3 major schools of Vedanta: Advaita (pantheistic), Vishistadvaita (panentheistic), and Dvadiata (dualistic). In the past I have researched Advaita-Vedanta but recently I've become interested in learning more about Vishistadvaita, for I've always been...
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