Animosity among aspirants

[Viraja]

It is not just the material success that makes others cringe upon you - even your piety and adherence to spiritual practices would create some potential jealous reactions from others, it seems.

i) My sis-in-law: Ever since she came to know I chant and offer some other deity worship on a regular basis (which I did not disclose to her - she just happened to phone me up when I was in the process and my hubby disclosed to her what I was doing on several occasions), every time I chat with her it is the same story of me having to listen to her 'Sankatahara Chaturthi' or 'Saibaba arthi' or 'Skandasashti Parayanam' or 'Lalitha Sahasranamam parayanam'. Even during a 5-min chat, she introduces these topics even when nothing religious is being discussed and goes on and on about it. Irritating.

ii) Facebook feeds - I post nothing other than spiritual / religious content as I do not watch TV, or follow Politics or sports. I post general stuff, not anything particularly about myself majority of the times. But going by my content, I have regular and staunch visitors to my every single posts, who reply to me 'the value of mahamantra', who explain to me in their really, really expanded reply, anything from guru-tattwa to power-of-sadhana, whether or not, I'm interested in their reply. And this nonsense continues to every single post of mine. And from their reply and their own posts, I've gathered all of them are mere facebook-junkees who do NO spiritual sadhana on their part, other than talking to me like this.

iii) Forum dwellers - Some forum dwellers irritate me by their political correctness. Every single time in another forum that I frequent, when I think I made a good spiritual and educative post, a certain personality 'appears from somewhere' to immediately offer me corrections, and the beauty is in the past 5 years, he has contributed nothing on his own. He just appears from nowhere as soon I've made a good post.

iv) A former school friend, who is still an acquaintance - As soon as she hears I do Ekadashi upavasa, she who never otherwise bothers to contact me to wish me for anything (that includes my b'day too), pours her concern in a big voicemail over 'why married women should not do Ekadashi fasting', full of touching verbs and words as if she is my guardian-angel taken birth.

And there's much more, many more, but I think people get the gist.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is said to have advised, "Never disclose your spiritual practice to anyone". I guess I get the reason now. It is the #1 coveted asset someone could have or cultivate.

 

[stvdv]

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is said to have advised, "Never disclose your spiritual practice to anyone". I guess I get the reason now. It is the #1 coveted asset someone could have or cultivate.

I love Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

1 or 2 days ago, I read a quote of one of those Greek philosopers advising "never tell others about your diseases..., because you will get faulty advice"

When I have a Spiritual experience, I normally wait 3 years before disclosing it.

Saints advise to not disclose, or wait at least till you got all the benefits from it

So, your OP makes perfect sense to me. Thanks for sharing

 

[Vinayaka]

It is not just the material success that makes others cringe upon you - even your piety and adherence to spiritual practices would create some potential jealous reactions from others, it seems.

i) My sis-in-law: Ever since she came to know I chant and offer some other deity worship on a regular basis (which I did not disclose to her - she just happened to phone me up when I was in the process and my hubby disclosed to her what I was doing on several occasions), every time I chat with her it is the same story of me having to listen to her 'Sankatahara Chaturthi' or 'Saibaba arthi' or 'Skandasashti Parayanam' or 'Lalitha Sahasranamam parayanam'. Even during a 5-min chat, she introduces these topics even when nothing religious is being discussed and goes on and on about it. Irritating.

ii) Facebook feeds - I post nothing other than spiritual / religious content as I do not watch TV, or follow Politics or sports. I post general stuff, not anything particularly about myself majority of the times. But going by my content, I have regular and staunch visitors to my every single posts, who reply to me 'the value of mahamantra', who explain to me in their really, really expanded reply, anything from guru-tattwa to power-of-sadhana, whether or not, I'm interested in their reply. And this nonsense continues to every single post of mine. And from their reply and their own posts, I've gathered all of them are mere facebook-junkees who do NO spiritual sadhana on their part, other than talking to me like this.

iii) Forum dwellers - Some forum dwellers irritate me by their political correctness. Every single time in another forum that I frequent, when I think I made a good spiritual and educative post, a certain personality 'appears from somewhere' to immediately offer me corrections, and the beauty is in the past 5 years, he has contributed nothing on his own. He just appears from nowhere as soon I've made a good post.

iv) A former school friend, who is still an acquaintance - As soon as she hears I do Ekadashi upavasa, she who never otherwise bothers to contact me to wish me for anything (that includes my b'day too), pours her concern in a big voicemail over 'why married women should not do Ekadashi fasting', full of touching verbs and words as if she is my guardian-angel taken birth.

And there's much more, many more, but I think people get the gist.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is said to have advised, "Never disclose your spiritual practice to anyone". I guess I get the reason now. It is the #1 coveted asset someone could have or cultivate.

Some folks are stricken by spiritual ego. Sounds to me like you've met some. I get a kick out of most of them usually. In on ear and out the other. OI think, "Hmm, who should I be listening to, one of my 2 Gurus and their advice, or strangers to me?"

The key, or course, is in the non-reaction. Best wishes, in evolving a strategy that becomes less annoying to you.

 

[mangalavara]

ii) Facebook feeds - I post nothing other than spiritual / religious content as I do not watch TV, or follow Politics or sports.

You are a kindred soul.

I have regular and staunch visitors to my every single posts, who reply to me 'the value of mahamantra', who explain to me in their really, really expanded reply, anything from guru-tattwa to power-of-sadhana

Them: ‘Look at me! Look at how much I know! Look at my knowledge!’

iv) A former school friend, who is still an acquaintance - As soon as she hears I do Ekadashi upavasa, she who never otherwise bothers to contact me to wish me for anything (that includes my b'day too), pours her concern in a big voicemail over 'why married women should not do Ekadashi fasting', full of touching verbs and words as if she is my guardian-angel taken birth.

She probably learned that nonsense from a random YouTube or Reddit comment posted by some other non-spiritual person. She sounds like the sort of person who advises others not to have a linga in their home even though shastras such as Shiva Purana teach that his devotees have lingas in their homes.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is said to have advised, "Never disclose your spiritual practice to anyone". I guess I get the reason now. It is the #1 coveted asset someone could have or cultivate.

Spiritual practice is coveted indeed. Also, I think, many of these individuals are afraid to do anything such as japa or upavasa because they hear so much misinformation from their sort. Moreover, they fear doing something ‘transgressive’ such as chanting the pranava. Those of us who actually do spiritual practices are ‘living dangerously’ and we have no respect for rules. For their own good, Hindus without sadhana should stay away from us or we might corrupt them.

1 or 2 days ago, I read a quote of one of those Greek philosopers advising "never tell others about your diseases..., because you will get faulty advice"

So many people pretend to be experts at something.

 

[mangalavara]

I think, "Hmm, who should I be listening to, one of my 2 Gurus and their advice, or strangers to me?"

You should be listening to the anonymous experts who authoritatively say to visit the nearest ISKCON temple.

 

[Viraja]

You are a kindred soul.



Them: ‘Look at me! Look at how much I know! Look at my knowledge!’



She probably learned that nonsense from a random YouTube or Reddit comment posted by some other non-spiritual person. She sounds like the sort of person who advises others not to have a linga in their home even though shastras such as Shiva Purana teach that his devotees have lingas in their homes.



Spiritual practice is coveted indeed. Also, I think, many of these individuals are afraid to do anything such as japa or upavasa because they hear so much misinformation from their sort. Moreover, they fear doing something ‘transgressive’ such as chanting the pranava. Those of us who actually do spiritual practices are ‘living dangerously’ and we have no respect for rules. For their own good, Hindus without sadhana should stay away from us or we might corrupt them.



So many people pretend to be experts at something.

@mangalavara,

Interesting responses they are ^.

Many people. like Vinayaka says, have a 'spiritually-superior ego' and they cannot simply accept that someone practices stricter disciplines for gaining spiritual maturity than them. My sis-in-law is one, even though, normally she is an acceptable person otherwise.

Yeah, when it comes to 'spiritual advise' someone, especially these kind pour onto serious practitioners, some of them are like this:

i) If you practice serious spirituality, you'll become a nut-case.

ii) Women cannot do this and that, rather, so many things can't be done by them.

They are the type of people who fear giving curd or milk (anything white in color) after day-fall for fear of losing wealth. I call this 'materialistic spiritualiy' - their spirituality is rather for securing a good life, not intended for spiritual evolution or gaining bhakti.

Thank you for the enjoyable comments!

 

[Viraja]

You should be listening to the anonymous experts who authoritatively say to visit the nearest ISKCON temple.

By the way, I follow ISKCON in doing their recommendations, like doing 16-rounds of japa, and frequenting their videos all too often.

But I am not in ISKCON. In the future I might end-up taking an ISKCON guru, but that won't make me complain about anti-ISKCON sentiments here or elsewhere. To each, his own strategy and conclusions!

 

[Viraja]

Some folks are stricken by spiritual ego. Sounds to me like you've met some. I get a kick out of most of them usually. In on ear and out the other. OI think, "Hmm, who should I be listening to, one of my 2 Gurus and their advice, or strangers to me?"

The key, or course, is in the non-reaction. Best wishes, in evolving a strategy that becomes less annoying to you.

Yeah, I don't respond to these sorta comments, or the best, I change the topic immediately.

 

[mangalavara]

But I am not in ISKCON. In the future I might end-up taking an ISKCON guru, but that won't make me complain about anti-ISKCON sentiments here or elsewhere. To each, his own strategy and conclusions!

If I have given the impression of being anti-ISKCON, I am sorry. I admire that you do their recommendations, and I personally feel elevated when listening to Prabhupad chant. The only thing that bothers me is when some ISKCON people advise new Hindus to follow Prabhupad instead of saying something like, ‘There are many traditions, gurus, and sampradayas. Check them out and follow whatever resonates with you.’

 

[Viraja]

If I have given the impression of being anti-ISKCON, I am sorry. I admire that you do their recommendations, and I personally feel elevated when listening to Prabhupad chant. The only thing that bothers me is when some ISKCON people advise new Hindus to follow Prabhupad instead of saying something like, ‘There are many traditions, gurus, and sampradayas. Check them out and follow whatever resonates with you.’

Very true. There is this Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, for instance. They are not ISKCON.

Also some well-known independent practitioners like Dharmavira Prabhu are available too.

I won't complain even if you were to be anti-ISKCON. Because I know close to nothing about them as such.

 

[Vinayaka]

You should be listening to the anonymous experts who authoritatively say to visit the nearest ISKCON temple.

I believe that zest foe evangelizing a carryover from previous religions. It's petty, but still mildly annoying.

 

[JustGeorge]

@mangalavara,

Interesting responses they are ^.

Many people. like Vinayaka says, have a 'spiritually-superior ego' and they cannot simply accept that someone practices stricter disciplines for gaining spiritual maturity than them. My sis-in-law is one, even though, normally she is an acceptable person otherwise.

Yeah, when it comes to 'spiritual advise' someone, especially these kind pour onto serious practitioners, some of them are like this:

i) If you practice serious spirituality, you'll become a nut-case.

ii) Women cannot do this and that, rather, so many things can't be done by them.

They are the type of people who fear giving curd or milk (anything white in color) after day-fall for fear of losing wealth. I call this 'materialistic spiritualiy' - their spirituality is rather for securing a good life, not intended for spiritual evolution or gaining bhakti.

Thank you for the enjoyable comments!

I get perplexed with the idea that its a race or a contest that some seem to have...

I hadn't heard of the bit about not giving milk after day fall. I feel it says in the Gita Krishna will accept anything given with love and devotion... why does day fall matter?

 

[Viraja]

I get perplexed with the idea that its a race or a contest that some seem to have...

I hadn't heard of the bit about not giving milk after day fall. I feel it says in the Gita Krishna will accept anything given with love and devotion... why does day fall matter?

Agreed regarding the race part.

There are quite some beliefs still followed in much of rural India, one of them being giving out anything white in color after day fall depletes one's wealth. I'm not so well-versed with a lot of such beliefs (many of them being mere superstitions) but still many people tend to follow these.

Thankfully in Urban India, superstitions are not so much popular these days.

 

[JustGeorge]

Agreed regarding the race part.

There are quite some beliefs still followed in much of rural India, one of them being giving out anything white in color after day fall depletes one's wealth. I'm not so well-versed with a lot of such beliefs (many of them being mere superstitions) but still many people tend to follow these.

Thankfully in Urban India, superstitions are not so much popular these days.

Really good to know, @Viraja . Thanks for sharing! Out of curiosity(because this is new to me), does it become okay again after night fall?

 

[Viraja]

Really good to know, @Viraja . Thanks for sharing! Out of curiosity(because this is new to me), does it become okay again after night fall?

Ha ha...

I'm not sure I know that superstition that well myself. I assume so.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Why surprise when you post on social media, forums, etc. People will reply. That is what bothered our friend in the forum who was sufi and later became a Bahai. He was bothered about responses, but would still post (I have not met him after coming back to the forum after my exile. Wonder what is he doing now). I do agree, many of the replies may be irritating for various reasons.

 

[Viraja]

Why surprise when you post on social media, forums, etc. People will reply. That is what bothered our friend in the forum who was sufi and later became a Bahai. He was bothered about responses, but would still post (I have not met him after coming back to the forum after my exile. Wonder what is he doing now). I do agree, many of the replies may be irritating for various reasons.

One thing I know is that people need to cultivate certain amount of assertiveness and boldness when interacting in forums, especially.

Far too many responses put words in your mouth. Unless you stand up for yourself, over the time, others can make you lose your credibility or look stupid.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I hadn't heard of the bit about not giving milk after day fall. I feel it says in the Gita Krishna will accept anything given with love and devotion... why does day fall matter?

What I have heard is that Krishna would get up in the middle of night, go to kitchen and steal Curd or Butter. Gopis used to complain to Mother Yashoda about Krishna's mischiefs every day. Krishna was quiet a nuisance in his childhood. One of the times Mother Yashoda caught him red-handed and tied him to a pounding stone. That is how he got the name of "Makhan chor".