• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Ask me anything...

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
I know it is probably a bit too early for me to create this thread, and I probably do not stand out on RF to make people curious about me. Regardless of those things, I like your attention, so, please, ask me anything!
 

Justanatheist

Well-Known Member
What reading/video would you suggest to me as someone who knows nothing about Hinduism just to get the basic gist of what it is about, history of, etc.

Nothing too deep just the basics.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
I know it is probably a bit too early for me to create this thread, and I probably do not stand out on RF to make people curious about me. Regardless of those things, I like your attention, so, please, ask me anything!

Too early, indeed. I was only just preparing for my morning meditation when you posted this. ;)

Have you been Hindu since birth? If not, what views were you born into, and what brought you to Hinduism?
 

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
What reading/video would you suggest to me as someone who knows nothing about Hinduism just to get the basic gist of what it is about, history of, etc.

Nothing too deep just the basics.

There is a decent article titled 'Hinduism for Beginners' on the Learn Religions website. It is brief, to the point, and gives the basic gist of Hinduism, in my opinion. I recommend that decent article over virtually any video on YouTube that attempts to explain Hinduism.
 
Last edited:

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
Does your RF screen name have any significance?

I really like your question. Yes, my screen name here does have significance. It is the Marathi word for 'Tuesday,' the day of the week when I was born. From what I remember, when I was trying to come up with a username, I thought about how Wednesday Addams is named after a day of the week, so I went with doing something similar but in an Indo-Aryan language. I chose the Marathi word for 'Tuesday' because I liked the way it is spelled in English.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I know it is probably a bit too early for me to create this thread, and I probably do not stand out on RF to make people curious about me. Regardless of those things, I like your attention, so, please, ask me anything!

Where are you?
Which sect do you consider you are, if any?
Besides Marathi, which languages do you speak?
Have you done that famous Ganesha pilgrimage circuit?
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
I know it is probably a bit too early for me to create this thread, and I probably do not stand out on RF to make people curious about me. Regardless of those things, I like your attention, so, please, ask me anything!

If you could choose one city within Australia to live in, which would it be.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
I really like your question. Yes, my screen name here does have significance. It is the Marathi word for 'Tuesday,' the day of the week when I was born. From what I remember, when I was trying to come up with a username, I thought about how Wednesday Addams is named after a day of the week, so I went with doing something similar but in an Indo-Aryan language. I chose the Marathi word for 'Tuesday' because I liked the way it is spelled in English.
Wednesday Addams was named after Tuesday Weld. :oops:
 

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
I see you are familiar with Calvinism.

We had a thread or two about the differences and similarities between the Christian Logos and the Hindu Aum.
Here are a couple which compare the Tao and Logos:

Care to comment?
@mangalavara

Yes, I am familiar with Calvinism. In the past, I read one book by R. C. Sproul as well as a few historical Reformed confessions of faith. Additionally, back then, I listened to many talks by Sproul and other major figures within contemporary Calvinism. My father, who believes in the five 'doctrines of grace,' prompted me to learn about that particular branch of Protestantism.

I am not an expert on the concept of Logos within Greek philosophy and Christianity. However, looking at the first few verses at the beginning of the Gospel of John, I get the idea that in that particular gospel, Logos is what God is: divine, and that Logos is that through which God made the cosmos. My current perspective is that Oṃ and Logos are very different not only in cultural origin but also in religious doctrine. I think the Hindu concept that is really analogous to Logos in John's gospel is not Oṃ but Śakti, the very Energy and Power of Īśvara, God. I would elaborate on this, but I would have to do some research and thinking on it first. :books:
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
Yes, I am familiar with Calvinism. In the past, I read one book by R. C. Sproul as well as a few historical Reformed confessions of faith. Additionally, back then, I listened to many talks by Sproul and other major figures within contemporary Calvinism. My father, who believes in the five 'doctrines of grace,' prompted me to learn about that particular branch of Protestantism.

I am not an expert on the concept of Logos within Greek philosophy and Christianity. However, looking at the first few verses at the beginning of the Gospel of John, I get the idea that in that particular gospel, Logos is what God is: divine, and that Logos is that through which God made the cosmos. My current perspective is that Oṃ and Logos are very different not only in cultural origin but also in religious doctrine. I think the Hindu concept that is really analogous to Logos in John's gospel is not Oṃ but Śakti, the very Energy and Power of Īśvara, God. I would elaborate on this, but I would have to do some research and thinking on it first. :books:
That is interesting. Thanks.
 

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
Too early, indeed. I was only just preparing for my morning meditation when you posted this. ;)

I will make it up to you by giving you a mystic exposition of the Praṇava. This sacred sound consists of the letters a, u, and m. The letter a is the user mangalavara. The letter u is the question about him. The letter m is the answer from him. The silence afterward is Religious Forums. Even in Religious Forums, the letter r is cyberspace, and the letter f is the coding on the website. This is why they call it RF. Thus, this imperishable syllable, aum, and the silence that follows it, is mangalavara, the question about him, the answer from him, and the place where the three are found. He who knows this becomes like a flannel shirt that lasts.

Have you been Hindu since birth? If not, what views were you born into, and what brought you to Hinduism?

Like a lot of non-Asian Hindus, I have not been a Hindu since birth. My parents taught me about the god of Israel, Moses, Jesus, Heaven and Hell, commandments, and sin, but they never required me to be a Christian. What brought me to Hinduism was my curiosity about it followed by reading some of its scriptures followed by chanting various mantras and thinking about its worldview. :)
 

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
Where are you?

Location wise, I live in what used to be called New Philippines. Career wise, I am on my way to becoming a classroom teacher.

Which sect do you consider you are, if any?

I am an aspiring Vaiṣṇava. The reason I say 'aspiring' is that I find myself unworthy of the name. Nonetheless, I worship Hari as the Supreme Being and seek his favor. Moreover, when it comes to philosophy, I heavily lean toward Dvaita Vedānta lately.

Besides Marathi, which languages do you speak?

The only language I can speak is English. I am currently learning to read and write Devanāgarī so that I can read Sanskrit.

Have you done that famous Ganesha pilgrimage circuit?

I am not sure what you are referring to, and I am interested in learning what you mean. Regarding pilgrimages in general, I have not yet gone on any pilgrimage.

Good questions, by the way!
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Location wise, I live in what used to be called New Philippines. Career wise, I am on my way to becoming a classroom teacher.



I am an aspiring Vaiṣṇava. The reason I say 'aspiring' is that I find myself unworthy of the name. Nonetheless, I worship Hari as the Supreme Being and seek his favor. Moreover, when it comes to philosophy, I heavily lean toward Dvaita Vedānta lately.



The only language I can speak is English. I am currently learning to read and write Devanāgarī so that I can read Sanskrit.



I am not sure what you are referring to, and I am interested in learning what you mean. Regarding pilgrimages in general, I have not yet gone on any pilgrimage.

Good questions, by the way!

A classroom teacher is an honorable profession. I was one for 30 years.
There are lots of temples in your state.

I'm sorry about the Ganesha pilgrimage thing, as I read your name was Marathi, and figured you were Marathi, wrongly.

Regardless, here's a ling to the famous pilgrimage I was referring to... Ashtavinayak Yatra: A Tour of 8 Abodes of Lord Ganesha in Maharashtra
 

mangalavara

सो ऽहम्
Premium Member
A classroom teacher is an honorable profession. I was one for 30 years.
There are lots of temples in your state.

I'm sorry about the Ganesha pilgrimage thing, as I read your name was Marathi, and figured you were Marathi, wrongly.

Regardless, here's a ling to the famous pilgrimage I was referring to... Ashtavinayak Yatra: A Tour of 8 Abodes of Lord Ganesha in Maharashtra

Thank you so much! Presently, I am a substitute teacher and there is a certification program that I am in.

There is a nonsectarian temple in my particular county that I watch the livestream of on Sundays sometimes. The only temple that I have ever visited was an ISKCON temple, and that was 13 or 14 years ago.

No worries at all about my nationality or ethnicity. Throughout the years, even offline, people sometimes presume I am from some place in Europe.

I am checking out the link right now. _/\_
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
It would probably be Canberra. I would live there for the weather and the aesthetic architecture.

The weather?
Interesting town if you're a town planning buff, though. Not too many cities around that were were designed ground up, instead of just organically 'happening'.
 
Top