I need your help: Living Hinduism

[Surya Deva]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

 

[Aupmanyav]

Live your life fulfilling your 'dharma' (duties and righteous action). That is the central message of hinduism. Remember 'Dharma-vyadha'.

And maintain non-attachment. According to Geeta (4.20):

Tyaktva karma-phala-sangam, nitya-tripto nirasrayah;
karmani abhipravrittopi naiva kinchit karoti sah.

(Abandoning (attachment to) results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent;
he certainly does not perform even the slighest fruitive action, in spite of being fully engaged in it.)

Best regards,

 

[Renji]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

Well, I'm not a Hindu, I'm a Christian but I think we are experiencing the same. I sometimes cannot live my life in the light scripture but I know its philosophies so I'm also taking some advise on it and I try to do something whenever I feel that I'm "backsliding". Well I must say that your faith in Hinduism can help you live in it. Just have strong faith and the attitude and you can do it.

 

[GURSIKH]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

thanx suraj for being honest ,

onemay read all scripture , and perform many yoga aasans and worship all mythological deities but without the words of guru there is no peace

guru nanak says

[SIZE=+1]ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਫਿਰੈ ਦਿਵਾਨੁ ॥[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Without the True Guru, the self-willed manmukhs do not find liberation; they wander around like lunatics.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਚੀਨੈ ਕਥਨੀ ਬਦਨੀ ਕਰੇ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਮਾਨੁ ॥੩॥[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]They do not contemplate the Shabad; engrossed in corruption, they utter only empty words. ||3||[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]He Himself is everything; there is no other at all.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]ਜਿਉ ਬੋਲਾਏ ਤਿਉ ਬੋਲੀਐ ਜਾ ਆਪਿ ਬੁਲਾਏ ਸੋਇ ॥[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]I speak just as He makes me speak, when He Himself makes me speak.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬਾਣੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਹੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਮਿਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਇ ॥[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]The Word of the Guru is God Himself. Through the Shabad (word) , we merge in HIM.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਮਾਲਿ ਤੂ ਜਿਤੁ ਸੇਵਿਐ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥੪॥੩੦॥੬੩॥[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]O Nanak, remember the Naam; serving Him, peace is obtained. ||4||30||63||[/SIZE]


THANX

 

[niranjan]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

If you have read the ' The Power of Now ' by Eckhart Tolle, which extolls zen, then all you have to do is to live in the present moment. It is as simple as that.

Living in the present moment is meditation.

-- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


Also as Vivekananda said and did, it perhaps would be a good thing for you to blend your Jnana Yoga,with Karma Yoga( yoga of action ), Raja Yoga( yoga of mysticism ) and Bhakti yoga( yoga of love ).This will also help in the allrounded development of personality , and Krishna, Swami Vivekananda ,Ramakrishna,Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Dayananda Saraswati are prime models of this course of action.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, I'm not a Hindu, I'm a Christian but I think we are experiencing the same. I sometimes cannot live my life in the light scripture but I know its philosophies so I'm also taking some advise on it and I try to do something whenever I feel that I'm "backsliding". Well I must say that your faith in Hinduism can help you live in it. Just have strong faith and the attitude and you can do it.

Hinduism does not require faith. You can and should disect all your beliefs. They are based on reason.

 

[want to be hindu]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

I am not a sage but this is what I believe to be true.

There is a Jewish saying " I go to the rabbi (teacher) not to learn scriptures but how to tie my shoes."

One of the Great things about Hinduism is the Guru- Shishya relationship. If you want to learn to play football well a coach is very helpful. A Guru is not someone who you see once a year, who touches you with a peacock feather to give you moksa. Yes a true Guru can give spirituality by just a touch. We must make it our own. This is done by doing lots of sadhana. One of my teachers says that a middle level spiritual aspirant engages in sadhana between 2 and 3 hours a day. I have have known 2 people who were my brother and sister disciples who I believe to have a real lot of spiritual progress. They now seem like rishis to me. They both put in 4 to 6 hours of sadhana a day. They organised there lives around the path their spiritual path to the letter.They put lots of time into serving others and tried to always live a life of love and discipline. Now there minds are the Gurus because they are so pure that they can clearly see God in their hearts.

Its hard to find a real true Guru many are fakes. If we want a true teacher one will always come to us. ( The truth is most of us dont want moksha we love playing with all of toys of life. Not that this is a bad thing its just the way most of us are.)

I like to think about a something Sri Sararda Devi has said about the spiritual life. (When Swami Vivekananda went to American he asked for Sarada Devi's blessing because he knew she was a great soul. )

If Gods child wallows in the dust or mud, it is the Divine Mother herself who has to wipe all the dirt off his body and take him to Her lap.

"One should desire of God desirelessness. For desire alone is at the root of all suffering.
As one gets the fragrance of a flower by handling it, or as one gets the smell of sandalwood by rubbing it against a stone, in the same way one gets spiritual awakening by constantly thinking of God. But you can realize Him right now, if you become desireless."

No matter what happens we are all children of God. All we have to do is really want Her and she will come to us in this life. Then we will be able to see that our Mother has become everything and this includes us.

 

[UnityNow101]

Suraj,

Intellectual knowledge=False path to the Divine. It is really of no use other then to that of the ego of self-endorsement and elevation. Without the actual experience and feeling of the presence of the Divine, then all of your search will come to naught, if you would like me to be honest. Usually it is the most learned man who fails to find God, because they allow this intellectual knowledge to step in and fill the void of the Divine, making the books and intellect his Divine. With that being said, you are a very honest seeker as you understand this actuality. The knowledge is not a bad thing as it helps to guide the way. You just need to redirect that knowledge into experiencial reality, which can only be done by you yourself. If we give you more information, you run the risk of adding that to the intellect, getting nowhere...

This is where Zenzero would come in to help you find the stillness of the mind. It is only through the act of meditation that we find what is truly real, behind all of the knowledge of the books and the theories which they contain. Listen to this stillness and put it up against the backdrop of the acquired knowledge, which should then blossom to form an intimate experience of the Divine..

But then again, what have I found? I am probably not the one to listen to when it comes to subjects as touchy as these. A walk with the Divine turns into a delicate dance with what we believe to be the Divine, which could easily turn into a walk with a figment of our own imagination....

 

[Surya Deva]

Thanks for the advice everybody.

Niranjan, you are right I need to bring in some Bhakti and Karma. Perhaps I need to get involved in some kind of charity work?

Aupmanyav, I am kind of aware of what my dharma is, but you can never be very sure of what your dharma is. Again I wish I had a true Guru that could help me find my path in life to the divine.

Want to be Hindu, I really think I need a guru. I am finding this difficult, if not impossible to do on my own. When you say your siblings can do 4-6 hours of Sadhana a day, what do you mean by that exactly?

Unity, I definitely understand that knowledge on its own is useless. I want to translate it into experience. I say it with the utmost respect, I have already heard what Zenzero and others of the tradition he follows have said, in a lot more precise details. In fact I have the entire map right in front of me. It is just a case of following it, but that is the hardest part. The experience part is really difficult to do.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Dear Suraj,

Don't worry about me. I know my 'dharma' perfectly well. Thanks for your concern.

 

[Hema]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

All you have to do is open your heart to love. This is living religion...any religion. Think of the meaning of the word, "Namaste". When you see others....all creatures, see Divinity within them. We are all Spirit and God is in all. See yourself as equal to all and all equal to you. Live Dharma by treating others the way you would want to be treated. Practise Ahimsa. Stand up in self defense when you have to but only as a last resort. Live with peace. Do not hurt others so that you can gain pleasure or any form of benefit. The source of Divine love is right within you. Sometimes we look all over the world but it is hidden right within us. Remember when Draupadi was being disrobed she was calling Lord Krishna from everywhere but when she called him from right wihin her heart he appeared at once.

 

[want to be hindu]

Thanks for the advice everybody.
Want to be Hindu, I really think I need a guru. I am finding this difficult, if not impossible to do on my own. When you say your siblings can do 4-6 hours of Sadhana a day, what do you mean by that exactly?

I find it impossible also. The more progress I make the more selfishness I see in my self. I am told that at some point the ego dies and we see our true nature.

I have also found many people think that they have pierced the Veil of Ignorance yet I cant see it lived in their lives.

Your question about sadhana I will tell you what I have seen In 2 different people who I have seen them practice over many years. They wont talk much about their practice. Its due to hanging out with them going places together and piecing things together I have some idea how they engaged in their practice.

One friend worked in the movie Industry. He saved up all his money while learning to chant sanskrit. He sold all his stuff and moved to a ashram. He gets up at 4 am takes a bath and chants the whole Chandi while feeding the fire ( Tantric Yajna ) Then he mediates till 8 am. He dose japa and Arati for a 1/2 hour mid day and in the evening for an hour.

My other friend, she is into the path of knowledge.She gets up at 5 am takes a bath Mediates till 7 then reads scripture for 1/2 hour. I think she just asks herself Who Am I when she sits. ( Like Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi ) At 6pm she also sits for an hour and reads for a 1/2 hour. Once a week she volunteers at an aids hospice. A few times a year she goes off by herself for 2 days to spend all her time in sadhana.

Both of these people I have seen great changes in.They are always serving others in any way they can. One of them at a retreat went in to samadhi for a few hours.

 

[S-word]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

The meaning to life is life itself, life was, life is and life will always be. So enjoy your walk in life and try not to step on the feet of others in you travels. Should someone deliberately block your path, then walk around them, if they block your path again, then once again walk around them, if they continue to harass you, then walk over the top of them, that's the way of life and it's alright with God. Enjoy your life Suraj.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Be aware of spiritual materialism. A lot of self-proclaimed spiritual people are often not spiritual for that very reason; they label themselves as so. The people who don't bother making labels for themselves are true spiritualists. Interest yourself in spirituality and not being spiritual. Just because someone likes burning Nag Champa, owns a Buddha statue, wears hemp and goes to yoga classes doesn't make them the least bit spiritual. The very fact that you don't seem to identify with any of these things (as far as I know) seems like you're doing a good job. Resist the temptation to make labels.

I just wanted to bring up the subject of spiritual materialism because it is so easy to confuse spirituality with spiritual labels. These days, I hardly even consider my spiritual status because I know that placing importance on it is just counterproductive. Instead, I invite consciousness and compassion into everyday life. In the between time, I contemplate the nature of the self.

Hope you can find something in that.

 

[Aupmanyav]

One friend worked in .. evening for an hour.

My other friend, .. spend all her time in sadhana.

Sorry, I cannot relate to both these people. What about their families and obligations? I do not think any one of them is enlightened, though their practices may give them satisfaction. They are running after mirages.

One can do 'sadhana' while being wholly engaged in the world. What is there to understand in 'self' that it should take ages to understand? And once one has understood, there is no need for any further 'sadhana'. Family is 'sadhana', work is 'sadhana'.

 

[K.Venugopal]

Know that you are perfect. Everyone is perfect. All circumstances are perfect. We have nothing to do but awaken to the fact of perfection. This awakening can happen by talking silently to oneself. Talking non-stop. Eventually the language will calm our mind. And we would be on the doorstep of silence. And lo - we would have awoken.

 

[doppelganger]

Again I wish I had a true Guru that could help me find my path in life to the divine.

Your door is there only for you, and nobody else can open it for you. You have to find the courage to open it for yourself, or else die waiting on the doorstep, imagining how wonderful it would have been to go through the door. A guru can inspire you to question, but cannot provide you with wisdom until after you already have it.

 

[niranjan]

Both of these people I have seen great changes in.They are always serving others in any way they can. One of them at a retreat went in to samadhi for a few hours.

Ultimately , what one counts in life is peace and happiness, and if they found peace and joy in their activities, they are indeed blessed.

 

[nameless]

Perhaps I could say I am a Jnana Yogi, not a very good one at that. I have all this intellectual knowledge, all this philosophy, Vedas and I have read so many books on Yoga and spirituality, including the classics like "The Power of Now", but to be honest I feel like I don't know how to apply this to life. I don't know how to live Hinduism. So I appeal to those who are living life better than me(I am sure a door mat could live life better than me) to help a fellow soul with his life. I the so-called expert on Hinduism need the true experts now on it to help me live it!

There are many people who believe spirituality is all about knowledge. Spirituality cannot be gained from books, books can give only knowledge, and knowledge is not spirituality.
What you need is experience, and you cannot get that from books.

For eg: The experience of a person who visits some place is different than a experience of person who just knows the place through books. Of course, you might have knowledge about the place, but you wont get that happiness as the other person got while he travelled over there.

The vedas are written by the people who have personally experience spirituality, and their spirituality was not from books or anything, it cannot take you anywhere other than debating about the matter. These people get spirirtual knowledge either from personal experiece or from their guru and they write books. But, people in the current society has only knowledge, and no expeience.

 

[nameless]

Live your life fulfilling your 'dharma' (duties and righteous action). That is the central message of hinduism. Remember 'Dharma-vyadha'.

And maintain non-attachment. According to Geeta (4.20):

Tyaktva karma-phala-sangam, nitya-tripto nirasrayah;
karmani abhipravrittopi naiva kinchit karoti sah.

(Abandoning (attachment to) results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent;
he certainly does not perform even the slighest fruitive action, in spite of being fully engaged in it.)

Best regards,

Ok, these all are good, but wont take you to enlightment. Enlightment should be the aim of a person according to Hinduism. Vedas should be gathered either from spiritual master or through self experience and should not be from books.
Spiritual advancement can be only through practical life and not from knowledge from books. You can see this common to all enlghtened persons, these people never studied any books for their spiritual progress.

And in majority cases gaining knowledge of vedas from books may result to increase in your ego, which takes you apart from enlightment and makes your life totally useless.