What is wrong with those people who worship spirits?

[Kirran]

I'm never quite sure whom to ask specifically for what specifically. The exceptions are asking Lord Ganesha for a safe trip, even running errands. When I get in the truck I say the śuklāmbara dharam vishṇum sloka. I thank Maa Lakshmi for the material things I have, even when times are tough; I rarely if ever ask for something new. I ask Lord Hanuman for strength and courage. But that's about it. I guess I'm one of those people who is not a pray-er.

I find prayer more about communion than asking for stuff.

Stickin' to yo ishta can get everything done that needs to be.

 

[Tumah]

Do djinni have a Jewish equivalent?

Demon - Wikipedia

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm never quite sure whom to ask specifically for what specifically. The exceptions are asking Lord Ganesha for a safe trip, even running errands. When I get in the truck I say the śuklāmbara dharam vishṇum sloka. I thank Maa Lakshmi for the material things I have, even when times are tough; I rarely if ever ask for something new. I ask Lord Hanuman for strength and courage. But that's about it. I guess I'm one of those people who is not a pray-er.

In my sampradaya, we have a specific method, via fire. Some people use it more than others. The teaching is to be as specific as possible. So there is direct contact, but time is different on their time, so it takes 3 days or so. Then we have our personal protectors, sort of like guardians. They have been assigned. I just hope my puja is strong enough so those guys actually know where I am, and can see me. The chant 'Salutations to all the Devas present!" is taken literally. So yes, its rather intricate. I won't go into greater detail for personal reasons.

 

[Jainarayan]

I find prayer more about communion than asking for stuff.

I use it more for praise and thanks. I tend to babble and fumble when using my own words, which is why I rely so heavily on slokas from various sources. I use Sanskrit, getting to understand the meaning and proper pronunciation. Sometimes they don't translate well into English, often sounding silly. But they work perfectly fine in Sanskrit.

Stickin' to yo ishta can get everything done that needs to be.

True.

akāshāt patitam toyam
yathā gacchati sāgaram
sarvadeva namaskārāh
keshavam pratigacchati

Rain water fallen from the sky goes to the ocean;
Worship of every deity goes to only one God.


Someone once said "Narayana takes care of everything". I suppose a Shaiva or Shakta would change Narayana to Shiva or Devi.

 

[Jainarayan]

In my sampradaya, we have a specific method, via fire. Some people use it more than others. The teaching is to be as specific as possible. So there is direct contact, but time is different on their time, so it takes 3 days or so. Then we have our personal protectors, sort of like guardians. They have been assigned. I just hope my puja is strong enough so those guys actually know where I am, and can see me. The chant 'Salutations to all the Devas present!" is taken literally. So yes, its rather intricate. I won't go into greater detail for personal reasons.

I'm not specific at all. I should probably do that. I've been thinking about an archanā for something specific. Looking at it that way, there are several things I would do it for. When I think about it, I could probably single-handedly keep the priests busy. So I have to get even more specific. I started using oṁ sarvebhyo devebhyo namaḥ (looks funny: dative plural of sarva deva). Probably similar to your salutation chant.

 

[Kirran]

True.

akāshāt patitam toyam
yathā gacchati sāgaram
sarvadeva namaskārāh
keshavam pratigacchati

Rain water fallen from the sky goes to the ocean;
Worship of every deity goes to only one God.


Someone once said "Narayana takes care of everything". I suppose a Shaiva or Shakta would change Narayana to Shiva or Devi.

Yeah, I like it. Narayana means the All-Pervading, and God is all-pervading. So I don't get so caught up on this stuff like what name is used, what energy/form is being brought in. I'm kinda a Saguni-leaning-to-Nirguni, so it varies for different people.

 

[Vinayaka]

Probably similar to your salutation chant.

Yep. Avahitabhyahah Sarvebhyo ... pardon my pathetic transliteration. But actual mental praying, for me, is in English.

 

[Jainarayan]

Yep. Avahitabhyahah Sarvebhyo ... pardon my pathetic transliteration. But actual mental praying, for me, is in English.

Oh yeah... for me regular praying is in English. I have enough trouble with that much less speaking any other language, least of all Sanskrit. I'd probably wind up misspeaking and insulting all the gods.

Btw, you're pretty much spot on!... āvāhitebhyo sarvebhyo (that darn sandhi). A variation is āvāhanebhyo sarvebhyo. I just looked 'em up. I use a few sites to cheat for my grammar... I'm not this smart

 

[Kirran]

I do it in whatever language is dominating my head at the time. This is usually in English, but it switches to Spanish if I'm in a Spanish-speaking country or have been speaking in Spanish a lot, and when I was in Varanasi for a while some Hindi started cropping up. Sometimes a lot of Welsh comes in if I've been reading in Welsh too.

Misspeaking and insulting the gods! Damn, this is some right-hand path stuff

 

[sovietchild]

Sure, that's fair if that's one of the teachings of various Islamic traditions. What does Islam teach about spirits?

I guess I ask because in the context of the person you supposedly met in the OP, the type of spirit they are talking about wouldn't be one that would have been born or can die; it's an eternal principle or a sort of archetype.

Well, there is angels and genies. The Quran says that the jinn were created from a smokeless and "scorching fire" So, when I found out about that toy and what its for, the first thing that came to my mind was they were trying to raise a genie at their shop.

Did anyone ask her to define luck? I suspect she was talking figuratively.
Think of it another way;
If you studied psychology, there should have been some element of studying/performing/reviewing papers or studies. How many of them included 'luck' as a consideration? Why?

Do you believe in bad luck? I believe there is 2 ways to score a goal. 1 is highly skillfully and the other one is very lucky.

 

[Jainarayan]

I do it in whatever language is dominating my head at the time.

I wish I spoke more than one language. I know some phrases in a few... Italian, Spanish, Greek, Russian, but not enough to hold a conversation or pray.

 

[sovietchild]

In Islam they also teach us that it's a sin to worship humans, angels and genies.

 

[Kirran]

I wish I spoke more than one language. I know some phrases in a few... Italian, Spanish, Greek, Russian, but not enough to hold a conversation or pray.

Gotta pick one and sesh it really bro - but that's good, you can get by at a basic level in lots of places

I'm accruing a bit of Japanese at the moment, it's nice.

In Islam they also teach us that it's a sin to worship humans, angels and genies.

There isn't really a concept of sin outside the Abrahamic traditions. I think even within them, healthier versions tend to see sin more as obstacles, attachments and ignorance than wrongdoing in need of punishment.

 

[Tumah]

I'm accruing a bit of Japanese at the moment, it's nice.

In your Bioethics module?

You may as well just stop using the words "Japan" or "Japanese" in your posts. I'm not letting this one go.

 

[Kirran]

In your Bioethics module?

Haven't decided yet :O

 

[Vinayaka]

I wish I spoke more than one language. I know some phrases in a few... Italian, Spanish, Greek, Russian, but not enough to hold a conversation or pray.

phrases? lol

 

[Kirran]

I vote for Vinayaka to learn Tamil. If a majority agree with me then you have to do it @Vinayaka.

 

[Jainarayan]

Gotta pick one and sesh it really bro - but that's good, you can get by at a basic level in lots of places

But! I can curse in every one of them!

 

[Kirran]

But! I can curse in every one of them!

In every language :O Go on, swear at me in Welsh! I bet RF hasn't blocked it.

Hey can we swear in Spanish on here? Este sitio web es la raja... (EDIT: Well, in Chilean dialect we can anyway)

 

[Jainarayan]

phrases? lol

Niceties like good morning, good bye, good night (all of 'em); I wish you all the best (Russian); I am the Minotaur (Greek, don't ask why); and of course curse words in all of them.