From: Jm8

Subject: questionary

Sent: Oct 6, 06:00AM

Namaste,

if you search the forum, you'll most probably find your questions answered to other students. If not, I can do it. Done it before.

Hari Hari

Jan


RE: questionary
Oct 6, 07:14PM

Hello,

You are not obligated to do so, but welcome whatever you would like to share. I am, personally, very interested in other religions and it so happens that I have a school assignment that encourages my curiousity. I will include my questions and if you would like to answer them, it would be appreciated, but if you would just like to share information about your religion, I would be very interested in that as well. Once my paper is complete, I plan on searching the forums, I'm sure that it would be very thought-provoking to say the least.

Thank you,

Bridget

My questions are:

1. How long have you practiced your faith/religion?

2. Why did you chose to follow this faith?

3. What do you feel are the three most important beliefs, or messages, of your faith?

4. What do you think are the three most common misconceptions of your faith?

5. What are the challenges, if any, of practicing this faith?

6. What do you think sets this particular faith apart from others?

7. Do you have any experience with other faiths? If so, why did you not chose to follow it?

8. What are the important holidays and traditions of this religion?

9. How has religion shaped your life?

10. What would you say to a person in order to either introduce them to your religion or help them understand it?

I look forward to the answers (excited actually) and feel free to add anything that you would like to share, or feel important, that isn't covered by the questions.

Thank you so much, I truely appreciate it.



Namaste Bridget,

1. In this life for 16 years so far.

2. To understand the existential questions - who we are, where do we come from, what should we do, where do we go... Growing up in a formal Catholic but non-practicing family I've started from an atheist position but found only man-made answers. And since man is imperfect... So I set out to explore science, philosophy and various spiritual traditions for better answers.

3. Rabbi Hillel was once challenged to summarize Jewish law while standing on one leg. He spoke the 'golden rule'. This rule is upheld by Vaishnavas as well, esp. in the form of nonviolence (ahimsa). 
My choice is this verse from Padma Purana which gives the essence of Vaishnava dharma, bhakti:

smartavyaH satataM viSNur
vismartavyo na jAtucit
sarve vidhi-niSedhAH syur
etayor eva kiNkarAH

"Always remember Vishnu/Krishna [God, the Supreme Person] and never forget Him. All the rules and prohibitions of scriptures should be the servants of these two principles."

4. Aside the well-known misconceptions about Hinduism (an umbrella term for traditions based on Vedas including their current, sometimes degraded forms) the main misconceptions about Vaishnavas are that they're sentimental, fanatical, against 'real life' (family, etc.), considering themselves better than others (due to preaching), etc.
Pretty much the same objections one can have against any holy person. Pharisees accused Jesus in the same way.
In case of beginners these objections may be even true. 8) They didn't realize things yet, their knowledge is still unripe.

5. Vaishnavism can be practiced on various levels of adaptation to the majority society. For one who wants to practice to the fullest extent - to be Krishna conscious 24h a day - the whole Western materialistic society is an obstacle. Its paradigm - we come from matter and the life is meant for sense enjoyment - is in opposition to the Vaishnava paradigm: we come from life (Krishna) and the life is meant to serve Him and love Him.

6. Devotional monotheism is at the core of all theistic traditions. My conclusion after studying other traditions is that Vaishnavism is its deepest expression. It teaches what others teach but doesn't stop where they stop. (A firsthand experience of this is available in spiritual forums like Beliefnet.)
It goes as deep as you can.

7. I have studied major traditions like Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism (esp. Zen) and Taoism before. (And I still study them for inspiration and to see common topics and ideas.) But in my search I was 
always unsatisfied and inspired to go further - 'there must be more'.
While these traditions are meant for people in specific times, places and circumstances (current age, Kali yuga), Vedas include paths for everyone in all times, places and circumstances. They're eternal.

8. The main ones are the appearance days of Krishna, Chaitanya (His latest appearance in this world), His major avataras like Rama and Nrsimha and His shakti, Shri Radha. Twice a month comes Ekadasi, a day of an increased spiritual focus (similar to Sabbath), accompanied by fasting.

9. My realizations completely changed my life. Some of them: 

- We're spiritual beings in material bodies trying to be happy in a wrong place. This world, designed to cause us suffering of birth, disease, old age and death, is like a playground.

- Radha and Krishna are our real mother and father. We left Their association in teenage-like rebellion. Forgetful of this fact (maya) we try to imitate Them in our imperfect way, creating further suffering for ourselves. We have to grow up.

- Everything happens on purpose, there's no blind chance. (This realization made me peaceful.)
Krishna directs my life for my best and is always ready to help. He fulfils my prayers very soon. 
I never feel abandoned, have no idea what a depression is. I've got revelations both in waking state and in dreams.

- I can't be really happy while in ignorance. Happiness of a materialist is just a temporary absence
of distress. It's shallow, being based on material body and mind.

- I got the map of life and if I fail to follow it I can only blame myself. Wasting time (i.e. most material activities) and boredom are symptoms of ignorance. Sinful behavior brings suffering. (karma)

"There's no fate other than what we make." (from Terminator 2)

- Material life is like a school. We have to remain in until we graduate. Some want to be 'eternal students' but that's troublesome. (This is the idea of samsara, Cosmic Recycling Inc.).

- Vedic paradigm is the best scientific explanation of this world. New discoveries and trends confirm it.

- The best philosophy is Gaudiya Vaishnava Vedanta. With its help one can understand all other philosophies and their lacks.

My latest realization (from yesterday) confirms what Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada once said: There is no way to wake up a man pretending to be asleep. (Some people when proven wrong won't accept it and try to talk it away since they love their ideas more than truth.)

- Vaishnava follows common sense (reported by some as already dead) and calls a spade a spade. Otoh:

"Post-modernism in a variety of ways has made inroads into the thinking even of non-intellectuals. It is no longer politically correct to assert the unqualified reality of anything, or to assume that one can know truth." (Klaus Klostermaier, theologian, Oxford)

- The best association is with devotees of the Lord, talking about Krishna and serving Him in other ways.

10. Saints are not extinct. They're just not recognized by most people. But one who's fortunate can meet them and benefit from their association. If you get this opportunity, associate with the devotees, follow their advice without giving up your intelligence and if you remain in their association, you'll learn everything you need, you'll be happy already in this life and your life and death (the final graduation test of this life) will be perfect. Devotees are a living evidence of all this.


What to add? Just two verses, to not overwhelm you. 8)

"Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works." (Srimad Bhagavatam aka Bhagavata Purana 1.2.10)

"All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Shri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists." (Bhagavata Purana 1.3.28)


Hope this helps and all the best. Hare Krishna

kAmyopAsana yArthayanty anudinaM kincit phalaM svepsitam, 
kecit svargam athApavargam apare yogAdi yajnAdibhiH, 
asmAkaM yadunandanAMghri yugala dhyAnAvadhAnArthinAm, 
kiM lokena damena kiM nRpatinA svargApavargaizca kiM? 

"Those who waste their time for the attainment of celestial joys or liberation (mukti-apavarga) are fools! I do not want any of that! I only desire to remain engrossed in the sweet remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. What is the need for heaven or mukti to prema bhaktas of the Lord?"
(Adi Sankaracarya, Prabodha sudhakara, Anugrahika prakaranam 150)

Your servant, bh. Jan

http://www.vrindavan-dham.com
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz


Nascarmama

Wow.

Thank you so very much. I just learned a great deal from all of you. I cannot honestly say which one I will use yet, but all will be incorporated in some way. One thing is certain, I'm going to have to do a bit of research about these religions that I have just become aware of. I am personally intrigued, to say the least. The class I'm doing this for (religions of the world) has been interesting for me but I think that every future student of this class should join a forum like this and 'talk' to people of different beliefs. There is only so much can be learned by written material that is meant to provide a summary of sorts about a given religion. I am a firm believer that in order to understand or learn about a religion is to have a conversation with it's believers. There is something to be said that religion is found in the heart of its followers. I appreciate the time you took in answering my questions and sharing with me. I learned about religions that are not part of the most common/popular and have discovered that there are many aspects of several religions that I respect and believe myself. Oddly enough, I have learned that there are similarities between a vast number of religions, but some people don't see it or refuse to see it.

Thank you,

Bridget


http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/34789/20544841/I_need_help_from_someone_who_is_not_of_Christian_faith_please?sdb=1&pg=last#354051589
