The Concept of God (Goddess) and rituals of Iconic Worship and Transcendental Meditation
Over the centuries we have come to imbibe certain faiths and belief systems from our family tradition and Sanskar. Many are prone to think these are the carry-over (memories/vasanas) of the previous births. But, let us remember one thing: we are all living beings in different forms, say plants, birds, reptiles, primates and mammals, humans and these are presented in divine forms,too. We worship plants, birds, animals, trees and teachers, parents and many whom we think are the saviours. Basically, we are the energy particles that arrive on this planet earth (called 'mrutyu loka' where everything disintegrates and dies!); we have come from a distant star as shown in our horoscope (lagna kundali), say, Punarvasu nakshatra in the Karkataka Rashi.
in fact, I started my journey as light particle (Photon), an energy aspect of Hydrogen? H (Energy particle), travelled via the sun rays and reached by chance this Planet earth. I fell into clouds, got embedded in soil and assumed life forms like an earthworm, a fish or a reed or grass and assumed various forms of carbohydrates and hydrocarbons. Ultimately i entered my father's food became his desire, bonemarrow, blood and semen (a spermatozoa) and enetered my would-be mother's womb to get the ultimate form of my parents! All these a miracle left unanswered so far. Bhagavad-Gita says parjanyat bhavati annaani annat bhavati bhutani. So who am I? I am just the embodied soul. i am so embedded that i lost my original stauts of pure consciousness (shuddhavidya, prajnya of my divine origin. I got enmoured here wit the earthly exisrtence and engaged in transactional business forgot who i am. So all the greta sages say "Know who you are?" Naan yar is the question that is now answered.
since I forgot wherefrom i came here and where do i go from here, i got stuck and wander here borth after birth, death after death as ghosts, pishacha, devils, because my divine form is forgotten.
I do not know where i fell as a rain drop with the life-force/ pranic energy that promote life forms. I may well get into a well, pond or pool, or an ocean, river. I may fall in a field and become food for animals and humans. I become semen and eneter a womb to become a like-mineded like-bodied form. I imbibe all the traits of parents in genes, DNA and RNA, chromosomes and live for a hundred or less years and die! In the mean time, if i am little sensible think about this creation and way out of this deathknell (mrutyulok). Now that i know who i am, iwant to go back to my pure elemental Hydroegn (energy) form. But i am in a HCO combine. I must get rid of Carbon and Oxygen. If i become the original H i shall get escape velocity to get back. I f i die on the same day when my janma nakshatra was there, i shall reach back home.
I do not know whether i am a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh or in India, USA or Canada, Pakisthan, Africa or Australia since these names are not written on the lands and i cannot read even if somebody has written on a Map! What all i am doing here is sheer madness, a mental 'diseasism' manovaikalyata, If i just watch the drama i am Shree Krishna (the Witnessing Self). If i also dance i am a character in Shakespeares or Kalidasa's drama. This is what is written in all puranas.
So what ritual i perform what mantra i chant does not matter. What all matters is who am i and where do i come from? and more imporatntle, what do i want? These questions are addressed later.
All the rituals have come as a sort of seeking solace and relief from all our worries. If anybody succeeds in just sitting quiet, peacefully, without tension, worries, anxiety, desire for more after the daily chores are done it is enough! Desre is the root of all problems and "desire is brahman".
Who is God and where does God come in our life?
At the outset there is no such thing as GOD. God in English is different from dEva in Samskruta. God at the most means Go On Discovering? dEva in samskruta means da+i= dE+va meaning one who lifts up (da+I-dE). Even if a person lifts a person who accidentally falls down, he is called a dEva. All dEvas are devata are great redeeming forces, uplifting forces, energising, encouraging, and promoting health, happiness, and welfare.
For fear of being suppressed, oppressed, harmed or to get protection, man started worshipping forces such as plants, trees, animals, dead and the living, and even their paduka as symbols.
God created man and man created god is the saying. The worship of murti/icons is said to be a South Indian or Dravidian tradition. The Aryans worshiped the pindi or shalagrama as in the Sharada Temple across the LOC in Pakistan at the confluence of the Rivers Kishenganga, Madhmati and Sharada, The Vaishnodevi where the three pindis of Lakshmi Saraswati and Durga Parameshwari is an ideal symbolic worship, The Kanchi Kamalshi is the icon worshipped by Agastya Rishi along with the symbolic emblem of Sri Chakra. Here the two eyes of devi Kamakshi are 'ka' Lakshmi and 'ma' saraswati. The symbolism in idol worship is attributed to dreams where the devi devata appear and the same is sculptored in sandalwood, ivory, brass, or gold and silver and worshipped. There are puja vidhi vidhana of worship in Pancharatra Agama Shastra. Most of these are presented in Rk Veda Samhita as Devi sukta, Shree sukta, bhu sukta, etc. The rks (mantra) are derived from the Veda. The rules (vidhi) are however dicatted by the Pundits who are supposed to know the methods. Kalasha puja, and offerings of watert, seat, light and dhup, arti and naivedya are common. But, the devata in gross form are installed (with prana pratishthapana) with Vedic chants. Persons who chant the mantra should be very careful. otherwise evil forces also may be invited by wrong pronunciations.
However, the best form of worship is explained in Yajurveda Taittiriya samhita wher antaryajnya gets prominence.
.... to be continued.
Over the centuries we have come to imbibe certain faiths and belief systems from our family tradition and Sanskar. Many are prone to think these are the carry-over (memories/vasanas) of the previous births. But, let us remember one thing: we are all living beings in different forms, say plants, birds, reptiles, primates and mammals, humans and these are presented in divine forms,too. We worship plants, birds, animals, trees and teachers, parents and many whom we think are the saviours. Basically, we are the energy particles that arrive on this planet earth (called 'mrutyu loka' where everything disintegrates and dies!); we have come from a distant star as shown in our horoscope (lagna kundali), say, Punarvasu nakshatra in the Karkataka Rashi.
in fact, I started my journey as light particle (Photon), an energy aspect of Hydrogen? H (Energy particle), travelled via the sun rays and reached by chance this Planet earth. I fell into clouds, got embedded in soil and assumed life forms like an earthworm, a fish or a reed or grass and assumed various forms of carbohydrates and hydrocarbons. Ultimately i entered my father's food became his desire, bonemarrow, blood and semen (a spermatozoa) and enetered my would-be mother's womb to get the ultimate form of my parents! All these a miracle left unanswered so far. Bhagavad-Gita says parjanyat bhavati annaani annat bhavati bhutani. So who am I? I am just the embodied soul. i am so embedded that i lost my original stauts of pure consciousness (shuddhavidya, prajnya of my divine origin. I got enmoured here wit the earthly exisrtence and engaged in transactional business forgot who i am. So all the greta sages say "Know who you are?" Naan yar is the question that is now answered.
since I forgot wherefrom i came here and where do i go from here, i got stuck and wander here borth after birth, death after death as ghosts, pishacha, devils, because my divine form is forgotten.
I do not know where i fell as a rain drop with the life-force/ pranic energy that promote life forms. I may well get into a well, pond or pool, or an ocean, river. I may fall in a field and become food for animals and humans. I become semen and eneter a womb to become a like-mineded like-bodied form. I imbibe all the traits of parents in genes, DNA and RNA, chromosomes and live for a hundred or less years and die! In the mean time, if i am little sensible think about this creation and way out of this deathknell (mrutyulok). Now that i know who i am, iwant to go back to my pure elemental Hydroegn (energy) form. But i am in a HCO combine. I must get rid of Carbon and Oxygen. If i become the original H i shall get escape velocity to get back. I f i die on the same day when my janma nakshatra was there, i shall reach back home.
I do not know whether i am a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh or in India, USA or Canada, Pakisthan, Africa or Australia since these names are not written on the lands and i cannot read even if somebody has written on a Map! What all i am doing here is sheer madness, a mental 'diseasism' manovaikalyata, If i just watch the drama i am Shree Krishna (the Witnessing Self). If i also dance i am a character in Shakespeares or Kalidasa's drama. This is what is written in all puranas.
So what ritual i perform what mantra i chant does not matter. What all matters is who am i and where do i come from? and more imporatntle, what do i want? These questions are addressed later.
All the rituals have come as a sort of seeking solace and relief from all our worries. If anybody succeeds in just sitting quiet, peacefully, without tension, worries, anxiety, desire for more after the daily chores are done it is enough! Desre is the root of all problems and "desire is brahman".
Who is God and where does God come in our life?
At the outset there is no such thing as GOD. God in English is different from dEva in Samskruta. God at the most means Go On Discovering? dEva in samskruta means da+i= dE+va meaning one who lifts up (da+I-dE). Even if a person lifts a person who accidentally falls down, he is called a dEva. All dEvas are devata are great redeeming forces, uplifting forces, energising, encouraging, and promoting health, happiness, and welfare.
For fear of being suppressed, oppressed, harmed or to get protection, man started worshipping forces such as plants, trees, animals, dead and the living, and even their paduka as symbols.
God created man and man created god is the saying. The worship of murti/icons is said to be a South Indian or Dravidian tradition. The Aryans worshiped the pindi or shalagrama as in the Sharada Temple across the LOC in Pakistan at the confluence of the Rivers Kishenganga, Madhmati and Sharada, The Vaishnodevi where the three pindis of Lakshmi Saraswati and Durga Parameshwari is an ideal symbolic worship, The Kanchi Kamalshi is the icon worshipped by Agastya Rishi along with the symbolic emblem of Sri Chakra. Here the two eyes of devi Kamakshi are 'ka' Lakshmi and 'ma' saraswati. The symbolism in idol worship is attributed to dreams where the devi devata appear and the same is sculptored in sandalwood, ivory, brass, or gold and silver and worshipped. There are puja vidhi vidhana of worship in Pancharatra Agama Shastra. Most of these are presented in Rk Veda Samhita as Devi sukta, Shree sukta, bhu sukta, etc. The rks (mantra) are derived from the Veda. The rules (vidhi) are however dicatted by the Pundits who are supposed to know the methods. Kalasha puja, and offerings of watert, seat, light and dhup, arti and naivedya are common. But, the devata in gross form are installed (with prana pratishthapana) with Vedic chants. Persons who chant the mantra should be very careful. otherwise evil forces also may be invited by wrong pronunciations.
However, the best form of worship is explained in Yajurveda Taittiriya samhita wher antaryajnya gets prominence.
.... to be continued.
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