some of you might remember me... maybe not. i was going to the hare krishna temple almost every day for a few months, going to festivals with them, doing all kinds of service, going on harinam, distributing books. i had an altar, i wore tilak and saris, i was looking forward to maybe someday getting initiated. but my affection faded off. i became vegan and so most of the maha prasadam i can't eat. i was really uncomfortable with my role as a girl in a mostly male temple worshiping a male. i know krishna is transcendental to masculinity/femininity, but i couldn't help it, i felt alienated. krishna himself is a lot different than his devotees, but it's hard to see that sometimes. and the devotees i know are absolutely amazing. it's just a block that i couldn't get past and now it's been more than a month since i last chanted or worshiped at my altar or anything. and i miss it. but since i stopped, i've gotten much more in tune with my girliness, and become a lot more comfortable with it. i've started learning how to bellydance, and that has helped me to stop feeling like just because i was born in this body i need to hide any ecstasy so i don't attract a boy. i feel like i can be ecstatic and worship however i want to independent of another person's reaction. i can move and speak and do things, and the fact that i'm in a girl's body does not automatically make my actions sexual. anyway, this isn't really what matters. while i have come to some different conclusions about my own beliefs in regard to my behavior, i miss bhakti. i especially miss radharani. of course i miss krishna, but i'm not at the point where i can have the right attitude towards worshiping him. my question is, would it be alright if i put aside krishna, caitanya, nityananda, jaganath, etc, and just worshiped radha? is it possible for her to be seperate from krishna? can anyone tell me anything i should know about her worship (i know certain demigods like ganesh are very forgiving, whereas krishna is a little more demanding, & does that only apply to actual deities?)? what books can i read to learn more about her? i only know a few stories that the devotees have told me. they didn't really focus on her much at all, so i don't know very much. a few things i want to add: i've decided i don't have any intention of accepting a guru, and while i can appreciate profoundly what prabhupada did, i don't agree with him on a lot of points. and i'm not going to have access to a temple for a while... one more thing. i'm the one who started the psychedelic drugs thread a while back. i decided they have a place in my life, spiritually. i recently took acid and the whole time i was seeing krishna and radha, and at the end ganesh and hanuman showed up too. which i think is interesting and i wanted to share, since it was a big part of my re-interest in hinduism . sorry this post is so long. thank you .
One realization: Be yourself, what will pretending accomplish? "would it be alright if i put aside krishna, caitanya, nityananda, jaganath, etc, and just worshiped radha? is it possible for her to be seperate from krishna?" Krishna is Radha and Radha is Krishna. I don't know much, but I usually light an incense and say some prayers usually in front of God.
Perhaps look into Devi worship if you feel attracted towards feminine dieties? Durga Mata, Kali Ma, Parvati Mata, Lakshmi Mata, Saraswati Mata, ect. I do not know how as far as ISKCON or even Hinduism goes if Radha is a devi (I know Sita is). But I'm sure you could look into it. Shaktas are dif. interesting. As long as you aren't stuck in Gaudiya Vaishnavism as your only path...I say look into Shaktism and conect with the Divine Mother aspect of God. Hope this helps. If you want to know...I do agree with Jedi that there is no distinction..as long as you are looking for God... that is what matters...whatever path best sings to your heart, follow that and live your life the best you can.
Good advice. Krishnaprem mentions the question of 'is Radha an aspect of the Divine Mother' and he says that although this isn't fully brought out in some Vaishnava traditions, she can be seen as the Shakti, an aspect of the Supreme Mother.
thank you. that definitely helped. the one thing i'm not clear on; will anything bad happen if i chose to worship some female expansion of krishna and maybe missed a few days or something? also, i'm vegan, so i don't know if i would be able to offer the things they like, even though i know what i'm really offering is my devotion... and where could i find out what things i can and can't offer? i know there are demigods that people offer their chocolate or marijuana to because krishna doesn't accept them... i know when it comes down to it any effort is good but i don't want to do anything offensive. thank you again...
Nothing bad will happen. You should follow your heart, If is leading you towards the Goddess or the Divine Mother, that's the way to go.
Radha does not demand our respect/worship. don't worry, you can still love God without any worshipping. As long as we hold that special place for God in our hearts, I think that is enough. But we might want to watch out for repressing our natural tendencies, we don't need to be sadhus.
I think in Sri Vaishnava traditions Laxmi/Radha is thought of as the Supreme Mother. -But- I heard somewhere that Laxmi is Rukmini and Radha represents the soul and its longing for God. An Iskcon guy once told me Radha=Krishna=Radha.
Omg!!! Prisma... Be ecstatic! Be feminine! Be EVERYTHING!!! There is no reason that any sort of religion should box you in and restrict you. Life IS ecstasy!!! Theres still no reason why I think you shouldnt worship Krishna, dont let HUMANS ruin your experience, remember, their way is an interpretation. It started with one mans theories on Krishna and the Geeta, etc...but there are many other ways and its not wrong to interpret for yourself either.
Mmm in the Bhagavad Gita... Krishna says that if you offer him a fruit, a flower, a bit of water he will except it. This is not talking about Krishna alone but the big 'I' of God... and its not talking about litterally fruit, flower, ect.... pretty much its saying that whatever we offer God with love and devotion, he will except it--be it food, incense or deepa (light), or the fruits of our actions, or just our smiles....as long as there is love...it doesn't matter what we are offering... In the non-Gaudiya Vaishnava sense, there is no gods or demi gods distinction....there is just One Supreme... call Him/Her/It whatever way you like or your heart calls you to... when you find what's right...you'll know. As to what you were saying Jedi...I'd also heard that Rukmini was Lakshmi Mata...that's why I wasn't sure about Radha being a devi. This I know about Radha...she is truly an example to us all of what true, pure, unconditional love is. I would count Saint Mirabai in this same category.
Hinduism gives us a lot of freedom. If you don't feel drawn to any of the many forms of the Lord described in the shastras, then you are even allowed to make up your own form and devote yourself to it. And Krishna says that in whatever form he is worshipped, he blesses devotees.
Also, those who are well-natured are blessed. I dont follow and specific set of "rules" but Krsna is always on mind and in my heart, and I have been doing just fine discovering my true Self with the Gita as my guide, and my connection with Lord Krsna through maha mantra. It would be nice to converse with other devotees, but I dont see it as an absolute requirement to being Krsna Concious.
You are a very smart and concious girl, prism, and I know that you do not need to made to feel uncomfortable by putting yourself in a position where the method of how you live your own life is dictated to you by others. Krsna blesses all good people, and I know that you can still love Him and be concious of Him without having your life run by mere men. And if you do not chose to be in Krsna conciousness, then it is not important, what is really important is that you continue to be a wonderful person who accepts others as equal, and learn to better yourself with every given chance you have. As long as you are happy, that is what matters in reality. I chose to be Krsna Concious, but I would NEVER tell another person that they have to be, or tell them that their lifestyle is wrong, so long as it is positive in nature.
Yea, but their devotion and spiritual power is what elevates them to a worshippable level. Usually their devotion is considered to be a sign that they are laxmi personified... we see that in Radha and others like Andal. I am not sure why people consider Mirabai a saint rather than a Goddess.
I don't know. She was so humble...she just wanted Krishna.... I guess to look at her as a saint makes her someone we can espire (is that a word?) to be like.
According to Sri Aurobindo, the Divine Mother creates all forms. Even the forms of the avatars of Ishwara are Hers. The forms of the gods too. The Mother is seen as the active, creative aspect of the Divne - the shakti. He says also that surrender to the Mother is the best and easiest path to the divine. His short book 'The Mother' is well worth a read if you are interested.
