I was told some things about Wicca and other forms of Paganism and I really started to just become confused with all of this stuff. I mean... I discovered God through Jesus, Hinduism, and Buddha. I just don't understand this whole thing about multiple Gods and the like... with no offense to any practisioners, though. I don't know, I guess it's just that seeker aspect of me trying to understand too much for my own good. I like the idea of seeing God in oneness as OM... oh, I have learned so much but I am still just a boy, you know? This just makes no sense to me. I just can't grasp it. I guess I wan't to understand that art of worship but I am also afraid of it and I don't want to become one... I guess I do not know my own limits. I just don't know. Now I just feel confused about it all ...Can't seem to let it go. It really can be true that the things you don't know can't hurt you.To each their own path. I am just bewildered. I understand that my ways of worship evolved from these earlier forms of worship, but the spells and such just scare me. I think I will stick with Jesus, Krishna, and Buddha. Oh, Lord... Ben.
Om shanti shanti shantihi Beloved Child of the Divine, Your questions are questions that every seeker has asked since the beginning of time. Welcome to the path of light. That which you dont know may not hurt you, but that which you know cannot carry you to higher levels of conciousness and peace of mind. If it could, you would not be in your present state of confusion. The fundamental belief of Hinduism, of Buddhism and of Chirsitianity and of any religion, is that there is but one god. He is all powerful and infinite. He is all pervading. The same God is in you, in me, in everything created, animate or inanimate and even in space. However, in order to worship, most of us require a form, some symbol. To worship the infiinite formless, eternal God is quite difficult. Therfore in Hinduism we have Bramha, Vishnu, Shiva, etc. Jesus and Buddha were great gurus. The guru also can be worshipped as God. At first by worshipping these symbols, which represent various divine qualities, by reading their stories, by singing their praise, we purify our minds, turning it towards the higher. Such a purified mind is then ready and able to see the divinity in itself and in everything, the ego and ego centric desires melt away slowly and the state of moksha, nirvana, salvation is attained. This is a state where there is no more sense of separation, no duality, no I and you and other things. You see only the same divinity expressed in all creation, and thus merge with that highest Lord. May your own divine light shine through the veils of doubt, Thy Own Self, Bhaskar
Thank you, Bhaskar. I always enjoy your posts. Everything you wrote is of the ways of worship that I love. I just put myself as subject to something that is not my way and confused my beliefs. Everything is coming back to me now and I will leave alone that which is not me and let it be. Hindu is my way of worship. OM namo narayanaya. Peace, Ben. P.S. I have been very busy lately so my yoga and meditation practice hasn't been good, that could be a major part of the problem! I am slowly working my practices back in.
Worship is not just sitting before an altar and doing pooja or singing bhajans. Every action in your daily routine, every duty that you perform, should be performed through the spirit of worship of the Lord. There is no such thing as being too busy for worship, whatever you do, dedicate it to the lord as your worship of Him. You may know the famous verse from Srimad Bhagavatam kayena vacha manasendriyava budhyatmana va prakritir swabhavat karomi yad yad sakalam parasmai narayanayeti samarpayami Meaning - Through body, speech, mind, sense organs, intellect, thought, instinct or nature, whatever I do, all that I dedicate to Narayana. Live this.
I'm surprised by this because certainly Hinduism posits multiple forms of God or the Divine, at least in its lower level teachings. Buddhism does not even accept the concept of God, and in Christianity, there is God (the trinity) and a great multitude of angels. So really, there would not seem to be that much of a contradiction. As for 'spells' etc. they serve pretty much the same function as the liturgy of the church. the mantras of Hindus and Buddhists etc. It also occurs to me that whilst you speak of knowing God, the Wiccans are more concerned with their rituals to manipulate the materiel world - and perhaps not in conformity with a Divine will, but simply for utilitarian purposes, such as 'love',healing and so on, even to works of a negative character such as curses . The other point I would make is that Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity are all old established paths, whereas Wicca really evolved during the last half of the 20th century (I doubt Wiccans would accept this) and is at best an attempt to reconstruct a supposed 'ancient tradition'.
Hi. Thanks Black. I really started to think of these things, and I understand the similarities... I guess the Wiccan way just doesn't sit well with me even though it accomplishes the same goal. I like looking beyond the material world, so that is a seperation for me and the other. Wicca always appears to me with a darkness and a strange vibe. I understand Hindusim and Buddhism better. Thanks again, Ben.
Very beautifully put ChiefCowpie! Reminds me of one time when my Gurudev went to stay at a small village in Rajasthan and give talks. His host showed him to his rooms and the bathroom walls were covered with a mosaic of mirrors. Gurudev stepped in and all around the room was filled with millions of tiny smiling resplendent Gurudevs! Then he said, See! Thus the One becomes the many! Every breath a teaching.
