Does it upset you when you are a guest at a sumptuous meal and the host offers grace before the meal. I may be shallow, but I focus on the meal and not on my hosts particular beliefs or traditions. And I don't somehow feel tainted or duped.
Thanksgiving. Is that a religious holiday? Am I being secretly taught a religion if I take the holiday off, and eat a thanksgiving meal? Who were the pilgrims offering thanks to? Oh my God! It was God! Run! Curtis doesn't like me to equate the fruit of meditation with actual fruit. And I am sure I am transgressing his beliefs with my meal analogy. But to me, it fits quite well. I am getting something quite secular -- a meal -- a useful meditation technique -- at the HUGE cost of listening to someone give thanks prior to the "meal". I don't get the outrage. I practiced TM for some time. I don't know much about Hinduism. My Indian friends sort of tolerate my delusion that somehow I have something in common with them and their religion. But I can't be a Hindu in traditional Hinduism. White boys not allowed. So why would another white boy or worse white girl -- who can never be a hindu, teaching something to another white boy who can never be a hindu, somehow make teaching TM a religion. And don't even get me started on Christmas or Easter. If schools give these as holidays, aren't they complicit in some great religious conspiracy to dupe our poor cloistered youth? These holidays CLEARLY have religious roots. No more Easter egg hunts on the White House lawn. Clearly a violation of church and state. Not only that, it has roots in pagan religions! Pagan! As do Christmas trees. No more lighting of the Christmas tree on TV at Rokerfella square or the White House. And the damn World Series. Those religious nut players actually give thanks to GOD before the game. The horror! Our poor kids! Getting duped again by the omnipresent religious conspiracy. (I know you did not explicitly bring up some the points I am riffing on. ) --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradh...@...> wrote: > > Most of the puja is blatantly religious. For example, the puja > contains the traditional shodashopachura pujana - the puja of 16 > offering. The puja of 16 offering is common in Hindu worship as a way > to "receive" or connect to a particular God. In this case the God is > the Guru, the Guru God or Guru Deva; "Guru Dev": > > à¤à¤µà¤¾à¤¹à¤¨à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> aavaahanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering invocation to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > à¤à¤¸à¤¨à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ > à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> aasanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering a seat to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > सà¥à¤¨à¤¾à¤¨à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> snaanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering a bath to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > वसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤°à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> vastraM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering a cloth to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > à¤à¤à¤¦à¤¨à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ > à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> cha.ndanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering sandal paste to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > ठà¤à¥à¤¶à¤¤à¤¾à¤¨à¥ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> akshataan samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering full unbroken rice to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I > bow down. > पà¥à¤·à¥à¤ªà¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> pushhpaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering a flower to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > धà¥à¤ªà¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ > à¤à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> dhuupaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering incense to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > दà¥à¤ªà¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ > à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> diipaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering light to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > ठà¤à¥à¤®à¤¨à¤¿à¤¯à¤®à¥ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> achmaniyam samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > नà¥à¤µà¥à¤¦à¥à¤¯à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> naivedyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering fruit to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > à¤à¤à¥à¤®à¤¨à¥à¤¯à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> aachmaniiyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > तामà¥à¤¬à¥à¤²à¤ समरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> taambuulaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering betel leaf to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > शà¥à¤°à¥ फलठसमरà¥à¤ªà¤¯à¤¾à¤®à¤¿ > शà¥à¤°à¥à¤à¥à¤°à¥ à¤à¤°à¤£ à¤à¤®à¤²à¥à¤à¥à¤¯à¥ नमठ> shrii phalaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH > Offering coconut to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down. > à¤à¤ªà¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¸à¥ - upachaaras >