[FairfieldLife] Re: Religious aspects of the TM puja; Connecting to the Guru God

[grate . swan]

Another thought on this.

We live in a pluralistic society and laudably multi-culturalism and the 
appreciation of diversity in other culture is increasingly celebrated. Where I 
work, a large company, the daily e-mail newsletter celebrates and explains 
every  major religions and cultural holiday. Hindu, islamic, jewish, ... Thats 
a cool thing IMO.  it does not make my company a religious advocate nor does it 
have some hidden agenda. Its educating us all, and making us sensitive to, 
other cultures. 

In that light, teaching TM in the traditional way, is giving a nod to, and 
adding to the texture of a multicultural society. Its preserving a heritage 
enabling all to see a type of ceremony that they would not normally see. In 
that light, the TMO should be given thanks for not coping out and sanitizing 
the way they teach TM. They teach it in the traditional way. They provide a 
micro museum tour of an ancient culture. I rather like that. That doesn't make 
me Hindu or religious. It reflects that I am multi-cultural and live in a 
diverse society of tolerance and appreciation of all traditions. 

You don't have a true multi-cultural society if you sanitize all traditions and 
strip out references to God or whatever. That would be a sham and a shame. You 
have a multi-cultural society when things with religious roots can be shared 
and appreciated as part of diverse cultures -- not phobiacized. 


--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, grate.swan <no_re...@...> wrote:
>
> 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 <vajradhatu@> 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":
> > 
> > आवाहनं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > aavaahanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering invocation to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > आसनं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु  
> > चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > aasanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering a seat to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > स्नानं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > snaanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering a bath to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > वस्त्रं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > vastraM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering a cloth to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > चंदनं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु  
> > चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > cha.ndanaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering sandal paste to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > अक्शतान् समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > akshataan samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering full unbroken rice to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I  
> > bow down.
> > पुष्पं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > pushhpaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering a flower to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > धूपं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु  
> > चचरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > dhuupaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering incense to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > दीपं समर्पयामि श्रीगुरु  
> > चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > diipaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering light to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > अच्मनियम् समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > achmaniyam samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > नैवेद्यं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > naivedyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering fruit to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > आच्मनीयं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > aachmaniiyaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering water to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > ताम्बूलं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > taambuulaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering betel leaf to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > श्री फलं समर्पयामि  
> > श्रीगुरु चरण कमलेभ्यो नमः
> > shrii phalaM samarpayaami shriiguru charaNa kamalebhyo namaH
> > Offering coconut to the lotus feet of the blessed guru, I bow down.
> > उपचारस् - upachaaras
> >
>