RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
Hi Cub,
I can start a Santoshi Maa thread in a few days - my material on her isn't with me.
While she's definitely a celluloid or story-telling creation, I don't see why that should subtract much from her. I see 'devotion' to such a deity as going to the Goddess form of God anyway - it isn't wasted! And many (most?) Hindu deities can be seen as figures that probably weren't living humans. So a thread when I can get to it with more detail.
I suppose all kinds of things come in here. For example, some say Krishna or Jesus were just myths too (I quite disagree) but the Santashi Maa example would add weight to that as it's so recent we can trace it happening.
I'm not sure it could have happened quite like this in the past, as it seems to have taken Bollywood to make it work and reach so many people so quickly. ut again, IMHO a real goddess can then come along, invisibly, and pick up that energy and use it, the energy of devotion, and could even "become" Santoshi Maa, in a sense.
Venetian
RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
"dance" as a Westerner means it today, and utter 100% ritual
As GOD is everywhere, I would say it is a matter of perception and with some a lack of conscious awareness that GOD is everywhere. Apart from the influence of Shiva there was also Krishna and from what I have seen and read there is very little difference between the joy of dance a Westerner enjoys to that of Krishna. If in fact Krishna was a real person and not a myth.
Life is a celebration of creation and one does not need to be ritualistic to honour GOD or creation IMHV.
Every step one takes can be a joyful dance in honour of GOD. All we are asked is to enJOY the life we are blessed with and shine our light for all to see.
being love
Kim xx
RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
I agree that life should be enjoyed! 😉
I'd have to go right back to revise my ancient Greek philosophy, but they basically saw two ways of being, one being Dionysian. This relates to dance, for example. It's not possible to say that all dance is basically the same thing. One kind is holy, controlled, disciplined, highly trained bya high teacher,and artistic. As the wise ancients had it, the other kind is drunken, possibly lewd, out of control and spiritually backward.
That's what I'm getting at, and I think the earliest existing text on this would be the one not even included in the Old Testament, about how fallen angels taught or first tempted men and women "down" from the (allegorical) mountain top into abandonment (misuse of spiritual energy).
One way is very highly trained and disciplined, the other is just head-banging. ;)They're opposites. God wasn't present IMHO in punk head-banging, nor in the NT dance of Samome - unless it be the 'death' of God and the misuse of His energy of course.
But we've been here before on threads- no point in repetition.
Venetian
RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
Dear David
God wasn't present IMHO in punk head-banging, nor in the NT dance of Samome
Oh but there is nowhere that God is not. IMHO;);)
Love
Sunanda xxx
PS I too love Santoshi Maa, First heard about her in Roger Housden's book on Sacred India.
Cub - I get a big smile on my face when I think of her.
RE: Devotion and Love in Hinduism
ORIGINAL: sunanda
Dear David
God wasn't present IMHO in punk head-banging, nor in the NT dance of Samome
Oh but there is nowhere that God is not. IMHO;);)
Love
Sunanda xxx
Quite so Sunanda! 😀
David 'Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and all is perfect when we see things through GOD's eyes'. 😉
"May the Grace of GOD
shift human perceptions,
so that people who are perceived
as ants or worthless cranks,
can be viewed through GOD's eyes.
The most amazing light beings ever to have walked the earth."
Are punks fallen angels ? Or they they enjoying life and being happy in the only way they know how? Who are we to judge anyone for living their life the way in which they wish to enjoy it as long as it does no harm to others.
You are as serious as ever David! Smile 😀 and Let GOD
Love beyond measure
Kim xx