Please tell me about the Hinduism/dharma. Is it the natural order

>>19446302
well i tell you one thing
you dont see jeebus with 6 arms
6 arms>2 arms
also shiva tames nagas, what a baller
in all seriousness though, some consider jeebus an avatar of krishna.

All Indo-European religions can trace back to a source faith, there are many many similarities between the aboriginal religions of the Indo-European ethnolinguistic group. Sky Fathers are common, for example. Hinduism, essentially a melting pot of nominally related religious practices in a very wide area, is the oldest surviving religion on Earth we know of. Either they're incredibly wrong primitives, or they've got a real thread of the real thing. I respect Hinduism for it's ancient standing.

You need to examine the religions of shared areas and see what similairites crop up. Mesopotamia and the Middle East in general share a great primal serpent, there's even Rahab in Kabbalistic literature, a colossal primal serpent God slew before he made the world.

Personally, I think if you draw up all the similarities of global faith and put them together, you'll find a link to something interesting. Take snakes, everyone has a snake, a serpent or dragon, everyone from Hinduism's Vritra, the Norse Jormundgandr and Niddhog, the Irish story about St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland and South America's Quetzalcoatl. There's something about fucking snakes in our history. Same for little people. There's an almost totally pan-European tradition of little people, fairies, elves, gnomes, dwarves, there's little people in the hills and lonely places, underground, or some quasi-subterranean otherworld. Gets weirder when you realize the Arabic Djinn fulfill the exact same role as the European little person.

Most times dharma is translated as "religion" or "duty" which is a fair translation. However I would like to add to that the concept of "essence." For instance, water has a dharma: wetness. You can temporarily freeze or evaporate water, but it's natural essence is wetness. Fire's dharma is heat and light. Humans have a dharma, and this is where social institutions like religion come from. But the soul has its own dharma, distinct from the body it inhabits. This is sanatan-dharma, eternal essence.

>the vedic/dharmic traditions are the healthy, natural way, and that the Abrahamic religions, in contrast, are a perversion of nature
There is corruption and perversion in all institutions. It is the tendency of all deluded souls to exploit for their own self-interested desires.

>Vritra
There are many snakes in Hinduism, Vritra is not one of them. Yes I know wiki says he is, and many sites will as well, but follow their evidence back to the original texts. Vritrasura is barely described physically, and when he is it details arms, limbs, shoulders - not serpent attributes. The issues comes from Vritrasura being labelled with the sanskrit word "ahi" which means snake. However the word ahi ALSO means cloud and water - which makes much more sense considering the tale of Indra and Vritrasura in the four Vedas is about Vritrasura withholding the rains and waters from the populace.

https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Vedic-figure-Vritra-Sanskrit-%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-v%E1%B9%9Btra-lit-enveloper-considered-a-naga-Is-there-a-distinction-between-%E2%80%98Dragon%E2%80%99-and-%E2%80%98Naga%E2%80%99

You would do better to look at Vasuki or the Nagas for serpents in Hinduism.

>>19446846
>There are many snakes in Hinduism, Vritra is not one of them. Yes I know wiki says he is, and many sites will as well, but follow their evidence back to the original texts. Vritrasura is barely described physically, and when he is it details arms, limbs, shoulders - not serpent attributes. The issues comes from Vritrasura being labelled with the sanskrit word "ahi" which means snake. However the word ahi ALSO means cloud and water - which makes much more sense considering the tale of Indra and Vritrasura in the four Vedas is about Vritrasura withholding the rains and waters from the populace.
>https://www.quora.com/Is-the-Vedic-figure-Vritra-Sanskrit-%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-v%E1%B9%9Btra-lit-enveloper-considered-a-naga-Is-there-a-distinction-between-%E2%80%98Dragon%E2%80%99-and-%E2%80%98Naga%E2%80%99
>You would do better to look at Vasuki or the Nagas for serpents in Hinduism.

This is neat, I had thought Vritra was a serpent. I'll look into that link, thanks.

>>19446302
Hinduism is just one of many religions

>>19447037
one of man's many creations.

>>19446846
Bhakta you lived in a temple at one point right? If you did would you recommend it/why did you leave?

>>19447076
Vedic knowledge is specifically called apauruṣeya, or superhuman, because they are not of human origins.

>>19447076
A little more nuanced then that but yeah

>>19446302
>the healthy, natural way, and that the
Yes, I'd go so far as to draw that divide. Buddhist doctrine, even at its most unnatural, pales in comparison to the psychological horrors of Creator-Dominator types.

>>19447307
If you mean a spiritual retreat for a number of months or years where you live in an ashram/temple with others on the path. Yes. You can eat and sleep in doors and usually for a day's work of simple chores you can focus on who you are and why you are. Some places might ask for a donation(payment) for the opportunity. Escape the rote of life and center and calm for the world of change. Temple life is ecstatically soothing and regular.

If you mean joining a sampradaya and becoming part of an ashram/temple. Yes. However it should be seen as the serious commitment it is. You are joining a clergy, though the methods and ideas are rather different. It will take education, both mentored and self-taught. It will take sincere practice. It takes a break-down of your ego, which is the scariest part and why choosing a place should be a cautious choice. You're changing your view on the world, how the world interacts with you, what the center of everything is. Look well - leap far.

>>19447936
I'm considering joining a sampradaya - I feel like it'd be most beneficial for me and it's simply the obvious choice. It's either hold down a job and work it as a form of karma-yoga or renounce that and take directly to temple life. If the end goal is ultimately pure bhakti then I see no reason to practice karma yoga and deny myself the association of devotees, especially since I know happiness can only be found through spirituality. My worldview is already pretty well changed and I'm feeling distant from society. There's a feeling of a void in my life currently because I obviously can't associate with God directly but I also don't have the association of his representatives, I feel like temple life can change that. I'd essentially be joining as a lifetime devotee.

Can you describe your sampradaya experience? Why did you decide to join and why did you leave (if you did)? I'm most anxious about my family reaction and the initial integration into temple life.

>>19447936
Personally, I feel I gained a new life living in temple. Yet I also feel I tried too much too early. When determination falters, familiarity and contempt turn soothing and regular into dull and monotonous. I read the books and said the magic words, so why aren't I blissful? It's hard to wipe it all away and find your true being rather than fantasize about being the jagat-guru with all the great ways to reach the new generation, or returning to life sans obstacles with your newfound super-zen mind's eye. I faltered in my practice, and worse I didn't really care about fixing it. It felt hypocritical to be seen in this monk uniform with no inner qualification. I had issues with the temple leader - some stemming from him, just as many stemming from me, and with the proselytizing and exclusive nature of ISKCON. I feel ISKCON has great heart and drive, but they are neglectful in their fatalism and faith. It is better in the family communities and temples with large congregations, but especially with brahmacaris there's a "no fun allowed" use-em-as-footsoldiers mentality. It's kind of the point of brahmacari, but I feel they are too cold in their manner. Bhakti is loving relationships, not brothers-at-arms.

I think even joining an ISKCON temple can be worth it, but before you join anything observe how they work for a good while. Get to know the people and how they interact. No place will be perfect (and you won't make it any more perfect :p), but you should still keep an eye out for red flags. You shouldn't have to pay exorbitant amounts, you shouldn't HAVE to give up your stuff (some will encourage it), you shouldn't be denied the ability to leave (physically or contractually) or be threatened or shamed for considering leaving, you shouldn't have to break ties or contact with friends and family (though you might choose to depending on your life).

>>19447959
I must head to bed, but as for family - I had estranged myself from my family for a few years before I joined the temple. It was the devotees that encouraged me to get back in touch with them. They were relieved, and none but my father were too concerned about living in a temple. He saw it as silly and a wasted college potential (which is true from his perspective) - he either didn't care to or refused to visit me when I lived there. My mother was intrigued by the life and the devotees, though she is firmly a material atheist in belief. She was happy to see what bhakti-yoga did for me, and visited a number of times, joined me on my India pilgrimage, and still says she thinks she had a better time than I did.

Family background is we were raised (by mother) as Unitarian Universalists, with a secular/deist household. I think my father was raised Catholic, but he's insistently non-religious. Last I had a talk on this nature with my brothers, one was Chrisitan of varying faith since the end of high school, and one is hardline "it's an absolutely irrelevant topic, still gotta live down here" but will politely listen and converse on the ideas. I bounced around as a curious agnostic/atheist until college and had an existential crisis. I did the vagabond route and worked a lot of jobs and stayed on a lot of couches. Eventually I found the Gita As it Is and while I had read previous Gita translations, this one spoke to me. I started looking for Prabhupada's books and figuring out what he was saying to do. From there the books had a list of temples and I found one near me. About six months later I left to join.

Early days are the easiest. It's an adventure, everything is new and shiny even when old and it's all spiritual and WOW. It's when the shine wears off and it's just "this is what I do now" that your spirit and faith are tested. Work on building your connections, and your relationships. I am bad at that in this life; I think it hindered me.

>>19446302
>I have heard some suggest that the vedic/dharmic traditions are the healthy, natural way, and that the Abrahamic religions, in contrast, are a perversion of nature.

I concur.

>>19446302
Thor is Indra.

>>19448831
Achilles is Indra

>>19446731
Wasn't Rahab a world the "god" destroyed and the home of the black dragon later known as the first "Satan", who proceeded to try and defend this current world from the power hungry menace? I recall that part being pretty obvious, then the "god" invades this world and scorches it whole to remove original inhabitants along with his own troops who took a liking to natives. This is preceded by a period of diplomatic calm as the invading entity scouts the place, interacts with the primordial rulers (elements/stoicheia) and even the black dragon forms part if this council, exploring the world. Then shit hits the fan and we know the rest.

>>19446731
>they're incredibly wrong

This, they're incredibly wrong.

>>19446731
>snakes

DING DING DING

I had an experience with God, felt divinity within

My eyes went reptile-like for a little time.

How similar were the European religions to Hinduism in practice? Did Vikings meditate?

>>19446327
You mean avatar of Vishnu, Krishna himself is considered an avatar I think.

>>19447963
Different Anon here. I have been considering leaving my american life for something better like this and from the things you have been saying, I believe them.

It's hard for me to understand why they would shame you for considering leaving though. Isn't all that stuff beyond time but we're in it? So if you do return, it really didn't matter. Right? Assuming one keeps with their practices while away.

>>19448029
Reading your India pilgrimage made me laugh a bit. I think you may be right about the relationships and connections. I'm a lone wolf when it comes to that, and I know how my persona has been molded by that and how it interacts with my peers. Even when I'm being genuine and concerned I may seem self righteous and what not.

>>19448831
Asura are Aesir?

>>19451255
>It's hard for me to understand why they would shame you for considering leaving though.
He said they shouldn't. That's cult behavior. "Why leave a perfect life? What's wrong with you? Are you that weak? We'll all shun you. We're going to tell everyone about your doubts and make your atonement public so everyone knows you thought life could be better than what we give you."