Archive for category Hinduism
Project Conversion: Hinduism:Conclusion
This is it; Project Conversion’s last day of its first month. For 31 days, I have lived and breathed 24-hours a day, seven days a week as a Hindu (Saivite to be exact). The Rig Veda declares that “Truth is One, though the wise call it many names.” This wasn’t an easy road to begin with, as there was much to learn and acclimate myself to, but I did my best and made discoveries about both Sanatana Dharma and myself that will last a lifetime.
I would like to present a short video which captures some of the highlights and footage during my month with this faith. Call it a “Month in Review.” One such video will be featured at the end of each month so that you might glean some of what I’ve committed myself to. I’m no film expert, so be easy on me here. I hope you enjoy this production as much as I did in producing its content.
So there you have it. So many people were involved in the making the first month of Project Conversion a success. Indeed, the remaining months have big shoes to fill, however I have faith that all will be just as enlightening, just as dynamic. As I’ve said before, my goal isn’t an attempt to teach you everything there is to know about any given faith. People spend lifetimes and still come short of the subtleties and nuances of their religion. No, my goal is to pique your interests, to get you hungry to learn more.
Remember, Project Conversion’s motivations aren’t limited to only religious applications. I want to inspire you to look beyond yourself in all walks of life. This is an encouragement--a call to arms against ignorance. Need some examples of how to apply my day-in-the-life-of-another strategy? How about you get to know someone before you spread rumors? Chances are if you make their acquaintance, you’ll be less likely to slander them. Or how about you get to know your political candidates before voting a straight ticket? This practice can be used with anything, and will change how you see everything and everyone. Soon, you’ll no longer be able to ignore that homeless guy asking for change as you walk by, aloof to his plight, and slurp down your seven-dollar gourmet coffee. From now on, you’ll stick up for the ”new girl” at the office with a red dot on her forehead that everyone is gossiping about. It’s about getting to know one another and being slow to draw conclusions.
While attending the local Hindu temple, I had the pleasure of sitting in on a class of teenagers. Toward the end of my last Sunday School session with them, they shared some of the misconceptions about the Hindu faith and Indians in general. Here are but a few to think about. Ask yourself: have you ever thought in this way?
-
There are many who believe that Hindus worship cows and tease them accordingly. This is not true. Hindus honor cows and hold them to be sacred because they symbolize sustenance, health, and God’s nourishment. Many Hindus are teased due to this misconception. Think of how Americans honor the bald eagle.
-
The red spot between the eyes (bindi) is a tilak (sacred mark) which identifies the location of the ajna chakra (third eye of spiritual wisdom). One of the ladies at the temple told me that she has often been asked if the mark was burned into the forehead of Hindus. Please think before asking such questions.
-
No, not all people who come from India are poor. Though there is a high population of poor in India, it is unfair to stereotype any group.
-
Indians are NOT Native Americans.
I hope you’ve learned something about the Hindu faith this month. As I spend the last hours of this last day in the faith, I encourage you to look over the site at some of the post to review what I’ve shared. What were your favorite discoveries, what serendipitous discoveries have you made on your own? What misconceptions have been put to rest, and if you’ve developed more questions (I hope so!), have you taken the time to have them answered?
I’d love to hear from you regarding these questions. So as I prepare to depart from this beautiful faith in preparation for a new one (Baha’i) remember that indeed that Truth is one, and like many streams flow into one river which leads to the ocean, so are the avenues toward the divine equally beautiful and full of wonderous adventure.
Now, Lord Shiva begins his dance for me, the Tandava, and the fires of death and rebirth ignite as he prepares to reduce my attachment to Hinduism to ashes. From these ashes I will rise with a new skin, new eyes, and new hymns on my breath as a Baha’i.
Thank you, Sanatana Dharma. I will never forget your lessons. And thanks to all of you who have joined me in this journey so far.
Namaste
Month One: Day 27/Hinduism in Review
When I was a kid I hated to try new things. I was a creature of habit. My parents had to make me try new things. “You’ll love soccer, if you tried it out.”
No thanks. I’ll stick to being anti-social and building forts in the woods.
But Mom and Dad had a mission: to expose me to everything they could so that I might develop into a well-rounded young man. Well, I don’t know if I turned cultivated but I did end up liking soccer.
So what’s my point? Project Conversion is an effort to take the lessons my parents taught me about trying new things and looking through the perspectives of others and apply that to the religious violence and bickering that has our world up in flames today. But instead of preaching about it, I decided to show the world how it’s done by putting my money where my mouth is and living it.
One man. Eleven faiths. One year to practice them all. That’s the mission. To live life in the shoes of another. And it started January 1st, 2011 with Hinduism. As promised, here is my review of the month I’ve lived.
What I’ve Learned/What Misconceptions Were Overcome?
“Truth is one, though the wise call it by many names” –the Rig Veda
When I began planning for Project Conversion, my future Jain Mentor told me that “Hinduism is the United States of philosophy.” I didn’t get it at the time but now I understand. Hinduism, like the US of A, is an amalgam of philosophies and theologies joined by a common religious “genetic” ancestor or goal. That’s what is meant by the above quote from the Rig Veda and arguably the whole meaning of Sanatana Dharma.
As I prepared for my month with Hinduism I felt overwhelmed. “So many gods,” I thought. “So many rituals, traditions, and history. Where do I begin?!” Because I grew up as Christian and was accustomed to only one form of God (Jesus) and one scripture (the Bible), the notion that within one religion I had a choice between different deities and holy scriptures was mind-blowing. Truth, it turned out, wasn’t relative, but a singular goal reached by many, many roads. But time was running out and I had to pick a road fast. I selected Shiva as my deity and thus narrowed down how my month would play out.
Shiva is the third aspect of the Supreme Reality (God), Brahman. As Shiva, we understand the creative and destructive cycles of nature. Shiva also represents the detached ascetic, persistent in meditation on the pervasive reality (the divine Self within and outside of us all), and covered in the ashes of burned sin (ignorance). He is represented by the lingam.
The lingam represents the formless, abstract reality of the divine. In Sanatana Dharma, there is freedom to use representations of the divine (murti) in order to meditate and focus on God, however the aspirant is encourage to develop his devotion to the point where such tools and methods are obsolete, as he reaches moksha, the realized state in which all is Brahman–including ourselves.
There are literally thousands of representations of the divine, each for one or more of its aspects. This is why figures like Jesus, the Buddha, and Krishna are all acceptable as projections of the divine within Hinduism. Each are a way to Truth. When I began this month, I clearly thought that Hinduism was a polytheistic faith due to these various representations. Now I know that, depending on which school of thought a Hindu belongs to, they are either monotheists (God exists as a part of and/or outside of creation and selects manifestations) or monist (the divine is manifest in all of creation).
Freedom of devotion also lends to the highly developed artistic acumen of Hindus in general. Their culture is replete with visual, literary, and musical styles that convey every colorful aspect of the divine. One revelation I experienced with this concept is that while Hinduism has its holy texts (i.e., the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, etc.), spiritual discourse is an ongoing development and the treatises that cover these lessons are held in the same esteem as the rishis (holy men or seers) of time immemorial.
What Would I Do Differently?
For the sake of efficiency, I decided to split each month into four categories: Rituals and practices, arts and culture, social issues, monthly reflection. While this gives a nice introduction into these different aspects of faith, they tend to limit the content I can share about what’s happening with me personally. Let’s face it, if you wanted a scholarly info dump, you could Google the subject and get it anywhere. What makes Project Conversion interesting is that I’m displacing myself for a whole year and living a “day in the life.” Sure, I posted some personal content toward the end and I’ve also kept a hand-written journal of my daily experiences. Going forward, however, I think it would be fair and more beneficial to you if I offered you a more in depth view into my time living as a Hindu, Muslim, Baha’i, etc. So that’s that.
What Am I Taking From This Into The Future?
One of the most amazing results of Project Conversion was how quickly I was able to adapt. If you would have told me two months ago that I would embrace a vegetarian lifestyle I would have asked you what you were smoking and if I could have some. But now…Understand that Hinduism sees the presence of the divine in all life and all creation. This is why the concept of non-injury is so crucial. Sure, it was tough whenever someone at a restaurant ordered a perfectly seasoned and seared New York strip, the scent of which flooded my nose and thrust me into potential blood-lust. But I resisted. I held fast. And now that I know in vivid detail how meat is transformed from terrified animal to slaughtered flesh on a plate…yeah, I’m a vegetarian now and probably for the long haul. But I won’t judge someone who eats meat. To each their own, right?
Meditation/Yoga. I’m a naturally stressed out guy. As a college student, a father, a husband, a writer, editor, and now
in the midst of Project Conversion, it’s easy to see that my head could spin off at any moment. Meditation/yoga–a practice that transcends religious tradition–has become a powerful ally. I am calmer, far more patient, my passion is controlled/guided, and I see the positive in a situation far more readily than in the past. In fact, the results have been so dramatic that I haven’t used profanity(even in thought!) this whole month and even my libido is tamed. Yes, I have a lot further to go, but I like my new disposition and I credit the trained focus of meditation/yoga for that result.
Saying Goodbye
Adopting Hinduism for the month has been like jumping naked into freezing water. However, now that I’ve lived this way for almost a month, I can honestly say I’m going to miss everything. I don’t want to hang up my rudraksha mala. I want to chant the mantras in the limited Sanskrit I worked so hard to learn. I don’t want to stop visiting the temple and taking part in the classes, aarti, and prasad. I’ll miss the cool sensation of bhasma ash drying on my forehead in the tripundra stripes. The wisdom of the Upanishads has seeped into my heart and mind and though I must now move on, those poetic verses uttered so many millenia ago will echo long beyond my first month of Project Conversion. No, I haven’t presented everything there is to know about Sanatan Dharma here, but then again, that was never the goal. My hope is that you learned enough to want to learn more, to no longer get nervous around a co-worker wearing a bindi or tilak, to ask questions and let one speak for themselves before you judge them.
So here’s to everyone who helped me along the way: Hindu Bhavan Temple, Prof. Bharat Gajjar, Meeta Gajjar Parker, The Naik family, Dr. Gupta and her Sunday School students, Dr. Baktri, everyone who emailed me about the faith and the saints old and new who spoke to me through their written words…
Namaste
Maria’s Journey into Islam
Join Maria as she shares her journey into Islam over at Convert’s Corner!
Day 23/Unexpected Blessing
I had no intention of posting another entry until later this week, but life doesn’t usually play out according to our plans, does it?
During this month of exploring Hinduism I’ve paid visits to a local temple during their Sunday School services, which are held every other week. One of the board members of the temple suggested that while attending Sunday School that I sit in on a class of teens as they discuss various subjects within the Hindu faith. My attendance has, for the most part, been on the sideline–in the periphery–watching and listening as the students, all sitting in the lotus position on the floor in front of the teacher, answer questions and share their thoughts. I am silence, watching, listening, all the while. Until today, I haven’t said a word, not one question…but they’ve burned inside me.
Today, the teacher asked the class “How many of you recite the Gayatri Mantra?” No one raised their hands…except me, and for the first time since I’ve attended Sunday School there, I spoke. It was only a few words, and we shared a laugh over the irony, then it was over. Afterwards I felt this release, as if all the tension of being the “new kid in school” had melted away. I was finally part of class.
After class was concluded, everyone attended aarti in the main hall. This is where songs of devotion are given to the deities at the front of the room. The youth sit on the floor in the front while the parents and senior members sit in the chairs behind them. I usually sit cross-legged alone in the back of the room and watch, all while trying to sing along. Today, I was welcomed to sit with the parents. I was given a song booklet to follow along. I mumbled what I could pronounce and stumbled upon the rest, all while tapping my foot to the beat of the congregation’s voices.
Once the songs are over, a flame lamp–which is first offered to each deity present–is then passed among the devotees. Here, each devotee cups their hands above the flame, taking in the warmth, and then spreads their hands over their face and/or top of head–as if washing oneself in the warmth and blessings of the divine. I’ve watched it happen, but today, the lamp was offered to me. Of course, I knew what to do, but I was so taken by the fact that it was being presented to me for the first time that I hesitated. Then I took the warmth onto my palms, closed my eyes, and washed my face with the heat.
Another aspect of aarti is the prasad, food that has been blessed by first offering it to the deity(s). When given to devotees (a congregation) it becomes a sort of communion, only it tastes much better. This usually consists of fruits or nuts. When I was given the prasad, the irony of its sweetness and that which was shown to me by these people, did not escape me.
As we filed outside of the sanctuary to gather our shoes, a woman asked me about the nature of my visits to the temple. This had not happened often and soon, as I was answering her, I found myself surrounded by the teens from my class and other women from the temple. I told them about Project Conversion and how I’m trying to learn about different faiths and perspectives in order to serve as an example for others to learn. They were intrigued, happy and thankful that someone would take so much time and devote it to their way of life. It was a threshold crossing. After all this time among them and in practicing the faith in private, a connection was made. Their encouragement, thankfulness, and excitement for what I am doing validated my efforts and laid to rest any doubts that what I’m doing is in vain. While I am not a Hindu, they had embraced me.
I was overwhelmed with what was happening. Don’t get me wrong; at no time have I felt unwelcome at the temple, but I was an outsider–a foreign body, acknowledged as a visitor. But today–and perhaps it’s just me–I felt as if the beautiful gravity and warmth of these people, their culture, their religion, had finally captured me from the cold fringes of a wandering comet and brought me into their orbit as a satellite…finally accepted and at rest. I can tell you now that leaving this faith–these people–will be extremely difficult and oh so bittersweet.
So there you go. It was a little long-winded and off schedule, but this is what Project Conversion is all about. The month is almost over and I know now that every month will be this heart wrenching. Sure, it’s only been a month and a lot of detractors like to say that one month isn’t enough time to truly grasp a particular religion. This is true…but it is enough time to fall in love.
Namaste
Project Conversion: Hinduism/Day 22
Namaste everyone, and welcome back to Project Conversion. It’s hard to believe that we are in the final week of Project Conversion’s first month! As stated in the “About” page, each week of every month is split into the following categories:
Week One: Religious Practices, Worship, and Ritual
Week Two: Culture and Art
Week Three: Social Issues/Conflicts
Week Four: Personal Reflection on the Month
In week one I showed everyone how I lived day-to-day religiously as a Hindu, which includes vegetarianism, recitation (japa) of Shiva’s name, mantras, puja (ritual worship), reading of scripture (Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, etc.), and yoga. Week two was all about different artistic and cultural aspects of the faith. This was shown with interviews of yoga instructor/writer/musician Meeta Gajjar Parker, as well as articles on the use of sacred markings called tilak and artistic expressions of Shiva through paintings and sculpture. In week three we explored a few of the social issues challenging the Hindu community today. Professor Bharat Gajjar was kind enough to offer his experience and insight into the world of religious conflict in the form of competitive and epidemic conversions within India and abroad. We also talked about the controversial caste system.
Week four (which begins today) is where I soak in everything I’ve experienced and learned throughout the month and reflect upon the results. What have I learned? What new perspectives have I gained? Is there anything I would change if I could start over? What are my impressions of the faith now compared to the beginning of the month? What (if anything) will I take from the faith into the next month, or even the rest of my life?
These are questions that I will explore over the next few days as we wrap up our month on Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma). The answers to those questions will come toward the beginning of the week, followed a few days later by a short film I’ve compiled with interesting footage and images I’ve gathered during my journey into this ancient, colorful, and dynamic religious/philosophical tradition.
As always, I encourage all of you to express your views, comments, questions, and suggestions along the way. This isn’t just my journey, but one for all of us.
Namaste and I’ll see you soon!
Hinduism/Day 19: The Varnas (caste system)
The varnas, otherwise known in the West as the “caste” system, is probably the most controversial and villainized aspect in all of Indian culture and Hindu theology. Because Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) is such an ancient and integrated faith and way of life, one must be willing to peel back thousands of years of History, tradition, culture, and perspectives in order to glean the foundation of this social system that has come to be so reviled that its very usage is now illegal in modern India. I will briefly explore the varnas here, as well as deliver an introduction to their relevance from a scriptural basis and how the caste concept has evolved over the centuries.
Varnas or, “colors”, are designations to one’s social position based on a mixture of the three gunas, or physical/mental/emotional dispositions within them. These gunas are sattva (creative, inspiring, mentally quiet), rajas (restless, dynamic, fierce), and tamas (lazy, negligent, dull).
The Brahmanas
The Brahmanas are the intellectual and spiritual class, designated with the color white. Members of this group are more sattvik centered with a rajasik base and are charged with the spiritual and intellectual well-being of society.
The Kshatriyas
The Kshatriyas are the warrior, leader, and administrative class with a color designation of red. This class exhibits rajasik qualities with a sattvik base. Their duty is to protect and nurture society. The hero Arjuna of the Bhagavad Gita was a Kshatriya.
The Vaishya
The Vaisya are the tradesmen and business class of society, designated with the color brown. Members of this class possess rajasik qualities with a tamasik base. They are responsible for running society’s economic interests.
The Shudras
The Shudras are the laborers, designated black, and are charged with providing labor for society’s progress and well-being. They display tamasik qualities with a rajasik base.
There is another caste called the dalit or, “Untouchables.” This class was made infamous by such caste opponents as Mahatma Gandhi, who called for equality among the castes.
The Varnas in theology:
The earliest concept of a class-based society rose within the oral tradition of the Rig Veda, the oldest holy text within the Hindu tradition. Within, we receive an illustration of how these groups of men came to be:
The Brâhmana was his mouth, of both his arms was the Râjanya made. His thighs became the Vaishya, his feet became the Sûdra.
The “his” refers to Purusha or, the primordial man–cosmic soul. Others have interpreted this story to reflect Mankind as rising from the various parts of Brahma himself. Indeed, opponents of the caste system’s evolution into a rigid and limiting institution point out that if the classes in fact derived from Brahma himself, then all parts are equal and holy.
Interestingly enough, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita (“Song of the Lord”)…
Those desiring success in their actions worship the gods; through action in the world of mortals, their desires are quickly fulfilled. The distinctions of caste, guna, and karma have come from me. I am their cause, but I myself am changeless and beyond all action.
Because the Bhagavad Gita is a lesson in becoming one with the divine Self (in this case, Lord Krishna), Krishna is telling Arjuna that the eternal Self–the cosmic Cause that makes up our souls–is incorruptible and therefore transcends the varnas. Even the Brahmanas must climb to reach moksha–liberation, and therefore we are all equal.
From a social perspective, the varnas were classifications based on personal dispositions that, as a whole, created a balanced society in which everyone played a productive role.
The balance of the varnas, with Lord Krishna as the center (Cause).
Of course as Mankind often does, the original intent of a harmonious society became tainted by the ambitions and reinterpretations men placed on the meaning of the classes. The caste system as we’ve known it in recent history evolved into a rigid system of ascription in which that was virtually no hope of movement. One’s occupation and lifestyle was now a part of their genetics. Corrupt holy men rationalized this with twisted versions of karma and dharma. This new philosophy, designed to protect the lineage of the few and privileged, contradicts the scriptures in which Lord Krishna himself had been born a simple cowherd and other notable rishis (holy men) as well as avatars of Vishnu had traversed the classes based on effort and developed aptitude toward other occupations.
It would be unfair to point a finger at the Indian subcontinent for such abuses based on a warped view of scripture. Indeed, few religious or philosophical traditions are clean of the stain of atrocities justified by interpretation of holy writ. Our duty then is to dig into the muck and bring to light the true meaning behind these words within the context of their times of mention. Only with these insights, brought about by deep self-examination, will we be able to wash ourselves of the grim of prejudice based upon misguided and antiquated pretences. This is work left to only a few at present who have the courage to get their hands dirty. It seems then, that we would all do well to be an unclean ”Untouchable” from time to time after all.
Hinduism/ Week 3: Interview with Professor Bharat J. Gajjar
Day 14: Guest Artist Surprise!
Welcome back to Project Conversion: Hinduism!
Today is pretty special as we celebrate what appears to be a nice alignment of events. January 14th marks the beginning of Makar Sankranti, a time when Hindus celebrate the passage of the sun from the Sagittarius constellation into Capricorn. This event carries on with festivities lasting four days! More on that tomorrow as I visit the local temple for a closer look.
In the meantime, I thought we’d mark the end of our Arts and Culture Week of Hinduism with an art debut by my oldest daughter! She’s six years old, loves anything to do with the visual arts, and swears she wants to be a fashion designer. She gets a big kick out of watching me apply the sacred ash and bindi to my forehead. For Arts and Culture Week, she decided to sketch a rendition of the murti (image) I use for Shiva.
An image of my Shiva murti
My daughter's Shiva
Bravo! Thanks for helping Daddy out and sharing your work with us.
As a highly visual and expressive faith, Hinduism has a rich tradition of artistic depictions of the divine. Shiva himself is replete with color and symbolism. Here are a few samples of Shiva art:
The Nataraja Temple. Possibly the holiest temple to Shiva, it is said to house the eternal dance competition between Shiva and his consort, Parvati.
Large statue of Shiva at Kemp Fort, Bangalore
Shiva's most popular form is that of Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. This "dance" is one that represents the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction.
I’d watched and listened to this remix before, however once I began Project Conversion and learned more about Shiva’s dance, this video took on a whole new meaning. Watch and listen. One can see the “dance” in motion as stars are born with feiry brilliance, die, and thereafter sow the seeds for the next generation. Enjoy!
Vegetarianism: A Hindu Way of Life.
Around the world, followers of Santana Dharma (Hinduism) are recognized by a few conspicuous traits. One of those is the practice of ahimsa, the concept of non-violence. Because Hindus believe that everything that takes birth, ages, and dies has a soul it is considered a sin to kill animals. Thus the eating of flesh is frowned upon. Of course as with everything in Hinduism, the call for humanity to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle is delivered as a suggestion rather than a command. This is due to the concept of freedom of belief–of choice–within the faith. No, you won’t burn in hell forever for eating meat, but because of the law of karma (action-reaction, cause-effect) and samsara (rebirth or reincarnation), someone who killed a goat in this life could very well end up one in the next.
Each birth (until moksha, or liberation) is viewed as an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of a past life. Being born as a goat then would (in theory) help that soul sympathize with the plight of said creature, thus giving him the chance to erase the effects of his negative karma in the future. The food one selects to eat is also said to fall into one of three categories:
- Sattva
- Rajas
- Tamas
Sattva is the healthy stuff. This includes fruits, vegetables, rice, yogurt, and milk. Each food category is also associated with a type of energy which transfers from the food itself to the consumer. Sattva energy then is described as creating a tranquil, non-aggressive, and balanced person.
Rajas is your hot, spicy foods that are thought to create a passionate, authoritative, and aggressive nature.
Tamas foods include meat and overeating in general. This is the lowest and most negative form of energy and is associated with a sluggish, inactive, ignorant, and dull personality.
As with much of Sanatana Dharma, there are exceptions and variants–even with the concept of the vegetarian lifestyle. The caste system in Hinduism (the original one that resulted from one’s choosing and disposition, not ascription via birth) recognizes a society as being one of four parts: the priests or teachers, the warriors, the merchants, and the workers. Because warriors need to be aggressive and apathetic toward their enemies, it is acceptable and encouraged for them to partake of both rajas and tamas varieties of food.
There are obvious health benefits to living a vegetarian lifestyle. By doing so, you help stop animal cruelty through the butchering process. An animal raised for food often leads a painful, short, and terrified life of darkness and torment. Vegetables also hoard less (if any) unhealthy fats and hormonal additives that meat is notorious for. Eating vegetarian also places less strain on the environment. Eating meat involves feeding animals grain (unnatural in most species) and therefore twice as much land and fossil fuels are consumed in just raising the animals, butchering them, and transporting them through each phase. The vegetarian lifestyle translates into a direct from field to consumer transaction–especially when this includes locally grown produce.
As I mentioned, vegetarianism within the Hindu faith is a choice, not a commandment. Hinduism places a high value on individual choice. Your karma is your own, and no one–not god or your priest–can intrude upon the law of cause and effect. I chose to live as a vegetarian during my Hindu month and I can honestly say that I feel 100% healthier and have a more tranquil, peaceful outlook. In fact, I might just keep this going.
Namaste.
Hinduism: Week Two: Sacred Marks
Hinduism is a faith defined by a rich tradition of artistic fluency dating back for millenia. In light of this, nothing–even the gods themselves–are what they seem. Manifold layers of meaning are embedded in everything from a simple hand gesture to an image of Shiva. One of Hinduism’s (and in fact India’s) most popular and best recognized symbols is that of the tilak and bindi.
The tilak and bindi are marks of auspiciousness placed on the forehead between the eyebrows. This area is said to be the location of the Ajna Chakra where spiritual knowledge and focus is said to derive. A cooling effect given off by the drying of the ash, sandal paste, or kumkum treats the heat generated in the Ajna Chakra by meditation. In fact, when a devotee reaches moksha (liberation) the Ajna Chakra is the window through which enlightenment is viewed through.
These marks come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. For religious purposes there are three basic forms: Devotees of Shiva apply sacred ash (bhasma, or vibhuti) in three horizontal lines across the forehead called the tripundra, devotees of Vishnu place a fingertip-sized dot of sandal paste on the Ajna Chakra (and sometimes a single, vertical line), while worshipers of Shakti or Devi use the iconic red sindoor or kumkum paste for the bindi spot.
The three horizontal lines of the tripundra generally represent purification, rejuvenation, and destruction. The red talik (or bindi) is the symbol of Shiva's consort, Shakti, and thus the combination of these two signifies their union.
Over the centuries the bindi has served as both a symbol of Shakti, the seat of wisdom/inspiration, and the mark of betrothal. It is a misconception that only married women wear the bindi, however as a wife, a woman bearing this mark has taken up her place as guardian of her family’s welfare and progeny. She is in effect taking on the role of Shakti, the manifestation of power and energy (particularly creative) in the household.
Indian woman wearing the bindi
The bindi in particular has undergone a cultural revolution of sorts over the last century and now also serves as a fashion statement alongside its religious counterpart. Bindis now use elaborate crystals, gemstones, colored felt, and adhesive paper designs to adorn the foreheads of their wearers. Many celebrities such as Julia Roberts and Gwen Stefani have been seen wearing the bindi, bringing the ancient mark more and more into the mainstream of pop culture.
So there is your introduction into the world of sacred Hindu marks. Like all of Sanatana Dharma, there is much, much more beneath the surface of this deep and ancient tradition. Many people practice the use of holy symbology in numerous ways, including its very application. Hopefully this intro will lead you delve more deeply into the world of this sacred and beautiful art.
Namaste
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Hinduism category.
-
Project Conversion in the News
-
In the News
-
Follow Me!