I have attached a link to an essay I wrote for my mandir (religious place of worship) about science and spirituality, two concepts that are very dear to me. Take a look:
http://www.fhosm.com/2011/03/14/science-and-religion/
Showing posts with label Interfaith connectedness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interfaith connectedness. Show all posts
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Spirituality?
2011: Earlier in the night, I was asked to contribute to an ongoing posting on our mandir's new webpage. It is supposed to be about anything spiritual, opinionated or otherwise. I am not sure if my opinion will carry any weight or if it matters even but I have already given my word to contribute.
This leaves me now with the question, "what shall I write about?" I guess I have been in a sort of limbo lately. I am not so sure that I should be the one to write about spirituality. To write and expect people to read your opinion is somewhat presumptuous and i guess this was a major reason for privatizing my blog. I wasn't too sure I wanted to share my thoughts with the world anymore. See, I am at a point where I am not too happy with the way I worship and I am experimenting with ways to achieve that communion. I may be saying a series of prayers like I was taught from since I was young, then all of a sudden I get quiet and I stay still. It alternates. Sometimes, I chant.
Either way, I am a little bit....
2013: As you can see, I never finished this post. Nor do I even remember where I left off.
This leaves me now with the question, "what shall I write about?" I guess I have been in a sort of limbo lately. I am not so sure that I should be the one to write about spirituality. To write and expect people to read your opinion is somewhat presumptuous and i guess this was a major reason for privatizing my blog. I wasn't too sure I wanted to share my thoughts with the world anymore. See, I am at a point where I am not too happy with the way I worship and I am experimenting with ways to achieve that communion. I may be saying a series of prayers like I was taught from since I was young, then all of a sudden I get quiet and I stay still. It alternates. Sometimes, I chant.
Either way, I am a little bit....
2013: As you can see, I never finished this post. Nor do I even remember where I left off.
Monday, March 12, 2012
spiritual crossroads
I am not sure what is going on in my head but a few weeks ago, the thought came to my head that i was in need of spiritual advancement. I feel as if i am frustrated now. i am at a point where i need to find a pathway and i am seeing it but cannot get there fast enough. it is the frustration that keeps you awake at night in the silence. Not sure what needs to be done but i do not want to lose the feeling of what is beneath the surface. I feel as if i am someone walking on a lake that is iced over and i am seeing what is beneath but i cannot get under.
I have been repeating a the lines of Adishankara, "chidananda roopam shivoham shivoham" over and over in my head and i think i am ready to learn more and move ahead. I pray that i don't lose this feeling. with it, i feel satisfied and contented. imagine that, the mere thought of becoming closer makes one happy! the prevailing thought is that all else does not matter.
on another note, i was speaking to a friend the other day about the feeling of contentment and she said that it may not really exist because of the lower levels of maslow's hierarchy and human yearning to fulfill those levels does not allow for contentment. for a while, i wondered if being of Hindu heritage made contentment a possibility minus Maslow. my only answer was to state that i may be the exception to the rule that makes every psychologist's world less than perfect. or another reasoning was that there were not many things i needed to accomplish and i had already climbed my ladder.
I have been repeating a the lines of Adishankara, "chidananda roopam shivoham shivoham" over and over in my head and i think i am ready to learn more and move ahead. I pray that i don't lose this feeling. with it, i feel satisfied and contented. imagine that, the mere thought of becoming closer makes one happy! the prevailing thought is that all else does not matter.
on another note, i was speaking to a friend the other day about the feeling of contentment and she said that it may not really exist because of the lower levels of maslow's hierarchy and human yearning to fulfill those levels does not allow for contentment. for a while, i wondered if being of Hindu heritage made contentment a possibility minus Maslow. my only answer was to state that i may be the exception to the rule that makes every psychologist's world less than perfect. or another reasoning was that there were not many things i needed to accomplish and i had already climbed my ladder.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Goals
In 2000, I made a promise to myself after reading Autobiography of a Yogi, that I would visit California and see the Pacific from the very same spot that Yoganandaji saw it. It was something that remained on my mind throughout all of my traveling and yet, it was forgotten until I planned this trip this summer. At the back of my mind, I knew that even though we were going to Las Vegas, we would definitely come to California this time. Somewhere, sometime in the six years that Ami and I have been together, I realized Ami listened to my rantings about seeing the Pacific because he was all for it. Although I spoke about the SRF and Yoganandaji many times though, I guess I never told him that the SRF was in California and in my ignorance, I did not realize that Encinitas was on the way to San Diego so going there was at the back of my mind.
Today, we were heading to the US/Mexican border for the heck of it because we were a little disappointed with walking on Hollywood Blvd. yesterday. The star walk was a little too dirty to be called a star walk and Ami and I found ourselves wondering about how honorable it really was. Probably just another thing that is blown out of proportion, Hollywood style. Either way, we were just driving and I saw the sign saying Encinitas and I remembered it from the book. If anyone visits Encinitas, the SRF is a little bit of a tourist attraction. The gardens are absolutely beautiful and perfect for quiet contemplation. Without intending it, I realized one of the major goals in my life today. Maybe it was the law of attraction at work...who knows? Either way, a promise made 9 years ago, came through today and it was every bit as I imagined it to be.
Today, we were heading to the US/Mexican border for the heck of it because we were a little disappointed with walking on Hollywood Blvd. yesterday. The star walk was a little too dirty to be called a star walk and Ami and I found ourselves wondering about how honorable it really was. Probably just another thing that is blown out of proportion, Hollywood style. Either way, we were just driving and I saw the sign saying Encinitas and I remembered it from the book. If anyone visits Encinitas, the SRF is a little bit of a tourist attraction. The gardens are absolutely beautiful and perfect for quiet contemplation. Without intending it, I realized one of the major goals in my life today. Maybe it was the law of attraction at work...who knows? Either way, a promise made 9 years ago, came through today and it was every bit as I imagined it to be.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Navraatri, Ramlila and Divali Preparations
A few weeks ago, I completed my ten day fast. The few people who heard about my fast wanted to know if I was crazy. Several people even ventured out to say that "my God must be a demanding kind of God to want this from me." The beauty of this is that nothing is demanded in Hinduism.....maybe suggested, even recommended, but never demanded. Your life is not damned. I related Krsna's words to Arjuna, "There is no unforgivable sin or sinner" to Dostoevsky's idea of one onion and the river of Hell. If anything, you build some kind of discipline from fasting. Food is something people will not readily give up...Not food but the taste of food.
While I fasted, my kids were inquisitive. Several of my students wanted to know what cranberries mixed with unsalted peanuts tasted like. They asked about my sweetened pineapples and about my dislike for raisins. Most of them did not know I was fasting but they established in their minds that their teacher had a wierd kind of diet.
My fast ended on the day after the worship of the nine girls. It was a successful one. I guess the key is to be mentally prepared for it and take it one day at a time. Even now, I am preparing for the other fast in March of next year when we celebrate Navraatri again.
Once again we heard the Ramayana and we remembered Ramlila as we saw it in Trinidad when we were little. It is hard to remember festivals when you live in a country where people work everyday but this time, I think I am excited for Divali. Maybe it is the thought of the last Divali I will spend in my parent's house but I am definitely excited. I was telling Ami that for us, it is such a wonderful day. Last year, after we had decorated the house with the diyas, for a fleeting instant I felt as if we were citizens of Ayodhya who had lined the streets with the very same clay diyas awaiting their king and queen's return. I know that at Christmas time, i will feel the same way when I think of a special day set aside for the world to recognize the birth of a supersoul but for this week, I am happy. The kind of nervous happy that you feel when something good is about to happen. Divali will be celebrated on Friday.
While I fasted, my kids were inquisitive. Several of my students wanted to know what cranberries mixed with unsalted peanuts tasted like. They asked about my sweetened pineapples and about my dislike for raisins. Most of them did not know I was fasting but they established in their minds that their teacher had a wierd kind of diet.
My fast ended on the day after the worship of the nine girls. It was a successful one. I guess the key is to be mentally prepared for it and take it one day at a time. Even now, I am preparing for the other fast in March of next year when we celebrate Navraatri again.
Once again we heard the Ramayana and we remembered Ramlila as we saw it in Trinidad when we were little. It is hard to remember festivals when you live in a country where people work everyday but this time, I think I am excited for Divali. Maybe it is the thought of the last Divali I will spend in my parent's house but I am definitely excited. I was telling Ami that for us, it is such a wonderful day. Last year, after we had decorated the house with the diyas, for a fleeting instant I felt as if we were citizens of Ayodhya who had lined the streets with the very same clay diyas awaiting their king and queen's return. I know that at Christmas time, i will feel the same way when I think of a special day set aside for the world to recognize the birth of a supersoul but for this week, I am happy. The kind of nervous happy that you feel when something good is about to happen. Divali will be celebrated on Friday.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Finding interfaith similarities
Before the world was created, the Self
Alone existed; nothing whatever stirred.
Then the Self thought: "Let me create the world."
He brought forth all the worlds out of himself:
Ambhas, high above the sky; Marichi,
The sky; Mara, the middle region that is earth;
And Apa, the realm of waters below.
-Aitareya Upanishad
King James Bible:
John: 1.1
In the Beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
Parallels with the book of Genesis.
This is sooooo cool!
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Festivities, etc.
This morning, my mom came with a handful of baby powder in her hand and she went about the house pasting it on our faces saying "happy phagwa" and kissing us then asking us to do the same for her. So I played phagwa with my mom. It was her version of celebrating phagwa since no one had the chance to buy abeer or even the powder. It worked though. After my mom, nan and i were done playing in the house, my mom and I went outside where Vin was potting a little plant and I emptied baby powder all over his head, forcing him to take another shower in less than one hour. He did not expect it at all! Even with a little bottle of baby powder, we celebrated our Hindu new year. Believe me, we can improvise! Later on my mom made a whole bunch of fried foods---pholorie nah! (which my dad enjoyed immensely--he took his lunch break to come home and have it while it was still hot) and chutney to go along with it. The chutney was the best! It was really hot but i guess my mom put some sugar in it to make it less sour and that was all i needed to eat. Not that I like peppery stuff because it makes you eat more than usual. Just the same, this kept me eating until I had to remind myself that the pholorie was deep fried.
Later on, at work, I felt sad because my coworker's boyfriend left for Iraq and she was scheduled to work when his flight was supposed to take off. He came to see her on her lunch break--only a half hour--and when she came back she was crying and I just stood there for a while, looking at her and totally unsure of what to do. It was awkward. At first I tried telling her that he would come back safely and that it was going to be a short time but then I thought of myself and how I would react to someone giving me that same advice. I thought of how hard it is when I do not see Ami for a day and I decided to stop talking. I guess the last thing she wanted was to hear anyone say that he will be back because the point is that he was leaving and going into a war zone. I really wanted to say, "F*&k the A*&hole who put us into this 'war!'" This is different from just a regular trip. I mean, there are uncertainties everywhere, no matter what the situation is but sometimes I still wonder if this 'war' in Iraq is just. Finally, I hugged her and just let her cry until she was finished reasoning with her thoughts. I do not know how she did it but she made a quick comeback and together, we were able to close at 229% today. She is a strong girl and I guess all you can do in a situation like that is be positive and hope that some of the positivity transfers over to the other person. And at the end of the night, my coworker was able to smile again and look a little better even if she wasn't feeling a hundred percent better.
Oh, I've forgotten to mention..I have been getting recommendations from parents to other parents about getting their baby's ears pierced by me. The first time a parent came, i did not believe that i was the one who the other parent had described until the lady related what the parent told her about the location of the store. She said that the girl had long dark hair. I said well that must be my coworker. The lady was adamant that it was not my coworker and I was certain that it was not me until she got tired of beating around the bush and finally she said that the person who she was told about was Indian. Then I realized that it was me. Really, I do not think i am great at piercing but I like doing it a lot and if i like something, I will put all my attention into it. As a scientist, I get to practice my sterile techniques. I suppose that is what makes the difference though.
I've started reading a new book. I will blog on this in another post though. Actually, like some of my other friends, I've been doing a lot more reading and less blogging. however, I've begun to make notes on the margins of my book so I will dedicate my next blog to Russian Literature and my love for Fyodor Dostoevsky's novels.
Later on, at work, I felt sad because my coworker's boyfriend left for Iraq and she was scheduled to work when his flight was supposed to take off. He came to see her on her lunch break--only a half hour--and when she came back she was crying and I just stood there for a while, looking at her and totally unsure of what to do. It was awkward. At first I tried telling her that he would come back safely and that it was going to be a short time but then I thought of myself and how I would react to someone giving me that same advice. I thought of how hard it is when I do not see Ami for a day and I decided to stop talking. I guess the last thing she wanted was to hear anyone say that he will be back because the point is that he was leaving and going into a war zone. I really wanted to say, "F*&k the A*&hole who put us into this 'war!'" This is different from just a regular trip. I mean, there are uncertainties everywhere, no matter what the situation is but sometimes I still wonder if this 'war' in Iraq is just. Finally, I hugged her and just let her cry until she was finished reasoning with her thoughts. I do not know how she did it but she made a quick comeback and together, we were able to close at 229% today. She is a strong girl and I guess all you can do in a situation like that is be positive and hope that some of the positivity transfers over to the other person. And at the end of the night, my coworker was able to smile again and look a little better even if she wasn't feeling a hundred percent better.
Oh, I've forgotten to mention..I have been getting recommendations from parents to other parents about getting their baby's ears pierced by me. The first time a parent came, i did not believe that i was the one who the other parent had described until the lady related what the parent told her about the location of the store. She said that the girl had long dark hair. I said well that must be my coworker. The lady was adamant that it was not my coworker and I was certain that it was not me until she got tired of beating around the bush and finally she said that the person who she was told about was Indian. Then I realized that it was me. Really, I do not think i am great at piercing but I like doing it a lot and if i like something, I will put all my attention into it. As a scientist, I get to practice my sterile techniques. I suppose that is what makes the difference though.
I've started reading a new book. I will blog on this in another post though. Actually, like some of my other friends, I've been doing a lot more reading and less blogging. however, I've begun to make notes on the margins of my book so I will dedicate my next blog to Russian Literature and my love for Fyodor Dostoevsky's novels.
Happy Holi!
To all my fellow Hindus, happy Holi/ Phagwa. Hope this new year brings much good fortune and happiness to you!
This time, i will not be able to take part in the festivities like I did last year. I have been a little bit busy with work and regrettably, I will not be at home for the fun part of it. I must say, of all our festivals, this is the best one for me. It is a festival where you feel the joy in the atmosphere. You just know it is a special day. Something like that.
Tonight, I saw what has to be the most hilarious movie i have seen in a long, long time. If you are looking for a good laugh, "Wild Hogs" is the movie to see. There is clean humor and nothing very offensive like in so-called comedies today, "Norbit" and "Borat," for example. John Travolta rocks even now! I guess he's one of my favorites and I didn't realize that until just now. I will watch any movie he acts in and I have watched "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever" so many times that I have almost memorized the scenes and most of the dialogue. John Travolta has charisma....and he can still dance really well. There were some places in the movie tonight where you could see some hints of "Saturday Night Fever" and that very famous walk when the Beegees sang "Stayin' Alive." I even got Ami talking about actually sitting down to watch John Travolta do the famous dance in "Saturday Night Fever. " That's after I told him all about Danny Zuko in "Grease."
Without giving too much of the movie away, "Wild Hogs" is as you guessed it, is about the American Biker culture and about these four suburban, middle-aged guys who decide to ride cross country from Ohio to the Pacific. The movie is funny from beginning 'til end. Believe me, it makes you want to go out and buy a Harley and ride cross-country yourself!
I've gotten the cold again. Seems as if that happens too often now and this time, I've taken more medicine in two days than I've ever taken. At least the worst of it is gone now and I didn't let it prevent me from seeing a really good movie!
This time, i will not be able to take part in the festivities like I did last year. I have been a little bit busy with work and regrettably, I will not be at home for the fun part of it. I must say, of all our festivals, this is the best one for me. It is a festival where you feel the joy in the atmosphere. You just know it is a special day. Something like that.
Tonight, I saw what has to be the most hilarious movie i have seen in a long, long time. If you are looking for a good laugh, "Wild Hogs" is the movie to see. There is clean humor and nothing very offensive like in so-called comedies today, "Norbit" and "Borat," for example. John Travolta rocks even now! I guess he's one of my favorites and I didn't realize that until just now. I will watch any movie he acts in and I have watched "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever" so many times that I have almost memorized the scenes and most of the dialogue. John Travolta has charisma....and he can still dance really well. There were some places in the movie tonight where you could see some hints of "Saturday Night Fever" and that very famous walk when the Beegees sang "Stayin' Alive." I even got Ami talking about actually sitting down to watch John Travolta do the famous dance in "Saturday Night Fever. " That's after I told him all about Danny Zuko in "Grease."
Without giving too much of the movie away, "Wild Hogs" is as you guessed it, is about the American Biker culture and about these four suburban, middle-aged guys who decide to ride cross country from Ohio to the Pacific. The movie is funny from beginning 'til end. Believe me, it makes you want to go out and buy a Harley and ride cross-country yourself!
I've gotten the cold again. Seems as if that happens too often now and this time, I've taken more medicine in two days than I've ever taken. At least the worst of it is gone now and I didn't let it prevent me from seeing a really good movie!
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Why God Never Received Tenure at Any University (a funny)
1. He only had one major publication.
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references.
4. It wasn't published in a referred journal.
5. Some even doubt He wrote it Himself.
6. It may be true that He created the world, but what has He done since then?
7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
8. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating His results.
9. He never applied to the Ethics Board for permission to use human subjects.
10. When one experiment went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects.
11. When subjects didn't behave as predicted, He deleted them from the sample.
12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.
13. Some say He had His son teach the class.
14. He expelled His first two students for learning.
15. Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed His tests.
16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountaintop.
-Taken from my daily jokes at Beliefnet.com
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references.
4. It wasn't published in a referred journal.
5. Some even doubt He wrote it Himself.
6. It may be true that He created the world, but what has He done since then?
7. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
8. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating His results.
9. He never applied to the Ethics Board for permission to use human subjects.
10. When one experiment went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects.
11. When subjects didn't behave as predicted, He deleted them from the sample.
12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the book.
13. Some say He had His son teach the class.
14. He expelled His first two students for learning.
15. Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed His tests.
16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountaintop.
-Taken from my daily jokes at Beliefnet.com
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Easter...and the passion of Christ
Well it's amazing how a solemn weekend like this becomes a weekend of egg hunts and a bunny that hides eggs. For many, it is about telling their kids that easter is a celebration of spring and the bunny and pastel colors.....really now! everywhere you go, you will see a bunch of cakes made in the shape of eggs and painted in dainty pastel colors and you will see all of the major supermarkets and of course, walmart capitalizing on the day.
for me, i guess the color i will most associate with easter is red. red for the passion and for the blood of Christ. i've suggested that furgie should read the four gospels. there are some really ispirational parables...especially in Luke. my favorite is the parable of the prodigal son. it reminds me of what the soul really is and it ties in fully with our hindu scriptures. that is another thing...the words of Christ in the gospels are very closely tied in with hindu scriptures. there is not one show about Jesus on tv except for the spanish stations and i am too lazy to put on the closed caption to follow the dialogue. so far, i have not heard anyone say anything about the passion nor has anyone mentioned any of the four gospels. maybe people do not like to talk about it because of the fear that they may offend someone so we settle on something common...like the bunny. after all, we are a country that holds back what is really in our hearts for the fear of not being politically correct.
and as for the "Passion of Christ," i really believe that the best film capturing this was an old one, "King of Kings." actually, it went through the story of Christ then ended in the trial and resurrection. i remember watching that one when i was really young, before i knew the true story of Christ and i remember crying buckets. for a long time, it bothered me, especially the part where Jesus stumbled while carrying the cross. for me, it was even worse than the part where he was nailed to the cross or where the crown of thorns were placed on his head. mel gibson's film was a little violent.....maybe it was what really happened....but i preferred "King of Kings."
and on another note...another one i will always watch is "The Ten Commandments" in eastman color.
for me, i guess the color i will most associate with easter is red. red for the passion and for the blood of Christ. i've suggested that furgie should read the four gospels. there are some really ispirational parables...especially in Luke. my favorite is the parable of the prodigal son. it reminds me of what the soul really is and it ties in fully with our hindu scriptures. that is another thing...the words of Christ in the gospels are very closely tied in with hindu scriptures. there is not one show about Jesus on tv except for the spanish stations and i am too lazy to put on the closed caption to follow the dialogue. so far, i have not heard anyone say anything about the passion nor has anyone mentioned any of the four gospels. maybe people do not like to talk about it because of the fear that they may offend someone so we settle on something common...like the bunny. after all, we are a country that holds back what is really in our hearts for the fear of not being politically correct.
and as for the "Passion of Christ," i really believe that the best film capturing this was an old one, "King of Kings." actually, it went through the story of Christ then ended in the trial and resurrection. i remember watching that one when i was really young, before i knew the true story of Christ and i remember crying buckets. for a long time, it bothered me, especially the part where Jesus stumbled while carrying the cross. for me, it was even worse than the part where he was nailed to the cross or where the crown of thorns were placed on his head. mel gibson's film was a little violent.....maybe it was what really happened....but i preferred "King of Kings."
and on another note...another one i will always watch is "The Ten Commandments" in eastman color.
The Wonders of God
A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!" he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not. Along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his joy. The boy replied with a bright laugh, "Don't you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle."The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy, and began to try to open his eyes to the "realities" behind the miracles of the Bible. "That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10-inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across." The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible lying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to go. Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation. "Wow!" Exclaimed the boy happily, "God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!"
Taken from my online religious jokes at Beliefnet.com.....
just thought that it would be suitable for Easter.....well, kinda!
Taken from my online religious jokes at Beliefnet.com.....
just thought that it would be suitable for Easter.....well, kinda!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Jai Bajrang Bali Hanuman!
Over the weekend, furgie and i were discussing Hanuman puja and its popularity in Trinidad. He is one diety that is always worshipped by almost all trinidadians. Nan said maybe that will explain why Trinidad is so protected......I must agree.
In Trinidad, we pray to Lord Hanuman for strength, courage, protection and the ability to discriminate right from wrong. We honor Him for his loyalty to Shri Raam. Finally, we look up to Him as the ideal devotee. In many Hindu homes in Trinidad, there is a picture of L. Hanuman above the front entrance of the house. There are many Hindus who observe fasting on Saturday mornings because of the belief that prayer to Hanuman on Saturday will remove the ill effects of Saturn/Shani. And me...in my own way...i try to wake up early on saturday mornings (note the emphasis on the word 'try') and say a prayer to Hanumanji before the morning is done.
Today we celebrated Hanuman Jayanti-the birth of Lord Hanuman. He is really Lord Shiva but for many of us, He has a special place in our worship. The entire atmosphere of the mandir was charged. We (furgie and I) arrived there at 6:30 am and joined in the puja and havan (offerings, etc.) and at 8:00, we began chanting the Hanuman Chalisa for 108 times. The chanting began slowly and went very quickly in the middle then we ended slowly. Furgie and i led most of the fast chanting because many of the people could not go as quickly without eating up the words. Well now, furgie can barely talk! my voice is alright though. by the time we reached the last chalisa and the arti, we were dancing/swaying...whatever you call it. everyone was totally engrossed in the worship.
Later on, we reflected about the day. It was a working day for most people and yet, there was a steady stream of people. some people took their lunch break and whoever had school came before or after and did their worship. it was a truly beautiful thing to see my fellow trinis show up and even more, take time from their jobs/busy schedules to pay homage to Lord Hanuman. An indian lady who comes to our mandir told us that it was nice to see that people came with their little children and stayed for the entire day. i never thought of it but yes, there were many kids there...and none of them were crying! not even the babies.
so the question was why would i take a complete day off from work for this?...nan told me that i must have really been into this because i gave up working with Laila to go to the mandir. Well, initially, i did wonder about how Laila would manage alone but the mandir was fun too. I enjoyed it...and i remember how i felt after last year's chanting. the feeling lasts for the entire year...and that is something i am willing to skip one day of work for. the magic of it stays with you.
The picture below is based on a scene from the Ramayana (Kishkinda Kand) where Lord Raam and Hanumaan officially meet and they embrace each other. Really, it is the meeting of L. Vishnu with L. Shiva. One of my favorites....kudos to the artist for the emotion in this picture!
In Trinidad, we pray to Lord Hanuman for strength, courage, protection and the ability to discriminate right from wrong. We honor Him for his loyalty to Shri Raam. Finally, we look up to Him as the ideal devotee. In many Hindu homes in Trinidad, there is a picture of L. Hanuman above the front entrance of the house. There are many Hindus who observe fasting on Saturday mornings because of the belief that prayer to Hanuman on Saturday will remove the ill effects of Saturn/Shani. And me...in my own way...i try to wake up early on saturday mornings (note the emphasis on the word 'try') and say a prayer to Hanumanji before the morning is done.
Today we celebrated Hanuman Jayanti-the birth of Lord Hanuman. He is really Lord Shiva but for many of us, He has a special place in our worship. The entire atmosphere of the mandir was charged. We (furgie and I) arrived there at 6:30 am and joined in the puja and havan (offerings, etc.) and at 8:00, we began chanting the Hanuman Chalisa for 108 times. The chanting began slowly and went very quickly in the middle then we ended slowly. Furgie and i led most of the fast chanting because many of the people could not go as quickly without eating up the words. Well now, furgie can barely talk! my voice is alright though. by the time we reached the last chalisa and the arti, we were dancing/swaying...whatever you call it. everyone was totally engrossed in the worship.
Later on, we reflected about the day. It was a working day for most people and yet, there was a steady stream of people. some people took their lunch break and whoever had school came before or after and did their worship. it was a truly beautiful thing to see my fellow trinis show up and even more, take time from their jobs/busy schedules to pay homage to Lord Hanuman. An indian lady who comes to our mandir told us that it was nice to see that people came with their little children and stayed for the entire day. i never thought of it but yes, there were many kids there...and none of them were crying! not even the babies.
so the question was why would i take a complete day off from work for this?...nan told me that i must have really been into this because i gave up working with Laila to go to the mandir. Well, initially, i did wonder about how Laila would manage alone but the mandir was fun too. I enjoyed it...and i remember how i felt after last year's chanting. the feeling lasts for the entire year...and that is something i am willing to skip one day of work for. the magic of it stays with you.
The picture below is based on a scene from the Ramayana (Kishkinda Kand) where Lord Raam and Hanumaan officially meet and they embrace each other. Really, it is the meeting of L. Vishnu with L. Shiva. One of my favorites....kudos to the artist for the emotion in this picture!
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Phagwa/Holi 2006
this year, we celebrated phagwa on wednesday. it was too late on tuesday night so we just thought since the whole family was home on wednesday, we would celebrate then. vin really likes playing too. he was so happy when he found out that i went ahead and bought the abeer. i guess he misses these festivities more than we do and i figured that we could have played it anyway. on wednesday though, vin started a new job and we didnt get to celebrate with him.
nan and my mom cooked while i mixed the abeer. since my last adventure with cooking, no one has asked me to make any food in over a week. i am happy. so my job was just to mix the abeer. i didnt know that it was that concentrated though and instead of being blue, it remained so dark blue that it looked black. so nan and i played. she really got me good. i started out in a white t-shirt and blue track pants and ended up unreconizably black from head to toe. it's saturday now and my feet are still blue. been hiding them in sneakers lately and it's really getting to be a hassle searching for socks in my room!
after all the festivities, nan and i had to scrub the blue off the wall with clorox and some other cleaners that my dad kept outside. nan, being as smart as she is, threw the abir on the wall and on me. so we had the whole floor of the back yard the same color as we were.... my mom came outside and we played with her a little. we only used the powder on her and my dad though. she didn't really want to be too much into the celebrations so we respected that.
we were trying to get the color off us. my mom told us to stay outside because we would have gotten the color all through the house. she gave us a bar of soap. a little while after, she got my dad to put on the hose for us and then she came back with a shampoo, two towels and a pot scrubber!!!! talk about exfoliating!!! my skin is still recovering.....=0(
but it's worth the trouble.....this is too much fun. if anyone passing by had seen me and nan, they would have wanted to join...maybe the looney bin would have had us instutionalized because we were dancing too. nan said i should patent my moves for 'rang barse!' we had a good laugh looking at the video we made after. anyone watching would think that we were really drunk.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
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