Your deities?

[Samurai Mountain man]

Worshiping isn't how I roll.

[Stosh]

Are you too young to appreciate Bo Derek?

[Songtsan]

Worshiping isn't how I roll.

 

everyone should worship themselves though....this is how one generates extreme bliss. I don't mean in a narcissistic way...but as a way of adoring reality itself, which we are.

[Marblehead]

...but as a way of adoring reality itself, which we are.

Worthy of emphasis.

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Devotion has never been something I've focused on or thought I would have, but I've been finding myself having much more devotion and reverence for the Noble Ones, their teachings, advanced cultivators, and Buddha-nature.

 

I wouldn't say I worship. Chanting mantras and prostrating sometimes is more a humility exercise for me, and a way to calm the mind, purify some chi, and focus my desire to uncover my OWN Buddha-nature.

 

But I recognise the value of teachings as pointing ways to something vast and priceless which is latent within myself, and respect greatly beings who have uncovered it to any significant degree. Sometimes I am just in profound awe and great reverence to the great teachers and their teachings.

 

It's not possible not to have some devotion really, while recognising the flaws of samsara and the ineffable awesome nature of Tao realisation to even the tiny extent I do.

 

So wisdom and devotion really do go hand in hand... an idea that I used to scoff at.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Seeker of the Self

[Jainarayan]

Devotion has never been something I've focused on or thought I would have, but I've been finding myself having much more devotion and reverence for the Noble Ones, their teachings, advanced cultivators, and Buddha-nature.

 

I wouldn't say I worship. Chanting mantras and prostrating sometimes is more a humility exercise for me, and a way to calm the mind, purify some chi, and focus my desire to uncover my OWN Buddha-nature.

 

But I recognise the value of teachings as pointing ways to something vast and priceless which is latent within myself, and respect greatly beings who have uncovered it to any significant degree. Sometimes I am just in profound awe and great reverence to the great teachers and their teachings.

 

It's not possible not to have some devotion really, while recognising the flaws of samsara and the ineffable awesome nature of Tao realisation to even the tiny extent I do.

 

So wisdom and devotion really do go hand in hand... an idea that I used to scoff at.

 

Disclaimer, first things first: Let all forgive me if I seem condescending in making and explaining Hindu references that you all may already know. I don't know who does and who doesn't, and it's the frame of reference I'm most familiar with. So do excuse me and my sermons.

 

I'm in agreement with Seeker of the Self. There's something call antharyagam puja, "internal worship". I have a cute story about it involving Krishna and someone proud of his devotion to Shiva; there is another one of in his four-armed Vishnu form and another self-righteous devotee. I won't go into it unless someone wants to read them. The point of them is that they are lessons in "less is more".

 

I'm not one for great shows of worship or ritual either. My daily practice (when I do it ) is 1/2 hour of chanting prayers and mantras (in my flawed Sanskrit ), lighting oil lamps and/or candles and incense; putting offerings of water and a sweet, and maybe a few minutes of meditation. But at almost other times, I try to be mindful. There's a saying that God is more pleased with the person who sees God in the humblest and poorest person, than with the person who sees God only in a temple. Service to other sentient beings is the best worship one can give.

[Marblehead]

There is a Taoist (Chuang Tzu) story of parent death mourning that speaks to this as well.

[Jainarayan]

I recently got a copy of Chuang Tzu. It's on my backlogged reading list.

[Songtsan]

Worthy of emphasis.

 

thats one of the reasons why I like the Hong Sau mantra - "I am it." or "I am he." or "I am God" (for men at least...)..It acknowledges that one is all of creation and divinity itself. That one is indeed the divine.

[Marblehead]

I wouldn't use those kinds of words but I do understand what you are saying.

[Jainarayan]

thats one of the reasons why I like the Hong Sau mantra - "I am it." or "I am he." or "I am God" (for men at least...)..It acknowledges that one is all of creation and divinity itself. That one is indeed the divine.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Hong Sau = 'aham sa'? There is the 'soham' mantra also, a variation on it meaning "I am he", i.e. aham brahmasmi = "I am brahman".

[Songtsan]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Hong Sau = 'aham sa'? There is the 'soham' mantra also, a variation on it meaning "I am he", i.e. aham brahmasmi = "I am brahman".

 

yep - basically synonymous you can even reverse the order Sauhong, very similar to So ham...basically in Tibet I think 'm's are pronounced with 'ng' instead...its exactly the same...I like the 'ng' sound is why i use it over so ham

[Jainarayan]

Yep, even in Sanskrit the gam of om gam ganapataye namaha is often pronounced gun or gung (nasalized). So here again we have a refutation of the "uppitiness" of the Sanskrit purists who say those pronunciations render a mantra or stotram useless. I know... I'm like a pitbull and don't let go.

[Songtsan]

Yep, even in Sanskrit the gam of om gam ganapataye namaha is often pronounced gun or gung (nasalized). So here again we have a refutation of the "uppitiness" of the Sanskrit purists who say those pronunciations render a mantra or stotram useless. I know... I'm like a pitbull and don't let go.

 

I like the pronunciation Gun in the ganapataye mantra...I used to have this tape with anuradha paudwal on it that had the beej mantra sung by this guy and I cant seem to find that one anywhere...

[Jainarayan]

I like the pronunciation Gun in the ganapataye mantra...I used to have this tape with anuradha paudwal on it that had the beej mantra sung by this guy and I cant seem to find that one anywhere...

 

I hate it when that happens... you know something exists but can't find it anymore. There are a whole bunch of YT videos by Anuradha Paudwal but I don't know if any of them have what you are looking for.

[Marblehead]

... you know something exists but can't find it anymore.

Hehehe. That happens a lot in life, you know.

[Jainarayan]

Hehehe. That happens a lot in life, you know.

 

Yeah just gotta accept it. But you don't have to like it!

[RongzomFan]

The following Indian ("Hindu") deities are considered enlightened in Buddhism:

 

Ganesha possibly

Saraswati definitely

Tara definitely

Lakshmi possibly

Parvati not a Buddha, but needs to be placated when worshipping Saraswati

Garuda definitely

Ekajati definitely

Hayagriva definitely

 

 

Jigme Lingpa heard a horse's neigh during practice, indicating the siddhi of Hayagriva.

[Marblehead]

I love that art work. Always have. So much to look at and so much information within, most of which I will never understand. So it reamins a Mystery to me. But that's good. Oftentimes it is better to remain in wonder than it is to learn and be disappointed.

[9th]

[Cheshire Cat]

 

 

 

I take both

 

[9th]