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Hindu Mythology
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First of all let me apologise for the delay in responding. Since the traffic at my forum at Suite101 is low I do not check it out on a daily basis. Now that you have enrolled in the course please use that forum. Hindu mythology is not that cut and dried and you will find varying versions of the same event in different texts. The variations in the interpretations are even greater. The simplest understanding of Maya is the veil of illusion that prevents us from realizing that we ourselves and the world around us is no different from ‘brahman’ or the essence of Godhood. Brahma (the Creator) used this illusionary power to ‘create’ the world and everything in it. Those who have attained ‘enlightenment’ realize that the world is an illusion. Hindu mythology personifies everything and so Maya is personified as a Goddess – sometimes as a Mother Goddess at other times as a manifestation of Shakti. (Shakti has a wider connotation) The Trinity is also an illusion. In reality the three Supreme Gods of the Trinity are nothing but the essence of Godhood – formless and without characteristic. We perceive them as three separate Gods performing three different functions: Brahma – Creation, Vishnu – Preservation, Shiva – Destruction. This illusion too has been created by Maya. The following site contains a very interesting article on Maya. -- posted by Harsh Nevatia
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I would agree with that. Self siscovery would generally mean experiencing the fact that our individual souls are actually the same as the universal soul, which is the essemce of Godhood. -- posted by Harsh Nevatia » Pinky102 - Re: Re: College Lectures In response to message posted by hkyyin:Apparently, the ancient Indians believed that live is a journey the final destination of which is the "universal soul, which is the essence of Godhood" if I understood the lectures. I'll have to get the notes out; but, I think the journey lasts the length of a person's life as in more than fifty years. We don't just start out "experiencing the fact that our individual souls are actually the same as the universal soul, which is the essence of Godhood". That takes a lonesome jouney into the woods lasting several years and early on in the overall trip. My point was that India gave us the idea of self discovery long before Western Civilization got involved. -- posted by Pinky102
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Several lives actually. The individual soul keeps on taking birth till in some life it merges with the universal soul. Your point about India giving the idea of self discovery first is well taken. But it must not be given undue importance. One civiliztion is not better than the other. Today we must try and absorb the best from each ancient civilization rather than create a competition and controversy. -- posted by Harsh Nevatia » Pinky102 - Civilizations In response to message posted by hkyyin:I didn't mean what I wrote in the sense that one civilization is better than another--only that in the progression of civilization, India may have been first in the declaration of value for the self. This idea of discovering the self has always been seen by forward looking people as an important step in the realization of the individual as having worth. From this end of the process of civilization, we can see various contributions coming into our present day mainstream so that what those particular ancients declared has become a main current in life today. And, thankfully so.
-- posted by Pinky102 » marieantionette - Re: India certainly has a rich and varied spiritual culture! I can certainly agree with you! I am of the school of thought that feels we all can learn a great deal from each other.marieantionette -- posted by marieantionette
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hi i am giving a course on hindu mythology at suite university. if you are interested please check out http://www.suite101.com/course.cfm/18770... hkyyin -- posted by Harsh Nevatia » malicesdarksoul - learning from each oyher yes it is true that we can learn from each other espichly on this kind of topic because the mind is an ever growing thing an on a topic such as this any thing can be said but mostly our opinions on a certin topic such as mythology-- posted by malicesdarksoul « Previous 1 2 Next » Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion. |
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Harsh Nevatia
