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Vamana

Vamana is the fifth incarnation of Vishnu, born as a dwarf into the household of a Brahmin priest.

Vamana tricked the demon king Bali to grant him as much of his empire as he could measure in 3 steps. With the first step he covered all of Earth. With the second step he covered all the heavens and while doing that Brahma washed his feet in his kamandula or water pot. Out of that pot, Ganga was born. With the third step, Vamana pushed Bali back to the underworld or Patala Loka.

Dhumavati

Dhumavati is the smoky form of Shakti. She is also known as the eternal widow, the Shakti without Shiva. She is ugly and also called Alakshmi, the one who is without lakshmi or radiance (see Lakshmi).

Dhumavati is the Divine Mother at the time of the deluge, when the Earth is under water. While being ugly and fearsome, she is blessing with her right hand those who can still see the Divine Mother in her. The black crow on her flag is the symbol of dark forces and black magic.

Dhumavati is one of the ten Mahavidyas – the others are Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta and Matangi, Kamala and Bagla Mukhi. The Mahavidyas represent some or other incarnation or manifestation of the Divine Mother. They are in this sense also to be regarded as Vidyas or different approaches to (tantric) knowledge.

Kali

Kali is a ferocious form of the Divine Mother, who sent her Shakti, the Mother Gauri, to free the gods from the dominion of the demonic forces Shumbh and Nishumbh, who had conquered the 3 worlds of earth, the astral plane and the celestial plane.

Kali is the goddess of time and of the transformation that is death (Kala). Lord Shiva and Mother Gauri in their destructive form are known as Mahakala and Mahakali or Kali.

Kali is the Kundalini energy that paralyses the attachments produced by the solar and lunar currents (both demons mentioned above). This attachment causes fear of death. In the ignorant ones she creates fear, while for others Kali removes the avidya (ignorance) that makes us fear death, the basic insecurity of the First Chakra , a fear rooted in the brain stem or primitive brain.

Krishna

Krishna is the eight incarnation of lord Vishnu and was born in the Dvarpara Yuga as the “dark one”. Krishna is the embodiment of love and divine joy, that destroys all pain and sin. Krishna is the protector of sacred utterances and cows. Krishna is a trickster and lover, an instigator of all forms of knowledge and born to establish the religion of love.

Kurma

Kurma (or the Koorm Avatar) is the second, turtoise-incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

At the Churning of the Ocean, the Mount Mandara that was used as a churning stick, began to sink into the soft ocean bed. This caused Vishnu to assume the form of the turtoise-avatar, diving to the bottom where his back became a pivot for the churning stick.

Vishnu

In the basic Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Hindu god Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation. Vishnu is the embodiment of mercy and goodness, the self-existent, all-pervading power that preserves the universe and maintains the cosmic order Dharma.

The Kurma incarnation also represents the stage in the development of life, when the ability to breathe air and walk out of the water developed. The turtle is also the symbol of perseverance.

Krishna was born as the 8th child of Devaki, sister of the cruel demon king Kamsa. The sage Narada had predicted that Kamsa would be killed by his nephew, so the king killed Devaki´s first six children.

Brahma

Within the hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. Nevertheless, Brahma grew in a lotus out of the navel of the sleeping Vishnu. The daily alternation of light and dark is attributed to the activity of Brahma.

Brahma’s mind born sons are the seers Marici, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratuj, Pracetas, Vashishta, Bhrgu and Narada. From Brahma’s body came his nine sons Daksa, Dharma, Kama, Anger, Greed, Delusion (Maya), Lust, Joy, Death and Bharata and one daughter called Angaja.

Shiva

Shiva is the destroyer of the world, following Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver, after which Brahma again creates the world and so on. Shiva is responsible for change both in the form of death and destruction and in the positive sense of the shedding of old habits. In Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Shiva also represents the most essential goodness.

Shiva is the god of the yogis, self-controlled and celibate, while at the same time a lover of his spouse (shakti). Shiva’s first wife was Sati and his second wife was Parvati, also known as Uma, Gauri, Durga, Kali and Shakti. His sons are Ganesha and Kartikeya. Shiva lives on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas.

Shiva’s main attributes are the trident that represents the three gunas and the snakes that show he is beyond the power of death and poison and also stand for the Kundalini energy. The vehicle of Shiva is the white bull called Nandi (the joyful). He is often seated on a tiger skin or wears a tiger skin, with the tiger representing the mind.

Shiva & Parvati dancing in the Himalayas – Click for a larger imageShiva has many forms, which are visible in his Panchavaktra form with 5 heads, a combination of all Shiva energies : Aghora (resides in the creamation grounds), Ishana (most often appears as the shivalingam), Tat Purusha (meditating), Varna Deva (the eternal Shiva) and Saddyojat or Braddha Rudra (the old wrathful form). The last also forms the connection to the Rudraksha mala – a rosary made of the dried fruits of the Rudraksha tree.

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What is Yoga?

The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as “union” or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female practitioner, a yogini.

Do I have to be vegetarian?

If you are in yoga for the whole experience – yup.  The first principle of yoga philosophy is ahimsa, which means nonharming to self and others. Some people interpret this to include not eating animal products. There is debate about this in the yoga community–I believe that it is a personal decision that everyone has to make for themselves. If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, be sure to take into account your personal health issues as well how your choices will affect those with whom you live. Being a vegetarian should not be something that you impose on others–that kind of aggressive action in itself is not an expression of ahimsa.

Is Yoga a Religion?

Some have called it new age.  Yoga is an ancient practice with a written history going back thousands of years. It is not New Age, although various New Age movements have adopted and adapted elements of Yoga. In addition, Yoga and New Age movements share a focus on mind/body development. In order to fuly examine the religion question, it is helpful to look at the difference between religion and spirituality.

Those who participate in organized religion accept their denomination’s deity or deities and worship through a system of long-established rituals. They may read sacred texts that outline a moral code, which they follow, and they may attend worship meetings lead by religious leaders who have been ordained by an authority in that religion.

By contrast, we can define spirituality as the quest for understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe. Many use organized religion as the conduit for their spirituality, but spirituality can also exist outside the bounds of religion. In other words, spiritual practice is essential to religion, but religion is not essential to spiritual practice.

Yoga does share some things in common with religion, including the study of ancient texts and gathering of like-minded individuals for study under a learned teacher, but these things alone do not constitute a religion. Though some yoga practices encourage meditation on a universal spirit, which may even be called God, the nature of that God is left open to interpretation. Some are confused by yoga’s relationship with Hinduism, since yoga’s language borrows from the Hindu lexicon.

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Well it is a movement and a off shoot of Hindu. So what are the basics of the movement? The Hare Krishna movement is the popular name for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).  Founded in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON carries on in the modern world a great ancient tradition rooted in the Bhagavad-Gita , the teachings Lord Krishna spoke five thousand years ago.  The Gita and the other Vedic scriptures declare Krishna to be the original person, God Himself, who appears periodically in this world to liberate all living beings.

Only five hundred years ago, Krishna descended as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to teach the most sublime and effective means of meditation for the present day: the chanting of the names of God, especially as found in the Hare Krishna mantra.

Why Do Hare Krishna’s meditate?

Members of the Hare Krishna movement practise mantra meditation. So a mantra is a combination of words that is meant to relieve the mind of anxieties arising from worldly entanglement. Vedic literature compares the mind to a mirror, and our present state of spiritual forgetfulness to a mirror which has accumulated dust. Mantra meditation clears the dust from the mirror of the mind so that we can see our original self. When our spiritual nature is inwardly perceived, then the anxieties caused by illusion cease, and we experience spiritual happiness.

What is the Hare Krishna chant?

The Great Mantra is what it is often referred to as. This sixteen-word mantra is especially recommended as the easiest method for self-realization in the present age.

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

What is Hinduism?

Hinduism is the arguably the world’s oldest religion, it has a billion followers, which makes it the world’s third largest religion. Hinduism is a conglomeration of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices. Hinduism originated in India, characterized by the belief in reincarnation, one absolute being of multiple manifestations, the law of cause and effect, following the path of righteousness, and the desire for liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.

What main ideas of Hinduism?

There is no single Hinduism, somewhat like Christianity. Ultimately, unlike chritianity, it lacks any unified system of beliefs and ideas. Hinduism is a conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, in which the prominent themes include:

* Dharma (ethics and duties)
* Samsara (rebirth)
* Karma (right action)
* Moksha (liberation from the cycle of Samsara)

It also believes in truth, honesty, non-violence, celibacy, cleanliness, contentment, prayers, austerity, perseverance, penance, and pious company.

What is the main Scripture?

The basic scriptures of Hinduism, are collectively referred to as “Shastras”. These are a collection of spiritual laws discovered by different saints and sages at different points in its long history. The Two types of sacred writings comprise the Hindu scriptures: “Shruti” (heard) and “Smriti” (memorized). They were passed on from generation to generation orally for centuries before they were written down mostly in the Sanskrit language. The major and most popular Hindu texts include the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads & the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

So Who Are the Main Deities?

Hinduism supports only one supreme Absolute called “Brahman”. That being said, it does not advocate the worship of any one particular deity. The gods and goddesses of Hinduism amount to thousands or even millions, all representing the many aspects of Brahman. Therefore, this faith is characterized by the multiplicity of deities. The most fundamental of Hindu deities is the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva – creator, preserver and destroyer respectively. Hindus also worship spirits, trees, animals and even planets – so it is diverse.

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