Worship as you like

Ganeshpuri is a sacred pilgrimage site, and lots of people worship here. The Hindu religion, which is prevalent in Ganeshpuri, is filled with Gods and Goddesses and rituals of worship. There are a lot of similarities between the rituals in yoga and the rituals in Hinduism, but they are not the same. Hinduism is a religion, and yoga is a philosophy and set of practices. Now, before I go any further, please know that I don't know much about the differences between yoga and Hinduism. I don't know much because I never really cared to learn about the differences. I don't mind that the religion of Hinduism and the spirituality of yoga intersect. I don't consider myself to be religious. I have been checking the "spiritual, not religious" box for years.

I also know that there are people that are religious and can be quite concerned about the apparent overlap between yoga and Hinduism. I can't speak to that, but I sure respect it. What I know is that yoga is not religion. And you don't have to convert to Hinduism to practice yoga. I also know that in yoga, we use some of the same practices and rituals as in Hinduism. Gurudevi said in her Swami Sunday discourse on March 10th, Mind Full of Shiva, "As yogis, our focus is a little bit different than in a Hindu temple, but the two of them meet in a very important place, in the inner experience. Yes, just like they do, we use candles for flame ceremonies with Sanskrit chants. Yes, we sit for extended periods of stillness, whether in a chant, or listening to a story or in meditation. Yes, (on Shivaratri) we go without sleep for all or part of the night, but our purpose and the process is different." Listen to all of Guruevi's discourses on SVA's podbean channel - https://svaroopa.podbean.com/

In Hinduism, God(s) are separate from the people. The Hindus pray to the Gods for help and support and things. It reminds me of the God I grew up with - the dude up in heaven that grants my wishes if I am very good. Yoga, however, says God is inside, and it's the same God in everyone and everything. Our yoga practices are all designed to turn our awareness to that inner expanse. There's my brief and utterly basic rendering of my understanding of the difference. It might not even be right. That being said, I have a lot of respect for the way the Hindus worship. I am immersed in their worship here in Ganeshpuri, and fascinated by it.

I remember my first trip here in 2019. I have sat up front in Nityananda's samadhi shrine since the beginning. I love to watch the priests do their thing, and I don't want to miss any of it! At the end of the morning Arti (candle flame ceremony to the life size statue of Nityananda), everyone lines up and gets to walk in front of that life size statue and offer their respect.

Then you get some prasad - a blessed treat. On one of my first mornings here, some of the local ladies took me to the Krishna temple to teach me what to do after receiving the prasad.. The Krishna temple is a small room about the size of a large walk-in closet behind the hall that is considered Nityananda's samadhi shrine. Inside that room is a smaller box containing a statue of Krishna and his cow.

They taught me to ring the bell that hangs in front of Krishna's box - that lets the Gods know that you are coming. Then they walked me around the box containing Krishna's statue, and showed me to press my head against each wall of his box. Then you offer your prasad to Krishna. Then you eat it. I still do that to this day. I don't know why all the steps are necessary, or what they mean, but I enjoy the ritual of it.

There are so many different rituals people follow. Clapping hands, repeating mantra, bowing and pressing their forehead to a sacred object, touching their hands to a sacred object and then touching their eyes - sometimes one, two, or three times. Sometimes more. I've seen people rubbing their forehead back and forth across some of these sacred objects. I've seen people kiss them, or kiss their hands and offer it to the statue. They wave flames to these sacred statues, and do Abishek - bathing the sacred object in holy water and/or milk. You perform these actions with your right hand. Often, people will use their left hand to hold their right arm, so both arms can be involved in the worship. Parents will place their baby's foreheads against the sacred objects. I have experienced the power of placing my forehead against a sacred object. I love it!

One morning, I noticed a young girl whispering in Nandi's ear. Nandi is a bull and the vahana (sacred vehicle) for Shiva. Here's an interesting write up about Nandi. You will find Nandi near the Shiva Lingam - a rounded mound that symbolizes the formless coming in to form. Nandi will be facing the Lingam to keep watch. The Shiva temple next to Nityananda's Samadhi shrine is my favorite place in Ganeshpuri. A large statue of Nandi sits outside the temple.

I was fascinated to see this girl whispering so intently in Nandi's ear. I wondered what she was saying. I decided to try it myself, so I told Nandi a secret. I asked a friend of mine later why the girl was whispering in Nandi's ear. They told me that Nandi is Shiva's personal assistant. To get to Shiva, you've got to go through Nandi. So, people whisper their requests of Shiva into Nandi's ear. I don't have any requests of Shiva right now, so I continue to tell Nandi my secrets.

I meditate in the Shiva temple after the morning activities in the Samadhi shrine. As I sit there with my eyes closed, my ears are filled with the sounds of people worshipping. I hear clapping, bell ringing, whispered mantras, songs, bowing, and more. The sounds of worship mix with the mantra for a very deep meditation. This picture is from my last trip. I was fortunate to be able to do a pooja (sacred ceremony) to the Shiva Lingam in the temple. It's not often that I am the only one in there! I usually sit right where that orange circle is to meditate.

I am inspired by these folks and the way they worship without any concern for what people may think. The worship is the priority here. I remember Gurudevi telling me a story about how this priority about worship is instilled in Indian children from a very young age. A little boy may run away from his mother while she is trying to dry him after his bath, but he will stop and bow to the puja (sacred altar) in their home as he passes it. That's priority! I see parents clapping their little one's hands together during chants. I hear the small children singing the songs at the top of their voices. They know.

I grew up very concerned about what others may think. That concern directed my behavior, and the way I expressed myself. Ultimately, the concern and importance I placed on what others think impacted how I prioritized myself. (I didn't.) Letting that fear about other's opinions rule my self expression reinforced this message I had internalized about my inherent worth, or lack thereof. Fortunately, years of yoga have shifted my priorities and the way I view myself. Thank God for yoga!