{"id":179,"date":"2011-01-05T14:32:08","date_gmt":"2011-01-05T14:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projectconversion.com\/?p=179"},"modified":"2011-01-05T14:32:08","modified_gmt":"2011-01-05T14:32:08","slug":"hinduism-day-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/projectconversion\/2011\/01\/hinduism-day-5.html","title":{"rendered":"Hinduism: Day 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Namaste everyone, and welcome to Day 5 of Project Conversion: Hinduism. As promised, this post will give you an idea of my daily routine as I continue to immerse myself in the deep and majestic faith that is Sanatana Dharma<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

6:00 AM<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wake up. Many Hindus begin their day at pre-dawn with a bath or shower (usually said with a prayer to the holy rivers of India) and\u00a0welcome\/praise\u00a0the sun (embodied as the\u00a0deity Savitur). This is done\u00a0with the Gayatri\u00a0(Guy-ah-tree)\u00a0Mantra (the mantra itself is personified as the goddess Gayatri Devi, the wife of Brahma)\u00a0and is usually accompanied\u00a0by a brief Hatha Yoga (asana<\/em>\u00a0or pose-based)\u00a0form. The Gayathi\u00a0Mantra is one of the oldest and most sacred in all of Hinduism and is thought\u00a0to be\u00a0highly beneficial\u00a0for all aspects of one’s day. Typically, it’s recited\u00a0at the three “junctions” of the sun’s path across the sky: dawn, noon, and dusk. Here is the Gayatri Mantra with an English translation:<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0AUM\u00a0BHOOR\u00a0BHUWAH\u00a0SWAHA,
\nTAT SAVITUR\u00a0VARENYAM
\nBHARGO\u00a0DEVASAYA\u00a0DHEEMAHI
\nDHIYO\u00a0YO NAHA\u00a0PRACHODAYAT<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
\nRemover of pain and sorrow,
\nThe Bestower of happiness,
\nOh! Creator of the Universe,
\nMay we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
\nMay Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Me reciting the Gayatri Mantra at sunset. The Rudraksha Mala (beads) in my hand are used to count each cycle of the recitation (japa).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
I perform the Sun Salutation asana sequence (yogic poses) after each of three recitations of the Gayatri Mantra. Here I am showing my daughters how it's done.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Me showing the kids how NOT to rush into difficult asanas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
6:30 AM<\/span><\/div>\n

Breakfast.\u00a0Nothing is consumed\u00a0or done without first acknowledging Brahman (or your deva ishta–<\/em>personal deity), <\/em>so no food or water\u00a0before the morning rituals. Now with that out of the way, I can eat up. Many, if not most, Hindus are vegetarian. That means no meat or meat products (including eggs). This is mainly due to two factors: the concept of ahimsa<\/em>\u00a0(the philosophy of non-harming) and that food is placed in one of three\u00a0gunas<\/em>\u00a0(dispositions) of Nature: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Sattva\u00a0food includes vegetables, nuts, fruits, and rice and is thought\u00a0to produce positive, non-aggressive\u00a0energy. Rajas includes red meat and produces apathy. Lastly, Tamas includes hot, spicy foods that, along with Rajas, is thought to produce negative\/aggressive\u00a0energy, anxiety, and restlessness. The reasoning behind this is attributed\u00a0to the stresses placed on an animal as it is slaughtered\u00a0being transferred to our bodies in the form of negative energy as we consume its flesh.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This means I have to be a vegetarian…all month. I’ve never done that before because I love meat. How will I survive?!<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

httpvh:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Actually, it’s not that bad. I’ve done this for 5 days now and I can honestly say that I feel lighter, rejuvenated, and less anxious than usual. My life is pretty hectic with all the projects I have going, not including being a student, a father, and a husband, but here lately the stresses of life have simply rolled\u00a0from my mind like water\u00a0off a duck’s back. This is partially due to constant chanting of simple mantras such as Om Namah\u00a0Shivaya.<\/em>\u00a0Something else that helps, in case you just have to have that meat taste, is buying soy “meat” products like this:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Soy sausage. Tastes like the real thing too. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There’s a soy “meat” alternative for just about every piece of dead animal you can think of. I had a soy chicken pattie sandwich last night and I kid you\u00a0not, I couldn’t tell the difference.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rest of the morning and afternoon:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Huh? What? Don’t sweat it. Sounds complicated and strange…and that’s because it is, however once you throw yourself into the process without reservations, things begin to clear up fast. When I first recieved my “Shiva Puja for Beginners” book I thought my brain would melt out of my ears. It was that complicated–and for beginners! I contacted the author and asked for his advice. His instructions: “Don’t worry. Keep it simple. Do what is comfortable and move on from there.” So I did.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Apart from the noontime recitation of the Gayatri\u00a0Mantra with some yoga, most Hindus (except the ascetics who hang out in the woods to chant) function like many non-Hindus. If there are any differences,\u00a0they are culturally based. In Hinduism, knowledge is sacred\u00a0and seeking\u00a0it is seen\u00a0as a form of\u00a0yoga (union with the divine) called Dnyana.\u00a0Because Brahman, the Supreme Reality of everything, is\u00a0in fact all, seeking this Reality through Dnyana\u00a0Yoga in conjunction with\u00a0Bhakti Yoga (devotion to a deity)\u00a0is\u00a0noble and holy. So,\u00a0most\u00a0of my day is spent\u00a0in the study of Sanatana\u00a0Dharma by reading holy texts like the Upanishads and Bhagavad\u00a0Gita, practicing the mantras in Sanskrit, exercizing\u00a0Ashtanga\u00a0Yoga (a pose\/philosophy-\u00a0form of yoga based on the “eight limb” philosophy. More on that later), and listening to Hindu mantras set to modern music. Like this one of the Tandava\u00a0Stotram, a hymn dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Nataraja–the lord of the dance) as he performs the dance of creation and destruction:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

httpvh:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_XHB2VSnymA<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dusk to bedtime:<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

After performing the dusk Gayatri\u00a0Matra\u00a0with Sun Salutation asanas, my family eats dinner. I say my prayers dedicating the food to Brahman while my family say their Christian prayers.\u00a0Once the kids are tucked\u00a0into bed, I read more of the holy texts, practice my mantras, and try to clear my mind of the day by focusing on my murti\u00a0(image, idol) of Shiva. Then, off to bed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
My set-up for Lord Shiva during the day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
My bookshelf for all Project Conversion holy books, commentaries, and study aids<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So there you have it: a day with me living\u00a0as a Hindu. Even just five days in, my wife has noticed a positive difference in me. She might not let me switch-up faiths by the end of the month!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0As the month progresses, I will also attend organized communal puja at a local temple and hopefully have some photos and interviews for you to enjoy. But for now, this is me living Hindu, and so far I’m lovin’ it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Namaste.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Namaste everyone, and welcome to Day 5 of Project Conversion: Hinduism. As promised, this post will give you an idea of my daily routine as I continue to immerse myself in the deep and majestic faith that is Sanatana Dharma.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6:00 AM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Wake up. 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