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Thread: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

  1. The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Namaste

    I am very much a new comer to the Hindu tradition, with clouds of ignorance to dispel. I would really appreciate some insight on the concept of the Divine Feminine in Hinduism.

    I have decades of experience in Western religion & spirituality, which in its orthodox manifestations ignores the Divine Feminine completely. In fact the very idea of the Divine Feminine is usually condemned and despised. The completely unbalanced emphasis upon the creation-transcending-God concept, (at the expense of the immanent, all-pervading God concept), has given the West a deeply ingrained view of God as essentially masculine. This - even if it is acknowledged as purely symbolic - seems to me to be very damaging.

    I have left Western religion & spirituality behind now, as I intuitively sense and confirm through experience that the Hindu Dharma manifests the light of our true nature. I don't actually know why the concept of the Divine Feminine is so important to me, (it has been for many years), and so I would greatly value any insight from those who can speak from the Hindu Dharma.

    Om Shakti

  2. #2

    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Om Shanti

    My opening post perhaps comes across as a bit abstract and maybe intellectual.

    If I ask this a different way........ what does the Divine Mother mean to you?

    I would appreciate any responses, be they devotional, simple, contemplative, (or even abstract and intellectual! ).

    It's not that I want to discuss this in a particular way or that I have an agenda. I would just love to have some Hindu people share with me what the Divine Mother means to them.

    Shakti!

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    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Namaste,

    It is a great thread. I would like to say very simply that to me, divine mother (be it Durga devi or Sri Mahalakshmi or Saraswati devi) is the embodiment of 'perfect qualities' or 'virtues'.. some of these virtues being - charity, hospitality, chastity, sincerity, truthfulness, being able to be a good mother, ability to work hard, and finally...devotion.

    To me, worship of divine mother brings about the above qualities gradually in a person - makes them perfect for Lord's worship.

    Without the divine mother, I wonder if a sadhaka will mature fully enough for 'moksha' (or even being a contributing sadhaka in the society).

    I found a great link on Hinduism's view on females, this link speaks about Hinduism's view on women from the Mahabharata perspective and the Tulasi Ramayana perspective:

    http://www.hinduism.co.za/women.htm

    Thank you.
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Namaste Ji,

    There are many forms of the Divine Goddess,which forms do you like?Each form has a meaning/philosophy.
    He dances in the golden hall of Chidambaram, Let us worship His rosy anklet girt Feet.

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    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Quote Originally Posted by John Mortimer View Post
    Om Shanti

    If I ask this a different way........ what does the Divine Mother mean to you?
    Vannakkam John: All the different sects and schools will see it differently. Obviously the Shakta school will give Divine Mother utmost importance, as Supreme.

    Others, not so much. In my school, for example, She is the manifest half of Siva/Shakti which is probably best represented as Ardhinarisvara, which demonstrates that She is never apart from Siva.

    But there will (as usual) be a ton of various understandings, none right or wrong, and none demonstrating the whole of Hinduism.

    Aum Namasivaya

  6. #6

    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Quote Originally Posted by Ram116040 View Post
    Namaste Ji,

    There are many forms of the Divine Goddess,which forms do you like?Each form has a meaning/philosophy.
    Namaste

    I especially am drawn to, MahaLakshmi and Shakti.

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    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Namaste,

    My biased views,
    In the religious sense, the female deities are as godly, spiritual and whole in their own right as their male counterparts. They are the other half of the divinity and they complete the picture of the divine power for humans to worship in one of the many forms - Sita/Ram, Shiv/Parvati, Radha/Krishan etc.

    At purely intellectual/academic level, the concept of divine feminine drives home the point that women in general are not mere objects for male pleasure. They have to be treated as equal human beings and all the respect/reverence/affection shown to men has also to be showered upon them. It basically is female empowerment for better functioning of the family unit which is the backbone of any successful society.

    Having said all that, I would second the following thought for a complete picture of the divine feminine in Hinduism:
    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    But there will (as usual) be a ton of various understandings, none right or wrong, and none demonstrating the whole of Hinduism.
    Pranam.

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    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Quote Originally Posted by John Mortimer View Post
    Namaste

    I am very much a new comer to the Hindu tradition, with clouds of ignorance to dispel. I would really appreciate some insight on the concept of the Divine Feminine in Hinduism.

    I have decades of experience in Western religion & spirituality, which in its orthodox manifestations ignores the Divine Feminine completely. In fact the very idea of the Divine Feminine is usually condemned and despised. The completely unbalanced emphasis upon the creation-transcending-God concept, (at the expense of the immanent, all-pervading God concept), has given the West a deeply ingrained view of God as essentially masculine. This - even if it is acknowledged as purely symbolic - seems to me to be very damaging.

    I have left Western religion & spirituality behind now, as I intuitively sense and confirm through experience that the Hindu Dharma manifests the light of our true nature. I don't actually know why the concept of the Divine Feminine is so important to me, (it has been for many years), and so I would greatly value any insight from those who can speak from the Hindu Dharma.

    Om Shakti
    Namaste Mortimer,

    I typed a reply yesterday but have no idea why it did not seem to be posted.

    Anyway I will re type it.

    I will be rather technical in my reply.

    To a certain extent to understand a little about the Macrocosmic scene taking a walk down the Microcosmic scene would help to an extent.

    Before I go into the Feminine Principle of the Macrocosmic Scene..I would like to bring your attention to the Microcosmic Scene.. that is the birth of a living organism.

    For the birth of a living organism we would need a Masculine Principle and a Feminine Principle.

    I am using the word Masculine Principle and Feminine Principle and not Male and Female Gender for a reason...that is in cases of partogenesis in certain species of bees mating with males(drones) is not needed.Even the Brahmasutra Bhashya makes a mention of certain species of cranes that reproduce without any male contact. read below about "Proxy Male"

    Now in cases of cloning for example the cloning of Dolly the sheep..she was a product from cloning from a ear cell of the female donor sheep.

    Here we had the DNA from the ear cell acting as the Male Principle even though the donor was a female.

    So in cases of cloning..the DNA acts as the "Proxy male" and the enucleated Ova is the Feminine Principle.

    From Biology lets jump to the Macrocosmic Scene.

    In Hinduism there is the concept of Purusha(Masculine Principle),Prakriti(Feminine Principle).

    Both the Purusha and Prakriti combination is needed for the emergence of the phenomenal world and its multitude of Jeevas(Souls).

    Prakriti the Feminine Principle is 3 stranded flow of continuity of Gunas(Qualities) namely:

    1)Sattva(Intelligence.. imparts balance)

    2)Rajas(Energry.. causes imbalance)

    3)Tamas(Substance..creates Inertia)

    Prakriti is called Nature, the Divine Mother and the deification of the 3 Gunas is what is known as the Feminine Principle a.k.a Shakthi and each termed a Goddess. Durga(Sattva),Lakshmi(Rajas) and Saraswati(Sattva).


    Coming to Western Philosophy..according to Parmahansa Yogananda the Feminine Principle is the Holy Ghost of the Trinity Fame(The Father..The Son and the Holy Ghost). So its not entirely absent..its just that its not really spoken much about.

    You can read it here:

    http://www.yogananda.com.au/g/g_prakriti.html

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    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Namaste,

    A typo in my post above..I am unable to edit it because I dont have that option.
    I had wrongly typed Durga as Sattva.. the the corrected line should read as :

    Prakriti is called Nature, the Divine Mother and the deification of the 3 Gunas is what is known as the Feminine Principle a.k.a Shakthi and each termed a Goddess. Durga(Tamas),Lakshmi(Rajas) and Saraswati(Sattva).

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    Re: The Divine Feminine in the Hindu tradition

    Quote Originally Posted by John Mortimer View Post
    Namaste

    I especially am drawn to, MahaLakshmi and Shakti.
    Namaste Ji,

    The Goddess is mentioned umpteen number of times in the Vedas,Upanishads and the Puranas.The main scriptures of Shakteya(Shakti School) are Sri Devi Mahatmyam,Srimad Devi Bhagavata Purana and many Agamas/Tantras.

    My suggestion is to begin with the Devi Mahatmyam.It is the form of a story/narrative and has philosophy hidden within it.You can find various interpretations.


    http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=8471

    www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=13060

    http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=212

    I am not sure if there is any particular text on Devi Lakshmi.There are many narratives interspersed in the Puranas.I would like to ask other members if they know about any text dedicated to Devi Lakshmi?

    If you are into philosophy oriented literature,then you may check the Shakta Upanishads.

    The Shakta school is a vast one,within in it are many sub-schools,each having their own huge treatises.Do not get intimidated or bothered by the number/types of Shakta texts,as you keep reading you will understand.

    I request members to suggest some good books that will help John Ji.
    He dances in the golden hall of Chidambaram, Let us worship His rosy anklet girt Feet.

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