Shaktism/Hinduism
Thursday, November 23, 2006
I've been reading recently on a Hindu tradition known as Shaktism. Shaktism has been defined as "... a denomination of Hinduism that worships Shakti, or Devi Mata -- the Hindu name for the Great Divine Mother -- in all of her forms whilst not rejecting the importance of masculine and neuter divinity (which are however deemed to be inactive in the absence of the Shakti). In pure Shaktism, the Great Goddess, or Mahadevi, is worshiped as nothing less than the highest divinity, Supreme Brahman Itself, the 'one without a second,' with all other forms of Divinity, female or male, considered to be merely her diverse manifestations." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaktism)
I've been wondering if perhaps Hinduism should not be something that is studied by all practitioners of Goddess religion. Could Hinduism with its ancient roots, being considered by some to be older than any other religion practiced today, be the closest thing that we can get to the original concept of Goddess worship?
Hinduism is certainly not without flaws and has obviously been touched by patriarchal ideas. Regardless of those facts, the practices and worship of the Great Mother in India should, in my opinion, be considered by anyone seeking the Goddess. This is to say, that we should go beyond studying the individual aspects of the Goddess in Hinduism and really become immersed (or at the very least study thoroughly) the religion itself.
I have also been thinking about visiting a Hindu temple in my area. I am concerned though that perhaps outsiders would not be welcomed. After scanning pictures on the site I noticed that all of the people within the images were of Indian descent. I wonder how they would feel about me showing up to services? Are there any Hindus out there who would like to chime in on this one?
image: http://shaktiwicca.tripod.com/ - and interesting site combining the concepts of Shaktism and Wicca.
Labels: Goddess
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3:26 PM
I'm white, Cuban, female, and Pagan. That's a lot of "otherness", but I've always found Hindu people very welcoming in their temples. Many Hindus adhere to an "all is one" type of philosophy. I encourage you to visit the temple. Go with a friend if you're nervous.