seeyoucum

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

Idk if you know this, but recently there were talks of a Lakshmana/Indrajeet ship.

I know. I am interested. Potentially want to write but I....have 0 braincells 😭😭😭

-Mod G

[desi-lgbt-fest]

Day 18: Boundary

Boundaries. Boundaries. Boundaries.

A line or wall, a fence or a metaphorical moat to never cross. A lakshman rekha that Raavan tempts you to cross. What is a boundary? The manifestation of a painful detachment from your loved ones? Or a protection you deserve to never have violated.

Boundaries. Boundaries. Boundaries.

-Mod Raissa

[ambidextrousarcher]

Indrajit, 10 sentence meme, for anon

And...I’m just in the nick of time for Ramayana day for the @hindumythologyevent! Yay! This is the first part of two sequences of drabbles, for an anon. 

Tagging the three mods of the event: @1nsaankahanhai-bkr @allegoriesinmediasres and @soniaoutloud

Disclaimer: All of these drabbles are in Indrajit’s PoV, and I’m assuming that the race of the ‘Asuras’ are men, closely related to the race of men on Aryavrata, yet different enough that they are demonised. Hence, they won’t really be very kind to the heroes of the Ramayana. If that offends anyone, kindly forbear from reading. I have not written about the Ramayana before, this is my first try, so kindly be a little indulgent of any flaws in characterisation.

The drabble for ‘Fear’ is based on a scene not found in the CE of the Ramayana, in which Ravana ostensibly calls Indrajit a coward for reporting to him about Indrajit’s weapons failing to kill Lakshman. The bits about Sulochana defying paternal loyalty is something I’m not sure is canon, but I’ve read that Sesha curses Indrajit that he will be killed for marrying his daughter without his permission.

With that and no further ado, here are the drabbles. 

1. Favourite colour

Indrajit favours the colours he watched his father drape around his shoulders when he was a child, when father was still father in truth. As his father goes farther and farther from him, he clings to those light, understated colours, to remind himself that this wasn't always the case, that there was a time before this, a time when father indulged in scholarship rather than conquest, a time of whites and light golds and streaks of silver rather than the garish reds and blacks all around, pricking his eyes wherever he goes.

2. Crossover

Meghnaad smiles at Percy. “Zeus is a bit of an ass, yes.” Percy grins back. “Glad you agree!” He rolls his eyes. “Honestly, this whole mess about the lightning bolt…” Meghnaad nods sympathetically. His formidable power is at his command, if there is any need of an intervention.

3. Fear

Fear is not a word often associated with Indrajit, his prowess renowned in all the three worlds. Yet, standing there in front of Father on the throne, relaying what he had just seen in the battle, the strongest of his astrs refusing to kill that mortal boy, he felt fear, not of death. Death is something that stares him in the face whenever he goes weapon in hand into war. No, his fear is far more visceral.

He looks up at his father, and his fear is made flesh in his father’s contemptuous sneer.  He is gone. He is not what I remember. Was he ever the man I remember?

“I see I sired a coward, then.” Indrajit blinks, swallowing back emotion. Was it not I who brought you back, Father? I who defeated the King of the Devas for you? What did I ever do that you doubt me so?

He ignores the realization of his long-held fear, both the disappointment and the loss of his father, and looks him straight in the eye. “I apologise, Father. I will do my duty, and die by it, if need be.”

4. Mythological Creature

Indrajit laughs at the ludicrous claims the bards of the Devas and mortal men make, that the race of Asuras have features twisted beyond redemption, mirroring the evil in their minds. He lets the rumour stand nonetheless. A little element of fear in the enemy is always beneficial, after all.

5. Nature

All denizens of Lanka expected Indrajit to scoff at the rain and lightning. For they were devices of Indra, the King of the Devas he defeated to get his father back.

Yet, as Ravana spirals from who he was, the man Indrajit admired, to become something...not what he was meant to be, Indrajit finds himself staring at the sky, at the bursts of lightning, clearing the stormy grey for one split, incandescent moment, wishing that he, too, could see that clear silver-grey in his mind, see the clarity of thought he chased after.

6. Prophecy

Meghnaad dodges the Vajr, shooting his own illusory weapons at Indra. Armed with his determination, he wastes no time in getting to business. They must be defeated. They have to be. Lanka deserves its King back. I need my father back.

The battle ends with Meghnaad victorious, a new name on Prajapati Brahma’s lips for him. He smiles at his father. You named me well, it seems, Father. Almost a prophecy, that I will lord over the clouds.

7. Religion

Gods, thinks Indrajit, are often more fallible than those who worship them. Even they can be defeated if one is determined enough, skilled enough. Yet, for all that he defeated the Gods handily, Indrajit still goes through the rituals of religion, for something intangible he does not understand, perhaps for an inner calm, an inner strength.

8. Role Model

Meghnaad always wanted to remain true to his own self and to the bonds of blood and loyalty that bound him, to his father, to his people. In his eyes, as he grows, his uncle Vibhishan is a lot of what he aspires to be. Someone who does not hesitate to put forward what he himself feels, yet loyal to Lanka, to their people. Someone who was principled yet one of them. He would spend a lot of time with uncle Vibhishan. As Meghnaad becomes Indrajit, as his reputation becomes something to be feared, oftentimes, he would defend his uncle to his father.

They would share smiles and secrets.

At the end, that only made his uncle’s betrayal all the harder.

9. Scar(s)

To a warrior, physical scars mean little and less. Indrajit cares not for the wounds of the flesh, though he will be thankful that his face remains unblemished. Sulochana loves the contours of his face.

The wounds he shall remember as long as he breathes are the looks of hopelessness in everyone’s eyes when Father was taken captive, Mother’s quiet anguish, the scars on his beloved Lanka after the monkey burns the city as revenge, the scars that Indrajit sets to work putting alright as soon as he could. Even if the city is unblemished once more, mother is smiling again, father is proud of him, for all that he is the feted Prince of the people, Indrajit would never forgive them these scars. Never.

10. Seven Deadly Sins/Seven Cardinal Virtues

Later generations may sully Indrajit’s name and associate what he had with Sulochana to be lust, but both he and his wife know the depth of love they hold for each other. Love strong enough to defy the bonds of paternal loyalty, even.

Later, they would assume Indrajit is loyal to his father for the sake of power, but he cares not for that. He is loyal to his father because that is all he knew. For what his father stands for, in his mind. For that, he is loyal till his last breath.

He is a man, with a man’s emotions, a man’s virtues and a man’s vices, for all that the descendants victors of the war would demonise him and his people, who tried to adhere to what he felt was right.

For @hindumythologyevent, Day 9: Ramayana

Tagging a few mutuals: @chaanv @pratigyakrishnaki @hindumyththoughts @shellweed @vishnupada @medhasree @ambitiousandcunning @shaonharryandpannisim @jigyask @hindumyththoughts

[postdaily]

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[interfaithconnect]

1)I currently follow some pagan religions, but I'm always confronted with the Abrahamic ones (since those are most popular it seems). And I always get a bit, spiritually messed up, I guess? I have considered converting, but I think all religions make valid points for why theirs is 'right' and I can't really choose. Also, I always get confronted with the parts I hate about the Abrahamic faiths (sexism, homophobia etc). When I read certain scriptures, I just can't help but feel it -

 2) - supports inequality. I know many people who follow an Abrahamic religion who have found a way to interpretend those texts as not-inequality-supporting, but I find it really hard myself. I also don’t like the whole ‘non-believers go to hell’ that I think all the Abrahmic religions have. Not everyone believes that, but it seems the scriptures support it. Do any of you have any tips, or maybe websites that would help out with this? Hearing from both pagans and nonpagans would be really helpful

I think it’s just a matter of culture really. All cultures and religions have been exposed to white colonialism and imperialism, which makes those indigenous religions and interpretations of religions to be very homophobic, transphobic, etc. For example, Hinduism has very many stories depicting homoerotic stories, and has even written about ‘the third sex’. However, conservative Hindus still use scripture just as much as conservative members of the Abrahamic faiths do to justify their blatant homophobia. Even in Islam, and if any of the Muslim mods want to correct me on this, before white imperialism and colonialism, there have been many dynasties and caliphates where there have been an abundance of beautiful homoerotic poetry that was written. So I find that it does depend on culture, and the degree to which someone’s interpretation of a religion is separated from imperialism and colonialism.

- Mod Lakshman

Honestly, (and I apologize if this sounds flippant - I’ve had similar feelings so I’m really not trying to be) I’d suggest trying not to take scripture so literally. Of course white fundamentalist Christians (primarily, though not exclusively) tend tend to do just that, and Christian hegemony means that a lot of us assume that biblical literalism is the ‘right’ or expected thing, but it’s actually relatively uncommon. This is a largely theological issue having to do with whether or not a denomination takes the Bible to be the literal word of God or something written by men (and thus fallible). The former is more common among Protestant churches because there is usually no central authority to issue decrees and accepted interpretations - the Bible, and one’s belief therein, is the only authority. 

Most people, however, probably understand to one degree or another that the Bible and other religious texts were written in a far different social and cultural context than the one we live in now, and though I believe scripture does contain important lessons and messages, not all of it remains entirely relevant today. The Catholic Church, for example, considers the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which are said to be biographical accounts of Jesus’ life) to be literal truth but interprets the rest of the Bible through the lens of sacred tradition and the magisterium, both of which are capable of evolving and changing with the times.

I’d also suggest looking at the way scripture is treated and understood within Judiasm, where questioning and reinterpretation is encouraged to a far greater extent than within Christianity (Judaism also does not share the Christian concept of Hell or ascribe to many of what Christianity asserts are scripture-based beliefs). You could also look into biblical and/or Levantine archaeology for explanations of the social context within which the scriptures were written - to make a long story very short, many of those ancient writings were radically liberal at the time.

In the end, almost every religion will have fundamentalists and individuals who try to use their religion to gain political power and justify bigoted beliefs. In the Western world both Catholic and Protestant Christianity has been unfortunately intertwined with colonialism, militarism, ethnocentrism, and many harmful ideologies which we’re still working to dismantle, but it isn’t hard to find people and groups who are working towards exactly that. 

And just as a final point, please don’t feel pressured to choose one single ‘right’ religion. Every religion contains value and truth, and even though some of those truths may seem contradictory, the power and wonder of God/the gods is such that They’re under no obligation to make sense to us. We all get to decide as individuals which path is right and true for us, and our only responsibility is to allow our paths to coexist.

- Mod Jasper

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

Lakshman, with the Mad-Eye Moody voice: C O N S T A N T V I G I L A N C E

(Creds to anonymous.)

[postdaily]

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[interfaithconnect]

So my family is Indian-Fijian and I don't know a lot about my faith (Hinduism) because a lot of traditional knowledge got erased because of colonial practices. I was wondering what would be some good resources for reclaiming that understanding of my own faith?

I know exactly how you feel; I’m Malayali, but both my parents and I were born in Malaysia, and I spent the bulk of my childhood in America. Your first step is definitely asking your parents or grandparents. It’s very helpful to do this, as they know the family history and the various sort of ishta devata (personal deities) and grama devata (village deities) that your family might be associated with. I can stake a 99% guarantee you will learn some cool cool stuff. Then, use google to expand on those stories and relations. I do want to caution using Google, as Hindu nationalist groups can and will use that as propaganda for Islamophobic and casteist propaganda. Good luck, and may you be guided well!

- Mod Lakshman

[interfaithconnect]

Anon from before! I've had to cut off contact with grandparents bc of various reasons and we don't know our history at all? So suggestions?

Oh! I apologize! That being said, it’s entirely possible to create new traditions! For example, your family may have previously been a part of a Saivite tradition, but this could be your opportunity to follow a Shakti, Vaishnavite, or any other tradition. As for resources, I would still very much recommend Google, especially Wikipedia. Additionally, and I’m embarrassed at myself for not mentioning this, most of the holy texts are public domain, so you should have no real problem accessing them as pdf’s online. Let us know if this helped and if you have any further questions!

-Mod Lakshman

[interfaithconnect]

Hi! I am a pagan who received some mala beads as a gift from my well-meaning mom. I'm a non-Buddhist white person and (based on the Instagram account listed on the card included with the gift) so is the person who made and sold the beads. I plan on talking to my mom about cultural appropriation; my main question is what to do with the beads. It would be inappropriate for me to wear them, and I don't pray to Buddha or meditate with mantras. What should I do?

I’m afraid we don’t have any Buddhist mods, however the idea of the japa mala is pretty much the same concept as it is in Hinduism, and even Jainism as well. My first course of action would definitely be to give it to a friend that practices that. If you don’t have one, then keeping it in a safe place until you can find someone (appropriate) who will take it off your hands. Or, if none of those are satisfactory, simply returning it to the store would be fine too!

-Mod Lakshman

[interfaithconnect]

I am a non Indian person and I have been told countless times that I cannot practice Hinduism. Is that true? Am I not allowed, even if I try to be respectful about it?

Someone hold my 7 piercings- I’m about to whoop someone.- I’m just kidding.

In all seriousness though, you are definitely allowed to practice Hinduism regardless of race,gender and sexual orientation. I feel the need to explicitly state this, Hinduism celebrates upon diversity. We welcome and encourage anyone who is interested in learning the way our of lives. 

However I do urge anyone who’s interested to practice Hinduism to be respectful and open-minded at all times. Every Hinduism practice is personal and each to her/his own. I’ll be honest, it may be overwhelming to step into unknown territory, just remember to be honest with yourself and hold no ill-will. 

In current day society, I understand why some Hindus would say that a non-indian person is not allowed to practice Hinduism. In truth, Hinduism is far and vast, it can be as colourful as a rainbow and it can be as dark as a storm. Often, people get sucked into the colourful and attractive aspects of Hinduism, and they often neglect the grey areas. In Hinduism there are certain rituals that some of us practice that may seem peculiar or downright to dangerous in the eyes of many. In truth, that is just some Hindus show devotion and worship and as a fellow Hindu, one should either be accepting or supportive of that.

For example, during Thaipusam numerous Hindus pierce various parts of their body and carry a deity statue from temple to temple with needles in their bodies. We also have theemithi (walking on fire) and many more rituals native to different parts of India and the world. HOWEVER you do not need to do all these rituals to be hindu, you only need be supportive/respectful and accepting of it.

As a concluding statement, feel free to learn about Hinduism and practice it with great respect. We are all humans and our hearts beat the same. We believe that everything and everyone is connected one way or another. If you need any help or further advice, do ask more questions and either I or Mod Lakshman will be more than happy to answer any further questions you may have.

Here is a very detailed depth source about all the things that is good to know before you begin your practise! (If you intend to pick it up on your own.) Of course feel free to use the Vedas, and other reliable sources to help you along this journey.

Wishing you only the best for your spiritual journey. Feel free to contact me @thehinduwoman if you would want more help and some guidance,

““Your duty is to treat everybody with love as a manifestation of the Lord.” -Swami Sivananda

““All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.” -Swami Vivekananda

~ Mod T

[interfaithconnect]

Are you ok with people chiming in on asks?

That should be fine! As long as you’re respectful to other people of course!

- Mod Lakshman

[interfaithconnect]

Hey I am so excited for this blog!! I have a little question and a big question. Little question: what role do metaphysical stores, religious bookstores, etc real-life retail shops play in your religious practice? What kinds of things do they carry, how often do you shop at one if ever, what role do they play in your community? Big question: do you perceive your religion as having been impacted by consumerism at all? What role does "stuff" play in your religious practice/community?

For me - not much of one. There’s definitely a tendency among pagans, especially newbies, to feel like they need to amass the “right” things before they can properly or “truly” practice. And sure, most of us (myself included) enjoy pretty shrine photos, and want fancy statues and icons, but it’s important to keep in mind that the gods don’t care about that. It’s all extra. Of course there’s nothing wrong with wanting those things - and having icons to focus prayers and worship on can certainly be helpful - but doing will always be more important than having. I could spend a million dollars on a solid gold, life-sized statue of Apollo, but it’s not going to make me a better devotee, it’s not a replacement for me sitting down and giving offerings, and it’s definitely not going to help anyone else, which is a very important tenet of my practice - the gods will always look upon charity and selflessness and generosity more favourably than expensive material items which do nothing but sit on a table.

Now, that being said, one thing I do spend at least my fair share on is books, as I’m nigh-constantly doing research and looking to expand my knowledge. However, as a recon pagan that happens to be something very important to my practice, and also part of an agreement I’ve made with one of my gods, and that’s obviously not the case for everyone!

As to your second question: yeah, I do think a lot of pagan communities have been impacted by consumerism. A lot of people try to use (even without even being conscious of it) not having “enough” things as an excuse for not actually doing the work. That “work” will be different for everyone, because we all have different talents and capabilities, but merely collecting a lot of stuff - however visually appealing it is, and as easy as it is to get caught up in - doesn’t automatically make you a good devotee or a more worthy follower than someone without, and as nice as it might be, it isn’t necessary to be a part of any faith.

And believe me, it happened to me too! When I first started out I was convinced that my shrine needed to look a certain way or that I had to wear certain jewellery or whatever else before I could be a “real” pagan (it was also back when I hardly even knew the word recon, but I digress). I’d think, “I’ll be ready to start just as soon as I buy this one thing”, but of course it was never just one thing, and it constantly got in the way of my actually spending time focusing on my gods and on the other people in my life who had more pressing needs. So like, bottom line is there’s nothing wrong with stuff per se, but it can and does become a problem - though that’s true in other aspects of life as well!

- Mod Kal

Little question: Those type of things don’t often play a role, mostly because they don’t exist in America for Hinduism. However, most of the resources a store like that would carry, i.e. religious texts and puja utensils, can be found in temples (mandirs), or Indian stores, sold alongside food and other groceries. But there aren’t specific shops for that sort of thing, at least not that I’ve seen.

Big question: Absolutely, yes! Which is terribly unfortunate.The central tenet of Hinduism is to be unconcerned with acquiring worldly possessions, because they won’t be with you in your next life. When you couple that belief with the anxiety of not ‘getting things’, you immediately suffer 10 times more.

- Mod Lakshman

Honestly, I wish there were retail stores for Sikhs in the US! Most Sikh-related paraphernalia is made and sold primarily in Punjab. It’s easy enough to buy and cut cloth for turbans, but buying something like a kirpan can double its store cost in international shipping alone. 😫 

But commercialism has taken its toll on Sikhi. There’s this brand of tea called “Yogi Tea”…I could rant for an hour about everything wrong with Yogi Tea and the Sikh Dharma International corporation, but that’s like a six page post. That falls more under the heading of commercial appropriation of Sikhi, but there’s the commercialization of Sikhi even within the Sikh community. Committees who run holy sites like Bangla Sahib have even started selling Coca-Cola products on sacred grounds, which is infuriating to no end.

- Mod Lily

For myself, I have the privilege of having relatives send me the things like prayer mats and chadars [x] for prayer, and I have always had a Quran or two lying about. These things are durable and can last a lifetime.

Islam frowns upon materialism. There are multiple Quran verses and hadiths talking about how we shouldn’t give so much weight to the adornments and goods of this life [for example 18:46] in lieu of the next. It’s to the point where it’s not good too have too many religious items, because they won’t be used for their purpose - leaving Qurans unread, prayer mats unused - that sort of thing. Rather, we should always seek to donate the things we don’t need.

Still, many people consider Qurans and prayer mats and Islamic clothing (long covering garments, hijabs, taqiyahs/topis, etc) a necessity, so there needs to be a way to get some items, at least, although you are always allowed to do what is necessary in Islam, so if you can’t possess any of those things for whatever reason, that’s okay too.

- Mod Neha

[interfaithconnect]

Can I ask all of you how your religion uses the term 'saint'? Are they deeply venerated with prayers and devotion like in mine? Do you think that the term's non-Christian usages have been erased?

Mod Lakshman, Hindu:

In Hinduism, the term saint is very broad; there’s no canonization process, per se. It really depends on the level of fame a famous poet (bhakta), spiritual teacher (guru), or sage (rishi) has. There are 7 venerable rishis who existed millennia ago, which were responsible for the creation of the physical Vedas, so of course they’re venerated across Hinduism. But on a regional level, certain poets have more fame than others, such as the Alvars in the South, and Mira Bai in the North. As for veneration; they aren’t typically seen as intercessors, as in the Catholic and Sufi sects, but more as role models with how in tune and devoted to God they are. But I think, broadly speaking, it hasn’t been erased, since it isn’t as huge a part of our religion as in some others.

Mod Neha, Muslim:

It’s actually a point of contention within Islam, sufi wali (literally, friend of God) are popular as saint equivalents, but more orthodox schools condemn their veneration as idolatry (shirk). Wali are often honored at their grave sites (called mazar), where people come to ask for their power as divine mediums (waseela) between themselves and God or just to remind themselves of the example the wali have set and strive for that example. I believe it’s more popular among Shi’a Muslims, but I can’t speak with authority there. As for myself - even though I am Sunni Muslim - I grew up next to a grave shrine called Baba Ghayb Ali Shah, and I remember it being my first connection to the divine (the thick smell of incense, garlands of jasmines and roses creating a net over the walls, the shrine near-glowing at night with blue and green lights, it was so much) and I have a deep love of the devotion people put into them. 

Mod Kal, Hellenistic Pagan:

I think there’s definitely a tendency to associate the word saint with Christianity first, but other (especially Abrahamic) religions do have and use the same concept. 

However, it’s not really a concept that exists in my religion. Individuals who were particularly skilled and well-known during their lives (such as Imhotep), or mythological human figures (the most prominent being Heracles), or members of/people close to the royal families (Egyptian Pharaohs, Antinous, etc) could be deified after death in a somewhat similar fashion to saints, but they were at that point considered to be gods, which saints are decidedly not. 

Back when I was Catholic, the saints were one of my favourite aspects of my faith. I still really enjoy hagiographies and greatly admire my confirmation saint, and I think it’s unfortunate that most other Christian denominations give little to no import to the saints.

Mod Lydia, Protestant Christian:

Like Mod Kal said earlier, most Protestant churches don’t include saints in their theology. In the denomination I attend (UCC), the term “saint” is used rarely and loosely. That is not to say Protestants don’t ever venerate the saints. If they do, it is usually done independently from the church itself. 

Mod Sarah, Protestant Christian

In the Episcopal church, we follow a church calendar that features days to remember the lives of various saints, many of whom we receive from the Catholic tradition. We don’t have an official tradition of praying to the saints, although some Episcopalians might, especially ones that came from Catholic backgrounds. Instead, we mention them in our church services and encourage people to learn from their example. It’s also useful to remember that some Christians, particularly Protestants, refer to all believers as “saints” as a reminder of being forgiven and being empowered to do good works in the world. 

Mod Lily, Sikh:

To Sikhs, “sainthood” is not understood in the same sense as Christianity. Sikhs use several titles to refer to different kinds of important religious figures throughout history. Each of these can be rendered in English as “saint”, but we prefer to use our own terminology:

The highest title is Guru (ਗੁਰੂ) or Satguru (ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ). The Gurus were a successive line of ten humans who founded the Sikh faith and led the early Sikhs. They were Nanak, Angad, Amar Das, Ramdas, Arjan, Hargobind, Har Rai, Harkrishan, Tegh Bahadur, and Gobind Singh. We believe these Gurus to have been infallible, and in waking communion with the One Divine. They are treated with the reverence and awe which are afforded in other faiths to the likes of Jesus Christ, the Buddhas, or the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). The Eleventh, Eternal Living Guru is Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the collected writings of the Gurus. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is considered the highest authority in all of Sikhi, and is treated as if They were a living being. We speak to Them about our struggles, we prostrate ourselves at Their feet, and we refer to SGGS with titles one would use to address a human being, such as Guru, Guruji (-ji being a term of respect), Guru Sahib (Great Guru), and Guru Maharaj (maharaj = ruler, emperor, regent). SGGS is our scripture, but more than that, They are a living being who leads every aspect of Sikh life. 

The Bhagats (ਭਗਤ) were 15 non-Sikhs, mostly Hindus and Sufi Muslims, who lived before the time of Guru Nanak who are believed to have been in loving communion with Waheguru, and many of their writings are including in Sri Guru Granth Sahib alongside the writings of the Gurus. The Bhagats are Kabir, Farid, Ravidas, Ramanand, Beni, Namdev, Sadhana, Bhikhan, Parmanand, Sain, Dhanna, Pipa, Surdas, Jaidev, and Trilochan. They are not venerated to the same degree as the Gurus, but many of the Bhagats are honored on their birthdays and remembered on holy days.

Sant (ਸੰਤ) or Sadh (ਸਧ) is the most common term used to honor particularly important and devout religious figures. It derives from ਸਤਿ sat, “true, truthful”, and describes many great figures both Sikh and non-Sikh who lived virtuous lives and performed great deeds, such as Mai Bhago, Bhai Mardana, Bhai Gurdas, and the Sahibzadas. The lives of many Sants are celebrated on certain holy days, and many are remembered during the daily Sikh prayer Ardas. 

Finally, a Gursikh (ਗੁਰਸਿੱਖ) or Gurmukh (ਗੁਰਮੁਖ) is someone who lives a life in accordance with Sikh principles, and is a very, very great term of respect. It is the aspiration of every Sikh to be a Gursikh. The honorifics Bhai (ਭਾਈ) brother and Bibi (ਬੀਬੀ) madame are frequently used to address Sikhs who are seen as especially truthful and devoted.

[interfaithconnect]

Can I please have some good resources to introduce yourself to the basics of Hindu cosmology? Also do you think you could link some resources on the goddess Kali?

In my opinion, there’s nothing as authoritative as the Puranas, especially the Mahapurana and the Vayupurana, and the Vedas, especially the Atharva Veda, but those aren’t exactly known for their accessibility. If you want a secondary source, I’d try Wikipedia, as they extrapolate from the various Puranas, as well as providing corroboration with modern day scientists. This website: http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Cosmology.htm , appears to be fairly reliable. Hare Krishna!

-Mod Lakshman

Hi anon, I'm kind of happy that you asked about goddess kali as she is one of my ishta-devatas.**Please note that (4) is a personal view but I think it's something you would most definetely be interested in**1) The Basics: Who is Goddess Kali?https://global.britannica.com/topic/Kalihttps://www.google.com.sg/amp/s/www.ancient.eu/amp/1-12044/?client=ms-android-samsunghttps://www.google.com.sg/amp/www.speakingtree.in/allslides/stories-of-goddess-kali/m-lite?client=ms-android-samsunghttp://m.exoticindia.com/m/article/kali/^ this source tells you where exactly she is mentioned in scriptures and readings^2) Why did Goddess Kali step on Lord Shivahttps://www.google.com.sg/amp/www.boldsky.com/amphtml/yoga-spirituality/faith-mysticism/2013/why-did-kali-step-on-shiva-chest-035965.html?client=ms-android-samsung3) Kali-ma Mantrashttp://www.lotussculpture.com/blog/10-kali-mantras/4) Present Day: Kali-mahttp://www.elephantjournal.com/2017/01/2017-is-the-year-of-kali-goddess-of-endings-beginnings/I hope you find these useful!~ Mod T

[interfaithconnect]

Can I ask how many and which religions are represented here?

The mods are all listed here:

https://interfaithconnect.tumblr.com/mods

But if you can’t access the link, the religions represented are: Hinduism, Paganism, Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, and Islam!

- Mod Lakshman