AboutJohn of AllFaith Expertise I can answer most questions on Hinduism.
My knowledge and experience with the Sanatana Dharma is fairly extensive. I have studied with various masters of diverse traditions. I am most interested in the Personalist views of people such as Madhava, Caitanya and so on, however I am also familiar with most branches of Vedanta as well as others.
See my questions and answers at allfaith.com/questions
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Experience I have studied with various branches of the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampredaya, with Swami Muktananda, with Guru Maharaj Ji's Divine Light Mission, with Swami Brahmananda, with Sri Maa and Swami Satyanananda and several others. I have translated the Srimad Bhagavad Gita into English from the Sanskrit (http://www.allfaith.com/Religions/Hinduism/gita.html) and will happy to attempt to answer your questions.
Education/Credentials I'm a Gaudiya Vaisnava brahmin, hold an MA in Religious Studies and an Ordination in Interfaith counseling.
Question Hi there, I am wondering if there is a specific mudra or breathing exercise or meditation you can tell me of that will help me deal with a domineering intrusive father who keeps trying to control me. I would like to deal with this situation in a peaceful manner as often talking about it with him either keeps things the same or makes them worse so I am focusing now on working on myself from within so that my external reality changes. any help on this? thanks :)
Answer Namaste NG,
I am not aware of any mudras dealing with this situation.
This certainly can be a difficult position to be in as I know from personal experience. The best I can suggest -- assuming you are not in physical danger -- is maintaining your own inner peace and humility, show your father respect and obedience until you are old enough to go out on your own. And pray.
Generally a powerful wave will roll on unless it counters an obstruction. Don't be an obstruction.
It might be helpful to recall the story of Prahlad Maharaja, Hiranyakasipu and Lord Nrsinghadeva
Hiranyakasipu was a powerful demonic man not unlike certain of our modern leaders. He cast curses and evil on all the good people of the earth and planned to establish himself as the global dictator of a new world order.
Like King Nimrod in the Torah, his ultimate aim was to kill God himself! Hiranyakasipu hated God for what he considered to be an injustice (the untimely death of his brother, Hiranyaksa) and he was determined to get revenge and to make everyone subservient to him and his wrath!
Hiranyakasipu's greed and anger eventually led him to seek to kill his own child (even as do so many parents today through abortion)!
First Hiranyakasipu needed to insure his own immortality. How could he defeat God if he himself could be killed? To this end he performed severe austerities like of standing on one leg for one hundred celestial years, until the ants had eaten away his flesh and he held his life airs within his bones in the middle of the anthill. Seeing this great determination Lord Brahma, the highest of the demigods, came and granted him a new and better body. He asked Hiranyakasipu to stop his extreme austerities and offered him a benediction. Even the gods were becoming concerned about the power of Hiranyakasipu due to these austerities!
Hiranyakasipu asked the Creator for immortality because with that he would be able to challenge and perhaps even defeat God. However Lord Brahma said, "I can’t give you that, because I don’t have it myself. Ask for something else." Only the One God is ultimately immortal.
So Hiranyakasipu asked for what he thought would guarantee the equivalent of immortality. He said: "Grant that I will not be killed by day or night; on land, in the sea, or in the air; indoors or outdoors; by any man or beast; nor by any weapon."
And Lord Brahma granted this request, then returned to the Spirit Worlds to consult with the devas.
As the years passed Hiranyakasipu invested his time developing his power, wealth and authority and preparing himself for his coming attack against God Himself.
In time Hiranyakasipu had a son named Prahlad. From birth the boy was a pure devotee of Lord Vishnu. Prahlad urged his father to worship the one true God because even the greatest of humans are still dependent on God's mercy. Hiranyakasipu however refused to bend the knee to anyone and was determined to one day kill God. Never would he submit to God or man! We see such pomposity today in the globalist arena!
Seeing his son's religious piety Hiranyakasipu condemned Prahlad for being a faithful theist and moreover accused him of treason for siding with the enemy of his father! And yet Prahlad Maharajah was devoted to the One God and every day he prayed, meditated and preached the glories of God to all who would hear, and Hiranyakasipu became increasingly angry and determined to kill God.
To discourage his son's faith in God and to challenge God to come to the aid of His devotee, Hiranyakasipu had his son bitterly tortured, and then even ordered his servants to kill the child!
"Where is your God now!" the demonic king chided!
And yet all their efforts failed. Prahlad continued his prayers and meditations undisturbed.
Finally Hiranyakasipu decided to kill his son himself! "Where is your God now!" He drew his sword and approached the seemingly helpless boy.
"Where is your God?" he again demanded.
"He is Everywhere father," Prahlad replied respectfully.
The demon was now furious!
"Is He in this pillar?" Hiranyakasipu shouted at his son. "If so I will kill him!"
"Yes father, God is in that pillar. God is everywhere!" replied Prahlad.
In his unspeakable fury Hiranyakasipu then struck the pillar with his sword. From deep within the pillar came a tremendous roar and something Hiranyakasipu had never seen before then appeared. Indeed something so fearsome, so awesome that no one had ever before seen its like!
Before the king and his devout son there appeared a powerful Being with the head of a lion and the body of a man, but with many arms holding various weapons, stood towering above him, glaring at him in divine wrath.
And yet Hiranyakasipu prepared to attack! Could this be God? he wondered. With the benedictions he had previously received from Lord Brahma he considered himself to be invincible. This was the day he had waited for his entire life and he was certain he could defeat this enemy! He readied himself for the attack!
However none can resist God and the demon who had terrified all the worlds was easily was killed by the One Without a Second.
Recall the benediction Hiranyakasipu was granted by Lord Brahma: "Grant that I will not be killed by day or night; on land, in the sea, or in the air; indoors or outdoors; by man or beast; or by any weapon."
Now see the goodness and wisdom of God!
Because both Lord Brahma and Prahlad Maharaja are devotees of the One God, Ek Devata honored both of their desires. The demonic king had to be killed in order to save not only Prahlad but all existence because his goal was nothing less of global conquest and desecration, and yet it had to be done in a way that would not violate Lord Brahma's benediction.
To accomplish this Ek Devata appeared as Lord Nrsinghadeva and destroyed Hiranyakasipu at twilight, so during neither the day nor the night. The Lord was seated within the pillar and lifted the demon onto His lap so that he was killed neither on the land, the sea nor in the air. The pillar was in the entryway of the palace and so neither indoors nor out side. Lord Nrsinghadeva appeared as neither man nor beast but a new creation and dispatched Hiranyakasipu with his sharp claws, hence using no existing weapons.
After the killing of Hiranyakasipu, Lord Nrsinghadeva, who is Lord Visnu in a specially manifested form, was still very angry due to the greed and lack of faith among the people. Demigods and other beings came from throughout the multiverse to witness the great work of liberation. The Lord's wrath was so great however that even though they wanted to pay their respects and give their thanks to the Lord they were afraid to approach Him lest he destroy them as well.
However the Lord looks at the heart and Prahlad was pure of heart. As he approached the Master of All Worlds Lord Nrsinghadeva was won by his love and devotion. The One God is our eternal well wisher and devotion and sincerity attracts His love and mercy. Lord Nrsinghadeva therefore placed Prahlad on His lap and blessed him.
The Lord offered Prahlad any benediction he might ask for, but Prahlad wanted nothing for himself. His only desire was to serve the Lord. Because of Prahlad's devotion to God generations of people have prayed to the Lord as Nrsinghadeva asking for His protection, blessings and mercy in the name of Prahlad and his unwavering faith. May we all manifest such bhakti, devotion to God however we conceive of Ek Devata.
Prayers to Lord Nrsinghadeva
This is the essential difference between a devotee and a religionist. The devotee simply wants to serve the Lord and considers such service his or her only desired reward. For the devotee there is no greater reward than being allowed to assist, in some small way, with God's Will. To know that one is where God wishes one is to be is the greatest accomplishment in life. fame, wealth and power are meaningless to one of true faith and devotion. This is how true devotees of all religious traditions think: How can I serve God.
Still however in this service one may ask for some small consideration at times and now Prahlad requested that his father be forgiven and delivered from his sinful reactions. IN the same way we should pray God mercy for those who are even today waging war against God and humanity even as we ask the Lord to topple their Luciferian empire.
This is not easy!
But those who are devoted to God tend to show this divine trait of mercy and forgiveness knowing how much they have been forgiven. As the devotee shows mercy to others she or he is shown increasing mercy. Showing such mercy and faith in God is the cure to all curses and the way to restoration of true peace both personally and globally.
God protects His devotees and shows them mercy as they show mercy toward others.
Lord Nrsinghadeva however explained that the request for mercy was unnecessary, since anyone directly killed by the Supreme Lord is always delivered from sinful reactions, just by His touch.
In this account Hiranyakasipu was immediately liberated even though he had tried to killed God himself! But the same is true of us all. Even when we err God is in control and He is always all merciful and all gracious. We may have to suffer for our sins and short comings in various ways, but in the end God will protect those who, like Prahlad, decided to place bhakti or devotion to God first.
Keep your faith in God my friends.
He will deliver us all.
Om Santi
(Praise Peace and Pursue it)
~ Jagannatha Prakasa
~ John of AllFaith
Hope this helps,
Om Santi (Praise Peace and Pursue it)
~ Jagannatha Prakasa
~ John of AllFaith
