Another Facet of Hinduism : Demons * 69

Introducing the ‘Demons’ in Hinduism

The demon is a popular word and there is not a man or woman who would have heard about it. In Hinduism also demons are part of the religion. Concept of Demons in Hinduism is not as in the Christain religion. In Christianity the concept of the Demon is associated with Satan. In Hinduism the concept of Demon is antithesis of God. There is no presiding deity like Lucifer or Satan and mostly the demons are a leaderless lot.

Islam also has its fair share of demons that are known as ‘Jinn’s’. These are supernatural beings with evil powers. In Islam the leader of the “jinn’s” is Iblis or Satan.Some of the Hindu demons are discussed below.

Virabhadra

Many classify this deity as a god as well, because he has temples dedicated to him. However he is a Demon as he was created by Shiva the foremost Hindu deity to fight against Daksha. Virabhadra is a patron of occult practices and weird beliefs are associated with his name.

Andhaka

Andhaka was the third son of Shiva. Legend relates that Andhaka was created from a tear of the lord Shiva, but he angered the god as he lusted for Shiva’s consort Parvati. Shiva thus killed him

Kali

Kali is a goddess but she also represents the dark nature of life. She is in reality a form of the goddess Shakti (who was Shiva’s consort). She is an angry form of god but many do not recognize her as a demon.
Kali is a homonym (Kali: Goddess; Kali: a real demon), thus”Kali” represents the Kali Yuga the evil age that is now dawned on the world in that respect she is a Demon.

Koka and Vikoka

The Goddess Kali had twin sons named Koka and Vikola. These twins are considered demons as they represent wars and battles. They are present whenever war is fought and also instigate war and misery.

Vinayakas

Vinayakas are a group of four troublesome demons who create obstacles. The group of four Vinayakas was merged into one deity named Vinayaka whom Rudra appointed as the “Leader of the Ganas”. Ancient Puranik literature refers to these demons.

Vetala

This kind of demon resides in dead bodies. It is indestructible and he often confronts the living man

Pishacha

These Demons eat raw meats and Pishacha is a carnivorous demon. But the origin of this demon is shrouded in mystery and not much is known about it.

Bhuta

Bhuta is a kind of bad soul of a human being who dies by suicide or by execution. It is a demon who takes form after an unnatural death.

Conclusion

In the Hindu mythology, there are many demons. Again sometimes the dividing line between demon and god in Hinduism is very thin like the goddess kali. In addition Hinduism also mentions rakshasas and asuras who are also demons.

Tantra Sex: relevance to Buddhism and Hinduism

What is Tantra ?

Tantra is a facet of Hindu and Buddhist thought and the subject of many books.  Tantra has a connotation with sex and that is part of both these great faiths. 'Tantra' is a Sanskrit word and has many meanings. One of the meanings is growth and enlightenment. Obviously this aspect of Hindu thought means that it refers to the achievement of inner peace and salvation through sex. Many Catholics consider Tantra sex as Satanic in nature, but it is not so and really means that there are many paths to God.

Study of Tantra

The origins of Tantra and its earliest practices have been shrouded in Mystery and have existed for thousands of years. The earliest texts on Tantra require a deep study and proper interpretation as they cover all aspects of human life like health, belief, philosophy, sex, pleasure and God.

Western society has learnt about Tantra only in the 20th century and this has focused mainly on sex. But Tantra covers many other aspects of life as well including meditation and prayer, all interlinked with sex.  Tantra advocates a different form of sex, where the stress is not on orgasm, but on something more sublime like a dream and an attempt to prolong the pleasure and in the bargain get closer to the almighty.

Tantra Practice

Tantra sex is revealing your innermost feelings to your partner with the aim of a total union. It is not like a bullet fired from a gun which after it is fired loses its potency, but something deeper that can awaken the inner feelings and heighten the union with your partner.  Just imagine how wonderful sex is if you can dream with your partner and at the same time spend hours in a sublime embrace that can only make you happier.

There is nothing taboo in Tantra and it would be appropriate to consider the body as a temple and worship it accordingly. It is worth remembering that orgasm is not the goal of tantra, but a stop on the path to being one with God. This concept of Hindu and Buddhist thought is difficult to understand for men and women brought up on orgasm as the goal of the sex act. Tantra does not deny orgasm only wishes to inculcate something deeper, where a man could end up having many orgasms.

Advanced tantric Practices

Advanced tantric practices can be weird and sometimes involve sex in a grave yard to please the nether Gods. These are aberrations and one has to make his or her own choice in the matter. Tantra sex is beautiful if done with a pure heart and a belief that what you are doing is correct.

Hindu Concept of Life and Death

Death is inevitable and something that cannot be avoided. It shows that man is mortal and has a specified life span and beyond a certain number of years a man or woman must leave this world. Most religions have their own connotation of death and its meaning. In Hinduism however the concept of death is slightly different . None of the western religions including Islam recognize the theory of reincarnation. But this is the bedrock of Hindu philosophy and Hinduism is not complete without the cycle of rebirth and transmigration of soul. Even Guru Gobind Singh in his Dasam Granth has written that in his previous birth he was a yogi in the Himalayas.

To understand the Hindu concept of death one must first understand two basic concepts. These are a) transmigration of soul b) cycle of rebirth. Overriding these concepts is the immortality of the soul. Lord Krishna in his sermon to the warrior Arjuna on the eve of the Mahabharta battle has explained at length these concepts in his song divine or the Bhagwad Gita. The Gita is the repositery of all wisdom and the lord says that the soul is immortal and can never be destroyed. He also says that soul is in a body, which after death is discarded by it. It may take rebirth in another body or become one with the almighty. Thus the principle of rebirth and transmigration of the soul are fundamental to Hinduism.

Most western religions do not accept the Hindu theory of rebirth and transmigration of soul. But now there are hundreds of cases that point to the truth of Lord Krishna's sermon to Arjuna. Even there were cases of rebirth in Beirut, which were suppressed by orthodox Islamic mullahs. Some Catholics have also condemned the Hindu theory of rebirth as Satanic, but the Lord in the Bhagwad Gita is clear on this subject. Along with Hinduism, the eastern philosophies of Buddhism and Sikhism also accept the Hindu concept of rebirth and trans migration of soul. In fact in the Jataka tales the previous births of Gautama Buddha are recounted when he was a Bodhsitatva.

One cannot say that the Hindu theory of rebirth and transmigration of soul is superior to western thought, but it is more plausable and recent cases studied by scientists does point to the truth of the sermon by Lord Krishna. Many Christians now accept this concept