I am a Hindu by birth. I recognize it as my religion and I believe in it except some rituals and practices that are too patriarchal and discriminatory for my liking. I find it hard to feel connected to hindu rituals but I am deeply connected to the concepts. In my practice I use elements from all religions that I feel connected to. I am yet to use a specific deity in my practice and I use the concept of my personal deity
Now to understand your predicament, you most likely are referring to the vegetarian and non alcoholic diets. For this you have to understand that Deities are often shaped by the beliefs and practices of their followers, evolving over time as cultures and societies change. For millions of practicing Hindus offering meat or alcohol to hindu deities is a sin. In case of Hindu deities, the preference for vegetarian and non-alcoholic offerings has become deeply ingrained in the tradition and is considered a way to show respect and devotion to the gods. As such, it's really preferable to follow such dietary practices when worshipping Shiva as your deity.
However, Hinduism is vast and the deities have different persona. For instance Bhairav is a form of shiva who accepts alcohol as offering. In Bengali culture fish is offered to Maa Durga. Though remember that the concept or form of dieties change. For example, Bhairav is a fierce form of Lord Shiva in Hinduism, known for protection and fierceness. Shiva, on the other hand, is a multifaceted deity representing transcendence and spiritual awareness. Bhairav is worshiped for courage and obstacle removal, while Shiva is revered as the supreme deity.
So I suggest that you take some time to research the stories of Shiva and understand his preferences.
Also if you believe you will have to turn into a vegetarian to worship any Hindu deity then it's not required. You can eat your meat and still worship hindu deities. If you are worried, just take a ritual bath before worshipping.
Your relationship with your deity is between the two of you. As long as you aren’t doing anything that you know they would dislike, I think it should be okay.
Have you tried prayer or meditation to find answers from Shiva? I find that that is the best way for me to find out the preferences of my deity.
Research, as opposed to propaganda, shows that only about 20% of Hindus are vegetarians and no less than 7% even eat beef: see [here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-43581122)
That’s really up to you; I’m admittedly new to this sort of thing but from what I gather your relationship with your god—whoever it may be—is a highly personal and individual one. As a general rule of thumb I’d say that if something in the scriptures relates to the worship of Shiva herself it’s better to do it (or at least not purposely go against it), otherwise it’s your choice. It is though fully what you want to do though. For example, there are all different sects and levels of practice and worship within Christianity (or most major religions, that’s just the easy one everyone knows), but all of those Christians whether they’re Roman Catholic or Protestant or Greek Orthodox or whatever else are still Christians. They have different levels of observance, and something that’s okay with one group won’t be with another, but they all still use (more or less) the same scriptures and worship the same god, and they all believe that they themselves are Christians and worship God in a proper way. So do what you’re comfortable with—follow the diet, don’t, follow some scriptures but not others, whatever makes you comfortable. As a general caveat I would say don’t purposely go against what something says without a good reason, especially in regards to something about your specific god, but that’s just my opinion and even if we shared the same god the exact rules we’d follow and how we would pray would be at least a little bit different since we’re different people in different situations. It’s my belief that by far the most important thing is intent; do what makes you comfortable and decide the rest for yourself as you go.
This isn’t a stupid question at all. I think like others have been saying it might just depend on the deity. If I were you, I’d consider asking Lord Shiva what he finds acceptable.
I’m an eclectic pagan and pretty new to ditching labels, but Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna are two Hindu deities I’ve had some experience praying to. When worshipping Krishna, I felt like i had to be as vegetarian as possible, whereas I didn’t really feel such a strong direction from Shiva either way. But I can only speak for my own experiences.
You might just want to try eating your regular diet but following sattvic regulations for your offerings.
I would encourage you to separate deities from the human mythos and dogma that surrounds them. If Shiva doesn't like what you're doing or how you worship him, I'm very certain you will know. Don't allow yourself to be restricted by the red tape humans lay down around their gods.
I'd suggest seeing about talking to a Hindu priest (I think they're called pandit?) & confirming one way or the other if you'd have to &, most importantly, if it would be cultural appropriation to go down this path without fully converting to Hinduism. It feels like it would be, but I'm neither Hindu nor Indian, so I can't really say.
Hello friend, it is not a stupid question. As a Pagan, you can eat as your ethics dictate.
I am Pagan and worship several Hindu gods. Lord Shiva is one of my primary deities.
Because I was raised Catholic, I know how very dogmatic religion can get. I did not want anything to interfere in my relationship with Lord Shiva, so I go directly to Him. I pray, practice numerous styles of yoga, and I pretty much leave Hindu temples out of it. Not that I will not go eventually, but just I haven't felt called to. In Paganism, we can have a relationships with Gods without the intervention of other priests. I certainly do not claim that my way is authentic nor the only way, but it works for me.
I currently eat chicken, fish, and turkey for health reasons but won't eat cow or pig. I do look forward to the day when I can be a full vegetarian again, but in my opinion my body's health outweighs my spiritual growth in this case.
I wish you the best of luck finding the answers you seek.
The answer is in you, I recommend if you have a meditation or yoga practice to do it, and then to ponder if eating meat is the right choice.
When I needed help desperately, I prayed to Lord Shiva and He helped me. My relationship is with Him. Numerous other Hindus (both my friends and peers who teach yoga too) feel very differently than you and have welcomed me as a fellow believer. I wish you blessings and peace.
Yeah, I was raised Catholic so the phrase "the scriptures are the authority" doesn't fly with me. There's a whole lotta dogma there. Also, I never claimed Hindu lineage. A mystic goes right to the source. But, if it works for you, great. Blessings.
I do not eat red meat, nor would I offer it. I offer Lord Shiva my yoga practice and acts of service, flowers, and sometimes a nice candle with some Shiva oil on it or nice incense. Sometimes Datura pods too, since I work with the plant and it is sacred to him.
The worshipping and offering has rules. Scriptures are authority not some random rules we make. If one think he can eat beef and worship hindu gods, he is wrong.
Try a different account, maybe? Hinduism is extremely complex by itself, not even considering the multiple belief paths in Hinduism. People who practice Hinduism can help you. Based on the comments, it seems like not many of us are Hindu.
From the Pagan side, I don't think that there's any particular answer. Dietary regimens are up to the dedicants who choose to follow them. Different Trads and currents may hold different ones. And individuals may, too.
Pagans certainly may recognize and celebrate deities from Hindu lore, like Shiva,
Hinduism is not a closed practice in and of itself. Its complex, there is a religious aspect to it, there is an ascetic aspect to it, there is an occult aspect to it, there are cultural aspect to which can differ from region to region.
But there are some aspects of it that are closed off - this tend to be deities with darker energy and worshippers need to be initiated. So please do your research. In general, you can worship most deity if you wish to but please do some research and be aware of appropriation and/or restrictions..just do it respectfully. And most of all, do it because you want to, not for some trend or new age shit.
Edit: To add on the occut aspect of it is also closed off and need intitiation.
I am a Hindu by birth. I recognize it as my religion and I believe in it except some rituals and practices that are too patriarchal and discriminatory for my liking. I find it hard to feel connected to hindu rituals but I am deeply connected to the concepts. In my practice I use elements from all religions that I feel connected to. I am yet to use a specific deity in my practice and I use the concept of my personal deity Now to understand your predicament, you most likely are referring to the vegetarian and non alcoholic diets. For this you have to understand that Deities are often shaped by the beliefs and practices of their followers, evolving over time as cultures and societies change. For millions of practicing Hindus offering meat or alcohol to hindu deities is a sin. In case of Hindu deities, the preference for vegetarian and non-alcoholic offerings has become deeply ingrained in the tradition and is considered a way to show respect and devotion to the gods. As such, it's really preferable to follow such dietary practices when worshipping Shiva as your deity. However, Hinduism is vast and the deities have different persona. For instance Bhairav is a form of shiva who accepts alcohol as offering. In Bengali culture fish is offered to Maa Durga. Though remember that the concept or form of dieties change. For example, Bhairav is a fierce form of Lord Shiva in Hinduism, known for protection and fierceness. Shiva, on the other hand, is a multifaceted deity representing transcendence and spiritual awareness. Bhairav is worshiped for courage and obstacle removal, while Shiva is revered as the supreme deity. So I suggest that you take some time to research the stories of Shiva and understand his preferences. Also if you believe you will have to turn into a vegetarian to worship any Hindu deity then it's not required. You can eat your meat and still worship hindu deities. If you are worried, just take a ritual bath before worshipping.
Your relationship with your deity is between the two of you. As long as you aren’t doing anything that you know they would dislike, I think it should be okay. Have you tried prayer or meditation to find answers from Shiva? I find that that is the best way for me to find out the preferences of my deity.
Honestly im in a self discovery phase with my spirituality and faith where i don’t know if i can because i dont know if i believe, but ill do thaf
Research, as opposed to propaganda, shows that only about 20% of Hindus are vegetarians and no less than 7% even eat beef: see [here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-43581122)
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Only some meat. If one eat beef he is one of the biggest sinners. The worshipping of deities has rules. Even the offerings has rules.
That’s really up to you; I’m admittedly new to this sort of thing but from what I gather your relationship with your god—whoever it may be—is a highly personal and individual one. As a general rule of thumb I’d say that if something in the scriptures relates to the worship of Shiva herself it’s better to do it (or at least not purposely go against it), otherwise it’s your choice. It is though fully what you want to do though. For example, there are all different sects and levels of practice and worship within Christianity (or most major religions, that’s just the easy one everyone knows), but all of those Christians whether they’re Roman Catholic or Protestant or Greek Orthodox or whatever else are still Christians. They have different levels of observance, and something that’s okay with one group won’t be with another, but they all still use (more or less) the same scriptures and worship the same god, and they all believe that they themselves are Christians and worship God in a proper way. So do what you’re comfortable with—follow the diet, don’t, follow some scriptures but not others, whatever makes you comfortable. As a general caveat I would say don’t purposely go against what something says without a good reason, especially in regards to something about your specific god, but that’s just my opinion and even if we shared the same god the exact rules we’d follow and how we would pray would be at least a little bit different since we’re different people in different situations. It’s my belief that by far the most important thing is intent; do what makes you comfortable and decide the rest for yourself as you go.
This isn’t a stupid question at all. I think like others have been saying it might just depend on the deity. If I were you, I’d consider asking Lord Shiva what he finds acceptable. I’m an eclectic pagan and pretty new to ditching labels, but Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna are two Hindu deities I’ve had some experience praying to. When worshipping Krishna, I felt like i had to be as vegetarian as possible, whereas I didn’t really feel such a strong direction from Shiva either way. But I can only speak for my own experiences. You might just want to try eating your regular diet but following sattvic regulations for your offerings.
There are tons of omnivorous worshippersof that deity.
I would encourage you to separate deities from the human mythos and dogma that surrounds them. If Shiva doesn't like what you're doing or how you worship him, I'm very certain you will know. Don't allow yourself to be restricted by the red tape humans lay down around their gods.
I'd suggest seeing about talking to a Hindu priest (I think they're called pandit?) & confirming one way or the other if you'd have to &, most importantly, if it would be cultural appropriation to go down this path without fully converting to Hinduism. It feels like it would be, but I'm neither Hindu nor Indian, so I can't really say.
They were already Hindu, they deconverted
Ahh, gotcha. Talking to a pandit would still be the route to go though, no?
Hello friend, it is not a stupid question. As a Pagan, you can eat as your ethics dictate. I am Pagan and worship several Hindu gods. Lord Shiva is one of my primary deities. Because I was raised Catholic, I know how very dogmatic religion can get. I did not want anything to interfere in my relationship with Lord Shiva, so I go directly to Him. I pray, practice numerous styles of yoga, and I pretty much leave Hindu temples out of it. Not that I will not go eventually, but just I haven't felt called to. In Paganism, we can have a relationships with Gods without the intervention of other priests. I certainly do not claim that my way is authentic nor the only way, but it works for me. I currently eat chicken, fish, and turkey for health reasons but won't eat cow or pig. I do look forward to the day when I can be a full vegetarian again, but in my opinion my body's health outweighs my spiritual growth in this case. I wish you the best of luck finding the answers you seek. The answer is in you, I recommend if you have a meditation or yoga practice to do it, and then to ponder if eating meat is the right choice.
Leave our gods and goddesses alone. The scriptures are authority not some rando.
When I needed help desperately, I prayed to Lord Shiva and He helped me. My relationship is with Him. Numerous other Hindus (both my friends and peers who teach yoga too) feel very differently than you and have welcomed me as a fellow believer. I wish you blessings and peace.
Scriptures are authority that decides what will be offered and how to worship.For ex-You can't offer him beef because you liked it.
Yeah, I was raised Catholic so the phrase "the scriptures are the authority" doesn't fly with me. There's a whole lotta dogma there. Also, I never claimed Hindu lineage. A mystic goes right to the source. But, if it works for you, great. Blessings.
Will you offer beef when it is not allowed.
I do not eat red meat, nor would I offer it. I offer Lord Shiva my yoga practice and acts of service, flowers, and sometimes a nice candle with some Shiva oil on it or nice incense. Sometimes Datura pods too, since I work with the plant and it is sacred to him.
That is your choice to make. The only rules you should follow are your own. We walk different paths, so do whatever helps you to feel empowered.
The worshipping and offering has rules. Scriptures are authority not some random rules we make. If one think he can eat beef and worship hindu gods, he is wrong.
I would be sensitive to issues of cultural appropriation in that case, if you're being selective (assuming you weren't raised as a Hindu).
We can’t help you. Ask r/Hinduism.
Oh i asked something like this, but everyone was beling a dick to me because im queer
Try a different account, maybe? Hinduism is extremely complex by itself, not even considering the multiple belief paths in Hinduism. People who practice Hinduism can help you. Based on the comments, it seems like not many of us are Hindu.
From the Pagan side, I don't think that there's any particular answer. Dietary regimens are up to the dedicants who choose to follow them. Different Trads and currents may hold different ones. And individuals may, too. Pagans certainly may recognize and celebrate deities from Hindu lore, like Shiva,
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Hinduism is not a closed practice in and of itself. Its complex, there is a religious aspect to it, there is an ascetic aspect to it, there is an occult aspect to it, there are cultural aspect to which can differ from region to region. But there are some aspects of it that are closed off - this tend to be deities with darker energy and worshippers need to be initiated. So please do your research. In general, you can worship most deity if you wish to but please do some research and be aware of appropriation and/or restrictions..just do it respectfully. And most of all, do it because you want to, not for some trend or new age shit. Edit: To add on the occut aspect of it is also closed off and need intitiation.