Hindu Vedic rituals often look boring and pointless to people who live in the modern world. And, yes, they can be done in a way that shows how meaningless they really are. But they can teach a restless mind how to be still and also how to interact with the world in a healthy way. Rituals are the place where the mind is cleaned, calmed, and made ready for Para Vidya, or higher knowledge. In this course, people will learn how to do simple rituals with the right understanding and attitude, and how to incorporate the value of those rituals into their everyday lives.
Course content:
Sanatana Dharma, or Hinduism, is a way of life that requires spiritual practise, called Sadhana or Abhyasa. Rituals, or doing the same things over and over, are an important part of this Sadhana and Abhyasa. To understand the power of ritual, you need to do two things. First, the person doing the ritual must have an open mind and put their doubts about the ritual aside for now. Second, they have to bring Bhavana, or emotional involvement, to their practise. To fully enter the ritual space and feel like you're immersed in it, you have to be willing to go beyond how mechanical the ritual seems. This immersion can't be fully understood through intellectual or moral knowledge alone, but it can be deeply felt through practise, which gradually purifies and changes the mind. Both intellectual and moral knowledge must be a part of our daily lives, but they should also be more than that. To reach this goal, it is important to do daily rituals (Nitya Karma). In this course, the teachers will teach the students the most important Sandhya Vandana for both men and women, as well as some Vedic mantras, stotras, and Ashtottaras, basic puja, and a simple way to do Homa. The faculty will try to get the students to take part in the practise, and they will also use measurable metrics to help the students judge their own spiritual growth. Students will come to realise more and more how important Dharma is in their own lives.
Course Learning Objectives:
The course's final goal is for its graduates to be able to:
a) Make rituals a regular part of their lives;
b) Do the daily Sandhyavandana;
c) Do the daily puja to his or her Ishta Devata.
d) Sing hymns from the Vedas, stotras, and Ashtottaras.
e) Do a simple havan at home.
f) Know how to use the different tools used in religious ceremonies.
Class Structure:
Every week at least one hour will be spent with the faculty. The class is set up so that each week's self-study and reflection can lead to discussion and debate. Even though each class will only talk about the same topic for 60 minutes, the discussion time will be open-ended and can go on for up to 30 more minutes. During the course, students will have to turn in either a short essay (1000–1500 words) or a video of themselves practising. They don't have to be papers or videos made by professionals, but they should be based on what the student has learned and understood so far.
CONTACT — 407–205–2118
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EMAIL- saksham.mangwana@hua.edu
Address- 5200 Vineland Rd 125 Orlando, FL 32811
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