I have been asked this question way too many times by westerners and I have decided to write a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) on it.
Q. There are too many gods in Hinduism. It is confusing, no?
Yes, there are too many gods. But, it is not confusing when you get used to it. In fact, you will be glad that it is not just Sri Krishna who is The god. It simply means you have so much choice to pick and choose. They all represent various energies that you connect to at various times. No one god is superior to the other. So, you can pick a few favorites. It’s all good.
For example, when you are meditating we can think of Narayana, whose mantra Om Namo Narayanaya fits perfectly with an inhale and exhale. It is beautiful. And then when you have to begin a task you can think of Ganesha to remove the obstacles and then ask Hanuman to give you the strength and courage to finish what you started. It is not half as confusing as the choice for a simple sandwich. I remember vividly the first time I ordered a sandwich at Subway in the US of A, a decade back.
Me: Can I have a sandwich?
Sandwich Specialist(SS) : 6 inches or 12 inches
Me: 3 ”
SS: 6 is the smallest (wrong choice!)
Me: Oh, ok, 6″ it is
SS: What kind?
Me: With bread?
SS: White or wheat or italian or sourdough or ….?
Me: Oh, wheat please
Then it begins…
SS: Mustard? Mayo? Cheese? All veggies? Salt? Pepper? Oil? Chips with that? A drink? A cookie? Apple pie? Cash or credit? Here or to go?
Whew! See what I am talking about. I am not even getting into ordering a coffee at Starbucks.
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