Hinduism's Concern

So, time to start putting some actually information in here. I will start with some ideas on Hinduism since that is what I have a more scholarly background in. Hinduism can be said to fall under the umbrella of Paganism, though many people would or will be upset with me for saying that. The pantheon is well used in the eclectic path. Most common we see Siva (Shiva in English translation who is a MALE thank you video game world for trying to tell us otherwise....), Kali, Ganesha, and probably Durga and a few others. If you use Hindu deities I would love to know who you look to because with my information with Hinduism I have no understanding of how Paganism would see those deities despite the fact I look to Siva and Ganesha both.

I brought this in because in one of my classes we have been discussing the idea of an ultimate concern, which would be translated as the guiding force in our lives. I have tried to tie in this idea with Hinduism and all I can come up with is that Hinduism's ultimate concern is that the practitioner seeks to become one with the divine. The whole process of reincarnation is to reach the goal of moksa, which is translated, in my understanding, as a connection with the Cosmic Spirit and the deities that are part of that. So, the question here for me is, if the ultimate concern is to become one with the eternal spirit and understanding that pervades all things and in truth is existence itself, how are we to live in a way that reflects that concern? I know Hinduism has their dharma or duty that one must fulfill in life based on their position, but for me as a Pagan, if I wanted to incorporate the belief of moksha (sorry I tend to switch between English and traditional spellings of these words) into my practice, how am I to live in a way that warrants my ultimate connection with the divine power? I will continue to try and figure this out among other things here, but for anyone that has an opinion please answer I would love feedback if anyone is reading...

Mabon

Yesterday was Mabon, and it was absolutely amazing. In my part of the world, the Goddess chose to bless us with much needed rain, that is continuing as I write this. I have been meaning to add some things I wrote to this but haven't had time to type them up, but I should be able to in the next few days. As far as why Mabon was so wonderful for me, I finally got some of my practices down into a ritual form. For the first time I actually Incorporated signs of the season in my alter and I cannot believe how much more open and powerful it makes it feel. Also, I learned that I rely heavily on my Athame, despite the fact I own two wands, and that bells are essential for my practice. There are currently 5 on my alter and there will be another added when the Sun God is reborn. I added some bottles to my alter to be used as spell keepers in a more everyday way since I tend to think it requires me to go out of my way to cast a spell even though I have had better results when I don't...in any case, I am learning that the simple stuff that I pick is often more influential in my practices than the more expensive items that I failed to listen to their energy. I bought my first pendulum at the Renaissance Faire and picked it up simply because I thought I needed one. It did the job, but yesterday I finally tried a pendulum that I bought a few months ago based on it's energy. The change was amazing. Over all I learned from all of yesterday that we need to listen to the spirits that guide us and go with energies because in the end that will be the best and only real choice.