Try it out, if you want
misecmisc1
I am a HinduIndia Veteran
hi all,
i found one thing, which i found interesting, so thought of sharing with you all.
the background is: for the past few days, i was thinking about a decision in yes/no about a question related to me regarding how to proceed in my future. so i told my wife about it and she suggested me to check out Ram Shalaka. i did not know about it, so i asked her what is it, then she told me in Ram Charit Manas, the epic which details about the complete life of Lord Rama, written by Tulsidasa, it has within it a section called Ram Shalaka, in which if you have a close-ended question about future, you can ask it and get some guidance about how to proceed.
so i searched internet about it and found this url: http://shukracharya.com/ramshalaka.html . but my wife told me the process is - to close your eyes and then say in your mind that you have firm belief in Lord Rama and then ask Lord Rama that close-ended question and click anywhere on any square with eyes closed (so that you intentionally do not click on any square, also have a fair bit of idea of the space where you can move your mouse while your eyes are closed) - then a pop-up window for that square will give you an indication of how to proceed further.
but the question should be tried only once and the result coming out should be taken as an indication.
don't worry even if you don't believe in Lord Rama, not a problem, whichever thing you believe in you can replace it with like Lord Shiva, God, Nature, Tao, Christ, Buddha, Mahavira etc - when i tried, i replaced it with Lord Shiva (as i believe in him) and the results of my 2 to 3 queries seemed reasonable to me/or what i was wanting about those things - so whatever you believe in, just close your eyes, say that you believe in that thing and then ask that thing your close-ended question in yes/no and see what result you get. but don't do it in as a kind of joke, have sincere faith in that thing and ask that thing your question.
also don't worry as trying out the above thing will not make you a Hindu 
, but take the above with some belief in whatever thing you believe in and ask that thing your future related close-ended question and see what output you get. try it and see if it works for you. all the best to all of you.
Comments
It's superstitious rubbish, and I really thought you knew better.
For goodness' sake, really....?
What was your question, and does your wife know your own opinions on having a baby....?
(I bet it was about that..... or connected to it....)
If @Federica's right, then it bothers me, too that you'd go for that (and I think she probably is) sort of thing. I made a suggestion about that on the last thread you made about it - indirectly. Why not face it head-on with your wife and find someone to talk to about it - friend(s) you trust and/or professional counselor? I think that's your better bet. If it's not that, then never mind.
What do you get if you combine a Ouija board, Hinduism, and a computer?
Maybe a baby?
The thing about this kind of stuff is that it appeals to generality and confirmation bias. It will show you something random. And if it isn't what you wanted to hear, you will go on about your day thinking this Lord Rama thing is silly. If it's along the lines of what you want to hear, you will take that as confirmation.
There is no way that a computer algorithm will give you the perfect answer by random. You already know what must be done. This is just another distraction to occupy yourself. Seems like you need to do something but don't really want to do it.
^^^ well, i think it is not a computer algorithm, because this thing is based on what is written in that epic, which is very old. the epic is Ram Charit Manas and it has in it the complete story of Ramayana, which has in it the life story of Lord Rama. well, future is uncertain, but if we can get some help on how to go forward, that might not be too bad a thing. even in the story of Buddha, it is said that he put a bowl and made a determination in his mind that if the bowl would go upstream, then he would attain enlightenment and then the bowl went upstream in the river, which in a way confirmed him that he would attain enlightenment. then he sat under the bodhi-tree with the determination that he will not get up until he gets enlightened or he will die sitting and he attained enlightenment. well, this is not to say that we can compare ourselves with Buddha, who already had so much of perfections in the paramitas, but still getting a sneak peak in the future might not be that bad.
may be it all comes down to belief if something will work. well, belief should certainly not be blinded and should not lead a person to superstitions, but there may be many things, which we do not believe in, but may be true. may be if in situations, in which we cannot do much, may be such things can give some support or help us decide how to move forward.
@misecmisc1 I asked a closed-ended question.
I already know the answer.
I asked a question which already has a definitive way to go. An absolute certainty, without any shadow of a doubt.
The answer is by far the best and most productive solution to the issue.
I asked this question.
I asked it with the sincerity you advised.
I sat for a few moments and shed all prejudice.
I determined I would give this method a chance.
I put my reliance upon my commitment to the Buddha, and clearly stated everything, in my mind, as you suggested.
I cleansed my psyche of any scepticism or doubt, and decided to go for it.
Give it a go.
What did I have to lose?
It might well be worth it.
So I posed my question, and then did carefully, as you suggested.
(Bear in mind, I already know what I should do....)
The response I first got, was about as far removed from the right way to go, as anything could have been.
To have followed the advice given, would have been disastrous.
Please. you already know what you want to do.
It's like tossing a coin. You already know, even before it lands, which way up you really want the coin to appear.
Why don't you pose your question here?
See whether our advice matches that of this ridiculous, computer-generated stack of possibles?
I think this is an alright way to get some insight into any problem. Belief in gods is encouraged in the suttas so why not.
I tried it and I hope the answer is right.
.
Besides I guess it helps somewhat in the same way as talking things over with your friends.
The decision to act must in the end still be yours ... so its all your responsibility nomatter what.
Cheers.
Oh please.... @Victorious, that's just ridiculous!
Belief in Gods is NOT encouraged in the Suttas, at all! Really?! Where does the Buddha recommend anywhere, that one should believe, or encourage belief in 'Gods'!? (Citation needed).
MUCH better to actually discuss this matter dipassionately and seek input from face-to-face, real human beings, than putting faith in a techno-lottery of random quotations....
It is a pretty famous sutta. The great forty.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html
But I guess it is all down to interpretation as always. Below is how I and some others interpret it. Se the bold that differs from the text in the original. And the comments in (italics).
"And what is the right view with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions? 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the other world (Heaven). There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings (Gods); there are contemplatives & brahmans (Profets I guess) who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the other after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is the right view with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions."
But we are not machines, we are not from Vulcan and we are not even Sherlock Holmeses. (Even if you Britts get pretty damn close).
We need to go through our problems with empathy and feeling as well as brains.
We need security and backing to become brave enough to make a decision? So what if I get it from and tarot card deck or a cup of coffe or from a midnight grind in the pub with my friends?
So I agree about the face to face part but not the dipassionately part. And getting advice from friends is no assurance that it is good advice either. Especially not for a bugger like me who thinks he knows everything best himself.
.
And at the end of the day the action and consequences must be my own responsibility nomatter what advice I get.
/Ridiculorious.
Don't want, don't need! No thank you!
Oh and here I just found another one encouraging laymen to think about the Devas. Same concept as in the Great Forty...
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an11/an11.013.than.html
Mahanama, you should develop this recollection of the devas while you are walking, while you are standing, while you are sitting, while you are lying down, while you are busy at work, while you are resting in your home crowded with children.And again in
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an11/an11.012.than.html.
Cheers!
I asked if anything I could post would assist @misecmisc1... 'everything happens according to lord rama's wish only'...
I use the I Ching app. It's fun to read the answers and make up your own interpretation.
You read far more into this (Buddha encouraging belief in Gods) than I do.....
From here.
No I think you are overcompensating for an aversion in your deliberation here or maybe misunderstanding me.
I said the "Belief in gods is encouraged in the suttas" not by the Buddha. And I never said anything about worship.
And for the second citation and reference I think it is better to make up your own mind of what the suttas says rather than trust third hand interpretations of them. But of course they are better than nothing at all.
/Victor
I'm not compensating for, or misunderstanding anything. I'm just disagreeing with you. I think your interpretation of 'believing in Gods' in the Suttas, is a stretch.
And if the Buddha didn't recommend it, then I'm not buying it.
Aren't the Suttas supposed to be his guidance, teachings and encouragement?
I HAVE made my mind up.
I agree with the second citation/reference.
No it seems you are disagreeing with a statement you attributed to me. Not one that was my own.
But you are of course welcome to disagree with what I did say too. This is after all a discussion forum.
If you are wondering if the recommendations to take gods seriously as a laymen in the above sutta references are attributed to the Buddha? Then they are. Please do read the references if you do not believe my word.
But if you have any means of knowing what the Buddha really said then by all means do share. That would be very interesting.
Yes I agree with that one too. But that does not make the suttas about the gods I provided invalid. Nor the instruction in them to take gods into account in your cultivation in the prescribed way. I cannot see what worship has to do with it at all. Can you?
Cheers
/Victor