I became a Hindu by increments. It didn’t happen over night of course. There was no one grand happening that changed my heart and mind. I was fortunate enough to have been raised by a psychology professor who practiced Yoga, meditation, pranayama and chanting; and studied Eastern philosophy and religion. So I grew up around a lot of interesting books. By the age of 17, I had read many of them including the Bhagavad Gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Tao Te Ching, which influenced me greatly. By the time I was 21, I had become a religious hybrid. Part Catholic, part Taoist and part Hindu.
After high school, in 1989 I fell into the New Age scene and studied Rebirthing from Leonard Orr. Leonard had developed rebirthing by interviewing many Indian Yogis including his Guru Haidikan Babaji. I came to know of a Babaji ashram just 45 minutes from my home and visited shortly there after. It was because of Leonard and the ashram priests that my study and practice of Hinduism as Sanatana Dharma excelled.
It was at this time that my understanding of Dharma became keen. I spent much time at that ashram practicing Karma, Bhakti and Jnana Yogas. I completed Pujari training and attended many Pujas, Aartis and Yagnas…and I was home. That was 20 years ago, and my love for Dharma has only become more solidified. So that is it, in a nut shell, how I once again was fortunate enough to have found Hinduism in this lifetime.’I could say much more on this topic. It is the question I get asked most, “how did I become a Hindu” or “how did I come to Yoga, Ayurveda, Tantra, etc.” There is no beginning to this story and there is no end.
By Sean Bradrick
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