svadharma

[Jagannathan Mahadevan]

On Tue, 1 Feb 2000, Ravisankar Mayavaram wrote:

> Dear Kartik,
>
> I agree with you. I am one among those who did not come to pursue some
> religious aspiration (giving a lame excuse that it is not possible in
> India), but I came here for secular reasons. I fully agree that I
> completely qualify for the loss of status. But, I did lose it in India
> itself. I became an agnostic when I was 14 years old, then I stopped
> doing sandhya, samidhaadaanam, visiting temples etc. It was in 1991, by
> the grace of parashakti I became a theist. For good 10+ years I lead a
> life of agnostic, pursuing worthless endeavours and reading new age
> books. I consider that I have lost it then. I was thinking about this
> seriously for the last few weeks.
>
> But I should tell  something. America, has its spiritual side too. It
> here my devotion to God increased atleast 100 fold. It is here I learnt
> very valuable lessons joining Swami Yogananda's SRF lessons. It here
> through advaita-L I learnt what our tradition is in the first place. It
> is here is America I started doing sandhyavandanam more or less
> regularly.  In fact I even learnt to wear a panchakachham here!!
>
> Am I concerned about the loss of the brahmAna status? NO. I will not do
> any special prAyashchittam for it (unless, ambaaL  tells me to do so).
> I always pray to Lord shiva and ambaaL to guide me to do the right
> thing I should do. I am confident (which I have witnessed) of their
> guidance in my daily life.  It is my prayer to them and to shirDi sai
> bAbA, that they should help me to return  as quickly as possible to
> India. Not to become a brahmana, not to serve the country,  but to go
> to the great shiva temples majestically standing in Tamil Nadu and sing
> in praise of my Father. I don't even mind being a chaNDaala as long as
> my heart is in the in the feet of shiva-shakti.
>
> These are my thoughts, please feel free to correct them.
>
> With love to all,
> Ravi
>
> shrI vaidyanAtham sadA bhajeham
> baalamba sameta divya prakaasham
> muttukumaara nuta muktipradaayakam
> mahAganesha supujitam mahesham
>
I absolutely agree with the sense of surrender you have
expressed. I think "brahmAnatva" is more due to the attitude one possesses
rather than the performance of rites. I have heard that "AAchara is for
Vichara" not the other way around. Maybe one should discuss the
purport of the word "brahmAna".

Jagan

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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