Fake Sankaracharya

[Srikrishna Ghadiyaram]

Hari Om !!

--- "Venkataramani K." <VenkataramaniK at AOL.COM> wrote:
> In a message dated 11/20/02 9:47:22 PM Pacific
> Standard Time,
> jagchat01 at YAHOO.COM writes:
>
> > "Vedic life envisages both external rituals and
> inner purity. I am totally
> > for the inner purity part. I am only speaking
> against some of those rituals
> > which may have been important at the time when
> they were prescribed but
> > have lost their relevance now. Like getting girls
> married as and when they
> > attain puberty, not letting them read the vedas
> and recite the Gayatri. Not
> > letting low caste Hindus enter certain temples and
> participate in certain
> > functions and so on and so forth. These practices
> have proved to be our
> > Ahcilles heel and led to conversions."
>
> I resonate with this view. Shastras were codified at
> certain point of time,
> probably as a response to social conditions
> prevailing then. There is no need
> to adhere to them today. Many of them are
> obscurantist and even down right
> inhuman. Perhaps they were so even then. Whether or
> not conversions exist, we
> still need to cleanse  Hinduism of some of the evils
> such as the inequities
> mentioned above. No matter how much regard I have
> for Kanchi Sankara mutt,
> some of their practices are casteist and destroy
> Hinduism from within.
> Progressive thinking is not against the tenets of
> Hinduism; it is not an
> obstruction to spiritual progress either.
>

I am not for effacing the 'caste' system. If not this
system, some other system will come up. People will
align themselves in some kind of classification; Rich
Vs Poor; Intelligent Vs un-intelligent; Tall Vs Short
etc.

But, it is important to preserve the spiritual
significance of a 'Brahmana'. All said and done, being
a true Brahmana is a responsibility as well. The
demands are high on a true Brahmana. Let the noble try
to live up to the ideals. No other community has such
responsibility; because Kshatriya, Vysya and Sudra
occupations are equally available for all because of
modern thinking and secular environment.

In the current indian situation, people have no
complaints against any community other than Brahmanas.
We all know the real power of Brahmanas is negligible.
People may be unhappy that some of those adhere to
their customs inspite of the onslaught. Yes, on many
occassions this might come out as discrimination of
all other people. But, this has least economic impact
on them, though it has an insult, in the modern
context.

Except for some control/authority on religious matters
or temple affairs, Brahmana's have no say in India.
Others do not even have the necessary qualifications
for that. Even if we were to dilute the
qualifications, others can not serve the community on
a long term basis, for the rewards are petty. It is
the other communities which dominate the present day
political and economic scene.

What is more important is the necessity of the Brahmin
class to adher to the basic tenets of 'Brahmin hood'.
Study of Vedas, perform rituals and spiritual
practices enjoined on them, Be Good, Guide all towards
welfare, be contented and not demand all opportunities
for themselves on sheer argument that they are
'intelligent' etc. (I am a Brahmin, by the way).

As such to my little knowledge, there does not seem to
be any unhappiness within the Brahmin, Kshatriya,
Vysya communities. To a great extent even the Sudra
community is not interested in contending for the
privileges of the Brahmin class, because
the'priesthood' has no riches, and study of Vedas has
no glamour to any, ( even to Brahmins), as modern
scientific education has more world appeal and
recognition.

The difficulty is only for 'lowest' class Hindus who
are totally deprived because they are poor and hence
can not 'buy' any 'rights'. There are not many people
within their community who can champion their cause
un-selfishly. The second community of people are the
scheduled caste and scheduled tribes people who need
compassionate treatment. These "masses" are thoroughly
exploited by the "political" class (which comes from
all the castes) in the name of "Secular" approach,
though the real problem is economic or cultural
divide.

In my opinion, the changes required are just MINIMAL.
The number of people who challenge to learn Vedas  are
negligibly small. But, yes, access to temples confers
them a social recognition and status. Because, the
Mathas, and other religious institutes are not making
the necessary changes, they are facing the criticism,
though they are not the end-beneficiary of all
economic development. This groups lacks intelligence
and tact, and is taking fire for no-reason though they
are not the only community exploiting nation's
resources.

As I believe, whether it be Sankara Mathas or Ramanuja
Sampradaya or other such religious sects, none of them
have high economic or political goals. They objective
is to serve all communities. This is somehow not being
projected correctly. The aggressive political Hindutva
clan has hijacked religion for themselves. For them
"Dharma" has no meaning; welfare is not high on the
agenda; nor do they follow the guide lines of the
acharyas.

Only by some well thought "presentation" of True Hindu
Spiritual Religion as different from the "political
Hindu ideology" can the balance be brough back.

Om Namo Narayanaya !!

Srikrishna


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus – Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com