Regarding silk

[Guest guest]

I am sorry to ask a pointed question, but this needs

to be asked for the sake of consistency.

 

Those who oppose the use of silk for bhagavatharadhanai

on Ahimsa grounds, would they also oppose the use of

allopathic medicine and treatment, and cosmetic products

such as after-shave lotion?

 

-- Dileepan

[Guest guest]

Dileepan wrote:

:I am sorry to ask a pointed question, but this needs

:to be asked for the sake of consistency.

:

:Those who oppose the use of silk for bhagavatharadhanai

:on Ahimsa grounds, would they also oppose the use of

:allopathic medicine and treatment, and cosmetic products ...

 

Speaking only for myself, I avoid anything which contain animal

byproducts and which are tested on animals, to the extent

possible. When at all possible I buy leather-free shoes and I never

wear silk. I slip up now and then; this is my fault and I bear the

blame, not the principles behind which I operate.

 

As far as medicine is concerned: the brahma-sUtras specifically

say that non-sAttvic food such as meat may be consumed only

when one's life is in danger. I apply the same principle as

far as possible to medicine.

 

[The next paragraph is not referring to Dileepan's views.]

I find it surprising when people on the one hand strive scrupulously

to be vegetarian, claiming it a high religious and moral value,

and then, even when there are viable alternatives, use and wear

silk. As far as I know, we are never _commanded_ to offer silk

to perumaaL. The fact that he wears silk in his divya-desams

also does not justify this practice. After all, in many divya-desams

the priests are rude and can't pronounce Sanskrit. But those

practices can hardly be endorsed by the devout!

 

Mani

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

Namaskarams.

>Those who oppose the use of silk for bhagavatharadhanai

>on Ahimsa grounds, would they also oppose the use of

>allopathic medicine and treatment, and cosmetic products

>such as after-shave lotion?

>

>-- Dileepan

 

Yes. adiyEn will definitely stand the same ground with

regard to use of modern medicines, cosmetic pdts., leather

goods etc. As a weak soul I have not so far shunned whole

heartedly the allopathic medicines which I think is my

immaturity. And adiyEn used to avoid milk when in US

since I came to know that for meeting a Government standard

on percentage of Vit.D in milk, milk-producers add fish

products to milk. And adiyEn never use silk.

 

[ I read in a magazine how badly animals like monkeys, mice

are tortured for the sake of human beauty. Throughout the

world many cosmetics product manufacturers perform various

mind-rending experiments on these innocent creatures. All

for just the external beauty of the humans. Pathetic state

of affair! ]

 

adiyEn,

chandrasekaran.

[Guest guest]

At 02:39 PM 7/31/1998 +0500, V. Chandrasekaran wrote:

>

>goods etc. As a weak soul I have not so far shunned whole

>heartedly the allopathic medicines which I think is my

>immaturity.

 

At 08:53 AM 7/30/1998 -0700, Mani Varadarajan wrote:

> I avoid anything which contain animal

>byproducts and which are tested on animals, to the extent

>possible. When at all possible I buy leather-free shoes and I never

>wear silk. I slip up now and then; this is my fault and I bear the

>blame, not the principles behind which I operate.

>when one's life is in danger. I apply the same principle as

>far as possible to medicine.

>

 

 

Thank you for answering such a pointed question. I do appreciate

your candor.

 

I notice that both of you have hedged your answers. I submit to

both of you in as earnest a way as possible, without any malice,

that if we are unable to uphold a principle due to personal

weaknesses, we ought not criticize others for theirs. This

is especially so when the weakness is in the course of

bhagavathaaradhanai such as desiring to see our Lord

and Thayar adorning brilliant silk garments. I hope this

forum will forgive me for holding your feet to the fire.

 

Let me end my little contribution to this exchange with a couple

of paasurams. I hope they will not be seen as unfortunate

misquotations.

 

Both paasurmas describe the use of silk in bhagavathaaradhanai.

Pattu in the following two paasrams is not a generic term for

any garment, but silk.

 

iraNdaam thiruvandhaathi #76:

 

varai sandhaNak kuzmbum vaan kalanum pattum,

viraippolintha veN mallikaiyum - niraitthukkoNdu

aathikkaN ninRa aRivan adiyiNaiyE

Othip paNiva thooRum.

 

 

(Rough translation: It is fitting to our swaroopam

to worship our primordial and all knowing

Lord, with sandlewood paste, silk, jwelery,

and jasmie flowers.)

 

 

 

Thiruvaaymozhi 5.5.4:

 

neenga nillaak kaNNa neergaLenRu annaiyarum munithir,

thEnkoL sOlaith thirukkuRungudi nambiyai naan kaNdapin,

poondhaN maalaith thaN thuzhaayum, ponmudiyum vadivum,

paangu thOnRum pattum naaNum paaviyEn pakkaththavE.

 

(Rough translation: My mothers are upset that I just

don't stop crying. The Lord I have seen, the Lord of

Thirukkurunkudi, filled with gardens oozing with honey,

is no longer in front of me. But the divine sight is always

near me. That is what makes me cry uncontrollably.

What a sight it is? His divine body with golden crown,

cool garland of flowers and Thiruththuzzay, and the

most fitting silk garments (paangu thOnRum pattu),

and the hip thread (anarinyaaN). How can I stop crying?)

 

Thank you,

 

-- adiyEn raamanuja dhaasan

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Dileepan,

> You wrote:

> Thank you for answering such a pointed question. I do appreciate

> your candor.

 

Thank you for providing warmth to my feet:-) I enjoyed it and

your advice was well-taken.

 

I agree to your advice that one should not criticise other's

weaknesses when he himself is weak at things.

If you pls. go back to my posts I have in no place criticised

anybody for using silk. I only have expressed my opinion that it

is not the correct thing to do since it is a very careless act

perpetrated by us by killing numerous creatures and all for just

our good-look or be it a mUrthy's good-look.

 

adiyEn,

chandrasekaran.