follow up on previous post on "material comfort and spiritual health"

[Guest guest]

Dear members,

 

Here is the exact quote of the "AchAryA" I mentioned in my immediately

preceding post.

 

Begin quote:

 

"People today are caught between two groups holding opposing views. On the

one side they feel the pull of individuals like (me) who maintain that they

must take to the path shown by the (vedic) sAstrA-s; on the other hand they

find themselves drawn in the opposite direction by reformers who want these

"sAstrA-s" to be changed…."

 

"Even now there are people who at heart long for a life of peace lived

according to the old (vedic) tradition. But they do not have the courage to

give up the either the trammels of modern life or the feeling of pride in

the changes effected under reformist movements. They are in an awkward

predicament because they are not fully committed to the traditional way of

life or to the new.

 

"Let me tell you how people cannot decide for themselves… of how they are

neither here nor there. In most of their homes you will see Gandhiji's

portrait and mine too. Now Gandhiji advocated widow marriage… and I advocate

wearing the "sikhA". Those who respect Gandhiji do not however have the

courage to marry widows. Those who say they respect me also do not have the

courage to wear "sikhA". Poor people are these! They do not have any

moorings and keep swinging between one set of beliefs and another. Instead,

I tell you, we must have courage of our convictions and unflinching faith in

the "sAstrA-s"."

 

"If we start to make small compromises in our adherence to the sAstrAs it

will eventually mean following only such scriptural practices as we find

convenient in our everyday life. Some people tell me with all good

intentions: "The dharmasAstrAs are the creation of r-shis. You are like a

r-shi. So you must make (appropriate) changes in the sAstrA-s in keeping

with the times". Their view is that just as we remove weeds from the fields

we must change (vedic) customs and duties according to our times. If I take

out some rites and observances from the sAstrA now, thinking them to be

weeds, later another man will turn up and remove some more for the same

reason. At this rate, a time will come when we will not be able to

distinguish the weed from the crop and the entire (vedic) field will become

barren."

 

"It is my duty to see that the sAstrAs are preserved as they are… founded as

they are in the Vedas which are nothing but what the "parabrahmham" has

ordained. I have no authority to change them."

 

"We must not give up the sAstra-ic way of life thinking it to be difficult

to follow. If we are not carried away by the glitter of modern mundane life,

if we reduce our wants and do not run after money, there will be no need to

abandon the customs and rites laid down by our canonical texts. If we are

not obsessed with making money there will be plenty of time to think of the

Lord. And peace and contentment and happiness will reign."

 

********** ************* *************

 

Continuing to quote the same "AchAryA", here is another extract from his

speech:

 

"The brahmin, if he is true to his dharma, HAS to spend all his time in

learning and chanting the vedas, in performing sacrifices, in preserving the

sAstrA etc. What will he do for a living? If he goes in search of money or

material he WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND TO HIS LIFETIME MISSION…. and this

mission IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED ON A PART-TIME BASIS. And if he takes up some

other work for his livelihood, he is likely to become lax in the pursuit of

his dharma. It would be like taking medicine without the necessary diet

regimen: the benign power gained by the brahmin from his vedic learning will

be reduced and there will be a corresponding dimunition in the good accruing

to mankind from his work."

 

"This is one reason why brahmins alone are permitted by the sAstrA-s to beg

for a living ("Unchavrtti"). But the sAstra also has it that the brahmin

must not accept more charity than what is needed for his bare sustenance. If

he received anything in excess, he would be tempted to seek sensual

pleasures and thereby an impediment would be placed to his inner

advancement. There is also the danger that he would become submissive to the

donor and of his twisting the sastrA to the latter's liking.

 

"The vedic religion prospered in the past … because people belonging to all

varnA-s contributed generously to the brahmin's upkeep and to the nurturing

of the vedic tradition. In Tamilnadu the nAttukOtta nagarattArs, the

kommutti chettis and the vEllAlas raised funds for Vedic institutions. They

felt the vedas were essential for social good.

 

"If the brahmin had not been tempted by the European (or American)

life-style and if he were willing to live austerely according to the

dictates of the sAstrA, other castes (even today) would come forward to help

him. It is not that the others deserted the brahmin. He himself ran away

from his dharma, from his agrahArA, from his village and from the vedic

school because of his new appetite for the life of luxury made possible with

the new technology of the West. He forgot the high ideals… All told, the

argument that the brahmin was compelled to abandon his dharma because he was

denied his daily bread does not hold water. We cannot but admit that the

brahmin became greedy, that he yearned far more than what he needed for

sustenance."

 

"Let us concede that the brahmin left his village because he could not feed

himself there and came to a city like Madras. But did he find contentment

here? What do we see today in actual practice? Suppose a brahmin receives a

salary of Rs.1000/- in Madras today. If he gets a job in Delhi with double

the salary he runs off there. When he goes to Delhi he would abandon totally

the dharma he was able to practise at least to a small extent in Madras.

Later if he were offered US$4000/- a month in America he would leave his

motherland for that country, lured by the prospect of earning a fortune.

There in the US he would become totally alienated from his religion, from

his dharma, from all his traditions. The brahmin is willing to do anything,

go to any extent, for the sake of money…. The usual excuse trotted out for

the brahmin deserting his dharma does not wash…. Were he true to his dharma

the brahmin would tell himself, "I will continue to adhere to my dharma come

what may, even at the risk of death."

 

"There is no point in suggesting what people belonging to the past

generations should have done. I would urge the present generation to perform

duties that the past generation neglected to perform. To repeat, you must

not forsake your dharma even on the pain of death. Are we going to remain

deathless? As things stand today, we accumulate money, suffer humiliation

and earn the jealousy of others and finally we die losing caste by not

remaining true to our dharma. Is it not better then to starve and yet be

attached firmly to our dharma so long as there is breath in us? Is not such

loyalty to our dharma a matter of pride? Why should we care about how others

see us, whether they honour us or speak ill of us? So long as we do not

compete with them for jobs they will not have any cause for jealousy or

resentment against us. Let them call us backward or stupid or think we are

not capable of keeping abreast of the times. Are we not now already their

butt of ridicule? Let us be true to our dharma in the face of the mockery of

others, even in the face of death. Is not such a lot preferable to suffering

the slings of scorn and criticism earned by forsaking our dharma for the

sake of filling our belly?"

 

"People ask me: "What is the remedy then today? Do you expect all brahmins

to leave their new life-style and return to vedic learning?"

 

"Whether or not I expect them to do so and whether or not such a step seems

possible, I must ask them to do so.

 

"Where is the need for a "guru-peeTam" or a seat on which an AchAryA is

installed if I am to keep my mouth shut and watch idly as the dharma that is

the source of everything is being endangered?

 

"Even if it seems impossible for brahmins to return to their

varnAshrama-dharma it must be shown to be possible in practice… that is the

whole purpose of the institution called "mutta-s". They must harness all

their energies towards the attainment of this goal.

 

"It is not for me to say that the return of the brahmins to their vedic

dharma is not possible. To take such a view would be contrary to our very

dharma. It is up to you all to make it possible in practice or not to make

it possible. All I can do is to keep reminding you of the message of the

dharmasAstrA-s".

 

************** **************** *************

 

Dear members, the above is the voice of not a Ramanuja or a Vedanta Desikan

or Adi Sankara … it is the clarion call of an "AchAryA" who lived amongst us

hardly 10 years ago…!

 

It rings with idealistic fervour. It is simply magnificent. It may not sound

to you all as "very practical" perhaps. But the highest Truth of the Vedas

is really an Ideal… It has nothing to do with considerations of mundane

practicality.

 

So please, let's be honest with ourselves in making our choices in life… and

the views we air.

 

adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

____

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[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dearest Sri Sudharshan,

 

Your quotes form the "AchAryA" are simply great and reverberate what we have

 

in our minds. Thanks for a great post!

 

I feel guilty, Sudharshan.(At least) I am not able to resist

the tempation of running amuck after dollars and thereby get away from

all duties of a typical Srivaishnava (brahmin). I don't even learn Tamil

Vedams, (leave

alone actual Vedas). I don't even perform Brahma yagnam.

 

I can not avoild eating outside, that too filled and soaked with onions and

garlic,

as I go outsations and stay at hotels, where getting a veg food itself is

"kudhirai kombhu". (horn of horse). This tongue and belly do not let me

stay starved and survive on fruits alone. I am the slave of these five dare

devils

(sense organs) plus Vitamin M (Money).

 

I am indeed a "aparaadha chakravartthi..".

There is no paapam that I have not committed in this world.

"nan nindhitham karma thadhathilOkE...

 

The only redemption: By His grace, I am a member of this list and

read Bhagavad Vishaym. So, He had decided to save me.. Else,

He would not have enabled me to be born like this, undergo Prapatthi

at the Lotus Feet of His Holiness, AchArya Saarvabhoumar, Srimad

Poundareekapuram Andavan. (in spite of His complete knowledge of

my sinful past, present... and future.., He had gracefully and

compassionately

accepted adiyEn's request to let me perform prapatthi.

 

Sorry for my loud cries, and outbursts.

 

Regards

 

Narayana Narayana

 

Narayana dAsan

>

> sudarshan madabushi [sMTP:sudarshanm]

> Tuesday, July 20, 1999 4:56 AM

> bhakti

> follow up on previous post on "material comfort and

> spiritual health"

>

>