mati -- acharam

[Guest guest]

In gita cleaniness is identified by THE ACHARYAN

as a desirable trait

 

acharya upasanam saucam sathiryam athma vinigraha

saucam here is cleaniness.

 

Therefore it is adiyen's humble opinion that everyone

must adhere to any habit that improves cleaniness and

hygiene.

 

with acharam and mati that we have been discussing

the problem occurs when we start to think less of

another who is (for whatever reason) not endowed

with cleaniness or desire to keep clean.

 

This birth of the ego (I am clean and this other

person is not clean) that allows discord to prop up.

We have also forgotten the indweller in the other

person.

 

As long as we do not develop a holier than thou

attitude but are very steadfast in cleaniness

inside/outside there is no harm and can only be

healthy.

 

acharam and mati have become words of derison

only because some practitioners misbehaved with

others who are less fortunate.

--

anandavalli dasan

 

--- Visu9 wrote:

> /namastE Shri Mukund.

>

> I think we can get a better understanding of /acAram

> and /maTi if we try to capture the basic ideas

> behind it. One way to do this is to look at the

> meaning of these words. What do these words mean?

> Are there English equivalents or are these ideas

> unique to us?

>

> Let me attempt by beginning with the word /maTi.

>

> A relevant meaning for /maTi is "retreat" or

> "withdrawal". The word comes from /maTittal --- to

> fold. We fold a paper; that is /maTittal. What

> happens? The full-size has become half-size. The

> paper has been withdrawn from its full use.

>

> Retreat is a religious idea seeking withdrawal from

> the world to be in unuion with God for a few minutes

> or a few days. Catholics practice /maTi, when they

> enter into retreat every year --- even children. No

> talk for most of the day. Only reading.

>

> The word /maTi has negative use too! You must

> withdraw of course routinely, not for ever! When

> you do that you are a /maTayan, one who has

> separated himself or hesrelf from reality of the

> world. He or she has built an isoalted world good

> only for hin or her. That is /maTayan. A very god

> example is given by /maHA/kavi subramanya

> bhAratiyAr. /mAtar tammai iZivu ceyyun maTamaiyaik

> koZuttuvOm. That is a stupid isolation of women from

> public life until Gandhiji came.

>

> There is a pleasnat use of the word /maTi. Women are

> iften bashful. Let a boy of 16 0r 16 tell a little

> girl of 14 how pretty she is. She is going to fold.

> She is a /maTantai. A /maTantai is a woman slim

> enough to be able to fold! (Sorry, not putting down

> others; I cannot change the meaning of words!).

>

> I hope it is clear to you that /maTi in the sense of

> "retreat" is good for all of us. What we need to do

> is to get expand the current concept of /maTi to one

> where people reamin in "retreat camps" For example,

> /gItai maTi will be an occasion for people to fold

> into the /gItA.

>

> /vantanam.

>

> Visu

>

>

 

 

 

 

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