Hindu saints protest against granting title to NRI woman seer

January 24, 2008

Hindu saints protest against granting title to woman seer

01/15/08

Reuters

Angry seers took to the streets on Tuesday (January 15) in

the northern holy city of Haridwar protesting against a US-

based Hindu woman being accorded the status of

Shankracharya (supreme Hindu seer).

The status of Shankaracharya has usually been a male

preserve and such a title being conferred upon a woman has

not gone down well with saints of 13 seer sects assembled

in the holy city.

Shankaracharyas are the heads of the four mutts (Hindu

religious institutions) established by Adi Shankaracharya,

the head of the Advaita school of Hindu philosophy, but

heads of several other Hindu religious institutions too share

the title.

Seeing the irate seers, authorities beefed up security around

Maa Yogshakti's ashram (hermitage), and both Maa Yogshakti

and [her U.S.-based disciple] Maa Jyotishyanad (who has

been accorded the status of supreme seer) have been moved

to a safer area.

In 1998 Maa Yogshakti had sought the same status for

herself, but, there was large scale opposition from male

saints. But this time she is ready to face the challenge from

them to see that the title is conferred on Maa Jyotishyanad.

" If this is the objection from the Akhara (seer sect), then we

respect it. We are doing something that is pathbreaking and

so their annoyance is natural. We regard them as our

children and this is what our culture teaches us, " said maa

Yogshakti.

But fuming male saints declared that the act was against

tradition.

" I want to say that whatever they are doing is against

tradition. It is not acceptable to any saint community or

Akhara Parishad (topmost seer sect council) or any saint,

and we will protest against it. We will get defamation suits

filed against them, " said Swami Shivshanker, general

secretary of [the] Awana sect.

Meanwhile authorities say that they will investigate the

allegations made by the male saints and take action if

required.

" This is a demand from the Hindu seers, now we will look

into this matter, what we can do in it. [We are investigating]

[w]hether there is anything illegal or not. They are saying

that their activities are anti-national and anti-social. This is a

matter of investigation. If we see something illegal, then we

will take action according to that. "

Legends say the city of Haridwar, which literally means

'Gateway to Gods', located on the foothills of Himalayas, is

one of four places, the other places being Prayag, Ujjain

and Nasik, where nectar of immortality felt to earth after

spilling out of a pitcher during an epic battle for its

possession between Gods and demons.

http://tvscripts.edt.reuters.com/2008-01-15/2a2d8c71.html

Related articles:

HYPERLINK

" http://www.dailyindia.com/show/207871.php/Haridwar- " http://www.dailyind

-ia.com/show/-207871.php/-Haridwar-

ascetics-protest--Shankaracharya--status-to--NRI-woman

HYPERLINK

" http://indiapost.com/article/communitypost/1815/ " http://indiapost.-com/

article/-communitypost/-1815/

Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.10/1240 - Release Date:

23/01/2008 17:47

Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.10/1240 - Release Date:

23/01/2008 17:47

January 25, 2008

Saints? where is Advaita in the midst of all this insistance on

excluding women? and aggression. Whew.

Max

>Hindu saints protest against granting title to woman seer

>01/15/08 Reuters

>

>Angry seers took to the streets on Tuesday (January 15) in

>the northern holy city of Haridwar protesting against a US-

>based Hindu woman being accorded the status of

>Shankracharya (supreme Hindu seer).

>

>The status of Shankaracharya has usually been a male

>preserve and such a title being conferred upon a woman has

>not gone down well with saints of 13 seer sects assembled

>in the holy city.

>

>Shankaracharyas are the heads of the four mutts (Hindu

>religious institutions) established by Adi Shankaracharya,

>the head of the Advaita school of Hindu philosophy, but

>heads of several other Hindu religious institutions too share

>the title.

>

>Seeing the irate seers, authorities beefed up security around

>Maa Yogshakti's ashram (hermitage), and both Maa Yogshakti

>and [her U.S.-based disciple] Maa Jyotishyanad (who has

>been accorded the status of supreme seer) have been moved

>to a safer area.

>

>In 1998 Maa Yogshakti had sought the same status for

>herself, but, there was large scale opposition from male

>saints. But this time she is ready to face the challenge from

>them to see that the title is conferred on Maa Jyotishyanad.

>

> " If this is the objection from the Akhara (seer sect), then we

>respect it. We are doing something that is pathbreaking and

>so their annoyance is natural. We regard them as our

>children and this is what our culture teaches us, " said maa

>Yogshakti.

>

>But fuming male saints declared that the act was against

>tradition.

>

> " I want to say that whatever they are doing is against

>tradition. It is not acceptable to any saint community or

>Akhara Parishad (topmost seer sect council) or any saint,

>and we will protest against it. We will get defamation suits

>filed against them, " said Swami Shivshanker, general

>secretary of [the] Awana sect.

>

>Meanwhile authorities say that they will investigate the

>allegations made by the male saints and take action if

>required.

>

> " This is a demand from the Hindu seers, now we will look

>into this matter, what we can do in it. [We are investigating]

>[w]hether there is anything illegal or not. They are saying

>that their activities are anti-national and anti-social. This is a

>matter of investigation. If we see something illegal, then we

>will take action according to that. "

>

>Legends say the city of Haridwar, which literally means

>'Gateway to Gods', located on the foothills of Himalayas, is

>one of four places, the other places being Prayag, Ujjain

>and Nasik, where nectar of immortality felt to earth after

>spilling out of a pitcher during an epic battle for its

>possession between Gods and demons.

>

>HYPERLINK

> " <http://tvscripts.edt.reuters.com/2008-01-15/2a2d8c71.html>http://tvscripts.ed\

t.reuters.com/2008-01-15/2a2d8c71.html " <http://tvscri>http://tvscri

>pts.-edt.reuters.-com/2008--01-15/2a2d8c71.-html

>

>Related articles:

>HYPERLINK

> " <http://www.dailyindia.com/show/207871.php/Haridwar->http://www.dailyindia.com\

/show/207871.php/Haridwar- " <http://www.dailyind>http://www.dailyind

>-ia.com/show/-207871.php/-Haridwar-

>ascetics-protest--Shankaracharya--status-to--NRI-woman

>HYPERLINK

> " <http://indiapost.com/article/communitypost/1815/>http://indiapost.com/article\

/communitypost/1815/ " <http://indiapost.-com/>http://indiapost.-com/

>article/-communitypost/-1815/

>

>Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.10/1240 - Release Date:

>23/01/2008 17:47

>

>Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.10/1240 - Release Date:

>23/01/2008 17:47

>

January 25, 2008

All glories to Ma Durga and Her Devotees! I have never had the

opportunity to meet Ma Jyotishanand, but I have been blessed to meet

Ma Yoga Shakti several times and visit her Melbourne, FL Ashram.

These meetings have made a deep and lasting impression on my life.

Jaya! Jaya! Jaya Mahamandaleshwar Ma Yoga Shakti Saraswati and Ma

Jyotishanand Saraswati!

Leela

January 25, 2008

, " Brian Charles " <brian

wrote:

>

> I find something deliciously absurd about this, Am i alone in

this?

>

> But then again, i am certainly not a saint

>

> Brian

>

> On Behalf Of msbauju

> 24 January 2008 18:07

>

> Hindu saints protest against granting

title to

> NRI woman seer

>

> Hindu saints protest against granting title to woman seer

> 01/15/08

> Reuters

>

> Angry seers took to the streets on Tuesday (January 15) in

> the northern holy city of Haridwar protesting against a US-

> based Hindu woman being accorded the status of

> Shankracharya (supreme Hindu seer).

>

> The status of Shankaracharya has usually been a male

> preserve and such a title being conferred upon a woman has

> not gone down well with saints of 13 seer sects assembled

> in the holy city.

>

> Shankaracharyas are the heads of the four mutts (Hindu

> religious institutions) established by Adi Shankaracharya,

> the head of the Advaita school of Hindu philosophy, but

> heads of several other Hindu religious institutions too share

> the title.

>

> Seeing the irate seers, authorities beefed up security around

> Maa Yogshakti's ashram (hermitage), and both Maa Yogshakti

> and [her U.S.-based disciple] Maa Jyotishyanad (who has

> been accorded the status of supreme seer) have been moved

> to a safer area.

>

> In 1998 Maa Yogshakti had sought the same status for

> herself, but, there was large scale opposition from male

> saints. But this time she is ready to face the challenge from

> them to see that the title is conferred on Maa Jyotishyanad.

>

> " If this is the objection from the Akhara (seer sect), then we

> respect it. We are doing something that is pathbreaking and

> so their annoyance is natural. We regard them as our

> children and this is what our culture teaches us, " said maa

> Yogshakti.

>

> But fuming male saints declared that the act was against

> tradition.

>

> " I want to say that whatever they are doing is against

> tradition. It is not acceptable to any saint community or

> Akhara Parishad (topmost seer sect council) or any saint,

> and we will protest against it. We will get defamation suits

> filed against them, " said Swami Shivshanker, general

> secretary of [the] Awana sect.

>

> Meanwhile authorities say that they will investigate the

> allegations made by the male saints and take action if

> required.

>

> " This is a demand from the Hindu seers, now we will look

> into this matter, what we can do in it. [We are investigating]

> [w]hether there is anything illegal or not. They are saying

> that their activities are anti-national and anti-social. This is a

> matter of investigation. If we see something illegal, then we

> will take action according to that. "

>

> Legends say the city of Haridwar, which literally means

> 'Gateway to Gods', located on the foothills of Himalayas, is

> one of four places, the other places being Prayag, Ujjain

> and Nasik, where nectar of immortality felt to earth after

> spilling out of a pitcher during an epic battle for its

> possession between Gods and demons.

>

> HYPERLINK

> " http://tvscripts.edt.reuters.com/2008-01-

15/2a2d8c71.html " http://tvscri

> pts.-edt.reuters.-com/2008--01-15/2a2d8c71.-html

>

> Related articles:

> HYPERLINK

> " http://www.dailyindia.com/show/207871.php/Haridwar-

" http://www.dailyind

> -ia.com/show/-207871.php/-Haridwar-

> ascetics-protest--Shankaracharya--status-to--NRI-woman

> HYPERLINK

> " http://indiapost.com/article/communitypost/1815/ " http://indiapost.-

com/

> article/-communitypost/-1815/

>

> Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.10/1240 - Release Date:

> 23/01/2008 17:47

>

> Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.10/1240 - Release Date:

> 23/01/2008 17:47

>

January 25, 2008

>> With all respect,I beg to differ on this subject.

>

" no such thing has never ever happend in hindu religion so far.

> noboday can break the rules and regulations of our tradition. " by

> changing the general practise it only leads the younger generation

> into lots of confusions. "

Consider that there were women seers in the Vedas such as Ambhrni,

seer of Vak Ambhrni, the Vedic Devi Suktam, the woman sage Gargi of the

Upanishads, and sage Lopamudra,long before Adi Shankaracharya organized

the orders of Sannyasins. From this perspective, a rule that states a

woman sage cannot be awarded the status of Shankaracharya

or " Parvatyacharya " would be going against the Veda.

Remember, in the Brihandaranyaka Upanishad, the woman sage Gargi was

the person who finally determined the dispute in king Janaka's court

and declared sage Yajnavalka to be the wisest man. Only a sage with the

authority equivalent to a Shanakaracharya would be able to make that

determination and have it be accepted by the enlightened King Janaka

and the assembly of learned Brahmins.

" by changing the general practise it only leads the younger generation

into lots of confusions. "

In my opinion it would lead to less confusion since it would promote

true Advaita, non-duality and real ahimsa, non-violence. To adhere to a

philosophy of " One-Without-a-Second " while at the same time enforcing

and reinforcing a social duality is pretty confusing to me!

Furthermore, I find it even more confusing that some people choose to

use psychological and physical force to restict the life choices of

other people and then claim to practice ahimsa. Is it non-violent to

force a woman (or anyone else for that matter) to marry and have

children against her will? Personally, I am very glad that there have

always been women (and men) who have resisted this tendency in society.

For example, Shri Ramakrishna's disciple Gauri Ma, who followed her

irresistable urge to travel the path of the Himalayan sages, then

worked for the education of women at her Guru's request. Fortunately,

she was able to convince her family not to force her into marriage.

While most women, and probably most men as well, will choose to enter

family life, I feel that there should be no restriction on women's

roles in the Sanatana Dharma, and great wisdom, enlightenment,

scriptural knowledge, and experience should be revered and honored by

all, no matter what body it may occur in, male, female, Easterner or

Westerner.

Today, in this time, we are very fortunate to have so many women saints

and sages actively teaching worldwide. These great women, who are

expressions of the Divine Mahashakti, are true upholders of the ideals

and traditions of the Sanatana Dharma. They are following in the

footsteps of the women sages of the Vedas. As the revered woman saint

Shri Anandamayi Ma said: " Where the Brahman is, the One-Without-A-

Second, nothing else can possibly exist. " And again she says: " If,

through sense perception of any kind, anything arises which is not THAT

and THAT alone, then this is due to avidya. " And finally, she

says: " Where nothing is excluded, how can Oneness be obstructed? "

So, to me, placing restrictions on the expressions of consciousness in

half of the human race, is to introduce duality where there is none.

Furthermore, gender restrictions and value judgements reinforce

identification with the body and the ego in both sexes, which is

considered an obstacle in Advaita.

Please forgive me if I am coming on too strong in my passion for the

subject, Mahamandaleshwar Ma Yoga Shakti Saraswati and her disciple

have brought out into the open a subject which I have contemplated

deeply for a long time and it has prompted this flood of thoughts and

feelings. Thank-you all in advance for your consideration in allowing

me to share my view.

Leela

January 25, 2008

Even though I claim no expertise in some of the social norms of the India

culture by all means, I have to agree with Leela and many others who share her

opinion.

A basic principle in the psychology of religion is that a religion has to evolve

in time. If I am not mistaken, I thought that was the main purpose of having

the core laws (that remain the heart of Vedanta Philosophy and Hinduism) and

then the societal laws - that is, the societal laws can change. I always

understood that societal laws are susceptible to changes, so long as the core

laws are not contradicted. If a religion is so strict and rigid and unable to

change, people will either: 1) make a new religion; 2) find another religion; 3)

try to get rid of the religion all together.

And even more, from my basic understanding, Hinduism has survived as long as it

had not because of its advancement and strength in the beliefs and practices,

but also because the societal laws are always changing to adjust to the times.

The only thing that remains unchanged is the spirit of the religion, that spirit

being the core beliefs. I do not think that the societal laws of today were the

same as they were centuries - perhaps millennia - ago.

While preserving tradition is good to an extent - and changing tradition too

drastically and too much can easily lead to chaos - not changing for the sake of

not changing societal laws leads to stagnation. It does not take an

anthropology to understand how easily a religion can be reduced to cult status

just from the idea that it refused to adjust to the times.

Jai Ma!

Sincerely,

Christina

---- deviloka <deviloka wrote:

> >> With all respect,I beg to differ on this subject.

> >

> " no such thing has never ever happend in hindu religion so far.

> > noboday can break the rules and regulations of our tradition. " by

> > changing the general practise it only leads the younger generation

> > into lots of confusions. "

>

> Consider that there were women seers in the Vedas such as Ambhrni,

> seer of Vak Ambhrni, the Vedic Devi Suktam, the woman sage Gargi of the

>

Sign In

Hindu saints protest against granting title to NRI woman seer

Recommended Posts

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest guest

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Join the conversation

Support the Ashram

Join Groups

Top Downloads