Responses to Dress Code

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaagavatas

I am overwhelmed by the flood of responses received on the subject.

I am giving below just a few samples of the responses received for your kind information.

I have taken the privelege of forwarding their responses to the members of Sri Ranga Sri.

I thank them.

 

In continuation of my earlier posting, I would like to add the following:

 

Jews and Sikhs cover their heads while going to Synagogue or Gurudwara as required in their sacred texts.

Similarly, TraivarNIkas are required by our sacred Sastras to wear their traditional dress while visiting temples and Acharya Sannidhis.

(Incidentally, we cover our heads only when going to the restroom!)

 

Such traditional attire instills certain discipline among the followers of these faiths while confirming their respect and reverence to their institutions and preceptors.

These prcatices do not supplant or substitute the attitude of devotion which is the sine-qua-non for any adherents to their respective faiths but are IN ADDITION to it.

 

Also, one will not be allowed to wear a casual dress while appearing in a military or police parade, (even if one were to claim being a close friend of the President or Prime Minister)

 

If this discipline is necessary in the relevant contexts, wearing the traditional mode of dressing PRESCRIBED in the sacred scriptures is also NECESSARY

and cannot be dispensed with on some flimsy grounds like some others are not following it.

 

As Dale Cranegie put it "Do you want to reform somebody. That is a very good idea. But, why not start it on yourself?"

Let us learn to follow the rules. Others will fall in line. And, if they do not, it is none of our concern.

 

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

===================================================================================================================================

 

From hema38rama30

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

No need to be apologetic.

Apart from official functions, at social and religious functions too Sikhs and Muslims observe the dress code. Only we Hindus invent excuses not to observe the code even in temples and acharya sannidhis

TGRamamurthi

From sri_ranga1960

Respected Swamin,

I am very much happy to see your very strong observations and analytical comments on this issue. In fact adiyen expressed my observations out of sheer compulsion as well as to counter some "liberals" who are misguiding a quite no. of sishyas by their vyakyanams.

Many of my friends are supporting my views and our expectation is to follow the minimum of sampradaya style.

 

With regards

Chithrakoodam Ranganathan.

================================================================================================================

 

From harish.iyengar

I am with you on this sir.... Whatever u have said in the below mail is to be taken and to be followed

Regards

Harish

===============================================================================================================

From srikainkarya

Dear Swamin

Excellent!

Here is the golden touch of respected Anbil Swamy who gave excellent reasons ! Sarvam Sree Hayagreeva preeyathaamDasanUruppattur Soundararajan

================================================================================================================

vsrajagopalan2003

Respected Sir,

Thank you for your candid response. In the third para in the last line u hv used the

word Reverence for Acharys. It is the lack of respect for our Acharyas that lets

these kind of questions to arise. Such people think that THEY want to give respect

but these Acharyas do not know how to receive it gracefully. Same kind of attitude

is with the Bruhaspathi. A little lower in the social stature in their perspective.

Thanks again...

Regards

VSRajagopalan

==============================================================================================================

From rk2153

Adiyens, bagyam swamin for an illustrious bagawatha to coach me.Pala kotti dhandam samarpitha vinnappam! adiyen, while ignorant and devoid of any real knowledge, must shareadiyen's concern:(1) How much does the adherence to dress code and any other outwardlyconduct contribute tocultivation, taste and refinement of Sri Vaishnavism.(2) Is it not that those who have denigrated have managed to do so bytheir decadent behavior -- and not byappearance? if so should we not create an environment for substance.(3) If we admit that no one can escape the fangs of time, we cannotexpect future generations to live by our standards.Future generations will live in a much more complicated and complexlife. Our responsibility is to make it easy.(4A) Most importantly, there may be a few we are leaving behind due tothese restrictions. By relaxing these restrictionsfew of those will venture and get a glimpse of our Acharyan and withthat transformational experience will begin their own journey into oureternal siddhantam. This is a signature of our Acharyan's compassionfor those of us who have fallen and His Holiness attempt to beinclusive. His Holiness is making many concessions and compromiseslike a mother elephant to nudge the baby elephants in the rightdirection. adiyen is lost and have no words to fully capture theessence.(4B)Furthermore, no matter what the rules are, our absolute faithfulwill never take advantage of relaxed environment and wander intoAcharyan's vicinity in casual attire. It is not the injunctions andrequirements that motivates them. In summary then there is no downside and potentially lot of upside. Very cautiously and with great affection for Sri Vaishnavism, adiyenis very happy and much grateful to our visionary Acharyanfor initiating such deliberation. adiyen is making the difficultchoice of distressing illustrious bagawathas such as devareer so a fewmore future generation will study ThiruMangai's paAsurams and revel inEta Vanasya Mahima. Forgive me, please. Namo Narayanaadiyen

================================================================================================================================================On Tue, Apr 7, 2009 at 8:10 PM, Ram Anbil <ramanbil wrote:> Dear Swamin> Kindly excuse me for not agreeing with your views.>> When we observe strictly the formal dress code while attending parties (both> official and private) and we follow strict codes of conduct in the placement> of even plates, spoons and forks,why should we not follow the traditional> dress code while visiting Acharyas?.>> While we wear full suits with tie and boot to boot, when attending official> functions even in the scorching sultry hot days without any demur (whether> in India or in the U.S.A) why should we whine when we are reqested to wear> the traditional way of dress ATLEAST when we visit our revered Acharyas?>> In fact, the Sastras require Grihasta men of the TraivarNikas to wear> Panchakatcham and Sumangalis to wear MaDisaar saree - NOT ONLY when visiting> temple and Acharyas BUT EVEN WHEN WE ARE AT HOME.>> That the Acharya was compassionate to TOLERATE our indiscretion should be> taken only as an exception. And, our fault lies in the fact that we are> experts in making the exception to be our rule!>> If the fourth VarNa people do not follow because they do not know how to> wear, we need not copy them or worry about them. The bane of our society> arises from OUR NOT adhering to the VarNaasrama Dharama prescribed FOR US> in the Sastras thereby forfeiting our BraahmanaTvam. The fault is ours and> we have no right to complain about VarNa Sangraham and the deterioration in> moral and ethical codes in Society.>> Sorry for a candid response.> Dasoham> Anbil Ramaswamy