namaste shrI Raghy and smt.RENukA.
Although I wrote my post #146 offhand--and meant shrI Raghy and smt.RENukA as people "different in their personal lives", I chose my words carefully and reviewd my response a couple of times before I posted it. I meant no offence towards people who seek to be progressive.
Now I need to clarify my stand with regard to the points raised by shrI Raghy and smt.RENukA.
First, shrI RAghy's question in post #149:
Just because couple of members chose to think out side the square, Sri. Lakshminarasimhan chose to call them crazy. The affected members didn't even pay attention initially. Since those words are quoted by you in reply to Sri. Lakshminarasimhan, I like to ask you, please... How come you did not mention to Sri. Lakshminarasimhan that it is not very polite to use words like 'crazy people' when talking about other members? When you are mentioning about a non-existant 'jeering', how come those words found in your own quote missed your attention?
• shrI Raghy, you would appreciate that there is a difference between saying "how crazy you are" and "how crazy people are", which shrI Lakshminarasimhan used in post #125 in response to smt.RENukA's post no.120. It seems to me that LN only spoke about the 'idea' being 'crazy' rather than the 'person', which is also evident from smt.RENukA's grant of a 'like' count to the post. Further LN is a new member and it is only natural that a traditional person like him being surprised/upset by the remarks made in this forum.
• Yes, the proverb in the title of this thread is one that I posted and I expected some discussion about it (and look forward to some others, especially about those that talk about brahmins).
• Raghy, in the OP shrI ShivKC did not clearly state (as he did in a much later post #157) whether his intention was to know the meaning behnd the proverb or the necessity/relevance of a brahmin wearing a pUNUl when no other caste members wear it. Further he mentioned, "dont take me wrong.. just being curious here." Therefore there was nothing to object about the OP.
• I have indeed replied to the OP in post #11, trying to match the OP in tone and tenor. I also appreciate that you have given the meaning behind the proverb in post #25.
• You have reiterated: "Poonool and thali are external symbols. I said that before; I will say that again too." I respect this sentiment of yours, but when you seek--as you did in your post #126--to 'colorize' it that this is the real world of today, that there is no pretence, and that this world of yours is "different from the world where people pretend to be very nice persons",
should I not be allowed to think that you are making sweeping statements which seek to universalize your perception as the only real and correct one and all other traditional/religious perceptions and practices as mere mockery? This is where the jeering comes in, if you please.
I am one of the persons to take part in this thread. I did ask this question - 'Upanayanam' is 'taking one closer'. My question was, 'Is it necessasary for someone to go through 'upanayanam' and poonool to be guided closer? Can you kindly tell me, can someone be 'taken closer' with out poonool? I would much appreciate your answer.
• Sathya Sai Baba gave the explanation that upa-nayanam means 'an additional eye', which is the third eye that opens with brahmopadesham. However, as you have rightly observed, the common explanation of upanayanam as 'taking one closer' is the traditional one.
• Your question "Can you kindly tell me, can someone be 'taken closer' with out poonool?" can be redirected to you as: Can you kindly tell me, can someone NOT be 'taken closer' with poonool?' So, IMO, the right perception which can be both progressive and honest is: that the pUNUl ceremony is one of the sAdhanas--means, to take a man closer to the truth, and that there could be other means too, depending on the people's levels of mind.
• Brahmins who wear and believe in the efficacy of pUNUl as a means to their sAdhana don't say in general that it is the only means that take you closer to the truth; whereas brahmins who have given up their belief in it, usually seek to decry the practice rather than specify a certain alternative means.
smt.RENukA, this is with reference to post #154:
• Knowing your spiritual capabilities from your posts in this forum, I never for a moment considered yourself as one who would ask another person, 'why do you wear your pottu and thAli (or pUNUl for that matter)?'
• But you would understand that it is natural for people to ask you about not wearing these religious symbols. Yes, I think within the confines of the Hindu religious, spiritual and philosophical box, but as far as I am concerned I am careful not to JUDGE those who think outside the box. I do however take exception when progressive people mean to say that only their world is all hunky dorry and the traditionally religious world is all humbug.