Are we Brahmins shrinking in quality, uniqueness and number?

[anamika]

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This is a thought I have been having for quite sometime; happy to see it in the discussion, Mouli Sir!

Yes, Brahmins are shrinking by number, due to less brahmin children nowadays and increasing IC marriages, too.

Next, Uniqueness means Unique, we may not know, there may be some one UNIQUE in the real thirst of spiritual knowledge, we may be unaware of!

The quality of a life, expected as a Brahmin is also getting diluted and we tell ourselves this is a outward ritual, this may not be needed. Some Brahmins are like that.....Again there are the other type of Achara Brahmins who hurt everyone with their rigid practices and get the ill-will of others.

Somewhere we tend to fit in between in this present context,as our life permits.

I have a request to make to Sri. Pravin and other learned members in this forum, Really to retain whatever is left in our community, I think it is hightime to organise classes and group meetings. I feel brahmins in foreign countries feel they miss some things and go to Chinmaya classes and so on and know more than our own counterparts.

I heard Vedic villages and agraharams are being formed in neighbouring states like Andhra and Karnataka but whether we will be able to lead such a ritualistic, strict life style again is a million dollar question.

As of now, I feel, Brahmin societies can also organize vacation time vedic classes and can teach whatever little slokas and Suktams to the next generation. (Christian missionaries in Cbe do this regularly and Muslim kids do attend sunday classes!!)

We need real leaders who can guide without political motives . Hope some one will arrive!!

regards
anamika

and

Dear friends,

Are we elders not responsible for the decay and shrinkage of our community? I think many of us are grandfathers or are on the verge of becoming one. Unfortunately, we are nowhere near the 3rd ashrama (vaanaprastham) and absolutely not in sight of the 4th ashrama (sanyasa). We have not renounced our thirst for material objects, politics, bragging about our erudition, and so on and so forth.

Have we developed true appetite for Raama Naama? Are our houses reverberating with divine chanting? Do we go to temples daily? Do we get up during brahma muhurtham? Do we wear dhoti and lead a simple life? Do we exhibit and exuberate simplicity in our attitude?

I wish all of us reflect on these and come up with useful contributions and some workable solutions to the problems enumerated. And, I welcome elders to guide us in the right path.

Pranams to all.

 

[kunjuppu]

anamika,

i am with you 100%. re shrinkage. it has been going on for 50+ years, since we my parent's generation adopted family planning. i am a planned child. my sister came 8 years, after lots of thinking, over affordability. whenever we think of children, not in terms of gifts or need for progeny, but in terms of affordability, and our comfort, we will shrink. every family needs to have more than 2 children in order to propagate effectively.

pls see last weeks neeya naana show. on one side were parents with one kid (most boys) and other with those who think we need 2 kids (this side included some with one kid, but too late to have another).

all the nieces i have, have only one child (if at all). i think it is too late to turn back the clock...to large families. nobody even wants two kids in our community. and we have tons of bachelors with no hopes of finding spouses.

if at all we want to revive our fortunes, we need to accept these facts, and come up with new rules and conversions to our way of life. a rigidity on that front, is another factor, why we are losing numbers. but that is only my view and personally, i am the type, if i see an issue, i try to find solutions, though some of which, may not be exactly what we want, atleast will produce some of the preferred results, if not all.

to be boneheaded, and stick to certain attitudes and customs, is but another sure way to continue the shrinkage. after all, was these not the causes and the reasons, for our decline. and that started 50+ years ago..and we have generations brought up on those values and concepts.

 

[sangom]

This is a thought I have been having for quite sometime; happy to see it in the discussion, Mouli Sir!

Yes, Brahmins are shrinking by number, due to less brahmin children nowadays and increasing IC marriages, too.

Next, Uniqueness means Unique, we may not know, there may be some one UNIQUE in the real thirst of spiritual knowledge, we may be unaware of!

The quality of a life, expected as a Brahmin is also getting diluted and we tell ourselves this is a outward ritual, this may not be needed. Some Brahmins are like that.....Again there are the other type of Achara Brahmins who hurt everyone with their rigid practices and get the ill-will of others.

Somewhere we tend to fit in between in this present context,as our life permits.

I have a request to make to Sri. Pravin and other learned members in this forum, Really to retain whatever is left in our community, I think it is hightime to organise classes and group meetings. I feel brahmins in foreign countries feel they miss some things and go to Chinmaya classes and so on and know more than our own counterparts.

I heard Vedic villages and agraharams are being formed in neighbouring states like Andhra and Karnataka but whether we will be able to lead such a ritualistic, strict life style again is a million dollar question.

As of now, I feel, Brahmin societies can also organize vacation time vedic classes and can teach whatever little slokas and Suktams to the next generation. (Christian missionaries in Cbe do this regularly and Muslim kids do attend sunday classes!!)

We need real leaders who can guide without political motives . Hope some one will arrive!!

regards
anamika

and

This is not a response to anamika but a post in general, expressing my views.

"retain whatever is left in our community" is a very vague term, imo. We still have brahmins who are well-versed in their vedas, perform all the nithyahnikas and observe all the restrictions as laid down in our Dharmasastras. Our aim must be to change ourselves (the parents and senior citizens) into this way of life and also set an example to the coming generations to emulate this brahmin way of life instead of running after material comforts and aping the west. Perhaps we will become the butt of ridicule for others but if only we can persevere, like the Amish in the US (Amish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

I personally will join such a "bramish" community. But the million dollar question is how many will be genuinely interested in discarding their present pseudo-brahmanism and come forward to join such a community. Any takers, please?

 

[Brahmanyan]

This is not a response to anamika but a post in general, expressing my views.

"retain whatever is left in our community" is a very vague term, imo. We still have brahmins who are well-versed in their vedas, perform all the nithyahnikas and observe all the restrictions as laid down in our Dharmasastras. Our aim must be to change ourselves (the parents and senior citizens) into this way of life and also set an example to the coming generations to emulate this brahmin way of life instead of running after material comforts and aping the west. Perhaps we will become the butt of ridicule for others but if only we can persevere, like the Amish in the US (Amish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

I personally will join such a "bramish" community. But the million dollar question is how many will be genuinely interested in discarding their present pseudo-brahmanism and come forward to join such a community. Any takers, please?

Dear Sri "Sangom",

I am with you in your thoughts. You have summed up the expected response in the last paragraph. How many will take the risk of becoming a genuine Brahmin forsaking the material comfort. Whether the genuine Brahmins will have place in the new (present) social setup to elk their living without money?


The example of Amish community is good, I give below some basic features of this exclusive German community in US.In general they follow and practice the Yama, Niyamas enunciated in Yoga Sutras.

"Two key concepts for understanding Amish practices are their rejection of pride, arrogance, haughtiness and the high value they place on humility and calmness, composure, placidity, often translated as "submission" or "letting-be". This is perhaps better understood as a reluctance to be forward, to be self-promoting, or to assert oneself. The Amish's willingness to submit to the "Will of God", expressed through group norms, is at odds with the individualism so central to the wider American culture. The Amish anti-individualist orientation is the motive for rejecting labor-saving technologies that might make one less dependent on community. Modern innovations like electricity might spark a competition for status goods, or photographs might cultivate personal vanity.
The Amish stress simplicity and humility. They avoid anything associated with self-exaltation, pride of position or enjoyment of power.Amish believe that God is pleased when people work in harmony with nature, the soil, the weather, and care for animals and plants. Amish always live in rural communities.
Amish are pacifists and conscientious objectors. They avoid all violence - including angry words or going to law".
(information collected from web resources).


Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had started such exclusive Communities under ISKCON to spread the message of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and lead the life according to its discipline.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.