Dear Shankar
I really appreciate your views and agree almost all. I totally agree with your vision of ‘Samathwam’ treating/feeling and living with every one equally. As already I have mentioned this is a very deep subject which we have taken for our discussion. So deeper we go more will be revealed.
Just infer you own thoughts, and listen to it. What prompts you to concern about giving equality to all, what urged you to condemn the discrimination shown by the so called upper caste people, what prompts you to the concern to keep our religion live long? The same attitude is what keeping our religion living for long despite continuous slashes, bombardments both economically and culturally. No religion/culture would have survived if done at least a quarter of what is been done to our great land and our great religion. Where is Babylonian cult? Egyptian Cult? Great civilizations! Gone!!! But we are still living, that is because of the personified attitude what I can see in you.
Well, I think you need to further analyze about the concept of Church. Do you know in Christianity even after a SC/ST change to their religion, they still are treated like before, didn’t you come across the differentiation like Christian Nadar, Christian Mudhali, Christian SC/ST. This is the problem actually; I would appreciate the Christianity if they really give equality to all but that is not the case. No upper class converted Christian would marry a lower class converted Christian. While selling/marketing their religion they say equality afterwards stills the same discrimination. Do you think a Negro can take the chair position of Vatican City? Huh. Do you know there was controversies about a picture depicting Jesus as a Negro, do you know how many condemns were arisen from Churches and is there any Churches including Churches in Africa did supported? Never! In fact that picture was published after a long research! If you somebody says equality is given if you convert to Christianity that is a humbug. You need to understand Christianity is a business, it is a way well formulated to get hold of the world, the entire humanity. So as to enable the west be always in power and rich. In Africa a citizen once said: “Before they came we had our land and riches, they had Bible, now we have Bible in our hands and our lands and riches in their hands”.
We don’t see our religion as a product to sell it as a commodity accompanied by perks and gifts and with discounts! Like what Churches are doing. If you feel this is the reform is what we should do, then I would say you need to refine you ideology! Read the words of Swami Vivekananda, Sri Arobhindo, Swami Chinmaya, Swami Dyanand Saraswathi, that will give you a good picture and will clear many of your doubts.
Hinduism is full of wisdom, it says what is 'dharma' and it is up to the individual to make a choice, Hinduism is full of choices, you can go to temple or don’t go never mind, can do service, can just do your work, pray any god, but the ultimate message is ‘Samathwam’ ‘Every thing leads to the ultimate reality’. Every ritual is aimed to that only, not to a particular community, you need to put some time in analyzing about our rituals with a view to understand its deeper meanings. A mode of worship might be suitable to one person and the same could be difficult to other, you and me may not do the fire walking or piercing our lips, that requires a particular physical built and guts like wise there are certain things require mental guts, sever practice, penance and ability, it is up to the individual to cultivate and develop things suitable. That is why many difference, and if one tries to adopt others then there would surely be a controversy! Unless the meaning and purpose is well understood.
If your perception says we should boldly shed all our negative practices and embrace reforms do you mean in Brahmin community alone? What are our negative practices and what reforms you mean to say we should embrace; can I assume the following points per your mail?
* Rights to worship and perform Poojas to all people in all temples?
- If you take a statistics of the number of temples in India against the percentage of population of Brahmins (I think Brahmins population is less than 2% of Indian population), drilling down to no of Brahmins who are in to the profession of temple priest, then you would realize in how many temples a Brahmin is a priest. I would say this is quiet obsolete view that only Brahmins are the eligible priest in all temples. Moreover what is the use of an assertion or law which is already in practice? Considering it a new or innovative idea! You may ask or have in mind about temples like Kancheepuram, Madurai Meenakshi, Chidhambharam…and would a non-Brahmin can do Pooja there. First, those temples were constructed by Kings and since their time Families had been given responsibility to undertake Poojas and they are doing it generations together and that is their assigned Duty and bread and butter in one sense.
Who knows in next few centuries no one would be there to continue that chain. Please understand my views are not against non-Brahmin doing Poojas, just to assert that all castes people can be Poojari and it is in practice long since.
Moreover, to my understanding in nowhere it is said in our Shastra regarding a Brahmin priesthood of temples. I have visited many temples, and that is one of my hobby, not only that whenever I visit a temple I would get as much info as possible about that temple. So far I have seen many Siva/Vishnu temples are maintained and Poojas are performed by Veera Saiva, Vellala (Some of the vellala are SC/ST), Konaar (yadava community), Naidus and many other caste people as well. In some temples where I saw Brahmin and other caste Poojari together maintain different sanithis of a shrine.
* Translation or adoption of regional languages in temples as primary language for the performing Pooja?
- This is too already in practice. Tamil is equally rich in singing the glory of the almighty. In almost every Agama Veda Padashala (both Saivam and Vainavam) Tamil Vedam (Thiruvasakam, Thirupugal, Divya prbhandham, Azhwar, Nayanmar composed verses are taught and being used in Poojas daily. There are many scholarly works on Tamil text, translating Sanskrit to Tamil are done by many ‘Andhanars’ (Brahmins).
* Leaving ‘Sanskrit’ (Devnagri) aside?
So your concern is in Temples or in Poojas or in Rituals Sanskrit shouldn’t be used rather the translated version of that can be used, so that it would reach the masses! Great concern! I really appreciate your thoughts, but this same thought provoked many person like you and they became innovative scholars, take ‘Thirukkural’ what it tells in couplets are almost told in Srimad Bhagavat Geetha. If you compare both Thirukural and Srimad Bhagavat Geetha you could realize that, am not concerned about which comes first! Or whether ThirukKural was done with the inspiration of Geetha!J If you take Thiruvachakam, a true philosophical book, Kaivalya Navaneetham and many more Tamil texts just reflect what Vedas, Upanishads revealed. My friend there are count less Tamil works already done. What else you expect? Why a small portion of Sanskrit verses chanted in Temples give you a big concern, there are translated versions of almost every ritual in temple, but do you know who cares to bother about it, I mean even if you tell other caste priest to follow the translated version of such rituals, they are reluctant! Now the point is, in this Kali Yuga, No Pain More Gain! Even in worship!!! Do you know how difficult is to learn all the Tamil texts and recite it in temples, how may Tamil temple poojaris (other caste) are ready to devote their time in learning all of them before they begin their Priest Career despite many saiva peetam are encouraging the same? I would like to quote more on this topic, but considering time and space limit I will try to give some more analysis in Sanskrit later.
I wish our discussion should throw more light.
RV
