renuka
Well-known member
Dear Renuka,
Kindly excuse me for butting in your conversation with Sri Yamaka.
Just want to clarify some of my doubts with you. Hope you will take interest and reply me. Your reply may help me to be relieved from my serious concerns.
AFAIK, people are finding no time to spare for many of their personal / domestic commitments in this fast moving/hectic world. However efforts one takes to update himself/herself with current affairs/politics etc amidst hectic work schedule, majority of the people found to be not so well informed.
AFAIK, in ground reality there are 1000's of Brahmin families and all Non Brahmins who perform many rituals/pooja with the help of priests. I doubt, Brahmins/NB's would learn vedam/vedic pooja systems and perform on their own.
Hardly few people who are into own business/professional practices may have interest in vedam and learn for their own pleasure and satisfaction, as a matter of their hobby and interest. But I doubt, such interested and learning person would do/capable to do something constructively in the society for sustaining and glorifying Vedams.
IMO, in India, if we still have value for Vedam, it's all due to major contribution by vedici people/priests. Off course many of us who use their services for many rituals/poojas and occasion in our life, are some how contributing in sustaining vedams/shastrams out of our belief.
My only concern is, vedic people are not in tune with the modern life style. They can't be as a matter of fact and are used only for solemnizing occasions in our day to day life.
What will be the plight of Vedic/priests community in coming days? Gradually in due course of time, there would not even be a single unmarried priest with a possibility of getting married, IMO. If such a scenario prevails, how can we expect Vedic/priests community to exist for future generation? And how can we expect Vedams to prevail in our Hindu Society?
Dear Ravi, Sorry I had to re post what I wrote earlier cos I was unable to edit the spelling mistakes and the edit function is not working for that post.God knows why.I will be deleting the earlier one.So since you had clicked Liked to that you can do so here too..hehehehehe
Dear Ravi,
You have brought up relevant points but Hinduism is not only about Karma Yoga as in rites and rituals only.
What is stopping anyone from learning a few simple rites and rituals to start with.
If we can find time to see TV or even come online why not set aside sometime to learn some basic Hinduism a day.
Even an hour a day will suffice.
For a start let me share what I do on daily basis.I set aside sometime a day and when I am free in between seeing patients I do Sanskrit grammar and before going to bed I read some religous text daily without fail.
Thats my commitment to Hinduism.Its doesnt take much time.
Elaborate rituals I leave it up to the individual to decide if they want to do it or not.
Lord Buddha didnt do any Yagna and yet He preached Jnaana.
Many a times we mistake Hinduism as being only rites and rituals.
May be since most of us have not much idea about detail rites and rituals Hindu based organizations can come up with a step by step simple guideline handbook about day to day rites and rituals.From there may be it might help those who are interested to pursue it seriously.
After all if all of us went to universities and gained degrees dont tell me none of us can study simple rites and rituals.
I have a friend a Marathi Brahmin who does simple agnihotra in his home from time to time.He is a full time script writer in the film industry but still makes the attempt to preform his duties before he goes to work.
You have a point that many lack interest mainly due to the fact that they dont know Sanskrit.So the only way is in India at least let children study Sanskrit at 1st standard itself in a neutral text that is study Sanskrit as a language and not linking it directly to religion too early.
I have seen many Brahmin priest out here who recite mantras without knowing the meaning.Is that what we really want? I am sure we want a priest who knows what he is reciting.
There is a Northern Indian temple out here in Malayisa which has a priest who is from India an MA in Sanskrit.So here we can be sure that he knows what he is reciting.
When I attended World Sanskrit Fair in Banglaore this year in Jan 2011,I couldnt help notice that many of those really well versed in Sanskrit and who still lead a Vedic lifestyle seemed shy to public and couldnt converse well in English.
I guess may be that the fault with society.Cos we always judge and individual from outward appearance.
How many people will feel 100% confident with a priest who is modern and looks like any other IT grad?
Most people still want their priest to look as traditional as possible.
Imagine a priest coming for pooja with a lap top to key in data and using it to refer to any astrological info.How many of us will feel comfortable?
So where does the problem lie in the Vedic types or society that doesnt allow them to be modern?
If in the future we have shortage of priests we have no choice and we can rope in help from our scientist friends and clone priest.
Last but not least..Vedas doesnt need us to sustain It.We need Vedas to sustain ourselves.