Following hindu tradition

[CHANDRU1849]

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The following article gives an insight as to why Hindus are not serious in following rituals, as in the case of other religions:

QUOTE

Recently when a friend of minecomplained that her son is not ready to follow any traditions orRituals… I asked her the reason and she justshrugged and complained “you know today’s generation”. But when I asked her“did you explain to him the importance of the rituals?”. She was at a loss ofwords. That’s when I realised that she herself is following everything blindlywithout questioning the value then how can she explain anything to the nextgeneration. This is a common and major problemwith most parents. When I look around me I find that mostreligions have very strict rules for their followers and it has been passed onvery diligently from generation to generation… be it Islam,Christanity, Sikhismor Jainism. Bur somewhere the importance of the Hindu religion seems to havelost over the generations. We do see the huge celebrations during Navratri andGanpati festivats but that is more commercialization and the essence of thefestivals is lost. Is it because all the rituals andtraditions are so scientific that they were difficult to explain to the common man…or was it because there were no strictrules to follow. Hinduism stressesmore on self-understanding and self-discovery rather than blind faith anddogmatic rules but over the years self-study got lost in materialism andcommercialization and we started depending on readymade knowledge that wasavailable. But unfortunately this gave rise to a breed of scheming andmisleading babas and Gurus who just contorted the religious teachings to makemoney. Seeing all this further lead away the genuine seekers and the nextgeneration away from their roots. Rituals were actually designed toclear the minds chatter and stress,they enhanced the depth of consciousness andconnection with others. They teach us to be present in the moment. They notonly boost intuition and a sense of purpose but also help overcomepersonal limitations. Rituals turn you into a co-creator of your own reality, empower you to overcome challenges inyour career, income, health and relationships. It will help fill your gap inthe modern age.

UNQUOTE

 

[Raji Ram]

Am I supposed to find the source and post it? :ranger:

Smita Chaturvedi - SpeakingTree

 

[renuka]

Dear Chandru ji,

I am one of those who do not really follow traditions but even then I feel life goes on as usual.

For example yesterday was New Year..no doubt I acknowledge that its an auspicious day but it stops right there...I do not celebrate it in anyway.

Same goes with most other festivals..somehow I just cant get myself involved in tradition but even then I can safely "brag"(LOL) that I do not lack human values.

So frankly speaking how much does tradition really shape us?

Besides my never ending thirst to gain knowledge especially religious knowledge and being a vegan..there is no other tradition that I really follow.

I have noted that many hard core tradition followers just treat tradition as an obligatory ritual for self interest without any attempt for self transformation....that is why we can find people who strictly follow traditions but yet can be corrupted at work and even take bribes.

Out here yesterday I was pretty sure that many of those who saw me were faking their illness just to get a day off to celebrate New Year.

They started off their day by lying that they are sick and being absent from work just to follow tradition of celebrating New Year.

So what say you? Is it all that important that tradition is followed if inner transformation remains a distant dream?

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Renu,

There is no need to follow any tradition or even pray to God, whether we believe 'avanindri OraNuvum asaiyAdhu' or not!

Traditions are followed to keep in touch with the loved ones, to give gifts to them and to the not-so-fortunate ones, offer special

naivEdhyams to the Almighty (though he does not ask for anything) and so on.

Temples were built with stone praharams and people used to go every morning to pray and do at least three pradhakshinams.

It was a good exercise for the body (free acupressure for the feet! ) and make one feel humble by praying God. Now a days, people

go to gym to do exercises and reduce weight!!

 

[CHANDRU1849]

Dear Chandru ji,

I am one of those who do not really follow traditions but even then I feel life goes on as usual.

For example yesterday was New Year..no doubt I acknowledge that its an auspicious day but it stops right there...I do not celebrate it in anyway.

Same goes with most other festivals..somehow I just cant get myself involved in tradition but even then I can safely "brag"(LOL) that I do not lack human values.

So frankly speaking how much does tradition really shape us?

Besides my never ending thirst to gain knowledge especially religious knowledge and being a vegan..there is no other tradition that I really follow.

I have noted that many hard core tradition followers just treat tradition as an obligatory ritual for self interest without any attempt for self transformation....that is why we can find people who strictly follow traditions but yet can be corrupted at work and even take bribes.

Out here yesterday I was pretty sure that many of those who saw me were faking their illness just to get a day off to celebrate New Year.

They started off their day by lying that they are sick and being absent from work just to follow tradition of celebrating New Year.

So what say you? Is it all that important that tradition is followed if inner transformation remains a distant dream?

Madam,

It is a general feeling that if traditions are not followed, religion will disappear.

The above article speaks about the seriousness that prevails in other religions, except Hinduism.

Because of extreme diversity in nature of Hinduism, oneness becomes a dream.

Let us pray for oneness.

 

[Vaagmi]

Recently when a friend of minecomplained that her son is not ready to follow any traditions orRituals… I asked her the reason and she justshrugged and complained “you know today’s generation”. But when I asked her“did you explain to him the importance of the rituals?”. She was at a loss ofwords. That’s when I realised that she herself is following everything blindlywithout questioning the value then how can she explain anything to the nextgeneration.This is a common and major problemwith most parents.When I look around me I find that mostreligions have very strict rules for their followers and it has been passed onvery diligently from generation to generation… be it Islam,Christanity, Sikhismor Jainism. Bur somewhere the importance of the Hindu religion seems to havelost over the generations. We do see the huge celebrations during Navratri andGanpati festivats but that is more commercialization and the essence of thefestivals is lost.Is it because all the rituals andtraditions are so scientific that they were difficult to explain to the common man…or was it because there were no strictrules to follow. Hinduism stressesmore on self-understanding and self-discovery rather than blind faith anddogmatic rules but over the years self-study got lost in materialism andcommercialization and we started depending on readymade knowledge that wasavailable. But unfortunately this gave rise to a breed of scheming andmisleading babas and Gurus who just contorted the religious teachings to makemoney. Seeing all this further lead away the genuine seekers and the nextgeneration away from their roots.Rituals were actually designed toclear the minds chatter and stress,they enhanced the depth of consciousness andconnection with others. They teach us to be present in the moment. They notonly boost intuition and a sense of purpose but also help overcomepersonal limitations. Rituals turn you into a co-creator of your own reality, empower you to overcome challenges inyour career, income, health and relationships. It will help fill your gap inthe modern age.

There are those who understand the value and meaning of rituals and follow them.

There are those who have no time or inclination to really understand the rituals and yet follow the rituals mechanically because it is believed to be wisdom handed down though we do not understand it.

There are those who interpret the rituals using their current state of knowledge and find new meanings to the rituals and follow them.

There are those who not only have no time or inclination to understand the rituals but have a lot of time to put them down. They ridicule, trash and even go the extent of following new rituals which are meant to make fun of an existing ritual. Thus we have people who will garland a picture with chappals (ritual) and cry out jay ho to a supposed revolutionary (ritual). Every year they will faithfully celebrate a day as the Chappal garlanding day(ritual) on which they will all assemble (ritual) and sing revolutionary songs(ritual) and remember(ritual) their long dead and gone leader.

To me, a vaishnavite, rituals have meaning and so I follow them. Period.

 

[Vaagmi]

I am one of those who do not really follow traditions but even then I feel life goes on as usual.
For example yesterday was New Year..no doubt I acknowledge that its an auspicious day but it stops right there...I do not celebrate it in anyway.
Same goes with most other festivals..somehow I just cant get myself involved in tradition but even then I can safely "brag"(LOL) that I do not lack human values.
So frankly speaking how much does tradition really shape us?
Besides my never ending thirst to gain knowledge especially religious knowledge and being a vegan..there is no other tradition that I really follow.
I have noted that many hard core tradition followers just treat tradition as an obligatory ritual for self interest without any attempt for self transformation....that is why we can find people who strictly follow traditions but yet can be corrupted at work and even take bribes.
Out here yesterday I was pretty sure that many of those who saw me were faking their illness just to get a day off to celebrate New Year.
They started off their day by lying that they are sick and being absent from work just to follow tradition of celebrating New Year.
So what say you? Is it all that important that tradition is followed if inner transformation remains a distant dream?

Renukaji,

As long as you were speaking about your belief and convictions, you were making a statement of your position. It was okay.

But the moment you stated that people who are tradition followers treat tradition as obligatory ritual for self interest without any attempt for self transformation, you are expressing an opinion and are turning judgmental.

Rituals do not transform you. They are not even meant to do that. Your level of moral corruption or Character depends on the values you pick up in your childhood and further reinforce as you move along the continuum called time.

Rituals at best are social organizing ikons or rallying points. We stand before a national flag and salute it on the
Republic day because the flag symbolises the aspirations and dreams of a people called a nation. Otherwise there is no difference between the piece of cloth that flutters on the top of a vertical pole and the piece of cloth called kaubeenam which is hung to dry on a wire. It is the symbolism which makes one different from the other.

The rituals connected with land marks such as a new year day etc., are just occasions to renew our hope. Human being being natural worshippers of beauty in whatever form it occurs, the rituals usually have a lot of embellishments which make them memorable. Today is Vishu and Kani Kaanuthal is a simple, small ritual which we go through in our family. all fruits are collected the previous day and are kept in the Perumal sannidhi the previous night itself. as we get up in the morning each one walks up to the Perumal sannidhi with closed eyes and opens the eyes to see first the fruits etc., kept there and then a brief prayer is recited. The year starts that way. Children, since they have a tendency to trip and fall, are led by elders in this ritual upto the Perumal Sannidhi.

To a rationalist or a scientist who has spent considerable time trying to understand the space-time duality or non-duality this may look like a meaningless empty ritual. But to me(who, as a child had gone through this ritual several times) and my children this is a pleasant memorable experience. It is lived again and again every year just for the beauty of that experience. I never found any need to interpret the experience with a dukrinjkarane.

So, my dear friend, let us live our life without racking our brain too much to look for meaning in everything that is done. If there is beauty without meaning, let us accept it and move. Ultimately upanishad says Atma is Anandamaya. The meaning of anand is: EppOthum thanakku anukoolamaahave iruppathu. I like this meaning of Anandamaya. LOL.

 

[renuka]

But the moment you stated that people who are tradition followers treat tradition as obligatory ritual for self interest without any attempt for self transformation, you are expressing an opinion and are turning judgmental.

dear Vaagmi ji,

If you read what I wrote again..you would realize that you omitted one word.

I had written:
I have noted that many hard core tradition followers just treat tradition as an obligatory ritual for self interest without any attempt for self transformation....



The word I used is "MANY hard core tradition followers"..so it means a sizable number of people but it does not imply that "100% of people who are tradition followers treat tradition as obligatory ritual for self interest without any attempt for self transformation"


Vaagmi ji...so you have sort of quoted me slight out of context by omitting the word Many.

But otherwise you post made a nice read(as usual).

 

[renuka]

Republic day because the flag symbolises the aspirations and dreams of a people called a nation. Otherwise there is no difference between the piece of cloth that flutters on the top of a vertical pole and the piece of cloth called kaubeenam which is hung to dry on a wire. It is the symbolism which makes one different from the other.

.

Both are in close contact with a pole..I do see some similarity!LOL

 

[Vaagmi]

Both are in close contact with a pole..I do see some similarity!LOL

Siva Sivaaaaaaaaa!!

 

[a-TB]

Everything repetitive we do or even what animals do (as in pre-mating sequence) is a ritual. Meaning is only in the eye of the beholder.

I see some people feeling superior and cultured because they follow some ritual prescribed for them. Then there are others who feel superior because they think they are beyond rituals.

Some threads here go through this sequence (expression of superiority in a subtle way) which itself is a ritual LoL


My ritual is I get bored with lack of new and fresh ideas here but keep checking .. why do I do that, Narayana, Siva Siva LoL

 

[Vaagmi]

Everything repetitive we do or even what animals do (as in pre-mating sequence) is a ritual. Meaning is only in the eye of the beholder.

I see some people feeling superior and cultured because they follow some ritual prescribed for them. Then there are others who feel superior because they think they are beyond rituals.

Some threads here go through this sequence (expression of superiority in a subtle way) which itself is a ritual LoL


My ritual is I get bored with lack of new and fresh ideas here but keep checking .. why do I do that, Narayana, Siva Siva LoL

That made me think again.

It would indeed be nice to live from minute to minute or second to second. No past, no thought of future. As the moment comes, live it like a cockroach. No need for any rituals because every ritual can be analysed and reduced with the help of neurons in the brain to just motions driven by hormones and raw emotions. Right now the cockroach before me is giving me a curious look. I wonder what it is thinking or does it think at all. Yes, being an amoeba is better than being a cockroach or a thinking human being with rituals which are enjoyed by some, found boring by some, and diced and spliced by some looking for a lot of hidden meaning, superior-inferior binaries, new and fresh ideas etc.,.

Ada pongappa. Vaazhkkai vaazhvatharkke-with all the rituals and the sweets and sweet memories that they bring to the table. LOL.

 

[prasad1]

Everything repetitive we do or even what animals do (as in pre-mating sequence) is a ritual. Meaning is only in the eye of the beholder.

I see some people feeling superior and cultured because they follow some ritual prescribed for them. Then there are others who feel superior because they think they are beyond rituals.

Some threads here go through this sequence (expression of superiority in a subtle way) which itself is a ritual LoL


My ritual is I get bored with lack of new and fresh ideas here but keep checking .. why do I do that, Narayana, Siva Siva LoL

You are right about this addiction to the forum as a ritual, LOL.
I was keeping away from posting in this thread.
I do not feel any superiority or inferiority, i just express myself and try to learn from others. Sometimes I disagree and rare occasion I agree with the sentiment expressed.

 

[varalakshmi baskaran]

yes we should not fun with religious those who want to celebrate allow them to celebrate. any way one shakthi is there to active us.

 

[renuka]

My ritual is I get bored with lack of new and fresh ideas here but keep checking .. why do I do that, Narayana, Siva Siva LoL

So why dont you bring in some new and fresh ideas for everyone here?

Why only keep depending on others to bring in some ideas and get bored for nothing at all?

 

[tbs]

hi

the topic of this thread....FOLLOWING THE HINDU TRADITION.....my answer for this.........VISIT EVERY DAY TAMIL BRAHMINS

FORUM WITHOUT FAIL....LOL

 

[renuka]

hi

the topic of this thread....FOLLOWING THE HINDU TRADITION.....my answer for this.........VISIT EVERY DAY TAMIL BRAHMINS

FORUM WITHOUT FAIL....LOL

true!

before joining forum I did not know about Vadakalai Vs Thenkalai elephant case..after joining here I learnt about it and even google searched the case online..the whole court case details can be found online.

So I am learning a lot about tradition here.

TB forum Ki Jai!

 

[Brahmanyan]

Everything repetitive we do or even what animals do (as in pre-mating sequence) is a ritual. Meaning is only in the eye of the beholder.
I see some people feeling superior and cultured because they follow some ritual prescribed for them. Then there are others who feel superior because they think they are beyond rituals.
Some threads here go through this sequence (expression of superiority in a subtle way) which itself is a ritual LoL
My ritual is I get bored with lack of new and fresh ideas here but keep checking .. why do I do that, Narayana, Siva Siva LoL

Dear friend,

I have been a member of Tamil Brahmins Forum for the past nine years.This forum gives a platform for expressing our views freely.

Well, you are correct that many subjects are repeated in discussions.This is because of new members who join start the subject for discussion. It is only fair that they should be allowed to express their views.
My experience is that serious subjects do not have many participants. I am a serious type participant, I go through many source materials before I enter a thread. It gives me an opportunity to expand my knowledge.
I can tell there are quite a number of members who enrich discussions by sharing their rich knowledge and experience.
I can assure that you will certainly get involved as the time goes.

Regards
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[sangom]

The following article gives an insight as to why Hindus are not serious in following rituals, as in the case of other religions:

QUOTE

Recently when a friend of minecomplained that her son is not ready to follow any traditions orRituals… I asked her the reason and she justshrugged and complained “you know today’s generation”. But when I asked her“did you explain to him the importance of the rituals?”. She was at a loss ofwords. That’s when I realised that she herself is following everything blindlywithout questioning the value then how can she explain anything to the nextgeneration.This is a common and major problemwith most parents.When I look around me I find that mostreligions have very strict rules for their followers and it has been passed onvery diligently from generation to generation… be it Islam,Christanity, Sikhismor Jainism. Bur somewhere the importance of the Hindu religion seems to havelost over the generations. We do see the huge celebrations during Navratri andGanpati festivats but that is more commercialization and the essence of thefestivals is lost.Is it because all the rituals andtraditions are so scientific that they were difficult to explain to the common man…or was it because there were no strictrules to follow. Hinduism stressesmore on self-understanding and self-discovery rather than blind faith anddogmatic rules but over the years self-study got lost in materialism andcommercialization and we started depending on readymade knowledge that wasavailable. But unfortunately this gave rise to a breed of scheming andmisleading babas and Gurus who just contorted the religious teachings to makemoney. Seeing all this further lead away the genuine seekers and the nextgeneration away from their roots.Rituals were actually designed toclear the minds chatter and stress,they enhanced the depth of consciousness andconnection with others. They teach us to be present in the moment. They notonly boost intuition and a sense of purpose but also help overcomepersonal limitations. Rituals turn you into a co-creator of your own reality, empower you to overcome challenges inyour career, income, health and relationships. It will help fill your gap inthe modern age.

UNQUOTE

There is no monolithic kind of "hindu tradition"; the traditions, rituals, customs, the mythical origins attributed to the customs, etc., varies from place to place, and also from group to group, among hindus. This being a forum for 'the Brahmin Community spread across the entire globe', it seems to me that we cannot talk of the "hindu tradition" since brahmins constitute only a small proportion of the entire Hindu population; what we can discuss is about "Brahmin tradition" and cannot presume that the Brahmin tradition is equal to the Hindu tradition in its entirety.

The Brahmin tradition itself has continually, if not continuously, undergone many changes over time. This is lost sight of by many, and the usual presumption (of many among us) is that what each one of us has learned from the previous generation, as modified to suit each one's preferences and affordability, is what constitutes "Hindu Tradition". Since there is no enforcing authority like priesthood in Hindu religion, as in the case of Christianity, Islam, etc., our participation in various rituals is left to each one's choice.

The non-brahmin hindus may be more united in observing the traditions which are more of their tradition, but I have no ready data about this. However, looking at the gatherings in Mel Maruvathur, Sabarimala, Kodungalloor, Chakkulathukavu Devi temple, Chettikulangara "Kettu Kaazhcha" and, lately, even in the Attukal Pongala, this appears to be a fact.

 

[mkrishna100]

There are those who understand the value and meaning of rituals and follow them.

There are those who have no time or inclination to really understand the rituals and yet follow the rituals mechanically because it is believed to be wisdom handed down though we do not understand it.

There are those who interpret the rituals using their current state of knowledge and find new meanings to the rituals and follow them.

There are those who not only have no time or inclination to understand the rituals but have a lot of time to put them down. They ridicule, trash and even go the extent of following new rituals which are meant to make fun of an existing ritual. Thus we have people who will garland a picture with chappals (ritual) and cry out jay ho to a supposed revolutionary (ritual). Every year they will faithfully celebrate a day as the Chappal garlanding day(ritual) on which they will all assemble (ritual) and sing revolutionary songs(ritual) and remember(ritual) their long dead and gone leader.

To me, a vaishnavite, rituals have meaning and so I follow them. Period.

Spot on .I agree with this post of Sri Vaagmi . If people understand the spirit behind the rituals and follow them then it is better .

 

[vijayam]

What i feel is all rituals, ofcourse which are not harmful to others, are to be followed as per one's family practice and we should take that practice to our next generation. It is nothing but binding the family together in important days and special occasions. It has got its own meaning which can be interpreted in so many ways.

 

[JR]

I try to follow our traditions and rituals as much as I can. BUT I would not say that I am 100% traditional, including my choice of personal attire and my choice of home furnishing (leather or not), both instances in which I deviate from traditional recommendations. There is a layer of practicality imposed on traditions, depending on the so-called 'desh, kaal and patra'. I can say I am a person who tries to live with the traditions as much as possible. Doing daily aradhana of the household deity gives me mental peace and a vast change in my mood prior to puja and after puja, for the better. I am addicted to daily puja for this reason. Doing rituals such as periodic homa and celebrating functions and festivals ritualistically gives me the feeling of continuing with one's culture without interruptions and also the feeling of 'bringing Lakshmi home' which does not imply material prosperity but the celebration of one's feeling of contentment with what one has. Therefore I celebrate festivals.

 

[CHANDRU1849]

Time is important to follow rituals.

In earlier generations, as employment opportunities were very limited, people had lot of time to spare time for rituals. Despite old rituals are retained and new ones added, due to paucity of time, it should be left to the individual to decide.

Retaining Hindu identity is utmost importance.

 

[mkrishna100]

if the real spirit behind the rituals are understood then the form of the rituals can be adapted to the time , place and situation .

 

[biswa]

Am I supposed to find the source and post it? :ranger:

Smita Chaturvedi - SpeakingTree

Wow, how did you even do it? In addition to the censor board, now you are the forum librarian as well!