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[prasad1]

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Brahmin birth

That is an event, why should I be ashamed of it.
Who in their right mind can prescribe the standards for others to live by?
What special privilege did I claim, or did I get?
why would anyone (educated intelligent being) insult my birth?

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Kunjuppu Sir,

Yes! I follow some traditions like early morning bath, light swami lamp and pray before breakfast etc. The basic culture that

was taught by my dad was to be good to all the people around us. I follow that. But I don't impose my views on others. Live

and let live is a nice way to lead a calm life, imho. I do appreciate those who are traditional to the core, but if they ask me to

do the 'chANi mozhugal' of their kitchen, I will surely object! :becky:

 

[P.J.]

i tend to agree...

we appear to spend crores renovating temples in agraharams no longer populated by brahmins. instead, scholarships to poor brahmin students or helping out the old among us, those who need help with medical bills, will go a long way, to your punyam credit, with that great accountant chitraguptan

eh P.J., you worth several crores now ? eh eh!!

btw is there a lottery for punyams?

Kunjuppu

Like prasadji said, there is no Puniyam or Papam , but good action is important.

We give money/ different usable items like Kitchen utensils / used Shirts, Pants, Women Churidhars / new Sarees/Dhotis etc to old age home and also to an orphanage in India.

Here in US also our daughter in law goes to a old age home and gives Lunch pockets for the inmates once in a month; although we would like to do more, as both my son and daughter in law are working , and there are other things to be taken care of for the Two young kids.

Since we are here in US, we do not do any Amavasai Tharpanam, Srardham, Avani Avittam etc.

Even when we were in India , we joined with other in doing Sradham, but made anna dhanam on that day.


My elder brother who is no more used to do anna dhanam on Sradham day and other days like birthdays, marriage days, Pandhigai days etc told me that this is better than doing all orthodox rituals; i try to follow that advice.

We are maintaining a small 'Theru KOOTHU Pillayar' Temple just outside our home in Chennai and give Rs 1000/- every month to a poor Gurukal to do one time Puja.

We also give him, additional amount for Deepavali/ pongal etc New Dhoti /shirt etc


Whenever we go to our Kula deivam Temple in Kumbakonam, we also donate an amount to small School there.

 

[prasad1]

Dear Kunjuppu Sir,

Yes! I follow some traditions like early morning bath, light swami lamp and pray before breakfast etc. The basic culture that

was taught by my dad was to be good to all the people around us. I follow that. But I don't impose my views on others. Live

and let live is a nice way to lead a calm life, imho. I do appreciate those who are traditional to the core, but if they ask me to

do the 'chANi mozhugal' of their kitchen, I will surely object! :becky:

I live by the same motto. Well said.

 

[P.J.]

prasadji

I do the same like you, get up early morning, bath, light lamp, a small prayer, then only i take morning coffee.

Then i go for a walk, only after that i take my break fast, mostly made up of oats.

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear P J Sir,

'Theru koothu' is a form of traditional dance!

The PiLLaiyAr you have mentioned is 'theruk kuththup piLLaiyAr'.

(தெருக்குத்து = தெரு + குத்து)

Ref: தெருக்குத்து

 

[Raji Ram]

Image source: தெருக்கூத்து (therukkooththu)

 

[biswa]

Now it is my turn to question the "reform movement".

The sense I am getting from some of the posts is that following tradition is an all or nothing situation and that one should stick to all the things one followed/believed in from early in life (say adolescence).

But life is dynamic, isn't it? And so is the Hindu religion. Many Gods, Swamijis that people worship now have only been "discovered" in the last 500 years. No harm in worshipping them if it leads us closer to The Truth.

Similarly, there is no standardization of rituals. Every corner of the country people have a different set of rituals and even different names for them. Do what is feasible and what you believe in. If we think about it, this adaptation and adjustment has been happening through every past generation.

 

[Nara]

Brahmin birth

That is an event, why should I be ashamed of it.
Who in their right mind can prescribe the standards for others to live by?
What special privilege did I claim, or did I get?
why would anyone (educated intelligent being) insult my birth?

The answer to all these questions are surely no, no, and emphatic no. But there is a problem if anyone asserts a "brahmin" birth. Such a claim -- if made in full cognizance of all that it entails means complicit in the wickedness, or if made without such cognizance means criminal ignorance -- by its very nature imposes a inferior status to birth in any other varna with an implicit claim to a special privilege Brahmins have asserted over centuries. This is not an insult against the birth of any particular individual, just a push back against a supremacist ideology, that is all.

Thanks ...

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Image source: தெருக்கூத்து (therukkooththu)

Mam,

Pranams,

While few throw a cursory glance at posts, you seems to be paying more attention to texts like a professional teacher. Your reply with a vedio presentation at 6.53 AM that too on a Sunday....!! I admire at your surusuruppu.


P.S: Then, it does mean that you are also a Music Teacher.


With regards

 

[P.J.]

Image source: தெருக்கூத்து (therukkooththu)

Raji Madam

Sari Sari..

Did ever see a real Theru Koothu ?

I used to watch when i was young.

 

[P.J.]

One particular ritual in Srardham , i could not understand; the Left over food is not given to Cows/crows etc but buried under a sand!! There must be some reason for this.
I will be happy to know it.

But i sincerely feel any left over should be given to Cows/ Birds /street dogs .

 

[prasad1]

there is a problem if anyone asserts a "brahmin" birth

A cild born to Brahmin Parents, by definition is a Brahmin. A child born to Human parents is Human. A child born to tamil parents is a Tamil child. There is no superiority or inferiority.
If some one feels inferiority/ or superiority it is their problem not the child's problem.
A cub born to a lion parents is a Lion, suddenly it can not become a monkey. It is mischief to put quotes to make it superior.

 

[biswa]

I think the problem is that there is a bunch of baggage associated with Brahmin, Dalit, or any other caste specification.

Of course there are stereotypes associated with Tamil, Punjabi, Bihari etc as well.

 

[zebra16]

The answer to all these questions are surely no, no, and emphatic no. But there is a problem if anyone asserts a "brahmin" birth. Such a claim -- if made in full cognizance of all that it entails means complicit in the wickedness, or if made without such cognizance means criminal ignorance -- by its very nature imposes a inferior status to birth in any other varna with an implicit claim to a special privilege Brahmins have asserted over centuries. This is not an insult against the birth of any particular individual, just a push back against a supremacist ideology, that is all.

Thanks ...

Dear Sri Nara,

I disagree with what you wrote. In India as per the Indian Constitution a person born to a brahmin is a brahmin. I will continue to assert I am a brahmin as long as the societal law categorizes me as such.

All the other talks about cognizance or ignorance of wickedness or haughtiness or pure goodliness or Godliness or Godlessness etc. of what brahminism entails and whether MaThams recognize me or I recognize the maTams are non sequitur. When the laws of my country recognize me as a Brahmin why should I shirk such a recognition?

That if i am a brahmin by birth, it ipso facto means that others are inferior is only expansion of binary logic analogous to George Bush's doctrine of "You are with us or you are against us".

If it is a supremacist ideology so be it and others are exhorted to build up their own supremacist ideology.

Regards

 

[prasad1]

In India as per the Indian Constitution a person born to a brahmin is a brahmin. I will continue to assert I am a brahmin as long as the societal law categorizes me as such.

I fully agree with statement.

 

[Nara]

... When the laws of my country recognize me as a Brahmin why should I shirk such a recognition?

Dear zebra16, these are laws intended to right historical wrongs. The main purpose is to lend a helping hand to those who have been kept down. One may argue, not without any merit, that these have negative consequence for the Brahmins. My answer would be, they were not intended to keep the Brahmins down, and the fact is, they have not kept the Brahmins from thriving. You may disagree with the efficacy or even the morality of these policies, I may too on some parts of it, but I don't think these are good enough reasons to viscerally assert "Brahminhood" on a personal level. Instead, I am asking you to define your identity based on what you think is right.

That if i am a brahmin by birth, it ipso facto means that others are inferior is only expansion of binary logic analogous to George Bush's doctrine of "You are with us or you are against us".

No, this is not what I am saying. The problem is we get conditioned by cultural forces and most of us never attempt to see beyond this caste fense into which we are imprisoned. What I am saying is those who are Brahmin by birth have an obligation to think what that identity really means, and if they still assert that they are Brahmins, then they are willingly subscribing to the superior/inferior ideology.

regards ...