Stories of the Changing face of the Orthodox saints

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This thread is started in a reverential mode. I hope this does not digress into unnecessary discussion on advaita, dvaita etc.

The purpose is to welcome all welcome changes that are taking place in the orthodox society of our saints and to write and share stories.

The gurus of the brahmins are known for their orthodoxy, as time marches, they have genuinely and open heartedly embraced a few changes. Some are likely to feel that it is not enough. There is no limit to the extent to which the heart can be widened. True. But we must understand that when the genuinely orthodox, not the wannabe orthodox(courtesy to Nara for introducing me to this term), embrace changes they should be welcomed and applauded. The reason I say is that the genuinely orthodox are not hypocrites. They may or may not be mistaken after all it is quite possible that the modern people are equally mistaken about a lot of different things. I wont claim myself to be an expert here. Let us not discuss controversies. But they confront the modern world by embracing some broadminded concepts. This is wonderful and my full respects to them for this.

Let me start with this one story first.
Sri Swayam Prakasha Sri Sachidananda Saraswathi

Source: Gurucool

Here are some highlights

He hails from a small town near Sringeri where his parents still live. After he finished his masters in IT, he was working in Miyapur in Hyderabad in the IT industry. Down the line he developed a virakthi for worldly life, destroyed his certificate and made a head way to Sringeri mutt, deciding to live a life of a brahmachari and study scriptures. Even his parents did not know this as he silently renounced a worldly living for that of spiritual seeking.

He established Vishwa Gayathri Upasaka Parishad where in women are taught to perform Gayathri shodasopachara pooja. They are given a Gayathri idol and are supposed to perform its pooja at home. Once a month they attend a Satsanga and once a year an internal-level sammelanam is called for to refresh and reinvigorate their motivation. This way when a woman of the house is initiated into pooja, he believes that she will impact the family to towards spirituality.

It may not sound great but there was a time when men alone did all the puja in the house.

There is another level of society that has no insight into pooja at all. This segment is given a Shiva dheeksha (initiation) where irrespective of caste and gender, the dheeksha is imparted, teaching them dhyana shlokas (meditative chants), prarthana (prayers) and the Panchakshari mantra (five letters) of Om Namah Shivaya. He gives them a rudraksha and a Shiva’s portrait. So far four and a half lakh people have been initiated into this kriya and during Shivarathri a linga is sent from the Mutt to all centers where the dheeksha congregation meets for special pooja. This is one of his foremost drives close to his heart.

It is not too often that we hear of a person from the orthodox Smartha sampradaya giving deeksha to non brahmins.

There is another level of society that has no insight into pooja at all. This segment is given a Shiva dheeksha (initiation) where irrespective of caste and gender, the dheeksha is imparted, teaching them dhyana shlokas (meditative chants), prarthana (prayers) and the Panchakshari mantra (five letters) of Om Namah Shivaya. He gives them a rudraksha and a Shiva’s portrait. So far four and a half lakh people have been initiated into this kriya and during Shivarathri a linga is sent from the Mutt to all centers where the dheeksha congregation meets for special pooja. This is one of his foremost drives close to his heart.

conducting bhajans in dalit colonies and imparting lectures and spiritual talks to inspire and motivate them towards spirituality.

If many of our orthodox swamis start actually doing bhajanas and lectures in dalit colonies they might start attracting atleast a few other brahmins and others( who have lost hope in tradition )