What aspects of TB culture is worth preserving and why?

[GNANA SUNYAM]

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Agreed my friend.
Again I wish to stress that human life is precious gift of God. Let us try this opportunity to live as a good human being. Which is easy if we radiate Compassion, love and companionship with others.

I am not interested giving a sermon, but wish to think aloud.

Each day is a new beginning in life. No one can anticipate what is in store for us on that day. All living beings , trees, animals, or humans are part of the creation. All religions and religious leaders try to help us to lead a happy life in the society. Let us not waste our life and energy quarreling on petty issues. We understand this truth at the fag end of our existence when we face the gate of no return.
Culture is "refinement". Changes are inevitable, no one can stop it. We cannot reverse it either.
It is my understanding that Caste is a generic name for a group of people who follow and discharge a particular "karma" . Incidentally they follow a particular way of life. No one is high or low in birth, all are same.

If we shed the blinkers that we put in the name of Caste, community, high or low and come out of the cucoon of false thinking, we will see the real world of happiness.
Regards,

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

The problem with people is they have confused religion with caste system. especially in india, hindus have mixed hinduism with casteism.

merely because people belonging to 2 or 3 different castes have embraced the same religion, it does not mean that that religion has promoted these castes, that religion contains these caste elements, that the castes are part of the religion.

For instance we have castes viz chettiars, mudaliyars, nadars, gounders, vanniars, devars, mukkulathors, kallars, etc etc in Tamil Nadu. These are Tamil-language based castes. People of these castes chose to follow hinduism, whatever hinduism is. all of them visit palani temple, tirupati temple, chidambaram temple, madurai temple, kancheepuram temple. it is their choice as a group. that does not mean hinduism contains these castes. you will never find mention of any of these castes in any hindu scripture.

castes are language-group based and are not religious. hinduism is not responsible for existence of these castes. hinduism does not promote the cause of these castes.

it is people who made themselves high-caste and low-caste and not any religion. however religion is blamed and bearing the brunt. poor religion.

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

Tamil Brahmins, besides reciting sanskrit slokas and texts, also indiscriminately recite thiruppaavai, thiruvembavai, thiruvaasagam, thiruvaaimozhi, sashti kavacham etc which belong to non-brahmin tamils.

this broad-heartedness of Tamil Brahmins' culture is worth preserving.

 

[a-TB]

Tamil Brahmins, besides reciting sanskrit slokas and texts, also indiscriminately recite thiruppaavai, thiruvembavai, thiruvaasagam, thiruvaaimozhi, sashti kavacham etc which belong to non-brahmin tamils.

this broad-heartedness of Tamil Brahmins' culture is worth preserving.

Very interesting observation. Some TB families have Kula Daivam that are Dravidian deities like some Amman. I do not what ours is and not sure if that temple is still maintained. It may have been called Katteri Amman.

 

[Jaykay767]

One of the core culture of TBs is "uncompromising integrity, honesty and ability to standup as one community against Adharmic forces" and this is fast disappearing seeing the moral dilemma in this forum.

And totally worth preserving in these times !!

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

Very interesting observation. Some TB families have Kula Daivam that are Dravidian deities like some Amman. I do not what ours is and not sure if that temple is still maintained. It may have been called Katteri Amman.

Kula deivam is an adoption by choice, an individual's choice passed on to the progeny.

Amman, Katteri Amman, and all Ammans are deities worshipped by Tamil speaking people groups. These are unknown among other linguistic-people groups.

 

[renuka]

I have a question...In TB culture just say a person has had a bath before his Sandhyavandanam and just say he answers the call of nature or passes flatus right before the Sandhyavandanam..does he has to bathe again cos he is rendered "impure" for prayer?

The reason I am asking this is becos Islam has these rules for ritual purity..do these same rules apply for TBs?

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

I have a question...In TB culture just say a person has had a bath before his Sandhyavandanam and just say he answers the call of nature or passes flatus right before the Sandhyavandanam..does he has to bathe again cos he is rendered "impure" for prayer?

The reason I am asking this is becos Islam has these rules for ritual purity..do these same rules apply for TBs?

That which comes out of the body, does it defile the body after egested? If egested flatus or answering nature's call would defile the body, how come the body does not get defiled while these impurities are inside the body. I am confused.

 

[prasad1]

That which comes out of the body, does it defile the body after egested? If egested flatus or answering nature's call would defile the body, how come the body does not get defiled while these impurities are inside the body. I am confused.

Very logical. You can think of God at all times.

 

[renuka]

That which comes out of the body, does it defile the body after egested? If egested flatus or answering nature's call would defile the body, how come the body does not get defiled while these impurities are inside the body. I am confused.

Same way one can argue as why have a sewerage system for a town after all we carry it in our body so why make call it impure when its out of the body as to need a sewerage system.

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

We are not raising any issue about a sewarage being termed impure.

Why body is termed impure until you bathe after egestion?

 

[prasad1]

For the longest  time, we have been using the word “culture”, to seal off outside influences and
claim commonality with what lies within its adjectival boundaries. We vaguely understand it to
refer to art forms that can barely entertain an audience that is not well-versed in them, but that
can be showcased for tourists as exotic elements to exhibit as souvenirs upon their return to their
own cultures. We also use it to chide people whom we believe are being amoral by embracing
individuality.

We often forget that the most accurate connotation of “culture” is likely the biological one, which
refers to growth in a conducive environment. And one person’s idea of growth may well be
synonymous with another’s ideas of contamination.

It might be useful to remember that it is usually scientists who grow cultures in their laboratories
and toxins that destroy cultures of microorganisms in our homes.

Source : SIFY By : Nandini Krishnan

 

[Lotusinsanskrit]

Tamil Brahmins, besides reciting sanskrit slokas and texts, also indiscriminately recite thiruppaavai, thiruvembavai, thiruvaasagam, thiruvaaimozhi, sashti kavacham etc which belong to non-brahmin tamils.

this broad-heartedness of Tamil Brahmins' culture is worth preserving.

I really expected more such valuable practices / culture to be preserved would be discussed here but when I opened the thread only saw like any other site"s forum the discussions deviated but discussed in length.

To add as told by Ghana suniyam the pracice of chanting both Siva and Vaishnava slokams and mantras to be passed on to next generation as these are still not followed by many TBs and hence lost the opportunity of divine learning of many Slokas/ mantras.

 

[sravna]

Something gets value added only when it syncs with other values and gets the synergy. Otherwise only the status quo is maintained. I would like to see those values of the culture that can complement with others and get enhanced.

Knowledge, valor, shrewdness, tenacity need to come together eventually.

 

[Lotusinsanskrit]

I have a question...In TB culture just say a person has had a bath before his Sandhyavandanam and just say he answers the call of nature or passes flatus right before the Sandhyavandanam..does he has to bathe again cos he is rendered "impure" for prayer?

The reason I am asking this is becos Islam has these rules for ritual purity..do these same rules apply for TBs?

Of course yes. Those who are following rightly will follow. Mostly people take bath only after answered to nature call and on any emergency exigencies surely take bath again.

 

[prasad1]

Somebody was worried about preserving "TB Culture", what ever that be.
May be wearing Vesti, and Madisar, or practicing 2-tumlar policy.

Watch this episode and be worried about our heritage.

 

[renuka]

Somebody was worried about preserving "TB Culture", what ever that be.
May be wearing Vesti, and Madisar, or practicing 2-tumlar policy.

Watch this episode and be worried about our heritage.


View attachment 8036

LOL! It can't be that bad! In Msia kids know these answers cos Bal Vikas classes cover all these.

 

[Brahmanyan]

Belief or faith has no logic. Traditions are mostly based on hearsay and exegetical urgency. There is saying in Sanskrit "for good health one need to have faith in three things Mani, Manthram and Oushadam."

Many Brahmin families have adopted village deities as their "Kula Deivam". For instance our "Kula Deivam" is "Malaya marungar" (Malayappan or Ayyanar) in Perungalur, near Puthukkottai. The chief priest or Pujari of this temple belongs to "Padimaththaar" (Potter) Caste. Their families take care of the Temple tradition for generations.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

 

[Jaykay767]

Agree. The TB culture originates from the base Tamil culture, when all people worshipped the local dieties. Hence the kula deivam is local grama devathas for all of us and to that the subsequent culture and traditions got added by our Rishis.

And the personal gods that we worship evolved overtime into the extensive traditions we have today. Irrespective of all those who came and settled in ancient Tamil lands, they adopted the local culture and added to it.

This is what I mentioned earlier, and some mahanubhavas in this forum, were asking some very intelligent questions. LoL.