11-27-2004, 03:08 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-Kaushal+Nov 26 2004, 08:25 PM-->QUOTE(Kaushal @ Nov 26 2004, 08:25 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> Pathma , you are painting a broad brush and tainting the entire community for the acts of a few and regardless of the truth of what you say, i must say such acts pale in significance to the total extermination of people(the north american indian) and their enslavement (the american negro) , the holocausts (during the muslim era and the mongol scourges). If i do not allow a person into a place of worship that hardly qualifies me as a murderer, which is what the people of TN are claiming the acharya is . If individual priests behave in a bigoted manner or contrary to the law of the land they should be punished according to the law, but why punish the entire class and the acharyas who are generally blameless.
You keep singling out Smarthas for special mention. As one who is proud of his Smartha tradition, essentially propagated by Adi Sankara, i am quite perplexed by this . In what way have we, the Smarthas hurt you .
Remember also that the Brahmanas were not in control of the land or its laws for several centuries if ever. They were the keepers of the tradition at the behest of the maharaja or local chief.They did follow certain rules and did not approve of eating of meat and would not probably allow those who ate meat within the sanctum santorum. But does that mean they deserve the scorn of society and to be held without bail. I find the harshness of the criticism that is leveled against Brhamanas to be vastly disproportionate to their alleged transgressions and stoked by alien rulers of the land to divert attention from their own rather tenuous and highly questionable position in the subcontinent.
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Hi Kaushal,
I get along well with all sects of priesthoods, and they with me, almost all proud and supportive of my efforts and endeavours to reestablish an egalitarian Hindu society. I didn't know you are a smartha but realise my comments did not go well. My profuse apologies again, as I mentioned too in my first post on the kanchi arrest.
But I immediately realised the immensity of recent happenings and had to say what I did in the hope that eventually all will realise as events unfold further. I am gathering that members here do not fully comprehend the seriousness of these, and yet to unfold events.
It is not my criticism of the priesthood; I am only telling my reading of the sentiments of the Indian people, which to me is eminently obvious. And Indians are quite aware, being able to differentiate the different priesthood sampradayas. This surprised me.
My reading is that they are quite comfortable with the gurukkals and iyengars, protective even, but not so with the iyers. They are aware of the history of the different traditions, and rightly or wrongly, resolutely pin casteism on the shankaracharyas. Another reason for this is that the other sects of priesthoods have responded to the people, made some reform and revisions, not so the smarthas, except for recent welfare activities. Therefore the mention of smarthas in the unfolding group karma. This karma effects the rest of the community only negatively.
All brahmins have only been good to me personally and I to them. I am not painting an entire community; all I am saying is that when one person in a family has been jeopadised, all members of the family are affected, a group karma taking place. So I understand the anguish. The smarthas can never be alright if their acharya is imprisoned. And the people too will never be comfortable again. This is mob psychology. The whole society is affected but in different ways. No one is saying brush or punish the whole class for a misdeed of one. What I am saying is the class may feel they have lost the moral authority. These are serious implications to consider.
Another thing I was saying about an act of god - it is not the people who are doing this, the people are blameless. It must be attributed to Him, and to Adi Shankara himself. It is his plans. This I am certain. I knew immediately then.
I hope this soothes somewhat.
Aum
Pathma
You keep singling out Smarthas for special mention. As one who is proud of his Smartha tradition, essentially propagated by Adi Sankara, i am quite perplexed by this . In what way have we, the Smarthas hurt you .
Remember also that the Brahmanas were not in control of the land or its laws for several centuries if ever. They were the keepers of the tradition at the behest of the maharaja or local chief.They did follow certain rules and did not approve of eating of meat and would not probably allow those who ate meat within the sanctum santorum. But does that mean they deserve the scorn of society and to be held without bail. I find the harshness of the criticism that is leveled against Brhamanas to be vastly disproportionate to their alleged transgressions and stoked by alien rulers of the land to divert attention from their own rather tenuous and highly questionable position in the subcontinent.
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Hi Kaushal,
I get along well with all sects of priesthoods, and they with me, almost all proud and supportive of my efforts and endeavours to reestablish an egalitarian Hindu society. I didn't know you are a smartha but realise my comments did not go well. My profuse apologies again, as I mentioned too in my first post on the kanchi arrest.
But I immediately realised the immensity of recent happenings and had to say what I did in the hope that eventually all will realise as events unfold further. I am gathering that members here do not fully comprehend the seriousness of these, and yet to unfold events.
It is not my criticism of the priesthood; I am only telling my reading of the sentiments of the Indian people, which to me is eminently obvious. And Indians are quite aware, being able to differentiate the different priesthood sampradayas. This surprised me.
My reading is that they are quite comfortable with the gurukkals and iyengars, protective even, but not so with the iyers. They are aware of the history of the different traditions, and rightly or wrongly, resolutely pin casteism on the shankaracharyas. Another reason for this is that the other sects of priesthoods have responded to the people, made some reform and revisions, not so the smarthas, except for recent welfare activities. Therefore the mention of smarthas in the unfolding group karma. This karma effects the rest of the community only negatively.
All brahmins have only been good to me personally and I to them. I am not painting an entire community; all I am saying is that when one person in a family has been jeopadised, all members of the family are affected, a group karma taking place. So I understand the anguish. The smarthas can never be alright if their acharya is imprisoned. And the people too will never be comfortable again. This is mob psychology. The whole society is affected but in different ways. No one is saying brush or punish the whole class for a misdeed of one. What I am saying is the class may feel they have lost the moral authority. These are serious implications to consider.
Another thing I was saying about an act of god - it is not the people who are doing this, the people are blameless. It must be attributed to Him, and to Adi Shankara himself. It is his plans. This I am certain. I knew immediately then.
I hope this soothes somewhat.
Aum
Pathma