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Strategies & Market Trends : India Coffee House -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Suresh Havalad who wrote (3833)	3/3/1999 9:43:00 AM
From: ratan lal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12475

Los Angeles area......

To: Suresh Havalad who wrote (3833)	3/7/1999 10:18:00 AM
From: Mohan Marette	Respond to of 12475

A Sage Advice From Sankaracharya of Puri---->On Religion & Politics. Suresh: Here is an interesting write-up from Times of India Editorial. =============================== (Courtesy:Time of Inida) Sage Advice The Shakaracharya of Puri, Swami Adhokshjanand Tirth, deserves the respectful pranaams of all Indians for his criticism of organisations like the RSS, VHP and Bajarang Dal misleading people in the name of religion. He has rightly indicted these organisations for their attempt to stifle the voice of "genuine saints" by pressurising them to toe their party-political line. The Puri seer's statement is significant for his views on conversions as well. Though the Shankaracharya has opposed conversion -- presumably of the coercive variety -- he has expressed strong reservations about the manner in which the RSS, VHP and Bajarang Dal are raising the issue. Their manner of opposition, the Puri seer feels, is fraught with dangers for the nation's unity and security. It needed someone with the moral and spiritual authority of the Puri Shankaracharya to call the bluff of these sectarian political organisations. The true spirit and essence of Hinduism prevents anyone from arbitrarily assuming the mantle of representing all Hindus. The notion of adhikara, which encompasses moral, scriptural and spiritual authority, forms the basis of any such claim. In turn, the question of whether an individual or a group does possess such authority is determined by people who have already assumed a certain spiritual status. These satellite groups within the sangh parivar have also put an entirely un-dharmic gloss to the idea of reform and change within Hinduism. Historically, any reform in the faith was generated out of a profound metaphysical churning -- the greatest example being the way in which the Adi Shankara met the challenge of Buddhism by proposing a new synthesis. In contrast, the sangh parivar's idea of reform -- the quest for a monolithic faith moving towards monochromatic symbols -- is entirely Judeo-Christian in inspiration, leading to a progressive semitisation of Hinduism. Stripping the veneer of religiosity from these political organisations is, however, only a first step towards correcting the growing conflation of religion and politics. The greater challenge lies in restating and propagating the uncontaminated insights of Hinduism, while imploring people to transform thoughts into action. Foremost, the plurality and all embracing character of Hinduism ought repeatedly to be emphasised, not merely as an article of faith but as a signifier of the fantastic constellation of choices that it has the capacity to generate. The tragedy of contemporary Hinduism is that it is being pushed into a realm of homogeneity without even beginning to exhaust the limitless possibilities inherent in it. One way to make a tentative start would be to restore the mystical element that is so special to all sects and persuasions within Hinduism. This will go a long way in correcting the egotistical anthropomorphism that has crept into it. The focus, then, will shift from questions of religious structures and iconography to the search for divinity in the very heart and soul of an individual. An important corrective would be to make a distinction between being born a Hindu and achieving and realising through one's karma the legitimacy that is in consonance with the essential spirit of Hinduism. All this requires a respite from the din and squalor of politics and politicians: The Shankaracharya has the nation's gratitude for taking this important first step in trying to free Hinduism from its self-appointed guardians. timesofindia.com