Deivathin Kural Series - 32

Om Namah Sivaya.
22 July 2006.

1.These e-mails are translations of talks given by the erstwhile Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over more than sixty years, published by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, India, in ten volumes, in the Tamil language. The english version is likely to be available very soon. These e-mails are simply an effort on the part of the sender, to share some of his bliss, as it is said, 'Yam perra peru peruga ivvaiyagam'.

2. To-day's e-mail is the translation of what is given in pages, 139 to 153, in volume I, under the heading, 'Nam Madathin Thani Amsangal' ie.,'The Special Charecteristics of Our Religion'. (As you know, Man herein includesWoman and vice versa except when specially mentioned.)
Karma.
3. There are some concepts of our Religion, not ot be found in other Religions. One of them is the Theory of Karma. Buddhism and Samanam, having evolved out of Hinduism, incorporate this theory and others do not. What is Karma Theory? For every action there is a reaction. Modern Physics, calls it the theory of cause and effect. It says that for every Action, there is an Equal and Opposite Reaction. The same principle has been applied to Human Life also by our ancestors. In the Universe, are contained, both inanimate and animate worlds. Things with life and things seemingly without life. The rules, regulations and restrictions, (ie., Dharma, in one word,) applicable to one part, should equally be applicable, to the other part too. Karma theory says that for every one of Man's actions, there has to be, good or bad effects. 'If He sins, He has to undergo the punishment; and for a noble act, the good effects, will reach Him', says our Religion. He gets many lives, so as to reap the effects of His actions, both good and bad. Though, other religions, do encourage Punyam and caution against Papam; they do not lay so much emphasis on the Cause and Effect connection. The Re-birth or Reincarnation Theory, is not mentioned by any Religion, other than those, which sprouted from India. So those religionists strongly oppose the Karma Theory. What they say is something like this; 'There is only one life for man. After this life is over, his birth and death is over. His soul goes some where and awaits the Judgement Day, when God will give His decision. His Sins and Good deeds will be accounted for. He will then be sent to Heaven or Hell. Permanent Heaven or Eternal Damnation.
4. There was an European Christian among my visitors. (Many foreigners used to visit him.) He mentioned self depracatingly, (though he was a famous Author), that he used to write some books. He said that, 'In the Bible it is stated that, 'God is Love', in a number of places. But he felt that punishment should be commensurate with the seriousness and gravity of the sin. Then, how can it be that any sin can lead to Eternal Damnation?' It seems that He asked a Priest to clarify his mind. The Priest reportedly told him, 'Yes it is true that there is a permanent Hell, but it is permanently empty!' If You think deeply, neither can we accept Eternal Damnation nor that Hell can be permanently empty. If God because He is Love, does not send a sinner to Hell, as per their philosophy, where else can the sinner's soul be sent? Since as per their beliefs, there can be no re-birth, the soul cannot be sent to Earth, either. So he has to be sent to Heaven?! So, it means that, in this world, do what you want. Any sin. Anyhow, God will send us to Heaven?! Then there will be no need for morality.
5. As per our religion too, God keeps track of our good and bad actions and He is the giver of effect for our actions. He is also Love personified. So what does He do? So as to experience the good and bad effects of our actions, He gives us another Life. We are born again. This repeated giving of Life is out of His Ineffable Love. This is so that, we not only undergo the good and bad effects, but also have the chance to mend our ways. Heaven and Hell are not somewhere else, but here in this world. Since we have done a mix of good and bad actions, we under go a mixed series of effects. If we have done a lot of bad actions in the past, we suffer more. Those who have done a lot of good actions, get a lot of opportunities to enjoy. The majority of people are those who have a mixed effect bag. Since majority of people claim that they suffer a lot and there is hardly any one who truely claims that he is happy; without a complaint, or demand: we can infer, that we all must have done more sins than good deeds.
6. So, it means that, God, out of His Love, gives the Man, who thinks of himself as a seperate entity, an opportunity to wash off his past sins. He also facilitates the Man, by providing, a suitable Teacher or Guru; Sastras,and Kshetras, at the right time in his life; to be able turn the corner. In other words Man is facilitated to give full play to his Free Will. Thereby Man can raise himself to the highest level, when, Man's Free will and Fate and God's Grace, become One. God gives Man the opportunity to grow out of his Animalness to Humaneness to Divinity. Is not this better than, 'God's thinking that this Man is beyond redemption, totally good for nothing; so out of His Grace, God puts Man in Heaven, despite his sins?' Contrary to this, it is true that, when Man comes to the understanding that, after all is said and done, it is best to surrender to God; God lifts him up in one go to the highest level! Till Man has some belief in Human effort, God should give Man, Yet another chance. God putting trust in Man's capacity to grow and learn; seems more Graceful, than; God's belief in Man's utter helplessness.
7. The statement by that Priest that, out of God's Love, the permanent Hell is permanently empty, is a one man's view. You can not think it to be the Conceptual Tenet, of the religions which believe in, 'one-life-only theory'. For the good-bad actions of The One Life, the soul is sent to Heaven or Hell, is their general belief. Since we all end up doing more bad than good, we are more likely to be consigned to Hell. The day of Judgement has been given a dreadful name, Doomsday. To me it sounds rather a poorer understanding and opinion of God's Grace.
More Than One Life.
8. I am reminded of an incident, about the Re-birth / Re-incarnation theory. A western lady visited me and asked me to clarify some doubts about re-birth.S She asked for some proof. I did not argue with her. There was an English speaking Pandit in the camp. I asked him to accompany the lady, to the nearest Hospital, which cares for Mothers and babies. I asked them to collect data about new born babes and bring the data to me. She came back with the all the collected information. She had come across, some babies which were, very healthy / puny / beautiful / ugly / lying in the corridor / born in a/c room / and so on. My purpose was served. I told her, "Forget about God sending You to Heaven or Hell, at the end of one's Life. That is all not known to us. Now you saw the start of many lives. Can you give me the logic of so many differences, at the START? I quote 'healthy / puny / beautiful / ugly / lying in the corridor / born in a/c room / and so on'. If we are to believe and accept, your religion's, One - Life - Only, theory, why are there so many differences to start with? If that, 'One Life', can and does start with so much of handicaps and favouritism, then it reflects poorly on Your God's Grace, Intelligence, and Impartiality. Then how to believe in that God? How to be devoted to Him? It is not His mistake. It is inYour understanding, where the mistake is. The only recourse is to believe that, the new life is formed, based on the merits/demerits of the past life." She went away very happily.
9. But, for the modern man such explanations are not enough. They will ask for scientific proof. From that angle too, now-a-days, para-psychologists, after much research and analysis, quote many instances the world over, in support of the re-birth theory. Many persons, talk about persons they have met, in some far corner of the Globe, without any apparent chance of having met them in this, present life. The para-psychologists have visited them and checked the veracity of their claims, by visiting the places and people referred. Not one or two rare cases. Many. They are flabberghasted by the accuracy of the claims. The only plausible explanation is that, these people are able to remember or recall the experiences of their past life. Generally, they are people, who have not had a peaceful, natural death, in their previous life. They had been either murdered or died in accidents, say the para-psychologists.
Avatara or Incarnation.
10. This is another belief prevalent in Hinduism, not available in other's, ie., similar to re-birth of Man, we believe in God's Incarnation. Sadvasthu is one only. It is that which has become everything. So, that One God, is-was-and will be, all the Jeevas of this world. Other than being all, It still remains being God, the ruling, protecting God. Easwara, means, the Ruling Protector. Easwara is not bounden by Karma. Man is born to undergo the Karma, (that is the effect of past actions). God does not have to be born to offset Karma effects, as He is not subject to the Karma. But in new and yet newer lives Man, instead of washing off his sins, covers himself in the mire of further sins. To lift Man from the mire, God, out of His ineffable Love, comes in to the world, in some Human form, and that is called, Avatara. He does so many times. Whenever, Adharma becomes more dominant and Dharma is on the wane, To destroy the sinful propencities and re-establish Dharma, to save the Sadhus,( ie., those already on the path of recovery), and teach the Dushtas, ( ie., those on the path of wrong), God comes down to the Earth. In Bagawath Gita, Krishna Paramthma says:-
"yada yada hi dharmasya, glanir bavathi Bharatha,
abyuthanamadharmasya tadamanam srujamyaham".
11. At one stage is that the entire universe, is God; that is not a stage which can easily be absorbed by our minds. Next, is the stage, in which, as He says in Vibhuthi Yoga, in Bagawath Gita, to see God in all things wonderful, astounding and great, in thought, literature, art, music, power, might, beauty, delicacy, hardness, toughness, sweetness, capablity, and so on. To lift Man to greater and greater abilities, are born, Acharyas, Savants, Rishis, Mahatmas, Gnanis, Yogis and Devotees. Another stage is one in which, He Himself comes down, as one amongst us. What is beyond the beyond, comes down, as a Human being, so as to re-establish Dharma. That is Avatara.
12. Saiva Siddhantis, do not agree to the idea of Avatara of Siva. If we say that, Adi Sankara is Easwara Avatara and Gnana Sambandar is Muruga Avatara. Saiva Siddhanthis, do not agree. To be born as a Human, one has to endure life in the uterus as a foetus and then be in fleshy body. This is all unacceptable to their idea God. For Adwaitins there is no such problem. For them God is the whole world, which includes, all men and women and their bodies too. So, they have no objections to Easwara Avatara. At the conceptual level, Vaishnavites and Saivites, have a lot of areas of agreement, (despite Vaishnavites, not agreeing to the idea that Jeevatma and Paramatma, are essentially one), when it comes to the idea of Avatara, the ten Avataras of Maha Vishnu, are accepted by all. Because, it is believed, that Baghawan can demean Himself to any lower level, out of His Infinite Love. Knowing fully well inwardly that He is God, outwardly He can play act as a Man. By this, He sets an example to show Man as to how Man could inwardly think no end to himself and outwardly be humble. So, in total, it can be said that, the Hindu believes in the concept of Avatara. This is the third point that sets this Religion apart from other Religions.
Vigraha Aradhana and Multiple Gods.
13. God who is One, Nameless and Formless, also, comes as Many, with different Names and Forms; is a concept special to the Hindu Religion. But the criticism that we believe in many Gods, is baseless and completely wrong. The One God being prayed to in many forms is, Not taking them to be many Gods. In the same vein, when the Hindu does Idol worship, he does not think that only his idol is God. The God who is everywhere, is considered to be, for a short period, present in an idol. This could be an Idol in a temple, or a statue, or a formless piece of stone, or even a spoonful-heap of turmeric powder.When the Hindu sees God in all of God's creations of animate and inanimate things, He is entitled to see the God in an idol too. His is an all inclusive belief and not an exclusive idea. What the Hindu uses as a convenience, becomes a laughing matter to others. To laugh at these noble ideas; having given it names as Polytheism and Idol Worship; shows lack of understanding, intolerance and ignorance.
Broadmindedness.
14. One of the most important concepts of Hinduism, is the belief, that every man is entitled to his beliefs. This can be said in a different way. Hinduism is the only religion which does not say that, if you want to improve yourself to the ultimate, we only can provide you the means. "Akashat patitam toyam yada gatchathi sagaram, sarva deva namaskarah kesavam prthigatchati'. As all the water that falls from the sky, goes to the same oceon, all the devotion and worship reaches the same God! We Hindus have that Catholic outlook! So there is no need to convert anybody into Hinduism.
15. Those that do not follow Jesus Christ will land in Hell, believe the Christian. If You do not follow the teachings of Prophet Mohammad, You will have No hope in Hell too, believes the Muslim. We should not get annoyed. They may sincerely think so. They may sincerely believe, that using whatever means; for Your sake, they should convert You to their religion. We cannot doubt the sincerity of the Crusaders, when they invaded the deserts of Arabia, along the banks and across the Mediterranian. To a large extent, Islam spread across Asia by the power of the Sword. The Europeans, went across the Oceons to many parts of the Globe during the colonial period. Trade and commerce went hand in hand with Grab as Grab can with Missionary Zeal. The Tactics used to be, 'bring them under your power, by rule as well as religion'. The powers might have found it convenient to encourage the Missionaries, for purposes other than spreading religion. But we do not have to doubt the Missionaries, their zeal and sincerity.
16. But was their belief correct? Is it so, that if you do not follow Christ or Allah, Hell is the only destination? If we think deeply, we will know that, this exclusivity is not valid currency. Only two thousand years have gone by, since Jesus Christ was born. Mohammad Nabi, 1400 years back Then what happened to all the people who were born and died earlier than that? They could not have had either Jesus Christ or Mohammad Nabi, as their Saviour. So all the crores and crores of people, from time immemorial, should have gone to Hell. Even the ancestors of those who now believe in their Saviours, could not have escaped. These two religions do not believe in re-birth. So you cannot even claim that, they were later born as Christians or Muslims and saved. Can a God let thousands of generations, go uncared for? ( KTSV adds. Note carefully that, there is nothing against either Jesus Christ or Mohammad Nabi. Periyaval very clearly brings out the untenability of the beliefs of the two religionists. It is also quite easily possible, that by now, as You are reading this translation, some new concepts might have been evolved or found, as a counter arguement. Let us get back to Periyaval)

Lokah Samasthah Sukhino Bavanthu.
17. There are in this world, many countries, and in them a variety of geo-physical environments, with suitable floura and fauna. The cultures have evolved to suit these environs. In all of them, suitable Veda Madam, was there everywhere. As peoples desires and expectations changed, the Madam or Religion there flexibly changed. That is why in all religions,old and new, some elements of the Vedic culture,symbols, indications, remained. Only in India, that is Barath Desh; the Vedic remained deep rooted and deeply understood. When other religions came to our shores, those were looked upon as suitable to its followers. 'Live and let live', has been the noble perspective of people of this religion. "Sarve janah sukhino bawanthu. Lokah samasthah sukhino bawanthu', meaning, "let all people be happy.let all the worlds be happy", has been in the lips of Hindus for more than thousands of years. In addition, having begotten Buddhism and Jainism and Sikhism, it has offered it to the worlds. Parsis and Jews, when chased from elsewhere, due to natural or man-made catostrophies, found sanctum, only in India.
Indivdual and Sociological.
18. Till now I have been talking to you about some of the special charecteristics of the Hindu Religion, on the grounds of Philosophy and Theology. In the Social field too, there is a big special. In all religions, there will be philosophy and theology. There will be some thing on individual morality, ethics and social norms, such as, 'Love thy neighbour. Treat the enemy as a friend. Do unto others as you would do like to be done unto yourself. Be loving to all life forms. Be truthful.' All this to some extent only. They never go into the logic of it based on any theoretical or conceptual analysis, except God wishes You to be so. Only in the Hindu religion, there is very clear directions for individual behaviour and social behaviour. Only in the Hindu Religion, there is strong basement, with Directions, Regulations, Restrictions and Logic of Why, for both Individual and Social Rights and Responsibilities. The Individual Dharma is based on Ashramas, such as, Brhmacharya, Grhastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa, covering, Student life; Married life; Retired life and Mendicants life. The Social Dharma is based, on the much-mistakely-maligned, Varnasrama Dharma.
19. Ashrama Dharma. Ashrama Dharma is what is required of the Man at different times in his life. After being a small baby, in the household, He goes to a Guru or a Teacher, and spends his time in learning. This is Brhmacharya. After he finishes his education, he is to adopt Grahastha, when he gets married to a suitable Girl, earns his livelyhood and sires children. Then He is to leave the house and live in a forest, without getting involved in the worldly life. In this period, he is to continue his daily and periodical rituals. This is Vanaprastha. Then leaving everything, he is to live the life of the Renounced. This is Sanyasa.
20. Varna Dharma. This is meant for the whole society. Now-a -days, it is subject to much misunderstood-motivated-criticisms. This is not Jadhi Pirivinai. This is not Casteism. Actually, varnam is not the same as caste. In reality, varnam are only four. Castes are many. Within Brahmin as a Varnam, there are Iyers, Iyengars, Rao, and further divisions among them such as, Smartha, Brhacharanam, Vadakalai, Thenkalai and so on. Within the fourth Varnam, there are, Mudali, Pillay, Reddy, and so on. In to-days world, there is a plethora of Castes / Kulam, etc. There are people who say that this Varna Dharma, is the biggest shameful aspect of Hindu Religion. Contrary to this, in fact, if we analyse it without taking sides, we will know that, it is the greatest means for Social order. More about this later.
Sambhomahadeva.