DEIVATHIN KURAL # 84 (Vol # 3) Dated 08 May 2009

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 84 (Vol # 3) Dated 08 May 2009
(These e-mails are translations of talks given by Periyaval of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. To day we are proceeding from page 370 of Vol 3 of the Tamil original. The readers are reminded that herein 'man/he' includes 'woman/she' too, mostly. These e-mails are all available at http://advaitham. blogspot. com constantly updated.)
83. As I said earlier, in the time tested traditions of Aachaara, there is the strength of heuristic principles over years of experience refined by trial and error with sensible application of repeated corrections attaining to perfection, custom made to each individual. The point to be understood is that on the one hand there is universal oneness in the innate essence of all animate and inanimate existence. Simultaneously on the other hand, it is also true that every individual entity across the micro and macro cosmos, are unique. There is no leaf or iota or hair or thumb impression or the signature made in the retina of the eye like any other, anywhere, anytime! Hindu Dharma Aachaara caters for both this oneness and uniqueness! Read that para again and try and understand every word of it!
84. This can never be so in any of the systems created by these neo-reformers. The point I am making is that constant and continuous reformation has been inherent in the Hindu system of Aachaara-s. But in the methodologies newly created by any of these modern leaders, who may be great themselves with any or all of the 'Ashta Maha Siddhi-s', this weight and strength of the Aachaara-s cannot be there! They may be able to inspire and cleanse some of the close followers who have surrendered to them, but not all. But what the Hindu system could do to all and sundry over a long period in a slow and steady manner cannot be matched by any other system. Even if that leader as an individual was wonderful and great, the system he creates cannot come any where near the checks and balances of the Hindu Aachaara in terms of optimization and effectiveness! Then what happens after that leader is no more? Hinduism is not so dependent on one leader and his life time work!
85. In the Dharma Samsthana-s of the Hindu Religion like this Kamakoti Peetam, the individual head of that organization is not so very important. Whosoever is the head of such organizations at any time, it is the 'sampradaaya Aachaara Anushtana-s(traditional, ritual observances), principles and conceptual Siddhahnta-s; which are more important. The 'peetadipadhi' the head of such organizations gets his power by years of faultless observances of all the Aachaara-s by his predecessors as well as himself! It is this power which enables him to help wash and launder the generations of dirt accumulated by the followers. It is for this purpose that all the Aachaara-s are for. Yes it is a tall order to observe them all. Dosage of the medicine is as per the seriousness of the disease, is it not so? Some of the diseases may need surgery. Saastram does this also! Depending on the number of wounds, the patient may require many bandages. So do the Saastraa-s tie you up in knots of bandages as the only way of restraining this mind which is ever ready to run away far!
86. These modern Swamiji-s generally speak in the following mode. "All that Aachaara are not required. No need for fasting. Everything is the blessings of God only. Eat what you want. What is there in wearing a Dhoti in Pancha Kacham style? God is not concerned about what you wear. He is concerned only with your attitude." Saying these sort of things, they encourage dilution of all efforts with some singing of Bhajan-s, Japa and Dhyana. May be their Love and power of blessing may help some for some time. But when every soul is having enormous accumulations of balance Karmic accounts to settle, how long lasting can these Swamiji-s influence be? May be some temporary peace and some relief. Those who come after them can neither keep the erstwhile standards nor can their followers avoid the impression that Hinduism is an easy going proposition!
87. If you chant 'Rama' once is enough. Lalita Sahasra Namam does say, "sukhaaraadya" and "sulabha gati:"; meaning 'easily venerated and easily attained'! But to say that God is easily obtained is meant to encourage and save people from despondency and hopelessness. Of course God's capability is not the point under doubt. Once we surrender totally or get the deep conviction of His Omniscience and Omnipotence, there is no problem. All the problem is for our own minds to be convinced of the fact of God's immanence here, there and everywhere! So, some can attain to great Gnana, seemingly with no or little efforts. But, that is no logic for all and sundry to give up all their efforts of traditional Aachaara.
88. To make people go by the short cut is alright in some cases. But that cannot be the way of the world. 99% of people will have to go through the primary, secondary, higher and advanced stages of learning in any discipline, if they wish to progress. So, it is clear that dilution of Aachaara-s has had very injurious effect on the entire society. 'You do not need to wear glasses to know that there is an abscess in your palm,' is a Tamil proverb. Dilution of Aachaara has neither let people become non-believers in religion, nor has it let them progress. The net result is rather negative. To-day, it is a small percentage who are wholly non-believers or wholly dependent on Sanatana Aachaara-s. Majority of people are all followers of some Swamiji or the other. Under this condition, if there is a general watering down of all social and religious norms; what does it mean?
89. Some as per old Aachaara-s and some actions as per modern ideas; is the hotchpotch arrangement prevalent to-day. Though there seems to be some good in this, net result is negative. Leaving the old Aachaara-s will result in 'falling from what ever level one has evolved up to' as I said earlier, 'patito bhavet'! Nothing can be worse than that!
90. Another argument put forward is that we should have 'catholicity'! That is, we should have more universality and liberality as against being orthodox. But, that is a matter of one's mental attitude. But in action you cannot mix different procedures and rules. Can you for example mix the Rules of the Football game with the game of Cricket? If you accept tradition it has to be total acceptance and not partial. If you accept some and leave some, it is the logic and reason that suffers. In the relation between the Guru and Disciple or Husband and Wife; if for some things there is implicit obedience and for certain other things there is independence; will it not be a funny situation? But when the surrender is complete, even if the Guru / Husband does not fully deserve, the disciple / wife still benefit immensely!
91. Similarly, even if some not so very acceptable aspects are there in a tradition, leaving them aside, if you can totally manage to dissolve your 'Ahankaara', you may find the other shore! But if you endevour to make changes in the tradition, this very 'Ahankaara' may infiltrate and assume gigantic self importance and corrupt the whole process! When each Swamiji has objection to some aspect and no uniformity between them, the question still to be addressed is as to which one to follow and which one to discard?!
92. "We are also doing Yaagaa-s, Yagna-s and Veda Parayana", they say. I rather feel that it would have been far far better had they refrained from doing so! By doing these things, people are duped that it is the tradition to do so!
(More about this in the next e-mail.)
Sambhomahadeva.