A WIDE CANVAS
HINDUS IN CRISIS.
There is a Chinese saying which goes:"May you live in interesting times". This is actually a curse,not a wish or blessing! One explanation is that it is better to live as a dog in peaceful times, than as a man in times of war! It will perhaps be more appropriate to say 'distressing' times, than interesting times.
If we look around and observe, no country in the world is wholly free of distress of some kind: economic struggle. political contentions, religious strife, the problem with the environment, umpteen social problems like rape, teen-age pregnancy, single parent family, insecurity in old age, huge cost of medical care, seeping unemployment etc. At the same time, all the indexes that human ingenuity has invented like the GDP, Sensex, etc are soaring! More of humanity is now immersed in poverty than at any time in history;the disparity between the haves and have-nots is the widest ever in recorded history. Science and technology, economic development and our commercial arrangements have deprived huge sections of native populations everywhere of sources of life support systems. Natural resources have been gobbled up by the moneyed interests, people have been dispossessed of their lands, and people have to buy even drinking water. All these are happening right now in India!
People have been deprived of the traditional sources of livelihood- which they acquired without cost, practised without govt patronage. Traditional skills have been rendered irrelevant. Local communities have been displaced;large scale migration is taking place to cities and towns, where formerly self-dependent people are now forced to eke out an existence somehow.People live anonymous lives in cities and towns. Even in a multistoried residential complex, neighbours hardly know each other.There is a total loss of the sense of 'community'.Local cultures have declined. We may now only speak of society or community on the basis of some narrow and temporary interests, basically material. Our interests are supposed to be mutually competitive.
All these developments have only one factor in common: assault of science on religion.It was religion which endowed man with more than material worth.It gave him a sense of self, and related him to the cosmos. It was the foundation of family, with marriage and children as its focus. It brought people into a community, and taught them, however ineffectively, to subordinate self-interest to common good- however conceived. It taught people to relate to each other otherwise than on material needs or causes. Religion gave rise to art, literature and culture- in the broad sense. It gave rise to many local institutions to meet functional needs and engaged everyone in primary social relationships. It promoted inter-generational communication naturally.
Modern science is based on materialism, and the technology, industry, social,economic and cultural arrangements it has spawned are equally material. Modernity has reduced every relationship to the purely marketable-material. Family is now regarded mainly as a earning unit and has lost its position as the basic building block of the society. Marriage is now regarded as merely a contractual arragement, subject to civil law, and not a sacrament. The disintegration of the family and the disappearance of the non-material values associated with it is the greatest source of social distress today.
The greatest of these non-material values is culture. It is difficult to define it, but may be readily understood as "the way we do things here". This way is imbibed,almost casually, in slow degrees and small doses, rather than acquired by laborious instruction. It is always occasioned and reinforced by personal example.Speaking the truth, keeping one's word, respect to elders and the learned,not giving offence, honesty and decency in relationships, dependability, trustworthiness, helpful disposition, willingness to subordinate self-interest to urgent needs of others, the spirit of give and take, willingness to accommodate others, and not to nurse a grievance- may be these are all parts of culture we acquire only in the family atmosphere- which alone provides both the examples to observe, and the field to practise! And we can see how these are the very same virtues which religions are trying to inculcate. Any decent civic society would benefit from such virtues on the part of its ordinary citizens. But where do we learn them in the absence of a family?
Religions sanctified family as an institution (except perhaps Buddhism which exalted the monks above family men). It was the family which in turn taught people religious values and practices. This is especially true of Hinduism which values pratice above belief or theology. Most senior persons can recall how all that they know they learnt in an informal family or social atmosphere, never in a theological school or seminary. Avatara vada, adhikari bheda, karma and rebirth, moksha, Atma and Brahman,- these are the practical pillars of the Hindu religion and these are all picked up as we spend our days in family atmosphere. The formal philosophies and theologies we learn are almost totally useless: they are all products of human brain and human flaw.
The normal orthodox Hindu family used to celebrate or observe events of religious significance almost every day. Not only the big occasions like the birthdays of Rama and Krishna, the sacred night of Shiva or the nine nights dedicated to divine Mother, the Deepavali or Sankranti, but even the small ones like the new moon day, the 11th day of the waxing and waning fortnight, the eclipses, etc were observed with all solemnity. Most involved fasting for people above 18, restrictions in food, avoidance of certain behaviour, etc- all teaching self-restraint even for the well to do. But above all, almost all men did Gayatri japa as prescribed. There was something religious associated with the day, star, tithi, Yoga, karana- the five aspects of the Hindu calendar, almost daily. People today cannot even imagine how smoothly things worked.
But there were two aspects which facilitated this. Society generally followed Brahmanical mores,even while only the Brahmins were expected to strictly adhere to all its demands. For instance, on the new moon day, the school opened an hour late, to facilitate the Brahmin teachers to complete their tarpana ceremony, though all teachers were not Brahmins. Secondly, people lived in villages and small towns where the atmosphere was like that of an extended family,with mutual obligations and demands respected and honoured by all. I myself come from such a place, and had experienced how it worked. Sure, there were bad people, petty jealousies, small mindedness, cheating; but people were known to each other for generations and such deviations could not continue for long. It would look incredible today: the barber who attended my grandfather had his association running into 3 generations; our tailor, though Muslim, was from a family we had known for 60 years; so were our goldsmith, suppliers of milk and curd, vegetables.We all hailed from the same place- children of the same soil.
Certain relationships were fixed: the water used to wash the rice, the vegetable cuttings and scraps left, were to be given to the milkman,to feed the cows, who would give us cow dung in exchange, which was essential for ceremonial cleansing of the premises; the villager would come to set the roof tiles before the rains and he could not be refused; the man cleaning the well would likewise come in summer to clean the well and remove the obstructions in the spring.
This is exactly the kind of tiled house we lived in till the late 50s! My In-laws lived in such a house till the 80s!
This picture is by Kalluri Bheemeswara Sarma. Gratefully acknowledged.
House with similar tiled roof from ......Honduras!
Picture taken from flickr. Casa con tejas. Thanks.
There was also an obligation to reserve a portion of the sweets and other special preparations for every one connected with us; if they did not turn up to collect their share in time, we had to send for them! Money did not enter the calculation at all.Every one connected with us had to be given fresh clothes, crackers and sweets for Deepavali. 65 years ago, no 'family' doctor would demand money immediately on every consultation. The compounder would dispense the medicine, keep the account and it could be paid any time, as convenient.
Parents kept strict watch over the children and the company they kept. So did the teachers. So did the neighbours! If one was found to be reading something considered undesirable, the teacher would promptly inform the parents.We had many opportunities to move with elderly people and observe them, and also to interact with them. This taught us things like how to talk in learned company, how to defer to them and differ with them. They would engage us in conversation and find out how well we were learning.When pleased, they would give us nice books. One lawyer gave me the books he himself had studied in college- among them the first editions of Benham's Economics, books by Taussig, Pigou, etc. Another was so pleased that I studied the combination 'Economics, History, Political Science' that he gave me books of Sir Ernest Barker, Ivor Jennings etc. This is how the value of learning was impressed on us. This is how elders in society shaped us.
But the greatest benefit was with respect to religion. There was a gentleman working as an accountant in the post-office. He would gather children- mostly the classmates of his own son, in the age group 11-13 and teach them Vishnu Sahasranamam every Sunday. In three months we had learned it by heart.There was an advocate who conducted 'sampradaya bhajans' at his residence every Saturday evening. It was not a huge affair, but like a family gathering. We boys would go early and do all the arrangements: clean up the place, spread the mats,arrange the pictures of the Deities, keep the musical instruments in place, etc.Even the beginning used to thrill us- how the invocatory slokas were recited with charming music. The bhajan itself would last over four hours,consisting of numerous items sung by all the great saints in all Indian languages - which we learnt easily, and learnt to respect. That was not the age to appreciate the greatness of the lyrics or the loftiness of the philosophy: how could a 12 year old understand "Bruhi Mukundeti" or "Manasa Sancharare", or "Eteeruga nannu daya chuchidavo"? But we knew instinctively that it was sublime just because the person who sang it was himself so moved! When we two or three boys retruned home around 1 or 2 am, we would feel as if we were walking on air! Today too, such bhajans are still performed, but in the city Sabhas,as entertainment, and with the mike, lighting and other paraphernalia, the atmosphere is like that of a mela, not a sublime gathering. We miss the sense of personal intimacy and instant elevation of mind and spirit. People have become cerebral,or material, and cannot connect with others at other levels.
Sadashiva Brahmendra, the jnani, of the 17-18 century who gave us a few but immortal kritis combining jnana and bhakti., like Bruhi Mukundeti and Manasa sancharare. Those who are able to listen to this in a bhajan ( in contrast to a musical show) are truly blessed.
Bhadrachala Ramadas, who gave us many kirtanas on Rama and who was an idol of even Sri Tyagaraja! His devotion was such that even his Muslim sultan was blessed with a vision of Rama and Lakshmana!
I have personally felt that the sampradaya bhajan is the greatest discovery or invention of Hinduism in the last 3 centuries or so. It unites all languages, all philosophies, all theologies, all deities and doctrines! Most bhajan performers are also accomplished musicians- who are better than the professional Vidwans because they never destroy the diction and swallow the sahitya. Listen to how Sri Tyagaraja's "Utsava Sampradaya Kirtanas" are sung in the sabhas and see how they are rendered by the bhajan master! I have known many dedicated bhajan practitioners among bankers, commercial executives, school teachers, office workers.
Such are the benefits when 'cultured' people live in close, small communities.I used to think that this was some special privilege I was blessed with. Later, when I went to Delhi, Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Bombay and attended sampradaya bhajans, I met many people of my age group coming from different places, who too had had such opportunities. It was a prevailing cultural form in the old Madras state. And our political and social movements have since destroyed such a sense of community and culture! Even villages are deeply divided on political basis. Thomas Hardy wrote about the disappearance of the rural English culture and landscape in his novels, as Oliver Goldsmith wrote earlier in his poetry.
There are pious Indians who hold that Brahmins are themselves to blame for their plight, as they have given up their basic dharma. It is not without merit, but is not the whole truth. Hindu dharma has always held that it is the protection and authority provided by the ruler (kshatram) that keeps people in their dharma. Tamil Saint composer Tiruvalluvar concedes that the dharma practised by the Brahmana is the basis of social order:
Care: Valluvar uses the word 'pirappozhukkam' which I have rendered as 'Swadharma' here. The Tamil word in the original literally means 'the discipline that comes by or with birth'. So, it clearly refers to the dharma of the Brahmin. Modern translators give all types of interpretations. The Kural says that if the Brahmin falls from his dharma, then ' things get spoiled ('kedum'). It does not just mean that only the Brahmin falls. For a full range of the meanings of the expression and its implications, see the comprehensive edition of the Kural with the commentary of Ki.Va.Jagannathan, 1963, Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore- 641020.
Even so, Tiruvalluvar clearly states that it is the ruler who provides the base even for the dharma of the Brahmins.
In medieval India,during the domination of the Muslim invaders, two saints understood this. One was Vidyaranya who founded the Vijaynagar empire and stopped the Muslim spread into the South. The other was Samartha Ramdas Maharaj who inspired Shivaji to found the Hindu Swaraj. The influence of Shivaji dynasty lasted long in Tanjore and the Bhajan sampradaya is its fruit. Hinduism was thus transformed, and could not just return to its old forms.
Ruling power in the cause of dharma!
Samartha Ramdas Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji, the last great Hindu emperor!
Picture taken from www.adhyatmavidya.com. Thanks.
This is a period when such developments took place in all old civilisations and religion was dethroned by rationality and materialism as the arbiter of life. Life has become secular ie Godless or irreligious all over the world. Please study things deeply. Hinduism is also succumbing and disintegrating.Both culture and religion have some mystical or mysterious (undefinable,language-defying) elements and in the absence of an atmosphere which fosters them, they cannot surviv
Public Domain via Wikimedia commons.
Sister Nivedita said that it takes just one generation for people to lose their heritage!
Religion also needs appropriate economic and social arrangements to flourish as a living culture, not a mere system of belief. No authority or agency in India is in a position to comprehend or tackle the present global forces- where even a Vivekananda failed. Hinduism is not reviving. Some elements are struggling to survive. People are not using political power to defend Hinduism, but using the label to get power!
People have been deprived of the traditional sources of livelihood- which they acquired without cost, practised without govt patronage. Traditional skills have been rendered irrelevant. Local communities have been displaced;large scale migration is taking place to cities and towns, where formerly self-dependent people are now forced to eke out an existence somehow.People live anonymous lives in cities and towns. Even in a multistoried residential complex, neighbours hardly know each other.There is a total loss of the sense of 'community'.Local cultures have declined. We may now only speak of society or community on the basis of some narrow and temporary interests, basically material. Our interests are supposed to be mutually competitive.
All these developments have only one factor in common: assault of science on religion.It was religion which endowed man with more than material worth.It gave him a sense of self, and related him to the cosmos. It was the foundation of family, with marriage and children as its focus. It brought people into a community, and taught them, however ineffectively, to subordinate self-interest to common good- however conceived. It taught people to relate to each other otherwise than on material needs or causes. Religion gave rise to art, literature and culture- in the broad sense. It gave rise to many local institutions to meet functional needs and engaged everyone in primary social relationships. It promoted inter-generational communication naturally.
Modern science is based on materialism, and the technology, industry, social,economic and cultural arrangements it has spawned are equally material. Modernity has reduced every relationship to the purely marketable-material. Family is now regarded mainly as a earning unit and has lost its position as the basic building block of the society. Marriage is now regarded as merely a contractual arragement, subject to civil law, and not a sacrament. The disintegration of the family and the disappearance of the non-material values associated with it is the greatest source of social distress today.
The greatest of these non-material values is culture. It is difficult to define it, but may be readily understood as "the way we do things here". This way is imbibed,almost casually, in slow degrees and small doses, rather than acquired by laborious instruction. It is always occasioned and reinforced by personal example.Speaking the truth, keeping one's word, respect to elders and the learned,not giving offence, honesty and decency in relationships, dependability, trustworthiness, helpful disposition, willingness to subordinate self-interest to urgent needs of others, the spirit of give and take, willingness to accommodate others, and not to nurse a grievance- may be these are all parts of culture we acquire only in the family atmosphere- which alone provides both the examples to observe, and the field to practise! And we can see how these are the very same virtues which religions are trying to inculcate. Any decent civic society would benefit from such virtues on the part of its ordinary citizens. But where do we learn them in the absence of a family?
Religions sanctified family as an institution (except perhaps Buddhism which exalted the monks above family men). It was the family which in turn taught people religious values and practices. This is especially true of Hinduism which values pratice above belief or theology. Most senior persons can recall how all that they know they learnt in an informal family or social atmosphere, never in a theological school or seminary. Avatara vada, adhikari bheda, karma and rebirth, moksha, Atma and Brahman,- these are the practical pillars of the Hindu religion and these are all picked up as we spend our days in family atmosphere. The formal philosophies and theologies we learn are almost totally useless: they are all products of human brain and human flaw.
The normal orthodox Hindu family used to celebrate or observe events of religious significance almost every day. Not only the big occasions like the birthdays of Rama and Krishna, the sacred night of Shiva or the nine nights dedicated to divine Mother, the Deepavali or Sankranti, but even the small ones like the new moon day, the 11th day of the waxing and waning fortnight, the eclipses, etc were observed with all solemnity. Most involved fasting for people above 18, restrictions in food, avoidance of certain behaviour, etc- all teaching self-restraint even for the well to do. But above all, almost all men did Gayatri japa as prescribed. There was something religious associated with the day, star, tithi, Yoga, karana- the five aspects of the Hindu calendar, almost daily. People today cannot even imagine how smoothly things worked.
But there were two aspects which facilitated this. Society generally followed Brahmanical mores,even while only the Brahmins were expected to strictly adhere to all its demands. For instance, on the new moon day, the school opened an hour late, to facilitate the Brahmin teachers to complete their tarpana ceremony, though all teachers were not Brahmins. Secondly, people lived in villages and small towns where the atmosphere was like that of an extended family,with mutual obligations and demands respected and honoured by all. I myself come from such a place, and had experienced how it worked. Sure, there were bad people, petty jealousies, small mindedness, cheating; but people were known to each other for generations and such deviations could not continue for long. It would look incredible today: the barber who attended my grandfather had his association running into 3 generations; our tailor, though Muslim, was from a family we had known for 60 years; so were our goldsmith, suppliers of milk and curd, vegetables.We all hailed from the same place- children of the same soil.
Certain relationships were fixed: the water used to wash the rice, the vegetable cuttings and scraps left, were to be given to the milkman,to feed the cows, who would give us cow dung in exchange, which was essential for ceremonial cleansing of the premises; the villager would come to set the roof tiles before the rains and he could not be refused; the man cleaning the well would likewise come in summer to clean the well and remove the obstructions in the spring.
This is exactly the kind of tiled house we lived in till the late 50s! My In-laws lived in such a house till the 80s!
This picture is by Kalluri Bheemeswara Sarma. Gratefully acknowledged.
House with similar tiled roof from ......Honduras!
Picture taken from flickr. Casa con tejas. Thanks.
There was also an obligation to reserve a portion of the sweets and other special preparations for every one connected with us; if they did not turn up to collect their share in time, we had to send for them! Money did not enter the calculation at all.Every one connected with us had to be given fresh clothes, crackers and sweets for Deepavali. 65 years ago, no 'family' doctor would demand money immediately on every consultation. The compounder would dispense the medicine, keep the account and it could be paid any time, as convenient.
Parents kept strict watch over the children and the company they kept. So did the teachers. So did the neighbours! If one was found to be reading something considered undesirable, the teacher would promptly inform the parents.We had many opportunities to move with elderly people and observe them, and also to interact with them. This taught us things like how to talk in learned company, how to defer to them and differ with them. They would engage us in conversation and find out how well we were learning.When pleased, they would give us nice books. One lawyer gave me the books he himself had studied in college- among them the first editions of Benham's Economics, books by Taussig, Pigou, etc. Another was so pleased that I studied the combination 'Economics, History, Political Science' that he gave me books of Sir Ernest Barker, Ivor Jennings etc. This is how the value of learning was impressed on us. This is how elders in society shaped us.
But the greatest benefit was with respect to religion. There was a gentleman working as an accountant in the post-office. He would gather children- mostly the classmates of his own son, in the age group 11-13 and teach them Vishnu Sahasranamam every Sunday. In three months we had learned it by heart.There was an advocate who conducted 'sampradaya bhajans' at his residence every Saturday evening. It was not a huge affair, but like a family gathering. We boys would go early and do all the arrangements: clean up the place, spread the mats,arrange the pictures of the Deities, keep the musical instruments in place, etc.Even the beginning used to thrill us- how the invocatory slokas were recited with charming music. The bhajan itself would last over four hours,consisting of numerous items sung by all the great saints in all Indian languages - which we learnt easily, and learnt to respect. That was not the age to appreciate the greatness of the lyrics or the loftiness of the philosophy: how could a 12 year old understand "Bruhi Mukundeti" or "Manasa Sancharare", or "Eteeruga nannu daya chuchidavo"? But we knew instinctively that it was sublime just because the person who sang it was himself so moved! When we two or three boys retruned home around 1 or 2 am, we would feel as if we were walking on air! Today too, such bhajans are still performed, but in the city Sabhas,as entertainment, and with the mike, lighting and other paraphernalia, the atmosphere is like that of a mela, not a sublime gathering. We miss the sense of personal intimacy and instant elevation of mind and spirit. People have become cerebral,or material, and cannot connect with others at other levels.
Sadashiva Brahmendra, the jnani, of the 17-18 century who gave us a few but immortal kritis combining jnana and bhakti., like Bruhi Mukundeti and Manasa sancharare. Those who are able to listen to this in a bhajan ( in contrast to a musical show) are truly blessed.
Bhadrachala Ramadas, who gave us many kirtanas on Rama and who was an idol of even Sri Tyagaraja! His devotion was such that even his Muslim sultan was blessed with a vision of Rama and Lakshmana!
I have personally felt that the sampradaya bhajan is the greatest discovery or invention of Hinduism in the last 3 centuries or so. It unites all languages, all philosophies, all theologies, all deities and doctrines! Most bhajan performers are also accomplished musicians- who are better than the professional Vidwans because they never destroy the diction and swallow the sahitya. Listen to how Sri Tyagaraja's "Utsava Sampradaya Kirtanas" are sung in the sabhas and see how they are rendered by the bhajan master! I have known many dedicated bhajan practitioners among bankers, commercial executives, school teachers, office workers.
Such are the benefits when 'cultured' people live in close, small communities.I used to think that this was some special privilege I was blessed with. Later, when I went to Delhi, Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Bombay and attended sampradaya bhajans, I met many people of my age group coming from different places, who too had had such opportunities. It was a prevailing cultural form in the old Madras state. And our political and social movements have since destroyed such a sense of community and culture! Even villages are deeply divided on political basis. Thomas Hardy wrote about the disappearance of the rural English culture and landscape in his novels, as Oliver Goldsmith wrote earlier in his poetry.
There are pious Indians who hold that Brahmins are themselves to blame for their plight, as they have given up their basic dharma. It is not without merit, but is not the whole truth. Hindu dharma has always held that it is the protection and authority provided by the ruler (kshatram) that keeps people in their dharma. Tamil Saint composer Tiruvalluvar concedes that the dharma practised by the Brahmana is the basis of social order:
Even if the Vedas are forgotten, they can be learned again. But once the Brahmin falls from his 'swadharma' , that spoils everything. 134
Care: Valluvar uses the word 'pirappozhukkam' which I have rendered as 'Swadharma' here. The Tamil word in the original literally means 'the discipline that comes by or with birth'. So, it clearly refers to the dharma of the Brahmin. Modern translators give all types of interpretations. The Kural says that if the Brahmin falls from his dharma, then ' things get spoiled ('kedum'). It does not just mean that only the Brahmin falls. For a full range of the meanings of the expression and its implications, see the comprehensive edition of the Kural with the commentary of Ki.Va.Jagannathan, 1963, Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore- 641020.
Even so, Tiruvalluvar clearly states that it is the ruler who provides the base even for the dharma of the Brahmins.
The sceptre of the king is the mainstay of the science (scriptures) of the Brahmanas and the basis of dharma. 543
The udders of the cows will dry up and the Brahmanas will forget their scriptures if the King ruleth not with justice. 560
In medieval India,during the domination of the Muslim invaders, two saints understood this. One was Vidyaranya who founded the Vijaynagar empire and stopped the Muslim spread into the South. The other was Samartha Ramdas Maharaj who inspired Shivaji to found the Hindu Swaraj. The influence of Shivaji dynasty lasted long in Tanjore and the Bhajan sampradaya is its fruit. Hinduism was thus transformed, and could not just return to its old forms.
Ruling power in the cause of dharma!
Samartha Ramdas Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji, the last great Hindu emperor!
Picture taken from www.adhyatmavidya.com. Thanks.
This is a period when such developments took place in all old civilisations and religion was dethroned by rationality and materialism as the arbiter of life. Life has become secular ie Godless or irreligious all over the world. Please study things deeply. Hinduism is also succumbing and disintegrating.Both culture and religion have some mystical or mysterious (undefinable,language-defying) elements and in the absence of an atmosphere which fosters them, they cannot surviv
Public Domain via Wikimedia commons.
Religion also needs appropriate economic and social arrangements to flourish as a living culture, not a mere system of belief. No authority or agency in India is in a position to comprehend or tackle the present global forces- where even a Vivekananda failed. Hinduism is not reviving. Some elements are struggling to survive. People are not using political power to defend Hinduism, but using the label to get power!
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