PDA

View Full Version : Pillars...



yajvan
29 June 2010, 11:12 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Let's say some one asked ( that was truely interested) in sanātana dharma said, can you inform me of the pillers (the foundation) on which this sanātana dharma stands ?
How would you address this person? What would be your offer?

praṇām

Eastern Mind
29 June 2010, 12:29 PM
Vannakkam Yajvan:

I can answer by what my Guru spoke on. He called them the 3 pillars of Hinduism, as each one on it's own would hold up the religion even if the other two disappeared. They are scriptures, temples, and holy men/women. These were in no particular order. For me personally, because that is how I am naturally inclined, and I had to choose one only, it would be temples.

Aum Namasivaya

yajvan
29 June 2010, 12:36 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté EM



Vannakkam Yajvan:

I can answer by what my Guru spoke on. He called them the 3 pillars of Hinduism, as each one on it's own would hold up the religion even if the other two disappeared. They are scriptures, temples, and holy men/women. These were in no particular order. For me personally, because that is how I am naturally inclined, and I had to choose one only, it would be temples.

Yes, I see your point. If I had to choose from the list, I'd most likely favor śāstra-s ( scriptures) which is an alternative way of choosing the holy men and woman.

Yet this list is quite profound. The muni-s ( holy men & women) are the seers of truth which form the foundation of the śāstra-s. The temples then are in praise and alignment to what the muni-s bring to us. It seems a very nice triangle is formed , in which any one side can be the base and support of the other two sides.


praṇām

Eastern Mind
29 June 2010, 12:58 PM
Vannakkam Yajvan:

Where's my booky when I need him? I would have bet my house that you would have chosen that one. Coulda won a ton of money.

But its so true. Another reason why I believe SD can never be destroyed.
1)Some guy will sit still in some cave somewhere, go in and in , and realise the self, and start the whole thing all over again.
2) People a million years from now will find some buried scripture or more likely a piece of metal from a computer or some such thing, decode th e language, and discover truths within them.
3) A temple will be unearthed and the power that was once there will still be evident from its vibration, and someone will wonder, "What was this?"

Aum Namasivaya

yajvan
29 June 2010, 05:04 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


One pillar I believe is satyaṁ - Truth. Yet this Truth is beyond words . It is the Truth of satyaṁ. This Truth is svar-ādi - truly , indeed , most certainly sat.
And what is sat ? that which really is , existence , essence - Being. That Being is Truth. And what of this sat? what is at its root? 'as' is at its root. This means to abide , dwell , stay. So the Truth (satyaṁ) is all existance (sat) abides (as) in Being (sat).

This I firmly belive is a pillar and corner stone of sanātana dharma . It is the fabric of all darśana-s¹ ( schools or views). Whether one
accepts (āstika) or rejects (nāstika) vedic authority, none reject satyaṁ.

For me this pillar is the main trunk of the tree in which massive branches can grow thereform.

praṇām

1. darśana - view , doctrine , philosophical system; some call out 6 in number i.e. mīmāṃsā ,nyāya, sāṃkhya, vedānta, yoga and vaiśeṣika

Ekanta
29 June 2010, 05:31 PM
Namaste, here's my list:

Love (prema) is first since God is love and all spirituality/values depend on it.
Then truth (satya), since love expresses itself as truth, in texts, speech and conscience.
Then righteousness (dharma), since love expresses itself in right conduct, which is also based on truth.
From truth and righteousness (put into practice) peace (śānti) follows.
And from peace all good is gained, spiritually and worldly.

"Speak the truth, Practice dharma"
“satyaṃ vada dharmaṃ cara” (Taittirīya Upaniṣad, 1.11.1)

Ganeshprasad
30 June 2010, 08:51 AM
Pranam Yajvan and all

Pillars are good and solid, but I think Charan or legs are more appropriate in our Hindu Dharma, after all the Dharma is for acharan ( practice) so there is a connection.

Once when Raja Pariksit was roaming his kingdom he came across a lame bull standing only on one leg and being tormented by a cruel man. The bull is none other then Dharma and the cruel man is Kali.

The symbol of Dharma is the bull. Hence, Dharma is balanced on Chatus-Pada, or “four-legs”. The four legs of Dharma are “Tapas” – Austerity; Karuna-Compassion; Saucham-Purity and Satyam-Truth”. The Bull Nandi is Dharma personified it is interesting who else but Lord Shiva Rides on Dharma.

On each passing of yuga one charan becomes lame and that is why Pariksit Maharaj saw a bull balancing on one leg being tormented by Kali.
Kali pleaded with Raja to let him live and the compensate Pariksit Maharaj allowed him few places to reside. if we are to avoid the affect of Kali those are the places to avoid.

I guess this is why hare Krishna people follow 4 regulative principle and that is no meat eating, no intoxication, no gambling and no illicit sex, I find this strange, although it has direct colorations with the four pada or charan of Hindu Dharma why not emphasise the four main Dharma? 4 regulative principles are fine but it falls short of the chatus-pada.

Ahimsa parmo dharma, but I feel Karuna has a ring to it that ahimsa do not come close, we may not gamble and if we do we would be prone to tell lies but simply not gambling does not make us adherent of satya (truth).

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतम् सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः । येनाक्रमत् मनुष्यो ह्यात्मकामो यत्र तत् सत्यस्य परं निधानं ॥
satyameva jayate nānṛtaṁ
satyena panthā vitato devayānaḥ |
yenā kramantyṛṣayo hyāptakāmā yatra tat satyasya paramaṁ nidhānam ||
Meaning:

Truth alone triumphs; not falsehood.
Through truth the divine path is spread out by which
the sages whose desires have been completely fulfilled,
reach where that supreme treasure of Truth resides

Jai Shree Krishna

ScottMalaysia
30 June 2010, 09:15 AM
As Eastern Mind mentioned, the three pillars of Hinduism are Temples, Scriptures and Satgurus. This is also mentioned in a book by a Malaysian Hindu entitled Hinduism for Students.

ISKCON (and possibly other Vaishnavas as well) have a different theory (for authority at least). This theory consists of Guru, Sadhu and Shastra. A guru is necessary to realise the Supreme Lord, and a Guru comes from a line of Sadhus (holy men in a parampara). Both the guru and the other holy men teach what is in the Scriptures (shastra).

yajvan
30 June 2010, 10:29 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Another pillar¹ as I see it still resides in Truth - satyaṁ. This 'sa' is a noun/name for knowledge. But knowledge of what? of satyaṁ. And what is that? It is the knowledge of Reality. What really is , who we really are, how creation unfolds.

We find this knowledge in our śāstra-s. It is said pure knowledge = pure consciousness = perfect Being¹ , and we once again arrive back at 'sat', existence, essence also called sāra the substance or essence or marrow or cream or heart or essential part of anything.

This sāra as I see it also bridges the gap to the Supreme. I see this as another pillar and is found in 'sa' and 'sā' - we can review in the next most.

praṇām

words

A pillar may also be viewed as liṅga a mark, characteristic; some call lakṣa
perfect Being some like to call parāmbrahma.