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Thread: How am i suppossed to react

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    How am i suppossed to react

    Pranam

    Everyone has a right to have an opinion, Hindu Dharma that is the beauty off it.when we base our opinion on nothing that is fine, if we use logic thats even better, when we reiterate our opinion based on nothing that becomes a bore but when we do that in defiance off Shastra (accepting that not everyone follow the same) it becomes rude.
    i know what i would say to an outsider or where to shove it, not sure how to react to our own without being branded an extremist.

    Jai Shree Krishna
    Rig Veda list only 33 devas, they are all propitiated, worthy off our worship, all other names of gods are derivative from this 33 originals,
    Bhagvat Gita; Shree Krishna says Chapter 3.11 devan bhavayatanena te deva bhavayantu vah parasparam bhavayantah sreyah param avapsyatha Chapter 17.4 yajante sattvika devan yaksa-raksamsi rajasah pretan bhuta-ganams canye yajante tamasa janah
    The world disappears in him. He is the peaceful, the good, the one without a second.

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    namaste Ganeshprasad ji.

    I am with you 100% on this issue. No problems with personal opinions and logic, which are usually hazarded when people are lazy or indifferent to check with the scriptures, but when opinionated expressions and exceptions get the lead, I feel they must be checked and corrected with the right perspective of the shAstras, specially by members who are familiar with the shAstras.

    Hindu Dharma is liberal and personal, but no guidance is higher than the scriptures, so IMHO, members who are less inclined to read/get familiar with scriptures should at least venture to know what is involved in them. In these days, when there is an English translation for almost every scriptural text, there is no excuse for a Hindu to ignore his/her responsibility of getting familiar with them, and with the traditional Hindu culture and dharma, until he/she becomes a Self-Realized, in which case, the Vedas themselves say that such a person no longer needs them.
    रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
    ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥

    To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.

    --viShNu purANam

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    Quote Originally Posted by Ganeshprasad View Post
    when we do that in defiance off Shastra (accepting that not everyone follow the same) it becomes rude.
    i know what i would say to an outsider or where to shove it, not sure how to react to our own without being branded an extremist.
    Vannakkam GP: When we accept that different people follow different shastras, is it not a logical outcome that not all shastras come to the same conclusion? Therefore by following one shastra, it may well be in defiance of another shastra.

    As you know, I'm not big on reading a ton of shastra other than for understanding another's viewpoint. For one thing there just are too many. I shall leave that up to the scholars. For another, I've found that it can lead to minor or even major confusion. You can't follow them all simultaneously. So personally I try to support personal experience with scripture, and vice versa.

    As far as reacting goes, it depends on what you mean by reacting. Do you mean emotional reaction, or sensible countering logical reaction? Personally, I know I've reacted here on HDF to what I felt were condescending attitudes or attacks on our religion. Only once did I feel my reaction was overemotional. That was a lesson on "Know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away."

    Personally my take is to not react, but its always easy said than done, no?

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    When we accept that different people follow different shastras, is it not a logical outcome that not all shastras come to the same conclusion? Therefore by following one shastra, it may well be in defiance of another shastra.
    It's true that there are subjects in the shashtras that contradict. But this is often used as an excuse not to look at shastra at all. If there are contradictions, then at least people can investigate where the shastras contradict and where they don't and put it in proper context. Often people use this argument (the shastras contradict) in cases where they actually don't contradict at all. People are often not willing to look deeper in this matter.

    It's not as much about which shastra you personally follow, but more about the subject you are discussing and which shastras are important in the understanding of that subject. Let's say someone wants to understand the importance of Sandhyavandana for people who have done upanayana, then one would have to look at the shrutis, itihasas, smritis and puranas, because they deal with varnashrama dharma. One could not look at the tantras and make conclusions on the nitya karma of a dvija. Let's say someone wants to understand vedanta, then there's the prasthana trayam (upanishads, bhagavad gita and brahma sutra). In cases like this the shastras are like axiomatic truths, if people ignore them, then the whole discussion is baseless.

    When someone would consider the bible and the koran as shruti and wants to argue about Hinduism based on that, I would consider it a sign of deception or mental retardation and any discussion would be too absurd to even consider. On the other hand, if someone wants to discuss Christian theology, the bible is the only important text to consider.
    Last edited by Sahasranama; 12 December 2010 at 03:21 AM.

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    Vannakkam Sahasranama:

    Yes I understand that. It is vast, and I know very little. Right now I'm beginning to study Dr. Natarajan's translation of Rishi Tirumoolar's Tirumanthiram. It is small print, 465 large pages, contains original Tamil, a translation, and commentary. My own Guru's course consists of 3 books of 365 daily lessons, and that seems like too much some days. I find if I read a ton, nothing sticks. I'd rather read one sentence and have it stick than a hundred and have nothing stick. Not being sure of GP's specifics as he spoke generally and not at specific individuals or incidents, its hard to respond.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    A good way to let the shastras "stick" is to listen to audio besides reading to understand the meaning. Unfortunately, not all shastras are available in audio. Do you understand tamil? (I don't) I listen a lot to Bhagavad Gita, it's available in audio by many singers and commentators.

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    Quote Originally Posted by Sahasranama View Post
    A good way to let the shastras "stick" is to listen to audio besides reading to understand the meaning. Unfortunately, not all shastras are available in audio.
    Vannakkam: Sure, if you happen to have an audio learning style. I'm a visual learner. Old teachers know these things. For me, listening goes in one ear and out the other, so to speak. But for some people it does wonders. There is no one size fits all, and the audio/visual balance can be 10/90 to 90/10. Of course I could be wrong.

    Aum Namasivaya.

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    I think that when it comes to shastras, listening (shravana) can be helpful for everyone. It's not just understanding from listening like in a college lecture (which is also an important skill in learning), but the shastras have a certain rythm and vibration which aid in internalisation of the scripture. Listening to the scriptures goes deeper than mental understanding. Most shastras are written in poetry form. As you already know, the vedas have been transmitted from generation to generation through listening to the teacher chant the mantras. Of course, reading to understand deeper meanings is also important.
    Last edited by Sahasranama; 11 December 2010 at 01:10 PM.

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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    If I ever say something you guys consider unbased or shenanigans you can just tell right into my face... No biggie.

    But please no shoving... That's not really cool to say to another person.


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    Re: How am i suppossed to react

    Pranam saidevo ji, Sahasranama ji

    Quote Originally Posted by saidevo
    Hindu Dharma is liberal and personal, but no guidance is higher than the scriptures,
    Thank you, and that is what Lord Krishna says in chapter 16

    Therefore, let the scripture be your authority in determining what should be done and what should not be done. You should perform your duty following the scriptural injunction. (16.24)
     
    Pranam EM
    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Vannakkam GP: When we accept that different people follow different shastras, is it not a logical outcome that not all shastras come to the same conclusion? Therefore by following one shastra, it may well be in defiance of another shastra.
    Aum Namasivaya
    That would not be a problem if Shastra offers differing views and thats not my complaint.

    If a question is posed and someone answered by Shastra examples (not by some peripheral obscure text but major Shastra which most Hindu revered to ) then someone else offers their opinion based on nothing thats fine also because everyone is entitled to it but if the answer is reiterated again and again then it becomes a challenge, in direct defiance off the Shastra pramana that were offered. What do you think, how one should react in those circumstance?

    Pranam Pietro Impagliazzo

    Please dont get me wrong shoving would be a last resort, it was just a figure of speech.

    Jai Shree Krishna
    Rig Veda list only 33 devas, they are all propitiated, worthy off our worship, all other names of gods are derivative from this 33 originals,
    Bhagvat Gita; Shree Krishna says Chapter 3.11 devan bhavayatanena te deva bhavayantu vah parasparam bhavayantah sreyah param avapsyatha Chapter 17.4 yajante sattvika devan yaksa-raksamsi rajasah pretan bhuta-ganams canye yajante tamasa janah
    The world disappears in him. He is the peaceful, the good, the one without a second.

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