[Advaita-l] Chanting Gayatri overseas

[Santosh Rao]

I believe the mercy of acarya is boundless, but that doesn't change right
from wrong.

Perhaps acarya is cognizant of the fact that most people will do whatever
their heart is set upon regardless. But since it's better to perform ones
dharma in a flawed manner than to perform another's perfectly, perhaps
acaryas blessings were given in that context. Many demons received
blessings from God himself before going on a rampage of sin on previous
yugas, and we happen to be living in the worst age.

Speaking as a person born and brought up in the west, I can tell you that a
big reason why the younger brahmanas and other hindus being raised abroad
are losing interest in shastras and dharma is because in many cases they
can sense the hypocrisy of their elders who value their own comforts over
most else. Why should they take dharma seriously when the elders themselves
are content with some watered down version? It's all about money and
status. Let's be completely honest, brahmanas who cross seas to come here
are not refugees. They come for wealth and comfort. What is the sense of
such people teaching vedanta?

Namaskara,

Santosh

On Oct 6, 2017 11:29 PM, "Vēdānta Study Group via Advaita-l" <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

Apologies, I should have clarified that I was addressing Shashi ji and
Santosh ji's comments on the contextualization of dharma :)

On 6 October 2017 at 23:26, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Sat, Oct 7, 2017 at 8:54 AM, Vēdānta Study Group <
> vedant.study at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Harih Om,
>>
>> Simple question: Is the Jagadguru of Sringeri wrong in blessing the SVBF
>> initiative in Pennsylvania?
>>
>
> If you are asking me, my answer is: definitely not wrong. I myself said
> that he blessed an event through a webinar type broadcast.
>
> regards
> subbu
>
>
>> Is our understanding of dharma superior to the Shankaracharyas? Please
>> address this question directly before proceeding forward
>>
>> Namaste,
>> Prashant
>>
>> On 6 October 2017 at 22:50, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 7, 2017 at 1:52 AM, Vēdānta Study Group via Advaita-l <
>>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Harih Om
>>>>
>>>> Dharma (and its interpretation) evolves through time.
>>>
>>>
>>> Shankara, in his Brahma sutra bhashya ३.१.२५ has said:
>>>
>>> यस्मिन्देशे काले निमित्ते च यो धर्मोऽनुष्ठीयते, स एव
>>> देशकालनिमित्तान्तरेष्वधर्मो भवति ; तेन न शास्त्रादृते धर्माधर्मविषयं
>>> विज्ञानं कस्यचिदस्ति । - Dharma is place-time specific and hence the
>>> scripture is the best source to decide what is dharma and what is not.
>>>
>>> And in innumerable places Shankara has stated that śiṣṭāchāra, conduct
>>> of the noble, as a source of Dharma/adharma. In fact the Taittiriya
>>> Upanishad itself says: Follow those who are wedded to Dharma, in
deciding
>>> what course of action you have to take, while in doubt, etc.
>>>
>>> While the śiṣṭa-s may not encourage people going abroad, yet they have
>>> continued to bless those who live abroad, for whatever reasons. I have
>>> heard the earlier Jagadguru would bless those who seek his blessings
while
>>> a boy is going abroad for higher studies: 'My blessings are there on
this
>>> condition: Study there and return to our Land and serve here.' Now, over
>>> the years we have huge settlements abroad who seek to follow dharma. In
>>> fact I came across at least one person, who has studied the entire Rg
Veda
>>> and is now teaching people even in India, through Skype from the US.
There
>>> are sincere seekers who have said 'the quite, serene atmosphere there is
>>> very conducive to dhyāna, contemplation, etc.' This is what is sought by
>>> anyone who is a seeker, ultimately.
>>>
>>> Above all, we have to also remember this:  Between niyama (observances)
>>> and yama (fundamental moral conduct), the latter takes precedence over
the
>>> former in spiritual progress and attainment. Swami Vidyaranya in the
>>> Jivanmuktiviveka has given references for this rule. He also points out
>>> cases of extremity where 'a certain person looked for a pure place all
>>> over the world to conduct his religious practice and could not find a
>>> single one'. What is important above all is for a person to value
ahimsā,
>>> satyam, akrodha, brahmacharya and non-stealing. These are the five
yama-s
>>> that are crucial for spiritual evolvement. Niyama-s are there to support
>>> these in the long run. They are not to be belittled either. An
>>> individual-specific, balanced, view is what is moderate.
>>>
>>> regards
>>> subbu
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> What is stated in the
>>>> Brhadaranyaka upanishad may be contextual to the social situation then.
>>>> These boundaries can be widened as contemporary sampradayavits see fit.
>>>>
>>>> As someone correctly points out, even the Jagadguru of Sringeri has
>>>> blessed
>>>> the SVBF mandir to be set up in Pennsylvania. Surely these Acharyas
>>>> have a
>>>> better understanding of the commentaries and how to make them
>>>> applicable in
>>>> present times. Personally, I don't see ourselves fit to form a
universal
>>>> opinion for Hindus to follow, but certainly these teachers are in a
>>>> position to do so, and they have. So far I have not seen any counter to
>>>> this point
>>>>
>>>> Namaste,
>>>> Prashant
>>>>
>>>> On 6 October 2017 at 11:14, Kalyan via Advaita-l <
>>>> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > I am surprised that in this entire discussion no one has quoted the
>>>> > Brihadaranyaka upanishad so far.
>>>> >
>>>> > Br.Up.1.3.10 advises against foreign travel. Shankara interprets it
>>>> in the
>>>> > same way.
>>>> >
>>>> > Travel should be confined to lands inhabited by people possessing
>>>> Vedic
>>>> > knowledge - this is the gist.
>>>> >
>>>> > Thus, there is Shruti prohibition against foreign travel.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Regards
>>>> > Kalyan
>>>> > _______________________________________________
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