Keeping Shikha [was Re: Sannyasins & cutting of the hair?]

[Subrahmanian, Sundararaman V [IT]]

Actually it might be easier in the US than India.  In India, they know what
it is and hence make it an object of ridicule.  But here it might pass off
as an exotic hair-do. -:)-:)

Anyways, your point is well taken.  I have a lot more to work on myself -
that's all I can gather from this.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ashish Chandra [mailto:ramkisno at HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 2:17 PM
To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
Subject: Keeping Shikha [was Re: Sannyasins & cutting of the hair?]


On Fri, 9 Aug 2002 12:57:24 -0400, Subrahmanian, Sundararaman V [IT]
<sundararaman.v.subrahmanian at CITIGROUP.COM> wrote:

>That's quite brave of you to have a shikha in US.  Even in India I would
>have felt embarassed.
>
>Good for you!
>
>Regards,
>SVS
>

Actually, once you realize that you are right and everyone else (who scoffs
at keeping a Shikha) is wrong, then its no problem :-)

What really inspired me was reading Hindu Dharma. Also, the reason we feel
embarassed (IMO) is that it's either considered backward or no one keeps it
anymore or there may be fear of being teased about it. However, when one
knows the reasons for keeping a Shikha and the goal towards which one
wishes to travel, then the external fear factor drops away. Sticking to
one's dharma, at least as much as possible, is always good. But one must
also be careful that the banana peal is not mistaken for the banana fruit
itself: the effort to be different (by being less or more dharmic) always
has some pride associated with it. One can wear angavastra with Ram Ram on
it and have the filthiest of hearts. I think these things one should watch
out for and I continue to learn from experience.

namaste
ashish

>From  Fri Aug  9 15:38:56 2002
Message-Id: <FRI.9.AUG.2002.153856.0400.>
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 15:38:56 -0400
Reply-To: besprasad at lycos.com
To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
From: Prasad Balasubramanian <besprasad at LYCOS.COM>
Organization: Lycos Mail  (http://www.mail.lycos.com:80)
Subject: Re: Keeping Shikha [was Re: Sannyasins & cutting of the hair?]
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Can someone explain the significance of (male)brahmans wearing the ear-studs (kadukkaNN as specified in tamil) ?
Prasad


On Fri, 9 Aug 2002 14:24:00
 Subrahmanian, Sundararaman V [IT] wrote:
>Actually it might be easier in the US than India.  In India, they know what
>it is and hence make it an object of ridicule.  But here it might pass off
>as an exotic hair-do. -:)-:)
>
>Anyways, your point is well taken.  I have a lot more to work on myself -
>that's all I can gather from this.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ashish Chandra [mailto:ramkisno at HOTMAIL.COM]
>Sent: Friday, August 09, 2002 2:17 PM
>To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
>Subject: Keeping Shikha [was Re: Sannyasins & cutting of the hair?]
>
>
>On Fri, 9 Aug 2002 12:57:24 -0400, Subrahmanian, Sundararaman V [IT]
><sundararaman.v.subrahmanian at CITIGROUP.COM> wrote:
>
>>That's quite brave of you to have a shikha in US.  Even in India I would
>>have felt embarassed.
>>
>>Good for you!
>>
>>Regards,
>>SVS
>>
>
>Actually, once you realize that you are right and everyone else (who scoffs
>at keeping a Shikha) is wrong, then its no problem :-)
>
>What really inspired me was reading Hindu Dharma. Also, the reason we feel
>embarassed (IMO) is that it's either considered backward or no one keeps it
>anymore or there may be fear of being teased about it. However, when one
>knows the reasons for keeping a Shikha and the goal towards which one
>wishes to travel, then the external fear factor drops away. Sticking to
>one's dharma, at least as much as possible, is always good. But one must
>also be careful that the banana peal is not mistaken for the banana fruit
>itself: the effort to be different (by being less or more dharmic) always
>has some pride associated with it. One can wear angavastra with Ram Ram on
>it and have the filthiest of hearts. I think these things one should watch
>out for and I continue to learn from experience.
>
>namaste
>ashish
>


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