[Advaita-l] India, my beloved India!

[S Jayanarayanan]

I'm aware that this topic is not related to advaita and need not
be discussed on this list, but I did not see the list moderators
step in to stop the thread, hence my first and final posting on
this thread.

--- Mahesh Ursekar <mahesh.ursekar at gmail.com> wrote:
> Pranams:
> 
> What has become (or is becoming) of you my beloved country?
> Where
> woman was worshipped as a personification of the Mother, is
> now
> reduced to an item number! Where renunciation was an ideal,
> material
> wealth seems have gotten sway! 

[..]

> If Advaita were true (and I believe nothing
> else can
> be), when I see some woman reducing herself to an object of
> lust on TV
> in front of children and adults alike,

What kind of TV programs are you watching?! :-)

> PS> If anyone else shares similar or contrary sentiments, I
> would
> really like to know because most people I have tried to broach
> this
> subject with seem quite indifferent to my viewpoint…
> 

I hold a contrary viewpoint. There is nothing wrong with wealth
-- if obtained and used morally. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth,
is worshipped in the temples throughout India. Kubera, the lord
of wealth, is considered a highly auspicious deity. It is
undoubtedly a good thing for India to slowly rid herself of
poverty and be able to feed her citizens.

What is bad, however, is attachment to wealth and its use for
adharmic purposes. This is a problem of the individual and not
of the times, for there were staunch materialists even during
the times of Adi Shankara. The Mahabharata has many characters
who were arguably more materialistic than those living today.

If you want to be spiritual, simply shun materialism yourself
(start with the TV!). There is no need to blame the times.

-Kartik


		
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