[Advaita-l] 'End' not 'Means' from Ravi Chandrasekhara

[ravi chandrasekhara]

Dear Members,

My views on these discussions:

1.Those who are women and non-Dvijas nowadays have
access to printed forms of Vedas in Sanskrit and many
with English translations. Those who want to hear
chanting can be a CD like Rudram, etc by various
artists such as Radhakrishna Sastrigal, etc.  I'm sure
many can find some non-traditional teacher who can
teach them to chant, perhaps an Arya Samaji, etc.

Now if one wants adhikara/shastric sanction that is a
different issue. Acceptance by traditional
practioners/acharyas will probabaly not be found.  But
no lead/tin will be poured in anyone's ears.

So what is all the fuss ?

2.Chanting of vedas by ones w/o adhikara will not
"improve them spiritualy" or gain moksha.

3.Vedic chanting will not make anyone better
materially, improve social status to hang with
rich&famous, and given traditionalists wont accept and
prob wont care -- it wont improve one's ritual status.
 It certainly will not make a male a "cassanova" or a
better catch as a bridegroom.

4.Socio-economic issues are unrelated to vedic
chanting as pointed out by Vidyashankar. Albiet a
traditional Brahmin tends to be poorer materially.

5.Many of those that have adhikara for upanayana,etc; 
dont do it.  Those that do not have adhikara for it
want to, but do thay perform what they should
according to shastras ?

6.Vedic chanting is not just reading a book and doing
it.  It requires birth as a Brahmin, upanayana, and
more importantly --- education for 10+ years along
with learning Sanskrit. And even more important,
maintainence. Many Brahmins (incl me) barely get by
Sandhyavandana and have very rudimentary knowledge of
Sanskrit; (let alone doing any formal vedic
chanting)hence by not following all the rules, etc are
commitiing paapa and would be considered Braahmana
Brishta.

7.Other issues beyond scope of this topic and prob
cannot be answred: why only dvijas were upanayana,
etc; what is best swadharma for one's varna by
birth&what occuaptions belong to one's swadharma etc;
what happens to one who doesnt follow one's
dharma/swadharma accordingly -- should they still have
adhikara for samskaras, allowed matrimonial relations
with their co-varna-ites; etc.

8.By the way, we had a bhoomi puja to start
construction on our home. My father assisted us with
the rituals but we also had a purohit from the DFW
Hindu Mandir. He is Tamil Smartha Brahmin. He studied
in a vedic school for 10 years. He performs
sandhyavandana 3 times a day, attends to temple
duties, chants vedas, etc. But he always wears a dhoti
and anga-vastra, vibhuti, and only consumes food he
prepares. He doesnt eat outside his humble quarters
provided by the temple (not even from other Brahmins).
 I suspect his salary may not be much more than what
some nannies get paid in Dallas.  So this is the life
of someone who chants vedas traditionally.  Any takers
?

Pranam, Ravi Chandrasekhara



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