[Advaita-l] moxa

[Ananta Bhagwat]

----- Original Message ----

From: Vidyasankar Sundaresan
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2008 7:02:10 PM
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] moxa

<The SAstra-s exist to guide humans towards good practices. If in every
generation, people keep questioning SAstra based on their consciences, we...>
 
I find amongst some of the list members this dread of SAstra-s being  questioned. Let SAstra be questioned. Let SAstra answer questions or "ignore them if they are not worth taking note of". If SAstra can not answer certain questions within modern ethical framework then let it boldly reject that framework or equally boldly revise its stand and make certain things obsolete. SAstra can not be a fossil permanently itched in time and space. In India at least, many SAstrI-s understand this and are much more erudite than what we can think of. They know that SAstra-s express themselves in many ways and they know how to interpret them correctly without violating the essence of Hinduism.

 I believe, all of us understand that secular states do not follow Dharma SAstra. Indian law for example has clearly overruled certain sections of manusmRti related to sUdra (untouchables), women, and disparity amongst varNa-s. So, what is this big fuss about being judgmental of SAstra? It has already been judged for suitability and taken inputs from while framing Indian Laws by a committee lead by Dr Ambedkar (a so called sUdra with a PhD from US).

<Meanwhile, all of us merrily partake of the global economy in which mass scale
animal slaughter is a very important part. Even as we are having this discussion,
the cost of food is a rising concern throughout the world. What should one's
conscience focus on, in terms of priorities?>

I hope you are not suggesting unconcern for ethical issues. 'Rising cost of food' has many reasons. There are many ways to control it rather than hinting towards the expansion of mechanized butcheries. Further, the issue is not only related to food habits. How are we maintaining these butcheries? In what way we kill the animals? Why deceases like 'mad cow' or 'chicken bunia' are spreading and adding to the torturous mass-killings of hapless animals? Why Cheetah is extinct in India and  why Tiger is on its way out? How certain species of whales too are on brink not to speak of many other endangered species? Are they not the victims of man's greed and vanity? While making merry in the global economy let us not suspend our conscience and forget the essential morals of Vedanta and ahiMsA as a principle of harmony.

Regards

Ananta