[Advaita-l] Prayascitta question

[Praveen R. Bhat]

Hari Om, Bagirathi Mataji,

I wouldn't comment taking your example since the pain remains in the mind.
Suppose a similar pain has been suffered by me in this life and I consider
another person who as the cause of imposing it. Now, considering karma
theory, I would never really know if I was really innocent because my vision
is limited to this life. I wouldn't know if my behaviour in previous lives
has caused such grief or more to this person or others. If I forgive right
away, even if I am unable to forget soon, considering that its my prArabdha
indeed, then I have nothing to hang on to, but for time to heal the pain. If
I keep the grudge, I would be adding to my sancita which would require me to
take birth again. Even if I have been innocent in earlier lives too, I
shouldn't want to increase my karma intending any harm to this person. Of
course, its easier said than done, but thats my understanding and thats what
I try to do in my limited human capacity. Ramana Maharshi was attacked by
some thieves who couldn't find much to steal in the ashram and gave him as
well as others a beating. It seems when the police asked the Maharshi to
identify the thief who beat him, he said "“Find out whom I beat [in a
previous birth], for it is he who has beaten me now!"

Coming to the perpetrators of the sin, there are prAyascittas for wrong
doing and they are indeed said to reduce sin. If nothing else, they let the
person suffering due to having committing sins or due to result of earlier
sins from keeping his cittam calm.

gurorarpaNamastu,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!
[Br.Up. 4.5.15] */


On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 5:58 PM, bagirathi ma ramanathan <
bagirathi123 at rediffmail.com> wrote:

>
>
>
>
> dated 4th August,2010
>
> dear sir,
> one collegue family of my late father made a deleberate attack on the
> innocent persons by house breaking and removing all the hosuehols materials
> for want of the premises to be occupaid by them earlier, ( it is all
> government quarters which should be vacated on transfer of the officials) ,
> and created a panic and threat to us. This had happend some 25 years back
> but the pain is still remains in our mind.
> The entire family stood on the gate without any food for threedays and no
> one could help us at this juncture. We did not suspect anybody or  this act
> as the successors deleberate attitude.
>
> Any prayachitham to this act of the perpetrators  on the innocent persons
> will reduce their sin?
> please enlighten me in this area.
> Sincerely
> Mrs.Bagirathi Ramanathan
>