Sunday, April 24, 2016

CASTE RITUALS AND SPIRITUALITY



                                                           
“There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is one language, the language of heart. There is only one religion, the religion of love. There is only one God and He is omnipresent.” Declares  Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. ‘Varnasrama dharma’ has been there from times immemorial from the time of Manu the codifier of laws. The ‘ Purusha Sukta’ speaks of the origin of the four classes of human beings  that emerged from the Purusha--- the Almighty God!  “ brahmanosya mukha masith  bahu rajanya kruthaha  uru tadasyad vaisyaha  padbhyagum sudroajayatha”  The Brahmins came out of the face of the purusha and the Kshatriyas from His shoulders. From His thighs, out came the vaisyas and the sudras from His feet. Every class had its duties; bramins to advise and guide, kshatriyas to safeguard the society and the country, Vaisyas for trade and commerce and sudras for the service of others! No superiority or inferiority was contemplated! Lord Krishna clarifies in the Bhgavadgita ‘ chaturvarnam maya srustwa guna karma vibhagasaha”---I have created the four classes on the basis of their qualities and deeds—karma. In other words Birth in a brahmin family cannot make one a brahmin if he does not cultivate the qualities of a Brahmin!  Any person who develops the qualities of a Brahmin can be accepted as a Brahmin! The real  meaning of the word ‘ brahmin’ is one who has realized the Self or the Brahman!
           Rites, rituals and ceremonies are essential elements of religion. Without them a religion cannot grow and perpetuate itself. For reaping the grain we have to sow the seed with its husk Otherwise no germination can take place. Rites and rituals are like the seed with the husk. These rituals and rites contain the seeds of truth. Every person has to perform them to reach the central truth embedded therein. The oyster that has the pearl, in itself, has no value after the pearl has been removed. Spiritual advancement does not make rites and rituals more important. The spiritual aspirant concentrates on God for communion with Him. Like he scab that falls off when the wound is perfectly healed, all distinctions of caste and creed  disappear when there is god realization. All rules of caste vanish from him who realizes the unity of all things. It is only the others who have no such experience that think of superiority and inferiority in others and emulate caste distinctions!
             We are told that we should not delve in to the origin of rishis---sages and rivers! The river runs across several dirty terrains and pure areas but is considered sacred. Most of the great sages or maharshis were not of high caste or Brahmins. Sage Valmiki, the adi Kavi and the poet of the Ramayana was not a brahmin by birth! It was god realization that made him a sage and a poet! We will be amazed at the stories of a few great sages and their achievements! Sage Viswamitra was a Kshatriya by birth and became a ‘Brahmarshi’ after severe penance and austerities. Most of the Azwars and Nayanmars,being worshipped today, were of different castes and communities. They achieved divinity through their madness for God or para bhakti or ecstatic love for the Supreme. The utterance of the very name of God purifies the man of all his sins. It is pointed out that when we pronounce the syllable RA in the word RAM, the mouth opens up and all sins escape! When we say the next syllable UM the mouth closes so that sins do not enter again!
               A pious man, Krishna Kishore went on a pilgrimage to Brindavan. On a particular day while walking , he felt very thirsty. Seeing a person near a well, he asked him to draw some water to slake his thirst. The person, humbly said that he belonged to a low caste and hence ineligible to draw water for a Brahmin of high caste!  Krishna kishore directed the man to pronounce the name of God and purify himself. The man did as was bid and drew some water from the well. Krishna Kishore, the orthodox Brahmin, drank the water and quenched his thirst! Faith in the name of God is so powerful! There is no place for caste or creed or community in spirituality! Your credential for spirituality is the only criterion





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