Monday, 23 Oct 2017
I have trust in God.
(I would like to say Nature, instead
of God. But considering the
characteristics of the subject discussing here, I use the word God. Here God denotes the power behind
the laws of Nature.)
But I connect
with God not through anybody else. I don’t see the need of any intermediate person
to establish my communion with God. God
is a truthful and beautiful experience for me. I understand that purifying
my self is the means to relate with God.
I am not able to
see the need of appointing someone, whoever he is, to pray for me. I cannot see
the relevance of paying another person or agency to do Puja for me. Accepting
an authority to stand in between me and God is nothing but giving consent to
the social exploitation in the form of Priest-hood. This is the largest as well
as the oldest system of exploitation still existing in the society.
You believe that
you need to seek the support of a priest for praying for you. It happens in
temples, churches, mosques as well as in families. It is a common practice that
you bring home the priest for various ceremonies. You pay them for the ‘services’ they provide for you. And you
feel that God is pleased through their pleasant responses. Priests there act as
if the direct representatives of God. Priests come in between you and God generally
in all major occasions in your life.
There are two
believes among the ordinary people which are the reasons for the establishment
of the system of priest-hood:
1.
You think that priests are more close to God than you. They have developed some
knowledge system with which they mesmerize the common people. Ordinary people
cannot chant Manthra-s or prayers as
priests are doing. How can an ordinary
person show hand-gestures and movements as a trained priest performs? The priests will also blind the people with their elaborate ‘costumes and attire’.
2.
The second belief is that you are not able to connect with God directly without
an intermediate person/group. You are brainwashed by the tradition with a
concept that your knowledge is not enough to reach God! And that you need a
priest to act on your behalf!
Both these
believes are not true. No knowledge system can take you closer to God. Only
innocent and pure mind is required to reach God. Your good heart can help you
to find out God. A priest is not at all necessary for you to connect with God.
Priest is not
Guru. Guru is the one who liberates you from the difficulties of your
inclinations. Guru gives you the right knowledge to establish the connection
with God. The priests benefit by putting you psychologically in dependency to them.
Either taking
birth in a priest family or becoming a priest through some ‘training’, both cannot be considered as
a desirable goal of life.
It is well explained that an individual can reach God through his own efforts and prayers.Priests have become an indispensable part of society and to wield people out of this ignorance needs constant reminders like your writings.
ReplyDelete"chitthasya suddhaye Karma" ... Ordinary people believes , (until they become enlightened) in Karma upasana. And to do these karmas conveniently they depend on a priest. Priests act as a channel of their bhakthi or Karma whatever it is ,through Poojas or some rituals. This is a part of "sagunabrahmopasana". This way of bhakthi or Upasana is only because of they are just ordinary people..This cannot be considered as the ultimate level of the so called bhakthi.
ReplyDelete"Swaswaroopanusandhanam bhakthi" self realisation with innocent and pure mind (as mentioned in the article) is the ultimate way to reach "God" (we have to use a word ..That is God).
1. I am not against “Sagunabrahmopasana”. Mind cannot conceive something without a form. So if you need to think, you need a form. So when you are in the first level of understanding, which occurs through debate (Vitharkka), thoughts are needed. A form is essential for thinking about God, or for meditating on God.
ReplyDelete2. I am not against Karma & Bhakthi. You can acquire knowledge (Jnjana) only through purposeful action (Karma). Purpose (Iccha), knowledge (Jnjana) and action (Karma) go hand in hand. Action is the moving force. So when an action happens, knowledge and purpose are present there. So Karma is necessary. When, through Karma, your Jnjana widens, “Swaswarupanusandhanam” happens. I agree with this process.
3. Why do you say that the Karma should be in the form of Pooja? Pooja was created by Brahmin priests to maintain their sovereign over ordinary people. They kept this Jnana only with them and said those who does not know this, are ignorant. This is wrong. Pooja is only a symbolic presentation of the devotion of the Sadhaka in front of his deity. That is not at all necessary to reach God. Other kinds of Karma-s like helping people, learning/teaching and the rest are enough to develop your Jnjana. Pooja is one of the basic elements with which the cast system was preserved for the enjoyment of the “upper class” people.
4. If “Pooja” need to be done in a family, the family member may learn the Pooja system and do it for his/her home. Why do you want to invite a priest for that? The tradition has created a strong belief in you (actually tradition brain-washed you) that a priest only is capable of doing such Pooja-s and if such a priest does Pooja, it is perfect. Such belief is beneficiary to the priest-hood. Why don’t you learn Pooja and do it by yourself? Only your own Karma will lead towards your Jnjana.
5. I strongly disagree with the idea that “ordinary people” need a priest to perform “Pooja”. Most of the priests are more “ordinary” than ordinary people. So priests are not necessary for you to perform “Pooja”. Karma is needed for development of Jnjana not only for “ordinary people”. It is a must for all; even for the most “extra-ordinary”. (karmma paashathe lamkhikkayennathu brhmaavinnum eluthalla nirnnayam – Even Lord Brahma cannot ignore the necessity of Action for His growth.) But I repeatedly say that if you want to perform Pooja, learn it by yourself and do it whenever you want. Nobody else can do it better than you, because “Your God” will be pleased only by your own “Pooja”.
6. Do your own Pooja for your own satisfaction. But I believe that there is no an “ordinary person” who cannot understand the meaning of the Pooja and the rest. The only problem is that the concept among the people that only priest can know it and do it well. This concept should be removed. Anybody can perform Pooja and can acquire highest wisdom.