I am sad that this is one of my failed blogs. I shall, yet, continue posting here, because, otherwise, I shall fail in my duty to my birth religion, as a born-Hindu.
Context:
tv channel: Sri venkaTESvara bhakti channel, popularly known as 'svbc channel'.
date and time: 25.11.2012, approx. 8.00 p.m. IST.
program: titled 'dharma sUkshmAlu' (approximate english = subtleties ethics).
participants: Shri bAcampalli santOshkumAr SAstry, Shri mallAdi candra SEkhara SAstry, a renowned temple scholar, - and questioners were the viewers.
yb's observations
The problem seems to be from the practice of giving answering questions 'ex tempore'.
One viewer from a small village in anantapUr district, asked (gist): "we have a Shiva temple in our village. It is in a neglected state. I visit the temple every day and pray the almighty. But I am worried about the dilapidated condition of the ruined temple. I have tried my best to bring the villagers together, for the revival of the temple, but could not succeed. I am trying to worship the God in my own way. Pl. advse me."
advice of Shri mallAdi candra SEkhara SAstry (gist): get a priest. arrange naivEdyams (food offered to God in reverence). If you do not have a priest, other formalities, what you worship will only be a stone. Lord Shiva will not reside there. The worship will be futile. Fetch a priest and maintain the temple with all the requirements.
ybrao a donkey's feelings:
The problem seems to arise from the practice of answering viewer's questions, EX TEMPORE (without prior preparation). Shri SAstry is a learned scholar, no doubt. But, that does not mean that whatever he says should be accepted without analysis.
As an atheist, though I believe that the concept of worshippable God is a fantasy, I express my ideas here, with the assumption, that there is God, in the absolute sense of almighty. The almighty, as per Hindu, as well as universal philosophies, is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.
The prayer a devotee or a follower of religion makes to his / her God is an individual affair i.e. an interpersonal affair between the God and the follower.
The ideas of temples/churches/mosques/priests/pastors/mullahs/scriptures were subsequent additions or appendages. They may be helpful no doubt. But, they are not prerequisites.
There might have been some group/community worship sessions in tribal camps/villages. But prayer-houses evolved later.
Prayerhouses, preachers, scriptures, etc. they are all tools.
Followers of religions can use these tools, if they are available. These tools can only suggest and advise. They cannot assume dictatorial powers over followers. But, this dictatorial culture has already crept into almost every religion of the world and is ruling the roost.
This dictatorial culture causes undue hardships to poor villagers who cannot build prayerhouses, engage priests/pastors/mullahs et al.
Shri mallAdi candra SEkhara SAstry has rendered another advice to the viewers of the same program: Do not heed to what panditulu (pandits or scholars) say. Do what the scriptures say.
ybrao a donkey's view: Is Shri SAstry not a pundit? Should the viewer now heed to what Shri SAstry said as a pundit? Besides, scriptures were also written by pundits, with insertions and alterations from time to time. Nobody knows who inserted/altered what. The same scriptures are reinterpreted by scholars and preachers in different ways. Suppose we approach two different scholars on the same question, we get two different and even conflicting replies. The same scholar may give different advices on different platforms.
Of course, there may not be anything wrong with the variations and conflicts.
What is the need of the day?
The receivers of advice should apply their mind, use some amount of practicable logic. The devotee has to think individually. He can receive inputs from outside, may be scholars of his own religion, other religions, scientists, teachers, et al.
But, none of them can substitute or take away an individual's right and DUTY to apply his mind.
I appeal to Shri mallAdi candra SEkhara SAstry to study the story of bhakta kannappa (also called tinnaDu). His devotion to Lord Shiva was unquestionable. The story of the pilgrim Centre SrI kALahasti (chittore district, Andhra pradesh) revolves around the kannappa episode and the episode of snake (kALam), spider (SrI) and hasti (elephant) as devotees of Shiva thoroughly cover the issue of effectiveness of care and devotion over temples and preachers.
The way in which the prayer-houses of most religions are managed by Trusts/Governments/priests/Committees/Boards, we should now say the moment priests/pastors/mullahs/preachers enter them, GOD SHOULD LEAVE THEM. Or God should hesitate to enter the precincts.
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