(Post 19)
(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Nov_Dec/v1.ShikhaSutra_II)
This is the age of intellect, scientific thinking.
We should learn to adopt religious teachings not just by convention, but by prudent thinking through an open mind.
Many a times it is seen that neither the elders in the family nor the priests are able to explain the meaning or purpose of the rituals during any religious ceremony.
Instead of satisfying the queries of the youngsters, they would often either scold them or simply declare that it was our tradition.
I remember one interesting incident.
The daughter of a rich advocate in Mathura was getting married to a foreign-returned, well-educated young man. The girl had also completed her M.A. The wedding ceremony was organized gorgeously.
In the lagna-mandap, the priest (Pandit) kept on asking the bride and the bridegroom to do several things, one after the other, as part of the ceremonial rituals. He was chanting some mantras in incomprehensive Sanskrit. He never bothered to see whether anybody was listening to him or not.
All this had really bored the couple.
Unaware of this, the Pandit continued with - "Keep these many paise here with flowers, these many rupees there with rice grains", and what not!
Finally, the bridegroom interrupted him and humbly said that he was unable to understand what the Pandit was saying or doing and why?
The smart Pandit tried to pose as a guru and warned that interrupting him would be inauspicious, etc.
The young man then said - "Anyway, if you could pray to God on our behalf, why don't you also complete the rituals on our behalf. In the meantime we both will go out and take care of the guests who are waiting for us since long?"
Everybody around just laughed.
I had also gone to attend the wedding. This incident made me think seriously about the pitiable state of our rituals and customs.
What kind of social reformation and progress we would make if we can't even maintain the grace of important sacraments and convey the underlying teachings to our younger generation?
Why boast of our cultural heritage when we don't have the dignity to follow its values?
(http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2004/Nov_Dec/v1.ShikhaSutra_II)
This is the age of intellect, scientific thinking.
We should learn to adopt religious teachings not just by convention, but by prudent thinking through an open mind.
Many a times it is seen that neither the elders in the family nor the priests are able to explain the meaning or purpose of the rituals during any religious ceremony.
Instead of satisfying the queries of the youngsters, they would often either scold them or simply declare that it was our tradition.
I remember one interesting incident.
The daughter of a rich advocate in Mathura was getting married to a foreign-returned, well-educated young man. The girl had also completed her M.A. The wedding ceremony was organized gorgeously.
In the lagna-mandap, the priest (Pandit) kept on asking the bride and the bridegroom to do several things, one after the other, as part of the ceremonial rituals. He was chanting some mantras in incomprehensive Sanskrit. He never bothered to see whether anybody was listening to him or not.
All this had really bored the couple.
Unaware of this, the Pandit continued with - "Keep these many paise here with flowers, these many rupees there with rice grains", and what not!
Finally, the bridegroom interrupted him and humbly said that he was unable to understand what the Pandit was saying or doing and why?
The smart Pandit tried to pose as a guru and warned that interrupting him would be inauspicious, etc.
The young man then said - "Anyway, if you could pray to God on our behalf, why don't you also complete the rituals on our behalf. In the meantime we both will go out and take care of the guests who are waiting for us since long?"
Everybody around just laughed.
I had also gone to attend the wedding. This incident made me think seriously about the pitiable state of our rituals and customs.
What kind of social reformation and progress we would make if we can't even maintain the grace of important sacraments and convey the underlying teachings to our younger generation?
Why boast of our cultural heritage when we don't have the dignity to follow its values?
