[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: Am I wrong?
-
Subject: Re: Am I wrong?
-
From: Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian <rbalasub@ecn.purdue.edu>
-
Date: 17 Dec 1995 21:12:19 GMT
-
Approved: srh <srh@rbhatnagar>
-
Article: 757 of soc.religion.hindu
-
Newsgroups: soc.religion.hindu
-
Organization: none
sci50625@leonis.nus.sg (Roshan s/o Sabapathy) wrote
>I am a Hindu... at least I call myself that. I follow the basic
>guidelines of hinduism and always try to follow what little I've learnt
>about my religion. There are certain points of this religion that I do
>not thnik fit for the present day. For example.... I do not see the
>reason that a Hindu cannot eat beef and do not agree the reason for being
>barred from the temple if one's relative has passed away.
There has always been a big controversy regarding this issue of meat eating. I
myself have been unable to find proof that the Vedas prohibit meat-eating, at
all places (even beef). If you had followed a parallel thread on "Hindu Diet"
you might have noticed one of my replies. I gave a quote from the Yajur Veda
about the Ashwamedha Yagna. Not only were animals sacrificed to many Gods
(including Vishnu), but also barren cows were mentioned as one of the
sacrifices. A friend told me that in the Rig-Veda, Yajnavalkya talks at one
place about how tasty the tender meat of a young calf tastes. Unfortunately
I can't produce the section numbers and so on. Maybe when I meet him in India
I'll ask him.
However, all scriptures (at-least ones I have read) say avoiding meat is
relatively better (except of course the Vama-Marga of the Tantra which
prescribes some ritual meat eating).
>
>Take the eg abt not being able to go to the temple if your parent has
>just passed away. In my experience I needed to go to the temple in order
>to keep a calm mind.... I was distrought and found that the only remedy
>was to pray.
There is a different reason for this. Most of the temples (at least in Tamil
Nadu) derive the rituals from the Agamas. These have strict rules and prescribe
certain traditions which are supposed to enhance the power of the temple. No
doubt the Agamas say that the Supreme is present everywhere, but by these
rituals the idols are supposed to gain special sanctity.
I have personally found a different atmosphere in temples like Kapali (Madras),
Arunachala (thiruvannamalai), Solingapuram (Narasimha temple, outside Madras)
and so on. It maybe my imagination, but personally I think it is due to the
superior Agamic tradition in those places.
I'd suppose this is the reason for such a rule.
Ramakrishnan.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Moderator: Ajay Shah Submissions: srh@rbhatnagar.csm.uc.edu
Administrivia: srh-request@rbhatnagar.csm.uc.edu
Archives: http://rbhatnagar.csm.uc.edu:8080/soc_hindu_home.html
