Business to the Buddha

Tag: Lingayat

Adviti and perspective change

Adviti is growing up, she has started turning and every now and then she turns. When feeding her, she turns that makes putting food in mouth difficult. It was surprising initially to feed her used to be irritating that she is turning in no time. Once, I was talking to a relative, she said – Adviti will keep on doing it because it provides her a different perspective to the world. As an infant, how good and easy for them to change perspective – make it exactly 180 degree and enjoy. How difficult for us to change our perspective?

This change in perspective gave me an opportunity to question my own opinions. So, first was marriage in particular caste. The other apparent Indian customs such as – girls parents to not step in her home once girl is married! Yes that I have heard in conservative families. I don’t know how much is it followed now. So, when I badgered Lingayat community for disrespectful behavior on marriage issues, today I try to look at another perspective.

One of the possible reason for people looking at their own community or professional background could be that a girl grown up in similar environment may find it easy to settle in new family with similar customs or work requirements. If a farmer marries a goldsmith’s daughter would not it be very difficult for her to get accustomed to the new way of living?

Second, when society used to say not to go to girl’s home after her marriage, the possible reason could be – avoiding conflicts. Indian soap opera’s show it often. Additionally, olden days, it used to be a wish that girl is married in a family of economically higher standing. So, possible that girl or her parents should not feel uncomfortable, or should not be named for their out of place demeanor by the boy’s family. My small mind could think of only these possible reasons.

Lastly, eastern religion – all have concept of rebirth and karma. Personally, I not only follow but also believe in these concepts. A different paradigm from these seemingly good concept is here. If you tell a student that you’re not good at mathematics because in last life time you moneylender and did mischievous calculations to let the borrowers keep on paying you unnecessarily, that is a bad perspective on the concept.

There are many wars, fights and arguments due to perspectives. Be it capitalism vs socialism, one religion vs the other or political biases. We can be passionate about our perspective yet should be compassionate to listen to others view too. Otherwise there will always be wars, fights and arguments.

Adviti is teaching me a lot of things with her growing up. The recent one is changing perspective and looking at the other side, even if it seems incorrect prima-facie. This is a difficult task, I am trying to learn though, she changes her perspective by 180 degree easily at this age. Are we as adults going to learn something from our next generation?

Image source – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Point_of_view_bias.jpg

October 7, 2018
Gratitude
This blog is dedicated to my adopted uncle – Mr Ramana Rajgopaul. Actually, he is kind enough to adopt me as his nephew. Uncleji writes daily on his blog website – www.rummuser.com

I got connected with uncleji in 2011, when inadvertently I reached his blog site, read blogs and read “about me” section. We started communication through mails and later over phone. I met him the same year and of course have been seeing him often. He has been a go to person for anything in my life starting 2011. I have requested for his guidance in personal, professional and virtual life (Facebook/twitter/blog). I think I had deleted a Facebook comment when he suggested negatively on the same.

Our communication started with his about me sentence – “I stopped doing a long time ago.” and I asked him – this sounds like Ashtavakra Geeta and kind of meditation et al. So, we started talking about spirituality and in his humors he added every aspect of life – from sex to super-consciousness. He can turn any serious topic (life & death) to a joke and vice versa. I had been awestruck when he answered one of my questions with a Sanskrit Verse from some Veda! He did that occasionally. What surprises me is this – Remembering meanings of somethings, remembering context of few things and remembering many verse of Vedas and referring to it at right occasions (that too in the language) is unique. [actually he has good command on a lot of languages – starting English, Tamil to Sanskrit.]

The most interesting thing about him is “everything”! He is playful, he is serious, he is well read and most interestingly he enjoys his life to the fullest. I am changed from 2011 to now. My friends and colleagues know me as “no nonsense guy”, however starting 2011 when I started meeting girls for my (arrange) marriage couple of girls told me that I have “good sense of humor” and I am “interesting”! I was shocked when I heard this for the first time. Later on when I heard this from a couple of other girls I said ok! there are two possibilities
1. either that is a joke or
2. I have, at last, learnt the trick 😉
Generally, 2nd had been the case and credit goes to uncleji. In relation with marriage, most of my Lingayat bashing was shared with him, before it came on blogs. He was (and has been always) a great support during that time too. I bothered him a lot on (apparently) “my community”, where I don’t belong anyways.

Once I wrote to him this – earlier I didnt understand you because you were humorous and witty (used to take lot of time to understand the jokes) now you are talking more profound that I can understand. Though, I follow the “art of living” and Guruji says God loves fun, I am learning it with uncleji.
January 20, 2015
Cast(e)ing doubts – Crematoriums in India

This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. In the new year once again* I wish some day we would value people on their

Capabilities and not Caste
Action and not Ancestry
Character and not on Color of skin

Disclaimer – I belong to Lingayat (Veershaiva) community. Here is the blog I wrote on the community I am born in Cast(e)ing doubts – Lingayats!

I strongly feel that we need to grow as human race. I am critical about my community but the problem is with all communities in India. As always I wish we would all be more just and value person as a human and not as his/her caste.

Unfortunately in Sept 2013, I saw a front page news in The Times of India Mumbai edition – “Jaisalmer will have crematorium based on caste“, yes that was front page news. A long way to go for us.

I feel utterly shocked that even a dead body is considered Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya etc… that is height of stupidity. Thankfully, in Rajasthan, people this time around have voted out such government which could plan to make crematoriums based on caste!

Hope and wish one day sooner rather than later we would value people on their being what they are rather than what caste they belong to. And specially at least we will consider a dead body, well “a dead body”

Note *-

My Barasti Dubai experience – racism

Other blogs on cast(e)ing doubts

January 4, 2014
Cast(e)ing doubt – Lingayats!
This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. I wish some day we would value people on their
- Capabilities and not Caste
- Action and not Ancestry
- Character and not on Color of skin
That we all connected there is no two (non-duality) no big vs small no higher vs lower. So let us first understand what is one of the challenges before we reach there.

First thing first – I have a special love affair for Lingayats (a community in India), let me put a disclaimer – “I am a born Lingayat… (well as per the current Liangayat followers …not practicing Lingayat though.”) It might have been an accident that I am born in this community, but it is all logic and belief that I am beyond the so call Lingayatism.

A brief history of Lingayatism. It was found (or resurrected) by Basaveshwara in Karanataka. When Basav Anna founded the basic premise was “no-caste system” or in larger perspective – All Humans Are Born Equal. The hypocrisy of this seemingly one of the youngest religion is – it has more than 16-17 different sub-castes. Check Wiki for more details and before someone reads about the Hypocrisy of Lingayats and deletes the reference here is an image from Wiki –

So Basava fought caste system. It all started by the story of marriage of a Brahmin and an untouchables. Now look at the so call matrimonial sites of Lingayats (image thumbnail below, click to enlarge). Basava must be crying in his grave for such blatant contempt of his fight. Poor fellow fought his fight for eqaility and against caste system (apparently by calling a marriage among Brahmin & untouchable) and here Lingayats have first division as Lingayats and Jangams. Within those two factions they have more division.

When people ask “What Lingayat are you?” I feel Basava’s fight has gone in vain. No meaning of him having a community which has completely shattered its own foundation of existence. Now read Wiki article on Lingayatism as well you would understand what actually I mean and what is practiced.

Image sources – Wikipedia, www.lingayatmarriage.net and http://www.lingayathmatrimony.com/

Related blogs

Cast(e)ing doubts – Narendra Dabholkar

Cast(e)ing doubt – What’s your (last) name?

Cast(e)ing doubt – everyone’s tears are salty

We the societies
August 31, 2013
We – “the Societies…”

I read a book on the Buddha – Old Path White Clouds. Really, the path is very old. We are still struggling after many centuries. The book starts with a young Bhikku – Svasti a buffalo tending boy. The Buddha had tried hard to bridge the gap pervading in society at that time. During the time of Mahabharat (even before the Buddha) Karna had to face it (as son of a charioteer, check Wiki). I am talking about the societies we have formed. We are divided by race, religion, nationality, region, caste and sub-castes. Therefore we are not a society we are ‘societies’.

I read two news items and thought to write about them. Though personally I feel religious belief is a personal matter and therefore no ‘group’ should interfere with beliefs of individuals. However, we have made religious belief system an organization which now has become a business as well as tool to discriminate. Anyways, the first news item was – First whiff of justice for Gujarat riot victims and the second was – Dalits enter Madurai temple after two long decades. In northern part of India people feel that southern states are far less discriminating, is that true? This news item shows different picture.

At the time of the Buddha there was only four divisions of Indian society (as only Hinduism existed). Now we have many religion, languages, states, castes and sub-castes. The task of bridging gaps has become difficult in our times. Take an example of one belief system of India. The concept of this system was ‘a casteless society’, within 1000 years of its existence there are about 16 different sub-caste in this single belief system! The number is alarming because old Hindu system has only 4 castes (of course 4 are then sub divided) and this example less than 1000 year old has 4 time more sub divisions. I have heard Islam has 70+ sects, Buddhism has at least 3, Christianity has a few. Phew! how long will we divide as well as fight the so called holy wars?

If we see at a macro level – we are divided in nation we live in, language we speak, color of skin, economic status for that matter brand of car we use. I am sure no spiritual master had meant to use his/her teachings as a tool to discriminate. We are humans and is not that enough to thrive, survive and grow physically, mentally and spiritually? ‘The path’ is really very old, we are still not able to understand it. We are ‘societies’ and we do discriminate, why?

Related blog – Business of religion!

November 15, 2011