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Saas Vs Saap

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, Dec 26, 2019.

  1. kkrish

    kkrish IL Hall of Fame

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    True.
    But that is exactly what is happening.

    Leave alone the pseudo saints.

    We often order an archana done to the deity of a famous temple here in the USA because we live quite far form it.
    The management is supposed to send us the prasadam (kumkum) after each pooja.

    However, they don't. when we called the management's response was "we don't have enough staff" . That was an irresponsible response. At least an automated email mentioning that pooja was performed on the requested date will give us some satisfaction.

    When they can create an website where we can place an order the least they can do is to find a way to inform and give the client that satisfaction that the order is complete.

    To me this is also a form of abuse of the faith and trust of an individual's religious belief.
     
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  2. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @kkrish,

    You are right. It is inappropriate for Temples to collect money for archana and never send prasad to the family. Fortunately, I don't have that experience. My wife sent an annual archana on my son's birthday to Ganesh Temple in New York and also paid for the calendar every year for the next 10 years. They are very prompt in sending both prasad and calendar regularly.

    I also paid a donation to Adi Sankara Temple when they brought Paduka of Paramacharya to our home. I am getting prasad every month from them regularly after performing archana on a specific day.

    Viswa
     
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  3. kkrish

    kkrish IL Hall of Fame

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    @Viswamitra
    We used to travel every year the past 25 years and donate a huge sum; we received the calendars promptly.

    The past few years we cut down the travel and the donation, but continue to request archanas. Now this nonchalant attitude is what we get.
     
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  4. Roar

    Roar Gold IL'ite

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    :angel:

    The actual gurus could not care less about head count on their followers...

    The modern gurus who use the same teachings ( no original teachings, just copy paste and repeat) care A LOT about head count of their followers and care about money and other resources. They care about how they dress and what they ride in.
    How are they different from a normal people who mostly do the same?...They are like a 'holy' capitalists.

    I personally like to follow people who show than preach. Their aura speaks for them. There are many people amongst us leading a normal life yet being a saint at heart and giving whole hearted service. They are more of saints than many of the SAAPS around.

    I personally feel very honoured to when I spot them randomly in my life. I am inspired to have that zing in me too:). Without them speaking a word!
    I have read books of Ramana Maharshi and I also have immense respect for Shiridi SaiBaba :).

    I am so glad this post is made @Viswamitra sir. Some how felt connected.
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2020
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  5. Amica

    Amica IL Hall of Fame

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    As usual, an interesting and thought-provoking snippet, Viswa.

    It makes me wonder ... Can we not learn from professional saints? Must every guru be poor?

    When I look around, I see saints in all directions. Every person I know exhibits sainthood in one way or another.

    We all have the potential to be saints. We have all helped someone at some point in our lives without expecting anything in return. And we all have moments in our lives when we do something so right, so unselfish that we are, in that moment at least, saintly. The divine exists in all of us. And we all express that divinity in some way. Even the simple act of keeping our lips zipped and not retaliating against an abusive MiL is in its own way saintly, no?

    I came across this tweet recently: Raj Gupta, a pharmacist in Malua Bay, NSW is keeping his doors open for patients, despite losing his own home to the bushfires. He's a saint to many. No saffron robes. But I hope others follow in his footsteps.

    Why look outside for a spiritual teacher when the divine is in all of us?
    .​
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @Roar,

    Thank you for your invaluable feedback. You are right. The actual Saints are the ones who sacrifice themselves for the well-being of the fellow-beings and never do anything for their worldly desires. I won't even call them holy or capitalist but they are nothing but they extort and launder money through coercion.

    The one who is a true Saints walk the talk and as you said rightly their demeanor and austerity will share more information than their words. It is very true that many among us are more saintly than so-called saints. A true Saints should transform himself/herself and help others transform into right living. The two you have mentioned are great role models.

    I am glad you felt connected to this thread.

    Viswa
     
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  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @Amica

    Thank you for your response. I am so happy to finally receive your response to one of my threads. I wish you a very happy new year.

    I am not necessarily classifying Sainthood as a Service as one who needs to be poor but one needs to practice austerity and be a role model for others. King Janaka while ruling Kosala was more a saint in his attitude and demeanor. Even saints who regularly visited him was looking forward to discussing right living with him. He was holding everything with an attitude of a trustee and never demonstrated pomp and show of his wealth according to the epic Ramayana.

    I am a big believer that we all originated from our source and can't be any different from the divinity itself. We are all divine beings having human experience of exploring this world. It is the effects of our action that creates encryption separating us more and more from our divinity. The life itself is a grace to realize this truth again and again and the day we succeed, we can win over the cycle of birth and death.

    Unfortunately, our scriptures strictly consider the one who shares the rich wisdom of Sanatana Dharma should provide that wisdom without any expectation and accept only what the student is willing to give in return voluntarily. They have to lead a life of austerity, rely on what was given to them and if they receive excess over what they need to lead a life of austerity, they need to give it away for the well-being of the society. I realize in the modern days, even those who learned Scriptures sell their knowledge for a high price to lead a luxurious life but they know that they are not living by what was expected of them.

    Frankly, when one see the oneness in all and providing service to the humanity as a service to Divinity residing in all, he becomes divine. After all, removing all other things in us other than divinity in us is the purpose of life.
     
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  8. sln

    sln Platinum IL'ite

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  9. sln

    sln Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Viswa,
    I can sense your pain and anger at the way in which Guru Shisya parampara is being used to collect wealth.The parampara is an essential part of Hinduism.This meant guidance for moving from darkness to light.Great example is the relationship between Krishna and Arjuna.Matha,Pitha,guru deivam and Guru brahma,Guru Vishnu............. have been instilled in us from childhood and this drives us to seek guidance when confronting complex problems.Yoga and meditation are the greatest contribution of gurus.Austerity lends credence to the teaching.Simple living and high thinking should be the way of life as exemplified by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Ramana Maharishi.Today there are Gurus who announce the creation of their own countries.What is it that they possess that draws people like magnet is a question I am unable to answer.One of the scandal ridden Guru said that complex problems arise out of a single reason and multiple reasons cause a single problem.All of us laughed but later in the night I analysed different situations in my life and I found his statement to be correct.
    Many Gurus have established hospitals,educational institutions,orphanage etc.Their style of living however leaves a bitter state and knocks off the sanctity of their teaching .An innovative way to harness the funds for the public good has to be found without inviting criticism of intrusion in religion and introducing fear complex.A thought provoking snippet.
    SLN
     
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  10. Roar

    Roar Gold IL'ite

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    well, I did think about it... but look at it this way.... the enlightened gurus are at a different level of consciousness, they are more awake and thus they only care about what ultimately matters... consciousness cant be exactly explained.. I am just making a faint attempt.

    Analogy: we are at a level that we think Farm Ville is real, the sheep the money and the land... so we desire them.

    When one is that level of awake as those good people, they know its Farmville and it makes no sense to them, those animals tht land.. that village.. nope.

    When it is still making sense to claimed gurus, then they seem as awake/as asleep as rest the of us...so when they desire them, we doubt if they are not that 'upper' level afterall.

    Yes, Anika... we are saints once in a while and we know the keyword phrase is 'once in a while' so we dont claim our selves as enlightened we just feel the joy at that moment. We dont claim to be saints.

    But some gurus claim they are enlightened, claim that they are God's servants ... when you make such a claim, you need the mind to back it up... not the usual 'good deed once in a while mind'.. a solid saint mind.

    Enlightenment is not part-time is a level-up lifestyle. Its a kind of thing that people will come looking for it even if you are quietly doing your work in a remotest part of the world. There isnt any claiming involved. Theres that Forest Man of India... I mean I think he seems to be getting close to the truth... he could not care less about all the media... he did it for the trees, for all of us.. for the people he did not even know. All that effort, for 40yrs , for no money, for the trees which cant speak even nor defend him... only for the spirit of oneness.He did not go anywhere but the world came to him.

    This is what I think...personal mind's judgement:biggrin:. Such lengthy post... this is what happens when someone gets me started on the topic :oops:
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2020
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