Brahmin survey

[london swaminathan]

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Dear all

Following my article Are you a Brahmin? posted a week ago and the comments that came later, I am giving you a model survey.

Manu must be a Dheerga Darsi (a foreseer). In the very first chapter he wrote that his was not the final authority. Dharma (rules and regulations) is decided by Kala, Desa and Varthamana (the time in which you live, the place where you live and your personal circumstances). He also said that when in doubt, whatever the elders say will be the final word. Nowadays we go to the Shankaracharyas, Babas or saffron-clad Anandas and Gurujis.
So I want to know what you consider the essentials of Brahminism. If I had done this survey 200 years ago I would expect to see the answer ‘YES’ to all the questions. In this day and age you may not agree to every one of the following tenets. It doesn’t matter. At least your conscience will tell you what is right and what is wrong for a Brahmin.
It is intended to be an anonymous survey distributed in meetings and collected through boxes so that no one will know who ticked what. (It is NOT an online survey. Just for you to add anything you want, I circulate it to you).
Is this survey a useless venture? No. We must have the guts to call a spade a spade. Be bold and express yourself when the survey is done.
Questions:
1. Are you proud to call yourself a Brahmin? Yes/ No
2. Should a Brahmin learn Vedas & do aubhasanam every day? Yes/ No
3. Should a Brahmin remain a strict vegetarian? (no egg, no fish, no meat) Yes /No
4. Should a Brahmin abstain from alcohol? Yes/ No
5. Should a Brahmin avoid accumulating money beyond their needs means? Yes/ No
6. Should a Brahmin only have a relationship with only one person (husband/wife)? Yes/ No
7. Should a Brahmin do sandyavandhanam every day? Or at least Gayathri japa ? Yes/ No
8. Should a Brahmin avoid marrying a person from another caste? Yes/ No
9. Should a Brahmin avoid crossing the sea to go abroad? Yes/ No
10. Should a Brahmin do tarpanam/ thithi etc. ? Yes/ No
11. Should a Brahmin take only certain jobs and avoid some? Yes/ No
12. Should a Brahmin covet another’s property? Yes /No
13. Should a Brahmin avoid gambling (even the National Lottery)? Yes/ No
14. Should a Brahmin avoid smoking, snuff, tobacco etc.? Yes/ No
15. Should a Brahmin avoid drugs? Yes/ No
16. Should a Brahmin look after his parents as part of his duty? Yes/ No
17. Should a Brahmin wear panchakacham/dhoti and have a tuft (kudumi)? Yes/ No
18. What is the reason for you calling yourself a Brahmin?
Birth/ Punul (sacred thread)/ Vedic Studies/All the above

 

[sangom]

Shri swami,

you may kindly consider the following questions also for inclusion:—

• Should a true brahmin (that was the aim of the survey I think; if so all the questions will have to be amended on the same lines.) go to temple/s at least occasionally/regularly/daily?
• Should a true brahmin necessarily have allegiance to some swamiji/guruji/matham/baba etc.? Or, should a true brahmin hold his head high as a brahmin and not recognize any swamiji/guruji/matham/baba, etc.

 

[sarang]

Since anybody born in a brahmin family is a birth based brahmin, there is no need to impute other adjectives. The theists and agnostics of this group have been harping on true brahmin concept - those who do not follow manu 100% are not true. No need to add the above 2 questions.

 

[guruvayurappan]

dear london swamy !
here is my answer
1. Are you proud to call yourself a Brahmin? Yes
2. Should a Brahmin learn Vedas & do aubhasanam every day? Yesbut we are not able to perform and doing occasionally
3. Should a Brahmin remain a strict vegetarian? (no egg, no fish, no meat) Yes
4. Should a Brahmin abstain from alcohol? Yes
5. Should a Brahmin avoid accumulating money beyond their needs means? Yes.but in presentday setup not knowing our need
6. Should a Brahmin only have a relationship with only one person (husband/wife)? Yes
7. Should a Brahmin do sandyavandhanam every day? Or at least Gayathri japa ? Yes
8. Should a Brahmin avoid marrying a person from another caste? Yes. but due to some unforeseen circumstance , if he has to marry he shouls desert the girlbased on caste
9. Should a Brahmin avoid crossing the sea to go abroad? the question could not be answered since i want clarification in this regard.i have poste a post in this regard in TB(our forum)
10. Should a Brahmin do tarpanam/ thithi etc. ? Yes.
11. Should a Brahmin take only certain [COLOR=#DA7911 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=#DA7911 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]jobs[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] and avoid some? Yes
12. Should a Brahmin covet another’s property? Nobut we can acept it if offered as dhanam
13. Should a Brahmin avoid gambling (even the National [COLOR=#DA7911 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=#DA7911 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]Lottery[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR])? Yes
14. Should a Brahmin avoid smoking, snuff, tobacco etc.? Yes
15. Should a Brahmin avoid drugs? Yes (alchol,kanja etc.)
16. Should a Brahmin look after his parents as part of his duty? Yes
17. Should a Brahmin wear panchakacham/dhoti and have a tuft (kudumi)? Yes while performing our rituals&can have turf after retirement
18. What is the reason for you calling yourself a Brahmin? because of my birth and try to be a brahmin by following thebrahmin dharma to the extent possible
[COLOR=#DA7911 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=#DA7911 ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]Birth[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR]/ Punul (sacred thread)/ Vedic Studies/All the above

 

[london swaminathan]

You are very honest . My friend in Chennai does aubhasanam etc. even today
When I was working as sub editor he was my senior in Dinamani. At 12 in the noon six pm in the evening he simply went out and did Sandhyavandhanam. If I was in evening shift I skipped Sayam Sandhya. If anyone wants to do one can do it. My Muslim friends in London simply goes out and join the prayer in the chapel. At SOAS,University of London all Muslim boys and girls does mass prayer in class rooms with a big fanfare every friday. It is all in our hands. If someone says one has not got time or facilities what can I say? But to be honest I do Sandhya once a day but other prayers are there to make it up.

University students from Hare Krishna movement distribute food once a week in London. There is a long queue to get the food.Everyone irrespective of caste creed and religion join the queue for the food.

 

[Nara]

Dear all
[......]
Is this survey a useless venture? No. We must have the guts to call a spade a spade. Be bold and express yourself when the survey is done.

I wish to take it upon myself to heed this call to be bold. I am going to make a few changes to this questionnaire. My intent is to show that to be a good Brahmin is not all that different from being a good Shudra, or a good human being. People may get angry with me, KB will call me braba, let it be, but believe you me, such preoccupation with brahminhood is unhealthy and is an indicator of supremacist feelings that may be lurking deep inside even without your knowledge.


Questions -- are you a true Shudra?
1. Are you proud to call yourself a Shudra?
2. Should a Shudra learn Vedas & do aubhasanam every day?
3. Should a Shudra remain a strict vegetarian? (no egg, no fish, no meat)
4. Should a Shudra abstain from alcohol?
5. Should a Shudra avoid accumulating money beyond their needs means?
6. Should a Shudra only have a relationship with only one person (husband/wife)?
7. Should a Shudra do sandyavandhanam every day? Or at least Gayathri japa?
8. Should a Shudra avoid marrying a person from another caste?
9. Should a Shudra avoid crossing the sea to go abroad?
10. Should a Shudra do tarpanam/ thithi etc.?
11. Should a Shudra take only certain jobs and avoid some?
12. Should a Shudra covet another’s property?
13. Should a Shudra avoid gambling (even the National Lottery)?
14. Should a Shudra avoid smoking, snuff, tobacco etc.?
15. Should a Shudra avoid drugs?
16. Should a Shudra look after his parents as part of his duty?
17. Should a Shudra wear panchakacham/dhoti and have a tuft (kudumi)?
18. What is the reason for you calling yourself a Shudra?
Birth/ no Punul/ prevented from Vedic Studies/All the above

Just look at the questions that you will answer with a "Yes" and those with a "No" if you are a Shudra and then think about it a little bit.

Cheers!

 

[sangom]

You are very honest . My friend in Chennai does aubhasanam etc. even today
When I was working as sub editor he was my senior in Dinamani. At 12 in the noon six pm in the evening he simply went out and did Sandhyavandhanam. If I was in evening shift I skipped Sayam Sandhya. If anyone wants to do one can do it. My Muslim friends in London simply goes out and join the prayer in the chapel. At SOAS,University of London all Muslim boys and girls does mass prayer in class rooms with a big fanfare every friday. It is all in our hands. If someone says one has not got time or facilities what can I say? But to be honest I do Sandhya once a day but other prayers are there to make it up.

Muslims are united when it comes to Namaaz and many other religious aspects of Islam. They fought unitedly for their religious space and got it in most countries.

But when it comes to Brahmins we are left in the lurch because hinduism is, even in theory, a religion of inequalities. The Kshatriyas have all but disappeared (except for the Rajputs, perhaps) and will the brahmins give equal status to them in religious matters? Vaisyas and Sudras have been alienated for a long time and we cannot expect them now to come to our help for getting our rights of sandhyavandanam and oupaasanam, etc. Sudras of course never were given any role in hinduism except, as servants of the higher castes and have no great interest in our doing our duties. So then, how can hindus get any religious concessions which, at the end of the whole effort will be forfeited by the brahmins as their exclusive property?

That was why Swami Vivekananda said -

He only is the Brahmin who has no secular employment. Secular employment is not for the Brahmin but for the other castes. To the Brahmins I appeal, that they must work hard to raise the Indian people by teaching them what they know, by giving out the culture that they have accumulated for centuries. It is clearly the duty of the Brahmins of India to remember what real Brahminhood is. As Manu says, all these privileges and honours are given to the Brahmin, because "with him is the treasury of virtue".

But it is one thing to gain an advantage, and another thing to preserve it for evil use. Whenever power is used for evil, it becomes diabolical; it must be used for good only. So this accumulated culture of ages of which the Brahmin has been the trustee, he must now give to the people at large, and it was because he did not give it to the people that the Mohammedan invasion was possible.

University students from Hare Krishna movement distribute food once a week in London. There is a long queue to get the food.Everyone irrespective of caste creed and religion join the queue for the food.

For a brahmin who wants to be a brahmin, with sandhya, oupaasanam and all the rest of his aahnikam, such food is not to be eaten, I believe.

 

[kunjuppu]

dear sangom,

re your post #7.

in my somewhat crude way, i think i have been trying to come to terms with the basic inequalities prescribed by hinduism, and how much of a dismay it causes me, that even today, we have folks advocating it.

i think, kamala das the poet, opined that her conversion to islam was more the attraction of absolute equality of all faithful before God and the simplicity of the whole philosophy. what she found in practice and made her reconsider, and her early death prior to penning her post islamic doubts, is another.. story.

i was very surprised by the questionnaire myself. it appears to be more a retro look at brahmins, a couple of thousand years ago, and not to the current practice of tambrams. i would once again invoke what KRS used to say, that all of us are percentage brahmins, some 15 and some 20 or such... and it is meaningless to call each other hypocrites or abandoning our faith. over centuries, and particularly since te 20th century, if at all anything, we have rushed to cast aside not only the outward symbols of brahminism, but also the inherent 'rights' to the vedas and scriptures.

i think, this above, may be the primary reason of our community angst. having dumped or in the progressive dumping process of our baggage, we do not have anything else to replace it.

in another era, some mutt head with a vision, would have proscribed the sections of our scriptures which exclude, and prescribe more inclusive sections, to ensure, that the future of india, would have a hindu face. not that it may matter, but from a viewpoint of appreciation of the past, especially in the light of wholescale countries with common history, like pakistan, denying anything that happened in pre islamic india, and not sure how a newly evangelized christian community would view our past, i feel that an inclusive hinduism is the best bet to ensure that our past in nurtured, but also ensure that the evils of the past are cast aside.

to a large extent, the democratic process in india, however flawed, has turned the tables on the hitherto 'moral' prescribers. most of them have no following or an enmeshed in unsavoury politics.maybe the secular structure of our constitution, envisioned by a neo buddhist ex dalit dr. ambedkar, might ultimately be the source of our hindu culture and faith - for in enforcing the concept of equality through reservation, we have in 50 years achieved what has been impossible in all the milleniums past - the empowerment of the dalits and shudras. i dont think any brahmin, if his life dependent on it, today, would hesitate to seek the advice, and go under the knife wielded by a shudra or a dalit - for even the most ultimate ardent of purva janma, still values his or her life in this earth very much, and is reluctant to let go of it, to the last ounce. n'est pas?