Sampradaya -- outdated Call for change

[kshankar27]

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Discrimination of people based on marital status in temples.
I have heard of priests treating widows- as if they are inferior being, and recently observed one where
a widow was stooped from joining in a arti during a puja. This woman was crying.
what should be done?
Can any one see any change coming in this kind of practices?
regards
KS

 

[sarang]

Discrimination of people based on marital status in temples.
I have heard of priests treating widows- as if they are inferior being, and recently observed one where
a widow was stooped from joining in a arti during a puja. This woman was crying.
what should be done?
Can any one see any change coming in this kind of practices?
regards
KS

Wild shot! Where and when did it happen? Elderly people are normally given preference by those waiting for darshan. Who stopped her - the priest, the worshipers or the temple authorities. Do lodge a written complaint with supporting evidence (some more signatures) to the temple administrative officer. You can also write to magazines like junior vikatan, who may verify and inform concerned authorities.

 

[prasad1]

Discrimination of people based on marital status in temples.
I have heard of priests treating widows- as if they are inferior being, and recently observed one where
a widow was stooped from joining in a arti during a puja. This woman was crying.
what should be done?
Can any one see any change coming in this kind of practices?
regards
KS

I saw this happen in a Math, and I walked out in disgust. You are absolutely right. This abhorrent practice must be stopped and changed. The priest and mathadipati must be educated about this ill treatment of women and forced to change their ways.

Sarang sir, i beg to differ this happened in 1999 in my presence. It was a respectable math, the acharya was going to give thirtham, this lady had put her hand out, someone whispered in the acharya's ear, and he ignored that hand. That women was devastated and humiliated. I was in the queue to receive, but I put my hand down and walked away.

 

[Nara]

Discrimination of people based on marital status in temples.
I have heard of priests treating widows- as if they are inferior being, and recently observed one where
a widow was stooped from joining in a arti during a puja. This woman was crying.
what should be done?

This is part of glorious Sanatana Darma, it used to be lot worse, have you seen the movie Water? Not too long ago the revered Acharyas of Brahminical mathams wouldn't allow widows anywhere near.

Thanks to reformers things are better now. It could be far better but for those who sing the praise of good ol tradition.

What should be done, well, boycott any institution that treats women differently from men.

Cheers!

 

[prasad1]

Ref Post#4
There are Sampradayam in every walk of life. Some are outdated and should be eliminated. Even in the rule books of States here in USA, there are outdated rules, and they are rarely enforced. But suddenly one fine day the authorities throw the book at someone and charge that person with a crime. There must be millions of people living together, and no one questions it. But recently a couple were arrested for cohabitation.

The law books have not been cleaned out.
To those who want to blame the Brahminical society, this is in USA.
Work to change the wrong, please don't try to flog some imaginary system in your mind.
Wrong practices should be changed irrespective of the origin of the system.

Raja Ram Mohan, swami dayanada, Kabir Das, and various other thinkers have reformed some of the ancient practices. All practices are subject to change. Like child marriage, polygamy, sati, etc have been banned by constitution.

 

[Sekar Iyer]

It is ignorance that leads to all sorts of prejudices - against women in general or widows or people of different castes/religions/races/colours/creeds or of social status. In The Holy Bhagwad Geetha Our Gitacharya Krishna says:
a learned Brahmin, a cow. an elephant, a dog,
and a dog eater is seen as same by
a Pundit (Punditah samadarshinah) (Ch.5:18)

Because the same Brahman (ParamAtman) resides in all beings, the enlightened see them all as equal i.e. they will not be affected by the presence of a widow nor by a "Brahmin girl" marrying a boy from a different caste or religion.
Just now there is TV documentary braodcast on BBC2 "Mixed Britannia" about children from mixed races by George Alagiah that is discussing their achievements! The ignorance itself develops because of strong identification with the physical body - the nine gated city (NAVDWARAPURE) hence Ego grows & the person moves further & further away from the truth i.e. our real nature - Atman, pure consciuosness - Satchitanandam!

So was the priest in the Math enlightened or was he just one of the people Adi Sankara's disciple PadmapAda described in the 8th century but still very much valid today -
"ANgam Galitam Palitam MuNdam, Dasanavihinam JAtam TuNdam, Vrddho YAti GrhitvA Dandam, Tadapi Na MuncatyAsApiNdam. Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam"