The saints, sages and satgurus who commune with God and Gods through devotion and meditation are Hinduism's holy men and women. We revere them and strive to follow their example and words of wisdom. There are and have always been many holy men and women within the Sanatana Dharma. They are considered holy because of their loving surrender to God and the Gods, their dedication to our faith, their accomplishments and profound realizations. Their knowing is more important than their learning, their purity more essential than their position. It is very difficult to be so disciplined and devoted, and so we honor and love those who have attained God's grace, and worship the divine within them, not their personality or humanness. Because of Hinduism's great diversity and decentralized organization, holy ones are not universally canonized, for there is no single ecclesiastical hierarchy to do this. Still, saints, sages and satgurus are sanctified by followers within their own sampradaya. Each within his or her own sphere of devotees is the authority on religious matters, listened to and obeyed as such. The Vedas declare, "Not understanding, and yet desirous to do so, I ask the wise who know, myself not knowing: 'Who may He be, the One in the form of the Unborn, who props in their place the six universal regions?'"
One of the most famous of Hindu writings, the Bhagavad Gita, is often taken as Divine sanction for violence. It basically says that for the kshatriya, or soldier, war is dharma. Lord Krishna orders Arjuna to fight and do his kshatriya dharma in spite of his doubts and fears that what he is about to do is wrong, despite his dread of killing his own kinsmen. Arjuna says, "If they whose minds are depraved by the lust of power see no sin in the extirpation of their race, no crime in the murder of their friends, is that a reason why we should not resolve to turn away from such a crime--we who abhor the sin of extirpating our own kindred? On the destruction of a tribe the ancient virtue of the tribe and family is lost; with the loss of virtue, vice and impiety overwhelm the whole of a race. ...Woe is me! What a great crime are we prepared to commit! Alas that from the desire for sovereignty and pleasure we stand here ready to slay our own kin! I would rather patiently suffer that the sons of Dhritarashtra, with their weapons in their hands, should come upon me and, unopposed, kill me unresisting in the field." Krishna gradually convinces Arjuna to fight, beginning with the following argument. "Death is certain to all things which are born, and rebirth to all mortals; wherefore it doth not behoove thee to grieve about the inevitable. ...This spirit can never be destroyed in the mortal frame which it inhabiteth, hence it is unworthy for thee to be troubled for all these mortals. ...Thine enemies will speak of thee in words which are unworthy to be spoken, deprecating thy courage and abilities; what can be more dreadful than this! If thou art slain, thou shalt attain heaven; if victorious, the world shall be thy reward; wherefore, son of Kunti, arise with determination fixed for the battle. Make pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat, the same to thee, and then prepare for battle, for thus and thus alone shalt thou in action still be free from sin" . Hindus for a long time have taken this text as justification for war and conflicts of all kinds, including street riots and anarchy. It is indeed unfortunate that this particular composition has been championed to represent Hinduism rather than the four Vedas. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Bhagavad Gita was not yet a popular book in America and Europe, but the Upanishads and Vedas were. When the Gita was being slowly introduced in America and became an embarrassment in metaphysical circles throughout the country, as something to explain away. "How could a religion based on ahimsa and such high ideals promote as a major scripture a story based on ruthless internecine war and violence?" Arjuna could be considered history's first conscientious objector. Mystical seers, both Hindus and Western teachers, at that time, in an attempt to justify the Gita as scripture, explained that Krishna represented Arjuna's higher self, and Arjuna himself was his lower self, or the external ego. Krishna encouraged Arjuna to kill out attachments to family, friends and foes, to become a yogi and realize Parabrahman. Teachers attempted to satisfy the minds of their followers that, in fact, the Bhagavad Gita was an allegory of man's struggle within himself toward the highest realizations. Unconvincingly, contemporary swamis and astute commentators tried to justify God Krishna's urging his devotee to kill his friends, his relatives and his guru, that all would be well in the end because the soul never dies. The Bhagavad Gita was also known at that time as a historical poem, not a divinely revealed scripture at all. It is smriti, specifically Itihasa, meaning a man-made history, a poem excerpted from the Mahabharata epic. But all that aside, no matter how it is interpreted, whether it is revered by millions of Hindus or not, let us not be mistaken that the Bhagavad Gita gives permission for violence. The Mahabharata itself says, "Ahimsa is the highest dharma. It is the highest purification. It is also the highest truth from which all dharma proceeds" . An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is definitely not a part of true Hindu doctrine.
Who is the spiritual leader of the house? The man or the woman? Dancing with Siva states: "The husband is, first, an equal participant in the procreation and upbringing of the future generation. Second, he is the generator of economic resources necessary for society and the immediate family. The husband must be caring, understanding, masculine, loving, affectionate, and an unselfish provider, to the best of his ability and through honest means. He is well equipped physically and mentally for the stress and demands placed upon him. When he performs his dharma well, the family is materially and emotionally secure. Still, he is not restricted from participation in household chores, remembering that the home is the wife's domain and she is its mistress." If this happens, everything works out naturally in the home in a very harmonious way. If this does not occur, then the pranic forces do not flow as well for the family. Why? Because the stabilizing influence of the pranas, under control and well balanced, has not come to pass. As a result, there can be no effective invoking of God, Gods and guru. Arguments, rude and harsh words fly back and forth, children are maltreated, and backbiting of the husband, relatives, friends and neighbors is not uncommon. Adultery with prostitutes or casual pickups tempt, distract and burden the husband with guilt, especially during his wife's monthly retreat and during pregnancy. The life of a family going through such karmas is chaos. The children, who modern psychiatrists and ancient seers say are guided by the example of their parents, are thrown overboard, as from a ship they safely boarded with full confidence. Reality points out that there are no, never have been, nor ever will be, delinquent children. Delinquent parents are the culprits--"the parents are what is wrong with society; children are only guilty of being guided by their example." The wise men of ancient times understood how the pranic life forces flow within man and woman. They knew that the family man's being in the sushumna current stabilizes the forces of the home. If he is meditating and going within himself, his wife will not have to meditate as much. She and the children will go within to their Divinity automatically on the power of his meditation. If he radiates peace, Divinity and confidence, they will too, without trying, without even being conscious of it. One thing to remember: the family man is the guru of his household. If he wants to find out how to be a good guru, he just has to observe his own satguru, that is all he has to do. He will learn through observation. Often this is best accomplished by living in the guru's ashram periodically to perform sadhana and service. Being head of his home does not mean he is a dominant authority figure, arrogantly commanding unconditional obedience, such as Bollywood and Hollywood portrays. No. He must assume full responsibility for his family and guide subtly and wisely, with love always flowing. This means that he must accept the responsibility for the conditions in the home and for the spiritual training and unfoldment of his wife and children. This is his purusha dharma. To not recognize and follow it is to create much kukarma, bad actions bringing back hurtful results to him in this or another life.
One of the most famous of Hindu writings, the Bhagavad Gita, is often taken as Divine sanction for violence. It basically says that for the kshatriya, or soldier, war is dharma. Lord Krishna orders Arjuna to fight and do his kshatriya dharma in spite of his doubts and fears that what he is about to do is wrong, despite his dread of killing his own kinsmen. Arjuna says, "If they whose minds are depraved by the lust of power see no sin in the extirpation of their race, no crime in the murder of their friends, is that a reason why we should not resolve to turn away from such a crime--we who abhor the sin of extirpating our own kindred? On the destruction of a tribe the ancient virtue of the tribe and family is lost; with the loss of virtue, vice and impiety overwhelm the whole of a race. ...Woe is me! What a great crime are we prepared to commit! Alas that from the desire for sovereignty and pleasure we stand here ready to slay our own kin! I would rather patiently suffer that the sons of Dhritarashtra, with their weapons in their hands, should come upon me and, unopposed, kill me unresisting in the field." Krishna gradually convinces Arjuna to fight, beginning with the following argument. "Death is certain to all things which are born, and rebirth to all mortals; wherefore it doth not behoove thee to grieve about the inevitable. ...This spirit can never be destroyed in the mortal frame which it inhabiteth, hence it is unworthy for thee to be troubled for all these mortals. ...Thine enemies will speak of thee in words which are unworthy to be spoken, deprecating thy courage and abilities; what can be more dreadful than this! If thou art slain, thou shalt attain heaven; if victorious, the world shall be thy reward; wherefore, son of Kunti, arise with determination fixed for the battle. Make pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat, the same to thee, and then prepare for battle, for thus and thus alone shalt thou in action still be free from sin" . Hindus for a long time have taken this text as justification for war and conflicts of all kinds, including street riots and anarchy. It is indeed unfortunate that this particular composition has been championed to represent Hinduism rather than the four Vedas. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Bhagavad Gita was not yet a popular book in America and Europe, but the Upanishads and Vedas were. When the Gita was being slowly introduced in America and became an embarrassment in metaphysical circles throughout the country, as something to explain away. "How could a religion based on ahimsa and such high ideals promote as a major scripture a story based on ruthless internecine war and violence?" Arjuna could be considered history's first conscientious objector. Mystical seers, both Hindus and Western teachers, at that time, in an attempt to justify the Gita as scripture, explained that Krishna represented Arjuna's higher self, and Arjuna himself was his lower self, or the external ego. Krishna encouraged Arjuna to kill out attachments to family, friends and foes, to become a yogi and realize Parabrahman. Teachers attempted to satisfy the minds of their followers that, in fact, the Bhagavad Gita was an allegory of man's struggle within himself toward the highest realizations. Unconvincingly, contemporary swamis and astute commentators tried to justify God Krishna's urging his devotee to kill his friends, his relatives and his guru, that all would be well in the end because the soul never dies. The Bhagavad Gita was also known at that time as a historical poem, not a divinely revealed scripture at all. It is smriti, specifically Itihasa, meaning a man-made history, a poem excerpted from the Mahabharata epic. But all that aside, no matter how it is interpreted, whether it is revered by millions of Hindus or not, let us not be mistaken that the Bhagavad Gita gives permission for violence. The Mahabharata itself says, "Ahimsa is the highest dharma. It is the highest purification. It is also the highest truth from which all dharma proceeds" . An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is definitely not a part of true Hindu doctrine.
Who is the spiritual leader of the house? The man or the woman? Dancing with Siva states: "The husband is, first, an equal participant in the procreation and upbringing of the future generation. Second, he is the generator of economic resources necessary for society and the immediate family. The husband must be caring, understanding, masculine, loving, affectionate, and an unselfish provider, to the best of his ability and through honest means. He is well equipped physically and mentally for the stress and demands placed upon him. When he performs his dharma well, the family is materially and emotionally secure. Still, he is not restricted from participation in household chores, remembering that the home is the wife's domain and she is its mistress." If this happens, everything works out naturally in the home in a very harmonious way. If this does not occur, then the pranic forces do not flow as well for the family. Why? Because the stabilizing influence of the pranas, under control and well balanced, has not come to pass. As a result, there can be no effective invoking of God, Gods and guru. Arguments, rude and harsh words fly back and forth, children are maltreated, and backbiting of the husband, relatives, friends and neighbors is not uncommon. Adultery with prostitutes or casual pickups tempt, distract and burden the husband with guilt, especially during his wife's monthly retreat and during pregnancy. The life of a family going through such karmas is chaos. The children, who modern psychiatrists and ancient seers say are guided by the example of their parents, are thrown overboard, as from a ship they safely boarded with full confidence. Reality points out that there are no, never have been, nor ever will be, delinquent children. Delinquent parents are the culprits--"the parents are what is wrong with society; children are only guilty of being guided by their example." The wise men of ancient times understood how the pranic life forces flow within man and woman. They knew that the family man's being in the sushumna current stabilizes the forces of the home. If he is meditating and going within himself, his wife will not have to meditate as much. She and the children will go within to their Divinity automatically on the power of his meditation. If he radiates peace, Divinity and confidence, they will too, without trying, without even being conscious of it. One thing to remember: the family man is the guru of his household. If he wants to find out how to be a good guru, he just has to observe his own satguru, that is all he has to do. He will learn through observation. Often this is best accomplished by living in the guru's ashram periodically to perform sadhana and service. Being head of his home does not mean he is a dominant authority figure, arrogantly commanding unconditional obedience, such as Bollywood and Hollywood portrays. No. He must assume full responsibility for his family and guide subtly and wisely, with love always flowing. This means that he must accept the responsibility for the conditions in the home and for the spiritual training and unfoldment of his wife and children. This is his purusha dharma. To not recognize and follow it is to create much kukarma, bad actions bringing back hurtful results to him in this or another life.
