MY fellow partner Rikie fixed an appointment one day to meet one Mr. Baba who had an English wife. I was curious about who and what that man was doing for a living and how his wife was coping in a small and dusty place like jeetpur!
I was least prepared to see the unexpected. The place they lived was a temple complex. With a high wall adjoining the busy road on one side and a narrow ditch( an apology for a river)on the other .The temple looked very ordinary in my terms .the man himself was a baba .. a spiritual practioner (??)with long locked hair…I had to suppress my surprise and may be I was disappointed too…the baba sat on a mat and welcomed us with a big laugh .. his face showed easiness of life and his eyes were full of joy!I being an Indian I have seen hundreds of such babas'.. on my journeys all over . but had never got to see and talk to one …I knew that these babas' practiced Hinduism in a way that was totally different to what I am used to…I told myself that I would just be quiet and watch and keep all my curiosity to myself.I just put up a pose as being an accompanying partner with my friend …
The baba did some loud thinking about what he was up to and it set me thinking…”All over the world.. Hinduism is dying.. Muslims are becoming large in number… people are forgetting Sanatana Dharma.. I must do some thing to revive it all!!England is a dangerous place.. here there is peace…I want to give shelter to people who visit Pashupathinath…and keep the tradition of my Guru going…Maybe I shall start a charity fund back in England…make this place nicer and famous.I can offer chia, chillum and chappati to people… ganja is the way to happiness….next only to god!!”
It is interesting to see people who call themselves Hindus practice rituals that could be poles apart. The people who were a part of the huge sacrifice (I would call it mass slaughter)of animals at Gadimayi also called themselves Hindus. And I who don’t smoke ganja and have not sacrificed an animal is also been conditioned to be a Hindu. Some of these practices could result in a conflict .But I understand the problem lies not in the practice s but in bringing all these religious practices under one big fold called hinduism. I think a distinction has to be made about the vedic religion and the other religious practices out side this fold . In the recent past the dominant Vedic tradition has been singled out as the form of hinduism . But vedic practice itself has undergone many changes and it is difficult o see a single version of it. Right along the length and breadth of the country it is practiced in ways very different though the verses sung may be the same. Ie., it hasled to many interpretations of the text itself. It would have been more appropriate for recognition of the various forms as there are many branches in Christianity for eg.,.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment