Dear Thiru Bharat,
Vanakkam. I am Poovelingam Ramasamy Solomon from Kovilpatti Tamil Nadu. I became a devotee of Christ at the age of eighteen in 1960. Since then I devoted myslf to share the knowledge and experience of Christ with the Hindus. It has been my struggle all these years to explain to the Christian leaders about the need for the change in ministry among the Hindus. I received few positive response from leaders of the church in which I have been a member. I have gone through theological traing in India and USA. I served as adjunct at the Andrews Theological Seminary of the Seventh-day Adventists. Recently I wrote an article for a book published from the seminary. After completing the aricle I came to know your book Living Water and Indian Bowl. I wish I should have known you and your book earlier. I have expressed similar views in the article and some of my views appeard too critical of the Western missionary enterprse in India and I had to omit them before publishing it. After reading your book I am much encouraged by knowing that I am not lonely and there are several others like me. I wanted to keep in touch with you and get to know you. I wrote to Dr. Hoefer and he was so kind enough to get it for me. I want to meet you and read more of your writings. I plan to use your book in the ministry in India. At present, I am in the process of developing a training program on rethinking Hindu ministry in India. I need your prayers and blessings.
I live in California. My gragastha period is coming to end. My wife is teaching at the University of Redlands. I have two sons and both are not married but one working in computor field and another doing his residency in medical field. I go to India every year for three months to conduct seminars and reside in Thanjavur where I am developing an ashram. Hope to meet you in India or in USA. Vanakkam again
Solomon
Dear Mr. Solomon,
Shanti and greetings in our Bhagavan Mukteswar (Jesus) Name!
Thanks for your mail. I think you are the one about Dr. Sangeethamony talked with me few weeks before. Thanks for your encouraging words. It is encouraging to see more and more people who are serving the church openly accept my view. It is my prayer that more prophets like you should teach the church to know their role in the world to reach out others for the Lord. In whatever capacity I can serve, I am willing to do it. In the following website you can find some of my articles and book reviews. However the magazine TAMAT is now stopped: www.paonline.com/jkearns/index.htm.
God bless you. Rest after hearing from you.
Dayanand
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Preeti is a dent list, her elder sister is a doctor (at Mumbai), and younger sister is an architect (at Mumbai). All the sisters became heavy duty ‘Christians’ and their parents, from Mangalore area are very upset. Preeti’s mother went to the extent of saying that she would prefer even to kill few Christians (evangelicals) and will happily go to jail for the way they are try to convert Hindus and creating lots of problem in homes. His father said, ‘I hate even to see my daughters. I spent my life for them and in return, what I get. They even are not yet married and when I see others of my age with their grandchildren, I became made. That is why I even left Mumbai, came, and settled here (at Bangalore).
‘Jesus, Jesus and nothing but Jesus for everything’, said Preeti’s mother. ‘They say Jesus is the only god and no other gods they accept. I have no objection or problem for them (daughters) to worship Jesus, but why they go to the church and become “convert” and only obey their pastors.’
In the two hours, which I spent with them to day (December 29, 2005), they repeated all the things, which happen in every ‘converts’ home. When Preeti’s mother wants to know why I too worship Jesus etc. then I shared my testimony, but also made it clear that neither I became a ‘Christian’ of their understanding nor join the Christian community. When Preeti’s father openly asked me, ‘if you were in my place, what you would have done? I want your direct answer’. Agreeing with him, I said, like him, I too would sit and weep. He agreed that being grown up children they have every right to do what they like, but by becoming Christian what they (he and his wife) gained. He became a frustrated man and even said that contemplated several time even to kill his own daughters.
I openly rebuked Preeti and even told her that how deeply they are hurt and even hate their own daughters. I shared several things, which I always share with such ‘converts’. However, she seems to be bit quiet and unlike her other two sisters, whom according to her mother, ‘will talk too much and equally argue’. Preeti silently listened what all I said. When I suggested her to meet Kumar or Chakaravarthy, she didn’t respond. When I asked her whether she would be interested to come and participate in our monthly satsangh or even to come and meet others if I arrange a special meeting for her with Kumar or Chakaravarthy, she kept quite. She feels that I am stealing sheep. However, I told her very clearly that I don’t ask her to leave her church, but try to meet other people who would help her to think in other ways.
Before I left, I managed to talk few words in person with Preeti. She said that what all her parents said is not true. They literally persecuted all three sisters and even threw them out of the house. They even spent whole night sitting on the staircase outside the house. For this, I said, ‘yes. Parents like you always exaggerate. But we too have to accept that your Christian activities and not faith in Christ deeply hurt them.’ When she asked how to share the gospel to them, I said, ‘what is gospel means? If it is “good news”, then what kind of good news they hear from them? In such situation, how they expect they should accept their version of the gospel.
When Preeti not showed any interest either to meet Kumar or Chakaravarthy, I told her parents that I will come and do puja (worship) at their house. They immediately jumped and welcomed it. I also told that my puja is to worship bhagavan muktinath (as I explained why we call Jesus as muktinath). To her another question about my view on idol worship, I gave positive response of not condemning, at the same time how I don’t do it any more. So now, I pushed the worship at their home, as Preeti is not ready to come to sat-sangh. I planned to conduct the puja at her house on January 22nd after consulting Kumar and Chakaravarthy.
I gave (sold) a copy of ‘Living Water….’ to Preeti and ‘Understanding Hinduism’ to her father to read. Preeti is not all together negative about my approach, but as she kept quite most of the time, I found it difficult to read her mind. She attends the same church to which Deepka also goes. He alone requested me to meet Preeti’s mother, as I often meet his parents. Probably, like Deepak, she too might thought that while they became Christians, I will continue to share the gospel with their parents and help them to ‘convert’ them too.
I don’t know. I might be merely speculating things. However, on January 21st or 22nd I will arrange one sat-sangh at Preeti’s house. Her parents also want their daughter’s get married. To one proposal, which her father arranged for his first daughter, was rejected, as he was not a ‘believer’. I also told Preeti how they read too much or only marriage on the famous verse from II Cor. 6:14 (NIV) and how several marriages ended in failure even among the believers. I too will try to find some proposal for them.
However, Preeti said that though she doesn’t like to move and practice here at Bangalore, where there is not much hope for her future work, yet in order to be with her parents she moved from Mumbai to Bangalore. I also told her that no ‘convert’ could reject or hate the god given natural family and community in the name of following the Lord. Her father constructed a beautiful house for her and bought a car for her. His name is Anand K. Kanchan. Before I left I told Preeti’s parents to pray every night to Jesus to change the heart and mind of their daughter and also to arrange for their marriage. I even challenged that if they sincerely pray to the Lord, definitely he will listen their prayers. And they said that they will do.
I told about Pravin to Preeti and said that I will write him to contact her. When I asked her to think about him, she said, how about proposing for her sister in Mumbai.
Dayanand
Dear Pravin,
To day I met Dr. Preeti, who is a dentist, along with her two of her sisters also became ‘Christian’ converts. The first one is 32 years old and a MBBS doctor. She wants to marry only a believer and she is living at Mumbai. I told a bit about you to Preeti. So you too can keep in touch and see whether any hope about marriage. God bless you.
dayanand
Dear Pravin,
Shanti!
The following one I am sending you personally and don’t share this with any one. If you feel that if you can contact Preeti about any hope for your marriage, you have to decide on your own. Preeti is living at Bangalore with her parents. When I proposed your for Preeti, she said, how about for my sister who is a doctor?
Dear Preeti,
Shanti and greetings in our Lord’s Name!
Thanks for inviting me to your home. I hope you understand what I said. Your parents needs to be healed psychologically first. At least one of their daughter’s marriage will calm their mind at first. One of my friends at Erode told that a Hindu converts’ was seeking for a doctor girl for their son also. He will give information soon. I too pray for you.
dayanand
This evening I called Preeti to know about her mind about conducting sat-sangh at her house on January 21st. I told her,’ I don’t want to push anything on you which will further create any problem between you and your parents. For me family is much more important and no third person has no right to interfere in any matter which could disturb the unity of a home. People like me will come and do or say something and will disappear, but you have to live 24 hours a day, so you have to decide about it.’
For this Preeti said, ‘I am neither for nor against what you would like to do at my house. I know that you too are going to worship Jesus only using Indian forms and symbols and I am not against it. However my parents, after long struggle now accepted me as I am and have no problem for me to go church. But during your last visit you told that you are not going to any church but only worship Jesus. From that day again they create problem and are not happy with me going to the church. I have nothing against you. You have your conviction about not going to the church, but I have my conviction.’
In response I said, ‘That’s why I told that you have to decide whether I should come with my shishyas again to your house. Because some of them, though coming from traditional Christian families stopped going to any church. We never try to steal any ship as we are not any separate denomination or Christians. But my concern is for your parents first. You have to think whether your concern is for your parents or about you going to the church. I know that you are going to the church for fellowship and hear the word of god and also to pray. But in India, when a person goes to a mosque, no one is thinks that he is going there to worship Allah, but as he is a Muslim, he goes there. The same is with the church. Your parents after a long struggle now allow you to go to the church. Because they know that you are a young woman and have your own rights to do certain things. Above all as you become a Christians and as they cannot to any thing about it, they tolerate. But when they saw a different alternative to worship the same Jesus in me, then they began to object to you. For us your priority should be healing of your parents and proper reconciliation. But if you think that your priority is going to the church, then you have to decide about it. Because we may or may not come continuously, but you have to live with them all the time. If you wish we can give an alternative for you to worship with your parents at home. But you have to think about it. Don’t give me immediate answer. Think and pray for two days and then call me on Wednesday. However each day I am praying for the healing of your parents.
db
Swamiji,
I think Preeti likes the new shift in her life and seems to be enjoying it. Looks like her “social” needs are met by attending that church. It’s very difficult for her to think about her parent’s welfare now. Probably after she gets married, to a christian of course, and after the first 2 years of marriage, when disagreements start with her husband and in-laws, then she may begin to weigh things and start regretting about her decision of not respecting and obeying elders ( i.e, parents and you). But I really pity her parents who will have to patiently go through all this hoping to make her realise that she is shattering their hearts.
Anugrah
Thanks Anugrah. What you say is very enlightening and very true. Your assessment of her situation is cent percent true. Let us continue to pray for her. If she is not calling on Wednesday, then we can have our monthly meeting at Sankar’s place on 21st afternoon around 3.00 pm.
db
This evening Preeti again called me and told that her mother was asking her yesterday what about that swamiji who said that he will come on 22nd. So she called and said that I can come on Sauterday. Then she continued, ‘I would like to go to church on Sundays, but you can come to conduct sat-sangh at my home’. For this I said, ‘this won’t work in the long run. Because several “converts” requested me to come and share the gospel to their parents, while they want to continue to go to the church. But when I go and meet their parents rarely I got opportunity to share the gospel. Because they will share only their pain and sorrow about their children becoming Christians and I will continue to consol and pray more for their healing than getting any opportunity to share the gospel’. Then Preeti said, ‘I never changed my religion or I am neither a Hindu nor a Christian. I have faith in Christ and want to go to church to worship the Lord. But why you talk all the time against the church’?
‘No. I am not against the church. But as an educated person, I don’t need to give a lecture to you about what is church here in India. For your parents, (Hindu) friends and others church belongs to Christian community and not for everyone to come and worship Jesus. If a Christian go to the temple, the Hindus are going to think that she is a Hindu. The same is their understanding about you going to the church. You have every right to go to the church. But you cannot change the view of your parents. For example, one of my shishyas (Prasad) is a bhaktas of the Lord. And when I go to his home, his parents never talk anything about the church or Christianity or sit and weep. Whenever I go I only talk about spiritual matter (and other matters also) and they will all the time request me to pray for so many concerns. Even his mother one time told me, “why cannot you tell your shishya to conduct similar prayers when you are not coming here”? This can they say because he never go to any church or become a Christian in their eyes. This gives me a lot of opportunity to share the gospel. But when a person like you insist that you will continue to go to church, whereas I have to come and share the gospel, it won’t work for long time. Only I will wasting my time as I will never get any opportunity to share the gospel. Anyhow I don’t want to push on you my ideas. As Anugarh wrote (I shared a bit what Anugrah said in response to my previous mail), you will learn in future. And now you won’t understand or accept as you anchor yourself on the church. As I give word to your parents that I will come and conduct a puja (worship) I will come on 21st. This I do not for your sake, but for your parents sake.’
So we will go on 21st and Preeti will consult her mother and will let us know about the time.
db
On January 26th, before our sat-sangh started, Anand, Preeti’s father again had a long talk with me. When again and again he began to accuse his daughters, I have to rebuke him a bit by saying, ‘when your daughters are walking in spiritual path, you regret. Thing about the present day young generation. When they go in wrong ways, they we justify it by saying every other youth does the same. But they your daughters have choose their own sadhana to walk in spiritual life, then you blame them all the time. This doesn’t mean that I am agreeing with them in all matters. But you should also learn to appreciate their change of life’. His one concern again and again that they should get married and settle down, as his eldest daughter is now 32. ‘See her age’? All my relatives are now blaming me that I gave too much freedom for them, instead of controlling them. All my relatives are well established and settled, where as my children are like this? This he repeated with Kumar and Chakaravarthy. Sharala has some personal talk with Preeti, but I don’t know what they were talking. However we have planned our next meeting on Feb. 26th at Kumar’s house for which we invited Preeti and her parents.
db
Dear Anugrah, Sharala-Gladwin, Cheryl-Kumar,
Thanks for your encouragement about my visit to Preet’s house. But I returned with heavy burden for her parents and find no hope in future. As usual both her parents began to attack Christians and Preeti was sitting quite. But when his father began to express his mental agony, I couldn’t control my tears. Already Preeti warned previous night ((3rd evening) that her father is out of mood and might react negatively to me. First thing that he asked me was, ‘is there any change in my children? Is there any hope?’ and continued, ‘hiding from all my relatives, shutting myself in my room and also in my mind I lost everything’. I tried my self to console him, but all remain vain. He even said, ‘all of you do only for your personal satisfaction. You go and visit your shishyas for your personal satisfaction. Last week Sri Sri conduct a mega event for his satisfaction, my daughter are doing things for their satisfaction. Is it not guruji?’ he asked. ‘chickens have grown and left the nest’ that is what I feel he said. He also told, ‘when another convert came to see Preeti and even told me that he will adapted them as his daughters, I was furious and thought of tell him to get out from my house. Who is he to adopt my daughters? The same way when their pastor came to visit from Mumbai, I was thought of throwing him out of my house, but just to respect my daughter I kept quite’.
After her quota of blaming the Christians and also Preeti, who according to her, was the culprit who spoiled rest of her daughters. ‘She is the one spoiled them. But this man also contributed. Money, money, nothing but money alone matters for him. He never respected or recognized my suffering in bringing up the children in his absence. It is his lust for money forced the children to move away and find their need outside’. While sharing she too broke down. Then Preeti’s parents began to fight with each other by words and Anand, after frustration walked away from the house, whom I never meet when I left. She said this when Anand told that again some boys family from Canada came for marrying Preeti, but as usual she refused. ‘Where all the money they earn goes? I will never give any thing to them freely. I told her that she should give 20 Lakh to the house in Mumbai, though it is worthy of 50, lakh. As my daughter I give her for that price. She need not give the money to me but to my wife.’ Preeti’s mother also told, ‘every month my daughter in Mumbai is earning more than 50,000/- But where the money goes? Her church people loot them’.
I told Preeti that she is completely brainwashed my her church members. ‘What is the use of our faith and devotion to the Lord, when we agonizing our own parents?’ I said. But she remained quite. When her mother told about another woman of her village, whose son after becoming Christian left her to live in a small hut, but moved to live in a big house with his Christian wife, without helping or supporting her. Immediately Preety said, ‘we are not doing like this’. But her mother reacted by saying, ‘I am not telling the story. I know that woman. This is what the Christians are doing to the parents of the converts. I would happily kill such Christians at least to tell the world about what they are doing and happily go to jail.’ For this I told her, ‘you don’t know the Christians. They will tell that the person whom you killed become a martyr’. But she didn’t understand what I said.
As usual I told Preeti many things, but all fall in deaf ear. When I specifically asked why she never responded to Pravin’s mail and asked if she is not interested, she said ‘yes.’ ‘I don’t want to push any person on you, but you sisters should marry and that might bring some change in the home’, I said. For this she said, ‘marriage is not going to bring any change in our home and things will remain the same forever. Soon we will get married’. For my question, ‘doe your church is arranging your marriage’, she said ‘yes’.
‘The only hope’ I continued, ‘is that some one who could be the sons for your parents alone can bring some change. A understanding Christians, who can sympathize with your parents about their struggle alone can bring some hope in your life. I will pray to god to provide such husband’. But our prayer has meaning for them. Preeti’s mother told, I am praying every day to god to give some sense and mind to the Christians to change their way from what they are doing. They have right even to utter the word ‘God’. They don’t know anything about god or religion. They have no respect for other’s faith, religion or feelings, she burst out. One has to see her facial expression when she talks about Christians. It is not mere angry but deep pain and hurt, as if a mother Tiger lost her cubs to some hunters. She feels helpless, at the same time wants to take revenge on Christians. She often said, ‘I have no problem for them to read the bible or to worship Jesus, but they were completely brainwashed by their Pastors and Church’.
So I left with some tears and heavy heart. I feel that there is no point of going to talk to Preeti’s parents any more. Though I provide an opportunity to pour down their heart, it is not going to bring any change in Preeti or her sister’s life. However before I left, I told Preeti that she should meet people like Sharala and Cheryl who can help her a bit. But she is not showing any interest.
So I leave it to the good will of you to decide what to do with her? Of course we will invite her (probably Kumar can do this) along with her parents for 25th puja at Khatari’’s (Deepak’s parents) house. But I lost all my hope with Preeti.
dayanand
Dear Friends,
I am sorry to be so slow in commenting on Swamiji’s email below and perhaps there have been further developments since he wrote the email below.
From the start I suggested to Swamiji that nothing good would come from this interaction. It is very clear that the problem lies with the convert, and it is very clear that such converts very rarely pay any attention to Swamiji. So I would like to suggest that in future in any situation at all resembling this one the contact should NOT be made with parents but rather with the convert. And that contact should be by good reliable Christian people; it is unlikely the convert will listen to them either, but more hope than with Swamiji. A female could talk with Sharla or Cheryl (white skin makes it even more hopeful they will listen); males could speak with Kumar or Chakravarty or Anugraha or Mike.
Swamiji should not be going into these situations; it is a waste of his time and too much of a drain on his emotional energy. If we learn that from this situation and take proper action in the future, all is not lost from this sad case below.
But this is a suggestion and perhaps others have wisdom to overrule this proposal.
In grace,
Rajesh
Rick,
I disagree with your assessment. I was there at Preeti’s house when Swamiji had a GruhaShanthi puja. I do believe the Holy Spirit enabled him to do a wonderful job of emphasizing the peace that only God can provide that needs to premeate that household. He talked about the elements that we use in puja that are perhaps cultural or part of India, some of it is steeped in legalism and rules and regulations. What matters at the end of the day is do we listen to the world and bounce from pillar to post or do we let the peace of God rule our hearts and minds. This puja was attended by Preeti’s aunt and her daughter as well. They seemed to be very touched by the event and even showed openness to attending future puja’s. I am sure that these interchanges would have had a positive impact on Preeti.
I admire Swamiji for pouring out his energies into trying to bring some reconciliation and unity into this family situation.
In my limited (perhaps flawed) assessment, Anand (Preeti’s father) seems rather selfish to me. No matter what you talk about, he eventually comes back to how hard he has worked for over 20 years in the Gulf to provide for his kids and the amount of money he has amassed, but now what good is all of that. I do agree that I am equally perplexed at why these girls are opposed to marrying, especially when their parents have given them the liberty to marry ‘christians’ as well. It is perhaps a clash of cultures, traditions and outward appearances. The girls are grown women by now and perfectly capable of making their own decisions. The parents want their social obligations met, want to see grand children, want to see their daugthers married off and settled in life – all of these are legitimate desires that most any parent will have. But in some ways, they seem to be beating themselves up for how their children turned out. At some point some practicality needs to set in and one must say to oneself – I can sleep at night because I have worked hard and made sure that I provided for my children and their future. Whether they decide to take advantage and benefit from it or refuse it is ultimately their wish.
I find that in India there are plenty of relatives and extended family that are quick and eager to talk behind peoples backs and spread negative energy. So much energy is spent in keeping up appearances in front of society when inside people are falling apart. If these relatives and extended family actually spent their energy in positive, constructive intervention in the situation, that would be so much more beneficial. I have plenty of references from my own family dramas to come to this conclusion.
I dont mean to say that people outside India are saints in this regard. My experience with US and Europe has been that people are more content to mind their own business and keep busy.
Shanthi,
Kumar
I find that in India there are plenty of relatives and extended family that are quick and eager to talk behind peoples backs and spread negative energy. So much energy is spent in keeping up appearances in front of society when inside people are falling apart. If these relatives and extended family actually spent their energy in positive, constructive intervention in the situation, that would be so much more beneficial. I have plenty of references from my own family dramas to come to this conclusion.
–Kumar has given a right assessment about Indian society in these precise words and no Indian can disagree with him. And though I don’t know much about western society, I agree with him that there, ‘people are more content to mind their own business and keep busy’.
Having said this, I also look all this in different perspective. Now as a bhakta of the Lord, which worldview I should follow? Particularly the western one of ‘individualism’ and minding their own business is out of question for a bhakta of the Lord. Of course this is what most of the educated Hindus tell to the evangelicals ‘mind your won business’ and don’t interfere with our faith or life. But we cannot do it, as biblical faith and witness is always corporate and not ‘minding one’s own business’. Imitating westerners if we too become more content to mind our own business to keep us busy, we cannot promote the righteousness of our Lord Muktinath.
Having this open agenda of interfering (one can use some other words) in other’s life in every way, my struggle is how to help these Indian families who are ‘keeping up appearances in front of society when inside are falling apart’. In the context of Preeti’s situation, I would like to strike a balance. I have to avoid any more personal visit and in stead we should invite them for other pujas, particularly arranged in other’s place. This will stop them at least blaming Christians and fighting with their children. They can also see people like Deepak’s parents, who in spite of their own grievances regarding their situation, yet they could play a positive role in Preeti’s parents life.
So, while we should encourage Preeti to see Sharala or Cheryl, Kumar should continue to invite her parents in pujas.
Dayanand
Anugrah wrote:
It interests me a lot when ‘postive/negative energies’ are mentioned. Because I think these energies are tied to meditation, atleast according to the teachings of the new age Gurus. There is a theory which says that mediation/prayers will form an invisible aura around you so that the negative energies will not affect you. May be it is true or maybe it’s just psychological. Sorry, I am deviating from the topic.
I agree with Kumar and also another thing to observe is that in families (maybe primarily Indian families) anger/resentment against one particular individual is directed towards another individual and might be manifested in various ways. For example, preeti’s actions could be interpreted as her way of manifesting rejection of parent/s authority. Sometimes disagreement between husband and wife will be manifested on children.
I believe that my daughter’s behaviour in society is a direct reflection of parents behavior towards themselves and towards their child/ren. I am trying to compare the behaviour patterns of my daughter’s friends with their parents and interestingly I find the personality traits of parents showing up so evidently on their children. For example what the child does when he/she is provoked is exactly what the parent does to the child or to the spouse.
I am able to point out to certain mistakes my parents made while bringing me up and try to stop my parents committing those same mistakes while they are caring for my daughter in my absence.
I think the main problem with preeti and her parents has a lot to do with the way they were brought up.
Another major mistake most Indian parents do is to give second class treatment to the girl child. Imagine a family with 3 girl children! My father-in-law didnot come to visit his wife and see the baby when he got the news of the birth of my wife because she was a girl child. This same person was there the moment he got news that the second child was a boy. And boy! what a party they had after that. My wife is a testimony to this fact.
I have a strong feeling that these 3 girls were given second class treatment (when compared to the treatment a boy born to the same parents would have got). I tend to think that these girls consciously/subconsciously found a way to express their feeling in the way they are doing right now. Only how long they will keep doing it to teach their parents a lesson is a question mark.
Preeti’s parents and most parents do not love their children unconditionally. For example my love to my daughter will be the same if she becomes a doctor or a bus conductor. I am not giving her the good things in life only to get it back in some form or the other later on. Preeti’s parents’ expecting their children to fulfill their dreams just because they spent so much for them does not sound alright to me.
I think Preeti’s parents should be educated about unconditional love, but I am afraid it’s too late for them, may be. And Preeti and her sisters should now put a stop to their combined, unintentional/subconscious gameplan, to teach their parents a lesson and focus on actually leading them to Christ.
– AK
Thanks, Anugraha, for your insights.
Anugraha points out the importance of unconditional love in family relationships. God is our model of unconditional love, in that He loved us when we were still His enemies. But that is not a love without demands. He loves us, but to bring us into relationship with himself; and in that relationship, He has high expectations of our love and obedience toward Him.
God models a love that respects onesself and the other. Unconditional love need not be unprincipled. One need not give up what is right and acquiece to whatever the other person wants, no matter what it is.
Anugraha may be able to accept his daughter becoming a bus conductor, but what about becoming a thief? There is a difference there in principle.
Surely in Preeti’s family there is plenty of hurt on all sides. The girls may be hurt by their parent’s treatment of them, by their demands, by their “persecution.” The parents, likewise are hurt by their girls’ behaviour. Right or wrong, the hurt is there. We cannot fully judge who should or should not be hurt, but one thing I can say.
The girls are in a position of greater responsibility. As followers of Christ, they are the ones who should be showing the unconditional love. As children, they should be honoring and obeying their parents.
Surely, all parents make mistakes. Even in trying to avoid repeating the mistakes of our own parents, we make fresh mistakes, which may be even worse than theirs (I speak from personal experience). We need not seek to give our children a life without any pain. Pain and suffering are part of life.
As followers of Christ, Preeti, we, and our children, all need to learn to embrace whatever painful circumstances we experience as means of God’s grace to us. He can use pain do discipline us, to mold our character, to bring us closer to Himself. Sometimes suffering isn’t about us at all–like the dog menace in Titan township—it is just part of life. We have not reached heaven yet, and God does not promise heaven on earth–just trials, troubles, and His Peace.
Shanti
Sharala
Dear Sharala,
I completely agree with you. Particularly when you said, ‘Unconditional love need not be unprincipled’ and put god’s model, it removed some doubt in my mind about my responsibility towards convert’s parents and the convert’s part of it. Thank you. Sharala, do you think that we should share our sub-group dialogue about Preeti with other members of e-satsangh? I like your response and want others to be benefited by it.
Db
@@@
Dear Swamiji,
I am in the States for a visit and just got the following emails to my bhaktivani address. I think it would be good if you replied for me. I have had no previous correspondance with the man.
Yours,
Mark
Dear Sir,
It is so amazing to find that Bhavisya Puraan talks about Adam and Eve, Noah and flood and lot more including Jesus being born from Virgin. Can this common point be used to further explore the possibilty to bring Jesus among hindus? Has anyone done a documented thorough study on this?
Akash Bhatta
Dear Sir,
I am very interested to know about this but nobody is providing me answer so far. So if you have found any information on this, please let me know.
According to Hindu scripture itself, Vishnu was cursed by a women, Brindha, and he was forced to be four things: “Kush” grass, “Saligram” stone, “Pipal” tree and “Tulasi” plant, which are daily worshipped by Hindus. This means Vishnu was also imperfect like humans and tho’ he is “God”, he is not the top
most God because somebody greater was effecting the curse to him. So why are Hindu still trusting imperfect Vishnu and Krishna/Rama (incarnation of Vishnu) and other lesser Gods for eternal salvation ( not short term salvation of thousands of years or more, as talked in Hindu books)? It must be because of lack of having alternatives.
Akash Bhatta
Dear Mr. Bhatta,,
Shanti!
I am Swami Dayanand Bharati and a friend of Mr. Mark Picket. As per his request I am sending the following response to your enquiry about Bhavishyat Purana and morality of gods.
Let us begin from Prof. Kane’s comment in general about Puranas. He is the authority on Dharmasastra and other important areas of Indology. Though Puranas are religious literatures and contains spiritual and moral teachings yet according to Kane:
legends contained in the Puranas were meant for the entertainment of common people, just as even in these days millions in Western countries read with relish detective stories and crime club fiction…. Only a few legends have some historical basis, but the latter is evidently smothered in a mass of exaggerations and prejudices for or against a hero, or a caste, class, tribe or family. It is hardly fair to draw far-reaching historical conclusions from heterogeneous materials in the Puranas about the conditions of things that prevailed several hundreds or thousand of years before they were compiled.—History of Dharmasastras, Pune, Bandarkar Oriental Series. vol IV. pp. 622-23.)
Therefore, “A rationalistic interpretation requires that all this that is stated in the Puranas is mere conjecture and imagination and that one cannot safely build theories about the governance of society in ancient times on the accounts contained in Puranas”. –ibid.Vol. V, Part I, p. p. 693.
And regarding the Bhavisya Purana Kane says, “after the 9th century no further Mahapuranas appear, but additional matter appears to have been unscrupulously inserted in several Puranas, the worst example of the kind being the third part of the Bhavisya, which contains stories of Adam and Eve, of Prthviraja and Jaicandra, Taimur, Akbar, Caitanya, Bhattoji, Nadirshah and so on. –ibid. vol.V, part.II. pp. 854-55.
So relaying on these kinds of Hindu scripture to score a particular point to share about Jesus should be done carefully. Because if we point that even Hindu scripture talk about Jesus and some events related to him (like virgin birth etc.) and invite our Hindu friends to believe in the Lord, then what about other points the same scripture talks about? Above all, as Prof. Kane says, several things were inserted in the Puranas, and the story about Jesus is also one such things. We cannot simply build some thesis based on such insertions in the scriptures. So selectively using or quoting from any scripture—that too score a particular point of our convenience is not acceptable to me, though few evangelicals believers in this. However I am not opposing the use of Hindu scriptures to quote some common theme like ‘sin, salvation, grace of god, bhakti etc.
Regarding the imperfection of gods and their moral lapses, Hindus never take them seriously. Because in a particular event gods acted in a different manner, which cannot be compared with the moral standard of human beings. Because, according to Hindus, gods are beyond the sphere of morality applicable to human beings. Above in order to save the devas and earth and to get rid of the demons, gods are permitted to do certain things. For example Brinda’s husband Jalandhara was making havoc among the devas and even occupied their kingdom and chased them away. Jalandhara was invincible and was protected by the chastity of his wife Brinda. So in order to make him weak, Vishnau as per the command of Parvati,* took the form of Jaladra and slept with her. When she came to know about it, she give a curse to Vishnu, because though he is a god, he too cannot withstand the curse of a chaste woman. In overall Hindu mythology, it is ‘power’ and not ‘morality’ much decides the acts of gods and even human beings. In recent talks with few Hindus, one man asked, ‘can I get more “power” by reciting gayatri mantra 1008 times in a day. He never asked can I become more ‘perfect’ but only think about gaining more power. Of course for what reason they sought such power depends upon individual’s understanding.
*[Parvati said] …At my bidding, make the chastity of his [Jalandhara] wife [Vrndaa] violated. (50) O Visnu, that great Daitya cannot be killed otherwise. In the earth there is no other virtue equal to chastity.— ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION & MYTHOLOGY; Translated by A board of Scholars, Edited by Prof. J.L.Shastri, Delhi; Mothilal Banarsidass Pub. Pvt. Ltd. (1970), 2002, The Siva Purana Four Volumes. 22:50-1, p.904
Some principles that we should note in this story is that:
- In order to protect the devas and to get rid of asura (non-devas whom we cannot call as demons but the enemies of gods), what gods have done is cannot be compared with the moral standard of human beings.
- Next is that they have done it without any personal motivation or desire to take revenge on their enemies. (But O’Falherty gives a different account. See below from O’Flaherty pp. 175-76). Only when the devas were attacked and deprived their rights (it is worthy to remember that both suras [devas] and asuras [non-devas] were created by the same god, therefore in one sense brothers), then in order to save the devas and also the earth, only on the request of the devas, gods behaved in such way.
- Sometimes, in order to promote the virtue of some individuals or to tell the importance of some things which are used in worship (like ‘Kush’, ‘Saligram’ ‘Pipal’ and ‘Tulsi’) such stories were also created. So people never think about the immoral behavior of the gods, but more concentrate on other details.
- Above all some times the sectarian Puranas in order to promote the virtue of the deity of that purana, will tell some degrading stories done by the revile deities. For example in the above story, which occurs in Siva Purana, Vishnu, at the command of Siva has done that act. This is one way to revile their rivalry gods by one sect to another. In several Vaishnava Puranas, Siva has done similar things at the command of Vishnu.
- Brinda able to curse Vishnu, because as a chase wife, she has more power even to curse a god, who cannot stand before such a power. In several mythologies, a chaste woman has more power to command gods. As I said above, it is power not morality that counts in Hindu worldviews.
I highly recommend you to read the book: Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty, The Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology, University of California Press, Berkeley. Paperback Edition, (1976) 1980 to know in detail about the problem of evil and sin among gods based on Puranas. I am sending few extracts from the book for you to understand my above response from scholarly perspective. If you don’t have time to read all the following points, at least read those which are underlined. Hope these information will answer your question. God bless you.
Dayanand Bharati.
…According to Jan Gonda, the central myth from the time of the Vedas on is the myth of the conflict of the gods (representing the powers of good) against the powers of evil (Indra vs. Vrtra, Raama vs. Raavana, Buddha vs. Maara), the conflict between good and “the evil power of destruction, starvation, and death.” [Gonda, Jan, Aspects of Early Visnuism, Uttecht, 1954, p.162] But the demons do not always represent these misfortunes, which are often attributed to the gods; nor by any means do the gods always represent unmitigated “good”; nor, finally, are destruction, starvation, and death always regarded as “evil.” The one invariable characteristic of the gods is that they are the enemies of the demons, and the one invariable characteristic of the demons is that they are opposed to the gods. For this reason, when the later myths begin to apply new moral codes to the characters of individual gods and demons in myths, a number of inconsistencies arise, for the two groups, as groups, are not fundamentally morally opposed.—p.58
…the conflict between gods and demons in Hinduism does not represent a conflict between good and evil, not because god and evil do not conflict in the Hindu view (though many texts would support this view) but because these moral categories simply do not apply to the two superhuman factions.—p.63
The opposition between the gods and demons is purely structural; they are alike in all ways except that, by definition, they are opposed. The two groups are functionally but not essentially opposed, in conflict over the acquisition of power—the same power, but utilized differently in each case. Our allegiance to the gods is based not on moral factors but on agonistic ones: the gods always win, and so we are always on their side. (This is particularly true when “we” are the Brahmin authors of the texts; when the factor of asceticism is introduced, the alignment of gods and men is more complicated)….—p.64
The gods make the demons evil, not to help mankind or to preserve the cosmic balance, but simply in order that the gods themselves may remain in power….—p. 175
Lust is the gods’ chief weapon against the virtuous demons, just as it is time’s chief weapon against virtuous mortals. Indra uses his own wife, Sacii, to overpower a demon by playing upon the demon’s desire for her [MBh, 5.15.2-25], just as Siva destroys the demon Andhaka by playing upon Andhaka’s desire for Paarvatii, the wife of Siva [Vaamana 9-10, 40-44; Kuurma 1.16.123-240; Linga 1.93.1-25; Matsya 179; Varaaha 27.1-39]. Other demons are similarly overcome when weakened by their desire for the Goddess, but more frequent is the inverse: they are weakened when their own wives are seduced by the gods. The moral balance is a delicate one. Although by seducing a woman (the demon’s wife) the “virtuous” god loses his own ascetic power of chastity, he thereby also destroys the power of chastity by which the demon’s wife protected her husband; the enemy remains suppressed, while the god renews his powers. When anyone attempts to seduce the wife of a god, on the other hand, the powers of the seducer are destroyed and the god remains intact; the god always emerges from the final conflict strengthened. Thus Siva destroys Jalandhara by repaying him in kind. When Jalandhara disguise himself as Siva and attempts to seduce Parvati, she immediately recognizes him and flees; (p.175) but when Siva sends Visnu, disguised as Jalandhara, to seduce Jalandhara’s wife, Vrndaa [Brinda], Visnu succeeds and destroys the virtuous power of the demon, so that Siva is able to kill him.—pp. 175-76
By seducing the wives of demons or sages, the gods not only cause their enemies to lose their powers but they also transfer those powers to themselves. Just as sin may be transferred from one person to another, so the quantity of good karma amassed by a person may be transferred to another whom he has wronged in any way. After Jaladhara and his wife have been killed, having first been weakened by means of seduction, the energy of the wife emerges from her body and enters Paarvatii, and the energy of Jalandhara enters Siva [Siva 2.5.23-24; Padma 6.106.13-14]. The law of karma thus provides an additional strong incentive for the gods to corrupt their enemies rather than merely destroy them, since by causing their opponents to sin the gods may hope to obtain their powers [Paasupatasuutra, With the comm, of Kaundinya, Ed. Anantakrishna Sastri, TSS(Trivandrum Sanskrit Series), no. 143, Trinvandrum, 1940, 3.6-19]….—p. 176
Certain theologians were able to justify the heretical behavior of their sects by referring to the heretical behavior of their gods: “What the gods do and what the worshippers do in their service cannot according to Hindu opinion be judged by ordinary laws of right and wrong. The god is supra-moral; the worshipper when he enters the temple leaves conventionality outside.” [Eliot, Sir Charles, Hinduism and Buddhism, 3 vols. London, 1921, II, 168] The more orthodox view holds that the gods alone are supre-moral, but the “left-hand” sects maintain the validity of imitation and hold the “released” worshipper equally unbound by the morality of svadharma. This view, though of special benefit to the esoteric sects, is obviously supported by the social atmosphere of orthodox Hinduism, which is so thoroughly conditioned to the idea that there are natural divisions between men, that what is appropriate for the elect (the Brahmin) is not appropriate to the Suudra, that “quod licet Jovi non licet bovi.” The hierarchy of morality thus serves both to support and to challenge the doctrine of imitation, depending on the status of the mortals involved in the action. The gods rank above mankind, and are therefore not to be imitated, but the “enlightened man” (and sometimes the Brahmin) also ranks above mankind and may behave immorally without suffering the consequences of his action.
The doctrine of imitation was more often rejected and criticized for abuses it encouraged than accepted as dogma….—p.289
…Whatever the laws of the actions of the gods, they do not apply to man; Brahmaa’s incest is justified by the statement that the ways of divine beings can be known only the gods, not by men, who should not talk about them [Matsya 4.3-5]. Thus, for one reason or another, men were not supposed to imitate the evil behavior of the gods. The Saivas who tried to justify their excesses by saying that they were merely copying their god became the object of satire and disapproval [Mattavilaasaprahasana of Mahendravarma,. TSS (Trivandrum Sanskrit Series), no. 50. Trivandrum, 1917and Karpuuramanjarii of Raajasekhara. Ed. Sten Konow. Trans. Charles Lanman. HOS (Harvard Oriental Series), no.4, Cambridge, 1901]. The wicked Kali complains about this double standard when he says to the gods, “Let Brahmaa sport with any girl, and you amuse yourselves with celestial nymphs, but Kali must live in celibacy. You preach dharma and yet you do things that one can hardly bear to hear about,” [Naisadhacarita of Sriiarsa, Ed. Jiiaananda Vidyaasaagara, Calcutta, 1875-76,7.122-123] and Prahlaada makes a similar accusation of hypocrisy against the Hindu gods.
The gods are said to commit serious sins in order “to awaken people to a sense of the dangers of adharma” [Rajagopalachari,C, Raamaayana, 5th ed. Bombay, 1965,p. 40]—that is, as a negative moral example. The divine extremes of Tantrism are considered suitable only for people at the extremes of the moral scale—the gods and truly enlightened sages, on the one hand, and the degraded mortals of the Kali Age, on the other. The usual justification for Tantric practice—that the enlightened man may achieve salvation by the very acts that cause common men to burn in hell [Eliade, Mircea, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom. Trans. Willard R. Trask. Bollingen Series, vol. 56, New York, 1958, p. 263]—was often explicitly cited and rejected. Thus, when Siva is criticized, Naarada remarks.–p.290
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In my recent visit to North at Ranikhet I conducted ‘World Peace Puja’, in which I invited several of our neighbors. The first puja went well as all the members of that area participated in it actively. However when I arranged the same in another place in two place, one of my friends bit confused and after a long thought said to ‘NO’ for such puja to be held in his house. However he and his wife were extremely humble to express even their mind to me and asked few genuine questions about the ‘possibility of worshiping God together with Others who do not share the same kind of faith and understanding about God like us.’
As they are from the evangelical background I clearly understood their anxiety and sincerity in expressing their mind,I gave my answer in this way:
As the doctrinal world of Hindu(ism) is ‘multi centred [centred around several gods] pluralistic inclusivism’, they will have the understanding about God only from this perspective. For them all the gods are one and the same and except in sectarian conflict no god is higher to others. So in all our approaches, though we have ‘exclucivistic stand’ regarding our faith and understanding about God, yet we have to accept this (pluralistic) reality of the other’s worldview and can begin only from there, as Paul has done at Athens (Acts 17:22-23). However we are zealous for our Lord, yet we too have to begin in all our dialogue only from here (which remains one way traffic all the time). If we insist our ‘exclusivism’ immediately on our friends, it irritates them more than to help them to think.
Though I gave such response to my friends, yet I am not sure within me that I could convince them. Next day morning I was reading John’s chapter four for my devotion. Though I (you too) have read it several time and become familiar with the story, yet the words of Jesus to the Samaritan women struck me deeply: ‘You Samaritans worship what you do not know…’ (4:22). Can we say or think the same about our friends who do not share the same kind of understanding about God? Can anyone worship God without knowing Him?
The answer that God gave me that morning is that: while we see the faith and (wrong)understanding of others about God, God looks only their sincerity. For this you may say, ‘however sincere they are in their bhakti, faith and worship, yet they are sincerely wrong. So we cannot join them to worship for any common purpose or cause in collective prayer. Well we too need the grace of God to accept their sincerity first however we are not ready to accept their understanding about God.
The next day when I was reading John chapter 5, God again through the verse 42 showed me how I can accept others as they are first. For this what I need is the ‘love of God in my heart’. Because most of the time I have ‘love for God, His Words and Work but not ‘love of God’ in my life. Then such love for God may make me very strong in my doctrinal and theological stand (again) for Him very strong. But it may not help me to have the ‘mind and heart of God’ in my life for others. And if we too have ‘love of God’ in our hearts first and love for God in our understanding Him, then we too can begin like Pual at Athens.
Welcome your comments.
Dayanand
Mathigiri, April 28, 2003.
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Persecution
Sir,
In reply to Dr. Khatry [see Letters to the Editor, Voice of Bhakti 1: 2, May 2002] I would like to say that I agree with some of his views. And although there are a number of points that I disagree with I will focus on one issue that he brings up – that of persecution.
Persecution has become the main preoccupation of the minds of many evangelicals. In the life of many converts persecution has become the main point of reference for his genuineness of conversion experience. In some cases it has also become the criterion to decide whether he is witnessing for the Lord or not. As most of the converts do not know the exact context of persecution mentioned in the Bible, it is artfully and artificially grafted in their mind. And in order to win the sympathy of the Christians they will began to sing all the time the songs of persecution in their life. I recently received a letter telling me about a ‘Brahmin evangelist’ named Samuel to whom my acquaintance was teaching piano. He had fled his home where he had ‘had a very dramatic conversion and suffered much as his grandfather is a pujari’.
Now this ‘Brahmin evangelist’ has to suffer not because of the gospel or because of leading the life of a witness among his own family and community, but because of extra-biblical activities of evangelicals beginning with changing the name and making him a full-time worker etc. Now he has run away from his home and people (as well as his responsibility to his parents) and in the name of God’s call went to serve among the three hundred year old traditional Christians in the South. The evangelical Christian who wrote the letter to me is sincerely teaching him piano though it is in no way going to help him to do any kind of ministry among his own people. And to survive among such Christians he has to sing all the time the persecution song as he learnt the mindset of evangelical Christians—who will dance to this tune very well.
But no one thinks of the persecution his parents are facing in the family and community because of the conversion of their son to ‘Christianity’. There is no doubt that, as Dr. Khatry says, ‘The Bible indicates that all that desire to live truly to the Lord will suffer’. But this truth is applicable to all—including traditional Christians who ‘try to live truly to the Lord’. But in the evangelical world ‘persecution’ becomes another ‘evangelical programme’ for the convert – a necessary result of his ‘witness’. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that:
… it may even be that we are almost pleased when somebody does behave with us in the manner of the dog and swine, for then we feel we have been persecuted for Christ’s sake, when in reality it is not that at all, but simply that we have not known our scriptures and have not witnessed in the right way. (Studies In The Sermon On The Mount, Inter Varsity Fellowship, London. Reprint. 1966. Vol.II, p. 188.)
I am not sure whether VOB and any other missiologists like Bishop Waskom Pickett and Dr. McGavran would ever suggest that ‘converts can avoid all persecution during conversion to Jesus’. And, somewhat cynically, I can say that definitely no convert can avoid some persecution from the hands of Christians first! But the truth is that if one is converted only to Jesus he can definitely avoid all kinds of sociological persecution from his family and community. But if he is converted to Christianity he has to face every kind of persecution both from his family and community as well as from Christian communities.
When a missiologist suggests that an individual can avoid some kind of social persecution if the whole family is baptised, that suggestion should be understood sociologically. Lloyd-Jones again:
We can bring endless suffering upon ourselves, we can create difficulties for ourselves which are quite unnecessary, because we have some rather foolish notion of witnessing and testifying, or because, in a spirit of self-righteousness, we really do call it down on our own heads. We are often so foolish in these matters. We are slow to realise the difference between prejudice and principle; and we are so slow to understand the difference between being offensive, in a natural sense, because of our particular make-up and temperament, and causing offence because we are righteous (ibid. Vol 1, p. 130).
My response
My main point here is that Dr. Khatry oversimplifies the issue of persecution. No missiologist will recommend to any individual not to receive Jesus in his life till his whole family decides to follow the Lord. Receiving the gift of salvation from the Lord and receiving diksha (baptism) by an individual is a totally different issue from the same individual becoming a Christian and joining another (Christian) community—at least in India and Nepal. I think that VOB and other sensible missiologists understand the difference between these two events. Above all, what the Bible teaches about persecution in every context needs to be studied and taught properly to every convert.
Most of the time the early Christians were persecuted not for their witness and godly living among their own people (see, for instance, the arguments in Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity, Harper San Francisco, 1977). Of course when they were persecuted they witnessed for the Lord and took a firm stand for Christ and laid down their life rather than denying Him. One interesting fact in the early church was that the church grew because of the witnessing life of the lay people among their own people—keeping all their sociological and cultural values as it is. The church was persecuted not because of her witness. In fact, as pointed out by Roland Allen (The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and the Causes which Hinder It, WS Publishers, 1997, p. 48). While the church was busy in creating all kinds of heresy it was only the lay people who sincerely and faithfully spread the gospel among their own people. And this would have never been a fact if their own family and community persecuted them.
We must be careful when we graft the ‘doctrine of persecution’ in the mind of every convert. When I met one such convert at Varanasi he confessed that his parents alone were more persecuted emotionally, socially and, above all, financially because of his ‘conversion’ to Christianity, than he was. Now he has decided to go back to his home and live with them as a witness for the Lord. This is what he said,
They have no problem with my faith in Christ but Christians always insist that, to “live truly to the Lord”, I have to leave my family and home as it is impossible to be a witness among my own people. They said that God called Abraham to leave his home and land and promised him to make a great nation.
I showed him that, though Abraham left his land, he brought his whole family with him—not to mention his extended family! Above all he sent his slave to find a girl for his son only from his people whom God asked him to leave. His daughter-in-law, Rebecca, also sent her second son only back to her own people and Abraham’s two grand-daughters-in-law also came only from his people and even one stole her household deities. This is the true story of God’s chosen family. Yet God remained true to His covenant relationship and fulfilled His promise.
By mentioning Abraham’s story I am not justifying any mistake committed by a convert. What I am trying to say is that while we teach a new convert we must be very careful not to mislead them to fulfil any of our pet evangelical plans and programmes.
Dayanand Bharati,
Hosur, India.
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I have a question, which I thought you might give some advice. We are working with a new HBB who in the beginning was very positive about following Isu but is now cooling off. Recently, she told a Pujabi BB that she is having difficulty giving up 40 years of following her gods. How can we help her look at her new life in respect to her former life. (Since we work on a team whose members are more from the traditional form of evangelism and more dogmatic in discipleship she is getting both sides. The team members are open to some contextualization.) I have been reading RC Das’ book and appreciate his approach. Any suggestions you can give would be apprciated.
Dear Rick and Paul,
Shanti!
Such question and experience of new believers in the Lord are common one. Even in my personal life in the early days of my faith, I struggled the same way. But mere fulfilment concept—Jesus fulfils all that good and worthy in those former gods is theologically irrelevant for me. At the same time the role those gods played in one person’s spiritual and ritual life cannot be simply ignored. Here I would prefer to help such person to think of God using various symbols, stories, and mythologies even blind faith to prepare one to come closer to Him gradually. God never left any individual and society without some witness about Him through which they can begin their search for God.
Though most of the Hindus are pantheistic in their faith and practice, yet in theory (at least to answer to their critics) they claim ‘monotheism’ is there basic theology. As we all are familiar with it, I don’t want to explain this here. My point is that the various faiths and gods (deities) are considered as a visible expression of that One invisible reality viz. God. And (again in theory alone) when one find out (or claim to have found through her personal [ishtadevata] deity) God, then the role or need of those deities could disappear. But it left with the person’s ability to present this theory to a new believer. Unless one is familiar with the various mythologies, stories and doctrinal aspect of various Hindu sects, a confused seeker or a new believer could easily win the argument with her own mentor.
But before teaching such believers one should have personal conviction and understanding about all that shaped one’s past life. For example what am I going to do with Rama and Krishna and Siva as no Hindu Christ bhakta could easily avoid the influence of these figures both in their life and family (community and society as well)? Because these figures were not merely an object worship alone but become values in personal life. Rama is the embodiment of dharma and both Sita and Sati (Parvati Siva’s wife) are the model wife, Krishna is the best counsellor, friend, guide and guru. They were not only worshipped as god but also approached as parent, friend and guru. Of course now I find my Lord fulfilling all these needs in my life. But can I now find any help from the stories and illustrations through these characters? Let me illustrates this point further:
Few days before in one T.V. programme I saw a beautiful bharata natyam (a kind of dance belongs to South India) drama based on the Rasa lila (erotic play) of Krishna. Radha the lady love of Krishna become upset when she saw that Krishna was equally playing with other gopies as he does with her. Out of jealousy and anger she goes away. But she could not tolerate the separation and remembers the intimate fellowship she had with Krishna. On the one hand again she was longing to see Krishna at the same time hates him as he is still keeping company with other girls. Finally her friend consoles her and explains her how Krishna becomes one’s own when forgetting everything enjoys his presence with single-minded devotion. In such situation one would never think about his relationship with others but will always enjoy his presence with her in personal way. Above all, as he too suffers the pain of separation from her, eagerly looking forward her union back. Thus enlightened and encouraged by her friend, again she was taken back to Krishna.
For an ordinary reader this is nothing but open adultery as both Radha and other gopies are the wives of other men. But to the followers of Krishna sect the gopies are the individual souls and Krishna is the divine one depicting the perfect union between soul and God. But for me it is a beautiful fine art in which the participants perfectly played their part for our enjoyment. Even though I couldn’t understand all the songs (as it was in Telugu), yet I picked up most of the theme because of the way the artists presented the story through their dance (as well as through many Sanskrit words in those songs, I managed to pick up the meaning bit easily). Apart from enjoying a fine art, I also thought about the author (Jayadeva) who using a basic erotic feeling of human beings manages to present a highly philosophical theme to his audience. But what attracted the most is the message that one could infer through this story.
I am not sure whether Jeyadeva’s aim was to tell this message or not, but I found that when it comes to our relationship with our Lord there is no point of comparing what He does to others. If I am single minded in my devotion to Him, then I will forget every other things and will always enjoy His companionship. Like Martha I need not murmur or complain to the Lord against Mary. If I have single-minded devotion like the other gopies and Mary, I would have never get irritated like Martha or Radha. It is interesting to note that Radha is the most favourite among gopies to Krishna and the Lord gave the privilege to Martha to feed Him. But instead of enjoying their special privileges, which God gave to them, they always thought about others and disappointed their Lord. But once reunited with Krishna through her friend, now Radha happily dances and sings with Krishna that too with other gopies. Once she understood her relationship with Krishna not only her jealousy disappears, but also accept other gopies as fellow companion of her Lord.
Now can I see and enjoy above all derive any spiritual meaning from this Jayadeva astapati? I am not agreeing with the theology of Jeyadeva, but when the message came through something with which I am familiar I could immediately relate it with my spiritual life. It is nothing but a piece of fine art presented to the pleasure of the viewers. But after enjoying that pleasure the only thought that came to my mind was, when we are going to present the gospel stories through such art form which could easily communicate the message to the audience.
So all that shaped one’s past life could still be useful at God’s hand to help His devotee to grow in Him. Of course if one is not strong in her faith the very past experience could become a burden to grow in the Lord. But how to help such people rests with the person who is helping her to walk with the Lord. I know that this lengthy response to a precise question again opens so many other questions. And I think that God would lead us step by step in our seva (service) for others for His Kingdom.
dayanand
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