|
|
|
Book: Hindu Dharma, Written by Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
|
|
|
While adherence to the tenets of our religion entails certain
inconveniences in our workaday life, following the rules of the
dharmasastras, people feel, creates difficulties in social life. On this
pretext reformers want to change the sastras.
Unfortunately, they are not aware either of the truths on which the
dharmasastras are founded or their ultimate purpose. By "social life"
they-the reformers-do not have in mind anything relating to the Self.
They take into account political orders that keeps changing every now
and then, the sciences, trade and commerce, fashion, etc. If our worldly
existence alone were the objective of social life, the rules pertaining
to it
would also be subject to change. But our scriptures do not view social
life
as having such an objective alone. They (the sastras) are meant for the
Self, for the Atman, and their goal is our release from worldly
existence.
That which has to do with mundane life is subject to change but not the
truths relating to the Self. The injunctions of the sastras have the
purpose
of establishing changing society on the foundation of the unchanging
Truth; they cannot be subject to change themselves.
If our goal were but a comfortable and happy life in this world, matters
concerning social life could be changed now and again. But ours is an
exalted goal and it concerns the Self. The rules of worldly life are in
keeping with this high purpose and they cannot be changed according to
our convenience. The sastras do not regard happiness in this world as of
paramount importance. They teach us how we may experience joy in the
other world even by suffering many kinds of hardships or discomforts
here. So it is not right to seek changes in them to suit our worldly
existence.
The views of the reformers must have been shaped by our present
system of education and so it is no use blaming them. In other countries
no contradiction exists between their religion and their system of
education. Unfortunately, the schools established by the British in
India
had nothing to do with our religion. People were compelled to take to
Western education for the sake of their livelihood. Soon a situation
arose
in which they came to be steeped from childhood itself in an alien
system
of instruction. They had therefore no way of developing acquaintance
with, or faith in, our ancient sastras. And, since they were kept
ignorant
of their scriptures and their underlying purpose, they persuaded
themselves to take the view that the sastras could be changed according
to their convenience.
Our youngsters are exposed to the criticism of our religion and our
sacred
texts from a tender age. They are told that the Puranas are a tissue of
lies, that the sastras help the growth of superstition. How can they
have
any attachment to our faith, to its rites and traditions?
Faith in religion and God must be inculcated in people from their
childhood. They must get to know about great men who lived and
continue to live an exemplary life true to the tenets of our religion.
Faith
in the works of the seers must be instilled in them, works based on the
experience of the seers themselves, experience beyond a life of
sensation, and pointing the way to spiritual uplift. They must also be
helped to believe that the rsis formulated the sastas in such a way as
to
make worldly happiness and social life subservient to the advancement of
the Self. Only then will people recognize that the rules of religion
have a
far higher purpose than the comforts and conveniences of temporal life. |
|
|
