|| om tat sat ||

Seeing the wood for the trees.. !?

We keep coming across this thought about ..the ‘messy state of Hinduism’ , where in a purohit can do puja for your benefit and you only need to sit cross legged . With purohit himself taking the mobile between mantras you can also take your mobile to respond to ‘that urgent’ tweet and the puja as well as the gods can wait !! Still your wishes are supposed to be fulfilled !!

In support of this thought of the ‘messy Hinduism’ you remember the fast undertaken by your mom as well as your mother in law too , and the visit to temples which are supposed to fulfill your wish. But there is no guarantee that the wish will be fulfilled.

Holding a host of customs or community related beliefs as the core of this ‘messy state of Hinduism ‘ is  a true case of seeing the wood for the trees !

For a religion that grew over more than 2500 years without a rigid hierarchy of religious pontiffs , it is sustained remarkably well by the Prasthantraya , the three core texts ! But there is an abundance of growth of weeds all around which need to be navigated around.

The core beliefs do not prescribe a puja to get the stink off your sins or a puja for achieving a lottery win, though they do prescribe a way to achieve something that is much more than a lottery win and probably even much more difficult than a lottery win. That is achieving 'Happiness'.

There is much to say about the core beliefs. Epochal Sankara has brought a clarity by his abundance of works in Advaita. Even western scholars were won over by Sankara's logic !!

Among many if we have to use one word to describe the core of beliefs, it is Samatva.

Samatva is equanimity. 

Being able to maintain an equipoise. Being able to have equal conduct towards all.

Being able to maintain a balance in the middle of tumultuous feelings , feeling of anger , feeling of a let down , feeling to hit back no matter the consequences etc.,..

The feeling of a hurt ego which is the core of all such feelings is the true nemesis. Set aside the ego and move forward to do what is right, or  what leads to happiness.

Being lost in the jungle of customs or beliefs we forget the core and get coerced ( by none other than our own conflict of ideas) to believe that belief about ‘messy Hinduism’.

But this messy Hinduism is what get propagated and patronized by celebrity and Governing  classes !!

It is this messy Hinduism that we find it handy to beat about in our frustrations!!

That is seeing the wood for the trees !!

|| om tat sat||

From Wikipedia.. !

Samatva (Sanskrit: समत्व ) as an abstract noun means – equitableness, normal condition, state of indifference, equanimity, equality, equality with, uniform conduct towards.[1] Its root is Sama (सम) meaning – equal.[2]
Samatva occupies a high place in the Bhagavad Gita. Sāmya, meaning – equal vision towards all human beings, is a variant of the word, Samatva, used in the Bhagavad Gita to mean – even-minded ness. Krishna in the context of metaphysical knowledge refers to equal-minded ness when he tells Arjuna that all feelings are transitory and fleeting, तांस्तितिक्षस्व therefore ignore them for they have to be endured (II.14) and that the wise are न व्यथयन्ति not tormented by these feelings (II.15). He once again refers to even-minded ness in the context of svadharma when Arjuna is told not to waver in the performance of his duty or shirk his duty, and to treat alike victory and defeat, gain and loss etc., for then he will not incur sin (II.31-38)

||om tat sat||

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