http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/brahmins-need-a-deeksha-to-awaken-empathy/'Brahmins need a deeksha to awaken empathy'
By churumuri
As the caste and communal cauldron gets nicely stirred up in Karnataka
by the competitive padayatras of Hindu and Dalit seers, the noted
Kannada writer, Devanoor Mahadeva, turns the mirror on Brahmins, in an
important intervention at a seminar held under the auspices of the
University of Mysore on Saturday.
***
By DEVANOOR MAHADEVA
I vividly remember an interview that Alanahalli Krishna did with
Kuvempu many years ago.
Alanahalli asked Kuvempu: "Do you really believe that the Madhwa
philosophy is a mean one?"
Kuvempu replied: "Mean? Most mean."
Alanahalli had a hearty laugh over that, and the waves of that
laughter still reverberate in my ear.
Kuvempu's impatience with the Madhwa philosophy can be understood in
the context of his broad humanist position. The "Nithya muktha, nithya
samsaari, nithya naraki" ("One who is forever free, forever involved
in worldly affairs and forever goes through the torments of hell")
philosophy of Madhwacharya holds that the human being and the world do
not change.
It renders society static, devoid of dynamism, and makes a philosophy
of hellish hierarchies.
Vishvesha Teertha is born in this context and is the head of a mut
that propagates this philosophy. He seems to be trying to move out of
the inertia, struggling to break the confines of the philosophy. It
strikes me as the struggle of a little sparrow caught in a net and
desperately fluttering its wings.
There are times that I feel that he ought to be with us, not out
there. But when I ask myself if his struggle is truly from the heart
and born out of a deep religiosity, I cannot confidently answer in the
affirmative.
We begin to wonder if Vishvesha Teertha's padayatra is a matter of
religious faith or religious politicking when we juxtapose him with
the vachanakaras who said "Keelingallade hayanu kareyadu", implying
that there is no redemption without defeating the ego, and moved
closer to the lower castes with this deeply felt faith.
When asked if a man from the Kuruba community would ever be made the
head of his mutt, Vishwesha Teertha lost patience and retorted: "You
ask this only to Brahmins. Would you ask the same question to a
Christian or a Buddhist institution?"
In fact, any man belonging to the Christian or Buddhist faith can ask
his religious institution why he cannot head it. Those religions allow
it. But is such a thing possible in a Hindu caste-religion? Did a
Kanaka Dasa, who stood outside the door of the temple, not belong to
your religion? Or is each caste a religion by itself?
What then is dharma or religion? It is, in fact, the hierarchy of
higher and lower castes and practices associated with it. This is why
we do not think it is petty when Vishwesha Teertha is not allowed to
perform puja in Tirupati.
This is also why we fail to see the hypocrisy of a man who will
command people not to convert to other religions without a hint of
moral dilemma, but will never declare: "Do not covert to other faiths,
I am willing to make you the head of my mutt."
We are never struck by the cruelty of a system that has accepted
exclusion as a tradition.
Vishwesha Theertha is all set to give "Vaishnava deekshe" (initiation)
to Dalits. There are already several Dalit cult traditions which have
long ago been initiated into the Vaishnava tradition. They follow the
purificatory rituals of "madi" and treat their shankha-jagates (conch
and cymbals) with reverence and do not allow others to enter places
where they are kept. They look for brides and grooms within their own
small community.
This has led to greater divisions rather than any coming together.
The seer's padayatra might increase the population of such dasas among
dalits, more people might blow conches and strike cymbals. People who
have done this have never moved from their position as untouchables.
When such is the case, the Pejavar seer would do well to re-think his
plans of giving "Vaishnava deekshe".
Instead, giving "thrija" (third birth) deekshe to the twice-born
Brahmins might be good for the unity, balance and health of our
society. The present dwija initiation is intellect-centric. The
Gayatri mantra that is central to dwija deekshe speaks of awakening
the intellect.
Intellectual activities could also lead to deceptions, discriminations
and a sense of superiority and inferiority. What the Indian society
today needs urgently is an awakening of a sense of compassion and
camaraderie. I request the seer to give this (the thrija deekshe),
especially to the Brahmins, to awaken empathy.
My request should not be mistaken for arrogance. (I am sure U.R.
Anantha Murthy would ask me to give him "thrija deekshe" if he were to
hear of this new concept!)
India has given birth to many things. In fact we are masters in the
business of giving births. We are people who have made rowdies of gods
to keep the hierarchies of the four varnas, and the discriminations
that come with it, intact. I am asking the Pejavar seer to inspire yet
another birth and awakening.
We are, after all, a nation that believes in births and re-births.
Let me add to this logic with another theory: Those who practiced
untouchability in their previous births are born untouchables in this
birth, in order to experience it first hand. Those who practice it now
will be born untouchables in the next birth. If there is any truth in
re-births, this could as well be happening.
The Indian mind which has killed itself thinking up logical arguments
to justify hierarchies, might as well indulge this logical argument
for once to bring about unity.
I am getting tired and weary, but there is no end to this. I am living
from time immemorial in the hope of finding love and equality. My
dream is that the Pejavara seer's padayatra would inspire at least a
few young dwijas to turn trijas, marry outside their castes, and
inspire the birth of a new humanity.
I hope my dream comes true.
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