Post by radha on Jun 19, 2013 10:56:00 GMT 5.5
OM SRI GURUPYO NAMAHA:,RESPECTFUL PRANAMS TO SRI KANCHI MAHA PERIVA.
Source:- My hindupage.org website
Manu Smriti: Also known as the Manu Dharma Shastras, it is a scripture said to be as ancient as the Vedas. Most Indian historians are in agreement that the discourses by the highly venerated Vedic sages Manu and Bhirgu became the content of the Manu Smriti and was first written some 10,000 years ago. The sages gave these discourses and upanishads (question and answer sessions) to a group of Vedic seers after the calamity of the Great Floods at the end of the Ice Age. Manu and Bhirgu being senior to the Vedic seers gave the guidelines to rebuild and reorganize disparate groups of people into communities, many of which were destroyed by the floods. While the Manu Smriti is still a highly revered Hindu Scripture the instructions in them are considered guidelines instead of hard and fast commandments from God. The designation of this text as a smiriti (knowledge from memory) categorizes the Manu Smiriti as one created from human ingenuity and experience; not directives from God, thus they are guidelines that are flexible to interpretation, changes in societal norms, environment and technology. This is why the Manu Smiriti is more a reference book that nowadays is usually used to research life in ancient Hindu communities and not as a book of laws.
Of course among sectarian scriptures, such as the Vaishnava Bhagavad Gita, the many scriptures written by Saivite gurus and Shakta priests basic guidelines for living a life of dharma can be found. These basic guidelines are usually sourced from three lists, they are the yamas, niyamas and the pancha nitya karmas. The yamas and niyamas are basically rules of commonsense but they also include practices that help the devotee grow spiritually. The yamas and niyamas are common to all Hindu sects as they are the first two steps in the eight-fold yogic system of ashtanga yoga / raja yoga (which can be considered the basis of all Hindu sects). The pancha nitya karmas is a list of five duties that are culturally accepted as obligations of a Hindu to live a life of dharma. The contents of these lists are provided below.
The Yamas–Restraints
1. Ahimsa—Noninjury
The cardinal virtue of not harming others by thought, word or deed.
2. Satya—Truthfulness
The sincerity of refraining from lying and betraying promises.
3. Asteya—Nonstealing
The avoidance of stealing, coveting or entering into debt.
4. Brahmachariya—Sexual Purity
Restraining lust by remaining celibate when single and faithful in marriage.
5. Kshama—Patience
The capacity for tolerance with people & patience with circumstances.
6. Dhriti—Steadfastness
The fortitude to perserver and overcome fear, indecision or changeableness.
7. Daya—Compassion
The abhorance of callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings.
8. Arjava—Honesty
The avoidance of deception and wrongdoing.
9. Mitahara—Moderate Appetite
The practice of moderation in diet, shunning gluttony and striving to be vegetarian.
10. Saucha—Purity
The cultivation of purity in body, mind and speech; and avoidance of uncouthness.
The Niyamas–Practices
1. Santosha—Contentment
Seeking wholesome joy and serenity in life.
2. Tapaha—Austerity
The performance of sadhana and penance prescribed by the elders or guru.
3. Dana—Charity
The practice of selfless and benevolent generosity; charity without anticipating rewards.
4. Astikya—Faith
The cultivation of faith in spiritual reality, the teachings of gurus (the spiritually enlightenmed masters) and the path of spiritual enlightenment.
5. Isvarapujana—Worship
Cultivating devotion through daily ritual worship (puja) and meditative practices.
6. Mati—Cognition
Qualifying faith through personal experience by practicing yogic / devotional techniques under a guru’s guidance.
7. Siddhantasravana—Scriptural Study
Broadening and deepening ones understanding of spirituality or faith through the study of Scripture.
8. Hri—Remorse
Cultivating the culture of modesty and showing shame for misdeeds.
9. Vrata—Sacred Vows
Practicing steadfastness in fulfilling religious vows, rules and observances.
10. Japa—Recitation
Cultivating the habit of remembering God through chanting His / Her Name as a devotional or spiritual practice.
The Pancha Nitya Karmas
The pancha nitya karmas is a list of five practices that are obligatory for all Hindus to strive fulfill as their duty of being Hindus.
1 Upasana, Worship: Upasana includes daily worship in the home shrine, performing pujas, sadhana, devotional singing, yoga asanas, dhyana and scriptural study. Devotion to God fills the heart with contentment, serenity, confidence and hope. It helps us cope with the duality of life experiences and nurtures the spiritual purpose of life to seek God Realization–enlightenment.
2 Utsava, Holy Days: Participating in Hindu festivals and holy days in the home and / or temple. Religious celebrations and festivals cultivate faith in God and our innate spirituality, making us dedicate time and effort for spiritual purpose through participation. Utsava also includes taking customary vows of penance specified in the observance of some holy days such as fasting, being vegetarian, taking kavadi and such. Attending the temple on Fridays, the Hindu holy day too is part of this practice.
3 Dharma, Virtuous Living: In dharma we dedicate ourself to live up to our responsibilities and word in all aspects of our life. We learn to be selfless by being respectful and considerate to others, especially to our elders, mentors and spiritual preceptor. We pledge to live a virtuous life, being generous in giving to causes close to our heart and living in harmony with like-minded community and nature.
4 Tirthayatra, Pilgrimage: Going on pilgrimages to faraway sacred sites and temples is an important practice enjoined on Hindus. It is advised that Hindus go on pilgrimage at least once every few years if not every year. Preparing and going for pilgrimage is a serious committment for a Hindu and usually entails doing specified spiritual disciplines such as being vegetarian or other kinds of penance in preparation and during the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is a period of time wholly dedicated to ones spiritual development and a time to nurture deeper relationship with God.
5 Samskara, Rites of Passage: Samskaras for Hindus are sacraments that mark and sanctify their passage through different stages of life. These rites of passage–birth and name-giving (namakarana), first time head-shaving (chudakarana), first feeding (annaprassana), ear-piercing (karnavedha), first learning (upasana), coming of age (rithukala), marriage (vivaha) and death (antyeshthi) are religious occasions that foster the ties of individuals with their community and invoke the blessings of the Divine at important psychological junctures in ones journey from life to death.
The contents of these lists are generally common to all Hindu sects, in fact they can just as well be shared with other communities as universal guidelines for creating harmonious and spiritual communities. Universality is a quality of dharma since dharma is based on the law of karma instead of religious dogma. The formulae of dharma is basically as follows: practices and actions that promote the creation of good karmas are dharma; whereas practices and actions that promote the creation of of bad karmas are adharma or against dharma. The yamas, niyamas and pancha nitya karmas form the backbone of the codes of conduct to be found in any of the Hindu sects. There will however be variations in codes of conduct to do with sectarian sacrements, regional observation of holy days, practices innovated by gurus specifically for their disciples and family culture which create colourful variations in dharmic practices across the sects and sub-sects of Hinduism.
SRI KANCHI MAHA PERIVA THIRUVADIGAL CHARANAM.
Source:- My hindupage.org website
Manu Smriti: Also known as the Manu Dharma Shastras, it is a scripture said to be as ancient as the Vedas. Most Indian historians are in agreement that the discourses by the highly venerated Vedic sages Manu and Bhirgu became the content of the Manu Smriti and was first written some 10,000 years ago. The sages gave these discourses and upanishads (question and answer sessions) to a group of Vedic seers after the calamity of the Great Floods at the end of the Ice Age. Manu and Bhirgu being senior to the Vedic seers gave the guidelines to rebuild and reorganize disparate groups of people into communities, many of which were destroyed by the floods. While the Manu Smriti is still a highly revered Hindu Scripture the instructions in them are considered guidelines instead of hard and fast commandments from God. The designation of this text as a smiriti (knowledge from memory) categorizes the Manu Smiriti as one created from human ingenuity and experience; not directives from God, thus they are guidelines that are flexible to interpretation, changes in societal norms, environment and technology. This is why the Manu Smiriti is more a reference book that nowadays is usually used to research life in ancient Hindu communities and not as a book of laws.
Of course among sectarian scriptures, such as the Vaishnava Bhagavad Gita, the many scriptures written by Saivite gurus and Shakta priests basic guidelines for living a life of dharma can be found. These basic guidelines are usually sourced from three lists, they are the yamas, niyamas and the pancha nitya karmas. The yamas and niyamas are basically rules of commonsense but they also include practices that help the devotee grow spiritually. The yamas and niyamas are common to all Hindu sects as they are the first two steps in the eight-fold yogic system of ashtanga yoga / raja yoga (which can be considered the basis of all Hindu sects). The pancha nitya karmas is a list of five duties that are culturally accepted as obligations of a Hindu to live a life of dharma. The contents of these lists are provided below.
The Yamas–Restraints
1. Ahimsa—Noninjury
The cardinal virtue of not harming others by thought, word or deed.
2. Satya—Truthfulness
The sincerity of refraining from lying and betraying promises.
3. Asteya—Nonstealing
The avoidance of stealing, coveting or entering into debt.
4. Brahmachariya—Sexual Purity
Restraining lust by remaining celibate when single and faithful in marriage.
5. Kshama—Patience
The capacity for tolerance with people & patience with circumstances.
6. Dhriti—Steadfastness
The fortitude to perserver and overcome fear, indecision or changeableness.
7. Daya—Compassion
The abhorance of callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings.
8. Arjava—Honesty
The avoidance of deception and wrongdoing.
9. Mitahara—Moderate Appetite
The practice of moderation in diet, shunning gluttony and striving to be vegetarian.
10. Saucha—Purity
The cultivation of purity in body, mind and speech; and avoidance of uncouthness.
The Niyamas–Practices
1. Santosha—Contentment
Seeking wholesome joy and serenity in life.
2. Tapaha—Austerity
The performance of sadhana and penance prescribed by the elders or guru.
3. Dana—Charity
The practice of selfless and benevolent generosity; charity without anticipating rewards.
4. Astikya—Faith
The cultivation of faith in spiritual reality, the teachings of gurus (the spiritually enlightenmed masters) and the path of spiritual enlightenment.
5. Isvarapujana—Worship
Cultivating devotion through daily ritual worship (puja) and meditative practices.
6. Mati—Cognition
Qualifying faith through personal experience by practicing yogic / devotional techniques under a guru’s guidance.
7. Siddhantasravana—Scriptural Study
Broadening and deepening ones understanding of spirituality or faith through the study of Scripture.
8. Hri—Remorse
Cultivating the culture of modesty and showing shame for misdeeds.
9. Vrata—Sacred Vows
Practicing steadfastness in fulfilling religious vows, rules and observances.
10. Japa—Recitation
Cultivating the habit of remembering God through chanting His / Her Name as a devotional or spiritual practice.
The Pancha Nitya Karmas
The pancha nitya karmas is a list of five practices that are obligatory for all Hindus to strive fulfill as their duty of being Hindus.
1 Upasana, Worship: Upasana includes daily worship in the home shrine, performing pujas, sadhana, devotional singing, yoga asanas, dhyana and scriptural study. Devotion to God fills the heart with contentment, serenity, confidence and hope. It helps us cope with the duality of life experiences and nurtures the spiritual purpose of life to seek God Realization–enlightenment.
2 Utsava, Holy Days: Participating in Hindu festivals and holy days in the home and / or temple. Religious celebrations and festivals cultivate faith in God and our innate spirituality, making us dedicate time and effort for spiritual purpose through participation. Utsava also includes taking customary vows of penance specified in the observance of some holy days such as fasting, being vegetarian, taking kavadi and such. Attending the temple on Fridays, the Hindu holy day too is part of this practice.
3 Dharma, Virtuous Living: In dharma we dedicate ourself to live up to our responsibilities and word in all aspects of our life. We learn to be selfless by being respectful and considerate to others, especially to our elders, mentors and spiritual preceptor. We pledge to live a virtuous life, being generous in giving to causes close to our heart and living in harmony with like-minded community and nature.
4 Tirthayatra, Pilgrimage: Going on pilgrimages to faraway sacred sites and temples is an important practice enjoined on Hindus. It is advised that Hindus go on pilgrimage at least once every few years if not every year. Preparing and going for pilgrimage is a serious committment for a Hindu and usually entails doing specified spiritual disciplines such as being vegetarian or other kinds of penance in preparation and during the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is a period of time wholly dedicated to ones spiritual development and a time to nurture deeper relationship with God.
5 Samskara, Rites of Passage: Samskaras for Hindus are sacraments that mark and sanctify their passage through different stages of life. These rites of passage–birth and name-giving (namakarana), first time head-shaving (chudakarana), first feeding (annaprassana), ear-piercing (karnavedha), first learning (upasana), coming of age (rithukala), marriage (vivaha) and death (antyeshthi) are religious occasions that foster the ties of individuals with their community and invoke the blessings of the Divine at important psychological junctures in ones journey from life to death.
The contents of these lists are generally common to all Hindu sects, in fact they can just as well be shared with other communities as universal guidelines for creating harmonious and spiritual communities. Universality is a quality of dharma since dharma is based on the law of karma instead of religious dogma. The formulae of dharma is basically as follows: practices and actions that promote the creation of good karmas are dharma; whereas practices and actions that promote the creation of of bad karmas are adharma or against dharma. The yamas, niyamas and pancha nitya karmas form the backbone of the codes of conduct to be found in any of the Hindu sects. There will however be variations in codes of conduct to do with sectarian sacrements, regional observation of holy days, practices innovated by gurus specifically for their disciples and family culture which create colourful variations in dharmic practices across the sects and sub-sects of Hinduism.
SRI KANCHI MAHA PERIVA THIRUVADIGAL CHARANAM.