~ Baba ~
(Note: This is in follow-up to an earlier letter titled, "Hindu Religious Pollution in AM". A link to that letter is appended below. - Eds)
Namaskar,
One respected reader wrote in with the following query with regards to offerings made during the shraddha ceremony:
In Caryacarya there is mention of giving a bull or billy goat. It escapes me for what purpose and what would we do in western countries instead? It seems to me some social service should be done, of course not for the deceased...This point [of offering] should be explained properly in my opinion.
Indeed, as stated in the above query, Guru has given the explicit option for a billy-goat or bull to be offered:
"At the end of the shráddha ceremony, a gift may be made of a bull, buffalo, ram, billy-goat, or any other male domestic animal of good breed for public welfare." (Caryacarya-1)
As Ananda Margiis, it is our responsibility to understand all Baba's teachings - including the above guideline. As we know, our Ananda Marga is wholly against the Hindu dogma of offering food / mass feeding, blankets, or other social offerings etc at the time of a shraddha ceremony. In that case, how are we to understand and interpret Guru's above mandate.
Here all we can do is follow Guru's order and understand the spirit of His teaching.
Guru's above guideline means if anything is to be offered at the time of shraddha, it must be a goat or any male domestic animal - but only if a billy-goat is needed in that area. If there is no need and there was no utility of a goat in that region, then one should not offer anything at all. For instance, in rural Orissa, there may be great need for a billy-goat for agricultural purposes; so at the time of shradda that offering can be made. But in New York City there is no need for a billy-goat, thus this option of gifting a billy-goat does not apply and is not to be done.
Thus, this offering of a billy-goat is primarily relegated to village life, not modern living in any city nor in more economically developed regions where food production and farming is done on an industrial level etc. So the gifting of a billy-goat is an option that applies only to rural areas where there is a distinct need for such an animal. The offering of a billy-goat should not be done as some token gift or ritualistic practice.
Here we have to remember that Caryacarya is our social shastra and is given to meet the demands of the day. So long as there is a need for a billy-goat in various villages then offering a billy-goat is fine; the moment that demand is no longer present then we need not offer that.
And we should not replace that offering with something else like blankets or food.
"Shráddhánna: Shráddhánna (food offered at a memorial service) is
neither priityanna nor ápadanna, hence it is not to be taken."
(Caryacarya-2, pt #37)
So Guru's order of offering a male domesticated animal for public welfare is an option during the shraddha ceremony wherever village life is in vogue. At the same time, we cannot devise alternate options and insert those in Caryacarya. Here we have to follow the word of Guru. In the village area, one may offer a billy-goat to the collective, and in non-village areas, there is not an option to offer anything at all.
Plus, here following is the overall spirit of our Ananda Marga social functions.
Our social functions were designed in such a way that they should not become a liability or burden for the society. They should not become expensive, extravagant affairs that break the bank of the common person. People should not have to save money their whole life just to be able to perform a social function like a death ceremony. Already, the family is suffering due to the loss of their loved one. They should not also have to undergo terrible financial penance or bear the humiliation in society. Indeed if the main bread-winner dies, the family should not have to face the hardship of paying for a grand shraddha ceremony when their chief earning source has passed. Already they are grief-stricken, and for them to also face financial ruination is heartless and unspeakable. Indeed, Baba does not want this.
Rather His aim is to dismantle the dogmatic Hindu shraddha rituals that have shackled and plagued families for centuries. In the Hindu system - and in other religions also - often families have to bear huge loans & financial loss in order to perform the last rites of their loved one. To do away with this, Baba has mandated that all Ananda Marga social functions - including the shraddha ceremony - are to be simple affairs that are free of cost. The grieving family should not bear the burden of any type of offering or feast etc.
Thus the overall spirit of this directive is that no one should incur any type of loan for the shraddha ceremony. Plus, if an offering is made, then it must be a male domesticated animal where there is need of such a gift - i.e. a rural area. No one should come up with an alternative list of offerings. Rather, we should follow the exact teaching of Guru - word for word, and at the same time adhere to the overall spirit.
If anyone has any further thought or question on this key issue, please write in.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Dr. Veda Prakash
Note: LINK TO INITIAL LETTER ON THIS TOPIC
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/12/hindu-religious-pollution-in-am.html
WHY ONLY BILLY-GOAT
(Note: This is in follow-up to an earlier letter titled, "Hindu Religious Pollution in AM". A link to that letter is appended below. - Eds)
Namaskar,
One respected reader wrote in with the following query with regards to offerings made during the shraddha ceremony:
In Caryacarya there is mention of giving a bull or billy goat. It escapes me for what purpose and what would we do in western countries instead? It seems to me some social service should be done, of course not for the deceased...This point [of offering] should be explained properly in my opinion.
Indeed, as stated in the above query, Guru has given the explicit option for a billy-goat or bull to be offered:
"At the end of the shráddha ceremony, a gift may be made of a bull, buffalo, ram, billy-goat, or any other male domestic animal of good breed for public welfare." (Caryacarya-1)
As Ananda Margiis, it is our responsibility to understand all Baba's teachings - including the above guideline. As we know, our Ananda Marga is wholly against the Hindu dogma of offering food / mass feeding, blankets, or other social offerings etc at the time of a shraddha ceremony. In that case, how are we to understand and interpret Guru's above mandate.
THE GIFTING OF A BILLY-GOAT APPLIES ONLY TO RURAL LIFE
Here all we can do is follow Guru's order and understand the spirit of His teaching.
Guru's above guideline means if anything is to be offered at the time of shraddha, it must be a goat or any male domestic animal - but only if a billy-goat is needed in that area. If there is no need and there was no utility of a goat in that region, then one should not offer anything at all. For instance, in rural Orissa, there may be great need for a billy-goat for agricultural purposes; so at the time of shradda that offering can be made. But in New York City there is no need for a billy-goat, thus this option of gifting a billy-goat does not apply and is not to be done.
Thus, this offering of a billy-goat is primarily relegated to village life, not modern living in any city nor in more economically developed regions where food production and farming is done on an industrial level etc. So the gifting of a billy-goat is an option that applies only to rural areas where there is a distinct need for such an animal. The offering of a billy-goat should not be done as some token gift or ritualistic practice.
DO NOT REPLACE THE BILLY-GOAT BY OFFERING SOMETHING ELSE
Here we have to remember that Caryacarya is our social shastra and is given to meet the demands of the day. So long as there is a need for a billy-goat in various villages then offering a billy-goat is fine; the moment that demand is no longer present then we need not offer that.
And we should not replace that offering with something else like blankets or food.
After all, in those early days also, people were suffering from the cold
and from a lack of food, plus there was a severe shortage of clothing
in India; but Baba did not give the option of offering blankets,
clothing, and food during the shraddha ceremony. Veritably in those
earlier days, there was a critical food shortage - even starvation - but
even then Baba did not advise that narayan seva (food distribution /
mass feeding) should be done on the occasion of the shraddha ceremony.
Not only that, He strictly forbade eating during the shraddha ceremony.
SHRADDHANNA NOT TO BE TAKEN
So Guru's order of offering a male domesticated animal for public welfare is an option during the shraddha ceremony wherever village life is in vogue. At the same time, we cannot devise alternate options and insert those in Caryacarya. Here we have to follow the word of Guru. In the village area, one may offer a billy-goat to the collective, and in non-village areas, there is not an option to offer anything at all.
ANANDA MARGA SOCIAL FUNCTIONS:
THEY SHOULD NOT BE A FINANCIAL BURDEN
THEY SHOULD NOT BE A FINANCIAL BURDEN
Plus, here following is the overall spirit of our Ananda Marga social functions.
Our social functions were designed in such a way that they should not become a liability or burden for the society. They should not become expensive, extravagant affairs that break the bank of the common person. People should not have to save money their whole life just to be able to perform a social function like a death ceremony. Already, the family is suffering due to the loss of their loved one. They should not also have to undergo terrible financial penance or bear the humiliation in society. Indeed if the main bread-winner dies, the family should not have to face the hardship of paying for a grand shraddha ceremony when their chief earning source has passed. Already they are grief-stricken, and for them to also face financial ruination is heartless and unspeakable. Indeed, Baba does not want this.
Rather His aim is to dismantle the dogmatic Hindu shraddha rituals that have shackled and plagued families for centuries. In the Hindu system - and in other religions also - often families have to bear huge loans & financial loss in order to perform the last rites of their loved one. To do away with this, Baba has mandated that all Ananda Marga social functions - including the shraddha ceremony - are to be simple affairs that are free of cost. The grieving family should not bear the burden of any type of offering or feast etc.
Thus the overall spirit of this directive is that no one should incur any type of loan for the shraddha ceremony. Plus, if an offering is made, then it must be a male domesticated animal where there is need of such a gift - i.e. a rural area. No one should come up with an alternative list of offerings. Rather, we should follow the exact teaching of Guru - word for word, and at the same time adhere to the overall spirit.
If anyone has any further thought or question on this key issue, please write in.
Namaskar,
in Him,
Dr. Veda Prakash
Note: LINK TO INITIAL LETTER ON THIS TOPIC
http://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/2013/12/hindu-religious-pollution-in-am.html
