Arthamatra (H)indhu Madham - I

Dedicated to Viji (wink!)
Disclaimers:

• This is not a treatise on religion in general or Hinduism in particular, nor am i well read in the Hindu philosophies and vedic texts
• This is just another rant
  
• Whether i am a theist or an atheist or an agnostic is immaterial. And no pointers to other religions, please. They all suck just as much as this does
  
• I know of sages controlling their thoughts, reading other people's past and future, and even controlling their heart beats. I also know of astrological and naadi josiyam predictions coming true and suchlike. However, in my opinion, all that is neither relevant to this topic nor would the absence of those alter the world drastically.
• If a non-believer turns into a believer over time, it does not necessarily alter the state of his once-held-atheistic-beliefs. Rather, it may mean that he has shifted his goal posts, whatever maybe his motivations; possibly the Freudian "cathartic" guilt-eraser
  

There is a school of thought which says if not for religion, we would still be barbaric nomads, baying for each other's blood and living like beasts. Let us assume, for this argument's sake that this is indeed true, and also ignore the fact that humankind still is a barbaric species. We have no way of verifying the truth of this claim [or the possible counter-claim that the world would have been a better place without religion]. To take William James' pragmatic approach would require us not to indulge in these hypotheses but to instead reflect on current realities.
Do the believers know what the real purpose of Hinduism is? If they do how many of them have acheived that goal? How and when do they know that they have acheived it? Is there any goal at all, or like our circus clown L.K Advani often proclaims, is Hinduism "a way of life"? Does any of them practice what they read or chant? Do the teachings operate in their everyday functioning?
My Project Lead recently suffered the colossal misfortune of his mother's death. He took leave for 13 days and came back one Monday, looking lost and shaken, needless to say. He is a very sincere, kind-hearted and hard working individual. That day, sometime during lunch time, when we were discussing where we could go for lunch, he replied to someone's question that he had restrictions in sleeping, shaving and eating for 'n' number of days [not sure how many]. He then remarked, "I'd better watch what i eat for these 'n' days". What the hell was that? Why the hell should anyone be "instructed" on how to mourn for your departed loved ones? Why not maintain those restrictions till you die? Why do Hindu widows have so many restrictions?
Why is Lord Krishna showered with praises and prayers for being a playboy while Kamal Haasan, hounded for the same reason [whether the assumtion is true or not]? What about Lord Murugan? How the fuck is Jayendra Saraswathi a sanyasin and why the fuck was i told to remove my shirt in his presence [that i refused and left the place is a different issue]?
How many Hindus understand what the upanishads are about? Does the primary principle of the Gita "kadamayai sei, palanai edhirpaarkaadhe" operate in anyone's life? Well, i can't be balanced in the face of adversities. I'm a human being and not a stone, and it is my wont to get angry, elated, jealous, aroused and sad. What the hell is Krishna talking about? There is an entire chapter on Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava, devoted to the sex between Shiva and Parvati. Hindu mythology is full of sexuality. Yet, sex is taboo and abstinence is thrust upon us mortals at every possible opportunity.

Right, the great seers and sages "saw" the truth, experienced the ultimate reality. How does it affect or help you and me? If truth is already within us and can only be experienced, and not taught, why do we follow gods and godmen? Why are all the godmen who claim to have shunned materialistic pursuits obscenely rich? [Exceptions like Ramana Maharishi might be there]. How the fuck does one explain the concept of having different queues in temples, based on the money you pay? Does Thirupathi Venkatachalapathi need all those jewels, just because some perverts and criminals can masturbate their ego and purge their guilt? What would you have answered in Nasser's place when Kamal Haasan asks that question in Anbe Sivam?

The caste system has been the most divisive and destructive weapon of mass destruction the world has ever seen. Whatever the justifications were at the time of their creation, they have no place in society today. The Brahminical hegemony and superiority complex must go, just as much as the baseless anti-Brahmin sentiment prevalent in Dravidian society today.
Unless we have inter-caste marriages, the wretched system is here to say. Half measures like "Let me practise my faith and uphold my casteist identity at home" do not seem to serve any purpose. If ever there is a contest for selecting which single factor has contributed to the most massive of destructions, religion/caste would win hands down. There has never been such a grand fiasco in the recorded history of humankind. The argument that "it is the fault of the people, and not religion that all these are happening" does not convince me. What about you?

To be continued....