Pushti > 2000
As a community, we need to decide what sort of future we want for our community. Our choices are limited.
1) Carry on with the current status quo.
2) Go back to the conservative, orthodox way of ritual worship and life style.
3) Rejuvenate the marg by capturing the essence of the original precepts and putting aside those rituals that no longer make sense in the modern world.
Status Quo is good for those who are at the top and do not want any change to occur. In the short term, it’s in their interest for things to remain as they are.
Conservative route is preferred by those who need the reassurance that they are doing the same thing as their ancestors. They see no reason to change their ways and brook no arguments to adopt to changing times. To them, old is gold and change is viewed with suspicion.
Rejuvenation is what some want, who want to retain the best practices of the old while keeping in step with the changing times. To them, change is inevitable and should be viewed as an opportunity to further our spiritual and social goals.
I feel that we do need to have a look at where the marg is headed and if need be, make some course corrections. Like everything around us, change is a constant in life. Change is the only “constant” in life. It is pointless to insist that we can live one way and worship in another. Seva should be incorporated in our lives. One of the reasons why the number of people doing active seva has dropped, is because it’s rituals are now out of step with our lives.
Eg – we now have in-door toilets. Strictly speaking, to an orthodox person, this should be a no-no. The very idea of having toilet in the same building as your kitchen or the seva room is unthinkable. But, keeping in mind the fact that we can no longer go to the forest to relieve ourselves, we have to find an alternative. Even with an in-door toilet, unlike houses of 500 years ago, the level of hygiene and cleanliness we have is greatly improved. Our modern life styles allow us to have an indoor toilet without transgressing the rules of hygiene and cleanliness that required people to go to the forest for toilets.
We are happy to use electricity for lighting the houses and even havelis, but
wont allow a photograph to be taken to the Lord !
Why ? No satisfactory
religious, spiritual, scientific or logical answer is ever given.
Though we may cocoon the havelis with marble, we still leave a lot of mess everywhere – pan marks in every available corner, rotting vegetation, wet floors, dirty clothes hanging in public view etc. Why ? We would not do this at home, but in haveli its OK ?
There are lots of innovative ways to introduce light into the innermost rooms of buildings now. Yet, we keep building havelis that are dark and dingy. Where the original plan is still retained, we have covered up the courtyards in such ugly ways as to exclude fresh air and light from the inner sanctum – and all this in the name of progress !
Our religious leaders (balaks) send their sons and daughters to English schools and colleges and yet insist the core of our religion be explained only in Gujarati or Vrajbhasha. Vast amounts of books and lectures are added to the volume of information for vaishnavs to read, yet, no new thought, no new effective way of explaining the original principles are expounded. Indeed, there is no unity amongst these “balaks” and none exert themselves to present a united front.
There is a serious need for Pushti Marg to reform and rethink on how it intends to go forward in to the 21st century.
Read this in conjunction with other artilces in this section - especially "Revival"
Bhagwat Shah ©
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