[Y-Indology] Just wondering

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, vvrsps@r... wrote:

> <Correct understanding of our cultural past will....>

>

> I agree with this statement, in principle.

 

 

Thank you Prof. Raman.

 

 

> However, it is an unfortunate aspect of our current renaissance

that many

> factors beyond objective quest for understanding (both conscious and

> subconscious) seem to be coloring our discussions.

 

The only way out lies in allowing the drama to play itself out.

History has a way of "self-correction". Surely, 200 years ago this

was NOT the scenario and 200 years later this will NOT be the

scenario.

 

 

 

> Many of us are (justifiably) swayed by historical anger, by a need

to preserve

> the integrity of Indic/Hindu culture, do not wish to see Indic

culture as a

> mosaic of different culuturally enriching factors, but simply as

one unified

> whole arising from a single (Vedic/Sanskritic) source, striving to

eradicate

> the distortions and misinterpretations of outsiders which we would

look upon as

> arising from sinister motives, rather than from honest

misunderstandings, etc.

 

 

I will not be so hasty to judge people's motives.

Two sides to a coin, similarly two view points to an event - and they

always co-exist.

 

 

 

> Under these circumstances it is difficult to get a clear picture of

ALL aspects

> of our past, especially the ones relating to such touchy issues as

meat-eating,

> sacrificial rituals, the caste-system, widow burning, etc.

 

....for which we need to pick each issue as an individual piece and as

a part of the whole and analyse it with respect to the two view-

points (as you stated above). No one has a ready made solution but

everyone is working towards it - some with cultural-sympathy some

with cultural-apathy.

 

 

 

 

> I fear there may never be unanimity of such issues among Hindu

scholars because

> we are unwittingly torn between accepting what cold facts reveal

and what we

> need to believe in for our cultural comfort.

 

 

IMHO, unanimity of view (specially on cultural history) is a MYTH -

and perhaps against the law of nature too.

 

It is the balance between the two that many seek achieve by their

research.

 

Regards,