GUILT: Serious and experienced posters ONLY!

[Guest guest]

Dear Varun,

 

That is not how I understand it. Prayashchitta or penance (voluntary

sacrifice) is done to reduce papa (sin). Maybe guilt could be 'papa-

bodh'. See the problem with guilt is that sometimes it can be

irrational, conditioned by someone's upbringing and the family one

grew up in. Sin or Papa on the other hand is more clearcut, at least

in most cases. Sin can cause a feeling of guilt (justified) but there

could be guilt caused just by misunderstanding or reality, or even

imaginary paapa.

 

Is this making sense?

 

Regarding prayashchitta -- one more thing! Many (perhaps not most and

certainly not all!) utilize prayashcitta as astrological remedies but

in the mindset of barter! "Oh God save me from this trouble or that

embarrasment and I will feed fifty holy men or help fifty old

cripples, etc etc." I see the good in that, namely, the poor people

got fed or helped, but if the person then automatically goes in the

desire mode (God will help me if I do this or that ...) how is that

different from bribing someone?

 

I realize that most modern humans find all this difficult to accept

and incorporate and that confuses those people.

 

Anyway ...!

 

, "varun_trvd"

<varun_trvd wrote:

>

> Respected Ranjan ji,

>

> In the Hindu thought ' prayashchit' or repentance is done for a

> Guilt ; the closet Hindi word for it is ' aparadh bodh'.

>

> The concept of 'prayashchit' or repentance has been there in the

> mythological stories since ever.

>

> With naman to all gurujan,

>

> Varun Trivedi

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> , "crystal pages" <rrgb@>

> wrote:

> >

> > There is a concept of guilt in many old religions, it sure is in

> > Christianity and Judaism.

> >

> > But a scholar way back when I was barely out of teenage

> emphatically

> > stated something that stays with me even today, so I ask this

> august

> > assembly of hindu and other scholars.

> >

> > He claimed that there is no specific word for GUILT in hindi or

> > sanskrit or other indo-sanskrit derived languages. Is this true?

> In

> > none of the north, south, east or west indian languages, there is

> no

> > specific word for the globally-pervasive concept of GUILT, cashed

> in

> > almost nightly by priests and stand-up-comedians daily? Or maybe

> > nightly I should say to be accurate.

> >

> > Was he wrong? Is there a word that describes the feeling

> of 'GUILT' in

> > indian culture (and I am really going broad there, I realize).

> >

> > RR

> >

>