937 Congratulations to Tibetan top Lama, Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje for dumping monkhood into gutter, and marrying his childhood girl-friend calmly

Congratulations to the one-of-the-top Tibetan Buddhist Gurus, -- Karmapa Lama Trinley Thaye Dorje, aged 33, for throwing monkhood to the trash can and marrying his childhood girl-friend. In a sort of way, it can be compared to the courage of Edward-III in 1936, who has abdicated his throne, for marrying his Lady Love Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was pursuing a divorce of her second. Here is a link to a news report which contains more details: Click here to go to NDTV.com and view the report.

Question: What courage is there in dumping a sacred thing like a monk-hood which is taken up with noble goals, and marrying somebody with lust and sexual urge?

ybdonkey's (this blogger) Ans: It will be difficult to say whether monk-hoods are really sacred or not. Tibet, is known in Sanskrit as 'trivishTapam', meaning heaven. The Tibet or TrivishTapam is very close to India on its Northern Borders, beyond the Himalayas. Buddhism spread from INdia to Tibet. In Indian ancient culture, it is difficult to say that monkhood, particularly the monkhood with shaven heads and ochre robes was practised.

Though in Mahabharata, there is a reference to the four 'Ashramas' (four stages in human life) of brahmacharya (celibacy), grihastha (householder), vAnaprastha (forest-dweller, in a sort of semi retirement), and sanyAsa (renunciation), the last stage RENUNCIATION (sanyAsa) cannot strictly be taken as monkhoods with shaven heads, and ochre robes. Renunciation literally means shedding activities and attachments which are common to an ordinary householder. It has nothing to do with dress codes and head-gears. The 4th stage sanyAsis were free to retain hair in any manner.

Ancient Sages (Munis and Rushis such as Vasishta, Visvamitra, Bharadwaja, Jamadagni, Angirasa, Atri, Kasyapa et al.) were different from sanyAsis (Renouncers). Sages had wives and children. Though Sages lived in forest, they could whenever they wanted, beg-borrow-steal worldly possessions or (theoretically) produce worldly goods using the fruits of their penance, and live a happy life. Some of them did penance in a sort of self-disciplining effort to control their senses and desires, which sometimes were extended to unduly lengths such as standing on one leg, amidst fire, below hot son, surviving only leaves etc.

Demy Gods are supposed to dwell in heaven, and demons are supposed to dwell in nether-world (below the world). Strangely, we come across very few demy gods who have performed any penance worth noting. On the other hand, we can get scores of names of demons, who have performed really challenging and strenuous penance. Unfortunately, most of such demons were classified by biased poets and writers, as performing 'kAmya karma' (actions with strong desires and urges in mind, for fulfillment of which the penance is directed at). Ravana, Hiranya Kasipa, Gajasura, Gayasura, Bhasmasura, Tarakasura, et al fall in this category.

Who was the first to introduce monky-lives of ochre robes and shaven heads into efforts of inquiring into self-realisation? Gautama Buddha? Vardhamana Mahavira? 24 Jain Guru tIrthankaras?

When different methods of worship of different Gods, called shaNmatas (six paths of opinion), such as Brahma, VaishNava, Saiva, Devi, kArtikEya (Subrahmanya), GaNapati (vinAyaka), and SUrya (Sun worship), were fighting among themselves, and with the waning of the Vedic mode of worship through 'yagnas' (worship forms involving animal sacrifices), overshadowed by Buddhism, it appears that in the 8th or 9th Century A.D., Adi Shankaracharya seems to have introduced the concept of monkhood with ochre robes and shaven heads. (In Tamil Nadu, ancient Jains seem to have had a practice of shaven heads and ochre robes).

IDOL WORSHIP , AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF TEMPLES

Idol worship, construction of temples also seem to have been borrowed from Jainism and Buddhism, from the 8th Century C.E, though there are still many people who believe that Temple Construction in India is as old as the Christian Era.

CELIBACY FOR MONKS

In Indian Culture, prior to the advent of Adi Shankaracharya, Renunciation was the last stage of the four stages of human life. Celibacy at that ripe age of 65-90 does not make any meaning because by that TIME, AGE, most of sense organs such as penis might have lost their pulls and pushes, at least partly.

Self-Restraint from sexual urges (celibacy) during early puberty, might have made some meaning, because a nova youth will be uncontrollably exuberant in his emotions. For that reason only, the first stage of human life, during scriptural and epic periods was called brahmacharya (moving in the path of supreme spirit), which gets aided by celibacy. Often, it is done at Preceptor(Guru)'s home, along with other brother-disciples. A person who attains some degree of excellence in his chosen field of study, to the satisfaction of his preceptor, is given a holy bath (snAnam=bath, hence we have the word 'snAtaka=one who has received his degree, or a graduate'). A snAtaka, customarily gets permission from his Guru to marry, shift from celibacy stage to the householder stage. By that time, he might have, with his preceptor's guidance, and of course, through his personal endeavours, acquired some self-restraint in controlling his sexual urges. Some of such self-conscious, self-confident snAtakas might have started telling others that they would go to kAsi (vAraNAsi) for further studies and self-realisation. That is they might have wanted to leap-jump straight-away from stage 1 of celibacy to stage 4 of renunciation.

A MARRIAGE RITUAL IN SOME HINDU SUB-CULTURES

At this point, a brother of an eligible bride will enter the scene, to convince the renunciation-thirsty snAtaka-sAdhaka (may probably BE called yati-- one who tries to yoke himself to the Supreme Spirit), and tries to dissuade him from going to kAsi, and persuade him to marry his sister. He also promises some cash, some jewellery, some clothes, some house hold utensils, probably some cottages, to enable his prospective brother-in-law to start his householder's life. Thus, the skipping of the Snataka from Stage 1 (celibacy) to Stage 4 (renunciation) is prevented, and the bachelor is made to enter stage 2.

What happens when somebody tries either on his own volition, or on somebody else's undue influence to skip stages 2 and stage 3?

After entering stage 4 renunciation, without going through the travails of 'kAma' (satisfaction of lust), the yati undergoes tremendous strain-stress, because of his unnatural choice.

Swami Vivekananda was one such monk who tried to skip the stages 2 and 3. Those who are interested to study what had happened in the case of Swami Vivekananda, can study the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, which are available for free download on Net. Those who do not have the patience to do it, can study about 250 blog posts placed by me on Net, at my blog vivekanandayb.blogspot.com. Link to study them Click to go to study the work done by ybrao-a-donkey from Collected Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. If my readers are not going to be hurt, they can also examine the biography of our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has tried to make a similar skip. I have not done any case study. But Readers can do.

This is a 1000 page subject. To continue adding / deleting /modifying. और जोड्ने के अंश हैं। ఇంకా జోడించాల్సినవి ఉన్నాయి.