Early Giithaa sculptures

[N. Ganesan]

An unorthodox view on bhakti.

Regards,
N. Ganesan
--------------------------------------------------------
REVERENCE TO THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE! An Indian Strength
Email:     msriniva at aludra.usc.edu
Date:      1998/03/29                                               view
thread

Hello/Namashkar/Vanakkam,

        India's last thousand years, politically, socially, culturally
and
ecnomically have been defined by two primary issues: poverty and
religion.
Whether religion offered justification for social injustices and
exploitation or offered coping strategies for enduring economic
hardship,
it led mostly to renunciation of material things, conflict with other
religions and development of belief systems that emphasized tolerance
and acceptance. This is true for Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other
religions to varying degrees.
[...]
        The best example of this is the Bhakti movement with
Meera Bai, Ramanuja, Kabir, Chaitanya Prabhu, and many others who
attempted to revive certain sectarian beliefs. The Bhakti movement also
assisted people in developing the notion of devotion and pleasure so one
may overcome cynicism and hardship of the religious wars that was going
on
at that time. This is not unlike the gospel music developed among the
Blacks in the United States that was devotional, entertaining,
pleasure-centered but was also a way of coping with slavery.
[...]




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