“IT is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.”- Goethe

Pandit Chrishna Persaud (JP, FILS) in a recent letter titled: “When will Pandits become professional?” made some candid and bold statements. It is good for people to fearlessly write and say how they feel, but we have to be very mindful of the import of what we write or say and the impact on other people. Humble and simple folks look up to you, Panditji, for guidance and light and not mere fault– finding.
You indicated that you can see no relevance in my poem, “Seeking the Peace of Krishna.” It is shocking and sad that as a pandit, you cannot see the relevance of a poem seeking the peace of Shri Krishna in a troubled world. It would be irrelevant if we all were at complete peace (especially within) and the world was a place of peace and tranquility. Now, more than ever, the world is more like a place of human savagery and cruelty rather than one of peace and harmony and people are overwhelmed with so many fears and anxieties. Seeking the peace of Shri Krishna is as relevant for all times as the air is relevant for our existence. The prayers from all religious traditions, bhajans, hymns, etc. are impregnated with the idea of seeking the peace of God. And they do not lose their relevance, even if we recite them with our every heartbeat. Hindus have been reciting the glorious Gayatri mantra from time immemorial. Does this mean that it has become irrelevant and that we should no longer write about it?
You have indirectly derided the performance of pujas by Hindus when you indicated that they spend too much time on costly pujas. A puja (costly or not) is an expression of love of God. In this context, therefore, there can never be too many pujas or too much time spent on pujas. Please do not underestimate the power of pujas in transforming the minds and hearts of the devout worshippers. And even if there is no marked change, there is still the imperceptible positive effect of pujas on our overall being. What is most shocking is that some pandits who officiate at the pujas do not believe in the power and efficacy of the pujas, but the humble devout Hindu does. Hindus perform pujas because of the joy and happiness they derive from the very act of doing the puja rather than for mere show or pretense. When we are immersed in a puja, the very perfume of the incense or camphor seems to transport us to a higher realm of divine calm and the bhajans seem to penetrate our hearts with pure joy and ecstasy. Everything leading up to the puja (cleaning the house etc.) is an act of devotion. All the objects involved in a puja are pregnant with inner symbolism and meaning and meant to establish a direct personal relationship with God. Even if we do not understand the mantras that are recited, we still feel the spiritual fervour. We have to let go of the idea that we can only pray to God in Sanskrit or Hindi. The only language that Shri Krishna responds to is the language of love. We can pray to God in any language or even no language and it will reach the mark. A mere silent thought from the heart is prayer enough to move the Lord. When we became a Kabir Das, a Mirabai, or a Sankaracharya, then we can dispense with the performance of pujas. And even then, the glorious Shri Sankaracharya, who drank the ocean of knowledge with the palm of his hands, used to daily perform Manas Puja to his beloved Lord Shiva. Unlike a formal puja, Shri Sankaracharya would make all the offerings within his mind with great concentration, and he went even further, and within his mind he would play divine musical instruments and sing and dance to his Lord in blissful ecstasy. We ordinary mortals need pujas to remind us of our essential spiritual reality. What would be the state if Hindus decided not to perform pujas? Then we will lose the very enduring values that Sanatan Dharma rest upon and would drift away from our prescribed duties.
Instead of bashing Hindu priests, it would be better if you offer constructive suggestions and analysis as to how they can respond to the needs of the community. Not only pandits but priests from all religious traditions are increasingly becoming more ‘money conscious’ and transactions – oriented. Religious leaders have exploited their people for a long time now. But there will always be pandits and priests who are worthy of the tradition and are dedicated to the upliftment of humanity. It is important that our pandits become more community – oriented and be agents for social change. Our pandits should be in the forefront in the fight against violence, drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling, poverty, rape, suicide, infidelity, etc. And, by the way there are more than enough motivational speakers, and our pandits have to be more than mere speakers; they have to live the message that they preach.

CECIL RAMKIRATH
Bayonne, NJ, USA