I'd earlier argued that freedom of speech must be legally absolute, while individually one should speak truth, keep an open mind for dissent & be civil.
However, why are people behaving the way they are behaving in the Sabarimala episode? Are some people just choosing to be evil while others are good? Why would some choose to be evil?
The answer is simple. No one thinks of themselves as evil. All of us see ourselves as good & doing good. This includes some of the worst tyrants in history; they were sure of their correctness.
When we are asked to do something, the nature of the mind is to rebel. Why should I do what you're asking me to do? Who are you to ask me to do this?
A few decades back, in South India, it was common for every married woman to wear a Mangalsutra chain, flowers in her hair, a bindi on her forehead & wear bangles; which were symbols of marriage. In a personal story, a relative of my friend rebelled against this tradition. Who are you to ask me to wear it? I will not do so. Years later, her husband died. Now, she decided. Why am I not supposed to wear these? I will now do so.
It is simply fashionable the mind to think of itself as a rebel and do the opposite of what it is asked to do.
Why do we behave in this manner? Because it is in the nature or our ego & mind to do so.
The ego manifests itself in multiple aspects. We look different, behave different and think different. In addition, the ego attaches itself to different labels. I am a woman, therefore I'll vote for a woman (or vice-versa). I'm a man & I want to look cool to society & to myself, so I'll support women over men any day, even if such support becomes unjust to men. Let us say, you drive a BMW car. Someone says: "These BMW drivers are snobs". Your ego attached to the BMV car will react. This can happen if someone insults your favorite color, gender, political party, political leader, religion etc.
Do you have a faith? How does your mind feel when someone from a different faith converts to your faith? Imagine the reverse. How does your mind feel now? Why does your mind feel the way it feels? Search for: Convert to
The greater the attachment of the ego to any identity, the greater the reaction when that identity is threatened.
There are around six known temples with restrictions on women & five known temples with restrictions on men, among millions. On a women's day out, is it decent for men to insist on coming? Or vice-versa? The devotees were traditionally fine with special traditions on some special temples. This was an act of decency.
The women & non-Hindus who filed the court petition & the journalists who wrote against this tradition were not devotees & were unfamiliar with the local tradition. They simply believed that by reforming the tradition of 1 temple amongst millions, they are bringing about a positive revolution. The Supreme Court of India which admitted the petition is an unelected body, where judges are appointed through an opaque political process. Four judges were from the North, unfamiliar with the tradition and the one judge from Kerala was not a Hindu. Who doesn't like to form policy for lesser mortals to follow? This power should be used sparingly. All male judges believed that they are civilizing the natives and ruled against the tradition, while ignoring addressing the opposing arguments in their judgment. The only dissent was from the female judge, who actually understood it. None of these players had any 'skin in the game'. The court also believed that they were bringing about a positive revolution (assuming good intentions).
Were all the women who wanted to enter Sabarimala recently devotees? Their social media posts (writing about sex in front of the deity, posing with drinks/cigarettes, refusing to even say Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa, carrying sanitary napkins) clearly indicates that they did not observe the voluntary 41 day difficult Vratham (austerities) and that they were not devotees. Why did they behave this way? The non-devotee non-religious feminists were convinced that the restriction was because women were considered unclean & they wanted to break this tradition. In their mind, they were doing the right thing. The non-Hindu but religious folks who wanted to enter had an identity of their own right religion & wanted to desecrate the shrine, because religiously, that's the right thing to do. There was probably an additional incentive of getting into record books; a huge boost to the ego.
The communist government which selectively pounced on this verdict and used Hindu donations to file petitions against the Hindu tradition, with non-believers sitting on the temple board, are convinced of the evil of this religion, without which this world would be a better place. Bring about true equality by trampling upon this regressive tradition. In their mind, they are right.
The devotees (including the women devotees) who protested against the judgment had their attachment to the tradition under threat. Who are these outsides who don't understand us but who want to trample upon our tradition? This ego is under threat. Protest! The communist government responds. How dare they defy us? Another ego under threat. I'll show them my power. Arrest thousands, violently injure & kill devotees, vandalize their vehicles, set a high bail which they can't pay, bring new temple rules, setup media bans, trample the tradition in whatever means possible.
The feminist journalists simply portrayed this as a patriarchal issue, ignoring the nuances. Women were oppressed & it continues! Ignore any data to the contrary. The non-Hindu religious journalists simply reported this negatively or ignored any story that didn't fit with their narrative. Let the heathens figure out how powerless their God is. Maybe they will then turn to the one true God.
Individually, our mind & ego is so powerful, that it sometimes feels like there is nothing we can do. Even people who meditate for years struggle. Collectively as well, this dance of the world's mind & ego is very powerful & creates conflict. It looks like this world is doomed.
However, the light of soul & truth is silent & strong. It will eventually shine through, and lift us individually and lift the world towards eventual liberation, however much the mind & ego will struggle. There is no escape.
In this entire episode, so many people have constantly thought of Ayyappan through various emotions. Per Sambhrama Yoga, even a hateful thought of God is liberating. Ayyapan's word & fame has continued to spread to places who were unaware of him. Maybe this is his divine play.
Fundamentally, the 41 day Vritam is an observance of Yama & Niyama, two angas (limbs) of Patanjali's Ashta-anga Yoga. It is a difficult spiritual penance. Ayyappan is also in a Yogic pose in Sabarimala.
May Swami Ayyappan help the light or our soul shine through quicker. Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa.
Part IV: https://vedham.blogspot.com/2019/01/sabarimala-skin-in-game-analysis.html
References:
http://vedham.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-yoga-of-hate.html
http://vedham.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-veils-of-soul.html
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