Miscellaneous - Religion   

Caring for others

Chennai: Reverence for God, caring for guests and servants are all essential parts of worship, said Trichy Kalyanaraman. If a guest turns up on your doorstep, you do not have to cook a lavish feast for him. It is enough if you share with him, what you are going to eat. Avvaiyar praises Adhiyaman for his quality of sharing with others what he had.

Valluvar says that those who care for their guests will be blessed by Goddess Mahalakshmi. It is not just caring for guests, but indeed caring for anyone in need that is of importance.

We even have a duty to perform the last rites for those who are childless and those whose children are not around to carry out the rites.

While we are willing to join in celebrations, we are unwilling to share a person’s sorrow. Relatives promptly honour invitations to weddings, but keep away should there be a death in the family. Sometimes the argument given by people is that the dead person was lacking in good qualities.

One should ponder the unacceptability of such a statement on two grounds. If we accuse a relative of being wicked, then would that not mean that we, who share blood ties with that person, have also probably the same bad qualities we complain about?

Moreover, who is perfect in this world? If every person who does not have a flawless character alone is entitled to last rites, then no one in this world will be found deserving.

No one is too insignificant as not to merit the performance of last rites for him/her. And one does not have to be a relative to perform last rites. Was Jatayu related to Rama? And yet, did not Rama perform the last rites for the bird? When Ravana is killed by Rama, Vibhishana refuses to perform the last rites for his brother, because of Ravana’s wickedness.

Rama persuades Vibhishana to do his duty, and not let Ravana’s deeds stand in the way of what every human being, however wicked he might have been, is entitled to.

The modern tendency is to celebrate birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but when it comes to honouring the dead, no one seems to have the inclination to do so.

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