Bodhi - or anyone else - can you identify this as a genuine Shankaracharya? Pic from the youtube video:
<img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/indiaforum/Who_is_this.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
If the person in that video turns out not to be a Shankaracharya after all, there are some steps one may be able to take.
<!--QuoteBegin-Sunder+Sep 29 2007, 01:51 AM-->QUOTE(Sunder @ Sep 29 2007, 01:51 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->you can only read Islami quotes because the rest are not admitted. I posted a comment which immediately said 'pending approval' and it never turned up on the site..[right][snapback]73699[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->That's Youtube.
However, will you consider posting here what your comment intended for Youtube was? Am very much interested.
<b>ADDED:</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-Shambhu+Sep 24 2007, 03:10 AM-->QUOTE(Shambhu @ Sep 24 2007, 03:10 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I think Shankaracharya is saying the things that he needs to say.. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Pls realize that Hindus have been deceived for centuries by Muslims, Taqqiyah (lying for Allah) is sanctioned in the Koran, and we need to learn some of Mohammed's games too.[right][snapback]73470[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Lying is not acceptable - definitely not in people we consider worthy of looking up to. Shambhu, though your willingness to assume good motives in people is laudable, it may work against you sometime. You have to have high expectations of Shankaracharyas, Gurus et al - as must everyone else. Else we'll end up with fakes.
If good qualities are there, then you may feel certain in defending such people whenever others try to cast dirt on them. However, you must have ascertained that such qualities are there in the first place. (The person in that Youtube video is therefore seriously question-marked still.)
If any actual Shankaracharya wanted to spare muslim sentiment, he can avoid speaking on the matter altogether. (I suppose that's in line with that old adage of "If you can't say something kind, don't say anything at all". Although I don't think such silence has ever served us well.) However, their lying is <i>not</i> okay: knowing the truth while relaying a falsehood is a fault unworthy of any person, most especially where it concerns important matters and affects many people.
For teachers, their speech must be pure, thoughts must be pure and actions must be pure. If they fail in this, they cannot be our teachers nor can they be anyone we look up to for guidance on Dharma or other important stuff.
When identifying people as Dharmacharyas, we <i>have to be</i> unreasonable in our expectations. Never settle for mediocrity or triflers. Those who trifle with Truth will have no scruples about trifling with all else that is sacred - including our futures.
<img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/indiaforum/Who_is_this.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
If the person in that video turns out not to be a Shankaracharya after all, there are some steps one may be able to take.
<!--QuoteBegin-Sunder+Sep 29 2007, 01:51 AM-->QUOTE(Sunder @ Sep 29 2007, 01:51 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->you can only read Islami quotes because the rest are not admitted. I posted a comment which immediately said 'pending approval' and it never turned up on the site..[right][snapback]73699[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->That's Youtube.
However, will you consider posting here what your comment intended for Youtube was? Am very much interested.
<b>ADDED:</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-Shambhu+Sep 24 2007, 03:10 AM-->QUOTE(Shambhu @ Sep 24 2007, 03:10 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> I think Shankaracharya is saying the things that he needs to say.. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> Pls realize that Hindus have been deceived for centuries by Muslims, Taqqiyah (lying for Allah) is sanctioned in the Koran, and we need to learn some of Mohammed's games too.[right][snapback]73470[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Lying is not acceptable - definitely not in people we consider worthy of looking up to. Shambhu, though your willingness to assume good motives in people is laudable, it may work against you sometime. You have to have high expectations of Shankaracharyas, Gurus et al - as must everyone else. Else we'll end up with fakes.
If good qualities are there, then you may feel certain in defending such people whenever others try to cast dirt on them. However, you must have ascertained that such qualities are there in the first place. (The person in that Youtube video is therefore seriously question-marked still.)
If any actual Shankaracharya wanted to spare muslim sentiment, he can avoid speaking on the matter altogether. (I suppose that's in line with that old adage of "If you can't say something kind, don't say anything at all". Although I don't think such silence has ever served us well.) However, their lying is <i>not</i> okay: knowing the truth while relaying a falsehood is a fault unworthy of any person, most especially where it concerns important matters and affects many people.
For teachers, their speech must be pure, thoughts must be pure and actions must be pure. If they fail in this, they cannot be our teachers nor can they be anyone we look up to for guidance on Dharma or other important stuff.
When identifying people as Dharmacharyas, we <i>have to be</i> unreasonable in our expectations. Never settle for mediocrity or triflers. Those who trifle with Truth will have no scruples about trifling with all else that is sacred - including our futures.