From: gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal)
Subject: Re: why satti is practiced
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 10:05:15 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.222610.16288@cs.wayne.edu> uds@parvathi.cs.wayne.edu (Seetamraju) writes:
>In article <1992Aug18.043410.9328@tamsun.tamu.edu> gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal) writes:
>>Now for your questions.  I don't have any problem with path#1. 
>>Path#2 & #3 is sucide and one must always try to prevent a person from 
>>commiting sucide. Who knows, once the person cools down, that person
>>may begin a whole new life. But if the person is hell bent on 
>>commiting sucide, then nothing in this world can stop that person
>>from doing so. However, it is our duty to see to it that the person 
>
>Your view that a person killing himself is committing a
>`bad' thing is a western concept, where life is a god's
>gift, that westerners consider too holy to discard.
>But in Hindu thought, there is nothing stopping a person
>to end `THIS' life.  (I repeat THIS life), so that he can
>start off in his `NEXT' life....
>

And why should not that person enjoy both THIS life and the NEXT
life (if one exists). As I said before, if the person is convinced 
that there is nothing left for her in this life, then there is 
nothing to stop him from commiting sucide. But at least we must 
make an attempt to show a person that even THIS life may yet have 
some new openings for her. Who knows...the remaining part of THIS
life may even be better than the NEXT life. 

>>not be permitted to set an example for others to follow the same 
>>sucidal path. Sati however is not commited like a simple sucide. It 
>>is preceded by all sorts of religious extravaganza  which diefies 
>>the victim and thus sets a dangerous example for others. More 
>>importantly, the sati victim does not always use path#2 & #3. 
>>Brainwashing by the society can convince an illiterate & emotionally 
>>disturbed girl to commit sati. In that case it is not sucide but 
>>murder. Nothing can justify cold blooded (for the victim--hot blooded) 
>>murder.
>
>You still havent told me why sati is bad, which is waht you
>mentioned in your original posting.  In choice # 3, the
>woman, is joining her husband either in heaven, or in the
>next of the series of 7 lives, that a loving wife and husband
>are supposed to live together.

Didn't you read my above paragraph? It clearly says that Sati 
is not just a simple personal sucide but a GLORIFIED one. That only 
serves to indoctrinate other future widows into believing that 
they will join their husbands and be glorified etc. by commiting 
sati. If this is not bad, then what is ?!

>If you have no respect for such hindu concepts, then I shall
				----------------
>terminate this thread with this.  Because, I am not going to
>spend time trying to convince a `foriegner'.
>				-----------
For one, I don't believe sati is a hindu concept applied to all
hindus. I consider Hinduism as a potpourri (sp?) of several 
different cultures with some common underlying base. But Sati 
is not one of those fundamental concepts of Hinduism. 

Second, EVEN IF it was an intrinsic part of Hindu culture all 
over India, I would have no respect for it. All the great swamis
and hindu intellectuals have for centuries been modifying Hinduism.
Why should we consider hindu codes as having been cemented a couple 
of centuries ago. Just because we do not wear a saffron garment or 
carry a tribhuj, does it mean that we have no right in the reformation 
of Hindu society?

Something tells me you find sati as disgusting as I do. Are you 
playing some kind of game here.... perhaps to see how far you 
can challenge a non-traditional outlook ? Its the use of the word
'foreigner' that makes me wonder if you are simply egging me on. 
Almost everybody on the net condemns sati. Are they all foreigners ?
(Actually we really are foreigners here :-) ). 


regards,
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