Confession
The
confession takes place in the courtyards of one of the Asrama. It begins
with a short speech of the Samnyasis who sends all non participants out.
Then each and every one comes forwards and they are questioned about their
lapses and whether they have already taken part in a Satsanga Gosthi earlier.
A few answer immediately that they had not committed any lapses and there
upon they are dismissed immediately. Thus no basic sin-consciousness is
expresses here, but only the desire to purify one from the lapses committed.
On this occasion, ethical lapses like killing, lying, stealing, adultery
etc, seem to weigh as heavily as ritual lapses as for instance not to
perform prayers at the correct time or to take something during night
time etc. The Baba admonishes each and every one and makes sure of their
intention, not to commit any mistakes in future. Then he decrees penitences
according to the severity of the act and , apparently, also according
to the final position of the individual manifold performing of Sarana
and Darsana, taking of pavitra (a mixture, which mainly consists of the
urine of a female calf and has a purifying effect) for instance the case
of repeated killing of animals, an expulsion from the community was threatened.
Although ethical and ritual lapses
are reproached equally, a pastoral effort is still clearly discernible
which ascertains the severity of a rituals lapses according to the intention
behind committing it. Thus for instance, some one who had missed the evening
prayer due to a journey by train, but had tried to compensate it on the
next day itself, was reproached far less than someone who had not undertaken
anything like that. Note worthy is the tendency to a uniform social ethics
binding to all, which excludes certain morally questionable professions;
a moneylender who confessed that he had to tell lies often and has to
act firmly against his debtors, was with appropriate penitence, admitted
for this time to the Satsanga Gosthi but in principle hw was given the
option between his profession and the sect's membership. This would be
a new element in Hinduism, which initially does not have any social ethics
binding on all, but prescribes different Dharmas for each individual caste.
For the layman, confession and admission to Satsanga Gosthi means a sort
of second initiation which makes it obligatory on them to observe all
rules quite strictly.
The Samnyasis too have to make a confession
before they are permitted to take part in Satsanga Gosthi. In their case,
all lapses are atoned for much more severely. The penitences consists
as in the case of laymen, of the obligation to perform sarana and darsana
more often and to take pavitra. Besides this, there is also the possibility
to impose fines on them, for which they have to ask their followers and
in doing so have to give an account of their lapses. There is also the
possibility of a temporary or a complete expulsion from the community.
During the last Guru Purnima festival
an Apara Samnyasi was expelled for ever on account of the violation of
the commandment of chastity, a Para Samnyasi was expelled for three years
because he had visited his birth-place and had spent more than one night
in a Tungi. Significantly for the high value attached to the personal
behaviour is the fact that an Apara Samnysi was expelled for one year
because he had beaten a child.
Satsanga Gosthi
Shortly before the next midday, Satsanga
Gosthi takes place: a common meal for all laymen and monks who have been
accepted in the order. Food is cooked by the laymen in the open at an
especially demarcated place and is also taken there. The participants
sit in long rows facing each other. Women form a separate row. The meal,
as well as each meal of the Babas starts with all participants putting
a morsel in the mouth and concludes with the shouting of "Alekha"
and the common expression of joy.
As already mentioned, eating together
by members of different castes depicts a feature of medieval Nirguna Bhakti
and forms a special characteristic of the Jagannatha temple. There Prasada
(literally: "grace") i.e. food offered to the gods, is eaten
by all the pilgrims together irrespective of the castes they belong to.
However, the rite of eating together lost a lot of its original practical
significance, after an entirely free access to the temple was again confined
to the higher castes in the 16th century. The reason why Pradasa can be
taken by all human beings lies in the nature of this food itself which
justifies an exceptional situation. Having been offered to the gods, it
is so pure that nothing can pollute it all. Even if a dog has eaten from
it, it does not lose anything of is divine value. Such exceptions are
mentioned by the Panchasakha, too. To give an example, Nirguna Mahatmya
narrates that the Samnyasi Avaduta had, even though he himself was a Brahmin
of divine parentage, eaten in the house of all castes, since he had become
equal to Visnu through his Brahmajnana and thus he could not be polluted
any longer.
The ritual of Satsanga Gosthi that
can be practiced everywhere and at any time is the attempt to make this
exception a rule for all true believers: the reason, however, is not due
to the purity of food, as in the case of Prasada. Of course, this motive
is there in the reports on the foremost celebrations of Satsanga Gosti.
It is stated that the food of which Mahima Svami had partaken was entirely
pure. The actual reason, in continuation of the thoughts from Nirguna
Mahatmya, however, is due to the nature of bhaktas all of whom stand in
the same relationship to parama brahma after the purification of their
lapses.
Niti
The only form of temple cult recognized
by the Mahima Dharma takes place in the Gaddi Mandira, the seat of the
founder.
In the interior of the Gaddi Mandira,
only the so called Niti Babas, eighteen selected para-Samnyasis are allowed
to enter. They perform here Niti in the morning, at noon and in the evening,
i.e. they open the temple doors, sweep the temple and then go round carrying
a camera and striking gongs. This is an obvious adaptation of the worship
of Jagannatha which is like wise termed as Niti (literally: "conduct"
or "morality") [see Tripathi chapter -15]. In the worship of
Jagannatha, sweeping plays a decisive role: for example on the car festival
the king himself has to sweep in front of the figures of gods (see below
Kulke chapter- 11 and Dash chapter- 12). The cameras are royal requisites
which are like wise among the temple property of Jagannatha. In the same
way, the striking of gongs marks important movements in Jagannatha worship,
for instance, throughout the period the chariots are moving, a lane of
gong striking Brahmins is formed in front of the idols of gods.
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