A few days ago, a cable channel aired a Vanguard documentary about the lack of toilets in India. It was graphic and disgusting to see people defecating outside. This isn't their fault as these people are born into the caste system at the lower levels and destined under 5,000 year old Indian culture to live a hellish life. A lack of toilets for miles won't stop nature's call. Clearly the Indian government has shown little regard for the health and well being of its own people, but we'll see that so have temple priests, too.

In the Vanguard documentary, an Indian doctor stated there are 1.6 billion people in India with 600 MILLION having no access to a toilet.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, India

A recent news story revealed a lawsuit was filed in India, the purpose of which was to confirm stories of hidden treasure under Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. The government ordered an audit of all the vaults under the massive temple which revealed a staggering 11 BILLION dollars in gold, silver, coins, jewelry and previous stones. Then the government declared the treasure will stay right where it is. Some of the vaults under the temple had not been entered in 150 years.

Should we fault the decision of the government for permitting private ownership of the treasure? Clearly this treasure could be used to help millions of Indian people if those who have stewardship over it permitted it.

The most logical question that comes to mind is why one cent of this treasure will not be used to help the quality of life for the Indian people. It may be the ultimate act of hypocrisy.

There is a connection here with the most popular Indian religion of Hinduism. Hinduism is the most prevalent Indian belief system in India and is a part of this huge temple. Yet Hindu is considered as a way of life and nothing more.

Below is a Wiki statement summarizing Hinduism:

"When we think of the Hindu religion, unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one god; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or creed. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more."

If you have a religion with countless compartmentalized gods, no fear and consequences of doing wrong, no sin, no clearly defined dogma, no belief in eternal life and now higher power over everything - then what do you have? Exactly what does "a way of life" really mean? It provides very little impetus for personal improvement or hope.

Yet this "way of life" only seems to conflict with countless statues of gods and god-like figures all across in India. If Hindu followers only see their religion as a way of life, then why have these people expended vast amounts of time, money and talent to carve all these statues and build temples? Why is the huge treasure kept under the temple? What purpose does it serve, why was it hidden from the people and how did it come to be there? We may never hear direct answers to these questions. But we do know that a common control technique in all religions is to require some type of sacrifice, which usually involves money at the very least.

Most likely fear is the origin of 11 billion dollars in treasure, and what stuffs collection plates and baskets in Christian religions. Religions basically serve to control people using fear-based outcomes for disobedience. It effectively is what constitutes control over believers and "keeps 'em coming back for more." Human beings inherently have a greater fear of what they cannot see verses what they can see.

There exists a plethora of illnesses, viruses and bacteria which breed wherever a lack of sanitation exists. Feces inherently have E-coli bacteria and other pathogens. Any doctor will tell you urine itself is sterile when produced by healthy uninfected people, but airborne bacteria quickly breeds on contact with the fluid. A lack of toilets for 600 million Indian people is an utterly disgusting way of life, forced upon the second most populated country in the world. Nearly all of the poorest people in the western world have access to a toilet somewhere.

How temple priests, stewards of an 11 Billion Dollar treasure - can ignore their fellow human beings living in unhealthy damnation is beyond comprehension, regardless of cultural differences. There must be a special place in hell reserved for people like that.

Caring for fellow human beings is a universal principle everywhere on Earth. Even the poorest, most destitute tribes in jungles make visitors feel welcome and help them. So what's wrong with these temple priests?

Ted Twietmeyer

tedtw@frontiernet.net

Sources

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/04/11-billion-treasure-revealed-b

eneath-temple-in-india/comment-page-3/#comment-667594

Vanguard TV documentary "The World Toilet Crisis"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu