Men have shaven head in a traditional way, with sikha (tuft of hair on the top of one's head). It is pure and practical and it expresses a submission to the Lord and detachment from material world.
Women usually wear long hair in braids. This shows their chastity because in the Vedic culture women untie their hair only in privacy in front of their husbands. Dot between eyebrows (bindi) means that the woman is engaged. Married women aside from bindi also color their parting by red kumkum powder.
Devotees in ISKCON dress in various ways, sometimes traditionally and sometimes in a modern way. Because ISKCON is also a cultural movement, devotees usually dress according to the traditional Vaisnava culture which is the main spiritual stream of Vedic culture in India. Sometimes people think that it is not practical in the West, but devotees feel that in time this traditional position will be appreciated.
When you see for example a policeman in uniform, you immediately know that he is the person who protects you. Devotee dressed in dhoti (saffron or white robe) and with shaven head is such a transcendental policeman whom you can approach with spiritual problems.
Thank to this way of dressing devotees can be easily recognized and people can come to them for spiritual knowledge. In Orient people dress in dhoti and sari (a Hindi word, from Sanskrit sati / zaaTii - SB 9.9.7) for thousands of years.
Saffron, or orange male dress, means the man took a vow of celibacy.
White male dress means he is in the householder order (grhastha) or he prepares himself to become a full-time temple member. Women usually wear colorful saris and jewels.
Vaikuntha Dress Part One Men
http://q.gs/2fAPU
Vaikuntha Dress Part Two Women
http://q.gs/2fAQR
Vaikuntha Dress Part Three Men and Women
http://q.gs/2fAQx
http://ramsss.com/bhakti
No comments:
Post a Comment