Basic vishishtadvaita

[Guest guest]

I have been requested to write a short artcal on Sri Ramanujacharya-His life,

works and Philosophy. The audience will be general Hindu public settled in the

Greater Columbus, Ohio. I specifically request clarification on the following:

 

1. Is it right to say that we can rationalize Vishishtadvaita by saying that

the individual souls are cups of water and Narayana is lik immeasurable occean?

Advaita would imply that both the cup of water and the immeasurable occean

are one and the same. Dvaita would say, that the cup of water and the occean

are different. Mayavadis would say both the cup and water is an illusion. and

the

only Nirguna Brahman is reality.

 

2. Is it right to say that Vishishtadvaita is a compromise between Advaita and

Dvaita Philosophies?

 

3. Advaita and Maya Vada are not interdependent? By that I mean they can stand

alone as different philosophies.

 

4. In a broader sense, is it right to say that Christianity, Islam, and

Judaism are Dvaita (Dualistic) philosophies:Whereas Buddhism and Jainism are

Advaita (Non-dualistic) philosophies?

 

5. Prapatti follows naturally for Vishshtadvaitins, because of the realization

that we are scaled down entities of that unscalable Sreeman Narayana.

Concept of Prapatti is almost contradictory to Advaitis and Maya Vadis.

For Dualists(Dvaitis), Prapatti is possible, may not be natural. Because

it is always difficult to naturally surrender to an alien (We and God are

different) even if the alien is GOD!

 

If you wish to respond to my questions only to me, you may do so by e-Mailing

to: Sreekrishna

 

Thanks for your help

Sincerely, K. Sreekrishna.