aacharya

[Guest guest]

>is. Badri's comments are most apropos in this respect.

>An Acharya is worthy of respect primarily by setting

>the right example for his or her sishyas. Sri Pillai

>Lokacharya and Sri Vedanta Desika explain in detail the

>qualities of a true acharya, emphasizing calmness, devotion,

>and kindness as the principal attributes

 

 

I am almost an illiterate when it comes to the

sri vaishnava writings, but I don't think the above

is an invitation for prospective disciples to test

the acharyas on these attributes. If each random

pupil starts to question the integrity of our acharyas

all we will be left with is chaos.

 

 

-- but never

>do they *equate* the random acharya with the Paramaatma,

>or even an Azhvaar.

 

 

I think you are misreading Jaganathan.

We must treat acharyas words as God's words, not

acharyaas are equal to God. Let me quote madhurakavikaL

again, "dhEvu maRRariyEn." For him nammaazhvaar was God!

 

 

 

-- Dileepan

[Guest guest]

SriRanganatha Shathakopa Yateendra Drishtam Lakshmi Nrsimha Shathajit

Karunaika Patram. Shri Rangavir Raghurat Shathakopa Hrdyam Vedanta

Deshika Yateendra Aham Prapadye. Shrimate Shrivan Shathakopa Shri Vedanta

Deshika Yateendra Mahadeshikaya Namah:.

 

This refers to comments posted by Badri, Mani Varadarajan and Dileepan on

the subject of Aacharyas. At no point did I equate any Aacharya with God

Ramanujacharya or anybody else. All that I said that was that God can and

does act through Aacharyas. Badri said "This man is not fit to be my

Acharya." He made a decision at that point.- which is alright. But he

goes on to say - This man is not fit to carry the mantle of Shri Ramanuja.

At this point he has started to make decisions for Sriman Narayana.

Srimad Azhagiya Singar (the 44th Jeer) held the pontiff of Shri Ahobila

Mutt from 1957 to 1992. This is not a chance occurence because a group of

people in Naimasharanya convinced the then Asthan Pandit to take up the

mantle of Shri Ahobila Mutt as the 43rd Jeer terminated His earthly leelas

without appointing a successor. He was the 44th Jeer because Sriman

Narayana wanted Him to be the pontiff for that period. I was introduced

to Ahobila Mutt by one of the 44th Jeer's disciples at an Iskcon temple

near Washington D C. This disciple preached about the Jeer's greatness

and eventually gave me His photograph and Dhanian. From that time I could

see Him take full charge of my life. He appeared in my dreams regularly

and guided me on till I eventually took Prapatti and Samashrayam from Him

on July 1st 1991.

 

When I arrived in Srirangam (my first visit to the holy town) He was out

of station. Later on He had come back but was taking rest. I eventually

got to see Him in the evening. I prostrated (though I was ignorant of

Srivaishnava ways I knew enough not to touch Him). He gave me Akshata and

his shishyas requested Prapatti on my behalf. He said He had no objection

if I came with a shikai. I went back later that evening to request Him to

allow me to take a picture of Him. Even though He was relaxing in an easy

chair and was 97 years old at that time, He got up put on His various

beads, took up His Tridanda and posed for me on His bed.

 

So much for calmness.

 

I do not need to will not be in a position to extoll His devotion.

Suffice it is to say that He immediately acted upon Sriman Narayana's

instructions to build the Raja Gopuram when he was 84 years old. When

people tried to dissuade Him saying this project was not feasable for

various reasons, He replied "That Old Man has instructed This Old Man to

build the Gopuram. Therefore it has got to be done." Some of the funds

collected was used to bribe officials to get permits cement etc to build

the Gopuram I am told. He is reported to have told tax officials that

without such bribes the corrupt govt officials would not have given the

necessary permits. The only consideration for Him at that point was to

build the Gopuram because that was Bhagavan's instructions. I do not

vouch for the correctness of construction and bribery story. But I

do vouch for His statement about Narayana telling Him to build the

Gopuram. His single minded purpose in serving God is seen here.

 

Even though I had been warned about His temper nothing absolutely nothing

could have prepared me for the experience I was to have the next day at my

Samashrayam. It appeared to me that I was chosen for more rebuke (term

used mildly) than anyone else. I was so much overawed by His personality

and power behind His voice that I could not do what He wanted me to do.

He said "Kaiyi Kattinda Nille." Instead I folded my hands in prayer. He

got even more angry at this. During my prapatti, He asked us to do an

Ashtakshara Pranayama. Not knowing what a Pranayama was at that time I

held my fingers to my nose as everybody else did and mentally chanted

Ashtakshara 28 times. He asked me "How could you finish so quickly?

Young children these days no absolutely nothing." I am not able to

express His tone or How it made me quiver. But I had already experienced

how he had protected me from every difficult situation in my life in the

previous two years and some rebuke was not going to change my mind about

who my Acharya was to be. Later on during Prapatti He instructed us to be

looking at Perumal while he chanted the mantras. I ignored this

instructions and chose instead to stare at His Divya Padas. Later on when

I looked up our eyes met momentarily and I only saw in them the kindest

pair of eyes looking at me with so much of love and affection. I try to

meditate on those eyes when I chant His mantra.

 

I used to find fault with everything I read about scriptures and religion.

That no longer happens after my prapatti. For me it was only through His

divine Grace that Sriman Narayana, all the Azhwars and Ramanujacharya and

Vedanta Deshikar's blessings were manifest. I share this experience with

over 30,000 other disciples.

 

I am reminded of Krishna's instructions in the Geeta to get to the stage

of being immune to pairs of opposites like heat and cold and flattery and

insults. To me tolerating the Rebuke was my price for opening my

spiritual eyes. If I am headed toward Moksha today it is because I

cherished that rebuke and took it as Prasadam. Sri Krishna also

instructs in the Geeta that "Even if His devotee performs the most

abominable act, He should still be considered saintly as Krishna will

personally take care of correcting the situation." If this applies to

ordinary devotees then what to speak of Avatara Purushas?

If Ramanujacharya is above rebuke then how do you explain that He sent His

wife home telling her that her father had sent for her when her father had

done no such thing? Can we imagine what it would be like to go and tell

bride that had just been looted by Tirumangai Azhwar that He is an Azhwar

and one of Narayana's greatest devotees]

 

Vedanta Deshikar writes that the difference between a Mukta and a Baddha

Jivatma is as great as between a Nitya and a baddha. So it is beyond the

scope of a baddha to judge an Acharya by rational means. The only way is

to pray to Narayana or Ramanuja to send us the right Acharya. When He

comes we will know that He is the Acharya for us.

 

I conclude this with a quote from Kulasekhara Azhwar who says that just a

child that has been rebuked by his mother for doing something wrong still

goes to her for comfort, in the same way I will still go to the feet of

Narayana for comfort when he chastises me. In my case Narayana chastised

me through my Guru and thus removed much Karma that I would otherwise have

had to suffer through before obtaining my current level of realization.

 

Jaganath