Guest guest Posted April 12, 1997 Report Share Posted April 12, 1997 Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group : Sri Jagannathan"s posting and the comments by Sri Sudarshan and Sri Rengarajan 's on the call fo prayers from the minaret connected me to the thoughts expressed recently by Professor Neil Gillman , the chairman of the Philosophy Department of the Jewish Teological Seminary at Manhattan. What he said in connection with the Jewish Religious identity has validity for audiences beyond his immediate one . He identified three options for fully expressing a Jewish religious identity through a careful focus on ritual observances ( Behaviorism ), a devotion to the study of sacred texts ( intellectualism ) , and the pursuit of a personal relationship with God ( Spiritualism ) . ..." our challenge as a religious institution (seminary ) is to struggle for a healthy balance (among the three) and they need to remain in tension ." I found these thoughts universal in scope and apply to all religions . In the context of Sri VaishNavism and other mathams based on the VedAs( Vaidhika Mathams ) , the AachAram , anushTaanam , Aacharya Bhakthi , the svAdhyAyam ( study of sacred scriptures and texts), Divya Desa YaathrA , Bhagavatha sEvaa , involvement in Sathsangam and the various exercises to develop a personal relationship to Sriman NaarAyaNa /Ishta Daivam through the performance of Prapatthi appear to cover the three classifications of one's efforts as " Behaviorism , intellectualism and spirtualism " . Clearly striking of a balance among these three types of efforts would be beneficial for the rapid advancement in one's spiritual journey . V.Sadagopan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.