1997 Thanksgiving day thoughts

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri VaishnavAs of the Bhakthi forum :

 

There is much to give thanks to Srman NaarAyaNA for

bringing all of us together thru the magnificient and

tireless efforts of Sri Mani Varadarajan .

 

There is much to give thanks for the moving postings

of many of our members coming from different

AchArya Paramparais . We are all learning every day and

are having the fruits of Sathsangam in a group , whose

age spectrum spans from teen years to the seventies .

Sober and shrill voices have been heard in this forum

and most of the time it is sober .

 

There is much to give thanks to the insightful assessment

of Srimathi Nagu Satyan , who has tirelessly striven to

serve the needs of the youngsters brought up in this

country and help them share the rich traditions of

our sampradhAyam . Her posting on " AzhwArs and

AchAryAs " is a gem . In that posting , she asks the most

pertinent questions . That posting is like a " breath of

fresh air " after the past few days of discouraging debate

about a subject dealing with AzhwArd and AchAryAs .

Another breath of fresh air is Sri Madhav KaNNan 's

postings on Thiruvaimozhi .

 

I have stayed away from the temptation to join in the current

debate . There is so much "negative energy " invested . Let us give

our deep thanks to Sriman NarAyaNA for giving us the rare

birth as humans and to create in us the thoughts about

Him and His bhagavathAs and their anubhavams . That will

sustain us during our stay on His earth eulogizing Him and

deserving His many blessings and performing kaimkaryams

within the limits of our capabilities that He has blessed us with .

Writing about our treasures is one such kaimkaryam and

the Bhakthi forum provides the opportunity to share our thoughts .

One should strive not to poison this well . Secondary smoke

inhalation seems to be as bad as the primary smoke .

 

The best tribute that we can pay to our AchAryAs is not to denigrate

other AchAryAs and learned scholars , especially when we do not

have the blessings of being familiar with their scholarship and

kaimkaryams. It will not be possible to know them all and

that does not give the license to put them down . These great

souls are not affected by the slings and arrows aimed at them .

This much I am sure !

 

Our Vedams ( both Sanskritic and tamil ) have not been afraid to

ask the most difficult questions . They are not afraid of controversies

and they raise the questions and answer them .

 

Let me give some examples :

 

" I ask as a fool , who knows not his own spirit :

Where are the hidden traces left by Gods ? "

---- Rg Vedam 1 . 164.5

 

" The seers in the beginning , desiring

the excellent and searching the

heavens , embarked upon forever

and concentration "

--- Atharva Veda XIX .41.1

 

" an ocean , verily , is the Word "

-- Panchavimsa BrAmhaNA VII.7.9

 

" wherefrom words turns back , along with the mind,

without reaching the bliss of Brahman "

-- Taittiriya Upanishad

 

" This is Fullness; That is Fullness;

>From Fullness , Fullness arises.

When Fullness is removed from Fullness ,

Fullness still remains ."

BrahadAraNyaka Upanishad V.1.10

 

We can add more from Divya Prabhandham ,

where the AzhwArd in their times of distress

in not having their prayers answered and in their

times of elation , when their Lord responds to them

pour their hearts out .

 

We can also take some comfort from one of

the statements of a great thinker from the West ,

Wittgenstein , " What can n't be known , can n't be

known--- where a gap exists (in knowledge )

there quarrels and disputes exist " . It is better to

reflect on " sarvam kalvidham BrahmA "

( All names are Thy Names and All Forms

are Thy Forms " .

 

In conclusion , let us deemphasize the much

debated exegetical and or doctrinal differences

associated with kalais and focus on Bhagavadh

RaamAnuja Sidhdantham , which is the " mother load "

of Sri VaishNavism . That should be the central

focus of our exchanges in this specail forum .

 

Once again my profound thanks to the Lord for bringing us

all together under the roof of Bhakthi group and keeping us

together as a group .

 

V.Sadagopan