When posting appeals...

[Guest guest]

I have a few suggestions for people posting fund-raising appeals

on behalf of temples and other causes. I hope these make sense

to all.

 

(a) Please do not unnecessarily criticize other temples.

If one does so, please make sure that it is at least

an accurate / valid criticism.

 

To explain: It was written yesterday that the Pomona Ranganatha

temple is the "one and only authentic Sri Vaishnava temple ...

[without] any presence of dEvathAntharam in it in this continent".

 

Does this make Sri Govindaraja Sannidhi in Chidambaram a false

Sri Vaishnava temple? After all, He is resting right next to

Lord Nataraja and Natana Ganapati. What about the various other

Divya Desams praised by Alvars, where there happen to be

another devatA inside?

 

I also consider my local temple as an "authentic" Sri Vaishnava

temple, even though it is called a "Siva-Vishnu" temple. Each

sannidhi has separate dhvaja-stambhas and bali-pIthams, with

separate entrances, much like Chidambaram. The same can be said

for the Malibu temple in Los Angeles, where the proposed Siva complex

is completely removed from Sri Srinivasa Perumaal's sannidhi.

 

Or take Chicago, where a more authentic Sri Vaishnava crowd, with

regular Veda and Prabandha pArAyaNam happens, cannot be found.

Do we have a right to summarily dismiss these various sannidhis

as not being "authentic"?

 

Such statements are very hurtful and counterproductive.

 

Please understand, many things go into making a temple "authentic".

One of the most important is adherence to kramas -- recitation of

Vedas by all at the appropriate time with proper svara (not ad-hoc),

recitation of Divya Prabandham at the appointed time, etc. Every

place has its faults, and no blanket statement can made anywhere.

 

(b) While contributing to any cause in this country, even the Ranganatha

temple, please contribute a matching amount to a cause in India.

 

It is easier to contribute here, where we get immediate tax-deductibility,

and see results right before our eyes. But let's not forget that most of

our temples in India are in shambles, with priests often barely having

enough money to eat, and certainly not enough to educate and take care

of their children. I hear that Sri Parakaala Matham in Mysore barely has

enough money to adorn Lord Hayagriva with flowers every day. Basically,

Perumaal is reduced to being a beggar in many places in India.

 

What I've noticed happening is that we often tend to donate to causes that

are already well off, or not doing that bad, but we pass over those

that are in dire straits.

 

Please, let's not let this happen. If we donate thousands of dollars

to some Sri Vaishnava cause here (which is a good thing), please, let's

send the same amount to the source -- India itself.

 

I hope my words make sense.

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

Mani

[Guest guest]

Dear friends let me make somethings clear here. Long post beware !!

 

Sri Mani wrote :

 

 

Mani Varadarajan [sMTP:mani]

Friday, September 17, 1999 12:15 PM

bhakti

When posting appeals...

 

 

To explain: It was written yesterday that the Pomona Ranganatha

temple is the "one and only authentic Sri Vaishnava temple ...

[without] any presence of dEvathAntharam in it in this continent".

 

Does this make Sri Govindaraja Sannidhi in Chidambaram a false

Sri Vaishnava temple? After all, He is resting right next to

Lord Nataraja and Natana Ganapati. What about the various other

Divya Desams praised by Alvars, where there happen to be

another devatA inside?

 

[Krishna Kalale]

 

Adiyen disagrees with this issue. adiyen was the one who was in the

committee of Sri Ranganatha Temple in Pomona who raised the issue that

"What if we agree to allow another separate prakaram for anya devatas?. If

that is going to accelerate the building of Ranganatha Temple why not?".

With great difficulty and against the ideas of several "srivaishnavas" Sri

Venkat upheld that Sri RAnganatha Temple should not have any other devatha

in the prakarams which is definitely in tune with the pancharathra system.

Of course Govindaraja sannidhi etc. may be exceptions due to a sthala

puranam or some such issue. That is not a common occurence. Adiyen

disagreed with Sri Venkat at that time, but soon realized the value of Sri

Venkat's determination regarding this.

 

Let me explain to you clearly. My acharya HH Azhagia singar told me when

he performed bharanyasam to my then 4 year old son Hrisheekesh, " do not

take your son to anya devatha temples. Avoid anyadevatha samparkam since

it affects one's prapatti". It depends on the maturity of the person in

question here. But I can state confidently that I can take my kids to

Pomona RAnganatha Temple without fear. I myself with the maturity of an

adult, feel "mentally worry free" when I visit Rangantha temple and I I can

clearly state that I dont have to be concerned about my son who loiters

around to different sannidhis. Further, I have to declare with confidence

that I have a divine experierience of steady concentration on

srimannarayana without any distractions; I can take prasadam with peace

and thirthams with peace that it was not offered to someone else. Let me

state it clearly, that during sometimes when I have visited "common

temples" like srimandir in San Diego, I have been subjected to be forced

into difficult situations. Recently, in srimandir a close friend of ours

offered me thirtham offered to "Siva / Parvathi". I usually do not go that

temple, but on certain occasions to meet people or even to lecture on

"srimad bhagavatam" I visit that temple. On this occasion, adiyen was

subject to mental torture since adiyen's acharya had clearly said not to

attend such temples (note: when we explained the situation to HH Azhagia

singar, that on rare occasions we are obliged to go, HH said "do not be a

frequent visitor or a familiar face in such temples just meet someone and

walk out). But adiyen did feel bad for several days that adiyen was

messing with my "son's prapatti" which is a very serious issue. I can

boldly state that such accidents do not happen in Pomona Ranganatha temple,

(thanks to Sri venkat who went against many "Srivaishnavas" and not to

mention other local hindus to uphold this issue

 

Sri Mani Wrote:

 

I also consider my local temple as an "authentic" Sri Vaishnava

temple, even though it is called a "Siva-Vishnu" temple. Each

sannidhi has separate dhvaja-stambhas and bali-pIthams, with

separate entrances, much like Chidambaram. The same can be said

for the Malibu temple in Los Angeles, where the proposed Siva complex

is completely removed from Sri Srinivasa Perumaal's sannidhi.

 

Or take Chicago, where a more authentic Sri Vaishnava crowd, with

regular Veda and Prabandha pArAyaNam happens, cannot be found.

Do we have a right to summarily dismiss these various sannidhis

as not being "authentic"?

 

Such statements are very hurtful and counterproductive.

************************************

Krishna Kalale :

 

Adiyen feels that such temples with both shaivaite and vaishnavite deities

are built in US for ease of raising funds so that no one is left out and

everyone contributes towards the temple. Adiyen disagrees with those

temples for many reasons:

 

1. Adiyen saw a News paper photo with Srivaishnava archakas at Malibu

temple performing puja or helping in the puja of other deities. This

definitely should not be allowed, but it happens since the management of

those temples feel that everyone should chip in to do all sorts of work at

the temple premises and say that "it's their job and they are paid for it".

Adiyen would feel awkward to get anything done such as "devasams " or any

pujas by such priests, Think how awkward they would have felt, who hail

from great "paramaikanti families" back in India and now are subjected to

management's incorrect decisions . All these accidents or problems can

happen in such temples and can be avoided by strict conditions as laid down

in Sri Ranganatha temple at Pomona. Yes it is tougher to build such pure

srivaishnava temples. But it will be definitely worth the trouble.

 

2. One might wonder - what is wrong in being a little "catholic" and allow

other deities etc. or even having photos or murthis of other devatas in

their own homes. Adiyen has seen some srivaishnavas being very catholic

keep murthis or photos of anya devatas in their homes. I am sure that if a

person is mature this is not a big deal; one can understand that they are

parivaras or other bhagavataas or semi bhagavatas of Srimannarayana.

However, in practice this is not true :

 

adiyen met another srivaishnava recently. He told me that he is a

"shiva-vaishnavite" even though he comes from a srivaishnava family. I

asked him why? He replied, "In my family, long long time back in my

grand father's time, we always had a "Vel" (a weapon held by Sri Muruga

(anya devatha). Hence, we always perform pujas to srimannarayana and other

shaivaite deities right at home".

 

Probably, during his Grandfather's time due to so called broad minded

ness such a "Vel" was kept in puja griham with Saligramas together. This

is definitely is wrong according to me. Leave that broad minded (but

wrong) grand father aside; and see what happens to grand kids here. They

will think that " it is ok to do puja to other deities". Further in the

next generations they will not even understand the value of " unakke nam

atsheyvom"( we dedicate to srimmanarayana alone " mere to giridhar gopal

dusra na koi" ( Mira's bhajan). " oru jivan innoru jivanukku tanjam illai"

( one jiva is not sesha to another jiva) etc. All these principles are

thrown in to garbage due to such "broad minded" erroneous practices of the

elders. Please do understand that you are worshipped by your children and

grand children and what you do becomes law to them.

 

In fact such individuals who have such ancestry will be "afraid to death"

to take out that "Vel" out of the puja griham and start a different "pure

srivaishnava puja routine", since they will be thinking " how can I leave a

practise followed by my elders? and who after all is this damn Krishna

Kalale, who is just a modern polluted srivaishnava in America to advise me

against my elders' views? !".

 

Just as a side comment, adiyen was presented with an anya devatah vigraham

when adiyen visited a srivaishnava home just after my marriage. Due to

circumstances, adiyen accepted that vigraham and within days presented it

back to an anya devatha devotee without offending anya devathas. Such a

simple practice will avoid major problems to my next generations who may

wonder where this vigraham came from!

 

 

On the other hand, adiyen agrees with Sri Mani that " veda svarams" have

to be chanted appropriately and cannot be taken lightly. This is true

whether it is in a temple or anywhere else.

 

adiyen Krishna Kalale

[Guest guest]

Sri Mani wrote :

To explain: It was written yesterday that the Pomona Ranganatha

temple is the "one and only authentic Sri Vaishnava temple ...

[without] any presence of dEvathAntharam in it in this continent".

 

Does this make Sri Govindaraja Sannidhi in Chidambaram a false

Sri Vaishnava temple? After all, He is resting right next to

Lord Nataraja and Natana Ganapati. What about the various other

Divya Desams praised by Alvars, where there happen to be

another devatA inside?

 

[Krishna Kalale]

 

Please see my earlier posting on this issue. Here I would like to add an

important issue. In some common temples here where there are separate

prakarams to all deities, bhajans are common; people sing bhajans on all

deities in a common area of the temple. Some of the bhajans of anya

devatas have a haunting tune and one invariably brings them to their minds

and to their homes unknowingly.

 

This, again depends on the maturity of the individual; I have to confess I

dont even like to listen to bhajans or classical music on anya devatas

which often are even philosophically erroneous : for example for all

deities a statement such as "Om kara rupa ....... or moksha daata etc. are

added in the bhajans. These songs or kirthanas are definitely misleading.

 

This is wrong due to many reasons. In rahasya traya sara, such a great

acharya like Sri Vedanta Desika states : " tadiya paryantam tyajyar".

meaning " anya devata samparkam should be avoided to the extent of

avoiding the anya devata worshippers". This is not my statement, Such a

brilliant acharya has made a so called narrowminded statement (according to

modern people who are WRONG). This statement is uttered with definitely a

lot of practical consideration by Sri Vedanta Desika. Please note, that the

same Sri Vedanta Desika is not a biased person by any chance. He states

that "Mahadeva is a great dayalu (kind person) , who resides in Kashi and

teaches Rama taraka mantra to lead people towards Srimannarayana" in I

think samkalpa suryodaya. Sri Vedanta Desika obviously knows not to

overstate or understate the truth that anyadevatas are not Srimannarayana.

 

Again, common temples often puts people in philosophically awkward

situations. This is obviously avoided at Pomona temple NY.

 

adiyen Krishna Kalale