Pseudo Gods etc.

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

True, we have a responsibility to assist the common folks to understand and

appreciate our philosophy and religion, but I personally feel we don't have

to do away with any correct practices in our temples, matams and Ashramams,

just for the sake of attracting more followers. Over time, this will be

counter-productive.

We can raise the awareness through more books, cassettes, CDs, web-sites and

discourses, thereby de-mystifying Sri Vaishnavam.

 

Having said that, we should do everything possible to teach our sons and

daughters the essence of our sampradAyam and encourage them to follow it, by

setting an example. This will prevent existing Sri Vaishnavas from flocking

around pseudo-gurus or cults.

 

Our approach should be, "We understand the right path (meaning, Sri

Vaishnavam) and we will help those interested. We do not seek the ones who

do not want it or those that do not have the time for it."

 

Regards,

Sriram Ranganathan

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Narayanaaya Namaha

 

Dear Members,

 

This is slightly a lengthy message. Adiyen tends to think alike with

Sri Sriram Ranganaathan. Our age old practices which have been set by

our poorvAchAryAs should not be changed for whatever be the reason. Our

tradition is of course the panchakachham and madisaar. However already

there are changes in this as adiyEn sees and so does everybody. Many

bhAgavatAs who do kainkaryam in some divya dEsams, who are grihasthAs,

are coming to the temple in only the Brahmachari type vEshti. I am

seeing this daily in my thiruvallikkENi temple. Also the woman folks

(the "oppavar illA mAdhar" of thiruvallikkENi) have changed to six

yards excepting a very few. adiyEn also do not refute the claim that

many of our Srivaishnava people come to temple in pants and shirts

 

Now if we start relaxing the customs and traditions then everything

will go hayway and the sanctity (I mean only the feeling when one goes

to temple) will be gone if we relax unnecessarily just to invoke some

folks who are going astray. The temple will no longer give the

traditional looks, which, already we have lost a portion due to the

modernisation of many temples, like flash lights, fans and etc.

 

When our poorvAchAryAs have prescribed certain traditions to follow,

there are really reasons for it whether we know or not. We need not

change them. The identity of our sampradhAyam lies only in their

prescriptions. It is only because, these maTams, for example, the

vAnamAmalai maTam or the Ahobila MaTam and all are very strict in

enforcing the traditional values, even today we see many people who are

sishyAs of these maTams come in a traditional way to get the blessings

of the jeeyAr swAmi. These people, some of them adiyEn knows, goes to

temple in pants and shirt, but only panchakachham when they visit their

AchAryan. So our achAryAns are really taking care of the sampradhAyam

in a very right way.

 

As Sri Sriram Ranganathan as pointed out, we need to inculcate these

feelings in our people much in the same way as intended by our

ancestors. It is only then there is a true meaning for the

SampradhAyam.

 

Also as Sri Sriram Ranganathan as pointed out, we will give all these

informations and "sampathu" that our ancestors and poorvAchAryAs have

given us, only to those who are interested. As Swami MaNavAL mAmuni

explains in his great work upadEsa ratna mAlai, " pArulagil Aasai

udaiyOrkkellAm AariyargAL koorumenRu", we will help the ones who are

interested. However to make this happen, we will first create interest

and then help them.

 

Take the muslims for example. They have not at all changed. They still

do the prayer five times a day in which ever part of the world ( I

wonder how many of our people do the SandhyAvandhanam regularly) they

are. They still wear the cap when they go to the namAs etc., So why

only our Sri VaishNavism. It is true that our Sri VaishNavism is like

bamboo stick. It is bending as per everybody's desire. It only makes

the path to salvation very easy. But a change in the basic traditional

values is nevertheless not necessary.

 

If we as parents would have cultivated the habits in our children at a

very tender age and allow them to learn the meanings, the do's and

dont's, and the why's and what for, then where is the question of

those people going astray and following the Sai baba or other such

self styled guru's.

 

Let us atleast take a vow now, before it is too late, that we, in our

generation atleast, give equal if not more and utmost importance to

our offsprings in learning and following our sampradhAyams strictly,

just the way we give importance to their academics for their lowkikam.

 

May the blessings of our divine couples and our esteemed AchAryAs be

with us in doing this for our sampradhAyam to flourish.

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

 

 

Thirumalai Vinjamoor Venkatesh

_____________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________

Pseudo Gods etc.

Author: "Sriram Ranganathan" <srirangan at JPINET

00/08/15 î?îÒ 9:55

 

 

Dear Members,

 

True, we have a responsibility to assist the common folks to understand and

appreciate our philosophy and religion, but I personally feel we don't have

to do away with any correct practices in our temples, matams and Ashramams,

just for the sake of attracting more followers. Over time, this will be

counter-productive.

We can raise the awareness through more books, cassettes, CDs, web-sites and

discourses, thereby de-mystifying Sri Vaishnavam.

 

Having said that, we should do everything possible to teach our sons and

daughters the essence of our sampradAyam and encourage them to follow it, by

setting an example. This will prevent existing Sri Vaishnavas from flocking

around pseudo-gurus or cults.

 

Our approach should be, "We understand the right path (meaning, Sri

Vaishnavam) and we will help those interested. We do not seek the ones who

do not want it or those that do not have the time for it."

 

Regards,

Sriram Ranganathan

 

 

 

--<e|-

Never lose a file again. Protect yourself from accidental deletes,

overwrites, and viruses with @Backup.

Try @Backup it's easy, it's safe, and it's FREE!

Click here to receive 300 MyPoints just for trying @Backup.

http://click./1/6349/5/_/716111/_/966434984/

--|e>-

 

-----------------------------

- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list (AT) eGroups (DOT) com

Visit http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/ for more information