Keeping the tradition alive!

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavathas,

The subject seems to have generated some lively responses and i thank and

appreciate the group for the same.At the outset i have mentioned that the need

was not a question and answer but the nature of the subject perhaps had made

this inevitable.

Adiyen is a 1000% believer in the concept so scintillatingly expounded by Sri

Thirumangai Azhwar in 1-1-9 0f Peria ThiruMozhi:

 

Kulam Tharum Selvam Thanthidum Adiyar Padu Thuyar Ayinavellam

Nilam taram seyyum Neel Visumbhu arulum Arulodu Perunilam alikkum

Valam Tharum Marrum Thanthidum Petra Thayinum Ayina Seyyum

Nalam Tharum Sollai Naan Kandukondein NARAYANA ennum Namam.

 

Any doubters on the fringe may be referred to Purusha Sooktham which makes it

clear as to who creates, protects etc.,also lucidly expounded by Azhwars -

Narayanan Padaithan Nanmuganai etc.,From the beginning my focus was not on the

unquestioned Supremacy of Sriman Narayana or on whether we can also worship the

other deities - demi gods or otherwise.

 

I am and have always been concerned more with the exodus of sishyas

and the posting on Sathya Sai was an appropriate channel to ventilate my

feelings.Let me make it very very clear that i am not questioning the concept of

Acharya - Sishya relationship or the fact that the Ramanuja Darsana which

expounds the Visishtadvaitha Philosophy is the only path of Salvation for

mankind as a whole and not just for we SriVaishnavas.

 

But there are very large gaps between precepts and practices and i should know

this having been associated very very deeply with many of our Asramams and Mutts

for nearly 30 years.There is no purpose in saying that we do not deal in the

numbers game as we have to devise methods and systems to at least 'protect' the

existing numbers let alone attract new numbers or new entrants.If the numbers

were to dwindle and become insignificant then we become unable to sustain our

Acharyas and their Institutions.

 

Protecting our temples and thereby our culture/heritage etc., is most welcome

and there are a few charitable trusts who are focussing on that and adiyen will

be willing to coordinate and channelise the efforts and contributions of the

overseas Bhagavathas in this regard either thro' our Andavan Asramam or other

Mutts or thro' these Trusts.

Having said that we still need to make our Asramams and Mutts more secular,

admit all believers, treat all of them alike after giving precedence only to the

priestly classes who help our Acharyas to perform the essential rituals and

thereafter tending to all others on a strictly 'first come first served' basis.

 

There is much hypocrisy involved here and whichever way one looks at it the fact

remains that the Brahminical class strongly opposes the secularisation of these

Institutions but would very much want the contributions from these other

communities.There is a lot to be done in unifying the manner in which our

Asramams and Mutts propagate our Philosophy ( granted that it is the simplest

and the most secular as another Bhagavatha pointed out) as there is too much

discord and petty rivalry here.I am posting these words with tremendous anguish

but with the firm conviction that we the followers of Sri Ramanuja Darsana -

Vadagalai & Thengalai - have to get together before it is too late and evolve a

strict code of ethics whereby we can atleast coexist without much of the

acrimony one finds whenever one opens a religious journal.

 

I can assure you that the next generation is fed up and wants some hard answers

as otherwise we are losing them and will continue to lose them.Of the cuff

replies citing a few individual instances of pleasant experiences or the service

rendered by visiting Bhagavathas do not reveal the true situation wherein

hundreds more(of our people) are not even looking in the direction of our

Institutions.Adiyen knows otherwise as adiyen is now ordained by H.H.Srimad

Andavan to run the temporal affairs of the Asramam. A few thousands assembling

on the special occasions,listening to the ANugraha Bhashanams,collecting a few

lakhs of rupees as Sambavanais, partaking the puliyodharais/sakkarai pongal

etc., do not show the true picture or the state of affairs.

We should act NOW before it is too late.

Srirangam Srimad Andavan Thiruvadi.

RR.