A ? On Contemplative Meditation In Visishtadvaita

[Guest guest]

I wish to know, in good detail, about the tradition of

contemplative meditation and philosophical reflection

in the lineage of Visishtadvaita and Srivaishnavism.

Can someone help?

 

P.Srinivasan

 

 

 

Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and

Music Charts

http://uk.my.

[Guest guest]

I am also interested in knowing the same. Different schools talk about

different kinds of meditation. Is there some specific method suggested or

prescribed by our aharyas.

 

regards

 

arun anant

-

Parthasarathy Srinivasan <psrinivasan99

<bhakti-list>

Wednesday, November 28, 2001 12:13 PM

A ? On Contemplative Meditation In Visishtadvaita

 

> I wish to know, in good detail, about the tradition of

> contemplative meditation and philosophical reflection

> in the lineage of Visishtadvaita and Srivaishnavism.

> Can someone help?

>

> P.Srinivasan

>

>

>

> Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email

and Music Charts

> http://uk.my.

>

>

> -----------------------------

> - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

> To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list

> Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear srinivasan,

 

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

You wrote :-

 

I wish to know, in good detail, about the tradition of

contemplative meditation and philosophical reflection

in the lineage of Visishtadvaita and Srivaishnavism.

Can someone help?

 

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

 

The question is a Good one.I will try my best to

answer your question according to Visishtaadvaita

school of thought.

 

Acharya Sri.Ramaanujacharya,one of the greatest

exponent of Visishtaadvaita philosophy has answered

this question in his Vedarthasangraha and Sribhashya.

 

Sri.Ramanuja opts the view that knowledge is very

important,much more than mere work or karma to realise

Brahman.The Upanishadic statements to this effect are

 

1."Brahmavit Brahmiva bhavathi" i.e One who "Knows"

Brahman becomes brahman

2. One who is desirous of attaining the highest should

"know" Brahman.

Likewise there are many such statements stressing the

importance of "Knowing" Brahman.

 

Now,there are also statements which tell that Brahman

is to be "meditated upon and mere knowing or exercise

of intelligence is futile in realising brahman".

 

For example :-

 

He is to be meditated upon (Brihadaranyaka upanishad)

The atman is attained by the person whom the atman

chooses and is not attained by mere works,exercising

intelligence and too much study of the scriptures.

This is told in katha upanishad by yama to nachiketa.

Similar thoughts can be seen in Srimad Bhagavad geetha

11th and 18th chapter.

 

To reconcile such an issue,Sri Ramanuja is of the view

 

that "Knowing" means "Meditation of the form of

Bhakti" as this earns the "Grace" of the Lord or

Brahman which is the most important factor for

realisation of Brahman himself.

In other words to be choosen by the atman i.e

Brahman,the person desirous of attaining Brahman

should

have some special quality worthy of recognition and

consequent descent of Brahman's Grace on that

aspirant.

This special quality itself is the Bhakti of the

person

towards the lord.Bhakti in turn is a loving(i should

say "adoration" as Sri S.S Raghavachar puts it

)contemplation(This includes theoritical knowledge of

Tattva trayas i.e Isvara,cit and acit and a sincere

attempt of the aspirant to live such an understanding)

on the supreme by the aspirant to such a degree that

the aspirant develops a state of mind that his mind

easily goes to thoughts of God and finds pleasure only

in such thoughts along with a intense longing to see

and be with god.

 

Such a state of mind wherein the aspirant cannot

sustain himself without god causes the descent of

Grace of god which unites him with God or Brahman

himself.

 

In short mere meditation or continuous philosophical

reflection related only to intellect is futile in

knowing Brahman.It is meditation of the form of Bhakti

which involves both head and the heart that earns the

grace of Brahman that is rightly understood as

"Knowing".

 

With the above understanding if we analyse the life of

Sri Ramanuja,Sri Vedanta desika and other Bhagavathas

we will appreciate this meaning of meditation.

 

Any errors above are mine and comments are welcomed.

 

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu

Suresh B.N.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Shopping.