Is this list serving any purpose?

[Guest guest]

sri:

Dear Deovtees of Lord, Sriman Narayana humble pranams:

 

This list is a great resource for those interested in learning,

there can be other lists, but not as a duplication of Bhakti

 

Other lists can serve focussed teachings, like Sri VachanaBhushanam,

Mumukshupadi, Tatvathrayam etc.

 

bhakti-list is THE general list for all SriVaishnavas.

 

We need to start a focussed learning and dicsussion for the following :-

Let bhakti-list be a place for these :-

> o Veda and Vedanta, particularly the principal Upanishads

> o Bhagavad Gita

> o Brahma-Sutras

> o Sri Ramanuja's commentaries on the above

> o Sri Ramanuja's Three Gadyas and the Nitya

> o The Alvars' Divya Prabandham and their commentaries

> o The works of Yamunacharya (Alavandar)

> o Sri Vishnu Sahasranama and other important parts

> of the Mahabharata

> o Sri Ramayana

> o Vishnu Purana

 

Please do not think of closing this list, there are many devotees who

are silent listeners and are benefitting from a open list as this one.

 

You have been a strong moderator and this helps the community.

 

 

azhwAr emperumAnAr JeeyAr thiruvadigalE sharanam

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi

http://www.radioramanuja.com

[Guest guest]

Dear ShrI Mani & BhagavatOttamAs:

 

I think the sv-ritual sub-group is very well used. Now coming to the

bhakti-list, I do not think its scope and subject matter is directly

competing with other lists. I can only trace the lack of contribution to

the following. Basically, we are overwhelmed with information. Added to

that there are tele-lectures, innumerable web-sites, Tele-stOtra classes and

so on and so forth. These things unfortunately leave little time for any

worthwhile contribution to the bhakti-list that requires deep and sincere

study on the part of the contributor. As is always the case in all walks of

life, this of course does not apply to some of the gifted members whose

contributions we continue to enjoy.

 

Also in a lighter vein, Adiyen mentioned sometime ago that with all the new

rules the Bhakti list has become like a public television station.

 

One way of generating healthy and lively discussions would be to re-post

some of the good articles from the archives that the moderator would

consider worthwhile revisiting.

 

dAsan

 

Vijayaraghavan

Buffalo, NY

 

>

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

> - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

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

>Group Home: bhakti-list

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

>

>

>Your use of is subject to

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Fellow Members,

 

I am forwarding other notes sent privately in response

to my question.

 

-------

 

Dear Sri Mani Varadarajan:

 

Thanks very much for asking the reading public

about their feelings about the restructuring

of the Bhakthi List charter and guidelines for

submission of articles .I will venture to offer

some personal observations.

 

Here are my well meant comments as one , who has been

priveleged to take an active part in posting

articles in the Bhakthi list from June 1995 - March 8 ,2002:

 

1. Bhakthi List is the spark of many e-groups

dealing today with topics on SrI Vaishnavam. All of us owe you

enormous thanks for keeping this as a forum to

bring together BhakthAs around the world to get to know

each other , build sath sangams and feel rejuvenated

about their rich heritage. I have seen enormous transformations

in the individual lives of Members as they expanded

their awareness of our rich Darsanam and sampradhAyam.

It has been a pretty tolerant group and has been

managed to stay that way. Bhakthi List has an important

role to play.The question is : What can one do to

provide a personality to it along the lines that you

intutively came up with under tremendous time pressure of

some sort .

 

BHAKTHI LIST NEEDS TO THRIVE AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY

OF SRI VAISHNAVA KUDUMBAM .THE REDEFINITIION OF ITS

SCOPE AND GOALS IS A WORTHWHILE THING TO DO WITH

THE KIND OF READER INPUTS THAT YOU HAVE INIITATED.

 

Comments:

*********

1. The rules imposed from the top --without consultation of

a few resource people-- were hastily concieved , even if it

was meant to create some order from the chaos of the list

being every thing to every body. At this time , it is my

humble opinion , Bhakthi list is too restrictive .

The minute and probably untenable classifications

(sv-poetry , ritual , general) of today is artificial .

 

2. I can appreciate your reverence for AchArya RaamAnujA

and the logic for separation of the contributions along

Pre-RaamAnujA time frame and Post-RaamAnujA time frame.

It is not such an easy boundary to hold .

 

3. You should define strict rules on fund raising appeals

and sthala purAnams etc that you have indicated. I support

it. There are other places for them.

 

4. You have to reexamine the policy on Multiple

postings across many lists. I am seriously considering

limiting myself to release in fewer groups and only if

the moderator asks me to .

 

4.Regarding topics , When you focus solely on SrI BhAshyam

and other complex Sri Sookthis, you will find that you have

reached heights of understanding that are too rarefied .

Very few people can comprehend such topics without

rigorous training. You may or may not agree with me

on this point. Hence , introductory postings are needed

as generated by Post-RaamAnujA AchAryas for our benefit.

 

4. There is a general feeling , correct or not that

you are personally are not in favor of the works of specific

AchAryA(s) . That has turned off a few people . They felt

unwelcome and tok off to form other groups. Jury is still

out on the judgement about the relevance and usefulness

of these groups .They will have to change too based on

the audience needs .

 

5. There are some groups that want to establish a record

on the largest membership drive . Bhakthi group did not

need to do it, since it happened as a result of reader

interest. This is the proof positve of the value-add

of Bhakthi List before the changes.

 

In conclusion , I would like to see a restructured Bhakthi group

with fewer restrictions and a refined version of its goals

and missions based on audience input. This has just started

and will prove valuable.

[Guest guest]

:>}Dear members Namaskaram-s,

 

Shriman Mani's question speaks volumes about his great

 

dedication and decency; I feel this highlights his

humility and it perhaps leads all of us to do

effective introspection.

 

He even wrote "please be open and frank"! I am frankly

and openly putting my personal views.

 

Whoever could forget the enormous 'knowledge-rich'

discussions by erudite scholars, elucidating greatness

of Hindu Dharma and the kindness of Sriman Narayana

through the grace of the great Acharya Parampara.

 

Personally it opened for me those great doors of our

'knowledge and devotion granery' for my understanding,

helped me go nearer, wonder at and enjoy the beauty of

the hymns and scintillating accounts of the Lord.

 

I have benefitted immensely beyond imagination and so

are many of my friends who echo the same views.

 

Perhaps, perhaps "inclusiveness" which is absent [some

hurtful remarks are made->questionable name calling of

other Hindu-s as "cultists"] could be reviewed?

 

There need be no 'fears' towards creative

discussions--

["will it lead us astray/will we go out of bounds if

we permit openness" etc ]. It only could strengthen

us.

 

We can clearly define our limits in consonance with

'purpose-focus', 'tolerance limits','knowledge

enhancement' and "not being hurtful nor indecent to

anyone " etc. A little relaxation could be thought of

in the overall framework of our rules.

 

The list is definitely serving its noble purpose

undoubtedly.

 

Thanks

Murukambat Mani

 

Mani Varadarajan

There hasn't been much activity lately on the

> Bhakti List.

> Presumably this is because of the new guidelines I

> put in place earlier this

> year, and because of the proliferation of various

> Sri Vaishnava email

> discussion groups, each of which have their own

> focus.

> Given that this is the case, are the Bhakti List

> and related groups

> serving any useful purpose? I mean this as a serious

> question and not a

> rhetorical one. There is no need for this group to

> exist if members aren't

> deriving any benefit from it. It may be that the

> other groups are more than

> adequately satisfying the needs of Internet-aware

> people interested in Sri

> Vaishnava religion and philosophy.

> Or, perhaps the guidelines I put in place are too

> restrictive? I

> may have put the cart before the horse, but I would

> appreciate public

> comment on where members want to take this group and

> what they envision as

> its purpose. Please be open and frank. Thanks, Mani

>

>

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

>

>

>

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

> - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

> To Post a message, send it to:

> bhakti-list

> Group Home:

> bhakti-list

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

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

- Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup

http://fifaworldcup.

[Guest guest]

Dear Mani,

I completely agree with Sri Vishwanath. This list and my association with

its members have significantly influenced my understanding of the Sri

Vaishnava philosophy and the rich literature of dhivya prabandham. I can't

think of this group closing down. I have expressed some of my thoughts about

the reasons for reduced activity and some suggestions.

 

We have been seeing a proliferation of new discussion groups and that

could be the reason for lesser activity in bhakti-list. I don't think that

the stricter guidelines are alienating the regular contributors. In fact, it

helps maintain the decorum of this group.

 

But in an effort to circumscribe the discussions, you have generally

restricted any postings on the post-ramanuja works unless they are directly

referenced to to Ramanuja's works. This could be a turnoff for some

contributors. While moderating the postings and making sure that they are

respectful and decent, we could relax those restrictions a little bit.

 

The idea behind logically partitioning the postings and creating separate

groups (sv-poetry, sv-rituals...)for each is good. But that could also

result in dividing the attention and eventually the user loses track of the

different groups. Rather than having many such individual groups, we could

have sv-poetry and bhakti-list merged together. We could also merge the

sv-general, sv-rituals and sv-lectures together. There will just be two

groups (bhakti-list and sv-general) and all the current bhakti-list members

will be made members of sv-general as well.

 

Like Sri Ramkumar has suggested, we could take up postings of tutorial

nature. Some learned members could post a series of articles (not more than

2 or 3 at a time). Other members shall ask questions, clarify doubts and

generally embellish the discussions. And the series shall be throttled by

the user interaction. That will be a more healthy way of learning new

things.

 

Azhvar, Emberumanar, Acharyan thiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

adiyEn,

-Viji

(Vijay Triplicane)

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr. Varadarajan:

 

I hope your question does not lead to closing of this

very useful group. I came to this group as an

agnostic and in the short period of a year and a half,

I have turned almost 360 degrees to be a firm believer

in the tenets of our acharyas, the true meaning of

devotion and the purspose of complete surrender to the

Supreme being, Sriman Narayana. We have learnt how to

tolerate differing views without giving up our staunch

faith. I also learnt to respect other views without

giving up the great truths revealed by our great

Acharya. Please do not ever doubt the efficacy of this

group and the immense benefit it bestows on lesser

beings like me. Your laying down the rules and limits

for this group was timely and I do not think that

should hinder any of our discussions as before. My day

is never complete without going through the questions

and discussion on the Bhakti list adn I am sure there

are several like minded people like me in this group.

[Guest guest]

Hari Om. I too would like to add a few lines to what the other devotees

have said, especially my young (chronologically that is, but spiritually

far advanced) friend Ms. Kalaivani. We have all learnt a lot from this

group. And since I am a Smartha by birth, I am open to worship of all Gods

and Goddesses. They are all manisfestations of the same Absolute, Ultimate

Principle. I also submit that most of us (with me at the head of the list)

are far removed from the advanced precepts of Dwaita, Visishtadwaita or

Adwaita. What is common to all the three principal philosophical streams is

Bhakti. And Dear Mani, our group is aptly called Bhakti-list. So let us

focus on the 'COMMON' aspects of Bhakti, leaving aside esoteric aspects,

which can be discussed in more specialised forums.

 

I would certainly request that the group continues. Om Namo Naryana.

 

Swamy Swarna