social service and SrIvaishNavam

[Guest guest]

First my pranaams to all.

 

I have been reading all the mails related to the topic. I would like

to share my views on this. If my views drastically differs from many

in the list my apologies.

 

First I want to separate the two issues here- social service and

SrivaishNavam, since the connection is in the attitude of the server

and not in the service.

 

A human being is said to have incurred three fundamental R^iNa-s or

obligations. (a) Deva R^ina, (b) pitR^i R^iNa and © Acharya R^iNa.

This is universally applicable irrespective of whether one is a

SrivaishhNavate or not.

 

Deva R^iNa is fulfilled by returning back (with interest) what have

been given freely to each of us. Krishna discusses this aspect

beautifully in the Third chapter of Giita. Deva means the one who

gives. Our scriptures have personified all the phenomenal forces in

the form of deities. A mother's womb is provided with all the

nourishments when we were still growing up from unicellular to

complex human being. As soon as we came out of the womb in a

helpless state, there is milk available that is conducive to our

growth, air to breath, water to drink, abundant fruits and

vegetables in the nature - the nature always gives in abundance. It

is we with selfishness and greediness try to destroy this nature

disturbing the ecology. Here deva includes the nation that gave us a

birth and shelter - that includes where we have grown and where we

are living- most of us the Bharat Maata, mother India, by providing

the education and the supporting society for us to grow as healthy

and intelligent human beings. It is said that our country spends

thousands of Rupees in one form the other in educating us. Returning

back to the society with interest is what Deva R^iNa is all about.

It is an obligation and not really a service that we need to do.

What I have is His gift and what I do with what I have is my gift

back to Him. What I can give my best, whether physically,

financially, intellectually and/or morally is what I have to give

back to the society. Service is in the attitude with which I return

what I borrowed or used from the society. When I borrow money from

the bank for mortgage and when I start paying back monthly, I am not

really serving the bank - Paying back what I borrowed is not a

service but a duty - It is not for name and fame but fulfilling an

obligation. Hence it is called Dharma which involves karma. Since

unlike the bank the society does not demand, when I fulfill my

obligation, I should have proper attitude of a servant - Hence

correct attitude what society really is puts a proper frame of mind

in fulfilling my obligation to the society. That is where

SrivaishhNavam can help for a SrivaishhNavate.

 

PitR^i R^iNa is the obligation to the parents and the fore-fathers.

If we look back, we can recognize how much of personal sacrifices

they have made in order to bring us up as decent human beings.

pitR^i R^iNa is not just propagating the species- any animal will do

that. What is involved is to pass it on the culture and tradition

that our fathers and fore-fathers have passed it on to generations to

come. Traditions and culture, one need to understand. When we

understand we adopt them to the changing society and times, without

loosing sight of the spirit behind these. If we do not understand

them we blindly follow out of sentiments rather than from the spirit.

That is the time when most of the rational youngsters revolt seeing

things we do without understanding why we do what we do. Some argue

that even if we do not not understand we need to follow - like child

does not need to know why some thing is good for the child, it is

enough if he follows the instructions of his mother. That is true as

long as we remain as a child. But when the rational intellect starts

questioning, it becomes important to understand and then follow what

is to be followed and reject what is to be rejected.

 

Hence the fulfilling these obligations involved correct understanding

and adopting to the needs. We as Hindus have been blessed with

traditions and culture that our fore-fathers have passed it on to

generations to come. It becomes our obligation to study them, learn

and understand and pass it on to the next generation. If you go to

India and observe, one can see how rapidly the young society is

getting degraded by the disco music and with A to Z-TV. What can one

do to arrest this degradation - If we do not act, we fail in our

obligation to our fore-fathers.

 

The last one is Acharya R^iNa. This is not just physical service to

the teacher nor just doing paada puuja or paaduka puuja. These are

symbolic and important to set a proper frame of mind, but not all in

all. What is involved is 1) to understand the teachings and put that

into practice and 2) pass on the knowledge gained from the teacher to

next, by setting ourselves as examples. Our life itself should be a

teaching to our children, because children learn from what we do than

what we teach them to do. If we teach them not to lie but when we

ourselves lie then it is hypocrisy. They also learn just that.

Hence aacharya R^ina is not simple - one has to do aachaarya or

practice what we have learned. Here also it is not blindly following

some rituals - it is leaning, understanding and adopting the essence

of the teaching. Otherwise we will be passing it on only time-rotten

sentimental values than knowledge that is the essence of the

teaching. One should have sentiments but one should not be

sentimental. That will cloud the intellect.

 

Now coming back to service, if we do our three obligatory duties that

itself is the service. But to have the correct attitude of service,

we need to have a proper frame of mind. For that we need to bring

Iswara into picture. Then only karma or dharma becomes a yoga,

yoking the mind to the higher. This is where Srivaishnavam will

help. Vishnu means one who pervades everything. In every action,

three things are involved - kartaa, karma and kriya. He pervades

all. If I have the correct understanding of the nature of the Lord,

then I will have proper attitude in my obligatory duties. As a kartaa

- I should have an understanding that whatever I am able to do is

only because of His grace and His presence in me. Since action

involves my interaction with the world around where He pervades, I

should recognize His presence all around. Every set up or scene of

action involves, besides myself and the changing environment, and His

changeless presence. Hence I cannot get away from His presence even

if I want to! Every obligatory action becomes a prayer to Him

provided I have that understanding that He pervades everything. How

can I be mean to anybody, jealous of any body, unkind to anybody or

should I say any being - Yo mam pasyati sarvatra, sarvanca mayi

pasyati, tasya ahma na praNasyaami sa cha me na praNasyati. Who sees

Me everywhere and who sees everything in Me, He will never be away

from Me or I from Him. If I have that understanding, then all my

duties become a prayer to Him - In that case whatever I do, I will do

my best since it is offered as kainkaryam at the feet of the Lord.

That is where Srivaishnavam comes since He is sarva vyaapakaH

vishhNuH. I am a father, mother, son, brother, sister, neighbor,

employee, citizen etc- these are the changing roles that I play

everyday and during my life time. But He is also there in every role

behind the scene. My relation ship with my daughter, son, wife,

husband, brother and employee are temporal but in all these

relationships there is a fundamental relationship that remains in all

these relationships and that is my relationship to Him - I cannot but

be a full-time devotee. My devotee relationship is not temporal

since He is there in every relationship. Hence when I play the role

of a husband - I am a husband plus a devotee - devotee plus husband

becomes a devoted husband. Devotee plus a son becomes a devoted son.

A devoted brother, a devoted neighbor, a devoted employee and a

devoted citizen. Every role I play becomes devoted play that

involves kainkaryam to the Lord as a devotee. That means I have to do

my best in every action. That is when all my obligatory duties

become not just duties but service to the Lord. Lord does not need

our service, but it is my obligation to pay back my three R^iNa-s and

my attitude in the action makes it as a service to the Lord. It is

the understanding and recognition that reflects in my attitude in

performing my obligatory actions or duties.

 

I become a true vaishnavate when I recognize His presence and perform

all my obligatory duties as service to Him. That, as I understand,

is the essence of charama slokam too.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

 

 

--

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

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