[t'venkatam] Brahminical mutts

[Guest guest]

Dear AasthikAs :

 

Both Srimans Sriram and Sadagopan IyengAr have given

outstanding responses on what a True AchAryA's invaluable

contributions are .

 

The Great AchAryAs are compassionate , Scholarly ones and they have chosen

SanyAsAsramam to help all of us , who are floundering in the forests of

SamsAram . They use their knowledge of SaasthrAs and Sath SampradhAyam

to guide us out of the miseries of day to day life and help us develop Bhagavath-

Bhaagavatha Kaimkarya Ruchi and VairAgyam . They instill in us reverence for

our ancient heritage and Vedic traditions .

 

It is not their business to run around delivering social and Medical sevices.

They are ill qualified to do this since it is more the duty of elected officials

with social contracts to improve the quality of life of the poor and underserved

in a material sense .

 

We know what these politicians have done after a lot of empty promises

besides enriching themselves .

 

Should the AchAryans compete with these politicians and Philanthrophists ,

who have accumulated their money by fair and unfair means ? My answer is NO .

The AchAryans will be swerving from their SanyAsa dharmams , if they get

distracted in to these show projects for the sake of putting their Matams name

in the lime light and marquees .

 

What they do is to inculcate in the minds of their sishyAs the concepts of service to

BhagavAn and all His children . The TVS Family , the Dalmias and a host of

other well to do sishyAs go implement these AchArya UpadEsams and create

institutions like Hospitals , Clinics , GosaalAs , feeding of the poor etc .

 

The role of an AchAryA can never ever be replaced by hundreds or thousands

of Social care givers .We can never pay back AchAryAs for the greatest UpakArams

that they perform for us : (1) The AchAryan exceeds the Lord Himself

in His UpakArams

(2) He destroys the nescience of the ChEtanams that approach Him thru His

UpadEsams (2) He destroys their sins thru His intervention and pleadings with

the divine couple , whom he worships every minute of His day (3) He corrects

the sishyan even if he is a MahA Paapi (4) He makes the sishyA's bhagavath

anubhavam as great as His ; this raising of the level of the anubhavam of

Sishyan extends also to the the fields of Aathma GuNams , anushtAnam

and Jn~Anam . In the above and so many other ways , the AchAryan exceeds

even the Lord in terms of showering His compassion and anugraham to the Lord .

 

With these special ordained roles to play , why should an AchAryan enter in to

the crowded market place of delivering social service thru the abandonment of

His Sva-dharmam as a SanyAsi ? The True AchAryan should therefore confine Himself

to the UpadEsams on Tatthvam , Hitham and PurushArTam and stay away

from the ephemeral aspects of being politically correct as if He is running for

office . He should leave that to the warring politiicians , who want to amass

wealth by whatever means at their disposal , legal and otherwise . This ideal

AchAryan should explain the distinctions between Bhakthi Yogam

and Prapatthi Yogam to help a Chetanan get rid of rebirth in to this

fearsome SamsAric world . He should teach the importance of MahA VisvAsam

for the successful Prapatthi . He should teach the code of conduct after

performing Prapathi to the dhivya damapthis. He should teach the importance

of revering one's guru paramparai. He should teach the PrapannAs about

the importance of not transgressing the Bhagavath SaashtrAs . He should

instruct the sishyan about the doubts that could arise after Prapatthi and

point out the methods ( ParihArams) for them . He should teach the sishyan

about the futility of approaching the haughty wealthy instead of the Lord ,

who can grant all one wishes . The Sishyan should gain purity of mind ,

speech and Body as a result of the MahOpakAram of the AchAryan .

 

With so many serious committment to the spiritual well being of their sishyAs , their

own BhagavadhArAdhanam , NithyAnushtAnam and KaalakshEpams in intrepreting

PrasTAna Thrayam and other PrakaraNa granthams , where is the time or the need

for a true AchAryan to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the Market place and

the other non-spiritual pursuits ?

 

The message of a True AchAryan is Universal and eternal because it is

based on the SanAtana Dharmam , which is universal and non-ephemeral .

Seeking Marquee recognition in the glare of the neon lights and photo

opportunity is not their line. Therefore they leave it to modern day politicans

and poli AchAryAs and hasten to fulfill the codes of conduct prescribed for

them in Yathi Dharma samucchayam and other older dharma Saasthrams .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

V.Sadagopan

 

-

S. Sriram

tiruvenkatam

Tuesday, September 13, 2005 12:29 AM

Re: [t'venkatam] Brahminical mutts

In response to the article:

 

It is neither geographical proximity, genetic proximity norcultural

proximity to which a seeker of knowledge pays homage tobut rather to

philosophical proximity.

 

Raising social standards is typically a construct ofgeographical, genetic or cultural dispositions.

 

Where philosophical truths are held to be the highest goals,peans to

these truths are the automatic disposition of those whobelong to

groups of similar philosphies.

 

Adorning a deity with jewels is such a disposition of the bhaktischool.

 

Comparing philo/theo sophical schools with socio-religious

organizationsand passing judgements on groups based on cultural &

geneticproximity as the author of the article has done is

meaningless.

 

According to Sri Ramanuja:-The conception of value is determinedby the

conception of the self... What an individual pursues as adesirable end

depends upon what he conceives himself to be.Vedartha-Sangraha para

245.

 

So, if one were to conceive of oneself as an inseparableattribute of

Brahman, the desirable goal is moksha and the meansare bhakti &

saranagati. Adorning a deity with jewels is a displayof bhakti.

 

Setting up a school is a valid act for him whose duty asidentified by

his ability leads him towards such a profession andconforms with his

philosophy since doing one's duty leads one todharma one of the four

pursharthas that leads one to moksha.

 

Another way to view this is 'Social and charitable works' arewealth

directed towards specific causes. Wealth is derived byperforming well

one's duties. So, Narayana Moorthy, Aziz Premji et alcreate large sums

of wealth for the community (geographical& cultural proximity),

various members of the community supporta socio-religious

organization like AMMA with their wealth. AMMAbuilds a school and an

engineering college whose studentsjoin Narayan Moorthy's industry and

are able to do their duties(karma yoga) and thanks to the availability

of the bhakti schoolgain the knowledge(jnana yoga) which leads them to

moksha (bhakti yoga).

IthE yaanunnaik* koLvathu eNYNYaanRum,* enmaithOysOthi* maNivaNNa

endhaay,*eythaa _nin_kazal* yaaneytha,* NYaanakkaithaa* kaalak kazivu

seyyElE. 2.9.2

 

O my dark efullgent Lordhere is all I ask for all timesGrant me the

hands of knowledgethat I may grasp your precious lotus feet.

 

ThanksS. Sriram