pilgrimage for the spiritual journey

May 24, 2005

Q.193) I want to take up the pilgrimmage in the entire

country. Will it be useful for my spiritual

development?

Ans.) First you must decide in which level you are

present. If you are in the beginning preliminary

ignorant state, you can proceed to the pilgrimmage

because that will satisfy your psychology. There is no

use of analyzing the psychology in the preliminary

level. At this preliminary level the devotee feels

that the Lord is existing in a particular place only

and it must be visited to see the Lord. The Lord does

not dwell in any statue or does not stay in a

particular place. The priests belonging to those

places for commercial gains only do such

advertisements.

In such preliminary level, even if the psychology is

wrong it has to be satisfied in its own way. But if

you have travelled upto certain point in the spiritual

path, you can analyze the psychology and then only

satisfy it, if it is found to be correct. I can advise

you assuming that you are a developed soul in the

spiritual journey. The main aim of the pilgrimmage is

to change the place in which you are present. You

require fresh atmosphere on a hill or in a forest or

on the bank of a river. The change of the place is

essential because the mind desires always a change.

You must satisfy the mind for such small things. You

should not force the mind in every point like your

child. If you force in every point it will not obey

you in the major point. The fresh atmosphere is thus

congenial for the mind to concentrate on the Lord. In

such place you can sing devotional songs and conduct

spiritual discussions about the Lord. But you need not

do a long journey for such fresh atmosphere. The long

journey has several disadvantages like improper food,

absence of movements of the body in the train or bus,

etc. Such bad food and inconvenience leads to illness.

The freshness you got in the distant place is lost in

your return journey. The illness you acquired in the

forward journey to reach that place also will not

allow you to receive that fresh atmosphere to your

best capacity. Instead of such long journey, you can

make short journey in the end of every week to get

such atmosphere in the near most places. The short

journey will not disturb you in any way. Sitting

always in the house is also not good from the point of

the psychology of the mind. Both extremities must be

avoided. Therefore do not stay continuously in your

house only. At the same time, you should avoid the

long journey. Both the draught and flood must be

avoided. Similarly in the case of food also both

fasting and over eating in one meal only should be

avoided. You should not fast on the whole day. At the

same time you must not over eat once in a day and

remain fasting for the rest of the time. You must eat

limited food with more frequency in a day. The over

eating at a time releases lot of sugar into the blood,

which will damage the vital organs. Thus, both the

food and the journey must be in limited quanta,

avoiding both the extremities. This will maintain a

good health, which will be helpful not only to your

worldly work but also to the spiritual effort. Gita

says the same (Yurktahaara Vihaarasya… etc.,). You can

make long journey to visit the Satguru to receive the

special divine knowledge from Him. You can also travel

long in propagating the divine knowledge. Sankara

travelled long distances to meet the Satguru called

Govinda Bhagavatpada and also to propagate the true

knowledge. But now such long journey is not necessary

in such case also because electronic media at present

are well developed to meet such needs without any

journey

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May 25, 2005

Dear Madam,

The basic principle of SrEvaishNavism is the importance of archAvathAra worship.

One should realise the propsition of AzhwAr-s who were blessed directly by the

Lord Himself --mayaRvaRa mathilanam aruLap peRRavargaL AzhwArgaL--that the Lord

indeed dwells in the vigraharam -- i do not prefer to call it a statue.

Sri pozhgai AzhwAr in his mudhal thiruvandhAdhi categorically mentions 'thamar

vugandhadhu evvuruvam-avvuruvam thAnEA, thamar vugandhadhu eppEar appEAr,

thamar vugandhadhu evvaNNam -sindhithu imayAdhirupparEA, avvaNNam AzhiyAnAm"

muidhal thiruvandhAdhi 44.

Other AzhwAr-s also speak in the same tone.

Further, it is also seen that the Lord dwells in five forms. para,vyUham,

vibhavam, antharyAmi and archAvathAram. We can understand from the vEdhic text

"sarvam pUrNam sahOam" that the auspciious quality is complete in the

archAvathAra em-perumAn.

That is why, AzhwAr-s surrenedered at the feet of archAvathAra em-perumAn-s.

Hence, we should understand that the archAvathAram-s are not symbolic but the

Lord resides there.

A cursory glance at srEvaishNavic texts will make anybody comprehend that this

is the fulcrum on which the whole method of worship revolves.

Sri thirumangai AzhwAr's siRiya thirumadal in fact specifically mentions that

one should prefer archAvathAram "yEarAr muyal vittu kAkkai pin pOvadhEa'

Therefore, what you have mentioned that the Lord does not dwell in the vigraham

-statues are made for human beings-is completely wrong and goes exactly

contrary to our srEvaishNavic nature.

It is also a paradox to note that one is writing all such unwarranted topics in

a forum which is called divya-dEsam against divya-dEsam-s.

I hope, in future, no such factual mistakes are posted in this website. This

website, as I understand is deidcated for divya-dEsam-s and SrEvaishNavism.

Hence, I rqust you to kindly adhere to that.

Thank YOu

rAmAnuja dAsan

vanamamalai padmanabhan

-

Gayathry

agayathry

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 12:24 PM

pilgrimage for the spiritual journey

Q.193) I want to take up the pilgrimmage in the entirecountry. Will it be useful

for my spiritualdevelopment?Ans.) First you must decide in which level you

arepresent. If you are in the beginning preliminaryignorant state, you can

proceed to the pilgrimmagebecause that will satisfy your psychology. There is

nouse of analyzing the psychology in the preliminarylevel. At this preliminary

level the devotee feelsthat the Lord is existing in a particular place onlyand

it must be visited to see the Lord. The Lord doesnot dwell in any statue or

does not stay in aparticular place. The priests belonging to thoseplaces for

commercial gains only do suchadvertisements. In such preliminary level, even if

the psychology iswrong it has to be satisfied in its own way. But ifyou have

travelled upto certain point in the spiritualpath, you can analyze the

psychology and then onlysatisfy it, if it is found to be correct. I can

adviseyou assuming that you are a developed soul in thespiritual journey. The

main aim of the pilgrimmage isto change the place in which you are present.

Yourequire fresh atmosphere on a hill or in a forest oron the bank of a river.

The change of the place isessential because the mind desires always a

change.You must satisfy the mind for such small things. Youshould not force the

mind in every point like yourchild. If you force in every point it will not

obeyyou in the major point. The fresh atmosphere is thuscongenial for the mind

to concentrate on the Lord. Insuch place you can sing devotional songs and

conductspiritual discussions about the Lord. But you need notdo a long journey

for such fresh atmosphere. The longjourney has several disadvantages like

improper food,absence of movements of the body in the train or bus,etc. Such

bad food and inconvenience leads to illness.The freshness you got in the

distant place is lost inyour return journey. The illness you acquired in

theforward journey to reach that place also will notallow you to receive that

fresh atmosphere to yourbest capacity. Instead of such long journey, you

canmake short journey in the end of every week to getsuch atmosphere in the

near most places. The shortjourney will not disturb you in any way.

Sittingalways in the house is also not good from the point ofthe psychology of

the mind. Both extremities must beavoided. Therefore do not stay continuously

in yourhouse only. At the same time, you should avoid thelong journey. Both the

draught and flood must beavoided. Similarly in the case of food also bothfasting

and over eating in one meal only should beavoided. You should not fast on the

whole day. At thesame time you must not over eat once in a day andremain

fasting for the rest of the time. You must eatlimited food with more frequency

in a day. The overeating at a time releases lot of sugar into the blood,which

will damage the vital organs. Thus, both thefood and the journey must be in

limited quanta,avoiding both the extremities. This will maintain agood health,

which will be helpful not only to yourworldly work but also to the spiritual

effort. Gitasays the same (Yurktahaara Vihaarasya… etc.,). You canmake long

journey to visit the Satguru to receive thespecial divine knowledge from Him.

You can also travellong in propagating the divine knowledge. Sankaratravelled

long distances to meet the Satguru calledGovinda Bhagavatpada and also to

propagate the trueknowledge. But now such long journey is not necessaryin such

case also because electronic media at presentare well developed to meet such

needs without

anyjourney______________________

Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download

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May 25, 2005

SrI:

aDiyEn strongly agrees with SrI Padmanabhan svami. SrIvaishnavas were hurt by

mails such as the one from Sby. Gayathri. aDiyEn requests the moderator of this

group to restrict such mails.

Looking 'dasAvatAram' in the so-called 'scientific' angle is another bizarre thing

dAsan

[] On Behalf

Of PadmanabhanWednesday, May 25, 2005 10:07 AMTo:

Cc: MukundRe: pilgrimage for

the spiritual journey