Other Sampradayas

[Guest guest]

Adiyen Kidambi

 

I think one single quote from the Vedas says it all. And seeing that Veda is

the ultimate pramanam this verse will suffice to answer your question about

listening to music and discourses and studying the works of other

Sampradayas.

 

Rig Veda 1 HYMN 89.

 

1. MAY good concepts come to us from every direction, un-beguiling,

unlimited, and beneficial, that the Gods ever may be with us for our

benefit, our guardians day by day unceasing in their care.

 

Ano bhadrAh kratavo yantu viSvataH adabdAso aparitAsa udbhidaH

 

Ramanuja himself and Vedanta Desikan had to study all the works of the other

schools of philosophy in order to refute them. How can there be a moratorium

on studying other systems when every single polemic work of every Sampradaya

begins with the statement of the "purva paksha" - or the position of the

other school.

 

ISKCON is unique in the playing field of Vedanta because they are coming

from a Judeo-Christian background which indeed forbids the study of other

religions because one may see some good in them and be tempted to apply some

of their principles of believe some of their doctrines. The only acceptable

positon to the Abrahamic co-alition (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) is

that all other religions are wrong and have nothing good in them. ISKCON has

adopted this position because of their conditioning. Some of their

"acharyas' also suggest that Srivaishnavas will need to be born again as

gaudiya vaishnavas in order to be liberated !!!!

 

There is another verse from Vishnudharmottara 1:58 which says:

 

Krishna is pleased with one who listens to all discourses on Dharma, and

reverences all the gods, who is free from jealousy and has subdued anger.

 

 

Sri Rama Ramanuja Acharya