File - Achintya List Rules.txt

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Achintya List

Rules for Posting Messages

revised 1/13/03

 

The Achintya list is a moderated mailing list formed in 1998 to promote

discussions among devotees of the Gaudiiya Vaishnava sampradaaya. Gaudiiya

Vaishnavism is the Vedaantic tradition revived by Shrii Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu

and propagated in its pristine form by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada. List discussions cover all aspects of Gaudiiya Vaishnavism,

including philosophy, history, culture, traditions, etc. Questions and even

debate are welcome within the list, so long as basic brahminical etiquette is

observed at all times. A polite and respectful tone is requested of all

participants, even when engaged in controversial discussions.

 

Please note the following guidelines for posting:

 

1) Limit subject matter to those topics specified above, namely subjects of

direct relevance to Gaudiiya Vaishnavas. Postings discussing non-Gaudiiya points

of view are welcome so long as they are carried out within the context of

Gaudiiya Vaishnava conclusions.

 

(Thus, an in-depth discussion of the philosophy of another sampradaaya or

religion would be inappropriate for the list, but a comparison of the views of

other sampradaayas vis-a-vis the Gaudiiya sampradaaya would certainly be

acceptable.)

 

2) Proper Vaishnava etiquette should be observed at all times. Maintain a

respectful stance towards all individuals, even when disagreeing with them. Do

not resort to a tone or remarks which come across as condescending, sarcastic,

threatening, or blatantly insulting. While members are free to believe what they

choose, even to the point of publicly disagreeing with the Gaudiiya Vaishnava

conclusions, any postings which show disrespect to the Gaudiiya Vaishnava

aachaaryas will be rejected. Members are also free to disagree politely with

each others' ideas; they are not free to use the list to villify the character

of any other member. This rule applies to personal e-mail as well. List members

who send "flame mail" to other members will be removed from the list.

 

3) Avoid arguments based solely on unsubstantiated personal opinions. One must

quote from primary sources (scriptures and/or their commentaries, the writings

of aachaaryas, etc), especially when requested to do so. Postings which

repeatedly and knowingly express opinions contrary to guru, saadhu, and shaastra

will not be accepted.

 

(An example of this would be a statement such as, "I know the scripture says

this, but my opinion is....")

 

4) It is acceptable to discuss one's understanding of the teachings of guru,

saadhu, and shaastra so long as primary sources are quoted. One need not be

correct in his understanding of the above sources to post, and the moderator

does not enforce philosophical correctness nor claim to be qualified enough to

do so. Nevertheless, one must at least be sincere in his effort to represent the

sources which he alludes to, rather than deliberately ignoring what they

actually say.

 

5) When a doubt exists pertaining to allegedly contradictory points of view

within the various sources of evidence, Vedas should always be considered the

topmost authority. This includes not only the shrutis, but also the Itihaasas

and Puraanas which also make up the eternal Veda.

 

6) Sincere, even controversial discussions are acceptable, but stubborn

argumentativeness is not. Examples of the latter include, but are not limited

to: (6.1) Strawman arguments, or in other words, criticizing an opinion

attributed to an opponent even when it is obvious that he never wrote such an

opinion, (6.2) Evasive arguments, or in other words, deliberately ignoring

answers or evidence offered in previous postings and rehashing an argument as if

it had never been answered, and (6.3) repeatedly ignoring requests to

substantiate opinions with evidence. These kinds of arguments merely lengthen

the daily list mailings and waste the time of those who participate.

 

7) When discussing the viewpoints of other parties, please avoid referring to

them by name if you cannot quote directly from their writings. If you wish to

refer to an opposing party by name, please give explicit references to books,

web sites, etc in which the objectionable material which is to be debated can be

found. This is meant to discourage hearsay and speculation about individuals,

which can lead to Vaishnava aparaadha.

 

8) When replying to a message, please use quoted text sparingly. Replies with

excessive amounts of quoted text that do not clearly need to be present will be

rejected.

 

9) The subject line of a message must always reflect its content. In particular,

list members who reply to the digest form of the list should delete the default

subject line (i.e. "Re: Digest # xxx") and replace it with a more appropriate

subject line. Postings with "Re: Digest #" in the subject line will not be

accepted. This is intended to make it easier for members to search archives by

subject line.

 

10) Fanatical behavior is strictly prohibited. This especially includes attempts

by list members, whether in public or private, to suppress questions and doubts

or in any other way to discourage polite discussion. At no time will any member

be made to feel ashamed for politely expressing doubts.

 

11) Postings of a political nature, especially those concerned with the

management of specific spiritual organizations, are inappropriate for posting on

this list. Under no circumstances is the list to be used to criticize spiritual

organizations or their management. It may be that in some cases, there is a fine

line between discussing differences in philosophy and discussing politics of

different religious institutions. List members are asked to use common sense,

and to consult the moderator for help when such matters arise.

 

12) All messages posted on the achintya list are the property of their authors.

Unauthorized reposting of such messages outside of achintya, whether in whole or

in part, is grounds for dismissal from the list. Please also respect the rules

of other mailing lists in this regard, and refrain from unauthorized

cross-posting of messages from other forums into Achintya. This is meant to

discourage cross-posting of controversial topics or discussions without the

knowledge of the person(s) participating in those discussions. If permission has

been given to cross post an outsider's writings to Achintya, this must be stated

plainly at the beginning of the message.

 

12) Use of e-mail addresses appearing on Achintya for the purpose of spam-mail

or other mailing lists is strictly prohibited, unless the members whose e-mail

addresses are used give their permission in advance. Those who violate this rule

will be promptly banned from the list.

 

13) Advertisements of all kinds are strictly prohibited from the Achintya list.

This includes web sites, classes, and commercial items. The Groups

administration appends advertisements to each posting, but this is a consequence

of utilizing this free service. It is neither sanctioned nor desired, and it

should not be taken as justification for further postings of the same nature.

 

14) Avoid discussing personal experiences not related to bhakti-yoga and

especially those pertaining to prior misdeeds. The Achintya list is not the

appropriate place for personal confessions.

 

15) All complaints, questions, moderation appeals, and other material not

intended for public posting should be submitted to the moderator at:

 

achintya-owner

 

Please note that this is not an invitation for flaming against the moderator.

Constructive criticism, polite disagreement/appeals about moderation, or

questions/concerns about the rules or appropriateness of questionable postings

are welcome. Such concerns should not be posted to the list, and they will be

rejected if they are.

 

16) Shortly after joining the list, please give a short introduction of yourself

for the benefit of the members.

 

 

Please realize also that the above rules are certainly not shruti, and they will

certainly evolve in order to clarify the list's purpose and priorities. It is

expected that these rules will be followed not just literally but also in spirit

so as to promote honest discussion and a gentle, Vaishnava environment for

learning.