sampradaya question

July 26, 2004

Dear Sridharan -

What you have said below is very appropriate :"These questions and divisions are nothing before Lord Narayana. He is above all these humanly created sectorism. Be it Sri Sankara, Sri Ramanuja or Sri Madhwa - the acceptance of Him same. They are showing only different ways which will lead to Him. This does not mean that He is bound by that way. He is beyond the reaches of all these - that is how the Brahma Sutra of Sri Veda Vyasa claims (Even the vedas are still trying to understand Him).

Thus when we see Lord Guruvayurappan our thoughts must be such that He stays in our heart forever."

sectarian discussions will lead to unhappines. but these divisions do confuse the mind because the acharyas differ on the nature of the lord so much. only he can resolve these confusions ultimately. so as you said somehow arrest him in the heart.

we are indebted to the acharyas for their teachings. but some times it becomes very painful because of clash between schools of thought. for example, iskcon (caitanya school) criticizes sankara's school as mayavada - that is devoid of true bhakti - as sankara teaches that only brahman exists and in many places denies the form of brahman. but to me it appears that sankara's teachings are not devoid of bhakti. that sankara refers only to the lord by brahman and he only says that the lord's form is inconceivable as it is infinite and in one sense is formless like akasa.

the problem is not serious if we just go to the temple and come back. but if we decide to surrender to a guru, then we have to determine whether we want to be sri vaishnavas, advaitins, madhwas or gaudiyas. i have not been able to resolve this for myself. it does hinder in the progress of devotion. i dont know how others feel.

best regards

rajaram v.

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