serious doubt

[Guest guest]

dear all,

 

i read the indian website www.sulekha.com regularly. today i was browsing

through the articles section and saw an article " An Indo-American

Perspective on Dalit Lynching " by Renu S.Malhotra. It was a good article but

in the end, i saw a quote which really puzzled me. I reproduce it as

follows:

 

" Only the Advait Vedantic Hindu concept of cultural unity with full

freedom to worship in our chosen ways can give our trouble world even a

semblance of Peace. "

 

Does this statement seem to imply that Dvaita is universally opposed to

peace and it doesn't give the full freedom to worship in their chosen ways.

I am asking what the truth is because I am only 16 and I have a very small

knowledge of the basics (I have just started reading the Cardinal Doctrines

of Madhva by Shanbag).

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Prasanna Kovalam

 

P.S: I cannot post to dvaita.org website so if anyone wants to continue this

conversation there, they can post it.

[Guest guest]

To

 

 

Please highlight on this thought

 

From

A serious madhva follower

 

emailid:avinashkb

 

 

> " Prasanna Kovalam " <kovalamp

>

> serious doubt

>Mon, 18 Nov 2002 19:55:13 +1030

>

>dear all,

>

>i read the indian website www.sulekha.com regularly. today i was browsing

>through the articles section and saw an article " An Indo-American

>Perspective on Dalit Lynching " by Renu S.Malhotra. It was a good article

>but

>in the end, i saw a quote which really puzzled me. I reproduce it as

>follows:

>

> " Only the Advait Vedantic Hindu concept of cultural unity with full

>freedom to worship in our chosen ways can give our trouble world even a

>semblance of Peace. "

>

>Does this statement seem to imply that Dvaita is universally opposed to

>peace and it doesn't give the full freedom to worship in their chosen ways.

>I am asking what the truth is because I am only 16 and I have a very small

>knowledge of the basics (I have just started reading the Cardinal Doctrines

>of Madhva by Shanbag).

>

>Yours Sincerely

>

>Prasanna Kovalam

>

>P.S: I cannot post to dvaita.org website so if anyone wants to continue

>this

>conversation there, they can post it.

>

>

 

 

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[Guest guest]

>

> Prasanna Kovalam [kovalamp]

> Monday, November 18, 2002 2:55 PM

 

> dear all,

 

> i read the indian website www.sulekha.com regularly. today i

> was browsing through the articles section and saw an article

> " An Indo-American Perspective on Dalit Lynching " by Renu

> S.Malhotra. It was a good article but in the end, i saw a

> quote which really puzzled me. I reproduce it as

> follows:

 

> " Only the Advait Vedantic Hindu concept of cultural unity

> with full freedom to worship in our chosen ways can give our

> trouble world even a semblance of Peace. "

 

> Does this statement seem to imply that Dvaita is universally

> opposed to peace and it doesn't give the full freedom to

> worship in their chosen ways. I am asking what the truth is

 

The truth is that reflects the author's opinion. A similar instance was

an article in India Today during the earlier half of this year when the

pontiff of Kanchi Mutt was involved in some peace negotiations. A writer

glorified his presence in these activities with the remark that

'non-duality is the need of the hour when there is so much duality

around'. I doubt how much Advaita these writers actually know.

 

Advaita is quite restricting, contrary to many claims. They believe that

only Upanishads can bring in Advaitic realization, only male sannyAsis

are eligible for knowledge and that Karma Yoga etc are for

'manda-buddhi' (people of lower intellect). Wonder how cultural unity

can be brought in with such a condescending doctrine.

 

And if the author is referring to the Panchayatana puja, where the

aspirant can worship Vishnu, Shiva etc, it should be noted that advaita

expects these entities to be worshipped as saguNa brahman and not as

'the final truth' (there is no full freedom, as claimed)! If that kind

of overruling is allowed, note that even dvaita allows worship of other

deities but with Vishnu as antaryami.

 

I hope you realize that 'truth' and 'something that brings cultural

unity' or 'something that allows you to worship whatever you want' need

not be linked. And also that you took the article seriously, quite

unnecessarily so.

 

Only dvaita cares to explain the diversities (which can be traced back

only to diversities in jIva-svabhAva) and it also says that other

doctrines have been there eternally; they never die, but manifest in a

particular time; and that they have their basis in delusion. That

implies that we hold there can never be 'cultural' (or any sort of)

unity. Experience is enough proof for this kind of diversity and a

person seeking to establish otherwise should first prove that cultural

unity is possible without comprimising on truth (and devise means of

achieving it).

 

> because I am only 16 and I have a very small knowledge of the

> basics (I have just started reading the Cardinal Doctrines of

> Madhva by Shanbag).

 

Only by the virtue of being older, I can tell you that only learning can

help. na cha anyathA. Replies of this or any kind, audio/video do not go

a long way. The Internet has many articles that deride, arraign and

ridicule either Srimad Anandatirtha, his doctrine and followers. There

are fewer people who defend than ones that throw stones. Not knowing

dvaita can cause quite some bewilderment and agony. Remember that

learning from books is only a substitute to the the eternally suggested

route of learning it under a guru (who does not have any sympathies

towards advaita).

 

Good luck in your studies.

 

Regards,

Krishna

 

> Yours Sincerely

>

> Prasanna Kovalam

>

> P.S: I cannot post to dvaita.org website so if anyone wants

> to continue this conversation there, they can post it.