Madhva IT Forum- Report

[Guest guest]

Report on

Seminar held at

Poorna Prajna samshodhana Mandiram,Bangalore

on December 22, 2002

http://www.vidyapeetha.net/madhva-it

Sub:Preservation & Propagation of Madhva Philosophy through I.T.

(Kannada version of this report is here)

Translation to English from Original Kannada Script by:Sri Hunsur Sriprasad

 

In his anugraha sandhesha,

H.H.Sri Visvesha teertha Swamiji said:

“Even though an enormous amount of wealth is buried right under our feet, we are unaware of it and thus dwell in immense poverty. This is our situation today. Our country abounds in immense spiritual wealth. Without realizing this we are miserable as knowledge impoverished people. That is why it is necessary to spread the wealth of our spiritual knowledge through modern channels to people in different walks of life, in all countries. People are thirsting for this knowledge. It is our duty to provide them with this knowledge. If we default on this sacred duty future generations will hold us responsible. It is not enough if we bequeath mere material wealth to our children, we have to ensure that the spiritual wealth acquired by our elders also reaches future generations”.

He added, “We must eradicate the false notion that Vedanta means only Advaita Vedanta. To do this we must spread Madhva philosophy or Dvaita Vedanta. Channels like Madhva Radio have already made good strides in this direction. We are prepared to support them in every possible manner.”

Other distinguished participants included

Sri D. A. Prasanna, President of Wipro Technology,

Sri Ananta Koppar, CEO of Kshema Technologies,

Sri Venkatesh Mysore, Director, Metlife India,

Sri S. Radhakrishna, Director, Phoenix Global Solutions.

The proceedings began with the chanting of Vedic verses.

While delivering the welcome address

Vidwan A. Haridas Bhatt said,

“The greatness of our nation lies in its unmatched spiritual wealth. This is now slipping out of the hands of the present generation. If we do not preserve and grow this wealth, then we will have failed to discharge our responsibilities. Hence our ancient spiritual wealth should be protected and spread, using modern tools and technologies. Several websites have come up to fulfill this need. If they mutually coordinate amongst themselves and function in an integrated manner then their efforts would have borne fruit. At this juncture, it is also necessary to examine what has already been done in order to determine what else is remaining, and then evaluate what participation can be expected from technologists and other volunteers in this regard. That is the main objective of this seminar”.

Dr. A.V. Nagasampige, Director, Poorna Pragna Samshodana Mandira, the driving force behind the seminar also spoke on the occasion and said, “We have several ancient scrolls that need to be scanned and manuscripts that need to be published. We would appreciate some financial assistance in this noble project.”

Sri K M Seshagiri provided the participants with a demonstration of all current websites working to spread Madhva philosophy.

Vidhvan Tirumala Kulkarni provided valuable insights into the use of computer technology by scholars.

Vidhvan Srinivasa Varakhedi managed the proceedings and worked very hard to ensure the success of the seminar.

Some key suggestions emerging from the seminar:

Provide introductory tutorials, comparing the tenets of Madhva philosophy with other doctrines.

 

Integrate the details of all relevant websites and provide access from one common point. Publish madhva literary works through CDs so that they are available to everybody at an affordable price. Seminars and discourses should be in English in order to reach a wider audience. The major tenets of Madhva philosophy need to be taught with a well designed curriculum, mapped into appropriate courses. Material needs to be presented with the help of simple and attractive pictures in order to attract the young. Details and background of Sandhya Vandane and Devara pooja need to be publicized so that people can understand their importance. Weekends should be harnessed to bring interested people together and spread knowledge through discussions. Since it is not possible for everybody to acquire or access a computer, organizations should acquire computers to provide access to the internet. It should be possible for members of such organizations or devotees of Mathas to freely obtain knowledge of Madhva philosophy. A database of all madhvas should be prepared.