Regd. Confusion about Vaikunta & Vaisnava etiquette

[Guest guest]

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan.I have 2 queries to all the respected devotees.1. Adiyen was listening to NavaneethaChauryam-PartI a lecture given by Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami in the USA last year (2008). In the 84th minute of the lecture Swamin was asked to comment on the following - 'Arcirardi Margam takes you to Vaikunta whereas the prema mantram of Krishna takes you to Goloka, which is beyond Vaikunta.'. I do not know what Swamin's comments were as the audio did not contain it. I did not even know something was beyond Vaikunta! If somebody has access to the comments I am eager to know them. If you can share your own knowledge on this topic, I request you to kindly do so.2. Also, recently adiyen was in a conversation with on of my cousins and she was sharing her plans to enroll her son into one of the Bhagavad Gita classes conducted by an

organization which does not to Sri Sampradaayam. I was tempted to ask why such an arrangement was on but stopped short of it.- I want to know if there are any classes for school children near Alwarpet, Chennai. (I haven't enquired in Kesavar-Srinavasar koil in Mylapore.)- During a phone conversation with Senthil Swamin(member of this group) couple of months back, he was sharing with me that our Acharyas have written everything down already including how to interact with various people. It would be really helpful if somebody can point out how to interact with one's own kith and kin. In my family - there are atheists, believers of healers, believers of various Baba's, those having partial belief on the Lord Vishnu, those frequenting devatantaram temples because of Astrological recommendation. Adiyen is culpable of so many (such) faults (, hopefully only earlier). But how do I react when somebody tells me 'Wear this mala,

thread, tayattu, vibuthi, etc.', 'Go to this temple for Pariharam', 'You will be successful for next because Sani Payarchi'?As of now, I do not discuss devotional topics with my relatives because I fear they might commit offense by slighting things that are transcendental. Therefore, all I do is perform my daily duties & keep chanting dwayam. Invariably, they ask about the chanting bag I carry & ask what I am chanting. But can I do better than this?- How to treat literature or any study materials which originate from other Sampradhaaya's? How to treat something if they even refer the earlier mentioned materials? Currently, I am trying to exercise utmost caution & I am not reading those which do not trace back to Sri Sampradhaayam (this includes attachments circulated in this group).namO nArAyanAya!

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Sriram Swamin,

 

Very interesting mail, particularly item 3.

1. Yes we have also heard (also only from Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Upanyasam) regarding 'Lokams' other than Sri Vaikuntham.  However AdiyEn has zero knowledge, so let us look for some learned persons in the forum to address it.  Another option is to write to the Q & A segment of Kinchitkaram Trust, wher we can expect Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy to address the query again.

 

2. There are many sources who conduct Gita classes in Chennai.  They may be able to help you to locate one near your home.

(e.g ISKCON; one Sri Ramkumar at T'Nagar 9790860138; Sri RK Mutt Mylapore; and surely a few others)

 

3. This is a classic situation millions of persons face.  I am reminded (again it is Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Upanyasam) of  the occasion where one of the audience asked Sri Velukkudi Swami why could he not give also references from works such as Periya Puranam, or talk about Sri Murugan etc.  The humble but brilliant explanation given by Swami was that our own sampradayam is like a huge ocean, and his (Swami's) own lifetime is inadequate for him to sustain the knowledge and reference to the works in this sampradayam.  Therefore he is unable to find time to learn, understand and lecture on other sampradayams.  This is a very honest and appropriate way to understand the reality.  If for such a learned scholar like Sri Velukkudi Krishnan the situation is like this, where are we who have not even an iota of the knowledge that the Swami has.  Bottom line - there is no need for confusion regarding sampradayam.  We will always continue to respect other people's faiths and beliefs, but we will not forget the fact that our life time is too short to even understand 1% of the knowledge available in our sampradayam. 

 

AdiyEn DAsan

On Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 11:21 AM, sriram aravamuthan <vidusri2 wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan.I have 2 queries to all the respected devotees.1. Adiyen was listening to NavaneethaChauryam-PartI a lecture given by Sri Velukkudi Krishnan Swami in the USA last year (2008). In the 84th minute of the lecture Swamin was asked to comment on the following - 'Arcirardi Margam takes you to Vaikunta whereas the prema mantram of Krishna takes you to Goloka, which is beyond Vaikunta.'. I do not know what Swamin's comments were as the audio did not contain it. I did not even know something was beyond Vaikunta! If somebody has access to the comments I am eager to know them. If you can share your own knowledge on this topic, I request you to kindly do so.

2. Also, recently adiyen was in a conversation with on of my cousins and she was sharing her plans to enroll her son into one of the Bhagavad Gita classes conducted by an organization which does not to Sri Sampradaayam. I was tempted to ask why such an arrangement was on but stopped short of it.

- I want to know if there are any classes for school children near Alwarpet, Chennai. (I haven't enquired in Kesavar-Srinavasar koil in Mylapore.)- During a phone conversation with Senthil Swamin(member of this group) couple of months back, he was sharing with me that our Acharyas have written everything down already including how to interact with various people. It would be really helpful if somebody can point out how to interact with one's own kith and kin. In my family - there are atheists, believers of healers, believers of various Baba's, those having partial belief on the Lord Vishnu, those frequenting devatantaram temples because of Astrological recommendation. Adiyen is culpable of so many (such) faults (, hopefully only earlier). But how do I react when somebody tells me  'Wear this mala, thread, tayattu, vibuthi, etc.', 'Go to this temple for Pariharam', 'You will be successful for next because Sani Payarchi'?

As of now, I do not discuss devotional topics with my relatives because I fear they might commit offense by slighting things that are transcendental. Therefore, all I do is perform my daily duties & keep chanting dwayam. Invariably, they ask about the chanting bag I carry & ask what I am chanting. But can I do better than this?

- How to treat literature or any study materials which originate from other Sampradhaaya's? How to treat something if they even refer the earlier mentioned materials? Currently, I am trying to exercise utmost caution & I am not reading those which do not trace back to Sri Sampradhaayam (this includes attachments circulated in this group).

namO nArAyanAya!

 

-- vasu

[Guest guest]

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan.

 

I was wondering if the first query raised by adiyen was of any use at all. I

would not want the question to lead to an 'us vs them' situation. My nascent

understanding is Vaikuntam is Parama Padam (the ultimate abode). And I also

learnt that, spiritually I have a long way to go as I have allowed doubts to

creep in my mind when I have heard Vaikuntam being glorified by Acharyas and

Azhwars in many Upanyasams. I understand that there would be scriptures to

support Goloka as it is there to Sri Vaikuntham. I leave the query to rest and

aspire to be a better Ramanuja Dasan.

 

It also possible that the original poster of the query never intended to use the

word 'beyond'. Is it not?

 

I thank Raghavachary Vasudevan Swamin for a prompt reply.

 

namO nArAyanAya!

 

ramanuja , sriram aravamuthan <vidusri2 wrote:

>

> Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan.

>

> I have 2 queries to all the respected devotees.

>

> 1. Adiyen was listening to NavaneethaChauryam-PartI a lecture given by Sri

Velukkudi Krishnan Swami in the USA last year (2008). In the 84th minute of the

lecture Swamin was asked to comment on the following - 'Arcirardi Margam takes

you to Vaikunta whereas the prema mantram of Krishna takes you to Goloka, which

is beyond Vaikunta.'. I do not know what Swamin's comments were as the audio did

not contain it. I did not even know something was beyond Vaikunta! If somebody

has access to the comments I am eager to know them. If you can share your own

knowledge on this topic, I request you to kindly do so.

>

> 2. Also, recently adiyen was in a conversation with on of my cousins and she

was sharing her plans to enroll her son into one of the Bhagavad Gita classes

conducted by an organization which does not to Sri Sampradaayam. I was

tempted to ask why such an arrangement was on but stopped short of it.

> - I want to know if there are any classes for school children near Alwarpet,

Chennai. (I haven't enquired in Kesavar-Srinavasar koil in Mylapore.)

>

> - During a phone conversation with Senthil Swamin(member of this group) couple

of months back, he was sharing with me that our Acharyas have written everything

down already including how to interact with various people. It would be really

helpful if somebody can point out how to interact with one's own kith and kin.

In my family - there are atheists, believers of healers, believers of various

Baba's, those having partial belief on the Lord Vishnu, those frequenting

devatantaram temples because of Astrological recommendation. Adiyen is culpable

of so many (such) faults (, hopefully only earlier). But how do I react when

somebody tells me� 'Wear this mala, thread, tayattu, vibuthi, etc.', 'Go to

this temple for Pariharam', 'You will be successful for next because Sani

Payarchi'?

> As of now, I do not discuss devotional topics with my relatives because I fear

they might commit offense by slighting things that are transcendental.

Therefore, all I do is perform my daily duties & keep chanting dwayam.

Invariably, they ask about the chanting bag I carry & ask what I am chanting.

But can I do better than this?

>

> - How to treat literature or any study materials which originate from other

Sampradhaaya's? How to treat something if they even refer the earlier mentioned

materials? Currently, I am trying to exercise utmost caution & I am not reading

those which do not trace back to Sri Sampradhaayam (this includes attachments

circulated in this group).

>

> namO nArAyanAya!

>