Need for Spiritual Knowledge and Acharya

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Dear Smt Sridevi Krishnan:

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The following article is from the Vedics Magazine

===========Vedics Q & A Discussion=========================

Need for Spiritual Knowledge and Acharya

Q & A with students at University Of Illinois at Chicago ­ Summer 2000

 

Question 1: What is Spiritual Knowledge, and what is the need for it?

=====================================================

Vedics: These are very good and important questions.

 

Any developed, civilized society seeks to find out the purpose of life,

Why am I here, Who am I, Who created this universe, these questions will

lead us to seek out the Truth.

 

There has to be a greater purpose than eating, sleeping and reproducing.

This leads us to think further and more questions come, am I more than

this flesh and blood , am I " jeevatma " ? (Spiritual Being)

 

The very important question of " who am I and what is my purpose " ,

makes us seek " True Knowledge " (Spiritual Knowledge)

 

This spiritual knowledge is gained through the study of spiritual science.

This deals with

1. Chit - Jivathmas (Soul) :- has Knowledge

2. Achit - Time, Matter etc.

3. Ishwara - Paramathma (Supreme soul) :- God, Sriman Narayana

 

In order to gain a proper understanding of this knowledge such that it can be to

our benefit,

as well as of benefit to the world, we need to seek an Acharya (Spiritual

Teacher)who

has this type of knowledge, and is willing to share it readily with those who

sincerely desire to learn it.

 

Question 2: How do we know the Acharya is True? How do we find THE Acharya?

=====================================================

Answer:

God out of his Kripa (mercy), reveals the true knowledge to us,

via a Acharya parampara (lineage of Spiritual Teachers).

 

Lord, Sriman Narayana (a.k.a, Vishnu, Sri Hari) is the first Acharya.

He revealed this true knowledge to:

" Sri " (Maha Lakshmi, the Divine Mother). The Divine Mother revealed the true

knowledge to

Vishvaksena (Commander in Cheif in Vaikhunta),

who in turn taught it to Satakopa Muni (Nammazhwar).

The lineage of teachers continued on through

Nathamuni, Pundarikaksha, Ramamisra, Yamunucharya, Goshti Purna,

to Sri Ramanuja, the foremost and most magnanimous of all of the Spiritual

Teachers.

(Time on Earth: 1017 to 1137 AD). Due to his unparalleled wisdom and

compassion,

Sri Ramanuja is regarded to be the foremost example of what it means to be a

Spiritual Teacher.

Thus all other teachers after him, have had their teachings validated because of

their

connection to Sri Ramanuja.

 

Consequently, All Acharyas following in this lineage of Acharyas after his time

are named with

suffixes/prefixes of Ramanuja), they represent Ramanuja and his teachings AS

they are.

 

All these Acharyas passed down the knowledge as it is, without any

adulteration to the original as Given by Lord Narayana to MahaLakshmi.

 

You may approach any of the Acharyas in this lineage.

 

Question 3: Is this Acharya Lineage based on Birth. Are there any caste

restrictions on

who can be in this lineage?

=====================================================

 

No this lineage is NOT based on birth. We have Acharyas from all walks of life

and all castes.

Swami Satagopan (Nammazhwar) the first Acharya in Earth was Born in 4th Caste

He is the most important acharya who brought the teachings to all the

SriVaishnavas.

 

There is a lot of misconceptions regarding Caste System, let us discuss that in

another session.

 

Question 4: Is the Spiritual knowledge we get today is same as was Given by

LORD?

=====================================================

In Sri Sampradaya, this knowledge is being handed down from Teacher to Student

(who then takes over the role of teacher for the next generation)

Such a lineage can be regarded to be like” a clean pipe”, with with all the

Acharyas being regarded as smaller clean pipes connecting through a main

“junction box”, Bhagavad Sri Ramanuja. Since the water coming in is pure, and

all the pipes are clean and untainted by false ego or false knowledge, the water

coming at the end of the pipe is exactly the same as it at was at its source

(Sriman Naryana) .

 

Spiritual Knowledge revealed by the Lord, is given to us by our Acharya, as

taught through the Lineage of Acharyas. This knowledge is thus flawless and true

spiritual Knowledge.

 

So any one interested in learning the True knowledge will approach an Acharya of

this lineage (RamanujaAcharyas, some call them as Sadacharyas) as they are all

representing Acharya Ramanuja (and will pass the message AS IS to their

devotees)

 

Question 5: How to Approach Acharya?

=====================================================

Vedic Answer:

Due to, Lord SrimanNarayana's grace and benevolence we get accepted by our

Acharya, the Acharya accepts us (it is never the the other way)

 

One should be extrmely greatful and fortunate to be accepted by an qualified

RamanujaAcharya of this lineage.

 

Question 6: What do we need to get accepted by such an Acharya?

=====================================================

Vedic Answer: Genuine Interest is all that you need to have.

 

If you are a true devotee seeking the Truth and are willing to understand and

follow it respectfully, Ramanujacharyas will never turn you down.

 

It is our great fortune that Acharyas accept us and impart the True knowledge to

us in appropriate doses based on our individual capacity. In Sastras, Acharya is

Described as Equivalent to GOD, If needed we can explain reasons later.

 

So all the true devotees treat their Acharya as GOD himself,

 

Question 7: Like GOD, is that not stroking some Ego? Is this needed.

=====================================================

True devotees treat their Acharya as GOD himself,

But the True Acharya NEVER says " I am God " never behaves with EGO or Anger,

Never entertains any caste, community, regional or language barriers.

 

Question 8: How to know the True Acharyas from Fake Sadhus.

=====================================================

There are so many others claiming to be the Perfect Acharya and that they

are GOD. If you see such people go ask them if they are the SUPREME GOD

(The Creator of this universe). Nobody is greater than or equal to the SUPREME

GOD .

 

Ask such people if they can even create a grain of rice without the help of

Lord, SrimanNarayana.

Ask if anyone can create or bring life to an otherwise life-less object. No,

No-one can create anything, only GOD can. Still we find fake ones claiming to be

GOD etc.

 

True Acharya NEVER says " I am God "

 

You can be assured that an Acharya representing Bhagavad Ramanuja and his

message is passing

on the message as revealed by LORD and is a Bonafide True Acharya, capable of

delivering us to GOD.

 

In some sense it depends on what you are seeking, if you are seeking true

spiritual knowledge, GOD will

allow you to come under the guidance of an Acharya of the Lineage Started by

HIM,

with the LORD as the First Acharya.

 

HIS grace is always upon you, let us pray for all of us, to fall in love with

HIM more and more and not

to resist/block his Grace with our false ego.

 

Next discussion on : Acharya's Unique Role

Further questions send mail to ramanuja

=========End of Vedic Q & A Discussion=====ramanuja=========

 

 

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adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

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