Guest guest Posted August 14, 2002 Report Share Posted August 14, 2002 --- Pattangi <danp wrote: > Sri: > Humble pranams to all: > > Dear Smt Sridevi Krishnan: > You may want to print this article for friends who > are asking these questions: > > 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========= > > > azhwAr emperumAnAr JeeyAr thiruvadigalE sharanam > > adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan > Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi > http://www.radioramanuja.com > > HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs http://www.hotjobs.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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