Guest guest Posted May 6, 2003 Report Share Posted May 6, 2003 Today marks the ascent of the star Arudra (thiruvAdharai) in the Tamil month of Chaitra (Chittirai). This holy day is by far the most sacred in the Sri Vaishnava religious calendar, for it is under this day that our Revered Teacher, Scholar, Humanitarian and Devotee - Bhagavad Sri Ramanuja - was born on earth for the redemption of all living beings. It can be no exaggeration to say that Ramanuja's appearance day is as sacred as the days that mark the birth of Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, and other great souls. Because contrary to popular belief, to the followers of his path, Sri Ramanuja is not merely a Eastern philosopher or Vedantic scholar who sought to interpret the Vedas in light of a particular world-view. Nor is Ramanuja merely regarded to be a teacher belonging solely to a particular caste or community. Ramanuja was, and continues to be, the paradigmatic example of a set of universally accepted principles, a great soul who embodied not only scholarly understanding and traditionalism, but also great compassion and egalitarianism. His paradigmatic act of surrender for the salvation of all souls hallmarks his remarkable life of ever-constant service to the society. His overarching vision serves as an inspiration to all people, irrespective of race, caste, creed or gender: each and every one of us can experience our true nature, our greatest joy, when we see life as an opportunity to nurture this world and care for all its citizens as an expression of loving gratitude to the Divine. It is little wonder as to why the Supreme Lord and His Eternal Consort, the Divine Mother, would emphatically state that one's connection and unswerving faith in a person possessing such a good and selfless heart as Sri Ramanuja would be the easiest means to our redemption. On this holy day, please take a moment to visit sites dedicated to Sri Ramanuja and His Vision, such as <a target=_blank href= " http://www.ramanujasociety.org, " >www.ramanujasociety.org,</a> <a target=_blank href= " http://www.vedics.net, " >www.vedics.net,</a> <a target=_blank href= " http://www.ramanuja.org, " >www.ramanuja.org,</a> <a target=_blank href= " http://www.srivaishnavan.org, " >www.srivaishnavan.org,</a> <a target=_blank href= " http://www.acharya.org, " >www.acharya.org,</a> <a target=_blank href= " http://www.srivaishnava.org, " >www.srivaishnava.org,</a> etc, and offer a prayer that the vision that Sri Ramanuja gave to us nearly a millenium ago will continue to inspire the world. adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsAnu dAsan Mohan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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