Bhakti List Archives

Re: Pseudo Gods etc.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Unknown Sender • Wed Aug 16 2000 - 17:00:11 PDT 


     Srimathe Narayanaaya Namaha
     
     Dear Members, 
     
     This is slightly a lengthy message. Adiyen tends to think alike with 
     Sri Sriram Ranganaathan. Our age old practices which have been set by 
     our poorvAchAryAs should not be changed for whatever be the reason. Our 
     tradition is of course the panchakachham and madisaar. However already 
     there are changes in this as adiyEn sees and so does everybody. Many 
     bhAgavatAs who do kainkaryam in some divya dEsams, who are grihasthAs, 
     are coming to the temple in only the Brahmachari type vEshti. I am 
     seeing this daily in my thiruvallikkENi temple. Also the woman folks 
     (the "oppavar illA mAdhar" of thiruvallikkENi)  have changed to six 
     yards excepting a very few. adiyEn also do not refute the claim that 
     many of our Srivaishnava people come to temple in pants and shirts
     
     Now if we start relaxing the customs and traditions then everything 
     will go hayway and the sanctity (I mean only the feeling when one goes 
     to temple) will be gone if we relax unnecessarily just to invoke some 
     folks who are going astray. The temple will no longer give the 
     traditional looks, which, already we have lost a portion due to the 
     modernisation of many temples, like flash lights, fans and etc.
     
     When our poorvAchAryAs have prescribed certain traditions to follow, 
     there are really reasons for it whether we know or not. We need not 
     change them. The identity of our sampradhAyam lies only in their 
     prescriptions. It is only because, these maTams, for example, the 
     vAnamAmalai maTam or the Ahobila MaTam and all are very strict in 
     enforcing the traditional values, even today we see many people who are 
     sishyAs of these maTams come in a traditional way to get the blessings 
     of the jeeyAr swAmi. These people, some of them adiyEn knows, goes to 
     temple in pants and shirt, but only panchakachham when they visit their 
     AchAryan. So our achAryAns are really taking care of the sampradhAyam 
     in a very right way. 
     
     As Sri Sriram Ranganathan as pointed out, we need to inculcate these 
     feelings in our people much in the same way as intended by our 
     ancestors. It is only then there is a true meaning for the 
     SampradhAyam.
     
     Also as Sri Sriram Ranganathan as pointed out, we will give all these 
     informations and "sampathu" that our ancestors and poorvAchAryAs have 
     given us, only to those who are interested. As Swami MaNavAL mAmuni 
     explains in his great work upadEsa ratna mAlai, " pArulagil Aasai 
     udaiyOrkkellAm AariyargAL koorumenRu", we will help the ones who are 
     interested. However to make this happen, we will first create interest 
     and then help them.
     
     Take the muslims for example. They have not at all changed. They still 
     do the prayer five times a day in which ever part of the world ( I 
     wonder how many of our people do the SandhyAvandhanam regularly) they 
     are. They still wear the cap when they go to the namAs etc., So why 
     only our Sri VaishNavism. It is true that our Sri VaishNavism is like 
     bamboo stick. It is bending as per everybody's desire. It only makes 
     the path to salvation very easy. But a change in the basic traditional 
     values is nevertheless not necessary. 
     
     If we as parents would have cultivated the habits in our children at a 
     very tender age and allow them to learn the meanings, the do's and 
     dont's, and the why's and what for, then where is the question of 
     those people going astray and following the Sai baba or other such 
     self styled guru's.
     
     Let us atleast take a vow now, before it is too late, that we, in our 
     generation atleast, give equal if not more and utmost importance to 
     our offsprings in learning and following our sampradhAyams strictly, 
     just the way we give importance to their academics for their lowkikam.
     
     May the blessings of our divine couples and our esteemed AchAryAs be 
     with us in doing this for our sampradhAyam to flourish.
     
     adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
     
     
     Thirumalai Vinjamoor Venkatesh
_____________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ 
Subject: Pseudo Gods etc. 
Author:  "Sriram Ranganathan"  at JPINET 
Date:    00/08/15 î?îÒ 9:55
     
     
Dear Members,
     
True, we have a responsibility to assist the common folks to understand and 
appreciate our philosophy and religion, but I personally feel we don't have 
to do away with any correct practices in our temples, matams and Ashramams, 
just for the sake of attracting more followers. Over time, this will be 
counter-productive.
We can raise the awareness through more books, cassettes, CDs, web-sites and 
discourses, thereby de-mystifying Sri Vaishnavam.
     
Having said that, we should do everything possible to teach our sons and 
daughters the essence of our sampradAyam and encourage them to follow it, by 
setting an example. This will prevent existing Sri Vaishnavas from flocking 
around pseudo-gurus or cults.
     
Our approach should be,  "We understand the right path (meaning, Sri 
Vaishnavam) and we will help those interested. We do not seek the ones who 
do not want it or those that do not have the time for it."
     
Regards,
Sriram Ranganathan
     
     
     
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