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From the Bhakti List Archives

Gregory Goode • February 23, 2000 


Greetings all!

My name is Greg Goode.  I am pleased to participate (that is, listen and
pay attention) on this list.  I work as a Computer Support specialist at
Davis, Polk & Wardwell, an international law firm in Manhattan, New York.
My education includes a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. and Ph.D. in
(Western analytic) Philosphy.

Although I have no background in Sri Vaishnavism or Visishtadvaita, I was
attracted to the bhakti element from the excellent Sri Vaishnava Home Page
and the Dvaita Home Page.  My spiritual background includes six years of
Pentacostal Christianity (a very bhakti path), and about a decade of
Advaita Vedanta.  This latter has been independent study, and under the
auspices of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam and the Chinmaya Mission.  I am a
co-moderator or the advaitin and HarshaSatsangh mailings lists, and I
maintain a web page on Western Philosophy and Non-dualism on
www.nonduality.com/western.htm.

There are a few questions I have, if I may, for the distinguished members
of this list.  I am teaching Vedanta Philosophy at a yoga center in
downtown New York City.  The class is primarily from the advaitic
viewpoint, but I would like to expose the students to information and
activities from the Visishtadvaitic and Dvaitic viewpoints, to which I have
very little exposure.  Can you help?

1. I understand why the object of worship is fixed.  But isn't it fixed as
Vishnu?  There are many deities.  Why Vishnu?

2. There are many devotional activities available in the New York in the
yogic traditions and Westernized quasi-Hindu groups.  But I would like to
visit, with the students, a true Sri Vaishnava temple or service.  Is this
possible in the New York metropolitan area?

Thank you for any information possible!

Regards,

Greg Goode


Greg Goode (e-mail: goode)
Computer Support
Phone: 4-5723