From the Bhakti List Archives

psrinivasan99 • Fri Feb 08 2002 - 21:47:31 PST 


Dear Vaishnavas,

Going through the life histories of Alvars, Acharyas, 
Prapannas, Vaishnavas, Haridasas, Vittaladasas, Ramadasas, 
Premis, Bhaktas etc., we are able to conclude that there are 
broadly 2 choices open to man:

1) Living life serving Narayana and
2) Living life serving oneself

The wise mahatmas lived the first kind of life. They served Sri 
Hari uninterruptedly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They 
utilised all their faculites such as body, speech, sense 
organs, organs of action, mind and their very Atman for serving 
the Purushottaman. Since this kind of life is compatible with 
the swarupa of the jivatman, it leads one to moksham and bliss. 

On the contrary, much of humanity lives the second kind of 
life. Most people serve themselves 24 hours a day; even when 
they apparently serve others, they are actually serving only 
themselves due to their selfish outlook. They utilise all their 
senses and organs for self gratification. Since this kind of 
life is incompatible with one's swarupa, it leads one towards 
sure rebirth and suffering. 

If a person understands how these mahatmas utilised their 
faculties for serving Sripathi and merely follows them, even to 
a small extent, he is going on the right direction towards 
Vishnu. For the clarification of my own mind, I jotted down the 
faculties that we are endowed with and how they should be 
utilised for the service of Perumaal and compared it with the 
other choice that is open to man. I beg the pardon of 
vaishnavas for any mistakes committed by me.

====================
Organs of Perception
====================

  1) Eye
  ======
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To see the images of Vishnu, Alvars, Acharyas and 
      Vaishnavas.
      2) To read the teachings of Krishna and the Sri Sookthis 
      of mahatmas.
      3) To see the holy form of the Acharyan who lifts one out 
      of samsara.
      4) To see and worship everyday the Body of Narayana, namely, 
      the universe.

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To see vulgar pictures
      2) To see with envy other's wealth and women
      2) To read nasty books 
      3) To read novels
      4) To see the beautiful things of the world

  2) Ear
  ======
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To listen to the inexhaustible ocean of Sripathi's 
      unsurpassed auspicious attributes, names, glories and
      avatharam stories
      2) To listen to the acharyan's teachings
      3) To listen to the flute of Kannan

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To listen to gossip, slander, and mundane matters
      2) To listen to vulgar music
      3) To listen to their own praise and flattery

  3) Tongue
  =========
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To taste only the food that Sri Hari returns as 
      prasadam.
      2) To taste the Perumaal Theertham and Thulasi.

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To taste tamasic, hot and spicy and even non-veg food
      2) To taste brown, watery, flimsy liquids that go by fantastic
      names.

  4) Nose
  =======
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To smell the Thulasi and prasadam of Narayana.
      2) To smell the divyagandham of temples.

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To smell exotic perfumes, deodarants

  5) Skin
  =======
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To touch and feel the images of the Lord.
      2) To touch and feel the soft lotus feet of Vasudeva.

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To enjoy sexual pleasures beyond the limits and contrary to 
      dharma.

================
Organs of Action
================

  1) Hand
  =======
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To serve Narayana 
      2) To serve the Acharyan
      3) To serve Haribhaktas
      4) To gently press the lotus feet that were lacerated by 
      the thorns of Dandakaranyam.

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To serve oneself
      2) To harm others
      3) To do every form of adharma
      4) To earn pots of money

  2) Feet
  =======
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To reach Perumaal's temples
      2) To circumambulate Mukunda
      3) To dance in ecstasy singing the names of Ananta.

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To go to cinemas, vulgar places
      2) To run around for "creating" wealth.

  3) Mouth
  ========
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To incessantly utter the varied names of Rama
      2) To glorify the Acharyan and Vaishnavas
      3) To read Sri Sookthis
      4) To sing aloud the kirtanas of Ramabhaktas

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To incessantly talk about worldly matters
      2) To praise others for self-benefit
      3) To insult others
      4) To tell lies
      5) To engage in gossip, slander

  4) Regeneration
  ===============
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To serve Sri Krishna by producing Haribhaktas as 
      children

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To enjoy like animals beyond the bounds of dharma
      2) To increase the tribe

  5) Evacuation
  =============
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To consider even this act as service to the Supreme 
      Being - along with apologies to Bhudevi, the Consort of 
      Varaha, our visible Mother.

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) The only dirty work of the day

===============
Internal Organs
===============

  1) Manas - Mind
  ===============
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To incessantly think of Narayana (Man Manaa Bhava)

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To incessantly think of sense enjoyments

  2) Buddhi - Intellect
  =====================
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To decide what pleases and what displeases Sri Hari
      2) To decide what is dharma and what is adharma

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To decide which way to make quick money
      2) To decide which god will give quick results

  3) Chitta - Memory
  ==================
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To repeatedly recall the samsara-destroying tales of 
      Govinda
      2) To recall with gratitude how the Acharyan saved oneself
      from the bottomless ocean of samsara.
      3) To recall permanently our everlasting relationship with 
      Sriyah Pathih

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To recall the joys of vulgar association
      2) To recall the so-called happy days of youth
      3) To recall, in old age, how life got wasted
      4) To recall the harm done by others to oneself.

  4) Ahankara - Egoism - I-sense
  ==============================
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      1) To realise one's identity as the servant of Hari
      2) To bow, not before riches and fame and those who
      possess it, but before the Supreme Being alone

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      1) To assert one's supremacy over everything
      2) To dominate others
      3) To demand service from others

======================
True, Essential Nature
======================

  1) Atma - Self
  ==============
    The path of the Mahatmas
    ------------------------
      To Eternally Know, Love and Serve the Parabrahman, the 
      Paramapurushan, Narayanan

    The path of much of humanity
    ----------------------------
      Atma? Self? What? Which language? Sorry, we will see later, 
      I am too busy with sense enjoyments.

dasan,
P.Srinivasan




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