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sAmpradaya saurabham - part I

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mohan Sagar • February 2, 1998 


Dear fellow bhAgavathas,

My wife was reading from Sri Tridandi Jeear Swamy's January 1998 Telugu
edition of Bhakti NivEdana, and found an interesting article on the six
steps the Lord takes us through before revealing Himself to us through an
AchAryan. We thought that we would share these with all of you over the
next couple of postings.  This is our own crude translation of the Telugu
article.  Please forgive us for any unintentional errors in translation
that may be made:

Introduction: 

A teacher is required for any study, but particulary so for a spiritual
pursuit.  Such a person is necessary in this life to teach us good from
bad, to show us the correct path, to correct us when we stray, and to
support us through it all.

After having fallen into it, we are wallowing in this sea of samsAram, with
agnyAnam, ahankAram, lobam, moham, and other such limitations.  In this
state, can there be any other way to reach the shore than through achArya
samAsrayanam?

Given this, how do we have the accessibility to a sadAchAryan?  There are
several steps that lead us to this:

Step 1.  Bhagavad sauhArdam.  

Perumal is the Lord and benefactor of all.  Who is He not a friend to?  

We are all bound by our karmas.  Since He is the One who has established
this institution based on karma, He will not break it.  However, He is ever
anxious to find one good deed on our parts such that He can redeem us out
of this sea of samsAram.  This is His SousIlyam. 

This step is His sauhArdam.  His Kripa must be there for you.

Step 2. sadbhAvam

Once Perumal's Kripa is there with you, good intentions arise. 
Unintentionally, for some unknown reason, you do some good deed.  It just
happens.  

You chase after your child with the intention of catching him.  He runs
into a temple, and you follow him.  He runs around the prAkaram of the
temple and you follow suit.  You had no intention of doing what you are
doing, nor have the realization of it when you are doing it.    But what
you have done is pradakshanam around Perumal's Koyil.

Although purely unintentional, this act has become a good deed.  This is
called yadruchAsukrutam.

Step 3. Bhagavad katAksham

Will this good deed be ignored?  Somehow, it makes the Lord's Compassionate
Glance fall upon you.  The Lord will be looking at you in surprise and
saying "That guy is doing pradakshanam around the Koyil!?"  He has seen
you.  Because He saw you, should you not receive the palam of His seeing
you?  Of course, you will.  But, you will have no knowledge of it .

---continued---

adiyEn,

Mohan Raghavan & Madhuri