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Venkat Nagarajan • January 7, 2000 


Dear Bhagavatas,

A Vedantin is concerned not just about bliss in the after life, but also
about minimizing misery in the current life (karmic life.)  The dharma
shastras inform us of the (unique) optimal path; i.e., the single path
which results in misery minimization.  We are all on paths that are 
sub-optimal; the degree of sub-optimality varies according the degree of
delusion resulting from avidya karma.   The degree of delusion resulting
from avidaya karma is subject to change; it is greatly influenced by the
place in which we reside.  The place of residence determines the people
we interact with and the culture to which we are exposed, as such it
has a strong impact on the strengthening or weaking of the grip of
avidya karma (karma 
that causes delusion.)

I am curious to find out the following :

1. are there any members of the net who actually accept, at least in
principle, even if they feel it is an ideal that is almost impossible to reach,
the path prescribed in the dharma shastras (for a brahmana) as optimal?

2.  are there any members of this net who think that progress towards
the optimal path, no matter how slow, is a must?

ramanuja dasan,
Venkat