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Re: Reply to Mani

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Srikant Sadagopan • July 9, 2001 


Dear Bhagavathoththamas,
Now that the main topic of discussion has slid into thoughts on what the 
Srivaishnava(SV) community has done to help the downtrodden, I'd like to 
share with you all some introspective thoughts on the same.

Let me begin by saying (IMHO) that the SV community itself is on the verge 
of regaining its full glory after nearly 300 years but with a 'VERSION' 
CHANGE FOR this century! The reasons for *NOT* being a successful community 
when it came to OUTREACH programmes were:

1. The community for hundereds of years believed in sharing and passing on 
VEDIC WEALTH more than anything else. Parasara Bhattar inherited all of 
Kuratthalwan's Vedic wealth and *not* his lands in Kuram.

2. Most professions of SriVaishnavas were Vaidika in nature and very few 
were lucrative. Amassing wealth and then sharing it was not the idea at all 
until a few years ago. We do not have a SriVaishnava YELLOW PAGES book yet 
where SV's of the world network or share and care!

3. Some professionally(monetarily) successful SV's were/are so lost in their 
pursuit and ego-trips that they never cared to look back!( A non-Iyengar 
friend of mine used to tell me this joke- there are 3 I's of ego. 1.Iyengar  
2.Iyer  3.I -Imagine his perspective...when the ordinary man's "I"thvam or 
ahankaram comes 3rd!!)

The past two decades has seen some monetarily successful SV's and the 
religious meets still cant replace a Diner's club meet for a businessman 
wanting leads!(Though I have seen some SV's network with temple-contacts 
etc..and this IMHO isnt wrong. It's plain SV-survival instinct..balancing 
both work and Kainkaryam!)

Finally there's this other(dont know if its fortunate or unfortunate) thing 
catching up- FANATISM for one's lineage and Acharyan. Fanatism is slowly 
replacing BHAKTHI BHAAVAM and the feeling of a large gifted community is 
almost gone with rivalry building among the already diminished 
Bhakthakootas)
Any thoughts on how to balance this?
dAsan!



To Sri Nadadur Madhavan: Please forgive me for prolonging
>this discussion, for I feel it is an important one. We must
>fully explore the notion of kainkarya and dharma. Let it be
>clear that no particular organization is being criticized or
>indicted in this discussion. It is a general topic applicable
>to all of us as Sri Vaishnavas
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