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Basic vishishtadvaita

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sreekrishna • July 17, 1995 


I have been requested to write a short artcal on Sri Ramanujacharya-His life, 
works and Philosophy. The audience will be general Hindu public settled in the
Greater Columbus, Ohio. I specifically request clarification on the following:

1. Is it right to say that we can rationalize Vishishtadvaita by saying that 
the individual souls are cups of water and Narayana is lik immeasurable occean? 
 Advaita would imply that  both the cup of water and the immeasurable occean 
are one and the same. Dvaita would say, that the cup of water and the occean 
are different. Mayavadis would say both the cup and  water is an illusion. and the 
 only Nirguna Brahman is reality.

2. Is it right to say that Vishishtadvaita is a compromise between Advaita and 
Dvaita Philosophies?

3. Advaita and Maya Vada are not interdependent? By that I mean they can stand
alone as different philosophies.

4. In a broader sense, is it right to say that Christianity, Islam, and 
Judaism are Dvaita (Dualistic) philosophies:Whereas Buddhism and Jainism are 
Advaita (Non-dualistic) philosophies? 

5. Prapatti follows naturally for Vishshtadvaitins, because of the realization
 that we are scaled down entities of that unscalable Sreeman Narayana. 
Concept of Prapatti is almost contradictory to Advaitis and Maya Vadis. 
For Dualists(Dvaitis), Prapatti is possible, may not be natural. Because
it is always difficult to naturally surrender to an alien (We and God are
different) even if the alien is GOD!

If you wish to respond to my questions only to me, you may do so by e-Mailing 
to: Sreekrishna@mmd.com

Thanks for your help
Sincerely, K. Sreekrishna.