RE: Shri Mani's Request

From the Bhakti List Archives

• July 29, 1997


This morning as I was reading through the old postings about Shri Mani's   
Request and all the mail in
conjunction with that, I just had to give my penny's worth.

Mr. Prasad :
 I am 23 years of age.  Three years ago, I was not at all involved in any   
kind of learning.  What I knew
was what my parents had taught me.  Not about our Sampradayam, but about   
how one should live.  I used to pray,
and be devoted, but never did I think of life in terms of devoting one   
self to Sriman Narayana.  When I first joined this
group, I was a confused person(with no interest in learning about the   
Sampradayam) as I used to feel that all
these things are just to discriminate.  After I joined this group, at   
first I did not understand anything at all, but after
I read it again and again, I was able to understand the true meaning of   
life.  During the days when Shri Joyshula,
Shri V. Sadagopan, Shri Jagannath Bharadwaj were main contributers and   
the rest of the people were listeners(
in terms of email).  If we notice, even though we have the learned   
company of Shri V. Sadagopan, and
Shri Jagannath Bharadwaj, we have a lot more participants.  Many of the   
participants in this group are in the age
group you had mentioned a lot of them are students.

When we talk of Objectivity : We should think of what we want from it.   
 For example: I knew the acharams : things
like what I am supposed to be doing being a Vaishnava, but I was never   
introduced to its history, or for that matter
the main essence.  This is what I wanted from the group and that is what   
I got out of it.  In this group the people are
so learned, that if we want we can learn quite a lot from them.. not just   
about Vaishnavism but also life in
general.  We need to realize that no matter what the objective of the   
group is, we will only learn what we want
to learn out of it.  There is a saying  "Playing drums in front of a   
rock".  The statement is different but
for this purpose I had to change it.  Many  a times as kids our parents   
told us so many things .. I for one heard
what I wanted to hear.  IF they said something other than that, I would   
get up and walk away.  This statement may
not be of relevance here but I bring this up because we need decide on   
our own objectives.  Another such example is
when we send our resume we state our objectives and try to stick with   
them where ever we go!!!

About turning youth away, I agree to this to a certain point, but may I   
add something?  If interested, it does not matter.
We have friends, whose 9 year old kid reads these postings, though he   
does not understand what is being said,
he reads and asks questions.  On the other hand, I know of a couple who   
is in their mid thirties.. who find ways to not
learn about our Sampradayam.  I feel that no matter what we say to this   
couple they will not change their idea and
attitude, likewise no matter we say to this little 9 year old he will not   
change his attitude either.  Ofcourse for people
not interested this group, the discussions will feel outdated.  (I can't   
anymore to this.)

We have to decide on how we want to live.    History and information will   
never be fast pace.  It will be slow,
but what will make it lively is way one adapts to it.

Sorry for the long post, but had to give my penny's worth.

Manjula