Bhakti List Archives

Re: pursuit of wealth

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • Mon Jul 12 1999 - 15:05:12 PDT 


Anand wrote:
>    adiyEn's point was only on the applicability of the question
>    for an avatAra purusha.  [...] The path shown by SwAmi dESikan
>    can very much be followed [...]

And what if I do not think that Swami Sri Desika was
an avatAra purusha in a literal sense?

To me, if we elevate all our great examples to avatAra-hood,
this increases the distance between them and myself.  Desika
is then capable of anything, because he was in no way like
myself.  He did not really face the obstacles that I did,
because he can overcome any problem.  Why would I have any
hope of doing similar? Why would I care to even think I can 
follow his example?

To me, and I only speak for myself, our acharyas' lives are 
far more meaningful if I consider them exceptional human
beings, who, while being susceptible to the same foibles as
you and I, for some reason managed to rise above it.
  
  [ This is not a new opinion, by the way. Please read
    PeriyaVaaccaan Pillai's introductory portion of his
    Tiruviruttam commentary, or the Mahapravesam of
    Nampillai's Eedu. ]
    
> ... instead of asking them to keep quiet ...

Please! No one has been asked to keep quiet.
However, as I have written too much for today, I shall keep quiet 
for some time.

Mani