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Re: Introduction

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Rajaram Venkataramani • May 27, 1999 


We would agree that  it is a natural tendency to love and serve others. We
see that we love our family, friends, nation etc., and we also serve  the
people whom we love. Of course, we are sometimes forced to serve people whom
we dont love sometimes, for example a boss whom we dont like. We are also
forced to serve our senses and some times we do it voluntarily. The ultimate
extension of loving and serving is devotional service to Vishnu. When we
serve God, our love for Him devlops and we serve Him more. As Krishna says
in Bhagavad Gita "param drstva nivartante" - one loses taste for gross sense
gratification as one develops in devotion to the Lord. It is a vouluntary
and natural self control.  To give an example, as we grow up most of us dont
continue playing with sand castles as we did when we were children. Like
that as we grow in devotion we stop unwanted materialistic activities. It is
perhaps artificial as you said if we just try to stop the senses. But if we
lose interest in the material sense gratification as a result of higher
taste of devotion, it is very natural and desirable like the giving up sand
castles.

Rajaram V.

-----Original Message-----
From: Srivatsan Laxman 
To: bhakti@lists.best.com 
Date: Wednesday, May 26, 1999 11:48 PM
Subject: Introduction


>hi:
>
>i am srIvats. i have joined the group since i am trying to understand the
>visishtadvaitik philosophy.
>
>can someone enlighten me on the following:
>
>it is good to behave naturally at all times. at the same time, one has to
>exercise control on the human mind and on our behavior.. then isnt
>exercising control contradictory to natural behavior?
>
>regards
>srivats
>
>