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prapatti discussions

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • October 7, 1996 


Dear Bhaktas,

I am very happy to see many interesting discussions
going on in our list.  I am particularly heartened
to see several members engaging in thoughtful dialogue
on the nature and performance of prapatti without
allowing the discussion to degenerate into a sectarian
dispute.  I hope we can keep it that way.

I have only one note of caution (inspired by others who have
written to me privately): irrespective of how much we
discuss prapatti / SaraNAgati electronically, for those who
are seriously interested, there can be no substitute for 
learning about the nature of prapatti from an acharya in the 
traditional manner.  I am told that the person-to-person
contact inherent in such a relationship is incomparable.

Please do not let my comments deter you from continuing
your discussions; the more we discuss here, the more we
enjoy and benefit.   I would of course prefer that we avoid
statements such as, ``But Vedanta Desika said such-and-such
about your viewpoint, you must be wrong!'' or ``Manavala
Mamunigal would vehemently disagree with you on this point!''

Such comments tend to be counterproductive and will lead
to unnecessary dissension.  Serious disputes over prapatti
should be carried on privately, in my opinion.  

Other than that, keep the discussions going!

Mani