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Keeping the tradition alive!

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eyetex • September 9, 2000 


Dear Bhagavathas,
The subject seems to have generated some lively responses and i thank and appreciate the group for the same.At the outset i have mentioned that the need was not a question and answer but the nature of the subject perhaps had made this inevitable.
Adiyen is a 1000% believer in the concept so scintillatingly expounded by Sri Thirumangai Azhwar in 1-1-9 0f Peria ThiruMozhi:

Kulam Tharum Selvam Thanthidum Adiyar Padu Thuyar Ayinavellam
Nilam taram seyyum Neel Visumbhu arulum Arulodu Perunilam alikkum
Valam Tharum Marrum Thanthidum Petra Thayinum Ayina Seyyum 
Nalam Tharum Sollai Naan Kandukondein NARAYANA ennum Namam.

Any doubters on the fringe may be referred to Purusha Sooktham which makes it clear as to who creates, protects etc.,also lucidly expounded by Azhwars - Narayanan Padaithan Nanmuganai etc.,From the beginning my focus was not on the unquestioned Supremacy of Sriman Narayana or on whether we can also worship the other deities - demi gods or otherwise.

I am and have always been concerned more with the exodus of sishyas
and the posting on Sathya Sai was an appropriate channel to ventilate my feelings.Let me make it very very clear that i am not questioning the concept of Acharya - Sishya relationship or the fact that the Ramanuja Darsana which expounds the Visishtadvaitha Philosophy is the only path of Salvation for mankind as a whole and not just for we SriVaishnavas.

But there are very large gaps between precepts and practices and i should know this having been associated very very deeply with many of our Asramams and Mutts for nearly 30 years.There is no purpose in saying that we do not deal in the numbers game as we have to devise methods and systems to at least 'protect' the existing numbers let alone attract new numbers or new entrants.If the numbers were to dwindle and become insignificant then we become unable to sustain our Acharyas and their Institutions.

Protecting our temples and thereby our culture/heritage etc., is most welcome and there are a few charitable trusts who are focussing on that and adiyen will be willing to coordinate and channelise the efforts and contributions of the overseas Bhagavathas in this regard either thro' our Andavan Asramam or other Mutts or thro' these Trusts.
Having said that we still need to make our Asramams and Mutts more secular, admit all believers, treat all of them alike after giving precedence only to the priestly classes who help our Acharyas to perform the essential rituals and thereafter tending to all others on a strictly 'first come first served' basis.

There is much hypocrisy involved here and whichever way one looks at it the fact remains that the Brahminical class strongly opposes the secularisation of these Institutions but would very much want the contributions from these other communities.There is a lot to be done in unifying the manner in which our Asramams and Mutts propagate our Philosophy ( granted that it is the simplest and the most secular as another Bhagavatha pointed out) as there is too much discord and petty rivalry here.I am posting these words with tremendous anguish but with the firm conviction that we the followers of Sri Ramanuja Darsana - Vadagalai & Thengalai - have to get together before it is too late and evolve a strict code of ethics whereby we can atleast coexist without much of the acrimony one finds whenever one opens a religious journal.

I can assure you that the next generation is fed up and wants some hard answers as otherwise we are losing them and will continue to lose them.Of the cuff replies citing a few individual instances of pleasant experiences or the service rendered by visiting Bhagavathas do not reveal the true situation wherein hundreds more(of our people) are not even looking in the direction of our Institutions.Adiyen knows otherwise as adiyen is now ordained by H.H.Srimad Andavan to run the temporal affairs of the Asramam. A few thousands assembling on the special occasions,listening to the ANugraha Bhashanams,collecting a few lakhs of rupees as Sambavanais, partaking the puliyodharais/sakkarai pongal etc., do not show the true picture or the state of affairs.
We should act NOW before it is too late.
Srirangam Srimad Andavan Thiruvadi.
RR.

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           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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