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Stop Dividing Our Community.

From the Bhakti List Archives

Pattangi • September 24, 1999 


SrImathe rAmAnujAya nama:


(I am committing some apacharam now by writing this mail because I may be
offending some bhagavatas - I will have to go thru' the appropriate
Prayaschitta and prayers.)

There have been comments and email suggesting that the Chicago (Aurora)
Temple is inferior to some of the other temples, and some
of the BhAgawathas who visit the Chicago Temple for bhagavad kaimkaryam are
somehow not as good SrIviashNava-s as those who have been writing some of
the e-mail.  This note is a response to those comments.

To respond to mail that tries to debase or put down a temple, one has to get
down to that level.
Most of the good Vaishnavas will not get into this sort of thing. Especially
the good Vaishnavas in Chicago area don't seem to be responding to it,
but I am young and hence will get down to the level.
(And send this only mail in Chicago Aurora temple's defense.)

BhAgawatha apachaaram:
Emperumaan can forgive apachaarams to Him;
but will never forgive apachaarams to other bhakthAs.
By hurting good Sri Vaishnavas in the Chicago area, regardless of their
Kalai, Madam etc people who are directly or indirectly offending these
bhagawatas
are committing that apachaaram.

Think of what Sri Ramanuja would do if he was here today. Would your
actions of dividing, isolating and hurting others gain his approval. We
(SriVaishnawas ) are few in
number, we do not need any medium that will divide us further. So let us
stop trying to divide us
(intentionally or unintentionally). 

Some of the notes and communications seem to suggest that they are arising
from recent converts to vaishnavism (Which typically brings fanaticism with
it.) please practice 
our beautiful Sri Vaishnavism for a few decades before you start passing
comments on what
others should and should not be doing regarding practices, what temples one
should and should
not go to. (Especially stop suggesting that Vaishnavas should not go to
Aurora Temple.) 

Just reading books & wearing ThirumaN and appropriate clothing does not make
one a Vaishnava.
We are supposed to be peaceful, kind and karunawan to everybody regardless
of what devata they follow, or what religion they are or what animal or
plant species they are,
and here you seem to be hurting good Sri Vaishnavas. 
It just does not look good, especially for people who want to be prominent
forerunners of
Vaishnavism in the US, to be devisive and disrupt peace in some very good
Sri Vaishnava homes and communities.

Bhajans in Aurora Temple:
Some of the Sri vaishnava Bhajan group leaders have striven hard to get as
many songs as possible on perumAL into the Bhajan session.  By criticizing
these members you are committing BhAgawatha apachaaram.
(This bhajan session is conducted concurrently with the VishNu Sahasranamam
Parayanam) 
We live in a world with other non-Vaishnavas, and should strive to live
peacefully with them as far as possible.

Before commenting on people, temples and their practices, you should get to
know the whole situation and circumstance. If you are really interested
send me a personal
mail, I will be happy to clarify and explain. 

(So would many other BhAgawathas in Chicago area.)

Wondeful Ghoshti at Aurora Temple:

After a lot of struggle by ShrI R. Raghavan, N. Krishnamachari,  R. Hemmige
and many others in the Chicago area,  we have a wonderful Prabhandam and 
Veda Parayanam Ghoshti. The Aarti, puja and other prayers performed are
as good as some reputed Vaishnava temples in India. Come to our Aurora
temple for the 1st Sunday  PerumAL Thirumanjanam and receive our SrInivAsa
PerumAL's theertha PrasAdam.
(Every 1st sunday of the Month.)

We should all be thankful for perumal's grace that we have the opportunity
to pray and perform kainkaryam to PerumAL.
So, please do not stop others from going to and supporting the temple.
Please do not propogate rumors about this temple.

It is my humble request to my dearest fellow bhAgawathAs not to take any of
my statements personally. Instead of trying to debase me for sending the
mail, 
please try to receive the point and refrain from dividing our Sri Vaishnava
community.

I apologize for the inappropriate bandwidth usage. My future responses to
this issue (if any) will be not be sent via the list.


AdiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mukundan Vankipuram Pattangi
Dan Pattangi
LAN Analyst/Administrator		Lan Issues   lan@uic.edu				
UIC ACCC					Personal	danp@uic.edu