RE: Digest Number 114

From the Bhakti List Archives

• August 16, 2000


Sri Raamajayam

Dear Bhagavathaas,
                  AdiyEn wish to share the joy of seeing the great Swarna Lakshmi Hayagriva Perumaal of Sri Parakaala Mutt.   I have never seen a Hayagriva Moorthy of such charm(I may have seen pictures on prints, but nothing I have seen can top this photo).  Thanks to Sriman.Srinath Chakravarty.

AdiyEn wish to share some of my experience on the thoughts of our Sampradayam getting tarnished by new cults deviating/resembling partially Sanaathana Dharma(another topic raised on this forum).  

We should understand, emphasize and most importantly practice what leads us to Happiness, and pass on the same to our children and neighbourhood.  Please note the words, understand-emphasize-practice & the goal Happiness.

What is Happiness?
On this world - Happiness is free of sadness(& sadness is attributed to fear, lust, anger, thirst, hunger, greed etc) 
Out of this world - for the realized it is Moksham, for the rest, they know there is something called heaven and there is a more intelligent life, since they see disparities in births/lives on earth(some are born rich, some poor, some healthy, some diseased, some more intelligent, some less etc).

Understanding
An unbiased reading on the different philosophies would let the individual conclude that the Divya Dhampatis are our only refuge and reaching him by Bhakthi or Prapatthi are the ways.  Choosing Prapatthi is the shortcut.
As for questions of why not Allah, why not Holy spirit, why not Rudra, why not Indra, why not Sai Babaism etc, I have seen these arguments, but they take us on a divergent path if we do not have the realization that Divya Dhampatis is the ultimate.   Even in Sri Bhagavad Geetha, Sri Krishna clearly says, if other Devathaas are worshipped, the fruits are from him, and they reach that Devathaas abode, once the fruits are eaten, they come back to be reborn.  Other Lokas are also not free of distress(maybe of a different kind).  Also Eventually reaching Moksham cannot be a goal, if we 'Begin with the end in mind'(Happiness).  Of course other philosophies also say good things, like "Sugar is sweet, so is honey" and mix their messages/traditions to the innocent mind mixing simple truth with vicious philosophies, so a careful understanding is necessary and we should have the "Vairaghyam" to follow/make an attempt to follow  the Sampradayam.

Emphasize
Learning/Understanding alone is not enough. The Shastras prescribe us to learn Vedas, follow it, teach it.   This is to cherish and share what we have..  This way the system can be cleansed of new, incomplete and deviating philosophies.

Practice
We talk about what is right, and what is wrong, but most of the time we follow wrong.  This is because we never practice what needs to be practiced and do what we are not supposed to do.  The best way to resolve what to do or not, is to make a sincere attempt to practice Nityanushtaana(Snaanam/bath,Sandhyavandanam, Bhagavad Aaaradhanam) and Saatvika Tyaaga(attributing the work/result to the Divya Dhampathis, thus freeing us of the impact of the work).   Other events such as Upakarma, Azhwaar/Divya Dhampathi/Acharya Thiru Nakshathiram should be felt valuable and celebrated.   If we do this and explain this to our children, never will they seek other ways.

AdiyEn do not write these words as if I know and follow the Sampradayam, and not with contempt with this basic realization.  But am merely repeating what I learnt from this forum and sharing it for the benefit of other Bhagavathaas to hear,understand,follow and teach our Sampradayam and derive the joy.

Naarayana! Naarayana!

AdiyEn Sri Raamanuja Daasan,

Sudarsana Dasosmi

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