Re: Digest Number 122

From the Bhakti List Archives

• August 24, 2000


Shri Mani,

Thank you for your well balanced response to Shri Badri's 
questions. It was a pleasure to read.

> No point in calling some demigod as "appA", when we know who 
>the Father is.

Shri Madhavakannan, I beg to differ. Yes, you would not call 
somebody else "appA" but that does NOT mean one should 
purposely disrespect or insult someone else in any way. That is 
not what our culture teaches us as Shri.Mani rightly points 
out. 

> WHY ASK SOMEONE when we have the "ACTUAL TRUE GIVER" on our 
>side?

There is no NEED to ask but that does not allow us to be 
arrogant about having the giver on our side either. Humility 
and tolerance are always wonderful virtues even when we are in 
the service of the lord.

> We SHOULD NOT GO TO THE temple, where the demi gods are 
>consecrated, along with Sriman Narayanan) and are in 
>abhayahastham. (showing their palms (as if they can
> protect us!).

I take it there is a good reason they are called demi-GODS and 
not demi-HUMANS. That must make them superior to an ordinary 
human being like me in SOME respect even if they are not the 
ultimate paramAtma. That makes them worthy of my respect even 
while I acknowledge the ultimate goal as Sri Krishna and I 
would hesitate very much to take the liberty of taunting them 
with words such as the ones above.

> No need to throw. Give ot to them (who still do not
> believe Vedas in true sense, and) who worship demi gods. Call 
>them- invite them at your home and give as gift. Do not hide 
>in your sannidhi. That is like hiding
> a boy friend's picture after wedding to Sriman Narayanan.
> 

I am deeply pained to read the above statements and feel that 
this is a great disservice to the lord and his devotees. What 
kind of a friend would "gift" something he regards as "useless"
personally, to another friend who is also an aspirant of the 
lord? He may have chosen to worship other gods because, as 
Shri.Mani points out,  he is not yet ready for single minded 
devotion - but his aspirations are the same - he is yet to find 
the easiest path, thats all! How very unfair to treat his 
feelings and the gods that the lord says were created by him in 
this manner.  The analogy to adultery is shocking to put it 
mildly.

Please forgive me if I have offended anybody's sentiments in 
this note.

Respectfully,
Shuba



^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without 
losing your temper or your self-confidence. 
                                         
                                              -Robert Frost





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