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From: Mani Varadarajan (mani_at_be.com)
Date: Mon Jul 12 1999 - 15:05:12 PDT
Anand wrote:
> adiyEn's point was only on the applicability of the question
> for an avatAra purusha. [...] The path shown by SwAmi dESikan
> can very much be followed [...]
And what if I do not think that Swami Sri Desika was
an avatAra purusha in a literal sense?
To me, if we elevate all our great examples to avatAra-hood,
this increases the distance between them and myself. Desika
is then capable of anything, because he was in no way like
myself. He did not really face the obstacles that I did,
because he can overcome any problem. Why would I have any
hope of doing similar? Why would I care to even think I can
follow his example?
To me, and I only speak for myself, our acharyas' lives are
far more meaningful if I consider them exceptional human
beings, who, while being susceptible to the same foibles as
you and I, for some reason managed to rise above it.
[ This is not a new opinion, by the way. Please read
PeriyaVaaccaan Pillai's introductory portion of his
Tiruviruttam commentary, or the Mahapravesam of
Nampillai's Eedu. ]
> ... instead of asking them to keep quiet ...
Please! No one has been asked to keep quiet.
However, as I have written too much for today, I shall keep quiet
for some time.
Mani