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Re: Vadagalai vs Tengalai

From the Bhakti List Archives

Bhashyam Nallappa • October 12, 1995 


Though I think we our again digressing from the main purpose of
this newsgroup, I would like to give as what I understand is
the main philisophical difference between the two schools. 

The Vadagalai school believes in the philosphy of attaining God by giving tha anology
of the Monkey and its child. If you notice the baby clings to the Mother (Monkey)
So if you think the God to be the mother and the devotee as the child, the child
makes an attempt to attain the mother by clinging/believing/making an attempt
to reach God. In short the philosphy says that you need to seek God and have
devotion to get the patronage of God.

The Thengalai school believes in the anology of the Cat and the Kitten. The mother
Cat always grabs the Kitten (Child) by its teeth wherever she goes. So in this
anology the God looks after/protects his people or children. This philosphy is
akin to the Western philosphy of God loves you irrespective of what you do.

bhashyam