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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00041 Dec 2005

 
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Sri:

Dear devotees:    Please accept our pranam:

Why do we worship Sriman Narayana?
==============================
                        From the Vedic Magazine Compiled from the teachings of 
Dr M.S Rangachari

One of the fundamental qualities of a follower of Ramananuja Sampradayam 
is, although he/she must be completely tolerant of other religions and 
beliefs,  on a personal level the devotee maintains exclusive monotheistic 
devotion to the Supreme Lord, Sriman Narayana,  as ones sole Refuge and 
Protection.  The reason for  this is not just dogma or blind faith, but 
rather is the result of a logical understanding of the purpose of 
spirituality as it is taught in the Vedas and as it is revealed to us by 
our Acharyas.

For every human being, faith is very essential towards leading a purposeful 
and productive life. That faith should be based on sound principles and 
should be derived from a proper understanding of the venerated practices 
and teachers of the past. Faith such be of such a nature that it frees one 
from worrying about the past, the present or the future, encouraging a 
person to focus instead on living a productive and good life, such that not 
only the individual but all those around that individual are benefited.  To 
gain such an attitude that leads to the Good, one must be safe in the 
knowledge that he/she is being guided and cared for by the Divine.

To have such a faith, one must follow a path that is lucid and 
straightforward, free of contradictions and discrepancies.   Consequently, 
it must be directed towards One Being, One Supreme Good, One Absolute 
Truth.  That One Being should be all powerful such that we know that He can 
easily save us from what would otherwise be an unending web of accumulated 
sins that bind us to our false egos and our material desires.  At the same 
time, that Being should be very compassionate, forgiving, and accessible, 
so that we can be rest assured that we can turn to Him in spite of our 
sinful nature.   He must also be impartial to everyone such that He readily 
accepts anyone and everyone who turns to Him, irrespective of their caste, 
race, gender or station in life.   He must also possess many charming  and 
wondrous qualities such that we are easily drawn to Him.  And,  He must be 
one who Loves Us Unconditionally, and who is willing to receive our 
unconditional love in return.   Such a being would easily be accepted into 
our hearts and lives.

Given our human foibles, however, even if such a being were to stand before 
us at this moment, telling us that He is the One that we are seeking, our 
nature would be to doubt Him.  So, In addition to all the Divine 
Qualities,  He must be one whose supremacy has been proven by what others 
have taught, and is time-honored and proven.  Over the ages, great people 
should have consistently worshipped Him, and that worship should be 
consistent with the books/revelations that tell us of such a Person.

Our Acharyas teach us that the Vedas, which form the basis of any Indian 
spiritual system, emphatically declare that such a Lord is none other than 
Sriman Narayana, the Supreme Being Vishnu,  the consort of the Goddess Sri, 
the refuge of all souls.   Great saints and mystics have worshipped Him 
through the ages, and have passed on their legacy to others.  Ramanuja 
adopted this legacy from them, and has shared this great treasure with all 
of us through his lineage of Teachers. It is for this reason, that 
followers of Ramanuja put their complete trust in Sriman Narayana as the 
Way and the Goal of Life.
===================================================================
http://www.radioramanuja.com/articles/






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