You are here: SriPedia - Ramanuja - Archives - Jan 2006

Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00095 Jan 2006

 
Jan 2006 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


Sri Ranjan,

My sincere apologies for conveying the wrong message.  Please be rest 
assured that I have utmost respect for ISKCON and have served as an 
active member of our local temple's advisory board for several years.  I 
also consider several devotees as close, personal friends.

I hope with this in mind, you can better understand the intent of my 
concerns.   What I have been observing in the subsequent postings is the 
misrepresentation that Sri sampradayam is mainly comprised of Brahmin 
(Iyengars) and that the Gayatri mantra somehow plays some significant 
role in becoming a Sri Vaishnava.   The varna system - whether we 
believe is birth-based or not - is a state of the body.  One's being a 
brahmana by birth or choice obligates that person to certain rules and 
codes of conduct that exclude him from the society at large.  The 
practice of Vaidika rituals and proper observation of sastra is also 
important.  Whether or not the Iyengars of today follow this is another 
story, but we all must agree that this what Vedas say - at least from 
our understanding of it.

But, from the Sri Vaishnava perspective, which I would agree only 
accepts the birth-based varna concept, caste is really a condition of 
the body.  Being a Vaishnava, as our Acharyas say, is a condition of the 
soul.  It involves the realization of "dasatvam" in ISKCON or 
"seshatvam" in the Sri sampradayam, the feeling that one lives to serve 
the Lord for His Pleasure.  Such a psychological/spiritual position is 
expressed quite differently, through chanting the Holy Name, serving 
fellow devotees, and so on.  Such activities have nothing to do with 
varna or gender.  Even the role of Vaidika rituals change for those who 
regard themselves to be Brahmin because they are done in His Service 
without expectation of personal reward.  .  Therefore, I am of the 
opinion that if one follows a Vaishnava school, the role of this 
dastavam/seshatvam should be emphasized, keeping the Vaidika rituals in 
proper context as being the svadharma of those who wish to engage in 
rituals for the Lord's Service.  It is in keeping this mood of servitude 
that I see ISKCON serving as a model to other Vaishnava schools of thought.

I hope this helps to clarify my position.

adiyen
Mohan






>     Sriman Mohan, as to why ISKCON has adopted use of the gaayatri 
>mantra, I am sure anyone who asks them will know that they see 
>themselves as a fully Vaidika sampradaayam.  Anyone who has closely 
>observed an ISKCON worship service will notice that their poojaris 
>(often non-Indians, who have been given yagnyopaveetam) do recite 
>vedic mantras during worship including Purusha suukta, Vishnu suukta 
>and others, and if you ask them about their practice you will find 
>that they do in fact perform trikaala sandhyaavandanam.  This isn't 
>just my guess, I happen to have discussed these issues in detail a 
>couple of times with a prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava academic in the 
>UK who also performs priestly duties for many Indian Hindu 
>families.  
>
>   Any student of Gaudiya sampradaayam will also know that they 
>don't subscribe to the 'birth' based view of varna prevalent in Sri 
>sampradaayam - hence their giving of yagnyopaveetam to non-birth 
>brahmins.  Your observation that the chanting of Vedas is restricted 
>by birth may be the understanding of most Sri Vaishnava acharyas, 
>but I think we should respect the strongly held conviction of the 
>Gaudiyas on this.  They too will be able to quote vedic pramaaNam 
>stating that 'individuals displaying the required characterists are 
>eligible for gaayatri'.  Any further discussion of this would 
>probably spiral into the caste-by-birth-or-qualities debate which 
>has happened too many times on other lists.  My point is that 
>recitation of Gaayatri and Vedas has a very secure, and sampradaayic 
>position in ISCKON which we should respect.
>
>  
>





Azhvar EmberumAnAr JeeyAr ThiruvadigalE Saranam 
http://www.vedics.net

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ramanuja/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ramanuja-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 




[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
ramanuja-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list