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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00056 May 2001

 
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Namaskaram,

I agree with Sriman Murali Sampath that what one eats is matter of 
personal choice. In the Gita the Lord says, "offer all that you do and 
eat." He does not put any conditions like no MacDonald french fries 
etc.. Ours is a religion of upadesa not commandments. 

Someone those outside sri sampradaya have no reason lecturing us, 
considering that their original motive in participating in this forum 
is to learn Sri Vaisnava theology. Soon we will have the likes of the 
Talibans and Fundamental Baptist instructing us on what to eat and 
offer God.

First, I like to clarify that the term "demigods" was coined by 
Prabhupada. This word he 'borrowed' from Greek mythology and 
'mis-used' it to refer to the devas. The term demigod is only 
applicable to someone like Arjuna. 

On the issue of mental offering, there is a story in the Srimad 
Bhagavatam, where a rishi mentally prepares an offering for the Lord. 
The rishi puts his finger into maenatlly visualised preparation and 
gets his fingers burnt. This story is an illustration on the power of 
an offering done mentally. 

On the issue of sattvic and non-sattvic etc. Hitler was a vegetarian 
but he killed millions of Jews, and minorities like homosexuals, 
gipsies etc. The leaders of a world famous Krishna cult, are/were 
'pure vegetarian' who only partook bhagavad prasadam prepared 
according to 'shastric code'. But did that prevent them from molesting 
young children and having sexual affairs with their female and male 
disciples (which are still very rampant in that movement). Did their 
consciousness change from eating bhagavad prasadam? 

On the issue of killing silk worms and insects ....blah blah. Our sri 
vaisnava acaryas have not included insect/worms etc in the category of 
sentient beings, and for practical reason we do not try and emulate 
the Jainism concept of ahimsa.

Rules and regulations are used by some 'groups' as a means to achieve 
the end Goal - Sriman Narayana. But for sri vaisnavas the means and 
the end is one and the same. Acknowledging, that we are not capable of 
following all these rules and regulations of bhakti yoga, our alvars 
and acaryas have showed us the easy path, Prappatti, as taught by Lord 
Krishna Himself in the Gita. 

Adiyen

Manohar Ramanuja dasanudasan






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