You are here: SriPedia - Ramanuja - Archives - Aug 2002

Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00046 Aug 2002

 
Aug 2002 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


Sri: 
Humble pranams to all:

Dear Smt Sridevi Krishnan: 
You may want to print this article for friends who are asking these questions:

The following article is from the Vedics Magazine
===========Vedics Q&A Discussion=========================
Need for Spiritual Knowledge and Acharya
Q&A with students at University Of Illinois at Chicago ? Summer 2000

Question 1: What is Spiritual Knowledge, and what is the need for it?
=====================================================
Vedics: These are very good and important questions.

Any developed, civilized society seeks to find out the purpose of life,
Why am I here, Who am I, Who created this universe, these questions will
lead us to seek out the Truth.

There has to be a greater purpose than eating, sleeping and reproducing.
This leads us to think further and more questions come, am I more than
this flesh and blood , am I "jeevatma"? (Spiritual Being)

The very important question of "who am I and what is my purpose",
makes us seek "True Knowledge" (Spiritual Knowledge)

This spiritual knowledge is gained through the study of spiritual science.
This deals with
1. Chit - Jivathmas (Soul) :- has Knowledge
2. Achit - Time, Matter etc.
3. Ishwara - Paramathma (Supreme soul) :- God, Sriman Narayana

In order to gain a proper understanding of this knowledge such that it can be 
to our benefit, 
as well as of benefit to the world, we need to seek an Acharya (Spiritual 
Teacher)who 
has this type of knowledge, and is willing to share it readily with those who 
sincerely desire to learn it.

Question 2: How do we know the Acharya is True? How do we find THE Acharya?
=====================================================
Answer:
God out of his Kripa (mercy), reveals the true knowledge to us,
via a Acharya parampara (lineage of Spiritual Teachers).

Lord, Sriman Narayana (a.k.a, Vishnu, Sri Hari) is the first Acharya. 
He revealed this true knowledge to: 
"Sri" (Maha Lakshmi, the Divine Mother). The Divine Mother revealed the true 
knowledge to 
Vishvaksena (Commander in Cheif in Vaikhunta), 
who in turn taught it to Satakopa Muni (Nammazhwar). 
The lineage of teachers continued on through 
Nathamuni, Pundarikaksha, Ramamisra, Yamunucharya, Goshti Purna,
to Sri Ramanuja, the foremost and most magnanimous of all of the Spiritual 
Teachers. 
(Time on Earth: 1017 to 1137 AD). Due to his unparalleled wisdom and 
compassion, 
Sri Ramanuja is regarded to be the foremost example of what it means to be a 
Spiritual Teacher. 
Thus all other teachers after him, have had their teachings validated because 
of their 
connection to Sri Ramanuja.

Consequently, All Acharyas following in this lineage of Acharyas after his time 
are named with
suffixes/prefixes of Ramanuja), they represent Ramanuja and his teachings AS 
they are.

All these Acharyas passed down the knowledge as it is, without any
adulteration to the original as Given by Lord Narayana to MahaLakshmi.

You may approach any of the Acharyas in this lineage.

Question 3: Is this Acharya Lineage based on Birth. Are there any caste 
restrictions on 
who can be in this lineage? 
=====================================================

No this lineage is NOT based on birth. We have Acharyas from all walks of life 
and all castes. 
Swami Satagopan (Nammazhwar) the first Acharya in Earth was Born in 4th Caste 
He is the most important acharya who brought the teachings to all the 
SriVaishnavas.

There is a lot of misconceptions regarding Caste System, let us discuss that in 
another session.

Question 4: Is the Spiritual knowledge we get today is same as was Given by 
LORD?
=====================================================
In Sri Sampradaya, this knowledge is being handed down from Teacher to Student 
(who then takes over the role of teacher for the next generation)
Such a lineage can be regarded to be like? a clean pipe?, with with all the 
Acharyas being regarded as smaller clean pipes connecting through a main 
?junction box?, Bhagavad Sri Ramanuja. Since the water coming in is pure, and 
all the pipes are clean and untainted by false ego or false knowledge, the 
water coming at the end of the pipe is exactly the same as it at was at its 
source (Sriman Naryana) .

Spiritual Knowledge revealed by the Lord, is given to us by our Acharya, as 
taught through the Lineage of Acharyas. This knowledge is thus flawless and 
true spiritual Knowledge.

So any one interested in learning the True knowledge will approach an Acharya 
of this lineage (RamanujaAcharyas, some call them as Sadacharyas) as they are 
all representing Acharya Ramanuja (and will pass the message AS IS to their 
devotees)

Question 5: How to Approach Acharya?
=====================================================
Vedic Answer:
Due to, Lord SrimanNarayana's grace and benevolence we get accepted by our
Acharya, the Acharya accepts us (it is never the the other way)

One should be extrmely greatful and fortunate to be accepted by an qualified 
RamanujaAcharya of this lineage. 

Question 6: What do we need to get accepted by such an Acharya?
=====================================================
Vedic Answer: Genuine Interest is all that you need to have.

If you are a true devotee seeking the Truth and are willing to understand and 
follow it respectfully, Ramanujacharyas will never turn you down.

It is our great fortune that Acharyas accept us and impart the True knowledge 
to us in appropriate doses based on our individual capacity. In Sastras, 
Acharya is Described as Equivalent to GOD, If needed we can explain reasons 
later.

So all the true devotees treat their Acharya as GOD himself,

Question 7: Like GOD, is that not stroking some Ego? Is this needed.
=====================================================
True devotees treat their Acharya as GOD himself, 
But the True Acharya NEVER says "I am God" never behaves with EGO or Anger, 
Never entertains any caste, community, regional or language barriers.

Question 8: How to know the True Acharyas from Fake Sadhus.
=====================================================
There are so many others claiming to be the Perfect Acharya and that they
are GOD. If you see such people go ask them if they are the SUPREME GOD
(The Creator of this universe). Nobody is greater than or equal to the SUPREME 
GOD .

Ask such people if they can even create a grain of rice without the help of 
Lord, SrimanNarayana. 
Ask if anyone can create or bring life to an otherwise life-less object. No, 
No-one can create anything, only GOD can. Still we find fake ones claiming to 
be GOD etc.

True Acharya NEVER says "I am God"

You can be assured that an Acharya representing Bhagavad Ramanuja and his 
message is passing 
on the message as revealed by LORD and is a Bonafide True Acharya, capable of 
delivering us to GOD.

In some sense it depends on what you are seeking, if you are seeking true 
spiritual knowledge, GOD will 
allow you to come under the guidance of an Acharya of the Lineage Started by 
HIM, 
with the LORD as the First Acharya.

HIS grace is always upon you, let us pray for all of us, to fall in love with 
HIM more and more and not 
to resist/block his Grace with our false ego.

Next discussion on : Acharya's Unique Role 
Further questions send mail to ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
=================End of Vedic Q&A Discussion====================================


azhwAr emperumAnAr JeeyAr thiruvadigalE sharanam

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi
http://www.radioramanuja.com




[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