Sri Sangeetha & other Vaishnavas, With all due respects. Christianity is also a strongly sectarian religion, the famous Irish war between the Protestants and the Catholics will stand testament for that. Even in the USA, marriages between Catholics and the protestants are frowned. Forget the USA, even in India, they share ill-will!! With respect to casteism in Sanatana Dharma, I guess what was laid down by Perumal was later perverted to suit the Whims and Caprices of the then-prevailing (upper) class. The same Perumal who spoke about the Chatur Varnam in the Bhagavad Gita has displayed his irreverence to caste by birth in both his leelas, as well as the leelas of his devotees. Perumal has given Moksha even to Asuras, what to speak of the lower class people. For the same reason, I believe that the ThennAchArya Sampradayam as laid down by Pillai Lokacharya, Periya Vachan Pillai, Swami ManavAla MAmunigal is a class-act. We can find even westerners becoming initiated Sri Vaishnavas, thanks to the Catholicity of the Thennacharya Sampradayam. I have personally seen a tamil muslim sporting a fantastic ThirumaN and reciting the 4000 being a part of the Goshti at Thiruvallikeni. I personally believe that Vaishnavism is all about the universal acceptance of God, and God accepting universally. Vaishnavism is not for men born in Iyengar families alone, if that were the case, Ramanuja and his Siddhantha would not have become what it is today. Talking about Caste issues, when I was new to the US for my graduate studies, I was living with 3 "brahmin" boys who would cook egg omelette for quick meals, what to speak of the odor!! What about "Brahmins" who booze and eat anything and everything?? Are they the only people assured of Moksha?? Ofcourse, if perumal uses is Nirhetuka Kripai, it is possible, but it is an another issue. In my personal opinion, Brahmins, as a caste have issues in mingling with other castes, just on the basis of practices, food habits and acharam being one of them. For example, any person born in an orthodox brahmin family will have problems in visiting a non-brahmin house where they cook meat. I personally don't mind visiting and being close to anybody who practices cleanliness and Vegetarianism, that is any day better than visiting a "Brahmin" who orders a bucket of KFC. This is my personal opinion. AzhwAr EmperumanAr jIyar ThiruvadigalE Saranam. Dasan, Kidambi Soundararajan. Sangeetha <sangs5@xxxx> wrote: Dear Mr. Raman, I would like to share one of my experiences here. With due respects to christians I would like to mention this. This is one community which helps in the upliftment of their fellow beings unlike our community. In any of their organization, it is observed that they and their fellow people are given more importance unlike our community. Many a times, I have been puzzled by the nonchalant attitude of our people. Thanks Sangeetha (Note: May I rrquest that further discussion on this topic be moved to the sv-general list? Tbanks. -Moderator). ----- Original Message ----- From: np raman To: Sent: February 09, 2003 11:47 AM Subject: Re: Fwd: [SriRangaSri] Clarification > Dear Members, > > > > My question is why we fight internally that my > religion is great and why cant we listen to others > also. Of course in our religion there are sub > divisions like sudra, brahmin,vaishya etc. and we are > having lots of gods to pray and treating my rama is > great my shiva is great. Why are these diferences > among ourselves. > > > Sincerely > Navilpakam Raman, > > > -------------------------------------------------------------- - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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