You are here: SriPedia - Ramanuja - Archives - Nov 2004

Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00091 Nov 2004

 
Nov 2004 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]



sri:

SriVaishnava Qualities to Cultivate - From Sri Thirumalai Ananthazhvan
=====================================================
Sri Parasa Bhattar (a disciple of Sri Ramanuja) once told one of His followers 
Nambi to go and learn SriVaishnava qualities from another disciple of Sri 
Ramanuja called Thirumalai Ananthazhvan. Nambi obeyed implicitly without any 
questions (like why me) and went to Ananthazhvan?s house, where the host was 
busy with thadhiaradhana (offering food) to a guest at his house.  Nambi was 
made to wait for quite a while, but he did so patiently and happily (as he was 
doing what his Acharya bid him to do).
 
After the guest departed Sri Ananthazhvan was very apologetic to Nambi and 
asked him for the purpose of his visit.  Nambi stated the reason for his 
unannounced arrival and requested that he be taught SriVaishnava qualities.  
Without hesitation Sri Ananthazvan replied:
 
                                    ?  It would be like a Crane 
                                       It would be like a Hen
                                       It would be like Salt
                                       It would be like YOU?
 
 
Then he went on to elaborate on this qualities-
?Why to be like a Crane?-This bird stands at the banks of a river or a brook 
waiting patiently for a big fish to come, while letting go of smaller fishes.  
Just like that SriVaishnava learns ordinary day-to-day things patiently, but 
should learn esoteric meanings deeply with involvement.
 
 
?Why like a Hen?-It constantly goes through dirt and dust and spoils, but picks 
out only grains to eat.  Just like that an SriVaishnava should leave out 
unnecessary involvements and only pick and practice divine qualities.
 
 
?Why like Salt?- When salt is added to food it dissolves and blends in without 
showing off and being prominent.  We can eat food without any flavor except 
salt.  So should a SriVaishnava blend in a crowd but not be loud.
 
 
?Why like Nambi?-He showed extreme patience without ego and obeyed his 
Acharya?s command without questioning.  He did not feel slighted at his Host 
for having made him wait for a long time or leave with anger.
 
 
NOW HOW CAN WE APPLY THIS TO OUR LIVES:
 
>From childhood we go to school to learn a lot of lessons, English, 
>Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Computer etc.  This happens year 
>after year which we do persistently to succeed in life.  So also when we go to 
>lectures by Acharyas on Srimad Bhagawad Gita, Ramayana, Vedas, and 
>Divyaprabhandam these are the fish we should grasp and hold on to.
 
In our day today life we see, hear, speak and learn a lot.  But the thing that 
has to be heard and remembered is Bhagavath Nama, and when we speak use only 
kind gentle words pleasant to other?s ears, learn what you can but remember the 
Almighty, because these are the chosen qualities to be practiced.
 
Like Salt, when in a crowd or in front of our Acharyas, God etc., we should 
show our humility, humbleness and not be loud or pushy.  As in the case of 
salt, if not enough we miss it, if too much we avoid it.  So should we-in 
gatherings, elders should seek us out and miss us if we are not there, at the 
same time by rude or crude behavior we should not be shunned. (Like salt).
 
A SriVaishnava waits patiently for either God or His Acharya to salvage him, 
instead of trying to prove that one is one?s own savior.  Nambi showed this 
virtue of patience by waiting patiently to learn good qualities and he was the 
chosen one by his Acharya as he had this virtue abundantly.
 
Let us pray to Srimannarayana and our Acharyas to bless us to develop, 
cultivate and propagate these sterling qualities.
 
Jai Srimannarayana
 
Ramapriya Ramanuja Dasee






------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
$9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/.itolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam
 
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