"We Have Sinned, Acharya"

Dear GF,
You almost made me cry with your kind words of praise. But please don't think writing is a chore for me. It's oxygen, it's breathing for me. Even if there is not a single soul to read what I write, I'll still be writing. Given that, having so many people with good hearts like you to read and appreciate my writing, I should say that I've been really blessed.
Well, as you know, I am not going to stop with this. Look out this Friday for another love story.
love,
your BF

 

You are right, Sriniketan. Yes, we have sinned. Not only that, we are still comitting a lot of sins, and the irony is that most of them are in the name of God.
When we think we are one up over others because we are born in to a particular group, do a particular job, or possess a specified number of electronic impulses (money today is just electronic impulse residing in some banking system, right?) or we look better (in our own view) than others, then, we do commit a grave sin.
May the great Acharya forgive us and teach us the path of love where there is no scope for sinning at all.
Yours was a very sobering post. I appreciate it, Sriniketan.
regards,

 

Dear Usha,
The best form of Bhakthi is one where there is only the Lord, the beloved. The devotee does not exist at all. Sharanagathi lies at the root of Vaishnavism.

I hate to disappoint you. I don't know the history behind the name.

And don't forget to come back on Friday to read yet another love story.

regards,

 

Dear GF,
A great Vaishnavite scholar once told me that you can at least hope to sing the praises of Ramanuja. But you can never fully describe the devotion of his disciples. We are going to see more about his disciples in the coming episodes. But before that I am going to present one more love story, hopefully, Godwilling on this Friday.

I have stopped visiting most of the crowded temples. You don't get anything close to devotion in that crowd. And you have to use all your money power, political intrigue to get ahead of the crowd. Many times I have had the influence of walking into the sanctum sanctorum when many others have been waiting in the queue. At that time I feel ashamed. When I see the look in the eyes of those waiting, I feel like standing naked before them. In what way am I entitled to queue-jumping? I honestly don't even feel like looking at God after sinning against these people. Moreover in that kind of crowd with people jostling you all around, you'll get every other feeling except devotion to God. Far better option is to sit home and chant his name, or even better is doing something good to your fellow beings.

You are right, apartheid comes in when you segregate brahmins from non-brahmins. But a worse kind of apartheid comes in when you segregate haves from have nots. I mean the special dharsan ticket holders in any temple. Our contribution to ending this apartheid is to stop visiting such temples.

When I see people loving this story, my mind is filled with hopes for the future. After all not all hopes are lost. May Ramanujacharya show us the right way.
Yes more on the same lines to follow.
Thanks for the nice fb, GF.

love,

 

Dear Aruna,
You are most welcome. I know you people were getting restless hence I posted the final part in the same week. Will post the next love story this Friday. Stay tuned.
regards,

 

Dear Gayu,

You are most welcome. You are right, in that there are many followers of Ramanuja, who look down upon the saivites. You will be surprised to know the kind of discrimination happening between Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects within the Iyengar caste.

I am planning a detailed write-up on the Vaishanava-saiva relationship within a week's time.

But the pity is that you cannot talk sense to those bigots who are full of their own pride. Only a saint like Ramanuja can blast their egoes and make them see the truth. For our part, let's keep blowing the trumpet. Someday they might hear the sound and wake up.

Thanks for the nice fb, Gayu.
regards,

 

Dear Vidya,

Please don't be so lavish in your words of praise for me, lest I should get arrogant and proud. I have read a lot of books on Ramanuja. All of them read so well and I am convinced that any one who writes on the great saint always writes well. At times the quality of the subject matter is transferred to the writings. Here's one such instance.

The next post in this series is also a love story, a love story I fell in love with when I heard it for the first time.

I am honoured, Vidya.
regards,

 

Thanks Sudha. After reading some of the responses to this post I could not bring myself to sleep. Instead of tossing and turning in the bed, I thought I'd rather respond to the wonderful fbs by the wonderful ILites.
That was one of JK's quotes I love the most. Happy to know that you liked it.
regards,