Originally Posted by
Namo Narayana
I think Madhwas believe staunchly on Dvaita. I am an Iyengar and I have not read scriptures or vedas or anything like that. My approach to hinduism is prayer and questioning myself frequently. i can understand people sometimes get too emotional of their belief. as a vaishnava i have been judged to worship maha vishnu alone. But I am not one. Atleast my parents and grand parents have not taught me anything like that. my maternal grand mother was my icon , though she was not soft lady to approach but by observing her i developed myself. her husband, my grandpa , was a purohit all his life. so i cannot say she was less religious. being a purohit's wife she would have learnt the best way and strictest form of cleanliness. so she never taught me to diss saiva form of worship. she never hesitated to visit the agastheeswarar temple in my place . but suddenly i encountered few individuals who shocked me about this strange vaishnava tradition.
Hmm, I have not heard many Srivaishnavas being taught to reject non Vaishnavite worship, atleast nowadays. That does not mean a Ramanuja shishya has any right to talk against his teachings and become political. Whatever the teachings of the guru, whether it be Ramanujacharya or others, and if you are born in that tradition or willingly accept it - you are supposed to learn the works of the Acharya, understand it and live the way it has been prescribed.
Srimad Ramanuja has never attacked Shaiva traditions, as such, though Vaishnava theology holds Vishnu to be the highest diety. We find such reference only in Vedanta Desika's works( in Rahasya Thrayasara, he has condemned worshipping any diety other than Vishnu), but Desika also has composed some praises on Shiva elsewhere, so you are left wondering what his true position is. Perhaps he is addressing two classes of Srivaishnavites in different ways? Even from Alwar teachings, it is very clear that Srivaishnavas are not required to "avoid" Shiva.
Scriptures are good to learn, but for novice or someone who would try to understand literally and who cannot see it in multiple context , i think it would end up harming him rather than improving them.
Knowledge imparts happiness and confidence in a human. But most times it makes them narcissitic and over confidence and inner blindness.
As I said much earlier, would it be better to hand over some one a copy of the Gita without any commentaries and let him understand what he can without the prejudiced view of commentrators? What would somebody understand from the Gita, without any guidance or "brainwashing"? His understanding is likely to the "right one" for him.
Guard your Dharma, Burn the Myth, Promote the Truth, Crush the superstition.
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