Re: Path
namaste Arav.
Originally Posted by
Arav
Though, I was thinking, maybe it would be good to have some sort of philosophy. I really like Visistadvaita, but does that mean I have to become a SriVaisnava? I dont want to do that, I just want the philosophy of Qualified Non-Dualism, but without having to become a SriVaisnava or having to follow, too much, Ramanujacharya.
You are perfectly at leberty to be a vishiShTAdvaitin without being a vaiShNava. To be a vaiShNava, you need to wear their symbol called Urdhva-puNDram--the shaivas' symbol is bhasma puNDram,--perform their rituals, go to their temples and attend their satsangha and so on. You need not do any of these external activities, and still be a vishiShTAdvaitin to immerse yourself in bhakti--devotion, towards shrI KRShNa (who is a avatar of mahAviShNu).
However, as you get more serious in bhakti, you would find that you need to relate to the deity. The beauty of this concept is that the relationship can be dynamical: you can relate to the deity, with you in a junior relationship, as a child, servant, friend, or consort, as your bhakti takes you, at different points of time, so long as you are sincere about it.
Hindu religion recognizes three types of prArthanA--prayer: iShTa-kAmyArtha--for a specific wish, AtmArtha--for discovering the Self, and loka-kShema--welfare of the world. Here too your prayers can be as dynamic as required. In the first kind, you focus on your personal self and family, with desire as the driving force. In the second, you focus on your deity seeking his grace to discover your real nature, with love of the Self as the driving force. In the last, you focus on the people around you and the world in general, with altruistic love as the driving force.
IMO, the best way to start is to read about and contemplate the glories of shrI KRShNa. A non-sectorial English translation of shrImad bhAgavatam purANa could be an ideal text here. Once you are familiar enough with the divine personality of shrI KRShNa, you would be driven to his teachings, at which time, you can read the mAhAbhArata and the gItA.
All the best.
рд░рддреНрдирд╛рдХрд░рдзреМрддрдкрджрд╛рдВ рд╣рд┐рдорд╛рд▓рдпрдХрд┐рд░реАрдЯрд┐рдиреАрдореН ред
рдмреНрд░рд╣реНрдорд░рд╛рдЬрд░реНрд╖рд┐рд░рд░рддреНрдирд╛рдвреНрдпрд╛рдВ рд╡рдиреНрджреЗ рднрд╛рд░рддрдорд╛рддрд░рдореН рее
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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