"We Have Sinned, Acharya"

Dear Brindha,
You have stated what I wanted to say with an extra emphasis in the leader post. I wanted to stress that when you read a post like this concerning a great man, yes, you can read it in one go, but then you have to stop a while thinking about it. In your mind you should visualise the scene and remember the words again, again and again. It is a kind of osmoscis process and you should let the story slowly seep in to your mind. Like the water that is absorbed by the plant by the osmoscis process helps to nourish and sustain the plant, a story like this will nourish and sustain our soul. And Brindha you have done the right thing.

I just want to add that we have to do that even if we know the story already. Suppose you come across the same or a similar story in some other media, do the same thing. Never ever omit to read the story.

And a heart-felt thanks for your heart-felt appreciation, Brindha.

""""""""""But a person with , especially spiritual pride, the pride of having been born in a superior class, has absolutely no hopes of salvation. He is condemned to live a life of misery till he realises in the depths of his heart, that before God and love, all are the same. """""""""""''

How wonderful and truthfull these lines are......

Thanks. I trembled while writing those lines. I had never planned them and they came in when I just placed myself in the saint's position. (May he be kind enough to forgive me for the blasphemy though it was done for a good purpose)

In my Granny's village ....I have seen many people having this pride born in Superior class.... Still now its prevailing......I have seen in my own granny home also.... not allowing some sect of people inside the house..its HARSH reality..... :(

You need not go to your granny's village, Brindha. It is there everywhere for us to see.

"""""""""'Now listen to me idiots. Even River Cauvery cannot clean me completely. But this man’s touch can purify me. That’s why I used to lean on him when I returned from the river.""""""""

Well said...by the Great Saint....... .. who else can teach his disicples such a wonderful lesson on Love and equality before GOD......

You know Brindha, only a very rich man, known to be very rich by all, can tell the shopwallah, "Well, that is too expensive. I cannot afford it." Others would not have the moral courage to utter that statement. So only a great soul like Ramanuja can afford to utter a statement like that.

I think you know the piece of information im going to write. now........In Thirupathi.. Several people.. go in different Ques paying different money from Rs.50 to 5 Lac... But before Entrance of the GOD.. all the Quees join into a single one.... showing that in front of god ALL are EQUAL..... i remember this now sir.....

That's a good example. I love another example which I think is a Chinese proverb. When the game of chess is on there are various degrees and ranks in the chess coins. The Bishop can move much faster than the Rook. The Queen is all powerful. The pawn is the least powerful. But once the game is over all the coins go into the same box. Similarly when the game of life is over all of us will be in the same box.

Thankyou very much for such a wondeful post sir......please illuminate our minds more and more by your wonderful writings.....Your writing makes MIRACLES in soul and mind....

Very kind and liberal words of praise, Brindha. I hope to deserve them someday.
love,

Dear Pushpavalli,

Hearing your words of praise especially when I write on themes like these, is like winnng a Gnan Peet Award for me. When you say Hats Off to me, I feel very honoured and quite humbled too.

You have all the talents, Pushpavalli. You write well. Each one of us have our own roles to play in propogating the message of love of the great Acharya.

Yes, seeing the response for this thread, I am planning to write more about the Azhwars and Acharyas.

regards,

Originally Posted by Pushpavalli Srinivasan

Dear Sridhar,
Superb writing. Your captivating title and the lively dialogue version is the one that makes reading pleasurable. Hats off to you. I wish I had one millioneth of this talent when I wrote Sri Ramauja's life in the religious forum. Hope to read more of spritual articles about our Acharyas and Azwars.
Love,
PS

Dear Lalitha,
You are simply doing wonders to my ego. Thanks for the kind words. Even then I can feel the butterflies (and the dragonflies too) in my stomach when I think of the next serial. Pray for me, my dear friend.
love,

Originally Posted by lalitha shivaguru

Dear Sridhar,



This is not net practice, you are hitting only sixes in a world cup.

Thanks a lot, Kaluputti. Planning another love story this Friday. Please stay tuned, pray and just to be on the safe side keep your fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by kaluputti

Thank you for a wonderful story and a beautiful narration.Your 'Love Story' turned out to be an unforgettable spiritual journey!Really looking forward to more.

(But a person with pride, especially spiritual pride, the pride of having been born in a superior class, has absolutely no hopes of salvation. He is condemned to live a life of misery till he realises in the depths of his heart, that before God and love, all are the same. )- Golden words, sir. My salute for you.

thanks swarnalatha/

This story is a nice piece of history with a wonderful moral. Great men always have great minds and practise what they are preaching. There are same kind of stories with Adi Shankara that he sang the sloka " maa nishada" after meeting a chandala . and also in Arutperum jothi Vallalar's life , all trying to teach people to treat everybody equal as god's children ( Gandhiji's Hari-jans) and Bharathiyar writing Jaathigal illaiyadi papa . But even then, the people who make statues for them and put garland for them, dont follow what they told . That is very sad.

Even in this story, the seedargal who living with the great sage itself were small minded even after seeing and hearing him every day so what use being desiples.

You are right Swarnalatha. We still have people among us who cannot even be reformed by a hundred Ramanujas. They will have to suffer and learn the truth the hard way. Ramanuja's disciples are lucky. Their Guru made them to learn the truth with just the loss of a piece of their cloth. But many give a part of their lives, at times, a part of their bodies and soul to learn the truth of equality before God.

Anyway after this lesson they got rid of pride and learned to respect all humans i think.

We can only hope so.

This Acharya lived in 11th. or 12th. century ( correct ,no ?) but "inferior born" people were not allowed to enter house of god temples even till 20th. century even in temples where the same sages idols are worshipped. That is very sad .
I was also very sad to read in The Hindu about the Uthapuram wall that higher caste people build to separate from lower caste people. News padicchathum rattham kothicchiricchu ayya. When will we all be people of same family, brothers and sisters ? When will we stop printing Forms asking " caste ", "religion" and all ? We are still sinning .Very disgusted sir.

You are right, once again. Well it is easy for us in the 21st century to condemn the caste system. But to oppose that in the 11th or 12th century required a lot of moral courage which only a few like Sri Ramanuja had.
Even now we practise discrimination based on the economic status. In the caste system the discrimination was crude, but when it comes to economic status, we are quite subtle. You see the President of an IT company will not travel with a programmer of the same company in the same care.
I had to receive two executies from an US Company. One was the President and the CEO of a medium sized company and another, a junior executive. We had to travel to a town that was 100 miles from our place. The US company instructed me that the President and the Executive cannot go in the same car. We hired two cars for three persons.

Azhagiya nadaiyil ezhuthappatta uyariya bothanaiyulla sarithira kathai. Nanri.

arumaiyaana paaraturai. mikka nanri.

love,

Dear Varalotti
Thanks for getting the story so fast we need not to wait for it long.
A beautiful story with a beautiful message along with it.

Wow ! I am so gifted to read this wonderful piece.

Thank you sir !!

I had so many questions like the others when I read the previous part. Patience paid off well and now I understand why Acharya wanted the divine unconditional love of Villi and Ponnachi to teach a lesson to the proud world. It pains me boundless to see the "ardent" followers of Udaiyavar and Renganatha perumal, look down on the others especially the saivites, even today. I pray that his teachings and message to the world really enters and stays people's heart and head every day.

Dear Sridhar

What an excellent Upanyasam. This piece was more a lesson to me than a continuation of a story. There were lots of messages, infact lots and lots that i need to apply in my daily life. Very well written Sridhar for people living far away from our mother land. I felt as if i was listening to a discourse of Baba. Your narration was mind blowing and the way Villi and Ponnachi prostrated before the Acharya really touched my heart. It looked like it was all happening for real, more like a dream for me..

I really feel that i should read this over and over again to help me transform into a better person as Villi and Ponnachi.Thanks for such a well written piece. These days logging on to Indusladies, my eyes are searching for writings of Varalotti.

Regards
Vidya

Dear Vandhana,

The description of sunrise in San Jose was quite touching. As I respond to your fb now, it's past midnight here. Even then I can feel the freshness of a new day, of a fresh, sunny morning, thanks to your poetical description. I think you are a family of writers.

Now that you have read this great story, now that you have known about Villi's love and devotion, now that you have known about Ramanujar's indescribable grace, everything will flow smoothly. And you will have so much of energy that you will pooh-pooh a thousand chores all in a few minutes.

Sri Ramanuja is a favorite saint of mine,and waiting to read the serial eagerly. Will definitely login to read this. No matter how pressed for time Iam going to be.

Thanks. Now I feel that I have been burdened with the great responsibility of selecting and delivering classy stories from our Azhwars and Acharyas.

Thanks Sridhar, you gave me a much needed reassurance through this story during this critical period .

You are most welcome, Vandhana. It's all going to be fine. Having taken a decision- and I know the decision was taken purely based on love - you will have nothing but benevolence. You will feel nothing but happiness and fulfilment.

regards,

Dear Aiswharya,
The real aishwaryam -wealth - of this great country is not its vast land, or its paddy fields, not even its intelligent population, but the great saints and acharyas who were born here and who had an impact on our lives and thought processes.
We would not have been moved by this story unless we feel a small portion of the love that Villi and Ponnachi had, that Ramanuja had. And unless we have a portion of that love, we won't write, "The story has brought in tears of joy and wisdom.", I am moved and touched, Aishwarya.

You have penned it so beautifully well

Thanks
regards,

Originally Posted by aishu22

Dear Sridhar,
It feels so good to read about the Great Saint.The unintentional love is something people should learn and display.The story has brought in tears of joy and wisdom.You have penned it so beautifully well.(Should i have to say this?) The divinity is sensed in each and every action of the acharya.
We are all blessed to read about the acharya.