Antaryamin
According to Vaishnava theology the Supreme Being exists in 5 forms – varying in degrees of comprehension, conception and transcendence.
1. Paravasudeva — transcendent and incomprehensible by humans or gods.
2. Vyuhas — functional forces of projection, maintenance and transformation.
3. Avataras — divine incarnations — remote and unaccessible.
4. archa — directly perceptible in the icons established in the temple – easy of access and adoration.
5. antaryamin — dwelling within the heart of every living being.
Paravasudeva is the most distant and transcendent aspect — comprising the totality of Being; having the entire universe as His body — incomprehensible and inexpressible.
The polar opposite is the antaryamin — the indweller — within each and every one of us.
The only 2 aspects of the Divine that are really available to us to interact with, are the Archa and the Antaryamin. How is it that we have completely neglected the antaryamin and focussed our attention and devotion totally on the archas?
We spend huge amounts of time, money, effort, resources into the worship of the Archa but treat the Antaryamin with neglect and even contempt! How can a person who claims to be a Vaishnava discriminate against others?
Is not any form of discrimination based on caste, social status, gender, sexual orientation, colour, profession or physical appearance a contravention of this teaching?
Is it not a great sin to treat the antaryamin embodied in mind/body with contempt while adoring the archa embodied in stone/metal?
One of the greatest farces and hypocrisies is the perversion of “tadiya-aradhanam” — which literally means “worshipping what is the Lord’s” — which in the common practice of this travesty is the feeding of Srivaishnava Brahmins!
If we really believe our philosophy then the entire universe both sentient and insentient is His and His alone!! Should we be discriminating between what belongs to him? Should we not also be worshipping the Lord through caring for the environment which is His body and serving the needs of all other sentient beings as well?
Let the Brahmins who can, feed themselves, and let us care for all the poor and the marginalised who cannot! There is greater merit in that. How is it that Advaitis can generally realize and put into practice the concept of sama-darshana as instructed by Krishna so much easier than Vaishnavas?
Gita 6:29. With the mind harmonised by Yoga one sees equality everywhere; one sees one’s Self as abiding in all beings and all beings in one’s own Self. 30. He who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me; I am not separated from him and he is never separated from Me.
According to Vaishnava theology the Supreme Being exists in 5 forms – varying in degrees of comprehension, conception and transcendence.
1. Paravasudeva — transcendent and incomprehensible by humans or gods.
2. Vyuhas — functional forces of projection, maintenance and transformation.
3. Avataras — divine incarnations — remote and unaccessible.
4. archa — directly perceptible in the icons established in the temple – easy of access and adoration.
5. antaryamin — dwelling within the heart of every living being.
Paravasudeva is the most distant and transcendent aspect — comprising the totality of Being; having the entire universe as His body — incomprehensible and inexpressible.
The polar opposite is the antaryamin — the indweller — within each and every one of us.
The only 2 aspects of the Divine that are really available to us to interact with, are the Archa and the Antaryamin. How is it that we have completely neglected the antaryamin and focussed our attention and devotion totally on the archas?
We spend huge amounts of time, money, effort, resources into the worship of the Archa but treat the Antaryamin with neglect and even contempt! How can a person who claims to be a Vaishnava discriminate against others?
Is not any form of discrimination based on caste, social status, gender, sexual orientation, colour, profession or physical appearance a contravention of this teaching?
Is it not a great sin to treat the antaryamin embodied in mind/body with contempt while adoring the archa embodied in stone/metal?
One of the greatest farces and hypocrisies is the perversion of “tadiya-aradhanam” — which literally means “worshipping what is the Lord’s” — which in the common practice of this travesty is the feeding of Srivaishnava Brahmins!
If we really believe our philosophy then the entire universe both sentient and insentient is His and His alone!! Should we be discriminating between what belongs to him? Should we not also be worshipping the Lord through caring for the environment which is His body and serving the needs of all other sentient beings as well?
Let the Brahmins who can, feed themselves, and let us care for all the poor and the marginalised who cannot! There is greater merit in that. How is it that Advaitis can generally realize and put into practice the concept of sama-darshana as instructed by Krishna so much easier than Vaishnavas?
Gita 6:29. With the mind harmonised by Yoga one sees equality everywhere; one sees one’s Self as abiding in all beings and all beings in one’s own Self. 30. He who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me; I am not separated from him and he is never separated from Me.
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