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Biography of RamanujaName: RamanujaBirth Date: 1017 Death Date: 1137 Place of Birth: Sriperumbudur, India Nationality: Indian Gender: Male Occupations: theologian, philosopher Ramanuja Nearly a millennium has past since Ramanuja (ca. 1017-1137) wandered the roads of southern India, yet his legacy as theologian, teacher and philosopher remains alive. His many followers consider him to be a saint and one of the greatest teachers of Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, one of the six classical systems of Indian philosophy.Ramanuja belonged to the Acaryas, believers who worked to systemize the monotheistic theology of Vaishnavism. He was an exponent of a qualified nondualism known as Vishishta-Advaita. He combined the northern and southern traditions of Vaishnavism and strengthened the religious belief and worship of Vishnu. He encouraged the general population toward a devotional expression of Hindu spirituality by teaching that the Divine entails rather than transcends all qualities.Responsibility at an Early AgeInformation on the life of this Indian theologian and teacher is based primarily on legend handed down through the centuries. Ramanuja was born into a privileged Brahmin family …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…best describes the essence of his teachings-"May knowledge transformed into intense love directed to Sri Narayana (Vishnu), the highest Brahman, become mine, the Being to whom the creation, preservation and dissolution of the Universe is mere play, whose main resolve is to offer protection to all those who approach Him in all humility and sincerity, and Who shines out like the beacon light out of the pages of the Scripture (vedas)." Further Reading Brandon, S.G.F., A Dictionary of Comparative Religion, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970.Feuerstein, George, The Yoga Tradition, Holm Press, 1998."Ramanujacharya," http://www.freeindia.org.biographies/sages/ramanujacharya/index.htm (December 3, 2000)."Ramanuja," Encyclopaedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com (December 3, 2000)."Ramanuja," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000, http://encarta.msn.com (November 17, 2000)."Ramanuja," http://www.dishq.org.saints.ramanuja.htm (November 17, 2000)."Sri Ramanuja Acharya," http://home.att.net/~s-prasad/ramanuja.htm (November 20, 2000)."Sri Ramanuja," http://sribalaji.com/sri-ramanuja.htm, (November 17, 2000). |