Question

What are the teachings of Vallalar?

Answer 1

Hint: Vallalar or Ramalingam was an iconic 19th century saint and Tamil poet, moreover, till date there is no news of his death, he is just known to disappear mysteriously!

Complete answer:
Vallar was essentially a very dynamic personality, being efficient in almost everything including occultism, alchemy, astrology, and medicine particularly in the nutritional and medical values of herbs and leaves. He was a musician too with a keen musical taste for lyrical songs and he composed lyrics to express. We need to basically remember that he seven main principles on which he mostly reflected, which are:
Universal brotherhood ,Treating all souls equally, Creating awareness for self discipline, worshipping the almighty as ArutperunJothi or the idea of divine light, No killing of animals; for any purpose, Vegetarianism and Jeeva Karunaya which means mercy for hungry and feeding them. Moreover, he often reiterated that intelligence we mortals possess is Mayavi intelligence, which according to him was not genuine intelligence and the way of final intelligence is "Jeeva Karunyam".He very strongly advocated a casteless society and fought for it constantly as he totally condemned inequality based on birth, also to note, he opposed myths, superstitions and rituals. He advocated feeding the poor as the highest form of worship. We can remember the crux of his teachings in a single phrase as ‘ service to humanity or service to mankind is the ultimate path to liberation.’

Note: Vallar was such a strong opposer of animal killing that he forbade the meat eating people from the temple he built, he gave the guideline that they are supposed to pray from outside only!