Fw: [AdvaitaBodhaDeepika] Is any distinction made amongst seekers who are competent?

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The book Advaita Bodha Deepika (The Lamp of Non-dual Knowledge) is one

of the few books esteemed by Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Sri Ramana Maharshi often quoted from the Advaita Bodha Deepika.

This English Translation was thoroughly revised in the presence of Sri Ramana Maharshi.

~Gloria

- Infinite Freedom

AdvaitaBodhaDeepika

Thursday, March 08, 2001 3:16 AM

[AdvaitaBodhaDeepika] Is any distinction made amongst seekers who are competent?

The Lamp of Nondual Knowledge(Advaita Bodha Deepika)Chapter 3, P43&44

The Means of Accomplishment(Sadhana) continued:Disciple: "Can the

want of requisite qualitiesdisqualify even a very learned

scholar?Master: Be he learned in all the sacred loreor ignorant of

all of it,only the four-fold requisites can qualify a man for

inquiry.The scripture (sruti) says:'The one whose mind is in

equipoise,senses controlled,whose activities have ceasedand who

possesses fortitude'is fit for this.From this it follows that others

are not competentbut only those possessing the four-fold virtues

are.70. Disciple: Is any distinction made amongst seekers who are

competent?Master: For inquiry into the Selfthere is absolutely no

distinction bearing on:caste,stage of lifeor other similar matters.Be

the seeker: the foremost scholar (pandit),illiterate

man,child,youth,old man,bachelor,householder,practitioner of

austerities and disciplines (tapasvi),renunciate (sanyasi),mature

soul (brahmin),a lawmaker or soldier (ksatriya),a landowner or

merchant (vaisya),a worker or servant (sudra),or a woman,only these

four qualificationsmake up the seeker.This is the undisputed view of

the scriptures (vedas and sastras).71. Disciple: This cannot be.

How can illiteratemen and women be qualified to the exclusion of a

pandit learned in the scriptures (sastras)?He must certainly be more

qualified than others.You say that a knowledge of the scriptures

(sastras)is no qualification, but the practice of their teaching is.

No one can practice what he has not known. How can an illiterate

person qualify himselfin the requisite manner?Master: In reply I ask

you,and you tell mehow does the learned man qualify himself?Disciple:

Because he has known the teachings of thescriptures (sastras) that he

should not perform action(karma) for selfish ends, but dedicate it to

God,he will do so; his mind will be purified; gradually hewill acquire

the dispassion, etc., needed for inquiry.Now tell me how an illiterate

man can qualify himself.Master: He also can. Though not learned

now,he might have learned the teachings in preceding births,done

actions dedicated to God;his mind being already pure enough,he can

now readily acquire the qualities neededfor inquiry into the

Self."For many links to where you can readthe Teachings of

Non-duality on the web

click:http://home.talkcity.com/GaiaWay/Infinite_FreedomYour use of

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