Short-run and Long-run Goals of Advaitin List

[Guest guest]

Hello Advaitins:

 

I am happy to inform you that currently Advaitin List has 45 members and

more than 30 of them were enrolled during the past ten days. I want

to thank Alex Siegel for the Advaitic sentiment: "It is nice to have

Advaitin List that is inclusive rather than exclusive." The growths of

members in Advaitin and their enthusiasm evidently validate Alex's

statement.

 

I take this opportunity to welcome all the new members again and

request them to write few lines of SELF introduction!

 

Shri Sudhakar Marur, a new member of our list has sent me several

suggestions for enhancing the scope of Advaitin in the near future.

Several short and long-run goals of Advaitin are provided incorporating

most of Sudhakar's ideas. On behalf of the list members, I want to

thank him for his insights and enthusiasm. I want to take this

opportunity to invite other members to provide their ideas and

suggestions to take Advaitin to reach a higher plane. The proposal is

ambitious but achievable!

 

Hari Om.

 

Ram Chandran

Burke, VA

 

Short and Long-run Goals of Advaitin.

 

Advaitin should have an Advaitin Home page on similar lines that of

Advaita Home Page of Shri. Vidyashankar. Advaitin list and the home

page must also be given wider publicity to enable many aspirants, reach

this list. The URL of the archive of Advaitin List should be forwarded

to many of the search engines to enable more public access to the site.

 

Invariably, the discussion/debate between two individuals/groups

degenerates into arguments and leaves only bad taste. The list

moderators should intervene on such debates to keep the focus to the

subject matter and curtail unnecessary and thoughtless arguments.

 

Advaitin List has the obligation keep focus on the original works of the

AchAryas (saints) of different SamabradhAyas (philosophical ideas).

Knowledgeable members should come forward to study and analyze the

concept/work of original works such as Viveka Chudamani, Atmabodh, etc.

and periodically report to the lists.

 

In the long-run, this list should raise its level and serve the members

to the equivalent of a refereed journal. Potentially an electronic

journal could be evolved with the title such as: International

Electronic Journal of Advaita Vedanta. The contents of such a journal

could be as follows:

A) Benedictory Articles - This may contain articles from the chiefs of

Advaitic institutions and other eminent thinkers/scholars in Advaita as

you are planning.

B) Research papers - Original research articles based on the works of

Shankara and others including topics such as 'Bhakti, Karma, Jnana in

Advaita.'

C) Comparative Studies - Pre-Shankara Advaitic thought, contemporary and

post Shankara thoughts.

D) In Depth Studies on Advaita which includes Bhamathi/Vivarana schools,

'Bhakti after Mukthi in Advaita tradition' etc.

E) Critical Analysis of later works Advaita-Acharyas including Ramana

Maharishi, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Aurobindo, Nisargadatta Maharaj,

etc.

F) Commentaries and Translations of Advaitic works of all traditions

(ancient and modern).

G) General articles with worthwhile information on Advaita and

non-dualistic schools.

H) Invited Special Articles from heads of Advaitic schools/

institutions.

I) Book/Web Page Reviews

 

Annual Long Weekend Conference/Discussion Meetings at different

Locations with following features:

A) Invite Discussion Papers for the Conference from Members on several

Advaita Topics.

B) Discussion Sessions on those Topics with presenters, discussants and

a moderator.

C) Organized Debates on Key Topics discussed in Advaitin Postings.

D) Discussion Sessions on Bhagavad Gita.

E) Lectures by Invited Guest Speakers

F) Guided Meditation

G) Publication of the conference proceedings on the Electronic Journal