Why Vedanta?

[Guest guest]

P.S. This discussion may also address some of the issues raised by Shree

Dennia Waite in his last mail, though not directly.

 

Couple of days ago, I had long interesting telephone chat with a x-member

of the advaitin list. He is an ardent seeker trying to find answers to

some of the fundamental questions that most of us are concerned with.

Since his questions are relevant to many of us, I am taking the liberty to

paraphrase them to the degree that I remembered and understood. He kindly

provided some of his background before I could address the issues that he

had raised.

 

Question: I have been following Mehar Baaba and some other Gurus of the

late Seventies. I could not come to grips with their or their disciple's

proclamations that they are Bhagavan-s or Avatar-s. Are they really Gods?

Who or what is God anyway? I have also read, Vivekananda, the teachings

of Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj. Since advaita appealed to me to

some degree and appeared to be close to Judaism, I have jointed the

advaitin list serve but left the list this summer due to (a) my heavy work

load and (b) the fact that majority of the discussions appear to be

impertinent for me since they are dealing mostly with what Shankara said or

what another one said, etc. There are not much of discussions in terms of

how what one or other said is relevant to me in this new millennium. What

good will it do by knowing who I am or who is Brahman, etc. Why should I

know all that? What good it will do by knowing what Shankara said or what

others have said and how is it relevant to me, now, in this modern age? How

does knowing advaita helps me in my day to day problems where all the

problems and transactions involve duality and not advaita or non-duality?

Paraphrasing his questions - they are: Who is God? Why do we need him? Who

am I? What is Brahman? Why is it important for me to know all these to

solve my day to day transactions that involve duality?

 

My response: I am sure everyone of this list member has his or her answer

to all of the above questions, and I hope they can discuss them in the

list. I am providing here my understanding, or at least wanted to

communicate to him on the phone.

 

There are many ways to address the issues raised and here I want to share

my understanding:

 

Fundamental Human Problem

 

It is everyone's experience that there are two fundamental entities that

one is dealing with throughout one's lifetime, from birth to death. The

first one is related to his own presence in this world, who is the

conscious entity, the questioner or the individual I, and the second one is

the rest of the world which includes both living and non-living entities.

The facts as it appears to be are (a) that I came in to this world, rather

not out of my choice and must quit this world whether I want it or not, and

(b) the existence of this universe which is so vast and so huge beyond

anyone's comprehension. The fact of the matter is that I am propelled to

interact with this universe, which some sometimes is conducive to my likes

and many times it is not. I am forced to yoke out experiences from this

world, from day in day out and from birth to death. I find myself happy

when my experiences and environments are favorable to my liking and unhappy

when they are unfavorable or when I dislike them. Bottom line is, as long

as I am here in this world, I want to be happy. This is true centuries

ago, this is true now and will be true even in next millennium. Hence I

go on looking for environments or experiences that are conducive to my

likes so that I can be happy. It is a continuous struggle since

environment keep changing continuously and does not remain constant to my

liking, and even if the environment remains the same, my likes and dislikes

keep changing. The experience which enchanted me the first time looks pale

the next time when I seek for it. Thus the same experience or environment

does not seem to give me the same degree of happiness as it did before. I

seem to be hunting constantly for that ideal environment wherein I am fully

satisfied and contended, ever happy, with no more desires to change either

myself or the environment and no more longing for one thing or the other.

That is a state of mind free from any wanting and therefore is fully

contended with what one has. When I look around I find that everyone is

struggling for the same thing, from the beginning of the time whether in

past millennium or in this new one. This seems to be a perennial problem -

a fundamental human problem - longing for eternal uninterrupted happiness

or absolute happiness, whether I am a sinner or a saint, a believer or

non-believer, a Hindu, Jew or Christian, a cave man or 21st century modern

man with a rational intellect. These are labels; but the problem is common

and beyond the labels. Whether I like it nor not, I have to deal with this

problem as long as I live. In fact, the essence of my life itself is only

to solve this problem - In all my actions (pravR^itti) or inactions

(nivR^itti), what I am seeking is only a solution to this fundamental

problem.

 

What I am looking for is not to learn what Shankara said or Jesus said etc,

but how do I solve this problem, which appears to be a fundamental and

universal problem, since everyone else seems to be having the same problem.

What they like may be different, the environments or the experiences they

seek may be different, but the bottom line is fundamentally they all are

longing for an eternal uninterrupted happiness or absolute happiness, free

from anymore longing, no more searching or seeking. The approach or the

path that each one is taking to solve this problem may be different. Some

long for sensuous objects some drugs, some religion, some advaitin lists

and some other pursuits in life.

 

It is the experience of everyone that whatever pursuits one takes to solve

these problems, they appear to give only a temporary relief. In the end,

one is still left with a desiring or longing or searching mind for a new

improved or an additional experience with the hope that the new one will

bring him to a state where there is no more seeking or searching, and

wherein one is fully contended with what one has gained. The struggle goes

on endlessly until one kicks the bucket. The problem, however, remained

unsolved.

 

This is the central problem addressed by Advaita Vedanta. It first

acknowledges the fact that however one tries to solve this fundamental

problem, one is going to fail miserably, as is confirmed by everyone's

experience. Any effort on the part of a seeker to seek a solution to this

problem only reinforces the problem and he will never be able to find a

solution to the problem. Advaita Vedanta declares that there is no

solution to the problem because the problem is an invalid problem. Only

solution to the problem is to recognize that the problem itself is invalid.

This is because what one is seeking for one has already has it. If one is

already has it and if one is still searching for it what he has already

has, it only means that he does not know that he already has it. If I have

the bunch of keys in my own pocket, and without recognizing it, if I am

searching for it all over the house, I will never find it, however much I

search. The seeker of the keys is already a possessor of the keys. He has

to rediscover his true nature than search for a solution elsewhere. Hence

self-knowledge is the only solution to the problem caused by

self-ignorance.

 

The problem actually is very simple and therefore solution is also very

simple-similar to finding the keys in once own pocket - to discover that

the seeker of the keys is already the possessor of the keys. But yet the

problem got very much muddled because of everyone's strong preconceived

notions about oneself - who we are and what we are; that is, we have firm

knowledge about ourselves, which is totally opposite to what we truly are.

Hence even if Vedanta, through a teacher, tries to teach, who we really

are, our minds are not available to accept the truth or accept with strong

conviction about our true identity. It is like a smoker who knows

intellectually that smoking is bad, yet he cannot give up being a smoker

since his mind has become a slave to being a smoker. The situation of

course is worse when he is not even convinced that smoking is bad for his

health. The processes of quitting the smoking may involve three stages -

(a) First step is to hear from a reliable or trustworthy authority, say a

Doctor, that smoking is bad for his health so that he realizes the

importance of it (b) Second, one develops firm conviction in his mind

beyond any doubt that smoking is indeed bad for his own survival and ©

finally one has to make a deliberate attempt to divert the mind from

indulging in smoking to something better till the mind comes under his full

control, till the teaching that he heard from authority fully sinks in and

becomes part of his. In Vedanta these steps are called shravaNa, manana

and nidhidhyaasana. ShrvanNa is most important step that is to hear from

an authority in whose words one has full faith. Next is to contemplate on

it to get convinced beyond any trace of doubt (where discussions as in

advaitin list are helpful - reflection of the teaching) and third is to

withdraw the mind that habitually runs out to earlier notions to redirect

to delve on what one has heard and convinced about oneself. Thus ShravaNam

is the essential cause for liberation while the other two are preparation

of the mind to fully get established on what one has heard. Advaita

insists that this is only way to solve the fundamental human problem which

is the core for all human suffering. So what do I gain by knowing who I am

- I gain what I am longing for in all my pursuits. That is the very

fulfillment of life itself since everyone is only seeking this -

uninterrupted absolute happy state of mind - a mind free from wanting or

longing. I am not looking for Brahman, I am not looking for God or I am

not looking for Atma - These are words, words and words. What I am looking

for is true understanding of my own self which is free from all limitations

- since all limitations are just products of my misunderstanding about the

true nature of myself. What Advaita Vedanta declares again and again that

the true nature of myself is I am the Existence-Consciousness-Bliss beyond

all forms and names, and limitations- The self I am is the self in all,

the very life principle in all - the very consciousness that pervades

everything - and that consciousness is nothing Brahman - "PrajNaanam

Brahman" says Upanishads that is consciousness is Brahman. It is not 'that

consciousness' - it is not an object for me to experience, it is not a

conceptual thought - I am that consciousness - I am that Brahman - There

is No world - No God - Nothing - I am that totality - Everything is in the

consciousness that I am - The world raises in consciousness, sustained by

the consciousness and goes back into consciousness that I am. "sarva

bhuutastam aatmaanam sarva bhuutaanica atamni" I am in all and all are in

me.

 

This is the teaching of the Advaita Vedanta which is broughtout beautifully

by Adi Shankara - The purpose of the list serve or discussions is to focus

on the essential teaching of Advaita Vedanta as taught by Shankara not just

for quoting what one knows or what Shankara said or the other one has said

- but (a) to learn from each other till one is fully convinced beyond any

doubt about the teaching- that is to reflect on the teaching till one is

fully convinced. (b) To provide a forum for ones own contemplation to

think deeper and deeper till the habitual mind slowly gets out of the wrong

habitual thinking about oneself - that is removing ones own wrong notions

about oneself. These two - mananam and nidhidhyaasanam - are the well

established methods, proved by many who have tried successfully in the

past, for owning the teachings of the Advaita Vedanta.

 

That is the main purpose of the discussions on this list serve, as I

understand - that is the reason I participate since it provides another

venue for my mind to dwell on it. Only through the open discussions the

teachings get confirmed. Everyone who participates freely in the

discussions learns from it and in that sense 'advaitin list serve' managed

by Shree Ram Chandran and others have been serving extremely well.

 

I take this opportunity to invite all those silent readers of the list to

come forward and actively participate and share their knowledge. This is

because when one expresses his thoughts, particularly in writing, one is

forced to think and thinking gets crystallized. If there are any wrong

understanding, that also gets clarified by the participation by learned

members who have gone through the same process before.

 

Now brief comment about what is God or who is God, without going into

exhaustive details. In Advaita Vedanta, God is a factor brought in (like X

in mathematical problems) to explain the second entity discussed above in

the first few paragraphs. In the final understanding, the concept of God

itself disappears or to say correctly - dissolved into that Brahman that I

am. Hence if Mehar Baba or some other realized soul claims that he is

Brahman or God- it is from that state of understanding that the claims are

made. Sitting in the state of ego or limited entity, it is then difficult

to appreciate that state - But remember all those that claim that they are

Gods also claim that you are one too - only difference is they know it and

we donot - If one has faith in them and in their understanding then one can

follow their teachings and reach the same state of understanding that they

have reached. But a right teacher is one who even though he has realized

that state directs his disciple not to take him as an authority but to the

Vedanta as the basis for establishing the truth - a means independent of

individuals, time and place. Hence Vedanta provides the pramaana or a

reliable source and not the teacher per sec, the teacher interpreting

Vedanta in the background of his experience. If we hang on to the teacher

we become a burden to him and to others. They are there to direct the path

pointing the pitfalls in the path - We have to take the path ourselves

taking the Vedanta as the light and guidance of the teacher to insure we do

not get trapped in the path forgetting the goal. As Swami Chinmayanandaji

used to say - there are no mule Gurus in this world to carry their

disciples on their back to the state of realization. One has to know

oneself by oneself in oneself - and that is the real teaching of Vedanta as

explained by Adi Shankara and the real purpose of our existence.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

[Guest guest]

Hari Om Sadaji:

 

Your excellent article with the title, "Why Vedanta?"

is right on time.

 

The article is quite comprehensive and has dealt with

the fundamental aspects of Vedanta. In addition, it

reinforces the purpose and goal of this forum. As a

fellow moderator of this forum, I fully agree and

support your plea to the members of the list for their

more active participation.

 

Participation is a win-win proposition for everyone's

intellectual and spiritual progress and also to

maintain the emotional balance.

 

Thanks again to Sadaji for injecting the Vedantic

tonic to help them to break their silence.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

--- "K. Sadananda" <sada wrote:

> ...........

> I take this opportunity to invite all those silent >

readers of the list to

> come forward and actively participate and share

their > knowledge. This is

> because when one expresses his thoughts,

particularly > in writing, one is

> forced to think and thinking gets crystallized. If

> there are any wrong

> understanding, that also gets clarified by the >

participation by learned

> members who have gone through the same process >

before.

 

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