Welcome to the list

[Guest guest]

Hari Om Sri Subramanian:

 

Namaste,

 

You have raised some interesting questions and here is my understanding. The

list welcomes any suggestions and comments regarding list policies and

guidelines. Please forward your suggestions to Sri Gummuluru Murthy.

 

Question 1:

Is Advaita based on scriptures or are scriptures based on Advaita ? Even if

the scriptures did not mention it, is not Advaita a fact to be realized.

Scriptures, I thought are only a pramANa, as opposed being the basis of

Advaita.

 

The primary emphasis of this list is Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of Shankara.

Shankara systematically developed his thesis using reasoning and established

the authority the Vedas. The Advaita Vedanta Darsana owes its sysmatization as

a formidable doctrine, to Gaudapada who wrote his famous Karikas on the

Madnduyopanishad and Shankara. Shankara's thesis was culminated from his

commentaries on Upanishads, Brahmasuutras and Bhagavadgita. In conclusion,

Shankara's Advaita Philosophy is based on the ‘PrasthAnatraya' (the three

great paths viz, the Upanishads, the Brahmasuutras and the Bhagavadgita.

 

Question 2:

All living and non-living beings are Brahman, but the plurality among them is

what is the illusion. But you have stated above that the plurality is nothing

but Brahman. Did I not understand it properly ?

 

Brahman includes everthing - (Sarvam Brahmam Mayam). Since everything

originates from Brahman, plurality is also caused by Him. He is the cause of

all causes! (Application of anumAna (inference) pramAnA.

 

Question:

These institutions primarily owe allegiance only to their Master's teachings,

which being the Truth is hence Advaita. Their primary source of inspiration

has been their Master's teachings only (which happens to be Advaita, because

Truth is One)

Sri Ramakrishna and Sri RamaNa Maharshi, as far as I have read their

biographies (Gospel of Ramakrishna for the former and Self-Knowledge by Arthur

Osborne for the latter), never say that these giants ever "drew inspiration"

from Advaita.

 

Once again, we can apply the anumAna pramAnA and infer that they got the

inspiration from Advaita. A careful reading of all the works of Ramana

Maharishi and Sri Ramakrishna, the fact can be established.

 

I appreciate your keen interest in Advaita Philosophy and we are looking

forward to your active participation. Please feel free to express if you find

any errors and we are all here to share and improve our knowledge on Vedanta.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ram Chandran

 

A Note on PramAnAs: PramAnAs are the means of knowledge:

They are: pratyksa (direct perception), anumAna (inference), AptavAkya (verbal

testimony) or agamA or sabda (scriptural testimony), upamAna (comparison),

arthApatti (postulation) and anupalabdhi (nonperception).

[Guest guest]

Ram Chandran wrote:

>

> Once again, we can apply the anumAna pramAnA and infer

> that they got the inspiration from Advaita. A careful

> reading of all the works of Ramana Maharishi and

> Sri Ramakrishna, the fact can be established.

>

 

hariH OM! ramji-

 

unless i'm misunderstanding something here...

as far as i know, ramakrishna knew nothing of

advaita until *after* he became Self-realized,

having thereupon taken up various religious

approaches--advaita being one of them, via

the advaitic guru totapuri. same with ramana.

he knew nothing at all about vedic sastras

before his atmasakshat at age 17, except what

he read in the saivite classic periapuranam;

where prior to that his religious studies in

the christian school at dindagul consisted of

passages from the bible only.

 

incidentally, as a note to sri subramanian,

ramana was just as liberal as ramakrishna--if

not even moreso!-- when it came to acknowledging

different spiritual approaches.

 

namaste,

frank