Welcome to advaitin

[Guest guest]

> Mon, 28 Aug 2000 15:38:17 EDT

> "S. V. Subrahmanian" <svskotra

> advaitin-owner

>

> Dear learned members,

>

> I just joined today and I received the usual welcome mails that I guess, the

> list master sends to everybody. I read the following sentences and had a

> little confusion and hence wanted to get it clarified.

>

 

namaste.

 

I welcome shri Subramanian to the List and I am grateful to him for

his comments and suggested corrections. I have recently (last week)

ammended the Welcome statement and hence am responsible for any errors

that might have crept in. Obviously, they are due to my limited

understanding of advaita. Let me explain the reasons for wording

them the way they were.

> In the note:

> Advaita is based on the ancient Vedic Scriptures, the Upanishads, the

> Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahmasutras.

>

> Question:

> 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.

>

 

In vyavahArika, the highest truth we have are the scriptures which are

the pramANa. Advaita is the highest truth in paramArthika. This List

Advaitin is in vyavahArika and the shruti is still the pramaNa and is

the basis for advaita. What I mean by this is: whenever we try to

understand advaita, we go to shruti; that does not mean advaita is

derived from shruti. But shruti is still the basis from which we

understand advaita in vyavahArika.

> Another mention in the welcome note:

> The plurality of living and nonliving beings of the entire universe is

> indeed nothing but Brahman.

>

> Question:

> 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 ?

>

 

What is meant here is: everything is brahman including the plurality.

There is nothing apart from brahman. The illusion of observed duality

is also brahman.

> Another mention in the welcome note:

> >A number of institutions have drawn inspiration from this philosophy and

> >include Shankara Matha-s, Ramanaashram, Ramakrishna Mission, Sivananda

> >Ashram, etc.

>

> 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. They realized Advaita. And they were

> (especially Ramakrishna) never partisan and accepted all faiths including

> "avaidika" ones as Christianity as valid means of final emancipation.

>

 

May be "have drawn inspiration" is a wrong choice of words. But isn't

these masters' teachings also advaita? These are realized masters.

Realizing is seeing non-duality. I think it is a matter of semantics.

The wording "have drawn inspiration" will be changed with the consent

of other moderators to be more precise.

> If the list masters have time, please clarify.

>

 

The List-masters are you and I, the members of the List. There is

no one out there more knowledgeable than others giving out pearls

of advaitic wisdom. If there is any way the List can be improved,

either in its appearance or content, please do provide that advice.

> Regards.

> S. V. Subrahmanian.

>

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

----

[Guest guest]

Shri Madhavaji,

>Personally, I do not see the necessity to change the words. I look forward

>for the other members opinion. Thank you.

 

If you had read my posting, I only said, it was a "question". I did not

even give it the qualification of a "suggestion".

 

In my current level of understanding (my own assessment), I don't have any

adhikAra to correct anybody, even an ant, much less the august members of

this list.

>From my side, I say "Please let the note stay as it is, since they are the

words of men wiser than I am".

 

Regards.

S. V. Subrahmanian.

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[Guest guest]

No problem. All clouds cleared, let us bask in the warmth of sun-shine.

 

>"Madhava K. Turumella" <madhava

>advaitin

>advaitin

>RE: Welcome to advaitin

>Tue, 29 Aug 2000 19:16:28 +0300

>

>I am very sorry. Please forgive me. I literally took your question as a

>"suggestion" to rephrase the words.

>

>Yours,

>madhava

>

>

>S. V. Subrahmanian [svskotra]

>Tuesday, August 29, 2000 6:23 PM

>advaitin

>RE: Welcome to advaitin

>

>

>Shri Madhavaji,

>

> >Personally, I do not see the necessity to change the words. I look

>forward

> >for the other members opinion. Thank you.

>

>If you had read my posting, I only said, it was a "question". I did not

>even give it the qualification of a "suggestion".

>

>In my current level of understanding (my own assessment), I don't have any

>adhikAra to correct anybody, even an ant, much less the august members of

>this list.

>

>From my side, I say "Please let the note stay as it is, since they are the

>words of men wiser than I am".

>

>Regards.

>S. V. Subrahmanian.

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>

>

>

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>Atman and Brahman.

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[Guest guest]

 

Gummuluru Murthy [gmurthy]

> 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. They realized Advaita. And they were

> (especially Ramakrishna) never partisan and accepted all faiths including

> "avaidika" ones as Christianity as valid means of final emancipation.

>

 

May be "have drawn inspiration" is a wrong choice of words. But isn't

these masters' teachings also advaita? These are realized masters.

Realizing is seeing non-duality. I think it is a matter of semantics.

The wording "have drawn inspiration" will be changed with the consent

of other moderators to be more precise.

 

[Madhava Replies:]

 

Dear Sri S.V. Sunrahmanian:

 

Welcome to the list sir! We look forward for your contributions.

 

Recently Dr. Gummaluru Murthy revised/amended the welcome message. Before

posting it he sent that message to all of us for comments. Actually, I

understood the words "have drawn inspiration" as "the inspiration drawn from

their *own* direct experience".

 

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Ramana Maharshi and other great masters

have experienced the Advaita. One who has experienced only can draw

inspiration. More over, he alone can inspire his followers by stating his

experience.

 

Personally, I do not see the necessity to change the words. I look forward

for the other members opinion. Thank you.

 

I remain yours,

Madhava

[Guest guest]

I am very sorry. Please forgive me. I literally took your question as a

"suggestion" to rephrase the words.

 

Yours,

madhava

 

 

S. V. Subrahmanian [svskotra]

Tuesday, August 29, 2000 6:23 PM

advaitin

RE: Welcome to advaitin

 

 

Shri Madhavaji,

>Personally, I do not see the necessity to change the words. I look forward

>for the other members opinion. Thank you.

 

If you had read my posting, I only said, it was a "question". I did not

even give it the qualification of a "suggestion".

 

In my current level of understanding (my own assessment), I don't have any

adhikAra to correct anybody, even an ant, much less the august members of

this list.

>From my side, I say "Please let the note stay as it is, since they are the

words of men wiser than I am".

 

Regards.

S. V. Subrahmanian.

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Discussion of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

Atman and Brahman.

Searchable List Archives are available at:

http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

Temporary holiday stoppage of Email, send a blank email to

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<advaitin->

[Guest guest]

Namaskar Sanjeevji:

 

I have visited your Webpage: http;//www.esamsriti.com/

 

and it is quite informative with an excellent format.

Send a brief paragraph describing your homepage and

also about you. It will be quite useful for the

members of the list.

 

I am looking forward to your active participation with

useful exchange of thoughts and discussions.

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandran

--- sanjeev nayyar <exploreindia wrote:

> hari om,

> thks for the welcome, pl visit my site

> esamskriti.com

>

> love and om

> sanjeev