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Gummuluru Murthy [gmurthy]

Sunday, September 03, 2000 10:13 AM

advaitin

advaita as a way of life

namaste.

 

Advaita has been looked at in many ways: advaita as a religion,

advaita as a philosophy, advaita as a tool (for moksha), advaita

as a way of life. The purpose of this post is to show advaita as

a way of life is the only way the sages meant it.

 

advaita as a religion: advaita had its beginning in the Hindu

religion (sanAtana dharma). Quite often, wrongly, advaita is

viewed in that religious context, as the end-all. The thinking,

incorrectly, was that practitioners of Hindu religious acts

have an inside track at Self-realization. I do not think there

is any truth in this particular way of thinking. Even in the Hindu

religion, advaita is associated with smArtha karmA-s. A vaishNavite

is considered not an advaitin. Advaita is more than a religious

practice.

 

advaita as a philosophy: shri shankara put advaita on a strong

philosophical footing. And, because of the work of these revered

AcAryA-s, advaita can stand logic as well as any other philosophy.

However, advaita is more than the philosophy. By taking advaita as

a philosophy, and emphasizing discussions of advaita on a

philosophical basis, in my view, the real beauty of advaita is not

looked at. By concentrating on the philosophy, we are looking at it

as an intellectual exercise only, and as I said many times on the

List, the knower and the Knowledge would still be separate even after

mastering the philosophy. Advaita is more than the philosophy.

 

advaita as a tool: The objective of human embodiment is moksha.

It was viewed, wrongly, that moksha is still a step away from

advaita, i.e. use advaita as a tool in order to attain moksha.

The typical example of this line of thinking is: remove a thorn

with another thorn, and after the thorn is removed, throw away the

two thorns. Here, moksha is viewed as a state of experience of

infinite bliss and advaita is viewed as a mechanism to reach that

state.

 

advaita as a way of life: advaita is more than what is described

above. As per my understanding, advaita is a way of life where we

attend to our daily acts with contentment, with equality and

sameness of all. We do not have to spend time discussing what is

sat-cit-Ananda, what is brahman and so on in order to attain moksha.

They are simply intellectual exercises which bear no fruit. Simply,

lead a life of contentment with no desires and no attachments. That

itself is moksha. If that is not moksha, I would like someone to

tell me what is moksha. I believe that is what the sages of the

upanishads described as advaita. Life of shri RamaNa maharShi of

modern times is a good example of what I mean of advaita as a way

of life.

 

However, make no mistake about it. It is not easy to lead a life

of advaita. If the jIva is not pure internally, there will be

continuous internal forces on the jIva which pull him/her away

from that way of life. Many people of modern times (and I am sure

of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without the

requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

reaching the higher state of realization. But once that inner purity,

tR^ipti, and vairAgya are there, it is only infinite bliss. It will

not be an experience like there is an experience and an experiencer,

but all will be rolled into one.

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

-------

Thank you for your eloquent post Murthyji. You always go directly to the

heart of the matter.

 

It is said that contentment is the invisible crown on the head of the sage.

Murthyji, it was of interest that you stated the following which is similar

but not identical to the point Arjuna raised with Bhagwan Krishna in the

Bhagwad Gita.

 

"Many people of modern times (and I am sure

of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without the

requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

reaching the higher state of realization."

 

Arjuna had this doubt and asked about the fate of the Yogi who is able to

fulfill neither the assigned human duties nor reach the highest state.

 

Bhagwan Krishna's compassionate answer was both beautiful and insightful. I

do not know Sanskrit and have read only the English versions. Perhaps you

Murthyji or someone else can comment on that verse.

 

Love to all

Harsha

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On Mon, 4 Sep 2000, Harsha wrote:

>

> It is said that contentment is the invisible crown on the head of the sage.

> Murthyji, it was of interest that you stated the following which is similar

> but not identical to the point Arjuna raised with Bhagwan Krishna in the

> Bhagwad Gita.

>

> "Many people of modern times (and I am sure

> of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without the

> requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

> trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

> reaching the higher state of realization."

>

> Arjuna had this doubt and asked about the fate of the Yogi who is able to

> fulfill neither the assigned human duties nor reach the highest state.

>

> Bhagwan Krishna's compassionate answer was both beautiful and insightful. I

> do not know Sanskrit and have read only the English versions. Perhaps you

> Murthyji or someone else can comment on that verse.

>

> Love to all

> Harsha

>

 

namaste Harshaji,

 

Thanks for your comments. I would certainly like to know more about

this specific verse in bhagavadgItA which you have referred. I wonder

if you can give me the verse and chapter number from the BG, if you

have access to it. If not, I can look at my BG text and find out

which verse you may be referring to.

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

------

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Murthy gaaru wrote:

>namaste.

>

> Advaita is more than a religious

>practice.

 

There is beatiful statement by Professor T.P. Mahadevan who has written

extensively on Bhagavaan Ramana's works.

A-dviata translated as non-dualism -He says: the prefix non refers to not

only to duality but to -ism as well.

>

>advaita as a way of life: advaita is more than what is described

>above. As per my understanding, advaita is a way of life where we

>attend to our daily acts with contentment, with equality and

>sameness of all. We do not have to spend time discussing what is

>sat-cit-Ananda, what is brahman and so on in order to attain moksha.

>They are simply intellectual exercises which bear no fruit. Simply,

>lead a life of contentment with no desires and no attachments. That

>itself is moksha. If that is not moksha, I would like someone to

>tell me what is moksha. I believe that is what the sages of the

>upanishads described as advaita. Life of shri RamaNa maharShi of

>modern times is a good example of what I mean of advaita as a way

>of life.

 

There is a catch 22 here. Remember Bhagavaan Ramana spent many years in

different caves getting established in that state until it became his

sahaja or natural state. It becomes a way of life once you are fully

established in that understanding - Ramana calls it as ' dR^Daiva nishhTa'.

Till then it is a goal and means to achieve it. In his Upadesha saara he

provides the both. Let us not kid ourself that moksha is just a way of

life with life of contentments with no desires and attachments. How do

you attain that way of life? The purpose of mananam and nidhydhyaasanam is

not meant for intellecutal exercise - it is an interllecutal exercise as

long as we donot have the sadhana chatushhTayam, the four-fold

qualifications required for the knowledge of advaita state to sink into our

minds. Mananam and nidhidhyaasana becomes a means to establish the

'dR^iDaiva nishhTa' that Ramana emphasized. that is the purpose of Vedanta

and the need for inquiry of the nature of the truth. Then the advaitic way

of life becomes a natural state - till then sadhana has to continue.

>However, make no mistake about it. It is not easy to lead a life

>of advaita. If the jIva is not pure internally, there will be

>continuous internal forces on the jIva which pull him/her away

>from that way of life. Many people of modern times (and I am sure

>of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without the

>requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

>trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

>reaching the higher state of realization. But once that inner purity,

>tR^ipti, and vairAgya are there, it is only infinite bliss. It will

>not be an experience like there is an experience and an experiencer,

>but all will be rolled into one.

 

Yes - you have zeroed in. That end of contented life can be arrived at by

firsts purifying ones mind - for which - shama, dama etc are essentail -

controlling ones running mind and putting in the path - remember KrishNa's

advice - "yato yato nishcharati manas chanchalamasthiram| tatastato

niyamyaitad aatmanyeva vasham nayet|" When the mind is found moving away

from the object of meditation, bring it back right away to contemplate on

the nature of one's self. That is a saadhana and even to accomplish that

we need a some degree of purity of the mind. Hence Karma, Bhakti and

JNaana yoga's are the means to accomplish that. Without these no way to

arrive at that 'way of life'.

 

I realize that we are not saying differnt things - but want to make sure -

to arrive at that ' way of life' you mentioned, it is not the means but the

byproduct of the state of jiivamukta.

 

Hari Om!

Sadanadna

>

>

>Regards

>Gummuluru Murthy

>-------

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>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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K. Sadananda

Code 6323

Naval Research Laboratory

Washington D.C. 20375

Voice (202)767-2117

Fax:(202)767-2623

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advaitin , Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy@m...> wrote:

>

> On Mon, 4 Sep 2000, Harsha wrote:

>

> >

> > It is said that contentment is the invisible crown on the head of

the sage.

> > Murthyji, it was of interest that you stated the following which

is similar

> > but not identical to the point Arjuna raised with Bhagwan Krishna

in the

> > Bhagwad Gita.

> >

> > "Many people of modern times (and I am sure

> > of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without

the

> > requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

> > trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

> > reaching the higher state of realization."

> >

> > Arjuna had this doubt and asked about the fate of the Yogi who is

able to

> > fulfill neither the assigned human duties nor reach the highest

state.

> >

> > Bhagwan Krishna's compassionate answer was both beautiful and

insightful. I

> > do not know Sanskrit and have read only the English versions.

Perhaps you

> > Murthyji or someone else can comment on that verse.

> >

> > Love to all

> > Harsha

> >

>

> namaste Harshaji,

>

> Thanks for your comments. I would certainly like to know more about

> this specific verse in bhagavadgItA which you have referred. I

wonder

> if you can give me the verse and chapter number from the BG, if you

> have access to it. If not, I can look at my BG text and find out

> which verse you may be referring to.

>

>

> Regards

> Gummuluru Murthy

> --

----

 

Namaste,

 

The verse(s) being referred to by Harshaji would be VI:37-39.

 

Regards,

 

s.

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> "Many people of modern times (and I am sure

> of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without the

> requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

> trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

> reaching the higher state of realization."

>

> Bhagwan Krishna's compassionate answer was both beautiful and insightful.

I

> do not know Sanskrit and have read only the English versions. Perhaps you

> Murthyji or someone else can comment on that verse.

>

> Love to all

> Harsha

>

 

namaste Harshaji,

 

Thanks for your comments. I would certainly like to know more about

this specific verse in bhagavadgItA which you have referred. I wonder

if you can give me the verse and chapter number from the BG, if you

have access to it. If not, I can look at my BG text and find out

which verse you may be referring to.

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

 

[Madhava Replies:]

 

Arjuna said:

6-37. He who, though possessed of faith, is unable to control himself, whose

mind wanders away from YOGA, to what end does he, having failed to attain

perfection in YOGA go, O Krishna?

6-38. Fallen from both, does he not, O mighty-armed, perish like a rent

cloud, support less and deluded in the path of BRAHMAN?

6-39. This doubt of mine, O Krishna, please dispel completely; because it is

not possible for any one but You to dispel this doubt.

 

IN THE FOLLOWING FIVE STANZAS, BHAGAWAN TRIES TO EXPLAIN THE PATH OF

PROGRESS OF A SEEKER WHOSE SPIRITUAL ENDEAVOURS HAVE BEEN EITHER CLIPPED BY

AN UNTIMELY DEATH, OR ARRESTED BY THE INTERVENTION OF SOME SENSUOUS

TEMPTATION.

 

The Blessed Lord said:

6-40. O Partha, neither in this world, nor in the next world is there

destruction for him; none, verily, who strives to be good, O My son, ever

comes to grief.

6-41 Having attained to the worlds of the righteous, and having dwelt there

for everlasting (long) years, he who had fallen from YOGA is born again in

the house of the pure and the wealthy.

6-42. Or, he is even born in the family of the wise YOGIS; verily, a birth

like this is very difficult to obtain in this world.

6-43. There he comes to be united with the knowledge acquired in his former

body and strives more than before for Perfection, O son of the Kurus.

6-44. By that very former practice he is borne on inspite of himself. Even

he who merely wishes to know YOGA goes beyond the SHABDA BRAHMAN.

 

Yours,

Madhava

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namaste.

 

Thanks to shri Sunder and Madhava for the reference from the gItA

and further elaboration. I will try to respond to points made by

shri Harsha and Sadananda also in this post. My apologies for not

being prompt with the reply. This is time for the beginning of the

Fall semster and the associated time-constraints.

 

On Tue, 5 Sep 2000, K. Sadananda wrote:

> [...]

>

> There is a catch 22 here. Remember Bhagavaan Ramana spent many years in

> different caves getting established in that state until it became his

> sahaja or natural state. It becomes a way of life once you are fully

> established in that understanding - Ramana calls it as ' dR^Daiva nishhTa'.

> Till then it is a goal and means to achieve it. In his Upadesha saara he

> provides the both. Let us not kid ourself that moksha is just a way of

> life with life of contentments with no desires and attachments. How do

> you attain that way of life? The purpose of mananam and nidhydhyaasanam is

> not meant for intellecutal exercise - it is an interllecutal exercise as

> long as we donot have the sadhana chatushhTayam, the four-fold

> qualifications required for the knowledge of advaita state to sink into our

> minds. Mananam and nidhidhyaasana becomes a means to establish the

> 'dR^iDaiva nishhTa' that Ramana emphasized. that is the purpose of Vedanta

> and the need for inquiry of the nature of the truth. Then the advaitic way

> of life becomes a natural state - till then sadhana has to continue.

>

 

I agree with the point made above. But I am wondering which should be the

priority from the jIvA's perspective (that is the only one with the

perspective). Is it the purity of heart (which is the result of

sAdhana catuShTayam) or the manananm, nidhidhyAsanam?

 

My feeling is:

 

1. Without the purity of the heart (i.e., without sAdhana catuShTayam),

mananam and nidhidhyAsanam are intellectual exercises only. I am sure

you agree with this, as per what you wrote above.

 

2. With the purity of heart (i.e., with sAdhana catuShTayam as inherent

part of sAdhaka), mananam and nidhidhyAsanam [of shruti and the

shruti-like works of shri shankara] lead to removal of ajnAnam.

 

3. This is also implied in BrahmasUtrA 1.1.1 athAto brahmajignAsA

(which you will be covering in your excellent Notes on BSB soon).

Here, athAto is important. Interpretation of athAto, as I see it,

is: *now the sAdhakA is ready with a pure heart*, hence the jignAsA.

 

4. does mananam and nidhidhyAsanam lead to cittashuddhi? Yes, it does

but under appropriate conditions.

 

5. The jIva can only strive or work towards that cittashuddhi. The rest

is bhagavatkr^ipa.

 

6. I am not discounting sAdhana at all. On the other hand, I am giving

utmost importance to sAdhana for attaining cittashuddhi. Cittashuddhi

is the biggest obstacle the jIva faces, and of course most

appropriately, that is what the jIva can strive for.

 

I am not saying moksha is a 'way of life' that one has to *strive* for.

It evolves by itself if the cittashuddhi followed by jignAsa is there.

The word 'life' does not have a meaning in moksha anyway. The purpose

of my post is to place advaita beyond religion, beyond as a tool for

moksha, and beyond intellectual enquiry. It is to show that if one sees

advaita as only one of these or all of these only, then the moksha will

still be far from us.

> >However, make no mistake about it. It is not easy to lead a life

> >of advaita. If the jIva is not pure internally, there will be

> >continuous internal forces on the jIva which pull him/her away

> >from that way of life. Many people of modern times (and I am sure

> >of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without the

> >requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

> >trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

> >reaching the higher state of realization. But once that inner purity,

> >tR^ipti, and vairAgya are there, it is only infinite bliss. It will

> >not be an experience like there is an experience and an experiencer,

> >but all will be rolled into one.

>

> Yes - you have zeroed in. That end of contented life can be arrived at by

> firsts purifying ones mind - for which - shama, dama etc are essentail -

> controlling ones running mind and putting in the path - remember KrishNa's

> advice - "yato yato nishcharati manas chanchalamasthiram| tatastato

> niyamyaitad aatmanyeva vasham nayet|" When the mind is found moving away

> from the object of meditation, bring it back right away to contemplate on

> the nature of one's self. That is a saadhana and even to accomplish that

> we need a some degree of purity of the mind. Hence Karma, Bhakti and

> JNaana yoga's are the means to accomplish that. Without these no way to

> arrive at that 'way of life'.

>

> I realize that we are not saying differnt things - but want to make sure -

> to arrive at that ' way of life' you mentioned, it is not the means but the

> byproduct of the state of jiivamukta.

>

 

Yes, we are saying the same thing, but may be with a slight difference

in emphasis. My emphasis is on cittashuddhi rather than the jignAsa

(enquiry).

 

As always, I would be most grateful for your comments and corrections.

 

Now, with comments by shri Harsha, Sunder and Madhava: my comments

in my original post of Sep 3 and Arjuna's question to Lord Krishna

in BhagavadgItA 6.37 to 6.39 are slightly different, although they

can be treated similar.

 

I was saying

> [...]

> However, make no mistake about it. It is not easy to lead a life

> of advaita. If the jIva is not pure internally, there will be

> continuous internal forces on the jIva which pull him/her away

> from that way of life. Many people of modern times (and I am sure

> of earlier times as well) mistook advaita to be simple, without the

> requisite preparation and inner purity. Such people end up in

> trishanku swarga of life, neither fulfilling the human duties nor

> reaching the higher state of realization. But once that inner purity,

> tR^ipti, and vairAgya are there, it is only infinite bliss. It will

> not be an experience like there is an experience and an experiencer,

> but all will be rolled into one.

 

Arjuna's question to Krishna is (from shri Madhava's post)

> [Madhava Replies:]

> Arjuna said:

> 6-37. He who, though possessed of faith, is unable to control himself,

> whose

> mind wanders away from YOGA, to what end does he, having failed to

> attain

> perfection in YOGA go, O Krishna?

> 6-38. Fallen from both, does he not, O mighty-armed, perish like a rent

> cloud, support less and deluded in the path of BRAHMAN?

> 6-39. This doubt of mine, O Krishna, please dispel completely; because

> it is

> not possible for any one but You to dispel this doubt.

> IN THE FOLLOWING FIVE STANZAS, BHAGAWAN TRIES TO EXPLAIN THE PATH OF

> PROGRESS OF A SEEKER WHOSE SPIRITUAL ENDEAVOURS HAVE BEEN EITHER CLIPPED

> BY

> AN UNTIMELY DEATH, OR ARRESTED BY THE INTERVENTION OF SOME SENSUOUS

> TEMPTATION.

> The Blessed Lord said:

> 6-40. O Partha, neither in this world, nor in the next world is there

> destruction for him; none, verily, who strives to be good, O My son,

> ever

> comes to grief.

> 6-41 Having attained to the worlds of the righteous, and having dwelt

> there

> for everlasting (long) years, he who had fallen from YOGA is born again

> in

> the house of the pure and the wealthy.

> 6-42. Or, he is even born in the family of the wise YOGIS; verily, a

> birth

> like this is very difficult to obtain in this world.

> 6-43. There he comes to be united with the knowledge acquired in his

> former

> body and strives more than before for Perfection, O son of the Kurus.

> 6-44. By that very former practice he is borne on inspite of himself.

> Even

> he who merely wishes to know YOGA goes beyond the SHABDA BRAHMAN.

> Yours,

> Madhava

 

 

Arjuna's question is answered by Lord Krishna saying that no good

deed is ever wasted. Even if the yogi dies before attaining that

realization, he/she will be born in a proper environment and will

continue that striving finally reaching that exhalted state. Thus,

Krishna assures, nothing is lost.

 

In my question, I was saying, if without proper preparation (i.e.,

not fully endowed with sAdhana catuShTayam) if a person sees what

he thinks is an *easy* path, is there a danger that he/she will be

in trishanku swarga? Obviously, if Krishna's answer can be applied

to this question also, the answer would be "no, the person would

still advance". So, I stand corrected with that trishanku swarga

statement above. However, it seems to me the 'path' may have to

go through more loops.

> Hari Om!

> Sadanadna

>

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

--

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Gummuluru Murthy wrote:

>3. This is also implied in BrahmasUtrA 1.1.1 athAto brahmajignAsA

> (which you will be covering in your excellent Notes on BSB soon).

>Here, athAto is important. Interpretation of athAto, as I see it, is:

>*now the sAdhakA is ready with a pure heart*, hence the jignAsA.

 

Yes, Shankara says the pre-requisites for the vichaara is saadhana

chatushhTayam and we will be discussing exhaustively with referece to B.

Sutra 1.

 

>4. does mananam and nidhidhyAsanam lead to cittashuddhi? Yes, it does

> but under appropriate conditions.

 

Shankara answers in response to a puurvapakshi demands shravaNam is the most

important and realization is by that, if one has the required chittasuddhi.

When a puurvapakshi asks how come there are lot of students who are

vedantins but we do not see as many realized souls - Shankara brings the

fact that itself proves that they do not have the requisite chittasuddi yet,

and one can gain that by mananama - mananama makes one to be doubt-free and

nidhidhyaasana makes one to establishe firmly in the knowledge that one has

heard by ShravaNam. Now you can reach your own conclusions what exactly the

role of shravaNam and nidhidhyaasanam in the saadhana.

 

I am sure you appreciate the fact that saying that I have faith in the

teachings of Guru and shaastra vesus having a faith. Most of us say we have

faith in God - but yet we worry a lot which shows that our faith is not

complete. True faith is what Nisargadata Maharaj shows - he had faith in

his teacher when he was taught 'you are that and not this' - contemplation

on that was enough for him to cross in just three years.

 

 

There is story, I forget the names associated with it. When they start

teaching in gurukula in those days the teacher first starts writing the

first lesson; matR^i devo bhava, pirtR^idevo bhava, etc and then dharmam

chara, satyam vada etc. One sincere student kept on repeating those while

others graduated to the next and next lessions. When the teacher asked why

he is behind everybody, the student said, "sir this is the most difficult

lession. I have been practicing this lession to become master of this and

I find is so difficult to follow and I cannot go to next lession unless I

can graudate from this". And he became after the graduation of his first

lession a great sage.

>5. The jIva can only strive or work towards that cittashuddhi. The rest

> is bhagavatkr^ipa.

 

One can say mananam and nidhidhyaasana is part of sadhana and bhagavatkR^ipa

comes automatically when the student is ready.

>6. I am not discounting sAdhana at all. On the other hand, I am giving

> utmost importance to sAdhana for attaining cittashuddhi. Cittashuddhi

> is the biggest obstacle the jIva faces, and of course most

>appropriately, that is what the jIva can strive for.

 

This is what I meant by catch 22. Vichaara is not intellectual gymnaastics

- one can make it if one wants it - but it is meant for establishing firmly

in the true understanding of oneself in oneself- that is the vichaara of who

I am or vicaara of who is Brahman and why I am that what I am seeking - tat

tvam asi. - It is not random vichaara with out any guidelines - there one

will no where- What is emphasized in B. Sutra is one need Vedanta as the

means to do the correct vichaara - that is what is meant by 'aatmaikya

bodhena vinaa vimuktiH, na sidhyati braham shataantarepi||' Vichaara is

intellectual pursuit and hence it is not intellecutal gymnaastics.

>I am not saying moksha is a 'way of life' that one has to *strive* for. It

>evolves by itself if the cittashuddhi followed by jignAsa is there.

>The word 'life' does not have a meaning in moksha anyway. The purpose

>of my post is to place advaita beyond religion, beyond as a tool for

>moksha, and beyond intellectual enquiry. It is to show that if one sees

>advaita as only one of these or all of these only, then the moksha will

>still be far from us.

 

True - but the emphasis on vichaara as the means for the goal - it is like

this - one cannot do vichaara unless chittasuddhi is there but at the same

time there are always remanent samskaaras or hang ups and one cannot always

wait to say yes now I have compete chittasuddhi and now I am ready for

vichaara. The mananam and nidhiddhaasanam itslef takes one who are able to

think and contemplate (hence not consider as intellectual gymnaastics) even

if the plate is not completely clean. They do the rest of the cleaning

process - depending on how sincere the sadhaka is in his contemplation to

arrive at the truth that the scriptures pointings. When there are doubts in

the mind the faith is incomplete and hence mananam and nidhidhyaasanam too.

 

I know you are not saying much different but I was making a point

intellecutal discussions are vichaara and that is what is emphasized

interms of swaadhyaayana.

 

There is of couse possibilities that one can built up by intellecutal

pursuits and become arrogent and that obvously reflects in ones attitudes

and responses to the discussions too. It is a kind of fanatism and can

happen in any path - bhakti - karma or JNaana - This is again becuase of

lack of chittasudhhi. That is what we need to watch ourselves not to get

carried away in the intellectual pursuits - True learning makes one to

become humble than proud and the responses and behavior automatically

reflects that.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

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