Guest guest Posted February 28, 2002 Report Share Posted February 28, 2002 Hari Om !! advaitin, Gregory Goode <goode@D...> wrote: > > About the kinds of Advaita.... > > Shri Warwick - you said something interesting the other day. That > The Westernized "neo-advaita" is the moniker for the satsang movement, one of whose representatives is Francis Lucille. In the satsang movement, concepts from advaita such as "consciousnessyour true naturebeingblisshappiness" are used and watered-down. Texts are perhaps referred to, but with warnings not to take anything too seriously. Students are often told to stop reading books, stop conducting spiritual practices, and the concerns are often different, more based on how the student *feels* rather than what is real. The satsang movement is often populated by teachers who, ten years previously, were therapists. And many of them return to doing therapy when the satsang gig doesn't pay off. > For the benefit of All Knowing Warwick: "Students are often told to stop reading books, stop conducting spiritual practices" If you can STOP doing EVERY THING by Body, Speach, Thought .. You have MADE IT. If your 'neo-Vedanta' is not teaching that 'THAT' is the SUPREME GOAL .. they are not teaching you completely.. for can you find one who is not bitten by desire and action ? The spiritual practices are meant to prepare you/I for that STOP ing of ALL ACTIONS and just BE. Om Namo Narayanaya !! Srikrishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2002 Report Share Posted March 1, 2002 About the kinds of Advaita.... Shri Warwick - you said something interesting the other day. That you learned most of what you know about advaita from dialogues with Francis Lucille and by reading Krishna Menon. The former I have known since 1995, and the latter is my Advaita sat-guru. So I think I might know where you're coming from in looking at this forum. There are two different kinds of approaches that are called "advaita" -- the formal, and the Westernized "neo-advaita." The formal advaita vedanta is based on the scriptures, and is represented by Shankara's teachings. It is the basis for this mailing list. And traditionally, before one embarks upon the study of this formal discipline, there are years and years of spiritual practice (usually in Hinduism). Indeed, in the text called TATTVA BODHA, Shankara gives a list of characteristics for the ideal beginning student of advaita vedanta. Those characteristics are thought to be the outcome of good upbringing and the assiduous practice of spiritual devotion, selfless service, meditation and study. All those practices and the psychological/physical benefits therefrom make for better understanding once the student begins to study advaita vedanta. They really, really help! Once the person studies advaita, it is heavily based on textual study, meditation and contemplation. As well, one is often encouraged to continue the practices that one had followed earlier on the path. New meanings and insights will develop from these very same practices, as they are seen in ever brighter light. The Westernized "neo-advaita" is the moniker for the satsang movement, one of whose representatives is Francis Lucille. In the satsang movement, concepts from advaita such as "consciousnessyour true naturebeingbliss" "happiness" are used and watered-down. Texts are perhaps referred to, but with warnings not to take anything too seriously. Students are often told to stop reading books, stop conducting spiritual practices, and the concerns are often different, more based on how the student *feels* rather than what is real. The satsang movement is often populated by teachers who, ten years previously, were therapists. And many of them return to doing therapy when the satsang gig doesn't pay off. In both these branches of "advaita," the notion of enlightenment is different, as well as virtually all the steps along the way. Often, teachers in one of the approaches aren't really aware of how the other one functions. I suspect that if you are used to one, the other one seems a bit odd! Gotta go now! Om! --Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2002 Report Share Posted March 1, 2002 Namaste, At 03:50 AM 3/1/02 -0000, srikrishna_ghadiyaram wrote: If you can STOP doing EVERY THING by Body, Speach, Thought .. You have MADE IT. If your 'neo-Vedanta' is not teaching that 'THAT' is the SUPREME GOAL .. they are not teaching you completely.. for can you find one who is not bitten by desire and action ? The spiritual practices are meant to prepare you/I for that STOP ing of ALL ACTIONS and just BE. The trouble with the satsang movement is that they tell the same things to all comers off the street, whether they've done 30 years of practice or 30 seconds of it: STOP! And the goal of many if not most of the attendees is not to stop everything, but just to stop certain feelings -- guilt, resentment, lack of self-esteem. Of course they'll try to stop everything if this will help them achieve these psychological goals. Because this is what the teacher says. But consider the irony! Stopping everything with the purpose in mind of gaining self-esteem! Om! --Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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