Just Observations only!

[Guest guest]

vAdAvaLi

 

c.c. advaitin

 

 

 

 

 

Namaste & Pranams to all Learned Members,

 

I have been going through the postings in this group with great interest and I

admire the knowledge of some of the learned members, of Shastra, particularly

Prasthana Traya. They are not only very informative but also very absorbing,

sometimes very entertaining, equally amusing also, for people who are interested

in the subject.

 

In this connection, with due respects to the Learned Members, I may be permitted

to make my “observations” on certain points.

 

People belonging to different ideologies “Vicharas” based on the commentaries of

The Vedas, including the Upanishads, and Brahma Sootras, and Bhagavad Gita, seem

to not only try to prove their’s is the best ideology, but also try to impose

their own understanding/ ideology/ vichara on each other. The fact is that, as

if the four men explained the elephant, we are all basing our own “Vichara” on

our own understanding of the commentaries of the Shastra i.e. The Vedas,

Prasthana Trayas, Purnas, etc. by the various Acharyas, who, in turn,

interpreted them in different ways, as they understood them. However, what I

think very saddening is sometimes while trying to prove one’s “Vichara” is the

best, and accepted by others, the way or the language used in some of the

postings appear to belittle the knowledge of others, which can lead to cavil and

hatred.

 

All scriptures, the Revelations by God (Sruties), on “atheendrya vishayas” are

meant for the benefit of the humanity as a whole. Besides the Vedas,

particularly the Upanishads, our Puranas, though they are not Sruties, etc. have

this sole purpose.

 

However, from our experience, it appears that they have been the source for us

to divide the humanity into a number of religions, with varying beliefs and

faiths, resulting in hatred all round. We know what is happening all around

the world now a days because of religions. Even amongst the followers of

Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, we find there are groups most of which mainly

indulge in criticizing each other.

 

This is a very sad state of affairs.

 

Even amongst people who follow Vedanta, there are many groups, divisions, such

as Advaita, Dvaita, Vishishta Advaita, etc. each trying to prove its own

ideology is the best.

 

There is a very meaningful Malayalam song “Manushyan Mathangale srushttichu,

Mathangal Deivangale Srushttichu, Manushyanum, Mathangalum, Deivangalum chernnu

mannu pangu vechu, manasu pangu vechu”

 

Meaning: Man created the religions, the religions created a variety of gods, all

these three, Man, religions, and gods, divided the earth and divided the mind.

 

However, what I find most attracting in Advaita is it aims at removing all the

apparent divisions and it accommodates everything. It emphasizes on “the Unity

in Multiplicity”.

 

It even removes the division between, the Creator and the Created.

 

This in my view is most desirable for human beings, so that there is harmony and

peace everywhere.

 

In this context, if I were to ask you “Do you Exist?”.

 

“Yes, definitely I do exist” will be your answer. Is this knowledge, i.e. your

knowledge of your existence is Pratyaksha, Anumana, etc. You do not require any

means of knowledge, and yet you have this knowledge. How do you know it? Because

you are conscious of your existence. For this, is it necessary for you to be

conscious of your name, your roopa, caste, religion, etc? If you are stripped of

all these, the attributes, do you still exist or not? In the Abhivadaye Mantra,

all qualifications or attributes are first mentioned and then Aham, i.e. I, and

if you negate these qualifications, including Name, still “I” is very much

there.

 

If you know that, you still exist, what is your Swaroopa? Not Swabhava, which

change from time to time. If you are not conscious, how do you know you exist,

because without consciousness or awareness being there, one cannot know

anything, even his own existence? Therefore, without consciousness being there,

you, the knower of your existence cannot be there, and at the same time without

you, the consciousness cannot be there. The Swaroopa of “I” is Existence and

Consciousness, which never changes, therefore Poornam, Anantham, or Infinite,

and which is the same in all of us. The Upanishads reveals your Swaroopa, of

which we are not aware otherwise, although we all know our Swabhava, which

change from time to time. Even when one’s sex is changed, and a boy becomes a

girl, but the “I” in that boy or girl never changes.

 

This is “my understanding” based on the commentaries on the Prasthana Thraya.

Advaita siddhanta does not ask one to reject the objects out there, Srushti,

including Eswara, i.e. Idam, but it only corrects one’s erroneous knowledge

(mithyagnanam), i.e. Drushti, about the objects out there and also about one’s

own self, inasmuch what one is really searching or seeking cannot be obtained

from the world of objects, i.e. idam. Advaita accepts and accommodates

everything, and that is its beauty, and at the same time, it also unfolds that

bandhanam or bondage, is itself mithya, and equally moksha, as moksha is already

a siddhavastu. This is a question of just recognition of a fact. Please do not

ask me where, in the Prasthana Thraya, all these are stated, because I am not at

all interested, rather I am not equipped well, in going through the details, or

quoting Matrans, Bhashyas etc, which I think is also not very necessary. I am

interested only in the medicine, and so long as it cures

my problem, I do not worry about how the medicine is made, who invented it,

what are the ingredients, etc.

 

I mention this because I can see some members have already started typing out

their objections. They are welcome to do so, as it will be a source of

information and entertainment for me.

 

Once again my humble Pranams to all Learned Members and Hari om

 

R.S.Mani

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste Maniji.

 

Well said. A timely reminder too to all advaitins and a nice summary

of the entire advaitic scenario.

 

By the way, you seem to have attended the same course on

prastAnatraya as I did. I can accept all that you have said without

qualms. I am therefore happy that I don't have to type out an

objection.

 

I notice that your post is addressed to vadavali, cc Advaitin. I am

not a member at vadavali. Judging what I have heard of them, you can

definitely expect some brickbats! So, take care and cover. Don't

cower in any eventuality because you are RIGHT.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

___________________

 

advaitin, "R.S.MANI" <r_s_mani> wrote:

>

> vAdAvaLi

>

> c.c. advaitin

> I have been going through the postings in this group with great

interest .......................

[Guest guest]

Madathil Rajendran Nair <madathilnair wrote:Namaste Maniji.

 

Well said. A timely reminder too to all advaitins and a nice summary

of the entire advaitic scenario.

 

By the way, you seem to have attended the same course on

prastAnatraya as I did. I can accept all that you have said without

qualms. I am therefore happy that I don't have to type out an

objection.

 

I notice that your post is addressed to vadavali, cc Advaitin. I am

not a member at vadavali. Judging what I have heard of them, you can

definitely expect some brickbats! So, take care and cover. Don't

cower in any eventuality because you are RIGHT.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

___________________

 

advaitin, "R.S.MANI" <r_s_mani> wrote:

>

> vAdAvaLi

>

> c.c. advaitin

> I have been going through the postings in this group with great

interest .......................

 

 

 

Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman

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