Guest guest Posted April 16, 2004 Report Share Posted April 16, 2004 shri ramachandranji! what is so great about becoming a 'brahmin' and why should that ever be such alofty ideal? the goal should be to be a better human being , loving, caring and above all understanding! btw, i am a brahmin iyer woman and i am least proud of that! i am more proud of the fact that i am a good mother, a woman with a social conscience, a loving daughter, a conscientious and productive worker on my job... ! so on and so forth! if by brahmin, we mean the 'caste' brahmin , i don't even want to be part of that discussion specially in a list dedicated to 'adi shankara' - the greatest of all gurus! Advaita, the non-dualistic philosophy expounded in detail by Shri Shankara, does not recognize differences between people based on *caste, creed, religion, gender etc* since we are all the manifestations of the same Brahman. The scene is set in Varanasi (Kashi/Benaras), the ancient sacred city of India, and the home to the famous kashi visvanatha temple. Adi shankaraachaarya, the expounder of the advaitic, non-dualistic philosophy, was on the way to the temple after finishing his bath. Suddenly he saw a chandaala (an outcaste), on the way, and beckons to him to keep a distance, as per the practice and custom in those days. That outcaste is none other than the Lord sha.nkara (Shiva) Himself! At such beckoning, the Lord addresses his devotee sha.nkarAchArya, in the first two stanzas (the prologue), as under: annamayaadannamayamathavaa chaitanyameva chaitanyaat.h | yativara duuriikartuM vaaJNchhasi kiM bruuhi gachchha gachchheti || O great ascetic! Tell me. Do you want me to keep a distance from you, by uttering 'go away' 'go away' taking me to be an outcaste ? Is it addressed from one body made of food to another body made of food, or is it consciousness from consciousness --- which, O, the best among ascetics, you wish should go away, by saying `` Go away, go away''? Do tell me. ********************************************************************** pratyagvastuni nistaraN^gasahajaanandaavabhodhaambudhau vipro.ayaM shvapacho.ayamityapi mahaanko.ayaM vibhedhabhramaH | kiM gaN^gaambuni bimbite.ambaramaNau chaaNDaalaviithiipayaH puure vaa.antaramasti kaaJNchanaghaTiimR^itkumbhayorvaa.ambare || Answer me. While the supreme Being is reflected in every object as the sun's reflecion could be seen in the placid waveless water bodies why this doubting confusion and differentiation i.e. whether one is a brahmin or an outcaste ? who is the superior one etc ?. Is there any difference in the reflection of the sun in the waters of the Ganges or in the water present in the street of an outcaste? Likewise, is there any difference when the water- containers happen to be golden vessels and earthen pots ? (Immediately shankaraacharya realises the presence of the Lord Shankara before him (who has apparently shown Himself with a view to removing the last vestige of imperfection in His devotee) and reels off the following 5 stanzas-constituting 'maniishhaapa.nchakam.h'- ending with a further stanza in the form of an epilogue). jaagratsvapnasushhuptishhu sphuTataraa yaa saMvidujjR^imbhate yaa brahmaadipipiilikaantatanushhu protaa jagatsaakshiNii | saivaahaM na cha dR^ishyavastviti dR^iDhapraGYaapi yasyaasti che\- chchaaNDaalo.astu sa tu dvijo.astu gururityeshhaa maniishhaa mama || If one is convinced firmly, that he is that very Soul which manifests itself in all the conditions of sleep, wakefulness and dream, in all the objects from the great Brahma (the creator) to the tiny ant and which is also the vibrant, but invisible, witnesser of all, then as per my clear conclusion, he is the great teacher/preceptor, be he a twice-born (i.e higher castes) or an outcaste. ********************************************************************** brahmaivaahamidaM jagachcha sakalaM chinmaatravistaaritaM sarvaM chaitadavidyayaa triguNayaa.asheshhaM mayaa kalpitam.h | itthaM yasya dR^iDhaa matiH sukhatare nitye pare nirmale chaaNDaalo.astu sa tu dvijo.astu gururityeshhaa maniishhaa mama || 2|| I am quite convinced that he is the great Master, be he a Brahmin or an outcaste, who, dwelling on the pure and infinite Brahman thinks of himself as that very Brahman, of whose manifestation the whole Universe is,though apparently the Universe is assumed to consist of different things, due to ignorance and the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas and Tamas). ********************************************************************** shashvannashvarameva vishvamakhilaM nishchitya vaachaa guro\- rnityaM brahma nirantaraM vimR^ishataa nirvyaajashaantaatmanaa | bhuutaM bhaati cha dushhkR^itaM pradahataa saMvinmaye paavake praarabdhaaya samarpitaM svavapurityeshhaa maniishhaa mama || 3|| I am fully convinced by the Preceptor's words that the entire Universe is a transitory illusion and that the human body is given to constantly meditate on the infinite and supreme Being with a serene and unquestioning mind and thus to burn in that sacred Fire the sins with which the human is born. ********************************************************************** yaa tiryaN^.hnaradevataabhirahamityantaH sphuTaa gR^ihyate yadbhaasaa hR^idayaakshadehavishhayaa bhaanti svato.achetanaaH | taaM bhaasyaiH pihitaarkamaNDalanibhaaM sphuurtiM sadaa bhaavaya\- nyogii nirvR^itamaanaso hi gururityeshhaa maniishhaa mama || 4|| In my considered opinion that Yogi is great who has clearly grasped within himself the truth and quality of the supreme Being through which all our activities are performed and whose effulgence is hidden by ignorance [of an ordinary person] even as the sun's halo is covered/hidden by the clouds. ********************************************************************** yatsaukhyaambudhileshaleshata ime shakraadayo nirvR^itaa yachchitte nitaraaM prashaantakalane labdhvaa munirnirvR^itaH | yasminnityasukhaambudhau galitadhiirbrahmaiva na brahmavid.h yaH kashchitsa surendravanditapado nuunaM maniishhaa mama || 5|| I am convinced that whoever has his mind dwelling upon the Great Being who is being worshipped by Indra and other gods and is thus completely at peace with himself has not only understood Brahman but he is himself that great Brahman! ********************************************************************** daasaste.ahaM dehadR^ishhTyaa.asmi shaMbho jaatasteM.asho jiivadR^ishhTyaa tridR^ishhTe | sarvasyaa.a.atmannaatmadR^ishhTyaa tvameve\- tyevaM me dhiirnishchitaa sarvashaastraiH || Oh Lord ! In the form of body I am your servant. In the form of life, O three-eyed one, I am part of yourself. In the form of soul, you are within me and in every other soul.I have arrived at this conclusion through my intellect and on the authority of the various scriptures. ********************************************************************** in this advaitin list, we need to remember only one thing and that is "in the form of soul, You are within me and every other soul." This is the only correct interpretaton of adwaithgis philosophy .... all these esoteric discussions about viveka chudamani , upanishdic dictum 'purnamidam' etc... , shankara's bhasyams are of no use unless one reconizes this basic ground rule! LOVE to one and all! Hae you heard of Narayana guru? SRI NARAYANA GURU "Another movement that deserves study is the movement founded by Narayana Guru, the Ezhava (avarna) saint of Kerala. The Ezhavas are one of the "backward" success stories in South India, and Narayana Guru's appropriation and reformulation of Shankara's philosophy into a global egalitarianism gave the Ezhavas a firm belonging within the mainstream Hindu fold. He advocated education above all else; he built schools and ashrams. Since they were not allowed into temples in those days, he built temples. Interestingly, Narayana Guru had a Sanskrit education. In Kerala apparently, Sanskrit education was not impossible for avarnas. His first temple inauguration is well known: Dramatically, he rose from the waters in the heart of the night and brought forth a Siva Lingam. After three hours in meditation, with tears cascading down his face, he installed the holy icon, while the entranced crowd chanted "Om Namah Shivaya". Some Orthodox Brahmins challenged his installation. After all, what right did an Ezhava have to install an icon? But he responded: "I've installed only an Ezhava Shiva!" Those words resonate with all well-meaning Hindus who wish to see spiritual inequality end. He also played a role in the Vaikkom satyagraha. His movement lives on in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. (borrowed from a web source) ********************************************************************** advaitin, "Ram Chandran" <RamChandran@a...> wrote: > Namaste Sri Balaji: > > I find your speculative statements such as - "None of us here is > eligible to be called brahmin" is inappropriate. This advaitin list > family consists of nearly 800 members, some of them possess the > necessary credintials to be called as brahmins and everyone in the > list is certainly eligible to become a brahmin! Is anyone stopping > them to become a brahmin? > > Warmest regards, > > Ram Chandran > > Note: The saying, "If we spill the grains, we can pick them back > without much damage, but if the words are spilled, it can't be taken > back!" > > advaitin, "Balaji Ramasubramanian" > <balajiramasubramanian> wrote: > > PS: So from what I had written earlier about Brahmin and not > brahmin, > > none of us here is eligible to be called brahmin. But soceity calls > > itself so. Hence, I use the vyAvahArika term here (being that of > > jAti, which is very unfortunate). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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