File - Advaita Discussion Topics

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Original ref. Message #19041 of Sept. 24, 2003

 

Namaste:

 

The monthly discussions topics during the past eleven months greatly helped us

to focus our thoughts and enhance our understanding of Shankara's advaita

philosophy. We plan to continue this for the next year and in subsequent years.

A list of topics proposed for the year 2004 also listed below and we still look

for volunteers who can dedicate their time to prepare and lead the discussions.

I want to assure the volunteering members that this simple sadhana will guide to

them to read appropriate books and writings and help them to articulate their

thoughts. This is a great opportunity for self-learning and also to improve your

writing and reading habits.

 

The file "Advaita Discussion Topics" at the site with the URL:

 

advaitin

 

contains the details. This file will be updated regularly and will become a

useful reference file for the members.

 

The topics for year 2004 will be regularly revised with suggestions from

members. Members who propose suggestions/comments should make sure that the

topics fall within the scope of the list.

 

 

Updated - Jan. 21, 2004

 

The topic can be carried over to the succeeding month if the discussion remains

unfinished. The topic leader may give the signal for the next topic to start

(on the 1st of the following month).

 

 

1. Jan.

Atmananda's Vedantic Prakriyas - (Ananda Wood) wrap-up

 

2. Feb.

Amritanubhava - Nirmala Limaye

 

3.

What is happiness? Diverse perspectives of happiness (Dennis Waite)

 

4.

pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam - Completeness is Changeless (Madathhil Nair)

 

5.

"The place of practice in advaita vedanta: Is practice required? Does

it help?" (Gregory Goode)

 

6.

Maya in the Vedas - Ken Knight

 

7.

The Real and the UnReal - Chittaranjan Naik

 

8.

AdhyArOpApavAda's role in advaita siddhAnta (Sri Bhasker)

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Other suggeseted topics:

 

Gita Topics for Discussion: Practicing Karma Yoga in daily life (Sri

Sridhar)

 

Gita's qualifications for a seeker - Value of Values (Sri Krishna

Prasad)

 

Advaita Vedantic Perspectives Evidenced through Gita Verses

----

 

Historical perspective of Shankara's Advaita

 

srishti-drshti vada of advaita (Doctrine of creation & perception)

 

Karma and/or karma-phala: what is it and its role in advaita

 

Three Vedantic Schools of Thoughts - Similarities and Differences

---

 

Proper understanding of wake-up/dream/deep-sleep states

 

The field and knower of the field - Purusha and Prakriti

 

philosophy

 

Naive Realism - the philosophical doctrine on the existence of

objects

 

Panchadasi Ch 6 & 7 (added Feb. 16)

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________________

Our Discussion Topics for year 2003:

 

January: advaita and visistadvaita

February: Blessed are the Peacemakers

March: Meaning of Consciousness is One (Sri Benjamin)

April:Fate and Freewill(Sri Dennis)

May: j'nana and Bhakti (Sri Gummuluru and Sri Sunder)

June: Some Ideas on Avatars

July: How I discovered the Awareness watching Awareness method.

August: Paramacharya's Discourses on Saundaryalahari (ProfVK)

September: Is there light in Enlightenment? (Sri Madathil Nair)

October: Non-Existence of Objects (Sri Greg)

November: Atmananda's Teachings of Advaita Vedanta (Sri Ananda Wood)

December: Purushartha (Human fundamental aspirations) (Sri Ram Chandran)