Adi Sankara and Ethics ..... In ADVAITA!

[Guest guest]

our most respected Sunder-ji writes...

 

(If Shankara's Gita Bhashya, or sAdhanA-chatuShtaya or

ShaTka-sampatti, are not accepted as the ethical foundation of a

spiritual life, then the authors or followers may be safely

considered to have a warped understanding of ethics!)

 

Who are these Authors, by the way? To pass judgement on great

immortal Souls like Sankara Bhagvadapada ?

 

shankara led a life of Dharma.

 

Adi Sankara's life itself is a 'shining' example of how an ascetic

monk practiced what he preached ... He believed in 'madhukari'

biksha - going from door to door 'begging' for food ...

The 'Kanakadhara ' stotram is proof of this !

 

He was a 'celibate' brahmachari , never married and avoided the

company of women - and worshipped women as manifestations of the

Divine Mother !

 

He studied the vedas and the upanishads and even wrote extensive

commentaries on them.

 

Although , he was a 'sanyasi', as a dutiful only son , he performed

the last rites of his mother ! he honored his mother , who is his

pratama guru!

 

His 'Guruvashtakam' proves beyond a shadow of doubt that he honred

the Guru -shisya tradition as well.

 

He also Taught how to do Devi UPASANA - if one goes to Sringeri

Sarada temple , one will see how the Puja to Sarada Mata is performed

with minute attention to every detail follwing all the 'vidjis' and

rituals as prescribed in scriptures.

 

and what about the extensive pilgrimages he undertook on foot going

to all the Tirthastalas from Kasi to Kanchi establishing Mutts and

temples?

 

Sankara Bhagvadapada practiced 'Dharma' .... He lead a life of

Dharma - He followed everything outlined in vedic texts ...

 

and finally what about the wonderful commentary he wrote on the

SRIMAD BHAGWAT GITA ?

 

AND WHAT IS SRIMAD BHAGWAT GITA but a text which teaches how to lead

a life of Dharma - RIGHT LIVING!!

 

who is an Acharya?

 

Kanchi Maha Periyavaal says...

 

WHO IS THE ACHARYA?

 

 

"The name Acharya is only for Adi Sankara Acharya. If one knows only

the sastra, he is a mere scholar. If he has the experience, then he

becomes a jnani. If one gives only instruction, he becomes a

preacher. He alone is an Acharya who after clearly understanding the

conclusive teachings of the sastras, makes the people of the world

gain their welfare by making them sick to the path shown in the

sastra and also himself does everything according to sastras and

remains in that experience. If we want to refer to teachers other

than our Acharya, we should say 'Bhaskaracharya' etc. But if we say

Acharya, merely, there is no need to say Sankara. The word Acharya

will refer only to him."

 

(http://www.kanchikamakoticenter.org/page30892.html - 12k - Cached )

 

Jaya Jaya Shankara

 

Hara Hara Shankara !