Reply to the reviewers comment

[Guest guest]

I did not read the book in the email, hence I cant comment completly

but I will comment on what the reviewer has written.

 

There is traditional Advaita (aachaara paraayana) which highly

advocates strict adherance to the moral principle and ethical

standards.

 

However, there are NeoAdvaitins who do not follow the tradition. As

far as I understand, they stick to the core teaching of advaita but

not the traditional way of behaviour.

 

Personally I came across a highly respected NeoAdvaitin who called

Sri Adishankara as a "dude"... I was shocked because I belong to the

traditional path where we hold Sri Adishankara with highest regard.

I belong to the Sarasvati path of advaita. Traditional paths of

Advaita which I belong and other paths like Puri, giri also teach

strict adherence and respect to moral code of conduct. One should

follow the strictly advaised behaviour.

 

One of the very highly respected advaitic teachers of 13th century

Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra in his book Atmavidya Vilasa writes what

should be the behaviour of an ideal student towards the

teacher "praaha praNamya bhava saagara laMghanEcchuH" (10). Here the

word "Pranamya - praaha" has profound meaning. The attitude towards

the teacher should be "highest regards and absolute respect". A

student who sees his teacher as a human being, or talks to him like

any other mortal will land up in watching his physical problems

(bodily limitations) and ignore the higher teaching (due to the

vailing power of avidya the disciple fails to understand the

greatness of the teaching) hence it is advised to watch out - what

you are doing - and why you are doing what you are doing! This is

traditionally permitted behaviour of Advaitic students same could be

seen in Sri Adishankara's "sadhana pamcakam" and other Advaitic books.

 

Maintaining moral standards is, personally, very important to me.

>From this standpoint I know traditional schools of advaita never gave

leniency.

 

Perhaps there is a high degree of probability that the author of

this book must have either watched closely the NeoAdvaitins, or

influenced by their teachings. I am not saying whether they are right

or wrong! Most of them belong to the Western culture and they are

right in their own way of interpreting advaita.

 

There is nothing wrong in any path: "beauty is in the eyes of the

beholder" :-)

 

Regards,

Madhava

 

 

 

advaitin, "S.Sundara Rajan" <sudarshan3@v...>

wrote:

> Dear fellow group members,

>

> I was reading the review of a book titled "In Search of

Reality- by

Sri O.

> N. Krishnan" ( Motilala Banarisidass). The reviewer has written

"

The author

> feels that moral principles have not been given due weightage in

Sankara's

> Advaita school".

> Is it so? Does the group members agree ? Learned members can

enlighten?

>

> Sundara Rajan

>

> Yogah Karmasu Kausalam

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Madhava Turumella" <madhava@m...> wrote:

> I did not read the book in the email,

> advaitin, "S.Sundara Rajan" <sudarshan3@v...>

> wrote:

> > Dear fellow group members,

> >

> > I was reading the review of a book titled "In Search of

> Reality- by

> Sri O.

> > N. Krishnan" ( Motilala Banarisidass). The reviewer has written

> "

> The author

> > feels that moral principles have not been given due weightage in

> Sankara's

> > Advaita school".

> > Is it so? Does the group members agree ? Learned members can

> enlighten?

 

Namaste,

 

Here is the excerpt from that review:

 

http://www.hindu.com/br/2004/08/10/stories/2004081000081400.htm

 

" The author examines the Advaita of Sankara wherein he deals with

concepts like Maya, Atman and contrasts them with Buddhism. Towards

the end of this chapter, there is a discussion on the ethics of

Sankara. The issue has been debated both by Indian and Western

scholars. Some like Rudolf Otto argued that Sankara's philosophy lacks

ethics whereas thinkers like Radhakrishnan have shown ethics in

Sankara's teachings.

 

Though the author claims that this book is a work on Indian

philosophy, he has restricted himself only to two schools, namely,

Buddhism and Advaita. For those who are interested in knowing the

basics of Advaita and Buddhism, this book will serve as a good

introduction."

 

S. PANNEERSELVAM

 

=====================================================================

 

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!

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder