September "practice" sub-topics

[Guest guest]

Let's examine this question:

 

Just what is it to practice advaita-vedanta?

(Suggested by profvk at the beginning of the month.)

 

We talk a lot about "Shankara's Advaita Philosophy" (quote is from the list home

page). So what activities constitute practice of this? Does writing e-mail

count? In general, to practice philosophy is to question and answer, to seek to

clarify and understand. Thinking, reading, pondering are included. And

sometimes daydreaming is too, while ideas, approaches and concepts incubate. In

advaita, does this count as jnana yoga? Maybe *all* the yogas count as

practice, as long as the goal is understanding one's true nature as Brahman?

 

--Greg

 

 

[Guest guest]

In order to see clearly the role of Practice in Vedanta, one has to

perform Pramana Vichara.

 

1) In order to gain certain knowledge, a means appropriate to the

vastu whose knowledge is to be gained has to be employed. e.g to

gain the knowledge of the form of the apple, I have to use my eyes.

No matter how much I use my nose, I cannot gain knowledge of the

form of the apple.

 

2) Not only should the means employed be appropriate but it should

also be adequate. My eyes should not have any faults. If there are

any faults in my eyes, knowledge of form will not take place or

rather accurate knowledge will not take place.

 

3) There should be no other obstructions that are inconducive to the

alignment of the means of knowledge with the object of knowledge e.g

darkness. In darkness, even with faultless eyes, I cannot see the

apple.

 

When the appropariate means of knowledge (Pramana) is aligned with

the vastu and there are no obstructions, Knowledge of the object

takes place. I have to clearly see that

 

a) I HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER OF THE KNOWLEDGE TAKING PLACE OR

NOT. IT JUST HAPPENS. WHEN FIRE COMES IN CONTACT WITH HIGH OCTANE

FUEL, IT SPONTANEOUSLY BURNS.

 

b) I HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE FORM OF THE KNOWLEDGE. THE KNOWLEDGE IS

TRUE TO ITS OBJECT.

 

In case of the SELF, one has to see that "Sadba Pramana" is the

appropriate means as in (1), that "Sabda Pramana" is adequate

because it is faultless (the Scriptures are eternally faultless,

Apaurusheya, Anandi) as in (2). Then, in order to obtain the

appropriate alignment, the only thing that I can do is to remove

any "obstructions" as in (3). This is what gaining purity of mind is

all about and this is what PRACTICE is all about.

 

With a PURE mind exposed to Sadba Pramana unfolded by a teacher who

understands how to handle the Pramana as a Pramana, the knowledge of

the SELF has to take place just as fire coming in combination with

high octane gasolene. I will attempt to explain what gaining a PURE

mind in this context is in a separate post.

 

regards,

--Satyan

 

 

advaitin, Gregory Goode <goode@D...> wrote:

> Let's examine this question:

>

> Just what is it to practice advaita-vedanta?

> (Suggested by profvk at the beginning of the month.)

>

> We talk a lot about "Shankara's Advaita Philosophy" (quote is from

the list home page). So what activities constitute practice of

this? Does writing e-mail count? In general, to practice

philosophy is to question and answer, to seek to clarify and

understand. Thinking, reading, pondering are included. And

sometimes daydreaming is too, while ideas, approaches and concepts

incubate. In advaita, does this count as jnana yoga? Maybe *all*

the yogas count as practice, as long as the goal is understanding

one's true nature as Brahman?

>

> --Greg

>

>

[Guest guest]

Namaste Gregji.

 

My comments are in brackets in the body of your message:

 

 

> Let's examine this question:

>

> Just what is it to practice advaita-vedanta?

> (Suggested by profvk at the beginning of the month.)

>

> We talk a lot about "Shankara's Advaita Philosophy" (quote is from

the list home page). So what activities constitute practice of

this? Does writing e-mail count? In general, to practice philosophy

is to question and answer, to seek to clarify and understand.

Thinking, reading, pondering are included. And sometimes daydreaming

is too, while ideas, approaches and concepts incubate.

 

_______________________________

 

[From my personal experience, all these elements are there in writing

E-mail. If we carry ideas in our head, they are just like particles

in the air. But, when we earnestly sit, compile and compose them

into proper shape in the form of a well-written post, the result is

marvellous. It then is a very effective communication tool and an

integral element of supreme satsangh. It is only when one puts down

one's thoughts on paper that hazy ideas become really effective. I

often reread my posts and wonder if I had written them all. Before

joining this List, I had never had any writing experience. Now, I

have begun to enjoy it and learn from it too by sharing my thoughts

with others. As a renowned preceptor once remarked, there is no harm

in sharing knowledge. Harm comes only when one is in the pursuit of

gurudom. I am sure none of us here does that. We are only sharing

in a give and take spirit. This is good satsangh and was unthinkable

in the pre-cyber age.]

__

 

In advaita, does this count as jnana yoga?

 

[As per what has been mentioned in the scriptures, we are all

karmayOgIs en route jnAna yOga unless there are realized sanyAsins

amidst us. Writing is an action. Let it be a self-less offering to

Knowledge in true karma yOga style. There may be mistakes, errors

and even 'mispresentations' as recently alleged. But, ultimately,

all these are helpful. Only by committing errors do we learn. So,

writing of any form and E-mail satsangh definitely help us on our way

to jnAna yOga.]

_____

>> Maybe *all* the yogas count as practice, as long as the goal is

understanding one's true nature as Brahman?

_____

 

[You are right if we are earnest and truthful, know for sure where we

are in reference to the two prescribed niSthAs and have a basic

logical vision of what we are after.]

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair