Sri Atmananda's lineage now?

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

I've been getting more and more deeply into studying Sri Atmananda's

works Atma Darshana, Atma Nirvritti and Atmananda Tattwa Samhita. I

am feeling something of a heart connection welling up within me, a

sense that I want to make contact. Does anyone know of the current

status of Sri Atmananda's lineage? I gather that his son (Sri

Adwayananda), who took over from him, died recently. Has anybody

taken over the "family" lineage since then; or are there any

recognised students of Sri Atmananda himself who are Realised, or

students of students?

 

Any tidbits would be greatly appreciated.

 

P. George Stewart

[Guest guest]

Namaste George,

 

You asked (message 25764, 20 Jan 05): "... are there any recognised

students of Sri Atmananda himself who are Realised, or students of

students?"

 

As I understand it, the question of 'lineage' or 'parampara' is a very

delicate one, in Advaita teaching. The problem comes in the word

'recognised', which you use in your question. The recognition of an

advaita teacher is essentially an individual matter. That recognition

takes place essentially at the core of a seeker's individuality, at

the very centre of the seeker's heart. It is only there that a seeking

ego can be surrendered, in recognition of the truth that an advaita

teacher shows. No public or institutional recognition can rightly

apply here.

 

Shri Atmananda was very insistent on this. He said quite plainly that

advaita could not be institutionalized, in any public sense. The

recognition of truth and of a true teacher cannot be decided in the

outside world, but only at the inmost centre of a genuine sadhaka's

(seeker's) longing for truth.

 

Shri Atmananda was of course asked about a successor, but so far as I

know he always refused to nominate anyone explicitly. In fact, I

remember being told (most likely by Nitya Tripta - Balakrishna

Pillai - the author of 'Notes on Spiritual Discourses ...') that Shri

Atmananda once said: 'IviTe parampara y illa.' ('There is no

succession here.') What exactly this meant can of course be

interpreted in different ways. I do not interpret it to mean

necessarily that none of Shri Atmananda's disciples would be advaita

teachers. Instead, I would take it that Shri Atmananda was ruling out

any 'officially' sanctioned lineage for sadhakas (seekers) to follow.

In finding a teacher, each sadhaka must decide essentially for herself

or himself, instead of depending on any 'official' lineage.

 

Shri Atmananda's eldest son, Shri Adwayananda, has many very decent

and devoted disciples. For them, he is of course Shri Atmananda's

successor and there is no question of recognizing anyone else. This is

in accord with Shri Atmananda's insistence that a sadhaka cannot have

more than one ultimate teacher. I am not much in touch with Shri

Adwayananda's followers, but from what I have indirectly heard, it

seems that a successor to Shri Adwayananda has not been named yet.

 

There is also another disciple of Shri Atmananda's, Shri Karunakaran,

who accepts disciples and who has written some substantial and

penetrating notes of Shri Atmananda's teachings. We know this from Raj

Kumar Nair, who is a respected member of this list and a disciple of

Shri Karunakaran. We have had some very interesting reports of Shri

Karunakaran from Raj Kumar Nair, who would of course be the best

person to tell you more in this regard. So I leave it to him.

 

Ananda

 

25764 P. George Stewart <george

Thu Jan 20, 2005 11:17pm

Sri Atmananda's lineage now?

 

Namaste all,

 

I've been getting more and more deeply into studying Sri Atmananda's

works Atma Darshana, Atma Nirvritti and Atmananda Tattwa Samhita. I am

feeling something of a heart connection welling up within me, a sense

that I want to make contact. Does anyone know of the current status of

Sri Atmananda's lineage? I gather that his son (Sri Adwayananda), who

took over from him, died recently. Has anybody taken over the "family"

lineage since then; or are there any recognised students of Sri

Atmananda himself who are Realised, or students of students?

 

Any tidbits would be greatly appreciated.

 

P. George Stewart

[Guest guest]

Hi George,

 

In addition to the information from Ananda, you might be interested to know

that another disciple of Sri Atmananda published a book last year: Nature of

Man according to the Vedanta, John Levy, Sentient Publications. It was on my

Christmas list but no one bought it! Some extracts from it were given in the

NDHighlights list. I skimmed through them and I decided not to purchase it

at the moment since I have other books lined up which I am keener to read. I

meant to ask Ananda whether he knew anything about John Levy or this book.

 

Best wishes,

 

Dennis

[Guest guest]

Namaste Dennis,

 

You wrote to George: "... you might be interested to know that another

disciple of Sri Atmananda published a book last year: Nature of Man

according to the Vedanta, John Levy, Sentient Publications.... I

meant to ask Ananda whether he knew anything about John Levy or this

book."

 

Jonn Levy was one of Shri Atmananda's earliest western disciples. He

first came to Shri Atmananda in 1941. He published 2 books that I know

of: 'Nature of Man according to the Vedanta' and 'Immediate Knowledge

and Happiness - Hindu Doctrine of Vedanta'. They were both first

published from London in the 1950s (I think) and then again in 1970

and perhaps later as well. John Levy passed away many years ago, some

time in the 1960s so far as I can remember. Last year's Sentient

publication of the 'Nature of Man according to the Vedanta' would be a

posthumus reprint.

 

You'll find a snippet about John Levy in the 'Life sketch of Shri

Krishna Menon (Shri Atmananda)' at the end of 'Notes on Spiritual

Discourses ...'

 

Ananda

[Guest guest]

advaitin, Ananda Wood <awood@v...> wrote:

> You'll find a snippet about John Levy in the 'Life sketch of Shri

> Krishna Menon (Shri Atmananda)' at the end of 'Notes on Spiritual

> Discourses ...'

>

 

Namaste,

 

A brief sketch on John Levy (d. 1976):

 

http://www.sentientpublications.com/authors/j_levy.php

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[arkmundi]

Yes, I'd agree with many of these observations. I was and remain a devoted follower to Sri Krishna Padmanabha Menon (Atmananda's eldest son, Sri Adwayananda). Sri Padmanabha, as He preferred, spent many years traveling to Austin, Texas, to hold talks with his American disciples, in the direct path. I was one. Austin, because Raja Rao taught at the University of Texas. It was my relationship with Raja Rao that brought me to proximity with my Guru.

 

These were exquisite, ashram styled, talks and it is only in such a circumstance that anyone might come to the recognition that "yes, this is my Guru, and yes, I am his disciple, because I have effectively been led from ignorance (ajani) to knowledge of the Self, as a result of his Teaching." Further, in such a blessed circumstance, the various distinctions, between Guru and Sadhaka, and so forth disappear and what stands forth is Swarupa, the background of phenomenal existence which is our real condition.

 

I encourage any serious seeker to pursue a real Karana Guru (causal) and not settle for any lessor teacher, though such must be acknowledged on the path to realization. So this question is certainly valid, of where such may be found. Given that both Sri Atmanada and Sri Padmanabha, father and son, are recognized as such by their disciples should be indicative of, yet not guarantee. I have, for instance, spent time in retreat with Fancis Lucille , a disciple of Jean Klein, in turn a disciple of Atmanada.

 

Lineage is important, but also indicative and no guarantee. Spend some time seeking I say, but also remember Sri Ramana's admonition to not spend all your time guru shopping. Find a real teacher in the Direct Path. Test their efficacy in teaching you. If its real, it will become apparent. Then stay and do the life time of sadhana that's in all cases required. There are no short cuts, except resort to a real Guru, and that's no execuse, but goad for, doing the work. Good luck and be well served.

[Guest flavio]

I would like to meet  Shri Karunakaran, where do I find him?

Thanks.