The Swami and the Rose- the forest of Brahma sutras!

[Guest guest]

Dennisji writes :

 

" I am happy that the story, as it stands, serves this function for

the person who has never heard of Advaita and who does not have a

degree in philosophy!

Accordingly, from this point of view, your arguments have no

relevance and, indeed, you do the beginner a disservice by drawing

him back into futile, intellectual ratiocination."

 

As a story teller , i agree with you Dennisji ! may i also share

another story in this context?

 

" A Guru told the disciple, 'All is Brahman'. 'Very good, very

good', the latter said. He was walking on the road one day. An

elephant was coming in front. The mahut said 'Get away, get away,

get away!' The student thought, 'Why should I get away? The elephant

also is Brahman, and the Guru has said it!' The disciple would not

move. The elephant caught hold of the man, and threw him out, which

broke his legs. The student ran to the Guru and said, 'Guruji, what

have you told me? You said everything is Brahman and I thought that

the elephant also is Brahman. It broke my legs.' 'Oh foolish man!

Did you not believe that the mahut also is Brahman? He told you not

to stand there. You have not understood the thing properly,' he

said."

 

Swami Krishnananda explains further:

 

"A partial understanding of Reality is no good. The Yoga-vasishtha

warns us:

'Ardhavyutpannabuddhestu Sarvam Brahmeti yo vadet;

Mahanaraka-jaleshu sa tena viniyojitah'

If you speak the doctrine of Brahman to an unprepared mind, you

yourself will go to hell together with that student! Do not talk

about that carelessly. It is mischievous to tell an unprepared

person that all is Brahman. That would ruin the sanity of the person

and he will get nothing out of it, and he would lose whatever he

has.

 

Again the warning - Vedanta should not be studied in the

beginning stage of learning. In the earlier stages, there is Bhakti

Yoga and Karma Yoga, Upasana and other things prescribed. The

Upasana method also will be mentioned in the Brahma Sutra itself, in

the third chapter. You have to pass through the Upasana stage,

Bhakti as you call it, until the mind is purified thoroughly. "

Swami Krishnananda says further

 

" Very surprisingly, this is why the Brahma Sutra should not be read

by all and everyone; - it refutes even theology like Vaishnavism,

Saivism etc. You will be surprised why it refutes Vaishnavism and

Savisism. Towards the end of the second chapter, the Brahma Sutra

goes into detail of the impossibility of conceding validity to the

Vaishnava concepts and Saiva theology, wholesale. This is something

unpleasant to hear for devotees. Philosophy is not religion; it is

the deep analysis of the modus operandi of the attractiveness of

religions.

 

Why does the Brahma Sutra go to that extent of defying the

religious beliefs of people? Again, the point is that people are not

fit for the knowledge of Brahman, and they should not study the

Brahma Sutra in the beginning of the educational process. Prior

knowledge of the logic of desires and emotions is necessary."

 

http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/brahma_00.html

 

As my friend Lakshmiji ( a former member of this group) would

say "The Brahma Sutra is not studied in the beginning of the Vedanta

Sastra. There are preliminary texts like Atma Bodha, Tattva Bodha,

Vedanta Sara and Panchadasi, etc., which are introductory texts

meant to clarify the knotty points of the Vedanta doctrine."

 

ps - however , i am glad michaelji spoke up after a long period of

silence ! He is of course very knowledgeble and it is always a

pleasure to listen to his point of view to get a complete picture!

 

warm regards

 

j

[Guest guest]

Sir,

Kindly de my I.D. from advaitin @ and you need not please send by e-mail the messages of this group-with warm regards -S.S.Rajagopalan ssrvj

 

 

 

 

 

 

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