Ways to Truth ..... An Idea Whose Time Has come !

[Guest guest]

Was it Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHER, who said

This is an idea whose time has come ? "

 

Ananda-ji,this is wonderful news.Yes! A book of this nature (style

and substance)was long overdue!

 

As we all know, the very word 'upanishad'means 'sitting down near

to ' or listening to a Guru or a spiritually enlightened Teacher who

has realized the 'Truth' ... yes! such learning also took place in

an Ashram setting where there was 'Peace and Quiet'

 

So, i am delighted you decided to go ahead and publish this book.

While , the internet is a great medium , i prefer Books for you can

carry them wherever you go and they are not a heavy maintenance

items like a Laptop!

 

i just had a quick look at the web site and one thing i immediately

noted was our Beloved Madathil Nairji would be pleased that you have

included Bhartrihari's linguistic philosophy in the 'Vakya-padiya'.

 

we are all looking forward to the publication of this book and hope

it will enjoy wide readership and the message of Advaita will reach

and 'touch' many Lives!

 

Well, Ananda-ji , i just quickly glanced through your web site

(http://www.advaitin.net/Ananda/)and my eyes turned to a favorite

section called 'assorted verses ' and it is my pleasure to share

this verse on Guru with this Audience :

 

Devotion to a Teacher

 

A teacher's love shows truth itself ,

at one with self that knows within .

Thus , Truth is shown to one who seeks ,

where love for truth is genuine .

 

Wherever ego's taint appears,

obscuring Truth that has been shown,

there is no option but somehow

to get back to that genuineness

where one who seeks gives up all else

but love for which the teacher stands .

 

This is just a simple verse but has in it the 'profound' Guru

Tattwa! Folks! not too long ago , we had a discussion on what a guru

should be , a shotriya or a brahmanishta and what are the

qualifications of a sadhaka ! Ponder on this verse and you

will know why SAINTS LIKE SHRI RAMANA BHAGWAN make such great gurus

and Students like Totaka (adi shankara's disciple- rather naive but

totally egoless) make such great disciples !

 

YES! YOU LOVE A GURU NOT FOR HIS/HER EXTERNAL QUALITIES BUT FOR

THE 'TRUTH' HE/SHE REPRESENTS ... SO , EVEN THOUGH SRI RAMANA

BHAGWAN MAY NOT BE HERE WITH US TODAY , ONE CAN BY READING

HIS 'UPADESHA' RELATE TO THE LOVE FOR TRUTH ( PHILOSOPHY) HIS

TEACHINGS REFLECT ! sUCH GURUS LIVE IN THIE IMMORTAL TEACHINGS NOT

IN THEIR PHYSICAL BODIES !

 

 

Thanks , Anandaji for sharing all this with us

 

love and regards .

 

 

 

'

In advaitin , Ananda Wood <awood wrote:

>

> Namaste,

>

> One problem with our understanding of Advaita Vedanta is its place

> in the Hindu tradition. This is a tradition which has always

> emphasized the living word: as spoken by an individual teacher to

an

> individual disciple. And there is something of a conflict here

with

> the modern West, which has increasingly emphasized the written

word:

> as recorded in material documents that are produced and maintained

> by organized institutions in society.

>