Our Language is but a Broken Lamp... ......

[Guest guest]

sorry ! pl reread the sentence as follows

 

(so guys . let this controversy on the Word 'bAdhA' ( SUBLATION/

nullification/ refutation ) be NOT a 'badha' ( hindrance or obstacle)

to the learning of Advaita ! We are grateful to OUR BELOVED

ENGLISHMAN SRI DENNISJI for undertaking this nobLe task of Spreading

Advaita to the rest of the world ? )

 

So guys . let this controversy on the Word 'bAdhA' ( SUBLATION/

nullification/ refutation ) be a 'badha' ( hindrance or obstacle)

to the learning of Advaita ! We are grateful to OUR BELOVED

ENGLISHMAN for undertaking this nob;e task of Spreading Advaita to

the rest of the world ? After all , what is there in it for Dennisji

except 'soul' satisfaction ---- as you know , Writers never make any

money specially writing books on Advaita! )

>

> love and regards

>

[Guest guest]

namaskaram,

 

beautifully said Niveditaaji. In this forum we have had such experiences, that

we fight over a word, forgetting the underlying philosophy and we even had to

witness some of our good friends getting upset to the extent of leaving the

forum. But this is happening not only in this forum, but almost in all

forums, since we forget that we are all human beings and we have certain

limitation in understanding and we need further education to grow and this very

forum help us to reduce the level of our ignorance and help us to grow.

 

thanks once again as at least for some time, your words will keep our physical

eyes and eyes of the mind open ...till another cloud of blurred vision create

another new doubt and the resulting confusion.

 

namaskaram

 

bhagini_niveditaa <bhagini_niveditaa wrote:

Dear all :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chat on a cool, new interface. No download required.

 

 

[Guest guest]

H.N.Sreenivasa Murthy

Pranams to all.

 

TO KNOW ONE'S TRUE NATURE

SANSKRIT KNOWLEDGE IS NOT AT ALL REQUIRED.

 

TO KNOW UPANISHADSHASTRA(VEDANTA SHASTRA)

AND COMMENTARIES OF SRI SHANKARACHARYA

KNOWELEDGE OF SANSKRIT IS A MUST.

 

With warm and respectful regards,

Sreenivasa Murthy.

[Guest guest]

Sreenivasa says :

 

(TO KNOW ONE'S TRUE NATURE SANSKRIT KNOWLEDGE IS NOT AT ALL REQUIRED.)

 

True. Some of the great saints such as Kabir Das, , Avvaiyaar , the

Nayanmars , Tulasidas, and even some Sufi saints like Rabia and

Rumi , Saint Francis of Assissi , Mother Theresa were all self

realized souls but were not well versed in Samskritam .

 

then Sreenivasa goes on to say

 

(TO KNOW UPANISHADSHASTRA(VEDANTA SHASTRA) AND COMMENTARIES OF SRI

SHANKARACHARYA KNOWELEDGE OF SANSKRIT IS A MUST.)

 

To some extent , this statement is true. But mere knowledge of

Sanskrit is not enough to fully understand and conmprehend the great

Upnishadic statements or mahavakyas . Sreenivasa , you may read the

Chandogya upanisha 10 times and memorize the statement 'Tat twam asi '

and learn it means 'You are That ' but how long it takes to live up to

that ideal of 'tat Twam Asi' .... the point is , mere book learning is

not enough . Guru's grace and devi Kataksham is needded as rightly

pointed out by maniji to understand and comprehend the great

mahavakyas .

 

You have heard of the famous story from Brihadaranyaka upanishads !

 

When Prajapati uttered the word 'Da' , the asuras ( danav), Gods

(devas) and humans (mananv) each understood the same word 'Da' to mean

differently .

 

Danav understood the word 'Da' to mean 'Dayadvam'( compassionate) .

The Gods understood the word 'Da' to mean 'Damyata' self controlled

and the humans understtood the word'Da' to mean Datta or Charitable !

So the same word 'Da' was understood differently by the Gods , asuras

and humans ! This goes to show that the same word can be ibterpreted

differently and understood differently depoending one one's Gunas as

well as medha shakti ! But in reality DA MEANS ALL THESE THREE AND MAY

BE EVEN MUCH MORE !

 

SRI RAMAKRISHNA WAS NOT AT ALL SCHOLAR ! but after self realization,

he was able to quote all the scriptures with ease and confidence . Sri

Ramana was not well versed in Sanskrit but once he surprised his

devotees by penning some lines in Sanskrit . BUT CAN YOU SAY THAT sRI

rAMANA DID NOT KNOW THE VEDAS , UPANISHADS ETC ? HE KNEW MORE THAN ALL

THE SAINTS /SCHOLARS OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE PUT TOGETHER!

 

Many people come and go in this group . Take Chitta and subbuji , for

instance ! Both were very different , but unique in their own little

ways . Chitta wrote in the English language with ease and elegance .

He held the audience spellbound with his 'real and unreal ' series .

So was Subbuji - when he spoke , he spoke from a platform of strength

and knowledge - one always wondered who could be the Guru of such a

learned , erudite bhakta ? Both Chitta and subbuji had God's grace

and Saraswati Kataksham in abundance !

 

Sreenivasa , you are very learned in scriptures ... pl read :

 

nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahuna srutena

 

The truth can only be known by one to whom the truth chooses to reveal

itself, not by intellect, nor study of scripture.

 

and furthermore

 

yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam

 

He (God) is obtained only by one to whom he himself chooses to reveal

himself. To such a person he manifests his own form (tanum

svam). " (mundaka upanishad)

 

There are many Hindus who do not know Samskritam . But there are many

westerners who know Samskritam. Some of the best translations on

Upanishads come from Western Scholars . in fact , to be honest with

you , i do not much care for Sri Radhakrishnan's translation of

upanishads . but i do love the Gita translation of Gandhiji because i

know gandhiji is a self realized soul - therefore he is speaking from

a platform of knowledge and experience !

 

Dear dear Sreenivasa , it is an added qualification to

know 'sanskrit ' but it is not a necessary qualification ... BU you

certainly need Guru Kripa and Devi Kataksham to flly comprehend and

understand the upanishadic mahavakyas!

 

thank you

 

ps tUrn the cap locks off when you respond - makes me wonder if you

are angry ! Anger is one of the vrittis - you need to overcome all the

vrittis for attaining Jnana .

 

Om Shanti ! Shanti! Shantihi!