Guest guest Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 I have another question from a correspondent on the website. I hope that members (and the other moderators!) are happy for me to use the group to answer questions which I am unable to answer. When the topic is relevant to advaita, of course, this should not be a problem since we can all benefit from any discussion. In this particular instance, however, I have to confess that the subject is not really 'on topic' for the group. The situation relates to where one has offended/hurt/injured others by one's past actions. The question is whether there are specific injunctions in the scriptures as to how one should go about 'making amends or restitution' to those others. This does not quite seem to fit in with the more general guidelines of sAdhanA chatuShTaya sampatti. My response was as follows: " I am not specifically aware of anything that addresses this topic. You see it is not really something that is relevant to advaita. There will probably be something in the karmakANDa section of the veda-s, since that talks about how one ought to behave. The general instruction about how we should act towards others is to treat them as ourselves (since they literally are in reality). If this is a significant problem for you, I could probably find out. There might be something in the Laws of Manu, for example. But, as I say, this is not really advaita. Let me know if you would like me to pursue it. " Any suggestions and scriptural references welcomed! Best wishes, Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Hi Dennis! Any suggestions and scriptural references welcomed! In the " suggestions " category: simple, heart-felt sorrow and relating that sincerely is all that's necessary! If one really feels sorrow because of an infraction and lets the person know that, what relevance does any scripture have compared to that??? Ones own sincere feeling is worth more than all the scriptures! One guy's humble/not so humble opinion...I'm comfortable with paradox. ______________________________\ ____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 advaitin , " Dennis Waite " <dwaite wrote: > > I have another question from a correspondent on the website. > > The situation relates to where one has offended/hurt/injured others by one's > past actions. The question is whether there are specific injunctions in the > scriptures as to how one should go about 'making amends or restitution' to > those others. > > > > This does not quite seem to fit in with the more general guidelines of > sAdhanA chatuShTaya sampatti. My response was as follows: > > " I am not specifically aware of anything that addresses this topic. You see > it is not really something that is relevant to advaita. There will > > Namaste, These references may be helpful: (On 'prayaschitta' or penance) http://www.himalayanacademy.com/resources/books/lws/lws_ch-18.html http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2000/7-8/2000-7-10.shtml http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Karma/id/34816 Regards, Sunder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Namaste Dennis-ji. This is very relevant to advaita - particularly to the understanding that one is not the doer. Whatever has happened has happened. If one can do amends, well and good. If that is not possible, then there is no point being weighed down by remorse and guilt. An Advaitin need not own doership to the past perpetrations of the ego/BMI. Let your friend, therefore, familiarize himself with the basic tenets of Advaita and how actions are viewed/understood in Advaita. He will then find it very easy to cast off the overpowering weight of guilt and avoid future misdeeds. Best regards. Madathil Nair _____________________ advaitin , " Dennis Waite " <dwaite wrote: > > I have another question from a correspondent on the website. ...In this particular instance, however, I have to confess > that the subject is not really 'on topic' for the group. > > > > The situation relates to where one has offended/hurt/injured others by one's > past actions. The question is whether there are specific injunctions in the > scriptures as to how one should go about 'making amends or restitution' to > those others. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Hi Nair-ji, Very fair points. There is also the need to avoid swinging to the opposite extreme, though, and adopting the attitude that 'there is no one doing anything so I don't need to feel any responsibility for what is done'. I am always conscious that beginners especially are likely to fall into this mode of thinking when there are so many modern 'neo-advaitin' teachers effectively saying this. Best wishes, Dennis <<Let your friend, therefore, familiarize himself with the basic tenets of Advaita and how actions are viewed/understood in Advaita. He will then find it very easy to cast off the overpowering weight of guilt and avoid future misdeeds. Best regards. Madathil Nair>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 -- In advaitin , " Dennis Waite " <dwaite wrote: > > I have another question from a correspondent on the website. I hope that > members (and the other moderators!) are happy for me to use the group to > answer questions which I am unable to answer. When the topic is relevant to > advaita, of course, this should not be a problem since we can all benefit > from any discussion. In this particular instance, however, I have to confess > that the subject is not really 'on topic' for the group. > > > > The situation relates to where one has offended/hurt/injured others by one's > past actions. The question is whether there are specific injunctions in the > scriptures as to how one should go about 'making amends or restitution' to > those others. > > > > This does not quite seem to fit in with the more general guidelines of > sAdhanA chatuShTaya sampatti. My response was as follows: > > " I am not specifically aware of anything that addresses this topic. You see > it is not really something that is relevant to advaita. There will probably > be something in the karmakANDa section of the veda-s, since that talks about > how one ought to behave. The general instruction about how we should act > towards others is to treat them as ourselves (since they literally are in > reality). If this is a significant problem for you, I could probably find > out. There might be something in the Laws of Manu, for example. But, as I > say, this is not really advaita. Let me know if you would like me to pursue > it. " > > > > Any suggestions and scriptural references welcomed! > > > > Best wishes, > > Dennis Namaste Dennis, This *does* apply to the subject of Advaita/Vedanta. Through what instrument does one gain self-knowledge? Through the antahkarana, the 'inner' instrument, the mind. What type of mind is necessary for the gain of knowledge? A mind which has antahkarana suddhi. How is such a mind to be acquired? Through the settling of the account with Ishwara. What does that mean? The settling of the mind's 'debts.' If I have offended another through my actions then I have a debt to be settled. And until I do, my mind will be troubling me to a certain extent. And the extent to which it is troubling me, (it is preoccupied), is the extent to which the mind is not available for the pramana to work. How do I settle the debt? First of all, if with no one else, be honest with yourself about it. Then there are other things which can be done which probably fall within prayaschitta. Vac tapas, tell the truth, don't hide it, be honest. Don't pretend, etc. Having one's words be truthful, helpful and loving. All of these are spoken of within the Upanishads. In the Mundaka, there are several verses devoted to this topic. These are not necessarily within the karma kandas alone. Vedanta is a complete and total teaching. There is not one iota left out. A complete and thorough study with a qualified teacher from within the tradition and one will discover this to be true. Pranams, Durga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Hi Durga-ji, Agree with all you say. I obviously realized that any mental/emotional confusion needs to be resolved to make the mind clear to see the truth. It was just that, reading through the list of qualities in sAdhanA chatuShTaya - shamAdi ShaTka sampatti, it was not obvious where this fitted. Plus, in all of my reading and involvement in Egroups, discussions etc over the past 20 years, I have never encountered this particular topic. Does Shankara address it anywhere? Do you have the Mundaka references? Presumably he talks about it in his commentary to this (which unfortunately I do not have). Best wishes, Dennis advaitin [advaitin ] On Behalf Of Durga Monday, April 21, 2008 6:41 PM advaitin Re: Making amends This *does* apply to the subject of Advaita/Vedanta. All of these are spoken of within the Upanishads. In the Mundaka, there are several verses devoted to this topic. These are not necessarily within the karma kandas alone. Vedanta is a complete and total teaching. There is not one iota left out. A complete and thorough study with a qualified teacher from within the tradition and one will discover this to be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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