Fwd: Watering down advaita

[Guest guest]

GuruRatings , " Tony OClery " <aoclery>

wrote:

 

GuruRatings , Vaj <vajranatha@e...> wrote:

>

>

> Reviewing the Tasteless

>

> The Book Of One, The Spiritual Path of Advaita by Dennis Waite,

> Published by O Books, 46 West Street, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9AU,

UK,

> 288 pages, paper back, £9.99 or $17.95.

>

> There can be no doubt that Dennis Waite's 'The Book Of One' is a

> worthy introduction to the Ancient Teaching of Advaita. In a

clear

> and erudite manner he summarises the main points of this Great

> Philosophy and Spiritual Teaching. The book is in Sections with

> subsidiary chapters elucidating the chief principles. The Main

> Section Titles are as follows: The Unreal, The Spiritual Path,

and

> the Real. The subsidiary 18 chapters within these Sections cover,

> amongst others, such topics as What I Am Not, the Nature of Man,

What

> We Think We Can Know, Meditation, Appearance and Reality,

> Consciousness, the Nature of Self, Realisation, and the Direct

Path,

> etc. Dennis Waite is a respected member of the Ramana Foundation

UK,

> and there are many useful references to the Maharshi's Teachings

in

> the text. He has studied the Subject for over fifteen years and

has a

> working knowledge of Sanskrit. The book is definitely to be

> recommended for those who need a succinct overview to the whole

> Teaching in one medium size volume. It is easy to read and

surveys

> the philosophy competently in an even handed way. This part of

the

> book can well be regarded as a sound and valuable introduction to

the

> whole field.

>

> There is however a long Appendix of 24 pages packed with

information

> on current Western Advaita Organisations, International Internet

> Sites, and a Reading List. This part of the book raises an

> interesting and perplexing question of what exactly is happening

to

> the hallowed and revered Teaching of Advaita in the Western World?

>

> Many firm devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi now rightly term this

> western phenomenon as 'Neo-Advaita'. The term is carefully

selected

> because 'neo' means 'a new or revived form'. And this new form is

not

> the Classical Advaita which we understand to have been taught by

both

> of the Great Self Realised Sages, Adi Shankara and Ramana

Maharshi.

> It can even be termed 'pseudo' because, by presenting the teaching

in

> a highly attenuated form, it might be described as purporting to

be

> Advaita, but not in effect actually being so, in the fullest sense

of

> the word. In this watering down of the essential truths in a

> palatable style made acceptable and attractive to the

contemporary

> western mind, their teaching is misleading .

>

 

Namaste,V,

 

This para in your post is very concise and important.

 

" To summarise, the main Neo Advaitin fallacy ignores the fact that

there is an occlusion or veiling formed by the vasanas, samskaras,

bodily sheaths and vrittis, and there is a Granthi Knot forming an

identification between Self and mind which has to be severed. If

this were not the case then the whole of humanity would be living

from Absolute Consciousness. As it is humanity still lives from

Reflected Consciousness, including the Neo Advaitin Teacher with his

or her active vasanas, still identified with the mind. "

 

Many of these neo advaitins are also verbal non dualists or vndists.

Because they live in the creature of the ego ie the mind; they are

on a mouse wheel. They believe they can approach it like as if it

were psychology, and that is how they teach it.

 

There is a huge difference between high intelligence and awareness

and it is awareness that is stifled by vndism.

 

On another note many devotees of Ramana do not recognise his higher

teachings. Go to any of their clubs or groups and talk about

anything other than worshipping his picture, having visits or any

other Bhakti trappings and you will soon be 'persona non grata',

just like the truth...............ONS...Tony.

 

--- End forwarded message ---