JIVA-MAN

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, M & E Shearn wrote:

> mystical babble can hardly make headway against a logical mind, it's true.
>   Sri Shankara's followers are not, when they attain Knowledge of The
 Teachings.
>  i assume that you are communicating from a ashram or a cave due to your
> certain experiential knowledge that Realization can only be known as a
> sanyasin. For surely anyone who truly knows Brahman and how to Realize Him
> in such a certain manner would not chose anything but that! Unless of course
> he was a fool.

The idea that pratyaksha (sensory perception and experience) is the only
valid means of knowledge (pramana) is as far as I know the view of only
one heretical school of Indian philosophy which it should be noted is now
extinct.  Vedanta recognizes three pramanas.  Pratyaksha, anumana
(inference, covering all of what is known as logic) and Shabda
(authoritative scripture which includes Shruti, smrti, and shistachara)
I know from my readings in Shankaracharya and his parampara what the
nature of karma, jnana and their relationship is.  I know from the
excercise of my rational powers, that what you're propounding is in
conflict with those teachings.

So if I know all these things why haven't I taken sannyas?  In keeping
with the dictates of the shastras I intend to get married and fulfill my
family obligations and then in the fullness of time I'll take sannyas.
Until then I'll not delusionally call myself a jnani and after that I
won't ignorantly perform karma.


--
Jaldhar H. Vyas [jaldhar at braincells.com]  I will choose.-_|\ free will
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"Witty quote" - Dead Guy                                   v      McQ!