ADVAITA-L Digest - 27 Jul 1998 to 28 Jul 1998

[Giridhar]

Since I receive the list in digest form, please allow me to discuss various
issues
in one post. Sorry for the trouble...
==============

Kartik writes:

>The answer to every one of the above questions is "It was done by
>Janaka, and he's a role model."

Couple of weeks back, there was this distant cousin of mine who had
failed mathematics in 7th standard. I was called to "counsel" him and
tell the utility of studies. He, off the cuff, told me that he will become an
Einstein
and I should not tell him what to do. Though I agreed with the latter, I was
shocked
why he was so confident of becoming an Einstein. Because, he said, Einstein
also
failed in high school.

Can you become a great scientist after failing in high school ? Maybe yes, but
it does not apply to everyone. Similarly, Janaka is an exception, not the
rule.
When Shankara says that moksha can be attained by people who have not taken
physical sannyas, he is talking about exceptions. It is extremely clear from
His works.

Regarding the question of why Krishna cites Janaka, it has been answered many
many times
by Anand, me and Rama. Specifically, read the references in Rama's post on 16
April, 1998. The key word to jog your memory is chitta shuddhi.

Anyway, since I know you respect Ramakrishna paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda
a lot, why don't you the read the former views on "kanchana, kamini and living
in the world" or the latter's satirical words on how he found several Janakas
in the West and what he really thinks of living in the world like a Janaka.

=========================================================
Rama writes:

>Please: if you do not belong to that category why are you offended?
>Frankly I think that description fits many Indians in the US including
>myself. The wide brush indeed applies very well. I am surprised that the
>article echoed pretty much the same views I had formed after my stay
>here.

Rama, thanks for your candidness. I felt the article fitted many NRIs,
including
me. And the thing about 'forsaking the spiritual for the material' applies
to a
lot of people, whether they are in India or US.

>Let me make the intention of my original post clear: "mental
>renunciation" and "prArabdha karma" should not be used as an excuse to
>give up duties and enjoy wordly things. It was a general point and not
>meant at anybody in particluar. Similarly Giri's post also (as per my
>interpretation) voices this concern.

Yes, I only wanted to convey that.

>Aside: It's surprising to me that many people identify themselves with
>their views. I think as advaitins we should realize that's a delusion

LOL !

>No one is uneasy having you here. Why do you think that everyone has to

Yes, in fact, I have enjoyed several posts by GM on upanishhads.

>accept all your views or that we are "uneasy" with you? Certainly some
>of us may disagree with you, but why do you feel uneasy about that? :-).

Exactly. Further, how can you become uneasy when you believe that
I have no free will in posting ? :-)

>Please stay for more time and enjoy it further! Again, objections to
>your views, even vehement objections, are not any sign of uneasiness
>over your presence. I had very pointedly disagreed with Sri Sadananda in
>many posts and he never got offended. We can certainly separate

Similarly, Jaldhar and I have argued quite vehemently and so have Jaldhar and
Rama. It does not mean I do not write to Rama or Jaldhar privately ! Also, I
have disagreed with certain
views of Rama but later found them to be correct and ultimately learned from
him.

>disagreement with one's views and dislike or "uneasiness" of someone.
>Please think about it.

Yes, please do.
==========================================================
>This Friday (31/July/1998) is shrI varalakShmi vratam. I think
>shree's page has the complete pUjavidhiH for that. I think some
>celebrate on 7th. It should be celebrated on the friday before
>paurnami, and the paurnami is exactly on 7th of August (friday).

Well, there are different views on when varalakshmi vratam should be
celebrated. Some say it is the second friday of the Tamil month Adi.
Anyway, many Tamil smarthas (but not all, I learn from my priest) will
celebrate it on 31 July while most Kannadigas will celebrate it on 7th
August. 7th August is also yajur veda upa karma.
============================================================

The first two chapters of RIBHU gita is ready in ITRANS format. I would be
extremely thankful if someone volunteers to proofread it. No time limits !!

namaste.
>From ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU Wed Jul 29 08:16:47 1998
Message-Id: <WED.29.JUL.1998.081647.0500.ADVAITAL at TAMU.EDU>
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 08:16:47 -0500
Reply-To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: "Ravisankar S. Mayavaram" <msr at ISC.TAMU.EDU>
Subject: New member introduction: shrI Vagish Srinivasamurthy
MIME-Version: 1.0
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 11:44:48 +0530
From: Vagish Srinivasamurthy <vagish at axpb.cdotb.ernet.in>
To: msr at isc.tamu.edu
Subject: Introduction (for joining the list)

Namaste,
   I have been an ardent beleiver in the philosophy of advaita for long. I
have studied to some extent Viveka Chudamani and  Bhagavatpada's commentry
on Bagatvatgita and have found great pleasure in  reciting various stotras
composed by Sri Shankara Bhagatpada. I do not consider myself to be
knowledgeable enough to participate in the debate on the list, but I would
be an enthusiastic listener to the healthy discossion on the list.

    Thanking you.

Vagish S
vagish at axpb.cdotb.ernet.in

>From  Wed Jul 29 22:06:35 1998
Message-Id: <WED.29.JUL.1998.220635.0530.>
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 22:06:35 +0530
Reply-To: kamal at homeindia.com
To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Kamal Kothari <kamal at HOMEINDIA.COM>
Organization: Oriental Corporate Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
Subject: Re: ADVAITA-L Digest - 27 Jul 1998 to 28 Jul 1998
Comments: To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>, "Ravisankar S. Mayavaram" <msr at ISC.TAMU.EDU>
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Re : Subject: retirement from the forum (fwd)


> One important thing I am learning these days is to stay away from
> writing unnecssary stuff. I apologize to shrI Murthy for my
> off-topic post in the recent past which hurt his sentiments.,
> http://listserv.tamu.edu/cgi/wa?A2=ind9807a&L=advaita-l&O=T&P=1727
>
Yes Ravi....I am glad that you realised it yourself. You are the list
"moderator" and I think your job ends there. Nobody wants silly remarks
and retorts from you all the time.

The list is going on wonderfully without your saucy "inputs", I dare
say. We are interested in studying the thoughts of Sankaracharya, if you
remember!

Regards,  Kamal

--
Kamal Kothari
Oriental Corporate Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
Tel : +91-22-2831756
E-Mail : kamal at homeindia.com     http://www.homeindia.com
"Come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. "
(Shakespeare in "Macbeth")


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Re : Subject: retirement from the forum (fwd)
<BR> 
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>
<PRE>One important thing I am learning these days is to stay away from
writing unnecssary stuff. I apologize to shrI Murthy for my
off-topic post in the recent past which hurt his sentiments.,
<A HREF="http://listserv.tamu.edu/cgi/wa?A2=ind9807a">http://listserv.tamu.edu/cgi/wa?A2=ind9807a</A>&L=advaita-l&O=T&P=1727</PRE>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes Ravi....I am glad that you realised it yourself. You are the list "moderator"
and I think your job ends there. Nobody wants silly remarks and retorts
from you all the time.

<P>The list is going on wonderfully without your saucy "inputs", I dare
say. We are interested in studying the thoughts of Sankaracharya, if you
remember!

<P>Regards,  Kamal

<P>--
<BR>Kamal Kothari
<BR>Oriental Corporate Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
<BR>Tel : +91-22-2831756
<BR>E-Mail : kamal at homeindia.com     <A HREF="http://www.homeindia.com">http://www.homeindia.com</A>
<BR>"Come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
"
<BR>(Shakespeare in "Macbeth")
<BR> </HTML>

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