New member introduction: Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat

[Gummuluru Murthy]

On Wed, 6 Sep 2000, Ravi Mayavaram wrote:

> -------- Original Message --------
> From: "Chaitanya Bhagavat" <chaitanya_bhagavat at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Introduction
> To: msr at comco.com
>
> ------
>
> Dear members, mumuxus, and muktas,
>
> It does feel funny to write an introduction to the Advaita list. I guess
> my
> first name "Chaitanya" says it all! Anyway, for the record, I was
> brought up
> in Pune, a bustling city in western India. Presently, I'm working in the
> Boston area. I have never been formally coached in Advaita although I
> have
> been interested in it since my early childhood and have taught myself a
> thing or two. My interest is more than simply academic-I want to take
> full
> advantage of this rare human birth and wake up from this nightmarish
> (pun
> intended) transmigratory existence. Having lived a major part of my life
> in
> Maharashtra (a state in India), I have been profoundly influenced by its
> devotional mysticism. I'm strongly convinced that loving devotion to
> Shri
> Hari is the surest and quickest way to the supreme goal. I was glad to
> see
> that Bhakti is not considered to be a taboo by the members of this list.
> That's one of the reasons why I chose to join this list. Another being
> that
> I'm sick and tired of "hypermodern Advaita" propounded by new-age
> "Gurus"
> who simply use flowery words such as "just be", "quit the effort" and
> thus
> dismiss the real struggle which most of us (at least myself) have to
> face.
> So, in short, classical Advaita is what I hope to learn and apply. I may
> have many (stupid) questions which I hope will not offend the learned
> pundits of this list.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Chaitanya
>

namaste.

I welcome shri Chaitanya to the List and hope to learn from him.
To get the discussion going, let me put one or two questions here:

shri Chaitanya says

> ..... thus
> dismiss the real struggle which most of us (at least myself) have to
> face. .......

Now this struggle is with who and with what? Is this not an internal
struggle with the six great enemies of kAma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada
and mAtsarya? This is the struggle that has to be won.

In the same sentence, shri Chaitnaya says

> ..... Another being
> that
> I'm sick and tired of "hypermodern Advaita" propounded by new-age
> "Gurus"
> who simply use flowery words such as "just be", "quit the effort" and
> ......


This "being sick and tired of" something is to be won over. That is,
the struggle is internal. The problem is right there. And that problem
is to be solved. Why put labels "classic advaita", "new-age gurus",
"hypermodern advaita" and so on, instead of purifying oneself?

Please do not take this as a criticism, but I am trying to find the
location of the problem.


Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
----------------------------------------------------------------------

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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