[Advaita-l] advaita vEdAnta

[Mahadevan Babu]

Welcome Sriman Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna.

I sincerely liked the way you have started with Guru Vandana and  
describing the philosophy from a wholistic approach.

Pranams.

Dev Babu
Sydney

On 22/12/2006, at 4:32 AM, Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna wrote:

> List members at advaita-vedanta.org,
>
>
>
> My name is Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna. I am one of the recent
>
> additions to the list. For some time, I have been leading a formal
>
> study of advaita vEdAnta in another group. Sri Jaldhar Vyas invited
>
> me to archive the writings at advaita-vedanta.org. After reviewing
>
> options and logistics, it was decided to post the material in several
>
> installments on this list. This way it serves better, instead of
>
> archiving a large volume of material all at once. Accordingly, I
>
> will post a message about 4-5 days apart. I expect about 50 postings
>
> lasting through the Spring of 2007. Below is the first Unit of the  
> study.
>
> Regards,
>
> Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna.
>
>
>
>
>
> Om
>
>
>
> nArAyaNam padmabhavam vasishTam shaktim cha tat putram parAsharam  
> cha vyAsam
> shukam gowDapadam mahAntam gOvinda pAda yOgIndram atha asya  
> shishyam sri
> shankarAchAryam atha asya shishyAm padmapAdam cha hastAmalakam cha  
> shishyam
> tam tOTakam vArtikakAram anyAn asmad gurUn santatam AnatOsmi
>
>
>
> Salutations to the guru paramparA - narAyaNa to brahma to  
> vasishta .. sri
> ShankarachArya..., his disciples padmapAda, hastAmalaka, tOtaka and  
> the
> followers of this lineage of gurus.
>
>
>
> shruti smriti purANAnAm Alayam karuNAlayam namAmi bhagavat pAda  
> shankaram
> lOkashankaram shankaram shankarAchAryam kEshavam bAdarAyaNam  
> sUtrabhAshya
> kritou vandE bhagavntou punah punah
>
>
>
> Prostrations again and again at the feet of bhagavAn Shankara, the
> storehouse of scriptures -      shruti, smriti and purANAs - and who
>
> is also a storehouse of compassion, who confers happiness and  
> prosperity,
> who has written commentary on the sUtras and belongs in the lineage  
> of the
> guru parampara of kEshava, bAdarAyanA ..
>
>
>
> First, having offered the traditional salutations to the Guru  
> Parampara
> (lineage of teachers), let us chant the following shAnti mantra; Om  
> saha
> nA-vavatu, saha nou-bhunaktu, saha-vIryam karavAvahai tEjasvi nA- 
> vadhItam
> astu mA vid-vishAvahai; Om shAntih shAntih shAntih Let us be protected
> together; let us be cultivated together; let us gain strength and  
> power
> together; let our study be successful; let us not hate each other;  
> Om peace,
> Peace and Peace (for all).
>
>
>
> The scriptures of sanAtana dharma - called  " darshana shAstrAs"  
> are nyAya,
> vaishEshika, sAmkhya,yOga, mImAmsa and vEdAnta, respectively the  
> sciences of
> Logic, Nature, Knowledge, Deep Meditation or concentration of mind,  
> Rituals
> of the vEda and the Philosophy of the Self. Though VaishEshika is  
> regarded
> as the study of nature, nature is integral in the study of all the six
> Darshanas. A self evident thought common for all of them is "The whole
> creation is ultimately intended for the experience of the soul  
> (Atman)".
>
>
>
> We are concerned here in the study of vEdAnta - the Science of the  
> Self. We
> have already said that nature is integral in the study of all  
> shAstras,
> including vEdAnta. The nature and the body of beings are inert; The  
> vEdAnta
> shAstra tells us that being inert, a power is required to drive them
> (Physical science also tells us that inert bodies need an external  
> force for
> change - Newton's first law of motion). vEdAnta calls this power as
> "Chaitanya" or Consciousness. D.V. Gundappa, a poet-philosopher from
> Karnataka, India, captures the concept in a very subtle way in his  
> work
> "Manku Timmana Kagga" (The ramblings of Timma, the Dull) as follows.
>
>
>
> " jIva jaDa rUpa prapanchavana-vAvudO
>
> AvarisikonDu moLaneredu mihudante
>
> bhAvakoLapaDadante aLategaLavaDadante
>
> A vishEshake maNiyO - mankutimma "
>
>
>
> An indefinable something envelops the living world
>
> and the inert and appears to fill them to overflowing
>
> It is not swayed by feeling and defies measurement
>
> Render obeisance to that specialty - Oh! Manku Timma (Timma the Dull)
>
>
>
> This indefinable something - of the nature of Pure Consciousness -  
> is called
> Brahman in vEdAnta.
>
>
>
> So we have three entities here, Jagat or universe, individual  
> person or jIva
> and Brahman. The first two are in the tangible experience of all of  
> us. The
> third, Brahman is not the tangible experience for most of us.
>
>
>
> Every philosophy that man knows today, attempts to describe the  
> relation
> between these three entities.
>
> Advaita vEdAnta also offers a very unique description of this  
> relationship -
> the jIva and Jagat are not different from Brahman, but appear to be
> different because of ignorance ( ajnyAna). The presentation of this  
> oneness
> of the  three entities of  Jagat, Jiva and Brahman is the subject  
> matter of
> the study of Advaita vEdAnta. Again, quoting from Manku Timmana Kagga,
>
>
>
> " ihudO illavO tiLiyagoDadondu vastu nija mahimeyim jagavAgi  
> jIvavEshadali
> viharipudau oLitembudu gahana tatvake sharaNO - mankutimma "
>
> An entity whether existing or not is not to be known
>
> But by its innate power it transmutes itself into the world;
>
> Assuming the garb of life it sports itself; whether it is, or not  
> is not, we
> know not,
>
> Bow down to that profound principle - Oh! Manku Timma
>
>
>
> What is the benefit of this study? This is a question we all want  
> to have
> answered, as we undertake to the study of any text or Thesis. There  
> are four
> issues contained in answering this question. They are (1) subject  
> matter,
> (2) benefit, (3) Relationship and (4) Pre-requisites.
>
>
>
> Determination of the oneness of Jiva, Jagat and Iswara (a synonym for
> Brahman) through scriptural interpretation is the subject matter of  
> this
> study.
>
> The benefit of this study is the preparation of the reader in the  
> quest
> towards the realization of the oneness described above. This  
> realization
> will release the Jiva from the cycle of births and deaths and the  
> associated
> pain and occasional pleasure. The realization will elevate the jIva  
> to a
> permanent state of absolute bliss. The TaittirIya Upanishat offers  
> a measure
> of quantification of this bliss. If a strong and healthy human,  
> living for
> hundred years or more, has all the resources under his control and the
> support of all the people under him, achieves all his objectives
> (YudhishTira is quoted as an example of such a person), the happiness
> attained by him is one Unit of Human Happiness (AshiShTO driDiShTO
> baliShTah..sa EkO mAnuSha Anandah...-Anandavalli). The bliss of  
> realization
> is indicated to be of the order of [10power20xHuman Happiness].
>
> The relationship of any study is at three levels - between the subject
> matter and the reader, between the subject matter and benefit and  
> between
> reader and the benefit.  Application to the vEdAnta study, we will
> understand the relation between jIva and Jagat, jIva and Brahman  
> and Brahman
> and Jagat.
>
> What is the AdhikAra or pre-requisites for the realization? The  
> necessary
> and sufficient pre-requisites for the realization of this oneness  
> is a four
> step discipline (sAdhana chatushTaya), which will discuss in detail  
> in the
> next unit.
>
>
>
> Now a question arises to all of us - If the realization is so  
> blissful, why
> is the mankind not serious about achieving it. Arjuna also had the  
> same
> doubt, when he asked Krishna in Bhagavad gIta the following;
>
>
>
> " Atha kEna prayuktOyam pApam charati pUrushah ani-cchannapi vArshnEya
> balAdiva niyojitah " - (3-36) Oh! Krishna, as if constrained by a  
> force,
> what makes a man commit sin, even against his wish?
>
> Sri Krishna answers;
>
> " kAma Esha krOdha Esha rajO guNa samudbhavah mahAshanO mahApApma  
> viddhi
> Enam iha vairiNam -(3-37) Arjuna! it is the desire, it is the anger  
> born of
> raJo guNa (the impulse of  action), all consuming and all evil;  
> know this as
> the enemy here.
>
> Driven by these desires and feelings, we act. When the outcome is  
> less than
> optimal, we repent -
>
> (kimakhagam sAdhu nAkaravam - why did I not do good deeds ?; kimaham
> pApamakaravamiti - why did I do bad deeds? - taittirIya
> upanishad,Anandavalli).
>
>
>
> Elimination of this desire and anger is the pre-requisite
> (sAdhanachatushTaya) discussed above. This will be the topic of  
> discussion
> in the next unit.
>
>
>
> [ The material for the this study will be mostly drawn from the  
> following
> advaita texts
>
> 1) vEdAnta sAra (Kannada edition by Swamy harshAnanda) of  
> parivrAjakAchArya
> sadAnanda yOgIndra
>
> 2) vEdAnta PrabhOda by Swamy paramAnanda bhArati
>
> 3) vEdAntada jIvALa by hosakere chidambariah
>
>
>
> Other quotes will be described when quoted].
>
>
>
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Dev Babu
babunim at optushome.com.au