[Advaita-l] Kanchi Mahaswamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa - (KDAS-75)

[V. Krishnamurthy]

Namaste.

For a Table of Contents of these Discourses, see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/message/27766
For the previous post, see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/message/33518


SECTION 60: IS AN ENLIGHTENED GURU AVAILABLE?
Tamil Original: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/dk6-133.htm


Guru is always depicted by shAstras as an *anubhavi* (one who has seen
the Truth directly): 'brahma-nishhTha' in Upanishads, 'tatva-darshinaH'
in the Gita. Such a person, who has truly realised Brahman - would such
a person be available in modern times?  Don't worry about it. If you are
crying in true anguish with sincere mumukshhutA (longing for Release)
the Lord will not fail to show you such a one. Whether he is a
brahma-nishhTa or not all the time, you will be shown the best available
one and the Lord Himself will enter into him at the time when you are
being givn the mahAvAkya-upadesha. That is how it happens. That is how.
No doubt about it.

[Note by the Collator Shri R. Ganapathy: 
Here the Mahaswamigal speaks with great conviction, 
emotion and emphasis that he is  passing on a great truth]

 Just as the disciple is feeling the anguish whether an *anubhavi* guru
will be available even these days, the Lord is also looking for, with
the same anguish (!) whether a proper mumukshhu is going to come; so
such a person would not be missed by Him. Maybe He will not appear in
concrete form in the body of a human Guru, but it is possible that He
manifests as a subtle guru in  the very antar-AtmA of the disciple and
grace him. But if I say it this way, it may turn out in this independent
age where humility is wanting, people might go with the impression:
"Even the Shankaracharya of the mutt has said so. A separate individual
as a Guru is not necessary. The Lord will come into us directly and
grace us from the inside".  It is really very rare for such a thing
-without an external human guru, for the Lord Himself to come as an
internal guru -- to happen. Rare top-ranking mumukshus will have that
privilege.  Or if there is an enormous amount of pUrva-samskAra from the
earlier lives, even if one is not a mumukshhu but just an ordinary
person, the Lord Himself on His own pulls him out and blesses him with
all grace.  To make this the general rule is totally wrong.

SECTION 61: INVOLVEMENT IN ONE SINGLE GOAL
Tamil Original: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/dk6-134.htm


Now we have come to the stage where one has taken up sannyAsa and also
received the upadesha from the Guru. Afterwards what should the Sannyasi
do?  Let me tell you that he should certainly not be doing what I am
doing now! [The Swamigal laughs].  I am getting into all sorts of
newspaper gossip; am I not? History, Geography, Local news all of it are
coming into my speeches and actions.  A true SannyAsi would have nothing
to do with all these. 
[Ra. Ganapthy adds a footnote here: The Mahaswamigal is  describing 
now the dharma that pertains to a SannyAsi 
who is yet to reach his siddhi.
 With great humility combined with humour
 he laughs at himself saying he is 
not following rules.  
But actually he is a Jivan-mukta, an enlightened soul. 
He can do anything, no rule will bind him. ] 


All the time he has to be only in the thought of the Atman; that should
be his speech, that should be his goal. The Mundakopanishad says (II -
2) "Leave off all talk about anything that is non-Self. In the bow of
PraNava (that is, the MahAvakyas), mount the arrow of your own self,
shoot yourself at the goal and be fixed there". The one idea of the
non-difference between Jiva and Brahman should be the only occupation of
your mind. All other talk is only an unnecessary  exertion for  the
throat, says BrihadAraNyakopanishad IV-4-21.  Lord Krishna builds it up
like this: *tad-buddhayaH tad-AtmAnaH tan-nishhTAH tat-parayaNAH*.   

Keeping the intellect in the Atman, the life itself in the Atman, and
firmly established in that one Self, with That only as the goal (B.G. V
- 17) - this is how he should be. This is what He says in
"sannyAsa-yoga".  When he talks in "vibhUti yoga"  it is He who plays
all the other roles and those who know this  revel in His thought only,
their very life in Him, exchanging with one another thoughts about Him
and narrating to one another the stories of His Glory and thus dance and
revel in great satisfaction about Him.

maccittAH madgata-prANAH bodhayantaH parasparaM /
kathayantashca mAM nityaM tushhyanti ca ramanti ca //

In the same context, Vidyaranya Swamigal talks about nirguNa upAsanA
(that is what a SannyAsi should be doing)  and says: The only thought
being Brahman, the only conversation between each other being That, the
only teaching among one another is That - thus a Sannyasi has That as
his only occupation. 

If there is a number of sannyAsis at one place gathered together, the
teaching of one another (bodhayantaH parasparaM) and the recalling to
one another (anyonyaM tat-prabodhanaM)  take place. But such crowding of
several sannyAsis and their living together is not first of all
recommended as a good thing. Scope arises for attachment, enmity, hate,
competition, jealousy and differences of opinion. So after becoming a
SannyAsi one should hasten to a solitary place. No attachment or bondage
should be allowed to develop. Staying at the same place for more than
three days is taboo. The SannyAsi should keep moving. That is the
meaning of a 'parivrAjaka'. That is the Dharma of a Parama-hamsa
SannyAsi.

[Ra Ganapathy's note: But this does not apply to heads of mutts 
who have organisational and training responsibilities.]

In sum, after one gets the upadesha, the Sannyasi has to have the only
goal of obtaining a direct perception of the advaita brahma-bhAva that
has been taught to him by his guru. 

To achieve this, two processes - manana and nidhidhyAsana - are
prescribed. NidhidhyAsana may also be called nidhidhyAsa. 

ShravNa, Manana, NidhidhyAsana - with these three the elaborate
presentation of advaita-sAdhanA comes to an end. 

SECTION 62: SHRAVANA, MANANA, NIDHIDHYASANA - CHARACTERISTICS

(To be Continued)
PraNAms to all students of advaita.
PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.
profvk