[Advaita-l] Age/History of Sankara

[B Shridhar]

Dear All,

I sincerely apologise in case I have misunderstood the intent of his message
as I too have high regard for Sri Vidyasankar's exposition of various
subjects. In fact that is what made me sad to find such a grey area in his
article.

To explain one example where I could see a bias was :

3. Renounce the belief that any great person who lived in India in the past
would had to have lived before Christ. Countless great men and women have
lived in India not only in the very distinct past, but also roughly in the
two millenia after Christ.

Now while rest of sankaracharya mutts proclaim an age of sankara to be
before christ (through their guru parampara of more than 70 acharyas),  only
shringeri mutt claim for a post christ dated age for sankara. Now by his
statement one is asked to open his mind to consider a post christ dated age
for sankara.

Another example being :

6. Renounce the beliefs that, if an institution is prominent today, or if
it's head is worthy of respect, it has been always prominent throughout
history or that all the historical claims of the said insitution are
correct.

In the general perspective one can take these statements logically but when
one understands the bais of the writer then one cant help requesting
restrain from such a seasoned scholar on such sensitive issues. For any
student, the Guru and the mutt which he heads is the ultimate by whose grace
alone he can even grasp and visualise advaitam.

I once again apologise in case I have read his message with a bias which is
in me.

yours truly,

B. Shridhar

On 10/3/06, Siva Senani Nori <sivasenani at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Shridharji
>
>   I perfectly understand what you mean, and may be to an extent how you
> feel; but I do not think it is fair that you allege Sri Vidyasankar is
> raising issues of authenticity of various mutts, and that he should refute
> from doing so.
>
>   Firstly, Sri Vidyasankara's post about the history of Sankara has
> nothing objectionable, especially since he added a point that one should
> look at one's "own" institution from a similar viewpoint. The broad
> principles listed by him are perfectly valid and any acharya or disciple who
> establishes the "authenticity" of his mutt would do so following those
> prinicples fully.
>
>   Secondly, many might have respect for Sri Vidyasankar's profound
> knowledge and might dearly wish he would not attack their "own" institution;
> but that does not mean those views should not be aired by him or that the
> list should hold him to different standards (I mean, just look at the debate
> on SSS).
>
>   Finally, if one does not want to raise an issue, the best way is to
> remain silent, especially in a situation such as the present one where no
> offending remark had been made. If A offers unsolicited advice that B should
> refer to such and such for a better understanding of the issue at hand, that
> is a sure way to start a discussion of the issue.
>
>   For the record, I belong to a family which subscribes neither to the
> Sringeri Mutt nor to the Kanchi Mutt.
>
>   Senani
>
> B Shridhar <kameshwarii at gmail.com > wrote:
>   Dear Sir,
>
> I have been a late commer to this esteemed site and to make up I have been
> visiting the archives and the discussions on Advaita has been more thought
> provoking and interesting with so many learned contributors.
>
> I have had the occassion of reading an earlier article by Sri Vidyasankar
> Sundaresan when he has been openly critical of the Kanchi mutt while being
> a
> disciple of Sringeri mutt. I had felt the need to respond to his earlier
> article but then as it was old, I felt it more inappropriate to take this
> subject. But seems by this latest article he has once again started
> indirectly raising issues of authenticity of the various mutts which I
> feel
> is unwarranted. I would like to request him from refrain from such
> activity
> as Advaitam is the subject for which this site has been created. In case
> he
> wants to understand history and authencity of the Kanchi mutt, he should
> read a research paper on "kanchi mutt - a myth or a reality" by WR
> Antharkar
> published by the Bandarkar insitute, pune. Every one does understand what
> Sri Vidyasankar is driving at with his logic on the Age of Sankara.
>
> Everyone is happy with their own gurus and the mutts they represent and
> the
> best would be to let them be that way.
>
> Your Truly,
>
> B. Shridhar
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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