[Advaita-l] Re: Pa~nchapAdikAchArya

[K Kathirasan NCS]

Namaste Ramaji,

Shankara mentions that the Mahavakya even heard once by a qualified
seeker (uttama adhikari), mukti can be 'attained'. Pls see Shankara's
Sutra Bhashya 4.1.2. Ramana Maharishi is a very good example. So do we
really need to doubt about SSS's qualifications and many other great
acharyas? Looking at his (SSS) objectivity (viveka) coupled with his
genuine Shraddha in the words of the Shruti and Shankara, I would least
doubt his words. Although he could have exhibited a preference to
certain prakriyas like the Avasthatraya Prakriya, fundamentally he was
very sharp in his observations. Moreover, he taking the vows of Sannyasa
only adds more credibility that he was a teacher who valued the
Sampradaya. 

Point no. 2. As we all know that during ancient times, the Shruti was
committed to memory and not to writing. Therefore, one had to resort to
a teacher to know oneself. There was no other alternative. Such a
teacher is known to be a shrotriya. In fact, the Shruti exhorts that not
only should he be a shrotriya, but he had to be a Brahmansishta or
someone who has attained the Advaita jnana. Hence, to gain brahmajnana,
the ancient tradition exhorts the need to approach a shrotriya
brahmanishta. But today the Shankara's Bhashyas and the Upanishads are
available in writing. Are we to still maintain that an Uttama Adhikari
will still be unable to gain Brahmajnana through the study of these
texts independently? 

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org] On Behalf Of
Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2006 6:24 AM
To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Re: Pa~nchapAdikAchArya


That's a separate point. But an equally important question in the
advaita tradition is as follows: since brahma-j~naana is to be had
only from a brahmavit, who did SSS approach? Otherwise it is nonsense
to talk about Sankara being a brahmavit and belonging to sampradaaya
and that only SSS understood him after that.

Rama
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