[Advaita-l] Importance of Ashram

[Ravi Parimi]

I took a cursory look at the ashram's website and its activities. The
courses etc. seem to be tailored around self-management, and this self
is clearly not the Self that is spoken of in vedanta, or is it? In all
the pages I've browsed, I tried to look for words like Bhashya,
Shankaracharya,  *acharya, advaita etc. but found nothing.

I wonder what a student who attends 3-4 years at this institue is
expected to learn? Surely hope it is going to be more than moral
values, time management, clear thinking etc.

On Dec 3, 2007 12:57 PM, Anuj <whereisanuj at gmail.com> wrote:
> I appreciate your advice and concern Sanjay. Wow! I am surprised that
> you know people who went to Swami Parhtasarthy's school. Wonders never
> cease.
> Well, I have always thought that it is not the teacher but the
> teachings that one should concern themselves with. I have seen many
> people, including my parents and relatives get attached to their
> teachers and ironically not pay nearly as much attention to the
> teachings.
> Having said that, I think it will be the entire student body, senior
> members of the teaching staff and yes, Swamiji himself - the
> collective lot and most of all my own commitment and time by myself
> which I look forward to. So his classmates impressions of him from 30
> years ago, I feel, may still not be as accurate an indication of what
> my experience may be like. Is that fair? Besides having heard him
> speak, and sat with him one on one for half an hour is more than I
> could expect from any other teacher prior to admittance. I do also
> intentend to visit the ashram a few months prior to finally moving
> there so I am not blindly jumping onto this new phase in my life.
>
> I truly do appreciate every one's concern though, it mirrors that of
> my parents and well wishers and I am grateful for it.
>
> Anuj
>
> On 12/3/07, Sanjay Srivastava <sksrivastava68 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Anuj:
> >
> > I will second what Ramesh said and will advise you to do some independent
> > background research on the organization and the swami before making full
> > time commitment. The information you gain through an organization's website
> > or through his committed disciples is not independent verification. If I had
> > to make this decision, I would prefer to talk to his mates from his earlier
> > days or people who know him independent of his vedanta background. I can
> > give you off-line email addresses of some of the people who were at
> > Sandipani at the time Swami Parthasarathy was a student there. You may get
> > different but valuable perspective from such people. I cannot assure you if
> > they will respond to your queries, but it is definitely a worth try if you
> > are thinking of full time commitment.
> >
> > praNAm
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