[Advaita-l] BrahmaGYAna and jIvanmukti - 5 (Other References)

[Ravishankar Venkatraman]

>From: S Jayanarayanan <sjayana at yahoo.com>

>Instead of the above mind-boggling possibilities, there is a simpler
>explanation:
>
>SWAMI SATCHIDANANDENDRA SARASWATI DID NOT COMPREHEND THE DIFFERENCE
>BETWEEN STEADY AND UNSTEADY ATMAGYANA.
>
>
>>PS: I sincerely apologize if this email offends anyone. My aim is not
>to offend, but only to point out a blatant inconsistency if one
>doesn't take the JMV or the pa~nchapAdikA as being in line with
>Sankara's works.
>

All,

guru nindA param dRshtvA dhAvayedatha vArayet |
sthAnam vA tatparithyAjyam jihvAchedA kshamAyadi ||

Per above Guru GItA slokA, wherever there is guru nindA, we should leave 
that place right away. I have felt many times that I should not be part of 
the group as my gurus were personally attacked in this forum by a few people 
in some form or other.

Another verse in Guru GItA says “moksha mUlam guror kRpA”. It is more 
important that we get our guru’s grace than discuss whether our guru’s 
understanding itself is right. We may have great experiences with our own 
gurus. But how do we know that he is a jIvanmuktA?  We can only expect Him 
to shower His grace on us in a manner that we experience the same thing He 
experiences. Who am I to judge others with the limited knowledge of the 
subject matter - that too without any direct experience of the absolute? All 
what we read in texts of the characteristics of a jivanmukta are indicative 
only. Unless you compare the textual statements with someone's activities or 
realization for 24x7 and measure that person against the standard, you 
cannot really quote anything against that person.

Though I respect the erudition of many scholars here, it has been 
unfortunate that many articles get glorified and presented here in an 
offending manner. Someone asked Sri. Ramana Maharishi whether Sankara was 
really a realized soul or just an intellectual? He asked the questioner to 
forget Sankara and find whether the questioner himself was realized. (Source 
-Talks with RM). I do not think that RM or any one for that matter prove 
that Sri. Sankara was also very realized along with being an intellectual. 
It is more of a matter or faith passing down the generations through other 
masters, who we think are realized. Else where in the same book, RM mentions 
that Sankara was a realized soul, yet he took to debates and discussions.

The Acharyas in the tradition have differed over some topics on many 
occasions, but how impolite were they to their opponents? Sri. Sankara could 
not have debated this way to win His opponents, who eventually became His 
disciples. Probably He got the same message in a different tone!

I would really appreciate if all the members can respect others’ gurus also 
in the same manner they respect their gurus without any jingoistic 
attitudes. Advaita tradition is just not about intellectual debate,but also 
the practice for individuals to better themselves for the actual 
experience...

By writing this, if I have been impolite or offending in any manner, I 
apologize...

God bless,
Ravi

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