[Advaita-l] Re: on advaita and society

[Shyam]

Pranams
Knowledge of advaita has little to do with going in
and out of experiential states.Doubtless knowledge of
the truth about mySelf, being nonseparate from the
Whole, is what is the advaitic truth. This truth once
firmly understood requires no "practice". 

Realization of this truth is of course not had
secondary to obstacles primarily resulting from
unpreparedness of the mind.
If immediate knowledge is not gained by a mere hearing
of the vedantic truths, then one must resort to
dwelling upon these truths, until clarity of the
knowledge crystallizes. (This can often times take
years or even lifetimes.)

In this, e-groups and interactions with like-minded
mumukshus or seekers, (e-satsang) can play an
important role. Known doubts can be re-clarified and
unknown doubts can surface and find resolutions in
many cases.
In any event, for a sincere seeker, such groups should
never be the primary means of learning vedanta -
surrender and service to a Guru is a must. At the same
time they do have a important role to play.

Yes it is true that only one in a million may arrive
at this truth, but Bhagwan Krishna's words are not
meant to make one diffident! - to the contrary, it
underscores how rare an opportunity a vedanta student
is presented with, where after crores of janmas - a
human birth, exposure to the teaching and the means to
the truth - these are all aligned - the only thing
missing is a sincere and intense desire for knowledge
and self-effort(born of free-will) of the highest
order - these two in themselves assure you in due time
the Grace of shastra, Guru and Ishwara - which in turn
result in jivanmukti.

Asato ma sat gamaya.

Hari OM
Shri Gurubhyo namah

Shyam


--- Ram Garib <garib_ram at yahoo.co.in> wrote:

> 
> Sri Kris Manian wrote:
> 
> > I believe Ramana said that (Cmiiw) you dont have
> to
> > be saMnyasI to achive
> > what he did, in an interview. 
> 
> He says so at several places in "Talks with Ramana
> Maharishi".
> 
> > This may be against
> > the smrutis.
> 
> There are some very passionate discussions about
> this
> in the archives. What I could make out from those
> discussions is that a householder jIvanmukta is not
> against smrutis but is highly unlikely.
> 
> > But I am curious, how many in this news group are
> > practicing Advaitins?
> 
> None. Because the term "practicing Advaitin" does
> not
> exist. They say, one can only practice the
> preparation
> of mind not the advaita itself. After that, if other
> conditions are right, hopefully advaitAnubhava may
> occur.
> 
> > How many can go in to or gone in to samadhi state?
> 
> Those following scriptural testimony say that
> samAdhi
> is not really necessary for advaita. Ramana also
> confirms it.
> 
> I personally have never gone into a state which I
> could give a grandiose label such as samAdhi.
> Nonetheless, I have a few not-so-bad meditative
> experiences under my belt, and I believe that
> someone
> with more commitment than me would certainly have
> had
> deeper experiences than me. 
> 
> > Another question is, if most of the participants
> in
> > this group agree with
> > Amuthan's statement, 
> 
> ...most of the participants here might agree more to
> Lord Krishna's statement in gIta that says only one
> in
> a million gets Him. samnyAsI or non-samnyAsI, your
> chances are negligible anyway. The only difference
> is
> that some are more negligible than the others.
> 
> > then is your discussion about
> > Advaita in this group
> > for theoritical purposes only?
> 
> Most of them are here because they could not have
> done
> otherwise even if they wanted to. (Remember free
> will
> is mithyA :)). I sometime reflect on me. I do not
> have
> the least inclination to make spirituality my full
> time commitment. Yet I keep hovering on these
> boards.
> Is it theoretical? Largely so. But how do you
> control
> something that was anyway not willed by you?
> 
> Advaita discussion for householders is not
> prohibited.
> It may not yield any results too, except for the
> preparation of mind. However someone truly convinced
> of advaitic truth wouldn't really bother if that
> anubhava did not happen in his body or in this
> birth,
> would he? 
>  
> > (or an ego trip to
> > show that I know so much
> > but I dont practice:-)
> 
> It is the reverse.
> One doesn't go on ego trip when one slips on
> practice.
> 
> Though if one is careful, one can use it to
> cultivate
> some humility.
> 
> With regards,
> Ram Garib 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 		
>
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