[Advaita-l] Fw: Re: waking, dreaming, sleeping, as mutually supportive

[Michael Shepherd]

That mankind should understand that all the varna should be filled with men
contented with their lot, is something that all nations and faiths should
learn..
But the Lord knows no rules for His beloved : if he wishes to place one who
has done him some special service, as a sudra or even dalit in their new
life to test their devotion to Him in the fiercest fires of human society --
who is to dare to say that He did not keep the rules ?

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of
Vidyasankar Sundaresan
Sent: 21 October 2009 21:03
To: Advaita List
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Fw: Re: waking, dreaming, sleeping, as mutually
supportive





> My view is that the gnaana maarga is apt only for the Brahmanas because of
> the guna composition of his varna and not suitable for persons of other
> varnas for the same reason. A mumukshu becomes a sanyaasi on the
initiation
> by a Guru and on realization becomes a Guru himself. Such ability to
impart
> knowledge is part of realization. The Sankara, Vaishnava and Maadhva Mutts
> are examples of who had the adhikaaram to become a Sanyaasi. Those who
> realized through other maargas seldom competed for such adhikaaras.


The reality is that saMnyAsa is approved of and historically well-known for
all

dvija-s. In fact, there are well documented examples of saMnyAsins and
maThas

associated with other varNas. For example, the Kovilur Math in Tamil Nadu,

associated with the Nattukottai Chettiars (www.kovilur.com) and the Haldipur

Vaishya Math in Karnataka (www.vaishyagurumath.org) are both seats of

saMnyAsin lineages from merchant communities and both have historical

records of getting initiation from the Sringeri AcAryas.



So, this argument that the jnAna mArga is to be limited to only brAhmaNa-s

and that people of other varNa-s have no adhikAra to become saMnyAsins

would seem like an ultra-conservative view that is not upheld even by some

of the most notable AcAryas of advaita vedAnta tradition.



Vidyasankar

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