[Advaita-l] A Perspective 17-1 (Contradictions & Questions)

[Kuntimaddi Sadananda]

Sunder Rajan - PraNAms



First thanks for your input. Yes the Vedic statement is true. And as you say
there is adhikaara bhedas or differences in the maturity of the saadhaks.



The realization is direct and immediate - as in the story of the 10th man-
that is by the shravaNa only as Shree Sureswara emphasizes in his
Naiskharmya siddhi.



Mananam comes in due to doubts about pramaaNa itself which is mahaavaakya
tat tvam asi based on Vedanta.



There is a difference in jnaana and jnaana niShTa that is abidance in the
jnaana.

That is what has been emphasized in the post.



Currently I am posting the obstacles for the jnaana - based on Gita 4-40.
Lack of shraddhaa is the major obstacles and next comes the doubts about the
pramaaNa itself. I will be posting those soon in the adivataL list.
Depending on the adhikaari, uttama, madhyama and adhama - shravana, manana
and nidhidhyaasana play a role. Nidhidhyaasana is not a means of knowledge
as has been pointed. ShravaNa of the mahaavaakya and shraddhaa on it becomes
a pramaaNa. PramaaNa is the means of knowledge to remover ignorance.

Mananam and nidhidhyaasana are makes what is heard work.

Hope this helps

Hari Om!
Sadananda

On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 11:50 AM, Sundar Rajan <avsundarrajan at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Something caught my attention a while back in thearticle"A perspective -
> 17-1 (tat tvam asi – VIII)"
> http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/2010-January/045337.html
> explaining the relevance of Nidhidhyasana.
>
> I have been meaning to respond to this posting for a while but have been
> caught up in work matters etc.
> Sri Sadananda-ji writes in perspective17-1:
> Shravana involves listening to the scriptures under a competent teacher for
> a prolong length of time until one is convinced of the advaitic nature of
> the reality and significance of the tat tvam asi statement. Reflecting on
> the teaching or manana ensures clarity in understanding without any doubts.
> Conviction arises only when it is understood as a fact and not just as
> thought or good idea. Self-Knowledge with conviction removes only
> self-ignorance. However, knowledge does not remove ignorance generated
> vaasanaas..
> >>
>
> The implication in the article is that Shravana and Manana are the means to
> Self Knowledge
> and one becomes a Jnani thru just Shravana and Manana :
> >>
> Thus knowledge removes both sanchita and aagaami karmas, since notional
> kartRitva bhaava i.e. notion that I am a doer is sublimated with the
> knowledge
> >>
> This view however contradicts the scriptures
>
> shravaNa-manana-nididhyAsana is an ‘AND’, Not an ‘OR’
> =============================================
> Except for the very rare case of a very advanced aspirant getting
> realization
> thru shravaNa ALONE,
> the scriptures uniformly present shravaNa AND manana AND nididhyAsana
> together as the means to self-knowledge as in
>
> ‘Atma va are drastavya srotavyo mantavyo nidhidhyasitavyah’ (Br Up II.4.5)
> Not just Shravana-Manana as presented in perspective 17-1.
> S-M-N is a logical AND not an OR.
> None of the 3 are optional.
>
> shravaNa-manana alone for Self Knowledge contradicts Gita 6th chapter
> =======================================================
>  >>
>
> Self-Knowledge with conviction removes only self-ignorance.. Thus knowledge
> removes both sanchita and aagaami karmas, since
> notional kartRitva bhaava i.e. notion that I am a doer is sublimated with
> the knowledge.
> >>
>
>
> The view presented in the article 17-1 that  shravana-manana alone is
> sufficient for self knowledge
> also contradicts the 6th chapter of Gita.
>
> Nidhidhyasana is presented in the article as “developing habitual
> understanding of my true nature”
> AFTER attaining Self-Knowledge.
>
>  If one is already self-realized thru shravana and manana ,
> then Nidhidhyasana would never be required beyond a single birth.
> Why?  Because sanchita and aagaami karmas are removed and only praarabda
> remains.
> This will get exhausted in the current body itself.
>
> The chapter of the Gita that deals extensively with Nidhidhyasana, however,
> points out that Nidhidhyasana can carry over to multiple births
> by discussing the notion of ‘yoga bhrastha’ and
> how someone continues Nidhidhyasana in to a future birth .
>
>
> I also have some questions on the effort required after ‘self knowledge’,
> will take it up in the next post
> >>
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