[Advaita-l] additional doubts!!

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

PraNAms
 
Shree Bhaskarji questions are appropriate and Shree Rajaram's response is also educational. 
 
Advaita jnaanam can occur to those who have chitta suddhi - this is the primary qualification which Shankara elucidates clearly in his baashaya to Sutra 1. 
What scripture teaches is advaita through mahavaakyas - jiiva iswara aikya jnaana bodhaka vaakyams. Shankara says in VivekachuDAmaNi - na yogena na saankhyena karmanaa no na vidyayaa| brahmaatmaika bodhena mokshaH sidhyati na anyathaa| It is clear the identity or oneness has to be understood for moksha and that jnaanam has to come one way or the other. Vedas are considered as pramANa since they provide this knowledge. Ultimate Bhakti is now translated as desire to realize that oneness which is all pervading and eternal. From the goal point, the requirements are very clear. The rest of the requirements in terms of Guru and particular shaastras etc are provided as means to gain that knowledge. If one gains the knowledge without going through the traditional methods or sampradaaya, it is generally concluded that they had gone through that discipline in the last janma and that samskaara propels them to accelerate their evolution in this life without all
 other traditional requirements. Three are many exceptions to the rule but we do not make rule out of exceptions - for seekers at large. 
Those who may be interested can Google on - peace pilgrim - story of an American Lady in 50s and her teaching are available which closely follows Vedanta. Anandamayi ma from Kerala is another example, while she advised her disciples to go and join the Brahmachari training course at Sandeepany Sadhanaalaya of Chinmaya Mission. 
I am not qualified to evaluate any mahatmaas whether they have realized or not but their teachings do not differ much from Vedanta. I accept and revel whatever that agrees with Vedanta and ignore those parts that do not agree.
 
Hari Om!
Sadananda 
 

--- On Tue, 7/12/11, Rajaram Venkataramani <rajaramvenk at gmail.com> wrote:
On Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 11:22 AM, Bhaskar YR > 
 
(a) is advaita paramArtha  jnAna happens only to Astika-s (theists) who
> have firm belief in god & scriptures??
>
*It can happen to anyone by Ishvara's grace but once it happens, he
transcends belief in god and scriptures because he becomes one with Ishvara,
whose very breadth is scriptures.*

>
> (b) how can a non-hindu or atheist (nAstika) or any 'outsider', who does
> not want to believe in god & scriptures, but would like to get this jnAna
> (without the aid of shAstra & bhagavanta or outside the traditional
> circle) ??  dont we have any jnAni-s outside hindu Astika saMpradAya ??
>