[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Only Self knowledge gives liberation...

[RAMESH RAMANAN]

Dear Sri Vivekji,
Pranams,
Through the practice of intense meditation, chittha shuddhi takes place and in that state, self-knowledge dawns automatically, just as when one drives away the marshy substance, the clear water below, which remained hidden due to the marshy substance, becomes clearly visible. Or, as when a dark room is lit up, the darkness disappears, the chittha shuddhi leads directly to self-realization, for which a study of Vedantic literature is not required. Further, Sri Ramana Maharishi has said that he may have completed most of his sadhanas in his previous birth,  which has fructified in the current birth. This could apply to the saints, who do not seem to have read vedantic literature in their present birth. Sri Ramakrishna was almost an illiterate person, who also forgot how to sign his own name, though he did attend some schooling. His knowledge of Nirvikalpa Samadhi was through direct experience. He may also have finished all of his spiritual readings in an earlier birth and in this birth, that past reading may have speeded up the process of his self-realization. 
I think there is a saying in Sanskrit: to the effect: "One should always try to upgrade one's learning. Though it may not be beneficial in this birth, it is bound to be beneficial in a later births." This could apply to both secular and spiritual knowledge. We see so many child prodigies and some children have been recorded for their ability to recollect their past lives. The child prodigies may have completed their education in their previous lives and may have acquired success in retaining such learning through intense efforts, which fructify in a later birth. 

Namaskars once again, Ramesh Ramanan. 


     On Monday, 29 June 2015, 17:32, Vivek via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
   

 Hari Om,

Shankara says that only through self knowledge you can become enlightened and that puja, japa, selfless service, meditation etc can not enlighten you. They can purify you, make your mind calm and thin out your ego but not  give you liberation. 

At the same time there have been countless saints that attained liberation by doing long and intense mantra japa or other practices and it doesn't seem they studied Vedanta at all. 

This has created a conflict in my mind. 

Can someone shed some light on this?p

Many thanks,
Vivek


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