[Advaita-l] New topic for Discussion - Religion vs Spirituality

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Ryan - PraNAms

Interesting view point. Thanks for sharing your ideas in terms of the role of a Guru and Vedanta.

Hari Om!
Sada
--------------------------------------------
On Wed, 3/23/16, Ryan Armstrong <ryanarm at gmail.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] New topic for Discussion - Religion vs Spirituality
 To: "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>, "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 Cc: "yahoogroups" <advaitin at yahoogroups.com>
 Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 4:51 AM
 
 PraNams
 
 The second question is
 more easily answered - Yes!
 For the
 simple reason that the guru has shed all ignorance and
 speaks as the Lord.
 He (She) is a
 direct contact with the Supreme.
 
 For the first question, I can certainly
 say that the Vedanta is the purest expression of Truth
 available to us.
 I
  have come across other teachings which advance the advaita
 concepts - 
 Plato for instance - but these traditions do not have the
 unbroken line 
 of Masters which Advaita Vedanta has.
 Plato used a technique called
 "dialectic" which is a form of question and
 answer.
 The
  simple rules are that absolute honesty is required and that
 one should 
 never be attached to a position but rather be grateful when
 an erroneous
  idea is pointed out.
 Plato's
 teacher, Socrates was famous for his humility in this
 respect.
 The technique allows the
 mind to fall still and the Spirit to shine forth and I have
 had the experience of Unity when practicing it.
 
 Another tradition is
 that of Lao Tzu. The Dao De Ching is again an expression of
 Truth - I quote the beginning form memory (so please excuse
 any errors):
 "The Dao which can
 be spoken is not the True Dao; The name which can be named
 is not the Eternal Name."
 
 As I said in the previous post, Christ
 taught advaita and this is most evident in the "Gospel
 according to Thomas" which is one of the famous
 "Dead Sea Scrolls" and not included in the Bible.
 (Originally there were over 20 Gospels, but only 4 were
 chosen when the "official" New Testament was
 compiled.  This, in my opinion, is an example of politics
 interfering with religion)
 
 Having said all that, it may be possible
 to achieve Realization without the Vedanta.
 After all, the one Self only exists and
 we all have Him as our essence regardless of tradition.
 But the statement of Truth in the
 Upanishads coupled with the vehicle of Sanskrit makes the
 Vedanta (in my opinion) supreme amongst all Scripture.
 
 Yours in Truth
 Ryan
 
 On 23 March 2016 at 10:22,
 kuntimaddi sadananda via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 wrote:
 
 
 Ryan - PraNAms
 
 
 
 Thanks for sharing your wisdom. You have made very good
 points. You mentioned that advaita was the original teaching
 all the religions that have old testament as starting
 point.
 
 
 
 Now just a question, since you are member of this list, do
 you think 1. Vedanta is required for a seeker for
 self-realization 2. Does one need a guru or teacher.
 
 
 
 Hari Om!
 
 Sada
 
 
 
 --------------------------------------------
 
 On Wed, 3/23/16, Ryan Armstrong <ryanarm at gmail.com>
 wrote:
 
 
 
  Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] New topic for Discussion -
 Religion vs Spirituality
 
  To: "kuntimaddi sadananda" <kuntimaddisada at yahoo.com>,
 "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 
  Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 2:35 AM
 
 
 
  namaste Sadaji
 
 
 
  I think that there is a large difference
 
  between the two.
 
  In brief:
 
  Religion is about ritual and the
 
  organization and regulation of social affairs.
 
  Spirituality is turning the attention to Truth
 
  and allowing the paramaatman to manifest without
 
  ego-interference.
 
 
 
  Having grown up in the Catholic
 
  tradition, I found that it offers paths to
 spirituality. 
 
  But these are often hidden in the practices.
 
  One of the problems with the
 
  Christian tradition is that even through Christ taught
 
  advaita, when the religion was organized (centuries
 after
 
  his death), it became politicized.
 
  Christianity and Islam are both
 
  grounded in the Judaism - they share the Scripture
 called
 
  the "Old Testament."
 
  But interpretation and practice have
 
  led to divergent paths.
 
 
 
  In Genesis, the first book of the
 
  Old Testament, there is the scene of Adam and Eve in
 the
 
  Garden of Eden.
 
  They are told not
 
  to eat of the fruit of the tree of "knowledge of
 good
 
  and evil".
 
  In Religion, the
 
  interpretation is geared towards what is good and what
 is
 
  evil.
 
  In Spirit, this is a
 
  statement of the movement from unity (advaita) to
 plurality
 
  - dualism.
 
  Good and Evil is the
 
  first duality.  Before that, Adam and Eve knew only of
 the
 
  One.
 
  By eating the fruit they
 
  gained the "knowledge" of duality and hence
 were
 
  "driven out of paradise".
 
 
 
  I believe that religion has a place
 
  - it allows for an order in society which would be
 chaotic
 
  otherwise.
 
  It also contains the
 
  seeds which can lead to Spirituality.
 
  Spirituality on the other hand is a
 
  more "personal" endeavour. 
 
  In
 
  my opinion, it is the direct experience of the One - and
 the
 
  constant striving to remove the impediments in the
 being
 
  which cling to the idea of being separate and
 individual.
 
 
 
  Yours in
 
  Truth
 
  Ryan
 
 
 
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 Regards
 
 Ryan Armstrong
 +27 82 852 7787
 ryanarm at gmail.com