[Advaita-l] An anecdote

[Belavadi Shankar]

Thank you. Very well explained


On Sun, Apr 1, 2018 at 3:25 AM, Ryan Armstrong via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Dear Sreenivasa Murthy
> Thank you for a beautiful anecdote - one to which there is an affinity.
> This could be the fundamental point - who do I BELIEVE that I am.
> The sruti says:
> अहं ब्रह्मास्मि - I am Brahman
> This I know, because I have read and ingested this information.
> But in saying "I know" in this way, I have betrayed my belief that I am the
> person who knows, and my lack of belief that "I am Brahman"
>
> The English word "Knowledge" is used to translate both the Sanskrit roots
> vid and jnaa.
> Vid conveys the type of knowledge that can be learned, but jnaa seems to me
> to be more of the type of knowledge which I would describe as:
> "That which, in the present moment, enters the being through the senses and
> provides all required information about that moment, in that situation, at
> that time"
> This is direct knowledge and is brought about by the manas performing the
> solitary duty of presenting the appearance of sense-objects via the senses
> to the buddhi.
> Usually it wanders - I have experienced its contemplation of how "holy I
> can become" while studying scriptures - which prohibits the correct
> functioning of mind, and thus gives a distorted view of reality.
> In the Chandogya Upanishad, Uddalaka asks his son who had learned all of
> the Veda over 12 years:
> येनाश्रुतꣳ श्रुतं भवत्यमतं मतमविज्ञातं विज्ञातमिति
> By what does the unheard become heard, the unthought become thought, the
> unknown become known?
> When Shvetaketu does not have an answer, he requests instruction.
> After not only the high instruction of his father, but also after the
> practice of austerities directed by his father he is told the words :
> तत्त्वमसि - that thou art.
> In his honesty, he says "Please instruct me again O Blessed one"
> This goes on a few times, each time Uddalaka presents an allegory and each
> ends with the statement:
> स य एषोऽणिमैतदात्म्यमिदꣳ सर्वं तत्सत्यꣳ स आत्मा तत्त्वमसि
> That which is this subtle essence, all this has got That as its Self. That
> is the Truth. That is the Self. That thou art!
> Finally, within himself, he understands - he knows who is is.
> Not a mental concept form of knowledge, but the direct realisation of his
> own nature - and the nature of all that is presented by the senses in every
> moment.
>
> This knowledge is not achieved through learning, but by the stilling of the
> mind.
> This cannot be achieved by anything, since it is already fully complete.
> It is what you already are...
>
> ॐ तत् सत्
> Ryan
>
> On 31 March 2018 at 16:48, sreenivasa murthy via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > Dear friends,Pranams to you all.
> >    Please permit me to share a very interesting anecdote .
> >
> > Quote; " I actually had some guy thatcame to my meeting one time, he came
> > and he said, “I’ve been into Vedanta forthirty years. I know everything.
> > I’ve read everything. I’ve studied everything.I don’t need anymore
> > knowledge.” He said, “I seem to be missing one littlepoint, a little
> > something.” He says, “It’slike I know everything about it. I just don’t
> > know what it is.”            [John Wheeler : Transcriptions]
> > Unquote.What is the reason for such a situation?
> >
> > With respectful namaskars,Sreenivasa Murthy
> >
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>
>
> --
> Regards
>
> Ryan Armstrong
> +27 82 852 7787
> ryanarm at gmail.com
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