message to my friends

f. maiello egodust at DIGITAL.NET
Thu Aug 6 10:50:34 CDT 1998


Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:
> As for Ramana, looking back on the last 20 or so messages I don't
> see him being invoked to support the idea that physical sannyasa
> isn't needed.  And I also note that he was a sannyasi himself.
>

There are at least two dozen references where Bhagavan RM supports
mental over physical sannyasa.  Here are a few:

Q. "Is it necessary to take sannyasa in order to attain moksha?"
A. "Sannyasa means renouncing one's individuality, not shaving
one's head and putting on ochre robes."  --Talks with RM, p.427

A. "Why should your occupations or duties of life interefere with
your spiritual effort?  ... Nothing that the body does should shake
you from abidance in the Self."  --Day by Day with Bhagavan, p211

A. "Renunciation is always in the mind, not in going to forests or
solitary places or giving up one's duties.  The main thing is to see
that the mind does not turn outward but inward. It does not really
rest with a man whether he goes to this place or that or whether he
gives up his duties or not.  All that happens according to destiny.
All the activities that the body is to go through are determined
when it first comes into existence.  It does not rest with you to
accept or reject them.  The only freedom you have is to turn your
mind inward and renounce activities there."  --Day by Day with
Bhagavan, p211

Concerning Bhagavan RM's sannyas:

Q. "Why then did you leave home in your youth?"
A. "That was my prarabdha.  One's course of conduct in this life
is determined by one's prarabdha.  My prarabdha lies this way,
yours lies that way."  Talks p251


> >  And this is only one example of many.  So that,
> > the whole idea of using such quotes is based on who the
> > listener is inclined to lend credence to.  So we're back
> > to square one again.
> >
>
> No we are not.  Because again I remind you this list is for Advaita
> Vedanta as taught by Shankaracharya.  This is who we are inclined to
> give credence to.

It's apparent that most of the List members actively posting also give
credence to Bhagavan Sri Ramana.

Thus my point of contention remains quite in tact.

namaste



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