devotion vs. knowledge

[M & E Shearn]

At 08:16 PM 6/3/96 -0400, you wrote:
>At 07:19 PM 6/3/96 -0400, Michael Cohen wrote:
>
>>If I may, a general question addressed to the forum:
>>
>>When seeking to locate authority concerning the precepts of advaita, to
>>whom should appeal ultimately be directed? If we seek to understand the
>>relationship between jnana and bhakti, it seems scriptural sources are the
>>resort of choice. If we seek interpretation of the scriptures relating to
>>advaita, is not Samkara the voice accepted as most authoritative by virtue
>>of sampradaya or the succession of teaching lineage?
>
>
>IAN: What is the "authority" in the scriptures? I say this authority
>is truth. As such, the only authority in the scriptures is the truth
>in the scriptures. If we can show that scriptural statement X is
>true, then and only then does statement X poses authority.
>
>If truth is the measure of authority, then all statements that are
>true have authority regardless of their inclusion or exclusion
>from some set of written documents defined as "scripture."
>
>The only other definition of authority I can see as being applied to
>scripture is the "authority" of tradition and thus of established
>social pattern. Established social patterns are what dreams are
>made of. The social pattern is the pattern of the mind. The
>mind of each person, all of its emotions, are but links
>to the social mind via which commands for action and
>social station are distributed. Each feature of each
>mind is but a feature in a vast social signalling
>network -- a network which contains no separate
>self.
>
>The truth beyond the mind, is beyond the mind.
>
>At least that's what this unit reports.
>
>
>
l
>
   Namaskar,
my new friend.
who is it that
forms these amazing thoughts?
who is seeing authority and social
mind-stuff? Who thinks and percieves
this vast and profound info? How does
this unit know, what is beyond it?
in him
wonder, wonderer, wondering
ej
in Him
love
e.j.