CELIBACY

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

> From: Ken Stuart <kstuart at mail.telis.org>
> To: Multiple recipients of list ADVAITA-L <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
> Subject: Re: CELIBACY
> Date: Saturday, November 23, 1996 12:20 PM
>
> Hello,
>
> On Fri, 22 Nov 1996 15:11:01 -0500, "Jaldhar H. Vyas"
> <jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM> wrote:
>
> >On Fri, 22 Nov 1996, Ken Stuart wrote:
> >
> >> Thanks for the advice, but I think I will stick to the path that my
> >> guru has set out for me....
> >>
> >
> >If you wish.  But remember blind faith in a guru is as bad as blind
faith
> >in anything else.  If your guru is deviating from the tenets of Advaita
> >maybe you need a better one.
>
> Shankara states in the Vivekachudamani:
>
> (32) Others maintain that the inquiry into the truth of one's own Self
> is devotion.  The inquirer about the truth of the Atman who is
> possessed of the above-mentioned means of attainment should approach a
> wise preceptor who confers emanciaption from bondage.
>
> (33) Who is versed in the Vedas, sinless, unsmitten by desire and a
> knower of Brahman par excellence, who was withdrawn himself into
> Brahman; who is calm, like fire that has consumed its fuel, who is a
> boundless reservoir of mercy that knows no reason, and a friend of all
> good people who prostrate themselves before him.
>
> (34) Worshipping that Guru with devotion, and approaching him, when he
> is pleased with prostration, humility and service, (he) should ask him
> what he has got to know:
>
> (35) "O Master, O friend of those that bow to thee, thou ocean of
> mercy, I bow to thee; save me, fallen as I am into this sea of birth
> and death, with a straight-forward glance of thine eye, which sheds
> nectar-like grace supreme."
>

It is fitting that you quote the Viveka Chudamani because viveka is exactly
what I'm exhorting you to develop.  The list of qualities are mentioned so
you can compare them to your gurus and see if they match.  If your guru is
saying celibacy is optional you can scratch of "versed in the Vedas" for a
start.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas [jaldhar at braincells.com]   And the men .-_|\ who hold
Consolidated Braincells Inc.                          /     \
http://www.braincells.com/jaldhar/ -)~~~~~~~~  Perth->*.--._/  o-
"Witty quote" - Dead Guy   /\/\/\ _ _ ___ _  _ Amboy       v      McQ!

>From  Mon Nov 25 08:52:37 1996
Message-Id: <MON.25.NOV.1996.085237.GMT.>
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 08:52:37 GMT
Reply-To: kstuart at mail.telis.org
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Ken Stuart <kstuart at MAIL.TELIS.ORG>
Subject: Re: CELIBACY
Comments: To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <199611250729.CAA02584 at cancerous.braincells.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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Hello,

On Mon, 25 Nov 1996 14:07:55 -0500, "Jaldhar H. Vyas"
<jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM> wrote:

>> From: Ken Stuart <kstuart at mail.telis.org>
>> To: Multiple recipients of list ADVAITA-L <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
>> Subject: Re: CELIBACY
>> Date: Saturday, November 23, 1996 12:20 PM
>>
>> Hello,
>>
>> On Fri, 22 Nov 1996 15:11:01 -0500, "Jaldhar H. Vyas"
>> <jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM> wrote:
>>
>> >On Fri, 22 Nov 1996, Ken Stuart wrote:
>> >
>> >> Thanks for the advice, but I think I will stick to the path that my
>> >> guru has set out for me....
>> >>
>> >
>> >If you wish.  But remember blind faith in a guru is as bad as blind
>faith
>> >in anything else.  If your guru is deviating from the tenets of Advaita
>> >maybe you need a better one.
>>
>> Shankara states in the Vivekachudamani:
>>
>> (32) Others maintain that the inquiry into the truth of one's own Self
>> is devotion.  The inquirer about the truth of the Atman who is
>> possessed of the above-mentioned means of attainment should approach a
>> wise preceptor who confers emanciaption from bondage.
>>
>> (33) Who is versed in the Vedas, sinless, unsmitten by desire and a
>> knower of Brahman par excellence, who was withdrawn himself into
>> Brahman; who is calm, like fire that has consumed its fuel, who is a
>> boundless reservoir of mercy that knows no reason, and a friend of all
>> good people who prostrate themselves before him.
>>
>> (34) Worshipping that Guru with devotion, and approaching him, when he
>> is pleased with prostration, humility and service, (he) should ask him
>> what he has got to know:
>>
>> (35) "O Master, O friend of those that bow to thee, thou ocean of
>> mercy, I bow to thee; save me, fallen as I am into this sea of birth
>> and death, with a straight-forward glance of thine eye, which sheds
>> nectar-like grace supreme."
>>
>
>It is fitting that you quote the Viveka Chudamani because viveka is exactly
>what I'm exhorting you to develop.  The list of qualities are mentioned so
>you can compare them to your gurus and see if they match.  If your guru is
>saying celibacy is optional you can scratch of "versed in the Vedas" for a
>start.

Optional for what?

PS If I need to talk to Jehovah's Witnesses, their local headquarters
are just down the street....


Namaskar,

Ken

kstuart at mail.telis.org