New member: Intro

[Ravisankar S. Mayavaram]

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Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 00:43:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Raju100 at aol.com
To: aum at unix.tamu.edu
Subject: Re: ADVAITA-L: Raju100 at AOL.COM requested to join

Namaste.
Thank you for your response. I am really looking to associate with Sadhak of
Vedanta. I am interested in Advait Vedanta, I am very fascinated of the
philosophy of Yoga Basistha, It is one of my fevrate reading from sevrall
years. I also like to read about other scripture like Bhagbatam, Astra Bakra
Geeta, Guru Sankaracharya's teachings here and there have really encouraged
me in Advaita Vedanta. I like to read Bhagbat Geeta & Tulsi Ramayana. I have
respect & honour to all Masters of Advaita & Dwaita. I hope you will help me
to associate with your group of Sadhak. Thankyou.
Raju Chhatry.
>From gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca Fri Jun 13 11:02:45 1997
Message-Id: <FRI.13.JUN.1997.110245.0230.GMURTHY at MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA>
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 11:02:45 -0230
Reply-To: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at morgan.ucs.mun.ca>
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA>
Subject: Isha upanishhad
Comments: To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.SOL.3.91.970606101959.21961C-100000 at scully.tamu.edu>
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I am presently going through Isha upanishhad. I find this an easier one
to comprehend than the longer ones (e.g. Katha, Chandogya etc). May be
studying the others made it easier for me to comprehend this. The verses
are as much full of weight and deep thought as the other upanishhads, and
simpler to grasp. I hope to bring forward in the next few weeks some
points for clarification, comments and discussion by the members of the
List.

verse 1 states:

Ishaavaasyamidam sarvam yat kimca jagatyaam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjiithaa maa gr^dhah kasyasvid dhanam

Whatever there is changeful in this changing world is enveloped by the
God. Therefore, by renunciation, find your enjoyment; do not covet the
wealth that belongs to others.

[translation similar to S. Radhakrishnan "Principal upanishhads" and Swami
Ranganathananda "The message of the upanishhads"]

tena tyaktena bhunjiithaa: by renunciation, enjoy

Radhakrishnan (and Ranganathananda also) interprets this as enjoy the
world by renunciation. (my emphasis on the word world here). I differ on
^^^^^
the object of this enjoyment and ask for views of members.
I feel: enjoyment here refers to bliss in sat-chit-ananda. World is what
we grasp through sense organs and enjoying the world is a sensual
enjoyment. The upanishhad is referring to sat-chit-ananda, beyond the
enjoyment of the world. Enjoyment of the world has an opposite attached
to it. Sat-chit-ananda, the bliss has no opposite and that is what the
upanishhad refers to.

"maa gr^dhah kasya svid dhanam": Do not covet the wealth of another.
Who is another here ? The only one that is there is the ultimate Reality,
the Brahman. By saying "Do not covet the wealth of another", is the
message from the upanishhad getting diluted, by referring to more worldly
matters ?

verse 2 says:

kurvanneveha karmaaNi jijiivishhet shatam samaah
evam tvayi naanyatheto'sti na karma lipyate nare

In this world, one should desire to live a hundred years, but only
by performing actions. Thus, and in no other way, can man be free
from the taint of actions.

[Translation from Ranganathananda "Message of the upanishhads]

I find the verse 2 to be beautiful and imprints a positive approach
to life. My understanding of this is as follows:
Renunciation (mentioned in verse 1) is not in-action. Because of the
embodiment, humans cannot escape performing actions, whether he/she is
a grihastha or a sannyasi. This verse says: wish to live 100 years by
performing actions. Recognize that you are not performing any ACTION.
Paramatma (you) are actionless. The embodied soul is performing the
actions. If the embodied soul recognizes that the actions it performs
are not actions at all, but are part of a universal set-up, then you
are free from the taint or karma of these actions.

The human can also view this action as service to the Lord, but then
one is seeing duality, a difference between the Lord and the embodied
soul. The embodied soul, while it is doing the actions, is still not
doing the actions.

I find the understanding of this verse (and also the subsequent verses)
in this upanishhad most exhilarating.

This may be argued, at the vyavaharika level, that the human is free to
do anything, because they are not his/her actions, and hence can resort
to any crime. But, that is a false argument (like the horse's argument
in Newton's third law that it cannot pull the cart because of the
reaction pull by the cart). Any action performed with the full knowledge
and a sincere understanding that I am paramatma would lead to no karma
("such jeeva will not be touched by the taint of actions").

A full appreciation of this verse is the whole gist of bhagavad-gita.

Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yadaa sarve pramucyante kaamaa ye'sya hr^di shritaah
atha martyo'mr^to bhavatyatra brahma samashnute   Katha Upanishhad II.3.14

When all the desires that dwell in the heart fall away, then the mortal
becomes immortal, and attains Brahman even here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU Mon Jun 16 10:27:26 1997
Message-Id: <MON.16.JUN.1997.102726.0500.ADVAITAL at TAMU.EDU>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 10:27:26 -0500
Reply-To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam <pkanagar at RSL.UKANS.EDU>
Subject: Sankaracharya movie
Comments: To: advaita-l at tamu.edu
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Namaste!

I was wondering if anybody on the list knows where I could get hold of the
movie on Sankaracharya's life.

Thank you.

Pannir

*******************************************************
  Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam
  E-mail: pkanagar at rsl.ukans.edu
  Homepage: http://www.rsl.ukans.edu/~pkanagar/
  Support the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
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>From  Mon Jun 16 11:56:44 1997
Message-Id: <MON.16.JUN.1997.115644.0500.>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 11:56:44 -0500
Reply-To: shashi at TAMU.EDU
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Shashidhar Rajamani <rajamani at EE.TAMU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Sankaracharya movie
Comments: To: ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU
In-Reply-To: <Pine.OSF.3.95.970616102042.19151A-100000 at blizzard> from
        "Pannirselvam Kanagaratnam" at Jun 16, 97 10:27:26 am
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Hi,
  There is a movie called "Adi Shankaracharya" made by G.V. Iyer. Was the
first Sanskrit movie ever made. However, i dont know where one could get hold
of its cassette. Maybe you could ask someone in India to find out.
Doordarshan had screened it a few years back.

I would appreciate it, if you could send me any information that you came
across regarding this.

Thank you,
shashi.
--
Shashidhar Rajamani
504 B First Street
College Station
TX 77840
Phone (Home) : (409) 846-2733
email : shashi at tamu.edu

>From  Mon Jun 16 13:46:08 1997
Message-Id: <MON.16.JUN.1997.134608.0700.>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 13:46:08 -0700
Reply-To: snath at us.oracle.com
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: "SNATH.US.ORACLE.COM" <SNATH at US.ORACLE.COM>
Subject: Re: Sankaracharya movie
Comments: To: advaita-l at tamu.edu
Comments: cc: rajamani at eesun2.tamu.edu, advaita-l at tamu.edu
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Here is a copy of an email describing how to order the Sankaracharya movie
that was sent on the sanskrit-digest mailing list sometime ago. I had called
up the store and ordered the Sankarcharya movie and some others.  The print
was very acceptable.

Pranam,
Sanjivendra.

Dear Friends,

My family recently ordered some Kannada movies from a store in New York.
 We ordered a movie called Sankaracharya, and when we received the
movies, I had no idea that this Sankaracharya movie was going to be
anything out of the ordinary.  However, to my great excitement, this
movie was the G.V Iyer Sanskrit film that many people on the Sanskrit
list were inquiring about some months ago.  This movie is truly a gem,
and it has English subtitles that are very well done.  This film is a
'must-watch' for all Sanskrit lovers.
To order this movie, you can call (718) 539-7454.  This address is in
Flushing, New York, and it is on the "S.R Kannada Movie List."

Ranganath


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Sanjivendra Nath

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