Buddhism and Self

[anand_hudli at BMC.BOEHRINGER-MANNHEIM.COM]

>I would really like to get in touch with a representative of the living
>lineage of Shankaracharya in the U.S.  In bookstores and catalogues I don't
>see any books written by anyone that I can tell to be from this lineage.
>Where are the contemporaries?  Other than the excellent multi-volume
>collection edited in London by (I think the first name is Allan) Alston, and
>some SUNY publications, I see no books in English on Shankaracharya or his
>works.

>Any ideas?

   In Shankara's tradition, the advaitic teachings are precisely those of
   the upanishads. These are traditionally learnt after training in the
   Vedas. That is why you don't see anybody from Shankara's lineage giving
   a crash course on, say the Chhaandogya upanishad. Now, they may give
   lectures on the upanishads in a public forum, but such lectures cannot
   be a substitute for actual training.

   It is relatively easy to find a qualified guru in India, but not so in
   the West. I know of one person, Dr. Yegnasubramanian in NY/New Jersey who
   conducts Vedic training there. He may also be teaching the upanishads.
   He is obviously not a renunciate, but he has received his own training
   from other guru's associated with the Sringeri Math, the best
   place in the world that maintains Shankara's tradition today.

   A large number of explanatory treatises have been written by Shankara
   and his followers over the centuries. This literature, apart from the
   polemical literature and the commentaries, is vast, but most of it
   remains to be translated _well_. There are some gems such as the
   Viveka chuuDaamaNi (The Crest Jewel of Discrimination) which do have
   a few good translations, not necessarily done by Shankara's followers.
   One notable translation is that of the commentary of the late
   Shri Chandrasekhara Bharati, a Swami of the Sringeri Math, on the
   Viveka chuuDaamaNi.
   This is available in many university libraries in the US.
   Many of Shankara's explanatory works have been translated into English
   by followers of Ramakrishna and the Chinmaya Mission. Reading these
   translations would be a good start, although one should be wary about
   some translations.

   Perhaps the best way to be gently introduced to Shankara's school
   today is to read the magazine tattvaaloka which has been directly
   blessed by the Sringeri Sharada Peetha. Subscription details are
   available at Vidyasankar's web page on advaita.


   In a traditional setting, there is no need for written translations.
   The Guru explains the Sanskrit original, typically in Sanskrit itself.
   This assumes of course that the students are conversant in the
   language. But it is not uncommon for Gurus to explain in the local
   language.

   The entire collection of Shankara's writings has been published in
   the original twice - first by Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, and again
   by Samata press. These are also available in large university
   libraries in the US.

   Anand