Maanasa-yaatraa to the 12 Jyotirlinga's - Vaidyanath

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Fri, 26 Sep 1997, Govind Rengarajan wrote:

>         Gokarna is in Northwest Karnataka - if I am not mistaken,
>         between Honavar (where the river sharAvati meets the Arabian
>         sea) and Karwar.
>
>         govind rengarajan
>

Thanks for the info.  If you're familiar with the area, is there a
Vaidyanath Mahadev there?

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
I got engaged! See the pictures ==> http://www.braincells.com/jaldhar/sagpan
>From ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU Mon Sep 29 00:55:29 1997
Message-Id: <MON.29.SEP.1997.005529.0400.ADVAITAL at TAMU.EDU>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 00:55:29 -0400
Reply-To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM>
Subject: Re: Buddhism and the Self
Comments: To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
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On Fri, 26 Sep 1997, Greg Goode wrote:

> Martin's post seemed to be sort of an empirical collection of the way the
> term "Advaita" is used, probably mostly in the West.  Not prescriptive
> list, but a descriptive list. Just from the mere presence of this
> definition (2) in the list you can't justifiably conclude that he is or is
> not familiar with the traditional scriptures.  Definition (2) can be listed
> equally validly by someone familiar or ignorant.  He's not saying (I
> think!) that it's a TRUE definition, he's primarily saying it's in use.
>

Then I have no problem with it.  My objection is to the suggestion that
all four are valid definitions of Advaita.

> These non-scriptural definitions of Advaita really ARE in use (listing
> Martin's other two below, see [1], [2]).
>
> Whether or not these latter 3 definitions correspond with the traditional,
> historical definition (1), the term "Advaita" really IS used in these
> several ways.  And the word "Advaita" is gaining currency every day in the
> West, primarily in ways having NOTHING to do with the scriptures.  Right or
> wrong.  You can see this if you do a web search or check out some American
> or British bookshops.  Or check the mushy health/holistic/new-age
> catalogues.  There are more and more teachers (they say) of "Advaita" on
> the road all the time.  Just this Fall/Winter here in the New York City
> area, there will be a total of 6 visits from these teachers that I know
> about.  Such frequency has never happened before here.
>

You're perfectly right.  These other definitions of Advaita are in wide
use.  But a thing doesn't become true just because a lot of people think
it should be.

I also think you're right that those type of views are spreading widely.
But I think there is movement in the opposite direction too.  If my Father
had wanted to study when he emigrated to the West in the '60s it would
have been impossible.  For me it was rather difficult.  I'm confident that
my future children will be able to get an education that will make them
the equal of anyone in India.  More educated traditionalists will make it
harder on the sillier claims.  It's been my observation that most of the
foreigners actually have a very superficial interest in Vedanta.  They are
are attracted by its exotic nature.  Will they still be interested when
its the religion of doctors, and lawyers, and computer programmers instead
of mystical sages of the East?  It's much easier to believe in aliens
riding comets or Egyptian Pharoahs reincarnating in middle-aged
housewives.  At least Pharoahs don't argue or insist on logic and morality! :-)

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
I got engaged! See the pictures ==> http://www.braincells.com/jaldhar/sagpan