ADMIN: Re: no subject (fwd)

[sadananda]

>namaskAram
>
>shrI Ram Chandran wanted this to be forwarded to the list, as I
>referred to a line in this post.  I am posting this in the ADMIN
>category.
>
>As far as the LIST is concerned, advaita-vedanta is only what shankara
>taught and established, this view is cannot be altered.  Personally, I
>would like to remain silent on this issue. I have already said what I
>wanted to say.
>
>
>
>With respects,
>
>Ravi
>AUM namo nArAyaNAya

Namaskaaramas to everyone,

While I echo the sentiments of my good friend of Sri Ram Chandran,  I would
like to clarify my understanding of Advaita, a perspective from the one who
has been   brought up from the childhood in the folds of staunch
VishishhTaadvaitic tradition.

Advaita is not some tradition nor some religion.  It is the very essence of
the the life principle itself.  Traditional explanations have been
formulated and systematized by Bhagavan Sankara, but Advaita is not what
Shankara taught nor based on any concepts.

As we were discussing the other day in our Geeta class, where Ram Chandran
was deeply involved,  every pursuit in life aims for advaitic experience.
If one analyzes carefully all life pursuits as well as experiences, whether
advaitin or dvaitin, whether Hindu, Buddhist, or atheist what one is
seeking is only advaita. Life struggles go on as long as the desiree and
the desired object (seeker and sought) are separated or dwaita exists.  The
desire to realize itself is the ultimate struggle too.  In essence, advaita
encompasses all the struggles in life too - restricting to discussions to
advaita as taught by Sankara is only putting some artificial limits which
is neither necessary nor desirable.

Shankara has already discussed what need to be discussed in various books.
Discussions for us are meaningful only if we can relate to our
understanding from our perspective, since we all come from different
backgrounds.  This is only way we can learn from each other.  Advaita being
all encompassing, it is absolutely non-fanatical, one does not have to puts
limits, as they do in the Vaishnavisms or Shaivisms groups.  Unrelated
discussions to the essence of the topic slowly die down naturally and one
need not impose some restrictions on that. As Swami Vevekananda put it in
the end of his Chicago address --he says- we heard some jarring notes once
in a way - and I thank the discussers since by contrast the other
discussions are glorified.-

While I donot support Ravi Mayavaram restrictions to  FAQ to only Advaita
expounded by Shankara - discouraging free intellectual discussions,  I do
not unsubscribe from the list since I do learn from others postings. They
also force me to think.

I ask Sri Ram Chandran and Chandran Nanda to reconsider their decision to
quit since their discussions have been very stimulating.

Hari Om!
Sadananda


K. Sadananda
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Naval Research Laboratory
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