New member Introduction: shrI S. Muruli

[Ravisankar S. Mayavaram]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1998 09:19:40 +0530
From: muruli <Muruli.S at blr.sni.de>
To: "Ravisankar S. Mayavaram" <msr at isc.tamu.edu>
Subject: Re:  Subscription

Namaskara

I am residing in India.  I am a Smartha Brahmin. My gothra is Kashyapa.
I am very interested in Indian Philosophy and the related issues.

Regards
Muruli

>From  Tue Sep  1 19:26:18 1998
Message-Id: <TUE.1.SEP.1998.192618.0400.>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1998 19:26:18 -0400
Reply-To: ramakris at erols.com
To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian <ramakris at EROLS.COM>
Subject: Re: message to my friends
Comments: To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
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Greg Goode wrote:

> Some more than others.  But even with different labels, how can the moon
> that they point to be more than one?  It can't.  If it is insisted that
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Why should it? Eg, both Ramana Maharshi and Aurobindo were pointing
towards the "moon". However, here is what someone who studied under both
of them says:

"This was the final blow that silenced all my doubts. I then destroyed
this letter, like all the rest. And because of all the discussions I had
had with Bhagavan I soon felt perfectly established in his teachings,
having a clear understanding of where the Maharshi's path and
Aurobindo's path diverged and
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
went different ways. When all the clouds of doubts and distractions
dispersed, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
so did our discussions."

Refer to http://www.rtanet.com/ramana/publish/mayjun95.htm

Inspite of the fact that Aurobindo and Ramana used the same vedas and
the same bhagavadgItA, their paths _DIVERGED_. So there is _no_ reason
why other religions must be pointing to the same "moon" as advaita.

> only one philosophy can take you "there" (and the one would be advaita
> vedanta as taught by Adi Shakara) then this is tantamount to saying that
> liberation/enlightenment/jnana has happened only to formal advaita vedantins.

Not sure about Jaldhar's view point. However, at least the teachers from
Sringeri do not hold the view point that GYAna can be obtained only by
formal advaita vedAntins. The sUta sa.nhitA says that all religions,
pUrva mImA.nsA to vedAnta and even buddhism and jainism have been given
by the merciful Ishvara to suit different people. Like leading a cow
with grass he will lead them to GYAna. I can give exact quotes if anyone
wants it. There is also a commentary on the sUta sa.nhitA by
mAdhavAchArya (14th century) who was connected to the Sringeri Matha.

However, the sUta sa.nhitA points out that vedAnta is the _direct_ path
since it teaches the advaita tattva. Whether you admit advaita is the
truth or not, it is only in the formal vedAnta that this non-dualism has
been explained in it's entirety. While we can point to stray phrases
from the Bible or the Koran, note that they are just that: stray
phrases.

Also our Acharyas, following the sUta sa.nhitA, advise _true_ respect
for all religions. This does not mean that we should claim that all
religions say exactly the same thing. Some one claimed here that
sacrficing goats by Muslims is a "bad aspect" of that religion. H.H.
Chandrashekhara bhAratI says "Who are you to judge other religions?". In
his opinion, a pious muslim who sacrifices goats on the correct days is
worthy of respect as a pious man. Telling him that sacrificing goats is
a "bad aspect" of his religion is the height of disrespect to him and
his religion. This is not advised by our AchAryas. Our Acharyas strongly
advise _against_ interfering in the practices of other religions and
trying to "convert" them to our point of view.

Rama