Nature of Consciousness

[Parisi & Watson]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ramakrishnan Balasubramanian <ramakris at EROLS.COM>
To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
<ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
Date: Saturday, July 24, 1999 11:42 AM
Subject: Re: Nature of Consciousness


<snip>
>There is the question of whether the teachings in a mosque, etc agrees
>with universal experience as advaita vedAnta does (in my opinion at
>any rate).

So now you are admitting that there is some checking of the veracity of
Vedanta outside the Vedas themselves?

>So I take it you'ld also support the views of the poor
>ignoramuses who killed themselves hoping that they'd be taken to
>salvation by a flying saucer (sorry I don't remember the name of this
>group, but it is difficult to keep track of all these lunatics)? Let
>me  start a new system tomorrow stating that salvation is achieved by
>repeatedly banging one's head against a wall. I presume you'll admit
>that as "another path to truth"? :-). My intention is not to be
>sarcastic, but to point out that the line you draw is quite arbitrary.


That was Heaven's Gate. No, I'm inclined just to forget the whole thing, and
return to my Western roots in what we call, for lack of a better term,
scientific materialism. IMHO it has the best fit to our experience with the
greatest economy of assumptions. After the current lively discussion dies
down, I'll withdraw from the list and pursue other avenues.

>There is another important difference between conservatives in
>synagogues, etc and advaita vedAntins. The latter say that purity of
>mind is a prerequisite to GYAna and that can be certainly achieved in
>a variety of different ways and religions. Thus, true followers of the
>veda do not go and harass people of other religions. The old text sUta
>sa.nhitA makes this quite clear.


I respect that quality deeply. However I would respect even more deeply an
admission that, while they may contribute greatly to the wisdom of mankind,
the Vedas do not necessarily include all possible wisdom, and could even
contain some errors. You have made it abundantly clear that this is asking
too much.

Robert.