Practical Vedanta

[Vaidya Sundaram]

On May 10 1999 Sunder Hattangadi wrote:

> Truly speaking, the only one 'qualified' to study vedanta is one who has
> been initiated into the 'brahma vAkya' by a sadguru.
>
> As I do not fall into this category, I shall gladly stay silent.

namaskAram.
 I see a catch 22 situation here. When will the guru initiate me into the "mahA
vAkya"'s? Only when i am ready and fit to receive it. That is when, the spark of
the Guru's words can itself light the fire and jnAna shines etc etc. But how do
i make myself fit? One very common answer is - do your karma correctly, it will
purify you ... while this is absolutely true, if not for a study of vedanta, it
is very easy to lose track of the purpose of karma (which is only to purify the
jivA,) and get entangled in karma.  Getting entagled in karma is where we are
already and we want to remove it. but do be fit to study vedanta and get the
bigger picture, we have to cleanse ourselves of the karmic influences by karma
itself - and then the initiation into the mahA vAkya's will happen ... but if
vedata is not seen as the end of karma, we cannot realistically expect to be
detached from our action and all that ... see my point?

 and while most of us in this list do not have a personal Guru whom we "report
to" and who takes it upon Himself to lead us, we still embark on the study of
vedanta. If we were not qualified in the first place, since we are expected to
do karma, which we probably dont in it's entirety, we would be commiting a sin
by studying a "forbidden" topic ... that is not a very comforting thought I
might add!!

 the only resolution I see to this catch 22 situation is if we abondon the basic
premise that there is a qualification for the study of vedanta  -  to be
initiated into it by a guru who teaches the mahA vAkya's ...

 I hope members will find time to address this aspect of the topic also.

bhava shankara desikame sharaNam
Vaidya.