Antiquity of advaita vedanta (was : an open letter to all)

[nanda chandran]

>Ramana Maharshi has said that "GYAna and bhakti are one and the same."
>True bhakti IS knowledge of the Self.


Ramana is doing exactly the reverse of what the Vaishnava theologician did.
He is making jnAna out of bhakti.

But classic bhakti as taught by the bhakti schools of VedAnta is not this
and compulsarily involves duality. Also note Ramana's criticism of dualistic
bhakti in his, "Talks with RM".

>Shankara interprets most of the GItA verses on bhakti to the Ishvara
>(especially 18.66) as surrender to the Self.

>The VivekachuuDAmaNi defines bhakti as "seeking to know the Self."

>Not all bhakti is dual in nature; this is only bhakti of a lower form.
>Bhakti of a higher form is Atma vichAra. At the highest level, to the
>GYAnii, bhakti is the Self.

If bhakti is Atma VichAra, I've no argument.
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