Adhyaatmic significance of navaraatri

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

>
> p.s. this email has nothing to do with navratri and nothing at all to do
> with Advaita as taught by Shri Adi Shankara. However, it does reflect my
> assessment/opinion of the state of the very tradition we are trying to
> preserve by participating in this list. If any member feels this should be
> taken off line i.e. through private emails, please let me know and I will do
> so.

Sometimes people ask why if this an Advaita Vedanta list there s so much
discussion of karmakanda?  Aren't Advaitins supposed to be "beyond" that
sort of thing?

Well yes.  If one is 100% convinced of the truth of non-duality, then no
karma can bind him.  But karma doesn't just mean "religious" activity but
_all_ activity.  It's very easy to renounce goat sacrifice but to renounce
family?  money?  Email?  That's when see the difference between those who
just engage in rhetoric and those who are for real.  For those who are
unwilling/unable to take sannyasa, the shastras recommend karma yoga.  One
should perform all the obligations laid down by the shastras not for
personal gain but as an offering to Bhagawan.  This will over time make
you fit for vairagya.

So karmakanda is not foreign to Advaita Vedanta but an integral part of it
for 995 of the sadhakas.  Thus the leaderss and thinkers of the Advaita
sampradaya have always vigorously supported study of the karma and jnana
kands.

As for whether these traditions are living or dying in a particular place,
that's entirely up to us isn't it?  If through my posts to this list I
have increased the enthusiasm of even one person to learn more, I will
consider the time well spent.


--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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