Jnana and Bhakti

[H. Balasubramanian]

Dear SVS,
wisdom comes from disillusionment.  Jnana from Akjnana.  When we realise that we are ignorant of truth, we aspire for realising the truth.  "THAMOSOMA JYOTHIR GAMAYA".
with best wishes,
H.B.
from India

----- Original Message -----
From: S. V. Subrahmanian
Sent: 26 January 2002 01:58
To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
Subject: Re: Jnana and Bhakti

> Since I am not a well read person and quite an illiterate on these matters,

You should not say such things.  You are venerable person and I always look
forward to your postings to learn a little or motivate myself a little by the
devotion you exude in your mails.  I am grateful for that.

> This should even follow from pure logic. If sannyAsa is not adopted one's
> integrity would be under question. After all there cannot be so much gap
> between what one says and what one does. This is my 2c.

It is quite possible that it is mentioned in 1000 places and I am not aware of
it.  You see, the thing in Vedanta is that there is nothing to be done, only to
be understood.  To understand such that the thought rests firmly in our mind,
we should be convinced not because we intuitively feel so, but because it is
so.  How do we confirm that we are correct?  We have to look to some
independent authority right?  So I asked for a quote, please don't get me
wrong.

I was a bundle of wrong understanding.  I am slowly clearing the cobwebs and I
am trying to understand everything in its own right.  I had built castles
around myths and fanciful theories and wasted a lot of my time.  If I can
prevent others from going thru this agony, I would consider having done
something good for the society.

Also I was not comfortable about your statement that "karma and jnAna are
antagonistic with each other".  Frankly I disagree with it based on my current
level of understanding.  I did not post it for fear of being branded
"nit-picking".  My understanding is:

karma and jnAna are NOT antagonistic, just that karma has NO IMPACT on jnAna.
jnAna's opposite is avidya or ignorance not karma.  W.r.t jnAna, karma is jaDa
and hence useless.  I can spend one post on what I know, if you permit me.
Don't worry it won't be new-age.  It is very much traditional view point. I
defered because I didn't want to hurt your noble sentiments after my postings
on this list on the advice you had given about "living abroad".


=====
Regards,
SVS.

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