Can one realise the Brahman by intellect alone?

[Jagannath Chatterjee]

Dear Mr Floyd,

Namaskar.

No, I did not post the issue merely for the sake of
discussion. I had some genuine doubts which are in the
process of being cleared by the list members.

Mere scholarship or a sharp intellect may not be
sufficient for Self Realisation. As has been pointed
out in this discussion intellect can lead only that
far and the rest depends on God's grace. However self
effort is very vital. There is a saying, if one takes
one step towards God He takes ten steps towards you.
Self effort is that one step and Grace is the ten
steps.

Yes, I have read the book you have refered to. I read
it whenever I feel despondent. I agree with your
conclusion but here we must consider the fact that the
questions are directed to a personality no less than
Bhagawan Sri Ramana and also realise that the full
force of His grace is behind each answer He gives. It
is His grace and not our enquiry alone that shows the
way.

Yours sincerely

Jagannath.
--- Roger Floyd <Slowfork at AOL.COM> wrote:
> Dear Jagannath and friends
>
> I am a westerner and a newcomer to the list. However
> membership has begun to
> reveal to me the full extent and richness of  the
> vedic spiritual tradition
> which was not my birthright and I grow very sad.
>
> I was surprised by Jagannath's question. Perhaps he
> poses it mainly to
> provoke a discussion. That, of course, is not a bad
> thing. Anyway Sri Ramana
> Maharshi was very clear on this matter. His position
> is perhaps best
> encapsulated by his reply to a question put to him
> by a supplicant;
>
> Question:  I begin to ask myself, "Who am I?" I
> eliminate the body as not
> "I", the breath as not "I" and I am not able to
> proceed further.
>
> Reply: Well, that is as far as the intellect can go.
> Your process is only
> intellectual. Indeed all the scriptures mention the
> process only to guide the
> seeker to know the truth. The truth cannot be
> directly pointed out. Hence
> this intellectual process.
>
> My interpretation of this is that intellect may be
> useful to us in taking the
> first few steps down the road but it can never do
> more than that. In fact it
> may well become a hinderance. There are other
> statements of Sri Ramana
> Maharshi that I could quote that reinforce this view
> ( ref. "Be as you are:
> the Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (ed. by D
> Godman)). I am, of course,
> open to correction.
>
> May all beings find peace
>
> Roger Floyd


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