Concept of personal God and Advaita

[Stephanie Stean]

Dear SVS:

Nothing new to add.  I agree with your comments.

However, I use the term experience in the sense of "participation in" versus
"sensory or cognitive perception of."

> Realization is not an "experience" in the normal usage of the word - unless
>> All experiences "I am tall", "I am a hero", "I am hungry", "I worship", "I
> love God" - all are possible only because of the awareness that makes these
> experiences known.  Advaita is a quest for that awareness.
>

One cannot stumble upon oneself, because there is no self to stumble upon.
If we stumble, we do so on false notions of ourselves and of reality.

I thought, according to advaita, the Self is always there, so we cannot
really stumble upon it.  As you said, one becomes aware of its existence,
correct?   Like your comment below.

> but a realization of that which has always been existing.


I don't believe a Guru is always necessary.  Some people are born with
"awareness."

I worry about saying that scriptures and gurus are necessary (and by
necessary I mean that awareness is impossible without them), since that
seems to create another false reality.  Anytime we say "this is necessary
for that," we put curtains up around ourselves blocking out knowledge.
We surround ourselves with further constructions, no matter what faith or
philosophy  we are talking about and that can prevent us from Seeing.

Does that mean that scriptures are unimportant.  No of course not.  They are
a vital part of this process.  But to not acknowledge the differences within
ourselves and instead outline a controlled path for people to follow, is not
seeing truth and reality as it is.  That we are all different and take
different paths to Truth.  Hence, the multiplicity in the One.


Thank you.

Stephanie

> Regarding your comments about the need for scriptures, I have the following
> to say:
>
> One thing for sure is that, one cannot stumble upon one's self, since the
> stumbler is what we are interested.  That is why somebody (Guru) has to tell
> you that "you are brahman".  Of course he does not have to say it in
> Sanskrit, he can say it in English as well.  Vedantic texts incorporate in
> them various methodologies to correct erroneous notions about oneself and
> lead one in a step by step manner towards what one really is.  Each text has
> a methodology: Chandogya uses sR^shTi prakriya, Taitiriya uses panchakoSa
> prakriya etc.  Vedanta leads one from wrong notions to correct knowledge.
>
> I hope I have clarified my statement.  Your corrections/comments are
> welcome.
>
> Regards,
> SVS