Ramesh Balsekar

[nanda chandran]

Also to be read - "I am that" - Nisargadatta Maharaj (Ramesh Balasekar's
guru).

But IMO classical works of Advaita are more valuable than works as above.
They are more valuable than even the teachings of Ramana Maharishi or
Vivekananda.

Why so?

Because classical Advaita represents a very structured approach towards
understanding the truth. It is a very precise presentation of the process
which leads to enlightenment. It is as much as intellect can make of reality
and the process that leads to it. And each author of the parampara benefits
from the intellect of his predecessors and improves upon it - so if you
start from the beginning, say from Gaudapaada and progress to Citsukha (the
chronology which spans a few centuries), your understanding will also slowly
evolve.

In my mind, if at all there's any value to self-effort, classical Advaita is
a better bet for normal aspirants than the teachings of autonomous teachers
of Advaita. But this does not mean that there's no value to the latter (I
benefitted very much from the teachings of Ramana) - just that you should
first condition your understanding with classical Advaita. Then you explore
autonomous teachers like Ramesh Balashekar.

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