[Advaita-l] An adhyAsa challenge

[Jay Nelamangala]

Dear Sri Sankaran,

Namaste.

>I have a question: If it is the case that different jivas
>are already destined for different final states, what is the
>use in pursuing vedanta at all? The problem is, none of us
>know if we are rajasika, tamasika or satvika jivas (or do
>we?). What if I pursue dvaita vedanta and finally find out
>that I am a tamasika jiva and hence bound for eternal
>damnation? Isn't all my practice of vedanta a waste?

Good question.  

You are correct when you say none of us know if we are
mukti-yOgya or not.   That is all the more reason why we
need vEdAnta and a proper Guru to figure that one out.

In fact,  I had asked a similar question to a swAmIji 
sometime back.  The question came up because  that 
swAmIji wanted me to write on a certain shAstra 
material on the internet.

The question I had to ask him was this,  a writer
does not know who is going to read the shAstra material,
and upanishats tell us "na etat acheerNavratO adheetE"  
so,  is it correct to post emails containing shAstra material
at all on the internet not knowing the 'eligibility' of who is
going to read it?   That was my question.

Here is the reply I got from that SwaamIji.  He said,
well,  no doubt upanishat says that,  but that
upanishadic  instruction is  only for higher beings or devataas,  
who can figure out who is and who is not 'eligible'.   
At  our level, since we don't know who is eligible and
who is not,  we have to assume 'eligibility' and make an attempt.
So,  he finally convinced me to write it on the
internet saying,  if  no one writes shAstra material,  
then all the emails will contain only  mundane stuff.
He said, good material reaching bad hands is not in our hands,
Vedas have been abused from time immemorial,  vEda nirAkaraNa
takes place in variety of forms all the time.  Does it mean
that everyone should stop teaching Veda, to avoid this problem?

>that I am a tamasika jiva and hence bound for eternal
>damnation? Isn't all my practice of vedanta a waste?

If you were a tAmasika jeeva,   you would not be
interested in understanding and practicing vEdAnta 
correctly at all.   

Look in  shraddhA-traya vibhAga-yOga,  a tamasic soul
is bound by nidrA, Alasya, pramAda.  14.8.  
TamO-abhimAnii  blocks the mind from tattva-jnAna 
and engages it in pramAda,  Alasya, nidrA (14.9)