[Advaita-l] realised sages

[Aravind Mohanram]

The question raised by the original poster is not something novel. It was asked by Arjuna to Lord Krishna and can be found in the 2nd chapter of the Gita. Please see verses starting from 2.41, specifically 2.54 when Arjuna raises a similar question. The answers given by Sri Krishna may help clarify your doubts. All other opinions should be considered only in the light of the scriptures, because the scriptures are "apaurusheya". More learned members may be able to point you to specific verses in the upanishads and the puranas. 
 
Aravind

Srikrishna Ghadiyaram <srikrishna_ghadiyaram at yahoo.com> wrote:
hariH Om !!

Some how people have this fear to use their god given
ability of intellect to judge how things/people fare.
How does it matter, if our understanding and judgment
is wrong, at first ? 

What is wrong in questioning and understanding whether
one has understood the TRUTH, taught in the Upanishads
or not ? What about those who realised TRUTH, not
through Upanishads. Their expression can be different.
I would believe this is the minimum one should
question. Otherwise, it is all waste of time.

Yes, we do need teachers/gurus who can teach the
sastras, because that is all what is available, as an
intellectual analysis. I have met some (so many)
svamis who do not understand the essence of Vedanta.
But, can give lectures and argue their point, based on
thier wrong notions. So, not all teachers are worth
learning from. But, there are many who realise and
embody the TRUTH. They may not teach Upanishads. They
do nto have time. They may not care. Their way of
communicating TRUTH may be different. So, it is
essential that we meet, converse, interact, follow,
observe, admire, or/and even give up our limited
intellectual understanding.

My understanding of the teachings of the
books/scriptures has become clear ONLY after I met a
few of such teachers. If the teacher has not realised
the TRUTH, he is only a good tutor, another companion
in the train, however scholar he/she may be.

To the original poster who raised this topic, my only
advice is, please do not be intimitated by this long
lecture of others who say that 'one should not or need
not know if someone is realised or not', 'how can we
judge etc.' Please be scientific and question.
Ofcourse, you have all the right to change your
opinion, if your experience comes out unsatisfactory.
You will know when one speaks TRUTH.

I would end this by quoting that you should meet
Ammachi, Ramesh Balsekar. I learnt a lot from them. To
me they are realised sages. (This is not a
certificate)

I read Vimala Thakar, UG Krishnamurti, Svami
Chidananda of Divine Life Society. They express very
clearly TRUTH from their perspective. 

There are many more. 

You should meet them and check out. Once you start the
search, and read what they have to say, you WILL know
what to trust.

Om Namo Narayanaya !!

Srikrishna



--- shankar wrote:
> Sri Sadanand and Sri Ravi have given good
> explanation on this.
> 
> Who are we to ascertain the other persons
> realisation?,are we capable of doing
> that.Even though we assume some one can do it, I
> don't think it is possible 
> because the person who has self realised will not be
> interested to know the other
> since, he will be enjoying the bliss or what ever
> the wise call it.
> 
> We can at the most seek his advice for us to realise
> the Brahman.
> As an advaitin, I believe souls have got no
> relations and in its path to
> seek the brahman, does not bother about the outer
> world and it has got no 
> relevance to it. In a such a situation, who is who?
> and what is he? 
> doesn't matter at all. While on the path, the soul
> may do some service to the
> society but once it earnestly decides that the time
> has come to detach, it severs
> all ties and it is on its own. 
> 
> Please correct me if I am wrong.
> 
> Shankar 
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Aravind Mohanram
Ph.D. Candidate
Dept. of Mat Sci and Engg.,
Penn State University,
University Park, PA 16801
www.personal.psu.edu/aum105
 



		
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