[Advaita-l] Thoughts of A Novice to Learned People

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005, Navin Rajaram wrote:

> Jaldharji, in the context of the present discussion, what is gained by
> discriminating between a shudra and non shudra?

Let me turn that around and ask you what is gained by a Shudra giving up
his own traditions in order to copy someone elses?

> dichotomies while the aim is to transcend these very dichotomies?
>

Transcending dichotomies doesn't mean pretending they don't exist.  If
anyone was really serious about transcending dichotomies they would
immediately repair to the forest.  (Which is in fact what Advaita Vedanta
is actually asking them to do.)

> Agreed that it is necessary to discriminate, but if transcending was the
> ultimate goal, how are we to judge who is what and is judgement
> necessary at all in the event of the purpose being to even transcend
> buddhi that leads to this judgement?
>

I thinking the only way is to realize that transcendence is the
ultimate goal and there are many little steps needed to get there.
Ideally the actions we want are the ones that result in the need for less
action.  That can be the working guide.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
It's a boy! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/nilagriva/