[Advaita-l] Importance of sannyAsa for study of VedAnta (was Fwd: [advaitin] Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa (KDAS-7))

[S Jayanarayanan]

An article forwarded from the advaitain list, which explains
just how important sannyAsa is for studying the upanishhads, the
topic that has been discussed in the advaita-l list. ONLY
sannyAsIs are eligible to study VedAnta. The BrahmachAris who
might also receive instruction in VedAnta are exceptions to the
general rule, and are not to be emulated.

"In other words, the Acharya’s conclusion is, in that last
stage, it is the Sannyasi that has the right qualifications for
Atma-SadhanA...It is only for such a seeker that the most
blissful gift of Realisation of Brahman happens. That is the
maxim of the Acharya, as also confirmed by the
Upanishads...Though every shAkhA has a mahavakya, traditionally
we resort to four mahavakyas corresponding to the four vedas,
for purposes of giving initiation to new Sannyasis...Therefore
it appears fair to  conclude that it is to be taught  only to a
Sannyasi, namely one of the fourth Ashrama."


--- "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk at yahoo.com> wrote:

> To: advaitinlist <advaitin at yahoogroups.com>
> From: "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk at yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 04:58:04 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: [advaitin] Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on
> Advaita Saadhanaa (KDAS-7)
> 
> Namaste.
> You may see a Table of Contents, under the Introduction, in
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/message/27766
> 
> KDAS – 7
> 
> 10. APEX OF SADHANA IS ONLY FOR THE SANNYASI !
> 
> MumukshhutvaM  -- the yearning for moksha – is the end of
> the second stage. The first stage is that of eradicating
> the mind’s dirt and vacillation by karma and bhakti.
> Sadhana-chatushhTayaM is the second stage. The SadhanAs
> remove mostly all the defective vAsanAs  and perturbations
> adhering  in the mind; if at all there are any that may be
> only five or ten percent.
> 
> It is in such a circumstance that the moksha-seeker
> (mumukshhu) feels he has only one work to do, namely to get
> the Release. So he renounces his home and possessions,
> takes Sannyasa and goes to the third stage. In other words,
> the Acharya’s conclusion is,   in that  last stage, it is
> the Sannyasi that has the right qualifications for
> Atma-SadhanA. Having renounced all attachments, bondage and
> worldly obligations, Atma-vichara (Enquiry into the Atman)
> becomes his whole-time job. It is only for such a seeker
> that the most blissful gift of Realisation of Brahman
> happens. That is the maxim of the Acharya, as also
> confirmed by the Upanishads.
> 
> Thus, in that third stage, he takes Sannyasa under a proper
> Guru, gets his upadesha of the mantra which tells him about
> the identity of Jiva and Brahman, constantly  rolls it in
> his mind, and in due time even that thought process stops
> and he comes to be in union with his own aim, namely the
> Great Experience of Brahma-anubhava.  This is the
> prescription  of the Acharya.
> 
> Some do ask: “The Acharya himself has said that the
> teaching of the maha-vakyas that proclaim the identity of 
> Jiva and Brahman is only for the Sannyasi.  On the other
> hand how come the Sama Veda maha-vakya was taught  to the
> Brahmachari Svetaketu by his father?”
> 
> The Vedas, in each of its branches (ShAkhAs) has one
> Upanishad in which there is a mahavakya that proclaims the
> identity of Jiva-Brahman. From 1008 branches that were
> there originally, we have come down to only  seven ShAkhAs
> that  are still extant, glowing   like little torches.
> Though every shAkhA has a mahavakya, traditionally we
> resort to four mahavakyas corresponding to the four vedas,
> for purposes of giving initiation to new Sannyasis.
> Accordingly in Rigveda the mahavakya occurring in Aitareya
> Upanishad does not mention who taught it to whom. But it
> occurs at the end of the Upanishad  revealed by a Rishi
> called Mahidasa Aitareya. Just from what has been said in
> the penultimate mantras and from the previous chapter where
> it is said that even as he was in the womb the Rishi
> Vamadeva had obtained Brahma-jnAna, we can infer that this
> mahavakya has been sparked from his intuition to Vamadeva
> by God’s Grace. In other words it has been taught to a
> Brahma-jnAni by Ishvara Himself. Therefore it appears fair
> to  conclude that it is to be taught  only to a Sannyasi,
> namely one of the fourth Ashrama.
> 
> The mahavakya of the Yajurveda occurs in the first chapter
> of Brihad-Aranyaka-Upanishad in what is called
> Purusha-vidha-brAhmaNaM. It says: “whatever Rishis or Devas
> saw it in their experience as declared in this mahavakya,
> they all became Brahman” and then gives one name, namely,
> Vamadeva.  Therefore again one may conclude that this
> mahavakya also was sparked into the intuition of the Guru
> Vamadeva, who was a jnAni,  and therefore those eligible to
> receive this teaching are only Sannyasis.
> 
> The mahavakya of the atharva-veda occurs in
> MANDUkya-Upanishad. In the Upanishad called
> Muktikopanishad, Shri Rama teaches Hanuman that this one
> Upanishad (MANDUkya-Upanishad) is enough for a seeker of
> Moksha to obtain Moksha. Thus this mahavakya also is to be
> taught only to Sannyasis.
> 
> The question now is only about the mahavakya occurring in
> Sama-Veda. The objectionists are raising only this. Of the
> four mahavakyas this is the only one which is directly
> taught to a disciple by a Guru. Naturally it gets a special
> status. And that disciple is a youth, a Brahmachari.  Not a
> sannyasi. Hence the objection: “How come a teaching that
> was offered to a 24-year old Brahmachari, is being
> recommended to be taught  only to Sannyasis?”
> 
> (To be Continued)
> PraNAms to all students of advaita.
> PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.
> profvk
> 
> 
> 
> Prof. V. Krishnamurthy
> 
> Latest on my website:  A conversation on the Concept of God in
> Hinduism.
> http://www.geocities.com/profvk/VK2/ConceptofGOD.html
> 
> 
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> --------------------~--> 
> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo!
> your home page
> http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
> 
> 
> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of
> nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman. 
> Advaitin List Archives available at:
> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/
> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin at yahoogroups.com
> Messages Archived at:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/messages
> 
>  
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> <*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
>     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/
> 
> <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>     advaitin-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com
> 
> <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
>     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

-----------------------------------------------------------
Work for the Employer with the best benefits! Work for God!


		
__________________________________ 
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 
http://mail.yahoo.com