[Advaita-l] With reference to sadanandaji's mail

[srikanta at nie.ac.in]

Sadanandaji-pranams
This with reference to your mail with reference to my statement"Advaita is
not tentative etc.".I have understood your quotations from "Atmabodha" and
from "Avadhuta Gita".I said Advaita cannot be tentative because,the idea
of "Dvaita" is firmly rooted due to ignorance(avidya).The manuals like
"Atmabodha"and others which are said to be minor works of Sri.Sankara are
only meant to clear the doubts regarding "Brahma Jijnasa",and by
themselves cannot bring the enquirer to truth.However we may try to study
these minor works,the understanding of Advaita will remain elusive.Only,in
the Brahmasutra Bhasya called the Shariraka sutrabhashya,Sri.Sankara
elaborately gives the explanation for the realization of
Advaita.Infact,from his commentary alone can we to some extent know the
nature of the enquiry towards Brahman.I am not talking about the
discussion that we generally indulge in making a point,but the "Brahma
Jijnasa"requires a different approach,other than the general enquiry on
other matters.In his Bhashya Sri.Sankara says that "Advaita or Brahman"is
ever present.Logic is "Shodaka",but Tattva is "Bodhaka".That requires the
enquirer and the Preceptor to be in the same dimension.The enquiry "Brahma
Jijnasa"takes one to a different dimension than the dimension of
Dvaita.That is the reason,why SriKrishna mentions "Yad jnatva moksyase
asubhat".In his commentary on this,Sri.Sankara writes"Dvaita Jnanameva
asubha svarupam".In fact,"Dvaita"is like darkness and darkness cannot
dispel darkness.
The Gaudapada karikas on the Mndukya Upanisad occupy a special place in
the Advaita Vedantha.It is in this the word"Advaitha"occur in the mantra 7
and a positive description of it occurs in the mantra 12.The whole of
Mandukya Karikas have been devoted to uphold the Truth of Advaitha Vedanta.
Thank you for taking time to reply.Harih Om.
                                                      N.Srikanta.