[Advaita-l] doubt on the role of shruti vAkyAs : Liberation

[Murali Karamchedu]

>There is no way to liberation!

I have heard such statements repeated several times, more often in 
neo-vedantic/syncretic circles.
This goes against traditional teachings as I have come to understand and 
observe them from my childhood. Tradition affirms that there is indeed a way 
to liberation; that is why it is a puruSarthA; at least, so I've been 
taught. It is a legitimate expectation to strive for, and since it is 
defined to be so, there *is* a way to it. If there were no way, we will have 
to admit capriciousness in the scheme of things. I don't think that mukti 
has been articulated as a capricious phenomenon.

To quote sureSvAracarya:

vairAgyaM tato mumukshutvaM tatas tad upAya paryeShanaM
tatas sarva karma tat sAdhanasaMnyAsas tato yogAbhyAsas tataS cittasya
pratyakpravaNatA tatas tattvamasyAdi vAkyArtha parijnAnaM, 
tato'vidyocchedaH, ***tataS ca svAtmany eva avasthAnam.***

For someone like me, I have a lifetime's job in just qualifying to get to 
the first objective; so in that sense there is no way to liberation for me, 
until I get there; but the hardship involved in getting there combined with 
my level of immaturity in no way invalidates the existence of the 'way'.

Humbly,
Murali Manohar