[Advaita-l] Advaita practice

[tapas dutta]

It is nice to read the passages

On 8/9/07, Sundar Rajan <avsundarrajan at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Namaste Sadananda-ji,
>
> >>
> Well, it is acknowledged that advaita is an
> understanding rather than practice - for that firm
> understanding, what is needed and accepted is firm
> abidance in the knowledge - through shravanam, mananam
> and nidhidhyaasanam.
> >>
>
> I am curious about the term 'understanding' here. Does a normal person
> 'understand' themselves to be their body or know themselves to be the
> body instinctly without any need to understand.
>
> When I say I am this body (as an example) , I know myself (instinctively,
> conclusively) to be this body - there is no understanding here.
>
> When I say I am cold, I experience the cold - again there is no
> understanding
> but there is direct experience.
>
> Besides if Advaita is an understanding only, then shravanam and mananam
> will suffice. Mananam will clear doubts and lead to understanding.
>
> Why Nidhidhyaasanam? Perhaps the scriptures by giving analogy of
> the wasp and the caterpillar point to intense contemplation needed
> to remove the notion that one is the body.(i.e remove the viparita
> bhavana).
> Then one remains as the self - this is direct experience, realization.
>
> Could this be called understanding?
> Just a question (maybe a loaded question :-)..
>
> regards
> Sundar Rajan
>
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