on advaita and society (was Re: [Advaita-l] New member, introduction: Asad Mustafa Rizvi)

[Ramesh Krishnamurthy]

On 27/01/07, Kris Manian <krismanian at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I believe Ramana said that (Cmiiw) you dont have to be saMnyasI to achive
> what he did, in an interview. This may be against the smrutis.

What is saMnyAsa? The defining features of saMnyAsa are tyAga and
vairAgya. It is the renunciation of karma and of any sense of
ownership & doership. The ochre robe is only an external symbol, an
indication to other people.

Now honestly, can anyone achieve mokSha without tyAga & vairAgya? Did
Ramana Maharshi achieve what he did without tyAga & vairAgya? Let us
kindly not jump to conclusions regarding what Ramana said without
understanding the context. A simple look at how he lived his life
straightaway shows the importance of saMnyAsa.

This does not mean that the rest of us can do nothing. In fact, we
have a lot more to do. We need to prepare ourselves by gradually
developing tyAga & vairAgya.

>
> But I am curious, how many in this news group are practicing Advaitins?
> How many can go in to or gone in to samadhi state? If at all possible
> can you explain how that was?
>
> Another question is, if most of the participants in this group agree with
> Amuthan's statement, then is your discussion about Advaita in this group
> for theoritical purposes only? (or an ego trip to show that I know so much
> but I dont practice:-)
>

>From what I have seen, most of the members of this list have some
level of interest in the spiritual path. Some are more advanced than
others. For the most part, Advaita needs to be studied under a
qualified guru. Only a guru who understands your specific needs can
tell what sadhana-s are suitable for you. This is an online forum
where various issues relating to the tradition can be discussed &
debated. It is not a substitute for a guru. But it can be a useful aid
in the modern context, atleast for beginners like me.

Let me also add that there is no such thing as mere theory in Advaita.
This tradition is all about Self-realization, which happens only
through right understanding. Therefore, trying to "theoretically"
understand the teaching is also a "practice".

SrI gurubhyo namaH
Ramesh