[Advaita-l] The essence of advaita

[S Jayanarayanan]

--- prabha <prabhagc at gmail.com> wrote:

>  PraNAms Sri Amuthanji,  and everyone else!
> 
> 
> I agree with your view point. But my question is not how I shall
> gain
> deliverance. Every religion has a prescription for that – most of
> them
> (Dvaita, Christianity, Islam
) seem to say that we are NOT same as
> god and
> we are sinful/suffering because made mistakes along the way (bad
> Karma,
> disobeying god...), hence the only way is to blindly follow their
> prescribed
> path.
> 
> 
> I have been told that Advaita is different and gives you the most
> logical
> answer to the difficult questions. And the question I am asking is
> too basic
> to not have been asked before – how could the Atman which, in
> essence, is
> the same infinite, impenetrable, unaffected, unassailable,
> all-knowing
> Brahman be deluded into a miserable state? I am certain that this
> question
> has been beaten to death by our great seers. The various responses
> on this
> list gives me the impression that there is an answer, but it takes
> far more
> scriptural knowledge than I have to appreciate it.
> So I will try to gain that knowledge first.
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Well said! Your last sentence pretty much sums up my own approach to
learning VedAnta! I wish you the very Best on your Spiritual Quest!

Just a couple of friendly pieces of advice:

Practice of VedAnta (including adhering to dharma and nishhkAmya
karma) goes hand-in-hand with theory.

Your question of "HOW the Atman came into this dual existence" is
only answered as "The Atman has not come into this dual existence --
it is only imagined on the Self due to Ignorance". The next question
of the nature of Ignorance is simply answered as, "It is neither Real
nor Unreal." AFAIK, there are no deeper answers to the nature of
avidyA -- it is said to be anirvachanIya.

> This IS the most awesome list! I thank you all.
> 

This is a list with people from all backgrounds, attitudes and
approaches. Each one respects the others' need to have his/her
questions answered on the topic of advaita. There are many legitimate
questions that have been answered by the Great Masters. Even Ramana
Maharshi, who was actually against scholarship (He once said, "It is
a good thing I never took to scholarship, but took up Self-enquiry
instead") has graciously answered many of the questions put to him by
his devotees and disciples. In fact, His first book "Self-enquiry"
consists of the question-and-answer format, with many questions
similar to the one you had asked.

Some people may have more or deeper questions than others, but that
is no reason to put down the question or questioner!

> 
> 
> Hari OM!
> 
> 
> 
> Prabha
> 


hariH OM!

Kartik


       
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