[Advaita-l] Re mental efforts

[Praveen R. Bhat]

praNAm all,

This is not a reply for anyone in particular, but I too have met many
people who think that teacher/ teaching is not needed for realization.
I just want to put my thoughts across on the same.

Inasmuch as contradictions can't be avoided in assimilating the
Vedantic teachings during reconciliation, one can't just do away with
teachers and shAstras. I intend to point out two simple, yet important
aspects in the pursuit; well-known, yet easily and IMHO overlooked:

i) Advaita Vedanta as taught by Shankara Bhagavatpada requires the
Guru to be brahmanishTa, as well as, *shrotriya*. Else the person may
well remain an experiencer alone and of no use to guide others to
realize.

ii) Look at this very contradiction: even to know that no (external)
guru is necessary, one has to necessarily know it from a guru! Even a
statement such as "no teaching is necessary" is in itself a teaching.
*Of what use are the entire Veda/ Vedanta to a realized?* comes off
the Vedantic teaching itself, but only for a jnAni. Having heard a
realized say that, one can't discard them earlier on. For a realized,
nothing is of use, Veda/ Vedanta teachings being a part of that whole.

gurorarpaNamastu,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!
[Br.Up. 4.5.15] */