[Advaita-l] Sola Fide (was Re: Sraddha and

[Mahadevan Babu]

IMHO, Sradha is well referred in various places on MahA NarAyaNa  
Upanishad.
I quite like the place referred below, where it sequentially  
establishes the Shradha - Chitha shudDhi and Atma Gyanam


In the Gyana sAdhana NirUpaNam  (Establishment of the path to the  
absolute knowledge here)
Quote:
"yABhirAdithyastapathi rashmiBhisthABhih parjanyO varshathi -  
parjanyEnaoushaDhivanaspathaya
prajAyantha OshaDhivanaspathiBhirannam - BhavathyannEna praNAH -  
prAnairbalam - balEna thapas-

thapasA shradDhA   - shradDhayA mEDhA

mEDhayA manIshA  - manIshshayA manO  - manasA shanthih
shAnthya chiththam - chithEna smruthih - smruthyA smAram
smArENa vigyAnam

vigyAnEnAthmAnam vEdhayathi ;  "

Meaning as by Swami VimalAnanda

Those rays by which the sun gives heat, the same rays transform water  
into rain-cloud, which showers the rain.
By the rain-cloud, herbs and trees come into existence.  From herbs  
and trees food is produced.
By the use of food, the breaths and senses are nourished.  When the  
life-breath is nourished, one gets bodily strength.

Bodily strength gives the capacity to practice tapas (in the shape of  
self-control, austerity etc.).
As the result of such tapas,  faith in scriptural truths and in Guru's  
teachings springs into existence.
By this faith mental power is obtained.
By mental power, sense-control is made possible.
By sense-control, reflection is engendered.
 From reflection calmness of mind results.
Conclusive experience of Truth follows calmness.
By conclusive experience of Truth remembrance if IT is engendered.
Rememnrance produces continous remembrance.
 From continous remembrance, results unbroken direct realization of  
Truth.
By such realization, a person knows the ATMAN

Sri GurubyO Namaha !!!

Regards

M.Babu


Again, one needs Sradha to understand Sradha taking this as PramaNam

On 04/04/2009, at 4:55 PM, Vishwanathan Raman wrote:

> I would like to add here my understanding of what my guru Swami
> Paramarthananda says
> about Shraddha. Loosely the word 'Shraddha' can be translated as  
> 'Faith' in
> English, but
> strictly speaking there is no real equivalent. Please note that the  
> Shraddha
> that we are
> talking about here is what is listed in the four fold qualifications (
> sAdhana-catushTaya
> Sampatthi) and not the one used in other contexts such as a person  
> doing
> some action
> with Shraddha etc.
>
> Shraddha is basically accepting Shastra as a PramAna. To quote an  
> example
> given by
> Swamiji, Eyes are the pramAna for sight, Ears are the pramAna for  
> hearing
> and so on.
> There is no other means of knowing that knowledge which is conveyed  
> by eyes.
> (One
> does not say, "I have faith in my eyes"). Eyes are the only means of  
> my
> knowledge
> as far as vision is concerned. Similarly ears are the only means of
> knowledge as far
> as hearing is concerned. In the same way Vedanta Shastra is the only  
> means
> as
> far as Atma Vidya is concerned. It is this firm conviction in the  
> Guru and
> the Shastra
> that is referred to as 'Shraddha'.
>
> -Viswanathan
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Dev Babu
babunim at optushome.com.au