[Advaita-l] Jivanmukti - Jnana plus Sannyasa pt 4

[Anbu sivam2]

Michaelji,

Sunilji is right in pointing out that karma is sine qua non of embodiment.
But is 'dehaathma buddhi'  a pre-requisite of embodiment?  Our sages have
answered it with a resounding 'NO'.  You can be embodied but need not
identify yourself with it.  Such disengement with the body takes place
irrespective of the aashrama you are in.

In his discourse with Ganapathi Muni Bhagavan Ramana said "dehaathma buddhE
gnyajadow samaanow".  That automaton (the buddhi that takes the body to be
aathma) has to be broken by that very buddhi by the process of enquiry!  It
is the buddhi that identifies oneself with body, mind, intellect and so on.
This buddhi is the culprit whom we have to lose.  This log of wood is
pregnant with the fire that destroys it!

My humble interlude with Shyamji was to bring to his attention that
self-inquiry is not to be deferred to any particular ashrama.  Changes in
ashrama takes its own course and should be held as part of the praarabhda
karma but the self-inquiry starts right from the birth.  It starts with
'dehaathma buddhi'.

On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 5:47 AM, Michael Shepherd <
michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:

> May I add something from experience in the ashrama ?
>
> Those who have been well and spiritually educated up to age 16 are well set
> for life, could not be better set.
>
> But for most, householder and bread-winner coincide in the next ashrama.
> So we are going to spend that time in an environment which is calling for
> 'I am the doer..'
> But how valuable to attempt to have upasana of the mahavakya in one's
> working life, let alone at home ! One person alone in a factory, go-down, or
> office who hold the mahavakya within, can lighten the tone of the whole
> workplace and lift that burden of 'I am the doer' a little or a lot..
>
> And then vanaprastha becomes, can become, a life of bliss. As someone here
> said to me, 'It's a time for attending to those aspects of samashthi which
> have not previously been fully attended to'..
>
> One may never attain or choose sannyasa. But I'm sure that there are a
> number on this site who would acknowledge that -- especially these days of
> easier communication which don't involve a weary body, and longer lives of
> retirement...vanaprastha is going to become the glory of spiritual life in
> the 21st century..
>
> Michael
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