[Advaita-l] Some basic questions on self realisation

[vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk]

Hello,

I am writing as I have been reading Swami Chinmayananda's explanation 
of Vivekachoodamani.
 
I have a few questions::

1)Could you please tell me whether it is possible for a person to 
attain self realisation whilst living as a professional person in the 
phenomenal world or is it necessary to exclude onself in the himalayas 
or some other wilderness????

2)Self realisation should be possible if one acts in the world without 
ego but on their higher intelligence for the betterment of all. Am I 
correct??

3) Is it possible for a person to be self realised and not know it???

4)I have heard it said many times that there are very few people who 
are self realised but it seems to me that out of the six billion world 
population there must be quite a few who act in the world without ego 
other wise there would be wars everyday. It also seems strange that god 
would make something as evolutionarily necessary as self realisation so 
rare that very few people attain it. Could you please comment on this.


Best Wishes,
Vijaya.