[Advaita-l] Vivekananda

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 7:00 PM, Sarma KV <sarmakv at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> We see strange habits and strange outlook over mundane matters, in some of
> the realized souls. Our interest should be solely in receiving their
> preaching of *advaita-vEdaantam*.
>
> -Sarma
>

Madhusudana says that spitting by Vasishta is not an example to follow
though he is a great sage! He says that vasana kshaya  (elimination of
vasanas) should be done through the practice of samyama (a form of rigorous
practice). Otherwise even though one might have achieved intellectual
understanding and even mano-nasa, there is inappropriateness in words and
actions due to past vasanas. Now, mano-nasa is not destruction of
mind but of all its modifications due to external objects destroyed by
turning it towards the inner most Self making it the only object of
meditation. Mind and gross body cannot be destroyed as long as one lives.
Manonasa is achieved in ekagra (one pointedness) but vasana kshaya is
achieved in niruddha (total restraint) as explained in his citta bhumi). Or
it is the difference between samprajnata samadhi and asamprajnata samadhi.

The biggest problem for Ramakrishna Mission is lack of understanding of the
traditional practices. As a result they could not and still do not, follow
the injunctions such as not eating meat, which should be natural to one who
is satvik. We do not know if they are liberated or not but what we know is
that some of their actions and those of their followers inflict pain upon
other living entities. As followers of ahimsa, we cannot approve that.