[Advaita-l] Ramana's method

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri praveen prabhuji
Hare Krishna

If may add something :

Factually, Maharshi's method is just one part of the tradition, albeit the 
part that's reserved for
uttama adhikAris.

>  Even for the uttama adhikAri-s, advaita vedAnta's tradition recommends 
shAstra vAkya shravaNa.  It claims that for an uttama adhikAri, shravaNa 
is enough to get brahma jnAna.  So, for the uttama adhikAri-s also 
'shAstra' is the antra pramANa for the brahma jignAsa.

To an uttama adhikAri, if Maharshi's method suggests self-inquiry, one 
just
tries to look at the source of ahaM vritti and he realizes the sphuraNa;
similarly, the traditional guru says "Tat tvaM asi and he realizes ahaM
brahmAsmi. There isn't any difference. 

>  I think there is a difference, one is depends on shAstra vAkya shravaNa 
(which is traditional method) another one is independent method which 
necessarily not calls for shAstrAdhyayana or shAstra vAkya shravaNa. If we 
say the end result is same for both the methods, then we have to accept 
that there is an alternative method to get brahma jnAna.  And if it is 
true, then shAstra is the ONLY pramANa, i.e. traditional stand suffers. 

Of course, one may argue that the tradition considers only Vedanta shAstra 
for shravaNa, but that wouldn't be proper, since the subject matter is 
Atma-anAtma viveka, which is necessarily a part of self-inquiry of 
Bhagavan Ramana too.

>  Yes, according to tradition shravaNAdi direct (sAkshAt) sAdhana-s 
recommended keeping ONLY shAstra in mind.  Though ramaNa-s method is 
aiming towards the goal of self realization, we cannot say it is strictly 
in line with traditional method because ramaNa's method does not strictly 
insist for the shAstra prAmANya for the sAdhana. 

To sum up, the method of traditional Vedanta is as direct as Ramana
Maharshi's self-inquiry for uttama & maybe some madhyama adhikAris. But
most madhyama & manda adhikAris cannot truly benefit from self-inquiry
alone and will necessarily have to follow the traditional process. 

>  IMHO, according to tradition, irrespective of 'adhikAratva' of the 
aspirant, shAstra is the ONLY means to realize sva-svarUpa.  Even for the 
uttama adhikAri-s shAstra vAkya shravaNa rUpa sAdhana is must and for the 
madhyama & manda adhikAri-s tradition prescribes upAsana, dhyAna, karma 
yOga etc. again strictly in line with shAstra-s.  So, in short, if 
ramaNa's method of self inquiry is devoid of  shAstra vihita shravaNAdi 
sAdhana, we have to say it is an independent method and as a result, 
though it might be as efficacious as traditional method we cannot say this 
type of sAdhana is strictly in line with traditional shravaNAdi sAdhana as 
recommended by sampradAya vida-s. 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar