[Advaita-l] Reply to Sri Vidyamanya Tirtha's observations

[H S Chandramouli]

H S CHANDRAMOULI

Dear Sri Bhaskarji/Sujalji,

A small correction. For  " Sanyasa Ashrama is a way of life " please read
it as " Sanyasa Ashrama is an Order of Life " ( one of the four Orders of
Life Bramacharya/grihastha/vanaprastha/sanyasa Ashramas ).

regards


On Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 10:07 PM, H S Chandramouli <hschandramouli at gmail.com
> wrote:

> H S CHANDRAMOULI
>
> Dear Sri Bhaskarji,
>
> I am sorry to totally disagree with your views.
>
> frstly a sadhka who has gone through the sadhana almost to completuion but
> does not get jnana due to pratibandhakas he is not considered a patita. He
> continues from this level in his future births and when the pratibandhaka
> is overcome he automatically gets jnana. This is what is stated by Lord
> Krishna in the Geetha as well as mentioned by Bhagavatpada in Sutra
> Bhashya.
>
>
>
> As for jnana being adheena to sanyasaashrama, i really feel you are not
> serious in making such a statement. By saying only good persons can attain
> jnana, are we making jnana adheena to goodness.
>
> Eligibility of various ashramis is extensively discussed by Bhagavatpada
> under Sutra Bhashyas 3-4-17 to 3-4-20. As also in Chandogya 2-23-1. I am
> not aware of earlier discussions in this forum dating several years back.
> It would be a pity if you were to come to conclusions without going through
> these extensive and engrossing bhashyas. I do urge you at least as a matter
> of further interest to do so and then reply.
>
> Dear Sujalji,
>
> I cant disagree with you more when you say sanyasa is a mental occupation
> and not a way of life. Surprisingly the Poorvapakshin in Sutra 3-4-19 takes
> the stand that sanyasa ashrama is not supported by shrutis at all and is
> only mentioned in smritis. This is what is rebutted by Bhagavatpada. In
> Advaita Vedanta at least, Bhagavatpada has categorically mentioned it as a
> way of life and not just a mental state in any ashrams.  As for catching
> the contents and not the container, it is a basic tenet of Advaita vedanta
> that the container automatically drops once you catch the contents (
> brahman ) , but you are not to eschew the container before catching the
> contents.
>
> Regards
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 3:58 PM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:
>
>> praNAms Sri ChandramouLi prabhuji
>> Hare Krishna
>>
>> I have a small correction to make in your reply.
>>
>> >  IMHO, no correction is required in Sri Vidya prabhuji's statement.  We
>> have discussed this topic in detail some years back in this very forum.
>>
>>
>> Bhagavatpada is very clear that at this stage of one's sadhana it is
>> absolutely essential to take to sanyasa ashrama for reaching the Goal of
>> Brahma jnana( ref Brahma Sutra Bhashya 3-4-20. This also has cross
>> references to various shruti / smriti vakyas .
>>
>> >  Yes, shankara emphasizes the importance of taking formal saNyAsa for
>> brahma jignAsa.  But point to be noted here is brahma jnAna / realization
>> can happen to any sincere mumukshu irrespective of his Ashrama.  Hope you
>> would agree with me that brahma jnAna / realization is not saNyAsa Ashrama
>> adheena.
>>
>> It is only in exceptional
>> cases that this jnana arises even in persons ( like king Janaka or
>> Vamadeva
>> for example ) who are in other ashramas
>>
>> >  shankara gives other examples also in sUtra bhAshya and clearly says
>> all the 4 varNAshrami-s (including stree-s) are eligible to get the
>> ultimate knowledge.
>>
>> but it is concluded that in such cases they would have undergone the due
>> process of sanyasa ashrama in one
>> of their earlier janmas.
>>
>> >  interestingly, if these souls have undergone saNyAsa in earlier janma
>> and currently assuming gruhastAshrama,  then these souls can be considered
>> as patitA-s from the antyAshrama. And shankara says there is no
>> prAyaschitta for these patita-s :-))
>>
>> >  Anyway, this is not anyway an attempt to belittle the importance of
>> saNyAsa as an Ashrama in brahma jignAsa.
>>
>> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
>> bhaskar
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>
>