[Advaita-l] Is enlightenment a myth?

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

Suresh - PraNAms

Most of these questions will get answered and misconceptions will be resolved if one studies Vedanta under a traditional teacher or sampradaya teacher. 

Enlightment is not some experience but clear understanding that I am Brahman and not the BMI that I take myself. One cannot judge whether another is enlightened or not. The lakshanas discussed in say Geeta Ch. II are meant for to judge ones own understanding. It is an understanding as understanding as a fact and not as a thought - called aparoxajnaanam than paroxajnaanam.
No jnaani will declare that I am enlightened since it requires faith since the listener cannot know or evaluate. 

Hari Om!
Sadananda


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On Sat, 1/25/14, Suresh <mayavaadi at yahoo.com> wrote:

 Subject: [Advaita-l] Is enlightenment a myth?
 To: "Advaita" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
 Date: Saturday, January 25, 2014, 9:48 AM
 
 Friends,
 
 I am not attacking any teacher, just a general doubt.
 
 People often say 'this man is enlightened' or 'she became
 enlightened after doing this sadhana' etc. etc. Basically,
 they're referring to some 'big experience' that the person
 concerned has had - they don't refer to book knowledge such
 as tat twam asi or aham brahmasmi. When they use the word
 'enlightenment', they go way beyond knowledge and point to
 some sort of radical experience. 
 
 
 But isn't this misleading? There couldn't possibly be an
 experience of the nondual Brahman - there is no subject or
 object. Whatever we experience is going to be reduced to the
 three states like waking etc. The 4th is not a state but
 more like a basis of three states, so that isn't something
 one can experience, especially not in our current state with
 body/mind. 
 
 
 So what exactly is this enlightenment, and why do people
 speak of it in terms of experience (which implies duality)?
 
 Thanks.
 Suresh
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