[Advaita-l] Is morality necessary for liberation?

Praveen R. Bhat bhatpraveen at gmail.com
Wed Jan 29 10:19:01 CST 2014


Hari Om, Sureshji,

On Sun, Jan 26, 2014 at 11:50 AM, Suresh <mayavaadi at yahoo.com> wrote:

>
> So morality, as far as I can see, has utilitarian value - the same value
> that 'dream water' has for a dreamer. But does it have any salvific value
> at all?
>

Its an interesting question which I had faced in another way, can a
liberated person (appear to) be immoral. Lets see your question though and
think of the person who wants liberation is immoral and perhaps, by choice.
Even if the person wasn't immoral by choice and later on succumbed to it,
he would be choosing preyas/ pleasant over shreyas/ good, to worldly ends.
That, in itself, goes against viveka and surely, against mumukshutva.
Without mumukshutva, where's the pursuit of jnAna and without chitta
shuddhi, where is the place for jnAna then!

In other words, although no direct salvific value is seen in morality, it
is what makes up an adhikAri.

Kind rgds,
--Praveen R. Bhat
/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!
[Br.Up. 4.5.15] */



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