[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Only Self knowledge gives liberation...

[V Subrahmanian]

In Shankara's Vedanta, meditation is nididhyāsanam that is taken up after
shravanam and mananam.  This is the only method Shankara has approved based
on the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.5.6:: आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो
मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यो....One can read the bhāṣyam for this.

subrahmanian.v

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 5:33 AM, Vivek via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Still some doubt is there. As Shankara says, "Meditation can not give
> moksha" neither can any other practices except Jnana.
>
> You said that Self knowledge will dawn after intense meditation.
>
> Somehow it seems like a slight contradiction from Shankara's words.
>
> Anyone wants to elaborate on this?
>
> Vivek.
>
>
>
> > On Jun 29, 2015, at 10:00 PM, RAMESH RAMANAN <rameshramanan at yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Sri Vivekji,
> >
> > Pranams,
> >
> > Through the practice of intense meditation, chittha shuddhi takes place
> and in that state, self-knowledge dawns automatically, just as when one
> drives away the marshy substance, the clear water below, which remained
> hidden due to the marshy substance, becomes clearly visible. Or, as when a
> dark room is lit up, the darkness disappears, the chittha shuddhi leads
> directly to self-realization, for which a study of Vedantic literature is
> not required. Further, Sri Ramana Maharishi has said that he may have
> completed most of his sadhanas in his previous birth,  which has fructified
> in the current birth. This could apply to the saints, who do not seem to
> have read vedantic literature in their present birth. Sri Ramakrishna was
> almost an illiterate person, who also forgot how to sign his own name,
> though he did attend some schooling. His knowledge of Nirvikalpa Samadhi
> was through direct experience. He may also have finished all of his
> spiritual readings in an earlier birth and in this birth, that past reading
> may have speeded up the process of his self-realization.
> >
> > I think there is a saying in Sanskrit: to the effect: "One should always
> try to upgrade one's learning. Though it may not be beneficial in this
> birth, it is bound to be beneficial in a later births." This could apply to
> both secular and spiritual knowledge. We see so many child prodigies and
> some children have been recorded for their ability to recollect their past
> lives. The child prodigies may have completed their education in their
> previous lives and may have acquired success in retaining such learning
> through intense efforts, which fructify in a later birth.
> >
> > Namaskars once again, Ramesh Ramanan.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Monday, 29 June 2015, 17:32, Vivek via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hari Om,
> >
> > Shankara says that only through self knowledge you can become
> enlightened and that puja, japa, selfless service, meditation etc can not
> enlighten you. They can purify you, make your mind calm and thin out your
> ego but not  give you liberation.
> >
> > At the same time there have been countless saints that attained
> liberation by doing long and intense mantra japa or other practices and it
> doesn't seem they studied Vedanta at all.
> >
> > This has created a conflict in my mind.
> >
> > Can someone shed some light on this?p
> >
> > Many thanks,
> > Vivek
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> > http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
> >
> > To unsubscribe or change your options:
> > http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
> >
> > For assistance, contact:
> > listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>