[Advaita-l] Ramana Maharshi - Advaitin or Neo Advaitin?

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

I appreciate your boldness to challenge Ramana Maharshi. There is
nothing wrong in challenging a famous person. We should not follow
famous persons like sheep. I agree.

The confusion by Neo Advaita is happening because of Sankara Bhashyas
only. They are wrongly interpreting Sankara's criticism of Purva
Meemamsa and concluding all rituals are bad. All religious practices
are bad. Forget all differences of caste and gender. All this is
Maayaa.

But if you listen to Sringeri Swamijis they are not giving talks on
Upanisad Vakyas all the time. They are talking about our culture our
Dharma and our conduct most of the time.

If Adi Sankara was alive today and writing Bhashyas what he would
write when he knows all the Vedic culture is dying and already dead in
North India. In entire states in North India there are no proper
Purohitas knowing correct procedure of our Samskaaras like Upanayana
and Vivaha. There are no Vedas studies in many states. Brahmins don't
know what Veda and Gotra they are.

Imagine what Adi Sankara would write if he was alive today. Will he
write another criticism of Purva Meemamsa when the number Purva
Meemamsa scholars can counted on fingers? It will be a joke.

On Tue, Sep 20, 2016 at 6:40 PM, Kripa Shankar via Advaita-l
<advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> Namaste Bhaskar
>
> I request you to kindly read the article after you reach home or open the link on your phone. The author has credibility and it is a well researched article with ample references. He has summarised all the points succinctly. Like Kalidasa said everything old is not supreme, everything new is not bad. Same way everything on the internet is not trash. ‎
>
> We are in agreement then. He was not a rigid follower of orthodox Advaita tradition. We ‎can label that however we want.
>
> Since you have asked my personal opinion :
> 1) Ramana got famous by rumours, hear says and media coverage. Further owing to post colonial effect, we Indians accept blindly whatever the white man says (not being a racist, but indicating that Indians subconsciously have a bit of self loathing). So white man's words are Apta vakyas for us.
> 2) The  man who was responsible for the 'discovery' of Ramana was a dubious person.
> 3) Most of Ramana's teachings were written by his associates.
> 4) Ramanashram is an international organisation with many centres all over the world. How is it sustainable?
> 5) Not to be hurtful or bitter towards anyone, but his teachings are vague, hollow and mostly answers the deep philosophical questions with another question.  It cannot be compared to Shankara even in wildest fantasy. For eg: 'Insert any question ' - Who are you, who is asking the question? To whom does the question belong? Or something like - There is nothing to be taught, no nothing, just keep asking who the heck you are. Or abide in yourself.
> 6) lastly, Ramana often quotes from Tao, Christ, Osho etc but never Shankara or other old Rishis.
>
> Regards
> Kripa
>
> Vyasaya Vishnu roopaya Vyasa roopaya Vishnave
> Namo vai Brahma nidhaye Vasishtaya namo namaha
>   Original Message
> From: Bhaskar YR
> Sent: Tuesday 20 September 2016 5:56 PM
> To: Kripa Shankar; A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
> Subject: RE: [Advaita-l] Ramana Maharshi - Advaitin or Neo Advaitin?
>
> praNAms Sri Kripa Shankar prabhuji
> Hare Krishna
>
> Due to restrictions in accessibility of internet I am not able to open the link you provided at my office desk top. Anyway, instead of depending too much on web data, what do you think of yourself about ramaNa's teaching and why do you think his teaching goes against Advaita ?? can you share your thoughts in your own words prabhuji?? Kindly note I am not saying ramaNa's teaching and methodology is strictly in line with traditional teaching and sAdhana, but to my knowledge I hardly find any difference in ramaNa's teaching with that of Advaita. In short, though bhagavaan ramaNa was not a rigid follower of orthodox Advaita tradition, his teaching is NOT alien to Advaita.
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Advaita-l [mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org] On Behalf Of Kripa Shankar via Advaita-l
> Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 5:49 PM
> To: Advaita discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Ramana Maharshi - Advaitin or Neo Advaitin?
>
> ‎Namaste
>
> Interesting article about Ramana. This mig‎ht explain so many aspects about Neo-Advaita and the confusion around. Further, this corresponds to the recent campaign of Rajiv Malhotra. This may also explain why Ramana is saying there is no reincarnation.
>
> https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/atma-jyoti-ashram-sannyasis-or-snake-oil-salesmen-swami-devananda-saraswati/
>
> ‎Regards
> Kripa
>
> ‎---
> Vyasaya Vishnu roopaya Vyasa roopaya Vishnave Namo vai Brahma nidhaye Vasishtaya namo namaha
>   Original Message
> From: Bhaskar YR
> Sent: Tuesday 20 September 2016 4:44 PM
> To: Kripa Shankar; A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
> Subject: RE: [Advaita-l] Ramana Maharshi - Advaitin or Neo Advaitin?
>
> praNAms Sri Kripa Shankar prabhuji
> Hare Krishna
>
> My query i‎s simple. There are so many concepts like shrAddha, Creation theory, Karma etc
>
>> yes, in the shruti, dharma shAstra etc. we will find plenty of references with regard to shrAddhAdi karma, creation, karma etc. for the jignAsu-s who are yet to realize that ultimate truth that there is no creation, no jeeva, nor mukti nor bandha.
>
> Why pick up reincarnation, why mix up vyavahara and paramaartha and why to take pain to explain again that nothing holds in absolute terms when it is said already many times. Kim punaha?
>
>> don’t you think shruti and bhAshya themselves an admixture of these dual viewpoints?? 're-incarnation' is one of those topics. And in this particular context ramaNa might have taken this topic and clarified his stand from the highest view point. To do apavAda first we have to know what is adhyArOpita, is it not prabhuji. Kindly see kArika maraNe sambhave chaiva gatyAgamanayOrapi and shankara bhAshya on that it would clear from this that exit, going away, reincarnating are all from the stand point of imputation and nothing real in 'real' sense.
> ‎
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
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-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh