[Advaita-l] The 'Snake-and-ladder' game - The Spiritual path

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

On Fri 10 Aug, 2018, 1:30 AM Kalyan via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> //You conveniently skipped the other points I mentioned that in the buffalo
> example in the  Panchadashi which are essential.to set the context.    The
> Advaita  Guru is helping the disciple *overcome his obsession with the form
> of the buffalo*. // // If you insist that without any Guru or shAstra, we
> can just imagine
> whatever form we wish to and worship in whatever way our mind  wishes and
> we call it bhakti or Advaita , thats ridiculous.//
> I will answer both these in one shot. Here is what Sringeri AchArya said -
> https://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=3973
> (When some foreigners approached my guru's guru, Sri Chandrasekhara
> Bharati, seeking conversion to Hinduism, he advised them to "become better
> Christians, that is the essence of Hinduism. If you cannot find solace in
> your religion, you will never be able to find it in any other religion.")
>

This is a non-sequitir
Viz.,

> Therefore, this shows the Sringeri AchAya had no problem in treating
> Christ (and other religious gods) as a valid form of Ishwara.
>
>
> The Acharya gave them advice to become "better" Christians and find
> 'solace' and don't convert others etc., Which is all fine  The rest of it
> is i am afraid, your own speculation about the Acharyas views on Christian
> theology.


Besides, to say "Christ is a valid form of ishvara" or even the equally
valid statement such as "this lump of turmeric is a valid form of ishvara"
are valid statements only if "ishvara" is first understood and that needs
shAstra and Guru. Otherwise it's a meaningless statement without the Guru
shAstra context .

In other words we should not conflate a Hindu view of Christianity with the
word "Christianity" as understood by most of its practitioners .




>