[Advaita-l] Sri Ramana Maharshi also says...

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

Sri Ramana Maharshi explains the importance of the prerequisites to study
vedAnta granthas from a Guru (shravaNam). So we gave to be careful not to
quote Sri Ramana Maharshi without proper context.  When a particular person
studies and teaches vedAnta without himself assimilating the truth of the
words he is quoting or teaching, only then it is meaningful to rhetorically
ask "what is the use of studying vedAnta and parrot the words etc?" Such a
idea is reckless if quoted out of context.

d - Devotee
M - Maharshi Ramana


D: What are the sadhanas or requisites for this process?

*M.: The knowers say that the sadhanas consist of an ability to discern the
real from the unreal, no desire for pleasures here or hereafter, cessation
of activities (karma) and a keen desire to be liberated. Not qualified with
all these four qualities, however hard one may try, one cannot succeed in
enquiry. Therefore this fourfold sadhana is the sine qua non for enquiry.*

*Discernment (viveka) can arise only in a purified mind. Its nature is the
conviction gained by the help of sacred teachings that only Brahman is real
and all else false.* Always to remember this truth is its effect. Its end
(avadhi) is to be settled unwavering in the truth that only Brahman is and
all else is unreal. Desirelessness (vairagya) is the result of the outlook
that the world is essentially faulty. *Its nature is to renounce the world
and have no desire for anything in it. Its effect is to turn away in
disgust from all enjoyments as from vomit.* It ends (avadhi) in treatment
with contempt of all pleasures, earthly or heavenly, as if they were vomit
or burning fire or hell.

*Desire to be liberated (mumukshutva) begins with the association with
realised sages. Its nature is the yearning for liberation. Its effect is to
stay with one master. It ends (avadhi) in giving up all study of shastras
and performance of religious rites.*

D.: How is it that even scholars in Vedanta have not succeeded in the
pursuit of enquiry?


M.: Though they always study Vedanta and give lessons to others *yet in the
absence of desirelessness* they do not practise what they have learnt.

D.: And what do they do otherwise?

*M.: Like a parrot they reproduce the Vedantic jargon but do not put the
teachings into practice.*

D.: What does Vedanta teach?


*M.: The Vedanta teaches a man to know that all but the non-dual Brahman is
laden with misery, therefore to leave off all desires for enjoyment, to be
free from love or hate, thoroughly to cut the knot of the ego and to remain
fixed in the perfect knowledge of the equality of all and making no
distinction of any kind, never to be aware of anything but Brahman, and
always to be experiencing the Bliss of the nondual Self.*

*Though Vedanta is read and well understood, if dispassion is not
practised, the desire for pleasures will not fade away. However well read
one may be, unless the teachings are put into practice, one is not really
learned. Only like a parrot the man will be repeating that Brahman alone is
real and all else is false.*