[Advaita-l] Any new posts on Sringeri Days?

[Kalyan]

 //What Krishna implies  in the verse you cited is:   it is extremely difficult to gain self-knowledge and not that it is impossible for many to gain that knowledge. //

I never said it is impossible either! Just that it is very very difficult, so the probability even among those who strive for it is very low.

    On Tuesday, June 26, 2018, 6:11:38 PM GMT+5:30, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com> wrote:  
 
 

On Tue, Jun 26, 2018 at 5:59 PM, Kalyan via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

 Sri Bhaskarji
The issue is to reconcile Krishna's statements that -
1. It is very very difficult to attain him. 2. And many have attained him.


See the very last mantra of the Prashnopanishat (sixth chapter) and the bhashya:  All the six disciples of Sage Pippalada became enlightened after being taught by him and together they pay their homage to the Acharya. What Krishna implies  in the verse you cited is:   it is extremely difficult to gain self-knowledge and not that it is impossible for many to gain that knowledge. In the commentary to the previous verse Shankara says:  अतो विशिष्टफलत्वात् दुर्लभं ज्ञानम् ॥ २ ॥  ..since it is of a very special fruit, this knowledge is very difficult to attain and therefore rare. How? this is answered by the verse you cited. सहस्रेषु = अनेकेषु  among Thousands = among many.  It is also the norm, according to the Upanishads, that a living Acharya, himself an enlightened one, teaches his pupils. Even if a few become enlightened, we have a case where in the same time frame there are several enlightened ones. In the Gita itself 4th chapter Krishna says: approach the Guru and seek the knowledge and the enlightened ones, in plural, he says, will impart the knowledge.