[Advaita-l] Samnyasa and Sankara's position?

Akilesh Ayyar ayyar at akilesh.com
Tue Apr 9 09:06:13 EDT 2019
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Namaste Bhaskarji,

May I ask how you would interpret the Aitareya introduction excerpts that I
posted? I would be quite interested to know. Particularly these quotes:

*Not so... the constant habit of resorting to any particular house of one's
own is prompted by desire. When there is no clinging to any particular
house of one's own, there follows begging alone, as a matter of course...*

and

*From the fact that a fresh injunction of renunciation, despite its
emergence as a matter of course (as in the case of a man of illumination),
is met with [footnote: In Br. Up. III v. I. etc. -- 'Knowing this very
Self, the Brahmanas renounce...and lead a mendicant life."] ,it becomes
evident that it is obligatory for the man of illumination. And monasticism
is obligatory even for the unillumined soul that hankers after
emancipation. ... Besides, such means for the realization of the Self as
physical and mental control etc. are incompatible with other stages of
life."*

It seems that Sankara is saying that both jnanis and seekers -- the jnanis
because they lack desire and it will be automatic; the second because
physical/mental control are not otherwise possible -- must undertake
sannyasa. No?

On Tue, Apr 9, 2019 at 8:11 AM Bhaskar YR via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> praNAms
> Hare Krishna
>
> We have discussed this issue earlier.  In short Atma jnana is NOT
> AshramAdheena though Ashrama sannyasa provide the conducive environment to
> the sincere mumukshu, it is not mandatory (vidhi) for gaining the Atma
> jnana.  Shankara appears to insist sannyasa (sannyasa Ashrama sveekAra /
> sarva karma sannyasa) in Geeta bhAshya as an injunction but it is there to
> show how important varAgya in jnana sAdhana.  It is important and
> recommended but not a MUST.
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Advaita-l <advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> On Behalf
> Of Sudhanshu Shekhar via Advaita-l
> Sent: Monday, April 08, 2019 8:13 PM
> To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Cc: Sudhanshu Shekhar <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Samnyasa and Sankara's position?
>
> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not
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>
>
> The sequence to Moksha is very well enshrined in Gita Bhashya 5.12 as
> karma-yoga--sattva-shuddhi--jnana-prapti---sarva-karma-sanyasa---jnana-nishtha---Moksha.
> Further, sarva-karma-sanyasa is an injunction for Mumukshu. Without it,
> one can never attain Moksha. However, if one is already situated in
> jnana-nishtha and he dies, then in next birth, he is not required to repeat
> the sequence. Therefore, it may appear that even a grihstha has attained
> Moksha without sks. However, as Acharya has pointed in Aitreya, Moksha for
> grihastha is impossible, it is to be understood that he is talking of a
> grihastha without sattva-shuddhi. The sequence of 5.12 is inviolable.
> However, it spans across several births. Thus, there is no contradiction
> imho.
>
> Regards.
> Sudhanshu.
>
> On Mon 8 Apr, 2019, 18:31 Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l, <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > Namaste
> >
> > This was discussed before and you will find it in archives of old
> messages.
> > Sureshwara and Adi Sankara have different opinions in this matter.
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Apr 8, 2019 at 6:25 PM Akilesh Ayyar via Advaita-l <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> > > Surely someone on this list has an opinion? :-)
> > >
> > > On Fri, Apr 5, 2019 at 8:30 AM Akilesh Ayyar <ayyar at akilesh.com>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Namaste,
> > > >
> > > > I am wondering what Sankara's position on the necessity of
> > > > samnyasa for seekers and/or jnanis.
> > > >
> > > > My impression is that the traditional understanding is that he
> > > > does require it at least of seekers.
> > > >
> > > > However, I have read that he suggests that grihasthas and other
> > > > non-samnyasins can achieve moksha, which contradicts that idea.
> > > >
> > > > And apparently there is a scholarly book, "Freedom through Inner
> > > > Renunciation," that I have not read, that specifically argues that
> > > > the traditional understanding is incorrect and that a close
> > > > reading of the texts suggests that the only kind of renunciation
> > > > Sankara requires is
> > > inner
> > > > renunciation, a psychological renunciation.
> > > >
> > > > Now I am unfortunately far from well-versed enough in the bhashya
> > > > to
> > have
> > > > a strong opinion on this.
> > > >
> > > > I just read some of Sankara's introduction to the Aitareya Upanishad.
> > In
> > > > it, he seems to require samnyasa both for the seeker and to
> > > > suggest
> > that
> > > > for the jnani it happens automatically. The below quotes are from
> > > > the GambhIrAnanda translation of Ai. Up.
> > > >
> > > > "Objection: Therefore, if the supreme knowledge of Brahman dawns
> > > > in domestic life, the inactive [footnote: one who does not engage
> > > > anymore
> > in
> > > > scriptural rituals] man may continue in that state, and there need
> > > > be
> > no
> > > > moving away from it.
> > > >
> > > > Answer: No, since domestic life is induced by desire...
> > > > Renunciation is defined as the mere absence of well-established
> > > > relationship with sons etc., arising from desire, and not as the
> > > > mere moving away form that domestic life. And so the inactive man
> > > > of realization cannot continue
> > in
> > > > that domestic life itself.
> > > >
> > > > Objection: Inasmuch as a mendicant, desirous merely of maintaining
> > > > his body, is seen to subject himself to regulations about begging,
> > > > there
> > can
> > > be
> > > > continuance in the domestic life even for that householder who has
> > become
> > > > freed from both kinds of desires...
> > > >
> > > > Answer: Not so... the constant habit of resorting to any
> > > > particular
> > house
> > > > of one's own is prompted by desire. When there is no clinging to
> > > > any particular house of one's own, there follows begging alone, as
> > > > a matter
> > > of
> > > > course...
> > > > ....
> > > >
> > > > Answer: From the fact that a fresh injunction of renunciation,
> > > > despite
> > > its
> > > > emergence as a matter of course (as in the case of a man of
> > > illumination),
> > > > is met with [footnote: In Br. Up. III v. I. etc. -- 'Knowing this
> > > > very Self, the Brahmanas renounce...and lead a mendicant life."]
> > > > ,it becomes evident that it is obligatory for the man of
> > > > illumination. And
> > > monasticism
> > > > is obligatory even for the unillumined soul that hankers after
> > > > emancipation. ... Besides, such means for the realization of the
> > > > Self
> > as
> > > > physical and mental control etc. are incompatible with other
> > > > stages of life."
> > > >
> > > > It goes on, but I think this is enough to illustrate the point.
> > > >
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> > --
> > Regards
> >
> > -Venkatesh
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