[Advaita-l] Can non-sannyAsIs also study VedAnta? (was Fwd: [advaitin] Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa (KDAS-8))

[S Jayanarayanan]

Another posting forwarded from the advaitin list.

Question asked in the previous posting:
"Some do ask: “The Acharya himself has said that the teaching of the
maha-vakyas that proclaim the identity of Jiva and Brahman is only
for the Sannyasi.  On the other hand how come the Sama Veda
maha-vakya was taught  to the Brahmachari Svetaketu by his father?”"

Answer to the above question:
"That is why the Acharya prescribed, as a
general rule, that the teaching of the mahavakya is to be
done at the time one is initiated into Sannyasa...Every rule has
its exception. Even the general rule of minimum age for
high school graduation is exempted for very bright
students. So also the rule that only a Sannyasi is eligible
for Brahma-Vidya  has been exempted for that Samaveda boy, 
Shvetaketu...This should not be shown as a precedent for the
claim that the upadesha of the mahavakya should apply to
all."

--- "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk at yahoo.com> wrote:

> To: advaitinlist <advaitin at yahoogroups.com>
> From: "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk at yahoo.com>
> Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 06:03:59 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: [advaitin] Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on Advaita
> Saadhanaa (KDAS-8)
> 
> Namaste.
> You may see a Table of Contents, under the Introduction, in
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/message/27766
> 
> KDAS – 8
> 
> 10. APEX OF SAADHANAA – ONLY FOR SANNYASI ! (Continued)
> 
> The point is not about ‘young’ or ‘old’. The point is about
> the attainment of spiritual maturity. Generally that
> maturity comes only to one who has gone through the ups and
> downs of life and who has observed  faultless karma yoga
> all through.  That is why the Acharya prescribed, as a
> general rule, that the teaching of the mahavakya is to be
> done at the time one is initiated into Sannyasa. In worldly
> parlance, they set a minimum age, like fourteen or fifteen,
>  for graduation from school; but however, there are some
> ‘prodigies’ who are considered brighter than even a B.A. or
> M.A. even when they are seven or eight. On this account
> does it mean that the general rule is wrong? Every rule has
> its exception. Even the general rule of minimum age for
> high school graduation is exempted for very bright
> students. So also the rule that only a Sannyasi is eligible
> for Brahma-Vidya  has been exempted for that Samaveda boy, 
> Shvetaketu. First he studied under his own father, then
> went over for twelve years of study under other gurus and
> then came back with his collar high up! When such proud
> individuals get the shock of a setback of their pride they
> go to the other extreme of total modesty and are prepared
> to do the full SharaNAgati! Nothing can beat the
> circumstance of a good and scholarly man when he reaches a
> stage of defeat where he realises that all his intelligence
> and scholarship are of no value in the face of real
> experience. And that is when he dedicates himself totally.
> That is what happened to that Samaveda boy before his
> father who put to nought his high opinion of his
> scholarship and sparked him to spiritual heights of
> intuition. That is when he was given the upadesha of the
> mahavakya. This should not be shown as a precedent for the
> claim that the upadesha of the mahavakya should apply to
> all.
> 
> The Brahmasutra (III – 4 – 17) gives a rule for the study
> of Atma-VidyA: Eligibility is only for ‘Urdva-retasis’. Who
> are they? They are the ones who have not wasted their
> energy in sensual-experience but have conserved all of it
> for the uplift of their spirituality. The one who has thus
> destroyed his lust will become a Sannyasi. Even as a boy
> one may be as pure as fire to such an extent that later the
> thought of kAma never arises in him;  such a person can be
> given Sannyasa-Diksha and the knowledge of non-difference
> between Jiva and Brahman may certainly be formally given to
> him. Our Acharya himself belonged to this category.  And
> that tradition of giving Sannyasa to young Brahmacharis has
> also been established by him for some of his mutts. 
> 
> At a town called Shribali, a father brought to him a boy
> who was totally inert to everything and prayed that the
> Acharya should relieve him of his ‘disease’of inertness.
> But the Acharya was able to see the maturity behind that
> inert silence of the ‘patient’!. He gave Sannyasa to the
> boy and kept him with himself.  This is the famous
> Hastamalaka, one of  his four prime disciples. Again,
> younger and much smarter than our Sama Veda child, there
> was a seven-year old who dared argue with the Acharya
> himself. How can some one win our Acharya in argument? But
> the point is not about who won or who lost.  The fact was
> the newcomer was so full of modesty after the event and
> actually surrendered to the Acharya. The Acharya gladly
> accepted him as disciple, gave him the Sannyasa-Diksha, and
> also gave the name ‘SarvajnAtman’. I am saying all this in
> order to point out that the Acharya who was very regulatory
> did loosen his regulations in the case of extraordinary
> individuals.  The Sama Veda boy we were talking about,
> though he was just twenty-four and full of youth, did have
> the maturity to deserve the teaching of the mahavakya and
> that was why the Rishi gave the Upadesha to him. 
> 
> Citing cases of exceptions and asking for withdrawal of
> regulations in all cases is not right. Vidhura, of the
> Mahabharata, when looked at from the way he was born, would
> not be eligible to receive jnAnopadesha; but he was a
> jnAni. Dharma-vyAdha was running a butcher shop; still he
> had jnAna alright. The Acharya himself cites these cases in
> his Sutra-bhashya (I – 3 – 38) and says these are cases
> that happened because of the Samskara in earlier lives.  In
> the previous lives one gets good spiritual maturiy, but is
> born again because of some tiny fault; however the maturity
> of the previous life sticks on to him and very soon he
> reaches an advanced stage in the spiritual ladder. Such
> persons are very rare. They cannot form our model for
> making the general rule.
> 
> The general run of people whose Samskara is rather dubious
> are to do Karma yoga only. This is the rule. Even to carry
> on the karma yoga properly they will find it difficult. To
> burden them with  an impossible sense-control, and control
> of the mind that are needed for jnAna yoga is of no use.
> 
> That is why the third stage
> 
> [Note by VK: The Saadhana-chatushhTayaM is the second
> stage].
> 
> in  the Advaita-sAdhanA is prescribed only for those of the
> fourth Ashrama (Sannyasa) who has already thrown off all
> his obligations of karma and has totally dedicated himself
> to the enquiry of jnAna. Only if one  throws off  the
> burdens that make one run around for the family
> establishment, the responsibility of feeding  oneself or
> the  household and also the bondage of relatives as well as
> of money and position and sit whole time as a Sannyasi for
> the purpose of Atma-Vichara, -- only then can one eradicate
> the inner burden of thoughts and also wash off the
> long-lasting dirt and moss of the mind. Upto a certain
> stage the composites of right action, svadharma and
> obligatory duties  do help to wash off this old dirt; but
> after a stage they themselves become a potential for
> further dirt and moss of the mind. They stick to one’s mind
> and prevent the mind from losing itself in eternal peace.
> When we wash sticky and dirty vessels don’t  we apply
> tamarind and earth on them and even allow them to stay
> there for some time? But even they are ultimately rinsed
> off  and only then the vessels become bright and pure. In
> the same way, the karma that helps to purify should
> themselves be eradicated in full in order for the inner
> organ (antahkaraNaM) to become pure and crystal clear. That
> is exactly what Sannyasa means. After one becomes a
> Sannyasi, the inner activities have also to stop and give
> relief. Activity means peacelessness. Total peace is an
> ocean of bliss; one should dissolve in it and be Brahman.
> That is immutable peace.  If it is possible to reach that
> state from our present state of  perturbation and
> restlessness, then  is it not our duty to  put in the
> maximum possible effort for it?  If we don’t, then we are
> only duds, whatever position or status we hold in whichever
> field it may be.
> 
> (To be Continued)
> PraNAms to all students of advaita.
> PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.
> profvk 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Prof. V. Krishnamurthy
> 
> Latest on my website:  A conversation on the Concept of God in
> Hinduism.
> http://www.geocities.com/profvk/VK2/ConceptofGOD.html
> 
> 
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> --------------------~--> 
> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your
> home page
> http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
> 
> 
> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of
> nonseparablity of Atman and Brahman. 
> Advaitin List Archives available at:
> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/
> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin at yahoogroups.com
> Messages Archived at:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/messages

-----------------------------------------------------------
Work for the Employer with the best benefits! Work for God!


		
__________________________________ 
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 
http://mail.yahoo.com