[Advaita-l] Question I

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

Dear Roshan,
 
As you have stated your educational background very clearly, and are asking a fundamental
question, let me begin with a most basic answer. In my experience, the more basic a
question, the more complicated is the route to the answer, but the final answer is simple
and basic.
 
A questioning mind can take any external object and pose questions about its origins, its
provenance and finally about its very existence. The questioning progresses till there is the
satisfaction of knowing the final answer and all doubts cease. 
 
As for advaita, the final evidence that it can offer to this questioner is this. In the process
of questioning, do you ever question the fact that you exist? That which sees and hears and
questions and doubts and finally stands alone is, in the ultimate analysis, your very self. Do
you exist? It is this apparently simple truth that is in fact the most complex to realize and
that is what advaita vedAnta is all about.
 
You seem young enough and receptive enough, so here is a piece of advice. Never stop
questioning everything around you till you are satisfied with the answers that you find,
but do the questioning with an attitude of respect, and with the intellectual honesty that
you could be wrong about one or the other thing. Even after you are satisfied with a given
answer, revisit the question after some passage of time and examine whether you still
continue to be satisfied with it or not. Do not accept facile and easy answers, but do not
judge an answer to be facile or easy till you have examined it in all possible perspectives.

With best wishes,
Vidyasankar
 
> Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:58:29 -0700
> From: roshanmandal at yahoo.com
> To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
> Subject: [Advaita-l] Question I
> 
> Dear sirs/madams, 
> 
> I am new to the realm of Vedanta. I have studied the basics. But as a beginner, 
> I have many questions. One of the most fundamental questions that I have is: 
> 
> Why should I believe the Adavaita Vedanta philosophy over any other 
> philosophy/religion? What evidence does Advaita have to back up its claims? 
> 
> 
> Grateful if you could answer my question as thorougly as possible.
> Thank you.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Abhyudaya Mandal
> 
> PS: 
> My background -- I am 16 yrs old. Most of my Vendata "knowledge" consists of 
> reading the Gospel of Ramakrishna, and Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, and 
> a few articles on the Divine Life Society site. (My knowledge is very limited). 
> However, I have studied Christianity, especially, fundamentalist evangelical 
> Christianity for several years formally (My school has mandatory Bible courses).
> 
> 
> 
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