ADMIN: Apologies

Vaidya N. Sundaram sundaram at ECN.PURDUE.EDU
Mon Apr 6 16:49:13 CDT 1998


Namaste.


On Mon, 6 Apr 1998, Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:

> On Sat, 4 Apr 1998, Ravi Mayavaram wrote:
> > I request that may we all stick
> > to advaita-vedanta, as rigorously and as orthodoxly possible.
> > This list was created only
> > for the purpose of discussing shankara's advaita-vedanta.
>
> Given your goals as stated above (with which I agree 100%) the question is
> what is the best way to achieve those goals?


 I guess there is no single way of doing this. As it important as it is
to stress that we discuss Shankara's advaita, the digressions are also
important.


> siddhanta.  It is a essential part of the learning process to be able to
> determine on what basis a particular conclusion was reached.

 I fully agree.


> The FAQ is a good idea.  People should stick to the topic of this list.
> However we should realize it is inevitable that they will stray.  So if
> off-topic or inaccurate posts are annoying, correct the problem at the
> source! Force the ignorant to become knowledgeable.  But please don't
> stifle debate.  It is bad for everyone and will act against your goals.


 Here I will have to agree with Ravi. I have been trying to search the
archives for popular topics using the search engine (which I might add is
pretty good). There are

   i) 307 articles on the "free will" topic (surprised? I was.)
  ii) There are 116 on Zen, another 50 odd on astika/nastika topic.
 iii) 184 on Nirguna/Saguna Brahman
  iv) 273 on viveka and so on.


 Think about it. We have 307 ariticles on just ONE topic !!! I read thru a
lot of them again, as much as I could, and the underlying thing seems to
repeated so very often. People just have a tendency to state and restate
the same thing in different forms, and in THEIR own words, I guess. This
does get monotonous and I am prompted to skim thru them very often, which
I agree is not the best of things. however, there was indeed quite a
variety of ideas expressed with respect to viveka.

 So I guess it is not so much stifling discussion, as regulating it. You
will see several summaries, and then summaries of them!! I agree there is
a lot to say, but then ... 307 ??? 184 ??? with the same ideas? I dont
think so.

 And to suggest that Ravi as the list administrator regulating each topic
is quite impossible. EACH person HAS to do it. If your point of view has
been stated, either by you or someone else, rest assured, IT HAS BEEN
MADE.

 It is best if we really take time asimilating each mail, rather than
going into semantics. Quoting Acharyas is better left as it is, than
rewriting them in one's own perspective.

Cheers,
Vaidya.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Kandavar Vindilar      : Those who have seen (Brahman) have not spoken
  Vindavar Kandilar     :   those who speak (about It) have not seen (It)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    satyakAma, satyasaMkalpa, Apatsakha, kAkutsa, shrIman nArAyANa
        puruShottaMa, shrI ranganAtha, mama nAtha, namostute.
------------------------------------------------------------------------



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