SOV
08 May 2011, 03:58 AM
Today It's Shankar jayanthi and I'm writing this short piece on Vedanta. I'm not trying to prove a point here. This should be considered purely academic and I'm open to other's views.
I've been Studying various texts and listening to scholars and contemplating on these for more than two years now but each and every day i get a different understanding. What seemed as unimportant yesterday is the gist today. I still remember the first day when i read a big book on vedanta where it was mentioned: Thus having realized the ultimate, the revered guru started acting like a mad man. And his guru was disappointed that he didn't get that madness. Even though taken aback at first, by the time I finished the book, I was a bit positive. This is such a topic. And also that fine old book didn't promise that i would get anything, unless i understood it. By understanding, I don't mean the word-meaning. For eg: One has to eat the mango to know how it tastes. This is one of the main things in vedanta. It is practical. This is also the reason why, inspite of many studying vedanta, only some achieve the goal. But in order to practice, one has to be convinced first- In the sense, there has to be no single doubt in the mind. And this is how the journey begins- with the inquiry. A person who is inquiring should not be biased or preoccupied. If a person is already sticking to conviction like a concrete, then how can the person inquire? Adi Shankaracharya says- For a detached mind belief is unnecessary. And this is where the vedanta gets tougher, not only in the beginning but also till one reaches the end, It tells the same thing- Break all the convictions. Convictions rise, grow strong and finally fall in the mind. The secret is- the one thing which does not rise nor fall and which is the source for mind, know that by the methods taught by the seers.
The teaching starts with the explanation of the Atma/brahman as something different from the inquirer. And the next phase is explaining the relation between Atma and the inquirer.
To be contd...
I've been Studying various texts and listening to scholars and contemplating on these for more than two years now but each and every day i get a different understanding. What seemed as unimportant yesterday is the gist today. I still remember the first day when i read a big book on vedanta where it was mentioned: Thus having realized the ultimate, the revered guru started acting like a mad man. And his guru was disappointed that he didn't get that madness. Even though taken aback at first, by the time I finished the book, I was a bit positive. This is such a topic. And also that fine old book didn't promise that i would get anything, unless i understood it. By understanding, I don't mean the word-meaning. For eg: One has to eat the mango to know how it tastes. This is one of the main things in vedanta. It is practical. This is also the reason why, inspite of many studying vedanta, only some achieve the goal. But in order to practice, one has to be convinced first- In the sense, there has to be no single doubt in the mind. And this is how the journey begins- with the inquiry. A person who is inquiring should not be biased or preoccupied. If a person is already sticking to conviction like a concrete, then how can the person inquire? Adi Shankaracharya says- For a detached mind belief is unnecessary. And this is where the vedanta gets tougher, not only in the beginning but also till one reaches the end, It tells the same thing- Break all the convictions. Convictions rise, grow strong and finally fall in the mind. The secret is- the one thing which does not rise nor fall and which is the source for mind, know that by the methods taught by the seers.
The teaching starts with the explanation of the Atma/brahman as something different from the inquirer. And the next phase is explaining the relation between Atma and the inquirer.
To be contd...