Advaita in memory

[devotee]

Namaste Jignyasu,

But then without Sruthi pramana what else do I have other than words like: "No thought no world"; "I am that" etc? In other words without common sense or Shruti or anyone, how do I or you know for sure that it is true? Maybe it is just a delusion or denial...how do we know it is final?

Those who are JnAni won't go on claiming that. The Upanishads say, "He who says that he knows Brahman" actually doesn't know.

After Self-realisation, indulging in sensual pleasures is unthinkable. Can you give any example where this has happened ? Please don't believe people like "Nityananda" even if he has been made a MahAmandaleshwar in Kumbh.

If you want to know yourself if you are a JnAni or not ... if there is even an iota of doubt ... then you are not. This JnAn is not an ordinary one. Once it shines, there is no doubt left.
OM

[Amrut]

Namaste Jignyasu ji,

Narasimh Mehta says that a saint is the one in whose presence one feels peace.

It is documented that even the most disturbed minds would calm down in Sri Ramana Maharshi's presence.

Same thing happens when you read any book written by them.

When I read Sri Ramakrishna's Jivan charitra and Sri Ramana's Maharshi's upadesha, no matter how disturbed I was (emotionally hurt, etc), my mind would calm down.

Faith may not build on day one. It takes time. doubts rational thinking might be there in the beginning, as it is our human nature, but once you have developed faith, then it's time to drop the negative approach and take Guru's / saint's words seriously and follow them.

another thing that I have marked is that, many times, I did not ask doubts, but still they were answered and that whatever a Saint says happens, i.e. in meditation you experience that thing sooner or later. It might not be the next day, but it happens sooner or later.

Remember, ajnani cannot know jnani, as Jnani is a sthiti and not a way of life. For the sake of explanation you can say that Jnan is 'mAnsIc dasha' and not 'dishA'

A saint is like a plain white cloth. Even a small stain looks prominent. We can behave in the same way that a saint behaves, but no body questions us. But it is different for a saint.

Saint is a role model, an inspration to masses. So a saint, even if he has full control over senses has to keep distance from opposite sex.

Regarding the scams, sex scandals, etc, a Guru cannot be realized. Actually all the padvis (titles) including shankaracharya are given to a intellect and not the state of mind. Does a Saint receive a new name when he/she is self realized. So Swami is also a sadhaka and not necessarily a Siddha. Swamis generally have clarity (of mind nad in shastras) and know their goal. Hopefullt they even meditate regularly.

A Guru may find a disciple has clarity and good orating powers. So he orders him to give a discourse. But then a fan following starts and disciple without asking his Guru starts giving his own discourses. Now he acts a sa Guru. disciple's guru will not interfere, as he has already taught what needs to be taught. A swami may have 100 desires and out of 100, he may have uprooted 90, but 10 are still left to be uprooted. Three if them may be sex, money and fame. So it is life offering or luring a a sick person by offering sweets. Sooner or later he will slip, and there is no one to guide him. It is duty of disciple to go to Guru and not the opposite.

It is this a-paripakva sadhaka who make mess. They may go sadhana, have knowledge of scriptures, clarity, management powers, etc, but still they have not attained 100 % clarity and have not reached end of road. Soon they side-track. Rest follows, disaster waiting to happen.

You cannot stay with all saints personally to trust and believe, faith has to be there, but in kali yuga, we are often cheated. But thats what the time we live in. Can't help it. In ancient times, kings used to leave palace and meditate in forest huts. Now, saints quit forest huts, come to cities and built palace-lie ashrams. The entire cycle is revered. Unfortunately, we cannot help it.

Practically, we try to see a perfection, which is not possible. there will be loop-holes, there will be some weakness. We will have to neglect that weakness (if they are minor ones) and have faith.

As earlier said, if you feel peace in his presence and your doubts are solved, you have hit the right note.

It's trial-n-error. You pic a book, if you like it, move ahead. If not, take another book. If you find philosophy and the way of teachings, you move ahead. Except God nothing is perfect. So practically, I would find the best possible alternative.

Aum
IS

[jignyAsu]

After Self-realisation, indulging in sensual pleasures is unthinkable. Can you give any example where this has happened ?

Namaste devotee! I agree and appreciate your holding purity, sadhana etc as a prereq and an identification mark for a jnAni.

You cannot stay with all saints personally to trust and believe, faith has to be there, but in kali yuga, we are often cheated. But thats what the time we live in. Can't help it.

Namaste IS. Hope you are doing better.

You see, a part of my conclusion before was that Advaiti sanyasis hold purity, detachment etc as both a prereq and also an identification mark of a jnAni.

My this remark was a restpectful disagreement with Shivji who thought that these are not valid marks or a sadhana. I maintained that original Advaita distinguishes itself from certain modern philosophies by upholding these marks. And since the topic was about Advaita, this justifies the summary.

After all, Sri Adi Shankara in his Bhashya for "athAto brahma jignYAsA" maintains that "atha" means a precondition that includes discrimination b/w eternal and non-eternal, renunciation of all desires, self-restraint and the desire of release.

Therefore realization and addiction to senses are like day and night a/c to the original system.

[Amrut]

Namaste IS. Hope you are doing better.

You see, a part of my conclusion before was that Advaiti sanyasis hold purity, detachment etc as both a prereq and also an identification mark of a jnAni.

My this remark was a restpectful disagreement with Shivji who thought that these are not valid marks or a sadhana. I maintained that original Advaita distinguishes itself from certain modern philosophies by upholding these marks. And since the topic was about Advaita, this justifies the summary.

After all, Sri Adi Shankara in his Bhashya for "athAto brahma jignYAsA" maintains that "atha" means a precondition that includes discrimination b/w eternal and non-eternal, renunciation of all desires, self-restraint and the desire of release.

Therefore realization and addiction to senses are like day and night a/c to the original system.

Namaste,

Thank you, I am felling better than yesterday.

As I know, the only thing that is different is that sanyasins have desire for liberation (vairagya), that too not because they want to run away from responsibility (vivek-yukta vairagya). Later everything else follows. As time passes, if one meditates on Brahman, then one will develop ShaTa-sampatti, 2 sAdhan, mental purity as time passes. In that way, generally, sanyasins are always one step ahead of us, though there are some householders who are mentally more and advanced than sanyasins.

But as time passes, if one looses focus on goal or one takes things for granted, there are every chances of slipping.

If we keep testing on scientific basics or only vow to believe if you personally see it, then it will be very difficult to progress in spirituality, specially in today's time.

We adapt everything from the west and today we cannot live without adapting their technology and their way of living e.g. telephone, electricity, internet. But that is on physical plane / vyavahAric plane / practical approach.

But when it comes to spirituality, we need not take their approach. Mind was considered great great great hypothesis and it is only before 50 years or so that it is widely accepted and there is a medicated medical line in main stream medical profession. Science evolves, but in turn it contradicts it's previous claims which it had established 10 years ago. So (practical) truth is not eternal.

We accept anything that is tried and trusted and give a definite, guaranteed predictable output every time we apply or use it. Same is the case here in spirituality. Why not accept a concept, an approach, a way, a taught by great saints accumulated in shastras. Shastras are a collection of experiences of innumerable saints since time immemorial. Mind operates in the same way that it used to operate 5000 years ago.

e.g. you feel insulted when someone insults you. That was the same case in ancient times (Ramayana, Mahabharata)

If you want to eat sweets, you will eat what is available today. Same thing is applicable to ancient common men. Only difference is the type of delicacies. Way of life may be different, but shastras, which directly deal with mind, which is often ignored in today's life, is practically applicable today also.

I have given my thoughts on how to practically find a Guru form our POV.

The only problem is that purity, etc are internal states and a person who is not pure may pretend to be pure, but in that case, you wont feel the feel or spiritual vibrations that you have a chance that you feel peace in the presence of truly pure saint. Until you experience some kind of spiritual feeling in his presence, doubts cannot be nullified.

The path of advaita is such that one becomes peaceful from within and becomes neutral. Such is the nature of sadhana. The nature of advaita sadhana is to be neutral to any impulses. So that is definitely applied to our life and the inner peace cannot be robbed by others. A Sadhaka can feel deep peace and bliss during meditation and when one advances, this flow remains unbroken during day time too. You can only give what you have. So a saint can only give peace as everything other is absent in him. Spiritual vibrations will life you. In his presence one can easily meditate.

Outwardly a saint can be short tempered, but that anger will be short lived and you still can ignore it.

I like this statement - Drop the container and Catch the Content.

Prayer before meeting any saint helps. Also daily prayer to God to show you a path and direction will be helpful. This is my practical approach.

Aum
IS