--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Jul 1, 2005, at 11:46 AM, sparaig wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> On Jul 1, 2005, at 10:55 AM, sparaig wrote: > >> > >>> MY position comes from Anoop Chandola's conversation with his > >>> meditation teacher, > >>> Swami Shantananda Saraswati, closest disciple of Swami Brahamanda > >>> Saraswati, AKA > >>> "Gurudev" on this forum. No account denies that Swami Shantananda > >>> Saraswati was > >>> Gurudev's closest disciple --most people here, however, prefer to > >>> think that S. > >>> Shantananda "wasn't worthy" of his position, and that another Swami, > >>> who was never > >>> Gurudev's disciple, was (that's who the other Shankaracharya of > >>> Jyotirmath was at the time > >>> Chandola learned meditation: someone picked by committee who wasn't > >>> even a student of > >>> Gurudev --by the committee's view NOT ONE of Gurudev's students was > >>> worthy). > >> > >> You seem to not be aware of a number of things 1) the Shankaracharya > >> is > >> not necessarily the one who chooses his successor > > > > > > So the successor is generally chosen over the wishes of the > > Shankaracharya? > > That's not what I said. Please read it again :-).
The will specified several names, including Swami Shantananda's. Unless the will was ruled invalid, the will was Swami Brahmananda's wish. > > > > > > > and 2) you seem to > >> assume the SBS's will was really his will. It had been disputed. > > > > > > By whom? Did they take it to court? What was the result? > > I believe it was one of the Akharas. Who? Did they take it to court? What was the outcome? > > > >> > >>> --most people here, however, prefer to think that S. > >>> Shantananda "wasn't worthy" of his position, and that another Swami, > >>> who was never > >>> Gurudev's disciple, was (that's who the other Shankaracharya of > >>> Jyotirmath was at the time > >>> Chandola learned meditation: someone picked by committee who wasn't > >>> even a student of > >>> Gurudev --by the committee's view NOT ONE of Gurudev's students was > >>> worthy). > >> > >> So you consider "closeness" an important criteria for succession. > >> That's interesting. > > > > > > Barring any other criteria mentioned, what would YOU go on? > > The traditional criteria, modified for the current political nature of > the position. But the will supercedes all of that, does it not? > > > > >> > >> IMO Swami Karpatri, the "Shankaracharya maker", was the most qualified > >> successor--but that is just my personal opinion based on what I know > >> at > >> a point removed considerably in time from the original events. > > > > > > Perhaps he was, but was he ever offered the position? He's apparently > > not mentioned in > > the will, nor in the article on the succession endorsed by Dana > > Sawyer. Was he a stuent of > > Gurudev's? Did the committee consider him in 1953 or later? How do you > > know? > > He was originally offered it BEFORE Sw. Brahmananda Saraswati > originally since he was best suited. > > "Also, in 1953, Swami Hariharananda Saraswati (popularly known as > Karapatri Swami), another disciple of Brahmananda Saraswati, was seen > as the more deserving candidate to become the Sankaracharya, but he > didn't want the title. In fact, as the head of the Akhila Bharatiya > Dharmasangha, it is said that Hariharananda had been the first choice > for the Sankaracharya post in 1941, but he had declined and proposed > his guru's name (Brahmananda) instead. It is also said that it was > Hariharananda who convinced his guru to accept the position. > Hariharananda Saraswati passed away recently, and avoided the > Sankaracharya title for himself, but the opinion of his followers is > reflected in the title they have given him - Abhinava Sankara." --The > Jyotirmath Sankaracharya Lineage in the 20th Century > > I've also heard the above from independent sources. OK, you mispelled the name originally so I didn't find it with a text search. Note however, that he was NOT interested either time and suggested Gurudev (his OWN Gurudev) instead. People who have been offered the position and turned it down TWICE aren't really germane this discussion, now are they? To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
