I'll be giving my Non-Dual Satsang every Wednesday night. Beer and pretzels will be served.
--- akasha_108 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The Dangers of Pseudo-advaita > > > BELOW THE INTRODUCTION > FROM A PAPER BY > AZIZ KRISTOF > > > > INTRODUCTION > > > Although not always thought so as such, > Advaita actually falls > under the auspices of the three main branches of > VEDANTA: > > 1. Dvaita Vedanta - the dualistic > approach > > 2. Advaita Vedanta - the non-dualistic > approach > > 3. Kevala Advaita Vedanta - the pure > non-dualistic school. > > The main exponent of Vedanta was the great > sage Adi Sankara > who was an adept of the Kevala Advaita Vedanta path. > In western > circles it is not unusual to blend the last two > together as well as > interposing the words Advaita and Vedanta as having > the same meaning, > becoming in a sense euphemisms of themselves > ("satsang" is often > included as well). Generally speaking it works OK, > but when fine > tuning the specifics then a more indepth process is > usually required. > (source). > > Jerry Katz, in a further clarification, in > his Nonduality FAQ > website, presents the following as well: > > Advaita means nonduality. Vedanta means "end > of the Veda." The > Vedas, the most ancient texts of Indian literature, > are books on > mythology and sacrifice. Their origins are > superhuman, their authority > divine, the Orthodox believe. The end of the Veda > marked the coming of > the Upanishads, which are books on the nondual > nature of reality, but > which offer different levels of nondual > understanding, and have even > given rise dualism, which says that God and the > human body are > eternally separate. > > Providing the Introduction: > the Wanderling > > > > The Dangers of Pseudo Advaita now proceeds: > > We would like to express our concern regarding > the recent > phenomenon of 'satsang-culture' which in our opinion > has impoverished > seriously the Orignial Spirit of Advaita. These days > many individuals, > who have very little or no knowledge at all about > the Process of > Awakening, feel qualified to give satsang and lead > other souls on the > Path. Enlightenment has become very cheap these > days. Nobody actually > really knows what is the meaning of this term as it > virtually means > everything and nothing. Nowadays, it is sufficient > to say 'I am > Awakened' in order to give satsang. > > Because of the unverifiable nature of > Enlightenment, this term has > been much manipulated. Satsang has been > Americanized. In an average > satsang-gathering everybody is laughing, showing > signs of euphoric and > unauthentic joy, while the teacher tries to look > like he or she is in > a bliss. Just like a TV show. Very few actually > meditate. Why to > meditate if we are already all Awakened? > > But Is this really Advaita? Is Advaita a poor > repetition of a > several slogans like 'There is nobody there,' 'You > are That,' You are > already Awakened' or 'There is no Path', etc.? Has > this anything to do > with teaching of great masters like N. Maharaj or > Sri Ramana > Maharishi? Ramana sat in caves for 20 years before > he could be really > complete. In his presence disciples had to meditate > for months and > years before they could receive from him the glimpse > of the Self. > > It is true that New Millennium is a time of > global awakening. But > this awakening is mostly partial and relative to the > level of most > people's unconsciousness. It was Jesus who said that > there would be a > time when many false teachers will teach in the name > of Light. It > seems to be happening now. Many of these teachers > are not necessarily > 'bad people' but simply unqualified and lost, in > truth. They have > believed too quickly in the thought 'I am now ready > to teach!' > > It seems that the pauper-isation of satsang > culture began after > the death of Poonjaji. Many of his followers started > to claim that > Poonjaji approved their 'Awakening.' It seems that > they just took him > too literally. It is an Advaita custom to say 'you > are already > Awakened.' This is however more a teaching device > than a reflection of > reality. And even if some of his disciples had a > glimpse of Awakening, > Poonjaji knew very well that in most cases neither > it was permanent > nor the final state. > > > An example was Andrew Cohen who was sent to > give satsang in > the west. He was meant to represent Poonjaji and > attract more > westerners to Lucknow. But he and others thought > that Poonjaji > actually conformed his Enlightenment. For that > reason, Cohen became > very hurt when Poonjaji started to criticize him > when he began to act > as a master. From this wound came later the magazine > 'What is > Enlightenment?' which more represents Cohen's own > insecurity and an > unsuccessful attempt to heal himself than a genuine > search for > clarity. By the endless investigation into states of > all possible > masters, and not being able to come to any true > conclusion, he has > been just confusing his students. The only thing > which at the end > remains clear from his seemingly 'sincere' efforts > to find clarity is > that nobody has the least idea 'What Enlightenment > Is!' > > > It is not our intention to suggest that nobody > reaches > Enlightenment. We just wish to make it clear > (similar as to what is > found to be said in ENLIGHTENMENT: CAN YOU DO IT?) > that Complete > Enlightenment and Understanding of its nature is > still an extremely > rare phenomenon on the planet earth, which a plane > of low evolution. > And equally important, we wish to emphasize that a > partial or > pre-mature experience of awakening does not qualify > one at all to take > a role of a Self-realised being. > > Enlightenment is not as cheap. Many seekers seem > to be unaware of > a very simple fact that there are actually many > levels of > Self-realization as exemplified in the Eight Jhana > States, the Wu Keng > Chuan (Five Degrees of Tozan) and the Five Varieties > of Zen. There is > an enormous difference between initial Awakening > such as say Kensho > and the actual State of Enlightenment. But who > cares? === message truncated === __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 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/