--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'll be giving my Non-Dual Satsang every Wednesday > night. Beer and pretzels will be served.
And all will be one bud wiser? (every 15 minutes). (gretchen wilson song) > > --- 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! 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