tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861918231666894982.post4520481330544377894..comments2007-06-28T20:13:42.875-07:00Comments on Maneesha Panchakam: Maneesha Panchakam - Introductionvedantahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05191673519513060022noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861918231666894982.post-3604196029451921462007-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:002007-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:00HARI AUM Prostrations to all. :)There are two view...HARI AUM<BR/> <BR/>Prostrations to all.<BR/> <BR/>:)There are two views on the story of Sankara with the chandaala.<BR/> <BR/>1. This was a play enacted by Sankara in order to show that the Self and spiritual path is beyond all castes (which would be the point 2 mentioned by Neel).<BR/>2. Sankara though was well advanced in the spiritual path (having written even the bhashyas) still had a bit of ego and caste-ism in him. Of course this is very tough indeed to conquer and too tough for Brahmins who have been egoistic all throughout about their caste. Thus the Lord came in front of him to get rid of the final tint of ego in Sankara.<BR/> <BR/>2 is quite evident as if we go to any of the current-day Sankara mutts, we will find this. So much that one swamiji of Kanchi (who was initiated by none other than Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi swamigal) started accusing Balakrishnan Nair and Chinmaya (formerly a menon) and that they weren't realized as they are not Brahmanas :) <BR/> <BR/>Pity is the state of such Mutts who should be propounding the advaita reality instead try to emphasize on caste which is based on body when Sankara himself totally dismisses it in this work of Maneesha Panchakam.<BR/> <BR/>This work not only just speaks about jeeva Brahma aikya but has the bold statement of Sankara that even a chandaala is my Guru if he has knowledge (quite contradictory to the mutt followers of today). <BR/> <BR/>I have no intention of pointing out the faults of the various mutts but we shouldn't be one among them -- following advaita externally and still clinging on to bodily distinctions -- if we do so, we will only be utterly foolish and externally show-casing ourselves as an advaitin when we dont even know the jeeva distinct from body. <BR/> <BR/>Glad that Neel has taken up this beautiful yet deep work of Sankara.<BR/> <BR/>PS: Neel, you could also get paramartha's cd on maneesha panchakam (1 cd i believe) if it is available with Mallika or Rajesh Kumar - I haven't heard omkarananda's discourse and hence dont know whether he follows paramartha dicto or has his own style (though being a disciple of paramartha). Of course, Chinmaya's commentary itself is enough:) -- there is a commentary by Balakrishnan Nair in malayalam released by none other than the great Mridananda of R K Mutt (this book has also been translated into english and should be available in bangalore R K Mutt - this should be a good one as Chinmaya used to tell that whoever from the mission goes to Kerala must compulsorily meet Balakrishnan Nair). The great importance of Balakrishnan Nair's works is that he is an INDEPENDENT (candidate:)) and hence the problems with mission-brahmana etc. will not be there in his works.<BR/> <BR/>Prostrations to all.<BR/> <BR/>HARI AUM<BR/> <BR/>Thanks<BR/>Hariram<BR/>Let a moment not pass by without remembering Godvedantahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05191673519513060022noreply@blogger.com