F.: The Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken” ends thusly:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Fortunate but few are those who find the less traveled (or actually seldom traveled) road or “path” that leads directly to the understanding. Two e-mails were received yesterday that provide an invitation for all seekers to study the varied “paths” of Advaita Vedanta and to consider objectively which teaching method might lead to Full Realization:
LETTER #1. Dearest Floyd, OK,OK,OK. Difficult to respond to the post today. "I" understand you see it as witness but there were more than a few lines which made me cringe. Difficult to face the posts of the last few days...but not too difficult to see the point. Have not thought about Kant since University but have gone over notes from the past and have a renewed understanding. "My" years with Babaji allowed a sentimentalism to flourish that I now see as another dis-eased concept. Must have known it on some "level" as the layers of esoteric writings and thousands of pages of commentaries began to just frigging irritate me. It was not understood as watered down and westernized till I was exposed to a path more direct by "stumbling" on "your" site. [A particular organization] promoted the teachings of Ramakrishna who allowed a "mystical" flow of consciousness between union with the form and formless. Happy was I with constant vacillation, but no more. Am being confronted with the many contradictions allowed in "my life." Here is to health for your "bag of bones" in order for the Consciousness to speak....or not. (The "or not" part is a little tough yet). Ginny
THE RESPONSE: It would seem that you are seeing why all of your years of effort along a "most traveled path" led nowhere. And yes, if the end result is only irritation, that "path" is not for you. Of course that "mystical flow" sounds quite appealing to many seekers, but that concept is cast aside when it is seen that to believe that anything can flow from one thing to another requires first a belief in a pair of dualities: something is flowing between "a" and "b," and "a" and "b" are then in union.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Fortunate but few are those who find the less traveled (or actually seldom traveled) road or “path” that leads directly to the understanding. Two e-mails were received yesterday that provide an invitation for all seekers to study the varied “paths” of Advaita Vedanta and to consider objectively which teaching method might lead to Full Realization:
LETTER #1. Dearest Floyd, OK,OK,OK. Difficult to respond to the post today. "I" understand you see it as witness but there were more than a few lines which made me cringe. Difficult to face the posts of the last few days...but not too difficult to see the point. Have not thought about Kant since University but have gone over notes from the past and have a renewed understanding. "My" years with Babaji allowed a sentimentalism to flourish that I now see as another dis-eased concept. Must have known it on some "level" as the layers of esoteric writings and thousands of pages of commentaries began to just frigging irritate me. It was not understood as watered down and westernized till I was exposed to a path more direct by "stumbling" on "your" site. [A particular organization] promoted the teachings of Ramakrishna who allowed a "mystical" flow of consciousness between union with the form and formless. Happy was I with constant vacillation, but no more. Am being confronted with the many contradictions allowed in "my life." Here is to health for your "bag of bones" in order for the Consciousness to speak....or not. (The "or not" part is a little tough yet). Ginny
THE RESPONSE: It would seem that you are seeing why all of your years of effort along a "most traveled path" led nowhere. And yes, if the end result is only irritation, that "path" is not for you. Of course that "mystical flow" sounds quite appealing to many seekers, but that concept is cast aside when it is seen that to believe that anything can flow from one thing to another requires first a belief in a pair of dualities: something is flowing between "a" and "b," and "a" and "b" are then in union.
Frost said that the road/”path” taken (or the road/”path” not taken) will make all the difference. [Of course the "difference" can only “apply” to the relative. For more on that topic, visit www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/teachers/relevance_henderson.htm.] In some cases, the Consciousness speaks. In fewer cases, the Consciousness is heard. It seems You have heard. Finally, relatively speaking, thank you for the nod to this temporary bag of bones. Ha.
LETTER #2. Dear Floyd, If you would be so kind as to help me out with a question about Advaita Vedanta: [From another Advaita Vedanta website] "According to advaita [non-duality], what is called the universe is in reality not other than brahman. Similarly, what is called the jIva [individual soul with ego] is in reality, the Atman [Self], which is also nothing other than brahman Itself. The real jIva is the Atman, which is unchanging, ever free, and identical with brahman. ... This doctrine of advaita should not be misinterpreted to mean that the human self is in and of itself God, without any qualification whatsoever." Contrary to the last sentence of the quote, it seems to me that Advaita Vedanta logically implies that a human person, like me (Bob), would be identical with God.
Argument:
LETTER #2. Dear Floyd, If you would be so kind as to help me out with a question about Advaita Vedanta: [From another Advaita Vedanta website] "According to advaita [non-duality], what is called the universe is in reality not other than brahman. Similarly, what is called the jIva [individual soul with ego] is in reality, the Atman [Self], which is also nothing other than brahman Itself. The real jIva is the Atman, which is unchanging, ever free, and identical with brahman. ... This doctrine of advaita should not be misinterpreted to mean that the human self is in and of itself God, without any qualification whatsoever." Contrary to the last sentence of the quote, it seems to me that Advaita Vedanta logically implies that a human person, like me (Bob), would be identical with God.
Argument:
(1) Bob (Jiva) = Atman (Self)
(2) Atman (Self) = Brahman (God)
Therefore Bob (Jiva) = Brahman (God)
The only wiggle-room would be if there were a type of reality besides Brahman, but the doctrine of maya and non-duality of the Advaita Vedanta preclude this. So how can the webmaster of advaita-vedanta.org maintain that: "This doctrine of advaita should not be misinterpreted to mean that the human self is in and of itself God, without any qualification whatsoever"??? Any help is appreciated, Bob
(2) Atman (Self) = Brahman (God)
Therefore Bob (Jiva) = Brahman (God)
The only wiggle-room would be if there were a type of reality besides Brahman, but the doctrine of maya and non-duality of the Advaita Vedanta preclude this. So how can the webmaster of advaita-vedanta.org maintain that: "This doctrine of advaita should not be misinterpreted to mean that the human self is in and of itself God, without any qualification whatsoever"??? Any help is appreciated, Bob
THE RESPONSE: Offered for your consideration, Bob: Not only does Advaita not imply that a human person like you (Bob) would be identical with God, direct path Advaita asserts forthrightly that you are not a human, that you are not a person, and that you are neither bob nor god. "I AM" is a starting place on the road; "I am God" (or "I am...anything else") is a stopping place on the road. "I am God" will stop you at the third of seven steps to Reality and the rest of the road will not be taken.
Further, That Which You Truly Are is beyond beingness and non-beingness, beyond selfness and non-selfness, and beyond even Selfness and non-Selfness. Find That Which Is beyond all of those, and the Full Understanding will manifest.
There is no such thing as "this being one with that" or "this being the same as that," so your syllogistic model reveals no truth. There is the not-two, the unicity, only. In the Direct Path Advaita Teachings, there is no 1 + 1 = 2 and there is no 1 + 1 = 1. There is only...1. The first two propositions dealing with "1 + 1" are false, dualistic perceptions. As mentioned above to ginny, nothing flowing between and no union.
As for the True Self, that is merely the Pure Witnessing that can understand itSelf as well as That Which Is beyond pure witnessing, beyond the Pure Witness, and beyond the self and the Self. That should hold you for a few days...or months...or years.
If the truth of the words above manifests, it will happen instantly, though not necessarily this instant. As it is now, you are seeking more via Vedanta and less via Advaita. Advaita is "the road less traveled," but....
Non-duality is explicated via the "Vedanta" elements (and many, many other works), but its essence lies not in the explications and not in the focusing on the content of the "Vedanta" elements but in the understanding of the "Advaita"...the not-two.
In other words, you might read 1000 recipe books or you might read “The One Greatest Recipe Book in the World,” but if you do not find and follow the exact steps required to make the cake you seek, you will never taste the sweetness.
In the case of this speck of consciousness, exposure to all of the Advaita teaching methods happened, but only one ultimately provided the sweetness. The masthead on this site now identifies the “method” and “approach” and “school” that led to the sweetness; therefore, all answers via this site to inquiries or comments are offered only within the parameters of those aspects of the teachings that led to the re-purification of the Consciousness which speaks herein.
In the case of this speck of consciousness, exposure to all of the Advaita teaching methods happened, but only one ultimately provided the sweetness. The masthead on this site now identifies the “method” and “approach” and “school” that led to the sweetness; therefore, all answers via this site to inquiries or comments are offered only within the parameters of those aspects of the teachings that led to the re-purification of the Consciousness which speaks herein.
That said, and ignoring the fifth method of “Pseudo-Advaita” completely, there is no suggestion that seekers should not investigate any of the other three methods or should not take any “road” they choose (or at least think they are choosing). Please enter the silence of contemplation.
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