Vedanta - Discussion Forum I (introductory))

[Guest]

Gangajalji,

Thanks for the explanation.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->
This is the reason why Ramakrishna Vedanta does not accept Kevala Advaita's position that Hindu Gods and Goddesses are ultimately unreal. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Did Shankara say so ? I wanted to confirm that Shankara's advaita is not Kevala advaita. and does Shankara refute the validity of personal God? If yes, then why Bhaja Govindam and Soundarya Lahiri?

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> According to Ramakrishna personal forms of Gods and Godesses are frozen consciosuness like ice due to the cooling effect of Bhakti while Brahman the impersonal reality is like water due to the heating effect of the sun of Jnana <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

As Sunder ji pointed out earlier about Buddha being a avatara or not, when everything is Brahman, so does a Personal god and even a lowly life form. The way a agnani like me see it is Personal Gods and Godess are the manifestation of the Brahman in the Mayic Domain ( Saguna Brahman) and while the real formeless Brahman (Nirguna) is outside as well as inside the Mayic domain.

The only problem is that i understand these realities but realization is a far cry. Inshah Krishna ( <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo--> , realization is achievable.

Another question regarding
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> There are some people, however, who do not care about that highest experience and want to retain some difference with Brahman. These people who want to retain some difference stay in Brahmalok for the rest of this cycle and are released when this cycle ends.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Don't the Vishistadvaitis fall under this category?


Sunder ji (General Sundarji of the advaita Army?)

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->This identification with the ungrasped and ungraspable Reality is difficult to achieve. They are indeed seeing fear in the fearless.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Does it not sounds similar to the 5th shloka in Srimad Bhagvat Gita Ch:12 ? Again . Is the workship or (identification) of the Nirguna Brahman called the Avyakthobasana, that Bhagavan talks about ?

In the Bhagavat Gita Book, there is a reference to Madhvacharya's commentary on the Bhagavat Gita insisting this point.

BTW, i wanted to ask, what is the actual meaning of the term avyaktham . Is avyaktham = Nirguna Brahman?

Thanks for your patience with me and sorry for asking too many clarification. Reading, listening and contemplation throws out a lot of things in the mind, which get cleared when i vent it out here. Also please let me know whether i am making a useful contribution or just fooling around.