Directly related to posts 177-179 and 182 (and 185):
Below is a recent Expert on Vedanta - of particularly the Advaitic kind - on the subject of Vedic rites, its relation to Vedanta and who should consequently (not) be "doing Vedanta". That last is particularly relevant to NSRajaram, famous for 1. hissing at the Vedas and trying to get its rituals discontinued among Hindus, even while he 2. tries to divorce Vedanta from the Vedas in particular and from Hindu religion in general, and *yet* 3. pretends he can peddle Vedanta by itself (as something "independent") - and among aliens incl. christists, what's worse (4).
The writer of the following is of course the previous Kanchi Shankaracharya. He's one of the authoritative and authorised spokespersons for Advaita in general and the Adi Shankara's views in particular. (You know, the way Rajarum is not.)
kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part5/chap32.htm
Can note how utterly different and opposing are the statements of the above Kanchi Shankaracharya with respect to the totally new-agey (and totally christoconditioned) NSRajaram.
- The Kanchi Shankaracharya states clearly that the life of Vedic ritual is the prerequisite for Vedanta and that Vedanta is not for people who merely pseudo-"intellectualise" about it in a vacuum without the Vedic rituals on which its realisation is predicated.
- In contrast, Rajaram wants to Vedic ritual discontinued among Hindus, but wants to peddle Vedanta on its own as "pure metaphysics" devoid of Hindu religion, of Hindu Gods/Vedic ritual - divorced from Vedanta's intrinsically-related Vedic rites. Moreover, Rajarum specifically wants to peddle it among his alien including christo friends. (And it would explain why he happily works with the likes of Advaita-twisting/inculturating enemies such as the catholic jesuit Clooney.)
And that just tells you exactly how much Rajaram actually knows what he's talking about. And whether any Hindus should ever be listening to him on the subject of their religion at all.
It's no wonder Rajarum has to find his audience among aliens (new-ageists and christos) - only they would believe his pretence of authority on Vedanta. And let's be honest: dabblers in others' heathen religions *deserve* to be "instructed"/led by frauds and charlatans and no others, which seems to be what always happens anyway.
But what's quite as satisfying is that Rajarum - and any like him - evicted himself from access to the Vedanta [and Forever] by speaking against Vedic rituals, since the former (as even its name of Vedaanta already indicated) is particularly contingent on the latter. Vedanta is forever closed to him*. Note how he did it to himself. :Evil Grin: More fool Rajaram. Mwahahahahaha x infinity. Repeat: There's a green light on self-de-heathenisation and self-subversion, but Backpeddling Is Not Allowed - being Impossible besides. Mwahahaha again.
[* And actually, forever closed too are any other aspects of Hindus' religion he may covet.]
Below is a recent Expert on Vedanta - of particularly the Advaitic kind - on the subject of Vedic rites, its relation to Vedanta and who should consequently (not) be "doing Vedanta". That last is particularly relevant to NSRajaram, famous for 1. hissing at the Vedas and trying to get its rituals discontinued among Hindus, even while he 2. tries to divorce Vedanta from the Vedas in particular and from Hindu religion in general, and *yet* 3. pretends he can peddle Vedanta by itself (as something "independent") - and among aliens incl. christists, what's worse (4).
The writer of the following is of course the previous Kanchi Shankaracharya. He's one of the authoritative and authorised spokespersons for Advaita in general and the Adi Shankara's views in particular. (You know, the way Rajarum is not.)
kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part5/chap32.htm
Quote:[...]<snip>
Nowadays, people are averse to ritual to start with itself. "What? " they exclaim. "Who wants to perform sacrifices? Why should we chant the Vedas? Let us go directly to the Upanisads. " Some of them can speak eloquently about the Upanisads from a mere intellectual understanding of them. But none has the inward experience of the truths propounded in them and we do not see them emerging as men of detachment with a true awareness of the Self. The reason for this is that they have not prepared themselves for this higher state of perception through the performance of rituals. If this is wrong in one sense, refusal to take the path of jnana from that of karma is equally not justifiable.
If one has to qualify for the B. A. degree one has to begin at the beginning - one has to progress from the first standard all the way to the degree course. One cannot naturally join the B. A. class without qualifying for it. At the same time, is it not absurd to remain all the time as a failure in the first standard itself?
In the old days there were many people belonging to the latter category (that is people who refused to take the path of knowledge and wished to remain wedded to the path of karma). Now people belonging to the former category predominate (that is those who want to take the path of jnana, without being prepared for it through karma). During the time of Sri Krsna also the majority clung to rituals. His criticism is directed against them, against those who perform Vedic sacraments without understanding their purpose and who fail to go beyond them. Unfortunately, this is mistaken for criticism of the Vedas themselves. The Lord could never have attacked the Vedas per se. After all, it was to save them that he descended to earth again and again.
In keeping with his times, Krsna Paramatman spoke against people who confined themselves to the narrow path of karma. If he were to descend to earth again to teach us, he would turn against those who plunge into a study of the Upanisads, spurning Vedic rites. It seems to me that he would be more severe in his criticism of these people that he was against those who were obsessed with karma.
Graduating to the Upanisads without being prepared for them through the performance of Vedic rites is a greater offence than failure to go along the path of jnana from that of karma. After all, to repeat what I said before, on has to go through the primary and secondary stages of education before qualifying for admission to college. The man who insists on being admitted to the B. A. class without qualifying for it is not amenable to any suggestion. The one who wants to remain in the first standard learns at least something; the other type is incapable of learning anything.
The Vedas and Vedanta are not at variance with one another. The karmakanda prepares us for Vedanta or the jananakanda. The former has to do with this world and with many deities and its adherents are subject to the three gunas. But it is the first step to go beyond the three gunas and the sever oneself from worldly existence. If we perform the rites laid down in the karmakanda, keeping in mind their true purpose, we shall naturally be qualifying for the jnanakanda.
[...]
Can note how utterly different and opposing are the statements of the above Kanchi Shankaracharya with respect to the totally new-agey (and totally christoconditioned) NSRajaram.
- The Kanchi Shankaracharya states clearly that the life of Vedic ritual is the prerequisite for Vedanta and that Vedanta is not for people who merely pseudo-"intellectualise" about it in a vacuum without the Vedic rituals on which its realisation is predicated.
- In contrast, Rajaram wants to Vedic ritual discontinued among Hindus, but wants to peddle Vedanta on its own as "pure metaphysics" devoid of Hindu religion, of Hindu Gods/Vedic ritual - divorced from Vedanta's intrinsically-related Vedic rites. Moreover, Rajarum specifically wants to peddle it among his alien including christo friends. (And it would explain why he happily works with the likes of Advaita-twisting/inculturating enemies such as the catholic jesuit Clooney.)
And that just tells you exactly how much Rajaram actually knows what he's talking about. And whether any Hindus should ever be listening to him on the subject of their religion at all.
It's no wonder Rajarum has to find his audience among aliens (new-ageists and christos) - only they would believe his pretence of authority on Vedanta. And let's be honest: dabblers in others' heathen religions *deserve* to be "instructed"/led by frauds and charlatans and no others, which seems to be what always happens anyway.
But what's quite as satisfying is that Rajarum - and any like him - evicted himself from access to the Vedanta [and Forever] by speaking against Vedic rituals, since the former (as even its name of Vedaanta already indicated) is particularly contingent on the latter. Vedanta is forever closed to him*. Note how he did it to himself. :Evil Grin: More fool Rajaram. Mwahahahahaha x infinity. Repeat: There's a green light on self-de-heathenisation and self-subversion, but Backpeddling Is Not Allowed - being Impossible besides. Mwahahaha again.
[* And actually, forever closed too are any other aspects of Hindus' religion he may covet.]