dwai

Mimamsa is also part of Vedic family. The distinction being between Purva mimamsa (aka mimamsa) and uttara mimamsa (aka Vedanta). Do I need to explain to you about the composition of the Vedas? The samhitas, Brahmanas the Aranyakas and the Upanishads? They are all part of the same family of texts. Each serving a different purpose... Vedanta is nothing but upanishad. Research on the Upanishads, which are associated with which Veda and when the Vedas were composed. I don't have the time or inclination to teach you.

See you see them as gradations I see them as paths into themselves. Ramana Maharshi has already given a full and complete way as has nisargadatta Maharaj or abhinavagupta or adi Shankara. None are incomplete -- but each is suited for folks with different proclivities and temperaments. The rhetoric I've read from yourself and alwayson is either "Buddhism is better" or "Buddhism is older so it is the original one etc". While you of course have the freedom to state those opinions to do so in the Vedanta forum is trolling since odds are that there are those of us who frequent this forum to exchange ideas and are practitioners who neither have the time nor inclination to see whose pee rises the greatest metaphorical heights...

This is very good to start with and very powerful. http://www.amazon.com/Restoring-Your-Life-Energy-Well-Being/dp/1590309960

I don't judge your practice. I just ask that you respect mine. I don't tell you or anyone that your practice is crap or nonsense or whatever. Show me one instance where I've judged anyone's practice? Don't try to shirk responsibility for your actions by claiming that "since everybody does it, it's okay"!

CowTao, See who have posted and how they troll here before commenting on my "zeal". If it was you, I'd have no issues with the posts, since you are not one of the "militant proselytizers". BTW you statement about my "zeal" does reveals what's on your mind.

It's because there is no genuine interest to see similarities in the "other camp". Only disparaging condescension about reification and how it sucks. When adults come to discuss with civility I will be glad to endorse such discussions In any case I am a nobody so why should my opinion matter anyway?

I've seen a white priest in the Hanuman Temple at Mount Madonna with utmost devotion and sincerity, with perfect sanskrit diction. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Hari_Dass If you get a chance, go sit in his presence. It is amazing.

Hehe...Truth of Compassion? Is that what is driving your proselytizing campaign these days? Mods, I request that this thread be locked. It has been a source of great civil unrest amongst the Bums and also, may I request that Buddhist campaigns be moved to the Buddhist forum?

When I was learning Vedic astrology from my grandfather he made a comment - "the math is easy, the vision is hard". The horoscope is the framework which one applies one's vision to. It's intuition tuned into something greater than the "little" us.

Well obviously your experience is different from mine. I grew up in a family where Advaita was considered to be the highest learning. My grandfather was very well versed in various esoteric subjects (including being a highly accomplished jyotishi -- astrologer, who had made absolutely accurate predictions about various people's lives without taking a single penny from them). I learnt the Bhajagovindam from him...he also taught me the primary premise of Hindu dharma (how all the various sects were united and the specific cult of any particular deity overcome) -- all roads lead to the same truth, but there are many paths leading there. He used to take me on long walks every evening where he would teach me pranayama. I learnt about Rechaka, Puraka and Kubhaka from him when I around 10-12 years old (of course I didn't know how vital these teachings were then -- I was more interested in playing with my friends). The role that the social network we grow up in plays in our development is essential to how our perception develops. From your posts I see you as a mid-to-late 20 something who has just begun to delve into his native culture. And that despite of being insulated from it beyond the snapshots his parents have carried with them from their country of origin (which obviously is frozen in time and is nothing like growing up within a living organism that you learn to live with from day one -- as those of us who were born and raised in India do). To have your parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents constantly demonstrating the living traditions at every walk of life (often under the most unexpected circumstances). Your knowledge of Hindu society is stymied and minuscule because you have grown up in a society where hindu dharma is practically non-existent. My daughter has the same issues (albeit she is still too young to know it). So my wife and I spend time telling her stories of the puranas, try and immerse her in cultural activities as well as we can. But I know it's not the same thing as being part of a living, breathing, highly diverse culture (those of us who did grow in India have a completely different experience and perspective on these things). The interesting thing is now when I think back, my grandfather never pushed me towards advaita or vedanta or any other ritual or tradition as I was growing up beyond exposing me to them through their actions and stories. When I grew older and started practicing, my grandfather was happy but told me to enjoy it, not take it too seriously (and with mediation he told me never to push too hard). He didn't explain why then, but I know now -- to try to hard is to make it a chore. And a chore is not something we enjoy...we get it done and over with so we can go on with our lives. His life was an example of sadhana at every level -- he meditated when it was time (no matter what chaos was ensuing in our household with the barrage of stimuli us grandkids would wreak on him, or the incessant stream of neighbors and guests coming in and out of our home). He would sit in lotus and it's like he would disappear. He would meditate twice a day as part of his daily ablutions, once in the morning and once in the evening (sandhya) and then he would reappear into the world. He didn't make a big deal of it, it was a very personal thing for him...he wouldn't talk about it and the experiences (He had once warned me to not talk about these things too much, since they tend to overshadow focus of what was important -- the sadhana (over the siddhis)). I find it mildly amusing and sad at the same time when I come across people who have absolutely no idea of what that is like to sit and judge and tell me what is "wrong" with me and my point of view. I once had a long and draining exchange with a luminary of the Iskcon movement (an american by birth) when he told me that only Gaudiya Vashnavism was the "real" deal and that Indians (from India) were deluded lunatics and ignorant because they didn't all convert to Gaudiya Vaishavism (in essence). He knew the Vedas by rote and was very articulate and intelligent. However, he couldn't understand one basic fact -- Hindus in india are very liberal for the most part because we have lived and grown up in an environment where multiple traditions live in harmony simultaneously. An Advaitin can also be a devotee of Krishna, Shiva, Shakti at the same time (any one or all at once). Or that a Shaivite can be also be a Tantrik and there is no dichotomy since we are taught that these traditions are never mutually exclusive, they are there for people of various capabilities (adhikaras). So while total surrender and devotion to Krishna might be the way for one, deep intellectual introspection might be that of another. Hatha Yoga might suit another better while meditation in silence for another. And all this amidst the smorgasbord of experiences that India provides to her children through the diversity of population, cultures, traditions, arts etc.

Because they are too rigid in their adherence to doctrine (which they interpret similar to how mullahs interpret their theology).

Well then we don't have anything to disagree on. I too understand the same thing and look beyond differences of individual doctrine. That not withstanding different ways have different modality. So, a train ride is different from a bus ride is different from an airplane ride, even though all of these take us from point A to point B. They are available to us based on our financial capabilities and personal proclivities. Similarly, with Buddhism or Hinduism -- it depends on our personal proclivities, preferences and capabilities to take one over another. Some of us take more than one...start with one, end with another, and so on. So while it is just Dharma (like travel), it is best left to the individual what they choose to follow. And my reasons for leaving the two fora separate is already articulated. I don't think militant Buddhists would let the likes of 3Bob or myself to our own devise and respect the fact that there is more than one way to do things.

Which translates to you being slightly deficient in the logic department

not a big one. I lived in the south so I learnt Kannada. I worked in chennai so a little Tamil ...born in east so Bangla...Studied Hindi and Sanskrit...five? Plus English so six

Thanks k... Insult? Nah I was testing how Indian he is and so far he hasn't seemed knowledgeable in 5 of the languages, including the one he claims is his mother tongue

Mods, how do I "ignore" Alwayson? The option to ignore people seems to have disappeared!

Poda! Thirrai porraki! కోల్పోతాయి

Feel free to think whatever you like. Mere jeb se paisa thodi na ja raha hai? Tum apni iccha ke malik ho, so chahey uska uchit vyavahar karo, chahey anuchit. Vyarth jo apna samay gawa ta hai wohi moorkh kehlata hai How about? Kannada baratta nimige? Kannada dalli her beka? Tamil teriuma? Bangla jano? Bhojpuri ma kahanwa padega ka?

Yes there is. It is what the English called Sanatana Dharma.

Is your intention to condense your Chi into your bone marrow? If so, just collect and pull the chi into your marrow on inhale, and on exhale go out and collect more chi back into the structure.

There's nothing to admit. They are two separate traditions...and as much as I would like Buddhists and Vedantins to amicably co-exist here on TTB, history shows that it is not possible. Now, go back under the bridge.

I don't think I've ever been dishonest about how I feel here. I tried having civilized discussions with the ilk of Mikaelz and Vajrahridaya and a host of others. They started frothing in the mouth and tried to bite my head off. Unfortunately (for them) my head is not that pleasant to chew on... I don't have anything to hide so I haven't assumed an alias...if someone doesn't like what I write, they are welcome to ignore me. And it's my prerogative to ignore others if I so choose. I've learnt one thing over the course of the years -- if I approach a subject with humility, I learn and grow. If I approach a subject with my cup brimming over and act like my $#!t don't stink, I lose an opportunity to learn something. Through my own website (The Medha Journal), I have had the honor of interacting with some of the most humble individuals (of great accomplishment). I have made a few acquaintances here on TTB as well that I truly admire and respect. They are Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, Christians, Daoists, Scientists, Philosophers, etc. They have all some unique qualities -- they are humble, they are respectful and they don't troll.

Let me know which library and i'll let the editors of Invading the Sacred know (if they want they can reach out to them)

It's all in your head unfortunately... If you can have civilized discussions with me comparing notes and not displaying juvenile histrionics that pass off as "intellectual" musings Then I'm all for discussions. The problem is that most armchair Buddhists read a few books, go to a few retreats and think they know it all. And they are dogmatic and inflexible about their "faith" (which they vehemently deny alongside their self). I'd much rather discuss with mature individuals whom I can interact with without Having to deal with the hyperbole that is associated with half-baked intellectuals and dogmatic infants on the Internet.

No. It's not hypocritical. I have expressed my opinion that there are significant overlaps within the two traditions (specifically advaita Vedanta and Buddhism). Never have I said that one should subsume the other or that they are the same. I have however stated that they are two paths towards the same end... I don't like to talk down at others so I will not try and break this down further for you...you seem smart enough to know the difference between "they point to the same thing" and "they are the same". Also given how militant some of the buddhabum s are (perfect examples are yourself and alwayson ) while others are proselytizers, merging the two is detrimental to discussions of Vedanta and "Hindu" traditions.