IMPORTANCE OF A TEACHER
key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.
Dhanya's BlogThe Importance of Having a Teacher to Explain the Words of the Upanisads - On 11/8/2010 4:27:59 PM By Dhanya
Some key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.
Without a guru we will have the words, but we will not have the key to unlock their intended meaning. Thus there should be an actual living person in whom one has confidence, and who can properly interpret the, often confusing and apparently contradictory, words of the scriptures and Shankara's commentaries on same.
Without direct access to such a person it seems to me that the gain of clarity is not possible, and we may go round and round in circles of misunderstanding, which will lead us only into blind alleys.
Dhanya's BlogThe Importance of Having a Teacher to Explain the Words of the Upanisads - On 11/8/2010 4:27:59 PM By Dhanya
Some key words to understand in this post
Jnanam means self-knowledge
Ajnanam means lack of self-knowledge, or self-ignorance
A jnani is someone who has self-knowledge
An ajnani is someone who does not have self-knowledge
The Upanishads are those scriptures which contain the words used in the teachings of Advaita/Vedanta, which teachings are aimed at helping the student to acquire self-knowledge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What keeps occurring to me over and over again is the importance of having an actual living teacher with whom one can clear one’s doubts.
As ajnanis we see everything through the lens of ajnanam, and because of ajnanam, we do not have any other way of seeing until someone who no longer sees things in that way is able to help us out. Just trying to decipher the words of the scriptures on our own is not enough to get us out of the problem we are in, because knowing nothing other than ajnanam, we will interpret the words through that lens alone.
If we read a verse and begin with a misinterpretation of the meaning of the words, then we can read any number of verses after that, and interpret the words a way that mirrors our misunderstanding.
Here is a quote from my teacher from a Vedanta class, which, because I felt it was so important when I heard it, I transcribed verbatim for my own mananam (reflection).
"In logical syllogisms, if what was is called, the pratigna, the initial statement, is false, and one does not know that, like a bouncing ball of logical steps, one will logically come up with very valid conclusions based upon the false initial statement. If that initialstatement is wrong, one's conclusion can be correct in reference to the initial statement, but it is totally incorrect in reference to what is."
Thus, if we read some important words in the scriptures, and we misunderstand what those words mean, then we can very easily go on and find other places in the scriptures where we will misconstrue the meaning of similar words based on our original incorrect understanding. What we come up with might seem logical according to our original (and incorrect) interpretation, but it will not be true according to the actual intended meaning of the words.
The teachings of Advaita/Vedanta are meant to be unfolded by a person who is an authority on the meaning of the words used in teaching. The authority needs to be in the form of a living person to whom one can ask questions and with whom one can clear doubts, because the topic itself is a difficult one, and because ajnanam is so thoroughly woven into our view, we are most likely to go astray on our own.
Having direct access to and sraddha (confidence) in such a person, is paramount to the understanding of the teachings, and is why it is said that self-knowledge is passed from guru to disciple.