Adi
Sankara's philosophy
CHENNAI NOV. 13. Followers of all religions have
a common goal, which is universal in nature. The ultimate aim of every
individual is to reach the Supreme Lord. In order to achieve it, the core need
for human beings is to escape the cycle of births and deaths. Pointing out to a
devotee the right direction as the role of religion in its entirety from time
immemorial,there has been only one desirable way of leading one's life — that
of following the path of virtue. While in earlier ages it was easier to remain
steadfast in the pursuit of the goal, with the advent of Kali Yuga the attendant
distractions on the human mind are a major factor to contend with. Helping the
devotee out of this self-created maze becomes the role of preceptors and saints.
Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, Kanchi Sankaracharya, in
a discourse paid glowing tributes to Adi Sankara as a beacon light to the
spiritually floundering flock. At a time when there was a multiplicity of
spurious cults Adi Sankara's life and philosophy was a turning point in the
spiritual ethos. His commentaries on Vyasa's works and other scriptures put
spiritual knowledge within the easy reach of the ordinary devotee. The
cornerstone of Adi Sankara's philosophy, Adwaita, is enshrined in the
Upanishads. What are the difficulties that a devotee faces in his quest for the
ultimate? On the one hand it is the challenge of grasping the abstruse and the
subtle; on the other it is the ubiquitous struggle in transcending one's ego and
achieving union with God.
If one follows the spiritual recommendations,
then God-realisation becomes but a natural extension of one's life. Both Saivism
and Vaishnavism, which have been in place since the origin of earth, also lay
emphasis on the supremacy of the Lord. Saints like Ramanuja and the Nayanmars,
have played a stellar role in perfecting the formula for purifying oneself
through devotion in order to qualify for the kingdom of God. Sankara's
philosophy advocates attaining pure consciousness or ultimate reality in this
life itself. Such a guideline is however not to be mistaken for "quick
fix" method. Rather it is a state of being to be achieved by resolving
inner confusions with knowledge and conflicts through devotion with the added
aid of absolute control of senses. In the ultimate analysis, truth is one,
philosophy is one; the difference lies only in the manifold choices and
approaches available to a devotee. Adwaita is of universal import, broad based
on the Divinity of the Self and does not conflict with other schools of thought.
source: http://www.hindu.com/2003/11/13/stories/2003111300450900.htm
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