Miscellaneous - Religion   

Teaching method

CHENNAI: Spiritual knowledge has been disseminated traditionally through the Guru-Sishya (preceptor-disciple) lineage as it is not intellectual but experiential in nature; the Sishya has to realise the truth for himself. The manner in which this instruction is given is individualistic as only a Guru will know the level of his disciple and tailor the teaching according to his capacity to understand. Besides, it was through argumentation that the disciple was led step by step to get an intellectual grasp of the truth before he was instructed to reflect and meditate on it.

In his discourse, Sri K.Srinivasan said even great sages who were Self-realised engaged in debate (Vada) for the sake of clarifying their own understanding of the truth. This is similar to testing the purity of gold by rubbing it against a touchstone. Hence such debate was not engaged in to counter the opponent’s standpoint or just for the sake of dialectic. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna approves logical argument by asserting, “Of all types of knowledge I am the knowledge of the Self, and Vada of disputants.”

In the Prasna Upanishad the questioning method is adopted to impart spiritual knowledge. Each topic taken up for analysis is called a Prasna (meaning “to question”) and there are six questions, each posed by a disciple. That they were not lay seekers is made clear right at the outset as the six disciples who approached Pippalada, the Guru, were sages from distinguished lineages known for learning and austerity.

Pippalada told them that he would answer their questions after they had spent a year with him in his hermitage with total sensory control, celibacy and faith. This is to underscore that the Guru has to be convinced about the Sishya’s sincerity of purpose, ardent desire for liberation and faith in the teaching of the scriptures. After answering all their questions Pippalada finally told them that he had taught them all that he knew and that this knowledge was so simple. Therein lies the catch because the teaching may seem very easy, yet it is very profound and liberating—a life-transforming experience. For a man of Self-realisation it may seem very simple but the process of striving is very difficult.

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