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"Buddha, His teachings"

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Lakshmi N Srinivasa • January 4, 1996 


Dear netters,
I would like to share with you some of the views even though what I am 
going to write is more from advatic points of view about buddhism. 

Mandukya upanishad states 4stages reached during meditation for mukthi.
The first stage is called as "Jagrita state". During this stage the mind 
is active and it is in a state of material world. When one starts 
meditating, one will be knowing the things around. Lots of thought come 
and go. The second state is called "Swapna State". This can be thought to 
be as the dream state while we are asleep. The third state is called 
"Sukshuma state". This is the state where one is asleep and does not know 
whehter he has realised anything or not. this can be also called as 
agnana samadhi. One does not experience anything and one does not know 
even whether he is existing in this state. In this state mind experiences 
nothing. One who comes back to jagrita state remembers  he experienced 
nothing. The fourt and final state is called "Turiya State". This is the 
state during which one realizes "Paramatma". 

Ramakrishna mutt (even though there thought is irrelevant to 
Vaishnavites), followers think that Buddha reached the fourth state and 
he possibly did not go the fourth state at all. So he might have preached 
"Agnana" or "we go from existence to nothing when we attain nirvana". 
This is just to throw light of the analogy of buddha's goal (nirvana) and 
goal of hindus(the interpretation of the fourth state might be different 
for the three cults of hinduism). 

I do not know whether I am 100% right in my interpretation of mandukya 
upanishad (I read Uraiyasiriyar Anna's writings about Upanishads 
published by Ramakrishna mutt). I apologize if my understanding of that 
upanishad is not right. The same states of mind is also elaborated in 
"Brihadaranyaka Upanishad" and in "Gnana Vashishtam" by Vashishta muni.

Azhwargal thiruvadiye charanam
Lakshmi Narasimhan

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Vanamali Gati Saarngee Changee chakreecha Nandaki
Sriman NarayanoVishnur Vasudevobi Rakshatu
------Parayana Sloka in Vishnu Sahasranama-----

Lakshmi N. Srinivasa,lsriniva@uceng.uc.edu,sprinil@ucunix.san.uc.edu
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