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Raghu Seshadri • May 22, 1996 


-From RANGASWAMY@plh.af.mil Tue May 21 06:41 PDT 1996
-
-Dear Raghu,
-
-The conduct of an enlightened person is testimony of
-his erudition and scholarship. Due to the law of Karma every 
-individual is associated with the tri-Gunas. Broadly speaking,
-there are times when each individual exhibits Brahma-Bhavam (experience
-of the Divine) and Karma Bhavam (materialistic longings). 
-During the times of Brahma Bhavam is when the individual is able 
-to rise above Rajo and Tamo Gunams. This is when the individual can 
-recognize the enlightenment of another person because, the Antaryami
-form of the Lord helps him. However, when Karma Bhavam takes
-possession, the individual becomes steeped in Rajo and Tamo gunams. 
-Therefore, all naturally endowed knowledge is masked and the individual
-engages in material pursuits. 
-
-Best Wishes,
-
-Muralidhar Rangaswamy

I thank you for your reply.

However, I can anticipate my friend's reaction
to this. He will summarize this answer thus -
in order to recognize an enlightened man,
you need to be one yourself. While the logic
of this is obvious to me, it is open to
the following sceptical query - " what about the
first enlightened man ? How did he convince
others that he was enlightened ? Obviously 
by definition no one else was enlightened.
So how did they recognize that he was
enlightened" ? 

I am not imagining this - he has already
come up with such queries. I await further
elucidation on this tricky matter.

Regards,
Raghu Seshadri

ps - there is a quote by Guru Nanak which
says exactly the same thing that you did,
Mr Muralidhar. ' Brahma jnani ko brahma
jnani hi jane ' = Only a brahma jnani
knows another.