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Francis Lucille

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Francis Lucille has many things to sell. I got my advaita with just one line from Sri Adi Sankaracharya:

"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya, jeevo Brahmaiva na parah"
(Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion, a living being is none other than Brahman.)

To which I added all the non-living things as well.

"Yathā soumya! ekena mrit pinḍena sarvaṃ mṛinmayaṃ vijñātaṃ syāt
vāchāraṃbhaṇaṃ vikāro nāmadheyaṃ mṛittika iti eva satyaṃ.
" Chhandogya Upanishad 6.1.4

(Just as, O Mild One, by a single clod of clay all that is made of clay is known, in speaking all modifications are but distortion of the name, the truth being that all is clay.)
 
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SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Francis Lucille has many things to sell. I got my advaita with just one line from Sri Adi Sankaracharya:

"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya, jeevo Brahmaiva na parah"
(Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion, a living being is none other than Brahman.)

To which I added all the non-living things as well.

"Yathā soumya! ekena mrit pinḍena sarvaṃ mṛinmayaṃ vijñātaṃ syāt,
vāchāraṃbhaṇaṃ vikāro nāmadheyaṃ mṛittika iti eva satyaṃ.
" Chhandogya Upanishad 6.1.4

(Just as, O Mild One, by a single clod of clay all that is made of clay is known, all modification being distortion of the name, but the truth being that all is clay.)

These make a lot of sense.

I watched about 4 videos and found a lot of redundancies in his answers. Each video could be whittled down to about two minutes and contain the same quality of information.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Neo-advaita teachers are a dime a dozen. Avoidance of the term 'Hindu' is common. I used to read/watch a bit, but no longer do, because I've learned it's a repetitive pattern.
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
I'm embarking on watching a series of YouTube videos featuring Francis Lucille, a spiritual teacher in Advaita Vedanta tradition.

Francis Lucille
About - Francis Lucille

Just wondering if anyone here knows of him and has an opinion about his teachings.

I like Francis Lucille, but his own teacher Dr. Jean Klein is really superb and a much, much superior teacher. Jean Klein has articulated Advaita from many angles , which aids greatly in understanding. He is quite precise and systematic , without any vagueness or drifting from topic.

Here is a book of Dr. Klein's dialogues and teachings, 'The Ease of Being.'
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
Neo-advaita teachers are a dime a dozen. Avoidance of the term 'Hindu' is common. I used to read/watch a bit, but no longer do, because I've learned it's a repetitive pattern.


There are stupid teachers and there are excellent ones.

Emerson stated that the teacher makes things easier to understand.

Nisargadatta and H.W.Poonja , Jean Klein and Mooji were enlightened and hence could teach well, because they knew from direct perception what they were talking about.

The others , in the greed to show off being a wise guru, mislead themselves and others in the path of delusion and hell to fulfill their own fragile egos .

It is very important in this kali yuga to discern between the true and the fraudulent , or else you can be taken for a ride your whole life, and realize it only when it is too late.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
There are stupid teachers and there are excellent ones.

Emerson stated that the teacher makes things easier to understand.

Nisargadatta and H.W.Poonja , Jean Klein and Mooji were enlightened and hence could teach well, because they knew from direct perception what they were talking about.

The others , in the greed to show off being a wise guru, mislead themselves and others in the path of delusion and hell to fulfill their own fragile egos .

It is very important in this kali yuga to discern between the true and the fraudulent , or else you can be taken for a ride your whole life, and realize it only when it is too late.

Another common theme I found back when I researched a few is this insistence that 'I'm only teaching the true Advaita, and the rest are neo.' Although I essentially agree with you, I see no way (as exteranalised as I am) of discerning good from bad. The only one I really felt a discernable sense to was Ramana, but perhaps that was only because I visited Tiruvannamalai.

Regardless, from where I am now, all are irrelevant to me because I'm not an Advaitin.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
In 'advaita', you do not necessarily need to have a guru. I don't have one. It is like a maths problem, once understood 'well', no further coaching is needed.
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
Another common theme I found back when I researched a few is this insistence that 'I'm only teaching the true Advaita, and the rest are neo.' Although I essentially agree with you, I see no way (as exteranalised as I am) of discerning good from bad. The only one I really felt a discernable sense to was Ramana, but perhaps that was only because I visited Tiruvannamalai.

Regardless, from where I am now, all are irrelevant to me because I'm not an Advaitin.

The advaitan teaching is effective as far as it imparts non-dualistic perception, not just in theory, but in practice as well.

Adi Shankaracharya's shortcoming in practice was pointed out by the Lord Himself, who came to him in the form of a dalit. Shankaracharya's rudeness and condescension to the dalit, admonishing Him to move out of the way, revealed that his advaita was just theoretical and a lot of hot air.


This test of nondual perception has been observed in other religions as well.

Both traditional advaita and neo-advaita are effective systems if taught properly. However the proponents of both these systems are busy fighting each other as they have unconsciously identified with them as a mental stance of 'us' versus 'them' , which is what duality is all about. The cunning mind had made fools out of them again.

Stupid humans. They are the ones who ought to be in the zoo. :cool:
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Adi Shankaracharya's shortcoming in practice was pointed out by the Lord Himself, who came to him in the form of a dalit. Shankaracharya's rudeness and condescension to the dalit, admonishing Him to move out of the way, revealed that his advaita was just theoretical and a lot of hot air.
I do not know if the Lord came to Adi Sankara, but surely at that time he had not understood 'advaita' well till the 'Chandala' asked him as to which one should leave his way, the body or the Brahman.

Later in another story after he had understood 'advaita', once he was pursued by a wild elephant so he ran to save himself. When people asked him that if you are Brahman and so is the elephant, then why did you run? Sankara replied, "What elephant? Who ran?"
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
I do not know if the Lord came to Adi Sankara, but surely at that time he had not understood 'advaita' well till the 'Chandala' asked him as to which one should leave his way, the body or the Brahman.

Yes, the knowledge was only theoretical, and not an actual state of being or perception at that point of time. Through the chandala , Shankara found out his error, and rectified it.

Later in another story after he had understood 'advaita', once he was pursued by a wild elephant so he ran to save himself. When people asked him that if you are Brahman and so is the elephant, then why did you run? Sankara replied, "What elephant? Who ran?"

Yes, Ramana Maharshi also stated the same , " There is no creation, no destruction, no bondage, no longing to be freed from bondage, no striving to be free [from bondage], nor anyone who has attained [freedom from bondage]. Know that this is the ultimate truth”.

But this is only perceptible to an enlightened one who sees that all is the Self or pure consciousness. The unenlightened will only delude himself further and make it a concept to show off his 'wisdom' and foolishly delude others as well.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
na me mṛtyuśaṅkā na me jātibhedaḥ, pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janmaḥ;
na bandhur na mitraṃ gurunaiva śişyaḥ, cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham.

5) I do not have fear of death, as I do not have death. I have no separation from my true self, no doubt about my existence, nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth. I have no father or mother, nor did I have a birth. I am not the relative, nor the friend, nor the guru, nor the disciple. I am indeed, the form of that eternal bliss, the auspicious Shiva.

ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākāra rūpo, vibhutvā ca sarvatra sarvendriyāṇaṃ;
na cāsangata naiva muktir na meyaḥ, cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham.

6) I am all pervasive. I am without any attributes, and without any form. I have neither attachment to the world, nor to liberation (mukti). I have no wishes for anything because I am everything, everywhere, every time, always in equilibrium. I am indeed, the form of that eternal bliss, the auspicious Shiva.

Nirvana Shatakam (Emancipation in six verses)
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
na me mṛtyuśaṅkā na me jātibhedaḥ, pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janmaḥ;
na bandhur na mitraṃ gurunaiva śişyaḥ, cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham.

5) I do not have fear of death, as I do not have death. I have no separation from my true self, no doubt about my existence, nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth. I have no father or mother, nor did I have a birth. I am not the relative, nor the friend, nor the guru, nor the disciple. I am indeed, the form of that eternal bliss, the auspicious Shiva.

ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākāra rūpo, vibhutvā ca sarvatra sarvendriyāṇaṃ;
na cāsangata naiva muktir na meyaḥ, cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham.

6) I am all pervasive. I am without any attributes, and without any form. I have neither attachment to the world, nor to liberation (mukti). I have no wishes for anything because I am everything, everywhere, every time, always in equilibrium. I am indeed, the form of that eternal bliss, the auspicious Shiva.

Nirvana Shatakam (Emancipation in six verses)


Beautifully put. Pure consciousness is all that exists in reality and forms the substratum for matter, energy, space, time and causation. Identification with the body-mind complex resulting in body-consciousness and ego, blinds oneself to the reality of this true state of existence, and hence one lives in a fractional state of consciousness with dualistic perception .

Rote memorisation of these scriptural verses alone without its practical implementation, however, would blind oneself to the actual reality of existence as it is, resulting in erroneous perception and action.

This is the reason why Adi Shankaracharya denounced the Lord who came before him as an untouchable dalit,

This is also the reason why the kashi brahmins refused to dine together with the enlightened Guru Ravidas, a cobbler.

And this is also the reason why the brahmins protested the consecration of the Shiva idol by the enlightened Sree Narayana Guru , an untouchable, who retorted that he only installed an Ezhava Shiva.

Swami Vivekananda was one person who was able to bring Advaita to a certain amount of practical reality with his concept of Daridra Narayana, that is, treating the poor, unfortunate and underprivileged as God Himself and serving them with love and humility.

Later on Vivekananda and his works flourished, while the rest faded into obscurity.
 

Shantanu

Well-Known Member
Beautifully put. Pure consciousness is all that exists in reality and forms the substratum for matter, energy, space, time and causation. Identification with the body-mind complex resulting in body-consciousness and ego, blinds oneself to the reality of this true state of existence, and hence one lives in a fractional state of consciousness with dualistic perception .

Rote memorisation of these scriptural verses alone without its practical implementation, however, would blind oneself to the actual reality of existence as it is, resulting in erroneous perception and action.

This is the reason why Adi Shankaracharya denounced the Lord who came before him as an untouchable dalit,

This is also the reason why the kashi brahmins refused to dine together with the enlightened Guru Ravidas, a cobbler.

And this is also the reason why the brahmins protested the consecration of the Shiva idol by the enlightened Sree Narayana Guru , an untouchable, who retorted that he only installed an Ezhava Shiva.

Swami Vivekananda was one person who was able to bring Advaita to a certain amount of practical reality with his concept of Daridra Narayana, that is, treating the poor, unfortunate and underprivileged as God Himself and serving them with love and humility.

Later on Vivekananda and his works flourished, while the rest faded into obscurity.
The correct perception and resulting action comes from a phenomenon known as Truth Consciousness. Sri Aurubindo described this as the supramental descent on Earth. Without truth consciousness all perceptions and resulting actions would be delusional and erroneous. This is the basis of the religion of satya-advaita that I have realised.

Hence the shloka from Mundaka Upanishad:
Satyameva Jayate Nan Rtam,
Satyena pantha withato devayana,
Yena akramanashya yatra kama,
Yatra tat satasya parmam nidhanam.

(Caution: I may not have got these words exactly right).
 
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ajay0

Well-Known Member
The correct perception and resulting action comes from a phenomenon known as Truth Consciousness. Sri Aurubindo described this as the supramental descent on Earth. Without truth consciousness all perceptions and resulting actions would be delusional and erroneous. This is the basis of the religion of satya-advaita that I have realised.

Interesting. How would you define Truth Consciousness! Why would the lack of 'Truth Consciousness' lead to perceptions and actions that are delusional and erroneous !

Would 'truth consciousness' have enabled the likes of Hitler, bin Laden and Stalin to grasp reality precisely and act in a more sane and reasonable manner !

You can put this in an another thread so that the present thread won't be derailed .
 
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