For the advanced student, it becomes essential to understand the classical structure of Śravaṇam–Mananam–Nididhyāsanam as preserved in the Arsha Vidya sampradāya, where SMN functions as the precise śāstra‑pramāṇa for removing self‑ignorance. This traditional methodology is our primary teaching framework. To appreciate its clarity and necessity, it is helpful to compare it with how other respected lineages approach the same pursuit of freedom.

The Ramakrishna tradition integrates SMN through experiential assimilation, where devotion, meditation, and service become the primary modes of refinement rather than pramāṇa‑centric inquiry. In contrast, J. Krishnamurti rejects all structured methodology—including SMN—arguing that any path, authority, or sequence reinforces psychological conditioning and obstructs direct perception.

By viewing these alternative pedagogical visions through the lens of Arsha Vidya’s pramāṇa‑based SMN, the advanced seeker gains a sharper appreciation of what the traditional method uniquely accomplishes, why it is indispensable for self‑knowledge, and how different traditions illuminate the same non‑dual truth through distinct epistemic commitments.

 

Integrated Teaching method by Arsha Vidya under Swami Dayananda

Swami Dayananda Saraswati of the Arsha Vidya lineage is widely recognized as a proponent of the Vivarana school because he emphasizes that Brahman is the locus (Ashraya) of Avidya. However, he subtly integrated elements from the Bhamati school to make the teaching more practical and less plagued by the logical “infinite regresses” that sometimes trouble pure Vivarana theory.  Full details in this document.
Arsha Vidya Integrated teaching methodology.pdf

Aspect	Pure Vivarana	Pure Bhamati	Swami Dayananda’s Integration
Locus of Avidya	Brahman	Jiva	Brahman (Ultimate) / Jiva (Functional)
Primary Tool	Mahavakya	Mind/Reasoning	Mahavakya operating via the Mind
Samadhi	Not required	Often emphasized	Not required for knowledge

 
Summary diagram

Feature	Vartika	Vivarana	Bhamati	Arsha Vidya
Analogy	Shadow/Phantom	Reflection	Space in a Pot	Tenth Man
Jiva’s Reality	Totally Unreal	Identical to Original	Limited Original	Limitless Fact
Direct Cause	Mahavakya	Sravana	Nididhyasana	Cognitive Inquiry
Primary Faculty	Negation	Reception	Meditation	Intellectual “Owning”

 

Comparative Framework of His Teaching

Swami Paramarthananda views these not as competing truths but as interim tools (adhyaropa-apavada) to be discarded once the non-dual truth is realized:

Feature	Vivarana Element	Bhamati Element	Vartika Element
Model	Reflected Consciousness (Cidabhasa)	Enclosed Consciousness (Avaccheda)	Illusory Appearance (Abhasa)
Analogy	Mirror/Sun reflection	Space in a pot	Rope appearing as a snake
Teaching Phase	Explaining the sentient nature of the mind	Explaining the omnipresence of the Self	Removing the final notion of doership

 

How does Swami Paramarthananda advocate the cyclic usage of SMN for improvement

In the teaching tradition of Swami Paramarthananda , the practice of Sravana, Manana, and Nididhyasana (SMN) is not merely a one-time linear sequence but a cyclic, deepening process designed to transform intellectual knowledge into an unwavering emotional and experiential reality.

Swamiji advocates for this cyclic usage through the following key principles:

Removing Layered Obstacles

Swamiji teaches that ignorance and its effects are removed in stages, requiring repeated cycles of SMN to address different levels of the mind:

1. Initial Sravana: Establishes the intellectual framework and introduces the truth of non-duality.
2. Subsequent Manana: Addresses new doubts that arise as the student attempts to live by the knowledge.
3. Refined Nididhyasana: Focuses on deeper habitual errors (Viparita Bhavana) that persist even after intellectual conviction.

The Relationship Between “Knowledge” and “Peace”

1. Swamiji frequently points out that a student may have “Jnanam” (knowledge) but lack “Shanti” (peace).
2. If knowledge does not translate into emotional strength, Swamiji advocates returning to the Sravana-Manana cycle to see where the understanding is “leaking”.
3. This cycle continues until the knowledge becomes “sthitaprajna”—firm and unshakeable in the face of life’s challenges.

Progressive Refining of the “I”

In each cycle of SMN, Swamiji guides the student to refine their understanding of the “Self”:

1. Cycle 1: Identifying as the witness of the physical body.
2. Cycle 2: Identifying as the witness of the subtle mind and its thoughts.
3. Cycle 3: Abiding as the pure, attributeless Brahman, where even the “witness” notion is sublated.

SMN as a Lifetime Sadhana

1. For many seekers, Swamiji suggests that SMN remains a lifelong discipline. Even for those with clear knowledge, Nididhyasana (contemplation) acts as a “mental hygiene” to prevent the mind from falling back into worldly patterns (vasanas).

Different views of S,M,N from Advaita Vedanta Pramana Centric Scholastic schools

In the post-Shankara tradition of Advaita Vedanta, the three steps of Sravana (listening/study), Manana (reflection), and Nididhyasana (meditation) are interpreted differently by the two major sub-schools: the Bhamati School (associated with the Avaccheda-vada or limitation theory) and the Vivarana School (associated with the Pratibimba-vada or reflection theory).

Ramakrishna/Vivekananda Order interpretation of  SMN for modern seekers

The Swami’s associated in the order are Swami Vivekananda, Swami Brahmananda, Swami Shivandanda, Swami Akhandananda etc..
The Ramakrishna Order accepts the classical Advaita structure of SMN, but interprets it through a practical, experiential, and devotional lens, not through the scholastic distinctions of the Bhāmatī or Vivaraṇa sub‑schools.

They do not align with:

• Bhāmatī’s view that śravaṇam gives only parokṣa‑jñāna
• Vivaraṇa’s view that śravaṇam gives aparokṣa‑jñāna directly

Instead, their approach is experiential Advaita, shaped by Sri Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, and the later monks.

Below is the most accurate breakdown.

1. Śravaṇam — Hearing the Truth

In the Ramakrishna tradition, śravaṇam means:

• Exposure to Upaniṣadic mahāvākyas
• Listening to the guru’s direct teaching
• Absorbing the lives and realizations of saints
• Allowing the mind to be touched by the truth

It is not treated as a purely intellectual or pramāṇa‑methodological process (as in Arsha Vidya).
It is inspired hearing, meant to awaken mumukṣutvam and inner transformation.

2. Mananam — Deep Reflection

Mananam is understood as:

• Reflecting on the teachings
• Resolving doubts through reason
• Harmonizing the teaching with one’s lived experience
• Integrating bhakti, meditation, and discrimination

The Ramakrishna Order emphasizes reason + devotion, not reason alone.

Swami Vivekananda repeatedly said:

“Reason, faith, and experience must all combine.”

So mananam is not purely logical analysis; it is existential digestion.

3. Nididhyāsanam — Meditation and Assimilation

This is where the Ramakrishna Order places maximum emphasis. For them, nididhyāsanam includes:

• Meditation on the Self
• Repetition of God’s name
• Devotional absorption
• Contemplation on “I am Brahman”
• Seeing God in all beings (śiva‑jñāne jīva‑seva)

This is a broad, practice‑rich nididhyāsana, not the narrowly defined Vedāntic nididhyāsana of the commentarial schools. Swami Saradananda and Swami Brahmananda especially emphasized long, deep meditation as the primary means of assimilation.

Summary: How SMN is Understood in the Ramakrishna Order

Stage	Ramakrishna Order Interpretation
Śravaṇam	Hearing the truth with devotion; exposure to mahāvākyas; inspiration from saints
Mananam	Reflective assimilation; harmonizing reason, devotion, and experience
Nididhyāsanam	Deep meditation, japa, contemplation, and service as spiritual practice

Key Difference from Bhāmatī/Vivaraṇa

The Ramakrishna Order does not treat SMN as a strict pramāṇa‑based epistemic sequence. Instead, they treat it as a holistic spiritual process:

• Śravaṇam = hearing
• Mananam = reflecting
• Nididhyāsanam = meditating and living the truth

They do not enter into debates about:

• parokṣa vs. aparokṣa jñāna
• whether śravaṇam alone gives liberation
• the role of adhyāropa–apavāda
• the technical functioning of śabda‑pramāṇa

Their focus is realization, not commentarial precision.

Comparison between Arsha Vidya and Ramakrishna SMN model.

Śravaṇam–Mananam–Nididhyāsanam: Arsha Vidya vs. Ramakrishna Order

Aspect	Arsha Vidya / Traditional Advaita	Ramakrishna Order (Ramakrishna–Vivekananda Tradition)
Philosophical Orientation	Strict śabda‑pramāṇa methodology; rooted in Śaṅkara bhāṣya, Bhāmatī/Vivaraṇa aware	Broad experiential Advaita; non‑sectarian; not aligned with Bhāmatī/Vivaraṇa
Śravaṇam	Systematic unfolding of śāstra; pramāṇa‑based; uses adhyāropa–apavāda, anvaya‑vyatireka	Hearing teachings with devotion; inspiration from saints; less emphasis on pramāṇa‑methodology
Mananam	Logical resolution of doubts; rigorous reasoning; removal of viparīta‑bhāvanā	Reflective assimilation; blends reason, devotion, and lived experience
Nididhyāsanam	Contemplative assimilation of the teaching; steady abidance in the vision	Deep meditation, japa, devotional absorption, and service (śiva‑jñāne jīva‑seva)
Goal of SMN	Direct recognition of ātman as self‑evident; removal of adhyāsa	Realization through meditation, purity, devotion, and service
Role of Devotion	Secondary but respected; primarily cognitive clarity	Central; bhakti and meditation are integral to assimilation
Role of Meditation	Supportive; not the primary means of knowledge	Primary tool for nididhyāsana and realization
View of Mahāvākya	Operates as pramāṇa; reveals identity directly when mind is prepared	Inspirational and meditative focus; unfolded less technically
View of Sādhana Catuṣṭaya	Essential prerequisite for śravaṇam to function	Important but integrated with bhakti and purity of heart
View of Liberation	Knowledge‑based; jñāna alone is mokṣa	Knowledge + meditation + devotion + purity lead to realization
Teaching Style	Highly structured, textual, precise	Experiential, devotional, inspirational

One‑Sentence Summary:

Arsha Vidya treats SMN as a precise pramāṇa‑based epistemic process;
the Ramakrishna Order treats SMN as a holistic spiritual process integrating devotion, meditation, and service.

Ramakrishna Order: Why it avoids Bhāmatī/Vivaraṇa

The Ramakrishna tradition privileges experiential verification, guru transmission, and integrated sādhana over medieval commentarial taxonomy.
Its concern is pragmatic soteriology: teachings are judged by whether they produce anubhava (direct experience) and moral‑spiritual transformation, not by fitting a particular medieval exegesis. The Order emphasizes guru‑led practice, devotion, meditation, and service as the means that prepare the mind for śabda‑pramāṇa to function, so technical Bhāmatī/Vivaraṇa distinctions are treated as scholastic refinements rather than necessary guides for living realization. 

Core śāstric reasons

• Practical soteriology over scholastic taxonomy. The Order treats Vedānta as a path to mokṣa, so the decisive criterion is whether a teaching leads to direct realization, not whether it fits a particular commentarial theory (Bhāmatī or Vivaraṇa).
• Primacy of guru and direct experience. For the Order, the guru’s transmission and the disciple’s anubhava (direct experience) validate the teaching. This places śravaṇam–mananam–nididhyāsanam in an experiential frame rather than an exclusively epistemological one.
• Inclusive hermeneutics grounded in Upaniṣadic authority. The Order appeals to the Upaniṣads, Gītā, and direct sayings of Sri Ramakrishna as living scripture; it prefers broad Upaniṣadic formulations (mahāvākyas) to fine‑grained sub‑commentarial distinctions.
• Integration of bhakti and karma with jñāna. Śāstrically, the Order emphasizes that bhakti, japa, meditation, and selfless service purify the mind so that śabda‑pramāṇa can function — a pedagogical stance that makes technical debates secondary.
• Avoidance of sectarianism and modern applicability. The Bhāmatī/Vivaraṇa debate is a medieval scholastic dispute about the mechanics of śabda‑pramāṇa and the status of aparokṣa jñāna. The Order intentionally remains non‑sectarian to keep Vedānta accessible and applicable to diverse modern seekers.

Comparative table of emphases

Issue	Bhāmatī/Vivaraṇa focus	Ramakrishna Order focus
Epistemic question	How śabda‑pramāṇa yields knowledge; parokṣa vs aparokṣa jñāna	Whether teaching produces anubhava and moral/spiritual transformation
Method	Technical exegesis, pramāṇa theory, commentarial logic	Guru transmission, sādhana, devotion, meditation, service
Goal	Precise doctrinal coherence within Advaita scholasticism	Universal realization; harmony of paths; social and spiritual uplift
Pedagogy	Textual, dialectical, analytic	Experiential, devotional, practice‑oriented

Śāstric concepts that justify the Order’s stance

• Sādhana Catuṣṭaya as prerequisite: the Order emphasizes preparing the mind so śabda can function, rather than debating whether śravaṇam alone suffices.
• Adhyāsa and apavāda remain central, but the Order treats these as pedagogical tools to be used flexibly, not as markers of sub‑school allegiance.
• Mahāvākya as living pointer: the Order reads mahāvākyas as directives for practice and meditation, not merely as objects for pramāṇa‑theory analysis. 

Vivekananda reframed SMN for modern seekers

Vivekananda reframed Śravaṇam–Mananam–Nididhyāsanam (SMN) for modern seekers by turning a narrowly scholastic, pramāṇa‑centric pedagogy into a practical, experiential, and socially engaged programm: he preserved the three stages but integrated them with meditation, service, and psychological training so Vedānta became accessible, testable, and useful in modern life.

Historical context and motive

Swami Vivekananda (notably at the 1893 Parliament of Religions) encountered Western audiences, colonial modernity, and a rising demand for practical spirituality. He therefore reinterpreted classical Advaita pedagogy to meet three needs: intellectual credibility, experiential verification, and social applicability. His aim was not to refight medieval commentarial disputes (Bhāmatī vs Vivaraṇa) but to make the path effective for busy, pluralistic, and scientifically minded seekers.

How Vivekananda reframed each stage

Śravaṇam — from textual hearing to living exposition

• Classical: Listening to śāstra from a sampradāya guru; emphasis on śabda‑pramāṇa.
• Vivekananda: Preserved guru and scriptural authority but emphasized public lectures, translations, and exemplars (lives of saints) so hearing becomes repeated, accessible, and psychologically resonant for modern minds. Śravaṇam becomes repeated exposure in multiple media (talks, books, public classes).

Mananam — from dialectical proof to integrative reflection

• Classical: Logical removal of doubts (anvaya‑vyatireka) to secure conviction.
• Vivekananda: Kept reasoning but broadened mananam to include experiential testing, comparative religion, and psychological inquiry; encouraged seekers to test teachings in meditation and action until conviction arises.

Nididhyāsanam — from contemplative abidance to disciplined practice + service

• Classical: Deep contemplative assimilation leading to abidance.
• Vivekananda: Elevated meditation, pranayama, and sustained ethical action (karma yoga) as complementary routes to stabilization. He taught nididhyāsana as both inner abidance and outward transformation—realization validated by changed conduct and service.

Compact comparison table

Feature	Classical SMN	Vivekananda’s Reframing
Authority	Sampradāya + śāstra	Guru + śāstra + public exposition
Method	Pramāṇa theory, textual exegesis	Lectures, practice, scientific language, comparative study
Emphasis	Cognitive recognition (jñāna)	Experiential verification + ethical transformation
Role of Devotion	Secondary	Integrated (bhakti as method and support)
Social aim	Liberation as personal goal	Liberation + social uplift; service as sadhana

Intellectual and pedagogical innovations

• Democratization: Made Vedānta teachable to lay, urban, and Western audiences through clear English expositions and institutions (Ramakrishna Mission).
• Psychological framing: Framed SMN as training the mind—attention, discrimination, and will—so results are reproducible.
• Method pluralism: Treated jñāna, bhakti, and karma as complementary methods rather than mutually exclusive paths.
• Anti‑sectarian stance: Avoided medieval sub‑school polemics; prioritized what produces anubhava (direct experience).

Swami Akhandananda’s messages, comparison to Arsha Vidya. 

Swami Akhandananda: Key Messages, how he lived SMN

Swami Akhandananda (Gangadhar Ghatak), a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the third President of the Ramakrishna Order, communicated a remarkably consistent set of teachings through his life and work:

1. “Service is worship” — Seva as direct sādhanā

He insisted that serving the hungry, poor, and suffering is not philanthropy but a direct expression of Advaita.

• “Shiva jñāne jīva sevā” (serve beings as Śiva) was his lived mantra.
• His famine relief work, orphanage, and rural uplift projects were not “add‑ons” but core spiritual practice.

2. Renunciation must be active, not passive

He taught that tyāga is not withdrawal but the courage to give oneself fully to God and to the world.

• Renunciation = ego‑reduction through fearless service, simplicity, and truthfulness.

3. Realization must transform conduct

He repeatedly emphasized that inner realization is validated by outer compassion, steadiness, and purity.

• No gap between meditation and life.
• No gap between knowledge and character.

4. Direct experience over scholastic debate

He avoided metaphysical polemics and sub‑school distinctions (Bhāmatī vs Vivaraṇa).

• His focus: purity, devotion, meditation, and service as the quickest route to God‑realization.

---

How Swami Akhandananda Implemented SMN (Śravaṇam–Mananam–Nididhyāsanam)

He did not articulate SMN in technical Sanskritic terms, but his life expresses a fully integrated, experiential SMN:

Śravaṇam — Hearing the Truth through Guru + Life

• His primary śravaṇa was Sri Ramakrishna’s direct instruction and presence.
• Later, he treated the suffering of the world as a form of śravaṇa — a revelation of impermanence, compassion, and the need for God.

Śravaṇa for him = Guru’s words + life’s call to compassion.

Mananam — Reflection through Testing, Service, and Inner Dialogue

• He reflected on Ramakrishna’s teachings by testing them in the field: famine relief, orphanage work, rural uplift.
• Doubts were resolved through experience, not dialectics.
• Mananam = “Does this teaching hold when I am exhausted, hungry, and serving others?”

Manana for him = experiential verification + devotional reasoning.

Nididhyāsanam — Abidance through Meditation + Selfless Action

• Deep meditation and japa were central to his life.
• But he also saw service as nididhyāsana:
  • When ego dissolves in service, one abides in the Self.
  • When compassion flows naturally, one is established in non‑duality.

Nididhyāsana for him = meditation + egoless service + continuous remembrance of God.

---

Comparison: Akhandananda’s SMN vs Arsha Vidya SMN

A compact, high‑precision table for your advanced students:

Dimension	Swami Akhandananda / Ramakrishna Order	Arsha Vidya / Traditional Advaita
Orientation	Experiential Advaita; realization validated by compassion and service	Pramāṇa‑based Advaita; realization validated by cognitive clarity
Śravaṇam	Guru’s presence, teachings, devotional texts, life experience	Systematic study of Upaniṣads, Gītā, Brahmasūtras with bhāṣyas
Mananam	Testing teachings in meditation and service; devotional reflection	Logical inquiry (nyāya), removal of doubts through reasoning
Nididhyāsanam	Meditation + selfless service as abidance; character transformation	Contemplative assimilation of mahāvākyas; stabilizing knowledge
Role of Service	Central; a direct means to purify ego and realize non‑duality	Supportive but not a primary means to liberation
Role of Devotion	Integrated at every stage; bhakti and jñāna inseparable	Important for preparation (sādhana catuṣṭaya), but jñāna is primary
View of SMN	Holistic, life‑integrated, experiential	Epistemic, pramāṇa‑structured, text‑anchored
Goal	Realization expressed as compassion and purity	Firm knowledge “I am Brahman” through śāstra‑pramāṇa

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, SMN, as a practical, -rooted in guided experience

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar frames SMN as a practical, psychospiritual curriculum—rooted in guided experience, breathwork, and meditation—whereas Arsha Vidya treats SMN as a precise pramāṇa‑based sequence of listening, analytic reflection, and contemplative abidance. In practice, Sri Sri emphasizes methods that produce immediate inner stability and transformation; Arsha Vidya emphasizes textual exegesis and epistemic clarity leading to jñāna.

Quick decision guide (what to consider)

• Goal: Do you want immediate psychospiritual stability and stress relief or textual, philosophical mastery leading to classical jñāna?
• Preferred method: Do you respond better to guided practices, breathwork, and group formats (Sri Sri) or to one‑on‑one guru exegesis and dialectical study (Arsha Vidya)?
• Time & temperament: Busy practitioners often prefer Sri Sri’s integrated practices; contemplative students seeking doctrinal precision prefer Arsha Vidya.

Comparison table: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar vs Arsha Vidya

Aspect	Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Art of Living)	Arsha Vidya / Traditional Advaita
Orientation	Experiential, therapeutic, integrative	Pramāṇa‑centric, scholastic, exegetical
Śravaṇam	Guided talks, simplified scriptural pointers, repeated exposure; emphasis on felt understanding	Listening to śāstra from a sampradāya guru; precise śabda‑pramāṇa role
Mananam	Reflective practice integrated with breathwork and group discussion; emphasis on testing in experience	Logical analysis (anvaya‑vyatireka) to remove doubts; rigorous reasoning
Nididhyāsanam	Meditation, pranayama (Sudarshan Kriya), sustained contemplative practices plus service; stabilization through practice	Deep contemplative abidance and analytic assimilation; emphasis on sustained nididhyāsana
Role of techniques	Breath, guided meditation, psychosocial tools are central	Scriptural exegesis and conceptual clarification are central
Role of devotion & service	Integrated and emphasized as supportive sadhana	Respected but often secondary to jñāna in method
Audience & pedagogy	Mass, modern, secular language, short courses, measurable wellbeing outcomes	Small cohorts, long study, traditional guru‑shishya pedagogy

Practical recommendation

• If you want rapid inner stability and accessible practice: start with Sri Sri’s programs (breathwork + meditation) and use them as a foundation for deeper enquiry.
• If your aim is classical Advaita realization through scriptural method: pursue Arsha Vidya style śravaṇam with a qualified teacher and disciplined mananam/nididhyāsana.

Limitations and risks

• Sri Sri approach: may de‑emphasize technical pramāṇa theory, so seekers wanting doctrinal precision may find gaps.
• Arsha Vidya approach: can be intellectually demanding and slower to produce psychological stability; may feel abstract without complementary practices.
• Best practice: a synthesized path—use experiential practices to stabilize the mind, then apply Arsha Vidya methods for conceptual clarification.

Alternate usage of S,M,N in Non-Advaita Vedanta Philosophies

In the three primary schools of Vedanta—Advaita, Visishtadvaita, and Dvaita—the “SMN” cycle refers to the three stages of spiritual practice derived from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: Sravana (listening), Manana (reflection), and Nididhyasana (deep contemplation/meditation).

 

J. Krishnamurti view on any structured path including SMN

J. Krishnamurti’s stance toward Śravaṇam–Mananam–Nididhyāsanam (SMN) is one of the most fascinating contrasts to traditional Advaita pedagogy.

J. Krishnamurti’s View of SMN (Śravaṇam–Mananam–Nididhyāsanam)

Krishnamurti rejected the SMN methodology outright—not because he disagreed with the goal of freedom, but because he believed any structured path creates psychological dependence and prevents direct perception.

His core position: “Truth is a pathless land.”

This single line is the key to understanding his critique of SMN.
1. His View of Śravaṇam (Listening)

What he rejected

• Listening to a guru as an authority
• Scriptural revelation as pramāṇa
• Any structured teaching sequence

What he affirmed

• Choiceless awareness
• Listening without motive, method, or accumulation
• Direct perception of “what is,” not interpretation

For Krishnamurti, śravaṇa is not receiving knowledge; it is seeing without the past.

2. His View of Mananam (Reflection)

What he rejected

• Logical reasoning to remove doubts
• Dialectical clarification
• Conceptual analysis of the Self

What he affirmed

• Insight that arises when the mind is silent
• Observation of thought without interference
• Understanding through direct seeing, not through thought

For him, mananam is unnecessary because thought itself is the problem.

3. His View of Nididhyāsanam (Abidance)

What he rejected

• Meditation as a practice
• Abidance as a cultivated state
• Any method that implies gradual progress

What he affirmed

• Meditation as the natural flowering of a quiet mind
• A state of awareness without effort
• Freedom that is instantaneous, not sequential

For him, nididhyāsana cannot be practiced; it happens when the mind is free of conditioning.

Summary of Krishnamurti’s Position: Krishnamurti saw SMN as

• Too structured
• Too dependent on authority
• Too rooted in thought and time
• Too method‑driven

His alternative: Freedom is discovered in the immediate perception of the movement of thought.

---

Comparison: Krishnamurti vs Arsha Vidya SMN

A crisp table for your advanced students:

Dimension	J. Krishnamurti	Arsha Vidya / Traditional Advaita
View of Path	No path; truth is immediate	Structured path (SMN)
Śravaṇam	Direct perception; no authority	Scriptural study with guru
Mananam	Thought is the obstacle; no reasoning	Reasoning removes doubts
Nididhyāsanam	No practice; awareness is spontaneous	Contemplative assimilation
Role of Guru	No authority; teacher only points	Guru is indispensable
Role of Scripture	Conditioning; not needed	Primary pramāṇa
View of Mind	Must be free of all methods	Mind refined through method
Goal	Freedom from conditioning	Knowledge “I am Brahman”

Go to top