Why so much negativity in Advaita

[Nagaraj]

Knowledge itself is action.

Is the state of 'being still' a state involving effort or effortless?

It is not an effortless state of indolence. All mundane activities which are ordinarily called effort are performed with the aid of a portion of the mind and with frequent breaks. But the act of communion with the Self (atma vyavahara) or remaining still inwardly is intense activity which is performed with the entire mind and without break.

Dear Nagaraj,
yes, trying to pay attention is action, effort but as I remember Bhagavan said that this attention becomes effortless. Am I right?

Dear Hari,

We are breathing in and out naturally without any volition on our part, but when there is a disturbance we become aware of our breath as there is imbalance in our breathing, again when the breathing settles down, it goes on naturally, we are not even aware of the effort that goes in to breathing in and out. In the same manner is the effortlessness as we have seen in Bhagavan's words.

--

[Hari]

Wu wei

[ksksat27]

Wu wei

Hari

Advaita and Tao has no link , seems you are tyring to measure Advaiata by Tao sentences 


Also the coffee incident you have quoted -- seems an exp coming from your mind only (i am not an authority to say about your exp but you did the right thing to give your mind a blow by regretting)

it is sin to be happy nowadays both spiritually and materially 

[Hari]

Then Self-realization is the greatest sin

[ksksat27]

Then Self-realization is the greatest sin

no Hari,  why it is said so is because we are all deluded and taking moods for samadhi and samadhi for permanent self realization.

so our elders have always told to deny happiness so that when 'real' happiness comes we get it right --because at that moment we would not require anyone to validate the same.

[Hari]

My point was that can happiness come from the mind?

[Hari]

And I don't claim or categorize this 'experience' as anything. I think that you got me wrong. It was mentioned in another context.

[ksksat27]

My point was that can happiness come from the mind?

whatever happiness that comes from the mind is not the Truth.  It may be a higher form of happiness like a very good bhava on Krishna or very mean pleasure of carnal desire.  Depending on that one may say that the happiness of mind is mean or noble. Otherwise it is falsehood only whatever comes fromt he mind because mind is itself falsehood personified.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear Hari,

Only pleasures can come from the mind and the objects it seeks.  Happiness which is our innate nature, can come to us
only when the mind becomes quiescent in the Self.  That happiness, Sri Bhagavan calls it as Bliss.

Arunachala Siva.