For Adiji...repost...repost...repost!!!

[Guest guest]

This message was mistakenly addressed for Adiji because Ken had put a note

to her at the end on the Advaitin site. She is out of town and I did not want her

to miss it which she did not :-) But...I forgot to change the

subject line... the subject

remains the same :-)

"...While engaging in sAdhanA one must concentrate in asingle

direction; but after it has been completed,what comes then? The

cessation of difference,distinction and disagreement. Differences

indeed existon the path, but how can there be difference of Goal?"

~ShriMata Anandamayee

All according to each one's destiny.

~Maharishi Bingo Ram

Be As You Are

~Sri Ramana Maharshi

Sri Ramana once said that he was fortunate in that he was not

attracted to various schools of philosophy and the endless debates

associated with them. Self being the ultimate simplicity, the

ultimate wholeness, the ultimate completion, can be found only in the

present because its nature is that of Presence. We live in the

present, but if we consider carefully, we see that we are actually

The Presence. We live in the now, and if inquired into see that We

Are The Now. Right Here and Now. That is the only place Self

isRecognized. Here and Now. Now ness, newness, wholeness, these all

can be used to describe the Self-Nature.~Harsha

So many paths...One Holy Destination

Love,

Joyce

-

Lady Joyce

Tuesday, June 22, 2004 9:44 AM

For Adiji

Maharishi wrote...Anything that is "forced" and goes against natural

living can betroublesome. Swami Sivananda suggested using common

sense in all suchmatters.All according to each one's destiny.Love and

blessings========================================Love and blessings to

you too, Mji:Sounds like something Harshaji would say...Not that there

is anything wrong with that :-)Anyway, over on the advaitin site, Ken

Knight postedan excerpt from a book of ShriMata Anandamayee

discourses.It is another way of saying...All according to each one's

destiny.I think it is something to remember when the urge strikes to

examinewhat you are doing in light of what some other enlightened

souljust posted as the way, the right way, and the only way to

enlightenment :-)Each of us, whatever our philosophy or bent, is on

exactly the pathwe should be on. While it may lead to a crossroad

where we gointo another direction, unless and until we reach such a

point,as Ramana Maharshi said..."Be As You

Are."Love,Joyce=====================================ShriMataji

Anandamayee...Concerning the value ofreligious and philosophical

discourses. Mataji said:"By listening repeatedly to discussions and

discourseson topics of this kind, the path to first-hand knowledgeof

what has been heard gradually opens out.You know, it is as when water

uninterruptedly drippingon a stone finally makes a hole in it, and

then a floodmay suddenly surge through, which will bring

Enlightenment.Be it the perusal of Sacred Texts, listening

toreligious discourses, engaging in kirtana (singing ofpraise songs)

God must be the alpha and omega ofwhatever is done. When reading,

read about Him, whentalking, talk of Him and when singing, sing

Hispraises. These three practices are intrinsically thesame; but

because people respond differently. the sameis expressed in three

different ways to suit eachperson's temperament and capacity for

assimilation.Essentially there is only He and He alone,

althougheveryone has his own individual path that leads toHim. What

is the right path for each, depends on hispersonal predilection,

based on the specific characterof his inner qualifications.Take for

instance the study of Vedanta. Some seekersbecome completely drowned

in it, just as others may solose themselves in kirtana as to fall

into a trance. Astudent of Vedanta may become wholly absorbed in

histexts, even more so than the one who gets carried awayby kirtana.

According to one's specific line of approach,one will be able to

achieve full concentration through thestudy of a particular

Scripture, or by some other means.First comes listening, then

reflection, and last ofall the translation into action of what has

been heardand pondered over. This is why one has first of all

tolisten, so that later on each may be able to selectVedanta or

kirtana or whatever else be in his own line.Have you never come

across people making light ofkirtana, saying, "What is there to be

gained by it ?"Nevertheless, after listening to it for some length

oftime, they actually develop a liking for it.Therefore, one must

listen before one can reflect, andthen later, what has been heard and

reflected uponwill take shape in action suited to the personconcerned.

To listen to discourses on God or Truth iscertainly beneficial,

provided one does not allowoneself to be moved by a spirit of

fault-finding ordisparagement, should there be differences of

outlookto one's own. To find fault with others createsobstacles for

everyone all around: for him whocriticizes, for him who is blamed, as

well as forthose who listen to the criticism. Whereas, what issaid in

a spirit of appreciation is fruitful to everybody.For only where

there is no question of regarding anythingas inferior or blameworthy

can one call it satsang.Who is known as a Vaishnava? One who sees

Vishnueverywhere. And as a SAkta? One who beholds the GreatMother,

and nothing save Her. In truth, all thevarious ways of thought spring

from one common source.Who then is to be blamed, who to be reviled

orsuppressed? All are equal in essence."Thou art Mother, Thou art

Father,Thou art Friend and Thou art Master,Truly, Thou art all in

all.Every name is Thy Name,Every quality Thy Quality,Every form Thy

Form indeed.[For Sanskrit version of

this...http://www.omshaantih.com/images/Goddess/Shakti/tvameva.htm

]"Yet He is also where no forms exist, as pureunmanifested Being; all

depends on one's avenue of approach.Is it not said that what is viewed

by the Saivas asthe Supreme (parama) Siva, and by those who

inquireinto the Self, as the One Self is none other than theBrahman

Itself? In reality there is no contradiction ,so long as the

slightest difference is perceived, evenby a hair's breadth, how can

one speak of the state ofPure Being? For this reason, no matter what

path anyone maychoose, it is That. Vedanta actually means the end of

difference andnon-difference. [(Anandamayee only spoke Bengali andshe

is here playing with Bengali in which the lettersB and V sound alike.

Hence Veda can sound like Bhedawhich, as we know from RV X. 177,

means 'difference'.As anta means 'end' she constructs Vedanta as the

'endof difference.' Note from Ken Knight)]While engaging in sAdhanA

one must concentrate in asingle direction; but after it has been

completed,what comes then? The cessation of difference,distinction

and disagreement. Differences indeed existon the path, but how can

there be difference of

Goal?"/join

"Love itself is

the actual form of God."Sri RamanaIn "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam"

by Suri Nagamma