Guest guest Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 Thank you so much Joyce for your help. I had problems with connecting to the www and then was unsure of what I had posted and what not. Also I am a bit of a scatterbrain as far as organizing papers are concerned even if they are virtual. Love chris On May 22, 2005, at 18:46, Lady Joyce wrote: > Dear Chris: > > I hope you don't mind my organizing your posts > in order to date :-) I did find one more on the RamanaMaharshi > list, and I added the commentary which was also posted. > If you could continue to number them or something, > that would be helpful to all of us. Thank you! > > Love, > > Joyce > =========================================== > > > > Dear friends, > > tonight, without apparent reason, a little booklet fell from the > shelve down at my feet. It turned out to be Ashtavakra Gita, a text > loved by our Bhagavan, which he always recommended for study to > seekers. He copied out the Sanscrit version of the Kannada text in his > own hand, which makes the original very valuable indeed. Maybe we > should read it together. > > From Ashtavakra Samhita > translation 1931 by Swamy Nityaswarupananda > Ramakrishna Mission > > > > It starts with King Janaka asking Sage Ashtavakra: How can knowledge > be acquired? How can liberaton be attained. How is renunciation > possible?- Tell me this, oh Lord. > > Ashtavakra: If you aspire after liberation, my child, shun the objects > of the senses as poison and seek forgiveness, sincerity, kindness, > contentment and truth as nectar. > You are neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor ether. In > order to attain liberation realize yourself as the knower of all these > and consciousness itself. > > If you detach the body and rest in Intelligence, you will at once be > happy , peaceful and free from bondage. > > ===================================================== > Radhakamal Mukerjee's commentary on the above verses from > Astavakragita may > be worth sharing: > > "Moral discipline is an essential pre-requisite for the spiritual > quest. The list of virtues mentioned here follows the Bhagavadgita > where > forgiveness, straightforwardness, compassion and contentment are > specifically stressed. This is, however, the only verse where > Astavakra > dwells on moral excellence. > "Astavakra's general position is that the wise one, firmly > established > in the Self, is beyond the conflicts of good and evil. Pure in heart > and > purged of all desires and goals of life as well as of the modalities of > nature (gunas), whence emerges the irrepressible duality of opposites > in > life, he sees himself everywhere and under all conditions. Any desire > to > harm or any compassion does not arise in his heart at all (XVII, > 11-15) To > him a clod of earth, a stone and a piece of gold are the same. The > knots of > his heart are rent asunder and he is freed from the sway of the gunas. > Guileless and straightforward, there is no wantonness or inhibition in > him. > Abiding in the aloneness and absoluteness of the Self, he is beyond > humaneness. In fact he cannot do any wrong since he is entirely free > from > ego-sense, both physically and mentally. The moral sense belongs to > the > realm of relativity which the wise one has to transcend." > > ("Astavakragita: the Song of the Self Supreme", Radhakamal Mukerjee, pp > 30,31) > ============================================================ > > > You do not belong to the Brahmana or any other caste or to any Ashrama. > You are not visible to the eyes. Unattached, formless and witness of > all are you. Be happy. > > Virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, are of the mind, not of you, oh > All-Pervading One. You are neither doer nor enjoyer. Verily you are > ever free. > > You are the one seer of all and really are ever free. Verily this alone > is your bóndage that you see the seer as other than such. > > > from Ashtavakra Gita > p.5-8 > > > Do you have been bitten by the great black serpent of egoism "I am the > doer", drink the nectar of the faith "I am not the doer" , and be > happy. > > Burn down the wilderness of ignorance with the fire of the knowledge, > "I am the One and Pure Intelligence", and be free from grief and be > happy. > > > Ashtavakra Gita > p. 8,9 > > 9. That (Consciousness) in which this universe appears, being > conceived like a snake in a rope, is Bliss - Supreme Bliss. You are > that Consciousness. Be happy. > > 10. One who considers oneself free is free indeed and one who considers > oneself bound remains bound. "As one thinks, so one becomes," is a > popular saying in this world, which is true. > > 11.The Self is the witness and all-pervading perfect, one, free, > Intelligence, actionless, unattached, desireless and quiet. Through > illusion it appears of this world. > > 12. Meditate on the Atman as immovable, Intelligence and non-dual, > having given up external and internal self-modifications and the > illusion that you are the reflected self (individual soul). > > 13. My child, you have long been trapped by body consciousness. Sever > the trap with the sword of the knowledge " I am Intelligence" and be > happy. > > > 14. You are unattached, actionless, self-effulgent and without any > blemish. This indeed is you bondage that you practice Samadhi. > > > 15. You pervade this universe and this universe exists in you. You are > really Pure and Conscious. Do not be small-minded. > > > 16. You are unconditioned, immutable, formless, unimpassioned, of > unfathomable intelligence and unperturbed. Desire for Chit alone > > > > > > /join > > > > > > "Love itself is the actual form of God." > > Sri Ramana > > In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam" by Suri Nagamma > > > Links > • > / > > • > > > • Terms of > Service. > Attachment: (text/enriched) [not stored] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Very nice! --- Lady Joyce <shaantih wrote: > Dear Chris: > > I hope you don't mind my organizing your posts > in order to date :-) I did find one more on the > RamanaMaharshi > list, and I added the commentary which was also > posted. > If you could continue to number them or something, > that would be helpful to all of us. Thank you! > > Love, > > Joyce > =========================================== > > > If you detach the body and rest in Intelligence, you > will at once be happy , peaceful and free from > bondage. > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 - mangoyogi SriGuruMahatama Monday, May 23, 2005 6:49 PM Re: Ashtavakra Gita posts to date... Very nice!--- Lady Joyce <shaantih (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote:> Dear Chris:> > I hope you don't mind my organizing your posts> in order to date :-) I did find one more on the> RamanaMaharshi> list, and I added the commentary which was also> posted. > If you could continue to number them or something,> that would be helpful to all of us. Thank you!> > Love,> > Joyce> ===========================================> > > If you detach the body and rest in Intelligence, you> will at once be happy , peaceful and free from> bondage. _____________________________ Where should I put it after I detach it? > > Read only the mail you want - Mail SpamGuard. /join "Love itself is the actual form of God."Sri RamanaIn "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam" by Suri Nagamma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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