Guest guest Posted October 28, 1998 Report Share Posted October 28, 1998 Namaste to everyone on the list. I want to share some excerpts from Swami Dayananda's comments on Upadesa Saram by Sri Ramana Maharshi. I delight on these few pages on bhakti for the second day, and find a great inspiration and help in them. I realize that people may be a way past it, but it could happen that for someone it will be as much a discovery and enjoyment as it was and is for me. I am sorry if someone will find it rather lengthy, but I would like not to delete much. With love Lilia ************** All likes and dislikes belong to the role that I play. The one who does not play a role has no problem nor does the one who plays the roles. Only the one who identifies oneself as the role takes on the problems of the role. In deep sleep and in moments of joy there are no problems. So include in your life certain actions to invoke the devotee in you - pure devotee playing no roles. Stripped of all roles, alone with the Lord, a naked bare devotee in you is invoked. Many fancies occur in the mind; fortunately most of them pass away. Only the fancies on which one dwells for some time become desires, as the Gita says: Whan a man dwells upon the objects, attachment for them arises. From attachment arises desire (2.62). These desires are translated into actions. Thus an action is physicalisation of the desire in the mind. Since I want to see myself a devotee, I perform deliberate actions to invoke or rather discover the devotee in me... So physical actions are important. Never say that it is wrong to pray. It is very important for the one who prays. In course of time it becomes a flame of devotion. Previously he was playing roles and occasionally becoming a devotee, but now he is primarily a devotee playing various roles. How does such a transformation take place?.. Ramana Maharshi describes threefold actions specially meant to invoke the devotee and to acquire the grace of the Lord. Ere long this leads to the purification of the mind. The physical, oral and mental actions viz., ritualistic worship, chanting and meditation on Him, are all most beneficial in that order (4). These actions are to be done. If such activities are not done, you continue with old likes and dislikes and pick up new ones as well. By these actions nothing now is achieved; peace that is the nature of the mind is discovered. Themselves being religious actions, there should be the unseen result - grace... Worship is totally symbolic. The very act invokes the devotee and the actions have the result, namely purification of the mind. In every worship, one begins with sankalpa, a resolve: "I perform this ritual for the removal of the impurities in my mind as well as for pleasing the Lord". The ritual is generally performed only with this resolve; a few more words are added if the ritual is kaamya. The Lord says in the Gita: In whatever manner do the devotees approach Me, in that manner do I reward them (4.11). Worship is a kind of an autosuggestion and it works. Our likes and dislikes have no life until we give them strength - generally we value our likes and dislikes. So worship helps in neutralising them. Likes and dislikes have no sway because the person becomes a devotee first and last. In the beginning, the pure devotee in oneself shows up only during worship. Later on the devotee pervades all other roles: son, father, uncle etc... The next item in a puujaa is stuti, praise of the Lord. The devotee assumes dainyabhaava, meekness, and implores the Lord by praising Him, as the Controller, the Dispenser of the results, the Omnipresent, the Omniscient etc... Finally, there is dhyaanam, meditation: thinking of the Lord and His glories. Here the speech and limbs are not involved; only the mind is involved. Meditation can either be a mental japa, some form of visualisation or contemplation. These three, namly puujaa, japa and dhyaanam are the steps in that order and each is superior to the preceding one. The third comes after the first two, if it is to be effective. If meditation is attempted straight away, the result is invariably sleep! A preparation is needed for meditation. It is effective only when the mind is relatively free from distraction and it has cultivated a love for meditation. Meditation should neither be mechanical, nor forced; will does not prove here of any help. Meditation gives a steadiness, samaadhanaam, and so becomes a secondary means for moksha. When pursued for a length of time, one acquires a mastery over one's ways of thinking. Meditation is not possible by will. You can create suitable conditions, in creating which will may be involved; but meditation has to happen. COntamplation is still harder; it takes place naturally in a contemplative mind. One can acquire such a mind by regular perofrmance of the threefold actions described above. ******************** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 1998 Report Share Posted November 2, 1998 On Thu, 29 Oct 1998, Lilia Stepanova wrote: > Lilia Stepanova <ls691035 > > > Namaste to everyone on the list. > > I want to share some excerpts from Swami Dayananda's comments on Upadesa > Saram by Sri Ramana Maharshi. I delight on these few pages on bhakti for > the second day, and find a great inspiration and help in them. I realize > that people may be a way past it, but it could happen that for someone it > will be as much a discovery and enjoyment as it was and is for me. I am > sorry if someone will find it rather lengthy, but I would like not to > delete much. > > With love > > Lilia > > ************** > > All likes and dislikes belong to the role that I play. The one who does > not play a role has no problem nor does the one who plays the roles. Only > the one who identifies oneself as the role takes on the problems of the > role. In deep sleep and in moments of joy there are no problems. So > include in your life certain actions to invoke the devotee in you - pure > devotee playing no roles. Stripped of all roles, alone with the Lord, a > naked bare devotee in you is invoked. > > Many fancies occur in the mind; fortunately most of them pass away. Only > the fancies on which one dwells for some time become desires, as the Gita > says: > > Whan a man dwells upon the objects, attachment for them arises. > From attachment arises desire (2.62). > > These desires are translated into actions. Thus an action is > physicalisation of the desire in the mind. Since I want to see myself a > devotee, I perform deliberate actions to invoke or rather discover the > devotee in me... So physical actions are important. Never say that it is > wrong to pray. It is very important for the one who prays. In course of > time it becomes a flame of devotion. Previously he was playing roles and > occasionally becoming a devotee, but now he is primarily a devotee > playing various roles. How does such a transformation take place?.. > > Ramana Maharshi describes threefold actions specially meant to invoke the > devotee and to acquire the grace of the Lord. Ere long this leads to the > purification of the mind. > > The physical, oral and mental actions viz., ritualistic worship, > chanting and meditation on Him, are all most beneficial in that > order (4). > > These actions are to be done. If such activities are not done, you > continue with old likes and dislikes and pick up new ones as well. By > these actions nothing now is achieved; peace that is the nature of the > mind is discovered. Themselves being religious actions, there should be > the unseen result - grace... > > Worship is totally symbolic. The very act invokes the devotee and the > actions have the result, namely purification of the mind. In every > worship, one begins with sankalpa, a resolve: "I perform this ritual for > the removal of the impurities in my mind as well as for pleasing the > Lord". The ritual is generally performed only with this resolve; a few > more words are added if the ritual is kaamya. The Lord says in the Gita: > > In whatever manner do the devotees approach Me, in that manner do > I reward them (4.11). > > Worship is a kind of an autosuggestion and it works. Our likes and > dislikes have no life until we give them strength - generally we value > our likes and dislikes. So worship helps in neutralising them. Likes and > dislikes have no sway because the person becomes a devotee first and > last. In the beginning, the pure devotee in oneself shows up only during > worship. Later on the devotee pervades all other roles: son, father, > uncle etc... > > The next item in a puujaa is stuti, praise of the Lord. The devotee > assumes dainyabhaava, meekness, and implores the Lord by praising Him, as > the Controller, the Dispenser of the results, the Omnipresent, the > Omniscient etc... > > Finally, there is dhyaanam, meditation: thinking of the Lord and His > glories. Here the speech and limbs are not involved; only the mind is > involved. Meditation can either be a mental japa, some form of > visualisation or contemplation. > > These three, namly puujaa, japa and dhyaanam are the steps in that order > and each is superior to the preceding one. The third comes after the > first two, if it is to be effective. If meditation is attempted straight > away, the result is invariably sleep! A preparation is needed for > meditation. It is effective only when the mind is relatively free from > distraction and it has cultivated a love for meditation. Meditation > should neither be mechanical, nor forced; will does not prove here of any > help. Meditation gives a steadiness, samaadhanaam, and so becomes a > secondary means for moksha. When pursued for a length of time, one > acquires a mastery over one's ways of thinking. > > Meditation is not possible by will. You can create suitable conditions, > in creating which will may be involved; but meditation has to happen. > COntamplation is still harder; it takes place naturally in a > contemplative mind. One can acquire such a mind by regular perofrmance of > the threefold actions described above. > > ******************** Namaste. Thanks for a very nice contemplative article. I certainly like the last paragraph. Quite often, the intellect takes credit for any spiritual progress the jeeva may have been blessed with. As stated above, even meditation is not possible by will. We may sit at the meditation seat with all seriousness of meditation, but our mind might have wandered of to some remote thought. The result of meditation is certainly has to happen. If we strive for SELF-realization through meditation, that is not possible. If we strive for brahma vidya, we will not get It. Even that desire has to drop. While intense mumukshutvam takes us to follow the spiritual route, that intense desire for moksha has to drop before we realize what we are. Meditation is a route for chitta shuddhi, which is a necessary pre-requisite for SELF-realization. Some comments on bhakti: Shri Shankara's devotional stotras are a clear example that in Shri Shankara's view, bhakti is an important vehicle for SELF realization. In bhagavad-gita also, we see bhakti as an important route. But in Upanishhads, as I understand, we do not see much of mention of bhakti. (I wonder if knowledgeable members can give some reference to bhakti in the upanishhads.) Upanishhads talk of doing the karma and importantly stress on jnAnam. It seems to me bhakti is a later addition. Bhakti, by definition, is a duality concept. It is complete surrender, but to another entity. Even if we instill that entity in our heart, complete merger of jeeva with saguna Brahman is possible only after discarding of this body. Bhakti causes dissolution of the ego and sees God or saguna Brahman as the one that controls the jagat. However, it still sees jagat as the reality and we need to still see beyond the saguna Brahman for recognizing the SELF. Regards Gummuluru Murthy ------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2000 Report Share Posted June 14, 2000 bhakti is beautifully defined in the verse "ankolam nija biija ..." of shivaanandalaharii by shankara. That verse was posted sometime back on this list. The way bhakti is defined here and also in vivekachuuDaamaniH is identical to nididhyaasana. It is said that in that verse that constant flow of thoughts towards the lotus feet of God is bhakti. It is constant contemplation and meditation. If it done saguNa brahman (like shiva) then it well known as bhakti. The same thing if done towards aatman then it also bhakti but called as jnaana maarga. Former is easier than latter. Also former will lead to latter as we often say " aasaavaadityo brahma, brahmaiva satyam, brahmaivaahamasmi". Even definition like bhakti is love (parama prema svaruupa) is not different from this. Why? What is love? Consider a mundane case when a person is in love with a girl. What does he do? No matter what he is doing, he is thinking about that girl in the back of his mind. It is a constant flow of desires, longings, good feelings toward her. Same things happens in bhakti. Instead of fleeting infatuation of a normal lover, a bhakta loves God in an everlasting manner which culminates in their union or identification. IMHO the verse in shivaanandalaharii is the _best_, and unambiguous definition of bhakti. Also identifying bhakti with nididhyaasana connects it easily with jnaana. -- sharaNaagata raxakii nivEyani sadaa ninnu nammiti miinaaxii Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2000 Report Share Posted June 14, 2000 Vidya, Ravi and others have identified Shankara's definition of Bhakti as defined in his VivekachuuDaamaNi. Bhakti should be better translated as devotion than just Love - at least not the love that we know. The difference is simple - Love towards higher is called Devotion and Love towards lower is called love or lust - in the lower aspect we fall - as we fall in love. in Devotion we raise in Love. Proceeding further - the higher can be defined as that which reduces our agitations in the process. Thus devotion is that which calms the mind and helps in contemplation towards the goal. Love towards lower will result in more mental agitations - that happens when we fall in love. >From advaita point - as Shankara points in the VivEkachuuDaamaNi Sloka as Vidya quoted: sva-svarUpa-anusaMdhAnaM bhaktirityabhidhIyate || 31 || sva-Atma-tattva-anusaMdhAnaM bhaktirityapare jaguH | 32 ab | in both cases the emphasis is oneself - 'sva swaruupa anusandhaanam' - meditation on one own self - or swa aatmaanubhava anusandhaanam - which is essentially the culmination of that meditation as one reveling in oneself. In either case taking the 'self' as the supreme and surrounding oneself (ego) to oneself (the supreme self). Talking about Shiva - there is sloka in Avadhuuta Geeta. Bhagavaan Dattatreya who was a great Shiva Bhakta declares: Shivam na jaanami katham vadaami Shivam na jaanaami katham bhajaami| aham Shivaschet paramaatma tatvam samaswaruupam gaganopamancha|| I do not know Shiva, how can I talk about Him, I do not know about Shiva, how can I pray him, -( because) I am that Shiva the supreme self and the truth an embodiment of equanimity and all pervading. The culmination of Advaitic Bhakti. Hari Om! Sadananda >bhakti is beautifully defined in the verse "ankolam nija biija ..." of >shivaanandalaharii by shankara. That verse was posted sometime back on >this list. The way bhakti is defined here and also in >vivekachuuDaamaniH is identical to nididhyaasana. It is said that in >that verse that constant flow of thoughts towards the lotus feet of God >is bhakti. It is constant contemplation and meditation. If it done >saguNa brahman (like shiva) then it well known as bhakti. The same >thing if done towards aatman then it also bhakti but called as jnaana >maarga. Former is easier than latter. Also former will lead to latter >as we often say " aasaavaadityo brahma, brahmaiva satyam, >brahmaivaahamasmi". > >Even definition like bhakti is love (parama prema svaruupa) is not >different from this. Why? What is love? Consider a mundane case when a >person is in love with a girl. What does he do? No matter what he is >doing, he is thinking about that girl in the back of his mind. It is a >constant flow of desires, longings, good feelings toward her. Same >things happens in bhakti. Instead of fleeting infatuation of a normal >lover, a bhakta loves God in an everlasting manner which culminates in >their union or identification. > >IMHO the verse in shivaanandalaharii is the _best_, and unambiguous >definition of bhakti. Also identifying bhakti with nididhyaasana >connects it easily with jnaana. > >-- >sharaNaagata raxakii nivEyani > sadaa ninnu nammiti miinaaxii Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! >http://photos. > >------ >Accurate impartial advice on everything from laptops to table saws. >http://click./1/4634/5/_/489436/_/961003814/ >------ > >Discussion of the True Meaning of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy >focusing on non-duality between mind and matter. Searchable List Archives >are available at: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/ To >from the list, send Email to <advaitin- > For other >contact, Email to <advaitins > K. Sadananda Code 6323 Naval Research Laboratory Washington D.C. 20375 Voice (202)767-2117 Fax:(202)767-2623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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