Guest guest Posted December 9, 2000 Report Share Posted December 9, 2000 Question put to Bhagavan ,"In the lives of western mystics we find marked three periods of purgation, illumination and union. Does the purgatory period correspond to the sadhana period of Bhagavan?" Bhagavan : "I know no such period. I never performed pranayama or japa. I know no mantras. Even when I came to hear of such things later, I was never attracted by them. Even now my mind refuses to pay attention to them. Sadhana implies an object to be gained and the means of gaining it. What is there to be gained which we do not already possess? There was a time when I used to remain with my eyes closed. That does not mean I was practising any sadhana then. Even now I sometimes remain with my eyes closed. If people choose to say, Iam doing sadhana at that moment, let them say so. People seem to think that practising som elaborate sadhana, the Self would some day descend on them as something very big called Sakshatkaram. The Self is Sakshat all right. But there is no karam or kritm about it. The word karam imples one's doing something. But the Self is realized not by one's doing something but by one's refraining from doing something, by remaining still and being simply what one really is. " Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2000 Report Share Posted December 11, 2000 > >Bhagavan : "I know no such period. I never performed >pranayama or japa. I know no mantras. Even when I came >to hear of such things later, I was never attracted by >them. Even now my mind refuses to pay attention to >them. Sadhana implies an object to be gained and the >means of gaining it. What is there to be gained which >we do not already possess? >There was a time when I used to remain with my eyes >closed. That does not mean I was practising any >sadhana then. Even now I sometimes remain with my eyes >closed. If people choose to say, Iam doing sadhana at >that moment, let them say so. People seem to think >that practising som elaborate sadhana, the Self would >some day descend on them as something very big called >Sakshatkaram. The Self is Sakshat all right. But there >is no karam or kritm about it. The word karam imples >one's doing something. But the Self is realized not by >one's doing something but by one's refraining from >doing something, by remaining still and being simply >what one really is. " Shree Ananda Natarajan, Thanks for this post. Bhagavaan always provides a simple yet profound answers from that absolute state of understanding. It is refreshing to read Bhagavaan's answers. There is nothing to gain, nothing to become - but realizing what you already are. Bhagavan is very fulfulment of the Vedanta teaching as expounded by Advaita, particularly when there is confusing and sometime contradictory interpretations of the same Sruties. His life itself is a profound teaching. Hari Om! Sadananda -- 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...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2000 Report Share Posted December 11, 2000 >Bhagavan : "I know no such period. I never performed >pranayama or japa. I know no mantras. Even when I came >to hear of such things later, I was never attracted by >them. Even now my mind refuses to pay attention to >them. Sadhana implies an object to be gained and the >means of gaining it. What is there to be gained which >we do not already possess? >There was a time when I used to remain with my eyes >closed. That does not mean I was practising any >sadhana then. Even now I sometimes remain with my eyes >closed. If people choose to say, Iam doing sadhana at >that moment, let them say so. People seem to think >that practising som elaborate sadhana, the Self would >some day descend on them as something very big called >Sakshatkaram. The Self is Sakshat all right. But there >is no karam or kritm about it. The word karam imples >one's doing something. But the Self is realized not by >one's doing something but by one's refraining from >doing something, by remaining still and being simply >what one really is. " The truth of this is yet to be fully recognized. Truth/Brahman is not something which is totally apart from you - something fantastic which bursts upon you on enlightenment - something ecstastic which lifts you up to the realm of gods. It is basically our imagination which tries to make something fantastic out of it - because we need it to be fantastic/worthy to give up our normal lives, which we think is pleasurable. Brahman is always a part of you even in your day to day life, every second. That's why Nagarjuna and Shankara say that Reality is to be experienced - here and now. Just go and sit in a corner and try to be yourself. When I say yourself - I mean to be yourself alone without being bothered by thoughts, desires etc Just try to be calm with full cognition of yourself. You will find that you cannot even maintain such a position for two seconds. Your thoughts will fly - desires will spring upon you - you'll have an immense urge to get up and do something. (those who debate on issues like freewill, can try this exercise and decide for yourselves). It is basically this urge to "be something" - "becoming" which prevents you from being yourself. "the seers searched inside their hearts and found *desire* to be the bond between Being and Becoming". Desire is karma - every action has an underlying desire. Karma is a very natural part of our being. A normal person cannot be without thoughts/acting for even a single second. And this is what prevents one from being himself/herself. So liberation is not anything fantastic that gives greater pleasure than our pleasurable lives. But that our life of karma - samsara - which we consider pleasurable, is actually fraught with suffering. Man is like a puppet dangling on the rope of karma who's not really aware of the extent of suffering that he's experiencing in his life. With an ascent in awareness, the world of suffering becomes clearer. With increasing clarity about samsara, there's greater desire to be apart from it by being oneself (mumukshutvam). So Enlightenment is nothing but being awake to this suffering and transcending it by abiding in one's own self. To be above the life of suffering - samsara - itself is bliss. One can realize the value of this bliss, only when one realizes (not intellectually understands) the true nature of samsara. ______________________________\ _____ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.