Guest guest Posted March 7, 2001 Report Share Posted March 7, 2001 > "Shawn Rowland" <r_s_rowland > Namaste... > > Namaste fellows, > > I have just joined the list, but I have perusing through the past > posts and I have studied Sanatana Dharma itself off and on for around > 3 years I think. My name is Shawn, I am from the U.S. and most of > the wisdom I find relevant to my life in my spiritual studies of > Hinduism usually comes from Gurudeva and his work with Hinduism Today > and the Saiva Siddhanta Church. To go along with some of the past > posts though...in reference to our true nature. If our true nature > is oneness with Brahman...and we are not our emotions, or mind...then > what is the point to being here and experiencing what we do? Even > more sensitive for some...what about our relationships? Do general, > everyday Hindu House-holders not believe...or not wish to spend their > spiritual eternity in Love with the person who is their Twin-Flame? > Or do Hindus not believe in the various sorts of soul-mates? > Thanks for the time. > > > In Respect, > -Shawn > ========reply from Vivekananda Centre============ Grand question Shawn.... The question can be taken to the extreme and rephrased:- Why this universe? Why all of this? Is something missing or are there unfulfilled desires of some higher being or individuals that produce all this? The questions can be answered in Hinduism in two ways. The Dvaita and the Advaita replies. Dvaita:- By those who like to think of the Ultimate Reality as a Personal God the reply is: -- All this is mere play (leela) of the Lord. Play is for the sake of play (it is just fun) - nothing has to be achieved there is no grand plan unfolding. The Lord is not trying to achieve anything or is with unfulfilled desires. He is just mucking about! (If you tell someone who is going through immense suffering that all this is mere play - he may hit you! So take care) By those who believe in Advaita the reply is:- All this - including the question being asked - all belong to the sphere of Maya (ie.something that is classified as neither real nor unreal) and as the basis of Maya is neither real nor unreal - the question cannot be considered to be that valid (or invalid). It is like someone in a delirious state - seeing and experiencing something that is not quite true - it will be very difficult to convince him that his concerns are not that relevant. The sceptics will say this is sheer 'escapism' Only those who have experienced 'Advaita' know that this is not escapism. They will say the state that we live in is really 'escapism'. We are not seeing clearly and deluding ourselves with a mind, body, family, relationships etc... jay Vivekananda Centre London Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2001 Report Share Posted March 8, 2001 08012001 Hello Shawn >If our true nature > is oneness with Brahman...and we are not our emotions, or >mind...then > what is the point to being here and experiencing what we do? See, here we say that real nature of Human body is to be with Brahman and to know the Brahman fully & correctly and on the other hand we undergo the trap of thinking futility of the word around. In the process of evolution Human Body is the ultimate form of life. Life has basically two fold existence 1)Physical Frame(Body or Shareeram) and 2)Jivatma (Soul).Together only they can reach to Brahman. They are mutually inclusive when we are alive. The span for which Jivatma holds a physical frame is experienced by the physical frame as Life. In one Life span physical frame acquires lots of cultivations in terms of actions time to time. The Physical Frame has to follow the rules for survival. The Jivatma guides Physical Frame in aquiring the better conditions for livehood. In doing so some other component also play important role in a life . Such as Mind and Intellect. Mind and Body go together. A good physical body usually will have good mind. But together these two act with the help of Intellect. As Mind is a derivative of Body ,Intellect is the derivative of Jivatma or Soul. Intellect requires Knowledge. Ultimate knowledge is of Brahman. This can only be the goal of Intellect. When we try to get it we nurture Jivatma to get more elevated state. So at the time when Our Jivatma would leave our Physical Body if it is in elevated state than what it was when it entered in our Body then there is a chance that ultimatly a stage will arrive when our Jivatma may not require to find a new suitable body. That state is what we call as oneness with Brahman or Moksha. So we have to make our Jivatma to reach to the Moksha state. That is why it is not proper to say that "what is the point to being here and experiencing what we do". We have to work hard rahter than deject very aspect of the Life.This is Human Dharma. >Even > more sensitive for some...what about our relationships? Do general, > everyday Hindu House-holders not believe...or not wish to spend their > spiritual eternity in Love with the person who is their Twin-Flame? > Or do Hindus not believe in the various sorts of soul-mates? Relationships are the products of the Mind verses Mind. We say that R= M1 X M2 where we call R as relationship and M1 and M2 are two sets of disticnt minds. Attachements are there with the Mind only. When Our Mind is involved in more such product equation then it has more to work. The unit of relationship is Bondage that is measured in relative fashion. Some times even one R is sufficient to have a deep Bondage. We divide up this Bondage by Intellect for which Knowledge is a must. So a Human Body will always be united with Mind that multiplies with Mind of other Body to form Relationship.This creates attachement and Bondage that is also called as Moha,Swartha or Kamana,Iichha or Greed or Desire. This happens naturally. Being a Body makes it to happen. So Hindus are no exceptions to it. Hindus also experience same Human Bondage. But very few realize to break this attached feeling. Gita and Upanisidhas talk in much detailed and lucid fashion on this topic.Since Hindus realized about the applying Intellect to break up the Bondage and that way elevate the Jivatma(Soul) they have more relationship names than most of the other Human Societies. So essence is to follow the principles of the Physical Frame and Jivatma you have. Try to utilize it as much as possible to attain the ultimate Truth. Once we start doing that then only we shall see the Advait and Dvait. Before going into the intracities of these two words try to appriciate the existence of every Human Being in correct spirit. Thanks a Lot for Time and Space. Prabodh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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