Guest guest Posted May 9, 2001 Report Share Posted May 9, 2001 What's tougher than winning at Las Vegas? If you’ve played the coin slot machines or card games or table games such as crap or anything else in the casinos, you know how hard it is to win against the ‘House’. Beginner’s luck may fetch you handsome returns early on but you always end up losing over a long period of time. That’s why the pros have coined words like ‘Don’t bet against the House’, ‘Odds are always stacked against the individual gambler’, ‘House always wins’ to caution amateurs against taking huge bets in the gambling casinos of Las Vegas, Reno or wherever. If you start to wonder, ‘What the heck is this guy doing talking about gambling casinos in a forum on Advaita?’, please read on. Recently, I have been attending a Kathoupanishad class taught by a young brahmachari at the local Balvihar and one of the mantras struck a chord in me. I am referring to the first mantra in the fourth valli: >> paraaJNchi khaani vyatR^iNat.h svayambhuu\- stasmaatparaaN^pashyati naantaraatman.h . Death (Lord Yama) said: 'The Self-existent pierced the openings (of the senses) so that they turn outward: therefore man looks forward, not inward into himself. >> No wonder it is difficult to for us to turn the mind inward because as even the sruti says, the odds are stacked against us!. By making the senses naturally flow outwards, the 'House' has made it difficult for us to turn inward. To win against such odds, you need God’s and Guru’s grace. With chitta suddhi, the mind reverse its natural outward flow and starts to look inside. >> kashchiddhiiraH pratyagaatmaanamaiksha\- daavR^ittachakshuramR^itatvamichchhan.h .... Some wise man, however, with his eyes closed and wishing for immortality, saw the Self inside! >> Sundar Rajan _______________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2001 Report Share Posted May 10, 2001 On Wed, 9 May 2001, Sundar Rajan wrote: > [...] > > Recently, I have been attending a Kathoupanishad class taught by a young > brahmachari at the local Balvihar and one of the mantras struck a chord in > me. > > I am referring to the first mantra in the fourth valli: > > >> > paraaJNchi khaani vyatR^iNat.h svayambhuu\- > stasmaatparaaN^pashyati naantaraatman.h . > > Death (Lord Yama) said: 'The Self-existent pierced the openings (of the > senses) so that they turn outward: therefore man looks forward, not inward > into himself. > >> > > No wonder it is difficult to for us to turn the mind inward because as even > the sruti says, the odds are stacked against us!. By making the senses > naturally flow outwards, the 'House' has made it difficult for us to turn > inward. > > To win against such odds, you need God’s and Guru’s grace. With chitta > suddhi, the mind reverse its natural outward flow and starts to look inside. > > >> > kashchiddhiiraH pratyagaatmaanamaiksha\- > daavR^ittachakshuramR^itatvamichchhan.h .... > > Some wise man, however, with his eyes closed and wishing for immortality, > saw the Self inside! > > namaste. I give below shri shankara's commentary on this verse (translation is by shri swami Ranganathanandaji) "... Even though people are of this nature, yet, like (the technique of) making some rivers flow in the opposite direction, the dhIra, the one endowed with intelligence, with discrimination, realizes the inner SELF by becoming Avr^ittacakshu; one who completely turns away all his sense-organs like eyes, ears, etc from all sense-objects is Avr^ittacakshu. Thus becoming purified, he realizes the inner SELF. It is, verily, not possible for one and the same person to be absorbed in the thought of external-sense objects and realize the inner SELF." "For what purpose, then, does the dhIra, restraining thus with enormous effort his natural propensities, realize the inner SELF? The answer is: desirous of immortality (amr^itatvam icchan), deathlessness, which is one's own eternal nature...." I think this verse is significant in many ways. One is undedrstanding Avr^ittacakshu and the other is the term dhIra. (shri Sundarrajanji seems to have translated Avr^ittacakshu "as eyes closed" in the above referred post. Although meaning-wise it is correct, I think it should be "eyes (i.e. all the sense organs and the mind) turned away from their natural tendency or turned inward. I will be grateful for any correction in my understanding). The technique that is suggested here by Lord Yama (the teacher) and used by this dhIra is quite unique and very difficult. Lord Yama says the one who wants to experience the inner SELF and pierce through the depth of mystery of SELF has to turn the energies INWARD. The sense organs are created with the DEFECT of an out-going disposition. The dhIra has to turn them inward and realize the inner SELF. According to shri shankara, this task is equivalent in difficulty to turning back the downward course of a swift river. And, this can only be done by a kashcit dhIraH (a certain wise man). I hope the members would reflect on the great effort involved in Avr^ittacakshu (turning away or inward of the sense organs and the mind), and also on what is a dhIra and express their understanding. > > Sundar Rajan > Regards Gummuluru Murthy ------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2001 Report Share Posted May 12, 2001 > "... Even though people are of this nature, yet, like (the technique > of) making some rivers flow in the opposite direction, the dhIra, > the one endowed with intelligence, with discrimination, realizes > the inner SELF by becoming Avr^ittacakshu; one who completely > turns away all his sense-organs like eyes, ears, etc from all > sense-objects is Avr^ittacakshu. Thus becoming purified, he realizes > the inner SELF. It is, verily, not possible for one and the same > person to be absorbed in the thought of external-sense objects and > realize the inner SELF." > Thanks Sri Murthyji for posting Sankara's commentary and clarifying the terms. In this context (of turning the mind inward), I think the following verse from Bhagavad Gita is relevant: shanaiH shanairuparamed.h bud.hdhyaa dhR^itigR^ihiitayaa . aatmasa.nsthaM manaH kR^itvaa na ki.nchidapi chintayet.h .. 6.25.. One should gradually withdraw with the intellect endued with firmness; making the mind established in the Atman, one should not think of anything. Interestingly, Adi Sankara has concluded his commentary on the above verse by writing this is the HIGHEST instruction about Yoga. > The sense > organs are created with the DEFECT of an out-going disposition. The > dhIra has to turn them inward and realize the inner SELF. According > to shri shankara, this task is equivalent in difficulty to turning > back the downward course of a swift river. And, this can only be > done by a kashcit dhIraH (a certain wise man). > Here is a quote from Talks with Ramana Mahisrishi http://www.ramana-maharshi.org/talks.htm which explains when and how the mind may turn inward: ============ Quote ================================================== 20th June, 1936 213. Mr. B. C. Das asked why the mind cannot be turned inward in spite of repeated attempts. M.: It is done by practice and dispassion and that succeeds only gradually. The mind, having been so long a cow accustomed to graze stealthily on others' estates, is not easily confined to her stall. However much her keeper tempts her with luscious grass and fine fodder, she refuses the first time; then she takes a bit; but her innate tendency to stray away asserts itself; and she slips away; on being repeatedly tempted by the owner, she accustoms herself to the stall; finally even if let loose she would not stray away. Similarly with the mind. If once it finds its inner happiness it will not wander outward. ================== Quote ends ===================================== Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Swamigal's (Parameshti Acharyal of Sringeri) quote from the book "Golden Words" about the joy in the path is also relevant here: "Once you experience the bliss of God, you will realize that time is not something to be merely spent in worldly pursuits, but has to be intensively lived in the pursuit and enjoyment of the bliss of God. Then there will be no more room for pessimistic thoughts nor will life seem a blank with no purpose to serve" regards Sundar Rajan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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