Guest guest Posted July 17, 2001 Report Share Posted July 17, 2001 Reading through Swami Ashokananda's "How to cultivate love for God" I came across a very lateral presentation of the traditional pathways... Jnana Marg "Jnana Yoga - the path of knowledge, the philosophical path. There, also, analysis is called for, not exclusively of the mind but of all the reality that is presented to oneself. By such analysis, all erroneous ideas about reality are given up, and there remains only the true idea. And when this true idea has been most clearly defined, it becomes an experience. You, see, when thinking, or thought, becomes very intense, it becomes tinged with emotion, and very soon it bring us to an actual experience of reality; it does not remain merely conceptual. That is the path of knowledge, the philosophical path." Commentary: Look at the wordings "When the thought becomes very intense - it becomes an experience...." Such usage can only come from one who is Self realised. None else can speak in such a manner.. The lesser exponent will fall back on standard rhetoric..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2001 Report Share Posted July 17, 2001 Vivekananda Centre [vivekananda] Tuesday, July 17, 2001 2:55 PM list; Self Knowledge List Jnana Marg Reading through Swami Ashokananda's "How to cultivate love for God" I came across a very lateral presentation of the traditional pathways... Jnana Marg "Jnana Yoga - the path of knowledge, the philosophical path. There, also, analysis is called for, not exclusively of the mind but of all the reality that is presented to oneself. By such analysis, all erroneous ideas about reality are given up, and there remains only the true idea. And when this true idea has been most clearly defined, it becomes an experience. You, see, when thinking, or thought, becomes very intense, it becomes tinged with emotion, and very soon it bring us to an actual experience of reality; it does not remain merely conceptual. That is the path of knowledge, the philosophical path." Commentary: Look at the wordings "When the thought becomes very intense - it becomes an experience...." Such usage can only come from one who is Self realised. None else can speak in such a manner.. The lesser exponent will fall back on standard rhetoric..... ************************** The analysis Swami Ashokananda offers is preliminary to serious meditation and enquiry. Thoughts are an experience whether intense or not. The notion of "intensity" itself requires a criteria by which intensity can be judged. This criteria is also in the conceptual realm. All ideas of reality (intense or not) depend on the mind only. Therefore giving up speculation about perceived reality, one should focus directly on perceiver. This is the direct path and leads to Jnana. Self Realization transcends thoughts and concepts totally and utterly, revealing Absolute Beauty of the Self which is devoid of all things and manifests as the Self-Radiance free of any support. The ancients called it Sat-Chit-Ananda-Nityam-Poornum for a reason. A person who knows the Self Knows that thought cannot reach it no matter how intense and subtle. All notions of a "true ideafalse idea" die and vanish like a phantom before Self-Knowledge manifests. Self is neither an experience nor that which arises from experience. It is neither the center nor the circumference. Although it is simple and obvious to the sage, it has no point of reference. This is why Advaita Vedanta beautifully applies the Neti, Neti, method and goes no further. Love to all Harsha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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