Spiritual Quest; an anthology of World Scriptures

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

In the current atmosphere of the spiritual crisis of humanity,

a reading of this anthology may serve a useful purpose:

 

http://www.unification.net/ws/

 

 

Regards,

 

sunder

[Guest guest]

> a reading of this anthology may serve a useful

> purpose:

>

> http://www.unification.net/ws/

>

Namste Sunder,

Thank you for referring us to this site which will be

of great use in the Interfaith groups that I was able

to set up here some years ago.

These groups were initiated by the perceived need to

address the growing tensions between our major

religions world wide. When I attempt to contribute to

these threads I am using personal experience and have

just returned from Ireland. You may well have seen

pictures on your televisions recently, from Ireland,

of young children being stoned and verbally abused by

adults as they tried to enter their school..this being

allegedly a Catholic/ Protestant conflict. Really it

is a manifestation of deep-seated frustration, anger

and hatred founded upon a dualistic vision of the

world and these violent actions are funded from many

countries, including the Irish community in

Boston,USA.

We know of small groups working and meditating in

Ireland and they have been using the following words

of Bhishma, as he lay dying, on the battlefield of

Kurukshetra:

'He enjoys happiness who practises abstention from

injuring others; who practises truthfulness of speech;

who practises honesty to all creatures; who practises

forgiveness; and who is never careless.'

I thought of this when others have referred to ahimsa

recently. Also, having seen the recent contribution of

a poem from Rumi and another on the 'traceless path'

may I offer the following. I use it here in the

advaitan context of this discussion group and hope

that you all may find it of help. Rumi is describing

the fullness of renunciation and the dissolution of

the ahankara:

'What is to be done, O Moslems?

For I do not recognise myself.

I am neither Christian, nor Jew,

Nor jabr, nor Moslem.

I am not of the East,

Nor of the West, nor of the land,

Nor of the sea.

I am not of nature's mint,

Nor of the circling heavens.

I am not of earth, nor of water,

nor air, nor of fire.

I am not of the empyrean, nor of the dust,

Nor of existence, nor of entity.

I am not of India, nor of China,

Nor Bulgaria, nor Saqain.

I am not of the kingdom of 'Iraqain,

Nor of the country of Khorasan.

I am not of this world, nor of the next,

nor of paradise, nor of hell.

I am not of Adam, nor of Eve,

nor of Eden and Rizwan.

My place is the Placeless,

My Trace is the Traceless;

'Tis neither body nor soul,

For I belong to the soul of the Beloved.

I have put duality away, I have seen

That the two worlds are one;

One I seek, One I know,

One I see, One I call.

He is the first, He is the last,

He is the outward, He is the inward.'

 

If we understand this, how can we see 'another', how

can we hurt 'another' without seeing that which we

are, and coming out of that which we are not? May we

all strive for this vision which can only be revealed

of Itself, in Itself through the flowering of grace.

Peace and Happiness

 

Ken

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Namaste Sri Ken:

 

Thanks for sharing an excellent array of thoughtful insights. Let me

share this beautiful message of Mother Theresa once again which is

quite appropriate for the current situation:

 

=====================

In a Calcutta India Children's Home founded by Mother Theresa hangs

this sign:

 

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people willl accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do it anyway.

If you're successful, you win false friends & true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good will you will do will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do Good Anyway.

Honesty & frankness will make you vulnerable.

Be honest & frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you help them.

Help anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you've got anyway!

==============================

 

Her message above demonstrates without an iota of doubt that Mother

Theresa fully understood the true meaning of Karma Yoga as spelled out

in Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 47:

" Our right is to conduct the duties assigned to us to the fullest

ability; we should accept all outcomes with equanimity; and we have no

choice other than this!

 

warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

advaitin, ken knight <hilken_98@Y...> wrote:

>

> If we understand this, how can we see 'another', how

> can we hurt 'another' without seeing that which we

> are, and coming out of that which we are not? May we

> all strive for this vision which can only be revealed

> of Itself, in Itself through the flowering of grace.

> Peace and Happiness

>

> Ken

[Guest guest]

Dear Ken,

 

Thanks for your wonderful quote from Rumi.

 

Rumi's quote seems so identical to the neti ... neti of the Hindu

scriptures.

 

Isn't it true ...if a human being graduates to certain level of spirituality

.... whatever religeon he is from ... he can see beyond and through the many

differentiators in this world... name, skin color, religeous practices,

etc... and he can then grasp the one-ness that all the saints from all

traditions speak of.

 

May The One bless us all with enough sense not to hurt one another.

May The One bless us all with the will to study and meditate diligently.

May The One bless us all with that vision of one-ness.

 

Ram

 

>

> ken knight [sMTP:hilken_98]

> Sunday, September 16, 2001 6:12 AM

> advaitin

> Re: Spiritual Quest; an anthology of World

> Scriptures

>

Rumi :

> 'What is to be done, O Moslems?

> For I do not recognise myself.

> I am neither Christian, nor Jew,

> Nor jabr, nor Moslem.

> I am not of the East,

> Nor of the West, nor of the land,

> Nor of the sea.

> I am not of nature's mint,

> Nor of the circling heavens.

> I am not of earth, nor of water,

> nor air, nor of fire.

> I am not of the empyrean, nor of the dust,

> Nor of existence, nor of entity.

> I am not of India, nor of China,

> Nor Bulgaria, nor Saqain.

> I am not of the kingdom of 'Iraqain,

> Nor of the country of Khorasan.

> I am not of this world, nor of the next,

> nor of paradise, nor of hell.

> I am not of Adam, nor of Eve,

> nor of Eden and Rizwan.

> My place is the Placeless,

> My Trace is the Traceless;

> 'Tis neither body nor soul,

> For I belong to the soul of the Beloved.

> I have put duality away, I have seen

> That the two worlds are one;

> One I seek, One I know,

> One I see, One I call.

> He is the first, He is the last,

> He is the outward, He is the inward.'

>

> Ken

>

>

>

> Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?

> Donate cash, emergency relief information

> http://dailynews./fc/US/Emergency_Information/

>

>

> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

> Atman and Brahman.

> Advaitin List Archives available at:

> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

> Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

[Guest guest]

--- "Thommandra, Rama K." <Rama.Thommandra

wrote:

Namaste Ram,

I did not complete the poem of Rumi. He continues

with an ecstatic expression of joy...the poem will be

found in most of the anthologies of Rumi's work.

Last year I gave a couple of talks on the concepts of

Brahman and Self in Shankara and Rumi and referred to

the 'Neti Neti' practice in those sessions. This is

known as the Via Negativa in the western tradition and

is set, sometimes, against the Way of Affirmation. I

am sure that I may have made the comment on this site

before but I think that we need to apply both ways.

'Neti Neti' is the spiritual discipline which members

of this site are using to bring sattva into the

rajasic imbalance of the initial contributions

following last week's horror.

I am sure that this will allow us to move from the

world of Shankara's delusory snake to the illusory

rope with its temporary existence. Then if we continue

the practice we will clear the buddhi for a reflection

of the ropeness of all ropes to bring insight. But

can 'neti, neti' go further? I feel that there comes

a point when there is an ecstatic rushing outwards

expressed by removing the negative 'na' and saying

'iti, iti'; 'This, This.'

I base this reasoning on the Isha Upanishad's 'Perfect

Prayer':'This is perfect, that is perfect. Perfect

comes from perfect. Take perfect from perfect and the

remainder is perfect'.

That which is, tat tvam asi, is the whole, full,

perfect fullness of the Lord and when we are enabled

to affirm that then arises the ecstatic joy which

causes Rumi to begin to dance and speak his poetry.

In this dance arise compassion and service because the

ego, ahankara, is dissolved. All that is left are the

highest qualities of Saguna Brahman and, maybe, these

lead to Nirguna Brahman but that is another

discussion.

For the moment I am just trying to present the 'neti,

neti' path as being correct but at the same time I am

aware that it may have little force to those on the

way of action who are selflessly giving so much to

attempt rescues. 'Everything is full of the Lord' is

an affirmation that is revealed to the mystics and

their words are our guides,

Om sri ram jai jai ram,

Ken

 

 

Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?

Donate cash, emergency relief information

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[Guest guest]

Namaste Ken,

 

Thanks for the explanation of neti...neti and iti...iti.

 

I agree that the rescuers must be seeing the iti..iti principle rather than

the neti...neti principle.

 

Thanks and Regards.

 

Ram

 

>

> ken knight [sMTP:hilken_98]

> Monday, September 17, 2001 5:28 PM

> advaitin

> RE: Spiritual Quest; an anthology of World

> Scriptures

>

>

> --- "Thommandra, Rama K." <Rama.Thommandra

> wrote:

> Namaste Ram,

> I did not complete the poem of Rumi. He continues

> with an ecstatic expression of joy...the poem will be

> found in most of the anthologies of Rumi's work.

> Last year I gave a couple of talks on the concepts of

> Brahman and Self in Shankara and Rumi and referred to

> the 'Neti Neti' practice in those sessions. This is

> known as the Via Negativa in the western tradition and

> is set, sometimes, against the Way of Affirmation. I

> am sure that I may have made the comment on this site

> before but I think that we need to apply both ways.

> 'Neti Neti' is the spiritual discipline which members

> of this site are using to bring sattva into the

> rajasic imbalance of the initial contributions

> following last week's horror.

> I am sure that this will allow us to move from the

> world of Shankara's delusory snake to the illusory

> rope with its temporary existence. Then if we continue

> the practice we will clear the buddhi for a reflection

> of the ropeness of all ropes to bring insight. But

> can 'neti, neti' go further? I feel that there comes

> a point when there is an ecstatic rushing outwards

> expressed by removing the negative 'na' and saying

> 'iti, iti'; 'This, This.'

> I base this reasoning on the Isha Upanishad's 'Perfect

> Prayer':'This is perfect, that is perfect. Perfect

> comes from perfect. Take perfect from perfect and the

> remainder is perfect'.

> That which is, tat tvam asi, is the whole, full,

> perfect fullness of the Lord and when we are enabled

> to affirm that then arises the ecstatic joy which

> causes Rumi to begin to dance and speak his poetry.

> In this dance arise compassion and service because the

> ego, ahankara, is dissolved. All that is left are the

> highest qualities of Saguna Brahman and, maybe, these

> lead to Nirguna Brahman but that is another

> discussion.

> For the moment I am just trying to present the 'neti,

> neti' path as being correct but at the same time I am

> aware that it may have little force to those on the

> way of action who are selflessly giving so much to

> attempt rescues. 'Everything is full of the Lord' is

> an affirmation that is revealed to the mystics and

> their words are our guides,

> Om sri ram jai jai ram,

> Ken

>

>

> Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?

> Donate cash, emergency relief information

> http://dailynews./fc/US/Emergency_Information/

>

>

> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

> Atman and Brahman.

> Advaitin List Archives available at:

> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

> Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>