OM

[Guest guest]

OM

 

Press Release from The Divine Life Society

 

His Holiness Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj of Sivananda Ashram,

Rishikesh, who was one of the foremost disciples of Sri Swami

Sivanandaji Maharaj of Rishikesh, passed away and attained Samadhi

today, Friday, the 23rd of November, 2001 at 4:30pm at Sivananda

Ashram. He had served as the General Secretary of the Divine Life

Society founded by Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj for more than

forty years. He was a well-known Sannyasi all over Uttarakhand as

one of the greatest Tapaswins, a great Virakta and Vairagi

Sannyasi. He was one of the greatest living philosophers of the

world after Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishna, and had a great mastery

over both Indian and Western philosophy. His mortal body has been

kept for the last view of His innumerable devotees and will be

given Samadhi on Sunday, the 25th of November, 2001 in the forenoon.

 

--The Divine Life Society

 

OM

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

The world community will miss the direct untiring and unselfish

service of Pujyaswami Krishnanadaji. However, we can't miss his

presence in this universe and he will be remembered through his books,

video and audio tapes. Swamiji is a great advaitin and has written

numerous books on Vedanta topics including commentaries to major

Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Suutra.

His excellent book: "The Realization of the Absolute" describes his

thorough understanding of the Upanishads. The entire book is available

on-line and so as many of his works. On behalf of the list members I

want to convey our condolences to Divine Life Society.

 

Harih Om!

 

Ram Chandran

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

Here are his concluding remarks at the end of the book: "The whole

theme of the Upanishads is centered in two fundamental conceptions of

Reality,--Brahman and Atman. Both words are often used to mean the

same thing. "This Atman is Brahman" (Mand. Up., 2.). The further

implications of this statement are the different theories of

spiritual philosophy. The philosophy of the main declarations of the

Upanishads, however, consists essentially of the eight conclusions

drawn above. This is the Ultimate Truth, transcending empiricality,

extending beyond the egoism of human nature. The whole process of the

realisation of Truth is, therefore, a sacrifice of the ego, and is a

great pain. Suffering in the process of the experiencing of

Infinitude cannot be abolished for the individual so long as the

individual itself is inconsistent with the Infinite. Hence, the

attempt towards the attainment of the perfectly Real is generally

looked upon with a sense of fear, disgust and even hatred. The human

being is always attached to the immediate concerns of life. He has no

eye to look to the beyond. He is grieved about the past, doubtful

about the future and worried about the present. He is ever diseased

in his spirit due to his violation of the eternal law. He is caught

in the whirl of ignorance, passion and sin, and is constantly dashed

by the huge waves of uncontrollable sorrow. Every moment he finds

himself in a fix. He ceaselessly dies to himself in time, and seems

to recover new sense just then and there. His whole life is a flux of

states,--now destroyed, now renewed. He has no idea of anything

besides himself, anything that is vaster and truer. He is imprisoned

within his fragile body, within his whimsical mind, within his

childish intellect, within his conceited individuality. A shower of

superphysical knowledge upon him seems to be music played before the

deaf. He thinks too highly about himself and, with canine avidity,

licks the pricking bone even with his torn tongue. The Upanishads are

not unaware of the futile attempts of man to grasp the Limitless

Being, and they warn him that it is not to be comprehended through

logic, hut to be heard from the wise one (Katha Up., II. 8, 9).

Reason is meant to strengthen belief in what is heard from reliable

sources, and not to walk unaided. It is an empty pride to think that

one can depend totally on oneself and reach the Eternal. Reason and

faith should go hand in hand if the desired fruit is to be reaped.

That which is agreeable at present does not remain so the next moment,

nor does the disagreeable appear so for ever. The immutable Reality

is unperceived and unfelt, and the apparition seems to give us life,

light and joy. The sole purpose of the Upanishad teaching is to

disentangle man from the chain of Samsara, to show him the way to the

Glorious Light that shines within himself. Man is not a sinful mortal

creature in truth: the Upanishad calls him "son of the

Immortal"--"Amritasya Putra" (Svet. Up., II. 5). But he can know

himself only through sacrificing himself. The highest sacrifice is

the offering of the self to the Absolute. The greatest Yoga is the

sinking of the self into unity with the Absolute, by denying the

separate, and asserting the One." (Source:

http://swami-krishnananda.org/realis/realis_7.html)

 

 

advaitin, kvashisht wrote:

> OM

>

> Press Release from The Divine Life Society

>

> His Holiness Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj of Sivananda Ashram,

> Rishikesh, who was one of the foremost disciples of Sri Swami

> Sivanandaji Maharaj of Rishikesh, passed away and attained Samadhi

> today, Friday, the 23rd of November, 2001 at 4:30pm at Sivananda

> Ashram. .............

>

> --The Divine Life Society