Practical methods for the spiritual ascent. - dhrti

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Madathil Rajendran Nair" <madathilnair>

wrote:

> Namaste all.

>

> Interesting, Sunder Rajan-Ji.

>

> It is our involvement and interest that matter, which are linked

to

> our vision of advaita that results from an intellectual conviction

on

> scriptural statements, gained through unceasing contemplation

> (vichAra).

> Thus, a strong intellectual conviction is an important pre-

requisite

> for interest to take place.

> Pranams.

>

Good point, Nair-ji. Intellectual conviction (dhrti) is a very

important pre-requisite. In fact, it is doubtful that any meditator

can practice meditation day after day without such a conviction born

out of scriptural study and the words of the Guru.

 

Lord Krishna mentions this intellectual conviction in this famous

Gita verse (6.25):

Sanair-sanair uparamed

buddhya dhrti-grhitaya

atma-samstham manah krtva

na kincid api cintayet

 

sanaih sanaih, gradually, not suddenly;-with what?-buddhya, with the

intellect;- possessed of what distinction?-dhrti-grhitaya, endowed

with steadiness, i.e. with fortitude. Krtva, making manah, the mind;

atma-samstham, fixed in the Self, with the idea, 'The Self alone is

all; there is nothing apart from It'-thus fixing the mind on the

Self; na cintayet, one should not think of; kincit api, anything

whatsoever.

 

Adi Sankara says this is the highest instruction about Yoga.

 

However note that my earlier posting was about practical steps in a

short, quick note..

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

Immense thanks Prof. Krishnamurthy-ji and Sunder Rajan-ji for your

sharing my views.

 

I thought I missed out on something when I typed my post on the

keyboard in a hurry.

 

I am referring to the father and his possessiveness for his

daughter. The first step is that he rises to a level wherefrom he

sees all girls as his own daughters. He can then progress still

further whereupon he sees the whole of creation, from the king to the

cockroach (That is the insect for which I have a nascent fear!), as

his own progeny. And that is ectasy, Sir. Kaupeenavanta khalu

bhAgyavanta as Sankara put it. One then feels like rolling in

ecstasy under the banyan tree and elsewhere!

 

I have seen the personification of such ecstasy with my own eyes in

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi - my Mother, who sees Herself as the Mother

of all creation. She makes me convinced that I can also be a

bhAgyavanta if not literally kaupeenavanta, if I strive!

 

The other point I missed out is the importance of this electronic

satsang. We used to have satsang where we sat together and aired out

our views. We often didn't have time to compose our views and had to

be extemporaneous perforce . Electronic satsangh in contrast gives

us an opportunity to ruminate and be precise in the selectoin of our

words. What better contemplation can an advaitin look for.

 

Personally, I am very happy I joined this list. Since I entered in

January this year, I have posted almost three hundred messages. That

is hell of a lot of words. You may call it ballooney. It doesn't

matter. In the process, I have thought a lot about the issues written

about more than I could have during routine meditation. So, writing

posts is a modern meditation technique which aids vichAra on

scriptural truths. Those who are silent on this List! Please,

therefore, rise, think and put your thoughts into words so that we

have a great cacophony that sings out the truth of advaita.

 

Pranams.

 

Madathil Nair