Yama

[Guest guest]

Wondeful, Michael!

 

Yes. To this day and unendingly hereafter, Death will remain the

best Guru for the enquiring mind. Kathopanishad has great symbolic

significance and you have strived your best to delve into its secrets.

 

You said: "For his third boon Naciketa asks When a person dies

there exists this doubt: "He still exists," say some; "he does

not," Say others. I want you to teach me the truth. This is my

third boon. (I.i.20)".

 

This question could have been answered by Nachikatas himself if he

had put it slightly differently, thus: "The world will still exist

after my death", say some; "The world will not", no one says! (If

the world exists, then I should remain!)

 

You also stated: "This would symbolise the most authentic response

to Death, an inquiry into the nature of the post mortem state."

 

Very amusing indeed! Well, "mortem" has been proved false. Then

where is the "post" and where can then exist a "state"? In one

stroke, the teenager put Death and all the so-called moribund to

death. Kathopanishad is verily the undoing of the Guru in the hands

of the disciple. It is the story of Death's self-realization!

 

Thanks for the wonderful post.

 

Regards.

 

Madathil Nair

 

 

 

advaitin, "svahauk <ombhurbhuva@h...>"

[Guest guest]

Namaskar Sri Michael,

 

I think you are quite right. Death is one of the driving forces behind spiritual

quest. Man does not understand it and gets frightened that everything he stood

for, goes off in a moment. He is scared to think even a moment about it.

 

I think all the religious practises are all just means to strengthen the mind to

face death. Only by dying can a man realise the truth : ' That 'I' never was

born'. Sri Ramana Maharishi frequently says to people asking him about death to

inquire into themselves if they were born in the first place.

 

The culmination of all yogas are said to finally end in Samadhi, the timeless

spritual state. But it should cross death first, death of these thoughts.

 

Om Tat Sat

 

Guru Venkat

 

**********************************************

 

Hello All, A reflection on Katha Upanisad:

 

 

"When you seriously question your death and live in its presence this places

you in the present as the action of the gunas is suspended under the glare of

that basilisk. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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