Keeta-bhramara-nyaya .......Bhaisoaham! Sivoham!

[Guest guest]

Final search writes...

 

"You become what you meditate. If you meditate as a deity, you will

become that. If you meditate as a worm, you become that. "

 

Thanx for introducing the keeta-bhramara nyaya (caterpillar-

butterfly logic)," as you contemplate, so you shall be."

 

This thumb rule applies very much to any object of continuous

concentration, be it a mantra-deity, or a butterfly as in the case of

a caterpillar inside a pupa.

 

One day, a wandering sadhu came upon a boy herding buffaloes. He was

hungry, and the boy readily obliged him with some milk. After

drinking to his satisfaction, the sadhu began to feel generous, and

asked the herdsman, 'What would you like? I'm feeling fine, I'll give

it to you.'

 

The boy laughed and said,'I really don't need anything. I do nothing

all day long but herd my buffaloes, and am fully satisfied with that.

Besides, sadhu-maharaj, you came to me as a beggar and I

gave you alms. How can I expect anything from you in

return? I am the giver, not you.'

 

The sadhu was taken aback by the reply, and realised that this was no

ordinary buffalo-herd. But still feeling expansive he

asked, 'What is it that you love most in the world?

'

'Why, this buffalo', the boy replied innocently, 'the

one whose milk you just drank. She is the largest I

have, she gives me 10 gallons of milk everyday, she is

broad and string, so loving and beautiful, I love her

best of all.'

 

'All right', said the sadhu, 'please do one thing. Go sit in that

cave and imagine that you are this buffalo. Think of her, keep her

picture in mind, completely self identify with her, become

her ! As you sit doing all this, repeat to yourself

"Bhaisoham, bhaisoham"(I am a buffalo, I am a buffalo). Don't

worry about a thing, I'll look after your

buffaloes.'

 

The herdsman did exactly as the sadhu said, and after

3 days when the sadhu entered the cave, he found

the boy sitting motionless with his eyes closed,

repeating, "Bhaisoham, bhaisoham".

 

The sadhu said, 'So young man, how have you progressed? Come out

now.'

 

Out came the reply,'Don't call me a young-man! I am a

buffalo. Can't you see that? Look at my broad back! How

can I leave this small cave? My horns are too broad

to go thru the enterance. Now don't be foolish; go

away and leave me alone or I'll gore you and toss you

out with these beautiful horns of mine.'

 

But the sadhu persisted and said, 'Try to remember my boy, I

told you to sit and do this. Now, instead of repeating, "I am a

buffalo", start to identify with Shiva and repeat "Shivoham,

Shivoham"(I am Shiva, I am Shiva).'

 

The herdsman did that, and in about fifteen minutes he was in a deep

trance(samadhi). He realized his goal: The Universal Soul in the form

of Lord Shiva.

 

The sadhu was astonished. Tears came to his eyes and he said to

himself, 'This fellow sits only three and a half days and achieves

and I have wandered around practising without success for so many

years.'

 

Then he had to take that buffalo herd as his guru, and

finally the sadhu also realized.

 

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

This is what happened with Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.

What took his guru thirty years to achieve, shri Ramakrishna achieved

in a few days."

 

This proves that time is not the critereon; if the desire is strong

enough the result must occur without delay. All has to be

forgotten except the name and form of the deity. Hence it

is important to choose a mantra and deity to which

has very strong inherent affinity for, the Guru can

be very helpful here as he can look behind the make

believe world of our imaginations.

 

Both name and form are essential for worship. One part of

the mind takes the shape of an object; that is form.

Another part of the mind identifies and distinguishes it;

that is name.

 

To go directly to the highest form of samadhi is almost impossible.

Even shri Ramakrishna had to worship Mother Bhavatarini for many years

before his consciousness became one-pointed enough to

achieve The Formless, but may be that was just Leela for

all of us ignorants

 

(posted in my group braHman by a dear friend of mine) !

 

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

let me leave you all with this favorite verse from Nirvana shatakam

by our beloved Adi Shankara Bhagvadapada ...

 

Na punyam na paapam na saukhyam na dookham Na mantrau na teertham na

Veda , na Yagnah Aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta

Chidanandaroopah Sivoham Sivoham.

 

I have neither virtue nor vice; nor pleasure nor pain; nor the sacred

chants nor pilgrimage; nor the scriptures nor the sacrificial

rituals.I am neither the act of enjoying,nor the enjoyable object nor

the enjoyer.

 

I AM pure Knoeledge & Bliss, I AM SIVA, the auspiciouness itself.

 

LOVE AND BLESSINGS ON THIS AUSPICIOUS DAY OF DURGASHTAMI!

[Guest guest]

Namaste Adi Ma.

 

I look at it this way. When I look at a mountain, I am the mountain

because then, at the point of that looking, I am not aware of myself,

the looker, or anything else for that matter. This applies to all my

sensory perceptions and mental vrittis. I am aware of what I falsely

consider myself to be - like my roles, deficiencies, parts of the

body (not the total body as that is only a thought!) - only for a

small fraction of my whole life-time. Yet, I am plagued by my

overwhelming 'I' ness distressingly all throughout when I actually am

a self-evidence that is formlessness!

 

Knowing that I am everything I 'see' is advaitic freedom. That I

believe is the anubhUti of our blessed young Balaji. My

overburdening "I"-ness conceals my freedom of being everything.

Thus, in the deluded belief that I am 'a something', I retire to the

caves to meditate and be 'something else'.

 

PraNAms.

 

Madathil Nair

____________________

 

 

advaitin, "adi_shakthi16"

<adi_shakthi16> wrote:

>

> Thanx for introducing the keeta-bhramara nyaya (caterpillar-

> butterfly logic)," as you contemplate, so you shall be."

[Guest guest]

Namaste dadiji,

 

While I must say, it was a nice story, that represented the

realization of the Absolute by Sri Ramakrishna with the help of Sri.

Tota Puri, there is a slight misrepresentation in the story, though

it is really beautiful:

 

Sri Ramakrishna attained to the state of Nirvikalpa samadhi not like

what the boy attained, which was not nirvikalpa samadhi.

 

 

1. There is a further question I wish to ask. Kindly enlighten me.

The identification of oneself with Shiva/any deity or mantra may make

sense to one who knows how to identify oneself in the first place.

How do we identify ourselves with Shiva? Identification of oneself is

enough. Why with someone or something else? The former itself is

difficult, how do you do the latter?

 

2. How does identification of oneself with Shiva lead to cessation of

all sorrow? So what if I am Shiva? What is Shiva? If we try to

identify oneself with the Shiva keeping in mind the definition of

Shiva from Shankara's poetry that dadiji quoted, we would be in vain

trying to acheive nirvikalpa samadhi.

 

Let us try to understand what it means when you are told to

do 'upasana', for all the above descriptions were gross

misrepresentations of upasana. (No offense to anyone please.) The

objective of upasana is to develop sattva gunas in a person, and make

him slowly develop the four qualities of a yogin: Maittree, mudita,

karuna, upeksha.

 

These can be developed through selfless service (not just to the

Lord, but to everything in the Universe). It is a good beginning, but

not the end. (Read Yogavasistha Samhita, Ch.1 which reiterates this.)

The problem is, we cannot be truly selfless, unless we are completely

enlightened. But we cannot begin to become enlightened, without being

selfless. This is a viscious cycle. The key is to develop the quality

day by day.

 

A businessman used to give dana everyday. Soon he became penniless.

But he still wanted to give things to others. What did he do? He

picked a handful of soil from the fertile land in the barren backyard

and placed it under a tree in his frontyard, so that the tree may

grow well and tired travellers may take rest under its shade.

 

However, how effective is it going to be? The process is very slow,

though the best beginning. To the one initiated (one who might have

done some such thing in the previous birth), this would not help. One

has to develop tranquility of the mind (Yogavasishtha again, I don't

remember the chapter.) In fact it must be developed first, according

to Yogavasishtha (which is itself for the initiated, so for the

uninitiated, selfless service is the minimal starting point)

 

Not that the one initiated can stop all selfless service, but that he

should understand the meaning and the purpose of his service.

Tranquility of the mind helps in this. When his mind begins to become

calm, he becomes like the businessman who just laid a handful of soil

everyday. The value of the thing being given holds no relevance, the

cleanliness of the mind (cetana) is what matters.

 

Then when the mind gets slowly cleared, it is time to start seeing

some truths. This is the point at which the Upanishads

proclaim 'Athato Brahma Jijnasa' We begin by trying to observe the

nature of our bondage - ignorance. (Till now the sadhak does not even

know he is in ignorance) He first comes to know that there is sorrow,

and the cause of this sorrow is ignorance. It is then only that he

proceeds toward the higher truths.

 

Noone can realize the ultimate truth by meditating on Shiva for

fifteen minutes. Even Sri Ramakrishna must have made some effort to

develop these qualities in his previous birth. (That he was an

incarnation, I cannot stop to wonder. Oddly enough the parents of all

great saints are said to have had the same funny dream, so

coincidental!!)

 

It would be a great disservice to Sri Ramakrishna to simply dismiss

the efforst of his previous births and just say that we was an

incarnation of God or was already enlightened, by virtue of his good

luck that he was born to good parents. Sri Ramakrishna (Gadadhara

originally) was born in a respectable family, due to his previous

efforts.

 

I am not also saying that Ramakrishna did not realize the truth

through meditation on various deities. But what he did is something

we cannot do rightnow without any initiation.

 

Therefore, we must first try to develop the tranquility of the mind

by making the mind devoid of craving or aversion. (Raaga or dvesha)

When the mind begins calming down, the path to realization should be

sought.

 

 

Satyameva Jayate Naanrtam

[Guest guest]

My web GRAND-son(rather sun of illumination),

 

oh i luv being called a Daadi by a super smart guy like you! it is an

honor!

 

keeta bhramara nyaya story was narrated just to reinforce Ranjit;s

point that 'one becomes what one meditates on. '

 

The Ramakrishna example was to illustrate another point that how one

has to proceed from meditating on Saguna Brahman to Nirguna brahman

in order to reach the ultimate goal of Brahman realization!

 

here is how shri ramakrishna achieved this...

 

Totapuri, Shri Ramakrishna's guru, regarded the worship of divine

forms as childish. Naked and smeared with ashes, Totapuri strolled

through Dakshineswar Temple Garden and noticed Ramakrishna seated

there, clapping his hands ecstatically and chanting the name of

Mother Kali. Totapuri recognized at once that Ramakrishna, despite

his appearance as a simple devotee of the Goddess, was inwardly

prepared to receive initiation into the knowledge of the absolute, in

which all forms and all emotions are left behind.

 

Totapuri approached Ramakrishna with the proposal that he receive

initiation into Advaita Vedanta. Ramakrishna replied, "I must ask my

Mother Kali." He entered the temple and received permission from the

living divinity that he experienced pulsatiing through the stone

image enshrined there. That evening, Toatpuri began instructing him

in Formless Meditation. But as Ramakrishna concentrated deeply, the

radiant figure of the Goddess appeared to his inner eye. When he

reported this to Totapuri, the austere naked monk took a sharp stone

and pressed it firmly against Ramakrishna's forehead, instructing him

to concentrate on the pain and assuring him that he could transcend

the divine form and merge into the infinite expanse of the absolute.

Once more, Ramakrishna meditated and, as he later expressed it, "with

the sword of wisdom, I cut through the divine form of Kali." Her form

dissolved, and his individuality completely disappeared into Her

formless aspect. For three days Ramakrishna was completely lost to

the world in a near state of suspended animation called Nirodha,

seated in the small Meditation Hut, motionless, all breathing and

body functions slowed to a standstill.

 

 

Totapuri was amazed, because Totapuri had practiced for forty years

to achieve the same level of experience -- nirvikalpa samadhi -- the

disappearance of individual identity in the Absolute. It occurred to

Ramakrishna in a single sitting.

 

 

Ramakrishna remained silent for six days and finally, when he opened

his eyes he thanked Totapuri saying "If you had not come, I would

have lived my whole life with the hallucination. My last barrier has

fallen away." He became Enlightened after he had cut the last

barrier. But even the followers of Ramakrishna don't mention the

incident because it makes the whole effort of worshipping futile.

 

Totapuri as an orthodox wandering monk never remained more than three

days in one location. However, he became so awed by Ramakrishna's

ability in Samadhi to remain 'rigid as a corpse for days on end',

that he broke his longstanding rule, resulting in him staying eleven

months at Dakshineswar hoping to learn from the man who had

previously been his disciple. During this long stay he contracted

serious dysentery. There was prolonged and severe pain, which was

distracting Totapuri during meditation. Since he considered the body

just a medium, essentially unnecessary after the realization of the

Absolute, he decided to give up his body by drowning in the Ganges.

He walked out into the river, but, even though the river should have

been extremely deep, at least in the middle, no matter how far he

went the water never got above his knees. He ended up without ever

reaching deep water. Eventually he came upon the bank on the far side

and when he turned to look back, he saw the Kali temple gleaming in

moonlight and experienced a sudden deep Awakening. He recognized

sheer divine power and consciousness, moving through all beings and

controlling all events, including his own attempt to discard the

body. Totapuri thus accepted the manifest universe and its energy as

a radiant expression of the Absolute. The demarcation between form

and formless no longer existed for him. Although his whole life had

been spiritual in nature, Totapuri, without any verbal teaching, had

opened beyond he experience of the formless absolute into the

continuum of consciousness, from which no divine, human, or natural

forms are excluded and to which no particular doctrine exclusively

applies.

 

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

The most interesting facet of the whole Ramakrishna-Totapuri

Awakening phase is, that although Totapuri was a highly attained monk

or guru at the time, he himself, as the above account seems to

testify (and is verified in other accounts), may not have been

Enlightened to the nth degree at the time he was coaching

Ramakrishna.

 

Totapuri's full and total Enlightenment transpired AFTER

Ramakrishna's full Awakening when he walked out into the river and

 

saw the Kali temple gleaming in moonlight and experienced a sudden

deep Awakening. He recognized sheer divine power and consciousness,

moving through all beings and controlling all events, including his

own attempt to discard the body. Totapuri thus accepted the manifest

universe and its energy as a radiant expression of the Absolute. The

demarcation between form and formless no longer existed for him.

 

However, Totapuri's Enlightenment or lack of same notwithstanding,

Ramakrishna was still able to reach Full Attainment under his

auspices anyway --

 

http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/totapuri.html - 23k -

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

So, Grand-son, tell me what is the point in narrating all this to

you? i am sure you already know this story !!!

 

If you are serious about progressing in your spiritual quest, you

need a 'guru' and any 'guru' would love to initiate you !!! but are

you ready?

 

i see in your profile you state you love 'watching girls' !!! what

does that mean ? "a voyeur' of some sorts!!! no, dear one, you are

not ready for 'sanyas' as yet ! first, enter into holy matrimony -

enjoy the life of a householder and then when the time comes

take 'sanyas' ...

 

meanwhile, you are already well- versed in the scriptures as is

obvious from your writings, all you need is someone to light up

that 'divine spark' already present in you!!! when will that happen?

when the sisya is ready, the guru appears!! meanwhile, just accept

Lord Dakshinamurthy as your guru !

 

Love and blessings

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your advice dadiji,

 

What is on my profile comes as a shock to me!

 

Check my updated profile. I am not 22. The profile is two years old,

during which time I studied the works of Shankara and the

Yogavasishtha, while working in Bangalore, in Texas Instruments as a

design engineer.

 

Satyameva Jayate Naanrtam