asatoma sadgamaya!

[Guest guest]

Yesterday three-day talk series by H.H. Swami Tejomayanandaji on “JnAna

sArah’ started close to the Chinmaya Mission Washington Regional Center.

The lectures are from 7:30-9:00 pm and further details of the lectures

can be obtained from < www.chinmayadc.org> .

 

In his introduction lecture, Swamiji emphasized the need for jnaana as a

means for moksha. He quoted the common Vedic prayer that every one is

familiar – astomaa sadgamaya – tamasomA jyotirgamaya, mRityormA amRitaM

gamaya – Lead us from UNREAL to REAL, from IGNORANCE to KNOWLEDGE and

from MORTALITY to IMMORTALITY. The first of the three, REAL - UNREAL,

is the topic of discussion for this month that Shree CNJi is taking the

lead.

 

The end goals– real, knowledge and immortality are not three separate

goals but point towards the same goal.

 

The Vedic mantra got me thinking – here is a prayer that starts – lead

me from unreal to real. If asat and sat are translated as non-existence

and existence, then we have a contradiction – how can we be led from

non-existence to existence – since ‘naabhaavo vidyate sataH’ - that

non-existence can never come to existence. The meaning of the asat

cannot be then, non-existence. But if it is already sat or existence –

there is no need for this prayer. “If it is not asat, it has to be sat

and if it is not sat it has to be asat” would imply that these become

mutually exclusive, if so, it violates the sprit of the prayer. One is

asking for something impossible. If it is sat but we see as ‘asat’ then

prayer would make sense – Then ignorance of the nature of reality about

us and the world is the fundamental problem. Lead from asat to sat

therefore requires reevaluation of ourselves and the world around.

 

Let examine the third one – Lead us from mortality to immortality. But

we have already learned that what is born has must die and what died but

be born – ‘ jAtasyasi dhruvo mRityuH, dhruvam janma mRitasya ca’ says

Krishna. There is cyclic birth-death-birth – but that is the nature of

the world too – janma sthiti and laya cycle- We are not asking to stop

this cycle to become immortality when we say mRityorma amRitam gamaya.

Are we asking for an ontological change in the nature of ourselves and

the world, or different understanding of the nature of our-selves and

the world. Hence emphasis of the second prayer – tamasoma jyotirgamaya

– lead us from ignorance to knowledge.

 

What is exactly the nature of the ignorance and what kind of knowledge

would help us to lead us from asat to sat and from mRita to amRita. For

that one should attend the lectures of Swami Tejomayanandaji – otherwise

one can study the book ‘JnAna sAraH’ authored by Swamiji himself. The

book can be obtained on line from Chinmaya Publications

 

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

 

=====

What you have is destiny and what you do with what you have is self-effort.

Future destiny is post destiny modified by your present action. You are not only

the prisoner of your past but master of your future. - Swami Chinmayananda

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sadaji:

 

Thanks for sharing the essence of talks by Swami Tejomayanandaji

on "jnAna sArah." I just attended a three-day talk series by Swamiji

on "bhakti sudhA" during last Friday to Sunday at Salisbury, MD.

Interestingly Swamiji emphasized the need for `bhakti' as a means

for moksha. During his talks Swamiji pointed out that jnAna yoga,

bhakti yoga and karma yoga are inseparable at the culminating stage

of moksha! Though the starting points of karma, bhakti and jnana may

appear different, essentially karma yoga is impossible without

bhakti or jnAna. Those who want to get the clear picture on the

inseparability of karma, bhakti and jnana yogas should attend

today's discourse (the last of the series of his discourses in MD).

 

Swamiji's discourses on any topic consist of well structured

framework and he always accommodates the interests of audience with

different levels of spiritual development. While discussing any

topic, he is thorough and at the same time makes the audience to

think and enjoy the essence of Vedanta Rasam. He also entertains the

audience using some beautiful verses from Tulasi Ramayan with his

melodious (also musically well-trained) voice accompanied by

Harmonium. Those who pursue the understanding of Vedanta, he uses

his weapons of mass attraction – convincing logic accompanied by

humorous episodes.

 

I strongly recommend those in Washington area to go attend today's

concluding discourse on `jnAna sArah.'

 

Let me take this opportunity to add some additional observations to

the excellent summary by Sadaji on "astomaa sadgamaya – tamasomA

jyotirgamaya, mRityormA amRitaM gamaya." Here is another

interpretation that also implies the same end results:

 

Detach from unreal (transient) and attach to real (permanent).

Remove the darkness of ignorance and seek the light of wisdom.

Move away from temporary happiness to eternal bliss.

 

Again as Sadaji rightly pointed out, the end goals are not three

separate goals but point towards the same goal!

 

Warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

Details of Swami Tejomayanandaji's Discourse:

 

Time: 7:30 to 9:00 PM

Location: James Hubert Blake High School

300 Norwood Road, Maryland 20905

(Take Exit 28 North from I-495 (Capital Beltway), to New Hampshire

Avenue (towards White Oak). Drive approximately 6 miles. Make a left

on light to Norwood Road and the school is on the left within half a

mile) for more details, contact http://www.chinmayadc.org/

 

advaitin, kuntimaddi sadananda

<kuntimaddisada> wrote:

> Yesterday three-day talk series by H.H. Swami Tejomayanandaji

on "JnAna

> sArah' started close to the Chinmaya Mission Washington Regional

Center.

> The lectures are from 7:30-9:00 pm and further details of the

lectures

> can be obtained from < www.chinmayadc.org> .