dry discrimination (was FROM SAD VIDYA V39)

[Guest guest]

Namaste Michael and all,

[Note: My apologies if this message shows up twice on the list. I replied

yesterday morning, and today it still hasn't shown up on the list. So,

here goes again...]

I'd like to jump in and comment on this excerpt:

>2. The practice of discrimination is a very dry, dry

>path and I don't think that most westerners or even

>westernized Hindus are suited for it. And if I were in

>the "advocation" business, which I'm not, I wouldn't

>advocate it.

In my opinion there is widespread misunderstanding about the nature of

discrimination and its practice. At least as taught by Bhagavan. From

time to time when I mention to folks I am a devotee of Bhagavan, they

almost invariably comment that the path of jnana is too cold, dry and

analytical for them. My usual reply to these kinds of comments is,

"That hasn't been my experience," and leave it at that--unless

they are really interested. In which case, I try to show them

"dry" discrimination couldn't be further from the truth! The

practice of Self-inquiry, jnana, and discrimination, as taught by

Bhagavan have nothing to do with thinking and analysis, and in fact is

the essence of devotion.

Bhagavan describes the ego as chit-jada-granthi: a knot tying together

the Self and the world. As such, ego has the power of attention

to:

* either attend to the world, ("I am the body"

consciousness)

* or attend to the Self, ("I am" consciousness).

When the knot is severed, true Self-realization results. Until then,

attention waivers--more or less frequently--between world attention and

Self attention. Being able to distinguish "I am" from the world

is discrimination. Willful direction of attention toward the Self is

practicing discrimination. This is declared to be discriminating the real

from the unreal.

When discussed this way, it can seem very clinical and dry! What is

missing is the devotee's practicing experience. :-) The nature of Self is

Sat-Chit-Ananda or Being-Awareness-Joy. Discrimination of Self and

experience of joy go hand in hand. We can't have one without the

other. A little discrimination yields a little joy; deeper discrimination

yields deeper joy. By turning our attention to the core of our being, we

behold the Living Radiance beautiful beyond compare. Then "dry"

discrimination becomes an ocean of joyful adoration.

Sincerest regards,

David