Guest guest Posted January 3, 2005 Report Share Posted January 3, 2005 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > The Practice of Meditation (Cont'd) > > Q: How should we meditate? > > M: All you need learn is just to close your eyes and turn inwards. > > Q: Why are there so many methods of practice mentioned? For instance, Sri > Ramakrishna says that bhakti (devotion) is the best means for gaining > mukti. (liberation). > > M: It depends on the aspirant. Krishna begins by saying (Bhagavad Gita, > Chapter 2, 12), "Never was there a time when I did not exist nor thou nor > these kings of men. Never will there be a time hereafter when any of us > shall cease to be. Because that which is unreal never exists. The unreal > never is, the Real never is not. All that ever was, even now is and will > ever be." Later on Krishna continued (Chapter 4, 1), "1 taught this truth > to Vivasvan, he taught it to Manu etc." Arjuna asked, "How can it be? You > were born a few years ago. They lived ages ago." Then Krishna, > understanding Arjuna's standpoint, answered (Chapter 4,4), "Many a birth > have I passed through, Oh Arjuna and so hast thou. I know them all, but > thou knowest not thine. I'll tell you what happened in those past births." > Look, that Krishna who began by saying there was not I, nor wert thou, nor > these kings, says now that he had several births before. But Krishna is > not contradicting himself, although it appears that way. He conforms to > the outlook of Arjuna and speaks to him from his level. There is a > parallel passage in the Bible, in which Jesus says that he had taught the > truth to Abraham and Abraham to Moses and so on. The teachings of the > sages are suited to the time, place and other surroundings. > > There are two ways open to us, bhaki and jnana (knowledge of the Self). A > bhakta surrenders to God and rests secure in His protection. A jnani knows > that there is nothing beside the Self and so remains happy. One must > adhere firmly to either of these courses. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > From the book, "Conscious Immortality" by Paul Brunton and Munagala > Venkataramiah, published by Sri Ramanasramam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2005 Report Share Posted January 4, 2005 Alan, Namaste! They describe Sri Ramakrishna as a bhakta on the outside and a jnani on the inside. For me, Bhagavan is a jnani on the ouside and a bhakta on the inside! I can never feel the wisdom separate from the heart in either of these two great beings. They were both full of tremendous light, and full of equally tremendous living-heart being. I think that this is so, in order that we students and devotees could see these two paths of self-knowledge and surrender to God as equal, and choose according to our own innate temperament and also perhaps our current place in life. Native Americans honor these two directions as two wings of the same bird of spirit. As Bhagavan tells us, the most important thing is that the mind turns inward acknowleding its source, and the ego is surrendered to from whence it originates. Bhagavan assures us that all of our problems will then end! May all find the true liberation! With you in Bhagavan, Sister Judith --- Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs wrote: > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > The Practice of Meditation (Cont'd) > > > > Q: How should we meditate? > > > > M: All you need learn is just to close your eyes > and turn inwards. > > > > Q: Why are there so many methods of practice > mentioned? For instance, Sri > > Ramakrishna says that bhakti (devotion) is the > best means for gaining > > mukti. (liberation). > > > > M: It depends on the aspirant. Krishna begins by > saying (Bhagavad Gita, > > Chapter 2, 12), "Never was there a time when I did > not exist nor thou nor > > these kings of men. Never will there be a time > hereafter when any of us > > shall cease to be. Because that which is unreal > never exists. The unreal > > never is, the Real never is not. All that ever > was, even now is and will > > ever be." Later on Krishna continued (Chapter 4, > 1), "1 taught this truth > > to Vivasvan, he taught it to Manu etc." Arjuna > asked, "How can it be? You > > were born a few years ago. They lived ages ago." > Then Krishna, > > understanding Arjuna's standpoint, answered > (Chapter 4,4), "Many a birth > > have I passed through, Oh Arjuna and so hast thou. > I know them all, but > > thou knowest not thine. I'll tell you what > happened in those past births." > > Look, that Krishna who began by saying there was > not I, nor wert thou, nor > > these kings, says now that he had several births > before. But Krishna is > > not contradicting himself, although it appears > that way. He conforms to > > the outlook of Arjuna and speaks to him from his > level. There is a > > parallel passage in the Bible, in which Jesus says > that he had taught the > > truth to Abraham and Abraham to Moses and so on. > The teachings of the > > sages are suited to the time, place and other > surroundings. > > > > There are two ways open to us, bhaki and jnana > (knowledge of the Self). A > > bhakta surrenders to God and rests secure in His > protection. A jnani knows > > that there is nothing beside the Self and so > remains happy. One must > > adhere firmly to either of these courses. > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > From the book, "Conscious Immortality" by Paul > Brunton and Munagala > > Venkataramiah, published by Sri Ramanasramam > > > ------------------------ Sponsor > --------------------~--> > Give hope to a child. > Helping a needy child is easier than you think. > Click here to meet someone who needs your help. > http://us.click./hq3f6C/iJlJAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM > --~-> > > > > Post message: RamanaMaharshi > Subscribe: > RamanaMaharshi- > Un: > RamanaMaharshi > List owner: RamanaMaharshi-owner > > Shortcut URL to this page: > > http://www./community/RamanaMaharshi > Links > > > RamanaMaharshi > > > > > > Jazz up your holiday email with celebrity designs. Learn more. http://celebrity.mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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