Strange Coincidence !(Shucks !)

[Guest guest]

Am reposting due to some error(founders please

delete previous message)<br>Dear friends,<br>All the

past discussions are self evident and also a

comparision of Jnana and Bhakti maarga cropped up among other

things (free-will etc.)<br>Strangely, all the answers

just came to one (by e-mail!) in the words of Sri

Ramana Maharshi, just like that !<br>All the above are

answered and a beautiful synthesis of bhakti and jnana is

presented by one of the greatest saint of our

times.<br>Usually one is not in the habit of posting "Quotes" from

other sources and believes in expressing one's own

opinion, but this was hard to resist (too good to be

true)<br>Here goes.. (May be longish, but please bear because

these words are from an acknowledged realised

soul!)<br><br><br>Devotee: In what sense is happiness our real

nature?<br><br>Maharshi: Perfect Bliss is Brahman.<br>Perfect Peace is of

the Self.<br>That alone exists and is

conscious.<br>The same conclusion is arrived at:<br>(a) judged

metaphysically, and<br>(b) inferred by the Path of Devotion

(Bhakti Marga).<br>We pray to God for Bliss and receive

it by Grace.<br>The bestower of bliss must be Bliss

itself and also Infinite.<br>Therefore, Iswara is the

Personal God of infinite power and bliss.<br>Brahman is

Bliss,impersonal and absolute.<br>The finite egos, deriving their

source from Brahman and then Iswara,<br>are in their

spiritual nature bliss only.<br><br>contd..

[Guest guest]

cont.d<br><br>Biologically, an organism functions

because such functions are attended with happiness.<br>It

is pleasure that helps our growth;<br>food,

exercise, rest, and gregarious qualities.<br>The psychology

(and metaphysics) of pleasure is perhaps this;<br>our

nature is primarily one,<br>entire,

blissful.<br><br>Take this as a probable hypothesis.<br><br>Creation is

by the entire Godhead<br>breaking into God and

nature (maya or prakriti).<br>This illusion (maya) is of

two parts:<br>the supporting essence (para) and the

five elements,<br>mind,<br>intellect,<br>and ego

(para) (eightfold).<br><br>Ego's perfection is suddenly

broken at a point and want is felt giving rise to a

desire to get something or do something.<br><br>When

that want is cured by the fulfillment of that desire,

the ego is happy and the original perfection is

restored.<br><br>Therefore happiness may be said to be our natural condition

or nature.<br>Pleasure and pain are relative and

refer to our finite state, with progress by

satisfaction of want.<br><br>If relative progress is stopped

and the soul merges into Brahman -<br>of the nature

of perfect peace -<br>that soul ceases to have

relative, temporary pleasure<br>and enjoys perfect peace -

Bliss.<br><br>Hence Self-Realization is Bliss; it is realizing the

Self as the limitless spiritual eye (jnana dristi) and

not clairvoyance; it is the highest

self-surrender.<br>The world-cycle (samsara) is sorrow.<br><br>Devotee:

Why then is the world-cycle (samsara)<br>so full of

sorrow?<br><br>Maharshi: God's will!<br><br>Devotee: Why does God will it

so?<br><br>Maharshi: It is inscrutable.<br>No motive can be attributed

to that Power -no desire, no end to achieve can be

attributed to that one<br>Infinite, All-wise and

All-powerful Being.<br>God is untouched by activities which

take place in his presence; compare the sun and world

activities.<br>There is no meaning in attributing responsibility and

motive to the One before it becomes many.<br>But God's

will for the prescribed course of events is a good

solution of the free-will problem.<br>If the mind is

restless on account of a sense of the imperfect and

unsatisfactory character of what befalls us or what is committed

or omitted by us, then it is wise to drop the sense

of responsibility and free-will by regarding

ourselves as the ordained instruments of the<br>All-wise

and All-powerful,to do and suffer as He

pleases.<br>He carries all burdens and gives us peace."