SPIRITUAL PRIDE

[Guest guest]

SPIRITUAL PRIDE: After the evening Satsang was over a

Sannyasin with an imposing appearance began to

discuss with the Master the cardinal tenets of his

cult and the practice advocated by his Guru and

himself.

 

"Swamiji, from our point of view, even hearing,

reflection and contemplation have no significance.

Our only Sadhana is to listen in silence--mere

listening without even trying to grasp through the

mind what is being perceived or heard. We do not try

to understand because the Atma is beyond the reach of

understanding. Our Guru has told us that this is the

best method and all other practices are meaningless.

One day Truth will shine of Its own accord without

any effort on the part of the aspirant."

"Very nice," said the Master with his characteristic

smile. "But the aspirant must be a super-Adhikari to

grasp the Truth in this manner. To Janaka the

utterance of 'Tat Twam Asi' once was sufficient and

he realized the Self. But nowadays even if we hear it

a million times we seem to be far, far away from the

Truth."

 

After dwelling on several other topics the Master

said to the disciples, "The Maharaja of Sitamau is a

great devotee. His Sadhana is a continuous repetition

of the Name of Lord Rama throughout the twenty-four

hours of the day. He has attained great psychic

powers through this practice, too, because a devotee

who happened to use the Maharaja's bed had a vision

of Lord Rama, which he attributed to the Mantra-

Shakti of the Maharaja. The Maharaja is also well

versed in the Upanishads. Yet he would say that he

was only a practitioner and quite unfit for Vedanta.

He was too humble even to call himself an advanced

aspirant and a Japa Yogi!"

 

--------- Swami Sivananda

 

 

--------------------

 

"O deluded mind! Wealth and property will not follow

you. Virtue and vice alone will follow you. This body

will perish like a flash of lightning. This world is

a jugglery of Maya. Walk in the path of virtue or

Dharma. Control the senses and the mind. Meditate on

your own Atman and attain Self-realization now and

here." ----------- Swami Sivananda

 

 

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Know the Lord to be the only real thing in the midst of things unreal. Remember

God.Take His name always. Meditate upon Him. Feel His presence everywhere.

Surrender yourself to Him. He will bless you with peace, bliss, plenty,

prosperity and immortality. ----Swami Sivananda

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[Guest guest]

Radhakutir ji, thank you for this quote.

 

Spiritual pride is probably the most common pitfalls for most

sadhaks. 'My way is better than yours', 'my path is the jet plane

while yours is the bicycle', is a common refrain I hear. Very book-

knowledgable people have become preys to this form of the pride-trap.

Most are taken by surprise that it even exists. Perhaps the

confidence generated from the sadhna on their chosen path, leads to

this test of sadhna.

 

In my expereince however, I have found that if the pride is too thick

to crack through words, it is best to leave them to the famous

truth .. "Pride goes before a fall". The Universe sends such test

again and again till the student learns. There is no escaping or

hiding behind books or Gurus.

 

I'm not sure why Guru's give this message to their students, when

they are aware of the limtations and the traps involved. Or perhaps

Gurus don't say it at all and it is the perception and need of the

student who needs comparisons to serve their ego centered

consciouness.

 

Not sure .. would love to hear more thoughts on this.

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

-- In , SRI RADHA KUTIR <radhaktr@v...> wrote:

> Our Guru has told us that this is the

> best method and all other practices are meaningless.

[Guest guest]

Dear Umaji, Hari Om,

 

I agree with you and there is no doubt that pride can eventually become the

cause of one's downfall.

 

On the second point of guiding or misguiding others, there can be various

reasons:

1.. Certain sects may practice close shop environment to keep the group

together or maintain the superiority of its Guru.

2.. The freedom available in the 'Jnana Marg', the path of knowledge, is not

available in other paths like Bhakti etc. For example, in Krishna Bhakti, I have

heard that certain sects worship Krishna only in certain forms like the Baby

Krishna etc. and consider that to the only way to worship Him. One's own

Ishtadevata is superior to others etc. I think there is nothing wrong in it

because one's faith in God, in any name or form, should help in the individual's

spiritual evolution as long as there is no exploitation.

3.. Unscrupulous people may take shelter in this path of spirituality and act

as gurus to take advantage of the innocence and sentiments of people and

misguide them. Perhaps there are plenty of them in India. In U.S. also there was

a group not too long ago, I have forgotten their name, who ended up

administering cyanide to each of their members including children, when the

administration started investigating about their activities.

4.. It is the perception and need of the student who needs comparisons to

serve their ego centered consciousness. I am not sure about this point and

therefore cannot offer any comments.

OM

radhakutir

 

 

-

"Tatwamasi" <tatwamasi

<>

25 June, 2003 8:33 PM

Re: SPIRITUAL PRIDE

 

 

> Radhakutir ji, thank you for this quote.

>

> Spiritual pride is probably the most common pitfalls for most .........

>

> I'm not sure why Guru's give this message to their students, when

> they are aware of the limtations and the traps involved. Or perhaps

> Gurus don't say it at all and it is the perception and need of the

> student who needs comparisons to serve their ego centered

> consciouness.

>

> Not sure .. would love to hear more thoughts on this.

>

> _/\_ Tat twam asi

>

> Uma

>

> -- In , SRI RADHA KUTIR <radhaktr@v...> wrote:

> > Our Guru has told us that this is the

> > best method and all other practices are meaningless.

>

>

>

>

>

>

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> Your use of is subject to

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