thoughts on those questions posed earlier...

[Guest guest]

Sri Guru Datta.

 

Here are some thoughts on those questions posed

earlier...

 

> What is the attitude of a spiritual minded person

> towards the concept of self-effort?

 

Self effort alone is the hall-mark of the wise.

Nothing can be achieved in this world (or in any

other) by any other means.

 

> How does such a

> person go about his daily life?

 

Much like sri rama in the ramayana. One should attend

to ones duties, but remain detached -- performing

whatever must be performed without concern for the

results of these actions, and naught else. Recall that

"row row row your boat, gently down the stream,

merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream"

 

> How does such a person relate to swamiji?

 

However one chooses to. Swamiji's relation with each

devotee is between that devotee and swamiji alone.

 

> What is his/her personal belief in

> swamiji's role in his/her life?

 

One should take the opportunity each moment to

understand guru tattva -- that is, relate one's

problems or successes in terms of what has been

understood from those, and understand the relationship

between the acquisition of the wisdom from those

experiences and one's relationship with swamiji. All

experiences contain some wisdom, some self-effort is

required to understand the 'inner meaning'. The same

experience may have several meanings to several

people. Context is as important as the knowledge.

 

> How is their behavior

> in relation to day-to-day affairs, and what is the

> relationship of these day-to-day affairs with

> spiritual affairs?

 

One's spiritual life should not be different from

one's worldly life. Only spiritual practice that is

integrated with one's worldly existence has any

meaning. Spirituality is a state-of-being, not a thing

to be practiced. One either IS or IS-NOT spiritual --

but those who understand spirituality need not

contemplate that "i've been 'spiritual' today" or

"i've been 'unspiritual' today", etc. All is

spirituality alone. Truly, there is nothing except

spirituality -- that state of "non-spirituality" does

not exist, but then again, nor does it not exist.

 

> Does self-effort in any field of activity play a

> role (even in the spiritual field), or is there

> something beyond one's reach that modifies

> one's life?

 

Swami Vivekananda once said "whatever you believe

yourself to be, that you will be. If you think

yourself strong, then strong you will be. If you think

weak, then weak you will be." There is nothing beyond

one's reach, only that which cannot be conceived is

beyond one's reach -- all else is within reach for one

who plows forward with steady effort and concentration

(dharana).

 

> hint: swamiji has provided answers to these

> previously.

>

> bonus question:

> what is the meaning of life?

 

Death.

 

 

jai guru datta,

pradyumna

 

 

 

 

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