comments on rebirth in rg veda (c.kevill) and on ashutosh (vaidun vidyadhar)

[Guest guest]

Hi everybody.

 

I was a member of this list long ago but other commitments called me away. Few

days

ago, a friend of mine sent me some of the interesting postings and i would like

to

comment on them.... i asked sabine to post it for me....

 

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:41:41 -0700

"Christopher Kevill" <christopher.kevill

rebirth in the Rg Veda

 

Dear Dr Dash and Group,

 

Here is a short article written by Arvind Sharma, a professor of philosophy who

specializes

in Hindu thought.

 

Please make special note of the first section where he directly addresses the

question of

rebirth in the Rg Veda. The remainder of the article isn't pertinent to our

discussion, but I

thought I'd include it here because it may be of interest to group members.

 

My aim in presenting his article is to show the development of thought within

the Vedic

and Hindu tradition. By extension, we should consider the possibility that

Jyotish itself

underwent significant evolution and development over time. Elsewhere, Professor

Sharma

has written:

 

"Classical Hindu thought, however, did not suddenly emerge fully fashioned in

every

respect, like a mansion in a dream. Even within the classical period the key

concepts

underwent change or at least refinement and realignment." (p. 35 Classical Hindu

Thought: An Introduction)>>

 

Interesting, yes the nature of the Vedas is dynamic and not stagnant. Some

scholars may

see the Vedas as a bunch of literary paragraphs that had a beginning somewhere

in the

past, but under a proper spiritual initiation we hear and believe that the Vedas

are eternal,

without a beginning and without and end.

 

However, many bona fide teachers of the Vedic thought have always seen how to

expand

the explanations as to reach the understanding of all. Thus, in the evolution

of thought

Srila Vyasadeva compiled the Vedas at the beginning of this Kali Yuga, and not

happy with

the results he got the inspiration from his spiritual master Narada Muni, to

write the

Srimad Bhagavatam, which is considered among Vaisnavas as the cream of the

Vedas.

 

My next comment is about this next message and the letters in bold are the ones

to reply:

 

Message: 15

Sun, 14 Aug 2005 19:37:09 +1000

"Vaidun Vidyadhar" <vvidya

RE: Ashutosh

 

<<It is generally accepted that Ram had lived in the last Tretayuga (as you

rightly pointed out). Going by the figures given at 1, 2, 3 and 4 above,

that would place him AT LEAST 869,106 back from now. (5106 + 864000 =

869,106). Do you really think Ram would have lived THAT long ago? If one

takes the figures at a, b, c and d the figure will reduce from 869,106 to

5106 (at least, as of this year 2005). Does the figure 869,106 appear

reasonable and realistic? Or does 5106 appear reasonable and realistic?

Sri Yuteswar had explained that it would be the latter. >>

 

Interesting mentality, Vaidunai is questioning the sastras? We are here in this

mortal plane

because we are conditioned by the illusion of the material energy, and therefore

our

whimsical thoughts are not allowed to enter transcendental matters. Vedas and

Jyotish are

not something mechanical that we can grasp with our imperfect intellect. To be

allowed

into the Vedic secrets we are supposed to be humble and to show respect instead

of

arrogance, to show a lack of knowledge and not a degree of a professor.

 

I agree with what the sastras say that Lord Ram appeared some 869,106 years ago.

But

then again, that is my belief and Vaidun and others are free to believe what

they want.

According to the gunas, the modes of nature, we are attracted to different

beliefs. There

are many paths directing the beginners according to their gunas but in the end

there is

only one path that directs to the lotus feet of the Lord.

 

Then below Vaidun writes:

 

<<Also, Sri Yukteswar was not an ordinary man. He was a God-realised Master, the

guru

of the reknowned Paramahansa Yogananda. Gnanavatar Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was

tasked to write what he did by a person no less than the venerable Mahavatar

Babaji

himself.>>

 

According to faith we follow those masters that can give us fuel to satisfy our

inner thirst.

The Lord has sent many masters to teach according to our understanding and

capacity.

Every great person is representing the power, opulence or glory of the Lord for

some

unknown reason but that does not mean that every one of them is going to take us

Home.

When we are lost in the street we ask someone for directions but that does not

guarantee

that we are given the right direction. We should thank our lucky stars that we

find the

right guidance.

 

The sastras say that we should search for those sadhus that can take us to the

Lord, but

who is a sadhu? In the beginning, with our lack of knowledge and our heart

polluted by

the interaction with the material energy, we can be deluded and think the

opposite to the

truth. Therefore, how to recognise the path? The sastras prescribe to follow

guru, sastra

and sadhu and when those three combine in harmony, then we know that we are on

the

right path to the Lord.

 

When we are sincere we will get to our destination but when we want to continue

in

delusion, we are going to be deluded. The main question is "what do we want?"

Once you

are on the right path it is possible for you to have a proper dristhi, a proper

view or aspect

of things, otherwise a snake can be seen as a rope.

 

A simple thing looks blue to those with more tama guna and red to those in raja

guna but

yellow to those in satva guna. However, we should surrender to those souls

living above

the gunas because they can see what is proper.

 

I have to say that I am still under the effects of the lowest guna but I am

trying my best to

get the grace of those souls that are above the gunas.

 

Yours in the service of the Lord.

 

19-08-05

 

Natabara das