Realisation???

[Guest guest]

Namaste, All Respected Members,

We have all been studying Advaita Vedanta for some time and doing some amount of Sadhana in the form of Sravana, Manana, etc. From what one can see, also most of the members have very good exposure to Shaastra as is evident from their writings appearing in the group.

I think, now it is time for us to take a stock. Where do we stand today, as compared to where we were before we had any exposure to Self Knowledge? Has the study and sadhana been helpful to us in our vyvahara life? If so, how and in what spheres? Are the Shad Urmies, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya still affect us to the extent they affected us before? How do we accept the situation/people around us? Do we react to them as we used to do before, or try to act?

There can be so many other points which we should cover in this stock taking.

I would request some of the learned members, like Respected Sadaji, etc. to devise a suitable questionnaire in this connection, so that we can study it and answer it ourselves. It is strictly personal and one need not answer it to the group.

I hope members will take this matter in the spirit it is written and may I look forward to responses from them.

Many thanks and warm regards,

Mani

 

 

R. S. Mani

 

 

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[Guest guest]

--- "R.S.MANI" <r_s_mani > wrote:

......................

> I would request some of the learned members, like Respected Sadaji,

> etc. to devise a suitable questionnaire in this connection, so that we

> can study it and answer it ourselves. It is strictly personal and one

> need not answer it to the group.

.............

> Many thanks and warm regards,

> Mani

>

>

> R. S. Mani

>

Shree Maniji - PraNAms. Thanks for your kind words.

What I can do is suggest spiritual exercises to do that I am

recommending those who are attending my Geeta Navaneetam class as we are

churning out the Navaneetam of each chapter. I still have to write and

post the series that I stopped after the introduction.

 

But when we studied the Arjuna ViShAda yoga, the essence of the chapter

is how attachment or rAga led to shoka and then to moha - I requested

everyone to examine ruthlessly their own attachments and make an

inventory - essentially the attachments are those fields to where the

mind runs away - it can be people or expectations or disappointments

where mental energy gets slowly dissipated. Attachment is something that

I depend on for my happiness - making an inventory of ones attachments

(a private list for one's own growth) helps to identify the problem

first. These attachments can become potential sources of disappointents

later just Arjuna was crying becuse of his attachments.

 

The second part of the exercise involves SUBSTITUTION where I project

the image of my iShTadevata - say Lord Narayana who is everywhere (antar

bahischa tat sarvam vyApta narayana shtitaH) on the locus of my

attachments. I am projecting the Lord where I am attached to things or

beings so that my attachment to lower can turn to my attachment to

higher.

 

Now this itself involves a discipline. First thing one gets up in the

morning, prayer to the Lord, requesting to be present with him through

ones daily transactions and one ability to see the Lord as the back

ground of each person that one interacts with and Last thing before one

goes to bed is to see or project the Lord again in all the transactions

that one had encountered during the day. This Substitution is

particularly very important (and also very difficult) when we had

displayed in the moments of anger or passion, some of negative

tendencies, during our day's transactions. This substitution has to be

done not only for all people, but animals and plants - and slowly even

the so called inert things as the part of the glory of the IShTadevata

only. So as a part of the sadhana, when ever my mind is not actively

engaged in contemplative action, engage the mind in thinking of Him by

doing his nAma smarana and all seeing His form as the background in all

the scenes that one is encountering. So every trafic jam is another

opportunity where one can relaxingly see Him and His play. Krishna says

'mastaani sarva bhUtAni' - Essentially see this is the teaching in

practice. I try to practice what I teach, as part of my SAdhana. l

 

I discussed Arjuna sharaNAgati for couple of weeks ago, taking some of

the teachings from Vedanta Deshika's rahasyatrayasaara where steps in

sharanNaagati are beautifully described. Last week we were discussing

the Krishna’s teaching of the immortality of jiiva with the statement

'asochyAn anyasochatvam', you are crying where there is no need for

crying. This itself becomes a part of our SAdhana to recognize there is

no need for crying for any thing. In order to appreciate this fact,

that whatever comes has to go - AgamApAyinonityAH - and one can develop

the titIxa when one starts superimposing the Lord in all our day to day

transactions. The purpose of these day to day exercises until they

become natural is essentially to reeducate our mind to grasp the highest

truth.

 

I am posting this so that readers who want to follow this approach as a

part of their daily SAdhana where all the attachments are surrendered at

His feet so that mind is free to Substitute Him for everything - in the

final anaysis there is nothing other than Him.

 

I am taking the liberty to post this to advaital list also with the hope

it may be helpful to those who are interested.

 

Hari OM

Sadananda

[Guest guest]

advaitin, kuntimaddi sadananda

<kuntimaddisada wrote:

>

>

>

> --- "R.S.MANI" <r_s_mani wrote:

> .....................

> > I would request some of the learned members, like Respected Sadaji,

> > etc. to devise a suitable questionnaire in this connection, so that we

> > can study it and answer it ourselves. It is strictly personal and one

> > need not answer it to the group.

> What I can do is suggest spiritual exercises to do that I am

> recommending those who are attending my Geeta Navaneetam class as we are

> churning out the Navaneetam of each chapter. The purpose of these

day to day exercises until they

> become natural is essentially to reeducate our mind to grasp the highest

> truth.

 

Namaste,

 

Some additional pointers are at:

 

http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/baro.htm

 

http://www.dlshq.org/discourse/may2003.htm

 

http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/sadhana.htm#signs

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "R.S.MANI" <r_s_mani wrote:

>

> Namaste, All Respected Members,

>

> We have all been studying Advaita Vedanta for some time and

doing some amount of Sadhana in the form of Sravana, Manana, etc.

> I think, now it is time for us to take a stock. Where do we

stand today, as compared to where we were before we had any exposure

to Self Knowledge? Has the study and sadhana been helpful to us in

our vyvahara life? If so, how and in what spheres? Are the Shad

Urmies, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya still affect us

to the extent they affected us before? How do we accept the

situation/people around us? Do we react to them as we used to do

before, or try to act?

 

Namaste sadhakas,

 

It is a matter of vital importance that a stock taking as Sri Mani

ji has put it has to be undertaken, as an on-going exercise. The

responses from Sri Sada ji and Sri Sunder ji's excellent references

are amazing. A few of the points that come to my mind are presented

hereunder.

 

There is a sookti, a beneficial saying that goes as follows:

 

pratyaham samavekSheta narashcharitam AtmanaH |

kinnu me pashubhistulyam kinnu satpuruShairiva ||

 

The meaning is: Every day let one take a close look at his conduct.

Let him ask himself: Has my conduct been akin to that of an animal

or does it resemble the way of the Noble?

 

Then, I remember an anecdote narrated by my Guru long ago. It seems

Benjamin Franklin was a man who accorded great importance to mind

culture. He was in the habit of maintaining a diary and would

record all matters of concern for mind culture. He had identified

that he was a victim of the vice of vainglory and took steps to

counter it. One day he felt that he had overcome this vice and that

night wrote in his diary `Today I have overcome vanity'. The moment

he recorded this, he became vain in the thought that he had given up

vanity!

 

Such is the vasana of `mada' that even with regard to virtues it

comes up to spoil the gain had after much struggle. It is like the

game of snakes and ladders.

 

The work Jivan Mukti Viveka is an excellent guide for the practice

of virtues and overcoming the negative tendencies. Sri Vidyaranya

teaches that one has to ruthlessly apply the methods of 1. Vasana

kshaya (obliteration of latent impressions), 2. mano nasha

(dissolution of the mind) and 3. Gnosis (practice of Knowledge –

Truth). He says, on the authority of the Yoga vasishtha, that all

these three have to be practiced in conjunction for that alone will

give the desired fruit. He shows that the three are interconnected

and practicing the two without the other will be futile. A study of

this work on a daily basis would be invaluable for serious sadhakas.

 

This work addresses all the `ari-ShaD vargas' namely kama, krodha,

lobha, moha, mada and matsarya. He draws extensively from the Gita,

the Yogavashishtha and a large number of other texts to teach a

lesson of great value to seekers.

 

Then, a look at the Bhagavadgita verse V.23 and its commentary by

the Acharya will give great lessons on the psychology of these

negative tendencies:

 

He that is able, while still here, to withstand, before liberation

from the body, the impulse of desire and anger, he is a Yogin, he is

a happy man.

 

The commentary: , while still here = while yet living. before

liberation from the body = up to the point of death. By thus

marking death as the limit, the Lord teaches that the impulse of

desire and anger is unavoidable during life, since its causes are

innumerable, and that till the very moment of death it should not be

trusted. (Then the Acharya goes on to give the signs of a man under

the spell of desire and anger.)

 

The Jivan Mukti Viveka prescribes this assiduous sadhana of vasana

kshaya and mano nasha even for the person who has attained

liberating knowledge and is in the body. He argues that jivan mukti

sukham, the bliss of liberation while alive, can be enhanced if the

jnani exercises on the lines taught herein.

 

Finally, here is Shankara's positive suggestion :

 

Na me dvesha raagau, na me lobha mohau

Mado naiva me naiva maatsarya bhaavaH

Chidaananda rUpaH shivo'ham shivo'ham

 

I, the Atma, do not have hatred and desire in me. Nor are there

greed, delusion, vanity and jealousy. I am of the Supremely

Auspicious nature of Blissful Consciousness.

 

That one will never truly feel that one has overcome this hexad of

villains, is brought out beautifully by the Maadhaviya Shankara

Vijayam. The details may be had by viewing the message posted by me

long ago under `Bhakti and Jnanam'. Here is the link:

 

advaitin/message/29386

 

The messages in the links provided by Sri Sunderji are truly great.

 

Pranams to all,

subbu

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "R.S.MANI" <r_s_mani wrote:

>

>.

> I think, now it is time for us to take a stock. Where do we stand

today, as compared to where we were before we had any exposure to Self

Knowledge? Has the study and sadhana been helpful to us in our

vyvahara life? If so, how and in what spheres? Are the Shad Urmies,

kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya still affect us to the

extent they affected us before? How do we accept the situation/people

around us? Do we react to them as we used to do before, or try to act?

> There can be so many other points which we should cover in this

stock taking.

>

> I hope members will take this matter in the spirit it is written

and may I look forward to responses from them.

 

Namaste,

 

Swami Paramarthananda, while expounding the Kathopanishad made a very

interesting remark. After giving a list of tempting offers to

Nachiketas, Yama waited to see the unique lad's reaction. These are

given below:

 

23 Yama said: Choose sons and grandsons who shall live a hundred

years; choose elephants, horses, herds of cattle and gold. Choose a

vast domain on earth; live here as many years as you desires.

 

24 If you deem any other boon equal to that, choose it; choose

wealth and a long life. Be the king, O Nachiketa, of the wide earth. I

will make you the enjoyer of all desires.

 

25 Whatever desires are difficult to satisfy in this world of

mortals, choose them as you wish: these fair maidens, with their

chariots and musical instruments — men cannot obtain them. I give them

to you and they shall wait upon you. But do not ask me about death.

 

26 Nachiketa said: But, O Death, these endure only till tomorrow.

Furthermore, they exhaust the vigour of all the sense organs. Even the

longest life is short indeed. Keep your horses, dances and songs for

yourself.

 

27 Wealth can never make a man happy. Moreover, since I have

beheld you, I shall certainly obtain wealth; I shall also live as long

as you rule. Therefore no boon will be accepted by me but the one that

I have asked.

 

28 Who among decaying mortals here below, having approached the

undecaying immortals and coming to know that his higher needs may be

fulfilled by them, would exult in a life over long,after he had

pondered on the pleasures arising from beauty and song?

 

29 Tell me, O Death, of that Great Hereafter about which a man has

his doubts.

 

Now, after this, the Swami asks his students: Now and then recall

these offers and ask yourselves as to how you would react to these.

That will give you a clear idea of where you stand in sadhana.

 

Pranams to all sadhakas,

subbu

Note: ShaD Urmies are: hunger and thirst (prana deha), misery and

delusion(mind) and old age and death (gross body)- Ref.

Vivekachudamani verse 257 and its commentary by Sri Chandrashekhara

Bharati Swamigal. He says these six constantly recur just like waves -

Urmi and as such are clled so. The ariShaDvarga is: kama, krodha,

etc.