Guest guest Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Dear Family, Namaste! Our Beloved Swamiji has answered several questions on goal-setting that came up in our chat session and Henny's question. Food for thought! Sincerely, srini Kali: If your goal is devotion, what would be the path and sankalpa? Answer: The continuous prayer for increase in devotion is the way to increase devotion. Love is such an entity that the more we give it away, the more it grows. Prasanna: How to make a goal (resolve) and yet be detached from the goal itself. Answer: Defining a pure goal which includes renunciation and making our motives pure will yield the proper results. Some attachments are pure and will lead us to freedom. Some attachments are a bondage. The function of discrimination is to determine what is appropriate according to each of our circumstances. Ann: How to know where to draw the line between being motivated and letting go of the result? Answer: When the result is to be enjoyed by others, we can be motivated and unattached at the same time. Raghu: How does one set goals and works at it while weakening the sense of doership rather than enahancing it Answer: It is not a bad concept to become a servant of God. But remember, the servant does his or her best, but remembers the Master will enjoy the fruits. The servant rejoices in doing his or her best with a pure heart. Henny's question on the club based on class -- My question is: are we always able to judge what would be best for us? I mean, isn't there a tendency to choose steps which are either too comfortable/easy, or too difficult/ambitious (when learning how to perform puja, I could choose to add one mantra a month or I could have the ambition to master the advanced Shiva Puja in that time.) So in the first case you could be tempted to think you are doing fine, while actually you are not moving at all, and in the second case you would think you had chosen the wrong goal, while all you did was bite off more than you could chew. I also find it is not always easy to evaluate if some situation I have maneuvered myself into is taking me towards or away from the goal. For instance, some years ago I decided to take a simple part time job in order to have more time for spiritual practice. Now I have more time, but really dislike the job. Does this dislike take me away from my goal because I spend too much time fretting about it and I feel I waste talents I could have put to better use, or does it actually take me closer because it gives me a chance to practice humility and selfless service? How well do we know ourselves and how do we judge our own strengths and weaknesses? What would be the role of a guru in this? Answer: There are many issues which you have raised. Too Much and Too Little are constantly plaguing us, so that determination is a matter of constant rebalancing. We require to adjust our schedule at least daily, if not many times during the day. There is no One Final Determination until we remain in Samadhi. However, I find it helpful to establish minimum performance goals, as well as an ultimate objective. I started with the minimum discipline of learning two mantras a week. Sometimes I could learn more, but that was my minimum. That become a minimum of 100 new mantras a year, and that was almost 40 years ago. Little by little we grow organically. Regarding employment, sometimes an easy repetitive task gives us the capacity to keep our mind in the mantra. We can recite texts inwardly while we are performing, so that the routine work becomes an expression of our love for God. Then we find more time and capacity to serve God in other ways without thinking about remuneration. We can also utilize our skills and talents in serving humanity with our knowledge. Both ways have their place. Raghu: Brahmacharya is often defined as celibacy but You define it as sacred study. What is the relationship between these two concepts? Answer: Actually Brahma means Supreme Divinity or God. Chari to walk or move. Who moves with God is a Brahmachari. Traditionally there are four ashramas of life: Brahmacari, Grihasta, Vanaprastha, Sannyasa. Brahmacari is generally known as student life, where we learn how to make our contribution to Life. Students were not earning members of the community and as they were occupied by studies, circumstances in our classical culture dictated abstinence. Therefore, celibacy was an important aspect of student life. But most important is learning. Grihasta is defined as Griha Avastha, who is situated in a house - a householder. The duty of the householder is to make a contribution to society, to Life, and to free him self or her self from the debts of karma. Vanaprastha is one who has one foot in the samsara and one foot outside, who has passed responsibility to heirs, and assumes a managerial position. And Sannyasa is someone who is attached to truth, wandering free from attachment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Dear Srini, please convey to Shri Swamiji my heartfelt thanks for answering our questions on goals. In the answer to my own question, Swamiji has demonstrated to me what the role of a guru is in all this, without a doubt. with love, Henny , "srini_sadhu" <srini_sadhu wrote: > > Dear Family, > > Namaste! > > Our Beloved Swamiji has answered several questions on goal-setting that came up in our > chat session and Henny's question. Food for thought! > > Sincerely, > srini > > Kali: If your goal is devotion, what would be the path and sankalpa? > > Answer: The continuous prayer for increase in devotion is the way to increase devotion. > Love is such an entity that the more we give it away, the more it grows. > > Prasanna: How to make a goal (resolve) and yet be detached from the goal itself. > > Answer: Defining a pure goal which includes renunciation and making our motives pure > will yield the proper results. Some attachments are pure and will lead us to freedom. Some > attachments are a bondage. The function of discrimination is to determine what is > appropriate > according to each of our circumstances. > > Ann: How to know where to draw the line between being motivated and letting go of the > result? > > Answer: When the result is to be enjoyed by others, we can be motivated and unattached > at the same time. > > Raghu: How does one set goals and works at it while weakening the sense of doership > rather than enahancing it > > Answer: It is not a bad concept to become a servant of God. But remember, the servant > does his or her best, but remembers the Master will enjoy the fruits. The servant rejoices > in doing his or her best with a pure heart. > > Henny's question on the club based on class -- > My question is: are we always able to judge what would > be best for us? > > I mean, isn't there a tendency to choose steps which are either too comfortable/easy, or > too difficult/ambitious (when learning how to perform puja, I could choose to add one > mantra a month or I could have the ambition to master the advanced Shiva Puja in that > time.) So in the first case you could be tempted to think you are doing fine, while actually > you are not moving at all, and in the second case you would think you had chosen the > wrong goal, while all you did was bite off more than you could chew. > > I also find it is not always easy to evaluate if some situation I have maneuvered myself into > is taking me towards or away from the goal. For instance, some years ago I decided to > take a simple part time job in order to have more time for spiritual practice. Now I have > more time, but really dislike the job. Does this dislike take me away from my goal because > I spend too much time fretting about it and I feel I waste talents I could have put to better > use, or does it actually take me closer because it gives me a chance to practice humility > and selfless service? > > How well do we know ourselves and how do we judge our own strengths and weaknesses? > > What would be the role of a guru in this? > > Answer: > There are many issues which you have raised. Too Much and Too Little are constantly > plaguing us, so that determination is a matter of constant rebalancing. We require to > adjust our schedule at least daily, if not many times during the day. There is no One Final > Determination until we remain in Samadhi. > > However, I find it helpful to establish minimum performance goals, as well as an ultimate > objective. I started with the minimum discipline of learning two mantras a week. > Sometimes I could learn more, but > that was my minimum. That become a minimum of 100 new mantras a year, and that was > almost 40 years ago. > > Little by little we grow organically. > > Regarding employment, sometimes an easy repetitive task gives us the capacity to keep > our mind in the mantra. We can recite texts inwardly while we are performing, so that the > routine work becomes an expression of our love for God. Then we find more time and > capacity to serve God in other ways without thinking about remuneration. > > We can also utilize our skills and talents in serving humanity with our knowledge. Both > ways have their place. > > Raghu: Brahmacharya is often defined as celibacy but You define it as sacred study. What > is the relationship between these two concepts? > > Answer: > Actually Brahma means Supreme Divinity or God. Chari to walk or move. Who moves with > God is a Brahmachari. > > Traditionally there are four ashramas of life: Brahmacari, Grihasta, Vanaprastha, Sannyasa. > Brahmacari is generally known as student life, where we learn how to make our > contribution to Life. Students were not earning members of the community and as they > were occupied by studies, circumstances in our classical culture dictated abstinence. > Therefore, celibacy was an > important aspect of student life. But most important is learning. > > Grihasta is defined as Griha Avastha, who is situated in a house - a householder. The duty > of the householder is to make a contribution to society, to Life, and to free him self or her > self from the debts of karma. > > Vanaprastha is one who has one foot in the samsara and one foot outside, who has passed > responsibility to heirs, and assumes a managerial position. > > And Sannyasa is someone who is attached to truth, wandering free from attachment. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Hi Everyone ~ We read the class prep material and transcripts, are following the on-line dialogue, and hope to join the Saturday discussion. Here's a question for Swami related to this interchange: Prasanna: How to make a goal (resolve) and yet be detached from the goal itself. Answer: Defining a pure goal which includes renunciation and making our motives pure will yield the proper results. Some attachments are pure and will lead us to freedom. Some attachments are a bondage. The function of discrimination is to determine what is appropriate according to each of our circumstances. Question: How is living one's dharma and being in alignment with the yamas in every moment not sufficient for living a pure life? Love, Shubal & Durga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 I don't intend to reply to your question Shubal, but your reference to the class discussion pertaining to having a goal and nonattachment, brought to mind a point I wanted to make. Nonattachment is often misunderstood, at least as I understand it. I think it applies specifically to this samsara, to the objects and relationships of this existence. I don't think it's intended to describe our relationship or aspirations toward divinity. Only if we are detached from attachments to objects and relationships, the the pairs of opposites, can we experience the fulness of divine experience. The heart must be free of these things to be filled with God. That's part of the reason we spiritualize everything, strengthening its connection to divinity, so it doesn't become an obstacle. Contrary to being detached from our goal, if our goal is God we must make ourselves so very attached that it is unbearably painful to feel separate even for an instant. We must make ourselves like Ramakrishna who was going to take his own life if his beloved Kali didn't come to him, like our beloved Shree Maa who was going to throw herself into the river for want of the fulness of God. The path of God is a path of constant yearning, of painful desire unfulfilled. It is a path of striving and yearning and pleading for the Beloved's grace. I pray we are all (especially me) strong enough to embrace it and strong enough to endure it. Jai Maa! Chris , shubalanddurga wrote: > > Hi Everyone ~ > > We read the class prep material and transcripts, are following the on-line > dialogue, and hope to join the Saturday discussion. Here's a question for Swami > related to this interchange: > > Prasanna: How to make a goal (resolve) and yet be detached from the goal > itself. > > Answer: Defining a pure goal which includes renunciation and making our > motives pure > will yield the proper results. Some attachments are pure and will lead us to > freedom. Some > attachments are a bondage. The function of discrimination is to determine > what is > appropriate according to each of our circumstances. > > Question: How is living one's dharma and being in alignment with the yamas in > every moment not sufficient for living a pure life? > > Love, > > Shubal & Durga > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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