Guest guest Posted September 23, 2006 Report Share Posted September 23, 2006 Dear Devotees, Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Shri Shri Guru and Gauranga. I just escaped from a marriage I was obliged to attend due to familly obligations. Of course I appreciated the opportunity to represent guru and Gauranga to so many people, but generally it is not advised for renunciates to attend weddings. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said for someone who is endeavoring to cross the ocean of material existence to look at the face of a women or a person addicted to the association of women is more abominable than willingly drinking poison. Unfortunately these situations although not favorable can still be of value to a devotee of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada has said that we have to learn the art of utilizing all situations, good and bad, to make spiritual advancement. Just as a stockbroker can make money whether the stock market is up or down. He knows when to buy and when to sell, and therefore always makes a profit, the neophyte invester can only make money when the market is up, and even then he may do something foolish and lose money. In the same way an expert devotee can make adancement in any situation, good or bad, his advancement is not dependent on the ever changing superficialities of this world. So as I sat at this wedding I took the opportunity to oberserve my mind to see what thoughts were taking shape. And I was reminded of a very very important lesson for anyone endeavoring to control the mind, and subdue material attachment. We must be very careful not to fall victim to aversion. We know that to desire sense gratification is bad, but attachement often times manifests in the mind as aversion. make no mistake about it, aversion is attachment, just in a different dress, where there is attachment there is bound to be aversion, they are two sides of the same coin, we are attached to sense gratification and averse to things that impede or hamper our sense gratification. So it is very important to keep a constant check on the mind to make sure that we are not falling prey to attachement or aversion. When in the association of people engaged in sense gratification there is a tendency to feel some negativity towards them. Know for certain that this is a clear sign that we are still attached to whatever they are enjoying. And in this context we are speaking about association withthe opposite sex. So we must be very careful in this regard. Often times people actually cultivate negative emotions towards materialistic people, this is very harmful and does nothing to help one transcend attachment. We must understand that aversion is not detachment. It is merely a false reflection with the external trappings, but not containing the real substance. Plastic fruit may look appetizing but it has no power to satiate ones appetite, and if we try to eat if we will fall scik and suffer. HH Radhanath Swami once said in a Brahmacari lecture, "Those who look at women as stool, generally become like hogs very eager to eat as much stool as possible." The sankrit word vairagya, is most accurately translated as dis-passion or non-attachment. The word detachment is a verb, it is an action, to detach ooneself from something. In sanskrit this would be tyaga, to give up something. But one can physically give up something without developing the quality of true renunciation, which is based on indifference, or a lack of attachment, vi-raga, the opposite of raga, attachment or passion. This quality of indofference is refered to as nirapeksa. So we must be very vigilent that within in mind we are not directly meditating on objects of sense gratification and cultivating attachment for them, and we must also be very vigilent that we are not indirectly meditating on objects of sense gratification and cultivating aversion. So anytime we feel any negativity towards anyone we must look to the cause and root out that attachement, otherwise by allowing that negativity to remain we allow the attachment to remain, and by cultivation negativity we strengthen that attachment. To Be continued in Part II In part II we will look at the solution to this dilema and how to cultivated the proper attitide that will carry us through the dualities of attachment and averison. Your Aspiring Servant, Gauranga Kishore Das mahaprabhur bhakta gana vairagya pradhana yaha dekhe priti hana gaura bhagavan --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are d to the Google Groups "brahmacarisanga" group. To post to this group, send email to brahmacarisanga (AT) googl (DOT) com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2006 Report Share Posted September 28, 2006 in response to sripad Gauranga Kisore pr's most indelible email, i would like to pose this question unto his grace: Sri Yamunacarya, descriptions of whose glories were ever so delectably showered upon us during last Decembers south indian yatra, is so often quoted by Srila Prabhupada speaking words bearing more then an air of aversion. Could you please shed some light on this apparent contradiction for the pleasure and edification of the assembled vaisnavas (or at least this pompous wannabe vaisnava) ? your overintelligent and underenlightened servant, caitanya das On 9/23/06, gauranga kishore <gaurangakishore > wrote: > > Dear Devotees, > > Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila > Prabhupada. All glories to Shri Shri Guru and Gauranga. > > I just escaped from a marriage I was obliged to attend due to familly > obligations. Of course I appreciated the opportunity to represent guru > and Gauranga to so many people, but generally it is not advised for > renunciates to attend weddings. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said for someone > who is endeavoring to cross the ocean of material existence to look at > the face of a women or a person addicted to the association of women > is more abominable than willingly drinking poison. Unfortunately these > situations although not favorable can still be of value to a devotee > of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada has said that we have to learn the art > of utilizing all situations, good and bad, to make spiritual > advancement. Just as a stockbroker can make money whether the stock > market is up or down. He knows when to buy and when to sell, and > therefore always makes a profit, the neophyte invester can only make > money when the market is up, and even then he may do something foolish > and lose money. In the same way an expert devotee can make adancement > in any situation, good or bad, his advancement is not dependent on the > ever changing superficialities of this world. > > So as I sat at this wedding I took the opportunity to oberserve my > mind to see what thoughts were taking shape. And I was reminded of a > very very important lesson for anyone endeavoring to control the mind, > and subdue material attachment. We must be very careful not to fall > victim to aversion. We know that to desire sense gratification is bad, > but attachement often times manifests in the mind as aversion. make no > mistake about it, aversion is attachment, just in a different dress, > where there is attachment there is bound to be aversion, they are two > sides of the same coin, we are attached to sense gratification and > averse to things that impede or hamper our sense gratification. > > So it is very important to keep a constant check on the mind to make > sure that we are not falling prey to attachement or aversion. > > When in the association of people engaged in sense gratification there > is a tendency to feel some negativity towards them. Know for certain > that this is a clear sign that we are still attached to whatever they > are enjoying. And in this context we are speaking about association > withthe opposite sex. So we must be very careful in this regard. Often > times people actually cultivate negative emotions towards > materialistic people, this is very harmful and does nothing to help > one transcend attachment. We must understand that aversion is not > detachment. It is merely a false reflection with the external > trappings, but not containing the real substance. Plastic fruit may > look appetizing but it has no power to satiate ones appetite, and if > we try to eat if we will fall scik and suffer. HH Radhanath Swami once > said in a Brahmacari lecture, "Those who look at women as stool, > generally become like hogs very eager to eat as much stool as > possible." > > The sankrit word vairagya, is most accurately translated as > dis-passion or non-attachment. The word detachment is a verb, it is an > action, to detach ooneself from something. In sanskrit this would be > tyaga, to give up something. But one can physically give up something > without developing the quality of true renunciation, which is based on > indifference, or a lack of attachment, vi-raga, the opposite of raga, > attachment or passion. This quality of indofference is refered to as > nirapeksa. > > So we must be very vigilent that within in mind we are not directly > meditating on objects of sense gratification and cultivating > attachment for them, and we must also be very vigilent that we are not > indirectly meditating on objects of sense gratification and > cultivating aversion. So anytime we feel any negativity towards anyone > we must look to the cause and root out that attachement, otherwise by > allowing that negativity to remain we allow the attachment to remain, > and by cultivation negativity we strengthen that attachment. > > To Be continued in Part II > In part II we will look at the solution to this dilema and how to > cultivated the proper attitide that will carry us through the > dualities of attachment and averison. > > Your Aspiring Servant, > Gauranga Kishore Das > > mahaprabhur bhakta gana vairagya pradhana > yaha dekhe priti hana gaura bhagavan > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are d to the Google Groups "brahmacarisanga" group. To post to this group, send email to brahmacarisanga (AT) googl (DOT) com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 3, 2006 Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 > > in response to sripad Gauranga Kisore pr's most indelible email, i > would like to pose this question unto his grace: > > Sri Yamunacarya, descriptions of whose glories were ever so delectably > showered upon us during last Decembers south indian yatra, is so often > quoted by Srila Prabhupada speaking words bearing more then an air of > aversion. Sri Yamunacarya's disgust was based on mature realization of truth not repression of actual attachment thus it is glorious. The topic brings to mind a statement by Lord Caitanya to Srila Raghunatha Goswami. “The mercy of Lord Krishna is stronger than anything else. Therefore the Lord has delivered you from the ditch of materialistic life, which is like a hole into which people pass stool.” Best wishes. Your servant, Krishna-kripa dasa > Could you please shed some light on this apparent > contradiction for the pleasure and edification of the assembled > vaisnavas (or at least this pompous wannabe vaisnava) ? > > your overintelligent and underenlightened servant, > caitanya das > > > On 9/23/06, gauranga kishore <gaurangakishore > wrote: > > > > Dear Devotees, > > > > Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila > > Prabhupada. All glories to Shri Shri Guru and Gauranga. > > > > I just escaped from a marriage I was obliged to attend due to familly > > obligations. Of course I appreciated the opportunity to represent guru > > and Gauranga to so many people, but generally it is not advised for > > renunciates to attend weddings. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said for someone > > who is endeavoring to cross the ocean of material existence to look at > > the face of a women or a person addicted to the association of women > > is more abominable than willingly drinking poison. Unfortunately these > > situations although not favorable can still be of value to a devotee > > of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada has said that we have to learn the art > > of utilizing all situations, good and bad, to make spiritual > > advancement. Just as a stockbroker can make money whether the stock > > market is up or down. He knows when to buy and when to sell, and > > therefore always makes a profit, the neophyte invester can only make > > money when the market is up, and even then he may do something foolish > > and lose money. In the same way an expert devotee can make adancement > > in any situation, good or bad, his advancement is not dependent on the > > ever changing superficialities of this world. > > > > So as I sat at this wedding I took the opportunity to oberserve my > > mind to see what thoughts were taking shape. And I was reminded of a > > very very important lesson for anyone endeavoring to control the mind, > > and subdue material attachment. We must be very careful not to fall > > victim to aversion. We know that to desire sense gratification is bad, > > but attachement often times manifests in the mind as aversion. make no > > mistake about it, aversion is attachment, just in a different dress, > > where there is attachment there is bound to be aversion, they are two > > sides of the same coin, we are attached to sense gratification and > > averse to things that impede or hamper our sense gratification. > > > > So it is very important to keep a constant check on the mind to make > > sure that we are not falling prey to attachement or aversion. > > > > When in the association of people engaged in sense gratification there > > is a tendency to feel some negativity towards them. Know for certain > > that this is a clear sign that we are still attached to whatever they > > are enjoying. And in this context we are speaking about association > > withthe opposite sex. So we must be very careful in this regard. Often > > times people actually cultivate negative emotions towards > > materialistic people, this is very harmful and does nothing to help > > one transcend attachment. We must understand that aversion is not > > detachment. It is merely a false reflection with the external > > trappings, but not containing the real substance. Plastic fruit may > > look appetizing but it has no power to satiate ones appetite, and if > > we try to eat if we will fall scik and suffer. HH Radhanath Swami once > > said in a Brahmacari lecture, "Those who look at women as stool, > > generally become like hogs very eager to eat as much stool as > > possible." > > > > The sankrit word vairagya, is most accurately translated as > > dis-passion or non-attachment. The word detachment is a verb, it is an > > action, to detach ooneself from something. In sanskrit this would be > > tyaga, to give up something. But one can physically give up something > > without developing the quality of true renunciation, which is based on > > indifference, or a lack of attachment, vi-raga, the opposite of raga, > > attachment or passion. This quality of indofference is refered to as > > nirapeksa. > > > > So we must be very vigilent that within in mind we are not directly > > meditating on objects of sense gratification and cultivating > > attachment for them, and we must also be very vigilent that we are not > > indirectly meditating on objects of sense gratification and > > cultivating aversion. So anytime we feel any negativity towards anyone > > we must look to the cause and root out that attachement, otherwise by > > allowing that negativity to remain we allow the attachment to remain, > > and by cultivation negativity we strengthen that attachment. > > > > To Be continued in Part II > > In part II we will look at the solution to this dilema and how to > > cultivated the proper attitide that will carry us through the > > dualities of attachment and averison. > > > > Your Aspiring Servant, > > Gauranga Kishore Das > > > > mahaprabhur bhakta gana vairagya pradhana > > yaha dekhe priti hana gaura bhagavan > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ > You received this message because you are d to the Google Groups > "brahmacarisanga" group. > To post to this group, send email to brahmacarisanga (AT) googl (DOT) com > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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