Guest guest Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 hi, Most texts of advaita, though inspirational, seem to be meant for disciples in relatively more advanced states; seekers with unwavering belief in advaita and a deep desire for learning having spiritually mature minds, so on and so forth. How does one align what advaita teaches, for example, concepts of Brahman and Maya with an ordinary regular life? It seems to me unless one is spiritually advanced, these same elevating principles have the capability of causing one to be in a state of neither here nor there, like the King Trishanku in the Rishi Vishwamitra story. In the present context, neither able to lead a normal samsaric worldly life nor live a renounce-everything spiritual life. Apart from finding a good guru, I was wondering if there are other answers. I would assume a guru would also want a disciple with certain minimum qualifications. I was wondering if there are any other texts you could recommend. Or does this fall outside the purview of advaita? Are there texts which focus on leading a regular life and imbibing the concepts of advaita till one has advanced to a state where one can rightly understand and apply advaitic principles. Is the Bhagavad Gita the answer here? Regards, Ravi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Dear Ravi-ji Pranams I appreciate your question. It is only when one realizes the folly a normal wordly samsaric existence can one even come to advaita. Some degree of viveka and vairagya has to be present that got you here & interested in advaita (- unless this is just a passing fancy in a philosophy that sounds interesting..) Having said that, advaita is certainly, not only compatible with normal wordly living, it can actually help enhance its quality. You gain a wonderful quality called perspective. This perspective helps us in dealing with relationships. If samsara can be narrowed down to one or two key problems - relationships - with family, friends, peers, colleagues, - both positive and negative ones certainly would be one of them for most people. Vedanta gives us an ability to understand relationships, allows to develop a distance between our natural state of being, and the roles that we are called to play every minute of the day. As that distance grows, our sense of mental equanimity grows as well. Vedanta rightly understood, helps us gain a perspective about your work as well. Karmayoga makes us a more efficient worker, a more focussed undistracted person. Vedanta also gives us a perspective about your place in the world - it gives us answers to why I am here? what is my calling? - it helps us understand a source for that perennial sense of restless unease we always seem to be hiding from by distracting ourselves with things each more meaningless than the prior. It enhances our appreciation for ethical standards of living, for cultivation of values, and makes it easy for us to develop ourselves into better humans. Ultimately it helps us progressively understand God or Ishwara and develop love for Him and His creation, so everything in our environment, animate and inanimate, is seen by us as His manifestation, as He Himself.(The ultimate goal of course is to see that as Me, MySelf) This helps us develop a natural love for the environment, a love for nature, and more importantly a love for other people I am asked to relate to as part of my duty, regardless of how their behavior in my deeply ingrained valuesystem. Vedantic study is thus not simply an exercise in scholarship in books on advaita. It effects a metamorphosis of ones personality and helps progressively refine and define the divinity that is already preexistent in your very core. To this end, The Bhagwad Gita I think is the most complete scripture we can ever hope to find. Studies with the help of a traditional Guru, and putting into practice its message, is sufficient to help you gain a step-by-step understanding of karmayoga, bhakti, dhyana, and gain jnana. No other book or scripture is really speaking even needed.(my thoughts only)-such is the greatness of this wonderful work. There are excellent books that more elaborately and eloquently address these issues by Swami Sivananda, Swami Chimayananda, Swami Dayananda, and others, that have written primarily for early seekers and are of a very general nature. Best wishes, and humble pranams Hari OM Shyam --- ravicande <ravicande (AT) (DOT) co.in> wrote: > hi, > > Most texts of advaita, though inspirational, seem to > be meant for > disciples in relatively more advanced states; > seekers with unwavering > belief in advaita and a deep desire for > learning having spiritually > mature minds, so on and so forth. > > How does one align what advaita teaches, for > example, concepts of > Brahman and Maya with an ordinary regular life? It > seems to me unless > one is spiritually advanced, these same elevating > principles have the > capability of causing one to be in a state of > neither here nor there, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2006 Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 Thanks Shyamji for taking the time to address the question of advaithic teaching and ordinary daily life. You wrote that "You gain a wonderful quality called perspective. This perspective helps us in dealing with relationships". and also that " Vedanta rightly understood, helps us gain a perspective about your work as well. Karmayoga makes us a more efficient worker, a more focussed undistracted person". This is very true, especially the latter. In this regard I find your detailed exposition on Geeta 3.30 immensely helpful (mssg 33009/Sept 5). In fact in the past 2 weeks whenever I have been caught up in the 'jwara' of the results of my actions I have tried to pause and re-read your posting and remind myself about offering my actions to God. A must read, I think, for anyone aspiring to an advaithic way of living. You also write " Vedanta also gives us a perspective about your place in the world - it gives us answers to why I am here? what is my calling? - it helps us understand a source for that perennial sense of restless unease we always seem to be hiding from by distracting ourselves with things each more meaningless than the prior." I understand that the goal of life is to achieve that oneness with God and only then will this 'perrennial source of unease' be calmed. But the first part, that Vedanta gives us a perspective of our place in the world-- does that mean that when I arrive at the conclusion that knowing God is the aim of my life and I need to do everything possible in that direction, then I have found my place in the world? So then a measure of the value of my actions is how much closer to or further away an action takes me from that goal. Would that be a right perspective for an advaithic living? Would you suggest some other sloka which might throw more light on this aspect? I'll be very grateful. Thanks and warm Diwali wishes to all members. Om Namo Narayanaya. Veena. On 10/20/06, Shyam <shyam_md > wrote: > > Dear Ravi-ji > Pranams > I appreciate your question. > It is only when one realizes the folly a normal wordly > samsaric existence can one even come to advaita. > Some degree of viveka and vairagya has to be present > that got you here & interested in advaita (- unless > this is just a passing fancy in a philosophy that > sounds interesting..) > > Having said that, advaita is certainly, not only > compatible with normal wordly living, it can actually > help enhance its quality. > > You gain a wonderful quality called perspective. > This perspective helps us in dealing with > relationships. > If samsara can be narrowed down to one or two key > problems - relationships - with family, friends, > peers, colleagues, - both positive and negative ones > certainly would be one of them for most people. > Vedanta gives us an ability to understand > relationships, allows to develop a distance between > our natural state of being, and the roles that we are > called to play every minute of the day. > As that distance grows, our sense of mental equanimity > grows as well. > > Vedanta rightly understood, helps us gain a > perspective about your work as well. Karmayoga makes > us a more efficient worker, a more focussed > undistracted person. > > Vedanta also gives us a perspective about your place > in the world - it gives us answers to why I am here? > what is my calling? - it helps us understand a source > for that perennial sense of restless unease we always > seem to be hiding from by distracting ourselves with > things each more meaningless than the prior. > > It enhances our appreciation for ethical standards of > living, for cultivation of values, and makes it easy > for us to develop ourselves into better humans. > > Ultimately it helps us progressively understand God or > Ishwara and develop love for Him and His creation, so > everything in our environment, animate and inanimate, > is seen by us as His manifestation, as He Himself.(The > ultimate goal of course is to see that as Me, MySelf) > This helps us develop a natural love for the > environment, a love for nature, and more importantly a > love for other people I am asked to relate to as part > of my duty, regardless of how their behavior in my > deeply ingrained valuesystem. > > Vedantic study is thus not simply an exercise in > scholarship in books on advaita. It effects a > metamorphosis of ones personality and helps > progressively refine and define the divinity that is > already preexistent in your very core. > > To this end, The Bhagwad Gita I think is the most > complete scripture we can ever hope to find. Studies > with the help of a traditional Guru, and putting into > practice its message, is sufficient to help you gain a > step-by-step understanding of karmayoga, bhakti, > dhyana, and gain jnana. No other book or scripture is > really speaking even needed.(my thoughts only)-such is > the greatness of this wonderful work. > > There are excellent books that more elaborately and > eloquently address these issues by Swami Sivananda, > Swami Chimayananda, Swami Dayananda, and others, that > have written primarily for early seekers and are of a > very general nature. > > Best wishes, and humble pranams > Hari OM > Shyam > > --- ravicande <ravicande (AT) (DOT) co.in <ravicande%40.co.in>> wrote: > > > hi, > > > > Most texts of advaita, though inspirational, seem to > > be meant for > > disciples in relatively more advanced states; > > seekers with unwavering > > belief in advaita and a deep desire for > > learning having spiritually > > mature minds, so on and so forth. > > > > How does one align what advaita teaches, for > > example, concepts of > > Brahman and Maya with an ordinary regular life? It > > seems to me unless > > one is spiritually advanced, these same elevating > > principles have the > > capability of causing one to be in a state of > > neither here nor there, > > > > > > > -- Sarvam ShreeKrishnaayaSamarpayami. Om Namo Narayanaya...!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2006 Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 advaitin, "Veena Nair" <nairvee wrote: > > Thanks Shyamji for taking the time to address the question of advaithic > teaching and ordinary daily life. You wrote that > > "You gain a wonderful quality called perspective. This perspective helps us > in dealing with relationships". does that mean > that when I arrive at the conclusion that knowing God is the aim of my life > and I need to do everything possible in that direction, then I have found my > place in the world? So then a measure of the value of my actions is how much > closer to or further away an action takes me from that goal. Would that be a > right perspective for an advaithic living? Would you suggest some other > sloka which might throw more light on this aspect? I'll be very grateful. > > Thanks and warm Diwali wishes to all members. > Om Namo Narayanaya. > Veena. > ShrIgurubhyo NamaH Namaste Madam, Excellent is that post of Shyam ji that you are referring to and his current one addressed to Ravi ji. Your response above reveals how much you are into real, serious, sadhana. Before Shyam ji comes up with yet another post pregnent with meaning, may i bring to your notice this verse of the Bhagavadgita Chapter III ? yajnArthAt karmaNo'nyatra lokoyam karma-bandhanaH tadartham karma kaunteya mukta-sangaH samAchara (9) Except in the case of action for Ishvara's sake, the action done by men is binding in nature, that is, he is bound by his karma unless he does actions in the spirit of dedication to the Lord. When done as an offering to Him, actions do not bind a person. They start loosening his bonds. Therefore, the Lord teaches, Kaunteya, perform actions freeing yourself from attachment. Shankaracharya says: the word 'yajna' means VishNu. He quotes a Vedic passage: 'yajno vai VishNuH' (Taittiriya Samhita I.7.4) for this. As born ones, we can't escape actions. We have to keep doing them. But, as you have rightly questioned, when we act as per His directions (that is that which He has said in the Veda, Smriti, Guru's words) and refrain from doing what He has specified as 'don't', we are moving towards Him. What this means is: We are making our mind-receptacle cleaner and wider for Him to manifest increasingly. When we disobey His directions, we are moving away from Him. Pranams, Om Tat Sat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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