Guest guest Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Dear devotees, Kashyap Sutras #1 & #2. Kashyap was a great Rishi who has not only fathered almost the entire living world, but has also given in fifteen small pithy statements the entire basis, purpose and reasoning for spiritual life. Added to that is detailed explanations of our learned and experienced Swamiji, which has made things so easy to comprehend. It enables us to understand intellectually the real meaning of Sutras. We are doubly lucky to have benefit of Sri Maa¢s small statements born from her personal experience of spiritual life or Bhajans which straight go to the heart and stories which carry conviction. Combination of all these good things is due to Bhagwan¢s Kripa (God¢s Grace). Just consider Kashyap¢s first statement. Anything that is left unfinished will create whatever is needed to get it completed. Be it animate or inanimate bodies, circumstances, situations or time, all will be born to complete the unfinished karma. Indeed if there is no pending job, there will be no birth. Therefore, we are doomed to rebirth as long as our ¡Prarabdha Karma¢ exists. How to be free from it? Answer is: By not creating any more ¡Prarabdha Karma¢, that is by doing work without attachment (Nishkama Karma), and by not reacting to any stimulus emotionally. In other words accepting whatever may happen and whenever it may happen. As Swamiji says be ¡Udas¢- i.e servant of nature. Sri Krishna in chapter 12 of Bhagvad Geeta also tells us that a man who does not start any thing on his own is dear to Him. When there is no beginning of any Karma , question of its completion also does not arise. But what about the Prarabhda Karma that has already been accumulated? Have we to experience it till it is completed? Probably, yes. However its effect can be reduced in magnitude and in duration by Sadhana, prayer, and Smarath (capable) Guru¢s Kripa provided there is requisite Shradha. The second Sutra says Jiva Atma (Individual Soul) appears separated from Parmatma because of desires. Jiva Atma consists of Atma attached with Suksham Sarir(Soul plus subtle body). This subtle body is sum total of our Prarabdha karma, our desires and our Samsakars. Whatever we do or think leaves a mark in the mind, repetition of similar marks forms ¡Samsakar¢ ( Tendencies, habits and instincts) This subtle body is the only thing soul carries with him when the gross body dies. And this burden, a binding, keeps him separated from the Parmatma. But for this binding of subtle body, there is no difference between Atma and Parmatma. In fact these are one not two. Only when this dross dirties Atma, it is called Jiva Atma and appears to be different. How to eliminate dross? By replacing Tamsic & Rajsic desires with Satvic desires and by substituting good Samsakars in place of bad ones. After that even these Satvic desires and good Samsakars are also to be jettisoned, for these too are dross- only of better variety. Between these two Sutras almost everything has been said about spiritual life- Cause of apparent separation of Atma from Parmatma and how to rectify it. Other Sutras elaborate it all by looking at the same situation from different angles. In practice many doubts creep in, causing confusion. Guru has to explain it keeping in view each individual¢s stage of development and his capability. Hence all the other details become necessary. Chetan Merani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Chetan, That was a wonderful summary of the two sutras. I especially liked the part where you brought in the atman and connected our inability to perceive it to the dross of our desires. It is a connection to the Yoga Sutras that creates extra meaning for me. Jai Maa! Chris , Chetan Merani <cvmerani wrote: > > Dear devotees, > Kashyap Sutras #1 & #2. > Kashyap was a great Rishi who has not only fathered almost the entire living world, but has also given in fifteen small pithy statements the entire basis, purpose and reasoning for spiritual life. Added to that is detailed explanations of our learned and experienced Swamiji, which has made things so easy to comprehend. It enables us to understand intellectually the real meaning of Sutras. We are doubly lucky to have benefit of Sri Maa¢s small statements born from her personal experience of spiritual life or Bhajans which straight go to the heart and stories which carry conviction. Combination of all these good things is due to Bhagwan¢s Kripa (God¢s Grace). > Just consider Kashyap¢s first statement. Anything that is left unfinished will create whatever is needed to get it completed. Be it animate or inanimate bodies, circumstances, situations or time, all will be born to complete the unfinished karma. Indeed if there is no pending job, there will be no birth. Therefore, we are doomed to rebirth as long as our ¡Prarabdha Karma¢ exists. > How to be free from it? Answer is: By not creating any more ¡Prarabdha Karma¢, that is by doing work without attachment (Nishkama Karma), and by not reacting to any stimulus emotionally. In other words accepting whatever may happen and whenever it may happen. As Swamiji says be ¡Udas¢- i.e servant of nature. Sri Krishna in chapter 12 of Bhagvad Geeta also tells us that a man who does not start any thing on his own is dear to Him. When there is no beginning of any Karma , question of its completion also does not arise. > But what about the Prarabhda Karma that has already been accumulated? Have we to experience it till it is completed? Probably, yes. However its effect can be reduced in magnitude and in duration by Sadhana, prayer, and Smarath (capable) Guru¢s Kripa provided there is requisite Shradha. > The second Sutra says Jiva Atma (Individual Soul) appears separated from Parmatma because of desires. Jiva Atma consists of Atma attached with Suksham Sarir(Soul plus subtle body). This subtle body is sum total of our Prarabdha karma, our desires and our Samsakars. Whatever we do or think leaves a mark in the mind, repetition of similar marks forms ¡Samsakar¢ ( Tendencies, habits and instincts) This subtle body is the only thing soul carries with him when the gross body dies. And this burden, a binding, keeps him separated from the Parmatma. But for this binding of subtle body, there is no difference between Atma and Parmatma. In fact these are one not two. Only when this dross dirties Atma, it is called Jiva Atma and appears to be different. How to eliminate dross? By replacing Tamsic & Rajsic desires with Satvic desires and by substituting good Samsakars in place of bad ones. After that even these Satvic desires and good Samsakars are also to be jettisoned, for > these too are dross- only of better variety. > Between these two Sutras almost everything has been said about spiritual life- Cause of apparent separation of Atma from Parmatma and how to rectify it. Other Sutras elaborate it all by looking at the same situation from different angles. In practice many doubts creep in, causing confusion. Guru has to explain it keeping in view each individual¢s stage of development and his capability. Hence all the other details become necessary. > > Chetan Merani > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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