Guest guest Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 , Narasimha PVR Rao <pvr wrote: > > Namaste friends, > > Happy Sri Krishna Janmaashtami to all of you! > > The astrological angle I criticized in another mail today is only one aspect of the unnecessary technicalities that sometimes block people from progressing. There are other technicalities that can be done away with, when they start to block one. > > * * * > > I recently saw the chart of a person, who I am sure will make much progress and be in a position to guide thousands of people spiritually. His chart strongly suggested that he should chant Chandipath or do Chandi homam and then progress will come. I told him that. He said he learnt Chandipath sometime ago but he does not read it regularly because he does not have the anga nyasam and kara nyasam text. He cannot read Indian scripts and can only read English. Chandipath is available in Roman script from Ramakrishna math, but that only has the thirteen chapters, kavacham, argala and keelakam. It does not give the nyasas, which are given in the Gita press version (available only in Indian languages). The poor guy assumed he could not do it without proper nyasas and did not attempt to do it. > > I told him that 13 chapters are the main thing and all else is secondary. I told him to just start with 13 chapters. > > * * * > > Like this, many people have various ideas about " the right way " to do it and do not even try things lest they should it do it " a wrong way " ! > > Of course, there *are* right ways to do poojas, japas and homas. However, there are also right ways to do so many things. Let me give an analogy using eating. > > * * * > > There are right ways to eat too. There are certain mantras you should say before eating, while eating and after eating. There are rules for what items should be eaten. There are rules for what order they should be served in, on the plate. There are rules for how the served items are arranged on the plate. There are rules for what order you eat them in. There are rules for what kind of plate can be used (silver, gloden, copper, banana leaf etc). There are rules for what kind of clothese the person serving food can wear. There are rules for what kind of clothes eater can wear. There are many many rules. > > Suppose you don't know some rules. Or suppose you are unable to follow some rules and have to compromise. Or suppose you don't know the mantras to be recited before and after eating. Will you then stop eating? Won't it be foolish to not eat because you cannot follow all the rules and technicalities of eating? Won't you compromise wherever you have to and just eat *some* food, so that you get some strength and sustain yourself? > > Friends, the *same* thing applies to spiritual sadhana. Whether you spend 5 hours or 1 hour or half hour or ten minutes everyday on spiritual sadhana, it should be an integral part of your life. It should be as important as eating food, drinking water and breathing air. In fact, it really is. Just as not eating makes you weak, not doing any sadhana also makes you weak. Just as eating makes you stronger, doing some sadhana also makes you stronger. > > People are unnecessarily afraid of spiritual sadhana. They take all the rules and technicalities too seriously (unlike with other things in life, such as eating, drinking, bathing etc) and block themselves from progressing. > > This needs to change. People need to know that it is ok to compromise on most things, but important to do *some* sadhana. Just as you would eat simple dal chaval (lentil soup with rice) or a bread and cheese sandwich when there is no multi-course meal that satisfies the rules, you can just sit down for 15 minutes without moving and repeat any mantra. Or just light a fire in a silver or copper or clay bowl with sticks, say " Om bhuh swaha, Om bhuvah swaha, Om suvah swaha, Om bhurbhuvassuvah swaha " and then repeat some mantra with swaha added and some ghee drops poured into fire. Such a simple sadhana also, when repeated daily, can be powerful. It is definitely better than avoiding sadhana at all, just as eating just a bread sandwich is better than not eating at all. > > * * * > > Rules and technicalities are there to maximize the experience one gets from sadhana. They are NOT there to block or stop one from doing sadhana altogether. That would be counter productive. > > Each rule, each technicality and each step in the standard procedures has some deeper meaning and motive (which is lost on people these days!), but it is ok to compromise. If you can, follow *all* the rules. If you cannot, atleast do *something* with several rules compromised, rather than not doing anything at all. > > Too many people are suffering from intertia when it comes to progressing spiritually. I see some great souls meant for big things also suffering from inertia at various levels. Unnecessary fear of rules and technicalities is part of the reason for this inertia. > > This needs to be changed. Spiritually inclined people have to be empowered and boldened. The fear and inertia in them need to be destroyed. This is very much needed for not just for the individual good of those people, but the collective good of world in these interesting times. > > Best regards, > Narasimha > > Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam > Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana > Spirituality: > Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net > Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer Dear Sir, This article has given me a lot of hope. Sir I learned trancendental meditation when i was in 8th class.I practised it for some time.During college years i read the Mahabharat and many other religious texts.I always did daily puja with a lot of bhakti. Three years ago, i met Vashisthji in Gondia--He is a retired officer of the irrigation department--He thaught me the basics . of astrology.He also guided me to do jaap.During navrati i did jaap of devi's navarn mantra.Then during saawan month i did jaap of shiva's panchakshari mantra.Last chaitra navratri i did gayatri jaap and again this shravan i did Shiva's jaap. But all this was done without any nyas or any of the other things that you have mentioned.I always wondered whether what i was doing was right, but still went ahead thinking that taking Gods name cannot be wrong.Also all these jaap were done without asking for anything in return.Am i right ?I dont know sanskrit so though i have so many books i am unable to learn from them. Also from sometime i have been thinking that it might be better if i stuck to one mantra rather than doing so many different ones.I would be greatfull to you.Please help me. My dob is 28 nov. 1967;pob is mumbai;and tob is 8.20am. sorry about the lenth of this mail,but quite frankly i could go on and on. Thank you and waiting for your reply. Sunita. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Namaste to all It was a wonderful post as usual but if i say what i think ,then there is a problem of plenty.There are so many mantras ,so many deities so many methods of worshipping GOD that one despite knowing that all these are equal still suffers some or other illusion regards jitender , rajarshi nandy <rajarshi14 wrote: > > Dear Narasimhaji Pranam, > Â > Hope you had a wonderful Janmasthami. I have again forwarded this mail of yours to a lot of my friends. I personally feel, this mail exactly hits the nail on the head. Clear, logical and highly relevant. > Â > Thank you for such mails. > > -Regards > Â Rajarshi > > > > " This above all: to thine own self be true! " - Hamlet > > --- On Sun, 24/8/08, Narasimha PVR Rao <pvr wrote: > > Narasimha PVR Rao <pvr > Technicalities that block one > , sohamsa , sivacharya > Sunday, 24 August, 2008, 1:49 AM Namaste friends, > > Happy Sri Krishna Janmaashtami to all of you! > > The astrological angle I criticized in another mail today is only one aspect of the unnecessary technicalities that sometimes block people from progressing. There are other technicalities that can be done away with, when they start to block one. > > * * * > > I recently saw the chart of a person, who I am sure will make much progress and be in a position to guide thousands of people spiritually. His chart strongly suggested that he should chant Chandipath or do Chandi homam and then progress will come. I told him that. He said he learnt Chandipath sometime ago but he does not read it regularly because he does not have the anga nyasam and kara nyasam text. He cannot read Indian scripts and can only read English. Chandipath is available in Roman script from Ramakrishna math, but that only has the thirteen chapters, kavacham, argala and keelakam. It does not give the nyasas, which are given in the Gita press version (available only in Indian languages). The poor guy assumed he could not do it without proper nyasas and did not attempt to do it. > > I told him that 13 chapters are the main thing and all else is secondary. I told him to just start with 13 chapters. > > * * * > > Like this, many people have various ideas about " the right way " to do it and do not even try things lest they should it do it " a wrong way " ! > > Of course, there *are* right ways to do poojas, japas and homas. However, there are also right ways to do so many things. Let me give an analogy using eating. > > * * * > > There are right ways to eat too. There are certain mantras you should say before eating, while eating and after eating. There are rules for what items should be eaten. There are rules for what order they should be served in, on the plate. There are rules for how the served items are arranged on the plate. There are rules for what order you eat them in. There are rules for what kind of plate can be used (silver, gloden, copper, banana leaf etc). There are rules for what kind of clothese the person serving food can wear. There are rules for what kind of clothes eater can wear. There are many many rules. > > Suppose you don't know some rules. Or suppose you are unable to follow some rules and have to compromise. Or suppose you don't know the mantras to be recited before and after eating. Will you then stop eating? Won't it be foolish to not eat because you cannot follow all the rules and technicalities of eating? Won't you compromise wherever you have to and just eat *some* food, so that you get some strength and sustain yourself? > > Friends, the *same* thing applies to spiritual sadhana. Whether you spend 5 hours or 1 hour or half hour or ten minutes everyday on spiritual sadhana, it should be an integral part of your life. It should be as important as eating food, drinking water and breathing air. In fact, it really is. Just as not eating makes you weak, not doing any sadhana also makes you weak. Just as eating makes you stronger, doing some sadhana also makes you stronger. > > People are unnecessarily afraid of spiritual sadhana. They take all the rules and technicalities too seriously (unlike with other things in life, such as eating, drinking, bathing etc) and block themselves from progressing. > > This needs to change. People need to know that it is ok to compromise on most things, but important to do *some* sadhana. Just as you would eat simple dal chaval (lentil soup with rice) or a bread and cheese sandwich when there is no multi-course meal that satisfies the rules, you can just sit down for 15 minutes without moving and repeat any mantra. Or just light a fire in a silver or copper or clay bowl with sticks, say " Om bhuh swaha, Om bhuvah swaha, Om suvah swaha, Om bhurbhuvassuvah swaha " and then repeat some mantra with swaha added and some ghee drops poured into fire. Such a simple sadhana also, when repeated daily, can be powerful. It is definitely better than avoiding sadhana at all, just as eating just a bread sandwich is better than not eating at all. > > * * * > > Rules and technicalities are there to maximize the experience one gets from sadhana. They are NOT there to block or stop one from doing sadhana altogether. That would be counter productive. > > Each rule, each technicality and each step in the standard procedures has some deeper meaning and motive (which is lost on people these days!), but it is ok to compromise. If you can, follow *all* the rules. If you cannot, atleast do *something* with several rules compromised, rather than not doing anything at all. > > Too many people are suffering from intertia when it comes to progressing spiritually. I see some great souls meant for big things also suffering from inertia at various levels. Unnecessary fear of rules and technicalities is part of the reason for this inertia. > > This needs to be changed. Spiritually inclined people have to be empowered and boldened. The fear and inertia in them need to be destroyed. This is very much needed for not just for the individual good of those people, but the collective good of world in these interesting times. > > Best regards, > Narasimha > ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- - > Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAst rologer.org/ homam > Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAst rologer.org/ tarpana > Spirituality: http://groups. / group/vedic- wisdom > Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro. home.comcast. net > Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAst rologer.org > Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagan nath.org > ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- - > > > > > > > > > > Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on http://help./l/in//mail/mail/tools/tools-08.html/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Namaste, Yes, sticking to one mantra and doing japam without any desire or expectation is the *best* way to do spiritual sadhana. If you are doing different mantras for different purposes (e.g. marital bliss, children, money, job etc), it is ok to do many mantras. But, for spiritual progress, it is better to leave everything else and get hold of just one mantra. If you pray to any god to the best of your ability, using the best procedure to *your knowledge*, without any expectations, then it is *never* a wrong thing to do. Learn to love god, learn to ask god to help you overcome ego, learn to *not* ask god for petty and impermanent things and learn to not fear god or worship. In my judgment, Shiva or Dattatreya are the best for you. Stick to a guru form of god. Best regards, Narasimha Do a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam Do Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpana Spirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org - > Dear Sir, > This article has given me a lot of hope. > Sir I learned trancendental meditation when i was in 8th class.I > practised it for some time.During college years i read the Mahabharat > and many other religious texts.I always did daily puja with a lot of > bhakti. > Three years ago, i met Vashisthji in Gondia--He is a retired officer > of the irrigation department--He thaught me the basics . > of astrology.He also guided me to do jaap.During navrati i did jaap of > devi's navarn mantra.Then during saawan month i did jaap of shiva's > panchakshari mantra.Last chaitra navratri i did gayatri jaap and again > this shravan i did Shiva's jaap. > But all this was done without any nyas or any of the other things > that you have mentioned.I always wondered whether what i was doing was > right, but still went ahead thinking that taking Gods name cannot be > wrong.Also all these jaap were done without asking for anything in > return.Am i right ?I dont know sanskrit so though i have so many books > i am unable to learn from them. > Also from sometime i have been thinking that it might be better if i > stuck to one mantra rather than doing so many different ones.I would > be greatfull to you.Please help me. > My dob is 28 nov. 1967;pob is mumbai;and tob is 8.20am. > sorry about the lenth of this mail,but quite frankly i could go on and on. > Thank you and waiting for your reply. > Sunita. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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