Guest guest Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Namaste Narasimha, I want to narrate an incident before I pose this question. The excerpts are from "Living with Himalayan Masters" book. Incident: (Before the independence of India) Swami Rama is a disciple of XXX guru (Guru's name is not mentioned in the book as Guru preferred secrecy) and is practicing the rigorous of spiritual sadhana in the abode of serene Himalayan mountains, to feel the cosmic consciousness. It was during this time, the independence movement was in progress in India and Rama too got tempted to be a part of the movement. It was at this juncture, his guru advised him to continue with sadhana and not to take part in the movement as India is destined to get freedom. Incident 2: We keep hearing/reading from noble people like Gandhi, Chanakya, Lord Krishna, Abdul Kalam etc, that country is first before you. (Can we here imply "you" as sadhana too?) These two illustrations are quite contradictory? What should we give the first priority to? Country or understanding self? Isn't the comfort of being in a country necessary to understand the self? Please do let us know your thoughts. Thanks & Regards, --Murahari Thanks & Regards, --Murahari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Namste Murahari, Firstly, if Lord Krishna asked us put country before us, we shall do so! How ever, thinking further, the purpose of spiritual sadhana is to overcome the feeling I/MY. MY COUNTRY is also a feeling pertaining to our limited personification. The sanatana dharam talks about vasudhaika kuTumbam. The entire universe is a single family. The countries are formed by the mere boundaries drawn by our political leaders. We seem to have so much affinity to our respective countries. Perhaps, having affinity towards country is better than having affinity towards ourselves. If you are in middle of some work, and your kids called for help, if you know some one else in house will attend them, it may be appropriate to continue what you are doing! How ever, if there is no one else in the house to help your kids, then it is your duty to help them. So, in the first insident the guru X had the knowledge that free dome will come as other capable people are already striving for it. Each person will have his specific role to play in the jagannatakam! Best regards, Vijay , Murahari Vadapalli <murahariv wrote: > > Namaste Narasimha, > > I want to narrate an incident before I pose this question. The excerpts are from " Living with Himalayan Masters " book. > > Incident: (Before the independence of India) > Swami Rama is a disciple of XXX guru (Guru's name is not mentioned in the book as Guru preferred secrecy) and is practicing the rigorous of spiritual sadhana in the abode of serene Himalayan mountains, to feel the cosmic consciousness. > It was during this time, the independence movement was in progress in India and Rama too got tempted to be a part of the movement. > It was at this juncture, his guru advised him to continue with sadhana and not to take part in the movement as India is destined to get freedom. > > > Incident 2: > We keep hearing/reading from noble people like Gandhi, Chanakya, Lord Krishna, Abdul Kalam etc, that country is first before you. (Can we here imply " you " as sadhana too?) > > These two illustrations are quite contradictory? > What should we give the first priority to? Country or understanding self? Isn't the comfort of being in a country necessary to understand the self? > > Please do let us know your thoughts. > > Thanks & Regards, > --Murahari > > > > > Thanks & Regards, > --Murahari > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 Namaste, The goal of spiritual sadhana is to make ego (sense of "I") melt completely. A normal person is so attached to the body that one believes firmly that body is I. From the limited self-identification where there is so much attachment to a body, a name and a specific identity, one cannot evolve in a single day or in a single step to a stage where one does not identify with anything (and becomes liberated). There can be several steps depending on the force of previous mental conditioning. One possibility is to attach oneself to a larger cause and overcome the over-attachment to the body, name and specific identity. Anything that lessens the mind's attachment to the body, name and specific identity is helpful in the short run. Suppose one is so dedicated to one's country (or to a cause such as spreading Yoga or spreading praanaayaama or spreading Jyotisha) that one ignores comfort of body and starts to live and breath that cause. It is helpful in overcoming the attachment to the limited self-identity. However, in the long run, even attachment to a country or attachment to a cause such as spreading Yoga or Jyotisha blocks one from liberation. However, attachment to bigger and more abstract causes like them is easier to let go than attachment to a seemingly concrete and specific identity such as a body. So, devoting oneself to country or to a cause and working hard on it is a step in the right direction. * * * It all depends on what debts you have and what stage of spiritual evolution you are at. For a person close to liberation, there is no need to bind further by attaching oneself to a cause, however noble it may be. For someone else, however, attachment to a cause is a step towards liberation. * * * Suppose you are climbing a mountain. You need mountaineering gear, supplies for many days etc. You start with a heavy load on your back. As you get higher and higher, you may consider throwing away things and reducing your load. But, if you start throwing away your supplies in the beginning itself, you will not make to the top. You will run out of supplies in the middle itself. Similarly, forming attachment with working for a country, working for a cause, devotion to a god, devotion to a person, a ritual such as homam, a mantra etc are like loads you carry which help you climb the mountain. When you are closer to the top and the supplies become a load, you can consider throwing them away. But you need them to survive and climb in the beginning. Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org - Murahari Vadapalli Monday, February 09, 2009 7:47 PM Country First or Universal Consciousness Namaste Narasimha, I want to narrate an incident before I pose this question. The excerpts are from "Living with Himalayan Masters" book. Incident: (Before the independence of India) Swami Rama is a disciple of XXX guru (Guru's name is not mentioned in the book as Guru preferred secrecy) and is practicing the rigorous of spiritual sadhana in the abode of serene Himalayan mountains, to feel the cosmic consciousness. It was during this time, the independence movement was in progress in India and Rama too got tempted to be a part of the movement. It was at this juncture, his guru advised him to continue with sadhana and not to take part in the movement as India is destined to get freedom. Incident 2: We keep hearing/reading from noble people like Gandhi, Chanakya, Lord Krishna, Abdul Kalam etc, that country is first before you. (Can we here imply "you" as sadhana too?) These two illustrations are quite contradictory? What should we give the first priority to? Country or understanding self? Isn't the comfort of being in a country necessary to understand the self? Please do let us know your thoughts. Thanks & Regards, --Murahari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 12, 2009 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 Respected Narasimhaji,I have now understood the difference between 'Tyaga' and jettisonning.The illustration of a hike to the mountain was a very straightforward and easy to drink.As you have wrote - a person carries a lot of load on self and more importantly on the 'mana' (intellect) starting on the path of 'Saadhanaa' but many of these suppossedly useful and protective gear is to be shedded from the self as the journey progresses ! I think very crudely putting Homam is that 'Swiss Knife' which makes the 'Saadhaka' travel light and without any fear from the vagaries of the darkness ahead.We may not worry about carrying too many things if we have the handy tool of Homam to guide our senses......Namaskaaram !amit --- On Fri, 2/13/09, Narasimha P.V.R. Rao <pvr wrote:Narasimha P.V.R. Rao <pvr Re: Country First or Universal Consciousness Date: Friday, February 13, 2009, 3:30 AM Namaste, The goal of spiritual sadhana is to make ego (sense of "I") melt completely. A normal person is so attached to the body that one believes firmly that body is I. From the limited self-identification where there is so much attachment to a body, a name and a specific identity, one cannot evolve in a single day or in a single step to a stage where one does not identify with anything (and becomes liberated). There can be several steps depending on the force of previous mental conditioning. One possibility is to attach oneself to a larger cause and overcome the over-attachment to the body, name and specific identity. Anything that lessens the mind's attachment to the body, name and specific identity is helpful in the short run. Suppose one is so dedicated to one's country (or to a cause such as spreading Yoga or spreading praanaayaama or spreading Jyotisha) that one ignores comfort of body and starts to live and breath that cause. It is helpful in overcoming the attachment to the limited self-identity. However, in the long run, even attachment to a country or attachment to a cause such as spreading Yoga or Jyotisha blocks one from liberation. However, attachment to bigger and more abstract causes like them is easier to let go than attachment to a seemingly concrete and specific identity such as a body. So, devoting oneself to country or to a cause and working hard on it is a step in the right direction. * * * It all depends on what debts you have and what stage of spiritual evolution you are at. For a person close to liberation, there is no need to bind further by attaching oneself to a cause, however noble it may be. For someone else, however, attachment to a cause is a step towards liberation. * * * Suppose you are climbing a mountain. You need mountaineering gear, supplies for many days etc. You start with a heavy load on your back. As you get higher and higher, you may consider throwing away things and reducing your load. But, if you start throwing away your supplies in the beginning itself, you will not make to the top. You will run out of supplies in the middle itself. Similarly, forming attachment with working for a country, working for a cause, devotion to a god, devotion to a person, a ritual such as homam, a mantra etc are like loads you carry which help you climb the mountain. When you are closer to the top and the supplies become a load, you can consider throwing them away. But you need them to survive and climb in the beginning. Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org - Murahari Vadapalli Monday, February 09, 2009 7:47 PM Country First or Universal Consciousness Namaste Narasimha, I want to narrate an incident before I pose this question. The excerpts are from "Living with Himalayan Masters" book. Incident: (Before the independence of India) Swami Rama is a disciple of XXX guru (Guru's name is not mentioned in the book as Guru preferred secrecy) and is practicing the rigorous of spiritual sadhana in the abode of serene Himalayan mountains, to feel the cosmic consciousness. It was during this time, the independence movement was in progress in India and Rama too got tempted to be a part of the movement. It was at this juncture, his guru advised him to continue with sadhana and not to take part in the movement as India is destined to get freedom. Incident 2: We keep hearing/reading from noble people like Gandhi, Chanakya, Lord Krishna, Abdul Kalam etc, that country is first before you. (Can we here imply "you" as sadhana too?) These two illustrations are quite contradictory? What should we give the first priority to? Country or understanding self? Isn't the comfort of being in a country necessary to understand the self? Please do let us know your thoughts. Thanks & Regards, --Murahari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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