Guest guest Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Namaste, Body is of course important in spiritual progress. Body is like a rented car used in a long journey. If one plans to finish a long journey using a rented car, one should put fuel in the car frequently and do basic maintenance. That is needed and there is nothing wrong in it. After all, if the car breaks down, one cannot reach the destination. But my point is that one should not be so attached to the car that one stops every few miles, wipes the dust on the car, washes it and pulls over on every minor suspicious sound from the engine and so on. Such a person will never finish the journey. Moreover, such a person will be so attached to the car that he may be unable to return it even after reaching the destination. One should take care of the body, but not be overly attached to it or concerned about it. * * * Yes, god IS in the body. But then god is in EVERYTHING. God is in a temple, a church, a mosque, a river like Ganges, a gutter next to a dirty lane, a garbage can and what not. God is in the entire universe - he lives in every atom and every sub-atomic particle. Why then special attachment to one specific body in which also god happens to be, among many other things? Let me give a simple analogy to explain the thrust of my main point. Milk may be present inside khoa, cheese, yogurt, baasundi, cake, a curry, kaju katli, sooji halwa, mutter paneer, motichoor laddoo, dum aloo and so many other things. If a person particularly likes kaju katli and does not like other things as much, it is probably not the underlying milk that he likes but the kaju katli itself. He cannot say " I like kaju katli because it contains milk " . Similarly, one attached to one's body is probably not devoted to the underlying god within that body, but devoted to the body itself. In fact, finding the milk inside kaju katli may first require one to reduce eating kaju katli and eat something that has more milk in it than kaju katli (e.g. khoa) regularly and get used to the milk taste. Then, one will taste milk even when eating kaju katli, even though kaju (cashew) is the main ingredient in it and not milk, because of one's familiarity with and attachment to the milk taste. Similarly, finding god inside one's body may first require one to reduce attention to one's body and focus the mind on a specific form of divinity (e.g. a deity such as Vishnu or Shiva or Ganesha or Durga). After one's mind tastes divinity in that form and get used to it, one will taste divinity in one's own self as well as everything one sees, because of one's familiarity with and attachment to the taste of that form. * * * Most embodied beings identify with body, name and other attributes (e.g. " a great actor " , " a path-breaking engineer " , " a good scholar " etc) quite strongly. When that identity is destroyed by Nature at the end of life, some disappointment or regret may be left. IF such a thing happens, Nature will make one to be born again. One will be born again and again, as khoa, as kaju katli, as dum aloo, as sooji halwa etc, until one realizes the underlying milk in all those things. One will be born again and again until one goes through life with zero attachment with body, name and other attributes (e.g. " a great actor " , " a path-breaking engineer " , " a good scholar " etc) and has no disappointment or regret when they are destroyed at the end. * * * > i remember ramakrishna quoting that if there is a minor defect > in the body that person can not realise god. On the contrary, he strongly discouraged his students like Swami Abhedananda and Swami Yogananda from practicing Hatha yoga because of its emphasis and reliance on the physical body and told them to forget about the body and think of god instead. Ramakrishna had a throat cancer and several of his sishyas suffered tremendously towards the ends of their lives, but they succeeded in focusing the mind on god through the ordeals and passing the test. They did not do any " praanic healing " or something, but learnt to focus the mind on god despite obstacles thrown up by a really suffering body. When Ramakrishna was suffering from cancer, some people told him a pure soul like him could cure himself by focussing his mind on such a thought. He said it made no sense to take the mind off the divine Mother even for a moment to ponder his physical condition. Though not everyone can be like him, one can take inspiration. * * * Rajarshi, irrespective of whether one worships an ugra devata (fierce deity) or a soumya devata (gentle deity), one has to overcome the attachment to name, body and other attributes (e.g. " a great actor " , " a path-breaking engineer " , " a good scholar " etc). Without it, one is stuck in the cycle of life and death. Ugra devatas may force the lesson on one fast and soumya devatas may take time. But a spiritual aspirant has to overcome this inherent weakness no matter which deity one worships. Best regards, Narasimha - Free Jyotish Software, Free Jyotish Lessons, Jyotish Writings, " Do It Yourself " ritual manuals for short Homam and Pitri Tarpana: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org Films that make a difference: http://SaraswatiFilms.org Spirituality: Jyotish writings: JyotishWritings - , Se Am <mahalaxmyey wrote: > body must be healthy to realise god > tirumoolar says in his ahama > ************** > previously i thought body as dirty > but i found god living in the body > as god lives in the body > iam taking care of my body to the best extent > *********** > without good body health you can never realise god > bodily attachment is different from worldly attachment > i remember ramakrishna quoting that if there is a minor defect in the body that person can not realise god. > after realising god only ramakrishna neglected his health and did not take care of his body > only as he was healthy before he could realise god > if he had had mouth cancer when he was young he could not have realised god in this birth > > ________________________________ > Laxmi Narayan <shrijishrihari > > Fri, December 4, 2009 5:28:56 AM > Re: Re: Final Rites > > Hello, > I am absolutely not writing against the guidance given in the mail below. Only telling how I do things differently on two points in my own spiritual sadhana everyday. > > I am always alert towards my physical body. I do a lot more than bare essentials to keep it going. I am always listening to its need. I try to lessen its pain and suffering using sattvic means so that it remains strong. I am respectful towards it and do not show mental disregard towards it. After all It is my vehicle towards salvation. > > Having lived with sadhu/holy men for several years I am well aware that many of them are in lot of different physical pain and discomfort and they are still doing their spiritual sadhana.It is good as many people are strong and they can endure pain and still do meditation. > > But I have noticed when my physical body is in pain and I am doing my everyday sadhana there is a deep subtle current of pain also flowing towards Divine Mother which I find very upsetting. Few times I have said to DivineBeings that instead of love, today's offering is full of pain. > > I know from my direct personal experience people who have used bare essential to keep their body alive.And when it takes its revenge, there are doctors and hospitals and hospitals and more pain and misery.Their spiritual sadhana gets broken and my own are deeply disturbed. Then there is excuse that it is past life karma. > > If I will not properly care for my physical body when there is time to do so and it falls ill what will Divine Mother will think? > > The second thing is that although I am not a yogi my prayers/puja/ meditations/ japa are not dress rehearsal. They are real things.I am not doing them for my last moments. I am doing them for Divine Mother Who is EverPresent. She resides in Her Dham but She lives in this material world as well.It is her creation and for those who are in this world who constantly calling Her, She is present with them. > > What will She think if after doing deep loving meditation/japa or ordinary puja, I offer it to her and also add that it is only a dress rehearsal. She might think there seems to be loose screw, has he gone on ganja without me knowing it.. > > I do not even think that only after leaving my body I will get libreation. Our devotion cannot bring Her, only Her Grace can make Her give us Her Bliss. Many times I have said, Mother whole day have passed . When will you appear to me again? I am sure She will come. > > Thanks > LaxmiNarayan > > --- On Tue, 1/12/09, Narasimha P.V.R. Rao <pvr (AT) charter (DOT) net> wrote: > > >Narasimha P.V.R. Rao <pvr (AT) charter (DOT) net> > > Re: Final Rites > > > >Tuesday, 1 December, 2009, 2:46 > > > >Namaste, > > > >Your friend is essentially correct - body has no use or meaning after death. > >However, your friend is not entirely correct. If one has a deep attachment > >to the body, mind may be attached to the body even after death, even after > >the connection of the karmendriyas and jnanendriyas of the mind to the > >physical body is cut off. Then what happens to the body does affect the mind > >and its further > > progress. > > > >* * * > > > >When one takes sannyasa, i.e renounces material world, the last rites are to > >be done symbolically. After that, one is dead symbolically. However, if one > >does not have true renunciation and detachment from body, relatives and > >other material objects, there is no point in taking sannyasa or doing > >symbolic last rites. Even if one does it, mind may still be attached to the > >body. If last rites are not done after death, even a sannyasi's mind may > >have problems. On the other hand, a true sannyasi who is absolutely detached > >from the body even when alive will fly high when mind is finally freed from > >the body at death. > > > >* * * > > > >One cannot control what others do with one's body after one leaves it. So > >the wisest course of action would be to develop detachment even when alive. > > > >Divert the concern for the well-being of the body towards other people. Do > >bare minimum to keep the body alive and not be overly concerned about it. > >When you meditate, think only of god and try to forget that there is a body > >that you occupy. Even if leg hurts or neck itches, try to forget about it. > >If you ignore body for a while, it will cry out for attention, like an > >immature child who needs attention. If you give it attention, you cannot > >experience god. But, as you ignore body more, body will try more to get your > >attention (like an immature child who needs attention)! However, if you > >persist, body will have to eventually give up! THAT is when one can absorb > >the mind fully in god. > > > >If one experiences that often while alive, that experience helps immensely > >at death. When the mind leaves the body for the last time, one can focus > >mind on god and ignore the attention grabbing cries for help from the > > body. > >One who successfully focuses mind on god when the last moment comes is > >liberated and gets saayujya or moksha. On the other hand, one who wavers > >from the focus on god and lets mind turn towards the plight of the dying > >body gets stuck. > > > >To a yogi, each session of deep meditation is like a dress rehearsal of the > >last moment! Death is not to be feared. If faced correctly, it is the moment > >of final liberation. Life is meant to be a practice for it! > > > >Instead of worrying about body and its last rites, let every ritual be a > >last rite! I suggest that one should practice detachment and develop the > >ability to absolutely ignore the pitiful cries of the body for attention as > >one tries to focus the mind on god and succeed in absorbing the mind in god > >when meditating. If one practices that, the issue of who does last rites and > >what rites becomes irrelevant. > > > >* * > > * > > > >Of course, one who performs brilliantly in dress rehearsals may still forget > >one's lines or put a wrong expression when playing the drama finally on the > >big stage. Similarly, a yogi who has overcome the attachment to body and > >absorbed the mind perfectly in god many times may still waver at the last > >moment and think of body or something else that is impermenant and be > >reborn. > > > >However, all that is in our control is to practice and prepare for the last > >moment. > > > >* * * > > > >You are lucky. There are many Hindus who do not experience anything like > >what you described. Keep doing sadhana and overcome the little rawness that > >may still be left in the consciousness. > > > >Best regards, > >Narasimha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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