Guest guest Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Chandra Sekharanji - Shree Guruvyaurappa Sharanam! Thank you for your mail. It is indeed very nice that you are raising the queries, because it is indeed for these discussions that the Lord has given us the human form of life. These discussions not only purifies the people who ask and reply but also the audience in general who want to read these messages. This is very beautifully confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, where it is said: --- [ Vasudeva Katha Prashna Purusham Trin Punati Hy Vaktaaram Pracchakam Srotrms Tat Paada Salilam Yatha " The Ganges, emanating from the toe of Lord Visnu, purifies the three worlds, the upper, middle and lower planetary systems. Similarly, when one asks questions about the pastimes and characteristics of Lord Vasudeva, Krsna, three varieties of men are purified: the speaker or preacher, he who inquires, and the people in general who listen. " - http://srimadbhagavatam.com/10/1/16/en - SB 10.1.16 ] --- Also, please accept my humble obeisances unto you for expressing that you have to learn more. It is only this attitude which will make us humble and help us to learn more and more, as if we think that we know everything then it will lead us to false-pride, because other than the Lord Himself no one knows anything fully. Shree Krishna Sharanam Mama! ~Krishnadasa. guruvayur , Chandra Menon <chandrasmenon2002 wrote: > > Ohm Narayanaya Namah > Krishnadasaji, > Thanks for your intervention and reply to my query which is very much appreciated. > Also many thanks for the links for clearing my left over doubts on this matter. > On this day of Deepavali, thanks for lifting my andhakaram - darkness- and lighting my little knowledge with some LIGHT. > Wishing all members of this Great Group a wonderful Deepavali and all through the days ahead > Ohm Narayanaya Namah > Chandra Sekharan > > krishnadasa77 <krishnadasa77 wrote: > Dear Chandraji - Shree Guruvayurappa Sharanam! > > Sorry for involving in this query which you have posted to Veenaji. I > thought will just share whatever little I know. Please find my reply > below. > > ~Krishnadasa. > > guruvayur , Chandra Menon > <chandrasmenon2002@> wrote: > > > > What is Vedanta ? Veda, I can understand. Is Vedanta - the end of > >Veda or Veda that is blind? > > > Vedanta means " Veda + Anta " = " The end of knowledge " . It is > not " Andha " which means blind. > > Vedanta is also called as Upanishad. And the cream of all the > Upanishads is there in Bhagavad-Gita. Hence it is also called as > Gitopanishad. > > Therefore there is a beautiful stotra in the Gita-Mahatmya which says: > > [ Sarvopanishido Gavo Dogdha Gopaala Nanadana > Paartho Vatsah Sudhir Bhokta Dugdham Gitaamrtam Mahat > > All the Upanishads are the cows, the one who milks the cows is > Krishna, Arjuna (Partha) is the calf. > Men of purified intellect are the enjoyers; the milk is the great > nectar of the Gita. - Gita Mahatmya 6 - > http://www.hknet.org.nz/gita_mahatmya.htm ] > > Also you can find more details about the Vedanta/Upanishad here - > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanishads > > Shree Krishna Sharanam Mama! > > > > > " Veena A. Nair " <veeus18@> wrote: > > Om Namo Narayanaya. > > > > Below are some excerpts from the book 'Vedanta for the western > world' published in 1948. This book contains essays that appeared in > the Voice of India, a bi-monthly newsletter of the American Vedanta > Society, Los Angeles center. The American Vedanta Society was founded > by Swami Vivekananda first in New York city; later several branches > were also founded in other cities. This book, edited by Christopher > Isherwood, is a collection of articles/essays (or speeches of) of the > disciples of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa including among others Swami > Prabhavananda, Vivekananda, Yatiswarananda, and plus Aldous Huxley > and Christopher Isherwood. > > > > ------------------------- > -- > > > > The free will with which I make choices, react to situations and > people is the sum total of my past deeds, thoughts and feelings. The > subconscious mind carries the record of many many past lives and is > an influential factor in our present lives. With experience we gain > an understanding of good and evil. But sometimes we find oursleves > helpless and are compelled to act in a certain manner. A thief wishes > to reform himself and resolves not to steal. He then goes somewhere > and sees that he can steal something very easily without being > caught. So even though he knows better than to steal, he still does > it. Similarly with any of us with any bad habit. We are thus slaves > to our own sub-conscious minds, to our own characters. So then what > is the solution? > > > > In Patanjali'sYoga sutras the first aphorism or principle is " Yoga- > schitta-vritti nirodha " . Which means Yoga is the complete control of > the modifications in the mind. Modifications meaning thoughts and > contents of the mind. And how do we go about doing a complete > overhauling of the mind? > > > > By the regular practice of doing japam the mind becomes calm. We > can always find excuses for not doing japam, but once we get into the > habit, the namam itself will take hold of the mind. The power of the > naamam works even while one is asleep. One who practices japam > continues to recite the name in all states of consciousness, whether > waking or dreaming or in deep sleep. Just as the body breathes while > asleep, so does the mind recite the name in sleep. > > > > > > After their return from Lanka, Rama gave Hanuman a pearl necklace. > Hanumanji accepted it and then examined each pearl, and then with his > teeth opened one of the pearls, looked inside and threw the necklace > away. Laxman, watching Hanumanji, was really upset and complained to > Rama about this incident. Rama smiled and said go ask him why he did > that. Hanumanji replied that he wanted to see if Rama's name was > etched inside the pearl. Because if Rama is not in them, then > Hanuman has no need of pearls. > > > > It is said that Hanuman recited Rama naamam even when Rama was > around. > > > > ------------------------- > > > > If we had to clean an ink bottle stuck to a table, we cannot do it > by throwing out the ink. The solution is to pour clean water in and > the ink and the dirt will spill out. We will have to keep pouring > water in until all the dirt and ink have washed out and finally the > bottle will contain only clean water. Similarly it is not possible to > empty the mind by throwing out the contents of consciousness and > making the mind blank. What we can do is to pour into the mind the > water of God until all the dirt spills out. In the beginning it is > like all the dirt within us comes to the surface just like the dirty > ink; all that dirt needs be got rid of. With patience and > determination we need to continue pouring the water of God thought > into our minds. Struggle to bring back the thought of God into the > mind again and again > > > > ------------------------- > > > > Meditation does not mean making your mind blank. Trying not to > think of anything is not going to help. Mediation requires a great > strenous effort to concentrate the mind upon God and it doesn't > matter what the form is. But we must concentrate on something > positive. We have to think of that one form to the exclusion of > everything else. Never try to make your mind blank--then you will > remain a blank! 'This is what the Hindu means by meditation, a > constant flow of thought towards one ideal. In other words you walk > with God, you sleep with God, you eat with God, you live with God' > (p. 141). > > > > ------------------------- > > > > I think there is a prayer by Shankaracharya? and I don't know the > exact words...but the approximate meaning is " ..let my walking be a > pradakshina around You, let the food that I eat be an offering to > You, let my sleep be a namaskaram to You... " something to that > extent. But when we are constantly thinking of God by doing nama > japam we are saving our energies which otherwise is wasted in endless > worry about things that are in the future or about stuff that > happened in the past. So let us put our heads down and focus on God, > like KVGji suggested maybe an hour every day. Or like Shyamalaji > suggested while travelling and walking. So much time is spent in > that. > > > > Om Namo Narayanaya. > > Veena. > > > > > > > > > > > > Get on board. You're invited to try the new Mail. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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