[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Enlightenment through Zen and the Gita, the Natural way

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As usual, very nice inputs Balagopal Ji. Krishna informs what is the topmost Yoga in last verse of the 6th Chapter of Bhagavad-Gita where Krishna says that among all the yogis (Yoginaam Api Sarveshaam) one who thinks of Krishna with full concentration (Mad Gaten Antar Aatmanaa) and worships Krishna with full faith (Shraddhaavaan Bhajate Yo Maam) is the topmost (Sa Me Yuktatamo Mataha). As stated by Krishna: [yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. - BG 6.47 - http://www.asitis.com/6/47.html ] Hare Krishna!balagopal ramakrishnan <rbalpal wrote: HARI AUMFound this in the blog ofsahitibharadwaj.rediffiland.com/ dtd Thursday 7 June, 2007 I had posted this sloka earlier in the group.Repetition is the ONLY way to learning. The sloka isvery clear and powerful.Enjoy the zen quotes too.RegardsBalagopalNARAYANA NARAYANA

NARAYANA I have bumped into, yet again, a jewel of a sloka fromBhagavad Gita. It says about what true Yoga is!Different definitions are given in Gita for "Yoga".One thing that is common in all those definitions isthat "Yoga" is NOT complicated physical postures orbreathing exercises. "Yoga" which means "union", isstate of mind, it is how u carry urself thru life! Itis how u bcom one with "Nature" or your "true self"!Gita for me is like a guide for day to day living orrather a map that helps the house-hold man in themidst of the ocean called life (not an ascetic in thewoods!) to steer clear of the storms as well as steerthrough them, and do so with equanimity!! The sloka that i refer to has the most generic andsimple definition that i found till date. It says,yukta-ahara-viharasya yukta-cheshtasy karmasu,yukta-svapana-avabodhasya yogo bhavati dukha-hawhich can be loosely

traslated as "Yoga, the source ofpeace and happiness, can be achieved only by one whomanages to eat, live; work, rest; sleep, stay awake;to the extent appropriate."The key being "yukta" = to the extent appropriate !!Yoga means moderation! Moderation when u eat, enjoy,work, dream and wakeup! See, Gita doesnt say youshould not enjoy, it doesnt say you should not dream!It only says enjoy well, enjoy thoroughly, but knowwhen it is time to work. Dream well, but know when itis time to wakeup and act!!! Actually even moderationis not right work for "yukta", for it only denotesquantity. "Yukta" means right quantity as well asright quality!!! Yoga means taking from Nature just as much as u need! This reminds me of a simple zen story. A student onceasked his teacher,"Master, what is enlightenment?" Themaster replied, "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."There is no hard and fast

rule as to what is the rightquantity ! What is "yukta" for one person may not beso for another. So we should stop being judgementalabout others and spend that time on ascertaining whatis "yukta" for ourselves!One has to listen to his/her body and give as muchfood, rest, play and work as it needs!To have "yukta aahara", which means to eat well, weneed to be aware that we are eating!!!! At the sametime remember that there are no hard and fastrules...other than being mindful, being aware..This brings to my mind another simple n interestingzen story...a master tells group of students, "Zen isbeing in present. Being aware, and not doing anythingmechanically. When u eat, you just eat. when u readnews paper u just read news paper."Next day the student sees that the master was eatingwhile reading news paper and asked him "Master, ithought u said we should not eat while we read newspaper"

Master says, "No! I said, when you eat and readnewspaper, you just eat and read newspaper" :-)))PS: This school of thought also implies that one neednot essentially read Bible, Quran or the Gita to be"Yogi". The pre-requisite as well as the onlyrequisite is being Natural, being true to yourself!!!Hence the jeans clad, hip-hop guy/gal sipping beer,MAY, under certain conditions, be more a "Yogi" than adhoti clad, pious young man chanting mantras! Yes,such a predicament is entirely possible! ________ India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something newhttp://in.answers./

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Hare Krishna, The words below is true to 100 % correct. Be as natural. Position / Power / Degree is not God is looking for or want for.Be as Human and do the Karma as Humans. Education is only to make the perfection into that. Rest leave to Kannans feet. Thanks for remembering the eaternal truth. With Love, Sree PS: This school of thought also implies that one neednot essentially read Bible, Quran or the Gita to be"Yogi". The pre-requisite as well as

the onlyrequisite is being Natural, being true to yourself!!!Hence the jeans clad, hip-hop guy/gal sipping beer,MAY, under certain conditions, be more a "Yogi" than adhoti clad, pious young man chanting mantras! Yes,such a predicament is entirely possible! balagopal ramakrishnan <rbalpal (AT) (DOT) co.in> wrote: HARI AUMFound this in the blog ofsahitibharadwaj.rediffiland.com/ dtd Thursday 7 June, 2007 I had posted this sloka earlier in the group.Repetition is the ONLY way to learning. The sloka isvery clear and powerful.Enjoy the zen quotes too.RegardsBalagopalNARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA I have bumped into, yet again, a jewel of a sloka fromBhagavad Gita. It says about what true Yoga is!Different definitions are given in Gita for "Yoga".One thing that is common in all those definitions isthat "Yoga" is NOT complicated physical postures orbreathing exercises. "Yoga" which means "union", isstate of mind, it is how u carry urself thru life! Itis how u bcom one with "Nature" or your "true self"!Gita for me is like a guide for day to day living orrather a map that helps the house-hold man in themidst of the

ocean called life (not an ascetic in thewoods!) to steer clear of the storms as well as steerthrough them, and do so with equanimity!! The sloka that i refer to has the most generic andsimple definition that i found till date. It says,yukta-ahara-viharasya yukta-cheshtasy karmasu,yukta-svapana-avabodhasya yogo bhavati dukha-hawhich can be loosely traslated as "Yoga, the source ofpeace and happiness, can be achieved only by one whomanages to eat, live; work, rest; sleep, stay awake;to the extent appropriate."The key being "yukta" = to the extent appropriate !!Yoga means moderation! Moderation when u eat, enjoy,work, dream and wakeup! See, Gita doesnt say youshould not enjoy, it doesnt say you should not dream!It only says enjoy well, enjoy thoroughly, but knowwhen it is time to work. Dream well, but know when itis time to wakeup and act!!! Actually even moderationis

not right work for "yukta", for it only denotesquantity. "Yukta" means right quantity as well asright quality!!! Yoga means taking from Nature just as much as u need! This reminds me of a simple zen story. A student onceasked his teacher,"Master, what is enlightenment?" Themaster replied, "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."There is no hard and fast rule as to what is the rightquantity ! What is "yukta" for one person may not beso for another. So we should stop being judgementalabout others and spend that time on ascertaining whatis "yukta" for ourselves!One has to listen to his/her body and give as muchfood, rest, play and work as it needs!To have "yukta aahara", which means to eat well, weneed to be aware that we are eating!!!! At the sametime remember that there are no hard and fastrules...other than being mindful, being aware..This brings to my mind another simple n

interestingzen story...a master tells group of students, "Zen isbeing in present. Being aware, and not doing anythingmechanically. When u eat, you just eat. when u readnews paper u just read news paper."Next day the student sees that the master was eatingwhile reading news paper and asked him "Master, ithought u said we should not eat while we read newspaper" Master says, "No! I said, when you eat and readnewspaper, you just eat and read newspaper" :-)))PS: This school of thought also implies that one neednot essentially read Bible, Quran or the Gita to be"Yogi". The pre-requisite as well as the onlyrequisite is being Natural, being true to yourself!!!Hence the jeans clad, hip-hop guy/gal sipping beer,MAY, under certain conditions, be more a "Yogi" than adhoti clad, pious young man chanting mantras! Yes,such a predicament is entirely possible!

________ India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something newhttp://in.answers./ Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who knows. Answers - Check it out.

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