Guest guest Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 This will sound strange, it certainly is strange to me. Two nights ago I had a strange dream and heard this being specifically spoke of advaita vedanta. What's odd is that I'm not hindu, I would say more new age. And I haven't been recently exploring this belief, so it wasn't something that was just fresh in my mind. Anyways since the dream I had deep interest in exploring more about advaita. I found some books from amazon that I wanted to purchase to learn more about this view(belief, philo, im not sure about the proper terminology). Before I dwelve deeper on this view, I simply don't want more knowledge. I would really like practical knowledge. Therefore my question is, may I ask how advaita vedanta has benefitted your life? Thank you Laksamanh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 advaitin , " phap44 " <phap44 wrote: > Before I dwelve deeper on this view, I simply don't want more > knowledge. I would really like practical knowledge. > > Therefore my question is, may I ask how advaita vedanta has benefitted > your life? > > Thank you > > Laksamanh > Namaste all. How has advaita affected my life? That is a good question. Advaita has affected my daily life in changing my attitudes to everything in a different way. Earlier, that is, before I was twenty, I was affected by every happening around me. When I saw an honest relative suffering by the evil-doings of a capricious relative, I felt very very bad that I myself could not do anything because both were my close relativces and further, in the ancient culture of traditional India in which I lived and grew up I was not supposed to raise my voice against elders, particularly elder relatives. When I was infuriated by certain doings of missionary christians which affected the religious sentiments of hindus, I wrote a letter of scathing criticism to the newspapers which was, to my amazement, published with a provocative heading. I did not have the heading part in my letter but it was the editor's making. And what happened was I was criticised for that heading by several correspondents in the newspapers and I felt really small, particularly before my student- friends. I was a college student then. When I saw certain ancient customs of shaving the head, etc. of a woman who had just been widowed I protested to my heart's content, spoke to the elders who were responsible for it, but finally I could not succeed. I was totally bowled by the elders. But I could never get over that bad feeling, because it was my elder sister who was the victim! I was reading English Fiction all my spare time and I had such a craze for them that I collected all the classic fiction books by buying them from old bookshops, and keeping them as my greatest treasure -- in the hope that I will even pass it all as a legacy to my `future successors'! Well, I have given you above, only four instances of my youthful attitudes which I thought will be most permanent. All that was before I was 25 or 30. But in due time over the years, some thing struck my mind so forcefully that all these attitudes became mellowed. And what is that thing which struck me? THIS TOO WILL PASS! This single idea took possession of me over the years. By the time I was 35 or 40 I was convinced that this is the only thing which is ever permanent. Everything comes and goes. All our attitudes are only passing attitudes. We are right, only temporarily. In the long run, our attitudes change. Even the details of the events and attitudes pale into insignificance, as time passes. Good and Evil exist, but both pass away. Neither is permanent. What is permanent is only the anchor sheet on which all the events, attitudes and what not, take place as a movie on a movie screen. And I was convinced that advaita is the right thing! And now I am not affected by anything seriously. Even if I am affected by something, like a physical ailment, or a mental shock, or what seems to be a personal insult or even if I am excited by some success – I tell myself " THIS TOO WILL PASS " and the feeling tones down. PraNAms to all advaitins. profvk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 advaitin , " phap44 " <phap44 wrote: > > This will sound strange, it certainly is strange to me. Two nights ago > I had a strange dream and heard this being specifically spoke of > advaita vedanta. What's odd is that I'm not hindu, I would say more > new age. ... > Before I dwelve deeper on this view, I simply don't want more > knowledge. I would really like practical knowledge. > > Therefore my question is, may I ask how advaita vedanta has benefitted > your life? > > Thank you > > Laksamanh Namaste Laksamanh, You ask how Advaita/Vedanta has benefited our lives. Of course, I can only speak for myself. After over 30 years of spiritual seeking, I finally discovered the traditional path of Advaita/Vedanta, which IMO can answer all the important questions one has. You say you want 'practical knowledge.' IMO there is nothing more practical than knowing who in fact you really are, what in fact all of this duality which we see and perceive, is. What this creation is, what my place in it is, and what my relationship to it is. There is nothing more practical than that. Vedanta provides a context and a container for the whole person, no part is left out. Being 'new age,' is okay, although that's a pretty broad term, and its meaning could cover a lot of ground. In my experience whatever good the 'new age' has to offer, the 'age old' wisdom of Vedanta offers, and more. I've been pretty 'new age' myself. But after all of these years of seeking, I would say that I feel very blessed to have found a true teacher of my era, who can unfold a teaching which is timeless, and which teaching provides that knowledge I have always sought, and without which knowledge, one will always feel incomplete. If you are interested in the subject of Advaita/Vedanta, my advice would be, rather than reading a lot about the subject on your own, it is better to seek out a living teacher from within the tradition, because that is how the subject is meant to be studied and taught. Without a living teacher to guide your mind, you may develop a lot of false understandings on the subject, which you will then have to later shed. That you have had a dream about Advaita/Vedanta is very nice. Let us hope that in this waking world, you are blessed to find a teacher who will lead you to understand, and directly see, that you are That which shines in all states of experience, waking, dream, and deep sleep, and knowing which everything else is as well known. Pranams, Durga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2007 Report Share Posted May 16, 2007 namakarams after a long time this is the type of replies or post i prefer.i go with you sir in this, the answer i would give to anybody would be the same. may lord krishna bless us all baskaran " V. Krishnamurthy " <profvk wrote: advaitin , " phap44 " <phap44 wrote: > Before I dwelve deeper on this view, I simply don't want more > knowledge. I would really like practical knowledge. > > Therefore my question is, may I ask how advaita vedanta has benefitted > your life? > > Thank you > > Laksamanh > Namaste all. How has advaita affected my life? That is a good question. Advaita has affected my daily life in changing my attitudes to everything in a different way. Earlier, that is, before I was twenty, I was affected by every happening around me. When I saw an honest relative suffering by the evil-doings of a capricious relative, I felt very very bad that I myself could not do anything because both were my close relativces and further, in the ancient culture of traditional India in which I lived and grew up I was not supposed to raise my voice against elders, particularly elder relatives. When I was infuriated by certain doings of missionary christians which affected the religious sentiments of hindus, I wrote a letter of scathing criticism to the newspapers which was, to my amazement, published with a provocative heading. I did not have the heading part in my letter but it was the editor's making. And what happened was I was criticised for that heading by several correspondents in the newspapers and I felt really small, particularly before my student- friends. I was a college student then. When I saw certain ancient customs of shaving the head, etc. of a woman who had just been widowed I protested to my heart's content, spoke to the elders who were responsible for it, but finally I could not succeed. I was totally bowled by the elders. But I could never get over that bad feeling, because it was my elder sister who was the victim! I was reading English Fiction all my spare time and I had such a craze for them that I collected all the classic fiction books by buying them from old bookshops, and keeping them as my greatest treasure -- in the hope that I will even pass it all as a legacy to my `future successors'! Well, I have given you above, only four instances of my youthful attitudes which I thought will be most permanent. All that was before I was 25 or 30. But in due time over the years, some thing struck my mind so forcefully that all these attitudes became mellowed. And what is that thing which struck me? THIS TOO WILL PASS! This single idea took possession of me over the years. By the time I was 35 or 40 I was convinced that this is the only thing which is ever permanent. Everything comes and goes. All our attitudes are only passing attitudes. We are right, only temporarily. In the long run, our attitudes change. Even the details of the events and attitudes pale into insignificance, as time passes. Good and Evil exist, but both pass away. Neither is permanent. What is permanent is only the anchor sheet on which all the events, attitudes and what not, take place as a movie on a movie screen. And I was convinced that advaita is the right thing! And now I am not affected by anything seriously. Even if I am affected by something, like a physical ailment, or a mental shock, or what seems to be a personal insult or even if I am excited by some success – I tell myself " THIS TOO WILL PASS " and the feeling tones down. PraNAms to all advaitins. profvk BASKARAN.C.S Office firewalls, cyber cafes, college labs, don't allow you to download CHAT? Here's a solution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 17, 2007 Report Share Posted May 17, 2007 Dear Laksamanh, Advaita Vedanta, and Ramana Maharshi's self-inquiry have brought me to where each day is mainly filled with peace - inner peace. And the desire for deeper peace. The teaching is about what is closest to you - your Self. Seeing who you are (what is always there) and who you are not (all that changes) brings freedom and peace. I want to stress what Durga said, though. For most of us it very best - perhaps vital - that we find a living teacher, and a teacher that stands as That, not as any individual. Without a teacher, we are left with ego as teacher, and one view of the practice is the dissolution of the ego. How is the ego going to teach you how to dissolve the ego? One other thing about practice - you know without error if you are happy. We all seek happiness, and naturally want happiness that lasts. We also know that happiness from any thing is only temporary. Look to see where happiness really comes from. Is it from things, or people or events? Or is it something from within? You will find that the more dissolution of the ego, the more natural happiness is there. Good luck in your investigation. What you must do is to investigate your own existence. You know you exist. Of this you are certain. Just what is it that exists? Who are you? What is that nature of your own existence? The questions you must investigate and answer within yourself. Not two, Richard advaitin , " Durga " <durgaji108 wrote: > > advaitin , " phap44 " <phap44@> wrote: > > > > This will sound strange, it certainly is strange to me. Two nights ago > > I had a strange dream and heard this being specifically spoke of > > advaita vedanta. What's odd is that I'm not hindu, I would say more > > new age. ... > > > Before I dwelve deeper on this view, I simply don't want more > > knowledge. I would really like practical knowledge. > > > > Therefore my question is, may I ask how advaita vedanta has benefitted > > your life? > > > > Thank you > > > > Laksamanh > > Namaste Laksamanh, >> > If you are interested in the subject of Advaita/Vedanta, > my advice would be, rather than reading a lot about > the subject on your own, it is better to seek out > a living teacher from within the tradition, because > that is how the subject is meant to be studied > and taught. > > Without a living teacher to guide your mind, you > may develop a lot of false understandings on the > subject, which you will then have to later shed. > > > Pranams, > Durga > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 For what it is worth, i will say this: Advaita has not transformed my life or anything. But it has given me the knowledge that there is more to life than what we can perceive. When all it said and done, the former being what most of us are good at, true advaita is beyond words and experience. These two things, i feel, are my 'practical' experience. Regards, baskar Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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