individual nature

[Guest guest]

greetings! :-)

 

this is a quote from dennis waite's How to Act on his web site:

 

" In all of this, we should allow our own particular nature to suggest

the general direction which our life should take e.g. if our natural

inclination is toward leading men, we should not shy away from such a

course. If we have always been interested in nature and wildlife etc.,

then by all means act appropriately in response to environmental

problems ... "

 

advaita sees the ONENESS in everything and considers any notion of

duality/plurality to be illusion, correct?

 

so what is " own particular nature " in advaita terms? merely illusion

to be transcended? or reality to be nurtured?

 

thank you.

 

rachMiel

[Guest guest]

Dear rachMiel-ji,

 

 

 

svadharma (one's own duty) is explained particularly well in the Bhagavad

Gita. Krishna tells Arjuna that he has to act according his own dharma - he

is a kShatriya (a warrior) and, accordingly it is his duty to fight the

battle. He says that it is far better to perform one's own duty poorly than

someone else's duty well. Of course, this is all within the realm of

vyavahAra (the apparent world of objects and people). This is where we

initially find ourselves. It *is* reality for us at the time so we have to

act accordingly. The world is only discovered to be mithyA (not real in

itself but having the essential nature of the non-dual reality) later, when

we have gained some self-knowledge. So we initially act (as we think)

according to what seems to be real, and according to our own nature. Then,

later, we realize that 'I do nothing at all' as Krishna later puts it.

 

 

 

Best wishes,

 

Dennis

 

 

 

advaitin [advaitin ] On Behalf

Of rachmiel

28 February 2008 21:13

advaitin

individual nature

 

 

 

greetings! :-)

 

this is a quote from dennis waite's How to Act on his web site:

 

" In all of this, we should allow our own particular nature to suggest

the general direction which our life should take e.g. if our natural

inclination is toward leading men, we should not shy away from such a

course. If we have always been interested in nature and wildlife etc.,

then by all means act appropriately in response to environmental

problems ... "

 

advaita sees the ONENESS in everything and considers any notion of

duality/plurality to be illusion, correct?

 

so what is " own particular nature " in advaita terms? merely illusion

to be transcended? or reality to be nurtured?

 

thank you.

 

rachMiel

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> Dear rachMiel-ji,

 

> svadharma (one's own duty) is explained particularly well in the

Bhagavad Gita. Krishna tells Arjuna that he has to act according his

own dharma - he is a kShatriya (a warrior) and, accordingly it is his

duty to fight the battle. He says that it is far better to perform

one's own duty poorly than someone else's duty well.

 

would you say this translates to: it is better to BE oneself (one's

idiosyncratic unique persona) rather than to try to be anyone else?

 

> Of course, this is all within the realm of vyavahAra (the apparent

world of objects and people). This is where we initially find

ourselves. It *is* reality for us at the time so we have to act

accordingly.

 

i must say it is very strange to read of the notion that one lives in

a delusional reality! it's like being in plato's cave and having

someone say the 'real' reality is outside and all you are seeing is

shadows ... but not knowing whether to BELIEVE this person or not,

because we have never experienced the real reality in / our / gut.

 

we unenlightened so must take the word of the enlightened few. that is

an act of faith and trust. not blind, because we retain our critical

faculty throughout the journey.

 

> The world is only discovered to be mithyA (not real in itself but

having the essential nature of the non-dual reality) later, when we

have gained some self-knowledge. So we initially act (as we think)

according to what seems to be real, and according to our own nature.

Then, later, we realize that 'I do nothing at all' as Krishna later

puts it.

 

yes. this is clear and well said. (hey, you should be a writer! ;-) )

 

again, this is strange. we intuit THAT ... but are embedded in THIS.

it reminds me of my musical background. i am a musician who started

piano late in life, so my internal hearing of a piano piece (how i

knew that it should be played) was way far ahead of what i could

actually play.

 

thank you.

 

rachMiel

[Guest guest]

Dear RachMiel-ji,

 

 

 

You ask: " would you say this translates to: it is better to BE oneself

(one's idiosyncratic unique persona) rather than to try to be anyone else? "

 

 

 

Colloquially, one could certainly say this. You just have to be careful not

to take it literally, since one should always remember that one is not the

person.

 

 

 

" i must say it is very strange to read of the notion that one lives in a

delusional reality! it's like being in plato's cave and having someone say

the 'real' reality is outside and all you are seeing is shadows ... but not

knowing whether to BELIEVE this person or not, because we have never

experienced the real reality in our gut. "

 

 

 

Plato's metaphor is an excellent one.

 

 

 

" again, this is strange. we intuit THAT ... but are embedded in THIS. it

reminds me of my musical background. i am a musician who started piano late

in life, so my internal hearing of a piano piece (how I knew that it should

be played) was way far ahead of what i could actually play. "

 

 

 

Tell me about it! I've been trying to play classical guitar for the past 35

years but it still sounds much better in my head!

 

 

 

Best wishes,

 

Dennis