How to get istablished in Brahman?

[Guest guest]

Srinivas - you have asked pertinent question. How to get established in Brahman

- for the question not to get buried in the discussion of state of jiivan mukta

- Let us change the title to contemplate on it.

 

Here is my approach.

 

Three things that are mentioned in the sloka provided by Sunderji.

 

1. Should have his intellect study.

 

2. Should not be deluded

 

3. Should have equanimity if desirable or undersirable comes on the way.- This

same thing Krishana say as part of sthitaprajna lakshaNa - In the sloka -

duHkeShu anudvigna manaaH sukheShu vigata spruhaH.

 

Srinivas - you have asked pertinent question. How to get established in Brahman

- Let us change the title so that we can concentrate on that topic.

 

Here is my approach.

 

Three things that are mentioned in the sloka provided by Sunderji.

 

1. Should have his intellect study.

 

2. Should not be deluded

 

3. Should have equanimity if desirable or undesirable comes on the way.- This

same thing Krishna say as part of sthitaprajna lakshaNa - In the sloka -

duHkeShu anudvigna manaaH sukheShu vigata spruhaH.

 

But how to get these becomes the next question.

 

In fact all the three listed above are interrelated.

 

But the most important one has to ask oneself - if one has the recipe of How to

get – is he ready to follow it? – Does he have firm commitment to take the

flight?. – There lies the problem. It is not the lack of recipes but not

having a commitment to follow the recipe.

 

Krishna says that of the thousands of people very few are interested in this

adhyaatmic study and of those who are interested very few will even try for it.

 

The recipe is well known – First is to get the four fold qualification

required for the flight.

 

1. This comes predominately by Karma yoga. And then by upaasana or Bhakti –

Let us ask ourselves a question ?– what have I done or give back to the

society in return for so much that I received from the society – Remember the

Chinmaya Mission pledge – giving more than we take - Is three something I can

do – by mind, by speech and/or by action to help the less privileged ones in

the society. Remember when you help of lowest of the lowest you are helping me

says the Lord. I am committing some thing or thought towards selfless work –

one a daily, monthly, yearly or during the life on this earth.

 

2. Do I spend some time at least first thing in the morning and last thing in

the night to think of Him and thank him to be with your or being with you in

various forms and names that you have transacted or going to transact during the

day. Seeing Him in and through all the forms that you transact with provides a

greatest vision -of the viswaruupa. That is the essence of BrahmaarpaNam …

Not only before the food we take before every transaction with the world of

people and objects. Bringing Him in to our life will set the stage of the

intellect to be steady – since this vision is gives more than that want meets

the eye – in the process the mind gets less and less deluded, since delusion

is not able to see oneness underlying the plurality – the oneness is HIM –

in whatever form mind is comfortable to see Him.

 

In order to keep reminding the mind that this is our goal and this is our

approach, it needs constant reminder, since the fasciations with the names and

forms are so attractive it is easy to loose the vision of the substantive. See

His presence starting from yourself , your spouse and your kith and kin and all

your friends and foes – Try to keep Him in every background of transaction –

This is difficult but Krishna says it comes by practice - abhyaasa and

vairaagya are two important ways to keep the mind and under control and focused

on HIM.

 

Once the mind is steady – the scripture advises to pursue the Vedantic study

under a competent guru – it is not weekly once and then forget it – it

involves a commitment saadhana – shravana, manana and nidhidhyaasana –

SravaNa involves consistent and systematic study of the scriptures under a

competent guru for a prolonged length of time until the mind has clear vision of

the truth. For this try to use every opportunity available to study the

scriptures – Attending the regular classes – spiritual camps – or

attending the gurukula type courses are currently available means.

Mananam is the reflection on the teaching – this is where the discussions of

advaitin etc will help – provided one makes use of it properly. It is

important to screen out the noise and concentrate on the learning.

Third is the assimilation of the teaching – nidhidhyaasana – Here study,

teaching, writing, contemplating, communicating to others the essence of Vedanta

– all are part of keeping the mind to dwell on that truth. If one approaches

the discussion from the point of the truth, then you are on the right track.

Your guru is the right teacher to set you right in case of doubt. Guru is the

one in whom you are convinced that the interpretation of the scriptures he

provides is the right one.

 

These are the only accepted and well traveled routs to reach that. But this

requires commitment and full faith – there are no short cuts for this.

 

Hope this helps

Sadananda

 

 

 

--- On Fri, 1/30/09, Srinivas Nagulapalli <srini_nagul wrote:

 

 

> 20. A knower of Brahman, who is established in Brahman, should have

 

> his intellect steady and should not be deluded. He should not get

 

> delighted by getting what is desirable, nor become dejected by

 

> getting what is undesirable.

-------------

My question is HOW to get established? We see sometimes a single word

 

breaking years of friendships, like small pickle piece breaking

 

entire bowl of milk. And a rude look setting off chain of events

 

leading to dejection or anger. Closer the person who caused it,

 

greater the intensity. On extreme end, just an ignoring look of parent

 

can make a toddler even cry! Not much difference for grown ups. This

 

is a very real, practical problem.

 

 

 

It is not rare to see at homes or offices, in sports or shops,

 

in temples or roads- patience of a three-year old, attention span

 

of a housefly and judgement of herd of sheep. How do we get

 

established in Brahman with steady intellect? More than ever,

 

this seems greatest and most urgent need for majority of us to be

 

established in Brahman. Any inputs will be appreciated.

 

============ ========= ========

[Guest guest]

advaitin , kuntimaddi sadananda

<kuntimaddisada wrote:

>

> These are the only accepted and well traveled routs to reach that.

But this requires commitment and full faith †" there are no short

cuts for this.

 

Namaste,

 

Shankara, when asked by his disciples the same question,

composed the Sopana (or Upadesha) Panchakam, - 40 steps in 5 verses:

 

http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org/sadhana/upadesha_panchakam.php

(Sanskrit version)

 

http://www.kanchiforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1658 & start=250

(English translation)

 

Study the Veda every day; do properly the karma prescribed therein;

through that (act), worship the Lord (Isa); give up the thought of

doing an act with desire (for its fruit); shake off the group of

sinful deeds; consider (mentally) the defect in worldly pleasure;

strive for the desire (for the knowledge) of the Átmán (Self); get

out of your home without delay.

 

Form association with good; entertain firm devotion for the Lord;

practise Ùánti (calmness of mind) and so on; give up at once the fast-

binding karma (action); approach the good, wise person (for

knowledge); serve (worship) his sandal (feet) every day; seek (from

him knowledge of Brahman, symbolized by the single Syllable (Om);

listen to the Vedánta-vakya dealing with Brahman.

 

Ponder over the import of scriptural texts (Vedánta-vákyas) dealing

with Brahman. Accept the view (verdict) of the Vádanta-texts.

Deliberately desist from vain (bad) reasoning (discussion). Bear in

mind (follow) the reasoning that is in accord with the scriptures

(Veda). Always revolve in the mind the thought - ``I am Brahman''.

Always give up pride. Give up the notion, ``I am the body''. Avoid

vain discussion with the wise.

 

Cure the disease in the form of hunger; take in the medicine in the

form of bhiksá (borrowed alms); do not ask for delicious (savoury)

food; be contented with what is acquired providentially (without

effort); endure patiently cold and heat and other (pairs of

opposites); do not utter words in vain; have desire to be neutral

(without taking sides); give up the attitude of being kind to some

people and cruel to others.

 

Sit comfortably in a lonely (quiet) place; fix the mind on the Higher

(Supreme) Self; seek the full (all-pervading) Átman within; consider

this Universe as sublated by it; melt away (destroy) the effect of

karma already done by dint of discriminating knowledge; get detached

from future actions; go through the effect of karma which you have

begun to experience here; finally remain (peacefully) in the exalted

state of the Supreme Self (Para-brahman).

 

One can cross-reference these to many Gita verses and practise

them without feeling despondent (anirviNNachetasA).

 

uddharedAtmanAtmAnaM....... one should uplift oneself by

one's own efforts.

 

There are many assurances (eg Gita 11:55) of the fruition

of these efforts.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

Namaste,I read this post with great interest.Sunder, I am wondering what you mean by the following:What do you mean by "get out of your home without delay"?Best WishesRichardthrough that (act), worship the Lord (Isa); give up the thought of doing an act with desire (for its fruit); shake off the group of sinful deeds; consider (mentally) the defect in worldly pleasure; strive for the desire (for the knowledge) of the Átmán (Self); get out of your home without delay.

[Guest guest]

Dear Richardji:

Pranams. Shri. Sunderji will provide appropriate explanation for your

query. The following excerpt from the commentary of Swami

Chinmayananda on Sadhana Panchakam by Adi Sankaracharya may be of help.

" NijagrahAthUrNaM vinirgamyathAm - Escape from the bondage of 'home':

Home is the safe shelter in which we remain and contact the world all

around us. The equipments of matter (BMI - body,mind and intellect)

constitute the 'home' of the Self now, from wherein we gather our

experiences during our constant transactions with the world

outside(OET - objects,emotions and thoughts). At this moment in our

identification with our 'home'(BMI), we behave as though we are a

helpless physical,mental and intellectual personality (PFT -

perceiver,feeler and thinker), a limited ego(jiva), totally under the

tyranny of our own body and its lusts, our mind and its passions, and

our intellect and its restlessness. Adi Sankara cries out: " Escape

from the bondage of this 'home' once for ever. " End your ego-sense

(PFT attitude) and come to awake in the ampler fields of the infinite

Consiousness - God Consciousness. " ( end of quote).

Regards.

Jan Nagraj

 

advaitin , Richard <pminow wrote:

 

 

Namaste,

 

I read this post with great interest.

 

Sunder, I am wondering what you mean by the following:

 

What do you mean by " get out  of your home without delay " ?

 

Best Wishes

Richard

 

through that (act), worship the Lord (Isa); give up the thought of

doing an act with desire (for its fruit); shake off the group of

sinful deeds; consider (mentally) the defect in worldly pleasure;

strive for the desire (for the knowledge) of the Átmán (Self); get

out of your home without delay.

[Guest guest]

advaitin , Richard <pminow wrote:

>>

> I read this post with great interest.

>

> Sunder, I am wondering what you mean by the following:

>

> What do you mean by " get out  of your home without delay " ?

>

 

Namaste,

 

In Gita 12:19, the word used is 'aniketaH', of no fixed abode.

For one who is a true 'sannyasi', it would mean one who has no

attachment (rAga) to a home (or to ownership of anything), or

whatever shelter one happens to be in is of equal value. In one of

Sankara's hymns, he says 'svadesho bhuvanatrayaH' - all the three

worlds are my home. As Anandaji in a recent post explained the 1st

mantra of Ishopanishad, everything belongs to the Lord - we are to

live only as His trustees.

 

I assume that the original 'upadesha-5' was addressed to his

sannyasi disciples, but can be adopted as an ideal by non-sanynyasis

too.

 

There are some 16 'Sannyasa' upanishads which describe the

rules and regulations for sannyasis - those who have entered

the 'sannyasa-ashram', but even these may have to be modified to suit

different conditions, though the ideal remains unchanged.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder