Guest guest Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Dear List Members, Namaste to all. Can anyone explain " Ahamgrahopasana " in a detailed way? With regards, Anupam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 advaitin , anupam srivatsav <anupam.srivatsav wrote: > > Dear List Members, > > Namaste to all. > > Can anyone explain " Ahamgrahopasana " in a detailed way? > > With regards, > Anupam. Dear Anupam-ji, One form of meditation is that with symbols (pratika). For example, a linga is meditated on as Lord Shiva, or a salagrama as Lord Vishnu. Another kind is meditation on a picture or image of any deity. In these meditations the meditator thinks of himself as different from the object of meditation. In ahamgraha upasana, the meditator meditates on Brahman, thinking of himself as Brahman. S.N.Sastri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Dear Sri Sastri Ji, Namaste. > One form of meditation is that with symbols (pratika). For example, a linga is meditated on as Lord Shiva, or a salagrama as Lord Vishnu. > Another kind is meditation on a picture or image of any deity. In these meditations the meditator thinks of himself as different from the object of meditation. > In ahamgraha upasana, the meditator meditates on Brahman, thinking of himself as Brahman. Thanks a lot for your quick response. Is there any scriptural references to this? With regards, Anupam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 advaitin , anupam srivatsav <anupam.srivatsav wrote: > > Dear Sri Sastri Ji, > Thanks a lot for your quick response. Is there any scriptural > references to this? > > With regards, > Anupam. Dera Shri Anupamam, This term does not appear in the upanishads, but it is used in vedantic literature. In Swami Gambhirananda's English translation of Chandogya up. bhAshya, the various types of upasana are mentioned in the Introduction and this is one of them. Best wishes, S.N.Sastri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 6, 2009 Report Share Posted September 6, 2009 Dear Sri Shastri Ji, Namaste. Thanks a lot for the reply and a pointer. > Dera Shri Anupamam, > This term does not appear in the upanishads, but it is used in vedantic literature. In Swami Gambhirananda's English translation of Chandogya up. bhAshya, the various types of upasana are mentioned in the Introduction and this is one of them. With regards, Anupam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 Dear Sri Sastri ji, Namaste. > Dera Shri Anupamam, > This term does not appear in the upanishads, but it is used in vedantic > literature. In Swami Gambhirananda's English translation of Chandogya up. > bhAshya, the various types of upasana are mentioned in the Introduction and > this is one of them. I was not having Swami Gambhirananda's translation on Chandogya Upanishad. When I enquired also, i came to know that Chandogya and Brhdaranyaka were not translated by him. It seems he has translated other eight upanishads + Shvetasvatara Upanishad. With regards, Anupam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 advaitin , anupam srivatsav <anupam.srivatsav wrote: > I was not having Swami Gambhirananda's translation on Chandogya > Upanishad. When I enquired also, i came to know that Chandogya and > Brhdaranyaka were not translated by him. It seems he has translated > other eight upanishads + Shvetasvatara Upanishad. > > With regards, > Anupam. Dear Anupam, Swami Gambhirananda's translation of Ch. up. with Bhashya has been published by Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, which is part of Ramakrishna Mission. I have got the book with me. Probably it is out of stock or out of print now. S.N.Sastri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 Dera Shri Anupamam, This term does not appear in the upanishads, but it is used in vedantic literature. In Swami Gambhirananda's English translation of Chandogya up. bhAshya, the various types of upasana are mentioned in the Introduction and this is one of them. praNAms Hare Krishna Yes, the term 'ahaMgrahOpAsana' is not used exclusively in the vedAnta. But in tradition, we say, chAdOgya's shAndilya vidya (I think in 3rd chApter) and 'hArdabrahmOpAsana' or dahara upAsana (8th chapter ??) both are 'ahaMgrahOpAsana'. The result of this upAsana is brahma lOka says somewhere by shankara because this type of upAsana is 'kartru tantra'. Just some additional thoughts. HariHari Hari Bol!!! bhaskar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2009 Report Share Posted September 7, 2009 advaitin , Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr wrote: >> Yes, the term 'ahaMgrahOpAsana' is not used exclusively in the vedAnta. > But in tradition, we say, chAdOgya's shAndilya vidya (I think in 3rd > chApter) and 'hArdabrahmOpAsana' or dahara upAsana (8th chapter ??) both > are 'ahaMgrahOpAsana'. The result of this upAsana is brahma lOka says > somewhere by shankara because this type of upAsana is 'kartru tantra'. > Just some additional thoughts. Namaste, Sw. Sivananda (Founder,Divine Life Society, Rishikesh, has this to say: http://www.thecentre.co.za/articles/1.%20YOGA/Swami%20Sivananda/Self-Knowledge.d\ oc " ...Upasana is of two kinds viz., Prateekopasana and Ahamgrahopasana. In the first kind, Prateeka or symbol is used for meditation. In the second kind, Prateeka or symbol is used for his very self as the object of meditation. The previous one is the Bhakta's method. The latter one belongs to the non-dual Vedantins. One who has outgrown the first kind of Upasana is recommended to take up the higher Ahamgrahopasana wherein he meditates on his own Atman as his own pure Self..... " In the book, 'The Supreme Knowledge Revealed through Vidyas in the Upanishads', by Sw. Brahmananda (a disciple of Sw. Sivananda), (Publ. Divine Life Society, 1990 - ISBN81-7052-074-6), has mentioned the 100 vidyas, among which are: 1 ahaM brahmAsmi mahAvAkya vidyA p. 355 2 dahara vidyA p. 325 3 shANDilya vidyA p. 256 4 hRRidaya vidyA p. 464 He has given detailed references too numerous to enumerate here. Regards, Sunder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Namaste, advaitin , " sunderh " <sunderh wrote: > " ...Upasana is of two kinds viz., For this topic the following footnote from the book 'Vivekachudamani with an English Translation of the Sanskrit Commentary of Shri H.H. Chandrasekhara Bharathi', on shloka 33 1/2 (svaatmatattvaanusandhaanaM bhaktirityapare jaguH), page 47 is very relevant: upaasana is of three kinds: 1. a~ngaavabodhopaasana: in which some person or thing is worshipped or meditated as a limb of a rite as where a kUrcha or sacred grass is thought as a diety invoked on it (asmin kuurche brahmaaNamaavaaahayaami); 2. pratiikopaasana: as where an idol or picture is worshipped as a god; 3. ahamgrahopaasana: in which the worshippeer himself is equated with a diety as in 'shivoham' or 'soham'. praNAms to all advaitins Ramakrishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 advaitin , " uramakrsna " <uramakrishna wrote: > > Namaste, > > advaitin , " sunderh " <sunderh@> wrote: > > " ...Upasana is of two kinds viz., > > For this topic the following footnote from the book 'Vivekachudamani with an > English Translation of the Sanskrit Commentary of Shri H.H. Chandrasekhara > Bharathi', on shloka 33 1/2 (svaatmatattvaanusandhaanaM bhaktirityapare > jaguH), page 47 is very relevant: > > upaasana is of three kinds: > > 1. a~ngaavabodhopaasana: in which some person or thing is worshipped or > meditated as a limb of a rite as where a kUrcha or sacred grass is thought > as a diety invoked on it (asmin kuurche brahmaaNamaavaaahayaami); > > 2. pratiikopaasana: as where an idol or picture is worshipped as a god; > > 3. ahamgrahopaasana: in which the worshippeer himself is equated with a > diety as in 'shivoham' or 'soham'. > > praNAms to all advaitins > Ramakrishna Namaste. The 'aham-grahopasana' is prescribed in the Upanishad itself, although in an indirect manner. In the famous portion of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad where the 'Aham Brahma asmi' occurs (1.4.10), the Upanishad criticizes he who worships a deity as something different from himself: 'atha yo anyAm devatAm upAste, " anyo'sau anyo'hamasmi " iti, na sa veda. yathaa pashurEvam sa devaanAm' //He who contemplates on a deity as 'the deity is different and I am different' he does not know (he is in ignorance). He is verily a head of cattle to the deva-s'.// Thus, by way of depracating a worship with a notion of difference between the worshipper and the worshipped, the Upanishad is exhorting us to obliterate the difference. This 'end' is possible only when one practices the worship without difference, even while being conscious of the (unreal) difference. In the smArta bhakti tradition this verse is chanted at the commencement of a formal puja, worship: 'deho devAlayaH prokto jIvo devaH sanAtanaH | tyajedajnAna-nirmAlyam so'ham bhAvEna pUjayEt ||' Meaning and explanation: The body is verily a temple and the indwelling jIva, soul, is the Eternal, Ancient, deity there in the temple. When one commences the puja he first discards the flowers placed on the deity on the previous day/occasion. This 'old' flower/s is called 'nirmAlyam'. In the present context this 'nirmaalyam' is nothing but anAdi ajnAna, ignorance (He is different and I am different). Then, how is this nirmAlyam discarded? It is by consciously bringing the bhAvanA 'I am He/That'. The realization of identity is accomplished by this a priori practice of entertaining the bhAvanA 'I am He'. Another famous instance of 'aham grahopasana' is in the dhyAna shloka of Sri LalitA sahasra Naama. In the shloka commencing with the words: 'aruNAm karuNAtarangi.........' the ending quarter is: 'ahamityEva vibhAvayE bhavAnIm' (I contemplate Mother BhavAni as my self). 'devo bhUtvA devam yajEt' (Having 'become' the deity, worship the deity} is another instance. Saint Mira Bai sang: Lord Krishna, dye my garments with the Krishna-colour. Someone else sang: I shall apply the kAjal of Krishna to my eyes. I shall apply the Mehndi of Krishna colour to my hands and feet. The idea of applying vibhUti, chandanam, wearing rudrAksham, tulsi maala, etc. while puja, japam, etc. is to bring about the feeling of 'I am He'/'He is not different from me'. The crux of 'ahamgrahopAsana' is: contemplating identity while still not possessing the conviction of identity. Once the conviction arises unshakably there is no longer ahamgrahopasana; there is clean Realization, sAkshAtkAra. Om Tat Sat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 advaitin , " uramakrsna " <uramakrishna wrote: > > > For this topic the following footnote from the book 'Vivekachudamani with an > English Translation of the Sanskrit Commentary of Shri H.H. Chandrasekhara > Bharathi', on shloka 33 1/2 (svaatmatattvaanusandhaanaM bhaktirityapare > jaguH), page 47 is very relevant: > > upaasana is of three kinds: Namaste, The text is on-line at: http://www.srisharada.com/vivekachudamani.htm Regards, Sunder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 advaitin , " sunderh " <sunderh wrote: > The text is on-line at: > http://www.srisharada.com/vivekachudamani.htm Namaste Shri Sunder-ji, Thanks for the valuable link (again!). I am sure that keeping the book online would help every one understand the crest-jewel a little more (not forgetting that it would make it easy for referring quickly). The mail of the webmaster webmaster Seems to be bouncing. Can you kindly direct me to the owners. praNAm-s and thanks again Ramakrishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 List Moderator's Note: This is a voluntary effort by some dedicated individuals and is an ongoing project. Those who care should come forward to help this noble task. Let us not entertain any negative thoughts in our mind. ======================== om, How is that in this link, certain files of vivekchudamani are not highlighted ,so that we could not get those pdf files thanks uday vaidya ________________________________ uramakrsna <uramakrishna advaitin Tuesday, 8 September, 2009 21:58:14 Re: Aham Grahopasana advaitin@ s.com, " sunderh " <sunderh > wrote: > The text is on-line at: > http://www.srishara da.com/vivekachu damani.htm Namaste Shri Sunder-ji, Thanks for the valuable link (again!). I am sure that keeping the book online would help every one understand the crest-jewel a little more (not forgetting that it would make it easy for referring quickly). The mail of the webmaster webmaster@srisharad a.com Seems to be bouncing. Can you kindly direct me to the owners. praNAm-s and thanks again Ramakrishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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