Guest guest Posted November 22, 2000 Report Share Posted November 22, 2000 In the last analysis, renunciation is a natural outcome of the discrimination you pursue. What do I want in my life? posing this question and finding honest answer would tell us that most of the time we are afraid of God Realization as the goal in life. Many factors work to bring us to such an impasse. One being impure mind. Only constant, regular medtiation as per the instructions of a Guru, a realized soul, can help us sharpen our reason and see through the veil. This is called purification of mind. The process of purification can be achieved by devotion as well as selfless action also. Thus, discrimination, meditation, devotion, and selfless work are four paths to purify the mind. Then in this purified mind one sees the reflection of one's true nature. We do not have to become or gain something, we have to realize what we already are. c s s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 23, 2000 Report Share Posted November 23, 2000 That is rightly said, saying I will stay in this samsara and at the same time try for mukthi is an impossible task. As ShankarachArayA has said in his VivEkachUDAmani " that one who strives both for material prosperity and spiritual realization is attempting to cross a river by catching hold of the tail of a crocodile! " even the avatara purusha's like Sri Ramakrishna , Buddha had to leave this samsara to attain that mukthi. sarvam vAsudEvamayam jagath Prashanth > Sri Ramakrishna says in the Gospel (p. 696): > > " Unless a devotee is of the heroic type he cannot > pay attention to both God > and the world. King Janaka lived a householder's > life only after attaining > perfection through austerity and prayer. He fenced > with two swords, the one > of Knowledge and the other of action. " > <snip> Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2000 Report Share Posted November 24, 2000 Dear Jaguarxox, You cannot run away frm the desires of the mind by running away from the world. After all where r u going to find the Lord?? The Lord is seated in ur heart and in the heart of each one of us. Perform all austerities as an offering to the Lord. In this age of Kali Yuga, the path to the Lord is simplest. U do not have to perform any auterities, rituals. All u need to do is remember the Lord at all times with love for Him and he shall be there with u. Jai Sri Krishna... Kedar.S. > eGroups eLerts > It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! Message: 3 Tue, 21 Nov 2000 19:09:57 EST jaguarxox Fencing With Two Swords Sri Ramakrishna says in the Gospel (p. 696): " Unless a devotee is of the heroic type he cannot pay attention to both God and the world. King Janaka lived a householder's life only after attaining perfection through austerity and prayer. He fenced with two swords, the one of Knowledge and the other of action. " In this quote (and others), Sri Ramakrishna advocates stern renunciation for serious devotees- almost to the point that unless we are devoting all our energy and doing sadhana most of our waking hours- our chance of seeing God is rather slim. This makes sense in that unless we have given up other pursuits and desires the mind will not be focused enough to attain samadhi (or for a Bhakta: Mother will not bestow Her grace until we have given up everything for Her love only). If we really believe that we are in essence Divine and that Divinity is pure peace, fearlessness, and bliss- why would we pursue anything else? Like Sri Ramakrishna's story about the thief who knows there is a pile of gold in the next room from where he is sleeping- would he be able to sleep or would he be thinking of every possible way to get to that gold? In that sense I realize I really do not have faith in the religion I follow- it would require a radical disregard for all pleasures and pursuits that I take to be " normal " life- and an unbreakable determination to realize this Divinity at all costs. The householder's life is really such a hollow pursuit when we understand where the real Truth lies...and virtually impossible for us to attain this realization when the mind is scattered here and there with all these useless pursuits, pleasures, and responsibilities. While Swami Vivekananda was a great exponent of karma yoga, I realize this message was primarily for an asleep nation mired in tamas. Of course we need rajas in order to overcome tamas. But isn't his message ultimately the same as his Master's? That we must RENOUNCE to find peace- not just internally, as some modern gurus expound, but externally as well? Doesn't the real message of renunciation always become diluted for the sake of householders? How many of us are deluding ourselves to think we are like King Janaka, the 'heroic' type? Or that we can pursue God a few minutes a day and find realization? I'm really asking myself if I have complete faith in this teaching- and if so- why aren't I doing more to get that 'mountain of gold' that lies within me? Shouldn't I learn to fence with at least one sword first before trying to fence with two? Chequemail.com - a free web based e-mail service that also pays!!! http://www.chequemail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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