Sentient beings : practicalities of Advaita Vedanta

[Guest guest]

Namaste dear Friends,

 

The following request was posted to another list professing

to advocate Advaita Vedanta, but so far, we got the Frozen Chosen

response of total silence on a key question asked by many who are

trying to understand " Hinduism " in general, and reverence for all life

in particular:

 

 

It will be much appreciated if someone (anyone!) on this

list would care to provide references showing what it is

we practise with regard to sentient beings - i.e. our respect

for all created life. In simple terms, how we view cruelty to

" animals " , how we relate to life, how (and if) we respect it

as we do each other. Are we all vegetarians, for instance?

 

Thank you kindly

 

With esteem

 

Raga

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

The ideal of the advaitin is to be a 'jiivanmukta'.

 

There are scriptural descriptions, eg. Gita, biographies, and

personal examples of jiivanmuktas in recent memory and currently

living amongst us.

 

All who have not reached this stage are saadhakas, and there is

no need to 'confess' publicly as to what stage each one is at in this

process!

 

The practices are well spelled out, the same 'Inner Guide'

[antaryaamin] guides the saadhaka that guided the 'jiivanmukta', who

in turn serves as an example of what it is that needs to be practised.

 

With best regards,

 

sunder

 

aj~nebhyo granthinaH shreshhThaa | Better are those who read the

shastra than those who do not.

granthibhyo dhaariNo varaaH . | Better than those who

merely read, are those who keep in mind what they read.

dhaaribhyo j~naaninaH shreshhThaa | Better than those who just

remember, are those who understand.

j~naanibhyo vyavasaayinaH .. | Better than those who just

know, are those who practise what they have understood.

 

Manu Smriti 12:103

 

 

 

Ramakrishna, " Rajah " <rajah@x> wrote:

> Namaste dear Friends,

>

> The following request was posted to another list professing

> to advocate Advaita Vedanta, but so far, we got the Frozen Chosen

> response of total silence on a key question asked by many who are

> trying to understand " Hinduism " in general, and reverence for all

life

> in particular:

>

>

> It will be much appreciated if someone (anyone!) on this

> list would care to provide references showing what it is

> we practise with regard to sentient beings - i.e. our respect

> for all created life. In simple terms, how we view cruelty to

> " animals " , how we relate to life, how (and if) we respect it

> as we do each other. Are we all vegetarians, for instance?

>

> Thank you kindly

>

> With esteem

>

> Raga

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

Well, Here I would differ from what Anup or for that matter any honored list

member, who advocates non-vegetarianism in the sense that’s -- it really not

much important what you eat as far as your heart is not cruel.

Just because, most of the great men of the past were non-vegetarian, it

doesn’t give any body an authority to advocate tamsic food. These Sorts of

examples are no explanation. Here I throw a challenge to all of you, who

advocates it in absolute sense, how much of you can then cut a living

animal, scratch its outer skin out (say a cow or a dog or a bird) in front

of your eyes and eat it up. If you can’t, I suggest you to ask yourself why

you can’t?

“The lioness that kills the Gazelle to feed its cubs and her family or the

man who kills it for a trophy? “

The man who kills it for a trophy certainly seems to be more ignorant, but

this doesn’t justify your TRUTH.

The Lioness kills and eats gazelles in order to survive. To make it clearer,

I suggest you to look at your “teethes” and the “teethes” of Lion. Now ask a

question to yourself that -- are you really designed to be a flesh eater?

Then how can you compare.....?

Even our closest living ancestors (Chimps and Gorillas) don’t eat flesh

(very rarely to get some necessary proteins and for that matter they do have

few canine teeth’s). And we being intelligent and thoughtful beings can very

easily find Protein substitutes in the vegetarian food too (if we have that

urging). So I personally feel there’s no reason for eating meat for those at

least who truly inspires to be on the path of Advaita Vedanta (absolute

truth). I in person have thought a lot and lot about flesh eating, as I

myself cherished the flesh eating one point of time. The conclusion I came

over again and again was that we don’t seem or are not willing to realize

the atrocities that these animals go through, just for the sake of our sense

(taste) gratification.

I agree with you over the issue that Hitler in spite of vegetarian was not a

noble man and the world greats like Budha, Ramakrishna, Christ..… Were among

the noblest men mother Earth has ever produced. but then the statement...

“if you are focused on God it does not matter what you eat, because its the

Same manifesting in meat or vegetable” - I do not agree in totality. You

might find my remarks discouraging or merely out of emotion, but let me

assure you they are not, they are just out of concern. The above statement

if really a “Truth of Higher Order” should give me authority to eat anything

say: What about (killing first)eating each other or our loved ones or our

pets - rationally speaking, with the same focus on God? (As some one has to

be HURT, why not first our loved ones in this material world?) Christ ones

said, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Now are not the birds, animals,

(Plants too but without feelings of pain and happiness as far as my GK goes)

etc our neighbor? Is not your “Truth” contradicting with “Truth of Christ”?

Vivekananda only said something like that “if your “Truth” contradicts with

any of other “Truth, which is of higher, order” reject your truth at ones.

This is how we are going to progress from Lower to Higher truth.”

Swami Ashokananda said, " every person has the capability to rise towards

higher truthes " . Why not we live by it?

In Past, it was different the “Greats”, might not be sure that one can get

necessary proteins in the vegetarian food which are very essential for a

person mental or physical growth, and more importantly they were brought up

in such an environment that it was pretty normal for them to think otherwise

as they were already conditioned. For this sake I always felt that one

should be stubborn when it comes to choose between Principle and

Personality, as Personality is likely to be conditioned by the surroundings

and period. And there’s no harm in doing so, it only foster your reverence

for the Great Personalities a thousand fold.

Now we know or if one doesn’t, please read some good articles on vegetarian

food, “One can get all the proteins in vegetarian food that one gets in the

flesh”. The bottom line is one should avoid meat eating (off course if body

can support, Lion's body doesn’t support plant eating) as this surely HURTS

the animal I am not sure that this happens with plants too………………………

Pardon me if any one feel that what I expressed was out of ignorance or any

biases………… As far as I know I have only spoken from the heart.

With Love and Regards………….

Rahul

 

 

 

 

>Ramakrishna

>Ramakrishna

>Ramakrishna

>[sri Ramakrishna] Digest Number 1055

>18 Feb 2002 08:26:44 -0000

>

>Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah

>Vivekananda Centre London

>http://www.vivekananda.co.uk

>------

>

>There are 19 messages in this issue.

>

>Topics in this digest:

>

> 1. Re: Meditation

> " sunderh " <sunderh

> 2. Re: varnashramadharma

> " Sunder Hattangadi " <sunderh

> 3. VML-2/16/02

> ananta <sarada

> 4. Re: Varnasharam Dharma

> " kushal_shah123 " <kushal_shah123

> 5. Re: Meditation

> " kushal_shah123 " <kushal_shah123

> 6. Sentient beings : practicalities of Advaita Vedanta

> " Rajah " <rajah

> 7. Re: 1054

> " Brad Stephan " <brad

> 8. Re: Sentient beings : practicalities of Advaita Vedanta

> " Anup Lahiry " <lahirya

> 9. VML-2/17/02

> ananta <sarada

> 10. Re: Sentient beings : practicalities of Advaita Vedanta

> " sunderh " <sunderh

> 11. new at our site

> c s shah <drcssha_agd

> 12. Fw: Significance of the 108 beads on a Mala

> " Vivekananda Centre " <vivekananda

> 13. Re: Fw: Significance of the 108 beads on a Mala

> " sunderh " <sunderh

> 14. 108

> " Kendra Crossen Burroughs " <kcburroughs

> 15. Bhakti Yoga and imagined place in the worship of Devi

> " Alexandra Kafka " <alexandra.kafka

> 16. Re: Re: Meditation

> " NANTHA NAIDU " <nantha_naidu

> 17. Bhakti Yoga and imagined place in the worship of Devi

> " Alexandra Kafka " <alexandra.kafka

> 18. Re: Re: Re: the bhagavad gita

> " Karthikeyan C S " <metcsk

> 19. Light in the eye...

> " Vivekananda Centre " <vivekananda

>

>

>______________________

>______________________

>

>Message: 1

> Sat, 16 Feb 2002 02:22:09 -0000

> " sunderh " <sunderh

>Re: Meditation

>

>Namaste,

>

> This is an on-line, 5-part series from Prabuddha Bharata [1980]

>by Sw. Bhajanananda of Ramakrishna Order:

>

>http://www.realization.org/page/namedoc0/cm_bhaj/cm_bhaj_contents.htm

>

>

>Regards,

>

>Sunder

>

>

>

>Ramakrishna, VISHWAJIT BHADRASHETTY <b_vishwajit>

>wrote:

> >

> > ||Jai-

>RamaKrishna||

> >

> > Friends,

> >

> > I read an article on meditation.

>

>

>

>

>______________________

>______________________

>

>Message: 2

> Sat, 16 Feb 2002 00:27:17

> " Sunder Hattangadi " <sunderh

>Re: varnashramadharma

>

>Namaste,

>

> A careful study of the following articles will give a good overview:

>

>

>http://kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part17/chap1.htm [all chapters in Parts 17

>through 20].

>

>http://www.hinduism.co.za/ashramas.htm

>http://www.hinduism.co.za/newpage8.htm

>

>

>Regards,

>

>Sunder

>

>

>

> > " Vivekananda Centre London " <hindu

> > " Vivekananda Centre London " <hindu

> > " cherylbutterworth " <cherylbutterworth, " list "

> ><ramakrishna >

> >Re: varnashramadharma

> >Fri, 15 Feb 2002 23:51:52 -0000

> >

> >-

> > cherylbutterworth

> >

> > Friday, February 15, 2002 10:05

> > varnashramadharma

> >

> >

> > I need to prepare some lessons for a unit on Hinduism and equality.

>(OCR

> >Syllabus. Philosophy and Ethics). I can not find any reference to this

>aqnd

> >I do not remember learning about this when I did me degree. Please can

>you

> >help?

> > Thanks in anticipation,

> > Namaste!

> > Cheryl Butterworth.

> > Head of R.E. at The Castle School

> > Thornbury,

> > Bristol.

> > BS35 1HT.

> >

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~response~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> >

> > Namaste Cheryl

> >

> > Varna and Ashrama dharma is what you are searching for.

> > This has been incorporated in both the GCSE and Advanced level

> > syllabus on Hinduism....

> >

> > We will forward your message to some of our list members who

> > may respond to you directly..... We have a very active list hence

> > you should get many replies.

> >

> > regards

> > jay

> > Vivekananda Centre London

> >

>

>

>

>

>With best regards,

>

>sunder

>

>aj~nebhyo granthinaH shreshhThaa | Better are those who read the shastra

>than those who do not.

>granthibhyo dhaariNo varaaH . | Better than those who merely

>read,

>are those who keep in mind what they read.

>dhaaribhyo j~naaninaH shreshhThaa | Better than those who just remember,

>are

>those who understand.

>j~naanibhyo vyavasaayinaH .. | Better than those who just know,

>are those who practise what they have understood.

>

> Manu Smriti 12:103

>

>

>_______________

>Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

>

>

>

>

>______________________

>______________________

>

>Message: 3

> Fri, 15 Feb 2002 23:04:34 -0500

> ananta <sarada

>VML-2/16/02

>

>The voice did not say to Upakosala that the fire which he was

>worshipping, or the sun, or the moon, or the lightning, or anything

>else, was all wrong, but it showed him that the same spirit which was

>inside the sun, and moon, and lightning, and the fire, and the earth,

>was in him, so that everything became transformed, as it were, in the

>eyes of Upakosala. The fire which was merely a material fire before,

>in which to make oblations, assumed a new aspect and became the Lord.

>The earth became transformed, life became transformed, the Sun, the

>moon, the stars, the lightning, everything became transformed and

>deified. Their real nature was known.

>

>

>

>______________________

>______________________

>

>Message: 4

> Sat, 16 Feb 2002 04:31:27 -0000

> " kushal_shah123 " <kushal_shah123

>Re: Varnasharam Dharma

>

>

>hari om!

>

>when it comes to hinduism, i can't remember of anything greater than

>the complete works of swami vivekananda and his chicago speech

>

>if u don't find enough material there u won't find it in a library of

>books. u could also refer to the sri sri bhagwad gita.

>

>i hope u benefit from this mail.

>

>

>

>

>______________________

>______________________

>

>Message: 5

> Sat, 16 Feb 2002 04:46:27 -0000

> " kushal_shah123 " <kushal_shah123

>Re: Meditation

>

>

>hari om!

>

>what has been said in the book is absolutely right. unless u get rid

>of all desires u cannot do perfect meditation. if u have desire for

>anything, your mind will constantly think about it. suppose,if u

>desire to have a car, ur mind is constantly thinking about the car,

>its model, color, price tag, no. of peoply watching u when u r out on

>a drive and so on. u can never get rid of such thoughts unless u get

>rid of desires. only when u get free from all desires will your mind

>be completely focussed on the supreme being, the almighty.

>

>if u have further doubts let us know.

>

>may peace reign...................................................

>

>

>

>

>______________________

>______________________

>

>Message: 6

> Sat, 16 Feb 2002 08:10:08 -0000

> " Rajah " <rajah

>Sentient beings : practicalities of Advaita Vedanta

>

>Namaste dear Friends,

>

>The following request was posted to another list professing

>to advocate Advaita Vedanta, but so far, we got the Frozen Chosen

>response of total silence on a key question asked by many who are

>trying to understand " Hinduism " in general, and reverence for all life

>in particular:

>

>

>It will be much appreciated if someone (anyone!) on this

>list would care to provide references showing what it is

>we practise with regard to sentient beings - i.e. our respect

>for all created life. In simple terms, how we view cruelty to

> " animals " , how we relate to life, how (and if) we respect it

>as we do each other. Are we all vegetarians, for instance?

>

>Thank you kindly

>

>With esteem

>

>Raga

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear list members, i appologise for the aggresive stand that i took towards

Tamasic food eating....it was harsh on my side, so please forgive. Also a

friend of mine who is also the list member suggested me to improve upon my

grammer.... and looking back at what i wrote out of excitation was apalling

experience for me. Sri.. thanks for your feedback.

Again with Love and Regards...

Rahul

 

 

 

_______________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.