Digest Number 1249

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

I just wanted to narrate what I heard recently in Bangalore Math

on the Ganesh Chaturthi day.

 

Srimath Swami Harshanandaji, who is the head of Bangalore

Ramakrishna Math, was delivering a speech on the occasion of the

festival and was describing the form of Ganesh. He quoted from

Pathanjali yoga sutras that " any form " that the devotee likes is his/

her ista devatha. Again he raised a question whether this " any form "

as said by sage Pathanjali is really any form that we can think of, like

for example a wall? For this he himself gave the answer based on

Acharya Sankara's commentaries. He said that this " any form " is the

form realised by the saints and should be understood that way. All the

forms that we worship and the mantras that we chant are given to us

by great seers or saints who realised those forms or the mantras.

With out that, any form or shloka would not become a ista or mantra.

If we believe that by chanting coca cola we can attain our goal, we

are cheating ourselves and nothing more.

 

Regards,

Swamy

 

 

>

> Message: 4

> Sun, 15 Sep 2002 01:19:32 -0700 (PDT)

> Jagannath Chatterjee <jagchat01

> Re: Jiddu & Others

>

> Yes Sunder,

>

> Many people think that our traditional mantras are

> mere words and make fun of them. But these mantras

> carry subtle vibrations which benefits one

> spiritually. Moreover they have been sanctified by the

> many saints and sages who have repeated them and many

> more who are still doing so.

>

> When I met Srimat Swami Gahanandaji Maharaj during his

> stay at Bhubaneswar, he enquired whether I was

> reciting the Gayatri Mantra which I had received at

> the time of upanayana. When I replied in the negative

> and said I thought the initiation mantra was enough he

> immediately corrected me and asked me to recite the

> Gayatri Mantra also. This shows what deep regard and

> respect the saints have for our traditional mantras.

>

> So naturally one gets irritated when people say they

> have achieved the goal by chanting " Coca-Cola " . Even

> Sri Dayananda Saraswati, as we read in the Kathamrita,

> had a similiar disregard for mantras. He asked people

> to chant " sandesh " instead. Birds of a feather flock

> together I suppose!

>

> Again, I am sorry if I have offended anyone.

>

> Regards

> Jagannath

>

>

>

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>

> ______________________

> ______________________

>

> Message: 5

> Sun, 15 Sep 2002 11:07:36 -0500

> " Stephen C. Conte " <conte

> Re: Jiddu & Others

>

> Dear Jagganath,

>

> This conversation brings out an important truth concerning the effect of

> sound on our spiritual state.

>

> While it it true that the realized sage discerns all is Brahman, such is not

> the case for those persons who have not yet attained realization. " I am not

> the body " : but for those who do not yet know it, identification with the

> body remains and so the body is either an obstacle or a vehicle. And so it

> is with the ear in particular, hence the yoga of sound.

>

> To cite an example, I myself had conversations with a certain young person

> over the course of many months concerning the effect of " rap " on the

> spiritual life. He insisted all sound was the same, asserting that " rap "

> was as good as mantra! He went so far as to remark, on the occasion of

> hearing Sanskrit chant, that it sounded to him the same as " rap " . He

> refused to accept the warning concerning the deleterious effect of these

> dark and disturbing sounds, and instead immersed himself in them. In course

> of time he was admitted to a mental hospital in the throes of a complete

> nervous breakdown. His psychiatrist's prescription: " Never listen to 'rap'

> again! "

>

> Now, having recovered his right mind by the grace of the Lord, he chants

> mantra and sings the Holy Names. His sattvic tendencies have been greatly

> strengthened, sweetness and joy have replaced his dark confusion, and his

> marks have attained the " A " honors list.

>

> This story shows that we should not make indiscriminate use of any sounds,

> especially to the extent of immersing ourselves in them. Instead we should

> closely follow the instructions of our revered swamis with full confidence.

>

> Yours,

>

> Stephen

>

>

> Message: 6

> Sun, 15 Sep 2002 18:38:19 -0000

> " sunderh " <sunderh

> Re: Jiddu & Others

>

> Namaste Jagannathji,

>

> As Vyasa Maharshi said:

>

> Follow true words, even if they come out of the mouth of a babe;

>

> discard a lie, even if it comes out of the mouth of Brahma!

>

> There need be no offence taken; one should accept all

> teachings that have been verified by other sages.

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder

>

 

 

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