Story of the three robbers

[Guest guest]

I have a slight addition to your point on this story of 3-robbers.

 

Actually its an old story. What it really points is that, in the

forest (which is nothing but Samsara) our wealth (spritual wealth,

the brahmam) can be bound by our senses (3-qualities) due to Maya.

 

But when we get rid of our qualities one by one, we are close to

exiting the forest (samsaara). The point of the 3rd robber also not

being around, when we exit the forest is to show, that when we attain

the state of freedom, bliss, the atman, the brahmam, there are no

qualities whatsoever in that state.

 

It is actually an advaitic story, to prove that in the liberated

state, the Brahmam is devoid of the 3-gunas, (Rajas, Tamas and

Sattvic).

 

-- Pradeep

[Guest guest]

-

" Pradeep Janakiraman " <pradeepjanakiraman

<Ramakrishna >

Friday, November 15, 2002 05:10

[sri Ramakrishna] Re: Story of the three robbers

 

 

> I have a slight addition to your point on this story of 3-robbers.

>

> Actually its an old story. What it really points is that, in the

> forest (which is nothing but Samsara) our wealth (spritual wealth,

> the brahmam) can be bound by our senses (3-qualities) due to Maya.

>

> But when we get rid of our qualities one by one, we are close to

> exiting the forest (samsaara). The point of the 3rd robber also not

> being around, when we exit the forest is to show, that when we attain

> the state of freedom, bliss, the atman, the brahmam, there are no

> qualities whatsoever in that state.

>

> It is actually an advaitic story, to prove that in the liberated

> state, the Brahmam is devoid of the 3-gunas, (Rajas, Tamas and

> Sattvic).

>

> -- Pradeep

 

~~~~~~~~~~~ response~~~~~~~~~~

 

The unusual feature about the three Gunas is that this idea

was present far earlier than the Advaita system. This concept

belongs to the Samkhya system of philosophy which predates

Advaita.

 

When I give talks at Universities, I always pay homage to

Kapila the proponent of Samkhya philosophy which really

is perhaps the first world philosophy that made the distinction

between 'matter' and 'spirit'. Swami Vivekananda suggested

that almost all later world philosophies have taken their cue from

the teachings of this ancient sage. Both Yoga and Vedanta

philosophies (including Advaita) are modifications and

tweaking to what Kapila taught. It is strange, but the findings of

Modern Physics seem like reiteration of this most ancient

philosophy.

 

How marvellous is the story of this Sage Kapila!

Once he had discovered the secret :- 'What is all this?'

He chose his mother to be the first one to hear of the

innermost secrets of the cosmos.

 

jay