Guest guest Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 In Chandi Chapter One, verse 16, when Good Thoughts went into deeper contemplation of the loss of his wealth, his thoughts became controlled by worldly attachments. How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them to assume control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 Swamiji, It appears that, whatever we contemplate, that we truly become, in that we then become limited by that thing, and engage all our other thoughts about that thing, in relation to anything else we can think about. It is so that, our contemplation is a sort of a spire of thought that situates us, and limits us, within the unlimited reality. Anything will do; a car; a woman, my watch; a house; an entire realm of associations, emotions, neurological sensations, all gather together, like the ego's army, to support and defend any attachment, to the extent of changing form as the ego did, from a buffalo, to a man, etc. Pranams, thank you for bringing up this for consideration. Steve Connor , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote: > In Chandi Chapter One, verse 16, when Good Thoughts went into deeper > contemplation of the loss of his wealth, his thoughts became > controlled by worldly attachments. > > How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them > to assume control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 Swamiji's question brought to mind a story that we read in "Shree Maa, The Life of a Saint." The story 'One Friend with a Prostitute and the Other in the Temple', ends with these words: "God looks to the mind, not where you are, but with what quality of mind you are there. God receives the expressions of the heart." , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote: > In Chandi Chapter One, verse 16, when Good Thoughts went into deeper > contemplation of the loss of his wealth, his thoughts became > controlled by worldly attachments. > > How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them > to assume control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2004 Report Share Posted June 8, 2004 "> How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them > to assume control?" Even the word bhavana (meditation, contemplation, mental discipline) contains the root: bhu-"to become, to exist". When we contemplate something, becoming absorbed in it,we give life to that thing. "Consciousness (citta) is connected with the life force indwelling in all beings. Like a bird tied to a string (so is the mind) (Yoga-Shikha-Upanishad)". Our prana follows our attention...so that which we contemplate, we give power to. sadhvi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2004 Report Share Posted June 9, 2004 It wasn't actually his contemplation of the loss of his wealth that intensified his attachment, but rather, his complete identification with the loss. Verse twelve says, "Then his contemplations were overcome with egotism and attachment..." The combination of egotism, ("This is who I am, a kingdomless king), and attachment (I hate my current circumstances and greatly desire that which was) served to constrict his mind to the point where all he could see was his pain over his loss. This is one-pointed meditation. It is no wonder his pain intensified. Had the King contemplated his egotism within the context of a lower level of attachment, he might have been able to discern that he is more than this King who appears to have lost something. At the least, he could have recognized his commonality with humanity as a whole, and realized, though he lost a great deal, he still possessed more than many, his health for instance. At best, he could have realized himself as indistinguishable from pure consciousness itself, and therefore at loss for nothing. Had the King been able to contemplate his attachment with a more open, more inclusive ego, he might have been able to see that everything in life is transitory, subject to birth and death. Even his loss of everything he had was inevitable, as he surely would have lost it upon his death. Contemplation in either of these veins, rather than constricting the mind, expands it. Indeed, as the story continues, we see that as he begins to focus his attention on the troubles of the businessman and off of himself he becomes more stable, more awake to truth, until he is able to ask in verse forty-one, "My reflections are without control and give much pain to my mind. I have great attachment to the kingdom and to every aspect of the status that has gone from me." It was not the contemplation, per se, that was his problem, but its negative nature. As I was reading today in the Tripura Rahasya, "Negative thought feeds the ego," and "For lack of positive thought, people perform their duties and remain caught in the snare of delusion; thus they become victims of innumerable miseries." Chris , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote: > In Chandi Chapter One, verse 16, when Good Thoughts went into deeper > contemplation of the loss of his wealth, his thoughts became > controlled by worldly attachments. > > How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them > to assume control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2004 Report Share Posted June 9, 2004 Namaste Everybody Swamiji says that we demonstrate our love by paying attention, and as our attention grows, our love grows. It is God's Grace. We give and receive. We sow and reap. But it is our choice.. to cultivate love for God or worldly attachments. Certainly if we give attention only to worldly attachments, we will love only worldly attachments. But it is also true that if we strive to love only God, we will succeed! Jai Maa! My sister made a bookmark for me, and a bit of Buddha's wisdom is written on it. Buddha says: The thought manifests as the word, the word manifests as the deed, the deed develops into habit and habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its way with care and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings. > In Chandi Chapter One, verse 16, when Good Thoughts went into deeper > contemplation of the loss of his wealth, his thoughts became > controlled by worldly attachments. > > How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them > to assume control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2004 Report Share Posted June 9, 2004 Dwelling upon loss can certainly lodge the unwary in the prison house of heartbreak hotel. There is a remedly and her name is Durga. Puja to her relieves our difficulties. Continued Chandi practice can become our refuge as it grows our detachment to past mishaps. Eventually it can bring about our complete restoration. More than that, it can make things better than ever. Chandi encompasses much, including ever. , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote: > In Chandi Chapter One, verse 16, when Good Thoughts went into deeper > contemplation of the loss of his wealth, his thoughts became > controlled by worldly attachments. > > How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them > to assume control? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 I think this answer is in the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 2:62, 63. " The man who medites upon any idea cutivate attachment. From attachement comes desire, and from desire comes anger." "From anger comes ignorance, from ignorance confusion of memory. From confusion of memery the intellect is destroyed, and when the intellect is destroyed one is lost" Latha Nanda <lathananda > wrote: In Chandi Chapter One, verse 16, when Good Thoughts went into deeper contemplation of the loss of his wealth, his thoughts became controlled by worldly attachments.How is it that the contemplation of worldly attachments allows them to assume control? Messenger - Fale com seus amigos online. Instale agora! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 I really liked Kalachandra's answer to Swamiji's question. She backed it up with a spiritual source - The Bhagavad Gita. What is the power in wordly contemplations that allows us to get consumed by them ? I have been thinking of this ever since Swamiji's question. The answer came to me while reading Chandi ,Chapter 8 this week. Wordly thoughts are those that are created by Seeds of Desire. And the property of Raktabija or Seed of Desire is that for every drop of his blood that touched the ground, several more such thoughts manifested , ALL EQUALLY VALIANT, EQUALLY STRONG AND EQUALLY FIERCE. In Chapter 8, Verse 52 , Swamiji translates "...the thoughts born of the Seed of Desire pervaded the entire perceivable universe and the Gods became frightened.." And Raktabija could only be killed was when Kali drank every drop of his's blood BEFORE IT FELL ON THE EARTH. Swamiji says, the only way to quell wordly thoughts is to catch them before they manifest. For if and when a wordly thought manifests, it sure brings in its friends and cousins and relatives and consumes all our attention ... JAI MAA ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Wonderful! Also keep in mind that the gravity pulling the desires toward the ground (toward manifestation) is our lack of awareness. And also that Kali has the ability to slow time around the desire to give us more time to let it go, to let her swallow it up. She is the ultimate in compassion. Brian "In the begining, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." -- Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy Radio Program. --- On Mon 06/14, Latha Nanda < lathananda > wrote: Latha Nanda [ lathananda] Mon, 14 Jun 2004 08:34:46 -0000 Re: Question from Swamiji for the group _____________ No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding. Make My Way your home on the Web - http://www.myway.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 Have any of you learned anything without the grace of the Guru? Namaste, No. Kanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 Since the Guru is the Supreme Divinity all that we learn is through the grace of that Divinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 OM NAMAH SIVAYA i agree with you Ardis. Guru under this context, as in GOD, Guru, Self are One, everything we learn is thru the grace of the Guru. on the otherhand, if a Guru is a person with a personality, i would say that much can be learned without a Guru. it seems we shouldn't limit ourselves to the disposition that we have only one Guru. everything that comes across our path is the Guru. its all GOD. JAI MA , Ardis Jackson <anandamama@e...> wrote: > > Since the Guru is the Supreme Divinity all that we learn is through the grace > of that Divinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 Agreeing with both Ardis and EC...where is the Guru not manifest? - ecjensen_us Tuesday, November 09, 2004 5:57 PM Re: Question from SWAMIJI for the Group OM NAMAH SIVAYAi agree with you Ardis. Guru under this context, as in GOD, Guru, Self are One, everything we learn is thru the grace of the Guru. on the otherhand, if a Guru is a person with a personality, i would say that much can be learned without a Guru. it seems we shouldn't limit ourselves to the disposition that we have only one Guru. everything that comes across our path is the Guru. its all GOD.JAI MA, Ardis Jackson <anandamama@e...> wrote:> > Since the Guru is the Supreme Divinity all that we learn is through the grace> of that Divinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 When I look back through my current life of 64 years, there are so many experiences that can only be explained by the grace of the Guru. All the blessings, all the wonderful teachers and teachings. Om namo bhagavate Sri Guru namo namah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 When I first went to the Devi Mandir I was surprised that there were two gurus. I remember asking one of the disciples if she felt a confusion of loyalties having two gurus. She looked at me with a look of total surprise and disbelief. It wasn’t until I studied the Guru Gita that I began to see the Guru as the Supreme Divinity and to see Shree Maa and Swamiji as One. OM NAMAH SIVAYA i agree with you Ardis. Guru under this context, as in GOD, Guru, Self are One, everything we learn is thru the grace of the Guru. on the otherhand, if a Guru is a person with a personality, i would say that much can be learned without a Guru. it seems we shouldn't limit ourselves to the disposition that we have only one Guru. everything that comes across our path is the Guru. its all GOD. JAI MA , Ardis Jackson <anandamama@e...> wrote: > > Since the Guru is the Supreme Divinity all that we learn is through the grace > of that Divinity. Sponsor Eliminate Your Debt! · Get out of Debt Now · Christian counselors available <http://us.ard./SIG=129fsiebs/M=286225.5559193.6629217.2152211/D=groups/S=1705075991:HM/EXP=1100134935/A=2418481/R=0/SIG=11qutbrl4/*http://etools.ncol.com/a/debtxs/bg_debtxs_3_91.html> · Click here to find out how you can become free from debt. <http://us.ard./SIG=129fsiebs/M=286225.5559193.6629217.2152211/D=groups/S=1705075991:HM/EXP=1100134935/A=2418481/R=1/SIG=11qutbrl4/*http://etools.ncol.com/a/debtxs/bg_debtxs_3_91.html> / <?subject=Un> Terms of Service <> . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 The Guru is Everywhere and in Everything Through and Through. And There We are One. Where there is difference and duality the Guru will not be found. Satyam. Satyam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 No, nothing. Chris , "Latha Nanda" <lathananda> wrote: > > > Have any of you learned anything without the grace of the Guru? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 Brian, Good answer. Mustn't forget the other side of the relationship. Chris , "Brian McKee" <brian@s...> wrote: > > Is it through the grace of Guru that I learned that I am of no value unless I please people, that I am merely a person, merely a husband, merely a son, or merely an engineer? > > I speak of the things I learned that were simply not true. > > Is it guru who spreads falsehoods? > > I feel that guru only brings truth. So when I learn untruths, it is not guru who is teaching me, it is maya tricking me into a false belief. > > Guru is he who iluminates darkness, not she who casts shadows, also known as Maha Maya. > > So yes, I have learned things not from Guru, and I spent the better part of my life recognizing the folly of those beliefs. > > But, from the ultimate perspective, it is she who is all who directed all of those experiences. And there is no difference between he who dispells shadow and she who casts shadow. > > The answer to this question varies depending on who I am. > > --- On Tue 11/09, Latha Nanda wrote: > Latha Nanda [ lathananda] > > Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:27:11 -0000 > Question from SWAMIJI for the Group > > Have any of you learned anything without the grace of the Guru?------------------------ Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from . Register anything.http://us.click./J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM---------------\ --------------------~-> Links / To from this group, send an email to: Your > > _____________ > No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding. > Make My Way your home on the Web - http://www.myway.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 The Guru is Everywhere and in Everything Through and Through. And There We are One. Where there is difference and duality the Guru will not be found. Satyam. Satyam. Check out the new Front Page. www. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt"> Have any of you learned anything without the grace of the Guru? 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt"> Yes I have. The answer is NOTHING. Jai Guruji Maharaj. My Guruji is My Brahma, He is My Vishnu, and He is My Shiva. Lord Shiva says “you should see me in your Guru” and that is what I see each time I see my Guru. 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"> 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Jay. color:navy"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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