more Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

[Guest guest]

OK, I found this interesting. This man was a warrior. If this does not

suit Swamiji, please don't post. Both the material on Hinduism in a

present day historical context and the karmic interaction of guru and

disciple is compelling. Love, s.

 

=====

Hinduism Can't Be Destroyed

 

It is false to think that one has to be born a Hindu in order to be a

Hindu. That is a concept postulated by certain caste-based Hindu

lineages and reinforced by the Christians in their effort to hinder

the growth of our religion, to deprive it of new life, to hold it down

while they in turn try to convert Hindus en masse to their religion.

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), a Hindu monk and missionary who wrote

extensively on the Hindu Dharma, when confronted by this same issue in

the West would explain how Hindus who have been converted by force

should not be denied an opportunity of returning to their ancestral

religion. As for the case of those not born into Hinduism who might be

interested to join it, he simply said, "Why, born aliens have been

converted in the past by crowds, and the process is still going on."

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1888-1975), the distinguished Hindu philosopher

who became the second president of India, confirms this view in

writing, "In a sense, Hinduism may be regarded as the first example in

the world of a missionary religion. Only its missionary spirit is

different from that associated with the proselytizing creeds. It did

not regard as its mission to convert humanity to one opinion. For what

counts is conduct and not belief. The ancient practice of vratyastoma,

described fully in the Tandya Brahmana, shows that not only

individuals but whole tribes were absorbed into Hinduism."

 

During the era of India's domination by alien religions, when Hinduism

was scheduled to be destroyed, the attack was to be carried out in

three ways. The first strategy was to convince the women to abandon

their age-old stri dharma--of maintaining the home, its purity and

ways of worship--thus drawing them away from the household in order to

receive a so-called "higher education" or to teach in alien religious

schools, thus denying future generations the mother's religious

counsel and grounding in the dharma. The second strategy was to

overtly break down the various castes of temple priests by enticing

them to accept other, often higher-paying, occupations, thus leaving

the temples unattended.

 

The third strategy was to convince Hindus that they had inherited a

crude and outdated religion. This last attack was accomplished mainly

through ridicule, by ridiculing every aspect of the religion that

could possibly be ridiculed. For example, those who slandered Hinduism

claimed it has no sacraments. Why, Hinduism has more sacraments, more

sacred rites and ceremonies for its members, than perhaps any other

religion in the world. These sacraments include the namakarana

samskara, name-giving sacrament; annaprashana, first feeding;

karnavedha, ear-piercing; vidyarambha, commencement of learning;

vivaha, marriage; and many others.

 

Though India was politically dominated for generations by adherents of

alien faiths, and though every attempt was made to discourage, weaken

and crush the native religion, the carefully calculated, systematic

assault failed to destroy Hinduism. Hinduism cannot be destroyed. It

is the venerable eternal religion, the Sanatana Dharma. But it was an

effective campaign that has left in its wake deep samskaric patterns,

deep subconscious impressions, which still persist in the minds of the

Indian people. It is going to be difficult to completely eradicate

these impressions, but with the help of all the millions of Hindus

throughout the world, in adhering to and extolling the benefits and

joys of Hinduism and the gifts which it holds for mankind, this is

possible and feasible, within the range of accomplishment, perhaps

within this very generation.

 

 

LESSON 251 from Merging with Siva

 

The Role of The Satguru

 

Responsibly resolving karma is among the most important reasons that a

satguru is necessary in a sincere seeker's life. The guru helps the

devotee to hold his mind in focus, to become pointedly conscious of

thought, word and deed, and to cognize the lessons of each experience.

Without the guidance and grace of the guru, the devotee's mind will be

divided between instinctive and intellectual forces, making it very

difficult to resolve karma. And only when karma is wisely harnessed

can the mind become still enough to experience its own superconscious

depths.

 

The guru guides and also shares a bit of the heavier burdens, if one

is fortunate enough to be dedicated enough to have a guru who will

lend his powers in this way. But each aspect of the karma, the

outgrowth of the dharma, must be passed through by the disciple,

creating as little as possible of a similar karma on this tenuous path

of the repetition of the cycles of life.

 

The guru is able, because of his enlightenment or tapas, or as his

tapas, to take upon himself the karma of another. Just what exactly

does this mean? You have already found such persons at the moment of

your birth--your mother and your father, who perhaps unknowingly, took

the full impact of your dharma, and continue to take the impact of the

karma you create, deeply within their nerve systems. If your karma is

of a heavy nature, it could disrupt the entire home, and they could

suffer because of it. On the other hand, if your dharma is devonic,

full of merit accrued by generosity, good deeds and graciousness in

your former life, your presence in their home is a blessing, and the

force of your arrival may mitigate influences in their minds of an

uncomely nature, bringing peace, harmony and forbearance into the

home. The guru may take unto himself, into his nerve system, some of

the heavier areas of your karma in the same way your parents performed

this function for you perhaps unknowingly.

 

Planetary changes activate new karmas and close off some of the karmas

previously activated. These karmas then wait in abeyance, accumulating

new energy from current actions, to be reactivated at some later time.

These karmic packets become more refined, life after life, through

sadhana. All of this is summed up by one word, evolution.

 

The planets do not cause the events or the vibrations that individuals

react to either positively or negatively. The magnetic pulls of light

or the absence of light release that which is already there within the

individual. If not much is there, not much can be released. The

magnetic pulls and the lack of magnetism are what jyotisha (Vedic

astrology) is telling us is happening at every point in time. Two

things--magnetism and its opposite. On and off. Light and dark. With

and without. Action and no action. Therefore, these keys release

within the individual what was created when other keys were releasing

other karmas. It is our reaction to karmas through lack of

understanding that creates most karmas we shall experience at a future

time. The sum total of all karmas, including the journey through

consciousness required to resolve them, is called samsara.

=====

[Guest guest]

Steve,

This is very fascinating! From where does it come? Is it on the web?

be LOVE,

berijoy

--------------

"Steve Connor" <sconnor (AT) austin (DOT) rr.com>

Sat, Dec-18-2004 11:27 AM

more Satguru Sivaya SubramuniyaswamiOK, I found

this interesting. This man was a warrior. If this does notsuit

Swamiji, please don't post. Both the material on Hinduism in apresent

day historical context and the karmic interaction of guru anddisciple

is compelling. Love, s.