Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami insight

[Guest guest]

obstacles. they are what we have to work with or overcome. notice that

adversity is listed, one of the few external circumsatnces, along with

hunger and thirst, birth and death. obstacles can appear as either

inner or outer.

 

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Sloka 86 from Dancing with Siva

 

How Do We Overcome Life's Obstacles?

 

Just as a small leaf can obscure the sun when held before our eyes, so

can the past cloud the present and hide our divinity. With Vedic

methods, or tantras, we remove impediments to reveal the ever-present

inner light. Aum.

 

Bhashya

 

An ancient Upanishad defines twenty obstacles, upasarga, to spiritual

progress: hunger, thirst, laziness, passion, lust, fear, shame,

anxiety, excitement, adversity, sorrow, despair, anger, arrogance,

delusion, greed, stinginess, ambitiousness, death and birth. Another

obstacle is the intellect which, unguided by intuition, merely juggles

memory and reason as a way of life. The experience of these

impediments creates reactions that combine with the sum of all past

impressions, samskaras, both positive and negative. Residing in the

subconscious mind, these are the source of subliminal traits or

tendencies, called vasanas, which shape our attitudes and motivations.

The troublesome vasanas clouding the mind must be reconciled and

released. There are beneficial tantras by which absolution can be

attained for unhindered living, including ayurveda, jyotisha, daily

sadhana, temple worship, selfless giving, the creative arts and the

several yogas. The Vedas explain, "Even as a mirror covered with dust

shines brightly when cleaned, so the embodied soul, seeing the truth

of atman, realizes oneness, attains the goal of life and becomes free

from sorrow." Aum Namah Sivaya.

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

Om Gurudeva Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

 

Om Namah Sivaya

 

Kanda