just a moment to clarify ... -penance and tapas

[Guest guest]

OM NAMAH SIVAYA

 

your comments here and yesterday talking about the sadhus holding an

arm up for 20 yrs., standing on one leg, etc. are certainly examples

of will and also a form of devotion. i read this yesterday from

Sivananda. i found it interesting and am passing along to the group;

 

HOW CAN I HAVE RAM'S DARSHAN?

 

Sri. R.P. who has been placed in charge of the Publication League,

felt a bit nervous and diffident about his capabilities. He felt that

was too much of a responsible position for him to occupy with success.

As Siva entered the Office, Sri R.P. caught his eye. `Ohji, don't be

afraid of the work. I have written to Sri Mohindra and if he agrees we

shall employ him as the Manager of the League. You can also assist him

and get yourself thoroughly trained by him.

 

"Don't be afraid of work. Don't try to run away from it. You have a

sweet voice: you have nicely developed the poetic faculties. You have

great devotion to the Lord also. Know that the best way to attain the

Lord is through work and work alone. Go and remain in a cave for

twelve years without doing any work. Then come back and tell me

whether you have improved or degenerated. Work here ceaselessly: and

do one Mala of Japa. Find out for yourself which method helps you

evolve more quickly in the spiritual path. Even if you remain in a

cave for twelve years you cannot have Darshan of the Lord. But, if you

serve selflessly, work and work ceaselessly, and in the intervals do

Japa of the Lord's name for some time daily, the Lord will at once

come to you. When selfless service has purified your heart, even

before you finish the first Mala of Japa, the Lord will appear before

you."

 

"You do not have the vision to see what a great and soul-elevating

power this service has. If only you are able to see the actual change

in your heart that this service brings about, and if you are mentally

able to compare this with the change that cave-dwelling will bring

about, then you will at once agree with me. It is lack of this

knowledge that makes you dread work. It is that which makes you feel

that work is waste of time and that God can be attained only through

parrot-like repetition of a Mantra."

 

"Go and see the Sadhus who live an idle life. They have no care. They

have no responsibility. They will pretend that they have attained a

very high stage when they ought to give up work. All that they are

concerned about is their daily Bhiksha. They can get up at 9 a.m. and

prepared to go to the Kshetra. Come back, take the food and sleep.

Wakeup again for Bhiksha. That is their life. Man's very nature is

Tamasic. You have to conquer that through intense selfless service.

Then Satva will supervene. It is this Tamas that prompts you from

within to shirk work. It is Tamas that prompts you to go away and lead

an independent life. You are sure of free food from Kshetras. This

free food system should be stopped altogether. It is this alone that

encourages man to revel in his Tamasic indulgence."

 

"You should become a dynamic Yogi. Work alone will enable you to

control your mind, to banish evil thoughts from the mind and to purify

the heart. In a purified heart alone will the Lord reveal Himself.

Look at me. There is 8 per cent sugar in my urine. I have so many

other physical ailments. I cannot even stand for an hour at a stretch:

I feel giddy. Yet, I have been working till now. You have all taken

your food. But, here I am still at my work. It will take two hours for

me before I can take my food."

 

"You are a good worker, no doubt. But, you feel diffident. That

diffidence you can conquer only when you take intense joy in service.

You should love to undertake responsible work. You wish to realise

God: but can you for a moment think of God's Great Responsibility? You

are afraid of this petty work. And, yet, you wish to realise Him Who

bears the burden of protecting and maintaining the whole universe. You

think that work will interfere with your meditation. Read the life of

any saint. You will find that he has practised and preached selfless

service. Everyone has worked till the very end of his life. Such

should be your attitude. Then and then alone can you have Darshan of

Lord Rama in a minute."

 

JAI MAA

 

, "Steve Connor" <sconnor@a...>

wrote:

> re: penance ...

>

> the word does not have to mean, in the medieval sense, paying for

> sins, or punishing oneself for sins. this definitely has a negative

> connotation.

>

> the word TAPAS has on occassion been translated as "penance." TAPAS

> itself can be translated different ways, basically, it is advanced,

> intense, practice of spiritual purification. some say, it is a 12

year

> process of sustained unbroken samadhi.

>

> sadhana good, punishing oneself, bad.

[Guest guest]

wonderful; i read every word with interest.

 

summed up in this one line: "You should become a dynamic Yogi."

 

the baba i met over the weekend said much the same thing. he wanted to

leave his family, but his guru said NO. that causes more trouble. now

he is a dynamic yogi, traveling throughout the US with his wife,

teaching.

 

steve

 

, "ecjensen_us" <ecjensen_us>

wrote:

> OM NAMAH SIVAYA

>

> your comments here and yesterday talking about the sadhus holding

an

> arm up for 20 yrs., standing on one leg, etc. are certainly

examples

> of will and also a form of devotion. i read this yesterday from

> Sivananda. i found it interesting and am passing along to the group;

>

> HOW CAN I HAVE RAM'S DARSHAN?

>

> Sri. R.P. who has been placed in charge of the Publication League,

> felt a bit nervous and diffident about his capabilities. He felt

that

> was too much of a responsible position for him to occupy with

success.

> As Siva entered the Office, Sri R.P. caught his eye. `Ohji, don't

be

> afraid of the work. I have written to Sri Mohindra and if he agrees

we

> shall employ him as the Manager of the League. You can also assist

him

> and get yourself thoroughly trained by him.

>

> "Don't be afraid of work. Don't try to run away from it. You have a

> sweet voice: you have nicely developed the poetic faculties. You

have

> great devotion to the Lord also. Know that the best way to attain

the

> Lord is through work and work alone. Go and remain in a cave for

> twelve years without doing any work. Then come back and tell me

> whether you have improved or degenerated. Work here ceaselessly:

and

> do one Mala of Japa. Find out for yourself which method helps you

> evolve more quickly in the spiritual path. Even if you remain in a

> cave for twelve years you cannot have Darshan of the Lord. But, if

you

> serve selflessly, work and work ceaselessly, and in the intervals

do

> Japa of the Lord's name for some time daily, the Lord will at once

> come to you. When selfless service has purified your heart, even

> before you finish the first Mala of Japa, the Lord will appear

before

> you."

>

> "You do not have the vision to see what a great and soul-elevating

> power this service has. If only you are able to see the actual

change

> in your heart that this service brings about, and if you are

mentally

> able to compare this with the change that cave-dwelling will bring

> about, then you will at once agree with me. It is lack of this

> knowledge that makes you dread work. It is that which makes you

feel

> that work is waste of time and that God can be attained only

through

> parrot-like repetition of a Mantra."

>

> "Go and see the Sadhus who live an idle life. They have no care.

They

> have no responsibility. They will pretend that they have attained a

> very high stage when they ought to give up work. All that they are

> concerned about is their daily Bhiksha. They can get up at 9 a.m.

and

> prepared to go to the Kshetra. Come back, take the food and sleep.

> Wakeup again for Bhiksha. That is their life. Man's very nature is

> Tamasic. You have to conquer that through intense selfless service.

> Then Satva will supervene. It is this Tamas that prompts you from

> within to shirk work. It is Tamas that prompts you to go away and

lead

> an independent life. You are sure of free food from Kshetras. This

> free food system should be stopped altogether. It is this alone

that

> encourages man to revel in his Tamasic indulgence."

>

> "You should become a dynamic Yogi. Work alone will enable you to

> control your mind, to banish evil thoughts from the mind and to

purify

> the heart. In a purified heart alone will the Lord reveal Himself.

> Look at me. There is 8 per cent sugar in my urine. I have so many

> other physical ailments. I cannot even stand for an hour at a

stretch:

> I feel giddy. Yet, I have been working till now. You have all taken

> your food. But, here I am still at my work. It will take two hours

for

> me before I can take my food."

>

> "You are a good worker, no doubt. But, you feel diffident. That

> diffidence you can conquer only when you take intense joy in

service.

> You should love to undertake responsible work. You wish to realise

> God: but can you for a moment think of God's Great Responsibility?

You

> are afraid of this petty work. And, yet, you wish to realise Him

Who

> bears the burden of protecting and maintaining the whole universe.

You

> think that work will interfere with your meditation. Read the life

of

> any saint. You will find that he has practised and preached

selfless

> service. Everyone has worked till the very end of his life. Such

> should be your attitude. Then and then alone can you have Darshan

of

> Lord Rama in a minute."

>

> JAI MAA

>

> , "Steve Connor" <sconnor@a...>

> wrote:

> > re: penance ...

> >

> > the word does not have to mean, in the medieval sense, paying for

> > sins, or punishing oneself for sins. this definitely has a

negative

> > connotation.

> >

> > the word TAPAS has on occassion been translated as "penance."

TAPAS

> > itself can be translated different ways, basically, it is

advanced,

> > intense, practice of spiritual purification. some say, it is a 12

> year

> > process of sustained unbroken samadhi.

> >

> > sadhana good, punishing oneself, bad.