Jai GuruDev..
People have very funny ideas about enlightenment. Every culture, every religion has got their own ideas about it.
In Christian culture, a rich man cannot be enlightened. It is impossible. You have got to be in poverty to be enlightened. From the Christian point of view, Rama cannot be enlightened! Even a camel can go through a needle, but not a rich man!
Many years ago, once I was traveling from Bangalore to Delhi.
Many years ago, once I was traveling from Bangalore to Delhi.
I met a Christian priest in the airport. He just looked at me and I smiled back. He came to talk to me and said,
"I feel like talking to you my dear brother. You seem to be a nice person."
He asked me if I believed in Jesus and I said yes.
He was a little stunned.
He asked me the question again and I said yes again.
Then he asked if I was a Hindu. And I said "perhaps".
He then asked if I believed in Krishna and I said yes.
He then said: "But how can Krishna be God? He is a butter thief. He was married. How can somebody be married and steal butter and all and be God? He is not the one who can give salvation. You know, Jesus is the only way. I was also a Hindu before and now I have become a Christian. From the time I have become a Christian everything is happening. Jesus is taking care of me. I tell you, you better become a Christian."
How can Krishna be enlightened? Jains do not think that Krishna is enlightened. He created the war. Arjuna was going to go away, take sanyas and renounce the world. Krishna brainwashed him and brainwashed him and made him fight. Krishna was responsible for this huge war. How could he be enlightened? Stealing butter, having so many wives. Impossible!
Jains do not think that an enlightened person, sadhu, should ever wear clothes.
How can Krishna be enlightened? Jains do not think that Krishna is enlightened. He created the war. Arjuna was going to go away, take sanyas and renounce the world. Krishna brainwashed him and brainwashed him and made him fight. Krishna was responsible for this huge war. How could he be enlightened? Stealing butter, having so many wives. Impossible!
Jains do not think that an enlightened person, sadhu, should ever wear clothes.
Their idea of an enlightened person is one who walks nude. One who is not nude is a little less great.
Who knows what will happen?
What desires would come up in him?
Whether they are free from lust or not, how would you know?
What is the proof?
Jain sadhus are nude. They do not wear any clothes. They are considered enlightened. This is their idea of enlightenment.
They simply do not consider those as enlightened who eat two square meals a day. That too one who enjoys a meal is not at all enlightened.
Can a saint eat chocolate? He is not a saint then!
Buddhists have got their own idea of who is and who is not enlightened. Somebody who sings, dances, looks at the whole world, pleasing the world is not enlightened.
Buddhists have got their own idea of who is and who is not enlightened. Somebody who sings, dances, looks at the whole world, pleasing the world is not enlightened.
Someone who meets their family and sits with their family is definitely not enlightened.
I have seen many of these so-called sanyasis. They are so afraid that they cannot meet their families. May be attachment will happen. They have run away from the family and fear that attachment for the family can come up anytime.
I know of a so-called sanyasi who would not meet his mother. He would meet everybody else but not the poor old lady who is his mother!
I know of a so-called sanyasi who would not meet his mother. He would meet everybody else but not the poor old lady who is his mother!
What had she done?
He would not meet her.
She was 70 years old and would cry and cry.
So-called sanyasis, nuns, brothers, fathers behave like this because that is the idea they have.
See, when you can love everybody, why can't you see your family members in the same light? Many sanyasis go through this difficulty in their heads about not seeing their family. These are all just concepts about enlightenment.
The main essence forgotten is dispassion or centeredness. Being centered in spite of everything is the second essential principle in yoga.
This is vairagya.
As you all know, there are three gunas or qualities.
As you all know, there are three gunas or qualities.
They are sattva, rajas and tamas.
Three gunas come into our life in cycles.
When Sattva comes, there is alertness, knowledge, interest, and joy in everything.
When Rajo guna comes, more desires, selfishness, restlessness and sadness arise in us.
When Tamo guna comes, delusion, attachment, lack of knowledge, lethargy, all this comes.
These three come in life turn by turn. But one who is centered will watch, witness and just move through that very naturally, innocently, without being averse to it.
It is said: Yogaha karmasu kaushalam - the skill in action is yoga. Yoga itself means skill. Yoga is the skill to live life, skill to manage your mind, skill to deal with your emotions, skill to be with people, skill to be in love and not let love turn into hatred.
It is said: Yogaha karmasu kaushalam - the skill in action is yoga. Yoga itself means skill. Yoga is the skill to live life, skill to manage your mind, skill to deal with your emotions, skill to be with people, skill to be in love and not let love turn into hatred.
"Celebrate Life. Care for others and share whatever you have with those less fortunate than you. Broaden your vision, for the whole world belongs to you."
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living Foundation.
P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
4 comments:
Yoga (Application) which was based on the control of the body physically and implied that a perfect control over the body and the senses led to knowledge of the ultimate reality. A detailed anatomical knowledge of the human body was necessary to the advancement of yoga and therefore those practising yoga had to keep in touch with medical knowledge. (Romila Thapar, A History of India, volume one).
I suggest : Mind and brain are two distinct things. Brain is anatomical entity whereas mind is functional entity. Mind can be defined as the function of autonomic nervous system (ANS). It is claimed that mind can be brought under conscious control through the practice of meditation. But how? ANS is largely under hypothalamic control which is situated very close to optic chiasma (sixth chakra or ajna chakra). Protracted practice of concentration to meditate at this region brings functions of ANS say mind under one’s conscious control.
ANS is further divided into parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). On the basis of these facts I have discovered a mathematical relationship for spiritual quotient (S.Q.). Spiritual Quotient can be expressed mathematically as the ratio of Parasympathetic dominance to Sympathetic dominance. PSNS dominates during meditative calm and SNS dominates during stress. In this formula we assign numerical values to the physiological parameters activated or suppressed during autonomic mobilization and put in the formula to describe the state of mind of an individual and also infer his/her level of consciousness.
Meditation is the art of looking within and science of doing nothing. We don’t use anything in meditation. We just try to concentrate to meditate at some point in human anatomy known as ‘chakra’ in Indian System of Yoga. The current of mind is flowing outward through the senses and unconsciously. The mind comes at rest gradually through regular practice of meditation. Then comes self realization and enlightenment. Protracted practice of meditation under qualified guidance will help to manage all sort of psychological problems.
Emotional Quotient can also be expressed mathematically as the product of I.Q. and Wisdom Factor. E.Q. stands for Emotional Quotient. An intelligent person may not be wise. But a wise man will always be intelligent. An intelligent person having certain level of positive emotions can be said as wise. An intelligent person lacking wisdom will turn autocrat. A wise man will always be a democrat who respects others existence.
Some may raise doubt that how could be the Wisdom quantified? The answer is simple -if Mental Age of I.Q. can be quantified then Wisdom can also be quantified, of course, comparatively with more efforts. Wilhelm Stern had given the formula of I.Q.. It is, Mental Age/ Chronological Age x 100. Spiritual Quotient (S.Q.) leverages both E.Q. and I.Q.
Radha Soami Faith is a branch of Religion of Saints like Kabir, Nanak, Paltu, Soamiji Maharaj and others. You may call It a New Wine in Old Bottle. We should not expect any miracle overnight.
In this discussion, it appears, that experts from various disciplines are participating someone of course from psychology. He /she can understand my views more clearly.
Maslow has given Hierarchy of Needs. At the top of it is need for self-actualization or self-realization.
In our society we should learn To Live and Let Live and help to satisfy others need. When the lower order needs, physiological and sociological both, are satisfied then only a person think to satisfy need for self-realization in true sense. Else he/she may spend all his/her life to satisfy at the most the for self-expression instead of self-realization.
It is, therefore, the duty of every responsible person, at the least, of our society to give serious thought over it.
For the satisfaction of need for self-realization i.e. establishment of harmony of individual consciousness with that of universal consciousness we need following three things:
1. Mater or Guru (A Self-Realized Soul)
2. Secret of Levels of Universal Consciousness
3. Method for traversing the path.
Anirudh Kumar Satsangi
wow ! superb ! It is just like taming our minds with sadhana and seva !! life is not to escape but to live !!!
It's a great piece of knowledge..! Really thoughtful..
Though, there is something missing..it's a little incomplete in its writing..may you could re-read and make it complete..
Love the blog! Looking forward to reading more :)
Can you please share the source of this talk by Guruji. It is hard to believe that Guruji could ever make such statements which have a potential to hurt religious sentiments.
Post a Comment