Namaste advaitins,

Analyzing and rationalising higher, self realized (evolved), states
like samadhi state, Nirvikalpa state, karma yoga state, sanyasa state
at an early state of the process leads to zillions of interpretations
and conceptions. Its almost like talking relativity to a sixth
grader. It leads to infinite loops of argument like if the hen or the
egg came first, does the attitude leads to realization or the
realization culminates such attitudes.

No one is wrong ..its just like saying the tree is moving away from
the train which is equally right (relativity)... or one can observe
that there is no duality like right or wrong, heat or cold, happy or
sorrow ...

...Its in the observer not in the observed...


only one's true self can guide a sadhaka forward. Until one realises
their 'self' they may take guidance from the knowlege ie.,
scriptures. Synchronizing the appropriate knowledge with the
appropriate state of mind is one of the challenges for a sadhaka to
move forward. The mind needs to be prepared before the knowledge can
be received, ie., its not in how much one desires...its in how much
the person deserves decides the game. Sadhakam converts the desire to
a deserving state.

Bundles of theology are no where before an ounce of experience
Its time to take the dive... Are you ready for the challenge?...Do
you need a trick or a treat (theory or experience ) ? ...

>From the inspiring postings i got from this group so far, i request
the enlightened advaitins to join me to achieve the target practice
of atleast 3 hour(non stop) gayatri manthra chanting or japa practice
or silent meditation or ....

i'm going to mix japa with the following strategy ...

--- fixing the gaze to the tip of the nose (Gita)
-- Assuming a padmasana pose ( as long as possible )
-- chanting one Gayathri slowly for the whole minute
(feeling the vibrations while chanting)
-- no break for whole three hours.

i request your wishes and participation in my quest ...

Pranams to advaitins
V.Srinivasan

--- "V.Srinivasan" <test0001@...> wrote:

>
> --- fixing the gaze to the tip of the nose (Gita)
> -- Assuming a padmasana pose ( as long as possible )
> -- chanting one Gayathri slowly for the whole minute
> (feeling the vibrations while chanting)
> -- no break for whole three hours.
>
> i request your wishes and participation in my quest ...
>
> Pranams to advaitins
> V.Srinivasan

Blessed Srinivasan,

I just want to present my understanding.

Frist - we are not longing for some experience - experience is time
bound. what we are looking for the knowledge of what we experience
all the time - ourselves.

Second the procedures have thier role but yet sadhana is not some
exercise in physical acrobatics - What is needed is an iquiry with in
- of the nature of oneself or nature of the reality. All others are
tools to help for the mind to prepare for inquiry.

I do appreciate the spirit of your posting but just want to caution
you also about the getting lost in the means and forgetting the
nature of the goal that we are trying to arive.
This is not underestimate the japa- sitting five minutes or 3 hours
is not the criteria, I am afraid. One may develp cramps of one is
not used to it but not knowledge of oneself. The posture and not even
japa does not guarentee the result either. Then every tricker gets
the treat.

Hari OM!
Sadananda


=====
What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift
to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

__________________________________________________
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--- In advaitin@y..., kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada@y...>
wrote:
What is needed is an iquiry with in
> - of the nature of oneself or nature of the reality. All others are
> tools to help for the mind to prepare for inquiry.
>
> I do appreciate the spirit of your posting but just want to caution
> you also about the getting lost in the means and forgetting the
> nature of the goal that we are trying to arive.

Namaste,

This is reminiscent of two episodes from Chandogya Upanishad,
of Satyakama and of Upakoshala:

http://madhva.tripod.com/Upanishad/chand/intro.html

Satyakama Jabala approaches Gautama for learning Brahman. Gautama
enquires about his gotra. Satyakama frankly tells Gautama that
neither he nor his mother knows. Gautama pleased by his truthfulness
agrees to teach him. However, he entrusts four hundred cows to him
and instructs that he should return from the forest only when these
grow into one thousand cows. Accordingly Satyakama takes them to
forest. These grow into a thousand in due course. Satyakama starts
back to the Asrama. On his way back he camps at four places for four
nights. Four dieties appearing in the form of a bull, swan etc, teach
him four aspects of the supreme God viz Prakasavan i.e luminous,
Anantavan i.e limitless, Jyoti sman i.e brilliant, and Ayatanvan i.e,
abode of all. On his return to Asrama the teacher finds that he had
already received the necessary knowledge. But Satyakama insists that
the teacher should teach him. The knowledge obtained from the chosen
teacher only is firm. Goutama teaches him the same and Satyakama
receuves it with great reverence. Through this episode the importance
of the chosen teacher is demonstrated.
======================

Upakoshala approaches this Satyakama to learn. He serves at his
residence for twelve years. Many other students complete their
education and leave. However, Satyakama does not teach Upakoshala,
Satyakama's wife pleads for teaching Upakoshala. But Satyakama goes
on a journey without heeding his wife's word. Then the three
sacrificial fires viz. Garhapatya, Anvaharyapachana, and Ahavaniya
teach him. The central teaching of these is, the supreme God who is
present in Aditya, in Chandra, in Vidyut is the same one who is
present in these sacrificial fires who are teaching Satyakama. He is
called 'Aham' as none can remain without him. There is no difference
among the various forms of the Supreme God present in different
places. This is the purport of the phrase 'Soham Asmi sa evaham asmi'
in these passages. On his return Satyakama found Upakoshala had
received the necessary knowledge. He asked him to narrate what he had
learnt so far. Upakosha narrated. Then, he told him that he knew the
God present outside. Now I will teach you the God who is present in
your eye. He taught him Vamani and Bhamani forms of the Supreme God
present in the eye................

--- In advaitin@y..., kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada@y...>
wrote:
>
> --- "V.Srinivasan" <test0001@u...> wrote:
>
> >
> > --- fixing the gaze to the tip of the nose (Gita)
> > -- Assuming a padmasana pose ( as long as possible )
> > -- chanting one Gayathri slowly for the whole minute
> > (feeling the vibrations while chanting)
> > -- no break for whole three hours.
> >
> > i request your wishes and participation in my quest ...
> >
> > Pranams to advaitins
> > V.Srinivasan
>
Namaste Srinivasan-ji.

It is good to see Srinivasan-ji's participation in the advaitin
egroup. He is a key contributor at the Sacramento Satsang (we meet
every friday).

Just a couple of pounts.
1. Gita does not prescribe fixing the gaze to the tip of the nose.
Gita says "as if you were fixing the gaze to the tip of the nose".
Sri Sankara's commentary says:
sampreksya, looking svam nasikagram, at tip of his own nose -looking
at it intently, as it were;
[What is sought to be presented here as the primary objective is
the concentration of mind. If the gaze be directed outward, then it
will result in interrupting that concentration. Therefore the
purpose is to first fix the gaze of the eyes within.] If the
intention were merely the looking at the tip of the nose, then the
mind would remain fixed there itself, not on the Self!
2. Remaining in Padmasana pose , chanting Gayatri etc are very good
if they are performed as a means of purifying the mind and not for
personal/worldly motives. Then they would be considered Tapas and
any tapas results in chitta suddhi. Chitta suddhi in turn helps one
towards the goal.

Sri Sankara mentions this in Vivekachudamani:

So the mind must be earnestly purified by the seeker after
liberation. Once it is purified, the fruit of liberation comes
easily to hand. 181

> Blessed Srinivasan,
>
> I just want to present my understanding.
>
> Frist - we are not longing for some experience - experience is time
> bound. what we are looking for the knowledge of what we experience
> all the time - ourselves.
>
Agreed - we should not be longing for any experience. But as the
Lord eulogies in Gita verses 6.20 to 6.22, the supreme state of Yoga
wherein the self is revealed is presented as a strong motive a
Sadhaka to aspire towards. Also see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advaitin/message/9277

Even if the experience is short lived, the purification effect of
such a state is so intense, it is highly recommeneded:

Reflection on the Truth is a hundred times superior to hearing.
Meditation on the truth is a hundred thousand times greater than
reflection. Nirvikalpa-samadhi is infinitely superior to that
(Vivekachudamani 365)


regards
Sundar Rajan

kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada@...> wrote:

What is needed is an iquiry with in
- of the nature of oneself or nature of the reality. Hari OM!
Sadananda

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

For the benefit of those who may be interested in Sadhana I take liberty in
posting a copy of a letter sent to Shri Krishnan by Shri Venkatram, ( a deciple
of Baba Narmade Har), as follows:

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

Dear Krishnan,

Say within yourself,"I am Atman, Brahman, Pure Conciousness". Go on repeating
this. When you say,"Pure Conciousness", exist as the Conciousness that denies
what was seen in dream inacluding Krishnan,when Krishnan got up from sleep,
during which period 'it' was awake.This discrimination you should go on
making.Recapitulate the dream and say,'No'.In the same way, say 'No'to anything
that appears during such concentration. You should cut out all that you are
not,by saying 'No'when anything cognisable by the mind, eyes etc.,appears to you
during concentration.

This concentration,which I am preaching to you,is not on any object or on any
cognisable thing like 'AUM'. It is on Pure Conciousness. Now, how can you
concentrate on Pure Conciousness which has no form?Your saying 'No' to whatever
appears to you in any form is itself that concentration,since Pure Conciousness
is that which excludes everything except itself.

Pure Conciousness or Ultimate Truth itself is the witness in you as the cogniser
in a twofold manner.1.the witness in the individual self(Jiva Sakshin)2.the
witness in God(Ishwara Sakshin).

As the witness in the individual self you are limited by the mind whereas as
the witness in God you are limited by Cosmic Illusion (Maya). You should
remember that Pure Conciousness alone appears in you as the individual
Conciousness and as the Iswara Conciousness. The individual Conciousness goes on
cutting all that mentally appears to it in some form or other,and when
everything is cut out,it itself automatically becomes its Ishwara Sakshin when,
as Ishwara Sakshin it cognises the Abhaava of all that was cut(i.e.)it is fully
concious of the fact that what all was seen was only an appearance and hence
they did not actually exist.

When you have attained to this state of understanding,without much effort you
will realise that the Truth in you is Pure Conciousness and with this
realisation you will exist as Pure Conciousness itself.This has to be obtained
only through Anubhava.

It is of course very difficult to get to and exist as Pure Knowledge but if you
practice as I have said here with thorough understanding,you have some day to
exist as Anubhava Vigraha because in reality you are that only.

___________________-

Hari Om,

Swaminarayan.






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