For Adiji...repost...repost...repost!!!

06-23-2004, 07:49 AM

This message was mistakenly addressed for Adiji because Ken had put a note
to her at the end on the Advaitin site. She is out of town and I did not want her
to miss it which she did not :-) But...I forgot to change the
subject line... the subject
remains the same :-)

"...While engaging in sAdhanA one must concentrate in asingle
direction; but after it has been completed,what comes then? The
cessation of difference,distinction and disagreement. Differences
indeed existon the path, but how can there be difference of Goal?"
~ShriMata Anandamayee

All according to each one's destiny.
~Maharishi Bingo Ram

Be As You Are
~Sri Ramana Maharshi

Sri Ramana once said that he was fortunate in that he was not
attracted to various schools of philosophy and the endless debates
associated with them. Self being the ultimate simplicity, the
ultimate wholeness, the ultimate completion, can be found only in the
present because its nature is that of Presence. We live in the
present, but if we consider carefully, we see that we are actually
The Presence. We live in the now, and if inquired into see that We
Are The Now. Right Here and Now. That is the only place Self
isRecognized. Here and Now. Now ness, newness, wholeness, these all
can be used to describe the Self-Nature.~Harsha

So many paths...One Holy Destination

Love,

Joyce

----- Original Message -----
From: Lady Joyce
To: HarshaSatsangh (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) com
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 9:44 AM
Subject: [HarshaSatsangh] For Adiji
Maharishi wrote...Anything that is "forced" and goes against natural
living can betroublesome. Swami Sivananda suggested using common
sense in all suchmatters.All according to each one's destiny.Love and
blessings========================================L ove and blessings to
you too, Mji:Sounds like something Harshaji would say...Not that there
is anything wrong with that :-)Anyway, over on the advaitin site, Ken
Knight postedan excerpt from a book of ShriMata Anandamayee
discourses.It is another way of saying...All according to each one's
destiny.I think it is something to remember when the urge strikes to
examinewhat you are doing in light of what some other enlightened
souljust posted as the way, the right way, and the only way to
enlightenment :-)Each of us, whatever our philosophy or bent, is on
exactly the pathwe should be on. While it may lead to a crossroad
where we gointo another direction, unless and until we reach such a
point,as Ramana Maharshi said..."Be As You
Are."Love,Joyce=====================================Shr iMataji
Anandamayee...Concerning the value ofreligious and philosophical
discourses. Mataji said:"By listening repeatedly to discussions and
discourseson topics of this kind, the path to first-hand knowledgeof
what has been heard gradually opens out.You know, it is as when water
uninterruptedly drippingon a stone finally makes a hole in it, and
then a floodmay suddenly surge through, which will bring
Enlightenment.Be it the perusal of Sacred Texts, listening
toreligious discourses, engaging in kirtana (singing ofpraise songs)
God must be the alpha and omega ofwhatever is done. When reading,
read about Him, whentalking, talk of Him and when singing, sing
Hispraises. These three practices are intrinsically thesame; but
because people respond differently. the sameis expressed in three
different ways to suit eachperson's temperament and capacity for
assimilation.Essentially there is only He and He alone,
althougheveryone has his own individual path that leads toHim. What
is the right path for each, depends on hispersonal predilection,
based on the specific characterof his inner qualifications.Take for
instance the study of Vedanta. Some seekersbecome completely drowned
in it, just as others may solose themselves in kirtana as to fall
into a trance. Astudent of Vedanta may become wholly absorbed in
histexts, even more so than the one who gets carried awayby kirtana.
According to one's specific line of approach,one will be able to
achieve full concentration through thestudy of a particular
Scripture, or by some other means.First comes listening, then
reflection, and last ofall the translation into action of what has
been heardand pondered over. This is why one has first of all
tolisten, so that later on each may be able to selectVedanta or
kirtana or whatever else be in his own line.Have you never come
across people making light ofkirtana, saying, "What is there to be
gained by it ?"Nevertheless, after listening to it for some length
oftime, they actually develop a liking for it.Therefore, one must
listen before one can reflect, andthen later, what has been heard and
reflected uponwill take shape in action suited to the personconcerned.
To listen to discourses on God or Truth iscertainly beneficial,
provided one does not allowoneself to be moved by a spirit of
fault-finding ordisparagement, should there be differences of
outlookto one's own. To find fault with others createsobstacles for
everyone all around: for him whocriticizes, for him who is blamed, as
well as forthose who listen to the criticism. Whereas, what issaid in
a spirit of appreciation is fruitful to everybody.For only where
there is no question of regarding anythingas inferior or blameworthy
can one call it satsang.Who is known as a Vaishnava? One who sees
Vishnueverywhere. And as a SAkta? One who beholds the GreatMother,
and nothing save Her. In truth, all thevarious ways of thought spring
from one common source.Who then is to be blamed, who to be reviled
orsuppressed? All are equal in essence."Thou art Mother, Thou art
Father,Thou art Friend and Thou art Master,Truly, Thou art all in
all.Every name is Thy Name,Every quality Thy Quality,Every form Thy
Form indeed.[For Sanskrit version of
this...http://www.omshaantih.com/images/God...ti/tvameva.htm
]"Yet He is also where no forms exist, as pureunmanifested Being; all
depends on one's avenue of approach.Is it not said that what is viewed
by the Saivas asthe Supreme (parama) Siva, and by those who
inquireinto the Self, as the One Self is none other than theBrahman
Itself? In reality there is no contradiction ,so long as the
slightest difference is perceived, evenby a hair's breadth, how can
one speak of the state ofPure Being? For this reason, no matter what
path anyone maychoose, it is That. Vedanta actually means the end of
difference andnon-difference. [(Anandamayee only spoke Bengali andshe
is here playing with Bengali in which the lettersB and V sound alike.
Hence Veda can sound like Bhedawhich, as we know from RV X. 177,
means 'difference'.As anta means 'end' she constructs Vedanta as the
'endof difference.' Note from Ken Knight)]While engaging in sAdhanA
one must concentrate in asingle direction; but after it has been
completed,what comes then? The cessation of difference,distinction
and disagreement. Differences indeed existon the path, but how can
there be difference of
Goal?"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarshaSatsangh/joinHarshaSatsangh
Magazine and Website is athttp://www.harshasatsangh.com"Love itself is
the actual form of God."Sri RamanaIn "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam"
by Suri Nagamma