It's all relative and apparent what you make truth to be until you come to the Absolute Truth Sri Krsna.

Can you live the truth or are you too fearful of what others say about you ? [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

Truth means to live as if you're going to leave your body in a few moments.

Truth means to go beyond the mere charade of words,faces and numbers of deception that stare you in the face.

Om Tat Sat
Haribol
krsna das

http://vedabase.net/cc/adi/1/54/

What appears to be truth without Me is certainly My illusory energy, for nothing can exist without Me. It is like a reflection of a real light in the shadows, for in the light there are neither shadows nor reflections.

PURPORT

In the previous verse the Absolute Truth and its nature have been explained. One must also understand the relative truth to actually know the Absolute. The relative truth, which is called maya, or material nature, is explained here. Maya has no independent existence. One who is less intelligent is captivated by the wonderful activities of maya, but he does not understand that behind these activities is the direction of the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita (9.10) it is said, mayadhyakshena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: the material nature is working and producing moving and nonmoving beings only by the supervision of Krishna.

The real nature of maya, the illusory existence of the material manifestation, is clearly explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Absolute Truth is substance, and the relative truth depends upon its relationship with the Absolute for its existence. Maya means energy; therefore the relative truth is explained to be the energy of the Absolute Truth. Since it is difficult to understand the distinction between the absolute and relative truths, an analogy can be given for clarification. The Absolute Truth can be compared to the sun, which is appreciated in terms of two relative truths: reflection and darkness. Darkness is the absence of sunshine, and a reflection is a projection of sunlight into darkness. Neither darkness nor reflection has an independent existence. Darkness comes when the sunshine is blocked. For example, if one stands facing the sun, his back will be in darkness. Since darkness stands in the absence of the sun, it is therefore relative to the sun. The spiritual world is compared to the real sunshine, and the material world is compared to the dark regions where the sun is not visible.

When the material manifestation appears very wonderful, this is due to a perverted reflection of the supreme sunshine, the Absolute Truth, as confirmed in the Vedanta-sutra. Whatever one can see here has its substance in the Absolute. As darkness is situated far away from the sun, so the material world is also far away from the spiritual world. The Vedic literature directs us not to be captivated by the dark regions (tamah) but to try to reach the shining regions of the Absolute (yogi-dhama).

The spiritual world is brightly illuminated, but the material world is wrapped in darkness. In the material world, sunshine, moonshine or different kinds of artificial light are required to dispel darkness, especially at night, for by nature the material world is dark. Therefore the Supreme Lord has arranged for sunshine and moonshine. But in His abode, as described in the Bhagavad-gita (15.6), there is no necessity for lighting by sunshine, moonshine or electricity because everything is self-effulgent.

That which is relative, temporary and far away from the Absolute Truth is called maya, or ignorance. This illusion is exhibited in two ways, as explained in the Bhagavad-gita. The inferior illusion is inert matter, and the superior illusion is the living entity. The living entities are called illusory in this context only because they are implicated in the illusory structures and activities of the material world. Actually the living entities are not illusory, for they are parts of the superior energy of the Supreme Lord and do not have to be covered by maya if they do not want to be so. The actions of the living entities in the spiritual kingdom are not illusory; they are the actual, eternal activities of liberated souls

jndas
Administrator

04/26/02

Re: Coming clean-"it ain't that easy"

quote:
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Truth NEVER EVER happens to Organizations or groups or sects.
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But truth can be realized by members of an organization, or sangam.

Sangam, when performed with spiritually minded individuals, is the best and quickest method to attain spiritual realization. Sadhu-sanga and sat-sanga at two examples or beneficial spiritual orginization.

Common sense will tell us that spiritual realization will only occur to a sentient being. The argument that organizations don't become realized is just stupid. It's like saying brick buildings, such as church's and mosques, never become realized. Well, they aren't sentient, so its an obvious truth.

To take such an argument, and then try to use it as evidence for individuals not joining organizations is kutarka, flawed logic.

As for whether we need personal spiritual guides (sat-gurus) to help us advance in spiritual life: The scriptures emphatically state we do, and Lord Krishna reaffirms this throughout the Gita - Himself even taking the role of a personal spiritual guide for Arjuna.

Sometimes we think too highly of ourself and our own limited and conditioned abilities. As a result we think we can develop spiritually on our own without any guidance, discipline, or submission. We forget the Upanishads' instructions, "tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet, samit pani shrotriyam brahma nishtham". For the prupose of attaining vijnana, or spiritual realization, one must approach a spiritual master. How should we approach? Samit-pani, "With firewood in hand". The disciple must humbly engage in menial service to the spiritual master, such as collecting sacrificial wood from the forest. Then one may begin hearing from the self-realized soul.

In Srila Prabhupada's own words (from a purport to Srimad Bhagavatam):


quote:
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The Vedas (Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12) give the direction tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: in order to reach the perfection of life or to understand the real constitutional position of the living entity, one must approach the spiritual master. Gurum evabhigacchet--one must; it is not optional. It is imperative that one approach the spiritual master, for by such association one proportionately develops his consciousness toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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Hearing from the spiritual master requires submission, a service attitude and an inquisitive mood : how do these words from Sri Guru apply to my life?

The answer for me is that I am inquisitive but not submissive or in a serving mood. Because of this lacking of essentials I can never hope to be allowed past a certain point and allowed in to the inner circles.

But nonetheless I can't give up the inquisitiveness as that is my only connection. The perfection of this approach may be santa-rasa with a focus on Krsna if that inquisitiveness can transform into transcendendal knowledge.

From there perhaps I can be drawn closer by Krsna's all-attractive nature. That all remains to be seen. But santa rasa is surely worlds apart from what I have been going through for the last billion years or so.

Jai Nimai!!

Submission and service to a bona fide master may manifest in various degrees after our initial connection of initiation. All good things devotionalcome from Guru. And by the grace of guru we will eventually receive inspiration to do more in the form of seva to please our Gurudev. Every day of our life is a new opportunity to engage all our energy in a multitude of serving activities that are truly life giving and pleasing to Krsna, the spiritual master and all the vaisnavas, when it starts bhakti continually begets more and more bhakti.
That is the magic of bhakti the more you give the more you have capacity. Not that we feel qualified, but we are aspiring to be, somewhere up ahead in eternity.
It would be rare indeed to ascend to any of the rasas on our own strength, it is told we are granted entrance into rasa only by the grace of those merciful agents situated or descending from that plane.
But if we are sincerely wanting it the Lord is making access available at all times, even to every town and village now. If we can't go to Him he is coming to us in the form of his devotees

Good analysis by a nice bhakta das.