Let us Honor the LIGHT shining in all of us ! Happy Deepavali , Dear All! l

[Guest guest]

Respected Members !

 

Devout Hindus will be celeberating a major hindu festival

called 'Deepavali' (FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS) this week and orthodox

muslims will be celebrating 'Eid' on Friday of next week when the

muslims will break a month long fast by 'feasting' and celebrating !

What a coincidence!

 

i am reminded of a famous poem by a Sufi Mystic

 

"The Lamps are different

But the *Light* is the same

It comes from beyond -

Fix your gaze upon the light

And you are delivered from fault

Inherent in the finite body". (Masnavi III, 1259)

 

 

Yes! This is the 'Eternal LIGHT' that is shining in all souls !

the 'soul' has no religion - it has no caste , no creed ! it is

beyond all those finite descriptions!

 

How does Chandogya Upanishad describe this 'Eternal' light ?

 

" Now the light which shines above this heaven , above all, above

every thing , in the highest worlds beyond which there are no higher

worlds ;verily ,this is the same as the light , which is here within

the person".

 

ATMA-JYOTHI is synonymous with PARAM JYOTI !

 

IT IS THE SAME 'LIGHT' WITH THE SAME BRIGHTNESS but we are unable

to 'see' this because the 'ajna chakra ' has not been opened as yet!

Fot this, we need the grace of the Sadguru ! HE is the one who can

take us beyond 'names and forms' and show us the 'eternal Light'

shining within all of us !!

 

Agnyaana Timiraandhasya

Gnyaana Anjana Shalaakayaa

Chakshuhu Unmeelitam Yenam

Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha.

 

A Guru can save us from the pangs of ignorance (darkness) by applying

to us the balm of knowledge or awareness of the Supreme, I salute

such a Guru.

 

Earlier, Bhaskar prabhu wrote in a post How Sri Ramakrishna was

Helped by his guru Totapuri in overcoming the last barrier that stood

in his way of 'brahman' realization ! Here is that amazing story !

 

"Totapuri approached Ramakrishna with the proposal that he receive

initiation into Advaita Vedanta. Ramakrishna replied, "I must ask my

Mother Kali." He entered the temple and received permission from the

living divinity that he experienced pulsatiing through the stone

image enshrined there. That evening, Toatpuri began instructing him

in Formless Meditation. But as Ramakrishna concentrated deeply, the

radiant figure of the Goddess appeared to his inner eye. When he

reported this to Totapuri, the austere naked monk took a sharp stone

and pressed it firmly against Ramakrishna's forehead, instructing him

to concentrate on the pain and assuring him that he could transcend

the divine form and merge into the infinite expanse of the absolute.

Once more, Ramakrishna meditated and, as he later expressed it, "with

the sword of wisdom, I cut through the divine form of Kali." Her form

dissolved, and his individuality completely disappeared into Her

formless aspect. For three days Ramakrishna was completely lost to

the world in a near state of suspended animation called Nirodha,

seated in the small Meditation Hut, motionless, all breathing and

body functions slowed to a standstill."

 

Yes, Thakore went from worshipping Mother KALI ( GODDESS WITH A

FORM ) to meditating on the Formless 'brahman' - from Savikara to

nirvikara , to saguna to nirguna !

 

As per Mundaka Upanishad ( 3.2/8-9)

 

"As rivers flow into the sea and in so doing lose name and form, so

even the wise man, freed from name and form, attains the Supreme

Being, the Self-luminous, the Infinite. He who knows Brahman becomes

Brahman. "

 

Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.8-9

 

but till then ordinary mortals like me need a 'name and form' to

cling on to but we must remember not to imprison 'God' in a picture

or confine Him to a stone idol !He is the 'light of all lights' !

 

i honor the 'Light ' in all of you! Happy Deepavali !

 

Who is going to 'light' the first lamp ? only a lit lamp can light

another !

 

Aum Shanti! Aum Shanti ! Aum Shantihi!

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "adi_shakthi16"

<adi_shakthi16> wrote:

>

>

>

> Devout Hindus will be celeberating a major hindu festival

> called 'Deepavali' (FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS) > but till then ordinary

mortals like me need a 'name and form' to

> cling on to but we must remember not to imprison 'God' in a

picture

> or confine Him to a stone idol !He is the 'light of all lights' !

>

 

 

> i honor the 'Light ' in all of you! Happy Deepavali !

>

> Who is going to 'light' the first lamp ? only a lit lamp can light

> another !

>

> Aum Shanti! Aum Shanti ! Aum Shantihi!

>

 

 

 

Namaste aditi-Ji:

 

Some additional thoughts that helps us understand the why such

honoring must have been practiced by our ancestors !?

 

Light is necessary before one can see clearly. In absence of light

everything is dark and thus one cannot differentiate the first

identifiable difference ("Color"), which falls within the visible

spectrum of light. The first step of identity is usually associated

with the color before other details could possibly be registered in

our mind.

 

Shearing that light with others may help us understand the true

colors with our own eyes "to see and to be seen" within the realm of

perception as our own observations (cakhurvai satyam).

 

Warm wishes for Diipaavavli,

 

Dr. Yadu