Guest guest Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 http://www.amritapuri.org/teachings/sadhana/script.htm): STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES "Along with sadhana (spiritual practices), study of the scriptures is also = necessary. It will give you more clarity and understanding. It will also help you to disc= riminate properly when an obstacle arises." "What we call scriptures are meant to help us travel without getting lost. = We can reach a place in one hour instead of wandering around for 10 hours." "Didn't Shankaracharya and other great souls study the scriptures? Knowledg= e of the scriptures is a must. Study is a sadhana. It should not be to inflate your = ego, but to get rid of it. The scriptural statements and dictums will act as weapons to= fight against mental conflicts and weaknesses that might arise during the course = of sadhana. While studying the scriptures, one should feel, 'I am studying div= ine mantras.' " How to Approach the Scriptures "Children, only the attitude `I am nothing, I know nothing' will help you r= each the final state. That alone will help the Guru's grace flow towards you. Approach the= scriptures with that attitude, and you will really learn the scriptures. And even afte= r studying the scriptures, try to maintain the attitude `I have not studied anything; I kn= ow nothing.' This will take you to the goal. Try to remain like a child throughout your = life and you will really learn. Study the scriptures with this attitude." "Learning is a form of Devi Saraswati. You should approach learning with sh= raddha (focus and loving faith) and devotion. Whenever you pick up or put down a b= ook, you should touch it with reverence and bow to it. Keep the books neat and clean= .." To Know the Truth, You Must Drop the Ego "A person who has studied the scriptures will have the ability to control h= imself when dangerous thoughts come into his or her mind by reflecting on what he or sh= e has learned from the scriptures. However, it is usually seen that the study of = scriptures without a Guru and without doing sadhana will only help to inflate the ego.= " "One must really know that one is egocentric. A person should realise the e= go is a burden; he or she should be aware of his or her ignorance. He should know t= hat book knowledge is not real knowledge and that such learning only adds to the str= ength of the ego, unless one is subtle enough to go beyond the words and see the rea= l truth." "Study of the scriptures does not necessarily create more ego in you. It is= wrong understanding of the scriptures that creates a big ego in a person. Scriptu= ral study is not the mere gathering of information about Atman, the Self. You cannot col= lect information about something beyond words and beyond the mind, about somethi= ng incomprehensible. You can gather information about people, objects, places = in the world and how to do things like computer programming, which are products of= human intellect. But you cannot gather information about Consciousness. You= can understand Pure Consciousness only if you drop your intellect and reasoning= .. Study of the scriptures is to help you drop the ego and go beyond all explanations a= nd interpretations. It is to prove the insufficiency of words, to explain that= state fully. Study of the scriptures is to give you only an idea about spirituality. It = explains the benefits of spiritual life. They are just explanations and conclusions. But= remember, all scriptural statements and declarations have been made by those who have= gone beyond the ego. To know the truth of the scriptural declarations one must d= rop one's ego." Scriptures Only Point the Way; You Have to Do Sadhana to Get the Benefit "However much Vedanta we study, without doing sadhana, we cannot experience= Reality. That which we seek is within us, but to reach it, we have to do sa= dhana. To turn the seed into a tree, we have to plant it in the soil, water it, and f= ertilise it. It's not enough to just hold it in our hands." "The scriptures only point the way. If you just sit and read the scriptures= , you will not reach your goal. When you wanted to come here, you found the appropriate bu= s and got on it. That is how you were able to reach here. Similarly, only by actu= ally doing the sadhana described in the texts will you achieve any spiritual experience. B= y eating the picture of a banana, you won't get the taste or the nourishment of the frui= t. Scriptural study is necessary, but, at the same time, you have to do sadhana to get th= e benefit." "Information and knowledge block the mind from experiencing Truth. The mind= and thought waves interfere with true experiencing. Suppose you want to experie= nce the beauty of a flower. To truly experience you need to stop interfering with m= ental interpretations. Just look at the flower and you will experience its beauty= .. In the same way, the real meaning of the scriptures can only be known in silence of the= mind, then you will really learn them and experience their fullness. To stop the mind = from judging is real understanding. Study the scriptures, but do not think they = are all there is. Do not think that there is nothing beyond just studying the scriptures.= Studying the scriptures must be accompanied by spiritual practices. Truth cannot be expl= ained or interpreted. Truth can only be experienced. There is no harm in studying th= e scriptures with this attitude. Study the scriptures; yet remain as ignorant= as a child. Then you will grow internally." "Scriptures are like pointers only; they are not an end in themselves. Do w= e taste sweetness if we write 'honey' on a piece of paper and lick it? We should ge= t that experience." "Scriptures were written by the sages from their own experience. We should = make the scriptural truths our own." "Spirituality is stillness of mind, a state of silence. It is also renuncia= tion or an egoless state. Stillness is something to be experienced…. You can write volumes abo= ut spirituality. You can compose beautiful poetry about it and sing about it i= n melodious songs. You can also speak about spirituality for hours in very beautiful an= d flowery language. But still spirituality will remain unknown to you unless you real= ly experience its beauty and bliss from within." Don't Cling to the Scriptures "We spit out the residue after we enjoy the juice of the sugarcane. In the = same way, we should take the essence of the scriptures and discard the rest. But it woul= d be foolish to cling to the scriptures until the day we die." "You should learn the scriptures up to a point, but then do tapas (austerit= ies). Only that will bring your learning to the plane of experience, bring peace to yo= u, and enable you to do something good for the world." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 Namah Shivayah, Thank you for this. I think I'll just continue what I'm doing. Amma seems pretty clear and consistant about Her feelings on scriptural study! Maybe it would be helpful to join or start a study group, though... BTW, I'm so excited about summer tour!! How lucky are we that our Divine Mother comes to us every year? I wonder how many new people will come. Last year in LA they couldn't fit all the people into the hall for Devi Bhava, and it was the same in San Ramon in November. Surely it will be even bigger this year. Our family is growing! Om Amriteswaryai Namaha Brianna --- ammasiswari <ammasiswari wrote: > > > http://www.amritapuri.org/teachings/sadhana/script.htm): > > > STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES > > "Along with sadhana (spiritual practices), study of > the scriptures is also = > necessary. It > will give you more clarity and understanding. It > will also help you to disc= > riminate > properly when an obstacle arises." > > "What we call scriptures are meant to help us travel > without getting lost. = > We can reach > a place in one hour instead of wandering around for > 10 hours." > > "Didn't Shankaracharya and other great souls study > the scriptures? Knowledg= > e of the > scriptures is a must. Study is a sadhana. It should > not be to inflate your = > ego, but to > get rid of it. The scriptural statements and dictums > will act as weapons to= > fight > against mental conflicts and weaknesses that might > arise during the course = > of > sadhana. While studying the scriptures, one should > feel, 'I am studying div= > ine > mantras.' " > > > How to Approach the Scriptures > > "Children, only the attitude `I am nothing, I know > nothing' will help you r= > each the final > state. That alone will help the Guru's grace flow > towards you. Approach the= > scriptures > with that attitude, and you will really learn the > scriptures. And even afte= > r studying the > scriptures, try to maintain the attitude `I have not > studied anything; I kn= > ow nothing.' > This will take you to the goal. Try to remain like a > child throughout your = > life and you > will really learn. Study the scriptures with this > attitude." > > "Learning is a form of Devi Saraswati. You should > approach learning with sh= > raddha > (focus and loving faith) and devotion. Whenever you > pick up or put down a b= > ook, you > should touch it with reverence and bow to it. Keep > the books neat and clean= > ." > > > To Know the Truth, You Must Drop the Ego > > "A person who has studied the scriptures will have > the ability to control h= > imself when > dangerous thoughts come into his or her mind by > reflecting on what he or sh= > e has > learned from the scriptures. However, it is usually > seen that the study of = > scriptures > without a Guru and without doing sadhana will only > help to inflate the ego.= > " > > "One must really know that one is egocentric. A > person should realise the e= > go is a > burden; he or she should be aware of his or her > ignorance. He should know t= > hat book > knowledge is not real knowledge and that such > learning only adds to the str= > ength of > the ego, unless one is subtle enough to go beyond > the words and see the rea= > l truth." > > "Study of the scriptures does not necessarily create > more ego in you. It is= > wrong > understanding of the scriptures that creates a big > ego in a person. Scriptu= > ral study is > not the mere gathering of information about Atman, > the Self. You cannot col= > lect > information about something beyond words and beyond > the mind, about somethi= > ng > incomprehensible. You can gather information about > people, objects, places = > in the > world and how to do things like computer > programming, which are products of= > > human intellect. But you cannot gather information > about Consciousness. You= > can > understand Pure Consciousness only if you drop your > intellect and reasoning= > . Study of > the scriptures is to help you drop the ego and go > beyond all explanations a= > nd > interpretations. It is to prove the insufficiency of > words, to explain that= > state fully. > Study of the scriptures is to give you only an idea > about spirituality. It = > explains the > benefits of spiritual life. They are just > explanations and conclusions. But= > remember, > all scriptural statements and declarations have been > made by those who have= > gone > beyond the ego. To know the truth of the scriptural > declarations one must d= > rop one's > ego." > > > Scriptures Only Point the Way; You Have to Do > Sadhana to Get the Benefit > > "However much Vedanta we study, without doing > sadhana, we cannot experience= > > Reality. That which we seek is within us, but to > reach it, we have to do sa= > dhana. To > turn the seed into a tree, we have to plant it in > the soil, water it, and f= > ertilise it. It's not > enough to just hold it in our hands." > > "The scriptures only point the way. If you just sit > and read the scriptures= > , you will not > reach your goal. When you wanted to come here, you > found the appropriate bu= > s and > got on it. That is how you were able to reach here. > Similarly, only by actu= > ally doing the > sadhana described in the texts will you achieve any > spiritual experience. B= > y eating the > picture of a banana, you won't get the taste or the > nourishment of the frui= > t. Scriptural > study is necessary, but, at the same time, you have > to do sadhana to get th= > e benefit." > > "Information and knowledge block the mind from > experiencing Truth. The mind= > and > thought waves interfere with true experiencing. > Suppose you want to experie= > nce the > beauty of a flower. To truly experience you need to > stop interfering with m= > ental > interpretations. Just look at the flower and you > will experience its beauty= > . In the same > way, the real meaning of the scriptures can only be > known in silence of the= > mind, then > you will really learn them and experience their > fullness. To stop the mind = > from > judging is real understanding. Study the scriptures, > but do not think they = > are all there > is. Do not think that there is nothing beyond just > studying the scriptures.= > Studying the > scriptures must be accompanied by spiritual > practices. === message truncated === Finance Tax Center - File online. 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