2-& Stephanie...from Mark K. 1/17....re... Understanding Brahman.

[Guest guest]

Dear Stephanie:

If I can also jump in her for you. I'd like to say......

that though Brahman....may be very difficult to understand...

It is...in fact...very easy to experience....

And before ....my experiences....all the thoughts I had...

in trying to understand...

now, I realize...were just not capable...at understanding... Brahman.

Brahman is like a flavor, or taste or experience...that you're trying to understand...

And though it's the most laudable..and important...'idea' in life...

It's also really, just a state of being...or consciousness...

And as it turns out it's a lot easier.... experiencing...that ....then trying to understand...

intellectually....

I'll just list one of my first Brahman........experiences....

I had gone back to school,...later in life...in about 1989.... and was attending a college,

that emphasized...meditation....

And one night after group meditation...and coming back from dinner... I was passing one

the little dorms...when as I looked up... at the building... I watched as my awareness,

quietly, gently....lifted up and entered into the builiding..

And for a few moments...my awareness became the being ...and ground of literally every

aspect of the building. And I saw and felt...every fabric of the building...to

all the nuts, bolts

and screws...to all the coaches...people...and even pictures on the walls...

And after a short while, my awareness came back to 'normal'...

And then, later upon reflecting...I realized I had had a brahman experience...

Brahman can be characterized...as Unity.... spread out.... For most, people on the

transcendental path.... experiences...of Unity come first...

where you're looking at something...and or thinking about something... and for a few moments

you realize...that you and that primary object of attention...are literally one!

And it's a great experience...too.... and very significant...along the path...of enlightenment...

Wow...it's sooo fun....talking about this!

Sincerely,

Mark Kincaid

Stephanie Marie <chotoprajapati >

 

Sat, 17 Jan 2004 09:38:31 -0800 (PST)

 

Re: Difficulties in Understanding Brahman.

Dear Sanjay:

I'm am new to the group and I've also only recently converted to Hinduism. So

forgive my rather naive questions regarding your post. Might you be willing to

expound a bit further on your statements about Brahman and the "incorrect" way

of worship: choosing either manifest or unmanifest? How is this statement

related to, then, the daily, monthly, and special pujas done by Hindus toward

the manifestations of Brahman? I am presuming that's what you mean by manifest

and unmanifest?

If it is the case that the Gods themselves donot understand Brahman, is that to

suggest that there is some kind of duality that separates the Gods from

Brahman?

I'm working on a phd in rhetoric and philosophy so I'm willing to take up your

reading suggestions. While I am unable to read sanskrit at this particular

time, I'm sure there are some English texts that I can sink my teeth into. I

have a translation of the Upanishads but it's been some time since I've visited

them (this type of reading seems to fare much better when one can have a

conversation about them).

I appreciate any insight you can give. All the best, Stephanie

sanjaytechnology <sanjaytechnology > wrote:

All:

The knowledge of Brahman and the desire to fell Brahman is the

beginning of understanding of the "SELF". However, the statements

below are very powerful especiall the one "The Isa Upanishad warns

the students of Brahman not to take sides while approaching Brahman.

Those who worship the unmanifest (asambhutim) enter blinding

darkness and those who worship the manifest only (sambhutim) enter

into greater darkness. The right approach is to worship both and

realize one through the other." This is a very very powerful

statement.

Read the statement below, and then the article below.

A man knocked on the God's door. "Who's is there?" asked God from

within. "It's me," said the man. "Go away then. There is no room for

two," said God. The man departed and wandered in the arid desert

until he realized his error. Returning to the door, he knocked once

again. "Who's is there?" asked God as before. "You," answered the

man. "Then come in," God replied.

Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti.

--Sanjay Aggarwal

Difficulties in Understanding Brahman

Any attempt to explain Brahman to the satisfaction of a mind that is

driven by reason and familiar with the concretization thought is

fraught with enormous difficulties, because that which is

inexplicable cannot be explained by any amount of reasoning and

logic. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond our

intelligence and dreams. Then how can It be explained to the

satisfaction of an intellectual and curious mind? The Rigvedic seers

themselves had this problem in their mind when they called Him

vaguely as "IT" or "This" or "That"

The difficulty in understanding and knowing Brahman is well

explained in the Kena Upanishad. Even gods are not free from their

ignorance of Brahman (II.2.1). All that we can understand about

Brahman is that we cannot understand It. Even after prolonged

spiritual practice and meditation, one cannot even conclude whether

one knows it or not. If a person thinks that he knows It, he does

not know that he does not know. To whomsoever It is not known, It is

known to him. But to whomsoever it is known, is not known to him. It

is not understood by those who understand it and understood by those

who do not understand it. It can be known only when one experiences

directly at all levels of consciousness. (II. 2. 2-4).

Trying to worship Brahman incorrectly and ignorantly without knowing

the right approach can also result in great difficulties for a

person who is on the path to salvation. The Isa Upanishad warns the

students of Brahman not to take sides while approaching Brahman.

Those who worship the unmanifest (asambhutim) enter blinding

darkness and those who worship the manifest only (sambhutim) enter

into greater darkness. The right approach is to worship both and

realize one through the other.

Even an enlightened seer like Yagnavalkya had difficulties in

explaining the nature of Brahman and his creation. While speaking to

Sakalya in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, he declares, " That Self is not

this, not this. It is incomprehensible for it is not comprehended."

When Gargi Vacaknavi asks him too many questions, in the same

Upanishad he expresses his irritation saying, " Gargi, do not

question too much. Otherwise your head may fall off. You are asking

so many questions about a divinity about whom we are not expected to

ask many questions."

Else where in the same Upanishad he resorts to negative terminology

to explain the inexplicable using such words as aksaram

(imperishable), asthulam (not gross), ananu (not subtle), ahrasvam

(nor short), adirgham (not long), achchayam (not shadow), atamah

(not tamasic) and so on (Brihadaranyaka III.8.8).

What is the original state of Brahman? Even the seers do not seem to

have an answer. Uddalaka Aruni tells Svetaketu in Chandogya

Upanishad, that in the beginning the Being was alone, one only, one

without a second and in the next moment changes his statement

stating that according to some in the beginning the non-Being was

alone, without a second and that from that non-Being being was

produced. (VI.2.1)

~! LIFE MEANS STRUGGLE, THE FITTEST WINS SURVIVAL !~

/

 

 

<?subject=Un>

Terms of Service

<> .

~! LIFE MEANS STRUGGLE, THE FITTEST WINS SURVIVAL !~

Sponsor

 

/

 

 

<?subject=Un> Your

use of is subject to the Terms of Service

<> .

[Guest guest]

--- Mark Kincaid <m.kincaid wrote:

> Dear Stephanie:

 

>

> I'll just list one of my first

> Brahman........experiences....

>

> I had gone back to school,...later in life...in

> about 1989.... and was

> attending a college,

> that emphasized...meditation....

>

> And one night after group meditation...and coming

> back from dinner... I was

> passing one

> the little dorms...when as I looked up... at the

> building... I watched as my

> awareness,

> quietly, gently....lifted up and entered into the

> builiding..

>

> And for a few moments...my awareness became the

> being ...and ground of

> literally every

> aspect of the building. And I saw and felt...every

> fabric of the

> building...to all the nuts, bolts

> and screws...to all the coaches...people...and even

> pictures on the walls...

>

> And after a short while, my awareness came back to

> 'normal'...

>

> And then, later upon reflecting...I realized I had

> had a brahman

> experience...

>

> Brahman can be characterized...as Unity.... spread

> out.... For most, people

> on the

> transcendental path.... experiences...of Unity come

> first...

> where you're looking at something...and or thinking

> about something... and

> for a few moments

> you realize...that you and that primary object of

> attention...are literally

> one!

>

> And it's a great experience...too.... and very

> significant...along the

> path...of enlightenment...

>

> Wow...it's sooo fun....talking about this!

>

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

> Mark Kincaid

 

 

Dear Mark,

 

I think what you experienced was a Trans state of

mind. Your spirit got temporarity detatched from your

body.

 

There are cases where people go very near to death

only to retun back and they also note same pattern of

experience. But I feel that being Brahman is a

permanant state and can not be temporary.

 

 

Sincerely,

chandra

 

 

 

 

Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes

http://hotjobs.sweepstakes./signingbonus