Diksha

[Guest guest]

There is no doubt that I need to study the Gita much more dilligently. But if I

am to understand Chandrashekhar's post correctly there is both a beauty and a

fault to ritualistic worship? On the one hand is the path to enlightenment but

it is not THE way in which one can achieve enlightenment?

 

I'm learning a form hinduism through the Bengali tradition. I do morning pujas,

Shiva on Monday, Lokenath in Tuesday, Loki on Thursday, Satynarayan on Full

Moons, and of course the major celebrations for Kali, Loki, Ma Durga, Shiva,

Krishna, etc. My hands are full just trying to master these rituals. The

dilemma I fear is that I sometimes find myself focusing more on the mundane

elements of life rather than enlightenment. But according the four paths of

life, it seems I'm walking the right path.

 

Ultimately, my question is... (sorry for the rambling) what are the

intersections between the larger quests for enlightenment with the day to day

routines of pujas? More importantly, I would also like to know what some of

your thoughts (meaning anyone who would like to chime in) on the role of women

within this space? There sometimes appears to be a contradiction. If

enlightenment means moving through and beyond these more ritualistic modes but

the woman's role within this tradition is to maintain them, then how is she set

free? Especially when so many of the rituals are based on the importance of

marriage?

 

Thank you all so much for your indepth and poignant responses. This is a tremendous help.

 

Best, Stephanie

Chandrashekhar Joglekar <cjoglekar2002 > wrote:

Dear Sanjayji and all others,Bhagwat Geeta classifies a person at 4

differentlevels. These are brahman, shatriya, vaishya andshudra. At same time

it is said that people are of 3 naturesor Gunas. The three natures are satwik,

Rajsik andtamsik. The chapter 8 of Bhagwat Geeta explains theTerm "Brahman".

The chapter opens with Arjunasquestion to krisna "What is Brahman? What is

Adhyatma?What is Action? What is declared to be Adhibhuta? Andwhat is AdhiDaiva

said to be?" And Lord krisna answers these questions in the Chapter8.stanza 3. "

BRAHMAN is immperishable and the Adhibhutasconstitute my perishable nature"What

Bhagwat Geeta says is the aim of our life is tobecome desireless. And Being

Brahman is Beingdesireless and the desireless never return to earthplane.Geeta

chapter 8:stanza 11, 12 AND 13 LORD KRISNHA SAYS"THAT WHICH IS DEECLARED

IMPERISHABLE BY THE VEDAKNOWERS; THAT INTO WHICH THE SELF CONTROLLED

ANDDESIRE-FREED ENTER; THAT DESIRING WHICH BRAHMCHARYA ISPRACTISED- THAT GOAL I

WILL DECLARE TO THEE IN BRIEF""HVAING CLOSED ALL THE GATES, HAVING CONFINED THE

MINDIN THE HEART, HAVING FIXED THE LIFE-BREATH IN THE"HEAD" ENGAGED IN THE

PRACTICE OF CONCENTRATION,UTTERING THE ONY SYLLABLED 'OM- (THE SYMBOL OF)

THEBRAHMAN- AND REMEMBERING ME, HE WHO DEPARTS, LEAVINGTHE BODY, ATTAINS THE

SUPREME GOAL"Geeta chapter 8 , stanza 15." HAVING ATTAINED ME, THESE MAHATMAS

(GREAT SOULS) DONOT TAKE BIRTH AGAIN, WHICH IS HOUSE OF PAIN AND ISNON ITERNAL,

THEY HAVING REACHED THE HIGHESTPERFECTION, MOKSHA"Stanza 16.WORLDS UPTO THE

"WORLD OF BRAHMAJI", ARE SUBJECT TOREBIRTH, O ARJUNA, BUT WHO REACHES ME , O

KAUNTEYA,HAS NO BIRTH.Stanza 21."THAT

WHICH IS CALLED THE UNMANIFEST AND THEIMPERISHABLE, THAT, THEY SAY IS THE

HIGHEST GOAL. THEYWHO REACH IT NEVER AGAIN RETURN. THIS IS MY

HIGHESTABODE."Stanza 23"NOW AT WHAT TIME (PATH) DEAPRTING, YOGINS GO, NEVERTO

RETURN, AS ALSO TO RETURN, THAT TIME (PATH), I WILLTELL YOU, O CHIEF OF

BHARTAS"Geeta chapter 8, STANZA 24 "FIRE, LIGHT, DAY TIME, THE BRIGHT

FORTNIGHT, THE SIXMONTHS OF NORTHEN SOLSTICE; FOLOWING THIS PATH , menwho know

Brahman go to Brahman" According to Upnishdic traditions "He who lived a life

of rituals (karmas) and worship(Upasna), will walk the path of the gods and

enteringthrough the sun will go beyond it to Brahmloka. Therehe enjoys the

supersensous Bliss till the end of the"cycle", when along with the creator, he

gets totalliberation. "Geeta Chapter 8:25" SMOKE , NIGHT TIME, THE DARK

FORTNIGHT, ASLO SIXMONTHS OF THE SOUTHERN SOLDICE, ATTAINING BY

THESE TOTHE MOON, THE LUNAR LIGHT, THE YOGI RETURNS"Those who leave the world

after spending there lifetime in doing good and performing rituals

(karmas)without worship (Upasna), are those who go to theworld of Ancestors

(pitrus, world of heavens). Onhaving exhausted their merits, they return

intodeserved embodiments ordered by individual Vasna(desire) balance.So these

two stanzas make it clear that Brahman isessentially one which is desireless.

Because onlydesireless spirit is liberated permanantly from theperishable (the

elements) and so never return to earthplane. So any one BORN is born with

DESIRES and there for isnot a Brahmin. The way we attain these desires are

thethree Gunas (satwik, rajsik nad tamsik) and onlysatwik guna can lead us to

become Brahmin.OM.....--- 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)> > > >

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