Who have you enthroned in the core of your heart???

[krsna]

 

Jaya Sita Rama!

[theist]

Now here is a question that gets right to the heart of matter. (Sorry for the bad pun :-)

 

Unfortunately when I look honestly I must admit that I am still worshipping an image of my false self. I sometimes ridicule cheater gurus for having their photos on altars to be worshipped but yet in the secrect altar of my own heart I do the same.

[Guest guest]

Right now, Maya.

[krsna]

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.2.18

 

tato jagan-mańgalam acyutāḿśaḿ

samāhitaḿ śūra-sutena devī

dadhāra sarvātmakam ātma-bhūtaḿ

kāṣṭhā yathānanda-karaḿ manastaḥ

 

 

TRANSLATION

 

Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devakī. Devakī, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.

 

PURPORT

 

As indicated here by the word manastaḥ, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva's mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devakī. We should note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devakī not by the ordinary way for a human being, but by dīkṣā, initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one's own heart.

[theist]

 

Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one's own heart.

 

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I never noticed that before. What I hear from that is the establishment of Krsna within the core of one's heart can only come from one who has Krsna thus established in his own heart. Like a candle lighting another candle. The first candle must itself be lit before it can light another.

 

Now if the receiving candle has a wick wet with water it must first be dried out before it can properly accept the flame and give off the same potency of light.

 

Here again the power of the Holy Name is our only shelter for it's by the power of chanting the Name that the wick becomes dry enough to receive and hold the full flame, and then pass it on. Parampara, one after another.

 

That process of passing on the flame by preparing the recepient to fully accept Lord at the core of his heart is also called diksa or initiation.

[Guest guest]

Is that pic of Hanuman tearing open his chest to show Sita-Rama and authorized portrait?

 

It just looks awfully awful to see that bloody chest cavity with Sita-Rama in the background.

 

Was Sita-Rama in the chest cavity of Hanuman or in his consciousness?

 

did Hanuman actually tear open his chest somewhere and show somebody the view of Sita-Rama?

 

What shastra describes this?

 

Or, is this just another of the many mental concoctions that Hindu artists have dreamed up over the years?

[Guest guest]

Good point.

 

Although technically the seat of our spiritual consciousness (the jiva spark that we are) rests in the area of our bodily chest to the right side of the heart...

 

Our visionary capacity is in the mental body, or manas. Which permeates our brain area.

 

When this is spiritualized, either for a glimpse, or permanently, the Lord's Cit sakti transmutes the manas and we see who is in the core of our heart at that moment. The heart of our mind which is The Lord's domain.

 

So that picture is just some poor traumatized Hindu's devotional offering in my opinion. What a ghastly way to depict the divine couple. We don't see Radha-Krishna hovering over Narasimha Dev while he rends Hiranyakasipu into pieces.

 

It would be more suiting to see a little dream bubble appear over Hanumanji's head to indicate his contemplation. Or just a circle drawn around his heart area.

 

Ghastly.

[theist]

Isn't ghastliness also a rasa? Remember Lord Narasinga ripping the devil out of Hiranyakasipu.

[theist]

I knew I heard this before but I couldn't remember any details. Here is one version off the web. Is it "bone fide?" I dunno.

 

The Name of God

 

After the war was won, as Rama prepared to take his leave of the kingdom of Ayodhya, Hanuman came before him one last time. As a gift, Rama gave the monkey a priceless bracelet, made of gold and beset with jewels. But Hanuman tore the bracelet apart, crushing the jewels between his teeth like nuts, and picking through them as though looking for something.

Rama, put out by the monkey's persistent difficulty, asked Hanuman what he was doing. Hanuman said that while men may value such things, to him it was worthless because it did not bear the name of Rama.

Rama replied that if he truly believed that, then he ought to destroy his own body, as it did not bear the name of Rama. In response, Hanuman dug his claws into his chest and pulled back the skin of his ribs, revealing the name "Rama" carved over and over into each of his bones.

Rama healed Hanuman's wound, and gave him his signet ring, the same ring that Hanuman had carried to Sita on Lanka.

[Guest guest]

Very true theist.

 

An attachment for the Lord that results from feelings of Disgust is considered Ghastlineness. NOD. p.380

 

Many types of gory and thus ghastly scenes are described that a devotee can find oneself in are described, and they provide such stark contrast to the pleasure of being united in sweetness with the Lord, that the separation produced from being in a pitiable condition is considered to produce an experience of transcendental pleasure.

 

This is the temporary experience of ecstatic love by a mature devotee in indirect devotional service. It is a compatible mellow with santa rasa.

 

Interesting to me is that The vigraha of Sita Rama is actually present in the midst of that gory ghastly hole ripped open in Sri Hanumanji's chest.

 

Separation? I have never looked at that picture and seen anything but the divine couple sitting in Hanuman's chest. Today was the first time I was ever distracted by someone elses observation of the gory rent that formed the hole. So I was separated from them even when they were present! But I don't think it was due to my deep devotion, but more like my ignorance.

 

What a trickster.

[Guest guest]

 

In response, Hanuman dug his claws into his chest and pulled back the skin of his ribs, revealing the name "Rama" carved over and over into each of his bones.

 

If we accept the story as true, the picture is showing us a view as only Lord Rama could get.

 

In essence, the picture then puts us in the position of seeing Hanuman through the eyes of Lord Rama.

 

Hey, doesn't that make me Lord Rama?

 

Probably, the way a Gaudiya Vaishnava wants to Remember Hanuman is the way he has been described in Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

I don't remember hearing anything about this incident in Srimad Bhagavata.

 

I like the Picture of Hanuman with his tale on fire running all over Lanka and burning the place down.

[theist]

I just take it that Hanuman has Rama carved into every spot in the core of his being. Why try to over analyze? I certainly don't see the mayavada interpretation that you see.

[krsna]

Durvasa once again trembled--this time in great fear: "O infallible, unlimited Lord! O protector of the universe, I am a great offender. Please give me protection."

 

However, Lord Narayana told him,

 

"O brahmana, I cannot act independently, for I am completely under the control of my pure devotees. Since they give up their homes, wives, children, relatives, riches, and even their very lives simply to serve Me, how can I ever give them up? The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the core of My pure devotee's heart. Indeed, My devotees do not know anything but Me, and I do not know anyone but them."