bhAvagrAhI janArdanaH

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

 

One of the blessed Names of the Lord is " bhaava graahi " !

 

mUrkho vadati viSNAya dhIro vadati viSNave

ubhayostu zubhaM puNyaM bhAva-grAhI janArdanaH

 

The Lord neither pays attention to the expert ways of calling Him

nor to the mistakes committed in addressing Him.

 

May all folks who call on Him be blessed because the Lord

is only concerned with their deep sincere devotional feelings.

 

Jaya Sri Radhe!

[Guest guest]

jai gurudev

 

om shivgoraksha

 

very well said.

 

om shakti

gopal

 

 

 

 

On 12/19/09, pyari_h <no_reply > wrote:

> Namaste all.

>

> One of the blessed Names of the Lord is " bhaava graahi " !

>

[Guest guest]

, pyari_h <no_reply wrote:

>

 

> The Lord neither pays attention to the expert ways of calling Him

> nor to the mistakes committed in addressing Him.

 

Beautiful thoughts Pyariji.

 

All these priestly knowledge of exact pronuciation matters only if you are

treating God(or more properly, MA Shakti) as a mechanical force like electricity

you can master & control to your will. If thats your goal, you better follow the

rituals to the letter.

 

This approach is what scientists use- they treat Shakti as a slave, & grab her

by the hair & force her to do their work. Funnily, Ma Shakti doesnt mind, but

then be prepared to play with her full on, & be ready to deal with consequences

if you fail to control Shakti.

 

Thats why its better to be humble- note this approach also has its shortcomings.

You may not get Moksha or even darshan of God in this life, which is why many

people turn to forceful techniques in the 1st place.

 

love,

shantnu

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

 

From Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Pastimes, we remember that there was a devotee

whom Gauranga Mahaprabhu met on His South Indian tour.

He did not know any Sanskrit words of Bhagavad Gita but he always kept the

sacred book in front of him with eyes full of TEARS and body thrilled with

transcendental emotions!

Sri Mahaprabhu teasingly inquired about the devotionally inspiring verse in

Gita, which was responsible for the devotee's ecstasy.

 

The devotee replied that as soon as he tried to open Bhagavad Gita to read, he

could not concentrate at all because his mind was overwhelmed in ecstasy simply

by REMEMBERING Lord Krishna teaching His friend Arjuna in PERSON and his heart

deeply longed for Lord's Darshan and as a result he was submerged in Bhaava

Bhakti of separation.

So he could not even proceed to open the book of Gita for reading Lord's

instructions!!

 

Sri Prabhu admired the devotee's state of pure devotion and blessed him with His

Darshan and Divine association.

 

Jaya Sri Radhe!

[Guest guest]

Thats why its better to be humble- note this approach also has its shortcomings.

You may not get Moksha or even darshan of God in this life, which is why many

people turn to forceful techniques in the 1st place

 

Sri Ramana said  that one should not stultify him/herself by anticipating

failure. When  intellectual maturity is reached, self realisation can happen

in a jiffy.

 

Swami Vivekananda also said that one should DEMAND self realisation as it is a

birthright.

 

The path to reach God has been mystified and made to appear so difficult that

seekers are daunted.It is one's true nature

 

--- On Sun, 20/12/09, shanracer <no_reply > wrote:

 

 

shanracer <no_reply >

Re: bhAvagrAhI janArdanaH

 

Sunday, 20 December, 2009, 16:40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@ s.com, pyari_h <no_reply@.. .> wrote:

>

 

> The Lord neither pays attention to the expert ways of calling Him

> nor to the mistakes committed in addressing Him.

 

Beautiful thoughts Pyariji.

 

All these priestly knowledge of exact pronuciation matters only if you are

treating God(or more properly, MA Shakti) as a mechanical force like electricity

you can master & control to your will. If thats your goal, you better follow the

rituals to the letter.

 

This approach is what scientists use- they treat Shakti as a slave, & grab her

by the hair & force her to do their work. Funnily, Ma Shakti doesnt mind, but

then be prepared to play with her full on, & be ready to deal with consequences

if you fail to control Shakti.

 

Thats why its better to be humble- note this approach also has its shortcomings.

You may not get Moksha or even darshan of God in this life, which is why many

people turn to forceful techniques in the 1st place.

 

love,

shantnu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

, rwitoja mukherjee <r_mukherj

> Sri Ramana said  that one should not stultify him/herself by >anticipating

failure. When  intellectual maturity is reached, self >realisation can happen

in a jiffy.

 

LOL, when we reach Vivekandas level, maybe then we can demand something from

God! And the reason vivekanada could do so is, because his guru had given him

his Shakti to preach. What would Vivekanada had been without Ramakrishna, the

most humble men of all?

 

Sri Raman- His teachings are useless except to those who have almost reached

Moksha, who dont need teachings anyway.

 

The force that can create whole Universes, then have them crashing into each

other with the flick of her finger: Who are we to demand anything from Her?

 

Moksha is our birthright, but not in any point in time and space, which

themselves are a part of Maya. Its our right to ask, not demand, & the Mother

decides when to give it to us.

 

But we still have to do Sadhna, because when our time comes, we must be ready.

When God knocks on your door, he doesnt do so twice.

 

love,

Shantnu

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

-------

 

O Mukunda, giver of liberation!

Who in the world is there with the courage

to pray for the gift of sacred love,

of which even the slightest manifestation,

when brushing against the minds of the great sages,

makes them forget the happiness of liberation?

 

My prayer therefore to you is this:

that I should simply desire for such prema,

and that this desire should increase forever,

in this world, birth after birth.

 

(Rupa Gosvami, Ashtadasha-cchanda, Vastra-harana, 2)

 

--------

 

I pray profusely, O Radhe,

that wherever I take my next birth,

I should always

have unbound love for you.

 

O Queen of Vrindavan,

please grant me residence in glorious Vrindavan.

And if you do not bestow such fortune,

then at least don't destroy my hopes.

 

Loss of hope is total perdition;

hope is the most valuable treasure of all.

Even if I should be born in hell,

let me keep the hope of being in your forest

alive in my heart.

 

(Harilal Vyasa's conclusion to the Rasakulya commentary)

 

from: Jagat's blog

 

Jaya Sri Radhe!

 

> Thats why its better to be humble- note this approach also has its

shortcomings. You may not get Moksha or even darshan of God in this life, which

is why many people turn to forceful techniques in the 1st place

[Guest guest]

'LOL, when we reach Vivekandas level, maybe then we can demand something from

God! And the reason vivekanada could do so is, because his guru had given him

his Shakti to preach. What would Vivekanada had been without Ramakrishna, the

most humble men of all?

 

Sri Raman- His teachings are useless except to those who have almost reached

Moksha, who dont need teachings anyway.

--\

------------------

 

I am really disappointed  to read this response in this discussion group.

Please dont denigrate people like Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramana. Sri

Ramakrishna did not 'make' Swami Vivekananda. He simply found him to be the

most suitable person to carry out his mission and prepared him for it.He was a

great disciple of a great teacher. Sri Ramakrishna said once that Vivekananda

was an ocean  in comparison to his other disciples, who were like small

ponds. The teaching of Vivekananda and Sri Ramana  might appear useless to you

but they are extremely useful to many others. Every person is a unique

manifestation of God and is at his or her stage of development on the spiritual

path. Whether I demand or request anything from God is a part of my unique

relationship with Him. I think of Shakti as my Mother and one can demand from

one's mother. How can anyone dictate what I can or can't do ? It is true that

Shakti creates and destroys universes but it

is equally true that I am a manifestation of that same Shakti. I might be

blindfolded by Maya, but the unshakeable truth is that what eats,sees, hears.

sleeps within the receptacle of my body is that Shakti herself.

 

This is exactly what I was trying to say in my mail. The so called " learned "

people make the path to God sound too complicated and difficult with their

countless dos and donts.. One should follow one's heart and carry on with

determination on the chosen path without thinking of failure and without

thinking of how much time it is going to take.That's in Her hands and one can

never tell when Her Grace will descend on you. I reiterate Sri Ramana's words

" Do not stultify yourself by anticipating failure. "  and demand fearlessly from

your Mother what is rightfully yours.

 

Regards

Rwitoja

[Guest guest]

, rwitoja mukherjee <r_mukherj wrote:

 

>

> I am really disappointed  to read this response in this discussion group.

Please dont denigrate people like Swami Vivekananda and Sri

 

Rwitojaji, I meant no insult to anyone.

 

> This is exactly what I was trying to say in my mail. The so called > " learned "

people make the path to God sound too complicated and >difficult with their

countless dos and donts.. One should follow

 

ji, the original discussion was not about unecessary rituals/rules added to

religon, but whether we should do forceful yogas, the " I Want Enlightment now! "

vs going easy & slowly & letting God do his work. One should not anticipate

failure or be depressed on this path, but one should also keep ones feet on the

ground, & realise that it may simply be not our time yet.

 

Vivekanada is a classical example- he never wanted Moksha, he didnt even know

what Moksha is(he was atheist). Ramakrishna had 100s of other disciples who

wanted Moksha, who tried hard for it, yet got nothing. It doesnt mean they were

inferior, just it wasnt their time. It also shows that banging your chest &

shouting " I want Moksha! " has no effect on God.

 

Another point regarding Vivekanada- all that he preached was a watered down

version of Vedanta. His Guru was a Master of Tantra, yet Vivekananda never once

talks of it. Thats because Ramakrishna only wanted to introduce Hinduism to the

West, not give away its secrets.

 

Vivekanads actual Sadhna started when he came to Kanyakumari & did Tapsaya

there. Thats where he got real Gyan & left his body. But none of that knowledge

is written in books, as Vivekanada had stopped preaching by then.

 

The original point many members made was: one can do Sadhna with humility,

flowing with the Nature in harmony, or one can try to grab Nature by the throat

& force her to do your work, including giving you Gyan.

Whatever path one chooses, one has to be brave, determined, & conciouss. The

path of surrender isnt easy, or the Path of cowards. Its actually harder, as the

ego cant stand doing nothing.

 

love,

shantnu

[Guest guest]

Dear Shantanuji,

 

^^It also shows that banging your chest & shouting " I want Moksha! " has no

effect on God^

 

What is meant by the word 'demand' is a frame of mind or attitude with which to

travel on the spiritual path. As all our scriptures say we are 'offsprings of

the immortal' or 'Amritasya santaan'. So when I embark on the quest to know

who I really am, it might be helpful to  keep  in mind that I am claiming

what is rightfully mine.So I go with courage and determination and ask for what

belongs to me, leaving  no scope for fearful trepidation and doubts of

failure.We are not beggars here.Each one of us is a king whose real identity has

been hidden.This attitude inculcates confidence and courage in the face of the

'difficulties' enumerated by the learned.'Demand' here does not imply grabbing

Nature by the hair or anything violent or agressive.Neither is it counter to

surrender.An infant is completely surrendered to its mother for its well

being but cries when it needs her to get her attention.It 'demands' her

attention as its right.

 

Whether my time has come or not is for the Almighty to decide. Its not something

I have to think or worry about.Such things will only weaken me. I have to

carry on my search for truth,undaunted by such thoughts. 

 

Incidentally, I would like to ask if it is really possible for a human

being (however knowledgeable he/she might be) to predict with certainty what

would have an effect on God ?God is said to be infinite and perfect

intelligence, beyond thought and comprehension. Even the most advanced yogis

cannot comprehend Him in His totality.How can anyone presume to know what would

effect Him and what would not?

 

The Vivekananda you know seems to be different from the one I know. Yes he was

an atheist to begin with but he was not a passive atheist. He questioned

whosoever he felt could answer him and finally found all answers in

Ramakrishna.Ramakrishna told him that it is good that he is an atheist because

then there is an excellent chance that he would really know God. An atheist is

a seeker in the real sense because he is actively enquiring about God. The real

danger lies in meek acceptance of what has been told to one,in being afraid to

enquire.There were several other disciples of Ramakrishna who also achieved

great spiritual heights. Master Mahashay, to name one. They were not in the

public eye like Vivekananda was because of the nature of his work.

 From what I have read (biographies by Romain Rolland and Nikhilananda)

Vivekananda meditated from quite an early age. After his first  visit

to Ramakrishna, the latter had commented about him that he was an adept at

meditation.I am intrigued to know from you that his sadhana began at

Kanyakumari.May I know the source from where you got this information?

Ramakrishna studied not only Tantra but all major religions. Vivekananda's

mission was to spread the message of Vedanta at a time in 19th century, when

there was widespread ignorance about Hinduism, especially in the Western

world.Hindu society was plagued with ills like untouchability, casteism, sati

etc.The educated youth was getting disillusioned. So spreading the message of

Vedanta was important.Maybe he watered it down because he wanted the common

people to get the message.  If he did not speak about Tantra, he must have

had his reasons.Tantra is so misunderstood even in 21st century.

Regards

Rwitoja

--- On Tue, 22/12/09, shanracer <no_reply > wrote:

 

 

 

shanracer <no_reply >

Re: bhAvagrAhI janArd

   

Tuesday, 22 December, 2009, 16:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@ s.com, rwitoja mukherjee <r_mukherj@. ..> wrote:

 

>

> I am really disappointed  to read this response in this discussion group.

Please dont denigrate people like Swami Vivekananda and Sri

 

Rwitojaji, I meant no insult to anyone.

 

> This is exactly what I was trying to say in my mail. The so called

> " learned " people make the path to God sound too complicated and >difficult with

their countless dos and donts.. One should follow

 

ji, the original discussion was not about unecessary rituals/rules added to

religon, but whether we should do forceful yogas, the " I Want Enlightment now! "

vs going easy & slowly & letting God do his work. One should not anticipate

failure or be depressed on this path, but one should also keep ones feet on the

ground, & realise that it may simply be not our time yet.

 

Vivekanada is a classical example- he never wanted Moksha, he didnt even know

what Moksha is(he was atheist). Ramakrishna had 100s of other disciples who

wanted Moksha, who tried hard for it, yet got nothing. It doesnt mean they were

inferior, just it wasnt their time.It also shows that banging your chest &

shouting " I want Moksha! " has no effect on God .

 

Another point regarding Vivekanada- all that he preached was a watered down

version of Vedanta. His Guru was a Master of Tantra, yet Vivekananda never once

talks of it. Thats because Ramakrishna only wanted to introduce Hinduism to the

West, not give away its secrets.

 

Vivekanads actual Sadhna started when he came to Kanyakumari & did Tapsaya

there. Thats where he got real Gyan & left his body. But none of that knowledge

is written in books, as Vivekanada had stopped preaching by then.

 

The original point many members made was: one can do Sadhna with humility,

flowing with the Nature in harmony, or one can try to grab Nature by the throat

& force her to do your work, including giving you Gyan.

Whatever path one chooses, one has to be brave, determined, & conciouss. The

path of surrender isnt easy, or the Path of cowards. Its actually harder, as the

ego cant stand doing nothing.

 

love,

shantnu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

Like to share a few quotes by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ji.

----------------

 

I say to the Divine Mother:

 

'O Mother, I DO NOT need to UNDERSTAND.

 

Please give me LOVE for Thy Lotus Feet.'

 

The AIM of human life is to ATTAIN Bhakti.

 

As for other things, THE MOTHER KNOWS BEST. "

 

-Sri Ramakrishna

 

" How does a devotee behold the Lord?

 

He beholds HIM AS HIS OWN,

even as the GOPIS of Brindavan beheld Lord Krishna.

Those milkmaids CARED NOT FOR THE COSMIC POWERS OF THAT GREAT SUPREME

BEING.

Krishna was their DARLING and They were SATISFIED with that!

 

To the Prema Bhakta (Divine Lover), the Lord is his dearmost,

innermost intimate BELOVED and he is always absorbed in that loving

feeling. "

 

-Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

 

'Rainwater does not accumulate on HIGH, ELEVATED PLACE.

IT flows away to a LOW REGION.

Even so, the GRACE OF THE LORD DOES NOT DESCEND IN THE HEARTS OF THE

HAUGHTY AND VAINGLORIOUS.

IT DAWNS IN THE HEARTS OF THE LOW AND MEEK.'

 

Can you with a distressed heart PRAY TO HIM FOR HIS GRACE AND

REVEALATION?

You shed pots full of tears for the sake of your spouse, children and

property.

HAVE YOU SHED A DROP OF TEAR SEEKING THE LORD?

 

As long as the baby is interested in toys,

the mother minds her own business.

But as soon as the baby throws away those things

and SCREAMS, the mother rushes to attend on it.

 

YOU BEHAVE LIKEWISE TOWARDS GOD; AND HE WILL REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU.'

 

-Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

 

 

Jaya Sri Radhe!