Guest guest Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Ramakrishna (smiling): Well, I went to some places. Hazra went farther and higher up, to Hrishikesha in the Himalayas. I did not go so far or so high up.The vulture and the kite soar very high, but their eyes are all the while directed to the charnel-pits below. Do you know what the charnel-pits are? Lust and gold. If in going on a pilgrimage a man does not acquire Bhakti, then his pilgrimage is fruitless; for Bhakti is the end of all; it is the one thing needful. Do you know what the vulture and the kite are? They are those who talk on lofty subjects and say: " We have performed most of the works enjoined in the Holy Scriptures, " but whose minds are immersed in worldliness and strongly attached to wealth, name, fame, and sense-pleasures. Pandit: Yes, Revered Sir,that is true. Going on a pilgrimage is like casting aside the precious stone worn on the breast of Vishnu and wandering about in search of other jewels. Ramakrishna: Again, you should know that although you may give thousands of instructions, still they will not produce results until the time is ripe. A child before going to sleep says to its mother: " Mamma dear, awaken me when I shall feel hungry. " The mother replies: " Do not worry about that, my child; thy hunger will awaken thee. " In the same manner one yearns after God when the proper time comes for it. [p. 284 & 285]Source: THE GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA Revised by SWAMI ABHEDANANDA -- Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya Prasanth JalasutramLove And Love Alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Namaste, Nice excerpt. External things like pilgrimages and rituals are for ultimately stimulating internal transformation. If they are not accompanied by internal transformation, they are useless. People are always eager to get something easily. They think that they can get a lot of good by visiting a specific place or doing a particular ritual or saying a particular mantra or wearing vibhuti or sandalwood powder from a particular temple or a particular ritual etc. Unfortunately, the truth is that it is not that simple to burn karmas and get good results. Without internal transformation, external things are meaningless. A kid who wants to drive a car may be given a toy car by parents. The kid may play with it and practice with it. If one uses the toy car correctly to practice and develop driving skills, it will be useful when one gets a real car. If one does not develop any skills and keeps feeling proud of what a nice toy car one has, it does not help one with the real car. One's skills do not develop. The toy is meant for creating skill with the real. Similarly, doing rituals and pilgrimages is meant for visualizing god, surrendering to god, overcoming pride and self-importance, get the mind of impermanent things and focus on the permanent (i.e. god). If one's self-important attitude remains and devotion and humility do not develop, one's rituals and pilgrimages do not serve much purpose. This reminds me of a small incident. Poornaahuti in a homam is supposed to symbolize offering the head (ego!) to the deity and surrender completely (and think "you are the doer and I am just an instrument"). The gentleman conducting a grand homam I went to (he is the head of a religious order in India) talked for a few minutes on how they collected various auspicious materials for the poornaahuti, how their poornaahuti is so rare and great and how we are all so lucky to witness the poornaahuti offering of such a matchless homam. Such pride and focus on the irrelevant is useless. One is better off offering a simple coconut with complete surrender than offering so many auspicious materials with such pride. As Ramakrishna says, one who engages in great rituals, pilgrimages and other austerities recommended by scriptures, with the mind still focused on *impermanent* things like money, sensual pleasures, name, fame etc, is not making progress. Goal of sadhana is to get some control over the mind, take it off impermanent things that it is naturally attracted to and focus it on the imperishable Self (or god). Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgJyotish writings: JyotishWritingsSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org , Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth wrote:>> Ramakrishna (smiling): Well, I went to some places. Hazra went farther and> higher up, to Hrishikesha in the Himalayas. I did not go so far or so high> up.> > The vulture and the kite soar very high, but their eyes are all the while> directed to the charnel-pits below. Do you know what the charnel-pits are?> Lust and gold. If in going on a pilgrimage a man does not acquire Bhakti,> then his pilgrimage is fruitless; for Bhakti is the end of all; it is the> one thing needful.> > Do you know what the vulture and the kite are? They are those who talk on> lofty subjects and say: "We have performed most of the works enjoined in the> Holy Scriptures," but whose minds are immersed in worldliness and strongly> attached to wealth, name, fame, and sense-pleasures.> > Pandit: Yes, Revered Sir,that is true. Going on a pilgrimage is like casting> aside the precious stone worn on the breast of Vishnu and wandering about in> search of other jewels.> > Ramakrishna: Again, you should know that although you may give thousands of> instructions, still they will not produce results until the time is ripe.> > A child before going to sleep says to its mother: "Mamma dear, awaken me> when I shall feel hungry."> > The mother replies: "Do not worry about that, my child; thy hunger will> awaken thee."> > In the same manner one yearns after God when the proper time comes for it.> [p. 284 & 285]> > Source: THE GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA Revised by SWAMI ABHEDANANDA> > -- > Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya> Prasanth Jalasutram> > Love And Love Alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Well Said Narasimha garu.-- ఓం  నమో  à°à°—వతే  శà±à°°à±€  రమణాయ   పà±à°°à°¶à°¾à°‚తౠ జలసూతà±à°°à°‚ పà±à°°à±‡à°®à±‡ శాశà±à°µà°¤à°®à±  On Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 3:19 AM, Narasimha P.V.R. Rao <pvr wrote:  Namaste,  Nice excerpt.  External things like pilgrimages and rituals are for ultimately stimulating internal transformation. If they are not accompanied by internal transformation, they are useless.  People are always eager to get something easily. They think that they can get a lot of good by visiting a specific place or doing a particular ritual or saying a particular mantra or wearing vibhuti or sandalwood powder from a particular temple or a particular ritual etc. Unfortunately, the truth is that it is not that simple to burn karmas and get good results. Without internal transformation, external things are meaningless.  A kid who wants to drive a car may be given a toy car by parents. The kid may play with it and practice with it. If one uses the toy car correctly to practice and develop driving skills, it will be useful when one gets a real car. If one does not develop any skills and keeps feeling proud of what a nice toy car one has, it does not help one with the real car. One's skills do not develop. The toy is meant for creating skill with the real.  Similarly, doing rituals and pilgrimages is meant for visualizing god, surrendering to god, overcoming pride and self-importance, get the mind of impermanent things and focus on the permanent (i.e. god). If one's self-important attitude remains and devotion and humility do not develop, one's rituals and pilgrimages do not serve much purpose.  This reminds me of a small incident.  Poornaahuti in a homam is supposed to symbolize offering the head (ego!) to the deity and surrender completely (and think " you are the doer and I am just an instrument " ). The gentleman conducting a grand homam I went to (he is the head of a religious order in India) talked for a few minutes on how they collected various auspicious materials for the poornaahuti, how their poornaahuti is so rare and great and how we are all so lucky to witness the poornaahuti offering of such a matchless homam. Such pride and focus on the irrelevant is useless. One is better off offering a simple coconut with complete surrender than offering so many auspicious materials with such pride.  As Ramakrishna says, one who engages in great rituals, pilgrimages and other austerities recommended by scriptures, with the mind still focused on *impermanent* things like money, sensual pleasures, name, fame etc, is not making progress. Goal of sadhana is to get some control over the mind, take it off impermanent things that it is naturally attracted to and focus it on the imperishable Self (or god).  Best regards,NarasimhaDo a Short Homam Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homamDo Pitri Tarpanas Yourself: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/tarpanaSpirituality: Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.netFree Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.orgJyotish writings: JyotishWritingsSri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org  , Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth wrote:>> Ramakrishna (smiling): Well, I went to some places. Hazra went farther and> higher up, to Hrishikesha in the Himalayas. I did not go so far or so high> up.> > The vulture and the kite soar very high, but their eyes are all the while> directed to the charnel-pits below. Do you know what the charnel-pits are?> Lust and gold. If in going on a pilgrimage a man does not acquire Bhakti,> then his pilgrimage is fruitless; for Bhakti is the end of all; it is the> one thing needful.> > Do you know what the vulture and the kite are? They are those who talk on> lofty subjects and say: " We have performed most of the works enjoined in the> Holy Scriptures, " but whose minds are immersed in worldliness and strongly> attached to wealth, name, fame, and sense-pleasures.> > Pandit: Yes, Revered Sir,that is true. Going on a pilgrimage is like casting> aside the precious stone worn on the breast of Vishnu and wandering about in> search of other jewels.> > Ramakrishna: Again, you should know that although you may give thousands of> instructions, still they will not produce results until the time is ripe.> > A child before going to sleep says to its mother: " Mamma dear, awaken me> when I shall feel hungry. " > > The mother replies: " Do not worry about that, my child; thy hunger will> awaken thee. " > > In the same manner one yearns after God when the proper time comes for it.> [p. 284 & 285]> > Source: THE GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA Revised by SWAMI ABHEDANANDA> > -- > Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya> Prasanth Jalasutram> > Love And Love Alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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