Guest guest Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Spiritual Growth: The Individual Path While the ultimate result of any truly spiritual path is the negation of the individual ego-self, one cannot begin on one's own personal path of spiritual realization unless one establishes his/her individuality. That means freeing oneself from the demands of organized religions, creeds, socially accepted beliefs, the dictates of any prophet. All of these characteristics of religious participation establish only the group-identity, the body of like-minded believers. People can spend an entire lifetime following the teachings and beliefs of others, without ever finding the path that is right for them personally. /images/graemlins/wink.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 in other words, dear devotees.....if you don't start thinking for yourself with intelligence and integrity, you might get stuck for a loooooong time in the maze of iskcon's dogmatic philosophy. Remember, the vedas are quite ancient scriptures, and there has been plenty of opportunity for people to twist and turn and alter the spiritual truths that they contain, over the centuries; just like it has been one with the bible and the koran and other scriptures. Do therefore not take the, 'word' of God as the absolute truth. The ultimate truth is within us all, being divine beings, and we have to start to listen to our own heart, our intuition, feelings and experiences instead of denying them in favor of somebody else's truth... Wish you all the best on your spiritual jouney /images/graemlins/smile.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganeshprasad Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Jai Ganesh Why single out any one institute, they are all there to guide us, it is up to an individuale soul to progress by its own effort no one can give it on the plate. As long as we have desires and hate there is no chance of spritual progress. Jai Shree Krishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 "you might get stuck for a loooooong time in the maze of iskcon's dogmatic philosophy. Remember, the vedas are quite ancient scriptures, and there has been plenty of opportunity for people to twist and turn and alter the spiritual truths that they contain" maybe you are right... but spirituality and destructivity are non good companions so...instead of telling me that i am wrong, you have simply to show your method of acquiring the god's consciousness and liberation from material suffering. In this way i'll see the differences with the path i'm following and i'll see by myself that's giving freedom or helping people to get out from cheatings or have i to abdicate to my "individual sovereignity" to follow you blindly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maadhav Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 << While the ultimate result of any truly spiritual path is the negation of the individual ego-self, >> no, but one just needs to give up false ego, not true ego. No one can prove one does not exist. << one cannot begin on one's own personal path of spiritual realization >> actually, it would be foolish for most to do it. why re-invent the wheel? in order to reject all the availabel paths, one needs to study them well and find faults in them. then only one can say, "i want to begin my own personalpath." this is not possible most of the times for most people. a wise wone would find a right path alrady existing, and live by it. << People can spend an entire lifetime following the teachings and beliefs of others, without ever finding the path that is right for them personally. >> when you learn something and like it, and want to live by it, then it becomes yours. it is others only when you do not know it or fail to see value in it. HKs found something of value and now they live by it. it is their own way now. they became vedic people. you may not like it, but you cannot convince them their way is faulty. BTW, what is your 'personal way'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 religion in order to spiritually develop. However, I also don't think they should be bound by religion, which can cause them to become spiritually stagnant. There needs to be balance between individuality and following a prescribed religious path. Religions are a guide, they are not the easy way out. But they will show you the door, and give you a map of your obstacles to that door. It's up to you to choose your path or make a new path to that door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganeshprasad Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 Jai Ganesh We came alone in to this world alone we will go, no one but the lord goes with us along with our desires and karma. We may seek refuge in an institute, this will help to a degree, we may get too comfortable or delusion, get bogged down and forget the real goal, entangled by the institution consciousness rather then god consciousness, cheat people of their good earned money, so that guru can have Jacuzzi in the bath room, or go glob tottering. Sanyasy associating with women. So yes we get what we deserve and desire. Krishna says The one who remains the same towards friend or foe, in honor or disgrace, in heat or cold, in pleasure or pain; who is free from attachment; and (12.18) The one who is indifferent or silent in censure or praise, content with anything, unattached to a place (country, or house), equanimous, and full of devotion; that person is dear to Me. (12.19) Note, Free from attachment and Aniket(unattached to a place) Jai Shree Krishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maadhav Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 it does not matter what you think. think anything you like. we have no problem. we like to think and do as krishna sasys in gita. you have right to worry about us (getting us stagnent in spiritual path), but we cannot help. some day you will know what you were thinking was right or wrong. we know it, but do not need to tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Haribol, "We may seek refuge in an institute, this will help to a degree, we may get too comfortable or delusion, get bogged down and forget the real goal, entangled by the institution consciousness rather then god consciousness, cheat people of their good earned money, so that guru can have Jacuzzi in the bath room, or go glob tottering. Sanyasy associating with women." We must take refuge in devotees. We are not pure devotees so we cannot know who are real devotees at this stage. Therefore we follow Bhagavad Gita - 'Understand Vedic science through parampara'. So one must take shelter of spiritual master in a bona fide parampara (one example is ISKCON - coming from uninterrupted succession - Lord Krishna to Lord Brahma to Narada Muni to Vyasadeva to Madhvacarya to Caitanya to Prabhupada). Hare Krishna, Your Servant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganeshprasad Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Jai Ganesh Haribol If you read my post earlier you would have noticed I was against signaling out any particular institute I had made a general observation about institute. They are there to guide us, none of them can transcend us automatically, and simply belonging to any one of them is not enough. As to parampara and a bona fide one that is very subjective view, every one of them is saying we are more bona fide then others even if in not so many words. Where the welfare of the institute becomes the primary goal and somewhere along the line the real goal of life becomes obscured by other considerations powered by ego and power trip. Parampara to me is what is handed down not necessary in an institute but whole of Hindu tradition abide by it and then we have sadhu and shastra to verify it And a real sincere sadhak will find the way guided by chatya guru residing in the heart. Jai Shree Krishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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