METHOD OF ATTAINING GOD!

What are the various steps in journey to God that every single devotee undergoes?

First practise the attitude: “I am Yours.” Let the wave discover and acknowledge that it belongs to the sea. This step is not easy; the wave takes a long time to recognise the vast sea beneath that gives it its existence.

The second step is: 

“I am Yours; You are My Master. I am Your servant.” This mental attitude will tame the ego, and make every activity worthwhile.

The next step is:

“You are mine.” Here the wave demands the support of the sea as its right. The Lord has to take the responsibility of guarding and guiding the individual.

The next stage is:

“You are I; I am but the image, and You are the Reality. I have no separate individuality; there is no duality.”

Offer your virtues as flowers to the Lord; virtues that spread beauty and fragrance.

Be blissful.

S. Sekar - On a spiritual path

Cat has nine lives but I have only one

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF LIFE'S JOURNEY?

What is the goal of this journey of life and what should we do to stay on course ?

Bhagavan lovingly reminds us today!

Our journey is from the individual to the Universal, from 'Swa' (mine) to 'So-ham' (oneness with God). 

The effulgent Sun can be seen only with its own light.

Similarly, only by the grace of the Divine can one obtain a vision of the Divine.

No skill, intellectual effort or scholarship is required to experience the Divine.

Just as clouds may obscure the Sun, the clouds of egoism, attachment and hatred prevent one from seeing the Divine.

Sadhana (spiritual discipline) is the royal road to reach the Divine. Those who have equal-mindedness see the good and bad qualities impartially.

When your heart is filled with good thoughts and feelings, all that comes out of the senses your speech, your vision, your action - will all be pure. 

Be blissful. 

S.Sekar (From Collections)

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

HELP YOURSELF , IMPROVE YOURSELF

What is the great opportunity we have today and what should we do to leverage it?

Bhagwan lovingly pulls us upward and onward today.

In the Treta age, Vanaras (monkeys) were made to act and talk like naras (humans).

In the Dwapara age, nara (human) was transformed into Narayana (God) by the grace of Narayana.

In the Kali age (the era we are in now), the declaration is made that the nara is Narayana Himself! The space in the pot and the space in the monastery are identical with the vast space in the sky; only the disguises of the pot and monastery keep up the illusion of separateness.

The senses are the villains; they instill the delusion that you are the body. Curb them as the bull is curbed by the nose ring, the horse by the bit in the mouth, and the elephant by the goad. 

First Self, then help. Improve yourself, teach yourself, reconstruct yourself.

Then proceed to solve the problems of others.

This reconstruction is quite easy, provided you inquire calmly into your own personality - “Am I the body or the senses or the mind or the intellect,” and so on.

The spiritual path is the path of detachment, of sense control, and of rigorous mind training.

Know this, Understand this Truth and get enlightened.

Be blissful.

S. Sekar — On a spiritual path

Cat has nine lives but I have only one

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

UPANISHADS

The term "upa (near) -ni (down) -shada (sit)" means "to sit by the side".

The knowledge that was imparted by the teacher by keeping the student Closely by his side,

is dealt with in the Upanishads. This implies that the subject

that is taught is of the nature of a secret personal advice that could be

imparted only to the "eligible" (adhikaari), who is conditioned to absorb

the teaching! It also means, "that knowledge that makes one reach near Brahman"

similar to the term "upanayana" (leading to the Paramaatman). The upanishads

give the spiritual vision and philosophical arguments and contain the ultimate

message and purpose of the Vedas. They are known as "vedanta". The term

"anta" means "end". Upanishads are the "end" of the Vedas in two senses:

1. Physical location of the Upanishads in the scriptures - first Samhita,

then Braahmana, followed by Aaranyaka, at the concluding portion of which is

the upanishads;

2. The ultimate goal or aim of the Vedas is contained in the Upanishads

beyond which there is nothing more to go further!

 

Upanishads expound the direct method of realization through jnaana maarga

(the path of knowledge), the abhedha (non-duality) of the Supreme Being and

the Jiva. Even though Upanishads contain information about rituals (yajnas),

worship of deities etc., the focus is on the philosophical analysis and deals

with a state of free mind with all its attachments (bondage) removed.

The karma kaanda portion of the scriptures conditions the mind to develop an

internal discipline at the summit of which experience, analysis of the

non-duality of the Jiva (soul) and Brahman becomes clearer! At this stage

(of removal from all physical bondage), one gets initiated to the "mahaa vaakhyas"

(the great sayings)! lf one meditates intensely on these, scholars say, that the

non-duality could be actually experienced.

Four mahaa vaakhyas are considered

most important and are contained in four upanishads. They are:

1. prajnaanam brahma - the actual experience alone is Brahman - Aitereya Upanishad : Rig Veda.

2. aham brhamaasmi - I am Brahman - Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad: Sukla Yajur Veda.

The fourth chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad of Krishna Yajur Veda has a slightly different

mahaa vaakya - ahamasmi brahmaahamasmi

3. tat tvam asi - that you are - Chaandogya Upanishad: Saama Veda.

4. ayamaatmaa brahma - the Atman (soul) is Brahman - Maandukya Upanishad : Atharva Veda.

 

As one would understand, these are instructions which can be given only to 

a spiritual aspirant who is highly qualified (adhikaari ) to receive them,

and so are treated like a rahasya (secret) !

 

There are several upanishads (over two hundreds!) and Sri Adi Sankara chose

to write commentaries (bhaashya) upon ten of them known as dasopanishads.

Sri Ramanuja and Sri Madhva also wrote commentaries on the same ten upanishads.

Whereas Adi Sankara highlighted the non-dual (advaita) philosophy propounded

in them Sri Ramanuja emphasized visishta-advaita (qualified non-dual) and

Sri Madhva, the dvaita (dual) philosophies. 

The ten upanishads are given in the sloka:

Isha Kena KaTha Prashna muNDa mANDUkya taittirI .

aitareyaMcha chhaandogyaM BR^ihadaaraNyaka dashaa ..

 

They are Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Munda, Mandukya, TaittirIya, Aitareya,

Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka Upanishads. Adi Sankara's commentary is written

in the same order as above.

Be Blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Date: 04-01-2024