Nothing happens without the will of God

 Dear All 

An important satsangh talk on “ nothing happens without  God’s will 

A must watch talk by any sincere bhakta 

Love 

Vivekachudamani-Post 73

The questions which you raised today are excellent , accepted by those  well versed in the sastras , aphoristic, full of hidden meaning and such  that they are fit to be known by all seekers.(67) 

When the student asked his questions (as stated in verse - 49), the Teacher, instead of replying directly and immediately, indulged in a long and exhaustive discourse upon the futility of mere discussion if it were not accompanied by an all out enthusiastic  effort at straightening oneself from one's inner deformities. 

This was no idle digression on the part of the Teacher but it expressed  his deep concern that his disciple should not misunderstand and  misuse the freedom given to him to ask questions to get his doubts  cleared. There are always in society, a set of wise looking foolish  disciples who misuse the freedom given to them and abuse the  privilege of discussing with their Teacher. 

The most important thing for a student to know is to give point-blank question. And that is what the student has done here; sutra sutraprayaḥ; the shortest number of words the question is presented; then it means the thinking is very clear. Therefore your question is like that. Sutra prayaḥ; then niguḍharthaḥ; it is very significant and that is why each question requires long answers. 

The question is raised in one verse; and that is the 49th verse; and the answer is given from verse No.50 to the end of   this treatise. That means it is not a question; it requires one line answer, but it requires elaboration. 

So they are pregnant questions; significant questions; pithy questions; and therefore niguḍharthaḥ; very significant and not only that; jnatavyah cha; mumukshubhi. The answers are relevant not only for you; but the answers are relevant to all the seekers, which can be dealt with in public. 

In this verse, the Master once again, compliments the student  on the intelligence of his questions and the beauty and precision  that graces the very form in which they are framed. The glories  that are enumerated here by the Guru are the perfections that come  about, when a chiselled thought is packed in appropriate language  and offered at the feet of true wisdom. 

When a true disciple reaches  his Master's feet, he feels so choked with admiration, reverence,  devotion and love for him that he dares not disturb the divine  atmosphere of tranquillity around the Teacher with thoughtless  blabbering and empty talk. 

A fit student has got his ideas crystallised and after logical  self-analysis, has come across certain insurmountable obstacles  for the removal of which he has approached the Teacher. Since  the doubt was really felt and thoroughly digested by him, the  student could present it in the fewest number of words, indicating  at once the logic of his thought. 

If on a dark night you fall into a wayside well, indeed, your  condition is unenviable. You are extremely anxious to extricate  yourself from the situation. At this moment, you hear approaching  footsteps and you cry out for help. 

Save me, O! please save me. Help me, save me, save me.' Any  other cry will be unnatural. Similarly, when a student who has  understood that in the darkness of ignorance he has fallen into a  dry well of limitations and sorrows, when he sees the Master, he  will have no stories to tell, no idle discussion to indulge in. His  one heart-rending cry is 'Save me, O Master! save me'. 

Sankara, through his compliments to the disciple, is advising  generations of seekers not to be too wordy when they approach a  Master. This does not take away from us our liberty to talk to the  Master in our attempt to evaluate him. 

Sankara only means that  having accepted him as your Teacher, when you approach him for  correct initiation into the subtle truths of Vedanta, you should not  destroy the sanctity of the atmosphere by an exhibition of your  knowledge or sentiments. 

The questions asked by the student were all couched in a  precise aphoristic style, indicative of his independent attempts  at understanding the preliminary thoughts in the philosophy.  These questions pregnant with secret thoughts, are not obvious  in their literal word meanings. 

 These topics are of interest only to those who wish to get  away from their limitations, to experience the essential freedom of their own pure nature as the Self.

Love

Yoga sutra1-2

 Dear All ,

This talk is on the yoga sutra chapter 1- verse 2 

The verse n its translation can be seen in the above thumbnail 

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Siva Rahasya - Part 1

 Dear All

Talks on one of the ancient and most sacred treatise - Siva Rahasya , is being shared part by part 

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Patanjali Yoga Sutra- chapter 1 sutra 23

 Dear All,

Description of yoga sutras in fewer words and this verse is given in the description in the YouTube shared with you all.

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Vivekachudamani- post 72

Therefore, an intelligent seeker should , as in the case of illness and  so on , strive hard by all the means at his disposal to be free from the  bondage of births and deaths. (66)

The ideas in the preceding ten verses are now being concluded with  this eleventh sloka. Naturally the term 'therefore' with which this verse opens, is a sequel to all the reasons shown and explained in  the previous verses. 

In verse 56, Sankara started this discussion. All through, he has emphasized that self-effort is essential and said that, compared to it, mere sastras studies and the capacity to discourse upon them were not sufficient. 

Because of these reasons, it can be logically understood that each seeker must, for himself, strive with all sincerity and regularity in the right direction, so that he may come to realize in himself the eternal godhood of his spiritual nature. 

The simile used in this verse  is very significant. Like a sick patient, we are to consider ourselves as infected with the microbes of ignorance. 

Health is the real nature of all living beings. Illness is the unnatural condition of the body, when it has, for reasons known or unknown, fallen away from its essential health. 

Therefore, health is not to be created, but all our efforts should be to remove the causes that created the disease. A body rid of its disease germs comes to manifest full health and vigour. 

Similarly, ignorance creates in us all the maladjustments through which spiritual dynamism, divine glory and supreme perfection are veiled from us. 

In the case of disease medicine cannot be consumed by even the nearest or dearest ones; it has to be consumed by the sick person alone; in the same way, guru cannot help; sastram cannot help, even Bhagawan cannot help. They can all support you; but you must do, you alone have to do.

In one corner and samsara also will remain. There will be a peculiar co-existence of scriptural study and samsara. Even though they should not co-exist, they will co-exist because we have not put forth any effort to assimilate it. And therefore, he says: sarvaprayatnena; with all your sincerity, wholeheartedness, yatnah kartavyo; effort must be put forth. Wholeheartedly means I should give quality time; 

Sankara emphasizes svena eva; by oneself alone; for what purposes? Bhava banda vimuktaye; for freedom from the bondage of samsara, which expresses in the form of sorrow; which expresses in the form of anxiety; insecurity; fear; anger, depression.

Even intellectual problems. Intellectual problem is the basic question: why am I born? Why should the Lord create the universe? If the Lord is Omniscient and Omnipotent; why can't he create a wonderful universe? 

All the above questions can afflict a person; that is intellectual bondage.  All put together is called bhava bandaḥ. And vimuktih means removal. So, for this removal of bhava banda, effort should be put forth by oneself alone.

The teacher through the student is giving a general advice to all the seekers or all the people. Tasmat. Therefore, therefore means even though moksha is your very nature you need not get it from outside, but still the nature you have to own up; this requires your initiative

Love

Vivekachudamani-Post 71

 

Verse 65 continued....

Brahmavidopadesa; the first stage is bramavidya upadesah. So a trustworthy guru has to convince me through his teaching that he is in Me; security is in Me, he has to convince; this process is called bramavidya upadesaḥ; otherwise called śravaṇam. On the part of the teacher it is upadesah; on the part of the student, it is śravaṇam.

And after receiving the teaching from the teacher, and what is the next stage, mananam; I should touch my heart and ask, am I convinced that I am free here and now; and mind will never say Yes; it will come up with so many excuses.

I should understand that atma, anatmanayoho itareshaḥ adyasaha is the problem; and thus,  each knot, I have to unwind. 

Then finally dhyanadhibihi; dhyanam means nidhidhyasanam; nidhidhyasanam is not thinking process; the difference between mananam and nidhidhyasanam; in mananam, logical thinking is involved; rationalization is involved; in nidhidhyasanam; there is no rationalization. No thinking is involved. Then what? It is seeing the fact or remaining in the fact for a length of time.

In other words, in the spiritual treasure hunt, the endeavor of digging is  made with the pickaxe of thought and the spade of discrimination.  

With these, we remove the earth - the attachments with the body, mind and intellect, which are the effects of the ignorance of the  Self. Avidya creates in us various misunderstandings and it is these agitations of the mind and negative thought veilings of the  intellect that conceal the Treasure Divine, the Self. These can be removed by reflection and meditation. 

Faithful to his arguments, honest in his convictions and obedient to his experiences, Acarya Sankara cries out that this is  the only path for complete and permanent Liberation from the  chaotic confusions created by our ignorance of the underlying  divinity in ourselves. 

Naturally, he points out the hollowness of all other methods and the immaturity of all other techniques which  are, according to him, putrefied logic, soured reason, distorted  vision and false assertion compared with the perfect philosophy  and detailed practicality of Vedanta.

Love