SELFREALIZATION

[sadananda]

Sri Chelluri Nageswara Rao (Nagy for short since he is my buddy!) wrote:

>Brahmacharya (celibacy) seems to be a prerequisite for attaining
>selfrealization. For a samsari (family man) it is difficult if not
>impossible.

Brahmacharya, normally traslated as celibacy, is not what is requried. Many
of our grate rishies were married. In Brihadaaranyaka upanishad husband
teaches to his wife.
Brhmacharya or even sanyaasa is mental not physical. In bhajagovindam there
is a poem that reducles only the external vesha for the sake of the food!
- jaTilO munDii lunchita kEshaH, kaashaayambara bahukR^ita vEshaH,
pasyannapichana pasyati muuDO, hR^idaya nimityam bahukR^ita vEshaH. -
essentially for the sake of stomach people even grab sanyAsi dress!

 Going towards Brahma is Brahmacharanam - to do that,  one has to first
withdraw his mind from sensious objects out side.  You can not have
both.That is ignorence and knowledge! You cannot see half snake and half
rope.

Krishna says in B.G.
Ananyaas chintayantOma yejanaah paryupaasate|
teshaam nityaabhiyuktaanam yOgakshemam vahamyaham|
(I guess the sloka is right - typing out of memory)

No other thought or desire in the mind whoever worships me, I will take
care of his complete responsibility (yoga and kshema). Obviously it is
easier said than done!
 In fact, He demands for moksha  unadultareted bhaktî.

In the vedantic terminology this is what is called Mumukshutvam - intense
longing for Him or for the supreme self. That is the fundamental
qualification not whether one is married or not or celebate or not, read
books or not, performed yognas or not. They are neither necessory nor
sufficient. Having said, I should add, they can help in the purification of
the mind.

Read some interesting stories in the Atobiography of a yogi wherein Swami
Yogananda describes his meeting of varities of swamiis. It is an
interesting book to read although not only Brahman but some of the contents
are logically in comprehensible!

Hari Om
Sadananda


K. Sadananda
Code 6323
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington D.C. 20375
Voice (202)767-2117
Fax:(202)767-2623

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What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your
gift to Him: Swami Chinmayananda
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