[Advaita-l] Thanks for all the very experienced comments on self realisation

[SIVAKUMAR RAMAKRISHNAN]

Yesterday came across an interesting couplet in the mahabharata which says
that two letters are the cause for bondage-mama.three letters are the cause
for liberation-namama. Namaste.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 2:29 AM, vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk <
vijaya1.kambhampati at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi to all,
>
> Thank you to all for their kind and very experienced comments on where
> a very ordinary person stands with respect to the need for self
> realisation in his or her life.
>
> As Sunilji says 'real sanyasha should be in spirit, one has to
> practice it in real lifre through selfless work. We cannot be egoless
> just theoretically'.
>
> However, in life and while working we expect people to be kind to us
> and polite to us. Is that being egoistic or expecting too much. So how
> attached must we be to how people treat us at work. The director of a
> company would react if her/his secretary was rude to her/him.- as it is
> not workable. Would that be egoistic. Sometimes it may be the other way
> round and a senior cleverer person may be rude unnecessarily to a
> junior staff he may be angry with.  How should the junior staff react
> to rude behaviour or would you say that all behaviour towards us is
> asked for by us in this birth or previous birth.
>
> I was also happy to agree with Kuntimaddi ji when he wrote about the
> requirement for a quiet mind to self realise-  'If the mind is purified
> enough then it first sees the viswarauupa of the Lord - as His presence
> everywhere. The all pervading Lord cannot be only in Himalayas, right?
> For that I need to understand the nature of Brahman and the nature of
> this world as mithyaa - it is an understanding as understanding as a
> fact not just as a thought. Calm and quiet environment is helpful for
> any serious study and contemplation and more so when I am trying to
> divert my mind to the subtlest of all- the self that I am.'
>
> My only worry being that I do not see myself at this moment as being
> able to renounce worldly attachments for many years. I find it hard to
> be quiet most moments of the day. While I can avoid or blot out
> thoughts, in the process I could also lose alertness which is a
> hindrance to awakening I have heard.
>
> This takes me to the point by Nagarajan ji that ' We can do a simple
> test, where we can try to sit in one
> >place for an hour.? If we are honest, we will find that we are unable
> to do
> >so because of constant chattering and the corresponding association
> that is
> >going on our mind.? So, it wouldn't matter if we sit in our house or
> >himalayas, our >thoughts are our enemy.? It is not easy to control
> the modification of the
> >mind.? It takes time to aware of our vasanas and gain purification of
> mind
> >through Sadhana'.
>
> You are right Nagarajan ji - To quieten the mind is very difficult as
> the ego feels redundant. To act for the lord without thoughts would
> make me feel out of control and my ego would feel useless. The notion
> that I thought of the good deed  to do for the day makes me feel in
> control even if all good acts are god ordained.
>
> And finally I have found it reassuring that as Srikanta ji quotes
> 'Shankara Bhagawatpada in his
> >commentaries on Brahmasutras,Upanishads,Bhagawadgita reiterates that
> >Self-realization is within everyone's reach.No vidhi or kriya can
> help one
> >to attain it.His illustious disciple,Sureshwaracharya also in his
> >"Naishkarmyasiddhi"again and again says that self-realization is
> possible
> >in this very birth.'
>
> I think the problem for many of us aspirants is that we are so
> enamoured with the material world itself, that we may not at the bottom
> of our heart desire to ever leave it even though it is maya. Eternal
> bliss seems nice but unachievable as we are so stuck on the world of
> matter. Until some unpleasant situation develops in our life we do not
> seek self realisation because we have made it our mission in life to
> have pleasurable moments only and importantly do not have the endurance
> to cope with anything else.
>
> Anyhow, in conclusion I have also heard that in Kali yug, moksha will
> be achieved more quickly by those who try. I may be wrong !!!!!!
>
>
> Thank you to Advaita list for answering my quetions so kindly.
>
> Best Wishes,
> Vijaya Kambhampati.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>