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Anirudh
13 October 2014, 12:42 AM
Namaste

For a moment if we assume HDF as miniature world, we find that, we all are in a kind of hot pursuit or in search of something with a belief if it is found will bring peace prosperity wealth satisfaction etc etc.

So with a basic agreement that we all searching something or the other, what does the knowledge of Advaita offer to the seeker?

The question might NOT fit into the general norms of Advaita ideologies due to sentence formation. But the idea is to know what Advaita offer to the human who is busy getting the ends to meet?

Pardon me if similar questions have been raised in the past. I posted as I couldn't find answers ....

Thanks in advance...

devotee
13 October 2014, 04:12 AM
Namaste Anirudh,

As you are aware, Advaita SAdhana is a spiritual path. What do you expect it to deliver to an individual and the world ? If that expectation is known, the answer can be given whether it meets your expectation or not.

OM

Anirudh
13 October 2014, 06:30 AM
Namaste Devotee ji

Can you explain the meaning of Spritual path? And how it is different from the path a commoner.

I will explain my objective obehind the question in detail :

My typical day revolves around executing my family duties and professional duties. Execution of the professional duties helps me to execute my family duties. In this cycle I need a system upon which I can fall back to get motivated something like charging your batteries before you run out of it.

How does Advaita view my typical day?

My basic understanding of Advaita says that my body and its typical day are all my illusions due to the wrong identification of my self.

That is my body will cease (along with my typical day) to exist once the life exits from my body. So my real identification is not my body and its associated typical day but the realization that I exist.

Because I exist before and after my body, sorrow / happiness that comes along with this body shouldn't affect the realization of my true identity.

Now assume that I start operating at this level, and if a angry poisonius snake appear in front and the chances of it biting me is 100 percent, what is that Advaita instructs me. I exist before and after the snake bite. I can simply do nothing not even the need to breath or look out for ways to escape. Why should I escape because snake bite is not going alter the status quo ?

I might sound like a person who has some half baked info on Advaita and arguing based on that. Well my intention is not to criticize or to find fault with Advaita. I am trying to understand its philosophy from the views of a commoner whose typical day is similar to that of mine.



Namaste Anirudh,

As you are aware, Advaita SAdhana is a spiritual path.

OM

devotee
13 October 2014, 09:52 AM
Namaste Anirudh,



Can you explain the meaning of Spritual path? And how it is different from the path a commoner.

Spiritual is a word which is made of the root "Spirit" or "essence" meaning the reality that you are. So, it takes you to your reality. I didn't say that other paths (like Bhakti etc.) are not spiritual. I just wanted to say that it is for fulfilling your aim beyond your worldly aims.


I will explain my objective obehind the question in detail :

My typical day revolves around executing my family duties and professional duties. Execution of the professional duties helps me to execute my family duties. In this cycle I need a system upon which I can fall back to get motivated something like charging your batteries before you run out of it.

How does Advaita view my typical day?

My basic understanding of Advaita says that my body and its typical day are all my illusions due to the wrong identification of my self.

So, that means that you need to know Advaita SAdhana in a better way.

See, I am an Engineer by qualification and a manager by profession. I don't face this contradiction. I don't run away from my job or please don't assume that I am anyway less professional in performing my duty. I can't tell you any more about myself due to privacy needed but I can assure you that you can call me reasonably successful in all aspects of a worldly life. However, this doesn't interfere with my being an Advaitin as a spiritual being. In fact, it helps me in performing my tasks with the best of my abilities as I can be calm even in most difficult situations much more easily now than what I was when I was not on this path. And let me assure you that in our school of this path, a large number of my Guru-brothers/sisters are highly educated and very successful in their worldly pursuits in addition to their spiritual advancement.

So, there is a need to understand this path from a true Guru and making any idea about it by interacting on internet or by reading books will lead to formation of wrong ideas.

You must do your worldly duty in most efficient way but with a difference. You must keep reminding yourself that you are doing it all because God wanted you to do this. It is God's work you are doing. If you fail, it is God's desire and if you succeed, it is God's wish. You own nothing, you are here only for a temporary period as per God's design. Remember Lord Krishna's words : "MAm anusmara yudhya cha" and "Nityam kuru karmatvam, karma jyayohiakramnah".

You should do your worldly duty but you must remember always that your most important work here on this earth is to find yourself/God/Self. You must know who you are ... keep striving for Self-realisation.


That is my body will cease (along with my typical day) to exist once the life exits from my body. So my real identification is not my body and its associated typical day but the realization that I exist.Because I exist before and after my body, sorrow / happiness that comes along with this body shouldn't affect the realization of my true identity.


Yes.


Now assume that I start operating at this level, and if a angry poisonius snake appear in front and the chances of it biting me is 100 percent, what is that Advaita instructs me. I exist before and after the snake bite. I can simply do nothing not even the need to breath or look out for ways to escape. Why should I escape because snake bite is not going alter the status quo ?

You forgot that you are not the body and therefore the snake is also not the body. However, it is ParamArthika satya. You have to act at both the levels simultaneously. You cannot afford to ignore VyAvhArika Satya because your body is an important instrument for attaining your spiritual goal. If you are spirit then Snake is also spirit and there is no biting and there is no death. However, we must perform our duty at VyAvhArika satya level too where my body needs to be saved from snake bite as the body will perish and that will hamper your spiritual goal of Self-realisation and also worldly goal also, if any. So, you have to try to save your body from being destroyed by snake bite. In fact, at lower levels of spirituality (where you cannot guide snake's mind from stop biting), if you have to kill the snake, better kill it and save your body. This is your Dharma as a human being.

The problem arises when you apply Paramarthika satya in VAyvharika Satya and confuse between the two.

OM

Anirudh
13 October 2014, 11:26 AM
Namaste Devotee ji,

Thanks for your reply.

As of now I feel Advaita has got nothing to do with challenges faced in real life. It is like watching a nerve biting thriller movie. As long as you watch the movie you stay addicted but when the projector is switched off, you realize, you can't take decisions to address the day to day challenges with in the gambit of Advaita.

So your reply has created some more doubts, shall get back to if I cant find their answers by myself.

What surprises me is how without any modern education our Achaaryas were able to solve many life related problems.

Thanks again for patiently answering my questions.

ajreddy
13 October 2014, 02:09 PM
Namaste
If a person is used to duality, it is indeed not surprising such doubts stem every now and then. That way you can also ask the same question in reverse mode. How does duality or worshipping forms help in real life? For that matter why should spirituality help at all? If you think we will solve our problems by crying loud in front of a statue then it won’t obviously solve the purpose except for satisfying emotional rants.
Now I think advaita gives a man the power to decide, decode and decongest the crisis. Now advaita is loving the self in everything which could be your self, the self in a snake or in your neighbour. Second once pure love dawns and your heart chakra opens you will obviously realize the futility and the impunity in even solving material crisis. That is not to say you should go and get bitten by a snake. You can just walk away from there. It needs commonsense and has nothing to do with spirituality. Third from my personal experience once you start seeing equanimity of souls, forget a snake, even a tiger won’t harm you. Humans radiate aura and animals sense that and once an animal feels that you are not a threat, it wont harm you. You need to be non violent in words deeds and actions. Even the worst enemies become friends and the worst karma gets minimised with purity of thought.

Now you ask for problems in your job. If you do your job as a matter of duty and not for the fruits then you will be happy. And coming to solving crisis, advaita increases IQ(if you want to take it in a literal sense) because it will keep you away from the age old slave mentality that god is a tyrant who wants you in servitude. Atleast advaita wont tell you,you have to chant certain mantras or break so many coconuts or offer fruits or leaves in order to please god. As if God is a business man who wants some cash to return some help.
And it is a proven fact that TM meditation or for that matter any meditation helps with IQ and once intelligence dawns people can solve crisis. And from personal experience if you sincerely strive with pure desire to attain god then God Himself will help you and if you cant solve a particular crisis then someone else will solve it for you.
When my sister missed a bug in the software and she was working in a very reputed company and she came home literally in tears as to what would happen the next day when they called her for a meeting. I just asked her to start chanting Hreem Greem Hreem which has both parashakti and her son. The meeting was cancelled the next day and my sister was not even called for a clarification.It is not to state that you should deliberately make mistakes but if you sincerely surrender (not material servitude) to the universal soul He will protect you. If you do some statue worship yet disregard the real god who presides the consciousness of all souls you will only end up fighting with my god is great than yours agenda and end up neither here nor there. And one more thing your spirituality will definitely manifest in the material realm in the form of a worry free progressive environment. Know verily that if your life is full of obstacles and you are not succeeding materially , you are not in the right spiritual path. Once you realize the difference between emotional attachment and spiritual detachment you will understand who god is and how he works

yajvan
13 October 2014, 08:22 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~~
namasté


what does the knowledge of Advaita offer to the seeker?

I think this is a reasonable question to ask... I am in hopes it is asked in a manner that is not suggesting a transaction is occurring like a purchase or a coin being placed in the slot, and one awaits something to come out of the machine.

The advaita view ( or for that matter any other noble view) is that which complements one's experience. It is knowledge and experience that benefits the native.
It is like a match; a match without a strike-plate is a useless piece of wood. Yet when the match hits the strike-plate light and heat is produced. Very useful.

Knowledge leads to right action which leads to achievement and then to one's fulfillment. Hence knowledge and fulfillment are intertwined.
If one has limited knowledge then limited fulfillment will be the fruit. So, it is quite practical to have proper knowledge as it offers skill in action.
Skill in action is the fundamental offering that is found within the bhāgavad gītā and in my opinion within mahābhārata. Kṛṣṇa suggests this in chapter 2 , 48th verse, yogasthaḥ kuru karmānī- established (or steadfast) in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma). This knowledge is ageless and it does not concern itself with any school as it germane to all schools.
Skill in action brings one into alignment with all the laws of nature as being life supporting and being right actions at the right time.

Now the question on advaitya - what does it offer ? It suggests how this union is viewed and how sublime this union may blossom into.
It offers the one in union the blue print of what total reality really is. It informs that person via knowledge what is occurring in his/her experience.
We even find some of the greatest muni-s asking this question of others. Confirmation of the totality they are experiencing. Hence this advaitya is there for not only this confirmation , but for the milestones that lead one to the door steps of the Supreme that turns out ( within advaitya) to be none other then one's own Self.

iti śivaṁ

devotee
13 October 2014, 11:42 PM
Namaste,



As of now I feel Advaita has got nothing to do with challenges faced in real life. It is like watching a nerve biting thriller movie. As long as you watch the movie you stay addicted but when the projector is switched off, you realize, you can't take decisions to address the day to day challenges with in the gambit of Advaita.

It is just the opposite. You can handle day-to-day challenges in much better way due to strengthening of your mind and with the grace of Guru/God.


So your reply has created some more doubts, shall get back to if I cant find their answers by myself.

You are most welcome ! :)

OM

Anirudh
14 October 2014, 11:21 AM
Namaste Yajvan ji
On the whole you are saying Advaita or any other philosophies preached by our Achatyas help us to take right decisions at the right time.
Like for eg, the awareness of the right identity will help us to be free from the materialistic burden that comes along with materialistic life. We can't run away from materialistic life but pro actively protect ourselves from the materialistic burden that comes along.

How ever, I didn't understand certain portion of your reply. Could you be kind enough to explain those quoted texts especially the yoga part and the union.




established (or steadfast) in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma).

It suggests how this union is viewed and how sublime this union may blossom into.

Anirudh
14 October 2014, 11:42 AM
Namaste Devotee ji

Although I am tempted, will learn a bit more to raise related clarifications.

Right now I am stuck at this point.

If Self Realization is all about experiencing the truth that there is no difference between my real identity and Bhagwaan, then why do I need God to experience the God in me.

I can simply replace my friend Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu with my selfie and do a mangala aarathi. I might sound arrogant but this is legally correct with in the framework of Advaita. Isn't it?

It reminds my younger days as an aethist.

Eastern Mind
14 October 2014, 12:32 PM
Vannakkam Anirudh: Just so you know, I'm also one who once struggled with the practicality of advaita, and therefore, am no advaitin. So you're not alone.

Personally, I've learned to ignore it as 'high-falutin' philosophy, and focus more on day to day living scriptures like the Tirukkural. It's still there in the back of my mind as reality, ultimately, though. But only in the back of my mind, not the forefront.

I don't think we're alone either. :)

Aum Namasivaya

Ekam
14 October 2014, 03:20 PM
If Self Realization is all about experiencing the truth that there is no difference between my real identity and Bhagwaan, then why do I need God to experience the God in me.

I can simply replace my friend Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu with my selfie and do a mangala aarathi. I might sound arrogant but this is legally correct with in the framework of Advaita. Isn't it?

It reminds my younger days as an aethist.

Namaste. I'm offering my opinion in this matter.

You ask "why do I need God to experience the God in me", you are reffering to two aspects of God, right? Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman (as atman) respectively.

You have to be careful to not confount the "rules" of the Vyavaharika state with the being-ness of the Paramarthika state.

Yes, theoretically you could worship yourself instead of Rama Chandra because both are the same Self. Likewise, you could drink poison instead of water because everything is Brahaman anyways.

The problem is, as long as the soul is trapped in Maya, it is, for all practical purposes subject to the rules of this state. Your consciousness has not realized entirely, both consciously and inconsciously and supraconsciously the sameness of water and poison. That's why you get sick when you take one and is satisfied with the other.

The same reasoning can be applied to spiritual practice. As long as you have not yet realized and integrated FULLY the Paramarthika truth that you and Rama are the same Self, the worship of both would wield different results.

If eventually you reach the state of non-duality in your practice, that kind of self-worship could happen. In fact, it does happen in the life of many Saints, like Sri Ramakrishna and Ma Anandamayi.

Pranams.

ajreddy
14 October 2014, 04:51 PM
Namaste Devotee ji

I can simply replace my friend Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu with my selfie and do a mangala aarathi. I might sound arrogant but this is legally correct with in the framework of Advaita. Isn't it?

It reminds my younger days as an aethist.

Namaste aniruddh
Do you know how Ramachandra looks like? I mean you worship some statue created by a painter or a sculptor right? Even ramachandras idols look different in different temples. show me two statues of him that look exactly alike? LIKE TWINS? so which statue http://www.eprarthana.com/imageofday/showimage.asp?elid=eplp1ram&igname=Sri+Rama&tdid=IG_IMGhttps://www.google.com/search?q=sri+rama&biw=1366&bih=608&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=cZk9VNqrGqa5iwKoxoCoBQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=Sdgzy0Avpk-dcM%253A%3Bgcx99TGrZzurqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.eprarthana.com%252Fimages%252Fgallery%252Frama%25 2Fsri_rama_darbar.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.eprarthana.com%252Fhtml%252Framaimage.asp%253Felid%25 3Deplp4ram%2526igname%253DSri%252520Rama%252520Darbar%2526tdid%253DIG_IMG%3B350%3B499 represents the real sri rama? Have you seen Sri rama or did the sculptor that made his statue see him? You are anyway worshipping some face created by the imagination of the sculptor. If the same sculptor makes a ramachandra with your face many people would worship it without any problem as long as your face is painted in blue and have a vishnu tilak attached. so instead of worshipping a sculptors imagination it is better you worship your self which is non different from Rama and tell me the results.

yajvan
14 October 2014, 05:41 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~~
namasté


Namaste Yajvan ji
How ever, I didn't understand certain portion of your reply. Could you be kind enough to explain those quoted texts especially the yoga part and the union.
established (or steadfast) in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma).

It suggests how this union is viewed and how sublime this union may blossom into.


Let me see if I can help...
Before we start, one needs to be aware that knowledge is different in different states of consciousness. I mention this because it helps to explain the different schools of thought that reside inside of sanātana dharma ( some prefer calling it ārṣa¹ dharma ). That is, a particular school such advaita or say the śāṁkhya school or the yoga school may be more aligned to a particular group of people verses another group. And for that matter, a person can grow or expand from one school into another school – it is quite flexiable. Yet the initial ~attraction~ to a school is predicated on a person’s level of awareness or comprehension.

So, with that in mind, I looked to a passage from the bhāgavad gītā that in my opinion is aligned to many-many schools and is spoken with authority i.e. kṛṣṇa-ji (48th verse, yogasthaḥ kuru karmānī- established (or steadfast) in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma)).
Now that said, the crux of what kṛṣṇa-ji offers us is both knowledge based, instructional, and practical. It also requires the native to experience this level of unfoldment to realize the value therein. That is, when an individual is no longer individual, but aligned to the Supreme in full ( known as established in yoga or yogasthaḥ ) all one’s actions are now the extension of the Supreme’s actions. All actions will bear the maximum results – not only for that person, but for the community, nation, and the world. They are properly aligned with universal dharma. One becomes the walking exponent of the Supreme. By default, the actions are whole in nature – they are not driven by the small-small (aṇu) egocentric person that only looks for personal gain. One becomes the exponent of Reality within the human frame.
One’s reference point is not that of billy, yajvan, tommy, sally, joey, ashcana ,etc. that are experiencing being limited, but that of their own Self that is none other then the Supreme within and without us.

Now back to all the schools ( I count 16)… these schools explain this relationship and how far this relationship may extend. That is why one needs to have broad vision and look across all the schools as much as comfortable. To have a broad base, but also (and in concert with this looking) one needs to come in contact with their true nature, their
true Being that is not outside of one’ s own purview. It is NOT something one gains, but what one re-establishes again.

This is where advaita comes in – it says you are this (Supreme) already. That is the core teaching, you are that , so says our upaniṣads. For some people they think these are flowery words that are to be repeated as being ‘in the know’. But being ‘in the know’ is speaking from direct personal experience. And this is encouraged in all schools.

Hence if for some reason the adviata approach causes some consternation, just re-evaluate and think maybe this is not my entry point into this massive ocean of knowledge; then choose accordingly. There are many roads that lead to Rome.

iti śivaṁ


1. ārṣa = relating or belonging to or derived from ṛṣi-s or seers of truth, of reality.

devotee
14 October 2014, 10:54 PM
Namaste Anirudh,



If Self Realization is all about experiencing the truth that there is no difference between my real identity and Bhagwaan, then why do I need God to experience the God in me.

I can simply replace my friend Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu with my selfie and do a mangala aarathi. I might sound arrogant but this is legally correct with in the framework of Advaita. Isn't it?


This is a very natural question arising in "our minds". Why ? Because Mind is designed and conditioned in a manner which doesn't accept that reality can act simultaneously at two different planes of existence. The one is Existence at Absolute level and the other is existence at the relative level. However, if you take everyday phenomena which all of us would accept, it would be clear that things can act at different levels ... even the relative existence can act as real. What is poison for us and what is healthy food ? At atomic level, both are nothing but quarks/anti-quarks or a mixture of various types of electromagnetic waves vibrating at different frequencies. The basic substance in both poison and food is same and yet they act differently on our body. Again, a solid wall in front of us is actually 99.999 % space and there should be no problem for anything to pass through it because of huge space even in small volume of matter. And still in its relative existence it acts as wall and not space. Can we easily believe that light is both particle and wave simultaneously ? It defies our experience. However, now, science has come to such a level that light can be liquefied.

What do I want to say with all these examples ? When you "reach" absolute state, there is no God or there is God alone. So, there is no question of anyone acting as worshipper named Anirudh, any action possible like worship and any object of worship like God. That is the absolute reality. However, it acts at relative level in a different way. At relative level of existence, there is Anirudh who is a human being with conditioned consciousness and there is Pure Consciousness acting in perceived duality as God.

So, your worshipping your own selfie is flawed at both levels. At the Absolute level, there is no worshipper left and there is no object of worship. At the relative level, when Anirudh exists, God also exists which is not Anirudh. Anirudh worshipping Anirudh is ridiculous.

OM

Anirudh
15 October 2014, 08:16 AM
Namaste Devotee ji,
Agreed Anirudh worshiping Anirudh is weird. If Anirudh realizes, there is no difference between the souls* of Anirudh and Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu it is fine. But unfortunately Bin Laden too has the same soul. Bin Laden has no chance of realizing it, but assume Anirudh has realize it. We can apply the poisonous snake example while dealing Bin Laden at the relative level. But can he be equated with Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu at the Absolute level? Then what happens to the Karma Theory?

Should we say until two parties/entities have not realized, they cant be compared with Bhagwaan.

There is one more problem I observe. If we want to see things in two different levels, then at the relative level we can even justify non vegetarian food consumption.

I am going give myself some more time to get to root.

I sincerely apologize if any one is disturbed with my examples, i felt they were necessary to drive home the point.

souls* I meant the correct identity in this context.


Namaste Anirudh,
......
. At the Absolute level, there is no worshipper left and there is no object of worship. At the relative level, when Anirudh exists, God also exists which is not Anirudh. Anirudh worshipping Anirudh is ridiculous.

OM

Anirudh
15 October 2014, 08:58 AM
Namaste Yajvan ji

Have three personal reasons for my interest in Advaita. I will PM you about it. But trust me, I have no intention to discredit Advaita or argue .




Hence if for some reason the adviata approach causes some consternation, just re-evaluate and think maybe this is not my entry point into this massive ocean of knowledge; then choose accordingly. There are many roads that lead to Rome.

iti śiva�


1. �rṣa = relating or belonging to or derived from ṛṣi-s or seers of truth, of reality.

yajvan
15 October 2014, 10:00 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~~
namasté


Namaste Yajvan ji

But trust me, I have no intention to discredit Advaita or argue .
I can see you have a genuine interest. My point for your consideration was not from the point of view of any negativity pointed to the advaita approach. It is all about comfort. If this approach brings more confusion or consternation then comfort, then there are other vehicles. Some people get to Rome by bus, train, car or by walking. It is wise person that knows which vehicle one should start with.

It is also the wise person that asks along the way. Is my course of progress (to Rome) this way ? The people on HDF may or may not help. Do not depend on HDF solely for this knowledge (including and especially me). Face-to-face talking with people that are knowledgeable is considered best.


iti śivaṁ

Anirudh
15 October 2014, 11:20 AM
Vannakkam Anirudh: Just so you know, I'm also one who once struggled with the practicality of advaita, and therefore, am no advaitin. So you're not alone.

Personally, I've learned to ignore it as 'high-falutin' philosophy, and focus more on day to day living scriptures like the Tirukkural. It's still there in the back of my mind as reality, ultimately, though. But only in the back of my mind, not the forefront.

I don't think we're alone either. :)

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste

Thanks for the message.

I am studying Advaita for few specific reasons.

I will share my views in the process.

devotee
15 October 2014, 10:44 PM
Namaste Anirudh,



If Anirudh realizes, there is no difference between the souls* of Anirudh and Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu it is fine. But unfortunately Bin Laden too has the same soul. Bin Laden has no chance of realizing it, but assume Anirudh has realize it. We can apply the poisonous snake example while dealing Bin Laden at the relative level. But can he be equated with Shree Raama Chandra Prabhu at the Absolute level? Then what happens to the Karma Theory?

Sri Ramchandra Prabhu, Anirudh, Snake and Bin Laden are all the same One reality exhibiting Itself differently at relative plane of existence. Therefore, there is no doubt that Bin Laden is also the same at the Absolute level. See, Karma theory applies only at relative plane of existence and not at the Absolute level. That is why Lord Krishna says in Bhagwad Gita, "Actually all the actions are performed by three gunas in Prakriti but Jeeva due to its AhamkAr assumes that it is the doer (and therefore gets bound by Karma)" --- BG 3.27. That is why on Self-realisation no Karma is left and Lord Krishna says, "There is no better purifier than JnAna" and also "As blazing fire turns fire-wood to ashes, JnAna turns all Karmas to ashes". Once you know that you are Infinite pure, untainted consciousness, there is no doer, there is no ahamkaar of doing and therefore all Karmas are reduced to ashes.


Should we say until two parties/entities have not realized, they cant be compared with Bhagwaan.

Yes.


If we want to see things in two different levels, then at the relative level we can even justify non vegetarian food consumption.

Liking of food is according to one's gunas (refer Bhagwad Gita). SAtvik, RAjasic and TAmsic people like food according to their gunas. It is not a matter of what is justified or not justified, you will act as per your gunas and karmas. If you are born in TundrAs and in winter you can't get anything except meat of reindeer then what will you do ? Karmas are accrued not by actions themselves but by the intentions behind a certain act. That is why Lord Krishna says that indulging in worldly actions without attachment doesn't bind a person.

If vegetarian food is consumed due to attachment towards food's taste, you will accrue Karma. If you kill out of hatred, own selfishness etc. you are bound by Karma of killing. If you have to kill as per your dharma, no karma accrues to you. That is why Arjuna is advised to fight without attachment so that the sins of killing his own near and dear ones including his own teacher does not accrue to him.

OM

Anirudh
16 October 2014, 02:24 AM
Namaste Devotee ji

Thank you very much for addressing my questions patiently and compationatelty.

It will sound like a defeated child if I say I am not convinced but at the same time I must be honest with you.

I need to apply the messages learnt here into my practical life in order to say yes it works. It is because I don't see spirituality as something to be practised in temple or in front of one's personal altar or just to preach someone.

Why can I meditate in a conducive environment and cant while in job. It means I am dependent on external factors.

I had a PM session with Yajvan ji. I cant explain my lessons as this is not the right time. But it triggered some important changes in me.

I have to do a lot of self study and practise to confirm you that I understood your message.

In case I get stuck somewhere shall post my question again here with a belief that you or some member of HDF will be able to guide me.

Thanks again for your compasionate replies and to all those who participated in this thread.

devotee
16 October 2014, 07:08 AM
Namaste Anirudh,

Before we close here, I would like to say some of things that we do in Advaita practice and how it helps better than other paths :

a) You are taught that mind is most powerful in this world and therefore don't accept any limitations on your mental or physical capabilities. Instead, make your thoughts powerful and you will see that things start happening as you desire.

Training the mind comes from Yama, Niyama and Titikshaa. You also seek GUru's/God's intervention for this.

b) You are taught that you are not a slave of God but you are son of God and you are non-different from God. You are taught to pray not like a slave but demand whatever is rightful from God and Guru.

c) Keeping body in good condition is very important and therefore you are taught to do regular Yogic exercises. You are taught to eat right food and in small quantity.

d) You are taught that by progressing spiritually and increasing the power of mind you can change the current status and future for you and you can override the effects of Karma.

e) You are taught that mind can be brought into control by PrANAyAm and by right meditation you can activate your chakras i.e. centres of consciousness. Once the heart chakra is activated, there is no going down and that is when you hear the sound of OM.

You are taught special techniques to activate chakras in faster way depending upon your Guru's system.

f) You are taught to be calm in all situations and develop compassion towards everyone as every being is none other than God. This practice and understanding helps you become better person in your life.

g) You become less attached to senses and to your worldly possessions and that makes your life much easier and also helps you spiritually.

h) Considering that everything in this world is impermanent and that nothing is going to last, you develop objectivity in your dealings in worldly affairs and that helps you greatly in managing them.

OM

Anirudh
16 October 2014, 08:58 AM
Thank you very much Devotee ji for the summation.

I am greatly indebted to you...

silence_speaks
21 October 2014, 10:58 AM
Dear Anirudh ji,
:) Namasthe!

Advaita offers us Total Self Satisfaction 24 7.

Purnam adah, purnam idam ... You are Purna, Complete... This is the vision. You are Fulfilled ... irrespective of all the external circumstances and situations ! Ever fully satisfied.

This is the offering... and if you can find a good teacher who has the vision, it shall be possible in your own life to realize this ...


Love!
Silence

Kalicharan Tuvij
22 October 2014, 10:18 AM
Namaste

For a moment if we assume HDF as miniature world, we find that, we all are in a kind of hot pursuit or in search of something with a belief if it is found will bring peace prosperity wealth satisfaction etc etc.

So with a basic agreement that we all searching something or the other, what does the knowledge of Advaita offer to the seeker?

The question might NOT fit into the general norms of Advaita ideologies due to sentence formation. But the idea is to know what Advaita offer to the human who is busy getting the ends to meet?

Pardon me if similar questions have been raised in the past. I posted as I couldn't find answers ....

Thanks in advance...
Namaste Anirudha,

Interactions with you always bring out brutal frankness in me, so let me offer the following along the line:D :--

Yes, survival and winning over adversities is what occupies individuals; similarly, let us think about what Dharma has to do in order to survive and win over.

Have you ever tried to explain Hinduism or some part of it to a Muslim? From my own experience I can say, that the only way I could do that was via Advaita.

There is much more to it. Dharma has to expand its frontiers quietly, because mutual annihilation (in the name of whatever) is not the way forward for humanity.

It is not too much of stretch to see that Dvaita and Advaita are the attractors for Christians and Muslims respectively, when they make a conscious move towards the higher principles (but coded deep within) of Dharma.

Dvaita and Advaita, therefore, take on the role of "the receptionist"- the helping hand- from within the vast expanses of Dharma. To take one more example, in the 70's and 80's we heard of many Westerners becoming Dharma-inclined due to the presence and movement of ISCKON (dvaitic paradigm) there-- however, once Dharma having found roots in the West, we now see Western Hindus coming along in all shades -- Shaivas, Kali-bhaktas, Hanubhaktas, so on-- reflective of the fact that on the average many today have indeed moved closer to the "core" of Dharma.

But once we are there- the core- and a lot of effort is required in order to be there - whether one was "born a Hindu" or "was adopted"- we also become something of "the giver"- and are required to preserve and nourish the "core" much more than emphasising on the "frontiers" and the "receptionists".


KT:)

Anirudh
22 October 2014, 07:43 PM
Namaste Silence Speaks and Kalicharan ji

I will reply to individually later today, however, writing this reply just to say thanks for sharing your views.

I also take this opportunity to thank Devotee jj and Yajvan ji who gave very vital inputs on this subject.