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IcyCosmic
05 June 2012, 12:28 PM
Namaste all HDF members, please help me to understand to what extent one must be 'detached' from their body?

For example, when I'm in the gym as a psychological stimulus I naturally marvel at my body and aspire to make it better phsyically.

The question I have is it fine to actually 'love' your body but have the knowledge of detachment and that it will eventually be useless : enough?
When I say love bear in mind I don't mean it any condescending manner purely a reflection of liking ones own personal adobe and percieving it with beauty so and so forth.
or
must I completely detach myself from it - holding no further relation with my body than one may have with clothes - transcending completely past it (obviously looking after it well).

Pretty simple question.

Jainarayan
05 June 2012, 12:56 PM
Namaste Icy.

I believe the body is a repository for God, our true Selves. True, we are not the body, and Sri Krishna says we shed our bodies as we shed old and worn clothing. But to my way of thinking, if you are wearing clothes (or a body that is a repository for the Self) take the best care of it you can, and wear it with gratitude, not arrogant or condescending pride, however.

Yet, we must keep in mind this is only temporary. So I think it's important and required to be mindful of that, and not become fixated on it (or anything else for that matter).

Btw, this comes from the opinion of a weightlifter also. ;)

IcyCosmic
05 June 2012, 01:04 PM
Namaste, Touched. Thanks for your opinion. It's a little tough when you're vegeterian but luckily I'm blessed with amazingly good genes so I need not do much but eat well and work a little.

Jainarayan
05 June 2012, 01:10 PM
Whey protein and cottage cheese (curds and whey) are your friends. ;)

yajvan
05 June 2012, 01:12 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté


Namaste all HDF members, please help me to understand to what extent one must be 'detached' from their body?


There is no must. Over time this occurs naturally with one's spiritual development. This suggests a practice, upāsana is in place. Yet this is not the end-goal. Just as the scent from an orange blossom occurs on the way to the development of the final fruit, this detachment occurs.

praṇām

charitra
05 June 2012, 02:08 PM
Pretty simple answer is you should continue some form of physical exercise, at least a few minutes a day. A few hours a day, on the other hand, maybe an expression of ones obsession with body. Gym or home, some lifting or stretching has a holistic benefit on both mind and body. Asanas are an important form of Hatha yoga, lets remind ourselves here. Namaste.

Maya3
05 June 2012, 04:07 PM
Namaste, Touched. Thanks for your opinion. It's a little tough when you're vegeterian but luckily I'm blessed with amazingly good genes so I need not do much but eat well and work a little.

Why is it tough when you are vegetarian?

Maya

IcyCosmic
05 June 2012, 04:22 PM
Why is it tough when you are vegetarian?

Maya


I'm not in the mood to debate this every nutritionist, health expert, weightlifter, vegeterian weightlifter, bodybuilder, and individual has a different opinion on this. However its on the basis of protein, I do get enough but if I were to stop eating my mums food constantly (where the time will come eventually) I know how I will go about things I won't get enough because I know I won't cook lentils or anything.

Eastern Mind
08 June 2012, 08:19 PM
Vannakkam Icy: We are not the body. We are atma within a body. I heard a good analogy (worked for me) the other day. Imagine wearing a space suit for 20 years ... some distant sojourn where it was needed. We would become attached to it, as We (soul body) are attached to this physical body. So you maintain that space suit to the degree that it works efficiently, but that's about all.

Aum Namasivaya

Mana
09 June 2012, 12:32 AM
हरिः ओम्


Namaste Icy,

To my mind body building is often more about ego reinforcement than physical gain this is not a bad thing if it does not go to far, aerobic exercise
is often better for physical and psychological benefits; this is only my opinion.

I have just watched and would highly recommend this film:

Detachment (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1683526/)


praṇāma

mana


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya

devotee
09 June 2012, 01:31 AM
Namaste Icy,

Body is a gift from the nature which we all should take care for our worldly and spiritual needs. After its need is over, it would go to back to nature. So, attachment to it is not good.

However, it doesn't mean that just because it is not ours we should not take adequate care of it. Please remember that our body is the means of doing all our spiritual dharma for which we all are here in addition to other duties. In Yoga, the first thing that is taught is "How to keep your body fit". However, whether to go to gym or play golf or play badminton or go for a 1 hour morning walk or go for swimming or do some AsanAs etc. etc. is dependent upon your age, body condition, time available, your personal liking etc.

Caring for one's body may become obsessive, we may become enamored by the beauty of our own body ... so, keep yourself reminding that it is not yours ... it is just a gift from mother nature for a given time-period after which it would go back to elements. Say, you have gone to visit some planet for some time where you have a friend ... the friend gives you a special suit to wear which is necessary for survival there ... when the time is over, you have to return it back to your friend with "a thank you and a smile" ... will you get attached so much to the suit that you refuse to return it until your friend takes it forcefully from you ?? Even if the friend allows you to keep it, what would you do with it once you have to return back from the planet ?

OM

Maya3
09 June 2012, 07:52 AM
I'm not in the mood to debate this every nutritionist, health expert, weightlifter, vegeterian weightlifter, bodybuilder, and individual has a different opinion on this. However its on the basis of protein, I do get enough but if I were to stop eating my mums food constantly (where the time will come eventually) I know how I will go about things I won't get enough because I know I won't cook lentils or anything.

IcySFX
Well, I exercise a lot, cardio, weight lifting, hatha yoga and I do get enough protein on a vegetarian diet.
I'm very strong and have good muscle tone.

You really can be a body builder and vegetarian. There are lots of different vegetarian good proteins. But yes cooking lentils IS a good idea :)




so, keep yourself reminding that it is not yours ... it is just a gift from mother nature for a given time-period after which it would go back to elements. Say, you have gone to visit some planet for some time where you have a friend ... the friend gives you a special suit to wear which is necessary for survival there ... when the time is over, you have to return it back to your friend with "a thank you and a smile" ...


Devotee, I love this. Thank you.
I just lost my mother so this will give me comfort to think about.

Maya

saidevo
09 June 2012, 08:33 AM
namaste everyone.

The great yogi of the siddha tradition, TirumUlar, says this about the relation between the body and the soul and the need to take care of the body:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/agamicpsychology/message/10643
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/agamicpsychology/message/10644

Jainarayan
09 June 2012, 12:58 PM
Namaste.


You really can be a body builder and vegetarian.

Two words: Bill Pearl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pearl). ;)

Maya3
09 June 2012, 01:12 PM
Namaste.



Two words: Bill Pearl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Pearl). ;)


:)

Thank you, I did not know about him!

Not planning to become the strongest woman of the Universe, but it is amazing to have strength. I'm kind of new to lifting weights, (a couple of years only) but it makes a huge difference when I carry home groceries, plant trees and other things that my body needs muscle for.
It's kind of crazy actually, the body can do so much more then we think.

Maya

Jainarayan
09 June 2012, 01:59 PM
Don't forget the benefits to your bone strength and density too. ;)

devotee
09 June 2012, 06:48 PM
Namaste Maya,



I just lost my mother so this will give me comfort to think about.


Sad to hear it, Maya. May she fully enjoy the love of God where she has gone ! :)

OM

kallol
11 June 2012, 10:26 AM
Body is the medium through which Mind interacts. Body is the medium, through which mind alters its state.

So here the body is essential and needs to be at its prime to be able to act as better medium. So healthwise, it should be at its best to perform best. This is just like a gadget or car. The better you maintain, the better it serves you.

However said, the mind and body being different, mind is most of the time not aligned to body constraints or limitations. Just like we use normal cars as racing cars and subject the car to lots of stress and strain, same is with the body. Due to unbridled mind, the body is subjected to lots of stresses and strains. These gives rise to lots of diseases.

That said, body is alo the limitations, if we depend on that for mental excellence. The limitations are in the form of number of senses and number of action organs. These limit us to the material world, which are in in the realm of Maya. So that will perpetually bind us to Maya.

To move out of that, one needs to use the external clues to analyse further in the lab of the mind and get into the world of reality and TRUE knowledge. The travel is through the subtle medium (mind and intellect) to the Knowledge goal.

So finally, we should USE the car (body) to travel to destination (TRUE Knowledge). For that we need to maintain the car (body) well.

The mind should be detached from the body in this sense and not become the body.

Maya3
11 June 2012, 07:38 PM
Namaste Maya,



Sad to hear it, Maya. May she fully enjoy the love of God where she has gone ! :)

OM

Thank you Devotee.

Maya