Realizing Brahman In Everything
Namaskar brothers and sisters,
The divinity in me bows to the divinity in you.
I would like to share something with all of you.
To me, one of the things that stands out about Sanatan Dharm as opposed to other traditions is the fact that it gives the seeker the ability to see God within everything. This naturally makes it non-sectarian. I have come across many debates, not only between one religion and another, but also between different sects with in Sanatan Dharm. Most of the time these debates are centered around which God is supreme. In the past, I too have struggled with which God is supreme. However, I quickly realized that by doing this I was working strictly on the mental/intellectual level, not the spiritual level. There are three levels which go in ascending order: 1) physical, 2) mental, and 3) spiritual. When we debate about who is the supreme God we are working on the mental level. Yes, this is more advanced than the physical level, but it is still not touching the spiritual yet. You see, on the spiritual level words are unnecessary. The knowledge is there in the heart already and words only lead to confusion. Have you ever looked into someone's eyes and felt their energy so much so that you could almost tell exactly what they were thinking? This is how the spiritual level works. When we are working on that level, we are able to realize the true nature of God, which is beyond form. Out of His causeless mercy He has taken on various forms so that His devotees can understand Him. But His true form is the form of the formless; that is to say, His true form or His true nature is Brahman. Brahman is not spoken of. In fact, even talking about it right now seems wrong to me, but I feel that I must share this with all of you. Unfortunately, the only way to share it over the Internet is through the use of words, but words can still be beneficial if used in the proper manner. I read somewhere once that the spiritual platform is called the Brahman platform, and that liberation means being situated on that platform. One who is situated on that platform has true universal vision. He sees all as God...not just great yogis or humans in general, but even dogs, birds, ants, trees and flowers. This vision gives the seeker unlimited peace. No matter what situation he finds himself in, he is in peace everlasting because he can always see God. For such a person, God is never lost and therefore he has attained the perfection of yoga. When he realizes his own divine nature, as well as the divine nature of all of creation, then there is nothing more to be attained. He sees these debates over which God is supreme as meaningless endeavors and therefore does not waste his time and energy in such affairs. Brothers and sisters, if we can all learn to see Brahman in everything then we will come to know true peace, true happiness and true love. This is the finish line for all spiritual seekers, no matter what path you are on, and it is not very far away at all. In fact, it has always been with us. It does not require any faith, it just requires some elementary knowledge. This elementary knowledge is not intellectual though...no, in fact it is pure, spiritual knowledge. Even a child can understand it. As a matter of fact, most children do understand it better than us conditioned adults. We must return to our true, eternal nature. This nature transcends all kinds of philosophy and theology. It is everyone's birth right to come to this level of understanding. It is an understanding in which, once attained, there is nothing more to be attained. Once the seeker has gained this level of awareness, he sees that there is no greater gain. So I leave you with this: if you find yourself quarreling with someone else, just remember who you are, and you will see that all this disagreement is in vain. May we all see with divine vision.
Om Tat Sat
LightofOm
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Nice thoughts LightofOm ji,
Namaskar.
There is only one God so it is idiotic to debate over which God is better. However, the understandings of that one God are many, and some understandings can indeed be better than other ones.
IMO it is possible to judge the various understandings of God. If a particular understanding can guide the believer to the spiritual level, and help grow and deepen his/her spirituality, then that understanding is better than the ones incapable of doing so. Of course there can be multiple sound understandings of God.
In this world, there also exist understandings that can either keep a person from reaching the spiritual level, or worse, they pretend to be spiritual but misguide a person and take him/her away to levels that have nothing to do with spirituality.
IMO the dharmic thing to do for the benefit of all, is to judge the various understandings (of God), and support/ propagate the good ones. As for the ones that misguide and are harmful, the dharmic thing to do is to expose them for all to see and warn people to stay away from them.
Having said that, everyone should read your great post.
Pranaam.
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Beautiful thoughts, LightofOM ! :)
OM
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Namaskāra, LightofOm;
A wonderful post! This is how I have always looked at Brahman, as Brahman Nirākāra (formless Brahman), though not in those words until recently. Your statement about seeing Brahman in everything reminds me of the story of an enlightened person who was trying to butter bread pieces when a dog came upon him and took the bread piece out of his hand. Instead of being upset, he ran after the dog, saying, "Come back, come back, let me butter the bread for you, first." He felt the dog deserved more than just dry bread, because he could see Brahman in him.
Praṇāma
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Quote:
Originally Posted by
deafAncient
Namaskāra, LightofOm;
A wonderful post! This is how I have always looked at Brahman, as Brahman Nirākāra (formless Brahman), though not in those words until recently. Your statement about seeing Brahman in everything reminds me of the story of an enlightened person who was trying to butter bread pieces when a dog came upon him and took the bread piece out of his hand. Instead of being upset, he ran after the dog, saying, "Come back, come back, let me butter the bread for you, first." He felt the dog deserved more than just dry bread, because he could see Brahman in him.
Praṇāma
:) NAmdev! The bread was bhAkrI (millet) and the butter was ghee. This was NAmdev's transition to seeing His PAnDurang in all char-achar (moving and stationary). This was after he was an adult doing KRshNa kirtan among saints , devotees.
When he was 8 this NAmdev banged his head asking "PandurangA , why don't you eat the naivedya offered to You? Please eat or else my dad will scold me"
PAnDurang (Vitthal i.e. KRshNa) had to actually come and eat for this innocent child and as a result NAmdev got scoldings for eating the offering. No one believed him that KRshNa came and ate it all. Since then NAmdev was KRshNa - sakhA. The step on which he banged his head is the first "NAmdev pAyarI" at entrance to Vitthal Mandir PanDharpUr. Later during a satsanga mela Sant DnyAneshwar suggested NAmdev had to expand his vision of seeing KRshNa everywhere and give up ego. NAmdev went back to Vitthal (KRshNa) and complained that his friends were teasing him. KRshNa tested him and sent him to a Guru who was sleeping with feet towards a Shivlinga. NAmdev was astonished at this and the person helped him see that there is a Shivlinga everywhere, "so where do I keep my feet?"
Yes, well said Light of Om. This is BhAgvat Dharma.
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Namaste!
Very nice thoughts light of Om ji..
You spoke the true knowledge.. When river merge into sea. She becomes quite like that when devotee approach this knowledge of equality he becomes quite and in peace.. He just smiles on the ignorance of such people who are arguing that who is better..
Pranam!!
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Namaste Smaranam,
I read the story in a different form in the book, Brahman: The Many Forms of the One Formless. I did read about the sleeping Guru as well in the book.
Praṇāma
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Namaste Ancient
I wanted to bring to the thread that this 'enlightened person' was NAmdev from a town on the banks of KRshNa river in Maharashtra, near the holy kshetra of PanDharpUr (Vitthal - KRshNa's dham in south).
Also, not to be overlooked --- it was NAmdev's utmost devotion to and personal relationship with Shri KRshNa that brought him this far, it was KRshNa's grace that made him enlightened and gave him this bhAv of
'VAsudeva sarvam iti'
There are several Vittal bhakta who attained the high 'gati' - state of consciousness by Vitthal (KRshNa-standing-on-a-brick) 's grace and their full surrender and dependence on Him. He literally took care of them, took them under His wing.
- DnyAneshwar -- was a born yogi (considered avatar)
- NAmdev
- TukArAm (said to be a reincarnation of NAmdev sent on a mission)
- Janabai , Namdev's servant, sister and disciple, dear daughter of Vitthal, whom He helped with household chores!
- Eknath
- GorA KumbhAr -- a simple village family man who made pots of clay for a iving, but had immense faith, shraddhA and devotion to Vitthal that he forgot his surroundings
- ChokhA Mali
- Sant Sakhubai
All these saints worshipped Brahman the Person, omniscient omnipotent omnipresent in all.
and His wonders continue to the modern day, in whatever little or simple form.
These devotees brought to us gems called 'abhanga' (devotional song compositions, bhajans) about KRshNa.
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Half knowledge is dangerours.
Of course it is the truth that we are all Brahmana.
Namdev realised only this half truth.
Brahmana in all of us is supposed to be working at different levels.
Brahmana in the dog cannot be at level with brahmana in human being.
Those who keep such stories alive should introspect.
Re: Realizing Brahman In Everything
Namaste riju,
Quote:
Originally Posted by
riju
Half knowledge is dangerours. Of course it is the truth that we are all Brahmana.Namdev realised only this half truth. Brahmana in all of us is upposed to be working at different levels. Brahmana in the dog cannot be at level with brahmana in human being. Those who keep such stories alive should introspect.
You have not understood it rightly, I am afraid. Brahman in you, me, a dog and even the lowest being (supposedly) in the universe is the same. This is because Brahman is One and unchanging. If Brahman in you and a dog are different then what we are talking about is not Brahman. Lord Krishna says, "The wise see no difference among a BrAhmin endowed with virtues of being humble and learned in Shstras, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a ChAndAla".
The difference is in MAyic entities ... in the forms and names and the accumulated impressions (Karmas) which give rise to relative existence of multitude. We see the differences only till we are not one with Brahman. The lower is our spiritual level, the more difference we see between us and the world around us. The higher we go, the less difference is perceived and finally, there is no difference at all.
A Dog and a human being are certainly not at the same level. But Dog is MAyA and the human being is too MAyA. The difference is there Only in MAyA. The substratum of Dog and a Human being is One Reality i.e. Brahman and at that level there is no difference.
OM