Re: Can a missed life be someone's last life?
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
I was hoping that we would hear from Roger, as he mentions the following in post 1:
actually giving up on life at an early age (I mean completely giving up)
This completely giving up is no small thing. Yet we find this notion in the kaṭhopaniṣat (kaṭha upaniṣad 1.2.20), offered in the following verse:
( I add the devanāgarī script i.e. saṃskṛt only for my practice and for those that care to inspect the verse)
अणोरणीयान्महतो महीया नात्माऽस्य जन्तोर्निहितो गुहायाम् ।
तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोकोधातुप्रसादान्महिमानमात्मनः ॥ २०
aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyānātmā'sya jantornihito guhāyām |
tamakratuḥ paśyati vītaśokodhātuprasādānmahimānamātmanaḥ || 20|| 1.2.20
The key term is akratuḥ or a+ kratuḥ. Looking at the word's components we have the following: not (a) + will, intention, desire (kratu). It is = to 'without active will' and therefore = to completely giving up. Let me then offer the relevant part of this verse.
It says to the one without active will (akratuḥ) freed from sorrow beholds the glory of (the) Self (ātmanaḥ) by His grace (dhātuprasādā).
So, this completely giving up is quite rewarding to the jijñāsu1 (~ seeker ~). To others this giving up may be viewed as ‘loss’. The loss of things to many has little attraction. Yet for the jijñāsu ( code for mumukṣuḥ2 ) this is a most welcomed occurrence. In this case it is not the loss of things ( house, car, clothing, family) but of the ignorance that binds one into thinking I am the body, I am a manager, I am big/small, I am happy then sad – all these things that people think they are, but not their authentic nature (Self).
Q: Is it possible to ~practice~ giving up ( akratuḥ )?
A: Yes, one method is called pratiprasava; the term means 'counter order' , returning to the original condition. This is call out in patañjali’s yogadarśana ( yoga-sūtras), chandogya upaniṣad , and the vijñānabhairava tantra ( some prefer to call it śivavijñānopaniṣat).
Q: But I wish to do this ‘giving up’ by devotional service (for the bhakta).
A: Yes, this is possible and here it would be called prapatti – or unswerving surrender.
Q: Yet I want to practice not with my eyes closed but during the day.
A: Yes, this is niṣkama action – that is, unselfish actions (niṣkriya)
All of these approaches require one thing ( as I have found); no pretending. No self-hypnosis that one is doing it and really just running through the methods pretending i.e. one must make the resolve (kratuḥ)
इतिशिवं
iti śivaṁ
1. jijñāsu - desirous of knowing , inquiring into , examining; but of what ? Self, Being, pure awareness
2. mumukṣu – the one eager to be free from mundane existence of the world ; free from duality and differentiated/fractured awareness
Last edited by yajvan; 22 May 2017 at 07:12 PM.
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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