Page 6 of 6 FirstFirst ... 23456
Results 51 to 53 of 53

Thread: A Proposal to All HDF members

  1. #51
    Join Date
    December 2007
    Age
    63
    Posts
    3,218
    Rep Power
    4728

    Re: A Proposal to All HDF members

    Dear Hiwaunis and all,

    Please don't get discouraged by some people's remarks here. Yes, it is desirable to have correct accent but our devotion is certainly more important than our accent on which we have not full control.

    There is no better Pramaan than Pratyaksha Pramaan ... "haath kangan ko aarisi kya" i.e. when you can directly see through your eyes why would like to see the reflection in the mirror ! You have already experienced the benefits of chanting the Gayatri Mantra ... so there can be no doubts here. If words really had meaning .... Vaalmiki would not have attained knowledge by singing "Maara, Maara". I know of one case when one woman worshipped Meena Kumari (a Muslim actress) as Mother Goddess and that also helped her spiritual development. The devotion is most important and other things are secondary.

    There are so many opinions on almost everything in Hinduism ... Hinduism is like this. You ask 100 people about something & you are sure to get 100 opinions. So, it is upto you to decide unless you have a Guru who is there to guide you. Someone here said that Gaayatri should not be recited by women ! I won't say whether that opinion is right or wrong .... but in my family, all our brothers and sisters were given this mantra by our father and everyone recites it everyday with full devotion. All of us are happy in our own way and progressing spiritually well.

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

  2. #52
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: A Proposal to All HDF members

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    ... our sanātana dharma we are blessed with gāyatrī which occurs in the ṛg veda (3.62.10) . This hymn allows us to raise themselves (ourselves) above the ideas of the time.
    When thinking about svādhyāya¹ or japa or ajapa of gāyatrī , you may consider saṁdhya upāsana - संध्य उपासन.
    What is this ?
    • saṁdhya is being on the junction point . It also means thinking about, reflecting
    • upāsana is the the act of sitting or being near or at hand; it also means being intent on or engaged in adoration, worship, homage
    So saṁdhya upāsana of gāyatrī are the times during the day ( the junction points) for sitting and being engaged in homage, worship or meditation.
    These junction points, saṁdhya, are classically recognized 4 times during a full day. More on saṁdhya can be found here: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=622

    Two of these times are called twilight ( this would be AM and PM times). The astonomical word used is crepuscular - meaning pertaining to or resembling twilight.
    What is considered 'official' twilight? Well there are 3 versions, yet using one's common sense it will be easy to see when saṁdhya upāsana should begin.
    • Civil twilight - begins at sunset and ends when the sun is 6º below the horizon. Some see this as the sun balancing atop of the horizon. it takes 2 to 3 minutes for the
      sun to sink below the horizon, pending where one lives. I like this civil twilight of 6º because is translates to about 24 minutes or 1/2 of a muhūrta¹.
      The degrees is given vs. actual time because the 24 minute period is not uniform. The 24 minutes occurs in the tropics closer to the equator; IN Seattle Washington, USA
      its around 36 minutes in the fall. In Alaska its approximately one hour, yet between now ( May ) and July this twilight persists.
    • Nautical twilight - continues longer, until the sun is 12º below the horizon
    • Astronomical twilight - continues longer until the sun is 18º below the horizon. At this point stars are visible in the sky.
    So when to begin saṁdhya upāsana ? The first twilight.

    praṇām
    • svādhyāya स्वाध्याय- reciting or repeating or rehearsing to one's self; repetition or recitation of the veda in a low voice ( or even ajapa - easily within one's awareness, internally to one's self).
    • muhūrta¹ - a division of time ; 1/30th part of a day , a period of 48 minutes . Hence 1/2 muhūrta = 1/60th part or 24 minutes.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  3. #53
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: A Proposal to All HDF members

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté


    I wrote the following in post 52:

    So saṁdhya upāsana of gāyatrī are the times during the day ( the junction points) for sitting and being engaged in homage, worship or meditation.These junction points, saṁdhya, are classically recognized 4 times during a full day.

    One other thing that is very insightful is from the Mahābhārata. Bhīṣma-ji is lying on a bed of arrows. He, as he prepares to exit the body, praises kṛṣṇa-ji who is sitting there with others. Bhīṣma-ji praises the Lord in multiple ways i.e. names, forms & ideas.

    One attribute he says is the following: the saṁdhi's are thy joints. For me this is perfect. We know that kṛṣṇa-ji is brahman ; Bhīṣma-ji
    also calls kṛṣṇa-ji the same, he says thou are the highest of the high, brahma¹ .

    So what does this tell us ? Saṁdhi is a joint , a connection point, a union point and is equal to saṁdhya. We have talked of it as being the 4 junction points of the day.
    That is a most attractive time for engaging in one's upāsana. We can see why.

    It is that time that is close to brahma, Pure Being, kṛṣṇa-ji, the Divine, Pure Awareness. Yet there is more. Kṛṣṇa-ji's time of the day are his joints (saṁdhi) but this also occurs
    between each yuga or age and at the end of each manvantara and kalpa. He is that perfect pause or rest ( another definition of saṁdhi). Yet there is more...


    This pause or rest (saṁdhi) can also be found between each breath. It too is there. This pause or rest is found in madhya - central, middlemost, neither one or the other. Some say it is the 3rd.

    This is one key principle found in the vijñāna bhairava of kaśmir śaivism. In this middle-most one can find nirvikalpaṃ or nirvikalpa - not wavering ; it also means not admitting an alternative , free from change or differences.

    praṇām

    words
    brahma for brahman. - Note the following derivatives - brahma is used for the impersonal Supremen brahmā for the personal Supreme
    Last edited by yajvan; 31 May 2010 at 09:37 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •