Which is the most difficult Question in Spirituality ?

[amith vikram]

And also this avidya,which is the cause for repeated births, does not exist,like darkness is not existant on its own and is removed by the dawn of light. so i believe the god's lila, god's advise, god's acts ......they are nothing but another face of vidya.

[jasdir]

I had a similar doubt god and me.......why can't he just escalate me,c'mon....stuff like that.I asked so many ppl whom i thought were highly qualified but nothing helped.Finally i found the answer in adhyasa bhashya or sutra bhashya of adi shankaracharya.

He said, "Let there be," and it happened.
He made the latent turn into the manifest,
Out of the formless He created the form.
What a wondrous game He played!
What a carefree game He plays!

When He disclosed the hidden secret,
He lifted the veil from over His face.
Why does He now hide from me?
The Real permeates everyone.
What a carefree game He plays!

He said, "We have honored mankind;
None has been created like you;
You are the crown of all creation."
What a proclamation with the beat of drum!
What a carefree game He plays!

He himself indulges in these carefree acts;
He himself feels frightened of himself;
He has taken abode in every house;
And the people keep wandering in delusion.
What a carefree game He plays!

He himself aroused longing to become mad in love.
He himself became Laila to steal Majnun's heart.
Himself He wept, himself consoled himself.
0, what a game of love He plays!
What a carefree game He plays!

Himself the lover, He himself is the Beloved.
Here logic and reason have no part to play.
Bullah rejoices in his union with the Beloved.
Why does He create separation now?
What a carefree game He plays!

Amith Vikram ji, Enjoy this Poetry by Baba Bulle Shah.

Namaste by Jasdir.

[Ekanta]

And a few weeks later... I feel the need to correct myself. From having said that "who am I" is the most difficult question, I'd rather say sense-control is the most difficult. Its known that sense-control leads to purity of mind (since it rids the mind of vasanas/impressions) and a pure mind becomes still, hence...

A verse from the Gita:

āvṛtaṃ jñānam etena jñānino nitya-vairiṇā |
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya duṣpūreṇānalena ca || 3.39 ||
3.39 Wisdom [jñānam] is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise in the form of desire [kāma] which is unappeasable as fire, O Arjuna.

And a verse from Viveka Chudamani by Adi Shankara:

tanmanaḥśodhanaṃ kāryaṃ prayatnena mumukṣuṇā |
viśuddhe sati caitasminmuktiḥ karaphalāyate || 181 ||
181. Therefore the seeker after Liberation must carefully purify the mind. When this is purified, Liberation is as easy of access as a fruit on the palm of one’s hand.

(and sorry if I haven't read all the other replies)

[jasdir]

sense-control is the most difficult.

[kahanam]

"What is Dharma?" to me is the most difficult question in spirituality!

[jasdir]

"What is Dharma?" to me is the most difficult question in spirituality!

The word ‘Dharma’ has been derived from the root ‘Dhri’ which means to sustain, to support and to guide. English word for Dharma is ‘Religion’ which comes from the Latin infinitive religare : i.e. Re meaning back, ligare meaning to bind or unite; or that which binds one back to one’s origin. Thus, religion means ‘re-union with God’.
Dharma (Religion) comprises those principles or doctrines, with the knowledge and proper performance of which, universal peace and communion with God is attained. The deeds which benefit the doer and his fellow beings are included in Dharma. If they result in pain or misery to others, they are termed as irreligious or adharma.

Man came first. Religions were instituted later for maintaining humanity and for the well-being of the mankind. However, man discarded humanity and became the custodian of religion. He forgot that his true Dharma (Religion) is Humanity.

All the outer forms of the body such as to keep long hair or to be clean-shaven, to mark the forehead with sacred mark (tilak) or to assume some other shape or form is merely a false show which indicates that one is the follower of a particular sect or a religious leader. These forms have nothing to do with spiritual uplift. These external marks or signs were evolved by the inhabitants of different countries, from time to time, which undergo changes with the passage of time. Therefore, these external observances do not comprise true Dharma or Religion. These are merely rites and rituals. It is foolishness, irreligious and inhuman to quarrel over these outer marks.

The followers of almost all the religions and the so called custodians of religion are entangled in observing outer rites and rituals prescribed by their respective sects. They are quarrelling amongst themselves over these outer physical forms due to lack of knowledge of the real teachings of Dharma (Religion). Thus they indulge in evil habits and sinful actions. They try to get butter by churning water instead of churning curd.

A true religious man is he who rises above duality and searches for the golden principles of true religion by adopting which the mind is cleansed and freed from greed, hatred, enmity, violence and jealousy and faith in God is strengthened. He beholds the Divine-Light in everybody and loves the whole mankind. He is determined to do good to others by word, thought and action. Only such a righteous person deserves salvation.

As long as the child is in the mother’s womb, he has no caste or creed. All human beings are the children of one Supreme Father i.e. God. All the disputes based on caste or creed are man made and they crop up only after birth.

God is Love and Love is God. Those who have realised the reality of religion, love God and His children. They found that true love is the basis of Religion. One great spiritual master said that the religion of love is different from all others. Realisation of true God is the only religion of the seekers and lovers. Without love, religion has no footing.

_/\_Jasdir.

[Ganeshprasad]

Pranam Ekanta

And a few weeks later... I feel the need to correct myself. From having said that "who am I" is the most difficult question, I'd rather say sense-control is the most difficult. Its known that sense-control leads to purity of mind (since it rids the mind of vasanas/impressions) and a pure mind becomes still, hence...

You find that Arjun in Gita Chapter six says controlling the mind is akin to catching the wind

Arjuna said: O Krishna, You have said that yoga of meditation is characterized by the equanimity (of mind), but, due to restlessness of mind I do not perceive the steady state of mind. (6.33)

Because the mind, indeed, is very unsteady, turbulent, powerful, and obstinate, O Krishna. I think restraining the mind is as difficult as restraining the wind. (6.34)

answer Lord Krishna gives is constant practice.

i find the answer to chapter 3 the most relevant

The senses are said to be superior (to matter or the body), the mind is superior to the senses, the intellect is superior to the mind, and Atma is superior to the intellect. (3.42)

Thus, knowing the Atma to be superior to the intellect, and controlling the mind by the intellect (that is purified by Jnana), one must kill this mighty enemy, Kaama, O Arjuna. (3.43)

Hate and desires i find to be binding force, the mind is for ever dwelling on this two.

Jai Shree Krishna

[Ekanta]

Namaste Ganeshprasad.

yes... 3.42-43 is the well known chariot analogy from katha upanishad.
(where buddhi is the charioteer and the lower mind "manas" is the rein that control the horses i.e. "senses").

(my rendering... ) So the split in the mind is between higher and lower mind. Buddhi gets inpired from Atman and manas from the senses.

There is also a good definition when Krishna changes to karma-yoga in chapter 2:

2.48. Perform action, O Arjuna, being steadfast in Yoga, abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure! Evenness of mind is called Yoga.
2.49. Far lower than the Yoga of wisdom [buddhi-yoga] is action [for the fruit], O Arjuna! Seek you refuge in wisdom; wretched are they whose motive is the fruit.
2.50. Endowed with wisdom (evenness of mind), one casts off in this life both good and evil deeds; therefore, devote yourself to Yoga; Yoga is skill in action.

(my rendering... ) Here is connection between action and guidance. Buddhi-yoga is asking the buddhi what to do when the lower mind and senses are dragged away by impulses.... and the buddhi in due turn gets its light from Atman.
Shankara defines it as: "buddhi-yogāt… actions undertaken with equanimity of mind."

... and later in the summary we find:
18.57. Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, resorting to the Yoga of discrimination [buddhi-yoga] do you ever fix your mind on Me.

(my rendering... ) Here we see that buddhi-yoga is to fix the mind on the Lord (inward) and the lord of the chariot is the Atman... (so the upanishad states)

Shankara defines it as: “Having the buddhi concentrated on Me is buddhi-yoga.”

Our friend Yoda (from star wars) also has some good advice:
"You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. Passive."

[anirvan]

why i was born???was it necessary to born,suffer,struggle to attain self realization and salvation?

answer is offcourse there.that pain is there to realize the importance of bliss.

but still very difficult to be convinced.as we can"t see bigger picture when we are suffering.

[jasdir]

why i was born???

Because when in the starting we were part of "God" or one with "Him", We said we want to do something of our own other than this joyful life.
"God"(heart) said don't do this otherwise you have to suffer, struggle a lot to come back, But still we created "Mind"

was it necessary to born,

It was decided by us when we was one with "God" (heart).
Yes! it was not so necessary to born, But still we created "Mind", so as result we are taking births again and again in serch of stable peace and Joy.

suffer,struggle to attain self realization and salvation?
answer is offcourse there.that pain is there to realize the importance of bliss.
but still very difficult to be convinced.as we can"t see bigger picture when we are suffering.

As it was Caution by "God" (heart), but still we created "Mind,
So, now we have to struggle for our salvation because their is no place of stable peace and joy other than "God".

_/\_Jasdir.