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On Jul 17, 2013 mvrao wrote on Futility of Search, by Author Unknown:
For a beginner calming down the mind is a herculean task. He gets confused. Naturally he might feel frustrated and may conclude that the meditation and the search are futile. This is the stage where he should not lose faith. Scriptures say that having practiced austerities and asanas to purify mind and the body, it requires SADHANA (Practice) for several years. Even BUDDA had his enlightenment after seven years of stringent THAPAS. One has to go step by step. Concentration is having only one thought, while meditation is having no thoughts at all. It is in this state of stillness one can experience insightful rest and the consciousness move higher and higher and one becomes more and more intuitive and insight truth will be revealed. Thanks.
On Jul 5, 2013 M.V.R ao wrote on Violence and Nonviolence, by The Dalai Lama and Victor Chan:
On Jun 26, 2013 M.V..Rao wrote on Beggarly, Friendly, And Kingly Giving, by Stephen Levine:
Thank you. SHRADDHA: I don’t know the correct word in English. However it means “intention to learn with mindful awareness”. Further to my reflection earlier, I wish to add the following: “Giving need not be material or is it about the cost; it can even be mentally a sincere thought. One can mentally pray for a person or send him blessings. As per scriptures, even these are acts of giving.” Thanks.
On Jun 25, 2013 M.V.Rao wrote on Beggarly, Friendly, And Kingly Giving, by Stephen Levine:
Giving is nice. Somebody in need coming asking for something is to be considered as a big favor done to us. But giving unasked will have no value. At the same time knowing other persons need and helping him in time unasked will give lot of satisfaction for both. This has been experienced by me. Anything we give, we need to give to a deserving person. Apatra danam is considered as a bad karma. Gupta danam : as per the scriptures Charity should not be revealed. Charity has no value if we give because of our attachment without examining whether one really needs it or not. Giving for a higher cause is always better. If we give food, that time’s hunger is taken care of. If we give medicine, that day’s sickness is taken care of. But if we give knowledge, that takes care of him forever. Lord Krishna also says in Gita that this knowledge is a supreme and to be given only to a person who has interest, shraddha and bhakthi. One of the important principles of the universe is giving. In nature whatever does not flow will stagnate. Anything that stagnates will degenerate. Every time you get something there is some one behind it, who is the giver. when you get something someone else is giving something., So the total giving and receiving in this universe is nil. This is the law of nature.( Newton’s law:- matter can neither be created nor destroyed, it simply changes from one form to the another.).
On Aug 21, 2013 MVRAO wrote on True Meditation Has No Direction, by Adyashanti:
The passage is really excellent. It has described so clearly how ultimately one can achieve Awareness returning to its non-state of absolute unmanifest potential, the silent abyss beyond all knowing. Each individual is unique, incomparable and indefinable. Also people have different levels of energy, capacity and inclinations and cannot be expected to practice the discipline in equal strength. In addition the degrees or levels and stages of spiritual insight and attainment also matters. The spiritual path has novices, beginners, newcomers and learners as well as those who have more experience and understanding – seasoned in their journey. There are also a number of diverse pathways to the Divine, indeed, each person’s path is unique. Hence the understanding and absorption of the passage also varies depending on the individuals.
[Hide Full Comment]Generally people come to the meditative life and practices seeking solutions to so many different problems. Want a variety of things from meditation. Some come for peace others for self control, some for physical fitness, stress management, solutions to the emotional problems or the problems of the family and social relationships, to gain power, etc., only few will be interested in the highest aim of silence and stillness called “SAMADHI” for attaining transcendental realization – the truth - the knowledge of pure self.
ULTIMATE END – BRAHMAN - (SAT-CHIT-ANAND).
As per the Raja Yoga there are three stages of meditation. The first is DHARANA - concentrating the mind upon the object…but the mind is wavering. When it has become strong and does not waver so much, It is called DHYANA (Meditation). And then there is a still higher state called SAMADHI (when the differentiation between the object and my-self is lost) or absorption. If the mind can be fixed on the object of their meditation for twelve seconds it is called DHARANA, twelve such Dharanas (ie.144 seconds) will be Dhyana, and twelve such Dhyanas will be a ASAMPRAJANATA SAMADHI. To accomplish this takes many years of study and relentless practice.
SUPREME REALITY: To us it is clear BRAHMAN means REALITY which grows, breaths or swells. "That from which these beings are born, that in which when born they live, that in to which they enter at their death - that is “BRAHMAN". – SAT(Pure existence) – CHIT (pure awareness/consciousness) - ANANDA (delight/ Bliss) - THE ULTIMATE END. The highest BRAHMAN which is ANANDA OR DELIGHT is just ATHMAN AS REALISED IN THE FOUTH STATE or the TURIYA state. There the object and subject are one (the knower, the known and the knowledge become one.) the SEER seeing eye and the object seen merge together in one whole. Here the philosophical quest ends or terminates-The suggestion being that there is nothing higher than ANANDA.