Vedanta

THE SILENT MIND – DESCENT OF SHAKTI

Articles, VedantaJune 4, 2019574Views 3Likes 1Comment

The first stage in Sri Aurobindo's yoga, and the major task that opens the door to many realizations, is mental silence. Why mental silence, one may ask? Clearly, if we wish to discover a new country within us, we must first leave the old one behind; everything depends upon our determination in taking this first…

VERSES FROM SADHANA PADA OF YOGASUTRA BY SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Articles, Sadhana, VedantaMay 27, 2019414Views 0Likes 1Comment

1. तऩ्स्वाध्यामेश्वयप्रणिधानाणन णिमामोग् ॥ १॥ tapahsvadhyayeshvarapranidhanani kriyayogah Mortification, study, and surrendering fruits of work to God are called Kriya Yoga. Commentary: The first step, the preliminary step, is called Kriya Yoga. Literally this means work, working towards Yoga. The organs are the horses, the mind is the reins, the intellect is the charioteer, the soul is…

TESTING THE GURU

Articles, VedantaMay 26, 2019658Views 1Like 0Comments

Just like it is mandated in shastras that a Guru must test his disciple before accepting him, it is a good idea today for a disciple to test his Guru and be completely satisfied before accepting someone as a true guide or mentor. Quite often, particularly in this age, there are many people who may…

HOW TO REACH DISPASSION? – ASTAVAKRA GITA

Articles, VedantaMay 26, 2019284Views 0Likes 0Comments

Janaka said: How is one to acquire knowledge? How is one to attain liberation? And how is one to reach dispassion? Tell me this, sir. Ashtavakra said: If you are seeking liberation, my son, avoid the objects of the senses like poison and cultivate tolerance, sincerity, compassion, contentment, and truthfulness as the antidote. You do not consist of…

ANEKANTAVADA AND ANDHA-GAJA-NYAYA

Articles, VedantaMay 11, 2019260Views 0Likes 0Comments

The origins of anekāntavāda can be traced back to the teachings of Mahāvīra (599–527 BCE), the 24th Jain Tīrthankara. The Jain doctrine of anekāntavāda, also known as anekāntatva, states that truth and reality is complex and always has multiple aspects. Reality can be experienced, but it is not possible to totally express it with language.…

MAHALAKSHMI BY SRI AUROBINDO

Articles, Sadhana, Shakti, VedantaMay 10, 2019595Views 2Likes 0Comments

Wisdom and Force are not the only manifestations of the supreme Mother; there is a subtler mystery of her nature and without it Wisdom and Force would be incompetable things and without it perfection would not be perfect. Above them is the miracle of eternal beauty, an unseizable secret of divine harmonies, the compelling magic of…

BE SILENT

Articles, Sadhana, VedantaNovember 30, 2018475Views 0Likes 0Comments

BE SILENT - The Truth Is by Sri H. W. L. Poonja (Papaji) The purpose of all practice is Silence, your real nature. Without Silence you cannot be in peace so strive only for this. Even while active remain in Silence as Silence and be conscious of Silence always. Ramana’s main teaching is Silence and it is this…

KUNDALINI SHAKTI’S INVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION

Articles, VedantaNovember 16, 2018294Views 0Likes 0Comments

KUNDALĪ SHAKTI’S INVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION - The Serpent Power by Arthur Avalon Shakti as Prakriti first evolves mind (Buddhi, Ahamkara, Manas) and senses (Indriya), and then sensible matter (Bhūta) of fivefold form (“ether,” “air,” “ fire,” “water,” “earth”) derived from the supersensible generals of the sense-particulars called Tanmātra. When Shakti has entered the last and grossest Tattva (“earth”)…

Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha: On the Spiritual Heart

Articles, Vedanta, VishnuJuly 9, 2018265Views 0Likes 0Comments

When Rama asked, "Which is the greatest mirror in which we see these images of things? What is it that is called the Heart of all the beings in the world?" Vasistha answered, "When we reflect we see that all the beings in the world have two hearts." "One of these is worth…

Turiya in Māṇḍūkya Upanisad

Articles, VedantaJune 10, 2018276Views 0Likes 0Comments

nāntaḥ-prajñam, na bahiṣ prajñam, nobhayataḥ-prajñam na prajnañā-ghanam, na prajñam, nāprajñam; adṛṣtam, avyavahārayam, agrāhyam, alakṣaṇam, acintyam, avyapadeśyam, ekātma-pratyaya-sāram, prapañcopaśamam, śāntam, śivam, advaitam, caturtham manyante, sa ātmā, sa vijñeyaḥ. - Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad. One of the standard ways in which Upanishads speak of the supreme reality is by means of telling us what it is not. For example in the above verse on Turiya,…

Avadhūta: His Nature, His Freedom

Articles, VedantaJune 5, 2018211Views 0Likes 0Comments

The Avadhūta Upanishad is a part of the Krshna Yujurveda which describes the nature of an Avadhūta in the course of a conversation between Sankriti and Bhagavan Dattātreya, the first among Avadhūtas. Sankriti asks: "Who is an Avadhūta, what is his state? What are his characteristics? How does he move about in the world" The supreme…

Kenopanishat

Articles, VedantaApril 21, 2018332Views 0Likes 0Comments

The Kenopaniṣat says - आत्मना विन्दतॆ वीर्यं विद्यया विन्दतॆऽमृतम् - AtmanA vindatE vIryaM; vidyayA vindatE amRutam meaning, from the Atmah comes Power and Strength, from Knowledge comes Immortality. The Kena is a Mukhya Upanishad embedded in the end of the Samaveda. It deals with discussion of the Brahman which is both with and without…