I'll be at Atlanta for 10 days beginning tomorrow. I have a feeling that I won't be able to blog until the 14th of May. If I get some time I will try.
I managed to get a private appointment with SWAMI B.S.TIRTHA MAHARAJA thanks to my Atlanta friends.
I am planning to talk to him about life and some fine aspects of living.
I look forward to it and will certainly post about what he says.
And while you are here why not BURST SOME BUBBLEWRAP and Enjoy !!
14 comments:
Have a safe trip!!
If anyone has questions in mind please do let me know. I'll ask the Swamiji.
It is good that you are meeting the Swamiji. I have one question and if he cannot answer that, it is ok.
"In the Ramayana, Jabali is said to have spoken in a manner that resembles naasthikam but it is believed that Rama chided him and told him that such esoteric concepts like what he said could not be comprehended by lesser mortals. In other words, Rama's problem with Jabali was not his stance but the impact it will have on laymen who are just used to believing and worshipping something, no questions asked.
So, my question is (or rather it is a combination of derivative questions):
Does God really exist?
If he does not exist, as someone said in history, was there a need to at least invent one, in order that the peaceful fabric of society be maintained?
If he does exist, is it necessary to believe in him in order for us to attain salvation?
Can we not attain the salvation by holding on to the view that HE does not exist but still following all the codes laid down to us as humans and being unswerving from the path of Dharma?
Is Jabali wrong? Or did he show a path that is far tougher for the ordinary person to comprehend and the easier path is to surrender to the Supreme totally, basically admitting that each of us is incapable of working our way thru a different belief system (the belief that there exists no God but following all that is laid down AS IF we believed in a God)?
I guess that is enough for now. Maybe Ji you yourself are too confused now to ask the correct questions like I posed above :-)
Thennavan,
I got your point. I'll ask him.
From the level of a layman, I have a question. All the philosophies and concepts of the God of Sanatana Dharma have been conveyed, propagated, passed down, and written only in the Indian subcontinent. If there is truly a supreme being who created the entire universe, then why did his teachings and his stories originate only in this region? Why were the Vedas, conveyed through Vyasa at Naimisaranyam, spread only in the subcontinent? Why are atleast 6 out of his 10 major Avataras clearly located only in this region? At the time of Gitopadesam, the rest of the world was following totally different religious concepts and Gods (as followed by Jews, Greeks & Romans, etc). Does this mean our entire philosophy and concept of God is just a localized creation of centuries of Indian minds? Where is the impact of this supreme power and his presence on other lands?
Narayanan
I would like to understand more about 'right conduct'..
Bhagavad Gita tells us to do our duty and leave the reast to God.. Now the question.. we all make decisions (small & big) every day our life and they have consequences.. So how do we know we are doing the right thing ? what is right conduct ?
venkitu sir, have a safe trip! and thebubble burst is a good game :)
have an enlightening trip, Sir. Hope to hear some of beneficial answers when you are back!
have fun narayanan.
Hi Venkat
good for you?
Thenavan and others
What make you think God is a He/She
?!
The concept of Narayana / Ishwara is formless and with form.
Its like the center from which everything evovles and dissolves.
The aspect of GOD cannot be confined to notion of he/she etc.
Anyway the way to attain nirvana salvation with acceptance of Vedas there are 3 major divisions
1)Advaita- Nothing but one(not 2 but 1)
(the worshipper and the worshipped object both are same)- famour Acharya on this theory is Adi shankara
2)Dwaita- The worshiper ad worshipped one are both different, the worshiper existence solely depended on Grace of God(Worshiped)
This is Dwaita(meaning 2)- famous Acharya on this theory is Madhawa
3)Vasisht Advaita- agress with fact of Advaita but different becoz its says yes both worshipper and worshipped comes from the same source but yet each one maintains its individuality - famous Acharya Ramanuja propagated this one.
Hopefully this clears few things.
Buddha rejected the Vedas but does believe in Karma(rebirth) and Nirvana - which goes beyond Saguna (God with form),Nirguna(without any form).
Mere word 'Kadavul' means cross inside look into yourself, seek the answer for meaning of Life not outside or in the sky or books but within oneself.
There are many ways to do this
Selfless service(Karma Yoga),unconditional love for God(Bhakti Yoga),through means of concentration,meditation Raja Yoga,through analysis,contemplation between real vs unreal , Janana Yoga(famous one for this is Ramana Maharishi)
There goes a long post
sorry folks
cheers
Ganesh
Ganesh, that was really a good explanation. Problem is I finished all that "theory" way back in my early 20s. In fact, if you ask me to explain "Sanatana Dharma", I have enough stuff in my mind to go on for 30 days at least. I am also aware all of these things fall short in some respect when we look at how to "experience" divinity, which is the state of existential non-existence :-)
I have one correction to what you wrote - it is not Vasisht Advaita. What Ramanujacharya propounded was "Visishtadvaita" :-) whose central idea is this: there exists an Ultimate Principle, an Absolute Being that is the source and substratum of all that exists. This immanent spirit is the inner guide and controller of the whole universe with all its diverse animate and inanimate elements. Communion with this gracious, omnipotent Supreme Being constitutes the supreme end of existence. Such communion is attainable exclusively through self-surrender and undivided, loving meditation.
Hope you have a good and enlightening trip! Come back and let us know what you found out. I am a bit skeptical about all these swamijis, maybe I am wrong, but thats my take on it for now (It could very well change in the future). Anyways, these are matters are for big guys like you (tamilzhla perusungannu solluvanga). :-) Ennakku innum konjam time irruku, apparam vandhu indha mathiri matter ellam paathukalam :-) (No offense meant, just pun intended).
Did you get to meet the Swamiji yet ?
Some interesting questions were thrown in by folks here and I am curious to see the answers for them.
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