Entry for December 14, 2006

Dr.Kotnis ki amar kahani

November 2006 uttishthata groupzine

http://www.uttishthata.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/Issue5Nov06.pdf

Entry for December 04, 2006

max muller sri ramakrisna

The power of one

ONE

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom.
One heart can know what's true.
One life can make the difference,
you see it's up to You!
(Unknown)

Entry for November 21, 2006

The hero's choice is made in a flash. To him the larger vision is closer than the near. Within an instant, he strikes for eternity, strikes and is done. ---- Sister Nivedita

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Uttishthata/message/1482,Chat with God...

Chat with God...

Chat with God...

 

God: Hello. Did you call me?

 

Me: Called you? No. Who is this?

 

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

 

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

 

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

 

Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

 

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

 

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

 

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

 

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

 

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

 

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

 

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

 

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

 

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

 

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

 

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

 

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

 

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

 

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

 

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

 

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

 

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

 

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading.

 

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

 

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

 

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

 

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

 

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

 

Me: What surprises you about people?

 

God: when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me" Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

 

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

 

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

 

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

 

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

 

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

 

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

 

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Year with a new sense of inspiration.

 

God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live it.

Fate and Free will explanation ...

http://vepa.us/dir10/freewill.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Uttishthata/message/1429

can spirituality causes disease

 

We are happy to know from the discussion among our members that they have rightly understood the real nature of themselves to be pure, ever blissful and unattached Self. As Sankaracharya has put  Brahma Satya Jagar Mitthya Jivo Brahmaiva Na Parah. The individual Soul is non other than the Supreme Brahman and the phenomenal world though appearing to be real is actually just like a mirage. Some of our members have even gone further and claimed that the individual soul and the body posessed by him are both made of the same substance that is Brahman. Sri Ramakrishna has explained this state through an analogy that when a person claibes to a roof step by step he does so by negating every step not to be a roof but when he reaches the top and understands that the material by which the roof is made the steps and the groundfloor are also constructed by the same material. That is Vijnana. Swami Turiananda during his last moments revealed his realisation, the out come of his life long austerities, as Brahma Satya Jagat Satya.

 

 

Though we do posess body we must consider ourselves as Satchidananda Swarupa. Bhagavad Gita gives us the method by which we can establish in the state of equanimity:

 

 

When the mind, absolutely restrained by the practice of concentration, attains quietude, and when seeing the Self by the self one is satisfied in his own Self; when he feels that infinite bliss which is perceived by the (purified) intellect and which transends the senses, and established wherein he never departs from his real state; and having obtained which, regards no other acquisition superior to that, and where established he is not moved even by heavy sorrow; let that be known as the state, called by the name of Yoga a state of severance from the contact of pain.  This Yoga should be practised with perseverance, undisturbed by depression of heart. (Gita, 6:20-22)

 

 I bow down to all the Yogis of this group

 

 Below are the responses sent by our members which are compiled for your easy reading. With this nice discussion on th subject of disease and spirituality we end this thread here.

 

 Moderator

 

 

 

===========

 

 From: gautam dogra >>

 

HI

 

   I'M GAUTAM DOGRA. I 'D LIKE TO REMIND UR FRIEND THAT BEFORE THE BIRTH OF SWAMIJI, HER MOTHER BHUVNESHWARI DEVI,IT IS SAID THAT,DREAMT OF LORD SHIVA WHO PROMISED TO TAKE BIRTH IN HER HOUSE AS HER SON. NOW FROM THIS WE CAN SAY THAT SWAMIJI WAS AN AVTAR OF SHIVA. AND SWAMIJI HAS SUFFERED A LOT IN HIS LIFE FROM ILLNESS. SRI RAMAKRISHNA {THAKURJI} TOO DIED DUE TO THROAT CANCER. NOW THEY BOTH ARE AVTAR OF GOD. THEY LIVE IN THIS WORLD WITH HUMAN BEINGS AND THEY LIVE LIKE HUMAN BEINGS. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A SIMPLE HUMAN BEING HAS TO FACE A LOT OF WORRIES IN HIS/HER LIFE. THEY FELT ILL TO TELL PEOPLE THAT THE HUMAN BODY ON WHICH U PEOPLE ARE BECOMING HAPPY WILL TURN INTO ASHES ONE DAY. NOTHING WILL LEFT BEHIND. AND BY CROSSING ALL THESE HURDLES ONE HAS TO ATTAIN THE SUPREME SELF {PARAMATMAN} THEY BECOME ILL DUE TO THEIR WILL. SWAMIJI, NAY, LORD RAMA ALSO FELL ILL. THEY TOO HAD SUFFERED FROM LOTS OF TENSIONS WHEN SITAJI WAS NOT WITH HIM. WHY? TO TELL PEOPLE THAT U ALL WILL BE ABLE TO GET SUPREME SELF. THESE ARE WORDS OF SWAMIJI WHICH I'M GOING TO REMIND YOU------"THE GOD WHICH IS WITHIN ME IS IN ALL. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP OF SPRITUALITY." IF U KNOW THIS U CAN CONSIDER THAT SPRITUALITY IS IN YOU. OTHERWISE DO ANY PRACTICE BUT NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. SPRITUALITY NEVER CAUSES CANCER. SPRITUALITY IS AN AWAKENING CALL FROM INNER SELF TO HUMAN BEING. THAT ARWAKE, HERE IS THE TIME TO KNOW URSELF. WHEN GOD TOOK BITH IN HUMAN BEINGS THEY LIVE LIKE HUMAN BEINGS AND THEIR BODY IS MADE UP OF ALSO THE SAME 5 NATURAL SUPER POWERS. SO, MY FRIEND SPRITUALITY NEVER CAUSES CANCER BUT IT OPENS UR EYES. AWAKES YOU.

 

                        MAY LORD SHIVA BLESS YOU WITH HAPPINESS

                                                                   URS TRULY

                                                              GAUTAM DOGRA

                                                         HOUSE NO.-4,,NEW REHARI,,JAMMU

                                                           J&K-180005

 

==

 

 

From: Devinder Kumar >>
what a wonderful thing is this creation! Meaning of same thing changes with position, context, capacity and response of sensing being. The wave particle duality of every object has long been understood by human being. You can understand almost everything as wave or as particle - at atomic and universal level. However, none of the two is able to explain every phenomenon and so it really is futile to try to prove supremacy of one over the other. I accept both - matter and energy - soul and body, cause that which exists is one but manifestations due to enormous variety of contexts are many. Soul is different from body as clay is different from house. House is clay too. Body itself is soul in different form.
cancer can be caused by hundred thousand different things. In our body thousands of cancer causing cells are formed every day but body's defense mechanism checks newly manufactured cells and destroys them. So most of us don't develop cancer until our body keeps doing its work. Mind and body definitely work very intimately together. So mind may affect body - in both good and bad ways.
Tension can kill. I believe proper practice of spirituality can make your mind healthy and build up good team work of mind and body. Swami Vivekananda always put high emphasis on healthy body.
 
I think chance of having negative impact by spirituality is similar to an aircrafts crashing i.e. one in million. So nothing to worry. In any case, it is very difficult to become even a little spiritual in this material world.
 
What a wonderful way to waste time. Hey Vivekananda, you were right when you said that for thousands of years Indians are just discussing whether to eat with right or left hand. I am a pure Indian.
==
From: Jandhyala Neehar >>
 
A word of comment on what Krishna wrote. All the elevated people never attach themselves to the body. Not just saints, but we might find one around ourselves. It’s wisdom. Taking the case of saints, this idea is something they have long adopted. Ramana Maharshi compared the cancer to a jewel shining, when the wound was reflecting daylight because of the puss. He said, the body is doing its work, why
interfere. He compared the diseases to guests, who come and stay for sometime. When their work is finished they leave. My grandmother also used to talk the same way. They are so egoless and humble, they try to set an example to others that - you can also be a saint. Sai Baba did not get his hand treated by the alopathic doctor; instead from a leper
devotee who used to undergo the process of massaging his hand with ghee and putting on the bandage everyday, till his mahasamadhi. There is a certain reason and idea behind why they suffer. Also, saits can go into samadhi with their heart completely stopped according to their wish.  So, saying spirituality causes certain cancer is a reward to them. Its their yoga powers acting according to their wish for the welfare of others. They feel responsible. We can compare their love to mother's who takes a lot of care of the child. Would it mean that having children makes a woman undergo lot of troubles...for 9 months initially, then 10 years of their mischief and after all this you never know, they might even abandon. But love she bores never declines.
As Swami Vivekananda says - work as if there is infinite time in front of you. You just change the body, work will never cease. That’s why we believe in avatars. Work is carried out at all times.
 
==

 

From: Nayanika >>
Dear Sadhakaji

 

   We are all above matter and all things material. We are the
creators. CHILDREN OF LESSER GODS therefore know that being this we
cannot in being spiritual which is the essence of our very being,
cause anything so very material like a disease....

 

  You my dear dear sadhaka have to understand that being spiritual
means being in awareness and with awareness. When we are in this
state it is automatic that we will only have positive ions. All ions
referred to here is particulate presences which are not matter but
is the state of beingness which makes matter...

 

   Thought which we all disdainfully refer to with a shrug is a very
potent and important item which constitutes a very real strong item
from where we source all our creative zeal. Rishis who suffer and
show us how to conquer it are exemplars for all people, Ramana who
also exemplified and showed us the way is no ordinary mortal; Ramana
Maharishi is God,like many Rishis of yore he attained Godliness and
has merged with God. Ramanaji's soul is on its way to become Godhead
since the journey into Godliness is also ardous and has to be
completed in time..the ascension is very hard and it becomes harder
as you become tougher and the toughest conquers the first step of
the godhead ladder...that is how it all happens.

 

THERE IS ONE SMALL ERROR HERE: NONE OF US WITH SPIRITUALITY OR IN
SPIRITUALITY WITH SPIRITUALITY CAN TAKE ON ANY OTHER ENERGY , IF YOU
DO THEN THERE IS NO SPIRITUALITY IN YOU . THIS IS CARDINAL TO
UNDERSTAND. BEING SPIRITUAL AND DOING EVERYTHING TO KEEP TO THE
SPIRITUAL NORMS MEANS THAT YOU ARE IMMUNE FROM ANY OF THE MATERIAL
HARMS OF ANY KIND...THERE CAN BE NO IMBIBING OF ANY ENERGY
INADVERTENTLY.... AND DEFINITELY NO DISEASES OR MATERIAL ILLNESSES
WHICH SPIRITUALITY TRUE AND REAL SPIRITUALITY CAN ENTERTAIN

 

yours-n-vivekafraternity

Entry for August 28, 2006

An Interesting Conversation
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem
science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his
new students to
stand and.....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
Student is silent.
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again,
young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God.. .
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? atred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Now the student said can I ask something to you Professor.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There
isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of
it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.
You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light... But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the
opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a
smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here, who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. )
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive. .

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Uttishthata/message/1321

 Uttishthata Groupzine

Monthly e-Newsletter of Uttishthata Yahoo! Group, Volume # 1, Issue # 1 4th July 2006

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uttishthata

 

Contents of this issue:

 TOC

Introduction to the 1^st issue

The National Significance of The Swami Vivekananda’s Life and Work

Vivekananda's Message of Universalism

The Social Thought of Swami Vivekananda

An Incident from Mahabharata - Educate the Deserving

Transport work into worship

A Poem with Inspiration from Vivekananda

Bhagavad Gita

 

 

 

Introduction to the 1^st issue

 

I reverentially salute you who have all those pure qualities such as liking for the company of good people, appreciation for the good qualities in others, humility towards one’s teacher, hankering for knowledge, love for the life partner, fear of ill-fame, devotion to Shankara, ability to control oneself, and avoiding the company of wicked people.

 

Friends, we are happy to serve you with this ‘Uttishthata Groupzine’. We need your feedback and support to run this Groupzine. As the name suggest it will be of the group, by the group, for the group. So you have to run this periodical by regular supply of materials for its contents. Your participation and involvement is highly needed.

 

Today is Swami Vivekananda’s Mahasamadhi day. Though it is a sad event for us still it is a memorable day. Why he selected this day is not known but we can guess that it is just to signify his long cherished dream and what he always preached – freedom. 4^th July is the American Independence day and during his time that was the only country known to be free.

Josephine Macleod in her reminiscences recorded the last conversation she had with Swami Vivekananda, which took place in Belur Math in March 1902. She wrote: “He said to me, ‘I shall never see forty.’ I, knowing he was thirty-nine, said to him, ‘But Swami, Buddha did not do his great work until between forty and eighty.’ But he said, ‘I delivered my message and I must go.’ I asked, ‘Why go?’ and he said, ‘The shadow of a big tree will not let the smaller trees grow up. I must go to make room.’”

His every action was for freedom; he never wanted persons who follow him should be under his influence. He wanted them to grow as they are from ‘lower truth to higher truth’.

So through this Uttishthata Groupzine we shall carry the messages of our Holy Trio – Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda – the messages of Freedom from bondage, Divinity of the Soul, Universal Brotherhood, Oneness of Being, propagating human dignity and above all the message of strength and fearlessness.

We are sure our members at Uttishthata shall appreciate this endeavour and shall circulate this Uttishthata Groupzine among their friends, colleagues, and like-minded persons. Don’t just keep this with you.  You can get a print out and give it to your children and parents. They shall certainly benefit from it.

---

 

The National Significance of

The Swami Vivekananda's Life And Work - Selections

- Sister Nivedita

 

(Written in The Hindu, July 27, 1902, few days after Swami Vivekananda's MahaSamadhi)

 

Of the bodily presence of him who was known to the world as Vivekananda, all that remains today is a bowl of ashes. The light that has burned in seclusion during the last five years by our riverside, has gone out now. The great voice that rang out across the nations is hushed in death.

Life had come often to this mighty soul as storm and pain. But the end was peace. Silently, at the close of even song, on a dark night of Kali, came the benediction of death. The weary and tortured body was laid down gently and the triumphant spirit was restored to the eternal Samadhi.

He passed, when the laurels of his first achievements were yet green. He passed, when new and greater calls were ringing in his ears. Quietly, in the beautiful home of his illness, the intervening years with some few breaks, went by amongst plants and animals, unostentatiously training the disciples who gathered round him, silently ignoring the great fame that had shone upon his name. Man-making was his own stern brief summary of the work that was worth doing. And laboriously, unflaggingly, day after day, he set himself to man-making, playing the part of Guru, of father, even of schoolmaster, by turns. The very afternoon of the day he left us, had he not spent three hours in giving a Sanskrit lesson on the Vedas?

External success and leadership were nothing to such a man. During his years in the West, he made rich and powerful friends, who would gladly have retained him In their midst. But for him, the Occident, with all its luxuries had no charms. To him, the garb of a beggar, the lanes of Calcutta, and the disabilities of his own people, were more dear than all the glory of the foreigner, and detaining hands had to loose their hold of one who passed ever onward toward the East.

 

TO BE CONTINUED….

---

 

Vivekananda's Message of Universalism

The message of universalism at its best which Swami Vivekananda learnt sitting at the feet of his Master, Sri Ramakrishna, was proclaimed by him in 1893 at the Chicago Parliament of Religions:

 

"... If there is ever to be a universal religion, it must be one which will have no location in place or time; which will be infinite, like the God it will preach, and whose sun will shine upon the followers of Krishna and of Christ, on saints and sinners alike; which will not be Brahmanic or Buddhistic, Christian or Mohammedan, but the sum-total of all these, and still have infinite space for development; which in its catholicity will embrace in its infinite arms, and find a place for, every human being. ... It will be a religion which will have no place for persecution or intolerance in its polity, which will recognize divinity in every man and woman, and whose whole scope, whose whole force, will be centered in aiding humanity to realise its own true, divine nature. . . . The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth." (CW of SV Vol. 1, pp.17-22)

 

His concluding words were:

"Help and not Fight,"

"Assimilation and not Destruction,"

"Harmony and Peace and not Dissension.""

 

The reality of religion, its universality and harmonizing influence cannot be proved by the sword or by theological warfare, but by one's own spiritual experience.

 

---

The Social Thought of Swami Vivekananda

by Swami Atmajnanananda

 

Swami Vivekananda once remarked to a disciple in San Francisco, "You know, I may have to be born again. You see, I have fallen in love with man." When we study the life of Swami Vivekananda and read his lectures and writings, particularly his letters, we see what a tremendous force this love of mankind was for him.

From the time he decided to come to the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 up until the end of his short life in 1902, his love for mankind, his sympathy for the poor and downtrodden of all lands, and his great devotion to his Motherland and her depressed masses were the motivating power behind all of his actions. In his social views, whether on caste, education, women's rights, or the conditions of the masses, the one common factor was his great sympathy for all who suffer. It was this sympathy of heart which impelled him to accomplish as much as he did in such a short period of time; and it was the same sympathy of heart which brought so much suffering to his life as well.

In considering the social philosophy of Swami Vivekananda, we should always keep one thing in mind: Swamiji was not a man to be easily categorized. He himself had a distinct distaste for any "isms", and it would be a mistake to try to categorize his beliefs as falling within any particular school of thought, such as humanism, socialism, or the like.

Undoubtedly, many of his views are in sympathy with those of different political and social philosophies, and various proponents of different schools have rightfully drawn inspiration from his words and deeds. However, Swamiji's teachings were never based on any sectarian allegiance, but rather on his own spiritual convictions regarding the divinity of the soul, the oneness of existence, and the worship of God in man.

 

To be  continued in the next issue…

---

 

An Incident from Mahabharata - Educate the Deserving:

 

Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man

- Swami Vivekananda

 

The philosophy of yoga is portrayed in the epics of Hindu scriptures, including the Mahabharata. It is in this epic that we see a story that exemplifies the philosophy of knowledge: knowledge does not belong to you, rather you belong to knowledge. When we realize this concept, we do not become arrogant of our knowledge, and thus, we begin to realize the spiritual dimension of knowledge. Knowledge may be of the world, but the wisdom that we belong to the knowledge and not visa versa, is spiritual knowledge. Let us further explore this concept through a story found in the Mahabharata.

Upon the recommendation of Bhishma, King Dritarastra appointed Drona as the teacher of both the Kaurvas and Pandavas. Drona’s son, Ashwatthama, is also learning under the tutelage of his father since he is around the same age as the others. One of the Pandava brothers is Arjuna, a great archer.

One day, while being trained, Ashwatthama approaches his father, who is also his teacher, and impatiently states, “Father, I heard some people talking and I want to know if it is true.”

“What is it my dear son?” Drona was concerned about is disturbing his son. Ashwatthama asked, “I heard you are teaching a special archery technique to Arjuna. Is this true?”

“Yes, my dear son, but why are you asking this?” Drona asked.
Ashwatthama continued, “Why are you not teaching me this technique? Why are you teaching it to Arjuna?”
Drona calmly responds with a question, “Who is asking me this question? Are you asking as my son or my student? Please clarify this first.”

Ashwatthama was surprised by this question. “Of course, I am your son and I am asking. Don’t you love me? Don’t you think that what belongs to you first belongs to your son before it is shared with others? Is this not true father?”

Drona patiently, yet firmly responds, “My son, I really love you. I love you so much that I live only for your sake. If I ever hear that you have died, I shall die the very next moment.” (During the epic, when the war occurs and Drona hears of his son’s death, that very moment Drona dies)

“But if you love me so much, why do you not give me the knowledge?” Ashwatthama asks.

Drona gives his son great wisdom in the context of his answer which is full of love and affection towards him. “My dear son, as you are my son, all of my property and wealth belongs to you. But my knowledge belongs to my student and not to my son. In reality, it is so because the knowledge does not belong to me, I belong to it. By coming to someone, knowledge gives one freedom and happiness. Because knowledge gives all of that, you have to be humble and respectful to the knowledge. Therefore, you belong to the knowledge and not otherwise. I, therefore, belong to the knowledge. The knowledge does not belong to me. Therefore, I have the responsibility towards the knowledge to pass it on to someone who deserves it.

Ashwatthama still did not completely understand. He seeks further clarification in this regard, “But I am your student as well. So why do you choose to pass this knowledge on to Arjuna and not me?”

Drona patiently explained, “The knowledge will only be given to the deserving student and not anyone else.”

“But how do you say that I am not the deserving student?” Ashwatthama further questioned.

“My son, the very fact that you are asking this question is evidence that you do not deserve and have not proved your deservedness in the eyes of the teacher. I do not really owe any further explanation. However, out of my compassion for you, I shall answer your question. I shall show you tomorrow, on the exam, that Arjuna is the only deserving student.”

The next day, Drona gave the exam and proved that Arjuna has been the only student who actually obeys his orders perfectly.

This is a beautiful incident where has been a great teacher who did not deviate from his Dharma, or duty, as a teacher and did not come under the spell of his attachment to his son. Though Ashwatthama is his son and he loves him absolutely, he could discriminate the difference between his love and his attachment.

Drona also exhibited that knowledge does not belong to him but he belongs to knowledge and that he must be humble to this knowledge. The stories of the Mahabharata are not just stories giving incidents but they are lessons of a higher and subtler reality told by several characters. It is the story of yoga in practice.

Love,

Raghuram

http://nvraghuram.blogspot.com/2006/05/incident-from-mahabharata.html

---

Transport work into worship:

The world is a training ground and not a pleasure garden as many wrongly suppose. The pleasure seekers who shirk their duty or do it haphazardly create great bondage for them and hamper their evolution. While those sincere soul who boldly face the realities of life and perform their duty wholeheartedly, without attachment and as a form of service to the Divine, attain to mental purity and higher evolution leading to spiritual illumination and inner peace and blessedness.

Work and worship must go hand in had. And work done in the right spirit is acceptable to the Divine as much as devoted worship consisting prayer and meditation etc. My teacher

Swami Brahmananda gave me this instruction—“Before you begin to work remember the Lord & offer salutation to Him. Do the same at intervals in the course of the work, and also after you finish it.”

Through practice you may be able to repeat the Lord’s name, or chant a hymn or prayer and think of Him, as your hands are busy with work. It is in this way that a devotee is able to transform work into worship, and be nearer and nearer to God. May He bless you all in every way in your attempts to realize Him.

- Divine Light, Swami Yatishwarananda

---

 

A Poem with Inspiration from Vivekananda

Contribution from: nikhilanurag

 

Hello folks...

 

Well, when I first came across Vivi (Swami Vivekananda of course, but I see him as my friend and mentor than someone great (which he definitely is!) So spare me the obsequies.) from the book, "The Call to His Nation" This little book inspired me SOOO much that the poems I used to write which were based on love theme from the sad point of view, transformed into something which looked beyond such normal things and aimed for higher goal. I have written so far something like five to six of them and here is one of them which is more or less in accordance with this group's motto. So here it is...

====================================================

 

Man of Illusion:

 

Ah! This human,

Lives in such a folly

As to believe himself to be weak,

Nothing more than a body.

 

Has he not created music?

Does he not know to love?

Has he not shown love for others,

More than mere himself?

 

Does he not still protect others,

When he has no animal instinct to do so?

Why doest thou think thou are weak?

Why doest thou believe that thy can not do anything?

 

Never think of yourself low,

You are the one who can create life!

And yet, it's no normal life,

But of other great souls.

 

It is you alone who can give create saints,

It is you alone who can achieve greatness.

Shed you fears, shed your doubts.

Arise! For you are not one to sit and cry for pittance!

 

It is for weak to weep,

It is for weak to cry.

It is for them alone,

To halt and look upon their past,

And feel remorse for their losses.

 

And yet, man is not weak!

Man is not to look upon his past.

You conquered the moon,

You conquered the space!

 

Then why are you dejected?

Arise!!!

 

Bhagavad Gita

Subject: Guilt, Infatuation and Apprehension

Meaning: Dhritrastra asked, “O Sanjaya, what did the sons of Pandu and mine do when they assembled, with the desire to fight, on the holy field of Kurukshetra?” (1-1)

Lesson: Guilt and infatuation make people apprehensive."

Manohar Abhay

---

---

"Arise! Awake! Struggle on and stop not till the goal is reached" – Swami Vivekananda

 

Visit our Group on web to read more from Swami Vivekananda

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uttishthata/messages

|| Hari Om ||

---

Entry for July 03, 2006

a very interesting article.

http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/jun/15franc.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Uttishthata/message/1312?l=1

Dear friend,



The divine experiences of Swami Vivekananda are recorded in a scattered way
in many books. They can be found in titles such as Life of Swami Vivekananda
by His Eastern and Western Disciples, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda,
Master as I Saw Him, Ramakrishna Lila Prasanga etc. Swamiji never was
interested in such things and was very much averse when any one tried to
highlight such things in his own life or even in the life of Sri
Ramakrishna. He never encouraged such moods to be expressed in public. He
used to tell that these are the hindrances in the spiritual path and should
be kept secret to oneself. One should be able to digest these divine moods
than only one can proceed further in his pursuit.



For your satisfaction I am pasting hereunder following passages from the
book Sri Ramakrishna and His divine Play translation of Sri Ramakrishna Lila
Prasanga by Swami Chetanananda, few divine experiences in the life of Swami
Vivekananda narrated by himself to Swami Saradananda the author Lila
Prasanga.



Narendra's second visit; his wonderful experience through the Master's
power.

Narendra said: "I had no idea that the Dakshineswar temple was so far from
Calcutta because I had been there only once before, and that was by
carriage. I used to visit Dasharathi Sanyal, Satkari Lahiri, and other
friends at Baranagore and thought that Rasmani's temple garden was somewhere
near their houses. But this time it seemed as if the journey would never
end, however far I walked. After asking many people the way, I arrived at
Dakshineswar at last and went straight to the Master's room. I found him
sitting, deep in meditation, on the smaller bed that stands beside the
bigger one. There was no one with him. When he saw me, he joyfully called me
to him and made me sit down on one end of the bed. He was in an ecstatic
mood. He muttered something to himself that I couldn't understand, looked
hard at me, and then arose and approached me. I thought we were about to
have another crazy scene. Scarcely had that thought passed through my mind
when he placed his right foot on my body. Immediately I had a wonderful
experience. My eyes were wide open, and I saw that everything in the room,
including the walls themselves, was rapidly whirling around me and receding.
At the same time, it seemed to me that my consciousness of self, together
with the entire universe, was about to vanish into a vast, all-devouring
void. This destruction of my self-consciousness seemed to me the same thing
as death. Terrified, I felt death right before me, very close. Unable to
control myself, I cried out loudly: 'Ah, what are you doing to me? Don't you
know I have parents at home?' When the Master heard this, he gave a loud
laugh. Then he touched my chest with his hand and said: 'All right, let it
stop now. It needn't be done all at once. It will happen in its own good
time.' To my amazement, the extraordinary vision vanished as suddenly as it
had come. I returned to my normal state and saw things inside and outside
the room standing as still as before.



Narendra's resolve to know the cause of that experience and not be
overwhelmed again in the future.

"Although it has taken so long to describe all this, it actually happened in
only a few moments. And yet it changed my whole way of thinking. I was
bewildered and kept trying to analyze what had happened. I saw how this
experience had begun and ended in obedience to the will of this
extraordinary man. I had read about mesmerism and hypnotism in books, and I
wondered if this was something like that. But my heart refused to believe
that it was, for even people of great willpower can create such conditions
only in weak minds. And my mind was by no means weak. In fact, up to then I
had been proud of my intelligence and willpower. Ordinary people are
overwhelmed and become puppets under the influence of a great personality,
but this man hadn't bewitched me or reduced me to that condition. On the
contrary, when I first met him, I had decided that he was mad. Why then
should I have suddenly found myself in this state? I couldn't come to any
conclusion. It seemed an utter mystery to me. Then I remembered the words of
a great poet, 'There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of
in your philosophy' I thought that this might be one of those things. After
much reflection, I concluded that this mystery could not be solved. I
determined to be on my guard lest he exert more influence over me in the
future.





Narendra's speculations about the Master and his determination to understand
him.

"The next moment I thought: How can I consider this person mad when he was
able to destroy the strong structure of my mind at will - a mind that is
endowed with tremendous willpower - and reshape it as if it were a lump of
clay, making it think as he wished? But during my first visit he took me
aside and said so many strange things; how can I believe them to be true, or
to be anything other than an eccentric outburst? Because I couldn't
determine the cause of the wonderful experience I've just described, I could
come to no firm resolution about this person, who was as pure and simple as
a child. From my boyhood I have always used observation, investigation,
reasoning, and argumentation to form an opinion about a person or a thing,
but on that day my character was dealt a terrible blow, which distressed my
heart. Consequently, a fierce determination arose in my mind to truly
understand the nature and power of this wonderful man by any possible means.



The Master treated Narendra as if he had known him for a long time.

"Thus was my mind occupied with various thoughts and resolutions throughout
the day. After this last incident, the Master became quite a different
person. He began to feed me lovingly as he had during my first visit, and he
treated me as cordially as if he had known me for a long time. He behaved
with me exactly like a man who meets an old friend or relative after a long
separation. But feeding and entertaining me, talking to me and making jokes
with me, didn't seem to satisfy him. His affectionate behaviour created a
good deal of anxiety in me. As the day was coming to a close, I asked leave
to go. This seemed to make him unhappy, and as on the previous occasion he
demanded a promise: 'Say that you will come back soon.' So on that day I
promised as before, and then I returned home."



Narendra's third visit
We do not know how long it was before Narendra returned. After encountering
the Master's miraculous power, Narendra had an intense desire to know him,
so it seems it must not have been long before he came back to Dakshineswar.
His eagerness must have brought him back to the Master as soon as he was
able. Because he was attending college, the third visit probably took place
on a weekend. When Narendra wanted to investigate something, he lost all
interest in food, sleep, or relaxation; he would take no rest until he had
mastered the situation. So, quite naturally he was extremely anxious to
understand the Master. It is certain that during the third visit Narendra
was extremely cautious and very much on his guard lest he fall under a
hypnotic spell as before. But what happened was inconceivable. We shall now
present what the Master and Narendra told us about it.



Narendra loses outer consciousness at the Master's touch.

On that day the Master invited Narendra for a walk in Jadu Mallick's garden,
just south of the Dakshineswar compound, either because the temple complex
was crowded with devotees or for some other reason. Jadu and his mother were
very devoted to the Master, and they had left a standing order with the
manager that if the Master wished to walk in the garden when they were
absent, the parlour facing the Ganges should be kept open for him. On that
day the Master walked with Narendra in the garden on the bank of the Ganges.
As the Master and Narendra talked about various things, they eventually came
to the parlour, where the Master sat down and soon went into samadhi.
Narendra sat nearby, closely watching the Master's condition, when the
Master suddenly touched him, just as he had on the previous occasion.
Although Narendra was on his guard, he was completely overwhelmed by that
powerful touch. This time he became completely unconscious, not partially as
before. When he regained his normal consciousness after some time, he saw
the Master passing his hand over his chest and smiling at him, sweetly and
gently.

Narendra did not tell us anything about what he experienced when he lost his
outer consciousness. We thought that he did not tell us about it because it
was a secret. But one day in the course of conversation the Master told us
what had happened during that incident and we realized that Narendra had no
memory of it.



The Master asks Narendra various questions while he is in that state.

The Master told us: "That day, after Narendra lost consciousness of his
current incarnation, I asked him many questions, such as who he really was,
where he had come from, why he had come [been born] how long he would stay
in this world, and so forth. He entered his innermost being and found the
correct answers to my questions. These answers confirmed what I'd already
learned about him in visions. It's forbidden to reveal those things, but I
can tell you this: On the day he knows who he really is, he will no longer
remain in this world. With a strong effort of will, he will immediately give
up his body through the power of yoga. Narendra is a great soul, perfect in
meditation."

Later the Master described to us one of his earlier visions concerning
Narendra. We shall mention it here for the reader's convenience, but when
the Master told us about it, it seemed that he had this vision before
Narendra first visited Dakshineswar.



The Master's wonderful vision concerning Narendra
The Master said: "One day I found that my mind was soaring high in samadhi
along a luminous path. It soon transcended the stellar universe and entered
the subtle realm of ideas. As it ascended higher and higher, I found the
path lined with ideal forms of gods and goddesses on both sides. My mind
then reached the outer limits of that region, where a luminous, barrier
separates the sphere of relative existence from that of the Absolute. My
mind crossed that barrier to enter the transcendental realm, where no
corporeal being was visible. Even the gods dare not enter that sublime realm
and are content to keep their seats far below. But the next moment I saw
seven venerable rishis seated there in samadhi. It occurred to me that these
rishis must have surpassed not only humans but even the gods in knowledge
and holiness, in renunciation and love. Lost in admiration, I was reflecting
on their greatness when I saw a portion of that undifferentiated luminous
region condense into the form of a divine child. The child came to one of
the rishis, tenderly clasped his neck with his lovely arms and, addressing
him in a sweet voice, tried to drag his mind down from the state of samadhi.
That magic touch roused the rishi from the superconscious state, and he
fixed his half-opened eyes upon the wonderful child. His beaming countenance
showed that the child was the treasure of his heart. In great joy the divine
child spoke to him: 'I am going down. You must go with me.' The rishi
remained mute but his tender look expressed his assent. As he gazed at the
child, he again became immersed in samadhi. I was surprised to see a
fragment of his body and mind then descending to earth in the form of a
bright light. No sooner had I seen Narendra than I recognized him to be that
rishi.[i]



Narendra's conviction about the Master as a result of his direct experience.

Narendra was completely dumbfounded when the influence of the Master's
divine power put him under the same hypnotic spell for a second time. He
deeply felt the insignificance of his mental and intellectual power compared
to this unsurpassable divine power. His former belief that the Master was a
monomaniac was changed. But we cannot say that this encounter brought him to
understand the meaning and significance of what the Master had told him
privately during his first visit to Dakshineswar. He felt that the Master
must be an extraordinarily great soul



The Master's behaviour during Narendra's visits to Dakshineswar.

When Narendra came to Dakshineswar, the Master quite often went into ecstasy
at the very sight of him. When he later regained some consciousness, he
would have long spiritual talks with Narendra. At such times the Master
would joyfully try to transmit the highest spiritual experiences to Narendra
through words and other means. Sometimes the Master wished to listen to
devotional songs, and as soon as he heard the sweet melodious voice of
Narendra, he would go into samadhi. But this did not interrupt Narendra's
singing. Absorbed, he would continue to sing one song after another for
hours. When the Master again regained partial consciousness, he would
request Narendra to sing a particular song. He would not be completely
satisfied until he had heard Narendra sing "All that exists art Thou."[ii]
After that they would spend some time discussing the various mysteries of
Advaita Vedanta, such as the difference between the jiva and Ishwara, the
real nature of the jiva and of Brahman, and so on. Narendra's presence thus
created a wave of bliss in Dakshineswar.



Narendra joins Hazra in criticizing nondualistic philosophy; in ecstasy, the
Master touches Narendra.

One day the Master told Narendra various things regarding the oneness of
jiva and Brahman according to nondualistic philosophy. Although he listened
attentively, Narendra did not understand. When the Master finished speaking,
Narendra went to see Hazra. While smoking and discussing that topic again,
Narendra said, "Can it ever be possible that the water pot is God, that the
cup is God, that everything we see and all of us are God?" Hazra joined
Narendra in ridiculing the idea, and they both burst into laughter. The
Master was in an ecstatic mood, and when he heard Narendra laughing he came
out of his room, holding his cloth under his arm like a boy. "What are you
talking about?" he asked them. Smiling, he touched Narendra and went into
samadhi.



Narendra's extraordinary experience as a result of the Master's touch.

Narendra later related this to us: "That day my mind underwent a complete
revolution at the marvellous touch of the Master. I was aghast to realize
that there really was

nothing whatsoever in the entire universe but God. I remained silent,
wondering how long this state of mind would continue. It didn't pass away
all day. I got back home, and I felt just the same there: Everything I saw
was God. I sat down to eat, and I saw

that everything - the plate, the food, my mother who was serving it, and I
myself-everything was God and nothing but God. I swallowed a couple of
mouthfuls and then sat still without speaking. My mother lovingly asked me:
'Why are you so quiet? Why don't you eat?' That brought me back to everyday
consciousness and I began eating again. But from then on I kept having the
same experience, no matter what I was doing - eating, sitting, lying down,
or going to college. It was a kind of intoxication that I can't describe. If
I were crossing a street and saw a carriage coming towards me, I didn't have
the urge to get out of its way for fear of being run over, as I would

ordinarily. I said to myself: 'I am that carriage. There's no difference
between it and me.' During that time, I had no sensation in my hands or my
feet. When I ate food, I felt no satisfaction from it; it was as if someone
else were eating. Sometimes I would lie down in the middle of a meal and
then get up again after a few minutes and go on eating. Thus, it happened on
those days that I would eat far more than usual, but this never upset me. My
mother became alarmed. She thought I was suffering from some terrible
disease. 'He won't live long,' she would say.

"When that first intoxication lost some of its power, I began to see the
world as though I were dreaming. When I went for a walk around Hedua, or
Cornwallis Square [now Azadhind Bagh], I would knock my head against the
iron railings to see if they were dream-railings or real ones. The loss of
feeling in my hands and feet made me afraid that I was becoming paralyzed.
That overwhelming intoxication didn't leave me for some time. When I did at
last return to normal consciousness, I was convinced that the state I'd been
in was a revelation of nondualistic experience. And then I knew that what is
written in the scriptures about this experience is all true. From that time
on, I

had no doubts about the truth of nonduality."



The author has an eventful day with Narendra.

On another occasion Narendra described a wonderful incident to us. He told
us about it in the winter of 1884, when we were well acquainted. We believe
that the incident must have taken place during this period, so we are
relating it to the reader here. We remember going to Narendra's house at
Gaur Mohan Mukherjee Street in Simla on that day a little before noon and
staying till eleven at night. Swami Ramakrishnananda was with us. Since our
first meeting, we had felt a divine attraction to Narendra, and this feeling
was intensified a thousand fold that day. Before this we understood the

Master to be a knower of God or a perfected soul. But on that day Narendra's
inspired talks brought a new light to our hearts. We realized that the
extraordinary events recorded in the lives of Jesus, Chaitanya, and other
great teachers of the world, which we had studied but disbelieved, had
parallels in the Master's daily life. With merely a touch, or his desire
that it be so, the Master released from bondage those who had taken refuge
in him and granted them devotion. He granted them samadhi, thus endowing
them with divine bliss. Or he diverted the course of their lives into a
spiritual channel so strong that they attained a vision of God immediately
and were blessed forever. We remember that in the evening Narendra took us
for a walk in Cornwallis Square. On the way he told us of divine experiences
that he had experienced by the grace of the Master. He was absorbed within
himself for a while and then finally expressed his inner bliss with his
heavenly voice:

Gora[iii] bestows the Nectar of love; Jar after jar he pours it out, And
still there is no end! Sweetest Nitai[iv] is summoning all; Beloved Gora
bids them come; Shantipur[v] is almost drowned, And Nadia is flooded with
love!



Narendra relates an amazing story.

When he had finished singing, Narendra gently soliloquized: "He is actually
distributing love. Love, devotion, knowledge, liberation, and whatever one
desires - Gora [Sri Ramakrishna] is bestowing upon us whatever he wishes.
What wonderful power!" He was silent for a while and then continued. "One
night, I was lying on my bed with the door bolted. Suddenly he attracted
me - or rather the soul that lives in this body - and drew me to
Dakshineswar. He talked with me about various topics, gave me advice, and
finally allowed me to return home. He can do anything - this. Gora of
Dakshineswar can do anything!"



Narendra's unusual experience at the author's house.

The evening shadows melted into a darkness so deep that we could notsee each
other. But it was not necessary to do so: Narendra's fiery spiritual
feelings penetrated our hearts, creating a divine intoxication that left us
reeling. We felt as though the real world that we had perceived for so long
had disappeared into a dream. We then realized the truth of what worldly
people believe to be nothing but a fabrication: the beginningless, infinite
God had become manifest as a finite human being out of His unconditional
grace and was destroying the bondage of jivas and setting in motion the

wheel of dharma. We did not notice how the time passed, but suddenly we
heard the bell strike nine. Reluctantly, we prepared to take leave of
Narendra, but he said, "Let us go-I'll accompany you for a short distance."
As we walked we began discussing a similar topic, which absorbed us until we
reached our home in Champatala. We realized that it was not right for us to
have let Narendra come such a long distance. We brought him inside, gave him
some refreshment, accompanied him to his home, and then returned home once
more. We vividly remember another incident: When Narendra entered our house,
he suddenly stood still, exclaiming: "I have seen this house before! It's
amazing! I'm familiar with its corridors, rooms, and everything!" Elsewhere
we have told the reader that Narendra sometimes had such experiences and
what he said was their cause, so we will not repeat that here (see V.5.2).



Extraordinary experiences in Narendra's early life. He saw a light while
falling asleep.

We have already mentioned that narendra was born with wonderful spiritual
tendencies. For that reason, the spiritual experiences that he had before he
met the Master were unique. The reader will understand this if we cite a few
examples here. Narendra said: "As far back as I can remember, I'd see a
marvellous point of light between my eyebrows as soon as I shut my eyes to
go to sleep. I watched it and paid great attention as it went through
various changes. To see it better, I would lie on my bed like one
prostrating before a deity, with forehead touching the ground. That
marvellous point of light would change colours and grow bigger and bigger
until it took the form of a ball, finally bursting and covering my body from
head to foot with a white liquid light. As soon as that happened I lost
outer consciousness and fell asleep. I used to believe this was how
everybody went to sleep, and I was under that impression for a long time.
When I grew older and began to practise meditation, that point of light
would appear to me as soon as I closed my eyes, and I'd concentrate upon it.
At that time I was practising meditation with a few friends, following the
instructions of Devendra Nath Tagore. We told each other about our visions
and experiences, and I discovered that none of them had ever seen that point
of light or had gone to sleep as I did.



Memories of past lives awaken when he sees a particular place, person, or
thing.

"From my very childhood, whenever I came in contact with a particular
object, person, or place, it would sometimes seem as if I were already
acquainted with it. I'd try to recall when, but couldn't bring it to mind.
Nonetheless, I was not convinced that I had never seen it before. This
happened quite often. Perhaps I would be discussing various topics with my
friends at a particular place. Someone would say something, and immediately
the thought would flash in my mind that sometime past, in this very house,
I'd had the same discussion with these friends, and on that occasion this
person had said the same thing. After long deliberation I couldn't ascertain
when I'd had such a discussion with them. When I became aware of the
doctrine of reincarnation, I thought that perhaps I might have been familiar
with those places and people in a previous life and that partial memories
concerning them sometimes surfaced in my mind. Later, I realized that such a
conclusion wasn't reasonable. It now seems to me that before I was born I
must have somehow seen, as in motion pictures, the people and things I would
come in contact with in this life. [vi] Those memories now arise in my mind
from time to time."





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[i] The Master described this vision to us in his unique, simple language.
It is not possible for us to reproduce that language exactly. Having no
alternative, we have briefly described this vision keeping his language as
far as possible. When at another time we asked him about the divine child in
the vision, we learned that the Master himself had assumed the form of that
child.



[ii] I have joined my heart to Thee: all that exists art Thou;

Thee only have I found, for Thou art all that exists.

0 Lord, Beloved of my heart! Thou art the Home of all;

Where indeed is the heart in which Thou dost not dwell?

Thou hast entered every heart: all that exists art Thou.

Whether sage or fool, whether Hindu or Mussalman,

Thou makest them as Thou wilt: all that exists art Thou.

Thy presence is everywhere, whether in heaven or in Kaaba;

Before Thee all must bow, for Thou art all that exists.

From earth below to the highest heaven, from heaven to deepest earth,

I see Thee wherever i look: all that exists art Thou.

Pondering, I have understood; I have seen it beyond a doubt;

I find not a single thing that may be compared to Thee.

To Jafar [the composer] it has been revealed that Thou art all that
exists. - Translator

[iii] Gora is the nickname of Gauranga, or Chaitanya. - Translator

[iv] Nitai is the main disciple of Chaitanya. - Translator

[v] Shantipur and Nadia are places associated with Chaitanya. - Translator

[vi] Narendra described this wonderful experience to us shortly after we
became acquainted, and he told us the cause of the phenomenon towards the
end of his life





======

Many of our friends have responded to your query which are erproduced here:

Ajith kumar wrote >>>First of all what i felt Swamiji is a culture which is
nothing but humanism.It bounds human beings with of course detached self
reliant as merciful.Avoid call hi and all Swamiji Himself shacked the whole
world with brothersand sisters. Definitely i have read and inspired still
inspiring i will share.Rest all wellYours in the name Sree Rama krishnaAjith
kumar

==

Angsuman Chakraborty wrote >>>

I would recommend you purchase the Complete works of Swami Vivekananda
fromRamakrishna Mission or any other bookstore. In it you can find about
hisexperiences as he shared in his letter's to friends, seniors and others.
His interactions with Ramakrishna Paramhansa can be found in
RamakrishnaKathamrita written by M. Both the sources above are most
authentic on this subject.

==

Alexander Koudlai wrote >>>

There are a few discriptions of Swami Vivecananda's experiences in the R.
Rolland's books The LIfe of Ramakrishna and The Life of Vivekananda.

==

Shivram Rama Vishveshwara wrote >>>

Dear Ramya, Happy to see your keenness and interest about Swami Vivekananda.
I personally suggest to go through the book "The life of Vivekananda and and
the Universal Gospel" by Romain Rolland. It is in simple English with facts
and reference.It is avialable in almost all branch centres of Ramakrishna
Mission through out the world or in some estblished book shops. It would be
pleasure to send you a copy through courier, if I had the address. Swami
Vivekananda's life is not merely spritual, it it man making, character
building and above all to find the life's goal and fulfilment. May you find
the goal and fulfilment in life so that your life useful, purposeful and
meaningful. With best prayers, Shivaram

==






----- Original Message -----
From: "Ramya Krishnamurthy" <ramyamvk@...>
To: <Uttishthata@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 10:40 AM
Subject: [Uttishthata] Swami Vivekananda's experiences.


> Hi all,
> Has anyone read or heard of any of the experiences
> that Swami Vivekananda had ? He was a great monk who
> took Hinduism to the west, but above all, he was a
> seeker himself... if anyone has information on any of
> the spiriutal experiences he had, please kindly share
> it with the group.
>
> Thanks !
> Ramya
>
> __________________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
>
>
> Thought for Today:
>
> To men who never rise higher than eating, drinking, begetting progeny, and
> dying, the only gain is in sense-enjoyments; and they must wait and go
> through many more births and reincarnations to learn to feel even the
> faintest necessity for anything higher. But those to whom the eternal
> interests of the soul are of much higher value than the fleeting interests
> of this mundane life, to whom the gratification of the senses is but like
> the thoughtless play of the baby, to them, God and the love of God form
> the highest and the only utility of human existence.
>
> - Swami Vivekananda
>
>

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Uttishthata/message/1308?l=1

Dear Friends,

 

While giving a talk on the subject of God / Absolute, Swami Vivekananda mentioned that since we perceive the absolute through time, space and causation and since our discussions / understanding have to be limited within the bounds of time, space and causation the attempts to describe God would be futile. . …”Therefore, to know the Absolute is again a contradiction in terms. That is why this question has never been answered, because if it were answered, there would no more be an Absolute. A God known is no more God; He has become finite like one of us. He cannot be known, He is always the Unknowable One.” This is remarkable. A thousand salutations to him for this highly scientific revelation. But then, he went almost beyond science and said that the great fact to learn is that the God is more than knowable.

“…  You must not go home with the idea that God is unknowable in the sense in which agnostics put it. For instance, here is a chair, it is known to us. But what is beyond ether or whether people exist there or not is possibly unknowable. But God is neither known nor unknowable in this sense. He is something still higher than known; that is what is meant by God being unknown and unknowable. The expression is not used in the sense in which it may be said that some questions are unknown and unknowable. God is more than known. This chair is known, but God is intensely more than that, because in and through Him we have to know this chair itself. He is the Witness, the eternal Witness of all knowledge. Whatever we know we have to know in and through Him. He is the Essence of our own Self. He is the Essence of this ego, this I and we cannot know anything excepting in and through that I. Therefore you have to know everything in and through the Brahman. To know the chair you have to know it in and through God. Thus God is infinitely nearer to us than the chair, but yet He is infinitely higher. Neither known, nor unknown, but something infinitely higher than either. He is your Self. "Who would live a second, who would breathe a second in this universe, if that Blessed One were not filling it?" Because in and through Him we breathe, in and through Him we exist. Not that He is standing somewhere and making my blood circulate. What is meant is that He is the Essence of all this, the Soul of my soul. You cannot by any possibility say you know Him; it would be degrading Him. You cannot get out of yourself, so you cannot know Him. Knowledge is objectification. For instance, in memory you are objectifying many things, projecting them out of yourself. All memory, all the things which I have seen and which I know are in my mind. The pictures, the impressions of all these things, are in my mind, and when I would try to think of them, to know them, the first act of knowledge would be to project them outside. This cannot be done with God, because He is the Essence of our souls; we cannot project Him outside ourselves. Here is one of the profoundest passages in Vedanta: "He that is the Essence of your soul, He is the Truth, He is the Self, thou art That, O Shvetaketu." This is what is meant by "Thou art God." You cannot describe Him by any other language. All attempts of language, calling Him father, or brother, or our dearest friend, are attempts to objectify God, which cannot be done. He is the Eternal Subject of everything. I am the subject of this chair; I see the chair; so God is the Eternal Subject of my soul. How can you objectify Him, the Essence of your souls, the Reality of everything? Thus, I would repeat to you once more, God is neither knowable nor unknowable, but something infinitely higher than either. He is one with us; and that which is one with us is neither knowable nor unknowable, as our own self. You cannot know your own self; you cannot move it out and make it an object to look at, because you are  that and cannot separate yourself from it. Neither is it unknowable, for what is better known than yourself? It is really the centre of our knowledge. In exactly the same sense, God is neither unknowable nor known, but infinitely higher than both; for He is our real Self.”