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Indispensable

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, Dec 9, 2018.

  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    “asato mā sadgamaya
    tamasomā jyotir gamaya
    mrityormāamritam gamaya”

    “From ignorance, lead me to truth;
    From darkness, lead me to light;
    From death, lead me to immortality”

    What is ignorance? A lack of knowledge to seek information one needs, lack of ability to understand and assimilate, even if the information is available within reach and lack of ability to apply that understanding into personal growth and development. When we are questioned about who we are, we answer, “I am so and so” or “I am a professional” or “I am so and so’s son/daughter/spouse”, etc. referring to the label assigned to our body or label assigned to our mind or label assigned to us by people around us. When we are asked about our status, we either say, “bachelor/married” or “immigrant/immigrant with work permit/green card/citizen”. By saying this, I am not expecting everyone to say, “I am searching to find out who I am” in response to these questions. However, everyone can inquire, “Am I these labels assigned to me or am I something different than what I believe I am or what others perceive me as?”, every time we answer these questions. I was assigned a name only after I was born, I became a professional only after certain age and I am a son/daughter/spouse only after I was born or married. Who was I before I came into existence? What triggered me to have this life? What was I supposed to learn? What should I do to love and be loved? How do I reach a stage when I don’t feel the pleasure or pain? Frankly, my status is mostly “seeking information or seeking understanding or seeking to learn how to apply them for person growth and development”.

    When we watch our thoughts, we not only realize we are not the mind but also filled with encryption. When we experience near death experience or death, we realize that we are not this body either. We have come to perform actions that would reduce our encryption and what unfolds in front of us is meant to be for that very purpose. When we connect all our thoughts, we convert ourselves into an independent existence like the threads made from cotton becoming a cloth. If our thoughts give us existence, status, etc., all of us can visualize many good things and become that. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as you think, so you become) is a teaching intended to build our character eliminating our bad thoughts and exalting ourselves into higher stature. We did create destiny by our past actions, but can new actions eradicate or change our destiny? The only way we can answer this question is by making the effort to do good actions. Living in the castle of desires and attachments is like the tortoise hiding inside the shell. Whenever, we find ourselves in a zone, we are experiencing our unfulfilled desires and let us try to get into a zone in decoding our encryption. What is truth? Everything around us is nothing but manifestation of Truth and that is why the prayer is seeking “lead me to Truth” instead of “discover the truth”. Truth exists everywhere around, inside, above and below us and we don’t discover truth but learn to experience it.

    We are surrounded by light but we remain in darkness. We dwell in power, position, name and fame instead of seeking the abundant bliss. Our attitude, behavior and character (“ABC”) determine our “Destiny” (“D”). We need to learn to use the tools gifted to us to free ourselves from the cocoon to become a butterfly and not assume ourselves as the tools. The pain and suffering we encounter are part of this learning experience. We are here to seek humility and not to humiliate others or get humiliated by others. Overcoming the cycle of birth and death is like overtaking a big truck in a highway. Sooner we overtake and settle ourselves far away from the truck, better we feel and become. Clinical observation of thoughts, consistent influence over senses and mind to observe good things, assimilate and put into practice, accept things we are unable to control, change everything we could possibly change, help everyone possible, make relentless effort to become an observer and invoke the indweller residing deep inside of us are the best way to achieve our goal of immortality. Vivekam (“Knowledge”) is understanding Vairaghyam (Dispassion/ Detachment/Renunciation) is what sets us free from bondage to liberation.

    We need to find the knots that binds all our thoughts together and remove them one at a time. Window to find how thoughtlessness brings bliss is our exercise to observe our thoughts silently. By conquering the desires and attachments, we can begin the process of eliminating our encryption. The freedom one enjoys as “Sat-Chit-Ananda” (being, aware and blissful) is far superior than what one could experience in physical form with the limitation of time and space. Frankly, that is the only thing that is indispensable.
     
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  2. girvani

    girvani Platinum IL'ite

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    Dearest Viswa uncle,

    You took me to a beautiful life where every Sunday I went for a bajan with my mother and we ended our bajan with reciting 'asato mā sadgamaya...' The peace we felt at that moment cannot be described. I used get absorbed in that vibration and I can bring that feeling even now.

    I totally loved when you stated “seeking information or seeking understanding or seeking to learn how to apply them for person growth and development”. This is exactly I am trying to do day by day and I have many many hurdles to jump over.

    Every thing you have written were like messages to ruminate over and they are lessons to be apply in our daily life. Thank you so much for the enlightening knowledge and I enjoyed studying this in the morning.

    Love,
    Vani
     
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  3. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    Very well explained, @Viswamitra Sir. You have presented a profound matter in such a clear and concise manner that it is easily understandable. It definitely motivates one to begin the process in that direction. Thank you so much.
     
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  4. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Highly introspective beyond the understanding and reach of common people as I am.We can try.It may be very difficult though not impossible. The article is really in a very high plane as that of Ramana.I felt as though I am going through 'nallathu naarpathu'by the sage.
    Jayasala 42
     
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  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    My Dearest Vani,

    As you rightly pointed out, this is being chanted every week in Bhajan sessions and I thought that I might as well contemplate and write my understanding with a hope that I could experience this. If I were to assign values to each one of them, I would assign 25% of the battle is finding the right information, 25% is having a good understanding and still 50% is putting that into practice. The senses and mind are constantly experiencing what is unreal as real. We need to raise above our wavering mind into deep inside our consciousness to win that battle. It is hard but not impossible.

    Thank you as always for your kind words.

    Viswa
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Geeta,

    Thank you for your immediate response. I am so happy to hear that it is clear and concise and easily understandable. Sometimes, my inability to articulate well, shows up on my snippet. It was intended to share my thoughts and experiences. IL is a great platform to share and elicit responses so that each one of us could benefit from thoughts of the others.

    Viswa
     
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  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Smt. Jayasala:

    I know your knowledge and experience are much above what I could narrate in a snippet, leave alone writing something meaningful for you. Please consider this as an aspirant's incoherent thoughts. Maharishi's teachings are extraordinary and sometimes, it takes many readings for us to comprehend His teachings. He is a realized soul with a specific goal to make as many aspirant in that path. For some strange reason, I enjoyed reading His teachings in Tamil more than in English. I feel very connected. May be it is because, I understand better, if it is in Tamil.

    Viswa
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2018
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  8. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    I am therefore I think/ I think therefore I am. The moot questions seems to be "I" or is it 'think'? The simple answer will be life. The 'I' and 'Think' crop up only because there is life. They will vanish after life.
    Name, fame, wealth, relationships all are there for the life span only.
    King Janaka had a dream. He was moving in a street in tattered clothes looking for some food. After he woke up he asked his Guru what was the truth. The dream as a beggar or the reality of a king. The Guru replied 'This also is truth and that also is truth.'
    The path from ignorance to truth, darkness to light and life to immortality is what we all have to tread.
    However, as living we have many other challenges to face, questions to answer and not die before actual death. All this has to be done in this life only. At the same time preparing for the life after is also important if not the sole purpose.
    The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?
     
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  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Hari Sir,

    Does it? Perhaps, it disappears in the present frame but will it come back in another frame later? May be erasing all those desires and attachment will reverse the cycle of birth and death. The gift of frame is a compassion to fix our encryption and the best way to show the gratitude is to make an effort to fix so that one can become deserving of such compassion. May be all challenges we face and questions we need to answer is part of fixing our encryption. If we can achieve the permanent existence, we need not think about the beginning and the end.
     
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  10. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    The idea is good and must strive to cultivate good thoughts. A brilliant dissertation.

    "Asatoma to immortality" is the concluding portion of my loud prayer daily to the Lord.

    But then i wonder why i should seek immortality. I don't desire nithyathvam and would like to finish journey comfortably without any inconvenience to others. That itself would be a great thought and blessing I believe.
    The blog is indeed an in-depth esoteric analysis of the purpose of (human) life and consequential thought processes during its journey on earth and what men and women should or ought to thrive for.
    One wonders If all strive and reach the source viz., the feet of Lord then what is the purpose of creation? Forgive me - I speak tangentially.
    How one is sure that no rebirth would take place after exhausting karmas -ve and +ve. How to define absolute good and bad. What is considered good deed turns bd and vice versa after passage of time!?
    Thanks and Regards.
    God grant Godspeed to the deep thinkers.
     

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