What are the qualifications required for a student of the scriptures ? Before proceeding to read this, please read http://www.indusladies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21282&postcount=1 Preyas and sreyas are best understood before proceeding with the present topic. An eligible student for scriptural reading requires the following four-fold qualification: 1 – Discrimination 2 – Dispassion 3 – Discipline 4 – Desire for freedom Discrimination: This is called viveka in Vedanta. We have to learn the discrimination between preyas and sreyas. Preyas has unpredictability, risks, problems and potential sorrows. Sreyas gives peace and happiness. Dispassion: This is called vairagya in Vedanta. We definitely need preyas for survival and health. But that should be the secondary goal and the primary goal should be sreyas. We must remember it is a ladder to sreyas. We cannot be using the ladder for ever. Vairagya is dispassion to preyas. Preyas is healthy as a means and since it is equal to bondage, cannot be an end. We must dedicate our life for the pursuit of sreyas. Hence dispassion is growing out of preyas. Desire: This desire for freedom is called mumukshutvam in Vedanta. This is dropping the passionate hold on preyas and stretching ourselves to reach sreyas. An intelligent living leads to discrimination, dispassion and ultimately desire for freedom. Discipline: This is six-fold inner discipline. 1 – Mind- control: This is the capacity to regulate and direct our mental energy without suppressing or wasting it. 2 – Sense-control: This is regulation of sense organs. 3 – Withdrawal: This is the capacity to physically, sensually and mentally withdraw. 4 – Forbearance: This is the toughness to withstand the ups and downs of life. As is said “ when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. 5 - Faith: We must develop faith by worshipping God, scriptures and mahatmas. 6 – Concentration: Concentration means short term focussing like freedom from distraction and long term focussing like the ultimate goal of sreyas. These four-fold qualifications are called Sadhana Chatushtayam in sanskrit. Love, Chithra.
Dear Chitra As usual great article.I look forward to reading your new posts.You really provide us with information which we are unaware of .Thanks so much.I had sent you an earlier reply to the article An evening with Chitvish hope you received it. Take care and god bless love asha
Dear Chitra, You have as usual outdone yourself,....you have given us the qualifiactions necessary to study the scriptures...... And the six fold descriptions for discipline were so perfect.....well let me go into my inner self and see if i can be a good student! Thanks for giving us the right inputs and leading us gently!
Dear Asha, Thankyou for the feedback. You literally "broke the ice" ! Since there was no F B, rather unusually, I was wondering if I had dealt with an abstract topic. You have set the ball rolling, thanks ! I did reply your post in My Evening with Chitvish. Please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/64835-post34.html I wonder if you missed it, Asha ! Love, Chithra.
Dear Sudha, Your F B is a great moral-booster to me, no doubt, my dearest friend ! Now do not imagine that I have all the above said qualifications ! These are developed over the janmas, as I always say. We all pray, make a beinning in this janma ! Thankyou for the feed back. Love, Chithra.
Dear Chitra THANKS so much for the reply.Happy to know you got my post went to the site u gave and read it ,Yes I really do hope we can meet ..There is so much of warmth in everything you do and say. I just want to know the meaning of the term POTRI I read about the potris in your shloka index and kept wondering what it meant.Can you also please tel me where can i get sri Raghavendra potri in english just want to read it.Thanks a lot. Take care and please keep in touch with lots of love and regards asha
Dear C Many thanks for putting forth the 'Sadhana Chatushtayam' and also the explanation of Preyas and Sreyas with simple understandable analogies. I am just echoing your words when I say - 'let us use our supreme intellect bestowed on virtue of being a human being to make a begining in this janma to rightly learn scriptures'. I need to read and re-read to understand the qualifications in order to make an attempt of start qualifying. I feel even reading such topics will help us subconsciously evaluate our deeds. Please keep them coming. Thanks again...! -Gayathri.
Dear Asha, POTRI means literally "Praise be to ----" ! If I come across R Potri, I will surely keep you informed. Love, Chithra. quote=asha2664;67651]Dear Chitra THANKS so much for the reply.Happy to know you got my post went to the site u gave and read it ,Yes I really do hope we can meet ..There is so much of warmth in everything you do and say. I just want to know the meaning of the term POTRI I read about the potris in your shloka index and kept wondering what it meant.Can you also please tel me where can i get sri Raghavendra potri in english just want to read it.Thanks a lot. Take care and please keep in touch with lots of love and regards asha[/quote]
Dear Gayathri, Your F B is so good ! Thankyou very much. You write it right that we must read & re-read these topics to make even a beginning in understanding. We cannot forever postpone doing things which we fear, may be beyond our reach. You are so encouraging with your words, Gayathri, I cannot thank you enough. Love, Chithra.
Dear Chitra, As usual you stretch yourself, and share some intersting topics on Vedanta. Your language is very simple even with such abstract topics. I read the six fold qualifications several times and as you say takes several janmas to practice. Let me start with this janma to bring some discipline in me.Lets see what you have in store for next week. Love,