In the spirit of Vedantha

Abha · Apr 10, 2007

Hello Cheeniya Sir

Well i completely understand and agree with you on that, cos some ppl go their just cos their circle of freinds is going and they dont want to be left out and considered as ignorant of god or anything (as it is their age to go to such places, now here i remember ur "faded jeans at 64") so they just join in for the sake of it.. some even keep discussing their household problems or other things while the session is going on, which only disturbs the one who r serious, not only these ppl disrespect the speaker... but also nullify his efforts in a way when they are out doing the ffoul talk abt others...

i'm not much of a writer like many of you here, but just express myself in simple and day to day language... so sorry if i have broken your flow of conversation...

thanks
~Abha

Cheeniya · Apr 10, 2007

Dear Abha
How can you say such a thing about your ability to express yourself? You have done it as nicely as any of us has done it . You have made your views perfectly clear and I can see they have come from your heart.
Write without any hesitation Abha. IL is our forum and let's make good use of it to exchange our views
Sri

Abha · Apr 10, 2007

thanks for the encouragement Sir, i really appreciate it..

i sure will write without hesitation...

thanks again
~Abha

knbg · Dec 31, 2011

Respected Sri Sir,

Best regards.

It took all these months to muster courage to enter your esteemed forum.....( It was not actually fear...but very high regards....)

I have now entered the "Treasure Trove" and here I found my "First Gem"

I am not proficient enough to comment Sir......all I would want to register is....Your posts are lessons for a silly soul like me.....

Hoping to learn from you Sir......

With fond regards and best wishes for a Happy New Year.....,

Cheeniya · Dec 31, 2011

Dear Bhargavi
Welcome to my Senile Ramblings!
Why do you have to feel hesitant to enter my forum? I have in fact shared all my life's experience with the younger generation of IL to emphasise that growing old is a jolly good proposition and not something to be dreaded! I have not meant them to be lessons but if my follies of youth can act as a warning signal to the youth, I'll be only too happy about it.
I do hope that you'll continue to listen to my ramblings for my own benefit. I want at least one listener when I talk! That is until I reach the stage of talking to myself!
Sri

Srama · Jan 4, 2012

Dear Cheeniya sir,

to give the ladies the benefit of doubt let us just say that they atleast truly believed in "satsang" only that they should choose a satsang that has less of their own kind and more of the real satsangis (??). And oh Cheeniya sir how can a word "moble Debeer's" not bring a smile and remind me how much I love your sense of humor!

Anyways, your explanation reminds me of my yoga teacher - she has somewhat similar feelings when it comes to yoga and Indians in particular. You know Yoga is gaining popularity by leaps and bounds here and every fitness club offers it infact with emphasis in their marketing efforts. She can not take the way people seemingly sit in meditation especially in the only Hindu temple here - yes, many many of them may be genuine but her heart cries often with the feeling "you are lucky to be born Indian, do more with the already given blessings" and I hear her sir! I do really!

You have to excuse me for this statement that follows here! I meet many many Indians who think yoga and philosphy are their birthrights, because of the simple virtue of being born Indian and speak about it like there is no tomorrow and that they know everything and then I meet many other Indians who constantly fret and complain about how much these westerners are taking advantage of yoga and we as Indians don't do anything. You know the one common factor between the two groups, both of them are not consistent with their practise. The first group fails to realize that these people have stepped out, learnt something new, embraced the philosophy, have learnt Sanskrit, become vegetarian and so on and so forth and that they may be more mature knowledgebale and understanding and that we do not know it all because we are Indian and the second group simply has to start practising so that they can become better. There are a handful of Indians who donot fall into either category and are a joy to be associated with! No doubt there! As for me, I have learnt to listen, pay attention, be grateful and practice and not speak about it!

Thank you for allwoing me to vent out here in your thread! And speaking of Gita I am guilty of having never read it (only heard it) and it is on my to do lists - as and when times permits! Which also reminds me to ask you if you ever wrote that thread about why Lord Krishna chose Arjuna and not Duryodhana! If you have, will you kindly point me to that?

I cannot help but conclude it with 'thoroughly enjoyed it' sir!

And oh cheeniya sir, I meant to write when I read "veetlo puli...." you know what I mean (I do get some Tamil you know) there is this joke that was shared in Kannada forum and I know you will quite enjoy it. Here it goes ....

Clerk - sir, you are like a tiger at work. Are you like that at home too?
Manager - Yes........just that there is a Godess (sitting) on that Tiger at home

Mindian · Jan 4, 2012

dear cheeniya sir and sabitha,

it so happened that I read sabithas fb here and was so excited ( only because i thought I knew the answer) that I rushed in with my explanation as to why krishna chose arjuna and not Duryodhana .

Only then did I go to the main post ( Cheeniya sir, you know me well by now, that no vedantham enters my head and I do not pretend that it does) and saw the last line which sabi had referred to in her fb,

now I really cant resist posting my answer and am eager to know if it is right .
anyway it makes a great topic for discussion like many other topics from the Mahabharatha..

If I am correct, the lord was sleeping when both of them went to ask him for help. Duryodhana sat near his head and arjuna near his feet. So as soon as he opened his eyes the good lord saw arjuna and asked him what he wished for. However Duryodhana said he had come first so his wishes should be granted first .Then both of them were given an option, one would have only Krishna without any arms while the other would have all the arms and an entire army.
Of course Duryodhana chose the army and it was Arjuna who chose Krishna.(this is the story to instill total faith and trust in the Lord..just believe in him ,surrender to him and all will be well ) Once Krishna was on Arjuna's side there was no question of educating Duryodhana. So arjuna was the one and only choice for the gift of Gita!!!!

Srama · Jan 4, 2012

That is so sweet of you Mindi! I enjoyed the story and thanks to you, I am now reminded of hearing it as a child....makes me wonder and feel scared as well, thinking sometimes how far I have come from the roots, if my kids will hear these etc... sigh!! and as for you being a Vedanthi or not, I think you are just best the way you are, enjoying being happy. What more do we want and what more can we ask?

I am sure Cheeniya sir will agree too

Cheeniya · Jan 7, 2012

My dear Srama
Like most of my threads, this one is also based on what I really observed. Maybe there was a bit of exaggeration in my narration but that was purely for effect. Shall I tell you something interesting? This is the thread that got me the acquaintance of the awesome numero uno of IL, the indomitable Chitvish. She is a sworn vedantin and my take on the subject of Vedanta did not go well with her and there followed a series of heated arguments. When we finally buried the hatchet, our bitterness gave way to a beautiful friendship which gets brighter with each passing day. The best part is that when she embarked on writing a series of threads on Gita in the Religious Forum, I joined her and supplemented each one of them with my own perception of her commentary.

Your outburst is obviously the result of observing the phoney philosophers of Indian origin. They think that the very accident of being born as Indian makes them synonymous with philosophy and yoga! I have seen the westerners attending spiritual lectures here in Chennai and marveled at their rapt attention. They have a naturally inquisitive mind and the questions they ask indicate their thirst for knowledge. I have seen them in Jiddu Krishnamurthy’s lectures, in Ramanasramam, in places of spiritual pursuit and there is nothing superficial about their quest. Paul Brunton’s meeting with Bagwan Ramana opened up the western mind to Ramana’s philosophy of Self-Enquiry.

But as you have rightly observed, we do display a bit of exhibitionism in our approach to spiritual quest. Our desire to get noticed in learning centers overrides our interest in learning and this is sadly the truth in a majority of cases. I can certainly empathise with your lamentation about the people who think that they are the fountainhead of all knowledge of yoga and philosophy and that the westerners are merely trying to ape them.

I have answered the question why Lord Krishna chose Arjuna to teach His Gita in my reply to Mindian above as she has also raised it. Kindly read it there.

And thanks again for your visit to this thread. This thread is particularly close to my heart.
Sri

Cheeniya · Jan 7, 2012

My dear Mindi
The episode that you have narrated explains why Lord Krishna decides to align with Arjuna. It also tells us that humility is essential when we entreat God for His mercy. That's why Arjuna sat at His feet while the vain Duryodhana sat near His head. What Arjuna and Duryodhana sought from the Lord also shows the difference between the devout and the materialist. This is a pointer to us too that our prayers to God should refrain from material gains but must relate to our spiritual advance.

But the question that I had raised was in a different context. If you remember, I had stated, why Lord Krishna chose Arjun and not Duryodhan to deliver his Gita? What answer did I really find after listening to Swami Parthasarathy?

In my blog on Gita, I had narrated two episodes to highlight that the lecture of Swami Parthasarathy had no effect on at least two persons. I had also expressed a doubt if it was going to have any effect on any one at all. It was in that context that I had mentioned having understood why Krishna chose Arjun to preach His Gita. It is my firm belief that a good advice given to a good man is likely to benefit not only him but also everyone that he comes in contact with. What about a bad man then? Does he not need that advice more than anyone else to turn a new leaf in his life?

There is a saying that if you have a work to be done, give it to a busy man as others wont have time to do it! All of us have a mission in life. For most of us it is more materialistic than spiritual. Whatever it is, the furtherance of our cause is dependent on people whom we identify as supportive of us and not those who are opposed to us. Now tell me what is the most prudent course to pursue? Identify those who are supportive of us, equip them with all the required resources and with their help achieve our mission with ease or waste our entire life in trying to make the opposing parties accept our views and come to our fold?

The mind of bad characters like Duryodhan is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you pour on it, the more it contracts! Should anyone waste time on them? Is it not more prudent to align with all good men and go on with our work? The Lord showed us the way by picking on Arjun!

Sri