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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Addendum: Nervousness, Epilepsy, Or Samadhi


Baba

Namaskar,
Here is the addendum to the posting "Nervousness, Epilepsy, or Samadhi." For all information about this topic please reference the main posting...


Relevant Excerpt From "The Form of Sadana" - Subhasita Samgraha -1

We should strengthen ourselves by remaining in normal situations and endeavouring to become superhuman. By developing superhuman powers we can awaken the element of eternal humanity amongst us. This eternal human entity alone is Brahma. In order to attain this power, meanness must be shunned, because this is the sádhaná for the Infinite. Feelings of differentiation are a great impediment. The feelings that a particular person is a Muslim, another a Hindu, yet another a Brahman and the fourth a Vaeshya come from mean thoughts. When every living being is a manifestation of Brahma, how can you know yourself, without shedding these differentiating feelings? No one is high and no one is low. Of course, according to one’s virtues and vices one is happy, one is miserable, one is rich, someone is poor, one is a fool and another is erudite, but all human beings. Differentiating feelings are the principal obstacles in the path of sádhaná and an elevated position cannot be attained without annihilating them. There is a story in the Mahábhárata.

Both Yudhisthira and Duryodhana had invited Lord Krśńa to their respective houses for dinner. While on his way there, Shrii Krśńa entered the house of Vidura. At that time the great Vidura was not at his house. Vidura’s wife was of very limited means and became nervous on the sudden appearance of Shrii Krśńa. She did not know how to give a proper reception to Lord Krśńa and there was no food in the house except bananas. Therefore, after washing His feet she seated the Lord and began to skin the bananas, and feed Him as she inquired about His welfare. Meanwhile the great sage Vidura returned home. He saw the Lord Krśńa sitting and his wife, fully absorbed in feelings, feeding Him the skins of the bananas. Krśńa was eating so happily, that it seemed as if He had never tasted a more delicious food. Vidura was greatly pained to notice the folly of his wife and asked: “What are you doing? You are feeding banana skins to the Lord instead of bananas.” Vidura’s wife was taken aback and started apologizing for her faults. Vidura also implored. “O Lord, Thou hast taken a good many banana skins; do kindly oblige this poor woman by taking a few bananas.” But the Lord said, “Vidura! My stomach is full now. These banana-skins had such an exquisite flavour that there could be no superior food. So long as your wife, forgetting all differences, was feeding me, ‘I’ was there, but now that the difference between the banana and its skin has intervened, ‘I’ is not there.” This is a small story, but it is very instructive. There are no differentiations before the Lord. Lord Shankaracharya was an erudite scholar. He has over-thrown Buddhism and revived Brahmanya religion, but there was a lack of full harmony between his principles and practices. Once after having a dip in the Ganges at Kashii, he was returning towards the road and he saw an untouchable walking with a number of dogs. For fear of his body being touched he attempted to bypass them. Then the untouchable said: “O Lord! Is this the result of your principle that there is only Brahma and nothing else? You are known by the name Brahmajiṋáni. The feeling of differentiation is developed even by treating a pariah as mean.”

The Supreme Brahma resides within the feeling “I am” situated amidst the concealed intuition of the mind. Our existence is in him. He exists in the sun-rays. Due to Him the perception of the world is possible. Having created our ego and scattered innumerable toys around us. He has hidden Himself among them. When we come to see Him in all things created by Him, our ego gets lost. The feeling of unit “I” shall be merged in the Universal “I”.


Relevant Excerpt From "The Form of Sadana" - Subhasita Samgraha -1

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