hare krishna

BBB, hope this gives us a fuller understanding of the Avadhuta order.

 

Hare Krishna!

Thanks Chief - that is all very interesting stuff. i had not come across the term Avadhuta in relation to Vaishnavism previously, but only in a more general context. It seems that words are used with a slightly different significance by different schools, teachers etc.

Love & peace.

BBB.

 

gdkumar, thanks for the wonderful story you posted a few pages ago, I really enjoyed it.

Hare Krishna!

 

lol...you're right it has...but it shall live...its strong enough! I hope to come back soon!

 

Someone once asked Sri Ramana Maharishi wether he had read the Bhagawad geeta. His reply:

I have tried many times, but whenever I read it I start at the first chapter and I get only as far as the verse "panchajanyam rishikeshaha devadattam dhananjaya..." then I just get caught up in the scene, the armies arrayed for war, in the middle Sri Krishna blowing on his Divine Conch....I never get further than that, at that point I just get transfixed by the picture of the Lord.


Such a man has no need to read the Bhagawad Geeta, he is already completely absorbed in Bhagawan.

Om namo bhagawate sri Ramanaya.

 

This is taken from the book ‘Yogi Sri Krishnaprem’ by Dilip Kumar Roy.



The experience he had at the feet of Ramana Maharishi was typical and revealing. I will do my best to tell it in his own words as far as possible.

“You know, Dilip,” he said, “how profound is my admiration and veneration for the Sage. I agree whole-heartedly with Sri Aurobindo’s verdict that His tapasya is a shining light of India. So I went to Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai to receive His blessing.

“When , in the evening, I entered the hall where the Maharishi reclines daily on his couch, I sat down in silence along with the others, to meditate at his feet. But believe it or not, Dilip, as soon as I sat down I heard a voice questioning me over and over again: ‘Who are you ? Who are you? Who are you?’ I tried hard to ignore it, but it went on and on like an importunate visitor, knocking at the door, who insisted on being admitted. So, In the end, I just had to formulate an answer: ‘I am Krishna’s servant.’ At once the question changed, like a shape-changer into: ‘Who is Krishna?’ I answered ‘Nanda’s Son.’ No use; the question was repeated pauselessly. I thought up other answers like – ‘He’s an Avatar, the One-in-all, the Resident of every heart’ and so on….but the questioning would not cease, till, at last, I gave it up, left the hall, and returned, deeply disturbed, to meditate. But I had no peace: the voice gave me no respite, till, in the end, I had to evoke Radharani who asked me very simply what answers I had given. I told Her but She shook Her head and then, at last, revealed it to me.”

“She did?” I said, thrilled.

He anticipated me, holding up his hand.

“No, Dilip, don’t ask me please! I won’t tell you, for you will tell everybody, don’t I know you? But listen – there are more thrills to come”.

“Next morning,” he went on, “when I sat down again at his blessed feet, the Maharishi suddenly gave me a lightening glance, and smiled. I knew at once beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was the author of it all and that he also knew that I had divined his part correctly.

“Then, as I closed my eyes to meditate, a deep peace descended into me and settled like a block of ice as it were till my every cell was numb with an exquisite bliss…..

“As I meditated, it was borne home to me through the mystic silence that though this peace stemmed ultimately from the Lord Himself – doesn’t He say in the Gita that He Himself is the primal source of all experience – the peace in this instance was transmitted through His beloved agent; the Maharishi.

“But isn’t that precisely why He sends to us, as His deputies, the great saints and sages, Messiahs and Avatars?”

“Of course He does. Didn’t Ma explain to you the import of His naralila – that is, why He comes down to play hide and seek with us, humans, as a human being?”

He paused for a little and gave me a quizzical look.

“I feel tempted to tell you about the sequel – “

“Only you have misgivings about confiding in me?” I finished for him, laughing.

“Well, I’ll risk it,” he laughed back. “For what happened was too wonderful. So listen.”

I hung on his words.

“As I went on imbibing this delectable peace – meditating at his feet – I suddenly took it into my head to return the compliment and put a question to him in silence: “And who are you, may I humbly ask?’ It so happened that the next moment I had to open my eyes involuntarily when – lo, I found his couch empty!”

“You don’t say so!”

“Yes, Dilip,” he nodded, smiling and enjoying my mystification. “There was the couch where he had presided two seconds before, but in the twinkling of an eye as it were he had vanished – just melted into thin air! I closed my eyes once more and then looked again – and there he was tranquil and beneficent like Lord Shiva Himself! A momentary smile flickered on his lips as he gave a meaningful glance and then looked away.”

I caught my breath. “Marvellous!”

“It was indeed” he nodded again. Then after a while: “ You see the point of the miracle don’t you?”

“That he was beyond nama-rupa ?”

“That’s right,” he answered reflectively, “Or shall I say: The One beyond all maya, the Star beyond the phantoms, The Last Reality beyond ephemera, the Silence beyond the songs – you may make use of any simile you fancy. Personally, I look upon it as a sign of his Grace – giving me the answer in a way only he could have given.”

I smiled. “So, he met you more than half-way?”

“He is compassion itself, don’t you know?”

“I do. But what then?”

“The rest is silence,” he answered, “don’t you know your Shakespeare?”

 

Bhagawan Ramana was indeed one of the most magnificent beings to grace our land...I know the very room spoken of in your post BBB, for, more than fifty years later, I was there myself, a few months ago, sitting before the very same couch, on which now reclines a beautiful photograph of Sri Ramana. I wanted to meditate, but my eyes were constantly drawn to His eyes, smiling, karunamaya...I felt silence welling up inside like a huge roar,a tidal wave of peace. Contradictions as these may seem, that is what I felt. Elation and excitement danced with longing and shubhecha as I sat, my heart tingling with joy. It is indeed a beautiful beautiful place. I could swear I saw the edge of his lip flicker in the hint of a smile when I took my leave.

 

Hare Krishna!

Dear Bhaskar,

Nice to hear of your experience, thanks for sharing it with all of us.

It seems that the vibrations of a great soul like Ramana Maharishi persist in the places they used to 'hang out' in life. I'm sure you did see him smile!

Love & peace.

 

His love and grace was so strong that even cows, crows, dogs and deer recieved moksha, just by being faithful and showing love to him. What, then, can be said about his ability to transform a human heart in a moment!

Om namo bhagavate sri Ramanaya!

 

Sri Ramana Maharishi

 

Haribol !

 

Thank you Bill

 

Prayers for healing of the world.

I would hate to say there is silver lining to the pain and suffering the dark cloud of this tsunami has brought, but before the tsunami came, the world was very much divided and it is inspiring to see the world coming together to bring aid, relief, comfort... love to those in harm's way of the tsunami.

Prayer to all, Blessed Be, Chief

 

What's wrong? What's so horrible?

 

ehm...Haribol it's not 'horrible',it's a Vaisnava form of greetings

it means: "chant the name of God"!

Hari is Krsna, God, and bol or bolo is chanting.
it's a way to say "hello" that we use also...

 

Amen Chief.

We need now another big wave - a wave of love and compassion to flow from all our hearts for the victims of the tsunami, and all the world's other disaster areas, natural and man-made, like Dafur in Africa.
I'm heartened to see that the people of Britain have pledged over 60 million - a pound per head approx. of the population, and 10 mill. more than the 50 mill. pledged by the UK govt.
We should give whatever we can, and pray for healing for all those affected, and the whole world.


I'd also like to say that I've been watching the news on tv about this, and I heard a presenter say how it is a challenge to the faith of many in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
How could God let this happen? How can He allow such untold suffering?

The Bhagavad Gita would seem to suggest an answer to this. This world is a part of what the Gita designates as Krishna's lower material energy or prakriti. It is governed by automatic processes, like a vast machine, and we, the living beings are also part of that machinery. Except that in us, is the Immortal Jiva, the soul - a portion of Krishna Himself, who is transcendent - not under the control of the lower energy, but master of it.

It seems that God 'lets the machine run' - it's not that He is directly the cause of such things as earthquakes - it is all carried out by unconscious nature. All of us here are subject to this lower nature over which we have no control ultimately, or only some limited control, because our consciousness is identified with the movements of the lower nature. We have to seek the Consciousness that transcends this world of imperfections and sorrows. Then we will know that all these contrary things like pain and pleasure, suffering and joy are all entwined, and part of the very fabric of existence here.
But still, we should see that all beings are one - all are part of His Being. Like Christ on the cross, He too suffers with us and in us. We should do all we can to relieve suffering and improve conditions in this world wherever and in whatever ways we can.

I guess this is a bit of a ramble - its just a few thoughts really.

Om Shanti.

 

While it is good and sattvic to feel sorry for people at a time like this, we must not allow it to upset us. After all, as bhagawan says, na jaayate mriyate va kadaachid...The soul is not born, nor does it ever die. Therefore we shouldn't grieve too much for the dead. Also, all those who were affected were recieving the results of their karma. Humanity as a whole is generating some very negative karma and so there is every now and then a natural disaster that gives us a rap on the knuckles. Mother nature can only tolerate so much abuse.

 

Oh!

If Krishna is God, why does he steal?

 

Dear Bhaskar,

No doubt you are right up to a point. But it is hard for any sensitive soul to see the suffering esp. of innocents and not be affected by it.
Also, my own view is that this world is probably ultimately 'perfectible' or certainly improvable through our efforts. It is just as much the karma of the west unaffected by this disaster to help out, and it is the karma of the victims to be helped.
It's not the dead I grieve for, but the living - those left with shattered lives, serious injury, fear and grief for lost loved ones.

I would like to share these short quotes from Swami Vivekananda, I feel it is relevant:

"You may invent an image through which to worship God, but a better image already exists, the living man. You may build a temple in which to worship God, and that may be good, but a better one, a much higher one, already exists, the human body"

and again

"He who wants to serve the father must serve the children first. He who wants to serve Shiva must serve His children - must serve all creatures in the world first"
"It is a privilege to serve mankind, for this is the worship of God: God is here, in all these human souls. He is the soul of man"
"The first of everything should go to the poor; we have only a right to what remains. The poor are God's representatives; anyone that suffers is His representative"

Hare Krishna!

 

And too, we as Hindus or at least folks who worship the same bunch of Gods, we naturally root for the Tamil Nadu Tigers, but its a bit embarassing for us at these times to see them put their regional concerns in their long fought battle for independence above giving aid workers free and open access to the areas in need.