Aum
Gung Ganapathaye Namah
Namo
tassa bhagavato arahato samma-sambuddhassa
Homage
to The Blessed One, Accomplished and Fully Enlightened
In the name of Allah,
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Energy
The Invisible Living Lord
An Online Book on Ascetism, Celibacy and Evolution
Chapters
(Revised:
By
Praise the Buddha
What’s in a name? That which we
call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
- William Shakespeare
Copyright
© 2002-2010 Praise the Buddha
The
following educational writings are STRICTLY for academic research purposes
ONLY.
Should
NOT be used for commercial, political or any other purposes.
(The
following notes are subject to update and revision)
For free distribution only.
You may print copies of this work for free distribution.
You may re-format and redistribute this work for use on computers and computer
networks, provided that you charge no fees for
its distribution or use.
Otherwise, all rights reserved.
8 "... Freely you
received, freely give”.
- Matthew 10:8 ::
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Offer unto Me all thy
work and rest thy mind on the Supreme. Perform
thy work as an offering to Me...
- Lord Krishna to Arjuna in
The Gita expounding Nishkama Karma
14 And
this gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
- Matthew 24:14 :: King James Version (KJV)
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels of heaven, but my Father only.
- Matthew 24:36 :: King James Version (KJV)
If One By Land and If Two By Sea.
- Anonymous
The greatest purifier ever: Fire
Dedication
“For
Those Who Care to Fight Themselves and Purify”
“For
the Homeless Recluse”
This Book in a
Nutshell
"My disciples, my
end is approaching, our parting is near, but do not lament. Life is ever changing; none can escape the dissolution of the
body. This I am now to show by my own death, my body falling apart like a
delapidated cart. Do not vainly lament, but realize that nothing is permanent and learn from it THE
EMPTINESS OF HUMAN LIFE. Do not cherish THE UNWORTHY DESIRE THAT THE CHANGEABLE
MIGHT BECOME UNCHANGING. The DEMON OF WORLDLY DESIRES is always seeking chances to deceive the
mind. If a viper lives in your room and you wish to have a peaceful
sleep, you must first chase it out. You must break the
bonds of worldly passions and drive them away as you would a viper. You must positively PROTECT YOUR OWN MIND."
- The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
Contents
Dedication
This Book in a Nutshell
Color Code
Notes
Highlighting
Article
Notes
Vocabulary
Censorship Warning
A Word on the Author
Wanted and Unwanted Elements
The Psychology of Belief
A Word of Caution
Readership
A Word of Advice
- Why the above regulation for
females?
- Be wise on procreation
- Why Killing?
- What actually went wrong?
- What solution is there?
- Worry
- Other control measures
Pre-requisites
Co-requisite
Travel
Foreword
Acknowledgement
The Islamic Dedication to the Lord
The Chaldæan Dedication to the Lord
A Personal Dedication to the Lord
The Eight Laws of Purity
Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra (Heart
Sutra)
Following the Eight Laws
Why this book?
Some Notes on Lord Hanuman
Introduction
Law 1 testing
Law 2 testing
Law 3 testing
Accidental Emission
Emission, Masturbation and Society
The Ten Precepts. dasa-sila
Law 4 testing
Law 4a testing
Law 5 testing
Some Notes on Lord Indra/Devendra
Law 6 testing
Celibacy and Cooking Food
Law 7 testing
Law 8 testing
The Five Evils
Possessed by the Devil
Name of the Lord
Chanting
Basic Science
Why in the higher levels of training, Celibacy is strictly
enforced?
Mind and Thought
Memory
Change
The Twins
Combat
Love and lust
The Path
The Punishment
A Scientific Principle and its Application
Concept of Vamana, an avatar/incarnation of Lord Vishnu
Action and Reaction
Certain Bodily Reactions
Living and Non-Living
Training Summary
Some Pointers to All One, All Energy
Surgery and Celibacy
Compressed Thought or Desire
Omen/Nimitta/Sign
A brief note concerning one’s star positions
Purity and the Concept of Shiva
Clandestine Monitoring
A Test
An Imaginary Chat 1
An Imaginary Chat 2
Carnal Desires
Examples on Kama/Lust/Sex Desire
The Other Side “Always Green”
A Possibility
A Satire on Modern Society
Ignorance
Which first? Money? Work? Study? God?
A Satire on Modern Education
An Embarrassment
Some Notes on Lord Ganesh
To Tell or Not To Tell
To Fight or Not To Fight
Forgiveness
Pre-occupation
Obstacles to Belief
Strategy
Psychological Warfare
An Imaginary Chat 3
The Blessed One – a Profile
Sin
Origin of Sin
Forced Transformation: The Concept of “Concentration Camp”
Facing Temptation
Direction
Astro-science
Austerities
Certain Points on Meditation
Concentration
An Imaginary Chat 4
Pure Tantrism
A Feedback System
Planning and Tomorrow
Weapons and
Why Imaginary Chats?
Normal Life
The Way of Life
Purity and Relationship
Little Children
Case 1
An Imaginary Chat 5
Case 2
Body and Mind
Dwelling
Personal Items
Journal
An Imaginary Chat 6
Snooping devices
Dual Mind
One God One Religion
Traveling
Lakshmana-Rekha
Spiritual Killing and Cooling
An Imaginary Chat 7
Love
Scripture Translation
Action
A Satire
Riddles
Color
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Sub-notes Color:
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Personal Notes Color:
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Notes
a. Highlighting
1. Article
Scale (1 – 4) of
importance
1 2 3 4
Lowest Highest
In certain
articles, 1 and 2 are of equal importance. 3 and 4 are of equal importance.
In certain
articles, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are of equal importance.
In certain cases,
the foreground color also serves as the highlight.
Discern the difference,
according to your understanding of the written material.
2. Notes
Scale (1 – 2) of
importance
1 2
Low High
In certain notes,
1 and 2 are of equal importance.
Discern the
difference, according to your understanding of the written material.
Underlining, if
present will be removed. For in the web page, it is very hard to differentiate
the underline. Color pale
blue or tan will take its place depending on article or personal
notes.
Coloring is just
a mere tool to aid understanding. Once you grasp the content, the inner
meaning, let go of the coloring standard. Don’t hold on to color. Coloring then becomes meaningless to the one who understood the content.
So, don’t give too much importance to this and that color.
When we speak,
special emphasis on certain contents can be expressed by high tone. Low tone
for normal speaking. Coloring is somewhat similar in writing.
Spoken words are
normally once or a few times only. Unless and until it is recorded and played
again and again. But on the internet, the files will be huge and takes long
time for download.
The equivalent
written words with coloring stay as it is, for multiple use and mass preaching
on the Lord. Can be used again and again. The text files can be in small
volumes or booklets for easy download.
b. Vocabulary
These articles
are educational in nature. Specifically for “student” research purposes.
(Everyone is a “student” by one way or other) The assumption is, English is a second
language for the reader. So the relevant meaning of certain “tough” English
words is also given along for ease of understanding, to any layman or laywoman.
Censorship Warning
·
The following writing contains sexual words (mainly quoted
passages from referenced texts), references and a diagram (on Human Male
Reproductive System) used specifically for training purposes.
·
Use of plain words, in a raw manner to describe certain
concepts. It facilitates dispassion, vairagya. Some of the words have dual
meaning – if you stand from the celibate side and read, the words link. If you
stand from the erotic side and read, then also the words link. Translators of
Ancient scriptures bypassed this English language limitation of lack of right
words to the use of selected vocabulary – a few “good” words” resulting in
distortion of the true meaning which was intended to be conveyed across. Only a
few wise men deducted the inner meaning. To many men and women on the street,
the scriptures became something “strange” to understand. E.g. Transformation.
In some instances, I have opted to use a more “good” word “evolution”, but then
the meaning gets heavier and strange.
·
There are societies where some of the contents below are
“taboo” to write about or to speak about (Certain Eastern societies like rural
India, rural China), where as in some other societies, they are general
discussion topics, topics discussed openly irrespective of gender (Western
societies). Being a web page, there is no emphasis on specific society. So read
what you wish to read. Discard what you wish to discard.
24 And he said, Verily
I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
- Luke
The war can be won only with the Lord’s help, His
benevolence, His blessings. Even if a man is highly qualified, highly trained,
whatever, if the Lord’s Grace is absent, NOTHING is possible. Fill the empty mind with the Lord! Be submissive to Him like a sheep. “O Lord, I am All
Yours!!!”
A Word on the Author
Golden Rule 1: Understand
thoroughly:
An Imperfect Author on Training
So use
common sense while reading his writings
27 But I control my own body really well. I make my body obey me. After telling others
the good news, I myself do not want to be left out.
- 1 Corinthians
We must not make a scarecrow of the law; setting it up to fear
the birds of prey and let it keep one shape till custom make it
their perch and not their terror.
- William Shakespeare.
A guru? (the Sanskrit word originally meant "one
who brings light out of darkness'')
Absolutely NO! An ordinary layman.
Born Hindu. A person who believes in the spiritual
concept “All One”, whether it be Christian ideology, Islam ideology, Buddhist,
Jain, Sikh or whatever – all are forms of one single Lord. A true Hindu is one
who goes into any religious ideology, practices that ideology as an extension
of the same Oneness. He never ever fights any other ideology, but absorbs all
ideologies into his personal practice, following the best concepts of the “new”
ideology, discarding unwanted elements. For all ideologies are part of One
itself. Refer section on Wanted and Unwanted Elements. What matters is, how serious you
practice or implement the concepts in your personal life.
"…tend to ignore information and
resources that don't support preconceived ideas".
(Reference: Review: Fawn Brodie - No Man
Knows My History.)
YES! In other words, the author’s writings are biased, based on his limited experiences.
Golden Rule 2: There is no compulsory preaching or whatever.
It is entirely upto you. If you decide to follow a different way of life, then
follow. It is all as you wish.
According to Anthony Storr, a
British psychologist,
“…most gurus as being emotionally unbalanced and possessing many highly unappealing
qualities: They tend to be loners, have experienced profound psychological
crises (sometimes involving psychosis), and generally relate poorly to others. Most are arrogantly
self-certain and otherwise highly narcissistic, even grandiose; some
tend to be paranoid while others, such as Rajneesh and Koresh,
are materially or sexually exploitative of others.”
(Reference: Short Review: Feet of
Clay-Saints, Sinners, and Madmen: A Study of Gurus by Anthony Storr.)
It is absolutely immaterial who actually is the author
of these writings. What matters is how you change your way of life. How you
implement the concepts in your own life.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which
justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the sight of God.
-
Luke
Praise the Buddha
praisethebuddha
Praise thebuddha
Your name?
Name is meaningless. The concept is what matters. I
never put names.
For the sacred mantra, “Namo Buddha”, I just used a
nearby English translation, “Praise the Buddha”. The mantra only stands, as it
is. Everything else, impermanent.
For the time being one can
meditate on the fact that the old English
roots for the Buddha and Quality, God and good, appear to be
identical.
(Reference: Pirsig, Robert M. (1984) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Also by using the group of words, Praise the Buddha, the
author is NOT claiming himself to the title “The Buddha” and thereby “praising”
himself. Certain instances in the author’s life forced him, once upon a time,
to seek refuge in a Buddhist monastery. The author’s stay at the temple and the
resulting experiences had a considerable bearing on his later life for which he
praises the Lord, with “praisethebuddha”, as an acknowledgement of his indebtedness towards the invisible One.
Indebtedness
n.
- Something
owed to another.
- possession
that is owed to someone else
Wanted and Unwanted Elements
In any religious ideology, there are paths for
ascetism, celibacy, married life etc. If you follow the path of ascetism and
celibacy, chose the elements that support the ascetic path. Anything outside
ascetism and celibacy, constitutes the unwanted element. The path of ascetism
and celibacy is actually the same, no matter what ideology. It is only a
question of how much more orthodox, more severe and painful your practice will
be. How you withstand and suffer the pain, in the name of the Lord. For more on
pain refer sections on
Austerities,
The Twins and
Forced Transformation: The Concept of
“Concentration Camp”.
The Psychology of Belief
Storr (Anthony Storr, a British
psychologist) shows that belief in the irrational is not
aberrant, but is in fact part of the normal human psychology. It takes great effort
of will to break away from the seductive lure of belief, and such beliefs are no more susceptible to reason than psychotic delusions, or even the emotion of love. Why this should be so
remains a mystery, and one that will probably only be solved once we learn
substantially more about cognitive neuroscience.
(Reference: Heuvel, Curt van den. Review on Feet of Clay-Saints,
Sinners, and Madmen: A Study of Gurus by Anthony Storr.)
A Word of Caution
May the Lord forgive me! Some of the followings
passages are written, while the author was possessed by the
Devil, inspired by the Devil,
when the Devil did strange things on the author’s wretched body to subdue the
author. May the reader test the passages and discard them, if found deviant
from the Laws of the Lord. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
“The wisest men follow their
own direction
And listen to no prophet guiding them.
None but the fools believe in oracles,
Forsaking their own judgment. Those who know,
Know that such men can only come to
grief.”
- Euripides, Iphigenia
in Tauris
Some of the words used could have been
used in the wrong meaning. Care is taken to correct them.
Care is taken to use the correct word translation.
Yet mistakes are possible, for there are attributes like beauty which is very
difficult to express or quantify. How much? It is just not quantifiable. Yet
have to be quantified for understanding purposes. Only for understanding
purposes.
There are certain grey areas (exotic or “fancy”
concepts) open for argument or dispute. Care is taken to censor/delete such grey
areas and keep the writing as simple as possible.
A play of words on the concept of Duality is present
in this writing. Same words. But opposite meaning in a different context. The one who trains can
discern or separate the true meaning. This writing is NOT for theoretical study. This is a
“practical reference/handbook”. For theoretical people, misuse of words or
paras is possible. Eg. Words like Bonsai, to be bound tightly … by a strong
chain etc..
The page you requested was not found.
You may have found an outdated link or
typed in a non-existing web address. Try again, or review this list of main
Newsday.com web areas to find your way.
In the reference section, some news clippings or
stories are given completely with highlights. The reason being, certain news
agencies frequently clean off their past news-database. The quoted links will
then be ineffective/de-activated, as shown above. So to retain the relevant
story, the content is given as such, for future reference and cross-checking,
in the Educational Copy section.
3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall
not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition;
-
2 Thessalonians 2:3 :: King James Version (KJV)
5
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many.
11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
23
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or
there; believe it not.
24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the
very elect.
25
Behold, I have told you before.
26
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the
desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the
secret chambers; believe it not.
-
Matthew 24:5,11,23,24,25,26 :: King James Version (KJV)
13
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
-
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 :: King James Version (KJV)
8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
-
Colossians 2:8 :: King James Version (KJV)
9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
-
2 Thessalonians 2:9 :: King James Version (KJV)
Everyone of us has a right or wrong
Philosophy.
-Dr. Radhakrishnan
Readership
Males aged 10 and above.
(Why age 10?
There are societies (mostly western), where out of adventure spirit, thrill, and fashion, even kids long/attempt to explore
“the forbidden fruit”. If this web-site can remove the “veil of ignorance”,
many an evil can be stopped at young age it-self)
Refer the articles:
- Teens
saying no to sex for the health of it.
- More
- 'Benny
Hill culture' blamed for teenage pregnancies.
- Britain
second worst country for schoolgirl pregnancies.
- Sex
education advisers ban celibacy group.
For articles 1-3, the links are de-activated. So
refer the educational copy.
For females:
- Are
you ordained as a nun or undergoing training to be a nun
- If
not, Are you below the adolescent age
- If
not, Are you of old age (naturally completed your periodical cycle)
Then read further, and good luck
with your spiritual training.
If not, please don’t
waste your time, go to some-other website and read/surf. Wait…Please do wait a
moment, before leaving. Since you already read so far, please do read the next
section on A Word of Advice, something to ponder on, at your
leisure.
A Word of Advice
The author is not a priest or an ordained monk, but
just a layman. So, don’t imagine being converted to any religious practice.
Just a brotherly advice. It is upto you how you sculptor or mould your life.
Life, if considered as an uncut rock.
The following writings are oriented
towards celibate way of life. It speaks about upholding one’s chastity, one’s purity and
submitting it as an offering to the Invisible Lord, the Creator and NOT to
submit for the satisfaction of the carnal desires of just any living man or
woman. The offering to the Invisible Lord is done by undergoing training laws
of purity in one’s own personal life. Whatever religion or sect you may follow,
don’t you think there could be a different way of life, something different
from what is seen or experienced in day-to-day life like a “good” job, a
“successful” marriage, a “loving” husband/wife and kids etc. Haven’t you heard
or read about the life of Jesus, the Blessed One Lord Buddha, Sri Sankaracharya
– the celibates who walked the path of purity and achieved God-realization?
Isn’t better to experience this “God”, through any of the six senses than just
to read or hear the “stories” of this creator? Yes, the multitudes only read or
hear of the Lord. Only very few have actually seen face to face this invisible
creator like Moses. But then, why see alone? What about the other five senses?
Can’t they be used to experience the Lord? For it is said the Lord is
Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient. So Why NOT experience the Lord using
any of the six senses???
Such a goal requires its own sacrifice, hardship,
pain.
“Lord Krishna smiled and spoke to her
these words: "My dear Mira, your life with this mortal husband is over
now. You are absolutely free. Be cheerful. You are Mine. Immediately proceed to
the bowers of Vraja and the avenues of Brindavan. Seek Me there, my child. Be
quick". He then disappeared.”
- Lord Krishna to Mira Bai
(Reference: Sri Swami Sivananda. Mira Bai.)
22 But these are the things
which the Spirit wants you to show: love, joy, peace,
patience, being kind, being good, being true, being gentle, and keeping the body under
control. There is no law that says, `These things are wrong.'
-
Galatians
If you are after pleasures, after “Pleasures of the
Flesh”, then No! The path leads to a blind alley, a dead end. Such is not the
way to experience the Lord. Many say the Lord offered everything to Man for
enjoyment, for satisfaction of one’s senses. Then do be wise and ponder. Do
satisfaction of a desire stop you from desiring something else? Or even more of
what you already had? Unfortunately, No. You will then have a higher desire to
satisfy. Desire after desire. An endless cycle. So isn’t better to put a stop
and ponder “What else?”
13 `Food is for the body, and the body is for food.' But God will bring both to an
end. The body is not made to be used for wrong sex behaviour, but for the Lord. And the Lord is for the body.
-
1 Corinthians
Any action that you do or intend to do, it is always
worth to ask yourself, weigh the pros and cons yourself and find the answer yourself: Are you really, really satisfied
and happy or will be satisfied and happy – whether it be at
- the
starting of the action,
- the
middle of the action,
- the
end or closing of the action and
- the
outcome of the action.
If you, as the multitudes (modern man/woman), advocate
the goal of life as satisfying the “Pleasures of the Flesh”, sex and its
diverse forms like oral sex (sucking the “organ” in one’s mouth), anal sex
(insertion of the “organ” through the anus), (in modern times, just like
playing games, there is also recreational sex!) etc., go through the above line
of logical questioning on satisfaction and happiness and judge yourself.
16 Do you not know that
the person who joins himself to a bad woman becomes one person with her? The holy writings say, `The two people
shall be like one body.'
-
1 Corinthians
There are many who undergo the above mentioned vulgarities, some in the weak moment, many
intoxicated with heavy and delicious food and drink, many for the prospect of
money, many for the “thrill”, many “just for the sake of it” (in short,
“simply”), many “just to get it done”. (Reference: Medved, Michael. (
For a normal man, when something leaves the body, or
is taken out of the body, one is normally tired, because of losing a part of
the whole energy. Body itself is energy in material form, as matter. One is
relieved in certain day-to-day activities like urinating and defecating.
So, taking blood out of the body, as in olden times,
blood-letting, is one satisfied? Is one tired? Answer yourself!
Taking the clear liquid prior to semen ejaculation,
is one satisfied? Is one tired? Answer yourself!
Taking the semen out of the body, is one satisfied?
Is one tired? Answer yourself!
So what actually is obtained, when two “heated up”
pieces of meat are rubbed against each other with accompanying visualization?
Is it satisfaction? Is it happiness? Is one tired? Answer yourself! If one is
tired, then how can one be happy? Is “happy” the right word?
18 Run away from every
kind of wrong sex! Every other wrong thing which a person does
is done outside of his body. But the person who uses sex the wrong way does
a wrong thing to his own body.
-
1 Corinthians
19 Do you not know that your body is the house of the Holy
Spirit who lives in you? God gave the Holy
Spirit to you. Remember, you do not belong to yourself.
-
1 Corinthians
There are people who advocate chastity, purity,
celibacy. They prevent unnecessary wastage of energy, due to such ignorance as
mentioned above. They pray to the Lord, the One who created, for giving an
opportunity to understand and get closer to the Kingdom of the Lord, which only
a few have the opportunity. Can anyone question Jesus or Buddha or
Sankaracharya on whether they were satisfied or happy or not. The words
satisfaction and happy have a purer meaning in their case, and the ones who
follow their path sincerely. The Ancients used to term it “The happiness of the
celibate”. In Sanskrit, “Nikkhamma-Sugha”. Something very different.
Something to be experienced. The Ancients had an analogy to portray the two
opposite paths: The former is going after a few drops of honey in a life-time,
while the latter path of celibacy opens up a whole jar of honey in a life-time.
One need to abandon, leave or renunciate one path to fully move
on to the other. Both paths don’t go together, never.
1 And the LORD spake unto
Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of
3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run
with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his
uncleanness.
4 Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the
issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
5 And whosoever toucheth his
bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
6 And he that sitteth on any
thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
7 And he that toucheth the
flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
8 And if he that hath the issue
spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his
clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
9 And what saddle soever he
rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.
10 And whosoever toucheth any
thing that was under him shall be unclean until the
even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
11 And whomsoever he toucheth
that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his
hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
12 And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which
hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood
shall be rinsed in water.
13 And when he that hath an issue
is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to
himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in
running water, and shall be clean.
14 And on the eighth day he shall take to him
two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the
priest:
15 And the priest shall offer
them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt
offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him
before the LORD for his issue.
16 And if any man's seed of
copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his
flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.
17 And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the
even.
31 Thus shall ye separate the children of
32 This is the law of him that
hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled
therewith;
-
Leviticus 15:1-17, 31-32 :: King James Version (KJV)
Follower of one path develops a vomiting tendency
whenever the other path is dealt with. It is applicable both ways. Those
immersed in godly concepts find vulgar concepts producing psychological effects
like head-ache and vomiting. Also those immersed in vulgar concepts find godly
concepts producing psychological effects like head-ache and vomiting.
A man of God undergoes the Laws of training on the
path of Purity and Perfection. Any imperfections that occur, like
- occasional
violent behavior,
- involuntary
emission,
- feelings
of anger, feelings of ill will and some of its higher stages
are carefully noted. Suitable precautionary measures
and changes are adopted in one’s personal life to prevent such defects (defects
have adverse reactions) from recurring.
12
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the
fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
-
John
So, Sister, the brotherly advice was
a bit long. To be short, all sexual activities, including watching, reading,
hearing (the three permitted only for training purposes, with restrictions (For more details, refer section on
Law 3 testing)), talking or thinking such activities are vulgar. Be pure, by stopping
all such activities, no matter what your past. If you are a virgin, try to retain
your purity forever (equally applicable to man also, for virginity
is not a woman’s asset alone). If you had committed mistakes in the past,
stop committing further mistakes, whether “legal”
(married) or “illegal” (illicit affairs etc), change your environment, where
committing such mistakes are possible and stop worrying about your past and
your past wrong-deeds.
12
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the
fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
-
John
Surrender to the invisible Lord, who sees, hears and
knows everything, even your innermost secrets.
26
Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing
covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be
known.
-
Matthew
Look into the future, pray, train on the Lord’s Laws and
Good Luck on your spiritual training. May the Lord bless
those who approach Him sincerely.
History records many a woman who transformed
themselves to sainthood, like Mary Magdalene. Many a Buddhist nun, who once
lived home-life, left home for the path of purity. Do go through some of the
following references that portray the life of many a woman-saint.
- Dr. (Mrs.) L.S. Dewaraja. (1981) The Position of
Women in Buddhism. - The Wheel Publication
No. 280.
- Every Woman a
Goddess: The Ideals of Indian Art. (January 2002))
- Hecker, Hellmuth. (Translated by Sister Khema) (1982) Buddhist
Women at the Time of The Buddha. - The Wheel
Publication No. 292/29.
- Jootla, Susan Elbaum. (1988) Inspiration
from Enlightened Nuns. - The Wheel Publication No. 349/350.
- Lesley Marian
Neilson. Tenzin Palmo and the
Building of a Buddhist Nunnery. Ascent.
- Metroön of the Goddess
- Tawang in Arunachal
Pradesh.
- Tawang
Monastery - The Fountainhead of Spiritual Life.
- Therigatha:
Verses of the Elder Nuns.
- Tourism in Tawang.
- Women Buddhist
priests: Lives dedicated to the Lord.
- Zen, Women, and Buddhism
Train like a man of God. Be a “woman” of God. Any
woman, no matter how hard her physical hardship and tiredness, who trains
herself sincerely, achieves the Lord’s Grace.
“Jiva Gosain was the head of the Vaishnavites
in Brindavan. Mira wanted to have Darshan of Jiva Gosain. He declined to see
her. He sent word to Mira that he would not allow any woman in his presence.
Mira Bai retorted: "Everybody in Brindavan is a woman. Only
Giridhar Gopal is Purusha. Today only I have come to know that there is
another Purusha besides
(Reference: Sri Swami Sivananda. Mira Bai.)
(114) Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary
leave us, for women are not worthy of life."
Jesus said, "I
myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself
male will
enter the kingdom of heaven."
(Reference: Lambdin, Thomas O. (Trans.) The Gospel of Thomas.)
In
(Reference: Every
Woman a Goddess: The Ideals of Indian Art. (January 2002))
Also, do not trust any living “God-man” or
those who claim directly or indirectly to be closer to the Lord. Trust ONLY
yourself.
No-one else. You undergo the training yourself, do self-analysis yourself, transform or change yourself. As you
mature your mind, the Lord creates the ideal environment for your well-being.
For everything is Godly and for Good, provided/only if, you are a
transforming/changing person according to the environment and the Laws of the
Lord.
"Now, Ananda, if it occurs to any
of you -- 'The teaching has lost its authority; we are without a Teacher' -- do not view it in that
way. Whatever Dhamma and Vinaya I have pointed out and
formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am
gone."
- Digha Nikaya 16, Maha-parinibbana
Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding
When the Blessed One, Lord Buddha achieved
MahaPariNibbana (left His physical body), NO successor was chosen to lead the Sangha or
the Community. For, the Lord specifically mentioned that the training laws are
itself the successor. No human entity. You follow the laws, the Dharma, the
Vinaya (Reference: Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff). The
Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I: The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated &
Explained.) and you train and undergo transformation. No dependence on any other
physical entity like priest, abbot or master. YOU ARE YOUR OWN
MASTER!
"Oh Bhikkhus! what so ever has
arisen, all that must inevitably perish. Be ye islands unto
yourselves. Be ye a refuge to yourselves. Seek no external
refuge. Live with the Dharma as your island. The Dharma is your
refuge."
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha before His Mahaparinibbana
Why the above regulation for females?
The concept of purity is not a pastime. The path of purity is not an
amusement like playing games. Unfortunately, it is a matter of death, how early
one die, depending on one’s practice. There are concepts, if implemented, there
is no reversal. There is no return. If one tries to return, one “dies” at that
point. In other words, the path is called “a path of no return”. Due to
biological reasons, the female body is weak from adolescent age to old age.
Average Age of Menarche (Onset of
Menstruation)
12.5 years. Interestingly, a study in 1962
showed that this age has decreased by four months every decade since 1830.
Average Menstrual Flow
Approximately 50 to 175 cc., or one-quarter to
one-half a cup.
Average Menstrual Cycle Duration
28 days.
Average Period Duration
5 days.
Average Age of Menopause
48-49 years.
(Reference: Sexual Averages.)
(It is mentioned further up in this article, a small
involuntary emission by human male itself causes several damaging psychological
changes) When certain concepts are implemented, it will be hard for the female
body to withstand the pressure involved. Something like giving a very huge
weight, say 200kg or higher to someone very weak, in body. That weight itself
will kill the person.
It may seem gender prejudice or gender segregation or
gender bias. But the ancients kept such orthodox laws to prevent pre-mature
death of females, who in reality are expected to procreate wisely, and thereby spread the human race
wisely. Wisdom is used in this context to mean “look at your surroundings when
you take decision on procreation”. In times of “population explosion”,
procreate less. (Why?) In other times, procreate as you will, according to the
laws of the Lord.
In short, the ancient Laws of the Lord are not to be
played with or to be trifled.
Let one make one’s own judgment:
- The
Blessed one, the Buddha advised to shun woman.
- Manu,
the author of the Hindu Law book, “Manusmriti”, debarred teaching of the
Laws to women
- Women
are debarred to enter a mosque for prayer
- Women
have to cover their head to enter a church
- A
woman from the adolescent age to old age is considered an impurity and
some Hindu temples even debar their entry for worship/prayer
- The
author of the book, The
Be Wise on Procreation
There are only a fixed amount of resources in this
planet. Sufficient for the well-being of a fixed number of human beings. If
that number exceeds, the scenario changes to lack of resources – lack of space
to live in, lack of water, jobs etc. Cutting down trees for habitation reduces
the amount of oxygen available to breathe, for trees and plants are the natural
source of oxygen. They give out oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, in day time.
(Reference: Rogers, John J. W. and Feiss, P. Geoffrey. (April 1998) People and the Earth
:Basic Issues in the Sustainability of Resources and Environment.
29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as
I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the
thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest
know how that the earth is the LORD's.
-
Exodus
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And I thought how Nature is not sentimental
over transient human life. When whole groups of peoples defile her body and descend
into monstrous wickedness, she has not hesitated to destroy them with awful cataclysms. It is no superstition. If we can accord a
mind and intelligence to the self in our own bodies, why should we not
accord a mind and intelligence to the self in the Earth, whence our bodies
derive and whither they must return? It is not less rational to think that a Directing Mind, a
Planetary Soul, inhabits our Earth, than it is to think
that a directing mind inhabits our own bodies, for flesh and dust are merely two different
forms of Matter.
(Reference:
Brunton, Paul. (1985) A Message From
Arunachala. (Indian Reprint)
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Vocabulary
Defile
: to make unclean or impure: as
a : to corrupt the purity or perfection of : DEBASE <the countryside defiled
by billboards>
b : to violate the chastity of : DEFLOWER
c : to make physically unclean especially with something
unpleasant or contaminating <boots defiled with blood>
Cataclysm
1: FLOOD, DELUGE
2: CATASTROPHE 3a
3: a momentous and violent event marked by overwhelming upheaval
and demolition; broadly : an event that brings great changes
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
13 `Food is for the body, and the body is for food.' But God will bring both to an
end. The body is not made to be used for wrong sex behaviour, but for the Lord. And the Lord is for the body.
-
1 Corinthians
And they allowed Apollonius to ask
questions;
and he asked them of what they thought
the cosmos was composed;
but they replied:
"Of elements."
"Are there then four" he
asked.
"Not four," said Iarchas,
"but five."
"And how can there be a
fifth," said Apollonius,
"alongside of water and air and
earth and fire ?"
"There is the ether", replied
the other,
"which we must regard as the stuff of which
gods are made;
for just as all mortal creatures inhale
the air,
so do immortal and divine natures
inhale the ether."
Apollonius again asked which was the
first of the elements,
and Iarchas answered:
"All are simultaneous, for a
living creature is not born bit by bit."
"Am I," said Apollonius,
"to regard
the universe as a living
creature?"
"Yes," said the other,
"if you have a sound knowledge of it,
for it engenders all
living things."
- The Life of
Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus, 220AD.
Why Killing?
For any religion, one of the major laws is Not to
Kill. “Ahimsa”. “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. If such is the law, then how come, the
Lord Himself, in the form of Lord Krishna supervised the epic battle
Mahabharata, where thousands and thousands of men were killed? No one can accuse the
Lord as a killer, for who-ever, Good or Evil killed in the battle were absorbed
back to the Lord, back to Energy. Still, why kill?
Imagine an analogy: Let there be an island far, far
away surrounded by sea. Two rabbits are introduced into that island. The island
has a fixed amount of food and water. Rabbits procreate very fast. Science even
gives a series called Fibonacci Series, where each succeeding number in the
series is the sum of the last two numbers. For example, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,
21, 34, etc. Science, through experimentation and observation, says rabbits
multiply according to the above series. The two rabbits multiply and multiply.
A stage reaches where there are so many rabbits in the island. Food and water
are extremely scarce. Being an island, the rabbits cannot go anywhere. What to
do?
What actually went wrong?
The resource that is available in the island, that
is, food and water, is fixed. Fixed in quantity. Fixed in number. Food in the form
of grass or whatever gets replenished only at a constant rate. So the fixed rate of
resource can satisfy only a fixed amount of rabbits. Do the rabbits know this?
It is an animal. It wants to enjoy the “Pleasures of the Flesh”. It multiplied
and multiplied, beyond the fixed limit, without heeding its
surroundings. Also read Reference: Sex -
it's monkey business. (
Rapid population growth, combined with increasing demands for
food, water and energy is leaving the world's eco-system struggling to cope.
(Reference: The journey to
Johannesburg. (
What solution is there?
"Doomsday is a possibility".
(Reference: The journey to
Johannesburg. (
If the heavy population of rabbits were left as such,
the food that is being replenished naturally at a constant fixed rate, gets
eaten up, the moment it grows. What can the rest of the rabbits do? Procreation
is still there. A stage will reach, where out of starvation, malnutrition, illness due to lack of food, etc., the
whole population of rabbits in the island will die. Completely extinct. No
more rabbits. The food gets replenished at its due time, but no rabbits to eat
the food!
Man is also an animal. Biology proves that statement. Man also wants to
enjoy/enjoys the “Pleasures of the Flesh”. The above scenario is highly
likely, where the island is the Earth.
Imagine a scenario where a ship visits the island.
The sailors of the ship kill a “certain” amount of rabbits for their food and
leaves the island on their way. The amount of rabbits is thus brought down, far
below its optimum level, where it can enjoy the fixed amount of food happily
and continue with its “Pleasures of the Flesh”. Food is again plenty,
for the number of rabbits in the island is very low after the ship left.
29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as
I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the
thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest
know how that the earth is the LORD's.
-
Exodus
The above scenario could be the most probable cause
behind the Mahabharata war, where killing was done to save man’s own race,
supervised by the Lord Himself.
And they took care to preserve the same
number of men and women through all time,…
- On the ancient
Athenians, narrated by Critias.
(Reference: Plato. (Translated by Benjamin Jowett) (360 B.C.E )
Critias. The Internet Classics Archive.)
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the
sea; and there was a great calm.
-
Matthew
The concept may look like a “Doomsday” scenario. But
originally it is not. Many Christians even give the scenario as the arrival of
the “Anti-Christ”. But the reality is different. For the one who trains
oneself, understands that all is Energy. It is Energy itself that does certain
things for the preservation of everything, energy itself. So, it is not just “a
man” or “Anti-Christ” or a ship or whatever. A combined movement for a specific
action or cleaning done at the right time, done for the welfare of everyone. A
certain part of energy does certain things for the welfare of a certain part of
energy. That is all. There is nothing serious or terrifying there. Destruction
takes place, creation takes place, preservation takes place. All a cycle. Just
a manipulation of energy, for as such, energy is neither
created nor destroyed. Some part of energy is recycled. That is all. (Inside the
human body, the amount of human blood is always constant. But there are “pure”
and “impure” blood. The precise terms are “oxygenated” blood and “deoxygenated”
blood. What are they? Man inhales air from the atmosphere. Oxygen and nutrients
from the air are absorbed by the de-oxygenated blood at the lungs. Such nutrient filled blood is called
oxygenated blood. The oxygenated blood carries the nutrients to the millions
and millions of cells of the human body. The cells which are running low on
nutrients, absorb from the oxygenated blood. When the oxygenated blood is thus
completely deprived of nutrients, it is called de-oxygenated blood. Again at
the lungs, oxygen is absorbed by the de-oxygenated blood. So it is the same
blood, being recycled again and again. So too the universe. Same energy,
always. A part of it being recycled again and again. For energy can never be
created. The energy that was available at the time of Rama,
The only thing, energy in the form of man, can do is
to train sincerely in the path towards the Lord. Everything else is just a
waste of time!
Worry
27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to
his life?
-
Matthew
Energy looks after everything, in the form of the
Lord, which man need not worry about. For only the ignorant and weak worry
about this and that. What use is worrying? Nothing is achieved by worrying. Man
didn’t come to this planet with the so called personal possessions like
property, furniture, chair, desk, trees, money etc. He was born alone. Born
free. When he leaves, he can’t take everything with him. He leaves alone. So the one who worries - worries
oneself and waste one’s own time. By gossiping, one may waste other’s time
also. So why worry?
Other Control Measures
Legends record that families with three children used
to donate one child to the Lord, as a monk or nun. Thus a certain stop to
indiscriminate procreation was done with a spiritual tinge or flavor. For
example, at the time of Sage Vishwamitra, the compiler of “Gayatri Mantra” (the
powerful mantra for those who undergo celibacy), such practices of donation
were common.
Pre-requisites
Have the reader observed the transition or
transformation or evolution of a larva to a pupa to a full blown butterfly? If
not, how about, a flower? From a small bud to a bigger bud and finally a full
blown flower. So too the development of one’s mind. From a lower level to
higher and higher levels. The concept of Evil is only applicable in the lower
level. In higher levels, Good and Evil are one. So when reading the following
writings, always understand that transition to and fro of the mental levels,
like the swing of a pendulum. If the to and fro concept is not fully
understood, the reader can question wrongly, how Evil mentioned in one context
is not Evil at another context.
Never can a goat undergo training, no matter how simple the path is
written. Being arrogant, the goat will never understand the
inner meaning. To fully understand and comprehend, one need to live the way of life
outlined. For those who lead a worldly way of life, with its desires, dreams,
unwanted imagination or fantasy etc., the following contents are just “General
Knowledge”. “Just to be read as off-hand” and back to money-making and other
pleasures of day-to-day life. Nothing is gained by such people, for without
action to implement the concepts, how can one expect the outcome, the spiritual
experience, by mere reading? But you lose something – your “valuable” time,
which could have been spend more “profitably”. Say, more money making ventures.
Everything is just a joke for the goat. Only a sheep can train
on the Holy laws.
“Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gita in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to
understand Bhagavad-gita because it is a great mystery.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Introduction
(Reference: Swami Prabhupada. Bhagavad-Gita As It
Is. http://www.asitis.com/
)
Co-requisite
“One
rightly animates
the
wise sayings of old
Leave
your homeland.
Stay
somewhere else.”
(Reference: Nayanar, Nakkira Deva. (Translated by Little, Layne)
Tirumurugarruppadai
or 'Guide to Lord Murugan'.)
Do you travel widely, alone? Have you left your home or
home-town alone and visited neighboring towns and villages, for studies,
leisure, work or whatever. Have you visited neighboring provinces alone? Far away provinces? Far away
lands, countries, nations? WHY?
Such a man will be able to observe the Glory of the
Lord, the power of the Lord. He will be able to understand that he himself is
just a drop of water in an ocean, a speck of sand in this whole, huge planet.
Awareness of himself, that he is nothing, absolutely nothing before the power
of the Lord can come about. Refer section on Travel.
Legends record such transformation on men who travel
to many a distant land, a maturity of the mind. eg. The travels or wanderings
of Odysseus or Ulysses, in Homer’s The Odyssey. (Reference: Homer. (Translated by
Ancient scriptures record the advice of the Devas
(for example, Lord Indra, the King of the Devas) to man for traveling,
observing nature and learning himself.
5 By these were the isles of the
Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their
families, in their nations.
- Genesis 10:5 :: King
James Version (KJV)
1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
- Genesis 11:1 :: King
James Version (KJV)
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and there
confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
- Genesis 11:6-7 ::
King James Version (KJV)
“Know Thyself” - Scriptures
Travel
Pilgrimage is a part of the tradition
of any religion. It is a way of travelling to commemorative and sacred
places to encourage recollection; although it is also
the case that as much of the learning goes on in the course of the
journey as at the destinations. In a way it is a symbol of the
spiritual path itself, whose aim in the end is not to go anywhere, but to be more fully aware of where we are.
The journey is the goal.
(Reference: Pilgrims' Way: the Place of
the Buddha.)
“Be still, and know that I am God;
- Psalm 46:10 ::
New King James Version (NKJV)
In the Ganesh legend, Pârvatî, a native
pre-vedic goddess, is the Divine Mother form who occupies a prominent place,
even as regards Shiva.
On the other hand, the events leading
to bestow on Ganesh an elephant head has converted a violent
and irritable boy into a being of wisdom and spirituality. And we see that
Shiva, the Yoga Lord, presides over this wonderful transformation. To discover
this elephant head, Shiva sends his servants northward. But, we know that the north direction
(uttaram) is a beneficial one. The northward journey
means a journey towards illumination (devayana = path of the gods). The elephant head
brought back by the servants has only one tusk : this means that
after the northward journey, this head has achieved the
non-dual state.
Ekadanta, "The Lord who has only one tusk"
(Reference: Myths and
legends on Ganesh, Hindu god.)
“Let him wander alone like the
rhinoceros.”
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
What
is this tusk of Ekadanta?
The
horn of the one-horned rhinoceros?
The
sword of Lord Maitreya?
Wisdom.
Knowledge
used as a weapon, to cut open layers of darkness, to light, to understanding,
to realization.
Foreword
The following musings of an
anonymous “mad” wanderer should NOT to be taken seriously under any circumstances. These biased concepts may be wrong, or could be wrong in
different environments. The unknown wanderer doesn’t care its outcome. By following the eight
laws of purity, let the reader try to prove the concepts presented in this book
– whether they are right or wrong.
Any form of education
is useless if it cannot be implemented and practiced continuously in one’s own
personal life. So try some of the concepts and apply or implement in your personal
life. See what the outcome is.
“None can become fit for the future
life, who hath not practiced himself for it now.” -
“The Vedas deal with the science of the
spirit. They contain the knowledge and procedures necessary to liberate
oneself from bondage and blindness. But mere learning of them
is no use. They have to be put into practice. That is the purpose of
these revelations.”
(Reference: Vedanta, the Sacred and
Ancient Wisdom of the Vedas.)
If the reader’s personal spiritual
experience
is what is expected, according to the Holy Scriptures or ancient spiritual
records, then go to the next few concepts and implement further.
"Ye should know that those people
practice the most useful practices. Know ye that the kingdom is blessed where man is inwardly one. They produce more
eternal gain in one moment than all works ever wrought outwardly."
- Meister Eckehart
Always undergo testing in multiple
environments and check its reliability. If the reader feels that the concepts
are wrong or bluff at any point, better discard the concept as rubbish and walk
away. Just don’t care about it.
The author always apologizes for the
author’s mistakes. May the Lord forgive the author.
May the reader be happy. May the
Lord bless the reader.
To very few is it given to hear about
the Atma
Many more who hear of the Atma, do not
understand.
Wonderful is the person who speaks of
it.
Intelligent is the person who learns of
it.
-
The Katha Upanishad
16 All Scripture is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ::
New International Version (NIV)
Acknowledgement
Even if a man is highly qualified, highly trained,
whatever, if the Lord’s Grace is absent, NOTHING is possible. There are many
members of the society, who helped the author with their comments, criticism,
testing and thereby correction. The author thanks everyone directly and indirectly
involved in proof-reading the manuscript. May the invisible Lord bless the
“invisible” helpers. The “invisible” merits gathered and
distributed equally among the helpers are immense indeed! Before the Lord, there is no
classification as “enemy” or “friend”. All are brothers and sisters on
training. Thank you, O Lord. Praise the Lord!
The Islamic Dedication to the Lord
In the name of God, the Mercygiving,
the Merciful!
- Praise
be to God,
- Lord of the Universe,
- the
Mercygiving, the Merciful!
- Ruler
on the Day for Repayment!
- You
do we worship and You do we call on for help.
- Guide
us along the
- the
road of those whom You have favored,
with whom You are not
angry,
nor who are lost!
- The Holy Quran, Part 1: The Opening,
AL-FATIHAH, the "Seven Oft Repeated Verses", contain the
"essence" of the Quran and bears witness to God's
presence everywhere.
- placed
at the very beginning of the Quran to teach this lesson to the
reader: if you sincerely want to benefit from the Quran, you should
offer this prayer to the Lord of the Universe.
- to recognize the fact that the Lord of the
Universe is the source of all knowledge.
- AL-FATIHAH is the prayer from the servant and the Quran is the answer from the
Master to his prayer. The servant prays
to Allah to show him
guidance and the Master places the whole of the Quran before him in answer to his
prayer, as if to say, "This is the Guidance you begged
from Me."
(Reference: Maududi, Syed A'la. Introduction to Surah.)
The Chaldæan Dedication to the Lord
1. But God is He having the head of
the Hawk. The same is the first, incorruptible, eternal, unbegotten,
indivisible, dissimilar: the dispenser of all good; indestructible; the best of the good, the Wisest of the wise; He is the Father of
Equity and Justice, self-taught, physical, perfect, and wise-He who inspires the
Sacred Philosophy.
- Eusebius.
Praeparatio Evangelica, liber.
Sub-Notes
This Oracle does not appear in either
of the ancient collections, nor in the group of oracles given by any of the
medieval occultists. Cory seems to have been the first to discover it in the
voluminous writings of Eusebius, who attributes the authorship to the Persian
Zoroaster.
(Reference: Westcott, W Wynn. (Ed.) (1993) The
Chaldæan Oracles. 1stEdition.
Why “He having the head of the Hawk”?
That is a metaphor.
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Vocabulary
metaphor
n.
·
a figure of speech in which an expression is used
to refer to something that it does not literally
denote in order to suggest a similarity
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Refer the image of Thoth at Ancient
Egypt Clip Art / thoth.
The specialty of the bird Hawk, is nothing escapes
its vision. Even from a distance. It watches everything, even a slight movement
of its prey. So, to denote that property of “knowing everything, seeing
everything”, the Chaldaeans symbolically described the Lord, Energy, as “He having the head of
the Hawk”.
In a related verse, this meaning is made more clear:
No subtilty nor excuse can disguise anything
from His piercing Eyes.
He knoweth all things,…
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1. There is above the Celestial Lights
an Incorruptible Flame always sparkling; the Spring of Life, the Formation of
all Beings, the Original of all things! This Flame produceth all things, and
nothing perisheth but what it consumeth. It maketh Itself known
by Itself. This Fire cannot be contained in any Place, it is without Body and
without Matter. It encompasseth the Heavens. And there goeth out from it
little
No subtilty nor excuse can disguise anything
from His piercing Eyes. All is full of God, and God is in All!
2. There is in God an Immense
Profundity of Flame! Nevertheless, the Heart should not fear to approach this
Adorable Fire, or to be touched by it; it will never be consumed by this sweet
Fire, whose mild and Tranquil Heat maketh the Binding, the Harmony, and the.
Duration of the World. Nothing subsisteth but by this Fire, which is God Himself. No Person begat Him; He is without Mother; He knoweth all things, and can be taught nothing.
He is Infallible in His designs, and His name is
unspeakable, Behold now, what God is! As for us who are His
messengers, We are but a Little Part of God.
(Reference: Westcott, W Wynn. (Ed.) (1993) The
Chaldæan Oracles. 1stEdition.
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Vocabulary
subtilty
·
Cunning; skill; craft. [Obs.]
To
learn a lewd man this subtility. --Chaucer.
·
Slyness in design; artifice; guile; a cunning design or
artifice; a trick; subtlety.
full
of all subtility and all mischief. --Acts xiii. 10.
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What are the Chaldæan
Oracles?
…the Chaldean Oracles, a product of late
Alexandrian antiquity, but deriving from ancient Persian, Indian, and
Egyptian esoterica. Full of magic, ritual, theurgy, and the like, it
became a root text of the Neoplatonic academies. Traditionally ascribed
to Zoroaster, or to have been channelled by oracles, it is now usually assigned to Julianus,
ca 130 CE.
(Reference: Abraham, Ralph H. (Saturday,
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Vocabulary
theurgy
n.
·
Divine or supernatural intervention in human affairs.
·
The performance of miracles with supernatural assistance.
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“No one is safe by his
own strength, but he is safe by the grace and mercy of God. “
- St. Cyprian (?-258)
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The
Most Merciful
“Musa (Moses) said to his people: “Seek
help in Allah and be patient. Verily, the earth is Allah’s. He gives it as a
heritage to whom He will of His slaves, and the
(blessed) end is for the Muttaqun (pious).””
-
Quran, Surah Al-Araf(7) Ayah 128
(Interpretors: M
Al-Hilali & M Muhsin Khan)
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The
Most Merciful
“Verily! Those who fear their Lord unseen (i.e. they do not see
Him, nor
His Punishment in the
Hereafter, etc.), theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise).”
- Quran, Surah
Al-Mulk(67) Ayah 12
(Interpretors: M
Al-Hilali & M Muhsin Khan)
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The
Most Merciful
Umar heard the Prophet (peace be upon
him) say: “If you put your faith completely in Allah, He will arrange for your
sustenance in the same way as He provides for the birds. They go out in the
morning with their stomachs empty and return filled in the evening.” - Quran, Hadith, Narrated Umar ibn
al-Khattab Transmitted by Tirmidhi.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The
Most Merciful
“And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to
Him, He will make a way for him to
get out (from every difficulty).
And He will provide him from
(sources) he never could imagine. And
whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.
Verily, Allah
will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for
all things.”
- Quran, At-Talaaq(65)
Ayah 2-3
(Interpretors: M
Al-Hilali & M Muhsin Khan)
A Personal Dedication to the Lord
In the name of the Lord!
O The Most Gracious!
O The Most Merciful!
O The Most Kindest!
May the Lord forgive our sins!
May the Lord forgive the ignorant
transgressors!
May the Lord guide us on the path of Purity and
Perfection!
O Omnipotent!
O Omnipresent!
O Omniscient!
Have mercy on us!
O The Most Beautiful!
O The Most Handsome!
O The Most Purest!
May we love the Lord
for ever and ever and ever!
O The Most Beloved!
O The Most Benevolent!
O The Most Perfect!
May we serve the Lord
for ever and ever and ever!
O The Most Intelligent!
O The
Most Shrewd!
O The Most Wisest!
May we listen to the
Lord for ever and ever and ever!
O The Most Bravest!
O The Most Courageous!
O The Most Strongest!
May we fight for the
Lord for ever and ever and ever!
O The Most Greatest!
O The Most Mightiest!
O The Most Powerful!
May we uphold the name
of the Lord for ever and ever and ever!
Praise The Lord!
Praise The Lord!
Praise The Lord!
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme
Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and
the eternal Divine Person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original,
and you are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages
like Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to
me. O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor the demons, O Lord, know Thy
personality.
- Bhagavad Gita Chapter:
10 Verses: 12-14
The Eight Laws of Purity
'The World Will Not Be Empty Of
Arahants (Enlightened Ones) If Monks Live According To
Dhamma'
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
1. Train to refrain from destroying living creatures.
2. Train to refrain from taking that which is not
given.
3. Train to refrain from sexual activity.
4. Train to refrain from incorrect speech.
4a. Train to refrain from incorrect
writing.
5. Train to refrain from intoxicating drinks and
drugs which lead to carelessness.
6. Train to refrain from eating at the forbidden time
(i.e., after noon).
7. Train to refrain from dancing, singing, music,
going to see entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying
the body with cosmetics.
8. Train to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious
sleeping place.
19 “You know the laws: "Do not commit
adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not tell lies. Do not cheat. Respect
your father and your mother."”
-
Mark 10:19 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
18 “The man said, `Which laws?' Jesus said, `Do not kill.
Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not tell lies.”
-
Matthew 19:18 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
20 “Thou knowest the commandments, Do
not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness,
Honour thy father and thy mother.”
- Luke 18:20 :: King
James Version (KJV)
9 “The law says, `Do not commit
adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not want things that belong to other
people.' These laws and others are all in this one law: `Love your neighbour as
you love yourself.'”
-
Romans 13:9 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
"The only limitations he imposes
upon himself, are those arising from not knowing himself. In the degree,
however, that he knows himself, he is able to do greatest service a man
can render for another, namely: to help him to help
himself; to bring him to a true knowledge of himself, of his own inner power."
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
"Know thyself!" - Jesus
Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra
(Heart Sutra)
A-va-lo-ki-tesh-va-ra Bo-dhi-satt-va,
prac-ti-cing deep Pra-jna Pa-ra-mi-ta
clear-ly saw that all five skan-dhas
are emp-ty,
trans-form-ing all suf-fer-ing and
dis-tress.
Sha-ri-pu-tra, form is no o-ther than
emp-ti-ness,
emp-ti-ness no o-ther than form;
form is emp-ti-ness, emp-ti-ness is
form;
fee-ling, per-cep-tion, men-tal
re-ac-tion, con-scious-ness
are al-so like this.
Sha-ri-pu-tra, all dhar-mas are
es-sen-tial-ly emp-ty:
not born, not des-troyed;
not stained, not pure, with-out loss,
with-out gain.
There-fore in emp-ti-ness there is no
form, no fee-ling,
no per-cep-tion, men-tal re-ac-tion,
con-scious-ness;
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, bod-y, mind;
no co-lor , sound, smell, taste, touch,
ob-jects of mind;
no see-ing and so on to no think-ing;
no ig-no-rance and al-so no end-ing of
ig-no-rance
and so on to no old age and death,
and al-so no end-ing of old age and
death;
no suf-fer-ing, cause of suf-fer -ing,
ces-sa-tion, path;
no wis-dom and no at-tain-ment.
Since there is no-thing to at-tain,
the Bo-dhi-satt-va lives by Pra-jna
Pa-ra-mi-ta
with no hin-drance in the mind; no
hin-drance, thus no fear:
far be-yond de-lu-sive think-ing right
here is Nir-va-na.
All Bud-dhas past, pre-sent, and
fu-ture
live by Pra-jna Pa-ra-mi-ta,
at-tain-ing
A-nu-tta-ra-Sam-yak-Sam-bo-dhi.
There-fore know that Pra-jna
Pa-ra-mi-ta is
the great man-tra, the wis-dom man-tra,
the un-sur-passed man-tra, the su-preme
man-tra,
which com-plete-ly re-moves all
suf-fer-ing.
This is truth, not mere for-mal-i-ty.
There-fore set forth the Pra-jna
Pa-ra-mi-ta man-tra
set forth this man-tra and pro-claim:
Ga-té, Ga-té, Pa-ra-ga-té,
Para-sam-ga-té.
Bo-dhi Swa-ha!
(Reference: Sutra
Book. Bodhi Zendo.)
Following the Eight Laws
The eight laws are followed in three stages –
verbally, bodily and mentally.
Also refer section on Forced Transformation:
The Concept of “Concentration Camp”.
38 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments
throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders
a ribband of blue:
39 And it shall be unto you for a
fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the
commandments of the LORD, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a
whoring:
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
-
Numbers 15:38-40 :: King James Version (KJV)
A follower of the above laws should keep its practice
strictly private and confidential. Under no circumstances should its practice
be revealed to friends, relatives, public or society.
3 Neither let the son of
the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly
separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry
tree.
-
Isaiah 56:3 :: King James Version (KJV)
36
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were
of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to
the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
-
John 18:36 :: King James Version (KJV)
Why it should not be revealed?
One follows a set of laws for one’s own welfare.
“Self alone is the lord of self.
What higher master can there be?
By self alone is evil done, by self one
is defiled;
By self is evil left undone; by self alone one is
purified,
Pure and impure on self alone depend;
No one can make another pure.
Hence give not up thine own best weal
For others' weal however great.
Once thou hast seen thine own best
weal,
Pursue it keenly for thyself.”
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
In public/society, things like fashion which change
day by day, showing off one’s ego, gossip, empty and vain talk about this and
that etc. are frequent.
"This world, however,
seeks pleasure, loves pleasure, prizes pleasure. Only a few beings
are stirred by things that are truly stirring, in comparison with the greater number
who remain unstirred by truly stirring things. And again, there are only a few
who, being stirred, earnestly strive, in comparison with the greater number
who, being stirred, yet do not earnestly strive."
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha to Ananda
The above laws are ancient and tough to keep up,
requiring its own sacrifice, dedication, truthfulness and sincerity.
"This above all: to thine own self
be true,
And it must follow as the night the
day;
Thou canst not then be false to any man:
Be true to the highest within you!"
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The
Most Merciful
“There is nothing which is heavier upon
the balance than the good character.”
- Quran, Hadith, Abu
Darda
One who publicly reveals one’s intentions about
practicing the above laws will be like a white dove or a white elephant at the
wrong place, at the wrong time. A white elephant is very rare to come
across.
"The crop is huge but the workers are
few,
so beg the harvest boss to dispatch
workers to the fields."
- Jesus, Gospel of
Thomas, Saying 73
Naturally there will be many in public who will desire
or yearn to own for their personal selfish needs and satisfaction, the sacred object of
attention
at any cost, only to the detrimental of the follower.
“WIE (What Is Enlightenment): And
should the individual also expect to experience many challenges?
BG (Bhante Gunaratana): Sure, sure. When you practice
celibacy you are always facing challenges. There are so many who
would like to get involved with you, so many others who would like to get close
to you and break your celibacy. Because others know that you are not
corrupt. You are not doing all sorts of hanky-panky things, you are not getting
involved in wrong things and getting all kinds of diseases and so forth. People
understand that you are a very decent person, a neat person. And some people like
to be with a very neat individual, and that is a challenge. You've got to face it. …”
(Reference: Alev, Simeon. What the Buddha Taught - An Interview
with Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. What Is Enlightenment? Magazine. Issue 13.)
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
“The Prophet said, "Allah will give shade, to seven, on the Day when there
will be no shade but His. (These seven persons
are) a just ruler, a youth who has been brought up in the worship
of Allah (i.e. worships Allah sincerely from
childhood), a man whose heart is attached to the mosques (i.e. to pray the
compulsory prayers in the mosque in congregation), two persons who love each
other only for Allah's sake and they meet and part in Allah's cause only, a man who refuses the
call of a charming woman of noble birth for illicit intercourse with her and
says: I am afraid of Allah, a man who gives charitable
gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has
given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity), and a person who remembers
Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded
with tears."”
- Quran, Hadith, Sahih
Bukhari Volume 1, Book 11, Number 629 Narrated Abu Huraira
The scenario is similar to mixing oil and water.
“Even as the peacock, the blue-necked
bird of the parks,
In its aerial flight never can rival
the swan,
So the dweller in house can never equal
the monk --
Him the thinker withdrawn, in forest
abiding.”
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
One way of life requires seclusion and loneliness
while the exact opposite is expected from the other way of life.
“Who dwells alone and seeks not any mate,
Though young in years yet bides not anywhere,
Averted, turned away from contract's
transports:
Him the wise well and truly call a
sage.”
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
“Blessed are the solitary and the elect, for
you will find the Kingdom of the Father.....”
- Jesus, Gospel of
Thomas, Saying 49
“Separation, isolation, again and
again, is necessary for bringing suffering to an end. Just as the steam which
is asleep in the water and awakened by fire, does not develop its giant
strength, does not become a concentrated power, unless it is shut in, likewise man's inner
potentialities for lack of seclusion, for lack of isolation, cannot develop,
cannot be converted into higher powers. "Many live far
below their possibilities because they continually surrender their individualities
to others." In the worldly life, full self-recollectedness, full
devotion to the goal, do not come easily. The chaotic mass of
uncontrolled impressions will divert and distract again and again, and will
lead astray. Sadly great is the sum of energy daily
expended to no profit. In home life, too much
nutriment gross or subtle is supplied by the world of the five senses, and this
will ever and again disturb those thoughts that in the noble-minded are
naturally directed towards higher things; hence there is only
very slow progress in discarding and uprooting obstructing qualities and evil
propensities of the mind.”
(Reference: Samanera , Sumana. (1983) Going Forth (Pabbajja)
- A Call to Buddhist Monkhood - An Essay, and Letters on Buddhism. The Wheel Publication No. 27/28.
Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society.)
So apply one’s own discretion, intelligence and
common sense.
Also the path of Purity and Perfection is a path of
no return.
“The inquiry into the real nature of
Brahman has no return.”
-
Maharshi Vyasa in the Brahma Sutras
Those who follow the eight laws are “married” to the
Lord in a certain manner.
“A person devoted to the Lord is never
caught up in this repetitive process of Samsara (birth and death in the world
of illusion) like one devoted only to vedic ritual or desire prompted
activities. For whoever comes to be attracted
by the Lord, who is all bliss, is constantly attached
to His service, and never feels inclined to leave the same lured by worldly
enjoyments.”
-
Narada to Sage Vyasa
Those who think of deviating from the
path after a sufficient level of practice or those seekers of the path who ever
try to commit adultery, they end up facing the wrath of the Lord.
“One betrayal - just one betrayal amid the long years of
faithfulness - and the precious dream was lost." You shall see the land
before you, but you shall not go over there." - Context: Moses betrayal of the Lord at Meribath-Kadesh
and his punishment
(Reference: Moses on Mt Nebo.) (material reproduced without
permission)
Also refer the article, Lindsey, Hal. (Wednesday, October
16, 2002)
Jerusalem
mufti incites Armageddon. USA: WorldNetDaily.com.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
"And Allah will never lead a
people astray after He has guided them
until He makes clear to them as to what they should
avoid. Verily,
Allah is the All-Knower of
knowledge."
- Quran, Ayat 9 : 115
“Where there is fear of
God to keep the house, the enemy can find no way to enter.” -
Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
the house - your body
The process of purification of the mind have an
advanced stage according to Ramana Maharshi.
“Is it any use reading books for those
who long for release?
All the texts say that in order to gain
release one should render the mind quiescent; therefore their conclusive
teach-ing is that the mind should be rendered quiescent; once this has been
understood there is no need for endless reading. In order to quiet the
mind one has only to inquire within one-self what one's Self is; how could this search
be done in books? One should know one's Self with one's own eye
of wisdom. The Self is within the five sheaths; but books are outside them. Since the Self has to be
inquired into by discarding the five sheaths, it is futile to search
for it in books. There will come a time when one will have to forget all that one
has learned.”
-
Ramana Maharshi
(Reference: The Mystic Missal - A
Door to Ways and Means on the Spiritual Path: Ramana Maharshi, Who Am I? (Nan Yar?))
"When the Great Reality is not known the study of the
scriptures is fruitless; when the Great Reality is known the study of the
scriptures is also fruitless.
(Reference: Sankaracharya.
Johnston, Charles. (Trans.) The Crest-Jewel of
Wisdom – Vivekachudamani. The Beginning of the Teaching. Verse 61.)
60 Good pronunciation, command of
language, exegetical skill and learning, are for the delectation of the learned and
not for (obtaining) liberation.
61 If the supreme truth remains
unknown, the study of the scriptures is fruitless; even if the supreme truth is
known the study of the scriptures is useless (the study of the letter alone is
useless, the spirit must be sought out by intuition).
(Reference: Sankaracharya. Chatterji, Mohini M. (Trans.) Viveka-Cūdāmani
or The Crest-Jewel of Wisdom of Śrī Śamkarācārya. Adyar, Madras, India: The
Theosophical Publishing House. Verse 60 - 61. Page: 27 – 28.)
exegetical
adj.
Pertaining to exegesis; tending to
unfold or illustrate; explanatory; expository. --Walker.
exegesis
n.
Critical explanation or
analysis, especially of a text.
delectation
n.
- Delight.
- Enjoyment;
pleasure.
It is similar to emptying a filled glass cup. All learning is
considered an impurity in a higher stage.
I consider as imperfect all
those philosophies which fail to
please the Lord
because of their lack of devotional
exuberance. Knowledge does not shine with
dazzling brilliance, if it is devoid of
the fervor of devotion to the Supreme Being.
- Narada to Sage Vyasa
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144. Direct not thy mind to
the vast surfaces of the Earth; for the Plant of Truth
grows not upon the ground. Nor measure the motions of the Sun, collecting rules, for he is carded by the Eternal Will of
the Father, and not for your sake alone. Dismiss (from your
mind) the impetuous course of the Moon, for she moveth always by the
power of necessity. The progression of the Stars was not
generated for your sake. The wide aërial flight of birds gives
no true knowledge nor the dissection of the entrails of victims; they are all mere toys, the basis of mercenary
fraud:, flee from these if you would enter the sacred
paradise of piety, where Virtue, Wisdom, and Equity are assembled.
- Psel., 4. Z.
(Reference: Westcott, W Wynn. (Ed.) (1993) The
Chaldæan Oracles. 1stEdition. Northamptonshire,
England: The Aquarian Press. ISBN: 0-85030-334-6. Page 55-56)
Vocabulary
piety
- Veneration or reverence of the Supreme Being, and love of
his character; loving obedience to the will of God, and earnest devotion
to his service.
Piety
is the only proper and adequate relief of decaying man. --Rambler.
- Duty;
dutifulness; filial reverence and devotion; affectionate reverence and
service shown toward parents, relatives, benefactors, country, etc.
Conferred upon me for
the piety Which to my country I was judged to have shown. --Milton.
Syn:
Religion; sanctity; devotion; godliness; holiness.
equity
n
- The
state, quality, or ideal of being just, impartial, and fair.
- conformity
with rules or standards; "the judge recognized
the fairness of my claim" [syn: fairness] [ant: unfairness, unfairness]
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Such stage is only for those who leave/depart from
society for ever. They are expected to live in deep jungles/mountains/deserts,
away from society/mankind, to continue further training, for the path is a path
of no return.
“All the worlds, and even the heavenly
world of Brahma the Creator are subject to the law of rebirth. But for the man who comes to me there is no returning.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
Great men like Ramana Maharshi, even though they left
home very early, trained, trained and again trained for many a year. That great
sage started his teaching only late in life, only when he became fully
confident of removing his mental defilements. Any teaching done before that,
have possibility of error.
Who/What one will be in the future, is in the hands
of the Lord.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
26. "He (alone) knows the
Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries”
- Quran, Surah 72. The
Jinn, Sprites
We can only train ourselves according
to our environment, for the environment always have a vital hold on our
movements.
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of
wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
-
Matthew 10:16 :: King James Version (KJV)
The proverb of the poisonous snake who one day
decided to achieve enlightenment and started meditation. The boys who used to
run away before, turned around when they saw the immovable snake. Why waste an
opportunity? The snake nearly died after heavy pelting of stones. A wandering
sage enquired the dying snake, on why it didn’t show its fangs, at least to
scare away the boys? What a strange proverb. Isn’t?
“one of the most touching scenes in the
Gospel of St. John:
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are
you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said
to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid
Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She
turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
(John 20.15-16)”
(Reference: Karen Rae Keck, On the Life of Mary
Magdalene.)
What made Mary Magdalene divine? (Reference: Mary Magdalene.)
Is Mary Magdalene and a sex predator equal?
The Lord set a group of training laws for man to
follow, to complete his/her cycle of rebirth. That path of thorns is painful,
for sincere following of the laws require seclusion and sacrifice of many a
worldly “pleasures” and many a worldly “wants”.
The abstinence from a present pleasure
that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one.
- Locke.
The Devil and the forces of Evil give pleasure, to
entice the seeker from the path of thorns, to pull the seeker back to the cycle
of rebirth.
A predator knows the laws of the Lord. Knowingly,
follows the seeker to subdue him from following the path. In other words, the
predator is a toy of the Devil, following the wishes of the Devil.
14 I will not punish your daughters
when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are
separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth
not understand shall fall.
-
Hosea 4:14 :: King James Version (KJV)
Mary Magdalene and a sex predator are not equal. They
are opposites. Mary Magdalene was a follower of the Lord, one who followed His
teachings, one who eliminated carnal desires from one’s mind. Yes, she fell onto Evil ways of
the flesh.
“Legends, which some Orthodox accept,
say that Mary Magdalene loved St. John the Theologian and became a prostitute
when he rejected her to follow Jesus.”
(Reference: Mary Magdalene.)
13 And the LORD God said unto the
woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
-
Genesis 3:13 :: King James Version (KJV)
beguile
v.
influence by slyness
9
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to
Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
- Mark 16:9 ::
King James Version (KJV)
But when she learned the true path, she transformed
herself from Evil to Good and stopped her Evil ways. She followed Jesus Christ
as a disciple follows the master.
- The
change or transformation from evil to good,
- the
understanding of the core concepts of the teachings of the Christ,
- its
implementation in her own life to purify herself internally and externally
- these made Mary
Magdalene divine and hence revered as a Saint.
Only an ignorant person will equate such a Saint with
the follower of the Devil, a sex predator.
19 “It is easy to see the wrong things
people want to do. Both married people and those who are not
married commit adultery. People make themselves
unclean because of their wrong use of sex. They do things they
should be ashamed of doing.”
-
Galatians 5:19 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Sex predators are rare, but in every society there
are a handful of them, no matter which country.
6 “But she who gives
herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.”
- 1 Timothy 5:6 :: New
American Standard Bible (NASB)
12 “And if a woman shall put away her husband,
and be married to another, she committeth adultery.”
-
Mark 10:12 :: King James Version (KJV)
For educational purposes, it is good to know their life and
ways.
8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth
from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
-
1 John 3:8 :: King James Version (KJV)
Sufficient literature in the form of novels, movie
scripts, movie trailers, movies (usually rated ‘A’ (Adults only) in India) etc.
are available.
For it helps one to be better armed, educated and
prepared.
28 “But I tell you that if a man looks
at a woman and he wants her, then he has already committed adultery with her in
his heart.”
-
Matthew 5:28 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Some questions to ponder on the above
saying:
- Is
this saying by Jesus, equally applicable to a woman, also?
- Is
one who commit adultery, once or more, a “prostitute”?
14 "Take up your positions around
Babylon,
all you who draw the bow.
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,
for she has sinned against the Lord.”
-
Jeremiah 50:14 :: New International Version (NIV)
In the good old days of the society, no matter what the
age of the woman, if she walks along the street at any time and happens to see
a man urinating, she was always advised, “O Woman, Don’t look! Turn your head
away. Don’t watch the enlarging of a man’s male organ”.
Why?
38 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments
throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders
a ribband of blue:
39 And it shall be unto you for a
fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of
the LORD, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a
whoring:
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
-
Numbers 15:38-40 :: King James Version (KJV)
There are things in this world, which a man or woman
once see, can never ever un-see!! It cannot be forgotten. It will forever stay
in the mind of the one who saw, making him/her tainted forever; unless and
until, heavy training is done to undo the defilement by religious
means.
Most of pornography fall under this category.
The Suprabhedâgama describes the birth
of Ganesh. When Shiva and Pârvatî were visiting the deep forests in the
Himalaya range, saw a couple of elephants having sexual
intercourse. For fun, they decided at once to do likewise. Adopting the form of
these animals, they had sex together. Thus was born elephant-headed Ganesh .
(Reference: Myths and
legends on Ganesh, Hindu god.)
An example of what happens if certain things are
seen.
Never watch vulgar acts of whatever organism it may
be, animal, bird or whatever. It heats up your mind. Creates a “heightened”
mind. A mind beyond reasoning and wisdom. An act if committed, can never ever
be undone. So beware yourself!
"The terrible thing about life to
me is that mistakes and failures are never forgiven." When he asked
her what she meant, she said, "I mean: if you take a wrong
turning in life, you can never go back to where you were and take the right
one; your life is ever after determined by that false move. If you fail in some
task or responsibility, you are ever afterwards the person who failed in that
task, in that responsibility, and the opportunity will never come again. You
and others must bear the consequences. If you sin, you can't go back and not
sin at that particular point. All your subsequent life has to be determined
in some degree by that failure. And since we all make
mistakes, and take wrong turnings, and do disloyal things, and fail to realise our ambitions, the world for all of us is just a colossal
'might-have-been', an irredeemable, third rate ruin of a place, a graveyard of dead
and unresurrectable desires."
(Reference: Moses on Mt Nebo.) (Material reproduced without
permission)
15
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of
wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and
thick darkness,
16
A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against
the high towers.
17
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like
blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood
shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
18
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the
day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land
shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a
speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
-
Zephaniah 1:15-18 :: King James Version (KJV)
14
The LORD answered:
They claim to speak for me, but they're
lying! I didn't even speak to them, much less choose them
to be my prophets. Their messages come from worthless dreams,
useless fortunetelling, and their own imaginations.
-
Jeremiah 14:14 :: Contemporary English Version (CEV)
8
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your
prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither
hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
9
For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent
them, saith the LORD.
-
Jeremiah 29:8-9 :: King James Version (KJV)
14
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go
forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the
battle of that great day of God Almighty.
-
Revelation 16:14 :: King James Version (KJV)
Why this book?
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at
meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said
unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said
unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But go ye and learn what that
meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
-
Matthew 9:10-13 :: King James Version (KJV)
A “never-ending” online book! A collection of
viewpoints from various sources, centered around Energy, Ascetism, Celibacy and
Transformation.
There is nothing
without Energy
There
is no Celibacy without Ascetism
There
is no complete Transformation without Celibacy
No matter who you are, good or bad, any nationality,
any religion, the contents of this book may prove helpful for your spiritual
training.
This book is based on the single assumption: All One
Through spiritual training and advancement, may one prove the
above assumption. May one awaken, in the name of the Lord.
The eight laws of purity always holds, no matter what
your basic ideology belongs to: Islam, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain or
whatever faith.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things
which I say?
-
Luke 6:46 :: King James Version (KJV)
It is a practical day-to-day method going hand-in-hand
with any religious faith. “Faith without Works” as the Bible notes is relevant
here. Just faith doesn’t take anyone anywhere. Calling “Lord, Lord!!”, doesn’t
bring God before you. One need to work along with the faith. Practice and again
practice. The eight laws constitute the works to go hand-in-hand with any
religious faith. This book contains references from many a religious faith, The
Holy Bible, the Holy Quran, The Holy Gita etc to show the oneness of all
religion. A man who sincerely practices never fights with any other religious
faith. Where does he have the time to fight others? He got time only to
practice the laws himself, sincerely 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why care
about others, when oneself is unclean, impure?
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be
first.
- Matthew 19:30
:: King James Version (KJV)
Readers of The Goal, by Eliyahu Goldratt, may have come across a novel
example of a scout team of boys on trekking. To speed up the trek, the hero of
the book forms the team as a human chain. On various testing, he learns that in
a chain, no matter what (human chain or whatever), the weakest part holds
the key to breaking of the chain. In other words, to progress. If man need to progress
spiritually or whatever, give importance to the weakest, whether they be good
or bad.
19 If they were all one part, how could
it be a body?
20 The way it is now, there are many
parts, but it is one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, `I
do not need you.' And the head cannot say to the feet, `I do not need you.'
22 No, that is not so. Some parts of
the body are not as strong as others. Yet we could not live without them.
23 And we look after some parts of our
body more than others because they need it. The parts of our body that are not
so fine in one way are made more fine in other ways. But the parts which are
fine already do not need to be made fine. God made the body and has given more
care to the parts that need it.
24 He did this so that the body would
not be divided into groups, but all the parts would help each other. If one part has
trouble, then all the other parts are troubled too. If one part is
praised, then all the other parts are glad with it.
25 Now, all of you together are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
-
1 Corinthians 12:19-25 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
If all one, then all are children of
God.
There wasn’t just a Jesus. Just a Buddha. Just a Shiva. Just a Krishna. Just a
Divine Mother. Why be a devotee? Why not a follower? A follower follows the
same way of life as the leader. A follower of Lord Hanuman, follows the
austerities, the ascetic practices of the Lord. What is the point in just
bowing before the idol, offer a few devotional prayers and lead a life exact
opposite of that of the Lord? Why? All can be Jesus. All can be Buddha. All can
be Shiva. All can be Krishna. All can be Divine Mother. How? By changing your
way of life. By expanding your mind from narrow-minded to broad-minded. By
following the laws of the Lord along with whatever practices you do in your
daily life. All go together. There is no time-partitioning that God-belief need
to be there only after Grihat-ashrama (homely life) or at vaana-prasta (forest
life). The way of living, by the laws of purity, is always there, no matter
what time. It is just you to decide, how you should live!
If you are sincere in following the
laws, no matter what danger, hold on till you die. The Lord just tests your
patience. A time will come, when He is satisfied with you. He will reward you.
A very special reward. JUST FOR YOU ALONE.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith.
-
1 John 5:4 :: King James Version (KJV)
15 Take time to think
about these things. Then everybody will see how
well you are going ahead in your work.
-
1 Timothy 4:15 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
"A man may do ever so much good
and take upon himself ever so many abnegations, and yet as long as he does not know
himself he will not reach deliverance."
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
"The only limitations
he imposes upon himself, are those arising from not knowing himself. In the degree,
however, that he knows himself, he is able to do greatest service a
man can render for another, namely: to help him to help
himself; to bring him to a true knowledge of himself, of his own inner
power."
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
Some Notes on Lord Hanuman
He is considered to be an avatar (incarnation)
of Lord Shiva.
He is one of the seven Chiranjivis and the only learned
scholar who knew the nine Vyakaranas. He learned the shastras from Suryadev, the sun god. He is well versed
with the Vedas and other sacred books.
He has exhibited astonishing physical
strength and worked many miracles. His valour, wisdom,
knowledge of the scriptures and superhuman strength attracted everybody
who came near him. He had extraordinary skill in warfare. He is the chosen messenger
of Lord Rama and the minister & messenger of Sugreeva.
Hanuman is fast, the most agile
and oriented god.
demon Ravana (symbol of material illusion)
Recognizing Godhead beneath the human
disguise, Hanuman consecrates himself wholly to service of Rama. Depicted in kneeling pose of utter devotion and humility, he symbolized the strength and purity of the Perfect Servant.
Hanumanji is known by many
names as Anjaneya, Anjani Putra, Bajarangbali, Hanuman, Mahaveer,
Marutinandan, Pavanputra etc. Hanuman, worshipped for his strength, valor, agility, is a man of great
teaming.
Hanuman was blessed by Sri Rama with immortality (chiranjeevi) at the end of the war.
Hanuman was a bachelor (brahamachari) and is worshipped in
all the temples of India.
Sant Tulsidas composed the 40 stanzas of Hanuman Chalisa in praise of Hanuman.
The worship of Hanuman symbolizes the worship of the Supreme Lord, for acquiring
knowledge, physical and mental strength, truthfulness, sincerity, selflessness,
humility, loyalty, and profound devotion to the Lord. Students pray to him
for intelligence and soldiers for strength. In olden days, there
used to be temples of Hanumantha, at the gates of forts. The gymnasium of
wrestlers invariably have his picture.
(Reference: Lord Hanuman.)
According to the elements (east=water=blue, north=air=green etc.) and mixing of the elements (bluegreen,
yellowred etc.) they have a different color.
(Reference: Nagaradja
(Lhudjal) - The Serpent King and Master of Tantra.)
Vatatmajam : The son of the Vayu
(Wind). Hanumanaji was born from the womb of Anjana. Mother Anjana is
the queen of the simian King Kesari. But she did not conceive with the help of
Vayu. Once Anjana had gone to the forests. A cyclone suddenly
appeared there raising the clothes of Anjana above her waistline and she felt
as if something had been placed in her womb. That something later was born as
Hanumana.
YADA YADA HI DHARMASYA GLANIRBHAVATI
BHARATA|
ABHVTTMANAMADHARMASYA TADAT MANAM
SRIJAMYAHAM||
Meaning: O Arjuna, whenever the religion
is relegated in the world, and irreligion rises, I take incarnation then.
PARITRANAY SADHVNAM VINASHAYA CHA
DHARMA SANSTHAPANARTHAYA SAMBHAVAMI YUGE-YUGE||
Meaning: To protect the pious
ones and to destroy the evil doers and to establish the religion, I take
incarnation in every age.
Even in Tulsi Ramayana is written:
JAB-JAB HOHI DHARMA KAI HANI,
BARHHIASURAADHAMAABHIMANI|
TAB-TAB DHARI PRABHU VIVIDHA SHARIRA,
HARHINATHSAJJAN KAI PEERA||
Meaning: Whenever the religion
diminishes in the world and irreligion increases and haughty demons grow in
strength, then Lord Vishnu take various
incarnations to remove the anguish of religious people and establish the
religion.
All these appearance and forms of God
basically imply that God is bound to keep his
promise. So, He takes various incarnations, because God is one but His forms are
many: EKOAHAM BAHUSYAMAM. that is, I am one, but wish to be many thus because of his desire
to be many this whole world came into existence.
(Reference: Gods And Symbols: Shri Hanumanji.)
The monkey God Hanuman is referred to
have lived in Kadalivana or the banana garden on the banks of Kuberapuhkarni.
(Reference: Sharma, Girish. (Wednesday, October 17,
2001) Banana Builds Blood.
India: India Express.)
'The legends of Hanuman are known not in India
alone. In China, he is known as Shun Wu Kong, the wind monkey. In
Thailand, he is the central character in Ramakiya,' the country's most popular
folk tale,"
…
"An ultimate devotee of Rama and a
perfect being, who embodies all the greatest virtues, he is ultimately an
immortal,"
(Reference: PTI. (Sunday, February 09, 2003) Animated
Hanuman to soon hit small screen. India: Times of India.)
Introduction
- One
who wishes to achieve Perfection, should know both sides of a coin
– a variant advice of Sri Adi Shankaracharya to one of his foremost
disciples, Padma Pada; Context: the verbal duel with Mandana Mishra
- Taboos
are to be known by reading, listening, watching and observing critically,
only to the extent required for understanding properly. Two
precautions:
1.
The human body is never ever used to indulge or
practice the forbidden taboo of Law three (advice of Sri Adi Shankaracharya
to one of his foremost disciples, Padma Pada)
“1 Corinthians 7: 32-33
32
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth
for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33
But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world,
how he may please his wife.”
“Do you not know that he who joins
himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is
written, 'The two shall become one flesh.'” (St. Paul, Romans 6:16; RSV)
“Shun immorality. Every other sin which
a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own
body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were
bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (St. Paul, Romans
6:18-20)
Testing of all other taboos require
the use of personal human body in a limited manner. Wherever one use
one’s own body for testing, extreme caution should be exercised.
“…the Buddha did not
set out a full code at once. Instead, he formulated rules one at a time, in response to events. The considerations
that went into formulating each rule are best illustrated by the events
surrounding the formulation of the first.
Ven. Sudinna, the
story goes, had strong faith in the Buddha and had ordained after receiving his
parents' grudging consent. He was their only child and, though married, was
childless. His parents, fearing that the government would confiscate their property
at their death if it had no heir, devised various schemes to lure Ven. Sudinna
back to the lay life, but to no avail. Finally, his mother realized that he was
firm in his intention to stay a bhikkhu and so asked him at least to have
intercourse with his former wife so that their property would have an heir.
Ven. Sudinna consented, took his wife into the forest, and had intercourse
three times.
Immediately he felt remorseful and eventually
confessed his deed to his fellow bhikkhus. Word reached the Buddha, who called
a meeting of the Community, questioned Ven. Sudinna, and gave him a rebuke. The
rebuke fell into two major parts. In the first part, the Buddha reminded Ven.
Sudinna of his position as a samana -- a contemplative -- and that his behavior was
unworthy of his position. Also, the Buddha pointed out to him of the aims of the
teaching and noted that his behavior ran counter to them. The implication here
was that Ven. Sudinna had not only acted inconsistently with the content of the
teaching, but had also shown callous disregard for the Buddha's
compassionate aims in making the Dhamma known.
"'Misguided man,
it is unseemly, unbecoming, unsuitable, and unworthy of a contemplative;
improper and not to be done... Have I not taught the Dhamma in many ways for
the sake of dispassion and not for passion; for unfettering and not for
fettering; for letting go and not for clinging? Yet here, while I have taught
the Dhamma for dispassion, you set your heart on passion; while I have taught
the Dhamma for unfettering, you set your heart on being fettered; while I have
taught the Dhamma for letting go, you set your heart on clinging.
"'Misguided man,
haven't I taught the Dhamma in various ways for the fading of passion, the
sobering of pride, the subduing of thirst, the destruction of attachment, the
severing of the round, the depletion of craving, dispassion, stopping,
unbinding? Haven't I advocated abandoning sensual pleasures, understanding
sensual perceptions, subduing sensual thirst, destroying sensual
preoccupations, calming sensual fevers?... Misguided man, this neither inspires
faith in the faithless nor increases the faithful. Rather, it inspires lack of
faith in the faithless and wavering in some of the faithful.'"
The second part of the
rebuke dealt in terms of personal qualities: those that a bhikkhu
practicing discipline is to abandon, and those he is to develop.
"Then the Blessed
One, having in various ways rebuked Ven. Sudinna, having spoken in dispraise of
being burdensome, demanding, arrogant, discontented, entangled, and indolent;
in various ways having spoken in praise of being unburdensome, undemanding,
modest, content, austere, scrupulous, gracious, self-effacing, and energetic;
having given a Dhamma talk on what is seemly and becoming for bhikkhus,
addressed the bhikkhus."
This was where the
Buddha formulated the training rule, after first stating his reasons for doing
so.
"'In that case,
bhikkhus, I will formulate a training rule for the bhikkhus with ten aims in
mind: the excellence of the Community, the peace of the Community, the curbing
of the shameless, the comfort of well-behaved bhikkhus, the restraint of
effluents related to the present life, the prevention of effluents related to
the next life, the arousing of faith in the faithless, the increase of the
faithful, the establishment of the true Dhamma, and the fostering of
discipline.'"
These reasons fall
into three main types. The first two are external: 1) to ensure peace and
well-being within the Community itself, and 2) to foster and protect
faith among the laity, on whom the bhikkhus depend for their
support. (The origin stories of the various rules depict the laity as being
very quick to generalize. One bhikkhu misbehaves, and they complain, "How
can these bhikkhus do that?") The third type of reason, though, is
internal: The rule is to help restrain and prevent mental effluents within
the individual bhikkhus. Thus the rules aim not only at the external
well-being of the Community, but also at the internal well-being of the
individual. This latter point soon becomes apparent to anyone who
seriously tries to keep to the rules, for they foster mindfulness and
circumspection in one's actions, qualities that carry over into the training of
the mind.”
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu
(Geoffrey DeGraff) The Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I The
Patimokkha Training Rules Translated & Explained Introduction Dhamma-Vinaya
(Reference: 18)
Always remember the golden Law of
the Lord:
For every action,
there is an equal and opposite reaction:
Action can be in any of the three
planes: Verbal, Bodily, Mentally
Example 1
“… one of the monks
said to the Blessed One, "Lord, what was the cause, what was the reason, why
Suppabuddha the leper was such a poor, miserable wretch of a person?"
"Once, monks, in
this very Rajagaha, Suppabuddha the leper was the son of a rich money-lender.
While being escorted to a pleasure park, he saw Tagarasikhi the Private Buddha
going for alms in the city. On seeing him, he thought, 'Who is this leper
prowling about?' Spitting and disrespectfully turning his left side to
Tagarasikhi the Private Buddha, he left. As a result of that deed he boiled in
hell for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, many
hundreds of thousands of years. And then as a result of that deed he became a
poor, miserable wretch of a person in this very Rajagaha. But on encountering
the Dhamma & Discipline made known by the Tathagata, he acquired
conviction, virtue, learning, relinquishment, & discernment. Having
acquired conviction, virtue, learning, relinquishment, & discernment on
encountering the Dhamma & Discipline made known by the Tathagata, now -- on
the break-up of the body, after death -- he has reappeared in a good
destination, the heavenly world, in company with the devas of the heaven of the
Thirty-three. There he outshines the other devas both in beauty & in
glory."
Then, on realizing the
significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
A person with good
eyes,
encountering
a treacherous, uneven place,
would try hard to
avoid it.
A wise person, in the
world of life,
should avoid
evil deeds.”
-
Udana V.3, Kutthi Sutta, The Leper (Reference: 11)
Example 2
“This is exemplified
by the rishi who practiced k.saanti. He dwelt in a great forest where he
cultivated patience and practiced loving-kindness. At that time King Kali
brought his courtesans along with him as he entered the forest to wander and sport
about. Having finished his refreshments and meal the King took a short nap.
The courtesans
wandered off amongst the flowers and trees and then saw this rishi. They
offered their reverential respects and then stood off to one side. At that
time, for the sake of the courtesans he spoke in praise of loving-kindness and
patience. His words were so fine and marvelous that the listeners could not get
enough. They remained a long time and would not leave.
King Kali woke up and
failed to see his courtesans and so picked up his sword and followed along
behind so as to catch up with them. He saw them standing before the rishi. He
became filled up with arrogance and jealousy. With hate-filled glowering he
brandished his sword and demanded of the rishi, "Just what are you
doing?!"
The rishi replied,
saying, "I'm abiding here in the cultivation of patience and the practice
of loving-kindness."
The King said,
"I'm now going to put you to the test. I'm going to take a sharp sword and
slice off your ears and nose. I'm going to chop off your hands and feet. If you
don't get angry then we'll know that you cultivate patience."
The rishi said,
"Do what you will."
The King immediately
drew forth his sword and sliced off his ears and nose and chopped off his hands
and feet. He then asked, "Has your mind moved or not?"
He replied, "I
cultivate loving-kindness and compassion. The mind has not moved."
The King said,
"You are just a single person here. You have no power [in this situation].
Although you claim that you have not moved, who would believe it?"
At this time the rishi
immediately made a vow, "If I truly cultivate loving-kindness and
patience, the blood ought to turn into milk." The blood immediately
transformed into milk.
The King was both
greatly frightened and delighted. He then left, leading away the courtesans
with him. At this time the dragons and spirits of the forest set loose a
cataclysmic storm with thunder and lightning bolts on account of [his actions
toward] this rishi. The King was mortally wounded by it and, sinking away, he
did not return to the palace. And so it is said that even in the midst of
torment and chaos one must practice patience.”
- The Patient Rishi
and the King of Kalinga, From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Perfection
of Wisdom (Reference: 13)
Then what need is the human body?
The body is just a vehicle, kept
in purity forever, to achieve the purity of the mind. Mental purity
is achieved by constant cleaning of its defilements/impurities through rigorous
religious training
Thus the seeker completes his/her primary
phase of the training program.
"Man falls as
falls the fruit from the tree,
Unripe or mayhap ripe,
with sudden crash:
and so, O king, a
beggar I become,
For, the sure
pilgrim-life me seems the best."
–
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
Like the transformation of a
butter-fly from a larva to a pupa to a full-blown butterfly, so too the seeker
transforms and goes into the secondary phase of the training program as
a wandering warrior “monk”/”nun” incognito with strict adherence to the
Dedication to the Lord (given above) (Reference: 2)
“… The second are wandering monks, who
still exist, …”
- Wayne Van Horne, Sacred
Warriors, Description of the Military Orders
“… The Templars
provide the seminal example: they owed allegiance only to the Pope, could
refuse service to kings or to fight in campaigns, were not subject to any power
or law but the Church, and so had in effect no secular allegiance.
…”
- Wayne Van Horne, Sacred
Warriors, Origins
“The military brethren
adopted the monastic religious vestments, symbols and rules of behavior.
They lived primarily secluded lives and conducted secretive esoteric
religious rituals. They adopted austere monks robes and wore them
over their armor, in both cases they were either white, which symbolized
purity, or brown or black, which symbolized earthly humility.
Their role as
military agents for divinities fostered the belief that they received
supernatural aid in battle. The European orders prayed before battle and
believed that God aided them in combat. The Templars, and their enemies in
Syria, believed that St. George would appear among them in a white robe to
aid them in battle. The Japanese orders carried a mikoshi, or portable
shrine, into battle which they believed contained a deity. To attack it or it's
bearers would invoke the wrath of the deity. They also used rosaries to call
down curses on their enemies. …
… As part of their
monastic discipline, they practiced military training and combat skills daily,
greatly enhancing their effectiveness. …”
- Wayne Van Horne, Sacred
Warriors, Military Role of the Orders
"The joys of the
family life and the joys of the homeless life -- these are two different
joys: and the nobler of the two is the joy the homeless life."
– The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
"After a time
will leave behind a small property, or leave behind a large property; he
forsakes a small circle of acquaintances, or he forsakes a large circle of
acquaintances, and goes forth from home to homelessness" – The
Blessed One, Lord Buddha
“But Christ came, and He
did not really explain it; He did far more: He met it, willed it,
transformed it; and He taught us to do all this -- or, rather, He
Himself does it within us, if we do not hinder the all-healing hands.” -
Friedrich von Huegel (1852-1925)
In
The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
“Richness is not
having many belongings, but richness is the richness of the soul
(contentment).”
- Quran, Hadith, Abu
Hurairah
In the days of decay of the Law of the
Lord, little help can the warrior expect from the so-called “Temples of the
Lord” whether it be a temple, church, mosque or whatever.
“Dwelling in a body
like the air-ships of the gods, he tastes boundless joys freely
presented to him. The knower of the Supreme SELF is as a child obedient to a
higher will; he is of form unmanifest, untouched by allurement.
Clothed
in space, or wearing a vesture, clothed in skin or in pure thought, as a madman
or a child or a ghost, he walks the earth.
Withdrawing desire
from things of desire, the silent sage walks in solitude, ever contented
in the Supreme SELF, through the Supreme SELF he stands firm.
Now
as a madman, now a sage, now a glorious, great king, now a humble wanderer, now
solitary as a serpent now honoured, now lightly esteemed, now unknown, thus
goes the sage, ever rejoicing in the highest bliss.
Though without riches,
yet ever content; though without a helper, yet of mighty power; though bereft,
yet ever rejoicing; though afflicted, full of joy.
Acting, though not
himself the actor; reaping the reward, though not seeking enjoyment; possessing
a body, though beyond the body; though hemmed in, yet going everywhere.
Neither good nor evil,
neither fair nor foul touch him, dwelling ever beyond the body, full of the
vision of the Eternal.”
-
Shri Shankaracharya, The Silent Sage
3 “Your nakedness will be exposed
and your shame uncovered.
I will take vengeance;
I will spare no one."
- Isaiah 47:3 :: New
International Version (NIV)
In the days of clandestine
monitoring/surveillance Refer sections on 1. Purity and the
Concept of Shiva and 2. A Possibility by the advance forces of the
Anti-Christ and Lucifer, may the warrior move incognito/under-cover like
a chameleon changing its color to avoid detection.
22 “Let their table become
a snare before them: and that which should have
been for their welfare, let it become a trap.”
-
Psalm 69:22 :: King James Version (KJV)
7
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.” -
Galatians 6:7 :: King James Version (KJV)
1 “But mark this: There will be
terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of
the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
5 having a form of godliness but
denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
6 They are the kind who worm their way
into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded
down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
7 always learning but never able to
acknowledge the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed
Moses, so also these men oppose the truth--men of depraved minds,
who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
9 But they will not get very far
because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to
everyone.”
-
2 Timothy 3:1-9 :: New International
Version (NIV)
“Let him wander alone
like the rhinoceros.”
–
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
Ekadanta, "The Lord who has only one tusk"
-
Lord Ganesh
(Reference: 89)
If ever detected by the shrewd
tactics of Lucifer/Satan/Mara, may the warrior move like a grasshopper, jumping
from one place to a different place.
23 But when they persecute you in
this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall
not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
- Matthew 10:23 ::
King James Version (KJV)
“Submit yourselves
therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” - James 4:7
"O Lord, ...save
me from all my pursuers, and deliver me."
- Psalms 7:1
May the warrior be protected by the
secret armies of the Lord!
“And the LORD shall
utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong
that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;
and who can abide it?” - Joel
2:11
2.
Excess understanding/knowledge of the taboo is equivalent to
nectar becoming poison. It just destroys the mind of the seeker
What is purity? How can it be measured? What
is a taboo? How can it be measured?
The answer lies in the Eight Laws of Purity. The
first five Laws are the most important.
The don’ts of the Law constitute the taboos.
Full scale testing of Laws six to eight should be
done in various environments to understand the real significance of each Law.
Law one, two, four and five should undergo limited
testing, very carefully in a controlled environment
Law 1 testing
Train to refrain from destroying living creatures.
“If a person does not harm any living
being…
and does not kill or cause others to
kill-
that person is a true spiritual
practitioner.”
-The Dhammapada
One should also not harm any living creature
intentionally.
But what about unintentionally?
There are certain actions which one does oneself
based on one’s own conscience. Such actions can harm others un-intentionally.
Yet, one have to suffer the consequences. That suffering itself is a training
scenario. Refer the section on A Test. The narrator of that experience
changed himself, transformed to a different way of life, thereby hurting
indirectly certain characters in the narrator’s old environment. In effect,
violating the Law 1 indirectly. Refer section on Sin.
Teachings Of Mahavir
Practice the Dharma (Religion)
DHAMMO MANGAL MUKKITTHAM AHIMSA SANJAMO
JAVO
DEVO VI TAM NAMAMSANTI JASSA DHAMME
SAYAMANO ||
Dharma is the most auspicious and
divine of all. One should abstain from deceiving others. One should maintain
neutrality and should treat all i.e. enemies or friends, alike. One should desist from hurting them by physically or
emotionally. One who practises restraint is the person
with an 'awakened soul'. A person should refrain from violence, lying, larceny,
immoral acts, sensual pleasure and greed. This is the essence of Dharma. There
are 2 types of penance mentioned i.e. is internal and external. The external
penance consists of eating little, begging for alms, desisting from hurting any
one. The internal penance consists of humbleness, service to God, Guru and
religion, meditation and Vyatsarga meaning enjoying divine internal joy. (Reference: 115)
4. "He abused me, he struck me, he subdued me, he robbed
me", in
those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred is stilled. (4)
5. Hatred is never stilled through hatred in this world; by
non-hatred alone is hatred stilled. This is the Eternal Law
(sanantana dhamma). (5)
6. The contenders do not realize that one day we must all die,
but
those who realize this resolve their quarrels. (6)
- The Dhammapada:
4-6, Canto I - The Twin Verses: 4-6
Law 2 testing
Train to refrain from taking that which is not given.
“The difference between a flower girl and a lady is not how she behaves, but how she is treated.”
- George Bernard Shaw in "Pygmalion"
Law 3 testing
Train to refrain from sexual activity.
Law three can be tested only partially with extreme
care on one’s own body only in a limited manner. No external/other body should
be used.
Any form of Law three testing is always discouraged. Yet there are those who don’t
accept as such the significance of Law three. It is only for them that
limited testing is permitted for educational purposes only, that too
only on one’s own body, to understand thoroughly the harmful reaction of the
testing process. The limited testing process involves self-masturbation, to
understand what happens on wasting one’s own life-energy. Excess testing will
naturally destroy the seeker bodily and mentally.
What about involuntary emission?
13 “Do not love sleep or you
will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.” - Proverbs 20:13 :: New
International Version (NIV)
In majority of cases, it involves the invisible
forces of Lucifer. For Lucifer never sleeps.
“As abba Macarius was returning to his cell from the marsh carrying palm-leaves, the devil met
him with a sharp sickle and would have struck him but he could not. He cried
out, "Great is the violence I suffer from you, Macarius, for when I
want to hurt you, I cannot. But whatever you do, I do and more also.
You fast now and then, but I am never refreshed by any food; you often
keep vigil, but I never fall asleep.
Only in one thing are you better than I am and I acknowledge that."
…
- The Paradise of the Desert Fathers,
Humility- Stories (Reference: 3)
Lucifer is one of the most elitest commando
ever.
"No man can serve two
masters" - Jesus
Lucifer can strike anytime, anywhere, through any
means.
“Be sober, be vigilant,
because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour.” -
I Peter 5:8
Devil, Satan (the one who fought The Christ), Mara
(the one who fought The Blessed One), Kali (the one who attacked King Nala),
Jinn are some of the other names of the same entity Lucifer.
“A man also or a woman that hath a
familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death. They shall
stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.” - Leviticus 20:27
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“Question: Why do the evil
ghosts and spirits take advantage of these six days to visit affliction and harm
on people?
Response: In The Sutra on the
Origins of Heaven and Earth, it says that when the kalpa was first created
there was the son of a different god also named Brahmaa who was the father of
the ghosts and spirits. He cultivated a form of brahmacaarin ascetic practice
whereby, for a full twelve heavenly years, he cut away his own flesh on these
six days, drew off his blood, and then placed them in a fire. On account of
this, on these six days, the evil ghosts and spirits suddenly possess strong
powers.
Question: Why on these six days
did the father of the ghosts and spirits cut away the flesh and blood of his
body and place them into a fire?
Response: Among all of the
ghosts and spirits, the Maheshvara spirit is the biggest and the
most primary in status. All of the spirits have an allotted number of
days. Maheshvara has an allotment of four days out of each
month: the eighth, the twenty-third, the fourteenth, and the twenty-ninth. The other spirits have
an allotment of two days out of each month: their first day out of the month is
the sixteenth and their second day out of the month is the seventeenth. The
fifteenth and the thirtieth belong collectively to all spirits. Because Maheshvara is the lord
of all of the spirits and because he has gotten the most days, his
four days are counted as abstinence days. The other two days
which are also counted as abstinence days are the days belonging collectively
to all of the spirits. Hence, all of the ghosts and spirits suddenly
possess strong powers on these six days.
Furthermore, after the father of ghosts
and spirits had cut away his flesh, drawn of his blood and placed them in fire
for twelve years, the king of the gods descended and asked his son, "What
prayer do you seek to fulfill [by doing this]?"
He replied, "I seek to have
sons."
The king of the gods said, "It is the
offering method of the rishis to employ the burning of incense, the offering up
of sweet fruits and all manner of pure endeavors. Why do you use the
placement of flesh and blood into fire in accordance with offensive and evil
dharmas? You destroy the dharma of goodness and take pleasure
in carrying out evil endeavors. I will cause you to give birth to evil sons
who feast on flesh and drink blood. Then, in accordance with his proclamation,
eight huge ghosts came forth at that moment from within the fire. Their bodies
were as black as ink. Their hair was yellow and their eyes were red and possessed of a great
light. Every one of the ghosts and spirits were born from these eight
ghosts. It was as a consequence of this that the cutting away of the bodily
flesh and blood and their placement into the fire resulted in the gaining of
power.
As for the Dharma of the Buddha, the
days are devoid of either good or ill. But as an adaptation
to the causes and conditions associated with the world's treatment of these as
bad days, one is instructed to observe the abstinences and take the
eight precepts.”
-
Why Ghosts and Spirits Possess Enhanced Powers
on Six Days Each Month, From Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great
Perfection of Wisdom (Reference: 12)
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“Ye shall not make any
cuttings in your flesh for the dead, not print any marks
upon you: I am the Lord.” -
Leviticus 19:28
not print any marks upon you
Don’t tattoo your body, for your body belongs to the
invisible Lord. Keep it pure and chaste. He will “come and live” in your body
when the time is ripe.
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The human body can be considered as a great city
enclosed by a fortified fortress with nine gates. (Gita, Advice to Arjuna by
Lord Krishna in the battlefield of the Mahabharata war) The nine gates
constitute the nine openings of the body. The two eyes, the two nostrils, the mouth,
the two ears, the anus and the urinal opening constitute the nine openings. The
nine openings are to be guarded carefully, like a fortified fortress under
siege by the invisible forces of Lucifer. Any lack of proper attention causes
the forces of Lucifer to over-run the fortress. Many are defeated again and
again. Some re-build and fight again. The endless war goes on.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
“A wise person is one who keeps a watch
over his bodily desires and passions, and checks himself from that which is
harmful and strives for that which will benefit him after death; and a foolish
person is one who subordinates himself to his cravings and desires and expects
from Allah the fulfilment of his futile desires.”
- Quran, Hadith,
Narrated AbuYa'la ibn Shaddad ibn Aws
Even if the fortress is guarded properly, the shrewd
forces of Lucifer are adept in the use of Trojan horses (Reference: 4 and 5).
So beware the dark hours of the night.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
"O you who believe! Endure
and be more patient (than your enemy), and
guard your territory by stationing army
units permanently at the
places from where the enemy can attack
you, and fear Allah, so that
you may be successful." -
Quran, Ayat 3 : 200
“Jesus Christ came to tell men that
they have no enemies but themselves.” - Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
After a hard day of mental/physical work, the body gets
tired in the evening. To be precise, it is the flesh that need rest. The mind
is always active. The mind need purification of the day’s
defilements/impurities. Due to tiredness and fatigue, one lies down to sleep. A
few hours of sleep gives the flesh a good rest. That is the time to strike for
the invisible forces of Evil. The refreshed flesh still in slumber.
Hidden impurities of one’s own mind is brought to the fore-front by the forces
of Evil. It can be in the form of dreams or thoughts.
13 “In thoughts from the visions of the
night, when deep sleep falls on men,”
-
Job 4:13 :: Amplified Bible (AMP)
The analogy is similar to a sea. Throw any hard waste
like a dead animal body, plastic container or anything to the sea. Within a few
days, the sea washes the hard waste back to the shore. The sea keeps itself
pure, washes shore hard wastes while uses sedimentation on some other liquefied
wastes. So too the mind which is like the sea. Hard impurities are not
accepted. They are washed out. The forces of Evil use that washing-out impurity
to launch their attack to open the ninth gate, when the victim is in deep
slumber, when the gates are left unguarded.
Refer the male reproductive diagram (Note: In the
diagram, An Accessory Gland is also called Cowper’s Gland) as
well as the relevant literature from Thanissaro Bhikkhu The Buddhist
Monastic Code Volume I given below:
Diagram:
The human male reproductive system (Reference: 19)
“1. Intentional discharge of semen,
except while dreaming, entails initial and subsequent meetings of the
Community.
The origin story to this rule is as
follows:
"Now at that time Ven. Seyyasaka was leading the
celibate life dissatisfied. Because of this, he was thin, wretched,
unattractive, and jaundiced, his body covered with veins. Ven. Udayin saw that
Ven. Seyyasaka was thin... his body covered with veins; and seeing him, said to
him, 'Seyyasaka, my friend, why are you thin... your body covered with veins?
Could it be that you're leading the celibate life dissatisfied?'
"'Yes, friend.'
"'In that case, eat as you like and sleep as you like
and bathe as you like; and having eaten, slept, and bathed as you like, when
dissatisfaction arises and lust assails the mind, emit semen making do with
your hand.'
"'But is it okay to do that?'
"'Of course. I do it myself.'
"So then Ven. Seyyasaka ate as he liked and slept as
he liked... and when dissatisfaction arose and lust assailed his mind, he would
emit semen making do with his hand. Then it wasn't long before he became
attractive, with rounded features, a clear complexion, and very bright skin. So
the bhikkhus who were his friends said to him, 'Before, friend Seyyasaka, you
were thin... your body covered with veins. But now you are attractive, with
rounded features, a clear complexion, and very bright skin. Could it be that
you're taking medicine?'
"'No, I'm not taking medicine, my friends. I just eat
as like and sleep as I like... and when dissatisfaction arises and lust assails
my mind, I emit semen making do with my hand.'
"'But do you emit semen making do with the same
hand you use to eat the gifts of the faithful?'
"'Yes, my friends.'
"So the bhikkhus... were offended and annoyed
and spread it about, 'How can this Ven. Seyyasaka emit semen making do with the
same hand he uses to eat the gifts of the faithful?'"
This rule, in its outline form, is one
of the simplest to explain. In its details, though, it is one of the most
complex, not only because the subject is a sensitive matter, but also because the
Commentary deviates somewhat from the Vibhanga in its explanations of two of
the three factors that constitute the full offense.
The three factors are result,
intention, and effort: Emission of semen caused by an intentional
effort. When all three factors are present, the offense is a sanghadisesa. If
the last two -- intention and effort -- are present, the offense is a
thullaccaya. Any single factor or any other combination of two factors -- i.e.,
intention and result without making a physical effort, or effort and result
without intention -- is not grounds for an offense.
It may seem strange to list the factor
of result first, but I want to explain it first partly because, in
understanding the types of intention and effort covered by this rule, it is
necessary to know what they are aimed at, and also because result is the one
factor where the Vibhanga and Commentary are in basic agreement.
Result. The Commentary
discusses the physiology of semen as it was understood at the time, and in
passing touches on the question of whether the word semen refers to the
clear liquid produced in small quantities by the prostate and Cowper's glands
prior to ejaculation, or to the seminal fluid released at orgasm (in
its words, "having made the whole body shake, it is released
and descends into the urinary tract.") It concludes
that the latter is what is meant here.
As for the Vibhanga, it devotes long
passages to the various colors and qualities that semen can come in, only to
conclude that the color and quality are irrelevant to the offense. This
suggests that a bhikkhu who has had a vasectomy can still commit an offense
under this rule, since he can still discharge the various components that go
into seminal fluid -- minus only the sperm -- at orgasm.
Discharge, according to the Vibhanga,
refers to the point in time when the semen "falls from its base." The
Commentary explains this as the point when the semen enters the urinary tract,
because from that point on the process is irreversible. Thus if the
process of sexual stimulation has reached this point, the factor of result has
been fulfilled, even if one tries to prevent the semen from leaving the body by
pinching the end of one's penis.
Intention. The Vibhanga
defines intentionally as "having made the decision knowingly, consciously,
and purposefully." According to the Commentary, "having made
the decision" refers to the moment when one "crushes" one's
indecisiveness by taking an act. (These are the same terms it uses to
explain the same phrase under Parajika
3 and several other rules. The meaning is that one has definitely
made up one's mind to start with the act and is not simply toying with the idea.)
Knowingly means that one knows that, "I am making an exertion."
Consciously means that one is aware that one's efforts are bringing about an
emission of semen. Purposefully means that one's purpose is to enjoy the
bringing about of an emission.
This last point is where the Commentary
deviates from the Vibhanga's discussion of the factor of intention. The
Vibhanga, throughout its analysis, expresses the factor of purpose simply as
"aiming at causing an emission," and it lists ten possible reasons
for wanting to bring the emission about:
1.
for the sake of health,
2.
for the sake of pleasure,
3.
for the sake of a medicine,
4.
for the sake of a gift (to insects, says the Commentary),
5.
for the sake of merit,
6.
for the sake of sacrifice,
7.
for the sake of heaven,
8.
for the sake of seed (to produce a child -- a bhikkhu who gave semen
to be used in artificial insemination would fit in this category),
9.
for the sake of investigating (to see what color it will be --
ancient medicine sometimes used this as a way of diagnosing disease), or
10. for the sake of fun.
Each of these reasons, the Vibhanga
says, fulfills the factor of intention here. Thus for the Commentary to limit
the question of "purpose" strictly to the enjoyment of the act of
bringing about an emission (numbers 2 and 10 in the Vibhanga's list) has no
basis in the Canon. And so the factor of intention under this rule is fulfilled
when one wants to cause an emission of semen, for no matter what reason.
Given the way intention is defined,
there is no offense for a bhikkhu who brings on an emission of semen --
·
accidentally
-- e.g., toying with his penis simply for the pleasure of the contact, when it
suddenly and unexpectedly goes off;
·
not
knowing that he is making an effort -- e.g., when he is dreaming or in a
semi-conscious state before fully waking up from sleep;
·
not
conscious that his efforts are bringing about an emission of semen -- e.g.,
when he is so engrossed in applying medicine to a sore on his penis that he
doesn't realize that he is bringing on an ejaculation;
·
or
when his efforts are motivated by a purpose other than that of causing an
emission -- e.g., when he wakes up, finds that he is about to have a
spontaneous ejaculation, and grabs hold of his penis to keep the semen from
soiling his robes or bedding.
Effort. The Vibhanga defines four
types of effort that fulfill this factor: A bhikkhu causes an emission
making an effort
(1) at an internal object,
(2) at an external object,
(3) at both an internal and an external
object, or
(4) by shaking his pelvis in the air.
It then goes on to explain these terms:
The internal object is one's own living body. External objects can either be
animate or inanimate objects. The third type of effort involves a combination
of the first two, and the fourth covers cases when one makes one's penis erect
("workable") by making an effort in the air.
The extremely general nature of these
definitions gives the impression that the compilers of the Vibhanga wanted them
to cover every imaginable type of bodily effort aimed at arousing oneself
sexually, and this impression is borne out by the wide variety of cases covered
in the Vinita Vatthu. They include, among others,
- a
bhikkhu who squeezes his penis with his fist,
- one
who rubs his penis with his thumb,
- one
who rubs his penis against his bed,
- one
who inserts his penis into sand,
- one
who bathes against the current in a stream,
- one
who rubs his preceptor's back in the bathing room,
- one
who gets an erection from the friction of his thighs and robes while
walking along,
- one
who has his belly heated in the bathing room, and
- one
who stretches his body.
In each of these cases, if the bhikkhu
aims at and succeeds in causing an emission, he incurs a sanghadisesa.
The Vinita Vatthu also includes a case
in which a bhikkhu, desiring to cause an emission, orders a novice to take hold
of his (the bhikkhu's) penis. He gets his emission and a sanghadisesa to boot,
which shows that getting someone else to make the effort for one fulfills
the factor of effort here.
In discussing the factor of effort,
though, the Commentary makes a slight change in the Vibhanga's definition --
that one makes an effort with or upon one's own body, etc., rather than at
one's own body, etc. -- and adds an additional factor: that the effort must
be directed at one's own penis. If this is so, then a bhikkhu who succeeds
in causing an emission by stimulating any of the erogenous zones of his body
aside from his penis would incur no penalty. The Commentary itself actually
makes this point, and the Sub-commentary seconds it, although the
V/Sub-commentary says that such a bhikkhu would incur a dukkata -- what it
bases this opinion on, it doesn't say: perhaps a misreading of the Case of the
Sleeping Novice, which we will discuss below.
At any rate, the Commentary in adding
this last factor runs up against a number of cases in the Vinita Vatthu in
which the effort does not involve the penis:
- the
bhikkhu warming his belly,
- the
bhikkhu rubbing his preceptor's back,
- a
bhikkhu having his thighs massaged, and others.
The Commentary deals with these cases by
rewriting them, stating in most cases that the effort somehow had to involve
the penis. This in itself is questionable, but when the Commentary actually
contradicts the Vinita Vatthu in the case of the bhikkhu who warms his belly,
saying that this sort of effort could not involve an offense at all even if one
aims at and succeeds in causing an emission, the commentators have moved beyond
the realm of commenting into the realm of rewriting the rule.
As stated in the Introduction, we have
to go on the assumption that the compilers of the Vibhanga knew the crucial
factors well enough to know what is and is not an offense, and were careful
enough to include all the relevant facts when describing the precedents in the
Vinita Vatthu in order to show how the Buddha arrived at his judgments. Since
the Commentary's position -- adding the extra factor that the physical effort
has to involve one's own penis -- directly contradicts the Vibhanga on this
point, the extra factor cannot stand.
The question then is why the
commentators added the extra factor in the first place. An answer may be found
in one of the cases in the Vinita Vatthu:
the Case of the Sleeping Novice.
"On that occasion a certain bhikkhu grabbed hold of
the penis of a sleeping novice. His semen was emitted. He felt
remorseful...'Bhikkhu, there is no sanghadisesa offense. There is a dukkata
offense.'"
The issue here is whose semen was
emitted. Pali syntax, unlike English, doesn't give us a clue, for there is no
rule that the pronoun in one sentence should refer to the subject of the
preceding sentence. There are many cases under Parajika 3 that follow the form, "A stone
badly held by the bhikkhu standing above hit the bhikkhu standing below on the
head. The bhikkhu died. He felt remorseful." In these cases it is obvious
from the context within the story which bhikkhu died and which one felt
remorseful, while with the sleeping novice we have to look for the context in
terms of the other parts of the Vibhanga.
If the bhikkhu was the one who emitted
semen, then perhaps there is a contradiction in the Vibhanga, and the
Commentary is justified in saying that the effort must involve one's penis, for
otherwise the case would seem to fulfill the Vibhanga's general definition for
the factor of effort: The bhikkhu is making an effort at an outside body and
has an emission. Following the general pattern of the rule, he would incur a
sanghadisesa if he intended emission, and no penalty at all if he didn't. Yet
the question of intention is not mentioned at all, and the bhikkhu is given a
dukkata, which suggests an inconsistency.
If, however, the novice was the one who
emitted, there is no inconsistency at all: The bhikkhu gets his dukkata for
making lustful bodily contact with another man, and the case is included here
to show that the full offense under this rule concerns instances where one
makes oneself emit semen, and not where one makes others emit. (Other than this
case, there is nothing in the rule or the Vibhanga that expressly makes this
point. The rule simply mentions bringing about the emission of semen, without
explicitly mentioning whose. This would explain the bhikkhu's uncertainty as to
whether or not he had committed a sanghadisesa.) And the reason there is no
mention of whether or not the bhikkhu intended to emit semen is because -- as
it comes under another rule -- it is irrelevant to the case.
Thus, since the second reading -- the
novice was the one who had an emission -- does no violence to the rest of the
Vibhanga, it seems to be the preferable one. So if this was the case that led
the commentators to add their extra factor, we can see that they misread it,
and that the Vibhanga's original definition for the factor of effort still
stands: Any bodily effort made at one's own body, at another body or physical
object, at both, or any effort made in the air -- like shaking one's pelvis or
stretching one's body -- fulfills the factor of effort here.
One case that does not fulfill the
factor of effort is when one is filled with lust and stares at the private
parts of a woman or girl. In the case dealing with this contingency,
the bhikkhu emits semen, but again no mention is made of whether he intended
to. In any event, the Buddha lays down a separate rule, imposing a dukkata
for staring lustfully at a women's private parts. This suggests that efforts
with one's eyes do not count as bodily efforts under this sanghadisesa, for
otherwise the penalty would have been a sanghadisesa if the bhikkhu had
intended emission, and no offense if he hadn't. And this also suggests that the
dukkata under this separate rule holds regardless of intention or result.
The Commentary adds that this dukkata applies also to staring lustfully at
the genitals of a female animal or at the area of a fully-clothed woman's body
where her sexual organ is, thinking, "Her sexual organ is there."
At present we would impose the penalty on a bhikkhu who stares
lustfully at a woman's private parts in a pornographic photograph.
With reference to conscious efforts
leading to nocturnal emissions, the Commentary discusses two cases.
The first is that of a bhikkhu who makes an effort aiming at emission but,
before it occurs, stops and purifies his mind of that intent. He then dozes off
and has an emission in his sleep. Its verdict: he does not incur the full
offense. It contrasts this case with one in which a bhikkhu grabs his penis
tightly or presses it between his thighs and then drops off to sleep
maintaining that position with the intent that it will induce the emission. He
succeeds and incurs the full offense. To generalize from these two cases, it
would appear that effort and intent in such cases count toward a full offense
only if one's effort and intent aimed at emission were maintained up to the
last moment of waking consciousness. A conscious, clean, and honest break in
one's intention and effort prior to emission would absolve one of an offense
even if emission later occurred.
Consent. A special contingency
covered by this rule is mentioned twice in the Vinita Vatthu for Parajika 1: A woman
approaches a bhikkhu and offers to make him emit semen by making do with her
hand. The bhikkhu lets her go ahead, and the Buddha says that he incurs a
sanghadisesa in doing so. The commentaries treat the case as self-evident and
offer no extra details. Thus, given the facts as we have them, it would seem
that consent under this rule can be expressed physically simply by letting the
act happen. A bhikkhu who acquiesces mentally when someone tries and succeeds
in making him emit semen is not absolved from the full offense here even if he
otherwise lies perfectly still throughout the event.
Derived offenses. As stated above, a
bhikkhu who fulfills all three factors -- result, intention, and effort --
incurs a sanghadisesa. One who fulfills only the last two -- intention and
effort -- incurs a thullaccaya.
People have sometimes asked how much of
an effort is necessary to incur a thullaccaya and, in particular, whether the
thullaccaya is only for cases where a bhikkhu tries to go all the way to an
emission but cannot have one for physical reasons beyond his control -- e.g.,
he is unable to have an erection or to produce semen -- or whether it also
covers cases where a bhikkhu starts out trying to cause an emission but stops
short and changes his mind before the emission can come.
The Vibhanga suggests indirectly that
the penalty covers both cases when it says simply that the thullaccaya is for
one who intends, makes the effort, but does not emit. If it had meant to limit
the penalty to those who cannot emit, it would have said so and would have set
some kind of standard for determining when the bhikkhu passed the threshold
from does not to cannot so that there would be no doubt as to where the realm
of non-offense ends and thullaccaya begins. But it doesn't.
The Commentary's discussion of a case
mentioned above -- the bhikkhu who intentionally sets up a nocturnal emission
prior to going to sleep -- throws light on this topic. The fact that he incurs
the full offense if he succeeds, and that efforts made during sleep do not
count (see below), shows that the factor of effort does not need to go all the
way to ejaculation in order to count.
In discussing the case of a bhikkhu
with fat thighs who develops an erection simply by walking along, the
Commentary mentions that if one finds sensual "fever" arising in such
a case, one must immediately stop walking and start contemplating the
foulness of the body so as to purify the mind before continuing on one's
way. Otherwise, one would incur a thullaccaya simply for moving one's legs.
Sensual fever, here, probably refers to the desire to cause an emission, for
there are several spots where the Commentary discusses bhikkhus who stimulate
an erection simply for the enjoyment of the contact rather than to cause an
emission, and the judgment is that they incur no penalty, even if an emission
does inadvertently result.
Aside from the thullaccaya, there are
no other derived offenses under this rule. A bhikkhu who has an
ejaculation while thinking sensual thoughts but without making any physical
effort to cause it, incurs no penalty regardless of whether or not the idea
crosses his mind that he would like to have an emission, and whether or not he
enjoys it when it occurs. However, the Commentary notes here that even though
there is no offense involved, one should not let oneself be overcome by sensual
thoughts in this way. This point is borne out by the famous simile that
occurred to Prince Siddhattha before his Awakening and that later, as Buddha,
he related to a number of listeners:
"'Suppose there were a wet sappy piece of timber lying on
dry ground far from water, and a man were to come along with an upper fire-stick,
thinking, "I'll light a fire. I'll produce heat." Now what do you
think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the upper
fire-stick in the wet sappy timber...?'
"'No, Master Gotama. And why not? Because the wood is wet
and sappy, even though it is lying on dry ground far from water. The man
would reap nothing but weariness and disappointment.'
"'So it is with any priest or contemplative who lives
withdrawn from sensuality only in body, but whose desire, infatuation, urge,
thirst, and fever for sensuality is not relinquished and stilled within him:
Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing feelings due to his striving
(for Awakening), he is incapable of knowledge, vision, and unexcelled
self-awakening.'" (M.36)
Non-offenses. In addition to the
cases already mentioned -- the bhikkhus who bring about emissions accidentally,
not knowing that they are making an effort, not conscious that their efforts
are bringing about an emission, whose efforts are motivated by a purpose other
than that of causing an emission, or who without making any physical effort
have an ejaculation while overcome by sensual thoughts -- there is no
offense for a bhikkhu who has an ejaculation during a dream.
In the wording of the rule, the phrase
"except while dreaming" is expressed by an idiom that could also
mean "at the end of a dream." This second possibility, though, is
ruled out by the Commentary, which states that what happens in the mind
while one is sleeping falls in the bounds of the Abhidhamma, but what
happens after one awakens falls within the bounds of the Vinaya; and that there
is no such thing as a misdeed performed when one is in a
"non-negligible" state of mind that does not count as an offense.
("Non-negligible," according to the Sub-commentary, means
"normal.")
In making the exception for what
happens while asleep, the Buddha states that even though there may be the
intention to cause an emission, it doesn't count. The Commentary goes on to
say, however, that if a bhikkhu fully awakens in the course of a wet dream, he should lie still and be
extremely careful not to make a move that would fulfill
the factor of effort under this rule. If the process has
reached the point where it is irreversible, and the ejaculation occurs
spontaneously, he incurs no penalty regardless of whether or not he enjoys it.
And as the Commentary quotes from the Kurundi, one of the ancient Sinhalese
commentaries on which it is based, if he wakes up in the course of a wet dream
and grabs hold of his penis so that the ejaculation will not soil his robes or
bedding, there is no offense.
However, the case from the Commentary
mentioned above -- the bhikkhu who had the desire and made the effort towards
an emission before falling off to sleep -- suggests that the exemption for
emissions during a dream does not extend to cases where both the intention and
the effort occur while one is fully conscious, for all three factors under this
rule are fully present: One makes the conscious decision to cause an emission,
makes a conscious effort aimed at causing the emission, and the emission
occurs. Whether or not one is conscious that it is occurring is of no account.
Summary: Intentionally causing oneself to emit semen, or getting
someone else to cause one to emit semen -- except during a dream -- is a
sanghadisesa offense.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)
The Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated
& Explained Chapter Five Sanghadisesa (Reference: 18)
In majority of cases, the sleeping victim:
(1) undergo the pleasure of the dreams
or thought and causes an involuntary emission
a.
Refer section on Accidental Emission
b.
There is the scenario where one goes to sleep with carnal
desires and thoughts. After a good sleep, the sexual thought comes back from
sub-conscious mind to cause an emission. This condition is not dealt with, for
following the eight laws mentally, doesn’t allow playing with unwanted and
dirty thoughts. If one harbour such thoughts in his mind, why an outward
“show” of opposing nature? A waste of time. Far better to marry someone and
“enjoy” a good sleep and associated “pleasures”! (Reference: 26)
(2) undergo the pleasure of the dreams
or thought and causes a voluntary emission
a.
stays at simple emission alone
b.
wakes up and goes to the next higher stage
i. self-masturbation, if alone
ii. enjoy the “Pleasures of the Flesh”
if with spouse
Refer the diagram above.
The prostrate gland and the Cowper’s gland produce
the clear liquid prior to ejaculation of the sperms. This clear liquid
- acts
as a lubricant for the movement of the male organ in the event of
copulation
- provides
the ideal environment for the sperms to survive. The sperms can survive
only in a specific temperature range
Now, the duct from both glands flow downward. So it
is easy to generate the clear liquid, whereas for the sperms to come down is
not that easy. Why?
From the Testes, the duct goes upward to the Seminal
Vesicles. So to bring out the sperms, one need to push or rotate or move the
lower part of the body violently/forcibly ("having made the whole body
shake, it is released and descends into the urinary tract.")
So in the event of involuntary emission, don’t move
the body. Minimize the damage, being induced by the forces of Evil, only to the
emission of the clear liquid. Don’t go to the next stage. Don’t pursue the wet
dream or thought. Leave it alone. It will die off by itself. Also, control your
tongue during such periods of attack. For Satan will force you to do strange
promises verbally, by making you weak bodily. Undergoing vow of silence during
such periods snubs Satan, for verbal action on nullification, no verbal
reaction can occur.
“Brahmacharya vrat: Is the most
fundamental requirement to be followed truthfully, sincerely and
honestly for a period of full twelve years in continuation. A single break would
render the austere practice useless. All would have to
be repeated again. Sage Vishwamitra fell from grace and
had to undergo the rigorous practice again when he got attracted towards a
lady taking bath in the most sensuous environment ... by the lake in a forlorn
jungle. Had he practiced control at this stage, he would have equaled Sage
Vashisht but so was not to be.
In the present World full of lust
and passions, to practice and be able to achieve the requisite vow of
Brahmacharya vrat would be short of a miracle. Yogis are not born. They
make themselves so by performing penances of the highest order.
For the Kundalini to be awakened fully,
practice of celibacy is a must. Awakening of Kundalini brings with itself
many powers, foremost of which is ... darshan (vision) of God, the Creator.
Coming face-to-face with your Atman (the soul within) gives you such an exhilarating
experience that you can now weigh all your thinking and decisions on the Cosmic
scale. Next, you achieve the power to invoke Cosmic wisdom (Jnana) available in
the Brahmaand (Cosmos) through the process of Sruti.
The present life becomes your last
manifestation and there is no more life after death. You have been able to
crossover from the threshold of death into the laps of God. What more could you
ask for! The bodily manifestation having lost its value you start perceiving
all as living Atmans (souls). Corresponding with live Atmans becomes a fancy
for you. You take the charge of a preceptor and guide the humanity to its
destined course.
What a glory awaits one who has taken
complete control of self and having practiced celibacy for full twelve years
becomes a direct son of God on mother Earth. Wow to such a one in whose
glory basks complete humanity.” (Reference: 52)
For, even the emission/loss of the clear liquid,
cause many unpleasant psychological changes on the victim:
·
weariness,
·
disappointment,
·
excess appetite for food,
·
sudden anger,
·
impatience,
·
depression,
·
arrogance.
Then, what will be the scenario for those who go to
higher stages of vulgarity? Excessive head ache/pain, loss of self-control, bad
temper and so on. When such a person deals with others in society, verbal duels
are a high possibility. Some ignorant go to sleep, after feeding their animal
nature by watching vulgar shows/movies. Under such cases, higher levels of
emission occur during sleep. For do they know, they themselves created the
environment for their own destruction? But the ignorant always put the blame on
others. They themselves are always “All Perfect”. They live within their own
imaginary mental world, their own glass-houses. They don’t care to come out of
their glass-house or imagination and question themselves. They don’t want to be
their own judge. They don’t want to punish themselves. For to them, they are
“sinless”. The perfect “goat”.
“The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was reported
to have said, "Islam began as a stranger and will return to being a
stranger so glad tidings (or a certain huge tree in Paradise) is for those who
are strange. They asked, "O Messenger of Allah" Who are the
strangers?" He replied, "Those who rectify (themselves and others)
when the people are corrupt." (Al-Tabarani: Sahih)” (Reference: 39)
In modern society, there are many such “goats”. Even
if the laws of a country or society put a penalty or damage or compensation of
1 crore or 10 million in currency to a certain crime, still the “goat” will say
the standard excuses: “No, I am perfectly innocent. I didn’t do any crime. I
am poor. I don’t have any money. My family background is poor. I don’t have
anyone in this world. I did only the right thing.” What a “goat”?
“This is the way of an adulterous
woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, "I have done no wrong."
- Proverbs 30:20 :: New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
Will a court of Law, where emotions are illogical,
ever listen to such cheap excuses? Even if in a rare circumstance, there is
such a court, will the Lord listen? For before the Lord, a crime is a crime.
For an action, there is always a reaction. There is never ever an action
(verbal/bodily/mental) which doesn’t have a reaction. It is only a question of
when the reaction will be undergone. The analogy is similar to the
transformation of a sheep to a goat. The sheep is for ever submissive and a
follower, while a goat is arrogant and a leader. Before the Lord, the sheep
represents Good, while the goat represents Evil. There is no change to the
“goat”. So why fear the Lord?
For my enemies refuse to change their ways;
they do not fear God.”
-
Psalm 55:19 :: New Living Translation (NLT)
Nobody even cared to forcibly change the “goat” by
heavy beating. But the unfortunate thing is, what punishment man didn’t give,
the Lord punishes twice that much. Praise the Lord!
34 `But take care. Do not think too much about eating, drinking,
and things in this life. If you do, that day will come and catch you like a
trap.
- Luke 21:34 ::
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
The ignorant cover up the above mentioned unpleasant
changes by satisfying their appetite for food with high energy/protein components
– eggs, chicken, fish, meat, high energy legumes like almonds etc. Such foods
again produce excess energy inside the body. The ignorant one without knowing
how to control this excess energy, gets heated up easily, goes to the higher
stages of emission, as and when the opportunity arises, to satisfy the urge. A
strange cycle opens up.
38 All of you must watch and talk with
God so that you will not do wrong. A person's heart can want to do it, but his body is
weak.'
-
Mark 14:38 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
29 The person who eats and
drinks in a wrong way will be punished. He does not take it
as the Lord's body.
-
1 Corinthians 11:29 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Yes, part of the problem lies in the food taken in
to the body as well as the timing of it. Excess food in the evening greatly
enhances the body energy. Once the flesh is refreshed with a few hours of
sleep, the excess energy need to be diverted somewhere. Many ignorant divert it
to satisfy the “Pleasures of the Flesh” and a never ending cycle of eating,
drinking, sleeping, emission/masturbation/copulation continues again and again.
Some use mixer/blender to liquefy high energy food
substances like almonds, fruits etc. Normal hard food takes anywhere from 3
hours or above to digest and add energy to the body, whereas liquefied food
takes less than 1 hour to energize the body. Turbo-charging the body with
liquefied food in the evening/night time is not recommended for those who wish
to maintain celibacy.
41 Watch and talk with God, so that you will not do
wrong. A person's heart can want to do it, but his body is weak.'
-
Matthew 26:41 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
For a celibate, excess energy through food, for what?
Not at all required. That is why, one meal a day is always
the ideal. With one meal a day, there are Zen monastries in China and Japan,
where the monks do hard physical labor in the fields from sun-rise to sun-set.
In the evening, they give rest to the flesh and then undergo hard-core
meditation. A rigorous celibate life on one meal a day!
23 Life itself is worth more
than food, and the body is worth more than clothes.
-
Luke 12:23 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
1 And the LORD spake unto
Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his
flesh, because OF HIS ISSUE HE IS UNCLEAN.
3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run
with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his
uncleanness.
4 Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the
issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
5 And whosoever toucheth his
bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
6 And he that sitteth on any
thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
7 And he that toucheth the
flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
8 And if he that hath the issue
spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his
clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
9 And what saddle soever he
rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.
10 And whosoever toucheth any
thing that was under him shall be unclean until the
even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
11 And whomsoever he toucheth
that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his
hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
12 And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which
hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood
shall be rinsed in water.
13 And when he that hath an issue
is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to
himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running
water, and shall be clean.
14 And on the eighth day he shall take to him
two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the
priest:
15 And the priest shall offer
them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt
offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him
before the LORD for his issue.
16 And if any man's seed of
copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his
flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.
17 And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the
even.
31 Thus shall ye separate the children of
Israel from their uncleanness; that THEY DIE NOT IN THEIR
UNCLEANNESS, WHEN THEY DEFILE MY TABERNACLE that is among them.
32 This is the law of him that
hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled
therewith;
-
Leviticus 15:1-17, 31-32 :: King James Version (KJV)
Leviticus 15:1-15 deals with accidental emission, the ejaculation of the clear
liquid (“a running issue out of his flesh”). Leviticus 15:15-17 deals with
masturbation and thereby the release of semen (“seed of copulation”) when the lower-part of body is moved
or rocked to and fro to release the semen. The scriptures are self-explanatory
on cleanliness or purity.
Accidental Emission
10. Those who have not practised celibacy, who did not acquire
wealth in their youth, languish like worn-out herons in a pond without any
fish. (155)
11. Those who have not practised celibacy, who did not acquire
wealth in their youth, lie like broken bows, sighing after the past. (156)
-
The Dhammapada: 155-156, Canto XI - Old Age: 10-11
Dreams play a vital role here. There are dreams where
one can actively control and there are ones where no control can be done. In
normal cases of accidental emission, any trace of carnal desire left in the
subconscious mind, play a role by way vulgarity in the dream, resulting in
emission. If one develops a certain level of dis-interest or vairagya towards
sexual matters, will that stop accidental emission? No. Strange is the human
body. Lack of sexual content in the dream can also produce accidental emission.
What was the content of the dream? Fear and anxiety. A dream of fear and
anxiety, a dream devoid of sexual content can also produce accidental emission.
If such is the case, it will be better to beware the whole family of emotion.
The family of emotion comprises not carnal desire alone, it includes fear,
anxiety, happiness etc.
THEN, will it not be better, if one doesn’t lie down,
to sleep???
"I kill it lest it should kill
me." (Reference: 69)
Let the body to sleep on its own when it gets tired.
“Now the life of Dorotheos was one of exceedingly hard
toil, and the manner thereof was severe, and his food was meager and
wretched, for he lived on dry bread. And he used to go round about
the desert by the side of the sea the whole day long in the heat of the noonday
sun and collect stones with which he built cells, which he gave to brethren
which were unable to build cells for themselves; and he used to finish one cell
each year. One day I said unto the holy man, "Father, why workest thou thus in
thine old age? For thou wilt kill thy body in all this heat." And he said unto me, "I kill it lest it
should kill me." He used to eat one small bread cake, which weighed about
six ounces, each day, and a little bundle of green herbs; and he drank water by measure. What then? I know
not. As God is my witness, I never saw this man stretch out his legs and
lie down as men usually do; and he never slept upon a bed of palm leaves, or
upon anything else, but he used to work the whole night long weaving baskets
made of palm leaves to provide himself with the daily bread which he required
and food. Now I imagined at first that he used to work in this
manner because I was present, and then I thought, "Peradventure it is only
for my sake, and to show me how to perform such severe labours, that he doeth this.
So I made enquiries of many of those who had been his disciples and who were
then living by themselves and were emulating his spiritual excellencies, and I also asked
others of his disciples who were living by his side if in very truth he always
laboured in this wise, and they said unto me, "He hath held unto
this practice from his youth up, and he hath never been in the habit of
sleeping according to what is right. In the daytime he never sleepeth
willingly, but sometimes when he is working with his hands, or when he is
eating, he closeth his eyes and is snatched away by slumber. As he sitteth
working he is eateth, and unless slumber overcame him suddenly he would never
sleep at all. Many and many a time he is overcome by slumber while he is
eating, and the morsel of bread falleth out of his mouth because he is overcome
with drowsiness." And when from time to time I used to urge him
to sit down, or to throw himself upon a mat of palm leaves and to rest a
little, he would answer and say unto me in a grieved manner, "If thou art able to
persuade "the angels to sleep, then thou wilt be able to persuade
me." (Reference: 69)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
MAJJHIMA
NIKAAYA III
II.
3. 5. Maagandiyasutta.m
III.
3. 4. Bakkulasutta.m
(124)- The wonderful
things about venerable Bakkula
I heard thus.
At one time venerable Bakkula lived in
the squirrels’ sanctuary in the bamboo grove in Rajagaha. Then Acela-Kassapa a friend
of venerable Bakkula when he was a householder approached him, exchanged
friendly greetings, sat on a side and said.
‘For how long was venerable Bakkula a homeless
one?’
‘Friend, I was homeless for
eighty years.’
‘Friend Bakkula, during these eighty
years, how many times did you indulge in sexual things?’
‘Friend, Kassapa, I should not be
questioned in that manner, as during these eighty years, how many times did you
indulge in sexual things? Friend Kassapa, you should question me thus, during these eighty
years, how many times did sexual perceptions arise to you?
‘Friend Bakkula, during these eighty
years, how many times did sexual perceptions arise to you?’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of a single sexual perception that has
arisen to me’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of a single sexual percepton during these eighty years. I bear this as a
wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of a single angry, hurting perception
that has arisen to me’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of a single angry, hurting percepton during these eighty years. I bear this as
a wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of a single sensual thought that has
arisen to me’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of a single sensual thought during these eighty years. I bear this as a
wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of a single angry, hurting thought that
has arisen to me’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of a single angry, hurting thought during these eighty years. I bear this as a
wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of accepting a robe from a householder.’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of accepting a robe from a householder during these eighty years. I bear this
as a wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of cutting the robe with an instrument.’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of cutting the robe with an instrument during these eighty years. I bear this
as a wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of sewing the robe with a needle.’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of sewing the robe with a needle during these eighty years. I bear this as a
wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of dyeing the robe with dye.’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of dyeing the robe with dye during these eighty years. I bear this as a
wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of sewing the katina robe.’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of sewing the katina robe, during these eighty years. I bear this as a
wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of employing co-associates to sew the
robe,...re... accepting an invitation,....re.... even the arising of the
thought. O! Someone should invite me!.’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of employing co-associates to sew the robe,...re... accepting an
invitation,....re.... even the arising of the thought. O! Someone should invite
me!.during these eighty years. I bear this as a wonderful and surprising thing
of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of sitting inisde a house,...re...
partaking food inside a house,....re.... observing even the minor sign of a
woman,...re...... teaching a woman at least the four lines of a
verse,...re...... approaching the attendance hall of the bhikkhunis,...re....
teaching the bhikkhnis,...re....teaching the trainee novices female or
male,...re.....’
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of sitting inside a house,...re..... teaching the trainee novices female or
male, during these eighty years. I bear this as a wonderful and surprising
thing of venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Kassapa, during these eighty
years of homeless life, I do not know of ordaining someone,...re... confering
the higher ordination to someone,....re.... providing requisites to someone or
attending to a novice,...re...... taking a steam bath ,...re...... using
bathing powder to bathe,...re.... employing a co-associate to massage the body,...re....the
arising of an ailment even for a short while,...re.....’partaking of some
medicine for a sickness, at least some green porridge,....re.... sleeping
turned to the wrong side,...re.....sleeping,...re.....observing rains at the
end of the village
‘That venerable Bakkula does not know
of ordaining someone,...re..... observing the rains at the end of the village,
during these eighty years. I bear this as a wonderful and surprising thing of
venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, it was only for seven days
that I partook the countryman’s morsels with a debt, on the eighth day I
realized extinction
‘It was only for seven days that
venerable Bakkula partook the countryman’s morsels with a debt, on the eighth
day he realized extinction. I bear this as a wonderful and surprising thing of
venerable Bakkula.’
‘Friend, Bakkula, may I obtain the
going forth and the higher ordination in this Dispensation.’ There upon Acela
Kassapa obtained the going forth and the higher ordination, in that
Dispensation. Not long after the higher ordination of venerable Kassapa, he withdrew from the
crowd, abode zealous for dispelling and attained the noble end
of the holy life here and now, for which sons of clansmen rightfully go forth
homeless. He knew that birth was destroyed, the holy life was lived,
what should be done was done, knew there was nothing more to wish. Venerable Kassapa became one of the
perfect.
Not long afterwards venerable Bakkula took
a bunch of keys and went from one dwelling to the other saying, ‘Friends, come!
Today, will be my final extinction.
That, venerable Bakkula took a bunch of
keys and went from one dwelling to the other saying, ‘Friends, come! Today,
will be my final extinction. I bear this too, as a wonderful and surprising
thing of venerable Bakkula.’
Venerable Bakkula attained final
extinction in the midst of the Community of bhikkhus seated.
That, venerable Bakkula attained final
extinction in the midst of the Community of bhikkhus seated. I bear this too,
as a wonderful and surprising thing of venerable Bakkula.’
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.vipassana.info/124-bakkula-e.htm
Reference: 95. Sister Upalavanna (English translation)
Majjhima Nikaaya III.124 Bakkula Sutta: The Wonderful Things
About Venerable Bakkula. Sri Lanka: Metta Net, and Vipassana.info
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Emission, Masturbation and Society
Will there ever be a man who lives “normally” in
society, who doesn’t have emission?
Excess food, friendships, movies, shows, music, etc.
A lot of captivating “pleasure giving” things to the mind.
The problem is, if a man who lives and is a part
of the above environment, doesn’t have emission, he must definitely be having
some serious problem with the male organ. There are many who undergo
masturbation and also go to higher levels etc. Ask any intellectual, any doctor
about the above case. It have to be a fact. As long as you are part of a
society, these things are also there.
Let’s leave out masturbation and higher levels.
We take the lowest case of simple emission.
There are people who say no emission. If emission,
you are a failure. Accepted, BUT with a condition. Is your way of life
completely different? If not, you just have to accept emission. Any man of the
right age group can undergo the test and verify over a certain period.
Now, what is the different way of life? Are you
following the eight laws of purity to the letter and spirit? Very sincerely.
The food should be one meal a day and as less as possible. Seven days a week.
Through out the period of test. Say, 41 days, 108 days or more depending on
your nature. In the starting days, the body might react adversely, but will
normalize later on. Is such a way of life adopted? Then there is a possibility
of no emission. A stage will come, where along with the eight laws, the
eight-fold path is also required. If such a discipline is not there properly,
there is no point in blaming emission. For it is just a natural process. It is
indeed a weakness which cannot be destroyed. It can only be controlled. How to
control is outlined above.
Since it is a weakness, on emission, you become
impure for a certain time period. Your body will also be tired. Those who
follow bhakti marga, it is advised to be cautious. Certain Godly forms, like
Lord Shiva require excessive purity. You can’t just go in to a Shiva temple to
offer your prayers after emission. You definitely will have adverse reactions.
So take care.
When you have the eight laws, the eight-fold path,
solitude, seclusion, the higher laws (total 227 laws of a fully ordained monk),
if you are sincere, follow or practice to the letter and spirit, a scenario
similar to that outlined in the above Bhakkula Sutta ensures. Thus be happy and
healthy. Praise the Lord.
The Ten Precepts. dasa-sila
These training rules are observed by
novice monks and nuns. They are derived from the Eight Precepts by splitting the precept
concerning entertainments into two parts and by adding one rule
prohibiting the handling of money.
A fully-ordained monk (bhikkhu) observes the 227 rules of the bhikkhu Patimokkha; a fully ordained nun
(bhikkhuni) would observe the 311 rules of the bhikkhuni
Patimokkha.
Reference: 272. The Ten Precepts.
dasa-sila (Revised: Thu 14 March 2002) accesstoinsight.org
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dasasila.html
Law 4 testing
Train to refrain from incorrect speech.
"So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)
"The sower soweth the
word."(Mark 4:14)
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
- Matthew
12:36-37 :: King James Version (KJV)
For devotees of Lord Shiva who had been a pilgrim to the
Temple of Lord Shiva, at Sucheendram, Tamil Nadu State, India, a specific note:
There near the inner temple hall of the great Linga,
a human form of the Lord is depicted. The depicted form has a hole in one ear
extending to the other ear. One can see through.
Whatever you hear through one ear, don’t get attached
to it. Let it pass through the other ear. Give importance only if it is
productive, like one’s study material. The fish in the ocean have gills. Living
in the ocean, water passes through the body. The fish doesn’t have any
attachment to the water, though it lives in the water. So should be one who
lives in the surface land. Let energy pass through diverse means like eyes.,
ears of the body. Leave it alone. No attachment to whatever you see, hear.
This concept is extremely important when through
sincere training, one expands one’s magnetic power, the radius of the magnetic
field/aura. The expanding of one’s consciousness, across the surrounding
environment. The fragrance of a flower.
20 May God himself, who gives peace, make you pure and
clean. You are set apart and belong only to him. And may your spirit and
soul and body all together be kept free from fault until our Lord Jesus
Christ comes.
-
1 Thessalonians 5:20 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Refer Point 2 and Counter-point 2 of section Points and Counter
Points to Ponder
2. The miracle of telepathy.- There is the case where a person
reads the minds, the mental events, the thoughts, the ponderings of other
beings.
Always remember the analogy of the three monkeys: One
never saw anything. One never heard anything. One never said anything.
25 So stop telling lies. Tell the truth to each
other. We all are parts of the same body.
-
Ephesians 4:25 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
The less you speak, always the better.
If all energy, the words that one speak knowingly or
unknowingly are energy formations. Alas, if only man knew what those energy
transformations are? Man says he is educated! What purpose is education, if its
very goal is “unknown”?
If only man knew the destructive power of words, of
energy!
That too by men with higher levels of bodily energy
concentration and purity!
True indeed, the teachings of the Blessed One, Lord
Buddha – you have an axe in your own mouth!
If only man watched his own words!
The state of intoxicated men. How pathetic!
Some intoxicated with anger. Some with happiness.
Some with lust. Some with intoxicated drinks. Some with drugs. Can they watch
their tongue, their words? They are in a heightened state of mind.
Well, all the will of the Lord. He alone knows and
wills the destiny and future of man. Praise the Lord!
If only man chanted constantly, the name of his or
her beloved Lord!
That is always the best option to control oneself. To
calm one’s mind. Chant constantly mentally. Don’t let others know you
are chanting. Keep it secret.
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Udana V.3
Kutthi Sutta
The Leper
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.
I have heard that on one occasion the
Blessed One was staying in Rajagaha at the Bamboo Grove,
the Squirrels' Sanctuary. Now at that time in Rajagaha there was a leper named Suppabuddha, a poor, miserable wretch of a person. And at
that time the Blessed One was sitting surrounded by a large assembly, teaching
the Dhamma. Suppabuddha the leper saw the large gathering of people from afar
and thought to himself, "Without a doubt, someone must be distributing
staple or non-staple food over there. Why don't I go over to that large group
of people, and maybe I'll get some staple or non-staple food." So he went
over to the large group of people. Then he saw the Blessed One sitting
surrounded by a large assembly, teaching the Dhamma. On seeing this, he
realized, "There's no one distributing staple or non-staple food over
here. That's Gotama the contemplative, sitting surrounded by a large assembly,
teaching the Dhamma. Why don't I listen to the Dhamma?" So he sat down to
one side right there, [thinking,] "I, too, will listen to the
Dhamma."
Then the Blessed One, having
encompassed the awareness of the entire assembly with his awareness, asked
himself, "Now who here is capable of understanding the Dhamma?" He saw
Suppabuddha the leper sitting in the assembly, and on seeing him the thought
occurred to him, "This person here is capable of understanding the
Dhamma." So, aiming at Suppabuddha the leper, he gave
a step-by-step talk, i.e., a talk on generosity, on virtue, on heaven; he
declared the drawbacks, degradation, & corruption of sensual passions, and
the rewards of renunciation. Then when he saw that Suppabuddha the leper's mind
was ready, malleable, free from hindrances, elated, & bright, he then gave
the Dhamma-talk peculiar to Awakened Ones, i.e., stress, origination,
cessation, & path. And just as a clean cloth, free of
stains, would properly absorb a dye, in the same way, as Suppabuddha the leper
was sitting in that very seat, the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye arose within
him, "Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to
cessation."
Having seen the Dhamma, reached the
Dhamma, known the Dhamma, having plunged entirely into the Dhamma, having
crossed over & beyond doubt, having had no more perplexity, having gained
fearlessness & independence from others with regard to the Teacher's
message, he rose up from his seat and went to the Blessed One. On arrival,
having bowed down to the Blessed One, he sat to one side. As he was sitting
there he said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent,
venerable sir! Magnificent! Just as if the Blessed One were to place upright
what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was
lost, or were to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see
forms, in the same way has the Blessed One -- through many lines of reasoning
-- made the Dhamma clear. I go to the Blesssed One for refuge, to the Dhamma,
and to the Community of monks. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay
follower who has gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life."
Then Suppabuddha the leper, having been
instructed, urged, roused, & encouraged by the Blessed One's Dhamma talk,
delighting & approving of the Blessed One's words, got up from his seat,
bowed down to the Blessed One, circumambulated him -- keeping him to his right
-- and left. Not long after his departure he was attacked & killed
by a cow with a young calf.
Then a large number of monks approached
the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As
they were sitting there, they said to the Blessed One, "Lord, the leper
named Suppabuddha, whom the Blessed One instructed, urged, roused, &
encouraged with a Dhamma talk, has died. What is his destination? What is his future
state?"
"Monks,
Suppabuddha the leper was wise. He practiced the Dhamma in accordance with the
Dhamma and did not pester me with issues related to the Dhamma. With the
destruction of the first three fetters, he is a stream-winner, not subject to
states of deprivation, headed for self-awakening for sure."
When this was said, one of the monks
said to the Blessed One, "Lord, what was the cause, what was the reason,
why Suppabuddha the leper was such a poor, miserable wretch of a person?"
"Once, monks, in this very
Rajagaha, Suppabuddha the leper was the son of a rich money-lender. While being
escorted to a pleasure park, he saw Tagarasikhi the Private Buddha going for alms in the city. On seeing him, he
thought, 'Who is this leper prowling about?' Spitting and disrespectfully turning his left side
to Tagarasikhi the Private Buddha, he left. As a result of that
deed he boiled in hell for many years, many hundreds of years,
many thousands of years, many hundreds of thousands of years. And then as a result of
that deed he became a poor, miserable wretch of a person in this very Rajagaha.
But on encountering the Dhamma & Discipline made known by the Tathagata, he
acquired conviction, virtue, learning, relinquishment, & discernment.
Having acquired conviction, virtue, learning, relinquishment, & discernment
on encountering the Dhamma & Discipline made known by the Tathagata, now --
on the break-up of the body, after death -- he has reappeared in a good
destination, the heavenly world, in company with the devas of the heaven of the
Thirty-three. There he outshines the other devas both in beauty & in
glory."
Then, on realizing the significance of
that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
A
person with good eyes,
encountering
a treacherous, uneven place,
would try hard to avoid it.
A wise
person, in the world of life,
should avoid
evil deeds.
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Revised: Wed 16 May 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/khuddaka/udana/ud5-03.html
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Law 4a testing
Train to refrain from incorrect writing.
The less you write, always the better. Adepts like The
Blessed One, Lord Buddha, Jesus rarely wrote. Their disciples penned the
teachings. Some adepts like Zoroaster, Sankaracharya wrote their teachings. Yet
if you do write, be careful not to use harmful language. Wrong writing produces
wrong reaction.
Take any word. Pronounce it loudly. “is”. It is
energy, sound energy. “He”. It is also energy. So why this book? All energy.
There is nothing to speak or write about energy. Like many a different flower
offered to the Lord, many a different words are used in this book to speak
about the same thing – Energy. Again and again from different angles!
Once there was a Zen master who wrote many a book on
Buddha-hood. Before his “Samadhi”, he burned down all his books, his library
everything. He just said “Abandon” as his farewell advice to his
disciples and left his body. That is all there is, to learn face to face what
you are reading in thousands of words. Don’t study or by-heart this book. This
is just an impure manual. Why impure? The purest is always
immeasurable. The moment it is given words to express or quantify, it gets
impure.
For one who follows the eight laws sincerely, whatever be the environment,
whatever he or she need to know, Lord will teach him or her when the time
comes. This book is just nothing. All that matters is following the laws with
non-attachment or abandonment to worldly matters. Thus you live and complete
your birth, this life. The aim or goal of life. What happens after, let the Lord
decide.
“Give up what is
unwholesome and wrong, cultivate what is skilful and good and purify your mind - this is the
Teaching of all the Buddhas.”
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
Any form of writing, especially spiritual in nature,
is never original. There is nothing new to be original. It is always a collection
of concepts, ideas from various sources. YET, when we do that grouping of
concepts, we always quote the details from where we collected, under the
heading References – the author, title, date, location etc. so that if somebody
else want to cross-check, the path is well-laid for them for cross-examination.
Under no circumstances should one use another person’s writing as his own
writing. That is an act of plagiarism, or blatant copying. In western nations,
plagiarism is a major crime, infringing other’s copyright. In universities,
where students have to prepare thesis or reports, the act of plagiarism results
in immediate termination of the status as student and expelling from the
university with immediate effect. The professors are well versed in their subject
such that the moment they see a group of words or a sentence, they know, which
author used them, and where. A student who uses those group of words without
referencing, but as his own, faces dismissal. Such serious is the act of
plagiarism. In developing nations like India, China etc. such seriousness is
not seen. Others writings are not even referenced. One writes them as one’s
own! That is not true research. You collect ideas from various sources with
references around a central theme, say, Energy, Ascetism, Celibacy and
Transformation. Once the material for the pros and cons are arranged, then
logically you develop the conclusion. That is something like a doctoral thesis
or book. As an end result, the student after such massive referencing becomes a
“semi-authority” on the respective area. In certain universities, there is a
public debate when the thesis is submitted for approval. You against the
authoritative professors, fellow students and even the interested public. All
gathered in a big hall. Questions are fired on the thesis from all angles. You
answer those questions satisfactorily. Only then your thesis is accepted
completely. Such is the way of a true and sincere research.
Anyone can do research. Pick a topic of interest.
Read widely. Collect materials. Follow the above procedure.
Fame
The invisible evil. Something like a thick glue. If
you touch it, it sticks on. Very hard to remove. You get “drugged”. In a
drugged state. No more training, nothing. Only an outward show. Can’t move
forward. Can’t move backward. Stuck.
A true Zen trainee, walks away. Burns, destroys
whatever writing or whatever and walks into the wilderness. You just don’t
care. You just don’t know anything. After all, who are you? A tiny drop in an
ocean! A small speck of sand in a beach. So, why play with imagination!
Imagine you are driving in a country side. You come
across a railway crossing. A long straight rail on both sides. Get down from
the car or vehicle and watch the “never ending” rail. It goes and goes into the
wilderness. So too YOU! You just walk away, alone into the wilderness. The
world, who wants? Who cares? YOU are the world! …
"He lays the Doctrine before the
people, does not persuade them, does not dissuade them." - The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
For those who find difficulty in accepting the above
concepts, “How can you do that? Mad?”, then,
"My disciples, my end is
approaching, our parting is near, but do not lament. Life is ever changing;
none can escape the dissolution of the body. This I am now to show by my own
death, my body falling apart like a delapidated cart. Do not vainly
lament, but realize that nothing is permanent and learn from it THE EMPTINESS OF HUMAN
LIFE. Do not cherish THE UNWORTHY DESIRE THAT THE CHANGEABLE
MIGHT BECOME UNCHANGING. The DEMON OF WORLDLY DESIRES is always seeking chances to deceive the mind.
If a viper lives in your room and you wish to have a peaceful sleep, you must
first chase it out. You must break the bonds of worldly passions and drive
them away as you would a viper. You must positively PROTECT
YOUR OWN MIND."
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
The clue lies in abandon, giving away. In other
words, non-attachment.
Now, there are two forms of non-attachment:
- Physical
- Mental
They can occur separately or together.
(pp. 297-297)
Thus of the mind and the ego-sense -- if one ceases the other
ceases to be. Hence, instead of entertaining the notion of
bondage and that of liberation, abandon all cravings and through wisdom and
dispassion, bring about the cessation of the mind. If even the wish,
"May I be liberated" arises within you, the mind is revived...
(Reference: 170)
In physical non-attachment, you completely throw away
or abandon everything and walk away.
In mental non-attachment, you completely throw away
or abandon everything mentally. All the physical things stay as it is. You live
with them. “Enjoying” them. BUT they don’t belong to you. They belong to your
parents, or brother or a relative or someone else. You enjoy with complete
mental detachment. You don’t have physical attachment either, for they are not
yours, they belong to someone else. Various examples of this higher concept can
be provided:
Chuudhaalaa (Cudala). Saintly wife of King Shikhidhvaja.
When he renounced his kingdom, she gave him instruction in the Aathmik knowledge and brought
him back to the throne.
Aathmik. Of or pertaining to the Aathma.
Aathma (Atma). The real Self, one's divinity, God, the
substance of everything, the unseen basis, the spark of God within. The Aathma is
unchanging and immortal; It does not die.
(Reference: 165)
(pp. 445-447)
Cudala:
Why did you not abandon everything in total
renunciation?
Shikihidhvaja:
I have renounced the kingdom, the palace,
the country and my wife, too. How is it then that you think that I have not
renounced everything?
Cudala:
Wealth, wife, palace, kingdom, the earth
and the royal umbrella and your relatives are not yours, O king: renouncing
them does not constitute total renunciation! There is something else which
seems to be yours and which you have not renounced, and that is the best part
of renunciaiton. Renounce that totally and ... attain freedom from sorrow.
Shikihidhvaja:
Paraphrased: Then I will abandon the
forest where I now live and everything within this forest, and I will abandon
the hut that serves as my home. Surely now I have completely renounced
everything!
Cudala:
You have not renounced everything, O
king... You have something, as it were, which you have not renounced, that is
the best part of renunciaiton. When that is also utterly abandoned without
leaving a residue, then you will attain the supreme state, free from sorrow.
After some thought, Shikihidhvaja said:
There is only one more thing left ... and
that is this body... I shall now abandon that too and destroy it, and thus
achieve total renuncation...
Cudala:
O king, why do you vainly endeavour to
destroy this innocent body? ... The body is not responsible for the experience
of pleasure and pain. Further, destroying the body does not mean total renunciation.
On the other hand, you are throwing away something which is an aid to such
renunciation! If you are able to renounce that which functions through this
body and which agitates this body, then you have truly abandoned all sin and
evil and then you will have become a supreme renouncer. If that is renounced,
everything (including the body) is renounced. Otherwise, the sin and evil, even
if they remain submerged temporarily, will arise again...
Shikihidhvaja:
Holy sir, please tell me what that is which
should be renounced.
Cudala:
... It is the mind alone which is referred
to variously as buddhi, the cosmos, egosense, prana, etc. Hence its abandonment
alone is total renunciaiton. Once it is abandoned, the truth is experienced at
once. All notions of unity and diversity come to an end; there is peace.
(Reference: 170)
Readers of the novel “Musashi” come across many a
Japanese noble-men (For example, the character Koetsu)who lived at that period
(1584?-1645) (Reference: 58, 167, 168). Many of them are adepts in the concept
of Zen. They are not monks, living in a forest or hill. They live in palaces,
mansions, in complete oneness with the environment. Equivalent to great Zen
masters.
There was a layman named Vimalakirti. He lived
lay-life in complete agreement with the environment. A complete Zen adept. Few
Zen masters could rival Vimalakirti. His teachings are available in reference:
166 which we go through in due course.
What makes open-source software more impressive than
copyrighted software? You can go into the source-code, create new applications
depending on the environment. You don’t have to accept generalized software.
Something like, you write something. Release it like
a bird. The writing goes away, into society. Some take the writing, modify it
to their aptitude and develops a higher concept. Something more better or
advanced than the initial author’s concept. The initial author doesn’t hold on
to the writing as “This is mine alone”. “Nobody can touch it”. “This is my
creation”. There is no attachment to the writing or whatever. After all it is
just a writing. Implementation is what matters.
You take a balloon. Fill it with gas or air. If you
hold on to the balloon, how far can the balloon go? Not very far. Because you are
holding to the string. The balloon can reach a certain height only, until the
end of the string. So, for the balloon to go higher and higher, you just have
to release the balloon. Just let the string go! The balloon will then rise up
and up and …
The initial creator of the open source software
created only the basics. Other adepts modified it further. It modified and
modified and…
This concept also explains why some of the adepts
were reluctant to put down in writing the spiritual concepts. They don’t have
attachment even to the “writings”. Others who wanted to modified the concepts,
built castles from the foundation.
Then, there are those who combine the good of both
forms of “detachment”. The character Takuan in the novel Musashi is the right
example. Takuan, just like Musashi was a real life character. A wandering
Buddhist monk. One who paved the way for the transformation of Musashi to a
warrior from an irritable and arrogant youth. One who equally moves in palaces
as well as forests and mountains. One who sits with the nobles, samurai
warriors as well as monks in far away monasteries and temples. Today that word
Takuan is “honored” in Japan in the form of Takuan pickles, a daily food
supplement.
Which is more important: You, the author’s name or
the teaching?
According to the Lord Buddha, it is the teaching that
will stand the test of time. So the teaching is released like a bird.
"Now, Ananda, if it occurs to any
of you -- 'The teaching has lost its authority; we are without a Teacher' -- do
not view it in that way. Whatever Dhamma and Vinaya I have pointed out and
formulated for you, that will be your Teacher
when I am gone."
- Digha Nikaya 16, Maha-parinibbana
Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding
A lighted lamp from which hundreds and hundreds of
lamps can be lighted!
"The problem seems to be that the
older and more famous the sword is, the more the owner is inclined to make sure
it's stored in a safe place. But then nobody can get at it to take care of it,
and the blade gets rustier and rustier."
"The owners are like parents who
protect their children so jealously that the children grow up to be fools. In
the case of children, more are being born all the time, doesn't make any
difference if a few are stupid. But swords . . ."
(Reference: 168)
It need not be sword alone. It can be anything. The
more you are attached to it, you destroy it indirectly!
Law 5 testing
Train to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs
which lead to carelessness.
3 He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
-
Numbers 6:3 :: King James Version (KJV)
No smoking. No chewing or use of betel-leaves or such
chewable intoxicants or chewables that give a temporary “heightened” mental
state or give relief to head-ache. No energy-drink, aphrodisiac-drink etc. No
intake of any drugs including un-necessary medicine. If you are not sick,
refrain from taking any form of medicine, even vitamin tablets. Simple
head-ache doesn’t mean immediate medicine. No unnecessary eating of any sort,
other than the normal food at the allowed time. No form of injection. In
certain orthodox monasteries, food is considered medicine. Hence food should be
consumed sparingly. The body is trained to withstand less food and drink. That
is austerity. Severe austerities act as a heavy boost or acceleration to
concentrated meditation. Yes, the body will be bony. Fat drained off.
17 From now on, please do not trouble
me. For I have marks on my body that show I belong to the Lord
Jesus.
-
Galatians 6:17 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
belong to the Lord Jesus to energy
29 No one ever hated his own body.
But he feeds it and takes care of it.
-
Ephesians 5:29 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
But, spiritual energy is being concentrated
in the bones. The bones thereby becomes very powerful, magnetically. The cremated bones or relics of
many a disciple of the Blessed One, on achieving nibbana, are given great
reverence and safely entombed and worshiped in stupas.
According to Ayurveda, semen is the
last Dhatu that is formed out of food. Out of food is manufactured chyle. Out
of chyle comes blood. Out of blood comes flesh. Out of flesh comes fat. Out of
fat comes bone. Out of bone comes marrow. Out of marrow comes semen. These are the Sapta Dhatus or
the seven Dhatus that support this life and body. Mark here how precious
is semen! It is the last essence. It is the Essence of
essences. The Veerya comes out of the very marrow that lies
concealed inside the bones.
(Reference: Swami Sivananda. (1997)
Practice
of Brahmacharya. (WWW
Edition) Himalayas, India:
The Divine Life Society. Chapter 6: The Value of Semen.)
According to the oldest authority, the
Maha-parinibbana Suttanta (5 BC), the Lord Buddha was cremated at Kusinara in
India and his relics were allotted to eight different parties.
“And it came about that when the body
of the Blessed One had been cremated, no ash or soot remained of the skin,
tissue, flesh, sinews, and fluids. Only bone relics remained.” (Reference:
82)
According to legendary tales, the King of the Devas,
Lord Devendra, have a very powerful weapon, Vajra, which emits lightning and
thunder. What was this weapon Vajra? The bones of a highly advanced Rishi, Sage
Dadeechi. The spiritual power or magnetism concentrated on the bones through
austerities were so powerful, that Vajra, made from those bones, is a very
formidable weapon. Specially made to counter the threat from Vrita, the Asura,
created from fire to destroy Lord Devendra.
…Vajra (thunderbolt) the most powerful
weapon with a hundred bulging knots. This Vajraayudha possessed also in it the
effulgence of Vishnu as well as the accumulated power of the sage's penance. (Reference: 84)
Harmful substances to be avoided
Vanilla
an aphrodisiac
Just smelling vanilla will begin to get you … motivated.
Those with a history of liver problems like Jaundice,
- Should
abstain from alcoholic beverages.
- Should
always exercise caution on food and drink
- No
unwanted tonics, tablets, vitamin capsules, medicine, drugs etc. A part of
such “medicine” might sediment onto the liver
- Give
importance to the liver. A second jaundice attack could be more lethal
- The
best drink anytime, anywhere is always hot water. Nothing else.
- Strictly
no beer, though many classify it as non-alcoholic. Many beer drinkers
become obese with excess water content in body. Slender and bony is the
ideal body formation for man and woman.
Indians may be particularly susceptible
to alcoholic liver disease…
(Reference: 124)
Some Notes on Lord Indra/Devendra
He is described as being of a ruddy or
golden colour, and as having arms of enormous length; “but his forms are
endless, and he can assume any shape at will.”
His weapon is the thunderbolt, which he
carries in his right hand; he also uses arrows, a great hook, and a net, in
which he is said to entangle his foes.
As deity of the atmosphere, he governs
the weather and dispenses the rain; he sends forth his lightning’s and thunder,
and he is continually at war with Vritra or Ahi, the demon of drought and
inelement weather, whom he overcome with his thunderbolts, and compels to pour
down the rain.
Strabo describes the Indians as
worshipping Jupiter Pluvius, no doubt meaning Indra, and he has also been
compared to Jupiter Tonans.
He is frequently represented as destroying the
“stone-built cities” of the Asuras or atmospheric demons, and of the Dasyus or
aborigines of India.
More hymns are addressed to Indra than
to any other deity in the Vedas, with the exception of Agni.
There was a triad of gods – Agni,
Vayu, and Surya – which held a pre-eminence above the rest, and Indra
frequently took the place of Vayu.
In the later mythology Indra has fallen
into the second rank. He is inferior to the triad, but he is the chief of all
the other gods.
…he reigns over Swarga, the heaven of
the gods and of beatified spirits, which is a region of great magnificence and
splendour.
He sends the lightning and hurls the
thunderbolt, and the rainbow is his bow.
He is frequently at war with the
Asuras, of whom he lives in constant dread, and by whom he is often worsted.
According to the Maha-bharata he
seduced, or endeavoured to seduce, Ahalya, the wife of the sage Gautama, and
that sage’s curse impressed upon him a thousand marks resembling the female
organ, so he was called Sa-yoni; but these marks were
afterwards changed to eyes, and he is hence called Netra-yoni, and Sahasraksha `the
thousand-eyed.’
In the Ramayana it is related that
Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka or Ceylon, warred against Indra in his own
heaven, and that Indra was defeated and carried off to Lanka by Ravana’s son
Megha-nada, who for this exploit received the title of Indra-jit, `conqueror of
Indra.’ Brahma and the gods had to sue for the release of Indra, and to
purchase it with the boon of immortality to the victor. Brahma then told the
humiliated god that his defeat was a punishment for the seduction of Ahalya.
His libertine character is also shown
by his frequently sending celestial nymphs to excite the passions of holy men,
and to beguile them from the potent penances, which he dreaded.
“Indrani,wife of Indra,…in the
Rig-veda, and is said to be the most fortunate of females, “for her husband shall never die of old
age.”
Divas-pati, `ruler of the atmosphere’
Puran-dara, `destroyer of cities’
Uluka, `the owl’
(Reference: 116)
Law 6 testing
Train to refrain from eating at the forbidden time
(i.e., after noon).
For a soldier on the battle-field, there are no
time-breaks for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinners. It is not dancing in the
battle-field, in a leisure-manner. The soldier deals with life and death. A
slight mistake, either the soldier is wounded, maybe gravely or the soldier
doesn’t have a body anymore to continue his/her fight. According to the laws of
combat, the soldier eats a little in the dawn and goes for combat until
sun-set, where the normal terrain warfare ends. The soldier rests for a while
until the sun rises. But for an elite commando on special operations, the war
goes on for 24-hours round-the-clock day-in and day-out.
So too the life of the Warrior of the Lord.
“If you do not fast from the world, you
will not find the Kingdom.... “
- Jesus, Gospel of
Thomas, Saying 27
A meal a day, as little as possible is the only
permitted meal.
“Congratulations to those who go
hungry, so the stomach of the one in want may be filled.” - Jesus, Gospel of Thomas, Saying 69
"Fair goes the dancing when the
Sitar is tuned,
Tune us the Sitar neither low nor high,
And we will dance away the hearts of
men.
The string overstretched breaks, the
music dies,
The string overslack is dumb and the
music dies,
Tune us the Sitar neither low nor
high."
-
The song of the dancing girls that helped the Lord Buddha
to realize that He should not go to extremes in torturing the body by
starvation and that He should adopt the middle path by avoiding the extremes.
Yet it depends on the environment.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
“And Allâh drove back those who
disbelieved in their rage, they gained no advantage (booty, etc.). Allâh
sufficed for the believers in the fighting (by sending against the
disbelievers a severe wind and troops of angels). And Allâh is Ever AllStrong,
AllMighty.”
-
Quran, Surah Al-Ahzab(33) Ayah 25
(Interpretors: M
Al-Hilali & M Muhsin Khan)
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
“Ma'qil b. Yasar reported Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) as
saying: Worshiping during the period
of widespread turmoil is like emigration towards me.”
- Quran, Hadith, Sahih
Muslim Book 41, Number 7042
After days of wandering and combat, if the
warrior ever returns to his/her “kin and kith”for a brief period of rest, the
environment modifies to testing the taboos of Law six. A positive significance
indeed. The “kin and kith” out of their happiness serves too much food,
different types of food as a mark of their belovedness.
“…the gift of food ranks with sexual
temptation as one of the largest issues in a bhikkhu's -- or anyone's --
life.”
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)
The Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated
& Explained Chapter Eight Part Four: The Food Chapter (Reference: 18)
Let the warrior test his/her body when assaulted by
food of different types and see and understand critically his/her bodily
changes. Yes, the Lord is truly benevolent.
“You must not desire for the fruits of
your work.
Perform every action with your heart
fixed on the Supreme Lord.
Be even tempered in success and
failure.
Unite the heart with Brahman, and then
act.
That is the secret of non attachment.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
When you live in such a community, watch for the
words of the “Devil”. The Devil speaks through members of the community, to
entice you. To make you fall. He is always there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
looking for an opportunity, to defeat you. So watch. Observe. Keep vigil.
For your own well-being, there are indirect warnings
as well, on dont’s.
“Pope warns against playing God”
(Reference: 139)
When you live in such a community temporarily and
take more than one meal a day, ensure that you clean your bowels at least once
a month, by taking a suitable laxative. Why? When the master sleeps, it is
highly possible for the hard working servant to go on a drinking binge and
become mad temporarily - run away and do things not permitted by the master.
Master is the mind. Servant is the body. Excess food contain many a impurity.
Infrequent defecation, sediments the impurities inside the body. As time goes
on, the very impurities pressurize the body onto adverse reactions during
sleep. Serious practitioners of Hatha Yoga come across a technique called
“Nauli” for internal body cleaning, to deal with the above possible scenario.
The fruit papaya or papaw or paw paw acts as a good
substitute for a laxative drug. Being rich in Vitamin A, it also good for the
eyes, “The Eye of the Soul”.
For those who fast one day, once a month or once a
week, a worthy observation:
Consider you are fasting once a week. Be it any day.
Monday or Thursday, or Saturday or whatever. For six days you eat normally. 2
or 3 meals or more a day. Meals constitute food and drink. All of a sudden one
day, you are not eating or drinking. A hard-core fasting. 6 days additional
energy is pumped in through food and drink. The seventh day (Monday, or
Tuesday, …) no supply of normal input. The body reacts adversely. Violently.
Excess energy input by means of one meal on that day can be pushed out by involuntary
emission, for those who are trainees. Those not on celibacy vow, the mind gets
affected also. A heated up body due to fasting, giving a heated up mind. A
“heightened” mind during night time. Sexual arousal is highly likely.
To counter that scenario, fasting should be at least
2 or more days in a week. Instead of always getting used to input of excess
energy, let the body get used to withholding of additional energy. On a minimum
scale, fast 2 days a week, with 2 meals on the other 5 days. An advanced option
is one meal a day, seven days a week.
According to the learned Chaldaeans, 3 days of
fasting per week (sacrifice the pleasure of food) is ideal.
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Reference
Westcott,
W Wynn. (Ed.)
(1993) The Chaldæan
Oracles. 1stEdition. Northamptonshire,
England: The Aquarian Press. ISBN: 0-85030-334-6. Pages: 64.
http://pages.zoom.co.uk/midnight-sun/chaldean_oracles_-_1.htm
http://www.esotericarchives.com/oracle/oraclez.htm
Page 62
192. For three days and no longer need
ye sacrifice.
- Pic. Concl. Z.
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32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto
him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they
continue with me now three days, and have nothing to
eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint
in the way.
-
Matthew 15:32 :: King James Version (KJV)
Serious fasting of more than once a week is not
advised for non-celibates, especially men and women living married life. Fasting more than once
a week, continuously over a long period, contains or reduces the sex urge or
sexual arousal. The body is “chained” from vulgarity. Thus it is not advisable for
those who live “normally” in modern society. What is the point, in a wife
undergoing heavy fasting, while the husband, sexually aroused? If both on
mutual acceptance, change their way of life, then the path is conducive to
spiritual welfare, to a certain extent. Refer section on Combat, last few paras. Otherwise, lot of
suffering through conflict of interest results in married life.
Celibacy and Cooking Food
Food is a form of energy. According to ancient
scriptures, one who cooks food imparts a part of one’s own energy to the food
being cooked. In a house-hold, servants or outsiders who handle or cook food
impart a part of their impure energy to the food, being cooked. Avoid
consumption of such food.
Pure Agnihotri Brahmins (a sect of pure Brahmins who
worship the sacred fire) eat food cooked within the family. No outside woman is
allowed to cook food for their consumption.
“In South India, the Brahmins who
perform Agni Hotra are called Agnihotris. Even today few Brahmins in remote
villages do follow this tradition. Twenty years back I had a conversation with
an Agnihotri Brahmin during the Upanayanam of my nephew in a village. He
explained to me his strict disciplined lifestyle: First, He never had eaten
food prepared and served other than by his wife. He maintained
permanent Agni preserved in a mud pot and conducted his Nithya Karma. He had
never stayed overnight other than at his permanent home in the village. He had
conducted his Yajnas regularly every day without any break.” (Reference: 61)
In Paul Brunton’s A Search in Secret India,
(Reference: 59), an instance is given where the author comes across a recluse astrologer
in Benares. That astrologer teaches the author the secret science of the soul.
In that context, the above mentioned concept of impure energy, from an outsider
who cooks food, is mentioned.
So, for a celibate, either cook food oneself or let
one’s mother prepare food. No one else. Avoid cooked food from eating places,
hotels etc.
Give importances to the properties of food-items
intaken as food. Refer section on Law 5 Testing
Know the circumstances surrounding the Blessed One,
Lord Buddha’s demise:
Story 1
Story 2
It is worth mentioning that the Buddha did not die from eating
meat (poisoned or putrid pork), as it is so often mistaken. His last meal
consisted of "sukara-maddava"- which is correctly translated to be
(1) a pig's soft food, ie. food eaten by pigs, (2) "pig's delight,"
ie. a favourite food of pigs, (3) "pig-pounded," ie., food trampled
by pigs. It was actually a kind of mushroom called truffles. (Reference: 88)
Also know the dietary restrictions of celibates like
Bhisma. A tough and rigorous restriction. To maintain celibacy, is NOT simple.
In the Bodhisattva practice of minimising harm to all
beings and benefiting them as much as possible, the practice of vegetarianism as far as possible
plays an essential role.
All true practitioners of the
Bodhisattva path eventually relinquish meat-eating. In His previous lives, the
Buddha as a Bodhisattva would rather cut His own flesh to feed an eagle than
let it eat a smaller bird. All advanced practising Bodhisattvas are thus
necessarily vegetarians, since they cannot bear the pain of sentient beings.
The Buddha advised that meat should only be accepted if one
did not see, hear or suspect that the animal had been killed for oneself.
Only when all these three conditions are fulfilled is it considered pure meat. Proper
alms food fit these conditions.
The whole universe of meat eating and
animal slaughtering is an intricate web of interdependence, of related cause and effect.
plant life is not sentient life- they are not beings with reason and
emotion.
“For hundreds of thousands of years
the stew in the pot has brewed hatred
and resentment
that is difficult to stop.
If you wish to know why there are
disasters of armies and weapons in the world,
listen to the piteous cries from the
slaughterhouse at midnight.”
-Ancient Chinese Verse translated by
Gold Mountain Monastery Staff
All beings have at one point or another
been reborn as our kin. The practice of vegetarianism is thus the
practice of filial piety. It is the practice of the Loving-kindness, Compassion
and Equanimity to all beings, recognising that they have Buddha Nature (the
potential to become Buddhas) like us.
(Reference: 88)
“The eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great Compassion.”
-The
Mahaparinirvana Sutra
"...All monks who live purely and
all Bodhisattvas always refrain even from walking on grass; how can they agree
to uproot it? How then can those who practise great Compassion feed on the
flesh and blood of living beings?..." -The Surangama Sutra
”How can a monk, who hopes
to become a deliverer of others, himself be living on the flesh of sentient
beings?” -The
Surangama Sutra
”The Bodhisattva, whose nature is
Compassion, is not to eat any meat… For fear of causing terror to living
beings…let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain
Compassion, refrain from eating flesh.”
-The
Lankavatara Sutra
Law 7 testing
Train to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going
to see entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body
with cosmetics.
Movies/Shows
Movies, shows etc in modern environment are mostly
oriented towards titillating or giving short-term pleasure to the mind. Most
are oriented towards romanticism, warfare etc. Concepts opposed to the celibate
way of life. For cross-checking the two different life-styles, viewing such
shows for a certain period is advisable. Watch your mind carefully, during that
period. Through the eye faculty, the visual memory is absorbing a lot of
concepts that are impure, vulgar and rubbish. A heavy internal cleaning will be
required to remove such impurities later on.
Pornography
What do a trainee gain by watching pornography, sex
scenes etc? As mentioned above, if you watch movies during the testing period,
you filter the movies before-hand. Ensure they are NOT pornographic in nature.
Pornography heats up the mind. When in deep sleep, the visual memory of vulgar
scenes can come back from sub-conscious mind to cause emission. To be strictly
avoided. No testing required with pornographic material.
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Reference.
Hotz, Robert Lee. (Friday, November 8,
2002) Neuroscientists Mine
the Depths of Emotions. USA: Los Angeles Times.
In a study of how even relatively mild
emotions influence mental abilities, cognitive neuroscientists at Washington
University in St. Louis found that brain areas critical for reasoning,
intelligence and other types of higher cognition were swayed by watching a
horror film or a TV comedy for as little as 10 minutes.
Published this year in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, the brain-scanning experiment showed that the videos affected a
region of the prefrontal cortex just under the temples, thought to be important
for blending cognitive tasks together with emotional signals.
After viewing the clips, people took
simple tests of memory and mental ability. Their performance was helped or
hindered depending on how their mood had been affected by the videos.
"Mild anxiety actually improved performance
on some kinds of difficult tasks, but hurt performance on others," said psychologist
Jeremy Gray, who led the research team.
It doesn't take a scientist to know
that feelings can run ahead of common sense, but now researchers
are learning how emotions can trigger errors in judgment.
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Singing/Music
You can sing or listen to devotional songs, chanting
prayer or bhajan. Singing or listening to vulgar songs which are sexually
explicit, pop music etc results in “heightened” mind. A mind energized.
Accelerated. Heated up. Such a mind is dangerous. Thinking too many things.
Without precaution, commits many an action. An action whether it be verbal,
bodily or mental committed, is committed. No reversal. Reaction have to be
undergone. So careless action is dangerous for one’s own well-being.
Using perfumes, and beautifying the body with
cosmetics.
Such things are used for enticing the opposite sex.
Modern society does heavy use of the above things, to “act normal”. Just avoid
its usage and be simple and normal. You are what you are. Powdered face doesn’t
make one a “Cleopatra”. Perfumed body doesn’t make one a “human rose”. A
trainee doesn’t need perfumes or facial beautification with cosmetics.
Also, frequently wash your face, to reduce
temperature rise in the head.
When one actually lives in society, the life of a
“Cleopatra” is pathetic. Eyes everywhere, watching and watching. Freedom of
movement will be less. Many a men need special “favours” etc. Too much of
beauty is NOT a boon in modern society. It is better for such
people to be a monk or a nun, than living a sinned life. According to scriptures, good
actions and behaviour results in a natural “beauty” in a future life. Why waste
or sin that which is God-given, due to arrogance – the feeling of Snow White’s
step-mother “Is there a woman more beautiful than me?”.
Render unto the Ceaser, what belongs to the Ceaser.
Render unto the Lord, what belongs to the Lord.
So goes the Scriptures.
Beauty given by the Lord, is better to be given back
to the Lord, by living the life of a monk or a nun.
Is the gates of desire, once opened, can it be locked
up easily?
A beautiful woman might satisfy one man. After a
certain period, do the morality hold?
A beautiful man might satisfy one woman. After a
certain period, do the morality hold?
The following may be a novel. Yet isn’t a reasonable
fact? A moral question to any modern man or woman?
78 -
Stepan Arkadyevitch smiled. He knew
what was passing in Levin's soul.
"I'll come some day," he
said. "But women, my boy, they're the pivot everything turns upon. Things
are in a bad way with me, very bad. And it's all through women. Tell me frankly
now," he pursued, picking up a cigar and keeping one hand on his glass;
"give me your advice."
"Why, what is it?"
"I'll tell you. Suppose you're
married, you love your wife, but you're fascinated by another woman..."
"Excuse me, but I'm absolutely unable
to comprehend how...just as I can't comprehend how I could now, after my
dinner, go straight to a baker's shop and steal a roll."
Stepan Arkadyevitch's eyes sparkled
more than usual.
"Why not? A roll will sometimes
smell so good one can't resist it."
"Himmlisch ist's, wenn ich
bezwungen Meine irdische Begier; Aber doch wenn's nich gelungen Hatt' ich auch
recht huebsch Plaisir!"
As he said this, Stepan Arkadyevitch
smiled subtly. Levin, too,
79 -
could not help smiling.
"Yes, but joking apart," resumed
Stepan Arkadyevitch, "you must understand that the woman is a sweet,
gentle loving creature, poor and lonely, and has sacrificed everything. Now,
when the thing's done, don't you see, can you possibly cast her off? Even
supposing one parts from her, so as not to break up one's family life, still,
can one help feeling for her, setting her on her feet, softening her lot?"
"Well, you must excuse me there.
You know to me all women are divided into two classes...at least no...truer to
say: there are women and there are...I've never seen exquisite fallen beings,
and I never shall see them, but such creatures as that painted Frenchwoman at
the counter with the ringlets are vermin to my mind, and all fallen women are
the same."
"But the Magdalen?"
"Ah, drop that! Christ would never
have said those words if He had known how they would be abused. Of all the
Gospel those words are the only ones remembered. However, I'm not saying so
much what I think, as what I feel. I have a loathing for fallen women. You're
afraid of spiders, and I of these vermin. Most likely you've not made a study
of spiders and don't know their character; and so it is with me."
"It's very well for you to talk
like that; it's very much like
80 -
that gentleman in Dickens who used to
fling all difficult questions over his right shoulder. But to deny the facts is no
answer. What's to be done--you tell me that, what's
to be done? Your wife gets older, while you're full of life. Before
you've time to look round, you feel that you can't love your wife with love,
however much you may esteem her. And then all at once love turns up, and you're
done for, done for," Stepan Arkadyevitch said with weary
despair.
Levin half smiled.
"Yes, you're done for,"
resumed Oblonsky. "But what's to be done?"
"Don't steal rolls."
Stepan Arkadyevitch laughed outright.
"Oh, moralist! But you must
understand, there are two women; one insists only on her rights, and those
rights are your love, which you can't give her; and the other sacrifices
everything for you and asks for nothing. What are you to do? How are you to
act? There's a fearful tragedy in it."
"If you care for my profession of
faith as regards that, I'll tell you that I don't believe there was any tragedy
about it. And this is why. To my mind, love...both the sorts of love, which you
remember Plato defines in his Banquet, served as the test of men. Some men only
understand one sort, and some only
81 -
the other. And those who only know the
non-platonic love have no need to talk of tragedy. In such love there can be no
sort of tragedy. I'm much obliged for the gratification, my humble
respects'--that's all the tragedy. And in platonic love there can be no
tragedy, because in that love all is clear and pure, because..."
At that instant Levin recollected his
own sins and the inner conflict he had lived through. And he added
unexpectedly:
"But perhaps you are right.
Very likely...I don't know, I don't know."
"It's this, don't you see,"
said Stepan Arkadyevitch, "you're very much all of a piece. That's your
strong point and your failing. You have a character that's all of a piece, and
you what the whole of life to be of a piece too--but that's not how it is. You
despise public official work because you want the reality to be invariably
corresponding all the while with the aim--and that's not how it is. You want a man's work,
too, always to have a defined aim, and love and family life always to be undivided--and that's not how it is. All the variety, all the
charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow."
Levin sighed and made no reply. He was
thinking of his own affairs, and did not hear Oblonsky.
And suddenly both of them felt that
though they were friends,
82
though they had been dining and
drinking together, which should have drawn them closer, yet each was thinking
only of his own affairs, and they had nothing to do with one another. Oblonsky
had more than once experienced this extreme sense of aloofness, instead of
intimacy, coming on after dinner, and he knew what to do in such cases.
"Bill!" he called, and he
went into the next room where he promptly came across and aide-de-camp of his
acquaintance and dropped into conversation with him about an actress and her protector.
And at once in the conversation with the aide-de-camp Oblonsky had a sense of
relaxation and relief after the conversation with Levin, which always put him
to too great a mental and spiritual strain.
(Reference: 140)
Can any one living in modern society dispute the
above concept? Every man or woman face it in their daily life, one way or
other!
By the way, Leo Tolstoy evolved a variant life style
– ascetic Christianity in Russia.
There is an indirect derivative of Law 7. The role of
friendship. The role of companionship.
In modern society, it is better for a trainee not to
have friendship or companionship. There used to be a time where the concept of
“sat-sangh” was prevalent. Many like-minded trainees sincere to the common
goal.
In modern times, the concept got immoral, degraded.
Men attend Bible classes, scripture classes, religious classes to hunt for
sheep-minded women, no matter what society. Something opposing to the very
concept of spirituality. How can one form “sat-sangh” with such men?
Many believe crime in society is a random event. If
we analyse many a crime in-depth, we find criminal elements are NOT random as
popular belief. Somebody walking on the road doesn’t get into your house to do
some mischief. In majority of cases, it is one’s own inner group of friends,
companions, neighbours, relatives etc who know or watch your personal life.
Refer Volume 2 on Neighbourhood Test. People who know your whereabouts,
secrets etc. From the outside, yes, the actual crime might be done by a hired
third person. But the conspiracy of many a major crime gets traced back to
inner circle of people one deals with.
Bad companionship destroys many a character from a
young age.
Law 8 testing
Train to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious
sleeping place.
For those who are orthodox trainees: Keep it simple.
No mattress. No pillow. No mat. A mosquito net, to protect from mosquito bite.
A plain bed-sheet to cover from cold weather. Also refer section on Psychological Warfare. Let Mother Earth be your bed and
mattress.
Couple of questions regarding Reference 18 and 26
·
Since intake of excess energy, in the form of food, becomes a major
impediment for mental training, it is worth to know why the following finer
staple foods, i.e., ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey, sugar/molasses, fish, meat,
milk, and curds are officially banned. Eggs also to be included. (Reference:
18)
·
To be on the practical side, which all this hardship to conserve seminal
energy? Why shouldn’t it be wasted?
The answer to the above two questions lie in
Reference: 26
The answers in brief:
-
The banned finer staple foods increase the sex drive, to
continue copulation, repeatedly again and again with minimum tiredness to the
man.
-
Excess waste of seminal energy reduces one’s eye-sight, with early
blindness, probably in middle age itself. Eyes are the window to the Soul.
To be protected and preserved. Becoming blind in the prime of one’s life
due to lack of self-control is not a worthy option. Many cover up their seminal
wastage and dirty habits with early and “fashionable” wearing of spectacles.
Something similar to hiding one’s “dirty passions” within a fortress like a
pair of spectacles.
22 `The body gets
its light through the eyes. If you have good eyes, all your body will have
light. - Matthew 6:22 ::
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
23 But if your eyes
are bad, all your body will be in darkness. If the light in you is dark, it
will be very dark for you.' -
Matthew 6:23 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
21 “Here is what comes
from the heart: wrong thoughts, all kinds of adultery, stealing,
killing, wanting things that other people have, doing very wrong things,
fooling people, breaking the law, jealousy, saying wrong things about people,
being proud, being foolish.”
- Mark 7:21 :: Worldwide English (New
Testament) (WE)
Yes, Semen is not to be wasted. It has a
rightful place to reach – the Kundalini, in one’s brain itself. Not anywhere
else, as many in modern society recommend/teach. So, be wise and train
yourself!!!
19 “It is easy to see the wrong things
people want to do. Both married people and those who are not
married commit adultery. People make themselves
unclean because of their wrong use of sex. They do things they
should be ashamed of doing.”
-
Galatians 5:19 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Truly, the Lord is the most intelligent. Man
left the first two gates, the Eyes, unguarded. He imagined and visualized what
he saw as the most beautiful, the opposite sex. Such imagination heated him up
and he voluntarily opened the ninth opening. Once he opened that vital gate,
in the height of passion, he forgot to close it!
Pleasure made him forget the Lord. So what did the
Lord do? Since it all started with the Eyes, it will end with the Eyes. Such a
careless and ignorant man is rewarded with blindness. Will a blind man admire
the so called “beauty” again?
How wise is the Lord!!! Praise the Lord! Praise the
Lord! Praise the Lord! For the Lord alone is the most Beautiful!!!
“Arjuna also says that the personality
of the Lord is very difficult to understand and that He cannot be known even by
the great demigods. This means that the Lord cannot even be known by
personalities greater than human beings.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Introduction
“There are numerous ways to awaken
Kundalini but generally these approaches may divided into two groups.
In the first group are paths such as Mantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga,
Laya Yoga or Raja Yoga. In these paths the Kundalini is awakened
through the effort of the individual. In the second
group is the path that is variously called Sahaja Yoga, Kundalini
Yoga or Siddha Mahayoga. In this path the Kundalini is spontaneously
awakened by the grace of the Siddha guru in a process that is called Shaktipat.
This path is called Siddha Mahayoga because the processes of Mantra
Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga and Raja Yoga all take place spontaneously after
being initiated through the grace of a Siddha.
…Once one's Kundalini is awakened
through Guru's grace a variety of experiences may occur, some of
these potentially terrifying.” (Reference: 23)
The reverse process is also similar. How?
Imagine a person drinking the most tastiest drink.
Once, such a drink is tasted, all other drink will be tasteless to him. So too one
who experiences the Lord. Legends record that ever since Moses came down from
the mountains, after his rendezvous with the Lord, in the form of a burning
bush, he was “blind”. (Exodus 34: 29-35) He never looked anyone to the face, and his head
was hooded. To him, his wife and son were “dead” even though they were alive.
For to Moses, after his transformation, only he and the Lord existed, yet Lord
commanded him to be his emissary, and send him back to his people.
(Note: A school of Eastern ancients, specifically of
the Hindus, Buddhists and the Jains, call the above opposite phenomenon as the
Concept of Duality. Something that is applicable both ways, like a
two-edged sword. Such a sword can cut forwards, and on the return path, cut
backwards also. More powerful than a single-edged sword.)
“The Radiant Face of Moses
29 When Moses came down from Mount
Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that
his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord .
30 When Aaron and all the Israelites
saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron
and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them.
32 Afterward all the Israelites came
near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount
Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to
them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord 's
presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he
came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
35 they saw that his face was radiant.
Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with
the Lord .
- Exodus 34:29-35 ::
New International Version (NIV)
Some questions to ponder on the above note:
- Will
ever such a person return back to the “normal” way of living?
- If
such a person is send back to his people or to live among the “normal”
people, where ever, will ever he be “normal”?
“The inquiry into the real nature of
Brahman has no return.”
-
Maharshi Vyasa in the Brahma Sutras
To ponder:
What, then is “normal”?
The way the society live in? Is it “normal”? or Is it
“abnormal”?
Who is actually “blind”? Is it the society? Or is it
the seeker of the Lord?
One of them ought to be “blind”. Is it true?
“Blind” to what? A different way of living?
Pirsig in his classic best-seller Zen and the Art
of Motorcycle Maintenance tells the life of a seeker of the Lord as an
inner story while maintaining the driving around in his bike as the outer
story. Interesting to read and understand. For it helps to be fore-warned on
what could be the life of a seeker of the Lord. (A “mental patient”? Or Is
it really a “mental patient”?) (Robert M Pirsig (1984) Zen and
the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) (Reference: 25)
19 And they said one to another,
Behold, this dreamer cometh.
-
Genesis 37:19 :: King James Version (KJV)
An analogy from modern society: Modern society has its own code of
etiquette, rules of behaviour, to be followed when two or more people interact
in public. eg., dress code. One doesn’t dress in complete black color when one
is attending certain functions in modern western society, for black is regarded
as the color of destruction. Usually black clothing is used for funeral
functions. In other words, there is a specific place for each and everything.
One doesn’t normally eat food in the toilet. There is a dining room
specifically for food consumption.
A fresh water fish will find extreme difficulty to
survive in a sea, where salt levels are high.
So too the concept of the seeker of the Lord.
In modern society, such a seeker will be regarded as
a “lunatic”, fit for the mental asylum.
But there are monasteries, temples of the Lord which
are closed to society. Public can visit only the outer visitor’s area of such
temples. No public access to inner temples. Only the resident monks have access
to the inner temples. A world within a world. An island within an island.
The seeker of the Lord considered as “lunatic” in
modern society is considered as a priceless gem in such monasteries, given
great authority over the affairs of the monastery and its well-being, one with
the exclusive permission to offer special prayers and rituals before the
innermost altar of the Lord, which only very few advanced resident monks have
permission. Reference 27 give the life biography of such a seeker of the Lord,
one who reached higher levels of spiritual advancement.
Having decided to live out the rest of his life in a monastery,
he chose an area with the most inaccessible ones: Lake Tana, where for half a
millennium monks, priests and nuns have lived isolated on about 20 islands. The islands are so
remote that the monasteries are still used as havens for the remains of
Ethiopian emperors, ancient icons, crosses, paintings and other treasures of
Ethiopia's Orthodox Christian church.
(Reference: 91)
The Monastery mentioned above is one such monastery
closed to the outside world, for the outside world is the world of Evil, where
the Devil moves freely, subduing each and everyone to pleasures or to seek
pleasures in the form of food, sleep, woman, money and fame/praise.
“Be sober, be vigilant,
because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour.” -
I Peter 5:8
19 “But they think about the things of
this world. They want to get money and other things to be happy. These things
push the message out of their hearts. No good comes from it.”
-
Mark 4:19 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
1 "To the angel of the church in
Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says
this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you
are dead.”
- Message to Sardis, Revelation 3:1 ::
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Devil cannot enter places of
worship of the above nature, nor even cross the outer boundary wall of the
temple. Such places of worship are closed to the Devil. (How? By strict
regulation/restriction on the five evils. Yet, Beware! There are places of
worship which lack strict enforcement of the laws. Such places of worship are
under the Devil inwardly, whereas outwardly there is a lot of pomp and show.
One way to filter out such places is to visit the place of worship, no matter
what religion, as a pilgrim, critically analyze how the laws of the Lord are
maintained, how strict the head priest or abbot is with the enforcement of the
Laws, how well and clean the place is maintained, etc., etc. By touring
different places of worship, one develops the ability to discern the Good from
the Evil. So, be careful not to enter the Devil’s house to rest after escaping
his territory after a fight. Not a good option! The Lord will always help, for
one fights for the Lord)
Due to the above reason, it is worth for the seekers
of the Lord to stay once in a while, for a certain duration, in monasteries of
the Lord, to be free from the attacks of the Devil and concentrate on their
spiritual development. Then they come out of the temple and live among the
masses incognito, waging war with the Devil. Such a war have a high possibility
of converting many an unbeliever back to believer of the Lord, no matter what
the religion.
After a considerable period of battle, with the Devil,
in Devil’s own home territory, the warrior returns back to the temple for
further training. To and fro he moves in different environments. Many a battle
fought, many a battle wounded, many a battle lost and won both ways. But the
name of the Lord spreads, anew, no matters what name. Many ignorant rethink
their ways of wasted life, to return back to the Lord and His Laws of training,
no matter what the name of the Lord.
Such a warrior does more service to the Lord than
live in deep jungles/mountains/deserts, for ever, away from society/mankind, to
continue further training.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain
in the Lord.
-
1 Corinthians 15:58 :: King James Version (KJV)
If you have lived and learned the life in a Zen
monastery, next time around, live in a monastery of a different ideology. Say,
a Christian Monastery, an Islam monastery, etc. Such different environments help
maturing your mind. A broad-minded nature of Oneness.
The Five Evils
The five evils for a man: Food, Sleep, Woman, Money,
Fame/Praise. The five evils for a woman: Food, Sleep, Man, Money, Fame/Praise.
That which is invisible is powerful and dangerous. Of the five evils,
Fame/Praise is invisible and hence very dangerous. It can get to one’s head and
make one full of ego and pride, “The Leader of the Goats”. One ought to be
humble and submissive like the lonely sheep. One can fight the other four, for
one can see them, but to the invisible is hard. Do whatever to face the
invisible, never allow it to get near. If one need to feign/pretend one’s own
death, if one need to banish/deport/exile oneself from one’s own country, let
it be, to escape from fame/praise. One can also implement the concept of the
three proverbial monkeys - One haven’t seen anything; One haven’t heard
anything; One haven’t said anything.
54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue,
insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence
hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is
not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and
Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all
with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto
them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his
own house.
58 And he did not many mighty
works there because of their unbelief.
-
Matthew 13:54-58 :: King James Version (KJV)
4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet
is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
-
Mark 6:4 :: King James Version (KJV)
Possessed by the Devil
The Devil is a “man” of pleasure. The devil can take
any form – man, woman, animal, bird, insect etc. It can even enter any body,
for it too is a form of Energy, a form of the Lord but impure and used for
training purposes like testing one’s will-power, one’s withstanding ability to
hard-ship etc. (An analogy: If all is a form of energy, then the food we eat
and the faecal matter we expel out of the eighth opening, anus, are both forms
of energy. Both the same. But can anyone eat food, when one bowl of food is
kept next to a bowl of faecal matter. Many lose their appetite for food. One is
pure (food), while the other is impure (faecal matter). They don’t go together.
So too, the Lord and the Devil) Legends record that the Devil can easily be
identified with the cleft feet, like the hoofs of a horse, the legs of a
lizard, the feet of a crow, the paws of a cat etc.
“Saint Augustine (354-430 CE)
invented a new type of demon - a kind of sexual tormentor. Incubi were
male fallen angels who sexually attacked women at night time and brought them
immense sexual pleasure. Succubae were female fallen angels who coupled
with men during their sleep. Their existence was confirmed by Thomas Aquinas
(1225-1274). Aquinas also believed that the devil is the cause of sin,
and "was probably the very highest angel who, through pride, fell
immediately after creation, seducing those who followed him to become his
subjects." (Reference: 33)
Being a “man” of pleasures, who gives only pleasure
to its victim, he cannot withstand pain. The moment the possessed body
commences to be beaten, he runs away or leaves the body. But he need a suitable
alternate body in the near vicinity to enter. Maybe the sudden appearance of a
crow, if no suitable body is available in the near vicinity! He moves from body
to body. He comes in a body, any form, and leaves in any body, any form. He can
also enter simultaneously multiple bodies.
31 So the devils besought him, saying,
If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32 And he said unto them, Go. And when
they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the
whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished
in the waters.
-
Matthew 8:31-32 :: King James Version (KJV)
"No man can serve two
masters" - Jesus
In ancient times, the forces of Devil used to
over-run isolated villages. The panic-sticken villagers used to seek shelter in
the village place of worship, be it a temple, church or whatever, for the impure
cannot go near the pure. The Devil and the Lord don’t go together. The Devil
cannot enter a true place of worship of the Lord.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
- James 4:7
A possessed body can be relieved/un-possessed of the
Devil either by
- Inducing
pain, by beating, torture
- Commanding
the Devil to leave, by a man of God – a monk, a priest etc. who have
sufficient powers or knowledge to overpower the specific entity. The man
of God should be one who can kill the evil spirit if need be, for there
are cases where the evil spirit is more powerful than the one who command
it to leave, resulting in death of the one who commanded it to leave.
“If God has innumerable angels as
messengers, and a visible church of believers, it was reasoned that Satan must
have demons as helpers and an invisible assembly of Satan worshipers. And so,
the church imagined the existence of an entire network of people who had sold
their soul to Satan, worshiped him, and dedicated their life to harming and
killing other people. With the exception of some mentally ill individuals,
no such network existed.” (Reference: 33)
Historical references exist where certain members of
the forces of Devil are brought out of the possessed body, by trained
tantriks/priests and nailed to certain trees.
Ancient Arabic literature record the imprisonment of
jinns in certain containers and thrown to oceans or hidden in desert
Ancient Egyptian literature record the imprisonment
of certain evil spirits in specially made containers and buried in secret
graves.
Christian literature, Islam literature, Jaina
literature, Buddhist literature, Hindu literature, no matter what religion, all
have references of the forces of Evil and the war against them.
“In the Hebrew Scriptures (Old
Testament) he is called “Satan,” and, though he does not show up very often, we
find him in the first chapter of Job trying to undermine Job’s credibility,
and, thereby, God’s own discernment. If Job is not as righteous as God thinks,
then God is not as smart as he thinks either. That, at least, is Satan’s
stratagem. Then, in the New Testament, the devil attempts to counteract God’s
work of redemption at every point. So, we see him early on in Christ’s ministry
(Matthew 4 and Luke 4) tempting Christ himself to veer from his path.
There is also a devil in Islam. He is
called Iblis as well as Satan, and the Qur’an tells us that he was too prideful
to bow down before Adam along with all of the other angels, as God (Allah) had
instructed them (Qur’an 2:34). Ever since then he has worked at luring people
away from devotion to God.
…Indian religions, including Hinduism
as well as Buddhism and Jainism, espouse a universe populated by many spirit
beings. There are the spirits that live on the lowest rungs of the cosmos in
hell; there are the hungry ghosts that roam the earth; there are the many
spirits that dwell in homes, rice fields, and forests. But then there are also
the mighty devil-gods, called the asuras, who have great power.” (Reference: 29)
Yet, modern man, by virtue of his ego/pride due to so
called “advanced education” or “technological advancement” failed to observe
his own surroundings. A sharp and critical observation of one’s own
surroundings reveal the movement of the invisible forces of Evil; for when they
come and leave, they always leave many a hints that show or reveal their
presence, which any sharp eye can discern!!!
“…Goodman concludes that it can neither
be proved nor disproved whether a possession is produce psychologically or by
an invading alien or demonic force.” (Reference: 31)
But remember, Devil is to be fought and defeated in
the spirit of warfare. After defeating an enemy, one shouldn’t have ill-will or
hatred for the defeated. Because he fought you for your own spiritual
advancement. A true man of God will never rear children. Imagine a highly
unlikely scenario where all the population in the planet become true men of
God. Then the human population is over, for there are no children.
18 And the LORD God said, It is not
good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
-
Genesis 2:18 :: King James Version (KJV)
So, by the Law of the Lord, only a certain number of people
can withstand the Devil, any time. (The gates of Heaven/the Kingdom of the Lord
is open only to a few) In other words, Man need the help of Devil to propagate
his own race.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou
wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou
shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom
thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the LORD God said unto the
woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent
beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the LORD God said unto the
serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and
above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life: -
Genesis 3:11-14 :: King James Version (KJV)
NOTE: GIVE SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO THE FIRST
SENTENCE GIVEN BELOW; FOR WE ANALYSE IT FURTHER WHEN WE DEAL WITH ANCIENT
RELIGIONS, LIKE GREEK, EGYPTIAN ETC. REMEMBER, FOR ONE WHO COMPLETES TRAINING,
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL FORCES. BOTH ARE ONE. IN
OTHER WORDS, IN A HIGHER STAGE OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, THERE IS ONLY A
SINGLE ENTITY, NO SEPARATION INTO GOOD AND EVIL.
“...In the development of religions,
the gods of the old religion often became the demons of the new faith. This was seen above
when Zoroastrianism was founded. It was seen again in the Middle Ages when many
of the attributes of the Greek God Pan were adsorbed by Satan: "goat-hoofs,
horns and unremitting lust; sometimes also a goat head and an attendant throng
of satyrs," who became demons. Pan was the horned God of the Greeks,
and is also seen as the horned consort of the Goddess among the Wiccans. Later,
he was given additional attributes: "a long serpentine tail with a
heart-shaped tip, long claw-like fingernails, the leathery wings of bats, and a
trident."
…The Roman church's Fourth Lateran
Council of 1215 determined that: "The devil and the demons were also
created by God; at the moment of their creation, they were not evil;
they became so through their own sins, and ever since they have busied
themselves with the temptation of men."” (Reference:
33)
Carnal desires, pleasures need to be induced in
diverse ways. The Devil, being dirty, directly facilitate that process, not the
Lord, the purest. (The Lord, the Creator of all, just oversee). Then only the
human population can multiply through a certain level of ignorance. So always
treat the enemy with respect, and fight as a man to a man, as per the laws of
an ethical warfare, in the name of the Lord!
“…one should not think of the asuras as
essentially and thoroughly evil.”(Reference: 29)
“Near the end of the 15th century, two
Dominicans by the name of Henry Kraemer and Jacques Sprenger wrote a book:
"Malleus Maleficorum" or "Witches' Hammer." It became the
legal reference book of the Witch burning times. The book was inspired
by a combination of hatred of women, fear of sexuality and religious
superstition. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people were accused of
Satan worship, tortured until they confessed, and burned at the stake.
…A few hours or days of pain on earth
was a great bargain if it avoided eternal torture in Hell. For 3 centuries,
Western Europe was caught in an orgy of demonic superstition. The last European
heretic was burned alive at the stake in Poland during 1792.
…The church taught that Satan can
appear as an angel of light. Thus the Inquisition might charge a person
with Satan worship if they claimed to have had an angelic vision. Joan of
Arc was so charged, as an "invoker of demons," and burned at the
stake. She was later recognized as a saint.
In 1972, the Catholic church abandoned
the office of Exorcist. Any priest can now approach his bishop for
permission to cast out demons. The church now views demon possession
as being primarily caused by a force "lurking within all individuals,"
not a living entity attacking from outside.
"Although Satan remained the tempter,
faith and prayer would deliver us from evil, and through a constant awareness
and charity, and the seeking after justice and individual holiness one can
defeat the devil." Satan is also regarded as an all-evil devil
by Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians. Many of the latter see the
Christian believer as permanently engaged in "Spiritual Warfare,"
fighting off continual attacks by Satan and his demons, who seek to dominate,
manipulate, tempt and control.”
(Reference: 33)
As already mentioned, the forces of Evil can take any
form for enticement. A handsome man, a beautiful woman etc. For a mortal man,
be careful with the female spirit, especially in deep sleep. A tough battle, at
the unguarded moment. Being a female, she is more clever than a male spirit.
She knows what she wants. The case is similar with a
mortal woman and a male spirit. Yes, they come to give pleasure or happiness,
but at what cost? Do one wish to get blind forever, at the cost of temporary
pleasure??
There is an ancient story in Chieng Mai
of a bhikkhu who was visited by a dazzling heavenly maiden late one night while
he was meditating alone in a cave at Wat Umong. He couldn't resist touching her
and, as soon as he did, went immediately out of his mind.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)
The Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated
& Explained Page 104 Chapter Five Sanghadisesa
(Reference: 18)
34 Your body gets its light through
your eyes. When you have good eyes, all your body has light. But
when your eyes are bad, your body is in darkness.
-
Luke 11:34 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
36 If no part of your body is dark,
it will all be light. It will be like a lamp that shines to give you
light.'
-
Luke 11:36 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Spirits are just energy forms, who don’t have a
physical body like mortals.
38 Look at my hands and my feet. You
can see that it is I myself. Touch me with your hands and see. A spirit does not have a
body and bones as you see I have.'
-
Luke 24:38 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Since they don’t have a physical body, they are more
powerful. They are invisible and can pass through anywhere. Analogy:
Electromagnetic waves are also energy forms, passing through many objects. But,
the coming and leaving of the spirits always leave many a clue in the
surroundings, showing/proving their visit. It is one’s own perception how they
are treated- either as an enemy or a friend. In the higher state of spiritual
training, all are brothers and sisters always, no matter who.
Mara, the Evil One
Riding on the back of Girimekhala, his celestial elephant, thousand-armed Mara, each hand
brandishing a deadly weapon, advanced at noon with an incredibly large army
toward the Bodhisatta（Buddha-to-be）to drive him from his
seat under the Bodhi tree.
Mara tried nine different weapons from his arsenal--a tornado, heavy rain, showers of hot rocks, various missiles, embers, hot ashes, hot sand, and hot mud,
and complete darkness--all in vain. Then he threw his last
great weapon, a sharp, spinning blade, but again with no
effect.
At last, Mara claimed
the Bodhisatta's seat for himself, but the Bodhisatta asked, "Mara, do you
have any witness of your greatness?
”Certainly！”Mara replied, and he
pointed to his soldiers who shouted, ”We are witnesses！”
”What witness do you
have?”Mara asked in return.
”Not even counting
other existences,” the Bodhisatta calmly answered, ”but recalling just a
fraction of the meritorious deeds I performed when reborn as Vessantara, this
great earth will be my witness that I have fulfilled the ten Paramis（merits）.”As the Bodhisatta
pointed to the ground, the earth roared so loudly that the elephant Girimekhala
dropped to its knees, and Mara's whole army fled in panic even before the sun
had set.
(Reference: 233)
Name of the Lord
“If there arise among you a prophet, or
a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or wonder, and the sign or the
wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee saying, 'Let us go after other
gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them,' thou shalt not harken
unto the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God
proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and
keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave
unto Him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death.” - Deuteronomy 13:1-5
“If there be found among you...man or
woman that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God...and hath
gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any
of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded...then shalt thou bring forth
that man or that woman...and shall stone them with stones, till they die.” - Deuteronomy 17:2-5
The reader can give any name to the Lord – Allah,
Jesus, Yahowah, Shiva – the Hindu God of Destruction, Vishnu – the Hindu God of
Preservation, Holy Mother, Amma, Shakti, Divine Mother, Saraswati Devi – the
Hindu Goddess of Truth, Justice, Knowledge and Virtue, Lakshmi Devi – the Hindu
Goddess of Wealth, Prosperity, Fertility and Love, Parvati Devi – the Hindu
Goddess of Power, Courage, Sacrifice and Strength, Ganapati – the Hindu God for
Obstruction/Danger Removal, Muruga – the Hindu God of War, Ayyappa, Surya,
Rama, Hanuman, Krishna, Buddha etc., etc.
“All these teach the ultimate truth
that "all this is Brahmam" (the eternal transcendent God who
permeates all and is given various names by different religions).”(Reference: 9)
“Since the human body itself is
veritably a temple, Deities within can be invoked and
worshipped. One has only to delve deep within to reach God who dwells in
each one of us. The path of Bhakti or Devotion is an easier method. Worship of a Deity or
Deities of one's choice "Ishta Devata," helps the devotees to focus
their attention and relate to God. The consecrated Vighrahas or idols,
when worshipped continuously, acquire a capacity to respond. They also glorify specific
attributes of the Absolute.”(Reference: 66)
The Temple is a center for devotion,
worship, performance of religious functions and expression of gratitude to the
deity of your choice. Sanctity of the Temple must be respected and silence must
be observed to avoid disturbance to the Temple activities.
On what is a temple? (Reference: 66)
Just give the name of whom you deeply admire, adorn. But
hold on to it forever. For that name becomes the key mantra/token for
chanting/prayer purposes. For example, legend records the giving of the name
“Rama” by the Sapta-Rishis to an ignorant hunter for meditative purposes; too
illiterate to utter the sacred mantra, still the hunter persevered with what he
could (rapidly pronouncing: aa-ma-ram-ee-ma-ram), as a drowning man holds on
even to a piece of straw to save his dear life; days and days of SOLITARY
MEDITATION on the sacred word finally transformed the hunter to a new man. He
became the legendary Sage Valmiki, the author of the great Hindu epic
“Ramayana”.
Refer the following picture:
Image of Polonnaruwa
Buddha, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.
(Reference: Sitting – Lotus
posture: Polonnaruwa
Buddha.)
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted
among the nations,
I will be
exalted in the earth!”
-
Psalm 46:10 :: New King James Version (NKJV)
"That monk is able to endure,
head, cold, hunger, thirst, the touch of mosquitoes, gadflies, wind, sun and
creeping things, abusive language and unwelcome modes of speech: he has grown
to bear bodily feelings which as they arise are painful, acute, sharp, severe,
wretched, miserable, deadly. Purged of all the
dross and impurities of attachment, aversion and confusion,[7] he is worthy of
oblations, offerings, respect and homage, an unsurpassed field of merit in the
world.
- Majjhima Nikaya 125.
Dantabhumi Sutta. The Discourse on the "Tamed Stage". (Reference: 146)
"Pazham Nee" which means in
Tamil, "Thou art Thyself the fruit of all wisdom and knowledge". (Reference: 67)
“Milarepa was energetic, sincere, hardworking
and intelligent. He was shut up in a cave. Food was passed inside by
the servant of Marapa through a small aperture in the side. Milarepa used to
sit in a rigid posture with a lighted-lamp on his head, without moving
till the light was out, were it night or day.
Milarepa meditated in various caves. His
body was reduced to a skeleton owing to severe austerities. He lived on
nettles only for several months. He followed the instructions of his Guru to
the very letter. He developed various Siddhis.”
(Reference: 54)
“…a devotee is in a relationship with
the Supreme Personality of Godhead in one of five different ways:
·
One may be a devotee in a passive state;
·
One may be a devotee in an active state;
·
One may be a devotee as a friend;
·
One may be a devotee as a parent;
·
One may be a devotee as a conjugal lover.”
- The Bhagavad-gita,
Introduction
Chanting
To accelerate self-control, chant one’s favorite
Lord’s name – Krishna, or Rama, or Ayyappa, or Jesus, or Allah or whatever.
In any form, chanting can be done.
Simple words
Krishna, Krishna, …
Or
Rama, Rama, …
Or
Yeshua, Yeshua, …
Or
Nabi, Nabi, …
Or any name, for all names are words. All words are
forms are energy
Or with respect
Krishna Namo/Namah, Krishna Namo/Namah, …
Or
Rama Namo/Namah, Rama Namo/Namah, …
Or
Yeshua Namo/Namah, Yeshua Namo/Namah, …
Or
Nabi Namo/Namah, Nabi Namo/Namah, …
Or any name combination
Or more with respect
Aum Krishna Namo/Namah, Aum Krishna Namo/Namah, …
Or
Aum Rama Namo/Namah, Aum Rama Namo/Namah, …
Or
Aum Yeshua Namo/Namah, Aum Yeshua Namo/Namah, …
Or
Aum Nabi Namo/Namah, Aum Nabi Namo/Namah, …
Or any name combination
Or
Aum Namo Krishna, Aum Namo Krishna, …
Or
Aum Namo Rama, Aum Namo Rama, …
Or
Aum Namo Yeshua, Aum Namo Yeshua, …
Or
Aum Namo Nabi, Aum Namo Nabi, …
Or any name combination
All energy. So any combination, depending on one’s
tastes
The Agamas explained the several forms
like Siva, Vishnu, Vasudeva, Muruga and Kali as manifestations of the
Supreme Formless God. Vedas also explained the Vedic Deities of
natural forces like Varuna and Agni as many subordinate forces working under
the Divine command of the Supreme Brahmam. Thus Hindus accept in one supreme God who is
without form and has no attributes. He takes the various forms so that the
people can comprehend His Glory. (Reference: 65)
Spiritual concepts are not tough to implement. Anyone who sincerely
approaches the Lord, the Lord will look after, for EVERYTHING is in the hands
of the Lord.
“… to show the Bhaktha that the protection to him is
from all possible direction, if he surrenders to the Lord.” (Reference: 40)
Basic Science
The basic fundamental block of science speaks of two
entities: Matter and Energy. Matter can further be classified into Solid,
Liquid, Gas and Plasma.
“Matter is the quintessential Tamasik
entity. Known as "Prakriti", or "Nature", it is made up of
five parts, which are called the "Paanch Mahaabhu", or "Paanch
Tattva", the five basic elements, these being Earth, Water, Fire, Air and
Ether/Space. These five tattva correspond to the five qualities of Smell,
Taste, Touch, Sound and Light respectively, which in turn can be related to the
five senses. Being made up of these five basic elements, the physical body is
known as "Shautik", or "Material".” (Reference: 22)
So anything the reader sense in this Universe, using the
five senses (see, hear, smell, taste and touch) plus the sixth sense,
thought, should belong to any of the above five. Frequently, the sixth
sense is mis-understood to be the mind.
Of course, being in ionized state, Plasma is
difficult to come across in normal surroundings.
So, in short,
Universe
- Energy
- Matter
·
Solid
·
Liquid
·
Gas
·
Plasma
Now comes the main question:
What is matter??
Matter is condensed Energy. (Reference: 8)
“Zephaniah 2:2-3
2 Before the decree bring forth, before
the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you,
before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.
3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of
the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek
meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.”
So we re-arrange the diagram as
Universe
Energy
Matter
·
Solid
·
Liquid
·
Gas
·
Plasma
“He who sees his Lord
within every creature
deathlessly dwelling
Amidst the mortal:
That man sees truly.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
In other words, anything in this Universe is Energy
in diverse forms.
“The sayana-murti is the most common
Visnu image in South India. Visnu is represented as resting on Sesa, the
world-snake, attended by Sri and often also by Bhumi, who is considered to be
his second wife. He represents the highest bliss, the state of absorption of
everything in him; through his darsana one obtains highest bliss; It is the
presentation of Vishnu in Vaikuntha. The snake itself is a highly symbolic
figure in Vaisnavism; though it is the enemy of Garuda, it is also the symbol
for eternal life and immortality, of secret power and mystery. The association
of the serpent with the water is also very meaningful: water is the primeval
element, the source of everything."
- K. K. Klostermaier, Hinduism: A Short
History, Oneworld Pub., 2000, p. 120
“Visnu, for example, who through his
incarnation in Krsna became the revealer of the Bhagavad Gita, is represented
in Hindu myth as the Milky Ocean of Immortal Life, out of which the
transient universe arises and back into which it again dissolves. This
ocean is personified as Adi-sesa, the primordial giant serpent of the abyss,
who carries the unfolded universe on his heads and is the life-giving dragon in
the depth of space. Meanwhile, in anthropomorphic form, Visnu is pictured as
recumbent on this serpent. The serpent is both himself and his living couch,
and supports him on the surface of the Milky Ocean, which again is himself in
his elemental form. For this divine being is the primary
life-sap or substance, which evolves and nourishes all the shapes of all the
living creatures in the universe. The god is dreaming. From his navel, as from the
universal water, the lotus-calix grows on which Brahma is seated, the
first-born of the universe, who is about to supervise the cosmic process of
creation. The shining lotus is the flower of the world, which is the
dream of Visnu; and the god upon it, Brahma, the "Creator," is an
emanation from the womb of Vishnu's cosmic sleep.” - Heinrich Zimmer, Philosophies of India
“"OM NAMO NARAYANAYA"
This mantra of Lord Vishnu is recited
for the attainment of material prosperity and liberation.
The word itself means the Great
Omnipresent. He is reclining on Ananta on the Milky Ocean. Ananta or the
snake stands for cosmic energy. The ocean of milk stands for Ananda or
beatitude. Vishnu's colour is blue like the sky, indicating his
infinitude. He is Achyuta, because there is no rise or fall for him.
The four-faced Brahma rising from his
navel is symbolic of his creative power. Brahma has four heads because he is
the creator of the entire universe.
The Chakra or discus in one of the upper hands of Vishnu symbolises
the cycle of time (Kala-chakra) whose whirlgig bringd in consolation
as well as revenges, according to varaha Purana. It is also described as the
Dharamachakra, maintaining orderlines and proper functioning of the Universe.
The Shankra or conch in the other upper hand, according to the
same Purana is the destroyer of Avidya, represented by darkness and silence. When Maha Vishnu
touched Dhruva on his cheek with his conch he removed Dhruva's Avidya. Others
say that Shankha represents Nada-brahma.
In one of his lower hands Vishnu holds
the Asi (sword) or sometimes the club. The sword is meant to cut the
knot of Samsara which man has woven round himself through numberless births. It
is a weapon of detachment. If a club, it is
for setting right the irregularities of the world, dushtanigraha and sishta
paripalana.
The lotus with the stem in the other hand
of Vishnu, according to Varaha, represents Mother Earth eternally at
work at her wheel of creation. Some would have it as representing the
beauty and freshness in the cosmos.” www.webveda.com/
“Trivikramay Namaha: Who measured the
world with three steps.
Kuvaleshaya Namaha: Lying on the belly
of Shri Shesha.
Yogeshwara Namaha: Detached Lord of the
Yogis.
MahaVishnu Namaha: He who manifested His
Evolved form as Lord Jesus Christ.
Kalki Namaha: The Immaculate Rider of
the Last Days.”
- Sahaja Yoga Mantra
Book, The 108 Names of Shri Vishnu, Computex Graphics, Bombay, India, 1996 p.
72-6
"The Devimahatmya refers to two
different traditions regarding the origin of the Great Goddess: in the first
Devi is explained as the Mahanidra of Visnu embodied as the universe, eternal,
incarnated in many forms. She is "drawing herself out from the eyes and
the various organs and limbs" of Visnu: when Great Sleep leaves Visnu, he
awakens. In this form she is the great creator: she creates the entire
universe, she is the cause of bondage and transmigration, the cause of final
liberation too. She is both fierce and auspicious: she gives to mankind boons
for their final liberation.
The second account of Devi's origin has
a different ring and seems to be the older one. It not only mentions the Vedic
gods but it is somehow reminiscent of the Indra-Vrtra myth -- the fight of the
High God against the demon usurper, who has conquered the gods and assumed the
place of Indra. Devi here is no longer the prakrti of Visnu but the essence of
all the gods, "godhead" in a concrete sense. She surpasses all the
individual gods in power and glory because in her all the qualities of the gods
are embodied. . . .
Thus the salvation of gods and men has
been accomplished, and Devi receives praise from all the devas. In the cause of
this prayer all the essential qualities of the Devi are mentioned, and the
basic Devi philosophy comes to the fore: Devi "is the origin of the
universe, the resort of all, the primordial prakrti." She is the
"supreme vidya (knowledge) which is the cause of liberation." She is
"durga, the boat that carries men across the difficult ocean of worldly
existence," she is "Sri who has taken her abode in the heart of
Visnu," and she is "Gauri, who has established herself with Siva.
Devi offers a boon, and the devas choose the following: "Whenever we think
of you again, destroy our direst calamities." . . .
Devi-avataras are also found in the
Puranas. They have the same function which Vainavas ascribe to Visnu-avataras,
namely to protect the world in successive ages from demons and other evil. This
theory also helps to explain the numerous goddesses as manifestations of One
Supreme Goddess: "Bhavani is worshipped by the gods in all her repeated
incarnations. She always kills demons by incarnating herself on earth and she
protects all creation in heaven, earth and the nether world. . . .
She explains her own nature according
to Advaita: "I and Brahman are one." ”
- K. K. Klostermaier, Hinduism: A Short
History, Oneworld Pub., 2000, p. 200-2.
“Baalaad ekam aneeyaskam
uta-ekam naiva drshyate
Tatah parishvajeeyasee devataa saa mama
priyaa
The one (i.e. Prakriti) is even subtler
than hair and the other (i.e. Jeevaatmaa) is invisible. But the subtlest and
all-pervading deity (i.e. Ishvar, or God) is the only object of my love.”
-
Atharva Veda (10.8.25)
“The individual arises as a wave on the
ocean and eventually merges back into the ocean of Brahmam.” (Reference: 9)
“Look, you have given me but a hand's
breadth or two of life,
the length of my life is as nothing to
you.
Every human being that stands on
earth is a mere puff of wind,
every human being that walks
only a shadow;
a mere puff of wind is the wealth
stored away-
no knowing who will profit
from it.
So now, Lord, what am I
to hope for?”
-
Psalms, 39(v38):6-7
To put in different manner, All One, where One
is Energy, the Lord of the Universe.
“If you wish to know the Divine, feel
the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand.” - the Blessed One, Lord Buddha
Anything – chair, desk, tree, animal, man etc., etc.
all energy.
“I am the Light
That is above them all.
I am the All.
The All came from me,
And the All has returned to me.
Split wood and I am there.
Raise a stone and you will find me.
He who is close to me
Is close to fire:
He who is far from me
Is distant from the Kingdom.”
-
Jesus, Gospel of Thomas
“If you are asked your origins, answer:
'We have come out of the Light
Where the Light came of itself.
It rested, appearing in their Image.'
If you are asked your identity, answer:
'We are His sons, and
The Elect of the Living Father.'
If asked for a sign of your Father,
answer:
'Movement and Repose.'
-
Jesus, Gospel of Thomas
God, though present everywhere, has His
special residence, as being a pure Spirit, in our minds -- "In Him we
live, and move, and have our being".
He is somewhere in the recesses of our soul, in the springs of our
existence, a light in that mysterious region of our nature where the wishes,
feelings, thoughts, and emotions take their earliest rise. The mind is a sanctuary, in the center of
which the Lord sits enthroned, the lamp of consciousness burning before Him.
- Adolph Saphir (1831-1891),
The Hidden Life
Energy is formless.
“They give to Me name, Who am without name, ascribe actions to Me, Who
am without actions, think of Me with a physical body though I have none, give
form to Me, though I am formless, give attributes to Me
when I am without attributes, and
worldly duties to Me where I have
no obligations. They allocate colour to
Me, who am without colour,
qualities to Me, Who am without
qualities, hands and feet to Me, Who
am without hands and feet. They
establish measure for Me, when I am
boundless, location for Me, when I am
Omnipresent. As one sees silvan scenery in a dream when asleep, they imagine
that I, Who am without ears, have ears, Who am without eyes have eyes, Who am
without limbs have limbs, and Who am without form, have a form. They think Me
manifest, when I am not visible.”
- The Formless,
Dnyaneshwari
Normal man cannot see Energy using eye-sight. But one
can sense it using one or more of the other five senses. For example,
electricity. Normal man cannot see electricity, but when we touch a live
electric wire, we sense electricity because of electric shock.
“Aham Brahmaasmi (I am Brahmam)”
“SoHam (He am I).”
“The Father and I are one” - Jesus
How do matter revert back to energy?
Through purification. How?
What is the greatest purifier? Fire
Matter on burning reverts back to energy.
In the case of the human body, on being burnt, the
energy leaving is called the soul or atma.
4 While we are in this house, we cry
and are troubled. It is not that we want to move out of this house, but we want
to move into the other one. Then this body which will die will be changed
into one which will live.
-
2 Corinthians 5:4 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
“Worn out garments are shed by the
body.
Worn out bodies are shed by the Atma.
New bodies are donned like garments.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
1 Our body is the house in
which our spirit lives here on earth. When that house
is destroyed, then God will give us another house. That house is not
made by man's hand. But God made it. It will last for ever in heaven.
-
2 Corinthians 5:1 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
“Every living being is Brahman, but the supreme
living being, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Supreme Brahman. Param dhama means that He is
the supreme rest or abode of everything, pavitram means that He is
pure, untainted by material contamination, purusam means that He is
the supreme enjoyer, divyam, transcendental,
adi-devam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ajam, the unborn,
and vibhum, the greatest, the all-pervading.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Introduction
In the case of the dead human body, a majority of energy
already left leaving a residue back. This residue also can be removed by
burning.
“He who dwells within all living bodies
remains forever indestructible.
Therefore never mourn for anyone.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
In those case where the dead human body is not burned
but buried, the residue remains until the dead body elements decompose back to
earth. Ancient folk-lore always treats buried graves of the dead as a living
entity, because of the residual energy.
Meat from animals that have died
naturally or by accident for at least 16 hours (The number of hours is to
ensure the consciousness has left the body). (Reference: 88)
the consciousness has left the body Only a part of the residual energy.
The body itself is energy in matter form. Either to
be left decomposed, buried, burnt or used as pure meat
“Viswamitra recognised that the
atma, which is identical with Divinity is present in everyone. It takes
the form of pragnana (wisdom) in the created form in order to establish
the identity between the Jeevatma and Paramatma.” (Reference:
46)
“Inside everything
Where nothing else is:
He is there: the God.”
-
In Téotl, Nahuatl Shaman
“The Darshan Shastras explain the attributes
of the soul in more detail. In Nyaaya Darshan (1.1.10), the soul is described
as possessing the attributes of desire, envy, diligence, pleasure, pain and
knowledge. Vaisheshika Darshan (3.2.4) describes the soul has having the
qualities of inhalation and exhalation of air, closing and opening of the eyes,
thinking, walking, hunger, thirst, happiness and suffering, desire, industry
and gaining experience.” (Reference: 22)
Another golden law of the Lord states that
Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed
(The same concept is known as Newton’s Third Law in
Physics or science.)
475 BC
Empedocles of Agrigentum introduces the
4 elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water, into astrology, as the 4-fold root of
all things. He discovered the idea that nothing can be destroyed (or created).
Only transformed. (Reference: 76)
“Not wounded by weapons
nor burned by fire
Not dried by the wind not wetted by
water.
Such is the Atman.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
3. “He begetteth not, nor is He
begotten;”
- Quran, Surah 112. The Unity,
Sincerity, Oneness Of Allah
“Brahman is the cause of this world
Knowledge of Brahman leads to final
emancipation”
-
Sankaracharya
“The word "Satchidananda" is
made up of three parts, namely: "Sat", implying existence; "Chit",
representing consciousness; and "Ananda", symbolising bliss.
Matter possesses the quality of Sat, but is devoid of
either Chit or Ananda. The soul, being itself 'alive' has the qualities
of both Sat and Chit, but, due to its ignorance of its own true nature, and
thus the nature of the Supreme Reality, it is devoid of Ananda. God alone
possesses all three attributes of Sat, Chit and Ananda, and it is for this
reason that God is known as Satchidananda.” (Reference: 22)
If all is energy, so too is any word. Rama, Yeshua,
Nabi, Mohammad, all words are forms of energy. Pronouncing words give
vibrations to them, invisible form to them.
If body itself is energy, in material form, as matter,
then the body of any organism, be it animal or bird, whatever, are all forms of
energy.
“Everything in Hinduism begins with
Worship of Lord Ganesh. With elephant head and human form, he represents
universality of creation. All creation is said to begin with Sound, and He is that
first Sound OM or pranava in which mantras are born. When Shakti (Energy) meets
Shiva (Matter) both Ganesh (Sound) and Lord Skanda (Light) are born. This is the
scientific basis of this part of Hinduism.” (Reference: 66)
The human body, man or woman, be it a layman, a king,
any prophet/saint like Ramdas, Surdas, Kabir, Jesus, Mohammad etc. are all
forms of the same energy, the same Lord, known by different names at different
places at different times.
Also refer section on Some Pointers to All
One, All Energy
“All matter above absolute zero emits
thermal energy. Much of this energy is absorbed and scattered by the
atmosphere.” (Reference: 68)
An electric current in one country is the same
electric current in another country. There is no change in the current. Yes, frequency may be different, say 120 Hz, 240 Hz, etc., etc. But
electric current is always electric current no matter where.
“Shanku - This is the Conch of
Vibrations, it is believed by the Vaishnavas that Lord Vishnu issued the Omkara
or the primordial sound Aum through his conch.
An alternative view of this is the concept of Spandana or
vibrations. This maintains that the universe is but a
manifestation of vibrations. As Lord Vishnu is the preserving aspect of the
trimurti, he requires to maintain the world of objects through particular
types of vibrations hence he uses it for that purpose.” (Reference: 40)
So too fire. One lights a fire in one country. In a
different country, the fire is always the same.
So too water.
So too air.
So too wind. (Wind Energy, according to
Physics)
So too oxygen.
So too sound. (Sound Energy, according to
Physics)
So too light. (Light Energy, according to
Physics)
So too heat. (Heat Energy, or Thermal Energy,
according to Physics)
Energy is always energy, no matter where.
Also refer section on Some Pointers to All
One, All Energy
"Our God is a consuming fire"
- Hebrews 12:24
“…the interpretation of the word AUM has
focussed on the tripartite structure symbolised by its three letters. However,
there is a fourth syllable in the word AUM also, which is known as
"Anuswara", the silent pause between successive chants of AUM
(comparable to the period between the Destruction of one World, and the
subsequent Creation of the next). The relevance of this final syllable can,
perhaps, be best explained by reference to a quote from the Mandukya
Upanishad:-
Aum is the Aksara, or imperishable
syllable.
Aum is the Universe, and this is the
exposition of Aum.
The past, the present and the future,
all that was, all that is, all that will be, is Aum.
Likewise, all else that may exist
beyond the bounds of time, that too is Aum.
It is this final sentence that
describes the relevance of Anuswara. Beyond the bounds of sound, by which the
other three syllables are limited, Anuswara represents that which exists above
and beyond that which can be described by these three syllables. If God, Soul
and Matter are represented by Akaram, Ukaram and Makaram, that single,
unifying, ultimate Supreme Reality which binds all these three together is
represented by the Anuswara. Whilst these three vocal sounds represent the
Sattvik, Rajasik and Tamasik natures, the Anuswara is symbolic of that which cannot
be described in such crude terms. Free from the bounds of imperfect human
pronunciation, likewise is the symbolism of Anuswara free from the bounds of
the limited human intellect. Anuswara represents the Supreme Truth, the Highest
Reality.
AUM is also believed by many Hindus to
be the sound made at the time of the Big Bang, when the Universe was Created
(the idea of the "singularity" can be found in Hindu scriptures,
where it is known as "Hiranya Garbha", or a point source of
energy). Since everything emanates from this Big Bang, AUM is considered
as the eternal energy.
The reciting or chanting of AUM with
emphasis on its correct pronunciation is believed to create within the body
certain vibrations which lead to the awakening of various dormant centers
within the body in general, and the brain in particular, which lead to the
feeling of harmony, peace and bliss.
AUM is also known as
"Pranava". Since it is a sound, it requires air for its expression.
As it runs through air or "prana" (literally "breath"), AUM
is held to be that which pervades all life.” (Reference: 22)
Why in the higher levels of training,
Celibacy is strictly enforced?
19 If they were all one part, how could
it be a body?
20 The way it is now, there are many
parts, but it is one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, `I
do not need you.' And the head cannot say to the feet, `I do not need you.'
22 No, that is not so. Some parts of
the body are not as strong as others. Yet we could not live without them.
23 And we look after some parts of our
body more than others because they need it. The parts of our body that are not
so fine in one way are made more fine in other ways. But the parts which are
fine already do not need to be made fine. God made the body and has given more
care to the parts that need it.
24 He did this so that the body would
not be divided into groups, but all the parts would help each other. 26 ) If
one part has trouble, then all the other parts are troubled too. If one part is
praised, then all the other parts are glad with it.
25 Now, all of you together are the
body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
-
1 Corinthians 12:19-25 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
In the above para, the answer is already given. Just
like “So Ham” or “I am He”, where He is energy or the Lord, there is a reverse
meaning. An analogy of the reverse meaning is as follows:
X asks Y, “ Who am I?”.
Y replies, “I am X”
Because both are energy!
If that is true, the so-called “husband” and “wife” difference
is absent in higher levels of mental training.
In lower levels, the so-called “husband” and “wife”
try very hard to become one through copulation, like the animals.
But in higher levels, there is no such vulgarity. Such
animal behavior as mentioned, is never ever permitted. All are one. There
is no “husband”, no “wife”, no “father”, no “mother”, no “brother”, no
“sister”, no relation, nothing. Only you and the Lord, Energy.
"If any man come to me, and hate
not his father, and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters,
yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Whosoever he be of you
that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." -- Luke XIV.26 and 33
34 Think not that I am come to send
peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and the daughter against
her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own
household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
-
Matthew 10:34-37 :: King James Version (KJV)
"Let the dead bury their
dead." --
Luke IX.60
"My kingdom is not of this world."
--
John XVIII. 36
"Abandon those who do not
worship Rama and Sita as if they are your enemies, even though they
are your dearest relatives. Prahlad abandoned his father; Vibhishana left
his brother Ravana; Bharata deserted his mother; Bali forsook even his Guru;
the Gopis, the women of Vraja, disowned their husbands in order to attain the
Lord. Their lives were all the happier for having done so. The opinion of holy saints
is that the relation with God and love of God alone is true and eternal; all
other relationships are unreal and temporary". - Tulsidasji reply to Mira Bai (Reference: 53)
For those who hold on to the wrong belief, that a son
is required for performing one’s last rites, two pointers in addition to the above
literature is sufficient:
22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their
dead.
-
Matthew 8:22 :: King James Version (KJV)
Also read The Tevigga Sutta, The Blessed One, The
Buddha’s advice to a group of Brahmins who led homely life (Reference: 77)
Ascetic practices are a key requirement to
maintaining celibacy.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
{p. 298}
Introduction
To The
Tevigga
Sutta.
THIS is the only Suttanta, among the thirteen translated in this volume,
in which the discourse does not lead up to Arahatship. It leads up only to the
so-called Brahma Vihâras--the supreme conditions--four states of mind held to
result, after death, in a rebirth in the heavenly worlds of Brahmâ. Why is
it--the Buddhist ideal being Arahatship, which leads to no rebirth at all--that
this lower ideal is thus suddenly introduced?
It would seem that the particular point here discussed was regarded as
so important that it could scarcely be left out. And when we recollect that the
highest teaching current before the Buddha, and still preserved in the
pre-Buddhistic Upanishads, was precisely about union with Brahmâ; we may,
without much danger of error, explain the position occupied in the series of
dialogues by this Suttanta by the supposition that it was deliberately inserted
here as the Buddhist answer to the Upanishad theory. In this respect it is
noteworthy that the neuter Brahman is quietly ignored, That is quite in
accordance with the method of the Suttantas. The Buddha is in them often
represented as using, in his own sense, words familiar to his interlocutors in
a different sense, The neuter Brahman is, so far as I am aware, entirely
unknown in the Nikâyas, and of course the Buddha's idea of Brahmâ, in the
masculine, really differs widely from that of the Upanishads.
There is nothing original in the Buddhist belief that a man's habit of
mind at the time of his death would determine, save only in the one case of the
Arahat, the nature of his rebirth. It is an Indian--not an exclusively
Buddhist--theory. The Buddhist texts represent it as held by non-Buddhists, and
already long before the Buddha's time, and as accepted by all as
a matter of course. And it is even not exclusively Indian. As I have pointed out
elsewhere, it is
{p. 299}
ascribed by Plato to Socrates{1}. The essentially
Buddhist parts of the theory are three. In the first place, the choice of the
particular details they held essential to such a habit of mind as would lead to
rebirth in the Brahmâ-worlds; secondly, their doctrine that there was not
really any 'soul' to be reborn; and thirdly, that the highest ideal was not to
be reborn at all (even only once, and into union with Brahmâ).
The Gâtaka commentary in numerous passages states that the four Brahma
Vihâras were practised, long before the time of the rise of Buddhism, by the
sages of old. I have not found such a statement in the Nikâyas; and it
is most probable therefore that the Gâtaka commentator is antedating the
particular meditations in question. However this may be, they remained,
throughout the long history of Buddhism, an essential part of Buddhist
practice. They are even mentioned in the Gâtaka Mâlâ, a work usually supposed
to be Mahâyânist, and dated about a thousand years later than the Buddha{2}.
They are well known to-day in Burma, Siam, and Ceylon. And it would be
interesting to know whether they still form a part of the regulated meditations
which are known to be practised by Buddhists in Thibet, China, and Japan. But
they have not been found in any Indian book not a Buddhist work, and are
therefore almost certainly exclusively Buddhist. Even the most determined
anti-Buddhist must admit the beauty of the language (in spite of its
repetitions §§ 76-78), the subtle depth of the ideas, and the great value of
the practice from the point of view of ethical self-training. He would probably
rejoin, and with truth, that similar sentiments are met with in other
(post-Buddhistic) Indian books. But it is one thing to give expression in
isolated passages to such views, and quite another to have selected just these
four as the four cornerstones of habitual endeavour.
It should be recollected that the argument here is only an argumentum ad
hominem. If you want union with Brahmâ--which you had much better not
want--this is the way to attain to it{3}.
{1. Phaedo 69. The full context is
given in my 'Hibbert Lectures,' Appendix viii.
2. In the well-known story of the Bodhisattva giving
his body to feed a tigress (No. 1, verse 12).
3. See the remarks above on p. 206
(Reference: 147)
{p. 300}
Digha
Nikaya XIII
XIII.
TEVIGGA SUTTA.
[ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE
VEDAS{1}.]
[235] 1. Thus have I heard. When the Exalted One was once journeying
through Kosala with a great company of the brethren, with about five hundred
brethren, he came to the Brahman village in Kosala which is called Manasâkata.
And there at Manasâkata the Exalted One stayed in the mango grove, on the bank
of the river Akiravatî, to the north of Manasâkata.
2. Now at that time many very distinguished and wealthy Brahmans were
staying at Manasâkata; to wit, Kankî the Brahman, Târukkha the Brahman,
Pokkharasâdi the Brahman, Gânussoni the Brahman, Todeyya the Brahman, and other
very distinguished and wealthy Brahmans{2}.
{1. This Suttanta was translated from
the MSS. in my 'Buddhist Suttas' (S. B. E., 1881). Since then the text has been
published by the Pâli Text Society; and alterations and amendments in a number
of details have been rendered necessary.
2. Buddhaghosa says that--
Kankî lived at Opasâda,
Târukkha lived at Ikkhagala (so MSS., perhaps for Ikkhânangala),
Pokkharasâdi (sic MS.) lived at Ukkattha,
Gânussoni lived at Savatthi, and
Todeyya lived at Tudigama.
Gânussoni was converted by the
Bhaya-bherava Sutta. On Pokkharasâdi, see above, pp. 108, 135, 147; and on
Todeyya, see above, p. 267; and on all the names, see Magghima Nikaya, No. 98 =
Sutta Nipata III, 9.
Buddhaghosa adds that because
Manasâkata was a pleasant place the Brahmans had built huts there on the bank of
the river and fenced them in, and used to go and stay there from time to time
to repeat their mantras.}
{p. 301}
3. Now a conversation sprung up
between Vâsettha and Bhâradvâga, when they were taking exercise (after their bath)
and walking up and down in thoughtful mood, as to which was the true path, and
which the false{1}.'
4. The young Brahman Vâsettha spake thus:
'This is the straight path, this the direct way which makes for
salvation, and leads him, who acts according to it, into a state of union with
Brahmâ. I mean that which has been announced by the Brahman
Pokkharasâdi.'
5. The young Brahman Bhâradvâga spake thus:
'This is the straight path, this the direct way which makes for
salvation, and leads him, who acts according to it, into a state of union with
Brahmâ. [236] I mean that which has been announced by the Brahman Târukkha.'
6. But neither was the young Brahman Vâsettha able to convince the young
Brahman Bhâradvâga, nor was the young Brahman Bhâradvâga able to convince the
young Brahman Vâsettha.
7. Then the young Brahman Vâsettha said to the young Brahman Bhâradvâga:
'That Samana Gotama, Bhâradvâga, of the sons of the Sâkyas, who went out
from the Sâkya clan to adopt the religious life, is now staying at Manasâkata,
in the mango grove, on the bank of the river Akiravatî, to the north of
Manasâkata. Now regarding that venerable Gotama, such is the high reputation
that has been noised abroad: "That Exalted One is an Arahat, a fully
enlightened one, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the
worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led, a teacher of gods
and men, an Exalted One, a Buddha."
{1. Ganghâvihâram anukankamantânam
anuvikarantânam. Kankamati is to walk up and down thinking. I have added 'after
their bath,' from Buddhaghosa, who says that this must be understood to have
taken place when, after learning by heart and repeating all day, they, went down in
the evening to the riverside to bathe, and then walked up and down on the sand.
Comp. Mil. 22; Gât. II, 240, 272.}
{p. 302}
Come, then, Bhâradvâga, let us go to
the place where the Samana Gotama is; and when we have come there, let us ask
the Samana Gotama touching this. matter. What the Samana Gotama
shall declare unto us, that let us bear in mind{1}.'
'Very well, my friend!' said the young Brahman Bhâradvâga, in assent, to
the young Brahman Vâsettha.
8. Then the young Brahman Vâsettha and the young Brahman Bhâradvâga went
on to the place where the Exalted One was.
And when they had come there, they exchanged with the Exalted One the greetings
and compliments of politeness and courtesy, and sat down beside him. And while
they were thus seated the young Brahman Vâsettha said to the Exalted One:
'As we, Gotama, were taking exercise and walking up and down, there
sprung up a conversation between us on which was the true path, and which the
false. I said thus:
'"This is the straight path, this the direct way which makes for
salvation, and leads him who acts according to it, into a state of union with
Brahmâ. I mean that which has been announced by the Brahman
Pokkharasâdi."'
'Bhâradvâga said thus:
'"This is the straight path, this the direct way which makes for
salvation, and leads him, who acts according to it, into a state of union with
Brahmâ. I mean that which has been announced by the Brahman Târukkha."'
'Regarding this matter, Gotama, there is a strife, a
dispute, a difference of opinion between us.' [237]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. 'So you say, Vâsettha, that you said thus:
'"This is the straight path, this the direct way which makes for
salvation, and leads him, who acts according to it, into a state of union with
Brahmâ.
{1. Comp. Divyâvadâna 196, 246; and
Anguttara II, pp. 23, 24.}
{p. 303}
I mean that which has been announced by
the Brahman Pokkharasâdi."'
'While Bhâradvâga said thus:
'"This is the straight path, this the direct way which makes for
salvation, and leads him, who acts according to it, into a state of union with
Brahmâ. I mean that which has been announced by the Brahman Târukkha."'
'Wherein, then, O Vâsettha, is there a strife, a dispute, a difference
of opinion between you{1}?'
10. 'Concerning the true path and the false, Gotama. Various
Brahmans, Gotama, teach various paths. The Addhariyâ
Brahmans, the Tittiriyâ Brahmans, the Khandokâ Brahmans [the Khandavâ
Brahmans], the Bavharigâ Brahmans{2}. Are all those saving
paths? Are they all paths which will lead him, who acts according to them, into
a state of union with Brahmâ?
'Just, Gotama, as near a village or a
town there are many and various paths{3}, yet they all meet together in the
village--just in that way are all the various paths taught by various
Brahmans--the Addhariyâ Brahmans, the Tittiriyâ Brahmans, the Khandokâ Brahmans
[the Khandavâ Brahmans], the Bavharigâ Brahmans. Are all these saving paths?
Are they all paths which will lead him, who acts according to them, into a
state of union with Brahmâ?'
11. 'Do you say that they all lead aright, Vâsettha?
'I say so, Gotama.'
{1. This is either mildly sarcastic--as
much as to say, 'that is six of one, and half a dozen of the other'--or is
intended to lead on Vâsettha to confess still more directly the fact that the
different theologians held inconsistent opinions.
2. The MSS. differ as to the last name,
and some of them omit the last but one. The Adhvaryu, Taittîriya, Khandoga, and
Bahvrika priests--those skilled in liturgy generally, and in
the Yagur, Sâma, and Rig Vedas respectively--are probably meant.
If we adopt the other reading for the last in the list, then those priests who relied
on liturgy, sacrifice, or chant would be contrasted with those who had 'gone forth' as religieux, either as Tâpasas or as
Bhikshus.
3. Maggâni, which is noteworthy as a
curious change of gender.}
{p. 304}
'Do you really say that they all lead aright, Vâsettha?'
'So I say, Gotama.' [238]
12. 'But yet, Vâsettha, is
there a single one of the Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas who has
ever seen Brahmâ face to face?'
'No, indeed, Gotama.'
'Or is there then, Vâsettha, a single one of the teachers of the
Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas who has seen Brahmâ face to face?'
'No, indeed, Gotama!'
'Or
is there then, Vâsettha, a single one of the teachers of the teachers of the
Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas who has seen Brahmâ face to face?'
'No, indeed, Gotama!'
'Or is there then, Vâsettha, a single one of the Brahmans up to the
seventh generation who has seen Brahmâ face to face?'
'No, indeed, Gotama!'
13. 'Well then, Vâsettha, those ancient Rishis of the Brahmans versed in
the Three Vedas, the authors of the verses, the utterers of the verses, whose
ancient form of words so chanted, uttered, or composed, the Brahmans of to-day
chant over again or repeat; intoning or reciting exactly as has been intoned or
recited--to wit, Atthaka, Vâmaka, Vâmadeva, Vessâmitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bhâradvâga,
Vâsettha, Kassapa, and Bhagu{1}--did even they speak thus, saying: "We
know it, we have seen it, where Brahmâ is, whence Brahmâ is, whither Brahmâ
is?"'
'Not so, Gotama!'
14. 'Then you say, Vâsettha, that none of the Brahmans, or of
their teachers, or of their pupils, [239] even up to the seventh
generation, has ever seen Brahmâ face to face. And that even the
Rishis of old, the authors and utterers of the verses, of the
ancient form of words which the Brahmans of to-day so carefully
intone and recite precisely as they have
{1. See the note on these names at
'Vinaya Texts,' II, 130.}
{p. 305}
been handed down--even they did not
pretend to know or to have seen where or whence or whither
Brahmâ is{1}. So that the Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas have forsooth
said thus: "What we know not, what we have not seen, to a
state of union with that we can show the way, and can say: 'This
is the straight path, this is the direct way which makes for
salvation, and leads him, who acts according to it, into a
state of union with Brahmâ!'"
'Now what think you, Vâsettha? Does it not follow, this being so, that
the talk of the Brahmans, versed though they be in the Three Vedas, turns
out to be foolish talk?'
'In sooth, Gotama, that being so, it follows that the talk of the
Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas is foolish talk!'
15. 'Verily, Vâsettha. that Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas should be
able to show the way to a state of union with that which
they do not know, neither have seen--such a condition of things
can in no wise be!
'Just, Vâsettha, as
when a string of blind men are clinging one to the other{2}, neither can the
foremost see, nor can the middle one see, nor can the hindmost see--just even
so, methinks, Vâsettha, is the talk of the Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas
but blind talk: the first [240] sees
not, the middle one sees not, nor can the latest see. The talk then of these
{1. In the text §§ 12, 13 are repeated
word for word.
2. Andhavenî paramparam samsattâ. The Phayre
MS. has replaced venî by pavenî, after the constant custom of the Burmese MSS.
to improve away unusual or difficult expressions. Buddhaghosa explains
andhaveni by andhapaveni; and tells a tale of a wicked wight, who meeting a
company of blind men, told them of a certain village wherein plenty of good
food was to be had. When they besought him for hire to lead them there, he took
the money, made one blind man catch hold of his stick, the next of that one,
and so on, and then led them on till they came to a wilderness. There he
deserted them, and they all--still holding each the other, and vainly, and with
tears, seeking both their guide and the path--came to a miserable end!
Comp. M. II, 170.}
{p. 306}
Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas
turns out to be ridiculous) mere words, a vain and empty thing!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. 'Now what think you, Vâsettha? Can the Brahmans versed in
the Three Vedas--like other, ordinary, folk--see the Moon and the Sun as
they pray to, and praise, and worship them, turning round with clasped hands
towards the place whence they rise and where they set?'
'Certainly, Gotama,
they can{1}.'
17.
'Now what think you, Vâsettha? The Brahmans versed in the Three
Vedas, who can very well--like other, ordinary, folk--see the Moon and
the Sun as they pray to, and praise, and worship them, turning round with
clasped hands to the place whence they rise and where they set--are those
Brahmans, versed in the Three Vedas, able to point out the way to a state of
union with the Moon or the Sun, saying: "This is the straight path, this
the direct way which makes for salvation, and leads him, who acts according to
it, to a state of union with the Moon or the Sun?"'
'Certainly, not, Gotama!'
18. 'So you say, Vâsettha,
that the Brahmans are not able to point out the way to union with that which
they have seen, and you further say that neither any one of them, nor of their
pupils, [241] nor of their predecessors even to the seventh generation has ever
seen Brahmâ. And you further say that even the Rishis of old, whose words they
hold in such deep respect, did not pretend to know, or to have seen where, or
whence, or whither Brahmâ is. Yet these Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas say,
forsooth, that they can point out the way to union with that which they know
not, neither have seen{2}. Now what
{1. The words of the question are
repeated in the text in this and the following answers. It must be remembered,
for these sections, that the Sun and Moon were gods just as much as Brahmâ;
and that the Moon always comes first in Nikâya and other ancient texts.
2. The text repeats at length the words
of §§ 12, 13, 14.}
{p. 307}
think you, Vâsettha? Does it not follow
that, this being so, the talk of the Brahmans, versed though they be in the
Three Vedas, turns out to be foolish talk?'
'In sooth, Gotama, that being so, it follows that the talk of the
Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas is foolish talk!'
19.
'Very good, Vâsettha. Verily then, Vâsettha, that Brahmans versed in the Three
Vedas should be able to show the way to a state of union with that which
they do not know, neither have seen--such a condition of things can in no
wise be!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Just, Vâsettha, as if a man should say, "How I long for, how I
love the most beautiful woman in this land!"
'And people should ask him, "Well! good friend! this most beautiful woman
in the land, whom you thus love and long for, do you know whether that
beautiful woman is a noble lady or a Brahman woman, or of the trader class, or
a Sûdra?"
'But when so asked, he
should answer: "No."
'And when people
should ask him, "Well! good friend! this most beautiful woman in all the land,
whom you so love and long for, do you know [242] what the name of that most
beautiful woman is, or what is her family name, whether she be tall or short or
of medium height, dark or brunette or golden in colour, or in what village or
town or city she dwells?"
'But when so asked, he should answer: "No."
'And then people
should say to him, "So then, good friend, whom you know not,
neither have seen, her do you love and long for?"
'And then when so asked, he should answer: "Yes."
'Now what think you,
Vâsettha? Would it not turn out, that being so, that the talk of that man was foolish talk?'
'In sooth, Gotama, it would turn out, that being so, that the talk of that man was
foolish talk!'
{p. 308}
20. 'And just even so, Vâsettha, though you say that the Brahmans are
not able to point out the way to union with that which they have seen, and you
further say that neither any one of them, nor of their pupils, nor of their
predecessors even to the seventh generation has ever seen Brahmâ. And you
further say that even the Rishis of old, whose words they hold in such deep
respect, did not pretend to know, or to have seen where, or whence, or whither
Brahmâ is. Yet these Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas say, forsooth, that
they can point out the way to union with that which they know not, neither have
seen! Now what think you, Vâsettha? Does it not follow that, this being so, the
talk of the Brahmans, versed though they be in the Three Vedas, is foolish
talk?'
'In sooth, Gotama, that being so, it follows that the talk of the
Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas is foolish talk!'
'Very good, Vâsettha. Verily then, Vâsettha, that Brahmans versed in the
Three Vedas [243] should be able to show the way to a state of union with
that which they do not know, neither have seen--such a condition of things can
in no wise be.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21. 'Just, Vâsettha, as if a
man should make a staircase in the place where four roads cross, to mount up
into a mansion. And people should say to him, "Well, good friend, this
mansion, to mount up into which you are making this staircase, do you know
whether it is in the east, or in the south, or in the west, or in the north?
whether it is high or low or of medium size?'
'And when so asked, he should answer: "No."
'And people should say to him, "But then, good
friend, you are making a staircase to mount up into something--taking it
for a mansion--which, all the while, you know not, neither have seen!"
'And when so asked, he should answer: "Yes."
'Now what think you, Vâsettha? Would it not
{p. 309}
turn out, that being so, that the talk
of that man was foolish talk?'
'In sooth, Gotama, it would turn out, that being so, that the talk of that man was
foolish talk!'
22. 'And just even so, Vâsettha, though you say that the Brahmans are
not able to point out the way to union with that which they have seen, and you
further say that neither any one of them, nor of their pupils, nor of their
predecessors even to the seventh generation has ever seen Brahmâ And you
further say that even the Rishis of old, whose words they hold in such deep
respect, did not pretend to know, or to have seen where, or whence, or whither
Brahmâ is. Yet these Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas say, forsooth, that
they can point out the way to union with that which they know not, neither have
seen! Now what think you, Vâsettha? Does it not follow that, this being so, the
talk of the Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas is foolish talk?'
'In sooth, Gotama, that being so, it follows that the talk of the
Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas is foolish talk!'
23. 'Very good, Vâsettha. Verily then, Vâsettha, that Brahmans versed in
the Three Vedas should be able to show the way to a state of union with that
which they do not know, neither have seen--such a condition of things can in no
wise be.' [244]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. 'Again, Vâsettha, if this
river Akiravatî were full of water even to the brim, and overflowing{1}. And a
man with business on the other side, bound for the other side, making for the
other side, should come up, and want to cross over. And he, standing on this
bank, should invoke the further bank, and say, "Come hither, O further
bank! come over to this side!"
'Now what think you,
Vâsettha? Would the further bank of the river Akiravatî, by reason of that
man's
{1. Samatittika kâkapeyyâ. See on this
phrase the note in my 'Buddhist Suttas' (S. B. E.), pp. 178, 179.}
{p. 310}
invoking and praying and hoping and
praising, come over to this side?'
'Certainly not, Gotama!'
25. 'In just the same
way, Vâsettha, do the Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas--omitting the practice of
those qualities which really make a man a Brahman, and adopting the practice of
those qualities which really make men non-Brahmans--say thus:
"Indra we call upon, Soma we call upon, Varuna we call upon, Îsâna we call
upon, Pagâpati we call upon, Brahmâ we call upon, [Mahiddhi we call upon, Yama
we call upon{1}!]" Verily, Vâsettha, that those Brahmans versed in the
Three Vedas, [245] but omitting the practice of those qualities which really
make a man a Brahman, and adopting the practice of those qualities which really
make men non-Brahmans--that they, by reason of their invoking and praying
and hoping and praising, should, after death and when the body is dissolved,
become united with Brahmâ--verily such a condition of things can in no wise be{2}!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26.
'Just, Vâsettha, as if this river Akiravatî were full, even to the
brim, and overflowing. And a man with business on the other side, making for
the other side, bound for the other side, should come up, and want to cross
over. And he, on this bank, were to be bound tightly, with his arms behind
his back, by a strong chain. Now what think you, Vâsettha, would that
man be able to get over from this bank of the river Akiravatî to the further
bank?'
'Certainly not, Gotama!'
27. 'In the same way, Vâsettha, there are five things
{1. The Sinhalese MSS. omit Mahiddhi
and Yama, but repeat the verb, 'we call upon,' three times after Brahmâ. It is
possible that the Burmese copyist has wrongly inserted them to remove the
strangeness of this repetition. The comment is silent.
2. The Buddha, as usual, here takes the
'further bank' in the meaning attached to it by the theologians he is
talking to, as union with Brahmâ. In his own system, of course, the
'further bank' is Arahatship. So Anguttara V, 232, 233, and elsewhere.}
{p. 311}
leading to lust, which are called, in the
Discipline of the Arahats, a "chain" and a "bond."'
'What are the five?'
'Forms perceptible to the
eye; desirable, agreeable, pleasant, attractive forms, that are accompanied by
lust and cause delight. Sounds of the same kind perceptible to the ear. Odours
of the same kind perceptible to the nose. Tastes of the same kind perceptible
to the tongue. Substances of the same kind perceptible to the body by touch.
These five things predisposing to passion are called, in the Discipline of the
Arahats, a "chain" and a "bond." And these five
things predisposing to lust, Vâsettha, do the Brahmans versed in the Three
Vedas cling to, they are infatuated by them, attached to them,
see not the danger of them, know not how unreliable they are, and so
enjoy them{1}.'
28. 'And verily, Vâsettha, that Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas, but
omitting the practice of those qualities which really make a man a Brahman, and
adopting the practice of those qualities which really make men
non-Brahmans--[246] clinging to these five things predisposing to passion,
infatuated by them, attached to them, seeing not their danger, knowing not
their unreliability, and so enjoying them--that these Brahmans should after
death, on the dissolution of the body, become united to Brahmâ--such a
condition of things can in no wise be!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29. 'Again, Vâsettha, if this river Akiravatî were full of water even to
the brim, and overflowing. And a man with business on the other side, making
for the other side, bound for the other side, should come up, and want to cross
over. And if he covering himself up, even to his head, were to lie down, on
this bank, to sleep.
'Now what think you, Vâsettha? Would that man
{1. Gathitâ mukkhitâ agghopannâ. See A.
I, 74, 274; Udâna VII, 3, 4; Sum. 59, &c.}
{p. 312}
be able to get over from this bank of the
river Akiravatî to the further bank?'
'Certainly not, Gotama!'
30. 'And in the same
way, Vâsettha, there are these Five Hindrances, in the Discipline of the
Arahats{1}, which are called "veils," and are called
"hindrances," and are called "obstacles," and are called
"entanglements."'
'Which are the five?'
'The
hindrance of worldly lusts,
'The hindrance of illwill,
'The hindrance of torpor and sloth of heart a mind,
'The hindrance of flurry and worry,
'The hindrance of suspense.
'These are the Five Hindrances, Vâsettha, which. in the Discipline of
the Arahats, are called veils, and are called hindrances, and are called
obstacles, and are called entanglements{2}.
'Now with these Five Hindrances, Vâsettha, the Brahmans versed in the
Three Vedas are veiled, hindered, obstructed, and entangled.
'And verily, Vâsettha, that Brahmans versed in the Three Vedas, but
omitting the practice of those qualities which really make a man a Brahman, and
adopting the practice of those qualities which really make men non-Brahmans--veiled,
hindered, obstructed, and entangled by these Five Hindrances--that these
Brahmans should after death, on the dissolution of the body, [247] become
united to Brahmâ--such a condition of things can in no wise be!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31. 'Now what think you, Vâsettha, and what have you heard from the
Brahmans aged and well-stricken in years, when the learners and teachers are
talking
{1. Ariyassa vinaye. This may possibly
mean 'in the disciple recommended by the Arahat' (that is, by the Buddha). But
the latter is expressed rather by Sugata-vinaye. Comp. Anguttara V, 237-239
with 234, 235.
2. These Five Hindrances are more fully
dealt with above, p. 82.}
{p. 313}
together? Is Brahmâ in possession of
wives and wealth, or is he not{1}?'
'He is not, Gotama.'
'Is his mind full of
anger, or free from anger?'
'Free from anger, Gotama.'
'Is his mind full of malice, or free from malice?'
'Free from malice, Gotama.'
'Is
his mind tarnished, or is it pure{2}?'
'It is pure, Gotama.'
'Has he self-mastery, or has he not{3}?'
'He has, Gotama.'
32. 'Now what think you, Vâsettha, are the Brahmans versed in the Vedas
in the possession of wives and wealth, or are they not?'
'They are, Gotama.'
'Have they anger in their hearts, or have they not?'
'They have, Gotama.'
'Do they bear malice, or do they not?'
'They do, Gotama.'
'Are they pure in heart, or are they not?'
'They
are not, Gotama.'
'Have they self-mastery, or have they not?'
'They have not, Gotama.'
33. 'Then you say, Vâsettha, that the Brahmans are in possession of
wives and wealth, and that Brahmâ is not. Can there, then, be agreement and
likeness between the Brahmans with their wives and property, and Brahmâ, who
has none of these things?'
{1. Sapariggaho vâ Brahmâ apariggaho vâ
ti. Buddhaghosa says on Vâsettha's reply, 'Kâmakkhandassa âbhavato
itthipariggahena apariggaho,' thus restricting the 'possession' to women. But
the reference is no doubt to the first 'hindrance'; and the word in the text,
though doubtless alluding to possession of women also, includes more. Compare,
on the general idea of the passage, the English expression, 'no encumbrances,'
and Jacobi, 'Gaina-Sûtras' (S. B. E.) I, xxiii.
2. Asankilittha-kitto. That is, says
Buddhaghosa, 'free from mental torpor and idleness, worry and flurry.'
3. Vasavattî vâ avasavattî vâ.
Buddhaghosa says, in explanation of the answer, 'By the absence of
wavering he has his mind under control (vase vatteti).'}
{p. 314}
'Certainly not, Gotama!'
34. 'Very good, Vâsettha. But, verily, that these Brahmans versed in the
Vedas, who live married and wealthy, should after death, when the body is dissolved,
[248] become united with Brahmâ who has none of these things--such a condition
of things can in no wise be!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
35. 'Then you say, too, Vâsettha, that the Brahmans bear anger and
malice in their hearts. and are tarnished in heart and uncontrolled, whilst
Brahmâ is free from anger and malice, pure in heart, and has self-mastery. Now
can there, then, be concord and likeness between the Brahmans and Brahmâ?'
'Certainly
not, Gotama!'
36. 'Very good, Vâsettha. That these Brahmans versed in the Vedas and
yet bearing anger and malice in their hearts, sinful, and uncontrolled, should
after death, when the body is dissolved, become united to Brahmâ, who is free from
anger and malice, pure in heart, and has self-mastery--such a condition of
things can in no wise be!
'So that thus then, Vâsettha, the Brahmans, versed though they be in the
Three Vedas, while they sit down (in confidence), are sinking down (in the
mire){1}; and so sinking they are arriving only at despair, thinking the while
that they are crossing over into some happier land.
'Therefore is it that the threefold wisdom of the Brahmans, wise in
their Three Vedas, is called a waterless desert, their threefold wisdom is
called a pathless jungle, their threefold wisdom is called perdition!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
37. 'When he had thus spoken, the young Brahman Vâsettha said to the
Blessed One:
{1. Âsîditva samsîdanti. I have no
doubt the commentator is right in his explanation of these figurative
expressions. Confident in their knowledge of the Vedas, and in their
practice of Vedic ceremonies, they neglect higher things; and so, sinking into
folly and superstition, 'they are arriving only at despair, thinking the while
that they are crossing over into some happier land.'}
{p. 315}
'It has been told me, Gotama, that the Samana Gotama knows the way to
the state of union with Brahmâ.'
'What do you think, Vâsettha, is not Manasâkata near to this spot, not
distant from this spot?'
'Just so, Gotama, Manasâkata is near to, is not far from here.'
'Now what think you, Vâsettha, suppose there were a man born in
Manasâkata, and people should ask him, who never till that time had left
Manasâkata, [249] which was the way to Manasâkata. Would that man, born and
brought up in Manasâkata, be in any doubt or difficulty?'
'Certainly not, Gotama! And why? If the man had been born and brought up
in Manasâkata, every road that leads to Manasâkata would be perfectly familiar
to him.'
38. 'That man, Vâsettha, born and brought up at Manasâkata might, if he
were asked the way to Manasâkata, fall into doubt and difficulty, but to the
Tathâgata, when asked touching the path which leads to the world of Brahmâ,
there can be neither doubt nor difficulty. For Brahmâ, I know, Vâsettha, and
the world of Brahmâ, and the path which leadeth unto it. Yea, I know it even as
one who has entered the Brahmâ-world, and has been born within it!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39. When he had thus spoken, Vâsettha, the young Brahman, said to the
Blessed One:
'Just so has it been told me, Gotama, even that the Samana Gotama knows
the way to a state of union with Brahmâ. It is well! Let the venerable Gotama
be pleased to show us the way to a state of union with Brahmâ, let the
venerable Gotama save the Brahman race{1}!'
'Listen then, Vâsettha, and give ear attentively, and I will speak!'
{1. Buddhaghosa takes this to mean,
'Save me of the Brahman race.'}
{p. 316}
'So be it, Lord!' said the young Brahman Vâsettha, in assent, to the
Blessed One.
40. 'Then the Blessed One spake, and said: 'Know, Vâsettha, that (from
time to time) a Tathâgata is born into the world, an Arahat, a fully awakened
one, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds,
unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led, a teacher of gods and men,
a Blessed One, a Buddha. He, by himself, thoroughly understands, and sees, as
it were, face to face this universe--including the worlds above with the gods,
the Mâras, and the Brahmâs; and the world below with its Samanas and Brahmans,
its princes and peoples;--and he then makes his knowledge known to others. The
truth doth he proclaim both in the letter and in the spirit, lovely in its
origin, lovely in its progress, lovely in its consummation: the higher life doth
he make known, in all its purity and in all its perfectness.
41. 'A householder (gahapati), or one of his children, or a man of
inferior birth in any class, listens to that truth{1}. On hearing the truth he
has faith in the Tathâgata, and when he has acquired that faith he thus
considers with himself:
'"Full of hindrances is household life, a path defiled by passion:
free as the air is the life of him who has renounced all worldly things. How
difficult it is for the man who dwells at home to live the higher life in all
its fullness, in all its purity, in all its bright perfection! Let me then cut
off my hair and beard, let me clothe myself in the orange-coloured robes, and
let me go forth from a household life into the homeless state!"
'Then before long, forsaking his portion of wealth, be it great or be it
small; forsaking his circle of relatives, be they many or be they few, he cuts
off his hair and beard, he clothes himself in the orange-coloured
{1. The point is, that the acceptance of this'Doctrine
and Discipline' is open to all; not of course that Brahmans never accept
it.}
{p. 317}
robes, and he goes forth from the
household life into the homeless state.
42. 'When he has thus become a recluse he passes a life self-restrained by
that restraint which should be binding on a recluse. Uprightness is his
delight, and he sees danger in the least of those things he should avoid. He
adopts and trains himself in the precepts. He encompasses himself with goodness
in word and deed. He sustains his life by means that are quite pure; good is
his conduct, guarded the door of his senses; mindful and self-possessed, he is
altogether happy!' [250]
43-75. 'And how, Vâsettha, is his conduct good?'
[The answer is set forth in the words of the tract on the Sîlas,
translated above, pp. 3-26, but with the refrain as in the Sâmañña-phala
Suttanta above, p. 79. Then follow §§ 63-75, inclusive, of the Sâmañña-phala;
setting forth:--
1. The confidence of heart that results from the sense of goodness.
2. The way in which he guards the doors of his senses.
3. The way in which he is mindful and self-possessed.
4. His habit of being content with little, of adopting simplicity of
life.
5. His conquest of the Five Hindrances, each with the explanatory
simile.
6. The joy and peace which, as a result of this conquest, fills his
whole being.]
76. {1}'And he lets his mind pervade one quarter of
{1. These paragraphs occur frequently;
see, inter alia, Mahâ-Sudassana Sutta II, 8, in my 'Buddhist Suttas' (S. B.
E.). It will be seen from 'Buddhism.' pp. 170, 171, that these meditations play a
great part in later Buddhism, and occupy very much the place that prayer takes
in Christianity. A fifth, the meditation on Impurity, has been added, at what
time I do not know, before the last. These four (or five) are called the Brahma Vihâras, and
the practice of them leads, not to Arahatship, but to rebirth in the
Brahmâ-world.}
{p. 318}
the world with thoughts of Love [251],
and so the second, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide
world, above, below, around, and everywhere, does he continue to pervade with
heart of Love, far-reaching, grown great, and beyond measure.
77. 'Just, Vâsettha, as a mighty trumpeter makes himself heard--and that
without difficulty--in all the four directions; even so of all things that have
shape or life, there is not one that he passes by or leaves aside, but regards
them all with mind set free, and deep-felt love.
'Verily this, Vâsettha, is the way to a state of union with Brahmâ.
78. 'And he lets his mind pervade one quarter of the world with thoughts
of pity{1}, . . . sympathy{1},
. . . equanimity{1}, and so the second, and so the third, and so the fourth.
And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around, and everywhere, does he
continue to pervade with heart of pity, . . . sympathy, . . . equanimity,
far-reaching, grown great, and beyond measure.
79. 'Just, Vâsettha, as a mighty trumpeter makes himself heard--and that
without difficulty--in all the four directions; even so of all things that have
shape or life, there is not one that he passes by or leaves aside, but regards
them all with mind set free, and deep-felt pity, . . . sympathy, . . .
equanimity.
'Verily this, Vâsettha, is the way to a state of union with Brahmâ.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
80.
'Now what think you, Vâsettha, will the Bhikkhu who lives thus be in possession
of women and of wealth, or will he not?'
'He will not, Gotama!'
'Will he be full of anger, or free from anger?'
'He will be free from anger, Gotama!'
'Will his mind be full of malice, or free from malice?'
{1. Paragraphs 76, 77 are supposed to
be repeated of each.}
{p. 319}
'Free from malice, Gotama!'
'Will his mind be tarnished, or pure?'
'It will be pure, Gotama!'
'Will
he have self-mastery, or will he not?'
'Surely he will, Gotama!' [252]
81. 'Then you say,
Vâsettha,
that the Bhikkhu is free from household and worldly cares, and that
Brahmâ is free from household and worldly cares. Is there then
agreement and likeness between the Bhikkhu and Brahmâ?'
'There is, Gotama!'
'Very good, Vâsettha. Then in sooth, Vâsettha, that the Bhikkhu who is free
from household cares should after death, when the body is dissolved, become
united with Brahmâ, who is the same-such a condition of things is every way
possible!
'And so you say, Vâsettha, that the Bhikkhu is free from anger, and free
from malice, pure in mind, and master of himself; and that Brahmâ is free from
anger, and free from malice. pure in mind, and master of himself. Then in
sooth, Vâsettha, that the Bhikkhu who is free from anger, free from malice,
pure in mind, and master of himself should after death, when the body is
dissolved, become united with Brahmâ, who is the same-such a condition of things
is every way possible!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
82. 'When he had thus spoken, the young Brahmans Vâsettha and Bhâradvâga
addressed the Blessed One, and said:
'Most excellent, Lord, are the words of thy mouth, most excellent! Just
as if a man were to set up that which is thrown down, or were to reveal that
which is hidden away, or were to point out the right road to him who has gone
astray, or were to bring a lamp into the darkness, so that those who have eyes
can see external forms;--just even so, Lord, has the truth been made known to
us, in many a figure, by the Exalted One. And we, even we, betake ourselves,
Lord, to the Blessed One as our guide, to the Truth,
{p. 320}
and to the Brotherhood. May the Blessed
One accept us as disciples, as true believers, from this day forth, as long as
life endures!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here ends the Tevigga Suttanta{1}.
{1. Literally 'The Suttanta about those
who have the knowledge of the Three (Vedas).' See p. 303, where the names of
these 'doctors' are given.}
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http://www.vipassana.info/dob-13tx.htm
(Reference: 77)
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Mind and Thought
A beginner's mind is often compared to a big waterfall with thoughts
tumbling down like rushing water, but there's no need to get upset or
frustrated. Through regular practice it will gradually settle, become as gentle as a quiet river, and finally as deep and peaceful as an
ocean without waves. Reference: 127
What is the difference between mind and thought?
An Analogy: Imagine a sea/ocean. Waves occur on the
sea due to wind movements or climatic changes.
Similarly, the mind is the sea/ocean. Thoughts are
the waves.
A normal worldly person have hundreds of thoughts at
any given time. To do this, to do that, go there etc., etc.
“What is more numerous than grass?
Thoughts”
-
Yaksha Prashna (The Questions of the Yaksha), Mahabharata (Reference: 17)
The purpose of hard-core meditation is to reduce this
number of thoughts at any given time to as little as possible
An Analogy: On a weighing-scale, weights are added
again and again to only one side of the balance. Too much weight on one side,
too heavy!
So too the brain, too many thoughts, head pain,
stress, strain
What to do first?
What to do next?
Don’t know what to do!!
Help!!
Pain reliever? Aspirin? Panadol?
Oh! Head spinning!! Somebody, pass cigarettes please!
What to do?
Drink? Liquor?
Simple, just remove some of the weights by discarding
the less important; by abandoning what is not productive. Slowly discarding,
abandoning, the head is slowly relieved of all tension and worries.
The head is actually the mind. Tension and worries
being the ever accumulating thoughts.
Finally, the stage arrives on successive abandoning,
What is the Ultimate Goal?
How about achieving the thought-less state? (Some Zen
monastries call this “Buddha-hood”, where thoughts are absent.
If thoughts are absent, doesn’t the Buddha or
would-be/potential Buddha think?
Yes, of course.
But, how?
When specific action is required, the thought
pertaining to that action along is formed. A very concentrated, powerful and
action-specific thought. No more stray, unwanted thoughts)
The head will be “weightless” and how happy one will
be!!
Analogy : Imagine a glass of water. Add impurities.
Let the impurities have different color to differentiate from the colorless
water. Say, colored powder. Too much addition of impurities, the water becomes
a thick, “muddy”, colloidal solution. Very dirty and impure. So too the mind
with too many thoughts. By filtering and sedimentation, slowly and slowly
remove the impurities. Finally, the clear water is obtained. Pure. So too the
mind. Slowly, filtering unwanted thoughts, abandoning what is not required, the
clear mind is obtained. The pure mind.
One of the major objectives of all meditative
purposes is to achieve the above thought-less state. Unnecessary thoughts are
considered Evil.
When one is not meditating, one should always be
occupied with something productive – reading, manual work etc; to prevent
thoughts from entering the mind. Thoughts make one brooding over this and that.
The forces of Evil attack the mind through thoughts, subduing a person to do
things which one doesn’t normally do, by controlling the thoughts. So,
eliminate unnecessary thoughts.
“Unnecessary”? How will one differentiate between
necessary thought and unnecessary thought?
5 “The Lord saw that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all
human thinking was only evil continually.”
-
Genesis 6:5 :: Amplified Bible (AMP)
The thought that alone is needed, when an action is
being performed is the necessary thought. At any time, all other thoughts are
un-necessary. Rubbish. Waste of energy. For thoughts too are like wave-forms or
energy forms. Why waste unnecessary energy because of one’s ignorance? Be
productive with energy use!)
27 Which of you by taking thought can
add one cubit unto his stature?
-
Matthew 6:27 :: King James Version (KJV)
Memory
IMPORTANT: Never confuse thought and memory. Memory
is similar to a energy database. Since all energy, no memory is destroyed. One
is creating zero thought. One cannot create zero memory. All actions, all
events are recorded in memory. Memory cannot be erased.
Then, why repetitive studying?
Reading
Reading can be of two types:
- reading
productive literature, like one’s own study/research topics
- reading
un-productive literature like vulgar magazines, novels which is a waste of
time. Doesn’t take one anywhere. Just heats up the mind as a stimulant for
a short duration, BUT puts a seed in the mind unknown to the ignorant
reader. This seed, just like a plant seed, on getting suitable feeding
nutrients from the environment (mental visualizations by the reader on the
vulgar topics, at different situations, imagination on “Pleasures of the
Flesh”, etc.) slowly and slowly grows into a tree in the mind, thereby
becoming a major mental defilement/impurity. As long as the reader lives
within that specific feeding environment without any self-analysis, he/she
never ever understands his/her mind is getting impure day by day. Just ask
anyone. The majority will accept his/her mind as the purest, without
knowing what pure is. It is a shame also, to accept one’s own mental
defilement!
The purest mind is always the
thought-less mind or the Buddha-hood. No worries, nothing. An action required,
the an action specific single thought. That is it. Nothing else. Hard-core
meditation takes one slowly towards that condition.
Also there is no everlasting
pure-ness. What is pure today, need not be pure tomorrow. Why?
Just wash a nice piece of white
cloth and hang it on the road-side in the morning. By evening, examine the
cloth. Same as morning?
Unfortunately, NO! Dust or
impurities in the surroundings accumulated on the cloth, making it impure.
Clean again and hang it in the back-lawn, the next day. Again impurities in the
evening, but less compared to the road-side. The environment now has lesser
impurities, for it is not in the immediate vicinity of road-side. Clean again
and next day hang the cloth in a secluded place. Again impurities, but still
lesser.
So too the mind. The more the mind
deals with the external world, the more impure it gets. The more secluded the
person, withdrawn from the external world, less impurities can stain the mind. Only
under such a condition, where external pressures are less, can the Seeker open
up the mind for cleaning inside, for emptying his mind to zero-thought state,
just like emptying a completely filled glass of water.
21 “Here is what comes from the heart: wrong thoughts, all kinds of adultery, stealing, killing, wanting things that
other people have, doing very wrong things, fooling people, breaking the law, jealousy, saying wrong things
about people, being proud, being foolish.”
- Mark 7:21 :: Worldwide English (New
Testament) (WE)
Just like abandoning
material goods and becoming homeless, so too all thoughts are abandoned and
thrown away in the invisible guiding presence of the Lord, where nothing else,
just the Lord exist. A dry leaf, indeed!!
Ever imagined trying to undress the
Emperor of an Empire in a public market place? Can anyone do that? There are
many pressures, forces, issues involved which prevent such an undressing!! The
Emperor’s security, the Emperor’s sense of pride, etc., etc. Too many issues.
So too the Mind, The Emperor of the nine-gate Empire.
Yet, many a ignorant man tried to
undress themselves hoping to withstand the pressures involved. Such ignorant
men were rewarded with eternal rest of a life-time in mental asylums! How sad!
How can medicines for the slave, the body, cure the master, the mind? Places
of the Lord like remote and secluded places of worship like temples, churches,
mosques, guru-dwaras, viharas etc where very few people frequent or visit are
the ideal places for any form of mental treatment or cleaning, for the Lord’s
Grace is a must for satisfactory cleaning/treatment. Seclusion and detachment
from one’s own family members are also required. Before the Lord, there is no
other relation. For the Mind is nothing but Energy similar to electricity,
formless, but more powerful. Electricity can reside only in closed wires or
circuits. Mind doesn’t need that.
“What is faster than
the wind?
Mind”
- Yaksha Prashna (The
Questions of the Yaksha), Mahabharata (Reference: 17)
Again remember repeatedly the Law:
For Every Action, There is an Equal
and Opposite Reaction.
This is also a law of Physics
(Newton’s Third Law), proven by Physics in many laboratory experiments.
7 “Be not deceived;
God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap.” - Galatians 6:7 ::
King James Version (KJV)
Remember, in the name of the Lord, the
one who misuses the Mind for his/her personal selfish needs destroys
himself/herself, by its own reaction. For everything, no matter what, is
under the control of the Lord, including Lucifer as well as his army.
“To create the
Universe is the natural function of God. He does not require a body or
sensory organs for this. There is none equal to God, so how can
there be a being superior to Him. His power is great and incomparable. In
Him, the natural qualities of knowledge, power and creativity exist.”
- Shvetaashvetar Upanishad (verses
6.8, 6.11 and 6.12)
The Ancients left an apt analogy, to
teach the future generation, in the form of a puppet show. The audience can see
only the puppets playing individually. Behind the scenes, the puppets are
controlled and moved around by the clever fingers of the puppet-master. So too
the Lord controls everything. Praise the Lord!
2 "I know that
you can do anything, and no one can stop you.”
- Job 42:2 :: New Living Translation
(NLT)
Lucifer/Mara is just for training
purposes. One who successfully completes the training doesn’t care about
Lucifer/Mara anymore, according to the legendary lives of the Adepts like The
Blessed One, The Buddha.
According to the legends, only the
Lord can withstand the reaction, for any action. No other organism or entity is
ever known of being capable of withstanding its own action. The higher the Evil
action done by an entity, the equivalent reaction returns likes a boomrang,
completing destroying the entity. (The equivalent reaction depends on what and
to whom the action is committed. The reaction to striking a beggar is not equal
to the reaction of striking an Emperor. Couple of examples are already
mentioned above)
“In carrying out the
official court sentence of the assassin of Henri IV, the murderer's skin was
torn off his chest, arms and legs with red hot pinchers. The arm with which he
had killed the King was burnt off and molten lead was poured onto the wounds.
Finally, his body was torn apart by a team of four horses.”
- The
LAW's Hall of Horror (Reference: 15)
The entity just crumbles by its own
Evil action. So beware! Think before you leap. What are the consequences of any
action – verbal, bodily and mentally (the three planes of action) that one
commit?
In The Name Of Allah The
Most Gracious The Most Merciful
3. “For he who hateth
thee, he will be cut off (from Future Hope).”
- Quran, Surah 108. Abundance, Plenty
Weigh the consequences properly.
Verbal and mental action-reaction are invisible. Just because something is invisible,
doesn’t mean it is not there. Just because electricity is invisible doesn’t
mean it is not there. So too verbal and mental reaction. It stays in the
waiting-list for each entity, waiting for its turn. An entity suffers its own
action-reaction one by one and the cycle of Karma goes on.
Change
“1 Corinthians 15:50-53
50 Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.”
19 “God, who is king forever,
Interlude
will hear me and will humble them.
For my enemies refuse
to change their ways;
they do not fear God.”
-
Psalm 55:19 :: New Living Translation (NLT)
Imagine a sword fight between two opponents. Both of
them are on constant change, intensely concentrated on their duel of life and
death. If one of the opponent doesn’t change his/her sword position to counter
the sword movement of the enemy, well, a mortal wound or death!
So too the battle with the forces of Lucifer/Mara.
They are adepts in the use of Trojan horses.
What are Trojan horses?
One’s own mental impurity/defilement.
One’s own mental impurity/defilement is turned
against oneself, thereby opening the nine gates of the great
city/Empire/Temple, one by one. The forces of Evil thus over-run the Empire.
But The Empire can always strike back. By re-building. By identifying the hole
in the fortress wall and plugging it. By identifying the body/mental weakness
or impurity and removing it. Removing it means destroying the weakness for
ever. In certain scenarios, the weakness can be converted to a strength and the
battle moves on.
You
will have to turn the mind inside, then concentrate all its powers and throw
them upon the mind itself, in order that it may know its own nature and analyse
itself. This is Raja Yoga.
Make a vigorous and earnest search within. Do not trust the mind and the Indriyas. They
are your enemies. Woman and wealth are your bitter foes. These are two great
evils.
In introspection, the mind itself is the subject of study. A portion of the mind studies the remaining portion of the
mind. The higher mind studies the lower mind. Introspection is apperception. Just as you watch the work done by a coolie,
a portion of the mind watches the movements of the rest of the mind. If you are one with the mind, if you identify yourself with
the mind, you cannot know your defects. If you are a Sakshi or silent witness
of the mind and if you practise introspection, you can know your various
defects.
By a careful watch, many defects are detected and removed
by suitable Sadhana.
(Reference: Swami Sivananda. (1998) Mind--Its
Mysteries and Control. (WWW Edition) Himalayas, India: The Divine
Life Society. Chapter 27: Mouna And Introspection. Section: Introspection-what
It Is and What It Does.)
Again the elite forces of Evil on special commando
operations identify yet another weak-point in the fortress, to gain entry for
the main troops of Evil. Again the able Emperor identifies the weak-point, and
reinforces the fort for further onslaught.
Who is your best friend?
Your greatest enemy.
Why?
Your enemy identifies your weakness, which you may
not even know in many circumstances and tries to control/subdue you for his/her
personal/selfish needs. The one who changes/fights will be the happiest, for
the enemy at great expense to himself/herself identifies your hidden weakness
at no cost to yourself!! If you stay without changing your way of living to
counter your weakness, you are “dead”.
Just a toy in the hands of the enemy.
But if you change yourself and fight your weakness,
the enemy becomes a toy in your hands!! What a paradox!!
So too the forces of Lucifer/Mara. Originally Man’s
greatest friend, from the above logic. For one can easily identify one’s own
bodily weakness/impurity. But what about the impurity/weakness of the Emperor
himself?
By the way, who is the Emperor?
The Mind is the Emperor. Body is merely a slave.
So to identify one’s own mental weakness/impurity
is the hardest and the toughest. Very few mortals can do one’s own mental
analysis and identification. (There are many who went wrong and take rest in
mental asylums!)
19 “Here is what
comes from the heart: wrong
thoughts, killing
people, all
kinds of adultery, stealing, lying,
and saying wrong things about people.”
- Matthew
15:19 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
It is to facilitate this identification, the forces
of Evil come to picture.
Very ancient Christian scriptures, which the modern
Church might not accept, portray Lucifer/Devil, the top-most commando, as the
Lord’s right-hand “man”. The second-in command.
An apt scenario is a martial arts dojo or Kalari or
ring. All are students on training. The completion of training or the selection
of the best student comes with the one-to-one combat with one of the best,
the Chief trainer. Lucifer/Mara is the Chief trainer.
6 The Lord said to Satan, "Very
well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life." - Job 2:6 :: New International Version (NIV)
Only the one who can defeat the chief trainer can go
near the Lord, enter the Kingdom of the Lord. Only the best. The doors
of Heaven are not open to ordinary men. Only those, who subdue their
weaknesses/defilements and pass all the rigorous tests put forward by the Lord
in diverse environments.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious
The Most Merciful
"Do people think that they
will be left alone because they say: 'We believe,' and
will not be tested." -
Quran, Ayat 29 : 02
Only such a handful, such a few stop their cycle of rebirth
and merge with the Lord forever. The others, because of their impurities,
because of their defilements/weaknesses, because of their Karma
(Action-Reaction) keep on repeating their cycle of Existence in the Samsara;
unless and until they put a stop. By removing their ignorance. By doing self
analysis. By constant change.
“Let me go beyond the miseries of this
Samsara (worldly life) by renouncing this world of miseries and sorrows. This
mundane life, with all its luxuries and comforts, is absolutely worthless. I
also am subject to decay and am not free from the effect of old age. Worldly
happiness is transitory”
- The Blessed One, Lord Buddha, before
His renunciation of worldly life
A clear pool of water stays at the same place
forever. Slow addition of impurities, day by day, emits foul smell to its
surroundings. The clear pool slowly becomes a tank of water for waste dump
A clear stream of water on constant change moves
this-way, that-way, clears all obstacles and finally merges with the ocean
Observe the water of a dirty canal on motion. The
canal may be the dirty. But it is constantly flowing, changing. The water looks
crystal clear! The canal water reaches its destination.
But if we only talk, talk, talk, and
none of us meditates, then what change is ever going to take place? (Reference: 127)
Like the root of a huge tree, there are certain
impurities/defilements that may lie suppressed in one’s sub-conscious mind. In
normal circumstances, it will be very hard to detect. Even if detected, during
tests in certain environments, the defilement will appear only as a tip of an
iceberg. If pondered deeper, the root can open up as a huge one. Such a
scenario calls for total destruction of one’s life-style (Homage to Lord
Shiva), moving completely out of the environment where the root or defilement
fed itself.
“Whilst intrinsically Tamasik, the
Destruction carried out by Lord Shiva can actually be thought of as a kind of constructive
destruction. Before anything can be created, it is necessary to ensure
that the environment in which the creation is to take place is pure, since any
impurities present at the creation of a thing will, of course, manifest
themselves in its operation. Hence, it is necessary to get rid of any
impurities and unwanted elements. This is the process generally referred to as
"sterilisation". Whilst the process of sterilisation requires that
all unwanted elemets are destroyed, thus making this a destructive process, it
is a necessary step in the creation of a new thing, and is thus part of the
constructive process.” (Reference: 22)
Complete destruction doesn’t mean one is killing
himself; for energy can never ever be destroyed. It only changes form.
“Know this Atman, unborn, undying.
Never ceasing, never beginning.
Deathless, birthless, unchanging
forever.
How can it die the death of the body?”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
So move into an entirely different environment, an
environment which doesn’t have the nutrients which fed the defilement under
analysis and re-build one’s life as per the Path of Purity and Perfection. In
the new environment, all nutrients to the defilement under analysis is cut off
and starved. Counter thoughts are generated in the mind as per the Laws of
Purity to root out the defilement under analysis.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
-
2 Corinthians 5:17 :: King James Version (KJV)
Like a Cobra which shed off its old skin,
the new Cobra emerges. The old is virtually dead. Thought processes are
anathema/untouchables in the mental world. But they are used in those
circumstances to root out an impurity. Thus the warrior preserves his mind and
body safely from evil (Homage to Lord Vishnu)
4 Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in
you, than he that is in the world.
-
1 John 4:4 :: King James Version (KJV)
“Instead of satisfying his own
personal material senses, he has to satisfy the senses of the
Lord. That is the highest perfection of life. The Lord wants this,
and He demands it.”
-
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, author of Bhagavad-gita As It
Is in its preface
“…four incidents that would change the
prince's life completely.
According to legend, Siddhartha was
riding with his charioteer, Channa, in the sheltered precinct, and he
discovered a gnarled old man whom the guards had somehow overlooked. Siddhartha
asked Channa what that creature was and learned that people grow old. Not long afterward,
on another ride, the prince saw a man covered with sores and shivering with
fever, and learned that people get sick. The third sign he
saw, a corpse being carried to the cremation ground, taught him that people die. But the fourth sign gave
the unhappy prince hope; he saw a cheerful holy man who had nothing but a
yellow robe and a bowl for begging. With that he knew what he had to do
to find real peace in the world.
The palace was no longer a pleasant
place for him; the next time he went to his father's harem, he saw the
kingdom's most beautiful women as they would one day appear, with grey hair and
wrinkles. Soon after, his wife gave birth to a son, but he felt no pride.
That night, he said goodbye to them while they slept and rode away in his
chariot with Channa. When they were well beyond the palace grounds, he got out
of the chariot, removed his clothes and cut off all his hair, and said goodbye
to Channa as well. Now that he was separated from everything that had
ever belonged to him, he was ready to begin a new life.
-
The Man Who Woke Up (Reference: 87)
You can attain Jnana only if you are free from
sensuous desires and immortal mental states. Aloofness of body from sensuous objects and aloofness of mind from immoral states of mind are needed for the attainment of Jnana. Then
only will Divine Light descend.
…
Viveka and will are two potent weapons for an
aspirant on the Jnana Yogic path to destroy evil Mara (temptation) and remove
all major and minor impediments.
…
Just as
you starve a plant by depriving it of water, so you may starve out obnoxious
desires by allowing the mind not to dwell upon such desires. You have no desire for a thing till you know
what it is like. It is only after you have seen it or heard of it or touched it
that you get a longing for it. Therefore, the best principle for a man is not
to take, touch or see anything that is likely to taint the imagination. You will have to turn
aside the attention resolutely and particularly the imagination from the subject.
In course of time, all objectionable desires will die out.
…
A counter-desire, a desire for God, one strong
desire to attain Brahman will destroy all other worldly desires.
…
Brahma-Chintana will destroy all desires.
There are no desires in Brahman.
…
Kill the thoughts. Practise thoughtlessness.
You can destroy desires. Mind associated with thoughts of gratifying the passionate
desires, blindly goads a man to seek for sensual pleasures. Uncontrolled thoughts are the
roots of all evils. Sublime thoughts will easily destroy lower, base thoughts.
Do not entertain any base thought.
(Reference: Swami Sivananda. (1998) Mind--Its
Mysteries and Control. (WWW Edition) Himalayas, India: The Divine
Life Society. Chapter 21: Desires.)
The Twins
Pain and Pleasure are like twins. Where one is there, the other follows.
No one can have one alone, whether it be pleasure or pain. They cannot be
separated.
Any action either gives pain or pleasure as immediate result. The other
becomes the secondary result.
The forces of Evil give pleasure only. Nobody buys
pain. Everybody will buy only pleasure. That is why, the forces of Evil
never give pain. BUT, those who take pleasure, will have to undergo the
pain, which is the hidden twin, after undergoing pleasure.
The exact reversal takes place with those who approach the Lord. The path
is not a path of flowers. It is a path of thorns. Exceedingly painful. Only by
undergoing pain, can one get near the Lord. When one buys pain first, instead
of pleasure, and undergoes the pain, nothing can stop the twin, pleasure, from
coming in. One, then undergoes happiness or pleasure derived by virtue of the
pain undergone.
The abstinence from a
present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great
one.
- Locke.
“Thus have I heard. At one time the Lord was staying near
Savatthi in the Jeta Wood at Anathapindika's monastery. On that occasion a
certain bhikkhu was sitting cross-legged not far from the Lord, holding his
body erect, mindful and clearly comprehending, enduring without complaint
feelings that were painful, acute, sharp and severe, the ripening of
former action.
The Lord saw that bhikkhu sitting cross-legged not far
away... enduring without complaint feelings that were painful, acute, sharp and
severe, the ripening of former action.
Then, on realizing its significance, the Lord uttered on
that occasion this inspired utterance:
A
bhikkhu who has left behind all action,
Shaking off the dust of former deeds.
The stable one, unselfish, steady,
Has no need to address people.”
- Udana
III.1. Kamma Sutta. Former Action. Translated from the Pali by John D.
Ireland.
(Reference: 152)
“I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was
staying near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. Now at that
time a certain monk was sitting not far from the Blessed One, his legs crossed,
his body held erect, enduring sharp, piercing, racking pains that were the
result of old kamma -- mindful, alert, without suffering. The Blessed One saw
him sitting not far away, his legs crossed, his body held erect, enduring
sharp, piercing, racking pains that were the
result of old kamma -- mindful, alert, without
suffering.
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed
One on that occasion exclaimed:
For the monk who has left
all kamma
behind,
shaking off the dust of the past,
steady, without
longing,
Such*:
there's no point in telling
anyone else.”
(*tadi)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Udana
III.1. Kamma Sutta. Action. Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
(Reference: 153)
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your
feet.
-
Matthew 10:14 :: King James Version (KJV)
No change is possible without pain. Higher changes involve higher levels
of pain.
Imagine somebody who wants to convert oneself to the formless. Imagine he
is approaching the fire. To watch fire from a distance, gives pleasure. The
more one approaches fire, the heat generated from the fire give burning
sensation. Standing too close to a huge fire is very hard and painful, a
fore-runner to what could happen if one accidentally decides to immolate or
change from form to formless. Exceedingly painful it will be.
A word of warning: The Lord gave form to each and every person to live,
learn, experience and train. Not to run away from training and decide by
oneself to change back to formless. Such an ignorant person commits a grave
crime before the Lord. Committing suicide is not the last option. Various other
options are always there. One need to investigate other options to survive and
train further. Physically moving away from a troubling environment and starting
life/training anew in a new environment is always a worthy option.
Also exceeding levels of physical torture like beating oneself, beyond a
certain limit is not advisable. The purpose is to purify oneself. Beating makes
one submissive, like a sheep. Converts a “goat” to a “sheep”. But doesn’t
purify internally. Only a certain level of submissiveness is enough. Too much
is harmful.
24 “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who
loves him is careful to discipline him.” -
Proverbs 13:24 :: New International Version (NIV)
Spending more time on productive meditation purifies internally.
Imagine the amount of pain underwent by one of the best adepts, Jesus
Christ, given in the following literature.
“Crucifixion, such as that inflicted on Jesus Christ, was
another popular form of punishment. The idea was to nail the convict to the
cross and to let them die slowly, from asphyxiation, shock and heart failure.
In case you wanted to know: crucifixion suspends the
victim by the arms (specifically, the transfixed wrists) with the body weight
not only disjointing the limbs and causing intense and extreme agony by the
stretching and tearing of ligamentatious and other connective tissues, but
mainly from shock, secondary to two etiologies:
·
First, asphyxiation: the chest cavity
is overexpanded and the victim, while able to inspire, cannot expire the
breath. Second, cardiac tamponade: fluid builds up in the pulmonary loop,
increasing backpressure on the right side of the heart; fluids build up in the
pericardial sac, leading to their own complications.
·
A second killer is shock secondary to
the pain levels encountered. If the feet are nailed, either a vertical
presentation from superior to inferior through the arches of the foot, this
pain alone is intense and agonizing, sufficient to cause brief unconciousness
and certainly more than enough to cause neurogenic shock; then when the victim
is placed in an upright position and they have to straighten the legs to
relieve the suffocation due to suspension by the nailed wrists, this brings the
weight of the body on the small surface area supported by the nail, bringing
agony to an all time high.
The ankles were sometimes nailed instead of the arches of
the feet; the lower body was turned so the knees pointed to the left, or the
right, and were bent at about 90 degrees; generally a single very large nail
was driven through the ankles, most commonly anterior to the tendo Achillis,
with the same results.
Victims would commonly sweat blood -- literally -- from the
level of pain; as cellular autolysis occured, exanguination occured through the
pores of the skin." -
The LAW's Hall of Horror (Reference: 15)
“…if we want to achieve anything we
should go into the state of an unwavering mind and a determination without
swerving from the objective.” (Reference: 46)
Combat
Always Combat, Combat…
Where actually is this Combat? Where is the
battle-field?
One’s own mind is the ultimate battle-field
“The first and the last step is the
conquest of self.” - Dharmapada
“You must be free from the pairs of
opposites.
Poise you mind in tranquility.
Be established in the consciousness of
the Atman always.”
- The Bhagavad Gita
One’s own mind is used to find its impurities.
1 Through desire a man, having
separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
-
Proverbs 18:1 :: King James Version (KJV)
"If you find your mind tempted and
so entangled in greed, you must suppress and control the temptation; be
the master of your own mind. A man's mind may make him a Buddha, or
it may make him a beast. Misled by error, one becomes a demon;
Enlightened, one becomes a Buddha. Therefore, control
your mind and do not let it deviate from the right path.
"I truly believe that individuals
can make a difference in society. Since periods of great change such as the
present one come so rarely in history, it is up to each of us to make
the best use of our time to help create a happier world." - The Dalai Lama
The pure part becomes the Good and the impure part
becomes the Evil. The Good versus the Evil. The origin of thought process, one
need to analyse through meditation. From where these thoughts come about. If
the thoughts are bad, it comes from the Evil impurity, which need to be rooted
out by generating its counter thoughts. One typical example:
One views a certain woman as very beautiful. Whenever
on meditation as well as on daily routine, thoughts on the specific woman’s
beauty constantly arrive, disturbing the person.
Now you see, thoughts about the woman’s beauty
frequently disturb the person.
So what should the person do?
Just leave it or ponder further?
If pondered further, thoughts build on thoughts, wave
after wave. The person might end up spending the whole day on imagining from
various angles the specific woman’s beauty. What a waste!
Just leave the thought in the starting stages itself
as it is. Don’t pursue the thought. Instead meditate. Doing meditation, find
from where the thought arrived. The thought arrived from a source X of our own
mind.
Every person has certain definitions for beauty. A
beautiful woman according to one person may not be a beautiful woman for
another person. Because tastes differ, the standards of beauty differ from
person to person.
For this specific person, the specific woman
satisfied his specific beauty standards/tastes. That is source X, his own
standards. To destroy source X, he just have to modify or change his standards
of beauty. One variant of such a destruction is to imagine the specific woman
as the most ugliest woman ever. Slowly through meditation, use counter thought
and auto-suggestion on your own standard of beauty, X, to change it to your
standard of ugliness. The process is slowly, day by day, until your mind
matures or transforms to the new standard. In other words, counter thought
generated to mutually neutralize the other thought, effectively canceling to
zero thought of that specific nature.
Further meditation, removes the evil thought for
ever. Because the mind now changed/matured to ask the logical question,
“Why ponder on that ugly woman and waste time. Do something else.”
Thus the Empire plugs the hole in the fortress slowly
and steadily.
On changing the environment, the Empire strikes back
against the forces of Evil again, with the new set of standards.
Again and again the battle continues in different
environments. In the outward plane, the enemies may be different, depending on
the environment. But in the inner plane, it is always the same forces of Evil,
no matter where.
After each battle, the level of standard of your five
senses (sense of beauty is taken as an example here) is raised higher and
higher.
A stage will ultimately arrive, where anything accepted
as beautiful, very beautiful etc. by the normal mortals is ugly to you.
“What is the significance of the famous
Zen motto, "drop off body and mind?" It is to be taken as a call to
radical detachment. One casts aside all concern with self, with past or future,
with physical discomfort or emotional moods, and throws oneself, body and mind,
into the practice of the Buddha-way in the here and now. This practice is an
end in itself, not pursued for selfish aims. Thus, one opens oneself to one's
Buddha nature, the "selfless self" which is already intrinsically
Enlightened. As Bodhidharma said: "A special transmission outside the
scriptures, not founded upon words and letters; by pointing directly to (one's)
mind, it lets one see into (one's own true) nature and (thus) attain
Buddhahood."” (Reference: 14)
For to you, the most beautiful will only be the
Formless, The Lord himself. Nothing can disturb your senses for ever.
“The state of Brahmam is attained only
through sacrifice, the transcending of likes and dislikes, desires and
prejudices of the ego and the state of individuality.” (Reference: 9)
“I have nothing to ask. I do
not need anything. I feel that all the pleasures of this world and the
next are trifles to be discarded. I shall not enter again the
slush of sensory pleasure. Give me the boon of attaining to the Sublime
Presence of the Lord, from which there is no return, for which
all life is dedicated.”
- King Khatvanga to Indra, the King of
the Gods, a story from the Bhagavata (Reference: 9)
The concept of counter-thought generation can be used
to cure addiction also. Serious addiction also require change of environment as
well of change in life-style, thereby removing all the feeding causes/nutrients
of the previous addiction. The person re-builds as an entirely new person, a
transformed person.
“In the path of realization of the
Lord, anger, lust, attachment, greed etc. act as barriers and
impediment and ultimately lead to hell. No matter how much learned a
person is, no matter how intelligent or great a hermit is,
but all his knowledge, intelligence and powers render useless if he has human weakness.” (Reference: 51)
The man who is not a celibate can never fight. The
moment he faces Lucifer for the face to face duel to death, the ignorant man gives
away his sword to Lucifer, and walks away from the battle, to please his wife,
to satisfy the five normal senses.
“1 Corinthians 7: 32-33
32
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth
for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33
But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world,
how he may please his wife.”
Also the one who thinks he can control the ninth gate
of his empire, the male organ, selectively as his wife desires, use once in a
while, he too is ignorant; for the forces of Evil subdues the easy target, the
sitting duck, the wife to temptation. Can a moral wife be satisfied by a
stranger? No. You yourself have to open your own ninth gate frequently for
satisfying her desires, induced by Lucifer/Mara. Thus, indirectly, defeated!
“Attraction to the fruit removed Adam
and Hawa (Eve) from the realm of unity to the realm of separation, from beyond
time and space into time and space dimension.” (Reference: 35)
But for the man who was married during the days of
his ignorance, who has a moral wife who is intelligent, understanding
and respects the wishes of her husband (in other words, loves her
husband. In modern society, most relations are built on lust and money), can
always discuss the laws of warfare with her and reach an understanding where
you consider her as your own sister.
Together the new “brother” and “sister” faces the
invisible army of Lucifer. Such a “friendship” can win the war more easily in
certain situations, for the two forces are fighting together against the common
enemy, Evil, as brother and sister.
“When they were filled, he said unto
his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be
lost.”
- John 6:12
Many take the concept of the marriage of Sri
Ramakrishna and Sarada, to break celibacy vows. Sri Ramakrishna advanced very
far in the Path of Perfection through Bhakti Marga or the Path of Bhakti. The
gates of the Empire are forever controlled by such an adept. Sri Ramakrishna
treated Sarada as his own sister, and worshipped her as an incarnation of the
Divine Mother. No carnal thoughts, desires or temptation exist there.
“God-consciousness is 10 million times
more blissful than sexual experience.”
- Sage Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Yet, there is a major problem associated with
destruction of a certain way of life. If one is solitary and secluded, such
destruction is easier to bring about. When in a group, say in the above case of
“brother” and “sister”, such a destruction is a bit hard to bring about. For
the other person may not truly understand the purpose of destruction and act as
a stumbling block. There are cases where destruction of a certain way of life
is vital to winning the warfare.
11 Now therefore make confession unto the
LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from
the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
-
Ezra 10:11 :: King James Version (KJV)
The best option, always, is to stand alone, without any
friend-ships or whatever and fight Lucifer/Mara one-to-one.
“The wise upon the path of truth
He first establishes himself:
Then only can he others teach.
Who thus, as he to others tells,
Can conquer and subdue himself,
May happily turn them to the true;
But hard it is to rule oneself.”
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
“Vigilantly and mindfully strive to be
endowed with morality (sila), concentration (samadhi) and wisdom (panna)!"
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
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Anguttara Nikaya
IV.181
Yodhajiva Sutta
The Warrior
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.
"Endowed with four qualities,
monks, a warrior is worthy of a king, an asset to a king, and counts as a very
limb of his king. Which four?
"There is the case where a warrior
is skilled in his stance, able to shoot far, able to fire shots in rapid
succession, and able to pierce great objects. A warrior endowed with these four
qualities is worthy of a king, an asset to a king, and counts as a very limb of
his king.
"In the same way a monk endowed
with four qualities is deserving of gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving
of offerings, deserving of respect, an unexcelled field of merit for the world.
Which four?
"There is the case where a monk is
skilled in his stance, able to shoot far, able to fire shots in rapid
succession, and able to pierce great objects. A monk endowed with these four
qualities is deserving of gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving of
offerings, deserving of respect, an unexcelled field of merit for the world.
"And how is a monk skilled in his
stance? There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance
with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity. He
trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the
slightest faults. This is how a monk is skilled in his stance.
"And how is a monk one who is able
to shoot far? There is the case where a monk sees any form whatsoever that is
past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or
sublime; far or near -- every form -- as it actually is with right discernment
as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.'
"He sees any feeling whatsoever...
"He sees any perception
whatsoever...
"He sees any fabrications
whatsoever...
"He sees any consciousness
whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or
subtle; common or sublime; far or near -- every consciousness -- as it actually
is with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This is
not what I am.'
"This is how a monk is one who is
able to shoot far.
"And how is a monk one who is able
to fire shots in rapid succession? There is the case where a monk discerns, as
it actually is present, that 'This is stress.'... 'This is the origination of
stress.'... 'This is the cessation of stress.'... 'This is the path of practice
leading to the cessation of stress.' This is how a monk is one who is able to
fire shots in rapid succession.
"And how is a monk one who is able
to pierce great objects? There is the case where a monk pierces right through
the great mass of ignorance. This is how a monk is one who is able to pierce
great objects right through.
"Endowed with these four
qualities, a monk is deserving of gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving of
offerings, deserving of respect, an unexcelled field of merit for the world."
Revised: Tue 18 September 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an04-181.html
(Reference:
149)
Anguttara Nikaya V.75
Yodhajiva Sutta
The Warrior (1)
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.
Translator's note: This discourse is
addressed to monks, and deals with their battle to maintain their celibacy and
to come out victorious in the practice. The Buddha compares the victorious monk
with a victorious warrior, an analogy that was probably intended to appeal to
the monks' masculine pride (see AN VII.48). In this analogy, a celibate is not a wimp, but is
instead a warrior to the highest degree. Because the first confrontation for a
man trying to maintain his celibacy involves his attraction to women, women
play the role of first-line enemy in this discourse. Unfortunately, we don't
have any record of how the Buddha advised his nun followers on how to maintain
their celibacy, so we don't know if he would have used a woman-warrior analogy
when teaching them to resist their attraction to men, or if he would have
replaced it with another analogy to appeal more specifically to their feminine
pride (again, see AN VII.48).
However, there are discourses in the Pali Canon that depict nuns as
successfully maintaining their celibacy when confronted by men in the forest. A
prime example is Therigatha IV; there are other examples of nuns resisting
temptation in the Bhikkhuni Samyutta. Ultimately, of course, the
true enemy lies, not without, but within. This is shown by the fact that the
monk in this discourse has to go off alone and put an end to the fermentation
of sensual passion in his own mind before he can be considered truly
victorious.
"Monks, there are these five types
of warriors who can be found existing in the world. Which five?
"There is the case of a warrior
who, on seeing a cloud of dust [stirred up by the enemy army], falters, faints,
doesn't steel himself, can't engage in the battle. Some warriors are like this.
This is the first type of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who can
handle the cloud of dust, but on seeing the top of the enemy's banner, he
falters, faints, doesn't steel himself, can't engage in the battle. Some
warriors are like this. This is the second type of warrior who can be found
existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who can
handle the cloud of dust & the top of the enemy's banner, but on hearing
the tumult [of the approaching forces], he falters, faints, doesn't steel himself,
can't engage in the battle. Some warriors are like this. This is the third type
of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who can
handle the cloud of dust, the top of the enemy's banner, & the tumult, but
when in hand-to-hand combat he is struck and falls wounded. Some warriors are
like this. This is the fourth type of warrior who can be found existing in the
world.
"Then there is the warrior who can
handle the cloud of dust, the top of the enemy's banner, the tumult, & the
hand-to-hand combat. On winning the battle, victorious in battle, he comes out
at the very head of the battle. Some warriors are like this. This is the fifth
type of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"These are the five types of
warriors who can be found existing in the world.
"In the same way, monks, there are
these five warrior-like individuals who can be found existing among the monks.
Which five?
[1] "There is the case of the monk
who, on seeing a cloud of dust, falters, faints, doesn't steel himself, can't
continue in the holy life. Declaring his weakness in the training, he leaves
the training and returns to the lower life. What is the cloud of dust for him?
There is the case of the monk who hears, 'In that village or town over there is
a woman or girl who is shapely, good-looking, charming, endowed with the
foremost lotus-like complexion.' On hearing this, he falters, faints, doesn't
steel himself, can't continue in the holy life. Declaring his weakness in the
training, he leaves the training and returns to the lower life. That, for him,
is the cloud of dust. This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who, on
seeing a cloud of dust, falters, faints, doesn't steel himself, can't engage in
the battle. Some individuals are like this. This is the first type of
warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[2] "Then there is the case of the
monk who can handle the cloud of dust, but on seeing the top of the enemy's
banner, he falters, faints, doesn't steel himself, can't continue in the holy
life. Declaring his weakness in the training, he leaves the training and
returns to the lower life. What is the top of the banner for him? There is the
case of the monk who not only hears that 'In that village or town over there is
a woman or girl who is shapely, good-looking, charming, endowed with the
foremost lotus-like complexion.' He sees for himself that in that village or
town over there is a woman or girl who is shapely, good-looking, charming,
endowed with the foremost lotus-like complexion. On seeing her, he falters,
faints, doesn't steel himself, can't continue in the holy life. Declaring his
weakness in the training, he leaves the training and returns to the lower life.
That, for him, is the top of the banner. This individual, I tell you, is like
the warrior who can handle the cloud of dust, but on seeing the top of the
enemy's banner, he falters, faints, doesn't steel himself, can't engage in the
battle. Some individuals are like this. This is the second type of warrior-like
individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[3] "Then there is the case of the
monk who can handle the cloud of dust & the top of the enemy's banner, but
on hearing the tumult [of the approaching forces], he falters, faints, doesn't
steel himself, can't continue in the holy life. Declaring his weakness in the
training, he leaves the training and returns to the lower life. What is the
tumult for him? There is the case of the monk who has gone to the wilderness,
to the foot of a tree, or to an empty building. A woman approaches him and
giggles at him, calls out to him, laughs aloud, & teases him. On being
giggled at, called out to, laughed at, & teased by the woman, he falters,
faints, doesn't steel himself, can't continue in the holy life. Declaring his
weakness in the training, he leaves the training and returns to the lower life.
That, for him, is the tumult. This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior
who can handle the cloud of dust & the top of the enemy's banner, but on
hearing the tumult he falters, faints, doesn't steel himself, can't engage in
the battle. Some individuals are like this. This is the third type of
warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[4] "Then there is the case of the
monk who can handle the cloud of dust, the top of the enemy's banner, & the
tumult, but when in hand-to-hand combat he is struck and falls wounded. What is
the hand-to-hand combat for him? There is the case of the monk who has gone to
the wilderness, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty building. A woman
approaches him and sits down right next to him, lies down right next to him,
throws herself all over him. When she sits down right next to him, lies down
right next to him, and throws herself all over him, he -- without renouncing
the training, without declaring his weakness -- engages in sexual intercourse.
This, for him, is hand-to-hand combat. This individual, I tell you, is like the
warrior who can handle the cloud of dust, the top of the enemy's banner, &
the tumult, but when in hand-to-hand combat he is struck and falls wounded.
Some individuals are like this. This is the fourth type of warrior-like
individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[5] "Then there is the case of the
monk who can handle the cloud of dust, the top of the enemy's banner, the
tumult, & hand-to-hand combat. On winning the battle, victorious in battle,
he comes out at the very head of the battle. What is victory in the battle for
him? There is the case of the monk who has gone to the wilderness, to the foot
of a tree, or to an empty dwelling. A woman approaches him and sits down right
next to him, lies down right next to him, throws herself all over him. When she
sits down right next to him, lies down right next to him, and throws herself
all over him, he extricates himself, frees himself, and goes off where he will.
"He resorts to a secluded dwelling
place: the wilderness, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside cave,
a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air, a haystack. Having gone to the
wilderness, the foot of a tree, or an empty building, he sits down, crosses his
legs, holds his body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore.
"Abandoning covetousness with
regard to the world, he dwells with an awareness devoid of covetousness. He
cleanses his mind of covetousness. Abandoning ill will & anger, he dwells
with an awareness devoid of ill will, sympathetic with the welfare of all
living beings. He cleanses his mind of ill will & anger. Abandoning sloth
& drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth & drowsiness,
mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth &
drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness & anxiety, he dwells undisturbed, his
mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of restlessness & anxiety.
Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed over uncertainty, with no
perplexity with regard to skillful mental qualities. He cleanses his mind of
uncertainty.
"Having abandoned these five
hindrances, corruptions of awareness that weaken discernment, then -- quite
withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities
-- he enters & remains in the first jhhana: rapture & pleasure born from
withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling
of directed thought & evaluation, he enters & remains in the second
jhana: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness
free from directed thought & evaluation -- internal assurance. With the
fading of rapture, he remains in equanimity, mindful & fully aware, and
physically sensitive of pleasure. He enters & remains in the third jhana,
of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a
pleasurable abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as with the
earlier disappearance of elation & distress -- he enters & remains in
the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor
pain.
"With his mind thus concentrated,
purified, & bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the
knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. He discerns, as it is
actually present, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress...
This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of
stress... These are mental fermentations... This is the origination of
fermentations... This is the cessation of fermentations... This is the way
leading to the cessation of fermentations.' His heart, thus knowing, thus
seeing, is released from the fermentation of sensuality, the fermentation of
becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge,
'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task
done. There is nothing further for this world.'
"This, for him, is victory in the
battle. This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who can handle the
cloud of dust, the top of the enemy's banner, the tumult, & hand-to-hand
combat. On winning the battle, victorious in battle, he comes out at the very
head of the battle. Some individuals are like this. This is the fifth type of
warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
"These are the five warrior-like
individuals who can be found existing among the monks."
Revised: Mon 10 September 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an05-075.html
(Reference:
150)
Anguttara Nikaya V.76
Yodhajiva Sutta
The Warrior (2)
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.
Translator's note: See the note to the preceding discourse.
"Monks, there are these five types
of warriors who can be found existing in the world. Which five?
"There is the case of a warrior
who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes
down into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives & makes
effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents strike
him down and finish him off. Some warriors are like this. This is the first
type of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who --
taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down
into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives & makes effort.
But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents wound him. He
gets carried out and taken to his relatives. But while he is being taken to his
relatives, before he has reached them he dies along the way. Some warriors are
like this. This is the second type of warrior who can be found existing in the
world.
"Then there is the warrior who --
taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down
into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives & makes effort.
But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents wound him. He
gets carried out and taken to his relatives, who nurse him and care for him,
but he dies of that injury. Some warriors are like this. This is the third type
of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who --
taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down
into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives & makes effort.
But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents wound him. He
gets carried out and taken to his relatives. His relatives nurse him and care
for him, and he recovers from his injury. Some warriors are like this. This is
the fourth type of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"Then there is the warrior who --
taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down
into the thick of battle. On winning the battle, victorious in battle, he comes
out at the very head of the battle. Some warriors are like this. This is the
fifth type of warrior who can be found existing in the world.
"These are the five types of
warriors who can be found existing in the world.
"In the same way, monks, there are
these five warrior-like individuals who can be found existing among the monks.
Which five?
[1] "There is the case of the monk
who dwells in dependence on a certain village or town. Early in the morning,
having put on his robes and carrying his bowl & outer robe, he goes into
the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind unprotected,
with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties unguarded. There he
sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees her improperly dressed
or half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind ravaged by lust, he --
without renouncing the training, without declaring his weakness -- engages in
sexual intercourse. This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who --
taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down
into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives & makes effort.
But while he is striving & making an effort, his opponents strike him down
and finish him off. Some individuals are like this. This is the first type of
warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[2] "Then there is the case of the
monk who dwells in dependence on a certain village or town. Early in the
morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl & outer robe, he
goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties
unguarded. There he sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees
her improperly dressed or half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind
ravaged by lust, he burns in body & mind. The thought occurs to him: 'What
if I were to go to the monastery and tell the monks: "Friends, I am
assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the holy life.
Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life."' He heads toward the monastery, but before he arrives
there, along the way, he declares his weakness in the training, renounces the
training, and returns to the lower life. This individual, I tell you, is like
the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow &
quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives
& makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his
opponents wound him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives. But while
he is being taken to his relatives, before he has reached them he dies along
the way. Some individuals are like this. This is the second type of
warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[3] "Then there is the case of the
monk who dwells in dependence on a certain village or town. Early in the
morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl & outer robe, he
goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties
unguarded. There he sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees
her improperly dressed or half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind
ravaged by lust, he burns in body & mind. The thought occurs to him: 'What
if I were to go to the monastery and tell the monks: "Friends, I am
assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the holy life.
Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life."' Going to the monastery, he tells the monks, 'Friends,
I am assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the holy life.
Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life.'
"Then his companions in the holy
life admonish & instruct him, 'Friend, the Blessed One has said that
sensual pleasures are of little satisfaction, of much stress, much despair,
& greater drawbacks. The Blessed One has compared sensual pleasures to a chain of bones -- of much stress, much despair, & greater
drawbacks. He has compared sensual pleasures to a lump of flesh... a grass
torch... a pit of glowing embers... a dream... borrowed goods... the fruits of
a tree... a slaughterhouse... spears & swords... a poisonous snake -- of
much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks. Find delight, friend, in
the holy life. Don't declare your weakness in the training, renounce the
training, or return to the lower life.'
"Thus admonished & instructed
by his companions in the holy life, he says, 'Even though the Blessed One has
said that sensual pleasures are of little satisfaction, of much stress, much
despair, & greater drawbacks, still I can't continue in the holy life.
Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life.' So he declares his weakness in the training, renounces the
training, and returns to the lower life. This individual, I tell you, is like
the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow &
quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. There in the battle he strives
& makes effort. But while he is striving & making an effort, his
opponents wound him. He gets carried out and taken to his relatives, who nurse
him and care for him, but he dies of that injury. Some individuals are like
this. This is the third type of warrior-like individual who can be found
existing among the monks.
[4] "Then there is the case of the
monk who dwells in dependence on a certain village or town. Early in the
morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl & outer robe, he
goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
unprotected, with mindfulness unestablished, with his sense faculties unguarded.
There he sees a woman improperly dressed or half-naked. As he sees her
improperly dressed or half-naked, lust ravages his mind. With his mind ravaged
by lust, he burns in body & mind. The thought occurs to him: 'What if I
were to go to the monastery and tell the monks: "Friends, I am assailed by
lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the holy life. Declaring my
weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return to the lower
life."' Going to the monastery, he tells the monks, 'Friends, I am
assailed by lust, overcome by lust. I can't continue in the holy life.
Declaring my weakness in the training, renouncing the training, I will return
to the lower life.'
"Then his companions in the holy
life admonish & instruct him, 'Friend, the Blessed One has said that
sensual pleasures are of little satisfaction, of much stress, much despair,
& greater drawbacks. The Blessed One has compared sensual pleasures to a
chain of bones -- of much stress, much despair, & greater drawbacks. He has
compared sensual pleasures to a lump of flesh... a grass torch... a pit of
glowing embers... a dream... borrowed goods... the fruits of a tree... a
slaughterhouse... spears & swords... a poisonous snake -- of much stress,
much despair, & greater drawbacks. Find delight, friend, in the holy life.
Don't declare your weakness in the training, renounce the training, or return
to the lower life.'
"Thus admonished & instructed
by his companions in the holy life, he responds, 'I will strive, friends. I
will remember. I will find delight in the holy life. I won't yet declare my
weakness in the training, renounce the training, or return to the lower life.'
This individual, I tell you, is like the warrior who -- taking his sword &
shield, strapping on his bow & quiver -- goes down into the thick of
battle. There in the battle he strives & makes effort. But while he is
striving & making an effort, his opponents wound him. He gets carried out
and taken to his relatives, who nurse him and care for him, and he recovers
from his injury. Some individuals are like this. This is the fourth type of
warrior-like individual who can be found existing among the monks.
[5] "Then there is the case of the
monk who dwells in dependence on a certain village or town. Early in the
morning, having put on his robes and carrying his bowl & outer robe, he
goes into the village or town for alms -- with his body, speech, & mind
protected, with mindfulness established, with his sense faculties guarded. On
seeing a form with the eye, does not grasp at any theme or particulars by which
-- if he were to dwell without restraint oover the faculty of the eye -- evil,
unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. He practices
with restraint. He guards the faculty of the eye. He achieves restraint with
regard to the faculty of the eye.
"On hearing a sound with the
ear...
"On smelling an aroma with the
nose...
"On tasting a flavor with the
tongue...
"On touching a tactile sensation
with the body...
"On cognizing an idea with the
intellect, he does not grasp at any theme or particulars by which -- if he were
to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the intellect -- evil,
unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail him. He practices
with restraint. He guards the faculty of the intellect. He achieves restraint
with regard to the faculty of the intellect.
"Returning from
his almsround, after his meal, he resorts to a secluded dwelling place: the
wilderness, the foot of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside cave, a charnel
ground, a forest grove, the open air, a haystack. Having gone to the
wilderness, the foot of a tree, or an empty building, he sits down, crosses his
legs, holds his body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore.
"Abandoning covetousness with regard
to the world, he dwells with an awareness devoid of covetousness. He cleanses
his mind of covetousness. Abandoning ill will & anger, he dwells with an
awareness devoid of ill will, sympathetic with the welfare of all living
beings. He cleanses his mind of ill will & anger. Abandoning sloth &
drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth & drowsiness,
mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth &
drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness & anxiety, he dwells undisturbed, his
mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of restlessness & anxiety.
Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed over uncertainty, with no
perplexity with regard to skillful mental qualities. He cleanses his mind of
uncertainty.
"Having abandoned these five
hindrances, corruptions of awareness that weaken discernment, then -- quite
withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities
-- he enters & remains in the first jhhana: rapture & pleasure born from
withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling
of directed thought & evaluation, he enters & remains in the second
jhana: rapture & pleasure born of concentration, unification of awareness
free from directed thought & evaluation -- internal assurance. With the
fading of rapture, he remains in equanimity, mindful & fully aware, and
physically sensitive of pleasure. He enters & remains in the third jhana,
of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a
pleasurable abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as with the
earlier disappearance of elation & distress -- he enters & remains in
the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor
pain.
"With his mind thus concentrated,
purified, & bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable,
steady, & attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to the
knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. He discerns, as it is
actually present, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress...
This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of
stress... These are mental fermentations... This is the origination of
fermentations... This is the cessation of fermentations... This is the way
leading to the cessation of fermentations.' His heart, thus knowing, thus
seeing, is released from the fermentation of sensuality, the fermentation of
becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge,
'Released.' He discerns that 'Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task
done. There is nothing further for this world.'
"This individual, I tell you, is
like the warrior who -- taking his sword & shield, strapping on his bow
& quiver -- goes down into the thick of battle. On winning the battle,
victorious in battle, he comes out at the very head of the battle. Some
individuals are like this. This is the fifth type of warrior-like individual
who can be found existing among the monks.
"These are the five warrior-like
individuals who can be found existing among the monks."
Revised: Mon 10 September 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an05-076.html
(Reference:
151)
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Love and lust
Love and lust are opposites. Many misuse one for the
other. Love requires understanding and respect of the other person’s beliefs,
life style, religious rules and taboos, etc.
In lust, one simply goes in to destroy, no matter
what, to achieve the “Pleasures of the Flesh”. No understanding, no respect.
14 “But each one is tempted when he is
carried away and enticed by his own lust.
15 Then when lust has conceived, it
gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
-
James 1:14,15 :: New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The science of Kama-sutra mis-used, and thereby
wasting one’s life-energy, which could have been channeled to Kundalini, by the
Wise and Intelligent.
“Good men and bad men differ from each
other in their natures. Bad men do not recognize a sinful act as sinful; if its
sinfulness is brought to their attention, they do not cease doing it and do not
like to have anyone inform them of their sinful acts. Wise men are sensitive to
right and wrong; they cease doing anything as soon as they see that it is
wrong; they are grateful to anyone who calls their attention to such wrong
acts.”
-
The Dalai Lama
What is the ultimate Goal? Flesh?? Pieces of meat
rubbing each other and visualizing??
“The one single object that the vedas
have in view is to make man divine. They lead him from the animal stage
where he completely identifies with the body and suffers hunger,
thirst and desires of various kinds to the stage where he recognizes
that his human state is far greater than the animal. From
there the vedas awaken in the seeker the intelligence and discrimination
that must be used to sublimate the passions and emotions to
the level of divinity. After attaining the Divine state, the seeker experiences
only eternal bliss.” (Reference: 9)
“Behind the manifest and the unmanifest
there is another Existence which is eternal and changeless. This is not
dissolved in the general dissolution. It has been called the unmanifest, the
imperishable. To reach it is said to be the greatest of all achievements. It is
my highest state of being. Those who reach it are not reborn. That highest
state of being can only be achieved through devotion to Him in whom all
creatures exist and by whom this universe is pervaded.”
-
The Bhagavad Gita
In predatory cases, the predator’s only goal is just
get pregnant by sexual subjugation (conquering sexually). After that, use the
victim for ever (his whole life) as a cash cow, bleeding him bodily, mentally,
financially for a mistake committed at a weak moment.
“…sex is 90 percent in the brain
anyway.” - anonymous
“Attachment originates in imagination”
- Bhagavad Gita (Reference: 86 Page xxxii)
Destroy thoughts, dreams, imagination.
Refer section on Mind and Thought
…aren’t we all imprisoned by our greed
and aversion, by our ignorance, and our prejudices and attachments. (Reference: 98)
The Path
Anyone that is human is imperfect, impure. All are
wayfarers/travelers in the long journey towards the Lord. So isn’t better to
believe, to trust and depend on oneself only? One’s own intelligence. One’s own
broad-mindedness. One’s own wisdom. One’s own discretion on what is right or
wrong? Trust oneself, for what one seeks for, is ultimately Oneself. What That is,
so is This. What is He, so are you! So why depend on others? Even the so called
“master” is just one who points to a path to travel, when one reach a
cross-road, when one finds difficulty in choosing, which of the many roads to
go safely. Once on the path, the “master” is of no use. For one have to travel
oneself. One have to walk the path oneself, undergo the pain oneself. No
short-cut to the Lord, whatever the name be. Question the religious practices,
test the Laws yourself, see what suits you, and follow that. A medicine for
somebody’s ailment may be poison to you. Each person’s ailment have its own
medicine. Be broad-minded. Find yourself your path. The “master” is useful only
at the crossroad. Somebody will always be there at the crossroad. So don’t
worry. Combine different practices, if need be, for at the end of day, it is
just you and your Lord. No one else.
It is also highly improper to point to a person, to
select a person selectively and put a title “God” or whatever. It is absolutely
wrong – no specific entity deserves such a title. Why?
If all energy, isn’t one pointing and the one being
pointed, both forms of energy?
Then, why give title to just one person? Such a title
is equally applicable to everything in this universe – man, woman, chair, desk,
computer, animal, bird etc., for all are forms of energy.
But to give deep reverence/respect to the word “God”,
it is better only to use that title to represent the formless. Where form is
required, to accelerate one’s concentration, idols and portraits of the
Lord are also used and given the title “God”.
The word “God”, by virtue of the word itself
represents the purest.
A human being, by virtue of being human, is impure,
have imperfections, have positive and negative points. Thus the title “God” should
not be used on any current living entity.
There may be people with slightly advanced spiritual
development. Just treat them as ordinary people. They too have imperfections.
No special preference should be given, nothing. Such people are mere examples
which show/prove the existence of diverse paths to approach the Lord. Beyond
being a mere example, there is nothing more to that. Don’t care about them.
Just consider them as an example and put them away from your day-to-day
activities. Because, what he is, so are you. Don’t waste one’s precious time on
monitoring such people, watching incognito/undercover their sleep, their habits
etc. Why? From where such a person came, so are you. So is everyone. Their
impure habits are of no use! Not even worth to be imitated or copied.
According to the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus, the pure celibate, used to kiss Mary
Magdalene in the mouth, before his own disciples, causing embarrassment to
everyone. Does that mean every one who respect Jesus should imitate that?? Many
regard such an act in public as vulgar and indecent.
“SoHam
(He am I).”
The above saying is equally applicable to any person in
this planet. So make your own intelligent/wise decision. It is you to practice,
and that practice require solitude, seclusion, intense prayer, meditation NOT
monitoring/surveillance! Concentrate on what you personally can do for
yourself:
- Watch
your own verbal and bodily action, to cultivate good reaction
- Watch
your own verbal and bodily action, to prevent bad/unwanted/adverse
reaction
- Clean
up your mind of unwanted thoughts, through proper seclusion and solitude
- Concentrate
the clear mind with intense prayer and meditation
Once a sufficient level of internal mental cleaning
is done and concentrated, what you are originally, will teach you further, will
guide you to your rebirth completion. No external master is required. What
you are originally, itself, is the greatest master. No living master can
compete with That. It knows its path back to the Lord, like an ever
moving/changing river finally reaches its destination, the ocean. Praise the
Lord! A powerful analogy is given pictorially in many portraits regarding the
Bhagavat Geeta. A chariot drawn by five horses. The charioteer uses a whip to
control the horses. The owner of the chariot rests in the chariot.
What are they actually?
Many ancient portraits have inner meanings. The
ancients purposefully left the pictorial representation, as a shortcut to
visualize the meaning for those, whose time to awaken, approach.
The horses represent the five senses. The charioteer,
the mind. The whip, wisdom, insight, intelligence. The owner, the Soul.
Using the whip, wisdom, the mind controls the senses
from moving here and there.
On sufficient control of the chariot, the chariot is
driven carefully, through all dangers and obstacles, to its destination, by the
able charioteer, under the close supervision and tactical guidance of the
owner. Praise the lord!
The Punishment
Note 1 Censored
6. "Enduring patience is the greatest penance; long-suffering is the
highest nibbana", so declare the Buddhas. Verily, he is no recluse
who harms another, nor is he an ascetic who oppresses
others. (184)
- The Dhammapada:
184, Canto XIV - The Enlightened One: 6
“For the Muslims of Mecca, whose
foremost concerns were the realisation of divine unity within the heart, reflection
upon death and the transient nature of the world the Shari'ah was a road whose
signposts were the divine revelations which continuously unfolded on the tongue
and in the actions of the Prophet.
By establishing boundaries, the Shari'ah prevents
the dissipation of energy and directs its practitioner along the swiftest
and easiest path to fulfilment. The basic role of Shari'ah is to prevent and
resolve social confusion and discord. It is a course of disciplines, which
combines to give a person a firm grip upon divine guidance so that distraction
and turbulence are minimised. Every law stems from Allah's
commandment to Adam:
And do not draw near to this tree so
that you become one of the wrongdoers (Holy Qur'an 2:35)
The tree symbolised the dispersion
(disturbance of the earth) and transience of all that
is in creation. Attraction to the fruit removed Adam and Hawa
(Eve) from the realm of unity to the realm of separation, from beyond time and
space into time and space dimension. Any action, which is
not in harmony with Allah's way, will do the same, and is thus a fruit of the
same tree, which must be avoided.
The approach to the Shari'ah begins from
where you are. Initially the nafs (self) resists accepting it. It
is felt to be restrictive and limiting. But this is only because of our
ego and its short-sightedness. The misconception that knowledge broadens
the way and increases choice plays a major role in the way people approach the
Shari'ah wrongly. The truth is that the way narrows and choice
decreases with the increase in knowledge. You become aware that this is
beneficial and that is harmful.
In the beginning, application of the
Shari'ah is based on the trust that it is the divinely revealed way. Later on
it is based on knowledge and conviction. Ultimately, it becomes outer
law and direction mirroring inner knowledge and true awareness. When this occurs, you are
free within limitation - a soul within a body. Otherwise
everything is in varying degree of chaos.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) gave the
ideal approach to application of the Shari'ah when he said: Even if one does not
attain everything, one does not abandon everything.” (Reference: 35)
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto
thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven
likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one
was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay,
his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he
had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him,
and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and
found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid
hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at
his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee
all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast
him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what
was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was
done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had
called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that
debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had
compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and
delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my
heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one
his brother their trespasses.
-
Matthew 18:21-35 :: King James Version (KJV)
We may forgive someone for their mischief or crime
and bury the hatchet. But what happens if they return our kindness, with
defamation and personal attack, out of jealousy and envy?
The above scripture - Matthew 18:35 :: King
James Version (KJV) gives the answer. Praise the Lord!
Such a scenario is a good test, to prove the
mentality of the person or group of people. Can they be trusted in future by
anyone? Dependable?
Honor? Credibility? The scripture above - Matthew 18:33 :: King
James Version (KJV) asks the same question.
Also refer section on Psychological Warfare
It is better to avoid those who repeatedly prove
their envious nature. The Lord will decide their fate:
…I will take vengeance;
I will spare no one."
- Isaiah 47:3 :: New International Version (NIV)
22 “Let their table become a snare before them: and that which
should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.”
- Psalm 69:22 ::
King James Version (KJV)
“…the Supreme sent several spiritual masters to declare the
Dharma to be followed in the present era, Kaliyuga. Among them in India are
Krishna, Buddha, Sankaracharya, Guru Nanak, Mahavira, Dayananda Saraswati,
Swami Vivekananda, Narayana Guru, Thiruvalluvar etc. to mention a few. When the
message was not taken in India, the Supreme sent prophets and apostles in other
parts of the World, like Moses, Jesus, Prophet Mohammed, etc.
The contemporary society inflicted great pain on these Great
Souls and therefore they could not succeed in bringing about the necessary
change in the Yugadharma -divine codes of conduct to be observed by humanity in
a certain era. Moses was persecuted. Jesus was crucified, despite his cry to
the Lord to save him if it was right. Prophet Mohammed had to flee from Mecca
to Medina. Krishna was the victim of seven murder attempts; finally he was
killed by a hunter. Buddha thought he was doing great penance for the sake of
God, by fasting in a rigorous way, but he luckily realized that he was not and
was saved from sure death, by the food given by a shepherd woman. Indeed he died
an unnatural death in the end, by consuming the wretched meat offered as alms
to him. This has been recorded as Nirvana in the books. Later Buddhism itself
was driven out of India. Sri Ramakrishna suffered from scrofula round the neck
and died in pain. Vivekananda suffered from kidney disease and died at an early
age. The tormenting of Jesus is well known. He was mislead by lower forces up
to his crucifixion. Adi Shankara was supposed to have jumped off a cliff into
an abyss, at Kailasa in the North of India. The great Shankaracharya, who
thought that nothing is real except the God Almighty, must be wondering in his
grave, which unknown power has put an early end to his life. The list of such
great men who suffered like this is long. Dayananda Saraswati was poisoned to
death. It is written in the books that the great saint Sri Rama Tirtha,
attained jalasamadhi, samadhi or death in water. He drowned himself in the
river. It was merely another case of suicide. There are similar cases of
suffering and persecution in the history of Sikh and Jain Gurus and also
several hundreds of other Great Souls, known and unknown in different parts of
the World. Likewise the hardships and struggles Sri Rama went through are
countless. Unable to reach Iswara Sannidhanam (unable to break free from the
deva stage), Rama committed suicide in the Sarayu river.
We find such
experiences in the lives of great men. What do they signify? All these examples
show us the tremendous power of the devas -deities misconceived as fully realized
souls- and Trimurti -Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva- planes, from where certain
beings that are residing in these levels of consciousness, obstruct the
spiritual path of people that try to break free from the devas, reaching Iswara
Sannidham -seventh plane of evolution. The face of knowledge starts to appear
with the attainment of this stage, so the seeker is free from his emotions
-anger, hate, egoism, envy, jealousy, etc.. When a soul tries to cross the
stages of ‘gods’, saints and devas, the resistance comes from them and might
even cause the physical destruction of each spiritually evolving man in this
human World, as he approaches the deva stage. The reason is that these deities
have reached certain stages in spiritual evolution, though they have not attained
full spiritual realization, they are attached to the senses and they are not
free from their emotions, so when we pray to these deities, some of them might
become jealous of our spiritual progress blocking our spiritual path. All the
earlier spiritual masters had suffered like this in the hands of evil forces
known as Jins -genie in Muslim religion-, devils, Gandharvas -‘heavenly’
musicians and singers-, Yogabhrashtas -beings that have evolved through tapas
-rigorous practices such as long fasting pperiods; standing on one foot for
years; not speaking to anybody for long periods of time; meditating without
interruption for hours and in some cases days or weeks, without taking any food
or sleeping, etc. Some of them are powerful souls higher than the Trimurti
-Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva- stage. Either tthese souls will be led away from
Truth, by luring them with the power of siddhi -ability to perform miracles- or
harming them physically and mentally through subtle ways. This is also an
experienced truth. Performance of miracle is against the Will of God and the
order in nature. That is the reason why Satan once tried to inspire Jesus to
perform miracles. But Jesus knowing the intent of Satan refused and asked Satan
to go away. But later Jesus is found performing miracles. It is at this
particular stage, unable to cross the Trimurti stage, most of the earlier
Acharyas suffered, such as Jesus, Shankara, Buddha, Rama, Mohammed, who were
barred not only in the fulfillment of their missions, but also in their spiritual
evolution.
Another problem is
that the abodes of ‘gods’ are full of splendor and joy. When some spiritual
adepts come across the planes of these powers, they become static and think
that they have attained the goal of self realization. That is the reason why
Patanjali Maharshi in the treatise on Yoga, exhorts the aspirants to be careful
about the ‘gods’ or divinities. Ordinary people, not knowing these facts
continue to worship ‘gods,’ saints, angels and all sort of divinities, thinking
that such worship is the worship of God Supreme. Contemporary spirituality,
have thus failed to take man to the highest spiritual experience. This is an
experienced truth.
When Swami Vivekananda
approached Sri Ramakrishna with the question "Have you seen God?" Sri
Ramakrishna said "Yes, I have and I can show you also." Then
Vivekananda was asked to go in front of the Kali temple. There, Swami
Vivekananda got the vision of mother ‘goddess.’ What Vivekananda saw was the
vision of ‘goddess’ Kali, not the Supreme Light of God. A Guru can only give to
his disciple what he has himself achieved. That is the reason why the earlier
spiritual masters, could not free themselves and their followers, from the
misconception about Yugadharma.” (Reference: 102)
A Scientific Principle and its
Application
Can anyone physically create simple vacuum?
Vacuum or emptiness.
Scientifically, by simple experimentation, it is very
hard to create vacuum. The atmosphere is filled with air, Carbon dioxide,
Oxygen, diverse gases – all forms of energy.
Take a plastic cover or balloon. Empty it completely
off air and tie it up. Still, a small part of air, whatever be the gas, oxygen
or whatever will be present inside. The scientific explanation given is that
due to the atmospheric pressure of various gases, any vacuum created will be
filled up by something else. Energy moves from a high pressure area to a low
pressure area to equalize the pressure.
What is pressure? The force or weight acting at a
specific point or region.
So too the mind. By constant vigil, using mind,
watching its own thoughts, whatever thought arises, they are not pursued. Like
a wave rises and subsides, so too a thought. Just leave it, it will go away.
Many make the fundamental mistake of not leaving the thought. They pursue the
thought. Wave builds another wave. A small ice once start rolling from the top
of a snow mountain, builds up into a huge avalanche at the bottom. So too the
thought. Once pursued, it builds up, to higher and higher level. A chain
reaction went out of control! A stage reaches, where one loses control, by
one’s own ignorance, by feeding a small thought. So don’t pursue any thought.
On reaching near the zero thought state, the mind
will be a calm sea. No wind, nothing.
Those pockets or areas of mind which might have
contained any trace of desire is emptied by abandoning them. What happen when
such abandon is done? As long as no further feeding of desire is permitted, or
the path of feeding is closed, something else will fill that area by itself. We don’t have to worry about it.
It is natural, by the above scientific principle. That something that fills is
Godliness. We just have to understand and accept it. Nothing forcible there.
For the universe itself is Godly. We just accept it, and submit to it.
The same concept is applicable to awakening of
Kundalini also. No forcible awakening there. Just internal cleaning of the
mind. Creating the ideal environment, devoid of all human pressures and stress.
The Lord takes over. The owner of the Chariot takes control by itself.
Submission to it and its ways are all that is required.
Concept of Vamana, an
avatar/incarnation of Lord Vishnu
How brilliant the Ancients were!
Strange indeed the life of Vamana, the Wise. How He defeated His
enemies and used them as a stepping stone to go to higher levels of
achievement! (Strictly a personal viewpoint of the author, viewed from a
different angle) Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Truly the
Lord is the source of all knowledge!
“… the Lord of the
Universe is the source of all knowledge.”
–
The Holy Quran
“A little bachelor of about eight
years was making his way towards them. His face was shining with a smile.
He held an umbrella over his head. A plait of hair was hanging at the back of
his head. He wore the sacred thread on his bare body the lower part of which
was covered with cloth made of fibre. His hands held the staff of an ascetic
and a water jug. There was deerskin under his armpit. He wore the mark of sandal
wood paste on his forehead. It looked as though he had combined all branches
of knowledge in his young body.
…my name is Vamanamurthy. I am a
bachelor and so I do not need either kingdom or wealth.
…Shukracharya said, "King Bali, you feel proud only
because of your ignorance. At least now, be wise and take my advice. It
is not a sin to go back on one's word in self-defence.
Bali replied, 'Gurudeva, charity
given regardless of the hardships is the best.” (Reference: 41)
Vamana approached the king and saluted
him. King Bali was highly impressed with solemnity and halo of purity on the
Brahmin's face.
Action and Reaction
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Anguttara Nikaya
III.123
Moneyya Sutta
Sagacity
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.
From That the
True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time: Readings Selected by King Asoka,
translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Monks, there are these three forms of sagacity. Which three? Bodily sagacity,
verbal sagacity, and mental sagacity.
And what is bodily sagacity? There is
the case where a monk abstains from taking life, abstains from theft, abstains
from unchastity. This is called bodily sagacity.
And what is verbal sagacity? There is
the case where a monk abstains from lying, abstains from divisive tale-bearing,
abstains from harsh language, abstains from idle chatter. This is called verbal
sagacity.
And what is mental sagacity? There is
the case where a monk who -- with the wasting away of the mental fermentations
-- remains in the fermentation-free releasse of awareness and release of
discernment, having known and made them manifest for himself right in the here
and now. This is called mental sagacity.
These, monks, are the three forms of
sagacity.
A sage
in body, a sage in speech,
A sage in mind, without fermentation:
a sage consummate in sagacity
is said to have abandoned
everything. -- the All.
Revised: Thu 17 May 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an03-123.html
(Reference:
148)
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Following certain laws is equivalent to being
chained. Anyone who sincerely follows the Laws of Purity of the Lord,
voluntarily becomes a prisoner forever, chained by the invisible laws. Such a
person never ever fights anyone, for he/she being tied up in “chains”, is
cleaning himself or herself of all the crimes of the past, even past births.
25 Ye shall therefore put difference
between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye
shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of
living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as
unclean.
-
Leviticus 20:25 :: King James Version (KJV)
23 But I see that in my body there is
another law fighting against the law in my mind. And that makes me like a
prisoner to the law of wrong things in my body.
-
Romans 7:23 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
How can such a person push someone into a pit, which
someone itself dug?
One digs one’s own grave.
An arrow fired to destroy a harmless man, comes back
as a boomrang. Should have known, what is reaction, clearly before! If one knew
the reaction, one normally would not be foolish to commit an action knowingly.
It is already mentioned, only the invisible Lord,
Energy, have the ability to withstand reaction. NO ONE else can. Ancients
portrayed that concept pictorially by the Sudharsana Chakra of Lord Vishnu. The
Chakra, when it comes back after destruction of the enemy, only the Lord can
take it back. No one else can. No living mortal can. So there is no point in
blaming others for one’s mistakes. Ignorance is not at all an excuse. It cannot
stop the reaction. One just have to suffer one’s own action. Also refer section
on Forgiveness.
So too in a Court of Justice. Ignorance of national
laws, mental problems like emotions are not accepted as excuses in a Court of
Law. Punishment for crime is always there, whether imparted by man or by the
Lord.
The analogy is similar to being a galley prisoner.
Galley is a slave ship. A floating prison. Used in the middle ages. The
prisoners are tied/chained to the row-seats for rowing. As they row, they can
watch the outside world. As an onlooker. As a passerby. Doesn’t involve with
the world. Can’t involve, for they are chained. Just watch, how one’s own
brothers and sisters live, interact and “die”. In a far higher state of mental
maturity, those so-called brothers and sisters are actually one itself, the one
who watches. One’s own extension. For all energy.
4 In a body there are many parts, but all the parts do not do
the same thing.
-
Romans 12:4 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
5 In the same way, we are many people.
But we are one body because we are all joined together in Christ.
Each one of us is a part of all the others.
-
Romans 12:5 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
17 The bread is all one loaf. In the
same way, we are many people but we are one body. We all eat from the
same loaf.
-
1 Corinthians 10:17 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
The ancient Egyptian civilization, (According to Paul
Brunton, in his A Search of Secret Egypt, he mentions that spiritual grand
masters of Egypt were far more advanced than the higher order yogis of India.
(Reference: 63)) left a powerful symbol for the later generations to portray
this concept, in the form of the Sphinx. The man-lion which keeps watch into
the wilderness. Many a civilization have come and gone. The Sphinx watches and
watches!
Why the representation of the Sphinx, the man-lion?
Why not just a lion or just a man?
Why the concept of Lord Narasimha, the Most Ferocious, one of the avatars of Lord Vishu?
The man-lion?
Why the concept of Centaur, the half-man, half-beast?
Centaur frequently occurs in ancient
Roman literature and religious writings. Centaur is also said to have been the
training master of the twins who founded the ancient Roman Empire.
16
Let his heart be changed from man's,
and let a beast's heart be given unto him;
-
Daniel 4:16 :: King James Version (KJV)
Why in many pictorial and idol representations of
gods and goddesses in Hindu religion, the use of weapons prominent? For if
ahimsa is the root, then why weapons?
Destruction
is an inbuilt component of any religious practice or training. Without
destruction of an existing setup, a new structure cannot be built. No matter
the setup be one’s own personal life, one’s enemies, an organization, a nation
or whatever. To destroy, one ought to be a beast. No mercy. The lion is majestic and is
regarded as the “King of the Beasts”. For in certain cases, destruction itself
is kindness in disguise. By destroying an “evil” entity, we are helping that
entity to rebuild again, in the way of the Lord. That is, moving/changing the
entity from bad ways to good ways by use of force. Because without external
force, the entity will continue its bad ways day-in and day-out. (The same
concept is known as Newton’s First Law in Physics or science)
34 Think not that I am come to send
peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
- Matthew 10:34 ::
King James Version (KJV)
34 `Do not think that I came to bring peace
on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but war.
- Matthew 10:34
:: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
A sleepy and sluggish environment existing before the
World War I and II. A state of “Bonsai”, a stunted growth (The word Bonsai is
used here in a very narrow sense to portray retardation. The original concept
or meaning of Bonsai is very different. It is a concept of beauty – small is
beautiful. A true Zen master is in the true state of Bonsai (Reference: 244).
There the master is not in retardation, but changeless. A state of no change. A
state of completion, after many a change. The ocean doesn’t have anywhere to
flow into. The river can flow into the ocean. The ocean stays as it is. Pure.
Within the Laws of the Lord. Note the use of the same word from opposite ends)
War rejuvenate or force accelerated development on diverse fields of science,
technology, Man’s way of life etc. A forced growth and development in disguise,
without any mercy. According to Prophet Mohammad, any form of warfare is
purification, no matter it be self, others, organization, nation or whatever
It is
only the lucky among the Kshatriyas (warrior tribe of India), who get such an
unsolicited opportunity for war,
which is an open door to heaven.
- Hindu scriptures
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Since wabi-sabi represents a comprehensive Japanese world view
or aesthetic system, it is difficult to explain precisely in western terms.
According to Leonard Koren, wabi-sabi is the most conspicuous and
characteristic feature of what we think of as traditional Japanese
beauty and it "occupies roughly the same position in
the Japanese pantheon of aesthetic values as do the Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in the West."
Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
It is the beauty of things modest and humble.
It is the beauty of things unconventional.
The concepts of wabi-sabi correlate with the concepts of Zen Buddhism, as the first
Japanese involved with wabi-sabi were tea masters, priests, and monks who
practiced Zen. Zen Buddhism originated in India, traveled to China in
the 6th century, and was first introduced in Japan around the 12th
century. Zen emphasizes "direct, intuitive insight
into transcendental truth beyond all intellectual conception." At the core of
wabi- sabi is the importance of transcending ways of looking and
thinking about things/existence.
- All
things are impermanent
- All
things are imperfect
- All
things are incomplete
Material characteristics of wabi-sabi:
- suggestion
of natural process
- irregular
- intimate
- unpretentious
- earthy
- simple
(Reference:
244)
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Neither a substance perfect, nor a substance
inchoate. --Raleigh.
Why not just allow bad ways to continue?
Wastage of resources on unproductive ways/uses.
Wastages of the resources are just not allowed. Quality and reliability are
always the hallmarks of the way of the Lord.
Also refer sections on
Why Killing?
What actually went wrong?
What solution is there?
Note 2 Censored
Certain Bodily Reactions
For every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction
Equal pertains to an equivalent amount of pain, not
the same action.
Reaction Possible
Action/Cause
Intense bodily
itch and scratching Strong dislike of a
person or a group of people
Living and Non-Living
What are living and non-living entities?
In the lower level of spirituality, that which has life, which
exhibits movement, which is not man-made is considered living. Eg. Man,
animals, birds etc.
Any thing else is considered as non-living. Chair,
desk, books etc.
Exception: Plants and trees are also considered
living. Though sedentary, they grow.
“The astronomer Carl Sagan drew up four
criteria for what a planet with living creatures would look like to a
spaceship. He thought the sure signs of life would be a presence of
chlorophyll, an atmosphere rich in both oxygen and methane, and radio
emissions.
Common, textbook definitions of life
include such criteria as the uptake and dissipation of energy, metabolism,
responsiveness, separateness from the environment, growth and the ability to
reproduce and evolve.”
Barry Blumberg, the director of NASA's
Astrobiology Institute in California, said the strategies various viruses use
to infect their hosts are so ingenious that it is difficult not to endow them
with cunning intent and to think of them as scheming little creatures. But he
stops short of calling them full fledged living things.
Steve Grand, a British scientist
researching how computers can mimic the brain, entirely disagrees. He said there is a popular
misconception that one of science's primary duties is to separate things that
are alive from things that are not. This would not be so bad a project,
he said, except that it forces scientists to come up with answers, which they
can only base on the living creatures they have studied. Our criteria for life say
nothing for life forms we have yet to encounter, he said.
"There is no such thing as
life," Mr. Grand said. "It's a category that we
create and define ... which means we can change our opinions according to
circumstances."
Since all living things we know of
evolved on Earth, he said, carbon content has unnecessarily
come to be a hallmark for living creatures. "If we lived on a very hot
surface, we might expect them to be silicon."
Mr. Grand suggested the defining criteria for
life should be a thing's ability to maintain itself and adapt to change. On this
interpretation, he says, the planet Earth, a religion, computer
programs, even a conversation, are all living things. "Life is a property
of organizations, not of substances, which is why you can lose it so easily.
Nothing disappears when you die, you just lose some aspect of your organization,"
he said.
(Reference:
62)
In the higher level of spirituality, there is no non-living. All are living, whether it be man, books, chair,
whatever. Why? All are forms of energy. There is no death for
energy.
Only transformation from one form to another (termed “death” or “rebirth” or
“reincarnation”)
Milarepa once transferred his pain to
the door of his meditation room. The door began to emit sounds of
cracking and splitting. It throbbed and vibrated and was on the point of
crumbling down.
- Sri Swami Sivananda,
Milarepa (Reference:
54)
Yes, to a normal man, it sounds “mad”. But the
explanation, as outlined, is straight forward and simple. Don’t have to accept
it. Those who continue training to higher levels, come across mirages,
illusions, etc. To normal man, they are “lunatics” or “mad”.
35 But someone will ask, `How can dead
people be raised? What kind of body will they have when they come back
from death?'
36 What foolish questions! The seed you
put in the ground must die before it can come to life.
37 You do not put a grown-up plant in
the ground. You put in a seed, such as corn, wheat, rice, or something
like that.
38 God gives the seed the body he wants
it to have. He gives a different kind of body to every kind of seed.
39 Not all living bodies are
alike. People have one kind of body. Animals have another kind of body.
Fish another kind of body. Birds have another kind.
40 So too, there are bodies for the sky and bodies for the earth. The bodies for the
sky are fine in one way, and the bodies for the earth are fine in another way.
They are not alike.
41 The sun is fine in one way. The moon is fine in another
way. The stars are fine in still another way. And one star
is fine in a different way from another star.
42 So it is with the body that is
raised from death. When it is put in the ground it is a body that dies. When it
rises from death, it will never die again.
43 When it is put in the ground, it is not fine. When it rises, it is very fine. When it is put in the ground it has no strength. When it rises it is strong.
44 When it is put in the ground it is only a body for this world. When it rises it is a body for the spirit. If there is a body for
this world, then there is also a body for the spirit.
45 The holy writings say, `The first man, Adam, was of this world! The last Adam [Christ] is a Spirit who gives life.'
- 1 Corinthians 15:35-45 :: Worldwide
English (New Testament) (WE)
Matter and Energy.
In the ground, matter.
Rises, energy.
11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy
servants are no spies.
-
Genesis 42:11 :: King James Version (KJV)
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
-
1 Corinthians 15:50-51 :: King James Version (KJV)
Training Summary
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy
through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and
learned, and revealed them to little
children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
-
Luke 10:21 :: New International Version (NIV)
·
follow the laws of purity
·
constantly watch the five evils – moderation in relevant areas like
food, sleep
·
solitary and secluded condition, with moderate meditation and prayer for
internal mental cleaning
6 All the days that he separateth
himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.
-
Numbers 6:6 :: King James Version (KJV)
Keynote: (Remember this keynote always)
17 But beware of men: for they will
deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before
governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or
what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
-
Matthew 10:17-20 :: King James Version (KJV)
One who trains is like a filled cup. One trains for
emptying the cup. On proper emptying, the person doesn’t know anything. One
just follows the Will of the Lord. Whatever one need to know for a mission will
be provided only at the time of need. The need is decided by the Lord.
You don’t have any decision. Anything about the mission or its details is unknown to the warrior
before the mission. Once the mission is completed, all knowledge of the
mission and its details are taken away from him. Of no use anymore. Completely forgotten/emptied.
Whatever the Lord gives is given back to the Lord. Should be given back. Freely
you get, freely you give. No personal possession or attachment to any
details or anything. Just a puppet or a doll in the hands of the Lord. Just
keep oneself pure, for the Lord to enter, the temple of the body. If
trained and constantly trained for purity, the Lord will enter by itself.
(Refer section on A Scientific Principle and its Application)
For the poet is a light and winged
and holy thing, and there is no invention in him until he has been
inspired and is out of his senses, and the mind is no
longer in him: when he has not attained to this state, he is
powerless and is unable to utter his oracles.
- Plato in Ion
(Reference: 267)
"The absorption of the raindrop
into the ocean is symbolic of the absorption of the person into the
impersonal universe. After people attain enlightenment, they lose their identities and become
one with the all. Absorption is the goal of the monist Hindu"
(Reference: 242)
…samatha which literally means
'tranquility' or 'calm'. The initial stages of samatha meditation are to do
with concentrating the mind, one-pointedness….When the mind is totally
focused and the five hindrances (ill-will, sensual desire, anxiety, sloth and
doubt) have been eradicated - if only temporarily - from the mind, the
meditator gains access to 'absorptions' known as jhanas. These are states of
great happiness and rapture but fall short of nibbana.
(Reference: Flanagan, Anthony. (Saturday, June 28,
2003) Buddhist Meditation:
Samatha and Vipassana. Buddhism, Religion & Spirituality: http://about.com/ .)
20
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation.
21
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
-
2 Peter 1:20-21 :: King James Version (KJV)
By the sun and his
midday brightness; by the moon, which rises after him; by the day, which
reveals his splendour; by the night, which veils him!
By the heaven and Him that
built it; by the earth and Him that spread it; by the soul and Him that moulded
it and inspired it with knowledge of sin and piety: blessed shall be the man
who has kept it pure, and ruined he that has corrupted it!
- The Holy Quran
on Purity And Corruption
21 But Jesus was talking about the temple which was his
body.
-
John 2:21 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Only you and the Lord exist. Don’t care of anything else.
In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a
partner in the worship of his Lord."
- Ayah, Surah Al-Kahf(18) Ayah 110: (Interpretors: M Al-Hilali
& M Muhsin Khan)
Since one is just a puppet in the Lord’s
hands, be a good actor. Purify yourself. Don’t worry about others
– how they are, what they are etc. Just clean your mind, body and verbal
actions. That is it. That is all the training is. Behold! The Lord’s
playground – everywhere in the universe/planet. Just go and play anywhere,
in the name of the Lord, as a little child, for the Kingdom of Heaven is only
for the little children. Be Happy! Smile and smile always!!!
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
-
1 John 5:4 :: King James Version (KJV)
Be like the man who went backwards/ reverse
engineered to be a baby! A baby of the invisible Lord! No desire. No vulgarity.
Nothing. Just a baby!!!
3 And he said: "I tell you the
truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 18:3 :: New
International Version (NIV)
14 Jesus said, "Let the little
children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs
to such as these."
-
Matthew 19:14 :: New International Version (NIV)
37 "Whoever welcomes one of
these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
-
Mark 9:37 :: New International Version (NIV)
10 `Do not think badly of these little children. I tell you this. They have angels in heaven. And all the time
their angels can see the face of my father who is in heaven.
- Matthew 18:10
:: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man
with him until the breaking of the day.
-
Genesis 32:24 :: King James Version (KJV)
49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between
me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
-
Genesis 31:49 :: King James Version (KJV)
Whenever you feel lonely or depressed, imagine yourself to be like a fish
living in an ocean. All Energy. Pray to the Lord. He will take care of
you!
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
-
Matthew 4:19 :: King James Version (KJV)
“Milarepa was energetic, sincere,
hardworking and intelligent. He was shut up in a cave. Food was passed
inside by the servant of Marapa through a small aperture in the side. Milarepa used to sit in a
rigid posture with a lighted-lamp on his head, without moving till
the light was out, were it night or day.
Milarepa meditated in various caves. His body was reduced to a
skeleton owing to severe austerities. He lived on nettles
only for several months. He followed the instructions of his Guru to the very
letter. He developed various Siddhis.”
(Reference: 54)
Note: The cave can be an empty room, empty hut,
lonely place, secluded spot in a national park, forest, desert, mountain or
whatever. There should not be “much” disturbance. In other words, environmental
stress should be minimum.
simplicity, dedication, faith, and
never giving up meditation practise even for one day, that is what really
matters. Meditation is like food: one has to take it every day. (Reference: 127)
That explains the core training, no matter who you
are, what religion, what nation or whatever.
Also,
44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour
in his own country. - John 4:44 :: King James Version
(KJV)
“One rightly animates
the wise sayings of old
Leave your homeland.
Stay somewhere else.”
-
Tirumurugarruppadai or 'Guide to Lord Murugan' (Reference: 64)
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
- Matthew 10:16
:: King James Version (KJV)
Some Pointers to All One, All Energy
"Making offerings to me now
and making offerings to a statue of me in the future will be of equal merit...
This is due to the blessing power of the Buddha, but ordinary beings
cannot understand this."
- Shakyamuni Buddha
Buddha Pure Energy
28 There is no longer any difference
between a Jew and one who is not a Jew; between a slave and a free man; between
a man and a woman. When you are in the body of Christ Jesus, you are all alike.
-
Galatians 3:28 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
“body of Christ Jesus” body of Pure Energy
15 In his own body Christ made an end of
the law and its rules. He did this so that in him two peoples could
become one. In this way, he made peace between us.
-
Ephesians 2:15 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
in him Energy
21 He will change our body
which was made for this world. He will make it like his own wonderful body. He will do this by his
power to make all things obey him.
-
Philippians 3:21 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
He Energy
22 The church [all the people who
believe in Jesus Christ] is his body. The church people
have everything that Christ has. He is the One who is in
everything everywhere.
-
Ephesians 1:22 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
the One who is in everything everywhere Energy
18 He is also the head of the body
which is the church [the people who believe in Jesus Christ]. He is the beginning, the first one to
rise from death, so that he would be the first one in
everything.
-
Colossians 1:18 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
the first one in everything Energy
6 And we did not ask you or anybody
else to help us or to praise us. Of course, we are apostles of Christ, and we had the right
to do so.
-
1 Thessalonians 2:6 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
apostles of Christ Messengers of the Lord, no matter
what name
6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every
good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
- Philemon 1:6 :: King
James Version (KJV)
in Christ Jesus in Energy, any name of the Lord also holds
Surgery and Celibacy
Way down the ages, celibacy is undergone by following
the law, under oath. Surgical procedures for imparting celibacy,
whether man or woman, is never ever recommended. The human body is a slave. It is
chained by the laws of purity. Spiritual training is mental training. Once the
slave is chained by the laws, the master is trained.
Many a surgical procedure have side-effects,
psychologically. For males, even if vasectomy is done, one is not complete
celibate. If mental impurities are present, emission occurs, where the clear
fluid other than semen is emitted. Mental training is done to remove the mental
impurities.
Result. The Commentary
discusses the physiology of semen as it was understood at the time, and in
passing touches on the question of whether the word semen refers to the
clear liquid produced in small quantities by the prostate and Cowper's glands
prior to ejaculation, or to the seminal fluid released at orgasm (in
its words, "having made the whole body shake, it is released
and descends into the urinary tract.") It concludes
that the latter is what is meant here.
As for the Vibhanga, it devotes long
passages to the various colors and qualities that semen can come in, only to
conclude that the color and quality are irrelevant to the offense. This
suggests that a bhikkhu who has had a vasectomy can still commit an offense
under this rule, since he can still discharge the various components that go
into seminal fluid -- minus only the sperm -- at orgasm.
Discharge, according to the Vibhanga,
refers to the point in time when the semen "falls from its base." The
Commentary explains this as the point when the semen enters the urinary tract,
because from that point on the process is irreversible. Thus if the
process of sexual stimulation has reached this point, the factor of result has
been fulfilled, even if one tries to prevent the semen from leaving the body by
pinching the end of one's penis.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)
The Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated
& Explained Chapter Five Sanghadisesa (Reference: 18)
It is the mind that matters. One who is a mental
celibate, the body follows like a dog. Yes, in society, there will be pressures
from different sources. That pressure itself constitute the adventure of
combat, to be fought, in the name of the Lord.
Compressed Thought or Desire
A modern society man leads a life of heightened
desire – watching unwanted shows, pictures, having unwanted talk, thoughts, as
part of day to day routine and relaxation. A lot of fancy desires, dirty
thoughts, vulgar actions-to-do and perceptions are kept compressed in the mind.
The analogy is similar to a taut or very tight rope with a heavy weight at one
end. The rope can break anytime. Certain race-horses are given a thick piece of
stick to grip or bite the mouth shut, to withstand pressure.
Problem is, when the right time ripens, it will be
like a dam burst open. In other words, for a man with compressed desire,
finding a beautiful girl or woman alone at a lonely place is dangerous. The
tight rope can break.
In spiritual training, there is no compression of
thought or desire. Thought and desire are both evil. They are removed by
constant training and watching one’s mind. The rope that was tight, once upon a
time, was removed of its weights slowly and slowly. (Refer section on Mind and
Thought) The end result is a very loose rope with few or null weights attached.
Thoughts and desires are abandoned, given away and the mental area of
occupation cleaned.
Omen/Nimitta/Sign
Shrill cry of the Eagle Battle victory
Wailing of a dog Presence
or arrival of Spirits (Good/Evil)
(Note the word used: Wail or mourning. NOT barking.
Dogs normally bark. Observe. There are times it mourn. Something that cause
extreme fear or danger. The approach or presence of an invisible entity, which it cannot see, but
feels its presence. All energy. Various frequency of vibration. Man’s
cognition or sensing of the frequency range is different from that of a dog.
The range is higher for the dog, wolf etc. Spirits don’t have a body form, as
already mentioned. Yet their vibration frequency falls within the sensing or
cognition of dogs, wolfs etc. Being energy, not in matter form, they can pass
through anything, enter and co-habitate/live together in any body, human or
whatever). Also read Reference: 178.
Species Approximate Range (Hz)
human 64-23,000
dog 67-45,000
cat 45-64,000
cow 23-35,000
horse 55-33,500
sheep 100-30,000
rabbit 360-42,000
rat 200-76,000
mouse 1,000-91,000
gerbil 100-60,000
guinea pig 54-50,000
hedgehog 250-45,000
raccoon 100-40,000
ferret 16-44,000
opossum 500-64,000
chinchilla 90-22,800
bat 2,000-110,000
beluga whale 1,000-123,000
elephant 16-12,000
porpoise 75-150,000
goldfish 20-3,000
catfish
50-4,000
tuna
50-1,100
bullfrog 100-3,000
tree frog 50-4,000
canary
250-8,000
parakeet 200-8,500
cockatiel 250-8,000
owl 200-12,000
chicken
125-2,000 (Reference: 78)
Reference 79 covers the basic science of sound
frequency. A few relevant notes from Reference: 79:
The range of frequencies determines the
person's or animal's perception of the world, as well as its
ability to communicate.
The frequency of a sound is also known
as its pitch. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch
and the shorter its wavelength.
Frequency is measured in Hertz—which means cycles
per second. The abbreviation for Hertz is Hz.
There is an upper and lower limit of the frequencies
that each animal can hear.
a frog and a mouse hear almost a
completely different range of sounds.
Humans have limitations
A normal human can hear between 20 Hz
and 20,000 Hz.
Dogs can hear high notes
Dogs and some other animals can hear
sounds at higher frequencies than 20,000 Hz.
Elephants can hear low notes
Elephants can hear frequencies much
lower than the range of humans.
elephants could make a very low
frequency sound that humans can’t hear.
What you hear can affect how you perceive
the world around you.
Cats perceive a world where there are high-frequency squeaks of
mice hiding in the pantry, while elephants perceive a world of low rumbles of
far-away friends. Meanwhile, we perceive a world somewhere in between.
More information on the Science of Signs can be
referred from books on any ancient religion. For example, Greek religion.
Reference: 4 and 5. The Signs imply the Will of the Heavenly Gods. Proper
interpretation, provides the interpreter, advance knowledge or early warning of
God’s Will. Nothing but the God’s Will alone will take place. Not a blade of
grass will move without His Will. If a large army attacks a small army, against
the Lord’s Will, defeat is certain, for the signs of forewarning were
mis-interpreted or ignored. The small army can shift to guerilla tactics and
destroy the larger force, if the Will of the Lord is victory of the small army.
Always the signs. Always the Will of the Lord. There is a time to wage a war.
There is a time not to wage a war. There is a time to retreat. There is a time
to flee. There is a time to destroy. A time for everything. Misuse of the time
factor brings about wastage of resources, even defeat in war. The star
positions of the players/fighters too play a vital part. For all are linked and
go together. A war is waged for victory, not for defeat.
Proper interpretation is a must. But the problem is,
we live in Devil’s territory. The “Devil’s Magic” cause many a
mis-interpretation for this and that action. This is a sign. That is a sign
etc. If you are a sincere trainee, you don’t really have to worry about the
signs for small things. For you “naturally” live within the laws. Also for
major actions, the signs will become prominent or display as it is. Without the
proper life, many a person living social life end up giving false meaning to
the signs. The stress of true sign interpretation lies on your way of living
according to the laws.
A brief note concerning one’s star
positions
“…he came to the conclusion that the destiny of a person is
influenced by the fate of other members of the family.”
- On Karl Ernest Kraftt, the celebrated
German astrological advisor to Adolph Hitler and General Rommel (Page: 109,
Reference: 75)
If the above fact is accepted, and if you also
accept:
16 Do you not know that the person who
joins himself to a bad woman becomes one person with her? The holy writings
say, `The two people shall be like one body.'
-
1 Corinthians 6:16 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
then:
Ignorant man. Beware! Think twice, before you have any form of
relationship (no matter what sexual form) with anyone. Don’t destroy your
god-given life!!! You are doomed to Hell, if you violate the Holy
Law.
One single union (any sexual form) with a woman
modifies one’s star position. The woman’s and yours get mixed. A combination.
More women, more mixing, more combination. Bad women have bad star positions.
Officially it may be illicit sex, but spiritually, they all become part of your
personal family! So why destroy your future due to sexual weakness? Change the
sexual weakpoint, create a bright future. Find and explore ways yourself to
remove your weakpoints. Take inspiration from the perfect Celibates: Lord
Shiva, Bhishma, Jesus, Sankaracharya (Note: The author is aware of the many
legendary tales surrounding Lord Shiva. The birth of Lord Ganesh, Lord Muruga,
Lord Ayyappa. This book deals with orthodox celibacy. Such tales are regarded as stories
for the understanding of the common man. In other words, low level. In the
higher level, no concept of copulation exist. Goddesses are treated as forms of
the Divine Mother. The Gods are pure celibates. All forms of Energy)
“When they were filled, he said unto
his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”
- John 6:12
(Note: One is never too late! The life of the Blessed
One, The Buddha is a good example. Before His awakening, He lived a life of
happiness. He even married and had a small son, Rahul. But His destiny to
withdraw from worldly life was drawing near. Psychological changes began to
set in as a prelude to spiritual changes. He left everything and walked
away to train and to find/know Himself)
Purity and the Concept of Shiva
“Everything in Hinduism begins with
Worship of Lord Ganesh. With elephant head and human form, he represents
universality of creation. All creation is said to begin with Sound, and He is that
first Sound OM or pranava in which mantras are born. When Shakti (Energy) meets
Shiva (Matter) both Ganesh (Sound) and Lord Skanda (Light) are born. This is the
scientific basis of this part of Hinduism.” (Reference: 66)
That explains the basic science. Energy transforming
or condensing to matter with resulting side-effects or by-products of sound and
light.
Though the story is given like husband and wife for common
man to understand, the science behind is straight forward.
But in reality, Lord Shiva is the purest celibate.
Unmarried.
The perfect ascetic. The Lord of Destruction. The half-man, half-woman. Ardha
Narreswara. The Perfect Celibate. (Modern science proves the presence of both
male and female hormones in man as well as woman. In man, the content of male
hormone is higher than the female hormone. In female, the content of female
hormone is higher than the male hormone. The term Ardha Narreswara signifies
that the man “doesn’t cut or separate his body” to a female counterpart. In
other words, NO sexual relationship. (Law 3 of purity) Perfect Celibate. The same concept of “doesn’t cut
or separate his body” or celibacy was advised by Jesus Christ to his disciples.
To make an aromatic medicine/substance, different
aromatic herbs can be combined in the right proportion and grounded to give the
required substance. By its very nature, the substance gives aroma or smell. On
making an aromatic substance, one cannot say, it should not give aroma.
Illogical. An aromatic substance gives aroma.
So too the concept of destruction. Even if the
seeker doesn’t destroy anything, the force developed, destroys anything impure coming into its vicinity. Constant destruction and
rebuilding makes the seeker pure. (The same concept of warfare and purity, propounded
by Prophet Mohammad) Homage to Lord Shiva, the Purest!
There are ancient Shiva temples at remote locations.
Hundreds of years of puja, prayer and offerings by devotees, concentrated more
and more energy onto the Shiva-linga. Such lingas are extremely powerful.
Similar to a magnet. Properly observe the surroundings of such remote temples.
No development in the vicinity of the temple. All broken down and decay. In a
state of destruction. Like a magnet whose magnetic power has a certain range,
so too around the temple. Complete destruction of impure in the vicinity. In modern times,
there are certain priests ignorant of the concept of purity and celibacy. To
withstand or balance the linga’s energy concentration, the priest’s bodily
energy concentration should be sufficient and not depleted. One who doesn’t follow
celibacy, constantly depletes or wastes his energy concentration. Verbal records exist where certain
priests conduct puja on such powerful lingas without maintaining proper celibacy
rules. The reaction? Various illness to the priest’s body and days of
destruction to his immediate family.
17 Wherefore come out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you.
-
2 Corinthians 6:17 :: King James Version (KJV)
Being the purest, the rules for praying to Lord Shiva
are also one of the toughest. Not like praying to any other God like Lord
Vishnu. A slight deviation in purity of the devotee, causes immediate negative
reaction. Extreme care in maintaining purity is required when praying to Lord
Shiva.
Even mere observation from impure eyes harms the eyes of the looker. What is
an eye? Just an energy receptor. Energy in the form of light received. What
is an ear? Just an energy receptor. Energy in the form of sound received.
All energy, always. Verbal purity, bodily purity, mental purity are all
absolute requirements. Many pray and enter Lord Shiva temples without
maintaining proper purity. The destruction that comes as reaction to their own
action, unfortunately the ignorant doesn’t know or see. For they have other
worldly things or matters of serious importance to look into!!!
1 And the LORD spake unto
Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his
flesh, because OF HIS ISSUE HE IS UNCLEAN.
3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run
with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his
uncleanness.
4 Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the
issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
5 And whosoever toucheth his
bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
6 And he that sitteth on any
thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
7 And he that toucheth the
flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
8 And if he that hath the issue
spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his
clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
9 And what saddle soever he
rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.
10 And whosoever toucheth any
thing that was under him shall be unclean until the
even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
11 And whomsoever he toucheth
that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his
hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.
12 And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which
hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood
shall be rinsed in water.
13 And when he that hath an issue
is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to
himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in
running water, and shall be clean.
14 And on the eighth day he shall take to him
two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the
priest:
15 And the priest shall offer
them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt
offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him
before the LORD for his issue.
16 And if any man's seed of
copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his
flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.
17 And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the
even.
31 Thus shall ye separate the children of
Israel from their uncleanness; that THEY DIE NOT IN THEIR
UNCLEANNESS, WHEN THEY DEFILE MY TABERNACLE that is among them.
32 This is the law of him that
hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled
therewith;
-
Leviticus 15:1-17, 31-32 :: King James Version (KJV)
For those who hold the false belief on cleanliness
and Lord Shiva worship, understand well Leviticus 15:31 given above.
Due to the nature of enlightenment, something that
cannot be measured, the Buddha was depicted in symbolic form, never in human
form. Gandhara art commenced the human form depiction.
There is a parallel in a legendary tale of Lord Shiva.
Once Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu decided to measure the power of Lord Shiva.
Lord Brahma took the form of a swan and flew to the upper worlds. Lord Vishnu
took the form of a boar and bore downwards to the under-worlds. They never
reached an end! No starting point. No ending point. An endless state of
magnificence! The power or range immeasurable. Lord Shiva is never depicted in
human form. Only in the form of a symbol, Linga.
Attributes like beauty fall in this category.
Immeasurable. Cannot be quantified in numbers. How much? Negative-infinity to
positive-infinity, as in a number line.
Clandestine Monitoring
7 People who think about the things of this
life are God's enemies. They do not obey God's law. They cannot obey
it.
- Romans 8:7 ::
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Apart from training purposes, never do clandestine
monitoring on others, whether it be obsession, romanticism or whatever. (More
psychological information is given in Reference: 108) If you are doing the
monitoring for training, once the basics and the laws are understood,
immediately move far away from the monitoring post. Never stay close to the
observing target. You need to practice yourself, do internal cleaning based on
the training laws.
What is the problem with ignorant monitoring?
Two concepts are frequently mentioned.
All Energy.
Various frequency of vibration.
The observing target is on a certain frequency of
vibration, like a tuning fork. In Physics, there is a principle called Resonance. Different tuning forks have different
vibration. If two tuning forks produce the same vibration, they are said to be
in resonance. The combined effect or vibration is destructive, producing a
booming effect. A practical application of resonance comes in the case of
bridges. A bridge has a certain vibration frequency. A plane which flies very
close to the bridge, if produces the same frequency of that of the bridge, what
happens? Resonance occurs. The bridge collapses. Airplanes are banned from
flying very close to any bridge, anywhere.
What happens when one person (X) monitors the
other(Y) over a long time?
Over the period, X loses its original vibrating
frequency, and equalizes with the vibrating frequency of Y. The way of life,
manner etc of Y will be duplicated on X. In higher cases of obsessive
monitoring, a twin Y is created. What X was originally, was destroyed. A major fatality.
X will know everything about Y. But there is no X. A duplicate immature Y. Obsessive stalking and monitoring
is a practical real life example. Obsessive monitoring over two-three years
even produces thought duplication. The same thought passes through both
individual minds, for both are nearly on same frequency of vibration. Y should
exercise great caution on his/her life. Understand the above scientific principle
and under all circumstances, cut separate from any form of dealings with X. X
is already in an advanced state of self-destruction, unless and until proper
remedial measures are implemented. Leave it as it is. One digs one’s own grave.
Remedy: Since the problem commenced by adopting a different unnatural
vibration, one need to cut off its influence. External force (Newton’s First
Law) is required. Remove X far away, preferably to a place of worship and leave
alone. Over the time, slowly the natural state of vibration, which was
suppressed will return. X will slowly normalize back.
The scientific concept of resonance may seem strange.
But for mortals, death is a more better option than duplicating
into another vibrating frequency. Life will be a “living hell” for the one who
duplicates. Why? One deals with two different frequencies on the same fragile
body. One natural frequency being suppressed and another frequency
being forced onto the natural state. It is a destructive test, for those
who follow that path.
What is a destructive test?
To test a principle, an item undergoes test. When the
test ends, the principle is verified, but there is no item. The item is
destroyed. A once only test!
What happens when Y leaves the monitoring area?
X becomes absolutely useless. A “living vegetable”.
If Y implements internal cleaning and
self-purification, that is the only exit point to save himself. For under no circumstances, Y
should deal with X. Why?
X by monitoring, is nearing the same vibrating
frequency of Y. The concept of resonance is destructive. Observed the
electrical wires between two electric posts? Same current, but on opposite
directions. A bird sitting on one wire is not electrified. What happens if the
other wire is also touched. The bird burns to death. Electrified. The two wires
are brought together, having same current, same frequency, but on opposite
direction.
So never bring the two wires together. Refer the next section on A Possibility also.
Certain notes from Reference: 80 – Crowell, Benjamin. (2002) Vibrations and Waves. www.lightandmatter.com (2nd
Edition)
First, although we know the ear has a
frequency — about 4000 Hz —
at which it would vibrate naturally, it
does not vibrate at 4000 Hz in
response to a low-pitched 200 Hz tone. It always responds at
the frequency at which it is driven. Otherwise all pitches
would sound like 4000 Hz to us.
This is a general fact about driven vibrations:
(1) The steady-state response to a sinusoidal
driving force occurs at the
frequency of the force, not at the system’s
own natural frequency of
vibration.
(2) A vibrating system
resonates at its own natural frequency. That is,
the amplitude of the steady-state
response is greatest in proportion to
the amount of driving force when the driving
force matches the natural
frequency of vibration.
Example: an opera singer breaking a
wineglass
In order to break a wineglass by
singing, an opera singer must
first tap the glass to find its natural
frequency of vibration, and
then sing the same note back.
An earthquake consists of many
low-frequency vibrations
that occur simultaneously, which is why
it sounds like a rumble of
indeterminate pitch rather than a low
hum. The frequencies that
we can hear are not even the strongest
ones; most of the energy
is in the form of vibrations in the
range of frequencies from about
1 Hz to 10 Hz.
(Reference:
80)
The analogy is very similar to that of a snake and a mongoose.
The mongoose stays outside the snake’s den, monitoring, to catch the snake when
leaving the den. The snake lives in fear and trepidation inside its den.
The above scenario opens a great advantage for Y to
undergo serious training, in the path of purity. To clean himself. To turn to
the Lord, who created the scenario, for help and protection.
Consider X as a formidable enemy. Use the presence of
the enemy, to accelerate the training, to “fast-track”. Many a sluggishness
possible to a normal trainee will be absent in the face of danger.
Without
entering into the more general subject of management and motivation, one should
recognize that external threat is a powerful motivator.
(Reference: Oakland, John S. and
Followell, Roy F. (1990) Statistical Process Control - A Practical
Guide. (2ndEdition) New Delhi,
India: Affiliated East-West Press Pvt. Ltd. Chapter 15. The Implementation of
Statistical Process Control (SPC). Page: 325.)
As monitoring prolongs to years,
thought mapping occurs.
Do self analysis, on what you have left, your
weapons, to fight the enemy.
12
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the
fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
-
John 6:12 :: King James Version (KJV)
In the path of purity, the goal is zero-thought
state. If you have thoughts, the enemy will read it. So destroy thoughts.
If you travel, the enemy will follow. Change, always
change your ways, your movement. Today should not have the same pattern as
tomorrow.
If you deal in money in modern environment, use cash
only. Never use any form of electronic funds. Your own password for electronic
funds, that comes as thought will be mapped by your enemy.
Any form of electronic mechanism involving passwords,
take care. Better reduce dealings with such electronic mechanisms. Whether it
be job sites, or whatever.
People are of different psychological temperament.
Some are jealous. Some envious. Some greedy. Many forms of people. Some may not
attack you face to face. They just go in into one of your electronic sites and
manipulate the contents. They find a strange happiness by such actions. Why
allow such a scenario? Yes, password stealing is a major problem.
Note 11 Censored
If you are alone, move like a nomad. Cut your possessions to
bare minimum. Travel. Like an incoming guided missile, the enemy follows. Move,
always move. Change yourself.
Finally a day will come, the enemy is worn off.
Defeated. Losing all money. Poor. Running after a mirage.
A Test
An anonymous “imaginary” experience noted by the
author for posterity:
(The following is condensed as a mark of respect to the characters involved. Care is
taken to depict the “imaginary” incident as it is, from the narrator’s
viewpoint. It is indeed biased, yet care is taken not to
harm the feelings of the characters involved. If there are any mistakes, the
author expresses his deepest apology)
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing
covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be
known.
-
Matthew 10:26 :: King James Version (KJV)
An Imaginary Chat 1
“ …I never met her “face to face”. But
I knew she respected my character. She used to work at the super-market near my
residence, where I used to shop. She used to observe me clandestinely. Somehow
I knew that. She was obsessed. Romantic. I also knew, there were many guys who
fantasized her, who admired her “beauty”. Yet she observed me carefully. I
never returned her looks, her observation. I avoided her. She began to gather
more information about me, my friends etc. She left her residence, against her
parent’s wishes, and moved to an opposite house of my place of stay. She
continued her clandestine monitoring day and night. In the beginning, whenever
I used to leave my home, for study or work, she used to stand outside her
house, even very late at night, waiting for my return. Later, wherever I used
to go, she followed secretly. Somehow I knew, yet I avoided her. More than 3 years she watched me
secretly. She was too obsessed. Went too deep in “love” – a one-way affair!
Without seeing me face to face, she knew me inside out. She began to read my
thoughts as thoughts came to my mind. I never “talked” to
her. I never wrote to her. I never “knew” her. All she wanted was to touch me, to
kiss, to feel…. Yet I avoided her.
I left my residence in despair, donated
many of my possessions to charity and sought refuge at a monastery, to escape
the chain of attachment – “The Pleasures of the Flesh”. She moved to a nearby
residence and watched silently. I fought myself, in
the name of the Lord. She had lost her job. She was wasting
her own money. Yet she borrowed from wherever she could. She never understood
my quest for the Lord. She only wanted my affection, my body – a body I offered
to the Lord.
Another year passed. I changed myself.
Many of my old ways discarded. Abandoned. I moved. I traveled. She followed
everywhere. Finally she couldn’t withstand the urge for comfort. What she
longed to give to me alone, she gave away in a weak moment to someone else. She
fell sadly. Again she rose, and longed for me. Again and again I changed
myself, to escape the “desires of the flesh”. Poorer and poorer she became. I
left the nation twice. She too traveled incognito. She came to the new country
and stayed undercover. I left that nation and returned to my homeland. I
wandered to many a place, many a state/province. She too followed silently.
Finally, she lost nearly everything she had. She left…”
After many a year of training, and mental maturity, a
look-back at the above incident:
“…was she a goddess of love in
disguise? A sister who helped me to train and understand
the Lord? An invisible helper? The Lord is truly
great!!! Yes, that sister suffered a lot…May the Lord bless the
invisible helpers!”
What is unique in Velangani, …, is the
"Indianisation," of Christianity that takes place here: the bathing
in the sea, as if in Varanasi; the shaving of the head, such as is practised in
Tirupati: the rolling on the ground, or the offerings to the Virgin Mary, as
all good Hindus do-give a special and particular flavour to this Indian brand
of Catholicism, which is not found anywhere else in the world. Actually,
Hindus, also come often to worship in Velangani.
(Reference: 81)
Any form of warfare, whatever be the field, whatever
be the scenario, there is no defeat, there is no victory. Both sides face
proportional damages. True, in modern times, press reports quote that country
won, this country lost etc. But if proper quantitative and qualitative analysis
is done, damages are there on both sides.
An Imaginary Chat 2
“…Lord! To whom is the fault? Who is to
be blamed? I. I am the cause of it. I purposely ignored. I shied away from a
woman’s “love”. I ignored at each and every turn of her advances. What was the
result? That much time she wasted. The long years. She could have spent happily
with someone else. She wasted a lot of money, all because she fell madly in
“love”. What else can a “love-torn” woman, living in modern society do to get
her “man” – her hand in marriage, a job with her father’s business. She did
everything she could to retain me in her nation, to prevent me from leaving.
Not a word spoken or written. Yet I threw the cup of pleasure offered by the
Lord and walked away alone to the house of the Lord. I only wanted Him, not the
cup He offered. Yes, no wonder her people hate me for I caused her great
suffering. I am a sinner. But what else can I
do? That was the only option. I lost all interest in
many “worldly” things. Forgive me! Lord! The only path was to go towards you, O
Lord! Yet the pain she suffered, today I suffer – penniless, jobless. The same
she suffered. A reaction which I never meant. Forgive me, Lord. For it is all
over. Those days will ever remain “a strange experience”. No one can go back to
the past to rectify. A path of no return has no return. Towards you, O Lord. It
can only be towards you. Forgive our sins, O Lord. Praise the Lord…”
22 And ye shall be hated of
all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the
end shall be saved.
-
Matthew 10:22 :: King James Version (KJV)
For every action there is always an equal and
opposite reaction. Even if it was an action, you NEVER EVER meant to happen.
One day, the reaction have to be faced squarely.
A strange testing process was given above to man of
the modern society to ponder. What is your Goal? Do you need just the cup of
pleasure He offer or do you need Him? A path of flowers or a path of thorns?
They don’t go together. You can only have one. You can only travel through one
path at any given time.
Carnal Desires
Many a modern man who dream of married life, wish for
a beautiful woman who can read their thoughts, understand them thoroughly. With
such a dream concept, many enter marriage, only to find contradictory results.
They end up the other way around – trying to understand their ever mysterious
wife, understanding and re-understanding for a whole lifetime! What a strange
world!
The problem lies in the scientific concept:
Like charges repel
Unlike charges attract.
The scientific law is always a fact. Yet very
difficult to accept in day-to-day life. Because man emphasizes romanticism,
love, he is very biased towards the tickling of the senses. According to such
people, science is nothing, only found in laboratory or school.
What a perfect romantic scenario! A beautiful woman
who knows you inside out. Reads your thoughts. Want to be with you for ever.
Many a man can spend sleepless nights dreaming for such a woman.
Ever lit a candle in darkness? Watch what happens.
There are small night flies that approach the candle fire. They desire warmth.
They enter the fire blindly, to their death. So too man. No logical reasoning
can be applied to a man , animal or whatever, if turned on with desire. It just
goes in for carnal satisfaction without any reasoning. To its own death. If it
is man, a slow bleeding death. What is semen? What is saliva? All forms of the
vital blood!
Based on the above scientific concept of resonance, a
woman who can read the thoughts, is one vibrating at the same frequency. Both
are like charges. An ignorant man, fired by desire, if he went in to satisfy
his desires to his heart’s content, sudden death would have been more
preferable than death by bleeding.
Also refer section on Love and Lust
Examples on Kama/Lust/Sex Desire (Reference: 26)
Example 1
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CHAPTER 11
On the Deceits and Treacheries of Women
Story of the Lover against His Will
A story is told of a certain woman who
was desperately in love with one of her neighbours, whose virtue and piety were
well known. She declared to him her passion; but, finding all her advances
constantly repulsed, in spite of all her wiles, she resolved to have her
satisfaction nevertheless, and this is the way
she went to work her purpose: One evening she apprised her negress that she
intended to set a snare for that man, and the negress, by her order, left the
street door open; then, in the middle of the night, she called the negress and
gave her the following instructions: `Go and knock with this stone at our
street door as hard as you can, without taking any notice of the cries which I
shall utter, or the noise I make; as soon as you hear the neighbour opening his
door, come back and knock the same way at the
Page 88
inner door. Take care that he does not
see you, and come in at once if you observe somebody coming.' The negress
executed this order punctually. Now, the neighbour was by nature a
compassionate man, always disposed to assist people in distress, and his help
was never asked in vain. On hearing the noise of the blows struck at
the door and the cries of his neighbour, he asked his wife what this might
mean, and she replied, `It is our neighbour so and so, who is attacked in her
house by thieves.' He went in great haste to her aid; but scarcely had he
entered the house when the negress closed the door upon him. The woman seized
him, and uttered loud screams. He protested, but the mistress of the house put,
without any more ado, this condition before him. `If you do not consent to do with
me so and so, I shall tell that you have come in here to violate me, and hence
all this noise.' `The will of God be done!' said the man, `nobody can go
against him, nor escape from His might.' He then tried sundry subterfuges in
order to escape, but in vain, for the mistress of the house recommenced to
scream and make a row, which brought a good many people to the spot. He saw
that his reputation would be compromised if he continued his resistance, and
surrendered, saying, `Save me, and I am ready to satisfy you!' `Go into this
chamber and close the door behind you,' said the lady of the house, `if you
want to leave this house with honour, and do not attempt escape unless you wish
those people to know that you are the author of all this commotion.' When he
saw how determined she was to have her way, he did as she had
told him. She, on her part, went out to the neighbours that had come to help
her, and giving them some kind of explanation, dismissed them. They went away
condoling with her.
Left alone, she shut the doors and
returned to her unwilling lover. She kept him in X for a whole week, and only
set him free after she had completely drained him.
Learn from this the deceitfulness of
women, and what they are capable of.
Example 2
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CHAPTER 9
The History of Djoâidi and Fadehat el
Djemal
I was in love with a woman who was all
grace and perfection, beautiful of shape, and gifted with all imaginable
charms. Her cheeks were like roses, her forehead lily white, her lips like
coral; she had teeth like pearls, and breasts like pomegranates. Her mouth
opened round like a ring; her
tongue seemed to be incrusted with
precious gems; her eyes, black and finely slit, had the languor of slumber, and
her voice the sweetness of sugar. With her form pleasantly filled out, her
flesh was mellow like fresh butter, and pure as the diamond.
As to her vulva, it was white,
prominent, round as an arch; the centre of it was red, and breathed fire,
without a trace of humidity; for, sweet :o the touch, it was quite dry. When
she walked it showed in relief like a dome or an inverted cup. In reclining it
was visible between her thighs, looking like a kid couched on a hillock.
This woman was my neighbour. All the
others played and laughed with me, jested with me, and met my suggestions with
great pleasure. I revelled in their kisses, their close embraces and nibbling,
and in sucking their lips, breasts, and necks. I had coition with all of them,
except my
neighbour, and it was exactly her I
wanted to possess in preference to all the rest; but instead of being kind to
me, she avoided me rather. When I contrived to take her aside to trifle with
her and try to rouse her gaiety, and spoke to her of my desires, she recited to
me the following verses, the sense of which was a mystery to me:
Among the mountain tops I saw a tent
placed firmly,
Apparent to all eyes high up in
mid-air.
But, oh! the pole that held it up was
gone.
And like a vase without a handle it
remained,
With all its cords undone, its centre
sinking in,
Forming a hollow like that of a kettle.
Every time I told her of my passion she
answered me with these verses, which to me were void of meaning, and to which I
could make no reply, which, however, only excited my love all the more. I
therefore inquired of all those I knew - amongst wise men, philosophers, and
savants -
the meaning, but not one of them could
solve the riddle for me, so as to satisfy my heat and appease my passion.
Nevertheless I continued my
investigations, until at last I heard of a savant named Abou Nouass, who lived
in a far-off country, and who, I was told, was the only man capable of solving
the enigma. I betook to him, apprised him of the distress I had with the woman,
and recited to him
the above-mentioned verses.
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Abou Nouass said to me, `This woman
loves you to the exclusion of every other man. She is very corpulent
and plump.' I answered, `It is exactly as you say. You have given her
likeness as if she were before you, excepting what you say in respect of her
love for me, for, until now, she has never given me any proof of it.'
`She has no husband.'
`This is so,' I said.
Then he added, `I have reason to
believe that your member is of small dimensions, and such a member cannot give
her pleasure nor quench her fire; for what she wants is a lover with a member
like that of an ass. Perhaps it may not be so. Tell me the truth about this!'
When I had
reassured him on that point, affirming
that my member, which began to rise at the expression of his doubtings, was
full-sized, he told me that in that case all difficulties would disappear, and
explained to me the sense of the verses as follows:
`The tent, firmly planted, represents
the vulva of grand dimension and placed well forward, the mountains, between which
it rises, are the thighs. The stake which supported its centre and has been
torn up means that she has no husband, comparing the stake or pole that
supports the tent to the virile member holding up the lips of the vulva. She is
like a vase without a handle; this means if the pail is without a handle to
hang it up by it is good for nothing, the pail representing the vulva, and the
handle the verge. The cords are undone and its centre is sinking in; that is to
say, as the tent without a supporting pole caves in at the centre, inferior in
this respect to the vault which remains upright without support, so can the
woman who has no husband not enjoy complete happiness. From the words, it forms
a hollow like that of a kettle, you may judge how lascivious God has made that
woman in her comparisons; she likens her vulva to a kettle, which serves to
prepare the tserid. Listen; if the tserid is placed in the kettle, to turn out
well it must be stirred by means of a medeleuk, long and solid, whilst the
kettle is steadied by the feet and hands.
Only in that way can it be properly
prepared. It cannot be done with a small spoon; the cook would burn her hands,
owing to the shortness of the handle, and the dish would not be well prepared.
This is the symbol of this woman's nature, O Djoâidi. If your member has not
the dimensions of a respectable medeleuk, serviceable for the good preparation
of the tserid, it will not give her satisfaction, and, moreover, if you do not
hold her close to your chest, enlacing her with your hands and feet, it is
useless to solicit her favours; finally if you let her consume herself by her
own fire, like the bottom of the kettle which gets burnt if the medeleuk is not
stirred upon it, you will not gratis her desire by the result.
`You see now what prevented her from
acceding to your wishes; she was afraid that you would not be able to quench
her flame after having fanned it.
`But what is the name of this woman, O
Djoâidi?'
`Fadehat el Djemal' (the sunrise of
beauty), I replied.
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`Return to her,' said the sage, `and
take her these verses, and your affair will come to a happy issue, please God!
You will then come back to me, and inform me of what will have come to pass
between you two.'
I gave my promise, and Abou Nouass
recited to me the following lines:
Have patience now, O Fadehat el Djemal,
I understand your words, and all shall
see how l obey them.
O you! beloved and cherished by whoever
Can revel in your charms and glory in
them!
O apple of my eye! You thought I was
embarrassed
About the answer which I had to give
you
Yes, certainly! It was the love I bore
you
Made me look foolish in the eyes of all
you know.
They thought I was possessed of a
demon;
Called me a Merry Andrew and buffoon.
For God! What of buffoonery I've got,
Should it be that
No other member is like mine?
Here! see it, measure it!
What woman tastes it falls in love with
me,
In violent love. It is a well-known
fact
That you from far may see it like a
column.
If it erects itself it lifts my robe
and shames me.
Now take it kindly, put it in your
tent,
Which is between the well-known
mountains placed.
It will be quite at home there, you
will find it
Not softening while inside, but
sticking like a nail;
Take it to form a handle to your vase.
Come and examine it, and notice well
How vigorous it is and long in its
erect:ion!
If you but want a proper medeleuk,
A medeleuk to use between your thighs,
Take this to stir the centre of your
kettle.
It will do good to you, O mistress
mine!
Your kettle be it plated will be
satisfied!
Having learnt these verses by heart, I
took my leave of Abou Nouass and returned to Fadehat el Djemal. She was, as
usual, alone. I gave a slight knock at her door; she came out at once,
beautiful as the rising sun, and coming up to me, she said, `Oh! Enemy of God,
what business has brought you here to me at this time?'
I answered her, `O my mistress! A
business of great importance.'
`Explain yourself, and I will see
whether I can help you,' she said.
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`I shall not speak to you about it
until the door is locked,' I answered.
`Your boldness today is very great,'
she said.
And I, `True, O my mistress! Boldness
is one of my qualities.'
She then addressed me thus, `O enemy of
yourself! O you most miserable of your race! If I were to lock the door, and
you have nothing wherewith to satisfy my desires, what should I do with you?
Face of a Jew!'
`You will let me share your couch, and
grant me your favours.
She began to laugh; and after we had
entered the house, she told a slave to lock the house door.
As usual, I asked her to respond to my
proposals; she then recited to me again the abovementioned verses. When she had
finished I began to recite to her those which Abou Nouass had taught me.
As I proceeded I saw her more and more moved,
I observed her giving way to yawns, to stretch herself, to sigh. I knew now I
should arrive at the desired result. When I had finished, my member was in such
a state of erection that it became like a pillar, still lengthening. When
Fadehat el Djemal saw it in that condition she precipitated herself upon it,
took it into her hands, and drew it towards her thighs. I then said, `O apple
of my eyes! this may not be done here, let us go into your chamber.'
She replied, `Leave me alone, O son of
a debauched woman! Before God! I am losing my senses in seeing your member
getting longer and longer, and lifting your robe. Oh, what a member! I never
saw a finer one! Let it penetrate into this delicious, plump vulva, which
maddens all who hear it described; for the sake of which so many have died of
love; and of which your superiors and masters themselves have not been able to
get possession.'
I repeated, `I shall not do it anywhere
else than in your chamber.'
She answered, `If you do not enter this
minute this tender vulva, I shall die.'
As I still insisted upon repairing to
her room, she cried, `No, it is quite impossible; I cannot wait so long!'
I saw in fact her lips tremble, her
eyes filling with tears. A general tremor ran over her, she changed colour, and
laid herself down upon her back, baring her thighs, the whiteness of which made
her flesh appear like crystal tinged with carmine.
Then I examined her vulva - a white
cupola with a purple centre, soft and charming. It opened like that of a mare
on the approach of a stallion.
At that moment she seized my member and
kissed it, saying, `By the religion of my father! It must penetrate into my
vulva!' and drawing nearer to me she pulled it towards her vagina.
Page 84
I now hesitated no longer to assist her
with my member, and placed it against the entrance to her vulva. As soon as the
head of my member touched the lips, the whole body of Fadehat el Djemal
trembled with excitement. Sighing and sobbing, she held me pressed to her
bosom.
Again I profited by this moment to
admire the beauties of her vulva. It was magnificent, its purple centre setting
off its whiteness all the more. It was round, and without any imperfection;
projecting like a splendidly curved dome over her belly. In one word, it was a
masterpiece of creation as fine as could be seen. The blessing of God, the best
creator, upon it.
And the woman who possessed this wonder
had in her time no superior.
Seeing her then in such transports,
trembling like a bird, the throat of which is being cut, I pushed my dart into
her. Thinking she might not be able to take in the whole of my member, I had
entered cautiously, but she moved her buttocks furiously, saying to me, `This
is not enough for my contentment.' Making a strong push, I lodged my member
completely in her, which made her utter a painful cry, but the moment after she
moved with greater fury than before. She cried,
`Do not miss the corners, neither high
nor low, but above all things do not neglect the centre! The centre!' she
repeated. `If you feel it coming, let it go into my matrix so as to extinguish
my fire.'
Then we moved alternately in and out,
which was delicious. Our legs were interlaced, our muscles unbent, and so we
went on with kisses and claspings until the crisis came upon us simultaneously.
We then rested and took breath after this mutual conflict.
I wanted to withdraw my member, but she
would not consent to this and begged of me not to take it out. I acceded to her
wish, but a moment later she took it out herself, dried it, and replaced it in
her vulva. We renewed our game, kissing, pressing, and moving in rhythm. After
a short time, we rose and entered her chamber, without having this time
accomplished the enjoyment.
She gave me now a piece of an aromatic
root, which she recommended me to keep in my mouth, assuring me that as long as
I had it there my member would remain on the alert. Then she asked me to lie
down, which I did. She mounted upon me, and taking my member into her hands,
she
made it enter entirely into her vagina.
I was astonished at the vigour of her vulva and at the heat emitted from it.
The opening of her matrix in particular excited my admiration. I never had any
experience like it; it closely clasped my member and pinched the gland.
With the exception of Fadehat el Djemal
no woman had until then taken in my member to its full length. She was able to
do so, I believe, owing to her being very plump and
corpulent, and her vulva being large and deep.
Fadehat el Djemal, astride upon me,
began to rise and descend; she kept crying out, wept, went slower, then
accelerated her movements again, ceased to move altogether; when part of my
member became visible she looked at it, then took it out altogether to examine
it closely, then plunged it in again until it had appeared completely. So she
continued until the enjoyment overcame her again. At last, having dismounted
from me, she now laid herself down, and asked me to get on to her. I did so,
and she introduced my member entirely into her vulva.
We thus continued our caresses,
changing our positions in turns, until night came on. I thought it proper to
show a wish to go now, but she would not agree to this, and I had to give her
my word
Page 85
that I would remain. I said to myself.
`This woman will not let me go at any price, but when daylight comes God will
advise me.' I remained with her, and all night long we kept caressing each
other, and took but scanty rest.
I counted that during that day and
night, I accomplished twenty-seven times the act of coitus, and I became afraid
that I should nevermore be able to leave the house of that woman.
Having at last made good my escape, I
went to visit Abou Nouass again, and informed him of all that had happened. He
was surprised and stupefied, and his first words were, `O Djoâidi, you can have neither
authority nor power over such a woman, and she would make you do penance for
all the pleasure you have had with other women!'
However, Fadehat el Djemal proposed to
me to become her legitimate husband, in order to put a stop
to the vexatious rumours that were circulating about her conduct. I, on the other hand,
was only on the look out for adultery. Asking the advice of Abou Nouass about
it, he told me, `If you marry Fadehat el Djemal you will ruin your
health, and God will withdraw his protection from you, and the worst of all
will be that she will cuckold you, for she is insatiable with respect to the
coitus, and would cover you with shame.' And I answered him, `Such is the nature of
women; they are insatiable as far as their vulvas are concerned, and so long as
their lust is satisfied they do not care whether it be with a buffoon, a negro,
a valet, or even with a man that is despised and reprobated by society.'
On this occasion Abou Nouass depicted
the character of women in the following verses:
Women are demons, and were born as
such; No one can trust them, as is known to all; If they love a man, it is only
out of caprice; And he to whom they are most cruel loves them most; Beings full
of treachery and trickery, I aver The man that loves you truly is a lost man;
He who believes me not can prove my word By letting woman's love get hold of
him for years! If in your own generous mood you have given them Your all and
everything for years and years, They will say afterwards, `I swear by God! My
eyes Have never seen a thing he gave me!' After you have impoverished yourself
for their sake, their cry from day to day will be for ever, `Give! Give, Man.
Get up and buy and borrow.' If they cannot profit by you they'll turn against
you; they will tell lies about you and calumniate you. They do not recoil to
use a slave in the master's absence, if once their passions are aroused, and
they play tricks; Assuredly, if once their vulva is in rut, They only think of
getting in some member in erection. Preserve us, God! from woman's trickery;
And of old women in particular. So be it.
The Other Side “Always Green”
Imagine two islands separated by water. From the
topmost part of one island, one can view the other island. There is a strange psychological
process wherein, a person used to living in one island, standing on that
island, always longs, desires to be on the other far-away island. He can only
see the island from a distance, but couldn’t go over there. He doesn’t have a
boat to cross over. He fantasizes the greenery of that island. The happiness
that “could” be possible there. He builds a boat to cross-over to the other
side, the island of happiness. After many a hardship, finally he reaches the
other island. To his dismay, it was the same island he left behind!!
The above psychological process is applicable to many
a scenario: moving from one province to another, one nation to another, one way
of life to another way of life, whatever. The other side always gives the
“mirage” of happiness.
Scenario of crossing Samsara: After many a severe
training, the Blessed One achieved enlightenment. He crossed over to the other
side. After that, did He just walk away, dropping or abandoning all the
training practices? No, He trained much harder, to retain what He achieved, to
fine-tune His remarkable achievement. So too Jesus. There is no termination to
training. A path of no return.
Scenario of romanticism: Consider the above fantasy
and the psychological process. A thought understanding woman. What else do a
“modern bachelor” need? Settle down? He believes that the other side, the
married life with such a woman will bring everlasting happiness – “ … and they
lived happily ever after” so ends many a romantic novel. But nothing is
mentioned of the science of dis-compatibility of people with equal vibration,
the hardships, the break-up after the initial “fantasy” etc. A life imagined to
be happy on the other side remains as it is with more hardship, associated
stress and strain.
“Be still, and know that I am God…”
- Psalm 46:10 ::
New King James Version (NKJV)
Then, shouldn’t it have been better, if the island
man, sat still at a place and meditated on the possibilities and consequences,
indeed of running here and there, jumping from one place to another, creating a
mess of his life! But, unfortunately, Man was made to be restless, to be
agitated. Very few can sit still! Too simple. Yet, very hard.
A Possibility
24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall
inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that
floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you
from other people.
-
Leviticus 20:24 :: King James Version (KJV)
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's
sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
- Matthew 19:29
:: King James Version (KJV)
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets,
and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill
and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city
to city:
- Matthew 23:34
:: King James Version (KJV)
Refer the following picture:
Statue of Gommateshwara, at
Shravanabelagola in Karnataka State, India.
(Reference: Standing - The
Blessed Bahubali.)
“Gommata, AD 981
In an open quadrangle stands an impressive
image, 58 feet and 8 inches high. Massive in size majestic in its conception. It
is the only free standing monolithic figure of this size in the world.
Other larger figures, like the now non-existant Buddhas at Bamiyan, or the
Sphinx in Egypt,but neither of them have been carved in the round or executed
from a single piece of rock. In both these aspects the Gommata statue is
unique. The colossus stands nude and in the kayotasarga pose, a yogic
position where the body is under complete control needing no sustenance nor
performing any bodily functions. It symbolises complete detachment from
the world. It expresses perfectly the concept of successful withdrawal
from a world of desire and suffering, weakness and worry, and from the
inevitability of birth and death. His serene smile radiates the successful
achievement of total peace through the conquest of the inner turmoil. Although Bahubali
is not a Tinhankara the Jains revere him as the first soul that attained moksha
during this cosmic - cycle. On the ant-hills are inscriptions - in Kannada,
Tamil, and Marathi - stating that Chamundaraya commissioned this image. On
either side of the Gommata are the chauri-bearers.” (Reference: 74)
The forces of Evil using clandestine monitoring and spy
devices may do anything possible to mentally demoralize or subdue the seeker.
They may take photos of one’s naked body, of close family members, videotape
compromising and private things to make public for blackmailing the seeker to
submission. Behold the above picture, the nakedness of a
seeker.
Don’t attach any ego or pride on being naked.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I
give my body to be burned, but if I do not love people, I get nothing out of
it.
-
1 Corinthians 13:3 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
If it need to be, one need to give away everything,
including one’s clothes as a true Digambara Jain monk, and walk away in search
of truth, for perfecting oneself, to know oneself.
24 `Think of the birds. They do not plant, cut, or keep any
food. Yet God feeds them. You are worth much more than the birds!
- Luke 12:24 ::
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
27 `Think about the flowers. See how they grow. They do not work
or make cloth. I tell you, King Solomon was a great man. But he was not dressed
as fine as one of these flowers.
- Luke 12:27 ::
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The
foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not
where to lay his head.
-
Matthew 8:20 :: King James Version (KJV)
25 `So, I tell you this. Do not be troubled about
what you will eat or drink to keep alive. Do not be troubled about
what you will wear on your body. Life itself is worth more than
food, and the body is worth more than clothes.
- Matthew 6:25 ::
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Ignore the forces of Evil.
28 Do not fear people who can
kill the body. They cannot kill the spirit. But fear the one who
can destroy both spirit and body in hell.
-
Matthew 10:28 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Train for purity. The more pure you become, the
counter force generated will give a fitting reply to the forces of Evil. How?
Refer section on Purity and the Concept of Shiva.
The way of life led by the forces of Evil are impure
and dirty. The very act of seeing things which one shouldn’t see, destroys the
looker. Impure things watching pure things. Their act destroys themselves. That
observation, monitoring, surveillance itself becomes their grave. So don’t
worry about them. The law of purity holds, no matter who, what time.
"It is not the futility of the act
But the multiple injury of the intent
That is violence." - Bahubali
26 For such an high priest became us, who
is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the
heavens;
-
Hebrews 7:26 :: King James Version (KJV)
Milarepa was a very famous Tibetan Yogi who lived in the 11th
century… When he was meditating in the mountains, his body turned green because
he had nothing to eat except nettles.
The king of Nepal once invited Milarepa, offering him great wealth, but
he refused. Milarepa told the king that he was actually richer than him because
he didn't need anything. (Reference: 127)
A Satire on Modern Society
It is very strange, in modern times, people don’t
care to understand the universal truth in one’s own religion or ideology. All
religion speak the same Universal Truth, from different angles. Modernization
brought in a higher level of spiritual ignorance to common man. A “blind” and
“blunt” believer. Never asks the basic questions Who? Why? What? When? Where?
to any spiritual concept. What do we find today? Absolute disregard to
spiritual practices. All money oriented. The net result: A higher level of
superstition. People in Western countries where Christianity used to be the
main religion once upon a time, due to present-day ignorance, search for other
religions or truth. (Reference: 37, 83) In countries where Buddhism used to be
the main religion, (like Sri Lanka, Burma) people sleep through when Buddhist
monks give their sermon or teaching. In land of Hindus, they shed blood
fighting other religions, without knowing the first law of the Lord, “Thou
shalt NOT kill”. Don’t they know the reaction of shedding blood?
A former Dalai Lama was war-oriented, attacking many
a province of the present day Nepal and China. What was the result of that
blood-shed? The present Dalai-Lama is not in Tibet. That land is with someone
else. Such is the reaction of blood-shed when the time ripens for reaction.
Strange, modern “scholars” don’t read and understand history. For history
always repeats, unless and until one learns from the past and ceases to repeat the
same action. Comes out of the cycle of repetition.
"those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat
it,"
- philosopher
George Santayana
“People turned to consumerism, to New
Age practices, or to the "transient" pleasures of alcohol,
drugs and recreational sex rather than to God. "Most
people in our countries turn to the freedom of the market place and the
consumer society . . . it is clear that a sole reliance on the market place
does in the end prevent people from taking their destiny into their own hands.
"There is indifference to
Christian values and to the Church among many young people. We see quite a
demoralised society, one where the only good is what I want, the
only rights are my own and the only life with any meaning or value is
the life I want for myself."
(Reference: 37)
Ignorance
Break a glass bottle into small pieces. Take them to
a diamond shop and ask for diamonds. If you are an ordinary man, the small
pieces of diamonds and the glass pieces look very same. Similar. How will you
know the difference, even if you see diamond pieces on the road side. Many
ignorant men, assume it as glass pieces. Anyone can fool an ignorant man. Look
at the price difference: ordinary glass pieces and diamond pieces!!!
Go to a wood shop. There are different varieties of
wood – teak, mahogany, rubber etc. How will an ordinary ignorant man know the
difference? All look the same. Yet some wood are very costly. Some are very
cheap.
A trained man, one who tests knows the difference. He
knows what is what, what could be the outcome for a specific scenario.
The problem occurs when such a teaching is brought
before the ignorant.
The ignorant say read books on diverse subjects,
understand and test to see the practicality.
Very easy to advise. Anyone can say anything. But
what about oneself? The ignorant himself or herself. Have you taken the time to
read books on diverse subjects, understand and test to see the practicality of
the concepts?
If not, THEN WHY NOT?
Why
waste time on unproductive things - destroying living creatures, taking that which
is not given, sexual activity, incorrect speech, incorrect writing, taking
intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness, eating excess food,
dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing garlands, using
perfumes, beautifying the body with cosmetics etc
Why
not learn yourself? Test yourself? Understand yourself?
27 But I control my own body really well. I make my body obey
me. After telling others the good news, I myself do not want to be left
out.
- 1 Corinthians
9:27 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
When
such a man comes across a true trainer, many a notes, life experiences can be
compared for mutual excellence and benefit, for the Kingdom of God is open to
those who test, understand, learn and live according to the laws of the Lord.
Why
live day-in and day-out the same person, the same habits, the same weaknesses.
No change. Nothing. Why? Not boring? Change, always change. Test. Understand.
Learn. Live new ways of life as per the Laws of the Lord. Be happy.
Which first? Money? Work? Study? God?
The Laws of the Lord come first. Once one is fully
trained on the Laws, and lives within the Laws, go for work or study or making
money moderately, as is permitted by the Lord.
Remember, always first: The Laws of the Lord
Without the Lord or His Grace, life is not worth
living.
Before commencing any job or event, the Hindus invoke
Lord Ganesh, "Lord of the Gana" Gana-pati , the remover of Obstacles.
Why just in the beginning alone?
Be always with the Lord, Lord Ganesh, by following
His Laws always.
29 And yet I say unto you, That even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the
grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall
he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the
Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these
things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you.
-
Matthew 6:29-33 :: King James Version (KJV)
A Satire on Modern Education
What actually is the purpose of education?
Education of technical and non-technical subjects,
not just knowing thyself – Why, what purpose is it for?
When we look into modern society and its so-called
centres of learning, it is pathetic to find they are breeding grounds of vulgarity.
Modern education is viewed as a commodity, exclusively for money making – those
who educate and those who want to be educated
A man of proper education, whether technical or
non-technical is expected to have many pleasant attributes like
- self-respect
- honor
- submissiveness
- character
- ethical
values
- moral
values
- a
sense of decency
Whatever be the subject of learning, it all
teaches about the Lord, Energy, from diverse angles. So the purpose of education is
exclusively to learn and understand the Lord, theoretically. Proper completion of such
an education makes one a sheep. After that, the purpose of education is over.
Anything else is absolutely immaterial, for the one who understands the
overwhelming presence of the Lord.
For, as mentioned before, there are things learned
which need to be de-learned. Certain things are to forgotten. Certain things
are to be retained. The process of transformation is a process of learning
and de-learning, a cycle of continuous improvement. Not towards money
making, but towards the Lord Himself.
In top United States universities, say the Ivy
League, nobody asks what percentage you have, for a job interview. The very
quote that you are from so and so university, qualifies to certain privileges.
So too in the path of the Lord. Refer point 2 in Points and Counter
Points to Ponder. Such things are milestones, that shows the existence of the
all-powerful Lord and the path to Him. The very presence of such blessings show
that something, the person did in his
past, was RIGHT, according to the laws. That RIGHT factor qualified him for
such and such blessing of the Lord. Something that differentiates him from the
ordinary masses. That also means that on the path to the Lord, he went upto a
certain distance in the right manner, and there is still more distance to
cover. The distance of the path to the Lord being “immeasurable”. May be short
to some. May be long, depending on past actions.
Once the purpose of education is taken as
“god-realisation”, what point is there to ask such a person “what is your
qualification?” It doesn’t have a meaning, for those who practice or train
along the eight-fold path together with their day-to-day studies.
This is a very good advice to many a student, who
commit or wish to commit suicides etc. for failing such and such exam and so
on. Exams come and go. Parental pressure is good. Too much bad.
But the advice does not mean, you should lag in your
studies, without proper reason. When you study, put your best effort, according
to your environment. Young age is an ideal time to study. As one grows
older, the environment may force warfare on certain people. Warfare and
theoretical study rarely go together. Warfare is practical study of certain
subjects, different from your area of theoretical study.
In the name of God, the Mercygiving,
the Merciful!
* Praise be to God,
* Lord of the Universe,
* the Mercygiving, the Merciful!
* Ruler on the Day for Repayment!
** You do we worship and You do we call
on for help.
* Guide us along the Straight Road,
* the road of those whom You have
favored,
with whom You are not angry,
nor who are lost!
- The Holy Quran, Part 1: The Opening,
AL-FATIHAH, the "Seven Oft Repeated Verses", contain the
"essence" of the Quran and bears witness to God's presence
everywhere.
- placed
at the very beginning of the Quran to teach this lesson to the reader: if
you sincerely want to benefit from the Quran, you should offer this prayer
to the Lord of the Universe.
- to recognize the fact that the Lord of the Universe is the
source of all knowledge.
- AL-FATIHAH
is the prayer from the servant and the Quran is the answer from
the Master to his prayer. The servant prays to Allah to show
him guidance and the Master places the whole of the Quran before him
in answer to his prayer, as if to say, "This is the Guidance you
begged from Me." (Reference: 38)
An Embarrassment
For what? I never by-hearted many of the terms used
in the suttas or scriptures. I always aimed for living the way of life on a
daily basis instead of by-hearting the technical spiritual terms. Spiritual concepts are to
be implemented, NOT to be by-hearted. (By-hearting or study by rote may
be done to certain day-to-day study topics like Physics, Mathematics etc. for
exam preparation. When the time ripens to know a spiritual concept to
advance further, the invisible Lord will teach that required concept by diverse
means. No by-hearting there, only implementation) So when I put down in
writing the spiritual experiences, the actual terms used in the suttas I have
to refer. Such a reference have an indirect plus point: there is nothing new.
All are ancient teachings, spread out in many a religious text, no matter what
religion. The more one reads, learns and assimilates the concept into one’s own
personal life, the Oneness opens up. In such a scenario, there is no separation
as Buddhist, or Christian, or Hindu, or Islam, or Jain or whatever.
What’s in a name? That which we call a
rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
-
William Shakespeare
So those who say I go to a Buddhist monastery, I
follow the Testament, why the division or separation? A certain way of living on
a daily basis with certain do’s and certain don’ts. That is all it is. That is religion. For at the end of the day, what
you search for is actually YOU itself. No matter at any part of the world or
monastery you go and live. You can even live in the midst of a mega-city,
perfected tuned to the environment, by following the laws. No need to be in a
desert or deep in a forest. One need to shed or abandon a lot of personal
notions, perceptions etc from one’s mind. A blankness is what is to be aimed.
The Suttas use the term Su-nya-ta or emptiness. A state where you don’t care
about anything. Just accepts things as it is.
Reaching a state is not an end-point. You don’t stay
there. Similar to going to the bus-stand from home. You don’t live in the
bus-stand. You journey there and then return. So too the concept of blankness.
Through meditation and insight, you go to that state or near that state as much
as possible and then return back. Adepts reach that state easily. Novices train
again and again to slowly attain that state.
The previous para is equally applicable to many a
scenario like being pure. Being clean. Achieving a quality standard etc. What
was the quality standard 5 years ago may not be standard today. What is today,
may not be the standard sometime in future. So too the concept of purity or
cleanliness TO YOUR PERSONAL BODY OR MIND. Depends on the environment. Depends
on your training on daily basis. (A strange observation: Gold in its purest
form. Its practical use is very limited. To make it useful, a certain amount of
impurities need to be added. Then only it becomes hard to make ornaments etc.)
A never ending training program depending on the environment, done day-in and
day-out. A few days of absence constitutes a defeat somewhere in the spiritual
path. So to prevent many possible interruptions in modern society, one need to
withdraw from many unwanted, unproductive activities like friendships, idle
chatting, frequent unnecessary to and fro traveling to kill time etc. A
sincerity in training required.
Hardships are only in the beginning. As one gets used
to the way of life, many outside things will naturally become unpleasant and
unwanted. One falls into the right path – the right effort and right
livelihood. The more one gets used to it, many of the contents of this book
will be known to him as it is. This book will just be a junk for such a
trainee. No need of this literature for one who follows the way of life.
An advanced adept will know many a concept as it is,
by the Grace of the Lord.
…whence spirituality comes gushing (Reference: 59 Page: 8)
Books are not needed for teaching by such an advanced
Master. Eg. Ramana Maharshi.
An interesting analogy: A novice who doesn’t know
swimming. A swimming manual is given to him. He stands before a swimming pool
with no other help. How will he train?
Option 1:
Read the manual cover to cover. Slowly step into the
water and do from memory whatever the manual suggested.
Option 2:
Jump into the water. Play. When tired, come out the
pool, and read the manual leisurely as you read a comic book. After reading
burn the manual or put it in trash bin. Who cares the basics?
Option 3:
Carefully step into water. Walk a bit in water. Come
out. Read the manual a bit. Again go back. Try lifting the legs from water.
Again come out, read and again go back. Slowly and slowly the self-training is
done.
Some Notes on Lord Ganesh
According to the Shiva-Purâna:
J. Herbert remarks an unusual fact in
this myth which reports the Ganesh birth from the
goddess Pârvatî, without any Shiva intervention. Indeed, Ganesh has
been created using the perspiring of the goddess. Accordingly, Pârvatî
perspired, whereas Hindu gods, when they take a human form, do not
perspire; furthermore, they don't have any shadow and the flowers which adorn
them cannot fade. Herbert concludes that Pârvatî, to give birth to
her son Ganesh, took a very exceptional woman form...
A more detailed version describes Shiva
sending his Gana army to attack. But Ganesh defeats them. Shiva request Brahmâ to come; taking the form of a peaceful brâhmane , he tries gently
to make the boy listen to reason. Vainly, Ganesh remains intractable.
Then, Shiva asks Kârtikeya and Indra , to intervene and to mobilize their armies;
Ganesh resists victoriously and routs the armies, thanks to the help
of Kâlî and Durgâ , sent for Pârvatî,
raging at the attack against her beloved son...
According to the Linga-Purâna:
Ganesh was created by Shiva in order to
triumph over the Asura and other enemies
of gods; indeed, the Devâ supplicated the Allmighty Shiva to lend assistance to
them, because they were tormented by the devils.
Shiva agreed and the superb and
wonderful image of a child shout (born) out of his mind. He had the head of a
powerful elephant, he brandished a trident in one hand (indeed, Ganesh is
sometimes represented with a trident). The gods were delighted to see this
child, born-from-Shiva's mind, able to protect them from this time
forward. Looking at this nice young boy, Pârvatî took him on her lap and made
the vow that any human or divine undertaking, should not be successful
unless Ganesh would be worshipped first. Then Shiva declared
that he would be the Lord of the celestial hosts, the Gana, giving him the name Ganapati, which means Lord of the Gana.
…one legend of the
Brahmavaivarta-Purâna tells that Ganesha was originally Krishnâ himself, as a
human being…
… Blowing life energy
in the lifeless body, he presented him to Pârvatî who felt
delighted to get a child empowered with the elephant's wisdom and power.
…the eight names who designate him
henceforth :
Vighneshvara,
Ganesha,
Heramba,
Gajânana,
Lambodara,
Ekadanta, "The Lord who has
only one tusk"
Soorpakarna and
Vinâyaka.
…Dvaimatura, the son born-from-two-mothers,
because Pârvatî and Gangâ too, believed
that he was their child
In the Ganesh legend, Pârvatî, a native
pre-vedic goddess, is the Divine Mother form who occupies a prominent place,
even as regards Shiva.
On the other hand, the events leading
to bestow on Ganesh an elephant head has converted a violent and
irritable boy into a being of wisdom and spirituality. And we see that
Shiva, the Yoga Lord, presides over this wonderful transformation. To discover
this elephant head, Shiva sends his servants northward. But, we know that the north direction
(uttaram) is a beneficial one. The northward journey
means a journey towards illumination (devayana = path of the gods). The elephant head
brought back by the servants has only one tusk : this means that
after the northward journey, this head has achieved the non-dual
state.
(Reference: 89)
“Let him wander alone
like the rhinoceros.”
–
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha
Ganesh and Kubera
Kubera, the god of wealth, was very proud of his boundless fortune. One day, he
organized a gorgeous dinner; among other famous guests, the divine couple,
Shiva and Pârvatî, with their son Ganesh, were present.
The later, still a child, started to
eat and he appeared quickly to be insatiable. Soon, the other guests found
plates and dishes empty. Alas ! Not satisfied with all the available food,
Ganesh started to devour plates an dishes, the furniture and all the content of
Alakâpuri, the main city of Kubera.
When he achieved to gulp down the
whole, the child Ganesh threatened to swallow Kubera himself. Frightened, the
god of wealth rushed forward to Shiva's feet to implore his help, since the Ganesh voracious
appetite seemed to be unlimited.
The remedy was simple but spectacular : Shiva gave his son a handful of roasted
cereal grains. Ganesh ate it and, wonderfully, his hunger stopped
immediately.
This legend teaches us that a handful
of common food, given with love, and eaten with devotion, is more important and
more sustaining that the banquet offered by Kubera to impress the gods.
From a different angle, this story shows that properties cannot bring
peace and satisfaction to anybody. The only path to
self-realization requires to burn our vasana . The destruction of the vasana is symbolized
by the consumption of the grilled rice; indeed, when the rice has been cooked,
he loses his germinative capacity. Moreover, the seeds of our hidden
desires lose strength and possibility to come back further.
One day, Ganesh was given a lot of sweets by his
devotees. Indeed, everybody is aware of his greediness. He swallowed
the sweets forthwith…
Ganesh is basically full of indulgence…
the Ganesh birthday, the Ganesh Chaturthî (which corresponds to
the forth day of the wax), during the Bhâdrapad month (in august or early
september).
Ganesh riding his rat represents the Truth
Seeker, the Man of Perfection who, by means of his body, his mind and his
understanding, tries to reach his spiritual goal to finally convey the
unlimited Truth.
Body, Mind and Intellect are limited
realities. They are not able to explain what is Atman.
The one who is seeking after the Supreme
Reality knows that it is nearly impossible to share his experience by
"ordinary" means and words. ordiniries". This is why we find
strange and inscrutable the speeches and actions of the spiritual teachers.
The intellect of a man unengaged in this type
of spiritual search is unable to understand what is the ultimate Truth, what is
the ultimate Reality. The moon is the deity which governs the human mind. The
moon laughing at Ganapati riding his rat reminds us the ignorant person who
mocks spiritual seeker's efforts to reach the Truth.
Similarly, when somebody tries to ridicule
the spiritual Teachers, the Sages who teach the Truth and their talks, this is
detrimental to the Humanity.
In another legend, narrated in the
Brahmânda-Purâna, the Moon had lost her brightness because of a god's curse.
In order to help the Moon to recover
her light, Ganesh put her on his forehead as an ornament (tilaka ); under this
form named Bhâlachandra ( "The One whose forehead is
adorned with the Moon"), god Ganesh is particularly worshipped
by esoteric sects.
…all the living beings are
of divine essence. If we injure a living creature, one of our companions, human
or animal, we injure God Himself.
…the demon is always defeated at the
very end, specially when he thinks himself very powerful.
…the importance of cleverness; Ganesh is a strong
symbol of this quality which is always the best against force, speed or
physical strength.
the Mahâbhârata should not be read
quickly. One must understand all the meanings of the story, and it is
necessary to digest it. One must also listen to it carefully, and meditate
about.
Actually, a belief says that the
Mahâbhârata should not be read. We should listen to it every day, little by
little. By this method, we may understand progressively
the deep meaning of this story.
One says that neither peace nor war
action, nor daily business can succeed unless Ganesh has previously been
worshipped.
This is not only true for human
beings, but also for celestial creatures.
When Ganesh appeared, as the son born from Shiva's mind, the later decided
that Ganesh should be worshipped by anybody wishing to get success. Even worshipping
other gods would be inefficient if prior worship to Ganesh had not been
achieved.
According to another legend, Ganesh
broke himself his tusk during the battle against Gajamukhâsura (the
elephant-headed Asura ). Taking the advice of Shukrâchârya, the Asura
guru, this demon followed severe penances. Thus, he got unconquerable
powers from Shiva. But he misused those powers to harass the gods who went to
Ganesh and requested his help.
Ganesh did not hesitate to give battle
to this demon. During the fight, he understood that the demon could not defeated,
because of his particular powers. Then, Ganesh broke his right tusk and
threw it to Gajamukhâsura. He pursued him and converted him to a mouse. Then
he rode this mouse, which he used as a mount, keeping it under control.
According to another Purâna story, the Ganesh
rat was actually the Gandharva
Krauncha. One day, at the Indra Court, Krauncha insulted the Sage
Vâmadeva who revenged himself, making him a big rat. This rat, as all the
rats do, went in the ashram of the Sage Parâchara and caused a lot of
damages in the house. The Rishi invoked
Vinâyaka (an other name for Ganesh) to safeguard his modest dwelling. Ganesh
appeared, rode the rat as his vehicle and mastered it.
Whatever the version of these puranic stories, Ganesh chose the
rat as a vehicle for an obvious reason : this animal is really a
detrimental one and Ganesh was able to keep it under his strict control.
…Valamburi Ganesh (a Ganesh form with a
right-turned trunk).
(Reference: 89)
…Ganesh has the capacity
to reduce all the human weaknesses, such as jealousy, drunkeness, illusion,
greed, anger, desire, egotism, self-infatuation (arrogance), which send the
devotee away from his path to god. We must notice that the battle against these
enemies of the human being are really the basis of the sadhana for the
spiritual seeker. But, for all that, the demons are not
definitely destroyed. They are only under
control and the spiritual path only allows this result.
Anangapujita : "The formless
Lord"
(Reference: 93)
Pluck two flowers by the stem. Offer one to the lord,
by placing the flower before the Lord’s portrait. The other flower, place it in
the water being offered to the Lord, with the stem part in the water. After
say, 10 hours, notice the flowers. One is faded. The other still fresh and young.
A simple observation.
Hindu gods, when they take a human
form, do not perspire; furthermore, they don't have any shadow
and the flowers which adorn them cannot fade.
(Reference: 89)
Based on the above observation and quote, let a
sincere trainee deduct the inner meaning, through insight!
To Tell or Not To Tell
Concepts of celibacy, solitude etc are very rarely
accepted in any family, especially Eastern society. For example, a typical
Indian family. If one gets deeply interested with the laws of purity and the
training surrounding it, should one talk about it to his family like father,
mother, brother or sister or close friends or relatives? Society, no matter
where, expects a man or woman to be married and have kids. If someone is past
the marriageable age, questions naturally arise: Is there a secret lover? Is he
or she suffering from disease? Many a pointed question. Eligible man or woman
try to push into your life.
Ven. Sudinna, the
story goes, had strong faith in the Buddha and had ordained after receiving his
parents' grudging consent. He was their only child and, though married, was
childless. His parents, fearing that the government would confiscate their
property at their death if it had no heir, devised various schemes to lure Ven.
Sudinna back to the lay life, but to no avail. Finally, his mother
realized that he was firm in his intention to stay a bhikkhu and so asked him
at least to have intercourse with his former wife so that their property would
have an heir. Ven. Sudinna consented, took his wife into the forest, and had
intercourse three times.
Immediately he felt remorseful
and eventually confessed his deed to his fellow bhikkhus. Word reached the
Buddha, who called a meeting of the Community, questioned Ven. Sudinna, and
gave him a rebuke. The rebuke fell into two major parts. In the first part, the
Buddha reminded Ven. Sudinna of his position as a samana -- a contemplative --
and that his behavior was unworthy of his position. Also, the Buddha
pointed out to him of the aims of the teaching and noted that his
behavior ran counter to them. The implication here was that Ven. Sudinna
had not only acted inconsistently with the content of the teaching, but had
also shown callous disregard for the Buddha's compassionate aims in making
the Dhamma known.
-
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) The Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I
The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated & Explained Introduction Dhamma-Vinaya
(Reference: 18)
There are many who fought with their parents to get
their permission for monk-hood. There are many who left for monk-hood, felt
dejected later and returned back to lay-life. There are monasteries for
name-sake only. There are monks, priests for name-sake only. In the dark
period, all forms of evil exist, even in places of worship, no matter where.
19 These be they who separate
themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
-
Jude 1:19 :: King James Version (KJV)
21 `Some people say to me, "Lord, Lord". But not all who say that will go into the kingdom of
heaven. Only those who do what my Father in
heaven wants, will go in.
22 Many people will say to me on that
day, "Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not drive bad
spirits out of people in your name? Did we not do big works in
your name?"
23 Then I will say to them, "I never knew you. Go away from me! What you do is very wrong!" '
24 `Everyone who hears what I say and obeys me will be like a man
who has good sense. He built his house on a rock.
25 It rained hard. The water in the
rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. But it did not fall down. It was built on a rock.
26 But everyone who hears what I say and does not obey me, will be like a man
who has no sense. He built his house on the sand.
27 It rained hard. The water in the
rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. It fell down with a loud
noise!'
- Matthew 7:21-27 ::
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
So, the answer is NO. The concept of purity, celibacy
are all a personal agreement with the Lord. There are a whole range of things
before actual renunciation. One need to test oneself over a long period on
diverse environments, whether one can withstand the pressures involved. Only
then, the question of total renunciation come in. Changing clothes then
becomes meaningless.
Can you be celibate even living in society? No
emission. No masturbation. Following the eight laws privately, without
knowledge of anyone. Only you and the Lord know your training. You don’t even
have to tell the Lord, for the Lord knows everyone’s innermost secrets.
Remember, the day you accept the training, the war with the Devil starts, and
you are in Devil’s territory. No matter where you are in society, whichever
country, once you sincerely start training, the Devil comes to you. No need to
call him. For it is his God-given duty to fight you.
You will also have to travel widely – for work or
studies, far away from home as possible. Food control is possible only then,
for many a mother specialize in cooking delicious food for their family and
children. No friends, for solitude. Yes, many a happiness of modern society
have to be rejected. Test yourself over long period.
If you can’t, then why fight with your parents? The
Kingdom of Heaven is not for everyone. But don’t feel dejected. All have to
return home or heaven one day. Each have a different time. Your time hasn’t
come. That is all. Just settle down. Be good. Do good.
If you can, do you really, really need to change
clothes? Why? Ever seen a lotus? It grows in the most dirtiest surroundings.
The dirtier the surrounding, the beautiful and fragrant the lotus will be. Be a
lotus in the midst of the society, for the society no matter where, is always
dirty, have evil ways. There is a legendary saying that for something trained
in extreme fire, the hot scorching sunlight is nothing. Your training is thus
over. O victorious warrior!!
To Fight or Not To Fight
As mentioned in a beginning passage, one who fights
himself, beholds the Lord and the Devil in diverse forms. One who doesn’t
fight, “sleeps”. The sleeper’s concept of the Lord is only theoretical, not
practical. So make your own decision.
8 `To make the body strong helps a
little, but the things of God help us in all ways. The things of God promise
us life now and life in heaven.'
-
1 Timothy 4:8 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Refer the last para of the section on To Tell or Not To
Tell. In
majority of the portraits depicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses, lotus is very
prominent. Popular reasons are given in associated texts. Let the trainee on
sufficient spiritual advancement, ponder why? There is an inner/hidden meaning.
Due to its “exotic” nature, the inner meaning is not written here. May the
trainee understand the meaning himself, through insight.
Forgiveness
For every action, an equivalent reaction. Equivalent
pain. But the harmful effect of any reaction can be minimized through
austerities. Sincere following of the eight laws for certain periods, depending
on one’s life style, constitute a good austerity. Say, a 41-day period. There
are orthodox trainees who take life-time oath of the eight laws.
All energy. Any being, “living” or “non-living”, its original
home is pure energy, the Lord Himself. When the Lord is considered as the
Mother, Mother is always forgiving, no matter what tantrums her children play.
Also, the Mother expects all her children to return home when their time to
return arrives, which varies from person to person, being to being.
So why worry too much, on committing mistakes, sins,
etc.
Make a firm resolution not to commit the same
mistakes or sins again. Forget or bury the past. Pray sincerely for repentance.
If possible, undergo austerities according to your life-style. That is it.
Never go back, ponder, think, re-think and burn the mind un-necessarily. Too
much head-ache. Let it be a closed chapter. A wound left for healing itself.
Not to be opened again and again. How will the wound heal on frequent
re-opening?
If you are sincere, mother always forgives.
Same energy, Hindus call Mother (Mother-Son
relation), Christians call Father (Father-Son relation), Muslims call Master
(Master-Slave relation). All One. Be happy always. Also refer section on Worry.
Pre-occupation
Always be pre-occupied with something productive. Any
time you are not sitting on meditation, always be pre-occupied. No thinking. Do
outdoor or indoor manual work. Read productive literature. Also, refer section
on Reading. Always do something within the permitted laws. Never sit
idle. Unwanted thoughts creep in. An idle state is the perfect environment for
the Devil to attack and subdue. If one is reading productive literature, very
hard for Devil to launch an attack. There is no fixed time like night for the
Devil to attack by means of impure thoughts. Always on vigil. Constant watch of
one’s mind. Expect an attack any time, day or night. You are not alone, even if
you go deep into a forest, desert or mountain-cave. You are always being
watched, by the Lord and the Devil. So be good. Do Good.
49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me
and thee, when we are absent one from another.
-
Genesis 31:49 :: King James Version (KJV)
“Be sober, be vigilant,
because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” - I Peter 5:8
"No man can serve two
masters" - Jesus
Obstacles to Belief
As a testing procedure,
- Watch
an action movie or a romantic movie. Immediately after the viewing, try to
read any of the sacred books, like the Quran, Bible, Gita etc. What
happens?
- Excessive
eating and drinking. Immediately after the meal, try to read any of the
sacred books, like the Quran, Bible, Gita etc. What happens?
- Excessive
verbal argument with a person or a group of people. Immediately after the
“duel”, try to read any of the sacred books, like the Quran, Bible, Gita
etc. What happens?
- Any
of the taboos can be used for testing. What happens?
The mind is in a “heightened” state in all the above
scenarios. To read a sacred book, the first condition is a submissive state of
mind. A humble state. The exact opposite state of “heightened” mind. One gets
very repulsive, sleepiness, head-ache when such pure literature is brought
before for reading and studying. To many, reading a sacred book is equivalent
to taking a sleeping-pill. So find ways oneself, on how to calm oneself from
the heightened state to calmness. Fasting, meditation, singing devotional
songs, chanting prayer etc are worthy options. Once calm state of mind is
achieved, read the pure sacred literature.
The same concept applies to questioning people on
whether they believe in this philosophy or that. Many are at different mental
states. Just like a flower plant, having flowers at different stages of being a
full blown flower. So it is really immaterial, whether others accept a
philosophy or not. Whether one can accept the laws oneself or not, follow the
laws oneself or not – that is what matters. Not what others do or not.
Something like, if you don’t believe in Heaven or purity, why should I believe?
If he doesn’t eat food, why should I eat? Is it the right approach? One need to
trust and judge oneself. Not others. The training is oriented towards being
one’s own judge, one’s own master. You train yourself. Not others, how they
train or not.
Fight and slay the pagans (infidels) wherever ye find
them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem
of war.
- Quran, Sura 9:5
(Note: This book upholds Ahimsa,
Law 1 of the Lord. The training pertain only to bodily and mental
transformation. Should not mis-understand with killing)
the pagans (infidels)
any one with the mind is in a “heightened” state. It
can be a fellow Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or whatever
Fight and slay
bodily and mental transformation
An enemy transformed doesn’t fight others. He fights
only his weaknesses. So the enemy who was before transformation was literally
“killed”, “slayed”. The new transformed man trains on the laws of purity. Such
a man is submissive and humble. A goat transformed to sheep.
Another observation is never believe completely any
written or spoken material unless and until you have personally experienced the
material. This observation is applicable to many a scenario:
You read about the economic advancement of a country
through certain written literature, web pages etc. Big, big words. Don’t
believe. Go to the country personally. Don’t stay just at the airport. To
attract the tourists and business, the airport will be one of the “Wonders of
the World”. So wander through the country to personally experience the places,
people, economic advancement etc.
In a war scenario, you can’t plan the troop
deployment just with maps and written literature of the terrain. The battle
terrain should be visited personally as an undercover tourist or whatever. Many
a facts may not be available in written literature, but detrimental for battle
success. Normal temperature (electronic devices operate only in a certain
temperature range), season, ground condition for military tank movement etc,
local population, way of life and so on.
In spiritual development, concepts of higher levels
involve many a scenario and levels of meaning which a serious trainee can
easily discern. One who doesn’t train, the concepts are just stories.
Strategy
In World War II, General Patten was able to defeat Rommell in
Africa and Europe because he read Rommell's book on tank warfare. There is part
of the key in defeating your enemies, that unholy trinity: the world, the flesh
and the devil.
General Rommell
- Adept
in tank warfare tactics
- His
techniques of warfare codified in book form
- An
enemy who reads his book, will know how the reaction to a tactical move
will be
Analogy:
A sitting duck. The arrow target is fixed
Counter-Strategy
The
arrow target is always on movement. Always change. The one who aims cannot even
predict where the target will be.
Let
the book remain as it is. An “authoritative” reference book! Follow and test
the techniques outside the book. The enemy will follow your book, hoping to
find you, where you are supposed to be, according to your book. Circle around
and defeat the enemy.
Psychological Warfare
Buddhists believe that all determined actions
have their results and it hardly requires anyone to sit in
judgement on another and impose penalties.
(Reference: 98)
Refer section on A Possibility also.
The forces of Evil use different enticing methods,
with the use/help of technology – spy cameras, clandestine monitoring, spy bugs
etc
A sample case study
Let a group, A, B, C monitor Y. Doesn’t matter If Y
is male or female. Either way the case-study holds.
43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh
through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came
out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven
other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in
and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be
also unto this wicked generation.
- Matthew
12:43-45 :: King James Version (KJV)
The group implants various spy cameras and bugs
inside Y’s house, in various rooms, to monitor Y’s movements, his conversations
etc. Consider C as a young woman and Y as a young man. After days of
monitoring, a pattern of Y’s life style is mapped. Where Y goes, he was
followed to know his precise movements. In other words, detailed clandestine
stalking. If Y uses a computer, either a camera devise is installed inside the
monitor to map onscreen details or a suitable bug implanted in the system to
track his computer activities.
16 And, behold, one came and said unto
him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt
enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus
said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false
witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy
mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I
kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be
perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that
saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God.
-
Matthew 19:16-24 :: King James Version (KJV)
Note 10 Censored
An Imaginary Chat 3
A modern advice: If you give away, give
only to those who really deserve. Nowadays, there are many who are rich but
move around as very poor. Tax evasion, publicity, sympathy generation etc being
the reasons. Visit some of the slums in Metros. Many of the slum occupants have
posh houses leased away on rent, while living in poor conditions for making
still more money. So know well the beggar’s bowl before you give away
anything!
Another option is to convert immovable
assets to cash and fund your own travels, to distant lands, as a solitary
nomad.
Ensure your possessions are kept minimum.
A bird that flies long distance flies light.
9 Provide neither gold, nor
silver, nor brass in your purses,
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes,
nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of
his meat.
11 And into whatsoever city or town ye
shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12 And when ye come into an house,
salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your
peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not
receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your
feet.
-
Matthew 10:9-14 :: King James Version (KJV)
As I have nothing to lose, I have no
fear. When you have things, you are
afraid of losing them. When you desire a wonderful thing, you are jealous of
those who have it and once you have it, you must protect it. I have none of
these, so I'm a most satisfied human being. What do I need? Just some simple
food to sustain me and a roof above my head. I'm happy wherever I am. I can go
to any part of the world, it makes no difference to me. I'm at peace with
myself all the time. This is all due to this wish-fulfilling mind: it fulfils
everything. I've found all the things I need. I don't have to chase what I want
out there. I have found it right here, in my own mind. That's why I'm free. (Reference: 127)
Eye Enticing
Whenever Y leaves the house, all ways of enticing Y
is done by C. Making too much noise to attract attention to C’s “makeup” face.
To sexually entice or arouse Y. The initial arousal is what is aimed for. Only
a foot-hold, further friendship can be cultivated by diverse means. By creating
co-incidences. Going to places where Y frequent. Spear-heading a conversation
or argument, to gather attention. Following Y where-ever possible like a guided
missile. What is the goal of such actions? Sexually subdue Y by whatever means.
Also refer section on Carnal Desires:Example 1.
Ear Enticing
Having sexually oriented conversation in Y’s
neighbourhood by C.
When Y is walking along a street, C follows with a
group of friends, with “meaningful” (sexually explicit) conversation, tailored
to the occasion.
If C is temporarily residing in neighbouring house,
creating a lot of noise, loud
conversation etc to catch the attention of Y.
If spy cameras are installed in Y’s bedroom, have
sexual conversation with members of the monitoring group, to arouse Y in deep
sleep; thereby creating a scenario for emission or masturbation, while he is
un-guarded. The sexual conversation between the group is made “meaningful” (For
example: frequent repetition of “You are in love”, “She is in love” etc.) to
implant into Y’s sub-conscious mind, that he ought to have a sexual
relationship with C, by whatever means, legal or illegal. Such a psychological
enticement is of advanced nature. It requires certain counter modifications in
Y’s sleeping habits.
16 So we do not give up. Our body gets
weak, but our heart gets new strength day after day.
-
2 Corinthians 4:16 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Gossip on Private Matters
Those who monitor others private matters clandestinely
and make them public through gossip, unfortunately don’t realize that they too
have some “dirty skeletons in the cupboard” (past mistakes, sins, deceit,
treachery) which if made public, by the grace of the Lord, results in shame
and disgrace. The same holds for spreading false information. May the Lord
decide the punishment!
Not
To Judge
------------
Sayings:
-------
The old men used to say, "there is nothing worse
than passing judgement."
They said of abba Macarius that he
became as it is written, a god upon earth, because just as God
protects the world, so abba Macarius would cover the faults that he saw as though he did
not see them, and those which he heard
as though he did not hear them.
Abba Pastor said, "Judge not him who is guilty of fornication, if you
are chaste, or you will break the law like him. For
He who said "do not commit
fornication" said also "Do not judge"."
A brother asked abba
Poemen, "If I see my brother
sin, is it right to say nothing about it?" The old man
replied, "whenever we cover our
brother's sin, God will cover ours; whenever we tell
people about our brother's guilt, God will do the same about ours."
Stories:
-------
A
brother in Scetis committed a fault. A council was called to which abba Moses was invited, but
he refused to go to it. Then the priest sent someone to him, saying,
"Come, for everyone is waiting for you". So he got
up and went. He took a leaking
jug and filled it with water and
carried it with him. The others
came out to meet him and said, " what is this, father?" The old man said to them,
"My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the
errors of another." When they heard that, they said no more to the
brother but forgave him.
A
brother sinned and the
priest ordered him to go out of
the church; abba Bessarion got up and went out with him, saying, "I, too, am a sinner."
(Reference: 3)
The Blessed One – a Profile
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha rarely slept. Practiced
constant sitting meditation. A state of deep meditation on emptiness or
“shu-nya-ta”. Constant mindfulness or monitoring of verbal/body/mental action.
Frequent walking meditation to overpower sleep. During summer, when the
day-temperature was high, the Lord used to take rest for half an hour or so.
The Lord lived in seclusion, away from society. Entered human-habitat only for
daily alms-round. On gathering alms, retreated back to seclusion. Ate and drank
very little. The body heat generated by less food reduced sleep. Frequently
traveled from one place to another, rarely being at the same place for long.
May that way of life be a good example, to counter external threats from the
forces of Evil. A wandering life. A nomad. A gypsy.
The Buddha's message was that there are
four absolute truths:
1.
suffering is inevitable in this
life,
2.
desire is the cause of suffering,
3.
suffering ends when desire is
forsaken, and
4.
that the cure for desire is the Eightfold
Path.
The Eightfold Path, simply put, is eight
rules to live by:
1. Hold the right views.
2. Have the right aspirations.
3. Use the right speech.
4. Show the right conduct.
5. Pursue the right livelihood.
6. Expend the right effort.
7. Maintain the right attitude.
8. Practice the right meditation.
The Buddha believed in the doctrine of
karma, but his goal was not to get ahead in the next life. To him, the ultimate goal of
following the Eightfold Path was to get to Nirvana, which literally meant
"the blowing out," as of a candle. By
reaching Nirvana, one could escape the whole sorrowful cycle of human existence
through oblivion. (Reference: 87)
Dr. Hermann Oldenberg, certainly a great
authority on Buddhistic subjects, says that "a biography of Buddha has
not come down to us from ancient times, from the age of the Pali texts; and, we
can safely say, no such biography existed then" ("Buddha--His Life, His
Doctrine, His Order," as translated by Hoey, p. 78). He has also
(in the same work, pp. 99, 416, 417) come to the conclusion that the hitherto
unchallenged tradition that the Buddha was "a king's son" must be
given up. The name "king's son" (in Chinese {...}), always used of the Buddha,
certainly requires to be understood in the highest sense. (Reference: 138)
A sincere follower of spirituality fights himself.
His own ego. His foundation or the base he is standing on could be the eight
laws or higher. Outwardly it may look like fighting against the world. But he
is actually fighting against himself, his own weaknesses. Those who observe
him, may find that he is fighting against women, his parents, relatives,
neighbours, community, the society and so on. Something like the Mahabharata
War, the Ultimate war, a war of life or death. Where you fight your own kin and
kith. The scenario of Abhimanyu surrounded by “enemies”. Many fail. Many
defeated. Many wounded. Many maimed. One who successfully calm his mind,
controls his weaknesses win the war. Such a winner, who follows the strategies,
laws of war etc can be any human being, any caste, religion or whatever. Such a
victory against oneself gets recorded in the minds of the community, as
something special. Against the environment. Against the flow of the river, the
day-to-day vulgar life of the society. After a prolonged period of time in some
cases, that heroic warfare gets written down with extra “masala” to become a
legendary folk story. Such is the legend behind Lord Jesus, Lord Buddha etc.
Many a Jesus, many a Buddha came and left. Many yet to come.
5. Abstention from all evil, the cultivation of the good, the
purification of the mind - this is the Teaching of the Buddhas.
(183)
-
The Dhammapada: 183, Canto XIV - The Enlightened One: 5
Due to the caste system that existed in India, such a
winner, who the society recognizes as something special, the “masala” or
“ornaments” become “the King’s son”, the Kshatriya, the warrior born (even if
originally born as a Brahmin or a Vaishya or a Sudra) well versed in all forms
of warfare, best in everything etc, so that the future generation will always
admire and respect the “ornaments” also, along with the personal victory.
…the Buddha was "a king's son"
must be given up (Reference: 138)
So the emphasis is not on the “ornaments” like “a king's
son”. But on personal victory – controlling one’s senses, weaknesses and
calming the mind with internal purification. One who accomplishes that
successfully, is the “transformed” man. Is it important for such a man to be a
King’s son? A beggar or wanderer who is more higher than an emperor!
"Man falls as falls the fruit from
the tree,
Unripe or mayhap ripe, with sudden
crash:
and so, O king, a beggar I become,
For, the sure pilgrim-life me seems the
best." (Reference: 7)
Mayhap: perhaps
“The destiny of a traveller
is bigger and better than that of an emperor.”
-A Buddhist Monk to
Emperor Asoka
One is always fighting oneself. One’s own ego. “Gung
ho” attitude. A stage reaches as one fights on: Surrounded by fire, fighting in
fire. What is the point in saying, “I am getting burned”. One just have to move
away from the fire. In this context, fire is the ego. No matter which country,
the society lives, thrives on ego. Ego everywhere. His pride and pomp. Their
pride and pomp, etc. Finally one’s own counter ego. To show oneself off. One
just have to walk away from society as a wanderer. A “beggar”. Being a “beggar”
with nothing, what state the ego can be? Can such a “beggar” assume or think he
is “so and so” or a “big man”? The tiger is thus controlled to a far lower
level. In any other scenario, it is very difficult to control one’s own
ego, the self-pride, one’s most dangerous enemy. What pride will there be, when a
“beggar” goes on an alms round? That is one of the reasons for mentioning the
Blessed One, Lord Buddha’s way of life as the ideal way of life in volume 2. A
life where ego or tiger is tamed.
It is also a good medicine for those with special
Godly gifts. They will never misuse their gifts for wrong ends.
Such humbled ones are similar to a sheep. Many an
inner meaning of scriptures, a sheep can understand clearly than a goat.
But in modern environment, if a traveler goes on a
pilgrimage to various Buddhist countries, a different scenario unfurls.
Something radically different from the ideal state. Modern monks in intimate
conversation with women (Malaysia, Thailand etc). Monks driving personally
latest posh luxury cars like Mercedez Benz, BMW, the offerings of wealthy
disciples (Malaysia, Thailand etc). Monks on drugs, etc. A sad degenerated environment.
Refer the articles:
AFP (Monday, October 30,
2000) Thai monks defrocked
by wine, women and song. Independent Online.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=3&click_id=3&art_id=qw972882301304T000&set_id=1
DPA (Sunday, September 10,
2000) Monk's Merc collection
raises eyebrows. Independent Online.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=3&click_id=29&art_id=qw968616061777B234&set_id=1
13 But woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom
of heaven against men: for ye neither go in
yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
- Matthew 23:13
:: King James Version (KJV)
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the
outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full
of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that
which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of
them may be clean also.
- Matthew
23:25-26 :: King James Version (KJV)
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are
like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all
uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.
- Matthew 23:27-28
:: King James Version (KJV)
The reverse tide affecting modern Christianity in
today’s environment have similar episodes in more or less all religion in many
countries. The result of priestly men disobeying their own religious laws.
Both sides are mentioned so that a sincere trainee
doesn’t get carried off with many a sweet words in this book. The real life
scenario is very different from the ideal state! If you wish to train,
then train yourself privately. There are many a monk whose knowledge of scriptures doesn’t
go beyond a few pages of daily chanting. A question “Who am I?” will naturally
bring some other return question instead of a satisfactory answer, in today’s
environment. Some monasteries charge heavy fees for sessions with the Abbott. Only
the rich and the elite have easy access to the Abbott. Those who can give ample
donations to the temple. The same scenario is more or less same in many other
religious places also. Money speaks in today’s environment, in temples,
churches, mosques, viharas, everywhere.
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that
sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the
moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called
the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of
thieves.
- Matthew
21:12-13 :: King James Version (KJV)
Sin
According to this book and the author’s observation,
the meaning attributed to the word SIN is slightly different from what is normally
accepted. Any form of sexual violation is NOT the only sin. That is only a
narrow meaning. Any taboo done intentionally or unintentionally outside the
eight laws of purity constitutes a sin. They are certain actions which
give negative effect, unproductive to the goal of self-realisation.
There are people who give the concept of sin extreme
importance. There are people who don’t give any importance either. Both sides are always
right.
"Dark Paganism" (believes there's no such thing
as "evil," and that destruction and death are forms of beauty) (Reference: 90)
22 But these are the things which the
Spirit wants you to show: love, joy, peace, patience, being kind, being good,
being true, being gentle, and keeping the body under control. There is no law that says,
`These things are wrong.'
-
Galatians 5:22 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Yes, both sides may be right. But, for those of the
spiritual path, only path is right. Any mis-adventure has its own negative reaction
as the following scripture outlines:
31 Thus shall ye separate the children of
Israel from their uncleanness; that THEY DIE NOT IN THEIR
UNCLEANNESS, WHEN THEY DEFILE MY TABERNACLE that is among them.
32 This is the law of him that hath
an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;
-
Leviticus 15:31-32 :: King James Version (KJV)
A matter of life or death if impure deals with a
pure!
If you are honest and sincere on the path
of purity, never intentionally commit sin - verbally, bodily,
mentally.
4 Each of you should know how to control yourself. Honour your body
to make it holy.
-
1 Thessalonians 4:4 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
20 May God himself, who gives peace, make you pure and clean. You are set apart and
belong only to him. And may your spirit and soul
and body all together be kept free from fault until our Lord Jesus
Christ comes.
-
1 Thessalonians 5:20 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
It protects your mind from unwanted thoughts as well
as negative harmful reaction
Refer section on A Test as well as Testing Law 1
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
-
Romans 3:10 :: King James Version (KJV)
Even King Yudhistera, the eldest of the Pandhava
princes, the prime example of righteousness, committed sin. A sin for which he
had to spend a short time in Hell. Refer the legendary Mahabharata tale
surrounding the killing of Dronacharya, in the battle field.
The concept of numbering the human population indirectly
stems from the above scripture Leviticus 15:31-32 :: King James Version (KJV).
The separation of the clean from the unclean. The separation of the sheep from
the goat. It may be the Devil or the antichrist who does the numbering for
identification or tracking purposes. For they are empowered to kill, or change form. But they too are elements of the
One itself.
6 The Lord said to Satan, "Very
well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life." - Job 2:6 :: New International Version (NIV)
For a traveler, this planet is very small. Once you
are given a unique identification number, no matter which part of the planet
you are, you are tracked. Followed. Watched.
3 From twenty years old and upward,
all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and
Aaron shall number them by their armies.
-
Numbers 1:3 :: King James Version (KJV)
42 And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn
among the children of Israel.
-
Numbers 3:42 :: King James Version (KJV)
23 From thirty years old and upward
until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to
perform the service, to do the work in the
tabernacle of the congregation.
-
Numbers 4:23 :: King James Version (KJV)
12 According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.
-
Numbers 15:12 :: King James Version (KJV)
Origin of Sin
The concept of spiritual training rests on achieving
self-realisation. The state of Nibbana. A state which completes the cycle of
re-birth. For, through training, one washes away all bad actions or karma. If
such is the idealogy, then re-birth itself constitute the living of one’s past
good and bad actions
23 For all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God;
-
Romans 3:23 :: King James Version (KJV)
In other words, if you are born or have form, then
the condition comes in that in your past life, you have had committed sin.
Adepts like the Blessed One Lord Buddha, Jesus – they
all completed the cycle. They don’t have re-birth. They are absorbed back into pure-energy.
But the impure returns/comes back again.
An apt analogy is modern day re-cycling or waste
management
Any parts of any item, say a car or computer can be
re-cycled. Some have to be burned at high temperature to convert back to its
element form for re-use.
Even after successive burning (it was mentioned
before, that the greatest purifier is fire) there will be certain entities
which cannot be re-used, its worth is already over.
Energy can never be created or destroyed. The
universe is filled with energy. In other words, the Lord of the Universe.
Since no new creation is there, only re-cycling is
possible.
A certain part of the total energy is on re-cycle
A certain part will be the purest, which doesn’t have
re-cycle, cannot be re-cycled.
Re-birth is also called re-incarnation, for energy is
never destroyed. It have to take some other form. Human body, animal body,
plant body, inanimate body or whatever. That is basic science.
Another analogy: The concept of blood inside the
human body is already outlined before. Refer section on What solution is there? A constant quantity within a system
(human body). So re-cycled between oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood, for
productive purposes like maintaining the body.
Note 7 Censored
Forced Transformation: The Concept of
“Concentration Camp”
(Note: This book upholds Ahimsa, Law 1 of the Lord.
The methodology pertains only to bodily and mental transformation. No killing. No
harming. No use of weapons. No drawing of blood under any circumstances. Should not be mis-understood with
killing or mass-murder associated with concentration camps of genocide). Also
refer section on Spiritual Killing and Cooling
Facing Temptation
The Temptation of Jesus
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil.
2 And after He had fasted forty days and
forty nights, He then became hungry.
-
Matthew 4:1-2 :: New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Temptation is not carnal desire alone. Fame, praise,
money are also temptation. There are lands where once Lord Jesus preached His
Gospels, they tried to make him the ruler of the land. The Lord “ran away”!
"Some of the monks leave the islands to go to the desert to fast for 40 days
and 40 nights," said Brother Takele Mudhune, the other
talkative monk. "Most of them die." (Reference: 91)
“Milarepa was energetic, sincere,
hardworking and intelligent. He was shut up in a cave. Food was passed inside by the servant of Marapa
through a small aperture in the side. Milarepa used to sit
in a rigid posture with a lighted-lamp on his head, without moving till the light was
out, were it night or day.
Milarepa meditated in various caves. His body was reduced
to a skeleton owing to severe austerities. He lived on nettles
only for several months. He followed the instructions of his Guru to the very
letter. He developed various Siddhis.”
(Reference: 54)
Maha-Saccaka Sutta (MN 36) -- The Greater Discourse
to Saccaka
In this excerpt, the Buddha recounts his early meditation practices
and austerities that led him finally to discover the path to Awakening.
(Reference: 100)
Translation 1
English translation by Sister Upalavanna
Majjhima
Nikaaya I.
4. 6
Mahaasaccakasutta.m-
(36)-
The Major Discourse to Saccaka.
I heard thus.
At one time the Blessed One lived in
the gabled hall in the Great forest in Vesaali. One day the Blessed One put on
robes in the morning and taking bowl and robes was about to leave for the alms
round. Then Saccaka the son of Nigan.tha walking and wandering for exercise
approached the Great forest and the gabled hall. Venerable Aananda saw Saccaka
the son of Nigan.tha coming in the distance and told the Blessed One: I see
Saccaka the son of Nigan.tha coming in the distance. He is a clever disputant,
considered wise and welcomed by many. Venerable sir, he desires to run down the
Enlightened One, the Teaching and the Community of bhikkhus. Good if the
Blessed One would sit a moment out of compassion. The Blessed One sat on the
prepared seat. Then Saccaka the son of Nigan.tha approached the Blessed One,
exchanged friendly greetings, sat on a side and said thus:.
Good Gotama, there are certain recluses
and brahmins yoked to the development of the body and not the development of
the mind. They experience bodily unpleasant feelings It happened that, to some
who experienced these bodily unpleasant feelings even paralysis set in and even
their hearts split and they vomited hot blood and sometimes their minds were
deranged .Good Gotama, they have a mind, led by the body and over powered by
the body. Why is that? Because the mind is not developed. Good Gotama, there
are certain recluses and brahmins yoked to the development of the mind and not
the development of the body. They experience mental unpleasant feelings. It
happened that to some who experienced these mental unpleasant feelings, even
paralysis set in and even their hearts split and they vomited hot blood and
sometimes their minds were deranged. Good Gotama, they have a body led by the
mind and over powered by the mind. Why is that? Because the body is not
developed. . It occurs to me, that the disciples of good Gotama abide yoked to
the development of the mind and not the development of the body.
Aggivessana, what have you heard about
the development of the body. Good Gotama, Nanda Vaccha, Kisa Sankicca, and
Makkhali Gosaala, go without clothes, without manners lick their hands. They do
not accept an invitation, nor extend an invitation. Do not accept what is
brought, or what is specially prepared. Do not accept from the rim of a pot or
the rim of a cooking vessel, or when a goat is about the place. Do not accept
across a stick or broom. Do not accept from two partaking food, from a woman
bearing child, from a woman giving suck, from a woman gone with a man, from a
defiled woman, or from where she is supported. Do not accept from a place where
flies abound. Do not accept fish or meat, or intoxicating drinks or brewed
drinks. They support themselves in one house, on one morsel, in two houses on
two morsels, ----or in seven houses on seven morsels. Or they are supported on
what is given by one woman, two women,---- or even seven women. Or are
supported on what is brought by one man, two men, --- or seven men. They are
yoked to this method of partaking food for half a month- What Aggivessana are
they supported on that much only? No good Gotama, on some days, they partake
superior eatables and drinks and grow and develop their bodily powers.Aggivessana,
what they once give up, is taken up again, and there is increase and decrease
to this body. Aggivessana, what have you heard about the development of the
mind?. When asked about the development of the mind, Aggivessana could not
explain.
Then the Blessed One said to Saccaka
the son of Nigan.tha, Aggivessana, what you earlier told as development of the
body, is not the rightful development of the body in the dispensation of the
noble ones. You do not know the development of the body, so from where could
you know the development of the mind? Yet I will explain to you the undeveloped
body and the undeveloped mind, the developed body and the developed mind.
Attend carefully and listen. Saccaka the son of Nigan.tha agreed and the
Blessed One said.
Aggivessana, how is the undeveloped
body and the undeveloped mind. Here to a not learned ordinary man arises a
pleasant feeling. Touched by that pleasant feeling he becomes greedy for
pleasantness, then that pleasant feeling fades. With its fading arises
unpleasant feelings. Touched by that unpleasant feeling he grieves, laments and
beats his breast and comes to bewilderment of mind. Aggivessana, to him, arisen pleasant
feelings take hold of the mind completely and settle on account of the
undeveloped body, and arisen unpleasant feelings take hold of the mind
completely and settle on account of the undeveloped mind. Aggivessana, arisen pleasant feelings
take hold of the mind completely and settle on account of the undeveloped body.
Arisen unpleasant feelings take hold of the mind completely and settle on
account of the undeveloped mind.This is the undeveloped body and the
undeveloped mind (*1). Aggivessana, how is the developed body
and the developed mind?
Here, to the learned noble disciple arises
a pleasant feeling, touched by that pleasant feeling does not become greedy for
pleasantness. When that pleasant feeling fades unpleasant feelings arise.
Touched by that unpleasant feeling he does not grieve, lament, and beat the
breast and does not come to bewilderment of mind. Aggivessana, to him, arisen pleasant feelings
do not take hold of the mind and settle on account of the developed body, and
arisen unpleasant feelings do not take hold of the mind and settle on account
of the developed mind. Aggivessana, to whomever arisen
pleasant feelings do not take hold of the mind and settle on account of the
developed body, and arisen unpleasant feelings do not take hold of the mind and
settle on account of the developed mind. This is the developed body and the developed
mind (*2).
I’m pleased, and sure that good Gotama
is with developed body and developed mind. Indeed Aggivessana, you speak words
close upon praise, yet I will tell you how, from the day I shaved head and
beard, put on yellow clothes, left the household and became a homeless, how
it was not possible that arisen pleasant feelings should take hold of my mind
and settle, arisen unpleasant feelings should take hold of my mind and settle.
Is it that such pleasant feelings do not arise to good Gotama to take hold of
the mind and settle? Such unpleasant feelings do not arise, to take hold of the
mind and settle? Aggivessana, how could it not be?
‘Aggivessana, before my enlightenment, when
I was not enlightened, yet a seeker of enlightenment, it occurred to me: The
household life is full of troubles and defilements. It is not possible to lead
the completely pure holy life while living in a household. What if I shaved
head and beard, donned yellow clothes and went forth. Even in the prime of
youth, with black hair, against the wish of mother and father, when they were
crying with tearing eyes, I shaved head and beard, donned yellow robes leaving
the household became homeless. I becoming a seeker of good and a seeker of the
incomparable peaceful state approached Aalaara Kaalaama and said: ‘Venerable
one, I want to lead the holy life in this dispensation.’ ‘Come friend, the wise
before long realize this teaching and abide like the teacher. Aggivessana, I
quickly learned that Teaching to acknowledge I know and see by uttering and
reciting as the elders did. Then it occurred to me merely with this faith
Aalaara Kaalaama would not acknowledge, I know and realized this Teaching.
Indeed he abides knowing and seeing this teaching. Then I approached Aalaara
Kaalaama and asked him. Venerable one, how do you abide knowing and realizing
this teaching? Aalaara Kaalaama declared the sphere of nothingness. Then it
occurred to me, it is not only Aalaara Kaalaama who has faith, effort,
mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. I too have faith, effort, mindfulness,
concentration and wisdom. I will arouse effort to realize this Teaching
realized by him. Before long I realized that Teaching. Then I approached Aalaara
Kaalaama and asked: Venerable one, is it this much, the teaching you have
realized. Friend, it is this much only, the teaching that I have realized,
declare and abide in. Then I said, I too have realized this much and abide in
it. Venerable one, it is rare gain for us to meet co-associates like you in the
holy life. That the Teaching I have realized, you too have realized. So that,
whatever Teaching, I know, that, you too know. Now the two of us are on equal
grounds. Let us together guide this following. Aggivessana, it was in this
manner that my teacher Aalaara Kaalaama honoured me, his pupil, giving me equal
status. Then it occurred to me: This teaching does not lead to giving up,
detachment, cessation, appeasement, knowledge enlightenment and extinction. It
leads up to the sphere of nothingness only. Not satisfied I turned away from
it.
Becoming a seeker of good, and in
search of the incomparable peaceful state I approached Uddaka Raamaputta
and said. Venerable one, I want to lead the holy life in this dispensation.
Come friend, wise ones, before long realize this teaching and abide like the
teacher. Aggivessana, I quickly learned that teaching to acknowledge, I know
and see to utter and recite as the elders did. Then it occurred to me. Merely
with this faith, Uddaka Raamaputta would not acknowledge I know and have
realised this Teaching. Indeed he abides knowing and seeing this Teaching. Then
I approached Uddaka Raamaputta and asked him. Venerable one, how do you know
and realize this teaching? Uddaka Raamaputta declared the sphere of neither
perception-nor non-perception. Aggivesssana, then it occurred to me. It is
not only Uddaka Raamaputta who has faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration,
and wisdom. I too have faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom.
What if I put forth effort to realize this. Before long I realized that
teaching. Then I approached Uddaka Raamaputta and asked him. Venerable one, is
it this much, the Teaching, you have realized? Friend, it is this Teaching that
I have realized, declare and abide Then I said, I too have realized this much
and abide in it. Venerable one, it is rare gain for us to meet co-associates
like you in the holy life. The teaching I have realized, you too have
realized.. So that Teaching I know, you too know. Now the two of us are on
equal grounds. Come friend, you guide this following. Thus Uddaka Raamaputta my
co-associate put me in the place of his teacher. Then it occurred to me. This
Teaching does not lead to giving up, detachment, cessation, appeasement,
knowledge enlightenment and extinction. It leads up to the sphere of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception only. Not satisfied I turned away from
it.
Becoming a seeker of good, and in
search of the incomparable peaceful state wandering in stages came to the
village of Senaani in Uruwela, there I saw a pleasant piece of land, with a
forest, a flowing river with well formed white banks and in the vicinity a
village to pasture. Then it occurred to me: Indeed this stretch of land is
pleasant, there is a forest, a flowing river and in the vicinity is a village
to pasture. Then I sat thinking this is the ideal place to make effort for a
clansman.
Aggivessana, then three comparisons
occurred to me never heard before. Just as a man would come with an over cover
to a wet, sappy log of wood put in the water saying, I will make fire out of
this. Aggivessana, would he be able to make fire rubbing on that wet
sappy log of wood? No, good Gotama.. What is the reason?.That
wet, sappy log of wood put in the water, when rubbed with the over cover, will
not produce fire. That man will reap only fatigue. Aggivessana, in the same way, when
recluses or brahmins, abide not even bodily secluded from sensuality the
sensual interest, sensual need, sensual stupor, sensual thirst, sensual burning
not well turned out internally. They experience sharp rough unpleasant feelings
and it is not possible that they should realize knowledge and vision and noble
enlightenment...Even if these good recluses and brahmins do not feel sharp
rough unpleasant feelings it is not possible that they should realise knowledge
and vision and noble enlightenment. This is the first comparison that came to
me not heard before.
Aggivessana, then another comparison
came to me never heard before. A man would come with an over cover to a
sappy log of wood put on dry land, far away from water saying I will make fire
out of this. Aggivessana, would he be able to make fire rubbing that
sappy log of wood put on dry land far away from water? Good Gotama, that sappy log of wood,
however far it may be from water, rubbed with the over cover would not produce
fire. That man will reap only fatigue. Aggivessana, in the same way, recluses
and brahmins that abide not even bodily secluded from sensuality that sensual
interest, sensual need, sensual stupor, sensual thirst, sensual burning not
well turned out internally, experience sharp rough unpleasant feelings. It is
not possible that they should realize knowledge and vision and noble
enlightenment. Even if these good recluses and brahmins do not feel sharp rough
unpleasant feelings, it is not possible that they should realize knowledge and
vision and noble enlightenment This is the second comparison that came to me
not heard before.
Aggivessana, a third comparison came to
me never heard before. Just as a man would come with an over cover to a
dry sapless log of wood, thrown far away from water, saying I will make fire
out of this. Aggivessana, would he be able to make fire rubbing that
dry sapless log of wood, thrown far away from water? Yes, good Gotama. What is the reason? That
dry sapless log of wood, thrown far away from water, rubbed with the over cover
would produce fire. Aggivessana, in the same way, recluses
and brahmins that abide bodily secluded from sensuality that sensual interest,
sensual need, sensual stupor, sensual thirst, sensual burning well turned out
internally, experience sharp rough unpleasant feelings. Yet it is possible that
they should realize knowledge and vision and noble enlightenment. Even if these
good recluses and brahmins do not feel sharp rough unpleasant feelings it is
possible that they should realize knowledge and vision and noble enlightenment.
This is the third comparison that came to me not heard before.
Aggivessana, it occurred to me, what if
I pressed the upper jaw on the lower jaw, with the tongue pressing on the
palate pushed out, expelled and burnt up thoughts in my mind. Then even while
sweat was dripping from my armpits, I pressed the upper jaw on the lower jaw,
with the tongue pressing on the palate pushed out, expelled and burnt up
thoughts in my mind. Like a strong man taking hold of a weaker one would press
him and worry him. In the same manner I pressed the upper jaw on the lower jaw,
with the tongue pressing on the palate pushed out, expelled and burnt up
thoughts in my mind, while sweat was dripping from my arm pits. My effort was
aroused repeatedly, unconfused mindfulness established, the body was not
appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even these arisen
unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me,
what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths, entering
through the nose and mouth. When I
practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose and
mouth, air entering through the ear lobes made much noise. It was like the
sound that came from the bellows of the smithy. In the same manner when I
stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through the nose and mouth, air
entering through the ear lobes made much noise. My effort was aroused
repeatedly, my mindfulness was established, the body was not appeased owing to
the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even these arisen
unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me
what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths further. I
stopped the air, entering through the nose and mouth and ear lobes. When I
practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose, mouth
and the ear lobes, a lot of air disturbed my top.. Like a strong man was
carving my top with a sharp blade. In the same manner when I stopped in-breaths
and out breaths, entering through the nose and mouth, and ear lobes, a lot of
air disturbed my top. My effort was aroused repeatedly, my mindfulness was
established, the body was not appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even these arisen
unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me
what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths still more. I
stopped the air, entering through the nose, mouth and ear lobes, further. When
I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose, mouth
and the ear lobes further, I felt a lot of pain in the head...Like a strong man
giving a head wrap with a strong turban. In the same manner when I stopped
in-breaths and out breaths, entering through the nose, mouth, and ear lobes
further, I felt a lot of pain in the head. My effort was aroused repeatedly,
unconfused mindfulness established, the body was not appeased owing to the
difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even then these arisen
unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me
what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths, for a longer
time. I stopped the air, entering through the nose, mouth and ear lobes, for a
longer time When I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering
through the nose, mouth and the ear lobes for a longer time, I felt a lot of
pain in the stomach. As though a clever butcher or his apprentice was carving
the stomach with a butcher’s knife. In the same manner when I stopped
in-breaths and out breaths, entering through the nose and mouth, and ear lobes
for a longer time I felt a lot of pain in the stomach. My effort was aroused
repeatedly, unconfused mindfulness established. My body was not appeased owing
to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even then these arisen
unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me
what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths, for a longer
time. I stopped the air, entering through the nose, mouth and ear lobes, for a
longer time. When I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering
through the nose, mouth and the ear lobes for a longer time, I felt a lot of
burning in the body. Like a strong man taking a weaker one, by his hands and
feet was burning and scorching him in a pit of burning charcoal. In the same
manner when I stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through my nose and
mouth, and ear lobes for a longer time I felt a lot of burning in the body. My
effort was aroused repeatedly, unconfused mindfulness established, the body was
not appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even then these arisen
unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle. Then the gods
seeing me thus said, the recluse Gotama is dead. A certain deity said thus: The
recluse Gotama is not dead. Will not die. Will become perfect like this.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me,
what if I give up partaking all food. The gods approached me and said, Good
sir, do not fall to that method, if you do we will inject heavenly essence
through the pores of the skin and will support you. Then it occurred to me:
When I abstain from all food if these gods inject, heavenly essence, that
action of mine would be a deception. So I dismissed those gods.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me,
what if I partake food in trifling amounts, drop by drop, the essence of, green
grams, peas, chick-peas or pea soup. I partook food in trifling amounts, the
essence of, green grams, peas, chick peas, or pea soup. Partaking food in this
manner my body emaciated much. I looked as though I had reached my eightieth
year or had come to the end of life. Thus were my limbs large and small. My
back was like a camel’s foot, the backbone was like a threaded string of beads
when bending and stretching, My rib bones were like the beams of the roof of a
decaying hall, that were about to fall apart. My eyes, deeply set in the
sockets were like two stars set in a deep well. The skin of my head was like a
bitter- goad plucked young and dried in the sun and hot air. Thus were my limbs
large and small owing to taking trifling amounts of food. When I touched the
skin of the stomach, I got hold of the back bone. When excreting or urinating,
I fell face downwards. If I touched the body to appease it, the hairs of the
body decayed at the roots fell off. Thus was my body owing to taking trifling
amounts of food. People seeing me said, the recluse Gotama is dark. One said,
he is not dark but tan. Another said the recluse Gotama is neither dark nor tan
but of golden hue. Aggivessana, my pure skin complexion
was destroyed owing to partaking trifling amounts of food.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me,
whoever recluse or brahmin experienced sharp, rough, unpleasant feelings, in
the past, he did not experience anything more than this. Whoever recluse or
brahmin, would experience sharp rough unpleasant feelings in the future, would
not experience anything more than this. Whoever recluse or brahmin experiences
sharp, rough, unpleasant feelings, at present, he does not experience anything
more than this. It occurred to me: Doing these difficult exertions, I will not
attain, any noble distinctive knowledge and vision above human. There should be
some other method for the realization of enlightenment. Then Aggivessana, I
recalled the experience under the shade of the rose apple tree near my father’s
field: Secluded from sensual thoughts and secluded from thoughts of
demerit, with thoughts and discursive thoughts and with joy and pleasantness
born of seclusion, how I attained to the first jhaana. Then consciousness arose
is this the path to enlightenment. I thought, why should I fear this
pleasantness, which is other than sensual pleasure and away from thoughts of
demerit.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me, it
is not easy to attain that pleasantness with this emaciated body, what if I take some
coarse food some cooked rice and bread. At that time the fivefold bhikkhus
attended on me, thinking whatever noble thing the recluse Gotama attains he
will inform us. When I partook of coarse food such as cooked rice and bread,
they went away thinking the recluse Gotama has given up exerting and has
returned to abundance.
Partaking coarse food and gaining strength,
secluded from sensual thoughts and thoughts of demerit with thoughts and
discursive thoughts and with joy and pleasantness born of seclusion I attained
to the first jhaana. Aggivessana, even those arisen pleasant
feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle. Overcoming thoughts and
discursive thoughts, with the mind internally appeased, and brought to a single
point, without thoughts and discursive thoughts and with joy and pleasantness
born of concentration I attained to the second jhaana. Aggivessana, even those arisen pleasant
feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle. With equanimity to joy and
detachment abode mindful and aware, and with the body experienced pleasantness
and attained to the third jhaana. To this abiding the noble ones said, abiding
mindfully in pleasantness. Aggivessana, even those pleasant
feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle. Dispelling pleasantness and
unpleasantness, and earlier having dispelled pleasure and displeasure, without
unpleasantness and pleasantness and mindfulness purified with equanimity, I
attained to the fourth jhaana. Aggivessana, even those pleasant
feelings, did not take hold of my mind and settle.
When the mind was concentrated, pure,
free from minor defilements, malleable workable not disturbed, I directed the
mind for the knowledge of previous births. I recollected the manifold previous
births, one birth, two births, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty,
fifty, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births,
innumerable forward cycles of births, innumerable backward cycles of births,
innumerable forward and backward cycles of births. There I was of such name,
clan, disposition, supports, experiencing such pleasant and unpleasant feelings
and with such a life span. Disappearing from there was born there with such
name, clan, disposition, supports, experiencing such pleasant and unpleasant
feelings, with such a life span, disappearing from there, is born here. Thus
with all modes and all details I recollected. the manifold previous
births...Aggivessana, this is the first knowledge I attained in the first watch
of the night, ignorance dispelled, knowledge arose, as it happens to those
abiding diligent for dispelling. Aggivessana, even these pleasant
feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
When the mind was concentrated, pure,
free from minor defilements malleable workable not disturbed, I directed my
mind for the knowledge of the disappearing and appearing of beings. With the
heavenly eye purified beyond human, I saw beings disappearing and appearing un
-exalted and exalted, beautiful and ugly, arising in good and bad states
according to their actions: These good beings misbehaving by body, speech and
mind, blaming noble ones, with the wrong view of actions, after death are born
in loss, in decrease, in hell. As for these good beings, well behaved in
body, speech and mind, not blaming noble ones, with the right view of actions
after death are born in heaven. Thus with the heavenly eye purified beyond
human, I saw beings disappearing and appearing. Aggivessana, this is the second
knowledge I attained in the second watch of the night. Ignorance dispelled,
knowledge arose, as it happens to those abiding diligent for dispelling.
Aggivessana, even these pleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and
settle.
When the mind was concentrated, pure,
free from minor defilements, was malleable workable not disturbed, I directed
the mind for the destruction of desires. Knew this is unpleasant, knew this is
arising of unpleasantness, knew this is cessation of unpleasantness and knew
this is the path to the cessation of unpleasantness as it really is: Knew these
are desires, knew the arising of desires, knew the cessation of desires and
knew the path to the cessation of desires as it really is. I, knew and saw them
and the mind was released, from sensual desires, from desires ‘to be’, and from
ignorant desires When released knowledge arose, I’m released, birth is
destroyed, what should be done is done.. The holy life is lived to the end. I
knew, there is nothing more to wish. Aggivessana, this is the third knowledge,
I attained in the last watch of the night. Ignorance was dispelled, knowledge
arose, as it happens to those abiding diligent for dispelling. Aggivessana,
even these pleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, I know of giving
instructions to innumerable crowds. Of them a certain one would think, it is to
me that the recluse Gotama is preaching. Aggivessana, it should not be thought
in that manner. Thus Gone Ones preach with the intention of making others
knowledgeable. I on the other hand, at the end of that discourse, establish my
mind on the same thought I was established in, before the discourse. Good
Gotama, after the attainment of perfection, and rightful enlightenment, do you
know of sleeping in the day time? In the last month of Summer, after returning
from the alms round having folded the robe in four and turning to my right, I
know of going to sleep mindful and aware. Some recluses and brahmins say
that, it is abiding in delusion. Aggivessana, with this much it is not
a deluded abiding, nor a non-deluded abiding. Yet I will tell you the deluded
abiding and the non-deluded abiding. Listen and attend to it carefully.
Aggivessana, if someone’s desires, the
defilements to be born again, with unpleasant results of future birth, decay
and death are not dispelled, to that I say delusion. When desires are not
dispelled, that is delusion. Aggivessana, if someone’s desires, the
defiling things to be born again, with unpleasant results of future birth,
decay, death are dispelled, to that I say non-delusion. When desires are
dispelled, that is non-delusion. Aggivessana, in the Thus Gone One, the
desires, the defiling things to be born again, with unpleasant results of future
birth, decay and death are dispelled .They are pulled out from the roots, made
palm stumps and made things that would not rise again. Aggivessana, when the top of the palm
is cut, it would not grow again. The desires, defiling things to be born again,
with unpleasant results of future birth, decay and death are dispelled in the
Thus Gone One, and made things that would not rise again.
When this was said Saccaka the son of
Nigan.tha said thus to the Blessed One. It is wonderful when questions closely
directed are asked, the purity of the skin becomes more apparent and the face
becomes pleasant, as it is of the perfect rightfully enlightened one. I have
experience of disputing with Puraana Kassapa, when refuted he turned the
question aside and showed ill will and displeasure. On the other hand when
questions closely directed are asked, the purity of the skin colour becomes
more apparent and the face becomes pleasant as it is of the perfect rightfully
enlightened one. I have experience of disputing with Makkhali Gosaala—Ajita
Kesakambala—Pakudha Kaccaayana,--Sa~njaya Bela,t.thiputta—with
Nigan.thanaataputta, when refuted he turned the question aside and showed ill
will and displeasure. On the other hand when questions closely directed are
asked, the purity of the skin colour becomes more apparent and the face becomes
pleasant as it is of the perfect rightfully enlightened one. Good Gotama, now
we will go we have much work to do. Aggivessana, do as you think fit.
Then Saccaka the son of Nigan.tha
delighted and agreeing with the words of the Blessed One got up from his seat
and went away.
Notes.
1. Aggivessana, this is the undeveloped
body and the undeveloped mind. ’eva.m kho Aggivessana, abhaavita khaayoca
abhaavita cittoca’ The Blessed One explains, the feelings of a
worldling. Arisen pleasant feelings take hold of the mind completely and settle
on account of the undeveloped body. Arisen unpleasant feelings take hold of the
mind completely and settle on account of the undeveloped mind. Pleasant feelings
constantly arise, at one or the other of the doors of mental contact. It’s when
they fade that unpleasant feelings arise. ‘sukha, dukkha’ When these two
feelings take hold of the mind and settle, it is called dukkha-unpleasant. The Blessed One
throughout this sutta, explains that the mind should be freed
from these feelings. The mind should not be elevated on account of pleasant
feelings and it should not be depressed on account of unpleasant feelings. For
this we should be watchful of feelings, see how they arise, see how they fade
and see how they fade for good.
2
Aggivessana, this is the developed body and the developed mind. ‘eva.m
kho Aggivessana, bhaavita khaayoca bhaavita cittoca’. The Blessed One alludes the developed
body and the devloped mind to those who are perfect ie. arahants. Throughout
this sutta it is shown, how the Blessed One had not settled in the worst of
feelings, nor in the best of feelings, ie those attained to in the jhaanas and
the higher abidings. The mind should be released from all these feelings.
(Reference: 99)
Translation 2
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Majjhima
Nikaya 36
Maha-Saccaka
Sutta
The
Longer Discourse to Saccaka
(excerpt)
For free distribution only.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...
[The Buddha is speaking to Saccaka
Aggivessana:]
"Before my Awakening, when I was
still an unawakened Bodhisatta, the thought occurred to me: 'The household life
is crowded, a dusty road. Life gone forth is the open air. It isn't easy,
living in a home, to lead the holy life that is totally perfect, totally pure,
a polished shell. What if I, having shaved off my hair & beard and putting
on the ochre robe, were to go forth from the home life into homelessness?'
"So at a later time, when I was
still young, black-haired, endowed with the blessings of youth in the first
stage of life, having shaved off my hair & beard -- though my parents
wished otherwise and were grieving with tears on their faces -- I put on the
ochre robe and went forth from the home life into homelessness.
"Having gone forth in search of
what might be skillful, seeking the unexcelled state of sublime peace, I went
to Alara Kalama and, on arrival, said to him: 'Friend Kalama, I want to
practice in this doctrine & discipline.'
"When this was said, he replied to
me, 'You may stay here, my friend. This doctrine is such that a wise person can
soon enter & dwell in his own teacher's knowledge, having realized it for
himself through direct knowledge.'
"It was not long before I learned
the doctrine. As far as mere lip-reciting & repetition, I could speak the
words of knowledge, the words of the elders, and I could affirm that I knew
& saw -- I, along with others.
"I thought: 'It isn't through mere
conviction alone that Alara Kalama declares, "I have entered & dwell
in this Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge."
Certainly he dwells knowing & seeing this Dhamma.' So I went to him and
said, 'To what extent do you declare that you have entered & dwell in this
Dhamma?' When this was said, he declared the dimension of nothingness.
"I thought: 'Not only does Alara
Kalama have conviction, persistence, mindfulness, concentration, & discernment.
I, too, have conviction, persistence, mindfulness, concentration, &
discernment. What if I were to endeavor to realize for myself the Dhamma that
Alara Kalama declares he has entered & dwells in, having realized it for
himself through direct knowledge.' So it was not long before I quickly entered
& dwelled in that Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct
knowledge. I went to him and said, 'Friend Kalama, is this the extent to which
you have entered & dwell in this Dhamma, having realized it for yourself
through direct knowledge?'
"'Yes, my friend...'
"'This, friend, is the extent to
which I, too, have entered & dwell in this Dhamma, having realized it for
myself through direct knowledge.'
"'It is a gain for us, my friend,
a great gain for us, that we have such a companion in the holy life. So the
Dhamma I declare I have entered & dwell in, having realized it for myself
through direct knowledge, is the Dhamma you declare you have entered &
dwell in, having realized it for yourself through direct knowledge. And the
Dhamma you declare you have entered & dwell in, having realized it for
yourself through direct knowledge, is the Dhamma I declare I have entered &
dwell in, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge. The Dhamma I
know is the Dhamma you know; the Dhamma you know is the Dhamma I know. As I am,
so are you; as you are, so am I. Come friend, let us now lead this community
together.'
"In this way did Alara Kalama, my
teacher, place me, his pupil, on the same level with himself and pay me great
honor. But the thought occurred to me, 'This Dhamma leads not to
disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge,
to Awakening, nor to Unbinding, but only to reappearance in the dimension of
nothingness.' So, dissatisfied with that Dhamma, I left.
"In search of what might be
skillful, seeking the unexcelled state of sublime peace, I went to Uddaka
Ramaputta and, on arrival, said to him: 'Friend Uddaka, I want to practice in
this doctrine & discipline.'
"When this was said, he replied to
me, 'You may stay here, my friend. This doctrine is such that a wise person can
soon enter & dwell in his own teacher's knowledge, having realized it for
himself through direct knowledge.'
"It was not long before I quickly
learned the doctrine. As far as mere lip-reciting & repetition, I could
speak the words of knowledge, the words of the elders, and I could affirm that
I knew & saw -- I, along with others.
"I thought: 'It wasn't through
mere conviction alone that Rama declared, "I have entered & dwell in
this Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge."
Certainly he dwelled knowing & seeing this Dhamma.' So I went to Uddaka and
said, 'To what extent did Rama declare that he had entered & dwelled in
this Dhamma?' When this was said, Uddaka declared the dimension of neither
perception nor non-perception.
"I thought: 'Not only did Rama
have conviction, persistence, mindfulness, concentration, & discernment. I,
too, have conviction, persistence, mindfulness, concentration, &
discernment. What if I were to endeavor to realize for myself the Dhamma that
Rama declared he entered & dwelled in, having realized it for himself
through direct knowledge.' So it was not long before I quickly entered &
dwelled in that Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge.
I went to Uddaka and said, 'Friend Uddaka, is this the extent to which Rama
entered & dwelled in this Dhamma, having realized it for himself through
direct knowledge?'
"'Yes, my friend...'
"'This, friend, is the extent to
which I, too, have entered & dwell in this Dhamma, having realized it for
myself through direct knowledge.'
"'It is a gain for us, my friend,
a great gain for us, that we have such a companion in the holy life. So the
Dhamma Rama declared he entered & dwelled in, having realized it for
himself through direct knowledge, is the Dhamma you declare you have entered
& dwell in, having realized it for yourself through direct knowledge. And
the Dhamma you declare you have entered & dwell in, having realized it for
yourself through direct knowledge, is the Dhamma Rama declared he entered &
dwelled in, having realized it for himself through direct knowledge. The Dhamma
he knew is the Dhamma you know; the Dhamma you know is the Dhamma he knew. As
he was, so are you; as you are, so was he. Come friend, lead this community.'
"In this way did Uddaka Ramaputta,
my companion in the holy life, place me in the position of teacher and pay me great
honor. But the thought occurred to me, 'This Dhamma leads not to
disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge,
to Awakening, nor to Unbinding, but only to reappearance in the dimension of
neither perception nor non-perception.' So, dissatisfied with that Dhamma, I
left.
"In search of what might be
skillful, seeking the unexcelled state of sublime peace, I wandered by stages
in the Magadhan country and came to the military town of Uruvela. There I saw
some delightful countryside, with an inspiring forest grove, a clear-flowing
river with fine, delightful banks, and villages for alms-going on all sides.
The thought occurred to me: 'How delightful is this countryside, with its
inspiring forest grove, clear-flowing river with fine, delightful banks, and
villages for alms-going on all sides. This is just right for the striving of a
clansman intent on striving.' So I sat down right there, thinking, 'This is
just right for striving.'
"Then these three similes --
spontaneous, never before heard -- appeared to me. Suppose there were a wet,
sappy piece of timber lying in the water, and a man were to come along with an
upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce heat.' Now what do
you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat by rubbing the
upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy timber lying in the water?"
"No, Master Gotama. Why is that?
Because the timber is wet & sappy, and besides it is lying in the water.
Eventually the man would reap only his share of weariness &
disappointment."
"So it is with any priest or
contemplative who does not live withdrawn from sensuality in body & mind,
and whose desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, & fever for sensuality is not
relinquished & stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful,
racking, piercing feelings due to his striving [for Awakening], he is incapable
of knowledge, vision, & unexcelled self-awakening. This was the first
simile -- spontaneous, never before heard -- that appeared to me.
"Then a second simile --
spontaneous, never before heard -- appeared to me. Suppose there were a wet,
sappy piece of timber lying on land far from water, and a man were to come
along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce
heat.' Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat
by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the wet, sappy timber lying on land far from
water?"
"No, Master Gotama. Why is that?
Because the timber is wet & sappy, even though it is lying on land far from
water. Eventually the man would reap only his share of weariness &
disappointment."
"So it is with any priest or
contemplative who lives withdrawn from sensuality in body only, but whose
desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, & fever for sensuality is not
relinquished & stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful,
racking, piercing feelings due to his striving, he is incapable of knowledge,
vision, & unexcelled self-awakening. This was the second simile --
spontaneous, never before heard -- that appeared to me.
"Then a third simile --
spontaneous, never before heard -- appeared to me. Suppose there were a dry,
sapless piece of timber lying on land far from water, and a man were to come
along with an upper fire-stick, thinking, 'I'll light a fire. I'll produce
heat.' Now what do you think? Would he be able to light a fire and produce heat
by rubbing the upper fire-stick in the dry, sapless timber lying on land?"
"Yes, Master Gotama. Why is that?
Because the timber is dry & sapless, and besides it is lying on land far
from water."
"So it is with any priest or
contemplative who lives withdrawn from sensuality in body & mind, and whose
desire, infatuation, urge, thirst, & fever for sensuality is relinquished
& stilled within him: Whether or not he feels painful, racking, piercing
feelings due to his striving, he is capable of knowledge, vision, &
unexcelled self-awakening. This was the third simile -- spontaneous, never
before heard -- that appeared to me.
"I thought: 'Suppose that I,
clenching my teeth and pressing my tongue against the roof of my mouth, were to
beat down, constrain, & crush my mind with my awareness.' So, clenching my
teeth and pressing my tongue against the roof of my mouth, I beat down,
constrained, & crushed my mind with my awareness. Just as a strong man,
seizing a weaker man by the head or the throat or the shoulders, would beat him
down, constrain, & crush him, in the same way I beat down, constrained,
& crushed my mind with my awareness. As I did so, sweat poured from my
armpits. And although tireless persistence was aroused in me, and unmuddled
mindfulness established, my body was aroused & uncalm because of the
painful exertion. But the painful feeling that arose in this way did not invade
my mind or remain.
"I thought: 'Suppose I were to
become absorbed in the trance of non-breathing.' So I stopped the in-breaths
& out-breaths in my nose & mouth. As I did so, there was a loud roaring
of winds coming out my earholes, just like the loud roar of winds coming out of
a smith's bellows... So I stopped the in-breaths & out-breaths in my nose
& mouth & ears. As I did so, extreme forces sliced through my head,
just as if a strong man were slicing my head open with a sharp sword... Extreme
pains arose in my head, just as if a strong man were tightening a turban made
of tough leather straps around my head... Extreme forces carved up my stomach
cavity, just as if a butcher or his apprentice were to carve up the stomach
cavity of an ox... There was an extreme burning in my body, just as if two
strong men, grabbing a weaker man by the arms, were to roast & broil him
over a pit of hot embers. And although tireless persistence was aroused in me,
and unmuddled mindfulness established, my body was aroused & uncalm because
of the painful exertion. But the painful feeling that arose in this way did not
invade my mind or remain.
"Devas, on seeing me, said,
'Gotama the contemplative is dead.' Other devas said, 'He isn't dead, he's
dying.' Others said, 'He's neither dead nor dying, he's an arahant, for this is
the way arahants live.'
"I thought: 'Suppose I were to
practice going altogether without food.' Then devas came to me and said, 'Dear
sir, please don't practice going altogether without food. If you go altogether
without food, we'll infuse divine nourishment in through your pores, and you
will survive on that.' I thought, 'If I were to claim to be completely fasting
while these devas are infusing divine nourishment in through my pores, I would
be lying.' So I dismissed them, saying, 'Enough.'
"I thought: 'Suppose I were to
take only a little food at a time, only a handful at a time of bean soup,
lentil soup, vetch soup, or pea soup.' So I took only a little food at a time,
only handful at a time of bean soup, lentil soup, vetch soup, or pea soup. My
body became extremely emaciated. Simply from my eating so little, my limbs
became like the jointed segments of vine stems or bamboo stems... My backside
became like a camel's hoof... My spine stood out like a string of beads... My
ribs jutted out like the jutting rafters of an old, run-down barn... The gleam
of my eyes appeared to be sunk deep in my eye sockets like the gleam of water
deep in a well... My scalp shriveled & withered like a green bitter gourd,
shriveled & withered in the heat & the wind... The skin of my belly
became so stuck to my spine that when I thought of touching my belly, I grabbed
hold of my spine as well; and when I thought of touching my spine, I grabbed
hold of the skin of my belly as well... If I urinated or defecated, I fell over
on my face right there... Simply from my eating so little, if I tried to ease
my body by rubbing my limbs with my hands, the hair -- rotted at its roots --
fell from my body as I rubbed, simply from eating so little.
"People on seeing me would say,
'Gotama the contemplative is black. Other people would say, 'Gotama the
contemplative isn't black, he's brown.' Others would say, 'Gotama the
contemplative is neither black nor brown, he's golden-skinned. So much had the
clear, bright color of my skin deteriorated, simply from eating so little.
"I thought: 'Whatever priests or
contemplatives in the past have felt painful, racking, piercing feelings due to
their striving, this is the utmost. None have been greater than this. Whatever
priests or contemplatives in the future will feel painful, racking, piercing
feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None will be greater than
this. Whatever priests or contemplatives in the present are feeling painful,
racking, piercing feelings due to their striving, this is the utmost. None is
greater than this. But with this racking practice of austerities I haven't
attained any superior human state, any distinction in knowledge or vision worthy
of the noble ones. Could there be another path to Awakening?'
"I thought: 'I recall once, when
my father the Sakyan was working, and I was sitting in the cool shade of a
rose-apple tree, then -- quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from
unskillful mental qualities -- I entered & remained in the first jhana:
rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought
& evaluation. Could that be the path to Awakening?' Then, following on that
memory, came the realization: 'That is the path to Awakening.' I thought: 'So
why am I afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality,
nothing to do with unskillful mental qualities?' I thought: 'I am no longer
afraid of that pleasure that has nothing to do with sensuality, nothing to do
with unskillful mental qualities, but it is not easy to achieve that pleasure
with a body so extremely emaciated. Suppose I were to take some solid food:
some rice & porridge.' So I took some solid food: some rice & porridge.
Now five monks had been attending on me, thinking, 'If Gotama, our
contemplative, achieves some higher state, he will tell us.' But when they saw
me taking some solid food -- some rice & porridge -- they were disgusted
and left me, thinking, 'Gotama the contemplative is living luxuriously. He has
abandoned his exertion and is backsliding into abundance.'
"So when I had taken solid food
and regained strength, then -- quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from
unskillful mental qualities, I entered & remained in the first jhana:
rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought
& evaluation. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not
invade my mind or remain. With the stilling of directed thought &
evaluation, I entered & remained in the second jhana: rapture &
pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought
& evaluation -- internal assurance. But the pleasant feeling that arose in
this way did not invade my mind or remain. With the fading of rapture I remained
in equanimity, mindful & alert, and physically sensitive of pleasure. I
entered & remained in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare,
'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding.' But the pleasant
feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain. With the
abandoning of pleasure & pain -- as with the earlier disappearance of
elation & distress -- I entered & remained in the fourth jhana: purity
of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. But the pleasant
feeling that arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.
"When the mind was thus
concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant,
malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the
knowledge of recollecting my past lives. I recollected my manifold past lives,
i.e., one birth, two... five, ten... fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred
thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many
eons of cosmic contraction & expansion: 'There I had such a name, belonged
to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of
pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I
re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such
an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain,
such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.' Thus I
remembered my manifold past lives in their modes & details.
"This was the first knowledge I
attained in the first watch of the night. Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge
arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose -- as happens in one who is heedful,
ardent, & resolute. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not
invade my mind or remain.
"When the mind was thus
concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant,
malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the
knowledge of the passing away & reappearance of beings. I saw -- by means
of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human -- beings passing away
& re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior & superior,
beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their
kamma: 'These beings -- who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech,
& mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions
under the influence of wrong views -- with the break-up of the body, after
death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the
lower realms, in hell. But these beings -- who were endowed with good conduct
of body, speech & mind, who did not revile the noble ones, who held right
views and undertook actions under the influence of right views -- with the
break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations,
in the heavenly world.' Thus -- by means of the divine eye, purified &
surpassing the human -- I saw beings passing away & re-appearing, and I
discerned how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate
& unfortunate in accordance with their kamma.
"This was the second knowledge I
attained in the second watch of the night. Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge
arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose -- as happens in one who is heedful,
ardent, & resolute. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not
invade my mind or remain.
"When the mind was thus
concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant,
malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the
knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. I discerned, as it was
actually present, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress...
This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of
stress... These are fermentations... This is the origination of
fermentations... This is the cessation of fermentations... This is the way
leading to the cessation of fermentations.' My heart, thus knowing, thus
seeing, was released from the fermentation of sensuality, released from the fermentation
of becoming, released from the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there
was the knowledge, 'Released.' I discerned that 'Birth is ended, the holy life
fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'
"This was the third knowledge I
attained in the third watch of the night. Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge
arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose -- as happens in one who is heedful,
ardent, & resolute. But the pleasant feeling that arose in this way did not
invade my mind or remain."
...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: Sun 14 October 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/majjhima/mn036.html
(Reference: 101)
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The laws are to be followed verbally, bodily and
mentally. On proper bodily acceptance of the laws, it is natural for the body
to be very slender and bony. Along with such transformation, mental removal of
dirty thoughts etc. are also a requirement.
A strange observation on males: No matter what organism, animal or man
– the more slender and bony the animal is, more sexually vigorous or active the
animal will be. Observation of animals, their sexual behavior etc. reveals such
a strange concept. Very well-built and majestic bodied animals have “dignified”
sexual behavior. In other words, less sexual relationship or appetite. For
example, the majestic Lion.
Thin and slender keep on going with the sexual
relationship.
True followers of the science of Kama-sutra are very
slender and bony in nature.
This answers the question on why mental
transformation is a parallel requirement along with bodily
transformation. Without proper mental transformation or change in outlook, it is
possible for the trainee to deviate to the dark side of the “pleasures of the
Flesh”.
Direction
…head looking north side; indeed, this
direction is well-known to be auspicious and synonymous with wisdom. (Reference: 89)
Meditation – always face eastwards, to the rising Sun
In the evening, when the Sun sets, you can face
westwards
Majority of portraits of the Lord are kept facing
from east to west; as an embodiment of the rising Sun, the heart or center of
this solar system in the Galaxy Milky Way. Many a galaxy, many a Sun, many a
star. Considered by the ancients as the “The Visible Lord”. The source of
“fresh” energy. The “supplier” of light and energy. The apt word is “one who
recycles”. To re-cycle, you need fire. Why fire? To convert energy from one
form of matter to another form, you need heat or fire. The natural fire, the
Sun. No Sun, no human life. The Sun re-cycles energy.
Refer section on Astro-science
When you pray, you pray towards the east, towards the
rising Sun.
Never ever face towards the South.
Astro-science
…the Milky Way, our own galaxy. It
contains about two hundred billion stars and countless other objects besides.
Our galaxy is only one of billions of
other galaxies in the universe…
Long before the Sun and the solar
system formed, before the galaxy existed, the universe was filled with gas - mainly
hydrogen, with some helium. This gas was eventually to be turned into
stars, planets and people. But before these things could happen, the galaxy had
to form.
Astronomers believe that the galaxy
formed out of a large, fairly spherical cloud of cold gas, rotating slowly in
space. At some point in time, the cloud began to collapse in on itself,
or condense, in the same way that the clouds which formed individual
stars also condensed. Initially, some stars may have formed as the gas
cloud began to fragment around the edges, with each fragment condensing
further to form a star or group of stars.
What is matter??
Matter is condensed Energy. (Reference: 8)
A Basic Question To Ponder yourself: Is
force an act of condensing, an act of suppressing, an act of pressurizing,
an act of concentrating?
…process of star formation, then manufacturing
heavier elements inside stars and finally returning these elements into the gas
between the stars (called the interstellar medium) continued, as it
still does today, all the time enriching the medium so that today the gas
within our galaxy consists not only of Hydrogen and Helium, but also the
other elements which are needed to form the Earth and the rest of the
universe we see around us.
(Reference: 92)
Austerities
"The life of a monk is very
hard," Brother Takele said. "For you it might be too hard. Outside you eat three
times a day, but in the monastery you eat only one time. You see a lot of
things outside, but here in the monastery you have only God. You sleep eight
hours, but we sleep only four. And women are not allowed here."
Even the nuns living on the next island
are forbidden to set foot here, and the monks are not permitted to take a boat
over there. "The tiger and the goat cannot live together," Brother Takele
said. "The lion and the cow cannot live together."
"Danger," he added.
"No good." (Reference: 91)
Certain Points on Meditation
According to the practice lineage, if one is able to practise
Buddhism wholeheartedly, properly, meditation is one's food, meditation is
one's partner, meditation is one's wealth, meditation fulfils every aspect of
one's needs and wants! (Reference: 127)
If the surrounding temperature is not high, as in
noon, it is always preferable to cover the legs, from the hip downwards with a
thick cloth. A wrapped sheet is also preferable. Such covering is advisable
when the surrounding temperature is low. On covering, the legs should not
sweat.
Why the legs, from the hip downward, is covered?
For those who sit long duration, the legs get “numb”,
“hard”, “cold”. A lack of the sense of touch. To prevent excessive cold from
affecting legs, a covering is done. Such practice is common in meditation
centres of Northern Buddhism (Buddhist practices in China, Taiwan, Korea,
Japan. Those in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand constitute the Southern school. The
North emphasizes practice with heavy meditation and less theory. The South
emphasizes heavy theory with less practice, especially Sri Lanka. In Thailand,
a variant emphasizes orthodoxy, the forest monks. Burma is an exception of the
Southern school. Famous for its Vipassana or Insight meditation centres)
Lord Jesus emphasizes prayer. Lord Buddha emphasizes
meditation. One can use prayer only, or meditation only, or combine prayer and
meditation for dual effect. Upto the trainee to chose his path.
Can anything be done to trace the rise
of the legends and marvels of Sakyamuni's history, which were current so early
(as it seems to us) as the time of Fa-hien, and which startle us so frequently by similarities between
them and narratives in our Gospels? (Reference: 138)
Never sit for meditation with a loaded stomach. After
a heavy meal. At least one or two hours after a meal is preferable for sitting.
Concentration
Take a suitable lens. Go out into the sunshine,
preferably in the noon. Hold the lens properly in the hand and let sunshine
fall on the lens. Bring the other hand below the lens. Let the concentrated
light passing through the lens fall on the other hand. How do you feel? The
point where the concentrated light falls, slowly gets burned. The skin burn.
So too the concept of concentration and meditation.
You concentrate and concentrate the mind.
Those who read the Search of Secret India understand
well the advice of the Sage Who Never Speaks to the author, Paul Brunton. Never
fight or disturb those who train on the path or even the adepts. They are ones
with the concentrated mind and associated training. A concentrated thought can
destroy those who attack. The destruction depending on how concentrated the
thought is.
Thoughts are evil. Harmful thoughts are banned for
trainees and adepts.
In another context of the same book, Brahma speaks
about the Yoga of body control and the Yoga of mental control. Hatha yoga is
the Yoga of body control. There used to be schools of training where the
trainees were trained on Hatha yoga for a long period. Only on perfecting Hatha
Yoga, or the Yoga of body control were the students trained on the next higher
level, the Yoga of mental control.
There also used to be schools which straight away
went into the Yoga of mental control. But there exist a major problem. Know
well the lens and light example given above. All energy. Even body is energy,
but in matter form. Energy is being concentrated and concentrated. Proper
postures for circulating the energy is the essence of Hatha yoga. That is
actually a compulsory requirement to withstand the concentration. The analogy
is similar to building a house with a strong foundation to withstand the weight
of the house. Multi-storied house requires more stronger foundation. What will
the foundation be for a sky-scrapper? Without such a base, if energy is
concentrated in the mind, the body gets burned out, by the heat or temperature
generated.
What are the symptoms of burn-out?
A metal or gas or whatever is heated. What happens.
The tight electrons get loosed up.
The concept of electric current is based on the flow
of loose electrons.
So too in the human body. Body cells multiply
randomly due to heat generation. Rapid cell multiplication results in a disease
called Cancer.
For the practitioners of the path of Yoga of mental
control, cancer is not the only ailment possible, due to lack of strong body
foundation. Strong body doesn’t mean the body of a weight-lifter or
body-builder. Proper usage and distribution of energy through all parts of the
body. It is possible only by means of hard training on Hatha Yoga, the Yoga of
Body control over a long period of time. I just mentioned the higher path as
Yoga of mental control. Some schools call it Raja Yoga. But then, there is
Bhakti yoga, Jnana Yoga etc – all involving mental control by one way or
other.
Even if the body gets destroyed, all are in the hands
of the Lord. A new vehicle (body is only a vehicle) will be given to
continue, from where one left off. So nothing to worry about.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wealth as a simile (from the Anguttara
Nikaya):
Sakya Sutta (AN X.47) -- Sakya. Money can't buy you
happiness, but practicing the Dhamma can.
(Reference: 188)
Anguttara
Nikaya X.47
Sakka
Sutta
To
the Sakyans (on the Uposatha)
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro
Bhikkhu.
For free distribution only.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On one occasion the Blessed One was
staying near Kapilavatthu at the Banyan Park. Then many Sakyan lay followers,
it being the Uposatha day, went to the Blessed One. On arrival, having bowed
down to him, they sat to one side. As they were sitting there, the Blessed One
said to them, "Sakyans, do you observe the eight-factored uposatha?"
"Sometimes we do, lord, and
sometimes we don't."
"It's no gain for you, Sakyans. It's ill-gotten, that
in this life so endangered by grief, in this life so endangered by death, you
sometimes observe the eight-factored uposatha and sometimes don't.
"What do you think, Sakyans.
Suppose a man, by some profession or other, without encountering an unskillful
day, were to earn a half-kahapana. Would he deserve to be called a capable man,
full of initiative?"
"Yes, lord."
"Suppose a man, by some profession
or other, without encountering an unskillful day, were to earn a kahapana...
two kahapanas... three... four... five... six... seven... eight... nine...
ten... twenty... thirty... forty... fifty... one hundred kahapanas. Would he
deserve to be called a capable man, full of initiative?"
"Yes, lord."
"Now what do you think: earning
one hundred, one thousand kahapanas a day; saving up his gains, living for one
hundred years, would a man arrive at a great mass of wealth?"
"Yes, lord."
"Now what do you think: would that
man, because of that wealth, on account of that wealth, with that wealth as the
cause, live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a day, a night, half a day, or
half a night?"
"No, lord. And why is that? Sensual pleasures are
inconstant, hollow, false, deceptive by nature."
"Now, Sakyans, there is the case
where a disciple of mine, spending ten years practicing as I have
instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a
hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a
non-returner, or at the very least a stream-winner.
"Let alone ten years, there is the
case where a disciple of mine, spending nine years... eight years... seven... six... five... four... three... two years... one year practicing as I have
instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a
hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a
non-returner, or at the very least a stream-winner.
"Let alone one year, there is the
case where a disciple of mine, spending ten months... nine months... eight months... seven... six... five... four... three... two months... one month... half a month practicing as I have
instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a
hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a
non-returner, or at the very least a stream-winner.
"Let alone half a month, there is
the case where a disciple of mine, spending ten days & nights... nine days & nights... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two days & nights... one day & night practicing as I have
instructed, would live sensitive to unalloyed bliss for a hundred years, a
hundred centuries, a hundred millenia. And he would be a once-returner, a
non-returner, or at the very least a stream-winner.
"It's no gain for you, Sakyans.
It's ill-gotten, that in this life so endangered by grief, in this life so
endangered by death, you sometimes observe the eight-factored uposatha and
sometimes don't."
"Then from this day forward, lord,
we will observe the eight-factored uposatha."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See also: AN III.70; AN VIII.43; Ud
II.10; "Uposatha Observance Days" in the Path to Freedom Pages.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: Fri 17 May 2002
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an10-047.html
(Reference: 192)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Thus an adept who “dies” and returns/reborn in
human form need to train a lesser time than a non-adept to “awaken” to his
previous state, the state of spiritual achievement just before “death” in
previous life.
The above theoretical observation on concentration
and meditation is a requirement for any serious practitioner or trainee.
A serious trainee who goes to the other side (sexual
relationship) by false beliefs or false views, ought to understand that his
body is a concentrated energy device. The other body may not be as concentrated
as his own. Any concentration takes a long period of training. If two such
bodies, one concentrated and one un-concentrated are brought together
(copulation), a high possibility exists for destruction of the un-concentrated
body and associated reaction on the concentrated body.
An observation on a monk who pursued the path of
tantric practices and the associated reaction, with precise details
omitted, to maintain privacy:
Soon
he’ll have to go back to India because he has huge responsibilities there. His
wife is however Dutch and she has severe cancer and tumors and he does not want
to leave her alone. So he leaves us with a huge treasure.
Note:
The source of the above real-life point is kept classified to maintain privacy.
Observe
the people who live near high energy concentration areas: high power electric
transmission lines, transmission repeaters, electric power stations, nuclear
power plants etc. A high level of uneasiness in their psychological behaviour.
Many susceptible to cancer and various other diseases due to slow and intense energy
burning.
Also read reference: 162, 182, 234 for more information.
Cancer
can occur to any part of the human body.
In
western countries, the probability of skin cancer is more compared to those
from Asian background. The white skin, has lesser amount of the pigment,
Melanin, required for “converting” sunrays to Vitamin D. To prevent skin-burn,
skin-cream is rubbed on exposed areas of the body to the sunlight, as a
preventive measure. (Reference: 125, 126)
Since
all energy, a higher level achievement never goes away. Never disappear. It is
similar to an ever-lasting bank-account. The more work you do, the payment for
the work goes into the account. You die and come back in a new body. But you
are the same energy. The account you left in the previous life is still open
with the bank balance you left. You again start accumulating from where you left off. You never start all from the
beginning. You can’t. No one can. The accumulated karma, action, reaction
remains.
There
are many adepts who left their body after reaching a certain stage of
development. When re-born, they may be asleep as the ordinary masses. But the
invisible Lord creates scenarios for them to access their account from past
lives. For example, the person may be very interested in spiritual things from
a very young age. Certain environments may force warfare on such a trainee. The
“sleepy” trainee stumbles to meditation practices. Intense meditation over a
short period opens up his account from previous lives. The trainee slowly wakes
up to a new level of understanding and way of life. Concepts like “siddhis”
fall under this category. Such power require long duration of intense training,
austerities and meditation. Not at all possible for a modern man to achieve
with a few days or months of “intense” practice.
Such
spiritual concepts itself act as an armour on the trainee.
The
ancient legends mention the above concept by means of a strange story, with
heavy inner meaning. The birth of Karna, the son of the Sun-God, born with
in-built armour for protection. As long as such an armour exist, the warrior
can never ever be defeated in a battle.
An Imaginary Chat 4
“ I used to emphasize intense meditation over a long duration. The Lord
created a scenario where I was taken to a Zen master. A very different form of
ideology was put forward by the master. Actual sitting meditation need not be
for long hours. Anything a person do in his daily life is meditation. It
incorporates concentration.”
Let’s
try to quantify concentration in numbers, in a fictitious manner. Instead of
money account, let it be concentration account. The amount of concentration in
seconds, minutes, hours, days, months etc.
Achieving
a certain level, say siddhis, require a certain level of concentration in the
account. Anyone who achieves the required account gets the siddhi.
Consider
two people at the same level of spirituality. One person did intense
meditation, thereby fast-tracking the amount of concentration. The
concentration account increases by hours, random jumps. He builds up his
account in one life time to the required level of siddhi and achieves that
stage.
The
other person did not fast track. He lived a normal day-to-day life like the
ordinary masses. He used to sleep as everyone. He works. He drives vehicle. He
does his prayers and so on. BUT in all these activities, concentration account
is slowly increasing in seconds, minutes. For any job or work or activity, be
it mental or manual require concentration. He died and again came back in human
form and lived normally. Again the concentration began to accumulate from the
previous left-off level. After a certain number of births, his account
equalized with that amount required for reaching that specific spiritual stage.
He also achieves the “siddhi”.
If
we look from such an angle, all human beings, man or woman are actually monks
and nuns in training on a daily basis. But living in an ignorant state of who
and what they are.
Yes,
on the battle field, Lord Krishna advises the four stage of life – brahmacharya
etc for the ordinary masses. The ones who sleep. He also mentions the
exceptional case of those who slowly wake up. Such exceptions do not follow the
four stages, for they are already in the true state of monk-hood – the only state or way of life of
a human being.
6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec.
- Hebrews 5:6 ::
King James Version (KJV)
So,
is concentration, the true activity going on everywhere? Any part of the
planet. By one way or other? Be it “good” or “evil”. Any job. Any work. Any
activity.
What
else?
Energy
concentration. Concentration of energy.
Pure Tantrism
There are schools of thought which consider Pure
Celibates like Lord Shiva, Adi Sankaracharya as pure tantrics. In pure
tantrism, the concept of fusion is NOT the lower level meaning - the
“copulation” between a man and a woman. It involves a higher meaning, the
fusion of the individual soul with the universal soul. The fusion or
“copulation” of the individual energy with the higher energy, the surrounding
energy. The one who slowly “wakes up”.
The pure tantrics are celibates abstaining from all forms of verbal,
bodily and mental sexual relations of the lower order. Many, especially outside
India, mis-understand the “phallus” symbol of the Shiva linga to portray the
lower order meaning.
Tantrism includes a set of methods, …which aim at getting a transmutation of the
energies at work in the human being.
…tantric practices emphasize the
importance of the Shakti…
Hatha Yoga is fundamentaly a
tantric way…
…is not permitted to culminate
in the ejaculation…
(Reference: 94)
An interesting example is given in the legendary
records pertaining the life of Adi Sankaracharya. The adept left his body in
yogic meditation and entered the body of a king, thereby “learning” or
“enjoying” the “physical” or “lower-level” fusion. The adept’s own body
retained its purity.
Note 3 Censored
There used to be a law in the Wild West. 80% of problems
in a society are caused by 20% of people. A handful of criminals. Such criminal
behaviour can be avoided only by physically eliminating those 20%. The concept
introduced gun-running and taking of justice in one’s own hand in the Wild
West. The period of the American Civil war.
The above 80-20 rule is applicable in many a
scenario. It is a statistical /economical concept.
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that
are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more
than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof: from such turn away.
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth.
- 2 Timothy
3:1-5,7
As long as adequate physical torture is not there for
those who violate the law, it provides the best breeding ground for those who
sit on the fence to exhibit criminal behaviour. For, there is no one in the
land to question or punish the crime, threat, conspiracy, “would-be” crime etc.
So there comes a psychological attitude, to do anything one want or desire, no
matter what. If such be the result, then whereto the society? Whereto the
written laws, if the people themselves start to violate the laws of behaviour,
the laws of etiquette, the laws of protocol?
Laurentius, a Christian deacon, is said to have been martyred by
the Romans in 258 AD on an iron outdoor stove. It was in the midst of this
torture that Laurentius supposedly cried out: "I am already roasted
on one side and, if thou wouldst have me well cooked, it is time to turn me on
the other." (Reference: 122)
There used to be a time where immoral women,
adulterous women etc. were dealt with, by the community in public. The public
justice. The act of throwing stones and separation of such women from the
community. (Also check reference: 142 and 143) A variant still exist, in
certain Islamic countries where the Shariat Law is enforced. The act of public
whipping or flogging of the immoral women.
Let it be any society. There is a psychological
attitude whenever the ruling government tries to enforce mass conscription to
the military.
Suddenly “too much illness” in society – this
illness, that illness etc. Fake certificates “proving” the presence of
diseases. All excuses to escape compulsory conscription to the military. Also
check reference: 135.
If we try to advise somebody nowadays, “Look, this is
the way Lord Jesus lived. This is the way Lord Buddha lived. Do this. Don’t do
that. Conserve this. Don’t waste that. That is a wrong way of life…” what
happens?
The goat stands ready to fight:
·
Who are you to say that?
·
Don’t you have anything else to do?
·
What do you want? Etc.
Like “instant coffee”, instant anger! Grating of
teeth! Flexing of muscles!
If we find somebody violating the law, and try to approach
them to correct their ways, then
- Mind
your own business! Will you?
- Where
is the proof of violation?
It seems anything is permitted, nowadays.
A vow of silence will be far better. Patiently
watching everything…
The Lord is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient!
gr… the tiger growls! Who is the tiger? Ego. The
gung-ho of modern man. The “Rambo” of modern society.
Everywhere. Ego. Ego. Ego.
If only man watched the stem of a slender plant. A
sharp knife. A good cut. The stem is cut off into two. How fragile the plant
stem!
So too the human body. A sharp sword. A good cut. The
body is cut off into two. How fragile the human body!
Yet, watch the “Rambos”! The “dare-devils”!
Isn’t the gung-ho just a mental perception, a
make-belief of “I am a big-man”?
Go anywhere in society. Modern youth is a typical
case of this “I am a big-man” perception. Self-styled heroes and heroines.
Money, food, drink, women/men, flashy car/bike, … . A crazy immoral world.
Note 4 Censored
Once Adi
Shankaracharya and his disciples came across a Chandala (Lord Shiva, in
disguise). Untouchability times were those days. “Move away, move away. Make
way for the saint!” cried the disciples. “Whom to move – the impermanent body,
or the permanent, all-prevading body” – asked the Chandala, in return.
Note 5 Censored
A Feedback System
Any
system got an input and an output. In a feedback system, a part of the output
is fed back to the input as a corrective mechanism. Such a system is
self-sustaining. Constantly changing its own output, depending on its
environment. In other words, a case of “trial and error”. Some of the output or
actions may be wrong. Not worth imitating. But there are invisible helpers
who monitor the actions and discuss the pro and cons. That discussion
constitutes the vital feedback to the system. Subsequent modification is
brought about. Many of the concepts are thus “indirectly taught and
learned”
by the grace of the Lord. As long as the foundation stone of the eight laws of
purity hold, there is nothing to fear. The ultimate goal will be achieved when
the time ripens. Failures or mistakes that can happen are always stepping-stone
to success. The thorny path gets more used to or well-tred. Praise the Lord!
The
above paragraph indirectly makes clear the role of action. The tremendous importance attached
to one’s action. Action decides one’s way of life. So watch one’s own actions.
Correct it, if there is a mistake. By Lord’s grace, there are certain actions
which occur. An easy correction may not be possible in a certain environment.
Note and watch for remedy. Wait with patience and observe.
Planning and Tomorrow
Tomorrow
I have to do this. Tomorrow I have to do that. The next day this, that. The next
week, this, that. The next month this, that. And so on. Planning. A lot of
planning. For whom?
Imagine
one trying to save his life from drowning in an ocean. He even holds on to a
piece of straw and fight to save his life.
Ask
him: Do you have planning?
Planning
for what?
A
trip to Hell?
A
trip to Heaven?
All
his efforts are concentrated to saving himself. Where is the time, the leisure
time, of course, to plan, to re-plan, to change plan again?
He
only wants to save his life NOW. He lives NOW. This very moment.
Who
cares what happens tomorrow, the next day or whatever. If he can’t save his
life now, if he can’t live now, will there be a tomorrow?
“There’s nothing up ahead that’s any better than it is right here.”
(Reference: Pirsig, Robert M. (1984) Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance. New York, USA: Bantam Books. ISBN: 0-553-27747-2. Page: 43.)
Weapons and Closing Range
What
is a bayonet?
A
knife fixed at the end of the rifle.
If
the enemy is far, you shoot with the rifle.
If
the enemy is closer, near to you, you use the bayonet to face to face fighting.
What
happens if the enemy or enemies closes in still nearer?
To
use the bayonet effectively, you need a sufficient range. If sufficient range
is not there, the rifle as well as the bayonet is of no use.
Hand
to hand fighting.
When
surrounded by enemies, can a single hand be effective?
You
use both hands for fighting. Those who read the biography of the Japanese
legendary warrior, Musashi, recall how he faced a battle surrounded from all sides,
outnumbered. He would have been destroyed if he had fought with just one sword
in one hand. He devised his own fighting technique, customized to his
environment, a long sword and a short sword. He fought with both hands. The
objective being, to inflict maximum damage possible on the enemies. They are
many in number. In his scenario, maximum damage means to wound gravely or kill
as many as possible. A slight wound will make the wounded twice strong. So, no
question of inflicting small wounds in an outnumbered scenario. There is no
point in using a shield in the other hand, for self-defense either. You die one
way or the other.
That
is with swords, which still have a range.
How
about martial arts, the hand to hand combat? Every part of the body, no matter
what, not just hands, is a weapon. How to subdue the enemy? It is not a play of
fingers, like using Chinese chop-sticks for eating food.
Why Imaginary Chats?
What
is the point in quoting the above imaginary chats or scenarios?
Many take
religion, spiritual practices etc as only for those, who doesn’t have any other
job to do.
May
be right in a certain scenario.
But
for those who have had such “big, big jobs”, “many, many, things”, “thousands
of things” to do, what have you actually gained in life?
Maybe
a wife who was “beautiful” once upon a time or maybe now also; maybe a couple
of kids or more or less. Maybe some bank-balance. Maybe some property and
furniture. Many some prestige among your clansmen. What else? Happy? Satisfied?
But,
from where you came, you did not bring any of these things. Some of the above
“assets” could have been ancestral, passed on from one’s parents.
When
you leave this body, do you really think you can take all this fruits of
“hard-work” along with you?
Why not
go somewhere far-away, alone, be solitary and secluded for a while and ponder
this question?
For
whom all this sweating? Hardwork etc.
Many
pondered before. You are not the first or the last one.
I did
not say one should not study, nor one should not work.
29 And yet I say unto you, That even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the
grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall
he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the
Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these
things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you.
-
Matthew 6:29-33 :: King James Version (KJV)
But,
there is a world different from what many live in, from what is usually taught in
“big” universities.
A
world that is very near to you, but very far.
A world in your own mind, devoid of impurities. The Kingdom of
the Lord.
All
this experiences and writings are only to let others know the existence of such
a world, long forgotten by many a men, many a “genius” of modern society.
Praise the Lord.
Have
the right way of life. Then study, make money by right means and whatever else,
the environment calls you to undergo.
We
only want one to know one’s own weaknesses and control them.
There
are many who ran after money, without heeding their weaknesses. When they made
money, money in turn fueled their weaknesses, leading to their complete
destruction.
This
writing only asks you to find your weaknesses, control them, be cautious in
your path. Any path with controlled weakness leads you to the Lord. But to
control weakness properly, you have to lead a different way of life.
Being
born human, every man have human weaknesses. As long as one is a human-being,
no one can destroy human weaknesses. They are part of human nature. One can
only control them to a certain extent. The more one goes after other interests,
one loses control of his weaknesses. Something like a jinni locked inside a
bottle, coming out, the moment the lid is less tight. The moment you lack
concentration on your weakness, the weakness will rule you. The jinni will
control you. You become a servant of the jinni, a servant of your own weakness.
It goes on for ever unless and until, you cut the path feeding the weakness
off.
…Ganesh has the capacity
to reduce all the human weaknesses, such as jealousy, drunkeness, illusion,
greed, anger, desire, egotism, self-infatuation (arrogance), which send the
devotee away from his path to god. We must notice that the battle against these enemies
of the human being are really the basis of the sadhana for the spiritual seeker. But, for all that, the demons are not
definitely destroyed. They are only under
control and the spiritual path only allows this result.
(Reference: 93)
Take
a plastic bag or cover and fill it with water. The cover or bag hold the water.
What happens if there is a hole in the bag. Slowly the water will drain off.
Many a weakness, many a hole in the bag. However hard you fill, slowly the
water drains off. So what use is all the hard-work? So too your weakness.
However hard, however much, one makes money, if you have weakness, the money
will drain away slowly. So which first? Should you first put an effective
control or lid on your weakness or jump straight away for money-making? Is
money the only weakness? How about spending money? There are chronic shoppers,
who buy this and that. How about women? How about watching vulgar shows? Why
vulgar shows alone? How about being a sports fan? What about food? The list is
endless. Weaknesses go on and on. Some disguise as pas-time. Some as hobbies.
It all narrows down to the basic question “what is the ultimate goal?”
Weaknesses can be rooted out with the help of the above question. Slowly and
slowly, cleaned away.
Many
don’t even accept that they have weaknesses. Many live under the assumption
“all perfect”. Unfortunately, there is no perfect human being. According to
ancient Theosophical records, Man himself is born imperfect. One whose
evolution is incomplete. Why? Ever watched a human baby? Until the human baby
reaches a certain age, it is a “sitting duck”. Can be destroyed by any harmful
organism, say, even a meat eating ferocious dog. It need protection. Care.
Vulnerable to external threat, danger. Cannot protect itself. Not stand-alone.
That is not the evolution end-result expected on the seed of Man, classified as
“highly evolved”. Many a change, many an evolution still remains.
All
Perfect state is only for the invisible Lord, the Purest. Not for any human
being.
More
information on Reference: 107, dealing with women as weakness or addiction. (To
a man, woman is one of the major five evils)
A Gambling weakness
"The whole issue of why one needs to gamble in order to find stimulation and
excitation in life, those are the issues that need to be
addressed."
'What have you got to show for it? And if you don't change, your
life is virtually over.'
(Reference:
118)
A weakness for quick money
They believe the water in the puddle
will relieve pain and bring good fortune and say it is being guarded by a
frog.
Many visitors to the site have left
incense, flowers and candles when they came to pray while others have being asking
the frog for this month's lottery numbers.
The frog is said to be weak and close to death because many
people have being rubbing talcum powder into its skin in the hope of seeing the
lottery numbers.
(Reference:
219)
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The Buddha likened material gains to
excrement (see A.V.196), and when excrement is shared out there is rarely any
point in complaining about who gets the choicest
portions.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)
The Buddhist Monastic Code Volume I The Patimokkha Training Rules Translated
& Explained Chapter Chapter Eight. Part Two: The Living Plant Chapter (Reference: 18)
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“Somebody finally made the right observation.
If I just wrote some spiritual concepts alone, it won’t “sell”.
But when I add “imaginary chats”, what you have is “hot cakes!”
A unique way of advertising Energy, the Invisible Living Lord!
Why some of the chats pertain to the other side?
We are dealing with a ‘modern’ environment, a high-tech society
Imagine making a movie nowadays:
There are certain things the movie require, in present society to
“sell”, “to get the returns back”
So too the book. Using the very concepts the society understand, I
just bring the hidden spiritual meaning from below, as I learned and
understood.
Plain spiritual concepts make a modern man sleepy. It need to be a bit
“impure” in nature, to show the “pure” in a relative sense. In short, a bit
“sexy”. Not too much. Not too little. The middle way of preaching.
Normal Life
“Well, look around!
Don’t you see how men and women live in society, the “happy,
normal, life”. Don’t you have a “life”?
Do you want to stay “single” for ever??”
What is this “life”? The hint lies in the following passage:
“For the Muslims of Mecca, whose
foremost concerns were the realisation of divine unity within the heart, reflection
upon death and the transient nature of the world the Shari'ah was a road whose
signposts were the divine revelations which continuously unfolded on the tongue
and in the actions of the Prophet.
By establishing boundaries, the Shari'ah prevents
the dissipation of energy and directs its practitioner along the swiftest
and easiest path to fulfilment. The basic role of Shari'ah is to prevent and
resolve social confusion and discord. It is a course of disciplines, which
combines to give a person a firm grip upon divine guidance so that distraction
and turbulence are minimised. Every law stems from Allah's commandment to
Adam:
And do not draw near to this tree so that
you become one of the wrongdoers (Holy Qur'an 2:35)
The tree symbolised the dispersion
(disturbance of the earth) and transience of all that is in creation.
Attraction to the fruit removed Adam and Hawa (Eve) FROM THE REALM OF UNITY TO
THE REALM OF SEPARATION, from beyond time and space into time and
space dimension. Any action, which is not in harmony with Allah's way, will
do the same, and is thus a fruit of the same tree, which must be avoided.
The approach to the Shari'ah begins from
where you are. Initially the nafs (self) resists accepting it. It
is felt to be restrictive and limiting. But this is only because of our
ego and its short-sightedness. The misconception that knowledge broadens
the way and increases choice plays a major role in the way people approach the
Shari'ah wrongly. The truth is that the way narrows and choice
decreases with the increase in knowledge. You become aware that this is
beneficial and that is harmful.
In the beginning, application of the
Shari'ah is based on the trust that it is the divinely revealed way. Later on
it is based on knowledge and conviction. Ultimately, it becomes outer
law and direction mirroring inner knowledge and true awareness. When this occurs, you are
free within limitation - a soul within a body. Otherwise
everything is in varying degree of chaos.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) gave the
ideal approach to application of the Shari'ah when he said: Even if one does not
attain everything, one does not abandon everything.” (Reference: 35)
A
strange cross-road! One way if you go, you separate your body, you give a part
to a woman, whether it be legal as marriage or illegal as illicit relation. The
other way if you go, you separate yourself from society, and give yourself to
the invisible Lord.
Let
one be wise and decide oneself. It is indeed a cross-road. The moment you
select and follow one path, there is no point in returning back to the
cross-road and start again.
There
are many who made mistakes, suffered the reaction and started anew.
So
based on the contents of this book, decide your own life.
Isn’t such a person a “dead” man?
Yes. A sort of. A living man but a dead man.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
-
2 Corinthians 5:17 :: King James Version (KJV)
A
“dead” man never worries about death. After all, what is death? Just a change
of form. So why worry? Energy is never destroyed. Imagine a field after a long
period of neglect, what could happen? A lot of weeds. Unwanted. Unproductive.
Taking away or using valuable resources or minerals. So, one day, the field
have to be tilled for new, edible and useful crops. All the weeds to be
destroyed. Fresh cultivation starts again. A natural process of cultivation. So
nothing is gained by lamenting. There is a time, one way or other, for each and
every person to leave, to return home. Why always play in the Lord’s
playground?
O Children of the Lord! Don’t you want to return home? The Lord earnestly
looks forward for the return. The return of the children is something longed by
the Lord. So be happy. Smile always. Praise the Lord.
For whom all this, hardship etc?
- For the
invisible Lord!
- To the
invisible Lord!
- In the
Name of the Lord!
The Way of Life
Many
don’t experience a different way of life. A life of pain and suffering. Many do
their best to avoid pain, suffering, even escape beating. A constant fixed life
without pain. Anything outside is not accepted. So what could be the case when
one becomes one’s own judge and beat himself for his own mistakes? Might be
mad?
If one
dresses in complete white attire and moves around in society, some people say,
that is a widower, according to some Tibetans. To some others, a diseased man!
Many a comment.
The
mentality, the outlook, the perception – towards pain, suffering, hardship need
to be changed. One ought to accept pain as part of every day life. The quest is
not for NO Pain. NO Pain, NO Gain. If you want to achieve something, go forward in
your spiritual training, then pain have to be one of your close friends.
Anekanta:- It is the fundamental
principle of Jainism. It means that every object has many characteristics. By making observation
differently, an object can be perceived in different ways. An object can be seen as good and
bad simultaneously. Anekant calls this fusion, contradictory. A person who
realises this truth is neutral towards life and death, remains indifferent to change and
stability, is bereft of hatred and is materialistically detached. A person who
believes in Anekant perceives truth vividly and does not have any bias
as such. He lives with a feeling of balance and equity. This is referred
to as Syaadvaad. According to Jains, this means, with some
expectation or purpose. A person possessing this quality sees the good as well
as bad side in every aspect of his life. (Reference: 114)
Note 8 Censored
Purity and Relationship
Purity involves celibacy. Abstaining from sexual
relations, be it any form. Just like concentration levels, there are levels of
purity. Purity and concentration are linked concepts, all going towards the
common goal.
When one trains sincerely and goes beyond a certain
level, its influence affects the immediate relatives like father, mother etc.
You don’t have to be near them. You can even be on the other side of the
planet, in another country or whatever. The concepts of purity maps into their
life-style. There are also occasions where purity is forcibly “enforced” into
their life-style. For example, slipping and falling of one of the parents,
resulting in “breaking” of the back. Such forcible change prevents any further
bodily sexual relationship or the acts of relationship.
If concepts of such serious nature occur, it can be
inferred that certain paths or levels are irreversible. Not to be played with.
Once the body is thus chained, the process of
cleaning the mind commences.
Little Children
Imagine a flower plant. All flowers in the plant may
not blossom at the same time. The flowers may blossom at different times. Some are
buds. Some are at intermediate level. So too the human population, the children
of the Lord. Those flowers that can blossom completely in the immediate future
are the “little children”. Of all the children of the Lord, the little children
are given special preference by the Lord.
When we consider the human population in the planet
as a whole, there are hundreds and hundreds of little children spread across
the planet. Many are in the “sleepy” stage.
They can be easily identified. They may be very old.
But without any makeup or cosmetics, they look very young for their age. Those
who reversed their cycle of normal growth. Handsome, innocent and good-looking.
Cute to look at, like a small and beautiful cat. They are the “chosen”, the
little children of the Lord. Men and women who devoted many a previous lifetime
for the welfare of the Lord, reborn to complete their last stages of birth
cycle.
"His saints are lovely in His sight,…
(Reference: 225)
Being sleepy like small kids, they can be woken up.
Move them away from their parents and relatives, alone in a very young age
itself. Say 15 to 20 years old. Send them far away from home for living alone
or for studies. The invisible Lord will take care of them. Scenarios will
unfurl before them. Experiences which will train them on the path of purity,
celibacy, ascetism.
Such little children will do good for mankind or the
immediate community if they can work in a nearby temple of the Lord, no matter
what religion. Compared to an ordinary priest, such re-incarnated have more
access to the Lord. Such men and women if they can pray for others (which they
normally will) are of good benefit for the community.
According to Saint Adi Sankaracharya, the
re-incarnated or transformed little ones are the true Brahmins, the “men of the
Lord”. One need not be born in a Brahmin family to be a Brahmin. Those who
undergo transformation, depending on their work or job also can become a
Brahmin.
The
level of purity and concentration of the little children are at a level higher
than the normal masses. That explains their “youth” condition. It is strongly
advised that little children should maintain celibacy. Should not indulge in
any form of sexual relationship. Yet, by observation, there are many a little
children who went to the wrong side unknowingly of their true state and
suffered disastrous consequences. Ignorance of the Holy of the Holies, the Laws
of the Lord is NOT an excuse before the Lord. Many a little children got
mesmerized by the pleasures of the Environment, the pleasures of the Mother
Earth. Why should not be mesmerized? Such is the state of “Maya”, “illusion”,
“Mirage”. Also refer the concepts given in Cresmolawrescape on the re-awakening of desire in the
man who “dies” (an educational copy is given in the references).
Any normal person gets hypnotized by the surrounding
environment. There is a remarkable episode in the ancient legends:
29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as
I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder
shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how
that the earth is the LORD's.
-
Exodus 9:29 :: King James Version (KJV)
The Supreme Lord, took the form of Varaha, the wild
boar to save Mother Earth. After saving Her from disaster, what happened to the
Lord?
Narada, the sage who constantly chants the sacred
mantra “Narayana, Narayana…” couldn’t find the Lord back at the abode, Vaikuntha.
The Sage got worried, “What happened to the Lord? The mission to save Mother
Earth is complete and successful. But where is the Lord?”. The sage searched
and searched for the Lord, traveling to many a place.
Finally he found the Lord. Still in the Varaha form.
With lot of little varahas. Playing and rolling in the mud with the little ones
in a sacred part of Mother Earth. Completely captivated by the maya of
pleasures, of happiness. Doesn’t remember Vaikuntha, nor want to go anywhere.
Just play and be happy. The Sage got worried. “Narayana”, “Narayana”. What will
happen to the three worlds, if the supreme Lord himself got captivated,
enchanted? Lord, Can’t you see who you really are? Can’t you come back?
Will anybody living in a state of “immense happiness”
like to be pulled away from that state? No. Lord Varaha and the little ones are
very reluctant to move away from the maya. Finally, sage Narada had to show the
Lord, his true form and nature by singing praise and adoration of the divine
form. The Lord on realizing his “mistake” returned to his abode.
If such be the power of maya to captivate, enchant,
what will be the state of ordinary mortals?
What are the disastrous consequences?
Based on the surroundings, since everyone does the
vulgar things, the little children also yearn to follow likewise. But the state
of purity have the adverse effect. To cut off any path to vulgarity. Bodily
deformation, paralysis, lack of progeny, serious illness etc either to the
ignorant little child or to the spouse, being the diverse methods of cutting
off or separating the body from doing the vulgar act. By one way or the other
the pure energy maintains its purity level.
Case 1
An Imaginary Chat 5
“A rendezvous or chance meeting
Something rare. Hard to meet a little
one. Yet I met a little child once on a train journey. A middle aged man of
around 45 years old. So young and handsome. But can hardly walk. Paralysis on
one side of the body. He was assisted in many of his personal activities –
walking, eating food, combing hair etc – by a beautiful woman, his wife. I
observed them closely. A sad state of life. A life which went wrong against the
Law of the Lord, for which that little child had to “suffer”. Was it really
suffering? He may not know that the Lord wishes his body purity ought to be
maintained, no matter how he might have thought otherwise. The consequence of a
wrong view to go to the other side, to marry and live like everyone else. But
alas! All are at different stages of returning. That little one got enchanted
by the “maya”. No progeny. Nothing. Just the two of them. The wife, ignorant of
her husband’s true state, suffers silently and looks after him as if “fate”.
Was it really “fate” or ignorance of the Holy laws? That unnecessary suffering
could have been avoided, had the little child known himself, many a year ago! I
can only pray to the Lord, to lessen his suffering, his pain…
Case 2
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Reference
D(avid) H(erbert) Lawrence (1885-1930)
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/dhlawren.htm
Lady Chatterley's Lover - Constance Chatterley
is married to Sir Clifford, a mineowner in Derbyshire. A war wound has left
him impotent and paralyzed. Constance has a brief affair with a young
playwright and then enters into a passionate relationship with Sir Cliffords
gamekeeper, Oliver Melloers. Connie becomes pregnant. Sir Clifford refuses to
give a divorce and the lovers wait for better time when they could be united. - One of the models for
the cuckolder-gamekeeper was Angelino Ravagli, who received half the Lawrence
estate after Frieda's death. "Necessary, forever necessary, to burn out
false shames and smelt the heaviest ore of the body into purity."
(Cross-reference: D.H. Lawrence died in
Vence, France on March 2, 1930. Frieda (d. 1956) moved to the Kiowa Ranch and
built a small memorial chapel to Lawrence; his ashes lie there. In 1950 she married Angelino
Ravagli, a former Italian infantry officer, with whom she had started an
affair in 1925.)
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Instead of idle chatter, watching unwanted shows,
having unwanted hobbies etc, if man had read the various translations of the
sacred religious texts, whatever be the religion, how knowledgeable it would
have been!!
Body and Mind
Natural growth cycle can always be reversed with
intense spiritual practices, like prayer, fasting, meditation etc. There are
many examples that can be observed in society, where very old men and women
look young, regain eye-sight, develop a charismatic/cute face etc by virtue of
deep spiritual beliefs and practice. (Cute face: baby-like face, something you
look and keep on looking)
How is one’s mind – good, bad, evil? A good observer
can note or discern it from the face of a person itself. A face without any
makeup or cosmetics reveals one’s own mind. For what is inside, so will be the outside.
Many hide their true nature with excessive “beautification”.
Note 9 Censored
Dwelling
The room you dwell, the house you dwell, treat them
as you treat your own body.
Any organism have body openings for input and output.
In man, nasal opening for input air, mouth opening
for input meals (food and water), anus for output hard excreta (fecal matter),
urinal opening for liquid excreta (urine)
So too a room. So too a house.
The doors for entry. Windows for air inflow and
outflow. Ventilator for air circulation. Ensure the rooms are provided with a
drainage hole or exit for cleaning purposes, just like a human body. Ensure
those exit holes are cleaned thoroughly and frequently.
Just like a living human body, so too a room is
“living”. So too a house is “living”. Ensure its purity and sanctity, for Godly
purposes.
Just like you refrain from impure activities, refrain
from allowing any form of impure activities inside your room, inside your
house.
The act of killing, the act of immoral activities etc
all destroy the sanctity of a room, house, property etc.
A house or room where someone was killed or abused,
always holds the impure nature in its surroundings, haunting many a future
occupant.
So be wise. Control your actions and activities.
In many western countries, due to the severity of
cold during winter, many a house is constructed as artificial “incubators”. All
sealed up for internal heating. Floors are carpeted for fashion. The ancient
laws of proper architecture for constructing a living house are thrown in the
wind, neglected. Prolonged staying in such incubators have an adverse effect on
the human mind. Becomes very vulgar in a short time. No drainage exit, proper
ventilation etc. All artificial heating and cooling as you live inside a “test
tube”.
Know well the surroundings you live. How they affect
your body. All are linked. There is nothing separate.
Personal Items
Just like the dwelling, so too are the personal items
“living”. Taking others personal items is not advised. It carries a part of their
“attachment”, “belongingness”
Vehicles like car that modern man use in day-to-day
life is to be kept just as mentioned above. Those who have underwent car-racing
or high speed driving, understand the strange psychological scenario where man
and machine become One. High speed driving of more than 140 km/hr induces such
a condition.
In modern times, especially in west, the personal
vehicle is treated in a very impure manner, against the sanctity of the Lord.
Such practices are not advised.
Journal
A serious practitioner or trainee should maintain a
personal journal or diary. A journal of all his main activities, meditation
time etc. What is the training after all? Chaining the body within the eight or
higher laws. Then cleaning the mind. So you are constantly watching your mind.
Constant vigil. Strange occurrences, visions, dreams etc. that occur in your mind should be noted down in your
journal. They are your feedback for corrective purposes. The mind thus teaches
you many things, for the pure mind is the Kingdom of the Lord. True masters of orthodox
monasteries have frequent sessions with their disciples, just like a doctor
having consultation with his patients. Majority of doctors other than
psychologists treat bodily ailments, while the adepts, masters, abbots treat
their disciples or “patients” for mental “ailments”.
If we look from that angle, hospitals are actually
places to treat bodily ailments. Places of worship are places to treat mental
ailments.
In Zen monasteries the master gives riddles to solve
to the trainees. The riddles are called “koans”, logical questions which can
solved only through heavy meditation. There are Zen monasteries with daily 12
hours of sitting meditation or more. Reference 132 gives a trainee’s experience
in a Japanese Zen monastery.
Normal meditation centres, which are monasteries have
sessions with the master or abbot at the end of each day’s meditation sitting.
The main events that pass through the meditator’s mind is talked or discussed
with the abbot. Using such mental analysis, proper corrective measures are
suggested by the abbott according to the laws of Dharma. Thus mental cleaning
is accelerated.
Thus the journal becomes a vital source for
self-analysis.
The following is a sample for mental analysis, followed
by certain Buddhist monasteries in Malaysia, where training is provided on
Vipassana form of meditation – the private discussion between the Abbott of the
monastery and the trainee. No outsider is allowed to listen to such
discussions. Something similar to the confession of a true Christian and a
priest in a Church, but more advanced. (There are diverse schools of
meditation. The two main ones are Vipassana and Shamatha form)
What is vipassana?
In the Pali language of the early
Buddhist texts, vipassana means insight. It is often used to
describe one of the two main categories of Buddhist meditation (the other being
samatha or tranquillity). The term may
correctly be applied to any Buddhist meditation technique that aims for a complete
understanding of the Three Characteristics - dukkha (suffering or
unsatisfactoriness), anicca (impemanence) and anatta (not-Self).
(Reference: 246)
(The exact source of this document is kept classified
for privacy reasons of the specific monastery)
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How Yogis Should
Report During Interviews
This is a format for reporting yogi’s
meditation experiences:
1. First describe the primary object,
that is, rising and falling or sitting and touching.
Describe:
a)
the rising/occurrence of the object
b)
how you noted it, and
c)
what you observed or experienced
E.g.
I observed the rising of the abdomen. I
noted it as “rising” and I observed stretching, pressure, tightness, (and so
on).
I observed the falling of the abdomen.
I noted it as “falling” and I observed heaviness, stretching, fading away, (and
so on).
2. Describe how concurrent the knowing
of the object was, and how continuously you could observe it.
E.g.
The knowing came only after the “rising”
had occurred and I could only observe one or two risings and fallings before
the mind wandered off;
OR
The knowing of the object occurred at
the very moment of its rising and duration, and I could observe the rising and falling
continuously for 20 to 30 times before wandering off.
OR if you noted sitting and touching:
I noted sitting and observed my upright
posture. I observed stiffness, tension (and so on). I then noted touching at
the right buttock. I labelled it as “touching” and I observed hardness,
pressure, warmth (and so on). I then noted my sitting followed by touching at
the left buttock. I observed … I then noted sitting again and touching at the
hands. I observed … I could note only for a few rounds before my mind wandered
off. I had to keep bringing my mind back to the noting.
It is most important to describe the
primary objects accurately using clear, simple and precise language. Only after
that you may go on to report secondary objects noted or clearly experienced in
the sitting meditation.
3. Describe secondary objects which are
clearly observed and noted during sitting.
E.g.
bodily sensations, pain, itch,
thoughts, wandering mind, planning, remembering, mental states such as anger,
pride, happiness, and so on.
Please relate the following information
for each object observed:
a)
The rising of the object: E.g. Pain arose in the knee.
b)
What you did, I noted it as “pain,
pain”.
how
you noted it:
c)
What you observed: I observed stabbing pain.
d)
What happened to The stabbing pain changed to hard pain.
the
object:
e)
What you did next: I noted it as “hard, hard”.
f)
What you observed: I observed slow pulsating hardness.
g)
What happened: As I noted it, it
decreased.
4. After reporting on sitting, you may
report on walking meditation. Again, first describe the primary objects: lifting, moving,
placing.
E.g.
During walking, I lifted the leg, noted
“lifting” and observed X, Y, Z. Moving the leg forward, I noted “moving” and
observed A, B, C. When placing the foot down, I noted “placing” and observed L,
M, N. I was able to note continuously for five steps before the mind wandered
off … I was distracted by sights and sounds …
Secondary objects may then be reported
in their entire process:
E.g.
a)
When the mind wandered off, I was aware of it
immediately.
b)
I noted “wandering”.
c)
The thought disappeared, and I returned to
observe the lifting, moving, placing.
This format for describing experiences
in meditation has proven extremely helpful for many yogis. It orients the mind
to staying on the meditation track through the unfolding of the entire range of
what may be happening in our minds and bodies.
Whatever you experience in practice can
be included in your report, whether it is happy concentrated states of mind,
periods of difficult emotions or thoughts or strong hindrances. The greatest
benefit of this particular way of describing your meditation is that it helps to focus
mindfulness directly on the happenings rather than getting
lost on discursive thinking about what is happening. This facilitates
communication in the report, and deeply strengthens awareness, clarity and
understanding in the meditation.
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According to the practice lineage, if one is able to practise
Buddhism wholeheartedly, properly, meditation is one's food, meditation is
one's partner, meditation is one's wealth, meditation fulfils every aspect of
one's needs and wants! Reference: 127
In many a Buddhist monastery, meditation being an
inbuilt component of Buddhist practice, free meditation classes are provided by
trained monks, supervised by the Abbott, the head of the monastery. Since true
knowledge is free, true centres of training NEVER EVER charge a fee for the
meditation program.
If one stays in the monastery for a few days or more,
then some amount is offered as donation as boarding charges. In many
monasteries, it is upto the trainee to donate whatever he or she want. No fixed
boarding charge.
There are also centres of meditation which are not
Buddhist monasteries. Many of them charge exorbitant or heavy fees for a few
days of supervised meditation sitting. Most of them are not by Buddhist monks,
but professional laymen. Not recommended.
Check Reference 131 for more information on
meditation as well as Buddhist centres around the world.
May you be happy!! Praise the Lord!
"Truly,
wisdom springs from meditation;
without
meditation, wisdom wanes;
having
known these two paths
of
progress and decline,
let
one conduct oneself
so
that wisdom may increase."
- Dhammapada, 282
Those who do get interested in the above spiritual
concepts can get together as a group. Contact any of the Buddhist centres from
Reference 131. Contact preferably those monasteries with serious meditation
training. If some of the group members can provide a piece of land or whatever
for a monk or nun to stay to train others, it will be beneficial to the
community. If a group of people can contact any monastery and ask for the
arrival of a monk or nun, they come. They can be invited. The monks and nuns go
anywhere in the world to teach meditation, for meditation is the foundation of
Buddhist ideology. Contact northern Buddhist temples, preferably from Tibet,
Taiwan or Japan. Burmese monks are known for Vipassana meditation. The Goenka method of
Vipassana meditation has Burmese roots. They are well-known internationally for
heavy meditation training. There are Burmese monasteries in India as well as Tibetan.
Tibetan is more exoteric, on the Vajrayana side, with associated rituals.
Tantric oriented. Some Tibetan monasteries have less meditation. Instead too
much of chanting. Thai monasteries are also well-known. Forest monks like
Anjahn Chah did a lot of teaching or transmission of the Dharma
internationally. “Anjahn” in Thai means Master. Equivalent words are “Sifu” in
Taiwanese, “Sensai” in Japanese for Master. Burmese and Thai temples come under
the Southern school of Buddhism, but famous for their versions of meditation.
Any man or woman can meditate. There is no religious separation there. All
knowledge is free. For Lord Himself is the source of knowledge. But, it is YOU
who have to sit and learn. Train yourself.
“Be still, and know that I am
God;…
-
Psalm 46:10 :: New King James Version (NKJV)
A horse can be taken to a river, to drink water. It
is the horse to drink.
An Imaginary Chat 6
“A Strange Outcome
Sometime into the future,
Even if I genuinely don’t know anything,
and sit somewhere, or walk somewhere, will the people ever believe - that I
really, really don’t know anything??
What a strange outcome!
Lord! How strange are your ways!
Lord! I am being made an “actor”!
I only wanted seclusion, to be alone. But
… What a publicity!
Everything I do is becoming a “show”
Strange! Should I be run away to a desert,
Lord!
"[A]ll leaders--especially charismatic leaders--are at
heart the creation of their followers." Reference:
134
I prefer not to believe the above quote.
But …
It is better that I don’t know anything.”
Snooping devices
Personally I dislike snooping devices – the use of
them as well as to a certain extent, the people who use them. It is sheer
violation of other’s privacy by “force”. Going into places where there is no
permission.
Yes, such devices are very good for certain selfish
ends.
You have a woman who doesn’t accept your “advances”.
Use snoopy devices and over a period of time, it could be possible to vent your
frustration over her, by one way or other. How dirty! No shame!
The same is applicable to a man also. Spur a woman’s
advances. She tries to force in by any means possible!
The punishment given by Lakshmana to Soorpanaha is
thought-provoking. She was not killed. The false beauty that she tried to
entice, knowingly that failure in her mission is a possibility, was removed.
All protruding parts of her body – nose, ears, breasts etc which are normally
used for sexual enticing, were cut off! Can she ever entice anyone else again!
What a lifetime punishment!
In a modern age, though such physical punishment is a
rare possibility, still there are ways were an equivalent outcome can be
brought about. Sometime long-standing. But an apt punishment.
“Once I came across an young woman who
frequently visited the monastery for her prayers and caring of the monks and
nuns. Through others in the temple by gossip, she became interested in my way
of life. She was like a sister and wanted to be a nun. One day after prayer,
she approached me face to face with a straight-forward request: “Is it all
right to observe your life style, to learn the way of life, the life of a
“monk” but a “layman”? There were many who never made such a request. They only
wanted to plunder, to steal, the moment I am unconscious. Something like a cat
waiting and waiting to catch a mouse. I admired her request as a brother. Such
a request revealed her goodness, her truthfulness in the long path to nunhood.
Where she stands, her Lakshmana-rekha, and what she wanted as a trainee. One of
the very few women to be admired as a “lady”. She had permission to watch and
observe my “public” activities in the temple, how I prayed, how I sang the
devotionals, how I dealt with others etc. Private activities, no
one, have permission to watch. A woman observing a man’s ways without
permission is impolite. So too the reverse. You watch one’s private activities
only to find his or her weakness. Trying to use that weakness for your personal
ends, when the right time arise. The shameless way. Something that is wrong and
bad. Not fit for a “gentleman” or “lady”. How one behaves to others is very
important, for the return behavior will be equivalent in nature.”
It is not a question of legal or illegal, whether use
of snooping devices are banned or not. In some countries, it may take time for proper
laws to be implemented. It is all a matter of self-respect. What happens if
one’s actions are revealed? Something not accepted by any society - infringing
other’s privacy, gets revealed?
Who is to be blamed then? The person who violated the
privacy? Or the whistle-blower?
Who is to be blamed? One who commits a crime? Or one
who reveals the committing of a crime?
In modern society, every man and woman have their own
private secrets. Personal things that one is reluctant to reveal to anyone. Use
of snooping devices might reveal a part of them. But the problem is, what
happens if the private secrets of those who use snooping devices, those who spy
get revealed? What happens if the hunter, get hunted? Did anyone invite the
hunter to the jungle for hunting? When the hunter went for hunting on his own,
doesn’t he know, he could get “killed”? So there is no one to blame for one’s
own actions!
3 For WE OURSELVES also were sometimes
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and
pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
-
Titus 3:3 :: King James Version (KJV)
So before going to judge others, JUDGE YOURSELF!
10 A man that is an heretick
after the first and second admonition reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is
subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
-
Titus 3:10-11 :: King James Version (KJV)
If one used snooping devices to prowl somebody’s
secrets, then they should have kept it to oneself. Not bark around to the whole
society as “gossip”. There are people who live private life. People staying
away from the invisible evils – “fame” and “praise”. Ignorance is not an excuse
from punishment. No amount of crying “Lord, Lord” will prevent one from
suffering from one’s own actions. One should change one’s way of life.
Dual Mind
We have Mr. x and Mr. X. A version of Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde. In the fictional novel, both exist at the same time. But in
transformation, Mr. X evolves to Mr. x.
When the person was Mr. X or Mr. Hyde, whatever
mentality or thoughts the person have is absolutely right at that juncture.
Only when the person becomes Mr. x or Dr. Jekyll,
that the person finds that all the mentality or thoughts “he” had in the former
form are bad and vulgar. He had committed sin, blunder, mistakes by means of
impure decisions. Strange is the dual mind. Same person. On transformation, a
different mentality.
Many in modern society are in the Mr. X level. x
level is unacceptable, for transformation or cooling of mind did not occur.
To many, x level concepts are open for debate. How
can it be true? Unbelievable etc.
There is an interesting aspect:
Take two long pieces of iron bar. One piece, leave as
it is. The other, heat to red hot.
I want to make a sword from the iron bar. I have to
beat or hammer the iron bar to the required dimension and shape.
Which bar will allow easy hammering?
The cold bar or the hot bar?
Naturally the hot bar.
So too the human mind.
Teaching the spiritual concepts to a “normal” man is
like hammering a cold bar.
There are people who get too interested in
spirituality. Their only goal is to find the truth. They ponder and ponder over
the truth. They lose interest in all worldly matters. They renunciate
everything and wander away in search of truth. They wander and wander, the
length and breadth of the country, with the single goal, WHO AM I? As time goes
on, the hardships involved, heats and heats their mind to submissiveness, to
deep hunger for truth. Finally when the time ripens, the Lord takes them to a
master who reveals the truth. The moment they “sense” the truth, it is
something like hitting a nail squarely on the head with a hammer. The nail goes
right in. Something like shooting an arrow. Hits right at the bulls-eye. How
will it be, when rain falls all of a sudden on a ground parched like a desert,
with no water, for a long, long time? The soil absorbs the water like a sponge,
sucks the water in.
The mind that is properly cultured understands the
truth straight away. On receiving the truth, it evolves immediately to the next
level or stage. The hot bar perfectly flattened to blade form.
Whereas to an uncultured mind, even if you show a
diamond, the person will just walk away with a passing glance. The time is just not ripe.
15 I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out
of my mouth.
-
Revelation 3:15-16 :: King James Version (KJV)
The above concept is the normal ripening of mind.
As I mentioned before, the one transformed is still
the same, physically.
His mind became broad minded. That is all.
So should everyone go through the above process to
ripen the mind?
Don’t have to. You already know the process. Already
know the end-result. So it will be enough to live the way of life lived by the
transformed person. Proper living of the way of life will generate similar
results.
Very simple to say in words. Something like asking a
ferocious battle elephant, always rearing to go, to sit silently. To be still.
That is where the chaining and torture comes in.
The amount of pain underwent by the man above, who
left everything and wandered up and down the country bearing all the hardship
is given in a capsule form to a person who is locked in chains. To force him to
sit silently. The sutta below outside a form of taming.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dantabhumi Sutta (MN 125) -- The
Discourse on the "Tamed Stage" {M iii 128} [I.B. Horner, trans.]. By
analogy with the taming of an elephant, the Buddha explains how he tames his disciples. [BB]
(Reference: 100)
Translation 1
English translation by I.B. Horner.
Majjhima
Nikaya 125
Dantabhumi
Sutta
The
Discourse on the "Tamed Stage"
Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner.
For free distribution only.
From Taming the Mind: Discourses of the
Buddha (WH 51), edited by the Buddhist Publication Society, (Kandy: Buddhist
Publication Society, 1983). Copyright ©1983 Buddhist Publication Society. Used
with permission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus have I heard: At one time the Lord
was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove at the squirrels' feeding place.
Now at that time the novice Aciravata was staying in the Forest Hut.[1] Then
prince Jayasena,[2] who was always pacing up and down, always roaming about on
foot, approached the novice Aciravata; having approached he exchanged greetings
with the novice Aciravata; having exchanged greetings of friendliness and courtesy,
he sat down at a respectful distance. While he was sitting down at a respectful
distance, Prince Jayasena spoke thus to the novice Aciravata:
"I have heard, good Aggivessana,
that if a monk is abiding here diligent, ardent, self-resolute, he may attain
one-pointedness of mind."
"That is so, prince; that is so,
prince. A monk abiding here diligent, ardent, self-resolute, may attain
one-pointedness of mind."
"It were good if the reverend
Aggivessana were to teach me dhamma as he has heard it, as he has mastered
it."
"I, prince, am not able to teach
you dhamma as I have heard it, as I have mastered it. Now, if I were to teach you
dhamma as I have heard it, as I have mastered it, and if you could not
understand the meaning of what I said, that would be weariness to me, that
would be a vexation to me."
"Let the reverend Aggivessana
teach me dhamma as he has heard it, as he has mastered it. Perhaps I could
understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana says."
"If I were to teach you dhamma, prince,
as I have heard it, as I have mastered it, and if you were to understand the
meaning of what I say, that would be good; if you should not understand the
meaning of what I say, you must remain as you are: you must not question
me further on the matter."
"Let the reverend Aggivessana
teach me dhamma as he has heard it, as he has mastered it. If I understand the
meaning of what the good Aggivessana says, that will be good; if I do not
understand the meaning of what the good Aggivessana says, I will remain as I
am; I will not question the reverend Aggivessana further on this matter."
Then the novice Aciravata taught dhamma
to Prince Jayasena as he had heard it, as he had mastered it. When this had
been said, Prince Jayasena spoke thus to the novice Aciravata:
"This is impossible, good Aggivessana, it
cannot come to pass that a monk abiding diligent, ardent, self-resolute, should
attain one-pointedness of mind." Then Prince Jayasena, having declared to
the novice Aciravata that this was impossible and could not come to pass,
rising from his seat, departed.
And soon after Prince Jayasena had
departed, the novice Aciravata approached the Lord; having approached and
greeted the Lord, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting down
at a respectful distance, the novice Aciravata told the Lord the whole of the
conversation he had with Prince Jayasena as far as it had gone. When this had
been said, the Lord spoke thus to the novice Aciravata:
"What is the good of that,
Aggivessana? That Prince Jayasena, living as he does in the
midst of sense-pleasures, enjoying sense-pleasures, being consumed by thoughts
of sense-pleasures, burning with the fever of sense-pleasures, eager in the
search for sense-pleasures, should know or see or attain or realize that which
can be known by renunciation, seen by renunciation, attained by renunciation,
realized by renunciation -- such a situation does not exist. It is as if,
Aggivessana, among elephants or horses or oxen to be tamed, two elephants, two
horses or two oxen are well tamed, well trained, and two are not tamed, not
trained. What do you think about this, Aggivessana? Would these two elephants
or horses or oxen that were to be tamed and that were well tamed, well trained
-- would these on being tamed reach tamed capacity, would they, being tamed,
attain a tamed stage?"
"Yes, revered sir."
"But those two elephants or horses
or oxen that were to be tamed but that were neither tamed nor trained -- would
these, not being tamed, attain a tamed stage as do the two elephants or horses
or oxen to be tamed that were well tamed, well trained?"
"No, revered sir."
"Even so, Aggivessana, that Prince
Jayasena, living as he does in the midst of sense-pleasures... should know or
see or attain or realize that which can be known and realized by renunciation
-- such a situation does not exist. It is as if, Aggivessana, there were a
great mountain slope near a village or a market-town which two friends, coming
hand in hand from that village or market-town might approach; having approached
the mountain slope one friend might remain at the foot while the other might
climb to the top. Then the friend standing at the foot of the mountain slope
might speak thus to the one standing on the top: 'My dear, what do you see as
you stand on the top of the mountain slope?' He might reply: 'As I stand on the
top of the mountain slope I, my dear, see delightful parks, delightful woods,
delightful stretches of level ground delightful ponds.' But the other might
speak thus: 'This is impossible, it cannot come to pass, my dear, that, as you
stand on the top of the mountain slope, you should see . . . delightful ponds.'
Then the friend who had been standing on top of the mountain slope having come
down to the foot and taken his friend by the arm, making him climb to the top
of the mountain slope and giving him a moment in which to regain his breath,
might speak to him thus: 'Now, my dear, what is it that you see as you stand on
the top of the mountain slope?' He might speak thus: 'I, my dear, as I stand on
the top of the mountain slope, see delightful parks... delightful ponds.' He
might speak thus: 'Just now, my dear, we understood you to say: This is
impossible, it cannot come to pass that, as you stand on the top of the
mountain slope, you should see delightful... ponds. But now we understand you
to say: 'I, my dear, as I stand on the top of the mountain slope, see
delightful parks... delightful ponds.' He might speak thus: 'That was because
I, my dear, hemmed in by this great mountain slope, could not see what was
to be seen.'
"Even so but to a still greater
degree, Aggivessana, is Prince Jayasena hemmed in, blocked, obstructed,
enveloped by this mass of ignorance. Indeed, that Prince
Jayasena, living as he does in the midst of sense-pleasures, enjoying
sense-pleasures, being consumed by thoughts of sense-pleasures, eager in the
search for sense-pleasures, should know or see or attain or realize that which
can be known... seen... attained... realized by renunciation -- such a
situation does not exist. Had these two similes occurred to you, Aggivessana,
for Prince Jayasena, Prince Jayasena naturally would have acted in the manner
of one having trust in you."
"But how could these two similes
for Prince Jayasena have occurred to me, revered sir, seeing that they are spontaneous, that is to say to
the Lord, and have never been heard before?"
"As, Aggivessana, a noble anointed
king addresses an elephant hunter saying; 'You, good elephant hunter, mount the
king's elephant and go into an elephant forest. When you see a forest elephant,
tie him to the neck of the king's elephant.' And, Aggivessana, the elephant
hunter having answered: 'Yes, sire,' in assent to the noble anointed king,
mounts the king's elephant and goes into an elephant forest. Seeing a forest
elephant, he ties him to the neck of the king's elephant. So the king's
elephant brings him out into the open. But, Aggivessana, the forest elephant
has this longing, that is to say for the elephant forest. But in regard to him
the elephant hunter tells the noble anointed king that the forest elephant has
got out into the open. The noble anointed king then addresses an elephant
tamer, saying: 'Come you, good elephant tamer, tame the forest elephant by
subduing his forest ways, by subduing his forest memories, and aspirations and
by subduing his distress, his fretting and fever for the forest, by making him
pleased with the villages and by accustoming him to human ways.'
"And, Aggivessana, the elephant
tamer, having answered 'Yes, sire,' in assent to the noble anointed king,
driving a great post into the ground ties the forest elephant to it by his neck
so as to subdue his forest ways... and accustom him to human ways. Then the
elephant tamer addresses him with such words as are gentle, pleasing to the
ear, affectionate, going to the heart, urbane, pleasant to the manyfolk, liked
by the manyfolk. And, Aggivessana, the forest elephant, on being addressed with
words that are gentle... liked by the manyfolk, listens, lends ear and bends
his mind to learning. Next the elephant tamer supplies him with grass-fodder
and water. When, Aggivessana, the forest elephant has accepted the grass-fodder
and water from the elephant tamer, it occurs to the elephant tamer: 'The king's
elephant will now live.' Then the elephant tamer makes him do a further task,
saying: 'Take up, put down.' When, Aggivessana the king's elephant is obedient
to the elephant tamer and acts on his instructions to take up and put down,
then the elephant tamer makes him do a further task, saying: 'Get up, sit
down.' When, Aggivessana, the king's elephant is obedient to the elephant tamer
and acts on his instructions to get up and sit down, then the elephant tamer makes
him do a further task; known as 'standing your ground': he ties a shield to the
great beast's trunk; a man holding a lance is sitting on his neck, and men
holding lances are standing surrounding him on all sides; and the elephant
tamer, holding a lance with a long shaft, is standing in front. While he is
doing the task of 'standing your ground' he does not move a fore-leg nor does
he move a hind-leg, nor does he move the forepart of his body, nor does he move
the hindpart of his body, nor does he move his head, nor does he move an ear,
nor does he move a tusk, nor does he move his tail, nor does he move his trunk.
A king's elephant is one who endures blows of sword, axe, arrow, hatchet,
and the resounding din of drum and kettle-drum, conch and tam-tam, he is [like]
purified gold purged of all its dross and impurities, fit for a king, a royal
possession and reckoned as a kingly attribute.
(Acquisition of faith)
"Even so, Aggivessana, does a Tathagata
arise here in the world, a perfected one, fully Self-Awakened One, endowed with
right knowledge and conduct, well-farer, knower of the worlds, the matchless
charioteer of men to be tamed, the Awakened One, the Lord. He makes known this
world with the devas, with Mara, with Brahma, the creation with its recluses
and brahmans, its devas and men, having realized them by his own
super-knowledge. He teaches dhamma which is lovely at the beginning, lovely in
the middle, lovely at the ending, with the spirit and the letters; he proclaims
the Brahma-faring,[3] wholly fulfilled, quite purified. A householder or a
householder's son or one born in another family hears that dhamma. Having heard
that dhamma he gains faith in the Tathagata. Endowed with this faith that he
has acquired, he reflects in this way: 'The household life is confined and
dusty, going forth is in the open; it is not easy for one who lives in a house
to fare the Brahma-faring wholly fulfilled, wholly pure, polished like a
conch-shell. Suppose now that I, having cut off hair and beard, having put on
saffron robes, should go forth from home into homelessness?' After a time,
getting rid of his wealth, be it small or great, getting rid of his circle of
relations, be it small or great, having cut off his hair and beard, having put
on saffron robes, he goes forth from home into homelessness. To this extent,
Aggivessana, the ariyan disciple gets out into the open.
(Morality)
"But, Aggivessana, devas and
mankind have this longing, that is to say, for the five strands of
sense-pleasures. The Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you,
monk, be moral, live controlled by the control of the
Obligations, possessed of [right] behavior and posture, seeing danger in the
slightest faults; undertaking them, train yourself in the
rules of training.'
(Sense-Control)
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan
disciple is moral, lives controlled by the control..., undertaking them, trains
himself in the rules of training, then the Tathagata disciplines him further,
saying: 'Come you, monk, be guarded as to the doors of the sense-organs. Having seen a material
shape with the eye...(as above). Having cognized a mental
state with the mind, be not entranced by the general appearance, be not
entranced by the detail. For if you dwell with the organ of mind uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection, evil unskillful states of mind, might flow in. So
fare along with its control, guard the organ of mind, achieve control over the
organ of the mind.'
(Moderation in eating)
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan
disciple is guarded as to the doors of the sense-organs, then the Tathagata
disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, be moderate in eating...(as above)... abiding in comfort.'
(Vigilance)
"When, Aggivessana, the ariyan
disciple is moderate in eating, the Tathagata disciplines him further, saying:
'Come you, monk, abide intent on vigilance...(as above)... you should cleanse the
mind of obstructive mental states.
(Mindfulness and clear consciousness)
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan
disciple is intent on vigilance, then the Tathagata disciplines him further,
saying: 'Come you, monk, be possessed of mindfulness and clear
consciousness. Be one who acts with clear consciousness...(as above)... talking, silent.'
(Overcoming of the five hindrances)
"And when, Aggivessana, the ariyan
disciple is possessed of mindfulness and clear consciousness, then the
Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, choose a remote
lodging in a forest, at the root of a tree, on a mountain slope, in a
wilderness, in a hill-cave, a cemetery, a forest haunt, in the open or on a
heap of straw.' He chooses a remote lodging in the forest... or on a heap of
straw. Returning from alms-gathering, after the meal, he sits down cross-legged,
holding the back erect, having made mindfulness rise up in front of him, he, by getting rid of coveting
for the world, dwells with a mind devoid of coveting, he
purifies the mind of coveting. By getting rid of the
taint of ill-will, he dwells benevolent in mind, compassionate
for the welfare of all creatures and beings, he purifies the mind of the taint
of ill-will. By getting rid of sloth and torpor, he dwells devoid of
sloth and torpor; perceiving the light, mindful, clearly conscious, he purifies
the mind of sloth and torpor. By getting rid of
restlessness and worry, he dwells calmly the mind subjectively
tranquilized, he purifies the mind of restlessness and worry. By getting rid of doubt, he dwells
doubt-crossed, unperplexed as to the states that are skillful, he purifies the
mind of doubt.
(The four applications of mindfulness)
"He, by getting rid of these five hindrances which are defilements of the mind and weakening to intuitive
wisdom, dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly
conscious [of it], mindful [of it] so as to control the covetousness and
dejection in the world. He fares along contemplating the feelings... the
mind... the mental states in mental states, ardent, clearly conscious [of
them], mindful [of them] so as to control the covetousness and dejection in the
world.
"As, Aggivessana, an elephant
tamer, driving a great post into the ground, ties a forest elephant to it by
his neck so as to subdue his forest ways, so as to subdue his forest
aspirations, and so as to subdue his distress, his fretting and fever for the
forest, so as to make him pleased with villages and accustom him to human ways
-- even so, Aggivessana, these four appplications of mindfulness are ties of
the mind so as to subdue the ways of householders and to subdue the aspirations
of householders and to subdue the distress, the fretting and fever of
householders; they are for leading to the right path, for realizing nibbana.
"The Tathagata then disciplines
him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, fare along contemplating the body in
the body, but do not apply yourself to a train of thought
connected with the body; fare along contemplating the feelings in the
feelings... the mind in the mind... mental states in mental states, but do not apply yourself to a
train of thought connected with mental states.'
(Jhana)
"He by allaying initial thought
and discursive thought, with the mind subjectively tranquilized and fixed on
one point, enters on and abides in the second meditation[4] which is devoid of
initial and discursive thought, is born of concentration and is rapturous and
joyful. By the fading out of rapture, he dwells with equanimity, attentive and
clearly conscious, and experiences in his person that joy of which the ariyans
say: 'Joyful lives he who has equanimity and is mindful,' and he enters and
abides in the third meditation. By getting rid of joy, by getting rid of
anguish, by the going down of his former pleasures and sorrows, he enters and
abides in the fourth meditation which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is
entirely purified by equanimity and mindfulness.
(The three knowledges, te-vijja)
Macintosh
HD:work:website:canon:majjhima:mn125.html
(1. Recollection of former habitations)
"Then with the mind composed
thus, quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement,
grown pliant and workable, fixed, immovable, he directs his mind to the
knowledge and recollection of former habitation: he remembers a variety of
former habitations, thus: one birth, two births, three... four... five...
ten... twenty... thirty... forty... fifty... a hundred... a thousand... a
hundred thousand births, and many an eon of integration and many an eon of
disintegration and many an eon of integration-disintegration: 'Such a one was I
by name, having such a clan, such and such a color, so was I nourished, such
and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of life
end. Passing from this, I came to be in another state where such a one was I by
name, having such and such a clan, such and such a color, so was I nourished,
such and such pleasant and painful experiences were mine, so did the span of
life end. Passing from this, I arose here.' Thus he remembers divers former
habitations in all their modes and details.
(2. The Divine Eye)
"Then with the mind composed,
quite purified, quite clarified, without blemish, without defilement, grown
pliant and workable, fixed, immovable, he directs his mind to the knowledge of
the passing hence and the arising of beings. With the purified deva-vision
surpassing that of men, he sees beings as they pass hence or come to be; he
comprehends that beings are mean, excellent, comely, ugly, well-going, ill-going,
according to the consequence of their deeds, the he thinks: Indeed these worthy
beings who were possessed of wrong conduct in body, who were possessed of wrong
conduct in speech, who were possessed of wrong conduct of thought, scoffers at
the ariyans, holding a wrong view, incurring deeds consequent on a wrong view
-- these, at the breaking up of the body aafter dying, have arisen in a
sorrowful state, a bad bourn, the abyss, Niraya hell. But these worthy beings
who were possessed of good conduct in body, who were possessed of good conduct
in speech, who were possessed of good conduct in thought, who did not scoff at
the ariyans, holding a right view, incurring deeds consequent on a right view
-- these, at the breaking up of the body, after dying, have arisen in a good
bourn, a heaven world.
(3. Destruction of Cankers: Sainthood)
"Then with the mind composed...
immovable, he directs his mind to the knowledge of the destruction of the
cankers.[5] He understands as it really is: This is anguish,[6] this is the
arising of anguish, this is the stopping of anguish, this is the course leading
to the stopping of anguish. He understands as it really is: These are the
cankers, this is the arising of the cankers, this is the stopping of the
cankers, this is the course leading to the stopping of the cankers. Knowing
thus, seeing thus, his mind is freed from the canker of sense pleasures, is
freed from the canker of becoming, freed from the canker of ignorance. In
freedom the knowledge came to be: I am freed; and he comprehends: Destroyed is
birth, brought to a close is the Brahma-faring, done is what was to be done,
there is no more of being such or such.
"That monk is able to endure,
head, cold, hunger, thirst, the touch of mosquitoes, gadflies, wind, sun and creeping
things, abusive language and unwelcome modes of speech: he has grown to bear
bodily feelings which as they arise are painful, acute, sharp, severe,
wretched, miserable, deadly. Purged of all the dross and impurities of
attachment, aversion and confusion,[7] he is worthy of oblations, offerings,
respect and homage, an unsurpassed field of merit in the world.
"If, Aggivessana, a king's
elephant dies in old age, untamed, untrained, the king's old elephant that has
died is reckoned as one that has died untamed: And so, Aggivessana, of a king's
elephant that is middle-aged. And too, Aggivessana, if a king's elephant dies
young, untamed, untrained, the king's young elephant that has died is reckoned
as one that has died untamed. Even so, Aggivessana, if a monk who is an elder
dies with the cankers not destroyed, the monk who is an elder that has died is
reckoned as one that has died untamed. And so of a monk of middle standing. And
too, Aggivessana, if a newly ordained monk dies with the cankers not destroyed,
the newly ordained monk that has died is reckoned as one that has died untamed.
If, Aggivessana, a king's elephant dies in old age, well tamed, well trained,
the king's old elephant that has died is reckoned as one that has died tamed.
And so, Aggivessana of a king's elephant that is middle-aged. And too,
Aggivessana, if a king's elephant dies young, well tamed, well trained, the
king's young elephant that has died is reckoned as one that has died tamed.
Even so, Aggivessana, if a monk who is an elder dies with the cankers
destroyed, the monk who is an elder that has died is reckoned as one that has
died tamed. And so, Aggivessana, of a monk of middle standing. And too,
Aggivessana, if a newly ordained monk dies with cankers destroyed, the newly
ordained monk that has died is reckoned as one that has died tamed."
Thus spoke the Lord. Delighted, the
novice Aciravata rejoiced in what the Lord had said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes
1. A hut in a secluded part of the Bamboo Grove
for the use of monks who wanted to practice striving, padhana -- [Commentary].
[Go back]
2. A son of King Bimbisara. [Go back]
3. Brahmacariyam: the pure life of a
celibate recluse [Ed., The Wheel]. [Go back]
4. It is noteworthy that the section on
the Four Applications of Mindfulness (satipatthana) is here followed by
the second meditation (jhana) without mention of the first. This may either
refer to a meditator who, already previously, has attained to the first jhana,
or, which seems more probable, it is meant to indicate that the intensive practice of
Satipatthana which, through emphasis on bare observation, tends to reduce
discursive thought, and enables the meditator to enter directly into the second
jhana, which is free from initial and discursive thought (vitakka-vicara). This latter
explanation is favored by the facts that (1) in our text, the practice of
Satipatthana is preceded by the temporary abandonment of the five Hindrances,
which indicates a high degree of concentration approaching that of the jhana; (2) in our text, the meditator is advised
not to engage in the thought about the body, feelings, etc. -- that is, in
discursive thinking, which is still present in the first jhana. [Ed., The Wheel].
[Go back]
5. Asava. [Go back]
6. Dukkha: usually rendered by
"suffering" or "ill" [Ed., The Wheel]. [Go back]
7. Raga, dosa, moha. [Go back]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: Mon 10 September 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/majjhima/mn125.html
(Reference: 146)
Translation 2
English translation by Sister Upalavanna
MAJJHIMA
NIKAAYA III
II. 3.
5. Maagandiyasutta.m
III. 3.
5. Dantabhuumisutta.m
(125)-
The sphere of Training
I heard thus.
At one time the Blessed One lived in
the squirrels’ sanctuary in the bamboo grove in Raajagaha. At that time the
novice Aciravata lived in a hut in the remote area. Then prince Jayasena
wandering and walking for exercise approached the novice Aciravata, exchanged
friendly greetings, sat on a side and said: ‘Aggivessana, I have heard that the
bhikkhu abding diligent to dispel, realize one pointedness of mind.’
‘Prince, that is so, the bhikkhu
abiding diligent to dispel realize one pointedness of mind.’
‘Good Aggivessana, teach me that
Teaching as you have heard and practised.it’
‘Prince, it is not possible for me to teach
that Teaching, as I have heard and practised. You would not know the meaning of
what I say, it will be only fatigue and trouble for me.’
‘Good Aggivessana, teach me the
Teaching as you have heard and practised. I would know the meaning and it would
be of much benefit to me.’.
‘Prince, I will teach you the Teaching,
as I have heard and practised it, if you understand the meaning of what I say,
you are clever. If you do not understand the meaning of what I say, should be
satisfied and should not ask any further questions about it.’
‘GoodAggivessana, teach me the Teaching
as you have heard and practised. If I understand the words of good Aggivessana
it would be of much benefit to me..
If I do not understand the meaning of
what you say, I will be satisfied and will not ask any further questions about
it.’
The novice Aciravata taught prince
Jayasena, the Teaching as he had heard and practised it. Hearing it he said, it
is not possible it could not happen that the bhikkhu abiding diligent to dispel
could realize one pointedness of mind. Saying these words of impossibility, the
prince got up from his seat and went away.’
Then the novice Aciravata soon after
the prince had left, approached the Blessed One, worshipped, sat on a side and
related all the conversation, that took place with prince Jayasena and himself.
Then the Blessed One said to the novice. ‘Aggivessana, could it be gained by
the prince? That which should be known, seen, attained and realized through non
sensuality. Prince Jayasena would not attain it while living in the midst of
sensuality, partaking sensuality molested by sensual thoughts, burning with
sensual thirst and on the look out for sensual pleasures..It’s not possisble
that he would know, see and realize it. Aggivessana, there are two tamed,
elephants, or horses, or bulls and there are two untamed, elephants, or horses,
or bulls. Of these which do you think are more suitable for a training. Isn’t
it the tamed set?’
‘Yes, venerable sir. It is the tamed
set.’
‘Is the untamed set suitable for the
training?’
‘No, venerabe sir, they are not
suitable.’
‘In the same manner Aggivessana, That
which should be known, seen, attained and realized through non sensuality,
prince Jayasena would attain while living in the midst of sensuality, partaking
sensuality molested by sensual thoughts, burning with sensual thirst and on the
look out for sensual pleasures is not pssible.It is not possible, that he would
know, see and realize it.
Aggivessana, at the end of the village
or hamlet there is a huge mountain. Two friends, approach this mountain hand in
hand. One of them climb to the top and the other stand at the foot. The one at
the foot of the moutain tells his friend on the top. ‘Friend, what do you see
from the top of the mountain?’ He says, I see pleasant remote places, pleasant
forests, pleasant lands and ponds. The one at the foot of the mountain says, It
is not possible that you should seepleasant remote places, pleasant forests,
pleasant lands and ponds. Then the one on top of the mountain ascends the
mountain and taking the one at the foot of the mountain by his arm leads him to
the top. Allowing him to observe what he saw, asks.him..‘Friend, what do you
see from the top of the mountain?’ He says, I see pleasant remote places, pleasant
forests, pleasant lands and ponds. Friend, it was about this same you said
It is not possible to seepleasant
remote places, pleasant forests, pleasant lands and ponds from the top of the
mountain and now you say, I see pleasant remote places, pleasant forests,
pleasant lands and ponds. How could we understand the meaning of these words?
He would say, friend, then I was covered by this huge mountain and did not see
what should be seen.
Aggivessana, in the same manner prince Jayasena
is covered, hemmed in and obstructed by a huge mass of ignoranceAggivessana,
that which should be known, seen, attained and realized through non sensuality,
prince Jayasena would attain while living in the midst of sensuality, partaking
sensuality molested by sensual thoughts, burning with sensual thirst and on the
look out for sensual pleasures is not pssible.It is not possible, that he would
know, see and realize it.
Aggivessana, if you had explained these
two wonderful similes to prince Jayasena, undoubtedly he would have been
pleased, and would have expressed his pleasure.
‘Venerable sir, how could I explain
these two similes to prince Jayasena, I have never heard before, until I heard
it from the Blessed One.’
‘Just as Aggivessana, the head
annointed warrior king would address the elephant hunter. Good elephant hunter
ascend the royal elephant, enter the elephant grove, search for a wild elephant
and fix it with a rope to the royal elephant’s neck and let the royal elephant
bring it to open ground. Aggivessana, now the wild elephant is brought to open
space. Then the elephant hunter informs the head annointed warrior king. Lord!
the wild elephant is brought to open space. Next the head annointed warrior
king addresses the elephant tamer. Good friend, elephant tamer, tame the wild
elephant, so that it may get over the wild ways, wild thoughts and the
displeasures and worries of leaving the remote. Make him like the end of the
village and the ways of humans. The elephant tamer agrees and fixes a huge
strong post and ties the wild elephant to the post by his neck, so that it may
get over its wild ways, thoughts and displeasures and worries of leaving the
remote and would get used to the end of the village and the ways of humans. The
elephant tamer speaks words that are pleasing and go straight to the heart,
speaks words that are accepted as polite by many. When the wild elephant
listens to the words of the elephant tamer. He is given grass and water. If the
wild elephant accepts grass and water, the elephant trainer knows that the
elephant would live and not die. Then the elephant trainer gives him a further
training as, good one, take this! Put it down! If he obeys the elephant
trainer, he is given a further training. Good one, go forward! Recede! If the
king’s elephant obeys these orders, he is given a further training as stand up!
and sit down! If the king’s elephant obeys the elephant trainer’s orders he is
given a further training in imperturbability. A great log is tied to the trunk
and a man with an elephant lance climbs on the elephant’s neck Men with lances
stand all round
andthe elephant trainer too taking a
long elephant lance stands in front of the elephant. He doing imperturbability
does not move the front feet nor the hind feet. Does not move the fore part of
the body nor the hind part of the body. Does not move the head nor ears. Does
not move the teeth, tail or the trunk.The king’s elephant endures the contact
of weapons, swords, and arrows. Endures loud noises of drums, conches and
melodious sounds made by enemies. When all crookednesses, and faults are
rectified and is blameless, he becomes worthy for the king, the property of the
king and gets the mark of royality.
Aggivessana, in the same manner the
Thus Gone One arises in the world, perfect, rightfully enlightened, endowed
with knowledge and conduct, well gone, knower of the worlds, the incomparable
tamer of those to be tamed, Teacher of gods and men, enlightened and blessed.
He declares to the world together with its Maaras, Brahmaas, the community of
recluses and brahmins gods and men, that Teaching good at the beginning, in the
middle and at the end full of meaning even in the letter, complete in every way
stating the pure holy life. Hearing this a householder or a householder’s son,
born to some clan, gains faith in the Thus Gone One. With that faith he
reflects. The life in a household is full of defilements, going forth is like
open space. It is not easy for one living a household life to lead the holy
life complete and pure without defilements. What if I shave head and beard, don
yellow robes and go forth as a homeless. Later he gives up a little wealth, or
much wealth, a small circle of friends, or a large circle of friends, shaving
head and beard, and donning yellow robes goes forth as a homeless. Aggivessana,
when this much is done, the noble disciple comes to open space. Aggivessana,
here the greed of gods and men is for the five strands sense pleasures. Then
the Thus Gone One gives him a further training. Come bhikkhu be virtuous,
abiding by the higher code of rules, practise the right conduct, seeing fear in
the slightest fault.When the bhikkhu practises right conduct, seeing fear in
the slightest fault, the Thus Gone One gives him a further training. Come
bhikkhu protect your doors of mental contact. Seeing a form do not take the
sign or details. To one abiding not protecting themental faculty of the eye,
evil desires of covetousness anddispleasure may arise, fall to its control.
Hearing a sound, ...re..... scenting a smell, ...re....enjoying a taste,
...re.... experiencing a touch with the body,...re.... and cognizing an idea in
the.mind.do not take the sign or details. To one abiding not protecting the
mental contact of the mind, evil desires of covetousness and displeasure may
arise, fall to its control. Aggivessana, when the bhikkhu is protected in his
doors of mental contact, the Thus Gone One gives him a further training. Come
bhikkhu, knowthe right amount to partake of food. Partake food reflecting, it
is not, for play, for intoxication, or to look beautiful, but for the upkeep of
the body. Not for the enjoyment of soups but to lead the holy life. Reflect I
will put an end to earlier feelings, will not arouse new, for a faultless
pleasant abiding. Aggivessana, when the bhikkhu knows the right amount to
partake of food, the Thus Gone One gives him a further training. Come bhikkhu
abide wakeful. During the day, sit in the cankamana and clean the mind of
hindering things. In the first watch of the night sit in the cankamana and
clean the mind of hindering things. In the middle watch of the night turn to
the right, making the lion’s posture, place one foot over the other and with
the perception of waking go to sleep. In the last watch of the night, sit in
the cankamana and clean the mind of hindering things. When the bhikkhu is yoked
to wakefulness, the Thus Gone One gives him a further training. Come bhikkhu be
endowed with mindful awareness. Be mindful when approaching and receeding,
looking on and looking about, bending and stretching, bearing the three robes
and bowl, enjoying, drinking, eating and tasting, urinating and excreting, when
going, standing, sitting and lying until awake. Be mindful when talking and
keeping silence. When the bhikkhu is endowed with mindful awareess, the Thus
Gone One gives a further training. Come bhikkhu abound a secluded dwelling.
Abound a forest, the root of a tree, a mountain grotto, a charnel ground, a
jungle path, an open space or a leaves hut. Then he abounds a forest, the root
of a tree, a mountain grotto, a charnel ground, a jungle path, an open space or
a leaves hut. After the meal, he sits cross legged, with the body errect and
mindfulness established in front of him. He abides dispelling the coveting mind
and cleans the mind of coveting thoughts. He abides dispelling the angry mind
and cleans the mind of angry thoughts, with compassion for all living things.
Dispelling sloth and torpor he abides mindful and aware of a perception of
light to dispel sloth and torpor. He abides dispelling restlessness and worry,
internally appeased cleans the mind of restlessness and worry. Abides
dispelling doubts about merits that should be done and should not be done and
cleans the mind of doubts.
Dispelling the five hindrances and
wisely making the finer defilements of the mind weak, abides reflecting the
body in the body, abides reflecting feelings in feelings, abides reflecting the
mental qualities in the mind and abides reflecting thoughts on the Teaching,
mindful and aware to dispel covetousness and displeasure for the world.
Aggivessana, like the elephant
trainerwho fixes a huge strong post and ties the wild elephant to the post by
his neck, so that it may get over its wild ways, thoughts and displeasures and
worries of leaving the remote and would get used to the end of the village and
the ways of humans. Aggivessana, in the same manner, the noble disciple’s mind
is bound with the four establishments of mindfulness, so that his worldly ways,
thoughts, troubles, worries and fatigue are turned out, for the attainment of
extinction.
Then the Thus Gone One trains him
further. Come! bhikkhu, abide reflecting the body in the body. Do not think
thoughts concerning the body. Abide reflecting feelings in feelings, do not
entertain thoughts concerning feelings. Abide reflecting the mental states in
the mind, do not entertain thoughts concerning those mental states. Abide
reflecting thoughts on the Teaching, do not entertain them. He overcomes
thoughts and thought processes, appeases the mind internally and brings it to a
single point. With joy and pleasantness born of concentration he attains to the
second jhaana and to the third jhaana
When the mind is concentrated, pure,
free from minor defilements, malleable workable not disturbed, he directs the
mind for the knowledge of previous births.Recollects the manifold previous
births, one birth, two births, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty,
fifty, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births,
innumerable forward cycles of births, innumerable backward cycles of births,
innumerable forward and backward cycles of births. There I was born of such
name, clan, disposition, supports, experiencing such pleasant and unpleasant
feelings, with such a life span. Disappearing from there was born there with
such name, clan, disposition, supports, experiencing such pleasant and
unpleasant feelings, with such a life span. Disappearing from there, is born
here. Thus with all modes and all details manifold previous births are
recollected.
When the mind is concentrated, pure,
free from minor defilements malleable workable not disturbed, he directs the
mind for knowledge of the disappearing and appearing of beings. With the
heavenly eye purified beyond human, sees beings disappearing and appearing
un-exalted and exalted, beautiful and ugly, arising in good and bad states
according to the results of actions. These good beings misbehaving by body,
speech and mind, blaming noble ones, with the wrong view of actions, after
death are born in loss, in decrease, in hell. As for these good beings, well
behaved in body speech and mind not blaming noble ones, with the right view of
actions after death are born in heaven. Thus, with the heavenly eye purified
beyond human sees beings disappearing and appearing.
When the mind is concentrated, pure,
free from minor defilements, malleable workable not disturbed, he directs the
mind for the destruction of desires. He knows this is unpleasant, this its
arising, this its cessation, and this, the path to the cessation of
unpleasantness as it really is. Knows these are desires, this, their rising,
this, their cessation and this, the path to their cessation as it really is.
His mind that knows and sees thus, is released from sensual desires, from
desires ‘to be’ and from ignorant desires. When released, he knows, I’m
released, birth is destroyed, the holy life is lived, what should be done is
done. There’s nothing more to wish.
That bhikkhu endures, cold, heat,
hunger, thirst, the sting of gad flies and yellow flies, the heat of the air
and the touch of serpents and creeping things. Endures badly enunciated words
and unwelcome piercing sharp unpleasant feelings, that deprive life. All greed,
anger and delusion turned out, free from blemish becomes worthy of reverence,
hospitality, gifts and reverential salutation and it becomes an incomparable
field of merit for the world
Aggivessana, the king’s elephant even
of age if untamed and untrained, his death would be reckoned as an untamed
death. Even of middle age if untamed and untrained, his death would be reckoned
as an untamed death. Even of young age if untamed and untrained, his death
would be reckoned as an untamed death. Aggivessana in the same manner, the
death of an elder bhikkhu not destroyed desires, is reckoned as an untamed
death. The death of a middling bhikkhu not destroyed desires, is reckoned as an
untamed death. The death of a young bhikkhu not destroyed desires, is reckoned
as an untamed death
Aggivessana, the king’s elephant even
of age if tamed and trained, his death would be reckoned as a tamed death. Even
of middle age if tamed and trained, his death would be reckoned as a tamed
death. Even of young age if tamed and trained, his death would be reckoned as a
tamed death. Aggivessana in the same manner, the death of an elder bhikkhu,
desires destroyed is reckoned as a tamed death. The death of a middling
bhikkhu, desires destroyed is reckoned as a tamed death. The death of a young
bhikkhu, desires destroyed is reckoned as a tamed death’
The Blessed One said thus and the
novice Aciravata delighted in the words of the Blessed One..
(Reference: 145)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"That monk is able to
endure, head, cold, hunger, thirst, the touch of mosquitoes, gadflies, wind,
sun and creeping things, abusive language and unwelcome modes of speech: he has
grown to bear bodily feelings which as they arise are painful, acute, sharp,
severe, wretched, miserable, deadly. Purged of all the
dross and impurities of attachment, aversion and confusion,[7] he is worthy of
oblations, offerings, respect and homage, an unsurpassed field of merit in the
world.
- Majjhima Nikaya 125.
Dantabhumi Sutta. The Discourse on the "Tamed Stage". (Reference: 146)
That state of stillness though simple is just not
easy to implement!
Visit hospitals, patients with extreme pain in their
body. Say cancer patients. After undergoing heavy pain, they are forced to the
above state of stillness. Such is Lord’s invisible hands. We say it is cruel.
Their pain and suffering. But the time to return home, neared to those “little
children”. May the Lord bless them!
One way or the other, pain is induced for stilling
the body and mind. Either voluntarily or by the invisible hands of the Lord.
Torture need not be through physical beating or
diseases alone.
The five main evils are also a form of torture.
One meal a day. It is painful.
One meal a day every alternate day. It is painful.
One meal in three days, four days, …forty days. They
are all painful.
The 41 day fasting without food or water. Painful.
Absolute poverty without money.
No sleep. Painful.
Absolute abstain from sexual relations. Painful.
The exact opposite. Test it out, those who don’t
accept. Frequent sex, painful with diseases or not. Excess loss of seminal
fluid, painful or not.
Refer Law 3 Testing.
A test scenario of daily forced masturbation for 41
days continuous with reduced food. No protein drink, meat, fish, eggs, vitamin
capsules etc. Strict vegetarian diet. Check how your body and mind will be?
Record your test results in a journal on how the effect is. It will be better
to be killed by your enemies than undergoing that dreadful test. It is common
sense.
“He was an ultra-modern youth. Rich
ancestral background. Very active and energetic. Chubby and handsome. Riding a
bike here and there as any modern “sex” symbol. Too many friends. Drinking
bouts etc. Finally his parents found a beautiful woman for him. He got married.
For days he shut up with his bride in a separate house, free from all
disturbances. The only sound which people knew about them was the high blast of
pop-music being played in their home. After a month, it so happened that I came
across that guy. Was it really the guy I knew before? I couldn’t believe. Lean
and weak. Hardly walk. Can’t ride his bike as he used to. Was a handsome face
before. Now, dark and bony. Blood drained off. Sunken eyes, as if he was having
nocturnal visits from Dracula himself. Too pathetic…”
Severe manual labour from sunrise to sunset. Painful.
Severe manual labour from sunset to sunrise
(night-shift). Painful.
Vow of silence for long periods. Painful.
They too are torturing ways.
For those who falsely believe that the whole of world
population can be made wealthy, is just not possible.
Majority are tortured in poverty by the Lord himself,
for they just have to return home.
A good understanding of the ancient scriptures is
thus vital for nation planning.
Poverty eradication is a blind man’s planning.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God.
-
Matthew 19:23-24 :: King James Version (KJV)
A way of life, which if not implemented voluntarily,
gets implemented by force by the Lord. Then only one can return home.
Undergoing the pain is the path. The thorny path to the Lord. There is no point
in holding on to illusion or imagination “I want this”, “I want that” etc. A
play of maya.
So there is no point in saying “I don’t believe”. “I
don’t follow the path”. You don’t have to follow. You may not know that you
will be made to follow. Looks like normal day-to-day life. But in pain and
suffering.
That is how it will be, when the time nears to return.
So what is there then? There are people in dire
poverty. Nothing to eat for days. There are people in monasteries who don’t eat
anything for days. Any difference? One side did not accept the training, but
have to undergo the training. The other side voluntarily accepted the training
and follows it.
The intelligent who observed that strange phenomenon
by traveling and observing others, voluntarily accepts the pain, thereby
fast-tracking his return home.
There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to teach. Dharma is life
AS IT IS. There is nothing there to speak of.
Even if you follow, even if you don’t follow, still
you WILL undergo the pain by one way or the other when the time is ripe. No more. No less.
Strange indeed when people say “I want to be a monk”.
Strange indeed when children ask permission for being
a “monk”
Even if you become a monk or not, still you have to
undergo the pain.
But those who go the wrong way, carry extra burden,
extra pain. Like a group of people going on a journey. You end up carrying
others weight or luggage also. A part of other’s sins. So follow the right
path, alone.
When we look from the above angle where dharma is
life AS IT IS, is there really something called “enlightenment”, as many talk
about? “He ran away and got enlightened!” All are in one way “enlightened”.
(p. 517)
The abandonment of egosense is the
cessation of ignorance; this and nothing else is liberation.
(Reference: 170)
When the time comes for blossoming, a flower
blossoms. So even if a person is a monk or not, the phenomenon occurs as it is.
The only thing that remains is how you follow certain laws. Following those
laws eliminates certain unwanted reactions and thereby facilitate easy
blossoming. Something like putting a potted flower plant in the shade for easy
blossoming (following the laws). Not putting directly in the scorching sunshine
(not following the laws). Fading of the flower plant is a strong possibility in
strong heat. In other words, desire.
(pp. 297-297)
Thus of the mind and the ego-sense -- if one ceases the other
ceases to be. Hence, instead of entertaining the notion of
bondage and that of liberation, abandon all cravings and through wisdom and
dispassion, bring about the cessation of the mind. If even the wish,
"May I be liberated" arises within you, the mind is revived...
(Reference: 170)
By the above quote, those who run around with the
notion “I must get enlightened”, revives or activates the mind. Thought to be precise. The thought to get
something. Mind is always there, as it is. Buddha-hood according to some
monasteries is no-thought state. You are expected to be in zero-thought state.
Cudala:
Why did you not abandon everything in total
renunciation?
Shikihidhvaja:
I have renounced the kingdom, the palace,
the country and my wife, too. How is it then that you think that I have not
renounced everything?
Cudala:
Wealth, wife, palace, kingdom, the earth
and the royal umbrella and your relatives are not yours, O king: renouncing
them does not constitute total renunciation! There is something else which
seems to be yours and which you have not renounced, and that is the best part
of renunciaiton. Renounce that totally and ... attain freedom from sorrow.
Shikihidhvaja:
Paraphrased: Then I will abandon the
forest where I now live and everything within this forest, and I will abandon
the hut that serves as my home. Surely now I have completely renounced
everything!
Cudala:
You have not renounced everything, O
king... You have something, as it were, which you have not renounced, that is
the best part of renunciaiton. When that is also utterly abandoned without
leaving a residue, then you will attain the supreme state, free from sorrow.
After some thought, Shikihidhvaja said:
There is only one more thing left ... and
that is this body... I shall now abandon that too and destroy it, and thus
achieve total renuncation...
Cudala:
O king, why do you vainly endeavour to
destroy this innocent body? ... The body is not responsible for the experience
of pleasure and pain. Further, destroying the body does not mean total
renunciation. On the other hand, you are throwing away something which is an
aid to such renunciation! If you are able to renounce that which functions
through this body and which agitates this body, then you have truly abandoned
all sin and evil and then you will have become a supreme renouncer. If that is
renounced, everything (including the body) is renounced. Otherwise, the sin and
evil, even if they remain submerged temporarily, will arise again...
Shikihidhvaja:
Holy sir, please tell me what that is which
should be renounced.
Cudala:
... It is the mind alone which is referred
to variously as buddhi, the cosmos, egosense, prana, etc. Hence its abandonment
alone is total renunciaiton. Once it is abandoned, the truth is experienced at
once. All notions of unity and diversity come to an end; there is peace.
(Reference: 170)
Such wise women are indeed praise-worthy!
Let’s get practical.
In modern days, go and observe any family. A man and
women living a family life. Can any family be identified that lives in
no-thought state?
Talk, Talk, Talk…
Gossip, gossip, gossip, …
He is like that. She is like that. The neighbour is
like that….
They have a car. We need a better car. …
They have a good house. We need a better house…
There are no shortage or limitation in desire, needs,
wants etc. in a modern family.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
-
Psalm 23:1-2 :: King James Version (KJV)
Preaching is good. But its practical observation is
different, unfortunately.
So we better put the potted flower plant in the shade.
No complications.
The concept of zero thought can also be taken as a
relative measure for spirituality.
There are many people in modern society who are
popularly classified as “Not religious”. Say a factory worker.
When he does his job well, he is concentrating that
much on his job at hand. Ignorant at that moment of anything outside. He is
actually highly advanced in spirituality. He may not even be a temple-goer! His
number of thoughts are very few, while he is concentrating on his job.
What about a modern abbott or priest? While doing
offerings at the place of worship, various thoughts might pass through his
mind. What could be the items in the next meal, how will be things at home,
personal things of worshippers, place of worship management details etc.
Outwardly, he is doing Godly offerings. Internally, hundreds of thoughts. His
actual spirituality is very, very poor! Yet people rever him instead of the
factory worker!
Go to any place of worship today. In majority of
places, if we use the zero thought concept, we find the manual labourers
working at those places far more spiritual and religious than the abbots or
priests.
When Buddhism was preached in China, long, long ago,
the Chinese people couldn’t understand why the monks doesn’t work. They just beg
one meal a day. Do not do any other job. Just sit or walk as if in deep
thought! Some get together for talking and chatting.
Chinese society in the initial stages were very
skeptical of this “lazy” monks.
There came a Chinese monk who re-built Buddhism according
to the Chinese environment. No food without work. Monks have to work from sunrise to
sunset as any Chinese labourer to earn a meal a day. After sunset, after
refreshing their tired body with a bit of sleep, starts the heavy meditation.
That transformation acted as a dual sword. By doing
manual labour, the monks could concentrate more on the job at hand as the
factory worker mentioned above.
When they did early morning meditation, their sitting
meditation yielded more productive results! Also unwanted impurities in the
body due to food intake got burned out with severe manual labour.
Achieving the state of zero-thought was thus
accelerated by the above dual process.
Zero thought doesn’t indeed have to be ZERO thought.
You only reduce to a low level, the number of thoughts passing through the
mind. Such a low level reduction itself produces many a positive feeling to the
trainee, like happiness, reduced tension, stress and strain etc. A trainee thus
nears the goal of “Being Happy”.
A straightforward practical methodology!
So those who sincerely wish to train, should not just
meditate or chant Lord, Lord etc. Work a reasonable hours of MANUAL labour,
depending on your environment. Then meditate or chant. It will give double
effect.
Manual labour is compulsory. Agriculture, cleaning
etc.
Yes, in the higher laws there are rules that specify
not to plow land (you might kill earth-worms), not to cut plants, trees etc.
The solution is Never be a slave to the laws. You don’t live for the laws. It
is the other way around. The laws live for you. The laws are for your practice.
So, depending on your environment, BE PRACTICAL. That is true Zen spirit.
Manual labour also makes one humble and submissive.
There are priests and Abbots with excessive ego. “Head-weight”. The problem is
fame. The reverence being attributed to them by their disciples. A thick glue.
Stuck in their training. Yet a godly symbol!
To remove this evil, the “head-weight”, Lord Jesus
used to wash the legs of his disciples.
The Sikh Gurus used to clean the slippers and shoes
of the devotees visiting the Guru-dwara.
Such genuine practices are very rare these days!
Cleaning toilets, floor, cooking vessels in the
kitchen etc. are also a good job for humbling a person.
All spiritual practices require excessive humbling.
As a sheep. Then only you will understand the inner meaning of the holy texts.
Then only you will accept the Lord as your Master or Father or Mother or
whatever depending on whether you follow ideology – Islam, Christian or Hindu
or whatever.
If you are not humble or submissive, you become a
goat. An arrogant fighter.
One God One Religion
“That which we call the Hindu religion
is really the Eternal religion,
because it embraces all others”
- Sri Aurobindo
Those who feel “disturbed” that this book gives equal
weightage to all religions, just have to understand that there is only One God
and One religion. Many religious ideologies put blocks on themselves. Block
like there will be no more Gurus (Sikhism), no more Tirthankaras (Jainism) harm
the religious ideology in return. Man is like a flower, in different stages of
blossoming. How can one put a lid to that?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Second Council
About a hundred years after the
Buddha's Final Nirvana, a second council was held at Vaishali. The purpose of
this council was to settle a disagreement that had arisen between a group of
monks and the elders of the Order. This group of monks resented the exclusive
authority of the elders and wanted greater freedom in the application of the
rules of the Discipline. They adopted practices, which many of the elders
considered to be breaches of the rules of the Discipline. These practices
included trivial items as well as more significant ones, such as the practice
of accepting gold and silver.
With regard to the Teaching, these dissenting monks did
not agree that becoming an Arhat was the highest attainment possible for most
people. They believed that the
Arhats, who did not possess the extraordinary qualities of the Buddha, were
still fallible in many ways. According to them, the only goal worthy of
attainment was buddhahood. Moreover, the dissenting monks felt that their
views represented the original spirit of the Buddha's teachings.
Cross-reference: Hinayana and the closed concept or
termination
1. Jaina – Tirthankar (Lord Mahavira, the 24th
and the last Tirthankar)
2. Sikhs – Gurus (Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th
and the last Sikh Guru)
At the second council, the practices of
the dissenting monks were declared to be unacceptable. The dissenting monks,
however, refused to accept the decision of the council and proceeded to hold
their own council elsewhere. They called themselves the "Great
Community" because they were sympathetic to the concerns of the majority
of the ordinary monks and the lay community, and had their support.
The division between the monks of the
"Great Community" and the elders gradually led to the appearance of
two major Buddhist traditions: Theravada (Way of the Elders) and Mahayana (the Great
Way). Although both traditions acknowledge the Buddha as their
Teacher, they differ in some of
the rules of monastic discipline. They also differ in the goal of religious
practice.
The Theravada tradition generally teaches that the highest goal,
which most people can aspire to, is becoming an Arhat. The Mahayana tradition,
however, teaches that the only worthy goal for all is the attainment of
buddhahood.
(Reference: The Buddhist World: Buddhism
in South Asia – India, Sri Lanka.)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Imagine a house that gets freshly painted today.
After a certain period of time, say 10 years, will the paint hold the same
lustre as today?
The paint gets faded. Re-painting is needed. So too
any religious ideology. The Lord by one form or other re-paints or re-transmits
the ideology. It is a natural process. It is not proper to put a lid to that
phenomenon. No one can. The religion that puts the lid just get outdated or
fades out as the paint. The religion that re-paints, evolves, transforms
survive the times.
Just like flower, so too religion. Must evolve.
When the Buddha preached His eight-fold path, many
left their homes, to follow that path.
Hinduism evolved not by fighting Buddhism, but by
accepting Buddha as a form of the One God. Thus the whole of Buddhism was
brought under the Hindu fold.
So too should the Hindu religion deal with the
Christian and Islam philosophy.
Fighting them is violation of Law 1, Thou shalt not
Kill. You never draw blood!
The religion should evolve by treating Lord Jesus as
a Hindu God. Prophet Muhammad as a Hindu God or saint. Allah as a Hindu God without
form. Allah is formless. All forms of the One Lord. Each having their own
life-style, which is upto the follower to choose from.
So why fight like animals, over this name and that
name? It is only a matter of evolving. Being broad-minded. At the end of the
day, all this ideologies narrow down to how one practice the concepts in his or
her own personal life.
What’s in a name? That which we call a
rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
-
William Shakespeare
Any person can incorporate the above concept into his
own personal life. Read and study yourself, the Holy Bible, The Holy Quran, the
Holy Gita, the Buddhist suttas etc. Don’t worry what the so-called “religious
teachers” preach. Practise yourself. Treat all One. All is indeed One in the
past, present, future.
This is to say, that without being a Buddhist one can absorb and perhaps transcend
the best that Buddhism has to offer; without sharing in the nonsense of a conventional or
unconventional creed, one can extract
from it its essence and adapt it to one’s own needs and conditions.
No doubt the
ancient Egyptian priesthood were aware of this fact;…
(Reference: Bromage,
Bernard. (1960) The Occult
Arts of Ancient Egypt. 2nd Impression.
London: The Aquarian Press. Pages: 21-22))
“From his behaviour and actions, he was
from Middle-East. A Muslim. Someone with a deep psychological wound. He was a
bit agitated, badly in need of help. He wanted advice on some personal problem.
An advice badly needed. He visited the monastery once and talked with the
reception staff and left. After a few days, he came again and tried
unsuccessfully to talk to the Abbott. He came back again a third time, but
could talk only to somebody from the temple management. After that he never
came …
On my personal enquiry to the management
regarding the above incident, “This monastery is a Buddhist monastery. Those
who come here have to accept the Buddhist laws. We don’t accept any other
practice here …”
After a few days, I left the monastery.
Lord Buddha alone is not right. All are
right from their angle. One cannot discriminate or separate them. Lord Jesus
was right. Prophet Muhammad was right. Lord Krishna was right. So what right do
I have, to say a higher adept is wrong? I don’t have any right. Nor do anyone
else.”
Note 6 Censored
Traveling
Consider two people of the same age. The experiment
starts at the age of 20-25 or later. One lives in his homeland for the next 5 years.
The other travels. Go to different lands, sees, watches and learns many things
and returns back. Whose mental outlook is more mature?
The person who lived in his homeland alone lived
inside a shell with many taboos, unwanted do’s and dont’s imposed on him by his
parents, neighbours, relatives, society etc. Unwanted chains. Unwanted
restrictions. No self-questioning on what is indeed right or wrong.
The other who traveled comes out of such taboos. He
re-creates the concept of taboos himself, by experiencing life as it is. A new
man.
Entirely two different people, with different
viewpoints as outlined by the following analogy:
It is as if, Aggivessana, there were
a great mountain slope near a village or a market-town which two friends,
coming hand in hand from that village or market-town might approach; having
approached the mountain slope one friend might remain at the foot while the
other might climb to the top. Then the friend standing at the foot of the
mountain slope might speak thus to the one standing on the top: 'My dear, what
do you see as you stand on the top of the mountain slope?' He might reply: 'As
I stand on the top of the mountain slope I, my dear, see delightful parks,
delightful woods, delightful stretches of level ground delightful ponds.' But
the other might speak thus: 'This is impossible, it cannot come to pass, my
dear, that, as you stand on the top of the mountain slope, you should see . . .
delightful ponds.' Then the friend who had been standing on top of the mountain
slope having come down to the foot and taken his friend by the arm, making him
climb to the top of the mountain slope and giving him a moment in which to
regain his breath, might speak to him thus: 'Now, my dear, what is it that you
see as you stand on the top of the mountain slope?' He might speak thus: 'I, my
dear, as I stand on the top of the mountain slope, see delightful parks...
delightful ponds.' He might speak thus: 'Just now, my dear, we understood you
to say: This is impossible, it cannot come to pass that, as you stand on the
top of the mountain slope, you should see delightful... ponds. But now we
understand you to say: 'I, my dear, as I stand on the top of the mountain
slope, see delightful parks... delightful ponds.' He might speak thus: 'That
was because I, my dear, hemmed in by this great mountain slope, could not
see what was to be seen.'
- Majjhima Nikaya 125.
Dantabhumi Sutta. The Discourse on the "Tamed Stage". (Reference: 146)
Lakshmana-Rekha
A man
walks down the street. On the way-side is an old, shabby house. A thought
passes his mind: “what is inside that house? Who are the people who reside
there? What do they normally do, daytime, nighttime?
The
man brushes away such thoughts. “None of my business”. Why should I care, why
should I know, how they live their
private life? It is dis-honor, lack of character to look, watch or know their
private life. I stay within my border. The boundary of my conscience. My
Lakshmana-rekha. My do’s and my don’ts. The man walks away, reluctant even to
know anything further. He got his own things to look after. Not others private
things.
Any
house built with four walls encloses material things and non-material things.
The material things constitutes furniture, money etc. Non-material things
constitute the way of life of the people residing inside that house, their
privacy, the house/family secrets etc. Why should a man build a house. For
privacy. To safeguard his material and non-material possessions, from stealing,
from unwanted access. If such safeguard is not there, isn’t better not to live
inside a house? Sleeping and living on a road side is far better. Why going an
extra mile of all the hardship of building and maintaining a house, only to
find thieves stealing material or non-material possessions? Just like a thief
steals money or gold from inside a house, so too the non-material possessions.
Another
man walks down the street. The same thoughts pass through his mind. He asks a
man. He asks a woman. Can you put this “bug” inside that house, if you do go
in? Put it in any place that will not be noticed easily, concealed from normal
eye-sight. So, by staying outside, at a convenient location, I can monitor all
their activities. Steal their non-material possessions. Such knowledge can be
used to further my private ends. The person keeps the information to himself.
Another
man walks down the street. The same thoughts pass through his mind. He asks a
man. He asks a woman. Can you put this “bug” inside that house, if you do go
in? Put it in any place that will not be noticed easily, concealed from normal
eye-sight. So, by staying outside, at a convenient location, I can monitor all
their activities. Steal their non-material possessions. I can use that
information to malign or defame the members of the house. I can talk about the
information to many others. Many others will in turn talk to still many others.
A public gossip. So where was the non-material possession of that house?
Publically revealed. Why? Isn’t it just like a thief stealing material
possessions? Shouldn’t the people who commit such things treated just like a
thief or robber? Why not? Family secrets, privacy, personal matters all opened
to the public scrutiny by a handful of “thieves”. So other word can be used to
describe?
People
who don’t have their own etiquette. No rules and regulations. No do’s and
don’ts. People who don’t have a Lakshmana-rekha.
Know
what the outcome of not having a Lashmana-rekha?
The
Ramayana war could have been avoided, if Sita followed the Lakshmana-rekha. A
slight mistake of going over one’s border, interfering into other’s matters
beyond what is legally permitted, caused many a problems, many a doom.
If
one’s clothes get dirty, it is time to clean, to wash.
If a
land gets dirty, if the inhabitants of the land pollute too much, it is time
for Mother Earth to clean that land. One way or other She will clean Her land.
A
lotus always grows in the most dirtiest surroundings.
Lord
Krishna was born in Dwaraka. By the above logic, must have been a very dirty place,
before His birth. Nearly seven attempts were made on His life according to the
following reference:
…Krishna was the victim of seven murder attempts; finally he was
killed by a hunter. (Reference: 154)
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his
glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep
from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats
on the left.
- Matthew
25:31-33 :: King James Version (KJV)
Know what happened to Dwaraka, after Lord Krishna left His material body.
Legends record the disappearance of the “Holy” land with the arrival of a great
flood. There is always a time for Mother Earth to clean the impure land.
29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as
I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the
thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest
know how that the earth is the LORD's.
-
Exodus 9:29 :: King James Version (KJV)
Let Mother Earth see and decide the fate of the land. Praise the Lord!
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha was born in Kapilavastu. When He
achieved the state of Nibbana, many of His clansmen left home to adopt the way
of purity. To train and follow the path of purity.
So what?
22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you
of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your
high ways shall be desolate.
- Leviticus 26:22
:: King James Version (KJV)
Either the inhabitants of a land purify themselves by following the
right laws, changing their way of life or leave the cleaning process to Mother
Earth, which may look a bit “cruel”. A simple moral. Proved historically.
One need to clean one’s mind. The more cleaner the mind, the
surroundings will take care of itself. No point in cleaning the surrounding,
with impure mind. Something like, the servant sweeping all the dirt and heaping/hiding
the dirt beneath the carpet.
Spiritual Killing and Cooling
A beginner's mind is often compared to a big waterfall with
thoughts tumbling down like rushing water, but there's no need to get upset or
frustrated. Through regular practice it will gradually settle, become as gentle as a quiet river, and finally as deep and peaceful as an
ocean without waves. Reference: 127
The concept of spiritual killing and cooling lies in
the above quote. It also explains the concept of transformation.
Is there any difference between a transformed man and
an ordinary man?
No perceptible difference. Body-wise the same person.
Maybe a bit slender and bony. All change lies in the mind.
Let’s use analogies:
Imagine a fixed volume of compressed gas in a small
bottle. Take a big empty container. Release the compressed gas inside the big
container. The gas expands and fills the container completely. The big
container being closed, the expanded gas occupies the volume of the container.
A normal physics experiment.
So too the mind.
A baby grows to youth to man, expanding and expanding
its mind to diverse things, to diverse pleasures. A highly expanded mind. No
limits. Nothing. Expansion occurs according to the six senses (sight, hear,
taste, touch, smell, think)
A transformed man reverses the process, by creating a
mental prison or container of laws. Say the eight laws of purity. The expansion
of mind is not allowed to occur as it is, without any control. The mind can
expand only within the eight law container or prison.
In other words, the mind is cooled from a high
expanded state to a compressed state along with removing unwanted elements
which are against the eight laws.
The person may have been Mr. X before. After
transformation, he becomes Mr. x. Refer section on Dual Mind
If we look from a different angle, Mr. X was
“killed”. We have a new Mr. x.
That is spiritual killing. The cooling of the mind.
20 He made a new and living way for us. He opened up God's way
specially for us. It lets us through the big curtain or cloth
which hides God from us. This happened when Jesus gave his body as a
sacrifice.
-
Hebrews 10:20 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
Forcibly it can be done. Also refer section on Forced Transformation:
The Concept of “Concentration Camp”
Lock a person in a room with little disturbance. Very
little contact with outside world.
For those who are very “jumpy” in the initial stages
like a monkey, very agitated, chain them to a chair or a wall for a few days
while reducing food. When the jumpiness is over, the mind is brought down, they
will sit silent. Chains are not needed then.
What are the two normal inputs to the body?
Air to breathe and food to eat
Closely cut down food to measured levels. Slowly and
slowly reduce the amount of food given. A small measured volume of one meal a
day, with a bit of water to drink. That is it. No more food. Once the body gets
used to that, go to the next level of withdrawing food.
One day no meal (food and water) . Next day one small
meal. Continue until the body get used to it.
Two days no meal (food and water). Next day one small
meal. Continue until the body get used to it.
Three days, Four days, … Forty-One days.
That is it. The Forty-One day fasting of the Christ
forcibly implemented.
Some may die. Those who live and come out of the
experiment is truly a different person- Verbally, Bodily, Mentally.
Using the above process, under no circumstances, any
weapon or would be weapon like a small stick should be near the trainee. The process
of mental compression is so painful that it induces a high level of suicide
tendency. To kill oneself. Suicide is not permitted.
A narration of the Blessed One who VOLUNTARILY
underwent the process:
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me,
what if I partake food in trifling amounts, drop by drop, the essence of, green
grams, peas, chick-peas or pea soup. I partook food in trifling amounts, the
essence of, green grams, peas, chick peas, or pea soup. Partaking food in this
manner my body emaciated much. I looked as though I had reached my eightieth
year or had come to the end of life. Thus were my limbs large and small. My
back was like a camel’s foot, the backbone was like a threaded string of beads
when bending and stretching, My rib bones were like the beams of the roof of a
decaying hall, that were about to fall apart. My eyes, deeply set in the
sockets were like two stars set in a deep well. The skin of my head was like a
bitter- goad plucked young and dried in the sun and hot air. Thus were my limbs
large and small owing to taking trifling amounts of food. When I touched the
skin of the stomach, I got hold of the back bone. When excreting or urinating,
I fell face downwards. If I touched the body to appease it, the hairs of the
body decayed at the roots fell off. Thus was my body owing to taking trifling
amounts of food. People seeing me said, the recluse Gotama is dark. One said,
he is not dark but tan. Another said the recluse Gotama is neither dark nor tan
but of golden hue. Aggivessana, my pure skin complexion
was destroyed owing to partaking trifling amounts of food.
-Reference: 99. Majjhima Nikaaya I.36 The Major
Discourse to Saccaka.
Strange indeed are the modern prisons of many a
nation. A “dog-kennel” for feeding and breeding still more criminal elements.
(Reference: 128) If the above concept could have been implemented for each
prisoner in isolation, probably within one year, a major cleaning would have
occurred.
Based on Reference 128, those who monitor or
implement the above transformation process ought to be strict followers of the
eight laws or higher. Orthodox monks and nuns
are the preferred monitors. If not, the trainee, whether man or woman
being in a highly vulnerable and “chained” state can be manipulated easily by
the evil side. For gratification of the senses of a dirty mind.
Can anything be done to trace the rise
of the legends and marvels of Sakyamuni's history, which were current so early
(as it seems to us) as the time of Fa-hien, and which startle us so frequently by similarities between
them and narratives in our Gospels? (Reference: 138)
Voluntary training is also a good option, as shown by
the Blessed One.
Refer Scripture Translation.
A second object in them was to teach myself first, and then others,
something of the history and doctrines of Buddhism. I have thought that they
might be learned better in connexion with a lively narrative like that
of Fa-hien than by reading didactic descriptions and argumentative
books. Such has been my own experience.
- The personal words
of a translator (Reference: 138)
Excerpted from English translation of
secondary translations.
(Reference: 137)
Rabbi Judith Abrams, founder of a
school for Talmudic studies in Houston, offered an example that she said
illustrated the futility of biblical literalism – particularly in English.
The first sentence of the Bible is
generally translated as starting with "In the beginning ..." But the
Hebrew is more accurately translated as "in a beginning," she said. The difference between the
definite and indefinite article is responsible for myriad interpretations
offered by generations of Jewish sages.
(Reference: 176)
Legends record that Lord Mahavira consumed food only
12 times a year. In other words, once a month.
Those who undergo hard fasting will be aware that
more vigorous the fasting, the body can accept only very little food after a
fast.
The ignorant and those who doesn’t train, might
assume that those 12 times must be a heavy feast. Which unfortunately is just not
possible, when one himself trains to find out the facts.
The best students of top ranking universities, say
Ivy league universities, how are they rewarded?
They become the next teachers. They teach in their
own schools, to train the new would-be teachers.
So should be the end-result of the above forced
training program. The ideal state is those who complete successfully the 41 day
fast become the monitors.
A problem occurs. Ego or pride. It is noted in
certain monasteries that those who undergo a higher state of austerity develop
a strange ego after successful completion of the program. A sense of
“untouchability” with other “lower” people, who find difficulty in undergoing
the austerity or training.
The reverse option is also possible, where heavy training
may become an object of embarrassment, for example, living in a monastery with
relaxed training environment.
An Imaginary Chat 7
“You might have trained hard. But you are
just a layman. In the order of the Buddha, the monks and the nuns are higher than
you, no matter whether they train or not. So wherever you go, always respect
them as your own brother and sister!”
To prevent that problem, one doesn’t take the 41-day
fasting only once a lifetime. In a year, eight to nine times are possible. Let
the monitors themselves undergo the 41 day fast as a self-cleaning process more
than thrice a year. That will naturally destroy any form of ego that can creep
into the mind of the trainee.
You can consider it as a 41 day military campaign
against yourself. To tame or subdue your own ego or pride. Some schools term it
“Taming the Tiger”.
Who is a criminal?
A variant of the above question is, who is a sinner?
There is NO ONE who is NOT a criminal. One way or the
other – verbally or bodily or mentally, if born human, must have commit
something which deviates from the Holy of the Holies, the Laws of the Lord.
If we look from such an angle, the so-called human
society is in effect a bunch of “criminals” living as “innocent”.
So why just prison alone for the above 41 day
training process?
The human population can be numbered for
identification and tracking. Each and everyone fit to undergo the fast can be
forcibly made to undergo the test. Yes, only a few will survive. Only the best.
The best in quality.
3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go
forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their
armies.
- Numbers 1:3 ::
King James Version (KJV)
19 As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the
wilderness of Sinai.
- Numbers 1:19 ::
King James Version (KJV)
The 41-day fast is never implemented straight away
41-days. The process should start slowly. The body should get used to each
stage.
Slow reduction of food, withdrawal of food one day, two
day etc. So testing on a group of people will take 1-2 years to complete with
proper assimilation. Once used to, then straight away one can go in to the next
cycle of 41 days without any assimilation. The body is already used to.
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto
me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his
people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God.
-
Hebrews 10:30-31 :: King James Version (KJV)
Love
"To love someone deeply
gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you
courage."
-- Lao Tzu (Sixth Century BC), Chinese
philosopher, theorist of Taoism
Love the invisible Lord!
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
-
Psalm 23:1-2 :: King James Version (KJV)
The “lover” leads the “loved”.
An example to be followed from the life of the Celibate warrior,
Lord Bhisma: “Never fight a woman”.
They might do many things to harm, to please, to help, to respect,
to love or whatever. The path towards them is a path of red roses. Of pleasure.
The path away from them is a path of thorns. Of pain. The path towards the Lord
is also a path of thorns. A path of pain. So you have to suffer yourself, to be
detached. NOT to suffer or fight those “who want to care for you” in
return. Lord Bhisma always respected women. And so should be any
celibate. You respect a woman in such a manner that even if you don’t eat or
drink for days, you don’t deal with them badly.
The abstinence from a
present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great
one.
- Locke.
It is extremely difficult to find a
parallel to this wonderful personality—Mira—a saint, a philosopher, a poet and
a sage. She was a versatile genius and a magnanimous soul. Her life has a
singular charm, with extraordinary beauty and marvel. She was a princess, but she abandoned the
pleasures and luxuries incident to her high station, and chose instead, a life
of poverty, austerity, Tyaga, Titiksha and Vairagya. Though she was a
delicate young lady, she entered the perilous journey on the spiritual
path amidst various difficulties. She underwent various ordeals with undaunted
courage and intrepidity. She stood adamant in her resolve. She had a gigantic
will.
Mira’s earthly life was full of
troubles and difficulties. She was persecuted. She was tormented and yet she kept
up an undaunted spirit and a balanced mind all through, by the strength of her
devotion and the grace of her beloved Krishna. Though she was a
princess, she begged alms and lived sometimes on water alone. She led
a life of perfect renunciation and self-surrender.
Krishna was her husband, father,
mother, friend, relative and Guru.
(Reference: 53)
Scripture Translation
In the Sutta translation, it is given that the
Blessed One mentions such fasting as immaterial and not required. But the
translators of the Holy words, failed to understand that it was that fasting
which withstood the Blessed One from temptation, the attacks of Mara, just like
Lord Jesus faced in the wilderness. A common mistake with translators
who are not practitioners, but merely translators of literary words.
Translating only the outer meaning from one language to another. As time goes
on, (hundreds of years) an entirely different version of the original gets
created by the translators themselves! – translation of the translated, translation
of the translation of the translated and so on. Another problem is biased
translation. A translator may be entrenched in heavy Christian background,
following the outer meaning. Such a person’s translation of another religion’s
sacred text naturally will be biased with emphasis on the outer Christian
meaning, he was brought up. How could be this biasing? The translator might
have a mental perception that the Bible alone portrays the Truth. Everything
else is pagan. Naturally when he translates scriptures from other religion, the
choice of English words used for a specific scenario could be different. Have
slightly different meaning from what was originally supposed to be. The outcome
will be of inferior quality. Something of a low level which the future
generation may be discern properly. Eg. ill will. There are higher stages of
ill will like malice, malevolent etc. What happens if the words are
interchanged? The context meaning changes. What happens if such translations
have the silent support of the Church? In 18th and 19th
century, it was many of the Christian missionaries who went to the Eastern
lands and did many a translation of the original texts in Sanskrit, Pali,
Tibetan, Chinese etc to English. A true translator must come out of his
religion of birth. Treat all religions on the same scale. Only such a
translation will be more effective. The opposite side of this scenario is very
strange! All is the will of the Lord. Everything Godly in nature. Once upon a
time, religions might have been seen individually. Christian separate. Hindu
separate, etc. When translations of the above nature occur, unknowingly to the
translator, he was actually creating the fertile ground for the unification of
all religions into One religion. The translator just a pawn in the
“thousand-hand” Lord. By being too selfish of his Christian Gospels, the
translator Hindu-cized Christ, Christ brought into Buddhist concepts. The
mixing of religions.
Action
It is already mentioned that action is committed in
any of three ways or as a combination – verbal, bodily, mental.
There are many commonly understood concepts of
society, which need to be de-learned. To forget. Re-learning is required in
place of the old viewpoint.
National laws are written mostly for bodily
transgression, violation etc.
The Lord’s law pertains to each of verbal, bodily as
well as mental action.
Many in society may view certain actions as never
occurred. To be precise, never occurred bodily. Never “committed”. BUT have
occurred either verbally or mentally or as a combination.
The eight laws and higher are applicable at each
level for the trainee – verbal, body, mental.
A person mentally visualizes something. Verbally and
bodily, nothing is done. The action is committed in the mental PLANE. If the
visualization is pertaining to something immoral or illegal, the person suffers
mental pain or agony as punishment or reaction, just like bodily action gives
bodily reaction. The three planes of action-reaction – verbal, body, mental.
Those who observed closely Volume 2, understand how
some of the writings return back to the author itself! Writing is a subset of
verbal action. Everywhere energy. You “play” with energy. For every action,
there is an equal and opposite reaction! So use your verbal action, body and
mind carefully.
One should never watch that, one is not allowed to.
38 Speak unto the children of Israel,
and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments
throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders
a ribband of blue:
39 And it shall be unto you for a
fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the
LORD, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own
heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
40 That ye may remember, and do all
my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
-
Numbers 15:38-40 :: King James Version (KJV)
If you don’t look, half of the war is over. BUT if
you look, the eye makes decisions.
A group of women. Watch them. The eye grades them from
pretty to the prettiest.
Different flowers. Watch them. The eye grades them
from beautiful flower to ugly flower.
Different cars. Watch them. The eye grades them from
beautiful and cleanest car to the badly kept car.
Let it be anything. The eye differentiates. It is
natural. Very powerful to captivate.
What is applicable to a man is equally applicable to
a woman also.
In some of the examples, interchange man or woman,
the same effect.
A man or woman. You watch them for a while. The man
may bent for something. The back of his buttocks get exposed, more curved. You
can get sexually stimulated. Because you watched what should not be watched.
A woman does floor cleaning before you. Say a
servant. She bents for something. The round curves of her breasts get exposed.
You get sexually enticed at that moment. Because you watched what should not be
watched.
You have a dog with you. Will you keep it tamed or
untamed? If untamed and you live in society, the dog will create many a problem
in the neighbourhood. So keep the dog tamed. So too your six senses –
The sense of ear (sight), ear (hearing), nose (smell), tongue (taste and
chatter), touch (touch feelings) and thought (think). If you leave your eyes
untamed, it will behave like a dog. Watching things that should not be
watched. You get sexually heated or stimulated at each and every juncture
in modern society. The fire of passion, on ignition burns you down. A slave of
your own desires. An ignorant man who didn’t care to find the cause of the fire
and the ways to cool the fire, destroys himself.
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Anguttara Nikaya
The "Further-factored"
Discourses.
I - Book of the Ones
Pariyadana Sutta (AN I.1-10) -- Overpowering [Sean Whittle,
trans.].
Five things that can easily overpower
the mind of a man or woman.
{I,i,1-10; PTS A i 1}
Anguttara
Nikaya I.1-10
Pariyadana
Sutta
Overpowering
Translated from the Pali by Sean
Whittle.
Copyright ©2001 Sean Whittle.
For free distribution only.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus I have heard: On one occasion the
Blessed One was staying in Savatthi at Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery.
At that time he addressed the monks: "Monks!"
"Venerable sir," as the monks
listened closely to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"Monks, I do not see any other
single form that invades the mind of a man and remains like the form of a
woman. Monks, the form of a woman invades the mind of a man and remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single sound that invades the mind of a man and remains like the voice of a
woman. Monks, the voice of a woman invades the mind of a man and
remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single scent that invades the mind of a man and remains like the scent of a
woman. Monks, the scent of a woman invades the mind of a man and
remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single taste that invades the mind of a man and remains like the taste of a
woman. Monks, the taste of a woman invades the mind of a man and
remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single touch that invades the mind of a man and remains like the touch of a
woman. Monks, the touch of a woman invades the mind of a man and
remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single form that invades the mind of a woman and remains like the form of a
man. Monks, the form of a man invades the mind of a woman and remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single sound that invades the mind of a woman and remains like the voice of a
man. Monks, the voice of a man invades the mind of a woman and
remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single scent that invades the mind of a woman and remains like the scent of a
man. Monks, the scent of a man invades the mind of a woman and
remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single taste that invades the mind of a woman and remains like the taste of a
man. Monks, the taste of a man invades the mind of a woman and
remains.
"Monks, I do not see any other
single touch that invades the mind of a woman and remains like the touch of a
man. Monks, the touch of a man invades the mind of a woman and
remains."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: Thu 17 May 2001
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an01-001.html
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Don’t allow unwanted or bad thoughts.
One should never think that, one is not allowed to.
28 “But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and he wants her, then he has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.”
-
Matthew 5:28 :: Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
in his heart in his mind. The mind becomes impure.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside
of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and
excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which
is within the cup and platter, that the outside
of them may be clean also.
- Matthew
23:25-26 :: King James Version (KJV)
Don’t speak or write unwanted concepts.
One should never speak that, one is not allowed to.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men
shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned.
- Matthew
12:36-37 :: King James Version (KJV)
Yes, a whole new world. Well, when ignorance is
slowly removed, your understanding also differs.
As somebody once mentioned, “It is LESS painful to be
ignorant!”. The more you understand the other side, the more you become aware,
the truth or the facts, life becomes more haunting. More painful.
The irony lies in the painful condition. The more
painful, the more happier you will be!
True spirituality is not bowing before idols, adepts,
masters, abbots etc. Nor giving offerings. You become the idol or adept or
whatever. You train yourself on the painful path, alone. You become a self-made
adept. That is the path of spirituality, self-training. Those who try to
“please”, do offerings etc, WHY? For whom? No one can clean your inside. You
yourself have to clean your inside, your own mind. For which you train on
certain laws. The laws are your “master”. The adepts are mere “examples”, to
prove that certain ancient laws stand the test of time. What was then, is now,
will be in the future. The laws of energy are applicable as long as there is
energy.
Being all energy, for every action, there is an equal
and opposite reaction.
When surrounded by enemies, a man fights. The enemies
bent to destroy the man. What happens if the man “destroys” himself?
The enemies will equally be destroyed by themselves!
Praise the Lord!
A Satire
For those modern society men and women who believe
eavesdropping on other’s private matters, no matter who, is a learning program,
refer the section on Higher laws.
Your actions dig your own grave.
There is no point in transgressing other’s privacy and
then complain that so and so made so and so a prostitute or whatever. You
yourself commit mental prostitution. So why blame others for your dirt?
Mental prostitution is not just carnal desire alone.
Jealousy, envy etc are all part of mental dirtiness.
In the path of self cleaning, there is nothing to
observe from other’s privacy.
The basic laws to undergo are already available
whether it is in book form or internet.
So it is only a matter of following the laws and
living that way of life. Nothing else. You mind your own business. NOT how
other’s are, their personal things, etc. The short life a man or woman have, is
it to be wasted on eavesdropping on other’s privacy? Productive use of time is
on self practice not on observing other’s privacy, other’s dirt.
I am not “GOD”. Nor do I accept such titles. All are
elements or children of the one invisible Lord, energy. So why put some fancy
title on one person alone, and continue your wrong ways of watching other’s
dirt? Common sense?
But if you do pursue your path forward by violating
other’s privacy, your actions are none of my concern. I warned many a time, the
bridge before those “violators” are broken. If you drive further, you drive
into the ocean.
So fall freely, if you wish!
Then there are those who hold a false belief that the
author is a “Romeo”. If such people are advanced in mental prostitution, why
try to prostitute others? Go to some bad houses specially for such purposes and
continue your business there, NOT in some other place in society.
For those who think that the author if he “loves”,
will look after a woman well, ask yourself first, how dirty your mind is? How
bad your character is? How immoral you are in violating other’s privacy in
going into other’s house without permission? Any modern woman can become a
“beauty” with the help of modern beauty parlors. But that is only painting a
face. What about that inside mind? Even a cess-pit is more cleaner than such
vulgar mind. Should the author “look after” such dirty women? Such mental
prostitutes? Isn’t common sense? If the author does, he must really be mad. For
it is far better to die, than deal with such bad women, carrying somebody’s
dirty product or progeny as a hunchback for life! A man who wants to be
righteous will/should never deal with such women, in any manner!
There are parents who even support the “dirty”
behavior of their progeny. How much moral character those “parents” have?
Should have been better if they did not have any progeny in the first place! Or
they are failures in parenting their progeny in moral behavior. Maybe that is
why they try to push their progeny onto somebody’s back: “Maybe he will look
after her?”. Look after their dirt? The product of their dirty thoughts and way
of life of their own youth? Dirty duplicates.
Once I came across face to face with one such old man
in Australia. Talk and talk only. On the ancient Indian heritage. Yes, only
plain talk. No implementation! So are many other modern “elders”.
Better be cautious in respecting such modern
“elders”.
Still I had compassion. Sorry for such immoral ways.
The teaching that is put in words is the only thing offered to anyone. Follow
it or walk away!
In modern society, both the parents work morning to
evening for making money. They spend less time on the mental upbringing of
their children. What happens then? Either the servants or relatives or friends
are the only immediate environment of such children. Moral behavior is not at
all practiced there. The children, boy or girl grows up in such environment to become
serious violators of morality in later life. As such a concept spreads out in
many a family, nearly a whole society have similar ways. Finally, a generation
of immoral people, without any do’s or dont’s. What used to be immoral once
upon a time, is made “moral” to save face. Under the guise of fashion,
modernization.
The very basic use of walls in a house. What for? In
a society, it enforces privacy. But modern dirty men and women use snooping
devices to watch what goes on beyond those walls! “Why should not we look and
watch?” “We are only watching” Immorality accepted as morality!
There used to be a time where the teachings on
spirituality were the domain of the Brahmins, the priest class alone. Even in
that class, certain teachings were passed from father to son only. As time
passed on, what happened? The teaching diluted and diluted. There are many
present day Brahmins who are absolutely ignorant of spiritual concepts. Some
eat the forbidden food. Many still continue chanting of certain mantras, hoping
that will give them the “Godly” nature. Even in modern days, there are many
Brahmins who carry the sense of secrecy. Not to teach or reveal spiritual
concepts to anyone, even if it is something widely available in many a book or
internet. Refer the Tevigga Sutta given above. Without the way of life, of
following the laws, conducive to spiritual practice, what use is spiritual
awareness, even the basic contents of this book?
If one can’t abide by the Holy laws, to know oneself,
what use is then going to temples, churches or whatever? Doing offerings,
donations, prostrations, puja etc. What gain one wish to procure, when one’s
own mind is dirtier than a cess-pit? Will it not be better to clean the inside
mind first by abiding the laws and then offer temple offerings, donations,
prostrations, puja etc ?
Must-Read Authors
1. Paul Brunton
Around 11 books published during his life time. More
than 16 notebooks published posthumously.
I initially intended to write notes from some of Brunton’s
books. If I had taken notes, then I would have to type more than 90 percent of
his written material. So read thyself. Due to the seriousness of his writing on
his personal practice, experiences as well as the doctrine of “Know Thyself”, I
expect cover to cover understanding of as many Brunton’s books as one can get
hold off, from the library, book store or whatever.
Riddles
No Answer Provided. Why?
Any answer is right, depending on oneself.
1.
A man feeds many dogs. One of dogs think smarter. It bits
the hand of the one who fed. What could be the result?
2.
Many students study under a teacher. One of the students
thought smarter. The student slaps the teacher who taught the teaching. What
could be result?
3.
Quality and Philosophy
Imagine: There comes a man who wants
a quality sculpture. What should a sculptor give him?
How about an uncut piece of rock!
The quality sculpture. In its natural state of purity and perfection!
What is quality then?
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
- Matthew 19:30
:: King James Version (KJV)
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the
builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous
in our eyes?
- Matthew 21:42
:: King James Version (KJV)
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall
fall, it will grind him to powder.
- Matthew 21:44
:: King James Version (KJV)
Imagine the sculptor cutting the rock to the shape of
a man. The job is over when his concept of beauty is given formation on the
stone. Another sculptor comes, makes some minor changes here and there,
according to his concept of beauty. Another sculptor…Yet another sculptor….One after
another. Finally, a plain piece of rock!
What is quality then?
By the same line of reasoning, who is the quality
Guru?
- A
vagabond or a wanderer
- One
with PhD in Quality
Today’s quality is not the quality requirement 5 years
from now. So whither the PhD?
How about the vagabond – Quality guru?
A paradox.
===========================================================
"He lays the Doctrine before the
people, does not persuade them, does not dissuade
them." - The Blessed One, Lord
Buddha
“for a blameless man hurried to their
defense
Wielding the weapons of his sacred
office,
prayer and expiating incense,
he confronted Retribution and put an
end to the plague,
thus showing he was your servant,
He overcame Hostility, not by physical strength,
nor by force of arms;
but by word he prevailed over
the Punisher,
by recalling the oaths made to the Fathers, and the covenants.”
- Book of Wisdom,
18:21,22
"My disciples, my end is
approaching, our parting is near, but do not lament. Life is ever changing;
none can escape the dissolution of the body. This I am now to show by my own
death, my body falling apart like a delapidated cart. Do not vainly lament,
but realize that nothing is permanent and learn from it the
emptiness of human life. Do not cherish the unworthy desire that the changeable
might become unchanging. The demon of worldly desires is always seeking chances to deceive the
mind. If a viper lives in your room and you wish to have a
peaceful sleep, you must first chase it out. You must break the
bonds of worldly passions and drive them away as you would a viper. You must positively protect your own
mind."
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
"Oh Bhikkhus! what so ever has
arisen, all that must inevitably perish. Be ye islands unto yourselves. Be ye a refuge to
yourselves. Seek no external refuge. Live with the Dharma as your
island. The Dharma is your refuge."
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha before His Mahaparinibbana
"Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation."
-
The Blessed One, Lord Buddha before His Mahaparinibbana
My disciples, the teachings that I have
given you are never to be forgotten or abandoned. They are always to be treasured, they are to be thought about, they are to be practised. If you follow these teachings, you will always be happy.
- The Blessed One,
Lord Buddha
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of
that house or city, shake off the dust of
your feet.
-
Matthew 10:14 :: King James Version (KJV)
THE
END
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Revised: Wednesday, January 12,
2005
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“Thou belongest
to That Which Is
Undying, and not merely to time alone,” murmured the Sphinx, breaking its muteness at last. “Thou art eternal, and not merely of the vanishing flesh. The soul in man cannot be killed, cannot die. It waits, shroud-wrapped, in thy heart, as I waited, sand-wrapped, in thy world. Know thyself, O mortal! For there is One within thee, as in all men, that comes and stands at the bar and bears witness that there IS a God!”
(Reference: Brunton,
Paul. (1962) A Search in Secret
Amen