Four Means of practice (sadhana chatushtaya), which include Six Virtues (shatsampat), are cultivated on the path of Self-Realization by the school of Vedanta or Jnana Yoga. These allow a clear, steady foundation for the three stages 1. of the practices of listening to the teachings (sravana), 2. reflecting on those teachings (manana), and 3. deep contemplative meditation on those principles (niddhidhyasana). In western phylosophy, it is SQR3= Survey, Queationing, R3: Read, Recite & Resilience.
The sAdhana chatuShTaya is described by Shankara in the vivekachUDAmaNi as follows:
Adau nityAnityavastuvivekaH parigaNyate |
ihAmutraphalabhOgavirAgasttadanantaram ||
shamAdiShaTkasampattiH mumukShutvamiti sphuTam || - Verse 19.
1. viveka
discrimination of Real from unreal.
Bhagawat Gita explains this in the 3th Chapter Skhetra-Skhetragnya Yoga. This is the first chapter in the third part of Gita i.e. Gnana Kand or Jnana Yoga
2. vairAgya
detachment or dispassion from sense objects .
It is also called as a state of mind in which there is absence of worldly desires (As said by Sri Ramana Maharshi in Who Am I).
3. shamAdi ShaTka sampatti (a collective group of six behavior traits).
a. shama
shama means mind-control.
b. dama
dama means keeping the body and the senses under control.
c. uparati
Neutralise likes and dislikes
d. titikShA
Remain neutral (stay alike or tolerate) in pros and cons of life.
e. shraddhA
Unwavering faith in yourself, the sacred scriptures or shAstra, God and Guru.
f. samAdhAna
Single pointed concentration. Or in other words, be content with Surrender to the God or self or fix your mind on Brahman.
4. mumukShutva
Burning desire for liberation
Source: adapted from www.swamij.com, by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati, http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/definitions/shamAdi_ShaTka_sampatti.htm (Dr. Ram Chandran), http://vedantamission.tripod.com/Pub/1Read/TBodha-1.htm (Poojya Swami Sri Atmananda Saraswati)
Original source: Vivek Choodamani, Tatva Bodh by Sri Adi Shankaracharya
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sadhana Chatushtaya VaraNana
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu [pronounced Chaitanya] (February 27,1486 to 1534 A.D.) was born in Navadvipa, Bengal, on a full moon night during a lunar eclipse. It is typical for people to bathe in the Ganges during an eclipse and chant the Lord’s holy names for spiritual purification. So, everyone in the area was chanting the holy names when He was born. His parents, Jagannatha Misra and Sachidevi, gave Him the name of Vishvambhara, meaning the support of the universe, because astrologers had predicted His super human qualities and that He would deliver the people of the world. He was also nicknamed Nimai because He had been born under a nima tree.
During His childhood He exhibited extraordinary qualities, even having philosophical discussions with His mother. While growing, His brilliant intelligence began to become apparent. While still a child, He mastered Sanskrit and logic to the point of defeating local pundits, and established the truth of His spiritual and Vedic philosophy. He became so well known that many logicians of various religious and philosophical persuasions began to fear His presence and refused to debate with Him. Thus, Sri Caitanya established the authority of the Vaishnava tradition through the process of debate and logic.
Then, when Sri Caitanya went to Gaya on the pretext to perform ceremonies for the anniversary of His father’s death, He received Vaishnava initiation from Ishvara Puri. Thereafter, He lost all interest in debate and simply absorbed Himself in chanting and singing the names of Lord Krishna in devotional ecstasy. Upon returning to Navadvipa, He gathered a following with whom He would engage in congregational singing of the Lord’s holy names. Thus, He started the first sankirtana (congregational devotional singing) movement, and established the importance of chanting the names of God in this age as the most elevated of spiritual processes, and the prime means for liberation from material attachments.
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During His childhood He exhibited extraordinary qualities, even having philosophical discussions with His mother. While growing, His brilliant intelligence began to become apparent. While still a child, He mastered Sanskrit and logic to the point of defeating local pundits, and established the truth of His spiritual and Vedic philosophy. He became so well known that many logicians of various religious and philosophical persuasions began to fear His presence and refused to debate with Him. Thus, Sri Caitanya established the authority of the Vaishnava tradition through the process of debate and logic.
Then, when Sri Caitanya went to Gaya on the pretext to perform ceremonies for the anniversary of His father’s death, He received Vaishnava initiation from Ishvara Puri. Thereafter, He lost all interest in debate and simply absorbed Himself in chanting and singing the names of Lord Krishna in devotional ecstasy. Upon returning to Navadvipa, He gathered a following with whom He would engage in congregational singing of the Lord’s holy names. Thus, He started the first sankirtana (congregational devotional singing) movement, and established the importance of chanting the names of God in this age as the most elevated of spiritual processes, and the prime means for liberation from material attachments.
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Saturday, April 5, 2008
Snakes and Ladders
The game had its origin in India and was called Moksha Patam or Parama Padam or Mokshapat. It was used to teach Hinduism and Hindu values to children. The British renamed it as Snake and Ladders.
Now, when and who created this game? Most people believe it was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. There are certain references which take the game back to 2nd century BC.
The ladders represented virtues and snakes vices. In the original game square 12 was faith, 51 was Reliability, 57 was Generosity, 76 was Knowledge, and 78 was Asceticism. These were the squares were the ladder was found.
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