Discourse on 28th Aug - Part III
Published by Mysorean on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 at 11:15:00 pm.
Sloka 19:
Brahman is seen in so many forms. How do you see through these forms? This is to be seen through the purified mind.
For example, babies have a pure mind. If you ask a 3-yr old to look at the board, then the kid will look at the board with 100% concentration. Because it doesn't know any other way of doing it. But as the kid grows up, its concentration waivers. Many distractions enter its mind. Whatever took 5 minutes to teach the kid in the Second class, will take 15 minutes in the Third class and so on. The kid's pure mind has been spoilt by the material nature of the World.
The mind should be free from useless attachments and desire. The mind must be only concentrating on realising the "Atman". Sri Ramanuja likens meditation to the flow of pouring oil from vessel to vessel. Water flow has a drop-like form to it, but not oil. Oil flows in a continuous form. From the "Brahman" to the "Atman", there is a flow like the flow of oil.
The mind that meditates must be so purified. It must have a one-pointedness of knowing the "Brahman". It is such a mind that is being referred to here. The energy of mind should be harnesses.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would hold a towel in front of his eyes and ask his devotees if they could see him. All of them would reply that they cannot since there is a towel that is hiding his face. This towel, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says, is similar to the curtain the mind creates in pursuit of the Ultimate Truth. The Ultimate Truth is the infinite Life, Happiness and Knowledge. In other words, it's the "Atman". The "Atman" is infinite Life, Happiness and knowledge.
Tomorrow: Sloka 19 (Continued)
Brahman is seen in so many forms. How do you see through these forms? This is to be seen through the purified mind.
For example, babies have a pure mind. If you ask a 3-yr old to look at the board, then the kid will look at the board with 100% concentration. Because it doesn't know any other way of doing it. But as the kid grows up, its concentration waivers. Many distractions enter its mind. Whatever took 5 minutes to teach the kid in the Second class, will take 15 minutes in the Third class and so on. The kid's pure mind has been spoilt by the material nature of the World.
The mind should be free from useless attachments and desire. The mind must be only concentrating on realising the "Atman". Sri Ramanuja likens meditation to the flow of pouring oil from vessel to vessel. Water flow has a drop-like form to it, but not oil. Oil flows in a continuous form. From the "Brahman" to the "Atman", there is a flow like the flow of oil.
The mind that meditates must be so purified. It must have a one-pointedness of knowing the "Brahman". It is such a mind that is being referred to here. The energy of mind should be harnesses.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would hold a towel in front of his eyes and ask his devotees if they could see him. All of them would reply that they cannot since there is a towel that is hiding his face. This towel, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says, is similar to the curtain the mind creates in pursuit of the Ultimate Truth. The Ultimate Truth is the infinite Life, Happiness and Knowledge. In other words, it's the "Atman". The "Atman" is infinite Life, Happiness and knowledge.
Tomorrow: Sloka 19 (Continued)
