Name:dattaswami •
Title: Stages in Worship of Lord •
Date posted: 05/18/07 13:57
Q: Stages in Worship of Lord
In the first stage, a servant is sitting and singing on the owner without doing any work. He is asking the remuneration for his song from the owner. The owner refuses remuneration because the singer has already got happiness by singing and that happiness itself is the remuneration. One cannot get two remunerations for single work even if you treat the singing as a work. In the second stage the servant is doing work and is also singing. The owner will pay for his work only but not for the song. The servant is singing while he is doing the work in order to get happiness to forget the tiredness in the work. Therefore, here also only the work is remunerated but not the song. In the third stage the servant is advised to stop singing because his energy is wasted in the song. If he works without singing all his energy can be concentrated in the work and the servant will get more remuneration. In this third stage it is only an advice but the servant is not blamed for singing. Singing is not wrong at all. But singing has no remuneration.
Similarly in the first stage people pray and express devotion without proving their love in action. In this stage the people are getting the peace and bliss by the prayers and expression of devotion. They cannot charge the Lord again for their prayers and devotion. In the second stage people participate in the mission of the Lord by sacrificing the work and the fruit of the work. While working for the Lord, they pray and sing devotional songs, which give them peace and happiness. Their prayers and songs are not wrong at all. But they will get the fruit from the Lord for their work only and not for their prayers (words) and for their devotion (mind).
In the third stage they are advised to stop the prayers and expression of devotion by practicing silence and control of mind. The reason for this is that they can store their energy, which is wasted in prayers, and devotion and which cannot bring any fruit from the Lord. The energy wasted in these two channels can be diverted to the work only and more work can be done so that they can get a better fruit from the Lord. Ofcourse, they should not expect any fruit for their work. Then only the Lord is pleased and will give the real fruit. But if they concentrate all their energy in the work only, they can get a better real fruit from the Lord though they do not aspire for any fruit.
Please note that we are not finding fault with the prayers and devotion. We are only saying that you are wasting your energy in those two channels, which cannot bring any fruit from the Lord. If you control those two channels, better fruit is given to you. If you need relaxation by prayers and devotion, you will be in the second stage. Therefore there is no contradiction because in the third stage it is only an advice in the light of Yoga. Yoga means concentration of the entire energy in one channel that is useful. The root word of Yoga is “Yuj”, which means to unite the dissipated streams of energy in various useless channels and concentrate the whole energy as a single stream in the useful channel.
The third stage is the highest stage. Hanuman never uttered prayers and never expressed devotional feelings on the Lord as per the Valmiki Ramayana, which is the only authority. Hanuman concentrated all His energy in the work of Lord Rama. Lord Rama also never expressed His love through words or feelings on Hanuman. He also gave silently the highest real fruit to Hanuman, which is the post of future creator (Brahma). Veda says “Yato Vacho Nivartante Apraapya Manasaasah”. This means that the words and mind cannot touch the Lord and will return back to you only. He will never hear your prayers and will never observe your expression of devotional feelings. The reason is that they are giving you the immediate fruit, which is peace, happiness and satisfaction. It is like a self-employment scheme.
Since the fruit is immediate and automatic the Lord need not pay any attention. But when you work for Him by sacrifice, you are not getting the peace, happiness and satisfaction. When you offer the sweet to the Lord you are suffering with hunger though you may feel it as happiness. But the Lord is not a sadist. He will pay His attention to you and will give you the real fruit. Therefore in this highest stage silence and control of mind are recommended by Gita also (Mounam Atma Vinigrahah).
In the second stage by prayers and devotion, you are eating the sweet. Why should the Lord pay attention for that because you are getting the enjoyment in eating the sweet? Shall He give you the cost of the sweet to you for your eating? When you give the sweet to Him without aspiring for its cost, the Lord will be pleased for your sacrifice, which alone can prove your real love on Him and then reward you with real infinite fruit at the appropriate time and place. He will delay in giving the fruit since He wants to see you whether you have sacrificed the fruit expecting something in return.
If you have sacrificed the sweet in terms of business, you will come out with your real color in the time of delay done by the Lord. The Lord is the top most genius.
At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami
Anil Antony
www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace
antonyanil@universal-spirituality.org
Name:Panluna •
Date: 05/19/07 12:44
A: Give to yourself what you need.Give to what ever God-Goddess in spirit.
Name:Shlomo •
Date: 05/19/07 14:38
A: Your entire premise lacks substance and is a pure non-rational philosphical thought, typical of re-packaging paganism to mislead.
Name:Shlomo •
Date: 05/19/07 16:58
A: In the correct teachings much thought is given to the duality involving our relation to G-d. There is the 'up' relationship meaning that we elevate ourselves through our prayer and our performance of G-d's commandments to us to get closer – 'up' – to G-d. The other aspect is the bringing 'down' relationship which means that through our actions down here on earth, we draw G-d's presence down or bring holiness into the world; this is also done when we fulfill G-d's divine will [fulfilling the laws]. But they are both necessary forms of divine service.
The second up/down concept is that of masculine waters and feminine waters. Although in our day, speaking about the concepts of masculine and feminine with their specific differences may be thought of as chauvinistic, the mystical terms which were coined hundreds of years ago allude to different types of spiritual influxes.
Like water goes down (rain and dew) and up (vapors and evaporation), so too there is a constant exchange of influences. There are times when we try to initiate a contact to G-d and sometimes, just the opposite, it is G-d trying to arouse us. Like the relationship between a man and a woman, it could be the man who initiates the contact (or stimulation) with the women. In other situations it could be the woman who initiates the contact by arousing the man. In a similar manner, arousal exists in the spiritual world between man and G-d.
For a balanced relationship there must be a mutual interaction – a one sided relationship is doomed for failure. Although the initiator of the relationship may be the male or the female, with out the proper response from the other side, there can be no real relationship. This applies equally in the realm of the divine. Sometimes G-d initiates an arousal to man – meaning that G-d is 'waking up' man through an external action. Without man responding to G-d's arousal there can not be any relationship. The opposite is also true; sometimes man trying to initiate a desire for intimacy with G-d (like prayer) but he feels that the connection is cold and at other times he feels a connection. Just like the relationship between man and woman, for an intimate relationship to be made, an arousal is initiated by one partner; if the other partner does not respond, there can not be an intimate relationship.
The ultimate in perfect relationship between man and G-d is a union between the two aspects. Neither is it good for man to go 'up' only, meaning to exist only in the upper worlds, for it is the divine will that he do his service in the world. Yet neither is it optimum for man only to draw 'down' – only doing his service in the physical world and never elevating himself above it. The optimum is combining the two aspects. This is the union between man and G-d as manifested. This represents the ultimate in life - the perfect union between the two opposites, the masculine and the feminine, the divine and the material.
This was the aspect of King David, the righteous king, who unified both aspects, both worldly and spiritual into one being. He was a mighty warrior and a lofty psalmist. He was able to reach the highest levels in closeness to G-d and at the same time do G-d's will down in earth fighting His battles and preparing Jerusalem to house the Temple of
G-d. Your philosophy is deficient, prayer and devotion are a necessary requirement at any stage.
Name:Anchorite •
Date: 05/21/07 20:54
A: THE LOSER
Her beauty took My sight away
It threw a shadow On the day
No view could Satisfy my mind
And when she left I'd rather blind
Her laugh did Wrinkle in my ear
A sound of babies Not a fear
It made me cringe To think she could
Fly innocent Above us wood
She knows her way She has her ground
Us sorry cannot Hang around
My heart she made A mortal be
She'll never have Her way with me
His magnitude Did black the day
He stood a stand To quell the weak
And when he slowly Took her hand
I felt my future Getting bleak
His laugh did pound My heart apart
A hero and a Victor's start
He knows the way He has a plan
Us sorry he Will soon command
No irony in Heaven's blend
But still I wish An awful end
~Anchorite
Name:dattaswami •
Date: 05/22/07 12:43
A: Shlomo;
Impartial Preaching of Lord
While preaching the Lord follows the psychology of receiver and speaks to His corresponding level only in a palatable way (Priyam) so that he will not run away on hearing a harsh truth (Satyam), which may correspond to higher level. But at the same time the Lord will not preach a lie (Amrutam) even if it is liked very much. At the same time he will introduce slightly higher level so that a little truth with little harshness is introduced. The psychology of the receiver which likes only palatable concepts is as important as the truth. If a lie which is highly palatable is spoken, the huge majority of followers will appear. But what is the use of such preaching? Because the receiver is not really benefited in long range (upper world). If the entire concept is reveled, it is so harsh that people will run away without even hearing it. Therefore, the middle gold path of Aristotle should be followed so that a minority of followers appears.
If the preacher shows some miracles, huge crowds will follow who will be interested in solving their problems by exploiting that super power. In that case the preacher may speak any nonsense, the followers will be clapping. The devotion of such followers is only artificial and such devotees are the prostitute devotees. The miracles are exhibited by the Lord spontaneously in the case of extreme necessity for the sake of a really deserving devotee. The miracle is expected to help the devotee in the spiritual path. The sage Udanka did not ask for the vision of Viswarupam. But still the Lord showed it and sage Udanka got its benefit permanently. The sage believed the human incarnation throughout his life. Arjuna could get only some temporary benefit by such vision and therefore the Lord did not show it by himself unless Arjuna requested for it. Duryodhana did not ask for it but Dhrutarashtra asked to see it. In the case of these two, there is no use at all and the vision did not change them. The miracle can not be a poof of the Lord because even the devotees either good or bad also show miracles.
At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami
Anil Antony
www.universal-s-pirituality.org
Universa-l- Spirituality for World Peace
antonyanil@universal-spirituality.org
