Sadhana

[Ravi Mayavaram]

On Tue, 5 May 1998, john grimes wrote:
>(Commentary)
>How many myriad things are there in the universe! Think of the billions of
>stars and specks of dust and grains of sand and microbes beyond count.
>Innumerable are the drops of water and leaves on trees and atoms beyond
>count. Of all the entities in the universe, those with a human body are
>very rare! This is not speculation but an obvious objective observation.
>And, what is rare and difficult to obtain is generally considered to be
>precious, valuable.
>The physical body is precious. Why? Ignoring for the moment spiritual
>realization, it is because one has a physical body that one has been able
>to enjoy all the pleasures that have come one's way throughout one's life.
>All of the delicious foods and wonderful sights and relationships, colors
>and fragrances and sounds beyond compare, everything that has been
>experienced was, is, and will be, only because one has a physical body. The
>body is the vehicle by which and through which a person is able to enjoy
>all that one deems enjoyable. Thus, birth in a physical body is rare,
>valuable and precious.

namaste

I believe that human body is precious because of the spinal shrines
(chakras), at least from the point of view of kuNDalini yoga. Ignoring
spiritual side, the reasons you have given will be true to many other
animal species too.


Thanks for your insights into the words pauruSham and viprata. Even in
this day, I beleive, being born in a brahmin family is a great
advantage. One will atleast get to know many things about Atmajnanam
at a very young age. Plus one (being a male) can get a chance for
upananyanam initiation and doing sandhya. Ignoring shudras, I dont
think other two varnas, who are eligible for sandhya worship, do that
these days.

Of course, I should add that, many mUDhAtmas like me, throw away all
these God given advantages and seek trivial things like certificates
and money. As shankara says, it is like a suicide.

Please correct me if I am wrong. There is nothing better than an
opprtunity to learn.

With respects,
Ravi
"bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam"