Pravritti vs nivritti

[savithri devaraj]

--- "Subrahmanian, Sundararaman V [IT]"
<sundararaman.v.subrahmanian at CITIGROUP.COM> wrote:
> Thanks for the reference for (2).
>
> Regarding (1) - this sometimes makes me wonder.  Let
> us say:  I work with a
> view to earn money and take care of my family.  I am
> ambitious to progress
> in my career.  At the same time I read giitaa pray
> to God to relieve myself
> from limitations.
>
> What is the above called?  I feel it is partly
> pravR^itti and partly
> nivR^itti.  Do the shaastras call such a person
> confused?  A little while
> ago Sri Vidyasankar said that there is a bridge
> between the two.  The below
> seems to suggest that once I take up nivR^itti
> marga, I have to give up my
> desires or to put it differently - till I give up my
> desires I am not yet in
> nivR^itti marga.  I am trying to keep the context of
> Sri Jaladhar's posting
> on iishaavaasya - something is not clicking within
> !!
>
> That is saddening because even though I have love
> for God, I still have
> worldly desires.  Does that mean I have not yet
> taken the path of
> spirituality. May be I am asking too many questions
> too soon.  Perhaps these
> would be covered later in giitaa.
>

My problem is a little extension of yours! What I hear
and read in the Giita discourses completely opposes
what I face in my normal day to day life. For example
in chapter 13, starting from amAnitvam, adambhitvam,
ahimsa, kshAnti, aarjava,... how many of us can really
put this into practice in the true sense of the
shloka? How many of us can calmly take it when someone
is trampling all over us either at work or at home?
Many times patience and tolerance are treated as
weaknesses, as tickets for further trampling, rather
than as strengths. This definitely leads you to a
double faceted lifestyle. It is so dificult to achieve
just one of these to perfection, let alone all.
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone in the world were
practicing the same good qualities and trying to
achieve the same goals!!

The way I justify to myself is this - If I were really
cut out for sadhana or achieving the above qualities,
I would certainly be put in a totally different set of
circumstances, where there would be no need to fight
these constant battles. This is no license to stop
trying for these qualities, but questions as above do
arise in the mind. I believe I am aiming for some
things that are way out of my reach, right at this
moment, but certainly through constant persevering
attempts and devotion, the Lord will give me
conditions quite conducive to my spiritual growth.

There is no doubt in my mind, most of us here are on
the pravriti marga.

Sorry for side-tracking the main topic,
Savithri

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