New member introduction: Chuck Salvo

Abhiraj K. kabhiraj at YAHOO.COM
Sat Apr 19 04:30:55 CDT 2003
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Hello Chuck

Nice to know you ! How are you ? Abhiraj here. I read
about you, thanks for the intorduction. I agree with
you, besides contemporary reading it is desirable to
follow one instructor and that is good form initiation
point of view also. Actually this is no excuse but i
conisder myself to juvenile to interpret Vedantic
philosophy and unlike you am quite new to the
intricacies of this philosophy but i assure you that
soon i will catch up with you all. Till then wish me
luck and wish to see so many mails form you.

have  a nice time !!!
Abhiraj
--- "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at BRAINCELLS.COM> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I was first introduced to Vedanta through Ananda
> Coomaraswamy and Rene
> Guenon (_Introduction to the Study of Hindu
> Doctrine_ and _Man and his
> becoming according to the Vedanta_). Their works
> convinced me that
> Advaita Vedanta encompasses the most pristine
> teachings of metaphysics.
>
> Since then I have been involved in a study group
> reading _I am That_ by
> Nisargadatta and in a group taught by a student of
> Dayananda. These two
> sages seem to me to be authentic. However, since
> there are so many other
> claimants nowadays to Vedanta-like teachings, I
> believe it is better to
> turn to the roots of Vedanta rather than to rely on
> contemporary
> expositors. That accounts for my interest in this
> list.
>
> Regards,
> Chuck Salvo


=====
Abhiraj S. Kulkarni

__________________________________________________
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>From  Sat Apr 19 02:53:46 2003
Message-Id: <SAT.19.APR.2003.025346.0700.>
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 02:53:46 -0700
Reply-To: sanjay1297 at yahoo.com
To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara
        <ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
From: Sanjay Verma <sanjay1297 at YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: some dharmic questions
In-Reply-To: <Sea2-F38KVApwOLZCHu00004731 at hotmail.com>
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Pranam to all,



I agree wholeheartedly with the words of wisdom contributed by Mr. Srivastan. Consider the following:



" 'The Shruti texts give rise to a wrong view if they are not studied as one connected whole' -- in other words the letter often kills the spirit." [from Vireswarananda's introduction to the Brahma Sutras]



Sometimes, we can be so vigilant about the details that we can no longer see the forest through the trees -- the forest (i.e., our goal)  in this case being the sustained realization of Brahman in our every experience.



In Shankara’s commentary on the Brahma Sutras (BSB I.i.1) he writes that the prerequisites for deliberation on Brahman are “discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal; dispassion for the enjoyment of the fruits (of work) here and hereafter; a perfection of such practices as control of mind, control of the senses and organs, etc.; and a hankering for liberation.” Note the emphasis on state of mind, and not on any particular action. Is that not what the Upanishads aim to offer (in juxtaposition to the karmakanda portion of the Vedas) – to emphasize the state of mind rather than the particular action?



In the Chandogya Upanishad 2:13, it states [http://hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/chandogya_max_1.htm] :



“1. One summons, that is the syllable him. He makes request, that is a prastava. Along with the woman, he lies down, that is the udgiha. He lies on the woman, that is the pratihara. He comes to the end, that is the nidhana. He comes to the finish, that is the nidhana. This is the Vamadevya chant woven on sex intercourse.



“2. He who knows this Vamadeva chant as woven on sex intercourse, comes to intercourse, procreates himself from every act, reaches a full length of life, lives well, becomes great in offspring and in cattle, great in fame. One should not despise any woman. That is the rule”



Again, it is the state of mind that is important, not the specific nature of the act. [by this I don’t mean to downplay the importance of celibacy]



As for the specific question about food, Swami Vivekananda writes this about diet [page 18 of his introductory comments on Raja Yoga]:



"We have, therefore, to take care what sort of food we eat at the beginning, and when we have got strength enough, when our practice is well advanced, we need not be so careful in this respect. When a plant is growing it must be hedged round, lest it be injured; but when it becomes a tree, the hedges are taken away. It is strong enough to withstand  all assaults."



If one still deems it important, however, one can find various sections of the shastras devoted to rules regarding food, clothing, sex, etc.



May peace be with you...



Om Shanti,
Sanjay




Srivatsan G <srivatsang at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:


I dont know if this answer will satisfy you , still I shall give it a try.

We are all interested in the Advaita philosophy and thats the reason we are members of this group. So when we see all the issues from the point of view of Advaita and from the perspective of the cosmic reality, then these small things pale in comparison.

I myself was very much involved in the sayings of the shastras and used to follow them , but actually speaking all this does not matter. What matters is our knowledge of the supreme self and our understanding that the self  is in all of us.

This thought lies in the teachings of all our masters like Adi Shankara,Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Chinmayananda etc.

I humbly suggest we all contemplate on this supreme reality and love all beings equally, which alone can lead us to realisation and everlasting bliss. This reply is not meant to harm or hurt somebodys beliefs but to share my thoughts. I hope it is well taken.

Pranams

Srivatsan




"THE WORLD EVEN IF YOU HOLD ON TO IT WILL LET YOU DOWNTHE LORD EVEN IF YOU DONT NEED HIM, WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU . DONT EVER LOSE FAITH IN  HIM"    Srivatsan Guruswamy
FLAT#12-N,RAJPARIS APARTMENTS

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>From: ravi chandrasekhara >Reply-To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara >To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG >Subject: Re: some dharmic questions >Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 06:50:37 -0700 > >Dear All, > >I have some questions that have been on my mind for >some time. > >1. There are pictures of dieties on calenders, >wrappers, old panchangas, etc. This leads to a lot of >paper accumulation. I was told by a temple >representative at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in >Pittsburgh a few years ago said in India the proper >way to dispose pictures in those forms is to throw it >in a holy river. I would like to know what is the >proper way to dispose of these items(i.e. , is it a >transgression to throw in the garbage), esp in the >USA. > >2. We wear a lot of silk items: ties, shirts, dhotis, >saris, etc. This involves boiling of silkworms; is >this allowed per our shastras ? Are certain castes >allowed/forbidden to wear silk items ? > >3.Are we allowed to wear leather items ?, it seems >almost ubiquitous (car seats, shoes, wallets). Here >most likely leather is obtained from cow slaughter; >supposedly in India it is obtained from naturally >dying cows. My next question is if leather is ok, does >it depend on how it is obtained ? > >4. Many vegetarians justify egg consumption since it >doesnt involve killing life, as these are >unfertilized. What do our shastras state ? I remember >reading in a book that Gandhiji stated that these >types of eggs are ok to eat. Is there a caste >restriction on who can consume eggs ? My >understanding id that eggs are tamasic. > >Pranam, >Ravi Chandrasekhara > > >__________________________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo >http://search.yahoo.com

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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Pranam to all,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I agree wholeheartedly with the words of wisdom contributed by Mr. Srivastan. Consider the following:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">" 'The Shruti texts give rise to a wrong view if they are not studied as one connected whole' -- in other words the letter often kills the spirit." [from Vireswarananda's introduction to the Brahma Sutras]<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Sometimes, we can be so vigilant about the details that we can no longer see the forest through the trees -- the forest (i.e., our goal)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>in this case being the sustained realization of Brahman in our every experience.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In Shankara’s commentary on the Brahma Sutras (BSB I.i.1) he writes that the prerequisites for deliberation on Brahman are “discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal; dispassion for the enjoyment of the fruits (of work) here and hereafter; a perfection of such practices as control of mind, control of the senses and organs, etc.; and a hankering for liberation.” Note the emphasis on state of mind, and not on any particular action. Is that not what the Upanishads aim to offer (in juxtaposition to the karmakanda portion of the Vedas) – to emphasize the state of mind rather than the particular action?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In the Chandogya Upanishad 2:13, it states [http://hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/chandogya_max_1.htm] :</P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">“1. One summons, that is the syllable him. He makes request, that is a prastava. Along with the woman, he lies down, that is the udgiha. He lies on the woman, that is the pratihara. He comes to the end, that is the nidhana. He comes to the finish, that is the nidhana. This is the Vamadevya chant woven on sex intercourse.</P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">“2. He who knows this Vamadeva chant as woven on sex intercourse, comes to intercourse, procreates himself from every act, reaches a full length of life, lives well, becomes great in offspring and in cattle, great in fame. One should not despise any woman. That is the rule”</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Again, it is the state of mind that is important, not the specific nature of the act. [by this I don’t mean to downplay the importance of celibacy]<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">As for the specific question about food, Swami Vivekananda writes this about diet [page 18 of his introductory comments on Raja Yoga]:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"We have, therefore, to take care what sort of food we eat at the beginning, and when we have got strength enough, when our practice is well advanced, we need not be so careful in this respect. When a plant is growing it must be hedged round, lest it be injured; but when it becomes a tree, the hedges are taken away. It is strong enough to withstand  all assaults."</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">If one still deems it important, however, one can find various sections of the shastras devoted to rules regarding food, clothing, sex, etc.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">May peace be with you...<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Om Shanti,<BR>Sanjay<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"></SPAN><BR><B><I>Srivatsan G <srivatsang at HOTMAIL.COM></I></B> wrote:</P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">
<DIV>
<DIV>
<P><BR>I dont know if this answer will satisfy you , still I shall give it a try.</P>
<P>We are all interested in the Advaita philosophy and thats the reason we are members of this group. So when we see all the issues from the point of view of Advaita and from the perspective of the cosmic reality, then these small things pale in comparison.</P>
<P>I myself was very much involved in the sayings of the shastras and used to follow them , but actually speaking all this does not matter. What matters is our knowledge of the supreme self and our understanding that the self  is in all of us.</P>
<P>This thought lies in the teachings of all our masters like Adi Shankara,Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Chinmayananda etc.</P>
<P>I humbly suggest we all contemplate on this supreme reality and love all beings equally, which alone can lead us to realisation and everlasting bliss. This reply is not meant to harm or hurt somebodys beliefs but to share my thoughts. I hope it is well taken.</P>
<P>Pranams</P>
<P>Srivatsan<BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><BR><BR><BR>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif"><EM>"THE WORLD EVEN IF YOU HOLD ON TO IT WILL LET YOU DOWN</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif"><EM>THE LORD EVEN IF YOU DONT NEED HIM, WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU .</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif"><EM></EM></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Garamond, Times, Serif"><EM>DONT EVER LOSE FAITH IN  </EM><STRONG>HIM"</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Handwriting, Cursive" color=#0000ff>Srivatsan Guruswamy </FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>FLAT#12-N,RAJPARIS APARTMENTS</FONT></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>12-A,CHAMIERS ROAD,NANDANAM</FONT></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>MADRAS-600035</FONT></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>PH:+91-44-24363270</FONT></P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: ravi chandrasekhara <VADHULA at YAHOO.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: List for advaita vedanta as taught by Shri Shankara <ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG>
<DIV></DIV>>To: ADVAITA-L at LISTS.ADVAITA-VEDANTA.ORG
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: some dharmic questions
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 06:50:37 -0700
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Dear All,
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I have some questions that have been on my mind for
<DIV></DIV>>some time.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>1. There are pictures of dieties on calenders,
<DIV></DIV>>wrappers, old panchangas, etc. This leads to a lot of
<DIV></DIV>>paper accumulation. I was told by a temple
<DIV></DIV>>representative at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in
<DIV></DIV>>Pittsburgh a few years ago said in India the proper
<DIV></DIV>>way to dispose pictures in those forms is to throw it
<DIV></DIV>>in a holy river. I would like to know what is the
<DIV></DIV>>proper way to dispose of these items(i.e. , is it a
<DIV></DIV>>transgression to throw in the garbage), esp in the
<DIV></DIV>>USA.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>2. We wear a lot of silk items: ties, shirts, dhotis,
<DIV></DIV>>saris, etc. This involves boiling of silkworms; is
<DIV></DIV>>this allowed per our shastras ? Are certain castes
<DIV></DIV>>allowed/forbidden to wear silk items ?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>3.Are we allowed to wear leather items ?, it seems
<DIV></DIV>>almost ubiquitous (car seats, shoes, wallets). Here
<DIV></DIV>>most likely leather is obtained from cow slaughter;
<DIV></DIV>>supposedly in India it is obtained from naturally
<DIV></DIV>>dying cows. My next question is if leather is ok, does
<DIV></DIV>>it depend on how it is obtained ?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>4. Many vegetarians justify egg consumption since it
<DIV></DIV>>doesnt involve killing life, as these are
<DIV></DIV>>unfertilized. What do our shastras state ? I remember
<DIV></DIV>>reading in a book that Gandhiji stated that these
<DIV></DIV>>types of eggs are ok to eat. Is there a caste
<DIV></DIV>>restriction on who can consume eggs ? My
<DIV></DIV>>understanding id that eggs are tamasic.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Pranam,
<DIV></DIV>>Ravi Chandrasekhara
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>__________________________________________________
<DIV></DIV>>Do you Yahoo!?
<DIV></DIV>>The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo
<DIV></DIV>>http://search.yahoo.com
<DIV></DIV></DIV><BR clear=all>
<HR>
Get cool ringtones. Make a statement. <A href="http://g.msn.com/8HMUENIN/2749">Get noticed.</A> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>_______________________________________<br><br>The journey of a thousand miles begins<br>with a single step.--Chinese Proverb<br><br>_______________________________________<p><br><hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!?<br>
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