[Advaita-l] Seeking God

[Subramanya hiriyannaiah]

Om Namo Bhagavate Shankaracharyaya !
This is my first blog or todalnudi on this site.
To add to Santosh's reply, for the question of how many times one has to
pray etc., I would like to remind :
Yogarathova Bhogarathova, Sangaratova, SangavihInah
Yasya Brahmani Ramate Chittam, Nandati Nandati Nandatyeva

from Bhajagovindam. Hence once can pray whenever he is awake and always
irrespective of status in whihc one resides.

UHS





On 3/8/06, Krunal Makwana <krunalmakwana at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> namo nArAyana
>
> Santhosh Nair <santhosh_twin at rediffmail.com> says
>
> >I tried to learn about God, Vedas etc but the more I read, the more I get
> >confused.
>
> don't worry everyone's in the same boat, lol
>
> >So is there anyone who would be ready to help a very very confused soul?
>
> The first thing is to find a qualified Guru who would be able to guide you
> through your spiritual path. advaita vedanta (AV) pays alot of emphasis on
> seeking the guidance of a guru, this is not to say that a guru is
> compulsory
> but it helps (quite alot).
>
> >How should one live according to Advaita?
>
> To be a Vedanti student or to live according to AV, there are four
> characteristics one should posses (or follow, if not already possessed):
>
> 1. Viveka: Discrimination of Real and Unreal
>
> 2. Vairagya: Dispassion for all materialistic gain and deisres (hence
> everything that is Unreal)
>
> 3. Satsampatti: 6 Treasures:
> a. Sama: Calmness
> b. Dama: Self-conrol
> c. Uparati: Self-settledness
> d. titikSA: endurance of all afflictions from the senses etc
> e. samAdhAna: Concentration of mind
> f. SradhA: Faith - Ultimate faith in Guru, SAStra and BhagavatpAda.
>
> 4. mUmUkSUtva: Longing of Liberation
>
> further reading:
> http://www.avgsatsang.org/hhpsds/pdf/Qualified_student_of_Vedanta.pdf
>
> >Whom should one pray to?
>
> BP has introduced panchAyatana deva pUjA meaning the worship of 5 main
> deities. Namely:
>
> 1. ViSnU
> 2. SIva
> 3. GanapatI
> 4. ShaktI (devI)
> 5. sUrya
>
> Any of these devatas can be worshipped BUT that is not to say other
> devatas
> cannot be. Sankara encourages that you follow your IshtadevatA (preferred
> diety of worship) but always keeping in mind that when realisation dawns
> that there is only brahman....so the worshipped, worshipper and worship
> vanishes and brahman remains. So....worship whichever diety your prefer
> but
> not in essence that the diety and the atman are the same.
>
> further reading:
> http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/articles/panchayatana_puja.htm
>
> >Is someone allowed to have nonveg and alcohol?
>
> According to the bhAgavatam 5 actions/substances are named the 'rooms of
> kalIyuga' hence forbidden (1.17.38-39):
>
> 1. Gambling
> 2. Intoxicating substances (e.g. anything that alters the state of your
> mind, e.g. alcohol)
> 3. Meat
> 4. Illicit Sex
> 5. Possession of wealth which is gained adharmically (unrighteously) but
> in
> the bhagavatam this is example is used in the sense of gold.
>
> Further reading: Read chapter 17 of canto 1 of the shrimad bhAgavatam
>
> >Are there any specific rules regarding praying, like how many times to
> pray
> >or when to pray?
>
> According to Vedic injunctions, there are innumerable procedures that are
> laid out to be followed, but in this day and age, no one seems to have the
> time or patience to carry them out, especially in the west (there may be
> exceptions but genreally this is not the case). But having said this the
> vedas pay alot of attention to sandhyA pUjA, this is performed 3 times a
> day, once just before sunrise, one during the middle of the day and lastly
> just before sunset. There is a book called 'nItya karma pUjA prakAsh'
> which
> shows how sandhyA vandan should be carried out (there may be other books
> that the list may identify but this is the only book i know of).
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Krunal
>
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--
Warm regards
UHS