[Advaita-l] Ritual Purity, Svadhyaya, and Commute

[Raghuraya Das]

I thank you all PROFUSELY for responding.

In addition I want to convey my very pleasant amazement
at what has happened:

I ask what I thought
was a very elementary question
about ritual purity.

In return, I get detailed responses that talk about,
among many other valuable, useful, and thought provoking ideas:

1. The distinctions between purity required for Shruti and that for other
scripture, for original and for translation,
2. The importance of a calm, stable and receptive mind, and for repetition
of study
3. The differing requirements for Brahma anusandhanam
4. The alternatives of mantra japa, meditation, and mental recitation of
memorized verses
5. The need for constant Nidhidhyasanam
6. The necessity of a proper setting for proper pranayama and other yogic
kriyas.
7. The suggestion to start with a shanti mantra
8. The need to use time effectively.


Really, I am awed, inspired, and grateful to witness so much knowledge and
faith.
Thank you all again.


Shashi



On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 6:51 AM, Raghav Kumar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> There is the other option i did not consider in my earlier post viz., goal
> 1 of jnAnam and goal 2 of 'not-transposing-sorrow-vRttis occurring in the
> mind upon oneself which may destabilise the jnAnam' are not necessary
> concomittants. They don't necessarily go together always. In this option
> the idea of avidyAbIja persisting has to be addressed. My understanding is
> that in this case we have to qualify the word jnAnam with words like
> sapratibandhaka etc.
>
> Om
> Raghav
> On 09-Sep-2016 4:35 pm, "Raghav Kumar" <raghavkumar00 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Pranams
> > There is a verse to the effect that the values and attitude natural to a
> > jnAnI should be deliberately cultivated by the sAdhaka. I wonder if
> anyone
> > knows the original verse conveying this idea.
> >
> > In line with this one could reason that gitA 5.9 talks of this.
> >
> > नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति
> > युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् ।
> > पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्र—
> > न्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् ॥ ८ ॥
> >
> > प्रलपन् विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि ।
> > इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥ ९ ॥
> >
> > My paraphrase -
> > I do not do anything - thus thinks the yuktaH or karma yogI who by
> > purification of mind becomes a knower of the Truth - while he is
> operating
> > any of the jnAnendriya-s like eyes, ears etc., or the karmendriya-s like
> > the organs of speech, evacuation, hands etc. He regards the indriya-s to
> be
> > functioning on their respective objects.
> > भाष्यम्
> >
> > नैव किञ्चित् करोमीति युक्तः समाहितः सन् मन्येत चिन्तयेत्, तत्त्ववित्
> > आत्मनो याथात्म्यं तत्त्वं वेत्तीति तत्त्ववित् परमार्थदर्शीत्यर्थः ॥
> >
> > Although the bhAShya does not explicitly mention that the above is to be
> > deliberately practised by a sAdhaka, the guDArtha dIpikA of SrI
> madhusUdana
> > sarasvatI svAminaH highlights the fact that the words yuktaH or karma
> yogI
> > and tattvavit or jnAnI are in sAmAnAdhikaraNyaM. So its not wrong to say
> > that the above attitude is part of nidhidhyAsana sAdhana during the
> sadhana
> > phase and it becomes effortless for the jnAnI. The above gita5.9 shloka
> as
> > being representative of nidhidhyAsanam was said by Sri Venkatraghavanji
> > also, as per my understanding of his words.
> >
> > Although it sounds awkward to effectively say nidhidhyAsanam is to be
> > practised at all times even during visarjana-kriya (evacuation) it is
> > nevertheless valid !
> >
> > So by kaimUtika nyaya, any jnana sadhana can certainly be practised on a
> > daily commute to work.
> >
> > I am reminded of the verse of sri vidyAraNya that just as a person
> > suffering from a compulsive eating disorder has an insatiable hunger and
> > will be eating incessantly, even so is the incessant 'dwelling upon the
> > Self' (nidhidhyAsanam) by the sAdhaka without any regard for when or how
> > long. (Until the hunger of self-ignorance is removed by the food of
> > self-knowledge)
> >
> > Om
> > ​​
> > Pranams,
> >
> > Restrictions apply to yogic kriyA-s. We were advised not to mediitate in
> > public. After certain years, some of us were told not to even use public
> > swimming pool, avoid crowds and Mumbal Local trains, as there is lots of
> > stress and negative energies. There are lots of people around you and you
> > do not know if they are sick or have negative energy. When prANamaya
> > kosha-s get in contact with others, energies are exchanged. While
> > meditating in group, weaker ones are benefited, but stronger ones are on
> a
> > losing side. This is because, like water, energy flows from higher level
> to
> > lower grosser level.
> >
> > As I understand, it is for this reason that prANAyama, and energy based
> > meditations and kriyA-s are to be avoided in public and are to be
> practiced
> > among like-minded people. However, japa is different. Here there is no
> > focus on any prANa shakti. It is simple japa. japa calms mind, removes
> > worldly thoughts. Infact japa helps you to stay connected with God
> > day-n-night. It should be practiced at any time, in any place, except
> that
> > you are urinating, etc. Even while bathing people chant mantra-s.
> >
> > japa is not any process, not any energy based kriyA. Also have faith in
> God
> > that it is in him that you are surrendering. Ishvara is the creator of
> this
> > universe and if I am surrendering to him, what can disturb me, what
> > negativity can touch me? - we should have such a faith. Remove fear. We
> > must be God loving people and not God fearing people.
> >
> > All the muhurat-s, good and bad are to be accounted seriously when you
> wish
> > to do something. But if you wish to withdraw yourself from the world,
> then
> > you do not need a muhurata. Yes we are all under the influence of mAyA
> and
> > prakriti. So we do have to take good and bad places into account. But we
> > should aim to rise above. When less options are available, we must make
> > good use of time.
> >
> > OM
> >
> > Sujal Upadhyay
> >
> > "To disconnect from the self and to become Aware of anything else is
> > nothing but unhappiness" - Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi
> >
> > He who has faith has all
> > He who lacks faith, lacks all
> > It is the faith int he name of lord that works wonders
> > FAITH IS LIFE, DOUBT IS DEATH - Sri Ramakrishna
> >
> > On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 12:48 PM, Sujal Upadhyay <sujal.u at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > Dear,
> > >
> > > If you have faith in God, then why think negatively that you will miss
> > > station. I never did so. while chanting during riding bike, I have not
> > met
> > > accident. Have faith.
> > >
> > > Reading in a pure place is always good, but what if there is no such
> > > option?
> > >
> > > OM
> > >
> > > Sujal Upadhyay
> > >
> > > "To disconnect from the self and to become Aware of anything else is
> > > nothing but unhappiness" - Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi
> > >
> > > He who has faith has all
> > > He who lacks faith, lacks all
> > > It is the faith int he name of lord that works wonders
> > > FAITH IS LIFE, DOUBT IS DEATH - Sri Ramakrishna
> > >
> > > On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 12:44 PM, Srirudra via Advaita-l <
> > > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Dear
> > >> As per Gita the place for meditation should be neat and tidy.Suchow
> > >> dese......reads the stanza 11of chapter6.If you are to contemplate
> then
> > you
> > >> should go by this stanza and the previous one.But for reciting slokas
> > which
> > >> you had committed to memory and to investigate the exact purport of
> the
> > >> sloka it can be done anywhere even when you are
> > bathing,walking,traveling
> > >> .Sometimes you may skip a station or a stop.Nevermind.Shows your
> > >> involvement.
> > >> R.Krishnamoorthy.
> > >>
> > >> Sent from my iPad
> > >>
> > >> > On 09-Sep-2016, at 11:16 AM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> > >> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> > Shankara has said in the Brahma sutra bhashya that deśa, kāla, etc.
> > >> niyama
> > >> > is a must for karma (rituals) only and not for Brahma anusandhānam.
> > >> >
> > >> > vs
> > >> >
> > >> > On Fri, Sep 9, 2016 at 1:16 AM, Shashi via Advaita-l <
> > >> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> >> Hello All,
> > >> >>
> > >> >> I have a question about ritual purity
> > >> >> and Svadhyaya.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> I recently got a translation of
> > >> >> Sri Madhusudana Sarasvati's
> > >> >> Gudartha Dipika which I am excited to study.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> However my commute to work is a good two hours in total on the
> train.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> I thought I could
> > >> >> study on the train -
> > >> >> this is when I have the most
> > >> >> time that until now I typically spend
> > >> >> the least effectively
> > >> >> but I doubt whether that's a
> > >> >> pure enough environment to
> > >> >> study.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> What are your thoughts
> > >> >> on Svadhyaya conducted
> > >> >> outside a sanctified place
> > >> >> like a puja room or temple.
> > >> >> and inside a place like a train?
> > >> >> If it's ok, what does one need
> > >> >> to do to be ritually pure enough
> > >> >> to study it there?
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Shashi
> > >> >>
> > >> >>
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Sent from my iPhone
> > >> >> _______________________________________________
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-- 
"With my ears I'll hear no other story, and with my tongue I'll
sing no other song
I'll check my eyes from seeing aught else, and bow down my
head before the Lord alone"