material pursuits and sadhana

[Ravi.N]

ksksat,
Please do not feel sorry Krishna...there is nothing that you have said that is hurtful...no...not at all...I was only pointing out the need to be absolutely earnest in going through what the Masters have said...and we can never say that it is all read and finished...they are ever relevant and living...they have the power to banish our illusion as the words they have uttered are not empty sounds or dead ideas...they are shafts of light that would illumine the dark recesses of our mind...and breathe life into the fossilized, somnambulist life that we drag around.
We will assuredly carry forward the discussion leisurely...as and when the water springs in our small well.
Namaskar

[Ravi.N]

Krishna/Friends,
I have posted in the rough note book thread the following incident...and I am posting it here again:

Sri Ramakrishna had a householder disciple, an ishwarakoti (godlike soul), whose name was Purna Chandra Ghosh. Long after Sri Ramakrishna passed away, there was trouble in Purna's family and he wanted to commit suicide. He decided to bathe first, and then pay his respects to his guru before killing himself. He took a bath, then went to the shrine and bowed down to the Master. But then he thought: "Let me read a little bit of the Kathamrita. Taking the beautiful message of the Master, I shall depart from this world." He opened the book at random and his eyes fell on this sentence: "Purna is a young devotee. The Master was thinking of his welfare." "What?" cried Purna. "The Master is thinking of me and I shall commit suicide? Impossible! He is thinking of my welfare and I am contemplating killing myself. It cannot be." He gave up the idea and thus his life was saved. Such is the power of the words of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna!
I have seen this sort of a thing first hand ...when my younger sister lost her only son aged 17 in a tragic road accident on the treacherous Tanjore-Kumbhakonam highway...He was studying at Loyola College chennai and as Colleges were closed (Mr Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister and he had ordered closure of colleges for a trivial political partisan reason) and the lad gone along with his friends on a holiday outing...We brought his lifeless body home and the next day he was cremated...and that very night I handed a copy of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to sister and asked her to read a portion of it before retiring to bed...She later told me what happened...As she opened the book,her eyes fell on this song Of Ramprasad that the master sang....and it immediately assuaged her grief :
Divine Mother's sport
Then the Master sang the following song in his melodious voice:
In the world's busy market-place, O Syama, Thou art flying kites; High up they soar on the wind of hope, held fast by maya's string. Their framesare human skeletons, their sails of the three gunas made; But all their curious workmanship is merelyfor ornament. Upon the kite-strings Thou hast rubbed the manja-paste of worldliness, So as to makeeachstraining strand all the more sharp and strong.
Out of a hundred thousand kites, at best but one or two breakfree; And Thou dost laugh and clap Thy hands, O Mother, watching them! On favouring winds, says Ramprasad, the kites set loose will speedily Be borne away to the Infinite, across the sea of the world.
The Master said: "The Divine Mother is always playful and sportive. This universe is Her play. She is self-willed and must always have Her own way. She is full of bliss. She gives freedom to one out of a hundred thousand."
A BRAHMO DEVOTEE: "But, sir, if She likes, She can give freedom to all. Why, then, has She kept us bound to the world?"
MASTER: "That is Her will. She wants to continue playing with Her created beings. In a game of hide-and-seek the running about soon stops if in the beginning all the playerstouch the 'granny'. If all touch her, then how can the game go on? That displeases her. Her pleasure is in continuing the game. Therefore the poet said:
Out of a hundred thousand kites, at best but one or two breakfree; And Thou dost laugh and clap Thy hands, O Mother, watching them!
Reassurance to householders
"It is as if the Divine Mother said to the human mind in confidence, with a sign from Her eye, 'Go and enjoy the world.' How can one blame the mind? The mind can disentangle itself from worldliness if, through Her grace, She makes it turn toward Herself. Only then does it become devoted to the Lotus Feet of the Divine Mother."
Sister subsequently lost her husband few years ago...and has taken it all in her stride and is well fortified in her spiritual path...and gamely carries on...she teaches poor children at the Ramakrishna Math & Mission school as a volunteer...Once the Pujari swami at the Mylapore Math enquired her about her 'family' and was speechless after listening that they are gone!...He was much moved and  said 'Amma,we are all your children...You are Blessed ...Mostly people would lose all faith and become disoriented'.

I rarely share personal stories...it is just to say that this 'book' called 'The Kathamrita' or 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' is not just a  'Book' but is something of a boon...it provides satsangh with the Master...and there is no aspect of spiritual life that is not covered here...and most importantly it caters to both lay devotees as well as Ripe devotees...I have personally seen any number of people drawing inspiration from this inexhaustible resource.
Namaskar

[atmavichar100]

I have seen this sort of a thing first hand ...when my younger sister lost her only son aged 17 in a tragic road accident on the treacherous Tanjore-Kumbhakonam highway.

Dear Sri Ravi

On reading the above line especially the highlighted one I was reminded of an incident that happened with me during Dec 2009  when I was on a visit to Tanjore , Kumbakonam Temples along with my brother ( from USA ) and mother . We halted at a hotel in Tanjore and finished seeing the Brihadeeswar Temple and planned to go night by Car to Kumbakkonam . My brother was feeling sick ( due to outside food  etc ) and so we checked in with a local Doctor there and he told not to worry and prescribed some medicines and he asked where we were staying we told we  were staying in a Hotel and will soon be checking out and going to Kumbakonam by Car at Night and he firmly told us not to travel at night and we laughed and told that it is just 45 mts and he got angry and  told us very STERNLY whether it is 45 mts or 4 mts please do not go at night and better to go next day morning after 7 am .I personally found it amusing why he is making such a fuss ( I was not aware of the road condition in those areas as I am going there after a long time ) and  told my mother that let us not listen to him and continue our journey and my mother felt that we must not take that warning lightly as it was given by the Doctor in a firm tone and so we just obeyed it . Now after reading your line I can guess now why the Doctor told that way .

I rarely share personal stories...it is just to say that this 'book' called 'The Kathamrita' or 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' is not just a  'Book' but is something of a boon...it provides satsangh with the Master...and there is no aspect of spiritual life that is not covered here...and most importantly it caters to both lay devotees as well as Ripe devotees...I have personally seen any number of people drawing inspiration from this inexhaustible resource.

True . One always finds this book very refreshing inspite of repeated reading and it has a message for everyone young and old .

[Jewell]

Dear Sri Ravi,

I am deeply touched with Your story! It left me speechless,for so many reasons...

When ever i prayed sincerely for something to a Mother,whenever i have been faced with hardships,whenever i felt alone and in dark,She lead me to the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. And i always went to the page where i have found exactly the same problem. 
It is interesting,only His words could sooth me,because in those moments i needed someone soft and loving...i needed All embracing Mother.

So true,so very true! He is so sweet and wonderful!

[Ravi.N]

Jewell,
Thanks for your loving words...have posted a more detailed response in the 'Articles,news' thread so that it may be referenced with ease .
Namaskar

[Ravi.N]

The Rare Opportunity-Human Birth
Birth as a human being is a rare opportunity...for it is only the homo-sapiens as we are called are endowed with the faculty of the Intellect...and using this intellect,he(or she) can reflect on his thoughts,actions and experiences ....and thereby understand the purpose of life beyond the creature comforts...to understand that the purpose of living is to discover the happiness that is unalloyed and without a tinge of sorrow.
Initially the intellect searches for this pure happiness in the objects and appearances of this world...and it tends to consolidate its position by way of expansion in terms of relationships,material acquisition,name and fame,social status...and in the process experiences the inevitable triad of sukha(happiness),Dukkha(sorrow) and Bhaya(Fear)....although it tries to eliminate the negativity in terms of sorrow and Fear,it  realizes sooner or later the flimsy  nature of this  uneasy truce.
In pursuing this it learns that it is not living in isolation and that its actions not only yield the happiness or sorrow for itself but also causes happiness and sorrow for others ,directly or indirectly...and not just this,it also learns that it can only consolidate its position of happiness only if others are happy as well...its own welfare depends on the welfare of all beings in this world.
Somewhere here about,the intellect also understands that however much it tries to consolidate the Happiness and security in the outside world,such an attempt is never going to be a successful one...for it can never control the events in outer life inspite of the best of intentions and actions based on those intentions...but in maintaining such a  equitable disposition it has discovered a contentment within that is apart from any worldly happiness...This contentment leads the intellect to discover that the Happiness it was seeking unsuccessfully outside is infact a projection of what is its very inner nature...that although it was all along thinking that the happiness was to be obtained from outside ,it only appeared so...the source of real happiness is always within and that the intellect has to seek it  independently...and it also realizes from this discovery that what is the center of its existence is also the center of other beings...i.e the center of the world.
It thus realizes that towards seeking this happiness it has to turn within and live from its depths...and it can live from its depths only when its outer actions are in harmony with the inner...it cannot lead a ruthless callous life in the world while pursuing the happiness that lies within ....the two should be harmonized.

continued.....

[atmavichar100]

The Wise, who know that all worldly experiences are formed by prarabdha alone, never worry about their life?s requirements. Know that all one?s requirements will be thrust upon one by prarabdha, whether one wills them or not.
('Guru Vachaka Kovai', v. 150)

[srkudai]

Dear ksksat27,
          It is not material pursuit itself that is a problem, its trying to find fulfillment through the material pursuits that is a problem. Because materials can give us comfort not fulfillment. If i get more money i can buy a bigger flat, better car etc but that does not give me fulfillment! if i think ill be fulfilled by getting money, it means am just looking at the wrong place and when my hopes are wrong i would be disappointed. most often we realize it towards the end of our lives.

So by all means earn more money, become more knowledgeable and famous... however one should not live in the illusion that these things will make us fulfilled. They have the capacity to give us some comforts. with money i can have an air conditioned room. but as death draws near we will realize that none of these are really going to make us happy in a true sense. yes , i might die in an air conditioned room if i am rich and may have to die on the roads if i am poor --- so i would earn some money if i can.... but i may as well die on the roads peacefully and die in an air conditioned room in agony ! most important therefore is my self knowledge and the punya karma i do.

with this understanding one may go and acquire any materials that can make one comfortable ... but never think that those comforts can make us fulfilled. thats all there is to it.


Love!
Silence

[ksksat27]

Thanks Ravi sir for the detailed replies .

Thanks Jewel for the first and crispier reply.

Thanks Anand for the reply and insight.

Thanks Atmavichar sir for the Guru Vachaka Kovai Muruganar reply.

Thanks Udai for practical vedantic reply.

Thanks Sadhak, uncompromising self enquiry reply.

Thanks Kishore sir for replying three main perspectives from your life experience.

Thanks Beloved abstract, for that one liner which is a mantra from our beloved Ramana Who Am I.  Loved that answer.

Thanks Orihh ( Kofi) for your quote from Devaraja Mudaliar.

Thanks Silent Green for intense perspective as usual.

[Anand]

dear Friends,
Felt I had to say a few words in this same thread, after reading Swatmasukhi,the ashram's latest publication.
Bhagavan has said that even during the sadhana that duality is   non existent .That means that the jiva which seems to be struggling and worrying is itself  a questionable identity or to boldy put it non - existent .So amongst our various sadhana ,one additional sadhana is we have to recognize that this ' so called 'I' is a pseudo 'I' and learn to periodically ignore it, whether it is so called success or failure in materialistic pursuits or spiritual ,here we must take cue from some of the posts of Beloved Abstract.
So while relentlessly pursuing sadhana ' as a dhira ' as Bhagavan has  said,we should not dvelve on the so called falls, since the question is  'who' has fallen .
Regards,Anand.