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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00032 Feb 2003

 
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Dear Sudarshanji,

With interest I have read your explanation. Although I have not read the "Art 
of Living" book you are referring to. However, I have read the "Science of 
Being and the Art of Living" book of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that has been 
printed in the sixties. Please allow me to offer my opinion and experience on 
the matter.

>From what I have observed on Holy People and what I have read in the Vedic 
>scriptures -mainly Bhagavad-Gita- I have not found any uniformity of 
>behaviour. Also in Shrimad Bhagavatam, as I faintly remember, there are some 
>examples of seemingly very strange behaviour of a holy person - utterly 
>desinterested to outer norms of behaviour.

Also in the Gita, the Lord actually NEVER answers to Arjuna´s several questions 
concerning "how an enlightened person behaves, walks, or sits...". He ALWAYS 
directs Arjunas vision to the INNER qualities of a holy person.

He should be nirdvandvah, ever established in sattwa, not expecting or keeping 
anything, and atmavan, possesed of his own ATMA, the Self. He behaves rather as 
an ordinary person, not to disturb the ignorant. He just witnesses the three 
gunas around him and continues living until his karma releases his body.

How to achieve this state of life? Nistrayi gunyo bhava Arjuna - be without the 
three gunas, transcend all relative states and just BE. By meditation 
experience the silence of the ATMA and gradually -with continuing experience of 
this- you will be able to live that cosmic silence more and more in the daily 
life, too.

Aham Atma Gudakesha - I am the Self. so coming to one´s own true Self, one 
realizes the reality of the Lord, as well.

Always the Lord refers to inner qualities of the heart and mind - completely 
irrespective of the way of life of a person. One might be a Kshatriya, a 
Brahmana, a woman, anything - just living in one´s used way enjoying one´s 
bliss consciousness and blessing thereby the whole surrounding.

THerefore, it is very difficult to "identify a viveki"! It is a matter of good 
luck, or good karma, that leads a person to meet a holy person or a great 
master. 

I am very honoured to participate from time to time in discussions of this 
internet forum. I admire all participants for their sattwic and Vedic 
one-pointed thinking and speaking.

With best wishes,

JAI GURU DEV

Shaasa



--- On Sat 02/01, M.K.Sudarshan < sampathkumar_2000@xxxx > wrote:
From: M.K.Sudarshan [mailto: sampathkumar_2000@xxxx]
To: venkatakris@xxxx
Cc: srirangasri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tiruvengadam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 03:46:54 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: [SriRangaSri] ViveKam


Dear Sri Venkatakrishnan,

Adiyane inadvertantly missed opening your e-mail until today and
hence I'm extremely sorry for the long delay in replying.

Thank you for your interest in the "Art of Living" series on the life of Swami 
Desikan.

You have asked a very pertinent question: How to identify a 'vivEki' of the 
world? How does he behave and carry himself? What is his character? What moves 
him in life and what does he shun? etc.

If you have read the read the "Art of Living" carefully, you will
recall that the story of Dhruva in the Srimadh Bhagavatham has been adduced to 
illustrate the human quality of "vivEkam". The life of Dhruva is indeed the 
life of a true 'vivEki'.

Similarly, if you go to the KatOpanishad you will come across the
wonderful story of the child Nachiketas who also was a great
"vivEki". The God of Death, Yama, himself celebrates Nachiketas as a "vivEki", 
one whose priorities in life were perfectly ordered and balanced -- i.e. one 
who always made sure to pursue the difficult goal of 'srEyas' in life instead 
of succumbing, as the rest of common humankind is wont, to the far more 
alluring goal of 'prEyas'. 

The examples of Dhruva and Nachiketas in our ancient scriptures have an 
important secondary message for us: "vivEkam", the faculty of right 
intelligence, right discrimination and right resolution in life, is not the 
monopoly of the aged or old. The greatest "vivEki-s" of Vedantic lore -- 
Dhruva, Nachiketas, Prahalada --- are mere boys who outshone the oldest of 
sages even!

Trust this explains your query.

Regards,

dAsan,
Sudarshan


--- venkata krishnan <venkatakris@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> dear vaishnavates 
> 
> i had chance of reading file ART OF LIVING which is in our
> groups website about life of swami vedanta desikan.he prescribes 9
> steps for moksha ...though author has given examples about each
> step especially first 5 steps ...i want to still clarrify about
> VIVEKAM?....like arjuna asked lord krishna in geetha ...how an yogi
> will walk ,sleep ,behave am also having doubts about it ..i want
> all intellectual persons of this group to guide me ..pls help me
> in this regard
> 
> regards
> 
> venkiiyyengar
> 
> chennai
> 
> Sri: Srimathe Rangaramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha
> Srimathe Srinivasa Ramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha
> Srimathe Vedantha Ramanuja Mahadesikaya Namaha
> ----------------------------------
> VENKATAKRISHAN.G
> M.E VLSI design II sem
> ANNA UNIVERSITY ,COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING GUINDY

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