This is a continuation of the post (The Mysteries Of The Creation)
Look, they are doing something with a wrong understanding. They think that if they kill somebody here then they are going to go to heaven. They think that they are doing God’s work here. This is their conviction. How can you say it is joyful moment? It is especially not so for those getting executed.
Do not misinterpret or stretch knowledge into avenues which do not make any sense. This is a strange question. There are many things you can do, or also not do, to be in the present moment.
These are all Vikrutis (distortions) of the mind. When you get into this, then the mind wrongly thinks that “Oh, this is also joyful! ( Killing innocent people) Why do I not do this then?” This is why we speak about the Six wealths ( Shatt Sampatti) one should have – Shama (equanimity of the mind), Dama (restraint or say over one’s senses), Uparati (ability to enjoy what one has), Titiksha (endurance or fortitude in both good and bad), Samadhana (being established in the Self, in the Divine) and Shraddha (deep unshakeable faith).
Until and unless a person is well-founded in this Sheela ( a system of virtues), until one is established in the four pillars of knowledge, one cannot speak about Vedanta. Without being well-established in these, you may argue that “Oh, everything is God. So If everything is the Brahman, then those people who are killing others are also Brahman. If everything has come from that Ananda (blissful One Consciousness) then they too have come from the same Ananda”. This is misuse of the highest knowledge. The highest knowledge is not given to anyone until and unless they are well founded in Viveka, Vairagya, the Shatt Sampatti, and Mumukshatva (intense desire for liberation). All these four principles have to be well established within us. Only then can you talk about Vedanta. Then you can say that “Everything is One, all are One”.
In the ethics of teaching it is said, “Do not give this knowledge that ‘Everything is God, everything is Brahman’ to people who have not come up to that level of discrimination. Otherwise a thief also can misuse this knowledge. A thief may also think “Oh, never mind, anyway everything is the Brahman. So how does it matter whether this money comes from my pocket or someone else’s pocket? My pocket or his pocket – it is all the same. So why not steal and take it?” ( Laughter) If this were the case then all the pick-pockets can also talk and justify their actions using Vedanta. So that is why this knowledge is not given in such a way.
If without proper understanding you just think, “Everything is Brahman”, then you would not make any distinction between mud and a banana. Then you should be able to eat mud also. People many times use knowledge for their convenience. This is misuse of knowledge. Knowledge gives your comfort, but using knowledge for your convenience is unethical. If you live the knowledge, then it surely gives you absolute comfort, absolute joy.
See, Goddess Ganga represents knowledge. A single person cannot receive or hold so much knowledge. Only Lord Shiva can contain and uphold so much knowledge. It means only the blissful Infinity (Lord Shiva) can contain and hold so much knowledge.
A normal person can attain contentment and bliss by just a small spring of that eternal river (of knowledge). See, in a library, there is a tremendous amount of knowledge that is stored. Yet how much do you actually need to become still and content in yourself? You need just a little bit of it. You will only look into that subject or area of knowledge that you actually seek for. When only a small spring of knowledge comes forth, then it gives you joy and comfort. But if instead of that small spring, the entire river of knowledge were to flood open, then a person becomes uncomfortable ( being unable to comprehend or contain so much vast knowledge in one go).
When Lord Krishna revealed his supreme Universal form to Arjuna, Arjuna became so afraid, he started shaking all over. He pleaded to Lord Krishna, “O Lord! Please end this vast and magnificient yet equally fearful divine form and return back into your earthly form. I am not able to behold the infinity of your divine form”. This is what Arjuna prayed to Lord Krishna. Knowledge is vast and endless. Yet a small spring of knowledge is sufficient to bring contentment and peace to the soul.
You can receive the Gayatri Mantra from the parents or from the Guru. Simply listening or chanting along with a tape recorder or audio does not help. When one gets initiated into the Gayatri Mantra by following the proper rituals and process to receive the mantra, then the mantra becomes powerful and effective.
No. “Sri” has various meanings. “Sri” can mean this creation, or knowledge, wealth, etc. All this is contained in the meaning of the prefix “Sri”. Everything that is manifest is “Sri”. The glory of the unmanifest is called “Sri”. “Sri” refers to the glory and magnificence of the unmanifest consciousness that cannot be seen or perceived. “Sri” also means brilliance, strength, health. All this is “Sri”.
Yes, they do pass on to the children. There are four factors that affect the life of an infant. 25% is attributed to the impressions that they carry from past lifetimes. The next 25% of impressions come from the mother and father. 25% of the impressions are caught on from the immediate environment that they are in. The kind of environment and the company they keep plays a big role in this. The remaining 25% of the impressions come from the kind of actions a person does by himself. So in this way, many things make an impression in the life of an infant. A teacher makes a big impression in the life of a person.
