Shankaracharya and his disciples

….contd….

Adi Shankaracharya had few shishyas with him learning from him. One among them was Giri. He was a slow learner and couldn’t understand most of what was taught by Guru Adi Shankaracharya. So, he would seek clarification after the class from his seniors and his fellow students who were adept at grasping all that was taught. He was made fun of by one and all. He did not feel bad about it. He did not feel insulted or dejected. Instead he would think he may be a shame to his Guru because of his dullness. He had one quality that no one had - Guru Bhakthi. He would do all that was to be done even before it was told to him by his Guru. He was so much tuned to his Guru’s need. For eg. He would feel his Guru is to get up in 10mts and would immediately get up (I am taking about early morning 2.45am or so..) and keep light ready outside Guru’s room and his staff, clothes to take to the river. He would be ever ready standing outside the door, when his Guru would open his door ready with lamp.

Once he had gone for washing his Guru’s clothes and it was time to start the class. All other students had gathered. Adi Shankaracharya said “Let’s wait for Giri to start the lecture.” Everyone laughed and said “What’s the use? Even if he listens, he wouldn’t anyhow understand. So, let’s continue.” Guru felt very bad for his dear shishya that day. He closed his eyes and said “Giri, here take all the knowledge that I wish to give you – now Giri who was on his way to ashram stopped as he heard his Guru’s voice and closed his eyes as per his Guru’s order. When he opened his eyes, he rushed towards ashram with tears of joy flowing from his eyes and as he looked at his Guru he started singing “Throtaka Ashtakam“.  Everyone was stunned. That day they realized what they lacked and what he had. They realized that they wanted to learn with their ego and here was a simpleton working on cleansing his ego and got everything in a fraction of a second. Adi Shakaracharya named him Throtaka and hence the Ashtakam was called so.

….contd…..

Nirvana Satakam

…contd….

Well. Let’s put my feelings aside for now. Today I wanted ‘her’ to explain ‘Nirvana Shatakam’ to us and so I raised the topic.

“Guruji, please tell us about Nirvana Shatakam”.

“What’s that?” she asked matter-of-factly!

I didn’t know how to respond. I just stared at her. She just said ‘I don’t know and she didn’t even hide it! How do I continue? Did I embarrass her in front of others?” I had such similar thoughts when she said “recite it” so casually!

I was still dizzy as I took out my tab to google for it and started reciting from it.

(Please listen to this recitation by Shri SPB written by none other than Guru Shri Adi Shankaracharya in Sanskrit and then continue with the explanation...)

She had closed her eyes as she was listening. There was a smile on her lips as she was listening. When it ended, she waited for few minutes before opening her eyes and looked at me with a questioning look and said “what’s there to explain in it? I’ve already explained that in your Reiki I degree class in detail. Why do you want me to repeat I degree class again?”

 I was really confused “But Guruji this is ‘Nirvana Shataka’ and it never was talked about or mentioned in any class – leave alone I degee class” I stressed.

She smiled and said “yes, I know this is the reply that the Great Guru Adi Shankaracharya gave his Guru at the tender age of 8 when his Guru asked him the question ‘who are you?’ the first time they met. Later that Guru –Shri Swami Govindapada Acharya accepted him as his disciple and this Nirvana Shatakam became the basis of ‘Advaita Philosophy’ which was propogated by Adi Shankaracharya. This is also called as ‘Atma Satakam’. These lines are enough for contemplation on ‘Atma’ – the soul, and this is the basis for ‘self-realization’. This is what Ramana Maharshi simply put as ‘ask always ‘who am I?’ and you’ll be realized and still I maintain that I’ve already explained it.”

...contd.....

 

on Guru poornima....

on Guru poornima....

Tomorrow being Guru poornima, those of you who have a Guru - whosoever it may be - say Paramacharya (the walking saint), Shankaracharya, Raghavendra Swamy, Ramana Maharshi, sai baba or our Reiki Guru Mikao Usui......

Sit in meditation for atleast one hour chanting "OM GURUBHYO NAMAHA".

You can have your Guru's photo in front of you.

Light a candle, lamp and also incense stick.

Ofcourse, you should have cleaned the place in the first place.

Sit on a soft cloth preferably white (just an option not compulsion) facing either East or North.

If you don't have your Guru's photo to place separately in front of you, then imagine your Guru's feet and then start chanting.

Put your phone on silent mode.

If you can sit longer in meditation, very good....

Don't do if you are expecting anything in return.

suggested reads on Guru : 

https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=aruni

https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=shankaracharya

https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=judas

There are many more such topics, please feel free to read all the related topics and posts.......

Time to rest!

 

Time to rest!

When is it time to rest?

When your body, mind and spirit seem to give up, know it's time to rest. 

If you go on even when the entire system says "I can't" you may never reach where you are struggling to go. STOP is the sign you must read and follow. 

It's OK to rest for in rest you calm your nerves and a calmer mind sees the solution that is right in front of us.

A person desperate for things to go his way will only lose the people he has in life now. He also messes up the energies in such a way that he creates more hurdles in the path of his desire-fulfillment. 

Doing nothing is so far away from Being Still. Being still is being restful. Know the difference! And act accordingly to get the right results. 

Now, what does resting mean if not lazing around through the day? 

Because Swami Rama says "Intense work is rest".

Resting is not about physically lazing around or hopping on to some exotic place in the name of a break or vacation. No, it is far from it. 

Rest is for the mind. Rest for the emotions. Rest is stilling our inner chatter. And that rest when given, the person gets connected to the 'soul consciousness' and that gives energy worth 'hundreds of elephants'. Then that person can accomplish many things of this World effortlessly and in no time. 

Just look at Lord Buddha, Adi Shankaracharya, Jesus and many such stalwarts. They disappeared from the World for quite some time. 

Lord Buddha went away to meditate for 6 long years to become enlightened. 

Jesus left home around 13-14 years and came back only when he was around 30 years of age.

Everyone goes within and takes so many years to get connected to the soul. Then all the work they did was monumental. Jesus Christ preached for just 3 years and look all around you - that is the impact of work well done! People after 2000 years of his leaving his mortal body are also ready to forgo everything in his name!

Adi Shankaracharya left his body at 33 years of age. And yet, no one could touch anywhere near his body of work to date. 

We can't go to some mountain or forest and lose our 10-20 years of life. But, we all can take 10-15 days of rest - that is, being in complete sadhan for a said period and gain from it - periodically!

So take time to go into intense sadhan from time to time to rejuvenate yourself. Do it to become fresh from within to have a better and fresh perspective. Do this to gain energy to do much work effortlessly!

*************    

rest, being still, awareness, being in the moment, mindfulness, meditation, going within, outer world reflection of inner world, chaos, order, 

also read similar post:   https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/2020/08/few-faqs-with-guru_17.html 

Points to ponder:

• When nothing seems to work, take a break!
• When things don't seem to work, take a break!
• Take a break is not about taking a vacation, it is taking break from running around things and how people and things should happen in your life.
• Take a break of running around this World. Take time to visit yourself. Take time to still your mind!

Nirvana Satakam

…contd….

She smiled and said “yes, I know this is the reply that the Great Guru Adi Shankaracharya gave his Guru at the tender age of 8 when his Guru asked him the question ‘who are you?’ the first time they met. Later that Guru –Shri Swami Govindapada Acharya accepted him as his disciple and this Nirvana Shatakam became the basis of ‘Advaita Philosophy’ which was propogated by Adi Shankaracharya. This is also called as ‘Atma Satakam’. These lines are enough for contemplation on ‘Atma’ – the soul, and this is the basis for ‘self-realization’. This is what Ramana Maharshi simply put as ‘ask always ‘who am I?’ and you’ll be realized and still I maintain that I’ve already explained it.”

“But…” I didn’t know how to continue and was just looking at her. I wished she finished my question too for me and later answer my question too for me! As if she read my thoughts she said “ok, fine! Read one stanza at a time and I’ll explain it to you. Then you’ll recollect my explanation. Start……..”

I mumbled first stanza aloud:

“मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कार चित्तानि नाहं
न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥१॥

And she explained “remember, I explained about ‘ego’ in I degree class. I told you all, “what I am is soul and what I am not but what I think I am inspite of not being that is ego’. This was bit vague but the way we nodded our head said “you may have explained and we vaguely remember that but we don’t remember that now and we are sure we didn’t understand it then too!”

 She continued “well, I said when I ask a question ‘who are you?’ your answer can be grouped under these heads.

1.      Physical attributes – I am the body. I am fat, beautiful, healthy, sick, woman, man etc.

2.      I am the emotions like anger, good, pious, generous

3.      I am relations – like son, father, wife, friend, teacher, etc

4.      I am my achievements like – degrees, posts, job, medals etc

5.      I am my possessions like my car, house, bank balance etc

And then I explained how all these are ‘yours’ i.e., they belong to you but your possessions don’t become ‘you’. You are the possessor and that one who is experiencing all these is the witness which is changeless, eternal and divine and so it’s ‘atman’ or ‘Siva’ – the eternal Brahman’.

...contd.....