Fwd: journey to where there are no comebacks

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ananthanarayanan Vaidyanathan <kvananthanarayanan@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 14, 2010 at 4:41 AM
Subject: Re: journey to where there are no comebacks
To: iyer venkatraman <venkat0357@gmail.com>

Dear Shri Venkat,  like anything else we experience in this world, truth is not absolute.. it is relative. A truth can be associated only with a given set of external parameters. Therefore in writings, poetry, religious treatises etc., we may see that some entities are defined as representing absolute immutable truth. However,  in the reality we are now aware, there is nothing absolute. I quoted the wisdom of yajnavalkya and janaka  as recorded in the upanishat and this upanishat has survived with much acclaim for at least the past two millenia.  I do not  attempt to form any judgment on any of the quotations. I am just trying to give some translation and plain interpretaion... and I cannot deny the fact that my ignorance coupled with the lack of harmony between an oriental and occidental languages might have  distorted the truth even further .  I do agree, what you perceive and experience as the best way of conducting your life is the sublimest path for you. However I am sure that you would agree that there are many, varying and contradictory schools of thought, all of which have striven hard to understand the infinite.. It is anybody's guess whether the truth in its absolute form has ever been realized by anyone, or  by any scriptures. This is the very reason why the most learned person of all times, Sri Krishna, after giving a very lengthy discourse on the philosophy of life in Gita, finally tells Arjuna that he has expostulated the sastraas for the benefit of Arjuna  but it was left to Arjuna to accept the treatise or act otherwise. " Yadechchasi Tadhaa kuru"

The religious literature, like the sea, the earth and the air is free for all. One can choose to enrich it, one can choose to put it to the best use, one can interpret in the way he deems fit, and once can also choose to pollute it.  And one has to admit that through the years religious precepts have been subjected to constant pollution more than anything else we could encounter in this earth.

On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 9:39 PM, iyer venkatraman <venkat0357@gmail.com> wrote:

Dr, Infinity,

I beg to differ , with due respects = to all great masters  lets go beyond the written word and that too 2000 odd years ago - then people thought we  are living in  a Geo centric universe, new facts emerged and new truths emerged as well - stili we could enjoy a sunrise or a sunset !!  please go past the word and listen to your feelings  they are current and reflect your truth - your truth !!!!!

No Offense! mine is just a point of view !!

Spiritually yours

venkat

On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 4:45 AM, Ananthanarayanan Vaidyanathan <kvananthanarayanan@gmail.com> wrote:

तदेष श्लोको भवति। तदेव सक्तः सहकर्मणैति लिङ्गं मनो यत्र निषक्तमस्य।
 प्राप्यान्तं कर्मणस्तस्य यत्किञ्चेह करोत्ययं। तस्मात् लोकात् पुनरैत्यस्मै लोकाय कर्मण इति नु कामयमानोऽथाकामयमानो
योऽकामो निष्कामः आप्तकामो आत्मकामो न तस्य प्राणा उत्क्रामन्ति ब्रह्मैव सन् ब्रह्माप्येति
tadeṣa śloko bhavati| tadeva saktaḥ sahakarmaṇaiti liṅgaṁ mano yatra niṣaktamasya| prāpyāntaṁ karmaṇastasya
 yatkiñceha karotyayaṁ| tasmāt lokāt punaraityasmai lokaya karmaṇa iti nu kāmayamāno'thākāmayamāno
 yo'kāmo niṣkāmaḥ āptakāmo ātmakāmo na tasya prāṇā utkrāmanti brahmaiva san brahmāpyeti

बृहदारन्यकोपनिषत् ९ उप्।ई।३-४--३५
bṛhadāranyakopaniṣat 9 (up|ī|3-4)--35

On the question of rebirth there is a sloka
To whatever object a man's mind is attached, to that goes his inner self with the deed, being attached to it alone.
During his stay in the higher world, after exhausting  the benefits  of whetever good work  he has done   in this world, he comes back once again from that world   to this world for work  again.
So much for the man who desires.
 But as to the man who does not desire, who is without desire, who is freed from desire, whose desire is satisfied, whose desire is for Self only -- his vital spirit does not depart elsewhere. Being brahman  he goes to brahman.

This mantra comes by way of expostulation of the secret of the emancipaton from the cycle of births, by Yaajnavalkya to Janaka. 
When a man departs from this earth with unfulfilled desires for mundane pleasure, he is led to worlds which are designed to enable him to enjoy or expiate the earthly virtues and sins he has committed in the immediate chapter of life.  Once the enjoyment or expiation is over, he is born in this earth again to be engaged in Karma (work) the results of which again draws him to the cycle of births and death without stop.
But for a person who has given up all his desires in this world even before death and has become absolutely detached, when he casts off his mortal coils, He is led to the Supreme Self, being part of the Supreme self Himself and he merges with the supreme self.  For his there are no comebacks. The Supreme soul he is he remais blissful  for ever.
This upanishad vakya finds a shadow in Gita in many occasion.. Yam kim vapi smaran papam tyajatyanthe kalebharam.... Karmanenaiva samsiddhim aasthithah janakaadayah... the idea is spun with a golden thread in gita.  That would require a lot of discussion.

Talking of desire one has to marvel at Yajnavalkya's razor sharp intellect which defines the abandonment of desire so tersely.. man who does not desire, who is without desire, who is freed from desire, whose desire is satisfied, whose desire is for Self only
(of course by self  it is meant here the aatma... jeevatama and paramaatma for those who see them as two or for the advaitin the absolute Supreme soul.  It should not be confused with this mundane body and mind conglomerate, the gasbag filled with ego, arrogance and self pity)
friends, everyday it cannot be just a subhashitham.. this is one of the cardinal aspect of Indian philosopy.  Janaka and Yajnavalkya...the intellectual giants who could not be surpassed in lofty thought  by any other being ever born
--
श्री कृष्णो रक्षतु
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan

blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/