--- In [email protected], "Marek Reavis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Thank you very much for the suggestion.
Here are some quotations by Siddharameshwar, some stories about Ban Ganga, some reflections on Ramesh. First about Bhakti and Knowledge by Siddharameshwar Maharaj Guru of Nisargadatta Maharaj, Guru of Ramesh Balsekar from 'Amrut Laya' obtainable by Chetana Publishers in Bombay: Parabrahman If one separates Brahman from Parabrahman, then the former is called Primordial Illusion (Mula Maya).Power and knowledge (Prakriti and Purusha, as also Shakti and Shiva) are one and the same. Knowledge ia a very subtle concept or thought. It is true that the God has created this world, but the world exists only as long as the perishable body exists. God exists only till the devotee exists and vice versa. So long as the dream lasts the dreamer is present. However the basis of all these is Parabrahman, where there is nothing. God has intense fear of getting destroyed. Whatever is without fear is Parabrahman. In this 'stateless state' there is no God, no man or woman and no ignorance or knowledge.If Brahma (God) or Parabrahman were the same, there would have been no need at all for the prefix 'Para' (beyond). Devotion and Knowledge One should first attain and then speak. Body is bound by its own karma (action), devotion is like a farm and knowledge is like a fruit. At the beginning of this exposition reverential adoration has to be offered to Sri Ganesh first, then to Sri Saraswati and finally to Sri Satguru. What is the reason for this? If somebody asks "If the sequence of this adoration is changed, will there be confusion?" The answer has to be "yes, there will be confusion," because Sri Ganesh is the deity for meditation and contemplation, Sri Saraswati is the deity who denotes the exposition, (through words). With the help of these two deities, the deity in the form of light of the Self, which rises in the heart of the aspirant is none other than the Satguru. Hence the Satguru has to be adored necessarily after Sri Ganesha and Sri Saraswati. Only when the understanding of the subject becomes firm, does the grace of the Satguru of Self descend. Textual contemplation and exposition of this subject alone will not lead the aspirant to his goal.Hence, he should reverentially adore Sri Ganesh and Sri Saraswati. Realizing the secret of the principle: first let the manifest form be seen by the eyes and then Vedanta be extolled, the mouth should chant the mantra (subtle name) and imprint its significance within. All quotations from 'Amrut Laya' by Siddharameshwar Maharaj, Guru of Nisargadatta Maharaj, Guru of Ramesh Balsekar. Book can be obtained by Chetana Publications in Mumbai [EMAIL PROTECTED] Other books of interest by Nisargadatta, otainable by Chetana I AM THAT Seeds of Consciousness Prior to Consciousness Consciousness and the Absolute (Final Talks) Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj by Ramesh Balsekar =============================== BANGANGA I went to the Samadhi of Siddharameshwar three times during my stay, just to hang out and meditate, usually after the morning talks of Ramesh. There is a young Indian, a filmmaker, named Vikram who lives nearby and gave us a ride. As he just moved there, he one night checked out the restaurants at Ban Ganga, and went to a very nice A/C place. After dinner he had the rest of the food backed and wanted to leave. There, outside at the dood was an Aghori Baba, who was obviously refused entrance to the costly A/C place. V. gave hom the packed food, and in addition a 500 rupie note, a lot for an indian, but just about 10 $ for us. He had it rolled inside a paper. The sadhu then ask V to donate him a blanket, as he wanted to go to Tirupati (pilgrimage place in the south). V told the Sadhu to look what he gave him, whereupon he just roled the paper with the note to produce some fire or just ashes, I don't remember completely. Then he went. No idea if this was just a trick or a siddhi. V obviously believed it to be true. Aghoris usuall stay at Cremation grounds (Smashans), and this is the place wer Siddharameshs samadhi is. ========================== NAVANATH / KARSIDDHESHWAR I usualy met an old man there who had somewhat the resemblence of Nisargadatta. He was a disciple of his, and also still met Siddharamesh, when he was a child.As there was some discussion among us as about the actual tradition of Nisargadatta, it is mentioned in 'I am That' that he belonged to the Navnath Samradaya, which is a subbranch as I knew of the Naths, Sadhus who have a rather mystic approach, and usually carry a whistle around their neck, as a symbol of sound being the basis of creation. As a matter of fact, Aghoris are also a kind of nath subbranch. When mentioning the Navanath to the old man at the Samadhi, he contradicted and said that Siddharamesh belonged to the Kadasiddheswar Sampradaya (obviously a subsect of Navnath). He said that Siddharameshwar was the last Guru in this line, and that the whole exposition of teaching, which is purely adhi-atmic was in the same way, with the same words with the first Guru of this line.(That is concentrating purely on an advaitic kind of teaching) =============================== I AM THAT Another intereseting note is that Ramesh thought the translation of the dialogues in 'I am That' by Maurice Friedman to be very inaccurate and misleading. He would give as an example the use of 'awareness' and 'consciousness'. which were used for 'Avykta' and 'Vyakta'. Literally Avyakta means unmanifest while Vykata means manifest. To translate these as Awareness and Conscousness respectively, appealing to modern Zen lingo, is indeed somewhat misleading.(Nevertheless 'I am That' is a beautiful book!) If you are interested in a more authentic translation, you may refer to one of his later books, like 'Seeds of Consciousness' translated by Ramesh directly from Marathi. Maurice Friedman was a dutch guy, a foreigner, who could understand Marathi a bit, but also English wasn't his native tongue. These just as a few side notes. ========================= RAMESH Incidently, if you are interested in Ramesh his teaching approach also deviates of that of his master, whose exclusive translater he was in his final year. This quote maybe sums up the difference in the approach best: According to me,"I am That" is the positive way. The meaning is of course, quite clear, but the positive way is a long path for thze pilgrim and certainly can cause some confusion: I am That, therefore, I can do whatever I like! On the other hand, the negative way would be: I am only a three-dimensional object and, that too, the appearance of a three-dimensional object - therefore, nothing. I am neither this nor That. I can only be a shadow, without substance, of That which is all there is. This is the direct path. The direct path is the negative way, along which no me-concept can travel - how can a shadow travel by itself? How can a shadow attain anything? This is sudden awakening. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
