blog: 1.1.1-1.1.13 Knowledge enlivens experience; experience redefines knowledge.
Some say the Brahma Sutra should only be studied, can only be understood by a person in Unity Consciousness as it blossoms to Brahman Consciousness, a very high level of evolution. However, the Sutras can be understood to some degree from the perspective of whatever level of consciousness an individual has. In fact, commentaries are just that and when those commentaries are studied or translated, that is done so from the level of consciousness of the reader/translater.
In this podcast, I will attempt to convey an understanding of the deepest meaning of the Brahma Sutra. Before making this podcast I ran my perspective by fully trained [highly qualified] Vedic Pandits. To be completely transparent, I felt almost embarrassed after doing so. “Who am I”, I thought, “To have been so presumptuous to do so”. I was humbled when told they were enthusiastic about what I said and delighted that I was willing to share it with the world via this podcast. I reverently do so.
This week we discuss the first sutras of the Brahma Sutra. It is more a discussion than a list of points so this weeks notes will not include a summary of what is discussed. Please enjoy the podcast!
At first, the experience is overwhelming, almost unbearable. “What happened to me?”
taste of strawberry, culminating in Brahman
the vision
at first, overwhelming… like waking up to 3 arms
not about personality [your nature] but do cultivate an evolutionary lifestyle… not mood making
the relative: its presence is inferred by the effect it produces. Maya
under the influence of maya, brahm appears as ishwara-personal god
maya; clear water avidya; muddy water
under influence of avidya, atma appears as jiva or individual soul
| “I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble” |
| RUDYARD KIPLING |
| “Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.” |
| HERMANN HESSE |
| “Hearts are the strongest when they beat in response to noble ideals.” |
| RALPH BUNCHE |
| “The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.” |
| JOHN RUSKIN |
| “It is infinitely better to have a few good Men, than many indifferent ones.” |
| GEORGE WASHINGTON |
| “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” |
| JEAN DE LA FONTAINE |
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All I can say is that on one level I understood nothing if what you said. On another level I felt very comforted by this podcast. The last part about memory piqued my interest as I am seeing my mom lose hers, but is she actually returning to full consciousness?
Love those quotes at the end.
I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. MY RESPONSES ARE IN ALL CAPS:
This year I finally saw god depicted as being, in the old testament. blood thirsty etc, threw me for a loop. I’ve been highly disturbed about the whole thing. LAWS OF KARMA ARE ALSO ‘GODS WILL’… SIMPLE CAUSE AND EFFECT. AS YE SEW… I.E. GOD DESTROYS NEGATIVITY WHICH VIEWS THE DIVINE WITH TREPIDATION. DUST VIEWS VACUUM CLEANER AS ENEMY. THIS IS AGE OF IGNORANCE [TO IGNORE]. RAKSHASAS [NEGATIVE] DWELLS WITHIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF PEOPLE. NO WORRIES, GOLDEN AGE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
Have been thinking about the astral and its gods, angels and other minions. I remember you mentioning that we created the astral and we could clean it up. So if the astral population is thought forms, if we stopped feeding them with our attention and prayers would they just go away? YES, THEY WOULD JUST GO TO SLEEP SO TO SPEAK. And on the other hand could I imagine my ideal “god” and give it life through my attention? YES, WHAT YOU PUT YOUR ATTENTION ON GROWS STRONGER.