Theos-Talk Archives (March 2002 Message tt00427)

Sunday, March 24, 2002

Dear Doss:

As far as I know the sentence "Man Know Thyself" was handed down
as Hermetic.

One can also understand that if a "man" ( an "Embodied Mind")
truly gets to know its own inner "God" the ATMA -- the HIGHER
SELF, then it has transformed itself so as to be able to stand
before that RADIANCE and survive. One has to develop the sense
of reality in the manner in which TRUTH burns away all pretense,
hypocrisy, ignorance and falsehood. Thus the great "Eye of Siva"
being the flash of TRUTH, burns away all pretense. Kama is
reduced to ashes and alone the invincible warrior remains, ever
ready to do battle for the good, the true and the beautiful
everywhere.

I am of the opinion that the process of continual reincarnation
and the search for TRUTH in ourselves and in nature, is a part of
that process. We have to grasp this mentally.

But it needs our (embodied) MIND to do the organizing and
systematizing of this search and change.

So long as we live and act at haphazard, mainly under the
influence of our desires and passions (Kama)
we live pointless and "without-objective" lives. We live in
effect for the "good sensations" we enjoy as Kama-manasic beings.
We do not develop the power to think and we do not generate
aspirations to know ourselves as we really are.

This is not Nature's programme. We need to cease being
adolescents and become MEN AND WOMEN. This means that the MIND
has to take control of itself, and with the help of wisdom
ORGANIZE ITSELF.

Now the problem becomes one of finding WISDOM.

We often secure help from the inspiration that others, whom we
have learned to respect and revere -- because their ideas and
words reverberate harmoniously with what we think is the TRUE --
can provide.

The next step is to test that with such mental tools as we have
available. Some of those are described as "universality" and
"impersonality". These words enshrine the idea that spiritual
wisdom is common and can be equally shared. It cannot be the
sole property of any one, no matter how highly we may presently
respect or revere them. The chain of the GURUPARAMPARA is one
that extends from our infancy to the final GOAL of PERFECTION.
>From ignorance to WISDOM.

If the universal BRAHMA acting in us "CREATES" our present form
and mind, then the VISHNU/KRISHNA preserves us from incarnation
to incarnation, and finally the power of the Mahadeva SHIVA
destroys that which is useless and REGENERATES us, but in all
cases we the divine and immortal THINKER need to guide those
universal processes to operate and work in and through us.

Thus in each of us, we may also see, as described in the BHAGAVAD
GITA (chapters 14 16 17) the three Gunas always act: SATTVA,
RAJAS, TAMAS ( Truth -- action -- and inertia ) -- and it is
up to us to make them active.

Review mentally all the legends and stories of the great Rishis
and their Disciples, and how human beings became the disciples of
those Masters of Wisdom. While the quiet isolation of the forest
frees us of the exterior pressure of the impact of the problems
of daily life, it is the inner quietude that is so badly needed.
We alone can create that and it is always interior.

So to put it another way, a personage like Krishnaji will always
tell us to do our own work and not to rely on others no matter
how highly we esteem them, those teachings are to make us do the
work we all have to do on our own characters and natures sooner
than most. Our attention is awakened, and our will is energized
to some extent.

The next process becomes wholly self-directed. We need to
establish the quiet and the seclusion of th disciple and the
chela within the environment we live in, in our own inner selves
and quiet the impact of the Kamic element of distraught and
distraction. Then only can we truly think, meditate and advance.
And, that is an interior process always.

In fact it is wise not to trust those who seem to desire to
create a "following." But, like Krishnaji's words we trust those
that direct us away from personal worship and reliance on the
advice that comes from "without."

The Kamic nature may like t blame others, but that is always a
false position. We alone make all final choices. We alone are
those who are responsible. We alone are those who change and
reorient ourselves to the TRUE, the JUST and the MERCIFUL.

WISDOM arises from within and as it is universal, it never
changes, nor does it "die." We need to develop inside the sense
that we are IMMORTALS on a vast Pilgrimage (as said in Gayatri)
"on the journey back to the SACRED SEAT." And that journey is
INWARD ONLY. Back to reliance on the SPIRITUAL SELF -- the
universal ATMAN of the Universe. The "spiritual SELF never
leaves us.

See if that is of help.

Best wishes as always,

Dallas

-----Original Message-----
From: ramadoss [mailto:ramadoss@gbronline.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2002 8:34 PM
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: Theos-World Hi TLO and PR...

Dallas:

>From antiquity, the dictum has been "Man Know Thyself" and no
one has come
up with anything better.

Until such time anyone of us is able to say "I Know Myself", all
we can do
is to consider various pieces information as working hypothesis,
because I
do not think we can take a "pill" and instantly and miraculously
Know
Ourselves (If anyone can find one, we can make a lot of money and
have many
of the things money can buy!!!!). And we, in my opinion, is in
the same
position like the blind men trying to understand and figure out
the elephant.

As I mentioned some time ago, when I talked to a group in the
local Church
about the Eastern beliefs of reincarnation and karma, I explained
to them
that the principle behind is that each of us is ultimately
responsible for
everything we initiate and accounts have to be balanced sooner or
later.

And this sounded very reasonable to the audience, since in day to
day life,
it is very common to find people to pass on the blame to someone
else -- an
easy thing to do and make us feel good and make us look good in
the eyes of
others.

My 0.02.

mkr