3bob

"to what end/": Chapter 7 and 21 of the TTC for two examples... "Tao has no will": ultimately all things come and go by the will of Tao... (The One, The Two, The Three, etc.. I also suggest one imagine the term "will" in larger terms if they will?

On the subject of will: (mentioned earlier) One must go against what could be called the normal-flow with their personal will since that flow tends to move one around willy-nilly as leaf in the wind of ten thousand things, which is opposite from unity and mastery of the aspects of ones being, thus the "return" is what could be called a reverse-flow and to follow that requires work, help and passing tests... but even such a will can only reach the threshold of that which is beyond itself or its own small form of power -at which point it could come to a stop or instead realize its smallness and surrender to the will of Tao in trusting faith, after which it becomes an indomitable will acting for Tao. (so it takes a will to surrender a will to a greater will)

No problem for me. (morfing to something else but maybe not so for other posters?) Wow, the "Dune" collection is quite an undertaking! I sure enjoyed them, lots of vivid desert descriptions used as background for all the other goings on! The movie was ok at best, perhaps a 5 out of 10, whereas the books are more like 7.5 out ten, imo. anyway. Have fun

The American Institute of Vedic Studies http://www.vedanet.com/

Agreed Dwai

Don't screw with your breath in any way except to steady and calm it unless working under the teachings of an expert - which normally means not your local street corner westernized hatha yoga studio where such qualifications are often in serious question yet at same one can read lists of all sorts of fancy sounding classes including 'kundalini yoga' for heavens sakes!

More information about resource: About: "Dr. David Frawley is one of the few Westerners ever recognized in India as a Vedacharya or teacher of the ancient wisdom. In 1991 under the auspices of the great Indian teacher, Avadhuta Shastri, he was named Vamadeva Shastri, after the great Vedic Rishi Vamadeva. In 1995 he was given the title of Pandit along with the Brahmachari Vishwanathji award in Mumbai for his knowledge of the Vedic teaching. Over the years Vamadeva has received many awards and honors for his work from throughout India. Vamadeva (Dr. Frawley) is a unusual western born knowledge-holder in the Vedic tradition. He carries many special Vedic ways of knowledge (vidyas), which he passes on to students in India and in the West. His vast knowledge is rooted in intuitive and past life influences, as it is more than could be gained in a single life experience, though he has studied many traditional texts and with many teachers. In India, Vamadeva is recognized not only as a Vedacharya (Vedic teacher), but also as a Vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor), Jyotishi (Vedic astrologer), Puranic (Vedic historian) and Yogi, a rare feat for an American born in Wisconsin. He is now a visiting professor for the Vivekananda Yoga Kendra in Bangalore, India, a government approved deemed university for yogic and Vedic studies and also a teacher with the Sringeri Shankaracharya Math, the most central of the traditional Vedantic centers in India. In India, his translations and interpretations of the ancient Vedic teachings have been given the highest acclaim in both spiritual and scholarly circles. In America he is well known as a teacher and practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine and of Vedic astrology (Jyotish) and has done pioneering work on both these subjects in the West. In Sept. 2000, he was regarded as one of the 25 most influential Yoga teachers in America by the magazine Yoga Journal. It is very difficult to get authentic knowledge about Vedic teachings and its related traditions of Yoga, Tantra, Vedanta, Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology. Yoga is often reduced to mere asana or yogic postures. Tantra has become little more than sex. Vedanta has often been reduced to a mere conceptual philosophy or an Advaitic pop psychology. Academic presentations of these subjects, not being done by practitioners, remain caught in semantics and theoretical issues. Vamadeva (Dr. Frawley) presents authentic Vedic knowledge in the Western world and in a lucid presentation recognized by the tradition itself. He has worked extensively teaching, writing, lecturing, conducting research and helping establish schools and associations in related Vedic fields over the last thirty years. He has studied and traveled widely gathering knowledge, working with various Vedic teachers and groups in a non-sectarian manner. Vamadeva sees his role as helping to revive Vedic knowledge in an interdisciplinary approach for the planetary age. He sees himself as a teacher and translator to help empower people to use Vedic systems to enhance their lives and aid in their own Self-realization. He sees Vedic wisdom as a tool for liberation of the spirit, not as a dogma to bind people or to take power over them. Vedic knowledge is a means of communing with the conscious universe and learning to embody it in our own life and perception. Though Vamadeva has worked in several different fields, which can be difficult and daunting, he has endeavored to approach each of these with a great deal of specificity and precision. The interconnectedness of Vedic disciplines makes this possible, along with perhaps some good past life samskaras! You can find out more about his work by visiting his website at the American Institute of Vedic Studies at www.vedanet.com. His books are available through www.lotuspress.com". copied from the web

Ah, thank you also Anamatva! I found a link that has a lot of inspired information, I hope it is helpful in your search: (the materail is further down or below its page header) http://archive.suite101.com/article.cfm/hinduism/19950 Studies about Lord Siva as Lord Nataraja make the most profound sense to me of any teachings that I've ever come across! Also a very important aspect related to all this material is Grace or the Divine power working in and through a Sat Guru that extends key help to all beings! Om

various desires are like changing masks put over the one true desire, yet the one true desire puts masks aside and reveals its face of smiles and happiness of the compassionate and wise one...

This interpretation of the "middle way" is more or less dead wrong and leading to oblivion.

"It is said that when the devotee takes one step towards the Lord, he is greeted by the Lord with a hundred steps. The Bhakti-Sastras state that the love of God for the devotee is more than mans love for God. The power of the Whole is intenser than the force of the part". Imagine that...

An excellent study/inspiration on Chhandogya Upanishad http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/chhand_0.html Om

a Being with the One is free in the One, which does mean not free to go against the One and prevail.

The more a Being is unified the stronger the will since there is less going on that is at cross-purposes... and if a tiny mote of unity has surrendered to the vastness of unity then all cross purposes have ended and that Being is of indomitable will for no cross purposes can undo it, for the root or the Tao is not undone.

SereneBlue, I like the "Manu" video by Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath. Note: and just in case - one should not feel inferior to all the realms, time periods and great Beings that he mentions except for giving them their due respect as a "big Daddy"... for the secret in the heart of Manu is the same secret in the heart of every Being and there is no Lord over that Lord, and no Being great or small that can keep that Truth from knowing its Truth. Om

For much of the history of India I'd say flexible within the (Sanatana)dharmic laws, thus the ideal and truly dharmic practicing king and all the people of the kingdom (in my view) would be in depper atunement with Spirit - that is if we are comparing it to variations of worldly democracies. Obviously in much of our history the ideal and truly dharmic laws are not always being carried out, for in many cases kings and kingdoms (and various spiritual groups for that matter) have been corrupted and in that case I'd take democracy any day. Btw, the heavenly worlds are not run and do not need to be run as democracies since true dharma is in greater effect there! I also know that many "democratic" people would revolt if they had to abide in a kingdom based on dharmic law and authority, which is why our worldly goverments are not of a "heavenly" order. (at this time)

There is no where where "God" is not... a most difficult thing to practice and see. (I have the idea but I'm not there yet)

Hello MH, "And Chuang said, "It is the same with all things. What starts out being sincere usually ends up being deceitful. What was simple in the beginning acquires monstrous proportions in the end."" Unless...? That is a key question if you will.

Matthew 6:22-23 (King James Version) 22.The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23.But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Jesus (a golden white soul/spirit) exists right now - open your eye and heart and see - not to cleverly debate various texts (which do have their place) or to prove or disprove to another but to have first hand proof of your own. Om

Another source that may be useful: Eknath Easwaran and his book called, "Mantram handbook" Om Shanti...

Good fortune on your explorations here!

Sonhoffman I'm glad that little saying was of use to you! Remebering or memory are like traces in time for the aspects of ourselves that use and or communicate with same, but such traces can't circumscribe the "mysteries" which they can only allude to...

MPG, "begging to not be reborn"... Well for me that would not exacly be hitting the mark in any school, including various forms of Buddhism. Why - because Buddhism says one is to follow the 'Noble Eight Fold Path' which means to me that one is not to add suffering via an imagined future without rebirth. The same and sometimes hellish problem applies if one over-extends themselves on attachments related to imaginings about 'enlightenment'. There is enough to take care of day by day, thus the rest will also be taken care by unbreakable laws.

Dharma and karma are perfect, yet without compassion they are not fulfilled. (Jim Croce) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBWDHyAct4w