Stories for Inspiration

[neti neti]

4 hours ago, Jeff said:

 

Interesting story of inspiration... If you don’t mind, the inspirational meaning for you?

 

My dear Jeff, I never-mind! 

 

Ego's capacity for self-indulgence; its mischief and trickery, which knows no bounds in its will to survive as imposter. As the original traitor, the story sheds light upon ego's shameless mockery of Self.

 

Most importantly, it inspires faith in the power of Self-Inquiry, a spotlight upon that thief in the night.

 

3 hours ago, Jeff said:

 

So just randomly disappears? Don’t think there is more to it? Especially when the parable describes the bride and bridegroom “Family sides”.  

 

One must admire such a skilful enemy, yes? Able to rub shoulders even with both sides of the family and none become the wiser. It seems almost as if he belongs here, until someone questions... Who IS this guy??? That's all it takes to expose a conman though, isn't it? A flick of a switch, and cockroaches will flee.

 

Edited March 10, 2018 by neti neti

[Jeff]

21 minutes ago, neti neti said:

 

My dear Jeff, I never-mind! 

 

Ego's capacity for self-indulgence; its mischief and trickery, which knows no bounds in its will to survive as imposter. As the original traitor, the story sheds light upon ego's shameless mockery of Self.

 

Most importantly, it inspires faith in the power of Self-Inquiry, a spotlight upon that thief in the night.

 

 

One must admire such a skilful enemy, yes? Able to rub shoulders even with both sides of the family and none become the wiser. It seems almost as if he belongs here, until someone questions... Who IS this guy??? That's all it takes to expose a conman though, isn't it? A flick of a switch, and cockroaches will flee.

 

 

Is the enemy skillful, or is it more we bind and obstruct ourselves?

 

Here is the similar parable described by Jesus...

 

“And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:24-25, 27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

 

[neti neti]

On 3/10/2018 at 4:56 PM, Jeff said:

 

Is the enemy skillful, or is it more we bind and obstruct ourselves?

 

Here is the similar parable described by Jesus...

 

“And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:24-25, 27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

 

 

I see where you're going with this. Either way works, I would say the enemy is as skillful as we allow it to be. Or, the kids will play when daddy is away if you will.

 

However, the opposite sides of the family are not divided, nor do they become one.  They are present as both functions of witness and observer. Both appear onstage as if separate, simultaneously, arms wrapped around each other's necks posing as oneself. But you are neither the witness nor the observer. The bridegroom, bride and guests simply arise. There is no wedding.

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by neti neti

[dwai]

Quote

Jai Shri Ram!  ૐ  ShivayaShiva

VASISTHA: O Rama, the sage Bhrgu and the deity presiding over Time proceeded towards the bank of the river Samanga. There the sage Bhrgu saw his son, who had another body and whose nature was different from what it was before, who was of a peaceful disposition and whose mind was established in the tranquility of enlightenment. Seeing the two radiant beings standing in front of him, Sukra (the son of Bhrgu) greeted them appropriately and seated them on a rock. In soft and sweet words, he said, "O divine beings, I am truly blessed to behold both of you!” The sage Bhrgu said to him, "Recollect yourself, for you are not an ignorant person!” 

Sukra was instantly awakened to the memory of his previous existence, which he beheld with his eyes closed for a brief period. Sukra said, "Behold, I have passed through countless embodiments and through countless experiences of pain and pleasure, wisdom and delusion. I have been a cruel king, a greedy trader and a wandering ascetic. There is no pleasure that I have not enjoyed, no action that I have not performed, no unhappiness or happiness I have not endured. Now I wish for nothing, nor do I wish to avoid anything: let nature take its course. Come father, let us go to where the previous body stands, dried up.” 

Soon they arrived at the place where the body of Sukra, the son of Bhrgu, lay in an advanced condition of decay. Looking at this, Sukra wailed, "Ah, look at this body which was admired and adored by even celestial nymphs; it is now the abode of worms and vermin. O body! You are now known as a corpse and you are truly frightening me. Even wild beasts are afraid of your dreadful appearance. Totally devoid of sensations, this body remains in a state of utter freedom from thoughts and ideas. Freed from the goblin of the mind, it remains unaffected by even natural calamities. Rid of the frolics of the restless monkey known as the mind, this tree of the body has fallen uprooted. It is indeed good fortune that I am able to see this body, liberated from sorrow, in this dense forest.”

Sukra (now known as Vasudeva) bemoaned only that body which was born of Bhrgu because all the other bodies were the hallucinations of this original body, which was that of Sukra, the son of sage Bhrgu. Whether one is wise or ignorant, as long as the body lasts its functions continue unaltered according to its nature. And the embodied person functions as is appropriate in the world, either attached or unattached. The difference between the two lies in their mental dispositions; in the case of the wise there are liberating and in the case of the ignorant these are binding. As long as there is the body, so long shall pain be painful and pleasure pleasant, but the wise are not attached to either. Rejoicing in joy and suffering in suffering, the great ones appear to behave like the ignorant, though in fact they are enlightened. The wise behave appropriately in society though inwardly they are free of all need to conform. 

Hearing the young ascetic Vasudeva mourning the fate of his previous body, Time (or Death) intervened and said to Sukra, "O son of Bhrgu! Abandon this body of yours and re-enter your other body. At the end of the epoch you will give up that body never to become embodied again." Having said this, Time vanished at that very place. 

Thereupon Sukra did so. At that very moment the body of Vasudeva fell down and became a corpse. The sage Bhrgu sprinkled the body of Sukra with holy water, uttering sacred hymns which had the power to revive that body. Instantly, that body became youthful and radiant as it was before. 

Sukra got up from the meditative posture and fell prostrate at Bhrgu’s feet. Bhrgu was delighted to see his son thus resurrected from the dead. The feeling of affection at the thought, ’This is my son’ overcame even the sage Bhrgu; this is natural as long as there is body-consciousness. Both Bhrgu and Sukra then performed the funeral rites of the body of the brahmana boy Vasudeva, for thus do the men of wisdom honor social customs and traditions. 

Both of them then shone with the radiance of the sun and the moon. In course of time, Sukra became the spiritual preceptor of the demons and his father, Bhrgu, became one of the sages of highest wisdom. 

Such is the story of the sage Sukra who on account of his infatuation with a nymph wandered in countless wombs. 

RAMA: Holy sir why does not the wish of others materialize as the wish of Sukra materialized in his ascent to heaven?

VASISTHA: Sukra's mind was pure since that was his first embodiment; that mind was not loaded with the impurities of other previous embodiments. That mind is pure in which all cravings are in a state of quiescence. Whatever that pure mind wishes, that materializes. What happened in this respect to Sukra is possible for everyone else. 

Sukra had been taught by his father, Bhrgu, concerning the succession of births, and this teaching had conditioned Sukra’s mind, which conjured up the expansion of such conditioning. Only when the mind is totally purified of all conditioning does it regain its utter purity; that pure mind experiences liberation. 

The diversity that is seen in this creation, O Rama, is but an appearance of diversity. Evolution or involution has the one infinite consciousness as its source and as its goal. During evolution there seems to be an apparent diversity in the one infinite consciousness, in accordance with the notions that appear in that consciousness. Some of these notions intermingle, thus producing infinite variety in this diversity. Some do not thus intermingle. But, in fact, all these notions appear in every atom of existence, and these atoms exist independent of one another. The totality is known as the absolute Brahman. 

Each individual sees only those objects which are rooted in his own. mind. When the ideas in the mind do not bear fruits there is a change in the mind; there follows a succession of births to suit these psychological changes. It is the psychological connection that creates the conviction in the reality of birth and death, and in the reality of the body. When this conviction is given up, there is the cessation of embodiment. 

O Rama, the tree in a seed grows out of it after destroying the seed, but Brahman creates this world without destroying itself. Hence it is impossible to compare the incomparable Brahman with anything whatsoever. Whereas the tree, etc. are definable material substances, Brahman is a nameless and formless being. It is Brahman alone that becomes what appears to be of a different nature; yet, from another point of view it does not so become, for it is eternal and changeless. 

When the self is seen as an object, the seer is not seen (realized); as long as the objective universe is perceived, one does not realize the self. When you see the mirage as water, you do not perceive the rising hot air, but when you perceive the hot air, you do not see water in the mirage! When one is truth, the other is not. 

It is only when the division between the seer and the seen is given up, only when the two are 'seen' as of one substance, that the truth is realized. There is no object which is totally of a different nature from the subject. Nor can the subject (self) be seen as if it were an object! There is no division in such a vision. 

Each jiva experiences however within itself whatever it has given rise to within itself with the help of its own life-force. O Rama, behold with the eye of your inner wisdom the truth that in every atom of existence there are countless world-appearances. This world appearance is but a long dream. This dream-like appearance is yet true during the period of the dream itself. 

Within every atom is the potential experience of every kind. Therefore, give up all your notions of diversity or unity. Time, space, action (or motion) and matter are all but different aspects of the one infinite consciousness. The rare few realize that the world appearance seen within themselves is illusory, except as the one infinite consciousness which alone is ever true. On account of this consciousness the world appears in the jiva: and there are jiva within, ad infinitum. It is when one thus experiences the truth, that he is freed from illusion. At the same time one's craving for pleasure is thinned out. This is the only proof of wisdom. A painted pot of nectar is not nectar, nor a painted flame fire, and a painting of a woman is not a woman: wise words are mere words (ignorance) not wisdom, unless they are substantiated by the absence of desire and anger. 

They who contemplate the absolute Brahman, become Brahman. Hence one should resort to that which is not limited, conditioned or finite. By contemplating the form of the nymph, Sukra was bound; and when he' realized the purity of his self which is infinite consciousness, he was instantly liberated.

~ Yoga Vasistha

 

[silent thunder]

On 3/10/2018 at 11:25 AM, dwai said:

When we try to find out what the ego is, there is nothing to be found. Just like trying find out “who am I?” only to find emptiness and silence. 

 

exactly... only for me the reason nothing is found, is that the ego is not a thing, it does not have a place and does not exist.

 

ego is rather the action of trying... the seeking... or the avoiding and evading

 

ego is mental motion out of presence, beingness

[neti neti]

Quote

Once there was a sadhu sitting by the side of the road in the summer midday sun. A king was passing in his chariot with his entourage and he saw the sadhu. He stopped and said, "It is so hot here, come with me to my palace, I can offer you all the delights of my royal life."

 

The sadhu replied, "Thank you but no. Now please move on for you are shading my sun."

 

[9th]

Quote

Thereupon many statesmen and philosophers came to Alexander with their congratulations, and he expected that Diogenes of Sinope also, who was tarrying in Corinth, would do likewise. But since that philosopher took not the slightest notice of Alexander, and continued to enjoy his leisure in the suburb Craneion, Alexander went in person to see him; and he found him lying in the sun. Diogenes raised himself up a little when he saw so many people coming towards him, and fixed his eyes upon Alexander. And when that monarch addressed him with greetings, and asked if he wanted anything,

"Yes," said Diogenes, "stand a little out of my sun." 

 

It is said that Alexander was so struck by this, and admired so much the haughtiness and grandeur of the man who had nothing but scorn for him, that he said to his followers, who were laughing and jesting about the philosopher as they went away,

"But truly, if I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_and_Alexander

[9th]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashupati

 

Pashupatinath is an avatar of Shiva, one of the Hindu Trinity. He is the male counterpart of Shakti.

 

The five faces of Pashupatinath represent various incarnations of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Barun), Vamdeva (also known as Uma Maheswara), Tatpurusha, Aghor & Ishana.

 

They face West, North, East, South and Zenith respectively, and represent Hinduism's five primary elements namely earth, water, air, light and ether.^[3]

 

Puranas describe these faces of Shiva as ^[3]

“

Sadyojata, Vamdeva, Tatpurusha & Aghora are the four faces, The fifth is Ishana, unknowable even to the seers

”

[neti neti]

Quote

An old timer once went ice-fishing around 10 in the morning. So he cut a small hole in the ice, set his line and sat down. He brought some beer to pass the time, since fishing is a patience game. So the day passes along, empty beer cans piling up as the old-timer gets dizzy while waiting. But no fish. So it gets to around 4 in the evening, and still no fish. But that's OK because fishing isn't really about fishing, it's about killing time and drinking beer.

 

So around 4 in the evening, a boy from the area arrives with a big boombox on his shoulder blaring rap music. He comes jiving to his music and sat down in his own spot a little distance from the old man. He cut a small hole in the ice, set his line and sat down.

The old man looked at him and thought, "No fool like a young fool. I've been sitting here quietly all day without a single catch, and this fool comes blaring his music hoping to catch fish?" He ignored the boy, and went back to focus on his fishing.

 

To his amazement, within 10 minutes the boy catches a huge trout, and set it in his basket. The old-timer couldn't believe it. He looked at the young boy and thought, "Ha! Flash in the pan luck", ignored him again and focused on his fishing. But in another 10 minutes, the boy catches another huge trout! Now, he could not ignore him. This is not luck. He sat there looking at the boy, music blaring, the boy was jiving. He sat back down and in another 10 minutes, one more huge trout.

 

So the old-timer got up and slowly walked down toward the boy. "I've been sitting here all day, and not a single fish. But in 30 minutes you've gotten 3 wonderful trouts in your basket. What is this!? What is your secret?!

 

The boy lowered his music and said, "Roo Raaa Roo Raaa Roo Raaa Raaa Raaaf!" The old-timer said, "What?".

The boy repeated, "Roo Raaa Roo Raaa Roo Raaa Raaa Raaaf!" The old man said, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

 

Then the boy spat out a blob of something into his hands and said, "You have to keep the worms warm!" ~Sadhguru

 

[neti neti]

What's the moral of this one folks?

[Marblehead]

Keep your worms warm.

[neti neti]

8 minutes ago, Marblehead said:

Keep your worms warm.

 

Right. Of course, there's that.

 

But more generally speaking, you have to do things rightly to obtain right results.

 

I'm paraphrasing Sadhguru's take on it here.

 

"Existence is non-judgemental. Our ideas have no true bearing on the nature of reality. Whoever is prepared and receptive, it is he who obtains the bounty of life."

 

"There is grace available for he who makes himself available, whereby one's life appears to become magical. It is because they have made themselves available and receptive to a different dimension of life."

[Marblehead]

I just didn't want to be first to voice my opinion.  I do that often enough as it is.

 

Sure, consider new ideas when they are presented to us.

 

 

[neti neti]

Renunciation of wealth, feeling of detachment and respect for a saint is the result of former merit and good fortune. He alone starts thinking of a sadhu. It is extraordinary to have such an intellect in the dream within a dream. To be conscious, to be fully on senses in spite of taking a doze of brandy shows that though money can bring demonic pride, he still is on his senses.

 

This is his (true) good fortune. He is in a dream within a dream. But on account of his virtuous intellect, he went to a Guru and discriminated between the true and untrue. He got the experience that everything else is false and `I am Brahman [final reality]'. This means that he has woken up from one dream. When in this dream he deliberated again he came to the further conclusion that even saying `I am Brahman' is false -- the whole world and words are illusion.

 

As a result he became tranquil by staying in his own blissful state. Truth was revealed. He fully realised `I am Brahman'. This condition means `I am fully awake'. Not only the delusion but also `I have experienced' vanished. For if one says that he has experienced the self it means that he has taken himself to be different from the self. The real test is when the self has no sense of self `I'. If the mango says, "I found myself sweet", then it is not a mango. If you say `you got an experience', that means your `I', ego is still there. The idea `I got an experience' is a delusion. The `I' in `I have become knowledgeable' or `I have become Brahman' is ego. The former `I' should disappear.

 

Whatever was before naturally is Brahman. The thorn `I' has to be extracted; then you are through. When you become all pervading, you become Brahman. `I am Brahman', this ego comes, but it also disappears afterwards. It is `One' only and there is nothing else than that.

To go beyond nothing is to be in Thoughtless Reality, Parabrahman. ~Siddharameshwar Maharaj

 

Edited September 13, 2018 by neti neti

[neti neti]

Quote

"One who is qualityless, is recognised as such. One who was meaningful, got His own meaning. After many days He met himself." ~[Dasbodh Chapter 8, Section 8, verse 65]

 

[Marblehead]

That's a little too heavy for me.  I'm not going to renounce the little wealth I have.  I worked too hard for it.

 

[neti neti]

1 hour ago, Marblehead said:

That's a little too heavy for me.  I'm not going to renounce the little wealth I have.  I worked too hard for it.

 

 

Maybe the burden isn't quite as literal as it seems. Maybe the renouncing is of one's love for the kind of wealth which doesn't last.

 

The beggar is rich beyond his wildest dreams.

 

Edited September 13, 2018 by neti neti

[Marblehead]

6 hours ago, neti neti said:

 

Maybe the burden isn't quite as literal as it seems. Maybe the renouncing is of one's love for the kind of wealth which doesn't last.

 

The beggar is rich beyond his wildest dreams.

 

Yeah, I know.  But I do set limits.

 

[neti neti]

Quote

"To keep a child quiet from crying, he is told ''the scarecrow has come." He is quieted by the creation of the tale of a scarecrow that is not really there. After the child becomes quiet, he asks his father "Daddy, what did the scarecrow look like? How long was his beard and how long was his moustache? How big were his nose, eyes, and teeth?"

 

What answer can the father give? Until he responds the child is not going to keep quiet. At such time, the father has to stretch the nose of the scarecrow as far as Rameshwara, and his feet up to the Netherworld, and his head has to reach the sky. Thus, saying whatever he likes, he draws a frightening picture of the scarecrow saying, "he is like this, and like that, etc., so do not cry again." ~Siddharameshwar Maharaj

 

[Marblehead]

Once upon a time there was a young woman who fell into a deep sleep as a result of sniffing too much cocaine.  She lay there totally immobile.  Along comes a prince, knowing what had happened and knowing that only he could awaken her with a kiss.

 

He slowly bent over and gently kissed her upon the lips, awakening her, and she screams out, "Rape!"

 

The prince was arrested and spent the rest of his life in jail.

 

The woman became a US Senator.

 

[thelerner]

5 hours ago, Marblehead said:

Once upon a time there was a young woman who fell into a deep sleep as a result of sniffing too much cocaine.  She lay there totally immobile.  Along comes a prince, knowing what had happened and knowing that only he could awaken her with a kiss.

 

He slowly bent over and gently kissed her upon the lips, awakening her, and she screams out, "Rape!"

 

The prince was arrested and spent the rest of his life in jail.

 

The woman became a US Senator.

 

Why do I get the feeling the 'prince' is seeking a kiss from the unconscious woman for his own pleasure rather then helping her?  I say that because kissing a stranger who's unconscious, particularly due to drugs does not help them.  Matter of fact its pretty pervy.  What was he gonna do after kissing the kiss, drop his pants, thinking to himself perhaps this will revive her? 

 

The fact he got a life sentence means this wasn't a first offense,  far from it, more likely he was on probation and had a long record and this was his third fourth or fifth strike.  Perhaps as a senator the woman could create programs to remind such 'princes' that kissing or groping unconscious people is not to be done. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by thelerner

[Marblehead]

3 hours ago, thelerner said:

Why do I get the feeling

Well, that sure is an alternate view.  Valid none-the-less.

 

[neti neti]

On 10/4/2018 at 3:40 PM, Marblehead said:

Well, that sure is an alternate view.  Valid none-the-less.

 

I got another valid view. Maybe by her experience, her and many other young ladies can learn not to abuse cocaine thereby putting themselves in vulnerable situations around men with shoddy morals.

[neti neti]

Quote

Sparks are fire...

 

"A certain prince was discarded by his parents as soon as he was born, and brought up in a fowler’s home. Not knowing his princely descent, he thought himself to be a fowler and pursued the fowler’s duties, not those of a king, as he would if he knew himself to be such.

 

When, however, a very compassionate man, who knew the prince’s fitness for attaining a kingdom, told him who he was—that he was not a fowler, but the son of such and such a king, and had by some chance come to live in a fowler’s home—he, thus informed, gave up the notion and the duties of a fowler and, knowing that he was a king, took to the ways of his ancestors.

 

Similarly this individual self, which is of the same category as the Supreme Self, being "separated" from It like a spark of fire and so on, has penetrated this wilderness of the body, organs, etc., and, although really transcendent, takes on the attributes of the latter, which are relative, and thinks that it is this aggregate of the body and organs, that it is lean or stout, happy or miserable— for it does not know that it is the Supreme Self.

 

But when the teacher enlightens it that it is not the body etc., but the transcendent Supreme Brahman, then it gives up the pursuit of the three kinds of desire(a son, wealth, and heaven) and is convinced that it is Brahman. When it is told that it has been "separated" from the Supreme Brahman like a spark, it is firmly convinced that it is Brahman, as the prince was of his royal birth."

 

~Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, commentary by Śaṅkarācārya

 

Edited October 20, 2018 by neti neti

[Marblehead]

3 hours ago, neti neti said:

I got another valid view. Maybe by her experience, her and many other young ladies can learn not to abuse cocaine thereby putting themselves in vulnerable situations around men with shoddy morals.

Yes, that is an excellent suggestion.