DrikAGS-Book Excerpts and Review

SV CW - Vol 3 - Qualifications of the Aspirant and the Teacher

Writer's note:

Here in the depiction of Lord Dakshinamurthy. The Lord, the ultimate Teacher is cited as a 16 yr old boy sitting perfectly still under a tree in perfect silence and is surrounded by venerable sages old in years ... all the doubts of the students (sages and old students surrounding Him) are dispelled in the perfect silence. The Lord sports a "chin" mudra where the thumb touches the index finger and other fingers are pointed straight outward.
In this grandiose chapter, Swami Vivekananda, our Acharya for this age, if I may so call him, lists the qualifications for the spiritual teacher and the student seeking spiritual knowledge. For the Teacher there is only 3 points required. Unfortunately for the students (aspirant) there are many qualities required :-(.. as anticipated.
This chapter is a wonderful guide to the aspirants as to what is required of us to be considered for the coveted "Brahma-Vidya". I have highlighted my favorite points :-)
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QUALIFICATIONS:

The Teacher:

1) Must know the SPIRIT of the scripture –
- not text torturing (leaf counting)

2)      Must be PURE / SINLESS –
a)      sine qua non for acquiring and transmitting spiritual truths is purity of heart and soul
b)      Vision of God or beyond does not come to impure soul
c)       Something real and appreciable as influence comes from the teacher to the taught

3)      PURE MOTIVE –
a)      NOT name/fame/money
b)      Only pure LOVE
c)       Complete unselfishness
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The Aspirant:

1) Purity

i) Thought

ii) Speech

iii) Act

2) Real thirst after knowledge

i) We all get what we really want

3) Perseverance

i) Constant struggle must be there to conquer the lower nature until the higher is actually felt and victory achieved

4) Must have for the Teacher – FAITH + HUMILITY +SUBMISSION+VENERATION –

i) otherwise there wd be no religious growth.

ii) True for all individuals as well as for countries.

iii) Religion cannot be bought or acquired from books

5) Must make the heart ready to receive when the teacher has come.

6) Teacher is divinely appointed

7)      SERVE the teacher -
a)      With childlike confidence and simplicity
b)      Freely open your hearts to his influence
c)       See in him GOD Manifested

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Points to note:

· Religion is NOT for everybody and available everywhere

· Eye opening to religion can be done only though a qualified teacher

· A real teacher is one who is pure, lust-free, sinless and a knower of Brahman

· When you find a qualified teacher you are safe.

· Beware of teachers who do not possess these qualities as they will not be able to convey the goodness of heart but instead convey wickedness.

· Those who are worshipped as God are the real teachers for the whole universe stands up to say “This is Truth”. But aspirant can get help from lesser ones also. Butwe do not possess enough intuition to judge properly of the man from which we are to receive the teaching and guidance.

· Those who come to seek truth with a spirit of LOVE + VENERATION, the Lord of truth reveals to them wonderful things regarding Truth, Goodness, & Beauty…!!!!

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Vol 2. March 27, 1900

The Goal:

Tenets:

a. Search for Ideal: (Known intrinsically to every man)

a. Outside = Dualism

b. Inside = Monism

b. God is free hence cannot create a world because creation is action which requires force and a free entity cannot be forced to do anything. Therefore this is all play/fun. (LEELA)

c. Should not hurt anyone because we hurt ourselves actually since all is ONE.

Meditate:

a. Whirlpools:

a. Bodies are whirlpools in ocean of matter

b. Minds are whirlpools in ocean of mind

c. Everywhere we are one.

b. Universe = Time + Space + Causation

a. Mind – When did it begin?

i. When I FORGOT my TRUE NATURE and became bound by T+S+C

b. Time –When did it began?

i. When I started to THINK

c. Space-when did it began?

i. When I identified myself (got) with BODY

d. Causation – when did it began?

i. When I became LIMITED.

c. GOD and worship – I worship my Self

Method:

1 Be unselfish – gives happiness, expand
2 Loose individuality to GOD
3 Obtain infinite Life become LIFE itself.
4 For those whose ideal is Pleasure

a. –> senses –> graduate to higher planes – higher happiness

b. more enjoyment –> spiritual plane - > happiness within himself

c. Krama Mukti

5 Try to attain:

a. Universal body – by letting go of EGO

b. Universal mind – by letting go of individual mind

c. Universal soul – by letting go of individual soul

6 Realize that I am eternally living – I Am ONE alone through eternity

a. I lived in Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad and will continue living… Only I alone live

b. Try to feel the joy in other’s bodies as a process of expansion.

c. Ecstasy of joy of living in every body for eternity of course comes with all the pain too.

d. BE SENSIBLE - Mistakes – learn from it – move on – don’t look back/stop.

e. PRACTISE – part playing in living life. Infinite is real finite is play

7 THINK & REASON
8 Go beyond churches/temple (good to be born there but not to die there) and have direct communion
9 If you have not seen GOD – You are an atheist.

GOALS of life:

1 Know that you are eternally FREE.. never bound.. its all fun, game
2 Know that we are all Eternally INFINITE and there is only One GOD.
3 Know that I chose to play this part while being eternally free. – PLAY/FUN
4 Eternal PEACE - In Manifold see ONE – his own Soul / In infinite death sees LIFE
5 NONE – coz u r eternally free. Only beggars have goals/aims.