Vivekachudamani - Crest Jewel of Wisdom Podcast Por Vedanta Society San Francisco arte de portada

Vivekachudamani - Crest Jewel of Wisdom

Vivekachudamani - Crest Jewel of Wisdom

De: Vedanta Society San Francisco
Escúchala gratis

Acerca de esta escucha

 Swami Tattwamayananda will begin a new scripture, Vivekachudamani of Shankaracharya, on Friday November 15 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Temple.

Vivekachudamani, which means "The Crest Jewel of Discrimination," is a poem by Shankaracharya that summarizes Advaita Vedanta philosophy and is one of the its important introductory texts.

For up to date schedule: sfvedanta.org
Web: www.sfvedanta.org
Livestream: https://livestream.com/sfvedanta

All Original Content © Vedanta Society of Northern CaliforniaCopyright Vedanta Society, San Francisco Espiritualidad
Episodios
  • Vivekachudamani 14 Renouncing Worldly Desires - By Swami Tattwamayananda

    Vivekachudamani 14 Renouncing Worldly Desires - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    May 9 2025
    81st verse: “People may get momentary wisdom (Apata-vairagya) or renunciation due to setbacks in life. With this momentary wisdom, they try to cross the river of worldly life. Along the way, the crocodile of desire, greed and envy catches them. Renunciation should not be momentary. It should be stable.”

    Such people are compared to a fool who tries to cross a river sitting on a crocodile. One needs a solid boat or ship to cross the river. Real renunciation constitutes such a boat.

    The wisdom that comes from times of disappointments may not last long. After some time, strong desires emerge in the mind and can capsize the person, if the sense of renunciation is not very strong.

    Shankaracharya emphasizes the importance of tenacity and steadiness in spiritual life in the 326th verse. “Imagine a child playing with a ball at the top of a staircase. If the ball falls, it does not stop until it reaches the bottom. Similarly, in spiritual life, we should be very vigilant not to make mistakes.”

    While the verse emphasizes steadiness, a single mistake is not the end of one’s spiritual journey. Every little spiritual effort bears its result.

    83rd verse: “Spiritual path is very difficult if the mind is not ready and does not cooperate. Spiritual path is simple for those whose minds are ready, who listen to the teachings of ancient sages and draw inspiration from them. They are bound to reach their destination.”

    84th verse: If you want to attain Moksha, stay away from the toxic poison of worldly desires. Poison ends our life. Imbibe spiritual values such as contentment. Compassion, forbearance, and self-control. Spiritual values are like nectar that enrich our life.”

    Vedanta is not world negating. When one travels on a boat, the boat should be on water. Water should not enter the boat. Our life is like the boat and worldliness is like water. One should live in the world but remain unaffected by worldliness. Worldliness should not enter our life.

    Householders should mentally give up worldly desires. Sri Ramakrishna said that householders should practice mental renunciation. Monks should practice both internal and external renunciation. Janaka was a king but unattached to worldly possessions.

    Among the four levels of social structure, high importance was given to householders as they generate the wealth to support the other three ashramas. Householders who do not generate wealth to support their family are considered adharmis.

    85th verse: “We are bound in mysterious ignorance and a lack of awareness of our true nature. We have the wrong notion (avidya) that we are this body and that this world is meant for enjoyments. We should practice spiritual disciplines to get out of this bondage. One who does not make such attempts and keeps pampering the body, kills himself.”

    A Sanskrit verse says: “This human body is for someone else.” Upon death, in ancient times, it was eaten by animals and ancients. In modern times, after death, it belongs to the tube in the crematorium, the fire or the earth.

    The same human body can be a wonderful tool for a higher purpose. We cannot pray, meditate or study scriptures without this body. If we think of this body as the goal, we are lost.

    Beyond a limit, wealth is only an illusion. It is as good as non-existent. We own only what we make use of.
    Más Menos
    1 h y 8 m
  • Vivekachudamani 13 The Crest Jewel of Wisdom - By Swami Tattwamayananda

    Vivekachudamani 13 The Crest Jewel of Wisdom - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    May 2 2025
    d
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • Vivekachudamani 12 Uncontrolled Senses Lead to Destruction - By Swami Tattwamayananda

    Vivekachudamani 12 Uncontrolled Senses Lead to Destruction - By Swami Tattwamayananda
    Apr 18 2025
    The student poses seven questions in the 51st verse. The rest of the text answers these seven questions. The seven questions are: (1) What is this bondage? (2) How does it come about? (3)
    How does it exist and what sustains it? (4) How do we come out of it? (5) What is anatman? (6) What is the supreme Atman? (7) How do we differentiate between atman and anatman?

    Starting with the 74th verse, the teacher begins to answer the fifth question posed by the student:
    “What is anatman?” by discussing the gross body. There are three sariras: Sthula sarira (gross body), sukhshma sarira (subtle body, the personality behind the gross body) and karana sarira (lack of understanding of our true nature).

    In the 74th, 75th and 76th verses, the teacher discusses Sthula Sarira or physical body. It is composed of marrow, bone, fat, flesh, blood, skin and cuticle. It also includes legs, thighs, chest, arms, back and head. These together constitute the physical body. When we identify with this physical body, we are deluded.”

    While the gross body may seem detestable, it is a great asset, as it is what we use to achieve liberation.

    A machine is made of parts. If we take one part out, it becomes non-functional. Similarly, the physical body is a machine made of parts. It belongs to the perishable, empirical world. It has borrowed intelligence (from Atman). We delude ourselves into thinking that this machine is our true nature. We refer to this machine when we say “I”. This misunderstanding is rooted in ignorance of our true nature. It is the basis of bondage.

    When Socrates was sentenced to die by drinking poison, one of his disciples, Crito, approached him and asked him” “How do you want us to bury you?” Socrates replied: “For that, you should first know who is the real “I”.

    77th verse: Those who are deluded are called Mudha. They are attached to sense objects through an invisible rope that binds them to this world. They are spiritually enslaved by desire of the senses. It is a bondage that makes them move up and down in cyclic existence.”
    Attachment here refers to obsessive attachment to an extent that it makes us spiritually enslaved.

    78th verse: Shankaracharya uses examples from the animal kingdom to explain how one reaches destruction when guided by the senses - Deer (sense of hearing), Elephant (sense of touch). Moth (sense of seeing), Fish (sense of taste), Bee (sense of smell). Each of these creatures reaches death as they are guided by one of their senses. What to speak of humans who have five senses active all the time.

    79th verse: “The poison of a cobra is less poisonous than the poison of sense objects. The cobra has to bite you and the poison has to be consumed. Seeing the cobra does not kill you. But mere sight of a sense object can remain in the mental system for a long time and can be a door to destruction, depending on one’s mental constitution.”
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup
Todavía no hay opiniones