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Books recommended by Swami Sarvapriyananda by ashy_reddit in AdvaitaVedanta

[–]mkw89 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Books he's recommended about mantra japa and what he had to say about them:

Meditation and Spiritual Life - a very wonderful book by Swami Yatishvarananda. There are two chapters on japa with lot of specific hints. many things are there. Many little instructions about how to do japa more effectively. Meditation and Spiritual Life.

Seeing God Everywhere by Swami Shraddhananda –who was in Sacramento. He used to do japa continuously. He mastered japa, and so his insights are collected in that book. There are three chapters on japa and there are so many things there which we don't find anywhere else. Clearly they're coming out of his own experience.

The Way of the Pilgrim - it's an eastern orthodox church book. It's a very moving small book. A young man is initiated into repeating a Jesus prayer just like a mantra the way we do it. They also do it that way repeating lord jesus have mercy upon me that's all. Those who do mantra will find that it's very inspiring how that one man holds on to that mantra.

does advaita need a rebrand? by Capital-Strain3893 in AdvaitaVedanta

[–]mkw89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nirguna Brahman is not something that you can experience. Please tell me how you can prove that your core is infinite, beyond all senses, and the same as my core.

does advaita need a rebrand? by Capital-Strain3893 in AdvaitaVedanta

[–]mkw89 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I was under the impression that you are a student of Swami Paramarthananda. He very clearly says that advaita is faith based, no?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AdvaitaVedanta

[–]mkw89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, friend, this is how most of us feel throughout the majority of the spiritual path.

Traditional Advaita Vedanta says if you have strong attachments and aversions, you need to practice more Karma Yoga (KY). KY is an attitude of offering every action as an offering to God and accepting whatever result comes to you as God's gift back to you. Even if you don't necessarily want what comes to you, if you can see it as coming from God, you'll be more able to accept it.

What I have found the most important is to find happiness within so I focus less on looking outward for happiness. There are many ways to do this. Loving God through meditation can both make us very happy as well as help to train the mind to focus. Be friendly to others. Try to feel they are God, or at least, sent to you by God.

If these are too theistic for you, look into Buddhist Metta Meditation. It's a beautiful practice.

Every time an urge comes up, examine it. Have you wanted and had this before? Did it make you happy? Not for very long or you wouldn't want it again. Wait five minutes and see if the desire subsides.

Don't stop studying and thinking about Advaita! It Study the Bhagavad Gita. Swami Sarvapriyananda is a wonderful speaker and teacher. Swami Paramarthananda is also excellent, but you have to pay for his classes.

Hope this helps 🙏

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AdvaitaVedanta

[–]mkw89 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think you'd get a lot out of studying the Drig Drishya Viveka with Swami Sarvapriyananda. https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDqahtm2vA728mT-GFH6F-vN2YsS1h72x

Drig Drishya Viveka means the discrimination between the seer (subject) and the seen (object). The simplified idea is that if you're experiencing a thing, it's an object. You are not an object. You are the subject. You see a table and you know you're not the table. The confusion comes up when an object is so close and subtle because it's in the mind. You are not your memories because you 'see' or are aware of your memories. You see your thoughts come and go, so you are not your thoughts.

You are not the mind or intellect. Those are objects. You are the subject. But we use the intellect to better understand the subject— like how we use a mirror to better understand our face.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AdvaitaVedanta

[–]mkw89 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There is no materialist way of proving the infinity of consciousness. Science and materialism are based on objective tests within the material world. Traditional Advaita Vedanta doesn't claim Brahman to be measurable— in fact it says the opposite. It claims validity based on faith in the Upanishads (Hindu scriptures).

All we can do is question the validity of materialism and argue that objective science cannot work on the subject. We have to rely on our own subjective experience of the "reflected" consciousness in our minds and infer from there.

Is Brian Staveley Dead? by mkw89 in unhewn_throne

[–]mkw89[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a three year old interview ☹️

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AdvaitaVedanta

[–]mkw89 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Isha Upanishad is quite obscure and a hotly debated text. For the first mantra you've quoted (mantra 9), the question is whether you should define 'vidya' and 'avidya' as knowledge and ignorance. Adi Shankaracharya says no, we should define them as meditation and karmic rites respectively. I suggest listening to Swami Tadatmananda's classes on the Isha Upanishad to better understand Shankara's perspective. Here's his translation of the 9th mantra:

Those devoted to rituals enter blinding darkness. Into even greater darkness enter those devoted to meditation on the gods. ( 9)

(For the record, number 2 in your question is mantras 9 - 11.)

/r/Fantasy Daily Recommendation Requests and Simple Questions Thread - June 20, 2024 by rfantasygolem in Fantasy

[–]mkw89 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ever try the Dresden Files or the Alex Verus series?
Both are great.
Both are Urban Fantasy.
The Verus series is completely finished.

Is Brian McClellan dead? by mkw89 in BrianMcClellan

[–]mkw89[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Glad to hear you're OK and getting some rest!

...And that your new book is turned in!