I Have Fallen in Love
"I have fallen in love, O mother with the
Beautiful One, who knows no death,
knows no decay and has no form;
"I have fallen in love, O mother with the
Beautiful One, who has no middle, has
no end, has no parts and has no features;
"I have fallen in love, O mother with the
Beautiful One, who knows no birth and
knows no fear.
"I have fallen in love, O mother with the
Beautiful One, who is without any family,
without any country and without any peer;
Chenna Mallikarjuna (Shiva), the Beautiful, is my husband.
Fling into the fire the husbands who are subject
to death and decay."
-Akka Mahadevi
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ReplyDeleteI deleted the previous comment because I figured the answer out for myself.
ReplyDeleteThe question of renunciation is addressed here.
ReplyDeleteSvadhayaya is study and contemplation of scripture and/or the Self. When scripture is concerned, it goes beyond mere reading, study, and argument - which can impress others but have little to do with Self-realization. Instead, one carefully considers what one has read or heard, and applies it to herself when the mind is quiet.
Oops, it seems that the answers to the questions about self-study and non-attachment are more complex than anticipated. Thanks for the clarification, should have read read this month's Yoga Chicago.
ReplyDeleteAm reading Swami Radha's book now but haven't yet gotten to the story you mention in the article. Just finished Primates of Park Avenue, a memoir about wives of appallingly wealthy men who suffer despite all they have because they are afraid of losing it. Can't recommend you read it, and it's perhaps shameful that I did, but it was nice to read something fluffy last Wednesday while waiting for the plumber and the heating/AC guy. (The more stuff one has in one's home/life, the more effort is required to maintain it!).
Attachment seems like the hydra monster in Greek mythology--cut one head off, and two more appear.
Desire is like the monster; as soon as one is satisfied, another appears - then another, then another. The cycle never ends. Desirelessness leads to peace. Its root is understanding the laws of karma and reincarnation.
ReplyDeleteYes, desire is so hard to control...especially if you are 10 (or even if you are not).
ReplyDeleteThe boy has been at Art Camp all week (and loves it) but has discovered VENDING MACHINES in the cafeteria at the School of the Art Institute. The first day, he had a bag of chips and two candy bars during breaks with the spending money I gave him (which was supposed to last several days but didn't). We talked about vending machine use, but I'm not there with him and his poor "monkey mind" sees the treats and has to have them. The "talk" only succeeded in making him evasive when I ask about snacks, so I've been giving him less money.
So the son's desire to buy candy bars out of the vending machine comes from something that happened in a previous life? Not sure what else there is to be learned from this, but I've been pondering it all week.