quotes.

A happy heart. a contended home, and loved ones near.

Let us work as we pray for work indeed is the body,s best prayer to the Divine. Sri Aurobindo.

lots more to come.

ttt

* Introduction.
* The determination of what is best.
* The most important and distinctive doctrine that is unique to Visistadvaita.
* The five things that every seeker after salvation should know.
* The three reals or tattvas.
* The truth concerning the supreme Deity.
* The aspiration for mukti.
* The classification of qualified person.
* The classification of the means or upaya for attaining mukti.
* The fitness for prapatti.
* The classification of accessories or angas.
* The performance of Prapatti with its angas.
* The man who has done what ought to be done.
* The marks or signs by which one can recognize that one is in the proper state or nishta.
* The manner in which one should conduct oneself after prapatti.
*  The farthest extent of our ultimate object in life.
* The ordinances imposed by the Sashtras.
* Atonement for offences.
* The places suitable for prapannas residence.
* The departure of self from the body.
* The prescribed route.
* The full and perfect enjoyment of the bliss of Brahman.
* Tne classification of what is meant by the Upaya that is already existent. (Siddopaya)
* The classification of what is meant by Sidhopaya or the upaya that has to be adopted.
* The limits within which the upayas, bhakti and prapatti have potency.
* The vindication of the potency of prapatti.
* The interpretation of the meaning of the three rahasyas or mantras by a study of the grammatical construction of the words and sentences.
* The moola mantra.
* The dvaya.
* The charma sloka.
* The path of Spiritual Tradition.
* The duties of the Acharya.
* The duties of a sishya.
* Conclusion.

everyday greatness

Effendi and the pregnant pot,.
popular folk tales from China. refreshing and hilarious. must read if you have not. available on scholar or just google search too.

Mulla/Hodja/Hoca Nasrudin is the starring character in a vast number of amusing tales told in regions all over the world, particularly in countries in or near the Middle East. Each tale depicts Nasrudin in a different situation, and through his viewpoint they humorously reveal commentary and lessons on various life themes. The great allure of the Mulla Nasrudin tales is that they are funny as well as lesson filled, philosophical, and thought provoking.

The Mulla Nasrudin Character

Mulla, Hodja, and Hoca are titles from various areas of the world that in early times were used to signify a learned man.

The character Mulla/Hodja/Hoca Nasrudin is sometimes wise, sometimes foolish, and sometimes both. He is a unique spin on a wise sage or philosopher character.

Much of Nasrudin’s actions and can be described as illogical yet logical, rational yet irrational, bizarre yet normal, and simple yet profound. What adds even further to his uniqueness is the way he gets across his messages in unconventional yet very effective methods.

Origins and History

Mulla Nasrudin tales have been passed down for many centuries. It is thought that the Mulla Nasrudin character is based on a real man who lived in the 1300s. However, many countries claim to be the origin of the actual Mulla Nasrudin character and his tales, and it remains uncertain where the man lived and the stories started.

But whatever the origins of Mulla Nasrudin are, pinpointing them has become a trivial point. As generations went by, new stories were added, others were modified, and the character and his tales spread to broader regions. The types of themes and wisdom in his tales have become legendary products of a variety of people’s observations and imaginations. And although most of them depict Nasrudin in an early small village setting, the tales deal with concepts that have relevance to today’s universe and people.

Today, Mulla Nasrudin stories are told in a wide variety of regions, and have been translated into many languages. (It can only be assumed that some regions independently developed a character similar to Mulla Nasrudin, and the stories have become assimilated together.)

In many regions, Mulla Nasrudin is a major part of the culture, and is quoted or alluded to frequently in daily life. Since there are thousands of different Nasrudin stories, one can be found to fit almost any occasion.

Sufis also use Nasrudin stories frequently as learning and meditation tools, similar to the way Zen Buddhism practitioners use koans.

Also Known As

In different regions, the character goes by such aliases as:

Mulla Nasrudin

Hodja / Hoca Nasreddin

Nasreddin Hodja / Hoca

Effendi

Variations of Mulla: Molla, Mullah, Mollah, Maualana

Variations of Nasrudin: Nasreddin, Nasruddin, Nasiruddin, Nastradin, Nasreddine, Nasredin, Nastradhin, Nasrettin, Nastratin, Nasr Eddin, Nasr Ud Din, Nasr Id Deen, Nasirud Din, Nasr Ed Dine, Stradin

Variations of Hodja / Hoca: Hocca, Hodscha, Khoja, Hoja, Hogia, Hodza, Hogea, Hodza, Khodja, Chotza, Chotzas, Joha, Juha

Variations of Effendi: Ependi, Afandi, Efendi

---

The Loan Request

Nasrudin struck up a conversation with a stranger.

Ar one point, he asked, “So how’s business?”

“Great,” the other replied.

“Then can I borrow ten dollars?”

“No. I don’t know you well enough to lend you money,”.

“That’s strange,” replied Nasrudin. “Where I used to live, people wouldn’t lend me money because they knew me; and now that I’ve moved here, people won’t lend me money because they don’t know me!“

A Collection of Wisdom

no 10 important.

Kuresa's five stotra's refered to as Panchastava.
1. Sri Vaikuntha stava
2. Atimanusa Stava
3. Sundarabahu stava
4. Varadaraja stava
5. Sri stava

Parasara Bhatta's 5 important.
1. Sri Rangaraja Stava Purva Satakkam
2. Sri Rangaraja Stava Uttara Satakam
3. Sri Guna Ratna Kosa
4. Sri Ranganatha Stotra
5. Astasloki.

These documents are important because it was during this intellectually fertile period of the authors that the general theological vision and devotional pattern of Srivaishnavism were established. 

SRI RAMA GITA.

SRI RAMA GITA is found in the Uttarakanda of Adhyatma Ramayana.
King Ramachandraji was lost in thought. the conflict within him was becoming unbearable, his love and his duty? time stood still, in the restless sorrow of indecision. Watching the sun rise by the open window sri Ram suddenly made up his mind. though his heart was throbbing with sorrow his head was cool and determined. he had to make sacrifices in order to rule effectively and administer law and justice.
He called for his Brother Lakshmana and lovingly told him that Sita had expressed a wish to go back to the Rishi Ashram that she had travel led through. And he wanted Lakshmana to take Sita there to Valmiki Ashram and leave her there and return. Lakshmana silently wondering at the cruelty in his brothers command, did as he was told much to the  unwillingness and dejection in his heart.
One day much later Lakshma hesitantly approached Rama and asked him about the morality -  the beauty and ugliness  -- that is inherent in all actions that man can and undertakes.
The exhaustive discourse given out by Sri Rama, the perfect mystic in response to his dear brothers question is called SRI RAMA GITA.
The sixty two verses of Sri Rama Gita are found in Veda Vyasa's Adhyatma Ramayana in the Uttara kanda as its fifth chapter framed in the Pauranic style and is also often described as Sruti sara sangraha. Here the discussions between the brothers soars to vivid heights of subtlety. Both the tutor and the taught being highly spiritual. One needs to be of the caliber of Lakshma to truly understand the text. The sanctity, thoroughness and depth, the sublimity of the goal pointed out are all rendered valid and eloquent. BUT we are not privileged to listen to the discussion of the two eternal brothers. instead we hear it as a story from Parama Siva narrating to His consort Parameswari or Parvati on her questioning him as to what had happened to Sri Rama after he banished Sita the pregnant and innocent queen to the forest.
Rama's name derived from the Sanskrit rama which means that which revels in every form (ramate sarva bhutesu, sthavaresu caresu ca)
According to vedic tradition, once the seeker has purified the mind and intellect and gained a steady consistency in thinking, he or she must strive to employ the mind in a mood of unwavering contemplation, analyzing and discovering the total identity of the essence behind both the individuality (jivatma) and the universal self (paramatma). Knowledge then becomes the means and the goal.
The upanishads  have prescribed certain irrevocable duties to be followed as per the varna in life which are obligatory. When such duties are performed without any anxieties for their fruits, they tend to exhaust the vasanas and bring the mind to a quiet vigilant and quiet composure which then becomes ready for study and contemplation.
"I do" and "I experience are the constant whispering of the ego. Jnana (apprehension)alone can end ajnana (non apprehension)
A man of pure mind, endowed with faith, through contemplation of the great statement "That thou art" with the grace of the teacher comes to realize the perfect identity between the Paramatma and the Jiva and then gains supreme happiness and becomes like the meru mountain, unperturbed under all circumstances.
to understand the true meaning of a given sentence, understanding the meaning of individual words is important. In the sentence That thou art the words that and thou indicate the Paramathma and the Jivathma and art indicates the total identity between the two.{How is it possible some thing in the nature of supreme purity of the lord should exist in individual self too}
We sometimes liberally employ the suggestive meaning lying hidden behind sentences to make sense out of the sentence heard (jaha laksana). sometimes a listener will have to add something more in order to interpret the statement correctly (ajaha laksana) and sometimes he has to give up some aspect and retain others in order to make meaning of what is said.(jaha ajaha laksana) eg. My house is right on the sea. the listener has to understand the house is next to the sea. etc.
Sri Rama explains to Lakshmana that to grasp the significance of the mahakavya, we have to use the method of jaha ajaha laksana which is also called bhaga laksana.
Just as by contact of a red flower, a crystal glass looks apparently red, so too this self, unattached and unborn, when in contact with the five kosas sheaths appears to be of their characteristic individual nature. but one has to discriminate intelligently? how the red color is superimposed other colors too can .
the body too is enveloped in sheaths namely annamayakosa (the food sheath) pranamayakosa (vital air sheath) manomayakosa (mental sheath) vijnanamayakosa (intellectual sheath) and of course anandamayakosa (Bliss sheath) when the total implications are considered one can distinguish between the self and non self.
The Chandogya upanishad proclaims that the self is one without a second. only when it functions through the equipment's does it appear to be many.
Action is considered to be the cause for the manifested body. He who is extremely attached to the body performs both desirable and undesirable actions. that produce joy and sorrow.

To one who regularly practices samadhi, who is regular in his practice of meditation, in him the vasanas get burned up, and consequently his mental agitations become increasingly fewer. to the extent of rajas (misapprehension) getting eliminated at the mental level, Tamas (non apprehension) also gets lifted to an intellectual level of sattvic mood. the sattvik mind settles easily into a steady, contemplative mood.
The source of disturbance in the mind is its engagement in the world of sense objects. The mind gushes into the fields of objects only when it is whipped up by the desires in the intellect. The desire to possess, embrace, and enjoy sense objects comes out of a foolish values we entertain. The erroneous misconception that an object contains a certain amount of joy. to those who examine intelligently the nature of the world of things and beings and realize the finite entities are impermanent, sorrow oozing, mind dissipating and not desirable or worth the craving. end such desires.
The inner enemies are six in number desire, anger, greed delusion, lust, and envy. These six physical and mental urges are exhaustively examined in the upanishads. where it is declared that hunger and thirst belong to the physiological system prana, the sorrow and passions to the mind and old age and death belong to the body.
To those who accomplish the above adjustments to them Sri Rama says he is directly available for their personal experience. SRI RAMA the SUPREME SELF EXPLODES into the vision of such a contemplative mind.
Sri Rama declares "Through such steady and continuous contemplation, the spiritual seeker shall become ever liberated from all bondage. Thereafter he lives his share of destiny without the sense of "I am the body" and in the end he merges into me the pure self.
In the Brhadaranyaka upanishad yajnavalkya insists "this self is to be seen, heard reflected and meditated upon.
Through steady practice (easily said than done by mind the monkey) he or she glides effortlessly into the higher state of the pure self. the individual becomes liberated by the encumbrances of the body mind and intellect, and is forever freed from the shackles and never will he be entrap into the state again. he at the end of his life attains VIDEHA MUKTI.
Rama says just as when water is poured into the ocean, as milk is poured into milk, as space is merged into space, as air is merged into air to mingle together and become one indistinguishable sameness, so too when the seeker contemplates upon this world of plurality as identical in essence with the self, he comes to realize and live his total oneness with me, the self. In the pure heart of him who is endowed with deep faith and mighty devotion I become self evident. Wherever such a fulfilled seeker goes, he makes the place holy with the mere touch of his sacred feet, just as the sun purifies the earth and its atmosphere.
to be continued.

The Succession of Vaishnavite Acharyas;

We shall start with Nathamuni who was the son of Iswaramuni, he gave us Nyaya Tatvam and Yoga Rahasyam. Since Nathamuni received the sacred tradition from one of the spiritual descendantsof Madhurakavi, and was blessed with spiritual wisdom from the study of Tiruvoymozhi and since in his yogic contemplation, Nammalvar appeared to him and taught him the sacred lore, his acharya was Nathamuni himself..(though they lived at different times). Nathamunis son was Iswara Bhatta, to Iswar bhatta was born Alavandar (Yamunacharya) Sottai Nambi was the son of Alavandar. Sottai Nambi's son was Ennachchan. Ennachchan had four sons, one of whom was Pillayappar.  Pillayappar's son was Thozhappar. Thozhappar had two daughters.
The chief disciples who sought the feet of Nathamuni were eight:- Uyyakkondar, Kurukaikavalappan, Nambi Karunakara Dasar, Erutiruvudaiyar, Thirukkannamangai Andan, Vanamadevi Andan, Uruppattur Achan Pillai and Sokattur Alvan.
Uyyakkondar had five disciples: Manakkal Nambi, Tiruvallikkeni Pan Perumal Araiyar, Settalur Sendalangarar, Sri Pundarika Dasar and Ulagapperumal Nangai.
The chief disciples of Manakkal Nambi were five: Alavandar, Deivattukkarasu Nambi, Gomatam Tiruvinnagar Appan, Siruppulloor Avudaiya Pillai and Acchi.
Alavandar had fifteen disciples: they were Periya Nambi, tirukkottiyur Nambi, Tirumalai Andan, Alavandar Alavan, Tirumalai Nambi, Isandan Deivavari Andan, Siriyandan, Tirumohoor Appan, Tirumohoor Ninrar, Deivapperumal, Tirumangai Aliyar, Pillai Tirumalirunjolai Dasar, Maraner Nambi and Alkondi.
Six disciples sought the feet of Perianambi:mthey were Emperumanar(Sri Ramanuja) Malaikuniya Nainrar, Arya Sri Satagopadasar, Aniarangattamudanar, Tiruvoykulamudaiyan Pattar and Tirukkacchi Nambi.
Sri Ramanuja learnt the meanings of the rahasyas or mantras at the feet of Tirukkottiyur Nambi, He studied Tiruvoymozhi at the feet of Tirumalai Andan. He learnt Thiruvoymozhi at the feet of alavandar alavan and learnt also stotram, and the ancient tradition from him. At the feet of Tirumalai Nambi he studied the Ramayana.

tranquilityand equanimity.

Cancalam hi manah krsna pramathi balavad drdham!
tasyaham nigraham manye vayoriva suduskaram!!

O Krishna, the mind is restless, turbulent with passions, very powerful and tenacious. I think it is as difficult to control as the wind.

Sri Bhagavanuvaca.

asamsayam mahabaho mano durnigraham calam!
abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate!!


The Blessed Lord said.
O Partha, the mind is doubtless fickle and difficult to control, but it is not impossible to steady it. By the practice of meditation and by dispassion it is subdued.

Dispassion prevents the acquisition of fresh vasanas or tendencies, while meditation does not allow the past tendencies to sprout up. When the mind is thus brought into a state of tranquility and equanimity, the self reveals itself. The mind which has so far been kept steady by an effort of will, will thereafter remain steady, absorbed in the self without any effort.

Asamyatatmana yogo dusprapa iti me matih!
vasyatmana tu yatata sakyo vaptumapayatah!!

For one who has not thoroughly subdued his mind, this yoga is impracticable; but i believe it is quiet easy for one who has brought his mind under complete control and steadily keeps on.

The Lord seems to suggest that diligence and intelligence should be coupled with self control to achieve perfection in yoga.