--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Yifu" <yifuxero@...> wrote: > > Don't let yourself be conned by these Krishna Bhaktis. Krishna is not the > "Supreme Personality of Godhead".
Nowhere in the interview was that claimed. > There is no such Personality, and the burden of proof apart from merely quoting Scriptures is on the claimants. > So where's the proof of YOUR claim, Yufi? > Anybody however, is free to set up a dualist, loving relationship with one of these "gods"; whomever She/He may be. > http://www.utilitarianism.com/gautama-buddha.jpg > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex" <do.rflex@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Excerpt transcribed from an interview Radhanath Swami gave to Rick > > Archer - > > > > > > Rick Archer: I exchanged a Facebook chat with someone the other day who > > had had what she called a 'non-dual' realization. If you're kind of in > > tune with the current atmosphere around, there are a lot of teachers > > espousing non-duality and non-dual realizations and I hear very little > > talk of God among them. > > > > > > But in any case this girl said that, you know what, there was no sense > > of personal self and all is one, but there was no bliss. And she said, > > well is that all enlightenment is. It's hyped up to be this great > > blissful thing and I'm hardly even interested now. It didn't have the > > allure that I expected it to have. > > > > I suggested to her that perhaps that little glimpse she had had was not > > necessarily the full blossoming of what enlightenment or realization or > > awakening can be and that she should keep persevering as there's more to > > it. > > > > I just want to throw in one more point and I want you to respond, and > > that is that interviewing lots and lots of people, a new one every week, > > I encounter a great number of people who don't say much or speak much of > > God. They almost seem to think of God as a human concept, and yet they > > have a sort of a realization, a non-dual realization of some sort. And > > I'm always kind of needling them a bit to suggest that perhaps there's > > further progress yet to undergo and that the whole thing will become > > richer, fuller and more with a Divine quality to it as time goes on. > > > > Very often they say, no, no, I don't see how there can possibly be any > > further progress. So it's a pity in a way. It seems like, to me anyway, > > it's only half the package and there's more to be known. > > > > Radhanath Swami: (chuckles) You're expert, Rick, at extracting deeper > > and deeper understanding. To be honest with you, I had the same dilemma > > on my journey and I have written about in my book 'The Journey Home' > > that I met people that I saw such incredible character of compassion ans > > self-control and enlightenment. > > > > > > And some of them were talking about the Absolute being a very > > all-pervading impersonal experience and others, a very intimate loving > > personal experience. And I loved my teachers in both of these schools, > > and the many variations among these schools. > > > > I was only 19 or 20 years old at the time and I was really seeking. And > > I couldn't just accept superficial answers some people gave me when I > > questioned. "Is the Absolute dual, or is the Absolute non-dual > > is the Absolute personal, is the Absolute impersonal?" > > > > > > And sometimes I would get very vague answers. And sometimes I would get > > very conflicting, combatting answers against the apparent opposing side. > > And I was really looking to understand. And on the path of Bhakti I > > found what I felt to be the synthesis of the two, and it's based on the > > Shrimad Bhagavatam, the Upanishads, the holy scriptures and a whole line > > of great saintly people who teach this principle. And I'll share with > > you a little piece of it. > > > > Rick: Please. > > > > Radhanath Swami: There's a beautiful verse in the Vedas (recites verse > > in Sanskrit then explains it as follows): There's one Absolute Truth we > > can call God, we can call Nirvana, but there's one Absolute Truth. And > > according to the Vedas, this one Absolute Truth eternally, > > simultaneously has three features: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagawan. > > > > > > Brahman is the all-pervading formless, impersonal Absolute, which is... > > the realization of that Brahman is to merge with that one Absolute. > > > > > > Paramatma is that one Supreme same Absolute who is situated within the > > heart of every living being, giving guidance, giving intuition when we > > actually connect to it. And Patanjali and many yogis really tried to > > connect to that Paramatma, that Absolute within the heart who can give > > power, who can give wisdom, who can give everything. > > > > And then there is Bhagawan which is the Absolute with persnoal form. > > > > Rick: The Personal aspect of God. > > > > Radhanath Swami: Yeah, the Personal aspect of God just like the > > sun and the sunshine. The sunshine is like Brahman. It's all-pervading, > > it's everywhere, it's light. And the sun is simultaneously existing with > > the sunlight and the sun has form. So God simultaneously exists, but God > > is infinite. > > > > When we say that form limits God, to say that God has no form is also a > > limit of God. So the Bhakti scriptures teach that the form of the Lord, > > or Bhagawan is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. > > > > It's not material. It's not conceivable. Like I have eyes, and because > > my eyes can only see a certain distance, my eyes are limited. So some > > will say for God to be unlimited he has to have no eyes. The Bhakti > > scriptures say that God has eyes but God's eyes can see all things at > > all times everywhere. Now we may say, how is that possiblebut the Bhakti > > scriptures say that the Absolute is beyong the limits of what we > > consider possible otherwise what's the use of Him being the Absolute? > > > > So, for those who seek this mukti, or this eternal freedom from all > > suffering, from all pain, from all ego, the ecstacy of mukti is the goal > > of those who seek the non-dual aspect of the Absolute. And the goal of > > those who seek the personal aspect is 'prema' which means Divine love > > based on intimate, loving relationships which are forever. > > > > The Vedas explain that beyond this material creation there's the > > spiritual sky which is the all-pervading Brahman. Then there is many > > many spiritual planets within the spiritual sky where there are the > > different aspects of God; Ram, Shiva, Krishna. These different aspects > > of God are eternally existing and exchanging eternal unlimited loving > > relationships with their devotees. > > > > Radhanath Swami recites a verse and explains it as expressing that we > > are inconceivably one with God and different from God. God is > > inconceivably personal and impersonal and according to how we > > approach the Lord, the Lord will reveal accordingly. > > > > And this was very important to me because I met people who worship Ram, > > who worship Krishna in a very very personal way and their goal in life > > was to have eternal loving relationship with the person of God. And I > > met others who wanted to go beyong all form and enter into this > > all-pervading Oneness. And both sides, they were great saints. But in my > > heart, I was pulled toward prema toward this eternal sweet, loving > > relationship that we can eternally have with Bhagawan. > > > > ~~ The complete interview along with a brief bio of Radhanath Swami can > > be seen here: http://batgap.com/radhanath-swami/ > > <http://batgap.com/radhanath-swami/> > > >
