Thank you, DharmaMitra, for reminding me of it, though if the truth be told, I think I kind of forgot what the actual teaching point was, as it appeared in the Yoga Vasishta. But what I said seemed to work, too, just perhaps not as elegantly.
And I like the Narada story you told. After reading it (below) I reflected on just how much the Puranic stories really tickle me (hadn't heard the term, 'Katha Shastra' before). They're so totally out there and yet they seem so solid and clean and right on point. That's one of the things I like about the whole Indian/Hindu backstory that's always percolated through the TMO. One of my favorite Purana stories is the one where the sage, Markandeya, is strolling through creation, which is only existing in some virtual state during one of the dissolutions of the universe; you know, just enjoying the sights and the sounds; and he accidentally falls out of the mouth of Narayana/Krishna who is taking a nap during the cosmic time-out. Of course, Markandeya is now "outside" of not only creation but the source of creation Itself. A total mind-boggler. I forget how it goes from there but he manages to get back "in", but lots more enlightened than before. Anyway, the sheer confidence that a story like that assumes and the overwhelming nature of its imagery and theme just really knocks me for a loop. Very cool, thanks. Marek ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Samadhi Is Much Closer Than You Think -- Really -- It's A No-Brainer." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hello Marek, > > Thank you for offering this story. While it is similar to the one I've > heard and read about Narada, it's not the one I'm searching for. Instead of > rewriting it from what little I remember, I'm searching for an > extant well-said version of it to share with others in driving a point. In > the one I'm searching for Narada could fly at will and is sent around the > world and instructed not spill a drop at any time during the journey. He > arrives back, speaks of how he did not spill a drop, though focused so much > on not spilling a drop that he forgot to think about Krishna, Vishnu or > whoever supposedly sent him on the trip. I've read and heard the story told > as either Vishnu or Krishna sending him, and one other character besides, > whose name I don't remember. > > Katha shastra is always told with specificity to the moment it's being told > so it's often that the story being told is changed a bit to meet the > specific needs of the circumstance at hand. In the West we may be used to > stories staying consistently the same all the time and over many centuries, > a characteristic dating as far back Josephus, in contrast to what was more > common at the time of morphing stories to meet the needs of the moment, as > demonstrated in the ever morphing rendition of the Ramayana, originally by > Valmiki, though modified over the centuries by others. > > *Of all that anyone leading or teaching has to convey, the most valuable > thing to cultivate and convey to others is a moral conscience. Only such > persons deserve to lead others, in any capacity. Anything less is a menace > to society. * > ** > ** > On 4/30/07, Marek Reavis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > The Yoga Vashishta has the story that sounds similar to the Narada > > tea story, and maybe that's what you're thinking of. In the YV Vyasa > > sends Shukadev to King Janaka for instruction. Shukadev is kind of > > contemptuous of Janaka because he's the epitome of householder life > > and Shukadev is "sky clad" and all that. Anyway, one of the episodes > > has Janaka telling his men to give Shukadev a complete tour of the > > whole palace, all the features, etc., etc., but before Shukadev goes > > off with them Janaka gives him a cup of milk and tells him to hold > > it. He then tells his men that if Shukadev spills even a single drop > > they are to cut off his head. > > > > At the end of the day's tour when Shukadev is again brought back into > > the presence of the king, Janaka asks him how he enjoyed the tour. > > Shukadev tells him how he couldn't enjoy, or even notice, anything > > because all he could do was keep his attention on not spilling the > > milk. So too, says King Janaka, does the enlightened live in the > > world, even the sumptuous world of a palace, without being affected > > by it, because the enlightened's attention is on the Self. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Samadhi Is Much Closer Than > > You Think -- Really -- It's A No-Brainer." <DharmaMitra1@> wrote: > > > > > > Does anyone have the story of Narada that tells of [Vishun, Krishna, > > > Whoever] sending Narada around the world with a cup of tea and > > tells Narada > > > not to spill a drop? > > > > > > I've googled key words in a multitude of combinations and simply > > have not > > > found this story anywhere on the Web, though I know for sure I've > > seen it on > > > the Web or at least it's been sent via email or posted in a > > newsgroup > > > somewhere. > > > > > > Thank you in advance for your assistance. > > > > > > *Of all that anyone leading or teaching has to convey, the most > > valuable > > > thing to cultivate and convey to others is a moral conscience. Only > > such > > > persons deserve to lead others, in any capacity. Anything less is a > > menace > > > to society. * > > >
