If Marek and DharmaMitra want to go on all night telling nice puranic stories, 10-20 posts each, they have my vote.
Sometimes the grahas grab you, the sun shines in your heart a certain way, one is in the zone with a particular idea. I say when that happens -- go for it. Pursue the thought and dialogue for all to enjoy. A strict anal five post a day limit squeezes the life out of such moments. And squeezes the life out of FFL. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 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." <DharmaMitra1@> 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 <reavismarek@> 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. * > > > > > >
