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Re: [Oppiliappan] Digest Number 346

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Sadagopan • March 25, 2003 


SrI:

Dear BhakthAs:

Number of devotees have addressed the question
raised by SrI RanganAthan. SrI Mohan Sagar's response 
is one of these excellent responses. 

SrI RanganAthan need not find himself alone 
in raising this question or be awe struck about
the implications of his question. Infact , he is
in a blessed state of mind and joins the ranks of 
the ancient seekers , who engaged in Brahma VichAram ,
which is  the first  step in  a long  journey of 
knowledge about the Supreme Being and His relationship
to the myriads of jeevans and the insentients .

The nature of Brahman as the BhUtha yOni (Source of
the Universe ) and not the other way  round is 
the subject matter of many Upanishads. 

The nature of Brahman as the aadhAram (Support)
for the Universe and Jagath Kaaranam ( the cause of
the Universe and its beings ) has been saluted by
the Upanishads.

This  Brahman as the Supreme Ruler , as the One 
that  remains after all beings created by Him
reach layam inside Him has been celebrated 
by the Upanishas.

This Brahman  has been identified as the Supreme Personal God 
in our Darsanam and also as the One  free from any  blemishes 
and full of auspicious attributes . Passage after passage of
Upanishads define and salute this Brahman as infinite in
Svaroopa and Dharma. The nature of this Brahman and
its distinguishing attributes have been described as 
Aanandha or Bliss .

The relationship of this Brahman to Jeevan/chEthanam
and achEthanam/insentient has been the subject matter 
of the central thoughts of Upanishads bequeathed to us
by the great Sages.

The Artha Panchakam ( the LakshaNam of Brahman, 
the nature of Jeevan and its relationship to Brahman,
the Universe , its origin , evolution , decay
and its relationship to Brahman, the upAyam (means ) 
of attaining that Brahman and the The nature of
that Supreme Goal /Parama PurushArtham) is 
the most significant outcome of such Brahma VichAram. 

In the context of the Creation of the Universe 
and the Lord's role as the Creator has been
repeatedly discussed between seekers and
teachers . Case in point is PrasnOpanishad,
where the Seeker /Student asks :

Whence are all the creatures born? How many 
deities sustain these created beings ?
Who is the foremost among them ? 
What is the relationship between the IndriyAs
(sense organs)of the body and the PrANA (Vital airs )?
How does PrANA originate ? What happens during
the states of dreams and deep sleep/dreamless sleep?
What world  does one win , who mediates on PraNavam
(the syallable  denoting  Brahman ) attain until
the end of his life ?

Many great Rishis have addressed their disciples 
and answered these most important  questions ,
which have formed the core of Brahma VichAram .
The glory of the eternal being (Ucchishta Brahman,
who is Saasvatham ) and ways to seek Him and attain 
Him arises out of these Brahma VichArams . 

One chapter (Fifth) of KaThOpanishad provides 
an example of reassuring and insights with 
universal validity (Translation by  DR.NSA Swamy ):

" He (The  Supreme  Person/ParamAthmA) keeps awake,
when others are asleep. All the worlds rest in Him .
None can transcend Him. He is the innerself of
all entities--Sarva BhoothAntharAthmA. He is present 
in every form and outside also . There is eternal
bliss to those wise ones , who see that inner controller
as residing in them as their innermost  self". 

Regarding Creation /origin of the Universe , 
specific sections of the ancient Upanishad 
(AitrEya )belonging to the okdest of the four VedAs
(Rg Vedam ) is important to study . Subalopanishad 
describes Srushti/Creation in detail (First Chapter)
and provides important insight into the realtionship
between the Universe and Brahman (SarIra-SarIri Bhaava),
which is central to Bhagavad RaamAnuja  SiddhAntham.

SrI RanganAthan ! May this question that yiu asked 
lead you on to progress in your spiritual Journey
assisted by a SadAchAryan !

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyana !

V.SadagOpan 

 

>>
>> Message: 1
>>    Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:14:25 -0800 (PST)
>>    From: vimalkumar ranganathan 
>> Subject: A very Scary Question!!
>>
>>
>> Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:
>>
>> Respected Vaishnavas,
>>
>>                                   When I ponder over this question that I
>am going to present, I always get a very unsettling, unhappy, even a
>shocking or a jittery feeling. The question is this: WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF
>GOD??
>>
>> Well, every "thing" should have an origin, atleast according to human
>perception. If Sriman Narayana is God, what about his origins, I mean, has
>he always been resting on the bed of Sesha?? The question thats arising in
>my mind is, shouldn't he have an origin, or something that created him??
>>



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