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In His Cups
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"You will behold My Maya, and having developed insight into it, you will
renounce it in order to attain Self-realization."
-Lord Vishnu in Yoga Vasista, Upashama Prakarana,44, Gadhi
Finding out the extent of His Maya is ever surprising, and the
renunciation of it takes courage as well as discrimination.
Sometimes even what we hold dear and valuable turns out to be only
His Maya, and must be let loose. For example, Krishna tells in BG
4:2 that __all__ the lines of authorized disciplic succession had
long ago lost the secret of Yoga, indeed had lost it long before
that battle at Dharmakshetra. Krishna briefly mentions that in
passing, as if those hallowed sampradaya were but a cup He had once
cherished but which now was of no utility to Him. In effect He is
telling Arjuna that his beloved gurus whom he sees in the ranks
before him, did not serve their purpose.
Looking at Geetaa as it is, one finds the inner purpose of
`authorised disciplic succession' as stated by Krishna is not to
form a club, (not for leaning on nor for banging with), but existed
primarily to pass on the secret of Yoga via living examples. In
that all the sampradayas of His day had failed (so Krishna says),
and had failed long, long ago. I deduce from that divinely
announced failure that all `disciplic succession' of His time was
but as a cherished cup now broken beyond repair. Clearly that
broken cup was not His main concern in Gita, for He but mentions it
in passing, and does not discourse at all on how to repair the cup,
does not further mention those previous disciplic successions, nor
does He discourse on how to make a new line of succession, nor does
He forecast any new line of cups. Instead He is concerned
throughout with the nectar that was in the cup- that nectar being
YOGA. See where He says
sa evAyaM mayA te 'dya
yogaH proktaH purAtanaH
It is yoga and not `disciplic succession' that He
stresses. Then what the sincere aspirant for His Grace must find
out is just what is that science which Krishna reveals. What is that
yoga? He talks about it throughout, but then Krishna tells who can
explain that far more clearly than even His words, for words can but
hint at it. The secret of YOGA is not a matter of words. It cannot
be memorized nor passed on via rote.
Note please how in His description there is no further mention, not
one, zip, nada, none whatever, of any `sampradaya'-- not even any of
those `four duly authorized lines of disciplic succession' which are
now so dear to so many clubmembers who long to serve Him.
Instead Krishna says the way to appreciate clearly what He means is
to study at first-hand with the sage of steady wisdom. Note please
there is no mention that such a one arises from, attends, belongs to,
nor preaches _any_ sampradaya, not even those `of the four authorized
lines of disciplic successions' which many of today herald as the
__only_ authorized transmitters of His Word. I think Gita shows that
Krishna does not agree with them, and that He does not because the
realized sage arises spontaneously, rather than by board election,
legal charter, familial inheritance or temple announcement. Such a one
is not elected by vote to the office; rather that one is recognized
because he, or she, is, in the words of His Divine Grace A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupaada, `self-effulgent.'
In those illumined ones, the sincere aspirant sees Yoga In Action.
That is the authority a spiritual teacher requires, not a diploma on
the wall or a pat from his or her club. Recognizing that authority
is the first step into learning Yoga.
Accepting that of course demands that one develop the vision that
can appreciate that effulgence. That is the purpose of sadhana: to
calm the body, steady the mind, define the intellect, and purify the
heart sufficiently to be able to apprehend the holy.
Krishna Himself in Geetaa reveals the signs to recognize a yogi, for
it is by direct example that Man learns best. Krishna sends the
aspirant to the sthitaprajnaani, and I think that is because it is
by _embodying_ Yoga, not talking about it, that one can serve Him in
all fields of endeavour. Those who embody Yoga may live anywhere,
even in the midst of a battlefield, even in a clubhouse, and do one's
duty, ever present with The Supreme. The yogi knows the key to hearing
Him clearly and understanding where He directs our attention: our own
key to that secret lies in the living embodiment of Yoga. If the student
does find such a one, Krishna says it is one's duty to attend well. If
the field of your life, or the clubhouse of your choice, does not now
have such a one, Bon whispers with all respect `seek elsewhere, diligently.'
They do exist. Even the sergeant of your squad, or the president of
your club, will admit that, will tell you in plain words that Truth
is not limited to any time, sect, club, nation or language- well,
they will admit it if they know it from first-hand experience. If
not, this might be an appropriate time to examine what cup one is
holding, and why.
All best wishes.
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