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Re: ARTICLE : Advice on Advaita Vedanta and Yoga
Greetings,
For some time now I have been a serious student of Eastern thought. After spending quite a bit
of time centered on Buddhist thought, I have recently gone back to the study of more
traditional Hindu thought.
I am very drawn to certain things, among which is the Avadhuta Gita of Dattatreya. I find that
the scripture of Vedanta speak to me, but I lack solid guidance.
For several years I lived in an ashram with a somewhat unorthodox "guru" (a Westerner) and feel
that I received some good things but mostly some very bad things.
I live in San Francisco, and I am surrounded by . . . let's just call them "Born-Again Hindus"
(the Hari Krishnas) and alot of other really "far out and strange groups".
I am presently looking to recieve teaching and diksha from a somewhat more "traditional"
teacher in the Hindu tradition, but I keep running into walls. If anybody could point me in a
good direction, I would be in your debt.
Alot of my dillema stems from the words of Dattatreya. I feel that (on one very deep level) I
understand "his words", when I read them, chant them and meditate on them it is sometimes as if
I am what he speaks. But then, I go into my "workaday world" and loose this "connection."
I was initiated into a Sakti Yoga tradition, albeit an unorthodox and troublesome one with alot
of nasty allegations flying around that I tend to believe, and so I want to be very careful,
but not SO careful as to be blind and deaf to the Master's Face and Voice.
Again, any help would be appreciated,
Please reply in private email to
unir1@goldngate.com
Sincerely,
Joseph
*Joseph S Galbraith*
**************************
How swiftly the days pass! It makes us realize how short are the years
we have left. Friends enjoy the cherry blossoms together on spring
mornings and then they are gone, carried away like the blossoms by the
winds of impermanence, leaving nothing but their names. Although the
blossoms have scattered, the cherry trees will bloom again with the
coming of spring, but when will those people be reborn? The companions
with whom we composed poems praising the moon on autumn evenings have
vanished with the moon behind the shifting clouds. Only their mute
images remain in our hearts. The moon has set behind the western
mountains, yet we shall compose poetry under it again next autumn.
But where are our companions who have passed away? Even when the
approaching Tiger of Death roars, we do not hear.--Saint Nichiren
