new approaches to dharmic teaching ?

[ratikala]

due to the nature of kali yuga is there a need for a new method of teaching, or revealing the dharma ?

[Madhuri]

Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider the teachings of Sri Caitanya to be the path for Kali Yuga. But otherwise I'm not sure.

[ratikala]

dear madhuri ,

Originally Posted by Madhuri

Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider the teachings of Sri Caitanya to be the path for Kali Yuga. But otherwise I'm not sure.

Ah yes , for gaudia vaisnavas sri chatania gave a perfect path wich is still viable today providing beautifully for those who understand this kali yuga dharma ,
likewise there are many paths and traditions which provide perfectly for their own adherents .

there are however some people who are not attracted to the lord in such a devotional way and who might none the less benifit from gaining an understanding of dharma , prehaps those who have a strong moral or ethical understanding but have not yet developed a deeply devotional love of god .

as kali yuga progresses and people become aware of the increasing hypocracy in society there will become a need in some for an escape to a more just way of life .there is allready a great swell of discontent with world politics and the direction of the consumer led society , there are many alternative comunities springing up all over the world who advocate a different etical approach to life ,

prehaps a less overtly theistic approach to dharma would be benificial for many , by which way they could come to god conciousness in their own time if and when that felt right to them .

[Shuddhasattva]

Namaste

Many paths have already been given for the kali yuga, however history has, in my opinion, tested them all and found them wanting.

The dharma is in danger of disappearing almost entirely from society even in an age of unprecedented access to knowledge, knowledge that was at various times, forbidden to most of society.

In my opinion, we need a yoga, a sadhana, that can be enacted at the group level, more than the individual practice. ie; a company practicing a yoga, a community practicing a yoga, a marketplace practicing a yoga, etc., we need practical yogas which deal with science, technology, industry, economics. Insofar as all of these things are suborned to truth and righteousness, they belong to the dharma.

Namaste

[ratikala]

dear prabhu ji ,

Originally Posted by Shuddhasattva

Namaste

Many paths have already been given for the kali yuga, however history has, in my opinion, tested them all and found them wanting.

yes , unfortunatly I have had some experience of this .

The dharma is in danger of disappearing almost entirely from society even in an age of unprecedented access to knowledge, knowledge that was at various times, forbidden to most of society.

agreed , and now that knowledge is more readily available peoples values have changed in that they give little time to assimilating it . and sadly even less to practicing or living in accordance with dharma .

In my opinion, we need a yoga, a sadhana, that can be enacted at the group level, more than the individual practice. ie; a company practicing a yoga, a community practicing a yoga, a marketplace practicing a yoga, etc., we need practical yogas which deal with science, technology, industry, economics. Insofar as all of these things are suborned to truth and righteousness, they belong to the dharma.

"Insofar as all of these things are suborned to truth and righteousness, they belong to the dharma." .... jai jai !

we need to live simpler lives , devoting more time to our sadhana , and returning the shiny toys of science and technology to their correct and proportionate places as usefull tools which assist but do not dominate our lives .

allso I appriciate very much your comment regarding "individual practice" , unfortunately it is all to easy to become intrenched in wrong veiw with no one to point out the the inevitable erors that occur when practicing without the support and guidance of sangha .

there is much to be gained from the companionship of other practitioners and much to be shared as we progress upon our path , in particular the humbling experience of surrender to a higher knowledge and to the wellbeing of others and the spiritual comunity .

If you dont mind my asking ,
how much importance do you place on the devotional aspect ?

[Shuddhasattva]

Namaste Mataji

Originally Posted by ratikala

how much importance do you place on the devotional aspect ?

I think this comes down to "individual" and "collective" again...

For many, I don't think devotion is a viable path due to their own resistance and inclinations, which is fine; there are other paths that don't require devotion, or as much emphasis on devotion, and will still lead to much the same places, as well as, if they are truly efficacious, leading to devotion itself.

Individually, I would like to claim to put devotion first and foremost... if I have any jnana or accomplishment in karma yog it is because of bhakti. I am not so sure the three are really different - they are distinct only insofar as A, U and M are, or Sat, Chit and Ananda.

When the salt of truth cleanses the eyes of their dry conceptualization - whether that conceptualization postures itself as service, devotion or inquiry, the same knowing of devotion to god and service to man are revealed in one form or another.

Why else to the realized ones stay in their body?

Namaste

[Vinayaka]

The thing we lost in the transition from agricultural to industrial to technological was free time. That was when religion flourished ... in the free time period .. plant the crop .. wait for it to grow (and do a whole lot of religion in the meantime)

Without that great amount of free time to practise it, it needs to be incorporated into daily routines, including work. We no longer have time to stop our lives for religion.

[ratikala]

dear prabhu ji ,

prehaps I phrased my question a little wrongly , I agree devotion is more suited to some types of person where as another is more suited to jnana and in the end each similarly leads to an understanding of the same .(as you say "knowing of devotion to god")

When the salt of truth cleanses the eyes of their dry conceptualization - whether that conceptualization postures itself as service, devotion or inquiry, the same knowing of devotion to god and service to man are revealed in one form or another.

this is very nice , yes , at first we canot help but hold a conceptualised notion but through "service , devotion or inquiry" that conceptual notion melts away to be replaced gradualy with a sence of true understanding , yet it is a subtle change and experiencing of great sweetness untill one achieves sat cit ananda,

yes yes of course , "Why else to the realized ones stay in their body?" ... when one has experienced sat cit ananda he will want to share it .staying in the body is no longer a problem , there is no longer sepperation . .....

so to return to my initial question , is there a need for a new method of teaching, or revealing the dharma ?

you had said ...

Many paths have already been given for the kali yuga, however history has, in my opinion, tested them all and found them wanting.

then through deduction how or why are they wanting ,

what has been lost in their delivery that we find them in suficent ?
is the inadequacy in us or in the teaching method ?

how best are we to insure the continuance of true dharma ?
a dharma which can be practiced colectively for the benifit of all ?

[ratikala]

dear vinayaka ji ,

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

The thing we lost in the transition from agricultural to industrial to technological was free time. That was when religion flourished ... in the free time period .. plant the crop .. wait for it to grow (and do a whole lot of religion in the meantime)

this is very true , but allso true that it is a symptom of kali yuga , it is getting increasingly harder to practice there is so much more distraction , this is as good as it is bad ! in that we must work hard and be determined if we are to acheive but this is good as the results will be firm .

Without that great amount of free time to practise it, it needs to be incorporated into daily routines, including work. We no longer have time to stop our lives for religion.

so we must become skilfull , we start to practice while we work , we bring dharma into every corner of our lives and by this we bring dharma into the lives of others ,

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by ratikala

so we must become skilfull , we start to practice while we work , we bring dharma into every corner of our lives and by this we bring dharma into the lives of others ,

Yes, that is the intent. Just as God is not separate from man, religion is not separated from daily life. We can do this in little things, like service to our co-workers, opening doors, offering to give them breaks, bringing a bit of extra food to share, and seeing God everywhere, in each individual through the gateways to the soul ... the eyes. In a traffic jam, we let a couple of cars in, we share the road. All this IS religion, we just don't normally see it as such.

We turn the car radio off, and chant bhajan instead. There are just so many small ways religion can be integrated throughout the day. But it takes mindfulness, and some will.