Hi Ramji,
Hope you two are doing well. It seems the idea of Ishwara continues to be a difficult issue for this jiva ‘s mind. know you have explained this ad nauseam but as you have said before, this jiva is gonna squeak and Ishwara is gonna have to respond and grease the wheels.
I am awareness, being with no attributes, no properties, no need for effort or action, but in my presence properties, attributes, all that is, happens, can be known. I have read the Yoga of Love again and continue to struggle with the idea worship of a creator, which presupposes something created that is other than the creator. So help me out, man, as clearly there appears to be some confusion, I am currently in abroad for my father’s passing but now have covid and unsure when I can go back to US (a bit of unnecessary whining, sorry)
There is a confusion as to worshiping Ishwara as you have taught me, maya/ishwara/gunas are products of ignorance of the real/ not two GOD. How does one enjoy his true identity, truly detached, unchanging, because of which change is possible and yet also carry on creator/ created ideas which has such sweet sadness / tears of joy for having been invited to the party that comes with it. You do it so effortlessly, I see it in every bit of word/action you seem to carry on.
Hope to C U Sunday but local Ishwara2 here is very controlling of the net and most certainly not in agreement with Vedanta so connecting may be difficult. Love you, you words, your truth as I am not really separate from you. Warmest regards to dear Sundari and may we meet again.
Hi Peter….,
Isvara is really making things difficult for you, it seems, what with the death of your father and now Covid. Let’s see if I can help.
Worship is just what you value, what you pay attention to. In your case it is showing respect for your father, helping people in your profession, faithfully practicing Self inquiry and helping me spread the knowledge with your generous donations. So there is nothing more to do except enjoy what you do because the person who does this and the people that are benefitted by your actions are Isvara. Isvara is everything that is. So it’s not an either/or. There is a created Peter and a created world and there is you, existence shining as blissful awareness, observing it. You have explained your confusion clearly and you worship Isvara by presenting it to your guru. That’s your duty as a karma yogi. There is no contradiction between you, awareness and what embodied awareness (the Peter guy) does. The Peter guy worships things, which just means pays attention to what is happening, and you watch. End of story. It’s only a word issue. One doesn’t realize that life is just God worshipping God. You are overthinking it. You are not confused, only the mind is confused at the moment, probably because of Covid-induced rajas/tamas, your father’s passing and going back to the origin of the Peter character aka your family, which is where all the confusion begins. When I first heard Vedanta I really got it but when I went back to visit my parents, God bless them, I found my mind falling back into that old conditioning. I discovered that the James identity I’d left behind was still there.
It wasn’t a big deal because I had no intention of being that guy any more so I made a rule that I’d visit once or twice a year for no more than a week out of respect for the people who looked after me in such a loving way in spite of my selfishness. It was easy because I’d been “born again” or “reborn” as the Self as a result of my devotion to my teacher and the teaching. When you commit to Vedanta you are knows a dwija, which means “twice born,” once as a body and then as the Self. As time passed that James person just became finer and finer until one fine day my mother realized that she didn’t have that son any more, that she was fixing breakfast for and chatting with the self. It was a great moment for her because it freed her of motherhood, at least on my account. She had always felt responsible for me and it caused her considerable grief because I was such a willful headstrong person. She now could die happy knowing that she had done her duty. It was Isvara’s grace for her. She even admitted that her parenting had actually made life more difficult for me than it needed to be, which was a very classy thing to do.
Anyway, forget this confusion. You’re just fine. Come to Trout Lake so I can see your smiling face. By the way, you look great in a beret!
Love,
Ram