Category: AshramDiary
life at the Amritapuri ashram
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Listening to a mad man
Today, Swami Kaivalyananda continued with the discussion of the 2nd shloka, 13th chapter; ‘Know Me to be the Knower in all fields; the knowledge of the field and its knower is what I consider true knowledge.’ Here, the issue being debated is that if the Lord says that it is He alone that is the
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no language for love
Today we got a chance to see Amma’s Devi Bhava satsang and talk with Amma before She came out in Devi Bhava. For this time, there was no video, only audio. Once we heard Amma’s voice, everybody yelled ‘Amma!’ Then there not much sound from Amma for a while. Some brahmacharinis said, ‘Amma, why don’t
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Ignorance doesn’t affect
Today, Swami Kaivalyananda discussed further parts of Shankara’s commentary of the 13th chapter, 2nd shloka. This part is a very significant, and long part of Shankara’s commentary. The discussion continues, as the Purva Paksha (opposition) asks if the scriptures are meaningless because of the unreality of bondage and moksha. To this Shankara says that the
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3 ignorance
Swami discussed more from the 13th chapter, 2nd shloka. This part has an extensive commentary by Sri Shankaracharya. The shloka is; ‘know Me to be the knower in all fields, Arjuna! That knowledge which is of the field and the knower of the field I consider true knowledge.’ Here, the purva paksha asks, ‘so is
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Crow parables
This is a true story with the dimensions of a parable. Most of us here about are familiar with the nuisance of birds at the big eating-place in the Ashram. The most menacing are the crows. Especially for the girl-students whose Mess is an enclosure. Remember the green screens? Yes, they are kept all around
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advice to the Guru
Today, Swami Kaivalyanandaji continued with the commentary of the 13th chapter, 3rd verse. ‘Kshetrajnam api mam vidhi, sarvakshetresu bharata’ – ‘Know Me to be the Knower in all fields, Arjuna!’ Here, there is another interesting discussion between Shankara’s ‘Siddhanti’ and the opposing ‘Purva Paksha.’ Previously, we mentioned that Shankara compared the ignorance of the jiva
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another summer
It’s been another summer In the past most of the summers in Amritapuri were a time that nearly nobody from outside visited the ashram. The monsoon period was the time with dark rainy days and lots of wind. Not easy for people to travel and come to the ashram. The past seven weeks in the
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Samsara and God
Today Swami discussed the 3rd shloka from the 13th chapter of the Gita; ‘Kshetrajnam capi mam vidhi, sarvakshetreshu bharata,Kshetrakshetrajnayor jnanam yat tat jnanam matam mama.’ 13.3 This is a very important shloka for Shankara’s commentary. The Lord says, ‘Know Me to be the field-knower in all fields, Arjuna! That knowledge which is of the field
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The Field and the Knower
Today, Swami Kaivalyanandaji began discussions on the 13th chapter, ‘the Yoga of the field and the knower of the field.’ Here is the 2nd shloka; ‘Idam shariram kaunteya, kshetram ityabhidhiyate,Etad yo vetti tam prahuh kshetrajnam iti tadvidah.’ 13.2 There is also a shloka before this in some books, ‘purusham prakritim caiva…’ However, Swami said that

