Miscellaneous Facebook posts & comments in or around June and July 2022

When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer).

To save time, I am usually not providing my FB post links but only contents. I am also not hyperlinking links. So readers may have to copy-paste links from this post onto a browser link box and then browse to that link.

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I think this very much applies to the spiritual quest.

Associated FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0xe9hHm96VpUZiLxuQ3KscDb3VwPmZmp51HsspxoTQDCAFgoDPc8vTJUt859yC5zFl shares post with a quote of Leo Tolstoy, "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time".

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Hmm. In the context of 'Who am I?' 'I am I' teaching of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, I would interpret that as implying: Go deep into inner being I and just be! 

BTW in the somewhat recent past, I have been using the above 'Go deep into (this inner being) I and just be' as a helper statement as I get into deep meditation.

Associated FB post https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0yJ9y549ZjHLcJSTsGqDCff4iXaXoMQMY3CsuCYEk6ztsdgMVVnUGVui2XUZwrSBcl shares post with quote of Ramana Maharshi: "When you go deeper, it is impossible for you to make any effort."

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Tribal group seems to have been in control of Puttaparthi area in 265 BC before it became part of Mauryan empire and later Satavahana kingdom

Pulindas seem to have been the tribal group in control of Puttaparthi area in 265 BC. See map in https://www.mapsofindia.com/history/ancient-kalinga.html .

It is not clear whether Pulindas had already accepted Maurya empire domination or whether that happened later by 250 BC. Note that Puttaparthi area seems to have been within Maurya empire as per Wikipedia Maurya empire in 250 BC map: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Maurya_Empire%2C_c.250_BCE_2.png .

Also note that the Mahajanapada Assaka or Asmaka (700 BCE and 425 or 345 BCE according to the Buddhist texts Anguttara Nikaya and Puranas), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmaka is in higher area than Anantapur district. So Puttaparthi cannot be viewed as part of Assaka or Asmaka mahajanapada. Therefore I think Pulindas may be earliest historically accepted (tribal) group in control of Puttaparthi and surrounding areas (Anantapur district area perhaps) in 265 BCE.

Also note that Kuntala region of ancient India seems to not include Puttaparthi area.  For info. on Kuntala (ancient), see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuntala_country and https://www.indianetzone.com/47/kuntalas.htm

The Satavahanas came later (after Mauryan empire started declining after Ashoka's death in 232 BCE) and seem to have been in control of Puttaparthi area.

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Lovely short video sharing experiences of Western devotees of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Sathya Sai Baba as described by others, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sydiU65B8UA , 5 min. 31 secs., published on 21st Jun. 2022 by Ashrams of India.

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Very interesting website: https://ashramsofindia.com/ . I had a preview of the first of the 5 ebooks listed there - https://ashramsofindia.com/online-store/purchase-ebook/. Seems to be awesome work. It seems to be a great contribution to documentation of contemporary spiritual ashrams in India.

Saw this youtube video (link shared in the website): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHT046xlimM . It was fascinating.

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Bhagavan has warned us about jealousy many times. I learned through some tough experiences that even in spiritual movements, jealousy is a powerful negative force. I also learned how I need to analyze myself to check whether jealousy is driving some reaction of mine, and then to try to overcome that jealousy.

I think overcoming jealousy and being genuinely happy seeing the happiness of others, is a significant achievement for the spiritual aspirant.

Associated FB post https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0LAy9hFo1ze5hU5sGRxtU61tgXZGb3z8Ux1PtJJ8dXaUFmrcbqqQaW7pmi9kbuu4Kl shares a post with following quote of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on jealousy: "Give up the tendency to feel jealous noticing the prosperity of others. Be happy when others are happy. Sympathize with those who are in adversity, and wish them prosperity. This is the way to receive God's grace."

To a comment on the post, I responded: "Cain & Abel is the big story of the Bible that comes to my mind when I think of jealousy."

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Quite tough for persons like me to follow - specifically that I am same as God OR that I am same as Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. But they are words of the Avatar and so I believe them to be true..... I find it easier to believe that my essence is the same as the essence of God, and that I am a tiny part of God - formless Parabrahma.

Associated FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid0HH7WKkmR6Bj7GkFb9yqck9SvYyog7kwFhZzhHgrJGyTgXHVVkBDYT7zTq9VyyeGNl , has quote of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

Given below are some of my comments (slightly edited) from exchanges on above post:

Interesting outer space and hybrid beings view, ---.

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Let me now share my own very limited view/response about your question. I view such statements of Swami as divine revelations to be cherished as beliefs, and ideally deep beliefs.

I really don't have a clear understanding of Swami teachings of "the way to realize what Swami is saying" in this matter.

[The question was whether Love and Devotion was the way to realize what Swami is saying.]

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On my pic: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3412945348922018&set=a.1616532491896655&comment_id=867076734684301&reply_comment_id=717226226225507, I responded to a comment as follows:

Saw the first around 15 mins. of the Peter Russel video. I was able to relate to what he was saying about (individual) meditation. But I am not sure about whether his views about meditation/awareness/consciousness being applied to society's problems as a whole, may work or not.

From what I have observed, meditation works for people who are not pressured by problems like lack of money, major health issues, serious family problems etc. I mean, most family people in stable countries are focused on other goals like financial success, owning good home, car etc., being able to educate their children well (which requires lot of money usually), having money to pay for health insurance or pay for medical expenses if not on health insurance ... Experiencing their inner reality, stillness within or divinity within is not something that really interests them.

And in unstable countries like Yemen, Afghanistan etc. their problems are horrific like getting food for themselves & family, surviving in civil war kind of scenario etc. Most of such people would not be interested in experiencing inner reality through meditation.

What they want is divine power that helps them to solve the various problems they have or at least give them strength to face their problems. And I think prayer and devotion to a supernatural power (Christ, Allah, Krishna, Rama, Sai Baba etc.) who they believe can help them solve their problems or somehow get through their problems, is what appeals to them.

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I browse-read this article by Peter Russel: Who's Kidding Whom?

Is Sustainable Development Compatible with Western Civilization?, https://www.peterrussell.com/Speaker/Talks/WBA.php . Articles suck much lesser time for me than videos, and so, especially when it comes to society/world issues and proposed solutions, I prefer articles to videos.

I agree with a lot of what Russel has said about the problems, in the article (which seems to be a 1994 article, https://www.permacultureproject.com/whos-kidding-whom-is-sustainable-development-compatible-with-western-civilization-by-peter-russell/ ).

The part where I think it will not work is the solution part. Russel writes, "The new frontier we now urgently need to master is not outer space but inner space. Again the resources are there – just consider the trillion dollars spent each year defending ourselves against each others greed and jealousy. The knowledge is being gained. Seeds of it are to be found in the great spiritual teachings, in many philosophies, in various psychotherapies, and in the emerging fields of humanistic and transpersonal psychology. What is needed is a dedicated research and development effort to explore how we can most easily release our minds from this materialist mindset and move into a more mature mode of functioning.

Nor do I think the task is that difficult. The only reason that most of us are still caught in the old mode of consciousness is that we have been so caught up in our materialistic conditioning we have not applied ourselves to the task. If we did we could probably achieve our goal very rapidly. By the turn of the millennium we could see our society shifting from its current egocentric mode of consciousness to a more mature and sustainable mode."

Note that he wrote this in 1994. Now it is slightly over a quarter century later! The vast majority of people in the world have not moved away from materialism. In fact, the world seems to have become more materialistic.

I wish Russel's solution worked or works. Like I wish Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings to achieve social good are followed by many.

But my wishes are not going to change the reality. The reality is that vast majority of people across the world - West and East - look for happiness through materialism.

Of course, there are small minority communities who shun materialism and lead or try hard to lead a lifestyle which is sustainable, and which would be approved, I think, by people like Russel (and Sai Baba). But they are a small minority.

Searching for happiness through materialism - which is, I repeat, what the vast majority of people in both the Western world and Eastern world do - seems to be a recipe for disaster in the world.

But how does one change that? That is the massive challenge. I repeat I wish I were wrong or am proved wrong that Russel's solutions will not work. It would be really great if majority of people followed such teachings/solutions.

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My comment on: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid02nV51Y7ZVbiToabt8Vq8EDZ8aGDFtKDpMGq14fkxEqvfdzEDvHUhm2HfDmQvcMa9ml?comment_id=345995927698433&reply_comment_id=711489196728224 :

"Yes, it would have been great to have darshan of Ramana when he was living on the hill."

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Given below are some of my comments (slightly edited) from my Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/pfbid031XTaqnrZVHRoYT9AF5JciYg2Rths5hGZHXxAsiHuPdX4PC1JxUbRhDz5asiRNf1Sl :

I find the world now to be a very odd place. I mean, most people are bothered only about very worldly things and are least bothered about spiritual evolution.

But then i respect their choice. Their life their choice. I find more joy in spiritual stuff though i am not above worldly joys. But most people are only into worldly joys.

And where is that taking the world to! Conspicuous consumption is the order of the day. And that does not seem sustainable.

But perhaps the biggest worry i hv about the world is drone warfare. It is terrifying. A country or even powerful non state actors could eventually be able to attack enemies using swarms of cheap drones, and thereby not risk any of their human soldiers.

And hatred btw countries and powerful non state actors is at dangerous levels. That makes for a terrifying state of affairs.

But after my heart attack, i hv switched off from these topics as i realize i cannot do anything about it. I focus on my own spiritual evolution and try to be of help to some, partly through my social media work.

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Saw the Kenneth Ring short video about life review in NDE [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tiKsKy7lFw ]. Hmm. Interesting views. The impact of the life review part is somewhat different from Karmic reaction belief of Hindus (including me).

What I believe is that at least some spiritually evolved people have the capacity to view (key events of) their past lives, and the karmic reactions of those (key events of those) lives which are impacting their current life. So in such past lives viewing, the viewing itself is not the karmic reaction. The karmic reaction is something that has to be endured in current or future lives (unless the karmic reaction has already been endured OR divine grace cancels out the karmic reaction).

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Saw around half an hour of the video [The near death experience of Nancy Rynes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-rp6bqfJWQ ] including the 'earthly lessons' part. Quite a different video from other NDE videos I saw.

In such matters, I tend to see whether there is some scripture backing what the persons says, and if so, I have greater acceptance for what the person says. In this case, I don't know of scripture that backs her account though that could be simply because I don't know enough of scripture in general (across religions). I think I know Hindu scripture quite well and I don't think Hindu scripture backs what she says. But perhaps scripture of some other well known religion(s) may be in line with what she says.

In the case of some other NDEs, what they say is largely in line with Hindu scripture and so I tend to accept those accounts.

I give scripture a lot of value as I think they usually are inspired by divine revelations. God or other divine figures help humanity understand things like what happens on death, by making such revelations directly or through using human instrument(s). Or at least, that's the way I look at core Hindu scripture like the Upanishads and Bhagavad Geeta.

Thanks for sharing the video.

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In my comment, I was referring not so much to diet but to time taken for full blown cooking which would eat into time for japam-dhyanam.

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And yes, Puttaparthi is a good place to do spiritual sadhana. People are generally encouraging of spiritual sadhana and also one can choose to be reclusive with limited physical interaction.

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I am very comfortable being alone, as that is really great for the spiritual sadhana I do.

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I am NOT afraid of death at all but I want to strongly avoid being dependent on others for my bodily needs, and I also currently have limited ability to face pain and related suffering.

I have intensified my japam-dhyanam which hopefully will increase my ability to tolerate any bodily pain and suffering.

Further, it will be great if I am able to reach a level in my japam-dhyanam where I can go beyond body consciousness (which I have never been able to do so far). Essentially, I want to be able to go beyond body consciousness at will. I have no idea whether I will be able to achieve or even get close to achieving that. But if I do achieve that, then it will be a great thing.

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On a non-public post sharing with me a video: No Cooking !! Full Meals. !! No Oil I No Onion I No Garlic I Saatvik Food !15 minutesOnly!, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORtyJfpQ_9o, I commented "Just finished seeing it. Fascinating! But I have to say that doing all of that in under 15 minutes, I think, requires an expert cook 🙂.

Nonetheless, it is a very interesting video. Thanks again"

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