Meditation and StressThe Practical and the Existential

Ricardo Palma University - Lima, Peru12 April 2007

Hanumatpresaka SwamiVisiting Lecturer

IECOO (Institute for Oriental and Occidental Classical Studies)(rev. 18 April 2007)

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, him whose mind is stayed on thee.

Isaiah 26:3

The Final Lesson

Socrates to his Disciples

The Final Supper

Sukadeva Goswami to Maharaja Pariksit with Seven days to live.

Rupa Goswami

   

Srila Rupa Goswami and his followers dominated the world of 16th Century Indian metaphysics.

He was a member of the highly elevated sarasvat brahman community.

Along with his brothers he became Prime Minister of Bengal under the government of the Muslim conquerer, Nawab Hussain Shah.

There is no place in the world now as rich as Bengal was at that time:

Silk,Gold,Jewels,Spices,Medical and Political Science,Architecture.

They were the masters of all these things, but still they were not happy. So, they left it all to become reununciants and followers of the great Bengali Monk and Saint, Sri Krishna Caitanya.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was preaching ecstatic Congregational chanting of the Names of God as the most excellent method of meditation in this current age of Kali.

He not only preached this process with philosophical logic but also demonstrated it as He traveled all over India chanting and dancing in emotional love of God.

He then empowered Rupa Goswami to explain this culture on the basis of Vedic scripture.

Srila Rupa Goswami wrote over 11,000 verses in 18-major works and presented a summary of everything in 11-verses, his Sri Upadesamrta, the essence of all wisdom.

tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-smrtyoh kramena rasanā-manasī niyojya

tisthan vraje tad-anurāgi janānugāmīkālam nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram

TRANSLATIONThe essence of all advice is that one should utilize one's full time — twenty-four hours a day — in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord's divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one's tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vrndāvana dhāma] and serve Krsna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord's beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.

Bhakti

We can act upon our comprehension.

Dhyana

We can contemplate what we’ve understood.

Jnana

We can understand what we have read.

Karma

We can read the Bible.

Buddha and the Bhagavata

Hatha-yoga & Raja-yogaIn Bengal, 19th century modernizations of Patanjali’s astanga-yoga system.

The homunculous

Upadesamrta

Text One

We are subject to six pushes. They begin with the tongue:

The push to taste.

To fill our belly.

To have sexual satifaction

The push to talk

The pushes of the mind and

The pushes of anger

Any one who can control these is happy and peacful

Japa Meditacion

MantraHare Krsna, Hare Krsna,

Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama,

Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Om Mani Padme Hum

Domine Iesu Christe, Fili Dei, miserere mei, peccatoris

(Oh, Señor Jesucristo, Hijo de Dios, ten misericordia de mi que soy un pecador!)

Future - UpadesamrtaKirtana – Group Meditation.

Sanga - Society and Mind

Bhava – Advanced Esoteric Ecstacy

Complete Study of Meditation

Upadesamrta

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu

Vidagdha & Lalita Madhava

Appendix OnePatanjali’s astanga-yoga system.1. Yama – Restrictions2. Niyama – Rules3. Asana - Postures4. Pranayama – Breath control5. Pratyahara - Withdrawl6. Dharana – Carrying inward7. Dhyana - Meditation8. Samadhi – Perfection of Meditation, reconnecting with Supersoul.

Appendix TwoRupa Goswami’s complete yoga:Adau sraddha- Preliminary faith, curiosity.Sadhu sanga – Associate with an acharya and his school.Bhajana kriya - The formal practices, diksa.Anartha nivrtti – Diminishing distracting habits.Nistha – Fixed.Ruci – TasteAsaktis – AttachedBhava – Existential ecstaciesPrema – Pure love of God.