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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

Date: Sat Jul 26, 2003 1:29 pm
Subject: A Lamp in the Cave of the Heart om_namah_shi...

http://www.sulekha.com/chpost.asp...ilosophy&show=0&cid=67480

Sitaram asks:

Which is more essential, to escape the cave or to re-enter the cave?

The goal of philosopy and science for the past 2000 years is to
escape from the shackles and chains that bind us in the cave of
shadows and illusion and step out of the cave into the sunlight of
reality and truth and reason. Sometimes that reality is a stark,
inhuman, amoral reality devoid of a loving personal Diety.

The goal of religions and spirituality has been a quest in the
opposite direction, to enter or re-enter the cave, the dark and
hidden, mystical place within, the cave of the heart.

In chapter 18 of the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says, "This is my highest
word and my most secret. I love you well." The word that is
translated as secret is 'guhayana'. Guhayana in Sanskrit means that
which pertains to caves that which is hidden in caves. Krishna's most
hidden truth is not when Arjuna, the warrior saw everything that was
good and bad, or when Arjuna saw all his friends and enemies, or all
his disappointments and joys, or every river, and every galaxy in the
cosmic body of Krishna. The real moment of epiphany and
transformation for Arjuna was when he recognized he was truly loved.

=========================================

Those having Lamps will pass them on to others.

- PLATO, Republic (328)
==========================================

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/btg/btg94.htm

In the hours before his death, the Buddha said:

"Therefore, O Ananda,

Be ye lamps unto yourselves.

Rely on yourselves, and do not rely on external help. Hold fast to
the truth as a lamp. Seek salvation alone in the truth. Look not for
assistance to any one besides yourselves."

"And how, Ananda, can a brother be a lamp unto himself, rely on
himself only and not on any external help, holding fast to the truth
as his lamp and seeking salvation in the truth alone, looking not for
assistance to any one besides himself? Herein, O Ananda, let a
brother, as he dwells in the body, so regard the body that he, being
strenuous, thoughtful, and mindful, may, whilst in the world,
overcome the grief which arises from the body's cravings. While
subject to sensations let him continue so to regard the sensations
that he, being strenuous, thoughtful, and mindful, may, whilst in the
world, overcome the grief which arises from the sensations. And so,
also, when he thinks or reasons, or feels, let him so regard his
thoughts that being strenuous, thoughtful and mindful he may, whilst
in the world, overcome the grief which arises from the craving due to
ideas, or to reasoning, or to feeling.

"Those who, either now or after I am dead, shall be lamps unto
themselves, relying upon themselves only and not relying upon any
external help, but holding fast to the truth as their lamp, and
seeking their salvation in the truth alone, and shall not look for
assistance to any one besides themselves, it is they, Ananda, among
my bhikkhus, who shall reach the very topmost height! But they must
be anxious to learn."

=========================

http://www.giga-usa.com/gigaweb1/quotes2/quautplato1x001.htm

Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god.

- Plato, Protagoras (I, 337)

===========================

http://www.utpjournals.com/product/utq/713/713_furlani.html

http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/gfk-lamp/lamps-hp.htm

Shall I then sincerely propose to propagate our Tripitaka [the "Three
Baskets" or major divisions of the Pali Canon] together with you, and
to help you in lighting a thousand lamps? -- A Record of The Buddhist
Religion as Practised in India and The Malay Archipelago (A.D. 671-
695) >, I-tsing, p. xxxvi.

==============================================

http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/emersonone.html

Emerson believed that there was an "obscure and slender thread" that
ran through all religions, philosophies and mythologies, tying them
together. If he had lived a few years longer he would have found
that "obscure and slender thread" in the string that H.P.B. used to
tie together the "nosegay of culled flowers" which she brought to the
Western world.

But that "thread" had not yet become visible during Emerson's years
of search. Therefore, having failed to find it in the West, he turned
to the ancient East for inspiration and guidance. As he says in "The
American Scholar": "When the intervals of darkness come, as come
they must, when the sun is hid, and the stars withdraw their
shining, -- we repair to the lamps that were kindled by their ray, to
guide our steps to the East again, where the dawn is. We hear, that
we may speak."

==================================================

http://www.angelfire.com/tx2/jbrown/thyword1.html

http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV2&byte=49985

(the first occurance of the word "lamp" in the Old Testament of the
Bible)

Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and
it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed
between those pieces.

Psalm 119:105

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

http://learn.jtsa.edu/topics/reading/bookexc/tradren/chap27f.shtml

======================

http://www.namaste-bazaar.com/generic36.html

In Plato's work the Republic, the parable of the cave is a root
metaphor for the mystical. Plato likens all humanity to prisoners in
a cave watching a shadow procession on the walls. The cave is dimly
fire-lit and the prisoners' hands are loosely bound behind their
backs. Some prisoners dare to go to seek the mystical `Form of the
Good'. These philosopher mystics return to the cave out of a sense of
compassion. It is much like the Buddhist's concept of the
Bodhisattva. The few share the story of the sun. The wonder cannot be
explained in cave language. How do you explain the sun? Is it a
luminous ball in the ceiling of the cave? Of course, some of the
fellow cave dwellers are skeptical; some are hostile. They say, "You
must be crazy. You must be drunk."

In the Bhagavad-Gita, the sacred book of many Hindus, the moment of
epiphany is in the last chapter. In chapter 18, Krishna says, "This
is my highest word and my most secret. I love you well." The word
that is translated as secret is 'guhayana'. Guhayana in Sanskrit
means that which pertains to caves that which is hidden in caves.
Krishna's most hidden truth is not when Arjuna, the warrior saw
everything that was good and bad, or when Arjuna saw all his friends
and enemies, or all his disappointments and joys, or every river, and
every galaxy in the cosmic body of Krishna. The real moment of
epiphany and transformation for Arjuna was when he recognized he was
truly loved.

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/books/dws/lexicon/g.html

Guha: (Sanskrit) An epithet of Karttikeya. "The interior one." --
guha: "Cave." See: Karttikeya.

Guhavasi Siddha: (Sanskrit) A guru of central India (ca 675) credited
with the modern founding of Saiva Siddhanta in that area, based fully
in Sanskrit. Guhavasi--literally "cave-dweller; he who is hidden"--is
also a name of Lord Siva.

Guheshvara: (Sanskrit) "Lord of the cave." A name for Lord Siva
implying His presence in the heart or the interior of all beings.

Gita Ch. 18, verse 64

Sarvaguhyatamam bhuyah
Of all most secret again,

Hear again My supreme word,
Most secret of all.
You are surely loved by Me;
Therefore, I shall speak for your good.

- Winthrop Sargeant

SUNY Press

ISBN 0-87395-830-6

===============================

http://www.conferencerecording.com/newevents/cav20.htm

http://www.gurbani.org/webart97.htm

My Beloved dwells in the cave of my Heart. O God, shatter the wall of
doubt;

please grab hold of me, and lift me up towards Yourself. The world-
ocean
is so vast and deep; please be kind, lift me up and place me on the
shore.
In the Spiritual Company, God's Feet (Divine Name) are the boat to
carry us across. The One who placed you in the womb of your mother's
belly - no one else shall save you in the wilderness
of corruption. The power of God's Sanctuary is all-powerful;

Nanak does not rely on any other (sggs 1121).

Pritam basat rid mahi khor: My Beloved dwells in the cave of my Heart
(sggs 1121).

Is gufaa mahi ik thaan suhaaiaa: There is a beautiful place Within
this cave of the Heart (sggs 126).

Yo veda nihitam guhaayaam parame vyoman. So-ashnute sarvaan kaamaan
saha. Brahmanaa vipashciteti: He who knows It as existing the cave of
the Heart in the transcendental Aakaashaa, realizes all his desires
along with the Omniscient Self (Veda, Taittriya Upnishad).

Heart is called Hridaya in Indian languages. It is derived from the
Sanskrit word Hridayam (hrit + ayam), which simply means "this is the
center". Thus, the Heart of the scriptures is not physical; it is
Spiritual. It is the Divine or Spiritual Center, which is essentially
synonymous to various other terms such as Aatmaan, the cavity of
Intellect, the cave of Intuitive Wisdom, the cave of Intuitive Poise,
the faculty of Intuition, the cave of Celestial Bliss, the Celestial
Home, the inner Home, the cave of Silence, the cave of deep Samaadhi,
the cave of the body, deep or Sunn Samaadhee, Sukh-Aasan, profound or
seedless trance, absolute void, Sahaj or natural state of inner
Being, Tenth Gate, Chauthaa Pad or fourth state, Turiyaa Avasthaa,
Tenth Gate (Dasam Dwaar), Conscious Principle, Eternal Essence, the
city of Begampuraa or Brahmpuraa, Sachkhand, Truth, Light, the
Kingdom of God, the Ultimate Resort of the Self of all, and so on.

Sahaj Guphaa mahi taaree laaee aasan oochaa savariaa jeeo. Phir ghiri
apune grih mahi aayaa: In the cave of Intuitive Wisdom I sit,
absorbed in the silent trance of the Primal Void (sggs 97).

Sahaj guphaa mahi aasan baadhyaa....: In the cave of celestial Bliss,
I have obtained a seat. God of Light plays the unstruck melody of
Bliss there. I am in ecstasy, contemplating the Shabad. Imbued with
my Beloved Being, I am the blessed, happy soul-bride (sggs 370).

Sunn samaadhi sache ghar baaraa: One dwells with the True Being in
His celestial home, the Primal State of Absorption in Deepest
Samaadhi (sggs 1038).

Aap pachhaanai ghar vasai haumai trisnaa jaai: Through Self-
Realization, one dwells Within the Home of his inner Being; egotism
and desire depart (sggs 57).

Evam Biditvaa parmaatam roopam guhaashayam nishphalamadviteeyam....:
Thus realizing the nature of the Parmaatamaa, the one who is in the
cavity of the Heart, who is without parts (or body), without a
second, the witness of all, beyond both existence and non-existence,
one attains the very nature of the Parmaatamaa (Kaivalya Upnishad).

The Spiritual Center which presides over the body-assemblage in every
living being at microcosmic level and the entire universe at the
macrocosmic level is described by the scriptures and the Men of Light
as full of Bliss (Anand). The reason this Blissful Divine Center is
not realized now by us is because of its identification with the body-
assemblage constituted of the body-mind-intellect personality. When
seemingly the Spiritual Center thus becomes contaminated and
conditioned by the delusory material envelopments, it is called the
ego-center. The Self-realization is nothing but physical ego's
rediscovery that it is the Pure Self without any material
contamination. On this recognition, the real Self in us realizes Its
oneness with the Self of the universe.
Sahaj guphaa mahi aasan baadhyaa....: In the cave of celestial Bliss,
I have obtained a seat. God of Light plays the unstruck melody of
Bliss there. I am in ecstasy, contemplating the Shabad (sggs 370).

Tat niranjan joti sabaaee soham bhed na koee jeeo: The essence, the
immaculate Being, the Light of all - I am He and He is me - there is
no difference (sggs 599).

The "cave of the Heart" is but the Unborn and Immortal Self. We are
always in It. It is the state where the Heart is totally being bent
toward God with all inner Perfection. To put it otherwise, it is the
state of Heart-Lotus turned upright - the realized state of Spiritual
Consciousness within.

Chitt chittvayu charnaar bind oodh kamal bigsaat: Focus your
consciousness on His Lotus Feet, and the inverted Lotus of your Heart
will blossom forth (sggs 254).

Ultiyo kamal Brahm Vichaar: The inverted Heart-Lotus turns upright
through Spiritual Inquiry (sggs 153).
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in
heart (Bible, Psalm 125).

Since the "cave of the Heart" is not the physiological cavity or hole
in the heart, here it means only the core of the personality in the
very seeker. It is the condition of the evolved Soul which stands for
Divine Virtues such as selflessness, egolessness, desirelessness,
obedience, compassion, devotion, love, kindness, sympathy, selfless
Sevaa, charity, bliss, peace, joy, tranquility, knowledge, Shabad-
Surti or Naam consciousness, humility, contentment, forgiveness,
nonviolence, unshakable faith, equanimity, self-discipline,
righteousness, discriminating intellect, endurance, poise, patience,
detachment, physical-control, truthfulness, mental control, purity,
highest standard of moral and character, God-centered Karma or
activities, seeing of One God in everything, living by God's Hukam
(Will), and so on. Thus the "cave of the Heart" is that arena in
human mind from where these noble urges flow out.

The "cave of the Heart" is the seat Divine, where the All-pervading
Omnipresent Self can be contacted, in the very Heart of the seeker.
It is not an object, or a self-evident truth placarded before our
eyes, or an immediate datum given to us within the range of our
common experiences. As the scriptures tell us, It cannot be reached
by mere instructions, material intelligence, learning, reading or
scholarships. The Aatmaan must be realized and its ultimate identity
with Prmaatmaan discovered - the Unity of Aatmaan and Parmaatmaan as
Unconditioned Consciousness.

Puhap madh jiyu baas basat hai mukar mahi jaise shaayee. Taise hee
Hari base nirantar ghat hee khojahu bhaayee: Like the fragrance which
remains in the flower, and like the reflection in the mirror, the
Lord dwells deep within; search for Him within your own Heart, O
brother (sggs 684).

Atam deyu deyu hai atam ras laagai pooj kareejai: The Soul is the
Divine; the Divine is the Soul. Worship Him with love (sggs 1325).

The scriptures declare that the one who thinks he is one thing and
the Parmaatmaan another, does not know! Everything, including the
physiological heart, is in Parmaatmaan, the Substratum (Adhaar) for
the pluralistic phenomenal world of objects. The waves, the ripples,
the foam, the lather - all of them are the ocean. The bracelet, the
necklace, the chain, the earrings, the nose-rings - all of them are
nothing but gold. Similarly, the one Spirit is within everything as
oil is hidden in seeds, or as butter is hidden in milk, or as water
is hidden beneath the earth, or as the fire is hidden in woods. This
Reality is grasped in one's own Self within, when one searches it in
Truth, free from all urges. This is the Truth indicated in the
scriptures.
In the "cave of the Heart" transcending all modes of material, is the
plane of God-consciousness into which the Gurmukh (Spiritual Being)
readily enters. The man established in this Spiritual Center is the
man of Love and Goodness, who has successfully completed his Internal
Journey. We are urged by the scriptures to meditate in the Heart-cave
upon the Eternal Factor, the Pure Knowledge, the Infinite
Consciousness.

Sunn nirantri deejai bandh. Udai na hansaa parhe na kandh. Sahaj
guphaa ghar jaanai saachaa...: Focused deep within, in perfect
absorption, the soul-swan does not fly away, and the body-wall does
not collapse. Then, one knows that his true home is in the cave of
intuitive poise. O Nanak, the True Lord loves those who are truthful
(sggs 939).

Sunn samaadhi guphaa tah aasan. Keval brahm pooran tah baasan. Bhagat
sang prabh gost karat: One sits there, in the cave of Sunn Samaadhi;
the unique, perfect God dwells there. God holds conversations with
His devotees (sggs 894).

Surti simriti duyi kannee mundaa parmiti baahari khinthaa. Sunn
guphaa mahi aasan baisan kalap bibarjit panthaa: Let contemplation
and intuitive meditation be your two ear-rings, and true wisdom your
patched overcoat. In the cave of silence, dwell in your Yogic
posture; let the subjugation of desire be your spiritual path (sggs
334).

He who realizes the Spirit in him as the Spiritual Center becomes the
very Truth. On being established in the Spiritual Center within
ourselves, we can attain the sense of Transcendental Perfection that
the Spiritual Center everywhere, and in all things and beings is one
and the same. There are no two Truths such as one within our heart
and one without us. The Divine Essence is one and the same within us
as well as everywhere in the Cosmos. In that sense, It cannot be said
to be either in or out.

Brahm deesai Brahm suneeyai ek ek vakhaaneeyai. Aatam pasaaraa karan
haaraa parabh binaa nahee jaaneeyai: The One Unique Reality is seen
everywhere, the Unstruck Celestial Music is heard everywhere, the One
Creator is present in all creation; there is none else than He
Himself everywhere (sggs 846).

Tohee mohee mohee tohee antar kaisaa. Kanak katik jal trang jaisaa: O
Lord, You are me, and I am You - what is the difference between us?
We are like gold and the bracelet, or water and the waves (sggs 93).

Sagal Banaspati mahi baisantar sagal duudh mai gheeyaa. Ooch neech
mahi joti samaanee ghat ghat maadhayu jeeyaa: Just as the fire is
contained in all firewood and butter is contained in all milk; so too
is God's Light contained in the high and the low; the Lord is in the
Hearts of all beings (sggs 617).

The "cave of the Heart", the Spiritual Center, is the seat of
Realization or the Realization itself. Experiencing oneness with It
is to transcend the psychological ego. It is the source from which
thoughts (mind) arise, on which they subsist, and where they subside.
Thus the Heart-center is the nucleus of all.

In its disturbed state, the mind sees itself diversified as the
Universe. However, in its pure state, the diversity is not manifest,
thereby, it remains in its True Nature, or the godly status. That is
the "cave of the Heart". Entering or diving the mind into this "cave
of the Heart" simply means remaining without desires, fears or
distractions.

Khakhaa ihai kherhi mann aavaa. Khorhe shaadi na dah dis dhaavaa....:
The mind has entered this cave. It does not leave this cave to wander
in the ten directions. Knowing the Lord, people show compassion;
then, they become immortal, and attain the state of eternal dignity
(sggs 340).

The Gurbani's call to us is to live the Spiritual Life - the life of
purity, truthfulness, intelligent sense of detachment, selfless
service, Self-inquiry and meditation, so that we can rediscover the
Spiritual Center in our real nature that's now lying dormant in us.
The All-pervading Unconditioned Consciousness is experienced only
with Intuitive Wisdom when it is analyzing, observing, viewing, and
discriminating in the surrounding of the pure Heart, where, in the
pure aroma of Love, it seems to gather a greater subtlety to meditate
on the Naam and realize the Eternal Subject, the Self. Upon realizing
the "cave of the Heart", the knot of egotism (or Maya's veil) is cut
asunder.

Is guphaa mahi akhuy bhandaaraa. Tis vich vasai Hari alakh
apaaraa....: Within this cave, there is an inexhaustible treasure.
Within this cave, the Invisible and Infinite Being abides. He Himself
is hidden, and He Himself is revealed; through the Shabad,
selfishness and conceit are eliminated. I am a sacrifice, my soul is
a sacrifice, to those who enshrine the Ambrosial Naam within their
minds.

The taste of the Amrit-Naam is very sweet! Practice the Gurmat, and
drink in this Amrit (sggs 124).

Who knows that which is hidden in the Heart's secret cave, he cuts
here and now, my dear, the knot of ignorance (Mundaka Upnishad).

Maya phaas bandh bahu bandhe Har japiyo khul khulne: The mortals are
bound by the many bonds of Maya's noose. Meditating on God, the knot
is untied (sggs 977).

Sahaj sookh anand ghanere hayumai binthee gaathe: I have been blessed
with Peace, Poise and abundant Bliss, and the knot of egotism has
been untied (sggs 784).

http://www.atmapress.com/Articles/Ramana/Ramana_5.htm

When unity in the heart is replaced by a variety of perceived
phenomena, it is called the outgoing mind.

When you enter the inner stillness of being, the heart-going mind is
called the resting mind.

When one daily practices more and more abiding in the heart, the mind
will become extremely pure due to the removal of its defects, and the
practice will become so easy that the purified mind will plunge into
the heart as soon as the inquiry is commenced.

Be what you are. All that is necessary is to lose the ego. That which
is, is always there.

Even now you are that. You are not apart from it.

The thought, 'I have not realized', the expectation to become
realized, and the desire of getting anything, are all the workings of
the ego. You have fallen into snares of the ego. Be yourself!

See who you are, drop your mind into the cave of the heart and remain
as the Self, free from birth and death, free from all comings and
goings.

==============

http://www.maristfathers.org/prayer.html

PRAYER

Welcome to our prayer space. Here you will find two separate
sections. The first presents brief descriptions of some of the
different ways to pray. The second section leads to the prayer room
and provides some readings and reflections as a help to prayer.

The cave of the heart:

India has an ancient tradition of contemplative prayer. The Indians
have a saying that the deepest prayer takes place not in the head but
in the "cave of the heart". A cave is a dark place. The cave of the
heart is our deepest heart, our spirit - a place where we might
not "see" clearly, but where we experience love, commitment and God.
The cave of Bethlehem has taken on a richer symbolism since I heard
this Indian expression. Mary had to leave the lighted, boisterous
town and walk out into the darkness of a cave, she saw the Face of
the Light of the World.

=====================

http://beaskund.helloyou.ws/netnews/bk/reappearance/reap1026.html

As Nourisher of the Little Ones, we are dealing with an aspect of
Christ's work which involves the stimulation of the consciousness of
His disciples as they prepare to undergo initiation or to enter into
deeper phases of spiritual awareness. The result of His work in the
Triangle with the masses of men will be the presentation of the first
initiation - the Birth of the Christ in the cave of the Heart - as
the basic ceremony in the new world religion. By means of this
ceremony, the masses of men in all lands will be enabled to register
consciously the "birth of the Christ" in the heart, and the "being
born again" to which He Himself referred (John III, 3.) when here on
Earth before. This new birth is what esotericists mean when they
speak of the first initiation. It will not, in the future, be the
experience of the occasional disciple but the general experience of
countless thousands towards the close of the Aquarian Age. The
purifying waters of the Baptism Initiation (the second initiation)
will submerge hundreds of aspirants in many lands, and these two
initiations (which are preparatory to true service, and the third
initiation of the Transfiguration) will set the seal on Christ's
mission as the Agent of the great spiritual Triangle which He
represents.

http://www.beezone.com/VyasaDeva/Heart/bliss_sheath.htm

http://www.advaita-
vedanta.org/series/shri_rudram/verses_from_the_shri_rudram-10.htm

Death can come in an instant and take away all that we hold to be
dear and desirable. If Death does arrive without our having praised
God, we will have wasted our time in our bodies. And where is this
God? He is right here, the Lion who lives in the cave of the heart!

This is the essence of a Rik from the Rg Vedic Rudra sUkta.
Incidentally, this Rik is also part of the Yajur Vedic Rudram. But it
does not occur in the shvetAshvatara upanishad. So I have relied
primarily on sAyaNAchArya's commentary in translating this jewel of a
Rik. There is, however, a modified version of the Rik in the
nR^isimha pUrva tApinI upaniShad, and there is a commentary
attributed to Shankara on the same.

As per the commentary of BhaTTa bhAskara, the Rishi of this Rik is
vaiyAghra, the devatA is Rudra, and the meter triShtubh.

stuhi shrutaM gartasadaM yuvAnaM mR^igaM na bhImamupahatnumugram.h |
mR^iLA jaritre rudra stavAno .anyaM te asmanni vapantu senAH ||

(R^ig Veda: maNDala 2 sUkta 33 Rik 11;
Krishna Yajur Vedic Rudram: anuvAka 10, Rik 8 )

stuhi - praise
shrutaM - the famous Rudra, Shiva
gartasadaM - who dwells in the cave of the heart
yuvAnaM - the eternally youthful one
bhImaM mR^igaM na - like a ferocious lion
upahatnumugram.h - fierce in His attack during destruction
mR^iLA - confer happiness
jaritre - in this body that is subject to old age and death
Rudra - the God Shiva
stavAno - being praised by (my words)
anyaM - others
te - Your
asman.h - than me
nivapantu - let them destroy
senAH - the army

Praise the famous Rudra who dwells in the cave of the heart, who is
eternally young, and who is fierce like a lion in His attack at the
time of destruction. O Rudra! Being praised by our words, confer
happiness to us who have been afflicted by having a body subjected to
old age and death. Let Your forces annihilate others who are Your
enemies and spare us.

sAyaNAchAryabhAShyam.h ( Commentary of sAyaNAchArya)

he madIyavachaH shrutaM prasiddhaM rudraM stuhi | kIdR^isham.h?
gartasadaM gartasadR^ishe hR^idayapuNDarIke sarvadA tiShThantam.h |
"IshvaraH sarvabhUtAnAM hR^iddeshe .arjuna tiShThati" iti smR^iteH|
yuvAnaM nityataruNam.h | upahatnumugraM pralayakAle sarvaM jagat.h
saMhartumugrarUpiNam.h | tatra dR^iShTAntaH | bhImaM mR^igaM na |
bhayaMkaraM siMhamiva | yathA gajavidAraNAya ugraH siMho bhavati
tadvat.h | he rudra stavAno .asmadvachasA stUyamAno jaritre
jaraNashIle dine dine xIyamAne .asmachchharIre mR^iLa sukhaM kuru |
te tvadIyAH senA .asmadanyaM vairiNaM nivapantu vinAshayantu |

O speech of mine! Praise the famous Rudra. How is this Rudra? (He)
always dwells in the lotus of the heart which is like a cave. As the
smR^iti (gItA) says, " O Arjuna! Ishvara, the Lord, is situated in
the heart of all beings!" This Rudra is eternally young. He bears a
fierce form at the time of dissolution (pralaya) in order to destroy
the whole world. An example is given (to indicate His ferocity). Just
as a lion bears a fierce form to destroy an elephant, (so does Rudra
at the time of destruction). O Rudra! Being praised by our words give
happiness to us who have a body that is afflicted by old age and that
decays day by day. Let Your armies, (O Rudra), annihilate others who
are Your enemies and spare us.

Notes:

1) This text of this Rik is slightly different in the Krishna Yajur
Vedic Rudram in that "mR^iLA" is replaced with "mR^iDA" Apart from
differences in the accent, Krishna Yajur Vedins pronounce the "a"
in ".anyaM" after "stavAno." But Rg vedins consider the
phrase "stavAno .anyaM" as a sandhi and omit the pronounciation of a
distinct "a" unlike the Krishna Yajur Vedins.

2) A modified version of the Rik, as I said above, occurs in the
nR^isimhapUrvatApinI upanishad. Here, the text reads "mR^iDA jaritre
siMha stavAno ..." instead of "mR^iDA jaritre rudra stavAno ..."

3) Compare the spirit of this Rik with that of the "bhaja GovindaM"
hymn. I would speculate that the Rik provides the inspiration for
this popular hymn by Shankara!

4) BhaTTa bhAskara gives an alternative definition of "gartasadaM."

gartasadaM gartamiti rathanAma tatra sIdati tiShThatiiti tripura-
dahanaadaaviti gartasat.h |

He (Rudra) stands in the chariot called garta and burns the three
cities (tripura). So He is called gartasat.h

|| AUM namo bhagavate rudrAya ||

===================

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/hum_303/zarathustra.html

1: What other famous figure began his mission at the age of thirty by
retreating into the wilderness? How long did the other figure stay
there? How long does Zarathustra stay there? Much of the imagery here
is probably borrowed from "The Allegory of the Cave" in Plato's
Republic. (Nietzsche generally disliked Plato, and disagrees with him
on many points; but he was greatly influenced by him nevertheless.)
Plato says that an enlightened thinker is like a man who gradually
struggles free of the chains of illusion in an underground cave and
who learns by ascending to the world above and viewing things in the
light of day, finally discovering the essence of truth by gazing at
the sun itself. However, it is not enough for the philosopher to
grasp truth for himself: he has a responsibility to descend back into
the cave of illusion and free the prisoners of falsehood. This is
what Nietzsche means by "going under." What arguments can you make
that the discoverer of truth has an obligation to preach that truth
to others?

http://theosophy.org/tlodocs/AllegoryoftheCave.htm

The liberated prisoner will obviously require to grow accustomed to
the sight of the upper world. He will first see the shadows best,
then the reflections of men and objects in the water, and then the
objects themselves; and then he will gaze upon the light of the moon
and the stars by night. At last he will be able to see the sun. He
will come to see that the sun is the guardian of all that is in the
visible world and in a certain sense the cause of all that he and his
fellows had been accustomed to behold. He would remember his old
habitation and the delusions of his fellow prisoners, pity them and
felicitate himself on the change in himself and in his position. He
would no longer care for the honours conferred upon one another by
the ignorant prisoners on the basis of who were the quickest to
observe the passing shadows.

The first test that the liberated prisoner has to face is to get
accustomed to his new condition and to forsake his long-cherished
illusions. The second test is to see the unity of all things. The
third is to show compassion towards his fellow prisoners and not
merely revel in his own happiness. The fourth is to detach himself
completely from the false valuations and hierarchical distinctions
made by the men in the den. His fifth and much more difficult test
comes if he is then made to re-enter the cave of darkness, for he
would appear ridiculous to the prisoners who still cling to their
former illusions centered on the shadows. They would say that he had
become blind to realities since leaving the cave, that it is better
not even to think of ascending, that they would be entitled to put to
death anyone who tried to free another and lead him up to the light.

The entire political moral of the parable has a close resemblance to
the Kumaras, who refuse to create but are induced by cosmic necessity
to complete divine Man by incarnating in him. The unwillingness of
the sower in the field to heed the voice of his master involves the
latter in unearned and unnecessary suffering, but he accepts this
burden flowing from his decision to become involved in the process of
evolution. The incarnation of the Kumaras, which makes cosmic
evolution possible, is paralleled by the sacrifice of the
Nirmanakayas who resolved, even before attaining perfection, to
renounce its fruit and re-enter the world of human ignorance and
suffering. Similarly, the Avatar who descends amidst humanity
cheerfully accepts the risk of ridicule and rejection, so that at
least a few may be called to the pursuit of spiritual truth and many
more aroused out of their state of slavery and illusion. The
probationer on the path of the spiritual life has to emulate the
example of the Avatars and the Nirmanakayas. He has both to isolate
himself from humanity in his all-absorbing pursuit of pure truth and
to heed the voice of suffering humanity, ever ascending on the
pathway of the soul and ever preparing himself for the perfect
service of humanity.

http://www.namaste-bazaar.com/generic36.html

In Plato's work the Republic, the parable of the cave is a root
metaphor for the mystical. Plato likens all humanity to prisoners in
a cave watching a shadow procession on the walls. The cave is dimly
fire-lit and the prisoners' hands are loosely bound behind their
backs. Some prisoners dare to go to seek the mystical `Form of the
Good'. These philosopher mystics return to the cave out of a sense of
compassion. It is much like the Buddhist's concept of the
Bodhisattva. The few share the story of the sun. The wonder cannot be
explained in cave language. How do you explain the sun? Is it a
luminous ball in the ceiling of the cave? Of course, some of the
fellow cave dwellers are skeptical; some are hostile. They say, "You
must be crazy. You must be drunk."

Plato was a prime mythologist. Mythos is the story that points to the
Source, the Unknown. Plato was also one of the exponents of logos-
reason, order, and structure. Interestingly, in the King James
translation of the Bible, John 1:1, "In the beginning was the
Word . . . ." is a very Neoplatonic concept. `Word' in Greek means
logos. It is the cosmic structuring, the principle of reason that was
one with the Unknown, the Father of the Light. `Word' does not mean
the written Bible.

Stories are seeds. Matthew 13:3 speaks of Jesus as the sower of
seeds. The stories stir something deep in the unconscious mind. Upon
hearing the stories, you do not get closer to the Source, God, or
Goddess. The stirrings produce nostalgia, homesickness. Often times,
when we literalize the stories, we are carried away with our personal
myth and the deeper meaning is lost. If we balance the myths with
logos, then the stories indeed could become seeds, life changing, a
spiritual awaking. If archetypal stories, like the parables of Jesus
move you, they need to lead to a quest. If they do not, then the
stories are seeds that have fallen on so-so ground. It is not up to
Jesus or the guru to clean out the thistles and thorns. That is your
responsibility.

The object of the quest is assumed somewhere out there. The outside
quest is connected to the archetype of the pilgrimage: the traveling
to Mecca, Lourdes, Jerusalem, Varanasi, spiritual growth workshops,
or metaphysical seminars. It is important to experience the quest.

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