Ignorance ,Maya & God
Maya is not ignorance, though it is used in that sense, if you analyze its root meaning. It is the unimaginability, which means that the ignorance here can never be removed. God can never be understood and so the ignorance about God is Maya. Avidya means the ignorance that can be removed. Ignorance of physics can be removed by special effort. Avidya relates to the self. By effort the self-ignorance can be removed. But the ignorance of God is Maya, which can never be removed by any effort as God is unimaginable. The Gita says that He can never be understood (Man…). The Veda says that the soul can be understood by sharp analysis (Drusyate tu…). Liberation comes by self-realization, which gives peace but not bliss.

(Samah karanam…the Gita) (Eshahyeva Anandayati… the Veda). Peace is zero and bliss is plus. Any one of these two can remove the misery, which is minus. But there is easy tendency for the zero to become minus. Therefore, the self-analysis achieved by your logical ladder can drop to misery (Savikalpa Samadhi). But if the same self-realization is granted by the Lord, it is eternal (Nirvikalpa). Shankara told that the grace of the Lord can alone bring the real self-realization (Esvaraanugrahaadeva…). Such grace of Lord comes by devotion, which is generated and strengthened by knowledge and which can be proved only in terms of practical service as seen in the case of your family. Shankara gives the top importance to devotion (Bhaktireva…). The Gita also says that God is achieved only by devotion (Bhaktyaatvananyayaa…).

The Gita also says that the devotion is proved by selfless service to God, which is called as Nishkama karma yoga.

[quote="dattaswami"][color=blue][b]Ignorance ,Maya & God[/b][/color]
Maya is not ignorance, though it is used in that sense, if you analyze its root meaning. It is the unimaginability, which means that the ignorance here can never be removed. God can never be understood and so the ignorance about God is Maya. Avidya means the ignorance that can be removed. Ignorance of physics can be removed by special effort. Avidya relates to the self. By effort the self-ignorance can be removed. But the ignorance of God is Maya, which can never be removed by any effort as God is unimaginable. The Gita says that He can never be understood (Man…). The Veda says that the soul can be understood by sharp analysis (Drusyate tu…). Liberation comes by self-realization, which gives peace but not bliss.

(Samah karanam…the Gita) (Eshahyeva Anandayati… the Veda). Peace is zero and bliss is plus. Any one of these two can remove the misery, which is minus. But there is easy tendency for the zero to become minus. Therefore, the self-analysis achieved by your logical ladder can drop to misery (Savikalpa Samadhi). But if the same self-realization is granted by the Lord, it is eternal (Nirvikalpa). Shankara told that the grace of the Lord can alone bring the real self-realization (Esvaraanugrahaadeva…). Such grace of Lord comes by devotion, which is generated and strengthened by knowledge and which can be proved only in terms of practical service as seen in the case of your family. Shankara gives the top importance to devotion (Bhaktireva…). The Gita also says that God is achieved only by devotion (Bhaktyaatvananyayaa…).

The Gita also says that the devotion is proved by selfless service to God, which is called as Nishkama karma yoga.[/quote]


Please describe definitively what God is! In modern relevant terms that all can understand. And if we cannot understand God why do we even talk about Him/Her/It? Because it would be like kids in some daycare trying to solve the crisis in Afghanistan!

[quote="dattaswami"]Ignorance ,Maya & God
Maya is not ignorance, though it is used in that sense, if you analyze its root meaning. It is the unimaginability, which means that the ignorance here can never be removed. God can never be understood and so the ignorance about God is Maya. Avidya means the ignorance that can be removed. Ignorance of physics can be removed by special effort. Avidya relates to the self. By effort the self-ignorance can be removed. But the ignorance of God is Maya, which can never be removed by any effort as God is unimaginable. The Gita says that He can never be understood (Man…). The Veda says that the soul can be understood by sharp analysis (Drusyate tu…). Liberation comes by self-realization, which gives peace but not bliss.

(Samah karanam…the Gita) (Eshahyeva Anandayati… the Veda). Peace is zero and bliss is plus. Any one of these two can remove the misery, which is minus. But there is easy tendency for the zero to become minus. Therefore, the self-analysis achieved by your logical ladder can drop to misery (Savikalpa Samadhi). But if the same self-realization is granted by the Lord, it is eternal (Nirvikalpa). Shankara told that the grace of the Lord can alone bring the real self-realization (Esvaraanugrahaadeva…). Such grace of Lord comes by devotion, which is generated and strengthened by knowledge and which can be proved only in terms of practical service as seen in the case of your family. Shankara gives the top importance to devotion (Bhaktireva…). The Gita also says that God is achieved only by devotion (Bhaktyaatvananyayaa…).

The Gita also says that the devotion is proved by selfless service to God, which is called as Nishkama karma yoga.[/quote)



Does God show preferential treatment in His choosing? Is devotion the key to compel God to do our bidding?

Just to get the temperature and smell of sulphur down a bit here, if I may

Read something interesting today:

In the beginning God Created heaven and the earth.
Quickly he was faced with a class action suit for
failure to file an environmental impact statement. He
was granted a temporary permit for the project, but
was stymied with the Cease and Desist order for the
earthly part.

Appearing at the hearing, God was asked why he began
his earthly project in the first place. He replied
that he just liked to be creative.

Then God said, "Let there be light." Officials
immediately demanded to know how the light would be
made. Would there be strip mining? What about thermal
pollution? God explained that the light would come
from
a huge ball of fire. God was granted provisional
permission to make light, assuming that no smoke would
result from the ball of fire, that he would obtain a
building permit, and (to conserve energy) would have
the light out half the time. God agreed and said he
would call the light "Day" and the darkness "Night."
Officials replied that they were not interested in
semantics.

God said, "Let the earth bring forth green herb and
such as manyseed." The EPA agreed so long as native
seed was used. Then God said, "Let waters bring forth
creeping creatures having life; and the fowl that
may fly over the earth." Officials pointed out this
would require approval from the Department of Game
coordinated with the Heavenly Wildlife Federation and
the Audubongelic Society.

Everything was OK until God said he wanted to complete
the project in six days. Officials informed him it
would take at least 200 days to review the application
and the environmental impact statement. After that
there would be a public hearing. Then there would be
10-12 months before...

At this point God created Hell!
***********************************

But of course He had to get your designs   Good message