Shri a-TB,
If you go through the archives, mainly under the category "General Discussions", you will be able to locate the posts by Shri tks ji. An easier way is to left-click on the avataar in any of his posts and select "forum posts" but it gives only a limited number of the old posts.
In this latest thread Shri tks mentions about Iswara, different from God and advises that one should cultivate Bhakti towards this Isvara, which term has not been explained sufficiently imo. On my part, an equally important point is why should there be Bhakti towards this Iswara and what happens if there is no bhakti but only acknowledgement and acceptance of this Isvara (whatever it might be) but without Bhakti. But I did not come out with my doubt because it has been the usual pattern that we get rebuffed quite often if we differ from his pov.
Lastly, you will find very many discussions of an equally good standard on various philosophical topics in the past, if you have the internet time and patience to search through the archives of this Forum.
Thank you!
Sri a-TB
I do not plan to spend time here in the forum as much as I used to do - I plan to be just visiting once a week or month.
I also do not plan to be posting much more either.
This is not because of any negative reasons. I have personally committed to many other learning activities starting tomorrow which is the Vijaya Dasami day. There is nothing special about any of the days but it is more of a convention and nothing more.
I wish you all the best. The forum posts are not peer reviewed and hence one has to take any writing here with the proverbial pinch of salt. I include my posts as well in saying this. There are mostly wrong ideas in my view but they can serve as reference to properly pursue what you want to.
If you have a question on my posts you can send a Private Message which will reach my email box. I will respond when I can
Sri Sangom
You posed two substantive comments / 'doubts' from what I can gather:
1. Define Isvara and
2. why should one express devotion to this Isvara? What happens if there is no Bhakti but at best only an acknowledgement of Isvara?
Item 1:
In my concluding post #14 in the thread I shared this understanding below. I will quote that and expand on that point.
"
By focusing on Isvara (which is NOT a concept) with the help of the teaching one can realize the true knowledge which is synonymous with true Bhakti. This understanding based Bhakti is an expression of true surrender which is the only way to overcome the bondage of psychological time manifested as Shoka, Moha and Bhaya"
A definition but not the only definition of Isvara is this
All knowledge (including yours and mine and all that exists) IS Isvara
Today being Saraswathi Puja day, the definition has even more meaning since ritually we show our devotion to the 'Goddess of Knowledge" and even have consider Books as forms of Isvara since books are instruments of knowledge. Many even use their trade related instruments as forms of Isvara for their overt acts of worship.
Since belief is about suspension of thinking faculty and knowledge has nothing to do with beliefs, when properly understood Isvara is not a matter of belief.
So if there is a Bhajan song or any other forms of expression that "அவன் இன்றி ஒரு அனுவு அசையாது" such an expression is not to be believed but understood as clear as seeing someone face to face.
Since all knowledge
is the cause of our instrument called mind, Isvara transcends our mind.
So the question is how can one comprehend something that transcends our mind?
Also Sruthi itself says (I do not have time to provide citations) that words cannot describe it either. In that way vedas are not Pramanam (means of knowledge) for this? If so why would Vedas be considered as a means of knowledge if it cannot address definition of even basic notions?
These are other questions that can come up and I am unable to do justice to such questions here. I am sure you will have many more.
I found Sri Sankara Bhashya on B.Gita to be especially helpful in this context. None of them directly answer such questions but synthesis of many different explanations provide a very satisfactory understanding for me.
What I tried to do in this thread is to share the steps of preparation for such a knowledge. They are Sravanam, Mananam, and Nidhidhyasanam.
A starting point is to detoxify the mind to unlearn a lot and it begins by practices of Nitya Karmas, Yoga, Pranayama, Mantra Japa as a form of meditation and a commitment to stick to the values noted in B.Gita Chapter 13.
There are no short cuts.
2.
Bhakti as I tried to define in this thread (Love with no opposite
that one realizes towards this Isvara)
is not an action.
There are many ritualistic forms of devotion and I am not talking about those though they can be useful starting point for some people (and not for me). Bhakti as stated is ournature. I do not need to do anything. I just have to unlearn all the incorrect notions in our mind and Bhakti and Jnana which are one and the same reveals Bhakti as our Swarupa.
I admit my fallibility in trying to explain these terms.
Hope your health continues to do well.
Best Regards
tks
End of Q&A
OM Tat Sat!
