Atma Shatakam - Adi Shankaracharya

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by The Necromancer

Yes, this is a very old tradition of which I am a part. It's probably why I don't find much resonance here on the forum anywhere.

Vodoun - I find interesting. I learned from Balinese Hindu Shamans - Oh those blissful deep trance states.

In deep spiritual trance, one loses all sense of 'self'. It merges into unity with spirit.

I also know that things are just how they are. I must appreciate it more.

I learned from my spiritual mentor, who was one of the mahamandeleswaras in the Naranjani Order of Shankaracharya. I accompanied her to the Khumba Mela in Haridwar, India, in 1998. It was a life-transforming experience.

Thanks for sharing.

Om Namah Shivaya.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

I learned from my spiritual mentor, who was one of the mahamandeleswaras in the Naranjani Order of Shankaracharya. I accompanied her to the Khumba Mela in Haridwar, India, in 1998. It was a life-transforming experience.

Thanks for sharing.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Namaste.

I'm so happy and jealous simultaneously of your experience. This is also the first time The Panchakshara Mantra has been used in a reply to my post. Yes!

You had such a wonderful experience I could only dream of. The closest I ever got to this 'raw Hinduism' was Thaipusam in Batu Caves in Malaysia.

I got involved in this (Shankaracharya), after reading Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, Kundalini Tantra and Saundarya Lahari also, noticing all of the Ashtakams (Eight-verse hymns to Shiva) and all the mantras I learned were all written and composed by the same person so I wanted to learn more about him - everything.

It's great you met such people who influenced your life. Thanks for sharing and thanks for being the answer to a prayer.

Om Namah Shivaya

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by The Necromancer

Namaste.

I'm so happy and jealous simultaneously of your experience. This is also the first time The Panchakshara Mantra has been used in a reply to my post. Yes!

You had such a wonderful experience I could only dream of. The closest I ever got to this 'raw Hinduism' was Thaipusam in Batu Caves in Malaysia.

I got involved in this (Shankaracharya), after reading Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, Kundalini Tantra and Saundarya Lahari also, noticing all of the Ashtakams (Eight-verse hymns to Shiva) and all the mantras I learned were all written and composed by the same person so I wanted to learn more about him - everything.

It's great you met such people who influenced your life. Thanks for sharing and thanks for being the answer to a prayer.

Om Namah Shivaya

I don't know if you've seen this excellent movie (with English subtitles) about the life of Shankaracharya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoIomFriTwM&t=8269s

I particularly like the short scene at 1 hour 18 minutes into the film when he learns a very important lesson from an "untouchable".

If you haven't seen this movie and really like Shankaracharya, I think that you will love this movie.

[kralaro]

I don't know whether i'm recalling correctly that i read something like:
A mother brought her son to Shankaracharya saying that her son is strange/crazy and asked Shankaracharya for help. Shankaracharya asked him his name or who he's and he replied like what's written in 1st post of this thread but shorter reply. Then Shankaracharya tells the mother to leave her son to him.

I think that was cool. Can anyone please give me wikipedia/scriptural link of this story? Or please give me more details to internet search.

[Shivani Devi]

Namaste.

There are a few accounts of the story and the one I was told differs slightly from the standard account:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atma_Shatkam

The story is in the third paragraph of that link.

I don't like giving internet links, because people could just go and look that up anyway and all discussion would be lost if internet links are given instead of talking about it.

A lot of things are attributed to such people by their followers, irrespective of it being true or not and seeing as how it happened around 800 AD, no written records and such were ever kept or even if they were, none of them have survived.

So, all we have to go on is 'second hand accounts' anyway.

All we can know for certain is that a great proponent of non duality called Shankara existed at that time and the rest is pure speculation.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[kralaro]

Ma'm when i said "wikipedia/scriptural link of this story" i meant the story shared by me. I was considering the two stories (shared by you / shared by me) to be separate. Anyway.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by kralaro

Ma'm when i said "wikipedia/scriptural link of this story" i meant the story shared by me. I was considering the two stories (shared by you / shared by me) to be separate. Anyway.

I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of your version of the story and I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for it. I apologise.