Over the last year or so I made a couple of stuttering and ultimately failed attempts to upgrade my site (www.davidgodman.org). The design and coding were done twelve years ago and are now in need of a major overhaul. I am about to begin another attempt but as a stop-gap measure I recently made a new site that contains extracts from all my books, along with information on where they can be obtained. It can be viewed here:
http://davidgodman.wix.com/ramanamaharshibooks
The site was made from a template provided by a company called Wix. It is simple and easy to use and I can recommend it to anyone who wants to put out a site, but who doesn't have any knowledge of coding.
Since there is a built-in feature on the Wix site that enables blogging and the posting of photo galleries, slide-shows and videos, I plan to use it to add photo and video presentations. To start the ball rolling I have uploaded a gallery of photos that were taken by Eliot Elisofon when he visited Tiruvannamalai in 1949:
http://davidgodman.wix.com/ramanamaharshibooks#!photo-2/cos9
Eliot Elisofon was the photographer who took the photos for the article on Bhagavan that appeared in the 1949 article in LIFE magazine. He took many additional photos that were not included in this article. I have collected all the ones I could find and put them together in this slide show. It runs automatically, but you can stop it with your mouse to see captions or expand the photos.
The 'Photo' section also contains a collection of old black-and-white pictures of Arunachala that I have collected in recent years.
http://davidgodman.wix.com/ramanamaharshibooks#!photos/c1i7j
I love old photos of Tiruvannamalai and Arunachala and have many more that I will post in future presentations.
http://davidgodman.wix.com/ramanamaharshibooks
The site was made from a template provided by a company called Wix. It is simple and easy to use and I can recommend it to anyone who wants to put out a site, but who doesn't have any knowledge of coding.
Since there is a built-in feature on the Wix site that enables blogging and the posting of photo galleries, slide-shows and videos, I plan to use it to add photo and video presentations. To start the ball rolling I have uploaded a gallery of photos that were taken by Eliot Elisofon when he visited Tiruvannamalai in 1949:
http://davidgodman.wix.com/ramanamaharshibooks#!photo-2/cos9
Eliot Elisofon was the photographer who took the photos for the article on Bhagavan that appeared in the 1949 article in LIFE magazine. He took many additional photos that were not included in this article. I have collected all the ones I could find and put them together in this slide show. It runs automatically, but you can stop it with your mouse to see captions or expand the photos.
The 'Photo' section also contains a collection of old black-and-white pictures of Arunachala that I have collected in recent years.
http://davidgodman.wix.com/ramanamaharshibooks#!photos/c1i7j
I love old photos of Tiruvannamalai and Arunachala and have many more that I will post in future presentations.
24 comments:
Thank you so much.
I was eagerly awaited the upgrade of your noble site.
I eagerly awaited the upgrade of your noble site.
Dear David,
I am happy that you are back in India. I am also happy that you
are upgrading the blog. In the meantime, where is my favorite Open
Thread? I was writing almost everyday in that.
With regards,
Subramanian. R
Subramanian
I just posted a comment in the Open Thread and it is still working. Let me know if you are still experiencing difficulties in locating it or posting comments.
Upadesa SAhasri - Sri Sankara:
Part II - Metrical:
10,11: 'You may say,'Followed by a sure result. Knowledge does not depend on anything else.' But it is not so. Just as Agnishtoma though followed by an unfailing result, depends on things other than itself. So knowledge, though bringing about a sure result, must depend on obligatory duties.
Reply: Some people hold this view. We say, No. As it is incompatible with actions, Knowledge does not depend on them in producing its result.
contd.,
***
Upadesa SAhasri - Sri Sankara:
Part II - Metrical:
12. Accompanied by egoism, actions are incompatible with Knowledge. For it is well known here (in the Vedantas) that Knowledge is the Consciousness that the Self is changeless.
13. Actions have their origin in the consciousness that one is a doer and has the desire of having the results of what one does. Knowledge depends on a thing (its own object and also on evidence), while actions depend entirely on the performer.
contd.,
***
Upadesa SAhasri - Sri Sankara:
Part II - Metrical -
14. The Knowledge (of one's own real nature) destroys the ideas of doership etc., (on the part of oneself like the right Knowledge
of the nature of the desert which destroys) the conviction of there
being water in it. When this is so, how can (a man of knowledge) accept them as true and perform actions?
15. It is, therefore, not possible on the part of a man of knowledge to have Knowledge and perform an action at the same time as they are incompatible with each other. So one who aspires after liberation should renounce actions.
16. The natural conviction on the part of the people that the Self is not different from the body etc., arises through Ignorance. The Vedic injunctions (and prohibitions) are authoritative as long as it prevails.
contd.,
***
Subramanian
Can you still not find the open thread you were posting on? It is here:
http://sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.com/2012/09/open-thread.html
Thanks so much Sri David Godman for resuming the activity of posting your contribution. Your past posts are all so very beneficial for me, every time I read them.
Thanks for the update, I have regularly and eagerly reading your website and blog. Its been personally of great help to me. Looking forward for more posts.-Usha B N
"Over the last year or so I made a couple of stuttering and ultimately failed attempts to upgrade my site (www.davidgodman.org). The design and coding were done twelve years ago and are now in need of a major overhaul. I am about to begin another attempt but as a stop-gap measure I recently made a new site" The new site is good but I like davidgodman.org. What are the impediments in upgrading the site? Perhaps we can help?
Katha
If you want to discuss the new site and ways you might be able to help, emaial me at:
david_godman@yahoo.co.uk
Apropos of the comments of Subramaniam regarding knowledge and action being incompatible, I wish to state that there is this idea of Knowledge constituting ' Vastutantra' not admitting of the choice of the knower, the latter is one of ' Purusatantra' admitting of the idea of meditation being opposed to knowledge, it being capable of correctly done or incorrectly done, as against that Knowledge being free from such conceptualisations. In the light of this Vedantic truth, the ' Vicharamarga' of Bhagavan is radically different from the meditation on the ' Mahavakyas.'
Dear David Godman:
After a long time.
I was looking for some thing to hang on to when deep melancholia and depression engulfs me. Like what Nisaragadda used to say "I am that". During my depression periods, my thoughts loom around the past, and the future, not about the present, which makes me sad(past) and worried(future). I feel pity about myself and feel that I am suffering, and I judge myself as a failure in life and destined to be doomed. These negative thoughts keep coming back obsessively again and again in my mind. All these feelings are psychological delusions, which my mind wants me to believe because of imbalance of some chemicals (neuro transmitters) in my physical brain.
During such periods and other times also, I should be doing 'self enquiry' as an antidote, but because of weak mind of mine, I am unable to. So I would like to know the meditative thoughts around the truth mentioned in the Upanishads like what Nisaragadda, authentically stressed "I am that, but not a weak thing like this.......". Bhagavan also gave instructions so many times on the same lines.
Is there any place I can get these ideas, I can pool together to hold onto, when black clouds of depression cover over my mind? Or will you please do a favor by compiling a note with this purpose ? I hope this would help me, as a spiritual pill of logic for my mental ailment.
Thank you,
David Godman Wrote on Sept, 15th via email--
Ramana Maharshi wrote in Who am I? that it is pointless and counter-productive to indulge in negative thoughts about oneself. Instead of feeling guilty about one's shortcomings, he wrote, one should instead put attention on the one who has these feelings and keep it there. Whenever attention strays to thoughts of how inadequate you are, transfer attention back to the the one who has this opinion. If you don't do this, you will just get caught in a negative downward spiral of self-doubt and self loathing.
However, if you really believe that there is something wrong with your brain chemistry, you should seek medical advice as well. If you find a good doctor, you may be able to find some medication that takes away many of the negative thoughts.
Best Wishes
David Godman
Happy to see we are both on the same space.
I have built an iPhone/iPad app about Ramana Maharshi and would love to hear your thoughts on it. Check it out: http://bit.ly/1pxUJft
If would like to write a blog post about it, I can provide you a couple of promocodes for you to increase audience engagement.
Keep up the great blog! :-)
Giovanni Dienstmann (Niraj)
Dear David Godman
Thank you for your contribution. The questions you have asked papaji are of quality (interview), I got benefited.
Sambasivarao
Oh! The Heart is what is,
Oh! The mind is what sees,
When there is no seeing,
There is only Being!
Did the LIFE photographer give any accounts about his experience taking those pictures? They have become pretty iconic. Tx
Bhagavan Remana Maharshi was having the following gualities.
Fearlessness, purity of heart, perseverance in acquiring wisdom and in practicing yoga, charity, subjugation of the senses, performance of holy rites, knowledge of the scriptures, self-discipline, straightforwardness; Noninjury, truthfulness, freedom from wrath, renunciation, peacefulness, nonslanderousness, compassion for all creatures, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, lack of restlessness; Radiance of character, forgiveness, patience, cleanness, freedom from hate, absence of conceit—
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