NAAHAM, KOHAM ,SOHAM. I am not this. Who am I ? I am HE !
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NETI NETI IS Jnaana Path. Who am I ? is a DIRECT PATH. Also called Vichaara Maarga or Path of Enquiry. Propounded by RAMANA MAHARSHI.
" WHO AM I ? " is not a question although it bears that form. It is no question as it had no answer. No answer by affermation "I AM THIS ." or by negation " I AM NOT THIS." is to be attempted or expected. IT IS AN ATTITUDE OF DOUBT AS TO OUR IDENTITY. ONCE YOU GET INTO THIS QUESTIONING ATTITUDE, THE PROCESS IS MERELY TO KEEP ATTTENTION ON THE I-thought.
"I " IS NOT AN OBJECT to be known, nor the first person pronoun. Here it represents the ghost of the non-existant EGO. You identify yourself with the body and all your thoughts are based on this false identity. THIS MUST BE GIVEN UP.
THE QUESTION IS LIKE A POLE USED TO STIR THE FUNERAL PYRE TO KEEP FIRE BURNING AND ALSO TO COLLECT BONES FOR SUBSEQUENT IMMERSION IN HOLY WATERS. The pole gets burnt . SIMILARLY, THE QUESTION ITSELF CEASES TO EXIST . THE VIBRANT " I-I ' RISES FROM YOUR HEART.
We GENERTALLY start with upnishad aphorims like- THAT THOU ART, I AM BRAHMAN AND THE LIKE. THAT, BRAHMAN GIVES THE NOTION OF SOMETHING NOT HERE , NOT KNOWN. HERE ,WE START WITH SOMETHING AVAILABLE HERE AND NOW AND BEGIN FINDING ITS TRUTH .
No ritual, no place, no time is prescribed for this path. No guru need be sought. Ask the question to yourself and keep the mind alert . If a thought arises in the mind, raise the question- To whom has this thought arisen? The obvious answer would be - TO ME Question again- Then who am I ? Mind gives up its original thought and returns to its source. If a picture appears on the mental screen. ask -Who sees this picture ? To me . Then who am I ? If you feel afraid of void /blank or feel the heat of the sun, jut ask -WHO IS FEELING AFRAID OR HOT ? I -- THEN WHO AM I ?
A TRUANT COW WILL RUN AWAY SEEKING GREEN GRASS. CATCH IT BY THE HORNS AND FORCE IT BACK TO THE SHED. But it will wait for an opportunity to run away again and again. In Vichaara maarga, the cow ( mind ) is lured back to the shed and fed with green grass. By and by , it will not leave the shed evn if left free.
Saturday 30 June 2007
Friday 29 June 2007
neti neti-- NOT THIS, NOT THIS.
Note - Read this with KOHAM - WHO AM I ?
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NOT THIS ,NOT THIS appears a negative approach to life. This statemnt is actually a negative appreciatin of NOT THIS, NOT THIS. Macualay was not the only man who misunderstood such great truths and called us lazy, lotus eaters.
Not that only foreigners had no intellect or patience to follow our Vedic truths, our own intellectuals fed on western philosophy fail to benefit. ; Nehru for one; Naipul for two .
Maayaa is another word totally midsunderstood.MODERN SCIENCE CALLS OUR ANCIENT SCIENCES OF AYURVEDA, ASTROLOIGY ETC WITHOUT ANY SCIENTIFIC BASIS.
A brilliant student when told -Not this , not this, he shoots back -if not this then - WHAT IS IT ? THAT BURNING QUESTION ONE HAS TO START WITHiIN THE HEART BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER.
We in this blessed land should realise we ride high on the broad shoulders of spiitual giants. We need not feel let down by our elders. We need not feel ashamed to do what our elders thought of and did." Read, try to understand , put to practise and verify,"says KALIDASA. EVEN AFTER VERIFICTION, VEDANTIC TEACHERS TOLD US- ACCEPT IT TENTATIVELY UNTIL YOU REACH THE TRUTH. THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY DID NOT END IN FINALITY WITH EINSTEIN. Even Ramana Maharshi had pointed flaw in it, though not a matriculate himself !
Deeper you dive , more precious gems you collect. More and more you study , the less and less known aspects of a thing you come to know. Collecting talking points, will not make you wise.
OUR SEERS began lookong for GOD outside. HYMNS AND PRAYERS. Vedas .Not satisfied they turned within. Result : we have UPANISHADS.
We walk ,we talk , we go to the moon and such statements shows we identify ourselves with the body. In sleep there is no body . Discarding the body as NOT THIS I AM is the first shackle to be thrown off your back. "I am the body ," is the originsl sin man suffers from. All problems begin with this sin.( Adam also committed this sin: eating the forbidden apple is next in.
We think, we compose poetry and such statements shows we identify ourselves with the mind. IN sleep you feel no pains you went to sleep with as there is no mind to feel. YET YOU FEEL HAPPY. Cast of the mind as NOT THIS.
SEEK THE REAL I THAT YOU ARE , WHO WAS PRESENT IN SLLEP TOO AND WAS HAPPY BY ITSELF ,IN ITSELF.
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NOT THIS ,NOT THIS appears a negative approach to life. This statemnt is actually a negative appreciatin of NOT THIS, NOT THIS. Macualay was not the only man who misunderstood such great truths and called us lazy, lotus eaters.
Not that only foreigners had no intellect or patience to follow our Vedic truths, our own intellectuals fed on western philosophy fail to benefit. ; Nehru for one; Naipul for two .
Maayaa is another word totally midsunderstood.MODERN SCIENCE CALLS OUR ANCIENT SCIENCES OF AYURVEDA, ASTROLOIGY ETC WITHOUT ANY SCIENTIFIC BASIS.
A brilliant student when told -Not this , not this, he shoots back -if not this then - WHAT IS IT ? THAT BURNING QUESTION ONE HAS TO START WITHiIN THE HEART BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER.
We in this blessed land should realise we ride high on the broad shoulders of spiitual giants. We need not feel let down by our elders. We need not feel ashamed to do what our elders thought of and did." Read, try to understand , put to practise and verify,"says KALIDASA. EVEN AFTER VERIFICTION, VEDANTIC TEACHERS TOLD US- ACCEPT IT TENTATIVELY UNTIL YOU REACH THE TRUTH. THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY DID NOT END IN FINALITY WITH EINSTEIN. Even Ramana Maharshi had pointed flaw in it, though not a matriculate himself !
Deeper you dive , more precious gems you collect. More and more you study , the less and less known aspects of a thing you come to know. Collecting talking points, will not make you wise.
OUR SEERS began lookong for GOD outside. HYMNS AND PRAYERS. Vedas .Not satisfied they turned within. Result : we have UPANISHADS.
We walk ,we talk , we go to the moon and such statements shows we identify ourselves with the body. In sleep there is no body . Discarding the body as NOT THIS I AM is the first shackle to be thrown off your back. "I am the body ," is the originsl sin man suffers from. All problems begin with this sin.( Adam also committed this sin: eating the forbidden apple is next in.
We think, we compose poetry and such statements shows we identify ourselves with the mind. IN sleep you feel no pains you went to sleep with as there is no mind to feel. YET YOU FEEL HAPPY. Cast of the mind as NOT THIS.
SEEK THE REAL I THAT YOU ARE , WHO WAS PRESENT IN SLLEP TOO AND WAS HAPPY BY ITSELF ,IN ITSELF.
kuntee-Kunthee
Kunthee, mother of Pandavas , was a great woman by her own right. A paternal aunt of Krushna. When her sons went to forest ,duped by Kauravas, she stayed in the palace. But when war looked imminent, she shifted to Vidura's house.
Krushna came as negotiator with Kuravas as a last effort to avoid war. Mission failed. HE called on Kunthee to ask for a message to her sons. She said- Tell my sons that time has come for sons born of a KSHRATRAANI TO STAND UP AND FIGHT. because it was fight for rights.
Kunthee was happy that her sons won the war and the kingdom but did not wait to enjoy status of a Raajmaataa. With other elders she repaired to the forest for vaanaprastha.
Draupadee with five brothers as husbands was an accepted custom in the then society. polygamy still practised in Nepal. But rules were there. When with husband , during the period other husbands would not intervene. Once Arjuna had to intervene, forced by circumstances, and was consequently exiled for a year. In Punjab, a younger brother of a deceased person marries the elder brother's widow.
They talk ill of Kunthee for her begetting sons from different Gods and not from her husband. The sage who granted her the Vara was aware of the plan for her i.e. she would marry a person who cannot beget children.
We have the story of LOT in thne BIBLE. A RESIDENT OF SODOM. WICKED lot of people and earned God's wrath . to be burnt by fire. God sends an angel to whisk away a blind old man who was a VIBHEEDHANA AMIDST THE WICKED. His wife was wicked and condemned to die. Lot's two daughters, wicked like their mother, followeed the angel and slipped away with their father. Concealing their identity from the blind father they begot children from their own father, the onlky father-cum -grandfather in human history. WAonder wehetre the LOT people are living today.
Krushna came as negotiator with Kuravas as a last effort to avoid war. Mission failed. HE called on Kunthee to ask for a message to her sons. She said- Tell my sons that time has come for sons born of a KSHRATRAANI TO STAND UP AND FIGHT. because it was fight for rights.
Kunthee was happy that her sons won the war and the kingdom but did not wait to enjoy status of a Raajmaataa. With other elders she repaired to the forest for vaanaprastha.
Draupadee with five brothers as husbands was an accepted custom in the then society. polygamy still practised in Nepal. But rules were there. When with husband , during the period other husbands would not intervene. Once Arjuna had to intervene, forced by circumstances, and was consequently exiled for a year. In Punjab, a younger brother of a deceased person marries the elder brother's widow.
They talk ill of Kunthee for her begetting sons from different Gods and not from her husband. The sage who granted her the Vara was aware of the plan for her i.e. she would marry a person who cannot beget children.
We have the story of LOT in thne BIBLE. A RESIDENT OF SODOM. WICKED lot of people and earned God's wrath . to be burnt by fire. God sends an angel to whisk away a blind old man who was a VIBHEEDHANA AMIDST THE WICKED. His wife was wicked and condemned to die. Lot's two daughters, wicked like their mother, followeed the angel and slipped away with their father. Concealing their identity from the blind father they begot children from their own father, the onlky father-cum -grandfather in human history. WAonder wehetre the LOT people are living today.
Thursday 28 June 2007
deshe kaale ca paatre ca- place, time and worthiness
The Lord discusses in detail the three qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas in the GEETHAA. How the three influence man's behaviour and actions . On daana ( giving gifts or alms ) HE tells us when a daana is considerecf SAATVIC.
1.The place where the daana is given has to appropriate so that the purpose is fully served.
2..The time has to be appropriate too.
3.And the receipient must desrve it.
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What one hand gives the other hand should not know. The others around should not know about Rwhat you give. DONT MENTION IT TO ANYBODY LATER EVEN. ECEIPIENT SHOULD NEVER FEEL EMBARASSED. Ramana benefitted many but nobody else knew of it ; even those who received realised their wish is fullfilled, when and where they never knew.
1. The place where daana is given is important. Food should be given to the hungry in the slums, not in affluent colonies. Donate to poor institutions who need more and consume what is given immediately.
2. What is use of giving money when the patient has already died for want of medicines?
3. A blind man was blessed with sight by Jesus.He turned out a rogue causing harm to all. When Jesus confronted him, he said - You are to be blamed. I was blind and helpless; but harmless. You gave me sight which made me free to move about and get at whatever that pleased me.
Thus see the man and his intentions before helping him.
The animals are caged. Wrong to free them, unless you transport them to their habitats.
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Read Geethaa, recite Geethaa, sing Geethaa.
Write Geethaa, talk Geethaa, discuss Geethaa.
Live Geethaa, breathe Geethaa , eat Geethaa.
FILL YOUR LIFE FULL WITH GEETHAA AND FULFILL PURPOSE OF LIFE AS A HUMAN.
May Geethaachaarya bless us all.
1.The place where the daana is given has to appropriate so that the purpose is fully served.
2..The time has to be appropriate too.
3.And the receipient must desrve it.
________________________________________________________________
What one hand gives the other hand should not know. The others around should not know about Rwhat you give. DONT MENTION IT TO ANYBODY LATER EVEN. ECEIPIENT SHOULD NEVER FEEL EMBARASSED. Ramana benefitted many but nobody else knew of it ; even those who received realised their wish is fullfilled, when and where they never knew.
1. The place where daana is given is important. Food should be given to the hungry in the slums, not in affluent colonies. Donate to poor institutions who need more and consume what is given immediately.
2. What is use of giving money when the patient has already died for want of medicines?
3. A blind man was blessed with sight by Jesus.He turned out a rogue causing harm to all. When Jesus confronted him, he said - You are to be blamed. I was blind and helpless; but harmless. You gave me sight which made me free to move about and get at whatever that pleased me.
Thus see the man and his intentions before helping him.
The animals are caged. Wrong to free them, unless you transport them to their habitats.
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Read Geethaa, recite Geethaa, sing Geethaa.
Write Geethaa, talk Geethaa, discuss Geethaa.
Live Geethaa, breathe Geethaa , eat Geethaa.
FILL YOUR LIFE FULL WITH GEETHAA AND FULFILL PURPOSE OF LIFE AS A HUMAN.
May Geethaachaarya bless us all.
satyaM vada, dharmaM cara- Speak the Truth. Act righteous.
AN UPANISHAD TEACHING. SPEAK THE TRUTH . ACT RIGHTEOUSLY.
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You have to be true to yourself first. TRUE AND PURE. Speaking truth is not for the weak-hearted. Speaking TRUTH gives you strength to face world , to fight against untruth.
Devotion to God is the first requisite. Love for fellow beings, love for animals and trees , nay love for the entire creation of God , gives you the purity of heart and the very thought of speaking an untruth vanishes.
Life of Harischandra is a good lesson .
Dharma is righteousness. Act bahujana hitaaya ,bahujana sukhaaya. For the benefit of all, for happiness of all. No selfish motives. You are not special in God's scheme. You cannot be happy in isolation.
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You have to be true to yourself first. TRUE AND PURE. Speaking truth is not for the weak-hearted. Speaking TRUTH gives you strength to face world , to fight against untruth.
Devotion to God is the first requisite. Love for fellow beings, love for animals and trees , nay love for the entire creation of God , gives you the purity of heart and the very thought of speaking an untruth vanishes.
Life of Harischandra is a good lesson .
Dharma is righteousness. Act bahujana hitaaya ,bahujana sukhaaya. For the benefit of all, for happiness of all. No selfish motives. You are not special in God's scheme. You cannot be happy in isolation.
Wednesday 27 June 2007
satyaM brooyaat priyaM brooyaat- SPEAK THE TRUTH. SPEAK PLEASANT.
Speak the truth. Speak pleasant. Truth may not be uttered if it causes unpleasantness.
This is from MANU. ETHICS LAID DOWN. ( Tirukkural is on similar lines .)
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SATYAM IS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD AS TRUTH, a statement of fact. But it is difficult to get at the fact.
Your memory may fail and put up a statement which is not the fact. A case of uttering unconscious untruth.
Your imagination may cook up information and believe you have the fact right. A cooked up untruth though not intentional.
Your observation, your comprehension and conclusion could be all wrong. Untruth born of your ignorance.
Then there is ARDHASATYA, an half -truth as uttered by DHARMARAYA .( Ashwatthaama episode.) Thie is purposeful untruth.
Tainted truth, twisted truth etc all are same class as ardhasatya.
An untruth is outwardly manifest and will be against your character. But every untruth is recorded and this will decide your future lives. THE MODERN DAY LIE-DETECTOR only proves that such a recording system exists. Speaking an untruth under oath in a court of law may go undetected . But the internal recording will be read when you are judged in the COURT OF LAW above and punishments decided before being pushed back to earth for the next birth.
SO THINK THRICE BEFORE SPEAKING , IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ONLY THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
Speaking untruth gives some vicarious pleasure. Speaking a truth at wrong situation gives pleasure for an egostic person and to the listener. Hence speak the truth only when it generates pleasantness ALL ROUND.
A TRUTH BETTER BE WITHELD IF IT CAUSES UNPLEASANTNESS, UNLESS WHEN YOU ARE IN A COURT OF LAW OR SITUATION DEMANDS IT.
This is from MANU. ETHICS LAID DOWN. ( Tirukkural is on similar lines .)
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SATYAM IS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD AS TRUTH, a statement of fact. But it is difficult to get at the fact.
Your memory may fail and put up a statement which is not the fact. A case of uttering unconscious untruth.
Your imagination may cook up information and believe you have the fact right. A cooked up untruth though not intentional.
Your observation, your comprehension and conclusion could be all wrong. Untruth born of your ignorance.
Then there is ARDHASATYA, an half -truth as uttered by DHARMARAYA .( Ashwatthaama episode.) Thie is purposeful untruth.
Tainted truth, twisted truth etc all are same class as ardhasatya.
An untruth is outwardly manifest and will be against your character. But every untruth is recorded and this will decide your future lives. THE MODERN DAY LIE-DETECTOR only proves that such a recording system exists. Speaking an untruth under oath in a court of law may go undetected . But the internal recording will be read when you are judged in the COURT OF LAW above and punishments decided before being pushed back to earth for the next birth.
SO THINK THRICE BEFORE SPEAKING , IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ONLY THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
Speaking untruth gives some vicarious pleasure. Speaking a truth at wrong situation gives pleasure for an egostic person and to the listener. Hence speak the truth only when it generates pleasantness ALL ROUND.
A TRUTH BETTER BE WITHELD IF IT CAUSES UNPLEASANTNESS, UNLESS WHEN YOU ARE IN A COURT OF LAW OR SITUATION DEMANDS IT.
dhaayato viShayaan - Thinking over objects.
In the second chapter of GEETHAA, the Lord spells out the birth of Desire and how it pulls down man to his "death."
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THINKING OF AN OBJECT, SAY A CAR, a man gets into a vortex. Coulouful beauties, convenience, saving of time, rise in status and the like. Attachment for the car takes root.
A desire raises its hood. He wants to possess a car. No money but the desire persists.
He thinks of borrowing from a close freind. The freind loves his money more and politely declines. He loses balance and yields to anger.
Anger leads to delusions.
Delusions to memory failure.
Unreliable memory results in loss of discriminination.
Loss of viveka is chaos in life.
These two shlokas were explainfd to me by a venerable old man. My initiation into GEETHAA lore. He also inroduced me to Shankaracharya. The "car "as his idea. I WAS IN AN IMPRESSIONABLE AGE- 19 YEARS. A student of SAMSKRUT.
LATER THE SAME YEAR I SAW THE DRAMA IN ACTION. The old man's son got into the car vortex ending with the predicted result !
WATCH THE PROCESSION OF MEN AND EVENTS. BUT FORGET IT AS SOON AS IT PASSES OUT. PROCESSION OF THOUGHTS MUST BE NIPPED IN THE BUD.
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THINKING OF AN OBJECT, SAY A CAR, a man gets into a vortex. Coulouful beauties, convenience, saving of time, rise in status and the like. Attachment for the car takes root.
A desire raises its hood. He wants to possess a car. No money but the desire persists.
He thinks of borrowing from a close freind. The freind loves his money more and politely declines. He loses balance and yields to anger.
Anger leads to delusions.
Delusions to memory failure.
Unreliable memory results in loss of discriminination.
Loss of viveka is chaos in life.
These two shlokas were explainfd to me by a venerable old man. My initiation into GEETHAA lore. He also inroduced me to Shankaracharya. The "car "as his idea. I WAS IN AN IMPRESSIONABLE AGE- 19 YEARS. A student of SAMSKRUT.
LATER THE SAME YEAR I SAW THE DRAMA IN ACTION. The old man's son got into the car vortex ending with the predicted result !
WATCH THE PROCESSION OF MEN AND EVENTS. BUT FORGET IT AS SOON AS IT PASSES OUT. PROCESSION OF THOUGHTS MUST BE NIPPED IN THE BUD.
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Leelaa - Sport
Happenings in the world which look bad, God's actions which we don not understand, we call His Leelaa.
God is called LeelaamaanuShavigraha - who dons human garb to please mean with His Leelaas.
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RaavaNa was killed on the battlefield. Citizens of Lanka started running away. Seeing an old lady running, LakShmaNa asked who she was. She was Nikashaa, mother of RaavaNa. Surprised, he asked Raama: Brother, her son and all kinsmen are killed. Little life is left for her. Why is she running? What more does she want to see in this world?" Go and ask her, Raama replied. LakShmaNa ran up to her and asked: Mother, what is the hurry? She replied - Son, I want to see further Leelaa of Raama.
In His creation after Adam and party sinned and died, peopled behaved and lived in peace and happiness. God thought: This will not do. No excitement. Thereupon, He said: Let there be languages. People started babbling different, one not understanding the other an quarrels and even wars began in full swing. This is Leelaa (as a Hindu sees it).
After Hiranyakashipu was killed and Prahlaad became king, peace reigned - even demons became devotees. God did not want this. He signaled a change in the mental setup of subjects. Quarrels began. Leelaa again.
Sitting in heaven God could have switched off Vaali's battery. Why did He have to descend as an Avataar and kill Vaali from behind a tree? Leelaa. He explained to Vaali why He did so. Vaali and his wife Taaraa both accepted God's explanation. Vaali actually handed over his son Angada's custody to Raama. Actuallly Raama had enhanced invincibility if fought from the front side.
RaavaNa actually abducted Seetaa to get killed by Raama. The following conversation between him and wife MaNDodari proves it.
M: My Lord, you do not know who Raama is.
R: No, my dear. I know who He is. There was no other way of ending my sinful life and achieving mukti.
M: But our whole clan would be wiped out.
R: None in our clan is worth to live on. Of course, VibheeShaNa was good and I have cleverly kicked him out and he has surrendered to Raama.
Maamaa (maternal uncle) is the most loving and affectionate person in life. But KRuShNa killed His maamaa Kamsam, beheaded His nephew Shishupaala and allowed another nephew killed by unfair means on the battlefield. Leelaa.
All Leelaa is properly understood if viewed with the background. Vishwaamitra had separated Harischandra from his wife. So later, he united Raama and Seetaa. In olden days, people knew of the past and accepted the present as fully justified.
God is called LeelaamaanuShavigraha - who dons human garb to please mean with His Leelaas.
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RaavaNa was killed on the battlefield. Citizens of Lanka started running away. Seeing an old lady running, LakShmaNa asked who she was. She was Nikashaa, mother of RaavaNa. Surprised, he asked Raama: Brother, her son and all kinsmen are killed. Little life is left for her. Why is she running? What more does she want to see in this world?" Go and ask her, Raama replied. LakShmaNa ran up to her and asked: Mother, what is the hurry? She replied - Son, I want to see further Leelaa of Raama.
In His creation after Adam and party sinned and died, peopled behaved and lived in peace and happiness. God thought: This will not do. No excitement. Thereupon, He said: Let there be languages. People started babbling different, one not understanding the other an quarrels and even wars began in full swing. This is Leelaa (as a Hindu sees it).
After Hiranyakashipu was killed and Prahlaad became king, peace reigned - even demons became devotees. God did not want this. He signaled a change in the mental setup of subjects. Quarrels began. Leelaa again.
Sitting in heaven God could have switched off Vaali's battery. Why did He have to descend as an Avataar and kill Vaali from behind a tree? Leelaa. He explained to Vaali why He did so. Vaali and his wife Taaraa both accepted God's explanation. Vaali actually handed over his son Angada's custody to Raama. Actuallly Raama had enhanced invincibility if fought from the front side.
RaavaNa actually abducted Seetaa to get killed by Raama. The following conversation between him and wife MaNDodari proves it.
M: My Lord, you do not know who Raama is.
R: No, my dear. I know who He is. There was no other way of ending my sinful life and achieving mukti.
M: But our whole clan would be wiped out.
R: None in our clan is worth to live on. Of course, VibheeShaNa was good and I have cleverly kicked him out and he has surrendered to Raama.
Maamaa (maternal uncle) is the most loving and affectionate person in life. But KRuShNa killed His maamaa Kamsam, beheaded His nephew Shishupaala and allowed another nephew killed by unfair means on the battlefield. Leelaa.
All Leelaa is properly understood if viewed with the background. Vishwaamitra had separated Harischandra from his wife. So later, he united Raama and Seetaa. In olden days, people knew of the past and accepted the present as fully justified.
Sunday 24 June 2007
GOD IS A CREATION OF MAN .
ATHEISTS ARE SURE GOD IS A CREATION OF A WEAK MAN. BELIEVERS KNOW THE ATHEISTS ARE THE REAL WEAKMINDED MEN STEEPED IN STYGIAN DARKNESS. Faith is confirmed belief in anything. Atheists miss faith in GOD, even BELIEF in His existance.
Ramayana and Mahabharat they dismiss ss mythological tales. It is not Purana. They are ItihaasaS, ( CURRENT HISTORY recorded by Valmiki and Vyaasa who lived during of Rama and Krushna and had witnessed Their LEELAAs.)
We honour Buddha , well known to history. Modrrn intellectuals have more faith in him. But even they do not accept JATAKA TALES. Buddha was born to enlighten us and not to entertain us with Fairy Tales. They are TRUE stories. Incidentally Jataksa Tales confirm rebirth /punarjanma.
Atheist can as well be considered asd our anscestor still on the trees and not descended to earth.
This need not be read by an atheist. This wil not benefit him. It will be like a buffalo eating pages of sa book..
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Man is a tool of GOD Who resides in every person's heart. ( Even in the hearts of atheists.) Man moves and acts as directed by and as empowered by GOD residing within. Man mistsakenly believes believes he acts on his own and takes credit for ball his achievements. '
The faithfull devotees know the power of GOD within and they see visions of GODS. Actually they are creations of his mind rich in power of GOD. To this extent we accept GOD is a creation of man. BUT GOD is not limited by the NAMES , nor by the FORMS which devotees lovingly give HIM .
God in HIS UNMANIFEST state is unique and remains as FREE and INDEPENDANT AS EVER. HE is ETERNAL, ANCIENT TO EVERYTHING AND IMMUTABLE. MAN HAS NO POWER TO GET AT HIM MUCH LESS CREATE HIM. HE REIGNS SUPREME AT HIS WILL.
NON-BELIEVERS ARE LIKE MODERN CHILDREN WHO BELIEVE THY ARE INDEPENDANT OF PARENTS .How would you accept machines chugging along , thinking they are independant of their creator, the man !
Note: 1 . GOD is Sachidaananda . What man creates is just give Him a body and a name. HE ACCEPTS the names and forms given by devotees but He essentially remains Sachidaananda, eternal , immutable. And man cannot create Sachidaananda . Sachidaananda in man cannot create Sachidaananda out of himself. ABSURD.
You create pots of sizes and shapes out of clay. YOU CANNOT CREATE CLAY. Nor can clay, being insentient, create anything.
God creates out of Himself. He manifests Himself as everything else. Only Hindu scriptures asserts this. If God creates out of matter extraneous to Him, you have to accept another power which created the matter . Not acceptable.
Allah accepts He created Satan out of fire, which He created first. Jesus denies his god created Satan, without mentioning the power which created satan nor the material out of which satan came into existence.
2. Geethaacharya declares - I accept whatever Form or Name any devotee offers me. ( but HE remains Sachidaananda as ever.
Ramayana and Mahabharat they dismiss ss mythological tales. It is not Purana. They are ItihaasaS, ( CURRENT HISTORY recorded by Valmiki and Vyaasa who lived during of Rama and Krushna and had witnessed Their LEELAAs.)
We honour Buddha , well known to history. Modrrn intellectuals have more faith in him. But even they do not accept JATAKA TALES. Buddha was born to enlighten us and not to entertain us with Fairy Tales. They are TRUE stories. Incidentally Jataksa Tales confirm rebirth /punarjanma.
Atheist can as well be considered asd our anscestor still on the trees and not descended to earth.
This need not be read by an atheist. This wil not benefit him. It will be like a buffalo eating pages of sa book..
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Man is a tool of GOD Who resides in every person's heart. ( Even in the hearts of atheists.) Man moves and acts as directed by and as empowered by GOD residing within. Man mistsakenly believes believes he acts on his own and takes credit for ball his achievements. '
The faithfull devotees know the power of GOD within and they see visions of GODS. Actually they are creations of his mind rich in power of GOD. To this extent we accept GOD is a creation of man. BUT GOD is not limited by the NAMES , nor by the FORMS which devotees lovingly give HIM .
God in HIS UNMANIFEST state is unique and remains as FREE and INDEPENDANT AS EVER. HE is ETERNAL, ANCIENT TO EVERYTHING AND IMMUTABLE. MAN HAS NO POWER TO GET AT HIM MUCH LESS CREATE HIM. HE REIGNS SUPREME AT HIS WILL.
NON-BELIEVERS ARE LIKE MODERN CHILDREN WHO BELIEVE THY ARE INDEPENDANT OF PARENTS .How would you accept machines chugging along , thinking they are independant of their creator, the man !
Note: 1 . GOD is Sachidaananda . What man creates is just give Him a body and a name. HE ACCEPTS the names and forms given by devotees but He essentially remains Sachidaananda, eternal , immutable. And man cannot create Sachidaananda . Sachidaananda in man cannot create Sachidaananda out of himself. ABSURD.
You create pots of sizes and shapes out of clay. YOU CANNOT CREATE CLAY. Nor can clay, being insentient, create anything.
God creates out of Himself. He manifests Himself as everything else. Only Hindu scriptures asserts this. If God creates out of matter extraneous to Him, you have to accept another power which created the matter . Not acceptable.
Allah accepts He created Satan out of fire, which He created first. Jesus denies his god created Satan, without mentioning the power which created satan nor the material out of which satan came into existence.
2. Geethaacharya declares - I accept whatever Form or Name any devotee offers me. ( but HE remains Sachidaananda as ever.
niyati - DESTINY
NIYATI IS WHAT IS DECIDED BEFOREHAND FOR YOU . YOUR DESTINY.Destiny is the plan set for you at your birth.
Even Jesus was born with a PLAN . UNCHGANGEABLE. Being what HE was , Jesus knew the PLAN for HIM AND FORECAST MANY COMING EVENTS , ESPECIALY LAST DAYS. BUT HE never acted to change any event.
A shloka says : What is written on the forehead cannot be changed by Hari, Hara or Brahma Himself ( Who wrote it .)
A devotee had serious problems and prayed to Shiva and sought relief. Granted. The devotee asked how come He could change destiny. Shiva replied : I DID NOT. I cannot change. Only when it is writen that a particular problem can be set right by SHIVA that I intervene. Otherwise I am helpless.
Ramakrushna said : Rama could turn Ahalya back from stone to life because her husband has said that RAMA WOULD DELIVER HER FROM THE C URSE and it was her destiny to be so cursed and saved.
Hear Vivekananda: If you concentrate deep enough, you can know your past lives and future lives as well. IT IS CLEAR PLANS ARE CAST NOT FOR ONE BIRTH ONLY ; THEY ARE PREDETERMINED FROM BIRTH ONE !
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We talk of FREE WILL OVER-RIDING DESTINY /FATE. Aurobindo, Vivekananda and others ask us to not to resign to fate but exert to overcome destiny, exert freewill. Fair. It is only to lift you out of dumps if things go bad. HAVE A POSITVE APPROACH BUT BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT GOD'S WILL.
Ramana says destiny is result of free will exerted in earlier lives ! Be detached and play your role already laid down for your at birth. Fate affects the body BUT NOT YOU, THE SPIRIT WHICH YOU ARE ! Why bother about body and its sojourn on earth ?
At what what time what what is to happen at that time that that will happenE happen- Sudam Mam.
What is to happen will happen whatever you do to prevent it. What is not to happen will not happen whatever you do to make it happen. Best coyrse is to remain silent. --RAMANA.
_________________________________________________________
Even Jesus was born with a PLAN . UNCHGANGEABLE. Being what HE was , Jesus knew the PLAN for HIM AND FORECAST MANY COMING EVENTS , ESPECIALY LAST DAYS. BUT HE never acted to change any event.
A shloka says : What is written on the forehead cannot be changed by Hari, Hara or Brahma Himself ( Who wrote it .)
A devotee had serious problems and prayed to Shiva and sought relief. Granted. The devotee asked how come He could change destiny. Shiva replied : I DID NOT. I cannot change. Only when it is writen that a particular problem can be set right by SHIVA that I intervene. Otherwise I am helpless.
Ramakrushna said : Rama could turn Ahalya back from stone to life because her husband has said that RAMA WOULD DELIVER HER FROM THE C URSE and it was her destiny to be so cursed and saved.
Hear Vivekananda: If you concentrate deep enough, you can know your past lives and future lives as well. IT IS CLEAR PLANS ARE CAST NOT FOR ONE BIRTH ONLY ; THEY ARE PREDETERMINED FROM BIRTH ONE !
____________________________________________________________________
We talk of FREE WILL OVER-RIDING DESTINY /FATE. Aurobindo, Vivekananda and others ask us to not to resign to fate but exert to overcome destiny, exert freewill. Fair. It is only to lift you out of dumps if things go bad. HAVE A POSITVE APPROACH BUT BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT GOD'S WILL.
Ramana says destiny is result of free will exerted in earlier lives ! Be detached and play your role already laid down for your at birth. Fate affects the body BUT NOT YOU, THE SPIRIT WHICH YOU ARE ! Why bother about body and its sojourn on earth ?
At what what time what what is to happen at that time that that will happenE happen- Sudam Mam.
What is to happen will happen whatever you do to prevent it. What is not to happen will not happen whatever you do to make it happen. Best coyrse is to remain silent. --RAMANA.
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niShkaamakarma- Selfless Action.
Selfless actions or performed without attachment pave the way for LIBERATION. One of the PATHS propounded in the GEETHAA.
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A devotee asked Ramana to explain what nishkaamakarmsa is. No answer. A little later Ramana started on his evening stroll up the hill. (To charge the battery, he explained. Wind from the herbal plants on the hill and its magnetis pull recharge you .) On the way he picked a stick from the ground. He began polishing it and cut it at both ends. He worked two hours on it. It looked a fine walking stick. A rich devotee would have loved to receive it, cover it with silver and provide a gold cap. On the way back they met a shepherd who had lost his stick. Ramana handed over the the new stick to him. He was very pleased. The devotee who had asked the question to Ramana said - Here is the answer to my question ! Ramana Way of imparting knowledge.
Ramana had picked the stick because he never wasted a thing that had some use. He picked up nails or other small things found on the road. On his leaf he will never leave a grain of rice. Like a monkey he will pick grain by grain at the end of meals nd put in his mouth. Food should not be wasted by us who live on charity, he would say.
Unhesitatingly gave the stick to a person who needed it , never minding the effort it took to work on it.
Now a TAO anecdote told to me by Narad Mam. A woman of ill repute delivered a baby and claimed it was fathered by a TAO sage living on the hill at the outskirts of the village. The villagers took her and the baby to the sage , explainef the matter and asked him to take charge of the baby. IS IT SO ?, he said and took charge of then baby and took care of it like both mother and father. Five years elapsed and the boy was darling of the village. The woman repented , declared the illegimate father's name and wanted the boy back. IS IT SO ?, the sage said and gave up the boy. Neither blame nor shame ,nor subsequent event ever touched him. The five years he worked on the boy with pure nishkaamakarma. No attachment. Bharata Muni became so fond of the baby of the deer whih he raised that he was reborn as a deer himself.
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Kaama arise out of likes and dislikes which generate attachment to works you attend to. Attachment leads to bonding and throw you back to cycle of births and deaths.
How to get over likes and dislikes ? In temples you receive prasad , sometimes sweets and sometimes vibhooti i.e.ashes. Both you accept with veneration. Good or bad things which come your way you accept as given by GOD. WHATEVER HE GIVES IS WITH A PURPOSE BUT ALWAYS FOR YOUR GOOD. This attitude helps you to get over likes and dislikes and consequently over desire . YOU BECOME NISHKAAMA i.e. transcend desire.
You see the impermanancy of things in life and develop dispassion to things in life. Dispassion leads to desirelessness . On to state of nishkaama . Be in the world but out of it. Back to burden of the song of wisdom - RENOUNCE AND REJOICE.
You participate in all actions as and when they come up. Live and work in the present . No previous planning and anxiety. No carry over of results of actions.
You are a teacher. It does not does not mean you will not prepare for tomorrow's lecture. BUT keep out of mind thoughts of impressing students or putting down a headstrong student. YOU HAVE TO TEACH . ENSURE YOU TEACH WELL.
Take children for pleasure trips. Enjoy with them. But remember , happiness is ultimately in GOD. Children must SHOULD NOT MISS THAT LESSON. Keeping God mind, children will in their time act nishkaama.
When in joy, thank God. When in sorrow ask God to give you strenght to withtrand it. Keep reminding yourself AHAM BRAHMAASMI -I AM BRAHMAN.
Work will be pleasure, whether work is easy nor hard, pleasuresome or painful.
FINALLY REMEMBER THE LORD'S WORDS- You have the adhikara (i.e. right ) to work. Never think over the results. Never desire for results you would love.
Here ADHIKAAR is not power by birthright. Not swaayatta. IT IS POWER DELEGATED BY GOD . IN FACT PRAKRUTI FORCES YOU , AS THE LORD SAYS LATER. WORK WITH HANDS BUT KEEP GOD IN HEART. THAT IS NISHKAAMAKARMA.
__________________________________________________________________
A devotee asked Ramana to explain what nishkaamakarmsa is. No answer. A little later Ramana started on his evening stroll up the hill. (To charge the battery, he explained. Wind from the herbal plants on the hill and its magnetis pull recharge you .) On the way he picked a stick from the ground. He began polishing it and cut it at both ends. He worked two hours on it. It looked a fine walking stick. A rich devotee would have loved to receive it, cover it with silver and provide a gold cap. On the way back they met a shepherd who had lost his stick. Ramana handed over the the new stick to him. He was very pleased. The devotee who had asked the question to Ramana said - Here is the answer to my question ! Ramana Way of imparting knowledge.
Ramana had picked the stick because he never wasted a thing that had some use. He picked up nails or other small things found on the road. On his leaf he will never leave a grain of rice. Like a monkey he will pick grain by grain at the end of meals nd put in his mouth. Food should not be wasted by us who live on charity, he would say.
Unhesitatingly gave the stick to a person who needed it , never minding the effort it took to work on it.
Now a TAO anecdote told to me by Narad Mam. A woman of ill repute delivered a baby and claimed it was fathered by a TAO sage living on the hill at the outskirts of the village. The villagers took her and the baby to the sage , explainef the matter and asked him to take charge of the baby. IS IT SO ?, he said and took charge of then baby and took care of it like both mother and father. Five years elapsed and the boy was darling of the village. The woman repented , declared the illegimate father's name and wanted the boy back. IS IT SO ?, the sage said and gave up the boy. Neither blame nor shame ,nor subsequent event ever touched him. The five years he worked on the boy with pure nishkaamakarma. No attachment. Bharata Muni became so fond of the baby of the deer whih he raised that he was reborn as a deer himself.
__________________________________________________________
Kaama arise out of likes and dislikes which generate attachment to works you attend to. Attachment leads to bonding and throw you back to cycle of births and deaths.
How to get over likes and dislikes ? In temples you receive prasad , sometimes sweets and sometimes vibhooti i.e.ashes. Both you accept with veneration. Good or bad things which come your way you accept as given by GOD. WHATEVER HE GIVES IS WITH A PURPOSE BUT ALWAYS FOR YOUR GOOD. This attitude helps you to get over likes and dislikes and consequently over desire . YOU BECOME NISHKAAMA i.e. transcend desire.
You see the impermanancy of things in life and develop dispassion to things in life. Dispassion leads to desirelessness . On to state of nishkaama . Be in the world but out of it. Back to burden of the song of wisdom - RENOUNCE AND REJOICE.
You participate in all actions as and when they come up. Live and work in the present . No previous planning and anxiety. No carry over of results of actions.
You are a teacher. It does not does not mean you will not prepare for tomorrow's lecture. BUT keep out of mind thoughts of impressing students or putting down a headstrong student. YOU HAVE TO TEACH . ENSURE YOU TEACH WELL.
Take children for pleasure trips. Enjoy with them. But remember , happiness is ultimately in GOD. Children must SHOULD NOT MISS THAT LESSON. Keeping God mind, children will in their time act nishkaama.
When in joy, thank God. When in sorrow ask God to give you strenght to withtrand it. Keep reminding yourself AHAM BRAHMAASMI -I AM BRAHMAN.
Work will be pleasure, whether work is easy nor hard, pleasuresome or painful.
FINALLY REMEMBER THE LORD'S WORDS- You have the adhikara (i.e. right ) to work. Never think over the results. Never desire for results you would love.
Here ADHIKAAR is not power by birthright. Not swaayatta. IT IS POWER DELEGATED BY GOD . IN FACT PRAKRUTI FORCES YOU , AS THE LORD SAYS LATER. WORK WITH HANDS BUT KEEP GOD IN HEART. THAT IS NISHKAAMAKARMA.
Brahma SatyaM Jaganmithyaa - (Brahman is the Only Reality, the World is False)
ब्रह्मसत्यं जगन्मिथ्या
(Brahman is (the only) Reality, the World is False)
Shankaraacharya says, "Brahman is the only Reality. The manifest world is a mirage." For this Shankara is called Maayasura, the demon of Maayaa. That this is not so is discussed here.
We begin with the definitions of words used in the introduction.
Brahman is the unmanifest Supreme Being, Who created the manifest world and you and me.
Reality is absolute existence, unborn, eternal, immutable. Sat is another Name. Satya is manifest Sat. If the world and creation were to vanish tomorrow, Sat remains Sat. PoorNasya poorNamaadaaya poorNamevaavashiShyate.
The world of dreams looks real for the time being. You go to sleep after a good meal and good drinks. In your dreams, you feel hungry and thirsty. Dream food and dream water satisfies both hunger and thirst. The whole dream world crashes out when you wake up. It was totally false, no Reality at all.
The world has phenomenal existence being superimposed on Sat/Brahman, like a rope mistaken in semi-darkness to be a snake. When you see intently, the snake vanishes and the subtratum rope only is seen. An enlightened man sees only Brahman and not the world as an independent entity. Phenomenal existence. The world disappears like the castles of a dream, in sleep or day dream, upon attaining enlightenment.
Knowledge of the mistaken notion is true awakening. Nothing need be done or undone. Be still and know I am God. Jesus said this. Knowledge or Jnaana is to be cultivated - Tattvamasi.
Mithyaa - Nonexistence believed as Existence. An illusion. Delusion is born of illusion, taking illusion to be true existence. In the case of a mirage, water seems real even after you realise it is false. But you cannot quench your thirst with the water of a mirage. So phenomenal utility does not confer reality on mirage.
Maayaa is the confusion caused by illusion and delusion. No substance in it but a powerful detractor of man. In simple words, All that glitters is not gold, is all that is called maayaa. Thinking something for something else, believing what is real as unreal and what is unreal as real is maayaa.
In the Mahaabhaarata, YudhhiShTira (Dharmaraaya) told the YakSha - Day in and day out thousands die. The rest still feel they will live on for ever. This is maayaa.
People think drinks take them heaven. But drinks actually take them to hell. This is maayaa.
Bush hanged Saddam. Actually he has put his neck in the noose. This is maayaa.
A buffalo laughs saying the buffalo in front is naked. It does not know it is naked too. This is maayaa.
Believing a blind man will show you the path is maayaa.
Shankaraachaarya continues: Brahman is reality. The world is a mirage. But Jeevaatmaa is nothing other than Paramaatmaa. In spirit, in essence, both are one and the same. And the world is real if considered as manifest Brahman. Hence the Achaaryaa cannot be called the demon of maayaa.
Gold ornaments look different. Ornaments with names and forms are impermanent. Gold is the only reality that gives ornaments their value. Throw ornaments into fire. Gold remains gold.
KShara means what wears away. AkShara is what that does not wear away. Break a word but the letters remain, unchanged. God is AkShara. We are all kSharas.
Awake, arise.
(Brahman is (the only) Reality, the World is False)
Shankaraacharya says, "Brahman is the only Reality. The manifest world is a mirage." For this Shankara is called Maayasura, the demon of Maayaa. That this is not so is discussed here.
We begin with the definitions of words used in the introduction.
Brahman is the unmanifest Supreme Being, Who created the manifest world and you and me.
Reality is absolute existence, unborn, eternal, immutable. Sat is another Name. Satya is manifest Sat. If the world and creation were to vanish tomorrow, Sat remains Sat. PoorNasya poorNamaadaaya poorNamevaavashiShyate.
The world of dreams looks real for the time being. You go to sleep after a good meal and good drinks. In your dreams, you feel hungry and thirsty. Dream food and dream water satisfies both hunger and thirst. The whole dream world crashes out when you wake up. It was totally false, no Reality at all.
The world has phenomenal existence being superimposed on Sat/Brahman, like a rope mistaken in semi-darkness to be a snake. When you see intently, the snake vanishes and the subtratum rope only is seen. An enlightened man sees only Brahman and not the world as an independent entity. Phenomenal existence. The world disappears like the castles of a dream, in sleep or day dream, upon attaining enlightenment.
Knowledge of the mistaken notion is true awakening. Nothing need be done or undone. Be still and know I am God. Jesus said this. Knowledge or Jnaana is to be cultivated - Tattvamasi.
Mithyaa - Nonexistence believed as Existence. An illusion. Delusion is born of illusion, taking illusion to be true existence. In the case of a mirage, water seems real even after you realise it is false. But you cannot quench your thirst with the water of a mirage. So phenomenal utility does not confer reality on mirage.
Maayaa is the confusion caused by illusion and delusion. No substance in it but a powerful detractor of man. In simple words, All that glitters is not gold, is all that is called maayaa. Thinking something for something else, believing what is real as unreal and what is unreal as real is maayaa.
In the Mahaabhaarata, YudhhiShTira (Dharmaraaya) told the YakSha - Day in and day out thousands die. The rest still feel they will live on for ever. This is maayaa.
People think drinks take them heaven. But drinks actually take them to hell. This is maayaa.
Bush hanged Saddam. Actually he has put his neck in the noose. This is maayaa.
A buffalo laughs saying the buffalo in front is naked. It does not know it is naked too. This is maayaa.
Believing a blind man will show you the path is maayaa.
Shankaraachaarya continues: Brahman is reality. The world is a mirage. But Jeevaatmaa is nothing other than Paramaatmaa. In spirit, in essence, both are one and the same. And the world is real if considered as manifest Brahman. Hence the Achaaryaa cannot be called the demon of maayaa.
Gold ornaments look different. Ornaments with names and forms are impermanent. Gold is the only reality that gives ornaments their value. Throw ornaments into fire. Gold remains gold.
KShara means what wears away. AkShara is what that does not wear away. Break a word but the letters remain, unchanged. God is AkShara. We are all kSharas.
Awake, arise.
KeneritaM
केनेरितं
(Inspired or Activated by Whom?)
Beginning words of KenopaniShad (Kena = by whom, Eeritam = activated, hence the name). Who inspires/provokes the mind to direct the body's different senses and limbs to perform their respective activities? (See the blog on Vada Me Vatse (1) - Tell me, my child (1)).
(Inspired or Activated by Whom?)
Beginning words of KenopaniShad (Kena = by whom, Eeritam = activated, hence the name). Who inspires/provokes the mind to direct the body's different senses and limbs to perform their respective activities? (See the blog on Vada Me Vatse (1) - Tell me, my child (1)).
The subject matter is beyond the domain of present day science. By covering up their ignorance of the three vital activities (including breathing) as involuntary functions, they have accepted defeat . They are more interested in and worried about the outer world, nay, the universe. The man of science travels to the moon but not a step within himself.
Man proudly says - I breathe. But science does not support him. Breathing goes on in sleep. Who maintains breathing? When the diaphragm relaxes, the lungs drop and expand and you breathe. When you do sheershaasana, the lungs collapse but breathing still continues. Mukhyapraana is God's vital force. It enters our bodies and works under two sets of five branches each. The fisrt set is commonly known - they deal with inhaling, exhaling, blood circulation/food distibution, digestion and evacuation/ejaculation. The second set deals with minor activities i.e. belching, sneezing movement of eyelids, hiccups, yawning and phlegm/swellling. The first set is called Principle PraaNas and the second as Subsidiary PraaNa. Together they are a decad of praaNas.
All or actions are preceeded by an urge to do do. Who generates the urge? You feel hungry - you eat. Children feel like jumping - they keep jumping. They feel like beating drums and blowing horns. They just do that. They hear the sounds. We call it noise.
The KenopaniShad says:
- Eyes cannot see Him, but because of Him, the eyes see everything else.
- Ears cannot hear Him, but because of Him, the ears hear everything else.
-Such is the reality of the nose, tongue and the skin - the firth sense.
The Geetaa says - All actions are performed by PrakRuti and its agents: the GuNas. Man gets deluded, thinking he does everything.
Awake, arise, and seek the wise for enlightenment.
Friday 22 June 2007
Geethaadhyayana-GeethaapaaTha
गीताध्ययन - गीतापाठ
(Study of Geetaa and recitation of Geetaa)
Mahaabhaarat is caled Panchamaveda. The Bhagavad Geetaa in the Mahaabhaarat is thus a sacred scripture on par with the Vedas. Vedas are revealed k nowledge whereas the Geetaa was delivered by the Lord in person.
All Achaaryaas have written commentaries on the Geetaa. Great Achaaryaas have written commentaries, in addition, on Brahma Sootras (the Essence of the Vedas, written by Sage Vyaasa) and major UpaniShads (twelve in number). Vyaasa condensed the Vedas into Sootras (consisting of short, terse sentences and phrases), which are collectively called the Brahmasootras. The Brahmasootras along with the Geeta and UpaniShads are collectively called Prashnatraya.
There are a few other Geetaas available. A year or two after the war, Arjuna requested the Lord to recount the essence of the Geetaa. This discourse goes by the name Uttarageetaa. Raamageetaa is Raama's discourse to LakShmaNa. This is a detailed version (140 shlokas) of what KruShNa told Arjuna in 18 shlokas on Advaitha. The Rubhu Geetaa in 1932 shlokas goes into further details on Advaita(Rubhu recounted the discourse he heard from Lord Shiva Himself). Avadhoota Geetaa , AShtaavakra Geetaa, Shiva Geetaa and others are equally inspiring. Uddhava Geethaa is KruShNa's discourse to Uddhava.
The Geethaas, all of tbem, have material to produce hundreds of PhDs. But the Bhagavadgeetaa, as propounded by KruShNa to Arjuna is considered the most sacred.
A scholastic study of the Geetaa is no doubt a lifetime effort. But the discoure has practical hints besides theory and priciples expounded upon in our scriptures, especialy the UpaniShads. It is a veritable mine of gems. Different paths are discussed and a pertson is welcome pick his path and pursue it with one-pointed devotion. Study of the whole of the Geetaa is not essential.
Recitation of the Geetaa is however recommended. And regularly. Aloud, not in one's mind.
Even if you do not know the language nor understand the full purport, keep up the recitation. The mind records and over the years you will come to know the language and the meaning will become clear. This is assured by sages of recent years like Shirdi Baba and RamaNa MaharShi.
Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu was on pilgrimage of South India. In a temple, a discourse on the Geetaa was going on. At a corner, he saw an old villager who was full of tears. After the discourse, Chaitanya asked him -Have you understood all that you heard? Why the tears? The man replied - I am illiterate. How can I understand anything. I was seeing KruShNa standing with one hand raised and delivering the message to Arjuna. Thinking that KruShNa was too tired, tears came to my eyes. Such was his faith, he saw the Lord Himself!
My Manjeshwara Ajja would shed profuse tears listeniung to Harikathas. Visions after divine visions must have crossed his mind. He was faith personified.
(Study of Geetaa and recitation of Geetaa)
Mahaabhaarat is caled Panchamaveda. The Bhagavad Geetaa in the Mahaabhaarat is thus a sacred scripture on par with the Vedas. Vedas are revealed k nowledge whereas the Geetaa was delivered by the Lord in person.
All Achaaryaas have written commentaries on the Geetaa. Great Achaaryaas have written commentaries, in addition, on Brahma Sootras (the Essence of the Vedas, written by Sage Vyaasa) and major UpaniShads (twelve in number). Vyaasa condensed the Vedas into Sootras (consisting of short, terse sentences and phrases), which are collectively called the Brahmasootras. The Brahmasootras along with the Geeta and UpaniShads are collectively called Prashnatraya.
There are a few other Geetaas available. A year or two after the war, Arjuna requested the Lord to recount the essence of the Geetaa. This discourse goes by the name Uttarageetaa. Raamageetaa is Raama's discourse to LakShmaNa. This is a detailed version (140 shlokas) of what KruShNa told Arjuna in 18 shlokas on Advaitha. The Rubhu Geetaa in 1932 shlokas goes into further details on Advaita(Rubhu recounted the discourse he heard from Lord Shiva Himself). Avadhoota Geetaa , AShtaavakra Geetaa, Shiva Geetaa and others are equally inspiring. Uddhava Geethaa is KruShNa's discourse to Uddhava.
The Geethaas, all of tbem, have material to produce hundreds of PhDs. But the Bhagavadgeetaa, as propounded by KruShNa to Arjuna is considered the most sacred.
A scholastic study of the Geetaa is no doubt a lifetime effort. But the discoure has practical hints besides theory and priciples expounded upon in our scriptures, especialy the UpaniShads. It is a veritable mine of gems. Different paths are discussed and a pertson is welcome pick his path and pursue it with one-pointed devotion. Study of the whole of the Geetaa is not essential.
Recitation of the Geetaa is however recommended. And regularly. Aloud, not in one's mind.
Even if you do not know the language nor understand the full purport, keep up the recitation. The mind records and over the years you will come to know the language and the meaning will become clear. This is assured by sages of recent years like Shirdi Baba and RamaNa MaharShi.
Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu was on pilgrimage of South India. In a temple, a discourse on the Geetaa was going on. At a corner, he saw an old villager who was full of tears. After the discourse, Chaitanya asked him -Have you understood all that you heard? Why the tears? The man replied - I am illiterate. How can I understand anything. I was seeing KruShNa standing with one hand raised and delivering the message to Arjuna. Thinking that KruShNa was too tired, tears came to my eyes. Such was his faith, he saw the Lord Himself!
My Manjeshwara Ajja would shed profuse tears listeniung to Harikathas. Visions after divine visions must have crossed his mind. He was faith personified.
MangamuShTi
मङ्गमुष्टि
(Fist of a monkey)
A baby holds its fists tight. Put a finger each in the fists and lift the baby. It hangs on. This is a hangover of monkey habits!
A monkey is greedy by nature and this weakness does it in. A monkey trainer keeps a tender coconut with its top cut open near a place where monkeys come. An inqusitive monkey comes and pushes its hand in and scrapes the pulp. Its fist with pulp inside becomes big and it cannot withdraw it from the coconut. If it opens the fist and take a little pulp at a time, it can feast on it. But, greedy that it is, it tries hard to pull out its fist.The trainer comes and the monkey tries to run away. The coconut stuck to its hand is a burden and it cannot run fast enough. The trainer gets it.
A parrot is another idiot (RaamakruShna says you may teach a parrot to repeat Raamanaama but when a cat pounces on it, it starts shrieking, forgetting God's Name). The bird catcher stretches a wire betwen two twigs of a fruit tree with a hollow tube on it. A parrot comes for the fruit and sits on the tube. The tube starts rotating and parrots shrieks and shrieks going round and round, somersaulting. If it releases the tube from its claws, it is free to fly away. However, it will not and, thus, is captured.
Man is no better than a monkey or a parrot. He clasps so hard on to the world, he becomes bound. Slacken the grip and be free. Tena Tyaktena Bhunjeetaa.
You hold the handlebars of a bicycle tight when you learn to ride. When you gain balance, you slacken the grip. God regulates your life. Release your grip and enjoy the ride.
(Fist of a monkey)
A baby holds its fists tight. Put a finger each in the fists and lift the baby. It hangs on. This is a hangover of monkey habits!
A monkey is greedy by nature and this weakness does it in. A monkey trainer keeps a tender coconut with its top cut open near a place where monkeys come. An inqusitive monkey comes and pushes its hand in and scrapes the pulp. Its fist with pulp inside becomes big and it cannot withdraw it from the coconut. If it opens the fist and take a little pulp at a time, it can feast on it. But, greedy that it is, it tries hard to pull out its fist.The trainer comes and the monkey tries to run away. The coconut stuck to its hand is a burden and it cannot run fast enough. The trainer gets it.
A parrot is another idiot (RaamakruShna says you may teach a parrot to repeat Raamanaama but when a cat pounces on it, it starts shrieking, forgetting God's Name). The bird catcher stretches a wire betwen two twigs of a fruit tree with a hollow tube on it. A parrot comes for the fruit and sits on the tube. The tube starts rotating and parrots shrieks and shrieks going round and round, somersaulting. If it releases the tube from its claws, it is free to fly away. However, it will not and, thus, is captured.
Man is no better than a monkey or a parrot. He clasps so hard on to the world, he becomes bound. Slacken the grip and be free. Tena Tyaktena Bhunjeetaa.
You hold the handlebars of a bicycle tight when you learn to ride. When you gain balance, you slacken the grip. God regulates your life. Release your grip and enjoy the ride.
Aatmaaraamah Sadaanandah
आत्माराम: सदानन्द:
(One blissfull in his own Self is in perpetual bliss)
Aatmaaraamah is a person blissful in his own Self. Resting at peace, like a baby in its mother's lap.
He is Sadaananda, in perpetual bliss.
Man loves sleep. He plans for soft bed, smooth linens and cosy pillows and blankets. He even drugs himself for a wink of sleep, even at the risk of permanent sleep. Why? For the simple reason that he enjoys peace and bliss in sleep. After he wakes up, the old stupidities arise, pains surface and miseries mock at him.
After a good sleep, he says - I did not know anything. I was very happy in sleep. Let us analyse the two statements.
- I did not know anything. He means he was not aware of anything, not even his body with its maladies and the mind with its worries. Where did he go leaving body and mind behind? How could he separate himself from them if he were integral with them? He was very much aware of himself, as seen from the next statement!
- I was very happy in sleep. This confirms he existed in sleep and that, further, he was happy in sleep without the body and mind with him!
- Both the statements show He is not the same as the body or mind and He can be happy without them. How? Where did the happiness come from?
In sleep, he was one with himself as Self. He was happy because the Self is Bliss.
Our Seers talk of Samaadhi.
In Samaadhi, you consciously separate yourself from the appendages of body and mind and reamain in bliss. In sleep, you unconsciously unshackle yourself from the body and mind and taste the bliss of Self.
In Samaadhi you are not aware of outside world. In Sahaja Samaadhi, you remain aware of the world but are not affected by the world, its pains and pleasures. A Sage is always in Sahaja Samaadhi.
Add a little to infinity, deduct a little frokm infinity, infinity is not affected. A little of pleasure or pain does not affect a person in the OCEAN OF BLISS. (Of course SCROOGIE will grudge a dime from his ooobin and celebrate a dime gained. )
The two statements made with respect to sleep are repeated in wakeful state also.
1. I was out of this world.
2. I forgot myself.
In both cases he says he was happy, in ecstacy! In both cases , he acknowledges he can be separated from his body and mind. An that he is blissful Aatmaa.
Aananda is bliss. This bliss is beyond the grasp of the senses - limitless. How infinite it is is described in a manner that we can understand in the scriptures. They say that the pleasure of sex enjoyed by Indra and Shachi is the same as that enjoyed by a dog and a bitch, and is just a drop of bliss of Aatmaa's ocean of bliss.
In his wisdom, God has put pleasure at the maximum in the physical plane because if it were not so, the cunning man will stop procreating which is very much essential to keep the world going. Purpose of creation of the universe would otherwise be defeated!
(One blissfull in his own Self is in perpetual bliss)
Aatmaaraamah is a person blissful in his own Self. Resting at peace, like a baby in its mother's lap.
He is Sadaananda, in perpetual bliss.
Man loves sleep. He plans for soft bed, smooth linens and cosy pillows and blankets. He even drugs himself for a wink of sleep, even at the risk of permanent sleep. Why? For the simple reason that he enjoys peace and bliss in sleep. After he wakes up, the old stupidities arise, pains surface and miseries mock at him.
After a good sleep, he says - I did not know anything. I was very happy in sleep. Let us analyse the two statements.
- I did not know anything. He means he was not aware of anything, not even his body with its maladies and the mind with its worries. Where did he go leaving body and mind behind? How could he separate himself from them if he were integral with them? He was very much aware of himself, as seen from the next statement!
- I was very happy in sleep. This confirms he existed in sleep and that, further, he was happy in sleep without the body and mind with him!
- Both the statements show He is not the same as the body or mind and He can be happy without them. How? Where did the happiness come from?
In sleep, he was one with himself as Self. He was happy because the Self is Bliss.
Our Seers talk of Samaadhi.
In Samaadhi, you consciously separate yourself from the appendages of body and mind and reamain in bliss. In sleep, you unconsciously unshackle yourself from the body and mind and taste the bliss of Self.
In Samaadhi you are not aware of outside world. In Sahaja Samaadhi, you remain aware of the world but are not affected by the world, its pains and pleasures. A Sage is always in Sahaja Samaadhi.
Add a little to infinity, deduct a little frokm infinity, infinity is not affected. A little of pleasure or pain does not affect a person in the OCEAN OF BLISS. (Of course SCROOGIE will grudge a dime from his ooobin and celebrate a dime gained. )
The two statements made with respect to sleep are repeated in wakeful state also.
1. I was out of this world.
2. I forgot myself.
In both cases he says he was happy, in ecstacy! In both cases , he acknowledges he can be separated from his body and mind. An that he is blissful Aatmaa.
Aananda is bliss. This bliss is beyond the grasp of the senses - limitless. How infinite it is is described in a manner that we can understand in the scriptures. They say that the pleasure of sex enjoyed by Indra and Shachi is the same as that enjoyed by a dog and a bitch, and is just a drop of bliss of Aatmaa's ocean of bliss.
In his wisdom, God has put pleasure at the maximum in the physical plane because if it were not so, the cunning man will stop procreating which is very much essential to keep the world going. Purpose of creation of the universe would otherwise be defeated!
Thursday 21 June 2007
Vada Me Vatse -3
वद मे वत्से
(Tell me, my child - 3)
An atom of any element comprises proton/s and neutron/s .
-Is the material of a proton different from the material of a neutron?
-What is the attacting force between the two?
-An atom of Hydrogen is near 99.99% vacuum. What fills this vacuum? The same "entity" that fills space between suns and planets and stars?
-Do the neutrons of different atoms of same element criss-cross i.e. tresspass into one another's domain ? Where is the space like in the universe of suns and planets and stars?
-Like the expanding universe is every atom expanding?
- Protons and neutrons are not solid. They are like hazy clouds emanating energy. What makes an element solid, liquid or gas?
-Elements expand under heat. Do atoms expand too?
Can one explain dynamically why orbits of different planets are different?
-Dynamically again, why does one planet revolve around the sun in a direction opposite to that of all other planets.
-Again, the moon's axis is at right angles to the axis of earth. You see the rabbit on the moon going round but it never goes out of sight. Explain!
PuruShasookta explains the creation of the external universe and NaarayaNasookta of the internal universe. This knowledge has all been lost like the continent of Atlantis.
Science moves outwards. Our seers dived within.
(Tell me, my child - 3)
An atom of any element comprises proton/s and neutron/s .
-Is the material of a proton different from the material of a neutron?
-What is the attacting force between the two?
-An atom of Hydrogen is near 99.99% vacuum. What fills this vacuum? The same "entity" that fills space between suns and planets and stars?
-Do the neutrons of different atoms of same element criss-cross i.e. tresspass into one another's domain ? Where is the space like in the universe of suns and planets and stars?
-Like the expanding universe is every atom expanding?
- Protons and neutrons are not solid. They are like hazy clouds emanating energy. What makes an element solid, liquid or gas?
-Elements expand under heat. Do atoms expand too?
Can one explain dynamically why orbits of different planets are different?
-Dynamically again, why does one planet revolve around the sun in a direction opposite to that of all other planets.
-Again, the moon's axis is at right angles to the axis of earth. You see the rabbit on the moon going round but it never goes out of sight. Explain!
PuruShasookta explains the creation of the external universe and NaarayaNasookta of the internal universe. This knowledge has all been lost like the continent of Atlantis.
Science moves outwards. Our seers dived within.
Wednesday 20 June 2007
GuNaateeta
गुणातीत
(A person who has overcome the guNas)
GuNa means quality, attribute, characteristic. GuNa also means a rope which has three strands. Three GuNas bind a man like a rope.
When we were children playing in the open in the evenings, suddenly a pink light lit the sky . We clapped and danced shouting saanhja phullela - i.e. evening had blossomed. Twilight.
In Samskrut, we call twilight Godhooli Prakaash. Evenings, when cows returned from grazing on the hills, their hooves raised dust and the sunlight falling on dust particles gave that beautiful hue to the sky. Hence the name. In Raghuvamsha, Kaalidaasa put this ocurrence in colourful and joyous words.
The Hour of God is a small booklet by Aurobindo. He talks of moments in life when you feel uplifted for no known reason. You feel springs under your feet. It had nothing to do with the situation you are in. You may be worried over something at the moment or you may be in a hospital bed. But you you feel like humming a tune. This may happen anytime unlike "godhhooli" in the evenings only. In the Geetaa, this phenomenon is explained as caused by the Saattvic Nature being on the rise within you.
Sattva is one of the three GuNas which govern your lifestyle and ultimately life itself. Although we have lost knowledge of what GuNas are we are aware of their influence in our lives.
The three constituents of GuNas are1.Sattva -This leads to buoyancy, illumination, knowledge and happiness.
2. Rajas - This leads to agitation, stimulation, mobility, action and pain.
3. Tamas - This leads to heaviness, enveloping, darkness, indiference, laziness, inertia, lethargy.
The three keep alternating , one overpowering other two and dominating. Results of one dominating over the other two are listed above.
The Geetaa deals extensively with the play of GuNas. All other characteristics and actions thereof are described in detail. The Idea is to subdue Rajas and Tamas by Sattva and finally transcend Sattva as well. A man who is successful at this is called TriguNaateeta or simply GuNaateeta - a liberated soul, also called NistraiguNya.
Dwandwaateeta
द्वन्द्वातीत
(Beyond opposites)
Sukhadukham samam krutvaa laabhaalaabhau jayaajayau, tells the Lord. Get beyond the pairs of opposites like happiness and sorrow, profit and loss, victory and defeat etc. Beyond likes and dislikes.
Happiness is taste of inherent Bliss And sorrow is putting away or ignoring your ever present Bliss. What you spend is another's bread. Profit and loss is relative. Victory is seeing victory in defeat. Defeat is greediness for more and more victories.
The pairs are inseparable Siamese twins. Like two sides of a coin. You cannot cut a hen , eat one half and keep other half for laying eggs, says Shankaraachaarya.
A point on the rim of a wheel goes up and next minute down, says Kaalidaasa. What goes up has to come down (A French proverb-Be nice to people on your way up. You are likely to meet them on your way down). One who is born has to die some day.
Likes and dislikes go together. They drag you into the net of desires and ultimately to death of happiness in life. Get over both: desire will not touch you. Renounce and rejoice (Discussed earlier).
Happiness goes hand in hand with sorrow. Pleasure with pain. But Bliss is absolute, with no opposite. Bliss in the heart is not touched whether the mind enjoys pleasures or suffers sorrows. Pleasure is unconscious return of mind to heart (Bliss). Sorrow is mind straying away from the heart. Keep hands in the world and mind in the heart where God resides, where Bliss is ever present.
Bliss is perpetual, eternal. It is the nature of Brahman and hence reigns untouched and supreme. Be conscious of this fact when you play your part in the world.
Vasudhaiva kuTumbakam
वसुधैवकुटुम्बकं
(The whole world is one happy family)
For the realised soul the whole world is one happy family. A mother loves all her children equally and does not differentiate between them, good or bad though they be.
Forsake thy parents and come to me, says Jesus. Jesus Himself says - Love thy neighbour. How come you abandon your parents and love somebody in the next house? Parents brought you to this world, lovingly reared you up and still care for you. Does the neighbour love you or care for you?
You must love God first and best. Since love for parents keeps you attached to parents, you cannot love God 100%. So it is suggested you give up hold on parents; God wil love them and take care of them. Since God is invisible, it is difficult to show love to Him. So a neighbour is brought in. Love the neighbour as representative of God. Try it. You will come to love parents all the more but in the spirit of loving representatives of God.
Extending the concept of the neighbourhood, who then is not your brother?
Extending brotherhood even further, even animals and plant life join your family.
Vasudhaiva kuTumbakam!
Tuesday 19 June 2007
Panchamamahaavaakya
पञ्चममहावाक्य
(The Fifth Great Aphorism)
The Mahaabhaarata is called the Panchamaveda i.e. the fifth Veda. Here is a suggestion to add a fifth great aphorism to the four aphorisms from the four Vedas. It is picked from the Geetaa, which is part of the Mahaabhaarata.
The four aphorisms from the Vedas are first discussed. All four propound Advaita.
1. Tattwamasi (From the Chandogya UpaniShad of Saama Veda)
That Thou Art.
THAT represents the unmanifest Supreme Being - Brahman (not to be confused with Brahma - one of the manifest trinity of Gods).
THOU refers to you i.e. your Self, Aatmaa.
ART confirms that THAT and THOU are one and the same, inseparable, integral. INTEGRAL>
THAT does not indicate IT is not here or not available now. THAT is in everything, at any time. There is nothing in which THAT is not present at any time. THAT is present between sun and planets and between planets besides being inside the sun and planets. As indeed it is present in all elements i.e. in all their atoms in between proton are neutrons and inside the protons and neutrons. ANoraNeeyaan mahatomaheeyaan - smaller than the smallest, bigger than the biggest, sings Sri Shankaraacharya.
THAT is given the neuter gender, being unmanifest. IT is bodyless and therefore neither male nor female sex is applicable.
The verb ART is clear. THOU art already THAT - nothing need be done to become THAT.
2. Ayamaatmaa brahma (From the MaaNdukya UpaniShad of Atharva Veda)
This Aatmaa is Brahman - know this for sure.
3. Aham Brahmaasmi (From the BrihadaaraNyaka UpaniShad of Yajur Veda)
I am Brahman. This constitutes the mantra for deep meditation and leads to salvation i.e. merger of the puny I into the Unmanifest (Brahman). The body is transcended.
4. Prajnaanam Brahma (From the Aitareya UpaniShad of Rug Veda)
Supreme Knowledge is Brahman. This states that awareness or knowledge is the nature of Brahman.
All these aphorisms are crisp and contain only two or three words. They appear at the end of the respective Vedas in the UpaniShads.
The Geetaa is the essence of all UpaniShads. The Vedas were revealed from the Unseen. The Geetaa was uttered by the Lord Himself. Therefore, the aphorisms from the LORD deserve the status of Mahaavaakya.
Jnaanee Twaamtaiva, says the Lord. A Jnaanee is my very self.
Three words only.
Elsewhere, the Lord has said that a Bhakta is dear to Him, a yogi is the greatest and so on. But here, He asserts that a Jnaanee is none other than Himself. A Jnaanee is not the body you see.(See the Advaita blog for details)
NOTE : Know yourself first before you start searching for THAT. ONCE you know yourself ,THAT is automatically known as THOU AND THAT are ONE and same.
Sunday 17 June 2007
Aashaapaashashatairbaddhaah
आशापाषशतैर्बद्धा:
(Bound by hundreds of nooses of desires)
Man is bound by hundreds of nooses of desires, says the Lord in the Geetaa. Early in Chapter 2, He gives the eight stages of the havoc played by desires in a man's life - from birth to final end in misery i.e. death of happiness in man's life.
Buddha takes desires as root cause of all evils in man's life. Root out desires, he advises.
We will see how Desire raises its head and how to crush it to death then and there.
Likes and dislikes give rise to desires. We must resist the pulls of likes and desires - to restrain or eliminate both likes (which entail activity to acquire desired things) and dislikes (which cause activity to dispose or avoid disliked things). Get over the Siamese twins i.e. dwandwa. Narasee Mehta sings - samadruShTee ne tRuShnaa tyaagi - look on both as same and discard both. You cannot kill a hen, eating half and keep another half to lay eggs, says Shankaraachaarya. Both likes and dislikes should go.
(Dwandwateeta, i.e., transcending dwandwas, will be discussed separately. So also guNaateeta, i.e., getting past the guNaas. Indriyaateeta is already discussed).
A Parable on Desire, by Buddha
A person chased by a tiger reached cliiff. He caught hold of a creeper and jumped over the cliff. The tiger sat growling and finally left. Loking down, the person saw another tiger at the bottom of the cliff waiting for him to fall down, and a mouse started gnawing at the creeper. Then he spotted two red cherries on a plant on the side of the cliff. Holding on to the creeper with one hand, he stretched his other hand to get at the cherries. Desire follows you even to death.
The Episode of Trishanku
Trishanku was an ancestor of Raama. Peaceful and prosperous kingdom. One moonlit night, he was on the palace terrace with the queen. A desire suddenly rose in his mind that he should ascend to heaven in his present body. It was sleepless all night. Early the next morning, he dashed to Guru VashiShTa and asked for his desire to be fulfilled. The Guru discouraged him saying it was not in accordance with the law of nature. Thereupon, he went to the Guru's son, with the same request. "You are not listening to my father's advice. Since you are so very infatuated with your body, I curse you that your body be charred like a brinjal cast on burning charcoal," the son thundered. Sure enough, Trishanku's body turned black and the skin tore here and there. The desire persisted and he went to Vishwaamitra who accepted the challenge to prove himself better than VashiShTa. Yajnas were performed and Trishanku began ascending to heaven in his body. The gods pushed him back and he started hurtling down to earth with head downwards,. He cried for help. "Stop there," Vishwamitra said and created a new heaven for him.
Well, Trishanku is in heaven dangling head downwards and body disfigured. All because he could not suppress a desire.
Bliss is absolute - no dwandwa here. Happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain etc are in pairs. Bliss has no nothing to oppose. There is no 0pposite to bliss, such as non-bliss. Light and darkness are in oppositon but darkness cannot be defined on its own. Similarly, there is no stand-alone definition of non-bliss.
Bliss is your nature. You need do nothing to be to taste bliss. Remain untouched by likes and dislikes. That is all.
Ramana says - "Under the tree it is shade. You are pulled out to the sun by your likes and dislikes. When you get what you like or get rid of what you dislike, the satisfied mind returns to the shade and feels cool and peaceful. It is foolish to run out.
NOTE: Let not your mind follow your eyes. (nor allow thoughts to risev and run riot.) You may nee things but never give a further thought to it. Suppose a car goes at high speed. Do not start thinking- He will kill somebody. Rash. A man is beaten- Dont say he deserved to be beaten. Nothing is your business. Thoughts bind you down as they strenghten the bonds of likes and dislikes.
(Bound by hundreds of nooses of desires)
Man is bound by hundreds of nooses of desires, says the Lord in the Geetaa. Early in Chapter 2, He gives the eight stages of the havoc played by desires in a man's life - from birth to final end in misery i.e. death of happiness in man's life.
Buddha takes desires as root cause of all evils in man's life. Root out desires, he advises.
We will see how Desire raises its head and how to crush it to death then and there.
Likes and dislikes give rise to desires. We must resist the pulls of likes and desires - to restrain or eliminate both likes (which entail activity to acquire desired things) and dislikes (which cause activity to dispose or avoid disliked things). Get over the Siamese twins i.e. dwandwa. Narasee Mehta sings - samadruShTee ne tRuShnaa tyaagi - look on both as same and discard both. You cannot kill a hen, eating half and keep another half to lay eggs, says Shankaraachaarya. Both likes and dislikes should go.
(Dwandwateeta, i.e., transcending dwandwas, will be discussed separately. So also guNaateeta, i.e., getting past the guNaas. Indriyaateeta is already discussed).
A Parable on Desire, by Buddha
A person chased by a tiger reached cliiff. He caught hold of a creeper and jumped over the cliff. The tiger sat growling and finally left. Loking down, the person saw another tiger at the bottom of the cliff waiting for him to fall down, and a mouse started gnawing at the creeper. Then he spotted two red cherries on a plant on the side of the cliff. Holding on to the creeper with one hand, he stretched his other hand to get at the cherries. Desire follows you even to death.
The Episode of Trishanku
Trishanku was an ancestor of Raama. Peaceful and prosperous kingdom. One moonlit night, he was on the palace terrace with the queen. A desire suddenly rose in his mind that he should ascend to heaven in his present body. It was sleepless all night. Early the next morning, he dashed to Guru VashiShTa and asked for his desire to be fulfilled. The Guru discouraged him saying it was not in accordance with the law of nature. Thereupon, he went to the Guru's son, with the same request. "You are not listening to my father's advice. Since you are so very infatuated with your body, I curse you that your body be charred like a brinjal cast on burning charcoal," the son thundered. Sure enough, Trishanku's body turned black and the skin tore here and there. The desire persisted and he went to Vishwaamitra who accepted the challenge to prove himself better than VashiShTa. Yajnas were performed and Trishanku began ascending to heaven in his body. The gods pushed him back and he started hurtling down to earth with head downwards,. He cried for help. "Stop there," Vishwamitra said and created a new heaven for him.
Well, Trishanku is in heaven dangling head downwards and body disfigured. All because he could not suppress a desire.
Bliss is absolute - no dwandwa here. Happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain etc are in pairs. Bliss has no nothing to oppose. There is no 0pposite to bliss, such as non-bliss. Light and darkness are in oppositon but darkness cannot be defined on its own. Similarly, there is no stand-alone definition of non-bliss.
Bliss is your nature. You need do nothing to be to taste bliss. Remain untouched by likes and dislikes. That is all.
Ramana says - "Under the tree it is shade. You are pulled out to the sun by your likes and dislikes. When you get what you like or get rid of what you dislike, the satisfied mind returns to the shade and feels cool and peaceful. It is foolish to run out.
NOTE: Let not your mind follow your eyes. (nor allow thoughts to risev and run riot.) You may nee things but never give a further thought to it. Suppose a car goes at high speed. Do not start thinking- He will kill somebody. Rash. A man is beaten- Dont say he deserved to be beaten. Nothing is your business. Thoughts bind you down as they strenghten the bonds of likes and dislikes.
Saturday 16 June 2007
Advaita
अद्वैत
(Non-dualism)
We accept that we are in two parts - physical body and spiritual entity. The latter is generally referred to as the Soul.
In Hindu scriptures, the soul is called Jeevaatmaa, being part of super-soul Paramaatmaa. They go further and establish the two are one and same: not two separate entities. This is Advaita. Jeevaatmaa being part of Paramaatmaa does not mean the former is a separable part of the latter like a limb of the physical body. The former is integral with the latter. A wave is part of the sea - but a physical part. Whereas, wave is water, it was water before and will be water after. WAVE is water i.e. sea in essence ALL ALONG. Seas and oceans have many different names, but belong to one body of water. India is my land, but remains an integral part fo the world.
Discourses given to us by the religious Masters sometimes appear to be at odds with each other, perhaps even diametrically opposite at times. This is to be viewed with reference to the capacity of the questioner to comprehend and to imbibe. The aim of the Master, as advised by the Lord in the Geetaa, is to not do anything to unsettle the faith of the questioner.
Jeevaatmaa and Paramaatmaa are one and same. The concept that God is within you is a preliminary stage. God is both inside and outside you (the body). If you limit your self-image to the body, then the world is outside you. If you realize that you are God, the world is inside you, and the body is part of you. If you believe you are a body, you see everything. If you believe you are God, there are no eyes to see anybody else. However, through divyadRuShTi or transcendental sight, you are aware of the whole world.
Is the soul in one part of the body, say, in the heart, or does it pervade the entire body? Is the soul of an ant small and that of an elephant huge? Strength may go with size but intellect which goes with spirit (soul) and it is more powerful. An old grandmother's story tells how an ant can bother an elephant. The fact that man rules the world also confirms that intellect is more powerful. Points otherwise.
Is a part of the soul cut off, say, when a limb is amputated? A study of Poornamidam shows soul remains "full."
Your body contains many other live bodies within it. Each body inside your body is alive! Worms revel in our bowels. You may call a house your own, but a rat living in a hole in the house can also claim it as its own house. Just as the so-called "your body" contains all other bodies within, your soul covers all other souls of other bodies in your body.
A Jnaani is not the body you see. He has transcended it - cast it off like a snake sloughs off its skin. It makes no difference to a Jnaani whether you honour or dump his body. However, his body becomes a temple of God - an animated idol, with God radiating tremendous power from within. A Jnaani's body is not cremated, but buried and preserved. Tulasi plants are grown over the Jnaani's samaadhi, or an idol of Hanumaan is installed over it. Devotees who visit these samaadhis benefit for centuries. Now, petrol catches fire at the first spark. Coal takes longer to ignite. Wet wood requires many attempts to light up. We should try not to be wet wood when we get the privilege of visiting such samaadhis at places like Mantraalaya, TiruvaNNamalai or ShirDi.
In physics, we are taught that if a few gases are put in a vessel, each gas expands and occupies the full volume of the vessel. In the spiritual realm, the supersoul covers all souls of individuals as indeed all physical bodies are pervaded and permeated by ViraaTa PuruSha (Cosmic Person).
Finally, we come to Advaita. There is no individual soul. If your soul occupies the heart and the supersoul (God) also occupies the heart, as evey religion proclaims, then it cannot be said that God is within me. Thus, the soul as such has no individuality or indentity. Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art).*
Note: THAT THOU ART.
That indicates something not here but is there, away from you. First find whom you are. When you know yourself you will know THAT as well because you are already THAT.
(Non-dualism)
We accept that we are in two parts - physical body and spiritual entity. The latter is generally referred to as the Soul.
In Hindu scriptures, the soul is called Jeevaatmaa, being part of super-soul Paramaatmaa. They go further and establish the two are one and same: not two separate entities. This is Advaita. Jeevaatmaa being part of Paramaatmaa does not mean the former is a separable part of the latter like a limb of the physical body. The former is integral with the latter. A wave is part of the sea - but a physical part. Whereas, wave is water, it was water before and will be water after. WAVE is water i.e. sea in essence ALL ALONG. Seas and oceans have many different names, but belong to one body of water. India is my land, but remains an integral part fo the world.
Discourses given to us by the religious Masters sometimes appear to be at odds with each other, perhaps even diametrically opposite at times. This is to be viewed with reference to the capacity of the questioner to comprehend and to imbibe. The aim of the Master, as advised by the Lord in the Geetaa, is to not do anything to unsettle the faith of the questioner.
Jeevaatmaa and Paramaatmaa are one and same. The concept that God is within you is a preliminary stage. God is both inside and outside you (the body). If you limit your self-image to the body, then the world is outside you. If you realize that you are God, the world is inside you, and the body is part of you. If you believe you are a body, you see everything. If you believe you are God, there are no eyes to see anybody else. However, through divyadRuShTi or transcendental sight, you are aware of the whole world.
Is the soul in one part of the body, say, in the heart, or does it pervade the entire body? Is the soul of an ant small and that of an elephant huge? Strength may go with size but intellect which goes with spirit (soul) and it is more powerful. An old grandmother's story tells how an ant can bother an elephant. The fact that man rules the world also confirms that intellect is more powerful. Points otherwise.
Is a part of the soul cut off, say, when a limb is amputated? A study of Poornamidam shows soul remains "full."
Your body contains many other live bodies within it. Each body inside your body is alive! Worms revel in our bowels. You may call a house your own, but a rat living in a hole in the house can also claim it as its own house. Just as the so-called "your body" contains all other bodies within, your soul covers all other souls of other bodies in your body.
A Jnaani is not the body you see. He has transcended it - cast it off like a snake sloughs off its skin. It makes no difference to a Jnaani whether you honour or dump his body. However, his body becomes a temple of God - an animated idol, with God radiating tremendous power from within. A Jnaani's body is not cremated, but buried and preserved. Tulasi plants are grown over the Jnaani's samaadhi, or an idol of Hanumaan is installed over it. Devotees who visit these samaadhis benefit for centuries. Now, petrol catches fire at the first spark. Coal takes longer to ignite. Wet wood requires many attempts to light up. We should try not to be wet wood when we get the privilege of visiting such samaadhis at places like Mantraalaya, TiruvaNNamalai or ShirDi.
In physics, we are taught that if a few gases are put in a vessel, each gas expands and occupies the full volume of the vessel. In the spiritual realm, the supersoul covers all souls of individuals as indeed all physical bodies are pervaded and permeated by ViraaTa PuruSha (Cosmic Person).
Finally, we come to Advaita. There is no individual soul. If your soul occupies the heart and the supersoul (God) also occupies the heart, as evey religion proclaims, then it cannot be said that God is within me. Thus, the soul as such has no individuality or indentity. Tat Twam Asi (That Thou Art).*
Note: THAT THOU ART.
That indicates something not here but is there, away from you. First find whom you are. When you know yourself you will know THAT as well because you are already THAT.
Friday 15 June 2007
Patram PuShpam Phalam Toyam
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं
(A leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water)
A leaf struck in the emptied cooking vessel of Draupadi satisfied the hunger of the Lord and consequently Sage Durvaasa and his thousand disciples.
A flower offered by the Elephant King brought Vishnu hurrying down to save it from the jaws of a crocodile.
A forest fruit, that too tasted first by Sabari, was eaten with relish by Raama.
Rantideva was a great daani - gave out everything to the needy. Once he went on a vrata, cutting down on his food and ultimately surviving on water only. He began reducing the quantity of water and finally came down to only one ghotu (gulp). One day when he was ready to dring that one single ghotu, a poor old Brahmin came and requested him for water. He readily gave the water. The Brahmin was God, come to test him. A sip of water offered by Rantideva brought him liberation granted by the satisfied Lord.
God does not expect money or jewellery from us. Simple and freely avaible items please Him more. We offer to God what we think pleases Him. We offer what we value more ourselves. We mistakenly believe that God waits for our daana - that He likes big temples and costly jewellery. Also, we like to see our names engraved on marble pillars. This is our ignorance and our ego. But philanthropy has no meaning in giving ostentatious items to God Who owns everything. God expects us to give to the needy - we can give directly. God sees and is happy. Why involve God just to get our names in God's Donor List? He is PoorNakaama - he will be pleased with anything you offer, or even nothing, provided you have Bhakti in your heart.
Note : There is more pleasure in giving than in receiving. If you feel no pleasure in giving , than you have given nothing even when you donate rs one crore ! You have not donated , you just boosted your ego.
(A leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water)
A leaf struck in the emptied cooking vessel of Draupadi satisfied the hunger of the Lord and consequently Sage Durvaasa and his thousand disciples.
A flower offered by the Elephant King brought Vishnu hurrying down to save it from the jaws of a crocodile.
A forest fruit, that too tasted first by Sabari, was eaten with relish by Raama.
Rantideva was a great daani - gave out everything to the needy. Once he went on a vrata, cutting down on his food and ultimately surviving on water only. He began reducing the quantity of water and finally came down to only one ghotu (gulp). One day when he was ready to dring that one single ghotu, a poor old Brahmin came and requested him for water. He readily gave the water. The Brahmin was God, come to test him. A sip of water offered by Rantideva brought him liberation granted by the satisfied Lord.
God does not expect money or jewellery from us. Simple and freely avaible items please Him more. We offer to God what we think pleases Him. We offer what we value more ourselves. We mistakenly believe that God waits for our daana - that He likes big temples and costly jewellery. Also, we like to see our names engraved on marble pillars. This is our ignorance and our ego. But philanthropy has no meaning in giving ostentatious items to God Who owns everything. God expects us to give to the needy - we can give directly. God sees and is happy. Why involve God just to get our names in God's Donor List? He is PoorNakaama - he will be pleased with anything you offer, or even nothing, provided you have Bhakti in your heart.
Note : There is more pleasure in giving than in receiving. If you feel no pleasure in giving , than you have given nothing even when you donate rs one crore ! You have not donated , you just boosted your ego.
Thursday 14 June 2007
Shraddhaa
श्रद्धा
(Faith)
Shraddha is faith, generally called blind faith, especially in respect of Faith in god in the modern sophisticated, scientific society.
People live by faith in all fields. Money is thought of as panacea for all ills and harbinger of all pleasures. Faith in money power is the blindest faith, as blind as faith in alcoholic drinks - effervescent happiness followed by hangover and misery.
Belief is in what you hear. Faith is accepting as true by experimenting with and experiencing as the truth what was heard.
Sant Jnaaneshwar, with his fellow devotees, was returning from Kaashi yatra. The queen of a small kingdom enroute wanted to invite him but was afraid the king would not agree. She secretly poisoned her four year old only son, who died as a consequence. Thereupon, she suggested to the king that the saint be invited as he may revive their son. The saint was invited and honoured and the boy sprang back to life. Such was the strength of her faith that she staked her child's life on it!
A child has innocent faith in its mother. Just a cry away. When in need it lets go a cry and mother appears! When mother beats it, it hugs her knowing she is its refuge. It will not run away.
Raama and LakshmaNa were out in search of Seetaa. On way, they stoped at river Pampa for a bath. They stuck their bows in the sands of the bank and entered the water. After His bath, when Raama pulled out His bow, blood was seen at the tip. "Brother , I have hurt a frog," He said. Lakshmana dug out the injured frog. Holding the frog in His hands and caressing it, Rama said - "Why did you not call me as soon as you were injured? I could have saved you. The frog replied -When anybody injures me, I call on you. When You yourself injured me, whom shall I call? That is animal faith, animal wisdom!
NOTE:
1. yo yacchraddhaH sa eva saH- wherein you have faith so you are ! -Geethaa.
2. Faith can move mountains.
3. As is thy faith so it will be - Jesus. Jesus was walking down road with a crowd following Him. A voice was heard from behind - let me touch his robe, let me touch his robe. Jesus stopped and asked the woman why she wants to touch his robe . It will cure my disease , she explained. Surprisede by her deep faith HE uttered those words.
(Faith)
Shraddha is faith, generally called blind faith, especially in respect of Faith in god in the modern sophisticated, scientific society.
People live by faith in all fields. Money is thought of as panacea for all ills and harbinger of all pleasures. Faith in money power is the blindest faith, as blind as faith in alcoholic drinks - effervescent happiness followed by hangover and misery.
Belief is in what you hear. Faith is accepting as true by experimenting with and experiencing as the truth what was heard.
Sant Jnaaneshwar, with his fellow devotees, was returning from Kaashi yatra. The queen of a small kingdom enroute wanted to invite him but was afraid the king would not agree. She secretly poisoned her four year old only son, who died as a consequence. Thereupon, she suggested to the king that the saint be invited as he may revive their son. The saint was invited and honoured and the boy sprang back to life. Such was the strength of her faith that she staked her child's life on it!
A child has innocent faith in its mother. Just a cry away. When in need it lets go a cry and mother appears! When mother beats it, it hugs her knowing she is its refuge. It will not run away.
Raama and LakshmaNa were out in search of Seetaa. On way, they stoped at river Pampa for a bath. They stuck their bows in the sands of the bank and entered the water. After His bath, when Raama pulled out His bow, blood was seen at the tip. "Brother , I have hurt a frog," He said. Lakshmana dug out the injured frog. Holding the frog in His hands and caressing it, Rama said - "Why did you not call me as soon as you were injured? I could have saved you. The frog replied -When anybody injures me, I call on you. When You yourself injured me, whom shall I call? That is animal faith, animal wisdom!
NOTE:
1. yo yacchraddhaH sa eva saH- wherein you have faith so you are ! -Geethaa.
2. Faith can move mountains.
3. As is thy faith so it will be - Jesus. Jesus was walking down road with a crowd following Him. A voice was heard from behind - let me touch his robe, let me touch his robe. Jesus stopped and asked the woman why she wants to touch his robe . It will cure my disease , she explained. Surprisede by her deep faith HE uttered those words.
Wednesday 13 June 2007
AuShadham Jaahnaveetoyam
औषधं जाह्नवी तोयं
(Gangaajala is THE medicine)
The shloka goes - When the body is eaten up by age and tormented by diseases, Lord Naaraayan Hari is the doctor and Gangaajala is the medicine.
My Baappammaa had a treasure chest of stories for grandchildren, containing life's experiences and any number of proverbs in Amchigele, TuLu, KannaDa and Samskruta. Also, shlokas from Geetaa. She would utter the most relevant and appropriate quotation as the occasion arose. The shloka quoted was one of them.( These days grandchilden do not see the treasure chest even when grandmothers are present; misssing most are the Geetaa shlokas).
Faith in Gangaajala is dwindling. Our anscestors were not illiterate fools . They had seen miraculous cures by Gangaajala and also performed by sages and saints. RaamakruShNa and RamaNa had taken on themselves the diseases of devotes by touch or by mere sight. By touch or sight they cured diseases of devotees.*
Nature cure with or without herbal medicines is a lost art now. We are ignorant of our real nature. Years ago, they thought malaria was eradicated. They cut down cinchona trees. 20 years later, malaria resurrected! Cinchona was dificult to get and they were surprised the malaria germs have grown immune to cincona over many many generations!
If a germ can fight back for survival why not modern man? If at all, science has made man lose his natural state, being fed by modern medicines and amenities.
NOTE:
* Ramakrushna , Ramana and other sages took on the diseases on themselves from the devotees and suffered personally. Ramana had said that by Samaadhi process he could eliminate some diseases but never tried to purposefully to reduce his burden.
(Gangaajala is THE medicine)
The shloka goes - When the body is eaten up by age and tormented by diseases, Lord Naaraayan Hari is the doctor and Gangaajala is the medicine.
My Baappammaa had a treasure chest of stories for grandchildren, containing life's experiences and any number of proverbs in Amchigele, TuLu, KannaDa and Samskruta. Also, shlokas from Geetaa. She would utter the most relevant and appropriate quotation as the occasion arose. The shloka quoted was one of them.( These days grandchilden do not see the treasure chest even when grandmothers are present; misssing most are the Geetaa shlokas).
Faith in Gangaajala is dwindling. Our anscestors were not illiterate fools . They had seen miraculous cures by Gangaajala and also performed by sages and saints. RaamakruShNa and RamaNa had taken on themselves the diseases of devotes by touch or by mere sight. By touch or sight they cured diseases of devotees.*
Nature cure with or without herbal medicines is a lost art now. We are ignorant of our real nature. Years ago, they thought malaria was eradicated. They cut down cinchona trees. 20 years later, malaria resurrected! Cinchona was dificult to get and they were surprised the malaria germs have grown immune to cincona over many many generations!
If a germ can fight back for survival why not modern man? If at all, science has made man lose his natural state, being fed by modern medicines and amenities.
NOTE:
* Ramakrushna , Ramana and other sages took on the diseases on themselves from the devotees and suffered personally. Ramana had said that by Samaadhi process he could eliminate some diseases but never tried to purposefully to reduce his burden.
Oum PoorNamadah PoorNamidam
ॐ पूर्णमद: पूर्णमिदम्
(This is full, that is full)
The shloka goes:
THIS is full. THAT is full.
THIS came out of THAT.
THIS coming out of THAT, THAT remains full (as ever).
THIS refers to the soul (jeevaatmaa). THAT is the Universal Soul (paramaatmaa).
FULL means self-contained, self-conscious, eternal and immutable. THIS and THAT are one and inseparable. Otaprota (a combined SamskRuta word) - meaning all pervasive and all permeating - within and without - inside and outside - just like warp and woof of a woven cloth.
THAT means IT is here , is is far away. BUT That is here, there and everywhere! That is neuter gender. That is unmanifest and without a body, hence neither male nor female.
THIS is not a part of THAT, like the limb of a body which cannot be separated. THIS is integral with THAT like Ardhanaareeshwara.
THAT is both the sentient and material cause of the manifested universe. IF not the material source, then you have to explain WHO made the material. Another THAT? And indeed with what earlier material and WHO indeed made this earlier material and so on. Absurdity.*
NOTE:
Thou art That. YOU ARE THAT. Ramana advises -Forget for the time THAT which is not "here". Find out WHO YOU ARE . You will automatically and simultaneously know THAT beause You are already That .
(This is full, that is full)
The shloka goes:
THIS is full. THAT is full.
THIS came out of THAT.
THIS coming out of THAT, THAT remains full (as ever).
THIS refers to the soul (jeevaatmaa). THAT is the Universal Soul (paramaatmaa).
FULL means self-contained, self-conscious, eternal and immutable. THIS and THAT are one and inseparable. Otaprota (a combined SamskRuta word) - meaning all pervasive and all permeating - within and without - inside and outside - just like warp and woof of a woven cloth.
THAT means IT is here , is is far away. BUT That is here, there and everywhere! That is neuter gender. That is unmanifest and without a body, hence neither male nor female.
THIS is not a part of THAT, like the limb of a body which cannot be separated. THIS is integral with THAT like Ardhanaareeshwara.
THAT is both the sentient and material cause of the manifested universe. IF not the material source, then you have to explain WHO made the material. Another THAT? And indeed with what earlier material and WHO indeed made this earlier material and so on. Absurdity.*
NOTE:
Thou art That. YOU ARE THAT. Ramana advises -Forget for the time THAT which is not "here". Find out WHO YOU ARE . You will automatically and simultaneously know THAT beause You are already That .
Sunday 10 June 2007
Indriyaateeta
इन्द्रियातीत
(A person who has transcended the senses)
A deer is ensnared by the sound (ears) of the bugle, a wild elephant by touch (skin) of a tamed elephant, the insects by sight (eyes) of a burning flame, bees by smell (nose)of the honey and a fish by taste (tongue) of the bait. "What to talk of men ensnared by all five senses?" laments Shankaraachaarya.
We depend on senses for pleasure, but no sensual pleasure is permanent. It ultimately leads to sorrow and misery. Senses give temporary happiness, for the time being. Senses are not consistent. One person likes sweets and other sour. Senses lose strength of perception over the years. Senses of men are less in strength of perception. Dogs have a higher audible range, bats even higher than dogs. A vulture from the sky can spot a scurrying rat on the ground. With our limited senses, we cannot expect unlimited pleasure. And senses are of no use to find God.
We should not come under sway of senses. Restrain them, moderate them, be their masters. See beyond what is seen, Hear beyond what is heard and so on. Think of God behind what is seen or heard. *
Be an Indriyaateeta. This is in respect the the organs of perception (the senses). Go beyond the organs of action - become a GuNaateeta too (to be discussed later).
NOTE:
* GOD is buddhograahya, ateendriya .says the Lord in the Geethaa. Beyong grasp of senses , only fine buddhi can reach God.
You cannot use a crowbar as a needle to sew a muslin cloth. Finest of needles is required. Buddhi has to sharpened to reach God.
(A person who has transcended the senses)
A deer is ensnared by the sound (ears) of the bugle, a wild elephant by touch (skin) of a tamed elephant, the insects by sight (eyes) of a burning flame, bees by smell (nose)of the honey and a fish by taste (tongue) of the bait. "What to talk of men ensnared by all five senses?" laments Shankaraachaarya.
We depend on senses for pleasure, but no sensual pleasure is permanent. It ultimately leads to sorrow and misery. Senses give temporary happiness, for the time being. Senses are not consistent. One person likes sweets and other sour. Senses lose strength of perception over the years. Senses of men are less in strength of perception. Dogs have a higher audible range, bats even higher than dogs. A vulture from the sky can spot a scurrying rat on the ground. With our limited senses, we cannot expect unlimited pleasure. And senses are of no use to find God.
We should not come under sway of senses. Restrain them, moderate them, be their masters. See beyond what is seen, Hear beyond what is heard and so on. Think of God behind what is seen or heard. *
Be an Indriyaateeta. This is in respect the the organs of perception (the senses). Go beyond the organs of action - become a GuNaateeta too (to be discussed later).
NOTE:
* GOD is buddhograahya, ateendriya .says the Lord in the Geethaa. Beyong grasp of senses , only fine buddhi can reach God.
You cannot use a crowbar as a needle to sew a muslin cloth. Finest of needles is required. Buddhi has to sharpened to reach God.
Vada Me Vatse - 2
वद मे वत्से
(Speak to me, dear child) - continuation
Tell me, my child:
- Where is the space in water to absorb 756 times its volume of ammonia?
- An atom of hydrogen has one proton and one neutron. If a proton is the size of a football, then the size of a neutron in the same scale is a tiny marble. Near 99.99% of the atom is vacuum. Can we call it a solid body when is has as much void as in the solar system?
- What is the difference betwen material of a proton and a neutron? What is the bonding force between the two?
- A larger body controls a smaller body (a dog wags its tail, not the other way). Earth controls the moon. Sun the earth. What is the size of the Sun of Suns?
- Water is in the hold of the earth. But the moon attracts water. We know moon's gravity is one sixth of the gravity of earth. It is a quantitative difference. What is the qualitative difference which makes moon attract water out of earth's hold ? Sun and planets have their own speciality of Gravitational forces, which again yield to stars. Is this the basis for astrology?
- The outside universe is vast. The inside is no less vast.
- The higher the potency of a homeopathic medicine less the medicine in it ! The minuter size of medicine particles penetrate deeper into our body cells. Wrestlers grind the almonds to finer paste so that all essence enters blood stream.
Then again, tell me, my child:
- Consider the breathing process. When the diaphragm lowers, the lungs expand and air is sucked in. But the lungs should collapse when nyoium do sheersaasana.. How is breathing possible?
Who makes us breathe?
- Different organs of the body require different vitamins. The same blood stream carries different vitamins and other nutrients. How does the right vitamin/nutrient get delivered to the right organ?*
NOTE :
* What is probability of ,say, vitamin "A" landing in the eye in the first round.! Blood stream picks medicine from the digested food. But Homeopathy medicines placed on tongue go into blood stream and act almost instantaneously.y. I had seen a man gasping for breath enter Ramalu's room and stand holding a chair. He could not speak. ramulu quietly put some globules on his tongue and signed to wait. Within five minutes the man held his breath and talkeed freely.
(Speak to me, dear child) - continuation
Tell me, my child:
- Where is the space in water to absorb 756 times its volume of ammonia?
- An atom of hydrogen has one proton and one neutron. If a proton is the size of a football, then the size of a neutron in the same scale is a tiny marble. Near 99.99% of the atom is vacuum. Can we call it a solid body when is has as much void as in the solar system?
- What is the difference betwen material of a proton and a neutron? What is the bonding force between the two?
- A larger body controls a smaller body (a dog wags its tail, not the other way). Earth controls the moon. Sun the earth. What is the size of the Sun of Suns?
- Water is in the hold of the earth. But the moon attracts water. We know moon's gravity is one sixth of the gravity of earth. It is a quantitative difference. What is the qualitative difference which makes moon attract water out of earth's hold ? Sun and planets have their own speciality of Gravitational forces, which again yield to stars. Is this the basis for astrology?
- The outside universe is vast. The inside is no less vast.
- The higher the potency of a homeopathic medicine less the medicine in it ! The minuter size of medicine particles penetrate deeper into our body cells. Wrestlers grind the almonds to finer paste so that all essence enters blood stream.
Then again, tell me, my child:
- Consider the breathing process. When the diaphragm lowers, the lungs expand and air is sucked in. But the lungs should collapse when nyoium do sheersaasana.. How is breathing possible?
Who makes us breathe?
- Different organs of the body require different vitamins. The same blood stream carries different vitamins and other nutrients. How does the right vitamin/nutrient get delivered to the right organ?*
NOTE :
* What is probability of ,say, vitamin "A" landing in the eye in the first round.! Blood stream picks medicine from the digested food. But Homeopathy medicines placed on tongue go into blood stream and act almost instantaneously.y. I had seen a man gasping for breath enter Ramalu's room and stand holding a chair. He could not speak. ramulu quietly put some globules on his tongue and signed to wait. Within five minutes the man held his breath and talkeed freely.
Saturday 9 June 2007
Sacchidaananda
सच्चिदानन्द
(Bliss , Consciousness and Existence)
Brahman is the unmanifest source of all - from mountains and seas to plants and animals. IT comprises sacchidaananda - existence, consciousness and bliss. It is part of us as all. The Scriptures say He is within you. From gods to stones, Existence, consciousness and bliss, with the addition of roopa (body) and naama (name) are the main consitutents of all - from gods to stones. Body and name are transient. A piece of gold jewellery can change shape and name but gold remains gold. Put it in the fire; its name and form vanish but gold remains gold.
Sat + Chit + Aananda is Sacchidaananda (grammatical combination of the three words). In this word, Sat, Chit and Aananda are three constituents - the first two are not not adjectives qualifying the last word.
Sat is what exists. Eternal. Imperishable. Immutable. Unchanging. As the Lord says in the Geetaa, Achchedya (cannot be cut), adaahya (cannot be burnt), akledya (cannot be wetted) and ashoshya (cannot be dried up). Even in deep sleep, when we are not aware of the body, we say we existed in sleep. Nobody says he went away or that he went to sleep as Raama and woke up as KruShNa.
Chit is consciousness. Not that it is conscious of another entity as no entity whatsoever exists besides itself. It is aware of itself. No eyes or any other sense required to know "I exist"
Aananda is bliss, it is natural. Bliss is different from pleasure or happiness, both of which are transient, non-constant and dependent on moods. Aananda is our nature, inseparable from us. To make tea sweet, we add sugar. To make anything sweet, we add sugar. To make sugar sweet, nothing need be added. Sugar is sweetness and sweetness is sugar (Kannada saying - saviyu sakkareyolago, sakkareyu saviyolago).
We seek bliss because it is our nature. Back to nature is a natural instinct.
You go to bed with a toothache. Where does the toothache go when you sleep? You can separate what is not part of you *, but you cannot separate what is an integral with of you. Thus, the body, with all its aches and miseries, is not part of you. You are Sacchidaananda.
NOTE ;
* What has part/s cannot be permenant , much less be eternal.
(Bliss , Consciousness and Existence)
Brahman is the unmanifest source of all - from mountains and seas to plants and animals. IT comprises sacchidaananda - existence, consciousness and bliss. It is part of us as all. The Scriptures say He is within you. From gods to stones, Existence, consciousness and bliss, with the addition of roopa (body) and naama (name) are the main consitutents of all - from gods to stones. Body and name are transient. A piece of gold jewellery can change shape and name but gold remains gold. Put it in the fire; its name and form vanish but gold remains gold.
Sat + Chit + Aananda is Sacchidaananda (grammatical combination of the three words). In this word, Sat, Chit and Aananda are three constituents - the first two are not not adjectives qualifying the last word.
Sat is what exists. Eternal. Imperishable. Immutable. Unchanging. As the Lord says in the Geetaa, Achchedya (cannot be cut), adaahya (cannot be burnt), akledya (cannot be wetted) and ashoshya (cannot be dried up). Even in deep sleep, when we are not aware of the body, we say we existed in sleep. Nobody says he went away or that he went to sleep as Raama and woke up as KruShNa.
Chit is consciousness. Not that it is conscious of another entity as no entity whatsoever exists besides itself. It is aware of itself. No eyes or any other sense required to know "I exist"
Aananda is bliss, it is natural. Bliss is different from pleasure or happiness, both of which are transient, non-constant and dependent on moods. Aananda is our nature, inseparable from us. To make tea sweet, we add sugar. To make anything sweet, we add sugar. To make sugar sweet, nothing need be added. Sugar is sweetness and sweetness is sugar (Kannada saying - saviyu sakkareyolago, sakkareyu saviyolago).
We seek bliss because it is our nature. Back to nature is a natural instinct.
You go to bed with a toothache. Where does the toothache go when you sleep? You can separate what is not part of you *, but you cannot separate what is an integral with of you. Thus, the body, with all its aches and miseries, is not part of you. You are Sacchidaananda.
NOTE ;
* What has part/s cannot be permenant , much less be eternal.
Friday 8 June 2007
SwakarmaNaa Tamabhyarchya
स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य
(Worship HIM in whatsoever work is in hand)
Salmon find their way back to the source where they were born, lay eggs and die. We too must swim upstream against the current, jumping over obstacles to reach our Source. Unlike salmon, we do not die - we become immortals i.e. amruta putraas. Immortal Sons, as the Upanishads promise.
We are tossed about in Bhavasaagara (the ocean of births and deaths). Our Home is in the snowclad mountains. We can travel up any river, Gangaa or Brahmaputra or Sindhu or any other. In the Geetaa , the Lord has prescribed many Paths leading to Home. Finally, for the busy man of today, He gives a simple path. SwakarmaNaa Tamabhyarchya - Worship Him in whatsoever work you have in hand, day in and day out.
"Work is worship" is a motto oft repeated. But it is no use to boast about your so-called way of worship over a cup of tea or glass of wine. No old expired cheque or postdated cheque is meaningful. Even a current cheque is of no avail. Hard Cash. You should have that prayerful attitude at every instant you are working. Do the work right, as it is for God that you work and to God that you offer the results of your work. Work AS worship is the correct motto rather than Work IS Worship. *
We deal with work at home and duty in workplace in two different watertight compartments. Attachments and involvements are not the same. Treat both as identical - one and the same. Whatever you do, whenever you do it - do it in the spirit of dedication to God, and then feel the difference.
NOTE ;
* RITUALS ARE NOT THE ONLY MEANS TO WORSHIP GOD. BUT NEVER THINK YOU ARE MORE INTELIGENT AND CONDEMN THEM AS FOR THE UNEDUCATED. EVEN A PhD HAS TO BOW BEFORE AN ILLITERATE SAGE.
HAVE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK . ANY WORK IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A GREAT WORK . UNLESS SMALL WORKS GO WELL NO GREAT WORK SUCCEEDS.
(Worship HIM in whatsoever work is in hand)
Salmon find their way back to the source where they were born, lay eggs and die. We too must swim upstream against the current, jumping over obstacles to reach our Source. Unlike salmon, we do not die - we become immortals i.e. amruta putraas. Immortal Sons, as the Upanishads promise.
We are tossed about in Bhavasaagara (the ocean of births and deaths). Our Home is in the snowclad mountains. We can travel up any river, Gangaa or Brahmaputra or Sindhu or any other. In the Geetaa , the Lord has prescribed many Paths leading to Home. Finally, for the busy man of today, He gives a simple path. SwakarmaNaa Tamabhyarchya - Worship Him in whatsoever work you have in hand, day in and day out.
"Work is worship" is a motto oft repeated. But it is no use to boast about your so-called way of worship over a cup of tea or glass of wine. No old expired cheque or postdated cheque is meaningful. Even a current cheque is of no avail. Hard Cash. You should have that prayerful attitude at every instant you are working. Do the work right, as it is for God that you work and to God that you offer the results of your work. Work AS worship is the correct motto rather than Work IS Worship. *
We deal with work at home and duty in workplace in two different watertight compartments. Attachments and involvements are not the same. Treat both as identical - one and the same. Whatever you do, whenever you do it - do it in the spirit of dedication to God, and then feel the difference.
NOTE ;
* RITUALS ARE NOT THE ONLY MEANS TO WORSHIP GOD. BUT NEVER THINK YOU ARE MORE INTELIGENT AND CONDEMN THEM AS FOR THE UNEDUCATED. EVEN A PhD HAS TO BOW BEFORE AN ILLITERATE SAGE.
HAVE PRIDE IN YOUR WORK . ANY WORK IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A GREAT WORK . UNLESS SMALL WORKS GO WELL NO GREAT WORK SUCCEEDS.
Thursday 7 June 2007
Vada Me Vatse - 1
वद मे वत्से
(Speak to me, dear child)
Bhaaskaraachaarya was a great astrologer. But his daughter, Leelaavati by name, became a widow within days of her wedding. During wedding, a pearl from her necklace had come loose and restricted the flow of water in the water-watch and the auspicious time set for the wedding muhurta was missed.
He taught her mathematics and gave us the classic book on the subject - LeelaavatigaNita - completely written in Samskruta shlokas. In the shloka on simultaneous equations, he gives a problem, gives a clue and then says - vada me vatse - speak to me (tell me the answer), my dear child.
Incidentally, the book has Pythagoras' theorem. India knew of this before Pythagoras' forefathers were born!
Now, tell me, my dear child:
- Who teaches the newborn baby to suckle when the mother holds it to her breast?
- Who teaches newborn animals to reach the mother's teats on their own, with no help?
- Who guides the kittens and puppies, blind at birth, to reach the teats?
- Who guides the newborn kangaroo joey to reach and climb into mother's pouch where her teats are waiting for the baby?
And, tell me, my dear child:
- Who guides the salmon back to its birthplace, to lay eggs and die?
- Who helps the migratory birds navigate thousands of miles over signpostless, uncharted oceans?
Again, tell me, my dear child:
- Who makes the dormant roots sprout at the onset of monsoon, plants grow and the spotlessly-white dancing lilies bloom?
Kenopanishad starts with the question and deals with some anwers in brief. The Lord in the Geetaa explains further.
All this is grey matter to science. To cover up its ignorance, science has pronounced three vital activites as involuntary. Involuntary for whom? Who breathes for me? Sciences has made modern man an invertebrate eunuch.
NOTE: WE TALK OF ATOMIC TABLE. WE JUST TABULATED THE ELEMENTS BUT NOT CREATED A SINGLE ELEMENT. CREATION IS MORE SCIENTIFIC THAN MERE TABULATION.
(Speak to me, dear child)
Bhaaskaraachaarya was a great astrologer. But his daughter, Leelaavati by name, became a widow within days of her wedding. During wedding, a pearl from her necklace had come loose and restricted the flow of water in the water-watch and the auspicious time set for the wedding muhurta was missed.
He taught her mathematics and gave us the classic book on the subject - LeelaavatigaNita - completely written in Samskruta shlokas. In the shloka on simultaneous equations, he gives a problem, gives a clue and then says - vada me vatse - speak to me (tell me the answer), my dear child.
Incidentally, the book has Pythagoras' theorem. India knew of this before Pythagoras' forefathers were born!
Now, tell me, my dear child:
- Who teaches the newborn baby to suckle when the mother holds it to her breast?
- Who teaches newborn animals to reach the mother's teats on their own, with no help?
- Who guides the kittens and puppies, blind at birth, to reach the teats?
- Who guides the newborn kangaroo joey to reach and climb into mother's pouch where her teats are waiting for the baby?
And, tell me, my dear child:
- Who guides the salmon back to its birthplace, to lay eggs and die?
- Who helps the migratory birds navigate thousands of miles over signpostless, uncharted oceans?
Again, tell me, my dear child:
- Who makes the dormant roots sprout at the onset of monsoon, plants grow and the spotlessly-white dancing lilies bloom?
Kenopanishad starts with the question and deals with some anwers in brief. The Lord in the Geetaa explains further.
All this is grey matter to science. To cover up its ignorance, science has pronounced three vital activites as involuntary. Involuntary for whom? Who breathes for me? Sciences has made modern man an invertebrate eunuch.
NOTE: WE TALK OF ATOMIC TABLE. WE JUST TABULATED THE ELEMENTS BUT NOT CREATED A SINGLE ELEMENT. CREATION IS MORE SCIENTIFIC THAN MERE TABULATION.
Tuesday 5 June 2007
AndhadRushTi
अन्धदृष्टि
(Blindsight)
You cannot see Him with your eyes but your eyes see everything else because of Him. This is Kenopanishad. Difficult to comprehend. Thus whomsoever you see, no matter when, cannot be He!
The Lord makes it clearer in the Geetaa. He gave divine sight to Arjuna to see Him as the latter had desired. Divine sight at best can show you what you want to see - your vision of what He looks like. Not what He really is. Yes, it is just your imagination, like what you see in your dreams during sleep. In other words, what you see in the wakeful state, with eyes open, is hazy and not solid and real. Call it a waking dream, transient and unreal. Only JnaanadRushTi reveals His TRUE FORM*.
Purandaradaasa makes it simpler. He asks a simple question - "Of what use are these eyes which cannot see Kasturiranga? "The answer is simple and clear. Eyes are useless if the goal is to see God. The rest of the senses, such as the nose and ears, are equally useless and of no consequence.
We live in the darkness of ignorance. Awake, arise and seek the EYES which show you God.
Now pause and think. What my useless mind thinks and writes down, you read with your useless eyes. What would you gain by this useless endeavour? The mind, however, can be made useful. Turn the mind inward. Unlearn all that you have crowded your mind with. Empty it. Make it fit for God to reside in FULL SPLENDOUR.
NOTE;
* i.e. FORMLESS. WHAT YOU SEE IS ONLY PHENOMENAL TO TURN YOUR MIND WITHIN. WHEN YOU SEE BEAUTY IN NATURE YOU THINK OF GOD WHO CREATED IT.
(Blindsight)
You cannot see Him with your eyes but your eyes see everything else because of Him. This is Kenopanishad. Difficult to comprehend. Thus whomsoever you see, no matter when, cannot be He!
The Lord makes it clearer in the Geetaa. He gave divine sight to Arjuna to see Him as the latter had desired. Divine sight at best can show you what you want to see - your vision of what He looks like. Not what He really is. Yes, it is just your imagination, like what you see in your dreams during sleep. In other words, what you see in the wakeful state, with eyes open, is hazy and not solid and real. Call it a waking dream, transient and unreal. Only JnaanadRushTi reveals His TRUE FORM*.
Purandaradaasa makes it simpler. He asks a simple question - "Of what use are these eyes which cannot see Kasturiranga? "The answer is simple and clear. Eyes are useless if the goal is to see God. The rest of the senses, such as the nose and ears, are equally useless and of no consequence.
We live in the darkness of ignorance. Awake, arise and seek the EYES which show you God.
Now pause and think. What my useless mind thinks and writes down, you read with your useless eyes. What would you gain by this useless endeavour? The mind, however, can be made useful. Turn the mind inward. Unlearn all that you have crowded your mind with. Empty it. Make it fit for God to reside in FULL SPLENDOUR.
NOTE;
* i.e. FORMLESS. WHAT YOU SEE IS ONLY PHENOMENAL TO TURN YOUR MIND WITHIN. WHEN YOU SEE BEAUTY IN NATURE YOU THINK OF GOD WHO CREATED IT.
Sunday 3 June 2007
Punarjanma
पुनर्जन्म
(Rebirth)
Rebirth is a corollary of Karma. Cause and effect matched. Here the causes of previous births show their effects in the present birth.
Adam and Eve were first two creations. Both sinned and were failures. How to accept that the first two creations of the good God, The Gracious Lord, are failures ? Are they condemned to hell for eternity? Their two sons fought over land and one killed the other! The world was theirs for the asking but they fought over a piece of land. Failures again. Are they in the hell with their parents? Why not a second chance to them to mend and prove themselves?
Jesus said John, the Baptist, is Elijah reborn. Jesus said He will come again . Why not others? Rebirth is very much there in the original Bible.
Again, Jesus is called the Saviour. What about people born and lived before His advent? Left in
the lurch of hell? What about devout Christians who die before Jesus's second coming ? Would they be denied to see Him by rebirths?
The Qur-ran too does not rule out rebirth.
Our gods subscribe to karma themselves and take on incarnations.*
Note :
* Of course since only EARTH is called the Karma- bhoomi , gods descend to earth for atonement. Even Avataras subject themselves to karma . They accept Curses from others and suffer then and there. NOT carried over to later advent on earth. Krushna's KULA was exterminated because of Gaandhaari's curse when she was agrieved by loss of her 100 sons.
Note (2)
Achievements in life are not carried over. Mukti is the real achievement. Mukti is perpetual and eternal happiness. When time for departure recollect and review how happier your life would have been by a small change in your attitude in life and to people in your life. That is real the achievement in present life and augurs well for the next life. This leads you towards Mukti ultimately.
Note no 3
Jataka Tales of Buddha confirm rebirths. At same time they make Buddha a Sage and NOT an avatara. Shirdi Baba also , on same premises is a sage and not an avatara.
(Rebirth)
Rebirth is a corollary of Karma. Cause and effect matched. Here the causes of previous births show their effects in the present birth.
Adam and Eve were first two creations. Both sinned and were failures. How to accept that the first two creations of the good God, The Gracious Lord, are failures ? Are they condemned to hell for eternity? Their two sons fought over land and one killed the other! The world was theirs for the asking but they fought over a piece of land. Failures again. Are they in the hell with their parents? Why not a second chance to them to mend and prove themselves?
Jesus said John, the Baptist, is Elijah reborn. Jesus said He will come again . Why not others? Rebirth is very much there in the original Bible.
Again, Jesus is called the Saviour. What about people born and lived before His advent? Left in
the lurch of hell? What about devout Christians who die before Jesus's second coming ? Would they be denied to see Him by rebirths?
The Qur-ran too does not rule out rebirth.
Our gods subscribe to karma themselves and take on incarnations.*
Note :
* Of course since only EARTH is called the Karma- bhoomi , gods descend to earth for atonement. Even Avataras subject themselves to karma . They accept Curses from others and suffer then and there. NOT carried over to later advent on earth. Krushna's KULA was exterminated because of Gaandhaari's curse when she was agrieved by loss of her 100 sons.
Note (2)
Achievements in life are not carried over. Mukti is the real achievement. Mukti is perpetual and eternal happiness. When time for departure recollect and review how happier your life would have been by a small change in your attitude in life and to people in your life. That is real the achievement in present life and augurs well for the next life. This leads you towards Mukti ultimately.
Note no 3
Jataka Tales of Buddha confirm rebirths. At same time they make Buddha a Sage and NOT an avatara. Shirdi Baba also , on same premises is a sage and not an avatara.
Friday 1 June 2007
Karma
कर्म
Karma – a simple translation would be work, or action. However, in our scriptures, a wider meaning is given. Provocation, instigation or instinct for starting any action, emotions such as involvement and attachment which are exhibited during actions and the resultant reactions to the results of actions are all included.
There are three categories of karma:
1) Samchita Karma – karma from past births. They lie dormant,latent.
2) Aagaami Karma - works done in the present birth. They fructify in future births
3) Praarabdha Karma - actions set to play in the present birth based on earlier karmas.
When Praarabdha is worked out, the soul goes the abode of death with Yama, taking along records of other two karmas. Chitragupta (a significant name) reads the records and selects some from both and prepares a new Praarabdha list . The soul is tossed back into the world in a new birth. The unused Aagaami is merged into the remnant Samchita.
A black-box is an instrument in cockpits of aeroplanes. It keeps record of sounds made/heard in the cockpit during flights. A soul had its own in-built black-box wherein the record of all karmas is registered. The soul’s black box records as well as plays. Here the Samchita remains untouched. New actions get recorded as aagaami. Praarabhdha begins playing giving rise to new actions. The goal is to cease recording Aagaami Karma and allow Praarabdha to work out. Over many births, the Samchita is exhausted. No material left for a new Praarabdha. You have a white-box – Mukti - Liberation.
(How to stop Aagaami Karma and how to deal with Praarabdha will be taken up later.) *
NOTE' While on visit to Thailand, the guide (a lady ) asked Narad Mam why he has come alone leaving his wife behind. He replied he is a confirmed bachelor . OH, that is your karma, the guide commented with a deep sigh.
Note:
* Any work has to be done with involvement and attention for successful completion. Perform all work as offering to god. AVOID ATTACHMENT TO THE WORK. AVOID ATTACHMENT TO THE FRUIT OF THE WORK.
A MAN ON THE STREET IS KNOCKED DOWN ON THE STREET. Rush and assist the man. Dont curse the man who knocked him down or feel the the man fallen deserved it. Never sit on judgement. LEAVE JUDGEMENT TO GOD. Assist and walk away. Thus your record of KARMA is not filled in.
* Work done with expectations is karma. Recorded. Unselfish work is no karma. Not recorded.
Karma – a simple translation would be work, or action. However, in our scriptures, a wider meaning is given. Provocation, instigation or instinct for starting any action, emotions such as involvement and attachment which are exhibited during actions and the resultant reactions to the results of actions are all included.
There are three categories of karma:
1) Samchita Karma – karma from past births. They lie dormant,latent.
2) Aagaami Karma - works done in the present birth. They fructify in future births
3) Praarabdha Karma - actions set to play in the present birth based on earlier karmas.
When Praarabdha is worked out, the soul goes the abode of death with Yama, taking along records of other two karmas. Chitragupta (a significant name) reads the records and selects some from both and prepares a new Praarabdha list . The soul is tossed back into the world in a new birth. The unused Aagaami is merged into the remnant Samchita.
A black-box is an instrument in cockpits of aeroplanes. It keeps record of sounds made/heard in the cockpit during flights. A soul had its own in-built black-box wherein the record of all karmas is registered. The soul’s black box records as well as plays. Here the Samchita remains untouched. New actions get recorded as aagaami. Praarabhdha begins playing giving rise to new actions. The goal is to cease recording Aagaami Karma and allow Praarabdha to work out. Over many births, the Samchita is exhausted. No material left for a new Praarabdha. You have a white-box – Mukti - Liberation.
(How to stop Aagaami Karma and how to deal with Praarabdha will be taken up later.) *
NOTE' While on visit to Thailand, the guide (a lady ) asked Narad Mam why he has come alone leaving his wife behind. He replied he is a confirmed bachelor . OH, that is your karma, the guide commented with a deep sigh.
Note:
* Any work has to be done with involvement and attention for successful completion. Perform all work as offering to god. AVOID ATTACHMENT TO THE WORK. AVOID ATTACHMENT TO THE FRUIT OF THE WORK.
A MAN ON THE STREET IS KNOCKED DOWN ON THE STREET. Rush and assist the man. Dont curse the man who knocked him down or feel the the man fallen deserved it. Never sit on judgement. LEAVE JUDGEMENT TO GOD. Assist and walk away. Thus your record of KARMA is not filled in.
* Work done with expectations is karma. Recorded. Unselfish work is no karma. Not recorded.
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