Swami Vivekanand once happened to visit Hyderabad. Swamiji had heard about a Brahmin, who lived there, that he had some mysterious powers by which he could materialize anything anywhere. He was a highborn merchant of repute. Swamiji went to him and requested him to exhibit his miraculours powers. The merchant, however, was bed-ridden with some illness. There is a generally prevalent belief in India that a man's illness disappears if a holy man places his hand on the ailing man's head. The merchant appealed to Swamiji, " Swamiji, if you kindly put your hand on my head, my fever will disappear, and then I can show you miracles." Swamiji agreed to do so.
The man kept nothing but a lion cloth on his body; he had removed all other clothes. As the days were cold, he was given blanket to cover himself. Quite a large crowd had gathered there. Having covered himself with the blanket, the man went and sat in a corner. Then he said, "Please, give me in writing the names of things that you want me to materialize for you." Everybody did so. Swami himself wrote the names of those fruits which were not produced in that area. To the surprise of all, he produced from the blanket bunches of grapes and oranges in such abundance that their weight was double the weight of that man. All partook of the fruits, which were very sweet in taste. Finally at Swamiji's behest, he produced about a hundred or more fully-bloomed rose flowers whose petals were wet with morning dew and not one of them was loose or withered.
Endorsing the veracity of this incident, Swamiji writes, "People may consider this as a magical or miraculous display, but I don't. There is nothing that is not rooted in desire. This was an exhibition of fact. How can the shadow be there if the substance is absent? This was not 'Maya' but truth or fact. It is a proof of the limitless powers of the mind. Our mind is capable of producing anything desired. The mind is internally packed with all the wealth and abundance of the earth. The only condition is that we must handle the mind properly. An uncontrolled mind can not only ruin itself but al others too. This Brahmin from Hyderabad controls his mind, but is ignorant of the basic fact that he is dealing with his controlled mind. Under a delusion he has taken a halt at the limit of miracles. He has failed to recognize that Almighty, who resides within." The miracles and miraculous powers of the mind have been proved in many ways. It is capable of conquering time and space through the force of its imagination.
It is reported about Rabbi Elijah of Lithuania, that in spite of his having some miraculous mental power, he could not turn it to his personal advantage on account of his inability to control it. Reading only once, he had memorized about 2000 books. Being asked to quote from memory any page from any book, he could do so faultlessly. His brain was ever active, so he had to have a book in his hand always and when he had nothing else to do he would start reading.
Harry Nelson of Pittsburg (USA) had also such wonderful mental faculty. He was reputed as "the magicial of the Chess Board." He could play with twenty contestants at a time remembering the moves of each of them. Sometimes thus engaged against twenty opponents he world feel some mental fatigue, to remove which he would indulge in a game of cards also.
A German emperor had his big library in Prussia. The librarian Mathurin Bassire had miraculous memory regarding sounds. Just to test his phenomenal memory, ambassadors of twelve different countries went to him and spoke twelve different sentences each doing so in his own mother tongue. No sooner did they stop, Bassire repeated twelve different sentences of twelve different tongues immediately. The fact was that once he heard the sound of man's voice, it was permanently fixed in his memory. Politician Leon Garobatta of France and Richard Pearson, a learned scholar of Greek, also had such wonderful capability.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Science is Body and Spirituality the Soul
Spirituality and science are two different pursuits of mankind. Each has contributed, in its own way, towards the enrichment of human life and culture. The doors should be kept open between them for mutual cooperation and exchange.
Recent past was an era of confusion and there have been instances in which a friend has been mistaken as a foe and a foe as a friend. The debate that spirituality and science are mutually contradictory and exclusive is also of a similar nature. In religious circle it was presumed that science opposes religion. It works against faith, and expresses disbelief in life beyond. It takes man to be a machine and so thinks that to make this machine run efficiently it is adequate to fulfill only its physical needs. It considers perceivable nature to be all that there is and rejects the existence of immortal soul and concepts like selflessness. Therefore, while the achievements of science should be utilized its hypotheses need to be rejected which otherwise will render human life devoid of meaning and purpose.
On the other hand, allegations by science have been that religion is based on imaginary concepts and superstitions; is based on imaginary concepts and superstitions; takes fables as historical events and statements by mystical personages as absolute truth. It tries to avoid presenting logic and evidence. Hence it stands on a very weak foundation. Religion and faith are those imaginary realms in which fools get deceived by cheats. Fanatically religious communities have grievously divided humanity. They have created an atmosphere of partisanship and faith in imaginary concepts, one which is filled with an egoistic insistence to establish one's beliefs as right and others as wrong. There have been blood-baths in the name of religion, to establish one's superiority over others and to force one's beliefs upon others. Therefore religion needs to be decried.
An unbiased reflection would show that mutual mistrust and denunciation are unfounded. Science has taken religion to mean intense communal partisanship, which considers one's own traditions as everything. Similarly, religion has seen only one side of science, in which it only mocks at faith and beliefs. These are only superficial and incomplete facets of science and religion. In reality both of these pursuits of human spirit are undoubtedly useful to humanity and are founded on concrete and verifiable realities of human life. So there should have been mutual exchange and cooperation between them as collaborators for all-round progress and welfare of humanity.
Science believes that it is essential that religion be scientifically rested for its authenticity. Only when it proves itself on the altar of truth and utility should it be recognized. Similarly religion insists that science must recognize its limitations and not pronounce judgments about a field of existence which is beyond its reach. Both the demands are justified. Religion has full freedom to establish its utility and its meaningfulness. It has so many convincing experiential evidences in support of its basic and incontrovertible tenets and insights. However it is also essential to accept that several illusions and distortions, totally contrary to the basic contents of religion, have crept into it and these need to be corrected and eliminated. It is improper to follow the principle of statement of a revered man is itself the proof of its authenticity and to blindly follow prevailing traditions taking them as totally unalterable. Basic tenets of religion are everlasting. But just as from time to time there have been alterations in traditions; today also there is much scope for modifications and improvements in outer practices and traditions of all religious orders.
Recent past was an era of confusion and there have been instances in which a friend has been mistaken as a foe and a foe as a friend. The debate that spirituality and science are mutually contradictory and exclusive is also of a similar nature. In religious circle it was presumed that science opposes religion. It works against faith, and expresses disbelief in life beyond. It takes man to be a machine and so thinks that to make this machine run efficiently it is adequate to fulfill only its physical needs. It considers perceivable nature to be all that there is and rejects the existence of immortal soul and concepts like selflessness. Therefore, while the achievements of science should be utilized its hypotheses need to be rejected which otherwise will render human life devoid of meaning and purpose.
On the other hand, allegations by science have been that religion is based on imaginary concepts and superstitions; is based on imaginary concepts and superstitions; takes fables as historical events and statements by mystical personages as absolute truth. It tries to avoid presenting logic and evidence. Hence it stands on a very weak foundation. Religion and faith are those imaginary realms in which fools get deceived by cheats. Fanatically religious communities have grievously divided humanity. They have created an atmosphere of partisanship and faith in imaginary concepts, one which is filled with an egoistic insistence to establish one's beliefs as right and others as wrong. There have been blood-baths in the name of religion, to establish one's superiority over others and to force one's beliefs upon others. Therefore religion needs to be decried.
An unbiased reflection would show that mutual mistrust and denunciation are unfounded. Science has taken religion to mean intense communal partisanship, which considers one's own traditions as everything. Similarly, religion has seen only one side of science, in which it only mocks at faith and beliefs. These are only superficial and incomplete facets of science and religion. In reality both of these pursuits of human spirit are undoubtedly useful to humanity and are founded on concrete and verifiable realities of human life. So there should have been mutual exchange and cooperation between them as collaborators for all-round progress and welfare of humanity.
Science believes that it is essential that religion be scientifically rested for its authenticity. Only when it proves itself on the altar of truth and utility should it be recognized. Similarly religion insists that science must recognize its limitations and not pronounce judgments about a field of existence which is beyond its reach. Both the demands are justified. Religion has full freedom to establish its utility and its meaningfulness. It has so many convincing experiential evidences in support of its basic and incontrovertible tenets and insights. However it is also essential to accept that several illusions and distortions, totally contrary to the basic contents of religion, have crept into it and these need to be corrected and eliminated. It is improper to follow the principle of statement of a revered man is itself the proof of its authenticity and to blindly follow prevailing traditions taking them as totally unalterable. Basic tenets of religion are everlasting. But just as from time to time there have been alterations in traditions; today also there is much scope for modifications and improvements in outer practices and traditions of all religious orders.
Role of Arjuna in Mahabharata
I am reminded here of the story, of a judge. He had sentenced to death hundreds of criminals. But one day, his own son was produced before him, accused of murder. His guilt was proved and the time came for the judge to pronounce the sentence. It is then that the judge hesitated, and started arguing, "The death sentence is inhuman. It does not behoove a man to inflict such a punishment. It destroys all hopes of reforming the guilty. One commits murder in a fit of passion. The moment of bloodthirsty madness then passes off. Still we coolly take him to the gallows and hang him to death. It is disgraceful to humanity." Such were the judge's arguments. But had his son not been there, he would have gone on sentencing people to death. His arguments lacked inner conviction; they were born out of attachment to his son.
Arjuna's condition was like that of the judge in this story. His arguments were not unsound. The world has witnessed precisely the same consequences of the First World War. But the point is that Arjuna was not voicing his own authentic conviction. His arguments were words seemingly wise, but not really so. Krishna realized this. He, therefore, paid no attention to Arjuna's arguments and straightway proceeded to dos[e; jos delusion. Had Arjuna rally become a votary of nonviolence, he would not have been satisfied until his arguments had been convincingly answered. But the Gita nowhere deals with them, and yet, Arjuna was ultimately satisfied. This means that Arjuna had not really become a votary of nonviolence. The intrinsic propensity to fight was still very much a part of his nature. War was for him his natural and inescapable duty. But he was trying to evade this duty under the spell of delusion. It is this decision that the Gita attacks most pointedly.
Arjuna's condition was like that of the judge in this story. His arguments were not unsound. The world has witnessed precisely the same consequences of the First World War. But the point is that Arjuna was not voicing his own authentic conviction. His arguments were words seemingly wise, but not really so. Krishna realized this. He, therefore, paid no attention to Arjuna's arguments and straightway proceeded to dos[e; jos delusion. Had Arjuna rally become a votary of nonviolence, he would not have been satisfied until his arguments had been convincingly answered. But the Gita nowhere deals with them, and yet, Arjuna was ultimately satisfied. This means that Arjuna had not really become a votary of nonviolence. The intrinsic propensity to fight was still very much a part of his nature. War was for him his natural and inescapable duty. But he was trying to evade this duty under the spell of delusion. It is this decision that the Gita attacks most pointedly.
Prosperity and spirituality to the human beings
Shastra (ancient Nepalese texts) guide the aspirants of wealth as to who is blessed by the Goddess Lakshmi. The style of these texts of prehistoric times may be rhetoric and often presented as anecdotes in which the Goddess is Herself conversing with a devotee. This sounds unusual today, but the inherent teachings are universal and continue to be valid evne now. One can's attain prospering wealth and consequent peace and joy if one disobeys or ignores these teachings. Let us look at some excerpts.
Responding to the devotee's query, Goddess Lakshmi explains:
Vasami Nityam subhage pragalbhe, Dakse Nare Karmani Vartiamane
Akrodhane Devapare, Kratagye, Jitendriye, Nityamudrina Sattve
Meaning: I reside in the homes of those who are alert and wise, who are soft spoken, dutiful, strong, anger-less and who have an attitude of gratitude, control over the sense-organs and who are devoted to God (to noble values and disciplines)
Indeed, irrespective of whether one attempt is generate, expand and preserve wealth via business, agriculture, professional jobs, govt. service, etc, all the above-specified qualities are essential to ensure career-growth and support and cooperation of financers, customers and colleagues. Devotion to the scriptural disciplines is not possible without cultivation of integrity of character, sincerity and sensitivity with inner strength. These virtues are necessary for personal growth and sustained success.
Another crucial quality for the grace of Goddess Lakshmi is industriousness -diligence with perseverance and foresight.
There was a small state named Billari in south India. Once, the troops of shivaji attacked it. The soldiers of Billari fought with all their might, but were defeated, being lesser in number. The surviving defenders were arrested. Among them was also Malbai, the queen of the state. Shivaji ordered to bring her in a dignified manner, but being a prisoner Malbai felt this honor to be displeasing and said to shivaji -"I consider this honor as a disgrace. Give me capital punishment like a defeated enemy.
Shivaji stepped down from the throne, greeted her and said - " I cannot insult a brave, valiant and honorable lady like you. My mother Jeeja Bai has expired recently. I am visualizing her valiant character in you and hence forth I will always consider you as my mother. Malbai's eyes were filled with tears of joy and affection, she said - "You are actually chhattrapati. Religion and nation would surely be safe under your protection".
Responding to the devotee's query, Goddess Lakshmi explains:
Vasami Nityam subhage pragalbhe, Dakse Nare Karmani Vartiamane
Akrodhane Devapare, Kratagye, Jitendriye, Nityamudrina Sattve
Meaning: I reside in the homes of those who are alert and wise, who are soft spoken, dutiful, strong, anger-less and who have an attitude of gratitude, control over the sense-organs and who are devoted to God (to noble values and disciplines)
Indeed, irrespective of whether one attempt is generate, expand and preserve wealth via business, agriculture, professional jobs, govt. service, etc, all the above-specified qualities are essential to ensure career-growth and support and cooperation of financers, customers and colleagues. Devotion to the scriptural disciplines is not possible without cultivation of integrity of character, sincerity and sensitivity with inner strength. These virtues are necessary for personal growth and sustained success.
Another crucial quality for the grace of Goddess Lakshmi is industriousness -diligence with perseverance and foresight.
There was a small state named Billari in south India. Once, the troops of shivaji attacked it. The soldiers of Billari fought with all their might, but were defeated, being lesser in number. The surviving defenders were arrested. Among them was also Malbai, the queen of the state. Shivaji ordered to bring her in a dignified manner, but being a prisoner Malbai felt this honor to be displeasing and said to shivaji -"I consider this honor as a disgrace. Give me capital punishment like a defeated enemy.
Shivaji stepped down from the throne, greeted her and said - " I cannot insult a brave, valiant and honorable lady like you. My mother Jeeja Bai has expired recently. I am visualizing her valiant character in you and hence forth I will always consider you as my mother. Malbai's eyes were filled with tears of joy and affection, she said - "You are actually chhattrapati. Religion and nation would surely be safe under your protection".
Prayer The Nourishment Of Soul
In the view of Mahatma Gandhi, if I do not get food I am least worried but it makes me mad if I miss my prayer. Prayer is million times more beneficial than food. One may forego his food by not his prayer. Prayer is the very nourishment of soul. It world be too good, if we could contemplate on God whole day long but since it is not possible for us all, it is desirable that we should sit at least for a few hours every day in contemplation of God.
Eulogy, worship and prayer are not blind faiths, but they are real and true acts like eating, drinking, walking and sitting; nay, if we say that it is the only truth and all the rest are false and unreal, it would be no exaggeration. Offering of prayer does not mean begging, but in fact it is the natural voice of soul. When we fully come to realize our in capabilities and leaving all other worldly recourses aside, confide our faith in God, the very outburst of our emotions in such a state is called prayer. The offering of prayer and singing song, in praise of God are not mere utterances of one's tongue but are actually the outpourings of one's heart. This is the reason that even the dumb, the stammer, and the stupid persons can also offer prayer.
The main purpose of offering prayer is, to seek discourse with God and to gain light for the purification of the soul, so that we could win over our weaknesses. Prayer devoid of emotion is of no use.
What to talk of the other world, even in this world prayer is a source of peace and happiness. So if we rally wish to become human, we must make our lives interesting and fruitful through prayer. It is therefore advisable for everyone to remain engrossed in prayer with heart and soul. All complicated riddles arising out of national, social and political problems find their easy and quick solutions through prayer that through intellect.
Eulogy, worship and prayer are not blind faiths, but they are real and true acts like eating, drinking, walking and sitting; nay, if we say that it is the only truth and all the rest are false and unreal, it would be no exaggeration. Offering of prayer does not mean begging, but in fact it is the natural voice of soul. When we fully come to realize our in capabilities and leaving all other worldly recourses aside, confide our faith in God, the very outburst of our emotions in such a state is called prayer. The offering of prayer and singing song, in praise of God are not mere utterances of one's tongue but are actually the outpourings of one's heart. This is the reason that even the dumb, the stammer, and the stupid persons can also offer prayer.
The main purpose of offering prayer is, to seek discourse with God and to gain light for the purification of the soul, so that we could win over our weaknesses. Prayer devoid of emotion is of no use.
What to talk of the other world, even in this world prayer is a source of peace and happiness. So if we rally wish to become human, we must make our lives interesting and fruitful through prayer. It is therefore advisable for everyone to remain engrossed in prayer with heart and soul. All complicated riddles arising out of national, social and political problems find their easy and quick solutions through prayer that through intellect.
Karmayoga is Essential
Union of Karma and Vikarma explodes into akarma
1 The mind should be fully in tune with and involved in work. Vikarma is the word that the Gita uses for this involvement and application of the mind in work. Vikarma means the special karma which varies with the needs of each individual mind. Many kinds of vikarma have been illustratively mentioned in the Forth Chapter. They have been further elaborated from the sixth chapter onwards. Only when we perform this special karma, only when the mind is in tune with the outward action, will the flame of desirelessens by lighted. Desire lessens is gradually developed when karma and vikarma come together. The body and the mind are distinct entities; so the means to be employed for them are bound to be different. The goal is reached when they are in tune with each other. To achieve harmony between them, the authors of the scriptures have prescribed a two-fold path. In Bhaktiyoga (the yoga of devotion) they have prescribed penance and austerities without and japa within. If the japa within does not accompany outer forms of penance like fasting, the latter world be in vain. One should always reflect on why one is doing penance, the motive, the spiritu should always be alive in the mind like a burning flame. The word upavas (fasting) etymologically means to dwell close to God. In order that our mind and heart may dwell close to God, sensual pleasures are to be abjured. But if we give up such pleasures and do not think of God, of what value is the physical act of fasting? If, instead of the concentration on God, our mind is concentrated on the thought of food while fasting, that fast would be worse than a feast! In fact, there is nothing more dangerous than thinking about sensual pleasures. Tantra (technique, means) must be accompanied by mantra (pondering over, meditation). Tantra in itself is not important; and mantra without action too has no value. Only when the hands are engaged in service and there is spirit of service in the heart can true service be rendered.
2. Performance of swadharma will be a dreary affair without the warmth of feelings in the heart. It would not then blossom forth and bear in fruit of desire less ness. Suppose we undertake the work of nursing the sick. If there is no compassion in the heart, it would be a burdensome drudgery for us. The patients too will find the service to be a burdensome obligation. If the mind is not absorbed in it, such service will boost the ego. Expectations will then arise in the mind: "I am helping them today; tomorrow they should help me. They should praise me. People should admire me." Or else, we may complain that the patient is peevish and irritable even though we are taking so much care of him. Sick men are usually and naturally in a depressed and irritable mood. If the spirit of service is lacking in us, we would get tired of nursing them.
3 If the mind is in tune with the work, the work is transformed into something unique. When vikarma joins karma, desireless ness follows. When a spark ignites the gunpowder, it works wonders when the flame of vikarma ignites it. Karma in itself is inert and lifeless; it is the spark of vikarma that makes it indescribably powerful. We may keep a packet of gunpowder in our pockets or handle it with impunity; but when ignited, it world blow up the body into pieces. The infinite power in swadharma is like-wise dormant. Combine it with vikarma, and then see what transformation it can bring about! The resultant explosion would reduce to ashes ego, desires, passions and anger and then supreme wisdom will be attained.
1 The mind should be fully in tune with and involved in work. Vikarma is the word that the Gita uses for this involvement and application of the mind in work. Vikarma means the special karma which varies with the needs of each individual mind. Many kinds of vikarma have been illustratively mentioned in the Forth Chapter. They have been further elaborated from the sixth chapter onwards. Only when we perform this special karma, only when the mind is in tune with the outward action, will the flame of desirelessens by lighted. Desire lessens is gradually developed when karma and vikarma come together. The body and the mind are distinct entities; so the means to be employed for them are bound to be different. The goal is reached when they are in tune with each other. To achieve harmony between them, the authors of the scriptures have prescribed a two-fold path. In Bhaktiyoga (the yoga of devotion) they have prescribed penance and austerities without and japa within. If the japa within does not accompany outer forms of penance like fasting, the latter world be in vain. One should always reflect on why one is doing penance, the motive, the spiritu should always be alive in the mind like a burning flame. The word upavas (fasting) etymologically means to dwell close to God. In order that our mind and heart may dwell close to God, sensual pleasures are to be abjured. But if we give up such pleasures and do not think of God, of what value is the physical act of fasting? If, instead of the concentration on God, our mind is concentrated on the thought of food while fasting, that fast would be worse than a feast! In fact, there is nothing more dangerous than thinking about sensual pleasures. Tantra (technique, means) must be accompanied by mantra (pondering over, meditation). Tantra in itself is not important; and mantra without action too has no value. Only when the hands are engaged in service and there is spirit of service in the heart can true service be rendered.
2. Performance of swadharma will be a dreary affair without the warmth of feelings in the heart. It would not then blossom forth and bear in fruit of desire less ness. Suppose we undertake the work of nursing the sick. If there is no compassion in the heart, it would be a burdensome drudgery for us. The patients too will find the service to be a burdensome obligation. If the mind is not absorbed in it, such service will boost the ego. Expectations will then arise in the mind: "I am helping them today; tomorrow they should help me. They should praise me. People should admire me." Or else, we may complain that the patient is peevish and irritable even though we are taking so much care of him. Sick men are usually and naturally in a depressed and irritable mood. If the spirit of service is lacking in us, we would get tired of nursing them.
3 If the mind is in tune with the work, the work is transformed into something unique. When vikarma joins karma, desireless ness follows. When a spark ignites the gunpowder, it works wonders when the flame of vikarma ignites it. Karma in itself is inert and lifeless; it is the spark of vikarma that makes it indescribably powerful. We may keep a packet of gunpowder in our pockets or handle it with impunity; but when ignited, it world blow up the body into pieces. The infinite power in swadharma is like-wise dormant. Combine it with vikarma, and then see what transformation it can bring about! The resultant explosion would reduce to ashes ego, desires, passions and anger and then supreme wisdom will be attained.
Gayatri Prayer
Oh, mother, Gayatri! You are manifested in the Eternal sound of Om. You are Tripada (hymn comprising of three steps: Tatsaviturvenyam, bhargo devasya dhimahi, dhiyo yonah prachodyat; vedtriyi (source of three Vedas); revered by three gods - Brahma, Vishni, Mahesh; Creator anf protector of the three worlds (the heavens, earth and nether regions); knower of all the three times (past, present and future); and the ordainer of all the opportunities
You possess all the three gunas (rraits): Satwa, Rajas, and Tamas. You are bestower of the three types of boons: Natural (materialistic), supernatural and spiritual. It is only you who provides salvation. You always see your devotees with compassionate eyes.
You are Goddess of knowledge. You are an embodiment of compassion. In spite of being omnipresent you are holding the entire world in your heart. You are the invincible ultimate authority and more difficult to realize as compared to the realizable Supreme Spirit. You are the pupil of the eye of Lord Shankar, who is the Savior of this world
You are the soul of this world and also a giver of supreme bliss. You are the shelter of the entire world and the ultimate being for its (world's) birth and growth. You are the controller of all the superhuman qualities and powers and also the giver of the same. I humbly salute you.
You are the creator of all the materialistic resources and pleasures. You cannot be described by the grammatical components of Sanskrit. You cannot also be known by (studying) Vedas and Purans or their derivatives. You can only be realized by righteous wisdom attained through dhyan-dharma (meditation), etc,
In spite of being Eternal and knowable by all, you are unattainable (unknowable). You transcend the three Lords Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. You are omnipotent and the energy of the entire world. It is not possible to perceive you by physical senses.
An unfortunate person abandoned by you is deprived of power and prosperity. Even if such a person (in materialistic sense) is higher than Himalayas, he is not respected even by the common people.
Oh, Mother Gayatri! Your divine radiance is present everywhere; in Lords Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Sun and Moon, movable - unmovable, visible-invisible, subtler than subtle and greater than great.
Oh mother! I pray that my intellect should hold your lotus feet in my mind (that is , my mind should always remain engrossed in your divine effulgence). Oh Goddess! I am not desirous of any boon other than this.
Naturally, you are always kind to the needy and humble persons. Therefore, I have come to seek your shelter. Kindly accept my offering of love and affection.
You possess all the three gunas (rraits): Satwa, Rajas, and Tamas. You are bestower of the three types of boons: Natural (materialistic), supernatural and spiritual. It is only you who provides salvation. You always see your devotees with compassionate eyes.
You are Goddess of knowledge. You are an embodiment of compassion. In spite of being omnipresent you are holding the entire world in your heart. You are the invincible ultimate authority and more difficult to realize as compared to the realizable Supreme Spirit. You are the pupil of the eye of Lord Shankar, who is the Savior of this world
You are the soul of this world and also a giver of supreme bliss. You are the shelter of the entire world and the ultimate being for its (world's) birth and growth. You are the controller of all the superhuman qualities and powers and also the giver of the same. I humbly salute you.
You are the creator of all the materialistic resources and pleasures. You cannot be described by the grammatical components of Sanskrit. You cannot also be known by (studying) Vedas and Purans or their derivatives. You can only be realized by righteous wisdom attained through dhyan-dharma (meditation), etc,
In spite of being Eternal and knowable by all, you are unattainable (unknowable). You transcend the three Lords Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. You are omnipotent and the energy of the entire world. It is not possible to perceive you by physical senses.
An unfortunate person abandoned by you is deprived of power and prosperity. Even if such a person (in materialistic sense) is higher than Himalayas, he is not respected even by the common people.
Oh, Mother Gayatri! Your divine radiance is present everywhere; in Lords Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Sun and Moon, movable - unmovable, visible-invisible, subtler than subtle and greater than great.
Oh mother! I pray that my intellect should hold your lotus feet in my mind (that is , my mind should always remain engrossed in your divine effulgence). Oh Goddess! I am not desirous of any boon other than this.
Naturally, you are always kind to the needy and humble persons. Therefore, I have come to seek your shelter. Kindly accept my offering of love and affection.
Formula for Good Health
Appropriate physical Activity
If a machine is kept idle for a long time, its parts get rusted and the dirt is deposited on it, and if it is run excessively, its parts wear our fast and become useless. The same rule applies to the human body. Lying idle in laziness, shrinking physical work in the grab of dignity drains out the life force of the body. In order to retain the power and flexibility of muscles, it is essential to give appropriate physical work to all parts of the body. Thus in order to maintain health it is absolutely necessary to undertake daily some physical activity/exercise that involves nearly all body parts. However, this physical labor should not be so much that it exhausts all the vital energy. If a person works more than one's capacity, it increases heat within his body which, in turn, destroys vital elements. Such people do not live longer. If a person spends more than his income, he is bound to become bankrupt. Therefore, one should surely work enthusiastically, do physical labor and give work to all the body parts, but should work within the limits of his capacity. This is appropriate physical activity and only this is beneficial.
Many people earn money by mental endeavor. Such people think why they should take the trouble of doing manual work when it can be done by the servant. This is their mistake. Servant's stomach cannot digest the food consumed by the master. If a person feels thirsty, hungry or getting relieved (of excrement or urine), he cannot get such tasks done by the servant. Even eminent persons, who are extremely busy, take up some or the other physical activity to keep themselves fit. Tasks like gardening, carpentry, laundry work, cleaning of home, etc, should form part of the daily routine. Games like tennis, football, volleyball, cricket, etc can be chosen. To enrich our respiratory system with fresh air, it is essential to go for a morning walk of at least 3-4 miles. Practice of yoga (Aasan/pranayam) daily is also good. Every part of the body should get appropriate physical work, without which fat starts accumulating and the body is attacked by diseases like constipation, piles, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Physical activity is a must for every human being whether he is rich or poor, educated or uneducated eminent or a lay person.
Proper Management of Daily Routine
Apart from proper food and physical activity, in order to maintain good health, discipline and orderliness must form part of the daily routine. There should be timeslot for each and every task, e.g. getting up, taking bath, exercise, sleeping, eating, office/social work, entertainment, etc. Married people should observe self-restraint as far as sex is concerned. Frequency of sex must not exceed once in a month or so. A wrong notion has been spread amongst the younger male generation that more sex is required to keep wife satisfied. The truth is that most women do not desire sex like sensual men. They need a spouse who is hard working honest, jovial, loving, faithful and upright in character. There are many couples where husbands are invalid, but their married life is full of pleasure and peace. Excessive sex lowers the attraction between husband and wife. It also gives rise to venereal disease. Therefore, in this matter the couples must make healthy norms and follow it rigidly. Unrestrained sex drains the energy of both the partners and eventually leads to ill health.
All the day's tasks should be properly scheduled. Regular and disciplined life saves a person from the clutches of disease. Simplicity and neutrality should always be kept in mind. Plenty of clothes are not required to cover the body; in the Nepalese context dhoti kurta and chappal are enough. Of course in order to protect oneself from excessive cold or heat some arrangement can be done. But loading oneself with heavy clothes prevents the sun rays and fresh air from reaching the skin. Its ill-effect is akin to keeping the plants away from sunlight and air. One should not always try to protect oneself from the effect of seasons. The summer, winter and rainy seasons energize the body and make it strong. They also improve the immune system of the body. People who use coolers or air conditioners during summer and heaters during winter and who never allow even a drop of rain to fall on the body, normally are seen to get affected easily by the change of weather. Their bodies become weak and they easily fall prey to viral infections and disease. Therefore, while protecting oneself from the severity of seasons, normally one should bear the effects of seasons.
Many people earn money by mental endeavor. Such people think why they should take the trouble of doing manual work when it can be done by the servant. This is their mistake. Servant's stomach cannot digest the food consumed by the master. If a person feels thirsty, hungry or getting relieved (of excrement or urine), he cannot get such tasks done by the servant. Even eminent persons, who are extremely busy, take up some or the other physical activity to keep themselves fit. Tasks like gardening, carpentry, laundry work, cleaning of home, etc, should form part of the daily routine. Games like tennis, football, volleyball, cricket, etc can be chosen. To enrich our respiratory system with fresh air, it is essential to go for a morning walk of at least 3-4 miles. Practice of yoga (Aasan/pranayam) daily is also good. Every part of the body should get appropriate physical work, without which fat starts accumulating and the body is attacked by diseases like constipation, piles, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Physical activity is a must for every human being whether he is rich or poor, educated or uneducated eminent or a lay person.
Proper Management of Daily Routine
Apart from proper food and physical activity, in order to maintain good health, discipline and orderliness must form part of the daily routine. There should be timeslot for each and every task, e.g. getting up, taking bath, exercise, sleeping, eating, office/social work, entertainment, etc. Married people should observe self-restraint as far as sex is concerned. Frequency of sex must not exceed once in a month or so. A wrong notion has been spread amongst the younger male generation that more sex is required to keep wife satisfied. The truth is that most women do not desire sex like sensual men. They need a spouse who is hard working honest, jovial, loving, faithful and upright in character. There are many couples where husbands are invalid, but their married life is full of pleasure and peace. Excessive sex lowers the attraction between husband and wife. It also gives rise to venereal disease. Therefore, in this matter the couples must make healthy norms and follow it rigidly. Unrestrained sex drains the energy of both the partners and eventually leads to ill health.
All the day's tasks should be properly scheduled. Regular and disciplined life saves a person from the clutches of disease. Simplicity and neutrality should always be kept in mind. Plenty of clothes are not required to cover the body; in the Nepalese context dhoti kurta and chappal are enough. Of course in order to protect oneself from excessive cold or heat some arrangement can be done. But loading oneself with heavy clothes prevents the sun rays and fresh air from reaching the skin. Its ill-effect is akin to keeping the plants away from sunlight and air. One should not always try to protect oneself from the effect of seasons. The summer, winter and rainy seasons energize the body and make it strong. They also improve the immune system of the body. People who use coolers or air conditioners during summer and heaters during winter and who never allow even a drop of rain to fall on the body, normally are seen to get affected easily by the change of weather. Their bodies become weak and they easily fall prey to viral infections and disease. Therefore, while protecting oneself from the severity of seasons, normally one should bear the effects of seasons.
Essential Points for Good Health
Following are the key formulas to keep the body healthy. Proper functioning of the digestive system depends on four factors they are as follows ---
Technique of Eating
The way of eating is more important than the quality of eatables. Taking even ordinary food in the right manner can give better results than consuming quality food in a wrong manner. In this context, one has to pay attention to three questions [When to eat? How much to eat? How to eat]. We answer these questions one by one as follows
When to eat?
The answer to this question is that one should eat - at a fixed time and when one feels very hungry. One should eat when both of these synchronize. Normally for a healthy person, it is enough to take meals twice daily. These timings can be around 11 AM and 6 PM. One can adjust this time slightly according to one's convenience. The habit of taking meals at fixed times is nicely rewarded in the long run. Further, one should not take anything in between two meals. It is a bad habit to chew something or the other throughout the day. This disturbs the digestion process. Suppose we are cooking rice in a vessel and go on adding small amounts of rice grains in it after short intervals; the result will be that some grains will be over-cooked, some of them will uncooked. This kind of cooking will never serve the purpose. The same rule applies to the stomach. The food once consumed gets digested by the next mealtime. Eating in between disturbs the digestion process.
One should eat when one feels very hungry and the stomach appears to be empty. If one does not feel hungry at a usual mealtime then one should skip that meal and should not take anything till the next mealtime. Supposing one does not feel hungry at 11 AM in the morning but gets hungry at 2 PM and starts eating at that time, it will disturb the cycle. Hence one should avoid this habit. Not feeling hungry undigested food in the stomach; hence in order to digest it, missing of one meal is essential. The synchronicity of the set mealtime and intense hunger is the right time for meals.
One should not take full meal early in the morning. Whatever is consumed in the dinner in the previous night is not fully digested due to sleep. Hence stomach should get some more time after sleep to digest to same. Taking full meal right in the morning is equivalent to giving a servant another task before he has completed the one in hand. However if one feels hungry in the morning and it appears difficult to work without taking something, then a liquid diet of milk, buttermilk, fruit, juice, water mixed with lemon and honey may be taken. Similarly, if hunger is felt at other times of the day, one should take liquids or easily digestible food items.
Technique of Eating
The way of eating is more important than the quality of eatables. Taking even ordinary food in the right manner can give better results than consuming quality food in a wrong manner. In this context, one has to pay attention to three questions [When to eat? How much to eat? How to eat]. We answer these questions one by one as follows
When to eat?
The answer to this question is that one should eat - at a fixed time and when one feels very hungry. One should eat when both of these synchronize. Normally for a healthy person, it is enough to take meals twice daily. These timings can be around 11 AM and 6 PM. One can adjust this time slightly according to one's convenience. The habit of taking meals at fixed times is nicely rewarded in the long run. Further, one should not take anything in between two meals. It is a bad habit to chew something or the other throughout the day. This disturbs the digestion process. Suppose we are cooking rice in a vessel and go on adding small amounts of rice grains in it after short intervals; the result will be that some grains will be over-cooked, some of them will uncooked. This kind of cooking will never serve the purpose. The same rule applies to the stomach. The food once consumed gets digested by the next mealtime. Eating in between disturbs the digestion process.
One should eat when one feels very hungry and the stomach appears to be empty. If one does not feel hungry at a usual mealtime then one should skip that meal and should not take anything till the next mealtime. Supposing one does not feel hungry at 11 AM in the morning but gets hungry at 2 PM and starts eating at that time, it will disturb the cycle. Hence one should avoid this habit. Not feeling hungry undigested food in the stomach; hence in order to digest it, missing of one meal is essential. The synchronicity of the set mealtime and intense hunger is the right time for meals.
One should not take full meal early in the morning. Whatever is consumed in the dinner in the previous night is not fully digested due to sleep. Hence stomach should get some more time after sleep to digest to same. Taking full meal right in the morning is equivalent to giving a servant another task before he has completed the one in hand. However if one feels hungry in the morning and it appears difficult to work without taking something, then a liquid diet of milk, buttermilk, fruit, juice, water mixed with lemon and honey may be taken. Similarly, if hunger is felt at other times of the day, one should take liquids or easily digestible food items.
Countless Memory of the Sound
There cannot be a measure for the acuteness of the power of the mind. It goes faster than a thousand horse powered engine or even than a rocket. If the mind's capabilities are properly controlled and conditioned a man can hear quite distinctly every word of the conversation being carried on between two persons thousands of miles apart, and they can be seen as if sitting very near. Not only this, but it is possible to know what goes on in the mind of persons thousands of miles away. Television and tele-audition are the achievements of a controller mind. The great sage Patanjali propounding the characteristics of Yoga has said:
"The meaning of Yoga is nothing else but controlling the tendencies of the mind." A master yogi can do anything. He can achieve the incomparable ecstasy of knowing God (Brahma) or can overawe the people by displaying miraculous feats. Mesmerism and Hypnotism, which are considered base psychic tricks, do not contribute to any spiritual upliftment of him who practices them. For true upliftment, mind should be directed towards spiritual quest. Even if this quest of the inner self cannot be revealed in concrete results, a reasonable person by reading, knowing and hearing about this wonderful power of the mind can surely endeavor to develop in himself this heavenly mental capacity.
In Nepal, which is the home of Yoga, one will never experience a dearth of miracles. The westerners are aware of this fact. In this connection a western correspondent's experience is worth nothing. He writes, "I was traveling by a river boat in India. As soon as the boat toughed a port, an Indian dressed only in a loin cloth boarded the boat with a bundle. He took a coil of rope lying there. Taking one end of it he knotted it and threw it upwards to the sky with all his might. The knot was going higher and higher and the coil below was being unwound of its own accord, and in a short time the whole coil of rope vanished in the sky. A coconut shell was lying nearby. He filled it with water, the amount of which was meager. Yet pouring the water in a pail, he filled the pail to the brim. He repeated this process and filled fifteen pails in a row. Then he chanted something and raised up his hand, the coconut shell disappeared, and when he lowered his hand there was a pail seen in it. Seeing all this we were so amazed, that we could not make out what all that was?"
Paul Brunton wandered all over India in search of such miracles and as a result of what he saw he wrote a book in support of this secret lore. Louis Jackalion, a French magistrate of Pondichery has also written a book on similar lines in which he has praised very much this secret lore of India. What others look up as wonderful miracles or displays of secret lore are considered by the Yogis as a little glimpse of the power of the mind. Though the display of this power is attractive to observe, it is a serious impediment to the ultimate goal of self-realization. The aim of controlling the mind is to know the True self. By achieving this knowledge man can experience freedom from life's bondage and enjoy bliss of heaven.
In "Ramottartapaniya Upanishad", in the discussion of the capabilities of the mind, it si stated; "The meeting place between the eyebrows and the nose is not only heaven, but something higher than heaven, but it is controlled by nature. Thus knowing Brahma one must worship this meeting point of achieving the un-manifested Brahma is limited to the physical meeting point of the eyebrows and the nose calls the point as spiritual Kashi.
Mind is the chief means of achieving salvation. Lured by desires, man becomes a slave to passions. Enjoyment of passions does not lead to diminishing the force of passions but on the contrary to augmenting them. The powers of the mind are thus dissipated in such loose worldly affairs. Hence for the realization of the Highest Essence, it is desirable to discard all passions and desires of the mind and to concentrate it on the inner self. The pivotal point of creation and continuation is the mind.
Life is perennially new, but the mind is old and ancient. The dust of the past goes on collecting on it and this layer of dust covers the mirror of consciousness. Only the lure of material things remains active. Thus the mind falls into bondage. For the true experience of living, freedom from mind's bondage is essential.
"The meaning of Yoga is nothing else but controlling the tendencies of the mind." A master yogi can do anything. He can achieve the incomparable ecstasy of knowing God (Brahma) or can overawe the people by displaying miraculous feats. Mesmerism and Hypnotism, which are considered base psychic tricks, do not contribute to any spiritual upliftment of him who practices them. For true upliftment, mind should be directed towards spiritual quest. Even if this quest of the inner self cannot be revealed in concrete results, a reasonable person by reading, knowing and hearing about this wonderful power of the mind can surely endeavor to develop in himself this heavenly mental capacity.
In Nepal, which is the home of Yoga, one will never experience a dearth of miracles. The westerners are aware of this fact. In this connection a western correspondent's experience is worth nothing. He writes, "I was traveling by a river boat in India. As soon as the boat toughed a port, an Indian dressed only in a loin cloth boarded the boat with a bundle. He took a coil of rope lying there. Taking one end of it he knotted it and threw it upwards to the sky with all his might. The knot was going higher and higher and the coil below was being unwound of its own accord, and in a short time the whole coil of rope vanished in the sky. A coconut shell was lying nearby. He filled it with water, the amount of which was meager. Yet pouring the water in a pail, he filled the pail to the brim. He repeated this process and filled fifteen pails in a row. Then he chanted something and raised up his hand, the coconut shell disappeared, and when he lowered his hand there was a pail seen in it. Seeing all this we were so amazed, that we could not make out what all that was?"
Paul Brunton wandered all over India in search of such miracles and as a result of what he saw he wrote a book in support of this secret lore. Louis Jackalion, a French magistrate of Pondichery has also written a book on similar lines in which he has praised very much this secret lore of India. What others look up as wonderful miracles or displays of secret lore are considered by the Yogis as a little glimpse of the power of the mind. Though the display of this power is attractive to observe, it is a serious impediment to the ultimate goal of self-realization. The aim of controlling the mind is to know the True self. By achieving this knowledge man can experience freedom from life's bondage and enjoy bliss of heaven.
In "Ramottartapaniya Upanishad", in the discussion of the capabilities of the mind, it si stated; "The meeting place between the eyebrows and the nose is not only heaven, but something higher than heaven, but it is controlled by nature. Thus knowing Brahma one must worship this meeting point of achieving the un-manifested Brahma is limited to the physical meeting point of the eyebrows and the nose calls the point as spiritual Kashi.
Mind is the chief means of achieving salvation. Lured by desires, man becomes a slave to passions. Enjoyment of passions does not lead to diminishing the force of passions but on the contrary to augmenting them. The powers of the mind are thus dissipated in such loose worldly affairs. Hence for the realization of the Highest Essence, it is desirable to discard all passions and desires of the mind and to concentrate it on the inner self. The pivotal point of creation and continuation is the mind.
Life is perennially new, but the mind is old and ancient. The dust of the past goes on collecting on it and this layer of dust covers the mirror of consciousness. Only the lure of material things remains active. Thus the mind falls into bondage. For the true experience of living, freedom from mind's bondage is essential.
At the heart of the Mahabharata
Dear brothers, from today I shall be talking to you about Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. The bond between the Gita and me transcends reason. I have received more nourishment from the Gita than my body has from my mother's milk. There is little place for ratiocination in a relationship of loving tenderness. Moving beyond the intellect, I therefore soar high in the vast expanse of the Gita on the twin wings of faith and experimentation. Most of the times, I live in the ambience of the Gita. The Gita is my life breath. I am as if afloat on the surface of this ocean of nectar when I am talking about the Gita with other, and when alone, I dive deep in to this ocean and rest there. Henceforth, every Sunday, I shall be giving a talk on the teaching of the Gita, who is verily our mother.
The Gita has been set in the Mahabharata. Standing in the middle of the great epic like a lighthouse, it illuminates the whole of the epic. Placed between six parvas (sections of the text) of the epic on the side and twelve on the other, its message is being unfolded in the middle of the battlefield with seven divisions of the pandava army on one side and eleven divisions of the kaueava army on the other.
The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are our national epics. The characters depicted therein have become an inseparable part of our lives. Since time immemorial, life in India has remained under the spell of the characters like Rama, Sita, Dharmaraj, Draupadi, Bhishma, Hanuman etc. The characters in other epics of the people in this way. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are thus undoubtedly unique and wonderful works. The Ramayana is an endearing and enchanting ethical poem, while the Mahabharata is a comprehensive treatise on the working of society. In the Mahabharata Vyasa has, in one hundred thousand verses, sketched the lives, personalities and characters of innumerable individuals with consummate skill. The Mahabharata vividly brings out the fact that none but God is completely faultless and good, and also that none can be said to be evil personified. For instance, it points out faults even of moral giants like Bhishma and Dharmaraj, and virtues in the characters like karma and Duryodhan, who had strayed from the path of righteousness. The Mahabharata tells us that human life is like a fabric woven with back and white threads-threads of good and evil. With perfect detachment vyasa, the great sage, graphically deposits before us the complex reality of the vast web of the worldly life. Because of Vyasa's great library skill in depicting life with detachment and high moral purpose the Mahabharata has become a veritable gold-mine. Everybody is free as much as he wants.
Vyasa wrote such a great epic, but did he have something of his own to tell? Has he told his special message somewhere? Which is the place in the place in the epic where we find him in a state of Samadhi? One comes across in the Mahabharata a vast number of dense thickets of philosophies and preaching, but has vyasa given anywhere the essence of all whole epic? Yes, he has. Vyasa has presented it in the form of the Gita. The Gita is his principal message and the repository of his wisdom. It is be-cause of the Gita that the Lord has extolled him as the among the sages, as His own manifestation among the sages. The Gita has been accorded the status of an Upanishad. Lord Krishna has an, if distilled the essence of all the Upanishads and offered it in the form of the Gita to the whole world. Arjuna's despondency provided only an occasion. Almost every idea and thought necessary for the blossoming of life can be found in the Gita. That is why the wise have rightly called it the encyclopedia of dharma. The Gita although small in size, is the principal text of Hiduism.
The Gita has been set in the Mahabharata. Standing in the middle of the great epic like a lighthouse, it illuminates the whole of the epic. Placed between six parvas (sections of the text) of the epic on the side and twelve on the other, its message is being unfolded in the middle of the battlefield with seven divisions of the pandava army on one side and eleven divisions of the kaueava army on the other.
The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are our national epics. The characters depicted therein have become an inseparable part of our lives. Since time immemorial, life in India has remained under the spell of the characters like Rama, Sita, Dharmaraj, Draupadi, Bhishma, Hanuman etc. The characters in other epics of the people in this way. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are thus undoubtedly unique and wonderful works. The Ramayana is an endearing and enchanting ethical poem, while the Mahabharata is a comprehensive treatise on the working of society. In the Mahabharata Vyasa has, in one hundred thousand verses, sketched the lives, personalities and characters of innumerable individuals with consummate skill. The Mahabharata vividly brings out the fact that none but God is completely faultless and good, and also that none can be said to be evil personified. For instance, it points out faults even of moral giants like Bhishma and Dharmaraj, and virtues in the characters like karma and Duryodhan, who had strayed from the path of righteousness. The Mahabharata tells us that human life is like a fabric woven with back and white threads-threads of good and evil. With perfect detachment vyasa, the great sage, graphically deposits before us the complex reality of the vast web of the worldly life. Because of Vyasa's great library skill in depicting life with detachment and high moral purpose the Mahabharata has become a veritable gold-mine. Everybody is free as much as he wants.
Vyasa wrote such a great epic, but did he have something of his own to tell? Has he told his special message somewhere? Which is the place in the place in the epic where we find him in a state of Samadhi? One comes across in the Mahabharata a vast number of dense thickets of philosophies and preaching, but has vyasa given anywhere the essence of all whole epic? Yes, he has. Vyasa has presented it in the form of the Gita. The Gita is his principal message and the repository of his wisdom. It is be-cause of the Gita that the Lord has extolled him as the among the sages, as His own manifestation among the sages. The Gita has been accorded the status of an Upanishad. Lord Krishna has an, if distilled the essence of all the Upanishads and offered it in the form of the Gita to the whole world. Arjuna's despondency provided only an occasion. Almost every idea and thought necessary for the blossoming of life can be found in the Gita. That is why the wise have rightly called it the encyclopedia of dharma. The Gita although small in size, is the principal text of Hiduism.
Arjuna in Mahabharata
Many people feel that the Gita should be taken to begin with the Second Chapter. The actual teaching starts from the eleventh verse of the Second Chapter; so why not take it as the real beginning? A gentleman once argued that the Lord had called 'a' (the first letter of the Nagari alphabet) as His Vibhuti (manifestation) among the letters of the alphabet and the eleventh verse begins with it; therefore, it should be taken as the beginning. That apart, it would be right in more than one sense to take this as the real beginning of th eGta. Nonetheless, the preceding introductory portion has a value of its own. Without it we would not have properly understood Arjuna's standpoint and the genesis of the Gita.
Many content that Arjuna had reduced himself to the state of a eunuch and the Gita was preached to restore him to manhood and induce him to fight. In their view the Gita preaches not only Karmayoga (the philosophy of action) but also yuddhayoga (the philosophy of war). But a little thinking will show the error in this view. Eighteen divisions of army were ready for the battle. Can we say that the Lord, by making Arjuna listen to the Gita, made him worthy to face that army in battle? It was Arjuna who quailed; not the army. Was then the army braver than Arjuna? It is just inconceivable. It was not out of fear that Arjuna was shying away from the battle. He was a great warrior who had fought hundreds of battles. He had single-handedly routed Bhishma, Drona and Karna when they had invaded Virat's kingdom. He was, in fact, known as one who knew no defeat; a man among men. Valor was in every drop of his blood. Krishna, in fact, did try to needle him by attributing impotence to him; but it proved to be off the mark. He had then to go deep into different aspects of the spiritual knowledge. It is thus clear that it is too simplistic to think that the aim of the Gita is to remove unmanliness.
It is also said that the Gita is meant to make Arjuna willing to fight by removing his inclination towards non-violence. With this too, I do not agree. To understand this point, we have to examine Arjuna's standpoint. The First Chapter and its extension in the Second are useful in this context.
Arjuna had come to the battlefield with a firm resolve and a sense of duty. Being a kahatriya (member of the warrior varna), fighting was in his blood. Every attempt to avoid war had failed. Even though the Pandavas had pitched their claims at the minimum and Krishna Himself had tried to mediate, all that had been in vain and the war had become inevitable. In these circumstances, Arjuna had brought together many kings, made Krishna his charioteer, and is now on the battle-field. He asks Krishna with heroic ardor, "Place my chariot between the two armies, so that I can have a look at the people who have assembled here to fight with me." Krishna complies. Arjuna looks around. And what does he see? He finds his kith and kin, his near and dear ones arrayed on both the sides. He finds four generations of his own people intent on fighting to the finish. It is not that Arjuna had no idea of what he was going to see. But the actual sight, as is always the case, had a devastating impact. Seeing his kinsmen on the battlefield, Arjuna lost his nerve and deep anguish assailed his heart. In the past, he had slain innumerable warriors in many a battle, but he had never before felt so despondent, never had his bow Gandiva slipped from his hands, never had he trembled so, never had tears welled up in his eyes! Then, why all this was happening now? Was he coming to abhor violence like King Ashoka. Certainly not, it was nothing but attachment to his kith and kin. If those in from of him had not been his kinsmen, he would even now have felt no qualms in severing their heads and merrily tossing them around. But attachment to his kith and kin clouded his sense of duty, and then he started philosophizing. When a man with a sense of duty is caught in delusion, he cannot face his naked lapse from duty. He tries to justify it by citing lofty principles. The same thing happened with Arjuna. He now started putting before Krishna, to convince him, the spacious argument that was in itself was sinful, that it would destroy the clan, eclipse dharma and lead to moral corruption, scarcity and devastation, and would thus be disastrous to the society.
Many content that Arjuna had reduced himself to the state of a eunuch and the Gita was preached to restore him to manhood and induce him to fight. In their view the Gita preaches not only Karmayoga (the philosophy of action) but also yuddhayoga (the philosophy of war). But a little thinking will show the error in this view. Eighteen divisions of army were ready for the battle. Can we say that the Lord, by making Arjuna listen to the Gita, made him worthy to face that army in battle? It was Arjuna who quailed; not the army. Was then the army braver than Arjuna? It is just inconceivable. It was not out of fear that Arjuna was shying away from the battle. He was a great warrior who had fought hundreds of battles. He had single-handedly routed Bhishma, Drona and Karna when they had invaded Virat's kingdom. He was, in fact, known as one who knew no defeat; a man among men. Valor was in every drop of his blood. Krishna, in fact, did try to needle him by attributing impotence to him; but it proved to be off the mark. He had then to go deep into different aspects of the spiritual knowledge. It is thus clear that it is too simplistic to think that the aim of the Gita is to remove unmanliness.
It is also said that the Gita is meant to make Arjuna willing to fight by removing his inclination towards non-violence. With this too, I do not agree. To understand this point, we have to examine Arjuna's standpoint. The First Chapter and its extension in the Second are useful in this context.
Arjuna had come to the battlefield with a firm resolve and a sense of duty. Being a kahatriya (member of the warrior varna), fighting was in his blood. Every attempt to avoid war had failed. Even though the Pandavas had pitched their claims at the minimum and Krishna Himself had tried to mediate, all that had been in vain and the war had become inevitable. In these circumstances, Arjuna had brought together many kings, made Krishna his charioteer, and is now on the battle-field. He asks Krishna with heroic ardor, "Place my chariot between the two armies, so that I can have a look at the people who have assembled here to fight with me." Krishna complies. Arjuna looks around. And what does he see? He finds his kith and kin, his near and dear ones arrayed on both the sides. He finds four generations of his own people intent on fighting to the finish. It is not that Arjuna had no idea of what he was going to see. But the actual sight, as is always the case, had a devastating impact. Seeing his kinsmen on the battlefield, Arjuna lost his nerve and deep anguish assailed his heart. In the past, he had slain innumerable warriors in many a battle, but he had never before felt so despondent, never had his bow Gandiva slipped from his hands, never had he trembled so, never had tears welled up in his eyes! Then, why all this was happening now? Was he coming to abhor violence like King Ashoka. Certainly not, it was nothing but attachment to his kith and kin. If those in from of him had not been his kinsmen, he would even now have felt no qualms in severing their heads and merrily tossing them around. But attachment to his kith and kin clouded his sense of duty, and then he started philosophizing. When a man with a sense of duty is caught in delusion, he cannot face his naked lapse from duty. He tries to justify it by citing lofty principles. The same thing happened with Arjuna. He now started putting before Krishna, to convince him, the spacious argument that was in itself was sinful, that it would destroy the clan, eclipse dharma and lead to moral corruption, scarcity and devastation, and would thus be disastrous to the society.
Who shapes the Course of Human Ascent?
Uncountable waves of lives emerge out of and submerge back into the eternal ocean of Nature. The March of Life records none of these into its incessant flow. Rare are those divine should, whose lives engrave immortal imprints in the glorious chapters of human history. Few years of their life-spans stand as beacons of light, faith and inspiration in the annals of humanity
Ethics of humanity teach us that - "an altruistic life of a poor man is far more blissful and liberated than that of a mighty king", and sacrificing self interest is always superior to oppressing others". Though these ethical values have been preached throughout the ages, only a few have lived them. It is the inner strength of such great characters, which has upheld the edifice of morality age after age.
Talent, skill, perseverance, wisdom, charisma, and courage are necessary for nurturing aplomb and self-esteem. Leading others too cannot be effective and inspiring without inculcation in one self the requisite virtues and attributes. Those devoid of such potentials cannot vaunt of altruist renunciation. Dullness and lethargy cannot masquerade as austerity, contentment and peace. How can the glow of moral eminence shine in the darkness of ignorance and inactivity? Great are those who, despite being endowed with brilliant talents, courage and strength, do not waste their precious efforts in the pursuit of egoistic aims. Their sagacity and potentials are creatively used towards the welfare and evolution of humanity.
Ideals must not be compromised to suit the weakness of our wavering minds, nor can they be put on as mere masks. The peaks of immortal glory cannot be conquered without traversing through the Everest of perennially uplifting values.
Ethics of humanity teach us that - "an altruistic life of a poor man is far more blissful and liberated than that of a mighty king", and sacrificing self interest is always superior to oppressing others". Though these ethical values have been preached throughout the ages, only a few have lived them. It is the inner strength of such great characters, which has upheld the edifice of morality age after age.
Talent, skill, perseverance, wisdom, charisma, and courage are necessary for nurturing aplomb and self-esteem. Leading others too cannot be effective and inspiring without inculcation in one self the requisite virtues and attributes. Those devoid of such potentials cannot vaunt of altruist renunciation. Dullness and lethargy cannot masquerade as austerity, contentment and peace. How can the glow of moral eminence shine in the darkness of ignorance and inactivity? Great are those who, despite being endowed with brilliant talents, courage and strength, do not waste their precious efforts in the pursuit of egoistic aims. Their sagacity and potentials are creatively used towards the welfare and evolution of humanity.
Ideals must not be compromised to suit the weakness of our wavering minds, nor can they be put on as mere masks. The peaks of immortal glory cannot be conquered without traversing through the Everest of perennially uplifting values.
The Success of Human Life
Meaning: All the knowledge and wisdom teach us by our Vedas. Among them the technique of success life teaches us by the stanza of the Sam-Veda 1302 that -"The success of human -life lies only in removing the spirit's (soul's) and mind's faults and wicked tendencies and becoming cleansed and pure. Thousands of solutions have been described in the Vedas for freeing the soul from blemish and for freeing it from the shell of selfishness. Therefore, the Vedas are worth reading and worth pondering".
Message: This life as a human being has been achieved by us as a result of innumerable virtuous deeds. Man can get eternal joy only by using it for good deeds. There are innumerable types of moral injunctions in the Vedas and their essence is that man should always progress in life and should never have a downfall. It is the duty of every man to give up all types of vices and wicked tendencies. To achieve freedom from the demons of selfishness, greed, attachment, arrogance etcetera which grip the soul, strong will-power is required. The soul and mind can become cleansed and pure only by freedom from them.
The maximum emphasis has been laid on the strength of will-power in the Veda-mantras. Man can fulfill all his desires only by performing austerity, spiritual-endeavor, and hard labor and with mental firmness. Ambition gives an idea about a man's power or ability, but along with that the spirit of selflessness and sacrifice is necessary. Only after these types of wishes are fulfilled by austerities and spiritual-endeavor, can a man make his life successful by helping others. The measure of success of a man's life can be determined only on the basis of how far his will-power has developed. Even the greatest powers of Nature can be defeated by man's will-power. The impression of man's will-power can be seen in the development of culture, in all human activities and all material success.
Man's will-power is produced from his character which is produced as a result of his deeds. That will-power is of the type of his deeds. All of us know that it is very beneficial to lead a moral life. Even then we somehow commit a sin and then we have to bear its painful result. There is no way of getting rid of the results of one's deeds. The difficulties seen in our daily life are not only because of some basic vice or wickedness, but the hardship caused by them is troubling us because we are neglecting the good resolve to free ourselves from them. A man, who can conquer his wrong type of thinking, will without doubt become the master of tremendous will-power.
A misguided man can become strong only when he thoroughly understands that he is the soul and not the body. One who understands that God resides in his soul, then through that understanding it, tremendous energy is produce d within him. Through this power only, he develops the capacity to reject and throw out the mental faults and vices. Satvik thought (qualities of a sattogun or satvik qualities) and divine thinking is produced only after freeing oneself from vices and immoral activities. And with that, enthusiasm is produced within man for resisting vices and immoralities.
One must remember the Vedic admonitions which are summed up as, "Uproot the vices and throw them out, increases and nature good qualities".
Message: This life as a human being has been achieved by us as a result of innumerable virtuous deeds. Man can get eternal joy only by using it for good deeds. There are innumerable types of moral injunctions in the Vedas and their essence is that man should always progress in life and should never have a downfall. It is the duty of every man to give up all types of vices and wicked tendencies. To achieve freedom from the demons of selfishness, greed, attachment, arrogance etcetera which grip the soul, strong will-power is required. The soul and mind can become cleansed and pure only by freedom from them.
The maximum emphasis has been laid on the strength of will-power in the Veda-mantras. Man can fulfill all his desires only by performing austerity, spiritual-endeavor, and hard labor and with mental firmness. Ambition gives an idea about a man's power or ability, but along with that the spirit of selflessness and sacrifice is necessary. Only after these types of wishes are fulfilled by austerities and spiritual-endeavor, can a man make his life successful by helping others. The measure of success of a man's life can be determined only on the basis of how far his will-power has developed. Even the greatest powers of Nature can be defeated by man's will-power. The impression of man's will-power can be seen in the development of culture, in all human activities and all material success.
Man's will-power is produced from his character which is produced as a result of his deeds. That will-power is of the type of his deeds. All of us know that it is very beneficial to lead a moral life. Even then we somehow commit a sin and then we have to bear its painful result. There is no way of getting rid of the results of one's deeds. The difficulties seen in our daily life are not only because of some basic vice or wickedness, but the hardship caused by them is troubling us because we are neglecting the good resolve to free ourselves from them. A man, who can conquer his wrong type of thinking, will without doubt become the master of tremendous will-power.
A misguided man can become strong only when he thoroughly understands that he is the soul and not the body. One who understands that God resides in his soul, then through that understanding it, tremendous energy is produce d within him. Through this power only, he develops the capacity to reject and throw out the mental faults and vices. Satvik thought (qualities of a sattogun or satvik qualities) and divine thinking is produced only after freeing oneself from vices and immoral activities. And with that, enthusiasm is produced within man for resisting vices and immoralities.
One must remember the Vedic admonitions which are summed up as, "Uproot the vices and throw them out, increases and nature good qualities".
The Key to Karma Yoga
Karma Needs Vikarma (1) to complement it.
1. Brothers, as stated before, about the yoga of desire less action. It is impossible to attain desirelessness if we give up Swadharma and embrace the dharma which is not ours. It is a trader's swadharma to sell indigenous goods. But when he gives it up and starts selling foreign goods imported from distant lands, his motive are nothing but to earn more profit. How can such work be free from desire? Pursuit of swadharma is therefore indispensable for desire less work. But swadharma could also be pursued with an eye on the gains. Take the case of non-violence. Violence is taboo for a votary of non-violence; but he could be outwardly non-violent while being steeped in violence inwardly. For violence is an attribute of the mind. The mind would not be non-violent merely by throwing the sword away. The same is true about swadharma also. To have desirelessness. It is not sufficient for attainment of that goal.
Desirelessness is an attribute of the mind. Pursuit of swadharma is necessary but not sufficient for acquiring that attribute. Other means must also be used towards this ends. To light a lamp, oil and wick are necessary to have a flame. Darkness disappears only when we light a flame. How to light a flame? For this one must purify ones mind. The mind should be thoroughly cleansed through intense self-examination. The Lord has given this important advice at the end of the Third Chapter. The Fourth Chapter has its genesis in this advice.
2 The Gita uses the word Karma (action) in the sense of swadharma. We eat, drink, and sleep; these are all actions. But they are not the actions that the Gita refers to when it talks of Karma. Karma refers to the performance of swadharam. But in order to attain desirelessness through such Karma, an important aid is necessary. One must overcome desire, attachment and anger. One cannot have desirelessness unless and until the mind has become pure and calm like the waters of the Ganga. The actions necessary for the purification of mind are called vikarma by the Gita. Karma, vikarma and akarma - these three terms are important in the Fourth Chapter. Karma means the outward actions done in the pursuit of swadharma. Vikaram means total involvement of the mind therein. We may bow our head before somebody, but that outward action is meaningless without inner humility in the mind. There should be unity between the inner and the outer. I may worship the image of the Lord; but that act is worthless if it is not accompanied with devotion. In the absence of devotion, the idol will just be a piece of stone and so shall I; and the worship will only mean that a stone is facing a stone! Desire less, selfless karma yoga is attained only when outward actions are complemented with the inward action of the purification of mind.
3 In the phrase desire less action, the adjective desire less is more important than the word action, just as in the phrase non-violent non-cooperation, the adjective non-violent is more important that the word non-cooperation. Non-cooperation without non-violence could be a terrible thing. In the same way, it could be dangerous if performance of swadharma is not complemented with vikarma of the mind.
Those engaged in social service today are certainly pursuing their swadharma. When people are poor and destitute, it is a natural duty to serve them and make them happy. But all social workers cannot therefore be called karmahogis. Social service without pure motives in the heart of the workers could have disastrous results. Such a social service can generate in equal measure the vanity, hatred, envy and selfishness that wee generate when we serve our families exclusively. This is clearly evident in the world of social work today.
1. Brothers, as stated before, about the yoga of desire less action. It is impossible to attain desirelessness if we give up Swadharma and embrace the dharma which is not ours. It is a trader's swadharma to sell indigenous goods. But when he gives it up and starts selling foreign goods imported from distant lands, his motive are nothing but to earn more profit. How can such work be free from desire? Pursuit of swadharma is therefore indispensable for desire less work. But swadharma could also be pursued with an eye on the gains. Take the case of non-violence. Violence is taboo for a votary of non-violence; but he could be outwardly non-violent while being steeped in violence inwardly. For violence is an attribute of the mind. The mind would not be non-violent merely by throwing the sword away. The same is true about swadharma also. To have desirelessness. It is not sufficient for attainment of that goal.
Desirelessness is an attribute of the mind. Pursuit of swadharma is necessary but not sufficient for acquiring that attribute. Other means must also be used towards this ends. To light a lamp, oil and wick are necessary to have a flame. Darkness disappears only when we light a flame. How to light a flame? For this one must purify ones mind. The mind should be thoroughly cleansed through intense self-examination. The Lord has given this important advice at the end of the Third Chapter. The Fourth Chapter has its genesis in this advice.
2 The Gita uses the word Karma (action) in the sense of swadharma. We eat, drink, and sleep; these are all actions. But they are not the actions that the Gita refers to when it talks of Karma. Karma refers to the performance of swadharam. But in order to attain desirelessness through such Karma, an important aid is necessary. One must overcome desire, attachment and anger. One cannot have desirelessness unless and until the mind has become pure and calm like the waters of the Ganga. The actions necessary for the purification of mind are called vikarma by the Gita. Karma, vikarma and akarma - these three terms are important in the Fourth Chapter. Karma means the outward actions done in the pursuit of swadharma. Vikaram means total involvement of the mind therein. We may bow our head before somebody, but that outward action is meaningless without inner humility in the mind. There should be unity between the inner and the outer. I may worship the image of the Lord; but that act is worthless if it is not accompanied with devotion. In the absence of devotion, the idol will just be a piece of stone and so shall I; and the worship will only mean that a stone is facing a stone! Desire less, selfless karma yoga is attained only when outward actions are complemented with the inward action of the purification of mind.
3 In the phrase desire less action, the adjective desire less is more important than the word action, just as in the phrase non-violent non-cooperation, the adjective non-violent is more important that the word non-cooperation. Non-cooperation without non-violence could be a terrible thing. In the same way, it could be dangerous if performance of swadharma is not complemented with vikarma of the mind.
Those engaged in social service today are certainly pursuing their swadharma. When people are poor and destitute, it is a natural duty to serve them and make them happy. But all social workers cannot therefore be called karmahogis. Social service without pure motives in the heart of the workers could have disastrous results. Such a social service can generate in equal measure the vanity, hatred, envy and selfishness that wee generate when we serve our families exclusively. This is clearly evident in the world of social work today.
Spiritual comparing with the Science and Politics
While comparing a scientist with a political, James Ruston, the author of the book "Precision of Science and Confusion of Politics" states: - " A scientist knows the capability of his resources and keeps control on them He sets his target and organizes resources on the basis of facts. Then he hands over the management of the planned process to specialized and trained people. The activities of a politician are just the reverse of this - he does not fathom capabilities or the availability of resources. Most of the time politics is engulfed by ill-virtues like bragging, egoism, envy, selfishness, and personal whims. So a politician blindly plays his cards like a gambler and achieves blind results. Governance does not remain always in the hands of active, wise persons with foresight; at times goes into the hands of people who are totally unworthy of it. In their exuberance they initiate big projects, but mostly end up as failures when they face difficulties and by losing control on circumstances. A scientist every moment is aware of the dangers of his errors, while steps of a politician remain uncontrolled and take uncertain directions like that of a drunkard".
Many world famous thinkers like H G Wells have been voicing their concern that the control of the future of humanity has unfortunately slipped into the hands of blind politics. This control needs to be taken away from politics and the basis of governance should become science, which means utilization of specified resources by the best of people to achieve the highest of ideals.
Communal religion or the perception of religion by most of us today has to be refined through spirituality. The control of politics should not go into the hands of egoists and whimsical minds. It should be handed over to those foresighted people who are capable of building up systems of general welfare based upon factual information and truthfulness. This is the seer- like insight of Saint Vinoba and this is his forecast for the new world order. This change is essential for the glorious fulfillment of humanity
[A fowler/hunter wanted to be consecrated by a great saint. The saint had a rule of swearing in the vow of following nonviolence as the teacher's reward (guru-dakshina). The fowler could not do without catching birds and so he didn't agree to the condition. Then the saint suggested him an easy way out. He said -"For now, you swear to be merciful to at least one bird, and then slowly increase the limits of your oath." The fowler greed to it and introduced himself to the faith of nonviolence by at first avowing not to kill the crow. He continued thinking about the nonviolence and gradually kept on increasing the perimeter of his confinement. After a few days he became a great nonviolent saint.
Many world famous thinkers like H G Wells have been voicing their concern that the control of the future of humanity has unfortunately slipped into the hands of blind politics. This control needs to be taken away from politics and the basis of governance should become science, which means utilization of specified resources by the best of people to achieve the highest of ideals.
Communal religion or the perception of religion by most of us today has to be refined through spirituality. The control of politics should not go into the hands of egoists and whimsical minds. It should be handed over to those foresighted people who are capable of building up systems of general welfare based upon factual information and truthfulness. This is the seer- like insight of Saint Vinoba and this is his forecast for the new world order. This change is essential for the glorious fulfillment of humanity
[A fowler/hunter wanted to be consecrated by a great saint. The saint had a rule of swearing in the vow of following nonviolence as the teacher's reward (guru-dakshina). The fowler could not do without catching birds and so he didn't agree to the condition. Then the saint suggested him an easy way out. He said -"For now, you swear to be merciful to at least one bird, and then slowly increase the limits of your oath." The fowler greed to it and introduced himself to the faith of nonviolence by at first avowing not to kill the crow. He continued thinking about the nonviolence and gradually kept on increasing the perimeter of his confinement. After a few days he became a great nonviolent saint.
Self Awareness
"Manasi vicharya barambaram" - this aphorism of Acharya Shankara tells us that as we egin to ponder over the important questions of life, and as we grow more and more inquisitive about it, we get more and more deeply acquainted with the verities of our life. It is through the genuineness and intensity of seeking that we become able to know ourselves, and then we are surprised at our folly: "Oh! How in the world were we continuing with such a senseless existence"! Enquiry explains to us the meaning and purpose of life; it reveals the raison d'etre of things and empowers us to discriminate between the right and the wrong, the virtuous and the vicious, the purposeful and the purposeless. In short, it makes us conscious and wakeful. This is the natural result of enquiry and may be considered as the second stage in the process of awakening.
In the state of wakefulness, we are able to cognize our strengths and potentials. Correct understanding of the state of mind and meaningful use of the available circumstances are possible in this very condition. Side by side, we can also identity and overcome the psychological and material obstacles which had hitherto prevented us from actualizing our potentials, from giving proper expression to our talents, and from experiencing the pleasure of a meaningful existence.
It is this very depth and intensity of awakening that becomes jivana bodha. Every facet of life its every nook and corner is illumined with the light of awareness; nothing remains hidden, nothing remains unseen, nothing remains unfamiliar. Every event in life, big or small, becomes a lesson. The whole life becomes a school, a continuing education, instead of being a burden. He, who lives in true awareness, utilizes the moments of happiness in the best possible manner. At the same time he also knows how to derive benefit from the times of trails and tribulations. Moments of joy are yoga for him, while moments of pain turn into tapa (disciplinary austerities). In every situation, he has full comprehension of the meaning of existence.
It is in this state that the interior begins to grow with the light of the truth that only those who are wakeful, alert and conscious can walk the path of jivana sadhana. This path is so perilous and demanding that even the slightest sluggishness and carelessness in effort will result in fall and failure; the personality will remain dull, confused and underdeveloped. To understand the different dimensions of the personality and to illuminate them is the first step on the path of jivana sadhana.
In the state of wakefulness, we are able to cognize our strengths and potentials. Correct understanding of the state of mind and meaningful use of the available circumstances are possible in this very condition. Side by side, we can also identity and overcome the psychological and material obstacles which had hitherto prevented us from actualizing our potentials, from giving proper expression to our talents, and from experiencing the pleasure of a meaningful existence.
It is this very depth and intensity of awakening that becomes jivana bodha. Every facet of life its every nook and corner is illumined with the light of awareness; nothing remains hidden, nothing remains unseen, nothing remains unfamiliar. Every event in life, big or small, becomes a lesson. The whole life becomes a school, a continuing education, instead of being a burden. He, who lives in true awareness, utilizes the moments of happiness in the best possible manner. At the same time he also knows how to derive benefit from the times of trails and tribulations. Moments of joy are yoga for him, while moments of pain turn into tapa (disciplinary austerities). In every situation, he has full comprehension of the meaning of existence.
It is in this state that the interior begins to grow with the light of the truth that only those who are wakeful, alert and conscious can walk the path of jivana sadhana. This path is so perilous and demanding that even the slightest sluggishness and carelessness in effort will result in fall and failure; the personality will remain dull, confused and underdeveloped. To understand the different dimensions of the personality and to illuminate them is the first step on the path of jivana sadhana.
What is the Pure meaning of the Science
Science should not take the world "religion" to always mean only as a set of rituals followed by a particular "community" or as an ensemble of dogmatic norms derived from a doctrine. There has to be a strong opposition to communal partisanship and the spreading of stupid customs and superstitions by vested selfish elements. But what must be kept out of any dispute is that aspect of religion, which relates to idealism and morality, for based upon this alone man has inwardly grown from prehistoric ages to the present status where he can appreciate the importance of these profound concepts.
Saint Vinoba has stated - "The era of religion and politics is over; now spirituality and science will replace these". It has always been the rule in the world that every object, every situation and every belie lasts only till it keeps proving itself to be of some utility. With the infusion of distortions, even a good object of earlier times may get spoiled and become useless. Then it has to be removed and thrown away in a heap of garbage.
Vinoba has taken the word 'religion' to man 'community'. Difference between religion and community is quite clear. What is meant by religion is ethics. Morality and search for truth. Such a religion has no beginning and it has to last forever. It can not get stale, nor can ever be spoiled. Even thieves want to employ honest servants. A cruel person also desires soft and sympathetic treatment for himself. A licentious individual also seeks a person of good conduct to wed his daughter to. A person who cheats also favors transparency. This is the religion as propounded by sacred scriptures and so it is clear that nobody can challenge this religion. The 'religion' that is mocked at and termed useless by rational thinkers is actually distorted communities were also created with good intentions initially and sufficient margin was kept for modifications with the changing circumstances. Religious fanatics disallow desirable modifications with time and begin to accept distortions that have crept in with the passage of time also as religious traditions. Normally such distorted fanatic communalism is called as 'religion' by people. Vinobaji has also referred to this 'religion', which would be replaced in coming days. Refined religion is called spirituality. What is meant by the statement that spirituality will replace religion in only that today's distorted communalism prevailing in the name of religion will get replaced by installation of that purified religion which is based on morality, good conduct, justice and righteousness. Awakened discerning intelligence of the new era is bound to bring about such a grand transformation.
Similarly replacement of politics is not meant to be the end of governance or arrival of anarchy but de-recognition of antagonistic groupism in political activity. The indication here is on the censure of cunningness and cruelty in political activities. By 'science' Vinobaji means specialized knowledge - the discerning intelligence. Aim of science is discovery of truth. Discerning intelligence is obtained when ground reality is viewed with penetrating insight. Vinobaji has not taken science to men material science.
We can understand with more clarity what Vinobaji means by science on the basis of various definitions expounded by some modern thinkers.
Jacob Bronowski, the author of the book 'Common Sense of Science' has regarded science as a comprehensive philosophy of thinking-process and has stated - "Acceptance of what works and rejection of what does not is what science is". He further clarifies his statement - "The inspiration of science is only that our thoughts must be realistic, they must have capability of adapting to ever-changing circumstances and they must be impartial. Then such thoughts will be considered as 'science' even though they may be related any field in the world. Such a way of thinking will always be called 'scientifeic'.
Saint Vinoba has stated - "The era of religion and politics is over; now spirituality and science will replace these". It has always been the rule in the world that every object, every situation and every belie lasts only till it keeps proving itself to be of some utility. With the infusion of distortions, even a good object of earlier times may get spoiled and become useless. Then it has to be removed and thrown away in a heap of garbage.
Vinoba has taken the word 'religion' to man 'community'. Difference between religion and community is quite clear. What is meant by religion is ethics. Morality and search for truth. Such a religion has no beginning and it has to last forever. It can not get stale, nor can ever be spoiled. Even thieves want to employ honest servants. A cruel person also desires soft and sympathetic treatment for himself. A licentious individual also seeks a person of good conduct to wed his daughter to. A person who cheats also favors transparency. This is the religion as propounded by sacred scriptures and so it is clear that nobody can challenge this religion. The 'religion' that is mocked at and termed useless by rational thinkers is actually distorted communities were also created with good intentions initially and sufficient margin was kept for modifications with the changing circumstances. Religious fanatics disallow desirable modifications with time and begin to accept distortions that have crept in with the passage of time also as religious traditions. Normally such distorted fanatic communalism is called as 'religion' by people. Vinobaji has also referred to this 'religion', which would be replaced in coming days. Refined religion is called spirituality. What is meant by the statement that spirituality will replace religion in only that today's distorted communalism prevailing in the name of religion will get replaced by installation of that purified religion which is based on morality, good conduct, justice and righteousness. Awakened discerning intelligence of the new era is bound to bring about such a grand transformation.
Similarly replacement of politics is not meant to be the end of governance or arrival of anarchy but de-recognition of antagonistic groupism in political activity. The indication here is on the censure of cunningness and cruelty in political activities. By 'science' Vinobaji means specialized knowledge - the discerning intelligence. Aim of science is discovery of truth. Discerning intelligence is obtained when ground reality is viewed with penetrating insight. Vinobaji has not taken science to men material science.
We can understand with more clarity what Vinobaji means by science on the basis of various definitions expounded by some modern thinkers.
Jacob Bronowski, the author of the book 'Common Sense of Science' has regarded science as a comprehensive philosophy of thinking-process and has stated - "Acceptance of what works and rejection of what does not is what science is". He further clarifies his statement - "The inspiration of science is only that our thoughts must be realistic, they must have capability of adapting to ever-changing circumstances and they must be impartial. Then such thoughts will be considered as 'science' even though they may be related any field in the world. Such a way of thinking will always be called 'scientifeic'.
Prosperity is the way of Spirituality
Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity is referred in Hindu mythology as the better half of God Vishnu - the Almighty Preserver, Protector and Eternal Guardian of the Universe. Lord Bishnu (Narayan) would not have been able to run the world without Lakshmi. You will always find the idols of Narayan and Lakshmi both enshrined in the temples. So what this depiction teaches us is that - the worship of God is incomplete without Lakshmi. We must understand here that worshiping of God is not confined to rituals in the temples with devotional prayers, etc. More essential is to worship His Creation by making the world better and happier, by offering benevolent service and help to fellow beings, by protecting the other life forms and the orderly system of Nature. Our efforts in this regard would mostly be worldly acts, for which we would need potential support and resources, including money.
The Almighty certainly would not like to see His crown prince, the human being, deprived of anything. He has endowed the human body and mind with marvelous faculties and has provided abundance of resources in the manifested Nature so that everyone could live with dignity and proceed on the path of evolution. A believer of God must therefore be a believer of his own potentials and make the best use of these to be self-dependent and prosperous.
Daridrata (poverty because of lethargy, wrong attitude, negativity and or bad habits, etc) is a spiritual defect. Not having money or not making any effort for earning or managing wealth is in no manner a sign of austerity or sacrifice. Austerity and sacrifice in the truest sense are linked with detachment from selfish possession and passion for lavish comforts. In fact, earning and expanding wealth by augmenting the necessary talents and by using proper means, and spending it righteously for good purposes is highly regarded as part of dignity of human life. Spiritual attitude nurtures this dignity. Orison Modern, the author of celebrity book "Peace, Power and Plenty" comments:" Poor are those who lack self-confidence and who have no faith (in the good that dwells in the world)". He further writes "People can alter their circumstances if they believe in and know their own powers. Every one can succeed in prosperous progress through determination, courage and unflinching hard work to attain the envisaged goals".
Wealth is a grace of Goddess Lakshmi and hence a boon for those who acquire it by sincere use of their talents and diligence without compromising their integrity. It then bestows all round prosperity. On the contrary, it would sooner or later invite hoards of problems and worries if the motive or mode of earning was immoral or was driven by avarice. A greedy and stingy fellow, even if he was gifted a grand treasure, would never be able to enjoy it. Unrestrained cravings for wealth would, sometime or the other, divert one from the path of honesty and drag him into the mire of corruption and debauching addictions. The attractions for glamour and luxury and passions for sensual pleasures are mutually catalyzing. They also fuel infatuating evils like gambling, wine and carnal lust. It is wealth entrapped in this apparently subtle but vicious cycle of avarice and selfish attachments that is loudly criticized in the teachings of spirituality, as it is the root of perversion, decline and fall of spiritual values and human glory.
The Almighty certainly would not like to see His crown prince, the human being, deprived of anything. He has endowed the human body and mind with marvelous faculties and has provided abundance of resources in the manifested Nature so that everyone could live with dignity and proceed on the path of evolution. A believer of God must therefore be a believer of his own potentials and make the best use of these to be self-dependent and prosperous.
Daridrata (poverty because of lethargy, wrong attitude, negativity and or bad habits, etc) is a spiritual defect. Not having money or not making any effort for earning or managing wealth is in no manner a sign of austerity or sacrifice. Austerity and sacrifice in the truest sense are linked with detachment from selfish possession and passion for lavish comforts. In fact, earning and expanding wealth by augmenting the necessary talents and by using proper means, and spending it righteously for good purposes is highly regarded as part of dignity of human life. Spiritual attitude nurtures this dignity. Orison Modern, the author of celebrity book "Peace, Power and Plenty" comments:" Poor are those who lack self-confidence and who have no faith (in the good that dwells in the world)". He further writes "People can alter their circumstances if they believe in and know their own powers. Every one can succeed in prosperous progress through determination, courage and unflinching hard work to attain the envisaged goals".
Wealth is a grace of Goddess Lakshmi and hence a boon for those who acquire it by sincere use of their talents and diligence without compromising their integrity. It then bestows all round prosperity. On the contrary, it would sooner or later invite hoards of problems and worries if the motive or mode of earning was immoral or was driven by avarice. A greedy and stingy fellow, even if he was gifted a grand treasure, would never be able to enjoy it. Unrestrained cravings for wealth would, sometime or the other, divert one from the path of honesty and drag him into the mire of corruption and debauching addictions. The attractions for glamour and luxury and passions for sensual pleasures are mutually catalyzing. They also fuel infatuating evils like gambling, wine and carnal lust. It is wealth entrapped in this apparently subtle but vicious cycle of avarice and selfish attachments that is loudly criticized in the teachings of spirituality, as it is the root of perversion, decline and fall of spiritual values and human glory.
Prosperity and spirituality
Who among us does not want to have a prosperous life? Prosperity (samriddhi) has been categorizes as a divine grace, a noble resource (vibhuti) in the Vedic literature. Prosperity, as the etymology and the literal meaning of the Sanskrit word ''samraddhi" in a complete sense implies, good health, wealth and cheerful progress. Of these "wealth" seems to be the most attractive and powerful term in today's world. However, because of its materialistic connotation and worldly nature, it is often a debatable issue in the context of spirituality.
Many people regard wealth as an anti-thesis to spirituality. Religious preaching and lives of saints also espouse austerity and renunciation. But in spite of their faith and respect for such teachings, most people would find it hard to even think of living without
'Substantial' worldly resources! More so in today's world, when smooth discharge of primary duties like good education of children/youngsters in the family, or adequate healthcare of elderly parents, etc, itself demands sizable sums! What to do then? Sometimes or the other this puzzle must be churning the minds of all those who think.
Up till the past few decades the scenario continued to be overshadowed by materialistic attitude that mushroomed with massive industrial growth and urbanized civilization. Majority would not have bothered to care for the role of spirituality in human life. However the rising trends of disharmony in the families, social conflicts, psychosomatic problems, general feeling of insecurity, etc, have now made people realize that some links of life have got missed somewhere in a single track pursuit of money, name, fame and lavish possessions. More and more people are now getting interested in knowing and practicing spiritual principles in their quest for stress-free modes of work and fulfillment. It is therefore in the fitness of things to look at affluence and prosperity with a perspective of spirituality.
The Vedic Nepalese Culture attributes wealth (artha) as one of the four vital accomplishments (Dharma, arth, kama and Moksa) of human life. Dharma, Artha and Kama are the foundational pillars of human life aimed at ultimate enlightenment and transcendental ascent - Moksa. Dharma refers to righteous conduct and performance of altruistic duties. Arha (wealth) is the source of attainment of worldly resources and prosperous progress. Karma means creative zeal for pleasure and fulfillment of desires.
A rishi (Vedic sage) says - vidya dadati vinayam, vinayat yati patriatam, patratat dhanah apnoti, Dhanat Dharmah, Tato Sukham - implying, (apart from its other benefits) knowledge endows one with humanity; this adds to one's qualities which enable one earn dhana (wealth); wealth is used to carry out righteous duties to (eventually) attain unalloyed joy. Indeed, total renunciation of wealth or sacrificing material resources is not possible in today's world even for the seekers of spiritual elevation. Even the bare minimum necessities of sustaining a normal life would require some resources in some form. Those having responsibilities towards the family need much more. Escaping from duties is a wrong and anti-spiritual act. Without any money or worldly supports one would neither be able to bear the worldly responsibilities nor discharge the religious duties.
Ancient scriptures enunciate multiple facets of this issue, which are reinvestigated and guided by some noted thinkers of the present time.
Many people regard wealth as an anti-thesis to spirituality. Religious preaching and lives of saints also espouse austerity and renunciation. But in spite of their faith and respect for such teachings, most people would find it hard to even think of living without
'Substantial' worldly resources! More so in today's world, when smooth discharge of primary duties like good education of children/youngsters in the family, or adequate healthcare of elderly parents, etc, itself demands sizable sums! What to do then? Sometimes or the other this puzzle must be churning the minds of all those who think.
Up till the past few decades the scenario continued to be overshadowed by materialistic attitude that mushroomed with massive industrial growth and urbanized civilization. Majority would not have bothered to care for the role of spirituality in human life. However the rising trends of disharmony in the families, social conflicts, psychosomatic problems, general feeling of insecurity, etc, have now made people realize that some links of life have got missed somewhere in a single track pursuit of money, name, fame and lavish possessions. More and more people are now getting interested in knowing and practicing spiritual principles in their quest for stress-free modes of work and fulfillment. It is therefore in the fitness of things to look at affluence and prosperity with a perspective of spirituality.
The Vedic Nepalese Culture attributes wealth (artha) as one of the four vital accomplishments (Dharma, arth, kama and Moksa) of human life. Dharma, Artha and Kama are the foundational pillars of human life aimed at ultimate enlightenment and transcendental ascent - Moksa. Dharma refers to righteous conduct and performance of altruistic duties. Arha (wealth) is the source of attainment of worldly resources and prosperous progress. Karma means creative zeal for pleasure and fulfillment of desires.
A rishi (Vedic sage) says - vidya dadati vinayam, vinayat yati patriatam, patratat dhanah apnoti, Dhanat Dharmah, Tato Sukham - implying, (apart from its other benefits) knowledge endows one with humanity; this adds to one's qualities which enable one earn dhana (wealth); wealth is used to carry out righteous duties to (eventually) attain unalloyed joy. Indeed, total renunciation of wealth or sacrificing material resources is not possible in today's world even for the seekers of spiritual elevation. Even the bare minimum necessities of sustaining a normal life would require some resources in some form. Those having responsibilities towards the family need much more. Escaping from duties is a wrong and anti-spiritual act. Without any money or worldly supports one would neither be able to bear the worldly responsibilities nor discharge the religious duties.
Ancient scriptures enunciate multiple facets of this issue, which are reinvestigated and guided by some noted thinkers of the present time.
Points to be noted for Good Health
Methods of eating food:
One should eat with a calm, pleasant and relaxed mind. It is not good to take or serve food when the mind is filled with grief, anger, excitement, pain or negative thoughts. During such moments the glands secreting digestive juices get dried and hence the juices essential for digestion are not make available for the food intake. It is well known that during excitement of any kind one does not feel hungry. This also proves that during that time body is not ready to take food. Thus one should eat with a cool and pleasant mind chewing each morsel thoroughly before swallowing it. There should be no hungry. The task of the teeth is to grind the food and the task of stomach and intestines is to digest the same. If the teeth do not grind the morsel properly and it is swallowed half-ground, the work of teeth has to be done by the stomach and the intestines and in this process they are overburdened. There are small glands in the mouth which secret digestive juices while chewing the morsel. If these juices are not made available to the food, it will be difficult to digest the food. According to Ayurveda, each morsel should be chewed thirty two times before swallowing it. In practice, such a counting is difficult. Nevertheless, one must pay attention to grind the morsel thoroughly before swallowing it. Daliya, Halua, Khir etc should also be chewed properly. They should not be drunk like water. Even milk or water too should not be consumed in one go. Rather they should be taken sip by sip retaining them in the mouth for some time.
Considering food as Amrit (nectar) and Prasad (food offered to God), one should eat it with joy and respect. It is a bad habit to get angry or find faults in food on slight reduction in taste or flavor. Food taken with ill-will, hatred, attribution of fault, disrespect etc generated disorders. Thus instead of producing a beneficial effect, it proves to be harmful to health. Even if a simple food is taken with gratitude, considering it to be nutritious and healthy, it will certainly be digested fast and will also produce pure blood.
Quantity item of food:
One should eat less than the hunger. Everybody's food intake and the digestive power are different. The same quantity of food cannot be prescribed for all. This decision has to be taken by the stomach of a person consuming food. The stomach tells what the requirement of the body is and what its digestive power is. We should provide whatever it asks for. Ayurvedic scriptures say that the stomach should be filled hold with food and half should be left empty (one fourth portion for water and remaining one fourth for air) Indeed it is difficult to do such measurements, but it must be kept in mind that food intake should be less than the hunger and some space should be left in the stomach. One should not eat so much that after meals, it becomes difficult to work or move around. One should feel refreshed and energetic after meals. But if laziness or heaviness is felt it should be understood that it is due to overeating. There is no harm if the food is taken in lesser quantity; rather it is beneficial because it is digested easily. The stomach has to work very harm to process heavy food. The bile present in the gall bladder falls short for assisting in the digestion. Hence food is excreted as half-digested faces. Therefore, it must be kept in kind that one should eat less than the full capacity of the stomach. The dinner should be taken 2-3 hours prior to sleeping. Sleeping immediately after dinner produces indigestion and also disturbs sound sleep.
Keeping in mind what to eat, how and when to eat and how much to eat; and acting accordingly removes all complaints regarding malfunctioning of stomach. This also removes constipation and strengthens the digestive system as a whole.
One should eat with a calm, pleasant and relaxed mind. It is not good to take or serve food when the mind is filled with grief, anger, excitement, pain or negative thoughts. During such moments the glands secreting digestive juices get dried and hence the juices essential for digestion are not make available for the food intake. It is well known that during excitement of any kind one does not feel hungry. This also proves that during that time body is not ready to take food. Thus one should eat with a cool and pleasant mind chewing each morsel thoroughly before swallowing it. There should be no hungry. The task of the teeth is to grind the food and the task of stomach and intestines is to digest the same. If the teeth do not grind the morsel properly and it is swallowed half-ground, the work of teeth has to be done by the stomach and the intestines and in this process they are overburdened. There are small glands in the mouth which secret digestive juices while chewing the morsel. If these juices are not made available to the food, it will be difficult to digest the food. According to Ayurveda, each morsel should be chewed thirty two times before swallowing it. In practice, such a counting is difficult. Nevertheless, one must pay attention to grind the morsel thoroughly before swallowing it. Daliya, Halua, Khir etc should also be chewed properly. They should not be drunk like water. Even milk or water too should not be consumed in one go. Rather they should be taken sip by sip retaining them in the mouth for some time.
Considering food as Amrit (nectar) and Prasad (food offered to God), one should eat it with joy and respect. It is a bad habit to get angry or find faults in food on slight reduction in taste or flavor. Food taken with ill-will, hatred, attribution of fault, disrespect etc generated disorders. Thus instead of producing a beneficial effect, it proves to be harmful to health. Even if a simple food is taken with gratitude, considering it to be nutritious and healthy, it will certainly be digested fast and will also produce pure blood.
Quantity item of food:
One should eat less than the hunger. Everybody's food intake and the digestive power are different. The same quantity of food cannot be prescribed for all. This decision has to be taken by the stomach of a person consuming food. The stomach tells what the requirement of the body is and what its digestive power is. We should provide whatever it asks for. Ayurvedic scriptures say that the stomach should be filled hold with food and half should be left empty (one fourth portion for water and remaining one fourth for air) Indeed it is difficult to do such measurements, but it must be kept in mind that food intake should be less than the hunger and some space should be left in the stomach. One should not eat so much that after meals, it becomes difficult to work or move around. One should feel refreshed and energetic after meals. But if laziness or heaviness is felt it should be understood that it is due to overeating. There is no harm if the food is taken in lesser quantity; rather it is beneficial because it is digested easily. The stomach has to work very harm to process heavy food. The bile present in the gall bladder falls short for assisting in the digestion. Hence food is excreted as half-digested faces. Therefore, it must be kept in kind that one should eat less than the full capacity of the stomach. The dinner should be taken 2-3 hours prior to sleeping. Sleeping immediately after dinner produces indigestion and also disturbs sound sleep.
Keeping in mind what to eat, how and when to eat and how much to eat; and acting accordingly removes all complaints regarding malfunctioning of stomach. This also removes constipation and strengthens the digestive system as a whole.
Karma Yoga in Gita
1 Action is in the nature of kindling, burning of which results into knowledge. When you ignite a log of wood, it turns into burning coal. How different is the fire from the log! But it is, after all, the log which has undergone this transformation. When vikaram is united with karma, karma attains a divine radiance. A mother's action of caressing her child is apparently insignificant; but who can describe the upsurge of emotions it gives rise to in the hearts of both the mother and the child? It would be utterly nonsensical if one were to say that such emotions would result if a hand of such weight and such softness is moved up and down such a back. Yes, the action is insignificant; but the mother has put her whole heart into it, and it is this vikarma that causes unprecedented joy. There is an incident described in the Ramcharitmanas (the Ramayana written by saint Tulsidas). The vanaras [3] had come wounded and bleeding after a battle with the demons. They were in great pains. Lord Rama just looked at them with love, and all their pain vanished. It would be ridiculous if someone else were to try to bring about such a result by looking at them in an outwardly similar way.
2 Vikarma, combined with karma, results in a powerful explosion of energy, and then akarma is produced. A big log of wood, when burnt, turns into just a handful of harmless ash. In the same way karma, ignited by vikarma, ends up in producing akarma. Is there any relation between the properties of wood and that of the ash? Absolutely there is nothing. You can collect the ash in your hands and merrily smear it all over your body without harm. But there is no doubt that the ash has come out of the burning of that log of wood.
3 When vikarma is united with karma, akarma results. What does it mean? It means that one does not then have the feeling of having done anything. Action does not weigh on the mind of the actor. We act, but still we are not the doers. As the Gita says, you are not the slayer even if you slay somebody. A mother may give a thrashing to her child, but the child will still turn to her for solace. It would not do so if you thrash it. It is so because the mother's heart is pure. Her action is totally devoid of any self-interest. Vikarma, or the purity of mind, erases the action-ness of the action. Infused with the inner vikarma, Lord Rama's action of looking at the vanaras became a sheer outpouring of love that acted as a balm on their wounds. But it did not tire Rama a bit. Action performed with pure heart is free from any attachment. There is, therefore, no question of any sin or merit remaining as a residue after that action is over.
Otherwise, an action puts great burden and pressure on the mind and the heart. Suppose, a news breaks our now that all the political prisoners are going to be released tomorrow. Imagine the resulting commotion! We are always agitated and strained with anxiety by the thought of the goodness or badness of our actions. Action engulfs us from all sides. It catches us by the scruff of our neck. Just as the sea-waves dash against the shore and make inroads, the forceful waves of karma enter the mind and agitate it. Dualities of pleasure and pain are created. Peace of the mind is lost. Even after the action is over, its momentum remains. It takes hold of the mind and makes it restless.
But if karma is coupled with vikarma, any amount of action does not tire. The mind remains calm, peaceful and radiant. When vikarma is poured into karma, it becomes akarma. It is as if karma is erased after it is over.
2 Vikarma, combined with karma, results in a powerful explosion of energy, and then akarma is produced. A big log of wood, when burnt, turns into just a handful of harmless ash. In the same way karma, ignited by vikarma, ends up in producing akarma. Is there any relation between the properties of wood and that of the ash? Absolutely there is nothing. You can collect the ash in your hands and merrily smear it all over your body without harm. But there is no doubt that the ash has come out of the burning of that log of wood.
3 When vikarma is united with karma, akarma results. What does it mean? It means that one does not then have the feeling of having done anything. Action does not weigh on the mind of the actor. We act, but still we are not the doers. As the Gita says, you are not the slayer even if you slay somebody. A mother may give a thrashing to her child, but the child will still turn to her for solace. It would not do so if you thrash it. It is so because the mother's heart is pure. Her action is totally devoid of any self-interest. Vikarma, or the purity of mind, erases the action-ness of the action. Infused with the inner vikarma, Lord Rama's action of looking at the vanaras became a sheer outpouring of love that acted as a balm on their wounds. But it did not tire Rama a bit. Action performed with pure heart is free from any attachment. There is, therefore, no question of any sin or merit remaining as a residue after that action is over.
Otherwise, an action puts great burden and pressure on the mind and the heart. Suppose, a news breaks our now that all the political prisoners are going to be released tomorrow. Imagine the resulting commotion! We are always agitated and strained with anxiety by the thought of the goodness or badness of our actions. Action engulfs us from all sides. It catches us by the scruff of our neck. Just as the sea-waves dash against the shore and make inroads, the forceful waves of karma enter the mind and agitate it. Dualities of pleasure and pain are created. Peace of the mind is lost. Even after the action is over, its momentum remains. It takes hold of the mind and makes it restless.
But if karma is coupled with vikarma, any amount of action does not tire. The mind remains calm, peaceful and radiant. When vikarma is poured into karma, it becomes akarma. It is as if karma is erased after it is over.
Ga for Gayatri
The discussions that were held in his mansion house marked the beginning of his education. The traditional ceremony of vidyarambh tool place after his fourth years. If Panditji wished, he could have himself taught Vedas and scriptures to his son. But he believed that a person should definitely obtain knowledge under guidance of a teacher. There was a teacher by name Pandit Roopram in that tiny village that used to run a school at his residence. Panditji handed over his son to the teacher. Taili used to tell that after a small worship the teacher handed over a Patti (wooden board). It was painted white. There were no slates and slate-pencils during those days. There were different ways of teaching alphabets in different regions. Pandit Roopram used greu (red clay soil) dissolved in water as ink and a pen reed for teaching alphabets to the students. On the day of initiation, Roopramji dipped the pen in greu solution and gave it to Sriram and holding his hand, wrote 'ga' in Hindi on the Patti and spelt it. Sriram immediately imitated his teacher and before he could utter any words to introduce the alphabet, Shriram said "Ga for Gayatri". The teacher was dumbfounded because he never imagined that a child of three years of age could identify and define an alphabet and that too, in his own way.
He typically introduced the letter 'Ga' with word 'Ganesh'. He believed that by introducing 'Ga' for Ganesh, it would lead to intellectual blossoming of the child. Ganesh is the presiding deity of intellect and hence was considered as a good beginning to the learning process. When Shriram uttered 'Gayatri' without being taught about it, the teacher and all those present there were astounded. Later the teacher asked Shriram about who taught him that 'Ga' stands for Gayatri. The child replied that nobody had taught him this and said that his father spoke about Gayatri in the Bhagavat Katha. Teacher Roopram and father Roop Kishore were extremely impressed. Both of them caressed the child as a token of their blessings and affection.
In those days, parents felt that it was good to let the child stay with his teacher. More the student stayed with the Guru, more he learnt form him. 15-20 students stayed in Pandit Roopram's school. There were students who came from neighboring villages also. The number of students who came to learn from him was two times more than the number of residential students. At times, every day scholars world end up sleeping at the school instead of going home. Guruji used to treat all the students with loving care. One could easily see the discipline exhibited by students in studying, eating, sleeping and sitting. But this was not enforced on them. This was evoked in the hearts of students with love and affection. For example, guruji would personally wake up the students who slept in his house. It is normal for children to sleep till late hours in the morning even though they may not be tired. It gives them lot of pleasure to laze in the bed. In such situations, the teacher himself world cajole them out of the bed and offer them morning refreshments and make them sit for study after giving them a bath.
He typically introduced the letter 'Ga' with word 'Ganesh'. He believed that by introducing 'Ga' for Ganesh, it would lead to intellectual blossoming of the child. Ganesh is the presiding deity of intellect and hence was considered as a good beginning to the learning process. When Shriram uttered 'Gayatri' without being taught about it, the teacher and all those present there were astounded. Later the teacher asked Shriram about who taught him that 'Ga' stands for Gayatri. The child replied that nobody had taught him this and said that his father spoke about Gayatri in the Bhagavat Katha. Teacher Roopram and father Roop Kishore were extremely impressed. Both of them caressed the child as a token of their blessings and affection.
In those days, parents felt that it was good to let the child stay with his teacher. More the student stayed with the Guru, more he learnt form him. 15-20 students stayed in Pandit Roopram's school. There were students who came from neighboring villages also. The number of students who came to learn from him was two times more than the number of residential students. At times, every day scholars world end up sleeping at the school instead of going home. Guruji used to treat all the students with loving care. One could easily see the discipline exhibited by students in studying, eating, sleeping and sitting. But this was not enforced on them. This was evoked in the hearts of students with love and affection. For example, guruji would personally wake up the students who slept in his house. It is normal for children to sleep till late hours in the morning even though they may not be tired. It gives them lot of pleasure to laze in the bed. In such situations, the teacher himself world cajole them out of the bed and offer them morning refreshments and make them sit for study after giving them a bath.
Faith
Story told by a man which is most frightening yet thought-provoking experiences of his life. He had been on a long flight. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign pm the airplane flashed on: "Fasten your seat belts". Then after a while a calm voice said. "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little troublous. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened".
As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."
And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightening lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.
The man confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying.
And then, I suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book.
Everything within her small world was calm and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world.
The man could hardly believe his eyes. It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, he lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.
Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid. The sweet child replied, "Sir, my dad is the pilot, and he is taking me home."
As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."
And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightening lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.
The man confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying.
And then, I suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book.
Everything within her small world was calm and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world.
The man could hardly believe his eyes. It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, he lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.
Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid. The sweet child replied, "Sir, my dad is the pilot, and he is taking me home."
Does Chanting of Mantra Bestow Siddhi?
One day a disciple of Poojya Gurudev (pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya) asked, "Gurudev! You have chanted Gayatri Mantra and I know many others who have also chanted the same Gayatri mantra of 24 syllables; but why could they not accomplish siddhi like you?"
Gurudev smiled and said "My son! I have chanted Gayatri Mantra later; first of all I have refined my outer and inner selves. Without this all the spiritual accomplishments are futile. I have washed my mind like a washer-man scrub dirty clothes. How can a person get the desired benefits by simply chanting mantra alone?"
After saying this Gurudev narrated an incident which he himself witnessed. "Two saints were doing Tapa-sadhana in the Himalayas. Both lived without clothes and observed complete silence. There was a small piece of land from which roots, vegetables and fruits could be grown. They lived in the caves and ate fruits and vegetables. Once during summer, both of them started cleaning near their caves. This operation continued for two days. One day one of them occupied a small portion of land (supposed to be) of other saint. On this the second saint got very angry; he frowningly asked the first saint to vacate the land immediately. Although they were observing silence the quarrel escalated and reached the stage of kicking and punching.
The first one plucked out the beard of the second and as a result his chin started bleeding"
Poojya Gurudev said " I wondered what kind of ascetics doing sadhana in Himalayan caves these were? Shame on such a sadhana! Unless a person refines his inner self, nothing worthwhile can be achieved what to talk of mantra siddhi. Even if it is achieved, it will serve no purpose other than destroying oneself like Bhasmasur. Bhagirath also did penance but that was for social welfare. He abandoned everything for the public good, and then only he was able to bring Mother Ganga on earth. Had Bhasmasur also aimed at similar objective, he would have been able to help many people. He could have requested Lord Shiva to bless him with such a boon which empowered him to instantly cure a person upon putting his hand on his head. But he could not do so because he did not refine his inner-self. So long as there are greed, attachment and sensuality, a person cannot rise in sadhana. These demonic tendencies pull the sadhak downwards.
Only after passing the primary class of self refinement, a person can climb the first step of spirituality. I lived only on bread of barley and buttermilk for 24 years. I did not take any salt, sweet or spicy food. I controlled the tongue; then only I could control the self. If taste buds are controlled, all the ten senses and the mind are tamed. And if mental control is achieved, realization of self becomes easy whether the sadhak is Jain, Muslim, Buddha, Christian or Hindu.
Indeed the physical process of Tapa entails conscious control of the natural urge of the body for convenience, pleasure and sensuality and the mind's fickleness, egotism, greediness, etc. Control always generates power. If water is boiled in a pot, it will evaporate and will disappear in the atmosphere. There is nothing strange about it; but when a tight fitting lid is placed over the pot, the pressurized steam may explode the pot. The accidents occurring through gas stoves and pressure cookers are the results of such a restraint. The importance of balanced control of physical senses and the mind is based on this premise. The significance of celibacy is that the vital energy is prevented from wastage through indulgence and is made to rise upwards to sublimate the consciousness.
The process of Tapa commences with simple and short rituals. These rituals may appear ridiculous and one may wonder how such small physical and mental activities could help in achieving the high goal of self-realization. But one has to understand that the rituals of worship give the direction. Once the direction is rightly set and the wheel starts rolling, its far reaching consequences should not appear strange.
The flag and signal play an important role in the running and stopping of a train. When they are green, the train runs and when they are red, it stops. Undoubtedly the flag or the colors of a signal themselves do not have the power to stop or start the train; even then the signal conveyed by them has its own significance. If this process sis disturbed, the trains will either stand still or will be smashed after colliding with each other.
Several trains arrive at and pass through the junction. Their destination and direction are decided by a small lever. The making of the track for different trains at the junction is easily done by a low rank railway employee. This appears to be a very insignificant event, but its consequences are far reaching. If one investigates after few hours of this event, he will find that one train turned towards north and the other towards south of the junction and in due course of time the distance between the two trains became thousands of miles. At the crossroads of life, whichever direction it is turned to, it will continues in its own. An extraordinary difference may be seen in the persons adopting different directions. As a contrast to the people involved in negative activities and enervating indulgences, the progress of virtuous persons can be traced to the inspiration they derive from the lives of great persons. Each one of the rituals of worship is helpful in molding the way of life. A rail track is simple and cheap, but how can a costly and compels engine along with several compartments run without a track? The rituals of worship or methods of sadhana may be compared to the railway track.
We will be discussing the significaned of difeerent rituals one by one in the forthcoming issues.
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