Four Spiritual Practices and Four Yogas – Part I

Reflections,

(This is a first part of a series of posts)

Congratulations to 2014 Graduates!
Congratulations to 2014 Graduates!

When 12th graders of 2014 class were graduating this year, I reminded them the four spiritual practices. I told them that these practices will help them to grow spiritually and will bring them inner peace and fulfillment of life. Getting good education, making money, having a good family and all other legitimate joys of the world are good, but one has to pay a very high price for these joys and these joys are short-lived. Without spiritual practices one cannot have longer-lasting happiness, proper understanding of life, pure love, and inner peace.

The four spiritual practices covers all the four yogas described in Bhagavad Gita. I am sure you know that one of the major contributions of Bhagavad Gita is the description of four Yogas: Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Let me first share with you briefly my understanding about these four yogas.

(To acquire full knowledge of these four yogas, we have to study Swami Vivekananda’s lectures on these yogas which were given in New York, study Bhagavad Gita, listen to the experts, reflect upon them, practice what we had learned, and acquire the highest knowledge.)

The Four Yogas - Swami Vivekananda
Lectures of Swami Vivekananda on Four Yogas
The Four Yogas - Swami Adiswarananda
A Guide to Four Yogas – Swami Adiswarananda
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita

‘Yoga’ roughly means a path to connect with the Ultimate Reality which we may call Brahman, God, the Ultimate Truth, or the Supreme Power. The Sanskrit root of the word Yoga is yunja, means to connect.

Jnana Yoga:   This is path of Knowledge. By proper reasoning which we call discrimination (viveka) between real or permanent and impermanent one can realize the Ultimate Reality or Brahman. Along with discrimination one needs renunciation (vairagya). When we find something which is impermanent, we have to discard it even though our senses and mind crave for it. For example, body and mind are constantly changing and so they are impermanent. Thus, the pleasures of body and mind cannot be the goal of our life. We must seek something beyond these pleasures.

With reasoning we have to realize that there is something unchangeable behind our body and mind in whose background we perceive the changes of our body and mind. This Unchangable is called Atman, a part of Brahman in us. We have to realize this Atman. This Atman is divine. It is our True Identity whose nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss absolute. We have to realize that only by realizing this Atman we get infinite bliss, infinite knowledge, and infinite life which is immortality.

We must realize that this Atman is in all irrespective of people’s color, creed, culture, country, religion, gender, or any other differences. The final stage is to realize that Atman or Brahman has become everything living and non-living.

Practices:     One of the practices for Jnana Yoga is reading and/or listening to scriptures and trying to understand what the Ultimate Reality is. We do not reason to denounce what has been said in the scriptures, but reason to understand what they say. Once we understand what the Ultimate Reality is, then we have to meditate on It and realize It. We should have a direct perception of the Ultimate Reality. We perceive that our true identity is Atman and not body and mind. It is NOT an intellectual knowledge.

Test of Achievement of the Goal: What is the test to know that we have realized the Ultimate Reality? The test is that one manifests in one’s life the characteristics of ‘a person with steady intellect’ as described in Bhagavad Gita (Gita 2.55-72). One sees the same Ultimate Reality in all. One loves all, hates none and be ready to sacrifice one’s life for the good of all just as loving mothers do for their children.

Dangers: Many people love Jnana Yoga because they think that Jnana Yoga means just read books and meditate. The other Yogas require many other things to do than reading and meditating.

Jnana Yoga is not just reading and meditating. In Jnana Yoga, one has to acquire total control over senses and mind. One has to become completely desire-less since desire binds the body and mind to the worldly objects which are impermanent and makes one forgets Atman. Sri Ramakrishna found that lust and greed drags the mind to the body and mind. At some point if he was touching a coin or even a metal he used to get an electric shock. His body-mind completely followed what his discriminating intellect said.

One of the dangers in Jnana Yoga is that a person thinks that ‘I am one with Atman. I am not body and mind.’ But in reality he/she slowly becomes inactive and lazy. He/she neither makes any spiritual progress nor acquires anything in the world. His/her behavior does not match with the characteristics of a spiritually advanced person described in the scriptures. Such a person never even listens to any advice from an expert person.

Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga is a path to attain the highest knowledge or to realize the Ultimate Reality or Brahman through performing actions or responsibilities.

Each individual by birth has been assigned responsibilities. For example, parents have responsibilities towards children and children have towards parents. We have civic and other responsibilities. Karma Yoga says that just by properly performing one’s responsibilities one can attain the highest knowledge. Swami Tyagananda of Boston Vedanta Society, USA, says that each action is like a key. It is the same key; if we turn it right it locks the door and if we turn it left it opens the door. Thus, the same action if we perform it in an improper way it makes us ignorant or slaves while if we perform it in a proper way, it leads us towards the highest knowledge and makes us free from bondages. Bhagavad Gita says, “Skillfully performing every action is Yoga.” (Gita 2.50)

What is the right way to perform any action?

The following ways are all connected. They are divided just for convenience.

(1) Work like a master, not like a slave: When we work, we become slave of the results of our action. Most of the time the result of the action occupies our mind more than thinking and applying effective ways to perform the action. Suppose a student while studying for a test, occupies his/her mind with thoughts like ‘Am I going to pass the test?’, or ‘What grade am I going to get?’, ‘What if I fail the test?’, ‘What if I don’t get grade A?’ Then, the student has more chances not to do well on the test. A player who keeps thinking of winning or losing the game has higher probability to lose the game. Also, the result of our action decides whether we will be happy or sad. It has been proven by many examples from people’s lives that those who focus more on the performance of the action and provide themselves all the necessary skills and tools have a better record of achieving success consistently. Such people learn from their failures, improve themselves constantly, and enjoy what they are doing. These people work like masters. People who are slaves of the results of actions, are constantly under tension, and remain miserable most of the time. Such people cannot enjoy the actions. They hardly learn from their failures and blame the whole world about their failures.

One may ask: ‘Is it possible not to think of the result of any action?’ ‘Is it wise not to think of the result of action?’ It is true that we cannot avoid thinking of the result of our action. Actually, we have to think of the result and see that our actions bring good results. But, thinking wisely about the results and not becoming slave of the results is the technique we have to learn. That is Karma Yoga.

Those who are devotees of God offer the results of their actions to God. If good results come, they thank God to help them achieve success. If the result is not good, they think that God wants them to learn something and improve. Thus, they do not get attached to the results of their actions. They perform their actions with fully focused mind because they think that they are doing God’s work. Peace immediately follows when one offers the results of actions to God (Gita 12.12)

One way to develop detachment for the results of actions is to keep in our mind the fact that everything belongs to God (the creator, the sustainer, and the dissolver) and we are appointed to perform our responsibilities. Sri Ramakrishna said that work like a house-maid who works in the house as if everything belongs to her, but in her mind she knows that the Master of the house can give her layoff and she has to be ready to quit everything any minute.

No work is inferior: Each responsibility (if it is not harmful to oneself and others) is important. No work is inferior. Many times one does not like one’s own responsibility and likes other people’s responsibilities. Bhagavad Gita says that it is better to perform one’s own responsibility than performing other people’s responsibility (Gita 3.35).

Keep mind balanced: Through properly performing every action one can attain inner peace and highest knowledge. Properly performing means keeping the mind balanced. We have to learn to keep the mind balanced. Passion is needed to perform any work. But, passion has to be controlled as we control the gas-paddle while driving. Pumping gas in necessary when we drive, but we harm ourselves and others if it is beyond control. Bhagavad Gita says that the highest ideal to attain is to be like ‘action-less’ when one is fully engaged in action and when we meditate we look like in the state of ‘action-less’ but our mind is fully active controlling all our thoughts (Gita 4.18)

Keep higher motive: Karma Yogi’s goal is to realize one’s own True Identity (Atman), the divine inner Self. Performing actions are just means to attain to that. If there is no higher motive, then we become like machines. Actually, every action we perform, every word we speak, and every thought we think leaves a mark on our mind and that builds up our personality. According to our personality we react to any situation. If we build up positive and constructive personality, then our reaction to the situation will be proper and beneficial. The result will be joy, better understanding of people and creating an unselfish loving environment. If we build up negative and destructive personality, then after every situation comes depression, reaction, anger, jealousy, and a state of blaming whole world for the failures. Such agitated state of mind cannot give us happiness and inner peace.

Acquire proper tools and skills: Bhagavad Gita describes four things which are under our control to successfully accomplish any work; knowledge of the field of action, field of action, tools required to perform action, and to perform any action. Suppose I want to pass a test in one field. I must register for the test (field of action), I must buy books or needed material to study for the test (tools needed), I must attend classes and study the material (knowledge of the field), and I must take the test (to perform action). All these are under our control. But, I may get sick on the day of the test, I may blank-out during test, I may have a flat tire and cannot make the time of the test or something happens and I do not pass the test. Thus, the result is not in our hand. If we do all the four things which are in our control, then there are higher chances to get a good result. But, there never will be 100% guarantee to expect a positive result (Gita 18.13-14).

Develop service attitude: Finally, the authority (scriptures) on the Karma Yoga say that we have to learn to perform every action as a service to God (or as an offering to the welfare of humanity). What we gain is knowledge, purity of mind, self-control, and freedom from all bondages. Of course, these will bring inner peace, unlimited happiness, and fulfillment. Great Saint Shri Shankaracharya says that ‘May my every action be a worship of the Lord Shiva.’ We perform every action with focused mind, with love and care, and for the good of all as if we are worshiping our beloved God. We perform every action with knowledge and devotion and for knowledge and devotion.

This is a fact that whatever we do for our own body-mind enjoyment has limited joy. We will never be happy with it. We want more and more. But, if we do service unselfishly for the good of others give us unlimited joy and will remember forever. Swami Vivekananda said that those who live for others really live their life. The rest (those who perform only selfish activities for one’s own body-mind pleasures) are more dead than alive. Also, by doing good to others we do good to ourselves. Let us be Karma Yogi and live a joyful life.

Practices:

1. We have to know our responsibilities and start performing them.

2. Learn the skills of Karma Yoga from Bhagavad Gita, Swami Vivekananda’s lectures, from the experts, and experiment these lessons in our lives. This way we keep improving in our performance of actions.

3. Measure the success of Karma Yoga by our spiritual development and not by the actions performed.

4. Practices of other three yogas help to become a better Karma Yogi.

Dangers:

1. If we do not have spiritual goal, then just performing responsibilities wears us out and brings harmful reactions.

2. Without spiritual goal, service to others can develop ego, and desire for name and fame. Many a times, “mouth bites the hand which feeds it”. People whom one has helped may insults or criticize for no reason. At that time, one can get frustrated.

3. One gets easily attached to the work. Then spiritual growth gets forgotten and the purpose of performing actions will not be served.

(to be continued in the next post)

 

Two Stories from Chhandogya Upanishad – Part I

Philosophy, Reflections, Upanishad
Chhandogya Upanishad
Chhandogya Upanishad

The following are two stories from the Chhandogya Upanishad.

Story – 1:

Prajapati (the Creator) had children called Devas and Asuras. For some reason they started fighting (as siblings do).

(The Sanskrit word “Deva” comes from the root “Div” meaning illumined or say divine. Asuras are usually referred to as Demons in English. But, if we keep the Sanskrit word Asura, then it means “not Deva.”

Devas can be understood as the force that leads us to our inner divine nature which brings knowledge, fearlessness, inner peace and bliss. On the other hand, Asuras can be understood as the force which leads us towards senses and sense-pleasures, which brings temporary happiness, but eventually brings suffering, ignorance, restlessness, and fear. These two forces constantly fight in us.)

Devas wanted to defeat Asuras. They thought to hold on to “Udgitha,” that which cannot be destroyed or damaged or polluted.

 (“Udgitha” is Om which is the symbol of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. It is referred to as Atman with respect to an individual.)

 (But, where is Udgitha?). Devas first decided to meditate on Udgitha as the breath which we take through our nostrils. But, Asuras attacked the breathing with evil and the nostrils started breathing both good and bad smells. Devas gave up meditating on breathing.

Then, Devas meditated on Udgitha as speech. Asuras attacked speech with evil. The speech got polluted and the mouth started speaking both truth and untruth. Devas gave up meditating on speech.

 Then, Devas meditated on Udgitha as eyes. Asuras attacked eyes with evil. The eyes got polluted and they started seeing both good and bad things. Devas gave up meditating on the eyes.

 Then, Devas meditated on Udgitha as the ears. Asuras attacked ears with evil. The ears got polluted and the ears started listening to both useful and worthless things. Devas gave up meditating on the ears.

 Then, Devas meditated on Udgitha as the mind. Asuras attacked the mind with evil. The mind got polluted and it started making both helpful and harmful resolves. Devas gave up meditating on the mind.

 Then, Devas meditated on Udgitha as the Mukhya Prana (the fundamental life force). Asuras attacked Mukhya Prana. But, as a clay-ball breaks to several pieces when thrown to a solid unbreakable rock, Asuras were destroyed to pieces.

 (Mukhya Prana is our true identity called Atman. Its nature is divine. Nothing can damage that divinity. When person realizes one’s divine nature, then one sees divinity in all. One realizes that each one is basically divine and the bad things are just outside covers. When these covers are gone, the inner divinity manifests through all.)

As a clay-ball shatters to several pieces when thrown to an unbreakable stone, similarly a person shatters to pieces who try to do harm to an individual who had realized the Udgitha as Atman, the support of our being. (Meaning, the realized one has become the immortal Atman.)

Om
Om

 Story – 2

Once, the Devas were scared by death. They entered into three-fold knowledge (knowledge of three Vedas – Rig, Yajur, and Sama) and covered themselves with the hymns. That is why hymns are called ‘chhandas.’

 (This means that the Devas thought to do ritualistic worships of performing yajnas reciting hymns to save themselves from death.)

As a fisherman finds fish in the water, death saw the Devas engaged in ritualistic worships described in the three Vedas Rig, Yajur, and Sama.

 The Devas also found out that death had seen them. They then left the ritualistic worships of the Vedas and entered into Om. (Devas realized that ritualistic worships cannot make them free from the fear of death.)

 When a person masters Rig Veda he loudly utters Om. He does same when he masters Sama Veda and Yajur Veda. Om is immortal and fearless. The Devas entering into Om became immortal and fearless.

 One, who knows this, sings the glories of Om and enters into the immortal and fearless Om, becomes immortal and fearless as the Devas became immortal and fearless.

*                                             *                                             *

 

Notes: There are more than 108 Upanishads. Among them eleven Upanishads are considered major ones as Shri Shankaracharya had written commentaries on them.

These eleven Upanishads are Ishopanishad, Kathopanishad, Kenopanishad, Prashnopanishad, Mundakopanishad, Mandukya Upanishad, Aitareya Upanishad, Taittiriya Upanishad, Shvetashvatar Upanishad, Chhandogya Upanishad, and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

The teachings of Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita constitute Vedanta, the essence or the culmination of the teachings of the Vedas. Vedanta provides a complete guideline to any spiritual seeker or a seeker of the Ultimate Reality or Truth.

Reflections:

Fisherman’s Net: Sri Ramakrishna says that a fisherman throws the net in the water. Some fish are very smart that they remain much deeper and away from the shore. Fisherman cannot reach them. Couple of fish struggle to get out of the net and they succeed. Looking at them the fisherman says, ‘Ah! Those fish are gone.’ Few fish struggle to get out of the net, but they cannot succeed. While most of the fish take the net in the mouth, go deeper into the mud and think they are fine. But, the fish which were caught in the net, they panic when the fisherman start pulling the net. They cannot do anything at that time. The fisherman is death. Those fish who are free represent people who had conquered the fear of death by realizing their True Identity, their Divine Self or Atman. They had attained immortality in their Self and they enjoy the unlimited Bliss.

Freedom: Swami Vivekananda’s one of the messages was to be free from all bondages. He wants us all to be free from our weaknesses. He wanted us to be free from our slavery of senses, dependence on matter and people, fear, and finally ignorance. Realizing our true divine identity makes us free from all bondages.

Two ways: The fisherman’s net is also considered as the net of ignorance of Mahamaya. The great Bengali drama-writer Girish Chandra Ghosh has said that ‘Mahamaya cannot catch two people – Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) and Nag Mahashay. Each time Mahamaya threw net, Narendra became so huge that the net was always falls short. In the case of Nag Mahashay, each time Mahamaya threw net, he became so small that he could get out of the net. ‘ What he meant that not to get caught in the net of ignorance either one should make one’s ‘ego’ so huge by becoming one with the universe or one should become so small by becoming most humble person. Only a free person understands the joy of freedom.

Happy Birthday to Lord Buddha – 2014

Celebrations, Lord Buddha, Reflections
Lord Buddha - 2
Lord Buddha

On Wednesday, May 14, 2014, all over the world devotees of Lord Buddha will be celebrating his birthday. It is a time to remember his life and teachings.

Kathopanishad
Kathopanishad 2.1.1

Kathopanishad says, “The Creator has made all senses extrovert. Therefore all being look outside for happiness.   Few wise people turn their senses introvert and look within to realize their own True Identity (Atman) whose nature is Infinite Consciousness, Knowledge, and Bliss.”

Lord Buddha is one of those few wise people who turned their senses introvert and realized their True Identity which he called Nirvana.

The life and teachings of Lord Buddha are very well known. They had appealed to people all over the world for more than 2500 years and still are appealing.

Why Lord Buddha’s life and teachings were appealing for all these years?

(1) Sense-pleasures Vs Self-realization: Because, his life is a glowing example to the world that wealth and sense-pleasures are not enough to get the highest happiness, true peace of mind, satisfaction, and fulfilment of life. Lord Buddha realized that wealth and sense-pleasures, not only cannot avoid the sufferings of life, but rather add more sufferings in life. Wealth and sense-pleasures cannot avoid the mental threat and agony created by old age, disease, and death.  As a prince Siddhartha he had all the sense-pleasures available to him, had a beautiful wife and a son, and he could have ruled as a powerful king over a large kingdom. But, he thought all these as useless to solve the fundamental problems of life, and to find true peace for him and for others. One thing appealed to me most is that he had not seen any misery in his own life and still he could think of the miseries of life in general and miseries of all humanity. He wanted to find a permanent solution to remove his own future miseries and miseries of all people.

(2) Exemplary Struggle to Realize the Truth: Lord Buddha as a Siddhartha went to all the great teachers available at that time to find the permanent solution of the miseries of life and he practiced what they said with full heart and mind. Teachers said that by fasting one can control one’s senses and then can focus one’s mind on the Truth. By fasting he reduced himself to bones. He was eating only two beans a day. But, during all his practices he kept his mind open, he reasoned and watched himself whether he is progressing towards the Truth he was searching. Finally, he was not satisfied with what he was doing. He decided to live by himself and follow his inner conscience.   He was determined either to realize the truth or die. He sat under the famous Bodhy Tree with a resolve not get up until he realizes the Truth. At that time all the temptations and questions came to his mind. He thought of returning home and have all pleasures of the world. His mind questioned what he gained by following all these practices prescribed by the teachers. But, his inner mind and urge for the Truth was immovable like a huge mountain. He disregarded all these thoughts and touched the Mother Earth and said, ‘O Mother Earth! You are my witness. Did not I do everything possible to realize the Truth? Do I not deserve to realize the Truth?‘ His faith in the Truth was firm. He had reached the stage to realize the Truth and he did.

(3) Love for Humanity: After attaining Nirvana, the highest Truth or a Highest State of a Human Mind, and with it the infinite bliss, his mind was debating whether to go and teach people the path to Nirvana or a state of absence of all miseries or to remain alone and enjoy the bliss himself. On one side his heart told him to go and help people who are searching this Truth to remove their miseries of life. But, on the other hand he had experience of people who are so engrossed in their sense-pleasures, who do not want to give them up and do not care for Truth or anything else. The inner struggle went on. Finally, his heart and love for humanity won the battle. He decided to share his experience and knowledge with all people. He thought there might be sincere people who are struggling to attain this state. He will be helpful to them.

Swami Vivekananda said about Lord Buddha’s love for all: “This great philosopher (Buddha) preached the highest philosophy, and yet had the deepest sympathy for the lowest of animals and never put forth any claims for himself.”

(4) Simple and Direct Teachings: Lord Buddha’s teachings are simple, direct and logical. During his time, people were either involved in intellectual entertainment of interpreting the scriptures or performing useless rituals which were deteriorated up to doing animal sacrifices in Yajna to go to heaven or torturing body to realize the Truth. Buddha saw people missing the goal of spiritual practices to remove the miseries of life and to attain peace and happiness in the present life. He was very practical. He avoided all the complexes of scriptures and taught people in simple terms what to do in life and what to attain.

Swami Vivekananda said, “He (Buddha) was the first who dared to say: “Believe not because some old manuscripts are quoted; believe not because it is your national belief, because you have been made to believe it from your childhood; but reason it all out, and after you have analyzed it and found out that it will do good to one and all, then believe it, live up to it, and help others to live up to it.”

(5) The Ideal Karma Yogi: Swami Vivekananda gave a series of lectures on Karma Yoga in New York during…… He concluded this series with a lecture “The Ideal of Karma Yoga.” In that lecture he said the following about Lord Buddha:

“Let me tell you in conclusion a few words about one man who actually carried this teachings of Karma Yoga into practice. That man is Buddha. He is the one who carried it into perfect practice. ….Buddha is the only prophet who said: “I do not care to know your various theories about God. What is the use of discussing all the subtle doctrines about the soul? Do good and be good, and all this will take you to freedom and to whatever truth there is.” He was, in the conduct of his life, absolutely without personal motives; and what man worked more than he?

*                             *                             *

Every teaching of Lord Buddha is great. Here I have selected a few of his teachings from the book “The Dhammapad” translated from Pali by Mr. P. Lal to celebrate his birthday.

DhaammapadBook
The Dhammapad

Teachings:

(1) “Consider, Malunkyaputta, this story of a man wounded by a poisoned arrow. His friends, relatives, and well-wishers gather around him and a surgeon is called. But the wounded man says, ‘Before he takes out this arrow, I want to know if the man who shot me was a Kshatriya, a Brahmin, a merchant, or an untouchable.’

Or, he says, ‘I won’t let this arrow be removed until I know the name and tribe of the man who shot me.’

Or: ‘Was he tall, short, or of medium height?’

Or: ‘Was he black, brown, or yellow-skinned?’

What do you think would happen to such a man, Malunkyaputta? Let me tell you. He will die.

And that is what happens when a man comes to me and says, ‘I will not follow Dhamma until the Buddha tells me whether the world is eternal or not eternal, whether the world is finite or infinite, whether the soul and the body are the same or different, whether the liberated person exists or does not exist after death, or both exists and does not exist after death, whether he neither exists nor does not exist after death.’ He will die, Malunkyaputta, before I get a chance to make everything clear to him.

Being religious and following Dhamma has nothing to do with the dogma that the world is eternal; and it has nothing to do with the other dogma that the world is not eternal. For whether the world is eternal or otherwise, birth, old age, death, sorrow, pain, misery, grief, and despair exist. I am concerned with the extinction of these.

Therefore, consider carefully, Malunkyaputta, the things that I have taught and the things I have not taught. What are the things I have not taught?

– I have not taught that the world is eternal.

– I have not taught that the world is not eternal.

– I have not taught that the world is finite.

– I have not taught that the world is infinite.

– I have not taught that the soul and the body are the same.

– I have not taught that the soul and the body are different.

– I have not taught that the liberated person exists after death.

– I have not taught that he does not exist after death.

– I have not taught that he both exists and does not exist after death; that he neither exists nor does not exist after death.

Why, Malunkyaputta, have I not taught all this? Because all this is useless, it has nothing to do with real Dhamma, it does not lead to cessation of passion, to peace, to supreme wisdom, and the holy life, to Nirvana. That is why I have not taught all this.

And what have I taught, Malunkyaputta?

I have taught that

– Suffering exists.

– Suffering has an origin.

– Suffering can be ended, and

– There is a way to end suffering.

Why, Malunkyaputta, have I taught this? Because this is useful, it has to do with real Dhamma, it leads to the cessation of passion, it brings peace, supreme wisdom, the holy life, and Nirvana. That is why I have taught all this.

Therefore, Malunkyaputta, consider carefully what I have taught and what I have not taught.”

*                             *                             *

(2) Four Noble Truths & Eight-fold Noble Path:

Lord Buddha said,

(1) “There is suffering.

And this is the noble truth of suffering – birth is painful, old age is painful, sickness is painful, death is painful; lamentation, dejection, and despair are painful. Contact with the unpleasant is painful, not getting what you want is painful.

(2) Suffering has an origin.

And this is the noble truth of the origin of suffering – desire creates sorrow, desire mixed with pleasure and lust, quick pleasure, desire for life, and desire even for non-life.

(3) Suffering has an end.

And this is the noble truth of the end of suffering – nothing remains of desire, Nirvana is attained, all is given up, renounced, detached, and abandoned.

(4) Eight-fold Path to Nirvana.

And this is the noble truth that leads to Nirvana – it is the Eight-fold Path of

– Right views

– Right intentions

– Right speech

– Right action

– Right profession

– Right watchfulness and

– Right concentration.

*                             *                             *

(3) “I am now eighty years old, Ananda. The end of my journey has come. I drag my body along like a worn-out bullock cart, with great hardship.

It is only when my thoughts are completely concentrated on the inner vision that has no bodily object that my body is at peace.

Therefore, Ananda, be a lamp to yourself. Be an island. Learn to look after yourself; do not wait for outside help.

Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Be an island. Only truth can save you. Do not look for any help besides yourself.”

…….

No, Ananda, no weeping. How often have I told you that it is in the very nature of life that what we love most must be taken from us? How can it be otherwise? What is born is doomed at the moment of its birth to die. There is no other way.

Some of you will say, ‘The Teacher is no more, we have no one left to lead us.’ But is not the Dhamma with you, and the Sangha? Have I not left these behind? Let them be your teachers.”

*                             *                             *

(4)          “We are what we think,

Having become what we thought.

Like the wheel that follows the cart-pulling ox,

Sorrow follows evil thought.

And joy follows a pure thought,

Like a shadow faithfully tailing a man.

We are what we think,

Having become what we thought.”

*                             *                             *

(5)          “Clear thinking leads to Nirvana,

A confused mind is a place of death.

Clear thinkers do not die,

The confused ones have never lived.

The wise man appreciates clear thinking,

Delights in its purity, and

Selects it as the means of Nirvana.”

*                             *                             *

(6)          Words do not matter; what matters is Dhamma.

What matters is action rightly performed,

After lust, hate, and folly abandoned,

With true knowledge and serene mind,

And complete detachment from the fruit of action.”

*                             *                             *

Lord Buddha - 3
Lord Buddha

Reflections:

(1) Lord Buddha had been labeled as Nihilist, Atheist, Non-believer, anti-Vedas etc.   Personally I do not see Buddha as any of this. I think these are the labels reflect the minds of the people who labeled Buddha. To me, he was very practical. He found the essence of the scriptures and gave a very practical advice based upon his own realization of the Ultimate Truth. I do not see how his teachings contradict with the teachings of Bhagavad Gita, the essence of Vedanta. He simply did not go into the details of the philosophy. He wanted to remove miseries of his life and lives of all. For forty years he served humanity to bring peace and happiness in their lives.

(2) One of the things I liked in Lord Buddha’s teachings is that he wanted us to think, to reason and then accept if we are convinced. I think his life and teachings tell us: Think, Practice, Realize, and Serve.

 

 

By Whom ? – A Story from Kenopanishad

Philosophy, Reflections, Upanishad

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More than 2700 years ago, a student asked his/her teacher the following important questions:

– By whose inspiration (or power) my mind thinks many things?

– By whose power my vital forces (including breathing) function?

– By whose power I can speak? and

– By whose power my eyes can see and my ears can hear?

The teacher gave the following answer:

“It is the Ear of the ears, Mind of the minds, Speech of the speeches, Vital Force of all vital forces, and the Eye of the eyes. By knowing It wise people become immortal.

Eyes cannot see It, speech cannot describe It, and mind cannot comprehend It fully.

I don’t know how to teach about It. No one showed me how to teach about It.

Wise people have told us that It is different from what we know and above the unknown.

We call It as Brahman.

Brahman is the One, whom

– speech cannot describe, but because of whom we can speak,

– mind cannot comprehend It, but because of whom mind can comprehend,

– eyes cannot see It, but because of whom eyes can see,

– ears cannot listen to It, but because of whom ears can listen and

– vital forces cannot move It around, but because of whom vital forces function.

Whom people worship is only a symbol of Brahman.

Now the teacher talks about “knowing Brahman.”

– If you think that you have known Brahman fully, then definitely you have understood very little about Brahman.

– If you think that ‘Brahman is a part in me and in all others,’ then you have to rethink about Brahman.

– I cannot say that “I have known Brahman fully” and I cannot say that “I do not know Brahman at all” because I know Brahman. Among us, those who have known Brahman know why I say, “I don’t know Brahman and I know Brahman.”

– In the case of Brahman, one who realizes that “I cannot know Brahman fully” knows It and one who thinks that “I have understood Brahman fully” does not know It.

– Brahman is known when It is realized in every state of mind. One who realizes Brahman attains immortality. Through Brahman one gets mental strength to know Brahman and through that knowledge one attains immortality.

– If you know Brahman in this life, then your life becomes meaningful and blessed. If you do not know Brahman, then you face Brahman in Its terrible form such as obstacles, suffering, frustration, helplessness, stress, old age, disease, and death.

– Wise people see that Brahman has become everything and with that knowledge they acquire infinite inner power to face all the challenges of life including death and become immortal.

Teacher tells a story to enhance his teachings about Brahman:

Once demons (human weaknesses) and devas (angles or stronger people among humans) had a fight and the devas won the battle. They were all proud of themselves and boasting about their strength. They probably had a party to celebrate their victory.

At that time, a stranger appeared at a distance. No one could recognize the stranger. They probably were suspicious and worried. All asked the fire god to go and find out who the stranger was.

The fire god ran to the stranger. The stranger asked, “Who are you? The fire god was surprised to find out that the stranger did not know him. He said, “I am Agni! (The fire god) and I am also known in the world as “Jataveda.”

The stranger asked, “What is your power?” The fire god said, “I can burn everything on this earth.”

The stranger threw a little piece of straw and asked the fire god to burn it. The fire god tried with all its power, but could not burn the piece of straw. He was embarrassed. He looked down and with a heavy heart returned to the devas and said, “I could not find out who that stranger was.”

All the devas then asked the wind god to find out who the stranger was. The wind god ran to the stranger. The stranger asked, “Who are you? The wind god was surprised to find out that the stranger did not know him. He said, “I am Vayu! (The wind god) and I am also known in the world as “Matarishwa.”

The stranger asked, “What is your power?” The wind god said, “I can blow everything that exist on this earth.”

The stranger threw a little piece of straw and asked the wind god to blow it. The wind god tried with all its power, but could not blow the piece of straw. He was embarrassed. He looked down and with a heavy heart returned to the devas and said, “I could not find out who that stranger was.”

(One can relate to the sholkas of Kathopanishad and Bhagavd Gita: Fire cannot burn Atman (individual soul), wind cannot blow it up, water cannot drown it, and weapons cannot destroy it.)

All the devas asked their leader Indra to find out who the stranger was. As Indra approached the stranger, the stranger disappeared. Then, Indra saw in the sky the Goddess of the Universe, Mother Uma with all her glories. Indra asked, “Mother! Who was the stranger?” Mother Uma said, “It was Brahman by whose power you have become victorious.”

Thus, Indra understood that everything is happening because of the power of Brahman.

Since the fire god, the wind god and Indra were in close proximity of Brahman, they attained more respect than other gods. Among these three Indra is considered superior because he understood that It was Brahman.

Concluding remarks and a peace chant:

The realization of Brahman happens like a flash of a lightening or within a blink of an eye.

When our mind starts understanding Brahman, then it gets attracted to It and makes a resolve to realize It.

Brahman is a great attractor. It is blissful. One who realizes Brahman becomes blissful and all beings adore such a person.

After listening to these teachings, a student requested the teacher, “Please tell us what Upanishad is.” The teacher said, “This is what Upanishad is. It is the knowledge of Brahman. What I said is this profound knowledge of Brahman.”

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The knowledge of Brahman is supported by three pillars: austerity (joyfully bearing all the suffering and facing the difficulties that come to realize Brahman), control of the senses and mind, and performing one’s responsibilities as an offering to Brahman.

Brahman is the abode of the Truth (the Ultimate Reality). One who realizes Brahman attains the highest state in this life.

Peace chant of Kenopanishad:

Om! May my speech, vital forces, eyes, ears, and all senses get fully nourished (so, I become fit to realize Brahman)!   May I do not deny Brahman which has been described in the Upanishad! May Brahman does not deny me! May my relationship with Brahman remains unbroken! I am committed to realize Brahman. May I acquire all the virtues which have been described in the Upanishads (which are needed to realize Brahman)!

Om Peace! Peace! Peace!

 

Happy Ramanavami – 2014

Celebrations

This year all over India and abroad Ramanavami is going to be celebrated on Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

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Lord Rama, Mother Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman

Swami Vivekananda on Ramayana:

Swami Vivekananda gave a lecture on Ramayana at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California, on January 31, 1900.  In that lecture he said, “I am now going to speak to you of the two most ancient epics, called the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.  They embody the manners and customs, the state of society, civilization, etc. of the ancient Indians.  The oldest of theses epics is called Ramayana, “The Life of Rama.”

Sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana in Sanskrit.

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Srimad Valmiki Ramayana

Cultural India formed by Ramayana and Mahabharata:

In 1973, a classmate of my graduate school in New York asked me, “Did you meet another graduate student from India?”  I said, “Yes, I did.”  The classmate continued, “In which language you talk to each other?”  I said, “English.”  The classmate was amazed, “English!  Why?  Don’t you have an Indian language to talk to each other?”  I told, “No.  He is from South India and I am from North India and we do not know each other’s language. So, we talk to each other in English.”  Then, I continued, “However, if I tell him that ‘my younger brother is like Lakshmana to me’ then he will immediately understand many things about my brother than any English speaking person who is not exposed to the Indian culture.”  At that time I understood that Ramayana and Mahabharata had united whole India even though it had many languages.  Political India was formed later, but the cultural India which was united by Ramayana and Mahabharata existed from ancient time.  Also, this cultural India’s influence was not bounded to the ancient India (which was roughly combined by current India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tibet and Sri Lanka), but it permeated in much wider region.  Most of this influence was spread through Ramayana and Mahabharata.  We find this influence in olden Afghanistan, West Indies, Myanmar and others.

In early 70’s I met a family from West Indies living in Jersey City, New Jersey, who was celebrating Ramanavami every year.  On Ramanavami day the husband used to dress-up as Rama and the wife as Sita, and then the whole family was worshiping picture of Rama and Sita with flowers and prayers.

In the time when television was not there and radio was not popular, story-tellers used to go place to place in India and tell stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata.  I was fortunate to listen to such stories as a child from expert story tellers.  Usually, they tell such stories in the evening for a week or two weeks.  After listening to these stories when we went to bed, scenes after scenes of these great epics were passing through our minds and we looked forward to listen to the next episodes the following day.  Many story-tellers (Kathkars) were saints and great devotees.  That is how the cultural India was formed.  All children in various parts of India listen to these stories and remained united with each other even though they had different languages and manners.

One such story-teller was Saint Tulsidas.  He was telling people the story of Ramayana which was written by Rishi Valmiki in Sanskrit.  Since many people did not know Sanskrit, Saint Tulsidas used to tell people Ramayana in their native Hindi language.  Finally, he decided to write the story of Ramayana in Awadhi (this native Hindi language) which was filled with devotion to Sri Rama and Mother Sita.  This story of Rama, known as Ramacharitmanas (completed in 1577) became part of daily life of millions of people.

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Saint Tulasida’s Ramayana

Lord Rama and Mother Sita as role models:

Swami Vivekananda said, “Rama and Sita are the ideals of the Indian nation.”

He also said, “Rama, the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, the ideal father, and above all, the ideal king, this Rama has been presented before us by the great Saint Valmiki.”

For thousands of years, millions of people of India followed the ideals described in Ramayana and thus they formed the foundation of the Indian culture.  Upanishads and Shrimad Bhagavad Gita described the principles of the fundamental truth, while Ramayana produced Lord Rama and Mother Sita, the living examples in whom these principles have been manifested.  Without living examples philosophy of life is meaningless.

We see in Lord Rama’s life all the characteristics of ‘a person with steady intellect’ described in Bhagavad Gita.  There are several incidents in which these characteristics were manifested.  For examples, in ‘Swayamvara,” no king lift up the Shiva’s bow.  King Janaka was upset that there was no king strong enough to lift up the bow and hence his daughter Sita would remain unmarried.  At that time Rishi Vishwamitra asked Rama to go and lift up the bow.  Rama got up and walked to the bow.  All eyes were focused on him. Sitaji was worried.  But, Lord Rama was calm, focused, determined, and not egotistic but was filled with self-confidence.  He not only lifted the bow, but broke it like a piece of straw.  Second incident, the night before his coronation, he was exiled to the forest for 14 years.  He was calm, kept respect for his mother Kaikeyi who was the cause of his exile, consoled his father and immediately prepared himself to go to the forest.  His every dealing with every person was perfect.

Similarly, Mother Sita also forms a great ideal.  Swami Vivekananda had great regard for Mother Sita.  He said, “The question is not whether she (Sita) ever lived, whether the story is history or not, we know that the ideal is there.  There is no other Pauranik (ancient) story that has so permeated the whole nation, so entered into its very life, and has so tingled in every drop of blood of the race, as this ideal of Sita.  Sita is the name in India for everything that is good, pure and holy….If a priest has to bless a woman he says, “Be Sita!” If he blesses a child, he says, “Be Sita!”  They are all children of Sita, and are struggling to be Sita, the patient, the all-suffering, the ever-faithful…Through all this suffering she experiences, there is not one harsh word against Rama.  She takes it as her own duty, and performs her own part in it.”

As one advances in life, one finds that life has some pleasures and lots of suffering.  The impacts of suffering are deep.  Lord Buddha said that one truth in life is “there is suffering.”  The question is how to face suffering.  We can scream at others, get angry and throw things around, or try to run away from suffering, but it is not going to go away.  Lord Rama and Mother Sita’s way is to face suffering with inner spiritual strength, forbear without complaint, and go on with life.  At the end, there will not be any repentance and any negative reaction.  We also gain more inner strength and deeper understanding of life.

Let us remember life of Lord Rama and Mother Sita, learn some meaningful lessons from them and follow these great ideals. This way we will be able to experience the strength of our inner divinity and innumerable potentials lying within us.

Note that Lakshmana, Bharat, and Hanuman are also great role models presented by Ramayana for us to follow.

Few proverbs related to Lord Rama:

Lord Rama has become part of Indian life can be seen by many proverbs or phrases people often use currently which are connected to him.  These proverbs were evolved from the time of Ramayana till now.

Here are a few of these proverbs:

  • (Sri Ramakrishna used to say):  “Jo Rama Dasharathaka beta, so hi Rama ghara gharame leta.”   (in Hindi;  Lord Rama who was a son of Dasharatha, the same Rama resides in every house – meaning same God is residing in each heart.)
  • (Swami Vivekananda used to say): “Jahan Rama vahan kama nahi, jahan kama vahan Rama nahi.”   (In Hindi; Where there is Rama, there is no lust or desire.  Where there is lust or desire, there Rama does not resides.)
  • “Rama kare so hoy.”  (in Hindi; Everything happens by the will of Rama.)
  • “Rama rakhe tene kona chakhe.”  (in Gujarati; No one can do any harm to a person who is protected by Rama.)
  • “Ko Rama?”  (in Sanskrit; This is from a play – “Who is that Rama?”  When Rama sent Mother Sita to forest in order to avoid people’s gossip, the author was mad on Rama.)
  • “Ramarajya” (in all Indian languages; The kingdom of Rama – It is considered that Rama’s kingdom was an ideal kingdom)

Invitation:  Readers, I invite you to send me proverbs or phrases related to Rama to add them to my list.  Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 528th Birthday to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534)

Celebrations, Sri Chaitanya

Not all people can reason.  But all understand the language of love.  Everyone knows the magic of love.

More than five hundred years ago, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu understood this fact and he touched the hearts of millions of people.  His life and teachings filled the hearts of all with pure, unselfish, divine love.  Even now if anyone reads his biography will experience the divine love for God and for all beings.

 Vision of Sri Ramakrishna:  In 1870, the Master (Sri Ramakrishna) went on a pilgrimage to Nadia, the birth-place of Sri Chaitanya.  As the boat by which he travelled approached the sand-bank close to Nadia, Sri Ramakrishna had a vision of the “two brothers”, Sri Chaitanay and his companion Nityananda, “bright as molten gold” and with haloes, rushing to greet him with uplifted hands.  “There they came! There they come!” he cried.  They entered his body and he went into a deep trance.  (From the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)

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Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda

Sri Chaitnya Mahaprabhu was born on the famous Holy Festival day.  According to the Hindu moon calendar this year his birthday falls on Sunday, March 16, 2014.

The following Hindi biography of Sri Chaitanaya Mahaprabhu, titled “Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitavali” written by Shri Prabhdutt Brahmachari is a good resource about his life and teaching.  It is published by Gita Press, Gorukhpur, India.

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Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitavali

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life is very interesting.  I will give a brief outline of his life.  His father’s name was Pundit Jagannatha Mishra and mother’s name was Shri Shachi Devi.  He was born in Navadwip (also known as Nadia), a city of Bengal.  At that time, Navadwip was the center of knowledge.  The schools of Navadwip produced many scholars of Sanskrit and various branches of philosophies based on the Hindu scriptures.  His childhood name was Nimai.  People say that he was born under a Neem Tree.  That is why his name was Nimai.  Because he was of fair complexion, he was also known as Gauranga.  But, in his young age he was known as “Nimai Pundit.”

Nimai was a naughty boy.  There were many interesting childhood pranks of Nimai including sitting on the garbage pile to tease his mom, eating food offered to God by an orthodox Brahmin, tying lose clothes of two people meditating on the bank of a river so their clothes come off when they get up and many others.  Because his elder brother Vishwarupa renounced the world in order to realize God, Nimai’s parents did not want him to go to school.  Somehow he convinced his parents to let him go to school.  When Nimai was eleven years old, his father passed away.

Nimai started to learn from a famous Sanskrit Grammar school of Pundit Gangadas.  Nimai mastered “Panchitika,” the famous book of Sanskrit grammar and wrote a commentary on this book.  This commentary was so helpful that Nimai became famous among the scholars of Navadwip and outside.

Then, Nimai mastered the “Nyaya Philosophy,” which is logic.  Many of the logic formulas of this philosophy are being taught in our universities’ logic classes today.  There is an important event happened at this time which brought out the greatness of Nimai.  His classmate Pundit Raghunath was a great scholar of logic and he was writing a book.  Raghunath heard that Nimai is also writing a book on logic.  One day he requested Nimai to read his manuscript to him.  Both got on a boat and Nimai started reading his manuscript.  Initially, Raghunath was making some sounds of acknowledgement that he was listening.  But, after a while he was quiet.  Nimai looked at him and found that Raghunath was profusely crying.  Nimai asked the reason for his crying.  Raghunath told him, “I was thinking that my book on logic will be famous one day.  But, after listening to your manuscript, I am sure that no one will read my book.”  Nimai laughed and said that it is a very trifle thing for which he should not be upset.  He said that for his friend he can do anything.  By saying this, Nimai simply tossed his manuscript into the river.  Pundit Raghunath embraced Nimai saying that only Nimai can let go such name and fame.  Thus, the world lost a great book on logic, but found a greater person who surpassed the logic.

Nimai married to Lakshmi Devi, the daughter of Pundit Vallabhacharya.  After completing his studies, Nimai Pundit became a teacher.  But, his naughty-nature remained same as a young student.  After teaching he used to mix with his students and he used to make his students laugh with his funny talks and acts.  With his playful nature he used to tease orthodox devotees and so-called pundits by intellectually exploring their weaknesses.  At that time a scholar Pundit Ishwar Puri of Navadwip was writing a book “Shri Krishnalilamruta.”  Pundit Ishwar Puri wanted Nimai Pundit to listen to this manuscript and suggest any correction or make comments.  For several evenings Nimai  Pundit heard this manuscript and both scholars had discussions on various topics of the manuscript.  After listening to this book Nimai Pundit’s love for Lord Krishna overpowered his intellectual outlook.

Nimai Pundit with his students then went to places of pilgrimage in East Bengal.  He met many notable scholars and inspired many people to chant name of God for spiritual development.  During this time his wife Lakshmi Devi passed away.  Nimai and his mother were very sad for this loss.  Nimai focused his mind in teaching.  At that time a famous scholar Pundit Keshav of Kashmir came to challenge all the scholars of Navadwip.  He was on a mission to prove his superiority in his knowledge of scriptures, Sanskrit language, and poetry.  He had defeated many scholars in other cities.  However, young Nimai Pundit in a casual conversation found several mistakes in his recently wrote poem.  The Pundit of Kashmir was amazed by Nimai Pundit’s depth of knowledge and intellectual sharpness.  Pundit Keshav of Kashmir’s ego was completely destroyed.  He gave up his mission of challenging scholars and devoted his mind to spiritual development.

Mother Shachi Devi was worried about Nimai.  Considering mother’s wish, Nimai agreed to marry Vishnupriya, a daughter of the court Pundit Sanatam Mishra.  After some time, an upsurge of renunciation arose and captured Nimai’s mind.  He realized that life is very short, nothing is permanent in this world, and the purpose of life is to chant name of God and to make efforts for spiritual development.  He started asking his students to do regular spiritual practice and build a good character.

A most important event in Nitai’s life was his pilgrimage to Gaya.  After performing rituals for his father, he went to Gaya temple and in front of Lord Vishnu he had an ecstasy.  At that time he met Pundit Ishwar Puri again.  They both were happy to meet each other.  Nimai sincerely requested him to give him initiation.  Pundit Ishwar Puri gave initiation to Nimai and taught him a mantra “Gopijanavallabhaya namah.”  Upon listening to the mantra Nimai’s mind was uplifted to Lord Shri Krishna, his heart was filled with love for him and he had  a state of Samadhi.

After coming back from Gaya, Nimai’s life was completely changed.  He asked his students to chant the name of Lord Krishna.  He told them that the chanting of Lord Krishna’s name will remove their miseries, help them attain the eternal peace and happiness and make their lives blessed.  He closed his school, collected sincere devotees of God and taught them how to chant name of Lord Krishna.  He followed strict moral discipline and closely monitored his disciples to help them in their spiritual path.  When he found that his close disciples were firmly established in their spiritual foundation and it was time to teach all people who are ready to learn to take name of God, he went out with his disciples to chant name of Lord Krishna in public.  Rest of his life was spent in chanting name of Lord Shri Krishna, remaining in bliss of Krishna-Consciousness and inspiring people to do the same.  At one point he completely renounced the world to devote his life fully for spiritual enlightenment of people.  From Nimai Pundit, he became Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.  He transformed many lives for good.  He touched the hearts of poor people, neglected people, kings, rulers and people of all walks of life.

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Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu transformed the lives of robbers

As I mentioned before not all people can reason, but everyone understands the language of love.  Sri Chaitanya Mahprabhu taught people to build a moral life, to love God, to enjoy chanting name of God, and to enjoy the bliss of God-Consciousness.  He loved all unselfishly.  Many cruel people were transformed into loving people by love of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.  A wave of love of God (Lord Shri Krishna) came from his heart and flooded whole Bengal with that love.  Later on this wave of love spread all over India and outside India in many countries inspiring people to chant the name of God.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wrote only one hymn called “Shikshashtakam,” eight verses to learn his guidance.  One of them is a very famous verse which I will quote here:

Learn to be more humble than grass

Learn to be more forbearer than a tree

Do not seek respect or name and fame

Give respect to all, and

Always chant name of God.

Let us learn to develop love for God and love all unselfishly seeing God in them.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:

In the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna we find often Sri Ramakrishna talk to the devotees about Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life and love for Lord Krishna.  The following are a few quotes from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:

  • “The Master (Sri Ramakrishna) sang, “And, for that love, the mighty yogis practice yoga from age to age.  When love awakens, the Lord, like a magnet, draws to Him the soul.”  Then he said, “Chaitanya used to shed tears of joy at the very mention of Krishna’s name.  God alone is the substance; all else is illusory…”
  • “Master said, “You talk glibly about prema (love for God).  But is it such a common place thing?  There are two characteristics of prema.  First, it makes one forget the world.  So intense is one’s love for God that one becomes unconscious of outer things.  Chaitanya had this ecstatic love;…Second, one has no feeling of ‘my-ness’ toward the body, which is so dear to man.  One wholly gets rid of feeling that the body is the soul.”
  • “Master said, “Chaitanya experienced three states of mind.  First, the conscious state, when his mind dwelt on the gross and subtle.  Second, the semi-conscious state, when his mind entered the causal body and was absorbed in the bliss of divine intoxication.  Third, the inmost state, when his mind was merged in the Great Cause…..While conscious of the outer world, Chaitanya sang the name of God; while in the state of partial consciousness, he dances with the devotees; and while in the inmost state of consciousness, he remained absorbed in Samadhi.”
  • “Sri Ramakrishna said, “The caste-system can be removed by means of one means only, and that is love of God.  Lovers of God do not belong to any caste.  The mind, body, and soul of a man become purified through divine love. Chaitanya and Nityananda scattered the name of Hari to everyone, including the pariah, and embraced them all.  A Brahmin without this love is no longer a Brahmin.  And a pariah with the love of God is no longer a pariah.  Through bhakti (love of God) an untouchable becomes pure and elevated.”

Happy 178th Birthday to Sri Ramakrishna

Celebrations, Sri Ramakrishna

Sri Ramakrishna was born on Wednesday, February 18, 1836 in Kamarpukur, a village in Bengal, India.  It is amazing to see that a boy who was born in a village and spent his childhood in that environment, became a source of great inspiration for millions of people in India and abroad.  All over the world, through various religions and philosophies, people are still trying to solve the mystery of life and God.  This boy, who later became Sri Ramakrishna, realized all the aspects of life and God and the essence of all scriptures and religions.

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Sri Ramakrishna

This year according to the Hindu calendar Sri Ramakrishna’s birthdate falls on Monday, March 3, 2014.  On this day, let us first remember how a few known personalities looked at Sri Ramakrishna:

Leo Tolstoy called Sri Ramakrishna a “remarkable sage.”

Romain Rolland considered Sri Ramakrishna to be the “consummation of two thousand years of spiritual life of the three hundred million people.”

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “Sri Ramakrishna’s life enables us to see God face to face. He was a living embodiment of godliness.”

Maharshi Aurobindo wrote, “When skepticism had reached its height, the time had come for spirituality to assert itself and establish the reality of the world as a manifestation of the spirit, the secret of the confusion created by the senses, the magnificent possibilities of man and the ineffable beatitude of God. This is the work whose consummation Sri Ramakrishna came to begin and all the development of the previous two thousand years and more since Buddha appeared has been a preparation for the harmonization of spiritual teaching and experience by the Avatar (Incarnation of God) of Dakshineshwar (Sri Ramakrishna).”

Jawaharlal Nehru described Sri Ramakrishna as “one of the great Rishis of India, who had come to draw our attention to the higher things of life and of the spirit.”

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Sri Ramakrishna

Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings appeal to me for several reasons.  The following are a few of these reasons:

1.  Sri Ramakrishna as a young man had an intense desire to realize God. Through his determination and self-effort he realized God.  Later on with various teachers he had the same experience of God through various paths.

2.  He had no formal education, but hundreds of educated people of Kolkata would come to him to learn about the most important aspect of life.

3.  Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings are simple but very profound.  He explains the essence of scriptures through simple stories and analogies from the day-to-day life of common people.

4.  His teachings cover all levels of spiritual life; from the period of curiosity and initial questioning to the state of realization of God.

5.  We all talk about having interfaith dialogue and tolerance of other faiths.  Sri Ramakrishna realized God through his own tradition and then through other religions. He realized through his experiences that all religions are various paths leading to the same God.

6.  At the time of Sri Ramakrishna, many youngsters and the elite started believing that all Hindu scriptures and their religious ideas were primitive and useless.  Sri Ramakrishna single handedly destroyed these doubts and wrong ideas from the minds of the youngsters and elite and established the essential truths of the scriptures.  Since his words had the power of direct experience of the Truth, they prevail over all skepticism and faulty arguments.

7.  He prepared a few spiritual giants whose influence, even today, inspires millions of people to be good and to do unselfish service for humanity.  His idea of ‘seeing God in all and serving each one as though doing worship to God’ was revolutionary.  He said that a human being is an insignificant little insect crawling on the Earth.  How can this limited being do good to the world? Instead, we should realize that by doing good to the world we actually do good to ourselves.

8.  His every act and word was a manifestation of the Ultimate Truth described by the scriptures. At the end of his life, he could not eat any food due to the cancer of his throat.  His beloved disciple, Narendra, asked him to pray to the Divine Mother to enable him to eat a little so that he could keep his body for the good of many.  Upon inquiry, Sri Ramakrishna said that the Divine Mother had told him, “Are you not eating through the millions of mouths of all beings? Why worry if one mouth stops eating?”

9.  Sri Ramakrishna guided each disciple according to his/her mental chemistry.

10.  Sri Ramakrishna never uttered a degrading word for anyone and for any religious path.  He always encouraged everyone. People with various paths and sects went to him and each one felt that Sri Ramakrishna belonged to his/her path or sect.  Sri Ramakrishna encouraged householders and said that they can also realize God.

Let us remember a few of his teachings:

(i)  The goal of life is “God Realization.”

(ii)  The main obstacles in God Realization are lust and greed.

(iii)  Never think that ‘My religion is true and other religions are false.’  All religions are nothing but different paths made to suit people of different temperaments to reach the same God.

(iv)  Use your common sense in the spiritual path.  (Remember the story, “Elephant is Narayana, but so is the Elephant-driver.”)

(v)  Have intense desire and determination to realize God and make efforts for it.  (Remember the story of the determined farmer who worked hard to bring water to his field.)

(vi)  Spiritual progress is based upon the positive transformation that happens in life including the manifestation of virtues described in the scriptures.  Spiritual progress cannot be judged by the amount of lectures one has given about spirituality.  (Remember the story of Poddo who had not cleaned the temple, but did not hesitate from blowing the conch loudly)

(vi) As one gallon container cannot hold 10 gallons of milk, a finite human mind cannot comprehend the infinite God (Brahman).  Think that there is a huge hill of sugar grains.  An ant took one grain of sugar in its mouth from the hill and was going towards its hole.  While going the ant thought that next time it will take the whole sugar-hill in her hole.  A Salt-doll wanted to measure the depth of an ocean.  She took a measuring stick and went to the ocean.  As soon as she went into the ocean, she was totally merged in the ocean.  How can she measure the depth of the ocean?  A human mind tries to comprehend infinite Brahman.  But, when it goes closer to Brahman, it starts losing its separate identity.  Finally, when it merges with Brahman, there is no one else left to measure the Brahman.

One can learn many things about Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings from the following books:

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The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna Divine Play
Sri Ramakrishna & His Divine Play

May we get inspiration for our spiritual development from Sri Ramakrishna’s life and teachings.

Happy Mahashivaratri

Celebrations, Reflections

Shivaratri is going to be celebrated on Thursday, February 27, 2014 all over the world, especially all over India, by millions of people.

Lord Shiva reminds us of serenity, a blissful state, and a focused mind which mostly remains merged with the Infinite Brahman, total self-control, a heart that is filled with love and compassion and which is always thinking for good of all.

Shiva
Lord Shiva

The Ultimate Reality or The Life Force which supports the universe and each individual is called Brahman.  The highest knowledge is to realize that the Brahman has become everything.  The apparent universe came out of Brahman, it is nourished by Brahman and it dissolves into Brahman.  When we see Brahman as a creator, we call It Brahma (the Creator).  When we see Brahman as someone who nourishes the universe, we call It Vishnu.  When we see Brahman as someone who dissolves everything, then we call It Shiva.

There are numerous hymns, bhajans, and dhoons of Shiva which devotees love to sing.  These hymns, bajans and dhoon remind us the glories of Shiva and uplift our mind to the higher state of consciousness.  One of these hymns is “Shiva Mahimna”.  There are several stories in this hymn which elaborate Shiva’s virtues.  One can learn easily through stories.  One of the stories goes as follows SM – 10 (Shiva Mahimna, shloka 10):

Once there was a dispute between Brahma and Vishnu (even though they both were the forms of Brahman!). The dispute was to decide ‘who is greater; Brahma or Vishnu’.  Brahma said he is greater because he creates and Vishu said he is greater because he preserves.  Brahma’s argument was that if he does not create then Vishnu cannot preserve while Vishnu argued that if he does not preserve then creation is futile.  They could not reconcile.  I am sure their followers were more involved in this dispute and almost ready to fight a big war.  At that time a pillar of fire appeared before them.  Brahma and Vishnu both looked at the pillar and were surprised.    They could not see any end to it.  Vishnu asked Brahma, “Did you create this pillar?”  Brahma said, “No.”  Brahma asked Vishnu, “Did you nourish or sustain this pillar?”  Vishnu said that he didn’t.  They both decided to find out more about the pillar, especially to find its support or an end.  Brahma went up and Vishnu went down.  They went as far as they could go, but could not find its end or beginning.  It was an infinite pillar.  Both were shocked to see something beyond the creation.    Brahma and Vishnu were humbled.  The Shiva aspect of Brahman taught them that the time is infinite and many universes were created, being nourished, and had been dissolved into time and this phenomenon continues.  Brahma and Vishnu then praised the Shiva aspect of Brahman.  The Shivalinga which is worshipped in Shiva temple is a symbol of that infinite pillar of fire.  I learned from this story that whenever we think of the infinite, our little ego, pride, achievements look very timid and many times silly.  Thinking of the infinite makes us humble and sane.

There are twelve famous Shiva temples in which these glorious Shivalingas are worshipped.  They are called “Dwadash Jyotirlingas.” I have visited Rameshwaram, Somanath, and Nageshwara.  In all the temples witnessing deep love and devotion of many devotees of Shiva, my mind was filled with divine mood.  In the hearts of the devotees we feel the presence of Shiva.  These devotees were from all over India and abroad.

The following is a link in which one can see the places of these famous Shiva temples.  There are more than 12 famous Shiva temples.  For a devotee it is good to go and visit these temples and feel the presence of Lord Shiva in the hearts of all.

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/jyotirlinga.htm

The following is a link of 12 famous Shiva temples and their Jyotirlingas which are worshipped every day.

http://www.dwadashjyotirlinga.com/

Swami Vivekananda quoted Shiva Mahimna Shloka-7 in his famous speech of September 11, 1893 given at the World Parliament of Religions held at the Chicago World Fair.  While talking about the harmony of religions and acceptance of all religions as true, he said, “I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”

Sri Ramakrishna loved Shiva Mahimna Hymn.  Once he was reciting its shloka-32 which says, “O Lord Shiva! If ink is made by dissolving a blue mountain into an ocean, a pen is made by a branch of the divine tree, and the Goddess of Knowledge (Saraswati) writes your glories on the earth (using as a paper) for ever even then she cannot completely describe your glories.”  Thus, thinking of the infinite glories of Shiva, Sri Ramakrishna was overwhelmed with emotions.  He embraced the Shivalingam with both the hands and kept repeating with tears of love in his eyes, “O Shiva!  Your glories cannot be described even by the Goddess of Knowledge.”

We know that everyday tons of research papers are being published.  Each paper solves couple of problems but then most of them make us aware of more open problems.  If we put all our knowledge in a circle and consider the area outside the circle as ignorance, then as our circle of knowledge grows the circumference of the circle which is the awareness of ignorance also grows.

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As knowledge grows, the awareness of ignorance also grows.

Sri Ramakrishna told his disciples again and again that lust and greed are two forces which drag down people from their path of righteousness and spiritual development.  So, sincere spiritual seekers have to watch out for these two forces.

We see that Shiva’s living is very simple.  Even though by his little blessing one acquires riches, his means of living are very few (SM – 8).

Shiva’s self-control regarding lust has been beautifully described in SM – 15.  It says that the arrows of the god of lust never come back without hitting the target.  They are always victorious.  Meaning lust drags down the minds of demons, humans, and angles from their righteousness and spiritual path.  That god of lust shot his arrow of lustful thought to Shiva.  Lord Shiva opened his eye of knowledge and not only the arrow but the god of lust himself was burnt to ashes.  The story goes that after this the wife of the god of lust came to Shiva and explained that it was not her husband’s fault.  He was asked by all the Devas to do this.  She asked for forgiveness.  Shiva out of compassion told that your husband will be immortal and he will reside in the minds of all.

Shri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, “Renounce lust, greed, and anger because these are three doors to hell.  They destroy all the good things of a person.” (Gita 16.21).

Lord Shiva showed us that lust is a thought and it can be destroyed by a thought of knowledge, the awareness of our divine Self.  Our true identity Atman does not have any gender.

Let us also remember Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts on worship of Shiva.  Swami Vivekananda says, “This is the gist of all worship–to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva; and if he sees Shiva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste, or creed, or race, or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples.”  Swami Vivekananda wanted his disciples to see Shiva in each individual and serve him/her unselfishly.

In order to be pure and to see Shiva in all, we have to do spiritual practice and learn self-control from Shiva.

Life after Death

Reflections, Vedanta

A young boy asked death whether there is life after death.

The story of the Kathopanishad goes as follows (this is an outline of the story in my version):

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Beginning of Kathopanishad

In India, during the Upanishad time, a person who had renounced everything used to receive the highest honor.  Powerful kings used to bow down to the Sadhus who had renounced everything.  Even now we see at many places in India similar honor given to the sadhus.

A Rishi Uddalaka decided to perform a Yajna in which he had to renounce everything he had.  He had a huge Ashram and many cows.  At that time the wealth was considered by the number of cows one has.   When the time came closer for the Yajna, he started worrying about the future of his young son named Nachiketa.  Then, he decided to give away old cows that were of no use and were about to die.  He kept good cows hidden.   Nachiketa saw this.  He thought that his father is doing wrong thing and this will not do good to him.  But, how can he tell this to his father?  An idea came to his mind.  If his father gives him away to someone, then he did not have to worry about him.

Nachiketa went to his father and asked him to whom he is giving away to.  Father did not like the question.  He ignored him.  Nachiketa asked him second and third time.  Now, father got mad and said that he is giving him to death.

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Lord Yama and nachiketa

Nachiketa sat down in meditation to go to the Lord of Death, called Yama.  When Nachiketa went to Yama’s home, he found that Yama was away for his work.  Nachiketa waited for Yama outside his house for three days without food, water and sleep.  When Yama returned home he felt sorry for Nachiketa.  To reward him, Yama requested Nachiketa to ask three boons.

Nachiketa asked his first boon that when Yama will release him to go home his father will receive him with love and accept him as his son.  Yama granted that boon to him.

Nachiketa asked second boon to learn a Yajna which takes him to heaven.  Yama taught him the Yajna and being pleased with his capacity to learn said that this Yajna will be known as Nachiketa Yajna.

The third boon is the central theme of Kathopanishad.  This young boy Nachiketa asked Yama that among the two groups of people, one who believes that there is life after death and another who believes that there is no life after death, who is telling the truth.  Nachiketa wanted to know this from the Lord of Death who is the only one knows what happens after death.

Death is a mystery of life.  No dead person ever came back to tell us what happens after death.  Many do not want to talk about death.  But, we cannot avoid the fact by not talking about it.  Death makes life more important and valuable.  From the perspective of death we can decide what is important in life and what is not.

What was the Yama’s answer?  Instead of giving the answer, Yama offered Nachiketa wealth, long life and pleasures of life.  Yama said, “O Nachiketa! This is a subtle knowledge.  Even highly evolved souls like Devas want to know this.  You can ask me long life, children, grandchildren, kingdom, and all the pleasures of the world. Please do not ask this boon.”  Nachiketa said, “O Yama! Long life comes to an end.  Pleasures of the senses are short-lived and they wear out senses.  You are the only teacher who can answer my question.  Therefore, I am not asking any other boon.”

Lord Yama was greatly pleased with Nachiketa.  He said, “O Nachiketa!  Any human being would have been tempted by a fraction of the pleasures I offered to you.  I offered to you all the possible pleasures available on the earth, but your mind was not deviated by them.  You are worthy for such knowledge.  May I have students like you.”

Kathopanishad is enriched with wonderful and inspiring thoughts following which we can acquire the highest knowledge possible for a human being.  Here I will just state few of these thoughts along with the answer to the basic question:  Is there a life after death?

Few teachings of Yama (of Kathopanishad):

  •  Pleasurable and preferable choices come to every human being.  Pleasurable things give pleasures to the senses and mind which are short-lived and bring miseries as their consequences.  They also increase our ignorance of ourselves and others. Preferable things lead us to the highest knowledge which gives us deeper understanding and awareness of human life and other people.  Such things bring unlimited happiness, satisfaction, and unselfish love for all.  Wise people chose preferable things over the pleasurable things.  While people with short-sightedness chose pleasurable things and then suffer
  •  Behind our body, mind and intellect, there is Atman (Soul) which is our true identity.  Body, mind and intellect are constantly changing.  These changes can be realized because of having Atman in the background.  Our body, mind and intellect are material.  They are made out of five elements, namely space, air, fire, water, and earth.  Atman is not made out of anything.  Just as we remove body, mind and intellect from a human being Atman remains, similarly if we remove name and form from the universe, Brahman (God) remains.   Atman is pure.  Its nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss absolute.  It is the center of our existence. When the atman leaves the body, the body becomes dead.  Without Atman body, mind and intellect are nothing but matter.  All knowledge and bliss comes from the Atman.  This Atman cannot be killed by any weapon, nor can it be burnt by the fire, nor can it be drowned by the water, and nor can it be blown away by the wind.
  • Atman and Brahman are same.  Imagine, a pot is floating in an ocean and there is ocean water inside the pot.  Just as the water of the ocean outside the pot is the same as water inside the pot, Atman in an individual is the same as Brahman outside the individual.  Also, what is in the macro (universe) is in the micro (atom).  All characteristics of a tree are in its seed.  Thus, all characteristics of Brahman are in the Atman.
  • In order to realize this Atman (our true identity) we have to focus our mind on the Atman through the help of our pure (unpolluted) intellect.  The realization of Atman is not an intellectual knowledge.  This realization does not come only from reasoning.  Since our senses drag our mind away from the Atman to the world of sense-objects, we have to control them.  A person having no control on the senses, mind and intellect cannot realize this Atman.  A beautiful analogy is given in the Kathopanishad:  “A chariot is going in the world.  The senses of a being are the horses, mind is the rein, intellect is the driver and the Atman is the master sitting inside the chariot.”  We have to control our senses by our mind, our mind by our intellect, and our intellect by the power of our Atman.  Only then we have a smooth ride in this world.
  • A person with bad character, a restless person, and a person without self-control cannot realize this Atman.
  • Only a person who has realized this Atman (our true identity) can have ever-lasting peace of mind.  No one else.
  • It is not easy to realize this Atman.  One has to take proper guidance from knowledgeable people and properly make efforts to realize It.  Realization of Atman is difficult, but not impossible.  Many people have realized this Atman and have blessed humanity with their knowledge, love, and guidance.  Kathopanishad says to all, “Arise!  Awake!  And stop not till this goal (realization of Atman) is reached.”
  • After getting proper guidance from Lord Yama, Nachiketa realized this Atman and acquire the highest knowledge, eternal bliss, and immortality.

Answer to the question: “is there a life after death?”

The answer is “Yes, there is life after death.  But, it is for those who have not realized this Atman.”  Those who have realized the Atman become one with Atman and remain in bliss until they chose to acquire a life.

Mother Nature is compassionate.  A human being cannot fulfill all the worldly desires in one life.  Many unfulfilled desires remain when a person dies.  So, Mother Nature or Atman or Brahman creates bodies to fulfill these desires.  I tell students that a human being cannot sleep for 10-12 hours every day or eat as much as one wants.  Human body and human environment are not fit for this.  Thus, a person who had cravings left to sleep many hours in a day, or eat ferociously, or have unlimited sense-pleasures, then in the next life Mother Nature gives a body of an alligator, or a bear, or a dog to fulfill these desires.  When one gets tired of these limited pleasures, a life of ignorance and miseries, then Mother Nature gives a human body which is fit to realize one’s true identity, Atman.

Be a bee

Parables, Reflections

Those who do not eat fish cannot stand the smell of fish.  It will be difficult for them to hang around in the fish market for no reason.   They probably want to get out from there as soon as possible.  It is a different story for people who eat fish.

Sri Ramakrishna told a story:

A fisher woman went to a distant village to sell her fish.

Fisherwoman
A Fisher-woman

She carried a basket full of fish on her head.  By the time all her fish were sold it was dark.  She was afraid to go home at that time.  She remembered that her childhood florist friend lives in a near-by village.  She had not seen her for a while.  The fisher woman thought this is a good excuse to see her.

She went to her house and knocked the door.  The florist friend was extremely delighted to see her friend.   Both remembered their happy and sad times spent together in their childhood.  The florist friend prepared delicious dishes for her friend.  They both ate dinner.

Engrossed in talking they did not realize that it was almost midnight.  The florist friend made beds for both of them in a room which was decorated with beautiful flowers.

Roses
Roses

The room was filled with the fragrance of the flowers.  After some time the florist friend found that her friend was struggling to fall asleep.  She was trying to sleep in various positions, but no avail.  The florist friend asked her friend, “Dear! Are you alright?  Is something bothering you?”  The fisher woman said, “I don’t know friend why I can’t sleep.  I am not sick.” After few moments a thought flashed in fisher woman’s mind.   She asked the florist friend to bring her fish-basket and sprinkle some water in it.  The florist woman was surprised.  But she did what her friend told her to do.  From the fish-basket the smell of fish came and filled the room.  The fisher-woman put that basket near her bed and immediately she fell in deep sleep.

What did I learn from this story?

Each one feels comfortable in an environment one is used to.  If a person is placed in a different environment then he/she will be uncomfortable even though the environment is excellent like the room filled with flowers.  If we are not used to listening to inspiring talks or doing prayers, then after a while we get bored by such talks and prayers.

Sri Ramakrishna says that a fly sits on flowers and also sits on filth.

Fly
A fly

But, a bee sits only on flowers and sips honey.

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A bee

We have to develop our mind to be like a bee which enjoys uplifting thoughts and prayers and derive inspirations from them.  Keeping our mind in positive environment will help us grow spiritually.  If we do not watch our mind then it will drag us down to gossip and trash talks and we develop a taste for them.

Note:  The deeper meaning of the story and the analogy is the following:

The ‘flower-environment’ and the ‘bee sipping honey’ mean to remain on the plane of the Spirit. It is living a life with awareness that my true identity is divine or “I am Atman (Soul) and not the body and mind.”

The ‘fish-smell’ and the ‘fly sitting on the filth’ mean mind dwelling on the petty pleasures of the body and mind forgetting one’s true identity as a Soul.

Happy 151st Birthday of Swami Vivekananda!

Events, Lectures, Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863.  His 150th Birth Anniversary was celebrated for last two to three years all over the world by his devotees and admirers.

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Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863-July 4, 1902)

As time passes, people forget people.  Generations after generations simply fade away in time. But, for personalities like Swami Vivekananda, as time passes, more and more people understand the importance of their lives, teachings and/or their contributions.

According to the Hindu calendar, Sunday, February 3, 2013 was Swami Vivekananda’s actual 150th Birthday.  I was fortunate to be invited by Revered Swami Yuktatmananda, Spiritual Head of Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center, 17 East, 94th St., New York, as one of the four speakers to share my thoughts.  My topic was “The Essential Spiritual Message of Swami Vivekananda.”

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Flier of February 3, 2013 Program

Revered Swami Yuktatmananda was kind enough to give me the audio of my speech delivered at the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center.

Simply enjoy it by clicking on the following arrow:

If you cannot get all the words, then please read the following lecture prepared from the audio with some minor changes.

The Essential Spiritual Message of Swami Vivekananda

(Lecture given at Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center, New York, on February 3, 2013, on the occasion of 150th Birthday Celebration of Swami Vivekananda)

Mahendra Jani

Revered Swami Yuktatmanandaji, honorable speakers and friends:

I sincerely thank Swami Yuktatmanandaji for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts on this special occasion, celebrating Swami Vivekananda’s 150th Birth Anniversary. This is a very special occasion as it is on the exact birthday of Swami Vivekananda according to the Hindu calendar.  My topic is, “The Essential Spiritual Message of Swami Vivekananda.”

After listening to and learning from revered Swami Adiswaranandaji for many years, listening to Swami Yuktatmanandaji and others, and also reflecting upon Swami Vviekananda’s teachings, I am fully convinced that the essential spiritual message of Swami Vivekananda is this:

“Each soul is potentially divine.  The goal is to manifest that divinity within by controlling nature: external and internal.   Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy-by one, or more, or all of these-and be free.  This is the whole of religion.  Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms are but secondary details.”

Why Divinity and what is divinity? We all want to be happy, but various disturbances and miseries come and make us unhappy.  We say, Om Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!  Om Peace! Peace! Peace! Three times because there are three kinds of disturbances:  from the environment, from people, and from our own minds. We have no control over the natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, and storms like Sandy.  But the question is what can we do about the internal disturbances?

If we examine life more closely, what do we find? We find more misery than happiness. Babies are born crying.  Toddlers cry for food and discomfort.  Teens are unhappy because they cannot do what they want to do and cannot get what they want.  Adults are worried about finding good jobs and life partners.  Then, there are the three rings: engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering.  Adulthood passes in carrying the heavy workload of their job and household.  It follows by old age, disease, and death.

Suppose everything is fine – one has a good job, a good spouse, and a good family. But, then the mind changes and they are not good anymore. A person’s mind gets bored or unhappy with what he or she has.  One day the job and the boss look great, and another day you hate both of them.  The husband, who was sweet like honey before marriage, now becomes a bitter pill to swallow.   Someone once said, one day the wife looked as though moon-faced (Chandramukhi), another day as though sun-faced (Suryamukhi), and another day as though volcano-faced. Same people, but the mind changed. Or one can say, “As the mind changes, people change.  The house which was once a heaven on earth, now looks like a prison. We suffer because we are helpless.  We are slaves of our past actions.  We cannot get out of their consequences.  There are physical limitations.  No one asked me before my birth where I wanted to be born, what would be the color of my skin and eyes. I want to be in New York, in Los Angeles and in Delhi at the same time.  But, I can’t. I want to enjoy food, but doctors say, “No.  It is not good for you.”  I know someone who was dieting because of health problems.  After ten days of fasting, he was passing by a bakery and smelled a cheese cake.  He controlled himself, went a few steps further.  All of a sudden, he turned back, went into the bakery, bought the cheese cake and ate the whole right there.  We make resolutions, but we cannot keep them.  People say that it is good to make resolutions on January 1st, so we have the joy of breaking them in February.  Shankaracharya says that a fish gets caught because of craving for food, an elephant because of its desire to enjoy touch, a moth by the beauty of fire, deer by sound, and a bee by smell.  Human beings are slaves of all five senses, and we suffer.

Next is the fundamental question of life, ‘What is the purpose of life?’  Is there any purpose? If a near and dear one dies, then we think, “Is that all?  The life is gone? He or she was there a while go, and now is no more.  One day I will be gone and it is all over.” Buddha had all the pleasures of the world, but similar thoughts came to his mind and he could not enjoy the palaces, the parties and the flashy desires. Someone may say, “Uncle, you are looking at the negative side of life.  You are looking at half empty glass.  Look at the positive side of life; see that the glass is half full.”  But, aren’t the “half empty” and “half full” both partial views of life? Isn’t it wise to look at the whole glass? Is it not good to have a realistic view of life? Swami Vivekananda said that we do not have the clear picture of the universe because it is based upon little experience, poor reasoning and our weaknesses.

What is the way out? Some people say, ‘Don’t think too much. Occupy your mind with something: art, science, sports, and parties. Some say, keep changing: change your hair–if you have any, change your house, job, friends, spouse, country etc. Some say that this is what the world is.  Learn to live with it.  Get used to it. Think positive and keep hope alive. But these are mere patch-works. These are not solutions. Running away from the problem or pretending that the problem does not exist is not going to solve the problem. We have to face the problem. Swami Vivekananda said, “Face the brute.” He learned this lesson from a sadhu when he was being chased by monkeys. Rishis, Sages and saints faced the fundamental problems of life.  Swami Vivekananda said that only by facing the forces of nature and not giving in, human beings have manifested their power.

So, what is the way out? After seeing old age, disease and death, Buddha saw a mendicant.  He was serene and filled with happiness. Upon enquiry he found out that this mendicant had realized something that brought all this peace and bliss. Buddha set out to find that something. He set out in search of that Truth or God which removes all sorrows and brings true happiness. Swami Vivekananda wanted that happiness and answers to these fundamental questions of life. He also wanted to know the truth. He wanted to know God. That is why he was asking all people, “Sir, Have you seen God?” No one said, “Yes.” Finally, he met Sri Ramakrishna who said, “Yes my son! I have seen God and I see God more clearly than I see you.”  Swami Vivekananda found in that voice, the echo of the Truth that he was searching and he followed him. What Swami Vivekananda learned from Sri Ramakrishna about God and what he himself realized later, he beautifully described in his poem “Quest for God.” He wrote:

O’ver hill and dale and mountain range,
In temple, church, and mosque,
In Vedas, Bible, Al Koran
I had searched for Thee in vain.

(He searched God everywhere.)

……………

Years then passed in bitter cry,
Each moment seemed an age,
Till one day, midst my cries and groans
Some one seemed calling me.

A gentle soft and soothing voice
That said ‘my son’ ‘my son’,
That seemed to thrill in unison
With all the chords of my soul.

…………….

A flash illumined all my soul;
The heart of my heart opened wide.
O joy, O bliss, what do I find!
My love, My love (God), you are here
And you are here, my love (God), my all!

………………….

            Swami Vivekananda found that the God he was searching for everywhere resided within. God is the divinity lying within that makes us look for God outside. That is why he said, “Each person is potentially divine and the goal of our life is to realize this divinity and manifest it in our thoughts, speech, and actions.”

How do we realize this divinity? Swamiji said, “Realize this divinity by controlling nature: external and internal.” We can control the external nature partially by science, social reform, and proper actions.  But how do you control the internal nature? Note that the external behavior is a reflection of our inner mind-set.   So, most important is to control our internal nature. Swamiji said control your internal nature by either work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy.

These are four Yogas of the Bhagavad Gita: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga.  The series of lectures given by Swami Vivekananda on these four Yogas in this New York City around 1894-1895 are one of the greatest contributions of his to humanity. He said both Monks and householders can realize this divinity within.  Offer the results of actions to God, meaning perform all actions unselfishly, not for name, fame, or other ulterior benefit.  Think that everything belongs to God, the Creator, and we are just care-takers. By doing work this spirit, our actions will purify our minds and our divine nature will manifest from within. He said that we must have intense passion to realize God. Sri Ramakrishna said that we have to combine the intensities of three kinds of love: the love that mother has for her child, a greedy person has for money, and a passionate person has for one’s spouse – combine the intensity of all these three kinds of love for God and then one can realize God. When one realizes God, one’s mind will be filled with bliss and love.  With that love of God, even miseries of life seem blessings of God in disguise.  Swami Vivekananda said that learn to control senses by mind and mind by intellect. Then, focus the mind on God or the inner divinity. Study scriptures.  Learn the essence of the teachings of the scriptures from holy people. Reflect upon them. Practice them. and realize that the support of our body and mind is the Soul, our divine self.  Body and mind changes, but the blissful soul is eternal.  Realize that this constantly changing world cannot give us the eternal bliss and peace.  Only through realizing our inner divinity we acquire true happiness and become free from all bondages. These Four Yogas cover all our four faculties: intellect, mind, heart and hands.  All four yogas are necessary.

Finally, Swami Vivekananda said that see God everywhere; see God in all; respect all and love all. Ultimately we have to realize that God has become everything.  He asked us to worship the living God — the God that walks through all feet, who works through all hands, sees through all eyes, speaks through all mouths, and listens through all ears. He encouraged us to worship this living God by serving humanity unselfishly.

Swami Vivekananda had a robust physic.  But, in serving humanity, he had worn out his body and passed away at the age of 39.  He practiced what he preached and left a glorious example for all of us to follow. Million salutations to Swami Vivekananda and salutation to you all! Thank you.

(My sincere thanks to Nisha Parikh for her help in editing this article.)

“The Magic Flute”

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Christmas break is an occasion when family members can spend time together.  Most of the people are off from their work or schools.  During that time New York City offers great shows to entertain families. We enjoyed “The Magic Flute,” a famous opera by the great musician Mozart at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  We, along with our son, daughter-in-law and two young grand-daughters had a great time.

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Papageno, the bird-catcher

Even though this was an abridged kids-friendly version of 100-minutes opera, the music, the performance, the dialogues, the dances, the costumes, and the stage settings were superb and most enjoyable.  Who was Mozart?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) lived only for 35 years, but he was a prolific and influential composer of the Western Classical Music.  Within a short span of his life he composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concert-ante, chamber, operatic, and choral music.  The famous musician Beethoven composed his early works in the shadow of Mozart.  Another great musician Joseph Haydn wrote about Mozart that “posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years.”   Haydon wrote to Mozart’s father in 1785, “I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition.”

Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood.  He composed at the age of 5 and he performed his composition before European royalty.  At the age of 17 he was a court musician in Salzburg.  During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas.

The Magic Flute:  Mozart experienced great satisfaction in the public success of some of his work.  “The Magic Flute” opera is one of these works which was performed several times between its premiere (September 30, 1791) and his death (December 5, 1791).  Mozart conducted the premiere of “The Magic Flute.”  This opera is in a popular form (called Singspiel) that includes both singing and spoken dialogue.

On the reception of the opera, Mozart scholar Maynard Solomon Write, “Although there were no previews of the performances, it was immediately evident that Mozart and Schikaneder (the main actor in the premier and followed up performances) had achieved a great success, the opera drawing immense crowds and reaching hundreds of performances during 1790s.”  The opera celebrated its 100th performance in November 1792, but unfortunately Mozart did not live long enough to witness it.  An expert says that since its premiere “The Magic Flute” has always been one of the most beloved works in the operatic repertoire and is presently the fourth most frequently performed opera worldwide.

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The entrance of the Metropolitan Opera
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Looking outside from the Metropolitan Opera – Decorated Christmas Tree & Chandelier

The plot of “The Magic Flute”:   The story takes place in a mythical land between the sun and the moon.  The Queen of the Night sends a handsome prince Tamino to free her daughter Pamina who was enslaved by the king Sarastro.  A bird-catcher Papageno accompanies Tamino.  Three ladies, helpers of the Queen, give a magic flute to Tamino and silver bells to Papageno to ensure their safety on the journey.

They encounter Sarastro’s slave Monostatos who wanted to marry Pamina.  The magic flute and the siver bells help Tamino and Papageno in several critical life-threatening occasions.  Sarastro punishes Monostatos and tells Pamina that he will eventually set her free.  Sarastro tells Pamina that he is only wishing her happiness and he does not want to return her to her mother who is a proud, headstrong woman, and a bad influence in the society.

Tamino learns from the priests of the temple of Sarastro that the Queen of the Night is evil and not Sarastro.   Actually, Sarastro wanted Tamino to go through “the trials of wisdom” to become a worthy husband of Pamina and wanted the couple (Tamino & Pamina) to eventually take over from him as rulers of the temple.  The priests test Tamino and Papageno.  Tamino takes the challenges of the trials and proves that he can control his senses and his mind, he is fearless, and he wants wisdom and unselfish love.  Papageno reluctantly accepts the trials but fails to control his mind and senses.

The priests congratulate Tamino for successfully passing the tests.  Meanwhile the Queen of the Night attacks Sarastro, but she gets defeated.  Sarastro does not believe in revenge and he pardens the Queen.  At the end, Sarastro announces the sun’s triumph over the night.  Everyone praises the courage, self-control, patience, fearlessness, and wisdom of Tamino and Pamina and ask goddess Isis and god Osiris to bless this couple.

Note:  The huge Metropolitan Opera House of New York was full.  There was not a single dull moment in the performance.  Several Papageno’s dialogues were hilarious.  Singing was enchanting.  One can read the words of the singing and the dialogues in the small screen set at the back of the front seat.

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Inside the Metropolitan Opera – the sold-out show

Opera singers’ range of singing and the swiftness were amazing, especially the singing and the pitch range of the Queen of the Night.  It seems she had swallowed piano!  The Queen of the Night’s song “The vengeance of Hell boils in my heart” reaches a high F6 and at the low end, the part of Sarastro includes a conspicuous F in few locations.

Striking points of “The Magic Flute”:

The following are few thoughts which came to my mind while watching the performance of “The Magic Flute.”

1.  The story of “The Magic Flute” portrays the education of mankind, going from religious superstition to rationalistic enlightenment.  The ultimate goal is to make “the Earth a heavenly kingdom and mortals like the gods.”  This is a couplet in a song.  Swami Vivekananda used to say that each person has to be divine.  When a person realizes one’s divinity and expresses it in one’s speech and actions, then the kingdom of heaven comes on the earth for him/her.

2.  We find that virtues and virtuous people are important all over the world at all times.  The priests’ testing of Tamino’s patience, love for wisdom, self-control, and fearlessness emphasizes the importance of virtues needed to be a worthy person and a leader.

3.  Tamino represents an ideal of a human being.  While Papageno represents a common man.  Papageno was reluctant to go through the “trials of wisdom.”  When he was asked, “Don’t you want wisdom?, he said, “I am a simple man.  I just want food, water, wine and wife.”  Papageno could not control himself.  He broke all the vows.  Having him on the side, Tamino’s character shined more.  Papageno showed that the trials were not easy.  One who succeeds has much stronger mind and a divine power.

4.  Personally, the magic flute of Tamino reminded me of Lord Shri Krishna playing his flute. With his flute all people and animals around him used to get charmed.  Simultaneously, the silver bells reminded me of Shri Radha.  The bells of her anklets used to bring joy and happiness around.

5.  Music really calms down the mind.  It even changes the mind of evil people and ferocious animals.  Music brings happiness and hope in life.

6.  The light of the sun is considered the wisdom.  In the last scene, due to the light effects and stage-setting you can feel that the sun is shining brightly in the auditorium and illumines everything.  In Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna says that, “As the sun illumines the whole world, the Soul (Atman) illumines the whole body and the mind of a person.”  (Gita 13.33).  Similarly, Brahman, the Source of Life, illumines everything in the universe.

7.  I realize the greatness of Mozart.  Shri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, “Whatever is glorious or beautiful or wherever a mighty being exists, know that it has sprung from but a spark of My (God’s) splendor.”  (Gita 10.41).  God’s power manifests more through great personalities.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Celebrations,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

Because of Christ we have Christmas.  Over the Christmas, we easily get carried away into buying and giving gifts, decorating houses, having parties and other fun and not remembering Jesus Christ’s life and teachings.  We have to remind ourselves that Jesus Christ gave us his life for what he believed in.  He taught to be humble, to give, to sacrifice and live a simple life, not to run after money, to love and serve all and many other things.

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“Adoration of the Shepherds” by Gerard van Honthorst 1622.

Sri Ramakrishna had a vision of Jesus Christ.  After sincerely practicing various religions and branches of Hindu faith he realized that all religions and sects are different paths leading to the same God.  All prophets teach the same fundamental things of life which are good for humanity.  Their styles and language might be different, but the message is the same.  For example, no religion teaches that a person who hates all is good, a person who is a lire or a cheater is good, a person who is egotistic or arrogant is good etc.

 On this day, let me share the teachings of Jesus Christ which I like most.  These are part of “The Sermon on the Mount,” which we find in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 – 7. The students of Vedanta find these teachings very familiar.

Who will see God?  Who are beloved of God?  Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Resist evil with love and not by vengeance:  Usually, people want to take revenge.  But, prophets do not teach that.  Mahatma Gandhi said that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.  People who love humanity and who have inner strength resist evil with love.  The path of vengeance is for the weak people.

Jesus Christ says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.  And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.  If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Depend on God and do Spiritual Practices; then we will succeed:  We should have faith in God and do our spiritual practice.  God is our father and mother and He/She will fulfill all our desires.

Jesus Christ says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Do not find faults of others.  Find first our own faults and remove them: Remember Holy Mother’s teaching of not finding faults of others.

Jesus Christ says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

How to pray?  Bhagavad Gita says that genuine devotees pray to God quietly without making any show, mediocre people pray to gain worldly pleasures, name and fame, and inferior people pray whimsically without knowing what they are doing and what they are doing.

Jesus Christ says, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

There are other inspiring teachings of Jesus Christ about controlling lust and greed, giving to the needy not for name and fame, building life on a good character like building house on a rock and others.

 Happy New Year to all of you! 

Happy New Year
All the best wishes for Year 2014

For the New Year I am thinking of the following possible spiritual resolutions:

1.  Do japa and meditation regularly every day at a fixed time.

2.  Read inspiring books to get guidance, to intensify our desire to make spiritual progress and to remove our doubts

3.  Select one virtue from the shlokas 13-19, chapter-12 of Bhagavad Gita and practice to acquire it.

4.  Try to memorize chapters of Bhagavad Gita.  Learn, practice, and sing dhoons, bhajans and hymns to increase love for God

5.   Do some unselfish service to purify the mind.

6.  Seek Holy Company to strengthen the spiritual motivation and faith in God.

 

Happy 160th Birth Anniversary of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

Celebrations, Holy Mother
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Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

According to Hindu Moon Calendar Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s birthday is on December 24, 2013.  On this day, all over the world devotees of Holy Mother are offering special worship to her and thinking about her life and teachings.

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi was born on December 22, 1853 in a village called Jayrambati, Bengal, India.  Her father Ramachandra Mukherjee and mother Shyamasubdari Devi were very simple and pious people.  They both were kind, loving, and eager to serve people who were in need.  Little Sarada was very active and helping her family in various choirs.

She got married to Sri Ramakrishna.  Since Sarada was young, she was staying with her parents and was waiting to join her husband at a proper age.  Later on when rumors spread that Sri Ramakrishna has become insane,  Sarada decided to go to see her husband in Kolkata  and to be with him.  After going to Kolkata, she found out that her husband was not insane, but he was a saint.  When Sri Ramakrishna asked her whether she came to drag him down to the world or to support him in his spiritual path, Sarada Devi said that she came to help him.  Sarada Devi learned everything about spirituality from Sri Ramakrishna and started doing spiritual practice herself.  She had visions of God.  She used to say that she could see God at her wish as one see an apple in one’s hand.

On the auspicious day for worship of Universal Mother, June 5, 1872, Sri Ramakrishna asked Sarada Devi to take a seat at the altar prepared for the worship.  Sarada Devi was very shy, but at that time in the intense spiritual environment she followed what Sri Ramakrishna asked her to do.  She sat on the altar and Sri Ramakrishna worshiped her as a Universal Mother.  Thus, he raised the spiritual consciousness of Sarada Devi, invoked the Universal Motherhood in her, and gave the highest honor to womanhood.  Sri Sarada Devi showed from her life that a person born in a small village, deprived of education, living in a small room for years, and fulfilling one’s responsibilities could become a great inspiring person.  Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi inspired millions of devotees during her lifetime and afterwards.

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Holy Mother – The Universal Mother

Swami Vivekananda wrote to his brother disciple Swami Shivananda regarding Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi in a letter from USA in 1894, “You have not yet understood the wonderful significance of Mother’s life — none of you.  But gradually you will know.  Without Shakti (Power) there is no regeneration for the world.  Why is it that our country is the weakest and the most backward of all countries?– because Shakti is held in dishonor there.  Mother has been born to revive that wonderful Shakti in India; and making her the nucleus, once more will Gargis and Maitreyis be born into the world.  Dear brother, you understand little now, but by degrees you will come to know it all.  Hence it is her Math that I want first. . . . Without the grace of Shakti nothing is to be accomplished.  What do I find in America and Europe?– the worship of Shakti, the worship of Power.  Yet they worship Her ignorantly through sense – gratification.  Imagine, then, what a lot of good they will achieve who will worship Her with all purity, in a Sattvika spirit, looking upon Her as their mother!  I am coming to understand things clearer every day, my insight is opening out more and more.  Hence we must first build a Math for Mother.  First Mother and Mother’s daughters, then Father and Father’s sons — can you understand this? . . . To me, Mother’s grace is a hundred thousand times more valuable than Father’s.  Mother’s grace, Mother’s blessings are all paramount to me. . . . Please pardon me. I am a little bigoted there, as regards Mother.  If but Mother orders, her demons can work anything.  Brother, before proceeding to America I wrote to Mother to bless me.  Her blessings came, and at one bound I cleared the ocean.”

Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita says that when one attains same-sighted-ness, meaning one sees same God in all and serve them with love, then one has attained the highest knowledge.  We see how naturally this was happening in Holy Mother’s life.  Once when Holy Mother’s niece Nalini was serving lunch to a Muslim bandit Amjad by throwing food from a distance Holy Mother was upset.  She told Nalini that how one can enjoy food when it is thrown from a distance.  Holy Mother served Amjad with great love and then cleaned his plate.  Nalini shrieked, “Aunt, you have lost your caste!”  Holy Mother said, “As Sarat (Swami Saradananda) is my son, exactly so is Amjad.”  It is amazing to see that Holy Mother has surpassed all the differences of castes, countries, religions, and high or low.  For her all were her children.  She loved all equally.

Holy Mother’s teachings were very practical.  She emphasized that japa is a very important spiritual practice.  She said that as the clock is continuously ticking one should continuously repeat God’s name.  Japa purifies the mind.  She herself was doing japa for many hours.  She said that if one does japa regularly at a fixed time for few years  then definitely one makes spiritual progress.

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Holy Mother’s Biography – Swami Nikhilananda

Swami Nikhilananda who was blessed by Holy Mother in person and who was the spiritual head of Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center, New York, USA, during 1933-1973 wrote an excellent biography of Holy Mother.  On the cover page of this biography he selected the following teaching of Holy Mother:

“If you want peace, then do not look into anybody’s faults.  Look into your own faults.  Learn to make whole world your own.  No one is a stranger; the whole world is your own.”                                                                                                                           – Holy Mother’s last message.

This is a simple but a profound message.  Fault-finding causes all the problems and pain in our life.  I think a person finds others’ faults to satisfy one’s own ego.  This way one thinks that he/she is superior to others.  It ultimately harms the fault-finder.  A person with fault-finding nature tries to cover one’s own faults and does not let him/her to improve.  When we look into ourselves, we will find many faults in us.  If we are sincere about our spiritual development, then we find our faults and try to get read of them.   Swami Vivekananda says that we see outside whatever we have inside.  We see jealousy in others because we have jealousy in our own mind.  Similarly it is true for other weaknesses.  When our mind is filled with divinity, then we will see divinity in others.  When we see God within us, then we see God in all.  Then the whole world becomes our own.

Happy Gita Jayanti – 2013

Celebrations, Reflections

“When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day”  – Mahatma Gandhi  

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Shri Krishna & Arjuna
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……………Beginning of Bhagavad Gita………..

This year, on December 13th, all over the world devotees and lovers of Bhagavad Gita are celebrating Gita Jayanti by reciting its 700 verses or couple of chapters and/or thinking about their meaning.  For intellectuals Bhagavad Gita is a wonderful book.  For devotees these are the words of Lord Shri Krishna.  Bhagavad Gita had inspired innumerable Saints, Sages, Spiritual teachers, Scholars, Great leaders, and common people who are struggling to live a decent life.

There are innumerable commentaries, books, and articles written on Bhagavad Gita.  Many spiritual teachers and scholars have lived their entire lives talking and elaborating the meanings of the verses of Bhagavad Gita.

At Vivekananda Vidyapith, on December 7th we recited all the eighteen chapters of Bhagavad Gita.   Many verses or shlokas appealed to my mind while reciting them.  It was an uplifting experience.  We cannot agree any more with Sanjay who told at the end of the Bhagavad Gita, “I heard this wonderful dialogue between Shri Krishna and Arjuna which created goose bumps due to excessive joy.  As I remember this amazing dialogue again and again an upsurge of bliss fills my heart.”

Bhagavad Gita is an ocean of wisdom.  Even taking a little of its water in our palms and drinking it makes our life blessed.  Meaning that taking even one of Bhagavad Gita’s teachings and practicing it in our life makes our life happy and it fills our heart with satisfaction of living a good life.

I will share one thought which overpowered many other thoughts about the teachings of Bhagavad Gita.  We love God and we want God to love us.  A question comes: what kind of a person should we become so that God loves us?

It is amazing that Shri Krishna himself describes who is most beloved to God.  More amazing is that He did NOT say, one who goes to temples every day, or performs rituals or offers various things to Me or spend hours in singing and meditating on Me or does any external practice is My most beloved!  It is not that these practices are not good.  But, from Shri Krishna’s answer it seems that these things are not sufficient.  Shri Krishna describes the qualities of His most beloved devotee in shlokas Gita 12.13 – 12.19.  After spiritual practices these qualities must manifest from the devotees.  The following are few of these qualities:

(Note:  Swami Vivekananda liked these qualities so much that he included an English translation of these shlokas into his lectures on Raja Yoga.)       

– One who hates none:  Very first quality is not to hate anyone!  Why?  When we hate a person or an object, then we give that person or an object a special place in our mind.  Giving a part of our mind to that person or an object, we block our mind to think something beneficial to us.

– Who is a friend of all:  As a result of our spiritual practices unselfish love for all should develop naturally.

– Compassionate towards all:  One who understands sufferings and pain of others and does whatever he/she can to remove or ease them.

– Devoid of possessiveness:  One who understands that we did not bring anything in this world when we were born and we will not be able to take anything from this world when we die.   A devotee has  a firm conviction that everything belongs to God and we are just care-takers.

– Egoless:  Ego blocks Reality and contaminates it.  With ego, I see the world only from ‘my point of view’ and not from the ‘others point of view.’  I see my big mistake as a small one and another’s small mistake as a big one.  As true knowledge comes, then ego reduces and humility develops.

– A person’s mind is balanced in joys and sorrows:  There are many examples in which people have lost their heads when they were happy and have committed harmful mistakes.  Also, people fall apart in sorrows.  A devotee remains balanced in joys and sorrows.  When happiness comes, a devotee thanks God for giving happiness and keeps mind alert for not getting carried away.  When sorrows come a devotee clings to God to go through the painful time.

– Forgiving:  A devotee has a big heart and forgives others for their mistakes and misbehavior.  He/she thinks that he/she makes mistakes and so do others.  Also, people misbehave because of ignorance.  Keeping grudge against someone develops hatred which is not good.

– Satisfied:  A devotee works hard to fulfill one’s responsibilities and remain satisfied with whatever he/she gets as rewards (God’s prasad).

– Ever devoted to Yoga:  For a devotee the spiritual practice is a 24-365(6) commitment.  One who wants to attain spiritual goal has to integrate all activities which leads one towards that goal.

– Posses Self-control:  For spiritual progress one has to slowly develop self-control.   Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita ask us to control senses by mind, the mind by pure intellect and the pure intellect by Atman (Self).  One cannot have spiritual progress without self-control.

– Determined:  Many worldly things deviates a devotee from the spiritual path.  One needs a strong determination to stick to the spiritual path and make spiritual progress.

– Gives mind and intellect to God:  Swami Vivekananda says that both head and heart are needed in spiritual path.  We have to engage intellect to think about the goal, the path, the obstacles and ways to remove the obstacles.  Also, through various practices one has to develop love for God, like singing hymns, bhajans, dhoons, reading inspiring books and biographies, holy company etc.

– One who does not become a cause of suffering:  A devotee is careful not to create any problem to other people.  He/she lives cautiously.  Sometimes people out of ego or jealousy think that a devotee is a problem, but a devotee has no intention to create any problem.

– One who is not disturbed by the others:  Because of lack of hatred, being a friend of all, and having a forgiving nature a devotee does not get disturbed by people’s behavior.  A devotee learns how to work lovingly with others.

– Free from fear and anxieties:  A devotee thinks that God has created me and takes care of me.  With that attitude he/she is free from fear and anxieties just as a child is free from them having parents around.

– Have no expectations from others:   A devotee is completely dependent on God.  He/she lives in the world having no expectations from anyone.  He/she tries to give more than receives.   If a person  cannot give something in return, then one does sincere prayers for the good of the people from whom one has to receive something.

– Pure:  Shri Ramakrishna said that pure mind, pure intellect and Atman (Self) are same.  Through pure mind Atman reflects from within.  A devotee is always working hard to remove impurities from one’s mind.

– Skillful:  Shri Ramakrishna said that a devotee is not a dumb person.  He/she skillfully performs every action.  A devotee puts one’s full mind and heart into every action. Even if the action is small, he/she tries to do it in a perfect possible way.  Saints say that if you want to know how a person’s meditation is then see how he/she performs small actions.

– Unbiased:  A devotee does not take a side.  He/she looks a situation from all sides.  He/she does not try to cover a friend’s mistake or a wrong-doing and never fails to admire a good thing of any person, friend or a foe.

– Never initiates any action with worldly desire:  A devotee’s attitude is “Seek not, avoid not.”  He/she takes care of whatever responsibilities come to him/her with full mind and heart.  He/she knows that there is no need to add more work which he/she does not have to do it.  This way he/she has time and energy to do spiritual practices.

– Even minded in honors and insults:  A devotee has Self-dignity, but his/her mind does not get disturbed by the external honors and insults given by people.   He/she knows that one who honors now may insults him/her later and vice a versa.  Many times people honor because of the fulfillment of their selfish desires and insults when they are not fulfilled.  In a football, cricket or any game people cheer a player when he/she does good and boo the same player later when he/she does not do good.  Lord Buddha said that when a person insults you and if you do not take it then it remains with the person.  A devotee offers praises to God thinking that God gave good qualities which were praised.  When someone insults, then a devotee thinks ‘do I have to learn something from this, then learn it, and if there is nothing to learn from it then simply drop it.’

– Detached:  Detached means attached to God.  If we think that ‘everything belongs to God and I am only a care-taker’ then real detachment comes.  Detachment does not mean a person becomes rough or heartless or careless.  It is completely opposite.  A detached person has true love for all and cares for all thinking that he/she is taking care of God’s children and God’s things.

– Has Steady Intellect:  The characteristics of a person with steady intellect have been defined at the end of Bhagavad Gita chapter 2.  Mahatma Gandhi loved these qualities.  A devotee cannot be whimsical.  His/her mind and intellect are steady.  He/she has a fixed spiritual goal and does everything to reach that goal.  His/her character is very strong and does not change by the whims of the mind.

– Whose home is the whole world:  For a devotee the whole world is God’s.  Thus he/she is content wherever he/she resides.  He/she is always with God.

Wow!  So many qualities!  I am sure each one of us thinks that it is not possible to have all these qualities.  Thus, it is not possible to become a God’s beloved devotee.  Well, many did become God’s beloved devotees.  Why should I think that I cannot?  Little children go to KG.  It is very difficult to imagine looking at them that few years later one of them becomes a professor, a writer, a musician, a medical doctor, an engineer, a pilot, a scientist, or a responsible person in the society.  Similarly, if we work for these qualities properly, then we may acquire them to some extent.

One more important point is that these qualities are inter-connected.  If we take one quality and start practicing it, then all other qualities come with it. Saints say that if we sincerely make attempt and pray to God, then by God’s grace all these qualities manifest in us.  It is worth trying.  Even fractions of these qualities make us a decent human being.

The Philosophy of Life – 1

Philosophy, Reflections

“A man is but the product of his thoughts.  What he thinks he becomes.”

                                                                                            – Mahatma Gandhi

roads-diverging
Two ways
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Which way to go?

Each person has a philosophy of life based on which he/she makes major decisions and invest his/her resources including time of life.  A person may have a philosophy like ‘money makes me happy,’ or ‘sense-pleasures are the goal of life,’ or ‘academic achievements are glories of life,’ or ‘power makes a person happy,’ or ‘doing nothing is the best thing to do,’ or ‘going to heaven is the goal of life,’ or ‘gaining respect at job or in society is the highest thing to achieve in life,’ or something else.

Many times people are not aware of their philosophy of life.  If they introspect about the reasons why they make decisions in certain ways or react to the situations in certain ways, then they find this basic philosophy of their life.  People develop such philosophy from their family , friends, society, religion, environment, or their inherited nature based on their physical and mental chemistry.  As a person gains experience in life, one may modify or change one’s philosophy.  Some stubborn people do not change their philosophy of life even though it harms them and others and brings so much suffering.

I think the life-philosophy should be able to do the following:

1.  It withstands all challenges and situations of life

2.  As we go through various situations in life, the philosophy should make us stronger and wiser. It also gives us happiness and fulfillment. 

3.  It gives a meaning to our life and the universe.  This meaning is uplifting and not degrading.

4.  It unites everything and not divides.  It should unite our various facets of life and should unite us with all people irrespective of their color, culture, country, religion, social and economic status or any other differences.

5.  It helps us performing our day-to-day life’s responsibilities and gives us fulfillment.

6.  It makes us fearless; makes us free from all kinds of fear including the fear of death.

7.  It does not contradict with reason and science; it may surpass reason and science.

8.  It is applicable to all human beings and not just selected few.

9.  It enhances varieties of people’s mental chemistry like tastes, talents, interests, abilities, etc.  it does not make people like clones – only of one kind.

10.  It helps us develop unselfish love for all and encourages us to serve all.

Whatever happens….

Reflections

Around this time of the year high school seniors are frantically busy for their college applications.  Their careers and future depend on the college they get an admission.  Seeing a few such seniors who are close to me and are worrying about their college admissions I decided to share my thoughts with them.

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College Application

I told them that they should try hard to go to their dream colleges, but if they cannot get into them then the world does not come to an end.  Since they are hardworking sincere students, I told them that whichever colleges they go to they will build up good careers.

Many students get upset, frustrated and/or get depressed when they get rejections from all their dream colleges.  I told students that many times looking back into our life we find it was for our good certain things did not happen according to our expectations.   For example, suppose you were forced to go to a college which was your last choice.  You reluctantly went there with a heavy heart.  But, in a year or two you find your life-partner which you could not have found in any other way or find an adviser who help you to build your dream career or find good friends, enjoyable classes and have a great time.  What does it say?  It tells us that, ‘Whatever happens is for good.’  We can apply this to any situation in our life.  We sincerely work hard to get something or to achieve something and we do not get or achieve what we wanted.  We get frustrated and become furious.  In such situations, a devotee thinks that ‘May be there is some underlying reason that I do not understand for which thing happened differently.  May be the Almighty, who created this universe, nourishes it, and dissolves it has a better plan.’

There is a nice story to remember. 

King and his minister
A king and his minister

There was a king who did not believe in God.  Unfortunately or fortunately he had a very wise minister who was a great devotee of God.  The King used to get annoyed listening to God’s talks from his minister.  But, he was greatly benefited by his minister’s advice that he tolerated and ignored the minister’s talks on God.  The most annoying sentence of the minister was, ‘whatever happens is for good.’  The King did not understand its significance and rationality.

One day, as a routine, the king went on hunting with his minister and a few soldiers.  While chasing deer into a deep forest, the king and the minister were separated from the soldiers.  It was getting dark and the visibility was very poor.  The king was upset and angry that he could not get a deer and was separated by his soldiers.  The forest was thick.  At some places they had to walk on foot with the horses.  While walking he was hit by a branch of a tree and he got a cut on his finger.  It was painful.  Blood was coming out.  Minister tore his cloth and wraps it around the cut and stopped the bleeding.  King was really angry about the whole situation.  The minister tried to console him and said, ‘Whatever happens is for good.’ This was the last straw on the camel’s back.  The king was so mad that he pushed the minister into a nearby big dry well and said ‘whatever happens is for good.’  The well was deep and the minister cannot come out by himself, but the king did not care.  The king thought this will teach him a lesson.  He went further with his horse.

All of a sudden he heard sounds of horses and people.   He thought that they were his soldiers, but they were strangers and well-armed.  Before the king defends himself, these strong and powerful strangers caught the king, closed his mouth with a cloth, tied him with a rope and carried him to a nearby place in the forest.  They tied the king to a tree and started preparing for some rituals.  From their conversations, the king found out that they were cannibals and the king’s life was an offering to their goddess.  Then they will eat him.  The king was helpless.  His mouth was fully covered.  He could not say a word.  As a final ritual, a priest came to examine the king as an offering.  Then he found that the king had a cut.  The priest screamed to the other cannibals and said that he cannot offer this person because he has a cut.  The goddess will be upset with this offering.  It is like a fruit with a cut is not good for offering to God.  The cannibals were upset that their efforts were wasted.  They let the king go with his horse.  The king was thinking of the minister’s words, ‘whatever happens is for good.’  He thought, ‘Maybe the minister was right.  If I did not have this cut, the cannibals would have sacrificed me.’   The king found the minister, helped him to come out from the well, told him what had happened and apologizes to him for his rude behavior.  The minister forgave him and said, ‘whatever happens is for good.’  After a few moments, the king turned to the minister and said, ‘Well, one thing is not clear to me.  It was good that I got cut on my finger and I was saved.  But, I threw you into the well.  What good had happened through that act?’  The minister said, “O King!  If you did not throw me into the well, then the cannibals would have sacrificed me instead of you.  So, it was good that you threw me into the well.’  The king shook his head and said, “Really, God’s ways are mysterious.”

Notes:

(1)  The attitude described in this post is much deeper and is a mature way of living.  It does not encourage to tolerate or ignore slavery, or injustice or inappropriate behavior.  A person with such attitude respectfully opposes any such thing without hatred.

(2)  I have found that a person with such attitude works hard to fulfill one’s responsibility, enjoys one’s work and have less or no distress.  Also, such a person is always sensitive about the sufferings of other people and does everything within his/her control to remove these sufferings.  

Celebrations and Sant Kabir

Celebrations, Reflections
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petosky-fireworks

Celebrations are “breaks” or “time-outs” from our mechanical routine works.  They are needed to keep us remain human beings and stop us from becoming machines producing some goods.  Students just study, do more study, and continue studying while adults just work, do more work, and continue working.  Without breaks students become machine who can take tests and adults become machines which produce money and take care of regular tasks without having any life in it.  Results are frustrations and depressions.  After needed “breaks” and “time-outs” we can work better and enjoy our work.

If these celebrations fill our minds with positive and uplifting thoughts, then they give us not only rest but satisfaction and fulfillment.  Higher than that is spiritual growth.  If celebrations become a part of our spiritual practice, then we grow spiritually.  We develop deeper understanding of our life, our relationship with others and the world.  Spiritual growth brings out the best lying within us and is beneficial to us, our families and the society.

There is a popular mind-set that ‘Pray to God when we are in trouble.’  The underlying thought with this is ‘Why pray to God when we are happy, doing well, or achieving what we want with our own capacity? At that time we do not need God.  (We forget that God has given us body and mind to achieve whatever we have achieved.)  When we find out that we cannot achieve what we want with our own strength then we feel need for help and we pray to God.’  It looks very logical and practical.  But, then our prayer will be business-like and will not produce much result.  If we get what we want in the world with prayer, then we will continue to pray otherwise we call ourselves ‘atheist’ and put God and spiritual progress aside.  Ultimately we will be missing the real aspect of life and live a superficial life.  Saints say that we cannot get away easily from the spiritual development.  The blows of life will remind us to think about the meaning of life, will open our eyes to the Reality of it, and bring us to the spiritual development.

Knowing this popular mind-set Sant Kabir made a couplet in Hindi:

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“Dukhame sumiran saba kare, sukhame kare na koy

Jo sukhame sumirana kare, dukha kaheko hoy”

“Everyone prays to God, when one is miserable or suffering.  No one prays to God, when one is happy.  But, if one prays to God when one is happy, then one does not become miserable.”

Does this mean that miseries do not come to people who pray to God?  We have seen Saints, Sages and devotees have suffered!  Surely, it does not mean that.  As I understand, it means that a prayerful person learns how to handle the miseries.  When miseries come, a prayerful person with inner strength faces the miseries.  Then two things happen: either miseries go away or this person learns how to go through the miseries without breaking down.   A prayerful person when goes through miseries of life, not only he/she does not get negatively impacted by the miseries, but his/her inner strength gets multiplied.   So, let us celebrate special occasions with full heart and mind, make them as parts of our spiritual practice and grow spiritually to live a peaceful and blissful life.

Happy Diwali

Celebrations,

Wish you Happy Diwali

Celebrations bring joy to life if we take them in a proper spirit. They definitely bring joy if we make them as a part of our spiritual practice. If we do not connect celebrations to spiritual practice, then often they become mechanical social activities and ultimately bring boredom and drudgery. Often celebrations bring pain. For example if one is poor and cannot buy gifts and sweets as rich people do, then for him/her Diwali brings more pain than joy. However, if we make Diwali as an occasion to do more spiritual practice, then our joy will be doubled irrespective of how much money we have and how much we spend.

Our forefathers were wise and they connected all celebrations with worship of gods and goddesses. During Diwali, as we decorate our homes and shops, the temples are also being decorated and one of the traditional things to do is to perform a special worship at home and go to temples to pray to God.

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Worshiping Mother on Diwali

During Diwali, many worship three goddesses: Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Saraswati. These are three forms of three gunas: tamas, rajas, and sattva respectively. Prakruti, the Power of God is made out of these three gunas.  All three gunas are needed in human life. Sri Ramakrishna used to sing a bhajan “Shyama Maa ki aamaar kaalo…” Is my mother Shyama is of dark complexion? People say it, but my mind does not accept it. Because my Mother manifests in various complexions like fair, yellow, brown etc. and she is also beyond all complexions or forms. When we follow right path, then Mother Kali gives us boons. But, when we take destructive paths forgetting the existence of divinity lying within, then Mother Kali appears to us as a terrible tamasik or destructive reality of life. Maha Lakshmi gives us prosperity and worldly pleasures. Maha Saraswati gives us knowledge to realize our inner divinity, Atman (Soul). People also worship Sri Rama and celebrate Diwali as a beginning of a new era of Sri Rama’s kingdom which is based on values and conducive to the well-being of all. Diwali is a time to worship and pray whatever form of God we like and thus grow spiritually.

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A lamp symbolizes Knowledge, Love, and a Purifier

Diwali is also a festival of light. Shri Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, “Those who love Me (God) and are devoted to Me, I,  who is residing in their hearts (as Atman), out of compassion destroy their ignorance with a lamp of knowledge (of Atman).”  (Gita 10.11) Lamp is used in all religions of the world. In Vedic time, Rishis and students worship only fire in their Ashramas. Lamp is a symbol of the fire.

Lamp – a symbol of Knowledge, Love & a Purifier:I always tell students that lamp is a symbol of three things: knowledge, love, and a purifier. In the light we see everything clearly. In the darkness we grope around and bumped with things and people. Thus a lamp is a symbol of knowledge. With spiritual knowledge we can live a sane life. Without it we do not know which forces of the mind are acting on us to think, speak, and behave in a certain way. As fire gives us warmth in the winter, spiritual knowledge develops  unselfish love in us. There is no warmth like unselfish love. Thus, a lamp is a symbol of unselfish love. Finally, as fire burns everything, spiritual knowledge burns all impurities of our mind. Thus a lamp is a purifier.

Lamp – a symbol of Four Yogas:  Lamp is also a symbol of four yogas.  The clay holder is a symbol of Karma Yoga (attaining perfection through action) as one has to work to make this clay holder from the clay.  Oil is the symbol of Bhakti Yoga, the path to attain God through devotion or love for God.  Wick symbolises Raja Yoga, attaining perfection through control on the senses and the mind.  To make a wick we have to roll cotton fibers and make the wick pointed at the end.  Finally, the flame symbolises Jnana Yoga,  a path to attain Self-knowledge through proper reasoning and comtemplation.  We have to remember attaining perfection, or God realization, or Self-knowledge are same things.

Now, I will share with you a childrens’ Diwali song which I had written and composed. Unfortunately we do not have Diwali songs that people can sing together. All over India people celebrate Diwali. But, Diwali songs were not developed as the Christmas songs developed in the western countries. I wish poets and musicians can write and compose many popular Diwali songs. It is a great joy to sing such songs on a special occasion.

You can listen to the song  by clicking the audio given below and read the words.  It was sung by a few of the Vidyapith teachers and students.  Here is the song.

                                      Wish you Happy Diwali

                                       We decorate our homes.

                                    We light up our lamps.

                                    We pray to our God.

                                    We greet our friends and family.

                                     Wish you Happy Diwali

                                We wish you Happiness

                                    We wish you Inner Peace

                                    We wish you good health and prosperity.

                                     Wish you Happy Diwali

                                  Happy Diwali

After celebrating Diwali with spiritual practices, one can enjoy the things associated with Diwali, like rangoli, sweets and fireworks according to one’s capacity and taste.

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It is a great joy to use creativity in doing rangoli
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Enjoy sweet according to one’s capacity -financially and physically
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Enjoy fireworks keeping safety in mind and within financial capacity

Diwali is for Daanam (charity):  It is also a tradition to give money to the poor and needy and to the people who work hard to provide our needs like maids, cooks, mail-person and others.  Diwali comes to teach us to give.