By Sowmya Ramkumar
It is an indeed an honor to narrate this wonderful portion of Ramayana, SundaraKaanDam. As the name suggests, this chapter is simply beautiful and it has been described as the piece de resistance of Ramayana - the ice-cream after a wonderful meal - without the calories and sugar.
Hanuman was an exemplary devotee of Lord Rama who is famous for his devotion and service. He was in every sense of the word, a trusted envoy of his Lord and this is the story of how he completed his mission with literally flying colors. Maybe, the phrase itself originated with Hanuman.
There are many interpretations as to why this chapter got its name. Many pundits feel that the word "Sundara" refers to Hanuman, because Sundara can mean a "Vaanara" or a messenger or an intermediary between the hero and heroine. In all these aspects this refers to Hanuman. It is also said that Valmiki himself considered that this chapter was his best effort in terms of literary excellence and hence decided to call it SundaraKaanDam. It is also Sundara because this chapter relieved Sita devi and Rama of their grief, to some extent and lightens the heart of the readers. Again, "Sundara" can also mean the recovery of something lost. Sita devi was so far considered lost by Rama and is recovered or rediscovered in this chapter and hence the name. This chapter is so superior in its sundarata that even each meaning given to its name is beautiful.
The story of SundaraKaanDam deals almost entirely about the achievements of Hanuman in one night, as he searched for Sita devi. Roused by Jambhavan, Hanuman assumes a gigantic size. Hanuman or Anjaneya is the son of the wind god Vayu and the goddess Anjana. His mother was cursed to be born as a Vanara and his father blessed that he would be the foremost in power and intelligence among the vanaras.
In his childhood, once when he was feeling hungry, he looked at the Sun and thought that it was a fruit. He flew towards it so that he could pluck and eat it. Indra feared the safety of the Sun and threw his Vajraayudha. This struck Hanuman and injured his cheek, from which he came to be known as Hanuman. The Gods feared the anger of Vayu and showered boons on Hanuman including the one making him immortal. Thus Hanuman became far superior to superman, batman or spiderman. I am sure the west must have got their inspiration from our own Hanuman.
Hanuman prayed to his Lord Rama, his king and the Gods of all quarters before embarking on his flight. In spite of being very powerful, he was exceedingly humble and this humility was revealed in all his actions. Hanuman assumed a gigantic size and jumped up to the sky. The Mahendra mountain shook under his weight. Trees were uprooted and flew along with him painting a colorful picture in the sky. It was a unique sight and only a unique person could have achieved it. When he was flying over the oceans, the Lord of the oceans thought to himself that he should help Hanuman who was a messenger of Rama, the scion of the Ikshvaku race. He summoned the mountain Mainaka, the offspring of Mena. Its peak was golden hued and hence it got its name. Mainaka had the power to grow big or small. Mainaka which was submerged under the sea, immediately grew as tall as the sky and came in the path of Hanuman. Hanuman, mistook it as an obstacle and pushed it away with his chest. The mountain then took a form and told him that it was not an obstacle, but had come in the way only to offer him a place to rest. Hanuman said that he would not rest till his mission was accomplished. Such was his commitment to duty!! As he continued his journey, the Devas wanted to test his commitment. They urged the serpent Surasa to take up the form of a big Raskshasi and obstruct Hanuman. She told Hanuman, that she had been granted a boon by Brahma that no one could pass her without entering her mouth. Hanuman pleaded with her but it was of no avail. He then made himself gigantic and asked her to open her mouth wide to accommodate him. When her mouth was wide open, he made himself as small as a fly and entered her mouth and came out in a split second. He then spoke to her humbly that he had not denied Brahma’s boon and requested her permission to leave. Surasa was pleased and blessed and sent him on his way. This episode proves that Hanuman not only had brawn’s but also brains.
Hanuman continued his flight with a single minded purpose. Our Indian Airlines is also single-minded. But their mind is on money. If only Indian airlines could be single-minded on their destination, we would have punctual flights and fewer accidents. As he was passing by, a Rakshasi Simhika, who desired to eat him grabbed his shadow. As she opened her mouth, he made himself very big and when her mouth was wide open, contracted himself, entered her mouth and killed her with a blow.
He then continued on his flight and as he neared Lanka, having covered hundred yojanas, he decided to contract himself so as not to draw attention. He looked at the beautiful city of Lanka, which seemed heavenly in appearance. He decided to wait till it was night time and then entered the city. As he attempted to enter, the guardian goddess of Lanka, Lanka Lakshmi or Lankini confronted him. He spoke humbly to her, but she was aggressive and asked him to fight her and defeat her, thinking he was only a monkey. Hanuman hit her in her face and she fell down. This was in spite of the fact that he did not use power since she was a lady!! Add chivalry to the list of his superior qualities. She was immediately subdued and told him that she had been granted a boon by Brahma that she would be invincible. But if she was conquered by a monkey then it signified the end of the Rakshasas. Saying thus, she let him enter and vanished from the city forever.
Entering on his left foot, he walked through the city and took in the sights and sounds of Lanka. He waited till late night and then went into the palace of Ravana and entered the Harem, looking for Sita. In his search, he came across Ravana’s beautiful wife Mandodari and for a minute he thought that it was Sita.
Immediately, he dismissed these thoughts because he knew that Sita would not be resting in peace nor will she ever be in the Harem! He had looked everywhere, but since he was not able to see Sita, he was gripped with fear, wondering if Sita was dead. He was so desperate that he even thought of committing suicide. But he had the encouragement of Rama’s blessing and continued his search when he spotted the AsokaVana. In the AsokaVana, there was a big Simshupa tree and beneath it he saw Sita. She was thin from constant fasting, in worn out clothes, desperate, tear stained and calling out to Rama. She was surrounded by ugly and horrid Rakshasis. As he watched, Ravana entered and tried to coerce Sita to marry him. Sita treated him with contempt as though he was not even equal to a blade of grass. He was angered and he gave her an ultimatum of 2 months and left. She was then coerced and persecuted by the Rakshasis. However an elderly woman Trijata, intervened and warned them saying that she had a dream that Rama would come and destroy the Rakshasas. Left alone, Sita was in great anguish and she contemplated suicide.
Hanuman who had watched enough, started singing softly about Rama. This was like honey to Sitadevi’s ears. Cleverly, Hanuman had aroused her curiosity without alarming her. He then met her and narrated all the events and how Rama spent every waking and sleeping minute in her thought. He also gave her the signet ring from Rama. She was overjoyed and thrilled to hear about Rama and wanted Hanuman to repeat the stories over and over again.
Hanuman was so joyous on seeing her that he immediately offered to save her and take her away. When he told this to Sita, she smiled and wondered how a little monkey could achieve this. Hanuman then revealed his huge form and Sita was convinced of his power. She however told him that she would want her Lord to come and save her and only that would be creditable to his bravery. Hanuman was overawed and humbled by her chastity and devotion to Lord Rama. She then gave Hanuman her crest jewel, which was her wedding present, as a token of remembrance and to authenticate Hanuman’s meeting. She also narrated some incidents that only she and Rama knew about.
Once, when Sita and Rama were resting together, Indra’s son came as a crow and pecked her again and again and hurt her. Rama was so incensed that he invoked the powerful Brahmasutra. The crow was followed by a ball of fire, wherever he went and finally, he fell at Rama’s feet and begged for mercy. Rama spared him, but since the Brahmasutra cannot go waste, he took his eye. Sita wanted to remind Rama, that when a mere crow had angered him so much, how much more punishment Ravana deserved for having imprisoned and persecuted her! Hanuman then left with tears in his eyes and determination un his heart.
Hanuman’s mission was to find Sita and this was accomplished. But due to his foresight, he did not stop with this. He wanted to survey the strength of their enemies, so that they could be prepared for the war. This is something many of us lack. When we are told to do a job, we stop there. We do not think beyond the immediate present and anticipate the future requirements. In fact such things are taught to students in management schools to help them in their jobs! Here was Hanuman with an inherent foresight which proved once again that he was the best person for the job!
In order to draw attention to himself, he set forth destroying Ravana’s prided AsokaVana. Should you teach a monkey to mess? Hanuman decided to let his monkey qualities take over and really wrecked the place - enjoying every moment of it and leaving only the Simshupa tree under which Sita devi was seated.
Ravana sent troops, sons of ministers, his army chiefs and even his favorite son Akshakumara. When all of them failed, Ravana was puzzled and grieved. Indrajit, Ravana’s son who had defeated Indra himself, then set forth to fight Hanuman. Indrajit used the Brahmaastra. Hanuman had Brahma’s boon and so, was unaffected. In order to meet Ravana, Hanuman pretended to be bound by the Astra and fell on the ground and remained motionless. The Rakshasas in their haste tied him with ropes. Indrajit regretted their hasty move since he knew that the Brahmaastra would become useless. When Hanuman remained tied and allowed himself to be dragged, Indrajit was extremely puzzled and thought "Daal mein kuch kaala Hai"
In Ravana’s court, Ravana treated Hanuman rudely. There are stories that Ravana did not even offer him a seat and Hanuman made himself a seat with his tail, which was so high that Ravana was forced to look up to him! Hanuman warned Ravana that he should return Sita or be prepared to face the destruction of himself as well as his entire tribe. Ravana was so upset that he ordered the execution of Hanuman. Killing the messenger instead of the originator of the message is an unpardonable crime and Vibhishana reasoned with Ravana and mollified him. Finally Ravana decided to stop with setting fire to Hanuman’s tail.
The Rakshasas wrapped the tail with cloth and Hanuman grew in size. They then set fire to the tail. Hanuman let himself be dragged through the city. When Sita devi was informed of this, she invoked Agni and requested him that Hanuman should not feel the heat.
Hanuman was not one bit affected by the heat. He was however burning with anger and he leapt into the air and set fire to Lanka, house after house, mansion after mansion. He wanted to put fear in the minds of the people and hence did not spare any place. When he had completed destroying the city, he stood on top of the Trikuta hill and suddenly remembered that he had acted impulsively without thinking of Sitadevi’s welfare and was filled with remorse. He then consoled himself that when he, a mere messenger of the Lord had been untouched by fire, surely the very embodiment of virtues cannot be burnt. However, he went back and confirmed that Sita devi was OK and then set forth on his return flight.
The return flight seemed much easier, since his mission was accomplished and he reached the Mahendra mountain and roared with joy. His roar sounded like thunder and the vanaras realized that he had succeeded in his task. He then narrated the story to them and they hurried towards Kishkinda. Upon reaching Kishkinda, they set foot in Sugriva’s treasured Madhuvana. With Prince Angada’s permission they started feasting in the Madhuvana. This would normally have invoked Sugriva’s anger, but when Sugriva was informed, he was happy because he realized that the Vanaras would not have dared such a thing unless their mission was a success.
Hanuman then met Rama and informed him of all the new. He gave the crest jewel of Sita and narrated the incidents she had told Hanuman. After this Rama and the Vanara leaders planned their campaign to fight Ravana.
The SundaraKaanDam tells about two outstandingly brave people who are portrayed in totally opposite ways. Hanuman is vividly described as an embodiment of strength and physical valor. Sita is portrayed as a soft person who is unparalleled in courage, faith and heroism. She is passive and yet in defiance of Ravana and stands up to all persecution without a physical display of courage. She epitomizes feminine courage and both the characters have a common source of inspiration - Shri Rama.
The spiritual significance of SundaraKaanDam is the most important. The quest of Hanuman is the quest of an awakened spiritual aspirant to cross over the ocean of Samsara and seek the divine spirit. Hanuman is the awakened soul or intelligence endowed with Sattva. Jambhavan is his enlightened spiritual teacher - like our Guruji. The vast ocean is the Samsara sagara. The Rakshasis Surasa, Simhika etc. are the various obstacles. Even the fact that Hanuman searched in the night, illustrates the Sloka from Gita which says "That which is night for all people is when the self controlled sage is awake" Lanka with all its forts, gardens and palaces represents the various Koshas in a man’s mind which have to be penetrated. The search is difficult and disappointing, as was with Hanuman but will succeed if you have faith in Lord.
Finally, I conclude saying that SundaraKaanDam is a mine of power, reading which devotees can gain mental strength and spiritual support in difficult worldly situations. Its recital with faith can help us get over difficulties and help us gain success and welfare.
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Last changed on April 30, 1997
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SATVA RAJAS TAMAS
3 GuNaas - ( 3 types of nature/qualities/ways of living )
Each and all beings are varying combinations of Satva guNa, Rajo guNa or Tamo guNa. At one time, one particular type is predominant in an individual and it is changeable. Today a person may not show a glimpse of Satva guNa but when you meet him next, he may be brimming with it. Such transformation is possible, Rishi Vaalmiiki being the best and well-known example. For this reason and for the fact that we too are a mixture of the three guNaas, we should not hate, detest or criticize him who we think dwells in the lower guNaas. Because the other person may be at an earlier stage of spiritual development today. You can't blame a six month old child for crawling and not walking or running.
It goes without saying that of the three guNas, Tamas is the lowest and Satva is the highest. Tamas keeps us in a state of ignorance, sloth, laziness, inaction and darkness. Ignorance and inaction invariably bring about misery and unhappiness. As the saying goes, 'Ignorance of law is no excuse'. So a Tamasic person lives in total ignorance of spiritual laws and violates them knowingly or unknowingly and often brings himself to sad ends.
Here, it is important to distinguish between the Saatvik quaity of contentment and the laziness and inaction of the Taamasic person. If laziness comes to you in the disguise of contentment, then beware, it can ruin you.
Not only living in Tamas is inappropriate and unhealthy, dying while Tamas is predominant in you is also fraught with grave danger of being born in lower yoniis or as insects and animals. How sad! It is certainly not proper therefore to lead a life in Tamas.
Rajas leads us to action, often with great expectations of particular kind of result or reward for fulfilment of one or the other of manifold desires. Most of the actions of ordinary people are tainted with desire of expectation. And as the saying goes, 'jahan hai aasha, vahii hai niraasha', being two sides of the same coin. He who expects too much is likely to be disappointed often. In Rajas, it is this disappointment, failure of fulfilment of desires, failure of getting the desired results of actions and the greed that brings forth misery and unhappiness. It is thus not too good to live in Rajas for too long, and nor is dying in Rajas. It does not elevate the soul. It keeps you in the middle.
We therefore ought to elevate ourselves from Tamo guNa to Rajo guNa and from Rajo guNa to Satva guNa.
Satva guNa leads us to happiness and enjoyment, irrespective of the results of our action. It leads us to thoughtful Nishkama Karma. Here we do our work considering it as our laid down duty and we stop bothering about the results and keep no expectations. We face the situations of life calmly and as they present, keeping our inner peace and balance. Satva guNa is light and knowledge, wisdom and the calm and quiet of mind. Satva guNa elevates the soul. Dying while in Satva guNa, you are born in a celestial birth or as a saadhaka to elevate yourself further.
Now, we thus learn that it is these three guNaas which are responsible for most of the activities. These may be high, as for social good, or middle as for personal good or low, as for self and social harm.
The wisdom is to know that it is Gunaas only which are responsible for such and such actions and the soul, the real self, the owner, is untainted, unaffected and is not the agent or the doer.
The moment this realization comes that he, the soul is not the doer of actions, the results of actions don't affect or touch him, he readily enters or merges into the Lord, the Supreme Over Soul.
Having thus steadied oneself in the knowledge that he is untainted by the guNaas and the actions born of guNas, one rises above all the three guNas and having thus risen, lifts and frees himself from birth, death, decay and pain thus attaining immortality and becomes one with the Lord.
Why is it important or necessary to get out of this circle of transmigration from one birth to the next? 'Janma mR^ityu jaraa vyaadhi duHkha dosha anudarshanam' See again and again the misery, the defects and suffering of birth, death, old age and sickness and aspire to a life beyond these.
Let's get beyond the guNaas, all three of them, sit established in our real selves. The three guNaas blind the Atman. We have to get even higher than the Satva guNa to a state of NirguNa.
As Swami Vivekananda said in a poem "For fetters though of gold Are no less strong to bind, So off with them Sanyaasin bold, say OM"
HariH OM
- (Talk by Dr. Chowla, a satsanghi)
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Last changed on April 30, 1997 ...Read more!
Each and all beings are varying combinations of Satva guNa, Rajo guNa or Tamo guNa. At one time, one particular type is predominant in an individual and it is changeable. Today a person may not show a glimpse of Satva guNa but when you meet him next, he may be brimming with it. Such transformation is possible, Rishi Vaalmiiki being the best and well-known example. For this reason and for the fact that we too are a mixture of the three guNaas, we should not hate, detest or criticize him who we think dwells in the lower guNaas. Because the other person may be at an earlier stage of spiritual development today. You can't blame a six month old child for crawling and not walking or running.
It goes without saying that of the three guNas, Tamas is the lowest and Satva is the highest. Tamas keeps us in a state of ignorance, sloth, laziness, inaction and darkness. Ignorance and inaction invariably bring about misery and unhappiness. As the saying goes, 'Ignorance of law is no excuse'. So a Tamasic person lives in total ignorance of spiritual laws and violates them knowingly or unknowingly and often brings himself to sad ends.
Here, it is important to distinguish between the Saatvik quaity of contentment and the laziness and inaction of the Taamasic person. If laziness comes to you in the disguise of contentment, then beware, it can ruin you.
Not only living in Tamas is inappropriate and unhealthy, dying while Tamas is predominant in you is also fraught with grave danger of being born in lower yoniis or as insects and animals. How sad! It is certainly not proper therefore to lead a life in Tamas.
Rajas leads us to action, often with great expectations of particular kind of result or reward for fulfilment of one or the other of manifold desires. Most of the actions of ordinary people are tainted with desire of expectation. And as the saying goes, 'jahan hai aasha, vahii hai niraasha', being two sides of the same coin. He who expects too much is likely to be disappointed often. In Rajas, it is this disappointment, failure of fulfilment of desires, failure of getting the desired results of actions and the greed that brings forth misery and unhappiness. It is thus not too good to live in Rajas for too long, and nor is dying in Rajas. It does not elevate the soul. It keeps you in the middle.
We therefore ought to elevate ourselves from Tamo guNa to Rajo guNa and from Rajo guNa to Satva guNa.
Satva guNa leads us to happiness and enjoyment, irrespective of the results of our action. It leads us to thoughtful Nishkama Karma. Here we do our work considering it as our laid down duty and we stop bothering about the results and keep no expectations. We face the situations of life calmly and as they present, keeping our inner peace and balance. Satva guNa is light and knowledge, wisdom and the calm and quiet of mind. Satva guNa elevates the soul. Dying while in Satva guNa, you are born in a celestial birth or as a saadhaka to elevate yourself further.
Now, we thus learn that it is these three guNaas which are responsible for most of the activities. These may be high, as for social good, or middle as for personal good or low, as for self and social harm.
The wisdom is to know that it is Gunaas only which are responsible for such and such actions and the soul, the real self, the owner, is untainted, unaffected and is not the agent or the doer.
The moment this realization comes that he, the soul is not the doer of actions, the results of actions don't affect or touch him, he readily enters or merges into the Lord, the Supreme Over Soul.
Having thus steadied oneself in the knowledge that he is untainted by the guNaas and the actions born of guNas, one rises above all the three guNas and having thus risen, lifts and frees himself from birth, death, decay and pain thus attaining immortality and becomes one with the Lord.
Why is it important or necessary to get out of this circle of transmigration from one birth to the next? 'Janma mR^ityu jaraa vyaadhi duHkha dosha anudarshanam' See again and again the misery, the defects and suffering of birth, death, old age and sickness and aspire to a life beyond these.
Let's get beyond the guNaas, all three of them, sit established in our real selves. The three guNaas blind the Atman. We have to get even higher than the Satva guNa to a state of NirguNa.
As Swami Vivekananda said in a poem "For fetters though of gold Are no less strong to bind, So off with them Sanyaasin bold, say OM"
HariH OM
- (Talk by Dr. Chowla, a satsanghi)
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Last changed on April 30, 1997 ...Read more!
Vivek Chudamani
The following are excerpts from mail from satsanghiis regarding viveka chuuDamaNi discussions. The full text of viveka chuuDamaNi is available at Sanskrit Douments Site.
We often discuss this in advaita list, the archives of which can be found in http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/ Regarding vivekachudamani itself, though there are several translations (the simple one by Madhavananda is well known), Chandrasekara Bharati, the former head of Sringeri Math, has written an excellent commentary on this work.
John Richards' translation is available as a .pdf from sanskrit documents site.
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sa.nsaarabandhavich{}chhittyai tad.h dvayaM pradahedyatiH .
vaasanaavR^iddhiretaabhyaaM chin{}tayaa kriyayaa bahiH .. 314..
Bhagavatham is covered at the Satsangh on Thursdays. We do vivekachuuDaamaNi on Friday mornings. Now we are doing Chap V of the Gita on Saturdays. Last Friday, we had an interesting discussion based on vivekachuuDaamaNi. We are doing Verse 314, which says that we should totally give up selfish work and selfish desire in order to give up the bondages of the world.
We had a discussion on how we can try to give up selfish work, since almost all the things that we do are selfish in nature. We wanted a method that can be practised by us.
Firstly, Guruji said, we have to check each and every thought that arises in our mind. We have to accept that we have selfish thoughts and this itself is a step in the right direction.
We then took the example of a person building a house for himself. Though the mind justifies that it is for the sake of his family etc, no doubt, it is a selfish thought. Guruji wanted us to say, how this could be made unselfish. We all agreed that, if we could make our house as simple as possible, so as to meet our needs and not our luxuries then we can convert it to an unselfish action.
Yes, Easily said and not done! But there is a need to have this thought ingrained into our self, so that we do think about it atleast occasionally in the beginning and slowly it will sink into our every thoght and action.
Guruji also suggested that every month, we can put away a small amount of our earnings into a separate account. It is not necessary that we need to immediately contribute it to charity (ofcourse, you can if you want to), but if we can build up a good amount, over time, we can then use it for a good cause. Even, if we can contribute 10% or even 1%, over time, it becomes a significant amount. He calls this a person's, own "Trust fund". Guruji also mentioned that, the higher a person's earnings are, the lower is the tendency to put away money, since even 1% might be a big amount. When such thoughts come, just remember the 99% that we have retained for ourself. So, this is the way to convert a selfish act, such as saving for oneself (forget the justification, given by our clever minds that it is for the sake of others), into an unselfish one.
viveekachuuDaamaNi is a very profound text and quite difficult to understand and practice. But the Friday classes are interesting because of the discussions that we have and hence something does sink into our minds :-)
Shankara emphasises that selfish work leads to desire and vice-versa and results in transmigration. Actually, any work done with the dehatma buddhi (I am the body) has karmic consequences. It is indeed the fault of the person who thinks he is the doer which is the root of avidya.
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taabhyaaM pravardhamaanaa saa suute sa.nsR^itimaatmanaH .
trayaaNaaM cha kshayopaayaH sarvaavasthaasu sarvadaa .. 315..
sarvatra sarvataH sarvabrahmamaatraavalokanaiH .
sad.hbhaavavaasanaadaarDhyaattat.htrayaM layamash{}nute .. 316..
I shall briefly update you on last week's Satsangh on Friday. We dealt with verses 315 and 316 of the vivekachuDaamaNi which say: Selfish work and selfish desires cause us to hanker after the desires and this hankering as well as the selfish work and desires can be destroyed only by seeing the Lord everywhere and in everything. When we see and hanker after Brahman, only then we stop desiring for material things.
The discussions centered on How we can see Brahman everywhere and how we can stop hankering after something. Guruji asked us, "Some of us like to watch cricket matches during cricket season. Others like movies. If Brahman is present everywhere, then he is present in movies and cricket also. So by simply watching all these can we become one with Brahman?"
We also find some people really obnoxious. So how do we see Brahman in them?
We then discussed that, anything that merely gratifies our sense objects does not give permanent pleasure. So when we seek these, we lose track of our long term goal, that is, being one with God. we should consider that every minute that we do not spend trying to become one with God is wasted. This attitude could help in reducing the amount of time we spend in useless pastimes, if not completely eliminating them.
As for liking everyone, we should remember that God is present in all objects big and small. He is responsible for all events good or bad. So just as we see him in good things, he is also present in bad things, and even people we do not like. So it is difficult not to like a person since God is present in everyone. We should also treat everyone the same way that we like to be treated.
The way to stop hankering after anything, is by building up our willpower. Guruji exhorted us to try and give up something that we really like, be it watching TV, drinking coffee or anything. We can see what happens to us? We can see how long we survive and how well we survive without it. This will help to build determination in us.
The morning talk was on "Shravanam" aspect of Bhakthi marg. It talked about how listening alone is sufficient to attain God and is and has been a means of salvation for many people. The reason we have 2 ears and one mouth is because, we should listen twice as much as we talk. Guruji reiterated this and also said that the mouth actually has 2 purposes - eating as well as talking and so we should talk only 1/4 of what we hear!! He also said that the ears are very important organs and this is the reason why, we always decorate our ears. The reason why we pierce our ears is also to increase our concentration and hearing! It was an interesting topic.
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kriyaanaashe bhavech{}chin{}taanaasho.asmaadvaasanaakshayaH .
vaasanaaprakshayo mokshaH saa jiivan{}muk{}tirishhyate .. 317..
Last week on March 28, 1997 we did verse 317, which means , When selfish action is stopped, brooding on the sense objects is also stopped and this is followed by the destruction of desires. The destruction of desires is liberation and this liberation is called jiivanmuktiH or liberation on life.
Last week, this was explained with a story. Once there was a Guru and his Shishya. They used to travel and live with whatever they got from devotees. Once they reached a city and the Shishya was told by the Guru to buy some food. The Shishya came back from the shop, excited and said, "Guru, This city is very nice. We get everything very cheap. They sell food at less than half the price in other places. The people are all only involved in self indulgence and they only eat and sleep. Nobody works at all. This seems to be the best place to stay". The Guru was alarmed and he said, "Let us pack our bags and leave at once. Even a minute spent here could deter us from our path of reaching God and he started to leave.
The shishya was however reluctant and he told the Guru that he would not join him and that he preferred to stay. The Guru too left him. The Shishya ate and slept and did no work and became very fat. He did not realise that he was leading a worthless life. One day, in the city, a man committed a minor offence and was taken to the king. The king was as foolish as his subjects and he immediately sentenced that the man should be hanged. When the people tried to hang the man, they found that the noose was too big for him and they reported this to the king. Immediately, the king said, that they should find the man whose neck would fit the noose and hang him. They searched high and low and as fate would have it, the only man whose head was fat enough to fit the noose was this shishya. So he was immediately brought before the king and try as he would, they were not ready to listen to him.
At this instant, it dawned on him that he had been leading a senseless existence and he realised that seeking mere sensual pleasures would definietely lead to ruin. The Shishya thought of his Guru and his words and begged for pardon. Fortuitously, at that time, his Guru was visiting the town to see his Shishya and he came there to see what the commotion was all about. He was shocked to see his shishya about to be hanged and thinking quickly, he went up to the king and said, "Oh! what an intelligent man this man must be. He knew that today is a very auspicious day because anybody who dies today will reach heaven immediately and that is the reason he wants to be hanged. Oh! King! I beg you. Please leave him and hang me because I want to be the person who reaches heaven". The foolish king thought for a moment and said, "Being the King, how can I let anybody else be so lucky. I insist that I be the one who is hanged and saying thus, put the noose around his neck and pushed away the Shishya". The Guru and Shishya immediately left the town and continued their quest of higher things in life!
Confucius said," Only when one commits not to do certain things can one do greater things in life " Similarly one should get over the selfish acts by indulging in selfless acts without any expectation of reward or benefit. By doing this, the desires for sense enjoyments vanish. Verse 317 of Vivekachudaamani compares to verses 36 to 41 of chapter 3 in Bhagavat Gita which says that selfish desire is one of the gates to destructive hell.
Guruji concluded with the following message "We should try to reduce our dependance on others." He told us, "If we expect anything from our spouse, whether we expect the wife to make a cup of coffee or bring us a towel or whatever, we should try to do it ourself."
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Last changed on April 4, 1997 ...Read more!
We often discuss this in advaita list, the archives of which can be found in http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/ Regarding vivekachudamani itself, though there are several translations (the simple one by Madhavananda is well known), Chandrasekara Bharati, the former head of Sringeri Math, has written an excellent commentary on this work.
John Richards' translation is available as a .pdf from sanskrit documents site.
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sa.nsaarabandhavich{}chhittyai tad.h dvayaM pradahedyatiH .
vaasanaavR^iddhiretaabhyaaM chin{}tayaa kriyayaa bahiH .. 314..
Bhagavatham is covered at the Satsangh on Thursdays. We do vivekachuuDaamaNi on Friday mornings. Now we are doing Chap V of the Gita on Saturdays. Last Friday, we had an interesting discussion based on vivekachuuDaamaNi. We are doing Verse 314, which says that we should totally give up selfish work and selfish desire in order to give up the bondages of the world.
We had a discussion on how we can try to give up selfish work, since almost all the things that we do are selfish in nature. We wanted a method that can be practised by us.
Firstly, Guruji said, we have to check each and every thought that arises in our mind. We have to accept that we have selfish thoughts and this itself is a step in the right direction.
We then took the example of a person building a house for himself. Though the mind justifies that it is for the sake of his family etc, no doubt, it is a selfish thought. Guruji wanted us to say, how this could be made unselfish. We all agreed that, if we could make our house as simple as possible, so as to meet our needs and not our luxuries then we can convert it to an unselfish action.
Yes, Easily said and not done! But there is a need to have this thought ingrained into our self, so that we do think about it atleast occasionally in the beginning and slowly it will sink into our every thoght and action.
Guruji also suggested that every month, we can put away a small amount of our earnings into a separate account. It is not necessary that we need to immediately contribute it to charity (ofcourse, you can if you want to), but if we can build up a good amount, over time, we can then use it for a good cause. Even, if we can contribute 10% or even 1%, over time, it becomes a significant amount. He calls this a person's, own "Trust fund". Guruji also mentioned that, the higher a person's earnings are, the lower is the tendency to put away money, since even 1% might be a big amount. When such thoughts come, just remember the 99% that we have retained for ourself. So, this is the way to convert a selfish act, such as saving for oneself (forget the justification, given by our clever minds that it is for the sake of others), into an unselfish one.
viveekachuuDaamaNi is a very profound text and quite difficult to understand and practice. But the Friday classes are interesting because of the discussions that we have and hence something does sink into our minds :-)
Shankara emphasises that selfish work leads to desire and vice-versa and results in transmigration. Actually, any work done with the dehatma buddhi (I am the body) has karmic consequences. It is indeed the fault of the person who thinks he is the doer which is the root of avidya.
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taabhyaaM pravardhamaanaa saa suute sa.nsR^itimaatmanaH .
trayaaNaaM cha kshayopaayaH sarvaavasthaasu sarvadaa .. 315..
sarvatra sarvataH sarvabrahmamaatraavalokanaiH .
sad.hbhaavavaasanaadaarDhyaattat.htrayaM layamash{}nute .. 316..
I shall briefly update you on last week's Satsangh on Friday. We dealt with verses 315 and 316 of the vivekachuDaamaNi which say: Selfish work and selfish desires cause us to hanker after the desires and this hankering as well as the selfish work and desires can be destroyed only by seeing the Lord everywhere and in everything. When we see and hanker after Brahman, only then we stop desiring for material things.
The discussions centered on How we can see Brahman everywhere and how we can stop hankering after something. Guruji asked us, "Some of us like to watch cricket matches during cricket season. Others like movies. If Brahman is present everywhere, then he is present in movies and cricket also. So by simply watching all these can we become one with Brahman?"
We also find some people really obnoxious. So how do we see Brahman in them?
We then discussed that, anything that merely gratifies our sense objects does not give permanent pleasure. So when we seek these, we lose track of our long term goal, that is, being one with God. we should consider that every minute that we do not spend trying to become one with God is wasted. This attitude could help in reducing the amount of time we spend in useless pastimes, if not completely eliminating them.
As for liking everyone, we should remember that God is present in all objects big and small. He is responsible for all events good or bad. So just as we see him in good things, he is also present in bad things, and even people we do not like. So it is difficult not to like a person since God is present in everyone. We should also treat everyone the same way that we like to be treated.
The way to stop hankering after anything, is by building up our willpower. Guruji exhorted us to try and give up something that we really like, be it watching TV, drinking coffee or anything. We can see what happens to us? We can see how long we survive and how well we survive without it. This will help to build determination in us.
The morning talk was on "Shravanam" aspect of Bhakthi marg. It talked about how listening alone is sufficient to attain God and is and has been a means of salvation for many people. The reason we have 2 ears and one mouth is because, we should listen twice as much as we talk. Guruji reiterated this and also said that the mouth actually has 2 purposes - eating as well as talking and so we should talk only 1/4 of what we hear!! He also said that the ears are very important organs and this is the reason why, we always decorate our ears. The reason why we pierce our ears is also to increase our concentration and hearing! It was an interesting topic.
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kriyaanaashe bhavech{}chin{}taanaasho.asmaadvaasanaakshayaH .
vaasanaaprakshayo mokshaH saa jiivan{}muk{}tirishhyate .. 317..
Last week on March 28, 1997 we did verse 317, which means , When selfish action is stopped, brooding on the sense objects is also stopped and this is followed by the destruction of desires. The destruction of desires is liberation and this liberation is called jiivanmuktiH or liberation on life.
Last week, this was explained with a story. Once there was a Guru and his Shishya. They used to travel and live with whatever they got from devotees. Once they reached a city and the Shishya was told by the Guru to buy some food. The Shishya came back from the shop, excited and said, "Guru, This city is very nice. We get everything very cheap. They sell food at less than half the price in other places. The people are all only involved in self indulgence and they only eat and sleep. Nobody works at all. This seems to be the best place to stay". The Guru was alarmed and he said, "Let us pack our bags and leave at once. Even a minute spent here could deter us from our path of reaching God and he started to leave.
The shishya was however reluctant and he told the Guru that he would not join him and that he preferred to stay. The Guru too left him. The Shishya ate and slept and did no work and became very fat. He did not realise that he was leading a worthless life. One day, in the city, a man committed a minor offence and was taken to the king. The king was as foolish as his subjects and he immediately sentenced that the man should be hanged. When the people tried to hang the man, they found that the noose was too big for him and they reported this to the king. Immediately, the king said, that they should find the man whose neck would fit the noose and hang him. They searched high and low and as fate would have it, the only man whose head was fat enough to fit the noose was this shishya. So he was immediately brought before the king and try as he would, they were not ready to listen to him.
At this instant, it dawned on him that he had been leading a senseless existence and he realised that seeking mere sensual pleasures would definietely lead to ruin. The Shishya thought of his Guru and his words and begged for pardon. Fortuitously, at that time, his Guru was visiting the town to see his Shishya and he came there to see what the commotion was all about. He was shocked to see his shishya about to be hanged and thinking quickly, he went up to the king and said, "Oh! what an intelligent man this man must be. He knew that today is a very auspicious day because anybody who dies today will reach heaven immediately and that is the reason he wants to be hanged. Oh! King! I beg you. Please leave him and hang me because I want to be the person who reaches heaven". The foolish king thought for a moment and said, "Being the King, how can I let anybody else be so lucky. I insist that I be the one who is hanged and saying thus, put the noose around his neck and pushed away the Shishya". The Guru and Shishya immediately left the town and continued their quest of higher things in life!
Confucius said," Only when one commits not to do certain things can one do greater things in life " Similarly one should get over the selfish acts by indulging in selfless acts without any expectation of reward or benefit. By doing this, the desires for sense enjoyments vanish. Verse 317 of Vivekachudaamani compares to verses 36 to 41 of chapter 3 in Bhagavat Gita which says that selfish desire is one of the gates to destructive hell.
Guruji concluded with the following message "We should try to reduce our dependance on others." He told us, "If we expect anything from our spouse, whether we expect the wife to make a cup of coffee or bring us a towel or whatever, we should try to do it ourself."
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Last changed on April 4, 1997 ...Read more!
Humor in Communication
TAKE JOKES SERIOUSLY!!
Just the other day, my husband and I were walking in the marketplace when we met the doctor who had treated me when I was quite sick. I told him "Dr. you were absolutely right when you said I'd be up and walking in no time". The doctor looking pleased, said "Good, When did you start walking?". I said "Just after we got your bill. We had to sell our car to pay for it!!"
If I were asked to name the single most essential tool to good communication, almost unthinkingly, I would say "Humor". Laughter, they say is the best medicine. I am going to try and tell you why they say so.
Laughter and humor are powerful tools which help people to cope and get through threatening situations. A little humor helps to keep things in balance when life seems a bit unfair. Bill Cosby said, "If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it."
I recently met a friend who had just celebrated her fortieth birthday. She told me "I think I am getting old. The candles are beginning to cost more than my birthday cake!! I told her "Humor cant help you from getting older, but definitely, it can help you while getting old"
A lot of the suffering and troubles we experience are not a result of our difficulties, but how we view them. Humor can help us to cope with difficulties and ease our worries.
Laughing out loud can help us to maintain our perspective and have control over situations. If you ever feel you are losing control, allow yourself a little "humor time." If you can find what's funny in a situation, your upsets might not seem as important as they once did. It is said:
"When the tide of life turns against you, and the current upsets your boat;
Don't waste tears on what might have been, just lie on your back and float"
Humor can give you a sense of power. There are many things in life that we can't change because they are beyond our control. However a good sense of humor helps to reduce the hold that upsets have over us. We can see thing in a totally different perspective and realize that we are not as important as we think we are. Just remember the axiom, "No matter, how great your triumphs or how tragic your defeats approximately one billion Chinese couldn't care less!!" We haven't even begun including the rest of the world. So remember, no success or defeat is that important to overwhelm us!!
Humor helps to establish communication and rapport. Laughter crosses cultural boundaries. You don't have to speak the same language to laugh together. It helps to break the ice when you are in a group. It is one form of communication to which everyone can relate.
Talking of communication, once an American, a Britisher and an Indian were discussing about the technological advances in communication. In the middle of the discussion, there was a bleep. The Britisher put one hand to his ear, held up his tie and had a conversation. He later explained, " I have a small mike in my tie pin and a speaker in my ear". A few minutes later, there was another bleep. This time, the American just put a hand to his ear and had a conversation. He later explained, "I have a small mike under my tongue, and a small ear phone in my ear" A few minutes and Pepsis later, the Indian gave a rather loud belch. Just as his ears reddened, he said "Get me a paper, Quick, I think I am getting a fax!!"
Humor helps to relieve tension. It dispels anger and aggression in ourselves and others. I recently went to my tailor & wanted to have a dress stitched. When he told me it would take 2 weeks, I was exasperated and said, "Good man, It only took God six days to make this world" He immediately said, "And look at e state it is in!!". I could not help laughing, my anger was soothed and I was in a better mood to accept his timing!!
Humor can help to indicate a person's fears and worries. A person's jokes are often indirect clues to the things that are bothering him. Humor is necessary to prevent people from taking themselves too seriously. It is important to learn to laugh at yourself.
The other day, a friend of mine who realized she was getting shortsighted went to see a doctor. As soon as she entered the room, the doctor told her, "I think Mrs. Rina, you need to get spectacles". Amazed she said, "Doctor how did you know". The doctor replied, "Years of experience as an eye doctor plus the fact that you just walked in through the window!!
Sense of Humor need not be something you are born with. It can be acquired. The best spontaneous jokes, sometimes are the ones best rehearsed. The following can help to add more laughter to your life:
- Recognize the value of humor
- Don't worry or analyze why people laugh -- just participate.
- Think funny -- look for humor everywhere.
- Keep a notebook of funny things and write in it daily.
- Adapt material. Borrow jokes and personalize it by changing it to suit your situations or problems.
Laughter definitely makes you feel better about a situation. Recently, I met a friend of mine who loves horses and horse riding. We were talking about his horse and I asked "Is your horse well behaved?" He replied, "Oh! Yes, Whenever we come to a fence, he always stops and lets me go first!!
To conclude, laughter also helps learning and retention. People get the message quicker and remember it longer. So, please listen to me and remember it when I say "Take Jokes seriously!!"
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Last changed on February 12, 1997 ...Read more!
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