By Chitra Devraj
Imagine the naughtiest monkey that is also drunk and gets stung by a scorpion! We can imagine how restless it would be! The mind is even worse than that.WHAT IS FLEETER THAN THE WIND? WHAT IS MORE NUMEROUS THAN GRASS?
THE MIND IS FLEETER THAN THE WIND. THE THOUGHTS THAT ARISE IN THE MIND OF MAN ARE MORE NUMEROUS THAN GRASS. (The mind is very subtle which we cannot locate as we locate our other sense organs in our body. It is everywhere inside the body and also outside the body. If I am in Sharjah, the one thought about my mother is enough for my mind to take off from here to India. It just flies from one thought to another thought. If we watch our conversation also, most of the times the starting point and ending point are not connected. When we look at the Badam sweet in a supermarket, the next thought that comes to our mind is ‘when I had the Badam sweet last time’, where and who made it, and the thoughts regarding that person and place take over us.
Ramana Maharishi always compares the mind to a monkey because it is so naughty and restless. Imagine the naughtiest monkey that is also drunk and gets stung by a scorpion! We can imagine how restless it would be! The mind is even worse than that.
The best time to watch our mind is when we meditate. At other times we are not aware of what our mind is doing. If we start noting down the thoughts which comes to our mind in solitude, we will see that they are totally unconnected, illogical, irresponsible and unrelated. Each movement of the body leads to so many thoughts and the mind is the bundle of thoughts. No two thoughts are responsible for the others existence or disappearance. Like the wind which carries sweet fragrance of the flower when it crosses the garden and a foul smell when it crosses ditches, the mind carries positive and negative thoughts according to the places we move around in the day.
There is no need for a seed for the grass to grow. Likewise the flow of thoughts is the nature of mind which grows in plenty every second.
Arjuna says to Krishna in the 6th chapter of Gita – ‘the mind is fickle, turbulent, powerful and unyielding. To control it, I think, is as difficult as controlling the wind itself’. How many resolutions we have taken in our lives?! How many we have truly followed it?!!! The mind is so powerful that it just drags us along in its direction like that of wind.
We feel so blissful during sleep. Then the mind is not at work. It is possible to attain that stillness of mind even while we are awake – if we can learn to control the mind and think only what we want to think. The innumerable thoughts are because we don’t filter anything which comes our way. We are like mobile dustbins with infinite capacity carrying all kinds of thoughts – be it ours or others. Reiki principle says that as we clean our dustbins every day, we need to clean up the thoughts for that day.
Guruji often says to end the day with this sloka - ‘kaayena vaacha manasindriyair…’’- whatever I have done with this body, mind and senses, I offer it at your feet Narayana! When we offer everything at the feet of the Lord, we go empty mind to sleep and the next day is a fresh day, the Prasad of the Lord.
In Thirupaavai, Andal places the responsibility on the Lord Himself, knowing the nature of mind as unsteady like that of wind, to remove all desires from our mind. The desires make us dance, run here and there in life. If we look into our past life, we know this statement is true. The Lord creates vairagya in the mind of one who surrenders and makes him completely engrossed in His thoughts. Controlling the mind is an important spiritual sadhana. Otherwise all good we got from satsangh and scriptures will be blown away by our desires and undisciplined life.
When Arjuna said that it is difficult to control the mind, Lord too accepted that statement. But Lord said that it is possible with ABHYAASA (PRACTICE) AND VAIRAGYA (DISPASSION).
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF VIRTUE?
LIBERALITY IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF VIRTUE. (This answer reflects one of the most important facets of Hinduism, which is acceptance of and tolerance towards other view points. The piece of gold has all the qualities of the bar of gold. All moving and unmoving are born from only one source, the Lord. The last part of the Sathyanarayana Katha tells us how we should behave with respect to other people’s puja, worship and religion. In that story, the king refused to take the Prasad which the cowherd boys offered to him because of his pride. Acceptance is the great quality of a bhaktha. The wise avoid arguments as it is an action of ego. By accepting we grow and not by rejecting. The more one accepts, he grows wider in heart. If our own child stamps our feet, how would we take it!!!!! Similarly other views may be wrong as per our scriptures but bearing it and accepting them as a part of us make one dear to Lord. How our Guru accept us with all our faults! That compassion alone makes one love the Lord as Guru Himself is the prathyaksha Daivam. It is the virtue by itself. Tolerance without accepting will increase the feeling of anger and many negative feelings. They both go hand in hand with each other. Love is the only common language and others are only external practices.
Vidura explains this liberality in beautiful words in the conversation with Dhrithrashtra. Observing true religion, one should learn to regard both the agreeable and the disagreeable like his own self. One should not return the slanders or reproaches of others. Strange to say, when a silent man suffers these reproaches, it is the slanderer that is consumed and the virtues, if any, of the slanderer find a home in the other man.).
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF FAME?
GIFT IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF FAME(One of the eight things which glorifies a man is gift given with discrimination. Vidura tells that sacrifice, study, asceticism, GIFT, truth, forgiveness, mercy and contentment are eight different paths of righteousness. He also added that the first four of these may be practiced from motives of pride but the later four can exist only in them who are truly great. Gifts should be given out of compassion to the right person and not out of pride. If given with the big ego, then it cannot be taken as a righteous action. In the book ‘don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff’, the author asks every one of us to give something to the needy and not to tell others about it. He promises that it gives us more happiness than sharing it with others. Our Guruji painted and renovated a school in Manipal and the school wanted him to be the chief guest for the opening ceremony. But he didn’t go for the function. Anything we give without expecting anything in return is only the great action. That brings fame. The other kind of fame which comes by big advertisements is temporary.
The greatest giver we remember even today is Karna. The proverb ‘be like Parjanya in giving’ was changed to ‘be like Karna in giving’, because of his sacrifice of Kavacha and Kundala which was his very life. He had never said ‘no’ to anyone in his life. He sacrificed his own life for the sake of his dharma.
Gifts cannot be rated as higher or lower. The giving by itself is a great virtue. Gift can be anything but the highest gift is the knowledge. Through this knowledge alone one performs righteous action. In present days also we give gifts. We wait for the cameraman to focus on us and with a great show we give. What is given without any expectation be it return gift or name or fame, is the real gift. But very rarely people know the true meaning of gift.
When Karna gave the Kavacha and Kundala, Indra spoke great words of praise. ‘Whether you win the war or lose it is a minor matter. You have won everlasting fame. You will be remembered by posterity as the greatest giver. You will be known in the world of men as the man who could defy fate and carve a name for himself in the scrolls of time. It is not given to everyone to be a personage like you, who will be remembered for ever and forever’.
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF HEAVEN?
TRUTH IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF HEAVEN. (Truth is the duty of every human being. It is an eternal duty. Truth is the highest refuge of heaven. Truth is the greatest penance. Truth is the highest yoga and truth is the Eternal Brahman. It is the sacrifice which is greater than all other sacrifices. All the three worlds rest on Truth and nothing else. Truth is immutable, eternal and unchangeable. Pitamaha Bheeshma explains to Yudishthira that the Truth is of thirteen kinds namely impartiality, self-control, forgiveness, modesty, endurance, goodness, renunciation, contemplation, dignity, fortitude, compassion and abstinence from injury. When we hear the word Truth two wise people come to our minds. Harichandra and Mahatma Gandhi performed the tapas of truth. They faced lots of difficulties in their lives but never missed to practice. Our Guru is leading all of us with this virtue).
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF HAPPINESS?
GOOD BEHAVIOUR IS THE HIGHEST REFUGE OF HAPPINESS (Swami Chinmayananda writes in a letter to children that the quality of our behavior will depend upon the respect that we have got for the association, the institution to which we belong – may be caste, creed, religion, a nation or community. For this sense of belonging, one must know who their parents are and what they have done. Do they deserve my respect? Have they made any sacrifice for me? If we don’t know that, then I am an orphan. If we don’t know our father and have no respect for the mother, we will feel lonely in the world and feel unhappy. We have no moral values to compare whether what he is doing is morally right or wrong.
Character in good part is conduct. We behave as we are. We cannot behave better for any length of time unless we are better. Our scriptures have given great guidelines about how our conduct, behavior should be. This is complete self effort. Nobody forced Harichandra to speak truth, Yudishthira to stand on Dharma, Draupadi to forgive Ashvattaama. It comes out of reasoning between the true and the untrue. One concentrates on love and tenacity on truth. These people still stand in our hearts because of their great qualities and because of their delicate fragrance of the blossomed flower. It is what spontaneously emanates from within the person who has done this home work for bringing himself up, under no outer compulsion, but by propulsion of his own self-chosen ideals of his life.
Good behavior towards others begets good behavior from others. It creates an atmosphere of congeniality in which happiness thrives. Good behavior includes all the good qualities mentioned above by Yudishthira like truth, kindness, being humble, polite, liberality, gift, sacrifice, etc. We can see the Pandavas behaving good in all circumstances which has come as a result of the support and strength of the great mother Kunti and guidance from great saints. Good behavior settles in a man by obeying parents, elders, Guru and to the inner self.
Yudhistira is a personification of dharma. But when Krishna asked Beeshma to instruct Yudishtira about the ways of ruling the kingdom, Yudishtira remained a humble student. A man with a good behavior remain humble learners all through their lives and keep their minds open to all authentic teachings, no matter whence they come.
It is the ego which is the cause of the bad behavior. As Bhagavad Gita says, attachment leads to desire, unfulfilled desire leads to anger, anger leads to delusion, delusion leads to buddhi naasham, buddhi nasham leads to loss of memory and loss of memory leads to one’s destruction of life itself. Even the person may be rich, has great name and fame but feel unhappy as long as his actions are driven by ego.
CONCLUSION:
To control the mind, we need to live a life of discipline. We have around us great people, who are living with the golden values and every moment of life is a tapas for them not to move an inch from these values. This is what the Lord says as practice which controls the mind not to wave here and there. To have this we need to leave certain things of the world. Like to attend sathsang, we need to leave the weekend parties.
Let us lovingly develop the qualities of truth, compassion, sacrifice etc (Gita mentions these qualities in chapter 16 as divine qualities) into our day to day life. Our Guruji always used to say that if we take efforts to develop one of these qualities, the other qualities automatically step into us.
Let us practice here and now. Let us not wait for a new year to begin or any other auspicious day.
HARI OM!
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YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATHSANG PART 4
By Chitra Devraj
‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ which means ‘to have the bhaavah that our guest is the Lord Himself’. Atithi generally means surprise guest. Whoever comes at unexpected time should be given food and love.THERE IS FOUND A PERSON WHO ENJOYS ALL THE OBJECTS OF THE SENSES. HE IS INTELLIGENT. THE WORLD HOLDS HIM IN ESTEEM AND HE IS QUITE POPULAR. AND YET, THOUGH THIS MAN BREATHS, IT IS SAID THAT HE DOES NOT LIVE. WHY?
A man, though he breathes, is considered to be not alive if he does not offer anything to Gods, guests, servants and the pithris. (This answer underlines the fact that a selfish person even though lives, he is considered as dead. The whole creation operates on the value of sacrifice. Lord Krishna says in Bhagawad Gita that a person who enjoys other people’s efforts and doesn’t contribute anything to the world is considered as a thief. Every day is the Prasad of the Lord.
Our scriptures explain in great detail that each sense organ is presided over by a deity. For example, the presiding deity of the eye is Agni, the presiding deity of ears is Vaayu. What can be the best offering to the Gods? If we use the sense organs to think about the Lord, to hear about the Lord, to see, touch, smell the Lord that can only be the best of the offerings.
Our Vedas say ‘Ateeti Devo Bhavah’ which means ‘to have the bhavah that our guest is the Lord Himself’. Ateeti generally means surprise guest. Ateeti is not a guest whom we invite at our convenient time and day. Whoever comes at unexpected time should be given food and love. We may arrange big parties, but that can never be considered as a selfless action. It will become like the story of Kubera who called Lord Shiva for a dinner just to show off his wealth. The Lord never comes with a notice.
We always give what is unwanted to the servants working at home, for example three days old food, last decoction coffee. We eat before them but never offer anything to them. These actions show our arrogance and pride. The Lord who is in us is in them also. People generally pay the servants less and get more work done through them. We should not understand that the servants should be treated as angels but they should be treated with compassion and love.
Shraardham is the word which has born out of Shraddha. It is an offering we make for our father and forefathers for all the blessings they had showered on us. Swami Parmaarthananda says that even if they had not given us big riches, they have given us this body through which we are enjoying this world. Offering to Pithris is a thanks giving ceremony and it makes one humble in life.
As long as we have desires we cannot be a part of sacrifice in the creation. The desires make us selfish in life. We breathe in and breathe out only thinking about us and who are attached to us. A person may be well educated and hold a great post in the world. But Bhagavad Gita tells they are zero in the eyes of the Lord, if they work centered in the thought ‘I am the body’. As long as we don’t have the mind to give others, share with others, we live a dead man’s life. A dead man is useless to anyone around. Similarly we become useless to the world if we are self-centered).
WHAT IS WEIGHTER THAN THE EARTH ITSELF?
The mother has more weight than the earth. (Weight generally means the capacity to take burdens. Weightier is used in the sense of bearing a heavier burden and the mother bears the burden of bringing up the family, usually with insufficient resources. The Pandavas mother Kunti is a great example for this. In all the difficulties, she has brought up her children in a great way. The strength of the mind of Kunti ma was so great that the Pandavas faced all difficulties with courage and they could live happily even in the forest (Our children are unhappy when they move away from Gulf).Her devotion and love for Krishna had been passed on to the children too. They had been guided by Krishna all through their life.
The child is shaped as per the nature and temperament of the mother. Her virtuous behavior makes the child brilliant. The great God had created this whole universe. Innumerable kinds and varieties of living beings are existing in this world. All are well acquainted with the traits and characteristics of their temperaments and natural tendencies. But no living being possesses the highest esteemable quality or virtue of compassion and affection which only the mother possesses for all. When Lord Krishna left the world, the Mother Earth was crying that who will relieve her from the evil effects of Kali. In any circumstances in life, a mother never thinks of getting rid of the children or husband irrespective of they are good or bad.
Because of these virtues in her the Vedas have offered great admiration and respect in their very beginning by quoting “Maatru devo bhava”. “Always hold mother as God”. This great respect is offered by the Vedas because woman is the mine of the most precious human-diamonds.
We have Mother Teresa, Mata Amritanandamayee who has great capacity to listen to people, cry for them, show them great love and care. We see the nature of mother in them. They are mother to the world because of their unconditional love.
WHAT IS HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS?
The father is higher than the heavens. (Heaven is the place of happiness. The father is the head of the family, the figure that the family looks up to for the guidance in every way. Listening and following the guidance of the father, a man gets happiness here and now. The respect and love we carry for the parents will give us all higher things we seek in life here and now.
Man gives importance to the reality that actually is noticed by him. But woman is an image of cautiousness and pity. If these two temperaments of man and woman holding the above said virtues come together, the earth will become ‘vaikunta’ (the abode of Lord Vishnu)
CONCLUSION:
One comes out of delusion only by understanding the Vibhuthi of the Lord in everyone and in everything we see in our day to day life. Tenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita says that one who knows the Lord as beginningless, unborn and Lord of all worlds is undeluded (assamudah). It is not by taking man grows. It is only by giving man grows. Let us be the first persons to give love. Let us go beyond finding faults with others. Let us live the life of divinity and not the life of a dead man.
Every practice starts at home. If we cannot love and respect our parents, we cannot love people outside. All great spiritual knowledge and worldly degrees are useless if we don’t thank them for what they had given for us. They need our love and care especially at their old age. Everybody long for mother’s love because it is the purest and divine by itself. Bhagavad Gita says ‘yad yad acharathi shreshta tat tad eve taro janah’ which means whatever great people do, the others follow. Our parents have guided us in a great way. Similarly our actions will be followed by our children because for them we are great. Let us live in the line of dharma in every way.
HARI OM!
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‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ which means ‘to have the bhaavah that our guest is the Lord Himself’. Atithi generally means surprise guest. Whoever comes at unexpected time should be given food and love.THERE IS FOUND A PERSON WHO ENJOYS ALL THE OBJECTS OF THE SENSES. HE IS INTELLIGENT. THE WORLD HOLDS HIM IN ESTEEM AND HE IS QUITE POPULAR. AND YET, THOUGH THIS MAN BREATHS, IT IS SAID THAT HE DOES NOT LIVE. WHY?
A man, though he breathes, is considered to be not alive if he does not offer anything to Gods, guests, servants and the pithris. (This answer underlines the fact that a selfish person even though lives, he is considered as dead. The whole creation operates on the value of sacrifice. Lord Krishna says in Bhagawad Gita that a person who enjoys other people’s efforts and doesn’t contribute anything to the world is considered as a thief. Every day is the Prasad of the Lord.
Our scriptures explain in great detail that each sense organ is presided over by a deity. For example, the presiding deity of the eye is Agni, the presiding deity of ears is Vaayu. What can be the best offering to the Gods? If we use the sense organs to think about the Lord, to hear about the Lord, to see, touch, smell the Lord that can only be the best of the offerings.
Our Vedas say ‘Ateeti Devo Bhavah’ which means ‘to have the bhavah that our guest is the Lord Himself’. Ateeti generally means surprise guest. Ateeti is not a guest whom we invite at our convenient time and day. Whoever comes at unexpected time should be given food and love. We may arrange big parties, but that can never be considered as a selfless action. It will become like the story of Kubera who called Lord Shiva for a dinner just to show off his wealth. The Lord never comes with a notice.
We always give what is unwanted to the servants working at home, for example three days old food, last decoction coffee. We eat before them but never offer anything to them. These actions show our arrogance and pride. The Lord who is in us is in them also. People generally pay the servants less and get more work done through them. We should not understand that the servants should be treated as angels but they should be treated with compassion and love.
Shraardham is the word which has born out of Shraddha. It is an offering we make for our father and forefathers for all the blessings they had showered on us. Swami Parmaarthananda says that even if they had not given us big riches, they have given us this body through which we are enjoying this world. Offering to Pithris is a thanks giving ceremony and it makes one humble in life.
As long as we have desires we cannot be a part of sacrifice in the creation. The desires make us selfish in life. We breathe in and breathe out only thinking about us and who are attached to us. A person may be well educated and hold a great post in the world. But Bhagavad Gita tells they are zero in the eyes of the Lord, if they work centered in the thought ‘I am the body’. As long as we don’t have the mind to give others, share with others, we live a dead man’s life. A dead man is useless to anyone around. Similarly we become useless to the world if we are self-centered).
WHAT IS WEIGHTER THAN THE EARTH ITSELF?
The mother has more weight than the earth. (Weight generally means the capacity to take burdens. Weightier is used in the sense of bearing a heavier burden and the mother bears the burden of bringing up the family, usually with insufficient resources. The Pandavas mother Kunti is a great example for this. In all the difficulties, she has brought up her children in a great way. The strength of the mind of Kunti ma was so great that the Pandavas faced all difficulties with courage and they could live happily even in the forest (Our children are unhappy when they move away from Gulf).Her devotion and love for Krishna had been passed on to the children too. They had been guided by Krishna all through their life.
The child is shaped as per the nature and temperament of the mother. Her virtuous behavior makes the child brilliant. The great God had created this whole universe. Innumerable kinds and varieties of living beings are existing in this world. All are well acquainted with the traits and characteristics of their temperaments and natural tendencies. But no living being possesses the highest esteemable quality or virtue of compassion and affection which only the mother possesses for all. When Lord Krishna left the world, the Mother Earth was crying that who will relieve her from the evil effects of Kali. In any circumstances in life, a mother never thinks of getting rid of the children or husband irrespective of they are good or bad.
Because of these virtues in her the Vedas have offered great admiration and respect in their very beginning by quoting “Maatru devo bhava”. “Always hold mother as God”. This great respect is offered by the Vedas because woman is the mine of the most precious human-diamonds.
We have Mother Teresa, Mata Amritanandamayee who has great capacity to listen to people, cry for them, show them great love and care. We see the nature of mother in them. They are mother to the world because of their unconditional love.
WHAT IS HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS?
The father is higher than the heavens. (Heaven is the place of happiness. The father is the head of the family, the figure that the family looks up to for the guidance in every way. Listening and following the guidance of the father, a man gets happiness here and now. The respect and love we carry for the parents will give us all higher things we seek in life here and now.
Man gives importance to the reality that actually is noticed by him. But woman is an image of cautiousness and pity. If these two temperaments of man and woman holding the above said virtues come together, the earth will become ‘vaikunta’ (the abode of Lord Vishnu)
CONCLUSION:
One comes out of delusion only by understanding the Vibhuthi of the Lord in everyone and in everything we see in our day to day life. Tenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita says that one who knows the Lord as beginningless, unborn and Lord of all worlds is undeluded (assamudah). It is not by taking man grows. It is only by giving man grows. Let us be the first persons to give love. Let us go beyond finding faults with others. Let us live the life of divinity and not the life of a dead man.
Every practice starts at home. If we cannot love and respect our parents, we cannot love people outside. All great spiritual knowledge and worldly degrees are useless if we don’t thank them for what they had given for us. They need our love and care especially at their old age. Everybody long for mother’s love because it is the purest and divine by itself. Bhagavad Gita says ‘yad yad acharathi shreshta tat tad eve taro janah’ which means whatever great people do, the others follow. Our parents have guided us in a great way. Similarly our actions will be followed by our children because for them we are great. Let us live in the line of dharma in every way.
HARI OM!
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Yaksha Prashnam - 3
By Chitra Devraj
With the grace of our Guruji and the blessings of all great Mahatmas, I am before you with the next part of Yaksha Prashna sathsang.
INTRODUCTION TO KSHATRIYAS:
The four varnas (not castes) – Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra play a very important role in the picture of the World/creation. The varnas are assigned as per the Gunas and Karmas (actions) and not by birth.When Brahmaji was involved in the job of procreation, due to toil and perspiration, a negative energy emanated from him. This negative energy took the form of two asuras Madhu and Kaitabha. They were evil and inhuman souls. They tortured Brahmaji. Brahmaji appealed to Lord Vishnu who immediately appeared and destroyed the two asuras. He explained to Brahmaji that when the positive energy is utilized, the negative energy also emanates and that a special race of humans should be created to protect the entire human race. Brahmaji meditated on it and at the end of the fourth day, different forms of energy for the human race were formed out of Brahma’s body. The Kshatriyas were formed from the arms of Brahma’s body. The Kshatriyas are the warriors, ruling class with two primary duties 1) to govern the land and 2) to wage war. They follow the rules written in our scriputres (Dharma-raja), with the main duties to protect his subjects and livestock.
How colors play a beautiful role in a picture, the four varnas (not castes) – Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra play a very important role in the picture of the World/creation. The varnas are assigned as per the Gunas and Karmas (actions) and not by birth (Bhagavad Gita says that it is ‘guna karma vibhagasah’).
WHAT OF KSHATRIYAS? WHEREIN LAYS THEIR DIVINITY?
It lies in the arrows and weapons. (Divinity is always related to the purity of mind. Purity of mind is the result of doing one’s duty with total love and dedication. The duty of a Kshatriya is to protect the country and the people. It is not only applicable to the kings but also to the present set up of ruling class of ministers. We know how many of our soldiers have keen vigilance in the borders, day and night to protect us. The weapons in the hands of Kshatriyas/soldiers make them divine because they use it to protect the lives of good people. Recent act of terrorism in Bombay is unforgettable to us. How our soldiers came forward to protect the innocent people taking the risk of losing their own lives! The soldiers (Karkare, Unnikrishnan) had given their lives in the act of protecting people. That is a divine action. The same weapon in the hands of terrorists is sinful because it was used for the destruction, motivated by selfish desire and anger).
WHAT IS THEIR PRACTICE WHICH MAKES THEM PIOUS?
They perform sacrifices and that makes them pious. (Sacrifice is not giving up what we don’t like. Sacrifice is giving up things for the good of others at the right place and at the right time and also what is important to us. The whole life of the ruling class or the soldiers is a sacrifice. They sacrifice their hunger, time, sleep and even the very life itself. All the sacrifices are not for the good of their families or their own self, but for the good of many people. This is the ideal state of Kshatriyas given in our dharma.
Bheeshma in his talks on ‘Dharma of a king’ says: ‘The worship of mother, father and preceptor are the most important duties. These three should be worshipped and their commands should be obeyed implicitly. They are like three fires that have to be worshipped daily. Serving them one crosses this world of misery and attains to happiness’.
A Kshatriya is employed in the deed of fierceness. In his case, sacrifice and giving gifts becomes cleansing agents for him. The kings part with their wealth and other valuables by conducting yajnas lead by great rishis and Brahmanas. The yajnams are conducted for the good of the kingdom and the people. The truthfulness and selflessness of the king and the respect he has for the devotees in the kingdom makes him pious. He offers himself as a sacrifice in the act of ruling).
LIABILITY TO DEATH MAKES BRAHMINS LESS DIVINE. WHAT OF KSHATRIYAS?
In their case it is liability to fear. (Fear is not the quality of a Kshatriya. One who is strong and brave only can protect himself and also others. A Kshatriya is a man of action. When Arjuna saw his own relatives, gurus, friends and brothers arrayed in the opposite side, told Krishna that he did not want to fight. Lord Krishna explains in many slokas that the duty of a Kshatriya is to fight. He says to Arjuna that ‘War is the open gate to heaven. If you win, you have the heavenly kingdom here. If you die, it becomes ‘veera swargam’. And every Kshatriya waits for such an opportunity to fight for Dharma. If our soldiers have feared to enter Taj hotel or Narimann House, what would have happened? The fear makes one not to perform one’s duty with love. Whenever the selfish thought demands attention, we fall down from our divinity).
TELL ME ABOUT SACRIFICES. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE SAMA IN A SACRIFICE? AND YAJUS? THERE IS SOMETHING WHICH IS THE REFUGE OF SACRIFICE. WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR SACRIFICE?
Life is the Sama and mind is the Yajus. (The Sama Veda concerns the knowledge of chants. Sama means ‘melody’. This Veda is based on the Rik Veda. The hymns are addressed to Soma(moon), Agni(fire) and Indra(the God of Heaven). The life has emerged from that ultimate reality, the one source of many. If the senses(Indra) are in control, the fire(knowledge) which is already inside us makes our life complete(moon). We are in harmony with the creation, which consists of Nature and the Divine Agencies, the Devas, who control the forces of nature,when we are not behind the senses (when we are not selfish). Life becomes a wonderful, pleasant music by itself.
Yajur Veda is the sacrificial formula + veda knowledge. It talks in great detail about the sacrifices. The best sacrifice is the offering of one’s mind at the feet of the Lord. The renouncing of doership and the enjoyership is the highest of all sacrifices which takes one to the light of knowledge. The mind is the one which takes one towards attachment, when we don’t give up anything in life and the same mind becomes the cause of liberation, if it is offered to God.
Rik is the refuge of sacrifice. It is Rik which is essential for sacrifice.(The Rik veda is the foremost of all Sruti literature. One of the most important ideas that came out of the Rik Veda is the cosmic order named Rta. Rta means “cosmic and sacred order”, an ultimate and harmonic structure of reality. This is named now as Sanatana Dharma or ‘righteousness forever’.
It deals in great detail about the ‘Atma Jnanam’. Everyone’s action is a contribution to the world. When we don’t contribute, we disturb the harmony of the surroundings. Whatever we are enjoying today is somebody’s sacrifice, it may be a known or unknown source. This Veda makes one realize the greatness of sacrifice and makes one live with the truth. It is only by giving up man grows and not by holding on to things).
CONCLUSION
Sacrifice is highlighted in all the answers of Yudishtira. Bhagavad Gita says “Parasparam bhavayantah shreya param avaapsyatha” - Mutually cherishing, you shall attain to highest good. It is the success formula in any stage of life. Let us always think of good for others in all our actions. The Lord is said to be the ‘Yajna Purusha’. The whole of the cosmos is His body or His expression. Whatever action we do should be the best as we do offer the best fruit or a best flower to the Lord. It is through selfless attitude and love we can purify our mind and in that purified mind alone the Lord can express Himself the best. Let us make ourselves the best instrument in the Hands of the Lord.
Hari Om!
...Read more!
With the grace of our Guruji and the blessings of all great Mahatmas, I am before you with the next part of Yaksha Prashna sathsang.
INTRODUCTION TO KSHATRIYAS:
The four varnas (not castes) – Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra play a very important role in the picture of the World/creation. The varnas are assigned as per the Gunas and Karmas (actions) and not by birth.When Brahmaji was involved in the job of procreation, due to toil and perspiration, a negative energy emanated from him. This negative energy took the form of two asuras Madhu and Kaitabha. They were evil and inhuman souls. They tortured Brahmaji. Brahmaji appealed to Lord Vishnu who immediately appeared and destroyed the two asuras. He explained to Brahmaji that when the positive energy is utilized, the negative energy also emanates and that a special race of humans should be created to protect the entire human race. Brahmaji meditated on it and at the end of the fourth day, different forms of energy for the human race were formed out of Brahma’s body. The Kshatriyas were formed from the arms of Brahma’s body. The Kshatriyas are the warriors, ruling class with two primary duties 1) to govern the land and 2) to wage war. They follow the rules written in our scriputres (Dharma-raja), with the main duties to protect his subjects and livestock.
How colors play a beautiful role in a picture, the four varnas (not castes) – Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra play a very important role in the picture of the World/creation. The varnas are assigned as per the Gunas and Karmas (actions) and not by birth (Bhagavad Gita says that it is ‘guna karma vibhagasah’).
WHAT OF KSHATRIYAS? WHEREIN LAYS THEIR DIVINITY?
It lies in the arrows and weapons. (Divinity is always related to the purity of mind. Purity of mind is the result of doing one’s duty with total love and dedication. The duty of a Kshatriya is to protect the country and the people. It is not only applicable to the kings but also to the present set up of ruling class of ministers. We know how many of our soldiers have keen vigilance in the borders, day and night to protect us. The weapons in the hands of Kshatriyas/soldiers make them divine because they use it to protect the lives of good people. Recent act of terrorism in Bombay is unforgettable to us. How our soldiers came forward to protect the innocent people taking the risk of losing their own lives! The soldiers (Karkare, Unnikrishnan) had given their lives in the act of protecting people. That is a divine action. The same weapon in the hands of terrorists is sinful because it was used for the destruction, motivated by selfish desire and anger).
WHAT IS THEIR PRACTICE WHICH MAKES THEM PIOUS?
They perform sacrifices and that makes them pious. (Sacrifice is not giving up what we don’t like. Sacrifice is giving up things for the good of others at the right place and at the right time and also what is important to us. The whole life of the ruling class or the soldiers is a sacrifice. They sacrifice their hunger, time, sleep and even the very life itself. All the sacrifices are not for the good of their families or their own self, but for the good of many people. This is the ideal state of Kshatriyas given in our dharma.
Bheeshma in his talks on ‘Dharma of a king’ says: ‘The worship of mother, father and preceptor are the most important duties. These three should be worshipped and their commands should be obeyed implicitly. They are like three fires that have to be worshipped daily. Serving them one crosses this world of misery and attains to happiness’.
A Kshatriya is employed in the deed of fierceness. In his case, sacrifice and giving gifts becomes cleansing agents for him. The kings part with their wealth and other valuables by conducting yajnas lead by great rishis and Brahmanas. The yajnams are conducted for the good of the kingdom and the people. The truthfulness and selflessness of the king and the respect he has for the devotees in the kingdom makes him pious. He offers himself as a sacrifice in the act of ruling).
LIABILITY TO DEATH MAKES BRAHMINS LESS DIVINE. WHAT OF KSHATRIYAS?
In their case it is liability to fear. (Fear is not the quality of a Kshatriya. One who is strong and brave only can protect himself and also others. A Kshatriya is a man of action. When Arjuna saw his own relatives, gurus, friends and brothers arrayed in the opposite side, told Krishna that he did not want to fight. Lord Krishna explains in many slokas that the duty of a Kshatriya is to fight. He says to Arjuna that ‘War is the open gate to heaven. If you win, you have the heavenly kingdom here. If you die, it becomes ‘veera swargam’. And every Kshatriya waits for such an opportunity to fight for Dharma. If our soldiers have feared to enter Taj hotel or Narimann House, what would have happened? The fear makes one not to perform one’s duty with love. Whenever the selfish thought demands attention, we fall down from our divinity).
TELL ME ABOUT SACRIFICES. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE SAMA IN A SACRIFICE? AND YAJUS? THERE IS SOMETHING WHICH IS THE REFUGE OF SACRIFICE. WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR SACRIFICE?
Life is the Sama and mind is the Yajus. (The Sama Veda concerns the knowledge of chants. Sama means ‘melody’. This Veda is based on the Rik Veda. The hymns are addressed to Soma(moon), Agni(fire) and Indra(the God of Heaven). The life has emerged from that ultimate reality, the one source of many. If the senses(Indra) are in control, the fire(knowledge) which is already inside us makes our life complete(moon). We are in harmony with the creation, which consists of Nature and the Divine Agencies, the Devas, who control the forces of nature,when we are not behind the senses (when we are not selfish). Life becomes a wonderful, pleasant music by itself.
Yajur Veda is the sacrificial formula + veda knowledge. It talks in great detail about the sacrifices. The best sacrifice is the offering of one’s mind at the feet of the Lord. The renouncing of doership and the enjoyership is the highest of all sacrifices which takes one to the light of knowledge. The mind is the one which takes one towards attachment, when we don’t give up anything in life and the same mind becomes the cause of liberation, if it is offered to God.
Rik is the refuge of sacrifice. It is Rik which is essential for sacrifice.(The Rik veda is the foremost of all Sruti literature. One of the most important ideas that came out of the Rik Veda is the cosmic order named Rta. Rta means “cosmic and sacred order”, an ultimate and harmonic structure of reality. This is named now as Sanatana Dharma or ‘righteousness forever’.
It deals in great detail about the ‘Atma Jnanam’. Everyone’s action is a contribution to the world. When we don’t contribute, we disturb the harmony of the surroundings. Whatever we are enjoying today is somebody’s sacrifice, it may be a known or unknown source. This Veda makes one realize the greatness of sacrifice and makes one live with the truth. It is only by giving up man grows and not by holding on to things).
CONCLUSION
Sacrifice is highlighted in all the answers of Yudishtira. Bhagavad Gita says “Parasparam bhavayantah shreya param avaapsyatha” - Mutually cherishing, you shall attain to highest good. It is the success formula in any stage of life. Let us always think of good for others in all our actions. The Lord is said to be the ‘Yajna Purusha’. The whole of the cosmos is His body or His expression. Whatever action we do should be the best as we do offer the best fruit or a best flower to the Lord. It is through selfless attitude and love we can purify our mind and in that purified mind alone the Lord can express Himself the best. Let us make ourselves the best instrument in the Hands of the Lord.
Hari Om!
...Read more!
Yaksha Prashnam - 2
By Chitra Devraj
Namaskar Mahatmas!
All our good values have come because of our elders at home, their way of living, their way of solving problems and their easy way of forgiving and forgetting.With the grace of the Guru and with your blessings and love, I am here with the second part of yaksha prashnam. I am awaiting your feedback and comments.
Last week's discourse had Yudhishthira's answers to the following questions by the yaksha:
1. What makes the Sun rise? Whom has he for companion? Who is the cause for the setting of the Sun? In whom is the Sun established?
2. What makes one learned? How a man attains to what is great?
We shall continue with the third question from the yaksha today.
3. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MAN ALWAYS TO HAVE A SECOND COMPANION?
Steady Intelligence serves man as a helpful companion always. (It is intelligence – the Buddhi which makes a man different from an animal. The animals lead a life of senses whereas a man is blessed with this sixth sense to discriminate between what is good and bad. Steady Intelligence is the ‘vyavasaatmika buddhi’ explained in the second chapter of Bhagavad Gita. One pointed buddhi is said to be steady. If it is scattered in different directions, it becomes mind and sense dominated life. This single pointed Buddhi makes a man wise and is the helpful companion. This Buddhi when it focuses on the Lord, He becomes a Charioteer of our life like Krishna for Arjuna).
THIS INTELLIGENCE YOU SPEAK OF HOW IS IT TO BE ACQUIRED?
Serving the old makes one rich in wisdom. (In the past, Elders held the knowledge, history, ceremonies, songs, dances and cultural background for the nation. They passed this knowledge down from generation to generation. Elders were knowledgeable about Mother Earth. They knew the medicines and the culture. The elderly always deserve respect; therefore, one must always respect anyone who is older. It is a common belief that if Elders are to be sought as advisors about life they need to follow the "walk their talk" which indicates a strong spiritual and balanced life.
Many of our good values have not come because of our reading. All our good values have come because of our elders at home, their way of living, their way of solving problems and their easy way of forgiving and forgetting.
The Pandavas were guided by mother Kunti with her devotion to Lord Krishna. They were guided by the elders in the family and the great rishis and Lord Krishna Himself. Both Dhrithrashtra and Gandhari were looked after by the Pandavas as their own parents after the war even though they did injustice to them many times. Serving old doesn’t mean only the physical service. It is the love we shower on them unconditionally.
Once there was a lady who lived in a village. She is very much devoted to her old parents and was lovingly doing service to them. In the nearby forest there was a rishi who was performing tapas. When he was on meditation, a crow dirtied the head of the rishi and the rishi in anger burnt the crow just by looking at it. That rishi came to the village for the biksha. He stood at the door steps of this pious lady’s house and asked for the food. As she was feeding the parents, she asked the rishi to wait. The rishi got angry and wanted to burn her like the crow. When the lady came out after some time with the food, she told the rishi that she is not the crow to be burnt into ashes. The rishi was shocked to hear this. What power the rishi has got by doing the tapas, the lady had got it by doing service to the parents. Wisdom comes out of love.
Prahalada was tortured by the father Hiranyakashipu to a great extent. But he never lost the love and respect for the father. The first boon he asked from the Lord is to forgive his father.
One who has developed the awareness of the Lord everywhere, serves everyone with love. It is by giving love one get set in wisdom.
The old (also refers to experience) also means the person who is rich in knowledge and experience (Guru). By serving him in all ways, one comes to know the dharma and the practice leads a man to wisdom.
4. HOW ARE BRAHMINS RANKED WITH DIVINE BEINGS? WHY?
They are considered divine because they study the Vedas. (All those who study Vedas cannot become divine. All pujaris who chant mantras are not divine because of their eye on the dakshina. Brahmins are people who are in the path of truth – Brahmapada. A mere reading of Vedas is just a bookish knowledge. A person who lives as per Vedas and our scriptures is divine. One who acts unselfish in life without expecting anything from the world is considered divine. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that ‘I am the strength and buddhi of one who is unselfish’. In such persons, the Lord Himself is acting through them. The divine take less from the world and give more to the world).
WHAT IS IT THEY PRACTISE WHICH MAKES THEM PIOUS?
Their asceticism makes them behave as they do and so they are pious. (Asceticism is the practice of austere self-discipline voluntarily undertaken in order to achieve a higher spiritual ideal. A pious man is one who is saatvik (pure, untouched by desires) in nature and whose thought flow towards Lord all the time. All the voluntary practice taken is to experience the divinity within oneself. Bhagavad Gita says that if we pray for our desires, then it is not Raja Vidhya. Lord says that ‘A man who loves Lord for the sake of Lord, I dwell in them and he too dwells in Me’. All the sacrifices make a man very loving towards every creature of the creation and also very humble. He sees the Lord in everything around him. The practice makes one pious and not by taking bath in Ganges or by doing pujas. Inner purity reflected in one’s actions makes him pious. One hour puja or meditation should be reflected in our thoughts and actions in the next 23 hours of the day).
THE BRAHMINS ARE RANKED WITH DIVINE BEINGS. HOWARE THEY THEN DIFFERENT FROM DIVINE BEINGS?
Brahmins are mortal and divine beings are not. It is this liability to die that makes them not quite divine. (In the previous question Yudishthira answered that the Brahmins are equated to the divine because of the study of the Vedas. The Brahmins can be compared to the Divine but they cannot be actually divine. The things which are born need to die. It is the nature’s law. The one who is in the path of truth also need to leave the body one day or the other. This is on a comparative view with the divine beings. When we compare our life with that of ant, it seems that the life of ant is nothing before us or for ants we are mortals. Similarly when our life span is compared to that of the divine beings or the Devas, we are mortals. The divine beings created by Brahmaji during creation act without any choice. Few examples are the rain, fire, wind, sun act all through the time. When the pralaya comes they also go back to their source. The divine are not bound by the karma while the human being comes to this world with the karma to be burnt. As soon as it is over, the death hugs the man. A man who attains the highest knowledge while living in this body, is a jivanmukta. Gods feel jealous of human beings because that is the gate to the realization. Vidura has explained in great detail this aspect of life as ‘everlasting’ in the Vidura Neethi).
CONCLUSION:
I remember the quote of Mother Teresa which is a great message for us.
To parents: It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another--not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy
Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried. Are we there? Let us know the poor in our own families first. We have old people: they are put in institutions and they are never visited; with less and less time even to smile at each other, with less and less time to be together. Love begins at home, if we can only make our own homes temples of love.
It is the Love inside which makes a man closer to God and not the rituals. Love grows more and more when one leaves the ego. Wherever there is ‘I’, there cannot be love.
LET US NOT LOVE WITH WORDS ALONE. LET US LOVE EACH OTHER TILL IT HURTS!
We will continue in the next week. HARI OM !
...Read more!
Namaskar Mahatmas!
All our good values have come because of our elders at home, their way of living, their way of solving problems and their easy way of forgiving and forgetting.With the grace of the Guru and with your blessings and love, I am here with the second part of yaksha prashnam. I am awaiting your feedback and comments.
Last week's discourse had Yudhishthira's answers to the following questions by the yaksha:
1. What makes the Sun rise? Whom has he for companion? Who is the cause for the setting of the Sun? In whom is the Sun established?
2. What makes one learned? How a man attains to what is great?
We shall continue with the third question from the yaksha today.
3. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MAN ALWAYS TO HAVE A SECOND COMPANION?
Steady Intelligence serves man as a helpful companion always. (It is intelligence – the Buddhi which makes a man different from an animal. The animals lead a life of senses whereas a man is blessed with this sixth sense to discriminate between what is good and bad. Steady Intelligence is the ‘vyavasaatmika buddhi’ explained in the second chapter of Bhagavad Gita. One pointed buddhi is said to be steady. If it is scattered in different directions, it becomes mind and sense dominated life. This single pointed Buddhi makes a man wise and is the helpful companion. This Buddhi when it focuses on the Lord, He becomes a Charioteer of our life like Krishna for Arjuna).
THIS INTELLIGENCE YOU SPEAK OF HOW IS IT TO BE ACQUIRED?
Serving the old makes one rich in wisdom. (In the past, Elders held the knowledge, history, ceremonies, songs, dances and cultural background for the nation. They passed this knowledge down from generation to generation. Elders were knowledgeable about Mother Earth. They knew the medicines and the culture. The elderly always deserve respect; therefore, one must always respect anyone who is older. It is a common belief that if Elders are to be sought as advisors about life they need to follow the "walk their talk" which indicates a strong spiritual and balanced life.
Many of our good values have not come because of our reading. All our good values have come because of our elders at home, their way of living, their way of solving problems and their easy way of forgiving and forgetting.
The Pandavas were guided by mother Kunti with her devotion to Lord Krishna. They were guided by the elders in the family and the great rishis and Lord Krishna Himself. Both Dhrithrashtra and Gandhari were looked after by the Pandavas as their own parents after the war even though they did injustice to them many times. Serving old doesn’t mean only the physical service. It is the love we shower on them unconditionally.
Once there was a lady who lived in a village. She is very much devoted to her old parents and was lovingly doing service to them. In the nearby forest there was a rishi who was performing tapas. When he was on meditation, a crow dirtied the head of the rishi and the rishi in anger burnt the crow just by looking at it. That rishi came to the village for the biksha. He stood at the door steps of this pious lady’s house and asked for the food. As she was feeding the parents, she asked the rishi to wait. The rishi got angry and wanted to burn her like the crow. When the lady came out after some time with the food, she told the rishi that she is not the crow to be burnt into ashes. The rishi was shocked to hear this. What power the rishi has got by doing the tapas, the lady had got it by doing service to the parents. Wisdom comes out of love.
Prahalada was tortured by the father Hiranyakashipu to a great extent. But he never lost the love and respect for the father. The first boon he asked from the Lord is to forgive his father.
One who has developed the awareness of the Lord everywhere, serves everyone with love. It is by giving love one get set in wisdom.
The old (also refers to experience) also means the person who is rich in knowledge and experience (Guru). By serving him in all ways, one comes to know the dharma and the practice leads a man to wisdom.
4. HOW ARE BRAHMINS RANKED WITH DIVINE BEINGS? WHY?
They are considered divine because they study the Vedas. (All those who study Vedas cannot become divine. All pujaris who chant mantras are not divine because of their eye on the dakshina. Brahmins are people who are in the path of truth – Brahmapada. A mere reading of Vedas is just a bookish knowledge. A person who lives as per Vedas and our scriptures is divine. One who acts unselfish in life without expecting anything from the world is considered divine. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that ‘I am the strength and buddhi of one who is unselfish’. In such persons, the Lord Himself is acting through them. The divine take less from the world and give more to the world).
WHAT IS IT THEY PRACTISE WHICH MAKES THEM PIOUS?
Their asceticism makes them behave as they do and so they are pious. (Asceticism is the practice of austere self-discipline voluntarily undertaken in order to achieve a higher spiritual ideal. A pious man is one who is saatvik (pure, untouched by desires) in nature and whose thought flow towards Lord all the time. All the voluntary practice taken is to experience the divinity within oneself. Bhagavad Gita says that if we pray for our desires, then it is not Raja Vidhya. Lord says that ‘A man who loves Lord for the sake of Lord, I dwell in them and he too dwells in Me’. All the sacrifices make a man very loving towards every creature of the creation and also very humble. He sees the Lord in everything around him. The practice makes one pious and not by taking bath in Ganges or by doing pujas. Inner purity reflected in one’s actions makes him pious. One hour puja or meditation should be reflected in our thoughts and actions in the next 23 hours of the day).
THE BRAHMINS ARE RANKED WITH DIVINE BEINGS. HOWARE THEY THEN DIFFERENT FROM DIVINE BEINGS?
Brahmins are mortal and divine beings are not. It is this liability to die that makes them not quite divine. (In the previous question Yudishthira answered that the Brahmins are equated to the divine because of the study of the Vedas. The Brahmins can be compared to the Divine but they cannot be actually divine. The things which are born need to die. It is the nature’s law. The one who is in the path of truth also need to leave the body one day or the other. This is on a comparative view with the divine beings. When we compare our life with that of ant, it seems that the life of ant is nothing before us or for ants we are mortals. Similarly when our life span is compared to that of the divine beings or the Devas, we are mortals. The divine beings created by Brahmaji during creation act without any choice. Few examples are the rain, fire, wind, sun act all through the time. When the pralaya comes they also go back to their source. The divine are not bound by the karma while the human being comes to this world with the karma to be burnt. As soon as it is over, the death hugs the man. A man who attains the highest knowledge while living in this body, is a jivanmukta. Gods feel jealous of human beings because that is the gate to the realization. Vidura has explained in great detail this aspect of life as ‘everlasting’ in the Vidura Neethi).
CONCLUSION:
I remember the quote of Mother Teresa which is a great message for us.
To parents: It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another--not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy
Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried. Are we there? Let us know the poor in our own families first. We have old people: they are put in institutions and they are never visited; with less and less time even to smile at each other, with less and less time to be together. Love begins at home, if we can only make our own homes temples of love.
It is the Love inside which makes a man closer to God and not the rituals. Love grows more and more when one leaves the ego. Wherever there is ‘I’, there cannot be love.
LET US NOT LOVE WITH WORDS ALONE. LET US LOVE EACH OTHER TILL IT HURTS!
We will continue in the next week. HARI OM !
...Read more!
Yaksha Prashnam - 1
By Chitra Devraj
Namaskar Mahatmas!
With the blessing of my Guru and the grace of the Lord, I am before you with yaksha prashnam.
The Yaksha Prashnam is the dialogue between a Yaksha and the King Yudishthira. This part comes in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharatha. Every scripture is complete by itself if we meditate on it and put it into practice. Please participate in this satsang with your valuable comments, feedbacks. Please share your views regarding this text.
With humble prostrations to everyone of you.
THE BACKGROUND STORY
Once, when the Pandavas were living in Dwaitavana – it was during their final stay of a few months – a Brahmin came to Yudishthira with a request. He said a deer had entered his hut and carried away the sticks (Arani) used for making fire. In those days no house should be without fire. They used to rub these sticks together and make fire and worship every day. So the Brahmin was desperate to get back his sticks which are stuck to the horns of the deer. The Brahmin requested the Pandavas to chase the deer and get back his sticks.
It is the duty of a Kshathriya to protect a Brahmana. The Pandavas left at once in search of the deer. They followed it very far but suddenly it disappeared from their sight. They did not know what to do. Yudishthira was unhappy because he could not please the Brahmin (keeping up promises is very important for a wise man). Depressed in mind and fatigued by thirst and hunger, they sat down under the shade of a huge tree. Like all of us, the brothers started thinking to find a reason for this problem (it is a problem because it is important to satisfy a Brahmin who has taken refuge in them). When the brothers were breaking their heads to find the reason, Yudishthira said: "My dear child! Don't you know that when calamities befall a person, they always come in numbers and never singly? We have choice only to bear them. We cannot question the reason behind these happenings in life. They are sent to us and we have to bear them".
The brothers looked back into their life and started finding reasons for the calamity even after listening to Yudishthira. Yudishthira told them that it is not the time to look back and think of the might-have-beens but see what is necessary now at this moment (Whenever there is a problem, we usually don't think of what is required at that moment instead bring all the past into mind and confuse ourselves. The mind takes over the buddhi. One who is steady in wisdom lives only in the present and so efficient in solving problems of life). They were all thirsty and they needed water. Nakula climbed up a tree and looked out for a pond or lake nearby and he found one. They were so happy to hear that. Yudishthira told Nakula to go and bring water for everyone.
He reached the lake. The water looked so cool and inviting. He went near it to drink it. Suddenly he heard a voice from nowhere. It said:"You must not drink this water of this lake because it belongs to me. If you want to drink water or take water, you need to answer my questions". Nakula ignored the voice. He ran to the brink of the lake and drank the cold water. Immediately Nakula fell down dead.
The others waited for a long time. Since Nakula didn't return, Yudisthira sent Sahadeva to go in search of his brother. Sahadeva reached the lake. He saw the dead form of his brother on the ground. He was shocked but the thirst was so great that he rushed towards the water as Nakula had done. The same voice was heard with the same warning. But Sahadeva disregarded the voice and suffered the same fate as his brother. Yudishthira sent Arjuna and then Bheema. Not one of them came back. Intrigued by this, Yudishthira walked towards the lake. He saw all his brothers there, dead.
Yudisthira was stunned at the site of the dead brothers. There is no trace of fighting. It is impossible to believe that the four brothers could have been killed without their fighting for their lives. What could be the cause for this? – Yudishthira started thinking. Overcome by sorrow, he went near the dead forms of his brothers. He had no tears to shed. He was sitting like a stone. Where is the quick death that overtook my brothers? Why has it not come to me yet? Like all other human being's state of mind, thought chased thought in his poor, disturbed mind. Thinking like this his eyes fell on the water in the lake. The thirst came back in greater force. He walked towards the water and was about to drink it. At that time came the voice and the warning which all his brothers ignored.
Yudishthira stopped the act of drinking the water and looked around to locate the source of the voice. The voice said:"I am the Yaksha who owns this lake. Your brothers didn't listen to my warning and so now lie dead". Yudishthira spoke sadly to the Yaksha: "What Yaksha are you? Are you one of the Rudras? Are you the chief among the Maruts? Who are you that could fell, at one stroke, these masses of strength? My brothers are so powerful that no one, not even a God can kill any one of them. But you have killed all the four of them. They were not allowed even to fight for their own lives. My Lord, I am overcome with terror and admiration for you. I am curious to know who you are! Please reveal yourself to me. I want to see you".
The Yaksha appeared in front of Yudishthira. He was indeed a gruesome spectacle. Yudishthira saluted the yaksha for his power. Yudishthira said:"I am honoured by your appearance. You have listened to my request. I feel very grateful to you".
The Yaksha said:"I am telling you also, unless you answer all my questions, you cannot drink water in my lake".
Yudishthira replied:" My Lord, I will not insult you by disregarding your words. You say that this lake belongs to you. In that case, I have no right to drink water unless you permit me to do so. I will try to find answers for them. I will try, to the best of my ability, to please you with my answers". (Without accepting a challenge man does not grow. If we are afraid to take a risk, then we rule out all possibility of getting better in life. We all have taken the risk when we choose to live in Gulf for the first time. If we have not taken that risk, we would not have got this prosperous life. 'I will try, to the best of the ability' – is the right attitude of life, whatever be the situation in life. With fear one can never be strong. The strength of Yudishthira is shown in these words and also the great humility).
The Yaksha said: "Arjuna invoked all the divine astras which he had at his command and aimed at me. He could not do anything to me. I am pleased with your humility. I will ask you answer several questions on ethics".
"Yes. I am ready" – said Yudisthira.
THE YAKSHA STARTED HIS ARROW OF QUESTIONS ON YUDISHTHIRA.
The questions and answers form the important part of the episode. Questions seem to be simple but the deeper reflection given by Yudishthira is astonishing and the answers are the essence of our Vedas and other scriptures. Let us meditate on the answers already given by the king to put it into practice in our day to day living.
THE QUESTIONS OF YAKSHA TO KING YUDISHTHIRA
1. What makes the Sun rise? Whom has he for companion? Who is the cause for the setting of the Sun? In whom is the Sun established?
Brahma makes the Sun rise. During the creation, it is Brahmaji who creates everything as per the will of the Lord. Whatever we see or feel in nature is the Dharma by itself, which is nothing but Lord.
His company is kept by the Gods. Gods act as per Dharma. When we perform sacrifices which are our dharma, the Gods bestow on us the rains, seasons and other necessities which is their dharma. In the eighth chapter of Gita it is mentioned that persons who have practiced devotion to God and performed all their duties and works offered to Him, without any desire for fruits will have gradual spiritual progress by passing through the realms of fire, light etc, presided over by the deities known by those names. It is the path of light.
Dharma causes him to set. Lots of activities are triggered with the rise of the sun. Everybody's dharma starts with the dawn of the day. There are so many people waiting to perform their dharma. The sun sets at one place but reveals itself in the other place to help the people there. What is night for us is the day for the other part of the world. Think of time where there is no setting of sun. The whole day goes in activity with an eye to rest in the night. All are interconnected in the creation. Parasparam bhavayantah – gita tells mutually cherish each other and grow. That is Dharma.
The Sun is established in truth. The sun reveals itself fully in a slushy water and also equally in the Ganges. It gives heat and light to all under him. Both good and bad acts are going under the sun but the sun is untouched and unlimited by anything. The truth is not different for a Chandaala or a Brahmana. The truth remains the same wherever or whoever it is. The Jnani is always compared to the effulgent of a sun because, it is self effulgent. We don't require a torch to see the sun. Only the worldly minded needs all kinds of wealth, strength and status to show himself to the outer world where as the wise man revels in the light of knowledge and he lights the path of everyone around him – like Yudishthira established in truth.
2. What makes one learned?
The study of the Srutis makes one learned. (Sruti means 'those that have been heard'. All the four Vedas Rik, Yajus, Sama and Atharva and also the Upanishads comes under the Sruti. The great saints have passed on the knowledge from generation to generation by hearing and after the self experience pass it on to the worthy disciple. These scriptures deal with our dharma, the greater truths of life and also the highest end one need to strive for. We are learned only when we know what our scriptures say. After knowing putting it into practice is very important otherwise we will be equated to a donkey with loads of theoretical knowledge. All other learning (music, modern studies, art etc) doesn't come under the knowledge said in the scriptures. All the arts are taken away by time. A great singer today is nothing after 50 years. Age takes away the good voice, memory. Shankaracharya says in Bhaja Govindam 'maa kuru dana, jaya, yowvana gharvam. Harathi nimesha kaalah sarvam' – all are taken away by the merciless time. We are ignorant of the fact and spend all our life time to gain knowledge which are temporary. Nachiketas (the boy of 8 year old) had the clarity of what he needed. When Yama raja gifted him all great things of this world and the next, he asked to grant him what is permanent and what is not touched by time. When we are given such opportunity what are we going to ask? (All of us have a big list. Isn't it?) How many parents today insist that their children should read scriptures, do prayers every day? If it gets late, we first erase the prayer in the list. We give our children healthy food, grand dresses, comfortable life, teach them how to score 100/100 but we fail to give them the real knowledge said in the srutis. Our children will be in the line of Dharma and loving to the world only when they learn this ultimate knowledge. Then only we and our children are learned).
How a man attains to what is great?
Ascetic austerities help a man to achieve the great. (What are austerities? Bhagavad Gita 17th chapter deals this in great detail. They are divided into three types 1) saatvika 2) Raajasika and 3) Taamasika. The austerities performed with much show, having in view recognition, praise and adoration as a pious man by others are Raajasik in nature. It is unstable and leads to no permanent good to a man. The austerities performed through the practice of self torture for the destruction of another or under the influence of perverse theories are Taamasik in nature. It is action done in full ignorance and negligence. What Yudishthira speaks here are the austerities which are Saatvik in nature. AUSTERITIES PERTAINING TO BODY: service of the Devas, holy men, teachers, parents and wise persons and also observance of cleanliness, uprightness, continence and non-injury (Gandhiji says that non-injury should be out of fearlessness. If we are not hitting a cockroach it is not non-violence, it is out of fear. Non-injury is a bold and positive step). AUSTERITIES PERTAINING TO SPEECH: speaking only words that are inoffensive, true, pleasant and beneficial, as also regular recitation of scriptures. AUSTERITIES PERTAINING TO MIND: serenity of mind, gentleness, moderation in speech, self-control and purity of heart. Lord says that all the three fold austerities (body, mind and speech) need to be performed. We need to have highest faith. The actions should not be motivated by the expectation of the fruit of actions and in total equanimity of mind. These are the ascetic austerities which help man achieve the GOAL OF LIFE i.e. to experience the inner divinity. 4th chapter of Gita says, Whatever we give up in life, it should culminate in knowledge. Otherwise all the sacrifices are just external signs).
CONCLUSION:
Let us not compromise on our dharma on any day under any circumstances. All our duties need to be done with utmost love and devotion like the sun. The sun reveals itself as a beam of light even through a small peep hole. Let us use every situation in life to show our love and humility to all beings around us. Chinmayanandaji used to tell that how many of us welcome the Sun God in the morning? Even if the sun wants to say 'hello' to us, we pull the curtains close and in addition to that cover our body from head to toe with a thick blanket. He says beautifully if we can get up at 4 in the morning every day we add a few hours to our life every day.
By reading scriptures every day (our Guruji says a chapter of Gita every day. It takes 3 to 5 minutes to read the English translation), meditating and reflecting that knowledge in our actions, will take us near to inner divinity. This discipline is a must for a seeker.
Practicing the three fold austerities (kaaya, vaachaa and manasaa) will make us pure and peaceful in life. Reading the scriptures with total faith will strengthen our practice. Practice will make our conviction strengthened. More conviction will lead to more practice and it will make us perfect.
We will continue in the next week. HARI OM!
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Namaskar Mahatmas!
With the blessing of my Guru and the grace of the Lord, I am before you with yaksha prashnam.
The Yaksha Prashnam is the dialogue between a Yaksha and the King Yudishthira. This part comes in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharatha. Every scripture is complete by itself if we meditate on it and put it into practice. Please participate in this satsang with your valuable comments, feedbacks. Please share your views regarding this text.
With humble prostrations to everyone of you.
THE BACKGROUND STORY
Once, when the Pandavas were living in Dwaitavana – it was during their final stay of a few months – a Brahmin came to Yudishthira with a request. He said a deer had entered his hut and carried away the sticks (Arani) used for making fire. In those days no house should be without fire. They used to rub these sticks together and make fire and worship every day. So the Brahmin was desperate to get back his sticks which are stuck to the horns of the deer. The Brahmin requested the Pandavas to chase the deer and get back his sticks.
It is the duty of a Kshathriya to protect a Brahmana. The Pandavas left at once in search of the deer. They followed it very far but suddenly it disappeared from their sight. They did not know what to do. Yudishthira was unhappy because he could not please the Brahmin (keeping up promises is very important for a wise man). Depressed in mind and fatigued by thirst and hunger, they sat down under the shade of a huge tree. Like all of us, the brothers started thinking to find a reason for this problem (it is a problem because it is important to satisfy a Brahmin who has taken refuge in them). When the brothers were breaking their heads to find the reason, Yudishthira said: "My dear child! Don't you know that when calamities befall a person, they always come in numbers and never singly? We have choice only to bear them. We cannot question the reason behind these happenings in life. They are sent to us and we have to bear them".
The brothers looked back into their life and started finding reasons for the calamity even after listening to Yudishthira. Yudishthira told them that it is not the time to look back and think of the might-have-beens but see what is necessary now at this moment (Whenever there is a problem, we usually don't think of what is required at that moment instead bring all the past into mind and confuse ourselves. The mind takes over the buddhi. One who is steady in wisdom lives only in the present and so efficient in solving problems of life). They were all thirsty and they needed water. Nakula climbed up a tree and looked out for a pond or lake nearby and he found one. They were so happy to hear that. Yudishthira told Nakula to go and bring water for everyone.
He reached the lake. The water looked so cool and inviting. He went near it to drink it. Suddenly he heard a voice from nowhere. It said:"You must not drink this water of this lake because it belongs to me. If you want to drink water or take water, you need to answer my questions". Nakula ignored the voice. He ran to the brink of the lake and drank the cold water. Immediately Nakula fell down dead.
The others waited for a long time. Since Nakula didn't return, Yudisthira sent Sahadeva to go in search of his brother. Sahadeva reached the lake. He saw the dead form of his brother on the ground. He was shocked but the thirst was so great that he rushed towards the water as Nakula had done. The same voice was heard with the same warning. But Sahadeva disregarded the voice and suffered the same fate as his brother. Yudishthira sent Arjuna and then Bheema. Not one of them came back. Intrigued by this, Yudishthira walked towards the lake. He saw all his brothers there, dead.
Yudisthira was stunned at the site of the dead brothers. There is no trace of fighting. It is impossible to believe that the four brothers could have been killed without their fighting for their lives. What could be the cause for this? – Yudishthira started thinking. Overcome by sorrow, he went near the dead forms of his brothers. He had no tears to shed. He was sitting like a stone. Where is the quick death that overtook my brothers? Why has it not come to me yet? Like all other human being's state of mind, thought chased thought in his poor, disturbed mind. Thinking like this his eyes fell on the water in the lake. The thirst came back in greater force. He walked towards the water and was about to drink it. At that time came the voice and the warning which all his brothers ignored.
Yudishthira stopped the act of drinking the water and looked around to locate the source of the voice. The voice said:"I am the Yaksha who owns this lake. Your brothers didn't listen to my warning and so now lie dead". Yudishthira spoke sadly to the Yaksha: "What Yaksha are you? Are you one of the Rudras? Are you the chief among the Maruts? Who are you that could fell, at one stroke, these masses of strength? My brothers are so powerful that no one, not even a God can kill any one of them. But you have killed all the four of them. They were not allowed even to fight for their own lives. My Lord, I am overcome with terror and admiration for you. I am curious to know who you are! Please reveal yourself to me. I want to see you".
The Yaksha appeared in front of Yudishthira. He was indeed a gruesome spectacle. Yudishthira saluted the yaksha for his power. Yudishthira said:"I am honoured by your appearance. You have listened to my request. I feel very grateful to you".
The Yaksha said:"I am telling you also, unless you answer all my questions, you cannot drink water in my lake".
Yudishthira replied:" My Lord, I will not insult you by disregarding your words. You say that this lake belongs to you. In that case, I have no right to drink water unless you permit me to do so. I will try to find answers for them. I will try, to the best of my ability, to please you with my answers". (Without accepting a challenge man does not grow. If we are afraid to take a risk, then we rule out all possibility of getting better in life. We all have taken the risk when we choose to live in Gulf for the first time. If we have not taken that risk, we would not have got this prosperous life. 'I will try, to the best of the ability' – is the right attitude of life, whatever be the situation in life. With fear one can never be strong. The strength of Yudishthira is shown in these words and also the great humility).
The Yaksha said: "Arjuna invoked all the divine astras which he had at his command and aimed at me. He could not do anything to me. I am pleased with your humility. I will ask you answer several questions on ethics".
"Yes. I am ready" – said Yudisthira.
THE YAKSHA STARTED HIS ARROW OF QUESTIONS ON YUDISHTHIRA.
The questions and answers form the important part of the episode. Questions seem to be simple but the deeper reflection given by Yudishthira is astonishing and the answers are the essence of our Vedas and other scriptures. Let us meditate on the answers already given by the king to put it into practice in our day to day living.
THE QUESTIONS OF YAKSHA TO KING YUDISHTHIRA
1. What makes the Sun rise? Whom has he for companion? Who is the cause for the setting of the Sun? In whom is the Sun established?
Brahma makes the Sun rise. During the creation, it is Brahmaji who creates everything as per the will of the Lord. Whatever we see or feel in nature is the Dharma by itself, which is nothing but Lord.
His company is kept by the Gods. Gods act as per Dharma. When we perform sacrifices which are our dharma, the Gods bestow on us the rains, seasons and other necessities which is their dharma. In the eighth chapter of Gita it is mentioned that persons who have practiced devotion to God and performed all their duties and works offered to Him, without any desire for fruits will have gradual spiritual progress by passing through the realms of fire, light etc, presided over by the deities known by those names. It is the path of light.
Dharma causes him to set. Lots of activities are triggered with the rise of the sun. Everybody's dharma starts with the dawn of the day. There are so many people waiting to perform their dharma. The sun sets at one place but reveals itself in the other place to help the people there. What is night for us is the day for the other part of the world. Think of time where there is no setting of sun. The whole day goes in activity with an eye to rest in the night. All are interconnected in the creation. Parasparam bhavayantah – gita tells mutually cherish each other and grow. That is Dharma.
The Sun is established in truth. The sun reveals itself fully in a slushy water and also equally in the Ganges. It gives heat and light to all under him. Both good and bad acts are going under the sun but the sun is untouched and unlimited by anything. The truth is not different for a Chandaala or a Brahmana. The truth remains the same wherever or whoever it is. The Jnani is always compared to the effulgent of a sun because, it is self effulgent. We don't require a torch to see the sun. Only the worldly minded needs all kinds of wealth, strength and status to show himself to the outer world where as the wise man revels in the light of knowledge and he lights the path of everyone around him – like Yudishthira established in truth.
2. What makes one learned?
The study of the Srutis makes one learned. (Sruti means 'those that have been heard'. All the four Vedas Rik, Yajus, Sama and Atharva and also the Upanishads comes under the Sruti. The great saints have passed on the knowledge from generation to generation by hearing and after the self experience pass it on to the worthy disciple. These scriptures deal with our dharma, the greater truths of life and also the highest end one need to strive for. We are learned only when we know what our scriptures say. After knowing putting it into practice is very important otherwise we will be equated to a donkey with loads of theoretical knowledge. All other learning (music, modern studies, art etc) doesn't come under the knowledge said in the scriptures. All the arts are taken away by time. A great singer today is nothing after 50 years. Age takes away the good voice, memory. Shankaracharya says in Bhaja Govindam 'maa kuru dana, jaya, yowvana gharvam. Harathi nimesha kaalah sarvam' – all are taken away by the merciless time. We are ignorant of the fact and spend all our life time to gain knowledge which are temporary. Nachiketas (the boy of 8 year old) had the clarity of what he needed. When Yama raja gifted him all great things of this world and the next, he asked to grant him what is permanent and what is not touched by time. When we are given such opportunity what are we going to ask? (All of us have a big list. Isn't it?) How many parents today insist that their children should read scriptures, do prayers every day? If it gets late, we first erase the prayer in the list. We give our children healthy food, grand dresses, comfortable life, teach them how to score 100/100 but we fail to give them the real knowledge said in the srutis. Our children will be in the line of Dharma and loving to the world only when they learn this ultimate knowledge. Then only we and our children are learned).
How a man attains to what is great?
Ascetic austerities help a man to achieve the great. (What are austerities? Bhagavad Gita 17th chapter deals this in great detail. They are divided into three types 1) saatvika 2) Raajasika and 3) Taamasika. The austerities performed with much show, having in view recognition, praise and adoration as a pious man by others are Raajasik in nature. It is unstable and leads to no permanent good to a man. The austerities performed through the practice of self torture for the destruction of another or under the influence of perverse theories are Taamasik in nature. It is action done in full ignorance and negligence. What Yudishthira speaks here are the austerities which are Saatvik in nature. AUSTERITIES PERTAINING TO BODY: service of the Devas, holy men, teachers, parents and wise persons and also observance of cleanliness, uprightness, continence and non-injury (Gandhiji says that non-injury should be out of fearlessness. If we are not hitting a cockroach it is not non-violence, it is out of fear. Non-injury is a bold and positive step). AUSTERITIES PERTAINING TO SPEECH: speaking only words that are inoffensive, true, pleasant and beneficial, as also regular recitation of scriptures. AUSTERITIES PERTAINING TO MIND: serenity of mind, gentleness, moderation in speech, self-control and purity of heart. Lord says that all the three fold austerities (body, mind and speech) need to be performed. We need to have highest faith. The actions should not be motivated by the expectation of the fruit of actions and in total equanimity of mind. These are the ascetic austerities which help man achieve the GOAL OF LIFE i.e. to experience the inner divinity. 4th chapter of Gita says, Whatever we give up in life, it should culminate in knowledge. Otherwise all the sacrifices are just external signs).
CONCLUSION:
Let us not compromise on our dharma on any day under any circumstances. All our duties need to be done with utmost love and devotion like the sun. The sun reveals itself as a beam of light even through a small peep hole. Let us use every situation in life to show our love and humility to all beings around us. Chinmayanandaji used to tell that how many of us welcome the Sun God in the morning? Even if the sun wants to say 'hello' to us, we pull the curtains close and in addition to that cover our body from head to toe with a thick blanket. He says beautifully if we can get up at 4 in the morning every day we add a few hours to our life every day.
By reading scriptures every day (our Guruji says a chapter of Gita every day. It takes 3 to 5 minutes to read the English translation), meditating and reflecting that knowledge in our actions, will take us near to inner divinity. This discipline is a must for a seeker.
Practicing the three fold austerities (kaaya, vaachaa and manasaa) will make us pure and peaceful in life. Reading the scriptures with total faith will strengthen our practice. Practice will make our conviction strengthened. More conviction will lead to more practice and it will make us perfect.
We will continue in the next week. HARI OM!
...Read more!
Vidura Neeti - 8
By Chitra Devraj
Today's satsangh is the concluding part of the Vidura Neethi.
WHAT IS ‘AARJAVAM’?
Vidura narrates the greatness of this quality ‘Aarjavam’ through a conversation between Suthanva and Virochana.Aarjavam comes from the word ‘rju’ or straight – forwardness. It is one of the great qualities of a bhaktha. Diplomacy is needed when we go down in our values to make money or to handle power. Aarjavam means no diplomacy whatsoever. Children are straight forward. They are plain minded and they have not learned the tricks of the grownup people yet. Such a quality is highly praised in our scriptures and also by Vidura here. (When our own children do a mistake, we forgive them and support them by justifying their action. The same action if it is done by somebody else, we don’t mind saying it is wrong and show all kinds of reaction to punish them. This partiality is because of the attachment of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. A person becomes great if he can tell right or wrong irrespective of who is there before him. That is Aarjavam’. Lord Krishna stresses on this quality in the BhagvadGita (16th chapter 1st sloka, 13th chapter 7th sloka, 17th chapter 14th sloka, 18th chapter 42nd sloka)).
Vidura now narrates the greatness of this quality ‘Aarjavam’ through a conversation between Suthanva and Virochana.
CONVERSATION BETWEEN SUTHANVA AND VIROCHANA
Once there was a princess called Kesini. The king arranged for a swayamvara for her. Many princes from various kingdoms came for the swayamvaram. Among them there was a brahmana called Suthanva and an asura king called ‘Virochana’. Kesini came to know about both of them. When they came to meet the princess, there was a golden seat in the hall and Virochana tried to sit on that. At that time, Kesini put a question to Virochana – “Virochana! Who is greater, the brahmanas or the asuras? Why not the brahmana Suthanva sit on that seat?”
Vircohana:”We are the sons of Kashyapa. So we are greater sadhus than others. All worlds belong to us. Nobody be it a deva or a brahmana is greater than us.
Kesini: “Virochana! We will meet in the same place tomorrow morning. At that time we will decide who is greater, you or that brahamana!”
Next morning, all of them assembled as planned. Virochana was sitting on the golden seat. Suthanva entered the hall. Kesini immediately got up from her seat and offered the brahmana arghyam and paadhyam. Virochana did not show any sign of respect. He offered a small place in same seat itself for Suthanva to sit.
Suthanva: “A father and a son can share a seat. Two kings can share a seat. Two brahmanas can share a seat. But a Kshathriya and a Brahmana cannot share the same seat”.
Virochana: (spoke sarcastically) “It is true! You cannot sit with me. You need to sit on a wooden plank or on the Dharbhaasan. You are not qualified to sit in this high respectable seat”.
Suthanva: “Virochana! You don’t know anything. Even your father will sit down when I sit on a seat. That is the respect a Brahmana gets!”
Virochana: ”Let us not argue here. Let us go to knowledgeable ones to decide who is greater. I pledge all my properties on this. If they decide that you are greater than me, I will give all my properties to you.”
Suthanva: “Let us keep our lives itself as a pledge as property is of no use to me”.
Both of them decided to keep Prahalada (father of Virochana) himself as the judge. Suthanva told Prahalada after accepting his respect, that a father can give things to the son to show his affection to the son. But when it comes to an argument, it is wise to speak only the truth.
Prahalaada remembered the instruction got from Hamsa (which accompanied the sun god) why one should speak the truth. By telling a lie for the sake of human beings, one loses all goodness in the next 1000 generations and one who tells a lie for the sake of land, loses everything in this life and hereafter.
Meditating on this, Prahalada told Virochana “Virochana! Angiras is the father of Suthanva who is greater than me. Suthanva by himself is greater in many aspects when compared to you. Suthanva’s mother is greater than your mother. So he is greater to you in all aspects. Now your life is in the hands of Suthanva”
Suthanva was very happy about the judgement of Prahalada. He didn’t lose his balance of mind because of his affection for his son. So Suthanva left Virochana free and also asked him to marry Kesini.
VIDURA’S ADVISE TO THE KING:
Vidura after narrating this story to Dhrithrashtra told him that - A MAN SHOULD ALWAYS SPEAK TRUTH. WHEN A MAN TELLS LIES FOR THE SAKE OF CHILDREN HE LOSES EVERYTHING IN LIFE.
THE TWO GREAT EVIL QUALITIES:
Then he added that seven persons should never be considered as witness (saakshi). 1) one who knows palmistry, 2) one who was a thief before and now a merchant, 3) one who uses sticks and ropes to tell fortunes, 4) a doctor, 5) enemy, 6) a friend and 7) one who has bad conduct. Vidura warned Dhrithrashtra that Sakuni belongs to category number 7. So he advised the king not to believe in him. The ‘I’ness and ‘my’ness are the greatest of all evil qualities. (There are no problems without these two in our lives. When the light passes through the prism, it comes out as seven colours. When the light of life reflects through I and mine, all differences and sorrows comes out of us. The mind needs to be a plane mirror and not a prism. That is our saadhana. All devotional activities should culminate in chittha shuddhi, purity of mind. All external signs are only reflections of our ego. The inner purity is very important).
SIX SHARP SWORDS WHICH KILLS OUR LIFE:
The ego, more speech, doing mistakes after mistakes, anger, being selfish, not truthful to a friend – these six are the sharp swords which cut off the life of a man, not death. All these sharp swords are the properties of your children Dhrithrashtra! Let them leave all that and live happily with their brothers. (Repeating mistakes is only out of negligence. It shows our Tamasic nature, lack of awareness. Committing a mistake is not wrong but repeating a mistake is unforgivable. Drithraashtra even after listening to great people’s advice repeats mistakes because of his affection for his sons).
VIDURA WARNS THE KING:
The fire hidden in the wood is not harmful to anyone as long as they don’t rub it. But when they rub, it burns the wood and also the entire forest. Similarly the Pandavas, who are saatvik in nature are in patience like the fire in the wood. When your children, the Kauravas rub them, they are going to be ruined and also the team associated with them. It is my final decision.
With this Vidura concluded his neethi to Dhrithrashtra. He covered everything under the sun, to teach the king what is right and what he needs to take up. He clearly explained the consequences of certain behavior and how to get in line with Dharma. He explained in great detail, what is the purpose of human birth.
After this beautiful discourse of Vidura, now let us listen to what our Dhrithrashtra says.
DHRITHRASHTRA SAID:
“VIDURA ! WHATEVER YOU HAVE TOLD TO ME NOW, ARE GREAT TO HEAR AND I ACCEPT THEM WHOLE HEARTEDLY. BUT WHEN I THINK OF DURYODHANA, MY LOVE FOR HIM WINS OVER THE DHARMA. I LOSE CONTROL OF MYSELF. WHAT CAN I DO?” (This is the problem in our lives too. After listening to a sathsang or to some good discourses or reading a good book, we feel it is right and it will definitely do good for us. But when it comes to practice we lose all our strength because of our attachments. Always the ‘I’ and ‘mine’ wins in the war. Guruji used to put a question to us. There are two foxes inside you. One is good and the other one is bad. Which will survive? The one which we feed the most only will survive. It is the truth. So many Viduras (opportunities) come across our life to keep us in line with Dharma. We fail to notice it in our busy schedule to fulfill the desires and put the same question of Drithrashtra to all the Mahatmas who come to uplift us. The beauty is we feel this question itself is the answer and nothing can be done to better the situation).
CONCLUSION:
Even though we have eyes, we are considered to be blind if we miss our dharma as a human being. The whole of Bhagavad Gita talks about what is our Dharma (the Gita starts with the word ‘mama’ and the last sloka of gita ends with the word ‘dharma’) and here also Vidura speaks on it. Like the king who is blind because of his affection to his sons, we are also blind not only in one aspect of life but in many aspects.
The wisdom eyes need to open. All goodness need to be practiced here and now. As our Guruji often says ‘experience is a costly school and fools learn from it’. Let us wake up with the experience of the King Dhrithrashtra. One Vidura neethi is enough for us to wake up to our inner silence and walk in the path of Dharma.
THE BODY CONSIOUSNESS IS THE CENTRE OF ALL PROBLEMS IN LIFE. ATTACHMENT, EGO, DESIRES AND ALL OTHER EVIL QUALITIES SPROUT WITH THE THOUGHT THAT ‘I AM THE BODY’. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL LORD RESIDING WITHIN ALL OF US WHO IS MAKING US TO HEAR, SPEAK, SEE, TOUCH AND SMELL. HE IS THE POWER BEHIND OUR THOUGHTS AND INTELLIGENCE. LET US MAINTAIN THE TEMPLE (BODY) WELL BUT LET THE FOCUS BE ON THE DEITY INSIDE THE TEMPLE, THE EVERLASTING, ETERNAL ATMAN.
HERE WE CONCLUDE THE VIDURA NEETHI AND WILL CONTINUE ON THE TOPIC ‘YAKSHA PRASHNAM’ IN THE NEXT WEEK.
HARI OM MAHATMAS!!!!!!!!
...Read more!
Today's satsangh is the concluding part of the Vidura Neethi.
WHAT IS ‘AARJAVAM’?
Vidura narrates the greatness of this quality ‘Aarjavam’ through a conversation between Suthanva and Virochana.Aarjavam comes from the word ‘rju’ or straight – forwardness. It is one of the great qualities of a bhaktha. Diplomacy is needed when we go down in our values to make money or to handle power. Aarjavam means no diplomacy whatsoever. Children are straight forward. They are plain minded and they have not learned the tricks of the grownup people yet. Such a quality is highly praised in our scriptures and also by Vidura here. (When our own children do a mistake, we forgive them and support them by justifying their action. The same action if it is done by somebody else, we don’t mind saying it is wrong and show all kinds of reaction to punish them. This partiality is because of the attachment of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. A person becomes great if he can tell right or wrong irrespective of who is there before him. That is Aarjavam’. Lord Krishna stresses on this quality in the BhagvadGita (16th chapter 1st sloka, 13th chapter 7th sloka, 17th chapter 14th sloka, 18th chapter 42nd sloka)).
Vidura now narrates the greatness of this quality ‘Aarjavam’ through a conversation between Suthanva and Virochana.
CONVERSATION BETWEEN SUTHANVA AND VIROCHANA
Once there was a princess called Kesini. The king arranged for a swayamvara for her. Many princes from various kingdoms came for the swayamvaram. Among them there was a brahmana called Suthanva and an asura king called ‘Virochana’. Kesini came to know about both of them. When they came to meet the princess, there was a golden seat in the hall and Virochana tried to sit on that. At that time, Kesini put a question to Virochana – “Virochana! Who is greater, the brahmanas or the asuras? Why not the brahmana Suthanva sit on that seat?”
Vircohana:”We are the sons of Kashyapa. So we are greater sadhus than others. All worlds belong to us. Nobody be it a deva or a brahmana is greater than us.
Kesini: “Virochana! We will meet in the same place tomorrow morning. At that time we will decide who is greater, you or that brahamana!”
Next morning, all of them assembled as planned. Virochana was sitting on the golden seat. Suthanva entered the hall. Kesini immediately got up from her seat and offered the brahmana arghyam and paadhyam. Virochana did not show any sign of respect. He offered a small place in same seat itself for Suthanva to sit.
Suthanva: “A father and a son can share a seat. Two kings can share a seat. Two brahmanas can share a seat. But a Kshathriya and a Brahmana cannot share the same seat”.
Virochana: (spoke sarcastically) “It is true! You cannot sit with me. You need to sit on a wooden plank or on the Dharbhaasan. You are not qualified to sit in this high respectable seat”.
Suthanva: “Virochana! You don’t know anything. Even your father will sit down when I sit on a seat. That is the respect a Brahmana gets!”
Virochana: ”Let us not argue here. Let us go to knowledgeable ones to decide who is greater. I pledge all my properties on this. If they decide that you are greater than me, I will give all my properties to you.”
Suthanva: “Let us keep our lives itself as a pledge as property is of no use to me”.
Both of them decided to keep Prahalada (father of Virochana) himself as the judge. Suthanva told Prahalada after accepting his respect, that a father can give things to the son to show his affection to the son. But when it comes to an argument, it is wise to speak only the truth.
Prahalaada remembered the instruction got from Hamsa (which accompanied the sun god) why one should speak the truth. By telling a lie for the sake of human beings, one loses all goodness in the next 1000 generations and one who tells a lie for the sake of land, loses everything in this life and hereafter.
Meditating on this, Prahalada told Virochana “Virochana! Angiras is the father of Suthanva who is greater than me. Suthanva by himself is greater in many aspects when compared to you. Suthanva’s mother is greater than your mother. So he is greater to you in all aspects. Now your life is in the hands of Suthanva”
Suthanva was very happy about the judgement of Prahalada. He didn’t lose his balance of mind because of his affection for his son. So Suthanva left Virochana free and also asked him to marry Kesini.
VIDURA’S ADVISE TO THE KING:
Vidura after narrating this story to Dhrithrashtra told him that - A MAN SHOULD ALWAYS SPEAK TRUTH. WHEN A MAN TELLS LIES FOR THE SAKE OF CHILDREN HE LOSES EVERYTHING IN LIFE.
THE TWO GREAT EVIL QUALITIES:
Then he added that seven persons should never be considered as witness (saakshi). 1) one who knows palmistry, 2) one who was a thief before and now a merchant, 3) one who uses sticks and ropes to tell fortunes, 4) a doctor, 5) enemy, 6) a friend and 7) one who has bad conduct. Vidura warned Dhrithrashtra that Sakuni belongs to category number 7. So he advised the king not to believe in him. The ‘I’ness and ‘my’ness are the greatest of all evil qualities. (There are no problems without these two in our lives. When the light passes through the prism, it comes out as seven colours. When the light of life reflects through I and mine, all differences and sorrows comes out of us. The mind needs to be a plane mirror and not a prism. That is our saadhana. All devotional activities should culminate in chittha shuddhi, purity of mind. All external signs are only reflections of our ego. The inner purity is very important).
SIX SHARP SWORDS WHICH KILLS OUR LIFE:
The ego, more speech, doing mistakes after mistakes, anger, being selfish, not truthful to a friend – these six are the sharp swords which cut off the life of a man, not death. All these sharp swords are the properties of your children Dhrithrashtra! Let them leave all that and live happily with their brothers. (Repeating mistakes is only out of negligence. It shows our Tamasic nature, lack of awareness. Committing a mistake is not wrong but repeating a mistake is unforgivable. Drithraashtra even after listening to great people’s advice repeats mistakes because of his affection for his sons).
VIDURA WARNS THE KING:
The fire hidden in the wood is not harmful to anyone as long as they don’t rub it. But when they rub, it burns the wood and also the entire forest. Similarly the Pandavas, who are saatvik in nature are in patience like the fire in the wood. When your children, the Kauravas rub them, they are going to be ruined and also the team associated with them. It is my final decision.
With this Vidura concluded his neethi to Dhrithrashtra. He covered everything under the sun, to teach the king what is right and what he needs to take up. He clearly explained the consequences of certain behavior and how to get in line with Dharma. He explained in great detail, what is the purpose of human birth.
After this beautiful discourse of Vidura, now let us listen to what our Dhrithrashtra says.
DHRITHRASHTRA SAID:
“VIDURA ! WHATEVER YOU HAVE TOLD TO ME NOW, ARE GREAT TO HEAR AND I ACCEPT THEM WHOLE HEARTEDLY. BUT WHEN I THINK OF DURYODHANA, MY LOVE FOR HIM WINS OVER THE DHARMA. I LOSE CONTROL OF MYSELF. WHAT CAN I DO?” (This is the problem in our lives too. After listening to a sathsang or to some good discourses or reading a good book, we feel it is right and it will definitely do good for us. But when it comes to practice we lose all our strength because of our attachments. Always the ‘I’ and ‘mine’ wins in the war. Guruji used to put a question to us. There are two foxes inside you. One is good and the other one is bad. Which will survive? The one which we feed the most only will survive. It is the truth. So many Viduras (opportunities) come across our life to keep us in line with Dharma. We fail to notice it in our busy schedule to fulfill the desires and put the same question of Drithrashtra to all the Mahatmas who come to uplift us. The beauty is we feel this question itself is the answer and nothing can be done to better the situation).
CONCLUSION:
Even though we have eyes, we are considered to be blind if we miss our dharma as a human being. The whole of Bhagavad Gita talks about what is our Dharma (the Gita starts with the word ‘mama’ and the last sloka of gita ends with the word ‘dharma’) and here also Vidura speaks on it. Like the king who is blind because of his affection to his sons, we are also blind not only in one aspect of life but in many aspects.
The wisdom eyes need to open. All goodness need to be practiced here and now. As our Guruji often says ‘experience is a costly school and fools learn from it’. Let us wake up with the experience of the King Dhrithrashtra. One Vidura neethi is enough for us to wake up to our inner silence and walk in the path of Dharma.
THE BODY CONSIOUSNESS IS THE CENTRE OF ALL PROBLEMS IN LIFE. ATTACHMENT, EGO, DESIRES AND ALL OTHER EVIL QUALITIES SPROUT WITH THE THOUGHT THAT ‘I AM THE BODY’. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL LORD RESIDING WITHIN ALL OF US WHO IS MAKING US TO HEAR, SPEAK, SEE, TOUCH AND SMELL. HE IS THE POWER BEHIND OUR THOUGHTS AND INTELLIGENCE. LET US MAINTAIN THE TEMPLE (BODY) WELL BUT LET THE FOCUS BE ON THE DEITY INSIDE THE TEMPLE, THE EVERLASTING, ETERNAL ATMAN.
HERE WE CONCLUDE THE VIDURA NEETHI AND WILL CONTINUE ON THE TOPIC ‘YAKSHA PRASHNAM’ IN THE NEXT WEEK.
HARI OM MAHATMAS!!!!!!!!
...Read more!
Vidura Neeti - 7
By Chitra Devraj
(Guruji often used to say that mere reading of cookery book is of no use. That will never quench our hunger or thirst. We need to practically cook and thus become knowledgeable).We should never be satisfied by simply attending and hearing the discourses. Intellectual knowledge of the Atman is only the first stage. There are many more ladders we need to climb on after the acquisition of this intellectual knowledge. Up to this level the knowledge is only indirect knowledge. Let us all strive to become and be. (Guruji often used to say that mere reading of cookery book is of no use. That will never quench our hunger or thirst. We need to practically cook and thus become knowledgeable).
HOW MAUNA IS TO BE PRACTISED HERE? HOW TO ACHIEVE THE EMANCIPATION BY MAUNA?
After the senses have been restrained and after the will has been merged in the pure intellect, that state succeeds is one of the utter absence of worldly thought (SILENCE) and he abides in it and he ‘is’.
The ingredients are already given by Sage Sanatsujatha and Vidura. We need pure mind. ‘Mana eva manushyaanaam kaaranam bandha mokshayah’ – the mind is the cause of bondage and the same mind is the cause of liberation. If the mind turns outward to the world of objects, it develops attachment and falls into the pit of desires and finally leads one to sorrowful life of samsara. As said in the earlier chapters, it leads one to the fear of death.
The mind when turned inward (U-turn), with all the senses controlled, really enjoys the bliss within and escapes the fear of death.
PRATYAAHARA is a stage within the seekers, wherein they withdraw the whole mind from its wanderings and to apply the entire energy at a single thought which the seeker chooses. Having reached this stage of mental with drawl, the seeker walks in the path of DHAARANA (concentration), DHYAANA (meditation) and SAMAADHI (the final realization).
We all know that a mere physical body will not move, grow or act unless the Life-Principle presides over it. A dead body can no more smile, eat or walk, think or feel. When once this energy flows out, the body falls down and in a short time, starts decomposing into very elements (earth, fire, water, sky, ether) from which it had come. The man would have lived as a great giant, a great king but the end is same for everyone be it a king or a beggar.
All of us are reading this scripture, grasping the words, analyzing them intellectually and understanding the essence only because of the presence of the Lord or the Brahman within us. Using a telescope we can see far off objects, but we cannot see our own eye using the same telescope. The supreme truth is the eye of the eye, ear of the ear. The power house behind all the activities within us and also the whole universe is this Brahman.
The gold may take different shapes and sizes like bangles, chain, ring, watches but the substratum is Gold alone. The clay takes different shapes of pot, lamp etc. but all cannot exist without clay. All of us are made up of different body levels, mental levels and intellectual levels, but the basic principle behind our life is the same, the Brahman.
Those who see externally will find differences. But those who see internally know that we are one and the same, the Supreme Consciousness. The silence takes one inward. Words and languages take one outside or away from the heart. All our scriptures are prompting us to leave our desires which can never bring us peace and happiness and at the same time to go inward where we have everything what we seek for in the outer world.
By reading this we know we are the Spirit. But the next moment we come back to body level and speak and live as if this body is real. We say ‘I have grown dark’, ‘I am fat’, ‘this dress looks nice only on me’ – all are body based thoughts. When we are with our mind we say ‘I am doubtful’, ‘I am agitated’, ’I am worried’. When we are with buddhi we think ‘I have a solution for this problem’, I am dull’ and so on.
The only way to practice the truth is in silence by discriminating between real and unreal. Vivekachoodamani (Crest Jewel of Discrimination) written by the great saint Shankaracharya says that Viveka and Vairaghya are the two wings which a seeker needs to carry. Whenever and wherever one comes across the anaatma vastu (unreal thing or impermanent), they need to negate or not go for it (nethi nethi). The more we talk about it or more we hear about it or more we read about it doesn’t take us anywhere near. It is just like a road map. It shows us the direction to the treasure. We need to walk every day, every moment towards it. That is the way one can abide in the ultimate. Our Guruji said once that if the bulb is wound by layers of cloth, can it give us the light? The light is already there. It is not that we are going to bring something new. The whole saadhana of silence is to unwind the layers so that the light can be seen by us.
We all want light and happiness in life. But we don’t know the fact that with every desire we are making another layer of cloth and increasing the darkness of ignorance. Brahman is not something un- achievable. Brahman is not something outside. It is the very essence of everything…you, me, all moving and unmoving things, known and unknown…. Like if we know gold, everything made of gold can be known. If we know iron, everything made of iron I can make out. Similarly in the seat of silence, what I experience I will be able to extend the whole experience to everything I feel, touch and see.
YOU SAY MY LORD, THAT THE WISE MAN PERCEIVES THE EXISTENCE OF BRAHMAN IN HIS OWN SOUL. TELL ME WHAT THE TRUE FORM AND COLOUR OF THE OMNIPRESENT AND ETERNAL BRAHMAN IS?
Neither on earth, nor in the sky, nor in waters of the ocean, is there anything like that. Neither in the stars, nor in lightning, nor in the clouds, is its form to be seen, nor is it visible in the atmosphere, nor in the Devas, nor in the moon, nor in the sun. incapable of being compassed, and lying beyond the reach of the limited intellect, even the universal Destroyer, after the dissolution, is destroyed in it. Incapable of being gazed, it is subtle as the edge of the razor, and it is grosser than the mountains. It is the basis upon which everything is founded. It is unchangeable. It is this visible universe. It is vast. It is delightful. Creatures all sprung from it and return to it. It is free from all duality. It is without any change.
Katopanishad tells beautifully that ‘He, who has known that which is without sound, without touch, without form, without decay, without waste, eternal, without smell, without beginning, without end, beyond great and unchanging, is freed from the jaws of death’
Shri T.T.Rangarajan in his talk on Saturday told that material path is from one to many whereas spiritual path is from many to one. Where all differences, dualities (heat and cold, pleasure and pain, maana and apamaana) end, in that silence (no disturbances from all), the truth manifests itself. Lord Krishna says in Gita that the mirror reflects everything before it clearly because of its fitness. Like the mirror if the mind is pure without any tinge of dirt, the Lord will reveal Himself to us. Once, Swami Chinmayananda was having lunch with the children in the ashram. As we know, Chinmayanandaji has a long beard. Few rice particles stuck to his beard. A child came near Swamiji and said ‘Swamiji there is dirt in your Dhaadi’. Chinmayaji took out the few particles of rice. He said, the rice particle in the plate is said to be ‘annam’ and the same rice particle in the beard is said to ‘dirt’. Dirt is a thing lying in the unwanted place. Our emotions, attachments are all in unwanted places…towards our relatives, our properties, to our body. If the attachment is towards the Lord and we have Love for the Lord, we will be in right place in our life to win over the death.
Lord Krishna says that the body is the temple and the soul is the Lord in the temple. Our focus is at present only in managing the temple walls, with different colour paints. The time we look into the Lord in us, the purpose of life is achieved.
CONCLUSION:
IF WE WANT TO WALK IN THE PATH OF LIGHT, WALKING IN THE PATH OF DARKNESS IS AVOIDED. IF WE WANT TO BE HAPPY, GRIEF IS AVOIDED. IF WE WANT LORD, THE WORLD IS AVOIDED. The time we chose higher things in life, the lower automatically falls off. Let us climb up the ladder of life to reach the ultimate goal of life, to be one with the Brahman.
The stagnant water always smells bad. Let us not live in that stagnant level of mind. The one lotus present in the slushy pond makes the whole pond beautiful. Every one of us can become that lotus in this slushy pond of samsara. Let us add beauty and love to life which is possible only through the jnanam that ‘I am not this body. I am the supreme Brahman’. All of us have the potential to reach the goal. For a Prime Minister post many may fight but only one wins whereas all people who win their mind becomes a Jnani and A very happy man. Win the mind and the senses and conquer the area unattended in our lives that is the LORD in our heart.
Lord Krishna says in Gita 2nd chapter ‘Some have a glimpse of Him as a marvel, some speak of Him as marvel, and yet others hear of Him as a marvel. Yet none understands Him in truth, in spite of seeing, speaking and hearing about Him. Ramana Maharishi says ‘it is always new’. Let us make ourselves fit to have the experience which is always there in us. Only the focus needs to change.
We will continue how to control the thoughts and confusions in life so that we get into the silence prescribed here in the coming weeks.
HARI OM!
...Read more!
(Guruji often used to say that mere reading of cookery book is of no use. That will never quench our hunger or thirst. We need to practically cook and thus become knowledgeable).We should never be satisfied by simply attending and hearing the discourses. Intellectual knowledge of the Atman is only the first stage. There are many more ladders we need to climb on after the acquisition of this intellectual knowledge. Up to this level the knowledge is only indirect knowledge. Let us all strive to become and be. (Guruji often used to say that mere reading of cookery book is of no use. That will never quench our hunger or thirst. We need to practically cook and thus become knowledgeable).
HOW MAUNA IS TO BE PRACTISED HERE? HOW TO ACHIEVE THE EMANCIPATION BY MAUNA?
After the senses have been restrained and after the will has been merged in the pure intellect, that state succeeds is one of the utter absence of worldly thought (SILENCE) and he abides in it and he ‘is’.
The ingredients are already given by Sage Sanatsujatha and Vidura. We need pure mind. ‘Mana eva manushyaanaam kaaranam bandha mokshayah’ – the mind is the cause of bondage and the same mind is the cause of liberation. If the mind turns outward to the world of objects, it develops attachment and falls into the pit of desires and finally leads one to sorrowful life of samsara. As said in the earlier chapters, it leads one to the fear of death.
The mind when turned inward (U-turn), with all the senses controlled, really enjoys the bliss within and escapes the fear of death.
PRATYAAHARA is a stage within the seekers, wherein they withdraw the whole mind from its wanderings and to apply the entire energy at a single thought which the seeker chooses. Having reached this stage of mental with drawl, the seeker walks in the path of DHAARANA (concentration), DHYAANA (meditation) and SAMAADHI (the final realization).
We all know that a mere physical body will not move, grow or act unless the Life-Principle presides over it. A dead body can no more smile, eat or walk, think or feel. When once this energy flows out, the body falls down and in a short time, starts decomposing into very elements (earth, fire, water, sky, ether) from which it had come. The man would have lived as a great giant, a great king but the end is same for everyone be it a king or a beggar.
All of us are reading this scripture, grasping the words, analyzing them intellectually and understanding the essence only because of the presence of the Lord or the Brahman within us. Using a telescope we can see far off objects, but we cannot see our own eye using the same telescope. The supreme truth is the eye of the eye, ear of the ear. The power house behind all the activities within us and also the whole universe is this Brahman.
The gold may take different shapes and sizes like bangles, chain, ring, watches but the substratum is Gold alone. The clay takes different shapes of pot, lamp etc. but all cannot exist without clay. All of us are made up of different body levels, mental levels and intellectual levels, but the basic principle behind our life is the same, the Brahman.
Those who see externally will find differences. But those who see internally know that we are one and the same, the Supreme Consciousness. The silence takes one inward. Words and languages take one outside or away from the heart. All our scriptures are prompting us to leave our desires which can never bring us peace and happiness and at the same time to go inward where we have everything what we seek for in the outer world.
By reading this we know we are the Spirit. But the next moment we come back to body level and speak and live as if this body is real. We say ‘I have grown dark’, ‘I am fat’, ‘this dress looks nice only on me’ – all are body based thoughts. When we are with our mind we say ‘I am doubtful’, ‘I am agitated’, ’I am worried’. When we are with buddhi we think ‘I have a solution for this problem’, I am dull’ and so on.
The only way to practice the truth is in silence by discriminating between real and unreal. Vivekachoodamani (Crest Jewel of Discrimination) written by the great saint Shankaracharya says that Viveka and Vairaghya are the two wings which a seeker needs to carry. Whenever and wherever one comes across the anaatma vastu (unreal thing or impermanent), they need to negate or not go for it (nethi nethi). The more we talk about it or more we hear about it or more we read about it doesn’t take us anywhere near. It is just like a road map. It shows us the direction to the treasure. We need to walk every day, every moment towards it. That is the way one can abide in the ultimate. Our Guruji said once that if the bulb is wound by layers of cloth, can it give us the light? The light is already there. It is not that we are going to bring something new. The whole saadhana of silence is to unwind the layers so that the light can be seen by us.
We all want light and happiness in life. But we don’t know the fact that with every desire we are making another layer of cloth and increasing the darkness of ignorance. Brahman is not something un- achievable. Brahman is not something outside. It is the very essence of everything…you, me, all moving and unmoving things, known and unknown…. Like if we know gold, everything made of gold can be known. If we know iron, everything made of iron I can make out. Similarly in the seat of silence, what I experience I will be able to extend the whole experience to everything I feel, touch and see.
YOU SAY MY LORD, THAT THE WISE MAN PERCEIVES THE EXISTENCE OF BRAHMAN IN HIS OWN SOUL. TELL ME WHAT THE TRUE FORM AND COLOUR OF THE OMNIPRESENT AND ETERNAL BRAHMAN IS?
Neither on earth, nor in the sky, nor in waters of the ocean, is there anything like that. Neither in the stars, nor in lightning, nor in the clouds, is its form to be seen, nor is it visible in the atmosphere, nor in the Devas, nor in the moon, nor in the sun. incapable of being compassed, and lying beyond the reach of the limited intellect, even the universal Destroyer, after the dissolution, is destroyed in it. Incapable of being gazed, it is subtle as the edge of the razor, and it is grosser than the mountains. It is the basis upon which everything is founded. It is unchangeable. It is this visible universe. It is vast. It is delightful. Creatures all sprung from it and return to it. It is free from all duality. It is without any change.
Katopanishad tells beautifully that ‘He, who has known that which is without sound, without touch, without form, without decay, without waste, eternal, without smell, without beginning, without end, beyond great and unchanging, is freed from the jaws of death’
Shri T.T.Rangarajan in his talk on Saturday told that material path is from one to many whereas spiritual path is from many to one. Where all differences, dualities (heat and cold, pleasure and pain, maana and apamaana) end, in that silence (no disturbances from all), the truth manifests itself. Lord Krishna says in Gita that the mirror reflects everything before it clearly because of its fitness. Like the mirror if the mind is pure without any tinge of dirt, the Lord will reveal Himself to us. Once, Swami Chinmayananda was having lunch with the children in the ashram. As we know, Chinmayanandaji has a long beard. Few rice particles stuck to his beard. A child came near Swamiji and said ‘Swamiji there is dirt in your Dhaadi’. Chinmayaji took out the few particles of rice. He said, the rice particle in the plate is said to be ‘annam’ and the same rice particle in the beard is said to ‘dirt’. Dirt is a thing lying in the unwanted place. Our emotions, attachments are all in unwanted places…towards our relatives, our properties, to our body. If the attachment is towards the Lord and we have Love for the Lord, we will be in right place in our life to win over the death.
Lord Krishna says that the body is the temple and the soul is the Lord in the temple. Our focus is at present only in managing the temple walls, with different colour paints. The time we look into the Lord in us, the purpose of life is achieved.
CONCLUSION:
IF WE WANT TO WALK IN THE PATH OF LIGHT, WALKING IN THE PATH OF DARKNESS IS AVOIDED. IF WE WANT TO BE HAPPY, GRIEF IS AVOIDED. IF WE WANT LORD, THE WORLD IS AVOIDED. The time we chose higher things in life, the lower automatically falls off. Let us climb up the ladder of life to reach the ultimate goal of life, to be one with the Brahman.
The stagnant water always smells bad. Let us not live in that stagnant level of mind. The one lotus present in the slushy pond makes the whole pond beautiful. Every one of us can become that lotus in this slushy pond of samsara. Let us add beauty and love to life which is possible only through the jnanam that ‘I am not this body. I am the supreme Brahman’. All of us have the potential to reach the goal. For a Prime Minister post many may fight but only one wins whereas all people who win their mind becomes a Jnani and A very happy man. Win the mind and the senses and conquer the area unattended in our lives that is the LORD in our heart.
Lord Krishna says in Gita 2nd chapter ‘Some have a glimpse of Him as a marvel, some speak of Him as marvel, and yet others hear of Him as a marvel. Yet none understands Him in truth, in spite of seeing, speaking and hearing about Him. Ramana Maharishi says ‘it is always new’. Let us make ourselves fit to have the experience which is always there in us. Only the focus needs to change.
We will continue how to control the thoughts and confusions in life so that we get into the silence prescribed here in the coming weeks.
HARI OM!
...Read more!
Vidura Neeti - 6
By Chitra Devraj
We will be free from all miseries and bondage, if we understand ‘who am I?’If one relies on the desires, he dies every moment of his life. If one relies on the knowledge, he lives happily every moment of his life without any fear of death. The death itself is destroyed when it comes under the influence of knowledge.
Vidura has spoken of the quality of self-restraint as very important to escape the fear of death. The king Dhritrashtra wanted to know about the self-restraint and also about how to reach the ultimate through the self-control.
"There is very little oil in the vessel of life" – these words from a dancer awakened Swami Rama to continue his Sadhana vigorously. No matter how bad or how small we think we have been, we have a chance to transform our whole personality. We will be free from all miseries and bondage, if we understand ‘who am I?’
WHAT IS THE OBJECT OF RENUNCIATION? WHAT IS THE OBJECT OF MAUNA?
The object of asceticism or Mauna is to attain to that state which is beyond the reach of language or the mind. That state is the state of peace and bliss.
(Many of our scriptures have explained in great details, that the truth can be only experienced and cannot be explained. To know world we need the senses. But to know God, we need to shut off the senses. Language and words are mere pointers to that supreme state of happiness. And walking in that direction, we experience the Lord in silence with our intuitive knowledge (Anirvachaneeyam). Any effort taken externally to know the truth is ignorance. The inward journey is very important and that is the silence or Mauna Vidura is talking about. One becomes a Muni not by dwelling in the forest but by keeping silence in all situations of life. Any amount of reading books or listening to discourses will not bring us the knowledge as all are external efforts.
Our Guruji has never said ‘do this or don’t do this’. He showed us the path silently with his living. A life of non-attachment is his way of life. He taught us the lesson ‘learn to walk all alone’- with no expectations and no complaints.
Bhagawad Gita says that without undergoing the discipline of detached action, it is vain to abandon all external actions. This will be an act of hypocrisy and idleness. Detached action will gradually elevate a man to the true state of renunciation who feels ‘I do nothing in all the movement s of the body, even in the very winking of the eyes’. Having renounced thus mentally, he lives in the body undisturbed by anything.
Lord Krishna says, controlling the senses by the mind, controlling the mind by the intellect and the intellect focused on the supreme Brahman, (like a compass in ship always shows the north) a seeker attains to eternal peace.
WHAT ARE THE SIX KINDS OF RENUNCIATION (VAIRAGYAM)?
WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF MAUNA?
WHICH TYPE OF MAUNA IS SUPERIOR?
The true mauna consists, not in merely restraining the speech, but total restraint of all the senses and the mind.
(The railway train was running at full speed from Calcutta to Delhi. In one compartment, two British passengers were talking in English. Pointing at one monk (Sadhu), travelling in the same compartment, one British passenger was telling the other, "Look, what a deception! With such youthful age, healthy body and full capacity to work, this man became monk to get free food and to loiter anywhere. There are thousands of such monks in this country and people feed them in blind faith."
Criticism of this sort went on for a long time, but the monk (Sanyasi) sitting on the opposite seat was pondering deeply with a calm posture.
When the train arrived at one station and halted, the station master saw the monk (Sanyasi), bowed down before him and asked in English, "What can I do in your service, Sir?"
The Sanyasi answered in English, "One glass of water will be enough. I want nothing else."
The two British passengers observed that the Sanyasi spoke in such pure English. They felt surprised. They never knew that the Sanyasi was educated. They had abused the Sanyasi so much and still there was not a word by way of reaction. His posture was the same, full of happiness as before.
The passengers inquired of him, "Well sir, why did you not react to our criticism?"
He replied, "Brothers, I remain engrossed only in the thought of my life's work. I do not enter into any kind of disputes."
The peaceful posture and Sadhana of the vow of silence brought about a lot of regard on part of those two British passengers.
This Sanyasi was Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of the great monk Shri Ramkrishna Paramhamsa.
Restraining from speech has been practiced by many great mahatmas like Gandhiji, Arbindo, Mahavira for many years. Ramana Maharishi’s messages were mostly given in silence only. Our Guruji often says that any sentence is understood by people only in the one second silence after that sentence. If we restrain from speech but mind and senses fully active, we are hypocrites. Like the above story, the restraint of speech should merge in the silence of the mind itself. In that silence alone, the truth can be revealed.
CAN A PERSON OF LEARNING ATTAIN TO A STATE OF QUIETITUDE AND ACHIEVE EMANCIPATION , BY MAUNA?
The person, who is practicing the mauna, will lose consciousness of both the objective and the subjective. The concentration of all consciousness is on Brahman alone. Mauna is obtained by the gradual merging of the gross in the subtle (speech into silence), the subtle in the causal (silence in to thoughtless state) and the causal into Brahman (thoughtless state merging in to consciousness). Bhagawad Gita equates a Muni’s mind that is well under control and united with the Atman to a lamp at a breezeless spot).
HOW IS IT TO BE PRACTICED HERE?
Though residing in the mind and though inherent in the mind, the knowledge of Brahman is still unmanifest. It is by the aid of pure intellect and Brahmacharya that it is made manifest. Like a blade projecting from a clod of earth, a person should disassociate the soul from the body.
Men obtain by work only worlds that are perishable. However, he that is blessed with knowledge attains the state of Brahman which is everlasting. (One need to have the desire to attain Brahman state (Mumukshatva). Every cell of the body should burn for that state. Ramakrishna says beautifully that how one longs for the breath when he is pushed under the water and that should be our thirst for the truth.
Once the Guru showed Swami Rama plenty of jewels and asked him to take it. Swami Rama cried to his Guru “Are you telling me to accept these jewels instead of you? I don’t want them. I want to be with you”.
Guru said “If you want to be with me, look over there. Do you see that lofty flame? (Huge walls of fire). If you can go through that fire you follow me. How much desire do you have for the world, and how much for the light?”
Swami Rama told “I prefer fire to temptations” and thus chose the path of renunciation.
Renunciation is the path of the fire and should be followed only by those who have burned their worldly desires. Disappointments, greed, lust, hatred, and love, anger and jealousy cannot be renounced without spiritual discipline. A frustrated and dissatisfied soul is not fit to tread the path of renunciation.
When all disturbances die with the practice of Viveka and Vairagya, in that silence one abides in his own self of peace and tranquility. We can have it here and now if we have the thirst for it.
CONCLUSION:
When we travel by train or by flight or when we are left at home for few hours all alone, how many of us enjoy the silence? Most of us plan to read a book, work Sudoku, watch some movies or keep talking to someone. Silence is the state not preferred by anyone. A true spiritual seeker and one who has the thirst for realization, there is only way – the way of silence. Initially we take efforts to be silent and later effortlessly we can abide in the silence called Samadhi. Nothing is retained by man in that state of silence. Chinmayananda says that every step on the beach sand is beautiful. But if we look back and start comparing the one step with the other, the disturbance begins. We don’t know how many births we have lived such life. But in this life, in this very body, we will attain that state of peace and everlasting happiness by living like a Muni.
SILENCE IS THE BEST AND THE MOST UNIQUE ART OF CONVERSATION.
SILENCE IS THE BEST SPEECH. IF YOU MUST SPEAK, SPEAK THE MINIMUM. DO NOT SPEAK TWO WORDS, IF ONE IS ENOUGH.
THE EGO GETS WIPED OUT IN THE STATE OF SILENCE. ONCE THIS HAPPENS, WHO WILL SPEAK AND WHO WILL PONDER? (ALL DUALITIES HAVE DISAPPEARED)
SILENCE IS AN EXCELLENT MEANS OF SELF-BETTERMENT, BUT ONLY RARELY DOES ONE OF US MAKE GOOD USE OF IT.
We will continue on the topic of Brahman in the next week.
HARI OM!!!
...Read more!
We will be free from all miseries and bondage, if we understand ‘who am I?’If one relies on the desires, he dies every moment of his life. If one relies on the knowledge, he lives happily every moment of his life without any fear of death. The death itself is destroyed when it comes under the influence of knowledge.
Vidura has spoken of the quality of self-restraint as very important to escape the fear of death. The king Dhritrashtra wanted to know about the self-restraint and also about how to reach the ultimate through the self-control.
"There is very little oil in the vessel of life" – these words from a dancer awakened Swami Rama to continue his Sadhana vigorously. No matter how bad or how small we think we have been, we have a chance to transform our whole personality. We will be free from all miseries and bondage, if we understand ‘who am I?’
WHAT IS THE OBJECT OF RENUNCIATION? WHAT IS THE OBJECT OF MAUNA?
The object of asceticism or Mauna is to attain to that state which is beyond the reach of language or the mind. That state is the state of peace and bliss.
(Many of our scriptures have explained in great details, that the truth can be only experienced and cannot be explained. To know world we need the senses. But to know God, we need to shut off the senses. Language and words are mere pointers to that supreme state of happiness. And walking in that direction, we experience the Lord in silence with our intuitive knowledge (Anirvachaneeyam). Any effort taken externally to know the truth is ignorance. The inward journey is very important and that is the silence or Mauna Vidura is talking about. One becomes a Muni not by dwelling in the forest but by keeping silence in all situations of life. Any amount of reading books or listening to discourses will not bring us the knowledge as all are external efforts.
Our Guruji has never said ‘do this or don’t do this’. He showed us the path silently with his living. A life of non-attachment is his way of life. He taught us the lesson ‘learn to walk all alone’- with no expectations and no complaints.
Bhagawad Gita says that without undergoing the discipline of detached action, it is vain to abandon all external actions. This will be an act of hypocrisy and idleness. Detached action will gradually elevate a man to the true state of renunciation who feels ‘I do nothing in all the movement s of the body, even in the very winking of the eyes’. Having renounced thus mentally, he lives in the body undisturbed by anything.
Lord Krishna says, controlling the senses by the mind, controlling the mind by the intellect and the intellect focused on the supreme Brahman, (like a compass in ship always shows the north) a seeker attains to eternal peace.
WHAT ARE THE SIX KINDS OF RENUNCIATION (VAIRAGYAM)?
- Never experiencing joy on occasion of prosperity (any prosperity be it a child, wealth, health, spirituality one should always keep up the evenness of mind. Joy comes as a result of our ego taking the credit of the situation (‘I got it or I won it or I am rich or I am in Satsangh’, ‘my son is in IIT’, ‘My husband is a senior manager’, ‘ I have come from a great family’, ‘ I am a Brahmin’). Recognition of joy itself is the action of ego. Giving up the association of sorrow is not talked about here, because we always give that credit to others. We don’t want to associate ourselves with sorrow. If we can disassociate ourselves and remain undisturbed in the experience of joy, we have renounced the ‘I’, the ego).
- Abandoning of sacrifices, prayers and pious acts with a desire for merits arising from them. (Why do we give up things in life – for merits in the name of Punya or for name and fame or for knowledge? As said in the 9th chapter of Gita, anything we give up for selfish desires cannot be a Raja Vidya. True abandonment should always culminate in knowledge. Lord Krishna says that charity, austerity, sacrifice should not be abandoned. It need to be performed without expecting the fruit of actions and without attachment (I am giving, I am doing)).
- Abandoning desire, or withdrawing from the world (Vidura is saying that any desire prompted action need to be avoided. We perform actions to get something from the world or to leave something to the world. Both are desire prompted actions only. A man’s needs and wants are never ending. One who understands that desires are the ways to sorrow abandons this very thief of happiness. Leaving the selfish desires is the renunciation mentioned here. Whatever we get from world is impermanent and it ends in sorrow. Knowing this, a man should not desire anything from world or should withdraw from world. All great saints work for the good of the world- Lokasangraha).
- One should not grieve or allow one’s self to be afflicted by grief when one’s actions fail or when anything disagreeable happens, one should feel no pain. (Happiness is our true nature. One who grieves is moving away from one’s true nature. It is our expectation which decides an action as a success or a failure. If our ego takes all the responsibility of an action, without surrendering ourselves to God, then one grieves when the desired result is not achieved. Any situation in life, any happening in life if we can take as the Prasad of the Lord, where there is room for grief? Surrendering our ego to the guru or to our Lord is the only way out to pain. The Lord says in Gita that severance of connection with pain is Yoga).
- Not soliciting even one’s sons, wives and others that may all be very dear. (Vairagya makes everything perfect. Great saints have lived with great vairagya without leaving their duties and the aashrama. All they have is for the benefit of everyone around them. The house becomes the aashram and whoever comes home are offered food and shelter. If a Tsunami comes and takes away everything including the wife and children, a man of renunciation will not sit mad. He floats on water but never let the water to enter into the boat. He never seeks anything in life. Seeking is only when one has a desire. Having risen above desires he lives as an example of the ideal. After the process of churning for a long time, a person with vairaghya floats like butter above water).
- Giving away to a deserving person. (Anything we give, we need to give to a deserving person. Charity has no value if we give because of our attachment without examining whether one really needs it or not. Infosys Sudha Murthy had helped a paper boy to study further but asked for the progress report every month. Vidura says us to give away for a higher cause.
If we give food, that time’s hunger is taken care of. If we give medicine, that day’s sickness is taken care of. But if we give knowledge, that takes care of him forever. Krishna also says in Gita that this knowledge is a supreme secret and to be given only to a man who has shraddha and bhakthi. Plenty of temples all around but again and again pouring money for temple constructions is ignorance. We can distribute good books to small schools in villages. I read an article in a magazine which says people keep helping organizations even after they prosper because they are giving money for so many years and they don’t want to stop. We need clear buddhi and discrimination and the guidance of the Guru to understand what is prescribed in our scriputres. We have seen the Pandavas after the death of Krishna, didn’t want to live. They crowned the Prince Parikshit as king. They could leave the kingdom with all riches and glory in no time. Great detachment!).
WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF MAUNA?
- Restraints of speech (A tapas to control the sense organs – a physical silence)
- Restraint of meditation (At the seat of meditation, not only the sense organs are restrained; even the thoughts are quietened – mental silence).
WHICH TYPE OF MAUNA IS SUPERIOR?
The true mauna consists, not in merely restraining the speech, but total restraint of all the senses and the mind.
(The railway train was running at full speed from Calcutta to Delhi. In one compartment, two British passengers were talking in English. Pointing at one monk (Sadhu), travelling in the same compartment, one British passenger was telling the other, "Look, what a deception! With such youthful age, healthy body and full capacity to work, this man became monk to get free food and to loiter anywhere. There are thousands of such monks in this country and people feed them in blind faith."
Criticism of this sort went on for a long time, but the monk (Sanyasi) sitting on the opposite seat was pondering deeply with a calm posture.
When the train arrived at one station and halted, the station master saw the monk (Sanyasi), bowed down before him and asked in English, "What can I do in your service, Sir?"
The Sanyasi answered in English, "One glass of water will be enough. I want nothing else."
The two British passengers observed that the Sanyasi spoke in such pure English. They felt surprised. They never knew that the Sanyasi was educated. They had abused the Sanyasi so much and still there was not a word by way of reaction. His posture was the same, full of happiness as before.
The passengers inquired of him, "Well sir, why did you not react to our criticism?"He replied, "Brothers, I remain engrossed only in the thought of my life's work. I do not enter into any kind of disputes."
The peaceful posture and Sadhana of the vow of silence brought about a lot of regard on part of those two British passengers.
This Sanyasi was Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of the great monk Shri Ramkrishna Paramhamsa.
Restraining from speech has been practiced by many great mahatmas like Gandhiji, Arbindo, Mahavira for many years. Ramana Maharishi’s messages were mostly given in silence only. Our Guruji often says that any sentence is understood by people only in the one second silence after that sentence. If we restrain from speech but mind and senses fully active, we are hypocrites. Like the above story, the restraint of speech should merge in the silence of the mind itself. In that silence alone, the truth can be revealed.
CAN A PERSON OF LEARNING ATTAIN TO A STATE OF QUIETITUDE AND ACHIEVE EMANCIPATION , BY MAUNA?
The person, who is practicing the mauna, will lose consciousness of both the objective and the subjective. The concentration of all consciousness is on Brahman alone. Mauna is obtained by the gradual merging of the gross in the subtle (speech into silence), the subtle in the causal (silence in to thoughtless state) and the causal into Brahman (thoughtless state merging in to consciousness). Bhagawad Gita equates a Muni’s mind that is well under control and united with the Atman to a lamp at a breezeless spot).
HOW IS IT TO BE PRACTICED HERE?
Though residing in the mind and though inherent in the mind, the knowledge of Brahman is still unmanifest. It is by the aid of pure intellect and Brahmacharya that it is made manifest. Like a blade projecting from a clod of earth, a person should disassociate the soul from the body.
Men obtain by work only worlds that are perishable. However, he that is blessed with knowledge attains the state of Brahman which is everlasting. (One need to have the desire to attain Brahman state (Mumukshatva). Every cell of the body should burn for that state. Ramakrishna says beautifully that how one longs for the breath when he is pushed under the water and that should be our thirst for the truth.
Once the Guru showed Swami Rama plenty of jewels and asked him to take it. Swami Rama cried to his Guru “Are you telling me to accept these jewels instead of you? I don’t want them. I want to be with you”.
Guru said “If you want to be with me, look over there. Do you see that lofty flame? (Huge walls of fire). If you can go through that fire you follow me. How much desire do you have for the world, and how much for the light?”
Swami Rama told “I prefer fire to temptations” and thus chose the path of renunciation.
Renunciation is the path of the fire and should be followed only by those who have burned their worldly desires. Disappointments, greed, lust, hatred, and love, anger and jealousy cannot be renounced without spiritual discipline. A frustrated and dissatisfied soul is not fit to tread the path of renunciation.
When all disturbances die with the practice of Viveka and Vairagya, in that silence one abides in his own self of peace and tranquility. We can have it here and now if we have the thirst for it.
CONCLUSION:
When we travel by train or by flight or when we are left at home for few hours all alone, how many of us enjoy the silence? Most of us plan to read a book, work Sudoku, watch some movies or keep talking to someone. Silence is the state not preferred by anyone. A true spiritual seeker and one who has the thirst for realization, there is only way – the way of silence. Initially we take efforts to be silent and later effortlessly we can abide in the silence called Samadhi. Nothing is retained by man in that state of silence. Chinmayananda says that every step on the beach sand is beautiful. But if we look back and start comparing the one step with the other, the disturbance begins. We don’t know how many births we have lived such life. But in this life, in this very body, we will attain that state of peace and everlasting happiness by living like a Muni.
SILENCE IS THE BEST AND THE MOST UNIQUE ART OF CONVERSATION.
SILENCE IS THE BEST SPEECH. IF YOU MUST SPEAK, SPEAK THE MINIMUM. DO NOT SPEAK TWO WORDS, IF ONE IS ENOUGH.
THE EGO GETS WIPED OUT IN THE STATE OF SILENCE. ONCE THIS HAPPENS, WHO WILL SPEAK AND WHO WILL PONDER? (ALL DUALITIES HAVE DISAPPEARED)
SILENCE IS AN EXCELLENT MEANS OF SELF-BETTERMENT, BUT ONLY RARELY DOES ONE OF US MAKE GOOD USE OF IT.
We will continue on the topic of Brahman in the next week.
HARI OM!!!
...Read more!
Vidura Neethi – 5
By Chitra Devaraj
The soul is eternal and everlasting.Vidura said to Dhrithrashtra, “Virtue is everlasting; pleasure and pains are transitory. Life is, indeed, everlasting, but its particular phases are transitory. Forsaking those which are passing, betake thyself to that which is everlasting and let contentment be thine, since contentment is the greatest of all acquisitions”.
WHAT IS EVERLASTING HERE IN THIS LIFE?
The human body is a house with nine doors, three pillars and five witnesses. It is presided over by the soul – which is eternal and everlasting.
TRUTH ABOUT LIFE
Great kings, great people who have lived in glory, wealth and joy, have all become victims to the Universal Destroyer called Death. This world is ever threatened by death. The span of one’s life is, helplessly as it were, reduced every night when he goes to sleep. Death waits for no man. It is nearing every one every moment. Its progress cannot be judged by us but it is ever steady. With the passing of each day, man’s life is shortened. When we are busy fulfilling our desires, much like plucking flowers in the garden, death snatches us away. Bheeshma says Yudishtra,”What you have planned to do tomorrow must be done today. What you have planned to do in the afternoon must be done in the forenoon. Death is ruthless. It will never wait and see if all your acts have been carried out. Man should therefore hurry and practice virtue in the prime time of life. Life is so uncertain and death is certain”.
HOW TO CUT THE WEB OF ATTACHMENT?
Man is plagued with a thousand desires in the world. He is attached to many things and many people. He is attached to his works, to his children, his home. All these have woven the web of attachment from which he is torn away by death. We need to understand that nothing can resist the force of this web of attachment except truth. Knowledge about the true value of things of the world man becomes wise. This world is dhukaalayam and asaashvatham as said by the Lord Krishna in the 8th chapter of Gita. Anything we derive from this world is impermanent. One who understands this fact faces death without fear. TRUTH IS IMMORTALITY. Immortality as well as the germs of death can be found in this same body. It is all in our hands whether we want to nurture the one or the other. The web of attachment is so easily formed. It is easy for anyone to nurture the plant of attachment. (Mruthyunjaya mantram compares the attachment to a cucumber – oorvaaruham iva bandanaath. Cucumber is the only fruit that never falls even when ripe. It is difficult to pluck. Even though the climber is thin and unable to bear the weight of the fruit, it doesn’t fall. The attachment to the stem is so strong similar to our attachment to the world. Bhagawad Gita says Asanga-sastrena drdhena chittvaa – use the weapon of non-attachment to root out this ever growing tree of samsara).
WHO IS THE FRIEND WHO FOLLOWS A MAN AFTER HIS DEATH?
All great people went away from this world leaving behind their kingdom, wealth and glory. Man has not a single companion in this march through this incident called life. The dead body is cast in to the funeral pyre like a piece of wood. The wealth is enjoyed by many whereas the dead body is enjoyed by the birds and animals. After death we are followed by our own actions (sins and merits). The righteousness, the Dharma is the only friend of man. Therefore, should men carefully and gradually earn the merit of righteousness. (Yudishtra was the only one among the Pandavas who could reach the heaven with his mortal body because of his righteousness. We remember great kings like Ashoka, Mahatma Gandhi, all great saints only because of their actions not with the way they look physically)
WHAT ARE THE TWO ETERNAL RIVERS?
The life is spoken of as an eternal river.
Five senses = waters
Desire and anger = crocodiles and sharks
Self control = boat
(BG Dhyaana sloka says, “Bheeshma Drona Tada……“. The ocean of Samsara was successfully crossed by the Pandavas because they had Krishna as their boatman.)
The soul is spoken of as yet another eternal river.
Righteous merit = sacred bath
Truth = waters
Self control = banks
Kindness = waves
When we are in ignorance, we are in the river of life. When we become wise we are in the river of the soul. The boatman (Krishna) plays an important role in the river of life. The boatman is none other than the soul which is sacred and everlasting. The river of life ends in a man who takes refuge in the Lord and merges with the river of soul.
Like all of us, Dhrithrashtra wanted to know more about the soul and also the way to meet the ancient and the eternal one when in this body.
Vidura then invoked Rishi Sanatsujata to clear the doubts of the King. Being invoked by the pure heart of Vidura who is wise among men, the Rishi arrived there. The king prostrated the Rishi and asked his doubts to him.
WHAT IS DEATH? WHAT IS IMMORTALITY?
Ignorance = death
Absence of ignorance = immortality
Animals like tiger, lion are not afraid of death because they cannot perceive clearly with the mind or the senses. It is only men who imagine the Lord Yama who holds his sway in the region of Pitris. It is at the command of Yama that death in the form of wrath, ignorance, covetousness arises among men. Pulled by the attachments and pride, men walk in the ways that are unrighteousness. Senses dominate their life and repeatedly they fall into difficulties (hell). Thus, that ignorance receives the name Death.
Those who desire the fruit of actions and perform yagnas as prescribed in the Vedas, are again born into this world after exhausting all their merits. The one who desires earthly enjoyments cannot avoid the round of rebirths, up and down and around. Attachment is the most terrible of all sorrows (death).
The death Yama cannot even come near a man who kills desire by self restraint. The wise are never misled in their lives as they walk in the light of soul. Whoever wins over the death called ignorance in this very body by controlling the senses with the weapon of dispassion and discrimination attains immortality.
HOW TO WIN OVER DEATH?
Destroy the desire which arises because of the ignorance (I am the body).
NO WISH, NOT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST ONE IS EITHER TO BE ENTERTAINED OR PURSUED.
(Attachment leads to desire; unfulfilled desire leads to anger; anger to delusion; delusion to loss of memory and the whole process ruins one’s life itself)
CONCLUSION:
The banana peel has little sweetness of the fruit being associated with it. We being wise, we know that the fruit is different from the peel. So we throw the peel into the dust bin and have only the fruit. Vidura is teaching us that the peel is the body, senses and the mind. The fruit is the soul. The problems what we face in our day to day life belongs to the peel, the body. The fruit is ever sweet and not touched by anything. The time we shift our focus on the fruit, negating the peel, we attain immortality or in other words we win the death. Whatever happiness we derive from the sense objects are temporary. Initially it will show us happiness but always ends in sorrow. This path even though is difficult initially, will give us happiness which is permanent.
Guruji is always wanted and loved by everyone because he is a giver of happiness. We can give to people what we have. When we are beggars of happiness, how can we serve the world? Serve the people at home? It is out of great compassion the great saints are living among us. They inspire us to reach that state of bliss they are reveling in. We are children of amritha; children of immortality. The fruit within all of us are one and the same. Let us live this truth.
HARI OM!
...Read more!
The soul is eternal and everlasting.Vidura said to Dhrithrashtra, “Virtue is everlasting; pleasure and pains are transitory. Life is, indeed, everlasting, but its particular phases are transitory. Forsaking those which are passing, betake thyself to that which is everlasting and let contentment be thine, since contentment is the greatest of all acquisitions”.
WHAT IS EVERLASTING HERE IN THIS LIFE?
The human body is a house with nine doors, three pillars and five witnesses. It is presided over by the soul – which is eternal and everlasting.
TRUTH ABOUT LIFE
Great kings, great people who have lived in glory, wealth and joy, have all become victims to the Universal Destroyer called Death. This world is ever threatened by death. The span of one’s life is, helplessly as it were, reduced every night when he goes to sleep. Death waits for no man. It is nearing every one every moment. Its progress cannot be judged by us but it is ever steady. With the passing of each day, man’s life is shortened. When we are busy fulfilling our desires, much like plucking flowers in the garden, death snatches us away. Bheeshma says Yudishtra,”What you have planned to do tomorrow must be done today. What you have planned to do in the afternoon must be done in the forenoon. Death is ruthless. It will never wait and see if all your acts have been carried out. Man should therefore hurry and practice virtue in the prime time of life. Life is so uncertain and death is certain”.
HOW TO CUT THE WEB OF ATTACHMENT?
Man is plagued with a thousand desires in the world. He is attached to many things and many people. He is attached to his works, to his children, his home. All these have woven the web of attachment from which he is torn away by death. We need to understand that nothing can resist the force of this web of attachment except truth. Knowledge about the true value of things of the world man becomes wise. This world is dhukaalayam and asaashvatham as said by the Lord Krishna in the 8th chapter of Gita. Anything we derive from this world is impermanent. One who understands this fact faces death without fear. TRUTH IS IMMORTALITY. Immortality as well as the germs of death can be found in this same body. It is all in our hands whether we want to nurture the one or the other. The web of attachment is so easily formed. It is easy for anyone to nurture the plant of attachment. (Mruthyunjaya mantram compares the attachment to a cucumber – oorvaaruham iva bandanaath. Cucumber is the only fruit that never falls even when ripe. It is difficult to pluck. Even though the climber is thin and unable to bear the weight of the fruit, it doesn’t fall. The attachment to the stem is so strong similar to our attachment to the world. Bhagawad Gita says Asanga-sastrena drdhena chittvaa – use the weapon of non-attachment to root out this ever growing tree of samsara).
WHO IS THE FRIEND WHO FOLLOWS A MAN AFTER HIS DEATH?
All great people went away from this world leaving behind their kingdom, wealth and glory. Man has not a single companion in this march through this incident called life. The dead body is cast in to the funeral pyre like a piece of wood. The wealth is enjoyed by many whereas the dead body is enjoyed by the birds and animals. After death we are followed by our own actions (sins and merits). The righteousness, the Dharma is the only friend of man. Therefore, should men carefully and gradually earn the merit of righteousness. (Yudishtra was the only one among the Pandavas who could reach the heaven with his mortal body because of his righteousness. We remember great kings like Ashoka, Mahatma Gandhi, all great saints only because of their actions not with the way they look physically)
WHAT ARE THE TWO ETERNAL RIVERS?
The life is spoken of as an eternal river.
Five senses = waters
Desire and anger = crocodiles and sharks
Self control = boat
(BG Dhyaana sloka says, “Bheeshma Drona Tada……“. The ocean of Samsara was successfully crossed by the Pandavas because they had Krishna as their boatman.)
The soul is spoken of as yet another eternal river.
Righteous merit = sacred bath
Truth = waters
Self control = banks
Kindness = waves
When we are in ignorance, we are in the river of life. When we become wise we are in the river of the soul. The boatman (Krishna) plays an important role in the river of life. The boatman is none other than the soul which is sacred and everlasting. The river of life ends in a man who takes refuge in the Lord and merges with the river of soul.
Like all of us, Dhrithrashtra wanted to know more about the soul and also the way to meet the ancient and the eternal one when in this body.
Vidura then invoked Rishi Sanatsujata to clear the doubts of the King. Being invoked by the pure heart of Vidura who is wise among men, the Rishi arrived there. The king prostrated the Rishi and asked his doubts to him.
WHAT IS DEATH? WHAT IS IMMORTALITY?
Ignorance = death
Absence of ignorance = immortality
Animals like tiger, lion are not afraid of death because they cannot perceive clearly with the mind or the senses. It is only men who imagine the Lord Yama who holds his sway in the region of Pitris. It is at the command of Yama that death in the form of wrath, ignorance, covetousness arises among men. Pulled by the attachments and pride, men walk in the ways that are unrighteousness. Senses dominate their life and repeatedly they fall into difficulties (hell). Thus, that ignorance receives the name Death.
Those who desire the fruit of actions and perform yagnas as prescribed in the Vedas, are again born into this world after exhausting all their merits. The one who desires earthly enjoyments cannot avoid the round of rebirths, up and down and around. Attachment is the most terrible of all sorrows (death).
The death Yama cannot even come near a man who kills desire by self restraint. The wise are never misled in their lives as they walk in the light of soul. Whoever wins over the death called ignorance in this very body by controlling the senses with the weapon of dispassion and discrimination attains immortality.
HOW TO WIN OVER DEATH?
Destroy the desire which arises because of the ignorance (I am the body).
NO WISH, NOT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST ONE IS EITHER TO BE ENTERTAINED OR PURSUED.
(Attachment leads to desire; unfulfilled desire leads to anger; anger to delusion; delusion to loss of memory and the whole process ruins one’s life itself)
CONCLUSION:
The banana peel has little sweetness of the fruit being associated with it. We being wise, we know that the fruit is different from the peel. So we throw the peel into the dust bin and have only the fruit. Vidura is teaching us that the peel is the body, senses and the mind. The fruit is the soul. The problems what we face in our day to day life belongs to the peel, the body. The fruit is ever sweet and not touched by anything. The time we shift our focus on the fruit, negating the peel, we attain immortality or in other words we win the death. Whatever happiness we derive from the sense objects are temporary. Initially it will show us happiness but always ends in sorrow. This path even though is difficult initially, will give us happiness which is permanent.
Guruji is always wanted and loved by everyone because he is a giver of happiness. We can give to people what we have. When we are beggars of happiness, how can we serve the world? Serve the people at home? It is out of great compassion the great saints are living among us. They inspire us to reach that state of bliss they are reveling in. We are children of amritha; children of immortality. The fruit within all of us are one and the same. Let us live this truth.
HARI OM!
...Read more!
Vidura Neethi - 4
By Chitra Devraj
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A FOOL? (Shlokas 14-20)1. A fool is one who thinks that he knows everything, without reading scriptures under proper guidance. Scriptures are closed book as far as he is concerned. (Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the scripture is the measuring scale for one’s thoughts and actions. It teaches us what we should do and what we should not do. There are many stories in the epics about great people who thought that they knew everything but fell prey to situations. What to talk about a person who has not read the scriptures at all! Surrender is next to impossible for such people. Whatever they do is always right as far they are concerned. Being highly egoistic they cannot accept anything which proves them wrong. They think the body as real and do not believe in God as also the scriptures which talks about God. In Tamil there is a proverb which says that whatever we know is only a drop in the ocean. It is foolish to think that we know everything. Submissiveness comes to us when we read the stories of the Lord and great saints around us).
2. A foolish man dreams to achieve bigger things without the basic necessities for the work. He has a knack of desiring what he has no right to desire. (Bhagavad Gita says that one should understand the scriptural injunctions and then set to work. The basic necessity for any work is the knowledge of the work and the guidance of a wise person. A foolish person who does not know what is right ends up in doing works only to satisfy his senses. His works are unbeneficial and harmful which leads to the destruction in the world).
3. A foolish man earns money in an adharmic way. When he desires to have something he will never hesitate to employ unfair means. (We have seen in bus stops and railway stations, even near signals, the mother using a child as tool to earn money by begging. How many Harshad Mehtas are there around in this world wanting to become rich overnight, at any cost! Like our Duryodhana who attempted many times to kill his own brothers for the want of kingdom, for them the end justifies the means).
4. A foolish man is one who is interested in para-dharma without doing his swadharma. (Every person has got his unique quality which determines his Dharma or duty (Swadharma) in this body. A house holder on any day cannot take the role of a Sanyasi (Paradharma) ignoring the prime duties of looking after the family, parents. Lord Krishna explains in Karma Yoga that one’s own duty, even though not glamorous is better than the duty alien to one’s growth, however well performed. When we start copying actions which are not meant for us, there is always a fear of downfall. Once there was an interview published in a Tamil Weekly about the temple road side Sanyasis. When they were asked why they became Sanyasis their replies were identical. They had chosen to be Sanyasis not as a renunciate as prescribed in the scripture but for want of food, shelter and money. A housewife, who feels that the career woman is better off, tries to emulate her and gets in to trouble. The real service starts at home with an attitude of no expectations. By ignoring our duty which is given to us by the Lord and trying to help others or not doing anything to the dependents is foolish. When we go out of our way of our nature we become fools).
5. Those that are powerful make a foolish man envious. (Whoever is envious of another’s wealth, beauty, might, high lineage, happiness, good fortune, honours suffers from incurable disease. The Lord says in Gita that the negative qualities like lust and anger are man’s eternal enemies. A person who is envious is always unhappy. He is unable to identify himself with other person’s happiness as he would with his own kith and kin. We have seen in Devi Mahatmyam and in other epics that the Asuras are always foolish to fight with the all-powerful Lord. Envy begets war, be it the war for a piece of land or the war within oneself. Lord Krishna says beautifully that who ever wins the lust, greed and anger in this very body, becomes a happy man).
6. A foolish man is proud and has a bulged ego. (Lord’s way of destruction is only by blowing the ego of a person. We can blow a balloon only to some extent. Further we try to blow, it bursts. The thought that ‘he knows everything’ is a sign of the bulged ego. In the 8th chapter of Gita, Lord explains the life time of Brahma to make us understand that our life time is nothing when compared to the life time of Brahma. When Indra was overcome with pride, Krishna, to save the devotees, lifted the Govardhana Hill with his little finger. Wherever there is pride and Ahamkara, the lord shows somebody who is better than that person. The ego has never won a war. A fool without knowing the truth, gives his mind, senses, intellect as the seat to the thief called Ego. And finally it loots his life itself. Slokas 7 to 20 of 16th chapter of Gita deals in great detail about the arrogance of such a man).
7. One man commits sin and several others reap the fruit of action resulting from his sin. But sin attaches only to the man who has committed the act. Other people escape. (There was a thief called Ratnakara who lived in the forest with his family. He used to attack people who cross that forest and loot the people’s valuables. One day Sage Narada came by that way. Ratnakara went to Naradaji and threatened him to give his valuables. Naradaji asked him why he is stealing money. Ratnakara told the sage that his family is living with this income only. Naradaji asked Ratnakara to go and ask his family members whether any body will take a little part of his sin and he promised the thief that he will stay there till he comes. Ratnakara went and asked his mother, his wife, brothers, children to take a little part of his sin. Everybody refused to take. Ratnakara was feeling sad and came back to the sage. Naradaji told him this is the truth of life. You are thinking that you are working for the family. But they enjoy only the fruit of your work but not the action. He initiated Ratnakara to Rama japa and the poor thief did not know how to utter Rama nama but went on saying Mara Mara. That thief is none other than our great Sage Valmiki who got realised because of Naradaji. We too follow adharmic ways to fulfil our desires born of attachment. If we keep this truth in mind, we can avoid foolish actions and become wise.)
8. The foolish man likes one who dislikes him and hates one who likes him. (A foolish person never uses his buddhi to discriminate between good and bad. Who ever leads him to his good, becomes his enemy and whoever supports him in his actions becomes his friend. There is total confusion in his life. He always chooses the path of Preyas, the life of momentary happiness to the path of shreyas, the life which leads him to his highest good).
9. A foolish man fights against one who has more strength. (Wherever we come across the word fool’ the first thought comes to our mind are the asuras. The asuras as we have seen in the stories are all the time challenging the Lord Almighty. The best strategy to win a fight is to know our strength and also the strength of the enemies. If we know the enemies are powerful than us better not to confront. Foolish people fight with ones who have more strength because they are in delusion and hence prompted by their ego to fight. Saddam Hussein fought with US despite knowing he cannot win)
10. A foolish man has no importance of time. (A foolish man is in the clutch of Tamas (negligence, delusion and ignorance). He wants to do everything without moving an inch from his place. He will think to do today’s work tomorrow and tomorrow’s work the day after. Ultimately nothing will be done. He is in the thought that the whole time is for him and he doesn’t look into the emergency of the work. All works are same for him. His waking up, sleeping times are totally undisciplined. Any work given to him is most of the times incomplete and if complete, not the best of work).
11. A foolish man always moves with others with a doubting mind. He is not truthful even to a friend. (Doubts arise in our mind when we lack faith. Being selfish in attitude, he always moves with the sense of insecurity).
12. He does not worship Devas or Pitrus. (A foolish man has no faith in scriptures, God or anything prescribed as good. Basically he is a Naastika (disbeliever in God). Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that the fool who lives a life prompted by his desires attains neither spiritual perfection nor worldly happiness nor liberation. A foolish man thinks he is the centre of world and never gives any value to morality)
13. A foolish man visit houses uninvited. (He is indifferent to others convenience. He puts the host in a delicate position. This is because he feels he is always invited and important. Moreover he visits for his own selfish interest).
14. A foolish man starts talking without even asking for it. (A wise man wants to speak because he has something to say; a foolish man wants to speak because he wants to say something. When the fear of defeat came to the mind of Duryodhana, he talked disrespectfully to the guru and the elders in the battle field. Actually there was no need to speak and more so when there are elders around him. A foolish man neglects the surrounding and makes himself a laughing stock all the time).
15. A foolish man always points out mistake on others, keeping the same mistake within himself. (Pointing mistake on others is a highly egoistic action. In Guruji’s workshop we were asked to comment on three mathematical sums that were written on the board, for example, 2 x 3 = 6, 2 + 3 =5 and 6 – 3 = 2. If we were to comment on the wrong sum rather than the two right ones, we fall in to this category of those who look at mistakes in life. Before we point out others’ mistakes we need to see with a big lens what is inside us. The index finger is always an index for our attitude and should always be pointed inwards).
CONCLUSION:
As explained in these slokas, it is very clear that on any day, under any circumstances we cannot encourage our ego based emotions like anger, pride, and greed. If we have that even for a moment, we are considered foolish and we pave way for our own destruction. The lust, greed and anger are three gates to hell. One who wins these three is wise and ever happy man on this earth and he becomes everlasting.
Dhrithrashtra wanted to know about the ‘everlasting’ thing Vidura was talking about. Next week we will see in detail what is everlasting in this life.
HARI OM!
...Read more!
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A FOOL? (Shlokas 14-20)1. A fool is one who thinks that he knows everything, without reading scriptures under proper guidance. Scriptures are closed book as far as he is concerned. (Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the scripture is the measuring scale for one’s thoughts and actions. It teaches us what we should do and what we should not do. There are many stories in the epics about great people who thought that they knew everything but fell prey to situations. What to talk about a person who has not read the scriptures at all! Surrender is next to impossible for such people. Whatever they do is always right as far they are concerned. Being highly egoistic they cannot accept anything which proves them wrong. They think the body as real and do not believe in God as also the scriptures which talks about God. In Tamil there is a proverb which says that whatever we know is only a drop in the ocean. It is foolish to think that we know everything. Submissiveness comes to us when we read the stories of the Lord and great saints around us).
2. A foolish man dreams to achieve bigger things without the basic necessities for the work. He has a knack of desiring what he has no right to desire. (Bhagavad Gita says that one should understand the scriptural injunctions and then set to work. The basic necessity for any work is the knowledge of the work and the guidance of a wise person. A foolish person who does not know what is right ends up in doing works only to satisfy his senses. His works are unbeneficial and harmful which leads to the destruction in the world).
3. A foolish man earns money in an adharmic way. When he desires to have something he will never hesitate to employ unfair means. (We have seen in bus stops and railway stations, even near signals, the mother using a child as tool to earn money by begging. How many Harshad Mehtas are there around in this world wanting to become rich overnight, at any cost! Like our Duryodhana who attempted many times to kill his own brothers for the want of kingdom, for them the end justifies the means).
4. A foolish man is one who is interested in para-dharma without doing his swadharma. (Every person has got his unique quality which determines his Dharma or duty (Swadharma) in this body. A house holder on any day cannot take the role of a Sanyasi (Paradharma) ignoring the prime duties of looking after the family, parents. Lord Krishna explains in Karma Yoga that one’s own duty, even though not glamorous is better than the duty alien to one’s growth, however well performed. When we start copying actions which are not meant for us, there is always a fear of downfall. Once there was an interview published in a Tamil Weekly about the temple road side Sanyasis. When they were asked why they became Sanyasis their replies were identical. They had chosen to be Sanyasis not as a renunciate as prescribed in the scripture but for want of food, shelter and money. A housewife, who feels that the career woman is better off, tries to emulate her and gets in to trouble. The real service starts at home with an attitude of no expectations. By ignoring our duty which is given to us by the Lord and trying to help others or not doing anything to the dependents is foolish. When we go out of our way of our nature we become fools).
5. Those that are powerful make a foolish man envious. (Whoever is envious of another’s wealth, beauty, might, high lineage, happiness, good fortune, honours suffers from incurable disease. The Lord says in Gita that the negative qualities like lust and anger are man’s eternal enemies. A person who is envious is always unhappy. He is unable to identify himself with other person’s happiness as he would with his own kith and kin. We have seen in Devi Mahatmyam and in other epics that the Asuras are always foolish to fight with the all-powerful Lord. Envy begets war, be it the war for a piece of land or the war within oneself. Lord Krishna says beautifully that who ever wins the lust, greed and anger in this very body, becomes a happy man).
6. A foolish man is proud and has a bulged ego. (Lord’s way of destruction is only by blowing the ego of a person. We can blow a balloon only to some extent. Further we try to blow, it bursts. The thought that ‘he knows everything’ is a sign of the bulged ego. In the 8th chapter of Gita, Lord explains the life time of Brahma to make us understand that our life time is nothing when compared to the life time of Brahma. When Indra was overcome with pride, Krishna, to save the devotees, lifted the Govardhana Hill with his little finger. Wherever there is pride and Ahamkara, the lord shows somebody who is better than that person. The ego has never won a war. A fool without knowing the truth, gives his mind, senses, intellect as the seat to the thief called Ego. And finally it loots his life itself. Slokas 7 to 20 of 16th chapter of Gita deals in great detail about the arrogance of such a man).
7. One man commits sin and several others reap the fruit of action resulting from his sin. But sin attaches only to the man who has committed the act. Other people escape. (There was a thief called Ratnakara who lived in the forest with his family. He used to attack people who cross that forest and loot the people’s valuables. One day Sage Narada came by that way. Ratnakara went to Naradaji and threatened him to give his valuables. Naradaji asked him why he is stealing money. Ratnakara told the sage that his family is living with this income only. Naradaji asked Ratnakara to go and ask his family members whether any body will take a little part of his sin and he promised the thief that he will stay there till he comes. Ratnakara went and asked his mother, his wife, brothers, children to take a little part of his sin. Everybody refused to take. Ratnakara was feeling sad and came back to the sage. Naradaji told him this is the truth of life. You are thinking that you are working for the family. But they enjoy only the fruit of your work but not the action. He initiated Ratnakara to Rama japa and the poor thief did not know how to utter Rama nama but went on saying Mara Mara. That thief is none other than our great Sage Valmiki who got realised because of Naradaji. We too follow adharmic ways to fulfil our desires born of attachment. If we keep this truth in mind, we can avoid foolish actions and become wise.)
8. The foolish man likes one who dislikes him and hates one who likes him. (A foolish person never uses his buddhi to discriminate between good and bad. Who ever leads him to his good, becomes his enemy and whoever supports him in his actions becomes his friend. There is total confusion in his life. He always chooses the path of Preyas, the life of momentary happiness to the path of shreyas, the life which leads him to his highest good).
9. A foolish man fights against one who has more strength. (Wherever we come across the word fool’ the first thought comes to our mind are the asuras. The asuras as we have seen in the stories are all the time challenging the Lord Almighty. The best strategy to win a fight is to know our strength and also the strength of the enemies. If we know the enemies are powerful than us better not to confront. Foolish people fight with ones who have more strength because they are in delusion and hence prompted by their ego to fight. Saddam Hussein fought with US despite knowing he cannot win)
10. A foolish man has no importance of time. (A foolish man is in the clutch of Tamas (negligence, delusion and ignorance). He wants to do everything without moving an inch from his place. He will think to do today’s work tomorrow and tomorrow’s work the day after. Ultimately nothing will be done. He is in the thought that the whole time is for him and he doesn’t look into the emergency of the work. All works are same for him. His waking up, sleeping times are totally undisciplined. Any work given to him is most of the times incomplete and if complete, not the best of work).
11. A foolish man always moves with others with a doubting mind. He is not truthful even to a friend. (Doubts arise in our mind when we lack faith. Being selfish in attitude, he always moves with the sense of insecurity).
12. He does not worship Devas or Pitrus. (A foolish man has no faith in scriptures, God or anything prescribed as good. Basically he is a Naastika (disbeliever in God). Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that the fool who lives a life prompted by his desires attains neither spiritual perfection nor worldly happiness nor liberation. A foolish man thinks he is the centre of world and never gives any value to morality)
13. A foolish man visit houses uninvited. (He is indifferent to others convenience. He puts the host in a delicate position. This is because he feels he is always invited and important. Moreover he visits for his own selfish interest).
14. A foolish man starts talking without even asking for it. (A wise man wants to speak because he has something to say; a foolish man wants to speak because he wants to say something. When the fear of defeat came to the mind of Duryodhana, he talked disrespectfully to the guru and the elders in the battle field. Actually there was no need to speak and more so when there are elders around him. A foolish man neglects the surrounding and makes himself a laughing stock all the time).
15. A foolish man always points out mistake on others, keeping the same mistake within himself. (Pointing mistake on others is a highly egoistic action. In Guruji’s workshop we were asked to comment on three mathematical sums that were written on the board, for example, 2 x 3 = 6, 2 + 3 =5 and 6 – 3 = 2. If we were to comment on the wrong sum rather than the two right ones, we fall in to this category of those who look at mistakes in life. Before we point out others’ mistakes we need to see with a big lens what is inside us. The index finger is always an index for our attitude and should always be pointed inwards).
CONCLUSION:
As explained in these slokas, it is very clear that on any day, under any circumstances we cannot encourage our ego based emotions like anger, pride, and greed. If we have that even for a moment, we are considered foolish and we pave way for our own destruction. The lust, greed and anger are three gates to hell. One who wins these three is wise and ever happy man on this earth and he becomes everlasting.
Dhrithrashtra wanted to know about the ‘everlasting’ thing Vidura was talking about. Next week we will see in detail what is everlasting in this life.
HARI OM!
...Read more!
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