PART 13 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM

By Chitra Devraj


CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH ENEMY IS INVINCIBLE?

ANGER IS THE ENEMY WHICH IS INVINCIBLE.

(Invincible means unconquerable. We can conquer the enemy when we know where he is and how he comes into us. We are not angry all the time. The unpleasant surroundings and unpleasant emotion inside us manifests itself as anger. Lord says in Gita (2nd chapter, sloka 63) that when our desires are obstructed, we get into anger. A country which is vigilant all the time escapes from the attack of enemies. Similarly if we are vigilant (with awareness) all the time of what comes into us and what goes out of us, we are in control of situation. Lord says in the third chapter of Gita that desire and anger are eternal enemies to man. These enemies reside in our senses, mind and intellect. It is like thieves who stay at our own home and keep stealing things. These enemies steal our peace of mind, our happiness, our intelligence and the very valuable human birth itself. One who is focused towards the inner divinity is the most powerful. This powerful weapon alone destroys these eternal and internal enemies – lust and anger.

Suppression is not an answer. The more we suppress, it bounces back to us with greater force. By controlling the sense organs by mind, mind by the buddhi (discrimination) and buddhi controlled by the knowledge, one can conquer the enemy. Lot of times we don’t even realize the anger is our enemy. We justify our actions. This is one of the reasons why this is unconquerable).


WHAT DISEASE IS INCURABLE? COVETOUSNESS IS AN INCURABLE DISEASE.

(Covetousness is an incurable disease because it is the disease of wants. ‘More and more’ is the symptom of the disease. Name or fame or riches or food or clothes or any material in the world, the person who has this disease is not satisfied. The lust and wrath are its companions which destroy the righteousness in the person’s heart. The more we try to satisfy the desire; it is like pouring ghee to the fire. It burns with more intensity.

Covetousness leads to death of a man even whilst living. The person is always in fear. Like Cancer, it spreads in no time. The one, who has surrendered to the Lord, is saved from this disease. Otherwise, swayed by pride, men walk in the path of worldly enjoyments, in unrighteous path. They are always followed by their senses. Pulled by the senses, they repeatedly fall into difficulties, pains which are nothing but hell).

WHICH MAN IS CONSIDERED HONEST? HE WHO DESIRES GOOD OF ALL CREATURES IS HONEST.WHICH MAN IS DISHONEST? ONE WHO IS NOT MERCIFUL IS DISHONEST.

(We have seen ‘what is mercy’ in the last part. Mercy is wishing happiness for all. Here Yudishtira says that the person who has mercy only can perform actions of truth. He can be honest in his work and intentions.

One who is selfish can never be honest. A selfish man always expects some benefit out of every action. If there is nothing beneficial to him, then he doesn’t take up any action even good actions. One who has no love for the fellow beings and creatures is considered as ‘not merciful’ and hence his acts are dishonest. He is biased in his attitude.

An honest man is one who has no desires for himself. An honest man is truthful to himself. We say ‘be honest in your relationships’ which means think of good of all around you. If love is the base of our actions, then one’s action becomes the action of divinity, an honest act.

In the book ‘don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff’, the author writes that we can offer a beautiful smile and a genuine hello’ to the people we meet in the lift or in the roads. We can say thank you’ to the taxi drivers, to the person who showers their love in some form or the other. Let us be the first person to give love. We can’t do great things on this earth. But we can do small things with great love. Where there is love, there is honesty.

The following are the words given to Yudishtira by Bhishma Pitamaha.

The forms that Truth assumes are impartiality, self-control, forgiveness, modesty, endurance, goodness, renunciation, contemplation, dignity, fortitude, compassion, and abstention from injury. These, O great monarch, are the thirteen forms of Truth. Truth is immutable, eternal, and unchangeable. It may be acquired through practices which do not militate against any of the other virtues. It may also be acquired through Yoga. When desire and aversion, as also lust and wrath, are destroyed, that attribute in consequence of which one is able to look upon one’s own self and one’s foe, upon one’s good and one’s evil, with an unchanging eye, is called impartiality/act of honesty.

Self control consists in never wishing for another man’s possessions, in gravity and patience and capacity to allay the fears of others in respect of one’s own self, and immunity from disease. It may be acquired through knowledge. Devotion to the practice of liberality and the observance of all duties are regarded by the wise as constituting goodwill. One comes to acquire universal goodwill by constant devotion to Truth.

That virtue in consequence of which one does good, with watchfulness and care, to all creatures is called goodness. It has no particular shape and consists in the divestment of all selfish attachments. That virtue owing to which one remains unchanged in happiness and misery is called fortitude. That wise man who desires his own good always practices this virtue. One should always practice forgiveness and devotedness to truth. That man of wisdom who succeeds in casting off joy and fear and wrath, succeeds in acquiring fortitude. Abstention from injury as regards all creatures in thought, word and deed, kindness and gift, are the eternal duties of those who are good.

I remember Bharathiar’s poetry

“pagaivanukkarulvaai nannenje pagaivanukarulvaai;

thinna varum puli thannaium anbodu sindai-l poatriduvaai

annai parasakthi avvuru vaayinal avalai kumbiduvaai!

Pugai naduvinil thee irupadai bhoomil kandome

Pagai naduvinil anburuvaana nam paraman vaazhgindraan

Nan nenje! Pagaivanukarulvaai!”

He says: “Praise even the tiger which comes to eat you because Goddess Parasakthi is of that nature. So see her in that tiger and bow down; amidst of smoke there is fire. Similarly amidst of all enemies there is spark of Lord; let the heart melt even for an enemy”. This is honest thinking. This thought is merciful.

SUMMARY:

By saying anger as unconquerable and covetousness as incurable, Yudishtira insists that we need a powerful weapon/ medicine to overcome them. Knowledge alone can destroy anger and covetousness. Knowledge alone can bring honesty in our thought and actions.

Anger is an expression of our ego. If things are gross, it can be easily conquered. Being subtle, the knowledge is the only weapon which destroys the expressions of ego and ego itself.

The body becomes weak and incapacitated in advanced age, but the hankering for things and self-esteem continue to flourish. ‘Me and mine’ continue to dominate so long as the body lives. The complete surrender to the Lord is the only way. Implicit obedience to the Guru is the sure means to happiness.

The devotion will keep us in the path of truth and love everyone around us without any expectation. Love and humility are the natural offsprings of devotion.

HARI OM!
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PART 12 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

By Chitra Devraj

PART 12 – YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

WHAT IS TRANQUILITY?

TRUE TRANQUILITY IS THAT OF THE HEART. (Tranquility is utter calm, the absence of agitation (of the past) or anxiety (of the future). In the sixth chapter of Bhagavad Gita the Lord compares the mind of the yogi as the 'lamp at the breezeless spot'. Breeze is all our worldly things around us. When our senses come in contact with the sense objects it pulls the mind in the direction of attraction or repulsion and thus the mind gets disturbed. The Lord explains this as 'vigatajvarah' or 'feverish'. Till one attains that object or leaves the object he is like a person with fever, restless.

If we can keep the lamp at a safe place where the wind doesn't touch the flame, then the lamp burns without oscillation. Similarly our mind can remain without oscillation if it is established in equanimity or yoga. All pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain, heat and cold, maanaa and apamaanaa takes us away from our inner divinity. If the mind takes shelter in that divinity that state is called as tranquility. It is not touched by anything happening around him as the mind is now turned inward and the light (peace of mind) is protected by the inner divinity and not exposed to worldly blows.

Equanimity gets disturbed when we have opinions, when we have desires, when we have complaints or in short any expression of ego spoils our balance in life. If we understand that everything happening around us is the will of the Lord and we have got nothing to do about it other than bearing with it (Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to develop the quality of 'titiksha', the quality to bear any experience), tranquility sets in us. Surrendering our ego and understanding the nature of things around us will make us remain balanced and will make us stay in the heart.

Every expression which comes out of a tranquil person will be soaked in love, humility, devotion and selfless. Only a person who is tranquil can meditate. This is the precondition required to experience the Lord within us. Even though the ocean has rough waves and wind around it, the inner depth of ocean is always calm and quiet. The worldly experiences are always there for every one of us but it is our Sadhana not to be affected by such experiences. Lord says to Arjuna and to all of us:

'Be established in Yoga at all times'.

WHAT IS MERCY?

MERCY MEANS WISHING HAPPINESS FOR ALL. (Mercy means compassion. Compassion is an expression of love inside us. We will feel compassionate to a person whom we relate as ours. When compassion arises, we try to help that person with what is needed at that time and place.

What Yudishtira says here is a higher view of compassion. Mercy means being selfless. Mercy means identifying ourselves with everyone and every creature. You feel compassionate when they are in sorrow and you share their happiness when they are happy.

Our problem is when there was Bombay blast we identified with it being a part of our country and prayed for the victims. When it came to Palestine or any other place, we didn't pay much attention to it because we feel we are not part of them. Mercy means irrespective of place, caste, creed (all body identification) one needs to pray, work for others' happiness like he works for his own happiness. Our mother satsangh in Bahrain performs Sathya Narayana Puja on every National Day of Bahrain for the welfare of the king and the people in Bahrain. This action is wishing happiness for all, an act of mercy shown by our Guru.

As long as we have differences in our mind, the tranquility does not set in. One who does not have the equanimity of mind cannot wish for the happiness of all. The whole life is running under the mercy of the Lord who works on strict vigilance, 24 hours, and 365 days for the good of the world. Anyone who prays to Him he answers in no time. If we write a mail to our Guru, within two or three hours He replies back. Swami Chinmayananda was writing replies to the letters with his own hand late in the night. That is mercy, wishing happiness (they speak the truth which make us happy) for all.

The prayer 'LOKA SAMASTHAA SUKINO BHAVANTHU' is the expression of mercy. One who works for the 'loka samgraha' – 'for the good of the world', without any selfish motive is merciful and he brings happiness to everyone around him. A Guru is always addressed as 'Dayaasindu' – because He is merciful to pick up the ignorant worms (like all of us) from the muck of samsara and put them under a shady place of devotion (Satsangh, Scriptures, talks, Bhajans, Japa, Dhyaana, Yoga) and show them the way to knowledge.



WHAT IS SIMPLICITY?

SIMPLICITY IS EQUANIMITY OF THE HEART. (Being simple means one who has given up the ego. As long one has the ego, he can't be simple in life. When ego is there, there are expectations (of respect, to be loved more, to be special than others in some way or the other) and complaints (if expectations are unfulfilled). Whenever the mind sees differences, it is a clear sign of ego and also the loss of the equanimity of mind.

We can be simple in our attitude when we become selfless and when we give up the fruit of actions in complete surrender to the Lord. Whenever there is an argument, a simple person will bow down and can say to the other 'you are right'. When we cannot accept our mistakes or cannot bow down to others we are only complicating the things around us. Surrender is the way to simplicity.

We have seen in many stories in Puranas, the simplicity and humility of the bhaktas. The faith they have in their Lord, make them live like a grass in the river Ganges. It can bend and live happily. If the mind is given to the Lord, to the Guru, what is there to bother about? The bhaktas take everything as the Prasad of the Lord, and remain unperturbed in all situations of life. Their happiness is not disturbed by any external objects. They are happy within themselves. Their eyes always face the Lord inside. Like a marine compass which always shows the North, the devotee's mind always faces the Lord at all times wherever they are kept in life.

Arjuna got into confusion whether to fight or not, because he lost the equanimity of mind. Our Guruji summarises the first chapter of Gita like this:

A – Attachment to the

B – Body leads to

C – confusion

D – which is my Duty? This or that? fight or not to fight?

E – one loses the equanimity of mind

F – Focus of life is lost and we say we are bored of life. we don't want to live any more or we say we don't want to fight the situation.

When the equanimity of heart is lost, mind takes over the issues, senses dominate and it produces lot of arguments which shows (not in reality) things complicated in life.

Yudishtira says, simplicity is as long as one keeps up the equanimity of heart. Mahatma Gandhi lived a life of simplicity not because he lived in a hut, wearing minimum clothes but because he lived with a balanced heart. He lived a life of simple living and high thinking (high thinking was there because he was selfless, merciful, tranquil).

SUMMARY:

Every situation in a day is the opportunity to practice these values given by Yudishtira here and we can see all these qualities are inter-related. It underlines the Gita's words 'samatvam yoga uchyate' – 'equanimity of mind/heart is yoga'.

Guruji has written beautifully in his summary for the 8th chapter of Gita as 'Easy this very day; Difficult for 100 lives too'.

Tranquility will make us live in the present. Living in the present is living with simplicity. If we don't bring the past and future, everybody around us is lovable, adorable. If we are balanced, we can be compassionate to everyone around us. The presence of a Guru makes the people happy only because of the presence of all these qualities. A lotus makes the difference in the appearance of a slushy pond. We can surely be a lotus in this world of samsara by developing these qualities of tranquility of the mind, simplicity in living and mercy in action.

SURRENDERING OUR EGO IS ONE SOLUTION TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS OF LIFE.

HARI OM!!!!


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PART 11 YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

By Chitra Devraj

Namaskar Mahatmas!

With prostrations to the Guru and all friends who have given me the strength, here is the next part of Yaksha Prashnam Satsangh.

YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH – PART 11

Q: WHAT IS SHAME?

A: SHAME IS WITHDRAWING FROM ALL UNWORTHY ACTS. (Shame is the internal reaction to what is wrong within us. It is more towards inner focus. Shame is a word for the emotional experience that goes with thoughts that "I'm no good, inadequate, incompetent, not enough, stupid, unworthy, inferior, defective," etc. Not that “I did something bad”, but that "I am bad." – is an expression of shame. Another characteristic of shame is that it feels unbearable to be exposed. We want to hide and will go to great lengths to keep hidden those parts of ourselves which we reject and despise.

Any action which is not prescribed by our scriptures is an unworthy act. The action which takes us away from the Lord is an unworthy act. Lord says in Gita that we ourselves become an enemy to us when we take up such actions. When do we say a thing as unworthy? It is when the investment is big and the result is small. When Lord has blessed us with the gift of human birth, the actions which come out of this body should be able to express the divinity. Through the negative emotions one exhibits only the demoniac nature which is unworthy. Withdrawing from such actions, we become pure and have peace of mind. If we commit a mistake, even before anybody punishes, we start feeling for the act. We don’t want to share it with others. Whenever such topics are raised, we shrink within ourselves out of shame. To avoid mistakes, one needs to have sharp awareness of the place, time and role. We feel guilty for what we do and we feel ashamed of what we are.
A person who is diabetic feels like eating sweets more and when he loses control and is pointed out by someone, he feels ashamed. What Yudishtira says here: knowing the effect of a harmful action and also knowing that the action will end in guilty feeling, it is wise to withdraw from that action. Any action, be it speech, food, sleep if overdone leads one to shame. Anger uncontrolled leads to shame. A murderer or a thief even if not punished by the law will be punished by the conscience inside him. He lives in guilt and shame for the rest of the life. So it is better to withdraw from such negative actions which harm others as well as us.
Q: WHAT IS SAID TO BE KNOWLEDGE?
A: TRUE KNOWLEDGE IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF DIVINITY. (The purpose of human birth is to have the knowledge of who we are. This is an inward journey not an external search. Other knowledge is gained by attending schools, colleges, coaching centers (A great actor at the age of 80 is nothing for the world/ a great scientist in coma is of no use to research field/all external knowledge is subject to limitations of time). On the contrary, this true knowledge can be experienced only when one offers everything (body, mind and intellect) at the feet of the Lord. In Bhaja Govindam, Shankaracharya says that one may, in pilgrimage go to where the Ganges meet the ocean, called the Gangasagara, or observe vows, or distribute gifts in charity but if he has no knowledge of the divinity inside him (Jnanam), he gains no release from the sorrows.
Any other knowledge, even the knowledge of scriptures (without practicing it) is not considered as ultimate as it is only a part of one’s intellect. At best it can be termed as ‘knowledge about the knowledge’. As Shankaracharya says ‘all are taken away by the merciless time’. That which remains for ever is the knowledge that ‘I am Atman. I am a part of Lord Himself’. In Bhagavatham the Lord assures, “such a devotee who has surrendered his mind and intellect to Me, he goes beyond time and space”.
Any double Ph.Ds, Doctorates, and IIT etc – all these are nothing when one fails to develop Bhakthi towards the Lord in him.
One wants to know about his place of birth, about the grandparents, their Kula and Ghotra but fails to inquire about who is their real source of life?
The Pandavas wanted to go for a pilgrimage. They requested Krishna to accompany them. But Krishna pointed out to many elders in the family to join them. All of them had reasons not to join. The Pandavas came back to Krishna again. They again requested the Lord to come with them to the holy places. The Lord made it clear that He is not joining them but gave the Pandavas a bitter gourd to take along with them to the pilgrimage. And He asked them to dip it in all the rivers which they take bath. After the pilgrimage was over, the Pandavas gave back the bitter gourd to the Lord. The Lord asked Arjuna to bite it. As soon as Arjuna bit a small piece, his face changed due to the bitterness experienced. Lord told the Pandavas that the bitter gourd did not lose its nature after several dips in the rivers. Similarly the nature of the person does not change by taking bath in such great rivers unless and otherwise he gains the knowledge of divinity. That is the Maanasasarovar. The mind itself becomes the great river of purity and divinity.

SUMMARY:

The knowledge of the divinity will drive us away from all unworthy acts.
Life is all about focus. When we know what to focus upon, then we know where to invest our time. We cannot aspire to be a world champion in chess without investing enough time to chess. From the king to the beggar, from a person of super success to one of super failure, everybody has 24 hours in a day. All of us have the same time on hand.
The question to be asked is whether we are spending our time wisely to know what is important in this valuable human birth. The purpose is explained in great detail in the scriptures and in the talks of great Mahaatmaas. The focus will be clear if our mind is under our control. The mind under control will reveal the inner divinity, the only knowledge which is not taken away by time (Yama, the Lord of death).
HARI OM!
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PART 10 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

By Chitra Devraj

YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATSANGH PART 10

Q: WHAT IS THE ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF FORGIVENESS?

A: FORGIVENESS CONSISTS IN ENDURING ENIMITY. (



Forgiveness is the greatest quality. Forgiveness is not carrying any hurt the next moment. Forgiving and forgetting is a great austerity. When Arjuna brought Aswathama (who killed the sons of Draupadi over night) to Draupadi, she said 'let our Guru Patni not suffer like me, losing the child'. Great act of forgiveness! Even in great sorrow she could think about the suffering of another and her compassion replaced the anger.

After the Kurukshetra war was over, the king Dhrithrashtra and Queen Gandhari were looked after by the Pandavas as their own father and mother. All past forgotten and that is why they could shower the love on the king and the queen. It is very difficult to love people who have enmity towards us.

By mistake my teeth has bitten my own tongue, will I punish the teeth? Both belong to me and I am convinced that it is mine. Forgiveness comes naturally to a person who sees himself in everyone.

Not forgiving people around us and not forgiving ourselves leads to many diseases like cancer, ulcer according to Reiki. Anger shown is better than the anger bubbling inside all the time. The best example for this is Duryodhana. He was never at peace because of the enmity that was bubbling in him incessantly. That enmity destroyed him completely.

Vidura told Dhrithrashtra, "People take a forgiving person to be weak. But in reality forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness is a virtue of the weak and an ornament of the strong. Fire falling on a grassless ground is extinguished by itself. An unforgiving individual defiles himself with many enormities. Righteousness is the one highest good; forgiveness is the one supreme peace; knowledge is the supreme contentment; and benevolence, the sole happiness".

The great rishi Kashyapa spoke to Draupadi when she was angry about the Kauravas:

"One should forgive under every injury. It has been said that the continuation of species is due to man being forgiving. He, indeed, is a wise and excellent person who has conquered his wrath and shows forgiveness even when insulted, oppressed and angered by a strong person". The illustrious and forgiving Kashyapa has, in this respect, sung the following verses in honor of men who are forgiving.

"Forgiveness is virtue; forgiveness is sacrifice, forgiveness is the Vedas, forgiveness is the Sruti. He that knows this is capable of forgiving everything. Forgiveness is Brahma; forgiveness is truth; forgiveness is stored ascetic merit; forgiveness protects the ascetic merit of the future; forgiveness is asceticism; forgiveness is holiness; and by forgiveness is it that the universe is held together. Persons that are forgiving attain to the regions obtainable by those that have performed meritorious sacrifices, or those that are well conversant with the Vedas, or those that have high ascetic merit. Those that perform Vedic sacrifices as also those that perform the meritorious rites of religion obtain other regions. Men of forgiveness, however, obtain those much adored regions that are in the world of Brahma. Forgiveness is the might of the mighty; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is quietness of mind. Can we then abandon forgiveness, which is such, and in which are established Brahma, and truth, and wisdom and the worlds? The man of wisdom should ever forgive, for when he is capable of forgiving everything, he attains to Brahma. The world belongs to those that are forgiving; the other world is also theirs."

"Having listened, O Draupadi, to these verses in respect of forgiveness, content thyself! Give not way to thy wrath!. Forgiveness and gentleness are the qualities of the self-possessed. They represent eternal virtue." Those are the verses sung by Kashyapa in respect of those that are ever forgiving.

Once there was a great king named Vishwamitra. One day he learned that there was a saint in his kingdom whom everybody adored. The name of this saint was Vashishtha, and everyone gladly touched his feet. Now, although Vishwamitra was a very great king, nobody used to come and touch his feet. People were afraid of him, and they would tremble before him. But with Vashishtha it was different. People gladly touched Vashishtha's feet with deepest appreciation and admiration. So Vishwamitra was extremely jealous of Vashishtha. Vashishtha was a very great saint. After praying to God for many, many years, Vashishtha had realised God and could speak to God face to face. Vishwamitra knew that this was the reason why everybody adored Vashishtha and not him. So he too started praying to God. He prayed to God for a couple of years very seriously, often fasting but still he did not realise God. Then he became impatient. He went to Vashishtha and said, "You have realised God, but I have not been able to. I wish you to tell the world that I have also realised God, like you."

Vashista replied, "How can I say that?" "You can say it," the king insisted. "If you tell people, everybody will believe you, because you yourself have realised God. You know who God is and you speak to God. Tell everyone that I have realised God. Otherwise I shall kill your children!" Vashishtha said, "You can kill my children, but I cannot tell a lie." Vishwamitra, being the most powerful king, had the hundred sons of Vashishtha killed. The hundred sons were very well educated, kind and spiritual. They had studied the Vedas, the Upanishads and other religious and sacred books. Nevertheless, the king killed them all. Even after doing this Vishwamitra was not satisfied because Vashishtha still refused to announce that he had realised God. After a few months he thought, "This time he has to tell the world that I have realised God, or I shall kill him as well!" With this idea in his mind he went to Vashishtha's small cottage. Before knocking at the door he stood outside quietly listening to the conversation inside.

Arundhati, one of Vashishtha's wives, was saying to her husband, "My lord, why don't you say that Vishwamitra has realised God? If you had said it I would still have all my children. They were such nice, kind, devoted children. They were all jewels. But just because you wouldn't say that he has realised God, he has killed all my children, and who knows what he will do next!" Vashishtha said, "How can you ask me to do that? I love him. He has not realised God. How can I tell people that he has realised God? I love him and that is why I cannot tell a lie." Even though Vishwamitra had killed the hundred sons of Vashishtha, the father could still say that he loved him!

When Vishwamitra heard what Vashishtha said, he came running in and touched Vashishtha's feet, crying, "Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, my lord. I never knew that anyone on earth could love a person who had killed all his children." Vashishtha placed his hand on Vishwamitra's head and blessed him. He said, "Today you have realised God, because today you know what love is, what truth is. God is all forgiveness. I am forgiving you because the God in me is forgiving you. Today you have realised God."

We learn that the ideal of forgiveness is the supreme ideal. When we pray to God we see God's qualities: love and forgiveness. When we receive love and forgiveness from God we can behave like God towards other people. Vashishtha's hundred sons were killed, even then he loved Vishwamitra. Then, when Vishwamitra begged for forgiveness, Vashishtha gave it immediately, as well as giving him his inner Light, Joy and Power.

Like Vashishtha, we always have to forgive people when they do wrong things. In this way we give them our Light, our Truth, our Joy. From this story we also learn the importance of associating with holy men. When we are in the company of a spiritual person, even for a second, what transformation takes place in our life! Our life is changed in the twinkling of an eye.

SUMMARY:

Every one of us has a big list of complaints and stories on what happened many years before. We are still living with the dead past unable to forgive us as well as others.

The sieve keeps all unwanted things like stones, dust etc in it and drains the good; the winnowing tool drains all unwanted and retains good alone. It is our choice of life to be either a sieve or a winnowing tool.

Our action is complete when we forgive and forget.

IF WE REALLY WANT TO LOVE, WE MUST LEARN HOW TO FORGIVE.

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PART 9 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

By Chitra Devraj

YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATSANGH PART 9

Q: WHAT IS TRUE RESTRAINT?

A: THE RESTRAINT OF THE MIND IS TRUE RESTRAINT. (

Restraint means 'keep within sensible limits'. When the water flow crosses the two banks, there is danger of flood which will wash away everything. Similarly the unrestrained mind washes away all the good we have accumulated in no time. There are two kinds of restraint. Restraint in what goes in to the mind and restraint in what goes out of the mind.

The input of the senses is like food for the mind. Buddha says that one has to ask oneself: Are we preparing good food for the mind or junk food or poisonous food? Sometimes we think we are cooking up great meals, but they can make us sick. Cooking good food for the mind is the skill.

If the mind's only nourishment is things outside, then we are going to be in trouble. But when we can step back and say "No, I have got a source of pleasure, a source of happiness inside" – the outside can't touch us. Our ability to find nourishment inside is protection for the mind.

Lord says in Gita, the mind is powerful than the senses, the intellect is powerful than the mind and the Atman is powerful than all these. That Atman inside the form of the body is really a highest level of food for the mind, a highest level of happiness, the best place to be. We can do our duties staying here in this center. The disappointments, joys and sorrows of life never touch the one whose mind is surrendered to the Atman/Lord. Restraint becomes necessary when one understands the unhealthy conditions of unrestrained mind.

The sense organs are five in number. They are associated with five activities – sound, color, smell, taste and touch. These sense organs are controlled by the mind. From time immemorial we, living beings by getting indulged in these five-fold pleasant things, have forgotten our real nature – that we are divine. We have taken the sensuous pleasures as the real happiness. This is the reason for the cycle of birth and death. A sieve can be filled with water, but the thirst for these sense pleasures can never be quenched. When we control the mind which runs behind the senses, the happiness is retained.

A fish being overpowered by the sense of taste is caught in the hook of a fisherman's catching rod. A black bee is imprisoned amidst the lotus petals at sunset on becoming a slave to the sense of smell and loses its life. A fire-worm is drawn to the flame of a burning candle or an electric bulb being a slave to the sense of sight and meets its end. A deer becomes fully charmed by the melody of the flute or rhythm of music inspired by the sense of hearing, and is a victim to the arrow of the hunter.

Think of the man who is provided with all the five senses! All senses are pulling in all directions day and night. The pleasures created by the senses look extremely charming; but the life of the living being that is dependent on these transitory enjoyments is ultimately ruined. Guruji was mentioning in one of the talks that we are cursed by so many distractions like mobile phones, Television, computers, etc. Senses have in plenty to feed on.

Sage Vyasa seeing King Dasharatha playing with his children thought for a moment, "If my children play on me how happy I will be?" He was reborn for that thought as a father of two children. Another great rishi saw two fishes copulating while doing his morning prayer in the river and got into the desire to marry. The unrestrained mind even for a second is dangerous to the tapas.

The path of restraint doesn't provide refreshment for the mind only while we do meditation. This is the practice for 24 hours, 365 days. Restraint is what provides continuity to the practice. If we can do it skillfully, all actions like looking and listening all become part of the practice. The restraint of the mind is the true restraint because they can keep us on the path all day long.

SUMMARY

I read this beautiful prayer in amma's site:

Whenever there is attachment in my mind

And whenever there is the desire to be angry,

I should not do anything nor say anything,

But remain like a piece of wood....

Whenever I am eager for praise

Or have the desire to blame others;

Whenever I have the wish to speak harshly and cause dispute;

At such times I should remain like a piece of wood.

Whenever I desire material gain, honor or fame;

Whenever I seek attendants or a circle of friends,

And when in my mind I wish to be served;

At [all] these times I should remain like a piece of wood.

Whenever I have the wish to decrease or to stop working for others

And the desire to pursue my own welfare alone,

If [motivated by such thoughts] a wish to say something occurs,

At these times I should remain like a piece of wood.

The restrained mind alone can think about the Lord all the time because the mind is free from all kinds of disturbances. The restrained mind only can meditate. That is why Lord asks in Gita 'offer your mind and intellect to Me'. That is the way to realization of our true nature like we see the bottom of the pond clearly when there are no ripples.

HARI OM!

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YAKSHA PRASHNAM - SATSANGH PART 8

By Chitra Devraj

YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATHSANG PART 8

Q: WHAT IS IT, WHEN RENOUNCED, LEADS TO NO REGRET?

A: WRATH, WHEN RENOUNCED, LEADS TO NO REGRET.


(Wrath (Krodham) is the anger in the higher degree. When anger takes full control of us, we don't know what we speak and what we do. And when we come back to our senses, we feel ashamed of ourselves and regret for what we have done. If we had controlled anger in the first place, there is no room for regret. In the third chapter of Gita Lord Answer to Arjuna's question (what prompts man to commit sin) that anger and lust born of Rajo Guna prompt man to commit sin. The anger sprouts because the 'I' is not given importance. If we increase our patience level and give a thought that 'other person is right', the wrath can be overcome. As said by Yudishtira earlier, the control of mind leads to no regret. Anger is the mind's product. Control of senses and mind is very important to lead a peaceful life and to avoid a life full of regrets.

One day Tagore had asked his driver to come early in the morning at 7AM as he had to go somewhere. Tagore waited for a long time for the driver. He got angry because the driver didn't turn till 9AM. Tagore arranged to go by some other means but his anger against the driver was imbedded in his mind. The next day the driver came in the morning. Tagore burst out and scolded him left and right. The poor driver was hesitating to open his mouth but the master didn't allow him to do so. After some time when Tagore cooled down, the driver said: "Master I lost my young child yesterday and there was no way I could communicate and today I came mainly to inform you why I didn't come yesterday." Tagore was shocked beyond belief. He felt sorry that he lost his temper and immediately hugged the driver repeatedly saying 'sorry'. From that day Tagore told to himself that he will never lose his temper in his life time. We live by our experiences and it is always good not to repeat the mistakes.

Lord says in Bhagavad Gita "krodhaad bhavati sammohah sammohaat smrti-vibhramah

Smriti–bhramsaad buddhi-nasho buddhi naashaat pranashyati"

Krodam leads to mental imbalance; mental imbalance leads to loss of memory; loss of memory leads to a permanent disability called 'MADNESS'. Prahlada told his father Hiranyakashipu that he had conquered three quarters of the world but not his six enemies (kaama, krodha, lobha, mada, maatsarya). One cannot be considered great unless he conquers these enemies.

Q: RENOUNCING WHAT DOES MAKE MAN HAPPY?

A: AVARICE, WHEN RENOUNCED, MAKES MAN HAPPY. (Avarice is the greed, the covetousness. The elephant can get into the eye of the needle but not the man's greed. The conversation between Bhishma Pitamaha and Yudishtira on the topic of 'Dharma of a king' is the source of answer given by Yudishtira here.

Covetousness was the first guest to our hearts. When it came into life, men began to want things which did not belong to them. The next passion to be born was lust. Lust can never exist alone. It has to have a companion and so wrath came into existence.

Covetousness is one root of all sin. It destroys all merit and goodness. From it precedes the river of sin. It is from this single source that many of the sins flow like loss of judgment, deception, pride, arrogance, malice, vindictiveness, and shamelessness, loss of virtue, anxiety and infamy. Life may decay, but this will never wane in its power. Even men of great learning, whose minds are the very treasury of all the scriptures, who have the intelligence to clear all the many doubts of others, are found to be incompetent to manage their own affairs. They are spineless and weak, and it is because they are slaves of this dread disease covetousness.

Ignorance has its origin in this covetousness. As covetousness grows, ignorance grows with it. The root of covetousness is but loss of clear thinking, loss of judgment, and so ignorance is an inseparable companion of covetousness.

How then to renounce this covetousness? Bhishma Pitamaha says it can be renounced through self-restraint. The knowledge that 'you and me are not different; we are the expression of the same divinity' makes us come out of greed. Greed is the feeling of wanting more and more in life. As long as this feeling remains, we can never be happy. If we can develop the attitude to enjoy other people's success as our own, the talent of other person as our own or any good, excellent things we find anywhere as our own and the thought no need to bring home to make us our own, will make us happy and this is the only way to be happy.

Q: WHAT IS 'THE WAY'? BY WHOM IS IT CONSTITUTED?

A: THOSE THAT ARE GOOD CONSTITUTE THE WAY. (Good is the path of 'Shreyas'. Human beings have the choice of following two ways in this world: the first is the path leading to the fulfillment of worldly desires (Preyas) and the other is the path to liberation (Shreyas) from worldly bondage. Those who wish to indulge in sensory cravings choose the path of Preyas and get into the cycles of birth and death by their selfish actions. The man of wisdom opts for the path of Shreyas which leads to the eternal bliss by liberating him from worldly bondage because he knows that the joys of the world are short lived.

Lord Krishna warns us in Gita 'do not come under their (senses) sway' because it drags us to lower levels of life. Desire, anger and greed are the causes of one's spiritual downfall as the mind is completely taken by one or the other. Keeping the consequences of succumbing to desires in mind, a seeker after liberation should remain always vigilant and stay in line to his objective.

Due to primordial ignorance (Avidya/Maya) the individual self (Jiva) is caught in the cycle of birth and death, which is known as bondage. This is akin to the concept of day and night seen in the world according to whether the sun is visible or not but in the sun there is no night or day. So in reality there is no bondage or liberation to the Self and it is because of ignorance (The thought that 'I am the body') that worldly bondage and the sorrows that come out of it. Liberation is the removal of this ignorance by self-knowledge (the experience 'I am').

The sense organs by nature are outward bound and the Self can be realized by withdrawal of the senses from the respective objects. Like Tortoise withdrawing its limbs, the wise man senses the danger in the objects of the world and he withdraws completely from it. By turning the mind inward with the aid of spiritual sadhanas (practices) the mind will attain one pointed concentration and grasp the blissful self within.

The way is the path of good (it takes us near to Lord) and not the path of pleasant (it takes us near to world and far from Lord). The path of Shreyas is constituted by all wise people, Rishis, Our Guru. This is the path prescribed by Lord through scriptures and through many devotees' experiences. Katopanishad explains in great detail about the path of good. Young Nachiketas chose to be in this path, because he wanted to have that which is not destroyed by time.

Q: WHAT IS THE SIGN OF ASCETICISM?

A: STAYING IN ONES OWN RELIGION IS ASCETICISM. (Recently I read an article in a magazine which says "Man sooner or later must realize that he is a thinking being endowed with discriminating faculties. This is the special blessing of God and Nature to man. Therefore, it behoves man to willingly, freely and lovingly practice those disciplines that would make man manifest his Real Nature which is Divine. These exercises are found in all religions.

These disciplines are practical, genuine and well-tested by the votaries of the respective religions. The only criterion is that one would take it seriously and perform those exercises with sincerity, regularity and purity of motive. Be loyal to the ideal. This in turn will yield the highest result."

It is true that every religion is complete by itself. To think one religion is better than another is the sign of ignorance. Where there is ignorance, one cannot be called as an Ascetic. Ascetic is a person who feels contented where he is put by the Lord and does not go in search of anything better in life. If one cannot remain happy in the place where he is, then he cannot be happy anywhere in the world. Muni is a man who has controlled his mind and who has renounced everything including the religion, caste, creed or any mark related to the body/birth. He is contented with the self within and sees everywhere the same self.

"My daily activities are not different

Only I am naturally in harmony with them.

Taking nothing, renouncing nothing,

In every circumstance no hindrance, no conflict…"

This is the true sign ofAscetism whichever religion one follows.

SUMMARY:

v ANGER AND GREED ARE CLEAR SIGNS OF MIND TAKING CONTROL ON THE INDIVIDUAL. WHEN THE HORSES ARE NOT IN CONTROL, AS SAID IN KATOPANISHAD, IT TAKES US IN SLUSHY ROADS OF LIFE AND WE WILL BE SWIMMING IN THE POND OF IGNORANCE ALONE. THESE TWO COMES OUT OF US WHEN LOVE FOR OTHERS IS LACKING IN US.

v THE HUMAN BIRTH IS VERY RARE TO GET. THE WISE IS ONE WHO USES THIS BLESSING TO ATTAIN KNOWLEDGE AND TO DESTROY THE IGNORANCE, WHICH IS THE CAUSE OF ALL SORROWS. THE PATH OF KNOWLEDGE EVEN THOUGH SEEMS TO BE DIFFICULT TO PRACTICE INITIALLY (Like children who are putting their full efforts to get 100 upon 100 giving up all they like – goal fixed); THE RESULT IS THE ULTIMATE HAPPINESS.

v ASCETICISM IS THE SIGN OF NO MIND. ONE CAN BE A MUNI ANYWHERE/ IN ANY RELIGION.

HARI OM!

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YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATHSANG PART 7

By Chitra Devraj

THE BEST OF ALL THINGS THAT ARE PRAISED: WHAT IS IT?

THE MOST PRAISEWORTHY THING IS SKILL. (Skill means discrimination, judgment, reason. Only human beings are blessed with the sixth sense called the intellect which makes one think and choose. Generally we take skill for talents, special activity which separates one from others. The greatest of all is the discrimination, which Yudishtra mentions here as skill. Katha Upanishad says that the 'Wise one differentiates the path of good from the path of the pleasant'. This skill takes man towards the ultimate Reality.

We all use this discrimination in our day to day life like 'this is black and this is white', 'I like tea but dislike coffee', 'this is mine and that is yours'. It is easy to separate two gross things because they have different characteristics and maintain separate identity even when mixed like rice and wheat. But when it comes to subtler aspects of life like dharma or duty we find it difficult. We are aware of options like good and bad, right and wrong but when the mixture appears as one, we are not even aware of their separate existence. To separate this we need the guidance of a Guru and the constant meditation on the teachings of the Guru/scriptures.

The play of the mind is 'Maya'. As long as we are behind the mind's prompting, we are in sorrow. The ability to discriminate or the skill mentioned here is praiseworthy because very few get it and when got, one gets out of sorrow and has never ending bliss. It needs awareness, single pointed buddhi, faith in the Lord/Guru and steadfastness in practice.

Other skills that are worldly, separates us whereas this skill unites all of us. The result of the skill is 'Love'.

WHAT IS THE HIGHEST DUTY IN THE WORLD?

TO ABSTAIN FROM INJURY IS THE HIGHEST OF ALL DUTIES. (Bheeshmaji says that 'self-restraint' is the highest duty in the world. Just as covetousness leads to all kinds of sins, self-restraint leads a man to highest glory. When we practice self-restraint lots of good qualities come into us. One of these qualities is abstaining from injuring others.

Vidura says that angry words or harshness in speech should be avoided under any circumstance. Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that the austerities through body (non-injury), speech (inoffensive, pleasant, beneficial) and mind (gentleness, moderation in speech, self-control) should be practiced with highest faith in the Lord without expecting any fruit of action.

Non-violence teaches the mastery of spiritual strength over brute strength. True Ahimsa implies gentleness, kindness, hospitality, humanity and love. Ahimsa is perfect selfless love towards everyone and everything. Mahatma Gandhiji says that non-violence is only for those who are brave and strong. It should not be used to cover up cowardice.

If we don't hurt others in any way, that is the greatest of all duties. All actions are Lord's if it is soaked in love.

WHAT IS IT, CONTROLLING WHICH WILL LEAD TO NO REGRET?

THE MIND, IF CONTROLLED, WILL NEVER LEAD TO REGRET. (Regret is the feeling which comes to us after performing a wrong action. When we use harsh words or hurt someone, after sometime we feel 'we should have avoided it'. There are so many regrets stored within us starting from childhood till this date. If we call back such incidents in our life, it clearly shows that the mind was uncontrolled at that instant. If we can control our anger or any negative emotion for a few seconds, we will never regret in our life.  One moment of anger may lead one to kill another person and suffer ten years imprisonment along with life-long guilty feeling.

After the Bombay terrorism, one of the terrorists gave a statement that 'I was asked to kill as many people as I can. They said 'Just shoot!'  But now I want to live. I don't want to be hanged'. Anybody who does the prohibited actions mentioned in the scriptures lead a life of regret alone as they run behind the mind with lack of discrimination.

We find that our mind does not want to undergo the discipline of discrimination, nor does it have the capacity of consistent logical thinking. It has been allowed its willful ways and indulgence in gross pleasures for many births. We should not yield to the tricks of the mind. We need to think and then act and not the other way. Then regret never comes into picture in our life.

Our Guruji often used to say that the people working in Gulf think that the day the go back to India they will be happy. They pack everything and go to India and within two three months we can see them back in gulf clearly showing their unsteady mind.

Lord tells in Bhagavad Gita that lust, greed and anger are three gates to hell. All the three are momentary expressions of the mind and if done without a thought will lead to the feeling of guilt not only in this life but for many births.

Diti was repeatedly advised by her husband Kashyapa that the evening time is holy time and sensual pleasures should be avoided at that time but she ignored the advice. She did regret but the result is she gave birth to two asuras (Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaaksha). Our parents also teach us not to eat and sleep in the evening times (the meeting period of any two times of the day is considered as auspicious. 4.30 in the morning, 6 in the evening are important time for our prayers).

Avoiding sinful actions, one avoids regret. Control over the mind gives us peace in life.  If we are controlled by mind, regret alone remains as the result of our actions.

WHAT IS THAT, WHICH, WHEN RENOUNCED, MAKES ONE AGREEABLE?

PRIDE, WHEN RENOUNCED, MAKES ONE AGREEABLE. (Pride is the feeling of self-respect and personal worth.  We have pride about our birth, body, talents, education and many things in life. The person with pride thinks that he is the centre of the world and everything revolves around him. They think that everything in their life is under their control. They have a feeling that they don't need anyone's help. They are all knowing, faultless, immortal with lot of things hidden behind. They feel they have nothing to learn in their life; they have already reached their goal in life and they are ever going to remain at that level. Pride is the state of fully bloated ego.

They have no tolerance or patience for others feelings, ideas or problems. They don't want to listen to others or even to Lord's messages. The pride of the asuras led to their destruction. The pride of the Yadavas marked their end. Duryodhana's pride led to the destruction of kauravas. Ravana was killed because of his pride. Daksha Prajapathi was destroyed because he expected Lord Shiva to stand up and pay him respect. There are many examples in our scriptures and in our day to day life how the pride keeps us away from others.

Wherever there is sign of ego we stand separate. We expect a special treatment from people around us.  Nobody wants to talk to that person with pride, because none feels him a part of them. We can be good listeners if we leave the feeling that 'I know'. Thiruvalluvar says that what we know is just handful. There is so much to learn in life. And this world is surviving because of mutual help. It is ignorant to think that 'I can be without anyone's help'.

If this pride is renounced, the person will be accepted by people around him. He will have more friends.  The Lord says in Gita 'aham atma Gudakesha' – I am the atma of everyone in this world. Understanding the Lord is the support of everything, one needs to develop humility and modesty about their abilities, talents and strengths. The great bhaktas, the Jnanis who have achieved the ultimate of life are loved by everyone, approachable to everyone only because they have renounced their ego. They have renounced the pride and all sprouts of the 'I'.

RENOUNCING WHAT DOES ONE BECOME WEALTHY?

DESIRE, WHEN RENOUNCED, MAKES ONE WEALTHY. (Desire makes one ever begging for something or the other in life. A beggar went to a person asking for some help. The person directed him to the king who was very generous. When the beggar went to the palace, the king was doing his prayers. When he came out of his prayers, he saw the beggar going away. He asked him what was the reason he came and why is he going now. The beggar told 'I came to ask you for some help. But after coming I knew that you yourself is poor begging to the Lord. So I am leaving'.

As long as one has desires, they never feel contented. Now they have a black-berry but eyes on the next latest model. So the feeling of completeness (wealthy) is not felt. Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that fulfilling desire is like pouring ghee to the fire. By fulfilling it will glow more. The only way to put off the fire of desire is to stop pouring the oil.

All of us have the Lord inside us. The man who realizes this truth, leaves all desires and understands he is wealthy.

CONCLUSION

The 'I' is the biggest problem of life. The feeling of 'I' dominates a person who is fully convinced that he is the body. The pride, desire, jealousy, anger all are the clear signs of our attachment to the body. Guruji was mentioning in one of the talks that human beings need the recognition from other people for all their actions. It is clear sign of ego growing inside us. He also added that we surely need relationships in life. Using the discrimination choose to be in satsangh which will elevate us in life and take us towards the Self/the Lord. When Nachiketas was offered all wealth, he asked for knowledge with the conviction that it will lead him to the highest good. That knowledge alone will make us happy, healthy, wealthy and an embodiment of love.

We need balanced mind in life. When we pour tea in a cup, we stop pouring before it overflows. Similarly in our life one should have the knowledge, self-control when our actions need to be given up be it speech, food, watering the plant or a war. The self-control is very essential practice in life because this universe is working in harmony with its limits and in an order with minutest truths hidden within. Anything we do in excess affects our happiness and also others.

HARI OM! 
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YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATHSANG PART 6

By Chitra Devraj

Knowledge alone leads to one to the right path of happiness. It is the torch that one carries in this dark path of samsara.WHAT IS THE SOUL OF MAN?

THE SOUL OF MAN IS HIS SON. (Just as the soul keeps taking new bodies and forms an unknowable link through generations, the son perpetuates the lineage and forms a knowable link through generations. A man identifies himself in his son more than in anything else being born through him. He sees the son as his hope and everything in life and the son is his very life.)

WHO IS THE FRIEND GRANTED BY GODS TO MAN?

THE WIFE IS THE FRIEND BESTOWED ON MAN BY GODS. (The Saptapadi or walking seven steps around the Agni during the time of marriage signifies that the bride and the groom go together in all seven planes of consciousness in performing the dharma. When the bride takes the seven steps to the Northeast, the bridegroom sings the following verses: “Step one for vigour, step two for vitality, step three for prosperity, step four for happiness, step five for wealth, step six for seasons, step seven for friendship. To me be devoted.” After the seventh step he makes her remain where she is and says: “with seven steps we become friends. Let me reach your friendship. Let me not be severed from your friendship. Let your friendship not be severed from me.” A man shares everything with his wife, be it joy or sorrow. The wife walks with him in all circumstances in life with total willingness. A friend is someone who knows about you but still loves you. A wife knows everything about her husband be it a positive or negative quality but continues to love him without pre-conditions. In our puranas there are stories about women who were ready to serve their husband even after they knew that their husband had fallen in love with other women. We have seen Sita walked out to forest with Rama. We have seen Draupadi who faced all hardships in life with a smiling face. The rishi pathnis mostly were from royal palace but lived in the forest, in a hut. But they led a life of love and friendliness with their dharma as a wife.)

WHO IS THE CHIEF SUPPORT OF MAN?

THE CLOUDS ARE THE CHIEF SUPPORT OF MAN. (The clouds are a man’s chief support stressing the importance of timely rain. If there are no rains, the crops cannot grow. No water to drink. Lack of rain affects the people to great extent. Without crops our very living becomes a problem. The timely rain makes a place, kingdom prosperous. In those days, the poets know the welfare of the kingdom by asking this question to the king – ‘maadam mummaari peidadaa? Or ‘did you get rain on time? The clouds give rain without any expectation but as a duty on time. Like clouds there are great people around us who are giving without expectation and through them many people get benefitted. The best of the clouds is the Guru who showers knowledge without expecting anything in return. He is the support for the one who looks out for the rain of knowledge.)

WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE OF ALL POSSESSIONS?

KNOWLEDGE IS THE MOST VALUABLE OF ALL POSSESSIONS.(Two days back myself and my daughter were going in a taxi to our friend’s place in Dubai. We don’t know hindi or urdu. The taxi driver doesn’t know English. It was very difficult for us to communicate to him the way and we were not sure whether we will reach the destination or not. The knowledge of little Hindi is a great possession than my English knowledge or the big money I had in my purse. Environmental requirement was missing at that time.

Swami Rama writes in his introduction in Himalayan Masters that ‘childhood is the foundation stone upon which stands the whole life structure. The seed that is sown in childhood blossoms into the tree of life. The education which is imparted in childhood is more important than the education which is received in colleges and universities. In the process of human growth, proper guidance along with environmental learning is important’.

’Bheeshma Pitaamaha says in his advice to yudishtira that ‘the eye of the knowledge is the keenest eye’. Other possessions are temporary be it wealth, name, fame, talents, beauty etc. The knowledge alone leads to one to the right path of happiness. It is the torch that one carries in this dark path of samsara. The scholarly knowledge is of no use if we don’t put it into practice. Once a person went to Swamiji and asked ‘Swamiji, I have gone through Bhagawad Gita so many times but there is no change in my miserable life’. Swamiji replied ‘you have gone through Bhagawad Gita. But how many times did Gita flow through you?’ Knowledge is established in practice and not in reading or talking about it. Knowledge alone lasts forever. The great saints and sages were able to pass on the knowledge from generation to generation as they were convinced that this is the best of all possessions. Knowledge is an ocean. The learning continues till one dies. Knowledge is the eternal friend of one. In this world everything is got out of hard work. But knowledge needs the grace of the Guru who is none other than the Lord Himself.)

WHICH IS THE BEST OF ALL GAINS?

HEALTH IS THE BEST OF ALL GAINS. (If one is healthy then one can regain lost wealth and fame but if one is not healthy then wealth and fame are of no value. How one can enjoy the wealth and fame when one is on the sick bed? Another reason why good health is stressed here is that it is believed that the soul that resides in each of us is an aspect of divinity. Therefore our body is a temple and we are responsible for its well being. The best health is also one aspect which brings us happiness. Our Guru and Lord Krishna insists on moderate food, moderate sleep, physical exercises to keep this body fit and healthy because through this body only we are going to reach the ultimate. How we keep our vehicle in which we are going in a perfect condition till we reach the destination, similarly the body need to be maintained well for the sadhanas. The discipline of the body shows the discipline of the mind. Skipping our walking, eating too much, sleeping too much, keeping ourselves awake for a long time, fasting more than one can shows our tamasik nature. It is not for the good look in the physical sense, but as a good machine in the spiritual sense, the body needs to be maintained well.)

WHICH IS THE BEST OF ALL KINDS OF HAPPINESS?

CONTENTEMENT IS THE BEST OF ALL KINDS OF HAPPINESS. (Previously Yudishtira answered that good behavior brings one happiness. Now he shows us another face of happiness that is contentment. Lord Krishna says in Gita ‘santushtah satatam yogi’ – a yogi is one who is contented always. It is the state that one feels there is nothing more to add in his life. Contentment is the state of absence of desires. As long as one has desires, contentment cannot come.

The contentment mentioned here is not temporary contentment. For example, I see a beautiful saree in the shop and I desire to buy that. The time I buy the saree and wear it, there is a feeling of contentment. But that contentment lasts only till I see another wonderful saree or some other person wearing the same saree which I had bought. The desires are like mirage. You see something very glittering and think that will bring you happiness. But the chasing is the never ending action in life.

Any action done to fulfill our senses and mind or the body in short will never bring happiness as it is temporary. Any action done to feel the Lord who is within us, brings us everlasting happiness.

The real contentment comes when one has the complete faith in the Lord. Hanumanji being a great devotee said ‘I have got the great gem of Rama in my heart, what do I care for worldly things?’ The more we are contented the happier we are in life. Rajaji has written a beautiful song in Tamil which shows the contentment of a devotee – ‘kurai onrum illai’. He writes in the song that the Lord never says no to anything we ask and He has the mother who is the ocean of mercy – when You are there what is that I lack in my life Krishna? Contentment is the foremost quality of a seeker and that alone enables one to meditate and have the inner experience.

The virtue of contentment can be acquired through the purity of mind. It is acquired through purification by the treasure of truth speaking. This virtue is attained by subduing the evil passions and a man who is endowed with this virtue doesn’t indulge in sinful deeds. The virtue of contentment is instilled in men by the study of scriptures and it is attained by getting rid of the three thorns i.e., ambitions, deception, and wrong belief. This virtue is attained finally by maintaining purity in thoughts. It is contentment which relieves one from old age and death.

CONCLUSION:

Contentment is the cheapest, safest and surest remedy for all troubles that may possibly come upon man. In fact, all our existence and happiness in life depends on our mental attitude. Human mind is the supreme power that governs all our actions. Only a calm, contented mind will lead us to a blissful life. Healthy mind results in healthy body. The calm mind can meditate and reflect on the truth and helps in the dawn of knowledge which is the greatest of all possessions. Let us be happy with what we have understanding that Lord is the source of us and He is the best person who knows what we deserve in life. As said in Bhagavatham if an ant is provided with food and shelter, why not for us? Let us count our blessings in life rather than counting our desires in life. Let us not complain but start treating our life partners as our own friends. Like clouds which give rain on time, let us shower our love and affection to people at home and people around us today, on time. We are not assured of tomorrow.

Hari Om!
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YAKSHA PRASHNAM – SATHSANG PART 5

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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