PART 20 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

PART – 20 YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

This week let us meditate on the following questions of Yaksha and the answers of Yudishtira.

What is the path? – That alone is THE PATH along which the Great have trod.

What is the news? – Time is the cook that is cooking all creatures of the world full of ignorance. That is THE NEWS.

Who is truly a man? – The report of ones good actions reach heaven and it is spread over the earth. As long as that report lasts, so long is that person called a MAN.

Which is the man who is considered to possess every kind of wealth? – The man to whom the agreeable and the disagreeable, weal and woe, the past and the future, are the same, is considered to possess every kind of wealth.

 

WHAT IS THE PATH?

THE TRUTH ABOUT RELIGION AND DUTY IS HIDDEN IN THE CAVES. THEREFORE, THAT ALONE IS THE PATH ALONG WHICH THE GREAT HAVE TROD.

(Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita in the fourth chapter that this knowledge (the knowledge of supreme self) is passed from Vaivasvan to Ikshvaku indicating the flow of knowledge through the guru parampara. The great saints have meditated on the ways and means of attaining the supreme truth by the grace of the Lord and of their great tapas and have written scriptures which help ignorant people to easily walk their way to success. Without Guru there is no liberation as He alone can guide us.

Our scriptures always point that one should surrender their ego to realize the Self. Finding our own ways and our own interpretations on the scriptures only swells our ego and it is a clear indication that we don't want to walk the path treaded by our saints. Moreover, we are only wasting time by finding new ways without understanding that our intellect is limited. The Guru alone can measure our growth. Sai satcharitram says that if we take a guide with us to cross the dense forest, the guide will take us safely in a short while as he knows by his self experience - the places of danger. If we want to find our own way we may get lost and we lose the valuable human birth.

Yudishtira says here that the path is not simple which we can understand easily. Ramana Maharishi says that this path is like walking on the razor's edge. The best way to realize the truth is to just surrender our ego and do whatever our Guru says.)

WHAT IS THE NEWS?

THE WORLD FULL OF IGNORANCE IS LIKE A PAN. THE SUN IS FIRE. THE DAYS AND NIGHTS ARE THE FUEL. THE MONTHS AND THE SEASONS CONSTITUTE THE WOODEN HANDLE. TIME IS THE COOK THAT IS COOKING ALL CREATURES IN THAT PAN. THAT IS THE NEWS.

(We generally don't miss to hear to news every day. Not once a day but 'on the hour every hour' we are updated on what is going on around the world at our drawing room. But hear to this news which Yudishtira is saying here!

All of us are handled by time every moment in our life. Time doesn't wait for anyone. All experiences toss us up and down in the cooking pan of world. The desires and anxieties make us run like mad because of our ignorance. We have no time to look into ourselves – what are we doing? What is right? Am I in the right path?

We want to know about everything in the world other than what is the real stuff inside us. We don't want to know what is to be achieved with this human birth. Even if we know, we don't want to take it up 'now'. Isn't it the news?

We too know the truth and see this everyday helplessly. But we tend to ignore since it is the automatic benevolence of the Lord. We see people who were there yesterday are not with us today. When we look into our past, it clearly reveals that things have continuously changed and are changing – time cooking all the creatures in the pan of world of ignorance.

Lord says in Gita as well as in Bhagavatham that a devotee who has surrendered his ego, goes beyond the time and the space. The experiences of day and night; the change of seasons; do not affect a person who becomes a witness to this unfailing nature. He lives happily and dies happily firmly established in the inner self).

 

WHO IS TRULY A MAN?

The report of ones good actions reach heaven and it is spread over the earth. As long as that report lasts, so long is that person called a MAN.

(Man does not mean one's physical form. The inner purity is what really matters. When one performs actions which are selfless (as the nature does), that attitude grants him the heaven, the happy place. The goodness spreads in no time in this world as said in Gita, 'whatever great people do, the other people follow'. As long as this body is used to spread the divinity, the body gets the name MAN. Otherwise it is all animal life of sensual proceedings). 

WHICH IS THE MAN WHO IS CONSIDERED TO POSSESS EVERY KIND OF WEALTH?

THE MAN TO WHOM THE AGREEABLE AND THE DISAGREEABLE, WEAL AND WOE, THE PAST AND THE FUTURE ARE THE SAME, IS CONSIDERED TO POSSESS EVERY KIND OF WEALTH.

(Equanimity is by far the best wealth one can possess. Without this pristine quality any amount of wealth ceases to be a permanent source of pleasure. As said by Yudishtira earlier, contentment is the best of the wealth. The qualities listed here by Yudistira remind us about the Stithaprajna of the second chapter of Gita. Agreeable and disagreeable are for a person who has desires. When these look the same, it is understood that the person has no desires. The past and future are for a person who has worries and anxieties which are the products of the mind. Happiness and difficulties are also the products of desires. When these do not create any disturbance in a person, it means that person has controlled his mind and the senses. It shows his complete surrender to the Lord. It is understood that the person has become witness to his life. A person who is with the self is ever happy and he alone possesses the wealth of every kind. This wealth of the knowledge of self is great because it is not taken away by time. It cannot be cut; burnt; wet; nothing touches this truth whereas every other wealth is bound by time and meets its end).

 

SUMMARY:

Let us not reinvent the wheel. By just following the words of the Guru without any doubts, questions and with complete faith and surrender is the way to success.

Keeping the NEWS in our mind all the time, let us see and act everyday with an attitude of selflessness. Let us use this limited time effectively to live in knowledge. As long as we live in desires, we live in ignorance.

Fulfilling the desires is not the way to happiness; contentment is the only way to happiness.

All experiences are only to the body. It comes and it goes. It is the nature of the world. Understanding that we are the SELF, untouched by anything, we become wealthy here and now.

HARI OM!  

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PART 19 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

PART 19 – YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

My humble pranams to all the Mahatmas!

This week we are dealing with these questions of Yaksha.

1) What is the reward for one who is devoted to virtue? – He obtains a happy state in the next world.

2) What is the most wonderful thing in this world? – Day after day there enter into the temple of death, innumerable lives. Still we think we are permanent. That is the wonder of the wonders in this world.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------YAKSHA: WHAT IS THE REWARD FOR ONE WHO IS DEVOTED TO VIRTUE?

YUDISHTIRA: HE OBTAINS A HAPPY STATE IN THE NEXT WORLD.

(For one who is devoted to virtue obtains happy state in the next world. In the next world means, he attains to happy state after the death. Study of the various scriptures, asceticism, gifts, faith, performance of sacrifices,  forgiveness, sincerity of disposition, compassion, truth, self-restraint, these constitute possessions of virtue. If one practices these virtues in life or anyone of these in his life as tapas, that person is sure to attain the state of happiness.

The four purushaarthaas are Dharma (virtue), Artha (wealth), Kama (pleasure) and Moksha (liberation). Yudishtira's conversation with Bhishma pitamaha  throw more light on how to carry ourselves in our day to day life.

Yudishtira puts a question to Bhishma : "I want to know about Dharma, Artha and Kama. Which of these three helps to steady the course of life in the right direction?"

Bhishma replies to Yudishtira:

"The 3 exist together, side by side, when a man amasses wealth always taking care to walk in the path of dharma. Wealth has its root in virtue, and pleasure is said to be the fruit of wealth. Virtue is desirable for the protection of the body, and wealth for acquiring virtue. Pleasure is after all, only for gratifying the senses. All 3, however have one quality in common: passion.

The pursuit of these three for the sake of themselves, with the desire to enjoy their fruits, makes the rewards remote.

However, if the pursuit is spurred by a desire for knowledge, the knowledge of the self, when they become the means for the end which is noble, the realization of the self, then the reward is immense. VIRTUE IS TO BE ACQUIRED FOR THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL. WEALTH SHOULD BE ACQUIRED SO THAT IT MAY BE SPENT WITHOUT ANY DESIRE FOR FRUITS. PLEASURE IS TO BE PURSUED JUST FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY AND NOT FOR GRATIFYING IT. Hence it is said all the three of them have their roots in Will. Dharma, Artha and Kama are not ends in themselves, but are just means to an end, and the end is Moksha. These three should be abandoned when one has freed oneself by ascetic penance. Liberation is the only goal of man."

Gita tells us that any kind of austerity we practice should culminate in knowledge. If it is performed for a desire for this world or the next world, it loses its value.

Dharma protects our soul. For this reason, one should live with restrained soul, giving his attention to Virtue most. One should also behave towards all creatures as he should towards himself, as it is the greatest of the Dharmas.

 

YAKSHA: WHAT IS THE MOST WODERFUL THING IN THIS WORLD?

YUDISHTIRA: DAY AFTER DAY THERE ENTERS INTO THE TEMPLE OF DEATH, COUNTLESS LIVES. LOOKING ON THIS SPECTACLE, THE REST OF THEM, THOSE WHO REMAIN, BELIEVE THEMSELVES TO BE PERMANENT, IMMORTAL. CAN ANYTHING BE WONDERFUL THAN THIS?

(This question and answer is often quoted by people. If we ponder upon it we know, what Yudishtira says is the greatest truth.

If we look back into our lives, till now how many people have left us? Around us how many people are dying in accidents, natural calamities, diseases? We feel sorry for them and for their families.

Have we any day thought that our life will also end some day? If we have thought, how far have we acted upon it? In what way are we going to live this life which is limited? How best we can use this valuable human birth?

Two kinds of vairagya are always talked in our scriptures. 1) Mashaana Vairagya 2) Prasuti Vairagya. Mashaana Vairagya is the determination which comes into us when we go to graveyard. We think there 'tomorrow I will also be burnt like this. What is so great about this life!' As soon as we come out of that place, we forget about the death, and we move along the direction of our desires. Prasuti Vairgya is the vairagya of a lady at the time of delivery thinking "this is my last child. No more in my life". The very next year she will be in the same hospital for her delivery.

In this world nobody wants to die, even at the age of 90. They spend lakhs and crores of money to save themselves from the hands of death. At the age of 90 also, there is no contentment in life and desire never leaves. Bhaja Govindam says "Day and night, dawn and dusk, winter and spring, again and again come and depart. Time sports and life ebbs away. And yet, one leaves not the gusts of desires. (Dinayaaminyau saayam praatah; sisiravasantau punaraayaatah; kalah kriidati gacchtyaayuh; tadapi Na Muncatyaashaavaayuh)

When Nachiketas was ready to go to the abode of Yama, the father was grief stricken. The young child consoled his old father Vaajasravas by reminding him that "Things born must die and perish away only to be born again – nothing is permanent". The same boy when Lord Yama offered him gifts, refused to take and said: "Even the longest life that you can give is but a trifle; may you keep to yourself the dance and the music; and give me the thing which is not taken away by time"

Life is at time's mercy. Every moment the Lord of Death is coming closer to us. Death is Dharma by itself and it never waits or gives a chance to beings. When we are busy fulfilling our desires, death snatches us away in no time.

People generally feel that spiritual path is a retirement job they can take up after 60s. They are sure that they will live till their 60s. This is the wonder Yudishtira is talking about.

One beggar came to Yudishtira's court, when Yudishtira was in a serious discussion with the ministers. So he told the beggar 'come tomorrow'. Immediately the sage in the court announced "Here is a person who has won death! Here is a person who is sure of tomorrow!"

HAVING KNOWN THE TRUTH THAT DEATH IS FOR SURE, WHAT WE SHOULD DO NOW?

We postpone our works for tomorrow; after one hour; after some time thinking that our life is for sure. Our life is like the drop of water on the lotus leaf. It is unstable. It will fall at any point of time. We don't know where we stand in the queue of death.

8^th chapter of Gita tells us that one who thinks about the Lord at the last moment only reaches Him. But if we don't practice it every day, how will we remember the Lord? How do we know that 'this is my last moment'?

What we have planned to do tomorrow must be done today. What we have planned for the afternoon must be done in the forenoon. Death is ruthless and it will never wait and see if all our acts have been carried out. We should hurry and practice virtue in the prime time of life. Bheeshma says "Life is uncertain but death is certain"

We know but we forget because of our driving desires; because we think 'I am permanent'.

HOW ONE CAN FACE DEATH? BHEESHMAJI SAYS THAT 'READINESS IS IMPORTANT'

In Bhagavatham, Lord says that "My devotees go beyond time and space". The complete surrender to the Lord alone makes one prepare to face death. A person who understands that he is the Atman; the consciousness – for him death is only to the body. He goes beyond death.

Lord says in Bhagavad Gita 'offer your mind and intellect to Me' and 'you will reach Me'.Mind causes the bondage (sorrows) and if the mind is offered to the Lord, it gives us liberation.

By giving that, one gives up desires, attachment and ego.

Lord says in the 2^nd chapter of Gita – 'For the man who has given up all the desires, I and mine, who identifies himself with the self of all, that Stithaprajna (ever merged in the self) is never deluded'.

Having known that the deity (self) inside the temple (body) has no death, the devotee faces death to the body with his mind merged in the thought of the self which is indestructible.

SUMMARY

We should be in the path of Dharma. Situations test us in various ways in our life. But one should never move away from Dharma.

Let us not postpone expressing our love to people for tomorrow.

Let us do all good actions today as we are not assured of next moment.

We spend all our time in seeking worldly knowledge, money, strength, status, beauty, etc which are impermanent. And all these are attached to this body which is also impermanent.

Knowledge of the self is the greatest of all knowledge. For Dhruva, the greatest bhaktha of Narayana, who offered his mind to the Lord, Death became the step to get into the Vimana to go to Vaikunta.

A person with knowledge lives without fear. A person with desires lives and dies every moment with fear.

HARI OM!

 

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PART 18 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

PART 18 – YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

This week we are covering the following questions of yaksha.

1.      What is the reward for one when he acts with judgement? – He gets whatever he seeks.

2.      What is the reward for one who has many friends? – He lives happily.

 

WHAT IS THE REWARD FOR ONE WHEN HE ACTS WITH JUDGEMENT?

HE GETS WHATEVER HE SEEKS.

(What do we seek in life? We all seek peace of mind. We think having riches and money will give peace of mind and we have found many times that it is not the truth. We think name and fame will give us peace but the anxiety not to lose it, takes away our peace in life. Like this in many ways we try to win peace by wrong ways.

The real peace lies within us. If we dont let everything in life to affect us, we will find peace in life. If we have the judgement or discrimination, we will get what we seek.

We have seen how many people fight with the conductor of the bus and they are dropped half the way without reaching their destination. Similarly we keep on fighting with the people, situations all the time without understanding that it is taking us away from the Lord, who is our ultimate goal of life.

Acting with judgment is a must in every moment of our life. If we act without thinking, we don't get what we seek. Searching and seeking are different. Searching is looking out for a thing without knowing where it is. Seeking is the process of finding out a thing knowing where it is and with proper guidance.

Judgment gives the clarity in which direction one need to proceed and also knows about the wrong directions which will not get us the result. A person who seeks Lord knows very well that he can't keep the world. In any action, he will ask himself whether it takes me towards Lord or away from Lord and with the right discrimination, he reaches the goal. The reward of judgment is he gets what he wants.

Life is filled with opportunities to choose between making big deal out of something or simply letting it go, realizing it doesn't really matter. If we act with judgment we will be winning those that are truly important.

Yudishtira talked about 'talking agreeable words' in the last answer. This answer continues the topic. A person can speak agreeable words if he has the right judgment. There are certain times in our lives when we want or need to argue, confront or even fight for something we believe in. Many people, however argue, confront, and fight over practically anything, turning their lives into a series of battles over relatively small things. There is so much of frustration in living this type of life that we lose track of what is truly relevant.

Richard Carlston writes in his book 'Don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff':

"The truth is, life rarely is exactly the way we want it to be, and other people often don't act as we would like them to. Moment to moment, there are aspects of life that we like and others that we don't. There are always going to be people who disagree with us, people who do things differently, and things that don't work out. If we fight against this principle of life, we'll spend most of our life fighting battles.

A more peaceful way to live is to decide consciously which battles are worth fighting and which are better left alone. If our primary goal isn't to have everything work out perfectly but instead to live a stress-free life, we will find that most battles pull us away from our most tranquil feelings"

Having right judgment in life will keep us happy.

If somebody's life is in danger and we ask them, "What do you think of politics? What do you think about Sri Lankan cricketers attacked at Pakistan?" He would say, "I don't care! Rescue me!" Our mind will go according to our discrimination.

Agreeable words make us agreeable to all. It creates a loving atmosphere. This atmosphere is the result of right judgment of what to carry with us and what to leave. Judgement is the tool which decides the direction of our life/actions towards our goal. A student who has kept the goal to join medical college, with his judgement, plans his studies, hours of studies, gets guidance from proper teacher and reaches the goal. He knows clearly that he should not argue with the teacher, waste his time in enjoyments and not to misplace his books.

Judgement (BUDDHI YOGA) is taking what is important to reach the goal and leaving what is against the goal. Lord says in Gita that a distracted mind can never achieve anything in life. Judgement is the action of a focused mind, the mind merged with the intellect.

 

WHAT IS THE REWARD FOR ONE WHEN HE HAS MANY FRIENDS?

HE LIVES HAPPILY.

(When one speaks agreeable words with the right judgement, he wins many friends in life. Because there are no enemies, the person lives happily in his life.

Lord says in Bhagavad Gita at the end of the fifth chapter that 'He is the friend of all beings'. He once again says in the ninth chapter that He is the 'suhrt' (the friend of all).  

Yudishtira's answer conveys the message that 'friends' are not the number of people around us as friends but our attitude towards everyone around us. When we have enmity, we cannot live happily. Dhrithrashtra, Ravana, Hiranyakashipu, Kamsa could never sleep in their lives peacefully because of their enmity towards the Lord. People lose their sleep when they have jealousy, enmity, hatred towards others.

Lord Krishna says in Gita "To the unmeditative there is no peace, and how can one without peace have happiness?" If happiness is the objective, one has to handle the mind; to handle the mind, one have to handle the senses; then all the friendliness sets in a person. When inner purity is attained through discrimination, the person is not afraid of any creature nor is creatures afraid of that person. That person has the whole world as his friend.

Bheeshma says in his advice to Yudishtira: "A man considers another to be his friend so long as he is assured that his interests are safe: so long as he is sure that it is profitable for him to do so. If he is sure that this state of things will continue as long as the other man is alive, he allows the friendship to continue for life. The entire world is pivoted round one factor, 'self-interest' and it ever revolves around it. No one is dear to another unless there is some gain involved. The friendship dies as soon as the reason for the friendship dies."

A true friendship is without any motive. As long as there is selfishness, one cannot have many friends. As long as there are desires, nobody can bring happiness in a person's life.

We should always remember Sri Krishna who lived with a smiling face throughout His life. He was a friend to everyone around Him. He is a friend to all of us. We can think of Him at any time, talk to Him, and cry to Him. He gives all that we need without even asking for it.

Ugrasena asks Krishna the secret of how he is able to move with everyone in such a way that everyone loves him and respects him. Krishna tells him that it is possible because he is always thinking of / worshipping a Mahan. And that Mahan is Narada. Further he points out that if one is thinking of Mahans all the time one becomes like them. Imagine the humility of Lord of the Universe if He says this. And when Ugrasena confronts Narada with the same question Narada tells him it is made possible due to his forever being in worship of Krishna!

One who respects everyone will be loved, respected and honored by everyone.

 

The admirable characteristic of Lord Krishna is of not accepting kingdoms that come his way. He killed Kamsa but installed Kamsa's father as the King. After Jarasandha vadham, He installed Jarasandha's son as the king. He does this again and again and never accepts coronation for Himself. He stays throughout Mahabharatham as a king without crown. But He receives love, respect and honour from everyone.

 

Leaving desires, one gains many friends and that person lives happily.

 

SUMMARY:

 

To have many friends is possible only if one serves with unconditional love and identifies himself in everyone around him. Desires are obstacles for love.

 

I recall Bharthiyar's verses on 'Krishna! My friend'

 

"azhaikum pozhudinil poakku sollaamal arai nodikkuL varuvaan

(When we call Him He arrives there in no time)

Kaetta pozhudil poruL kodupaan – sollum kaeli poruthiduvaan

(He grants desires immediately. Whoever insults Him, He bears it with patience)

Ennai aatangaL kaatium paatukkal paadium aarudal seididuvaan

(He entertains us with all best things)

ULLathile karuvam konda poadinil oangi adithiduvaan

(When the pride comes in, He beats us in the heart)

Nenjil kaLLathai kondoru vaarthai sonnaal – angu

Kaari umizhndiduvaan  

(If we utter anything in hypocrisy, He looks upon that person as low)– siru pallathile nedu naal azhugum ketta

Paasiyai yetri vidum – perum veLLathai poal aruL vaarthaigaL solli

Melivu thavirthiduvaan"

(The dirt which is accumulated for many days is taken away by the flood of His graceful words)

 

Whenever we have problems in life, we go to the Lord with complete faith that He will take care of us irrespective of our mistakes. Let us love like Him.

 

Once the goal of life is fixed, one needs to act with judgement to achieve it.

The goal of human birth is to get out of the cycles of birth and death. That is possible if we act with discrimination (real and unreal) and if we are friendly towards all beings/creatures around us. 

HARI OM!

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