Bhai Sree's Message

Jai Shri Krishna,

In this month Sandesh, Pujya Bhaishri explains the interpretation of dharmakshetra and kurukshetra from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. His message is as follows:

The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is the means by which Lord Shri Krishna has shown the whole world the path to one's welfare in one's life. In the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Lord Shri Krishna talks about dharmakshetra and kurukshetra (fields of religion and battle). In one sense, our body is a dharmakshetra and kurukshetra. To elaborate, our bodies begin to do 'kuru kuru' as soon as we wake up in the morning, meaning, our bodies begin to perform on task after another as soon as we wake up. In addition, if we wouldn't have obtained these bodies, how would we perform all our deeds?

All our deeds must abide by dharma. For instance, dharma must be present when a housewife prepares food for the family, or, one must abide by dharma in their employed jobs. In fact, all our deeds will turn into pooja if they abide by dharma.

Furthermore, in our body, which is a dharmakshetra, lives Lord Shri Krishna in the form of aatmaa (the soul); Shri Krishna lives inside us and provides brightness and protects us.

Our life is also a battlefield. Life is filled with conflicts and therefore we are bound to encounter conflict in our lives all the time. We need to become Arjun and get ready to fight. However, remember, during this battle, Lord Shri Krishna is with us; he is not for us, but with us. This battle is ours, hence we must fight it ourselves.

With Blessings,
Bhaishri

UNDERSTANDING GOD

How can we understand the ways of God with our limited intelligence? God is Omnipotent and He is the One who has no limits, no beginning or end.

How can such a One be understood by those with limited intelligence? We not only have limited intelligence, but we use only a small fraction of our intellectual capacity.

That being the case, how can we fathom God, the limitless? But there is a quality of God that makes it possible for us to approach Him. Whatever we imagine Him to be, He appears so.

His simplicity makes Him look upon us with kindness, for He knows that we will never be able to understand Him entirely, said D. Gnanasundaram.

An example would serve to illustrate. Suppose there is a group of people who had not seen an elephant in their lives; not even a picture of it.

If they are blindfolded, made to feel an elephant and describe it, the person who touches the animal's legs will say it is a huge pillar. One who touches the tail will say it is a broom. Each one will describe the elephant according to whichever part he touches.

However, none of the descriptions is a complete description of the elephant's appearance. They are correct, in so far as the experience of that particular person is concerned, but do not tell the whole story.

Thus it is in God's case. It is said those who saw Rama's shoulders only saw His shoulders. So beautiful were the shoulders that those who saw them never got beyond them. So it was with His eyes and so on.

He is within us

One does not have to search the world for God. We can find Him residing inside every one of us. If we meditate on Him, we can realise that He is within us and He does not have to be sought elsewhere.

God has to be experienced. He cannot be discovered through research. He who is without attachments can realise Him easily.

Worldly attachments pull us down. Detachment will uplift us and take us closer to God.

Why Do Good People Suffer ?

By Swami Tejomayananda
“Why do good people suffer or why do bad things happen to good people?” This question seems to be very common these days. It seems as though good people get the brunt of all suffering, while evil-doers enjoy life. But if we observe closely, we see that everyone undergoes suffering in some form. Keeping this in mind, our question becomes meaningless. Just because a person is good does not mean there would be no suffering in his/her life.

But what do we mean by ‘good’? In Sanskrit, ‘sadhu’ is the word used for a good person. Sadhu comes from the word ‘saadh’, meaning ‘to accomplish’. If we work for ourselves and achieve great things, there is nothing laudable about it, but if we help others to achieve their goals, then it is an accomplishment. If someone is good to you and you reciprocate, that is common courtesy. But if someone is harming you, and despite that you continue to wish that person well without expecting anything in return, it is real goodness. A sadhu bathing in the river saw a drowning insect. He saved it from drowning and was stung in return. Again, the insect fell back into the river and the sadhu pulled it out of the water and placed it under a shady tree. On seeing this, a person asked the sadhu, “Why did you do that?” He replied, “The insect did not give up its nature, so why should I?”

How can we achieve this goodness in our lives? To reach any target, we must first have a goal. Similarly, for achieving goodness, we must have a standard of goodness which is known to us, because only then can we rise up to the required levels. As long as we see differences in the world around us, true goodness will not manifest. This can be achieved only when we become aware of our oneness with others. An example will illustrate this point better. Every organ of my body is part of one whole. If the finger goes into the eye, there is instant forgiveness, because of the complete identification with the finger.

Now that we know what is good, let us see what suffering is. Objective suffering befalls all people, good or bad. Situations leading to suffering could have their roots in past actions. Objectively, the existence of pain or any other physical handicap cannot be denied, but the degree of sorrow this leads to is entirely subjective. Riches or positions of power do not guarantee happiness. People become miserable over small matters. If a person claims that he is good and is suffering, while the dishonest person is flourishing, we can be very sure that the person is not good. For a good man, the real suffering is to do something against his convictions. Suppose a pure vegetarian is faced with a situation of remaining hungry or eating beef, the chances are that the former option would be more acceptable.

All our spiritual practices cannot eliminate suffering, but they protect the mind and make suffering acceptable, just as on a rainy day, we cannot stop the rain, but can protect ourselves from getting wet with an umbrella. Bhagavan Krishna says, “A good person never suffers.” By some logic we feel that suffering and enjoyment is related to past actions. If we observe at the subtle level, we find immediate results of our actions. The moment a good thought enters our mind, we feel elation, and similarly a wicked thought causes agitation.

Real suffering is when we lose our goodness. Compromising with goodness is the greatest suffering. Even though superficially it may appear that evil doers are flourishing, it should not be an excuse to compromise. The problem arises when one does not have an ideal or when one is not able to live up to one’s ideal. But the greatest problem is when one believes that the ideal is not worth living up to and has lost its utility. Remember, a good man will stand by his convictions, because “If you do not stand for something, you will fall for everything.”

GOD IS NEVER WRONG

A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes!

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger."

The slave replied: "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows "why" of all these things. What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!"

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices.

In the altar, ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages found that the victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them, it was not so complete to be offered to the gods.

Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately.

"My dear, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

"My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger, therefore, remember everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong."

Often we complain about life, and negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.

Every morning, offer your day to God, don't be in a rush.

Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong!

You know why this message is 4 u? I do not know, but God knows, because he never makes mistakes.......

The path of God and his word is perfect, without impurities. He is the way of all those who trust in Him.
God is never wrong.

Rankapur Temples

Ranakpur Temples are acclaimed world-wide for their intricate and superb architectural style. These temples form one of the five major pilgrimages of the Jains. Located in village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan, Ranakpur temple lies at a distance of 95 kms in the north of Udaipur city. The temple is easily accessible from the city of Udaipur as regular buses are easily available. Built in the 15th century, Ranakpur temples are known for being the largest and most important temples of the Jain cult.

The temple is said to have been built by Seth Dharna Sah (a Jain businessman) with the aid of Rana Kumbha, who ruled Mewar in the 15th century. Ranakpur got its name after the name of the Rajput Monarch and likewise the temples. The temple complex is positioned in an isolated valley on the western side of the Aravalli Range. The Jain Temples of Ranakpur are certainly creditable for their splendid architecture. This temple is wholly constructed in light colored marble and comprises a basement covering an area of 48000 sq feet. There are more than 1400 exquisitely carved pillars that support the temple.

The temple is a masterpiece of architecture and boasts of not less than four additional shrines. It has 24 pillared halls with 80 domes that are supported by 400 columns. The upper and lower parts of the domes are linked by brackets that have deities' sculptures. Above all, you would be amazed to see at a height of 45 feet engraved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures. Each column is intricately carved and it is surprising to know that no two columns have the similar design.

Apart from this, another stunning act about these columns is that they change their color from golden to pale blue after every hour during the day. In the mandap (prayer hall), the two big bells of 108 kg each produce a harmonious sound on the movement. Chaumukha temple is formed like a Nalinigulm Vimana (heavenly aircraft) and provides this whole structure a celestial appearance. Conceivably, it is due to the intricacy of the structure that the temple took approximately 65 years to complete.

In the complex, there are several temples including Chaumukha temple, Parsavanath temple, Amba Mata Temple and Surya Temple. Amongst all of them, Chaumukha Temple is the most important and as the term Chaumukha suggests, this temple is four-faced. Chaumukha temple is dedicated to Lord Adinath, who is the first 'Tirthankara' of the Jains. The Temple structure is highly compound having four different doorways to get into the chambers. These chambers ultimately take you to the main hall where the image of Adinath is positioned.

The four faced image also symbolizes the Tirthankara's quest for the four directions and ultimately the cosmos. The image is surrounded by many small shrines and domes. One more range of cells with separate roofs encircles these shrines and domes all over again. The five spires elevate above the walls and around 20 cupolas rise from roof of the pillared hall. Each spire houses a shrine and the largest shrine is the important one that addresses the central altar. The temple ceilings are festooned with foliate scrollwork and geometric patterns.

The Temple of Parsavanath is another attraction that is worth visiting. Built in the mid 15th century, the temple is renowned for its engraved windows embellished with Jain figures. Parsavanath Temple is also known as Patriyon Ka Mandir. In close proximity to this temple, you can trace two other temples dedicated to Neminath (22nd saint) and Surya Narayan (Sun God) respectively. Here, Surya Narayan Temple has innumerable wall projections with circular structure. The sight of Lord Surya driven in his chariot of seven horses is truly pleasing.
The dating of this temple is controversial but it is largely considered to be anywhere between the late 14th to mid-15th centuries. Inspired by a dream of a celestial vehicle, Dhanna Shah, a Porwad, is said to have commissioned it, under the patronage of Rana kumbha, then ruler of Mewar. The architect who oversaw the project is said to have been named Deepaka. There is an inscription on a pillar near the main shrine stating that in 1439 Deepaka, an architect, constructed the temple at the direction of Dharanka, a devoted Jain

The origins of Jainism can be traced back to the Indus River valley civilization of 3000 B.C. Jains believe that there were 24 great teachers the last of whom was Lord Mahavira who lived during 6th century B.C. These twenty-four teachers are called Tirthankaras-people who had attained all knowledge while living (Moksha) and preached it to the people. Thus, there is not one all-powerful supreme being that controls all. Jains believe in reincarnation. Their souls, which are believed to be a unique substance in the universe, take different living forms in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. This cycle has been going on forever, the universe has no beginning or end, it has always been and always will be. The ultimate goal is to get rid of one's karma on their soul so that they may end this cycle. Once this goal is reached their soul has attained all knowledge and it rests in the heavens forever (Nirvana). Karma theory is about actions and the results they bring to the soul's path. It is the simply the law of cause and effect with respect to the soul.
E.G. One's actions for today will effect what will happen to them in this or their future lives. The way to get rid of one's karma is to follow certain rules of doing good somewhat similar to the ten commandments. These include the principles of:
Ahimsa - To protect all life (non-violence)
Satya - To speak truth
Asteya - To not steal
Brahmacharya - To not commit adultery
Aparigraha - To limit one's possessions
Jains uphold these principles by practicing vegetarianism, non-violence in thought, deed, and action. Jains perform their sacred rituals at the temple or Derasar. Some of these rituals are:
Puja - Concentrating on one's soul through intense prayer sometimes in the presence of sculptures of the teachers to serve as an example of how to attain Moksha.
Samayik - Forty-eight minute ritual that asks for forgiveness for one's sins
Namokar Mantra - A short prayer that can be said at any time that shows obeisance to the perfect souls that have achieved Nirvana.
The biggest event in the Jain calendar is the holy week (8-10 days) of Paryushan where Jains reflect upon their actions throughout the past year. The week takes place in August or September and is concluded by a three hour prayer called Pratikraman.

Namokar Mantra: Elixir Itself
Namo ArihantanamI bow in reverence to Arihants Namo SiddhanamI bow in reverence to Siddhas Namo AyariyanamI bow in reverence to Acharyas Namo UvajjhayanamI bow in reverence to Upadhyayas Namo Loye Savva SahunamI bow in reverence to all Sadhus
Eso Panch Namoyaro
This five-fold salutation
Savva PavappanasanoDestroys all sins Mangalanam Cha Savvesim And amongst all auspicious things Padhamam Havai Mangalam Is the most auspicious one

The ultimate power of a Mantra uttered in words and meter depends on the one who recites it, his feelings at the time and the place where it is recites. However, the Namokar Mantra while it controls our behaviour pattern and destroys our sins (Karmanashak), upon being recited increases our inner spiritual strength. It releases us from crisis, and it generates our well-being. Jain scriptures tell of its endless magical manifestation: A dog who was about to die, heard the Mantra recited by Jeevandhar and became a handsome Yaksha. A pair of serpents heard the Mantra recited by Parshva Kumar and metamorphosed into Darnendra and Padmavati. A bull while in physical agony, heard the Mantra recited by Seth Padmaruchi and in his next life became Prince Vrishabhdhvaj - the same prince was known as Sugriva later on. The nobleman Dhananjai's son dying from snakebite heard the Mantra and regained life. Anjan the thief running from sure death learnt this Mantra and became a learned man. Aj while dying patiently heard the Mantra recited by Charudutt and reached heaven. There are endless legends about the power of this Mantra. The one who recites this sure Mantra with real faith, scales the heights of the everlasting pits of hell. In this context it would be well to recall Suhom Chakravarti's fate.
May we all learn from the teachings and beliefs of Jainism and make our souls pure and sacred so that it is ready to become one with God.
__._,_.___

Guruvayur Ekadashi

Guruvayur Krishna!
“Guruvayur Ekadasi is on Dec 6th 2011, Tuesday. On Dashami day (5thDec 2011,Monday)after Nirmalya darshan ( 3.00AM ), the temple is closed only at 9.00 am on Dwadasi Day (12th day), thus Sree Guruvayurappan allows continuous “Darshan” for devotees throughout Dasami and Ekadasi Days. Jay Sree Guruvayurappa….. This day is also regarded as “Geethopadesam day”.. ....the day on which Bhagavan Krishna revealed Gita to Arjuna. Jay ParthaSaradhee……. Ekadasi is the name of the Goddess that arose from Lord Vishnu to defeat Demon Mura.The Legend is like this. Once while Bhagwan Narayan was resting a demon named Murdanav came and challenged Him to a duel. Suddenly a damsel appeared, evolved out of the Ekadash indriyas of God --.(The ten indriyas (sense organs) comprise the five karma indriyas (mouth, hands, feet, anus and genital organs) and five gnan indriyas (eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue). The ten indriyas along with the mind are collectively known as “Ekadash indriyas”.) Murdanav was so attracted to this damsel that he asked her to marry him. The damsel agreed, but only if he agreed to a duel with her, Blinded by passion, he fought with her & she killed him. Pleased with her, God granted her a boon. She asked, "O Prabhu! As I have manifested from your Ekadash indriyas, let my name be Ekadashi. I am wedded to tap (austerity) and I desire that people should observe the Ekadashi vrat (fast) and control their Ekadash indriyas on this day. Pleased with her divine act, Bhagavan Vishnu blessed her that “anyone who observes Ekadasi fast will be freed of their sins and will attain Moksha”…..Narayana … Narayana… Ever since, we Hindus fast on Ekadashi. Ekadashi occurs twice a month in the Hindu calendar - on the eleventh day of the bright half - called Shukla Paksha and on the eleventh of the dark half called Vad Paksha ....After the morning seeveli, on Ekadasi there is a grant elephant procession to the Parthasarathi temple. Also on the Dwadasi day(12th day), there is a unique custom of offering a token amount called Dwadasi Panam in Koothambalam for the welfare of the family and it is considered highly auspicious. … Jay Sree Guruvayurappa…… On Ekadasi day, the Udayasthamana Pooja (continuous pooja) is conducted by the Devaswom itself .
Guruvayur ekadasi is also known as Vaikunta Ekadashi or Mukkoti Ekadashi as it is said believed that ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ or ‘the gate to Bhagavan’s Inner Sanctum’ is opened on this auspicious day. On this day, the Vaikunta Dwaram or the Swarga Vaasal, 'The Gates of Heaven' are believed to be kept open. The area encircling the sanctum is referred to Swarga Vaasal and devotees throng to gain entry into the temple, to seek the Lord. According to Vishnu Purana, fasting on Vaikunta Ekadashi is equivalent to fasting on the remaining 23 Ekadashis. On Vaikunta Ekadasi Fasting is an important aspect of the dos associated with it. People fast the whole day and keep vigil. Special prayers are offered to Lord Vishnu and devotees engage in Japa (Chanting of the Lord's name) and Dhyana (Meditation). On 'Dasami', the previous day of the observance, devotees who take up Vaikunta Ekadasi fasting are to take only lunch. On Ekadasi, the next day, they have to maintain a complete fast and engage in prayers and meditation of the Lord. They are strictly prohibited from taking rice. That night, people keep vigil the whole night and visit the temple of Lord Vishnu, mostly in the wee hours of the morning. All are welcome to the Sreelakam of PonnuGuruvayurappan…..SreeKrishnarppanamasthu……. —