Surya Namaskar More Than Weight Loss By Diet

• Importance of balance and core workouts
Suryanamaskar can do to your body what months of dieting cannot. And it can do to your mind what no spiritual discourse can.

Not surprising, the world is going crackers over this ancient yogic tradition of worshipping the rising sun. What with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and Kareena Kapoor endorsing it over gym workouts and bizarre diets.

From improving your posture, strengthening muscles to whittling extra inches around the waist, the benefits of Suryanamaskar are many, provided you adapt it the right way. A set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures define Suryanamaskar which when performed repeatedly at an easy pace can bring a sense of well being, almost immediately. However, those with a heart condition, arthritis or slip-disk, need their doctor's consent before starting the routine. Suryanamaskar's surging popularity notwithstanding, jumpstarting a schedule is most definitely not the best thing to do for a fitness novice. If you have been gravely out of form in a way that you haven't stretched your muscles in ages, first give your body some time to open up, which you can do with some flexibility and stamina-building exercises before embarking on the more arduous 'Suryanamaskar'.

And once your body has registered a certain fitness level, you can begin with a set of three Suryanamaskars in the first instance and increase it to five then ten and more depending on your stamina. Anymore than clocking up numbers, it is important to get each posture right, for the very essence of this yogic ritual lies in perfecting every move. To say the least, it can be an uphill task for beginners. But our expert-backed warm-up exercises are sure to make Suryanamaskar less strenuous and ever so graceful.

1. Neck: Breathe in while you turn your neck to the right and breathe out as you come back to the starting position. Again, breathe in while turning your neck to the left and breathe out in the centre. Repeat this movement thrice. Rotate your neck first clockwise and then anti-clockwise.

2. Arm and shoulder: Stretch your arms out in front of your chest and move your palms up and down, then sideways. Further on, rotate your fist clockwise and anti-clockwise. To relax your arms, place your palm on your shoulder and move your shoulders first clockwise then anti-clockwise.

3. Knee: Bend forwards with your palms resting on your knees, join your knees and move forwards and backwards. End the routine by rotating your knees clockwise and anti-clockwise.

4. Stomach and back: Interlock your fingers over your chest and slowly raise your hands upwards while you breathe in and stand on your toes. Return to Position 1 as you breathe out. Repeat this cycle three times.

5. Legs and waist: Stretch your legs wide in standing position, touch you left toe with the right hand, then the right toe with the left. Keep your knees straight while you do so. Repeat a few times.

By now your body is suitably warmed up to begin the Suryanamaskar routine. Here is a step-by-step account of the 12 postures. Don't try this routine on a mat, you are better off on the bare floor or on the grass.

Posture 1# Stand erect, ideally facing the morning sun. Fold your hands in prayer close to your chest and chant 'Om Suryadevaya Namah' thrice.

Posture 2# With your hands together raise your arms up in the air while you breathe in. Bend over backwards forming an arch from the hands to your feet. The flexibility of the spine is ensured in this posture.

Posture 3# Bring your hands down while you breathe out to touch the floor on either side of your feet. In this posture, it is imperative to keep your knees straight as you bend forward from the waist, and your head as close as possible to the knee. This posture helps melt the excess fat around the stomach by aiding digestion.

Posture 4# While breathing in, put your hands flush with the floor and lower your hips and stretch your left leg back, allowing it to balance on your toes, and your right leg bent in a crouching stance. With your hands firmly on the ground and your arms straight as a die, raise your head upwards to face the sky. This one is for the flexibility of spine and leg muscles, and boosts immunity from diseases.

Posture 5# As you breathe out, let your hands stay firmly on the ground and push your right leg back parallel to the left. Make sure your feet firmly touch the ground and your hip raised high. With your arms and knees straight lower your head to face your navel.

Posture 6# Hold your breath as you bring your hips down while keeping your hands and feet in the same position, and stretch your whole body near the floor. With your face downward, bring your chest and knees to lightly brush the floor, and hold your hips slightly high. At this juncture, 8 points of your body are touching the floor - your palms, forehead, chest, knees and toes.

Posture 7# This posture is a mere extension of Posture 6, in that you breathe in and straighten your arms and lift your chest upward in an arching stance, and your head thrown back facing the sky. Your arms, at this point, carry the weight of your body, with you knees and toes resting on the floor.

Posture 8# Bring your body back to Posture 5 by raising your hips and lowering your chest and head. Keep your arms and knees straight while you do so, and place your feet flush with the floor. Then lower you head to face your navel.

Posture 9# As you breathe in, return to a similar position as Posture 4, only this time you will be crouching on the left knee and stretching back your right leg. Place your hands firmly on the ground, and with the weight of your body on your arms move your chest forward and arch your head up to face the sky.

Posture 10# From here, flow back to Posture 3 while keeping your hands flush with the floor and bringing your right foot side by side with your left one. As you straighten your knee, raise your back to arch in a standing position with your head as close as possible to the knee and your hands on either side of your feet.

Posture 11# Take a deep breathe and raise your arms up in the air as you straighten your back and gradually bend over backwards, akin to Posture 2. Your knees stay straight all the while.

Posture 12# Bring yourself to Posture 1 from here with your hands folded before your chest in prayer, and your spine erect, your knees straight and your eyes shut in meditation.

With Posture 12 you complete one full circle of Suryanamaskar. From here you can flow back to Posture 2 to continue the routine. However, always follow up your Suryanamaskar regime with Savasana, better known as Corpse Pose. In this posture, you lay down on the floor with your legs and arms apart, your palms facing the sky, and eyes deep shut. Breathe in and out heavily and try to focus your thoughts on something happy. Stay on this way for a few minutes and you will feel a sense of calm run down your body like a drug.

Weight loss is just one consequence; you can so much as put your life together with this ancient yogic tradition.

Self And Brahman

Swami Parmarthananda
Krishna’s imparting the fundamental, yet profound, truth of the immortal essence inherent in each one of us, enabling further meditation and internalisation of this knowledge was the theme of a discourse on Gita by Swami Paramartananda.

The spiritual quest of the Jivatma begins with his identification with the undying Self, the Jiva swaroopa, and not the impermanent body. The body is a temporary vehicle for attaining salvation and gets discarded when it gets worn out, and the Jivatma pursues his journey in a new one. The consciousness in a realised soul constantly vibrates with this reality so that worldly affairs are handled with Viveka (discrimination) and Vairagya (detachment). This truth alone brings equanimity to the Jivatma engulfed in the dilemma of worldly existence as exemplified by Arjuna’s realisation in the battle field that he is nothing but a tool in the greater and grander design of the Almighty.

Krishna emphasises that the body and the sense organs including the mind and the intellect are mere instruments of transaction to operate in this world. Understanding the Iswara swaroopa initiates wisdom in the Jivatma who learns to transcend the form to reach out for His infinite glory. It is impossible to grasp the infinite straight away. A child learns the concept of numbers by counting with the fingers and it is a long journey before the idea of infinity in mathematical terms is understood. Likewise, the popular notion of God based on scriptures and the stories of the Puranas suggesting the pluralistic, localised and a finite concept of God needs to be further evolved.

These projections merely serve to indicate His infinity. However, God is much more than what is represented in the Puranas. He cannot be contained in one form. Krishna elucidates the concept of the all pervading, all knowing, omnipotent, infinite and eternal Supreme Brahman. For a true seeker, humility should take root in his consciousness that fosters a holistic growth at the emotional, spiritual, intellectual and rational levels. Though devotion is considered to help initially to fulfil one’s worldly desires, it is capable of conferring the highest benefit of Jnana.

Svetaketu

Svetaketu
It happened in Upanishadic days that one young boy, Svetaketu, was sent by his father to a gurukul, to a family of an enlightened master, to learn. He learned everything that could be learned, he memorized all the Vedas and all the science available in those days. He became proficient in them, he became a great scholar; his fame started spreading all over the country. Then there was nothing else to be taught, so the master said, ”You have known all that can be taught. Now you can go back.”

Thinking that everything had happened and there was nothing else – because whatsoever the master knew, he also knew, and the master had taught him everything – Svetaketu went back. Of course with great pride and ego, he came back to his father. When he was entering the village his father, Uddalak, looked out of the window at his son coming back from the university. He saw the way he was walking – very proudly, the way he was holding his head – in a very egoistic way, the way he was looking all around – very self-conscious that he knew.

The father became sad and depressed, because this is not the way of one who really knows, this is not the way of one who has come to know the supreme knowledge. The son entered the house. He was thinking that his father would be very happy – he had become one of the suprememost scholars of the country; he was known everywhere, respected everywhere – but he saw that the father was sad, so he asked, ”Why are you sad?”

The father said, ”Only one question I have to ask you. Have you learned that by learning which there is no need to learn anything any more? Have you known that by knowing which all suffering ceases? Have you been taught that which cannot be taught?”

The boy also became sad. He said, ”No. Whatsoever I know has been taught to me, and I can teach it to anybody who is ready to learn.”

The father said, ”Then you go back and ask your master that you be taught that which cannot be taught.”

The boy said, ”But that is absurd. If it cannot be taught, how can the master teach me?”

The father said, ”That is the art of the master: he can teach you that which cannot be taught. You go back.”

He went back. Bowing down to his master’s feet, he said, ”My father has sent me for an absolutely absurd thing. Now I don’t know where I am and what I am asking you. My father has told me to come back and return only when I have learned that which cannot be learned, when I have been taught that which cannot be taught. What is it? What is this? You never told me about it.”

The master said, ”Unless one inquires, it cannot be told; you never inquired about it. But now you

are starting a totally different journey. And remember, it cannot be taught, so it is very delicate; only indirectly will I help you. Do one thing: take all the animals of my gurukul – there were at least four hundred cows, bulls and other animals – and go to the deepest forest possible where nobody ever comes and moves. Live with these animals in silence. Don’t talk, because these animals cannot understand any language. So remain silent, and when just by reproduction these four hundred animals have become one thousand, then come back.”

It was going to be a long time – until four hundred animals had become one thousand. And he was to go without saying anything, without arguing, without asking, ”What are you telling me to do? Where will it lead?” He was to just live with animals and trees and rocks; not talking, and forgetting the human world completely. Because your mind is a human creation, if you live with human beings the mind is continuously fed. They say something, you say something – the mind goes on learning, it goes on revolving.

”So go,” the master said, ”to the hills, to the forest. Live alone. Don’t talk. And there is no use in thinking, because these animals won’t understand even your thinking. Drop all your scholarship here.”

Svetaketu followed. He went to the forest and lived with the animals for many years. For a few days thoughts remained there in the mind – the same thoughts repeating themselves again and again. Then it became boring.

If new thoughts are not felt, then you will become aware that the mind is just repetitive, just a mechanical repetition; it goes on in a rut. And there was no way to get new knowledge. With new knowledge the mind is always happy, because there is something again to grind, something again to work out; the mechanism goes on moving.

Svetaketu became aware. There were four hundred animals, birds, other wild animals, trees, rocks, rivers and streams, but no man and no possibility of any human communication. There was no use in being very egoistic, because these animals didn’t know what type of great scholar this Svetaketu was. They didn’t consider him at all; they didn’t look at him with respect, so by and by the pride disappeared, because it was futile and it even looked foolish to walk in a prideful way with the animals.

Even Svetaketu started feeling, ”If I remain egoistic these animals will laugh at me – so what am I doing?” Sitting under the trees, sleeping near the streams, by and by his mind became silent. The story is beautiful. The years passed and his mind became so silent that Svetaketu completely forgot when he had to return. He became so silent that even this idea was not there. The past dropped completely, and with the dropping of the past the future drops, because the future is nothing but a projection of the past – just the past reaching into the future.

So he forgot what the master had said, he forgot when he had to return. There was no when and where, he was just here and now. He lived in the moment just like the animals, he became a cow. The story says that when the animals became one thousand, they started feeling uncomfortable. They were waiting for Svetaketu to take them back to the ashram and he had forgotten, so one day the cows decided to speak to Svetaketu and they said,

”Now it is time enough, and we remember that the master had said that you must come back when the animals became one thousand, and you have completely forgotten. Now is the time and we must go back. We have become one thousand.”

So Svetaketu went back with the animals. The master looked from the door of his hut at Svetaketu coming with one thousand animals, and he said to his other disciples, ”Look, one thousand and one animals are coming.” Svetaketu had become such a silent being – no ego, no self-consciousness, just moving with the animals as one of them.

The master came to receive him; the master was dancing, ecstatic. He embraced Svetaketu and he said, ”Now there is nothing to say to you – you have already known. Why have you come? There is no need to come now, there is nothing to be taught. You have already known.”
Svetaketu said, ”Just to pay my respects, just to touch your feet, just to be grateful. It has happened, and you have taught me that which cannot be taught.”

This is what a master is to do:
create a situation in which the thing happens.
To only indirect effort can be made, indirect help, indirect guidance.
And wherever direct guidance is given, wherever your mind is taught, it is not religion.
Merging with Nature is true knowledge.

--

Sermon of Kapila

The Lord who is birthless takes many births,” say the scriptures. His infinite glory and compassion stand revealed during the periods of descent He undertakes. He establishes dharma and destroys adharma, and reinforces His instruction to redeem people caught in samsara.

The sermon of Kapila to His mother Devahuti is a concise but comprehensive discussion of the individual’s quest for Self-knowledge through jnana and bhakti which are subtle attributes of human experience, pointed out Srimati Prema Pandurang in a discourse. The philosophical exposition also expounds the grand design of cosmic creation.

The first tenet of Kapila’s teaching is that one should seek the company of saints and sages who are venerated for their selfless nature. The only aim in the life of such realised souls is to save the people from the clutches of samsara where good and evil coexist in a state of constant tension. The veil of Maya is powerful and tempts even those with good propensities to believe in the attractions of the world. The situation is further strengthened because the senses in human beings are turned outwards and are thus preoccupied with worldly affairs. The turmoil in our daily life keeps us on tenterhooks at all times. Since the mind is the cause of both bondage and liberation in human beings, the only way to turn it inward is to seek the company of the pious.

A God-centric atmosphere enables one to pause to analyse the purpose of existence, and try to identify the permanent against all that is evanescent in life. Devotion supported by knowledge and renunciation is gained by listening to the Lord’s glory. When the choice to renounce worldly attractions is made, bhakti bhava begins to take root in the individual’s consciousness. The aspirant becomes unperturbed by anything because of total self-surrender to the Lord.

Kapila advises people to cultivate a generous heart towards all beings. This is possible if one realises that God is the Supreme Lord of all Nature and of individual souls and that all belongs to God. .

Infinipath

A few scoops from last infinipath: 06th October 2013
Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. It is important that the mental restlessness should be patiently executed in the physical domain, for an idea to culminate into reality.

In the time that you are not investing in satiating the emotional needs of your valued customers, your competitor is doing that. It is all about mind share in the market.

Investment of quality time with your children is the greatest investment you can make in the becoming of your children. Unless you listen to them enough, they will not listen to you.

There are times in life where consequences are purely random and cosmic and sometimes those are the most beautiful periods of life; your life goes through a quantum leap. Consider yourself blessed and be grateful.

When you are not able to control the consequences of your life, you consider them as tough times. Use your contemplative intelligence and choose one of the three (CAR) to preserve your peace.
1. Change the changeable.
2. Accept the unchangeable.
3. Remove yourself from the unacceptable.

Growth is when your life moves from maximum effort giving you minimum results to minimum effort giving you maximum results.

Gift of Existence

What do you gain by Prayer...?

Best answer given by Swami Vivekananda:

"I gained nothing, In fact I Lost, Anger, Depression, Jealousy, Irritation & Insecurity.."

Gift of Existence
There lived a Sadhu who regularly used to give discourses. One day at the end of the discourse he was talking of being grateful to existence. "Operate from a space of gratitude, `Kritajna'. This will allow us to expand.'' a beggar was sitting in a corner and listening to the discourse, he came up to the Sadhu and said, "Maharaj, your talk was great. But one thing I am not able to do. You said to be grateful to the existence because it has always showered benediction on you. Sorry! But, existence has not given me anything. I am struggling even for one roti''.
The Sadhu said,"I agree with you, I will give you two lacks, right here, will you be grateful?" The beggar was thrilled.

"But I want something in return from you'', said the Sadhu. "I do not have anything, what can I give you? If I have something I will definitely give you.'' said the beggar.
"I won't ask you anything that you do not have'', said the Sadhu. The agreement was made.The Sadhu said, "I will make arrangements for the two lacks; you please give me both your eyes."

The beggar was astonished. "What will I do with these two lacks without my eyes! I don't agree to the deal,'' he said. "I prefer my two eyes to the two lacks''.
The Sadhu said, "but you said you don't have anything and were cursing existence."

This is a beautiful story. Two eyes he had, then two hands, two legs, stomach etc., He is already a multi millionaire. But all these gifts we do not see. For the beggar, money was very important.That we can see is such a great gift of existence. We can hear. We can walk. All are great gifts. If you say you are unhappy, it is ridiculous. In fact we should dance and celebrate that existence has given us so many gifts.

We are normally focused on what is missing in life. The moment you start operating from what you don't have, whatever you have also go into darkness.
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Communism and Spirituality

Communism has three goals.

To check the greed of feudal and capitalistic societies.
To check the fanaticism and fundamentalism of religious communities.
To care for and share with the needy.

Only spirituality can bring fulfillment to communism.

Only spirituality can check greed and open up the hearts ofthe rich to help the needy.
Only spirituality can check the fanaticism and fundamentalism of religious groups and create a sense of belongingness in the whole world.
Only spirituality brings up the tendency to care and share in one's life.
Only spirituality can bring about open mindedness and a progressive attitude.

Communism cannot fulfill its goals without spirituality.
It is impossible and time has proved it.

Spirituality nourishes communism.
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Question: If you have a Guru do you need luck?
Sri Sri: You need luck to have a Guru! (Laughter)

Karma On A Platter

Karma On A Platter

The National Food Security Bill 2013 passed in the Lower House of Parliament on August 26 might not be the magic bullet to efface hunger. We also need to revive our glorious traditions of food sharing, rich in compassion and purpose, says MEERA DEWAN, whose recent film ‘Gur Prasad’, tributes Punjab’s living tradition of food sharing
Why do we feed the fed and starve the hungry? Why do we get so much joy when we cook and serve food to our friends, those who have abundance? Conversely, some of us may soul-search on why we neglect or turn our gaze away from those who clearly need nutrition. Perhaps this is as good a time as any to revive our tradition of food sharing.
The bhandaras held on memorable occasions, the now worldwide langar tradition as practised in gurdwaras, the huge deghchis or cooking vessels at dargahs that are never empty, the sanjhachoolhas or shared tandoors in Punjab’s rural courtyards — our culture has been defined by sharing of food. No celebration is complete without it. A meal prepared and eaten together binds both giver and receiver, creating a sense of equality. Sitting together to bake and break bread brings humility and gratitude, creating harmony and wellbeing.
Selfless Seva
I came across some living practitioners who keep alive this tradition. Badshah Singh, the one-legged carpenter lives in the shade of a gurdwara on the outskirts of the Capital, devoting his waking hours to chopping vegetables. Muniza Bibi stirs up 200 kilos of grain into a nutritious, steaming daliya in enormous deghchis at a dargah in Rajasthan. The children of a neighbourhood in Fazilka, Punjab, carry sackloads of freshly ground atta every evening to the shared tandoor in the community courtyard. Jayamma, a two-acre farm owner in Tamil Nadu, sows, nurtures and reaps fields, sharing the harvest with the landless and needy. A retired army officer in Delhi’s resettlement colony brings discipline and food security to a community kitchen. These are the repositories in whose busy hands and compassionate minds, the tradition of food sharing is still alive.
Mohammad Mehtab cruises the streets of Lutyen’s Delhi. It is yet another ‘Night Out’ for the 18-year-old cyclist. As he drives along India Gate, turning towards the circular columns of Connaught Place, his eyes scan pizza shops, ice-cream parlours, seafood restaurants, and bars with ‘Happy Hours’ lit up with neon signs. These hangouts don’t interest Mohammad. His eyes seek out the hungry who flock outside, hope writ large on their faces.
As an environmental refugee from a chronically waterlogged village in North Bihar, to Kolkata and now, New Delhi, this teen has been on the streets from the age of five to 15 years. He knows only too well how cities create famines in the midst of plenty. Mohammad understands the needs of the floating population of a few thousand hungry people here. Wasn’t he one among them till recently? Working with an NGO now, he monitors the nutrition of some of the Capital’s hungry and is their barefoot doctor as well.
A middle-aged woman moves towards the congested medieval inner city of Ajmer. It is well past sunset. Yet the ancient alleys leading to the world-famous dargah, Ajmer Sharif are alive and alert. Dense throngs of rickshaws weave through lanes clogged with people and animals. Busy stalls are distributing food and quilts. Small stretches of footpaths, parks and even narrow two-lane dividers are beds to silent rows of tired bodies.
Muniza Bibi arrives and exits within minutes, effortlessly carrying two large pails of steaming vessels, overflowing with multi-coloured, multigrain broth — a nutritious daliya. The spring in her step and her enthusiasm belie her age. The dignity of the giver and the receiver become one, creating an almost palpable human bond.
Scooping out generous helpings, she is done with this round very quickly. She convinces me these pots have never been empty for centuries. I also have no difficulty in believing her when she shyly whispers that feeding wanderers and seekers at this gracious eating centre is more refreshing than sleeping on a soft bed.
Badshah Singh sits under a blue tarp, lost in the sorting, cleaning, and chopping of a sea of green leafy saags. He is humming verses from Gurbani:

Flamingoes migrate hundreds of miles leaving their young ones behind.
Who feeds the newborn chicks left behind? Who fends for them?
…One who joins a supportive community swims across the ocean of life….
— Raag Gujri, Fifth Nanak (Rehras)
Badshahji’s actions are so fluid, so fast, that it takes me a while to notice that his long, outstretched left leg is wooden. It is attached by straps to his torso. I ask him, “What are you cooking, Bhraji?” His quick response: “I am cooking good karma, just as I hope you are, with your pen and camera. We are all cooking, one way or other. Some of us eat it alone. Others share it with the sangat (community) at the gurdwara.”
Badshah Of Compassion

As he invites me to share a meal, he hobbles into the stream of people awaiting lunch. Everyone makes way for him, including women and children who are unloading buckets of chopped and washed vegetables into huge pans. He picks up a pail of dal and first serves the waiting children, walking stick expertly tucked under his free armpit. He then passes around a basket of rotis, never throwing them, but gently handing them out in pairs, like prasada. The receiver too accepts it with a similar reverence — hands cupped, arms outstretched, a prayer on their lips. There is a faint chorus, Wahe Guru — Wonderous Lord.
“Never eat without contributing your labour. It will not digest well. Work for your food with service towards the community,” he says, as we wash our dishes. Badshah Singh is Badshah of Compassion. His words bring to mind a verse:
Eating a langar meal,Cross-legged on the floor Has a simple appeal Of humanity’s inner core.The endless ritual langarSimple, free love feastHatred will not mar this bridge of Great and Least. This bridge of West and East.
Perhaps the Badshah and the Poet, a foreign traveller — who had scribbled these lines in a book at the Golden Temple — are fellow travellers with a common muse. It could be the muse of sharing food.
Lord, don’t expect me to meditate on an empty stomach!
So here, take back your prayer beads.
I do wish to walk along your path;
I’m free of all debts and obligations.
Whom do I ask, if not you?
All I need is two kilos flour, a little ghee, a pinch of salt and a handful of dal.
That’s enough for two meals a day!
— Bhagat Dhannaji

Translated by
Jagjeet Singh & Meera Dewan

SHIVOHAM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoKKf4zMlQs

Shivom Shivom Shivoham Shivaswarupoham
Nityoham shuddhoham buddhoham muktoham
Nityoham shuddhoham buddhoham muktoham
Shivoham Shivoham Shivaswarupoham

Shiva = the pure unbounded all-pervading consciousness (the transcendental self, the Absolute), Aham = I am, Shiva + Aham = Shivoham, swarup = the true form, nitya = eternal, shuddha = pure, buddha = intelligent, mukta = free.
“I am Shiva (the pure unbounded consciousness). I am the unbounded consciousness. I am the very form of the unbounded consciousness.
I am eternal. I am pure. I am intelligent. I am free.
I am eternal. I am pure. I am intelligent. I am free.
I am Shiva (the pure unbounded consciousness). I am the unbounded consciousness. I am the very form of the unbounded consciousness.”

Advaitaananda rupam-arupam
Brahmoham Brahmoham Brahmaswarupoham
Chidoham Chidoham Satchidaanandoham
Shivoham Shivoham Shivaswarupoham

Advaita = non-duality (oneness), Aananda = bliss, rupa = form, arupa = formless
Brahman = the pure unbounded all-pervading consciousness (the transcendental self, the Absolute), Chida = consciousness, Sat = Truth.
“The bliss of non-duality (oneness), that which is in all forms and yet formless.
I am Brahman (pure unbounded consciousness). I am Brahman. I am the very form of Brahman.
I am consciousness. I am consciousness. I am the bliss of consciousness which is the one Truth.
I am Shiva (the pure unbounded consciousness). I am the unbounded consciousness. I am the very form of the unbounded consciousness.”

Jise shastra kaate na agni jalaaye,
Ghalaaye na paani na mrityu mitaaye,
Wahi aathmaa Satchidaananda mai hoon,
Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham

Jise = which, shastra = dagger, kaate = cut, na = nor, agni = fire, jalaaye = burn, ghalaaye = dissolve, paani = water, mrityu = death, mitaaye = destroy, wahi = that, aathmaa = soul, Sat = Truth, Chida = consciousness, Aananda = bliss, mai = I, hoon = am.
“That which cannot be cut by a dagger, nor burnt by fire.
That which cannot be dissolved by water, nor destroyed by death.
That very soul, the bliss of consciousness which is the truth, I am.
I am Shiva (the pure unbounded consciousness). I am the unbounded consciousness. I am the unbounded consciousness. I am the unbounded consciousness.”

Amar aathmaa hai maranshil kaaya,
Sabhi praaniyo ke jo bhitar samaayaa,
Wahi aathmaa Satchidaananda mai hoon,
Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham

amar = immortal, aathmaa = soul, hai = is, maranshil = mortal, kaaya = body, sabhi = all, praaniyo = living beings, ke jo bhitar samaayaa = residing within
“The immortal soul, the body is mortal,
that which is inside all living beings,
that very soul, the bliss of consciousness, I am.
I am Shiva (the pure unbounded consciousness) …”

Jo vyaapak hai kana kana he waahas jiskaa,
Nahi teeno kaalo meih he naash jiskaa,
Wahi athmaa Satchidaananda mai hoon,
Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham

vyaapak = everywhere, kana kana he waahas jiskaa = in every particle of existence, Nahi = which is not, teeno = the three, kaalo = ages, meih = in, naash = destroy
“That which is everywhere in every particle of existence,
which is not destroyed in the three ages,
that very soul, the bliss of consciousness, I am.
I am Shiva (the pure unbounded consciousness) …”

Amar aathmaa Satchidaananda mai hoon,
Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham
“The immortal soul, the bliss of consciousness, I am.
I am Shiva (the pure unbounded consciousness) …”

The first part is a sanskrit chant which has its origins in a famous poem composed by Sage Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. The second part (starting from Jise shastra ) is in Hindi. The meaning is very deep! It reminds me of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s profound yet practical commentary on the Ashtavakra Gita. To me, it means that the singer is identifying with his/her infinite self rather than with the temporary aspects of his/her existence. So rather than identifying with thoughts, feelings, circumstances, roles and the mortal body, which are ever-changing, the singer identifies with his/her soul which is eternal and indestructible. The experience of being one with our inner being is the bliss. Some of us, who are lucky, get a glimpse of this in meditation. We are, at our core, eternal, pure, untouched, intelligent and free.

Jan 24, 2010: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s explanation: After writing this post, I came across (thanks to Amra!) an explanation of “Shivoham” by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar which is, of course, beautiful. Here it is. Enjoy!

“”Shiva” here means that innocent, blissful, splendid, golden, beautiful.
“Shivoham” — I am Shiva. Splendid, the most innocent.
“Shiva Swarupoham” — my nature is Shiva. My form is Shiva. I am made up of a substance that is Shiva — innermost me.

“Nityoham” — I am ever present. I am always there. Body dies, disappears, but I am there.
“Nityoham Shuddhoham” — I am ever pure. Nothing can touch me. All these things come and go, but they cannot touch me, they cannot do anything to me.
“Buddhoham” — I am always enlightened.
“Shivoham Shivoham Shiva Swarupoham. Nityoham” — I am eternal. There is no end to me.

“Advaita Ananda Rupam Arupam. Shivoham Shivoham Shiva Swarupoham” — There is no two. It is me in all the forms, all over. It is me. My breath is flowing everywhere. I am the formless though I am inside a form. My spirit has no form. Though I am formless, I move in forms, in all forms in the whole world.

“Brahmoham Brahmoham Brahma Swarupoham” — I am the Brahman, the totality, the all.
“Chidoham Chidoham” — I am the consciousness. I am lively. I am full of life. I am pure energy and pure consciousness.”
~~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Why Celebrate Krishna’s Birthday?

Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Krishna. Ashtami, the half-moon, indicates a perfect balance between the seen and unseen aspects of reality; the visible material world and invisible spiritual realm. Krishna’s birth on ashtami signifies his mastery of both spiritual and material worlds. His teachings are most relevant to our times in the sense that they neither let you get lost in material pursuits nor make you completely withdrawn. To celebrate Gokulashtami is to imbibe extremely opposite yet compatible qualities and manifest them in your own life.
Krishna simply means the most attractive -- the Self or the Being. Radheshyam represents infinity. Radhe is individual life and Shyam is infinite life. Krishna is the Self of every being and when our true natural Self shines through our personality, skills and abundance follow.
It is said that Krishna used to steal butter. What does this signify? Butter is the final product of a process: the milk is first made into curd and then the curd that is well churned becomes butter. And like milk or curd, life is the process of churning through so many events, happenings and instances. Finally butter comes out, which is the saintliness in you.
whole essence of it is to maintain that balance, to be joyful, happy and centred. You can have a big smile when everything is smooth in your life; if you can smile even in adversity then you have achieved something in life. It is like how Krishna stands with one foot firmly on the ground, the other is raised, poised; this is how dance can happen. This depicts the way to live life in perfect balance. When you are buried in the mind, dance cannot happen. Witnessing the disturbances of the mind helps us to rise above them. So whenever you are disturbed, instead of thinking that this should never have happened, simply surrender.
In the Bhagwad Gita Krishna says, “Why is it that so many are not able to know me? The reason is that they are constantly stuck between their cravings and aversions.” One who intensely craves for someone or has too much hatred for someone, falls into the trap of moha, attachment. When such a person has a problem in his life, be it regarding money or relationships, for example, then his mind is completely engrossed with the problem and he spends his days and nights, even years, worrying over it, but he is not able to overcome it.
For this, Krishna says, ‘Those whose punyas, meritorious deeds, begin to bear fruit are freed of all their sorrow, and they begin to get drawn towards me. Those whose sins are not cleansed remain stuck in ignorance and delusion”. If you walk towards the light, the darkness of ignorance automatically starts to disappear. But sin is that which does not let you move towards the light. And this is what causes misery, pain and suffering. When a person completely understands that I am not the body, I am pure Consciousness, then such strength dawns in him. Once you have faith in the Divine, then that is it. Then you should not doubt it one bit. This is what knowing the Divine truly means.
Krishna is the symbol of all possibilities, the total blossoming of all aspects of the human, and the Divine. Janmashtami is the day when you enliven that virat swaroop, the cosmic nature of Krishna in your own consciousness once again. Letting your true nature manifest in your day-to-day life is the real secret of Krishna’s birth.

A Possible Roadmap For Happiness

A Possible Roadmap For Happiness

Each of us wants some peace and happiness in life. Still, happiness often evades us. “Is there a simple, straightforward roadmap to get happiness and peace in life,” I asked Swami Paramarthanandji in Chennai. He replied, ‘Reducing PORT is the best way’. PORT stands for Possessions, Obligatory Duties, Relationships and Transactions. How to reduce these?
Happiness is a state of mind; it does not come from possessions alone. There are severe limitations of happiness sought in objects. First, deep effort and some pain are involved in acquiring objects. Many waste their entire life in pursuit of desirable objects. There is no guarantee that even after getting those objects or positions, you would be happy. You may feel ‘let-down’ after spending so much of effort. You may think, ‘this is not what I laboured for’. Also, objects of desire keep changing, and so also our goal posts. The chase continues and every new possession brings with it own burden. If someone has a house with swimming pool and ten bed rooms; imagine his plight in maintaining it. He is busy all the time cleaning, fixing, protecting. Does the house serve us, or do we serve the house? Again, objects make us dependent on them. For instance, once we are used to a particular standard of living, it is inconvenient not to have certain objects such as air conditioners in our life. Hence objects usually create bondage.
Relationships are meant to make our life happy. But do they? We have to maintain some blood relations for social cohesion, but we create other new relationships, which complicates life. Every new relationship has to be maintained. You have to remember to wish people on their birthdays and anniversaries, participate in functions like marriage and engagement, or reach out in case of sickness or loss. Also you are experience sadness or pain when the person with whom you have a relationship does not reciprocate. It is said that grief is never caused by outsiders or unknown people. It is caused by people with whom you have a relationship. Depending on your attitude, your relationships might cause you more pain than pleasure.
Every possession and every new relationship creates its own obligatory duties. You have to insure your vehicles, for example, remember to send it for regular service. Similarly we have to attend to the expectations of relationships. These add to our list of obligatory duties. We cannot avoid basic, minimum obligatory duties towards the office, business, parents, spouse or children. But our optional duties also become obligatory when you maintain too many possessions and relationships. We should also be careful in accepting new roles in life just for the sake of ego-satisfaction. If you are made President or Secretary of a Society, you may feel good, but that adds to your obligatory duties also. Performance of each of these duties becomes a transaction. This way we try to cope with large number of transactions in our life, and get exhausted at the end of the day. Where is the time to be happy.
This is not to say that you should have no objects or relationships in your life. However, the idea is to be aware of their limitations and try to strike a balance. The mind will be peaceful only if you are able to discriminate between what is necessary and what is unnecessary in your life.
Reducing Possessions, Relationships, Obligatory Duties and Transactions (PORT) is a practical way to look at life and happiness. That is the PORT of call for happiness.

Fly A Kite Across The River

Fly A Kite Across The River
A distinguishing characteristic of a person who lives with God is his forgiving nature. Has someone wronged him, exploited him? If so, he forgives even before forgiveness is asked. And
Have I fallen out with someone and been separated from him by a gulf so wide that it cannot be bridged? he lives a life of beauty and blessedness. Such a person is indeed rich.

I was reading about the Niagara Falls. A bridge had to be built across the Falls. For this, they needed to fix a rope across the river to start the suspension bridge. The waters of the river were too swift and turbulent to take the rope across in a boat. What did they do? They flew a kite across the river. When it reached the other side, a cord was tied to its string. Finally, a rope was tied to the cord. That was the beginning of the. A telephone wire can be the string of the kite—and a bridge suspension bridge that spans the Niagara Falls. Let me fly a kite to him, of loving thoughts and forgiveness of reconciliation built by a mere phone call. Forgiveness is the precious lubricant which keeps all our relationships smooth and friction-free.
Let us learn to forgive. Thomas Fuller said, “He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself, for every man has the need to be forgiven.” An individual grows or evolves to higher levels of consiousness in the measure in which he is able to express the quality of forgiveness. All our great ones have been men and women of forgiveness. Even so, forgiveness is not the monopoly of the great. Simple souls, humble men and women have practised the art of forgiveness to perfection.
A house in which a man and his ten-year-old daughter lived was attacked by outlaws. The father died in the scuffle. The outlaws spared the life of the girl, Melanie, but blinded her. Ten years later, Melanie was sitting by the roadside, when she heard footsteps and a voice which frightened her. “Who is it?” she called out, “Be careful, because I am blind.” “I know you are,” replied one of the outlaws. “I am the man who killed your father and blinded you. I just tried to hold up a passer-by and he shot me. I am going to die. I beg you to forgive me.”
Melania shuddered with anger but controlled herself, forgave the criminal and exhorted him to repent. When the man was dead, she groped for his eyes and gently closed them like a loving daughter.
Part 5 of 5
Forgiveness, in contrast to retaliation, is not an instinctive or spontaneous impulse. If we are hurt, almost as a reflex, we are conditioned to think, “I’ll fight back – I’ll do to you what you did to me.” On the other hand, forgiveness has to be cultivated. It is a well-considered, well-thought out emotional choice that we make to forgive freely, those who have hurt us. Because forgiveness does not just consist of mouthing the words, “I forgive you.” It involves letting go of anger, resentment, hurt and bitterness. It allows us to heal the other – and be healed ourselves in the process.
The ‘F’ of Forgiveness is Freedom. Forgiveness sets us free from the hurts, which otherwise would continue to prick us, for as long as memory lasts. Today at 2 pm, observe a Moment of Calm in unison; think thoughts of forgiveness towards everyone.

A Practical Visionary And Sage

Swami Sivananda upheld ethical and spiritual values. In his words, these are to serve, love, give, purify, meditate and realise – a synthesis of the upanishadic principle of oneness of reality, ‘Ekam eva advitityam Brahmn’. Absolute reality, Brahmn, manifests as trinity of individual self, world and Iswara -- jiva, jagat and jagdish. The one and non-dual reality is perceived as substratum in and through these threefold manifestations to become one with humankind, nature and Iswara.
Unity based on eternal unity of the Self, according to Sivananda, is a logical synthesis and outcome. He proposed unity in all spheres of activity, the yoga of synthesis based on four main spiritual paths for God realisation – karma yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga and jnana yoga for harmonious and integral development of body, heart, mind and intellect that constitute the composite human being. “Excel in service, expand in love, advance in knowledge and realise the Self.” Swami Sivananda hailed unity of religions and the ideal of brotherhood.
He embraced allopathy, homoeopathy and ayurveda in his life. He studied modern medicine at Thanjavur Medical College. He edited the health magazine ‘Ambrosia’ and served poor farm hands of Malaya (now Malaysia) with compassion in selfless service. Like Hahnemann, he could see the limitations of even modern systems of medicine, albeit differently, as it does not offer ultimate solution to our problems and higher goals. While Hahnemann established the science of homoeopathy, Sivananda, earlier known as Kuppuswami, took to monastic life, practiced intense austerities and shone as a yogi, saint, sage and jivanmukta. Nonetheless, his subtler vision endeared him to homeopathy and as representative of Indian culture he also propagated ayurveda in his books on health and hygiene.
Sivananda synthesised western and eastern philosophies, religion and spirituality, social and spiritual practices, yoga and vedanta, poetry and prose, English and Sanskrit, art and science, object and subject, theory and practice in his life and creations. He was a practical vedantin, The Sivananda Ashram grew around him at Rishikesh in 1932 and subsequently, the Divine Life Society and later, the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy were established.
He summarised his teachings in a trio of universal prayer, twenty spiritual instructions and science of seven cultures -- health, energy, ethics, will, heart, psychic and spiritual. His universal prayer “Let us behold thee in all these names and forms; Let us serve thee in all these names and forms” reflects his innate spiritual vision of oneness and service dedicated to the non-dual divine spirit. He would say, recognise the presence of divinity within and without and attain divine consciousness through divine living. And toward this end, one has to start right from the beginning, in childhood.
His unique message is practical spirituality -- the threefold essence of spiritual practice lies in cultivation of virtues and eradication of vices, continuous remembrance of God’s name and spiritualisation of all activity. With the objectivity of a scientist, intuition of a clinician and compassion of a saint, Sivananda communed with one and all, to show the way to divine life and attainment of Self-realisation, the highest goal of human life. Swami Sivananda is remembered as an ideal sage than as an ideal medical professional. This is because life in eternity is more subtle, pervasive and blissful than worldly, secular life.

July 31 was the 50th maha samadhi anniversary of Swami Sivananda. The author is a board member of The Divine Life Society.

SANKARA FROM TEMPORAL TO ETERNAL

Sankara: From Temporal To Eternal

Among path finders to the Eternal, Sankara stands out. He spent his entire life, short though it was, in urging his felowmen to move from the ephemeral to the abiding, from the fleeting panorama of temporal life to the spiritual felicity of life eternal. So far as earthly living and its demands go, there is no distinction between humans and animals.Sankara explains that there is no difference in the behaviour of humans and animals so long as the moving factors are appetition and aversion, and activity consists in a going forth towards external sense objects. However, man is endowed with a certain other characteristic which, if properly cultivated, will make for a distinction. Sankara defines it as the eligibility for karma, willed action and knowledge. He cites a scriptural text: “The Atman is expanded only in man. He, indeed, is endowed with intelligence. He gives expression to what is known. He sees what is known. He knows what is to come. He knows the visible and invisible worlds. He perceives the immortal through the mortal; thus is he endowed. But with the other animals, eating and drinking constitutes their knowledge.”
t is because of this special ability to discriminate and discern the truth that birth of a human being is said to be precious. It is in virtue of this endowment that man quests for the eternal, and eventually succeeds in gaining it.
Sankara sets forth the qualifications that would make one eligible for the quest eternal -- discrimination of the eternal from the non-eternal, non-attachment, having virtues like calmness, equanimity and a longing for liberation. All this only implies cultivating the right philosophical attitude. What blinds us is attachment to selfish enjoyments. The mind longs for them and so is unable to see the truth when it is in the grip of passion; it cannot understand even empirical truth, and so it goes without saying, says Sankara, that, the mind needs to be thoroughly cleansed before it can realise the truth of the inner Self.
The mind that has been freed of passions should be strengthened by cultivation of the cardinal virtues. With the right attitude and having gotten rid of defects, the mind must acquire whatever is excellent. Then the aspiration for release will firmly get established in the mind. This aspiration should not be confused with any passionate desire.

Explaining this point, Suresvara, a disciple of Sankara's, says that the longing for supreme happiness which is release, is not attachment; if this be attachment, then the wish for solicitude and so on, could also be thought to be so, which is not the case.
Release which is regarded as the highest value is the same as the Supreme Self which is the sole reality, according to Sankara's vedanta known as Advaita. It is the reality that is referred to in the Upanishads by such terms as Atman and Brahmn. One may deny everything else, but not the Self, for it is the very nature of one who denies. In the empirical world it appears as limited and as many. As conditioned by the psychological complex called the body and by things that constitute the world, it is spoken of as anubhava or experience. Courtesy: Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.

Divine Mother

Liberation from samsara is not easy to attain. First of all, we must be free of desires. But we are unable to give up our desires totally. We have small desires, and we are anxious that these desires must be fulfilled. Lord Siva treats all worldly desires as the trifles that they indeed are, for He knows that these desires of ours will do us no good. But the Goddess Sakthi is more understanding of our frailties. She knows that although we may have the intention of seeking liberation, we are also going to crave worldly things. So, kind Mother that She is, She grants us our desires and slowly guides us along the right path.

Her beauty is such that it drew even lord Siva from His penance. It is said in the Mooka Panchasati that She wandered on the banks of the river Kampa. There was a reason for this. It is on riverbanks that sages did penance, and this further sanctified these places. But the Goddess, who roamed the banks of the river, will take up residence in the hearts of human beings, if their hearts are pure. We cannot win Her grace by costly offerings. But if we have pure thoughts, She is automatically pleased, and showers Her mercy on us, said Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal, in a discourse.

Lord Siva burns the stoola sareera (gross body), the kaarana sareera (causal body) and the sookshma sareera (subtle body). He does this so that we may realise Him. He thus gives us gnana. But the Divine Mother grants us our worldly desires and also then takes us towards liberation. While human beings may give us what pleases the senses alone, the Goddess makes us think of our atma, and not think of that which pleases the senses alone. She does give us what we desire on this Earth, but She also shows us the path to liberation. She recommends to the Lord to grant us liberation and gets for us His grace. Once we obtain Her grace, liberation is guaranteed to us. Therefore even to think of Her, one must have performed good deeds, for the very thought of Her will eventually lead us on the right path. Her effulgence and radiance attracted even Lord Siva. She is the One who fulfils our desires just by casting Her glance on us.

Lesson in humility

Individual success or failure is measured against efforts such as excelling in studies, acquiring a job/house, finding joy in married life, and so on. We also believe that all this is achieved by our own effort. But our mission in life should be to find out the truth of our existence and understand who we are and what enables us to live and achieve all this, pointed out Srimati Sunanda in a lecture. For instance, a simple incident narrated in the Kenopanishad helps to internalise this truth in our inner consciousness in a subtle manner.

The Upanishad asks: “What force makes the eyes to perceive or the ears to hear? Who is responsible for speech utterances?” It then unfolds a story as the most convincing answer.

The celestial beings once became self-conceited after a victory over the evil forces. They began celebrating it in a grand manner, without a thought about the Supreme Brahman who had made this victory possible. At that time, an apparition appeared in the sky and wondering who or what it was, the celestial beings asked fire (agni) and wind (vayu) to investigate. When these two approached the apparition, it asked them who they were and what was it they could do. Fire boasted of his power to burn and wind of his ability to blow away with force. The apparition then placed a blade of grass in front of them so that they could display their powers. Both tried with all their might but without any success. Shorn of the very faculties which boosted their confidence, they understood that a far greater power had tested them.

The Kenopanishad goes on to say that the apparition disappeared and Umadevi explained to the celestial beings that the apparition was the Supreme Brahman and that they were celebrating only Brahman’s victory and not theirs. The story instils humility in beings, who are deluded by their attainments and forget the source which enables them to function and achieve in life.

‘It is my perception, my effort,’ is the refrain that governs human achievement. When one pauses to think and investigate how all this is possible and what is one’s own contribution one is released from the clutches of ego and infused with humility.

Contentment And Compassion

Religion is the support, the nature, the basis of all life. It is the offspring of compassion. Establish contentment and the equilibrium is established.

Compassion, contentment are two very valuable words, because the whole life of the seeker can be contained in them. Contentment within and compassion without must be balanced. Be always satisfied within your own self and ever-compassionate towards others, never contentment based on others nor compassion for one's own self
Unrest and turbulence follows in the wake of dissatisfaction. Your mind will concentrate on all that you do not have and see only insufficiency and misery.

When there is satisfaction towards one's self, then you begin to feel and notice all that you have. And when you begin to realise all that you have, you are filled with gratitude towards existence that has given you so much.
Contentment towards oneself, and compassion towards others: give happiness and peace, whether others receive it from you or not, and don't worry or be discontented on that account -- it is your own affair. So keep it to yourself if you tried your best and could not relieve a person of his pain or suffering. Let it not dishearten you; don't reproach yourself, but maintain your contentment.

The words compassion and contentment are priceless; only change their direction and they become dangerous. If we are satisfied with our own lot we enjoy infinite peace and tranquility in life; we become wholly fulfilled. If we can be compassionate and sympathetic towards others, we shall wipe out poverty and misery. Kindness and compassion develop into a sense of service to others that fills you with prayer and worship, because it then becomes the path that leads to godliness.

If you are kind to others but dissatisfied with your own self, you will end up being a social worker; you will never become religious. If you are satisfied with yourself but have no compassion for others, you become a lifeless holy man. Having lost all that is precious and meaningful in life, such people run away to the jungles. They are satisfied with their own selves but without an iota of compassion. They succeed in finding their own happiness but they are the ultra-selfish people. If you look into their eyes there is no sign of pity, only a ruthless stare.
He who embodies both compassion and contentment -- in right proportion and direction -- attains the supreme comprehension of life. He will then know what religion is; he becomes truth incarnate. The ideal is: satisfaction within and compassion without; meditation within, love and kindness without.

Buddha describes a similar ideal utilizing the words compassion and wisdom: wisdom within, compassion without. Until such time that both of these are present, whatever the knowledge, it can only be false. The lack of either leaves knowledge incomplete.
By merely being compassionate to others you do not reach anywhere; you have to do something within yourself also. No matter how many difficulties you endure to serve the downtrodden and the sick, if you do not cultivate contemplation within, awaken your remembrance and meditate, you can reach nowhere.

Just as you walk on two feet and birds need two wings to fly, just as you need two eyes to get a proper view of the world that surrounds you, in the same manner you need two wings for the ultimate journey. The True Name, Courtesy Osho International Foundation, www.osho.com

Silence Is Unceasing Eloquence

Solitude is an attitude. A man who adopts an attitude of detachment towards the external environment is always in solitude. It is possible that despite being involved in all sorts of worldly activity, a person may maintain perfect equanimity. That’s solitude. Another may stay on a hilltop, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, yet he may not be able to experience serenity of mind. Therefore, even though this person is deludes him.
The state that transcends much better placed to experience peace of mind, solitude speech and thought is mouna; it is meditation, the total absence of mental activity. Overcoming the mind, said Ramana Maharshi, is meditation; but deep meditation is eternal speech. Silence is the perennial flow of ‘language’. It is interrupted by speaking; for words obstruct this mute language. It is quite possible that lecturers may keep the audience involved and amused for hours without transforming them. Silence, on the other hand, is permanent and benefits entire humanity in a subtle manner. One may therefore conclude that true silence is unceasing eloquence -- it is a state when words cease and powerful thoughts of the sage begin to penetrate the depths of the seeker, bringing about a change in his thought patterns.
Thought moves with tremendous velocity. Those who entertain sublime and pious thoughts help others who are in the vicinity and at a distance also. A saint who has overpowered his mind through meditation sends out into the world thoughts of harmony and peace. They travel with lightening speed in all directions and enter the minds of persons and produce in them also similar thoughts of harmony and peace. Whereas a worldly man who harbours thoughts of jealousy, revenge and hatred sends out discordant thoughts which are like wireless messages broadcast in ether, and are received by those whose minds respond to such negative vibrations.
According to the Maharshi, preaching is simple communication of language; it can really be done in silence only. A man, who after listening to a religious sermon for an hour, might go away without being even marginally influenced; he has wasted his time. In comparison, a man who sits in a holy presence and goes away after some time with his outlook on life radically changed, is much better off. Which is better, to preach loudly without effect or to sit silently sending out positive vibrations?
Again, how does speech arise? From abstract knowledge emanates the ego; this, in turn, gives rise to thought, and thought gives rise to the spoken word. So it would not be wrong to say that the word is the descendant of the original source. If the word can produce effect, consider how much more powerful must be preaching through silence? But most people do not understand this simple truth -- the truth of their everyday experience. Rather, they are eager to know what lies beyond, about heaven, hell and reincarnation.
We may conclude with the following words of Ramana Maharshi: “Those who have discovered great truths have done so in the still depths of the Self. But really there are no others to be helped. For the realised being sees only the Self, just as the goldsmith sees only gold while valuing it in various jewels made of gold. When you identify yourself with the body, name and form are there. But when you transcend body-consciousness, the ‘others’ also disappear. The realised one does not see the world as different from himself”.

Budha Poornima Message

Jai Shri Krishna,

Buddhism is a religious system founded in India in the 6th Century B.C. by Siddhartha, better known as Sakyamuni, Gautam or Buddha, the enlightened one. Gautam Buddha, whose birth anniversary the world celebrates this month, was born around 560 B.C. He came of noble lineage but took to asceticism after being deeply disturbed by the presence of disease, old age and death. Lord Buddha spent his life preaching while migrating.

On this divine occasion of the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, we present a small Zen narration by Pujya Bhaishri.

One evening, at dusk, when the sky was red and the birds were returning to their nests, four people came to Lord Buddha and brought a blind person with them. Lord Buddha was seated peacefully under a tree admiring the colours in the sky and pondering.

The adventitious people held the blind man's hand and said to Lord Buddha, "Lord! This man was born blind. He has never seen light. Even then, when we talk and explain numerous times regarding light to him, he refuses to accept that light exists. Therefore, we have brought him to you. Lord, please teach him about light."

Lord Buddha remained quiet for some time. He mercifully looked at the blind man then turned to the four people and calmly said," friends, this blind man does not require my teaching. If I preach to a person who has never seen light in life, even if the person decides to accept in his mind that there is light, then this will be the man's blind faith agreeing. The faith in light without experiencing it will keep him away from its true experience."

Lord Buddha continued to say, "This man may accept the arguments we raise on light in his mind for a second despite not having experienced it, but such a preaching based on blind faith will be detrimental to him rather than make him a true seeker of light. In fact, you are better off taking him to a doctor for treatment. Once he is treated, he will gain his sight and thereby experience light himself. Thereafter, my preaching will not be required."

One does not need to be educated about light but needs to experience light. Truth/ light/ God is not merely a subject to discuss and talk about. Truth/ light/ God must be experienced and implemented in our lives.

Seva mein samarpit,
Sandipani Vidyaniketan

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

The Only Hindu Temple Built By the British
In 1879, when there was British were ruling in India, Lt. Col. Martin of Agar Malva was leading the army in the war against Afghanistan.

Col. Martin used to regularly send messages of his well-being to his wife. The war continued for long & Lady Martin stopped getting messages. She was very upset.
Once riding on her horse, she passed by the temple of Baijnath Mahadev. She was attracted to the sound of Conch & Mantra. She went inside and came to know that the Brahmanas were worshipping Lord Shiva. They saw her sad face and asked her problem. She explained everything to them. They told her that Lord Shiva listens to the prayers of devotees and takes them out of difficult situations in no time. With the advice of the Brahmanas she started the ‘Laghurudri Anushtthan’ of the Mantra: ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ for 11 days. She prayed to Lord Shiva that if her husband reaches home safely, then she would get the temple renovated.

On the last of the ‘Laghurudri’ a messenger came and gave a letter to her. Her husband had written: ‘I was regularly sending messages to you from the battle grounds but suddenly the Pathans surrounded us from all sides. We were entrapped in a situation where there was no scope of escaping death. Suddenly I saw a Yogi of India with long hair, carrying a weapon with three pointers (Trishul). His personality was amazing and he was maneuvering his weapon with a magnificent style. Seeing this great man, the Pathans started running back. With his grace our bad times turned into moments of victory. This was possible only because of that man of India wearing a lion skin & carrying a three-pointer weapon (Trishul). That great Yogi told me that I should not worry and that he had come to rescue me because he was very pleased with my wife’s prayers.’

Tears of joy were falling down the eyes of Lady Martin’s eyes while reading the letter. Her heart was overwhelmed. She fell into the feet of Lord Shiva’s statue and burst in tears.

After a few weeks Col. Martin returned. Lady Martin narrated the whole incident to him. Now both husband & wife became devotees of Lord Shiva. In 1883 they donated Rs. 15,000 for renovating the temple.
The information engraved slab for the same is still there in the Baijnath Mahadev Temple of Agar Malva.
This is the only Hindu temple built by the British.


Om Namah Shivaya

How To Become A Super Achiever

How To Become Super Achiever

A Muslim youth of my acquaintance, born in a village and madrasa-educated, can speak two foreign languages fluently – Arabic and English -- without ever having studied for a university degree. I asked him once to tell me the secret of his unusual success. He uttered a single word: “Junoon”or madness, meaning that if you have unflagging determination to achieve your target, you will certainly do so.

That youth was a common man. But this formula is also true of those who are known as great minds. One such case is that of Albert Einstein,Albert Einstein was born in the nineteenth century to a poor family. He started out with no means whatsoever, living in destitution and misery. But, from the very outset, he was an ambitious person and was blessed with a very special sagacity – the determination to pursue his goal to the very end. This determination became his greatest asset, and finally he emerged as the greatest scientific mind of the world.

This is no mystery. It is a formula of nature, and applies to every individual. Everyone is born with great qualities. Potentially, every man is a superman and every woman is a superwoman. What is required is an insatiable desire to turn this potential into actuality. Success is not a gift. It is the
Always remember that you are created; you are not creator. You have to know your limitations, your external compulsions. You have to know the law of nature. Missing out on any one of these two aspects of life will lead only to disaster.

Be ambitious, but not an adventurist. Be confident, but never lose your modesty. Be clear about your target, but never try to achieve it at the cost of another person’s success or peace of mind. You have to be a good planner, but keep away from any kind of corrupt practice. It is good to be a self-made person but not by usurping others’ rights. In short, never succumb to a negative experience: try to turn negativity into positivity.
Always remember that it is not your intention or your desire that determines the course taken by the external world. It is a wise adjustment between your desires and external realities that leads to great success.

It is a fact that no one can overrule your ambitions but it is also a fact that you cannot overrule the laws of nature. So always be a realist. Acceptance of reality is the most important principle of any kind of success.
Every human being, great or small, is determined to live between two different sets of compulsions – limitations and advantages. So you should know your limitations while you avail of the advantages. Never go beyond your limits and never try to avail of that which is ultimately beyond your reach. Always try to maintain a balance between these two different aspects of life, and the result will certainly be success.

Life is not a smooth journey, being fraught with all kinds of odd and unwanted situations. Accept the reality rather than try to fight it. Don’t forget this wisdom, if you want to see your name listed along with the super achievers.

Hanuman Jayanthi Sandesh

Jai Shri Krishna,

When Bhagavan Shri Ram completes his leela and at the end decides to return to his abode (Vaikunth), he doesn’t go alone, but takes everyone in Ayodhya with him including insects, dogs and other animals. Everyone proceeds with him to the river Saryu to reach his abode when suddenly, someone realised Shri Hanumanji was not with them. The devotee said to God, “Your greatest follower, Shri Hanumanji, cannot be seen and the first person worthy of entry in your abode should be a follower like him.”
One follower turned behind and saw that Hanumanji was standing outside Ayodhya watching everyone leave and bidding farewell to Shri Ramji with tears in his eyes. Shri Ramji summoned Hanumanji who immediately presented in front of Shri Ramji. Shri Ramji said, “Hanuman, come with us. Why are you standing there all alone? I am taking everyone with me and you deserve to be in my abode first.”
Hanumanji replied, “Lord, please answer one question, will I get to hear your katha in your abode?”
Ramji smiled and said, “Oh! I will be present there myself!”
To this Hanumanji said, “Lord, you will definitely be there, but this servant is asking if your katha will be there?”
Ramji responded, “Hanuman! My katha is only available on this earth. I will be present in my abode, but my katha will not be.”
Hanumanji said, “Lord, then you proceed to your abode. Please command this servant of yours to stay here. Until your katha is present on this earth, bestow me with your blessings that I will continue to listen to it.”
To this Ramji said, “so be it!”
Hence, Shri Hanumanji did not proceed to Shri Ramji’s abode due to the longing for Ram Katha.
Prabhu charitra sunibe ko rasiya, Ram Lakhan Sita man basiya
Meaning: You are an ardent listener, always keen to listen to Shri Ram’s katha.
You dwell in the hearts of Shri Ram, Shri Lakshman and Shri Sita.
Shri Hanumanji either listens to Ram Katha or narrates it, and whoever Shri Hanumanji has narrated the Ram Katha to, has indeed attained Shri Ram. For example, Shri Hanumanji narrated Ram Katha to Sugriv and Sugriv met Shri Ram; Shri Vibhishanji acquainted Shri Ram after listening to Ram Katha from Shri Hanumanji as seen in Sunderkand in Shri Ram Charit Manas.
Shri Hanumanji narrated Ram Katha in Ashok Vatika which Maa Sita heard. Hence Maa Sita re-united with Shri Ram:
Ram Chandra goon barne laagaa, sunatahi Sita kar dukh bhaagaa
Meaning: As soon as Shri Hanumanji narrated the Ram katha, Shri Sitaji's grief disappeared.
Shri Hanumanji is such a great and thoughtful narrator. One who listens to him without doubt, gains darshan of Shri Ram. In addition, he is also a great listener. He listens to Ram Katha with complete affection. It is tradition to invite Shri Hanumanji at the beginning of every Ram Katha, as who can be a better listener than him? And Indeed, Hanumanji does arrive to listen to Ram Katha.
Come let us all celebrate this auspicious day of Shri Hanumanji’s birthday and pay our obeisance to him by singing along with Pujya Bhaishri to the divine Hanuman Chalisa.
Let us all pray to Shri Hanumanji to bless us all with his grace so that we can affectionately listen to Shri Ram Katha every day.
Jai Jai Shri Bajrangbali!

Death Experience

Soon after receiving a mail on Anita Moorjani's Interview in Manila on her book Dying To Be Me,was reminded of Sri Ramana Maharishi's experience of death which is posted here.
Death Experience
The turning point in Venkataraman’s life came spontaneously in mid-July 1896. One afternoon, the youth for no apparent reason was overwhelmed by a sudden, violent fear of death. Years later, he narrated this experience as follows:

It was about six weeks before I left Madura for good that a great change in my life took place . It was quite sudden. I was sitting in a room on the first floor of my uncle’s house. I seldom had any sickness and on that day there was nothing wrong with my health, but a sudden, violent fear of death overtook me. There was nothing in my state of health to account for it; and I did not try to account for it or to find out whether there was any reason for the fear. I just felt, ‘I am going to die,’ and began thinking what to do about it. It did not occur to me to consult a doctor or my elders or friends. I felt that I had to solve the problem myself, then and there.
The shock of the fear of death drove my mind inwards and I said to myself mentally, without actually framing the words: ‘Now death has come; what does it mean? What is it that is dying? This body dies.’ And I at once dramatized the occurrence of death. I lay with my limbs stretched out stiff as though rigor mortis had set in and imitated a corpse so as to give greater reality to the enquiry. I held my breath and kept my lips tightly closed so that no sound could escape, so that neither the word ‘I’ or any other word could be uttered, ‘Well then,’ I said to myself, ‘this body is dead. It will be carried stiff to the burning ground and there burnt and reduced to ashes. But with the death of this body am I dead? Is the body ‘I’? It is silent and inert but I feel the full force of my personality and even the voice of the ‘I’ within me, apart from it. So I am Spirit transcending the body. The body dies but the Spirit that transcends it cannot be touched by death. This means I am the deathless Spirit.’ All this was not dull thought; it flashed through me vividly as living truth which I perceived directly, almost without thought-process. ‘I’ was something very real, the only real thing about my present state, and all the conscious activity connected with my body was centred on that ‘I’. From that moment onwards the ‘I’ or Self focused attention on itself by a powerful fascination. Fear of death had vanished once and for all. Absorption in the Self continued unbroken from that time on. Other thoughts might come and go like the various notes of music, but the ‘I’ continued like the fundamental sruti note that underlies and blends with all the other notes. Whether the body was engaged in talking, reading, or anything else, I was still centred on ‘I’. Previous to that crisis I had no clear perception of my Self and was not consciously attracted to it. I felt no perceptible or direct interest in it, much less any inclination to dwell permanently in it.


The effect of the death experience brought about a complete change in Venkataraman’s interests and outlook. He became meek and submissive without complaining or retaliating against unfair treatment. He later described his condition:

One of the features of my new state was my changed attitude to the Meenakshi Temple. Formerly I used to go there occasionally with friends to look at the images and put the sacred ash and vermillion on my brow and would return home almost unmoved. But after the awakening I went there almost every evening. I used to go alone and stand motionless for a long time before an image of Siva or Meenakshi or Nataraja and the sixty-three saints, and as I stood there waves of emotion overwhelmed me.

Vanishing Point

DADA J P VASWANI leads the Sadhu Vaswani Mission from Pune. Interacting with NARAYANI GANESH in New Delhi recently on the eve of Cheti Chand, the Sindhi New Year, he points out that today’s culture of irreverence is a major obstruction to personal and societal evolution

He is all of 94 years, yet his eyes sparkle, his skin glows and there’s nary a wrinkle visible. The calm exterior comes from a tranquil interior, for Dada is humility personified, always playing down his own achievements while holding up those of others. A half smile playing on his lips, he greets me with palms joined in a namaste. I do likewise and introduce myself. “And they call me J P Vaswani,” he offers, much to my amusement. Does he need to introduce himself?

A disciple of his uncle, T L Vaswani (who is referred to as Sadhu Vaswani), Dada admits that until he came under Sadhu’s influence while in college, he was full of himself as an argumentative young man, flaring up at the slightest provocation. Why was that? “In school, I got four double promotions and passed the Matriculation exam at the age of 13,” he says, adding that he graduated when only 17. “I thought I knew everything,” he says, chuckling, “until I began interacting with my guru and that changed my life.”

Young Achiever

Dada studied physics and his Masters’ thesis on ‘The Scattering of X-Rays by Solids’ was sent by the University of Bombay (to which his college in Karachi was affiliated) to Bangalore, to Nobel laureate C V Raman, for assessment. Raman had won the Nobel for his Raman Effect on the scattering of light. “I expected to fail because my thesis was on another theory of a western scientist that was not in agreement with Raman’s theory.” After a six-month correspondence between the young Vaswani and Prof Raman, finally, the thesis was approved. “I never expected to pass the test,” confides Dada. “But this shows C V Raman had a truly scientific mind,” he says.

Reach Out To The Soul

The Sadhu Vaswani Mission is known for its work in education and its promotion of forgiveness and vegetarianism. The St Mira’s College in Pune is popular as are schools run in various cities. “Sadhu Vaswani started the Mira movement in education…in Mira, he found, on the one hand, intense bhakti for Krishna and on the other hand, she had not just humility, but was mother to the poor who came to join her in worship of Krishna,” explains Dada. Value education, according to Dada, does not take into account the fact that every human being is essentially a soul, for it only considers the physical and mental aspects and does not address the soul… “We need to go beyond value education,” he says.

So what did he think of the Sanjay Dutt case? Ought he to be forgiven? “The Sanjay Dutt case is different. It is the duty of the administrator to give dand or punishment. The law has to take its course. There have been cases where kings have punished their own sons. Without law enforcement, lawlessness could increase. We see so many women being molested. If such a thing happens in Dubai, the rapist will be sent to the gallows and so it does not happen there,” says Dada, who believes that while forgiveness is a personal decision, when it comes to implementing order in society, laws need to be enforced.

Why do people prefer to say ‘I am spiritual’ rather than say, ‘I am religious’? Dada points out that rituals, rites and ceremonies are the kindergarten of religion, whereas spirituality is that which has to do with the spirit. “Each one of us has been given human birth; the purpose is to realise that we are immortal spirits. Creeds and dogmas are specific to each religion, so they separate one religion from another…You have your own religion, I have my own religion. The separateness that we have gets completely lost when we come to spirituality — for you have the same divine spark that is in me,” he says.

Zero Is Hero

According to Dada, at the lower state, we are concerned more with words and when you reach the higher stage, words lose their meaning. In fact, if you enter samadhi and come out of it, you cannot describe it in words. “On the physical plane, we have to work for unity. On the spiritual plane, unity is already established; there is no difference between the two of us.”

Speaking of higher planes, would he explain the concept of zero in Sindhi tradition which is different than ‘nothingness’? “It is the point (not a circular symbol) where your ego has to vanish. Sadhu Vaswani used to say, ‘I am only a zero but not the English zero, because the English zero occupies some space. I am the Sindhi zero; am just a point.’ It’s what we call nukta in our Sindhi language.”

How do you arrive at nukta, and how do you vanish? Dada says it can only happen with the grace of the guru. “The guru first draws you to himself — so much so that you arrive at a point where you know you cannot do without him; you cannot live away from him. Once that point is reached, he starts his play. He becomes a butcher. He picks up the trident and strikes you (your ego). You cry, you want to run away, but the pull of the guru is such that you cannot even run away. Then, he takes you to a point where the ego vanishes,” he says. However, the guru’s grace and the disciple’s ego vanishing does not happen to all, for you have to be ready to receive that grace. “Narendra (Vivekananda) was ready, he was a prepared soul; therefore Ramakrishna could get results,” says Dada.

On God And Goodness

What would he say to young people? “We must turn back to God. We have thrown God out of our homes, schools, colleges and universities and the vacuum so created has been filled in by the devil. Children have no reverence for their parents; students have no reverence for their teachers. Reverence, I believe, is at the root of the right type of life. So many young people come to me with their problems, I tell them, don’t forget that you have this human birth only because of your parents, so please show some reverence to them. Only when irreverence changes to reverence, there will be hope for everyone.”

Even if one’s parents happen to be criminals? “Of course, reverence is the first step. I must learn from the life of my parents. Dattatreya said that he learnt a lot from criminals and prostitutes — you can learn only if you have the spirit of reverence. A person may be a criminal, but there is some element of goodness in him. The best amongst us falters somewhere. The worst among us has some good point.”