Saturday, October 3, 2015

How to accept the choiceless? - 1992 talk

In our culture, the life of an individual is to be governed by the teaching of the Vedas. Vedas are otherwise known as Shruti and therefore, an individual life should be in keeping with the Shruti just as a musician’s music should be in keeping with Shruti. If the Shruti is behind and if the musician is aware of the Shruti then his music will be enjoyable. Not only he himself enjoys but in the process he gives enjoyment to others also. If the support of Shruti is not there and if the music becomes Apashruti, it is not only a problem for him but it is terrible for other people also. In the same way, if our life is governed by the teaching of Shruti our life will be like music.
The Vedas or Shruti has no origin. It has been coming down in the form of a Parampara - Anādi Parampara, the author is unknown. That is why they say it is Shruti - it is heard. From where it was heard, nobody knows. Therefore we say it is Apourushēyam. It is not created by human being or we say that it is a gift from the Lord himself.
We classify this Shruti teaching into two parts. The first part of the Shruti or the Veda deals with our common problems in life. Every human being, while living, is going to face lot of situations in life which create lot of mental problem, emotional strains, worries, and depression. We only have to ask an individual how he is. Then the stories will come. My son is like this, my daughter is like this, or daughter-in-law, sonin-law or husband or family etc.
            This emotional problem is unique to human beings. Animals don’t face this problem. They don’t feel the separation from their children. They happily grow up and happily get separated. You don’t see a cow crying because the daughter or the child goes somewhere else. So the first part of the Veda deals with the mental problems of a human being.
            If you analyze, all our mental problems can be reduced to one basic problem. The problem is that we are not able to accept some of the situations that we are facing. If you take hatred, you will find I hate a person because I am not able to accept his behavior, his character, his way of life.
            Take anger or irritation - again you analyze that it can be reduced to one problem; I am not able to accept my son’s behavior therefore I am angry. Take jealousy problem - again we traced down to one thing that I am not able to accept my neighbor’s prosperity, I am not able to accept my neighbor son’s first rank my son getting the second or third. Thus you take jealousy you take hatred, you take fear. What is fear? I am not able to accept the future that may come to me. Thus, you can see that all our emotional problems can be traced to one fundamental problem. What is that? I am not able to accept certain situations in life, certain people in life, and certain things in life.
            Now Veda tries to give lot of Parihārams for the situation. In fact varieties of rituals are prescribed, varieties of Pujas, Japa, Tapa, pilgrimage because Veda believes that many of the situations can be changed, cured - remedy is possible.
But Veda itself accepts one thing. It is that for many situations, remedies are there but there are many other situations for which remedy is not there. That is why we divide our Vidhi or Prārabdha into two types - Durbala Prārabdha, Prabala Prārabdha.
            Durbala Prārabdha means a weaker problem, a weaker situation over which I have control. I can use my free will; I can work out a solution. But there are certain types of Prārabdhas or Karmas which we call Prabalam wherein you will find that there is no solution.
You do Puja, you do pilgrimage, you do charity, try astrology method, palmistry method, Pakshi Josyam, including back magic but nothing provides a remedy. Now Veda accepts that there are certain Aparihārya Artha; To use Krishna’s expression - tasmad aparihārye arthe.
            Aparihārya means there is simply no remedy. It is a simple common sense that what cannot be cured, should be endured, and accepted. You don’t require a great logic for that. We know that we have to accept but we resist.
            We know that all doors are closed and we have no other way out, we have to accept. The intellect tells me to accept. But my mind refuses to accept. So herein we find that the mind is incapable of facing the situation. It refuses to accept some situations in life.
So when such an emotion pain, depression, frustration etc. come. What is the logic behind it?  Let me give you an example:  Imagine a father who has fixed the son’s or daughter’s going abroad. He has fixed for higher studies and he is crying when they go away.
I ask him why do you cry and he says it is because the son is going away or daughter is going away. Then I say you yourself have fixed it; then don’t send them. Then he says no, I want them to study. So you only have planned, you know that is good for the son or daughter and then why do you cry?  
He says, what to do I have to cry. So we find a situation where whatever logical argument we give, those arguments do not seem to be meaningful. The mind continues to have depression, suspicion etc where intellect fails in addressing the emotional problem.
When there is such an emotional problem, mind is not able to face even when intellect tells that there is no other way other than acceptance. Then, what can be done? If the situation cannot be changed, then the only way to peace is the change the mind by accepting the situation.  
But I know mind has to accept but I am not able to accept. Then, we say that if the mind is not able to accept what it has to accept, it only means the mind is weaker. All emotional problems are not an indication of a weak intellect. Intellect is wonderful, brilliant, sharp, and capable of analyzing even Vedanta in depression.
He is so depressed but still he analyses Vedanta. That means that intellect is not weak but the mind is not strong enough to face what it has to face. Then what to do? The only remedy is mind has to be strengthened. And, ONLY you can strengthen your mind and no one else.
The best method is to gather strength from a source where the strength is available. This alone is called Sharanāgati, surrender, devotion to the Lord. Don’t ask me what the logic is. When the emotional problem is illogical, I need not give you any logic for the solution.
For faith there is no logic because for emotional non-acceptance there is no logic. In the case of faith also there is no logic. Even though it is illogical, emotional problem is there. Similarly, even though there is no logic in faith, faith works. So for a non-logical problem the solution is also non-logical.
Karmanyē vādhi kāraste mā phalēshu kadāchana mā karma-phala-heturbhūr mā tesangostva karmani

Mayi sarvāni karmāni sansayādhyātma chētasa nirāsīr nirmamo bhūtvā yudhyasva vigata jvaraha
           
            There is only one remedy and that is surrender to the Lord who is infinite source of strength. “O lord give me the strength to face what cannot be changed. O lord give the strength to accept or face what cannot be changed”.
This is not to solve our intellectual problem. This is only to solve our emotional weakness and it is only to strengthen our emotional personality. And this is the entire Karma Kānda or the first portion of the Veda which deals with religion. Religion helps to solve some of the problems and religion helps to accept the unsolvable problem.    
Religion gives method of solving what can be solved. Religion gives the strength to accept what cannot be solved. And once a person has gathered sufficient emotional strength he is able to accept or receive the impact, the onslaught of lot of emotional strain.
And once the emotional problem has been reduced to some extent then intellectual problems begin to raise its foot. Because when a particular situation comes, the mind asks the question why should I get this problem?
Yesterday there was an item in the newspaper. There is a tennis player called Tracy Austin. She was the youngest player to win the US Open championship at age16 year. She won the championship twice and she was having a wonderful future and at that time she suffers a big accident. She had some knee injury and her future is totally wiped out. Now she is not able to play but she can only do commentary. The media interviewed Tracy who said: Even though it was a terrible accident, I was unlucky to lose my knee but I was lucky enough to survive.  
Any other person would have spent a lot of time thinking why me? Why should it happen to me? What is this all about? Why should that person die? He is all the time singing about Lords glory, devotee of Swamiji and why should it happen to that person? What happens to Karma? What will happen to rebirth? What will be this? What will be that? Then they themselves answer saying it is all KARMA.
If a person has got sufficient intellect, he will ask the question, how did that Karma come? Because I have not done any Pāpa, I have been a nice person, a devotee going to temple, every Guru Poornima I don’t miss. Why should I get? Then the answer is that it is all because of Pūrva Janma Karma.
Then he asks the question, how did the Pūrva Karma come? - It is because of the last birth. How did the last birth come? – It is because of its last birth. How did that last birth come? It is because of its last birth. Then how did all this happen? Slowly the mind becomes philosophical.
Once the emotional problems are solved to some extent, the intellectual or philosophical problems begin to occupy. I am not able to accept everything is predetermined. When everybody says that everything is predetermined, I ask the question, predetermined by whom? Somebody says it is predetermined by God.
Then I get a doubt. God determines that a musician should die in an accident? God determines that an innocent person should be killed by a terrorist? God determines that there should be a famine in Africa? God determines all the things? Why should I worship that God?
A sadistic terrible God who kills all the people, who creates terrorists why should I worship that God?  Therefore, either you raise the questions about God, or you raise question about the world, or you begin to raise question about your very life.
If everything is predetermined, my effort has no meaning. Then why should I work? Why should I study? - Because whether I will get a job or not is predetermined. Why should I marry and why should I get children? - Because the future is going to be determined by some destiny.
Therefore, we get into a philosophical problem of why live at all. And the entire struggle to ultimately to die? All unions are meant for separation. Why union at all? All growth will only lead to death so why put any efforts for growth at all?
Initially, what questions? - Emotional problems. And you ask a question who created the world? He will give you one slap. So when emotional problems are there, philosophical problems do not appear large. But once you are able to deal with emotional problems to some extent then fundamental questions come. To answer these philosophical questions: Why live? What is destination? What should I achieve? Is there any meaning in all achievements? For such questions, the second part of the Veda, the philosophical portions of the Veda come and they solve all intellectual quests for the fundamental questions.
Thus, the religion helps to solve or face emotional problems (religion means faith in God) and philosophy helps in solving the intellectual philosophical questions. And once we have tackled both of them, the intellect subsides with satisfaction. The mind also placated with a solution or acceptance. And then our life becomes smooth.
This is in short the content of the Shruti or Veda. But even though Veda contains this wonderful treasure to solve the emotional and intellectual or philosophical problems, Veda teaches not in direct method. Veda uses peculiar method; A method which cannot be directly understood.
Therefore, we require a key to open the Veda, and get its teaching. It is just like the person in the following experience - once we went to beach with someone, and he had brought some nice dinner dishes. Then, one of the persons does not like the regular side dish. Therefore, he bought the tomato sauce. There was no opener. He had to keep it, look at it and eat. You have a side dish but you cannot use that. Similarly, Veda has got wonderful solution for emotional and intellectual problem but unless we have a key there is no use.
That key is called Sāmpradaya, method of teaching, method of unfolding. This key also has been coming down in the form of Anādi Parampara. Just as the Veda itself has been Anādi, the key to the Veda has been coming down.
 Just as there are some books which contain the questions and a key in the backside similarly, the key for Veda also has been coming down. That alone we call as Mīmāmsa. Pūrvamīmāmsa is the key to the first portion of the Veda. The Uttara Mīmāmsa is the key to the final portion of the Veda.
Mīmāmsa (Sāmpradaya) is the method of bringing out the teaching. And this key has been maintained in the form of Guru-Sishya Parampara, which alone we said - nārāyanam padmabhuvam vasishtam shakthim cha tat putra parāsaram cha vyāsam sukham gouda padam mahāntham etc. - The Guru-Sishya Parampara.
Thus, Nārayana is the author of both - not only the Veda but also the opener. The food is Veda and the opener is Mīmāmsa. Even though it has been coming down in the form of the traditional teaching, the credit of putting both the Veda and the Mīmāmsa in written form goes to Vyāsāchārya.
Even though, Guru-Sishya Parampara started from Nārāyanam padmabhuvam vasishtam etc, Vyāsāchārya gets the glory of being a pioneer in which he has unfolded the Pūrva Mīmāmsa portion in the form of Dharma Shāstra which is there in all the Purānās and also in his Vyāsa Smruti etc. He has brought out the Pūrva Bhāga of the Vedas.
Vyāsāchārya has contributed to the Pūrva Mīmāmsa or the Dharma Shāstra. He has equally contributed to the second part in the form of his Brahma Sūtras. It is called Uttara Mīmāmsa Sūtrāni or Vyāsa Sūtrāni, or Bādarāyana Sūtrāni. They deal with the deeper philosophical problems, intellectual problems.
When a person is emotionally depressed, we don’t tell him the Brahma Sūtras - athātho brahma jignyāsā, janmā dyasya yataha. This person has lost money in business. You have to give some Parihāra. You will find that Sanyāsis will have two things - when a person comes with depression they give Vibhūti. What is the logic? No logic, but it works.
There is no logical solution to emotional problem. But the very same person has come with intellectual quest and he is ready, emotionally cool then, I will start with sādhana chatushtaya sampannādhikārinām, I start Ēsāvāsyamidam sarvam. Thus Vyāsa has contributed to the solution of emotional problem, to the solution of philosophical, intellectual problem.
Therefore, Vyasa is considered as our Mukhya Guru. Even though Bhagavān is the original Guru, Ādi Guru but Vyāsāchārya has given the teaching in a form that we can understand through the Purānās, through the Brahma Sūtras etc. After Vyāsāchārya alone, Sankarāchārya has further elaborated and then we have got this tradition.
Therefore, when the Sanyāsis start their Chārturmāsya Vratam - Chārturmāsya Vratam is a Vratam which Sanyāsis generally follow beginning from today onwards. Chārturmāsya Vratam means four months they don’t go anywhere which means that the other eight months they should be moving around. In this time they stay in one place, do Swādhyāya and do Pravachana and propagate this teaching.
This Chārturmāsya Vratam of Sanyāsis begins today, and today they start their Vratam with Vyāsa Pūja. That is why it is called Vyāsa Pournami or Guru Poornima or Guru Pournami etc. We not only offer to Pūja to Vyāsa, we offer Pūja to all Guru’s up to our immediate guru. sadāsiva samārambhām sankarāchārya madhyamām etc.
And we choose Vyāsa and not Sankarāchārya because Sankarāchārya is not accepted by all the people. Visishtādvaiti will talk about Ramānujachārya, Dvaitis will talk about Madhvāchārya. Therefore, there is a controversy. But all the people whether they are Visishtādvaitis, or Dvaitis or Advaitis, all the different systems of philosophy, agree upon one person as their Achārya and that is Vyāsa.
Therefore by consensus, we decide to worship Vyāsāchārya and that is done today. Thereafter wards, we are supposed to study our Shāstra learning. Therefore, on this day we pray to the Guru Parampara so that we will be able to study the scriptures and also strengthen ourselves emotionally so that I will have a shock absorber to face any situation. On this auspicious day, we will also pray to the Lord as well as Vyāsāchārya and Guru-Sishya Parampara for us to get strength and knowledge.  

Thursday, April 16, 2015

God, in Hinduism (17/02/2015)

Our religion Hinduism is called Vaidika karma or Sanatana dharma as it is based on Vedic scriptures or Vedas. And all those people who follow Vaidika dharma or Hinduism are called Vaidikaah and now we popularly call ourselves Hindus. A real Hindu or Vaidikaah is one who wants to take the guidance of Hinduism (Vedic scriptures) to lead his life. Like other religions Hinduism is also based on the theme of God or Ishwarah Himself. Not only is the religion centred on God, it also instructs a person to lead a God centric life. This God centred life of a Hindu is broadly divided into two stages: The first stage is called Ishwara Aradhanam. Aradhanam means worship and so Ishwara Aradhanam is worship of God. The first stage of human life must be in the form of God worship. The second stage of God centred life is called Ishwara Jnanam (knowing Ishwara). So the first stage is worshipping god and the second stage is knowing god. Our religion considers that both these stages as very very important for everyone to make the life meaningful and successful. Both these stages are important and must be followed in this particular order also. They are neither simultaneous nor in the reverse order; the sequence has to be Ishwara Aradhanam and then Ishwara Jnanam. Without Ishwara Aradhanam Ishwara Jnanam is impossible and without Ishwara Jnanam Ishwara Aradhanam is incomplete. Therefore everyone must go through both.
            When we go through this order we come to know an important thing. Ishwara Aradhanam is the first stage and in this phase the aspirant will not have Ishwara Jnanam. Now the question is if Ishwara jnanam is not there then what is the basis for Ishwara Aradhanam? How can I worship when I don’t know much about Ishwara? For that the answer is the first stage of Ishwara Aradhanam is not based on knowledge but it is based on FAITH in god. It is based on Ishwara Shraddha that “I have faith in the existence of God” and this is possible in Hinduism for the faculty of faith is there for every human being. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna says “sraddha-mayo 'yam purusho yo yac-chraddhah sa eva sah”. Therefore everyone is an embodiment of faith. Everyone is faithful. Even the so called rationalist who is mocking at the faithfuls is himself faithful. The only difference is that he has placed his faith on reason (we should not take rationalist as one who has faith in ration card!). Therefore he is also a faithful person. We the Hindus are not intimidated by these rationalists because we know that reason has got several limitations. That is why we cannot lead a life purely based on reason alone. According to us it is irrational to place total faith in reason for it has many shortcomings that the scriptures clearly point out. In Brahma sutras there is a special topic “na tarka aprattishtanam” that talks about the limitations of reason. Therefore according to us all the rationalists are irrational and we are not intimidated by them. We have follow Hinduism by having faith in Ishwara Aradhanam. And to practice Ishwara Aradhanam we require only two things: faith is Ishwara and faith in aradhanam or worship. And we require basic information to implement this aradhanam. At this stage we don’t require jnanam as much as faith and basic information for conducting aradhanam. And our scriptures give general information regarding God which is shriti-shruthi-laya kartha – the creator, sustainer and resolver of the entire universe. This much information is more than enough for Ishwara Aradhanam.
            Then the next instruction our scriptures give is that Ishwara can be invoked in several forms for the sake of aradhanam. We have male forms like Shiva, Krishna. Rama etc and we have female forms like Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi and we have got mixed form like ardha nareeshwara, we have got animal form like matsya, kurma, varaha, we have human-animals mixed form like Narasimha form. Like that we have so many forms and so many options are there in which we can invoke Ishwara for Ishwara aradhanam at home. In addition to all these forms we have symbols also in which we can invoke the Lord like Shiva linga or saligram or omkara. Therefore God can be invoked in any form and Ishwara aradhanam is the first stage of the Hindu way of life. And we can do this aradhanam in a formal way (we learn from somebody how to worship God in a formal way) and if we do not know that then even a simple informal aradhanam we can practice. We have kayika puja or physical worship in which we offer a few flowers and have a simple arathi and for naivedayam we have raisins or candy. Do this daily aradhanam and get the blessings of the Lord. If we are not ready for kayika puja then we have vachika puja where we can do some parayanam like shiva manasa puja and so many slokas are there in so many languages. We are supposed to spend some time exclusively on Ishwara Aradhanam and there are no excuses allowed if we want to remain a Hindu worth the name. So be it either kayika aradhanam or vachika aradhanam or manasa aradhanam (in shiva-manasa puja I mentally offer worship). Even five minutes worship daily makes us a follower of Vedic scriptures. And this daily Ishwara Aradhanam has got an extension which is considered extremely important. What is it? At the end of the puja I have to de-invoke the Lord. In ritualistic term it is called “yatha sthanam prattistapayame” where the Lord is asked to go back to HIS original abode. Then the question would arise: what is the original residence of Bhagavan? Some say Vaikasa lokam, some say Kailasha lokam and others Brahma lokam, Hare Krishna people will say Brindavanam; but the scriptures point out that the original residence of the Lord is our own heart. So at the end of the puja we have to install Bhagavan in our own hearts. And this will be extremely useful the rest of the day because we are doing everything by keeping Bhagavan inside our hearts. And the scriptures give a beautiful meaning for the word Bhagawan.
            Bhagavan means ONE who has infinite resources and these are divided into six: aishwaryam (power), veeryam (courage), yashas (fame), sri (wealth), jnanam (knowledge), vairagyam (detachment). All these six fold resources in infinite measures is Bhagahah. And Bhagawan means the Lord of infinite power and resources. Therefore we can say Bhagavan is UPS like the UPS we use in our homes. It means “uninterrupted power supply”. They can fail in our homes but Bhagavan is the greatest and uninterrupted power supply and when I install that Bhagavan in my heart then I have got uninterrupted power supply. And when I have got faith in God and when that God is installed in me then I will also become a source of UPS. Bhagavan is maha UPS and when HE is installed in me, therefore I have infinite limitless power in me. Therefore faith in the Lord will be converted into faith into myself. And how much power I have will be proportional to how much faith I have in God. As tradition says: how much benefit you get from all these things is directly proportional to your faith in them? And what are they? Mantrey (how much benefit you get from mantras will depend upon how much faith you have in them), thirthey (a holy place), vijai (in a Brahmana pujari), devey (in Gods), deivagney (astrologer), bheshajai (in medicine or doctor).  Never go to a doctor who you consider useless, sit in meditation and develop faith on the doctor and only then visit him/her. With faith even placebo will work and finally gurey (teacher). So when I install God in me and therefore I have faith in my power and my resources and therefore I work with self-confidence. And throughout the day I have Bhagawan in my heart and our scriptures say that “May you offer all your karmas as an offering to the Lord” as we chanted Yadyatkarma karomi tattadakhilam Shambho tavaaraadhanam and then even daily food becomes an aradhanam to the Lord. Now not only the daily puja becomes an aradhanam but our everyday activities become an aradhama. Therefore convert your life itself into an Ishwara Aradhanam. And once you offer your karmas to the Lord then whatever consequences come, I am ready to face them. At the time of performing the karma I tell the Lord, “I am offering this karma to YOU. I want and prefer success. But O Lord, I am ready for any type of result that YOU give me as per the laws of karma.” I prefer success but I am ready for any failure also as I don’t call failure as failure. And I have a new name for failure which is Ishwara Prasadah. So every action in the day is Ishwara Arpanam and every experience is Ishwara Prasadah. So the day starts with aradhanam and then extends also to aradhanam. And this aradhanam is compulsory for every Hindu. The scale of aradhanam can be small or big but we cannot avoid this first stage which is based on faith in god and faith in the efficacy of the aradhanam. The scriptures extend aradhanam for some people who are interested in Ishwara Dharshanam; having the darshanam of the Lord in the form they have invoked. A Rama Bhakta may be interested in Rama Darshanam, Krishna bhakti in Krishna darshanam. The scriptures say that if a bhakta practices aradhanam and mantra japa of that form of the Lord then he/she can have the darshanam of that form also. Shankaracharya says in his brahma sutram,” The Lord will give darshanam to the bhakta but he should do extra sadhanam”. Thyagaraja is supposed to have had Rama darshanam and he chanted Rama nama 96 crore times. And here we are who say Rama nama 10 times and we expect Rama darshanam! The point is Ishwara aradhanam will make our lives wonderful because of our extra power and extra self-confidence. Life can become beautiful, life can become joyful and life can become generally successful and life can become peaceful also even in the midst of some adversities and failures extra. So the first stage of Hinduism is Ishwara aradhanam is faith based and not based on knowledge. This faith based Ishwara aradhanam will prepare an aspirant gradually them for the second stage, which is Ishwara jnanam.
            For entering the second stage three factors are required. The first factor is a sincere desire to know what is God or who is God. … a sincere deep desire to know which Krishna calls as jignasa bhakti. The previous stage is artha, arthathee bhakti while jignasa bhakti is the sincere desire to know as “different people worship different forms of God and which is the real form of God?”. Is Rama god, Krishna god or Shiva or do we have many gods? And if there are many gods what is the hierarchy? If you ask a Vaishava he will say “ega perumal” and under HIM will come other gods including Shiva. And if you ask a Shaiva bhakta, today is Shivaratri also, and he will say “my Shiva is great”. So which one is god? Where is god located? Are there many gods? What is the nature of God? All these questions a person deeply wants to know. This is a deep desire and not a casual desire which is jignasa.
            The second factor is I need a spiritual guide to help me. I need a guide to educate me as to the real nature of the Lord. And the third factor is a matured mind and a subtle intellect to understand the nature of God because when we want to know the real nature we enter an abstract and subtle subject. Therefore the mind must also be matured, the intellect must also be subtle. The Ishwara aradhanam will give us all the three factors: sincere desire, spiritual guide and also a matured mind.
            Once we enter the second stage what is the teaching that we come to know. I will briefly deal with them. A spiritual guide makes use of our Vedic scriptures to teach us who or what God is. The Upanishads are primary sources of this knowledge and secondary scriptures like Bhagavad Gita also. How do the Upanishads present Ishwara?
            In the first stage of Ishwara Aradhanam we defined Ishwara as shrithi-shruthi-laya kartha. We use the word jagat kartha but in the second stage, Ishwara jnanam, the language is slightly changed. Instead of the word “kartha” we use the word “karanam”. Now we define God as the cause of the universe, the source of the universe, and origin of the universe. Even modern scientists accept that the universe originated at a particular time which they study in cosmology where they talk about Big Bang etc. We need not go deeper but what I am saying is even the scientists talk about origination or evolution of the universe. Which means from non-origin state the origin state must come for from non-existent thing nothing can come. There is a fundamental cause that exists and this karanam is called Ishwara. And the entire universe is a product evolving or originating from that karanam. That is why Bhagavan is called karaneeshwara which is a famous temple.
            Once you understand Ishwara as karanam (cause) and the world is the effect then we can analyse the nature of both Ishwara and the world. The scriptures help us understand that through many examples. Like gold as the karanam and ornaments as the karyam, as clay as the karanam and pots as the karyam, or iron as the karanam and various kinds of hardware as the karyam. Based on these examples given in the Upanishad we have to understand Ishwara. Studying the examples we can know the features of karanam and the important features of karyam. On this auspicious Shivaratri day I will recount four important features of both karanam and karyam that you are all aware as upanishadic students.
            Gold the cause is ekam (one) and from that lump we have several ornaments. Therefore karanam ekam and karyam anakam. So how many Gods are there? God can only be ONE but HE can be invoked in several forms.
            The second feature is Gold is the karanam and ornaments karyam. The ornaments cannot exist without gold as gold alone is the content of all the ornaments. Therefore we can conclude karanam is the CONTENT (saaram) for the entire universe which is the karyam. Now tell me where is God? In kailasam or Vaikuntam or etc. Since god is the very saaram, god has to be behind everything. God cannot have a particular location as God is behind all the products which are like different ornaments in different names and forms. So god is saaram and world is asaaram (which is pit less and hollow).
            The third important feature is “gold existed before the arrival of ornaments, during the existence of ornaments and after the melting of ornaments. Gold exists in the past, in the present, and the future but the ornaments have got a beginning. And anything with a beginning will also have an ending.” Therefore karanam in nityam and karyam is anityam. God is nityah and the world is fleeting.
            The fourth feature is “gold, the karanam, by itself exists INDEPENDENTLY. It does not depend on the ornaments for its existence. Therefore swantantra tattvam whereas the ornaments, the products, does not exist independently and they all have borrowed existence. They do not have real existence. Whatever has independent existence is called Satyam and whatever is seemingly existent with borrowed existence, they are called asatyam. Ishwara ekah satyah while jagat is asatyah.
            When we get Ishwara jnanam we understand these four features: ekah, saarah, nityam and satyam. God is one, hold or fit, eternal, and the only real one. And the world is nekah, asaarah, anityam and asatyam. By analysing further we discover another important practical message. The ornaments are very useful for beautifying our body. Ornaments are used for hands, legs, neck, tongue and even eye-brows (new and new fashions). Ornaments have got beauty, ornaments have got variety, ornaments have got novelty. But when you want financial security, security does it depend on ornaments or gold? When ornament is brought or sold people only look at the gold. The karyam gives beauty but what gives security? The karanam alone can give security. The world is beautiful, wonderful, it has variety. But whenever you want security, you have to hold on to only God. So if you want security, if you want peace you never depend upon anything in the world (whether they are things, beings, or positions, or possessions for nothing is reliable). You have to hold on to Ishwara and Ishwara only. Initially Ishwara aradhanam and later Ishwara alambanam. If a sanyasi can renounce everything, from where does he get that courage? He does not want to depend on anything he is renouncing. Even after renouncing he has got self-confidence because he feels that his security is not the share market that is crashing every other day, not the bank money whose interest is coming down, not the people around me. I only depend on Ishwara as my alambanam. For me God is the truth beyond all forms and HE is the truth behind everything. The rationalist say God is no where while we Hindus say that the God is NOW HERE. God is there is the speck and also in the pillar. And if Ishwara is everywhere is ekah, saarah, nityam and satyam then that Ishwara must be in me also. This is the first stage of self-enquiry and then we come to the next higher state. It is very subtle and very abstract. And who is the ekah, saara, nitya, satyam Bhagavan residing in me? There are two things that are constantly there in every living being – chaitanyam (consciousness) and achatanam (matter). The body is continuously changing, the thoughts are continuously changing and what is the constant changeless factor? I am aware of all these changes and this chaitanyam is the nature of Bhagavan. The second factor is when I introduce myself as a body, male or young or old. I am old, I am young, I am handsome, I am a man etc. In all of them what is the constant factor? I AM. This is existence or satyam principle. Sat chit ananda is the Karanam Ishwara principle who is everywhere and who is in me also. And when I learn to identify with that core then I can say: aham brahma asmi. This makes my life purnam.

            We start from Ishwara aradhanam and go to Ishwara jnanam and understand that Ishwara is in everything and understand that Ishwara is in me and then come to the conclusion that Ishwara is me. This is the journey of a Hindu and it is possible to achieve this purnatvam in one life itself. This teaching has been given in the Vedas and Vedas have been given by the Lord Parameshwara and hence we are always indebted to Bhagavan. Sadasiva samarambham, shankaracharya madhyamam, asmad acharya paryantam vande Guru paramparam. On this auspicious Shivaratri day we do the aradhanam of Ishwara and we receive the knowledge of Ishwara and we have to discover this purnatvam which is the journey for all of us. 

Monday, January 5, 2015

The Significance of Purity - 2015 New Year Talk

First of all I wish you all a happy, a healthy, prosperous and successful new year, 2015. Today I would like to share my thoughts on a topic that has been going rounds in the newspapers. The topic is “Clean India” or “Swatcch Bharat” campaign. I consider this to be an important mission and something that requires all our support. This idea of cleanliness or purity is very much in our scriptures. It seems it is only in the text, we don’t seem to be following it. Therefore we have to lend a thought in that direction. In the Vedas also “Shaucham” is talked about and in the thirtieth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita Krishna mentions ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucaṁ sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ and in the sixtieth chapter as Daivi Sampath, Krishna again emphasizes cleanliness or purity tejaḥ kṣamā dhṛtiḥ śaucam. In Astanga yoga, yama and niyama are two sets of disciplines and there also Patanjali Maharishi emphasizes this as the first niyama Shaucham, santoshah, tapas, svadhyaya, and Ishvarapranidanam. Thus purity or cleanliness is so important even as a spiritual value. This topic of “shuddi” or “Shaucham” is very elaborately discussed in our scriptures at five different levels. Today I would explore this topic briefly.
            Purity at five layers: a) Desha shuddi b) Anna shuddi c) Deha shuddi d) Vak shuddi and e) Mana shuddi. Each succeeding layer is tougher and very, very important also especially for a spiritual seeker. We should start with the grossest and outermost layer and gradually we should pay attention to the purity of the subtler layers.
            Desha shuddi: Here the word “Deshah” means the place where we live. The condition of the external world will heavily depend upon the condition of our house. So we have to start with the place where we live and then surroundings, and if they are clean generally the country will be clean. When we talk about the cleanliness of the place it includes orderliness also. Cleanly disorderliness, that is not going to work. It should be unfettered and orderly. First we must know what things are there in the house; many of us don’t know what are there! As they say: everything has a place and everything in its place. If we follow these two rules, we are taking care of desha shuddi or cleanliness or hygiene.
            Anna shuddi: The food that we eat must be clean and pure. In Chandhogya Upanishad it is pointed that whatever we eat has got three layers. Food has got sthula hamsha, madhyama hamsha, and sukshma hamsha. The grossest part of the food gives us the taste of the food and later it goes as a waste. The middle part of the food caters to the physical nourishment and there is a third layer which only our sastras talk about. The nutritionists don’t talk about it or even know about it. The third layer that caters to our sukshma shariram and caters to our mind and which caters to our personality and finally caters to our character; therefore we have to eat only those food which will be good and healthy for our mind also. That is why we ban non-vegetarian food because they are not good for spiritual good at all. Non-vegetarian, liquor, drugs etc are not good for satva shuddihi. Our scriptures not only points out the type of food but also about the one who cooks the food and also one who serves, the source of food, from where it comes, all of them contribute to our inner condition. That is why we say “home food is always best”. But that practice is slowly going as many people do not want to cook food at home. In the olden days the women chanted slokas while cooking food. That is supposed to influence the annam and the consumers also benefitted from that. And if we cannot do all this things there is a general suggestion: before consuming the food may you offer it to the Lord physically. Or if you are consuming elsewhere at least mentally offer it to the Lord – :Annam Brahma! Raso Vishnuh! Bhoktaa devo Maheswarah. The solid food is Brahma, inside food is Vishnu and one who digests inside our stomach is Lord Shivah. Remembering Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva while consuming food, that annam is always pure. Thus anna shuddi is emphasized. In the Sandhyavandam there is a prayachita mantram for consuming all kinds of food at all kinds of places especially New Year party. Yad-uchistam-abhojyam yadvaa dushcharitam mama, O Lord! Whatever I have consumed yesterday, whatever paapam it brings I don’t know – let all of them be ward with this prayer. This sandhyavandanam was practiced in the olden days! One more thing I forgot to mention. We talk about ghee for anna shuddi. We avoided ghee saying cholesterol, cholesterol. Now medical science itself is changing the opinion. Whatever we said as fats before they are now saying it is good for health. In Kerala we were swimming in coconut oil. They said it is very harmful and so we left it. Now they are revising the opinion and saying that it is not as bad as we thought it was. So for anna shuddi we used to add cow’s ghee and it was supposed to be very good. So you can use ghee now, no problem.
            Deha shuddi: The cleanliness of the body. This we need not elaborate as even Medical Science emphasizes that every part of the body must be clean and hygiene. Now even a day has been dedicated for hand-washing! There is so much importance given to handwashing before eating food and they are also advising doctors to wash their hands after seeing each patient. If the doctors don’t wash hands between two patients then most of diseases are caused by them! Many diseases are caused in the hospitals by doctors; handwashing is such a small thing and that is why our sages were carrying a kamandalu all the time. Apavasprasya. It looks silly but handwashing must be regularly done. Similarly mouth washing, what is called? Achemanyam. Thereafter they talk of cleaning the eyes, cleaning the ears, cleaning the stomach etc. In the olden days during the summer vacations we have a ritual – a very painful ritual where we have to take Castor oil. And the whole day you feel like going to the toilet only. Even when I think of that toilet thoughts come! That has even become a metaphor; when we see someone with a grimace look we ask: did you take Castor (Valaka ainnai) oil. It was compulsory as it cleanses the stomach and in yoga sastra they talk about nadi shuddi. Pranayama is supposed to be a wonderful practice for cleaning the inner physiological system. The next tougher layer is:
            Vak shuddi: Our mouth is continuously producing words like a factory for 24 hours and some even in their sleep. When we are continuously manufacturing words, these words are going out all over. These words can produce wonderful results or they can destroy long relationships. Words can destroy a family, or an organization; all because of wrong words used at wrong time. Therefore our scriptures consider vak tapas or vak shuddi as a very important purity project. Therefore whenever we produce words, that is whenever we talk we must watch for quality control. Just like in a factory where the product is tested before being sent outside there is department for quality like TQM etc. Total Quality Management must also apply to the words before they come out of our mouths. If quality parameters are to be applied to words then I must talk consciously and deliberately. In mechanical talk I cannot control the quality. Therefore the first rule is to avoid mechanical and impulsive talking. What are the quality parameters I have to look for; in the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna gives four parameters.
.           First factor is, make sure your words do not disturb the other people; your words must be non-hurting, non-disturbing. Anudvega-karam or verbal ahimsa. Avoid verbal himsa. The second parameter is satyam, speak the truth. So non-hurtful and truthful and transparent. Then the third one is priyam. May your language be peaceful, gentle, soft, pleasant. Even the most unpleasant thing you can present pleasantly; the negativity of the unpleasant content can be diluted by good communication. The adverse effect of an unpleasant content can be diluted by communicating that content in a thoughtful and pleasant manner. Therefore the manner of communication, the tone of communication, the facial expression during communication, the body language during the communication – they all can be gentle and that is called priya. By talking a few pleasant words everybody will be happy. Then why can’t you use some pleasant words, why be stingy? There is no expenditure in using pleasant words. And finally hitam. Speak what is good for all and not for time-pass. Any talking should be beneficial to the other, I must be beneficial to me also. And if we observe this rule, all the gossip mongering, rumour mongering will abate for they never useful to anyone. On the other hand it will be harmful. Since gossip is always juicy we must bear in mind this parameter, hitam is very important. Thus ahimsa, satyam, priya, hitam vakyam. We are supposed to follow these four factors before we utter a word; and if we are careful then we will not have much to talk. Because most of the time we are violating one or more of these factors.
This vak shuddi is considered as extremely important for one’s own well-being as well as the well-being of the surrounding. That is why vap shuddi is glorified in our sastras. They say that the best ornament for a person is vak shuddi. If this is there and there are no other ornaments that person would be still very beautiful and popular in a gathering. Such a person will be successful and attract all others to himself. On the other hand if a person has the best dress, best ornaments and if his tongue is rude, gross, or a stinging tongue then nobody will like to go anywhere near him. After 10 minutes with such a person then I begin to avoid that person. If I am failing in a relationship then we have to introspect and often you’ll find there is a problem in your talking. Unfortunately we do not realize that we have a bad tongue; the indication is generally people avoid me; generally people become hostile to me. If it happens with one or two then it could be their problem but if it happens consistently then I have to introspect and check the quality of my conversation. There are so many wonderful slokas in our scriptures on the importance of vak shuddi. Recently some people were telling me that there are “image consultants”. They will look at my face and suggest appropriate hairstyle; clean shaven or moustache; what kind of dress to wear; teach you to speak in good accent etc. For this they will charge thousands of rupees. If you want to build a good image our sastram says “the best image is your facial expression; pleasant face and pleasant words.” All other image building efforts will miserably fail if your words are ashubdam. Shudda vak is called samskrutha vak. Prosperity is at the tip of your tongue; relations are there or not are decided at the tip of the tongue. Tip of the tongue means the words that come out. Shudda vakyam is called soonrutha vak which is called kamadhenu; with subha vak you can get everything in life.  That does not mean you should not be educated or be in a job etc but I am only emphasizing as to how important the words are.
            Now the last and the toughest is mana shuddi; cleanliness or purity of the mind. This topic also is very elaborately talked in our scriptures. In the Bhagavad Gita there is one chapter exclusively dedicated for this. 16th chapter is called “Deiva Aasura Sampath bhaga yogah” . Healthy thoughts and sick thoughts, or sickly thoughts. Healthy thoughts are called Deivam and unhealthy thoughts “aasuram vrittayah”. We must look upon our minds as a garden and cultivate all the healthy thoughts mentioned there, it will ananda to us and others also. When we are regularly tending the garden then we have to weed out the wrong plants. So make your mind a garden. There is one particular topic highlighted in the scriptures especially the Gita as part of mana shuddi and that is “Raga-dvesha management”. Raga means liking or attachment. We all like certain people and certain situations. In simple words, raga is “likes” and similarly dvesha is not those things hated but “disliked”. R-D management is considered important part of mana shuddi.
            And if I have to manage R-D then I must understand the ways of R and D. That is why the vedas talk about their natures, their features, and how they come to bear. The first thing we have to note that is that we can learn to manage R-D but we can never avoid R-D. We can never eliminate raga-dvesha. R-D destruction does not exist. Dayananda Swami nicely says: even our gods have got preferences. Vigneshwara wants “kozhakattai” for naivedyam. Krishna always likes butter. They have their own neivadyam and they have got different colours also. Krishna is always pitambara dhari, they have got their own musical instruments also like veena, venu etc. And they have got their own weapons also; gada, shula etc. When gods themselves have got their own preferences how can we human beings avoid? Therefore the first point is R-D cannot be avoided. So likes and dislikes will always be there; there is no getting past that.
            The second point about R-D is that they have got advantages as well as disadvantages. Whenever an event happens in my life and if it is in conformity with my raga-dvesha then that event gives me happiness. And when any event that does not conform with my R-D then that event brings me sorrow. Therefore R-D gives happiness is the advantage and they also give me sorrow is the disadvantage. So what gives happiness is my raga-dvesha conforming events or complaint event. I will term them “conforming situations” CS and NS (non-conforming situations). During the music season in a concert the musician sings all the songs I like. That day brings me so much of kushi, happiness. Suppose the musician’s throat is not alright because too many kutcheris and weather is also like this! Or he sings his own compositions (these everyone is into composing) and in the unknown ragas. You don’t know the composition or the ragam and you attend such a concert and that leaves you not at all happy. You come out of the concert and go to the canteen (the audience laughs) and today’s special is “Adai aviyal”. That will make you instantly happy as at least let the music go to dogs but I will enjoy adai and aviyals. That will compensate but if there also NS (non-conforming situations) then it is going to bring emotional disturbance (ED).
            The third point in life is that events are not going to happen based on my raga-dvesha. The unfolding events are not going to consult me. The events going to happen are governed by several factors which are known or unknown and therefore many events will be CS and many events will be NS also. So life is a mixture of CS+NS. When rains come it is not going to consider this factor: whose kutcheri is today? The rain is not going to consider the people or our interest; rains will happen when it will happen. Therefore the unfolding events are not going to consult my raga-dvesha. Life involves continuous confrontation of CS and NS. There is no advance notice in life; there is unpredictability. Unpredictable NS may come in your SMS! That is why it is important to close your phone during the class; any news may come and it may be CS or NS. And other people’s behaviour also will be in conformance to my raga or dvesha; others are not going to behave as per my raga or dvesha; they will not respect my r-d because they act and behave will be governed by what? They have got their own raga-dvesha and this is something all parents must note that their children will live their lives according to their raga and dvesha. The children may not respect my raga-dvesha. Even if they consider my r-d then also it will be secondary to their own r-d. Maximum they will say “sorry” and then do what they want to do. Some people will do what they like and some people will say “sorry” and do what they want to do. But remember everyone’s life and behaviour is going to be governed by their raga-dvesha. Therefore most of the times in our lives we are going to confront NS. All human interactions will bring a lot of NS to us. This whole talk is about CS and NS and let me remind you NS means non-complaint situations. So NS events are not avoidable, NS interactions are unavoidable. When we come to the class in a car then NS events will occur; parking is a problem or someone has blocked your car and you cannot take it out. How people rush to get out or drivers not behaving properly or you have lost your slippers; every moment we are confronting NS, CS, NS, NS etc. And most of the time NS only because our raga-dveshas are increasing and they are becoming finer and finer. Therefore life involves NS.  First you cannot avoid R-D and therefore you cannot avoid NS also.
            Then the next point is NS (non-complaint situation) will always bring emotional disturbance. Because the mind which always has raga-dvesha is going to judge the situation in terms of CS or NS and the mind will invariably react to NS and this will cause emotional disturbance in the form of disappointments, in the form of irritations, in the form of anger, in the form of hatred, in the form of regret, in the form of worry and in the form of the modern word STRESS. Now our whole life involves continuous stress, you know why? Because we are continually facing NS and NS cannot be avoided because R-D cannot be avoided. So from R-D to NS to ED. So what is life is R-D to NS to ED is our daily life. And now and then we have CS! And during that moment we smile. It is not like that we smile generally and now and then frown. But we are generally disturbed and now and then smile….(laughs). So RD, NS, ED are unavoidable. We have no choice.
            Then comes the next important point where we have a choice. Until now we have no choice at all but what is until now – if you don’t answer then I will have a NS problem! I also face NS problems. Sometimes students come late and sit right in the front and push other students and even sit on their laps! The pushing student is not disturbed and even the pushed student is not disturbed but I am who is watching all this! The pushed student is not disturbed as he got the seat only doing that! ….(laughs). But I am disturbed because I have got raga-dvesha which is a student should come and sit without disturbing others. It is legitimate or illegitimate is the next question. Whenever I see my R-D violated and NS comes then I tell myself that this is Dhyana sloka chanting and so let me close my eyes. …(laughs).
            Now we come to the next important stage where we have a choice; from ED the next possible stage is ES. From emotional disturbance to emotional slavery. This is based on an important psychological principle that when any emotional disturbance stays in the mind and especially disturbing emotions even when it stays in the mind for a short while – the emotion in the mind can grow very fast. Any emotion outside cannot survive like fish out of water but if a disturbed emotion stays in the mind it grows very fast and it grows very strong like hatred, fear, or worry or anxiety or jealousy. When these emotions grow very strong then you cannot eliminate it. These emotions will stay in the mind and then the mind will become a slave of these emotions. And this emotional slavery is a very serious problem. Emotional disturbance is unavoidable and it is a minor problem but ED to ES is a very serious problem. When emotional slavery comes then my own mind becomes useless. It is no more available for me because the emotions have taken the mind as a hostage, and the mind becomes useless. And when the mind becomes useless then I become useless. To do any constructive work I have to change NS to CS. To convert NS to CS it requires my constructive energy. In the grip of ES I cannot help myself or I cannot help others also as no constructive activity can be done under the grip of toxic emotions. Therefore the first problem of ES is that the mind becomes useless. Then the next stage of ES is that my mind becomes harmful to me. Because when toxic emotions are there in the mind for a long time we are stressed and get into varieties of health problems. All the problems that are dormant in the body, they all sprout and grow when the mind is in stress. They say cancer in the body is due to immunity in the body fading despite advancement in medical sciences. Immunity gets weakened when stress and it is getting widespread. Even at the end of the class, you watch, you will be facing stress. So stress leads to lowered immunity and that is an invitation to all kinds of diseases. Therefore the mind becomes useless and mind becomes harmful and therefore we have to avoid emotional slavery and it is possible by using our free-will. We have no choice in the first three stages: R-D to NS to ED. Here free-will will not help as it comes into operation only in the fourth stage by blocking the conversion of ED to ES.
            I will quickly summarize and conclude the talk otherwise you will have a NS problem..(laughs). Because you are all busy and we’ll start looking at the watches. There are five levels and the first one is Vivekah. Vivekah is remembering the fact that ES makes me useless and ES is harmful to me. The second is sankalpah. It is a strong auto-suggestion that I will always be alert throughout the day that ED is going to happen very often. My duty is to ensure that ED does not get converted to ES. ED, I cannot stop, but ES I can stop. Therefore sankalpah is auto-suggestion for alertness. The third step is pratipaksha bhavana. When emotional disturbance thoughts are continuously going on in the mind, I have to use my free-will to generate and pump-in positive thoughts or at least neutral diversion thoughts. So either positive thoughts or diversion thoughts have to pumped in for displacing the ED. What thoughts arrive in the mind I have no choice but whether they should continue in the mind or not I have a choice. That is why Krishna says in the Gita; tharyona vasham aagachchat. When emotional disturbance come don’t be a slave (vasham means slave). Emotional slavery comes when you allow the anger thoughts to continue, worry thoughts to continue, fear thoughts to continue. You pluck such toxic thoughts by replacing them by using your free-will. Therefore handy diversions must be there. At least have laurel and hardy video with you. If you watch them then you will laugh. What handy diversions is something you should choose. Or positive thoughts of courage: I can face any situation. Then the fourth level is satsanga. To support positive thoughts you need some model people who are embodiment of courage and positive thoughts. Remember such people and remember their teachings in the mind. By remembering such sat purusha will bring in positive thoughts to your own mind. By models I definitely don’t mean Ms Universe or a fashion show where they walk funnily wearing funny clothes; by models I mean puranic models who are embodiment of courage and bhakti. They say: when god is there in the heart, why should I be afraid of anything. That is why you should attend Bhagavad Gita class and it will teach you a lot of positive thoughts. The last one is prarthana. Pray to the Lord,” O Lord! I must have the strength to avoid emotional slavery. Give me the strength and free-will to avoid ES. With this prayer I can avoid emotional slavery which is called mana shuddi. So mana shuddi means having only those R-D which will not create emotional slavery. Toxic R-D produce ES and non-toxic R-D will not produce ES. So Krishna says: may you have raga-dvesha but let them be non-toxic. So if you have a R-D which is protected by this five point programme then you will have mana shuddi which is freedom from ES.
            If you follow this pancha shuddi you will be successful in the material life as well as spiritual life.