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January 2018

The joy of living is clouded when the seeker has no dynamic goal or ideal. If there is a goal, then life gathers a sharpness, a glow of its own accord. – Chinmaya

The best in us can come out only when we have a noble goal. And very many times, we find our noble goal in the company of the enlightened masters.

January 23^rd happens to be the Samadhi day of Pujya Mataji Krishnabai of Anandashram. Krishnabai was born on 20^th September 1903 as the third child of Venkat Rao and Indirabai.  On the premature death of her husband in 1923, she was very angry with all the gods for having made her a widow. She tried to end her life by consuming heavy doses of opium, but soon her relatives came to know of it and she was brought back to life. She passed her days in intense bereavement, finding no direction or purpose in life. To give her some solace, her relatives took her to various saints.  

In 1928, she came in contact with Papa Ramdas of Anandashram, and in him, she found her Master, her goal, her God. From then on, her entire life was dedicated to the service of her Guru, her beloved Papa, who was all and beyond all. After the first eventful meeting, her spiritual progress was so fast, “like a rocket,” as Papa Ramdas would put it, that she reached the goal in a very short time – in just three years.

Mataji’s sadhana, as directed by Ramdas, was constant chanting of the holy Ram-naam. Her burning aspiration to realise God, the true nature of her beloved Papa, made her scorn all worldly enjoyments. She wanted nothing but God. She was literally God-mad. Nothing in the world would distract her attention. People teased her; some even tried to molest her. Thanks to the blazing purity of her heart – she came out unscathed from the fiery ordeals to which any ordinary individual would have succumbed.

On a Purnima day, listening to the inner call, she left behind all her belongings and came to the Ashram carrying only the clothes she wore at that time. Papa, who was observing a vow of silence, wrote on a slip of paper, “Mother, you have come to your home. This Ashram shall, in future, be your permanent place of residence.”

In the Ashram, before Papa got up early in the morning, Mataji would be up and would first do three pradakshinas of Papa and would place her head at his feet, praying to bless one and all in the universe with realisation. She would then attend to Papa’s needs such as arrangements for bath, breakfast, etc., and then she would go down to do her work in the kitchen. But her mind would always be on Papa.

Mataji would give Papa his bath as he found it difficult to bathe because of rheumatism. While pouring water on his head, her attitude would be that of a devotee performing abhisheka to the Lord.

In all matters, Papa’s word was final. By her behaviour, she taught other devotees also that Guru should be implicitly obeyed. She did not like anybody arguing with Papa on any subject. She would say, “Why do you argue? Do you know more than Papa? Be always humble and submit to what Papa says. That alone will do you good.”

When writing about Papa, if anyone wrote ‘Beloved Papa’ she would immediately correct, “That is not the way you should write. There must always be an adjective showing his attributes like ‘Infinite and All-Merciful Papa’ etc. You should never think of Papa as an individual or as the body. Keep always in mind that He is God Himself.”

Mataji was once asked, “Papa’s body, we know, is also subject to the law of nature and has to perish sooner or later. How can we say he is God?”

Mataji replied, “Papa is not merely this body. Though Infinite and Eternal, Papa is in this body, works through this body which is purified and made divine. You must worship this body also as God Himself, because it is through this body you are initiated, guided, helped and blessed.”

While serving Papa, Mataji would wash her hands several times and ask others to do the same. If it was making Papa’s bed, one had to wash the hands before touching the bed. Then the sheets were removed, mattress lifted to a bench and the cot dusted and wiped with a clean towel, which was then put aside. The hands would have to be washed again before touching the bed.

Mataji would explain, “Any service you do to beloved Papa must be perfect in all respects and everything must be scrupulously clean. You should never be half-hearted or careless or shabby while serving Papa. Hence you should maintain the highest standard of cleanliness, purity and devotion in whatever you do, so that every act of yours becomes a worship of beloved Papa.”

Mataji would observe from a distance the visitor-devotees or inmates of the Ashram and lament, “Look at these devotees! They remove their chappals with their hands and immediately come inside. They touch Papa with their dirty hands. Papa, of course, does not mind these things. In fact, His mind is not on these things at all, except, sometimes, when He expresses jokingly how devotees massaging His legs would blow out their noses with their hands and continue their massage without washing their hands and Papa would laugh. Beloved Papa sees only their devotion, but I am not that kind of a person. I cannot stand such dirty habits.”

Mataji wanted to do all the seva of Papa herself. But when some devotees requested her to permit them to do seva, she would agree as she was anxious that they should also get the benefit of serving Papa and thus gradually many devotees started doing various types of services to Papa such as preparing food, massaging, washing his clothes etc.

Mataji herself did not think anything impossible, at least in her willingness to be of the utmost service to Papa in various ways. When she found that Papa did not have a good secretary, she decided even to learn English, and even to learn typewriting to serve Papa!

In September 1961, Papa had some trouble with the liver, and the doctors suspected that it was malignant. On hearing this, Mataji then and there decided to start a 11-Crore Naama Japa Yajna, praying to beloved Papa himself for his good health. Luckily, the disease was not serious and Papa’s health improved and the pain in the liver became considerably less.

On July 25, 1963, at around 7 pm, when Papa attained Mahasamadhi, Mataji sat beside the body the whole night massaging his feet, refusing to eat, drink or sleep. She was seen frequently weeping unable to control herself. When asked why she should weep so much when she had realised that she and Papa were one and that Papa, being Eternal, had not gone anywhere, Mataji would reply in a choked voice, “I and Papa are one. Yet he had a separate form and I am missing that form. Though all are Papa’s forms, the particular form whose company I had all these years is lost to the sight. When can we see another such form?”

On another occasion, Mataji remarked, “I am weeping only because nobody amongst you took advantage of Papa’s presence all those years. How unfortunate! Everybody took things easy; nobody took things seriously. Now that Papa has left, who will light up the path for you as he did?”

After the Mahasamadhi of Papa, Mataji made it a daily feature to have beloved Papa’s book read by someone in Papa’s room and in the bhajans hall. She also made the group sitting in her room chant Ram-naam, and this became a daily routine. When devotees asked her any question, she would reply, always adding that she was just passing on to them what had been taught by beloved Papa.

Mataji was allergic to praise. When praised, she would feel extremely uncomfortable and would try to avoid that person. Once she was heard saying painfully, “When you all praise me, I feel as if many pins are pricking me.”

Pujya Mataji was very happy to possess nothing. So whatever extra things she received over and above her minimum necessities, she would give away immediately. Twice she gave away even half of her sari she wore to two women who were badly in need of them.

Papa casually remarked laughing, “Krishnabai, you are giving away everything. One day, you may give away Ramdas also!” He laughed again and again. Mataji did not speak a word then. But after Papa’s Mahasamadhi, when Mataji was giving the holy ashes to the devotees in small packets, she remembered what Papa had remarked some years earlier in jest.

Mataji did not like the word ‘charity’. She used to say, “If you call it charity, it has a tinge of superiority complex in it, that is, you look upon the recipient as someone below your status as if you are doing a great favour in giving anything to him. That attitude should not be there. You must give to the other person as an ‘offering’ to Beloved Papa and pray to him to accept it. Then it becomes real worship.”

Many times people came to her for money narrating false stories of family tragedies. When she was informed of how she was fooled and cheated, she would laugh and say, “Beloved Papa! What all types of people you bring here!” She would forget the matter altogether without the slightest hatred or regret.

Someone asked, “Mataji! Please tell us how you could progress so fast in spirituality. She replied, “It was all because of Papa’s grace and blessings.”

When again asked, “So many have been striving for God realisation. How is that Papa showered His grace only on you?”

Mataji’s answer was, “Beloved Papa asked me to chant Ram-naam constantly. I did exactly what He told me; rather He made me do exactly as I was told. I only felt that I should obey implicitly whatever he said. I never argued with Him, but implicitly obeyed Him. That might have been the reason He took me into His Eternal Swaroop so soon.”

Again Mataji was asked, “Why are we not progressing then?”

Mataji would say,” You should know the reason yourself. Do you feel that you want Beloved Papa and nothing but Him? Have you started loving Beloved Papa as your own? To get the realisation of Beloved Papa’s Eternal Swaroop is not so easy. It requires the highest type of internal renunciation. You people still cling on to the narrow family circle and consider that the family alone is yours. Unless you expand your vision and mentally accept everybody as yours, how can you be entitled to get that grand universal vision? Beloved Papa will surely give you that vision if you fulfil this condition.”

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

December 2017

Infinite is our nature. We have to realise this, and we will find ourselves at our journey’s end. – Chinmaya

Infinite is our nature. What is the proof?
The very fact that we crave for everything infinite only proves that Infinite alone is our nature.

We crave for infinite happiness, infinite love, infinite power, infinite fame, infinite knowledge, infinite freedom, infinite existence etc. We crave for it because it is our nature; which implies that as long as we don’t get it we will never be satisfied.

Hence in Chandogya Upanishad, the Guru Sanatkumara tells his disciple Narada:

यो वै भूमा तत्सुखं नाल्पे सुखमस्ति भूमैव सुखम् |
(That which is Infinite alone is happiness. There is no happiness in anything finite. The Infinite alone is happiness.)

The search for this Infinite is life. This search continues life after life, endlessly. The moment we get it, the beginningless journey is over.

But if Infinite is our nature, why don’t we experience it?
What we experience depends on where our identification is. We experience the properties of the objects we identify with. For example, when we identify with a winning team, we are elated. When we identify with our unhealthy body, we are dejected. When we identify with our brilliant intellect, we are elated. When we identify with our wealthy influential famous relative, we are elated. When we identify with our poor economic status, we are dejected.
In short, our experience doesn’t depend upon what we are, but with what we are identified with.

Now this answers the above question. We don’t experience the Infinite not because we are not the Infinite, but because our identification is with the finite, namely the body-mind-intellect. End the identification, end the sorrow – so say the scriptures.

Why do a majority of us fail in this search for the Infinite?

The Bhagavad Gita says:

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् । यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मान: नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतस: ||
(The wise ones putting forth the right effort sees the Truth as their own Self, while the impure and the unintelligent ones never see, despite all their efforts.)

The reasons for failures can be many:

1. Searching in the wrong direction;  2. Searching with wrong understanding;   3. Searching with wrong purpose;  4. Searching with the wrong attitude;   5. Searching with insufficient effort.

1. Searching in the wrong direction:

The right direction is given by the scriptures like the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. They unanimously declare that the Truth has to be found within in one’s own heart, as one’s own Self. The attention has to be drawn inward. The truth is none other than the ‘I’ in us. Hence enquiry must be conducted into our true nature.

Modern scientists are also the seekers of Truth, no doubt. They also have these questions, “Where the Universe has come from, what is life” etc. But alas! They don’t have the faith, reverence or regard for the scriptures. Not being guided by the scriptures, they have taken a totally opposite wrong direction – the way outwards.

The end result? Only utter confusion. The Uncertainty Principle of Heisenberg which was formulated and stated in 1927 holds good even today. Whether ‘telescoping’ outside the vast space or ‘microscoping’ into the minutest of atoms, the results remain the same – more questions and even more confusions! – that too at the expense of millions and billions of dollars!!

The Kathopanishad says: 

अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमाना: स्वयं धीरा: पण्डितं मन्यमाना:| दंद्रम्यमाणा: परियन्ति मूढा: अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धा: ||
(Though ignorant, but considering themselves to be wise, such fools grope in the darkness of ignorance. Themselves blind, they lead and guide the other blind ones!)

On the other hand, when Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, an illiterate, half-clad, poor man in some remote village was approached by Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) asking whether he had seen God, the answer was in no uncertain terms, “I see God clearer than I see you!!”

Where have these scientists and the modern rationalist-atheists gone wrong?  Vedanta says, the biggest mistake they have committed is that they deal with only the observed phenomena, totally disregarding the Observer of the phenomena. Without taking the Observer into account, none can reach the Truth because, say the Vedas, Observer alone exists. The observed world has no existence other than the existence of the observer, just like the dream world has no existence other than the observer of the dream.

2. Searching with wrong understanding:

Majority of us have no clarity in life as to what we are searching for.

For example, a superficial analysis of our life’s experiences indicates that whenever our desires are fulfilled, we become happy. Therefore, according to this logic, if we want more happiness, then we must try to fulfil more of our desires.

 The Upanishad says this conclusion is wrong. Finite efforts can give only finite results, and therefore finite happiness.

Finite + finite + finite +….. = Finite alone.

Any amount of wealth, pleasures, fame, possessions and positions are going to be finite. Hence our dissatisfaction will continue, for, what we crave is for the Infinite.

The Upanishad says:

न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन त्यागेनैके अमृतत्त्वमानशु: |
(Neither by action, nor by progeny nor by wealth is Immortality gained; instead, it is gained only by the renunciation of the wrong notion about oneself.)

3. Searching with the wrong purpose:

Some people study the scriptures, but with the wrong purpose. They have chosen the scriptural study, not for liberation but to gain some PhD degree from some University.

According to them, “Shankara says this, and Madhava says that. Vedas say this, and Puranas say that. Jainas say this and Buddhists say that.  Hence Vedantic philosophy is also one among many schools of thought, an opinion of some great philosophers!”

Let us make it clear to ourselves. Just like “Fire is hot” is not an opinion but a reality, in the same way, Vedanta is Reality – not a philosophy, an opinion, or a school of thought.

When the study is taken up in this way passively with a purely academic interest, without any importance given to living the life mentioned in the scriptures, then such a study will never benefit us. It can at the most give us a profession with a greater pay scale. There are very many professors in famous universities who have mastered the scriptures, who can quote the Vedas and the Upanishads, but are without even an iota of the experience of the immortal blissful infinite Self. Like the donkeys, they carry the burden of the scriptures but are nowhere benefitted by it!

4. Searching with the wrong attitude:

Many a time our sadhana itself becomes an obstacle. We become so proud of our spiritual disciplines that we tend to develop a “holier than thou” attitude.

Our sadhana should, on the other hand, make us more humble and down-to-earth. The Scriptures insist that the spiritual practice must be undertaken with the attitude of surrender, humility, gratitude and devotion unto the Lord.

5. Searching with insufficient effort:

Greater the goal, greater is the effort demanded from us. We must allocate sufficient time for prayer and meditation, study and contemplation if we desire to reap the rich rewards of peace and happiness, joy and contentment.

When we study the scriptures, we gain clarity in thinking. When clarity comes, we value the goal. When we value the goal, we have time for it and we work hard for it. Only then do we get it.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

November 2017

Every individual has the right to walk the spiritual path. – Chinmaya

According to the above quote, if all have the right to practise spirituality, then why in scriptures it is said that a Brahmana alone has the right to practise spirituality?

To answer this question, a detailed analysis of the caste system becomes unavoidable.

According to the scriptures, human beings are divided into four castes: Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. These divisions are made based on 1.Guna   2.Karma   and 3.Jaati

1. Based on Jaati:
Jaati means birth. So if a person is born in a Brahmana community, he is called Jaati-Brahmana; another person is Jaati-Shudra because of being born in a Shudra family.

Now, who is superior among the four Jaatis?

The scriptures say that by birth, none is superior. Just because a person is born in a particular family/caste, he doesn’t become superior/inferior. Hence by Jaati/birth, all are equal.

2. Based on Karma:
Karma means profession. Based on one’s profession four divisions can be made.

a) Karma-Brahmana:

They are the intellectual class in the society. They have a sharp intellect and therefore they have been blessed with the ability to think deep in a particular subject. They become the think-tanks in any organisation. The philosophers, the research scholars, the teachers, the scientists, the engineers, the doctors, the lawyers – all belong to this category.

b) Karma-Kshatriya:

They are good organisers. They are able to inspire people for the chosen task. They have a charismatic personality and great leadership qualities. They are successful as politicians, as executives, as army officers and so on.

c) Karma-Vaishya:

They are the people who are very good at finance. They are good fund-generators. Handling money is in their blood. They convert the bankrupt organisations into profit-making ones. They know when and where to invest. They become successful businessmen.

d) Karma-Shudra:

They are the people who have neither the deep-thinking ability, nor the leadership quality, nor the profit-making capacity. But they are blessed with a strong physical body. Hence they form the worker-class serving the above three through their physical labour in farming, construction work and other such services.

Now, who among them is superior?
The scriptures say that none is superior. All are equal. All four are necessary for the smooth functioning of any system – be it a family, a community, an organisation, or even a nation. We need people who can think deeply and plan the project; we need people who can execute the well-thought-out plans; we need people who can provide monetary help for project-execution, and we also need people who can physically toil at the worksite to transform the plan on the paper into a solid physical reality. Among the four, even if one section of the society becomes unavailable, the whole project will fail to materialise.

Hence all four categories of people are equally important in any society.

3) Based on Guna:
In scriptures, three gunas are mentioned: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

Sattva stands for peace/purity, Rajas stands for activity and Tamas stands for inactivity.

Based on the gunas, the classifications are as follows:

a) Guna-Brahmana:

Their personality can be represented as S>R>T. That is, they are the people who have maximum Sattva and minimum Tamas. Hence they are pure, selfless, loving, compassionate, cooperative, humble and virtuous. They have a peaceful and cheerful mind. They have the right understanding of life.

b) Guna-Kshatriya:

Their personality make-up is R>S>T. In them, Rajas dominates, and next comes Sattva. They are highly active and restless. But since Sattva backs Rajas, they are selflessly active. They work hard for the welfare of all.

c) Guna-Vaishya:

They have the personality in this order: R>T>S. Rajas makes them highly active. But since Tamas backs Rajas, they are selfishly active. The only question they ask before any work is “What will I get?” They work hard for name, fame, power, position and everything else that helps them boost their ego.

d) Guna-Shudra:

Their personality can be described as: T>R>S. Since Tamas is predominant in them, their first preference is always to sleep or idle away the time. Lethargy, carelessness, laziness, forgetfulness, inadvertence etc. can be found in them in abundance. Unless the boss is behind, they hardly work. They work only in choiceless conditions and only for meeting the basic necessities of life. They are the dull and stupid ones in the society who, because of their wrong understanding of life, harm others and in the process harm themselves too.

Now, who among these four is superior?
No doubt Guna-Brahmana alone is superior. A Guna-Brahmana has a Sattvic, pure mind – an instrument which is necessary to realise God. Hence he is next only to God and therefore the most worshipful among all the four.

A person may be a Jaati-Brahmana but a Guna-Shudra. Another one may be a Jaati-Shudra but a Guna-Brahmana. An IAS officer who is corrupt is a Karma-Brahmana, but a Guna-Vyshya. A corrupt politician is a Karma-Kshatriya, but a Guna-Shudra. A lazy poojari (priest) in the temple is a Karma-Brahmana and Jaati-Brahmana but a Guna-Shudra.

The scriptures don’t ask us to change our Jaati or Karma. We need not change our caste or profession. But everyone must strive to become Guna-Brahmanas.

Shabari and Sant Chokhamela were Jaati-Shudras. Purandaradas and Tukaram were Jaati-Vaishyas. Ambareesh, Meera Bai and Arjuna were Jaati-Kshatriyas. But all of them, through their single-pointed devotion for God became Guna-Brahmanas.

Everyone has the choice to become Guna-Brahmana, irrespective of their caste, creed, nationality, religion, gender or profession.

Everyone has the right to walk the spiritual path. But not all are eligible to walk the spiritual path. To become eligible, one should become a Guna-Brahmana – a pure-hearted one.

May we make ourselves eligible to walk the path of spirituality by becoming Guna-Brahmanas – the pure-hearted ones – and thus be a Brahmana in the true sense of the word mentioned in the scriptures.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

October 2017

To the student of Vedanta, the Guru is the embodiment of his goal. – Chinmaya

How should one look upon one’s Guru?

Bhagavan Shankaracharya starts His literary classic Vivekachoodamani by prostrating to His Guru and describing him thus:

सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तगोचरं तमगोचरम् । गोविन्दं परमानन्दं सद्गुरुं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ||
(My prostrations to my Guru – Govinda Bhagavadpadacharya – who is not the externally perceived body, but who is none other than Lord Himself, the ultimate Truth, the supreme Self, the very subject matter of Vedantic scriptures.)

In Guru, the disciple sees the words of the scriptures coming alive. Through his Guru, he comes to realise that the goal pointed out in the scriptures is not a mere idealistic state, but it is something which can be lived and experienced. Hence the company of a living master becomes a great inspiration for the spiritual seekers.

After taking Sannyasa deeksha from Swami Shivanandji Maharaj, the intense desire to learn the scriptures from a competent teacher took Swami Chinmayananda to Swami Tapovan Maharaj – a great Tapasvi, an erudite scholar and a famous mahatma of his times.

Very few seekers could remain with Swami Tapovanam as he was a strict disciplinarian and an embodiment of austerity. During the winter season, he would stay in Uttarkashi, and in the summer season, he would pack up his begging bowl and one set of cloth and climb higher to Gangotri to avoid the flood of pilgrims.

Gangotri was totally removed from the comforts of civilisation. Nutritious food, warm clothing, adequate shelter etc. were unavailable there. One attached to worldly pleasures could never remain there for long. The glory of the place was that it could render the mind naturally peaceful. The place was well suited for contemplation and meditation. Therefore Chinmaya braved the difficulties without complaint as he had an intense desire to study and understand the philosophy of Vedanta.

Each morning the students began the day with a bath in the icy waters of the Ganga, a feat that caused excruciating pain to the human body, but woke it up for the morning class at 6.00 a.m. like no other exercise could. The students then assembled in front of the cedar hut of Swami Tapovanam. The class began with a prayer chanted in unison by the teacher and the students to attune themselves to the omniscient God Principle and to invoke the best effort from both the teacher and the taught.

The first text taken was Panchadashi. This lengthy text gave Chinmaya clear understanding of the fundamentals of the scriptures as well as the Sanskrit terms used in scriptures. Swami Tapovanam would read out one verse of the text, then give the equivalent meaning in Hindi. Word by word, he explained the Sanskrit, giving the rules of grammar and the meaning as well as possible misinterpretations of the meaning. He would follow with commentary and often an example to illustrate the meaning. As the Guru spoke in Hindi, Chinmaya would meticulously translate in English because he wanted all his notes to be in a language familiar to him. While other students did not dare to question the Guru, Chinmaya would put so many questions to Swami Tapovanam. He would not willingly move on to the next topic until every doubt on the present subject was removed by the teacher.

There was no electricity for reading and no talking was allowed among the students. According to Swami Tapovanam, talking was a waste of time and that no one had any time to waste in the great pilgrimage to the Divine Goal. With the exception of the class time, if the students ever approached him while he was sitting on the veranda of his hut, he would chide them: “What are you doing hanging around here? Don’t waste a minute. You go, do your own reflection. It’s all in you.”

With the setting sun, Chinmaya would retire to his humble shelter – an old cow shed, walled in only the north side to hold back the drifting snows in the winter. The straw-thatched roof was so low that Chinmaya had to stoop over when inside. He would spend long, cool nights contemplating upon the words of his Guru, meditating on the truth revealed. In this manner he would pass his days, delving deeper and deeper into the Truth hidden within oneself.

As the cold winter winds would begin to blow, around October in those altitudes, the group would undertake the journey back down to Uttarkashi. Only Chinmaya would accompany Swami Tapovanam on the return trip as the other students would go to another pilgrimage site en route. As the Guru and student stopped in the shelters along the route, the student would cook the food and serve his teacher. Following the course of the Ganga, as she slips through the mountain valleys, they would walk along conversing in their native language, Malayalam.

Swami Tapovanam was such a pure soul that he saw God in everything. Along the way, he would stop and point out the majestic scenery. “Look at those clouds, Chinmaya! So beautiful is all of nature. How can anyone not believe the grace and beauty of the Lord when they see His form manifested in this wonderful world of nature?”
Try as he might, Chinmaya could not see what it was that Swami Tapovanam was seeing in those clouds.

Chinmaya later wrote about those blissful days with his teacher:

“When we used to move back and forth from Uttarkashi to Gangotri, Swamiji would stop abruptly in the trail, alert and thrilled, tense and silent. I watched him: now lost in wonder at the snow peaks, now aghast at the thundering laughter of the Ganga in her panting speed. Even a long-tailed tiny bird fluttering across the path was sufficient to tickle Swamiji into a visible rapture. At these times he would stand still, bathed in a vivid glow of joy, whispering silently his homage to the Creator.

“In the early years of my study, he had once stopped en route to point out a spot in the distant sky where the golden colour had suddenly changed in a mighty stroke of an inscrutable artistic inspiration into a blue splash! On another occasion, he cried out to me, ‘Why can’t the man see the Divinity behind the ecstatic Artist who has painted this inspired beauty?’

“I could fill up a big volume with the instances when he took such effort to point out to me the scenes from the divine play of the Creator – a crab returning to its hide-out or a spider weaving its web under our feet, leaves dancing in the passing breeze while embracing an open flower bud, the mighty pines secretly whispering and nodding to each other in an eloquent rhythm, the majestic peaks of snow-capped mountains divinely glistening above the lower hills, here an insignificant bull, there an uninviting herd of tired sheep, elsewhere an ugly rustic singing a disgusting tune with a joyous abandon – at a thousand such instances he rejoiced and laboured to direct my attention to SEE.

“But Alas! Immature, unpoetic and intellectually sophisticated as I considered myself to be then, in all these instances I must have sadly disappointed him in all my blindness.

“But I sensed what he felt, for I felt the warmth of his ardour, the thrill of his ecstasy, the serenity of his mad joy. I often watched his breathless expectancy, his trembling lips and his eyes welling with tears, as he stood dissolved in a visible divine harmony with nature. At such inspired moments, an unearthly tranquillity used to descend around him in which I have vividly basked many a time.”

These are the rare moments when the seeker craves from the depth of his heart, “If only I could see what my Guru is seeing! When will the day come when I start experiencing what my Guru is experiencing! O Lord, please bless me, that I also may become what my Guru has become!!”

This is the greatest blessing from a teacher – that through his life divine, he kindles a desire in us to experience the Truth Divine.

And the law of life is – we must get what we intensely desire.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

September 2017

If we can allow an uninterrupted and faithful flow of His will, He shall ever keep us in His hands and never leave us even for a moment. – Chinmaya

The above quote is the experience of all devotees of all religions across the world. He takes care of the ones who surrender unto Him.

This incident is from the life of Swami Ramdas who was a well-known saint from Kanhangad (Northern Kerala). He laid great emphasis on chanting the name of the Lord. His Ishta devata was Shree Ram and he saw Ram everywhere and in everyone.

While he was leading a life of a wandering monk, he happened to stay in a room in Mangalore for some time provided by the devotees. An interesting incident happened here.

At around ten o’clock in the night on a rainy day, a strange-looking individual entered his room. Clothed in rags and his hair dishevelled, he had with him a small bundle suspended on a rough palm stick. He looked like a mentally derailed person. He came in and sat near Ramdas.

“May I rest here tonight?” he asked. Ramdas said he was most welcome. For Ramdas, all were none other than Lord Ram Himself. The stranger sat on the mat and opened his bundle which contained a bizarre assortment of small bits of cloth in varied colours. Taking out the rags he scattered them on the ground. Then looking at Ramdas he gave a merry laugh.

 Ramdas thought to himself, “O Lord! You come in wonderful disguises!”

After a while, the stranger gathering up the scraps remade the bundle. Next, approaching Ramdas, he started loudly singing some devotional songs in Kannada. Then looking at the cloth worn by Ramdas, he abruptly stopped his music and asked, “You see, my clothes are old and worn out. Would you not part with one you are using, for me?”

Ramdas at once divested himself of the cloth and handed it over to him. The visitor carefully folded it and laid it beside him.

In an imperious voice, he spoke next, “Now let us sleep. Reduce the light. Mind you, don’t put it out.” Obediently Ramdas carried out his bidding. He laid down himself pretending to sleep, and Ramdas followed suit. Five minutes had not elapsed when he sprang into a sitting posture calling on Ramdas to do the same. Ramdas yielded. The light was made brighter.
“I have yet to demand something more,” he said.
“Everything in this room,” Ramdas replied, “is Lord Ram’s property, and since you are He, you have a right to it. You may freely ask and take.”
Meanwhile, Ramdas had covered himself with the other spare cloth.
“I need also the cloth you have just put on,” and he stretched forth his hand. Without a word, Ramdas surrendered up the second cloth.

Some minutes passed and he said, “I have a need for a water pot. If you have no objection, you may give the one over there,” pointing to the vessel in the corner of the room. Emptying the pot of its water, Ramdas passed it on to him. Then he asked for the mat, the deerskin, the lantern, the umbrella, the spare langoti (loin-cloth), one after the other, at almost regular intervals. Everything was given to hi

Whenever Ramdas gave away things to this stranger, he did so in a spirit of delightful spontaneity. With a rising emotion, he addressed the visitor, “O Lord! Thy tests are wonderful. Everything is Thine and Thine alone.”

At this, the visitor broke out into his usual offhand laughter. He demanded also a few religious books which were in the room. All articles were tied up in a cloth and formed a pretty big bundle.

Later he said with a note of warning in his voice, “Look here. You have given me many valuable articles. It is possible that when I am gone with them, you might regret your folly. What say you?”

“No, not at all,” quickly responded Ramdas. “Since you are taking away your own things, Ramdas has no cause for regret.”

The room was now almost empty. Being monsoon, it began to rain heavily. The night had advanced and it was about 3 a.m. Ramdas had nothing on except the loincloth.

“Yet one thing more,” the stranger said.

“You may demand anything,” replied Ramdas. “Ramdas has dedicated his entire life to thee.”

“Pass me the kaupeen (loincloth) you are wearing,” he asked calmly.

It was beyond any doubt for Ramdas that God Himself was here to test him. Ramdas with perfect nonchalance born of complete surrender loosened the kaupeen from his otherwise naked body to offer it to him. But before Ramdas had removed it outright, the stranger stopped him with his hand saying, “No, no, you may retain it. I need it not.” He then eagerly asked, “Can you follow me?”

Ramdas lost no time in replying, “By all means.”

“Not now. Some other time,” he said and prepared to start.

It was now raining in torrents. In one hand he held the lantern and in the other the umbrella, and the palm pole flung across his shoulder with the bundle suspended on it, at his back.

Standing on the landing steps he flashed a parting shot. “What do you think of me? I am not mad. I am not,” he said with great emphasis.

“You are He, you are He…” gasped out Ramdas, his throat fully choked with emotion.

The stranger descended the steps and walked away.

Ramdas returned to the room and the moment he sat down on the floor, he was lost in a deep trance.

It was broad daylight when he recovered from the trance. He beheld quite a crowd swarming at his door. The news had been conveyed to them by the servant who was bringing for Ramdas his morning milk and fruit. They assumed that a thief must have absconded with all the missing articles from the room. They inquired of him how it all happened.

Ramdas only replied, “Lord Ram provides through one form and takes away through another.”

 This brief and enigmatic explanation did not, of course, satisfy them. So he had to give out a detailed account of the incident of the previous night. All listened to the story with breathless interest. One of them suggested that the rogue should be hunted down and captured.

“For what fault of his?” asked Ramdas. “He has taken only his own things. “There is no law on earth,” added he, “that can punish him for it. He is not a rogue. He is Lord Himself.”

An irrepressible smile lit up the faces of all who heard him. They seemed to have understood him and quietly dispersed. Before noon the same day, the devotees with all kindness and love furnished the room afresh, so that it looked again as if nothing had been removed from it.

It is the Lord’s promise:   न मे भक्त: प्रणश्यति | (My devotees shall never perish.)

If we have not experienced the loving care of the Lord, if, during trials and tribulations, our faiths crumble and we grumble “Why Me?”, then let us take an honest look at ourselves – the depth of our devotion, the sincerity of our surrender, and the intensity of our faith. With a half-hearted approach to spirituality, we have only ourselves to blame.

Millions throng the temples, the mosques, the churches and the gurudwaras all over the world. This itself is the proof that generation after generation, people have experienced His grace, His guidance, His protection, His consolation and His peace.

Why not make Him the first priority, than seek Him as the last resort?  

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

August 2017

Self Realisation is the experience of love in its absolute nature. Realise thy Self. – Chinmaya

Whom do we love the most?

We love ourselves the most. This is an undeniable truth.

Brhadaaranyaka Upanishad says:

आत्मनस्तु कामाय सर्वं प्रियं भवति | (Everything is dear for one’s own sake.)

But based on our understanding of who we are, love can be classified under two types.

If we mistake ourselves to be the BMI (body-mind-intellect), then the love we have for others is called relative/selfish/conditional love.

If we know ourselves to be the supreme Self, then the love that manifests in our heart is called absolute/selfless/unconditional love.

Relative love: It is nothing but selfish love. I get, therefore I love. No gain, no love. It is of the nature of ‘love because of’. For example, because the other person is rich/influential/beautiful/useful, there is love. This being the love among relatives in most cases, it is rightly termed as ‘relative’ love!

A family in Kerala was puzzled when the coffin of their dead mother (Ammachi) arrived from the US. It was sent by one of the daughters.

The dead body was very tightly squeezed inside the coffin, with no space left in it. When they opened the lid, they found a letter on top addressed to her brothers and sisters:

“Dear Kunjumon, George kutty, Alice and Kunjumol,
I am sending Ammachi’s body to you, since it was her wish that she should be cremated in the compound of our ancestral home in Kerala. Sorry, I could not come along as all of my paid leave is consumed.

You will find inside the coffin, under Ammachi’s body, cans of cheese, 10 packets of chocolates and 8 packets of badam. Please divide these among all of you. On Ammachi’s feet, you will find a new pair of Reebok shoes (size 10) for George Kutty. There are also 2 pairs of shoes for Anumol’s and Alice’s sons. Hope the sizes are correct. Ammachi is wearing 6 American T-Shirts. The large size is for Kunjumon. Just distribute the rest among yourselves. The two new Jeans that Ammachi is wearing are for the boys. The Swiss watch that Rima wanted is on Ammachi’s left wrist. Ammachi is wearing the necklace, earrings and ring that Shanta Grandma had asked for. Please take them off her. The 6 white cotton socks that Ammachi is wearing must be divided among my nephews. Please distribute all these fairly.
Love, Beenamol.

PS: If anything more is required let me know soon as Appachen (father) is also not feeling too well nowadays.”

In Bhaja Govindam, Shankaracharya talks about the nature of conditional love:

यावत् वित्तोपार्जनसक्त: तावन्निजपरिवारो रक्त: । पश्चात् जीवति जर्जरदेहे वार्तां कोऽपि न पृच्छति गेहे ||
(As long as one is an earning member of the family, he is loved and respected in the family. But when he becomes old, he is ignored by everyone.)

Absolute love: This is of the nature of ‘love in spite of’. While relative love is based on the ignorance of the Self, absolute love is based on the knowledge of the Self. After Self-realisation, one knows that all beings – birds, animals or human beings – are nothing but one’s own Self packed in different bodies.

Self–knowledge transforms self-love to Self-love, selfish love into selfless love. You love because there is none other than you.

In the ashram of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, animals and birds were treated as equal as humans and they were always addressed by their names. Sick animals were brought to Bhagavan and kept by him on his couch or on the floor beside him until they were well. Many animals had died in his arms.

Bhagavan used to say, “We do not know what souls may be tenanting these bodies and for finishing what part of their unfinished karma they seek our company.”

It was a regular ashram rule that at meal-time the ashram animals were fed first, then the beggars who came, and last the devotees. He never referred to an animal as ‘it’ but always as ‘he’ or ‘she’. “Have the lads been given their food?” – it would be the ashram dogs he was referring to. “Give Lakshmi her rice at once.” – it was the cow Lakshmi that he meant.

A devotee once asked him: “If we clear our dining leaves so scrupulously, the dogs, cats, monkeys, rats and the ants will starve.”

Bhagavan answered: “Well, if you are so compassionate, why not feed the animals before taking food yourself? Do you think they relish your scrapings?”

The ancestress of most of the ashram dogs was Kamala, who came to Skandashram as a puppy. The devotees tried to drive her away, fearing that she would litter the ashram with pups year after year, but she refused to go. A large canine family did indeed grow up, but they all had to be treated with equal consideration.

On the occasion of her first delivery, Kamala was given her bath, painted with turmeric, decked with vermilion on the forehead and given a clean place in the ashram where she remained for ten days with her pups. And on the tenth day, her purification was celebrated with regular feasting. She was an intelligent and serviceable dog. Bhagavan would often depute her to take a newcomer around the hill. “Kamala, take this stranger round”; and she would guide him to every image, tank and shrine around the hill.

There was a small pup in the ashram. He was always near Bhagavan and often used to sit on his couch also. One day, the pup urinated on Bhagavan’s couch. The attendants were very angry and were about to beat the pup. But compassionate Bhagavan came to the rescue and defended the pup, “The puppies should be treated like small children. Do you get angry if a small human child had done it?” As Bhagavan got up to clean the place, the attendants felt ashamed and they cleaned the place themselves.

A dog used to sleep next to Bhagavan, and there were two sparrows living at his side in the Hall. Even when people tried to drive them away they would come back. Once Bhagavan noticed that the dog had been chased away. He remarked: “Just because you are in the body of a human you think you are a human being, and because he is in the body of a dog you think him a dog. Why don’t you think of him as a mahatma, and treat him as a great person? Why do you treat him like a dog?”

The respect he showed to animals and birds was most striking. They were served food first like some respected visitors and if they happened to die in the ashram, they would be given a decent burial and a memorial stone.

The devotion which the ashram dogs had towards Bhagavan was remarkable. They would not accept any food unless Bhagavan himself had partaken of it.

A white dog named Jackie lived at the ashram for many years. He didn’t play much even as a puppy; instead, he sat at Bhagavan’s feet on an orange cloth that had been provided for him. He would sit for hours and stare at Bhagavan’s eyes. Whenever food was passed, Jackie would not eat it right away. Instead, he would watch Bhagavan’s face and would only eat after Bhagavan began to eat.

One day, a stray dog entered the ashram. Jackie began to bark. Bhagavan gently chided him by saying, “You just close your eyes. If you do this you will not be able to see the dog.” Jackie obeyed at once. Because he always behaved in such an exemplary fashion, he was always very well looked after.

During Jackie’s last days, he was very sick. Bhagavan arranged a soft bed for him and attended to his wants very affectionately. After a few days, he grew weaker, and was emitting a bad smell. It made no difference to Bhagavan’s attention to Jackie. Bhagavan used to take Jackie in his arms, and holding him to himself, caress Jackie lovingly. Jackie died peacefully in Bhagavan’s arms.

The Ishavasya Upanishad says:

यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मन्येवानुपश्यति । सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ||
(The one who sees his own Self in all beings and all beings in the Self, he becomes incapable of hating any one.)

With Self knowledge, one gains the vision of oneness. This vision of oneness is the root of all virtues. When all become virtuous, there is peace and harmony in the world. A peaceful world is a heaven upon earth.

Hence, says the quote, realise thy Self – for one’s own liberation, and for the welfare of the world.
आत्मनस्तु मोक्षार्थं जगत् हिताय च |

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

July 2017

Don’t search for the ideal person. Instead, search for the ideals in every person you meet. – Chinmaya

A perfect person is called an ideal person. He is perfect at all levels of personalities – be it physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual. An ideal person is an impossibility. None ever was. None ever will be.

But the scriptures speak of “the man of perfection”?

Yes. But here, a man of perfection does not mean a person who has perfected his BMI (Body-mind-intellect). It only means he no more identifies himself with the imperfect BMI. He knows himself as the Self which is perfect.

As Self we all are perfect. As BMI we all are imperfect. Scriptures call him a man of perfection who knows him to be the perfect Self different from the imperfect BMI.

Hence never search for an ideal person with an ideal BMI, because there is none.

Spiritual seekers, in their initial years of bubbling enthusiasm, end up committing this mistake. They go for ‘Guru Shopping’ in search of an ideal Guru. Obviously, the result is only a series of disappointments.

Very many have returned empty-handed despite being in the holy presence of great personages. They complain, “That mahatma smokes hukka; that means he has not conquered his mind… This sadhu uses harsh words, which is against the scriptural teachings…  That saint likes rice and not chappatis, which means he has not gone beyond his likes and dislikes… This sannyasi is a non-vegetarian… That mahatma asks for donation… This one eats too much… That one talks too much… Hence none of them is perfect.”

Pujya Gurudev used to take snuff (tobacco in the form of a powder for breathing into the nose) as he had an incurable medical problem. Someone asked Gurudev, “Swamiji! You talk of mind control, this and that. But you yourself are addicted to this stuff called snuff!”

Gurudev paused for a moment, and said, “Congratulations! You have reached up to here (pointing to his nose). Don’t stop here. Raise yourself a little more and try to reach here (pointing to his head)!!”

With our measuring rods designed from our little superficial study of the scriptures, we go around the world to measure the depth of these mahatmas. Ourselves sunk in the slush of selfishness and sensuality, we roam around trying to identify the fit ones deserving our certificate of holiness!

A mind preoccupied with fault finding never learns from others. Hence even the association with the wise becomes ineffectual and unproductive.

The above quote says – instead of searching for the good person, search for the goodness in every person. There is always something to learn from everyone.

In Shreemad Bhagavatham, a mendicant lists down 24 Gurus from whom he learns lessons of life. He reflects, “Learn the virtue of patience from the earth… Remain unattached like space…  Flow like Ganga, purifying and sanctifying others… Remain unpolluted, like fire… In service, be like the sun and the moon… Be contented and relaxed, like python… Be still and calm, deep and profound, like the ocean… Falling into the illusory tempting fire of worldly attractions can be suicidal, like moth… Hoard things and suffer like a honey-bee… The attraction for the opposite sex can make us regret, like elephants… Lack of control over the tongue can be fatal, like fish… We become what we meditate upon, like worm becoming a wasp…”

Thus Mother Nature herself became the Guru for the mendicant.

The hunt for the “ideal person” is also the cause for the majority of family problems.

A woman came to an ashram and said, “Swamiji! My family life has become a complete mess. Please help!” Swamiji enquired, “What is the matter?”

She said, “Swamiji, it is all because of my husband. I am so unfortunate to marry him.”

Swamiji asked, “What is the problem with him?”

She said, “He is not giving me any happiness. He never takes me for any outing. He listens only to his mother. He is not bothered about the family at all. I am reduced to a mere servant maid in my house… I think I must seek a divorce.”

Swamiji remained silent for some time and then said, “Now tell me something good about your husband.”

The lady lamented, “Absolutely nothing!”

“Ok. Does he smoke or drink?”

“No.”

“Is he in a relationship with any other woman?”

“No.”

“Does he take care of the needs of the family?”

“Yes.”

“Is he affectionate and caring towards your children?”

“Yes.”

“Do children love him?”

“Yes.”

“Does he beat you?”

“No. But Swamiji he behaves harshly when he returns from the office.”

Swamiji explained patiently, “Amma, please try to understand his state of mind. In the office, he might have been bogged down by the work pressure. There are innumerable reasons to get disturbed in an office. Isn’t it your responsibility to give him peace when he returns from the office tired and exhausted due to the day’s work? Speak to him sweetly, listen to him patiently and serve him some refreshments of his choice. Then he will never be harsh to you.”

The woman was listening attentively. Swamiji smiled and said, “Amma! The problem is not with him. It is with you!  You expect your husband to be perfect, as in movies. There are so many virtues in him, and still, you don’t see any of them. Your attention is only on what is lacking in him. Now, tell me some ten good things about him.”

The woman became contemplative. She had never thought in this direction before! And as she started thinking about her husband in this new perspective, her attitude also changed towards him. As she narrated all wonderful things about him, the bitterness left her and she was in all admiration and love for her husband.

We ignore what has been given by the Lord and hanker after what is missing. If only we pay attention to what is good in others, life would have become a continuous celebration!

Sant Tukaram was coming home from the field with a bundle of sugar cane. On the way, the passers-by asked for a cane, and he distributed it freely. By the time Tukaram reached home, he had only one sugar cane. Seeing this, his wife Jeejabai got angry as she knew the nature of her husband. She snatched the cane from her husband and thrashed him with it. In the process, the cane broke into two. Tukaram smiled and said, “What a nice thing you have done! Now we have two pieces to share amongst ourselves!”

Life’s joys don’t depend upon what we have; it depends upon how we look at what we have.

A boy with his parents was travelling in their car. Father was driving and the son was sitting at the back. Dad was driving very carefully.

After a few minutes, a modern car overtook their car. Son told his father, “Dad, that car went ahead of us. Please use the accelerator to overtake that car.”

Dad replied smiling, “Son, it is not possible. Our car is not capable of going that fast.” Within a few seconds, another car went ahead of them. Son got annoyed by it and told Dad to press the accelerator.

Dad replied in anger, “You are only seeing cars which are going ahead of us. There are many cars behind us. If we try to catch up with those cars in front of us, we may end up doing damage to our car.”

Son replied, “Dad, you compare me with other smart kids and keep telling me to be like them. If I try to be like them, I might end up hurting myself right? You are only seeing smarter kids than me. You are not seeing kids who are behind me.”

The relationship gets strained and harmony disappears from the family when our expectation from others becomes idealistic.

We have come to this world to improve ourselves. Let us, therefore, imbibe the ideals seen in others. Because at the time of death, what comes with us is not the ideal person, but the ideals imbibed from the person.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

June 2017

Let the sleeping lion of adhyatmic fervour in thee wake up! Fight out thy enemies in the inner Kurukshetra. -Chinmaya

In most of us, the adhyatmic (spiritual) fervour is sleeping. This sleep has many symptoms:

If we have no interest in anything spiritual – be it meditation, Satsang or prayer… If our interest is only in everything worldly – be it movies, restaurants, stock exchange or real estate…  If spirituality is considered as a waste of time…   If we are restless in the company of saints…  If we think spirituality is meant only for the old and the retired…If in our opinion, all spiritual people are escapists from life or failures in life…  If we think money can solve all problems of life…  If for us, roti-kapadaa-makaan/wine-wealth-woman/kaamini-kaanchana-keerti – is the be-all and end-all of life…  If gossips refresh us…  If worldly glitz and glamour enchant us…  If solitude suffocates us… If ego rules us…  If passions burn us…  If the moods control us…  If scriptures bore us…

–  Then know for sure that the spiritual lion is still sleeping in us.

Shocks in life are God-sent to wake us up.

The story of King Pareekshit’s waking up to the Reality comes in Shreemad Bhagavatham. Pareekshit was the grandson of Arjuna and a great devotee of Lord Vishnu.

One day, chasing a deer while hunting, he lost his way and reached Sage Shameeka’s ashram. There he saw the sage in meditation oblivious to the outer world. The King, tired and hungry, thirsty and exhausted, requested the sage for water. But when no response came, the King presumed that the sage was feigning samadhi only to avoid him. In a fit of anger and also to test the sage, Pareekshit put a dead snake lying nearby around the neck of the sage. As the sage was in samadhi and had lost all body-consciousness, it evoked no response from him. The King then returned to his palace.

Shameeka Rishi had a son named Shringi, 5 or 6 years of age, who was playing with his friends near the banks of river Kaushiki. When he heard the news of what the King had done to his father, he became red in anger. Purifying himself with the waters of the river, he uttered the following curse, “Within seven days, Takshaka the serpent shall, as directed by me, bite the King to death.”

Then the boy went to the ashram. Seeing his father seated there with the dead snake dangling around his neck he cried aloud in utter sorrow. The sage now opened his eyes, roused by the cries of the boy. Seeing the dead snake, he threw it away and asked his son what the matter was.

On hearing everything from the boy the sage lamented, “O foolish child! For a small mistake of the King, you have given such a big punishment! Have you ever thought of the consequences of your action? A King should be considered as a representative of God Himself. It is because of his might that the country is protected and the subjects become prosperous and secure. In a country which is devoid of a King, the thieves and the robbers multiply and the entire nation is ruined.

“Moreover,” continued the sage, “Pareekshit is a great King by all means – he is a great devotee of the Lord, a protector of righteousness, and the one who followed the footsteps of his great ancestors like Krishna and the Pandavas. He is a man of great reputation who has performed Ashwamedha sacrifice.

“Besides, he was physically exhausted and afflicted with hunger and thirst when he committed this offence. Therefore, by no means, he deserved this curse.” The sage thus admonished his son.

Shreemad Bhagavatham says:

A true devotee of the Lord, though he might be endowed with power, will never retaliate for an injury done to him – be it insult, deception, curse, belittling or beating.

Shameeka Rishi thus showed his true greatness.

In the palace, the King had no peace of mind after returning from the forest. His sinful act kept pricking his conscience. He regretted thus, “Alas! I have committed a grave sin against a true mahatma absorbed in samadhi. O Lord! Give me such a punishment that my wicked mind will never ever think of committing such evil in the future…”

As the King was lamenting thus, he received the shocking news of the curse. The great King thanked the Lord for the punishment meted out to him. Handing over the kingdom to his son Janamejaya, renouncing everything, wearing the robe of an ascetic, Pareekshit resorted to the banks of Ganga taking a vow of fast unto death.

The news spread like wildfire in all the three worlds. Such was the reputation of this great King that all the saints and sages rushed to the spot to meet Pareekshit in person. The great Rishis – Atri, Vasishtha, Chyavana, Bhrigu, Angira, Paraashara, Vishwamitra, Parashurama, Bharadvaja, Gautama, Maitreya, Agastya, Vyasa and Narada – all came along with their disciples. The august assembly included Devarishis, Brahmarishis and Rajarishis.

Pareekshit prostrated to all of them and said, “I am indeed the most fortunate among kings, because I have become the object of the blessings of all of you. To me, a sinful man, intensely attached to the home and its affairs, the Lord has come in the form of the ascetic boy’s curse only to generate renunciation in me; because when death is near at hand, even a man with great worldly attachments will be filled with fear and become prone to accept an attitude of devotion and renunciation.

“O Holy Ones! Please bless me thus – whatever embodiments I am going to take in future, may I have in every one of them the love for Lord and association with holy people.”

As he spoke these words, the great Shuka Brahmarishi happened to come there as a mere coincidence, as though sent by God Himself. Aged sixteen, with a well proportionate handsome body, totally naked, ever wandering; he never used to stay at a place more than the time taken to milk a cow. Ever absorbed in the bliss of the Self, he was one of the most revered amongst all sages.

The King after due worship then spoke these words in all humility, “O Revered One! Please guide me, what should a dying man do in his last moments?”

Shuka replied, “O King! The one who seeks to attain immortality must meditate upon the Lord who is the Supreme Self. He alone is the Remover of all sorrows and the Bestower of absolute bliss. Therefore one should meditate upon Him, worship Him, chant His glories, and remember Him. Remembrance of the Lord at the time death is the greatest gain one can have in this life. This is the very purpose of all spiritual practices. The best and the easiest path among all yogas is to develop intense devotion for the Lord. Hence, for the next seven days, meditate only on God.”

The great sage Shuka then gave various techniques of meditation to fix the mind on the Lord. The sportive past times (leelas) of the Lord in various manifestations were discussed in detail and the stories of the devotees of the Lord were elaborated upon to develop single-pointed devotion for the Lord. Thus the seven days passed by in total contemplation of the Lord.

On the seventh day, when the teaching concluded, Pareekshit worshipped the sage and placed his head at the feet of Shuka in tears of gratitude. Then he sat there motionless like a tree, having made the mind single-pointed and absorbed at the lotus feet of the Lord, free from all worldly attachments. Even before Takshaka came to bite him, the King had merged himself in Brahman leaving all bodily identification.

As per the curse, Takshaka bit him, and in a flash, the body was reduced to ashes due to the fiery poison of the serpent. For the King, the curse was a blessing in disguise, for he was liberated from the birth-death cycle within a span of mere seven days.

All the shocks and knocks in life are an earnest effort from the Lord to wake the sleeping lion of spirituality in us. May we listen to His constant whisper:

उत्तिष्ठत ! जाग्रत !! प्राप्य वरान् निबोधत !!!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

May 2017

Both rain and sunshine are needed to make a rainbow. Both joy and sorrow are needed to make life truly beautiful and colourful. – J P Vaswani

Mere rain cannot produce a rainbow; nor can mere shine. A combination is needed. So too, if our lives need to be beautiful and colourful, a combination of joys and sorrows is unavoidable.

But the majority of us think that life is beautiful and colourful only when there is joy, and therefore we are allergic to sorrows.

If we reflect a little about our own life’s experiences, we can easily conclude that joys taste sweeter only in the presence of sorrows.

Food tastes delicious only for the hungry. Water tastes nectarine only for the thirsty. Success tastes fulfilling only after repeated failures. Union tastes sweeter only after a long separation from the beloved. Health brings joy only after a prolonged illness. Light is appreciated only after fumbling in the darkness. Praise and honour appear soothing only after disrespect and criticism. The shady tree is a five-star treatment only for the one scorched by the summer sun. Lost-and-found things appear a lot more precious.

Even life is valued more only after a near-death experience.

After the Sept 11 attack at the Twin Towers in the U.S, survivors were invited to share their experiences. All of them bubbled with joy and excitement while narrating how they escaped death by a whisker.

One person survived that day because his son started kindergarten and hence he was late; one lady got late because her alarm clock didn’t work; one missed the bus; one spilt food on her clothes and had to take time to change; one was late because the car did not start; one old man was late due to traffic jam; a youngster was late because he did not find the car keys!!

It is always the shocks in life that remind us that we are living!!

Sorrows and failures teach us greater lessons in life. They make us humble, introspective, and compassionate. They remind us of the insignificance of our ego. They make us realise the imperishable nature of the world. They make us hold on to God with greater tenacity. Sorrows make us an ardent seeker of liberation.

The sorrow of impending death made King Pareekshit attain liberation in a mere seven days. The sorrow of Ratnakara (the decoit) transformed him into saint Valmiki. The sorrow of Valmiki resulted in Ramayana. The sorrow of Arjuna resulted in Bhagavad Geeta. The sorrow of Veda Vyasa resulted in Shreemad Bhagavatham.

 Sorrows and failures have their own place in making life beautiful.

It is always a crisis which creates heroes. Heroes of India’s freedom struggle were born because of India’s slavery. Even in other fields like wars, sports and politics, heroes emerge only during a crisis. Necessity is always the mother of invention.

Life is balanced only amidst joys and sorrows. In nature also we find that crops exposed to all weather conditions – rain and shine, winter and summer – bring out greater yield. In life too, pairs of opposites alone help us to evolve and to grow.

Ugaadi is celebrated as the first day of the Year in Andhra, Karnataka and Telangana. During this festival, a chutney-like dish is prepared which gives all flavours – sweet, sour, tangy and bitter. This festive Hindu food is made from tamarind paste, neem flowers, sweet jaggery, salt, and mango. The philosophy behind this preparation is that in life also we will have all kinds of experiences – sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter.

We must prepare our minds to accept everything cheerfully as a prasad from God.

The world-famous violinist Itzhak Perlman suffered from polio as a child and ever since has been in a wheelchair. One evening during a concert, when he had only started, there was a loud snap. A string on his violin broke.

Everyone thought he would have to pick up his crutches and limp off stage to find another violin. But he didn’t. Instead, he closed his eyes and played with passion and power, unlike anything the audience had ever heard.

It’s impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But that night Perlman refused to know that. When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then everyone rose. The music he made that night was more beautiful than any he had made before.

As the noise subsided, he was called on to say a few words. He said one sentence that everyone knew referred to more than just the broken violin string. He said, “Our job is to make music with what remains!”

 In life too, we have very many strings broken. What is important is to keep playing the role given to us as best as we can.

In the absence of sorrows, even the best of joys is only but a dry monotony. The value of money or food is never understood by the pampered cosmopolitan children of affluent families. The value of health is never realised by the healthy ones who smoke and drink.

Truly said, familiarity even with joy can bring contempt.

It is said, to develop a healthy personality one must have these five experiences:

First, being a nursery school teacher. While teaching lessons to children who are not learning, one develops the ability to accept others as they are. It brings in us tremendous patience… 

Second, being a farmer. Only a farmer knows the factors involved in bringing up crops – hard work, soil, rain, sun, protection from insects, manure etc.  Millions and millions of tons of food are wasted every day because its value is not known. A farmer’s experience will make us realize the value of food… 

Third, a visit to a mental hospital. Whatever people talk in the mental hospital, we don’t mind. They may scold us, blame us, curse us or shout at us. But we don’t mind because we know they are mentally sick. There are many people outside the hospital, but that doesn’t mean they are mentally well. They may speak hurting words out of anger or jealousy. We must learn not to get affected by them, not to take the garbage inside and allow our mind to get polluted. Experience in the mental hospital will teach us how not to become a football of others’ opinions.

Fourth, a visit to a prison. Spend some time with the prisoners. We will realise what compassion is, what helplessness is. These people did something wrong under the compulsion of negative emotions. But afterwards, they regret every moment for their ignoble act. A visit to the prison teaches us the need for self-control.

Fifth, a visit to the hospital to meet terminally ill people. This will teach us how precious life is, and we will start valuing health, and every moment therein.

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April 2017

The renunciation is not measured by things a man gives up. True renunciation is of the will and of desires. – J P Vaswani

The Sanskrit term for renunciation is “Sannyaasa”, which comes from Samyak (Very well) + Nyaasa (given up).

The popular meaning of a sannyaasi is – the one who has renounced all family ties, who roams around wearing an ochre robe or stays in some ashram, with holy marks all over the body, with matted locks or a clean-shaven head, who lives on bhiksha (alms) etc.

But according to the scriptures, true renunciation is not the outer garb on the body but an inner state of the mind. In the Bhagavad Geeta, we find the definitions of a true Sannyaasi:

अनाश्रित: कर्मफलं कार्यं कर्म करोति य: । स सन्न्यासी च योगी च न निरग्निर्न चाक्रिय:||6.1||
(The one who performs all his duties without any expectation of the results is a true Sannyaasi, and not the one who has merely renounced outwardly.)

ज्ञेय: स नित्यसन्न्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति । निर्द्वन्दो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात् प्रमुच्यते ||5.3||
 (Know him to be a true Sannyaasi who is free from likes and dislikes, and is unaffected by the pairs of opposites.)

This is a story from the great epic, Mahabharata.

An ascetic named Kaushika was once reciting the Vedas at the foot of a tree, when a she-crane sitting on the tree befouled his body. With an angry look of the ascetic, it fell down dead. The ascetic regretted his cruel act and his uncontrolled anger.

He then got up and went to the nearby village for alms. Standing outside in front of a house, he called out, “O Mother! Please give me alms!” A female voice from inside requested him to wait.

And while the housewife was engaged in cleaning the vessel for alms, she saw her husband entering the house afflicted with hunger. The chaste housewife gave her lord water to wash his feet and also a seat; and after that, placing before her lord savoury food and drink, she humbly stood beside him desirous of attending to all his wants.

That obedient wife every day used to eat the remains of her husband’s plate and always conducted herself in obedience to the wishes of her lord. Skilful in all domestic duties and attentive to all her relatives, she always did what was agreeable and beneficial to her husband. She also attended to the worship of the gods and the wants of guests, her mother-in-law and father-in-law.

And while she was still engaged in waiting upon her lord, she remembered that she had asked the Brahmana to wait. Taking something for alms, when she came out, she saw the ascetic standing there, boiling with rage.

The lady said, “O holy one! Please forgive me. My husband came hungry and tired. I was serving him.”  Hearing this, the Brahmana said, “Do you think your husband is superior to a Brahmana? Even Lord Indra bows down to a Brahmana. Proud woman! You don’t know – Brahmanas are like fire. Their anger can consume the entire earth!! “

At these words, the woman answered, “I am no she-crane, O holy one, that you can burn me with your angry glance!”

The ascetic was shocked in disbelief. He wondered, “Unbelievable! How did this ordinary household lady know what happened in the deep forest?”

The lady continued, “I do not disregard Brahmanas. Endued with purity and austerity, they are like gods themselves. O holy one! It behoves you to forgive this fault of mine.

“I serve my husband whom I regard as the highest deity. Behold, O regenerate one, the merit that attaches to the service of one’s husband! I know that you have burnt a she-crane with your wrath. But, O holy one, the gods know him for a Brahmana who has cast off anger and passion, who always speaks the truth, who though injured never returns the injury, who has his senses under control, and who looks upon all equal to himself.

“Please forgive me, if what I have said is unpalatable. I think, O holy one, that you do not know what spirituality in reality is. Please go to the city of Mithila and enquire of a virtuous butcher. He will reveal all the mysteries of religion to you.”

Kaushika, filled with wonderment and disbelief thanked the lady with all reverence and set out for Mithila. He traversed many forests, villages and towns and at last, reached Mithila that was ruled over by Janaka.

There the Brahmana saw the butcher selling pork and buffalo meat. The butcher, seeing the ascetic from a distance, suddenly rose from his seat, went to him and said, “I salute you, O holy one! You are most welcome! I am the butcher whom that chaste woman was mentioning about. I am aware of the purpose of your visit too.”

 This was the second shock for the Brahmana!  The butcher then said unto the Brahmana, “O holy one! This place is not proper for you. If you permit, let us go to my home.” “So be it,” said the Brahmana to him, gladly.

The butcher took him to his abode. Reverentially offering him a seat, he gave him water to wash his face and feet. The ascetic then said to the butcher, “It seems to me that this profession does not befit you. I deeply regret that you should follow such a cruel trade.”

The butcher replied, “I have inherited this profession from my ancestors. O regenerate one, grieve not for me owing to my adhering to the duties that belong to me by birth. The forsaking of one’s own occupation is considered to be a sin. The Karma of a former existence never forsakes any creature. I discharge the duties ordained for me by the Creator.

“I sell pork and buffalo meats that have been slain by others. I never eat meat myself. I always speak the truth and never envy others.  I live upon what remains after serving the gods, guests, and those that depend on me. I never speak ill of anyone. I am charitable, truthful and assiduous in attending on my superiors and holy men and free from pride and idle talk. Even though the profession of one’s order may be inferior, a person may yet be himself of good behaviour.”

Later, the butcher and the ascetic had elaborate question and answer sessions on righteous living, on duties of the four castes, on the four-fold purusharthas (dharma, artha, kama and moksha), on the need for mastering the mind and the senses, on spiritual enlightenment etc. To all the questions of the ascetic, the butcher had convincing answers steeped in the wisdom of the Vedas. (This portion is famously known as the “Vyaadha Geeta” in Mahabharata-Vana Parva.)

Then the ascetic was taken to the inner apartment where the butcher’s revered parents clad in white robes, having finished their meals, were seated at ease. The butcher prostrated himself before them with his head at their feet.

His aged parents blessed him thus, “Rise, O man of piety, rise! May righteousness shield you; we are much pleased with you; may you be blessed with long life, with knowledge and fulfilment of your desires. You are a good and dutiful son, for, we are always looked after by you, and even amongst the celestials you have no another divinity to worship. By constantly subduing yourself, you have become endowed with all the divine virtues. In thought, word or deed it seems that you have no other thought other than how to please us.”

Then the butcher said to the ascetic, “O worshipful sir! My parents are the idols that I worship; whatever is due to the gods, I do unto them. They are my four Vedas. My wife and children are all dedicated to their service. With my own hands, I assist them in bathing, wash their feet and give them food. I say to them only what is agreeable, leaving out what is unpleasant. It is this service to them that has given me spiritual enlightenment. For a householder, no other sadhana is needed other than doing one’s duties in a spirit of sacrifice!”

After some pause, the butcher lovingly advised the ascetic, “O holy one! Now I shall explain what is good for you. You have wronged your father and mother, for you have left home without their permission to learn the Vedas. You have not acted properly in this matter, for your aged parents have become entirely blind from grief at your loss. Return home to console them, this very day.”

Thanking from the depth of his heart, the ascetic took leave of the wise butcher promising him to return home and to lead a life of service to his parents.

True renunciation is not giving up the world, but giving up the worldliness (i.e. attachments of the mind.) It is not giving up actions, but giving up the doership behind actions. It is not physical, but psychological. It is not an outcome of bitterness, but the end result of wisdom. It is not a painful isolation, but a joyous expansion. It is not running away, but rising above.

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