Dr. Jai Maharaj
2016-08-06 02:53:39 UTC
Science Of Spirituality
Hinduism - Rational Faith and Scientific Spirituality
By Vikas Sood
October 13, 2013
Hinduism - Sanatan Dharm
Rational faith and Scientific spirituality
Adi Shankaracharya
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The unshakable faith in God and tolerance is the medicine of Grace to wipe
out our sorrows. Bhakti alone can give us the capacity to put up with
sorrows. Temples are the agencies for developing that Bhakti. Hence, the
need for temples at all places. All offerings to the deities in the temples
are tokens of our gratitude to God.
That which is within all, which is seen as "This" is the source. He who is
within and sees as "This" is God. It is the reality. It is in yourself.
What is limited is Sadhana; what is unlimited is the end.
He alone is an Acharya, who, after clearly understanding the conclusive
teachings of the Sastras, makes the people of the world gain their welfare
by making them stick to the path shown in the Sastras and also himself does
everything according to Sastras and remains in that experience.
Many acts relating to God, like building temples, digging tanks are
performed. While executing them, there would be many difficulties. There
would come also several kinds of dishonour. Not minding any of these, they
would complete their tasks with mental one-pointedness removing impurities
from their minds and letting the mind wander. By straightening their mind,
they acquire mind control and at the end, they realise the Reality that is
to be known. Digging tanks, building temples and such other acts are called
poorttam. The performance of sacrifices, etc., is known as ishtam.
Combining these two, we have the word Ishtapoortam.
In all that you do, let love be the sole motive. Any need must be with
reference to another. Let action be out of love. Passions such as desire
and hatred , anger and malice must be totally eschewed. If love becomes the
grounding principle of all deeds . then most of the ills of the world will
vanish.
We know many faults we commit, even if others do not know them. Sometimes
we realise we are doing so many evil things and repent bitterly and feel
why we should be born. Our duty is to pray to God -"I have committed so
many faults. Will you not, 0 God, give me the will power not do like that
in future and will you not purify my mind?" We must note down in a diary
every night before we go to bed the faults committed by us and pray to God
to give us courage and intelligence not to do so. This must be propagated
widely.
Parameswara and Shriman Narayana are one and the same in reality. They are
not two. This is the conclusive view of all the sastras. Names differ,
forms are different, occupations vary, but the reality which is within Them
is one and the same.
What is the purpose of human birth? To earn, to eat, to undergo misery
everyday and finally to die? Instead of earning and suffering, can we not
die now? The purpose of birth is to avoid re-birth. Except man, all animals
grow horizontally. Only man grows vertically. Instead of growing
horizontally, it is God's will that he should grow vertically in order to
look up. God has given to animals devices for self-protection; to man alone
He has given intelligence. By doing nothing, we avoid re-birth; By giving
up attachment, we avoid sins.
When any object is consumed by fire, it becomes charred. If that black
residue is burnt again, it becomes white ash. White ash continues to remain
white even when burnt again. This shows that white is the ultimate and
black is proximate to it. Science tells us that diamond and coal are
basically one. White and black are not colours. The primary colours get
separated from the objects to which they are attached when subjected to the
test of fire and ultimately white. Similarly, in the mental and spiritual
place, the Ultimate Reality is Shiv, who is white and proximate to Him is
Parvati, who is dark. When we test everything in the fire of Gyan, or true
knowledge, the residue is Shiv. Ash in the material plane corresponds to
Shiv in the spiritual plane. We smear our bodies with the sacred ash to
remind ourselves of Shiv and the fact that the ultimate goal of life is
Shiv.
Much is said about the personal God and the impersonal absolute God with
attributes and without attributes. It is only when all the colours in the
light mix together that we get the colourless rays of the sun. Similarly by
the very virtue of being the abode of attributes, God becomes Nirguna,
attribute-less.
By Education we realise Truth. There are many truths, History is one truth.
Geography is one truth, Mathematics is one truth. The content of truth is
the greatest in Mathematics. In others, there is an element of imagination.
In Geography, we come across names Asia, Africa, Madras, Calcutta, etc.
These names were given by us. By imagination, we have given names "plateau"
"valley", etc. By a process of gradual elimination of all that is
imaginary, when we arrive at truth, that Truth is found to be God. To think
of Him with real devotion is the fruit of education.
What is the use of education? Its first use is to develop humility
(vinaya). In olden days, the disciple who went to a guru was called
"vineyan" meaning a person of humility which is the hall-mark of
Instruction he had from his guru, the fruit of education. Education without
humility is no education. Education is the same today as it was before, but
methods have changed. The medicine is the same but if the diet is changed,
the medicine becomes poison. Education has today become merely the means of
livelihood. For true education, the student should go to a guru and follow
the guru-kula system.
Right education should make us know that God is the Truth. Knowledge must
fill one with good qualities, through which one can realise the Truth, that
is God. Therefore, the goal of knowledge is the understanding of the
Ultimate Truth. The first fruit of education must be humility and self
control.
The total surrender to the Lord is a means of learning our insignificance
and the transcendent grace of the Lord.
If we engage an inquiry into the Atman, at the end of it, it will be clear
that God is in us as our very self. When that stage is reached, we have no
use for the devs. Then all karmas will fall away from us. But, until then,
we must obligatorily do the karmas directing them to the Gods.
Those who are the leaders of a group, society, or state should not neglect
the established religious customs and usages. For themselves the may mot be
in need of Church ceremonies, for instance, their advance in spirituality
may not require them. But if they begin to neglect them, the people for
whom the rituals are really helpful, will also start neglecting them. This
would be setting a bad example. In the words of the Bhagavad Gita, the wise
one should not unsettle the minds of those who are ignorant, and are
attached to action: on the contrary, he should encourage them to perform
what they should perform, by himself doing the appropriate actions well and
with diligence. It is duty cast upon the leaders and those that are at the
top to lead the people from where they are, and not to refrain from
participation in the traditional ways of worship.
By multiplying wants, we only increase poverty. What is essential for life
and honour should be made available to all the people of the country. It is
for this we want plans. Men of means should live like the poor and should
not increase their wants beyond necessities. The rich should share their
prosperity with the poor. This is punya, leading to salvation. The more we
increase our wants, to that extent, there will be no peace or comfort and
it will only produce poverty and sorrow.
Vedant which is the peak of the Vedas teaches the way for the removal of
sorrow. Hatred and desire arise only in respect of the objects other than
us. That desire will not arise if those objects are rendered identical with
us, if there is nothing other than us, then desire will not arise. If there
is no desire, there will be no effort and no sin. When there is no sin,
there will be no body and there will be no misery.
We may get many types of sorrow. What seems to be sorrow to all the people
of a place may not seem sorrowful to us. If we stay always happy, without
wanting t attain anything untouched by sorrow like the lotus-leaf and the
Kalakodi - seed, that is called yog. "Know that to be indicated as yog
which is separation from being united with sorrow, The removal of
association with sorrow."
In order to reach one purport, why should the Veda speak of many matters?
This question may arise in our minds. It is through many matters that it is
possible to understand that one purport which is Reality - yog, meditation,
austerity, sacrifice, performance of karma; when these are accomplished,
what they indicate is that one Reality. It is that Reality which is the
true purport of the Veda. Other things are of a changing nature. They
become woven into a story and then even that story disappears.
What for is the science of medicine? It is for keeping the body strong and
healthy. What if the body is not strong and healthy? The body will be
subject to diseases. What if there is disease? One will not be able to
function properly. He who has given this body is the supreme Self. This is
the truth, we should practice several disciplines. We can practice them
only if the body is well. In order to keep it well, we must prevent it from
becoming a prey to disease. The science of medicine tells us how to prevent
diseases. Thus, Ayurved helps in the realisation of Advait experience.
Savikapla Samadhi: The mind is steady without any distraction,
contemplating its object wholly absorbed therein.
Nirvikalp Samadhi: This is the goal of yog. In this, the mind ceases to
function and vanishes once and for all, leaving the self to shine forth
alone. In Advaita too, the path of meditation is recognised; but here the
object of meditation is the distinction-less Brahman.
Sahaj Samadhi: This is realised through the path of enquiry. It is the
natural state of Self-realisation and one of utter unconcern for the
fleeting phenomena.
There is nothing to feel elated about seeing the people worshipping me. But
when I reflect that is worship to the God, who they think are approachable
through me, I feel glad that there are so many who believe in a
compassionate God who will hear them and remove their misery.
Our religion Hinduism has grown by devotion, meditation and self-
purification. The other religions might have grown by propaganda and
conflict. The reason for crores of our people remaining within the fold of
Hinduism, in spite of powerful propaganda of other religionists, wars, lure
of money, etc., is we see a great man (Mahatma) in our midst by whom we are
impressed. We develop devotion to him and generate faith in our religion.
There is a text in the Veda which says that a flowering tree attracts bees
automatically. If we examine ourselves and we find one of use to be
perfect, the world will follow him.
A child eats earth. Its hands are tied by the mother. The child gets angry
and cries. Is it without reason the mother ties its hands? We do not know
the mercy of Universal Mother. The good or harm coming to us has its source
in Her Grace; Suffering - Her Grace for some reason. We must accept
whatever comes to us, good or bad, as Her Grace. We do not know why she
gives it. Our vision is limited. We do not know what precedes it or follows
it. If we are able to look into the past present and future, we will know
that God does no harm to us. Other than God, there is no kith or kin for
us.
We cannot say that a child or an idiot who keeps quiet without activity
like a stone is great. We cannot presume that he has attained jivanmukti.
This is the result of sin. He is a Yogi or Gyani whose intellect is very
subtle and as sharp as a sword. He has to become like a withered tree, an
immovable object with a steady mind. He must understand all that is
happening around him. His knowledge should be perfect. He should not be
affected by passion or sorrow. He should always be happy. None of us is
like that and Iswara is described as Sat-Chit-Ananda.
If God is the ocean of mercy and if He knows everything, He must know what
we want. Why should we appeal to Him to do this or that? The reasonable
answer is that instead of begging useless people at useless places, we
plead before the Highest and the Omniscient. Otherwise, we have no
justification to ask Him to give us this or that.
Everything disintegrates on earth and this earth also will vanish one day.
The sun will disappear and the whole universe will go. Then there must be
some powerful substratum responsible for creation, protection and
destruction. We call it God. We have the faculty of thinking and capacity
of doing, in smaller or greater measure. This also merges after our death
with the omnipotent. Being, from whom we derive this energy. The stable
principle which is the cause of creation and destruction of all energy is
God, called by any name.
Mother loves her child but later on, an unfaithful son causes her sorrow.
We know of cases where mother starts litigation against sons or sons
against mother. If one loves another, and if one of them dies, the
bereavement causes sorrow. The bank helps people who have deposited money
with them. It is supposed to remove the sorrows of the people in times of
need. But when the bank itself is liquidated or closed, the depositors
weep. Their sorrows once gave sustenance to the bank. The more we love, the
greater the sorrow in consequence. Then, shall we decide that we should not
love anyone at all? The object of this birth is to bestow undivided love on
someone. The subject of our love should not be quarrelsome or separable. If
we say that we should love only the imperishable God, then the question is:
can we hate others? Let us learn to love all by realising that God is in
all. God is eternal and our love for him should be eternal.
I am prone to come to the conclusion that there lives none without
predominantly selfish motives. But with years rolling on, an impression,
that too a superficial one, true to my nature, is dawning upon me that
there breathe on this globe some souls firmly rooted in morals and ethics
who live exclusively for others, voluntarily forsaking not only their
material gains and comforts but also their own sadhana towards their
spiritual improvements.
It is clear to us that there is birth and there is death. Passion is the
cause of birth. Time is the cause of death. What is created by passion is
destroyed by time. If passion comes, the seed sprouts. If time comes, the
tree dies. Kaalo Jagat Bhakshaka: Even the sun and the moon disintegrate
when time comes. If there is no passion, there is no production. If there
is no time then there is no destruction. Therefore we have to conquer Kaala
and Kaama. Ishwara burnt Kaama and kicked time. So if we go to Him, there
is neither birth nor death for us. Let us therefore pay to the Universal
Father and Mother.
"Jagata pitarau Vande Paarvati Parameswarau"
A master has two servants. One always flatters the master, the other just
performs his duties without any love for the master. If the master is a
fool, he would love the flattering servant. If the master is too clever, he
will not love either the man working for wages or the flatterer. The master
will love more the one who does his job as his own out of devotion. So is
the case with the Good Master, God.
Why do we break coconut before Lord Ganesh's idol? He is the Son of
Parameshwar and asked His Father to sacrifice His head with three eyes
because only then, he thought any effort would be crowned with success and
without any obstacle. So, instead of the head with three eyes, we are
breaking coconut which has three eyes. Ganesh is so powerful as to demand
the head of his own father. Whatever is superior to everything else must be
sacrificed to God. Symbolically, we are sacrificing the three - eyed
coconuts created by God, as ordained by Him. When a sannyasin attains
Siddhi, this is done.
Thinking that God is far away from you, you are wandering in search of Him.
So long as you do not know, He is far away. Though you may wander, you
cannot see Him, but he is near you. He is distant, yet near. The story of a
girl wanting to marry the highest among men, a king, ended, after all the
travels, in the discovery of an ordinary man her parents had already
selected. The bridegroom was so near. She took a long route to arrive at a
point so near.
We see our reflections in a mirror. In a row of mirrors, thousands of
reflections are seen. It is only one person who sees all these reflections.
The one who resides within us and who sees all this, is God. The seer is
the cause of all the seen. That cause is knowledge which is the basis of
this world. Where is that knowledge? Within you, what is macroscopic is
microscopic in you.
Joy comes in the form of status, money, etc. comes from without. We feel
isolated. But it is the smallest fragment of the great joy from within,
which is Anand. Paramatman, the anand within is not worried whether any joy
comes from outside and mixes with it or not. Waters enter into the sea,
which though ever being full, is ever motionless.
If we analyse the teachings of the Gita, there may appear to be many
contradictory matters regarding bhakti, karm and gyan. But the Lord takes
the devotee step by step. We must meditate on the form of God as described
in the scriptures. This bhakti will enable us to understand the universal
nature of God. Spiritual vision will then make it clear that God without
form is the Supreme Reality, which hears without ears, moves without legs.
To worship God at the initial stage, metaphysical knowledge is not
necessary. The more and more we meditate, bhakti grows and we automatically
realise the universal form. There is no distinction between the devotee and
the object of devotion.
Our minds should automatically seek and cling to God just as iron filings
are attracted by the magnet; the heart of the chaste wife seeks her
husband; the creeper embraces the tree; the rivers go to the sea.
Philosophical truths and ordinary people have nothing much in common.
Therefore outward garb is useless. The representatives of religion must
have real worth, peace -loving nature (shantam), austerity (tapas) and
unselfish nature. Hinduism, in spite of its vicissitudes, is surviving even
to this day. This is due to the blessings of a succession of saints. If
there is one saint among us, the world will prosper.
It is natural that man should seek to satisfy his wants like hunger,
thirst, and a place to rest. There are duties which an individual has
towards himself, the social group and the nation. Ordinarily, the
performance of these duties remains on the level of satisfying the
creaturely wants. But there is a way of performing these duties which will
elevate everyone concerned spiritually. That is dharma. And it is the duty
of the king or the state to see that the citizens are provided every
opportunity for spiritual growth and progress. That is the meaning of
saying: "Raja Dharmasya Kaaranam".
Upaasana is dhyaana or concentration of meditation. A form is required for
concentration. Reality is always the same and changeless. God, as the
Ultimate Reality, is Formless. But Upasana of a Form is done with a
purpose, namely, the attainment of a given benefit. The purpose to be
attained by worshipping or concentrating on a Form differs. The scriptures
tell you how to meditate and on what all Forms and with what results. For
Upasana, you have to follow the Sastras or Scriptures. The different
upasanas are all aids in the path to the ultimate goal, namely,
understanding Reality. Scriptures prescribe Upaasana in order to train the
mind to concentrate. Upasana is the affair of the individual; there is
nothing collective about it.
Neither the raw fruit nor the tree wants to leave each other. But when the
fruit becomes ripe, this attachment automatically disappears. Man requires
to experience anger, jealousy, passion, etc. just as the fruit had to
undergo various stages of growth and taste before it became fully ripe so
to get automatically detached from the tree. We cannot overcome these
experiences in the beginning. But we must ponder over the fact why we
undergo these experiences. Otherwise we will be the losers. We will become
slaves of these experiences and can never achieve fulfillment or
contentment.
When adversities overtake us, we blame God and complain that He is blind to
our misfortunes. But if we indulge in a little introspection, we will
realise that our faults are so enormous that we are utterly unworthy of His
grace and, in spite of that we are able to get food, shelter and clothing.
It is due to the abundant mercy of God. We must consider the difficulties
we encounter as a blessing in disguise.
A mother may tie the hands of her child who has the propensity to pick up
and eat mud. This seeming cruelty of the mother is for the good of the
child. Similarly troubles are verily God's grace to save us. In the entire
picture of life, troubles form but a tiny spot. In our inability to
visualise the past and the future, we complain when we suffer in the
present. A proper perspective will enable us to understand our present
plight in its proper setting.
Whenever any honour is done to a person the recipient must remember the
divine source from which he derived the qualifications to receive that
honour, and feel humble and not elated with a feeling of self-importance.
Cultivate Friendly attitude to conquer the minds of men;
Look at others as yourself;
Give up war; give up jealousy;
Don't commit aggression without reason;
Mother earth is like Kamadhenu to fulfil wishes;
The Lord God is like father showering mercy
People of the World!
Live with discipline;
Live with charity;
Live with mercy;
May all people attain greater well - being.
Source - http://www.kamakoti.org/miscl/divine50.html
More at:
http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/hinduism-rational-faith-and-scientific-spirituality
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://bit.do/jaimaharaj
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Hinduism - Rational Faith and Scientific Spirituality
By Vikas Sood
October 13, 2013
Hinduism - Sanatan Dharm
Rational faith and Scientific spirituality
Adi Shankaracharya
View image here:
Loading Image...
The unshakable faith in God and tolerance is the medicine of Grace to wipe
out our sorrows. Bhakti alone can give us the capacity to put up with
sorrows. Temples are the agencies for developing that Bhakti. Hence, the
need for temples at all places. All offerings to the deities in the temples
are tokens of our gratitude to God.
That which is within all, which is seen as "This" is the source. He who is
within and sees as "This" is God. It is the reality. It is in yourself.
What is limited is Sadhana; what is unlimited is the end.
He alone is an Acharya, who, after clearly understanding the conclusive
teachings of the Sastras, makes the people of the world gain their welfare
by making them stick to the path shown in the Sastras and also himself does
everything according to Sastras and remains in that experience.
Many acts relating to God, like building temples, digging tanks are
performed. While executing them, there would be many difficulties. There
would come also several kinds of dishonour. Not minding any of these, they
would complete their tasks with mental one-pointedness removing impurities
from their minds and letting the mind wander. By straightening their mind,
they acquire mind control and at the end, they realise the Reality that is
to be known. Digging tanks, building temples and such other acts are called
poorttam. The performance of sacrifices, etc., is known as ishtam.
Combining these two, we have the word Ishtapoortam.
In all that you do, let love be the sole motive. Any need must be with
reference to another. Let action be out of love. Passions such as desire
and hatred , anger and malice must be totally eschewed. If love becomes the
grounding principle of all deeds . then most of the ills of the world will
vanish.
We know many faults we commit, even if others do not know them. Sometimes
we realise we are doing so many evil things and repent bitterly and feel
why we should be born. Our duty is to pray to God -"I have committed so
many faults. Will you not, 0 God, give me the will power not do like that
in future and will you not purify my mind?" We must note down in a diary
every night before we go to bed the faults committed by us and pray to God
to give us courage and intelligence not to do so. This must be propagated
widely.
Parameswara and Shriman Narayana are one and the same in reality. They are
not two. This is the conclusive view of all the sastras. Names differ,
forms are different, occupations vary, but the reality which is within Them
is one and the same.
What is the purpose of human birth? To earn, to eat, to undergo misery
everyday and finally to die? Instead of earning and suffering, can we not
die now? The purpose of birth is to avoid re-birth. Except man, all animals
grow horizontally. Only man grows vertically. Instead of growing
horizontally, it is God's will that he should grow vertically in order to
look up. God has given to animals devices for self-protection; to man alone
He has given intelligence. By doing nothing, we avoid re-birth; By giving
up attachment, we avoid sins.
When any object is consumed by fire, it becomes charred. If that black
residue is burnt again, it becomes white ash. White ash continues to remain
white even when burnt again. This shows that white is the ultimate and
black is proximate to it. Science tells us that diamond and coal are
basically one. White and black are not colours. The primary colours get
separated from the objects to which they are attached when subjected to the
test of fire and ultimately white. Similarly, in the mental and spiritual
place, the Ultimate Reality is Shiv, who is white and proximate to Him is
Parvati, who is dark. When we test everything in the fire of Gyan, or true
knowledge, the residue is Shiv. Ash in the material plane corresponds to
Shiv in the spiritual plane. We smear our bodies with the sacred ash to
remind ourselves of Shiv and the fact that the ultimate goal of life is
Shiv.
Much is said about the personal God and the impersonal absolute God with
attributes and without attributes. It is only when all the colours in the
light mix together that we get the colourless rays of the sun. Similarly by
the very virtue of being the abode of attributes, God becomes Nirguna,
attribute-less.
By Education we realise Truth. There are many truths, History is one truth.
Geography is one truth, Mathematics is one truth. The content of truth is
the greatest in Mathematics. In others, there is an element of imagination.
In Geography, we come across names Asia, Africa, Madras, Calcutta, etc.
These names were given by us. By imagination, we have given names "plateau"
"valley", etc. By a process of gradual elimination of all that is
imaginary, when we arrive at truth, that Truth is found to be God. To think
of Him with real devotion is the fruit of education.
What is the use of education? Its first use is to develop humility
(vinaya). In olden days, the disciple who went to a guru was called
"vineyan" meaning a person of humility which is the hall-mark of
Instruction he had from his guru, the fruit of education. Education without
humility is no education. Education is the same today as it was before, but
methods have changed. The medicine is the same but if the diet is changed,
the medicine becomes poison. Education has today become merely the means of
livelihood. For true education, the student should go to a guru and follow
the guru-kula system.
Right education should make us know that God is the Truth. Knowledge must
fill one with good qualities, through which one can realise the Truth, that
is God. Therefore, the goal of knowledge is the understanding of the
Ultimate Truth. The first fruit of education must be humility and self
control.
The total surrender to the Lord is a means of learning our insignificance
and the transcendent grace of the Lord.
If we engage an inquiry into the Atman, at the end of it, it will be clear
that God is in us as our very self. When that stage is reached, we have no
use for the devs. Then all karmas will fall away from us. But, until then,
we must obligatorily do the karmas directing them to the Gods.
Those who are the leaders of a group, society, or state should not neglect
the established religious customs and usages. For themselves the may mot be
in need of Church ceremonies, for instance, their advance in spirituality
may not require them. But if they begin to neglect them, the people for
whom the rituals are really helpful, will also start neglecting them. This
would be setting a bad example. In the words of the Bhagavad Gita, the wise
one should not unsettle the minds of those who are ignorant, and are
attached to action: on the contrary, he should encourage them to perform
what they should perform, by himself doing the appropriate actions well and
with diligence. It is duty cast upon the leaders and those that are at the
top to lead the people from where they are, and not to refrain from
participation in the traditional ways of worship.
By multiplying wants, we only increase poverty. What is essential for life
and honour should be made available to all the people of the country. It is
for this we want plans. Men of means should live like the poor and should
not increase their wants beyond necessities. The rich should share their
prosperity with the poor. This is punya, leading to salvation. The more we
increase our wants, to that extent, there will be no peace or comfort and
it will only produce poverty and sorrow.
Vedant which is the peak of the Vedas teaches the way for the removal of
sorrow. Hatred and desire arise only in respect of the objects other than
us. That desire will not arise if those objects are rendered identical with
us, if there is nothing other than us, then desire will not arise. If there
is no desire, there will be no effort and no sin. When there is no sin,
there will be no body and there will be no misery.
We may get many types of sorrow. What seems to be sorrow to all the people
of a place may not seem sorrowful to us. If we stay always happy, without
wanting t attain anything untouched by sorrow like the lotus-leaf and the
Kalakodi - seed, that is called yog. "Know that to be indicated as yog
which is separation from being united with sorrow, The removal of
association with sorrow."
In order to reach one purport, why should the Veda speak of many matters?
This question may arise in our minds. It is through many matters that it is
possible to understand that one purport which is Reality - yog, meditation,
austerity, sacrifice, performance of karma; when these are accomplished,
what they indicate is that one Reality. It is that Reality which is the
true purport of the Veda. Other things are of a changing nature. They
become woven into a story and then even that story disappears.
What for is the science of medicine? It is for keeping the body strong and
healthy. What if the body is not strong and healthy? The body will be
subject to diseases. What if there is disease? One will not be able to
function properly. He who has given this body is the supreme Self. This is
the truth, we should practice several disciplines. We can practice them
only if the body is well. In order to keep it well, we must prevent it from
becoming a prey to disease. The science of medicine tells us how to prevent
diseases. Thus, Ayurved helps in the realisation of Advait experience.
Savikapla Samadhi: The mind is steady without any distraction,
contemplating its object wholly absorbed therein.
Nirvikalp Samadhi: This is the goal of yog. In this, the mind ceases to
function and vanishes once and for all, leaving the self to shine forth
alone. In Advaita too, the path of meditation is recognised; but here the
object of meditation is the distinction-less Brahman.
Sahaj Samadhi: This is realised through the path of enquiry. It is the
natural state of Self-realisation and one of utter unconcern for the
fleeting phenomena.
There is nothing to feel elated about seeing the people worshipping me. But
when I reflect that is worship to the God, who they think are approachable
through me, I feel glad that there are so many who believe in a
compassionate God who will hear them and remove their misery.
Our religion Hinduism has grown by devotion, meditation and self-
purification. The other religions might have grown by propaganda and
conflict. The reason for crores of our people remaining within the fold of
Hinduism, in spite of powerful propaganda of other religionists, wars, lure
of money, etc., is we see a great man (Mahatma) in our midst by whom we are
impressed. We develop devotion to him and generate faith in our religion.
There is a text in the Veda which says that a flowering tree attracts bees
automatically. If we examine ourselves and we find one of use to be
perfect, the world will follow him.
A child eats earth. Its hands are tied by the mother. The child gets angry
and cries. Is it without reason the mother ties its hands? We do not know
the mercy of Universal Mother. The good or harm coming to us has its source
in Her Grace; Suffering - Her Grace for some reason. We must accept
whatever comes to us, good or bad, as Her Grace. We do not know why she
gives it. Our vision is limited. We do not know what precedes it or follows
it. If we are able to look into the past present and future, we will know
that God does no harm to us. Other than God, there is no kith or kin for
us.
We cannot say that a child or an idiot who keeps quiet without activity
like a stone is great. We cannot presume that he has attained jivanmukti.
This is the result of sin. He is a Yogi or Gyani whose intellect is very
subtle and as sharp as a sword. He has to become like a withered tree, an
immovable object with a steady mind. He must understand all that is
happening around him. His knowledge should be perfect. He should not be
affected by passion or sorrow. He should always be happy. None of us is
like that and Iswara is described as Sat-Chit-Ananda.
If God is the ocean of mercy and if He knows everything, He must know what
we want. Why should we appeal to Him to do this or that? The reasonable
answer is that instead of begging useless people at useless places, we
plead before the Highest and the Omniscient. Otherwise, we have no
justification to ask Him to give us this or that.
Everything disintegrates on earth and this earth also will vanish one day.
The sun will disappear and the whole universe will go. Then there must be
some powerful substratum responsible for creation, protection and
destruction. We call it God. We have the faculty of thinking and capacity
of doing, in smaller or greater measure. This also merges after our death
with the omnipotent. Being, from whom we derive this energy. The stable
principle which is the cause of creation and destruction of all energy is
God, called by any name.
Mother loves her child but later on, an unfaithful son causes her sorrow.
We know of cases where mother starts litigation against sons or sons
against mother. If one loves another, and if one of them dies, the
bereavement causes sorrow. The bank helps people who have deposited money
with them. It is supposed to remove the sorrows of the people in times of
need. But when the bank itself is liquidated or closed, the depositors
weep. Their sorrows once gave sustenance to the bank. The more we love, the
greater the sorrow in consequence. Then, shall we decide that we should not
love anyone at all? The object of this birth is to bestow undivided love on
someone. The subject of our love should not be quarrelsome or separable. If
we say that we should love only the imperishable God, then the question is:
can we hate others? Let us learn to love all by realising that God is in
all. God is eternal and our love for him should be eternal.
I am prone to come to the conclusion that there lives none without
predominantly selfish motives. But with years rolling on, an impression,
that too a superficial one, true to my nature, is dawning upon me that
there breathe on this globe some souls firmly rooted in morals and ethics
who live exclusively for others, voluntarily forsaking not only their
material gains and comforts but also their own sadhana towards their
spiritual improvements.
It is clear to us that there is birth and there is death. Passion is the
cause of birth. Time is the cause of death. What is created by passion is
destroyed by time. If passion comes, the seed sprouts. If time comes, the
tree dies. Kaalo Jagat Bhakshaka: Even the sun and the moon disintegrate
when time comes. If there is no passion, there is no production. If there
is no time then there is no destruction. Therefore we have to conquer Kaala
and Kaama. Ishwara burnt Kaama and kicked time. So if we go to Him, there
is neither birth nor death for us. Let us therefore pay to the Universal
Father and Mother.
"Jagata pitarau Vande Paarvati Parameswarau"
A master has two servants. One always flatters the master, the other just
performs his duties without any love for the master. If the master is a
fool, he would love the flattering servant. If the master is too clever, he
will not love either the man working for wages or the flatterer. The master
will love more the one who does his job as his own out of devotion. So is
the case with the Good Master, God.
Why do we break coconut before Lord Ganesh's idol? He is the Son of
Parameshwar and asked His Father to sacrifice His head with three eyes
because only then, he thought any effort would be crowned with success and
without any obstacle. So, instead of the head with three eyes, we are
breaking coconut which has three eyes. Ganesh is so powerful as to demand
the head of his own father. Whatever is superior to everything else must be
sacrificed to God. Symbolically, we are sacrificing the three - eyed
coconuts created by God, as ordained by Him. When a sannyasin attains
Siddhi, this is done.
Thinking that God is far away from you, you are wandering in search of Him.
So long as you do not know, He is far away. Though you may wander, you
cannot see Him, but he is near you. He is distant, yet near. The story of a
girl wanting to marry the highest among men, a king, ended, after all the
travels, in the discovery of an ordinary man her parents had already
selected. The bridegroom was so near. She took a long route to arrive at a
point so near.
We see our reflections in a mirror. In a row of mirrors, thousands of
reflections are seen. It is only one person who sees all these reflections.
The one who resides within us and who sees all this, is God. The seer is
the cause of all the seen. That cause is knowledge which is the basis of
this world. Where is that knowledge? Within you, what is macroscopic is
microscopic in you.
Joy comes in the form of status, money, etc. comes from without. We feel
isolated. But it is the smallest fragment of the great joy from within,
which is Anand. Paramatman, the anand within is not worried whether any joy
comes from outside and mixes with it or not. Waters enter into the sea,
which though ever being full, is ever motionless.
If we analyse the teachings of the Gita, there may appear to be many
contradictory matters regarding bhakti, karm and gyan. But the Lord takes
the devotee step by step. We must meditate on the form of God as described
in the scriptures. This bhakti will enable us to understand the universal
nature of God. Spiritual vision will then make it clear that God without
form is the Supreme Reality, which hears without ears, moves without legs.
To worship God at the initial stage, metaphysical knowledge is not
necessary. The more and more we meditate, bhakti grows and we automatically
realise the universal form. There is no distinction between the devotee and
the object of devotion.
Our minds should automatically seek and cling to God just as iron filings
are attracted by the magnet; the heart of the chaste wife seeks her
husband; the creeper embraces the tree; the rivers go to the sea.
Philosophical truths and ordinary people have nothing much in common.
Therefore outward garb is useless. The representatives of religion must
have real worth, peace -loving nature (shantam), austerity (tapas) and
unselfish nature. Hinduism, in spite of its vicissitudes, is surviving even
to this day. This is due to the blessings of a succession of saints. If
there is one saint among us, the world will prosper.
It is natural that man should seek to satisfy his wants like hunger,
thirst, and a place to rest. There are duties which an individual has
towards himself, the social group and the nation. Ordinarily, the
performance of these duties remains on the level of satisfying the
creaturely wants. But there is a way of performing these duties which will
elevate everyone concerned spiritually. That is dharma. And it is the duty
of the king or the state to see that the citizens are provided every
opportunity for spiritual growth and progress. That is the meaning of
saying: "Raja Dharmasya Kaaranam".
Upaasana is dhyaana or concentration of meditation. A form is required for
concentration. Reality is always the same and changeless. God, as the
Ultimate Reality, is Formless. But Upasana of a Form is done with a
purpose, namely, the attainment of a given benefit. The purpose to be
attained by worshipping or concentrating on a Form differs. The scriptures
tell you how to meditate and on what all Forms and with what results. For
Upasana, you have to follow the Sastras or Scriptures. The different
upasanas are all aids in the path to the ultimate goal, namely,
understanding Reality. Scriptures prescribe Upaasana in order to train the
mind to concentrate. Upasana is the affair of the individual; there is
nothing collective about it.
Neither the raw fruit nor the tree wants to leave each other. But when the
fruit becomes ripe, this attachment automatically disappears. Man requires
to experience anger, jealousy, passion, etc. just as the fruit had to
undergo various stages of growth and taste before it became fully ripe so
to get automatically detached from the tree. We cannot overcome these
experiences in the beginning. But we must ponder over the fact why we
undergo these experiences. Otherwise we will be the losers. We will become
slaves of these experiences and can never achieve fulfillment or
contentment.
When adversities overtake us, we blame God and complain that He is blind to
our misfortunes. But if we indulge in a little introspection, we will
realise that our faults are so enormous that we are utterly unworthy of His
grace and, in spite of that we are able to get food, shelter and clothing.
It is due to the abundant mercy of God. We must consider the difficulties
we encounter as a blessing in disguise.
A mother may tie the hands of her child who has the propensity to pick up
and eat mud. This seeming cruelty of the mother is for the good of the
child. Similarly troubles are verily God's grace to save us. In the entire
picture of life, troubles form but a tiny spot. In our inability to
visualise the past and the future, we complain when we suffer in the
present. A proper perspective will enable us to understand our present
plight in its proper setting.
Whenever any honour is done to a person the recipient must remember the
divine source from which he derived the qualifications to receive that
honour, and feel humble and not elated with a feeling of self-importance.
Cultivate Friendly attitude to conquer the minds of men;
Look at others as yourself;
Give up war; give up jealousy;
Don't commit aggression without reason;
Mother earth is like Kamadhenu to fulfil wishes;
The Lord God is like father showering mercy
People of the World!
Live with discipline;
Live with charity;
Live with mercy;
May all people attain greater well - being.
Source - http://www.kamakoti.org/miscl/divine50.html
More at:
http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/hinduism-rational-faith-and-scientific-spirituality
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://bit.do/jaimaharaj
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