The Writings of GC Sarma

Jnana Yoga

2008-08-06T09:50:00.001+05:30

Divers get to the bottom of the sea and fish out pearls. Our Hindu Rishis were super divers. Instead of going out to the sea for a dive, they plunged within themselves and found a wonderful treasure, much more valuable than all the wealth of the world. After such a successful plunge, one of the Rishis came out and declared, “Listen, O the Children of the Immortal One, who reside in this world or in the brighter ones, I have known the Great One, knowing whom one goes beyond death (ignorance).” Diving within himself the Rishi did really touch and reach the bottom of the universe and discover the great treasure that can take us beyond death.

The Rishi wanted to know himself. Withdrawing his mind from the sense-world, he applied it to make a vigorous search for his real self. This led him to a point where the mind was hushed into silence and the self stood revealed in all its glory. The Rishi saw who he really was. He discovered that his Self (Atman) was no other than God – the Great Spirit (Brahman) within the universe. Thus, realizing his oneness with God, he reached the goal of liberation (Mukti) and cried ‘Eureka’ in the abundance of joy. What a miracle! A man becomes God as soon as he knows himself. Well, man is not something other than God. Essentially he is God always. Only he has to discover this fact for himself. And this is all he has to do for liberation (Mukti).

The spiritual practice (Sadhana) that leads one straight to this discovery is what is known as Jnana-Yoga. Jnana means knowledge, and Jnana-Yoga stands for concentration on self-knowledge. Such concentration helps one to penetrate the depths of ignorance (Avidya) and realize that the real self (Atman) is none other than the Great One (Brahman).

This yoga is based on the Jnana-Kanda of the Vedas. The Upanishads dwell mainly on this theme. They enjoin, “Know Thyself”. And Why? Because they declare, the real self of man is verily the same as the Great One. So by knowing oneself one realizes the Great One, and becomes one with him. He becomes a liberated soul (Mukta Purusha).

These are no empty words or mere dogmas. They are spiritual truths discovered by the Rishis of the Upanishads. And they have since been verified by thousands of blessed saints and seers of this holy land.

Jnana-Yoga stands on such spiritual truths and throws open a direct approach to self-knowledge (Atma-Gnana) and hence to liberation (Mukti). It does not prescribe any code of rituals. Nor does it require one, like Raja-Yoga, to go through any quasi mechanical exercise of the body and mind. Cogitations on the essence of one’s being as revealed by the Shastras, followed by meditation on the same, are all about that comprise the Jnana-Yoga course. And this is precisely why this yoga appeals to those intellectuals who are rationalistic by nature.

No detour has to be made by the Jnana-Yogi. He cuts across the domain of ignorance (Avidya) with the sword of discrimination (Viveka) and reaches the goal by the shortest route. But, it is not easy to make such a short-cut. A good deal of mental preparation is necessary before one may take to Jnana-Yoga. One must have a pure and sound mind before going in for this course. The divinity of the self can be realized only with the help of a very fine and pointed intellect, and the intellect attains such a state only when the mind is thoroughly purified. Because of that only those who are well grounded in the four requisites (Sadhana-Chatustaya-Sampanna) are said to be qualified for taking up this yoga.

He must discriminate between the Real (God) and the Unreal (Universe). He must not hanker after anything of this world or the next ones. His senses and mind must remain entirely under his control and he must remain contented under all circumstances. He has to put up with all afflictions that may come in his way and that without any grudge or regret. He must have intense faith in himself and in the spiritual truth discovered by the Rishis. He must have concentration of mind. And, above all, he must have a burning desire for attaining Mukti and one pointed devotion to gaining the end.

Without such mental equipment, meditation on the self is impossible. By cogitation about the real nature of the self one may at best succeed in getting a hazy intellectual conception about it. Any further progress is barred simply. And compared with the realization of the Self, this conception is nothing but trash. It may enable one merely to talk glibly on the subject like an erudite scholar (Pundit). And this is about all an unclean mind may get on this loath. Spiritual illumination is far away off, attainable only by the pure ones.

To persons with the necessary qualifications, Jnana-Yoga presents only three steps namely:

Shravana (Hearing)
Manana (Cogitating)
Nididhyasana (Meditating)

The first step (Shravana) consists in hearing about the real self. One has to do this from an illuminated guide. A liberated sage alone can speak effectively on the subject and clear the pupil’s doubts, provided the pupil is also duly qualified. Such a sage has to be approached by the pupil with humility, pertinent queries and service so that he may disclose the secrets of self-knowledge. When, however, such a sage is not available, one has to be guided at least by a well advanced soul. Under such guidance one should study the relevant scriptures dealing with self-knowledge.

The second step is Manana, that is, cogitation. One has to reason out what has been heard from the guru (Spiritual Guide) and the shastras (Scriptures). A good deal of hard almost constant thinking is necessary, since one has to dwell on very subtle abstractions. And this has to be done with one pointed attention. This, in short, is what Manana stands for.

Normally, we have a lot of confused thinking, and this has to be corrected as far as possible by Manana. Although our observation and study enable us to know a good many things of the universe, it is a fact that we know very little about ourselves.

“I”, “Me”, “My”, “Mine” are the most commonly used words. I am the subject and the entire world outside is the object of my experience. The world is thus divided into myself as the subject of experience and everything else grouped together as the object of my experience. Of these two groups, the subject is surely the more important one. As a matter of fact, I am the very center of my view of the world.

In spite of such paramount importance of one’s self, we appear to have a very muddled idea about ourselves. Our very talks betray this fact. Indeed, it is most surprising to note that we scarcely know what parts of our being we precisely refer to by the word “I”. Yet this word stands for something with which one is vitally concerned and all other things come after that.

When I say, “This is a horse”, I surely mean that the horse is something distinct from me, that it is only an object of my experience. When I say, “This is my horse”, I mean that the horse, which is a distinct object of my experience belongs to me. I never confuse the horse with myself. When the horse kicks, I never say that I am kicking. So far we are perfectly consistent in our thoughts. The same thing holds good whenever we talk of any other object of our experience like the horse.

But when I say “My Body”, there is some confusion in my thought. Obviously I mean that the body belongs to me; therefore the body must surely be something distinct from me. It is an object of my experience as much as any other thing. But our ideas are not at all clear on this point. For, when I say, “I am wounded”, we betray such confusion. The wound is evidently on the body which is distinct from myself. But we forgot this fact and take the body as myself or a part of my being. When we say, “I am wounded”. Thus we say, “I am weak, sick, old” etc, when really the body passes through such states. Even our idea that I am a man or a woman is derived from such confused thinking.

So, with the Mind, we use the expression “My Mind”. By that surely mean that the mind is distinct from myself. But we do not witness the functions of our mind, just as we observe all external events? Indeed, the mind is an object of our experience like all other things. But we have no clear grasp of this idea. Else how can we say, “I think, I desire, I will”. When really the mind is doing all these things? We use both the expressions, “My mind is worried” and “I am worried” to convey the same idea. This clearly shows how we are confused about the relation of our mind to ourselves.

The body and mind are distinct objects of my experience. Yet we look upon them as parts of our being. The truth, however, leaks out when we say, “My Body”, “My Mind”, etc. Truth and Untruth are somehow mixed up in our thought. This, the Hindu Shastras hold, is primarily due to ignorance (Avidya). This Avidya covers up our real nature and shows us as something that we are not. The self same soul is present in every creature, from the smallest amoeba up to the liberated sage. The difference between them is only in the degree of its manifestation. As ignorance (Avidya) clears up bit by bit, the soul becomes more and more manifest.

On the human plane our ignorance about our real self is deep enough to make us even think that we are nothing but the body. This is our erudest idea about ourselves. With a little and imperfect discrimination we gradually come to believe that we are the body, the senses and the mind lumped together. When we advance a step farther, we find that the body is only an outer casing, in which we live in a finer state of existence, as a composition of the senses, the mind, intellect (Buddhi) and vital energy (Pranas). Proceeding farther, we see that even these are the objects of our experience. We can witness their functioning. At this stage we find that we live in Buddhi (Intellect). Normally that appears to be the seat of all creatures (Jivas).

Taking his stand on Buddhi, the Jiva claims to be the doer of all deeds (Karta) and the subject of all experience (Bhokta). This is described in one of the Upanishads through a beautiful imagery: “Know the Soul as the Rider, the Body as the Chariot, the Buddhi as the Charioteer, the Mind as the Reins, the Indriyas as the Horses and the Sense Objects as the Road Traverse”.

Really, we reside as Jivas in the intellect (Buddhi), which is a part of the subtle body (Sushma Shareera) consisting of the intellect, mind, sense-organs and vital energy. As Jivas we make contact with the gross outer world through the material body (Sthula Shareera). Again, leaving the material body alone in light sleep, we become the subject of action and experience in the dream state as well. With the entire subtle body (Sushma Shareera) we pass out of the material body at death and enter another at rebirth. Thus, as Jivas we continue living through myriad of births and deaths.

Everyday, however something very astounding takes place when we fall asleep. For, in the state of deep sleep (Sushupti) we lose all our bearings and simply vanish from the stage, as it were. In that state we do not perceive anything nor can we perform any act. We cease to exist as actors and perceivers. We no longer seem to be Jivas. We are reduced to the casual state (Karanavastha). We live with all our thoughts and experiences (Samskara) potentially present in that state. And as soon as we are released from Sushupti, we appear to spring up into existence as the subject of action and perception either on the dream stage or on the waking one.

Indeed, this phenomenon of Sushupti is unusual. It causes a break almost everyday in our continued existence as the subject of action and experience. Yet in deep sleep we cannot say that we cease to exist. It is not a total blank or void. We feel that there is a continuity of our existence even through sound sleep. When we wake up, we can say that we had a sound sleep and did not experience anything. On whose evidence do we say that? The active part of our being was not on the stage. Yet there remained something in us that witnessed the sleep state (Sushupti). This simple witnessing without any action or experience, is, therefore done by something in us that never goes to sleep. It exists always. And this precisely, is our real self (Sakshi-Chaitanya). The self is neither the doer nor the experiencer. It is the constant witness of all actions and experiences of the Jiva as the latter passes through the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep and goes on and on from birth to birth.

We are really this witnessing self. The Jiva, the actor and perceiver (Karta and Bhokta) in us, is also an object of experience. Beyond the Buddhi and distinct from it, we exist eternally as pure spirit. This is our soul. And the Hindu Shastras declare that the soul of us all is one All-Pervading-Existence. It is an infinite ocean of existence, knowledge and bliss. This is verily Brahman, the Infinite One, from whom all the worlds, gross and fine, are projected, in whom they exist and into whom they disappear during Pralaya (Dissolution).

Yes, our soul is one and undivided. Our separate Buddhis, illumined by the consciousness of the self-same soul, appear as distinct conscious entities. Like the so many moons, they shine with the light of the same sun, namely, Brahman. And, this moon of Jiva in us lights up all that we see about us in the gross or finer worlds.

Through Manana along these lines the qualified aspirant (Sadhaka) is able, in course of time, to grasp the fact that, detached from the gross and fine bodies, he stands aloof as the witness, the Supreme Self.

The third step, Nididhyasana, requires the Jnana-Yogi at the stage to withdraw himself entirely from all things and concentrate on the idea, “I am the witness”. When such concentration matures, suddenly everything vanishes from the scene and he finds himself one with the Eternal Spirit. This state is called “Nirvikaya Samadhi”.

Thus, with the help of these three steps, the Jnana-Yogi peels the universe layer by layer, as it were, and reaches its very core and comes to be blessed with the Supreme Realization.

Raja Yoga

2008-07-22T04:44:00.000+05:30

There are some people who cannot take anything on trust. They want to be convinced of everything only by tangible results. In a word, those with a scientific outlook come within this group. And in these days the number of such people is on the increase.

To such people Raja-Yoga is admirably suited. It does not require anybody to swallow any dogma nor to perform any mystifying ritual. It prescribes simply a graded course of mental concentration. And the courses are perfectly rational. The goal of mukti is reached when the mind becomes absolutely still.

It is described as Ashtanga-Yoga, because it prescribes eight successive courses through which one has to pass. One need not start with faith in anything. One may even take up the courses, one after another, with the idea of testing their efficacy. If a sincere attempt be made, even the preliminary courses may thrill a novice with novel experience within a short period.

The eight courses are:

Yama
Niyama
Asana
Pranayama
Pratyahara
Dharana
Dhyana
Samadhi

The first two are meant for moral purification. Yama consists of non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence (self-control) and non receiving of any gift. Niyama stands for cleanliness, contentment, austerity, study and self-surrender to god. Without these moral assets no spiritual progress is possible. So one must be well grounded in yama and niyama before proceeding further.

The next step is asana. This is only a sort of physical exercise. The object is to train the body to sit erect for a long time. Various postures are prescribed. In all of them, however, the spinal column has to be kept erect, the head, neck and chest have to be held in a straight line. One may choose any of these postures and practice it till one can sit motionless for at least an hour.

Pranayama is a breathing exercise. Rhythmic breathing helps concentration of mind. Sitting still (asana) together with rhythmic breathing (pranayama) makes the mind fit for looking inward. For the practice of pranayama one should be guided by an expert. Else it may vitally injure the body.

The next step is pratyahara, which means drawing in of the sense-organs. The mind is agitated mightily and ceaselessly by these organs. The eyes, ears, etc on the physical body are only outer instruments. Corresponding to them there are subtle counterparts, which are called indriyas (sense-organs) by our shastras.

Normally these inner organs remain attached to their respective outer instruments; and as the latter come in contact with their objects (vishaya), the former break out into waves of distinct forms and stir up corresponding waves in the mind. When the physical eyes, for instance, contact a flower, the inner organ of sight produces the form of flower in the mind. It is this mental form that we see outside. Thus with all our sensations of colour, sound, smell, taste and touch. Each sensation corresponds to a particular modification of the mind through an indriya. Thus so long as one remains awake the outer instruments remain in contact with their objects and go on subjecting the inner organs of perception (jnanendriya) together with the mind to a non-stop series of modifications (vritti).

Yet this is not all. The perceptions brought about in this way call up by suggestions, from within the depths of the mind, allied thoughts and impulses and stir up the inner organs of work (karmendriya). This is followed immediately by the formation of waves of will in the mental stuff. I see a flower; thoughts and impulses rush up from within the mind and determine a will to seize the flower. All these are the successive changes of the mental stuff. Hence, as long as the inner organs remain attached to the outer instruments the mind is bound to be in a state of continuous turmoil.

Pratyahara consists in detaching the inner organs (indriyas) from the outer instruments and thus keeping them unruffled. This is a great step towards pacifying the mind. At first one is advised to control the bubbling up of subconscious thoughts. This is done by letting the mind run on and watching the thoughts that come up from within the depths of the mind. This mental exercise is a sort of emptying the mind. It gradually slows down the rush of thoughts from within the surface of the mind. As this go on, the mind becomes steadier and along with that the nerves become more and more soothed and strengthened. One can then get a hold on the inner organs and try to detach them from the outer instruments.

With the gradual steadiness of the mind achieved through pratyahara, all its faculties become keener. The powers of observation, reasoning, memory and will increase as the restlessness of the mind decreases. Really, a steady mind is keen, firm and vigorous mind. Character must have such a mind for its basis. Pratyahara goes a long way to ensure such steadiness by freeing the mind from a good deal of external and internal disturbance. However, after practising the pratyahara for some time one feels that the mind has become rather pliable and ready for concentration on one object or idea.

At that stage one should try to fix the mind on a single object. He may choose any object on which he is to meditate. Yet, he will find that, in spite of his best efforts, the mind does not remain glued to his chosen object. The object appears to be hazy and there are breaks in the concentration. But he has to make repeated attempts. This process is called dharana.

Dharana naturally leads to dhyana. Repeated attempts at fixing the mind on one object help one to do that thoroughly for a short stretch of time. The mind then appears to flow in an unbroken current towards its target. This stage of the mind is what is known as dhyana.

Through intense practice dhyana is followed by another step called samadhi. This is concentration par excellence. During samadhi the mind loses its grip on all other things. As in deep sleep, a man in samadhi becomes unconscious of everything about him. Even the object of meditation melts away. Yet samadhi makes the mind keener than ever. It is in this state that the real import of the object comes like a flash and occupies the entire mind. Then and then alone one's knowledge about the object becomes complete.

This state of mind is called Samprajnata Samadhi. By meditating on any object in nature till the mind is merged in such samadhi, one can have thorough knowledge of it. With such deep and direct knowledge comes mastery or complete control over the object. Through such concentration on the gross bhutas (earth, water, fire, air, and ether), the hindu yogis gain the power of controlling external nature.

The first five steps are only preparations for yoga, that is, concentration. The last three namely, dharana, dhyana and samadhi constitute the course of concentration proper, known as samyama. samyama starts with dharana, which matures in due course into dhyana and samadhi, one after the other.

Samyama is to be practised first on gross objects and then on gradually on finer and finer ones. In the finer stage, the mind itself becomes the object of concentration. Through this, the hindu yogis gain control over their own minds as well as over those of others, and come to know intimately everything in nature, external and internal.

Yet this is not the goal. Samprajnata Samadhi brings out the latent powers, reveals the secrets of all objects in external and internal nature and enables the yogi to gain complete control over them. But it falls short of revealing the divinity of his self and liberating him from samsara. A slip even from such a stage may whirl him through several births of miserable existence.

But he stands almost at the gate of supreme realization. If the yogi patiently persists in his practice of Samadhi on his own mind, at a certain stage a very wonderful event takes place. Suddenly the mind becomes perfectly still. This is known as Asamprajnata Samadhi. As soon as this happens, the last cover seems to have been taken off and the self stands revealed in its divine glory. The yogi then really comes to the very core of his being and realizes it as nothing but god.

When his consciousness comes back to the normal plane, the yogi appears to be thoroughly transformed. There is nothing for him to desire, fear or grieve for. He has reached the goal. His heart is full of peace. With love and compassion for all, he goes about guiding others on the path of liberation.

Words of caution - the path of raja-yoga, however, is full of pitfalls. One should be beware of these from the very beginning. Any undue haste is dangerous. The essential moral preparation through the practice of yam and miasma must be completed before taking up any of the following courses. Otherwise the yogi's toil may just end in wrecking his body. All sorts of physical ailments, reaching up to nervous disorder and even to insanity, may be the result of such rash endeavor. Then, the practice of panorama without a guide has every chance of proving equally risky. One may with more benefit skip over this step altogether and take up pratyahara.

With pratyahara, the mind begins to know itself. The yogi enters a new region and starts getting some novel experience. As his concentration deepens through dharana, dhyana and samadhi, he discovers the immense potency of the mind. Much of the mental energy remains untapped and a good deal is wasted by the ordinary man. Yoga enables one to release the latent powers and work wonders with them. These supernormal powers are known as siddhis. Hypnotism, telepathy, clairvoyance and clairaudience, and many more miraculous feats may easily be performed by a yogi with the help of these siddhis (occult powers).

But these powers may entrap a yogi. Like riches, these wonderful powers may divert his mind from the path of god. He may feel tempted to display these for winning wealth and adoration. If he does that, he becomes lost over again in the maze of samsara.

A real seeker of eternal bliss should never yield to such temptations. He must never seek such powers nor make a show of them when these come to be acquired through the practice of yoga.

There are some people, who take up raja-yoga only for the attainment of worldly things and miraculous powers. They want to improve their health, beauty and youth and to impose on others by showing miracles. Evidently these people are selfish and world-bound. Occult powers in their possession are apt to prove dangerous to society. They may do a lot of mischief to their fellow-men. Thus raja-yoga, which can help us to manifest our divinity, is liable to be abused by these power seekers. One should be beware of those who interpret yoga in terms of temporal powers. Spirituality has nothing to do with these powers. Any desire for these, like all other desires for worldly things, is suicidal to spiritual life and is to be shunned like poison.

Nivritti Marga

2008-07-08T03:04:00.001+05:30

What man really wants is eternal bliss (shreyas). Only he does not know where and how to get it. He mistakes sense pleasures for pure bliss. This is why he desires the attractive things of this world and the next. Wealth, progeny, fame and hundreds of other things of this world attract him. He runs after them. He seizes some and enjoys them for a while. Some elude his grasp and he feels miserable. While some others remain in his clutches for a time and then suddenly disappear. Such losses hurt him. Then again as soon as he gains some coveted things fresh desires crop up and make him restless. He finds to his dismay that the senses cannot be appeased by enjoyment. Rather their craving is increased by the process. So his life becomes a non-stop race after these fleeting pleasures. On this path he never attains contentment. Misery, born of unfulfilled desire and parting with coveted things, dogs him at every step. And this goes on from birth to birth, for he has to face death again and again, though he may not like it.

Even the higher and finer worlds where he gets unalloyed pleasures, do not give him eternal bliss. There a man of meritorious deeds may go after death and enjoy intense pleasures. But that is only for a short time. After that he has to come down and be born again on this earth. Really, so long as man is driven by desire, neither this world nor the next can bring him eternal bliss. Desire is verily the chain that binds him to samsara. Yet man is loath to part with desire. The craving for sense objects dominates him. The camel likes to browse on prickly shrubs, though these make his mouth bleed. Just so, man gloats over sense-pleasures, though these bring him untold miseries through repeated cycles of births and deaths. The number of such men is very great indeed. For them the first step is to take the Pravritti Marga, that is, the path of desire. They are not to give up all desires. Only they have to regulate these by faithfully following the injunctions (vidhi) and prohibitions (nishedha) of the shastras. Those who do this enjoy the good things of this world and the next. And their minds become purified to some extent.

After enjoying the intense pleasures of the higher worlds they come back to this earth and tread the path of desire with more devotion. Again their meritorious deeds lead them to the intense pleasures of the higher worlds after death. This process goes on over and over again till their minds become very pure. At this stage they realize the vanity of desires. By their repeated experience they grasp the truth that desires are never quenched by enjoyment, just as fire can never be quenched by butter. Unfulfilled desires make one unhappy. Moreover, the period of enjoyment even in the higher worlds is limited. By their own observation they become convinced that the path of desire cannot lead them to eternal bliss. And it is this eternal bliss that they have been seeking all the time. Realizing the futility of desires, they go out in search of path that may lead them to eternal bliss, eternal life and infinite knowledge. This quest is the very strong point of real religion.

The Pravritti Marga is no more than a preliminary discipline. It serves its purpose by making our minds pure enough to realize the futility of running after sense-objects. This precisely is its scope. It takes us no farther than that on the road to perfection. So long as we remain pinned to sense-objects for our enjoyment, the divinity within us remains concealed from our view. Our gaze has to be drawn away from the sense-objects and turned inward to realize him. Then and then only it is possible for us to attain perfection, and get eternal bliss, eternal life and infinite knowledge. Our desire for sense-objects is, therefore, the only hurdle on the road to perfection. It makes us world-bound. We have to cross the hurdle. Real religion begins and ends with this crossing. The moment we are free from desire we become divine. The Nivritti Marga, that is, the path of renunciation leads us to this goal. It teaches us how we may root out our desires and thereby unfold our spiritual nature. This, therefore, is pre-eminently the path of religion. This is why those who extol the Pravritti Marga too much and consider it to be the supreme religion are denounced by Bhagavan Sri Krishna in the Gita. Indeed, religion begins with the path of renunciation.

In the Katha Upanishad, a beautiful sloka gives the whole thing in a nutshell. "The creator has made our senses outward-bound; this is why we ordinarily perceive the external world and not the self. Some poised men, however, desirous of immortality, realize the self after drawing away their senses from the sense-objects." Our Upanishads are abound with such passages. Take another: "Neither by rituals nor progeny, nor by wealth, but by renunciation alone some attained immortality." Compare with the above the common saying: "Where there is rama (god) there is no kama (desire), and where there is kama (desire), there rama (god) is not." Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has put it thus: "If you desire to attain god, you will have to renounce kama-kanchana (lust and possession)." This is the Nivritti Marga. The path is, no doubt, hard and long. Yet it is the only path to be trod, if we want to go ahead towards perfection. The Nivritti Marga however comprehends a number of alternative routes to perfection. The same destination may be reached by train, car, boat or aircraft through different tracks on land, water and air. It is for us to choose the conveyance and the route that will suit our convenience. Similarly, there are various routes within the Nivritti Marga leading to the manifestation of the divinity within us. It is for us to choose the route that will suit us the best. The different paths prescribed by Hinduism are suited to men of different nature. Some people like action, some prefer contemplation. Some are emotional by nature, some others want to rely more on reason than on emotion.

Our religion shows a distinct path to each group. These paths are called Yogas. Yoga literally means union. These paths lead us to a stage when we become aware of god. Hence they may be said to unite us with god. Of course, the union has all along been there; by yoga we become conscious of this fact. However, this is why these paths are called yogas. Broadly speaking, there are four such yogas to suit four fundamental types of men. For the men of action there is karma-yoga, for the intellectual men jnana-yoga, for the emotional men bhakti-yoga and for the empiricists raja-yoga. Empiricist is one who relies more on his own experience rather than on the scientific knowledge. In the Gita, Sri Krishna says, "Out of thousands of men, one strives sincerely for liberation." Indeed, few people want sincerely to rise above nature and be free. Only those who experience, through repeated births, the hollowness of sense-pleasures go in for renunciation. To them only the desire for sense-objects appears to be a bondage, which they want earnestly to break through. For doing this they have to take up any of the four yogas and go through the spiritual discipline prescribed by it. Their gurus or spiritual guides show them the paths that suit them best and advise them as to how they may get over their difficulties in the way. Hinduism is very clear about the necessity of a spiritual guide (guru) for a spiritual aspirant. We shall next discuss about raja-yoga.

Upanishads - 3

2007-12-19T11:03:00.000+05:30

RAMAYANA AND MAHABHARATA

- Like the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are two very popular and useful Shastras of the Hindus. These are two epics (Mahakavya) produced by the sages Valmiki and Vyasa respectively. They are classed as Itihasas (histories) and they give us interesting stories through which all the essential teachings of Hinduism are stamped on one's mind. These have been translated in many Indian vernaculars. It is through these translations that the bulk of the Hindus get acquainted with their religion.

BHAGAVADGITA

- A portion of the Mahabharata is known as "Gita". The Mahabharata describes the battle of Kurukshetra. The Kauravas and their cousins, the Pandavas, were the contending parties. Of the five Pandava princes, Arjuna was the third and the greatest hero. Bhagavan Sri Krishna chose to be his charioteer. Just on the eve of the great battle Bhagavan Sri Krishna explained the essentials of the Hindu religion to Arjuna. This section of the Mahabharata containing the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is known as Shrimad-Bhagavad-Gita. Just as the Upanishads contain the cream of the Vedas, so does the Gita contains the cream of the Upanishads. Of all the Hindu Shastras, the Gita has come to be by far the most popular one.

PRASTHANATRAYA

- The Upanishads, the Vedanta Darshana and the Gita are grouped together and called the "Prasthanatraya". These are looked upon as the basic scriptures of the Hindu religion. They are highly authoritative. The founders of the important sects of Hinduism had to base their teachings on the Prasthanatraya. Only they interpreted it in different ways and came to different conclusions, such as Advaita-Vada (Monism), Vishishtadvaita-Vada (Qualified Monism) and Dvaita-Vada (Dualism).

TANTRAS

- There is yet another group of Shastras known as Tantras. These dwell on Shakti (Energy) aspect of God and prescribe numerous courses of ritualistic worship of the Divine Mother in various forms. The texts are usually in the form of dialogues between Shiva and Parvati. In some of these, Shiva, as the teacher answers the questions put by Parvati; in others the Goddess is the teacher answering Shiva's questions. The former texts are known as Agama and the latter as Nigama. Allied to the Tantras are the Pancharatna Samhitas of the Vaishnavas and the Shaiva Agamas. Like the Tantras, these also claim to present easier cults and doctrines more suited to the age (Kali-Yuga) than the Vedas. Unlike the other Shastras, these do not derive their authority from the Vedas, to which, however, they are not openly hostile. Another feature of this group of sacred texts is that they are open to all castes and both the sexes after they are initiated (Dikshita).

Upanishads - 2

2007-11-19T08:13:00.000+05:30

DARSHANAS:

- The knowledge of God found in the vedas gave rise to six different schools of thought. The sages Jaimini, Vyasa, Kapila, Patanjali, Goutama and Kanada introduced these different schools. Each of them wrote what is known as a "Darshana"; and the six together are known as Shad-Darshana. Purva Mimansa, Uttara Mimansa (Vedanta), Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya and Vaisheshika are the six Darshanas named in order of their authors mentioned above. Each of these is written in a particular style, namely in "SUTRAS". The Sutras of sanskrit grammar remind one of the style of the Darshanas. These terse Sutras of the Darshanas require explanation and these naturally gave rise, in course of time, to a vast number of notes and commentaries on each of the Darshanas.

- Of these Darshanas, the Purva-Mimansa deals with the Karma-Kanda of the Vedas and the Uttara-Mimansa with the Jnana-Kanda. The latter is derived directly from the Upanishads. This Darshana composed by the great sage Vyasa is also known as "Vedanta Darshana" or "Brahma Sutras". This may be said to be one of the corner-stones of the Hindu religion. Great saints like Sri Shankaracharya and Sri Ramanujacharya in later days wrote brilliant commentaries on this "Vedanta Darshana".

PURANAS:

- The Darshanas are no doubt very stiff. They are meant only for the learned few. For the common folk another class of Shastras was brought out by the Hindu sages. These Shastras are called the "Puranas". Through these, religion is taught in a very easy and interesting way. The teachings are driven home through inspiring stories and parables. Moreover, glimpses of the ancient history of Hindusthan may be had through the Puranas. We have eighteen Puranas in all. Of these, the names of the following may be remembered:

Vishnu Purana
Padma Purana
Vayu Purana
Skanda Purana
Agni Purana
Markandeya Purana
Bhagavata

A portion of the Markandeya Purana is well known to all Hindus as Chandi. Worship of God as the "Divine Mother" is its theme. Chandi is read widely by the Hindus on sacred days.

Upanishads - 1

2007-11-12T10:59:00.000+05:30

SHASTRAS:

- Certain portions of the Vedas are known as the "Upanishads". They are also called "Vedanta" either because they occur towards the end of the Vedas or because they contain the cream or essence of the Vedas.

- The bulk of the Vedas deal with details related to Yajnas. The Yajnas, that is, the ancient modes of worship, are nothing but ceremonials to be performed for purifying one's mind so that it may become fit for receiving the knowledge of God. Hence, this portion of the Vedas concerned mainly with ceremonials (Karma) is known as "Karma-Kanda". On the other hand, the portion of the Vedas known as Upanishads dwell primarily on the knowledge of God. This is why they constitute what is known as the "Jnana-Kanda" of the Vedas.

- Where and how does God exist? How are man and universe related to Him? How and why should one try to realise God? What does exactly happen when one realises Him? All these may be learnt from the Upanishads (or Vedanta).

- The Upanishads are many in number. Each of the four Vedas contain several Upanishads. Of these, following may be remembered: Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Chhandogya, Brihadaranyaka and Shwetashwatara.

SMRITIS:

- Some sages like Manu and Yagnavalkya compiled codes and manuals of Hindu life. These are known particularly as "Smritis", though the term "Smriti" in a broader sense covers all Hindu shastras except the vedas. From these Smritis by Manu, Yagnavalkya and other sages, a Hindu learns how he has to spend his entire life. They instruct him as to how he should behave at different periods of his life (ashrama) and also what special duties are enjoined on him due to his birth in a particular social group (Varna). These also describe all ceremonies connected with the domestic life of a Hindu. Moreover, these lay down domestic and social laws for the Hindus, and some of these were operative even under the British rule.

- These Smritis, in short, prescribe certain acts and prohibit some others for a Hindu according to his birth and stage of life. Their sole object is to purify the mind gradually so that one may advance step by step towards perfection. They are no doubt based on the teachings of the Vedas. Yet it is to be noted that their injunctions (Vidhis) and prohibitions (Nishedha) are related to the particular social surroundings. As these surroundings of the Hindu society changed from time to time, new Smritis had to be compiled by the sages of different ages and different parts of Hindusthan.

- Thus Raghunandana's Smriti is of a much later age than Manu's and it is applicable particularly to the Hindu society of Bengal. As our present day society has changed considerably since the days of the last Smriti-maker, time is perhaps ripe for a fresh Smriti for the Hindus of our days.

Rebith and Karmavada - 2

2007-11-09T08:46:00.000+05:30

- But why has one to born again and again? The Hindu Shastras are very clear on this point. The divinity in man reveals itself only when the mind becomes spotlessly clean. But this takes a long, long time. One gross body cannot last long. Our lifetime is too short for this task. That's why we have to go through innumerable births before this task is done.

- There are so many things in this world that please our senses and so many that repel them. (The sense organs are ten: Five Jnanendriyas - organs of perception: Eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Five Karmendriyas - organs of action: Hands, feet, tongue, organ of elimination and organ of reproduction). Hence, we desire to have certain things and to avoid certain others.

- Our minds are always full of such desires. To fulfil these desires, we exert ourselves. Our life consists of such exertions. Yet we can never exhaust our desires. They go on multiplying. When we fulfil one desire, the hunger of our senses for enjoyment becomes keener; and this gives rise to a crop of fresh desires. Thus we go on doing things for fulfilling our never-ending desires.

- Now, whatever we do in this way is sure to bring pleasure or pain as its effect. Each deed (Karma) is destined to bear a fruit (Karmaphala), sooner or later. A good or meritorious deed (Shubha Karma) brings pleasure as its effect and an evil deed (Ashubha Karma) brings pain. Men usually have both good and bad desires. These lead them to perform both meritorious and evil deeds and thus to pile up both pleasure and pain as their consequence (Karmaphala).

- During each lifetime, we exhaust only a portion of our past Karmaphala. This portion is called "PRARABDHA". The remainder that has to be tasted in future lives is called "SAMCHITA". The fruits of our present deeds will lie stored up as "KRIYAMANA". Hence for reaping the fruits of our own actions, we have to go from birth to birth.

- A child is born blind. His blindness is surely due to some physical cause. But his mental agony owing to his blindness, according to the Hindu Shastras, must be ascribed to some particular misdeed in any of his previous lives. When, inspite of our best efforts, we fail in any of our endeavors, we usually curse the fate (adrishta). Or, when without any effort we meet any unexpected success, we hail our luck (adrishta) with delight. This adrishta (unseen), is however nothing but the fruit of our own past actions, our own karmaphala. We need neither curse it or hail it. This comes as a matter of course, as a sure result of our past deeds. We cannot avoid the pleasure or pain caused by our own acts (karma) during the past lives. We have produced them. We have made the bed and we must lie on it. We have no right to curse anything or anybody for our griefs and ailments.

- But we can do one thing. We can make our future lives happy. That depends on our present efforts. We are the builders of our own future. If we avoid the evil deeds prohibited by the Shastras and go on performing good ones enjoined by them, then we shall surely have a happy future.

- This, in short, is what Hinduism teaches us about Karma (Karmavada). Our desires produce Karma, Karma produces its fruits as pain or pleasure, and to reap the fruits of our Karma we have to go from birth to birth. In this way our desires whirl us through the almost interminable round of births and deaths that we call "SAMSARA".

Rebirth and Karmavada - 1

2007-11-05T07:11:00.000+05:30

- The word Samsara in the Hindu lexicon is very significant. We are all familiar with this word, yet we hardly know what it exactly means. We use the word loosely to mean either the world or wordly life. It is derived from the sanskrit root "Sri" which means passing and its prefix "Sam" means intensely. Now, our shastras teach us that we have to pass repeatedly through this world and other finer and higher worlds. This repeated passing of souls (Samsriti) is what is really meant by the word "Samsara".

- The whole of Hinduism takes its stand on this idea of Samsara. And it gives a clue to the entire Hindu view of life. Why do we offer oblations to our departed relatives? Because, we believe that they are still living either in any of the finer worlds or on this earth in some other bodies. Why does a Hindu woman take a vow of widowhood after the demise of her husband? Because, she hopes to meet her husband after her death, only if she can remain faithful to him. The Hindus perform meritorious deeds (Punya), for these, they believe, will bring them intense enjoyment after death. They try to shun heinous deeds (Papa) lest they should have intense sufferings after death. These and many other beliefs and rites are derived from the Hindu idea of rebirth. And this idea is no fiction. It rests on facts realised by the Hindu seers.

- So, this idea of rebirth is a very important thing in the Hindu view of life. We should therefore try to have a very clear grasp of this, before we proceed any further in our study of Hinduism.

- We shall not cease to exist after death. Before this birth all of us have passed through innumerable lives. In the Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, " Arjuna, both you and I have had many births before this, (only) I know them all, while you do not". He again says, "Birth is inevitably followed by death and death by rebirth". Indeed, one is born in this world again and again till the divinity within us is completely manifested. Each time one is born with a new body, which lasts for a while and then wears off and drops dead. But that which resides within the body remains as fresh as ever. It simply moves out of the decayed and useless body and remains for a time in the finer worlds. After that it comes to this world and gets a fresh body. The finer worlds are meant for intense enjoyment or suffering. That's why they are called "Bhogabhoomi" (Land of experience). It is this world where everyone has to come to work out his perfection. This world, therefore called "Karmabhoomi" (Land of action). So long as one does not attain perfection, one is bound to go through repeated births. Till then, one is in a state of bondage (Baddha). The necessity of passing over and over through the worlds (Samsara) is itself the bondage.

- At each birth, we get a fresh body. This body is made of matter and is called "Sthula Sareera" (Gross Body). It is built out of materials taken as food and is therefore also called "Annamaya Kosha" (Covering made of food). This gross body is our outermost cover. One lives in this body just as one lives in a house. When the house collapses, one gets out of it and builds another house to live in. So also when this gross body becomes useless, one leaves it and builds a fresh body. In Gita, this body has been compared to a piece of cloth. When the cloth wears out, one rejects it and gets a fresh one for use, so also when the body becomes useless, one passes out of it and reappears in a fresh body. This giving up of a decayed and useless body is what we call death, and reappearance in a fresh body is called rebirth. Thus, by death and rebirth, we simply change worn out bodies for fresh ones. Everyone of us has done this times without number. Those who know this truth have nothing to fear or grieve for.

- Inside this gross body, we have yet another finer and stronger body in which we live. This is called "Sukshma Sareera"(the fine body). Neither disease, nor old age nor death can touch this fine body. Nothing in nature can destroy it. Through our countless births in the past our fine bodies have been our constant companions.

- The fine body consists of seventeen parts, namely Buddhi (intellect), Manas (mind), five pranas (vital energy) and the finer counterparts of ten sense organs. It is this fine body that builds up the gross one and keeps it going. Through it, we feel, think and desire. Indeed, this fine body is the active part of our being.

- Yet the fine body is not active by itself. It is as inert as the gross body, though the later is animated and made to work by it. It (fine body) is itself animated and made to work by something else. This something is the true SELF of man. This is his Atman (Soul).

- This Atman is the source of all life, activity and consciousness (Chaitanya). Warmed up into life by its touch, the fine body animates the gross one, just as the moon illumined by the sun, lights up the earth.

- Thus, animated by the Atman, the fine body works the grosser one as long as it can and then leaves it and builds up a fresh body. In this way we proceed from birth to birth.

Story of Vysya - Helping Others

2007-11-02T10:15:00.000+05:30

- We should drown our selfishness in love, but in helping the poor and doing such things we should never fall into the danger of priding ourselves on that account. We are simply instruments, not free agents.

- In a certain village there was once an old woman, who lived by preparing and selling cakes. She would set about her business punctually at 4AM every day. She had a hen which announced to her the break of the day as punctually, so much so that in course of time she gradually got into the belief that day would not break unless her hen raised its trumpet voice. One day, it so happened that the village boys offended her. She vowed vengeance and said, "Very well, these little fellows do not know who am I. I shall move with my hen to the next village and see how the day would break here; let the fellows suffer an eternal night. These little fellows offend me!"

- She did as she vowed that very night, and the next day, when someone came to the second village from the first, she said to them "You see, if you had appeased me, all this would have been avoided; poor men, I pity you; You have to suffer eternal night." They asked what the matter was and she replied, "Why, I have brought my hen here and so the day would not have broken in your place." It is needless to add that the men had a hearty laugh at the idiotic woman's self importance.

- A similar mistake all of us are committing; we think that, but for us, such and such a thing would never happen; we die but the world goes on all the same. We should warn ourselves against such mistakes.

What is Duty?

2007-10-16T08:25:00.001+05:30

- A certain young sanyasi went to a forest and there he meditated and worshipped and practised yoga for a long time. After twelve years of hard work and practice, he was sitting one day under a tree, when some dry leaves fell upon his head. He looked up and saw a crow and a crane fighting on the top of the tree and they made him very angry. He said, "What! You dare throw those dry leaves upon my head!" and as he looked upon them with anger, a flash of fire burst from his head - the yogi's power - and burnt the birds to ashes. He was very glad; He was almost over-joyed at this development of power; He could burn at a glance, the crow and the crane.

- After a time he had go into the town to beg for his bread. He came and stood at the door and said: "Mother, give me food." A voice came from inside the house: "Wait a little, my son." The young man thought: "You wretched woman, dare you make me wait! You do not know my power yet." While he was thinking thus, the voice came again: "Boy, dont be thinking too much of yourself. Here is neither crow nor crane." He was astonished; still he had to wait. At last a woman came and he fell at her feet and said: "Mother, how did you know that?". She said: "My boy, I do not know your yoga or your practices. I am a common, everyday woman, but i made you wait because my husband is ill and I am nursing him and that was my duty. As a daughter when I was unmarried, I did my duty; and now when I am married, I still do my duty, that is all the yoga i practise, and by doing my duty I have become illumined; Thus, i could read your thoughts, and what you had done in the forest. But if want to know something higher than this, go to such and such a town and to the market, and there you will find a butcher and he will tell you something that you will be very glad to learn." The Sanyasi thought: "Why go to that town and to a butcher." (Butchers are the lowest class in that society; they are chandalas; they are not touched because they are butchers; they do also the duty of scavengers and so forth).

- But after what he had seen, his mind was opened a little. So he went, and when he came near the city he found the market and there saw, at a distance a big, fat butcher slashing away at animals, with big knives, fighting and bargaining with different people. The young man said, "Lord, help me. Is this the man from whom I am going to learn? He is the incarnation of a demon, if he is anything." In the meantime, this man looked up and said, "Swami, did that lady send you here? Take a seat until I have done my business." The sanyasi thought, "What comes to me here?" But he took a seat and the man went on, and after he had finished all his selling and buying, took his money and said to the sanyasi "Come here, sir; come to my home."

- So they went there and the butcher gave him a seat and said "Wait there." Then he went into the house and there were his father and mother. He washed them and fed them and did all he could to please them, and then came and took a seat before the sanyasi and said: "Now, sir, you have come here to see me; what can i do for you?" Then this great sanyasi asked him a few questions about soul and god; and this butcher gave him a lecture which is a celebrated book in India, the "Vyadha-Gita." It is one of the highest flights in Vedanta, the highest flight of metaphysics. You have heard about the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna's sermon. When you have finished that, you should read the Vyadha-Gita. It is the extreme of Vedanta philosophy. When the butcher has finished, the sanyasi was astonished. He said, "Why are you in that body, with such knowledge of yours? Why are you in a butcher's body and doing such filthy, ugly work?" "My son;" replied the Chandala, "No duty is ugly, and duty is impure. My birth, circumstances and environments were there. In my boyhood, I learned the trade; I am unattached, and I try to do my duty well. I try to do my duty as a house-holder, and I try to do all I can to make my father and mother happy. I neither know your yoga, nor have I become a sanyasi; never went out of the world, nor into a forest, but all this has come to me through doing my duty in my position."

- Let us do that duty which is ours by birth, and when we have done that, do the duty which is ours by position. Each man is placed in some position in life, and must do the duties of that position first. There is one great danger in human nature, that man never looks at himself. he thinks he is quite as fit to be on the throne as a king. Even if he is, he must first show that he has done the duty of his own position, and when he has done that, higher duty will come to him.

Dharma

2007-10-11T20:26:00.000+05:30

- The word 'religion' means a system of faith and worship. Belief in the tenets of a church, performance of certain rituals prescribed by it is all that is required of a devout man by what is commonly known as religion in the West.

- The Hindu word 'Dharma' appears to have a much deeper and wider meaning than the word 'religion'. Derived from the sanskrit root "dhri" (to hold), Dharma stands for that which holds up the existence of a thing. Everything in the universe has its dharma, because it must rely on something for its existence. And what is it on which the existence of a thing mainly depends? Well, it is the essential nature of a thing without which it can never exist. The essential nature of a thing, therefore, is called its Dharma. Thus, the power of burning is the Dharma of fire; inertness is the Dharma of all inanimate objects. Man also has an essential nature that upholds his existence as something distinct from the rest of the creation. And this must be the Dharma of man, that is, Manava Dharma.

- Now, what is the essential nature of man? The hindus uphold that it is the power of becoming divine that marks out man from all other beings. This power, therefore, is Manava Dharma. But, how is it possible for man to become divine? Because divinity is already within him. "Hinduism teaches that God is present everywhere". He is also in our hearts. We are divine by nature. But divinity lies deep in our being. We do not perceive it so long as our unclean mind is in the way. Just as light cannot be seen through a smoky chimney, so God cannot be seen through an unclean mind, though all the while He is in us and everywhere about us. If we want light, we have to cleanse the chimney; so if we want to bring out the Divinity in us we have to cleanse our mind.

- Lust, greed, anger, hatred, envy, pride, selfishness are so many impurities that obscure the Divinity within us. So long as these sway our mind, we make mistakes almost at every step of our life and very often behave exactly like brutes; our imperfection fills the cup of our misery and brings untold sufferings upon others.

- Yes, it is due to these impurities that, at the start, we seem to stand on a level with the brutes. Yet we are not brutes. Why? Simply because we can work our way up to Divinity, which the brutes cannot. As men we are born with the power of removing all the impurities of our mind and becoming divine in all our bearings. This is precisely our Manava Dharma. Those who revel in these impurities have not yet emerged as men; they are only beasts in human form. While those who succeed in cleansing their minds thoroughly and bringing out the Divinity within them are real men, perfect men.

- Of course, the path is long and the goal is far ahead. To bring out the Divinity in us completely is no easy job. The whole advance cannot be made by a single step. Yet it is a fact that a little progress on the path of Dharma has its own reward. As our minds become purer, we grow wiser and get more strength and more joy. This inspires us to move forward and gradually increase our wisdom, strength and joy. This process goes on from birth to birth till the mind becomes absolutely pure. It is then that man can see God, talk with God and can even become one with God. Then really man becomes perfect. For it is then that Divinity which has all along been within him does manifest itself completely.

- Indeed, the seer of God becomes truly divine, full of love, joy, wisdom and strength. He rises above nature and becomes absolutely free. Nothing can bind him or shake him. Nothing can disturb his peace of mind. He has no want, no misery, no fear and no cause for strife or grief. His face always beams with divine joy and his conduct marks him out as a man of God. His selfless love flows alike to all. His contact brings strength, purity and solace to all who come near him. Verily such a man has reached the goal of human life and he may be said to be a truly religious man or a perfect man.

- The world has seen many such blessed seers of God in different lands and different ages. They are truly the salt of the human race. Out of the fullness of their hearts, they preached what they saw and felt. They taught all, who floaked to them, the steps that led them to realise God. These teachings form the bulk of the religions of the world.

- The different seers however discovered different methods of cleansing their minds. their teachings are essentially alike. These vary only in minor details. All true religions of the world lead us alike to the same goal, namely to perfection, if, of course, they are followed faithfully. Each of them is a correct path to Divinity. The Hindus have been taught to regard religion in this light. According to the Hindu view, there is nothing wrong with the religions as they have been preached by the prophets and seers of God. The original teachings are priceless. They can give us a sure and correct lead. These are the true religions of the world.

- But, unfortunately, what passes as religion in the world often appears to contain more of husk than of kernel. The spirit of the original teachings is buried under a heap of senseless dogmas. It came to such a pass because very often religion is taken charge of by people who are not at all qualified for the task. Frequently people with impure minds pose as priests and preachers. They themselves cannot have any insight into spiritual things. They fail to grasp the importance of the original teachings. And this is why when they start explaining religion to others, they make a mess of the whole thing. In their hands, religion degenerates into a mere creed, a bundle of crude dogmas and meaningless rituals. Their followers become wild and fanatic, and religion becomes a cause for communal fight. Instead of taking to religion for self-purification, the followers of different religions often engage themselves in breaking one another's heads. Such crude stuff naturally shocks the more sensible ones, who unfortunately rush to give up religion altogether. But there are always some wise people in the world who cannot be duped by the unillumined priests. They see through the game; they find that the crudities of religion imported by ignorant priests and preachers lie just on the surface, beneath which there is priceless treasure.

- Hinduism teaches us to distinguish this crude stuff from real religion. It warns us of the danger of being led by imposters and asks us to get religion from the source, from the original teachings of the seers and the prophets. If these teachings require explanation, that has to come from some other seer of God. Not only this, Hinduism advices everyone to find a seer to be his spiritual guide (GURU).

- We should not forget that religion is something immensely practical. No amount of tall talk will do. If we want to be real men, we have to cleanse our mind. This is precisely the task before us. Simply to count oneself as a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian is nothing. Merely to subscribe to the views of a church is not enough. Nor is it enough to be only versed in one's religious literature. One has to put into practice the great teachings of the seers and prophets of one's own religion and regulate one's own life accordingly. This alone can lead us towards the goal. We have to bring out the Divinity within us and become real men, and for this, we have to strive our best. Really, we attain Dharma, that is, our essential nature, only when God in us becomes fully manifest. And for achieving this aim we should spare no pains.

- Now, let us sum up what we have discussed so far. Everything in creation is essentially Divine. It is given to man only to fully manifest Divinity within him and become Divine in all his bearings. Then alone he attains perfection and becomes a real man distinct from all other beings. He enjoys unbounded freedom, bliss, power and wisdom. He can then speak like one in authority and inspire others to go ahead. Religion teaches man how he can reach this blessed goal. Every religion, as it has been taught by its prophets, shows a correct path towards this goal. This is why religion is something immensely practical. We have to strive hard to carry out all that religion wants us to do. We have to form our attitude towards life and shape our conduct according to its teachings. If we go the other way and revel in our impurities, we sink to the brute level. These, in short are some of the fundamental teachings of Hinduism and from these we get a general idea of what the Hindus mean by religion.

Hinduism - 3

2007-10-07T13:42:00.000+05:30

- The hindus would never thrust their religion upon other people by force or stratagem. Peace, love, sympathy and service were their watchwords. Wherever they went they gave a lift to the people of the land from primitive life.

- Surely, Hindusthan has been the mother of civilization in the east. And evidences have already come up to prove that Hindu ideas travelled even to ancient Greece, the cradle of western civilization.

- In its march through scores of centuries, Hinduism has been growing in bulk and variety. Within its fold there is now room for numerous sects, such as the Vaishnavas, the Shaktas, the Shaivas, the Sauras, the Ganapatyas etc. Within each of these sects again there is room for numerous distinct groups. Moreover, the faiths of the Jainas, the Buddhas, the Sikhs, the Arya Samaj, the Brahmo Samaj are also derived from Hinduism.

- For some time past the holy religion of the Hindus has been spreading its message in the far west. Many people in Europe and America are learning to esteem the Hindu view of life. Some of them are actually going so far as to Hindu ideas and ideals.

- Indeed, the great religion of the Hindus, is a mighty force for universal good. This is why this religion could have such a brilliant record of past achievements. And this is why the Hindus have reasons to believe that their religion is destined to have a more glorious future.

- We shall discuss certain essential contents of the Hindu religion shortly.

Hinduism - 2

2007-10-01T21:03:00.000+05:30

- The name Hindu is very, very old. When the Hindus spread all over India, this entire country came to be known as Hindusthan. This Hindusthan has been the birthplace of many saints, many sages, many prophets. Through scores of centuries it has been prominently a land of religion. Its hills, mountains, rivers, lakes, seas and cities have been made holy by the touch of religion. These holy places spread all over have made Hindusthan really a holy land. Through the ages myriad of pilgrims have been rushing to and fro from different corners of Hindusthan to visit these holy places. And religion has all along been the main-spring of the life of its people.

- It was their religion that gave birth to the glorious culture of the Hindus. Even in the very ancient days the Hindus produced high class painting, sculpture, architechture, music and poetry. They wrote learned treatises on various subjects such as Grammar, Philology, Logic, Philosophy, Politics , Astronomy (Jyotisha), Medicine and Surgery (Ayurveda). They put in valuable research work in Chemistry and have left behind sure proofs of their amazing skill in Engineering, Irrigation, Ship-building and in many other arts and crafts. And all these had their roots in religion; the ideas and ideals behind these were inspired mostly by Hindu Saints.

- In course of time, out of the great religion of the Hindus came two major offshoots, namely Jainism and Buddhism. Hinduism together with its branch Buddhism spread even beyond the borders of Hindusthan. Countries like Ceylon, Burma, Cambodia, Malaya, Java, Bali, Sumatra, China, Korea, Japan, Afghanistan and Turkestan came under the sway of one or both of these religions. Even in far off Mexico in North America, scholars have detected traces of Hindu civilization. The people of these foreign lands hailed with delight the superior culture of the Hindus.

Hinduism - 1

2007-09-26T21:08:00.000+05:30

Hinduism is one of the major religions of the world. It's followers, numbering nearly seven hundred millions, dwell in India and they are known as Hindus. India has been the motherland of Hinduism for a long, long time.How long no one can say with precision. Some say that it must be twenty thousand years, some others hold that it cannot be more than three thousand years. However, there is no doubt in the fact that Hinduism is several thousand years old, and it is older than any other religion of the world.

In very ancient days, Hindusim was known as the 'Arya Dharma' and its followers the Aryas. Their earliest home in India was in the Punjab. Nobody has yet been able to say finally where the Aryas of the Punjab had come from. Different schools have made different guesses about the original home of the Aryas, such as the Artic region, the great tableland of Central Asia, the Mediterranean coast etc. Swami Vivekananda was firm in his belief that the Aryas had not come from any place outside India.

However, from the Punjab, the Aryas gradually spread all over Northern India, which tract then came to be known as AryaVarta. In course of time, they crossed the Vindhya range and spread their religion in Southern India. An Arya sage, Agastya by name, is said to have led this march of the Aryas to the south.

One may like to know how the Aryas came to be called the Hindus. The origin of the name Hindu is rather funny. The river Sindhu (Indus) marked the western frontier of the ancient Aryan settlement in the Punjab. On the other side of river lived the ancient Iranians (Persians). It was by the name of this river that the Iranians called the Aryas. But they could not pronounce the word Sindhu correctly; they would pronounce it as Hindu. So, Hindu came to be the name by which Iranians called tthe Aryas. In course of time the Arryas themselves picked up this name from the Iranians.

Peace

2007-09-12T06:26:00.000+05:30

At the moment, our minds are constantly restless and agitated. We live on sensation--newspapers, novels, and movies. Naturally, while we are seeking sensation, peace eludes us; agitation and restlessness become our nature. We expect to gain peace by some external means, while agitation remains with us all the time.

The scriptures say that the truth is quite the opposite. We cannot get peace; but if we close our eyes and stop talking, peace will be there. It is not gotten or created. In fact, what we create is disturbance. It is important to recognize that before the disturbance was created, peace existed. While the disturbance is going on, peace remains, and when it stops, peace is evident again.

Waves rise in water. Before the waves rise, the water is calm. When the waves rise, the water remains unchanged, and when the waves subside water remains. In the same way, peace is always present, but we ourselves create the causes for disturbance, agitation, distraction, and restlessness--and then we "lose" that peace.

A verse from the Bhagavad Gita clearly and beautifully explains the one who attains the lasting peace in this life. It says:

vihaya kaman yah sarvan
pumams carati nihsprhah
nirmamo nirahankarah
sa santim adhigacchati

(He who lives and transacts in the world, giving up desires, free from longing and craving, free from attachment, and the ego sense of "I" and "MINE" attains peace.)

It is interesting to note that the Gita does not say what we must do, but rather, what we must get rid off. What a wonderful thing--we are not implored to do something, but are assured that peace is ours if we give up these four negative tendencies.

The Quest

2007-09-11T06:57:00.000+05:30

Familiarity is our worst enemy. There are ever so many things in this world which because we see them daily, we have ceased to be curious about. How few of us look at the sky? Very few really see it, for it has been our companion from the earliest moments of our lives, and has by its assuring constancy lulled to rest the spirit of questioning. The child stares with surprise at a stranger, but never so at its own mother. If however, the same sky with its beauty had not been there when we were born and were to surprise us with a sudden arrival our wonder and curiosity would reach a poetic height. But now look at our dullness. The sky is hourly minutely phenomenal. No two moments of its life are alike. Clouds pass and re-pass. The sun rises and sets with epic pomp, the moon shines out with lyric sweetness. There is a ceaseless rising and falling of the curtains above, and the scenes there are being endlessly shifted; but the majority of us are perfectly dull to such charms, though we know absolutely nothing about them.

But why talk about the sky: We are hardly concerned with it; How far it is going to meddle with our day’s work, the meteorological chart shows us, and that is quite enough for all our practical purposes: Let us go to things nearer home; Let us take man himself the one object in creation with which we are mostly concerned. Very few men can rid of human associations; in work and out of work we are always with men. ‘Society, Love and friendship’ is the silent cry even of our spare moments. But what do we know about Man? Nothing. He comes and goes, we do not know where? One man is a poet and another a warrior. We hardly know why. Man breathes while he lives, but at the moment of death, breath fails. No human physiology can tell us satisfactorily enough what it is that lies breathless, and that what which was breathing, why we came and where we go, if the life we lived ends with death, and whether we are matter, or spirit, or soul, or mind, or the senses, or everything or nothing. The great and profound mystery that encircles us all around baffles. We are eternally in contact with problems. Man is an obscure being. He knows little of the world and of himself least of all. We have no measure for this huge machine – the world. We cannot calculate its relations: we know neither its primary laws nor its final causes. We do not know ourselves; we know neither our nature nor our active principle. This kind of thoughts should at least shake off the dullness of familiarity. To feel the mystery, to understand the problem, to recognize the feebleness of our understanding is itself a privilege in the world.

Sri Vidyaranya Swami, in his famous vedantic book ‘Vedanta Panchadasi’ has defined the mystery of creation in the following beautiful sloka which would certainly motivate all of us to ponder over all the time.

ఏతస్మాక్తి మినేన్ద్ర జాలమపరం యద్గర్భవాసస్థితమ్
రేతశ్చేతతి హస్తమీస్తక ప్రదప్రోధ్భూత నానాంకురం
పర్యాయేణ శిశుత్వ యౌవన జారావేశే రనైకైర్వపతం
పశ్యత్తత్తి శ్రుణోతి జిఝ్రుతి తధా గచ్చత్యధా గఛ్ఛతి

(గర్భవాసం లో ఉంచబడిన వీర్యం, ఛెతనత్వాన్ని పొంది, చేతులు, తల, కాళ్లు, వ్రేళ్లుగా తయారవటం, అట్లాగే కండ్లు, చెవులు వగైరాలన్నీ పుట్టటం, ఆ వీర్యమే క్రమంగా బాల్య యౌవ్వన నార్ధక్యాది దశల్ని పొందటం, చూడటం, తినటం, వినటం, వాసన చూడటం, నడవటం మొదలైన పనులన్నీ చేయటం కంటె ఆశ్చర్యకరమైన విషయం, దీనిని మించిన ఇంద్రజాలం - మాయ - ఇంకెముంటుంది.)

From the above, we can easily come to the conclusion that there is a creator who is beyond our comprehension. Mankind calls him ‘GOD’ (Paramatma). Unfortunately, almost every person has a false notion that he knows the divine just because he knows the word. Word ‘GOD’ is not godliness, just as the word ‘Water’ is not water. When one is thirsty, the word water is of no use and actual water is needed to quench the thirst. At the time of death, the principles and theories of immortality are of no use; the actual taste of immortality is needed.

Therefore, it is time to make an attempt to understand the mystery while appreciating it side by side. People say, “Yes, we want to know GOD, but at present there are lots of things to be done, there are lots of problems to be sorted out.” So, they go on postponing the religion to the last. God is the last on the list of our necessities and the last of necessities is never fulfilled. He remains the last. One day, you will be finished; you will never be able to attain him. When one necessity is fulfilled, ten others arise. When one ambition is fulfilled, thousands of others will arise. Religion always remains the last. The divine doesn’t come nearer even by an inch. A fool is one who keeps religion as last on his list of life. He has lost an opportunity. The wise person who has understood properly that he may accumulate any amount of wealth, but eventually death will snatch it away from him, so there is no sense in wasting time in accumulating things which will be snatched away in the end.

That’s why, Shri Shankaracharya in his famous celestial song of ‘Bhaja Govindam’ warns the mankind like this:

baalastaavatkriidaasaktah
tarunastaavattaruniisaktah
vriddhastaavachchintaasaktah
pare brahmani koapi na saktah

When a boy, one is attached to sport;
when a youth, one is attached to as young woman;
when old, one is attached to anxiety;
to the supreme Brahman, no one, alas, is attached!

Modern civilization is a marvel of technological achievement, material wealth and communications systems that have shrunk the globe. In spite of all the wealth and ease of modern life, people are not content. They are not content because of their attitude towards the objects of the world and towards their relationships with others. Throughout their lives, they uphold the notion that they must have more and more possessions. They have a similar notion about relationships and maintain that something is to be received from a relationship rather than given. Instead of simply enjoying the objects and people in their lives, they cling to them, own them and fear losing them.

Over the course of a lifetime of needing, having and clinging, the fear of death grows and hovers, creating a spiral of more need, greater fear and inescapable pain. In this way, life cannot be lived effectively and is merely squandered.

It is appropriate for all of us to realize that life’s purpose is to know the distinction between what is outside and fleeting, and what is inside and eternal, and to discover through practice and experience the infinite value of one to the other.

If the above observations are digested to the point of seeking more inputs of and about Godliness, more discussions we can have and stand clarified.