PEACE OF MIND HOW TO GET IT.

"Peace of mind is a rare luxury that eludes Man in his entire life! Though man wants peace of mind, circumstances in which he is involved prevent him from enjoying it. Mind is noted for its vacillation and travelling at a speed greater than sound and light!  Man, caught in the cycle of samsara has too many problems to attend to and solve! His attachment to his family, children and kith and kin does not allow him to have peace of mind! The Azwar says that though the life of man is about 1oo years half of it is spent in sleeping! In the remaining period, 15 years are that of boyhood! The rest is full of disease, hunger, senility and sorrow!! How can man be blessed with peace of Mind? It is the MIND that is responsible for either attachment or detachment or liberation!! " Mana eva manushyanam karanam Bandha mokshayoh" say the Sasthras!! A real attempt should be made to control the Mind though it is impossible at the outset.  Slowly but steadily it should be trained to withdraw itself from the worldly things. It can be done by joining sathsang, meditation, reading the scriptures,and not involving oneself too much in the affairs of others! Yoga will also be a useful tool in controlling the Mind!! " Yogah chittha vrutthi nirodhaha" Yoga can control the activity of the Mind!! A disciplined regimen with yoga, detachment, spiritual inclination and practice shall surely bring Man the coveted prize, Peace of Mind! Contentment plays a vital part in attaining Peace of Mind!! One who has no contentment is lost for ever Desires multiply one after the other and Man is eaten up in satisfying them and there is no end.

WHAT IS KARMA YOGA OR PATH OF ACTION?

Arjuna's doubts multiply even as the Lord tries to dispel them. He asks Krishna why Jnana Marga is better than karma Marga though the path of action is the instrument for Jnana. Why should he follow Karma Marga avoiding the path of intellect? Arjuna says that the combination of Jnana and Karma Marga has baffled him and he is confused as to which path he should follow.

        " Sreya" indicates acts that bring happiness in the long run though they are initially difficult" answers the Lord. On the other hand " Priya " refers to transitory pleasures that end in sorrow and difficulty later. Japa and penance belong to the former while enjoying pictures in the cinema theater and visiting coffee houses belong to the latter. Krishna points out that he has created two types of people namely those with pure heart (antahkarana) and those without purity of heart. Jnana Marga is for the first type and Karma Marga for the second type. " How do you consider me as one without purity?" questioned Arjuna. Krishna replies that Jnana cannot come to one who does not perform karma or for one who discontinues it in between. It is a continuous process until we transcend the time concept. Then Karma will drop by itself. Karma is like foundation for the wall. Jnana can be attained by performing acts according to one's caste or clan like bathing,japa, and sandhya vandana. Jnana willnot dawn on a person all of a sudden. Hence Karma or action is sine qua non for the next step namely moksha or mukti.

          Krishna continues and says that Karma is absolutely needed at least to maintain one's body. All actions should be done selflessly for the sake of God. This is called yajna or sacrifice done for Lord Vishnu. Sacrifices are the connecting links between mortals and Devas. One who does not offer things granted by God and eats them up is a thief because the entire world is God's property.  Why should man perform yajna or sacrifice? What is its significance? While using the  Knife, grinder, stove, vessel to cook and the broom many germs die and man commits sin unknowingly. This sin is called ""Panchsuna'.  To ward off  the evil of this sin and allow man to liberate himself FIVE kinds of sacrifices are recommended by the shasthras. The first and foremost of these " PANCHA MAHA YAJNAS is Brahma Yajna where one reads the Vedas and scriptures. The second is Daiva Yajna or Divine worship. The Sun, the Moon, stars, mountains, rivers, trees proclaim the glory of God.The mango is sweet not because of the owner of the garden or the gardner but because of God! We should offer all God given things to God before we enjoy it. The third is called Pitru Yajna or worship of the parents and ancestors.The Vadas say ' matru devo bhava, pitru devo bhava' They should be considered as Gods and given due respect and love.It is impossible to wipe off the debt of the mother! Bhishma's self sacrifice for his father isgreater than that ofSri Rama for his father Dasaratha! For the  satisfaction of our pitrus Shraddhas or annual ceremonies must be performed. The fourth is Narayana or Manushya yajna. This is purely for the service of humanity. Service to man is service to God as the living human body is the Temple where God is enshrined. The fifth and the last is called Bhutha yajna or service to the dumb creatures. Arranging drinking water tubs, sheds for cattle, giving food to dogs and pigs and putting rangoli with rice flour come under Bhuta Yajna.

          The essence of KarmaYoga consists in livinf for God, living for humanity and living for the world at large. It is also rooting out selfishness and leading a life as unselfish as possible Swami Vivekananda says,' The highest ideal is eternal and entire ideal is eternal and entire self abnegation, where there is no "I " but all is thou." The entire universe is cyclic in its movement. The circle ends where it begins. The essence of food causes the foetus or the beginning of life. Clouds bring rain and crops are harvested to provide food. Clouds are formed through Yajnas. All yajnas can be performed by various kinds of karma. These karmas are prescribed by the Vedas. The Vedas embody the Absolute Brahman and He permeates all and is the indweller of all beings. Hence unless we perform the prescribed duties we will not be liberated. One who fails to perform his prescribed duties is called " Karma Bhrashta." His life is a waste. He lives in his indriyas and is called  "indriyarama." whilethe performer of duties is called " Atmarama." one who livesin the Atma! ( continued in the next Blog)

 

Can Man Conquer Himself?

"Man conquers many kingdoms with his physical strength! He kills thousands of people on the battle field! He conquers many things in the world with his mind and controls them! But he is unable to conquer or control himself! The great king Asoka destroyed the country Kalinga and felled thousands of soldiers. But was not satisfied. Later he was filled with remorse for what he had done and turned spiritual! There is a battle going on in the heart of every man, the battle between good and evil! Enveloped in Maya or illusion, man runs after power, pelf, renown,and other transitory things! He is unaware of the hidden enemies who have camouflaged themselves in our body! These latent six adversaries are invincible!! They cannot be seen directly to be attacked! On the other hand they attack Man in unexpected circumstances! Desire , lust,greediness, attachment, arrogance, envy or jealousy are so powerful that they subdue even the most powerful person on earth! Even the great sages are not immune to the power of these inward foes! Sages like Viswamitra, Durvasa, Kings like Nahusha, and parikshit were victims of these emotions! It is as if to challenge Man God has placed these forces in him! Physically and mentally he may be strong and sturdy and destroy kingdoms and people but one single enemy within can destroy him and bring him down to death and destruction! In other words Man has not learnt to conquer himself! It has been the same saga from time immemorial and we do not know if it will be for ever! Very few luminaries are there in the world who have realized these pitfalls and conquered these negative forces embedded in our nature! Sages like Ramana Maharshi, Seshadri Swamigal and the Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam are such people! Today,situation is very bad! society is totally lost in materialism! People are running after money and other things oblivious of the consequences later! Unless man conquers these inveterate enemies he cannot realize himself and find real Bliss or Ananda! His hunting after transitory pleasures will lead him nowhere He is a real hero or a warrior who can keep these propensities under check if not control them completely!

What Is Religion and its Objective ?

Religion is the bridge that brings Man to the proximity of the Divine. The great religions of the worldHinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Zoroastrianism have been the torches that have enlightened the dark ages of man and showed him the path to salvation. Though religions are different, their goal is the same. Like the waters of the rivers flowing and merging into the deep sea, they are paths leading to the same God. But unfortunately religions have created differences among the people, divided them instead of uniting them! Religious fanaticism has resulted in horrible wars between Muslims and Christians in the past killing thousands of innocent lives. Even today religious wars, Jihads,are being waged between the followers of sects of the same religion! We begin to wonder if Man is really civilized in killing the innocent mercilessly!

      The dire need of of the present is the unity of religions. A religion does not deserve its name if it cannot transform the individual into a better person. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba says: " There is only one religion, the religion of Love. There is only one language, language ofthe heart. There is only one God. He is omnipresent" How prophetic and true are these statements of Swami! Every religion preaches love, right conduct, service to humanity and compassion to fellow creatures. Volumes have been written on these principles but alas, they are only on paper and observed more in the breach than in the observance!The defect is in man, not in religion

        All religions are great. It is foolish to think that one is greater than the other. Different names are attributed to the same Divinity in diffirent religions. God is one and manifests himself in various forms, creatures, and persons. " ekah paratma bahu deha varth" Swami says: " Let the different faiths exist, let them flourish, Let the Glory of God be sung in all languages in a variety of tunes" Differences between faiths must be respected and accepted as valid in an effort to promote the flame of unity.

        Swami's Avatar seems to have come precisely for this noble task of uniting all paths and bring about harmony among the followers of various religions. He has almost succeeded in imparting  the spirit of Brotherhood of Man and fatherhood of God. As a beacon light to the drifting religious feelings of people, Swami inaugurated the Sarva Dharma Sthupa on November 22, 1975 in Prasanthi Nilayam. It is a concrete pillar in the form of a lotus bud on which the symbols of a few major religions of the world are inscribed. These sacred symbols signify that all religions lead man on the path to God. Om, the Pranava is the resounding beat in the heart and that of the universe. The Cross is to cut the feeling of " I " and allow your ego die. Dharma Chakra symbolizes the wheel of Cause and Consequence  Islam requires one to be a star which never leaves the Crescent. It is fixed in steady faith. In Zoroastrianism you banish all bitterness in the sacred fire and emerge purified and godly! Swami has made this the symbol and badge of his Seva Organizations. Like the veena that produces discordant notes if a string is broken, the nation cannot prosper if there is disharmony between people of different religions.

         Establishment of the religion of love is the greatest achievement of Bhagawan during his life time. None can call himself a true Hindu or a Christian or a Muslim if his heart is not filled with love! All thespiritual values enshrined in all the religions have been built as a mansion of World Unity by the lotus hands of Swami. As a consequence a Hindu becomes a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim,and a Christian a better Christian. Thus Puttaparthi has become the holiest of places for Hindus, Jerusalem for Jews, the Vatican for Christians, Gurdwara for Sikhs and Mecca for Muslims! It is only in Prasanthi Nilayam that all religious festivals are celebrated in a spirit of brotherhood and harmony,

          Thus the objective of religion is to transform an individual into a better person full of love, compassion, brotherhood and a mind dedicated to the service of humanityI

    Love All Serve All

Who is an Ascetic or Sanyasi

"Sanyasa is the termination of all ties with the Family & all other entanglements in life!! It is one way to perform Tapas and attain Jnana by meditation & concentration on the Supreme Reality! One of the mantras emphasizes the significance of sacrifice! Your actions,wealth,or progeny can never bring you immortality! " Tyagenaikena"-it is only by TYAGA- SACRIFICE that one can attain "Amrutatwa--Immortality!" it is because the Sanyasi leaves every thing in the wold,all the material pleasures in life unlike the ordinary mortal, that he is held in very high esteem! The dress intended for him is the ochre cloth- Kashaya vastra! it is said that by wearing that dress alone ,he deserves worship! --' Kashaya vasthra mathrena yathi sarvathra pujyathe!! We had till recently in Kanchipuram, Paramacharya, Sri Chandrasekharendea Saraswathi Swami, the epitome and embodiment of asceticism in the world! It is very difficult to see another sage and sanyasin like him!! He was a walking encyclopedia and a compassionate Soul! He devoted his entire Life to the well being of society and developing brotherhood among Religions! A sanyasi is one who lives for others!They establish Mutts, have disciples and serve the society and protect Dharma or Righteousness! People flock to them for peace and advice!!The great Acharyas, Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa are typical examples of Sanyasis who lived for others and established Dharma!  

LOVE--The ONLY RELIGION!

"According to Swami there is only one religion -the religion of Love! There is only one community -Humanity! Religion is the bridge or link between Man and God! All religions are great! There should be no fight or quarrels between Religions!The same God is called in several names in different Religions! Like gold which assumes many forms,and the same milk produced from different cows,and like pots of different forms and sizes made out of the same clay, GOD has manifested himself in different creatures in different forms and shapes! Not to understand this is ignorance and stupidity! It is because of this ignorance many religious wars have been fought in history between Muslims & Christians! All Religions teach Love and expect Love to be shown to others! There is no different god for every Religion! if you practise a Religion, you must Love all others as your brothers and sisters! Love transcends all castes, communities colors,and other creeds! It is all embracing in its power! It is also causeless like the LOVE of God which is called' avyaja'. Divine Love embraces all in equal proportions! Man's ego, greed,hatred,jealousy and other evil qualities have prevented him from enjoying the fruits of LOVE! He has developed those negative qualities that separate him from God's LOVE! You love your Wife not because she is your wife but because of the same : ATMA" enshrined in her says the Brihadaranya Upanishad! Love always unites, never separates! Deep devotion turns into love and immerses the person in to the field! Sri sathya Sai Baba has proclaimed the efficacy of Love and demonstrated its impact on many of his devotees!  His words," LOVE ALL SERVE ALL" are to be practised by all the people in the world!!"

Do Not Bargain with GOD!

"Man' ignorance does not allow him to love God for the sake of love! It has become a deal! Man worships God in return for some favour or other! He prays to God saying that he will do this and that if his wish is granted! In other words it is conditional love! This can be called as ' kamya karma'There is no pure love in these prayers! Though God is ready to give every thing and expects love for the sake of love, very rarely we find the common man praying with pure love! It is said that even for doing that God's grace is needed! Pure love for God is otherwise called Bhakti. A true devotee lives with God, eats with god, sleeps with God and his every act is with God and dedicated to God! He has none else to depend upon! God is every thing to him! He does not ask for wealth and riches or wife and children or fame or renown or any other thing in life! He desires union with god or serve mankind as the reflection of God! The Azwars, Nayanmars in the South, the sants and saints in the North are brilliant examples of true devotion or bhakthi which is selfless to the extreme! Kulasekhara Azwar in his ' Mukunda Mala' says the very same idea! " nastha dharme na vasucha nichye naiva kamopabhoge yad yad bhavyam bhavathu Bhagavan poorva karmanurupam Ethath prarthyam mama bahumatham janma janmantharepi tvath padambhoruhayugagatha nischala Bhaktirasthu" I do not require dharma,wealth or riches or luxury and sensual life,; I know that every thing happens as per one's karma! But kindly grant me the bhakthi at your lotus feet" This is the ultimate surrender to God! When that happens God takes over all the Bhaktha's responsibilities as we see in the lives of the great saints & devotees!!"

Who is a Bhramajnani or Sthithaprajna?

Despite the explanations of the Lord on the various kinds of karma marga and their variations, Arjuna is not satisfied and doubts crowd upon his mind. Now he wants to know how the followers of Nivrithi marga or Nishkama karma live in the world. Is it through samadhi or meditation or through wakeful worldly activities? Krishna is happy to answer this question as it indicates Arjuna's interest in spirituality.

     The Lord explains that one who is not involved in sensual pleasures and experiences the bliss of the atma is called a Sththaprajna or Brahmajnani. He is not elated by joy nor depressed by sorrow. He treats pain and pleasure,sunshine and storm, joy and sorrow on an equal footing. He is not ruffled by either of them. He has no passion,fear or anger. He always lives in the atma. passion,hatred and anger are the qualities of one who loves his body and cares more for it. A self realized person will not care for the outward body and hence is untouched by those qualities. With a determined mind he develops an ideal detachment and remains indifferent to both joy and sorrow. A Brahmajnani is ready to sacrifice his precious life if it is useful to others. A Brhmajnani, like the one in the intuitional school, recognizes honesty as an end in itself. For him means must justify the end. Among such self sacrificing benefactors whom we remember are emperor Sibi who cut the flesh from his body to save a dove and the great sage Dadhichi who offered his backbone to Indra for his lethal Vajrayudha

Is it easy to exhibit the qualities of a Sthithaprajna? No says Lord Krishna to Arjuna. He  should be in a position to withdraw all his senses and go into the shell like a tortoise. He must have total control over his sensory organs. Is it possible? If we do not feed the concerned organs with their required food, they get starved and come under our control. Controling the tongue is a real struggle. Our sensory organs are very dangerous. They can even bring down our mind. One great devotee describes his hapless situation and adresses God thus: "Oh Lord! my eyes go astray in seeing the beauty of maidens; my ears are anxious to hear sensual talk; my thoughts are on embracing the bewitching beauties; since my hands alone are free I have turned them towards you in homage and prayer!" If this is the state of a great devotee, what about ordinary, materialistic commoners like us? A Brahmajnani has all the indriyas in his grip.

     What are the dangers of lack of control over sensory organs? Krishna explains that ordinary attachment is the initial stage of desire and can be easily uprooted. Kama or lust is deep rooted desire and fructified stage of attachment. Failure in possessing or experiencing leads to jealousy while anger is engendered by baffled desire. Tranquility of the mind arises when a person looks at things dispassionately. Bereft of control over sensory organs he loses peace of mind. Hence, Lord Krishna urges Dhananjaya to withdraw his sensory organs from their usual operations and concentrate on the principle of atma

    The litmus test for a Brahmajnanis that a lump of sugar placed on his tongue should not melt. The Lord enumerates the essence of the Brahmajnani in the 69th sloka. The day for the common folk is the night for the Brahmajnani. His night is the day for Brahmajnani!In other words, we are wide awake in mundane things while the Brahmajnani sleeps over them and hence it is night for him. He always perceives the 'noumenon' the underlying substratum of all phenomena viz the whole world. To saint Thyagaraja, Rama is the indweller of an ant and even the mosquito! Saint Ramakrishna saw mother Kali on the mat spread for him to sit! Like a child that recognizes the mother even in her disguise, a Jnani identifies Narayana and Siva in all objects he sees in the world! The Sthithaprajna is unruffled,calm and serene like the deep see. He is peaceful as he has transcended all worldly desires and passions!

IS MAN REALLY CIVILIZED?

In spite of calling himself a civilized being, Man is behaving like the one uncivilized! It is sad that he has not conquered himself while he has everything in his control! Rank materialism is eating him away! He has become a Mammon worshiperand does not hesitate to do anything for Money! In short he is drowned in this cycle of Samsara with all its vicissitudes and never ending births and deaths! Is there any relief for Man from this? yes, it is there! The direction of Man towards his selfish worldly wise desires, activities has to change! He should think about the soul embedded in his bodyand try to realize that! He should have faith in God who will never fail him! If he steadies his direction towards GOD there will be much good for him! Like the ship that moves to the north of the magnetic needle,and reaches its destination safely, Man's destination should be God!! Says William Wordsworth , the Nature poet, " Like trailing clouds of Glory do we come from God who is our Home" The karmas we have accumulated from countless births can never end and we continue to involve ourselves in many other karmas as we live! It is God's grace that can erase our past karmas and give us salvation!! Devotion to God and total surrender to His Divine Will will save you from all disasters! Classical examples in our puranas and even in modern days have demonstrated this! Stories of child Dhruva, Prahlada,  the Azwars, Nayanmars, and the Bhaktas of Maharashtra are examples of how god came to their rescue in times of dire need!  God never fails his staunch Devotees! It is always better to depend upon GOD rather than Man!!"

Keep the company of the wise.

"One diamond is thousand times better than a thousand pieces of glass! Our indriyas are given by God to be used for good purposes, not to be fritter away in useless actions and speech! We find people arguing about politics, and coming from words to blows! Our ears, eyes, hands legs, tongue head,and mind are to be employed in good and sacred work or karma! Ears should hear good speech,eyes should see good, pleasing sights, hands must do useful work, and legs should lead us to good and sacred places! Our tongue should speak sweet language, head should prostrate to good people and the mind should always have noble thoughts! That is why the Vedic student says "jihwa me madhumatthama" The great Kulasekhara Azwar exactly points as to what all these indriyas have to do to seek the grace of God! " Jihwe kirthaya kesavam muraripum chetho! bhaja sridharam Panidwanda! samarchyachyuthakathaha srotradwaya! twam srunu Krishnam lokaya lochanadwaya! harergachanghri yugmalayam Jighra ghrana! Mukunda pada Thulasim murdhan! namadhokshajam! Oh Tongue sing the glories of Kesava! Oh Mind or manas! worship Sridhara! Oh Hands! perform puja or archana to Achyutha! Oh Ears! hear the stories and leelas of Madhava! Oh Eyes! witness the beautiful form of Krishna! Oh Legs! walk to His temples! Oh Nose! smell the fragrant water or thirtha with Thulasi and Oh Head! bend in obedience to Adhokshaja! In other words each part of our body has to be dedicated to the thought and worship of God! This practice will surely take the person to the spiritual field and lead to pure devotion and self realization! Engrossed in idle, and argumentative speech does not serve any purpose! Time lost can never come back! Hearing discourses of sages and saints or wise men can turn tables and transform even bad people into good men! That is why Adi Sankara says 'sath sagathwe nissagathwam nissangathwe nirmohathwam nirmohathwe nischalatatwam nischala tathwe jivanmuktihi' There was a king who wanted to marry his daughter to a real sage! He announced that half his kingdom shall be given to the groom! A thief wanted to pretend like a great sage and practised penance! The king selected him and wanted to arrange for the wedding! The thief, during his penance, felt real peace and bliss and thought that if by pretending to be a sage is so blissful, real penance would be much more blissful! He refused the king's offer and went away for more penance to the Himalayas! So even pretending to be spiritual shall make a man truly wise & spiritual! 

SRI BALA TRIPURA SUNDARI PANCHRATHNA STHOTHRAM by Professor Y Krishnamurthy yayavaram

This sthothra is a composition on Sri BalaTripurasundari of Nemili village near kanchipuram. She is a powerful Deity and has exhibited her divine leelas--sports very widely.

                                            

Sri Baalaa Tripuraambikaam bhagavatim Sri Chakra sanchaarinim  Rakaa chandrasamaana divya vadanaam rajeeva pathrekshanaam

Paakaari pramukhadyaneka sura sampujya paadaambujaam Srikantaardha saririnim sivasatim Sri Maataram bhaavaye!

I meditate on Sri Matha, Sri Bala Tripurasundari, the moving spirit of Sri Chakra. Her face resembles the beautiful face of the full moon. Her eyes look like the lotus petals. Her lotus feet are worshipped by Indra and other Gods. She is Ardhanariswari--- half of the form of Lord Siva!

Bhakthaabhishta varapradaam thrinayanaam bhaasvath kiritojwalaam muktaahaahaara viraajamaana vapushaam mugdhaam manohaarinim

Sakthi praabhava vaibhavam Bhava nuthaam sathodari sambhvim Bhakthanugraha daksha sowmya nayanaam Sri Maataram bhaavaye!

She grants the desires of all her devotees. She sports Three eyes and is bedecked with resplendent crown and garlands of pearls. She steals our hearts and is the repository of all Energy. She is praised by Lord Brahma. She is the consort of Sambhu or Lord Siva. Her gentle looks are enough to shower Grace!

Baalaa pita vilaasinim Nemili gramodbhaasi simantinim Leela naataka sutra khelana karim maarthaanda kotyujwalaam 

Nilagriva suvaasinim sakala kalyanapradaam sundarim Baalaambaam bhava tharinim smitha mukhim Sri Mataramm bhavaye!

I meditate on Sri Nemili BALA who exhibits her divine sports everywhere. She plays with people as in a drama! She is  more dazzling  than a crore of Suns and the spouse of Lord Siva. she is very pretty and bestows peace, prosperity and wellbeing. She is the boat to craoss the sea of samsara! She is always with a smiling face!

Aarthathraana parayanaam sakala jivaadhaara sanjivanim Dhurthodriktha nisaacharaanthaka mahaa sassthrasthra paasaanvithaam

Marthyopaasana dhyeyarupini mahaa maayaa swarupim satim Sri Vidyam  Bhuvaneswarim  Siva satim  Sri Maataram bhaavaye!

 She comes to the rescue of her troubled devotees.She is the Life givng Sanjivani for all the creatures of the universe.She is equipped with arms and ammunitions to destroy the powermad and arrogant demons. She is pure and can be propitiated and invoked by mortals. She is Sri Vidya herself and called Bhuvaneswari!

Maayaarupini mantramurtiranaghaam Mayamayim Saaradaam Maayaachchaadana daksha saktiramalaam Maaheswari Ambikaam

Maayaathitha swarupinim mamamano vaanchartha siddhipradaam Sri Vani Girijabhidheya vilasath Sri Mataram Bhavaye!

She is the embodiment of maya or illusion. Sheis the form of Mantra. She is devoid of any blemish. She is full of maya. She is also called Saarada, Maaheswari and Ambika. She can envelop all creatures with her maya. She transcends all maya herself. She fructifies all my wants and desires. She is my MOTHER called by different names like Sri or Lakshmi, Vani or Sarawathi and Girija or Parvathi

                                                                       OM TAT SATH