HOW TO CONQUER SEX

It is a real test for Man to wriggle out of the shoreless sea of sansara! Wedded tohis wife and attached to his children he cannot escape from the clutches of these filial bonds. The inherent urge for sex is a blessing in a way but becomes a bane and malady in different situations. Without it progeny is impossible but too much of it dumps him down to the lower regions of lust. Sex urge is like a sharp razor's edge over which one has to balance himself very cautiously and wisely.
      Not only men but Devas and illustrious sages have fallen victims to this base instinct! We know the story of the great king Yayati in the Mahabharata who was crazy and had an insatiable thirst for sex and took over the youth of one of his sons! Indra, king of gods lost his virility due to his lust and fascination for  beautiful Ahalya, the pure spouse of  sage Gauthama! Ravana, the king of Lanka, a great devotee of Lord Siva and an expert singer of the Sama Veda fell for Sita, wife of Sri Rama!  Sage Viswamitra, the bestower of the wonderful Gayatri Mantra, could not overcome the bewitching beauty of the divine damsel Menaka! He had to go back for penance to recover his powers!
        spiritual progress and devotion can prosper and progress only by guarding against the temptations of lust and wealth. Perfection cannot be attained without such an attempt  and mastery. It is the association with woman that comes as an impediment to spirituality and further development. The mind of Man strays away from  God under the pressure of woman and wealth. As the charm of woman and gold dries up Man realizes that the soul is different from the body! When the attachment to sense objects is lost the mind fixes itself to God and spirituality!
         ;  As Sri Ramakrishna says Man should always be alert and vigilant against lust  and temptation like one living in a house infested with snakes. He says, ' Woman and gold have drowned the whole world in sin." But how to escape from the charm and  temptation of woman? Sri Ramakrishna says, " Woman is disarmed when you view her as the manifestation of the Divine Mother." Intense vairagya-- non attachment and realization of God prevent all temptations of sex! He finds himself in no danger even from his wife. God is the larger magnet. Wife the smaller one can do no harm!
            Is there any benefit in attaining mastery over the sexual instinct?  According to Sri Ramakrishna, ' If one succeeds in doing this, a physiological change is produced in the body by the development of a hither to rudimentary nerve known as MEDHA ( the function of which is to transmute the lower energies into the higher). The knowledge of the Higher Self is gained after the development of this MEDHA nerve."
          ;      Present day abuse of woman, rapes and others are the result of this insurmountable attraction for sex. Lust, an intense hunger for the physical satisfaction of the senses is the root cause that eggs on every one including the elderly to indulge in this prohibitive and sinful act The earlier Man controls his sex urge the better for his physical, mental and spiritual well being!

 

 

GOD IS PERFECT.

"God is perfect!! It is man who is imperfect!!The creation of the universe and Nature and all its ramifications emphasize the perfection of God!! The Vedas and the Upanishads proclaim the nature of the BRAHMAN!! " Nishkalo, Niranjano Nirvikalpo Nirakhyataha Suddho Deva Eko Narayanaha" declares Narayanopanishad!! Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says that God alone is REAL; His manifestations as living beings and the world(Jiva & Jagat) are untrue that is non eternal! Isavasya Upanishad speaks of Brahman: " pornamadam poornamidam poornath poorna muduchyuthe Poornasya poorna madaya Poornamevaavasishyathe" It is God or Brahman who is full or poorna!!Man who is born according to his poorva janma karma- deeds good or bad, can never be considered perfect! He lives in the illusory or Maya prapancha which finally disintegrates along with every thing on it!! God is Truth!!He never changes!! Any thing that is ephemeral cannot be true or perfect man is Mortal! Brahman or God has no beginning, middle or end-Adi madhyantha rahitaha!! Ajo nithyaha saawathoyam purano nahanyathe hanyamane Sareere says the upanishad Which is the authority along with the BrahmaSutras, and the Bhagavadgita!None can dispute the perfection of God and

indicate other object of perfection!!"

MANIFESTATION OF GOD

Oh Krishna! Please instruct me on how you should be worshipped,"questioned Arjuna! Krishna replies, " Believe, the quality of quenching thirst in water is God. The light of the Sun and Moon, the sound emanating from Space, heroism of warriors, fragrance in flowers, the fire in the minds of the learned and the intelligent, the life principle in all creatures and things is God! Sun's rays shine on all objects good and bad. Similarly Paramatma is every where in all objects good and bad. This is the final stage of bhakti or devotion. Why can not we see God? It is because we are enveloped by MAYA or Illusion!
      What is MAYA? Krishna asserts, " it is subject to my sport or leela. It is my special power. None can overcome Maya. The film of Maya comes in between you and me. This screen of Maya is an impediment to individuals but not for God. Like the poison that does not harm the cobra or the spider that is not caught in its own web, Paramatma is independent of Maya. Hence sincere devotees of God are not troubled by Maya! According to Sri Ramakrishna Jnani is similar to the husband of a ghosha woman. But the Devotee is like the son. While the son is given free access to his mother at all times, the husband has to get permission to see his wife in her apartment- Zanana! Jnani has an element of ahankara--ego. The path of Jnana is like walking on the razor's edge. As in " markata kisora nyaya" like the monkey kid, Jnani has to protect himself since the mother is least bothered about the kid. But the devotee or Bhaktha, because of his implicit faith in God, is taken care of by the providence himself under " marjara kisora nyaya."
        Pure or shuddha Maya protects Jnanis and Bhakthas whereas impure or ashuddha Maya troubles ordinary mortals. Bhaktha attains moksha earlier than a Jnani. Even the Creator Brahma, Indra and sages like Narada were unable to overcome Vishnu Maya! The Lord tells Arjuna, " The only way to conquer Maya is to surrender to me and worship me. Great sinners do not worship me. Those who do not worship me are sinners These people fall into four divisions. 1 stupid people who are ignorant 2 those of very low kind that have no fear of sin 3 Educated and scholarly  sinners like Ravana & Hiranyakasipu 4 people with qualities of demons or asuras.
         Krishna continues and says that there are four types of people who worship him! These peoplr have reasons of their own. 1 Aarthas--people drowned in the sea of samsara and subjected to untold miseries and difficulties 2 Jignasu---people  who are spiritual and want to know the nature of Paramatma 3 Artharthi--people who aspire for money and material and 4 Jnanis--the realized souls! Of the four, Arjuna, Jnani receives my love. He is equal to my atma. The other three are equal to my body!"
          Arjuna wants to know why all people do not worship Him. The Lord replies that it is because of their prarabdha karma! To think that other deities and Paramatma are different is foolish. Krishna says, " Arjuna, people do not worship me because they do not know the two calamities---Senility and Death that overtakes them. I am in the knowledge of the past, present and the future. But the Jiva, however great he might be, cannot understand what Iam!"

MANIFESTATION OF GOD

Eighteen Chapters of the BhagavadGita are classified into three sestets each comprising six chapters. The first six chapters are called karma Shatka. The second six are called Bhakthi Shatka and the last six Jnana Shatka.The significance is that Karma leads to Bhakthi and Bhakthi leads one to Jnana or Knowledge.. Love or devotion to God is the subject matter of the  seventh  to eleventh chapters of the Gita. The first of these six chapters is Vignana Yoga. Bhakthi or devotion or love is the connecting link between Karma and Jnana.
     Krishna continues, " Arjuna! one who is devoted to ME and meditates on ME shall know about ME.." Rather impertinently Arjuna questions, " What if Man does not worship you and know about you?" Krishna replies immediately, " One's life is fulfilled by knowing and realizing ME. After knowing ME, there is nothing else which is ought to be known. The way is easy but the result is great and fantastic. But very few follow this easy path of devotion or Bhakthi. It is because of their past karma that most of the people deviate." For realizing the Brahman, three factors are needed--listening to the scriptures,, repeating his name and reecapitulation ( mananam) and Nidhi Dhyasa( meditation) Krishna continued, "Arjuna! I have created the animate and inanimate Prakriti and protect it.  Both these Prakritis are entirely under my control.
       For every material object there are three requirements.1 material cause like wood for a table- Upadana karana 2 Nimitta Karana--a person to handle it.3 Grace of God  the most important of all  The Lod proceeded futher, " Prakriti or Nature is of two kinds--the JADA or the inanimate and the animate or living beings full of awareness. Jada Prakriti is of eight varieties, namely the Five Elements--- Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether or Sky 6 Ahankara or Ego 7 Mind or manas,and 8 Buddhi or intellect.  Like the Spider in the web, Paramatma is 'antaryami'--the indweller in the universe he has created. He is in it and outside it. He is intra cosmic  and extra cosmic. There is no objet in the three worlds wherein Paramatma is not found.All the animate and inanimate objects in the world are in me like beads in a garland brought together through the thread!
        " Sutre mani gana iva" is interpreted in four ways
 1    The Creator is one. Things brought together are many irrespective of material, regional, and time differences or divisions.
  2   The beads represent the three gunas, Sathwa, Rajas and Thamas. Paramatma is above all these.
  3    By Process of elimination one has to find out the unifying factor that is the basis for the garland.
   4    Paramatma is the connecting link between all things in the universe.
      

LOGICAL INFERENCE---PRAMANAS

Tharka Sasthra or logic is one of the VEDANGAS---. important part of  the Vedas. It is a system in which you establish the truth by means of argument based on the Vedas, the Upanishads, Brahma sutras and the Bhagavadgita! No argument shall be valid or accepted if it does not conform to the views expressed in any one of them! There are arguments that favor the argument  and others that object to the view expressed in the argument! There are certain  PRAMANAS--Proofs or inferences that we can draw depending on the situation and environment in which things are placed
      A few important Pramanas-- methods of inference based on logic are enumerated by our ancient texts! The first method is called " PRATHYAKSHA PRAMANA." Here you draw your inference directly, You see the object personally, feel it, enjoy it and are sure of its presence. In some cases, you see the object shown by some other person.This is also through direct perception, and feeling the presence of the object.
         The second method is to infer an object in associatioon with some other object or thing. You see a house from the roof of which smoke is coming out. Smoke cannot be produced without fire. But you do not see the fire in the house. So you infer that there should be fire inside the house to produce smoke. You do not see the fire directly but you are sure of it because of the smoke it has released. This type of infeence is called " ANUMANA PRAMANA!
         The third  method is called  " UPAMANA PRAMANA".  Here inference is through comparison of one object to another object with similar qualities and characteristics.When I say your face is as beautiful as the Moon, you associate the qualities of the Moon, its beauty, charm and coolness with your face. In the same way when some one says you are brave as a lion, all qualities of the lion are applied to you
         The fourth method of inference is called  "SABDA PRAMANA".  When the above three methods fail and tou cannot draw inference you take recourse to the words of others who have seen some place or object and have some experience .You have not seen London or some other city. yor friend has seen  and lived in the city for sometime, You hear his description of the city and feel satisfied that you have seen it. We have not seen God and do not know His attributes. We believe in the words of the famous sages and seers who have realized God within themselves!
          The fifth method of inference is through observing the outward appearance of an individual or object. You know that the person  fasts always in the morning.  But he does not look slim for having fasted. on the other hand he is fat.Therefore you infer that he must be eating heavily during the nights! This is called  " ARDHAPATTHI PRAMANA"
           The last method is to infer that an object is not in a place. This is called  "ANUPALABDHI PRAMANA."
         

 

INHERENT DEFECTS IN MAN

Man takes his birth in this world according to his past karma--his good and bad deeds in his previous existence. The very purpose of human birth is to experience the effects of his deeds in his previous birth. These experiences are so many that they cannot be exhausted in a single birth! Engrossed in the sea of samsara, Man has become highly materialistic and runs after money, position and fame that are impermanent. He does not care to realize himself and enjoy the supreme bliss of knowing who he really is!
          Why is Man like this? He knows many things but is not inclined to examine himself and understand that he is the indestructible Atma or Soul different from the physical body. This is because of certain impurities inextricably interfused in his nature. These impurities in his nature lead him astray from the spiritual path and drowns him the shoreless sea of samsara.
            First and foremost impurity is called " Anavam." Under the effect of this, the person is very much inclined to listen and understand knowledge of the Brahman! but that feeling is soon suppressed and he forgete all about it,
             The second defect or impurity is called " Karmika". Though the person attends Vedantic and religious discourses, he is not allowed to concentrate on the relevant points explained by great scholars and elders.
          ;      The third impurity in Man is called " Mayika." This creates total ignorance or 'ajnana' or illusion. It keeps Man totally out of the thought that he should realize the Supreme Being or Brahman!
                 The fourth defect is called  " Mayeya." This induces the person to indulge in sinful acts under the influence of maya or illusion which presents the real as unreal and the good as bad.
                The last impurity is called  " Thirodhana." Under the effect of this defect  ,the person thinks that  Brahman is unreal and transient. He diverts his attention to the worship of different deities, mantras,and different faiths. He believes that these are real. Because of this attitude he is caught in the cycle of births and death It is very difficult to get rid of all these defects since they are all negative.  If one defect is controlled the other comes to the fore!
               It is sincere prayer and total surrender to His lotus feet that can save man from these defects in his mind and nature. There is nothing that man cannot achieve with the Grace of God!
 

 

WHAT IS PRANAYAMA? A FEW DETAILS.

 

Every one wants to live happily and for long in this world. Since all of us know that health is wealth, it is our paramount duty  to keep our body hale and healthy. Proper exercise and activity of the body and mind is absolutely essential to maintain the body in perfect condition!.  "A sound mind in a sound body" should be our aim in life.Our sages and seers had prescribed to us various methods to keep our body trim to enjoy the benefits of worldly life.Renowned sage Patanjali is the author of ' Yoga Sasthra' in which he describes the different types of yoga to be practised by every one in his life, They are called "Ashtanga Yoga". Out of these eight ' angas' or parts PRANAYAMA is very important .
        The word PRANAYAMA generally means controlling one's breath. It is considered as the panacea for all the ills of the body.. It contributes to the longevity of the individual who practises it. A regular practise of pranayama shall make the man robust in health and enable him to live beyond  hundred years as demonstrated by our ancient sages and seers!
            Two types of Pranayama are (1) Prakruta Pranayama and (2) Vaikrutha Pranayama. In the first, Prakrutha Pranayama, one has to offer 21600' Hamsas' of ' ajapagayathris' to the six chakras and their Lords from morning sunrise to the next sunrise. In the second, Vaikrutha Pranayama you should inhale through the left nostril, stay half of it in 'Kumbhaka' and exhale the other half through the right nostril.  The same action has to be repeated, this time, from the right nostril and exhaled through the left. This should be continued according to one's convenience.
              In Kumbhaka Pranayama, you perform ' Moola Bandha ' 'Udyana Bandha' and ' Jalandhara Bandha ' positions. But here you do not inhale or exhale . You remain stable for a while. Inhaling or PURAKA signifies creation. Exhaling or RECHAKA signifies destruction. KUMBHAKA indicates the status. Awakening the inert  PRANA from MOOLADHARA to the top of BRAHMARANDHRA---top of the skull, through the SUSHUMNA NADI, is called as waking up of KUNDALINI POWER! The reverse action from Brahmarandhra--skull to MOOLADHARA through the SUSHUMNA NADI is called Rechaka or exhaling. To retain the Prana for a few minutes without exhaling and closing both the nostrils is called " URDHWA KUMBHAKA" To retain the exhaled breath for a few minutes in Mooladhara is called ' ADHO KUMBHAKA".
              PRANAYAMA has two divisions. Closing the right nostril and inhaling through the left and reversing it is the first part.. The second part is to close the left nostril, inhale through the right and reverse it.
              MOOLABANDHA is to close the anal point with the left leg. UDYANA BANDHA is to close the navel with the right leg. Bending the head and touching the chest with the chin is called JALANDHARA BANDHA.  YONI BANDHA is to close the anal spot by the leg and leave the apana vayu upwards. Daily practice of PRANAYAMA makes the body light. Body will sweat profusely. Cough  and other diseases are cured through pranayama. you can lead a disease free life. PRANAYAMA should be done early in the morning, not after meals!
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MONEY AND SPIRITUALITY

 

"Money is essential for existence.Man cannot live without money,In the Ramayana , sage Vasishta tells Rama " dhana marjaya Kakutsa dhanamoola midam jagat antaram nabhijanami nirdhanascha mrutasyacha"You have to earn money! There is no difference between one without money and a dead person!Though it is needed, it is better to have what is just required! Too much money creates many problems!We are now trying to get back BLACK MONEY stashed in foreign banks! The Vedas ordain that money should be earned in righteous ways, according to Dharma! It is said that Money has four heirs! First and foremost is Dharma! If it is not properly utilized for Dharma, it can be confiscated by the King, or consumed by fire or stolen by the thief! Even for a sanyasi money is essential!Otherwise no Mutt can exist!Sankara says " udara nimittam bahukrutha vesham" For a spiritual life money will be very helpful!You can donate for many religious and social causes, you can help the poor and the downtrodden,build hospitals,choultries for poor feeding and many other things! In olden days Kings & emperors did the same thing! Today we have quite a good number of philonthrophists who are doing this . They are spiritually oriented and want to help the unlucky! Spirituality is to realize that God is manifest in every living being! Service to man is service to God. The essence of all the Puranas of sage Vyasa is that we should help others! That is what is called Punya! To hurt others is a sin or papa! Money can be used for religious purposes! God has given you Money! You give back a part of that money to god! You can donate for temple construction, or for ornaments for the deity and so many other related activities The satisfaction one derives in doing these

charitable acts is indescribable! You are accumulating a good ' sanchita karma' the fruits of which you can reap in future! This is how money should be associated with Spirituality & religion

ATMA SAMYAMA YOGA

Krishna tells Arjuna that a real sanyasi is one who does his duty without expecting reward. Ascetism, in itself, is a Yoga. Real karma is that which pleases God. Real knowledge is that which reveals God. The lord points out that there are two kinds of people in the world; those who aspire to go up and those who have already gone up.The first type are called  "Arurukulu" and the second are called "Arudulu". The first variety is expected to perform karma while the second need not do any karma. A person who transcends all sensory impulses is called " yogaruda" and ' "sarva sankalpa sanyasi". Atma has no other relation than another atma. Mind attached to material things-- vishayas is its own enemy. Detached from mundane things and rising above sensory desires, the Mind is its own bosom companion!
        Krishna tells Arjuna, " The way to control your mind is to treat the 'Dwandas-- pairs like joy and sorrow, sunshine and storm on an equal footing. A real Jnani is one who treats nine types of people equally---1 relatives 2 friends 3 enemies 4 neutrals 5 peace makers,6 one who hates 7 kith and kin 8 sages and saints and 9 sinners.They are all the form of Lord Narayana. Concentration of the Mind on Paramatma is of paramount importance in performing Karma. Dhyana yoga will be very helpful to karma yoga. Slowly and surely turn your Mind towards God!"
        What are the prerequisites of Atma samyama yoga? Krishna continues, " First and foremost the place selected must be clean. He should be seated in a stable posture or asana. If the seat is imbalanced, dhyana is disturbed. ' Darbha', a type of dry grass with sharp edges should be spread out on it. On that a deer skin should be spread if he is a family person and a tiger skin if he is an ascetic, By controlling his ' prana and apana airs' he should divert his Mind to eternal things. How to control your mind? Krishna elucidates, "  Don't eat too much. Regulate it. Avoid too much sleep. Have limited meals and leisurely walk. How will yoga fructify?  First merge your Mind into the lotus feet of God. Realize that there is no other bliss greater than that. It is an extraordinary and pure heart that can attain tha bliss"
              The Lord explains to Partha, " Leave all your desires when you want to practise Dhyana Yoga. Bind your sensory organs ( outer indriyas) with your Mind. Arjuna, you have to see God in everything and everything in God" Not satisfied and with new doubts, Arjuna questions " Oh, krishna, Mind is very unstable; To control the Mind is like bundling a gust of air! It is easier said than done. Tell me the fate of those who die before they realize Dhyana Yoga".
               The Lord replies that those who have failed are called " Yogabhashtas" They reach a heaven-a place for those who have performed yagas.or sacrifices. They are born again after a long time in families of great yogis and do public good. Those who have not performed full Dhyana Yoga are born in rich families. People who have completed more than half are born in poor families and do good and noble deeds Dhyana Yogs is greater than Bhakthi Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga. It is easier than the rest There are no differences of caste or community, It does not require any facility or infrastructure.

NADA BINDU KALA---AN EXPLANATION

We have heard of these terms Nada, Biindu,and Kala in our religious literature.We come across these terms in many Sanskrit slokas and sthothras. In describing Devi Lalitha Parameswari and other deities these terms are used!  Sri Lalitha Sahasra nama sthothra extols Devi as the essence of these three terms. Sri Arunagirinathar has a Thiruppughaz starting with these terms eulogizing his chosen deity Lord Subrahmanya. " Nada bindu kaladi namo namo' By these usages it is clear that these

words are very significant, What are these words? what is their significance?
       It is " moola Prakruthi " or Nature that is the origin of Manas, intellect, Mind and Ego! This Nature is otherwise called as Parasakthi This Parasakthi is called " BINDU ". From this Parasakthi or Moola prakruthi have emerged  four types of speech called " PARA  PASYANTHI  MADHYAMA and VAIKHARI".In descrbing Sri Lalitha Parameswari, Sahasranama Sthothram says "Para prathyak chithi rupa pasyanthi para  devata madhyama Vaikhari rupa bhakta manasa hamsika"  ie  Devi is the embodiment of these four types of speech and the swan of the hearts of her devotees or bhakthas! The combination of these sounds is called  NADA!
          Chaitanya or awareness, Jiva or Kshetragna are described as " KALA " When the Intellect or BINDU and  PRANA or KALA merge, NADA too merges or disappears! This status is called " NISHKALA " which is the very form of Supreme Reality or Absolute Brahman!
          1  In PARA  there is sankalpa--idea is generated.
           2 in PASYANTHI  the idea is expressed
           3 In MADHYAMA   movements of jaws, teeth and other preparations start
           4 in  Vaikhari you start talking loudly.
           As these acts  dissolve one by one including PARA or Sankalpa there is " Brahmananda or Divine Bliss!.
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