ALL PERVADIG LOVE

" EXPANSION IS THE ESSENCE OF Love" says Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba! Without expansion it cannot be called the true aspect of love. Otherwise it degenerates into selfishness. What exactlly is love?  Many connotations are given by different persons. Love can be defined as an intense and never dying  desire or craving  for God, or some person, or ideal or some object. It can be called  the sumum bonum of one's earthly existence! When we say ' God is Love' or 'Love is God' it signifies the  expansion of the love of God for all the creatures of His creation, animate and inanimate. We realize  how we exploit nature for our selfish ends. In spite of our misdeeds God showers His love on all of us! Like the Sunlight that falls on all without any discrimination of caste, colour and creed, God's Love is universal and impartial.Our scriptures and saatras deccribe the Divine as an ocean of compassion and love.--- ' karuna sagara' Goddess Sri Rajarajeswari is described in the Sahasranama as one with ' Causeless love'  " avyaja karuna ' for all the beings in the world! True love cannot be selfish. Ideal love must be unconditional! It cannot bargain for any thing in exchange!
       Bhagawan says, " He who cultivates love in the field of his heart is a trueChristian, a true Sikh, a true Hindu and a true Muslim. A man who has love for God is like a traveler with a ticket. He need not be afraid of any one while making a journey." Selfish love is loving yourself, your wife and children and kith and kin. Some times you love yourself too much to the detriment of others. Narcissism is an eccessive love of one's own self. Expansion of love startts frome home.  First you love yourself, then love your wife and later your children. The mutual love between the husband And wife is transmuted into their affection for the children They shower love on their children so that they may come up very well in life.The parents are ready for any sacrifice  for the progress of their children! The love between the husband and wife undergoes a silent transformation which we call sacrifice! At a later stage love engulfs the famly and society. Then it advances further and develops into unshakable patriotism and an unstoppable desire for  service to society at large!
        Our Vedas and the Upanishads and the scriptures have emphasized the wellbeing not of one society or nation but the entire universe! " Lokah samastha sukhino bhavanthu", " sarve janah sukhino bhavanthu"are genuine examples of the expansion of love! At present, infatuation and lust are mistaken for love! Love does not result in violence,vengeance, or retribution. It is peaceful,understanding, and self effacing! Ideal love is called Platonic Love! The lover is not obsessive about the possession of his lady love. He aspires for the safety and well being of his lady love wherver she is and with whomsoever. In the Novel ' A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton is disappointed as his lady love, Lucy marries one Charles Darnay! But he wishes her well and saves her husband from the guillotine! He enters the jail in disguise, releases Charles Darnay and dies for her sake!
         The very essence of spiritualism is this expansion of Love for a common cause or ideal! Devotion or bhakti is nothing if it is not intense and exceptional love for God who is manifest in all . Service to Man is service to God! By expanding your love to all through service you are realizing the God within. The stories of great saints, the Azwars and Nayanmars are classical examples of this expansion of love through service to humanity!  They loved God and society and lived in love. We remember and think of them today because of their universal love! Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and the Kanchi Paramacharya are glowing illustrations who radiated universal

love through out their lives! A true bhakta who loses himself in contemplation of God is mistaken for a madman, but his love for God makes him forget every other thing in the world! It is the intense , unalloyed and undiluted love for God that sustains him in the world


 

 

VISWARUPA SANDARSANA YOGA PART TWO

 

 

When Partha said that he is not at all enamoured of name or fame, Krishna reminds him," Arjuna! these warriors have already been slain by ME! You are no more than an instrument of mine, oh, Savyasachi!" Why does the Lord  rain his grace om Arjuna? It is simply because  he is His  ardent devotee or bhakta.  The lesson for every person is that he should do his duty perfectly and when the result is available consider it as the Grace of God! He should consider himself as an instrument in His hands. He should let all the credit be to Him!
      Turning his looks again on to the gigantic Cosmic Form of the Lord, Arjuna exclaims, " Oh, Hrishikesa! it is no wonder that the entire universe is proud and happy to chant your names, virtue and glory. While the rakshasas or demons fly in all dirctions out of fear, the siddhas bow to you in reverence. you are the primeval creator of  Brahma! You are imperishable because you are " Satchidanada swarupa"----Existence, Awareness and Bliss! Entire universe finally dissolves into you! you are the knower and the known! You are all pervading and fill the entire cosmos."
       Continuing, Arjuna says, " Oh, Lord! you are the wind, death, fire, water, moon, the progenitor of beings and the ultimate grand father! Hail to you, Lord Krishna! Your prowess is infinite and your might is measureless!" Expressing his amazement and describing the glorious form that stood like a colossus from earth to sky,, Arjuna suddenly realizes his folly in considering and treating the Lord as an equal and a mortal! He is in deep anguish.and  rues for the mistake he has committed. Says Arjuna to Krishna, " I have committed a grave blunder, oh Lord, believe me it was all in ignorance of your true nature! I shudder at the insults and jests that I made at meals, in company and privacy at you! Kindly forgive me and bear with me as a father  does with his son, a friend with another friend and a husband with his beloved spouse!"
         Arjuna is now overwhelmed with fear and continued, " I want to see you even as you were with crown, the chakra or discus, the gada or mace in your hands. Kindly come back to your original form!" Krishna was happy with the words of Arjuna and said, " I have shown you my resplendent, universal, infinite and primal form which none else but you have seen! Your's is a great and rare privilege! Vedic scholarship, sacrifice, penance or charity of any kind do not bless one with the vision as you have now! Do not be frightened or bewildered at My awesome form. Look at My usual form now without fear and ease yourself!" Arjuna after seeing the Lord's gentle form regained his composure.In conclusion Lord Krishna counsels Arjuna, " Phalguna! it is only by staunch and unswerving devotion this Cosmic Form could be seen and realized. Dedicate all your acts to Me. Consider Me as the Supreme! Devotion, non attachment, freedom from malice to all beings-- these qualities bring one nearer to Me!"

   

 

VISWARUPA SANDARSANA YOGA PARTONE

Viswarupa sandarsana yoga  is one of the most important yogas described in the Gita! It is an establisment of the glory of God and his omnipresence It once again leads to the total surrender of Arjuna unto HIS lotus feet! Arjuna was greatly pleased at the profound discourse of the Lord on 'atma jnana' and self realization. He is almost free from delusion. He has understood the cause for tncarnation, His manifestations as well as his divine glory. There is still a doubt lurking in him. He wants to see the Lord's form with all the animate  and inanimate creatures of the universe! He prays that cosmic vision should be granted to him in case he deserves it. In his compassion for his ardent disciple Arjuna, Lord Krishna gears himself up to present His Glorious vision of VISWARUPA and asks Arjuna to be ready to witness many fantastic and colorful sights.
    Krishna tells Dhananjaya that he will see the ' Ekadasa Rudras' --eleven forms of Rudras, DWADASADITYAS--twelve forms of the Sun, the ASWINI DEVATAS, His Viswarupa presents unprecedented sights. Events of the past, present and future will be visible in that cosmic form. He shall see in it whatever he desires to see.But Arjuna will not be able to see the Viswarupa with his physical naked eyes. Hence He grants Arjuna the 'JNANA NETRA'-- the eye of Jnana so that he can see that effulgent form.. Lord Krishna touches Arjuna when immediately the eye of Jnana opens up and Arjuna is able to witness wonderful sights and incredible things happening before him.
   " Wherever I see there are legs,and stomachs; there is no beginning no end. Wherever I see there are rich clothes, garlands and fragrant spices" exclaimed Arjuna with amazement and continued, " It is an astonishing form; He has terrible weapons ready for use! His scintillating brilliance is equal to a hundred thousand Suns!" Arjuna stood like a stone, petrified! His voice began to tremble and ecstasy overtook him! He fell down again and again in prostration and praised the Lord in all humility and worshipful mood!
        Arjuna exclaimed, " I see in you the creator Brahma, Lord Siva the destroyer, the seven sages--saptharshis, great snakes, pitrus and the Gandharvas. Armies of soldiers are entering your terrible mouths. I see Drona and other warriors caught in your sharp teeth and bleeding! You are drinking deep the blood of those people with your harsh and rough tongue! Your mouth looks terrible and frightening like the all consuming fire at the time of the deluge!" Though stunned and stupified at this tremendous Cosmic form, Arjuna is not without doubt! His greatness and spiritual attainments are not enough to counter  maya or illusion! Doubting if it is Lord Krishna who has taken this indescribable all embracing, and all consuming Viswarupa, Arjuna , in a feeble voice asks, " Oh Lord! What is your name? Why have you taken this form?"
          In a loud pitch th Lord replied, "  I am KALA or Time! I destroy all! I have come to annihilate all others except you and  your brothers! Oh Arjuna! Arise and wage war because you must get renown. Like hitting a dead snake, I do not require your help. Perfection  needs no addition! You are imperfect and you must get glory!" when Arjuna said that he is not enamoured of name and fame Krishna said that he may enjoy  the entire kingdom for himself!     (continued)

 

IS FANATICISM VALID TODAY?

It is pertinent to question whether Fanaticism is valid in today's society. It is one of the maladies that affect the well being of society. What exactly is fanaticism?  It is a state of mind wherein you consider your religion,language,caste, creed, community or even your country as the greatest. Not merely that, you down grade and try to establish, one way or the other, the superiority of your religion, language or others. Fanaticism has done so much disservice to society that we have to reconsider if this attitude is to be continued in society. Religious and social leaders speak a lot in platitudes but when it comes to practice fanaticism has the last laugh! Religious fanaticism is as vile and dangerous as others.The 'jihads' or religious wars during the early centuries between the Christians and the Muslims have taken the toll of  hundreds of thousands of innocent lives. Christians had fought severe wars for the sake of their holy place, Jerusalem, the birth place of Jesus Christ. Muslims consider all, of other religions, as infidels! Even in the same religion there are sects that are opposed to one another. Protestants, Catholics,Sunnis and Shias among Christians and Muslims respectively are at logger heads with different beliefs and ideologies! The latest illustration of fanaticism is the rise of brutal and savage ISIS that has launched a series of heinous crimes, beheading, looting, murders and conversions!

      Another serious type of  fanatic zeal is that of language. Linguistic fanaticism isas dangerous as religious fanaticism. You consider your language as the best and th greatest! Is Sanskrit the mother of all languages? Is Tamil greater than Telugu? Should we read and learn Hindi which is a nort Indian language? Such silly questions arise and poison one's mind! We should remember that all religions and languages are great for the followers of that religion and language. They are like our mothers. Simply because you Love your mother you cannot say that others are no good or bad!
       If God is the same for every religion why is HE described differently by different followers of religions? God is One no doubt. But he plays different roles for different persons. The head of the family is father to one, brother to another, and husband to the third and is called by different names by different persons. So the One God is described in various namesor ways as per  the particular aspect in which he appears to his particular worshipper. As Sri Ramakrishna points ' Let a man be Christian in the matter of mercy, a Muslim in the matter of strict observation of external forms, and  Hndu in the matter of universal charity towards all living creatures." All religions are different paths leading to the same God like the waters that fall from the heaven eventually flow into the sea!
         Linguistic fanaticism has an emotional impact and leads to senseless violence! It is present in Tamilnadu pronouncedly. Anti Hindi agitation had created a lot of trouble earlier.The issue is being politicised. Though people are not against Hindi or Sanskrit, the new generation of politicians are against these two languages. They oppose anything that encourages Hindi and Sanskrit.
         " THERE IS ONLY ONE RELIGION, THE RELIGION OF LOVE. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD HE IS OMNIPRESENT"
             THERE IS ONLY ONE CASTE, THE CASTE OF HUMANITY. THERE IS ONLY ONE LANGUAGE, THE LANGUAGE OF     THE HEART.----Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba
         Is it not better for us to dissolve all differences of religion and language and exhibit our feelings of Love and sympathy for all our brethren irrespective of color, creed and religion? Humanity has to go a long way in realizing the values of universal Love,brotherhood and compassion

AHANKARA OR EGOTISM

Egotism or Ego is called " Ahankara' in Sanskrit-- the feeling of 'I' which leads to arrogance and superiority complex! Egoism is the root and crown of all evil thoughts and other down dragging tendencies. It degrades Man from the golden glory to the level of lowly duty!" says Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba! It is a kind of veil or screen that separates the object from you. When the sun is covered by the clouds you feel the heat and light but cannot see the Sun. In the same way  as long as egotism dominates, you cannot have the vision of God! Egotism is the cloud that keeps God hidden from our sight. In the picture of Sri Rama you find him in the front followed by his wife Sita and brother Laksmana. But Lakshmana's view of Sri Rama is obstructed by the presence of Sita. Lakshmana represents JIVA the individual soul and Sita symbolizes MAYA and thus is responsible for the obstruction! In other words, Man's ego itself is maya! It is only when the feeling of " I " and Mine dies man can find salvation.No amount of Jnana or self realization can grant liberation or mukti as long as egotism persists!
      Freedom from terrestrial existence is possible when that ' I ' disappears. It is ignorance to say ' I ' and Mine. True knowledge is to say ' thou' and ' thine ' A true bhakta does not believe that he is the doer or kartha. He says and believes that God is the doer. As Lord Krishna, tells Arjuna "nimitta matram bhava Savyasachin" --Arjuna, you are only an instrument in my hands--you should develop the feeling that it is God that does everything. It is He who ordains you to do things! Every thing is yours not mine It is not easy to conquer your ego! Like the garlic juice that retains its pungent odor in the container egotism is obstinate and never  disappears completely however much you try to get rid of it.
        Can there be a good egotism? Two types of egoism exist among human beings--the RIPE and UNRIPE EGOS!To feel that every thing is God's,whatever you feel, see and think, that your body is God's--is called Ripe Ego! Realizing that the atma is eternal, free and all knowing is also RIPE EGO! On the other hand to be immersed in the cycle of samsara and feel that this is my house, my children,my wife and my body constitutes UNRIPE EGO! The feeling of  ' I ' that renders man attached to wealth and lust is not only mischievous but dangerous. Jivatma and paramatma are separated because of this ' I '. A stick placed on the surface of water divides it into two sections. The stick is the ' aham, the " i " ego!  If the stick is removed water becomes united!
         Egotism has vanquished many a great emperor and brought him down to dust! Our scriptuires and history are replete with the downfall of many great people blinded with egotism! Arrogant Nahusha, bloated with egotism, prodded the sages carrying him in a palanquin, with his feet! He was about to be crowned as Indra! Enraged at his ego and arrogance, the sages cursed hin to be a python! Ravana in the epic Ramayana is another emperor undone by his ego!  In modern days we have Hitler and othe dictators who lost themselves puffed up wih pride and ego
          How to conquer egotism? This can be done by serving God and develop a sense of servant master relationship! Service to Man is service to God! This sort of service becomes RIPE EGO and leads to  eventual emancipation! Sri Satya Sai Baba has advocated service without self as the panacea for this diehard ego! His SEVA DAL is a great and glowing testimony for the nishkama karma being done by thousands of volunteers all over the world! This selfless service not only annihilates our ego but paves the way for other achievements like sadhana and spirituality that are essential, Hanuman, in spite of his jnana and self realization,maintained the Ripe Ego of being  a servant of Sri Rama! Renowned sages like Narada, Sanaka, Sanandana,and Sanathkumara considered themselves as servants of God! Let us try our best to be free from this unripe Ego through service and Grace of God!

     

 

 

VIBHUTI YOGA

Elaborating on his glory to Arjuna Lord Krishna asks him to listen to the significant discourse on spiritual and Vedantic matters intended for his welfare. The Lord tells Arjuna, ' Remember. even the devas and the rishis cannot comprehend ME. I am above birth and death and the lord of all the three worlds. Vijaya, I am the creator of all  Manus and the seven great sages and seers. I endow all human beings with their qualities according to their past karma!" Arjuna was emotionally touched with these words. He told Krishna that  all devotees and sages had extolled His qualities and that he sincerely believed in the truth of their sayings!
     Pleased with the response from Arjuna Krishna says that his devotees fix their mind on HIM They exactly live in Him! The day is bad for them when they do not think of HIM or hear His name or see His form! Arjuna now raises a question and wants to know how His devotees perform  UPASANA--worship. Krishna is overjoyed at this question as Arjuna is the first to ask such a question. None had ever put such a question to HIM during his previous avatars! UPASANA or worship is of two kinds says Krishna. The first is called " AKHANDOPASANA". where it is worship always in all situations without any break like the continuous flow of oil! This rare Upasana is granted to one who is in his last birth! The second type of Upasana or worship is called ' KHANDOPASANA" where worship is not continuous but only at certain times and places like Varanasi, Rameswaram, observing ekadasi, Sivarathri, and Sri Ramanavami
      What is the meaning of the word vibhuthi? It signifies the highest manifestations of Divinity! A few things declare the Glory of the Almighty. Worshipping those objects is called " Khandopasana". Though all objects are equal, some have intrinsic merit.The Sun shines on a mirror, a stone, and also on water. Glass reflects very well, water a little,and the stone does not reflect at all!! Krishna continues, ' Arjuna, among the twelve Adityas VIshnu is my glorious form. I am the light giving Surya. I am the  Moon among the stars. I am Aswattha--Peepal tree among the trees. Among the devotees I am the sage Narada. I am the great Vedavyasa among the sages and seers.I am Margasirsha among the months. Among the seasons I am Vasantha or the Spring. Among the alphabets I am A. In compound words I am " Dwanda samasa." Among the prosodies or chandas I am the Gayathri chandas. Among arms and ammunitions I am the Vajra. I am the Himalayas among the mountains.I am river Ganges among the rivers.
       "Among the Yadavas I am vasudeva. Among the Pandavas I am Arjuna myself! ( I have placed my sakthi in you) Among the poets I am Sukra. Among the games I am the game of dice. I am also renown, prosperity, intelligence,speech, perseverence, patience, forgiveness and tolerance!"
        Divinity can be perceived among scholars,great warriors, heroes and the strong! From the ants creeping on the earth to the stars in the firmament we can see and experience Divinity!! When we see the beautiful aspects of Nature the worst of atheists will be convinced that there is a superior Being responsible for this amazing Creation!!
    

 

 

SILENCE ( MOUNAM) AND SPIRITUALITY

Man is a noisy creature! It is difficult for him to keep quiet. Even as he comes out of  the mother's womb he cries and alerts others of  his presence on earth! If the child does not cry, it is a dangerous sign! Throughout his life man talks and talks and does not keep silence. In short, speech, talk, and noise are considered as natural qualities of life. It is very difficult  for man to  keep quiet or silent! What is the connection between silence and spirituality? Does remaining silent constitute spirituality? Certainly not. Silence or Mounam is an important part of meditation that leads to spirituality.There are other aspects that make man spiritually oriented! Service without self to humanity, association with good people  like devotees , treating all with love are a few of  of them.
     People say that silence is golden and speech silver! It does not mean that there is gold in silence and silver in speech. It signifies the value of silence in relation to speech. As humanity wastes so much of time in pointless talk and controversies, Silence gains in its importance! One who is silent is considered as a reserved, unsociable individual.People shun him and he cannot be popular. He cannot befriend others! There are people  who talk too much and do not allow others to express themselves. We call such a person a chatter box! The very purpose of speech is to please others,say good things, and speak and sing the glory of God! But unfortunately very few people think about these things!
         Mounam or Silence is a rare virtue and a luxury for many! " MOUNENA KALHAM NASTHI" is a Sanskrit saying. By keeping silent you can avoid many quarrels, controversies and misunderstandings.All efforts to realization of GOD or SELF  require silent Meditation and concentration on the divine. Silence is the chief requisite for any sadhaka who tries to realize himself. He has to be far away from the madding crowd and the humdrum existence in cities and towns to meditate on the Supreme Being! That is why our sages and seers withdrew themselves to the forest regions where silence rules supreme! That is how child prodigt Dhruva performed penance and realized his goal!
           Some times  Mounam or Silence is more eloquent than speech! A mere steady stare at the person shall mean many things to the other person! Mounam or Silence can achieve many things that speech cannot achieve. It is only in the silent  channels of the human mind that the eternal Spirit can be visualized! All our sages and seers were past masters in silent Meditation or penance through which they realized the Divinity! A classical example of the efficacy of Mouna or Silence is the divine message of Lord Dakshinamurthy-- a saintly form of Lord Siva. He is represented in a sitting posture facing the south at the foot of the Banyan tree! His disciples are the great and grand old sages while he is in eternal youth! By his silence and  the " CHINMUDRA" HE communicates to the sages the essence of the message of the PARABRAHMAN!
                 " Chitram vata tharormule Vruddhas shishya guroryuva gurosthu MOUNA VYAKHYANAM Sishyasthu cchina samsayah" says Adi Sankara in his Sri Dakshinamurthy sthothra! All  the doubts of the sages were totally cleared throgh the silence and the Chinmudra of the Lord! Great sages and realized souls and spiritual giants do not talk much, They maintain Mouna Vrata-- Vow of Silence. If they  talk, it is just for a few minutes Sri Kanchi Paramacharya and Sri Ramana Maharshi are examples of great sages in modern times who observed Mouna meticulously! It is better for all of us to observe Mouna Vrata at least a day a month to purify ourselves and our tongue and practice spiritual sadhana!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RAJAVIDYA OR RAJAGUHYA YOGA PART TWO

In his explaining mood, Lord Krishna continues, " Partha! people perform yagas and yagnas to enjoy the pleasures of heaven which are ephemeral! They perform karma expecting reward.But they fall down into the mortal wold  soon after their Punya is spent in enjoying luxuries.Even the deities are anxious to be born as human beings! So we should not waste our time.There is no certainty that we would be born again as human beings! A person who performs Nishkama karma and considers his body as MY property and worships and maintains unison with me shall be looked after by me entirely! I will be responsible for his 'yoga' and ' kshema'.
        One of the interesting leelas--divine sports of the Lord in protecting his devotees is worth describing! A true devotee of Lord Varadaraja of Kanchipuram used to worship the lord and get his groceries and provisions.Some one would supply all the provisions regularly. But one day, after returning from worship he found nothing at home for food and feast.Growing angry, he went to the 22nd sloka of this chapter in his Bhagavadgita text starting " ananyas chintayanto mam----and struck it off as it had proved false! When he went to the Temple, to his dismay and disbelief he found a black mark on the face of the deity! In the meanwhile, Lord Varadaraja came in the guise of a merchant and delivered all groceries and provisions required for the family and the feast! The devotee was wonderstruck at this incident but could not find the person who brought the provisions! Immediately he went back to the 22nd Sloka and erased the black mark he had made! When he went to the temple again , to his and others' amazement the black mark on the face of Lord Varadaraja had disappeared mysteriously! Inscrutable are the ways of God! He takes over the entire responsibility of his true devotee if he surrenders himself totally to God!
          Krishna Continues, " Vijaya! persons who worship other gods worship me through them. That path is indirect,. One gets results according to the intensity of his faith & devotion.Lower order of deities confer limited rewards.There is more labour and less fruit.It is enough if aperson offers a leaf,a flower, a fruit and water with firm faith and devotion! to the Lord! God accepts such offering gladly. Quality of Bhakti is important, not the quantity of flowers, fruits and other paraphernalia! Bhakti or devotion can be categorized into three forms. The first is UCHCHA BHAKTI or loud recitation of Slokas and mantras or sthothras.The second is called UPAMSU where there is just a movement of lips.The third is MANASIKA within the mind or manas This is the greatest of all types of devotion! Lord Krishne went to the rescue of Droupadi, the spouse of Pandavas  because of her exemplary devotion and incessant repetition of HIS name! He saved her from the anger of sage Durvasa & again when she was disrobed in the public court of Duryodhana! Rukmini's devotion to Sri Krishna was greater than that of Satyabhama another spouse of  Krishna!
            Concluding, Krishna says, " Arjuna! All are equal to me. I absolve all those who worship me from their sins. Sins cannot be dissolved by propitiation. Before I shower my Grace, I convert them into good people with compassion repentence, belief in shastrasand scriptures and implicit obedien

ce Fix your mind in Me! By doing so you shall reach my presence and obtain Mokaha as described in the Vedas!

 

 

 

 

RAJAVIDYA OR RAJAGUHYA YOGA

This chapter is of special significance as Lord Krishna, in his infinite love and compassion, counsels Arjuna though he does not raise any question! He points out that Jnana and Vignana are absolutely needed for obtaining Moksha and be rid of  the greatest " ashubham"--the bad one. The greatest " ashubham" is the entry of the pure Soul or Atma into the impure Physical body. For avoiding such an entry Jnana and Vignana are essential. It is envy or jealousy that debars people from spiritual and  Vedantic knowledge and practice. It was  Gandhari's jealousy that made the Kauravas evil minded! " asuyaika gunam hante" say the Shastras!
       The Lord explains that Vedanta is Royal Knowledge, pure, sacred and the best! One can invoke Atma and Paramatma through Vedanta. Krishna says, " I am manifest  in all the animate and inanimate objects in the cosmos.In the same way  I am not in them. Similar to the lotus leaf in water, qualities and defects of worldly  things do not affect me. It is the Individual soul--Jivatma that is affected, not the Paramatma--the AbsoluteSoul!" The suffering is for the convict in the jail not for the Jailor or the officer who visits the jail.Thus the Individual Soul or Jiva is the convict  while the Paramatma is the visiting officer. Man may escape punishment in this world but he cannot cheat God who is the great overseer or witness! Lord Krishna continues, "Space is universal in good and bad. But it is unaffected. It is subtle and allpervading. O Partha! Understand that I keep Maya under my control and create animate and inanimate world, God is impartial, non partisam. Jivas are created and destroyed according to their prachina karma. Vijaya!  not realizing my transcendant nature,fools slight me when I incarnate in human form"  Even during the periods of the avatars of Rama and Krishna very few recognized the divinity in them!  It is sathwikas who recognized but not those with asuric qualities! " The path of worship is to repeat my name with firm faith and devotion." Lord Vishnu tells sage Narada that hewould be firmly seated wherever  his devotees sing his praise with bhakti. " Jnanis worship me asthe Absolute while the others worship in one form or other. The essential thing is my worship!
         " I amthe ritualand I am the sacrifice" continued the Lord, " I am the oblation and the medicinal herb. I am the hymn. I am the clarified butter. I am the sacred fire and also theoffering. I am the universal father and mother. I award fruits according to the karmas of beings in their previous births. All humans have to realize me. My form is the purest PRANAVA--OMKARA  the personification of all Vedas. I am the final goal, the witness,the Abode,the Refuge the friend, the origin,the God,the foundation,the treasure house,and the imperishable Seed! I am the origin of heat and can withdraw it. I bring rain and withdraw it. I grant Moksha and also entangle people in samsara. I am the cause of birth and death! All objects, animate and inanimate are my forms. I ordain the qualities of dullness and awareness!"     (CONTINUED)

  pro

FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY

It is impossible for humanity to exist without Faith! Faith is the bedrock over which our lives are built. Faith or belief in persons and things allows us to carry on our earthly existence. Faith in one's ambitions,ideals,work or religion motivates man to achieve his goals. The husband has faith in his spouse and the wife has implicit faith in her husband. The child has faith in the mother who tells him who his father, brother, and sisters are.The child does not question the mother but believes in her words The employer has faith in his employees and they too have faith in their employer. The devotee or bhakta has faith in his religion,and chosen God. He believes that God will surely come to his rescue in times of need and even grant him emancipation if he is stesdfast in his devotion and prayer. In short,the whole universe has faith as an integral constituent of life.
   Can we distinguish between people who have faith and those who do not have? According to Sri Ramakrishna the bony sort of people, the hollow eyed, and the squint eyed find it difficult to have faith. Innumerable creeds among the Hindus make it difficult for them to choose their faith. It is said that once Goddess Parvati asked Lord Siva to tell her the best way to eternal Bliss. Lord Siva  replied that  FIRM FAITH  in God is the way to everlasting and all embracing Bliss! Man's sufferings are due to his lack of faith in God. It is faith that increases knowledge relating to God. Little faith results in little knowledge.He has everything who has faith. One who has no faith has nothing. Namasmarana or repetition of the name of God with firm faith and discrimination between the real and the unreal leads to realization of God!
    What is childlike faith? It is implicit unquestioning belief in the words of the Guru or in God! The child believes in whatever the mother says and obeys her instructions. God loves that childlike,simple and unquestioning faith in man. Arjuna and Krishna were going in a chariot once. Krishna pointed to a beautiful flight of pgeons in the sky. Arjuna said that it was really beautiful! The next moment the Lord said that they were not pigeons at all! Arjuna replied that they were surely not pigeons! Is Arjuna trying to please Krishna? No. Arjuna had so much faith in Krishna that whatever the Lord said would be true!  If Krishna said they are pigeons, they must be so! If he says they are not pigeons they cannot be pigeons for He is the eternal Lord!
      There is the story of a manwho was given an amulet by a sage to cross a river. With faith in the amulet , he started and walked half across the river when a  doubt pestered him! He wanted to know the contents of the amulet! On opening it he saw just a piece of paper  with the name RAMA written on it.He was disappointed that it was after all the secret of the amulet. The moment he felt the doubt, he sank into the water and was drowned! Faith in the name of the Lord works wonders! The lives of eminent Azwars and Nayanmars are classical examples of unshakable faith in the Lord! Faith is life and want of faith is death! A disciple  who had implicit faith in the words of his Guru walked across a river chanting his name! Seeing this, the Guru was puffed up with pride,vanity and egotism at the greatness and efficacy of his name!  He tried to walk on the river chanting " I " and " I "  but was drowned!  Faith achieves miracles while vanity, egotism and pride deatroys man! It is his firm and imperturbable faith in the name of RAMA that enabled Hanuman to cross the ocean and find out Sita! Repetition of Lord's name is the panacea for all the ills of individuals and society! Repeating the Lord's name once can destroy all sins in previous births!
        spiritual progress cannot be attained without this firm and unalloyed child like faith in God! Child devotees like Dhruva, Prahlada  and Gajendra in in the Bhagavatha purana are the guiding spirits that beckon to us to have firm faith in the Lord irrespective of all the toils and turmois of samsara! Let us emulate those spiritual stars and cultivate firm faith in Divinity and be blessed!

/