WHY PRAYER?

Like food for the body prayer is for the soul! It is rather impossible for man to live without prayer! The existence of man is beset with so many difficulties and dangers and critical situations that he is constrained to look up and pray to God! Man’s wants and desires have multiplied endlessly and he is unable to quench his thirst for worldly things. Thus everyone prays to God for one reason or other. The couple pray for children, the student for good marks and a pass in the examination, the businessman for advancement and good profit, the employee for promotion! Every section of society and its members pray for something or other that they desire badly! But do we pray for others? Do we pray for peace and prosperity of the nation in which we live? Confused in the midst of our innumerable desires we forget all others! We become selfish! We are more interested in ourselves than on others and their well being! It is enough if I am safe and alright! This utter selfishness is the unique characteristic of modern prayers! There is a definite surge in people who visit the temples daily! On the other side we see many atrocities, evil deeds, murders, fraud and many illegal activities! The thief and the fraudster too visit the temple and pray for their success and prosperity! Can such request to God be called prayer? Is there anyone who prays for the sake of prayer without asking for material benefits? There are very few Individuals who do so! Those days of bhaktas and saints are over! Constant thought of God is enough to save man from all difficulties and dangers!

Prayer has now become a bargaining deal with God!! “If you give me promotion, I will perform puja and Abhishek or I will give you this and that”- that is the type of modern prayers we see these days. It is as if God is anxious to receive what you offer! He is the provider for all and has blessed us with what all we enjoy in this world! Real prayer should be sincere! You should act according to your thought. Simplicity and sincerity are the cardinal requisites for prayer!There should be harmony between your thoughts and words. Much devotion, service to many devotees and keeping their company for long shall take the person nearer to God! Constant thought on God is quite enough to see you through in many dangers and difficult situations! The best form of prayer is to not ask for worldly things! God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and omniscient! He knows what you want and like the mother grant you what is good for you. When God is ready to grant salvation or mukti, the ultimate goal of life, why go in for silly and transitory things?

Sage Narada asked Sri Rama to grant him love, devotion and surrender unto his lotus feet!  Sri Rama asked Narada to ask for some other thing! Narada replied that he should not be attracted by His Maya which fascinates the universe! It is the cause of all delusion in the world! Again Sri Rama wanted sage Narada to ask for some other boon. But, Narada said he wanted nothing else!! The very purpose of our birth is to realize ourselves and understand that we are not the body but the chip of the indestructible Atma that manifests in all creatures. If we pray for that  realization all other things will follow! So prayer should be for nobler and spiritual attainments rather than ordinary material gains or profits! We will be wasting our precious time and energy when we ask for very small things from the Giver of the greatest gift viz emancipation! It is interesting to note how in the previous yugas, people with enviable record of tapas or penance wasted their lives by asking God for ordinary things!

In Kruta Yuga Hiranya kasipu performed tremendous tapas for years together! Lord Brahma the Creator presented himself before him and wanted to know what the asura wanted. Foolish asura wanted the boon of deathlessness! That being refused, Hiranyakasipu requested that nothing in the world, air, water, fire, animal, morning, evening, and many others should be allowed to kill him! His evil design was to conquer heaven and destroy the Devas! Brahma granted his boon! God is cleverer than man! When Hiranyakasipu's atrocities increased, Lord Vishnu took the form of man-lion-Nara mriga sareera, caught him on his lap and tore him to pieces!  Man thinks that he is cleverer than God but can never understand the scheme of God! In another incident in the Ramayana, the brother of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, performed severe penance to get more powers! But as destiny would have it, when God presented himself before him, he asked for good deep sleep! That was granted. He was not of much help to Ravana during the war!

The story of Ravana is another example of prayer and penance being wasted! He got all the boons from God; nothing in the world could kill him, Devas or animals, the elements or others! His ego was such that he treated man as worthless! He was the brother of Kubera, the God of Wealth! He was a great devotee of Lord Siva and even tried to shake Kailash, the abode of the Lord! He was also a great singer of Sama Veda! But all came to nothing due to his lust! He did not include man thinking that there would be no danger from him! Lord Vishnu incarnated as Sri Rama and finally put an end to his evil deeds by killing him! It is a lesson for all of us that we should be very cautious in asking for boons from God! Whatever we ask God will grant but nothing more! If we leave everything to Him, and surrender to His Will, He will take over all our responsibilities, burdens and provide what all we require as Krishna did for Sudama or Kuchela! Let our prayers be for spiritual elevation and upliftment, not for attaining personal worldly benefits!

THE ACT OF GIVING

Man is a selfish creature! He wants everything for himself. He is not ready to give! Even the child refuses to part with the toy in its possession. Attachment to things starts even from childhood. It is impossible to detach oneself from the various relationships that the child develops. The love and affection of the mother,father, brother, sister, and kith and kin increase the attachment and the desire for possession! As the child grows up it has new connections like friends and other acquaintances and attachments are strengthened! As such there is no possibility for man to think of giving to others! The greatness of man lies in giving to others! It is through sacrifice of that which is very dear to him that man becomes immortal! It is not through his deeds, people, or riches but by sacrifice alone that man attains immortality! The Upanishad declares, “ na karmana na prajaya na dhanena tyage naikena amrutatwa manasuhu”. It is by giving up  or sacrificing what is very dear to you that makes you immortal! How many soldiers and great men have sacrificed their precious lives for the sake of the nation! It is because of their self sacrifice we remember them even today!

“Revel in giving rather than receiving” counsels Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba! There is a pleasure in giving others who are needy. The feeling of contentment, joy and excitement of the receiver is a treat to watch! Service to Man is service to God! We see and realize God in the smile and happiness of the poor and downtrodden. We are very comfortable and lead a life of luxury but the poor are unable to have even a single meal a day! The rich can loosen their purses and help the poor and miserable. This requires a  desire to give and sacrifice. Money,food,clothing, and any other material useful for them can be offered. Our Puranas and mythologies have many stories of kings and others who sacrificed themselves for the sake of others. The Bhagavata Purana speaks of the great Sibi Chakravrty, son of Usinara of Chandra vamsa. He was tested by Agni the God of fire and Indra king of Gods. Agni became a dove and Indra chased it as a hawk! The dove sought asylum at Sibi noted for his greatness. The hawk demanded its prey but Sibi refused to release it. The hawk demanded flesh from Sibi to compensate. Immediately, Sibi cut a portion of flesh from his lap,and offered it to the hawk! Appreciating Sibi's selflessness, both the Gods presented themselves before Sibi, blessed him and departed! This was in Treta Yuga and we remember Sibi even today in this Kaliyuga!

Will you offer your youth in exchange for old age? None will do so at present and it is impossible!  Yayati was a renowned king who married Devayani, daughter of Sukracharya. His second wife was Sarmishta and he was very fond of her. Devayani grew jealous because Yayati neglected her. On her complaint, Sukracharya grew furious and cursed Yayati to lose his youth! Yayati suddenly became old and senile! But his obsession for conjugal life did not leave him! He called his sons and asked each of his sons to take his old age and give their youth! They refused but his last son agreed and exchanged his youthfulness!! But his last son agreed and exchanged his father’s  old age with his youthfulness! He thus sacrificed his prime youth for the happiness of his father! Yayati satisfied his desire, blessed his son Puru, and returned his youth! He gave his kingdom to Peru and cursed his other sons for disobeying him

Emperor Bali is another example of the rare quality of giving away his kingdom to the young brahmin lad Vamana, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu! Having promised Vamana three feet of land he did not want to go back on his word. Guru Sukracharya warned Bali that on the pretext of three feet of land, Vishnu will take away his entire empire. But Bali was unruffled! He said that he is proud because Lord Vishnu himself had come begging for land from him! What a great fortune for him! Moreover, his giving hand  will be above and the receiving hand will be below! To save his disciple, Sukracharya obstructed the flow of water from Vamama ’s kamandalu-a vessel to pour water! All knowing Vamana, pierced the eye of Sukracharya with a blade of darbha grass! Thus Sukracharya became blind in one eye! The giver is always on a higher level than the receiver!

There are millions of people in need of help! They are homeless and do not have anyone who can look after them. Old age homes are there but one has to pay money to stay there! There are no homes which provide food, clothing and shelter for the orphans and the destitutes in society! It is the bounden duty of the affluent members of society to come to the rescue of such homes! Any charity or alms should be offered with faith! It should never be given casually or recklessly. Whatever is offered should be done with humility, devotion and love. The giver should seek the wellbeing of the receiver and offer according to his mite! This type of offering is called” Satwika Dana” Taittiriya Upanishad declares how a Dana has to be made-- “sraddhayadeyam asraddhayadeyam sriyadeyam hriyadeyam bhiyadeyam samvidadeyam” The giver will never be a loser for what he has given or sacrificed for others. He will be remembered for ever for the little acts of generosity that he has done for the benefit of the poor and the downtrodden in society! Why not we emulate the legendary givers and play our part in society??

ON THE THREE VAIRAGYAS

VAIRAGYA or non attachment is a quality rarely found in ordinary human beings! From the time the child sees the light of the day, it is surrounded by a number of relations, father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt and others. Brought up with rare love and affection, the child develops unbreakable bonds. After a time, when a boy or girl, it has new relationship with his or her friends. In other words human existence is a combination of different relationships and connections! As the boy grows he has his desires, wishes, likes dislikes, preferences and is interested in satisfying them. The senses are more active and impel him to satisfy them immediately and quickly! How is it possible for the young to develop Vairagya with so much of doting and excess of affection on the part of parents and others?  The child, to be non attached, should be extraordinary and blessed even from the time of birth like Dhruva and Prahlada! We can never expect to have such children in our families in this Kali yuga! This thought brings me to the different types of Vairagya which affect the common man in society!

There are three types of Vairagya that people usually consider as important! The first is called “Purana Vairagya!”  Pious people attend religious and spiritual discourses by erudite scholars.The lectures on the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha delivered with gusto and feeling move them very much. As long as they listen to these discourses they are very much impressed. The righteousness of Rama, the fraternal affection of the brothers, the chastity of Sita affect them much! At the same time they hate the character of Ravana who aspired for the hand Sita! They love the exploits of Hanuman.They dislike Duryodhana and his brothers and love the Pandavas and Krishna who came to their help time and again! They desire to be like the Pandavas and be truthful like them in their life! But these thoughts ring in their mind as long as they hear the discourses! The moment they return home these thoughts evaporate into thin air! They become the ordinary mortals they are with all traits like ego, hatred, jealousy anger and other evil tendencies!

The second type of non attachment is related to women! Soon after marriage the couple is very happy with  feast and festivity and the first experience of honeymoon. When the wife conceives, the pleasure is doubled and they expect the baby fondly. But pregnancy is not such an easy thing as it is imagined! For nine months she has to undergo many changes in her constitution to suit the child and protect her health. She has to endure the excruciating agony of labor pains. Unable to bear the pangs, she curses the husband for creating such a situation! In her fear and pain she vows that she should not have any more children! Sometimes it is a question of life and death for the woman. But soon after the safe delivery of the baby, she is relaxed and forgets all the pain and suffering she endured so stoically! Her disgust and philosophy of not having any more children goes into thin air! After a couple of years she has two more children!!! This Vairagya is short lived as “Purana Vairagya”.

The mind of man is very unstable! He sees the daily procession people being taken to the burial ground or crematorium! Seeing these things, he thinks that life is so short and one day or other he has to undergo the same experience! He wants to lead a clean life. He understands what death is and how his own kith and kin dread this inevitable end to life! But soon after the corpse is taken away, he reverts to his  normal ways of life! He is afraid of death. He wants to live for long and does not wish to die! All his philosophical views on life and death melt into thin air! He resumes his life as if if he will never face death! In the Mahabharata, Dharmaraja tells the Yaksha that the most astonishing thing about man is that he wants to live for ever fully knowing that it is impossible! This attitude is called “Smasana Vairagya”.- non attachment of the burial ground.

Fickle minded man is susceptible to good and bad influences in his life!  Under the influence of good things, he decide to be good, honest, and truthful. But when he moves away from that influence, he is the self same man subject to vicissitudes in life! This transitory influence of non attachment or philosophy is not enduring! He is in the same rut of his ordinary existence! He cannot release himself from the attachments and ‘mamakara’ that has bound him for ever! Hence, non attachment or Vairagya is a quality that is inborn and cannot be cultivated all of a sudden! These temporary pious resolutions are as brittle as as the bubble in the wave of water! Human nature, under the influence Maya or illusion cannot be changed unless under the Grace of God! These three Vairagyas are common experiences in men and women! Let us not be swayed by these momentary resolutions. Let us try to cultivate real non attachment by withdrawing from the bonds of family ties!

IMPORTANCE OF GURU ( Gurucharanambuja...)

Guru occupies the most important place in the evolution of the spiritual aspirant. Without him it is impossible to progress. Guru is the embodiment of the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. It is not necessary to worship the deities if one is an ardent devotee of the chosen Guru! It is the Guru who dispels the darkness of ignorance from his disciple and leads him to the path of salvation or mukti! The Guru should be a self realized individual for without that how can he guide his chela to the difficult path of Jnana and mukti?The significance of the Guru is very well described in the following sloka: “ Dhyana moolam guror murthihi puja mulam guroh padam mantra moolam guror vakyam moksha moolam guroh krupa”--The form of the Guru should be meditated upon; his feet have to be worshipped; his words should be considered as mantra; his grace is the bestower of moksha or mukti! A true guru is not a Srikama, one who desires money! Days are gone when we had such distinguished Gurus like Vashista, Vamadeva and various others! Many self styled gurus have surfaced in modern days and it is very difficult to choose between them!

“ Guru charanambuja nirbhara bhaktha” says Sankara. In the last part of Bhajagovindam, Sankara indicates the means by which the disciple can have the vision of the Lord embedded in one’s own heart! The first condition is the disciple’s unstinted devotion and faith in the lotus feet of the Guru! Even for a fraction of a second he should not waver from his bhakti and sraddha or faith! Sankara and Ramanuja themselves were disciples of that type and because of that virtue eclipsed their Gurus! We hear of disciples like Bhrigu, son of Varuna and Satyakama of Jabala in the Upanishads who were totally devoted to their preceptors and attained self realization!

“Samsara dachiradbhava muktaha” is the second condition for the vision of the Divine seated on the pedestal of one’s heart! He should be non attached to the entanglements of family life. He should see that those family bonds do not come in the way of his goal viz self realization.This is a herculean task because of the illusion of the material world and its charms and pleasures on him. How to overcome this bear grip of Maya? Sankara suggests the answer. It is by the control of the mind and and senses! Is it so easy as the statement made by Sankara? Our sense are our best friends and at the same time our worst enemies! It depends on how we manage them.They are like the horses in a gallop. Left uncontrolled they dash you to the ground! You should never feed the senses as they are insatiable. ‘Buddhi' or mind or the intellect is the controller of the senses.

Our body or sareera is considered as the ratha or Chariot. Atma is the charioteer, the one coming in a procession. Buddhi or intellect is the sarathi, the driver of the chariot. Manas or the heart is the controlling factor. How does the chariot progress? It s drawn by the horses which  represent the senses. It is the duty of the intellect to command the Manas to control the senses lest they may dash you to the ground in an accident! The Upanishad beautifully explains the danger that is always present in proximity! We have instances galore in our Puranas and scriptures of how great kings and emperors despite their pomp and pageantry and scholarship were slaves of their senses and lost  themselves irretrievably! Ravana, king of Lanka is a classical example! Even sages were not exempted! Sage Viswamitra became an easy target for the bewitching beauty of the heavenly damsel Menaka! If it is such a difficult task for great sages like Viswamitra, what about the ordinary mortals like us??

So, it is of paramount importance for man to seek the best Guru to guide him in the path of salvation! He has to release himself from the inescapable clutches of Samsara or family bonds. He has to maintain imperturbable faith in his mentor. The most important and difficult thing is to control the senses that pose a challenge for him at every stage of life! It is through the coordination of all these efforts that man can realize himself or gain the vision of the Divinity that is silently seated in our heart! It can never be a cakewalk for ordinary man! The aspirant has to perform Sadhana for the realization!

NITYA AND ANITYA ( pranayamam prtyaharam)

How should man live and regulate his life on earth? Is he aware of what he should do to be happy and contented? Does he ever think about what is permanent, everlasting and what is impermanent and transitory? Unfortunately man is always interested in silly pleasures and enjoys as if they are the real things to be Interested in! The world, and this body are temporary entities and to believe in them is foolish! When Arjuna throws down his Gandiva and refuses to kill his kith and kin in the Kurukshetra war, Lord Krishna asks if he does not know what is ‘ nitya’ and ‘ anitya'! He should not feel sorry for the body as it is destroyed one day or the other. He should not worry about the soul as it is indestructible and eternal. It is the duty of man to

contemplate on these aspects at least a few times in his lifetime!

Being the philosopher par excellence, Sankara prescribes different ways for a happy,  contented spiritual life.The first and foremost method is Pranayama or control of breath! Man can improve his longevity by controlling his breath!  Our ancients sages and saints could live long for years together by practising Pranayama! It contributes to the health and wellbeing of the Individual concerned. Proper initiation through a well versed Guru will be a contributing factor for the all round development of the person! But is this enough? The next requisite is what is called  ‘Pratyahara’, abstaining from food or fasting. It I through fasting one can control his senses. The Upanishads declare that the senses are the horses that gallop and if not controlled they would throw the rider down! It is through the reins of ‘ buddhi’ or mind that one can control the senses!

The third requirement, according to Sankara, is the discrimination between the eternal and the ephemeral! Engulfed in the shoreless sea of Samsara, surrounded by wife, children, kith and kin,we are deluded and believe that they are real and the world is permanent! We forget that the Soul is eternal and believe that the body is permanent! There is a confusion in Man’s mind and he refuses to consider the world as temporary! So, leaving aside mundane affairs, man should contemplate on higher things and the soul. The very purpose of man on earth is torealize himself! In his ignorance he confuses the body with the Soul! The realization should dawn on him that the body is separate and the soul too is separate! The body is the shrine where the Divine soul is established! The moment he recognizes that he is not the body but the eternal, indestructible Soul, he is free from all earthly bondage and elevated to ethereal region of heavenly and Divine bliss!

The next means for spiritual bliss is Japa which is chanting the sacred name of the Lord! This can be purely personal or done together with the other members of community. In Kaliyuga, no other means to reach God is as easy as chanting the name of the Lord! The great Sage Narada points out that for all people in Kali Yuga, affected with all evils like corruption, fraud, and

dishonesty, the only remedy is ‘ Nama Sankeertanam ‘- singing the glory of the name of the Lord! In fact God will be present wherever his devotees sing his glory! By constant and continuous chanting of the name of the Lord, he lives in God, forgets himself, and the entire world surrounding him! In other words, he experiences ‘Samadhi’ in which he is in union with the Supreme Self or the Absolute Brahman! That is the ultimate state which man should reach to realize himself!

Thus, by breath control, sense control, reflection on the distinction between the eternal and the ephemeral, practice of Japa or chanting the Divine name that leads to Samadhi  man can find his fulfilment on earth! His materialism apart, he has to rise above trifles and the delusion that life offers! If he is the slave of the senses and is drowned in the fascinating attractions of illusory world none can save him! He will be one among the billions caught in the cycle of birth and death! That is not the destiny of man, who is on the highest ladder of creation! Sankara advises man to practice these with devotion very carefully! Why not we give a try at least now to whatever extent possible?

BODIES DIFFERENT--SOUL IS ONE

The Vedas and the Upanishads proclaim that there is only one God! “ Ekam Eva advitiyam Brahma”. The Supreme Spirit, Soul, or the Absolute is One only! There are no two things.” Ekah paratma bahudeha varti” - the supreme Soul is one but manifests in countless bodies! When we place a number of pots in open space, the Sun reflects in the water of each pot! The Sun is one but the reflections are as many as the pots we place! By the same analogy, the Absolute is ,ekam’ only one , not many! While this example is accepted by all,  the thought behind the comparison is looked with suspicion! How can people of different nations,cultures, languages, communities, ideologies and various differences be the same? The heart of the matter is that the Supreme Spirit or the Atma is enshrined in the physical bodies of each and every living and nonliving object of the universe! Without understanding this simple but significant truth, people quarrel like small children over their ideas, culture, language, religion, and various other things. Our ancients have dinned into our ears time and again this eternal truth but it has fallen Into our deaf ears! As long as we don't realize this universal truth, the world will be divided, and problems increase creating confusion.

In his Bhajagovindam, Sankara, in educating the person reciting the rule of grammar, touches upon this principle of the all pervading quality of the Atma. “Twayimayi chanya triako  visnuhu” says the the great philosopher.There is only one Vishnu in me, you and everywhere. ’Vishnu’ refers to God In General. It exactly means anything that is all pervading. The life giving

prana or Soul is nothing but the chip of the same block! “ Vyartham kupyasi maiya sahishnuh” Why do you get annoyed and impatient with me?”questions  Sankara. It is because of the differences and separateness that one entertains all problems arise.If this attitude is avoided most of our issues would be solved.

Sankara provides an answer to this separateness attitude of modern man!” Sarvasmin api psyatmanam”--See everything in yourself and yourself in everything says Sankara! Perceive the same Atma in all creatures! “ Atmavai sarva bhutani”. That is the way for happiness and peace of mind! “ Sarvatrotsruja bheda jnanam” counsels Sankara. Give up all thoughts of division and difference. It is ignorance that causes distinction. Therefore the dawn of knowledge that the same soul resides in all creatures is the panacea for all the Ills of mankind. When we see some sections of people butchering the other section, our hearts bleed! Why should man kill and destroy his own brethren? When will wisdom dawn upon him??

The spread of violence, war,  hatred, jealousy and other evil qualities have their origin in this feeling of distinction and separateness! Countries are at loggerheads! Communities clash one against another! One considers itself superior to another. The atrocities being committed by religious groups like the ISIS are based mainly on its superiority over the other group of Islam! They want to exterminate them, establish their authority in the world! Meaningless and blind terrorism has mauled a number of nations for reasons which nobody can accept or appreciate.All this attitude is the off shoot of emulating differences among people! Sankara discourages this tendency on the part of man. Understand one another. Respect each other. The bodies are different, forms are many, but it is the same indestructible soul that is enshrined in every single individual! That truth should never be forgotten!

There is an incident in the life of Sankara when, during the course of his wanderings, he was accosted by a chandala, a person of very low caste. Sankara ordered him to get away from his sight. The chandala replied that there is no difference between their bodies! Both bodies aren't clean. No speciality can be attributed to Sankara’s body! The chandala continued and said that if Sankara wanted the Atma to get away, that is impossible! A true yogi will see all as equals! If Sankara thinks he is of very low caste it is as if Sankara himself is of that very low caste! The chandala quoted many Vedantic sayings at which Sankara was astounded! He thought that the person was not an ordinary man! Soon he found the chandala transformed into Lord Siva! To  understand that the same Atma is radiating in all beings and the differences are in bodies only should be the aim and focus of every person on earth!

ALL ARE EQUAL ( Sathrau mithre puthre bandhau...)

“ Panditha Sama Darsinaha” It is the quality of the wise to consider everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, community, race and religion as equals. But unfortunately society has changed to such an extent that people,instead of loving one another, hate each other! Religion which is expected to be a binding force, has become an inspiration for violence and hatred! We can say that religion has done more disservice to society than real service! Like the running waters of rivers that reach the ocean finally, all religions and prayer reach the same God though in different names! The present situation in the world, with the terrorist groups and the atrocities committed by the ISIS indicate to us how in the name of religion people are misguided to destroy and annihilate everything on earth! The world is full of conflict and violence and peace is significantly absent! Threats of war are looming large as war clouds are hovering over some nations! A few nations are trying to mediate between the nations at loggerheads! What is the solution or panacea for this malady in society?

Sri Sankara provides a beautiful remedy for the ailing society. But the remedy is not an easy one! When the disease is deep rooted an operation is essential to remove the diseased part! In the same way, Sankara puts forward certain propositions to be followed by an Individual in society. “ Satrau, mitre, putre, bandhau ma kuru yatnam vigraha sandhau” says Sankara. What do you gain by trying to mediate or create conflict  among people? Even in a family a few members are not friendly with others. A few more, with jealousy, would create differences among the members of the family. Sankara says, “ Do not try to either make war or peace with enemy, friend, son or relative.” These things happen because you think you and others are separate and different! Considering all others as equals can change the situation!

“Bhava sama chittam sarvatratwam vanchas yachiradyadi vishnutwam” See the self in everything everywhere counsels Sankara! The difficulty arises here! When every person is different from the other in body, mind, race, religion,community and language, is it not stupid to consider all as one and equal? True, we are different in various ways but we are one and the same  in our Spirit or Soul that is embedded in our mortal body! The ‘chaitanya’ or the awareness that the body has, is due to the Soul principle in our body! Without it the body is  ‘sava’-a dead body or corpse! This ‘Prana’ or life principle is common to all--human beings as well as all living creatures from the unicellular organisms to the highly developed organisms including man!

“ Aatmavat Sarva bhutani” say the sastras. It is the Soul or Atma that pervades all creatures! The body is the temple, the shrine where the Soul is enshrined!  Pots may be of various shapes and colors but clay is the same. Cows are many and of different colors and breeds but milk is the same and of white color. Ornaments are of different sizes and form but Gold is the same. Similarly bodies, minds, attributes, language caste and creed may be different but the essential life giving principle-- the Atma or Soul is one and the same! “ Ekah paratma bahudeha varthi” Sastras proclaim that the Soul or Atma  is one manifesting in various other bodies!! It is easier said than done! In spite of this knowledge, man is unable to understand the vishnu tatwa of the Soul which is all-pervasiveness! The Soul is indestructible, eternal, as Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, “ nainum chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah”--It cannot be injured by arms or arrows nor reduced to ashes by fire! Water cannot wet it nor air dry it up! The Soul is the chip of the same block viz Brahman or the Supreme reality. It is smallest of the smallest and the greatest of the greatest! “ anoraniyan mahatmahiyan athmasya jantor nihito guhayam” declares the Upanishad!

If only man understands the the same Atma is residing in every form of life on earth, most of the problems on earth shall be solved! Differences will disappear. Love shall prevail. Hatred, jealousy, bigotism will vanish. People will realize all are equal in spirit and Soul though different in body and other things! All this confusion, differences and troubles are due to the influence of Maya or illusion which shows the real as unreal and the unreal as real! Sankara therefore exhorts mankind to recognize the unity of the Soul or Atma with the diversity of bodies and their attributes! Such recognition shall pave the way for equanimity, understanding and peace! Let us forget our differences and consider all others as our brethren!

VAIRAGYA ( Suramandira taru moola nivasaha)

Which type of life is better, involvement in the never ending cycle of Samsara or the life of a sanyasi, or an ascetic?  Is our life free from fear? Every field of our existence is beset with fear! We don't know what happens at the next moment! “ Jatasya maranam dhruvam”. The fear of death follows man like his shadow! The fear of disease plagues the person indulging in luxurious living! The high caste person is afraid of falling down from his position!  The super rich have the fear of the king or the Income Tax authorities! Chastity is endangered in many ways! If you are proud of your strength and stamina, the other man is better than you! Your arrogance of handsomeness is vain because of your age and senility! If you are a scholar, there are others better in argument! Your virtue and character is likely to be spoiled by evil men! You cannot be proud of your robust body and constitution because Death puts an end to it! Where is anything in world  without  fear? Fear has enveloped every blessed thing on earth! It is Vairagya--, total detachment from worldly affairs that has no fear!

Sankara, true to his philosophical nature, points out the nature of the man who has this rare virtue of Vairagya! Vairagya does not mean you should run far away from the madding crowd and perform tapas! It is nonattachment to worldly things even from being very much in the family! It is just doing your duty perfectly, not too much or too little! “Suramandira taru moola nivasaha” says Sankara. The man may live under the wish yielding tree, Kalpa Vriksha. But he isn't excited because he had attained that state. He does not desire anything from the Tree though he can fulfil all his desires from the tree! At times he may sleep on the hard floor or seat himself on the deerskin! “ Sayya bhutala majinam vasaha”  It is all the same for the man with Vairagya or non attachment! There is absolutely no difference for him between his stay under the tree or sleeping on the floor or seating himself on the holy deerskin!

“ Sarvaparigraha bhoga thyagaha” Sankara says that the man has enjoyed every luxury and and bliss! After his disillusionment he has sacrificed all his pleasures and enjoyments! He has found them to be misleading and transitory even as the life of man on earth! He no longer desires to be under the influence of Maya that deceives everyone!  Samsara,wife,children,  wealth, and other property are attachments that hang heavily on his throat! They drag him down to his destruction. A wise man has to realize that it is all the web of Maya that represents the real as unreal and the unreal as the real! So the ordinary mortal, immersed in the inescapable illusion suffers endlessly!

“ Kasyasukham na karoti viragaha?” Sankara remarks the bliss of those who have achieved the total state of nonattachment.  “What is the state of bliss that the man of nonattachment has not attained?” exclaims Sankara. He is totally free from all his mundane obligations. He has detached himself from kith and kin and their worries and troubles. He has concentrated and meditated on the Supreme Reality that has given him supreme Bliss! What more does he desire? He has achieved fulfilment in his life! He is now in an elevated state of joy and bliss! He is now a jnani, the man with the knowledge of God, the feeling that he's not the body but the indestructible eternal atma that pervades the entire universe!  A Viragi or the non attached person lives in God and that bliss of existence in God is unimaginable and  indescribable!

It is the nature of great philosophers like Sankara, to show the ordinary mortals, the way for salvation or mukti! Sankara does not want man to suffer eternally in the mire of family life and other attachments! The only way to escape from it is to develop non attachment or Vairagya! As pointed out earlier, Vairagya' is totally free from fear!  It is attachment to God and non attachment to  worldly affairs! He has no worries,anxieties, expectations, disappointments or delusions! he is ok carefree, independent and always in a state of Bliss as he meditates on the BRAHMAN! He does not bother about food, clothing and shelter! Hence Sankara says that he has no enjoyment or ‘sukha’ that he has not tasted! It is through singing the sacred name of Govinda that a person experiences Divine bliss that has no comparison to the silly earthly pleasures!

REFLECTIONS ON LOVE

The word Love is the most misunderstood and abused word in society! The nobility and idealism  of the word is completely lost in the way it is used by many! It has become a commonplace word and degenerated in its meaning! People forget that love includes sacrifice and there cannot be love without sacrifice! How can you become an immortal? It is through sacrifice alone says the Upanishad.This sacrifice cannot happen without absolute and pure love! “ Na karmana na prajaya na dhanena tyage naikena amrutatwa manasuhu”. It is very difficult to define love. It can be called as total dedication to a God, a person, an object, or a subject of study or an ideal.

Extreme love for God is called Bhakthi in which the devotee lives in God and totally forgets every thing in the world! We have examples of scientists and scholars who loved their experiments and subjects so much that they forgot to eat and carry on their daily activities! The Gopikas loved Krisna so much that they left their husbands and flocked to Krishna! Theirs was pure unalloyed love for the avatar!

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul, that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.” It is rare to find such type of love in modern world that is steeped in materialism and a terrible rat race for money! Love has been commercialized! People love money more than anything else! It was Shakespeare who said “Beauty provoketh thieves more than gold”. But it is not true today! People marry for the sake of money! “Love thy neighbor as thyself” says the Bible! But how many do so?  There is more hate and jealousy than love! ‘He has a beautiful home and wife, a car, and kids!  I don't have them. How can I pull him down?” Thoughts like this shall always be affecting you and you cannot have peace of mind! “ Love all, Serve all” declares Sri Satya Sai Baba. But is it possible to practice that ideal! We are so selfish that we love ourselves only and don't think of others and their problems! We have become self serving machines and in whatever we are involved, seek maximum benefit for ourselves at the cost of others! The multiplicity of scams, bribery, and corruption cases against politicians and business magnates testify to this fact.

Love is of different kinds. The father loves the mother. Both of them love their children! But the love of the father for the mother is different from the love they extend to the children. Parental love for children is called filial love! Their love is pure and unsullied. The mother, especially, almost dies to deliver the child and suffers excruciating pain in the process. Sometimes she loses her precious life in doing so! She is the noblest example of Platonic love in the world! No wonder, the Vedas have given the pride of place to the mother and proclaimed, “ Matru Devo   Bhava”. Secondary importance is allotted to the father and the next to the teacher! Maternal love is unique and can never be repaid by the children. There is an expansion of love from being selfish to the well being of children and their prosperity! This expansion should lead to the love of society and the nation in which it finds its fulfilment! We come across fraternal love among brothers and an enlargement of it is to consider all as brothers and sisters! But unfortunately people do not think on those lines today. Religion, race, community, nationality and language have become stumbling blocks to the progress of mankind.

Love is different from infatuation. “ Whoever loved that loved not at first sight” said Shakespeare. Obsession for a girl at first sight cannot be called love. It requires proper understanding and building up familiarity. Without this first step it dies soon. “Marry in haste and repent at leisure”  is a well known adage! Many marriages fail because of lack of understanding. In some cases it is the dominance of either of the partner. Ego is another cause for the  ruin of marriages! Today love has degenerated to lust! Modern youth equate love to lust. They are more interested in the physical satisfaction of the senses! Love has its price! We are aghast at the horrible barbaric gang rape of Nirbhaya recently! Incidents of rape, and abduction are continuing unabated in society because of lust! Murders, throwing of acids on young women and other atrocities are committed by misguided youth jilted by girls! Love has severely suffered in the hands of modern youth!

Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own!  Can we ever think about this attitude today? Charles Dickens the famous novelist in his novel “ A Tale of Two Cities” describes the ideal Platonic love between Sydney Carton and his lady love Lucy. Lucy marries a different person, Charles Darnay, as Sydney carton was a little late in proposing to her!  But Carton loved her nevertheless! Charles Darnay was put in jail and about to be guillotined! Feeling sorry for her plight, Carton comes to France, and releases Charles Darnay! Both Darnay and Carton looked alike and Carton puts on the dress of Darnay and manages to send him out of the prison. The prison authorities mistake Sydney Carton for Charles Darnay  and execute him!! For the sake of his true love and to see his Lucy happy always with her husband, Sydney Carton sacrifices his precious life! This is supreme sacrifice because there cannot be  anything better than one’s sweet life! Let us realize what real, true love is and be prepared  for any sacrifice to prove our Love!

SRI SADASIVENDRA SARASWATHI

Sadasiva, the son of a brahmin couple was born in a village near Karur in Tamilnadu. He was a precocious child and after Upanayanam he was sent to a guru at Tiruvisainallur on the bank of river Kaveri. His schoolmate was one Venkateswara Panditha who became famous as “Ayyaval” in the south. With a very sharp mind, Sadasiva flowered into a great debater of whom even his teacher was afraid! After completing his studies, the Guru asked him to go home. Soon news from his home arrived that Sadasiva’s wife has matured! It was happy news for the Guru and his wife and they blessed Sadasiva and sent him home. His parents were extremely happy for the arrival of their son, and gave him an oil bath. As a few special dishes had to be prepared there was some delay in preparing food. Sadasiva did not appreciate the delay! He felt samsara is full of  delays and difficulties like this. Suddenly Vairagya-- non attachment developed in him and leaving home, parents, and wife, Sadasiva left without the knowledge of anyone! From that day he was cut off from all material bonds and treated all equally! He never ate anything except what a few sympathizers offered him! A turning point came in his life at this stage!

He met a great yogi, Parasivendra Saraswathi, from whom he learnt the practice of Yoga. He took to it like duck to water! His original debating skill did not leave him. He used to vanquish any one that came to his Guru by his arguments. They complained to the Guru and on a day the preceptor questioned Sadasiva as to when he would become calm and peaceful. Sadasiva apologized  to his Guru and took a vow that he would never talk again! Completing his practice of yoga, Sadasiva left on a travel all over the country. He would eat if anything was offered and fast otherwise. He would write on the sand to express his opinion! Once, on the bank of Kaveri, while in samadhi, he was washed away by the flooding waters! Three months later, when the villagers tried to build a check dam and started digging, they were astounded to see blood on the spade! They found Sadasiva yogi in deep samadhi!! To their astonishment, he left the place without uttering a word! On an occasion he was mistaken for a thief by a few workers who were guarding the farm produce! When they tried to attack him with sticks, to their horror, their hands were paralyzed! But as soon as Sadasiva Yogi left the place, the paralyzed hands became normal!

Sadasiva’s life is full of miracles! On one occasion, a few workers in the forest had to carry firewood into the town. They were short of a person and chanced to see Sadasiva Yogi moving about in the forest. They put a bundle of firewood on his head and forced him to carry it to the destination. They threw the bundles down on reaching their place. Sadasiva Yogi too threw his bundle down. The moment he threw down the bundle, it caught fire and burnt away all the other firewood bundles in a trice!!The workers were amazed at this miracle and could not believe their own eyes! Sadasiva was a Siddha Purusha! He was a master of the eight Siddhis like 'Anima, Mahima, Garima and others.! A few children approached him with a wish to see the festival of Lord Sundareswara at Madurai! To satisfy their desire, he asked them to climb onto his shoulders and close their eyes. When they opened their eyes, they were in the presence of the Lord on his Nandi vahana in all his glory! The children were pleasantly shocked at this miracle and praised Sadasiva Yogi!

It so happened that Sadasiva Yogi went with his tattered clothes into a garden where a Muslim  stayed with his wife and others! Seeing the Yogi in semi naked condition, he was alarmed and threw a knife at him. The knife injured the Yogi on his shoulder! But he continued walk as if nothing had happened! Sensing that he should be a very holy person, the Muslim followed him to apologize for his evil action. Turning to him, the Yogi  said that it was nothing and touched his left shoulder with his right hand! Lo! Behold! The injured and profusely bleeding shoulder suddenly  healed itself and became normal!! On another occasion, a foolish celibate desired to become a scholar by merely chanting a few mantras! He took shelter under the Yogi who took pity of his struggle. With his spiritual and supernatural power, Sadasiva Yogi  transformed him into a very great scholar within a couple of days! Later the man became very famous and wrote many commentaries on various Puranas!

Many a time, SadasivaYogi had exhibited his extraordinary powers by appearing in holy places like Varanasi, and Gaya every morning! Once, while moving about a forest in Trivandrum, two kings, Thondaman and Vijaya Raghunath saw him and wondered at the Divine radiance emanating from him. They requested him to show them the way for salvation! As he had taken a vow not to speak, Sadasiva Yogi  wrote the mantra on the sand and blessed them! That Sand is kept in  the ashram of Pudukkottai and worshipped today!! The Yogi authored a number of ‘granthas’ and spread knowledge before he left the world! On the eve of  Guru purnima let us remember great Gurus like Sankara,Ramanuja, Madhwa and yogis like Sri Sadasivendra Saraswati who trod upon the earth to edify the mortals and show them the way for salvation! They were all embodiments of love, affection,selflessness sacrifice and spiritual and Divine radiance! Our humble salutations at their lotus feet!!

LIVING IN BRAHMAN (Yoga ratova bhogaratova)

The goal and very purpose of our life is to live happily. When we meet each other the first question we ask of the other is whether he is happy. Invariably the other person says that he is quite happy. Why should every person ask that question? It is because it is man’s nature to be happy always. We never ask our friends and others if they are unhappy! It is assumed that every single Individual on earth is expected to be happy always! The problem lies in defining what happiness is. Is the individual’s existence on earth, caught in the cycle of birth and death with family, wife, and children a happy life? Is the man without a family happy? Are people with different professions, and business feel happy? Every individual has his own complaint and is unable to stress and assert that he is totally and ideally happy! That in essence is the life of man on earth! Then, what is real happiness that the ordinary mortal misses? Man has to realize that he is not the body with the bundle of bones, nerves, muscles and various other parts of the body! He is the indestructible Soul or the Spirit that manifests in every living and nonliving object in the world! Sankara in his Nirvana Shatka beautifully explains that man is not anything pertaining to the body but the Atma which is always in awareness and bliss! “ Chidananda rupa Sivoham Sivoham”-I am the form of awareness and bliss!

Sankara deals with this aspect of bliss or ananda in one of the slokas of the Bhajagovindastotra.  “ Yoga ratova”--Aspirants of yoga practice various types of yoga. There are varieties of Yoga like Raja yoga, Jnana yoga, Hata yoga, Karma yoga, and Bhakti yoga.These train the mind in meditation, and keeping the body trim by mastering a few asanas. Pranayama, Prathyahara, Nidhidhyasa are also practised for longevity and concentration! Sankara points out that unless the mind of man is ever in the thought of the Brahman or the Supreme Reality, all his efforts are in vain! It is this awareness of the Brahman that is real Ananda or happiness or bliss!

“Bhoga ratova”--people indulging in bhoga or luxury feel that they are happy! Kings and emperors have the riches of the country they rule, enjoy pomp and paraphernalia surrounded by sycophants and are under the delusion that they are happy! All these outward trappings are swallowed up by time-” harati nimeshat kalam sarvam” says Sankara! Unless luxury and indulgence is associated with the Brahman, any type of Bhoga is worthless! It is just wasting away your time and energy!

“ Sangaratova sanga vihinaha”-Associations are are very important in the life of an individual! Fire, joining the base metal Iron, receives hammer blows! But none can near fire when it is not in union with Iron! Similarly, ordinary thread, in association with beautiful fragrant flowers is worn by pretty damsels and adorns the deities in the temple! Sathsang, as Sankara has said, leads to non attachment which again removes delusion or Maya paving the way for liberation or Mukti!  Those without any association, good or bad, can also take efforts to think of the Supreme Reality or the Brahman so that they are eligible for Brahmananda or Self Realization! In essence, real happiness is to realize that you are the chip of the same block, the Brahman!

“ Yasya Brahmani ramate chittam nandati nandati  nandatyeva”- Wherever the mind is in union with the Brahman there is bliss, bliss and nothing else but bliss says Sankara finally. Sankara is sad at the sufferings of man engulfed in Maya which always takes him far away from God! Engrossed in material and silly pleasures, he thinks that it is real happiness! Anything that changes and is impermanent cannot be called real happiness. “ Satyam jnanam anantam Brahma says the Upanishad! But it is very difficult to educate the ordinary man on these spiritual things! He is so drowned in the sea of samsara that no amount of good counsel reaches his ears! But it is the duty of great preceptors like Sankara to din it into the ears of man for his eternal benefit!  Why not make a beginning at least now?

ON CORRUPTION

Among the four “ Purusharthas” Artha or money is the most important! Without money Dharma cannot be practised nor Kama or desire satisfied! Money that is utilized for righteous causes is the best use for money. Worthy desires too can be realized through proper use of money. But the desire for too much of money leads to an obsession and man strays away from the righteous path! Kama or an insatiable desire for money lands man into trouble! The inner enemies Lobha or miserliness and Moha or attachment come into play and he wants to accumulate money as much as possible. He would like to see the money in his iron safe and worship it daily! With the help of money he is prepared to do anything for selfish reasons! Thus bribery and corruption come into play in human life. Corruption is not anything new. It is old as earth! From time Immemorial this bug has bitten man and has taken a very deep root in society. It is practically impossible to root it out of existence! “ Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter may endanger morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country.” (Karl Kraus).

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely is familiar statement. Perhaps the fear of losing power leads to corruption. Corruption becomes a dangerous menace when the government is ruled by incompetent, corrupt, or vile men. “The world will not be destroyed  by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything” remarks the renowned scientist Albert Einstein! Why is it that we are unable to contain corruption? “ The earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed” says Mahatma Gandhi. Arshad Warsi says, “ Dealing with corruption and staying calm is a talent most of us in India have mastered and learnt to live with!” It is not charity alone that begins at home but corruption too. According to Plutarch, the Roman historian, the abuse of buying and selling votes crept in and money began to play an important part in determining elections. Later on this process of Corruption spread to the law courts and then to the army and finally the republic was subjected to the rule of emperors. The lure for money is very great. It traps the weak people from saying the truth and hence corruption continues endlessly!

How to control and contain corruption? Is it impossible? No, we have not made any concerted effort so far! Corruption cannot be rooted out suddenly by magic! It is hydra headed and has spread its tentacles to every field of activity! Top to bottom it has its sway over everything in life! Though the worst disease in the world today there is a cure for corruption and that is transparency! Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves! You cannot afford to be a silent spectator. The youth of the country should rise to the situation and challenge it. No doubt it retaliates and challenges you. Who can play a major part in freeing the nation of the scourge of Corruption? Our ex president of India, Abdul Kalam reiterates, “ If a country is to be corruption free and become a beautiful nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother, and the teacher!” “No legacy is so rich as honesty” says Shakespeare and the father, mother and the teacher are the best to inculcate honesty among the children.

Corruption cannot be eliminated by political machines. They breed corruption just like garbage  breeds flies. The experience of Singapore in rooting out corruption is a lesson for all corrupt nations. In 1982, in Singapore, Lok pal Bill was implemented and 142 corrupt ministers and officers were arrested in one single day. Today Singapore has 1 % poor people and no taxes are paid to the government. Literacy rate is 92%! Better medical facilities are available. Prices are cheaper. 90% money is white. Unemployment is 1% only!! Can India implement a similar method to cut at the root of corruption? It is question for calm contemplation!

Our Ministers and their offices are raided by the IT officials and incriminating documents are seized! But they continue their jobs with impunity! No action is taken on them!  Politics and the government has become a hotbed of corruption. Our Parliamentarians revel in their criminal records. Most of them have pending criminal cases of corruption and money laundering.  There are more crorepatis who act according to their whims and fancies! Democracy is only for namesake! The poor have become poorer and the rich richer! It is a strange version of democracy in India! For the first time a serious attempt is made to arrest corruption and Black money through demonetization that has rocked the nation! Much unaccounted money has been traced. Aadhar card has been introduced to check black money and transactions. The latest weapon to destroy corruption is the one tax for the entire country- GST. The corrupt nation is  shocked and cannot believe what is happening! Anyway the serious and sincere fight against corruption has started well in India. Well begun is half done! Let us offer a helping hand to the efforts of the Government!

THE SELF (Chandogya Upanishad )

It's is surprising to note that the Upanishads  try to establish the Brahman or the infinite through dialogue between the guru and the disciple! Chandogya Upanishad does the same! The wonder is that the great sage Narada approaches another illustrious Maharshi Sanatkumara and requests him to teach! It is not that they do not know the Brahman or the infinite. But to educate the layman about  the infinite, these two sages put on the guise of teacher and student to describe what the Infinite or the Self is! At the outset Sanatkumara questions Narada about what he knows. Then only he can explain to Narada what he does not know. Sage Narada rolls out the various branches of mundane knowledge, of the Vedas, grammar, numerology, rules for the propitiation of the Pitrus, sciences of time, logic, ethics, and politics! He knows scriptural studies, the science of weapons, stars, snake charming and fine arts! Having said this, Narada is sad that in spite of his phenomenal knowledge he is not blessed with the knowledge of the Self! One who knows the Self shall surely cross the world of sorrow!  Narada maintains that he is in sorrow and requests the helping hand of sage Sanatkumara to cross the ocean of sorrow!

Observing that what Narada has known and mastered is only in name, sage Sanatkumara points out that the infinite is the embodiment of  happiness! There is no happiness in anything that is Finite. Infinite can never be approached without a burning desire to understand it. Infinite can never be seen, heard, or understood! Whatever we see, hear or understand can be called Finite. The Infinite is eternal, immortal while the Finite is transitory and mortal! Narada asks Sanatkumara the base on which the Infinite rests. Sanatkumara replies that the Infinite rests on its own greatness or not even in greatness! The Infinite is all pervading. It is below, above and behind! It is in front, to the south and to the north! It is all this indeed! Kathopanishad declares the same truth.

“ Though sitting still He travels far, though lying down He goes everywhere. Who except myself, is able to know that God who is both joyful and joyless?” Is there any distinction between the Infinite and the Self? The Upanishad says that the individual who perceives, thinks and understands this becomes the lover of Self and rejoices in it! He transforms himself into Self-ruler and has uninhibited freedom! Persons who think differently are always not rulers but the ruled! They have no freedom and exist in perishable worlds! For him who understands this ‘ life, hope, and memory  spring from the Self. Not only this, space, fire, water, food, power, understanding, meditation, thought, will, speech, name, sacred hymns and rites -the entire world springs from the Self!

The Upanishad quotes a verse that explains the consequence of the perception and understanding of the Self. Such a person has no death! He becomes free from illness and sorrow! He can see everything and obtain everything everywhere! He is one before creation! He multiplies himself into three, five, seven nine, eleven, a hundred and eleven as well as a thousand and twenty says the Upanishad!! Taking in purity purifies one's nature! His memory becomes firm as the ties of the heart are loosened! Sanatkumara, who is called Skanda in the Upanishad thus teaches sage Narada and clears his doubts regarding the Infinite, Finite and the Self!

It is interesting to note that a number of Upanishads echo the same idea regarding the Self and its nature and dynamism! Says the Isavasya Upanishad on Self: “ it moves and moves not; It is far and likewise near; it is inside of all this and it is outside of all this. And he who sees all beings in the Self, and the Self in all beings --he never turns away from it.The Self is unmoving, indivisible; it is swifter than thought. The senses never reach it, as it is ever ahead of them. Though standing still, it out strips those who run. And in it does the moving spirit support the activities of man”