WHITHER OUR MARRIAGES?

                                                                        

Marriages are made in Heaven we say but those days are gone! Belief in heaven and hell are things of the past! Present marriages are decided at bus stands, malls, restaurants, offices and above all at IT cafes where men and women  mingle freely. The old institution of marriage is dying a slow death. More than men, women have grown more and more independent and want to be equal to men in all respects. They now stand on their own legs and that gives them added strength and confidence. They earn more because of their higher qualifications and demand a spouse better qualified and better paid. They are not bothered about the parents of their spouse and more often than not want to live separately leaving the elders in the lurch. With the ratio of women to that of men dwindling rapidly, it has almost become impossible for a boy to get a suitable bride! There is a terrible mania for earning money at the cost of losing peace and tranquility, the ideals of a marriage!

      The old order of an arranged marriage by the parents is almost forgotten! If it is an arranged marriage, it is an arrangement between the boy and the girl, celebrated by the parents grandly! Our ancient law giver MANU describes eight types of marriages in his MANU SMRITHI—MANAVA DHARMA SASTRA In the first BRAHMA the father invites a man learned in the Vedas and good conduct and gives his daughter in marriage after decking her with jewels and costly garments. In the second type called DAIVA the daughter is groomed with ornaments and given to a priest who duly officiates at a sacrifice. In the third, ARSHA the father gives away his daughter after receiving a cow and a bull from the bridegroom. The fourth is called PRAJAPATYA where the father of the girl blesses the couple with the words, “ May you both perform your duties together”  The fifth type of marriage is called ASURA where the bridegroom receives the maiden  after bestowing wealth to her and her kinsmen according to his will. The sixth type is GANDHARVA VIVAHA , voluntary union of a maiden and her lover out of desire and sexual  intercourse for its purpose. The seventh type of wedding is called RAKSHASA where there is forcible abduction of a maiden from her home after her kinsmen have been slain or wounded and their houses  broken open. The eighth and the final variety is called PISACHA where a man, by stealth, seduces a girl who is sleeping or intoxicated or mentally imbalanced or handicapped!

        All these ancient marriages have lost their relevance in modern days. Love marriages have become the order of the day whether it is love at first sight or not.  More than real love, it is a kind of infatuation that drives the boy or girl. Many love marriages fail to day because of this flaw! Disagreements follow ending in divorce or in some other fatal decisions. Strain and stress, family torture, dowry demands and other issues raise their ugly heads and ruin all family happiness for which marriages are consecrated! It is said that the legendary characters Sakuntala and King Dushyanta  had a Gandharva marriage! Bhagavatha purana says that Lord Krishna married Rukmini by abducting her and wounding her brother Rukmi and his soldiers . It was a Rakshasa marriage!Modern day rapes and gang rapes and abductions come under Pisacha type of marriages where girls are seduced in their sleep, intoxication, mental imbalance or handicap!

       To add to the woes of the institution of marriage, in house living of men and women has contributed its mite. Lesbian trends and Gay marriages have become popular! Same sex marriages are approved by most of the countries in the world! There is a mistaken and misguided notion that man and woman are equal! The rights might be equal but not the bodies! Nature has definite but different roles for men and women! A good marriage is one which sustains for a long time with proper understanding between the husband and wife!!

    

GOD IS PERFECT.

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

indicate other object of perfection!!"

INHERENT DEFECTS IN MAN

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

 

MONEY AND SPIRITUALITY

 

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

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

LOVE TRANSFORMS

"Prema or LOVE is the transforming factor in Life!!Love always unites but never separates!!It is hatred and jealously that separate individuals!!Love has the character of disarming the opponent!!Love has the hallmark of supreme self sacrifice!!Even the hardest criminal is transformed by the show of Love!!When the lady showers Love on her Lover , he is transformed! He changes himself to the ideas of her!!The love of Sidney carton changed him for the better and made him sacrifice his own life for the happiness of his lady Lucy!!Love in its ideal is not possessive!!The lover wants his lady to be happy always wherever she is and with whomsoever!!When Lucy married elsewhere, Sidney carton was not jealous but wished well for her!! He went to the extent of releasing her husband in disguise and went to the guillotine for her well being!!Pure and ideal Love is called Platonic Love!! This type of Love has become a rare commodity at present!! Today it has become too selfish and extremely possessive and poses danger to the man and the lady!!Vengeance and violence are resorted to by both men and women!! spiritually speaking, Love for god makes a devotee mad after him!! The Azwars and Nayanmars and the bhakthas of Maharashtra are examples of deep devotion to god and how sudden changes occurred in their lives!!There is not a single incident where no change has taken place!! The story of the hunter kannappa who offered his own eyes to Lord Siva as blood oozed out from HIS eyes is a good example!! His love for the Lord made him forget that it was only a Linga or Stone!! many examples can be cited like this!! It is, therefore not LOVE that does not transform Man!!"

MORAL VALUES--ITS IMPORTANCE

"Moral Values are very important for man and the society in which he lives!! without them man becomes an animal and loses direction!! The vedas have declared that people should speak the Truth and act according to Dharma! " Satyam vadha Dharmam Chara "Religion ordains that one should do certain things and refrain from others!! culture leads to the refinement of the person and the society to which he belongs!! A combination of Moral values, Religion,and culture is a very powerful combination to build an ideal Society!!Speaking the Truth, acting Righteously, living in peace, radiating pure Love for others,and leading a life of non violence shall make a man an ideal human being!!Laws and regulations cannot control the basic animal instincts in Man!!Unless there is a change in his mindset he will not be controlled!! The rapes and gang rapes that we see today and the heinous crimes being committed are examples to show that Laws and regulations cannot change the nature of man!! What about corruption and fraud and several crimes in society?? People know that they are wrong but indulge in it for greed and selfishness!! Modern society is almost devoid of Moral values!! it has become a slave of Money and material! Nothing is more important to it!! if this goes on further there is a great danger for the society!! Moral values must be inculcated to young men and children so that future society can be secure! Importance of religion and culture must be explained to them!! we should not ape foreign culture but maintain our own individuality

PEACE OF MIND HOW TO GET IT.

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

Is Power Good or Bad?

"POWER by itself is neither good nor bad!! It depends upon the person who wields it! Like a knife that can be used for cutting an apple as well as cutting the throat of another, Power becomes an instrument in the hands of people with good or bad intentions!! It is the quality of Man to acquire power and impress others with that!! He cannot keep quiet!! He wants to show off his power to others by conquering nations, killing people and spreading destruction!! History is replete with incidents of this power struggle between dynasties when one's own kith and kin were murdered in cold blood!! It is the ambition to become powerful and dominate that is the moving force!! Power and supreme authority breeds corruption!! we know the maxim " Power corrupts Absolute power corrupts Absolutely!" Very powerful Nations like America and Russia want to dominate the world and pressurize the other weaker nations!! Russia's recent annexation of the Crimean Peninsula is a case in point!! America has an iron hand on many smaller nations!! Power has two ramifications! Money power and military power!! These can be used to subjugate other smaller nations and a few more can be threatened into submission by military power!! In other words powerful people and nations can never keep quiet! They must do something to show off their power and dominance!! It is said that a king who is satisfied with his kingdom will fall!! He has to invade and conquer other kingdoms!! Otherwise, another king will conquer him and snatch away his kingdom!! All the terrible wars in history and the two world wars are the result of the will to dominate and exercise their power over other nations and people!! Compared to physical power, mental power is less dangerous!! While science and technology have made the life of man very comfortable and worth living,men at the helm of nations have misused them for the destruction of humanity!! The Atom Bomb is an example!! it has destroyed the generation of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan!! Chemical and poisonous gas weapons are used by certain nations against their enemies mercilessly!! For all these misdeeds, it is the unchangeable basic nature of man that is responsible!! He has changed many things in the world but he has not changed himself basically!! He is obsessed with power, greed, money and many other evil things that lead him to his doom!! The fight for political power is very significant!! It is the hot bed of corruption!! The statement of assets of the candidates is shocking!! The income of a particular candidate has increased  by 1200% in five years!! So there is a cutthroat contest for seats in parliament!! There is no chance to end corruption as long as Man does not change his nature!!"

SELF REALIZATION

"" deham devalayam proktwa jeevo devas sanathanaha!" says the mantra!!The Body is the wonderful shrine in which the jiva, the divine chip is embedded!! Searching for Him elsewhere is like searching for Ghee having butter in our hand!! But Ghee cannot come by itself! Butter has to be churned out of Curds & it has to be melted before we can see Ghee forming out of it!! In the same manner, One has to churn himself & melt for the vision of God!! We gloat about or success & look up with desperation & blame god for our defeats & failures!! God is not in heaven! He is omnipresent & therefore we miss him!! The Atma principle manifest in every creature in the Universe fails our recognition!! God resides in the heart of every creature!! Lord Vishnu tells Sage Narada that HE does not reside either in his abode vaikunta or in the hearts of yogis but wherever his devotees sing HIS praise by chanting HIS name!! Narayana Suktam describes very clearly the omnipresence of God & the exact place in our heart where he supreme Spirit resides! His position is from down the neck region & above the navel!! " "Padmakosaprathikasam hridayamchapyadhomukham ----- nabhya muparithishtathu!!" Covered by the pancha kosas & the illusion that this jagat is Real, we forget to look inside ourselves for the vision of God! But this is easier said than done!! This requires very great effort & training! But it is not at all impossible!!This realization of God within one self is called " atma sakshatkara" the realization of the self which is god!!Then the whole world becomes his possession!! He loves all,hates none! All creatures are one & the same to him!! HE visualizes God in every being! He loses his EGO which has been the stumbling block for realization! He does not Knock at the doors of others for any spiritual progress!! He is the most satisfied man on earth! The 'arishadvargas' shall not touch him!! He becomes the embodiment of LOVE & compassion as it happened to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa!! His terrible suffering for the vision of his deity KALI is too very well known to be forgotten! Once he realized the vision in his heart he was transformed!! It is the duty of every individual to attempt at least for realizing GOD in one's own heart! Such an attempt, in itself shall transform him into a different individual altogether--A REAL JNANI!!!"

I don't see individual human beings. I don't see individual things.I I see the same Divinity every where! Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev.

"The entire Universe is the manifestation of God or Divinity! As such every individual and every thing is the reflection of divinity! Man, in his ignorance looks at the exterior only and does not care to delve deep and try to recognize the enshrined God principle ,namely the Atma! The same Soul or atma embedded in one's heart is also there in every living being as well as in all objects in the world! " Ekah paratma bahudeha varthi" say our scriptures!The most important quality of a Jnani or Wise man is to recognize this fact and look at others with this insight! That is why people say " Panditha samadarsiniha" the wise look at others equally! When we look at others indwelling atma, all differences of caste, community, religion,language, creed, nationality and other differences dissolve and we realize the self same Spirit or soul residing in them! In other words we recognize the God in him! We illuminate him with our Love and affection which is pure and unalloyed! Entire Nature is also seen as the personification of divinity! The magnificent mountains, the brooks & the flowing rivers, astounding scenes of greenery satisfy us as the very essence of divinity! That is the reason why we worship trees, mountains, rivers and other objects of nature!!Hence, the essence of spiritualism and Jnana consists in recognizing the divinity in other human beings and Nature!! Adi Sankara, in one of his walks meets a chandala, a repulsive figure, who engages him in a philosophic dialogue! Sankara, recognizing him as a great Jnani, prostrates to him to the surprise of all his disciples! He did not hesitate for a second thinking that the person was of a very low caste! That is the unique nature of Jnanis!!"

Swami Vivekananda

Man speaks of his free will! But his free will is conditioned by his past Karma & the vasanas that he has brought with him from his innumerable Births earlier!! His freedom is akin to a cow which is tethered to a pole on the ground! The cow is free but within the circumference it can describe from the peg to which it is tied! Within that area it is totally free but it is also tied up & cannot release itself or go beyond its limit! Our mind is also influenced by the past karmas that have been collected, namely Sanchita Karma which is the deposit under our name! That yields interest or result in the present Birth. It cannot be prevented or opposed however much you may try! That is why we say, "Buddhih karmanu sarini!" Our past actions mercilessly lead us to the results, good or bad,whether we like them or not!! The something that is behind the Will is the Providence who is the Great supervisor who allots all the effects of our past actions! Any action both good & bad has its effect & ,has to be experienced for which this body of ours is given! There is no question of cancellation between the good & bad karmas!!

Money comes and goes, morality comes and grows--Sri Satya Sai Baba.

Earning money is very difficult. Protecting it is more difficult. Its loss is sorrowful and spending it away is  much more sorrowful! Why this Money that causes so much sorrow?  "arthanam ajitam dukham arjithanacha rakshane  nase dukham vyaye dukham ki martham dukha bhajanam? But man is mad after money! Money changes hand every second. It is not with any one permanently. 'Lakshmisthoya tharanga bhanga chapala' says a great devotee It is as transient as the bubble on the wave! Though materialistic pleasures are provided by money it comes and goes and is never stable! On the other hand Morals , once they  come are stable and do not leave the individual. It grows and the person becomes a steadfast moralist! He will set an example to others! Swamy wants to stress the importance of morality over money making. We cannot say always that a rich person has morals.But it is possible that a person with morals need not be rich.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Our life is a drudgery involved in repeating the daily chores endlessly. It gets bored too very soon.The housewife does the same thing again and again.The office goer has the religious regimen of attending the office. The student runs to school and college regularly.The businessman sits and moves about without any other alternative. Even Nature carries on its activities meticulously every day. There seems to be no relief from the activities which repeat themselves with no end!

      Is it not possible to break from this rut and routine and enjoy ourselves by doing something other than what we do every day? It is not impossible.Man must change his attitude and mindset.We say "Variety is the Spice of Life" Do something different from what you do daily! The housewife can get up late and relax and for the sake of a change abstain from cooking! The Father can take out the family to a restaurant for lunch.The student can go late to the class or bunk to experience how it savours! The office goer can doze befoore his computer or do some personal browsing instead of doing office work! The businessman can visit places without doing any business for a change! Every individual can attempt doing something unusual for his regular daily activities There is a thrill and pleasure or an adventure in doing things like that! As a writer says, an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered! Variety in your activity is the essence of your otherwise dull, drab, earthly existence!

      Not only this, we can enjoy NATURE by visiting parks, gardens, vallyeys and magnificent mountains and wonder at the artistic and aesthetic creations of God! We ca educate ourselves by seeing and relishing the beautiful sights and sounds of nature! It was Wordsworth who said, "ONE IMPULSE FROM A VERNAL WOOD MAY TEACH YOU MORE OF MAN  OF MORAL EVIL AND OF GOOD THAN ALL THE SAGES CAN" ..."LET NATURE BE YOUR TEACHER." The Banished Duke in the Forest of Arden read "Books in the running brooks and sermons in stones!" There are too many things that we miss in Life attending to the daily chores! We can even extend our helping hand to the lowly and the downtrodden through charity and derive the bliss of contributing our mite to their happiness!!

       Instead of being incorrigibly materialistic, we can turn spiritual by seeing the Divine in every other being! We can lose our EGO by serving others and the society we live in, in various ways! Service to Man is service to God! We do not live to eat! We eat to live! All beings live, reproduce and die. But it is the way we live that distinguishes Man from the beast! Every day we lose a fraction of our longevity. Youth turns into old age. Days lost do not return. Time swallows up every thing in the universe! Wealth and riches are transient like a bubble on the waves! Our Life itself is like a flash of lightning---sudden momentary brilliance and total darkness! We have to wake up, understand the illusory aspect of our life and involve ourselves in realizing what we are and what the purpose of our Life is! There is an indescribable pleasurein the Spiritual Path when we serve without expecting any reward-- (nishkama karma) Let us break into that untread path to escape from that trodden by us earlier to enjoy what Life is!!!

How to go from Sex to Spirituality

SEX is considered sacred by our ancients as it involves procreation & propagation of race! The marriage rituals have mantras that glorify sex! Sex is not intended for fun or overindulgence! Without sex there cannot be any creation! Vatsayana has given in his famous work the time & the period when sex can be resorted to!! Many indulge in sex indiscriminately & lose themselves!! Man has a weakness for woman because of the principle of sex! Sex is not for enjoyment like some entertainment! It is purely for perpetuating your family or race! Our ancients have said that after the birth of a son & daughter one should abstain from sex & think of spirituality! In modern days sex has become a huge problem! Men have lost control over their emotions & urges! The abuse of women & the series of rapes being reported every day is very distressing!! Controlled sex activity & abstaining from it totally shall help a person in the path of Spirituality! Our ancient Rishis & Saints were all family men & had children! But they knew the value of sex & did not over indulge in it! They performed penance but yet maintained family life! They lived happily & are remembered even today! SEX is a double edged weapon! It can if properly managed, be one's salvation, or else his damnation!

Thought for the Day - Aug 3 2014

They say seeing is believing, but everyone sees what they want to see. - Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudeva

"Experiment, observation & inference are the ways of the scientist!! He wants to see to believe in things! Otherwise he experiments ,observes & draws inference! The out look of Man differs from person to person! Depending on the personality every person understands things as he sees them! Their sight is colored by their attitude!The same object produces a different effect to different persons! Like a person wearing red or blue glasses, man has different visions of the wold & life! For a worldly person it is materialistic life! For a spiritual man it is spiritual life! The interests,ideas likes & dislikes,preferences, etc dominate his mind & egg him on! There are many things that we cannot see but we believe in them with Faith! We all know that appearances are deceptive!! We have to be very careful in believing what we see!"

Thought for the Day - Aug 04 2014

"Taste goodness before you recommend it." - Swami Chinmayananda

Goodness cannot be tasted like a fruit or some edible material! If one asks how sweet the fruit is you cannot explain it in proper terms! You will ask him to eat & experience the taste!! !n the same way one has to experience goodness in many ways before he considers others as good or bad! People who are sincere, simple pious,gentle, of good habits & customs,service minded,treat others with love & respect in your opinion can be considered good!!Company of such people shall give you pleasure & satisfaction & a realization that they are genuinely good!! you should not be carried away by mere appearances for appearances are deceptive! There are bad people but outwardly looking good!! there are also villagers with rugged & rough exterior who are as good as gold & as gentle as lamb!!It is our company & movement with them that will reveal the truth about them! It is only after that experience that we can recommend them to others! Otherwise our name will be under cloud!!