ON SELF CONTROL

Self control is the most important quality for peace and tranquility in the life of man. It is very difficult to live without self control! All troubles and difficulties of man are mainly because of lack of Self control! What is the reason for this lack of Self Control in man? The villains are the Arishadvargas or the inner adversaries that silently  provoke and torment him. Man is a bundle of desires. This desire or Kama is insatiable and fulfillment of it leads to another desire and there is no end for it. When desire is not fulfilled it creates disappointment and man grows angry. Anger or Krodha destroys mental equilibrium and man involves himself in actions without realizing their consequence. He  becomes almost a beast. He is covetous, a miser, who gloats over the accumulation of wealth and property! He becomes the victim of Lobha or miserliness. He is attached to his wife, children, kith and kin. This is Moha or “Mamakara” from which he can never escape. He is proud of his achievements and egged on by his ego thinks too much of himself. He becomes arrogant which quality is called Mada. He develops hatred for others and is plagued by envy. This feeling is called Matsarya! Thus these inner enemies torture man and leave him restless and unhappy throughout his life!

Is it impossible for man to defeat these inner enemies? Yes. They are invincible. It should be possible for man who has conquered almost every thing on Earth. Has he not stamped his foot on the moon and Mars? Has he not achieved much in inventions and discoveries? Is not scientific advancement and technology his forte? But the point is that man has controlled all outer things in the universe but failed miserably in subjugating his inner enemies! The tragedy of man's life is that he has no control over himself! The raw and basic tendencies have not left him though he calls himself a civilized human being!  The Upanishads call the body as a chariot dragged by the senses or the horses! It is the Manas or heart that is the bridle and Buddhi or intellect the driver of the chariot! If the horses or senses are uncontrolled it results in fatal accident! Therefore self control becomes absolutely essential for every individual. Self control cannot come all of a sudden. It requires slow and steady practice even from early life. Mind is a monkey and to control its vacillation is really a Herculean task. But dedication and determination to control oneself can definitely yield the desired result. We have a hoary past where our sages and saints ate fruits and leaves and performed severe penance, controlled their senses, lived for long and realized God! Where there is a will there is a way!

What is self control? Essentially it means control of the senses which have been described as invincible. Senses can be kept in check  through ' rigorous discipline and steady faith.’ You have to take a decision and obey the order yourself. Control of senses does not mean annihilation of the senses. In fact, that can never be done! It means denial of their functions. Man must be the master of his senses, not a slave. They have to be utilized for the specific purpose for which they have been gifted to us. They should not be let loose for uninhibited freedom for the senses is always catastrophic. How to start controlling the senses? First he should master his behavior. He should not be influenced by the momentary impulses and instincts. He should be aware of what is good for him. In his duties, he should never suffer not make others suffer. Fits of anger or sorrow or elation or despair and despondency should be avoided. Sense attraction is always tempting and tantalizing but you should check yourself from yielding to it. “ The eye should not wander towards obscene sights. The words uttered should not hurt the self respect of others. The hand should never be raised in anger against anyone. The ears should not exult in scandal. The mind should not have attachment to bad habits.” remarks Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. Is it possible to carry out at least one of these requirements? Easier said than done but we should try in all earnestness.

What are the things to be avoided to draw nearer to self control? According to Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba they are frivolous talk, luxurious life, deleterious habits, addiction to films, horror comics, pen friends, exotic dress, outlandish coiffures designed to draw attraction to oneself. These lead astray boys and girls and compel them to involve themselves in unrighteous and immoral ways! Impediments to self control like selfishness and conceit have to be discarded. On the other hand, ideal qualities like love, forbearance and compassion should be developed. Hatred, jealousy and beating one's own trumpet should be given up. One should maintain unity in thought, word and deed. Detachment from mundane affairs including wife, children and property is the most important need for self control because it is rare and almost impossible.

There is another invaluable aid for Self control. It is Yoga or the science of mind control. This method has become very popular throughout the world today. Patanjali Yoga Sastra authored by the sage Patanjali defines yoga as that which arrests the vacillation of the mind. “ Yogah chitta vrutthi nirodhaha.” It suggests Pranayama or control of breath for control of mind as well as longevity. A number of Asanas or postures of body for physical fitness and general health are also recommended in Yoga Sastra that lead to self control. It is the bounden duty of every single individual to make an earnest attempt to realize self control lest peace and happiness may be denied to him. Meditation or Dhyana is another tool suggested for Self control. Concentrating the mind on a single object goes a long way in helping Self control.

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ON DISCIPLINE

Certain rules of behavior and conduct are absolutely essential for the smooth running of our daily existence. Without these guiding principles it is impossible to lead our life happily. These principles have yielded good results through practice since centuries. As such principles have become a part of our code of conduct, they are called by the name Discipline. There have been in the past persons who were the embodiment of personal discipline that astonished many. Their behavior and conduct has added lustre to discipline to a great extent. Not only that, they have adapted the principles according to the needs of changing times! Discipline consists in the strict observance of rules and regulations and directions. It is only when discipline is observed that any act or duty can yield the desired result. At present production of food, building homes, and manufacturing cloth and other materials are at their peak. Modern society is in dire need of tolerance, humility,  brotherhood and compassion!
A life without discipline is a ship without a rudder. It loses its direction and drifts into unknown waters. Discipline is the need of the hour to combat the flood of hate and derision and when those shy away on whom you have placed your trust. One without a disciplined mind is a wild elephant in a rut. It is not as if discipline can be inculcated all of a sudden. It has to catch the young very early so that the principles are practiced regularly. Discipline is absolutely essential for success in every field of activity whether it is economic, social, educational or material and mundane. Discipline is all the more important for success in the spiritual field! “ The sages have discovered the disciplines that will keep you unaffected by defeat or victory, loss or gain. Learn them, establish yourself in unruffled peace.” Says Bhagawan Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba. Unfortunately discipline is significantly absent in almost every walk of life. There is much cause for concern in the educational field. Students have no respect for the teachers. Malpractices in examinations have become common! A few violent attacks on teachers are also reported! Veneration and love for the teacher is missing very badly. Even in society there is no regard for discipline! Fraud, cheating, robbery, murder, lust and rape have become too common to be wondered at! Society has become one of loose morals mainly because of lack of discipline!

There is discipline in creation. As William Wordsmith said, “ Let Nature be your teacher” we can lessons from Nature that is the best example for strict discipline. The sun rises and sets regularly in the morning and evening. The sea beats its waves continuously against the shore but never crosses it. Seasons change regularly and smoothly. Is this not discipline? Who is controlling all activities of Nature? It is because of the strict discipline exhibited by Nature man is able to live happily and peacefully. Imagine what will happen if the sea or ocean crosses the shores. We know what catastrophe occurred when the tsunami struck! In the same manner, the world will suffer if there is a change in  sun rise and sun set. God has commanded Nature to adhere to discipline strictly. While Nature is a strict follower of discipline, it is man who has no discipline and breaks the laws of Nature! Man has to be ready for the dangers that ensue whenever he breaks the laws of Nature. Life is not a bed of roses. It is a veritable jungle full of bushes and brambles, dense impenetrable trees and rough and dusty paths. In order to wade through the wild forest you need a pair of proper shoes. Likewise one should have strict discipline and sense regulations to come out of the forest of life unscathed.

Man by nature is undisciplined. He wants no inhibitions. He wants to drink life to the Lees. He prefers to move with a gay abandon. That is why he resists discipline. This attitude is detrimental to man and his future. Discipline and other regulations are laid down for the good of man. Regulations are the very essence of creation as explained earlier. Wind and fire respect their limits. There is discipline, unnoticed, in our body! Our body temperature is kept normal without our effort! Otherwise we will be unhealthy! Our cardiac muscles are involuntary and the heart has to maintain the number of beats per minutes to allow us to live! Is this not discipline? Why discipline? It is discipline that helps you to put up with dis appointments. Life is one of ups and downs. There is no rose without thorns but man wants a rose without thorns! Life cannot be for sensual pleasure. Society can never progress if each one cares for his own pleasures! Lack of discipline has led to this state of affairs and man’s greed has reached to such an extent that he wants to possess everything including God! He says “My God , not yours! “ Your God, not mine!”

Desires destroy discipline! There is no end for the desires that man has. Every desire fulfilled leads to fresh and more desires rooting out the edifice of discipline. Therefore one should have a ceiling on desires to maintain discipline. Lot of money is wasted on needless things. Money is also being misused for selfish reasons. That should be avoided. The lure of money is irresistible for man and he is ready to do anything for it. Too much of money is dangerous. There should be discipline in using it for good purposes. Discipline is of Paramount importance in managing time. We know the proverb: “ Time and tide waits for no man.” If we kill time, time kills us! Time is said to be God!  Every second is precious and can never be wasted! There must be discipline in using food. Food or Annam is called the embodiment of Brahman or the Supreme Self in the Upanishads. Wasting it is an unpardonable sin and crime! Many people have not even a single meal a day and the poor suffer for want of f food. Extra food may be donated to some charity but not wasted. Energy is another field where strict discipline is badly required. Man should not fritter away his energy in pursuit of useless things! It is a precious commodity to save and be kept in reserve.  Natural fuels like petrol, diesel should be properly utilized as we do not know for how long we can get them from mother Earth. In spiritual matters Discipline is of utmost importance and yields peace and bliss in proportion to the discipline enforced!

BRAHMA SUTRAS

The three authoritative sources of Vedanta philosophy are the Brahma Sutras, the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita. These three are otherwise called the “ Prasthanatraya.” The Vedanta Sutras of Badarayana or Sage Vedavyasa is generally called as ‘Brahma Sutras.' What are these ‘Brahma Sutras?' They present a short or condensed account of the abstruse, limitless and eternal Vedas.  Sutras are those that are expressed in the least possible number of words to convey an idea or truth. In other words Sutra can be called an aphorism. The Sutras are densely packed with ' unlimited insight that need to be unwound to understand their full import. The Brahma Sutras belong to the period between 450 BCE and 200 CE. It is a systematized summary of the philosophical and spiritual ideas in the Upanishads. Brahma Sutras are also called the Vedanta Sutra which literally means “ Final aim of the Vedas.”  Other name of “Brahma Sutras” is “ Saririka Sutra” meaning that which lives in the body (sarira) or the Self, soul. Another name is” Bhikshu Sutra for monks and mendicants. Brahma Sutras have influenced various schools of philosophy. These are interpreted differently by the Adwaita School of Adi Sankara, Visishistadwaita School of Ramanuja and Dwaita school of Madhwacharya. Many commentaries are lost but among those remaining, Bhashyas of Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhwa and Bhaskara are prominent.
Badarayana was the guru of Jaimini, author of Mimamsa Sutras. While Badarayana laid emphasis on knowledge, Jaimini gave importance to rituals. Some times they agreed while at other times they disagreed. Brahma Sutras are dated to centuries that followed the Buddha and Mahavira as it mentions critiques on the ideas of Buddhism and Jainism. Brahma Sutras contain 555 aphoristic verses in four chapters. They are primarily about the nature of human existence, universe, about metaphysical ideas, and ultimate reality called Brahman. The Brahma Sutras are organized into four chapters each of which is subdivided into four Padas each, 223 adhikaranas or topics and altogether 555 aphorisms. The first chapter  “ Samanvaya”  (harmony) speaks of all the Vedantic texts and Brahman, the ultimate reality which is the goal of life. The second chapter “ Avirodha” (non conflict) discusses and rejects the possible  objections against  Vedanta philosophy. It reviews objections raised by orthodox and heterodox schools of philosophy like Buddhism and Jainism.
The third chapter “ Sadhana” ( the means) deals with the process by which ultimate emancipation can be achieved. It discusses epistemology and path to gaining spiritual, liberating knowledge. Last chapter states why such knowledge is an important human need. This chapter is called “ Phala” (the fruit) and speaks of the state that is achieved in final emancipation! Each Adhikarana has varying number of Sutras. They address the following---1 Vishaya or subject, topic 2 Vismaya or doubt, uncertainty, perplexity 3 Purvapaksha or prima facie view, prior part, argument 4 Siddhanta—theory, arguments presented, proposed doctrine or conclusions 5 Sangati—Connection between sections, synthesis or coming together of knowledge. Brahma Sutras text has 189 Adhikaranas. Each text opens the ‘mukhya' chief Sutra that states the purpose of that section and includes Vishaya Vakyas. Brahma Sutras are meant to assist the memory of the student. Sankara says that the text of the Sutras are “ Structured like a string that ties together the Vedanta texts like a Garland of flowers!”
The root cause of all suffering is because of identifying the pure atman with the body. It is because of this identification that Arjuna grew despondent on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. KRISHNA tells him that Atma and body are different. While the former is eternal, indestructible the latter is ephemeral and subject to decay and destruction. The aim of Brahma Sutras is to wipe out this erroneous identification. This illusion that the atman and the body are one and the same can be obliterated through knowledge of the Brahman. In his Saririka Bhashya, Sankara establishes that the individual soul is identical with the Supreme Self—a chip of the same block. Sankara agrees with the view expressed by Badarayana. True to his Adwaita philosophy—” Ekam Eva Adwitiyam Brahma”- there is only One, no two things, Sankara stresses on the point.
Sri Ramanuja's  Sri Bhashya or commentary is according to his Visishtadwaita philosophy. Sri Ramanuja explains that Brahman is a Personal God and has attributes unlike the Brahman of Sankara that has no attributes. He maintains that the individual soul can never merge or entirely resolve in Brahman. Other commentaries are of Sri Nimbarkacharya called “ Vedanta parijata saurabha.”  Sri Vallabhacharya's philosophy of Suddhadwaita (pure monism) and his commentary on the Brahma Sutras is known as  “Anu Bhashya.” Different schools of thought have commented according to their tastes and temperaments, capacity and the nature of the aspirants. They have their own place and scope. Irrespective of the school that one follows, it is total faith,  determination and perseverance that can take the seeker to the peak of perfection!

SHODASOPACHARA PUJA Contd.,

After Sankalpa, Kalasa puja is performed. A clean vessel is taken and filled with pure water. Water for the worship of God has to be holy or sacred. Hence all holy waters of rivers are invited to be present in the water of the kalasa. Trimurthis, Mathru ganas, the seven oceans, the seven islands with the earth, the four Vedas, and the Vedangas, are invited to be present in the water of the Kalasa through mantras! The kalasa is smeared with sandal paste and vermillion. That sacred waterr is sprinkled on self,  all items of puja, and the idol of the chosen God or Goddess. Later the ‘Prana or life’ of the God or Goddess is invoked. This ritual with special Sanskrit mantras is called “Prana prathista.”  Now the most important Vighneswara puja is performed to avoid any obstacles during thepuja celebrations. Regular Shodasopachara puja starts after Vighneswara puja.

1 Avahanam or inviting the God or Goddess: Almighty God is omnipresnt! He is the indweller in every heart. But in our ignorance we are unable to identify His form. Therefore we have to invite him to be present in the idol for our worship. Place your left hand on your heart (chest) and the right hand on the idol or the photo
2 Asanam or offering seat to the invitee: Having invited the God, our bounden duty is to offer proper seat for Him. The seat is not a wooden sofa or bed our heart where in the ce ter is the pedastal decked with diamonds and rubies and emeralds! He is not an ordinary invitee! He is the lord of all worlds, Master, Creator and protector! Think that He is placed in the center of the diamond pedastal in your heart!
3 Padyam or offering water to wash feet: In the same way we invite guests and offer water to wash their feet before they enter the house, we must offer water to wash God's feet also! We should imagine like that and offer some water from the kalasa with a small uddharini or spoon.
4 Arghyam or offering water to wash hands: Visiting God should wash both His hands and feet because He enters our inner chamber of our heart with diamond studded pedestal. Water from the Kalasa should be offered in small quantity.
5 Achamaniyam or offering water to clean the mouth: God is being considered as guest and offered water to clean His hands, feet and mouth! A spoonful of water from the kalasa is shown to the mouth of the idol and left on the plate below.
6 Panchamruta Snanam or bathing the God with five amritas(nectars): The Deity is bathed with milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar, all of the cow, one after the other. What is its significance? The experience of the Senses in the world is the milk! Like milk that becomes curd. Worldly experience added to knowledge is transformed into Viveka or intellect! When curd is churned buttercomes out. Ghee is obtained by heating butter. When the intellect is awakened with worldly experience there is an inner churning and man understands the essence of life! He learns discrimination between the good and bad as well as dharma and adharma! Honey is the result of accumulation. On account of this he realizes the essence of his experiences! Sugar is sweetness solidified. Life shall be sweet like Sugar for anyone that realizes the glory and greatness of God! After Panchamruta Snanam God should be bathed with pure water. Sri Rudram and Purusha Suktham and other stotras can be chanted.
7 Vasthram or offering dress to the deity: After abhishekam with pure water, the idol should be gently cleaned with a soft fresh cloth or cotton. Two cotton bits smeared with turmeric and vermillion should be offered to the deity. By offering vasthra, we pray that Maya or illusion that wraps us should be removed for realizing God!
8 Yagnopavitam or offering the Sacred Thread: Yagnopavitam or sacred thread has to be offered to the Lord. In doing so, one has to feel that all his physical, verbal, mental are the worship that he offers to God! “ Yadyath karma karomi tat thakhilam Sambho tavaradhanam” (Adi Sankara)
9 Gandham or offering sandal paste: Freshly ground sandal paste has to be offered to God. Like the sandalwood that reduces itself in producing the paste, the devotee is expected to have the spirit of sacrifice and service! God is the repository of all good qualities. Those are His ornaments. The bhaktha should also exhibit all good qualities!
10 Pushpam or offering flowers: Fresh, fragrant alone have to be offered. The eight real flowers dear to God are: ahimsa, control of senses, compassion for all creatures, patience, control of outer indriyas, tapas, dhyanam or meditation and truth. No other flowers are required by Him!
11 Dhoopam or incens or agarbathi: offer one or two dhoop sticks ringing the bell.
12 Deepam of showing lighted lamps: lamps with two , three or five wicks are shown to the deity. Like the light that dispels darkness, one should pray that his ignorance should be removed.
13 Naivedya or offering food: Foods of six varieties of taste, fruits, coconut and others are offered! It is God who has provided food and everything to humanity. In reciprocation man offers the saame to the deity. Thambulam or offering betel leaves: Betel leaves, arecanut and chunam constitute Thambulam and is chewed after meals. It is good for health after a heavy meal. This is symbolic of offering oneself, with the three gunas. Nirajanam or offering harati: Finally camphor or wicks, in a plate, are lighted and shown round the deity from His feet twice or thrice. Like the camphor that disappears soon, one should pray that all his karmas or samskaras should be destroyed. Later, flowers are offered with what is called, ‘mantra pushpa' Next is 'Atma pradakshina' which means going round one's own Atma and prostrating before the deity! You realize that God is within you as Atma and you are worshipping Him!
15 Sashtanga danda pranamam or prostrating before the deity: You fall on ground with your belly, head, eyes,  Manas, mouth, legs, hands, and ears touching the floor! Eight parts of the body shouldbow down to God! Later other upacharas like, Vedas, song, dance, palanquin are offered which is called ‘Punah puja.'  Then the holy water as well as Prasadam  (food and fruits offered)is taken.
16 Udwasana or farewell: After all the previous upacharas, God is given a farewell and sent home to come back once again after a while!  All activities, physical, mental, and spiritual, are dedicated to God since he is the cause and motivator!
It is therefore important to understand the significance of the inner significance of worship and perform puja and realize spiritual bliss and the Grace of God!

MODE OF WORSHIP--Shodasopachara Puja

Among the various modes of worship the most important method is what is called “ Shodasopachara Puja.”  This consists of sixteen ways of serving or worshipping the chosen deity. The word “Shodasa” can be split into “Shut + dasa” which means six plus ten equal to sixteen. “Upachara” means ' to move nearby.' It also means ‘to transcend.' In other words, it indicates that through  association with God and chanting His Name we can transcend all limits of the mundane world. In short whatever services we offer to God enable us to rise above and lessen our mental weakness. They contribute to the purification of our “ Antahkarana” viz Manas, Buddhi, chitta, Ahankara or ego. What are these sixteen upacharas and what is their significance in the worship of the deity? Today these services have become purely mechanical without meditation and concentration on the deity being worshipped. The mind of the worshipper is elsewhere, not in the worship! Such puja cannot be called ideal worship and cannot yield the required result or satisfaction.

 The first and foremost item of worship is to light the lamp otherwise called “ Diparadhana.”  What is its meaning and significance? In olden days, during the yagnas and homas fire was created by the friction of two wooden blocks called 'Arani.' A wooden stick is placed in between the two blocks and churned vigorously by a rope. Smoke is generated through intense friction and sparks of fire emanate. This fire is developed through twigs and this becomes the holy fire for the yagna! By aligning the principle of Jiva to the principle of Deva the Fire of Jnana is created. This Fire destroys the attachment of ajnana or avidya! The ' Vasanas' or tendencies we have developed since our countless births are destroyed by this Fire of Jnana or Wisdom! The oil in the lamp we light symbolizes these accumulated tendencies that are inherent in us since our innumerable births. The cotton wick of the lamp stands for ‘Manas’ with its  ‘Sankalpas and vikalpas' The wick draws oil from the lamp and burns. When the oil is exhausted the wick too is burnt away. Similarly our Vasanas’ represented by oil and the wicks of Sankalpa and vikalpa in our Manas  are totally consumed by the Fire of Jnana! This inner friction in the sadhaka symbolizes the lighting of the lamp-- ' Diparadhana' at the start of any puja!

The second item of the preliminaries of puja is “Ghantarava” or the ringing of the bell. One wonders why this should be done. The bell is rung in order to invite Devas and drive away the asuras!. The sound of the bell, if made of good metal reverberates in the air and slowly merges into silence. Similarly the thought of God should echo in the innermost recess of our heart and merge into the Divine experience which is silence! It is this thought of God that drives out the asura qualities in our heart and promotes Divine qualities. The next ritual is to provide a clean ambience. Our environment is full of negative forces that create obstacles to any good and dharmic act. These negative forces are called rakshasas. We know how these rakshasas, Maricha and Subahu tried to desecrate the yaga of Sage Viswamitra in the R
 It is only the power of God that can drive away these negative forces from our mind and environment. A few Sanskrit slokas are recited to expel the evil forces that may remain in the surroundings and bring in purity in the ambience. Devotion to God is the invincible armor that protects one from all evil influences.

The next step is to purify one's own body before worshipping God. It is a well known fact that chanting God's name purifies the individual whether he is bodily and inwardly pure or impure. “ Kalauthu smaranan mukthihi” says the Sastra! Purity of mind makes the person recognize purity in everything he sees. There is no restriction of time, place, country, and condition of body for chanting the name of God. What we consider as troubles and sorrows are not sorrows really!! Real sorrow is to forget God and failure to chant His Name! Hence the devotee chants the name of God and sprinkles water on himself for physical and mental purification. After this purification of body and the mind, Pranayama or control of breath is to be performed for a short while. It is very difficult to control one's mind. It is through controlling breath that one can control the mind to a certain extent. Breath control is absolutely essential for keeping in check the unsteady mind and its waywardness! Hence Pranayama is an important need for any puja. But unfortunately, many do not understand its significance and simply touch the nose and think it is Pranayama!

After these preliminaries, the Sankalpam for the puja is done. The devotee speaks of the particular day,. waxing or waning period of the moon, tithi, the star and month of the day, season, Ayana, Yuga, part of the Yuga, Kalpa and others. Generally the Sankalpam is done for the all-round prosperity and well being of the individual concerned. The Sankalpa is a prayer to God for the fulfilment of one's desires! There are others who want the well being of society and pray for rains, alleviation of the distress of others, universal peace and such things. Third variety are those who do Sankalpa for their emancipation. They pray for promotion of their bhakthi, Jnana, and Vairagya or non attachment to mundane things! They also pray for realizing themselves without hurdles and to obtain the real sadguru who can guide them! After Sankalpa, usually Kalasa puja and Vigneswara puja are to be performed. These are essential for any puja and no puja can start without propitiating Lord Vinayaka who is the lord of all obstacles! (CONTINUED