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Swami Parmarthnanda On Sivaratri

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:52:00 +0000

Our scriptures clearly point out that the primary goal of human life is spiritual fulfillment which is known as by different names: ‘moksha’, ‘Iswara prapthi’, etc. The other goals that we pursue, i.e. material goals like procuring food for ourselves and our family are only subsidiary or secondary. Even animals strive to accomplish this. They procure food and even train their young ones to do so. Therefore procuring food, finding shelter, raising a family and earning more money is not the goal of human existence. No doubt we can pursue these goals but keeping in mind that they are only secondary. Spiritual accomplishment is the top priority. But since we do not know this, we have to be told by the scriptures. Not only do the scriptures have to tell us, they have to repeat it because even if we are aware of the spiritual goal, we do not have the time and keep postponing the spiritual pursuit. In a well known verse in Bhaja Govindam, Sankara says the child is lost in play, the youth is consumed by passion, the old man is immersed in his sorrows, alas, there is none who yearns to realise the spiritual truth. When we are young, we think it is too early to start spirituality. By the time we are old, our mind is full of worries and our faculties are very weak. Throughout our life, we are preoccupied with something or the other that we forget the spiritual goal. It is for this reason that scriptures prescribe so many festivals and ‘vratams’, to constantly remind us that spirituality is our primary goal. Festivals are of two types: those that are primarily for enjoyment such as Deepavali where we buy new clothes and ornaments, visit friends, etc. and those that do not engender enjoyment (vratams) but remind us of the spiritual goal. Sivarathri is not for enjoyment but withdrawing and asking the question ‘What am I doing?’. Under the varnashrama system, as one progresses from grihasta to vanaprasta to sanyasa, the material pursuit should become lesser and lesser and the spiritual pursuit should become more and more. The time that we spend qualitatively and quantitatively must gradually change more for spirituality and less for material ends. Ultimately in the sanyasa ashrama, one hundred percent of the time is devoted for spirituality. So we must periodically ask the question ‘Is there a change in how I spend my time?’ Vratams emphasize two types of practices: ‘upavasa’ and ’sath katha shravanam’. Upavasa means fasting. We give up not only food but all types of enjoyment. Upavasa is also a prayaschitam. It purifies not only the body but also the mind. Sath katha shravanam means listening to the scriptures. We are expected to follow these two practices on every ‘ekadasi’. If our health does not permit us, instead of practising ’shuddha upavaasa’ (total fasting), we can confine ourselves to consuming a simple meal. Even if this is difficult, we can fast once a year, on ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’ or ‘Sivarathri’. Listening to the scriptures will remind us of the spiritual goal. Sankara says ‘You may have a lot of wealth, a kingdom, wife and children, a palatial house, many vehicles, friends. What is the use of all these? They are all perishable. Even if they are not, you are. Why are you spending your time on something that is ephemeral? Take only the minimum (material possessions) and focus on the higher. Worship Lord Siva for the sake of moksha and take the help of a sathguru. Then real happiness is possible without relying on material comforts’. Sankara emphasizes ‘Don’t postpone. Everyday you are growing older and older and you are assuming you are going to live a hundred years. Start today’. Sivarathri is a very important function that reminds us of the spiritual goal. On this occasion we think of Siva and chant ‘Rudram’ 11 or 121 times. Chanting Rudram is very auspicious. It will remove all our ‘papam’. Having removed all papam, we start the study of the scriptures, a very important part of ’sadhana’. And for this we must allot some time regularly, about half an hour or an hour every day. Today the study of scriptures is made easy by the availability of a wide range of books and cassettes. Also, many TV channels telecast ‘upanyasams’. If we find scriptures like the ‘Upanishads’ a little intimidating, we can take up a simpler text such as ‘Bhagavatam’, ‘Ramayanam’ or ‘Mahabharatam’. The study of scriptures will give us knowledge. On this auspicious occasion of Sivarathri, let us examine the meaning of the ‘dhyana slokas’ for ‘Rudram’ that are expressed in a few verses. All dhyana slokas contain certain peculiarities. The Lord is described in three different forms and this indirectly reveals Vedic teaching. First, God is described as a person. In the initial stages of the spiritual pursuit, a person can appreciate God only as a person because an abstract God is difficult to comprehend. Siva, Parvathi, Ganesha, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Saraswathi are examples of God with a particular form. This is called ‘ekaroopa Iswara’. Secondly, the Lord is not with one form but is all forms. This includes not only God-forms (Siva, Vishnu, etc.) but all other forms including humans, animals, plants and even inert objects. This is called ‘vishwaroopa Iswara’ or ‘anekaroopa Iswara’ and indirectly suggests that we should expand our mind to see the Lord in all forms. It is not uncommon to come across a staunch Saivite who will not go to Vishnu temples or a staunch Vaisnavite who will refuse to accept ‘vibhudi’. Not only must we strive to see the Lord in all Hindu God-forms but also in Islam God-form, Christian God-form, etc. Thirdly God is formless. God is the absolute, infinite reality and is called ‘aroopa Iswara’. The Lord is like pure crystal known for clarity and purity. The dhyana slokas describe Lord Siva as having three eyes. Two are regular eyes and the third is the ‘gnana chakshu’. Siva has five heads that represent shristi, sthiti, laya, nigraha and anugraha, the five-fold functions of the Lord. ‘Gangadevi’ flows out of His head that is adorned with a variety of ornaments. The digit of the moon and a snake also grace His head. Siva is the blue-necked one because He has taken poison. His dress is a tiger skin. He gives shelter to one and all. He holds a ‘kamandalam’ and a ‘mala’ in His hand for doing ‘japa’ and ’shoolam’ (spear). He has ‘jata’ (matted locks) and water within. Siva is described both as a ‘bhogaswami’ meaning the Lord of enjoyment (when He puts on all ornaments) and ‘yogaswami’ meaning the Lord of renunciation (when He renounces everything and is committed only to meditation). Siva plays both roles – ‘grihasta’ (when He is with Uma) and ’sanyasi’. We can worship Siva in either form. These two represent ‘pravrithi marga’ and ‘nivrithi marga’ respectively. Siva is soaked in ‘amritam’. This represents immortality. He sits on a throne and is surrounded by ‘digdevathas’. Siva is worshipped by both ‘devas’ and ‘asuras’ because He gives all boons. This is a description of Siva in the ‘ekaroopa’ form. In the ‘vishwaroopa’ form, Lord Siva is not a person sitting in ‘Kailasa’. He is in Kailasa also, He is in ‘bhoolaka’ also. The dhyana slokas describe formless Siva as ‘aksharam’ (imperishable), ‘nityam’ (eternal), ’suddham’ (absolute), ‘avyayam’ (changeless). All these words indicate Siva is ‘nirguna Brahma swaroopa’. Siva is free from all kinds of ‘gunas’ or properties (From the standpoint of Vedanta, guna is a dosha). So on Sivarathri, according to our temperament, we can worship Siva as a person, as ‘vishwaroopa’ or as ‘nirguna’ and we must continue this practice regularly.

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Swami Parmarthnanda On Sivaratri

Swami Parmarthnanda Talk

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:50:00 +0000

One of the verses of Vairagya chatakam says that the sun rises and sets regularly and by the rising and setting of the sun, the days are rolling by. This happening so regularly and so fast that we are not aware that the time is rolling by, meaning we are becoming older and older and our lives shorter and shorter. We are not aware of this because we are so busy doing what we do. New Year’s day means yet another year has come, yet another year has gone. And Yama is a little nearer. Our names may not appear in today’s obituary column but we are all in the queue only. To avoid this tragedy, Bharthruhari gives an upadesam (advice) – do not postpone good things for a later time. We have a notion that scriptural study is to be undertaken at the time of retirement, after completing all other jobs. Bharthruhari says our faculties will not function at that time – the eyes will not see and the ears will not hear. When the sense organs are functioning well, when the fag end of life has not yet come, an alert person, a thinking person, a mature person should think of leading a healthy , prosperous and fruitful life. When the house is on fire, it is foolish to begin digging a well. So also at the fag end of life, it is foolish to begin doing good things. We must start right away. If we want a suitable day to begin, the New Year’s day is very auspicious. What should we do to make our lives fruitful? The scriptures emphasise three things – yagna, danam, and tapas. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna emphasises these three to a great extent. Yagna – Yagna means worship. We all know worship in the form of daily puja, going to temples, doing abhisheka , etc. Lord Krishna talks about a higher, refined form of worship – converting life itself into worship. ‘Let the very living, the life be an offering to the Lord’. Swami Chinmayananda used to make a wonderful statement – ‘The life that we have is a wonderful gift from the Lord and what we do with this life is our gift, our offering to the Lord’. If we are going to look upon our life as a gift of the Lord, what type of life it should it be? It should be the best. And when it is offered, it must be offered with a cheerful and smiling face. There must be cheerfulness. Thus two conditions must be fulfilled – the gift should be the best and it must be offered with cheerfulness and happiness. Our life should be the best. What does this mean? It does not mean earning money, success, name, and fame. It means the most sincere life. We should be able to do what we love to do we should learn to love what we have to do. If this is possible, our heart will be in what we do and so will our sincerity. This will be the best gift to the Lord. Predominantly there must be cheerfulness. We may wonder whether this is possible in today’s troubled times. By being cynical or cheerful, the situation is not going to change. So why not be cheerful? When the cup is half-full, we can either say it is half-full or half-empty. So why not say it is half-full? Why can’t we have a positive approach? Enjoying what we love to do and learning to love and enjoy what we have to do is the best yagna to the Lord. Danam – We all know what danam means. Danam is charity or gift which we all do. However there is one gift that is very, very important. That is the gift of love. This is the most important gift because it is one thing everybody is craving for. Rich, or poor, success or failure, love is craved for by all people at all times under all circumstances. It is the best gift because even if other gifts are not made, it does not matter. On the other hand, without love, all other gifts remain incomplete. Love makes all other gifts valid and meaningful. It makes the giver a saintly person. Love is both the cause and the consequence of spiritual growth. We may claim ‘I love my family and children’. Love is only an inner feeling, attitude, etc. Love is invisible. Love belongs to the mind. So when we talk of love, we mean expressed love or activated love. Feelings can never become a gift. What do we mean by expression of love? The best expression of love is giving our time and attention for the other person, to share his life and more than his life, his feelings. Of course, if we have to give our time to everyone, we will not have the time and it will be impractical. So the best place to practice the gift of expressed love is one’s own family, by giving time and our fullest attention to every member of the family and going through the feelings of the other person. We share the happiness and unhappiness without judging whether it is justified or not. We need not give a remedy or talk or reply except to say a few words that will lead to healthy sharing. At least once a day we should make ourselves avaibale to our family members. This is the best expression of love and also the cause of our inner growth. If we are not able to grow in this, all our danam is only mechanical danam. Even our scriptural study will not be meaningful. Giving our time to others is one of the indices of spiritual growth. Today many people who have family problems have only this complaint. – family members do not provide time for one another. Many people are shattered even though they are well provided for. All that is required is to say a few words and ask the other person ‘How are you? ‘How was your day?’ This requires only a few minutes. Then the atmosphere in the family becomes so wonderful that all other lapses are not even noticed. Today when many families are nuclear families, the gift of giving the quality time and going through the feelings of the other person is the best Danam. Tapas – Tapas is a discipline or austerity. There are a variety of disciplines we have to follow, e.g. fasting on ekadasi. The most important tapas is vak tapas – austerity or discipline at the verbal level. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna defines vak tapas. Our words should have four qualities to make it an austerity – avoiding verbal violence, satyam, priyam, and hitam. We must avoid verbal violence which is the most powerful and worst form of violence. The words should be truthful. There should be no chasm between our mind and words. When we say something, it is because we mean it. Priyam means kindness. Our words must be soft, polite, and gentle. Hitam means beneficial. Before uttering any words we should think two things – whether it is beneficial to us (which we will do anyway) and whether it is beneficial to the other person. Vak tapas requires that we must be very alert. Before coming out, the words must go through a ‘metal detector’ inside us that acts like a quality control meter filtering the words and giving the stamp of quality. Thus by following the three disciplines of yagna, danam, and tapas, we can make our life fruitful.

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Swami Parmarthnanda Talk

Rishi Vasishta

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:44:00 +0000

Vasishta Rishi Temple Himachal Have you seen the Pole Star? If you observe keenly you can see it at night in the northern part of the sky shining bright always. Below the Pole Star you will find a group of stars in the shape of inverted English letters as shown here-u). They are seven in number and are called Saptarshi Mandala or the Great Bear, a constellation. The seven saints after whom they are named are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishta. Rishi or saint means a wise man, the man who knows the secret of the Veda. “The Possessor of riches” = VASISHTA, whose wife was Fidelity = Arundhati. He was the son of the cow of Abundance (Delight = NANDINI). Son of Varuna and Mitra; (his mother would become the nymph Urvashi.) The youngest of Bramha’s seven sons, Rishi Vashisht. Vasishta is supposed to have been born as the result of Brahma s will power. He was a great ascetic, laboured for the welfare of the world Vasishta was not a recluse, he was householder. He was married Arundhati. Arundhati is famous for virtues and devotion to her husband there is a small star close to Vasisht in the Great Bear or Saptarshi Mandal.Vasishta had his hermitage on the banks of the river Saraswati. Arundhati spent all her time in the service of husband. He had with him thousand of disciples and taught them the Vedas as Kulapati or chief preceptor affectionately addressed Vasishta. Vasishta’s daily routine was to teach his disciples, to preach dharma to the visitors and to practise tapas or austerities. Vasishta was a great ascetic. He was the preceptor of great men like Sri Rama and Harischandra. He had conquered anger and desire. He was a great saint who humbled insolent men. As a preceptor he imparted knowledge and became a guide to thousands of aspirants.

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Rishi Vasishta

Significance Of Holi

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:46:00 +0000

Significance of Holi In spite of being such a colourful and gay festival, there are various aspects of Holi which makes it so significant for our lives. Though they might not be so apparent but a closer look and a little thought will reveal the significance of Holi in more ways than meets the eyes. Ranging from socio-cultural, religious to biological there is every reason why we must heartily enjoy the festival and cherish the reasons for its celebrations. So when, its time for Holi, please don’t hold yourself back and enjoy the festival to the hilt by participating with full enthusiasm in every small tradition related to the festival. Mythological Significance Holi gets us close to our religion and our mythology as it is essentially the celebration of various legends associated with the festival. Foremost is the legend of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyap. The legend says there once lived a devil and powerful king, Hiranyakshyap who considered himself a god and wanted everybody to worship him. To his great ire, his son, Prahlad began to worship, Lord Vishnu. To get rid of his son, Hiranyakshyap asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap, as she had a boon to enter fire unscathed. Legend has it that Prahlad was saved for his extreme devotion for the lord while Holika paid a price for her sinister desire. The tradition of burning Holika or the ‘Holika dahan’ comes mainly from this legend. Holi also celebrates the legend of Radha and Krishna which describes the extreme delight, Krishna took in applying colour on Radha and other gopis. This prank of Krishna later, became a trend and a part of the Holi festivities. Mythology also states that Holi is the celebration of death of Ogress Pootana who tried to kill infant, Krishna by feeding poisonous milk to it. Another legend of Holi which is extremely popular in Southern India is that of Lord Shiva and Kaamadeva. According to the legend, people in south celebrate the sacrifice of Lord of Passion Kaamadeva who risked his life to revoke Lord Shiva from meditation and save the world. Also, popular is the legend of Ogress Dhundhi who used to trouble children in the kingdom of Raghu and was ultimately chased away by the pranks of the children on the day of Holi. Showing their belief in the legend, children till date play pranks and hurl abuses at the time of Holika Dahan. Cultural Significance Celebration of the various legends associated with Holi reassure the people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil. The legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad also points to the fact that extreme devotion to god pays as god always takes his true devotee in his shelter. All these legends help the people to follow a good conduct in their lives and believe in the virtue of being truthful. This is extremely important in the modern day society when so many people resort to evil practices for small gains and torture one who is honest. Holi helps the people to believe in the virtue of being truthful and honest and also to fight away the evil. Besides, holi is celebrated at a time of the year when the fields are in full bloom and people are expecting a good harvest. This gives a people a good reason to rejoice, make merry and submerge themselves in the spirit of Holi. Social Significance Holi helps to bring the society together and strengthen the secular fabric of our country. For, the festival is celebrated by non-Hindus also as everybody like to be a part of such a colouful and joyous festival. Also, the tradition of the Holi is that even the enemies turn friends on Holi and forget any feeling of hardship that may be present. Besides, on this day people do not differentiate between the rich and poor and everybody celebrate the festival together with a spirit of bonhomie and brotherhood. In the evening people visit friends and relatives and exchange gifts, sweets and greetings. This helps in revatalising relationships and strengthening emotional bonds between people. Biological Significance It is interesting to note that the festival of Holi is significant for our lives and body in many other ways than providing joy and fun. We also need to thank our forefathers who started the trend of celebrating Holi at such a scientifically accurate time. And, also for incorporating so much fun in the festival. As Holi comes at a time of the year when people have a tendency to feel sleepy and lazy. This is natural for the body to experiences some tardiness due to the change from the cold to the heat in the atmosphere. To counteract this tardiness of the body, people sing loudly or even speak loudly. Their movements are brisk and their music is loud. All of this helps to rejuvenate the system of the human body. Besides, the colours when sprayed on the body have a great impact on it. Biologists believe the liquid dye or Abeer penetrates the body and enters into the pores. It has the effect of strengthening the ions in the body and adds health and beauty to it. There is yet another scientific reason for celebrating the Holi, this however pertains to the tradition of Holika Dahan. The mutation period of winter and spring, induces the growth of bacteria in the atmosphere as well as in the body. When Holika is burnt, temperature rises to about 145 degrees Fahrenhiet. Following the tradition when people perform Parikrima (circumambulation or going around) around the fire, the heat from the fire kills the bacteria in the body thus, cleansing it. The way Holi is celebrated in south, the festival also promotes good health. For, the day after the burning of Holika people put ash (Vibhuti) on their forehead and they would mix Chandan (sandalpaste) with the young leaves and flowers of the Mango tree and consume it to promote good health. Some also believe that play with colours help to promote good health as colours are said to have great impact on our body and our health. Western-Physicians and doctors believe that for a healthy body, colours too have an important place besides the other vital elements. Deficiency of a particular colour in our body causes ailment, which can be cured only after supplementing the body with that particular colour. People also clean-up their houses on Holi which helps in clearing up the dust and mess in the house and get rid of mosquitoes and others pests. A clean house generally makes the residents feel good and generate positive energies.

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Significance Of Holi

Nature Is The Guru

adam — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Shree Maa gives us the message that we can learn from everybody. When Maa was a little four-year old child, She was cleaning a room and upon finishing, she threw the broom to a corner. Then She heard the voice of Sri Ramakrishna say, “Hega, you threw that broom? See how beautifully you cleaned the room with that very broom and now you threw it? You must respect your tools as well as your actions. Cleanliness is next to Godliness?” The four-year-old Little Mother bowed down to the broom. From then on She would bow down to it everyday. Maa said that Thakur Ramakrishna told Her, “If you respect each and every one of your actions, you will get me.” Respect is an important part of learning. To illustrate this, Maa is sharing these stories with us. These stories teach us how to learn and how to become divine. We can learn every moment from every thing because Mother Nature is teaching us all the time. Please listen and enjoy the stories! Now, Mother will tell us the story of Avadhut Dattatreya. Dattatreya was born divine and considered every moment as an opportunity to learn. He learned from everybody and everything. He considered all of Nature to be his Guru. How did He learn this way and what did He learn? Read on! First Story One day Avadhut was crossing a big field. He saw a huge wedding procession walking across the field with much fanfare accompanied by many musical instruments. There were pipes and drums and lots of singing. The marriage party was accompanying the groom. At the same time in that field, Avadhut saw a hunter. The hunter was looking with one-pointed mind at his prey. His eyes were completely focused on the target and he was oblivious to the marriage party and the sounds of their merry making. Avadhut went to the hunter and bowed down to him. He said, “You are my Guru. When I meditate on God, my goal will be to have the same focus as you have just demonstrated.” Second Story One time Avadhut was walking by a river when he saw a fisherman. He went near the fisherman and asked politely, “Oh Brother, what path should I take to go to the cityâ€? The fisherman was looking inside the water and did not pay any attention to the question. The sounds did not even enter in to his ears. At that moment, the fish was just touching the bait. When the fish was caught, the fisherman called Avadhut, “Hey, what were you saying to me?” Avadhut came back to him and bowed down. He said, “You are my Guru. When I meditate on my Ishta Deva (beloved form of God), until the meditation is not complete, until I reach the goal, my mind will not wander. Please give me blessings to be like you in this way.” Third Story One day a hawk caught a fish and was flying with the fish in his mouth. Behind came hundreds and hundreds of crows. They all flew behind him and chased the hawk wherever he flew. They wanted the fish and went wherever the hawk went. They were disturbing the hawk greatly. The hawk got mad. He threw the fish. At that time, another hawk was flying and caught that fish. The crows left the first hawk and started flying behind the other hawk. The first hawk was so relieved and relaxed! Without a care, he sat on the branch of a tree and watched the plight of the other hawk. The Avadhut bowed down to the hawk and said, “If you can leave all desires and attachments, then alone you can get peace. When I sit to meditate I want to leave all my desires and attachments, just as you have shown. ” He prayed to the hawk and said, “You are my Guru. Thank you for your teaching.” Fourth Story There was a little pond in which a crane was walking with concentration and moving slowly to catch a fish. Behind the crane was a hunter who was focusing on the crane with the intent of killing it. The crane had no idea as to who was behind. The crane was completely focused on catching the fish. The Avadhut bowed down to the crane and told him, “You are my Guru. When I will do meditation, I will never look behind, I will always be focused on the present and not on the past or the future. Please give me this blessing. Thank you for your teaching.” From these Avadhut stories we see a beautiful example of how we can learn from all of Nature — every moment, every aspect of creation can be our Guru and we can learn. Avadhut gave respect with each action. From this we learn that if we, too, are respectful in each and every one of our actions, the entire Universe will become our family, and we can learn and share with all of creation.

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Nature Is The Guru

Kojagari Pooja

adam — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:34:00 +0000

KOJAGARI PUJA Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped today, the Sharat poornima day, the full moon day of autumn. Mother Lakshmi visits the houses of those who are awake late in the night and blesses them. She comes asking,”Ko Jagrati – who is awake?”and that is why the puja is known as “Kojagari puja”. This puja is widely performed in Bengal and in all branch centres of Ramakrishna Math. In the life of Chandramani devi, mother of Sri Ramakrishna we have an incident relating to this puja. That happened before the birth of Sri Sri Thakur. Once, Ramkumar, the eldest son of Chandramani, went to perform this Kojagari puja in a neighbouring village Bhursuo as a priest in a house. It was very late night and as he didn’t return, Chandramani came out of the house and was waiting for his return. Then a small girl with many ornaments came from the direction of the village. Chandramani asked her,’ Did you see my son, he has gone to that village for doing today’s puja? The child replied,” Yes mother, I am coming from that very house where your son has done the puja and he is also coming.” Then Chandramani invited the girl to her house,” In this dead of night, where are you going alone with these precious ornaments? Stay in my house night and leave in the morning?” The girl replied,” No, no, this time I will not be able to stay. I have to go different places. I shall come next time.” Saying so she went towards the house of Lahas. Chandramani seeing from the distance that the girl was not going in the regular path, chased her to guide her the right path but the girl soon disappeared. Then Chandramani realised it was “Mother Lakshmi Herself who had come in the form of young girl.” Returning home she narrated the incident to her husband Kshudiram and later her son Ramkumar and they also had confirmed it was Mother Lakshmi Herself. “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is filled with His oft repeated teaching that one should should be free from greed and lust. He Himself practised the sadhana of taking earth in one hand and a coin on the other and threw them both in the Ganga water so as to mentally imbibe the idea that both the things are of the same. When his chosen disciple tested Him by placing a coin beneath his bed, He sprang up as if stung by a scorpion. Then why this worship of Goddess of wealth? Goddess Lakshmi is the mother of all wealth. Scriptures allow men to have 4 types of wealth, viz. the wealth of dharma, the wealth of sensory pleasures, the wealth of pleasures of flesh and the spiritual wealth. But unfortunately, we identify Goddess Mother with 2nd and 3rd wealth (artha and kama) only and pray Her for those 2 types of wealth. Sometimes men resort to unrighteous means to have those 2 types of wealth though the scriptures permit only through dharmic means. But many do not know that Goddess Lakshmi is also the Mother of the wealth of spiritual knowledge. In fact the vehicle of Mother Lakshmi denotes the same. Owl is the carrier vehicle of Mother. Owl is seen as an ugly bird, known as partially blind and considered as inauspicious. But why the Mother who is beauty personified selected that bird as Her vehicle? Is it to indicate that man if he chooses only those two types of wealth, it will drain away all his physical and mental energies and he will look ugly, fit for nothing either of this world or the other? Is it to teach the man that those pleasures that are enjoyed in darkness will lead man to darkness only and he will be blind to the light of knowledge? Is it to warn him that if he is confining himself only to those dark room pleasures then inauspicious future moments are awaiting him? We shall have to think for a while as to the answers. In case if we choose to pray Mother to bestow Her spiritual wealth, then how to view the owl? In such cases, does Mother wishes to say that Her vehicle Owl is the symbolic message of Gita sloka no.69 of 2nd chapter, wherein Lord Krishna says the quality of a man of steady wisdom. The sloka says that for a man of steady wisdom, that which is darkness of night for men of ignorance, for a man of steady wisdom it will be daylight and that hectic day time wherein men exert for wealth for senses will be night for a man of knowledge? Choice is ours to pray the Mother either for the secular wealth or for the spiritual.

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Kojagari Pooja

Teachers Day

admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Dr.S.Radhakrishnan By Geeta Padmanaban Courtesy: The Hindu September 5! An important day for all of us. It is the day set aside to remember our teachers. For the time they spent with us, for what they taught us and finally for what we are today. It is Teachers’ Day to commemorate a great teacher, philosopher and statesman – Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, whose birth anniversary falls on this day. Ask any adult. They may not remember what they learnt in school, but every one of them will tell you the name of the teacher they admired the most. They will tell you why they remember that teacher after all these years. Goes to show how much our teachers are part of our growing years! Our school life (with so much to study) is happy because of our teachers. You do have a teacher you think is special, right? “My favourite? My Science teacher,” said Naren, a Std. VIII student. “She is very strict, doesn’t spare anyone who misbehaves or comes without doing home-work. You miss home-work, you lose marks. You delay it, she won’t even accept it.” But the kids love her because she is fair to all. She allows time for students to chatter in the class. “She teaches the principles of science in a fun way,” he says. “She shows videos to explain scientific principles.” Once she made them do a children’s book about cells in a way that small children could understand. “I wrote about an adventure of a boy named Max who is whisked away by the amazing Professor Cellular in a small spaceship travelling through cells. On the way, he explains things like the mitochondria, nucleus and the golgi bodies.” Overall, a good teacher is strict and fun at the same time, knows how to get along with kids, has a vast knowledge of her subject, thinks of the quality of the students’ education first, gives students fair and just punishment for academic crime — forgetting home-work, misbehaving and chattering when you should be working, not respecting the rules of the school. Me? I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. Teacher, Philosopher, Statesman Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday (September 5, 1888), is celebrated as Teacher’s Day. He was born into a middle class family at Tirutani in Tamil Nadu state, a town in Madras Presidency, British India. Radhakrishnan went through most of his education on scholarships. He joined the Voorhee’s College in Vellore but switched to the Madras Christian College. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the Madras Christian College in 1906. In 1921, he was appointed as a professor in philosophy to occupy the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta. In 1929, Radhakrishnan was invited to take the post vacated by Principal J. Estlin Carpenter in Manchester College, Oxford. For his services to education, he was knighted by the British Government in 1931, but did not use the title in personal life preferring instead his academic title ‘Doctor’. He was the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936. In 1936, Radhakrishnan was named Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford, and was elected a Fellow of All Souls College. In 1939, Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya invited him to become Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University. He continued as its Vice-Chancellor till January, 1948. When India became independent in 1947, Radhakrishnan represented India at UNESCO, and was later Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union, from 1949 to 1952. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. Radhakrishnan was elected as the first Vice President of India in 1952. He was elected as the second President of India (1962-1967). When he became President, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday. He replied, “Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers’ Day.”

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Teachers Day

Birth Of Lord Krishna

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:55:00 +0000

Birth of Lord Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated to welcome and enjoy Lord Krishna’s birth. The birth of Lord Krishna took place when the various planets were in auspicious places. It is said that God chooses a particular time, as to when he will take birth as a human and the planetary systems are adjusted accordingly. Auspicious Nakshatra (Constellation) Around the time of Bhagwan Krishna’s birth, Rohini Nakshatra was predominant as it is considered to be quite auspicious. This is so because it is under the supervision of Brahma, the creator of Universe. Sri Krishna was born in the month Of Sravana more than 5000 years ago. Born in Dwapur Yug (Iron Age) According to some scholars, Krishna was born on Wednesday,the eighth day of second fortnight in Sravana month in the year of Visvavasu around 3227 BC, also known as Dwapur Yug. July 19th 3228 BC to be more accurate. He lived for 125 years and disappeared on February 18th 3102 BC on the new moon night of Phalguna. His death was the onset of the current corrupt age known as Kaliyug. Universal Happiness of all Forms of Life From the time, Devki conceived Sri Krishna, she began to glow and exude divine light. The prison walls glowed with the aura of the new born infant. Atmosphere of peace and happiness prevailed all over, Forests were all green and full of trees with all kinds of beautiful flowers, rivers were all swollen due to joy, peacocks began to dance in sheer joy, people in all villages started being happy. Objective of Krishna’s Birth The main objective of Lord Krishna’s birth was to free Mother Earth from the wickedness of demons. Playing an important part in Mahabharata (legendary battle in Kurukshetra) and propagating the theory of bhakti and good karma were other important objectives. Events Before The Birth of Sri Krishna The people of Mathura were extremely unhappy with the wicked king Kansa who put his father, king Ugrasen in prison and declared himself the king of Mathura. It was to put an end to his evil ways and other demons that Lord Vishnu decided to take birth on Earth in human form. According to Akashvani (heavenly voice) at the wedding of his beloved sister Devki, Kansa got to know that the eighth child of his sister will take birth to kill him. So, in turn he rushed to kill his sister. Kansa gave up the idea of killing after being assured by Vasudev that he will handover all his children to him. He put them in Prison. Kansa killed all the six infants as soon as they were born. The seventh child (Balram) was saved due to divine intervention, when he was transferred from Devki’s womb to that of Rohini’s (other wife of Vasudev). Events During the Birth of Lord Krishna Lord Krishna was born in a prison cell in the captivity of King Kansa. He took birth in divine form with lotus like eyes,his palms bearing the signs of a lotus and discus. He had a swastika sign on his sole. Wearing a yellow colored silk cloth, adorned with precious diamond earrings and a crown made of emeralds. Soon after the birth, a chain of events astonished Vasudev,when he saw the gates of the cell flow open and all the guards fast asleep. He immediately thought of Nand ,his close friend in Gokul and decided to handover his child to him in order to save him from the clutch of Kansa. River Yamuna Bows To The Feet of Sri Krishna The night of birth was witnessed by heavy rains which led to River Yamuna being in floods. As soon as the feet of Lord immersed in the river, the flow became normal and Yamuna made way for the Lord. Sheshnag, the serpent formed an umbrella to save the new born baby from rain. Exchange of the Babies Vasudev kept his child next to fast asleep Yashoda and took the baby girl lying with him back to Mathura. The baby girl is believed to be the sister of Lord Vishnu. Disappearance of The Divine Child On hearing the news of birth of the eighth child of Devki and Vasudev, Kansa rushed to the prison-cell and lifted the baby girl to kill her despite pleadings from Devki. However, instead of hitting the stone, the child flew up in the air and announced that the annihilator of Kansa was born and in safe hands. Krishna later grew in Gokul and finally killed his maternal uncle, King Kansa.

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Birth Of Lord Krishna

Introduction To Meditation

adam — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:20:00 +0000

By Swami Parmarthananda Meditation Meditation is one of the spiritual disciplines which occupies an important position in most of the spiritual traditions. Therefore, a proper understanding of its role is necessary for every spiritual seeker. Now-a-days, Meditation is recommended for physical and mental health, personality development and better performance also. Hence, a clear understanding of meditation is useful for all, whether one seeks spiritual enlightenment or not. The Upanisads vedanta point out that Self-Knowledge is the only means of liberation and that Self-enquiry guided by the Vedantic teachings is the only means of Self-Knowledge. So, Self-enquiry occupies primary position for a spiritual seeker. Meditation is prescribed neither for Self-knowledge nor for liberation. It is meant for preparing the mind to receive and assimilate the vedantic teachings. Accordingly, Meditation can be broadly classified into two types, VIZ., Preparatory meditation, which is to be practised before one exposes oneself to vedantic teaching and Assimilatory meditation which is to be practised after one exposes oneself to systematic vedantic teaching consistently for a length of time. One has to develop different mental faculties to receive the Self knowledge. Accordingly, Preparatory meditation can be subdivided into four types. This is based on the faculty to be developed. Preparatory Meditations (1) Relaxation – meditation In this, you learn to relax at all levels. In any posture consciously relax every part of the body from head to toe. When the body is totally relaxed, you feel bodiless. Then, observe the breathing. This will help in making the breathing-process smooth and even. Next, relax the mind. The following methods can be used to relax the mind: Imagine you are seated in a natural setup like beach, garden, mountain, riverbank or Asram. Consciously unload all your mental burden at the feet of the Lord(in the form of your favorite deity) (Ista-devata). Repeat to yourself: “I am confident of facing any situation in life, now that the Lord is there to share my burden. I have no worries now. I am relaxed. Use any key word like “Santih” to invoke and enjoy the relaxation, ignoring all other thoughts. (2) Concentration – Meditation While the previous meditation is for simple, deep relaxation, this meditation is to develop the faculty of focussing. The following methods can be used to develop this faculty: Perform a Puja to the Lord mentally. It can be a simple one offering a few flowers or an elaborate one involving ritualistic steps. Alternatively, you can visualise a Puja done by another person in a temple, Asram etc. Mentally chant the prayers you know in any language. Be conscious of you chanting. Mentally repeat any one name of the Lord or the words “Om Santih”. Be conscious of every letter. (3) Expansion – Mediation All the time, being obsessed with personal or family life, one develops a narrow, frog-in-the-well mind. To break this, one has to meditate on the totality which expands the mind and makes the individual and family problems insignificant. Try the following: Mentally see the sky, stars, moon, earth, oceans, mountains, etc. Appreciate the cosmic processes of sunrise, sunset, planetary movements, flow of rivers, flight of birds, etc. In short, tune yourself to the natural rhythm, the cosmic orchestra. Learn to enjoy the cosmic dance of the cosmic Lord. (4) Value – Meditation This meditation is very important. This will help in internalising the values. This will bring about a transform in transactional life. Take up any value like confidence, patience, compassion, etc. Mentally see how important they are for a life of peace and progress. Bring to your mind any person who enjoys that particular value and appreciate him/her. Take the opposite trait like diffidence, irritation, rudeness, etc. Mentally see how they spoil the peace of yourself and others around. Look at yourself as one endowed with that particular value. The above four types of meditation can be practised by anyone. One need not be a seeker of spiritual enlightenment for practising these. These meditations will bring about a deep transformation is one’s personality which will give inner peace. Peace does not depend on what one has but on what one is. (5) Assimilatory (Vedantic) Meditation The seeker of spiritual enlightenment should not stop with the practise of the above mentioned meditations. Self-enquiry with the help of a Guru and the scriptures is a must. Consistent and systematic study of scriptures for a length of time under the guidance of a traditional master will lead to Self-discovery. To assimilate and own up this wisdom, one has to practise Vedantic meditation as follows: Mentally dwell on the Truth of yourself as revealed by the scriptural teachings. Mentally dwell on the Truth of the lord as revealed in the scriptures. Mentally dwell upon the nature of the world to which your own body and mind belong. Obstacles and Remedies (1) Sleep This is the most common obstacle. One need not feel guilty about it. The solution to this will vary from individual to individual. Some general methods can be tried by all: Meditate after a bath or atleast after washing the hands, feet and face with cold water. Meditate when the stomach is neither too full nor too empty. Choose any part of the day when you are alert. Give a strong autosuggestion, “I will be alert”. Don’t meditate after tiring activity. Don’t meditate when there is a backlog of sleep. Have short sessions of 15 to 20 minutes only initially. (2) Distraction This is the second common obstacle. One need not feel guilty about it. The following methods can be adopted to avoid this. Learn more and more and more about meditation and its value. Mind enjoys doing what it values. Reduce your likes and dislikes which are the root cause of disturbance and distractions Give up all anxieties by taking Lord as your partner in life. Give a strong autosuggestion, “I-have an appointment with myself. Let me die to all my wordly roles”. (3) Dullness Sometimes the mind becomes dull. It is neither asleep nor restless. It this happens, nothing can be done. One has to hope and wait for clearance. However, one can try to avoid this situation by the following methods: Don’t have suppressed feelings (which will create a loaded unconscious). Share your feelings with someone. Write your feelings (and tear-off the paper if you don’t want to keep it). Express your feelings openly to the Lord, your Istadevata. (4) Tasting the Tranquility The withdrawal and quietitude in meditation create a sense of wellbeing. Many mistake this temporary experience of well-being as spiritual fulfillment and tend to enjoy it more and more. This is the subtlest form of obstacles. This can be solved only by applying Vedantic discrimination properly. Conclusion Everyone can practise the first four forms of meditation. It will be very useful whatever be one’s field of activity. If one is a spiritual seeker, they become all the more important. One does not require any special initiation to practise these four forms of meditation. Om Tatsat courtesy:Yogamalika You can visit the following site an listen to Swami Parmarthananda’s summary of 7th chapter of Srimad Bhagwat Gita http://ia331429.us.archive.org/2/items/BhagavadGitaCommentary_Chapter07_by_Swami_Parmarthananda/115_BG07.mp3

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Introduction To Meditation

Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Mahaswamy

adam — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:04:00 +0000

Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamy Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Swaminah (born Srinivasa Sastri; 1917 – 1989 ) was the Jagadguru Shankaracharya (ecumenical pontiff) of one of the most important Hindu Advaita Mathas in India , the Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham . A ” matha ” is a seminary and monastery for followers of the Hindu religion. Srinivasa Sastri was born in Basavanagudi , Bangalore to Venkatalakshamma and Rama Sastry on November 13 , 1917 . The family was an extremely pious Telugu -speaking smartha brahmin family belonging to the Mulukanadu subcaste. Even as a young boy, Srinivasa Sastri exhibited extreme dispassion, a hallmark of great ascetics . When offered the opportunity to stay in Sringeri and study the Hindu scriptures under the tutelage of the then Jagadguru, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati , he quickly accepted and settled without ado into a life of austerity and scholarship. Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati eventually announced that Sri Srinivasa Sastri would succeed him as the next Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri. The sacred initiation ceremony was held on May 22 1931 . The Acharya named his holy successor designate “Abhinava Vidyateertha”. Srinivasa Sastri was only thirteen years old at the time of his initiation into Sannyasa (Asceticism). From then until his mukti in 1989 , Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Swaminah navigated the affairs of the Sringeri Matha with sagacity and immense dignity. Under his supervision, the activities of the Matha expanded all over India . Apart from offering spiritual guidance to the throngs of the faithful, he also expanded the charitable actions of the mutt, including the construction of a state-of-the-art medical facility , the “Sharada Dhanavantari Charitable Hospital”, to serve the population of Sringeri and surrounding areas. The Jivanmukta(One who is liberated while alive) Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Swaminah attained videhamukti on 21 September 1989 . His Adhishtana stands in the Narasimha Vanam at Sringeri Sri Abhinavatheertha swamigal’s biography is available in the following book named as Yoga Enlightenment And Perfection and the same book is named as Yogmum Gyanumum Jeevanamukthiyum in tamil The following is an exposition of Karma Yoga by Achryal, throug parables one of the many is given here as sample for you . A woman doted on her young son and took great care of him. One day ,she woke up with intense headache and nausea,neverthe less she attended to her child’s morning requirements without any laxity. That day,she found the rice prepared by her to be slightly over cooked.Promptly she started to cook some more rice , her husband noticed this and told her, You are sick and in pain why do you want to strain youself? The rice ready is quite eatable, for that she said I want to give my son the kind of rice he is used to and the over cooked rice I shall consume it. Out of deep love for her child the woman did her very best for hm. Likewise , a Karma-Yogin, by virtue of his devotion to GOD, performs his duties to the very best of his ability and refrain from adhrama . The lord has declared in the Bhagwat Gita, Perform your prescribed duties, for action is superior to inaction.Moreover, even the maintainance of your body will not be possible through inaction. Man becomes bound by all his action except those done by him of the sake of God. O son of Kunti, perform actions for God without being attached…..By performing his duty without attachment, a peron attains liberation.(through the purifiction of his mind).

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Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Mahaswamy