Blog – Page 2 – Easy Hinduism

Adi Shankaracharya, Advaita and Life

June 9, 2019June 9, 2019
by gurujisubi

Editor’s Note: Shri Adi Shankaracharya was a great Hindu saint of India who founded the ‘Advaita’ philosophy and synthesized numerous religious factions into six basic faiths. His achievements in a short life span of thirty two years are simply amazing. I am happy to publish an article written by my good friend and eminent scholar Dr. Bangalore Sureshwara.

Sri Shankara was born in Kerala in India. His father was Shivaguru and mother was Aryamba. He lost his father when he was three years old. He completed his Sanskrit and Vedic studies early in life. The young Sri Shankara with the consent of his mother becomes a Sanyasin in his eighth year. Then, with his mother’s permission, he went searching for a Guru and found Sri Govindapada on the banks of Narmada River. His studies were completed by the age of 16. Sri Govindapada sent his gifted student to Kasi (Varanasi) so that he could present and explain Vedanta systematically and in detail to the people. Students quickly recognized Sri Shankara’s immense knowledge and learning. During his stay in Kasi, he wrote commentaries on Sri Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and Brahmasutras. Scholars agree that Sri Shankara lived only for 32 years.

Notable Events in Sri Shankara’s Life

Sri Shankara spent a major part of his life travelling across the breadth and width of India and teaching Vedanta. During his extensive travel he had discussions with many learned scholars of other belief or understanding of Vedas. Below are the significant and notable events in Sri Shankara’s life.

1) Once while travelling, Sri Shankara came across a person belonging to a “different” caste. A disciple asked the person to move away so that Sri Shankara had clear path to walk. The person asked Sri Shankara whether he was asking the body or the soul to move. It immediately opened Sri Shankara’s eyes and he recognized the person as a Guru and touched his feet. The person had reaffirmed to the world that there is only one caste and it is the “human caste”. Then Sri Shankara composed “Maneeshaa Panchakam” a set of five slokas (verses). . It contains the essence of Advaita Vedanta. The word ‘maneeshaa’, meaning ‘conviction’ occurs in the last line in all the five verses.

2) Sri Shankara during his travels met Mandana Mishra, who was a well-known exponent of Purva Mimamsa (ritual part of Vedas). When they first met, Mandan Mishra treated Sri Shankara with a bit of arrogance. The two great scholars of Advaita and Purva Mimasa held a marathon discussion for over 18 days. Mata Bharathi, wife of Mandana Mishra was the referee. At the end, Mandana Mishra acknowledged spiritual-defeat and renounced Gruhasthashram (house-holdership) and became a sanyasi in front of Mata Bharathi. She unhesitatingly agreeing for her husband to become a Sanyasi while she was still living shows the extraordinary sacrifice the blessed mother made to uphold Advaita, in spite of great personal sacrifice. Mandan Mishra became the well-known Sureshwaracharya, a great disciple of Sri Shankara and the first Pontiff of the Sringeri Mutt.

3) Maharishis have without any exceptions have acknowledged the immensely important and vital role mothers have not only in the upbringing of the children but more importantly in the total welfare of society. Sri Shankara just before he left Kalady made a promise to his mother that when the time comes he would respect her desire that he should perform her funeral. Once, Sri Shankara heard about his mother’s illness, he was at her bedside. On his mother’s death, he requested the villagers to help him with her cremation. However, the centuries of established traditions required a person to stop performing all karmas or religious rituals upon embracing Sanyasam. Many of the “traditional” and “orthodox” villagers ignored Sri Shankara’s cry for help. He had no choice but to do the final rites with minimum support. Sri Shankar clearly demonstrated that traditions that are not based on human dignity, values and respect to the elders and parents have no place in the civilized world, then and now. Sri Shankara reiterates that the “soul is potentially divine” for all. Traditions are dynamic and the society needs to get rid of “static or obsolete” traditions, even if they had existed or been imposed for a long time.

Vedic Rituals Fulfill Desires and Vedanta Liberates Atma

The Vedas are eternal. Upanishad forms the end part of a Veda and it is also called as Vedanta. The word ‘anta’ in Sanskrit means ‘end’. Karma may refer to “actions” or “religious rites/rituals”. However, Karma Kanda in Vedas relates to religious rites. It is said that more than ninety percent of Vedas deals with aspects of innumerable rituals. Rituals are done by a person to appease and please gods to win their favors or blessings.

Sri Shankara’s Advaita is considered as one of the grandest ever philosophy conceived by a person. Sri Shankara propounded the non-duality spiritual philosophy. It is more commonly or universally known as Advaita Vedanta. Non-duality, means “not two,” “undivided one” or “one.” A principal part of Advaita is the spirit (Atma) of the individual is identical with Supreme Spirit (Paramatma). Upanishad also indicates “I am Brahman”, “He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman”, and thereby it concurs with Advaita. Hindu Scriptures or Sastras refer to God as Nirguna Brahman (God without attributes) or Saguna Brahman (God with attributes). Nirguna Brahman is known or referred to as “Absolute”, “Eternal Spirit” or simply as “Brahman.” The Absolute, when viewed through the limited human eyes and mind is Isvara (Eswara), the god that one worships all the time. “God” is one and is absolute whereas human worshipping “gods” are many.

Sage Acharya Jaimini is considered to be the father of deciphering the texts contained in Vedas. His book is “Purva Mimamsa” or simply “Mimamsa.” Mimamsa is a Sanskrit term that means investigation, inquiry or discussion. Purva Mimamsa is sometimes called Dharma Mimamsa as it is an investigation into the dharma established by the Vedas. Another name is Karma Mimamsa because it is primarily concerned with sacrifice or rites.

It is based on the notion that the Vedic texts are primarily focused into karma-kanda, the part of sacrificial rites, rituals and sacrifices. Uttara Mimamsa is the later (Uttara) part of the Vedas and cover Upanishads/Vedanta. Vedanta deals with the knowledge of Supreme Being (Brahman), the Universal Soul. The great textbook of the Vedanta is the Sariraka Mimamsa Sutra, or Brahma Sutra, which is attributed to Sage Badarayana Vyasa. The two schools of Mimamsa taken together represent Vedic Hinduism.

Sri Shankara considered that rituals or karmas gives fruits in the form of desires , enjoyment, and pleasures fulfilled.. This aspect of karma is known as “Pravritti “Karma. Rituals are inadequate for a person’s Spiritual progress. Sri Shankara indicated that rituals are necessary tools when one is in early stages of spiritualism. Young children need toys and loving parents provides them. Just as children outgrow toys, anyone who wants spiritual progress recognizes that Vedas have given rituals for spiritually young mind and eventually the individual will outgrow rituals. Sri Shankara emphasizes “Nivritti Marga” (inward or non-desire) for spiritual fulfillment. He calls for never ending effort towards Atman or God. He disagrees with “Pravritti Marga” (outward or desire) or rituals and similar things.

Spiritual Unity

Sri Shankara spiritually united India by establishing monasteries /Sri Shankara Mutts at four locations in India. They are at Badrinath (Himalayas), Puri (East), Sringeri (South) and Dwaraka (West). The four Mutts are functioning and thriving today with the Blessings of the eternal spirit (Brahman) and Sri Shankara. The spiritual movement for the propagation of Vedanta started over a thousand years ago by Sri Shankara continued for century after century with ever increasing spiritual energy and enthusiasm provided by the successive pontiffs and devotees of the Mutts Sri Shankara based on his extensive studies of Vedas (the eternal knowledge) and life experiences came to the conclusion that the ultimate goal of human is to obtain moksha or spiritual bliss. The Atman which is “inside” is the sources of spiritual bliss. Karma draws the mind outwards and Jnana (knowledge/Bliss) inwards. ”OM” is considered as a spiritually blessed repetitive recitation of mantra during the meditation. Nama Japa is the repetition of the name of God, while sitting near God (idol/murthi) with devotion and concentration and is popular with the many saints of Sanatana Dharma. God Bless all.

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The Impact of Bhagavad Gita

March 10, 2019May 24, 2019
by gurujisubi

The Bhagavad Gita is a well-known Hindu scripture that synthesizes and accepts multiple ways of life, harmonizing spiritual pursuits through action (karma), knowledge (jnana), devotion (bhakti). The Gita incorporates the essence of Sanatana Dharma and is based on the premise that people are born with different temperaments and tendencies (guna). Millions of people around the world have benefited from the lessons provided in the Gita. In this blog, my good friend Dr. Raj Rajaram shares his thoughts on how Gita helped him to lead a happy life since his childhood. I am sure his article will serve as an inspiration to others.

You may also like to review on YouTube my online lessons (twenty in all-each of approximately one hour duration) titled ‘SanGita’ combining the beauty of Sanskrit and Gita. Please contact me for the SanGita E-Book that provides all the twenty online lessons in text form.

How Bhagavad Gita has helped me

by Raj Rajaram, Oak Brook , Illinois, USA

I have been reading the Bhagavad Gita from the age of 13, first as part of a Sanskrit class and then to improve my attitude to life. Many verses in the Gita have become the guiding light of my life and I read 6 verses from the Gita every day as part of my daily prayers. They have helped me navigate through many problems, and kept me balanced and happy always. This eternal book of wisdom is a must for everyone, and I will tell you briefly why it is required to live a happy and contented life. I will do this by quoting specific verses and how they have guided me in my life.

The first verse that has always guided me is

Karmany eva adikaaraste ma phaleshu kadaachana I

Maa karma phalahetur bhurma, te sangestva karmani II Ch. 2, verse 47.

This verse tells you that your right is to work only, but never for the fruit thereof. Let not the fruit of action be your goal, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

I worked very hard to get in my first year of college, and sacrificed everything a young boy wants to do so that I get the best marks I can and get into engineering college. When I got my result, I was very disappointed since it was short of the marks needed to get into engineering college. After a period of unhappiness, I joined B.Sc. and studied well. I also participated in the National Cadet Corps (army training for college students) and did very well, obtaining the highest certificate possible. After two years of B.Sc. I decided to try my luck with engineering college. Lo and behold, I got a letter saying I have been admitted to my local engineering college due to my NCC Certificate and my marks in Math, Physics and Chemistry. I was very happy, and told God: “I did not practice the teaching above and made myself unhappy. I will never do this again, but accept whatever you give me”. This affirmed my faith in Gita and since then, I decided to diligently to practice the teachings in the Gita. I realized that we get what we deserve and it is not up to us to select the time when we get it. If we are patient and continue to do our duty, the result is bound to happen sometime.

The Second verse that has guided me is:

Yogasthah kuru karmaani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya I

Siddhayasiddhyah samo bhootva samatvam yoga uchyate II Ch. 2, verse 48

Established in Yoga, perform your duty O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), abandoning attachment, even minded in success and failure. Even mindedness is called Yoga.

This attitude to work (at home or workplace) has always kept me from getting angry and keeping calm. All our problems in life originate from our attitude, and with this beautiful attitude that Lord Krishna asks us to have, we are assured of a happy and stress-free life. In my 44-year career, I have had only a few weeks where I lost my peace of mind due to things that happened in my business or when working for someone else. I forget the undesirable things fast, and hold on to the beautiful memories of the people I have interacted with and the successes that have resulted from them.

The Third verse that has guided me is:

Adveshta sarvabhootanaam maitra karuna eva cha I

Nirmamo Nirahamkaarah sama dukha sukha kshami II Ch. 12, verse 13

He who has no ill will to any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from egoism and attachment, even minded in pain and pleasure and is forgiving.

With the help of God’s blessing and self-effort, I have been able to practice this teaching for most of my life. It has taught me to be humble, and always lend a helping hand to fellow human beings. It has helped me manage pleasure and pain with equipoise, and forgive the faults of my co-workers, spouse, and daughter. It has taught me to be always happy, and not let external circumstances dictate my life. I see the presence of God in everyone, and do my best for them. Of all the characteristics mentioned in the above verse, conquering Egoism is the most difficult but with practice, you reduce it and remain humble, irrespective of your accomplishments in life. Even when the most undesirable things happen to me, I bounce back soon and resume my happy life. The intensity and duration of your unhappiness reduces dramatically if you practice this verse daily.

The Fourth verse that has guided me is:

Samtushtah satatam yogi yataatma drdanischayah I

Mayyarpitah mano buddhir yo madbhaktah sa me priyah II Ch. 12, verse 14

The Yogi who is ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, is of firm resolve, with mind surrendered to Me, that devotee is dear to Me.

Lord Krishna is telling us that of all his devotees, the devotee who is always content within himself, self-controlled and surrenders to Him, he is dear to Him. I have always sought happiness within myself instead of looking for it in material things or in the company of people. This has helped me achieve all the things in my life and be stress-free. It has helped me spread happiness to others. I practice meditation daily and surrender all my problems to God. I just evaluate if I have done my best every day, and if I have not, I decide to do so the next day. This approach to life keeps you balanced and happy.

The Fifth verse that has encouraged me to give to society over the last two decades is:

Yagna dana tapa karma na tyaajyam kaaryam eva tat I

Yagno daanam tapas chaiva paavanaani manishi naam II Ch. 18, verse 5

Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should not be given up. They must be performed, for sacrifice, charity and penance are purifiers of the learned.

We all sacrifice something for something higher that we want to achieve. Giving up instant gratification for achieving something higher in life such as good health and good education makes us successful. The importance of charity and penance are mentioned here, and I have found that when you give to others unselfishly, you get a lot of lasting happiness and it makes you think of others who are not as fortunate as you. Having the discipline to pray and meditate daily is the best penance anyone can do. I have documented the joy of giving in a book entitled Golden Giving, available on www.amazon.com.

The Sixth verse that has guided me is:

Chetasa sarva karmaani mayi samnyasya matparah I

Buddhiyogam upasritya macchitah satatam bhava II Ch. 18, verse 57

Mentally resign all actions to Me, with myself as the ultimate goal, and resort to the Yoga of equanimity, with the mind resting on Me.

All of us have goals and in pursuit of these goals, we forget that the source of all the success we get is from the Lord who has created this universe. We stress ourselves to achieve something in a given time frame, and since we feel we are the only one responsible for the result, we blame ourselves when things don’t go as planned. I have found that when I rely on my team at work and share the credit with them, things get done well and I have no stress at all. I have run two companies, one in the US and one in India, and I have never felt stressed since I had a good team working with me. I always resigned all actions and their results to God, and maintained equanimity under all circumstances.

When your mind rests on God, who has given you this beautiful life, it does not wander after worldly pleasures which are fleeting. We resign all actions to Him, while doing our best effort. We always know that God is guiding us, and never feel alone. We see the presence of God in every sunrise, every sunset, everything beautiful on this earth, and in all people who were created by Him. This takes away anxiety, fear, greed, and egoism, and you are free to do your best without worrying about the result.

I hope these six verses that have guided me throughout my life will be of help in your life, as you navigate the ups and downs of life. Practicing equanimity is difficult at first, but with practice, it becomes easier every day. You live a stress-free life and learn how to be happy under all circumstances. You are always willing to help others to the extent possible, with your talent, time or treasure. This is the ultimate purpose of life, and you can be excited to get up every day and do your best. It will also keep you healthy and happy.

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Japan – The Land of the Rising Sun

February 26, 2019February 26, 2019
by gurujisubi

Last week, I visited Japan after a lapse of 36 years. I enjoyed pleasant nostalgic memories of my earlier trips including my orientation in Japanese language, the long technical training at Mitsubishi Electric in Kobe and later at the Japanese management training program. I found Japan has not changed much – it still remains an unique country that combines tradition and modernity.

The Japanese Emperor is revered and lives in a grand Imperial Palace. The palace has many gardens and I had the time and opportunity to visit the Eastern Gardens of the Imperial Palace. Like you see some places in India, the palace a moat around it. (see picture alongside).

The Royalty and the people of Japan love nature. You can witness this love of nature exhibited in many forms – like in art, colorful paintings, roof gardens, sculpture and others. Ikebana – the art of flower arrangement is an example. The Japanese have maintained a continuity of traditions alongwith amazing transformations of the country through technology.

The Vedas proclaim “Aham Brahmāsmi (I am the Universe). Each one us is a part of the Almighty. Like the dew on each blade of grass shines like a gem reflecting the Sun, each of us have the sparkling Jeevatma in us. So, it is in Japan – the land of the rising Sun.

Buddhism, an offshoot of Hinduism, originated in India and later spread to Japan. Vedas too got transmitted to Japan by the sea route from South India and Southeast Asia. In fact, a year ago, a delegation of 150 Vedic priests conducted a grand yagya at Mount Fuji in Japan to cleanse the environmental problems faced by Japan. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A–V8NV4eyc).

There is some similarity between Sanskrit (Samskrutam to be correct) and Japanese languages. I noticed it in some words – like we say “homa” in Sanskrit to describe the Vedic ritual fire; in Japanese they call it “goma.” The priest is called “achari” in Japanese – similar to “Acharya” (teacher) in Sanskrit.

I derive great inspiration from Japan and can go on and on with many more observations. This is just to share my immediate thoughts soon after I returned to India from Japan.

If you have any comments, please feel free to write to me. Dhanyavaadah!

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The Power of Fire

February 20, 2019February 20, 2019
by gurujisubi

At the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in London, the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the presiding bishop of the American Episcopal Church, delivered an amazing sermon that included the following references to the revolutionary power of fire:

Quote “Fire to a great extent made human civilization possible. Fire made it possible to cook food and to provide sanitary ways of eating which reduced the spread of disease in its time. Fire made it possible to heat warm environments and thereby made human migration around the world a possibility, even into colder climates. Fire made it possible, there was no Bronze Age without fire, no Iron Age without fire, no industrial revolution without fire. The advances of science and technology are greatly dependent on the human ability and capacity to take fire and use it for human good.

Anybody get here in a car today? An automobile? Nod your heads if you did, I’m guessing, I know there were some carriages. But those of us who came in cars, the controlled harnessed fire made that possible. I know that the Bible says, and I believe it, that Jesus walked on the water, but I have to tell you I didn’t walk across the Atlantic Ocean to get here. Controlled fire in that plane got me here. Fire makes it possible for us to text and tweet and email and Instagram and Facebook and socially be dysfunctional with each other. Fire makes all of that possible and de Chardin said that fire was one of the greatest discoveries in all of human history. And he then went on to say that if humanity every harnesses the energy of fire again, if humanity ever captures the energy of love, it will be the second time in history that we have discovered fire.” End Quote.

Let me draw a parallel with the beliefs in Hinduism. For Hindus, Fire is considered as most sacred. Called Agni in Sanskrit, fire is central to all vedic rituals. In the Rig Veda, Agni is the first of the cosmic gods to be invoked; The very first sloka (verse) of Rig Veda reads:

अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम् ।
होतारं रत्नधातमम् ॥१॥
Agnimeele purohitam yagyasya devamrtvijam |
hotaaram ratnadhaatamam ||1||

Roughly translated, Agni meele means “I praise Agni.” Purohitam yagyasya means “the priest of the sacrifice.” Devam means divine and rtvijam is the priest who officiates at the sacrifice. Hotaram refers to the priest who invokes -the Invoker. Ratnadha means “the one who bestows the jewel of ecstasy or the inner physical, mental and spiritual wealth, the nectar”; tamam is the superlative of Ratnadha. So, in short, the first verse in the Rig Veda dedicated to fire god Agni means:

“O Agni, I praise Thee,
O priest, O divine minister
Who officiates at the divine Sacrifice,
Who is also the invoker, the Summoner,
Who most bestows the divine wealth upon us.”

About two hundred verses in the Rig Veda extol the virtues of Agni. We embody Agni, the flame of aspiration, in our hearts. All forms of fire are associated with Agni including the sun, lightning, sacrificial fire, domestic fires, and the digestive fire (jaataraagni) which is within all living beings. Fire is considered a witness in Hindu ceremonies such as marriages. Fire is used to cremate the dead in the Antima Sanskar – the final rites. Fire is an unique element as it cannot be polluted. To keep the fire burning at home, we light oil lamps.

The Persians too built fire temples on their mountaintops and echoed similar thoughts in their most ancient scripture, the Zend Avesta: “We worship the Fire, the son of God, the holy lord of the ritual order. And we worship all the Fires and the mountain that holds the light. And we worship every holy celestial spirit and every holy earthly spirit.”

Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon highlighted the power of fire. It matches well with the basic teachings of Hinduism. To quote Rig Veda again,

“O Agni! Master Strength! O Leader! You gather around all the peoples of the world and bind them together. You burn bright in the high seat of Revelation. You bring us all the Riches.”

May the Power of Fire continue to serve us as a source of constant inspiration and enlightenment!

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Who is God?

December 6, 2018December 6, 2018
by gurujisubi

My 5 year-old grandson once asked me, “Thatha, do you believe in God?” I said, “Yes, I do. Why are you asking me this question?” Sporting an innocent face, he responded, “I asked because my friend Nathan said he does not believe in God. Thatha, is there really a God? Is it possible to see him?” As with most children, it was a frank question deserving an equally frank answer. I told him, “There are many things we believe in but cannot see. For example, you see the table there. Do we know who made it? No, but we believe that somebody must have made it. Likewise, we believe some super power must have created the world with all living and non-living beings but we cannot see him. Can we call that super power as God? Every creation is God’s creation and He is in all of us” He seemed to agree.

Relevant to this topic and confirming the basic concept of Hinduism is a very nice article written by my good friend Gurvinder Singh in his blog ‘Guru Wonders.” Following are excerpts from his brilliant article:

We spend our whole lives, desperately seeking God. In our quest the first great blunder we make is, we ask, ‘Who is God?’. This question conjures up an image of God which is very human like, powerful individual being. So powerful and very distant that He is reachable only after traversing a very difficult and complicated path. This makes it impossible to reach this God.

The answer to the question, ‘Who is God’ tends to be misleading and even toxic at times. It can only be conveyed only by ‘Religious education’ which is mostly indoctrination. It cannot awaken the being, all it can do is create stubborn, arrogant people called ‘followers’, who claim exclusive ownership of their God and thus devolution of power to themselves.

Followers tend to crowd, and crowds are more readily convinced than individuals to turn man against man, and man against nature. The followers of this type of God tend to be intolerant, who viciously attack, oppress and destroy anyone who dares to be different. This quest for domination of all else on the basis of religion is the root cause of all human misery.

Its better we ask, ‘What is God?’ Each one of us has a unique perspective of life, creation and even death. This is based on what we sense and experience and how the manifestations of the energy of creation impacts each one of us.

Each individual has his or her own description of this awesome energy. The confusion begins because each one of us experiences something different, from others and at great variance with what we have been taught by priests. The priests justify their position by quoting ‘holy books’. We have to remember that, most holy books are written by a group of men seeking to capture the message of great masters as they liked, long after the Masters have departed from this world. They are now interpreted by another set of men and and imposed on us by yet another set of mortal men and very often the State.

What then is, God?

God is not a superhuman individual as the priests and preachers tell us. God is not to be found in books, idols, symbols, shrines etc. God is the experience and realisation of being one with the universe and creation. God is this powerful, omnipresent energy that envelops and permeates creation, and flows through everything and every creature unifying all of us as ‘One’.

Creation is one but God is different for each one of us, based upon our experiences. Imagine its a moonlit night, with the beauty of the moon reflected in various water bodies. Its reflection can be observed in the ocean, river, well, lake, pond, bucket and even a puddle.

The moon’s beauty will be observed and experienced differently by each individual being. The only commonality is that there is a moon and there is moonlight. This is how we experience God but differently.

Unlike the preachings which belong to others and given to or thrust upon us, our experiences and realisation emerge from within us, and are ours.

Creation is infinitely vast and so magnificent that man’s mind cannot comprehend more than a very, very tiny fragment of it. This truth which we call as ‘God’ cannot be seen, heard, nor learnt. This truth cannot be obtained by purchase nor theft, it can only be discovered, experienced and imbibed.

We are this God in every being and every one of us. It can only be discovered when we meditate to break down the barrier between the ‘I’ and our universe of which each one of us is an integral part.

God is one and all pervasive across the universe. God is manifested in all things and all beings and in each one of us. We can only be one, and in harmony with God, which is but Creation. All true spiritual effort is directed to find and embrace God, that is within us. This is what it means when we say, ‘The light merges with the light’ or ‘the drop returns to the ocean’, indicating ‘I am God and God is within me’.

How will we know when we have discovered ‘God’? God is nothing more than the individual’s realisation of the truth.
When we have no enemies, just friends and when we are open and giving not demanding. When we become egoless, loving, respectful, friendly, contented, compassionate, and so fearless that even death does not frighten us. When we are all these and much more not because we wish to project ourselves in that way. Its because this is naturally who and what we really are, then we will know we have found ‘God’.

Any time is a good time to start on this journey of ‘The discovery of God’.

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Vijayadashami

October 19, 2018October 19, 2018
by gurujisubi

I am happy to share the following blog from my good friend Sri. Guruvinder Singh
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The beauty of Indian philosophy known as ‘Sanatan Dharma’ (the eternal laws) is, that its all encompassing. It accepts that existence is about balance. Indians believe that existence and time are a circular phenomenon going from one extreme to another and then reversing in a balanced way. Day follows night, joy and sorrow come together, pure and evil coexist, etc. When the balance is disturbed, existence inevitably moves to correct it. This is the moral of one of India’s greatest annual celebrations, ‘Dussehra or Vijayadashami’.

India has always had a rich tradition of transmitting knowledge, wisdom and historical lessons through the art of story telling, both to celebrate and to reflect. To provide a guide on how to cope with different situations in life. The most frequent being how to cope with the conflict between good and bad.

It is said that the ‘Devas’ (gods, but not to be confused with God or Creation), the good guys were constantly battling the ‘Asurs’ (demons), the bad guys. Both powerful and striving for supremacy of the worlds. During one stage the demons under the leadership of Mahishasura, the bull headed Asura, had all but vanquished the Devas.

Mahishasura (see picture) represents the merging the strength of the beast with the cunning and intelligence of a human. The frightened gods were at wits end and knew not what to do. They asked the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, (the three aspects of divine existence, of creator, preserver and destroyer {detachment} which is present within each human being).

They focussed their energies to generate a brilliant bolt of lightning, which produced the 10 armed beautiful goddess, ‘Ma Durga ji’ riding astride a lion. The goddess represents a powerful entity. She is complete with purity of purpose, thought and focus of action. A trait necessary for success in any venture.

The 10 arms represent power, as manifest in the multiplicity of weapons and tools she possessed and used. This provides the lesson that one must use a multiplicity of weapons and approaches as necessary to achieve an objective.

All the positive energies of the gods and creation were merged into Durga ji and placed at her disposal. Representing strength in unity, especially in adversity.

The goddess Durga ji, fought with Mahishasura for nine days and nights called ‘Navratri’ (nine nights), for battle and bloodshed is always a dark matter; This is why Indians fast, pray and moderate their lives even more on these days. This is an attempt to vanquish the demons within our own minds, and hearts. This takes time as represented by nine days and nights of effort and sincere struggle as evidenced even by the all powerful goddess Ma Durga ji.

All battles end, and on the tenth day, Ma Durga ji, destroyed Mahishasura. This is why the celebration is called ‘Dusshera’ or ‘Vijayadashami’, (the tenth day victory). Ma Durga ji is representative of the two beautiful, mysterious and contradictory aspects of beauty and power of the feminine. Gentle, nurturing and protective on one hand, and fierce and destructive on the other.
Joy and contentment are bestowed upon those who accept this fact, and sorrow and destruction befall those who fail to realise this great truth.

This one of the reasons that the female in traditional Indian culture has always been placed on a pedestal and held in high esteem.

References: The Science Behind Sanatan Dharma | Sadhguru

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Distinctive Features of Sanatana Dharma

September 14, 2018
by gurujisubi

Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) has a number of unique or distinctive features. What are those features? We share relevant excerpts from the discourses of Kanchi Mahaperiyavaa.

One of the distinctive features is called the theory of karma, though this theory is common to religions like Buddhism which are offshoots of Hinduism.

What is the karma doctrine? For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. There is a law of physics governing cause and effect, action and reaction. This law pertaining to the physical phenomena our forefathers applied to human life. The cosmos includes not only sentient beings endowed with consciousness but also countless insentient objects. Together they constitute worldly life. The laws, the dharma, proper to the first order must apply to the second also. According to the karma theory, every action of a man has an effect corresponding to it. Based on this belief our religion declares that, if a man commits a sin, he shall pay the penalty for it. Also if his act is a virtuous one, he shall reap the benefits thereof.

Our religion further asserts that one is born again and again so as to experience the consequences of one’s good and bad action. “Do good. ” “Do not do evil, ” such are the exhortations of all religions. But Hinduism (and its offshoots) alone lay stress on the cause-and -effect connection. No religion originating in countries outside India subscribes to the cause-and-effect connection, nor to the reincarnation theory as one of its articles of faith. Indeed religions originating abroad hold beliefs contrary to this theory and strongly oppose the view that man is born again and again in order to exhaust his karma. They believe that a man has only one birth, that when his soul departs on his death it dwells somewhere awaiting the day of judgment. On this day God makes an assessment of his good and bad actions and, on the basis of it, rewards him with eternal paradise or sentences him to eternal damnation.

According to our religion too, Isvara who decides our fate after death on the basis of our karma is infinitely merciful. But, at the same time, he does not plunge the world in adharma, in unrighteousness- that is not how his compassion manifests itself. What does he do then? He gives us another birth, another opportunity to reap the fruits of our good and bad action. The joys of heaven and the torments of hell truly belong to this world itself. The sorrow and happiness that are our lot in our present birth are in proportion to the virtuous and evil deeds of our past birth. Those who sinned much suffer much now and, similarly, those who did much good enjoy much happiness now. The majority is made up of people who know more sorrow than happiness and people who experience sorrow and happiness almost in equal measure. There are indeed very few blessed with total happiness. It is evident from this that most of us must have done more evil than good in our past birth.

In His mercy the Lord gives us every time a fresh opportunity to wash away our sins. The guru, the sastras, and the temples are all his gifts to wipe away our inner impurities. That Isvara, in his compassion, places his trust even in a sinner confident that he will raise himself through his own efforts and gives him a fresh opportunity in the form of another birth to advance himself inwardly- is not such a belief better than that he should dismiss a sinner as good for nothing and yet reward him with heaven? If a man sincerely believes, in a spirit of surrender, there is nothing that he can do on his own and that everything is the Lord’s doing, he will be redeemed and elevated. But it is one thing for God to bless a man who goes to him for refuge forsaking his own efforts to raise himself and quite another to bless him thinking him to be not fit to make any exertions on his own to advance inwardly. So long as we believe in such a thing as human endeavour we should think that Isvara’s supreme compassion lies in trusting a man to go forward spiritually through his own efforts. It is in this way that the Lord’s true grace is manifested.

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Thoughts on Control

September 4, 2018
by gurujisubi

How to gain control?

Thoughts from my friend Gurvinder Singh – He writes lucidly. My sincere thanks to him.

The best way to gain control is, to never lose it.

In the world of science and technology it is almost always possible to maintain control so that failures are extremely rare. All it requires to be in control is an understanding of processes involved, commitment and competency to deploy and discipline to maintain.

Things are a lot more challenging when we seek control of our lives, our relationships, our surroundings, and that notoriously uncontrollable phenomenon called ‘the market place’.

Its difficult, if not impossible to maintain control over other individuals and groups, because by their very nature are erratic and hence unpredictable. Control is a very big deal for us, in terms of the impact it has in our lives. Everyone it seems is trying to control everyone and everything else. This is why different ‘isms are born, and religions distorted, each seeking to make humans identical in thought and therefore predict and control their actions.

Man always seeks excess, where as nature seeks equilibrium.

No dogma or doctrine can last for ever. It can only guide and that too only for a while, before excesses will compel nature to consume and destroy the dogma itself.

We often fail to realise that the only person we can truly control is, ourselves. Control of oneself is the first step in having any degree of control of our lives.

What is not understood cannot be controlled. Therefore understanding the self is primarily the most important thing we need to do before all else.

Our understanding of ourselves is based primarily upon opinions given to us by by others, mostly based on their biases and demands on us. That is why its a false understanding of ourselves. To get a truer understanding, quiet time with oneself to reflect is of utmost importance for peace, happiness and success.

What does control here mean? Control of our thoughts.

Stilling the mind, brings a peace which makes most things clear to us. In fact its not even control for control demands force. In that peaceful state we achieve harmony.

When one is in harmony, then why the need for control?

A warrior or worker can be at peace with oneself in the midst of chaos, while a silent priest maybe torn apart while alone in front of an altar.

Peace can come from submission, suppression and domination or cooperation.

To submit to others out of fear, is not to live at all. To suppress others one needs resources and control. This will make us live in fear of rebellion and retribution.

Both these may bring peace for a while but neither happiness nor respect.

Peace is not harmony. Peace is the lack of conflict. Harmony is the ability to live peacefully in spite of disagreement and conflict. Only mutual cooperation which comes from understanding and respect can bring harmony.

Harmony is the blending of our song with that of our world around us. That is why I gave up seeking control in favour of seeking harmony.

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Is Hinduism a Religion?

August 30, 2018
by gurujisubi

Hinduism is a path to realize the Self. It is known as Sanatana Dharma – the Eternal Right Path. It is a sincere way of life! It tells you to look within. It encourages thinking for the well-being of all.

You aren’t forced to believe any thing. But the right things are logically explained and seeking those right things is Dharma. It does not forbid you from pursuing your work or wealth or enjoy the various pleasures of life but urges you to pursue them in a rightful manner. The four important pursuits in living are described as Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksham, meaning righteousness, pursuit of wealth, enjoyment of pleasures and ultimately bliss.

In Hinduism, God is not an entity who creates fear in us. You need not fear God. Inside everyone, there is a consciousness that is living and loving – call it a tiny God. It will offer you endless chances for everyone to realize his true self and eventually merge in Brahman or the Paramatma.

Hinduism proclaims in Maha Upanishad “वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्” that means “Humanity is one family.”

Prayers are for not just for individuals but for everyone irrespective of caste or creed. The following verse that appears in Taittiriya Upanisad prays:

ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

“May we be protected together, may we be nourished together, may we work together with great vigour, may our study be enlightening, may no obstacle arise between us.” Peace, Peace and Peace!

It is a “universal” prayer, and it is non sectarian. There is no word in it referring to any specific God.

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om, May All become Happy, May All be Free from Illness, May All See what is Auspicious, May no one Suffer, Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

There is another Vedic mantra ( Rig_Veda 1.89.1) that proclaims आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः representing the core belief of Hinduism and the openness to all. It means “Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.”

In short, Hinduism encourages individuals to form a good community for the well-being of everyone in the world. Such is the greatness of Hinduism!

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The Roots of Hinduism

August 20, 2018August 20, 2018
by gurujisubi

Excerpts from the discourses of Kanchi Mahaperiyavaa

The Vedas — Rgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvanaveda — are the first four of the pramanas (authoritative texts) of our religion and also the most important. Of the remaining ten, six are Angas of the Vedas and four are Upangas.

Man possesses a number of angas or limbs. In the same way the Vedas personified — the Vedapurusha — has six limbs. ( It must be noted that the Vedas are also spoken of as Vedamatha, Mother Veda. ) The four Upangas, though not integral to the Vedas, are supporting limbs of the Vedapurusha. The Angas, as already stated, are six in number — Siksa, Vyakarana, Chandas, Nirukta, Jyotisa and Kalpa. The four Upangas are Mimamsa, Nyaya, Purana and Dharmasastra.

The Vedas are fundamental importance; the Angas and Upangas derive their importance from them. Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Arthasasthra and Gandharvaveda are called Upavedas, subsidiary Vedas. Their connection with the prime scripture is thus obvious.

The Vedas must be learned along with the Angas and Upangas. Such a thourough study of the scripture is called “Sa-Anga-Upanga-adhyayana” (study of the Vedas with the Angas and Upangas). The term “sangopanga”, which has come into popular usage, is derived from this. If a speaker deals with a subject thoroughly, whether it be politics or something else, we use the word “sangopanga” in describing his performance. The term refers to the ancient caturdasa-vidya (the six Angas plus the four upangas). We have totally forgotten the old system of education but our culture is so steeped in it that we still use the term (sangopanga) to refer to any full scale treatment or exposition of a subject. The inference is clear. That for centuries the Vedas, together with their Angas and Upangas formed such an intimate part of life in Tamil land that a term associated with this tradition, “sangopanga”, is still used by the common people there. But the irony of it is that today we do not know even the names of these old sastras.

The Vedas form the core of our religion and are the direct authority for our dharma and for all our religious practices. They are our Bible, our Qur'”an, our Granth sahib. But, of course, the Vedas are far far older than these scriptures of other faiths. All of them originate from truths found in the Vedas. The very word “Veda” connotes what is authoritative. There is a practice of reffering to the Bible, the Quran and other scriptures as the “Christian Veda”, “Mohammedan Veda”, “Parsi Veda”, “Sikh Veda” and so on. Christians in India refer to the Bible as “Satya-Veda”.

It is rather difficult to speak about the Vedas as a topic. One does not know where to begin and how to conclude. It is a bewildering task. The magnitude of our scripture is such — and such is its glory.

“Pramanam Vedasca”, says the Apastamba Dharmasutra. The Vedas are indeed the sources of all dharmas as well as the authority on which they are founded. A book that has been cherished by the great men of the Tamil country from the earliest times is Manu-dharma-nul (Manusmriti). Throughout India, Manu’s dharmasastra is held in the highest esteem. In Tamil Nadu there was a king who earned the name of “Manu-niti-kanda-Cola” for the exemplary manner in which he administered justice. Once a calf got crushed under the wheel of the chariot ridden by his son. The king was so fair and strict that, when the aggrieved cow, the mother of the calf, sought justice, he ordered his son to be crushed to death under the wheel of the same chariot. For us “Manu-niti-sastra”(Manusmriti) is the authority on dharma. But does it claim that it is the authority for all dharma? No. “Vedo’khilo dharmamulam”, says Manu, stressing that the Vedas constitute the root of all dharma. They prescribe the dharma for all time, he says.

We must obey the dictates of the Vedas. When we are asked to accept a statement without questioning it, it is customary to remark; “Is that the word of the Vedas? ” This confirms the fact that the common people believe that the word of the Vedas, or their injunction, must be obeyed without being questioned. The “Vedavak” (the word or pronouncement of the Vedas) has been our inviolable law for thousands of years.

(Source: http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma)