ECHO
A friend of mine once told me one incident. A Professor was taking class on kindness. He got raged up on a mischievous student and yelled at him. You utter rubbish, utter ass, chimp, monkey, learn to be kind, use kind words and its echo travels through heart. This is not Shakespeare’s version of refined language. It is human language and even learned and knowledgeable are no exception from behaving like that of the Professor in picture. May be talented ones can self assess as Shakespeare. They come to India not to teach or revive a language British parted with the sub continent centuries ago as a gift. It is money of course. One Billion of population, truth is that Pepsi and Coco Cola experiment on that. To learn the logic of a good mission, why not to go Europe, to teach and revive a language facing extinction. To know that simple truth one doesn’t need to be Nalappad Balamany Amma's grandson or The Week's resident Editor. And kindness it should reflect on heart and actions on prints. A kind word and its echo travels miles and miles. All the hired efforts will not supplement kindness. It is propaganda of a mission with selfish motive. In Science of Yoga, The Karma theory explains actions produce their appropriate results either good or bad. What is God's function in Life? God is the eternal intelligent force. He is kind to all humans irrespective of class, creed, cast and religion. There is a difference when people pretend kindness. In Gita it is clearly written- Consciousness is already there because we are part and parcel of the Lord but for us there is the affinity of being affected by the inferior modes. But the Lord of being the supreme is never affected . That is the difference between the Supreme Lord and the small individual souls.What is consciousness? This consciousness is " I am" Then what am I? In contaminated consciousness "I am " means " I am the Lord of all I survey. I am the enjoyer; The World revolves because every living being thinks that he is the lord and creator of the material world. Lord is neither the creator nor the enjoyer. He creates, protects without being affected by it. All manifestations are due to his different energies.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
FACING ANGER FROM OTHERS
How to face other's anger. Despite being gentle and good hearted what is one to do when confronted by abuse and anger from others? Some situations appear to be akin to the verbal delusions that Patanjali speaks of, and far from being explosive, may upon reflection be found to be funny. Once one editorial appeared in a newspaper making unpleasant and uncharitable and offensive remarks about a person and people around tried to provoke him but he was least exited on the verbal delusion on which less balanced people would have lost their heads with a quiet and pithy remark: When a shoe bites human, humans don't bite the shoe back. If ego sense can be restrained to harmless limits, we can easily see the funny and saucy side of things and save from being ridiculous slaves of burning anger.
For instance a big wave of anger comes into the mind how to control that? Just by raising an opposing wave. Only those thoughtful persons who are convinced that anger is their prime enemy after having experienced the evil effect of anger in their inner and outer life seek to overcome anger. People turn abusive when they get angry.
Once Buddha had gone to ask for food in one household and the owner of the house used harsh words for Buddha replied Friend, if i refuse to accept food from you the food will remain as your and the same way if I refuse to accept your abuses and ill will it returns to you, does it? Those who are earnest about extinguishing the fire must not continue to feed it with inflammable things. An angry person should not add fuel to his anger. It is the silenced pampered ego that supplies fuel to anger, delighting in finding fault with others, completely ignoring you own failings. All these are signs of our inner unregenerate condition which is called ignorance.
How to face other's anger. Despite being gentle and good hearted what is one to do when confronted by abuse and anger from others? Some situations appear to be akin to the verbal delusions that Patanjali speaks of, and far from being explosive, may upon reflection be found to be funny. Once one editorial appeared in a newspaper making unpleasant and uncharitable and offensive remarks about a person and people around tried to provoke him but he was least exited on the verbal delusion on which less balanced people would have lost their heads with a quiet and pithy remark: When a shoe bites human, humans don't bite the shoe back. If ego sense can be restrained to harmless limits, we can easily see the funny and saucy side of things and save from being ridiculous slaves of burning anger.
For instance a big wave of anger comes into the mind how to control that? Just by raising an opposing wave. Only those thoughtful persons who are convinced that anger is their prime enemy after having experienced the evil effect of anger in their inner and outer life seek to overcome anger. People turn abusive when they get angry.
Once Buddha had gone to ask for food in one household and the owner of the house used harsh words for Buddha replied Friend, if i refuse to accept food from you the food will remain as your and the same way if I refuse to accept your abuses and ill will it returns to you, does it? Those who are earnest about extinguishing the fire must not continue to feed it with inflammable things. An angry person should not add fuel to his anger. It is the silenced pampered ego that supplies fuel to anger, delighting in finding fault with others, completely ignoring you own failings. All these are signs of our inner unregenerate condition which is called ignorance.
WHERE IS OUR PENCIL
Where is our own pencil? See where is it and bring it said bhagwan Ramana Maharshi,We are somewhat surprised initially by this, Why our own? Can one imagine this great Mahatma who had no sense of "I" use an expression of ownership, why he wanted this, he wanted this ‘our pencil’ to be found. A devotee brought some expensive pencils. " Bhagwan these are expensive pencils, Please use them, he said and left taking his blessings.Devotees never come with empty hands. They give something or the other, they call it "pranami". Maharshi took it found it really good and said, these are good ones, keep it safely and bring our own pencil. Please find.Somebody searched in a box and found one in a wooden box and gave it to Maharshi.You may ask why this fuss? There is a point which we may not grasp. Did the person searched for the pencil make sure that the pencil that Bhagwan asked for is the same that he found before giving it. He did not even ask “is this the one asked for? he simply assumed or it seems to be, this assumption but automatically made. Doesn’t it show a little bit of, I don't know whether one can call it so, carelessness.Bhagwan was one of those who never made any distinction between worldly wisdom and the so called spirituality. He was meticulous about everything. His words were precise, unambiguous in any matter. Whether pencil or pranayama, it never made any difference to him. Everything has to be exact.Bhagwan looked at the pencil and said why this one, Devaraja Mudaliyar gave this, put this safely, I asked for our own pencil. It must be somewhere here.Very categorical reply, everywhere they searched but could not find it. Search properly and find it, said Bhagawan. Search properly, you can apply straightaway search......who am I, bhagawan's mantra for self realization. And if you search properly you are bound to find it. So the proper search is common register. But the same process of finding a pencil marks the quest for the self, the abiding self. Once we are centered there every act acquires sanctity and thoroughness. The energy is perhaps the same.Normally we do not bother about small things and yet quote, dutifully the Gita definition of "yoga is skill in action". Any action should be done skillfully with care and concern, when bhagawan said search properly and find it, this is an example of the dictum
Friday, July 24, 2009
UDHAVA GEETA (Ref. Srimad Bhagavatham)
Udhava Geeta is said to be the high water mark of philosophy and ethics in hindu legend Bhagavatham. It is a dialogue between Krishna and his devotee Udhava. Udhava touching the feet of Krishna said Lord "I am well aware that the end of the Yadus is near, that very soon Krishna you will leave me and Krishna told him the story of Avadhutha (ascetic) illustrating how to live in this world, how to take off worldly attachments and how to cultivate supreme devotion to Lord. The story runs thus: King Yadu asked the ascetic how he is able to detach from this world, the ascetic replied :I have received wisdom from many teachers: They are 24 in numbers He then told him the lessons he learned from 24 teachers
1.Earth : Tolerance and service to others like a tree
2.Air : To remain pure, unaffected by the objects it touches like good and bad odors
3.Ether : To remain ever pure ever free untouched by clouds or driven by wind
4.Water: To be cool, comforting sweet and pure like a sage contact with whom purifies one
5. Fire : No to be contaminated by the good or bad thrown into it reduce to ashes the filthiest things and yet remain pure
6. Moon : To know the atman remains the same the death and birth belongs to the body. The moon appears to change with the revolving of time , but actually remains the same.
7. Sun : To remain unaffected by what is transient. The sun draws moisture and it comes out as rain through clouds but remains unaffected by it.
8.Pigeon : To avoid the perils of excessive attachment
9. Python: To be happy with what one gets.
10. Ocean: To remain tranquil, many rivers flow into the ocean and yet it keeps its level. 11.Moth: Self control - indifference to the danger to it, a moth is attracted to flames and consumed by it.
12. Bee: To gather knowledge from all sources like bee collecting honey.
13. Elephant : An elephant lured by the scent of she elephant gets attacked by other male elephant. to guard against worldly desires.
14.Honey gatherer: Not to be greedy, a bee gathers honey, but does not enjoy it
15:Deer: Not to be ensnared like a deer attracted by the music of a hunter and getting killed 16.Fish : Not to be carried away by taste.
17. Osprey: Not to be attached. an osprey is attacked by stronger birds
18. Pingala - craving for worldly objects bring misery, Pingala a dancing girl realized how foolish she was when she could have realized the grace of God
19.Child : To be free from care
20.Maiden: To prefer solitude so that one can better focus one's mind on the Lord . A young man and his parents came to see a maiden with a view to considering matrimony. Rice had to be husked to make preparations for the guests, which the girl herself had to do. This, the girl did not want to be known to the boy's group, but when she began husking the rice the bangles in her jingled. She therefore removed them one by one until the last only remained. The jingle then stopped and she could do the husking without attracting notice.
21. Arrow maker: To have single minded devotion.
22.Snake : To happily accept whatever comes on its way, it lives in a hole made by others. Similarly a sage lives without caring for home or comfort for his body.
23. Spider. Lord is ever blissful, a spider spins out thread from its own mouth, weaves it into a web plays with it and then withdraws into itself in the same manner as the Lord who brings out the world from himself, plays with it and then withdraws it into himself
24. Bramara Keeta : To constantly meditate upon the lord so as to become one with him.
Avadhutha concludes All this I have learnt from my 24 teachers. And my own body has taught me that 'I' is ego is the most impermanent thing in the world. It is subject to birth and death. Therefore I have learnt that I am not the body and that being only dweller in the body. I am separate from it. Man pampers his body, acquires wealth and enjoyment for the sake but finally withers away and dies, leaving everything behind. Of all God's creatures man alone has the faculty to realize his oneness with god. He alone is a rare and privileged incarnation. Therefore instead of wasting time in pursuit of worldly enjoyment he must employ his mind to find the better truth of him. Truth can be learnt from many teachers- for truth is one but sages call it by different names.
Udhava Geeta is said to be the high water mark of philosophy and ethics in hindu legend Bhagavatham. It is a dialogue between Krishna and his devotee Udhava. Udhava touching the feet of Krishna said Lord "I am well aware that the end of the Yadus is near, that very soon Krishna you will leave me and Krishna told him the story of Avadhutha (ascetic) illustrating how to live in this world, how to take off worldly attachments and how to cultivate supreme devotion to Lord. The story runs thus: King Yadu asked the ascetic how he is able to detach from this world, the ascetic replied :I have received wisdom from many teachers: They are 24 in numbers He then told him the lessons he learned from 24 teachers
1.Earth : Tolerance and service to others like a tree
2.Air : To remain pure, unaffected by the objects it touches like good and bad odors
3.Ether : To remain ever pure ever free untouched by clouds or driven by wind
4.Water: To be cool, comforting sweet and pure like a sage contact with whom purifies one
5. Fire : No to be contaminated by the good or bad thrown into it reduce to ashes the filthiest things and yet remain pure
6. Moon : To know the atman remains the same the death and birth belongs to the body. The moon appears to change with the revolving of time , but actually remains the same.
7. Sun : To remain unaffected by what is transient. The sun draws moisture and it comes out as rain through clouds but remains unaffected by it.
8.Pigeon : To avoid the perils of excessive attachment
9. Python: To be happy with what one gets.
10. Ocean: To remain tranquil, many rivers flow into the ocean and yet it keeps its level. 11.Moth: Self control - indifference to the danger to it, a moth is attracted to flames and consumed by it.
12. Bee: To gather knowledge from all sources like bee collecting honey.
13. Elephant : An elephant lured by the scent of she elephant gets attacked by other male elephant. to guard against worldly desires.
14.Honey gatherer: Not to be greedy, a bee gathers honey, but does not enjoy it
15:Deer: Not to be ensnared like a deer attracted by the music of a hunter and getting killed 16.Fish : Not to be carried away by taste.
17. Osprey: Not to be attached. an osprey is attacked by stronger birds
18. Pingala - craving for worldly objects bring misery, Pingala a dancing girl realized how foolish she was when she could have realized the grace of God
19.Child : To be free from care
20.Maiden: To prefer solitude so that one can better focus one's mind on the Lord . A young man and his parents came to see a maiden with a view to considering matrimony. Rice had to be husked to make preparations for the guests, which the girl herself had to do. This, the girl did not want to be known to the boy's group, but when she began husking the rice the bangles in her jingled. She therefore removed them one by one until the last only remained. The jingle then stopped and she could do the husking without attracting notice.
21. Arrow maker: To have single minded devotion.
22.Snake : To happily accept whatever comes on its way, it lives in a hole made by others. Similarly a sage lives without caring for home or comfort for his body.
23. Spider. Lord is ever blissful, a spider spins out thread from its own mouth, weaves it into a web plays with it and then withdraws into itself in the same manner as the Lord who brings out the world from himself, plays with it and then withdraws it into himself
24. Bramara Keeta : To constantly meditate upon the lord so as to become one with him.
Avadhutha concludes All this I have learnt from my 24 teachers. And my own body has taught me that 'I' is ego is the most impermanent thing in the world. It is subject to birth and death. Therefore I have learnt that I am not the body and that being only dweller in the body. I am separate from it. Man pampers his body, acquires wealth and enjoyment for the sake but finally withers away and dies, leaving everything behind. Of all God's creatures man alone has the faculty to realize his oneness with god. He alone is a rare and privileged incarnation. Therefore instead of wasting time in pursuit of worldly enjoyment he must employ his mind to find the better truth of him. Truth can be learnt from many teachers- for truth is one but sages call it by different names.
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