Day 7. Abhayam(6.1)

 

Happiness-सुखस्य मूलं धर्म: The basis of ‘Sukha’ or all true happiness is ‘Dharma’ or the righteous conduct (Chanakya).

He had elaborated it further in Chanakya Neeti.

But those will work in cultured, educated and enlightened societies. Do we see that anywhere including our country?

Do we find Dharma being practiced in politics, elections, business, religion, religious bodies, temple, housing societies, banking/insurance /government departments and finally family itself?

Questions are rather embarrassing to face.

How can then one expect lasting happiness? How indeed?

Go back to India of, say, 500 years back. What would have been the scenario then? Come back to the country of today. What is the situation in many places now?

 What do the reports show? What does the future portend?

Mostly people are afraid of the Pandemic now. However, should we be afraid of the pandemic or the perennial adharma that has seeped in to every pore of the society for centuries, though Mahabharata’s main theme was Dharma—

 धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे.. (BG 1.1). Can anyone plead ignorance of this noble knowledge?

 'You too, Brutus?' - is not-and will not be- the final cry of Julius Caesar alone. What do you think?

Hence it is honest to think, whether lasting peace and happiness is going to be a reality at any time or a mere mirage?

 Be Happy. Be safe.

 11AM

Day 7.Fearlessness/ Abhayam (6)

Happiness is the  constant  pursuit of all beings. Whatever be the vocation pursued, the main goal for most is attainment of happiness.

The method of achieving the goal may be different. The manner of enjoyment may be different and the factors that make one happy also may differ, but the final goal is same.

Yet the answer is elusive as to what will fetch happiness, what constitutes happiness, what will lead to total  happiness?

This is all the more evident among the urbanites and highly successful people.

 ( Rich kids, with all facilities/comforts are easily  bored most of the time).

Because in them the level of frustration seems to be high vis-a vis others. Or one thinks so.

 Most of the people consider  that they are missing something and if that is achieved full happiness will follow. 

But they are not able to pinpoint ,what is really missing. However,  they know for sure something is missing. This thinking continues  unabated  till the very end for many. 

It is is like Alexander's chase to conquer the world  and  ending with  empty hands !!!

 It is, therefore, necessary for each one to ask the following-

·         Am I a happy person now?

·         What is my Happiness Quotient- say out of 10?

·         What are the  gaps ,if any, in my  happiness bouquet ?

 A ruthless honest review will help immensely to take corrective measures. Don’t you think so?

Be happy. Be safe. 

9 AM

Day 6. Fearlessness/ Abhayam (5)

 Happiness is achieved by many with different means and methods. Man (including woman) being an aggressive social animal, has shown different colours of behaviour over the millennia.

 Many of them were obnoxious even to mention. Dictators, tyrants, conquerors, war mongers- they come in different hues  over the centuries  wrecking chaos, murders and bloodshed.

 Recorded history shows some 200 major wars occurred in the last 3400 years where European countries participated. They have not given accounts of Asia, Far East, Africa etc. for example, Mahabharat war is not mentioned. Probably because it happened much earlier.

 Some one billion people have died in such war and crimes against humanity. 108 million died in 20th century alone. To which one will have to add ethnic cleansing seen in many parts of the world, especially in the 20^th century. Millions were killed within their countries by despotic rules. For what, obviously some vicarious pleasures and happiness!!! How many men were slaughtered by men ???

 One man comes to the mind prominently viz. Ozymandias. He was a King of Egypt and reigned for long. He tried to leave behind rock memorials and statues to perpetuate his name. The following poem depicts the story of one of the statues.

I met a traveller from an antique land,   

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

 (  PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY)

    Does the poem convey any message to today’s movers and shakers???  Worth thinking.

    "Soon  you will have  forgotten all and all will have forgotten you." Marcus  Aurelius .

     Be happy. Stay Safe         

    9  AM

Day 5. Abhayam (4)

 

Happiness pursuit calls for action. First, the seeker has to choose a path. Like at cross roads, the driver may ask someone for direction. He, then will have to take the road indicated. He has to trust and proceed. Otherwise, he will be at the Trisanku- not able to move in anyway.

So, let us, say, take Vedanta as a path to our goal of Abhayam and eventual happiness. Vedas have promised this abundantly. Many seers and mahatmas have endorsed it down the millennia. So, there is not much risk in embarking on that proven and promised route. Is there? Are we ready?

One of the great exponents of Vedanta was Adi Shankaracharya. He has left behind extensive works in the form of commentaries on Bhagavad Gita, major Upanishads, Brahma Sutra and many original compositions, the most famous being Viveka Choodamani.

Studying correctly any one of the works of Acharya will be sufficient to become Abhayam—

But there is a catch though, to study his works. One should acquire the needed adhikaritvam-eligibility. Here is the problem. People take to study without acquiring the pre-requisites. It will be like trying to join forces without the requisite physical attributes.

These pre-requirements are called – Sadhana Chatushtayam..

1. Viveka, 2. Vairagya 3. Shadsampati, 4. Mumukshutwam

Shadsampati- Sama(calmness) Dama (sense control) Uprati(withdrawal), Titiksha (Forbearance) Shraddha (faith) Samadhana (contentment).

A seeker after Abhayam, will have to acquire the above mental qualities without fail. There is no short cut here. (All these terms are easily available on the net to study).

Vedantic quest is compared with walking on a Razor’s edge- one can visualize the difficulty.

Is one fit to embark on this path fully? (Even if partially eligible, partial benefit will accrue, so a householder need not be disheartened). All cannot become Sanyasis and should not also and it will not happen anyway.

 Ponder over the above deeply.

Be happy. Be safe.

10 AM

Day 4. Abhayam (3.1)

 Happiness is a state of mind, eloquently stated by one and all. Then, why many are not able to say that they are happy beings with  things at their command.

Hence, we find that all categories of people hanker after more and more happiness- rich, poor, educated, illiterate, king or peasant. Try to locate one truly happy being. Even if you think so, ask him or her. Hence the feeling that all are chasing for the elusive happiness.

Today spiritualism, which promises Sat Chit Ananda- endless joy and happiness,- has also become a big money-spinning business. Such establishments have huge funds at their disposal and they are growing nationally and internationally. There are graded meditation programmes, retreats, repeat programme etc. and the list is endless. All such followers are hooked to a system for life. Whether any one became happy is a question neither asked nor answered.

Hence the need to reflect. Can one meet the rigours of the spiritual course? In simple words, it demands abandoning all desires from the mind- all means, all 100 percent. No ifs and buts there.

An example heard for long is- leaving the Pole of desires. It is compared to the pole vault game. Can you clear the bar without leaving the pole? Obviously not. Similarly, one cannot reach the spiritual summit without leaving all desires- lock, stock and barrel. Is one ready, willing or capable?

If not, please don’t set the goal so high. If one cannot climb Everest that is not the end of the road for climbing. There are many other small mountains.

Similarly, if one cannot fully measure up to Vedantic ideals, don’t be disheartened, take up what one can withstand…. Little prayers, some meditations, some Satsang… all will fetch their own dividends.

Hence learn to be happy with small, small mercies.

Be happy, be safe.

8PM

Day- 4.Abhayam (3)

On fear plenty of quotes are available on the net. I liked the following viz." Fear doesn't stop death, it stops life".

There is an oft quoted example in Vedanta viz. Rajju Sarpa Bhranti--fear of seeing a snake on a rope in a dim lit place. This puts the person to great distress and other consequences. The fear is removed only when light is brought and "realised" the truth about the rope/snake. Hence right knowledge is stressed in Vedanta. Jnanad Eva Tu Kaivalyam- liberation comes through right knowledge. 

You can also loosely say Jnanad eva tu Abhayam. As covered earlier, the fear is about the fate of this body. what will happen to it and when it will happen?

I have had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened- so said Mark Twain.

 " Fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind" goes another quote. That is why fear for different people is different and intensity too differs.

In a VUCA-volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous world of today.... there are many reasons to be fearful. None will be able to fully ward them of. One will have to find coping strategies.

Perpetual fear will lead to an early health problem. It is stated that many diseases are psychosomatic in nature- linked to mental thinking/worries. It is stated that a worry- less mind will contribute to early healing more so in Ayurveda.

Probably one will be knowing this and much more. Such people should take the trouble to guide others, share their thoughts to a highly frightened humanity around, living now under mask (of fear) completely.  A stage is coming where people are wearing masks even inside their houses, as the air is stated to be one of the carriers of the virus.

Fear is palpable all around. How to be fearless? Who can show the way? Whose words we will trust and follow?  Abhayam state is the goal of Vedanta.

 A small child has no issues. it will implicitly follow the saying of  his/her parents or teacher. It is only adults who have the perennial problem of doubt... doubt is the root  cause of fear. To be or not to be- is the question.. so asked Hamlet.

 Problem for many is- To be or not to be- a yogi/Bhogi. Most want to be in both the boats simultaneously. Will that work? what do you think? 

 Further also think - What do you really want?

Be happy. Stay safe.

10 AM

  

Day 3 - Abhayam (2)

 

Fearlessness is often equated with courage. That is not fully correct. 

Courageous person may not be always fearless.

Courage is needed for many things, including crossing the road, entering a swimming pool / river, making a public speech, publishing an article, getting on to an elevator etc. But, that is far from being fearless.

Commandos dropping down from the helicopter in the Osama Bin Laden operation or at the Nariman House in Mumbai to neutralise terrorists or soldiers marching to re-conquer Kargil hills or persons manning fighter planes or submarines during war or participating in surgical strikes etc. are instances of  fearlessness. They have no specific expectation of a return in such combatting situations. Duty for mother land take them to that rare state of mind. 

Ditto with parents jumping into floods or fire to save their wards. Here, the love overpowers the fear element. Extreme courage - fearlessness - will make them to do that. 

Persons who have not faced such situations will not be able to visualise such mind-set, while analysing over TV debates. Today, working in a COVID ICU also calls for fearlessness of the highest order.

All the scriptures, saints, gurus and realised souls,  therefore, emphasised the need to rise above our obsession with this body that carries us in this limited journey on earth. 

They have stated, ad nauseam, that the body is perishable and hence worrying unduly over it will not befit a wise person. Yet, we cling to that. Our happiness is linked with a body which is subject to  constant change and decay... how one can have lasting happiness in such a set up? 

Someone very correctly said that it is like embarking on a cross country drive with a worn out vehicle. Distress will be inevitable in the journey.

Hence, the need for correct knowledge based on study, observations and other teachings. If the wisdom dawns early it will be good. Wisdom will definitely dawn one day. Sooner the better. That is the sure path to peace, tranquillity and happiness.

Adi Shankara had stated long back in Nirvana Shatakam : 

mano budhi ahamkara chittani naham.... chidananda rupa Sivoham, Sivoham .

Be happy. Stay Safe.

11.55 AM