Day 101

 लोका: समस्ता: सुखिनो भवन्तु

A century of spiritual blogs has been successfully completed, without interruption, on a wide range of spiritual topics under 11  important heads viz.

1. ü Search and the goal
2. ü Fearlessness
3. ü Phobias
4. ü Pride and prejudice
5. ü Reflection
6. ü Review
7. ü Search
8. ü Trust
9. ü Legacy
10. ü Delusion and
11.  Realization.

What was the aim of these spiritual blogs so far-

ü To briefly record the rich cultural, religious heritage of this great nation.

ü To convey- with historical evidences- that the country- Bharath- had a history going back to thousands of years

ü This is evident from the scriptural texts available and the huge temples built even over 1000 years ago.

ü The nation had a rich educational structure, tradition, ethics, values, music, expertise- much before the Moguls  and Britishers usurped power in the country. It was a rich and thriving Hindu nation. This the new generation should be aware and be proud of.

ü Western civilization had borrowed extensively from Vedic teachings going by the proven evidences now- confirmed by the foreign experts of the day and before.

ü Despite the efforts to destroy the Hindu culture, it rose like Phoenix to new glory due to its ETERNAL timeless values ..

ü  DHARMA JAYATI NA ADHARMA..

It is the responsibility of those concerned to build these into curricula, such that the future generations will not be perplexed. Parents, teachers, and governments have a role in achieving these noble objectives.

This blogging was a spontaneous effort. I am happy, with God’s grace, the experience has been quite satisfying and the intended aim has been fully achieved. This process can continue further, but that is not the aim here .

I am grateful to the readers for their kind comments, observations and suggestions for these blogs over the weeks. Thank you once again for your kind  feedback, wishes and blessings. The following are apt words  on this occasion-

ज़िंदगी चल तेरा शुक्रिया

 शयाद मिले ना तू कल की सुबह   ----

अलविदा रहना तू खुश सदा

शायद मिलुं ना मैं कल की सुबह

(from Sadak-2)

Spiritual blogging ends here, though general blogs may continue.

While parting from this series-  I wish to share a profound learning in my interactions with a large number of people - personally  or virtually over  many,  many decades.

"AFTER GREAT CONSIDERATION I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT  SPIRITUAL  CONCENTRATION IS A GREAT BOTHERATION TO THE CURRENT  GENERATION WHOSE MAIN OCCUPATION IS SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTION".

Be happy. Be safe.   

Pranams.

P Bala Chandran

6.15 AM

Day 100. Realisation -10

     ## CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF SPIRITUAL BLOGS##

From Joy are born all creatures, by joy they grow and to joy they return.

   (Taitiriya Upanishad)

The spiritual pursuit is to subdue the flickering mind and steady the same to understand the truth hidden in the fleeting world. For this,  the Bhagavad Gita states that one’s mind should become like a lamp at a windless place.

But today our mind may be like a lamp kept at the sea shore flickering so much that one may be afraid of its existence even. This is the sign of a stressed and agitated mind. Everyone faces more or less the same plight .Hence in the following bhajan  Sadashiv Brahmendra pinpoints the reason for the unsteady nature of the mind-

पल्लवि

        स्थिरता नहि नहि रे मानस स्थिरता नहि नहि रे

चरणम् 1

        ताप-त्रय सागर मग्नानां दर्प-अहंकार विलग्नानाम्

चरणम् 2

        विषय पाश वेष्टित चित्तानां विपरीत ज्ञान विमत्तानाम्

चरणम् 3

         परम-हंस योग विरुद्धानां बहु चञ्चलतर सुख सिद्धानाम्

• The bhajan states that man is affected by different problems caused by known and unknown factors. 
• Further the working of the ego contributes to new problems. 
• The hankering after different desires binds further  , added to that is the contrarian nature of the mind, which takes an opposite view on anything and everything causing needless disturbances. 
• Hence, many factors contribute to the unsteadiness of the mind.( Todays craze among many Hindus is to question the fundamentals of Hindu religion!!!) 
• You would have seen in some movies for over  5 decades plus , the Heroes addressing the Lord as a  PATHAR / STONE IN A VERY HARSH TONE, WHICH USUALLY FETCHES LOT OF CLAPS FROM THE FRONT BENCH CROWDS!!!

Human mind is compared to a monkey, which is fully drunk and bitten by a scorpion. How much restless the monkey will be is beyond our imagination even. If that is the state of the mind then who can help it?

 So, in spiritualism, mind control has been accorded the top most priority. 

Yoga, japa, meditation etc. are aimed at that. Long term efforts will be needed to check the wayward nature of the mind and attain steadiness- STITHA PRAGNYA(  refer chapter 2 Bhagavad Gita for details). No shortcut exists here. But with God’s and Guru’s grace, that  can  be accomplished. With that trust one should proceed fearlessly.

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत

Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached (so famously quoted Swami Vivekananda from Katho Upanishad ).

The author wishes to thank  all  readers for their kind feedback/suggestions and wishes for these blogs and takes this opportunity to wish  the  best of result/luck, post haste, to all the readers in their spiritual endeavors. May God bless You and near/dear ones.

*ASK NOT WHAT HINDUISM WILL DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR HINDUISM*

Be happy. Be safe.

ॐ तत् सत्

8 AM

Day 99 . Realisation- 9

From Joy are born all creatures, 

by joy they grow and to joy they return.

   (Taitiriya Upanishad)

Devahuti is fully satisfied with the explanation of her son and Lord  incarnate Kapila Muni. She realized that finally only love towards God- Bhakti alone will help her to overcome the attachment to this fleeting world. Nama- japa- meditaion processes will eventually lead to Jnana-bhakti-vairagya, all pre-requisites for God realization.

·        Devahuti felt happy that she had the good fortune to get Lord as her son and to receive the spiritual guidance directly from Him in person. This  indeed  is a rare opportunity. She expressed her gratitude to  Lord Kapila.

·        Kapila Muni realized that His mother has now fully realized the truth and knowing that he departs from there. Here ends the Kapila Gita.

·        Thereafter, Devahuti follows the teaching of her son in letter and spirit and ere long attains Moksha as per the story.

·        Kapilam- Kapila Gita- if listened  to and followed will definitely take one to the highest level of spiritual experience.

·        But there is a big catch here. Mere listening -or armchair discussion  as a talk show- will not be of any avail. 

Devahuti after listening to Kapila Muni puts into practice the teachings through tapas—meditation.( This is where the social media hooked generation needs 180 degree shift, if serious about spiritualism).

·        Any amount of teaching cannot make one realise, only true meditation can do that.

All reading and listening will only give BRAMA- confusion of mind Not BRAHMA----God.  This is repeated to stress the point.

Choice is ours to follow any path of our choice.. democracy at least offers that. Hindu religion is fully democratic. There is no prescriptive methods---each is allowed to choose the method or ways suitable/liked by him. Even Lord Krishna states in Gita finally , O Arjuna, you choose the way you deem fit…

इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं

 गुह्याद्‍‍गुह्यतरंमया ।
विमृश्यैतदशेषेण

यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥BG (18.64)

Here the Lord says, Hey Arjuna, I have conveyed to you the most confidential wisdom with all love and concern . Now you deliberate on that and act as you deem fit.

That is Hinduism at its sublime best. No force , no compulsion, no threat , no condemnation , no direction… only teachings and then the choice is left to the devote who is matured enough to take a decision. A teacher can teach, clarify doubts ….. but walking the talk the disciple has to do…. The guide can only shows the path… the driver/seeker will have to drive/move to the shown destination, whether mundane or spiritual. 

To reiterate, reading Kapila Gita will be highly beneficial  to householders.

While penning this yesterday, I happen to hear a spiritual discourse, where the Swami stated that trying to understand Kundalini Yoga in a talk of 15 minutes will be like expecting to get MBBS degree  after a days's study. I liked the comparison. In the era of power yoga, instant gratifications, people are also looking for online Moksha Sidhis. For such persons  Swami's  said example will be good food for thought.

***ASK NOT WHAT HINDUISM WILL DO FOR YOU,

      BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR HINDUISM*

Be happy. Be safe.

 ॐ तत् सत

8 AM

Day 98. Reaslisation- 8

From Joy are born all creatures, 

       by joy they grow and to joy they return.

   (Taitiriya Upanishad)

 Kapila Muni gives elaborate details on Bhakti yoga , as Devaahuti was a householder, Bhakti will appeal to her not the Jnana or wisdom.

( Ditto is the case with many of us. Hence its relevance to majority of readers.)

He also gives a graphic picture of the human body- from conception to delivery.. stage by stage growth of the human body in the mother’s womb explained in so much detail, even the modern scient has not been able to improve it.

 ( At a time when there was no modern medical equipments like MRI , scanner etc. how Kapila Muni was able to list it out merits a research , especially by those who phooh- phooh Hindu scriptures.)

In this description on the journey of the body, Kapila Muni adds that due to the unbridled ego, the beings reach stage of doing cruelty to many and even disparages/condemns the religious teachings/gurus- a true account of India of today in many ways!! ( How well the seers could foresee the World of future.)

In this way the Jeeva repeats its earthly sojourn endlessly.…

This is nicely described by Adi Shankara as  under in Bhaja Govindam-

पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं

पुनरपि जननीजठरे शयनम् ।शयनम्

 इह संसारे बहुदुस्तारे

कृपयाऽपारे पाहि मुरारे ॥

Repeated birth and deaths…in an endless manner. Even when we look around, one can see millions of beings, including human , are exiting the world daily and new ones are being born again. A big recycling process is taking place in the creation, which none can miss.

That is why the scriptures states, one with wisdom eyes can see this reality, but one who is seeped in samsara- mundane world cannot and  will be caught up in the cycle of birth and death.

 So, Kapila re-iterates to his mother to realise the truth and resort to the lotus feet of God.

***ASK NOT WHAT HINDUISM WILL DO FOR YOU,

      BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR HINDUISM**

Be happy. Be safe.

ॐ तत् सत्

7 45 AM

Day 97. Realisation- 7

From Joy are born all creatures, 

       by joy they grow and to joy they return.

   (Taitiriya Upanishad)

 Kapila  Muni starts/continues his guidance- as hinted in the last blog- with the following-

• ·         If the mind is fixed on God, one will be happy and if fixed on objects of the word the result will be unhappiness
• ·         Association with good people- Satsangha- will take one towards God, while association with evil minded people  will make one to wander in this world.
• ·         One should be able to perceive God in all beings , as all are created by one force or come out of one force/energy.
• ·         One should maintain equanimity- Samatva budhi- under all circumstances, which will ensure peace of mind and happiness
• .One should spend time on scriptural studies… as wisdom alone will give liberation.

 Very simple prescriptions that even a house holder like Devahuti – or like us—  can   follow .

 Kapila Muni, thereafter describes Sankya Yoga and Jnana Yoga to his mother.

First he states that the human body consists of 25 tatwas like five elements, mind, intellect, ego, memory, organs of knowledge, organs of action etc. He adds that the 25^th element is the God principle- Chaitanya, that makes this inert body to function. Hence the life principle is God and must be remembered always.

In the Jnana Yoga ,Kapila Muni elaborates that Chaitanya is indeed the Witness-Sakshi- in this body, which is present in our waking, dreaming and deep sleep stage. As the Chaitanya- also called Atman- is awake even in our sleep it is the witness to our body’s activities.

This witness- atman – is same in all beings.. it is also present in matter too.. hence we can see fire being generated by rubbing of stones or even trees..

One should develop Jnana by reflecting on the reality of life through the scriptural texts. This will lead to Sama Drishti—Equi- Vision- leading to God realization.

Then he described Bhakti Yoga to his mother.  Bhakti can be developed through focusing on the Ishta Deva- desired deity- at all times. Doing Nama Japa on that Deity’s praise will help to focus and attain Jana- Bhakti and Vairagya- all essentials for God realization. 

***ASK NOT WHAT HINDUISM WILL DO FOR YOU,

      BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR HINDUISM***

Be happy. Be safe.

ॐ तत् सत्

8 AM