Take care of your parents....

A simple man tells how his booking an air ticket for his father, his first flight, brought emotions and made him realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.

My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same.

In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Flight.

The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air.

The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him.

When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me.

But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life.

As a child how many dreams our parents have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for football, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have satisfied to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes?

Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?

Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young, it is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.

Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments.

Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care need to be given to our parents and elders.

Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.

Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too.

Take care of your parents.

Hastinapur in Argentina

The hallmark of Hinduism is its tolerance towards other religions and religious thoughts and scriptures and Hinduism is a way of life and it is this unique feature of it which has seen it through centuries of invasions by ruthless rulers from abroad who not only looted and plundered the country’s wealth but forcibly converted the local population to their own religion; when the British ruled over the country for three centuries, they also introduced their own religion by way of educating the downtrodden of the country.

The religion Hinduism still is the dominant religion in the country. The Vedantic thoughts of Hinduism has attracted millions of non-Hindus as the teachings are open to any believer, irrespective of caste, creed and religion and vegetarianism which is encouraged by most Hindus is after all scientifically a very healthy food habit.

It is therefore heartening to hear that Hindu philosophy, yoga and meditation has made a deep impact on Argentina and the temple that is described above and its activities speak for themselves the noble intentions of the people behind the building and organisation of this holy place.

Hinduism believes in universal brotherhood and living in mutual trust, love and integrity.

Let us go to 50 km from Buenos Aires (in Argentina) Hastinapur created for Hindu Gods. Hastinapur has a total area of 12 acres. Its population consists of a dozen Indian gods and an equal number of Argentinean people. Some of the gods reside in authentic temples filled with the scent of Indian agarbattis while others stay outdoors, enjoying the fragrance of the flowers in the garden.

Some are sitting or standing on pedestals and others hang on the sides of walls and pillars. The gods who have their own temples include Ganesha, Krishna, Surya, Narayana and Shiva. Since it is Hastinapur, there is a temple for the Pandavas, too. The only sound comes from the hundreds of birds nesting in the trees. Then there is the soft music of devotees singing bhajans.

Not Looking For Favors

The dozen Argentineans who live there look after the gods and the place. During weekends, the people here number over one hundred. Visitors don’t come here seeking favors from the gods. They come in search of wisdom.

This is why Hastinapur is called ciudad de la sabiduria, the city of wisdom. Sculptures of Saraswati, the goddess of learning, can be seen all over the place. Argentineans come here to learn philosophy, read in the library, practice yoga and meditation and sing bhajans. The food served here is vegetarian or vegan.

Hastinapur has no God men. The names of those who run the place are not publicised. They have their professions as company managers, engineers or professors. They volunteer their time and talent for the foundation.

Nor is Hastinapur the work of some overenthusiastic drum-beating, die-hard devotee of a particular god or guru. Hastinapur respects all religions and beliefs. The 10 temples include one for Buddha, Virgin Mary and Greek goddess Demeter; there is also something called Temple of All Faiths. Their library has books of all religions and schools of thought.

Follow Your Own Path

Hastinapur does not prescribe wisdom doses. It simply helps people to seek, find and pursue their own path to wisdom. The organisers give classes in yoga, meditation, philosophy, devotional singing and sacred drama, hold workshops, seminars and retreats. They also provide community service. They celebrate festivals such as Ganesh Chathurthi and Baisakhi. Their next project is to broadcast through radio. There are no priests here and no money is collected.

Hastinapur has a post-graduate course in yoga which takes three years to complete. The classes are held on weekends only. There are 2,500 students studying yoga and philosophy in the Hastinapur centers. The students are being taught by 100 teachers on philosophy and 120 teachers on yoga.

Hastinapur Foundation has published a number of books on Indian philosophy and translated the Bhagavad Gita, Bhakti Sutras, Upanishads, Srimad Bhagavatam and Yoga Sutras. Their latest publication is Mahabharatha in Spanish. Hastinapura Foundation was established by Ada Albrecht in 1981. She introduced Indian philosophy to the Argentinean people. She has authored a number of books such as The Saints And Teachings Of India and The Teachings Of The Monks From Himalayas.

Indian Spirituality Is Popular

Gustavo Canzobre, her student, is now the director of the Hastinapur College of professors. He was 17 years old when he became interested in Indian wisdom. During the third Festival of India organised by the embassy in Buenos Aires in November 2010, he gave a talk on the temple architecture of South India. He will give a talk on Indian philosophy in the forthcoming fourth Festival of India in December 2011.

Expand your mind

Get attached to a wider circle of people – community, nation, humanity. Work for loka sangraha, for the welfare of the world. As you get attached to the higher you get detached from the lower.

True love is born and your relationships become free from the endless strife that prevails now. In order to fill the haunting sense of emptiness in your life you depend on people for your happiness. Thus the starting point is faulty. Only when you are happy within can you establish meaningful relationships with others. It is absurd to depend on others to fill the void. Vedanta says you are paripurna – totally fulfilled you do not need anyone to make you happy. Gain knowledge of your fulfilled state. Love others for what they are, the good as well as the bad.

Understand that people behave according to their nature. Do you hate a lion for its ferocity or a deer for its timidity? You love both creatures equally because you understand their nature and accept them for what they are. What prevents you from accepting people as they are? Why do you complain when a partner gets angry or a child is timid? Look at others as part of yourself and you will focus on their best qualities. You will see opponents as partners, competitors as comrades. You will celebrate others’ victory as if it were your own.

Thus your happiness multiplies a billion times! Today you are happy only when good things happen to you in the end love turns God ward. You worship God in all beings. Vedanta says there is only one. If you see separateness, it is your delusion. Just as one ray of light refracts into seven different colours, you see distinctions and demarcations because you view the world through the prism of your body, mind and intellect. You see maximum separateness when you identify with your body. See the world through your mind and your circle of love expands to include your family. As you know Star has FIVE ends. Squares have FOUR ends, Triangle has THREE ends, Lines have TWO ends, and Life has ONE end. But Friendship has no END.

Control your attention, and you control your mind

A disciple and his teacher were walking through the forest. The disciple was disturbed by the fact that his mind was in constant unrest.

He asked his teacher: "Why most people's minds are restless, and only a few possess a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind?"

The teacher looked at the disciple, smiled and said:

"I will tell you a story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away once more".

This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly:
"Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?"

The fly answered: "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?"

The elephant stopped eating and said:
"My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."

Upon hearing these words, the disciple's eyes opened wide and a smile appeared on his face. He looked at his teacher and said:

"I understand! If my five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my mind becomes calm".

"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher, "The mind is restless and goes wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind".

A Butterfly Lesson

One day a small opening appeared on the cocoon; a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then, it seems to stop making any progress.

It appeared as if it has gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly; he took a pair of scissors and opened the cocoon,

The butterfly then emerged easily.

But, it had a withered body; it was tiny and shriveled wings.

The Man continued to watch because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly’s body, and become firm.

Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and his goodwill did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.

If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. Never been able to fly.

Why are we unhappy?

People say, “I am unhappy. I am suffering.” But Vedanta asks, ‘What is the weight of sorrow? Does the sorrow weigh 50 gm, 200gm, 500 gm, or 1 kg? Has anyone measured the mass of sorrow? What is the color of sorrow? What is the form of unhappiness? What is the force of sorrow?’ It has no force of its own. Nobody has seen sorrow having any mass, color, form or power. God has no sorrow to give to us. We don’t want unhappiness. Still, we are suffering. God has not created sorrow nor has nature done so. Does the mother create sorrow for her child? No! Why then do children become unhappy? It is due to lack of understanding. Going to school is for the benefit of children but they are unhappy being sent to school; only due to lack of good sense. Bathing is good for health; soap washes the dirt away but children cry when mother bathes them. Unhappiness has no mass, color, form or force, other than lack of good sense.

There are two types of Creation. One is the Creation of God. There is no sorrow in it. The other is our (mental) creation. We create it due to our foolishness. Diamonds, pearls, rubies are created by God. But one becomes unhappy thinking, ‘He has diamonds, pearls and rubies. I don’t have.” But the one who has them will also die leaving the gems and jewels behind. If you will have them you too will have to depart leaving them behind. Right now, you should thank God almighty for giving food and shelter. What if you have the stones and what if you don’t? The one who possesses them feels proud, “I have diamonds, pearls and rubies.” He is ensnared by egotism and you are ensnared by foolish envious thinking.

The diamonds created by God do not cause pain to anybody nor do they give joy to anybody. God has created diverse forms, colors and events for your joy, your knowledge, and enhancing your divine love. After birth you came in your mother’s lap. Neither your mother nor father nor grandfather made the milk. Mother ate rotis and vegetables but God made milk for you in mother’s body before your birth. You suckled it as and when you wished and then turned your face away. It is not considered to be defiled; it needs neither boiling nor storing in a refrigerator. Had it been too sweet, it would have caused hyperglycemia; had it been tasteless, you would not have liked it. Had it been too hot, it would have burnt your tongue; had it been too cold, it would have aggravated Vata. Neither much cold nor much hot, neither much sweet nor tasteless. The excellent and healthful drink! Was it made by any insentient machine or Supreme Consciousness? Was it made by any enemy or Supreme benefactor? No, it was made by the Supreme Lord, the supreme well-wisher and friend of all; and it was made out of compassion with great care and attention.

When God brings favorable circumstances in life, it is to encourage us. And when, at times, He brings adversities in our life, it is to caution against becoming haughty. He gives illness to teach us not to be unrestrained in diet. He gives us health to serve mankind and to engage ourselves in devotional practices or to know Him. So tell me whether God causes pain to us or elevates us; God is our well wisher or enemy? He is our well-wisher not enemy. God wants our progress, He is our well-wisher, and we also want to progress for our good yet why the sorrow?

Lesson Ten - Teaching and sharing the lessons learned

We must now share what we have learned with others. After the age of sixty three we become enlightened teachers. We now tell others, “You are that” (Tat Tvam Asi.) A Guru is one who tells others, “You are that Divinity”. From sixty three onwards we learn to share with others the lessons that we have learned. This lesson of sharing with all continues till the very end.

All these lessons must be learnt within our lifetime. Nature continues teaching us without being concerned about our age. People often get stuck on lesson one itself. They may be grownup individuals but behave like children! They learn the lesson of selfishness and live in a world of their own. They are not aware of the presence of other beings. Even while living with the family they remain oblivious to others and derive their identity from self importance. When we learn the lesson of accepting others, we begin respecting and valuing things from a universal perspective. We do not litter roads and public places because we understand that these belong to all. The motto, ‘Live and let live’ becomes important.

With lesson three, we respect the emotions and differences that exist between genders. Respect for the uniqueness of each comes to the fore and there is no encroachment on the other’s feelings and rights. There is no suppression of the spouse’s individuality. There is recognition of the partner’s right to independent growth and for his or her own independent understanding of life.

Lesson four enables us to bond with the family unit, of growing together with love and regard for one another. Many do not go beyond this lesson. They limit themselves to their families and remain unaware of the world outside.

Lesson five pertains to developing an awareness of the presence of other living beings, animals, birds, plants, continents as well as world issues of global warming, ecology, environmental and social problems. Here one has to expand one’s vision and develop an understanding of not only the world but the entire cosmos. With a heightened sense of awareness and expanded vision comes a sense of identification that ‘we are all one’.

Lesson six is of ‘we’ and ‘ours’, of compassion and universal love. Contemplation reveals the mystic presence of Divinity when we go beyond the world of mere sensory perceptions.

Spirituality and mysticism are components of lesson seven. Dispassion or vairagya is lesson eight. When this lesson is well learnt we experience the Self. With renunciation of concepts of ‘I’ and ‘my’ we come to recognize the Divinity within and become enlightened. Thereafter, for the rest of our lives we live as enlightened teachers, imparting the Knowledge and Experience to humanity.

This is the syllabi of human existence. If we learn these in one lifetime, we attain liberation. If we fail to learn them, we take birth again to begin from where we left off. This is the natural process of evolution.

(Concluded)

Lesson Nine - Self Realization and Enlightenment

Between the ages of fifty six to sixty three, when we are firmly established in vairagya we come to realize and recognize that the one I considered God is not different from my real Self. He is I, ‘Soham’. This is the time of Self Realization or Enlightenment. We understand that the God whom we were seeking everywhere is in fact ‘my own Self’. In these seven years, through vairagya and intense contemplation we become aware of the fact that we are neither the body, nor the mind nor intellect, but we are the one Indivisible Supreme Reality - chidanandarupaha Sivoham Sivoham.

(To be Contd....)

Lesson Eight - Dispassion and vairagya

Number eight is the lesson of vairagya i.e. dispassion or Saturn. When we come to appreciate that everything belongs to that power called God, we become more detached from external stimuli. The notion of things belonging to us seems childish/immature and ridiculous. (If it were so, then we should be able to carry all that we possess with us after we die!) These false notions of ‘I’ and ‘my’ are dropped. We realize that everything belongs to that Supreme Reality and that it alone expresses as this world. All that is seen changes and that Reality alone is the changeless substratum. We become detached from all that changes. We gain total vairagya or dispassion from all that is asat or unreal. From forty nine to fifty six is the age of sanyas.

(To be Contd.....)

Lesson Seven - Contemplation and mysticism ‘All is that’

As we proceed from forty two onwards, questions arise in our minds about ‘we’ and ‘ours’. “Is there more to life than just us and what we have?” People become introspective and wonder whether there is more to existence than meets the eye. Until now, we had the feeling of being in control of our lives, but as we progress in years we encounter old age, death and an inability to control events. We begin to question the possibility of something else being in control of our lives. “Who are we? Are we alone in this world?” We are not what we seem to be and the world is not what it appears to be. Such persons between the ages of forty two to forty nine, perhaps for the first time in their lives, come to accept the presence of God. They become conscious of the presence of a spiritual power, a Reality or Divinity that lies beyond the domain of scientific analysis. This is the commencement of our spiritual journey. We come to sincerely accept and recognize the power of a Reality that is beyond the realm of the senses and emotional and intellectual perceptions. This opens the path of mysticism and the person becomes a mystic. Prior to this, such people could have been religious and ritualistic performing rituals for their own or their family’s well being.

A higher level of spiritual growth implies a deep and subtle understanding that the world really belongs to ‘That’. There is a supreme power, call it God or Truth or ‘That’ and everything belongs to that power. We learn the lesson of ‘That’ factor or Tat. During these years we become more aware of this factor. We realize that we are not what we imagined ourselves to be and the world is not what we thought it was. We have reached lesson seven which is a mystical number. There is a strange mystery to everything.

Number one pertains to something new. Number two is the awareness of someone else, three is awareness of the other gender, four is building the four walls of your house, five is the exploration of newer worlds, six is the number of unconditional love and seven is the number of mysticism.

(To be Contd....)

Lesson Six - Universal identification and love ‘We’ and ‘ours’

This lesson spans the years thirty five to forty two. Here we come to realize the vastness of the world. Not only do we acknowledge the presence of others in this world but we also come to identify with the vast variety of life forms that exist on the planet. A feeling that we all belong to Mother Earth arises. The lesson being of ‘we’ and ‘ours’, there is the feeling of togetherness that we all belong to earth and the earth belongs to us. This is the stage of identification with the entire creation, of universal love and compassion. ‘We’ denotes all beings, human, bird and animal and ‘ours’ denotes the universe. At this level a person becomes a lover of the world. It is a state of unconditional love for and towards all. One learns the lesson of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – seeing the whole world as one large family.

(To be Contd....)

Lesson five - Exploration and travel ‘They and theirs’

Lessons learnt have to be transcended. Once a child passes the fifth grade, it has to progress to the next class. It cannot say, “No, no I want to stay on here. I like my teacher very much!” In much the same way, keeping in mind the lessons learned we too must move to the next level of learning.

So far we have learned the lessons of ‘I’ and ‘my’, ‘you’ and ‘yours’, of ‘us and ‘ours’. From twenty eight to thirty five, people explore the world. They want to know what the world is all about. Interest in things pertaining to society, the nation and other countries develops. This is the time of travel and exploration. One travels within one’s own country learning about its diversity as well as to other countries, learning about their cultures and traditions too.

Lesson five is recognising/realising that families other than “mine” also exist in this world. This is the stage of an explorer and an adventurer out on an exploration trip! At a physical level, this is actually going out and visiting places and meeting new people. At a mental level, it is reading books and expanding one’s horizons of knowledge. Such people are no longer bound to their families. They do not remain mere householders in the sense of holding on to their households. They move out into society and the world at large. At this stage we realize the existence of ‘they’ and ‘theirs’. We understand that there are others in this world and some things belong to them.

(To be Contd....)

Lesson four - Family growth and acquisitions ‘Us’ and ‘ours’

Familiarity with the opposite gender brings a feeling of possessiveness. Between the ages of twenty one to twenty eight one gets married and experiences a sense of belonging to another. In the beginning, we know we exist and have a host of possessions that include other people. Now the reverse happens. We realize that we could also be a possession of another. ‘Somebody else belongs to me’ and ‘I also belong to someone’ and ‘something belongs to us’ are the threads of the husband-wife-children relationship that bind the family together. There is an experience of oneness with another being which is a wonderful experience in itself. Later this guides and aids in the realization of the Ultimate Truth.

These years are spent in profession or job enhancement, house building and rearing of children. We learn the invaluable lesson of somebody belonging to us. ‘This is my wife, my husband, my children.’ This lesson, if felt and deeply understood, enables one to identify with the world in a more humane manner. We are able to understand the value of other families, other peoples’ wealth and properties. We begin to see things from another perspective. This applies not only to human beings. Appreciation of the lives of animals and birds also permeates our understanding. We realize that just as we have families, so do animals and birds and others in the natural kingdom. We become sensitive to the presence of other beings. This fourth stage spans the years when people are beginning their careers, seeking stability in their jobs, getting married, nurturing desires to build a house, buy a car and get their children into the best schools. The emphasis is on us, our families consisting of spouses, children, grand parents, relatives, education of children, house, and other personal assets and possessions.

(To be Contd....)

Lesson three - Gender and personality awareness

Lesson three begins at fourteen. This is when we discover the gender and personalities of others. From fourteen to twenty one years, there is an exploration of the other species, one from Mars (men) the other from Venus (women). There is an attraction towards and an attention to the opposite gender. Boys discover the presence of girls and their thoughts are riveted in that direction. Girls, though being aware of their own personality and identity, are also aware of boys. Even Adi Sancaracarya says, “balastavat, kridasaktaha, tarunastavat tarunisaktaha“.

As long as we are children we are happy playing with other children. But as adolescents, we become aware of the opposite gender. During these teenage years children live in a dream world. Their parents often do not understand them, occasionally giving rise to unnecessary rifts and discord. Here, the lesson of accepting the other gender is learnt. Those who fail to learn this do not respect or value their spouses. As a result, they face problems in their married lives. It is important to understand and accept the differences and specialties of the opposite gender. This empowers them to revere and regard the other.

(To be Contd.....)

Lesson two - ‘You’ and ‘yours’

After the age of seven we discover the presence of others around us. We become aware of our siblings and the other children at school. We come to realise that these ‘others’ also have their own identities. We recognize that our parents and siblings, though belonging to us, have their own identities. We learn that some of our toys are also shared by our siblings. In other words, we learn to cognize and accept the presence of others in our lives. Some people, however, don’t learn this important lesson thus remaining egoistic and selfish all their lives.

From birth to seven are the selfish years. Thereafter, we learn of the existence of others. We recognize that other beings exist. Also, we come to understand that certain things belong to them too. These are the years where friendships are developed with girls and boys. The gender difference has not yet entered into our awareness. Just as the concepts of ‘I’ and ‘my’ were present, now ‘you’ and ‘yours’ become apparent. ‘Aham’ and ‘mama’ is the first lesson and ‘tvam’ and ‘tava’ is the second one. Sant Tulsidas says in Ramcharitra Manas “mai aru mor tor tain maya” this is the beginning of maya.

Animals understand this lesson and depict it through their territorial instincts. Even youngsters exhibit this trait of possessiveness towards their belongings. They say, “This is my room”, “This is my dress, or toy or poster”! Parents further encourage this behaviour by making them aware that certain objects belong to them and others to their sibling. This lesson is relevant at this stage of life. Later, it helps in accepting the presence of other beings. It is best learnt during one’s childhood years at school from seven to fourteen years.

(tobe contd.....)

Lesson one - ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘mine’

The first lesson begins from the time of birth itself. From a state of being a ‘nobody’ (where our past lives are neither remembered nor known), from the primordial egg we hatch to take birth. Birth takes place in much the same way that noise emerges from silence and the number one comes after zero.

Then miraculously we experience the sense of ‘I’, a strange experience of being. At birth, the first lesson is to become aware of the mystery of this ‘I’. This experience of ‘I’ begins from our early childhood and continues till the end. Till age seven the child thinks that everything revolves around it. It is the centre of attraction. Children feel important knowing the world serenades to their tune.

The lesson here is to understand the significance of one’s own being. It is a great mystery and there is tremendous joy in self discovery. The child first becomes aware of its body, then its personality. It starts understanding how to walk, talk, climb, jump and dance. It exults in self-discovery, “I can walk! I can sing! I can dance! Look at me”!

The twin concepts of ‘I’ (aham) and ‘my’ (mama) become apparent. “This is my mother and my father. These are my toys, and this is my house, my cat!” We discover our sense of being. We believe we are the most important people in the world and imagine that the immediate world is meant for our enjoyment. Though we experience the presence of others, we assume they cater to us only. Either they belong to us or we don’t notice them. Everything known to us belongs to us. We know nothing about anything else. “Whatever doesn’t belong to me like my neighbors or what lies at the periphery of my world means nothing to me.” In this way everything rotates around the sense of ‘I’.

(to be Continued)

(Also read more about "I" in blog "The I-DEA-of I" dated 01-07-2009)

Ten Lessons of Life

Life is a great teacher.

Life is a great teacher. Life continues to teach through the various experiences as we grow. From early childhood till we depart from this world, there are some lessons that naturally come into our lives and if they are not learnt well, the class is repeated. Like in school, where one has to learn a particular syllabus and if it is not learnt properly, one is specially coached and if one still doesn’t do well then one has to repeat the year. Similarly in life, lessons that are not learnt well are repeated again and again. This is evolution or natural growth.

The human body consists of 60 trillion cells and each cell has knowledge of the entire body. Every moment many cells die and new ones are born. Once a cell dies all its information is transferred to the new one. Even at this moment, our cells are dying and new ones are taking birth. After every seven years the entire body renews itself. The body we had seven years ago is no longer the one we have at present. Every seven years there is a complete overhaul and the body is as though reborn. A similar thing happens to our minds. If we observe our lives carefully, we will find a transformation taking place roughly every seven years, give and take a few years. We notice a definite paradigm shift taking place in the personality. These are lessons that Life teaches us. We can either go with the flow and learn them effortlessly and naturally or learn them in a more proactive, conscious sort of way.

(to be continued...)

The paradox of our time

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. An embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

The difference between Ego and Self-respect

Wisdom is to know the difference between ego and self-respect, and to become more aware towards these. When the ego is satisfied there is happiness, and when hurt, pain and irritation are experienced. But self-respect is beyond respect and disrespect. On being satisfied or hurt, under any circumstance, it inspires for karma. To satisfy the ego (ahankaar) people might indulge in manipulations, become calculative and avoid working hard towards growth, whereas self-respect (swabhiman) always propels one to work harder for self-satisfaction. Just like Shri Krishn inspired Arjun to fight for self-respect and self-duty.

A self-respecting human understands well the importance of self-respect and his duty towards it. He knows its value, whether it is his own, of others or of his Nation or even the Earth.

The absoluteness (poornta) of a truthful (karma) action is in negating imperfection and falsehood, and to challenge it. For anyone who does so, the Supreme himself becomes his charioteer.

Himmat-e-marda, maddat-e-khuda
God helps those who help themselves.

Knowing the difference between self-respect and ego, if personal action is not decided accordingly, then acquired knowledge gets converted to ignorance, stagnates, becoming merely for exhibition.

It is important to know how according to the time-requirement a particular course of action (karma) needs to be decided and how with all your mental and physical capacities it should be performed and concluded. Whosoever has perfected the Sudarshan chakra of truth, he/she will be inspired to work according to the time requirement. Many people know about time but the courage and pledge to safe guard self-respect for rightful action/duty (karma) at the right time, as done by Rani of Jhansi and Bhagat Singh is missing.

A true Karm yogi will defend self-respect with all his might – may it be body, mind, soul or resources. The symbol of Maa Bharati’s glorious self-respect and its crowning glory are the white pure high peaks of the Himalayas. Working for this is true-endeavour (karmmathta). The absoluteness (poornta) of life is not it a long life but how human dharm (manav dharm) is conducted.

Why the unhappiness? The reason is that we don't accept God's will.

We want God to fulfill our wishes. You see Palaces, Mansions and Gardens in a movie. But if the viewer wants to keep on viewing a scene forever! No, the scene will go and others - of roads, thieves, dacoit, good people, dancers, and lovers - will come. All these are ever-changing scenes of the cinema. If somebody wants to keep a particular scene stationary or to prevent some scene one does not like, it is not possible. If somebody wants a particular scene to go away, it is not possible. You cannot keep any scene stationary or prevent any scene or change a scene at your will. This is only a film for your amusement, entertainment or education.

Likewise, God has made Shastras; He has prescribed paths of Jnana, Bhakti and Karma. God wants our well-being. If we view films, deceive others or do other unworthy things like drinking, gambling, slandering, are not we ourselves sowing the seeds of misery?

So sorrow is formless, weightless and colorless. Unhappiness is the other name for foolishness; it is the lack of good sense, of insistence.

Somebody dies. His death does not make you unhappy or sad. It is the feeling of ‘he is my relative…’ that makes you sad. Birth of a person does not give happiness by itself. It is the belief ‘a son or daughter is born to me’ that gives you joy. We take the body as ‘I’ and the things and persons related to the body as ‘mine’. But if we take the Self, the Supreme Self from where the ‘I’ arises as ‘mine’ and the world as a dream and conduct ourselves in the world judiciously, there is happiness and bliss all the way. ‘These are my diamonds. These are my pearls. This is my house…’ They were possessed by someone else in the past and will be possessed by some other person in the future. The land which you believe to be yours belonged to somebody else before it became yours. And when you die or may be before that its ownership will pass on to somebody else. So do these things actually belong to me? No. You may believe them to be yours superficially, but know within that all this is but a dream and the One Who ‘knows’ it i.e. God alone is mine. He is mine who does not leave my company even after death. This realization leads to perennial bliss.

So, God did not create sorrow! Neither was it created by nature, brother! Attachment-aversion, ignorance, egoism are the causes of sorrow. Ignorance will be removed by the knowledge of essence; attachment-aversion will be eliminated by worshipping the Lord, by meditation. That’s all, your love for Lord is accomplished and attainment of the Supreme bliss is done.

God did not create unhappiness and you too don’t want it. Unhappiness is the second name for foolishness and it can be eliminated with the help of satsang, for satsang awakens discrimination.

‘Wisdom dawns not without association with the saints and such communion cannot be easily enjoyed without the grace of Lord Rama.’
(Sri Ramacharitamanasa Bala-Kanda: 2.4)

One gets human birth with the simplest grace of God. One gets faith and a Guru with special grace of God. With more divine grace one gets initiated into Guru Mantra and love for the Lord is kindled in one’s heart. Divine love will lead sooner or later to the divine Knowledge also.

Your Self is eternal and immortal.

‘The individual soul is a part of God, immortal, conscious, untainted by illusion and by nature perfectly blissful.’
(Sri Ramacharitamanasa Uttar Kanda: 116.1)

You are blissful by your very nature but these visitors – worries, passions and beliefs etc. – make you unhappy. You do not want sorrow; and it is not created by God or Maya or nature. Unhappiness is on account of ignorance. Don’t intensify your pains and sorrows thinking yourself to be miserable or suffering. ‘The mind is afflicted with unhappiness; the body is afflicted with the pain; I am the Immortal son of God, the Knower of all.’ – Thus Self-enquiry can eliminate your pains and sorrows.

Life and Death: An Enigma

What happens to our soul when we die If one dies unfulfilled, what happens to the soul ?

Life and Death are the Obverse and Reverse of the same coin. There is no Life without Death;-neither is there Death without Life. Perhaps, understanding this will lead to a better grasp about what life is all about. The physical or gross body is called sthula shariram (Physical). Our limited self, the subtle body, is called sukshma shariram (Astral). Sthula shariram (Physical) is the abode of jivatma, the spirit of life. It is not the body, but it gets identified with the body. The soul, along with the mind, is the seat of consciousness. The body is only a vehicle, and when it is consigned to flames after physical death, the soul is set free. Then it searches for another body that will be its vehicle for another lifetime. At the end of this search, depending upon its karma in life till then, it is assigned to a particular body. The soul begins life a new in that body.

In reality, the soul is immortal. The space in a room appears limited by the room. Is the space enclosed within the four walls of the room or is the room a small enclosure in the vast unlimited space in the universe. The room is a tiny speck in space. But we say there is space in the room. Think of the jivatma as space and of the body as the walls of the room that encloses part of the space. If the walls of the room crumble, will the space previously contained here suffer any damage or dissolution No, the space returns to its state of continuity which it had earlier with the space outside the walls. Once we realise this, we know that physical death means the release of our immortal soul from the confines of our mortal body. This realisation is gnanodayam, the dawn of knowledge.

Doesn’t the cycle of birth, death and rebirth negate the law of karma ?

No, it means that the soul is on an unending journey of evolution. The question is whether you want to hasten this process, or you want to allow this process to happen at its own pace. For example, if you are into agriculture, you pump water into your fields when there is no rain for a long period. The water accelerates crop growth which would otherwise be slowed down by delayed rains. Irrigation technology speeds up the agricultural process. Likewise, there are spiritual methods to enlighten the process of birth and rebirth.

Isn’t time a concept applicable only to the physical world?

When you are conscious of the soul’s essential transcendence of physical dimensions, you are beyond the confines of time. But if you don’t have this awareness if you are operating from ignorance you are subject to time, even though you have the potential to transcend it. We know that space is not limited by the walls of a room.

But space, not being conscious, is incapable of extending itself to its vast expanse outside until an external agency brings the walls down. It stays confined within concrete boundaries. It is the same with us. Physical time is incapable of liberating our soul. But knowledge has liberating power. The liberation that heightened consciousness leads to is called jivan mukti, liberation from biological life. If we remain ignorant of our true nature, we remain in bondage to our body nature with its trappings of kama sexual desire, krodha-anger, lobha-non-restraint and moha-greed. True knowledge liberates whereas ignorance binds.

There are Eight layers of Life circles:- these are Physical, Astral, Causal, Super-Causal, Cosmic, Super-Cosmic, Nameless and at last Absolute.

Determination and Patience

Determination is the strength that will enable you to pass the barrier of useless thoughts in order to create positive thoughts and to be successful in whatever you wish.

It comes from the within and its partner is patience. Patience teaches you not to push but rather to wait and appreciate the game of the life instead, knowing that nothing remains the same, and everything will change at some point.

Fear of Death

Why do so many people have a deep fear of death?

“The modern tradition of equating death with an ensuing nothingness can be abandoned. For there is no reason to believe that human death severs the quality of the oneness in the universe.”

The fear of death comes from two beliefs:
1. When we die, we disappear.
2. When we die, we will be punished for our sins. God is judgmental and we will end up in hell or purgatory for eternity.

If you could be sure that when you die, your consciousness goes right on living—that your soul essence cannot die—would you still be afraid of death? If you knew that you—not your ego you but your true Self—was immortal, would you be afraid of death? If you knew that you would see all your loved ones again, would you be afraid of death? If you knew that the only judgment you would experience would be your own reliving of the choices you had made while in the body, would this scare you? If you knew that you would be coming into unconditional love and that this love would help you continue on your soul's journey, would this frighten you?

The problem is that we can't KNOW this in a left-brain scientific way. We can know it only in an intuitive way, a feeling way—remembering the truth of who we really are and what God is.

Our feelings are an inner guidance system, letting us know when we are thinking and believing in ways that are on track with what is true and right for us, and when we are off track. Thoughts such as “I'm worthless” make us feel bad because they are not true. The bad feeling is our Higher Self letting us know that we are off track in our thinking. These off-track thoughts come from our programmed mind—our ego wounded self—which is filled with false beliefs.

When you think the thought, “When I die, I will disappear”, this thought may create fear. When you think the thought, “When I die, I will go to hell or purgatory. I will be punished for eternity for my sins,” how do you feel? The fear is letting you know that the thought is not based on truth. When you think the thought, “When I die, I will gently leave my old or sick or hurt body. I will go home and see all loved ones, and I will continue learning on my soul's journey. I will be surrounded by unconditional love, and I will be able to learn from my mistakes,” how do you feel?

From a scientific point of view, neither of these views can be proved. You cannot prove that you will disappear or go to hell any more that you can prove that you will continue to exist and your soul will continue to learn and grow. But you can know on the FEELING level which feels right and good.
You can choose to believe whatever you want to believe. Why believe something that makes you feel terrified? Why not choose to believe in what makes you feel loved and safe?

Your Journey

You are about to embark on a wondrous journey, even before your time has come. You are being invited to a rare opportunity to peek into the mystery of the great beyond.

When the word Death is mentioned, there is one important note that must be made very clear. When going through the burial or cremation process, only the body is buried or consumed; not the Spirit, the Real You. We are NOT the body. We use our bodies to protect us from the harsh environment so that we can function in our daily tasks. Bodies are instruments that are used while going through a learning process. When we have completed our lessons, we simply leave the body. It's like putting on a catcher's mitt for a baseball game. We put our hand into the glove, but our hand is NOT the glove. The glove is used to protect our hand from the severe contact of the baseball. When the use for the glove is completed (the game is over), we take our hand out of the glove. This is a very natural process, so what is there to fear?

Humanity is at all levels of spiritual development. The books that you will read here will give you many lessons on how not to get stuck in the mists of uncertainty. The greatest mystery confronting mankind today is one of personal identity while on earth. The first few questions a seeking mind will ask are, "Who am I?" - "Why am I here?" - "What am I suppose to be doing?" and lastly, "What happens to me when I die?" This is where the great mystery begins, isn't it?

So how do we find the answers to these important questions? Only with a burning desire will you be guided to find out all that you want to know. We are not alone. All you have to do is ask!

There are three main barriers to stopping any of us from higher spiritual understanding. These are:
• a concrete belief system (created by you by assimilating false data)
• a closed mind (allowing your beliefs to rule)
• preconceived ideas (believing you know the answers already)

You must be prepared to put these barriers to the test. Prove to yourself their truth or falsehood. Be open to accepting what you find. Don't be afraid to admit error. It is you who must ask yourself if you want to do this, and no one else; only you. You are the only one to take the first step towards higher spiritual understanding. Your actions will guide you to the right teachers that will provide you with the lessons that you need to learn. There will be no mistakes made here. You will know when you have found your true path. Like attracts like, and we are always, at all times, every minute of the day, subject to the Law of Cause and Effect. Another term for this is the Law of Attraction. I will cover this in future articles.

I have given you an awful lot to think about and I hope that it is not too much for you to digest. I would like to ask that you view this as an icebreaker. An article that invites new ideas into your mind with the possibility of preparing yourself for your journey. A fascinating journey that begins with you and the lessons that you are prepared to learn right now, here on earth. It is entirely up to you.

Discovering Spirituality

Faith in spirituality enables us to trust ourselves. With trust we can let go of the past and have the courage to dare.

To dare with courage gives us the confidence to know that we can achieve if we begun with doubt then we have shown the seed of possible failure.

Faith in spirituality always allows us to win. Every step of faith opens another chapter in our lives.

Choose the path that strengthens you

When faced with a choice, choose the path that strengthens you. Choose to learn, choose to grow, and choose to more fully become who you are.

Explore places where you have not been before. Look at ideas and concepts that you have not considered before. If you stay hidden in the comfortable and familiar, your spirit can soon grow weary. Venture out and recharge the passion in your life.

Venture out there beyond what is comfortable, routine and expected. Venture out and discover the depth and the richness of who you are. A life that is tested and challenged is a life that surely becomes filled with real purpose. The more briskly the wind blows against your face, the more fully alive you’ll feel.

Venture out from where you’ve been, then from that new perspective venture out again. There’s no end to what you can discover, and become filled with real purpose.

Be simple but don’t be fool, Be clever but don't be shrewd

For everything there exists an equal opposite. This is eternal truth based on Laws of Nature. There are two types of people in the world – simple and clever. The precaution that needs to be taken (to acquire wisdom) is that simple person does not slip down to idiocy and clever person does not slip down to shrewdness. Both attributes – simplicity and cleverness -- are given to individuals by the Supreme Intelligence for carving their own path, by going through their own karma. So when a simple person tries to be clever, he can end up making a fool of himself; a clever person is naturally inclined to become shrewd and getting caught up in the cobweb of never ending karma cycle.

Wisdom lies in knowing to which category you belong and not regret it, because this attribute has been bestowed upon you to come out of your karma cycle. This is Nature’s law and we should respect it and take it with gratitude rather than lamenting, for instance, ‘O’ I m so simple. I can’t do this’. Clever people never lament, they instead think they are will be smarter next time. Actually God loves simplicity more because He can never be shrewd.

Love your natural attribute. Only you have to be on guard that simplicity does not turn into stupidity and cleverness does not turn into shrewdness. And this can be done if you don’t take pride in your simplicity or cleverness; and you don’t take shelter in it either. Both, taking pride or taking shelter in your attribute is not good for your evolution. Wisdom lies in striking a balance and keeping a constant guard that cleverness does not become shrewdness and simplicity does not become stupidity. Shrewd man can become manipulative.

Energy from Positive and Negative Forces.

‘We draw energy from the wind or air and sunlight. We draw energy from water, earth (things grown on the earth). We also draw energy from the divine forces of the universe, which pour into us through the chakras.

The sun pours heat, light and vitality, which greatly improves health and wellbeing. That is why people feel depressed during the winter especially in the far north, like Scandinavian countries and the Arctic

A place can have a positive or negative field. You can feel it when you enter a temple, Gurudwara, Masjid or church where regular services are performed. That is why people go to places of pilgrimage like Tirupathi, Vaishno Devi, Badrinath, Amarnath. The feeling of prayerful sacredness envelopes all those who go to that space.

During a disaster, a cloud of fear is created. Anyone who enters that space is filled with fear, even if he is normally brave. The infectious nature of all emotions is similar. Hatred speaks from mind to mind, till the cloud of hatred draws to it all the people in that space even when the person is usually rational.

The Heaven and Hell You Create

Why is it so that a person... a failure in India succeeds in life in USA? In spite of his best efforts one fails to run an enterprise because of the bureaucratic interferences in India! In the US, it is the free enterprise system that keeps USA the number one country of the world. Hard-working and sincere people normally succeed in life... An almost perfect law and order always in standby!

Swarga (living in Heaven) is a relative concept. While in Swarga Heaven ... an atman the soul within is not expected to work ... it is but to enjoy the fruits of its labor. In the materialistic West ... it is normally observed that people are contented. It is not like India where people madly run after money. In India money is the goal ... in the West money is but a means to live a comfortable life.

In the West people do not engage themselves in gossip and look forward to spending their day wisely. For them it is a new life every day... A new birth in the morning and the death of their body when they go to sleep! They do not want to think of the past or the future! This habit of living day to day keeps them absolutely fit and fine. If they are contented with the materialistic trend then where is the problem? Black sheep always exist in the society. Some people are born only to break the laws... we need to take care lest we may suffer at the hands of destiny!

The people in the West are very cordial ... very hard-working ... no gossips ... concentrating on their jobs ... a satisfaction writ on their faces. People had no dearth of materialistic riches ... it is a different matter that most were immune to spirituality.

Whatever I have gained in life could have easily fetched me above a carores of Rupees by now. Money and comforts is never the goal of a true seeker ... such things are sought only by those who care for material riches, comforts and status in life. It is not that remaining all the time contented with life I speak in such a way ... even if the whole Cosmos and its riches are put at my command ... would I desire anything out of it other than two meals per day and an average life. Spiritual masters were never after the Midas touch!

The Indian traditions keep the children emotionally attached to the parents for a very long time ... totally contrary to what is practiced in the west ... not that the people in the west do not love their parents ... yet, they live their own life totally detached from what their parents may have expected of them to do.

Is that all to life we are supposed to live ... what of the values we attach to our relationships with our parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and our friends.

The mortal frame of a person affects us Indians so badly that when it leaves it practically becomes impossible for us to continue with our life ... yet, life has to go on! We all know very well that one who has come shall always leave ... for life is not in our hands but we are to only perform our Karma within this life span.