Prabhuji Speaks
2
Panchadasi
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Soundarya Lahari
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Sri Lalitha Sahasranama
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Patanjali Yoga Sutra
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LADS - Chapter 8
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The monthly ezine from the Light of the Self Foundation
Divya Jyothi
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Prabhuji Speaks Independence Day Independent: Bharat Mata is without a second. 'Alone she consumes the negative world, alone she establishes the Sanatana Dharma, alone she creates the Spiritual Universe, and hence she is called the One. ‘Alone’ means Independ‐ ent. The day when we are not dependent on anyone, anybody, anything that day is the celebration of Independence Day. One means 'Independent' – 'Alone'. Only 'This' and nothing else is the Supreme Truth. The body mind or intel‐ lect cannot perceive or experience this Independence. Once the sadaka goes beyond their limitations of viewing, there will be no need to visualize, identify or understand the 'Alone'. This is independence. How can one visualize 'independence' in this world? How do you recognize the features of your 'face' in particular? Is it by experiencing the reflection in any reflectors, if you had not seen the reflection of your face, in your life time, in any of the reflector, like may be mirror, water, you would not have recognized your face at all. Just as you cannot experience the features of your face without reflector, you cannot experience 'independence' that is beyond Visualization without reflector. To experience the 'independence' you need reflector, who is the reflector? It is Sadguru. Only when Sadguru (Shiva) is endowed with Shakti ‐ Shakti (The Knowledge of Wisdom), you would be able to experience independence.' The mir‐ ror reflects the image, but the image does not improve the mirror' ‐ Jnana Yoga. The Mirror (reflector) is Conscious‐ ness; the image (reflection) is your Self. Mirror is Pure Consciousness and the image is Chetana Shakti. When the Knowledge of Wisdom showers on you, you can see your own Self 'independence'. How can creation be different from creator? You are not different from the creator. When the creation merges with creator, it becomes 'Alone – Inde‐ pendent', One without a second ‐ Alone. Intellect is Reflector, intellect on its own cannot make the images reflect as it is covered with the impressions called the dust, once the dust is removed with the Knowledge of Wisdom, the intel‐ lect merges with the reflector and shines out with the image of independence – Independent. This is Independence Day. Colours on our National Flag If there is any colour that symbolizes all aspects of Hinduism, it is Saffron – the colour of Agni or fire. Fire burns away the darkness and brings light and it is symbolic of knowledge burning ignorance that is important to Self – knowledge. Fire or agni represents the symbol of ancient Vedic rites. Saints and ascetics use this colour which shows that they have renounced the world. Wearing saffron colour symbolizes the quest for Knowledge of Wisdom. White is the colour of milk and colour of purity, it represents religious abstinence, resultant purity. As a symbol, white is the opposite of black, and often represents light in contrast with darkness. White is the colour most often associated with innocence, perfection and the Knowledge. Black is ignorance and white is the Knowledge. Green is the colour of na‐ ture life. Grass green is the most restful colour. Green symbolizes self – Atman. The inconvenience to carry a burning substance over long distances may have given rise to the symbol of a saffron flag. Triangular and often forked saffron flags are seen fluttering atop most Hindu temples. Ashoka Chakra – Ashoka Chakra represents the eternal bliss. Ashoka means without any grief. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan India's first Vice President described the flag as follows: ''Bhagwan or the saffron colour denotes renunciation. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the center is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to soil. The "Ashoka Chakra" in the center of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma, Truth or Satya. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change. It also represents 24 x 7 how an true Indian has to be.'' You have seen the national emblem of India. Engraved in the national emblem one of the teachings of Mundaka Upanishad – “Satyameva Jayate” – Truth alone triumphs. That is the theme of Mundaka Upanishad. Truth is God, and God is Truth. The focus of Mundaka Upanishad is Supreme Truth –knowing which one becomes liberated and experi‐ ences the Supreme bliss of Self‐realization. Understanding the teaching of the Mundaka Upanishad, one realizes that my essential nature is the Truth. I am the light of Truth (Atmajyothi).
Divya Jyothi
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Panchadasi - Tatva Viveka Samasti risah sarvesam svatma tadatmya vedanat Tada bhavat tato’nye tu katheyante vyasti sam jnaya ||25 || Being identified with the totality the Isvara is called samasti, while the jiva being devoid of identity with totality, is called vyasti. ||25 || Isvara is referred to the totality or completeness. This is because maya is under his control. Jiva has to gain control over prakriti, only then can it realize its true nature, Sat‐cit‐ananda. One need to do the spiritual sadhana to overcome this. Nature is of pairs of opposites. Overcoming this means to accept the world which exists in pairs of opposites. Spiritual sadhana should to unconditional and reason‐ less love for every one without a trace of bitterness. One has to conquer the external world first and bring it under their control, and then only one can deal with the inner world – the mind. Jiva is one who experienc‐ es the gross Universe. The visible, manifest Universe that is experienced by human beings or living beings who have lost Ananda (Bliss). Isvara is one who realizes he is Consciousness. What‐ ever is happening in waking and dreaming state are the manifestation of the Lord. However, Sakshi (Witness) or the experiencer is one but the appearanc‐ es are many! In Jagrat or waking state, mind pursues external ob‐ jects because of which our awareness is directed out‐ wards and we experience the gross objects. One who forgets, loses one’s Self‐awareness and experiences the gross physical world is Jiva and the one who realizes their true nature and identity is Isvara. Jiva and Isvara are same! Out of sheer ignorance, you enjoy and experience the outer gross world with seven parts of the individual or Jiva and seven aspects of Virat Purusha ‐ head, eyes, nose, chest, trunk, legs and kidneys. A Jiva has nineteen faces. They are Sense organs (Jnanedriyas) ‐ eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin, Organs of actions (Karmendriyas) ‐ hands, legs, mouth, sex organ and anus, Five Pranas ‐ prana, apana, vyana, udana and samana. Mind (Manas), Intellect (Buddhi),
Ego (Ahamkara) and Sub‐conscious mind (Chitta). Mind, intellect, ego and sub‐conscious mind or the internal aspect collectively is called Antahkarana. With all these nineteen aspects an individual or jiva experiences the outer gross world. In the waking state, experiencing the world through the body and mind is like wearing spectacles. The being in waking state is called Vaishvanara as he is looking at Vishwa (the gross world). In Swapna (dream state) the being is called Taijasa. In this state too, the being has seven angas (organs) and nineteen faces, just like in the waking state. While in the waking state the organs represent the gross organs of the body, in dream state the organs are that of the subtle body. For example in the dream state of a man/woman, the dreamer may go back to childhood – become a child using the subtle body of the child. The subtle body of the child in the dream also has similar organs as that of gross body. For Brahman, the entire Universe is his body– sky is his head, sun is his eyes, the space between is his trunk, earth is his feet, air is his breath, water is his kidneys. As Vaishvanara, you have seven parts or as‐ pects known as head, eyes, nose, chest, trunk, kidneys and legs. This is the comparison of Universe or the macro (Brahmanda) and individual or micro (Pindanda). Universe – macro and individual – micro are same but appear as different. What is in Brahman‐ da is also in Pindanda and what is in Pindanda is also in Brahmanda. This is why it is called sapta angah. Knowing that the total waking state and the total dreaming state is because of Isvara – the Conscious‐ ness is Self‐Realization. These states appear and dis‐ appear alternatively.
Divya Jyothi
Soundarya Lahari: Verse 13
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old man with sattva guna; ugly with rajo guna and dull‐ ard with tamo guna. Old man with sattva guna refers to a Jnani. Old man does not mean his bodily age but the age of his spiritual Sadhana. His highest level of wisdom. Ugly refers to the rajo guna aspect of a human being. It is avidya or ignorance. Dullard refers to the tamo guna aspect of human being. Let us go through deeply about these qualities. When the nature of a human being is sattva guna pradhana means when the sattava guna predominates and the three gunas are in a state of equilibrium it is called ma‐ ya. When the nature full of sattva guna pradhana re‐ flects, that reflected knowledge keeps the maya under control. That reflection identified with maya is old man in this Shloka, full of Wisdom – Jnana vruddi advanced in knowledge and not vayo vruddi the general meaning.
नरं वष यांसं नयन वरसं नम सु जडं तवापा गालोके प तत-मनध ु ावि त शतशः । गल!वेणीब धाः कुचकलश- वि&'&त-(सचया हटात ् ', ु य-का.यो वग(लत-दक ु ू ला यव ु तयः ॥ 13 ॥ Naram varshiyamsam nayana virasam narmasu jadam, Thava panga loke pathitha manudhavanthi sathasa Gala dweni bhandha kuch kalasa visthrutha sichaya Hatath thrudyath kanchyho vigalidha dhukoola yuva thaya. || 13 || With dishevelled hair, With upper cloths slipping from their busts, With the lock of the golden belt getting open due to the haste, And with saris slipping away from their shoulders, Hundreds of young lasses, Run after the men, Who get your sidelong glance, Even though they are very old, Bad looking and not interested in love sports. Victory in the matters of love The meaning of the Shloka is ‐ What if the man attained very old age; wretchedly ugly and also a dunderhead in speaking; if a ray of glance from a corner end of your eyelid touches him; hundreds of youthful women start running for him with their dropping braids of hairdo, fallen covers on breasts and also getting rid of the clothes on their waists. When we analyse deeply we can understand the deeper meaning of this Shloka. General‐ ly, the human beings, according to their nature of Satt‐ va, rajas and tamo gunas can be divided into three cate‐ gories as enlightened edified and dullards. We will find these three qualities of the person as an old man, ugly and a dullard. Here the three qualities can be divided as
The nature of a human being contaminated with rajas and tamas and when the three gunas are not in the state of equilibrium, it is – avidya ignorance. When the nature is contaminated with rajas and tamas, that reflected na‐ ture has no control over avidya or maya. The reflection identified with avidya is referred to ugly and dullard in this Shloka. Let us understand what maya and avidya is? Let us see how the sattva guna controls the maya and how the rajo guna and tamo guna is stuck in avidya. Maya – The sattva guna pradana can control the maya. For example, let us take the wheel as prakriti. The wheel has three spokes; they are sattva guna, rajo guna and tamo guna. These are the three qualities in nature; the entire universe is the reflection of these three qualities, even in us these three qualities make us act. Sattva guna is happiness and peace, rajo guna is activities and tamo guna is dullness. These three qualities come in different proportions at different points of time. The example for sattva guna pradana is Vibhishana. Even though he is born as a demon, he is peaceful and happy. His mind always goes towards God or inner con‐ sciousness. This is the quality of a person of sattva guna, mind is engaged in spiritual practices, meditation and realizing God. He has control over maya. He can dis‐ criminate the inputs of the sense organs what has to be accepted and what to reject from the mind. Vibhishana is the reflection of old man in this Shloka – Jnana vruddi. Brahman where sattva guna is dominating and maya is under his control. This is Ishvara Enlightened being – old man. Avidya ‐ The example for Rajo guna is Ravana, always hyperactive, kidnapping etc, does what all he wants. Ravana refers to the ugly in this Shloka. The example for tamo guna is Kumbhakarna, six months
Divya Jyothi
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sleeping six months eating. Kumbakarna refers to the dullard in this Shloka. Here Ravana and Kumbhakarna have no control over maya. They are stuck in maya due to avidya. They say they are awake. No, they are in deep sleep they do not have awareness and they do not have the knowledge.
moves upwards in the body from just below Muladhara chakra to Sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head.
In all these three qualities sattva guna takes you to real‐ ization. All your spiritual practices Sadhana is to make your mind sattva.
The three channels are united in their origin in the ba‐ sal centre (Muladhara) and hence they are called Yukta ‐triveni, (three streams united). The streams are subtle and representatives of the river Ganga‐ida, the riv‐ er Yamuna‐pingala, and the hidden river Saraswati‐ Sushumana.
What if the man attained very old age – sattva; wretch‐ edly ugly – rajo and also a dullard – tamo in speaking. All these qualities bind him. Sattva is also like a bird in a golden cage. A cage is a cage; what difference does it make if it is made of gold! But if a ray of glance from a corner end of the Universal Mother’s eyelid touches him; all the materialistic desires drop and he will move towards the Universal Mother and become one in her.
The central channel being blocked is responsible for the separation of Shakti and Shiva (pure conscious‐ ness). The awakening and arising of Kundalini uncoil‐ ing itself, along the central channel and reaching the thousand petalled lotus is the union of Shiva and Shak‐ ti ‐ The eternal Bliss. tārākānti tiraskāri nāsābharaOa bhāsurā : She who has a nose ring which shines more than the star
Lalitha Sahasranama नवच4पक पु5पाभ नासाद7ड वरािजता । ताराकाि त तर&का8र नासाभरण भासुरा ॥ 7 ॥ navacampaka puspābha nāsādanda virājitā tārākānti tiraskāri nāsābharansa bhāsurā || 7 || navacampaka puspābha nāsādanda virājitā :
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She who has nose like freshly opened flowers of cham‐ paka Champaka pushpa has three rows: a small row, a little larger and the third one is larger still. The three rows represent subtle channels known as nadis through which the energy circulates. Ida, pingala and sushumna. Ida is the left channel. Ida is white, feminine, cold. It represents the moon and is originated from Muladhara. Ida ends up in the left nostril. Pingala is the right channel. Pingala is red, masculine, and hot. It represents the sun and is originated in Mu‐ ladhara. Pingala ends up in the right nostril. Sushumna is the central channel. Within the Sushumna nadi there are three more subtle channels: Vajra, Chitrini and Brahma nadi through which Kundalini
Stars represent the Devatas – the shining ones. Devata ‐ means light ‐ shining ones. This is not physical light. Light of consciousness shining through sense organs. Devata is Indra means master of Indriyas ‐ master of sense organs. Usually we say Indradi Devatas. Indira is the master of all Devatas. When the Devatas are in some trouble, the Universal Mother manifest to sup‐ port them, to help them, to safeguard them. Indira means the lord of ‘Indriyas’ all other Devatas are his subordinates. When Indradi Devatas pleaded for help from Universal Mother, she manifested out of compassion. Even though they are Devatas they are not liberated, they are sure of getting attracted towards the sensual pleasures and are bound to be in trouble. As jīvas (human be‐ ings) need food for survival, Devatas need Amrutha for survival. As human beings are attracted towards the sensual pleasure, Devatas are also attracted. The only difference is they live for a long time, but after their good karmas are over, they have to take birth as human beings. They can never get liberated as Devatas, they can enjoy until a point of time. Indradi Devatas are our sense organs. There are jnanendriyas; Objective Mind; Subconscious Mind – with egoistic impressions (samskara), memories (smriti) –which is nothing but identification of objects; Subjective Mind (intellect) – Buddhi the decision‐
Divya Jyothi
making; Karmendriyas – the output to organs of action (leg‐motion, hand‐grasping, mouth‐speech, sex organs‐ reproduction, anus‐excretion). Moreover the ego and ignorance which are always together and are stubborn. The inputs from sense organs are received by the objec‐ tive mind (manas). When the senses become aware of some object, an impression of the object is created in the objective mind. The objective mind queries “what is this object”? For further processing, the inputs pass through the subconscious mind (chitta) – vast store house of memory and egoistic impressions (samskaras) When the match for the object is found in memory (smriti) associated egoistic impressions (samskaras) arise from the subconscious. For example if chair is the object seen by the senses, chitta identifies the object as “plastic chair or wooden chair”. Egoistic impressions color the perception with “my chair, nice chair ... etc.” The intellect takes decision based on the inputs from chitta and directs the organs of action. Due to accumu‐ lated impressions (samskaras), there is sense of ego – (ahankara) and this leads to the ignorance in every deci‐ sion making. This ego and ignorance sense is our lower self. This lower self is Bhandasura – The stubborn na‐ ture that is very difficult to eradicate. When these sense organs are fed up of the outer world (materialistic), they start moving inwards surrendering completely to the Universal Mother Sri Lalita. The devatas become the nose ring of the mother which shines more than the star.
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Zen Koans Soldiers of Humanity Once a division of the Japanese army was engaged in a sham battle, and some of the officers found it necessary to make their headquarters in Gasan's temple. Gasan told his cook: "Let the officers have only the same simple fare we eat." This made the army men angry, as they were used to very defer‐ ential treatment. One came to Gasan and said: "Who do you think we are? We are soldiers, sacrificing our lives for our coun‐ try. Why don't you treat us accordingly?" Gasan answered sternly: "Who do you think we are? We are sol‐ diers of humanity, aiming to save all sentient beings.".
The Stone Mind Hogen, a Chinese Zen teacher, lived alone in a small temple in the country. One day four travel‐ ing monks appeared and asked if they might make a fire in his yard to warm themselves. While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said: "There is a big stone. Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?" One of the monks replied: "From the Buddhist viewpoint everything is an objectification of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind." "Your head must feel very heavy," observed Hogen, "if you are carrying around a stone like that in your mind."
Source: http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html
Divya Jyothi
Patanjali Yoga Sutras All life is one! One day we were in a seminar where vegetarian and a non‐vegetarian meal was being served. I was eating vegetarian so somebody came and asked me why I was not eating non‐vegetarian and he asked me rather why he should not eat non‐vegetarian. Then I told him that I don’t know why you should not eat non‐vegetarian, that is your choice but I will tell you why my choice is vegetarian and told him that non‐vegetarian food in Sanskrit is called Mamsaha. Sanskrit is a beautiful lan‐ guage; the meaning of the word is embedded in the word itself. Mamsah means “Mamah saha khayati iti mamsaha” which means that if you eat the meat and flesh of somebody, you are entering into a kar‐ mic contract with that being, one day you will offer your meat and flesh to that being. You are entering into a karmic contract when you are killing animals, inflicting suffering to the animals, destroying the envi‐ ronment. In some way you will destroy yourself be‐ cause the whole Universe is one being. When you cut your finger it is not the finger alone that feels the pain, you feel the pain. You cut a tree and in reality you are cutting yourself, kill an animal and in reality you are hurting yourself. We are not able to see this because of our ego and selfishness. Once the ego expands and you see in an egoless state, then you understand the one‐ ness of life. Life is one, there are no two lives, there is no your life and my life, there is only one life and if you inflict any damage and hurt on life, there will be a consequence to bear and that is the Law of Karma. Last and most important Yagna is called Rishi yajna. Rishi yajna is thinking, contemplating, studying and propagating the teachings of enlightened masters, re‐ alized beings and implementing them in our life. What we read these days are newspaper which report people dying on the road but not acts of kindness. Negativity, violence is news. If one is continuously exposed to such negativity, violence through media, television etc the mind gets filled with that. We have to elevate ourselves with higher thoughts, truth and principles which make our mind silent and peaceful. The teachings of realized persons, enlightened be‐ ings, Rishis, have to be contemplated on, meditated upon and implemented in our life and passed on to
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others. When the Pancha yajnas are not performed, the mind becomes stressed. These five yajna are called house‐ holders duties ‐Grihastahrama Dharma. Grihastas have to perform these five yajnas every day and that was the principle. As householders are not performing these yajnas, their family life is strained causing stress in the family. Today marriages often happen out of at‐ traction and infatuation between man and woman. Af‐ ter some time that attraction fades off. Life goes around I, me, and mine. How long can such a relationship sur‐ vive? The circle of ‘I, me and mine’ should expand to include all life and that happens through yagna. Tapas of the body involves physical aus‐ terity, practices, right food and performing Pancha yaj‐ nas daily.
Divya Jyothi
LADS ‐ Chapter 8 Nature always moves towards the New Shloka 2.22 vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya navani grhnati naro 'parani tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany anyani samyati navani dehi As a person puts on new clothes, giving up the old ones, similarly, the Atma accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. It was a Saturday evening and Kishan was getting ready to attend his Cousin's birthday party. As usual, he took out his favourite shirt and pair of jeans from the cupboard. He was wearing the shirt very carefully as it was now short and tight for him. Even with much care, the shirt tore. At the same time, Grandpa Hari came into the room searching for her spectacles. He was surprised to see Kishan sad.
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away if they are torn." Kishan took away that shirt from Grandpa Hari and said, "No Grandpa, I will not give this shirt to anybody else. This will be with me forever.” Grandpa Hari came closer and said, "Kishan, look at me, my body has grown old, my hands and legs are no longer strong. This body is not capable of doing any‐ thing, these eyes cannot see properly nor can these ears listen sharply. When this body becomes com‐ pletely useless to me and also to others around me, then the life inside the body will leave this body and get into a new body. Exactly like leaving the old clothes and wearing new clothes. Life inside does not feel sad about leaving this body because the body is old and is not useful anymore. It will accept a new body which can be used to do good things. Is it not better to leave something that is old and cannot be used and accept something that is new and can be used?”
Grandpa Hari asked, "What is the matter Kishu? Just a few minutes ago you were excited about leaving to the birthday party. What happened all of a sudden?”
Kishan said, “Yes Grandpa, Dad had an old car before, he got it repaired few times and when it was not possi‐ ble to repair it anymore, he bought a new one. Now I know what I should be doing with this shirt. Thank you Grandpa.”
Kishan said, "Grandpa, see here, my favourite shirt is torn. Dad bought this shirt for my eighth year birthday. I like this shirt so much that I have been wearing only this shirt to all parties. What do I do now?"
Kishan hugged Grandpa Hari and then went up to his cupboard, took out a new shirt and wore it.
Grandpa Hari picked up the shirt, looked at it carefully and said, "I am sorry Kishu, it cannot be fixed. It’s alright, you have more than a couple of new shirts, why don’t you wear one of those? This shirt was anyway small for you." Kishan said "No way Grandpa, I do not want to wear any other shirt, I like this shirt very much. If I cannot wear it then I will not go to the party." Grandpa Hari was surprised. He said, "Oh dear, every dress will get torn over a period of time. You have been using this shirt for the last three years, no wonder it tore. You have grown taller, how many more years do you expect to fit into this shirt? Your body is growing day by day, but your shirts and pants will not grow, isn’t it? Moreover, your parents buy you new clothes every now and then. Why do you want only the old one? They are of no use to you now. You should give them away to poor children or throw them
He came out of his room and said, "Grandpa, I will make a bag with the torn shirt and give all the shirts which are small for me to someone who can use it". “That’s my boy!” said Grandpa Hari.
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KOMAL’S YOGA
KOMAL’S YOGA