Year 21
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Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission
Issue 2
Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission Aug 2014 : Year 21 / Issue 2 Editor: Swamini Samatananda Saraswati
ukga euq";ks u p nso;{kkS u czkã.k&{kf=;&oS';'kwnkz %A u czãpkjh u x`gh ouLFkks fÒ{kquZ pkga futcks/k:i%AA I am not a human being, nor am I a devata or any yaksha. I cannot be categorized in any of the four varnas - of Brahmain, Kshatriya, Vayshya or a Shudra, nor can I be classified as a Brahmachari, Gruhasthi, Vanprasthi or even a Sanyasi. I am basically pure cosciousness. Hastamalaka Stotram - 2
Published by
International Vedanta Mission http://www.vmission.org.in / vmission@gmail.com
Section Index
1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Message of P. Guruji Tattva Bodha Letter Gita Reflections Jivanmukta Yoga Vasistha Story Section VM News VM Activities Album VM Programs
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5 6-7 9 10-11 13 14-15 17 18 19 20-21 23
from Poojya Guruji Arise Awake ! Religion without philosophy is superstition, and philosophy without religion is idealism. As such all practices of Hindu religion have a clear & validated vision & philosophy behind them. Take puja for example. We may start with taking one particular form as divine, but slowly & steadily the scriptures guide us to wake up to the truth of God. The God of Hindus is not limited to a form, but pervades and also transcends everything. He is infinite, non-dual, he is of the nature of pure, uncontaminated blissful, self-effulgent, existence. He is the substratum of the entire creation, that from which the creation comes, in which it sustains and unto which it all goes back. We do not start puja with the notion that we know God, but with humility that we just believe in his existence and wish to be blessed by the knowledge of his truth. Puja is never taken as a direct means of knowing God, but is an initial sadhana wherein we simply affirm the existence of God to our own hearts. If we remain focused & humble, and continue to take proper directions, then we can be blessed to realize the truth of God. We can not only 'see' God in everything but more specifically 'see' everything as God, including ourself. One of the indicators of a man of knowledge is that 'He sees himself in everything and everything in him'. Basically the philosophy of Hinduism culminates in revealing the identity of Bhakta & Bhagwan, the Jiva & Brahman. This being so, we can theoretically begin to see God in anything & anyone, and then start our divine journey. Many people however tend to take these principles as their personal freedom to worship any form of God 'as they wish'. This amounts to not knowing the very basics of Hinduism, in fact such people blatantly misuse an ancient tradition & system for some other petty ends. When the very beginning should be by humbling appreciating our ignorance about the truth of God, how can anyone start by arrogantly declaring someone as God. Taking any form of God cannot be a matter of licentiousness, but has to be as per the directions of shastras. When we follow the directions of shastras then along with this initial sadhana of puja comes a whole package deal wherein is revealed a long divine journey involving karma, dhyana & gyana, which slowly & steadily helps us to realize God as our own Self. The shastras slowly and steadily reveal the finer levels of devotion, and as the impurities like personal likes & dislikes start getting reduced & replaced with openness & acceptance of the beauty of everything that is, one starts waking up to a different world all together. They start seeing a beautiful order in the whole world, they start experiencing the propriety of what is. Objectivity in thinking develops. The mind which was earlier burning with so many worries, desires, anger etc, now becomes thoughtful & quiet. As Gita says a sattwic person with selfless devotion is blessed with qualities like equanimity. Their thoughtfulness is retained in both cordial & uncordial situations. They become blessed with the capacity to delve deeper into the things in which they were earlier reacting thoughtlessly as per their personal whims & fancies. So puja & upasana are highly technical and philosophically validated sadhanas of Hinduism. The great Acharyas conducted shastrarthas (philosophical debates) to validate each & every principle of their philosophy & its religion. The scriptures take pain to reveal the smallest step in this package deal. Realization of the truth of God is indeed a very subtle thing, and our journey in that direction can start when we religiously & humbly follow the directions of the awakened masters. I see the ongoing concerns of one of our Sankaracharyas to misuse our principles of Hinduism by some people to worship some Muslim saint who use to serve poor lovingly. We in India can never mind anyone following any faith as they wish or even respecting anyone, but when it comes to misusing our time-tested & validated systems, then a voice of dissent is justified. India is one of the rare few countries in the world in which people of all faiths & beliefs are free to live as per their beliefs, provided it does not hamper the belief of others, however, how can we accept blatant misuse of our systems. The Acharyas who have been given this responsibility to maintain the purity of their systems will have to voice dissent, because it amounts to distorting their traditions & systems for objectives for which they were not meant. The sadhana which was initially a divine journey towards the transcendental has now been reduced to a ritual which is all about blatant self-gratification. If no one raises any voice then ultimately our scripturally validated principles will be distorted & replaced by these superficial neotraditions which are based on appeasement of ego rather than its effacement. India has had so many non-Hindu rulers who have tried to destroy our traditions that today it is so difficult to find our true traditions in our various temples. Hinduism is profound, it is unique, it stands apart from everyone else, it is worthy of being celebrated - only if we know its real message & objectives. It is in fact worthy to be spread all over the world. The world needs its profoundity & magnanimity very badly today. However, we need to set our own house in order first, wherein we have systems by which the real vision is revealed to their own believers. This alone will stop all the various kinds of misuses, distortions or destructions. We indeed need to.
Tattva Bodha An Introductory Text-Book of Advaita Vedanta Tattva Bodha is a fundamental text of Vedanta which provides a necessary platform for the beginners of Vedantic knowledge.It defines the fundamental terms used in Vedanta like the Atman, Ishwara, Jiva, Maya etc in a very simple and clear cut manner. Although it gives us very crisp definitions of various Vedantic terms yet it is not just a text that randomly defines certain terms but the text as a whole gives us an overview of Vedantic knowledge in a capsule form. It gives answers to questions regarding the fundamental principles of Vedanta covering the entire spectrum of the knowledge of Truth. Who am I? Where have I come from? What is the goal of my life? Who is God? Who is the creator of this world? What is Maya etc? This beautiful text is written by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. The most unique quality of this text is that the entire text is presented in a dialogue form between the disciple and the teacher. It is a classic example of the Upanishadic pattern of learning where the teacher blesses the student with knowledge in an intense and intimate one to one discussion. The answers of all the questions raised are crisp and precise and yet each answer being pregnant with deep implications. Tattva Bodha in one sentence means the knowledge of Truth. Let us see what Tattva Bodha means in a more deeper form. Tattva means the Truth: 'Tattva' means the truth or essence of a thing. For example the essence or the truth of fire is heat. Fire may manifest in any form, like a blue flame, a yellow flame, in small or big flames but the basic truth of fire is heat. Truth of something is that which will never change or get destroyed irrespective of any time, place and object. Fire is hot any where and at any time. The heat of fire can never be destroyed. We can never have a cold fire. Similarly Vedanta reveals to us the truth of the Self. What is the truth of the Self? Is it what we perceive ourselves to be as of today or is there some deeper truth of our own Self which we are not aware of? Vedanta reveals to us that the identity of the Self which we know as of today is an imaginary and false identity which is based on what we can perceive of the Self in the world outside. Our true identity is much beyond the superficial identity that we carry of the Self today. Our perception of the Self today is that of a physical body and mind who is born one day, who lives for some time in this world and dies away. I see myself as a limited being today in search of happiness that can fulfill me forever, and yet this search seems to go on forever and ever. This is where the knowledge of Vedanta comes as a
liberator. A liberator from the shackles of the bondage of seeking and revealing to us our own Truth that is limitless and free from the limitations of time and space. The truth of the Self that is ever existent and blissful life principle. Amazingly this truth not just the truth of one individual self but it is the truth of every living and non living being in this universe. One must always aim to gain the knowledge of truth to free the Self of constant misery which is only a product of ignorance and has no real existence. Know the truth or the Tattva of the Self which is not attained from outside but is the very nature of the Self. ‘Bodha’ means knowledge: Bodha-means to know, to be aware of something. Knowledge of Self is a very tricky game. Unlike any other knowledge, here the very knower has to be known, making this knowledge unique by itself. One must understand here that knowing the nature of the Self is not gaining a divine experience on the seat of meditation. It is not like seeing some light, or hearing some bells or any other form of experience for that matter. Experiences always take place in the realm of duality. There is an object of experience, an experiencer and the experience. The
Vedanta Sandesh
Upanishad gives us a specific process of learning where Yagnavalkya Rishi says that the 'Atman is really worth seeing. One should 'see' the Atma by Sravana, Manana & Niddidhyasana'. Which means that one should first hear these scriptures from a 'right teacher', then reflect on what is being revealed by him, and finally meditate on it till the knowledge is assimilated thoroughly. This alone is the means of knowledge.
truth about any experience is that it is always changeable and impermanent. It is bound by the limitations of time & place. Whereas the nature of the Self is not limited to time & place. I know my presence at all times. Even in deep sleep state there is a very subtle awareness of the Self therefore I can wake up and say I slept well. On the other hand any experience of any object or situation is constantly changing. In such a case how can an unstable and changing thing give us eternal joy and permanent security. This is the nature of the objective world and it's experiences. Although experiencing something gives a good feeling, but it is all so momentary. Even in that case, the possibility of happiness and sorrow in an experience is dependant on knowledge. I am happy or unhappy because of my understanding about the self and the world. Our convictions decide the natur of our experience. One must have authentic convictions. Our present conviction is responsible for our happiness & sorrow, our bondage. It is unauthentic and illusory because we are only attracted & fascinated by the impermanent objective world. Therefore right knowledge is the only means to seeing the world as it is and relating with it on a realistic platform. That is liberation. So, a spiritual seeker desirous of knowing the truth of the Self, simply aims to know the facts, in the process of which even the knower is ultimately dropped. What remains is the pure existence of the Self.
’Bodha’-Knowledge is of two types: Knowledge is of two types. Direct knowledge & Indirect knowledge. Indirect knowledge is a logical deduction which is got by having faith towards the teacher and the Scriptures. It displaces our present illusory convictions.This is the truth that we see through the eyes of the teacher. This is what we see when we sit at the Feet of the Master and listen to his teachings. This type of knowledge acts a s a pointer to Direct understanding of the Truth. Having gone through further clarification of doubts and contemplation to bring about a steadfast knowledge one then awakens into Direct knowledge where even the knower himself is dropped. Direct knowledge alone is bodha. Who is eligible for this knowledge? A sadhaka who has lived a life of righteousness and has thus purified his mind of various conditionings. One who sees anitya(impermanent) as anitya he invokes the curiocity to know the truth. He opens the door to knowing the nitya(permanent). One who has not seen the limitations of the impermanent will never be desirous to know the eternal. Such a person will take up the means of actions, astrology, and such things to keep going. Such a person is samsari. Only a person who has relatively discriminated between the permanent & the impermanent, one who has dispassion towards worldly pleasures is eligible. for this knowledge.
The Means of knowledge of Truth: Knowledge of Self can take place only by Sabda Pramana. The words of wise people alone is the means of knowledge in this case. The problem is only about not knowing the truth hence bringing about knowledge by the words of Men of wisdom is the only means. We just have to understand their teachings which opens the doors of Self knowledge. Chandogya
After completing the commentary on Atma-Bodha from this issue we start the study of another introductory text of Vedanta - Tattva Bodha. Tattva Bodha is the best place to begin for any new student of Vedanta. It provides the basic principles of Vedanta, without going into any dialectics. The style is question & answers, the language is very simple and straight forward, and is written in prose. -7-
The Four Seasons There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfilment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfilment of your fall.
Vedanta Sandesh
Introspection Hari om,
Nice to see your honest introspection. A clear appreciation that an individual is limited and bound by his/her self-generated actions, thoughts & relationships - is indeed a factual appreciation. Where ever you go these values & perceptions To live at the level of 'ego' is just a matter of your choice,
not
is
any, can never be to go to some other place etc., nor even gliding into some other state of mind temporarily.
a
necessity. All what is required
shall go with you and so will the bondage, so the real solution, if
to
explore the truth of your Self - very sincerely & deeply. - Poojya Guruji
Acceptance of the inevitability of limitations at this realm of existence does reduce the pain to a large extent, but certainly it all continues to exist. To live at the level of 'ego' is just a matter of your choice, not a necessity. All what is required is to explore the truth of your Self - very sincerely & deeply. Study of Tattva Bodha is a step in that direction. We are sure that that any sincere & open-minded person will surely get necessary directions for this self-exploration & knowledge.
Love & om
Swami Atmananda
-9-
by
Natve vaaham jaatu naasam
Swamini Samatananda
A human being grieves as naturally as a duck takes to water. Grief can come about on various accounts but most of all we grieve at the loss of someone who is extremely dear to us. Often grief can overpower us even at the thought of losing someone very close to the heart. In the second chapter of the Gita Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna some very logical truths and scriptural evidences as to why it is not worth grieving. Arjuna too was facing a dillema between rightousness and unrighteousness regarding fighting the war of Mahabharata. As this war was not just another of the umpteen number of wars that Arjuna may have fought before. It was a war of righteousness where, in the process of which not only the lives of all the family kinsmen was at stake but the glory and dignity of relationships of teacher & student, of father & son, of grandfather and grandson and all such relationships was also at stake. Hence such a grave situation proved to be as edgy as walking on a two sided sword. In such a situation grief was inevitable for Arjuna where the very thought of his revered teachers and elders dying by his own bow and arrow shattered him. Arjuna's case is a classic example of all mankind where grief sets in and hypnotises the human mind with the very thought of taking a harsh decision and losing a near & dear one. All of us are struck by intense grief when any of our beloved is taken over by the God of death. How can man handle such a grief stricken mind set which shudders at the very thought of death. The Gita gives us significant insights on this facet of death. Life & Death are a cyclic journey from the manifest unto the unmanifest: In the Gita Lord krishna says 'Jaatasya hi dhruvo mriyu dhruvam janm mritasya cha'-All that is born dies one day and that which dies is born again. Basically life and death is coming from the unmanifest to the manifest and then going back into the unmanifest, the cycle of which goes on endlessly untill one realises the Truth of the Self and the world. In such a case what is manifestation and how does it lure us and what is going into the unmanifest and how does it bring about grief? Manifestation & Unmanifestation: Manifestation in simple language is taking birth somewhere as a human being or any other living being. It is dorning some name & form and interacting with the world and gaining experiences at the level of the body, mind and the intellect. This manifestation is involuntary in case of an ignorant Jiva who is bound by the cycle of birth and death due to his ignorance of the blissful Self and sense of limitation compelling him to eternal seeking of happiness in the outside world. It is during this phase of worldly life that we make relationships, experience the objective world live various kinds of emotions and knowledge. This intermingling casts various impressions of good & bad, hapinness and sorrow on the mind thus making us averse or attached to some situations and people. Life of a manifested being thus is a play of various such impressions of various people and beings intermingling with each other. The only difference is that a human being has the freedom to change his mental impressions or live with them, whereas an animal is programmed to live in a particular manner. In this journey when death embraces a human being or any other living being he suddenly goes into the unmanifest never to come back again. All the Vedanta Sandesh
There is a truth of the Self which is beyond the manifest and the unmanifest. That is the reality of everyone, which is its basic nature. I am ever existent. I was there before the manifest, during the manifest and will continue to be there after the manifestation.
gestures, all the intermingling unexpectedly comes to a halt, even though we all know death must come to one and all some day. This sudden disappearance of a beloved one is absolutely shattering for someone who is not awakened into the truth of life. Handling such a situation Sri Krishna says that life & death are an inevitable wave like pattern. All beings relate with each other on the basis of their attributes and mental impressions. The loss of someone pulls down the curtain of all expressions of the body, mind and intellect. -The lesson that one needs to learn from the world of manifestation is that all that is manifested constantly undergoes change and in course of time dies away too. Surely people and our relationships are all beautiful yet they are temperory. This is the very nature of the manifested world & is inevitable. -Secondly, hanging on to someone for hapinness and security will only make a person handicapped and dependant, whdhyere obviously we give the strings of our joys and sorrows in the hands of various other people, relationships, things and situations. -Taking the worldly manifestations to be real and eternal brings about false expectations only bringing about more misery and suffering in life. -Treat the manifested world as a wave in the ocean that is born, rises and then sinks away. At another level if one were to look at the mental bonding with our beloved ones then the identification brought about by pure, selfless love between two living beings be it between humans or animals, is so intense that one becomes united with the other person to the extent that even death cannot be a bar in feeling the presence of the beloved. Although the physical expression may not be there at the level of senses & the body yet we all know and experience how we can intensely feel the presence of someone who is extremely close to the heart. There is no sense of seperation in spite of death embracing the other. All one can feel is a loving presence of the beloved. Going into the unmanifest: Going into the unmanifest or embracing death is actually a blessing rather than a curse. Firstly it teaches us to be humble to accept the will of God. It inspires a person to enquire about the truth of life. Secondly, the beauty of life lies in the quality of life that one lives rather than quantity. A life lived fully with sensitivity and intelligence, with the right knowledge is more fulfilling than an ignorant, insensitive, self-centred life. If one has lived such a righteous life than there is no scope to grieve. Death then becomes a cultured escort opening the doors for a new fresh life or even being liberate in case of Men of wisdom who have nothing more to seek in the world. Beyond the Manifest & the Unmanifest: There is a truth of the Self which is beyond the manifest and the unmanifest. That is the reality of everyone, which is its basic nature. I am ever existent. I was there before the manifest, during the manifest and will continue to be there after the manifestation. I am that in which the waves of manifestation & unmanifestation dance & play, and yet I am untainted and unaffected. This is what Sri Krishna says in this sloka that it was never so that I or you or these warriors were never ther and neither will any of us cease to exist at any time. We wll always be there as the essential reality of every thing that is manifested and unmanifested. When one gains this wisdom then the blissful consciousness is forever there beyond the journey of birth and death. - 11 -
Quotes Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. Don’t think of cost. Think of value. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying. Think twice before reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay. Saying someone is ugly doesn’t make you any prettier. The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well. The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.
Vedanta Sandesh
Wandering in Himalayas Gangotri
A Colorful Route to Uttarkashi
25 Excerpts from the Travel Memoirs of Param Poojya Swami Tapovanji Maharaj
Gangotri is the holy place where Bhageeratha performed his penance. The forest where he lived and the rock on which he remained in meditation are still pointed out as Gangavanam and Bhageeratha Sila. But the true source of the Ganga is Gomukhi, 18 miles to the North of Gangotri. Gomukhi is a long and lovely heap of perpetual snow among the silvery peaks of the Himalayas. the melting snow forms small rills seen and unseen, which join together into a single stream. This is the origin of the Ganga. As there is no route leading beyond Gangotri, travelers seldom reach the real source of the river. Yet, in certain seasons, people with great powers of endurance and spirit of adventure do reach Gomukhi, defying all the physical discomforts on the way. If there be one among them who does not know that the peaks of the Himalayas are ever capped with bright shining snow, on looking towards the east, he is bound to exclaim, "Lo! the Ganga originates among these silvery mountains." From November to April, Gangotri is covered with snow on all sides. During that period it is almost inaccessible. Even the bear, native to this region, finds it impossible to stir out of his den to hunt prey. But in June devotees trickle into Gangotri. I believe that if a person is able, for once, to immerse in the holy waters of the Ganga at Gangotri and meditate upon the Holy Mother on her banks, even if it be only for five or ten minutes, he must be deemed to have fulfilled his life's purpose. Only the blessed ones come by such good fortune. The Ganga is not mere water, like lakes or seas. It is Brahma himself in liquid form. He has incarnated Himself as the holiest water to wash away the sins of the wicked. But what is the proof? Faith-nothing else. In spiritual matters(all great religions and all great teachers of religion agree on this point) it is faith that matters, not intelligence. With mere intelligence no man has ever attained the highest spiritual experience. Apart from faith, what is there to prove that Rama and Rameshwar are divine? That is why scholars have given up their logical methods and resorted to faith whenever they are prompted by spiritual aspirations.
- 13 -
by Swamini Vidyananda
18 Adhyatmic Teachings of Guru Vasishtha to Sri Ramji
What is the source of Vasishtha's wisdom? Is it his own creation after the nights of long meditations? Vasishtha is rishi, one who knows, or sees. He sees what is, the things which others usually don't see. At the same time, he sees the same truth which was seen by his teacher, who taught him the timeless wisdom, and Vasishtha passes the knowledge so Rama can see exactly the same truth, limitless undivided foundation of everything, pure shining Consciousness, "eye of the eye" and "mind of the mind". This truth cannot be described in words, it can be only pointed at by the pointers of the wise teachers and scriptures. Truth being always the same, the pointers, helping one to see it, comes down from generation to generation through the lineage of teachers and students, leading on each step to the same truth of the limitless Brahman. So, Vasishtha is not the author of the vision he teaches, it is the same vision which was passed to him by his own teacher and the same vision which is being passed on to their disciples by the masters of truth now and at the times of past. It goes from teacher to disciple, who in turn becomes teacher and passes it to his disciple, who becomes teacher etc. Who was the first teacher? Does the truth have the author? It is the same as to ask who the first father was. Existence of the son indicates the existence of his father, and existence of the father means he also was a son and had a father, and it does not matter, if the father of his forefather was a monkey. It is meaningless to try to find the first father. Same way, it is impossible to find the first teacher. The origin of the teaching goes an endless way back, and it is so refined and perfect and hard to imagine as a human creation, so the origin of the teaching is thought to be the Lord himself. The universe and the teaching have the same origin, and were created by the same great power. And it cannot be any other way - creation and its truth cannot be separated. Particular ways of pointing to the Truth can change with time, but the Truth itself is something which cannot be changed, which stays the same everywhere and always. To illustrate the divine source of the teaching, sage Vasishtha tells the story about how the very first teaching was received by him from the Diving Father, the Creator Brahma himself. It is also the story of the sage Vasishtha birth. Sage Vasishtha was the son of Brahma, and also his very first disciple. The story goes like this: Having created the world, Brahma thought of a way to help the souls to cross the ocean of the world-process. He planned to create the scripture of wisdom. Vedanta Sandesh
Brahman -Gyana is Apaurusheya
By his mental will, Brahma projected a boy after his own image, and this was Vasishtha himself. After creation, he recognized the Creator as his Divine Father. Right after his birth, Vasishtha was naturally blessed with knowledge, as is his father. This is an important indication. The state of knowledge is natural to everyone, it is divine creation. Everyone is naturally blissful and conscious. The error of ignorance is temporal, not natural, and only because of this it can be removed. In order the boy Vasishtha can appreciate the greatness of this natural knowledge and to help mortal beings, the Divine Father just for a moment put a veil of ignorance over him. With great love and compassion he said: "Oh son, just as a cloud crosses the full moon, a taint of ignorance will enter into your mind for a little while, so that I may enlighten you with the knowledge of the scriptures. The teaching that I will give you will become a powerful boat for human beings to cross the ocean of the world-process". Immediately, the boy was affected by ignorance. He became sad and miserable and afflicted with grief. He could not understand, how this evil of the world-process appeared in his mind, and, being pained with afflictions, he could not perform his right duties. Seeing him in such misery, the Creator Brahma asked, "Oh son, why are you miserable? Tell me the cause, and I will show you the way to end your grief." The boy Vasishtha asked, "I cannot understand, how this world arose in the consciousness of the soul, and how it can be removed." Then the divine Brahma gave him this great immortal teaching, and with the help of those teachings, Vasishtha discovered his real true nature and enjoyed supreme Bliss. Concluding his teachings, Brahma said, "Oh Vasishtha, I inflicted you with ignorance for the purpose of creating this scripture of wisdom. Now you must go to the plane of the earth and become the preceptor of wisdom for the aspiring mortals". Since then, thus commanded by Brahma, Vasishtha was guiding the spiritual aspirants on the path of liberation. He had nothing to gain from the world, and he was never tainted with ignorance or egoistic motives. So, the great wisdom comes directly from the Divine Self. It is not the result of human logic or insight. It does not depend on human mind, and the state of wisdom is the most simple, pure and effortless state. The ignorance lasts only a moment, but during this moment it may appear to last countless births after births. One who finds himself in ignorance has to spend many efforts in eradication of this ignorance. The result is the returning to that which was always my and your own nature, blissful limitless existence, the light of Consciousness, which is the substratum of everything which ever was, is and will be, from which the whole universe appears, in which it is sustained and to which it returns.
-7-
The Five Niyamas 5. Ishwar Pranidhana Ishwar-Pranidhana means belief, devotion and surrender to God. It is worth remembering that Yoga shastra follows Sankhya darshan to a large extent, but this is one of the points where it clearly differs from Sankhya philosophy, which is basically atheist. One should clear believe and appreciate the existence of that omniscient & omnipotent intelligent creator of the creation. If there is an effect there has to be a cause. To believe that there can be an effect without a cause is baseless & even unscientific. So there is a pattern, a logic, a reason behind all that which is. One needs to see that even our existence is part of the total plan. Belief in god helps us to discover our role in the scheme of things. It helps us to concentrate on that which is discerned to be our role & responsibility. A believer of god is not only free of so many burdens of life, but can see & appreciate the beauty of all that which is. There is profound blessedness in being blessed with such a beautiful life. All problems are seen as our errors by not appreciating the truth of the our self or the world, so that alone becomes the focus of our efforts & sadhana's. Ishwar is not only the creator & sustainer etc of the universe but also represents our goal, so a profound belief and devotion unto him is of profound importance.
Vedanta Sandesh
Nandi Story Section
n o p u e c On e ... m i t a
There was a sage named Shilada. He once saw that his ancestors were being tortured in hell. When he tried to find out why this was so, he was told that this was because Shilada did not yet have a son. To obtain a son, Shilada began to pray to Shiva. He prayed for a thousand years. At the end of the tapasya, Shiva appeared and offered to grant Shilada a boon. Shilada wanted the boon that he might have a virtuous son. A few days later, when Shilada was ploughing the land, he discovered a baby boy on the blade of the plough. The boy was as bright as the sun and the fire. Shilada was frightened and started to run away. But the boy called after him, Father, stop. Father, stop, A voice was then heard from the sky. This voice told Shilada that this was the son he had wanted. Since this son would make everyone happy, he was to be named Nandi. Shilada brought Nandi home to his hermitage. He taught his son the Vedas, the arts of the medicine and fighting, dancing and singing and several other sacred texts. All this Nandi mastered within fifteen days. When nandi was seven years old, two powerful sages arrived in Shilada’s hermitage. Their names were Mitra and Varuna. Shilada worshipped them and presented Nandi before them. The sages blessed Nandi with the words, Be learned, be faithful to your teacher. Shilada said, Sages, why didn’t you bless my son with a long life? We couldn’t, replied the sages. Your son is going to die when he is eight years old. That is written in his stars. Shilada was crestfallen to hear this, but Nandi consoled his father. He promised his father that he would do something so that this fate would have to be rewritten. He would pray to Shiva. And when he met Shiva, he would ask of him a boon. Meeting Shiva, exclaimed Shilada. I had to meditate for a thousand years before I could get to meet Shiva. How do you expect to meet Shiva in the one year that is left to you?’ Wait and see, father, replied Nandi. Shiva is difficult to meet if you only perform tapasya or thirst for knowledge. The secret lies in faith and devotion. I will manage. There is a river named Bhuvana. Nandi entered this river and began underwater prayers to Shiva . His efforts pleased Shiva so much that Shiva appeared before him. What boon do you want?” asked Shiva. Please grant me the boon that I may be devoted to you, replied Nandi. I don’t want to be born become old and die. Shiva granted Nandi the boon that he and his father would get to live in Shiva’s residence in Shivaloka. Shiva’s companions are known as ganas. Shiva made Nandi ganapati, the chief of the ganas and retained him as a perpetu, companion. Shiva also gave Nandi a wonderful garland to wear. As soon as he put this garland on, Nandi became resplendent with three eyes and ten hands. - 17 -
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Vedanta Sandesh
Hvsv!Qppsojnb!Dfmfcsbujpot-!Joepsf!; This year Guru Poornima Festival was on the 12th of July 2014. This festival is always celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion at Vedanta Ashram. Lots of devotees from Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Secunderabad and Canada had come to the Ashram to pay their respects to their Poojya Gurudev. The day started with Poojya Guruji doing the puja of Bhagwan Sankaracharya, who presides in the Ashram Satsang Hall, thereafter he did puja of his Poojya Gurudev and all the teachers of his tradition. Thereafter Smt Shukla Magow from Delhi did the Pada-Pooja of Poojya Guruji. After the puja Poojya Guruji addressed & blessed all the devotees on the occasion with an inspiring message. Everyone got a chance to pay their personal respects to Poojya Guruji. Later there was an open Samashti Bhandara. Later in the evening a Birthday Aashirwad Program was organized in the Sankaracharya Sabhagruh on the second floor. Birthdays of three devotees were celebrated. Shukla Magow (Delhi), Tanmay Patel (Ahmedabad), and Kumud Tewary (Secunderabad). It was a fun filled evening.
Hvsv!Qppsojnb!Dvmuvsbm!Qsphsbn-!Joepsf!; On 13th July evening a special Guru Poornima Cultural Program was organized in the big Sankaracharya Sabhagruh. The program was sponsored by one of the local Indore devotee Sh Subhash Kusumakar. In this program there was an hour long Flute Recital Program by Sh Salil Date, followed by some lovely Bhajans by the well-known artist Sh Govindji. Lovely dinner followed.
Jtib!.!uif!Cfmpwfe!Btisbn!Qfu!Fyqjsft!; On the morning of 26th July 2014, the beloved Ashram pet ‘Isha’ expired after a brief illness. She was well-known to all Ashram visitors too, because she always use to sit silently at the feet of Poojya Guruji in all Pravachans. She was cremated with lot of love & respect by all the Ashram Mahatmas & devotees opposite Pipliapala Regional Park.
Ibovnbo!Dibmjtb!Tbutboh-!Joepsf!; The July edition of the monthly Hanuman Chalisa Satsang was organized at the Sankaracharya Sabhagruh of the Vedanta Ashram, Indore on 27th July evening.
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Vedanta Sandesh
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Vedanta Sandesh
Vedanta (Janmashtami) Camp, Indore : A six days Vedanta Camp will be organized at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 12th to 16th Aug. In this camp Poojya Guruji will conduct discourses on Amrutabindu Upanishad, and P. Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct discourses on 'Gita me Dharma'.
Janmashtami Celebrations, Indore : Sri Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated at Vedanta Ashram on the 17th Aug 2014. From 9.00 AM will start the Concluding Program of the Vedanta Camp. Evening there will be some Cultural Programs and in the night a Vishnu Sahsranama Archana and finally the Krishna Janma at 12 in the night.
Hanuman Chalisa Satsang - Aug : The Hanuman Chalisa Satsang of the month of Aug 2014, will be organized on 31st Aug at the Vedanta Ashram from 6.30 PM onwards. As usual there will be Bhajans followed by an hour-long pravachan by Poojya Guruji on Hanuman Chalisa.
Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow : A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at Hari om Mandir, Lucknow, from 17th to 23rd Sept. In this discourse series Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct discourses on Upadesha Saram and Gita Chapter 7.
Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow : A week long Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at Hanuman Setu Mandir Complex by Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji from 2nd to 8th Nov. The subject matter of the discourse series will be Gita Chapter-5 and Atma-Bodha.
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