THOUGHT OF THE DAY, JUNE 2019

 THOUGHTS OF THE DAY--JUNE 2019

SCIENCE OF YOGA FOCUSES BOTH ON DIVINE AND HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS

Consciousness is the state of being aware of something internal within the mind, or external within the physical or sensory world. It can be defined as an individual’s unique awareness (often simultaneously) of their thoughts, feelings, sensory experiences and environment. Although it can be a difficult term to define, philosophers generally agree that most people have an intuitive understanding of what the state of consciousness is.

Theories of consciousness can be separated into those that see it as cognitive in nature, or as an aspect of cognitive functioning, and those that see consciousness as importantly distinct from any kind of cognitive functioning. One version of the former kind of theory is the higher-order-thought theory of consciousness. This family of theories posits a fundamental role for cognitive states, higher-order thought-like intentional states, in the explanation of conscious experience. These states are higher-order in that they represent the subject herself as being in various world-directed first-order states and thus constitute a kind of cognitive access to one's own mental life. This distinctive cognitive access is postulated to account for what it is like for one to have a conscious experience.

In yoga, this is an important concept because ancient yogis believed that the universe emanated from Supreme Consciousness. Thus, Consciousness is also considered to be Absolute and GOD. (G=generates; O=operates; D=dissolves)

Some yogic philosophers, such as Swami Kriyananda, believe that consciousness is the absolute or purest state. Matter is seen as the manifestation of vibrating energy; and that energy itself is seen as the manifestation of Consciousness. In this sense, it is said that consciousness cannot be defined because once it is, it is no longer pure.

Yogic practices, such as mindfulness and meditation, allow practitioners to explore and understand the nature of consciousness through introspection, or examination, of the mind. To better understand consciousness, the practitioner shifts their focus from the things they are aware of to the instrument of their awareness, which is Consciousness itself.

Many yogis believe that the state of individual consciousness is just part of a collective universal Consciousness, like a wave is part of an ocean. In this sense, Consciousness is what connects all beings and things.

While Jivatman is cognitive or attributive consciousness (Human Consciousness) Paramaatman is Absolute Consciousness (Divine Consciousness) both generally referred as Consciousness--Sat Chit Ananda. But Paramatman is far beyond this: Sathyam Jnaanam Anantam Amalam where Sathyam means sat=what is immortal; thi=mortal and yam= that IT (Brahma regulates.

The transition from Super-mind to Mind takes place in five dimensions. As a result there are five attributes that distinguish the human consciousness from the Divine Consciousness. First of all, we think we are the separate ego rather than knowing ourselves as the Divine Being. We are not aware of our oneness with all beings and things. Secondly, we live on the surface, ignorant of the depths of our consciousness. We are not aware of our subconscious, subliminal or psychic. We live right on the surface of our being lost in whatever action we are doing at the moment. Thirdly, we live in time. We do not remember very well what happened in the past. The past lives only in memory. We live in the moment. We do not know the future, but only try to imagine its possibilities. If we want to think about tomorrow, we stop thinking about this moment. We cannot experience past, present and future simultaneously, whereas in Super-mind all three coexist. Past, present and future all exist eternally like the perennial movement of water in a flowing river. Fourth, we are finite. We identify with the finite form of ourselves, oblivious of the Infinity behind which is our true Being. Consequently, we are limited in energy, power, joy, knowledge and everything else. Finally, we live in the mind that divides everything. This is Sri Aurobindo’s description of human consciousness.

Once we know the attributes that have transformed the Divine Consciousness into human consciousness, we also know how that human consciousness can transform itself back again. All that we need to do is to reverse the process that the Divine has gone through to create limited egos. The Divine has not been forced to undergo this process of self-limitation. There was no compulsion to create an ego or divided mind. It was done as a means to permit a full development and expression of the infinite potentials of the Infinite. That required giving freedom to each vibration or power of the Divine to fully express itself without limitation or reference to the rest. It required the creation of separate individual centers of consciousness that were unconscious of the whole of which they are each a part. Having reached the stage of mind in the evolution, we now have the option of exercising in reverse the same powers that have made us what we are.

 How do we reverse what we are in practical terms? First, I can reverse my identification with ego by becoming unselfish and regarding all other persons as I regard myself. When I hear you got a promotion, I should feel happy for you instead of feeling jealous. Instead of giving supreme importance to my needs, my priorities, my preferences, my skills, my accomplishments, I can recognize that other people are as important as I am in the scheme of things. All of the normal movements of the ego that make me more and more separated and isolated can be reversed. I can become selfless, generous, a source of endless goodwill for others. Second, I live on the surface, I identify fully with its partial movements such as anger. What can I do about it? I know there is a psychic inside me, so I can consecrate my surface thoughts, emotions, desires, preferences, etc. to the psychic and try to recover more of myself. I do not have to be totally lost on the surface, feeling that this superficial existence is all of myself. Third, I can consciously go back and consecrate the past, and I can consciously go forward and create tomorrow by consecrating my future actions. In the measure I do that, I reverse the division of time and come out of my limitations.

The mind that we are talking about, the mind that is on the surface, is what Sri Aurobindo calls the physical mind. It only knows what is there in front of it at the moment. It does not know what is going to happen a day from now or a year from now. It is always willing to believe the worst. It sees one side of any situation, one aspect of the whole and takes that for truth, right, reality. By some unfortunate condition that happens to be the mind we are all living in. How can we overcome mind? We can compensate for the divisive character of mind by consciously moving away from its limited, self-centered viewpoint. He gives a simple technique: Take the other person’s point of view. The one thing mind can never do is think that there is another point of view. The very character of mind is, “I am right, why don’t you listen to me?” He says the first step in reversing the process is to think from the other person’s point of view. In that manner we come out of the limitation of the ego-centered mind and look at reality from a wider perspective. By doing this we are reversing the process by which mind created the sense of division and separation. This is something that we can practice at every moment.

We can utilize this same process of creation to become conscious creators of our lives. Try this experiment. Take thirty days, choose what you would consider very lucky, and put your full concentration on that idea. Commit yourself to do everything necessary from your side to exhaust your capacities to achieve it. Instead of relying on your limited, finite capacities on the surface, shift your faith to Mother. Shift your faith to the supra-mental Shakti that creates the universe and ask Her to come and realize your ideal.

--June 30, 2019

Comments:

Thank you for sharing such important teachings. Greatly
appreciate your work thru your words, and as usually happens in those
unforeseen 'coincidences', they arrive at just the right time when one
is ready to receive...

--Gerard Janetzko from Argentina

YOGA SCIENCE (VIJNAANA) OF CONSCIOUSNESS (PRAJNAANA)

Yogic perception is that which arises out of the operation of the mind when the yoga practitioners are absorbed in meditation.  This is due to their extraordinary yogic powers. When they are out of absorption, the Yogins  (who have mastered sanyasayoga) can perceive things by contacting the objects with their external organs. This kind of yogic perception that is possible even without the sense organs is called “indriyaanapeksham pratyaksham”, Yogic perception is authentic. Yogins will be blessed with Divine insight on account of their realization of abnormal yogic powers, or Divine inspiration.  Yogic perception of this type will be on account of adrishta-visesha (granted to chosen few) which will be obtained by Yoghabhyasa, sainthood, penance etc.  What   is discarded in “indriyaanaampeakshm” is only ordinary sense organs and not the total absence of all sense organs. The sense organs that are limited here are those that are not Divine.  So, then, the need for Divine sense organs like “divyachakshu” (like the one Sanjaya got and Arjuna got to perceive the Cosmic Form of the Supreme) is emphasized. That is why Bhagavad Gita says   such yogis who attain Sayujya are very rare. David Frawley says we need Vijnana the Science of Consciousness to Know Self (Attributive Consciousness)--Vijnaanena Atmanam Vedayiti”--MNU.   Through Vijnaana one attains Prajnaana Absolute Consciousness (Supreme)

One has to drive out the sense objects keep off (the dangerous waters entering the boat) such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell by the pratyaahaara (breathing) process in Yoga. And then keep the vision of the eyes between the two eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of the nose with half closed lids. There is no benefit in closing the eyes altogether, because then there is choice of falling as sleep.  Nor is there benefit in opening the eyes completely, because then there is   the hazard of being attracted by sense objects. (A boatman has to be vigilant all the time).  The breathing movement is restrained within the nostrils by neutralizing the up-and-down moving air within the body.  By practice of such a Sanyasa-yoga  one is able to  gain control over the senses, refrain from outward sense objects, and thus prepare oneself for  attaining  the Supreme (Saalokya,  Saameepya or Saayujya).  This is a better way of controlling the senses than by Ashtaangayoga of Patanjali.

Vedantavijnaana sunischitaartaah sanyaasa-yogaad- yatayah suddhasatvaah  te brahmaloketu paraantakaale paraamritaat paramuchyanti sarve ||MNU ||

Those who are successful in personality integration that have conquered their hosts of sense organs, that are pure minded on account of the renunciation of desire oriented actions (kamyakarmas) that have ascertained the Supreme Reality through the knowledge that originated from the learning of the Upanishads (Vedantavijnaana), that are established in Brahman, become all liberated at the end of the final body on account of the grace of the Supreme immortal principle, Brahman.

The goal of Vedanta is Paramarthavijnana--or Self-realization. That is obtained by Sanyasa-yoga.  Though Jnaana (Knowledge) is the sole cause of liberation Sanyaasa (renunciation) is necessary along with it. Jnana dispels ignorance by revealing the Truth, but Tyaga (sacrifice) and Yoga as recommended by Patanjali are necessary to engender the undistracted and pure state of mind in which alone knowledge could shine un-intermittently.  Sanyaasa means dedication of the fruits of actions to God and Yoga the practice of samadhi leaving all worldly attachments.

The hermits are of two kinds.  Those that perfect Bhaktiyoga here alone and enter into   Supreme abode of Paramaatman at the end of that birth--are one kind. The other class of hermits are those with “Sattvasuddhi” (purification of mind) from “Sanyasayoga” for the attainment of the decisive knowledge of the Upanishads that is for “Vedantavijnaansampattaye” (rigorously arrive at the conclusion taught by Vedanta through direct knowledge)

Please go through the attached article: by David Frawley “International Yoga Day; Yoga  as a Science of Conscuiousness” in this context

International Yoga Day Message: Yoga as a Science of Consciousness

David Frawley

This Yoga Day 2019 let us remember Yoga as a science of Consciousness with a central place in education, research and spiritual aspiration

In Vedic and yogic thought Consciousness is the supreme reality, not matter, energy or mind. Consciousness is all-pervasive like space, self-effulgent like light, uniting everything in the universe in the highest awareness and bliss as the Self of all.

A recognition of universal Consciousness is now becoming accepted in modern physics. How can all the laws of nature function, from vast galactic to minute subatomic particles, if there is not some overall guiding intelligence behind it, not as some deity apart, but woven into the very fabric of existence?

While not impossible to theorize, the difficulty is how to approach, cognize and realize that supreme Consciousness within ourselves and see it in the world around us. Such a path to unfold the supreme Consciousness has yet to be formulated by modern physics. Yet it has not only been formulated, but has been explored from every possible angle in the meditation traditions of India. A practical philosophy and psychology of Consciousness is the basis of Vedanta and the tools to realize it are part of Yoga.

Limitations of the Human Mind

In our ordinary human nature we do not directly experience this supreme Consciousness, though many people have intimations. We are creatures of the mind, which is an embodied or individualized consciousness. We have a limited identity, limited intelligence, limited energy and limited will power far removed from this inner state of knowing.

The individual mind holds the reflection of Consciousness, which is the source of its light of knowledge, but is not itself Self-aware. The mind’s limited awareness is colored by the gunas and forces of nature at biological, psychological and social levels. As such, much of what we call mind is unconscious or only partly conscious. This lack of true awareness in the mind gives rise to karma, duality, conflict and all the misunderstandings of life.

The mind is like a half-light that illumines the surface of things but veils the depth – which draws us into the waves but causes us to forget the sea. In order to find the cosmic reality of existence we must go beyond the conditioned patterns of the mind to the light of Universal Consciousness hidden behind it. This going beyond the mind is not easy to approach as we are by habit and karma only mental beings caught in our own mental formations, not spiritual beings beyond any personal or cultural prejudices. We take the opinions of the mind, unreliable and shifting though they are, to be truth when they are just the limited perspective of a particular individual or group. This results in the clash of beliefs and cultures that characterizes our society, with their related conflicts of religion, politics and competing power centers.

Yoga as the Science of Consciousness for Controlling the Mind Yoga arose originally in Vedic thought as a means of moving beyond the mind, or mere creaturely awareness to transcendent awareness – such as we see in the Upanishadic search for the Self. This requires control of the mind and detachment from it.

Yoga Sutras defines Yoga as chitta vritti nirodha, the mastery, calming or concentration of the movements of the mind. The practices of Yoga serve to make the mind still like a mirror so it can reflect the cosmic reality, while for most of us the mind is like a turbulent lake that distorts the light of Consciousness that filters through it.

Mind moreover is a product of ego, or limited self-identity (ahamkara), and of ignorance (avidya) or lack of unitary awareness. It provides only a partial knowledge that can show us the surface of things but not the inner depths and truth.

Such meditative control of the mind is not simply part of Yoga but is essential in all educational pursuits in which we need to develop focus, attention and clear observation beyond our mental conditioning. To gain this we must question the opinions, preconceptions, fears and desires of the mind.

Moving to the Higher Levels of Yoga Practice

Today Yoga is most known for asana or it’s calming and healing of the body. This is very important for physical health and well-being and can extend to deeper psychological levels, gradually freeing us from the limitations of body consciousness.

Yet Yoga must extend to deep meditation in order to understand and master the mind. Asana should be a seat for meditation, not an end in itself. Pranayama should help us draw our prana into our inner awareness. Pratyahara should turn our senses within into the light beyond the mind. Once the mind is brought into a state of silence it can reflect the Universal Consciousness and grant us direct knowledge of the cosmos itself, not as a mere mathematical formulation but as a manifestation of Consciousness that we are an integral part of. We can see this in the yogic science of Sri Vidya.

The silent mind can become the tool for a higher knowledge beyond name, form and number that can resolve all conflict and duality. In this regard the silent mind is more important than any other scientific instrument or computer, however important these may be in their respective spheres.

Reviving the Yogic Science of Consciousness

This yogic science of consciousness is India’s greatest contribution to human knowledge and probably the most important science we have as a species because it alone grants true knowledge of the Infinite and Eternal. Dharmic education requires a yogic approach to the mind through meditation.

This higher state of yogic awareness in called samadhi, deep absorption or unity consciousness. All dharmic traditions, Vedic or not, require samadhi as the ultimate pramana or means of knowledge. Such direct perception provides us not with just facts and information but the Knowledge  of  Being itself beyond the partialities of ideas, concepts or beliefs. It takes us from the shadows of darkness to the unbounded Self-effulgent light.

This Yoga Day 2019 let us remember Yoga as a science of Consciousness with a central place in education, research and spiritual aspiration. Only through such a higher awareness can we transcend our individual and cultural limitations that are the basis of all the conflict and misunderstanding that plagues our material world. We live in an unbounded reality of Being-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). Experiencing that should be the heritage and birth right of every person, not just outer social or political rights. This is where Yoga leads us but we must follow the way in our daily lives.

          --June 29, 2019

THE LOST SANSKRIT LITERATURE IN TIBET

The trove of Sanskrit manuscripts in Tibet may have remained unknown if not for the discoveries of scholar Rahul Sankrityayan during his intrepid journeys across Tibet in the 1930s. During one such trip, when shown palm leaf manuscripts that are more than a thousand years old, in a Lhasa monastery, Sankrityayan pledged to return to investigate. He did in 1934 and 1937. In Tibet, Sankrityayan would befriend lamas and copy and photograph any manuscript he could lay hands on. He found 25 complete volumes of the Pramana Varttika Bhasya, a neverseen commentary by the 6th century Nalanda scholar Dharmakirti. Sankrityayan became an honored guest of the Tibetan government and got access to the libraries of top monasteries that are, even eight decades later, out of bounds. On his return, he published 28 volumes based on the photographs and texts from Tibet. His legacy, ironically, is being kept alive across the border in China,

China is now working with the world's best Sanskritists to surmount it, says Zheng Dui, director general of the influential China Tibetology Research Centre in Beijing that stores in its collections copies of several dozen palm leaves. In 2004, Zheng signed an agreement with an institution in Vienna to work together to translate palm leaves. Subsequent cooperation agreements have been taken forward with universities in the United States, Italy, Germany and Japan. "Our research is generating a lot of attention abroad," he says.

Everywhere but India, which is conspicuous in its absence in the list of countries that China is working with. Privately, Chinese scholars say their attempts to reach out to Indian scholars and institutions have received little response. Chinese Sanskrit students have struggled to find fellowships in Indian univeCrsities, which are often reluctant to host Chinese students unless they enroll in full-time courses, which makes little sense for them as Indian degrees won't be recognized. European and American institutions, by contrast, have shown great interest and flexibility in working on the project, and are hence taking the palm leaves translation forward.

Ye, the scholar at Peking University, believes this is an area where India and China should work together and that Chinese scholars would immensely benefit from studying with Indian scholars "who have the best traditional teaching methods" in Sanskrit. This, he suggests, could also be an ideal project for the revived Nalanda University, which, however, has been slow to take off and shown little interest in Buddhist and religious studies despite its unique history. The irony is that this rich trove of the only surviving records that could fill vital gaps in understanding of the history of both Sanskrit literature and philosophical thought holds no greater significance for any country as it does for India.

I believe without active participation of renowned Sanskrit scholars from India this will remain a distorted or not well understood version as it has happened in the past about Vedic culture and Philosophy. Fortunately China has access to many Sanskrit Indian American Scholars!

--June 28, 2019

I would say, it I s about time Indian degree, especially one focusing on Samskritam be recognized by institutions outside India!

--Aparnja Arcot

WHY HINDUS BUILD TEMPLES FIRST WHEREVER THEY SETTLE DOWN

Prana Pratishtha at ISHA – The Science of Consecration

Every Hindu Temple starts with Pranaprsatishta or Consecration ceremony that is being re-consecrated or re-energized every twelve years about which I talked a lot not in the distant past. Recently Isha Yoga Center   celebrated the mystical consecration process of the Adiyogi Alayam at the center.   The Alayam, an 82,000 sq. ft. meditation hall, is a foundation for establishing the yogic science in its purest form, as it was transmitted by the Adiyogi (the First Yogi) over 15,000 years ago. Watch and relive the creation of this powerful space – an invaluable offering to humanity, for generations to come.  Please go through the enlightenment on the subject of Pranapratishta by Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev given below. Wherever Hindus go they first build a temple and then their colony. Thus you will find a temple even in Ankara in Ghana today worshiped by Africans who are not   Hindus and who have no connection to India or know much about Hinduism as well as Hastinapura a spiritual complex in the vicinity of Buenos Aires where there are hardly few Hindus. They are divine inspired by the Divine space.  It may not be exaggeration if I say this Temple culture and belief started with Tamil culture looking at Adi Jagannatha Temple and Adi Naramukha Vinayaka Temple and other ancient temples. Adivinayaka Temple takes us back our memory to the original body-guard created by Parvati and not the popular beheaded one in anger by Siva and  later replaced by an elephant head by the male chauvinistic society glorified as Sivasuta Gajanana! Tamilians believe that a place without a temple is not worth living-- Koyil illaada uril kudiyirukkalaahaadu! USA has built more than 400 temples in recent times by migrant Hindus!

“Agastya Muni was sent to South India by Shiva – the Aadhi Yogi, or the first yogi. He consecrated every human habitation south of the Deccan Plateau in some form and made sure that a live spiritual process was on. He did not spare a single human habitation. They say it took him 4000 years of work. We do not know whether it is 4000 or 400 or 40 – but looking at the phenomenal amount of work and the amount of travel that he did, he obviously lived a very extraordinary lifespan. Agastya muni went to the extent of saying that when the world truly goes off the track because of development and knowledge, when knowledge becomes poison, when what should be good for you becomes negative for you, his work would rise and act.

Consecration is a live process. It is like this, if you transform mud into food, we call this agriculture. If you make food into flesh and bone, we call this digestion, integration. If you make flesh into mud, we call this cremation. If you can make this flesh or even a stone or an empty space into a divine possibility, that is called consecration. Today, modern science is telling you that everything is the same energy manifesting itself in a million different ways. If that is so, what you call as divine, what you call a stone, what you call a man or a woman, what you call a demon, are all the same energy functioning in different ways. For example, the same electricity becomes light, sound and so many other things, depending upon the technology. So it is just a question of technology. If you have the necessary technology, you can make the simple space around you into a divine exuberance, you can just take a piece of rock and make it into a god or a goddess -this is the phenomenon of consecration.

An enormous amount of knowledge about this dimension of life was perpetuated particularly in this culture, as this was held as the most important thing. It does not matter what you are eating, how you are or how long you live, at some point, a need will come that you want to get in touch with the source of creation. If that possibility is not created across the planet and is not available to every human being who seeks, then society has failed to provide true well-being for a human being. It is with this awareness that in this culture, every street had three temples because even a few meters should not pass without there being a consecrated space. The idea was not to create one temple versus the other, the idea was that nobody should walk in a space which is not consecrated. Nobody should live in a space which is not consecrated. The temple was always built first and then houses were built.

The whole state of Tamil Nadu is built like this. Every significant town in Tamil Nadu had a grand temple and around that, a little town. Because the kind of dwelling you live in is not important. Whether your house is 10,000 square feet or just 1000 square feet is not going to make a difference ultimately, but being around a consecrated space is going to make a phenomenal difference in your life. With this understanding, they built human habitations such that, if there are 25 houses, there must be one temple. Whether you go there or not, whether you pray or not, whether you know the mantra or not, is not the point. You must be in a consecrated space every moment of your life”.

June 27, 2019

Comments:

I love this concept of consecration. I have difficulty maintaining sacred space around me in places other than temple. I thought it was through years of conditioning my mind into thinking temple is holy place.

--Dr. Vedavyas

THE MYTH OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE--CELLPHONES ARE FAST BUT NOT SMART LIKE HUMANS!

The brain is the center of a complex computer system more wonderful the greatest one ever built by man. The body’s computer system computes and sends throughout the body billions of bits of information, information that controls every action, right down to the flicker of an eyelid. In most computer systems, the information is carried by wires and electronic parts. In the body, nerves are the wires that carry the information back and forth from the central nervous system. And in just one human brain there is probably more wiring, more electrical circuitry, than in all the computer systems of the world put together.  Yes, it is a wonderful thing—this brain of ours!

’Without a doubt, the most complex information-processing system in existence is the human body. If we take all human information processes together, i.e. conscious ones (language, information-controlled, deliberate voluntary movements) and unconscious ones (information-controlled functions of the organs, hormone system), this involves the processing of 10²⁴ bits daily. This astronomically high figure is higher by a factor of 1,000,000 [i.e., is a million times greater] than than

the total human knowledge of 10¹⁸ bits stored in all the world’s libraries.’ --Dr. Werner Gitt, Information: The Third Fundamental Quantity, (reprint from) Siemens Review, 56(6), November/December 1989.

We’ve created machines that help us perform our tasks better and faster. These machines, like mobile phones, are being called “smart.” But smartness stems from intelligence – the myth that “brain is intelligence” has already been busted. We don’t understand the brain either, leave alone intelligence. Given this, how can we even claim to have created something about which we’ve no substantial knowledge of? How can we understand our mind and intelligence to recreate it artificially? U. Mahesh Prabhu writes…

There’s too much of uproar about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the future of those who created it, humans themselves. The argument is that in days to come AI will develop so much that it’ll be able to do almost every task that a human can and at fantastic speed and precision beyond comprehension. The fear is that these machines will outsmart people, and some extremists believe that this could run a considerable portion of humans into an abyss of unemployment and poverty. Professors and scientists are seemingly working tirelessly to see this day made possible. Is this scenario even possible?

To answer this question, we need to understand “intelligence.” The dictionary suggests intelligence as that which gives us “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.” Science intends to believe that intelligence is the product of the brain – “an organ of the soft nervous tissue contained in the skull of vertebrates, functioning as the coordinating center of sensation and intellectual and nervous activity.” The apparent AI they intend to create is based on the functioning of this brain matter.

Almost all the machines that man has ever created is based on his understanding of the creatures in nature. Helicopters are based on the understanding of birds, computer on the brain (or whatever they could understand of it), wireless communications from communication techniques between bats and the like.

Unless we understand something deeply, there’s no way to replicate it. All scientists will accept this fact. Because humans can understand many things, they devised machines to simplify tasks at hand. We’ve understood many things substantially, except the brain. We also don’t understand the mind. The mind is defined as “the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.”

Simply put, while the brain is tangible, the mind isn’t. So how do brain and mind work together? Science hardly has an answer to offer.

Unless the intricacies of the brain and mind are answered, there’s hardly a question of artificial intelligence. It’s all a farce. So, what then is it that scientists are calling AI? Simply put, it’s a cocktail of Probability and Statistics.

Probability and Statistics are two related, but separate academic disciplines. Statistical analysis often uses probability distributions, and the two topics are often studied together. A probability distribution is a table or an equation that links each outcome of a statistical experiment with its probability of occurrence. For example, consider a simple test in which we flip a coin two times. A result of the experiment might be the number of heads that we see in two coin-flips. Another example of artificial intelligence is a smart car, which has been fed with a mathematical formula to ascertain the situation and act within the options given within a parameter. A computer can do almost anything and everything a mind can, but it can seldom think. Mathematical formulas limit it; a human mind isn’t. Processors cannot work without algorithms – human minds most certainly can.

True, a phone is extremely good when it helps us do something better. Any machine that can enable us to stay safe, increase productivity and enable understanding is always welcome. But phones don’t think, they only do set specific tasks written into their codes. They may provide brilliant computations and solve significant problems, but they are only fast, not smart.

Humans are smart because they can think. Whether they think before they act is a different matter. But humans can think without being asked. A child is distracted in a classroom because (s) he can think, and when the class becomes boring (s) he uses her imagination to wander to a place in her/his mind where life’s exciting. From what we know, a machine cannot imagine. It can only compute.

The reason why we call our productive phones “smartphones” is because we’ve confused lack of intelligence with extreme ability to compute as “smartness.” Smartness does not stem from brain cells. If that were true, we could take a brain and recreate it. We also don’t understand energy – that which can neither be created nor destroyed. Law of Causation, karma, which makes all things in nature possible, too, is also not understood.

According to Vedic texts, we’re neither body nor mind nor intellect. We’re absolute pure and conscious energy – Atman. Atman is the root power which drives all our material drives. It’s the power that keeps the body alive. It’s also the energy that instils intellect. “Those who understand it will understand the world; those who don’t will suffer before perishing,” argued Vedic seers like Krishna in Bhagavad-Gita.

Until the self is realized, nothing can be genuinely realized. Unless we comprehend the ideas of Atman, there’s just no way to understand real intelligence. And since machines are designed based on our understanding of tasks and elements in nature, there can be no Artificial Intelligence, at least until then. Understanding the Self is the goal of all Vedic arts and sciences. So to even create Artificial Intelligence, we need to understand the intelligence which stems from the self – Aatman.

Vedas talk about Jnana, Vijnana and Prajnana.  All of them are translated as intelligence in English. Jnana leads to the knowledge of Self; Vijnaanena Paramaatmaanam vedayati sarvadaa anubhavati-  Vijnaana leads to the knowledge of Supreme Self as well as realization. Prajnaanam Brahma--Prajnaana is Brahman that is Transcendental Truth. 

tasmat tvam indriyany adauniyamya bharatarsabhapapmanam prajahi hy enam jnana-vijnana-nasanam || Gita 3-41 ||

Therefore, the sense-organs must first be controlled and the evil thing (viz. Desire) must be stuck down. Otherwise, it will destroy both the lower wisdom (obtained from scriptural study and from the masters) and the higher wisdom (obtained by intuition and experience).

Jnanam refers to knowledge of self as distinguished from non-self, or, in other words, knowledge that the spirit soul is not the body. Vijnanam refers to specific knowledge of the spirit soul and knowledge of one's constitutional position and his relationship to the Supreme Soul. It is explained thus in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: jnanam parama-guhyam me yad-vijnana-samanvitam / sarahasyam tad-angam ca grhana gaditam maya: "The knowledge of the self and the Supreme Self is very confidential and mysterious, being veiled by Maya, but such knowledge and specific realization can be understood if it is explained by the Lord Himself."  

Jnana is knowledge of self, non-Self etc. acquired from scriptures and teachers (avabodha) while Vijnana is direct experiential (anubhava) knowledge of the inner-self; both are means of welfare.  Jnana is general knowledge concerning Self, whereas vijnana is to distinguish it from all else.

AI cannot even lead to   Intelligence, but can assist to overcome Ajnana to some extent  as programed   at best by human brain but  can nowhere lead to Vijnana and Prajnana! Rajaji the wise Statesman of India once said: "Greatest of our inventions cannot reach the border line of meta-physics".

--June 23, 2019

KNOW THE PURUSHA AS SELF IN BODY-MIND-SPIRIT COMPLEX

We live in an amazing world. The greatest of all creations is man himself, the marvelous machine—precise and efficient. The human body has a dynamic framework of bone and cartilage called the skeleton. The human skeleton is flexible, with hinges and joints that were made to move. But to cut down harmful frictions, such moving parts,   it is also self-lubricated.

The control center of the human body is the human brain. It is by far the most information-management system in the universe. The brain is the center of a complex computer system more wonderful than the greatest one ever built by man. The body’s computer system computes and sends throughout the body billions of bits of information, information that controls every action, right down to the flicker of an eyelid. In most computer systems, the information is carried by wires and electronic parts. In the body, nerves are the wires that carry the information back and forth from the central nervous system. And in just one human brain there is probably more wiring, more electrical circuitry, than in all the computer systems of the world put together. Yes, it is a wonderful thing—this brain of ours!

The sound we hear is being played on a perfect little musical instrument inside our ear. The sound waves go down the auditory canal and are carried by the bones of the middle ear to the cochlea, which is rolled up like a tiny sea shell.     The cochlea is filled with liquid, and transferring sound waves from air to liquid is one of the most difficult problems known to science. Three tiny bones called the icicles are just right to do the job that enables us to hear properly. 

The heart actually is a muscular pump forcing blood through thousands of miles of blood vessels. Blood carries food and oxygen to every part of the body. The heart pumps an average of six liters (1.5 U.S. gallons) of blood every minute, and in one day pumps enough blood to fill more than forty 200-litre (50-gallon) drums.

The raw material, the basic chemicals in our body, can be found in the ‘dust of the ground’. However, these chemicals cannot arrange themselves into cell tissues, organs and systems. This can only happen with an input of intelligence!

Vedanta Says: We are not simply homogenous entities, but a network of forces and actions, reaching ultimately to the entire universe. Just think of our human body with its array of sense organs, motor organs, internal organs, physiological systems, tissues and fluids, extending to billions of cells. The body has its own organic nature, unique energy pattern, and complex biological needs like food, drink, exercise, security and reproduction such as Ayurveda addresses.

The body forms a community, realm or world of its own, as microscopic analysis clearly indicates. Most of our bodily functions occur by their own impulses, whether sensation, breathing, digestion or elimination. Our self-awareness exists mainly at the surface and periphery of the body through our skin, sense organs and motor organs. What is happening inside the body we know only by its consequences not by any direct cognition!

“At whose behest does the mind think? Who bids the body live? Who makes the tongue speak? Who is that Effulgent Being that directs the eye to form and color and the ear to sound?”--inquires Vedanta.

The power behind every activity of nature and of man is the power of Brahman. To realize this truth is to be immortal says Kena Upanishad.

In Abrahamic Faiths, The book of Genesis teaches that God took ‘the dust of the ground’, a heap of chemicals, shaped a man and then blew into his nostrils the breath of life. Then man became a living soul. Human beings are different from animals.   Our bodies have been designed with the ability to pass on to the next generation the programed information required to form another person from simple chemicals.

 ^“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth”

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them” (Genesis 1: 26-27).

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14).

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." -Luke 17P:20-21(implies atman abides in you)

Vedanta says this GOD is Purusha (tad Brahma tad atma). Knowing our true-self through yoga, meditation and self-inquiry we come to know that Purusha.

Yoga speaks of the Purusha, which literally means “Person” – an independent awareness behind body and mind that are its instruments in the natural world that is called the realm of Prakriti. Realization of the Purusha, also called Self or Atman, is the goal of traditional Yoga in the Yoga Sutras as well as Vedanta overall. That Purusha is the true Self we must seek to know.

Vedantavijnaana sunischitaartaah sanyaasa-yogaad- yatayah suddhasatvaah  te brahmaloketu paraantakaale paraamritaat paramuchyanti sarve-- MNU

Those who are successful in personality integration that have conquered their hosts of sense organs, that are pure minded on account of the renunciation of desire oriented actions (kaamyakarmas) that have ascertained the Supreme Reality through the knowledge that originated from the learning of the Upanishads (Vedantavijnaana), that are established in Brahman, become all liberated at the end of the final body on account of the grace of the Supreme immortal principle, Brahman. The goal of Vedanta is Paramarthavijnana--or Self-realization. That is obtained by Sanyasa-yoga.   .

Vedaahametam purusham mahaantam | aadityavarnam tamasah parastaat | tamaevam vidwaan-amrita iha bhavati--I know that great Purusha who is brilliant like the Sun and who is beyond all darkness. One who knows him thus becomes immortal (even) here.--Purushasukta.

Atmaaya namah; Paramaaya namah-Obeisance to him who is the Spirit (Ātman) dwelling in all creatures; to him who is concealed in the heart of all creatures being their inmost Self.

We are not the delimited-self called the body-mind-complex but we are the same all-pervading Consciousness. Consciousness is not ‘located’ in the body like fruits in a basket (Shankara says kunde badaranaiva) but it is the BMC which is located in the consciousness. We are not what we think we are. 

Please go through the articles “HUMAN BODY—GOD’S MASTER-PIECE” by Joseph Paturi & “THE PURUSHA, THE REAL PERSON WITHIN YOU” by David Frawley  available on the Google.

--June 22, 2019

A SIGNIFICANT SPECIAL RELIGIOUS EVENT DAY   FOR HINDU AMERICAN TEMPLES

World Music Day 2019: The Interesting Story of Its Origin

Happy World Music Day: World Music Day that coincides with International Day of Yoga is celebrated on June 21 that marks the beginning of summer solstice - the longest day of the year. It is The most sacred day  that is true  Dakshinayana Punya Kala Day & Samadhi Pada Day

 News from New Delhi: 

June 21, marks the beginning of summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year and is also celebrated as Fete de la Musique or World Music Day. The day also coincides with International Day of Yoga. World Music Day has its origins in France, but soon got adopted by over 120 nations across the world, including India. Today, musicians from all genres and all ages, amateurs and experienced performers, gather together to express themselves through music at various public platforms. The events are primarily hosted in open areas like streets, parks, gardens, stadiums, stations or halls. Most events are non-ticketed as the idea is to spread the cheer through music.

It is on this day that Adiyogi turned South and became a Dakshinamurti – he began to transmit the fundamentals of the yogic science to his first seven disciples, who are now celebrated as the Saptarishis.  He turned South because the sun turned South. The Southern run of the sun became significant because this was the first phase of the teaching. This became the Sadhana Pada where he taught the Saptarishis what they should do. The Northern run or Uttarayana is referred to as the Samadhi Pada or Kaivalya Pada. It is then time for Realization. Hindus boast themselves as pioneers in Astronomy and taught the world astronomy and Hindu Americans are drawn from top 10% of intelligentsia! How can they goof up and ignore this most sacred and world celebrated day while celebrating even a day as Karadiyan Nonbu?

World Music Day: Interesting History behind It

World Music Day originated in France in 1980s, but was first proposed by American artiste Joel Cohen back in 1976 to mark summer solstice.

In October 1981, French Minister of Culture Jack Lang appointed Maurice Fleuret as the director of music and dance. The duo conceived an event that will allow all musicians - amateur and experienced - to creatively express themselves.

The first World Music Day or Fete de la Musique took place on June 21, 1982 - the year's summer solstice in the North hemisphere. Thousands of citizens came out to part in the initiative all across France, till late at night. It later became a (part) national holiday in France.

Over the years, World Music Day has evolved to explore new musical trends and music from across the world, and revives traditional music.

--June 21, 2019

Comment:

The Fete de la Musique has evolved into an “event which mobilizes the musicians of the whole world for the pleasure of the audience of more than 120 countries, starting with the European countries,” said France's Ministry of Culture. France hosts several music concerts to mark the day.

Fantastic

--A.S. Narayana

SĀDHANĀ FOR IMMORTALITY IN UPANISHADS

FOWAI FORUM (INDIA AND STEP (USA) invites you to join the WEBINAR-150 for a talk on Sadhana in Upanishads to be presented by: Pujya Swāmi Chidānandaji on Sunday, June 23, 2019.

Gist of the Presentation:

The top notch spiritual practice of the Upanishads is not "about doing," but "about seeing". It is not karma (action) or upāsana (mental exercises) but is jnāna (understanding). Listening (shravana), Reflection (manana) and Meditation (nididhyāsana) come under this endeavour to SEE RIGHTLY, in the light of the statements or revelations of the Upanishads. There are a lot of instructions, however, on a second notch level which are really intended to prepare our mind for the essential jnāna-yoga. This webinar will give an outline of the spiritual practices taught or endorsed in the Vedānta. 

One must have a vision of the Self. Towards that, one must listen, reflect and meditate--ātmā vā are drastavyah, shrotavyah, mantavyah, nididhyāsitavyah (Brihadāranyaka Upanishad 2.4.15

Aged Yajnavalkya wanted to divide whatever property he had  between his two wives and  take to sannyasa and go for meditation. The older and matured   wife, Maitreyi   asked: ”With all the treasures that you are now prepared to offer to me, can I become immortal?” Yajnavalkya said, “Far from it. You will be a well-to-do person like any other in the world, but there is no hope of immortality through wealth.” To that, Maitreyi said, “Then what for is this wealth that you are offering me? What shall I do with it, if through that I shall not become immortal?”

A very long life is not going to end easily; and if immortality cannot be gained through wealth, perhaps long life also cannot be assured through wealth; and this would mean that our life can end at any time, even with all the wealth that we may be having. If tomorrow is the last day in this world for a person possessing large treasures, what good is that treasure? If the owner or the possessor of the wealth is not to exist at all, what can wealth do? What is its utility?

Brihadarnyaka Upanishad says  in the  mantra quoted by Swami Chidananda:

Na va are patyuh kaaqmaaya patih priyo bhavati, atmana tu kaamaaya patih priyo bhavati; na va are jayayai kaamaaya jaayaa priyaa  bhavati aatmanastu kaamaaya jaayaa…… sarvasya kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati; atmanas tu kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati (Bri.U. 2.4.5):

Nobody loves anything for its own sake. We are accustomed to this slogan of love, and we consider that as something very pre-eminent in our daily life. We love people, we love wealth, we love land, and we love property. There is such a thing called love in this world, but who does love want, and what is the purpose of this love?

As the Bhagavadgita tell us   that all perception which is sensory is actually the gunas of prakriti coming in contact with the gunas of prakriti. Gunaha guneshu vartante (B.G. 3.28): The gunas of prakriti – sattva, rajas and tamas – which are the constituents of the sense organs, come in contact with the very same properties of prakriti which also constitute the object of sense. So the object and the subject come in contact with each other because of the fact that both are constituted of the same substance, prakriti – sattva, rajas, tamas. On a deeper level, we may say that Consciousness is the subject and it is also the object.

Cognitive Consciousness is the essence of the subjectivity of anything. There cannot be a ‘perceiving’ of anything unless there is a cognitive consciousness of perceiving. This cognitive consciousness, as we noticed by an analysis of its nature, is incapable of being limited to a finitude of existence. Cognitive Consciousness cannot be finite. That is to say, it cannot be located in any particular place. It cannot be even said to be inside somebody, because cognitive consciousness is the knower of the fact of its being inside someone. If someone says “consciousness is inside”, it is cognitive consciousness itself making this statement possible. The so-called cognitive consciousness, which appears to be inside, seems to be asserting that it is inside. Minus cognitive consciousness, no assertion is possible. Therefore it is cognitive consciousness that is apparently holding the opinion that it is inside; that is to say, it is not outside.

Why are we so-much attracted towards things and when we are pulled in the direction of something lovable or dear, we seem to lose our senses? We become crazy and mad. Why does it happen? It is because the whole universe is at the back of even this little drop of cognitive consciousness which appears as the object. A little wave that is rising up on the surface of the ocean has the entire sea at the back of it, which wells up as this eddy or the wave. The power of the entire sea is behind the wave. The infinite is incapable of resisting, because nobody can resist an attraction. This is because attractions, which are also loves, arise on account of a psychological impasse created unconsciously by the involvement of cognitive consciousness in the sense organs and through the sense organs coming into contact with the object, not knowing the fact that the sense organs themselves are propelled by an inward   cognitive consciousness of the subject and that there is also something in the object which is basically  cognitive consciousness.

Yājñavalkya clarifies that nothing in this phenomenal world is able to provide us immortality, since they are mortal by nature. The only immortal thing is Ātmā and therefore, those who seek immortality have to strive for attaining to it. Ātmā is Sat-Chit-Ānanda; we are but Ātmā holding this body. What works in us is the inner urge of existence (Sat), of knowledge and expression (Chit) and of joy (Ānanda). It is because of this inner urge that we engage in various deeds. We love things in furtherance of this urge of ours, not for the sake of the things. Love for father, mother, spouse, son, daughter, wealth and everything in this world is not for their sake but for furthering this urge only. In order to perpetuate what we want to derive from this love, we have to attain to the ultimate principle of Ātmā, as, it is Ātmā that is eternal (2.4.5). It is through knowing Ātmā that everything comes to be known properly; for, everything here is only Ātmā in essence. Consequently nothing can be known in isolation of Ātmā, just as the different notes of a drum beat cannot be known by sounds other than that of its own general note (2.4.7).

Our Rishis bogged down by the fear of death raised their voices to the unknown“mrityor maa amritam gamaya”-lead us from death to immortality. Yajnavalkya is teaching the inquiring Maitreyi the meditation upon Brahman as the means of liberation.  He teaches that Atman alone is to be visited, reflected upon and meditated upon for attaining immortality. So according to the context the term Atma is determined as Pramatman as we often have to do while going through various Upanishads.  So also the term “aatmanastu Kaamaya” mentioned in the in the beginning of this mantra  means fulfilling the will of the Supreme.  Paramatman has not only entered into us but also direct us to act according to the status of our Karma--“Isavasyamidam sarvam”. May I become dear to my wife is not the cause of wife but the will of Paramatman-- Aham asyah priyam syam, May I become dear to my wife is thus a wish and appeal to the Supreme.

Mahanarayana Upanishad says  “Vijnaanenaatmaanam Vedayati” by unbroken direct realization of Truth one knows the Supreme.  But how do we realize Aatman?

prāṇairbalaṁ balena tapastapasā śraddhā śraddhayā medhā medhayā manīṣā manīṣayā mano manasā śāntiḥ śāntyā cittaṁ catena smṛtiḥ smṛtyā smāraɱ smāreṇa vijñānaṁ vijñānenātmānaṁ vedayati 

When the life-breath is nourished (by Aaharasuddhi, Yoga etc.--right food yoga etc.) one gets bodily strength. Bodily strength gives the capacity to practice tapas (in the shape of self-control, religious fast, and so forth). As the result of such tapas, faith in scriptural truths springs into existence. By faith mental power comes. By mental power sense-control is made possible. By sense-control reflection is engendered. From reflection calmness of mind results. Conclusive experience of Truth follows calmness. By conclusive experience of Truth remembrance of IT is engendered. Remembrance produces continuous remembrance. From continuous remembrance results unbroken direct realization of Truth. By such realization a person knows the Ātman.

Vedas say Prajnanam Brahma (Aitareya Upanishad 3.1.3) and Vijnanam Anandam Brahman (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.28).  Prajnaanam is the ultimate reality who is beyond name and form, who is beyond space-time continuum and who is an omniscience reality. Through Vijnana we realize Atman and through atman Paramaatman that is   Prajnana and get ourselves associated with it to live with Bliss or  Ananda or become a part of it as per our merits. Brahman is Absolute Consciousness while Atman is Cognitive Consciousness.

--June 21, 2019

YOGIC ECOLOGY-YOGA A WAY OF LIFE--IYD CELEBRATION

International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on 21 June to raise awareness worldwide about the benefits of Yoga in daily life. Yoga brings balance between body, soul and mind. It helps us to understand the purpose of life and how to survive in the changing environment. Let us read more about International Yoga Day, history behind its celebration, Theme of 2019, benefits of Yoga and significance. The theme of 5th International Yoga Day 2019 is "Climate Action". In United Nation, it will be celebrated a day before that is on 20 June, 2019 with 'Yoga with Gurus' and followed by a panel of discussion on 21 June

When proposing 21 June as the date for the International Yoga Day (IYD) Modi said that the date was the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere (shortest in the southern hemisphere), having special significance in many parts of the world. From the perspective of yoga, the summer solstice marks the transition to Dakshinayana. The first full moon after summer solstice is known as Guru Poornima. Shiva, Dakshinamurti, the first yogi (Adi Yogi), is said to have begun imparting the knowledge of yoga to the rest of mankind on this day, and became the first guru (Adi Guru). Dakshinayana is also considered a time when there is natural support for those pursuing spiritual practices.

It was during this time of the year that Adiyogi turned south and became a Dakshinamurti – he began to transmit the fundamentals of the yogic science to his first seven disciples, who are now celebrated as the Saptarishis.  He turned south because the sun turned south. The southern run of the sun became significant because this was the first phase of the teaching. This became the sadhana pada where he taught the Saptarishis what they should do. The northern run or Uttarayan is referred to as the samadhi pada or kaivalya pada. It is a time for realization.

What brings us together to celebrate International Yoga Day (IYD) on this Winter Solstice Day?   This day is celebrated all over the world even otherwise   except India which has postponed celebration of the beginning Dakshinayana Punya Kala to Guru Purnima Day on July 16 2019.  Unfortunately we dismiss that day also with not much fan- fare forgetting Vedavysa , Father of  All Nations who collected all Veda mantras from the memories of great rishis, edited and gave it to us in an assailable form. It is the stable joy, the health and wellness of the entire being, the balance between the body, the breath, the mind and the heart, the opportunity to melt and merge into something deeper than ourselves, the infinite ocean of expansion,  we need to celebrate on this IYD.

Paramartha Niketan draws more than 1,000 people from more than 60 countries across the world to the banks of the Ganga River, to its Ashram, in Rishikesh as India celebrates International Day of Yoga on June 21st.  They are not celebrating aerobics. They are not celebrating calisthenics. They are not celebrating stretching exercises. They are celebrating Yoga, ultimate union, a union that — beginning with uniting the body and the breath and leading to a union of body, mind and spirit — takes us into a union between ourselves and the Divine. It is a union of our small, isolated, individual, limited, physical existence, with all of Creation.

In separation, the opposite of yoga, the world is made up of objects. We are each the “subject” of our own subjective reality. Everyone and everything else is an object — the animals whose flesh becomes our meal, whose skin becomes our car seat or belt, the impoverished sweatshop workers who produce our “rock bottom” priced clothes, the precious trees of the Amazon felled by the acre to make room for the grazing of hamburgers-to-be, the indigenous people whose lands are being cleared across the rain forests, the coffee and cotton pickers whose children have birth defects due to the toxicity of their pesticide-ridden working environment.

In a yogic life though, in a life committed to the awareness and experience of unity we realize that these are all us.  As individuals, to overcome our depression, loneliness and numbness, we need to feel connected. As a society, in order to function well, we need to be connected and in harmony. As an international, global world family, we need to realize that we are inextricably connected, as Chief Seattle said so beautifully, to “the web of life.” Yoga, a true realization of union, could save not only our health, but also our planet.

Holy Bible says Nature is the Handy-work of GOD created for our  benefits and living while  Vedas say GOD  not only created Nature for Universal Peace And Tranquility but also entered into them ever present and vigilant  that the natural laws are preserved, followed and respected. So,   it is but natural Hindus worship Nature while West does not while enjoying bounties of nature and also exploiting and destroying it indiscriminately to the point of extinction. Hindus recognize its self-regenerating system and eco-balance.

Yo maam pasyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi pasyati | tasyaaham na pranasyaami sa cha may na pranasyati--Those who perceive GOD in everything and behold everything in GOD. are not separated from GOD and God is not separated from them!

Supreme Reality (GOD) in Gita says;  Sarvabhoota sayasthitah-- I am the living  vital force of all beings; Asvatthah sarvavrikshaanaam--I am the Asvattha tree among the trees; ravih amsumaan--radiant Sun among luminaries; marichir maarutam--Marichi among supernatural controllers of wind; Sarasam sagarah--I am the Ocean among sources of water; uchchaisravah asvaanaam, airavatah gajendraanaam vaasukih sarpaanaam dhenunaam kaamadhuk Vainateyah pakshinaam--I am Ucchaisravas among horses, Airavata among elephants, Vasuki among serpents, Kamadhenu among cows, Vainateya among birds, declaring thereby  that he pervades everything.

Dyauh Saantih antariksham saantih prithvee saantih aapah saantih oshadhyah saantih vanaspatayah saantih viswedevaah saantih brhma  saantih sarvam saantih saantireva saantih saa maa   saantiredhi || (Veda)

There is peace in the heavenly region; there is peace in the atmosphere; peace reigns on the earth; there is coolness in the water; the medicinal herbs are healing;  the plants give tranquility; there is harmony in the celestial objects and perfection in eternal knowledge; everything in the universe is peaceful; peace pervades everywhere; May that peace come to me!

[Thus good Lord established the Universe with all round peace. In turn it is our Dharma to preserve that peace all around]

Gita is Yogopanishad. The Hindu Yogi can discern the same supreme Reality in the human being, a snake, a particle of dust or a distant star, as well as beyond all time and space! This Vedic vision of unity is the basis for an ecological approach in which we can honor the entire universe as part of our own higher Self. It takes us beyond the duality of God and the creation. God does not create the world out of nothing. The world, God and the soul are inherent aspects of the same Eternal Being. We need not protect nature as we would an inferior creature. We can honor nature as our own greater life and expression!

Inspired by the Eco-philosophy and Yogic practice for Spiritual Advances contained in Vedas and Bhagavad Gita David Frawley has poured his thoughts in an article titled “Yogic Ecology and Mother Earth….” who  is not only a preacher but also a serious practitioner of yoga and worship of Mother Nature.

Echoing the same thoughts Sadhvi Bhagavati of Paramartha Niketan has delivered an emotional awakening message: “Yoga, a true realization of union, could save not only our health, but also our planet.”

 “Om ityaatmaanam yunjeeta”--Unite the Self with the Supreme; ityupanishat --“That is coming together” and that is  YOGA.

Let us resolve: Let us come together for the purpose of helping people grow in Body, Mind and Spirit to Unite The  Self with the Supreme    meditating on Adi Yogi Dakshinamurti and dedicated to  Adi Guru Vedavyasa on this  Winter Solstice Day (June 21)!

--June 20, 2019

Comments:

Best wishes on the occasion of World Yoga Day. Importance of yoga on our physical and mental well-being can never be overestimated. Thanks for highlighting through your incisive writing.

--A.S. Narayana

MATTUR THE SANSKRIT SPEAKING VILLAGE OF KARNATAKA

Americans should use this model and train our children in Bal Vihar Schools making Sanskrit a spoken language and also show it as model to India. Pundits from MATTUR   may help us in our endeavor

Mattur The Sanskrit Speaking Village Of Karnataka

By Anuradha Goyal

-

 Mattur has been on my wishlist since I first heard that all the people of this village can speak Sanskrit. Something that might have been a norm in good old days, but is a rare exception in 21st CE, has to be intriguing.

Mattur Sanskrit Speaking Village of Karnataka

I wondered if it would be like visiting India that existed 2000 or more years ago. Wanted to know if these people speak other languages or not. I was curious to know if they inherited this Sanskrit speaking or they learned it like we learn languages that are not our mother tongues. So finally, last month I got an opportunity to visit Mattur village and spend a few hours there.

I was in Shivamogga for a wedding in the family. In between the rituals, I took out time to drive to Mattur village, just on the outskirts of Shivamogga city. A dust road through the fields and Arecanut plantations took us to the village. We were looking for Sh Ashwath Avadhani Ji, who had kindly agreed to show us the village. We did not have his contact number, but we were told to ask anyone in the village. That is vintage style visiting an Indian village, where everyone knows everyone.

Traditional South Indian Agrahara

Village walk

We walked around the village that has traditional south Indian houses with pillared corridors opening into the wide streets between them. Platforms below the old trees indicated that conversations still happen there. Young and old, all men wore Veshtis – the traditional south Indian attire. The feel of the place was very different, it had a homogeneity that we now miss in most places. Trust was in the air, as we saw most houses had left their front doors open. Everyone welcomed us inside their homes without any hesitation, without knowing who we are and what is our purpose of visit.

We sat with Ashvath Ji on an open platform after listening to him converse with people in the street in Sanskrit. Personally, for me, it was watching a living dream. I had to pinch myself and tell that I am listening to this Sanskrit Samvad in everyday life in real.

History of Mattur village

Laxmi Narayan Temple

Mattur village was given to the Sanketi Brahmins by Vijayanagara Kings who came here from Tamil Nadu some 500 years ago. Yes, Mattur – the Sanskrit speaking village is an Agrahara, which the families living here received as a royal grant. Trayambaka Rai, a minister in the Krishnadevaraya King’s court set up the Trayamkeshwara temple and the village came up around the temple. You can still see the marking of three segments of land around the temple – each one marked for 40 families in the Agrahara.

There are about 120 families and 600 people in this Agrahara, although the total village population is about 2000. They all belong to the same Brahmin caste. No wonder homogeneity exists.

No one really knows how the village got the name. Guess is that it comes from Mahat + Uru which would roughly mean an important place or a big place.

Mattur and Sanskrit

Samvad or Daily conversations in Sanskrit at Mattur village. Most of the people are engaged in Sanskrit in some way. There is a school that teaches in Sanskrit to the kids. There is a Ved Pathshala where scholars learn the Indian scriptures. We met students from across south Indian states who were here to learn Sanskrit and scriptures.

When I asked Ashwath Ji, how did Sanskrit speaking begin in this village, his quick answer was – Parampara. It is our tradition. Our ancestors who were well versed in Vedas spoke in Sanskrit. However, in the recent past, the credit goes to a course conducted by Sanskrit Bharti.

When I asked that the tradition must have existed in many parts of the country if not throughout the country, then how did they manage to keep it alive. He said, we are very content people and we are happy with what we have. He also gives credit to the youth who are engaged in nurturing Sanskrit, without whom it would have been difficult to sustain.

Today all the people in the Agrahara and many in the village can speak Tamil which is their mother tongue, Kannada which is the local language and Sanskrit which is the chosen language of the village.

Young Students of Sanskrit & Scriptures

Ashwath Ji told me about a few more villages in South India like Radhakrishna Nagar near Dharwad where Sanskrit is being revived as a spoken language. He also believes that languages are lost when youth migrates to cities. If we stay in villages, the languages will sustain naturally.

It is heartening to see that the village has adopted technology to teach Sanskrit to the world. Many young entrepreneurs here teach Sanskrit online from Mattur village. How I wish more youth could find their livelihood within their homelands.

Must See in Mattur Sanskrit Village

Ashwath Ji took us for a walk around the village. In a small village of 600 people, we could see so many things. I loved the streets that had a sense of community and openness.

Bank of River Tunga

On the banks of River Tunga, there is an open space where Agnihotras or Havans are performed. I visited in the afternoon and missed attending one. I am sure I would visit it again just to witness this on the banks of an ancient river.

Temples

There are 7 temples in this small village. 3 of them Keshav, Sri Ram and Laxmi Narayana Temple are dedicated to Vishnu. Another three Trayambakeshwara, Gowri Shankar, Someshwara are dedicated to Shiva. There is another temple dedicated to Anjaneya or Hanuman.

We visited the Laxmi Narayan Temple located at the entrance of the village and hence also called Durga temple. It is a small one-room temple where women come and do kirtan every evening

Vedshala and Gurukul

Sanskrit Library

The part of the village that I enjoyed the most was visiting Gurukul. A simple old style home where you enter after taking your shoes off has young boys living and learning Indian Scriptures.

Gurukul at Mattur also has a small library that has Sanskrit scriptures and books. I wish they had funds to create a beautiful library that people can refer to. As of now, they are steel almirahs that store the manuscripts as well as Sanskrit books.

Village School

A Sanskrit student reciting Yajur Veda

Visiting the school in the village was fun, where I interacted with the 5th-grade students and they surprised me with their knowledge of Sanskrit. May they lead us to a future rooted in our own culture.

The most fascinating part of visiting the village is listening to the conversations in Sanskrit. If you know at least one Indian language, you can follow the conversations to a large extent.

Veergal or Hero Stone

Hero Stone or Veergal

Outside one of the temples, we saw a hero stone erected. Such hero stones commemorating the local heroes are found quite commonly found in this region. Given the limited time, I could not gather the story behind the stone. It does tell me that this Sanskrit speaking village does not live in isolation despite being unique in its own way.

How to reach Mattur village

You can easily drive to the village from Shivamogga,  that is well connected by road and rail to Bengaluru.

Plan to go either early morning to around evening when you can see Agnihotras being performed, Scriptures being chanted by the river.

You can easily cover it in an hour’s time unless you decide to sit and chat with the people there.

In and around the village, you can explore the temple town of Sringeri and Remains of Kelady Kings at Ikkeri & Keladi.

--June 19, 2019

Comments:

Nice to learn first-hand information from you sir. You have rekindled my interest to visit Mattur. I did not know it was near Sringeri. Thanks again.

--Dr. A. N. Sapthagireesan

Steadily, though slowly, but surely, SANATHANA DHARMA seems to be gaining ground

Please recall my recent E-mails on the Spiritual neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Hastinapura. Lone Hindu Temple in Ancara, Ghana and an interview with Maria Wirth  as to why she feels the urge to preserve Sanatana Dharma to the World to live in Peace  but not in pieces. I have talked a lot about modern spiritual leaders of the West who have not only adopted Hinduism but strongly promoting bit all over the world.

Steadily, though slowly, but surely, SANATHANA DHARMA seems to be gaining ground not only in Indonesia, but in Africa north America, South America  and in the West and European countries as well. We do not want other religionists to convert to Hinduism, but, if after conviction, they themselves adopt HINDUISM, as a way of life, rest assured, the world is again being gradually engulfed in the effulgent DHARMIC RELIGION OF HINDUISM to live in peace but not in pieces.

”Indonesia, the country whose citizens are staunch followers of Islam. The queen of such a country has come forward with a huge decision and adopted into “Sanatan Dharma” as her religion.

“Kanjeng Raden Ayu Mahindrani” is the Princess of Java, Indonesia. She is quite known for her love towards music and is also an avid pianist and a composer. The Princess of Java went through a Sudhi Wadani Ritual on 17th of July, 2017, in the Pura Luhur Catur Kanda Pat Sari of Bali. This ritual can be described as an initiation into Hinduism, one of the major minority religions which are seeing a major boost as many are returning to its fold, attracted by its philosophy.

According to the princess, Sanatan Dharma is the actual religion in Indonesia. And this changed over the period of time influenced by Islam. “I have not adopted a new religion but I have rejoined back to my religion again. I used to frequently visit Hindu temples to offer pooja and pray there, before I could accept Hindu religion” she said. Sudhi Wadani ritual of the Princess was led by a Hindu priest, Sri Bhagawan Putra Natha Nawa Wangsa Pemayun, who hails from Bali.

She seemed quite happy after performing the rituals of conversion and she thanked her brother for his support and encouragement towards his decision. As well as her whole family who stood with her and permitted her decision to go ahead.

Further, she said that her desire to “return to the Dharma path was exactly what she wanted to do for a long time”. Kanjeng Mahendrani even said that even before officially becoming a Hindu she followed the prayers in the Puras (Temples). She added later, that, only now it is official. The Princess said that her desire to become a Hindu was her exercise of her free will as she always felt peaceful when praying in a Temple or whenever she participated in a Hindu procession or Kejawen.

India’s so-called secularists have got a shock wave after hearing this news. A country such as Indonesia where reside staunch followers of Islamism and cannot think of converting into another religion, the queen of such a country has moved towards a noble change. And she also says that “Sanatana Dharma is the original religion” of Indonesia. Before the princess, the Judge of Supreme court of Indonesia also had adopted Sanatana Dharma. Indonesia which was once a part under Indian rule and Sanatana origin, the people there still believe that their religion has been converted.

Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Former President Barack Obama, US President Donald Trump, Will Smith are some of the names who are attracted towards Hinduism and are quite curious to know more about this. All in all the air of Sanatana Dharma is rapidly spreading all over the world and people are widely getting attracted towards it. Apart from all these, there was a pleasant gesture by South Africa’s well-known player “Jonty Rhodes” was so very influenced by Sanatana dharma and its rituals that he went ahead and named his daughter as “India”!!

The main motto of Sanatana dharma itself is “Live and let live”. It believes in maintaining peace all over the world and wants its followers to promote the same thought and give up with hatred and enmity. Now people all over the world have agreed that if there exists any form of peaceful religion then it can only be “Sanatana Dharma”. This step taken by the Java princess may turn to be a medium to make the secularists in India realize the pureness of Sanatana Dharma and its significance. What Lord Sri Krishna had predicted that whenever he needs to protect Dharma (religion) he will come down to earth and uplift the belief seems to be turning true.

Sanatana is the ultimate truth, Sanatana is the ultimate pureness of soul and Sanatana is the one that will last long.”-- G. N. BALAKRISHNA

"What is our contribution to Hindu Dharma while  our children have chosen their  life-partners from other faiths and raising kids among multi cultures and SBNR , to  not only continue practicing  Hindu Dharma but  also promote it for a Brighter and Better World to Live in Peace but not Pieces?'

--June 16, 2019

Comments:

I have started seeing Sanatana Dharma as mother of all religions, a repository of wisdom that can be claimed by everybody including Christians and Muslims without having to go through religious conversion.

--Dr. Vedavyas

MARIA WIRTH ON PRESERVATION OF HINDU-DHARMA FOR HUMANITY

Hindu-Dharma needs to survive in the interest of all Humanity-Maria Wirth

Maria Wirth is a German who has managed to put her finger on the pulse of India’s spirituality, much more than perhaps many Indians themselves. In her book ‘Thank you India – a German woman’s journey to the wisdom of yoga’, she shares her experiences living as a foreigner in India for the last 38 years, since her visit to the Kumbh Mela in 1980 and about finding her soul        

What in your opinion is the biggest challenge facing Hinduism today?

MW: I feel Hinduism faces a challenge on the political and also on the spiritual level. On the political level, Hinduism is under severe attack. Just check international news. Since I come from an Abrahamic religion, I am convinced that their goal is nothing less than to make Hinduism disappear into a museum. Because that’s it what their doctrine says: ‘only we have the full truth. The Highest wants all to follow only our particular book’ (there are 2 competing claims by the way).

So there needs to be a counter on the political level. Being nice and politically correct won’t help. Hindu Dharma needs to survive in the interest of all humanity. In fact, it should be the aim of Hindus to convince the others that what they believe as the only truth simply cannot be the absolute truth. It’s a tough task, because brainwashing in childhood goes deep and it’s nice to believe that one’s religion is superior to others and that God loves us and not them. It’s also tough because Christian and Muslim institutions are highly influential and intent on keeping their power. Further, the whole culture centers around religion in many countries, including in America, Europe and the Muslim nations. To make them realize that certain divisive claims are not true and need to be given up, is not easy, yet should be the goal of Hindus. It would free many of those who feel trapped in the dogmatic religions, as well. It is no fun to be frightened constantly with burning eternally in hell as a child. Children believe what they are told.

On the spiritual level, Indians need to know again more about their tradition and most importantly, do Sadhana to know for themselves that their texts are right and guide to a more fulfilling life. It’s important to be quiet sometimes. Being without thoughts, just observing, listening, and being fully present in the now or any other form of meditation.

 What is the most life-transforming experience you have had in India?

MW: I can’t pinpoint any one life-transforming experience. May be meeting Anandamayi Ma and Devaraha Baba at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in 1980 was life-transforming because they brought the wisdom of Swami Vivekananda’s Jnana Yoga alive and made me want to stay longer in India and dive deeper into what is the truth. Especially around Anandamayi Ma I learnt a lot, because there were small booklets in English with her sayings. She came fully from Advaita, stressed that all is One, yet at the same put great stress on Bhakti, love for Bhagawan. She used to say, “Feel you are in the loving embrace of Bhagawan. Remember him always, 24 hours a day. Feel he is living through you. Have his name always on your lips” etc.

It showed a clear path, yet it was not easy. Because how can I love THAT (tat) which is not visible, formless, spread out, infinite, eternal? Jnana was easier for me – to read and reflect on what is really true. It made so much sense. My aspiration was genuine. ‘If I am not what I think I am, I want to find out what I really am’, was my thinking. And I prayed “please help me”, because I knew I needed help and also was convinced that my prayer is “heard”, because the true essence in me is conscious. In fact it’s the only ‘thing’ which is truly conscious and our minds are just reflecting this one consciousness.

How does one reach a stage from seeing the greatness in a guru, to being able to see the same greatness within oneself, albeit in a different measure? Is there a process to this shift of thought?

MW: My view of a guru has changed over the years. In the beginning of my stay in India, I didn’t want a guru, because I was afraid that she or he may tell me what to do and I have to follow it. I took guidance from gurus who had passed away already, like Swami Vivekananda or Ramana Maharshi. Yet after 7 years travelling through India, I felt that I could need a guru, because I knew by then a lot about the truth, but couldn’t see it. It so happened that I landed up in Puttaparthi in Satya Sai Baba’s ashram and convinced myself gradually that he is, what he claims to be: a full Avatar and I became a genuine devotee. Yet after 7 years, my strong faith suddenly slipped away – and the strange thing was that I felt relieved.

After that, again I accepted a guru, who was not well known and a wealthy coffee planter. I stayed in his meditation group for 5 years and again I felt I had to leave and felt relieved. So I know the guru devotee relationship first hand, but I came to the conclusion that the most important guru is the inner guru who is ever present and who guided me to outer gurus for a while. This inner guru is Atman and our true essence. There is no question of higher and lower, rather of true and only apparently true.

New age narratives speak about meditation and even prayer as being a-religious and merely spiritual, sanitizing some of India’s great rituals and traditions. Through your interactions with different spiritual leaders in India, do you feel that India can offer to the world an experience of the divine, by greater engagement with ritual rather than less.

MW: India is very fortunate that its great culture was not swept away by Christianity, Islam or communism, which have destroyed ancient cultures all over the globe and made people believe that worthwhile history started only with Jesus Christ, or Prophet Mohamed or Karl Marx. India was the center of civilization and the knowledge that we are connected to the whole cosmos did not get fully lost. There is so much wisdom in the innumerable texts, including how to connect with higher lokas and the devas and devis there through poojas and other rituals. I am glad they are followed, because it more and more turns out that there is science behind them, and moreover, many of them give a lot of joy. I personally have not gone much into rituals, since my approach was more from Jnana and Bhakti, but I greatly benefit from being able to go to temples for example. I love the Arati there. The atmosphere is very uplifting. And my impression is that there are still many mysteries to be discovered in Indian temples that are far more ancient than western historians want them to be.

Reading about India’s wisdom and sitting for meditation is helpful to gain wisdom, but is difficult to sustain in a materialistic environment. In India, this wisdom is alive, the atmosphere is imbibed with it and chanting of the Ramayana for example wafts from somewhere; the many temples and shrines remind one of a greater Presence. The sun, the rivers are revered and worshipped. Everything is sacred and its sacredness is acknowledged.

This is of course more obvious in the many pilgrimage places. Yet even in the big cities one gets reminded off and on.

Maria Wirth at India Foundation’s Conference on Soft Power

Can yoga alone lead to enlightenment? Is any awareness of this kind temporary or does it change one forever?

MW: Yoga means to join – to join or merge the ego or I based on thoughts into the real Self. If you mean by yoga only hatha yoga, maybe it won’t be enough. But the yoga of the Bhagavad Gita – jnana, bhakti and karma yoga – shows how to make the whole life yoga. As it is, by our own effort we can only go to the source of the ego. Ramana Maharshi’s first teaching to Ganapathy Muni, who had done a lot of sadhana and felt stuck, was “Observe from where the I-feeling emerges. If you go to its source, you will dissolve in it. This is the right striving for self-realization.”

If you had to choose one book to explain the wisdom of India, what would it be? When did you read it? You mentioned recently about a book list which was full of people who like to write against India. And you mentioned it’s a good thing that people don’t read much nowadays. Are there book out there you would recommend for people who haven’t been to India, to know more about India the way she should be known.

MW: It’s difficult to recommend one book. Of course the Bhagavad Gita, is a very basic and helpful text and all should read it. In fact I had read it already in Germany when I had no idea that I would live my life in India. Yet I had not understood it. It was in German, in complicated poetic language, and I saw only an ancient text without much relevance for modern times. When I read it again in India, I was amazed that I had not seen its depth earlier.

Similarly, ‘Jnana Yoga’ by Swami Vivekananda impressed me greatly when I first read it in 1980, yet when I came across it again in 2001, it didn’t touch me as much. By then, I preferred the Tripura Rahasya and the books on Kashmir Shaivism, like Shiva Sutras, Spanda Karika, etc.

So it depends on one’s own state what touches.

My book “Thank you India – a German woman’s journey to the wisdom of yoga” gives a general overview and helps ‘to know more about India, the way she should be known’, not only for foreigners but also for Indians who drifted away from their tradition due to English education and who don’t have an experience of spiritual India as it were. A reader said it felt like a modern version of “A search in secret India” by Paul Brunton from the 1930s, but that it goes much deeper. The reason may be that Paul Brunton was only visiting India and I have been living here since 38 years.

Maria Wirth with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The book has two levels, on one hand my experiences while travelling, in ashrams, with gurus, pilgrimage places, festivals, and on the other hand the wisdom, which I gained thanks to gurus, books, reflection and sadhana.

Actually, I would have one request to all: spare some time for sadhana, give a break to the normal thought stream by meditation, japa, yoga, bhajan, satsang, temple visit, whatever suits you best. The beauty of Hindu Dharma is that there are innumerable ways to connect with the great Supreme Being who is our own blissful Essence.

Of course, the desire that one WANTS to connect needs to be there…

In your 38 years in India, would you say that accessing ancient Indian wisdom of yoga, Ayurveda, the Vedas, dance or music is easy, moderately difficult or very difficult? What has your experience been?

MW: It was not difficult for me because I stumbled into it. I was not in search of it. One thing led to the other. I bought a book by Swami Vivekananda, without knowing who he was. It greatly impressed me. Then I landed up at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar without knowing what Kumbh Mela is. There I met foreigners who introduced me to Anandamayi Ma and Devraha Baba. Again, they impressed me immensely. I was mainly interested in what is the truth. If this world of sense perception is not really real, then I wanted to know what is real. So for this, I was guided to sadhana and I also read a lot. Went to libraries and studied for example the Brahma Sutras. Tips, what to read and whom to meet, came my way naturally.

When one sees Pondicherry, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Mysore even, one often feels this is India, this is mighty India. In your book you write – ‘India hides her positive sides’. How can India be transformed, as we have in the recent past seen Varanasi transformed. Isn’t it time we stop romanticizing our dirt and dust and try to focus on development and preservation of our great land?

MW: I don’t think that dirt is romanticized in India. When I stayed in Sai Baba’s ashram in the 1980s, there were many signboards with “Cleanliness is Godliness”. After the opening of the economy in 1991, plenty of plastic packages came in and India was not used to such much waste. With Prime Minister Modi’s campaign things are changing fast.

I don’ know how to transform cities, like Varanasi, as I have no expertise. But one thing I would like to make clear. India is doing exceptionally well in relation to her huge population. Can you imagine what Germany would look like if it would have to give shelter within its borders to the whole population of England, France, Spain and Italy? I am sure it would collapse. Yet then the population density would be comparable with that of Bihar and UP for example. And here in India there is still space for monkeys, leopards, tigers, elephants, snakes, dogs.  Germany has killed all dangerous wildlife and even deer is culled annually so that the timber is not damaged. Can you see how well India is doing?

You decided to stay put in Dehradun. Why Dehradun?

MW: I landed up in Dehradun in May 1980 when Anandamayi Ma moved there from her ashram in Kankhal. I don’t know why, but I liked the place immensely right from the start, maybe because Ma stayed in beautiful surroundings at the outskirts of the town. The first range of the mighty Himalaya is so close, and the Himalaya had attracted me, ever since I heard on radio of the flight of the Dalai Lama to India in 1959. I was only 9 years old, but I remain in DEHRADUN to look at the roof of the world constantly.

"What is our contribution to Hindu Dharma while  our children have chosen their  life-partners from other faiths and raising kids among multi cultures and SBNR, to  not only continue practicing  Hindu Dharma but  also promote it for a Brighter and Better World to Live in Peace but not Pieces?'

--June 16, 2019

WHAT ALL MOMS AND DADS SHOULD DO TO EARN RESPECT --MATRU DEVO BHAVA PITRU DEVO BHAVA

11 Quotes from Barack Obama That All Dads Should Hear

“Every father bears a fundamental obligation to do right by their children,” the former president said.

By Jolie A. Doggett

Barack Obama’s fatherhood goals.

He wrote about his relationship with his own father, Barack Obama Sr., in his book “Dreams From My Father.” Early in his presidency, Obama hosted a town hall meeting on the trials of fatherhood during his Young Men’s Barbeque in 2009. He always seemed happiest when he was kicking it with the kids at the White House Easter Egg Roll or visiting schools around the world.

Many dads could learn a thing or two about leading a family from the former leader of the country. This Father’s Day, we look back at times when the former president offered some tough, yet loving, advice to fathers on what it takes to raise smart, powerful, compassionate children who may make the world a better place.

On Being A Man

“What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child — it’s the courage to raise one.” ― Father’s Day speech, Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, 2008

On Being A Father

“As fathers, we need to be involved in our children’s lives not just when it’s convenient or easy, and not just when they’re doing well — but when it’s difficult and thankless, and they’re struggling. That is when they need us most.” ― Op-ed in Parade magazine, 2009

On Teaching Empathy

“We need to show our kids that you’re not strong by putting other people down — you’re strong by lifting them up. That’s our responsibility as fathers.” ― Father’s Day speech, Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, 2008

On Raising Daughters

“It’s up to us to say to our daughters, don’t ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for those goals.” ― Father’s Day speech, Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, 2008

On Raising Sons

“It’s up to us to tell our sons, those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we give glory to achievement, self-respect and hard work. It’s up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.” ― Father’s Day speech, Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, 2008

On Education

“Michelle and I know that our first job, our first responsibility, is instilling a sense of learning, a sense of a love of learning in our kids. And so there are no shortcuts there; we have to do that job. And we can’t just blame teachers and schools if we’re not instilling that commitment, that dedication to learning, in our kids.” ― Remarks on No Child Left Behind flexibility, 2011

On Making Mistakes

“I’m still practicing, I’m still learning, still getting corrected in terms of how to be a fine husband and a good father. But I will tell you this: Everything else is unfulfilled if we fail at family, if we fail at that responsibility.” ― Morehouse College Commencement speech, 2013

On A Father’s Strength

“Whether biological, foster, or adoptive, they teach us through the encouragement they give, the questions they answer, the limits they set, and the strength they show in the face of difficulty and hardship.” ― Father’s Day proclamation , 2012

On A Father’s Duty

“Every father bears a fundamental obligation to do right by their children.” ― Father’s Day proclamation, 2012

On Precious Moments

“In the end, that’s what being a parent is all about — those precious moments with our children that fill us with pride and excitement for their future, the chances we have to set an example or offer a piece of advice, the opportunities to just be there and show them that we love them.” ― Father’s Day address, 2011

On Unconditional Love

“Above all, children need our unconditional love — whether they succeed or make mistakes; when life is easy and when life is tough.” ― Father’s Day address , 2011

10 Quotes That Show Michelle Obama is the Mom America Needs

The "Becoming" author and former first lady shares her wisdom on success, failure and living your best life.

By Jolie A. Doggett

Michelle Obama, former first lady and forever mom-in-chief, has long been a source of inspiration, encouragement and kindly worded tough love. She’s basically the mother figure we’ve needed.

For Mother’s Day, we gathered 10 pearls of wisdom Obama has doled out over the years, from dealing with bullies, to dealing with partners, to dealing with work. Like any good mother, she’s teaching us how to be better human beings and how to live happier, healthier lives.

On Education

 “Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourselves with a good education … then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise.” Final speech as first lady, 2017

On Bullies

 “When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high." Democratic National Convention, 2016

On Choosing The Right Partner

 “Reach for partners that make you better. Do not bring people into your life who weigh you down. Good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt.” 

On Choosing The Right Friends

“You have to fill your bucket with positive energy -- and if you have people hanging around you that are bringing you down and not lifting you up, whether that’s your ‘boo’ or your best friend -- you have to learn how to push these people to the side." The Power of an Education Girl panel, 2015

On Success

“Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” Democratic National Convention, 2012

On Failure

“Failure is an important part of your growth and developing resilience. Don’t be afraid to fail." The Power of an Educated Girl panel, 2015

On Self-Care

“We need to do a better job putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list." Let Girls Learn event, 2016

On Believing In Yourself

 “You don’t have to be somebody different to be important. You are important in your own right.” Let Girls Learn trip, 2016

On Dreaming Big

 “The only limit to the height of your achievement is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.” Democratic National Convention keynote address, 2008

On Making Good Decisions

 “Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t." excerpt from "Becoming"

Wish you all Happy Father's Day!

--June 15, 2019

BBC Report on Ghana's Unique African Hindu Temple & Popularity of Hinduism among Christians and Muslims

 I have been bringing to your notice how vast majority of people from other faiths are attracted to Yoga, Meditation and Spirituality being fed with their own walled religious practices and rituals. There obvious choice is   Sanatana Dharma or Vedic religion that exists in diluted form in Hinduism. 

Some time back Dr. Phil Goldberg sent me the following comments going through my discourses on Sanatana Dharma and Spirituality to promote and popularize Vedic Religion:

 "You are quite right to bring these researches to the attention of the Hindu community.  The implications are huge.  Not mentioned in them are some other trends in the data, in addition to the decline in the number of people identifying with mainstream Christianity: an increase of interest among Christians and Jews in the mystical, or meditative, aspects of their traditions that were long hidden away; an increase in people who seek spiritual wisdom from a variety of sources; an increase in people who call themselves “Spiritual But Not Religious.”  In my talks, and in “American Veda,” I make the case that this is a direct result of access to Sanatana Dharma through gurus, swamis, yogacharyas, etc. We are becoming what I call a nation of yogis.  People acquired the notion of regular sadhana and practical methods to add direct experience to their spiritual lives. There is no doubt much for Hindus in America to contemplate in all this. Like Christians and Jews, future generations of Hindus may not go to temples just because their ancestors did, except for rites of passage and holidays (like Christians who show up only on Easter and Christmas).  They will want to know WHY rituals are done before doing them, and will want teachings and practices that directly enrich their lives and elicit the spiritual experience that rishis pointed to.   At least that is what I surmise in my own research and conversations”.

In this context it is worth considering following advice from modern Rishis who live with us and guide us from time to time without retiring into seclusion as sanyasis like what Vedic Rishis (Vasishtha, Jabali, Vidura,  Sandipana etc.) did acting as counselors to kings.

The Mandirs have to play a significant role in the growth of the Hindu community in terms of its capacity to uphold Hindu Dharma.” -- SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI (www.arshavidya.org)

We need to make temples not just a center of rituals and congregation but lighthouses of philosophy and knowledge, which are the basis of Hindu Dharma.” -- SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

“Creating an environment where the youth understand, appreciate and love their Hindu culture is a crucial need today, as is uniting all Hindu temples under one umbrella.” -- SWAMI CHIDANANDA SARASWATI (www.parmarth.com)

Report from BBC Reporter from Acara in Ghana

I have talked to you about Hastinapura, a Spiritual city in the neighborhood of  Beunos Aires in Argentina.  Now you will be thrilled to read through the following BBC report  how  Hinduism is becoming popular among African Christians and even Muslims with no initiation or guidance from Hindu Indians. We also should rise to the occasion:

The air is filled with the sweet smell of incense burning in a corner of the huge hall. Wrapped in shiny bright clothes, idols of Hindu gods and goddesses smile benevolently from the elevated platform. Sitting on the white marble floor a group of more than 50 men, women and children sing devotional Hindi songs.

Nothing extraordinary about this scene, except that the temple is in Ghana and the devotees are all indigenous Africans. The tall cone-shaped temple emerges out of the crowded neighborhood of Orkordi on the outskirts of the capital Accra. It can be easily identified - the holy Sanskrit word 'Om' shines on its top.

Indian feel

The devotees here have no links with India and have never visited the country. Still they strictly follow religious rules and observe rituals in traditional Hindu way.  They say they have all converted to Hinduism but many still use their Christian names and African surnames. However, they give their young ones Hindu names like Rama or Krishna.

Once inside the temple, you forget that you are a continent away from India. Diyas or little lamps are lit in obeisance to the gods. Surprisingly, there is even a picture of Jesus Christ amid the idols of Hindu deities.

Come evening and the devotees gather in the temple hall for evening prayer rituals. Holy offerings to the gods are distributed after prayers.  Swami Ghanananda Saraswati, the man who established Ghana's first African Hindu Monastery in 1975, oversees the prayers sitting in a high chair. Dressed in a flowing saffron kurta and a wrap-around, he addresses the people on the public address system and explains the finer points of the Hindu faith and philosophy.

"I was born in a village nearby into a native Ghanaian faith," he says. But his parents converted to Christianity. "From a very early age I would think about the mysteries of the universe and try to find the answers in religious texts. But I failed," Swami Ghanananda says. Then he read some books on Hindu faith and embarked upon a new journey which took him to Rishikesh in north India. He spent some time there with a spiritual guru who suggested him to open the monastery in Accra. Ask Swami Ghanananda his original name and the reply comes promptly: "My real name is Guide!"

'No conversion' but only willing submission

It's not been easy for him to keep the faith. He says initially he faced some opposition from a section of the local people, but then the number of visitors started growing.

"We don't ask anyone to convert to Hinduism. Those who seek the truth enquire about the Hindu monastery. We write articles in newspapers before we observe big Hindu festivals like Navaratri or Dipavali," says DG Otchere, manager of the temple.

He says that when a devotee died recently, a local TV channel covered his cremation because burning a body on pyre was unusual in Ghana.

There is even one Muslim among the devotees, Jamer Baroudy says he was born into the Islamic faith but his mother introduced him to Hinduism when he was eight years old. Mr Baroudy says: "I am aware that Islam prohibits idol worshipping but then God doesn't make any distinction. I visit this temple because I find solace here."

Today there are more than 2,000 indigenous African Hindus in Ghana who come to the temple quite regularly.  The total number of Hindus, including those from India, is much larger.

Hindu religion was first introduced in Ghana by Sindhi settlers who migrated to Africa after India was divided in 1947. There is still a Sindhi temple in Accra.

--June 15, 2019

Comments:

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

--Dr. Brahm Parsh

INTER-RACIAL WEDDING REPORT FROM HUFF-POST

I believe many of you have missed my interesting discourse

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/01/spiritually-motivated-hindu-american.html

being busy in the New Yerar Celebrations and resolutions. Also I have been sending too many  E-mails as is  today.  However   I do not wish to keep this HUFFPOST report on Inter-racial wedding and its after effects. Every  Bharatiya Culture  American should be interested in both reporting by me and HUFFPOST  as he may be facing the music if they have not already been through it!

What-It’s-Like-To-Be, The First Woman In My Family To Choose An Inter-racial Marriage

By Sahaj Kohli

Manjil Shrestha, Pixel 6 Studio The author and her husband at the beginning of their Sikh wedding ceremony, standing with their parents for a prayer.

Growing up, my dad would repeat his house rule almost every week: When you get married, marry a Sikh.

He couldn’t fathom that after moving to America for more opportunities for his family, one of his kids would make the mistake of losing touch with her roots. Through my mid-20s, my parents were still holding out hope that I would end up with a Sikh man.

Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world, originating in Punjab, India. Its central values include the devotion to one God, service, equality, fighting for justice and truthful living. My parents are strict followers of the religion and made sure my siblings and I grew up going to Sikh camps over the summer, learning the Punjabi language and attending our version of Sunday school to learn hymns and history lessons.

I’ve always identified as a Sikh, but it’s been hard to reconcile my identity in my dating life. Before I met my husband, Sam, I dated both Sikh and non-Sikh men. Honestly, I often struggled when I went on dates with Sikh men. In some cases, I either felt too American and like I couldn’t relate or match their cultural experiences, or I was forcing myself to overlook a lack of chemistry or connection to make it work just because they were Sikh. In other cases, conversations about relational and marital expectations laid bare an underlying double standard of how it was only OK for men to grow up in this country and become liberal, opinionated, career-driven people.

When I met Sam on a dating site in 2016, I wasn’t making a conscious decision to be with someone who wasn’t Indian or Sikh. After years of heartbreak and a series of terrible dating experiences, I just wanted to meet a kind, respectful generous man. Sam’s emotional intelligence immediately blew me away, and I learned quickly that he was very different from the men I had dated before.

Marriage is the ultimate success for Indian daughters, and my parents had been worried about me for years. So, at 27, I decided to tell them I had met someone. It was supposed to be positive news. I was happy. 

My parents couldn’t really wrap their heads around me dating a non-Sikh man at first. They couldn’t understand why I would make a relationship and potential marriage even harder by choosing someone so different from me. They were worried for my future, and they pretty much banked on it being something that would pass. Months later, my dad continued to hint at potential Sikh suitors he knew about in the community. No matter how hard it was to actively fight for my happiness, I knew I’d have to ride it out and prove to them this wasn’t short-lived.

This was new for Sam, too. He also had never been with someone of a different race or culture. Someone whose religion is the thread that ties together their values, world views and beliefs. Someone whose culture emphasized family involvement even on personal matters. And while his family only cared that he was happy, Sam waited patiently and respectfully for mine to get on board.

I know that by choosing each other, Sam and I may have chosen a tougher path to go down, but also by choosing each other, we have been able to grow together and so have our families.

We had only been dating for three months when Donald Trump got elected in 2016, and it was the moment I knew Sam and I would either be able to see this through or would have to break up. We had to talk about the elephant in the room: his privilege as a white man. Sam listened intently as I talked through my fears for the turban-wearing men in my family who live in the South, and my own identity crisis. He also owned his place in these ongoing issues, learning to be an ally who knows when to stand by and listen and when to stand up and speak out.

I know if I were with a Sikh man, I wouldn’t necessarily need to have emotionally laborious conversations about race, religion and politics. These differences are a part of what makes my relationship with Sam beautiful, though. All relationships require work and effort, patience and respect and healthy communication. But because Sam and I were forced to address our differences very early on, we’ve also been able to address other big needs and desires out of a partnership ― from money and family involvement to future religious involvement in our relationship to cultural traditions and potential children.

In fact, much of what made me fall for Sam were his values that are foundational in the Sikh religion and of great importance to my family: his generosity to the less fortunate, his respect and desire for community building, his kindness, his nonjudgmental nature and ability to treat everyone as equals. 

I know that by choosing each other, Sam and I may have chosen a tougher path to go down, but we have also been able to grow together and so have our families. There’s been a steep learning curve for all of us. Sam and his loving, open-minded and open-hearted family have been able to break the stereotypes my family unfortunately had of white Americans. And I’ve been able to reconnect with where I come from and who I am by teaching my husband and in-laws about Sikhism and being an Indian in this country.

Manjil Shrestha, Pixel 6 Studio The author and her husband at their wedding reception.

In May 2017, six months after I told my parents about Sam, I asked them to meet him. If they didn’t approve, I would hear them out and consider ending it. Even though I wouldn’t be able to pursue a partnership with someone my family didn’t approve of, I’ve always known in my heart that my parents want the best for me and truly want me to be happy. I also knew that Sam was special and that when they met him, they’d slowly come around. 

And thankfully, they did. But after Sam proposed in March 2018, everything seemed to get more complicated. Nothing prepared us for how tough wedding planning was going to be over the last year. There are very specific things a groom or a groom’s family are expected to do in a Sikh wedding and it was hard at first for my parents to compromise on certain traditions to make room for Sam’s comfort and our American expectations of what our wedding should feel like ― that our wedding is for us, not just for our community.

Eventually, we were able to create a wedding weekend that upheld the important Sikh wedding traditions with added twists to make it intercultural (i.e., we had a Sikh ceremony followed by a reception in a brewery where Sam played the drums with his band). However, leading up to it, I had massive anxiety wondering if my Sikh community was going to potentially judge my in-laws or not accept them. I was also nervous about how overwhelmed Sam’s family might be by the culture shock of this elaborately planned weekend.

The truth is, I underestimated everyone. In getting so caught up in what it means to marry outside my race and religion, I didn’t give credit to the love that was flowing around our relationship. My family and family’s friends were loving, patient and kind, embracing my in-laws as new members of the community. And my in-laws were enthusiastic, flexible and willing to learn, embracing my culture and tradition with open minds and hearts. I truly couldn’t have asked for any more love or acceptance. 

Manjil Shrestha, Pixel 6 Studio A snapshot from the author’s Sikh wedding ceremony.

I always have taken my ability to “choose” my life and partner for granted, when in reality, it’s a privilege. During my Sikh wedding, my dad read the laavan from the scripture from the Guru Granth Sahib (our holy book), which meant he sat in front of us through the entire traditional ceremony. I couldn’t make eye contact with him because I knew we were both processing a series of emotions and it felt like a breach of his privacy.

After the fourth laav, or walk around the Guru Granth Sahib, Sam and I were officially husband and wife. I looked up and locked eyes with my dad, and immediately started bawling.

It was in that moment that I got so overwhelmed by his love for me, a love so much stronger than his own religious beliefs or expectations or needs. I was able to see clearly the weight of the sacrifices and compromises my dad has made through his life to get me to where I was ― sitting next to a man I was privileged enough to choose as my life partner ― with the support of the hundreds of people sitting behind us. Him leaving his family over 30 years ago is the reason I’ve been able to choose Sam as my own.

Manjil Shrestha, Pixel 6 Studio The author and her husband at their Sikh wedding walking around her father and the Guru Granth Sahib. 

As such, I think I’ll always feel a slight sense of guilt for not ending up with a Sikh man. I feel a sense of guilt for not fitting into the role of “obedient, good Indian girl” — for doing whatever it took to make my parents’ lives easier after all they’ve done for me. I went against the grain and chose my happiness over my parents’ expectations.

I know my parents initially wanted me to marry a Sikh, but I also know they truly love and consider Sam like a son. Their acceptance of my partnership and effort to meet me where I am has relieved some of my guilt. I’ve gotten a happy ending, but I know not everyone is as lucky or as supported as I have been.

I don’t know what to expect from my marriage to Sam. I know that this is a journey we will venture on together, but I also know that there will always be personal challenges I have to face alone. I am constantly re-evaluating my identities and relearning what they mean for me.

Sam knows how important it is for me to stay connected to my roots. He doesn’t stand by idly while I navigate my identity crises alone. Instead, he looks up gurdwaras, or Sikh temples, in places near where we are going to live. He takes Bhangra dance lessons. He throws in Punjabi words with my nephews where he can. He educates himself.

My partner’s race and religious beliefs don’t affect my autonomy to explore my own. I am not betraying my family or culture by committing to a partnership that nurtures who I am, supports my experiences and urges my exploration in and out of it. 

Even though it’s been almost two months since the wedding, I have yet to take off my choora — my bridal bracelets and a sign of being a newlywed — and I am starting to realize it may be out of defiance for what a Sikh, Punjabi wife is supposed to look like. I’m figuring it out as I go, and I’m on a path that hasn’t been taken by anyone in my family before, but I know I’m not alone.

I just hope my parents know their move to America didn’t cause their daughter to forget who she is. If anything, it’s given her the privilege of choice. This consciousness has allowed me even greater agency and accountability to choose who I am and how I can live in my hyphenated identity as a Sikh Indian-American married to a white American.

Have a compelling first-person story you want to share? Send your story description to pitch@huffpost.com.

  

--June 14, 2015

Comments:

Thanks uncle.  Great writing and so true!

--Inam Munjal

MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY AT PARAMARTHA NIKETAN

Today there are Gurus like Swami Chidanandas of Paramartha Niketan, Fowai Forum etc., Ramakrishna Math., Sree Maa,   Karunamayi, Amritamayi, Sadhvi Bhagavati etc.,  that practice Sevadharma and Sanyasa-yoga while leading a normal life as humans which is not easy.  Their mind is inclusive caring and sharing with the world and not exclusive focused on self-Mukti living in the forest, and are  like Vedic Rishis who helped the kings in preserving Dharma. Our mind should be always with Him, yet our hands should be doing His work. People think that in order to be spiritual, or to “be with God,” one must be sitting in lotus posture in the Himalayas. This is not the only way. In the Gita, Lord Krishna teaches about Karma Yoga, about serving God by doing your duty. It is the choice of a few saints to live in samadhi in the Himalayas. Their vibrations and the global effect of their sadhana are extraordinary. Very few can reach them and benefit from them! But it is unfortunate Bharat today is flooded with noodle gurus (meivazhi samiyar likes) and often we lose our major part of life listening to them in the process of finding a real Guru.

Please listen to Swami Chidananda on the subject of Menstruation, which we think impossible vto hear from a  Sanyasi. You know very well that in Swami Narayan  Assemblies women are not allowed to face the  speaking Sanyasi, listen to the speaker or question him.    Brahmachrya is not exclusive to males alone as we come across great many Vedic women scholars. For this we should understand clearly sex topics like  Menstruation, Brahmacharya, Garbhadana etc., and modern Gurus are not shy to talk about them  inspired by Upanishads which also deal with such topics. Please go through the program and his talk given in Hindi if you know the language.

Menstrual Hygiene Day was filled with inspiring and incredible activities and initiatives when volunteers, pilgrims, devotees and Parmarth Rishikumars joined together to take part in the #RedDotChallenge. Together they also pledged on the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council's innovative #MHWheel, led by Pujya Swamiji and Sadhvi Bhagawatiji, to break the stigma and silence associated with menstrual hygiene, offering a special #mhm bracelet as a symbol of our commitment to work together towards this vital cause.

Thereafter, Pujya Swamiji and Sadhvi Bhagawatiji graced the month-long Shri Ram Katha and gave a revolutionary talk and led a pledge for menstruation management, all from a stage upon which traditionally these topics have never been brought forward.  With the support of Pujya Sant Murlidharji Maharaj, the month-long Katha is becoming a source of great inspiration.

Later in the evening, Pujya Swamiji and Sadhviji also discussed this issue and the actions Global Interfaith WASH Alliance is committed to taking in a special dinner with the Hon'ble US Ambassador Mr Kenneth Juster at the Roosevelt House. They offered to him a hand-made, eco-friendly sanitation pad that our women and girls from our vocational training & Women for WASH programs are going to be learning to make.

Sadhvi Bhagawatiji set the tone in the Ganga Aarti ceremony on the eve of Menstrual Hygiene Day, reminding us all to uplift and empower our women & girls and to embrace the divine life-giving creative power in women, which should not be seen as dirty or as a taboo! 

--June 13, 2019

Comments:

Thank you Srinivasan uncle for sharing this.

--Sunannda Kurup

BHIMBHETKA ROCKS OF MADHYA PRADESH

Please recall my recent E-Mail: "THE UNIVERSE IS INFINITE AND WHAT WE KNOW IS VERY LITTLE"

So while we may not be able to accurately quantify how rare life on Earth is, I think it is safe to say that  present civiliztion is   not alone in the universe, as far as life, or even intelligent life goes and Bharat was its  center of activity. Here is yet another archeological findings in support of the same.

The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site in central India that spans the prehistoric paleolithic and mesolithic periods, as well as the historic period. It exhibits the earliest traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent and evidence of Stone Age starting at the site in Acheulian times  It is located in the Raisen District in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh about 45 kilometres (28 mi) southeast of Bhopal. It is a UNESCO world heritage site that consists of seven hills and over 750 rock shelters distributed over 10 kilometres.  At least some of the shelters were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago. The rock shelters and caves provide evidence of, according to Encyclopædia Britannica, a "rare glimpse" into human settlement and cultural evolution from hunter-gatherers, to agriculture, and expressions of spirituality. 

Some of the Bhimbetka rock shelters feature prehistoric cave paintings and the earliest are about 30,000 years old.  These cave paintings show themes such as animals, early evidence of dance and hunting.  The Bhimbetka site has the oldest known rock art in the Indian subcontinent, as well as is one of the largest prehistoric complexes. --Wikipedia

Please go through the details of exciting archeological photographs and paintings in the Internet that I circulated to HR Participants.

--June 13, 2019

Comments:

Thank you very much for this exciting information

--Dr. Brahm Parsh

I am familiar with this site and its history. Unfortunately it’s publicity lacks amongst Indians and the world populations. Thank you for sharing - hopefully few will read this article.

--Tarun Surti

ELEGY ON GIRISH KARNAD

Here is a great tribute and an Elegy on Dr. Girish Karnad from one of our participants and eulogist Dr. Ram Prasad.  It is indeed a great loss to Karnataka.  At the same time Tamil Nadu also lost Crazy Mohan, a well-known play-write and dramatist. Such divine gifted personalities  not only belong to their states or the country  but to the World of Arts and Literature.  Calamities do not come in single! May their souls rest in Peace!

ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ್

ಸರ್ವತೋಮುಖ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ಪ್ರತಿಕೃತಿ/

ಬಹುಬಾಷಾ ಪರಿಣಿತ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಯ ಆಕೃತಿ/

 ರಂಗಸ್ಥಳ ಬೆಳ್ಳಿ ಪರದೆ ಕಾವ್ಯಕೃತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆರೆದ ಕಲಾಕಾರ/

ಅಗಣಿತ ಬಿರುದು ಬಾವಲಿ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಗಳನು ಪಡೆದ ಬರಹಗಾರ/

ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ ಸಂಘರ್ಷಗಳನ್ನು ಬಹಿರಂಗಪಡಿಸಿದ ಪ್ರಗತಿಪರ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗ/

ಸಮಾಜದ ಬಲಪಂಥಿ ಸಿದ್ದಂತಾಗಳ ಎದುರಿಸಿದ ಅರಿವಿನರಿಗ/

ನವ್ಯರೀತಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಜೀವ ನೀಡಿದ ನಾಡೀಗ/

ದೇಶ ವಿದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಲೇಖಕನಾಗಿ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯರಾಗಿರುವ ನುಡಿಯಾಡುಗ/

ಜನಿಸಿ ಮಹಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳೆದರು ಸಿರಸಿ ದಾರವಾಡದಲ್ಲಿ/

ಪದವೀಧರರಾಗಿ ತೆರಳಿ ಆಕ್ಸ್ಫರ್ಡ್ಗೆ ನಿಪುಣರಾದರು ವಾದ ವಿವಾದದಲ್ಲಿ/

ನೆಡೆದರು ದಾರ್ಶನಿಕರಾಗಿ ನವಜಾಗೃತ ಮೂಲತತ್ವದ ದಾರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ/

ಬೀರಿದರು ಚಿರನೂತನ ಪ್ರಭಾವವ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂಡದಲ್ಲಿ/

ಸಮಕಾಲೀನ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳ ಬಗೆಬೀರುವ ನಾಟಕಗಳ ಗ್ರಂಥಕರ್ತ/

ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸಮಾಜದ ಕುಂದು ಕೊರತೆಗಳ ತೋರಿಸಿದ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತ/

ಮಹಿಳೆಯರಿಗೆ ಪಿತೃಪ್ತಭುತ್ವದ ದಬ್ಬಾಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಖಂಡಿಸಿದ ಸಮಾಜಕಾರ್ತ/

ಹಿಂದುಳಿದ ವರ್ಗದವರಿಗೆ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರ ಸಮಾನತೆಗೆ ಧ್ವನಿ ನೀಡಿದ ಆದ್ಯಕರ್ತ

ಪದ್ಮಶ್ರೀ ಪದ್ಮಬೂಷಣ ಜ್ಞಾನಪೀಠ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಗಳ ಸ್ವೀಕರ್ತ/

ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಚಿತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದರು ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗದ ಪಯಣವ/

ಬಹುಮುಖ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶೋಭಿಸಿದರು ತೋರಿ ಆಕರ್ಷಿತ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವವ/

ತೋರಿಸಿದರು ಜನಶ್ರುತಿಯ ಕಟ್ಟುಕತೆ ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯಗಳ ಲೋಪವ/

ಪ್ರಗತಿಶೀಲ ಆದರ್ಶವಾದಿಯಾದರು ಅನೇಕ ಪೀಳಿಗೆಯವರಿಗೆ ಅಸ್ಥಿತ್ವ/

ಯಯಾತಿ ತುಘಲಕ್ ಹಯವದನ ನಾಗಮಂಡಲ ನಾಟಕಕಗಳ ಕೃತಿಕಾರ/

ಅಂಜುಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ತಲೆದಂಡ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮಳೆ ಒಡಕಲು ಬಿಂಬದ ನಾಟಕಕಾರ/

ಕನ್ನಡ ಬರಹಕಾರಿಯಾಗಿ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಉತ್ತುಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಏರಿದ ಪಾವನ ಆತ್ಮ/

ಎಂದು ಅಳಿಯದ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಶೃಂಗಾರ ಎಂದು ಮರೆಯದ ಆಮ್ತರಾತ್ಮ/

ಚಿರಾಯು ಶ್ರೀ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ್ ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಅಮರ ಪ್ರಪಂಚದಲ್ಲಿ/

ಜನಿಸಿ ಬಾರತಮಾತೆಯ ಮಡಿಲಲ್ಲಿ ಆದರೂ ಶಾಶ್ವತ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ/

ಚಿರಾಯು ಶ್ರೀ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ್ ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಅಮರ ಜೀವಿತದಲ್ಲಿ/

ಜನಿಸಿ ಬಾರತಮಾತೆಯ ಮಡಿಲಲ್ಲಿ ಆದರು ಅಜರಾಮರ ಸಮಾಜ ಮಾರ್ಪಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ/

ಶಾಂತಿ ಸಿಗಲಿ ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ

--ಆಶಾ ಮತ್ತು ರಾಮ್

-- June 11, 2019

 Comments: 

I am indeed touched by your sharing!  I compliment Asha and Ram for the poem that is so timely and aptly worded.

--Swami Chidananda 

Dhanyavadagalu Sir! dhanyavadagalu! tumba santhoshavayitu!! harusha-vayitu! danyavadagalu!

--Dr. Ram Prasad

An excellent Eulogy on Girish Karnad. Really proud of him. Good coverage; enjoyed each & every word. Great soul.

--Dr. Shashikala, N.R.

Thank you for sharing my poem with your sister and others; it makes me really happy to read your sister’s compliments

--Dr. Ram Prasad

2019 FATHER’S DAY FALLS ON FULL MOON

We have to give credit to Christianity for creating Father’s Day Celebration concept and also making it a worshipful day in churches. We have in Hindu practice several religious days like Rakhi

(sister), Bhai Duj (brother), Karadiyan Nonbu (husband), Vata Savaitri Vrat (husband), Karva Chaut (husband), Kumari puja (Kanyakumari), Acharya Janma Tithi (Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhwa,

Basweswara etc.), Guru Poornima ( Guru Veda Vyaasa) Dattatreya Jayanti (Guru), celebrated as festivals and also many of them made special worshipful days in temples but not Father or Mother for we believe in worshiping them every day at home is a routine dharma for children however good or bad a father may be! How did this concept develop in Christianity? When Jesus was taken to crucifixion he pleaded to the Holy Father as follows: “Father! They know not what they do, forgive them”. Here he addressed God as Father and prayed to him. Strangely Jesus himself is not addressed as father by his followers. You always find the inscription INRI besides cross in Catholic churches. This means: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum—Jesus of Nazareth, the King of Jews. Here he is addressed as King and not as Father. Hence devout Christians rush to churches to pray for fathers--for their earthly Father pleading to Heavenly Father. That is Brahman in Hindu Concept though Christians do not accept. So they go to temples to worship a male deity hoping he will carry the message to Supreme Brahman. Hindus say: “Eko (pitaa?) vipraah bahudaa vadanti”. Arjuna worshiped the Lord in  Bhagavadgeetaa  as Father with the following phrases:“Pitaa aham asya jagato”; "pitaasi lokasya charaacharasya"; "piteva putrasya sodhum; —thou art  the Father of this world; thou art the father of all beings; please pardon me as a  father would do to his son.  Jesus never addressed himself as father but often said we are all Children of God. Why not then dedicate this day  as a worshipful day to Vedavyasa,  a contemporary Avatar of Vishnu like Krishna ?

Sri Vishweshatheertha Swamiji a top and much respected pontiff from the tradition of 13th century Hindu philosopher Madhavacharya, has said that Gandhiji can’t be called the ‘father of the nation’ even though he greatly admires him.

However, the pontiff added that the title of the ‘father of the nation’ should be used only for Vedavyasa, the legendary author of the Mahabharata and compiler of the holy Vedas, who is believed to have lived sometime around 3,000 BC.

India did not begin from Mahatma Gandhiji. Our culture, tradition and nationality were awakened by Vyasa. Hence, in my opinion, Veda Vyasa is the father of our nation,” he said.

Vedavyasa did awaken not only India but the whole word by imparting Knowledge and Vedic wisdom bringing to  the  limelight of humanity that gave birth to many religious and philosophic thoughts.  Otherwise it would have continued as ignorant animal world. It is therefore proper to call him Jagatahpitru or Father of the World though Kalidasa used this phrase to Lord Shiva based on Puranic thoughts, who was never an ideal parent, nor had a normal son as portrayed in Puranas. It is customary in Hindu Temples to dedicate this day to Lord Siva!

What makes Father’s Day of 2019 so special to call it a Special Religious Event Day in Hindu American Temples?  Both Vedavyasa and Buddha are born on Purnima nights known for their brightness and coolness.  Moon will rise around sunset on Sunday, June 16 and then set in the west around sunrise on the 17th.

As the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter has been called the Father of Men and Lord of the Heavens in the Western belief also

It’s very easy to see the Full Moon-Jupiter conjunction. On Sunday after sunset, just look for the Full Moon; that very bright “star” to the right is the King of Planets, Jupiter. They will both light up the night-time from dusk until dawn!

Like Mother’s Day, the modern American version of Father’s Day has a history that goes well beyond greeting cards. Strangely Father’s Day was started with   a religious fervor even in the Western World.  The first known Father’s Day service occurred at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South in Fairmont, West Virginia, on July 5, 1908, thanks to the efforts of Grace Golden Clayton. Mrs. Clayton had asked her pastor, Dr. R. Thomas Webb, if a Sunday service could be held to honor fathers. While missing her own dad, who had died in 1896, Mrs. Clayton especially wanted to have a service in remembrance of the over 200 fathers who had died in the Monongahela  mining explosion that had occurred a few miles south of Fairmont on December 6 of the previous year. (It was the worst mining disaster in U.S. history, killing more than 360 men and boys, and leaving about 1,000 children fatherless.)

For the detailed story of how  the Fairmont service, the first known to honor fathers, did turn into an annual event, go through my discourses on the subject.

Behind every successful son there is a father behind him.  In Hinduism father is not only accepted as first Guru (Upanayana ceremony)  but also as god himself--Pitru devo bhava. The planet Jupiter in Vedic astrology is known as GURU, BRIHASPATI, and DEVAGURU. In Sanskrit these names mean, "Teacher, Lord of light, and Teacher to the gods." Jupiter is a 1st rate benefice planet, generally considered to be the most auspicious of the planets. He rules over the two sidereal signs of Sagittarius and Pisces. He is exalted in the sign of Cancer and fallen in the opposite sign of Capricorn. Where the Sun is known as Atman, or the soul, Jupiter is known as JIVA, the consciousness of the soul representing the individuality of self.

Worship of BRIHASPATI or GURU (JUPITER) Devata results in the cure from ailments affecting the stomach and helps one to ward off his/her sins, helps him/her in gaining strength, valor, longevity etc. He grants the boon of father-hood to the childless, good education (Vidya). He is revered as the Guru of Devas, protector of the world and is considered SRESHTA (matchless) among the wise. Kind-hearted he is considered the Loka Guru and dispenser of justice and can be known only by a proper study of the Vedas.

In his Avatar as Vishnu he descended as Guru for Humanity, born as Krishna Dvaipayana  later glorified ass Vedavyasa, like Brihaspati or Jupiter, Guru  of divines. Let us therefore dedicate 2019 Father’s Day to the Father of the World Vedavyasa or Jagatahpitru!

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2012/06/hindu-american-way-of-fathers-day.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2014/06/philosophically-thinking-about-fathers.html

  

“A father is the one friend upon whom we can always rely. In the hour of need, when all else fails, we remember him upon whose knees we sat when children, and who soothed our sorrows; and even though he may be unable to assist us, his mere thought serves to comfort and strengthen us.” —Émile Gaboriau

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU!

 --June 9, 2019

THE UNIVERSE IS INFINITE AND WHAT WE KNOW IS VERY LITTLE

Purusha Created 33 Devatas as his deputies who have been allotted the task of secondary creation, who had supplied them the raw material, in the form of Viraat-purusha (Purusha sookta Homa) for the  task of creation of the universe and its management. Thus for doing their prescribed duty they worshipped Purusha. This is what Puranas describe as four-faced Brahma went on penance! This has a message for us. GOD has given us a ready-made world well regulated by cosmic laws (Dharma). Even the Devatas worked and are still working within the ambit of these laws for the good of the world. A yajna in spirit means just this—offering the individual good into the cosmic or universal good, by performing one’s duties to the best of one’s ability and always keeping in mind the cosmic good. The Devatas worshipped the Lord of all yajnas (sacrifices). Therefore, dedicated sacrifice (yajna dharma) became the noblest thing in the world. The heaven where earlier performers (Saadhyas as aliens) of this sacrifice live, there will enter and live (those that perform it)--yatra poorve saadhyaa-h santi devaa-h  (Mantra 18 of Purushasookta).

What was in the beginning?”   “There was no Being, no Non-Being, and no Being-Non-Being. From that darkness (sunyata) was born the subtle elements   from the subtle elements ether, from ether, air, from air, the waters, from the waters the earth. That became an egg (Hiranya Garbha). Having lived for a year (for time is needed for incubation), the egg made itself split into two, with the earth below, the sky above. In the middle there was a divine Purusha (to distinguish from human being) thousand headed, thousand eyed thousand footed and thousand armed (please see Purushasookta). He first created death for the beings, three eyed (attributed to Siva later), three headed, three footed Khandaparasu (cutting his enemies to pieces with axe-refers to Siva and Vishnu). His name is Brahman (neuter). It did indeed enter into Brahman (masculine). He created seven mind-born Truth-sons (apta Rishis as aliens in planets); they are the Prajapatis. The Brahmin was his mouth; the Raajanya made his arms; Vaisyas are His thigh; from the feet came Sudra.  These were the 33 devatsas and not what we think today as caste system of humans. The moon arose from his mind, from his eyes arose the Sun; from the ear both wind and vital airs (pranas). From the down-breathing arose the Nishadas (tribals living in the jungle), Yakshas, Rakshasas, Gandharvas (all kinds   super-human beings as aliens and humans as well).     Rigveda mentions 34 RigvedicTribes in different worlds.

 This is the description of chosen Stars and Planets. The thirty Devatas are: 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, Eight Vasus, Indra, Prajpati. Varuna is the presiding deity of life in the planet of Uranus; In Neptune Indra ; in Pluto Prajapati; in Jupiter Brihaspati; in Venus Sanat Kumara;  Sun Star as 12 Adityas in 12 months of the Year; 11 Rudras are 5 Jnanendriyas, 5 Karmendriyas and Mind in all beings.

Vedas mention of fourteen worlds that include Earth planet glorifying it with other six upper worlds in Gayatri Mantra. It also Glorifies Cosmic living beings As Vaisvadevatas in Vaisvadevataa mantra;

pṛthivyai svāhā--oblation to the earth; antarikṣhāya svāh--oblation to the spirits dwelling in the sky; dive svāhā--oblation to the heaven; sūryāya svāhā--oblation to the sun (Surya graha); chandramase svāhā--oblation to the moon (Chandra graha); nakṣhatrebhyaḥ svāhā--oblation to the asterisms; indrāya svāhā-oblation to the chief of gods (Planet Neptune); bṛihaspataye svāhā--oblation to the preceptor of gods (Planet Jupiter); prajāpataye svāhā--oblation to the lord of creatures (Planet Pluto)

Though Science does not have answers to all these things like Vedas, it not only has not stopped believing in universe (Brahman) is infinite (Ananta), postulating  that there are an infinite number of planets (to which Brahman has entered after creation) but also constantly exploring them with some initial success in Moon,  Mars and Jupiter as live planets with living beings.

If we only live on a single planet, how can we be sure that we're not missing a massive majority of the periodic table that might be present in other planets?  Periodic Table is  a table of all the elements that can exist. Some of them are very scarce indeed on Earth, some were first discovered by their spectra in starlight, and some we have to make in order to find out their properties. The periodic table shows either observed or predicted radioactive decay modes for possible isotopes of heavy elements above element 92 with neutron numbers   about 138. The set of elements that exist on a planet that also has life will be pretty much the same as what we have. But there could well be a lot more of the heavy ones… it would have been convenient for us to have a few thousand times more platinum-group metals, for example, as there are a lot of potentially feasible industrial processes that can’t get enough catalysts.(Andrew Mac Gregor)

Please go through the exciting write up by Jacob Burns:

What makes you think we are not alone in the universe?

Planetary Science & Astrophysics, University of Colorado Boulder (2015)

The universe is unimaginably large. Sure, you can quantify its size with a number, but it’s going to involve lots of words that end in “-illion”. And that’s only if we’re talking about the part of the universe we can see from here, the “observable universe.” And although we can put a number to it, that doesn’t mean your mind can comprehend just how mind-boggling big it really is.

And in that universe there are a countless number of planets. And by “countless” I mean a number so big it doesn’t even end in “-illion” anymore, it’s some power of ten, where the exponent has two or three digits. For the observable universe alone, we’re talking about maybe 1021 something planets. That’s 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 planets.

Clearly though, if the universe is infinite, that means that there are an infinite number of planets as well. So let’s assume for a moment that the universe beyond what is observable is not infinite.

This means that instead of the universe having “flat” space-time curvature, meaning parallel lines will remain parallel to infinity in every direction, that it has an overall closed, curved space-time, meaning that two parallel lines would eventually meet, thus making the universe finite. We’ve measured this curvature with a fairly high degree of accuracy, and if there is any curvature, it would have to be on an extremely large scale, one that we would only barely be perceptible within our own observable bubble of the universe.

If this were the case, the observable universe would only be a fraction of a percent of the entire, finite universe. So we’d need to add a lot more zeros to that planet number I mentioned earlier.

And so, when we consider Earth being just one of that brain-in-a-blender huge number of planets in the universe, it seems unimaginably unlikely that Earth is unique in the development of life.

To say that Earth is unique means that the sequence of events that led to abio-genesis (the origin of life) was so compounding improbable that the chances of life developing on a planet are 1/1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. And if the universe is truly infinite, that means that there are an infinite number of planetary systems out there with identical initial conditions to the solar system, and an infinite number of those that developed the same way as Earth did.

And we haven’t even yet considered the possibility of exotic non-Earth-like life. We only have one data point when it comes to studying abiogenesis, and we don’t even fully understand how life developed on Earth yet.

As a scientist, we can’t really say anything with enough certainty to call something outright impossible, but I think it is safe to say that it is monumentally, indescribably improbable that Earth is the only place in the entire universe with life.

Now, if we were to rephrase this question to narrow things down to just our home galaxy, the Milky Way, particularly if we only care if there is life elsewhere in the galaxy now as opposed to billions of years ago or in the future, then we have a much more interesting question. We don’t really know enough yet to say how rare Earth is as far as our home galaxy is concerned.

While we don’t yet know enough to give a scientifically accurate value for each of the quantities in the Drake formula, it is a useful tool of estimation. Most educated estimates suggest that there are anywhere between a thousand and a hundred million civilizations in our galaxy right now. And that’s just our galaxy we’re talking about.

However, without knowing the full story of abiogenesis on Earth, we can’t be entirely certain we fully understand the conditions necessary for life to develop, and how common these conditions are elsewhere in the galaxy.

So while we may not be able to accurately quantify how rare life on Earth is, I think it is safe to say that we are not alone in the universe, as far as life, or even intelligent life goes.

--Jacob Bruns, M.S.

In this context please recall my discourse on Early Vedic Thoughts on Creation of the Universe and its Creator Brahman.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2013/02/early-vedic-thoughts-on-brahman-and.html

 June 9, 2019

UPANISHADS ON CREATION

Though Brahman is the permanent substratum of this world and Atman is our essential nature, wecannot ignore this world in which we live and move and have our being as it were. For all practical purposes it is very real to us says Vishitadvata and Dvaita philosophies.  Even our struggles or attempts for Moksha (getting rid of all Mohas) have to take place only in this world. Hence, it is necessary to know about it, how it came into being, how it is sustained now and its ultimate destiny.

In the beginning, Brahman alone--also called Atman or Sat--existed, as the one without the second. He decided to become many. He then created out if Himself. Akasa (sky or space or ether), Vayu (air), Agni or Tejas  (fire), Apah (water), and Prithvi  (earth). Who is this He?  He is GOD--G=Genertes; O=Operates or sustains; D=Dissolves.(Vidhartara). A permutation and combination of these five elements, with Brahman associated at every stage, has resulted in this world. Later, Brahman entered into this creation as the Antaryamin (inner-net or inner-Self) or the inner controlling spirit. Modern AI (Artificial Intelligence) or Internet can know way near match to this as it has also entered this AI.

According to other descriptions, the original substances created were only three (Tejas, Apah and Earth or Anna) or even two, Rayi (moon or anna or matter) and Prana (Sun or fire or energy or spirit).  By a combination of these, in different proportions, this world came into being. It is ever under his control. Nay, it is non-different from him.

Even after being created out of, or, emerging out of, Brahman, this world continues to be in him. It will merge back in him at the time of Pralaya or dissolution.

With regard to the relationship between Brahman, and the world, two views seem to exist in the Upanishads. According to one view, known as Saprapanchavada, since the world is an Evolute of Brahman, it is also Brahman. The other view called Nishprapanchavada, denies the world an existence of its own and asserts the world is Maya or Myth or Illusion and asserts the existence of Brahman alone.

 

         BRIHADARANYAKA UPANISHAD

The world existed first as a seed that as it grew and developed took on names and forms. When one breaths, one knows him as all breath; when one speaks, one knows him  as speech; when one sees, one knows him as the eyes; when one hears, one knows him as the ear; when one thinks, one knows him as the mind. All these are but names related to  his acts; and he who worships the Self as one or another of them does not know him, for of them he is neither one nor another. He who knows the Self is honored of all men and attains to blessedness.

This universe, before it was created, existed as Brahman. “Aham Brahmasmi”-- I am Brahman--thus did Brahman know himself. Knowing himself, He became the Self in all Beings. Among the devatas, he who awakened to the knowledge of the Self became Brahman; the same was true among seers. The seer Vamadeva realizing Brahman, knew that he himself was the Self of mankind as well of the Sun. Therefore, even today, who- ever realizes Brahman knows that he himself is the Self in all creatures. Even the Devatas (translated as gods) cannot harm such a man since he becomes their innermost Self. Thus men befriended even Death, Rudra (Kaala) befriending as Siva. How can anybody    be afraid of Death when they befriended Death.  Enemies are made friends thus.

This Universe, before it was created, existed as Brahman. Brahman created out of himself priests, warriors, tradesmen, and servants, among both gods (devatas) and men. Then he created the most excellent Law. The Law is the Truth.    There is nothing higher than the Law. Therefore it is said that if a man speaks the Truth he declares the Law, and if he declares the Laws he speaks the Truth. The Law and Truth are one.

The Self, out of which the Sun rises, and to which it sets---that alone the wise make their goal!

AITREYA UPANISHAD

Brahman, source, sustenance, and end of the Universe, partakes of every phase of existence. He wakes up with the waking man, dreams with the dreamer, and sleeps  deep  with  the dreamless sleeper; but he transcends these three states to become himself fourth or Tureeya,  His true nature is Pure Consciousness--Prajnaanam Brahma.

Before creation all that existed was the Self, the Self alone; He sent for the these worlds: Ambhas, the highest world, above the sky and upheld by it; Marichi, the sky; Mara, the mortal world, the earth; and Apah, the world beneath the earth. Then he sent forth their guardians. Then food for the guardians. He then entered the guardians and identified with them.  He then became  many individual beings.  

Then who is the Self whom we desire to worship? Is he the Self by which we see form, hear sound, smell odor, speak words, and taste sweet or the bitter? Is he the heart and the mind by which we perceive, command, discriminate, know, think, remember, will, feel, desire breathe, love, and perform other like acts?

Nay, these are but adjuncts of the Self, who is pure Consciousness that is Brahman. He is GOD (deva);  all gods (devatas); the five elements; all beings great or small, born of eggs, born from the womb, born from heat, born from soil; horses, cows, humans, elephants, birds; everything that breathes, the beings that walk and the beings that walk not. The reality behind all these is Brahman, who is Pure Consciousness.

Please go through the  detailed Mystical description of Creation in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad By Swami Krishnananda and Science of Creation in Aitreya Upanishad  by Sreedharan Karthikeyan.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2013/02/early-vedic-thoughts-on-brahman-and.html

--June 8, 2019

sAADHANAS IN BHAGAVAD GITA

WEBINAR-149 presents Sādhanās in the Geetā presents by Pujya Swāmi Chidānandaji on Sunday, June 9, 2019

Gist of the Presentation:

The Geetā is a bouquet of many flowers. On the surface therefore it is certainly a fact that many spiritual practices (sādhanās) are prescribed by this scripture. On the deepest level, however, it is a matter of giving up ignorance and gaining right seeing (samyag-darshana). This webinar will touch upon various yogas that Lord Sri Krishna mentions in the Geetā, and will attempt to show how they culminate in the one ultimate sādhanā, ātma-nisthā.The Vedas present many spiritual practices!  bahuvidhā yajnāh vitatāh brahmano mukhe -- Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 32.

Gita guides us through  18 chapters  for  atmasamarpana (realization of individual Self  and dedication) and Saranagati to attain Saujya (one with the Supreme) through progressive  and suitable steps of yoga suiting individual capacity (sadhana) which is deeply hidden in Upanishadic mystic mantras, but made easy for common further easy  by Swami Chidananda for our benefit and spiritual  uplift. 

What did HE Show in Gita?-18 High-steps to Heaven

What did HE Say  in Gita?   tat --THAT ; tvam--I;  Asi--AM   in chapters 1 to 6; 7 to 12; 13 to 18

The Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the 108 great Upanishads that deal with the ultimate reality of life and death.  They contain discussions between a highly learned teacher who has attained Realization and some seekers who are eager to know the Path of Eternal Bliss.   The language and the contents of the Upanishads are too intricate and complex for the understanding  for  ordinary person, besides many of the subjects, too,  are abstruse deep to appreciate without proper guidance. Whereas the Gita is within the comprehension of the common man. The first six chapters of the divine gospel dwell on the tvam, the Soul. The next 6 explain the tat-- GOD and the last six teach the union of the Soul and God-- Tatvamaci.  In Common man’s language, it conveys: I am His; He is Mine; He and I are one!

In Gita Krishna is mostly represented as a teacher of great wisdom and a Yogi. Bhaagavata records, Krishna sat up every morning for meditation merging himself with the Transcendental Self as prescribed in Yogasaastra Samaadhi, the eighth stage. Mahabharata also states Krishna was in the habit of meditating on Brahman in the early hours before sun-rise. If he is an Avatar why he needs such meditation on the Transcendent? Krishna in all probability was historical in character and was a philosopher who harmonized the Sankhya-yoga with Brahmavada of Upanishads. The Song of the Celestial is in the form of dialogue between the Paandava prince Arjuna who was in mental agony and emotional conflict, and his friend Krishna who in this work appears as a philosopher and teacher, and not as popular god of later Hinduism, though Viswaroopa scene is brought in. Vedavyasa who was also very dark was nicknamed Krishna Dwaipaayana. He is the author of all Upanishads.  Probably he is none other than Bhagawan (being an avatar of Vishnu) who out of modesty did not want to reveal his true identity, which was a common practice in those days.  So he is also the compiler of this compendium of Upanishads (Yogopanishad) bringing conflicting ideas together to guide uniformly followers of the then popular Bhaktimarga. He in all probability dramatically introduced this as a philosophic and spiritual guide while two opposing forces were facing   each other and gave a Puranic twist and popular appeal of those days.   This may be the re-edited version of the original Yogopanishad made more elaborate and appealing bringing in Viswaroopa Darsana and others for its successful religious promotion. The first   9  chapters reveal it is Holy Scripture ending with Manmanaabhava maamm namaskuru--Engage your mind always in thinking of Me (GOD), offer obeisances to Me  and worship Me!

Chapter 1:   Vishada Yoga, The Yoga of  the Dependancy of Arjuna:   Battlefield scene of Kuruksetra-- War to establish Dhrama and make Kurukshetra, (Field of Action) Dharmaksahetra (Field of Dharma)--As the opposing armies stand poised for battle, Arjuna, the mighty warrior, sees his intimate relatives, teachers and friends in both armies ready to fight and sacrifice their lives.

Chapter 2:  The Samkhya Yoga-- Yoga of The Transcendental Knowledge-- A summary of the entire Bhagavad-Gita. Many subjects are explained such as: Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, Sankhya yoga, Buddhi yoga and the Atma-Yoga which is the soul and the Supreme   Consciousness.

Chapter 3: Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Action--Everyone must engage in some sort of activity in this material world. But actions can either bind one to this world or liberate one from it. By acting for the pleasure of the Supreme, without selfish motives, one can be liberated from Karma.

Chapter 4: Jnaana Karma Yoga, The Yoga of Action and Transcendental Knowledge--The spiritual knowledge of the soul, God, and of their relationship that   leads both to Mukti (Liberation) through Moksha (Moha+Kshaya). Such knowledge is the fruit of selfless desire-free devotional action.  

Chapter 6:   Dhyaana Yoga, the Yoga of Meditation--Ashtanga yoga, Dhyana yoga, a mechanical meditative practice, controls the mind and senses and focuses concentration on Paramatma (the Super-soul, the form of the Lord overruling  the heart). This practice culminates in Samadhi, full consciousness of the Supreme Being.

Chapter 7: Jnaana -Vijnaana Yoga, the Yoga of Wisdom and Knowledge of the Absolute- Paramatman is the Supreme Truth, the supreme cause and the sustaining force of everything, both material and spiritual. Liberated souls surrender unto Him in devotion (saranaagati) , whereas impious souls divert their minds to other objects of worship.

Chapter 8: Akshara-Brahma Yoga, the Yoga of the Imperishable  Brahman--By remembering Paramatman  in devotion throughout one's life, and especially at the time of death, one can attain   His supreme abode, beyond the material world.

Chapter 9: Rajavidya-Rajaguhya Yoga, The Most Confidential Yoga of Wisdom  and Knowledg-- Paramatman is the Supreme Godhead and the supreme object of worship. The soul is eternally related to Him through transcendental devotional service (bhakti). By reviving one's pure devotion one returns to Paramatman in the spiritual realm.

Chapter 10: Vibhuti Yoga, The Opulence of the Absolute, The Yoga of the Divine Manifestation-- All wondrous phenomena showing power, beauty, grandeur or sublimity, either in the material world or in the spiritual, are but partial manifestations of  Paramatman’s   divine energies and opulence.

Chapter 11:  Viswaroopadarsana Yoga, The Yoga of the  Vision of The Universal Person--the Universal Form of Saguna Brahman-- Bhagavan  grants Arjuna divine vision and reveals His spectacular unlimited form as the cosmic universe. Thus He conclusively establishes His divinity.  Bhagavan explains that His own all-beautiful human-like form is the original form of God.

Chapter 12: Bhakti Yoga-- The Yoga of Devotional Service-- Pure devotional service to  Bhagavan is the highest and most expedient means for attaining pure love for   Supreme Being, which is the highest end of spiritual existence.

Chapter 13: Kshetra-Kshetrajna-Vibhaga-Yoga, The Yoga of the Knowledge of the Field and the Knower of the Field--Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness--One who understands the difference between the body, the soul and the Super-soul beyond them both attains liberation from the material world.

Chapter 14:  Guna-Traya-Vibhaaga Yoga, The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas, The Three Modes of Material Nature--All embodied souls are under the control of the three modes, or qualities, of material nature; goodness, passion and ignorance. Lord Krishna explains what these modes are, how they act upon us, how one transcends them, and the symptoms of one who has attained the transcendental state.

Chapter 15:  Purushottama Yoga, The Yoga of the Supreme Person, The Yoga of the Universal  Person--The ultimate purpose of Vedic knowledge is to detach oneself from the entanglement of the material world and to understand Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who understands Krishna's supreme identity surrenders unto Him and engages in His devotional service.

Chapter 16:  Devaasurasampatti Vibhaaga Yoga, The Yoga of vthe Distiv ction between the Diviner and Demoniac Endowments, The Divine and Demoniac Natures--Those who possess demoniac qualities and who live whimsically, without following the regulations of scripture, attain lower births and further material bondage. But those who possess divine qualities and live regulated lives gradually attain spiritual perfection.

Chapter 17:  Sraddhaatraya Vibhaaga Yoga, The Yoga of Three-fold Division of the Faith, --There are three types of faith, corresponding to and evolving from the three modes of material nature. Acts performed by those whose faith is in passion and ignorance yield only impermanent, material results, whereas acts performed in goodness, in accord with scriptural injunctions, purify the heart.

Chapter 18: Mukti Sanyaasa Yoga, The Yoga of Liberation through Renunciation and Moksha (Moha+Kshaya, attaining Gunaateeta, Desire-less-ness state), The Perfection of Renunciation-- Bhagavan explains the meaning of renunciation and the effects of the modes of nature on human consciousness and activity. He explains Brahman realization, the glories of the Bhagavad Gita, and the ultimate conclusion of the Gita: the highest path of religion is absolute, unconditional loving service unto the Universal Person.

Upanishads talks about Sanyas yoga that everyone can develop progressively;

Annena praanah  praanair balam balena tapah, tapsaa sraddhaa sraddhayaa medham medhayaa maneeshaa maneeshayaa mano manasaa saantih saantyaa chittam chittena smritih, smrityaa smaaram smaarena vijnaanam vijnaanena aatmaanam vedayati ||

By the use of food the breaths and senses are nourished. When the life-breath is nourished one gets bodily strength. Bodily strength gives the capacity to practice tapas (in the shape of self-control, religious fast and so forth). As the result of such tapas, steadfast faith in scriptural truths (sraddha) springs into existence. By faith mental power comes. By mental power sense-control is made possible. By sense control reflection is engendered. From reflection calmness of mind results. Conclusive experience of Truth follows calmness. By conclusive experience of Truth remembrance (smriti) of It is engendered. Remembrance produces continuous remembrance (samara). From continuous remembrance results unbroken direct realization of Truth. By such a realization a person knows the Atman.

 (Jnnam, Vijnanm, Prajnanam--Isavasyamidam sarvam--Everything is Supreme alone)

Na hi Jnaanena sadrisam |Sraddhaavaan labhate Jnaannam | Jnaanena Vijnnaanam visvaasayayati | Vijnaanena Aatmanam vedayati  | Atmanaa  Vindate Prajnaanam | sah Salokataam aapnoti Sayujamaapnoti ||

There is nothing equal to knowledge (Jnaana).  One acquires knowledge with steadfast desire. Knowledge leads to Deep-researched Knowledge Vijnaana.  Vijnaana acquires Supreme Consciousness by unbroken direct realization of Truth.  One that attains Supreme Consciousness lives in the world of Brahman; one even merges with the Brahman.

Vedantavijnaana sunischitaartaah sanyaasa-yogaad- yatayah suddhasatvaah | te brahmaloketu paraantakaale paraamritaat paramuchyanti sarve ||MNU ||

Those who are successful in personality integration that have conquered their hosts of sense organs, that are pure minded on account of the renunciation of desire oriented actions (kamyakarmas) that have ascertained the Supreme Reality through the knowledge that originated from the learning of the Upanishads (Vedantavijnaana), that are established in Brahman, become all liberated at the end of the final body on account of the grace of the Supreme immortal principle, Brahman.

The goal of Vedanta is Paramarthavijnana--or Self-realization. That is obtained by Sanyasa-yoga.  Though Jnaana (Knowledge) is the sole cause of liberation Sanyaasa (renunciation) is necessary along with it. Jnana dispels ignorance by revealing the Truth, but Tyaga (sacrifice) and Yoga as recommended by Patanjali are necessary to engender the undistracted and pure state of mind in which alone knowledge could shine un-intermittently.  Sanyaasa means dedication of the fruits of actions to God and Yoga the practice of samadhi leaving all worldly attachments.

Moderns Sanyasis like Swami Chidananda of Paramartha Niketan , Swami Chidananda of  Fowai Forum, Chinna Jeer, Sai Baba of Shirdi etc. believe in  total dedication (sanyasa) of their service to improve the human society --Janaseva is Janardhanaseva-service to humanity is service to GOD and in the process get delayed in their own liberation but that may lead  direct to Sayujya instead of Salokataa or Sameepya that we have to be content with!

--June 7, 2019

AUPA E-MAIL LETTERS

Namaste. As we complete 4 years (48 issues), it gives us immense pleasure to say this work of publishing this e-newsletter AUPA has been truly rewarding. The Upanishads are indeed a mine of wisdom, strength and positive energy.

Please go through this June 2019 issue, where we have ten photographs of a YOUTH (summer) CAMP, held in Bengaluru, where DHIMAHI (a wing of AUPA) gave support. Swamiji continues his memoir of Dr.  Siddhartha Gautam, and supplies a few other regular features too – like the Editorial, Learn this Word etc.

Eknath Easwaran’s tips on handling desire, which all spiritual traditions regard as a mighty challenge, have the freshness of the morning breeze as he restates ancient wisdom.

Indira ji continues to share her experience in North Carolina of the “Happiness Yoga” sessions held every month, which Sid Gautam had started years ago.

We are confident you will appreciate the contents this time too. Feel free, however, to express any constructive criticism or suggestions for feedback.

--Swami Chidananda and TEAM AUPA

June 5, 2019

WILL IT BE BETTER TO CALL OURSELVES AS BHARATIYA AMERICANS THAN HINDU AMERICANS?

Sectarianism possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now-- Swami Vivekananda (1893).

V. Jayaraman, a popular writer on Hinduism writes on his Blog:

With the invasion of India by Mahmud Ghazni about 1000 A.D., began the Muslim invasions into the Indian subcontinent and they lasted for several centuries. The Muslim invasions continued even when the Muslims were ruling India, like the invasion of the Mongols during the reign of the Khiljis or the invasion of the Mughals in the early sixteenth Century when the Lodis were ruling Delhi. The last notable invasion of the Muslims from outside was the invasion of Nadir Shah in 1739, during which he unleashed a great horror on the native population.

During these seven hundred years of Muslim invasions and their conquest and rule of India, the Hindus were the greatest sufferers. It is difficult to estimate the number of Hindus who lost their lives during these campaigns, the number of Hindus who died because of the religious persecution perpetrated on the native population by the Muslim rulers, and the number of Hindus who were forcibly converted to Islam.

According to Prof. K.S. Lal, the author of the Growth of Muslim population in India, the Hindu population decreased by 80 million between 1000 AD, the year Mahmud Ghazni invaded India and 1525 AD, a year before the battle of Panipat.

One can safely add another 20 million Hindus to this list to account for the number that were killed during the Mughal rule or the rule of the Muslim rulers in the Deccan plateau. By all known accounts of world history, as pointed out by Koenard Elst in his book the Negationism in India, destruction of about 100 million Hindus is perhaps the biggest holocaust in the whole world history.

Europe never forgot or forgave the atrocities of the Nazi rule under Hitler. We hardly come across any positive reference to either Hitler or his army in the present day text books on European History. No one talks there of the qualities of Hitler as a great commander or an inspiring leader of German people whom he could mold and influence with his hypnotic speeches. No films are made showing Hitler as a romantic hero singing songs and his mistress as a heroine shedding copious tears over her lover!

The European consciousness is filled with the evil deeds perpetrated by his regime, thanks to the untiring work of their politicians, journalists, historians and film producers, so much so that the very thought of seeing any virtue in either Hitler or Nazis is abhorrent to the consciousness of the present day Europeans.

Europe and America produced at least a few thousand films highlighting the human misery caused by Hitler and his army. The films expose the horrors of Nazi regime and reinforce the beliefs and attitude of the present day generation towards the evils of the Nazi dictatorship.

In contrast look at India. There is hardly any awareness among the Indians of today of what happened to their ancestors in the past, because a great majority of historians are reluctant to touch this sensitive subject. It is not difficult for the Indian historians to gather information on the kind of atrocities perpetrated against the people of medieval India, to work out the estimated number people killed in the reign of each ruler, to create vivid pictures of what happened during such battles as the battle of Tallikota when Hampi, the capital of Vijayanagara empire was systematically destroyed for weeks.

Nadir Shah made a mountain of the skulls of the Hindus he killed in Delhi alone. Babur raised towers of Hindu skulls at Khanua when he defeated Rana Sanga in 1527 and later he repeated the same horrors after capturing the fort of Chanderi. Akbar ordered a general massacre of 30000 Rajputs after he captured Chithor in 1568. The Bahamani Sultans had an annual agenda of killing a minimum of 100000 Hindus every year. The history of medieval India is full of such instances.

The Rajput ceremony of Jauhar (holocaust), 1567, illustration from 'Hutchinsons History of the Nations'

And against this background, look at the films we have produced so far in a country which boasts of the largest film industry in the world, with no dearth of talent and workmanship! We have films like Mugal-e-Azam, Anarkali, or Taj Mahal which romanticize the Mughal rulers, depicting them as great heroes of noble virtues oozing with kindness and love for the humanity! The heroes of Anarkali and Taj Mahal were next to Aurangazeb in their persecution of Hindus and Sikhs. But people are made to see them as romantic heroes and remember songs from these movies with great nostalgia!

One may say why dwell upon unpleasant facts. True, but can we develop the character of a nation without facing the realities of life, however unpleasant they may be? Can we develop the maturity of thought that comes with the sense of suffering and the sense of responsibility? The purpose of knowing these facts is not to heap vengeance, but to strengthen our national character, to avoid the weaknesses that were responsible for the plight of our ancestors. The Muslims of present day India are also part of this character building because they must know that their ancestors also suffered, that as far as the past is concerned all Indians were in the same boat and that there were no victors and no losers in that great human tragedy. Knowing thus, perhaps they would develop proper wisdom and understanding and right attitude towards other communities.

Finally, in what context do we talk of Hitler and Nazis in India?

The answer is even more disturbing. Anyone who speaks for Hindus is a Hitler or is in the process of becoming one and any group which speaks for Hindus are Nazis or are in the process of becoming Nazis!

WILL IT BE BETTER TO CALL OURSELVES BHARATIYA AMERICANS THAN HINDU AMERICANS?

I was wondering what inspires us to call ourselves (Hindu Americans) Bharatiyas while Government of India has refused to grant us dual citizenship that Europeans enjoy and pride in.  But on the other hand nobody can question our ethnic South Asia origin and the following of Santana Dharma which is also true for present Hindu Indians and citizens of India. In the beginning the Vedic religion was prevalent all over the world. Later, over the centuries, it must have gone through a process of change and taken different forms. These forms came to be called the original religions of these various landswhich in the subsequent period--during historic times--came under  Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism< Sikhism, Christianity, Islam as the case may be:

According to the Puranas, this country is known as Bharatavarsha after Bharata, the son of Rishabha. This has been mentioned in Vishnu Purana (2,1,31), Vayu Purana (33,52), Linga Purana (1,47,23), Brahmanda Purana (14,5,62), Agni Purana (107,11–12), Skanda Purana, Khanda (37,57) and Markandaya Purana (50,41), all using the designation Bharata Varsha.

Vishnu Purāna mentions:

ऋषभोमरुदेव्याश्चऋषभातभरतोभवेत्

भरतादभारतंवर्षं, भरतातसुमतिस्त्वभूत्

Rishabha was born to Marudevi, Bharata was born to Rishabha,

Bharatavarsha (India) arose from Bharata and Sumati arose from Bharata.

—Vishnu Purana (2, 1,31)

ततश्चभारतंवर्षमेतल्लोकेषुगीयते

भरताययत: पित्रादत्तंप्रतिष्ठितावनम (विष्णुपुराण, २,१,३२)

This country is known as Bharatavarsha since the times the father entrusted the kingdom to the son Bharata and he himself went to the forest for ascetic practices. 

—Vishnu Purana (2, 1, 32)

uttaraṃ yatsamudrasya himādreścaiva dakṣiṇam
varṣaṃ tadbhārataṃ nāma bhāratī yatra santatiḥ

उत्तरंयत्समुद्रस्यहिमाद्रेश्चैवदक्षिणम्।

वर्षंतद्भारतंनामभारतीयत्रसंततिः।।

"The country (varṣam) that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bhāratam; there dwell the descendants of Bharata."

—Vishnu Purana

The Srimad Bhagavat Purana mentions(Canto 5, Chapter 4) "He (Rishabha) begot a hundred sons that were exactly like him... He (Bharata) had the best qualities and it was because of him that this land by the people is called Bhârata-varsha"

The Bhāratas were also a Vedic tribe mentioned in the Rigveda, notably participating in the Battle of the Ten Kings.

The realm of Bharata is known as Bharātavarṣa in the Mahabhārata (the core portion of which is itself known as Bhārata) and later texts. According to the text, the term Bharata is from the king Bharata, who was the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala and the term varsa means a division of the earth or a continent]

Bharata Khanda (or Bharata Kshetra  is a term used in Hindu texts, including the Vedas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Puranic, to describe the geographic region that encompassed the modern countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar—that is, South Asia at the term's furthest extent.

The word HINDU brings back the memory of the worst  holocaust of humanity on planet Earth! Minority Indians had  made majority Bharatiyas revel in films like Anarkali, Taj Mahal, Mughal -e-Azam!

--June 4, 2019

Comments:

Very thought provoking, looking back at our history.

--Dr, Vedavyas

We should call ourselves Americans following Sanatana Dharma 

--Bala from Atlanta
 

WE MUST NOT IGNORE THE HINDU DHARMA CONNECTION IN 2019 LOK SABHA ELECTION   

India is not just rising in power, but also in terms of self-confidence in its Dharmic civilization (ZEE news)

David Frawley

Vedic Vision | Resurgent Bharat

Dr. David Frawley, or Pandit Vamadeva Shastri, is a Western-born Vedacharya, who teaches an integral approach to Yoga, Vedanta, Ayurveda and Vedic studies. He is the author of 50 books published in 20 languages, and is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India. He is the director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies.

In the 2019 election, the BJP has been accused of manipulating the Hindu vote for its astounding victory - almost as if there should be no Hindu vote which is routinely deemed anti-secular.

Yet the seeking of a Hindu vote in 2019 was hardly limited to the BJP. The election featured the largest number of politicians of different parties visiting Hindu temples, including politicians who rarely did so in the past, like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra. Even Mamata Banerjee of Bengal started boasting of her skills in chanting Hindu shlokas in Sanskrit.

This change has occurred largely in imitation of PM Narendra Modi, a dedicated Shiva bhakt throughout his long career. Yet, the new appeal to Hindus did not pay off electorally for the parties and leaders that suddenly adopted it as a political ploy without a personal history to accompany it.

Along with this new seeking of the Hindu vote, the usual charges of Hindutva extremism were also made, even more so after BJP won the election. In short, having failed to gain votes for their temple visits, the opposition returned to its old anti-Hindu and 'Hindu terror' agenda out of frustration.

From the Kumbha Mela to Kedarnath
Religion always plays a place in India's politics as Indians are religious and spiritually inclined overall. Yet, it has usually emphasized minority Islamic and Christian concerns. Under Modi, a Hindu voice has also become very vocal - not out of place, since India is 80% Hindu.

Most notably, the presence of Lord Shiva towered above the election. This was not rooted in politics, but in the magnificent Kumbha Mela held in Prayagraj from January to March, which by chance occurred just prior to the election. Over two hundred million people visited the sacred celebration on the Ganga, in which Shiva, as the Lord of the Yogis, was the central deity form. Both the BJP state government, led by Yogi Adityanath, and the national BJP government made sure the event was well-organized and inspirational, which message was well conveyed to the participants.

Meanwhile, Modi chose Varanasi, the famous City of Light of Lord Shiva on the Ganga, as his own constituency again in 2019, as he did in 2014. During his first term, Modi renovated the ghats at Varanasi, cleaned the Ganga and recently renovated the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the famous Shiva jyotir linga, that is the most sacred site in the city, along with building it a corridor to the river. 

At the end of the 2019 campaign, Modi travelled to Kedarnath, the main Shiva shrine in the Himalayas for solitary meditation a few days before election results were counted. The picture of the PM wrapped in orange in a cave at Kedarnath went throughout the entire country.

Some have criticized Modi for creating a Hindu media show for the election, but we should remember that Modi has honored Hindu practices as an integral part of his life and shouldn't be required to abandon these because he is a head of state, notably of Hindu-majority India. Modi did not use the emotional Ram Mandir issue at a political level, as many had feared, preferring to highlight Varanasi as an example of his leadership, for both development and cultural issues.

Negative reactions from the media
We can contrast India voting from a new sense of national unity and purpose, including a renewed Hindu dignity, with responses from the Western media that express a fear of India's new strength and leadership. Such voices would paint gentle and pluralistic Hinduism as an intolerant and divisive faith, not understanding the nuances of Sanatana Dharma that embrace the whole of life and all of human society.

Why is the media, particularly of a leftist orientation, afraid of a strong India? India has given yoga to the world, not jihad or missionary conversion. It is not a threat economically like China, and has no history of aggression and invasions of other countries. India has the greatest cultural diversity of any country, and many religious groups have taken refuge in India to escape oppression elsewhere. Meanwhile, Indians worldwide are peaceful and prosperous and do not cause any problems in their countries of residence or travel. US and UK Hindus are among the most affluent and educated of communities and have produced no social problems at all, and in fact are among the cultural elite.

Such anti-India sentiments sound more like a colonial hangover than any objective analysis. They are part of a media disconnect with India that must be corrected, which highlighted the opinions of those who lost the election rather than honoring India for its tremendous democratic triumph. After all, India's 2019 election was the largest democratic election in the history of the world, with over six hundred million people voting, done in a region of the world that includes China and Pakistan in which countries democracy has little place.

The 2019 election shows that India is rising both in terms of development, which is for all, and in terms of culture, which must embrace the legacy of India's great Dharmic civiliz ation. India's economy is expanding and infrastructure is being transformed. Yet, pride in culture, religion and spirituality is also growing, extending to the new middle class. In terms of foreign policy, India is taking its place on the world stage as a global leader, as it has been throughout most of history, spreading knowledge, culture and prosperity, not seeking hegemony or control.

This new, resurgent India owes a great deal to PM Narendra Modi. He has become a conduit for the aspiration of the people of India, and can now boldly lead the nation forward.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

B​ut why did MODI chose Siva, The Lord responsible for Dissolution or Laya or Mrityu? The best way of overcoming fear of death is making death our friend. Why fear and fight Muslim? Make them friends and they will submit for Islam means submission.  Ravana, Bhasmasura were all made friends. Rajaji made friends Periyar and thus split his united force to many parties to fight among themselves without progressing. Tamils who once led the Vedic Society are no longer cared for by others.They were for too long in the lime-light. Reduced to zero they will   regain their past glory. So Siva is our ideal aspect for worship as GURUGUHA.

June 2, 2019

IT IS TIME TO KNOW THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, NOTHING BUT TRUTH

 I believe time has come to know the Truth, the Whole Truth, Nothing but Truth standing in the court of Universal Divine Justice. Here is my reaction:

There are different criteria on which one could compare the 3 leading religions of the world- Christianity, Islam and Hinduism leading I want to focus here only on the most important one: which one of the 3 is closest to truth.

Christianity claims that the full truth has been revealed 2000 years ago only to Jesus Christ by the one Supreme Being (called God in English), and therefore truth is only with his Church. All must become Christians and follow what Christ said, if they want to be saved from hell.

Islam claims that the final truth has been revealed some 1400 years ago to Prophet Mohamed by the one Supreme Being (called Allah in Islam) and therefore Islam is the only true religion. All must become Muslims and follow what Prophet Mohamed said, if they want to be saved from hell.

Isn’t it strange that even in the 21st century those unsubstantiated claims about eternal hell for “others” are not debated and dismissed as superstition? Further, obviously at least one of those religions can’t be true, if not both - so why nobody mentions this? Yet instead of a debate on what is true, the “right to freedom of belief” is protected. It’s surely strange.

Now where does Hinduism stand? It usually is seen as inferior to the two big, established, ‘respected’, rich religions. And if one goes by common perception, Hinduism is mainly about caste system, sati and worshipping many gods, which (idol worship) is the greatest sin in both Christianity and Islam, because the Christian God and Allah are claimed to be jealous of other gods.

Now Hinduism is a rather new term. It was introduced by the British for the ancient traditions in India based on the Vedic texts.

Why was Hinduism introduced? Today’s ‘Indians’ were called Hindus earlier and even today are called Hindu in China. Hinduism would be akin to Germanism or Frenchism.

I got a clue why Hinduism was introduced, when I read that Voltaire, too, among many others in the west, praised the Vedas as the greatest gift to mankind and said “we are eternally indebted to India”. Voltaire fought against the influence of the Church and indeed, when the Vedas reached Europe, it had two effects: the influence of the Church went down and science took off in a big way (intriguingly, it is not mentioned today that those 2 effects could have anything to do with Vedic knowledge reaching the west).

Clearly, the Church was not amused that the intellectual elite preferred Vedic wisdom over Christianity. It needed some strategy to stop losing her sheep.

Now what is contained in the Vedas which are claimed to be as old as the universe? Veda (it means knowledge) is about what we need to know to live a meaningful, fulfilling life. Vedic knowledge is vast, though most of it has been lost by now. Vedas tell us even about Maths, the age of the universe, of parallel universes, even the distance to the sun, how to analyze, how to connect with powers (devas) greater than humans, etc.

And most important, the Vedas tell us the truth about us, the Supreme Being and the universe.

The Vedas differs from the 2 other religions in a major point: The Vedas claim that Brahman (Supreme Being) has become this universe. It means all is permeated by Brahman. All is essentially divine including our person. The names and forms are not really real. They appear only as real. Brahman alone is real, and Brahman is best described as sat-chit-ananda (blissful awareness). And the Upanishads, which are part of the Vedas, declare “Aham Brahmasmi”, or “Ayam Atman Brahma”;or "Prajnaanam Brahma"

Does this claim make sense? Yes, it does. Quantum physics came meanwhile to the conclusion that all is one energy and that there are no separate entities anywhere. Incidentally, physicists like Schroedinger, Einstein, Heisenberg, etc. drew inspiration from the Vedas. So far, the Vedas were never proven wrong by science whatevas tested.

So the claim, that Brahman is the essence in all, is surely closer to the truth than the claim by Christianity and Islam that the Supreme is separate from his creation, including the human being, and will send all those who don’t believe in a certain book for eternity to hell. This Vedic claim of divinity in humans gives naturally inner strength to a human being and also kindness (as Brahman is in others, too).

Now why was Vedic knowledge suddenly made into a Hinduism, placed next and yet below the 2 big religions and associated from the start with a ‘divisive’ caste system (which is a social issue and prevalent everywhere) and other negatives like sati?

My conclusion is that the Church was afraid it would lose out when people come to know what Vedic knowledge really contains. They would stop blindly believing but go after genuine knowledge which is there in the Vedas. Jesus did not start Christianity. His followers did. He too believed in Jehova; That I am=Aham Brahmasmi which Christianity now calls Holy Father!

That’s why they had to coin a new term and demean “Hinduism” in the eyes of common people right from the start. They were successful. Everywhere children learnt in schools about the ‘terrible caste system’ in Hinduism. People didn’t ask further. They *knew* now that Hinduism is greatly inferior to the two big religions

Yet there is always the fear that people may discover that they were deceived for the sake of power and that truth may be different from what they were taught in religious class. In Germany, there is a saying which expresses certain folk wisdom: The King says to the

 Pope: “You make sure that people stay stupid and I make sure they stay poor.”

--June 2, 2019

Comments:

Many Thanks 

--Dr.  A.P.  Koil N Sapthagireesan

ATHEISM IN HINDUISM AND ITS INFLUENCE ON LATER PHILOSOPHIC THOUGHTS

Origin and growth of Atheism

Brihaspati, a heretical teacher, is regarded as the traditional founder of   school Atheism. Unfortunately, his Sutras have perished. Sometimes, Brihaspati is equated with the teacher of Gods who propagated Materialism among the Asuras so that they may be ruined.  Chaarvaaka is said to be the chief disciple of Brihaspati.  I believe Brihaspati should have influenced Buddha to come out with his Sunyavada or Nehalism, but with a positive approach to improve the life of his followers. As always Hinduism has always a positive as well as negative sides and talks with pairs of opposites on any subject.

Some of the important Sutras of Brihaspati which are quoted in various philosophical writings may be gleaned as follows though original Sutras are lost:

1. Earth, water, fire and air are the four elements. Ether is not an element because it is not perceived but inferred.
2. Bodies, senses and objects are the results of the different combinations of elements.
3. Consciousness arises from matter like the intoxicating quality of wine arising from fermented yeast. It is a particular combination of the elements which obtains only in the human body that produces consciousness and that therefore only living human body and consciousness are always associated together and nobody has seen consciousness apart from the human body.
4. The soul is nothing but the conscious body.
5. Matter secretes mind as lever secretes bile.
6. God is not necessary for the World and the values are a foolish aberration.
7. Enjoyment is the only end of human life.
8. Death alone is Liberation.

Materialism must have arisen as a protest against the excessive religious dictates of the Brahmin priests. The external ritualism which ignored the substance and emphasized the shadow, the idealism of the Upanishads unsuited to the commoners, the political and the social crisis rampant in that age, the exploitation of the masses by petty rulers, monks and wealthy class, the lust and greed and petty dissensions in an unstable society paved the way for Materialism in India in the post-Upanishadic and Pre- Buddhism age. But the Materialism in Indian philosophy has never been a force. Born in discontents it soon died in serious thoughts. Though the materialistic way of life, the way of enjoying the pleasures of the senses and the flesh is as old as humanity itself and will surely last as long as humanity lasts, yet Materialism as metaphysics has never found favor with Indian Philosophers. Jainism and Buddhism arose immediately and supplied the ethical and spiritual background which ejected Materialism. We do not have with us the original Sutras of Brihaspati and therefore we have to be content with the comments of the critics of this philosophy which presents a very negative picture.

Buddhism Sunyavada

The  Maha -pari-nirvana -sutra (MPNS) is one of the most important scriptures in the Buddhist cannon and in the fifth century two translations based on two different Sanskrit texts were produced, one by the famed traveler Fahian (418CE); and the other longer “Northern version” by Dharmakṣema in 422 CE. There is also a later Tibetan version (c 790CE).

The Buddha had used emptiness to help his disciples separate themselves from earlier attachments. He explains the supersession of the Non-self doctrine by the Self doctrine with this parable:

Consider the story of mother whose infant son is ill. The physician gives her medicine for the boy with the instruction “After the child takes the medicine, do not give him your milk until he has fully digested the medicine.” The mother smears a bitter-tasting substance on her breasts and tells her young child that the breasts have poison on them. Having heard this, the child pulls away from her when he is hungry. But after the medicine has been ingested, the mother washes her breasts and calls out to her son, “Come and I shall give you milk.”

The Veda is the mother’s milk that the Buddha did not allow his disciples to partake until they had purified themselves with the austere message of emptiness. That made Buddha silent on GOD. He also did not start Buddhism but his followers did.

In Bhaagavata Puraana, the sacred text of Hindus this Buddha was born in Keekata country as the son of Anjanaa. His purpose was to delude and confound the enemies of Gods (sammohaaya suradvisham). He is said to have been born at the beginning of Kaliyuga after Lord Krishna's demise (Kalau sampravritte). Later religious texts show him as a digambara (nude like Jina) but in obscene posture, teaching the philosophy of lust and enjoyment to lure the demons into self -destruction turning them atheists. But later historic Buddha himself was accepted as an Avatar of Vishnu as glorified by Jayadeva in his Dasavatara stotra.

Jainism and the Divine

Jains do not believe in a God or gods in the way that many other religions do, but they do believe in divine (or at least perfect) beings who are worthy of devotion. Jains however worship idols of Tirthankaras because they have achieved perfection as role models, and have become liberated from the cycle of birth and  death.  So the only 'gods' that exist for Jains are pure souls that are omniscient, perfectly happy and eternal. All of us could become such a 'god' because every being has the potential to become such a perfect soul. Jains do not believe that the universe was created by God or by any other creative spirit. Jain writings are scornful of the very idea: Jains do not believe that any form of god is necessary to keep the universe in existence, or that any form of god has any power over the universe. Jains do not believe in that sort of judgement. Jains believe that the goodness or quality of a being's life adetermined by Karma. Jains believe that karma is a physical process, and nothing to do with spiritual beings. Jains do not believe in any god who will respond to prayer or intervene the world. The beings that Jains worship have no interest in human beings

The Jain Harivamsa mentions Krishna as the cousin and contemporary of the celebrated Ford-maker, Neminaatha (who is believed to have lived about eight centuries earlier than Christ).   Rishabha, the Ford-founder is an avatar of Vishnu and succeeds Rama as an incarnation of Vishnu  and is acceptable to both Jains  as Adinatha and Hindus  as an Avatar like Buddha.   When Vishnu was asked how he could be identified on mortal earth he replied, "I am Vishnu, I am Omnipresent. I pervade everything, but I express myself best in all that is ideal, perfect, harmonious and beautiful". He then gives a list of all such ideal things which includes, "Amongst ascetics, I am Rishabha". It is therefore fitting and proper to honor and pay our obeisance to Rishabha  as Guru on Guru Purnima Day. India is also called  Bharat named after his son Bharata. It is also appropriate to sanctify his idols in Hindu Temples instead Mahabir Vardhamana as is done today in some Hindu American Temples.

Jain philosophy has enormous influence on Hinduism in the practice of vegetarianism and worship of liberated souls--Azhvars, Nayanmars and Saints.

Sankhya Philosophy

The Sutras of Samkhya have no explicit role for a separate God distinct from the Puruṣa that is Consciousness.  Such a distinct God is inconceivable and self-contradictory.  

If the existence of Karma is assumed, the proposition of God as a moral governor of the universe is unnecessary. For, if God enforces the consequences of actions then he can do so without karma. If however, he is assumed to be within the law of karma, then karma itself would be the giver of consequences and there would be no need of a God.

Even if karma is denied, God still cannot be the enforcer of consequences. Because the motives of an enforcer God would be either egoistic or altruistic. Now, God's motives cannot be assumed to be altruistic because an altruistic God would not create a world so full of suffering. If his motives are assumed to be egoistic, then God must be thought to have desire, as agency or authority cannot be established in the absence of desire. However, assuming that God has desire would contradict God's eternal freedom which necessitates no compulsion in actions. Moreover, desire, according to Samkhya, is an attribute of Prakṛti and cannot be thought to grow in God. The testimony of the, Vedas according to Samkhya, also confirms this notion.

Despite arguments to the contrary, if God is still assumed to contain unfulfilled desires, this would cause him to suffer pain and other similar human experiences. Such a worldly God would be no better than Samkhya's notion of higher self.

Furthermore, there is no proof of the existence of God. He is not the object of perception, there exist no general proposition that can prove him by inference and the testimony of the Vedas speak of Prakṛti as the origin of the world, not God.

Therefore, Samkhya maintains that the various cosmological, ontological and teleological arguments cannot prove God.

According to Samkhya philosophy, Prakriti or Nature is responsible for all manifestation and diversity, while the individual souls, which are eternal, remain passive. When they come into contact with Nature, they become subject to its influence and become embodied by its realities. Prakriti is an eternal reality and the first cause of the universe. In its pure original form, it is the unmanifest (avyaktam), primal resource, the sum of the universal energy. It is without cause, but acts as the cause and source of all effects, and "the ultimate basis of the empirical universe. The Natural evolution of things and beings as suggested in the Samkhya has many parallels in the modern theories of evolution.   Samkhya also proposes the evolution of beings over many lifetimes. Further, it views evolution or transformation of causes into effects not as miracle work of God, but as a transformative process which progresses through different phases and in predictable patterns until the souls escape from the mortal world.

Samkhya is strongly dualist  and regards the universe as consisting of two realities, Puruṣa (consciousness) and Prakṛti (matter). Jiva (a living being) is that state in which puruṣa is bonded to prakṛti in some form.  This fusion, state the Samkhya scholars, led to the emergence of buddhi ("intellect") and ahaṅkāra (ego consciousness). The universe is described by this school as one created by purusa-prakṛti entities infused with various permutations and combinations of variously enumerated elements, senses, feelings, activity and mind.  During the state of imbalance, one of more constituents overwhelm the others, creating a form of bondage, particularly of the mind. The end of this imbalance, bondage is called liberation, or Kaivalya.   Sāṃkhya denies the final cause of Ishvara (God).  Though the Samkhya school considers the Vedas as a reliable source of knowledge, it is an atheistic philosophy.

The need for both avidyā and vidyā for knowledge is most beautifully expressed in the Īśa Upaniṣad as follows:

vidyāṃ chāvidyāṃ cha yastadvedobhayaṃ saha | avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā vidyayā’mṛtamaśnute ||

He who knows both vidyā and avidyā together, crosses death through avidyā and through vidyā attains immortality.  

It is significant that both elements are essential.  If you want to be theist it is essential know who is atheist also.

Please go through   articles “Buddha And Veda” by Indologist Subhash Kak and “The Ancient connections between Atheism, Buddhism and Hinduism” by Signe Cohen available on the Internet and as circulated by me to HR Participants.

--June 1, 2019

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