Hindu Reflections: THOUGHT OF THE DAY--OCTOBER 2019

THOUGHT OF THE DAY--OCTOBER 2019

NEED TO WRITE TRUE HISTORY OF INDIA

Amit Shah said, "It is our responsibility to write our history. How long are we going to blame the British? We don't have to dispute the facts, only write what the truth is... what is our point of view, and it will stand the test of time."

Stressing on the need to rewrite history from India's point of view, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said had it not been for Veer Savarkar, the first war of Independence in 1857 would have been seen from Britain's point of view.

His remarks came two days after the Maharashtra BJP unit said in its election manifesto that the party will ask the Center to confer Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who is also known as Veer Savarkar.

"Had it not been Veer Savarkar, the 1857 'kranti' (revolution) would not have become history and we would have been seeing it from the British point of view," the Home Minister said.

"It was Savarkar who gave the name 'First War of Independence' to the 1857 'kranti' (revolution), otherwise our children would have known it only as a revolt," he said.

Amit Shah inaugurated a two-day international seminar in Varanasi on 'Guptvanshak-Veer: Skandgupta Vikramaditya' at the Banaras Hindu University.

Referring to eminent historians in the audience and on the dais, he said, "It is my request to all that there is a need to rewrite the Indian history from India's point of view but without blaming anyone."

"It is our responsibility to write our history. How long are we going to blame the British? We don't have to dispute the facts, only write what the truth is... what is our point of view, and it will stand the test of time," the Union Home Minister said.

Mr Shah regretted that today's generation was not aware of the contributions and valour of Skandgupta Vikramaditya, and many other great Indians.

The world listens when our PM speaks on international developments because of lack of documentation.

While dwelling at the length on the role and relevance of the ruler of Gupta Dynasty, Skandagupt Vikramaditya, he spoke on the political future of the nation and also took the opportunity to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making India regain national respect in the world.

"Respect for the country has increased under him. The world pays attention to our point of view," Amit Shah.

In this context please go through my discourse and refer to Report on Rewriting History of India on the Internet:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-can-be-wrong-history-about-ancient.html

--October 30, 2019

KALYONOTSAVA OF VALLI DEVAYANAI ON KARTHIK SKANDA SHASHTHI

November 3 Murugan Sanctum will be flooded by Tamil Bhaktas as it is Karthik Skandha Shashthi Day to celebrate Surasamhara and the wedding of Skanda with Valli and Devayaanai, with none from the North? Though I have explained all these in my four discourses I will briefly explain the origin of Kalyanotsava and Skanda. A hill deity was being worshiped in Tirumalai as Skanda whose popularity attracted Tamils. They learnt from Vedas Skanda is Sanatkumara and worshiped him as Vishnu with a camouflaged name of Venkateswara. Iswara ending pleased all. Soon Saivites and Vaishanvites started fighting and sought the help of Ramanuja. Ramanuja learnt from Vedas Skanda was Santkumara a Deva rishi and worshiper of Vishnu. Why not then elevate him to Vishnu and so provided Sankha and Chakra. If you observe closely the deity in Tirupati both Sankha and Chakra are not part of the carving but separately attached. He also got the support from Skanda Purana where it is said at the request of Siva Sanatkumara was born as the exclusive son of Siva and not Parvati? Having lost the battle based on Vedic support Saivites focused on Tirucchendur Murugan and coaxed him to marry Valli and Devayanai matching with Sridevi and Bhudevi.

Tirupati Venkteswara became Srinivasa (in whom Lakshmi dwells-Sri nivasati iti). But Lakshmi was missing in the Skanda idol? Srinivasa suffering from pangs of love fell in love with Padmavati and had to raise huge loans from Kubera for the wedding. Now temple is raising money by nitya-kalyanotsava to repay the loan, a clever plan by Tamils. This idea has caught up all temples to raise funds by Kalyanotsava by devotees seeking their Kalyana (well -being) from lord.

Devasena, the celestial wife, is married in a traditional arranged marriage while the earthy Valli is won by Murugan, resulting in a love marriage. It places him as the god who is allowed to have two wives, Devasena – the daughter of Indra and Valli, a hunter princess. Murugan is ascribed to equally spend his time on earth and in heaven. Devasena and Valli are representations of Kriya shakti (the power of action) and Icchaa Sakti, the symbol of the transcendental Jnaana-shakti (the power of knowledge). In Tamil literature, two kinds of love are mentioned: karpu ("chastity"), love bound in the traditional marriage, represented by Devasena and kalavu, love before marriage, conveyed by Valli.

In North India Kartikeya is generally considered as celibate and unmarried while Ganesha is a celibate to South Indians. Sanskrit scriptures generally regard only Devasena as the consort of Kartikeya, while Tamils glorify him with has two consorts, Devayanai (Devasena) and Valli. Who is right we do not know? Probably it is a Tamil phantasy to celebrate his wedding with a celestial devi and a hunter princess! Ramayana which spent one whole chapter on Kumarasambhava does not talk about it.

Marriages are made in heaven! Skanda’s wedding was a heavenly decision spoiling the celibacy vow of Sanatkumara when born as Skanda to Siva. Sanatkumara was also sent as Skanda to impart Jnaana to the world --Guruguha. He had to run between heaven and earth! This also displays Vedic dictum aatmavat sarvabhooteshu. samaanamaakootih sanghacchdvam, samvadadbvam --Be celestial or human, love as the universal binding force is equally applicable to gods as for humans because GOD created Kama or desire for all. Treat equally all who seek you!

In Vaikhanasa Agama, which is in practice in Tirumala to carryout temple rituals, Kalyanotsavam is popularly known as “Vaivahika MahotsaThvam”. So the couples especially the newly wed, who wish to have a blissful marital life with the blessings of the Lord do participate in Kalyanotsavam in big numbers. Birthday celebrations of gods in temples has inspired Kalyanotsava. If Birthdays of divines are celebrated on actual dates why not wedding anniversary and also the day of Ascent on actual dates? I believe it is altogether designed to celebrate all these things on human scale or norms? A big question is whether we need to perform all these human samskaras on gods and treat them at par with us instead spiritually focusing on them? We need it to manage temples economically but not spiritually! Why North Indian temple traditions have not thought about such giant plans?

We have to question here Tamil Bhakti over-flow Tradition! You can thus see how even gods submitted to human emotions and Dharma (Manava Dharma) while born as human beings at human level! Law makers cannot be law breakers! This is the purport of Kalyanotsava in temple ingeniously projected and displayed in temple festivals motivated by Puranas. With our limited understanding of the highly exaggerated riddles and parables in Puranas we remain confused and misled by misinterpretations of Puranas in their understanding and teaching!

Union of the divine couple should be taken as symbolic union of the Jivatman with Paramatman as symbolized in Radha Kalyanam that never took place! Kalyanotsva is interpreted on these philosophical lines by Sankara in his Atmabodha and Sadasiva Brahmendra in the popular song “khelati mama hridaye”.

Since Lord is the causeless cause He has no cause and hence no parents as it were! When we perform a Kalyanotsava for the Lord in effect he gets to enjoy the role of being our son and we the unique privilege to act as parents! It looks as though even god is not exempt from this sort of human craving! The Kalyanotsava provides the opportunity to tune the mind for Jnaana-- preparing the mind for Jnana and the resultant fruit of Moksha. So focus spiritually and do not anxiously wait for the moment of “Mangalyam tantuna hetur mama jeevana hetuna”

Realizing the importance of the subject on which information is scanty I will be adding one more article titled-- “DIVINE WEDDINGS ON EARTH GO THROUGH HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF PAIN AND PLEASURE” that will be released soon.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/11/divine-weddings-on-earth-reflect-human.html

Here are my past discourses on Skanda and Kalyanotsava:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/12/subrahmanya-kaartikeya-murugan.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2012/02/kalyaana-utsava-ceremony-for-lord-in.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2016/12/eternal-youth-sanatkumara-or-skanda-is.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2016/08/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html (Skanda Purana, Skanda Shashthi)

--October 30, 2019

KARTHIK SKANDASHASHTHI, SURASMAHARA AND KALYANOTYSAVA

May I draw your kind attention to Subhramanya shadakshara satanamavali most appropriate for Kartik Skanda Shashthi. While drawing our attention to the same Muralidharan Iyengar makes the following statement -“Sometimes some Upanyasakas deliberately or inadvertently fan the flame of fanaticism over forms”. The popular Sanskrit sloka that says worship of all gods lead to Lord Keshava reflects a verse in the Bhagavad Gita in which Lord Krishna makes a similar statement: Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular god and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone. (BG 7.22).

Many of the texts of Puranas though heavily loaded with sectarian views pushing one deity of its focus to Himalayan heights while condemning all other sectarian deities do give scope for researchers like Murlai to come across few slokas that focus on Vedic dictum Eko Devah and purport of Bhagavbad Gita sloka 7-22. I believe these are later clever insertions inspired by the editorial skills of Vedavysa as the editor of all the 18 Puranas that contain such unifying forceful thoughts to bring wisdom to fighting sectarian traditions, that Muralidharan has researched and sends us with his tireless dedicated long service. Vedavyasa never claimed authorship of any Purans but only edited them for our easy understanding, had also no intention to insult any of its author but cleverly inserted a few hymns with a view to bring amity among fighting factions. It will not be an exaggeration if I say that Muralidharan Iyengar is a close follower of Vyasa Siddhanta! His authorship is confined to Mahabharata having played a great role in shaping the destiny of two fighting cousins and preservation of Dharma.

Many Hindu American Temples founded by temple fathers of Tamil Origin celebrate Kartik Skanda Shashti as Special Religious Events Day resorting Valli Devayanai Kalyanotsavam as per convenience which is also a rich source of income for temple funds. It may not be wrong to say the tradition of Kalyanotsavam in temples is of Tamil origin inspired by Sita Rama Kalyana celebrated in Adikavya Ramayana. We will talk about in detail in my next E-mail.Please recall the very popular lyric sung during wedding Sitakalyanmae vaibhogamae!

Skanda Sashti is observed on the sixth day of the bright fortnight of the Tamil month of Aippasi (October – November). This day is dedicated to the second son(2) of Lord Shiva – Lord Subramanya, also known as Kartikeya, Kumaresa, Guha, Murugan, Shanmukha, and Velayudhan, who on this day, is believed to have annihilated the mythical demon Taraka. Celebrated in all Shaivite and Subramanya temples in South India, Skanda Sashti commemorates the destruction of evil by the Supreme Being (?).

Soorasamharam is celebrated as the last day of the auspicious Skanda Sashti fasting. Skanda Sashti is one of the most important festivals for Tamil Hindus and this day is dedicated to worshipping Lord Murugan. Skanda Sashti fasting is done during the ‘Karthika’ masam in the Tamil calendar and devotees begin their fast from the day of the Karthika lunar month known as ‘Pirathamai’ while the fasting culminated on the sixth day, popularly known as Soorasamharam day. Soorasamharam is the most important and final day of this six day festivities.

The day of Soorasamharam celebrates the triumph of good over evil. According to the legends it is believed that Lord Murugan defeated the demon named Surapadma with his ‘Vel’ and this godly act is called as Soorasamharam. Tamil devotees observe this day with dedication and worship Lord Murugan for restoring Dharam and liberating earth from all evils. The day after Soorasamharam is celebrated as ‘Thirukalyanam’, which is the day when the divine marriage ceremony of Lord Murugan and Devasena took place. The festival of Soorasamharam is celebrated with immense fervor in Lord Murugan temples, most of them being in South India. Of these the festivities at Tiruchendur Murgan Temple is the most splendid and remarkable.

The day of Soorasamharam celebrates the triumph of good over evil. According to the legends it is believed that Lord Murugan defeated the demon named Surapadma with his ‘Vel’ and this godly act is called as Soorasamharam. Tamil devotees observe this day with dedication and worship Lord Murugan for restoring Dharma and liberating earth from all evils. The day after Soorasamharam is celebrated as ‘Thirukalyanam’, which is the day when the divine marriage ceremony of Lord Murugan and Devasena took place. The festival of Soorasamharam is celebrated with immense fervor in Lord Murugan temples, most of them, being in South India. Of these the festivities at Tiruchendur Murgan Temple is the most splendid and remarkable.

His Message from Singapore:

As Skanda Shashti falls on Saturday this week (02-Nov-2019), I am delighted to share a rare 108 names of Lord Subrahmanya which contains 18 names for each syllable in the Subrahmanya ShadaaksharI mantra (Sharavana Bhava). I found this one from a Tamil book on Siruvapuri Sri Balasubramanya Swami (a famous Subramanya Temple near Chennai). As usual, there might be some mistakes in translating from Tamil (due to lack of numbered consonants in Tamil alphabet) as my own Sanskrit knowledge is just very basic. There is yet another Shadakshara Ashtottara Shata Namavali but that is very well known and commonly used. There is a Trishati (300 names) as well.

We have seen in the past that Lord Narayana declares that Lord Vinayaka and Lord Kartikeya are none but Amsas of Lord Vishnu (as told in Brahma Vaivarta Puranam). We also know that Lord Kartikeya is Lord Shiva Himself. So, it does not require a Quantum Mechanics brain to understand that all these are nothing but different names attributed to the one and only Brahman.

Our scriptures never advocate fanaticism on any one form. People who are fanatics of one form are unfortunately the ones who have not imbibed the basic tenet of Sanatana Dharma as expounded by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita:

AkAshAt patitaM toyaM yathA gacChati sAgaraM | sarva deva namaskAraH keshvaM pratigacChati ||

(Meaning : As the rain water that falls from the sky reaches ocean ultimately, all prayers to different Devas (forms) reach Lord Keshava ultimately.)

Sometimes some Upanyasakas deliberately or inadvertently fan the flame of fanaticism over forms - perhaps just to add spice to their discourses. But their utterances are typically half truths showing only one side of the full picture. It is true that scriptures extol one form of Brahman as superior when talking about that form. But it would be only fair to add that the same message gets repeated for every form of the Brahman which make the very concept of superiority redundant and irrelevant. It will be fair to add that nowhere there is a mention that it is OK for knuckle-headed people to have their nose up in the air on the presumed superiority. (If at all it is true, it is those forms who need to have their nose up in the air - not ordinary people).

It will only be fair to add that the Devas are not running parallel Indian political parties in their celestial abodes to bring their politics to the gutter. It is outright silly of us to even think about such factionalism. It is not the fault of our scriptures if we can't even get beyond the basic tenets of Sanatana Dharma.

May We Pray to Lord Kartikeya with this unique Ashtottaram on Skanda Shashti day!

--October 28, 2019

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IGNORANT HUMAN BEING AND SUPREME ENTITY

Hinduism is monotheistic as Advaita projects and my understanding of GOD written in all capital letters is one who creates, sustains and dissolves--G=Generates; O=Operates; D=Dissolves. Advaita concept of Supreme GOD-head is drawn from Mahavakya: Ahma asmi Brahmhaahamasmi. Then why do they worship different deities as personal God as you could infer from the personal lives of Ramkrishna Parmahamsa, Appyya Dikshitar, Ramana Maharshi etc.? From the Vedanta perspective however, this Personality aspect of God is most important.

Even from Advaita point of view there can be three names for the Infinite – and that is what we have, namely, the Infinite, the “I”, and the Atman. So where does the Greatness of the Infinite lie. If this thought of “I” really sinks into us deep enough, forever gone will be the idea that we are this puny little bag of flesh and bones; forever gone will be the thought of that we are a limited mind and intellect having this narrow personality; forever gone will be all sense of differences in our vision – no more rich or poor, no more Brahmin or Shudra; no more Eastern or Western, no more male or female, and so on.

There is a Big Vision behind this creation – to establish the transcendental connection between the ignorant living entity and the Supreme Lord, Bhagavan by nine devotional activities: hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying, obeying, maintaining friendship and surrendering everything - which will lead to attaining the highest goal of life, which is love of GOD. Knowing that the living being is fully dependent on the mercy of Supreme GOD-head as a conscious spiritual particle or spirit-on of GOD, called Atman, the sincere human being can transform himself to become a sincere servant of GOD by developing the understanding of GOD’s existence and by purifying one’s heart by devotional service to the Lord, an individual life, community, nations and the entire world can all live together in harmony and peace. A GOD-centered life is, therefore, the solution to all the problems of material struggle. This compilation takes your thought on these aspects of "Ishwara" (God) as we find in the Upanishads, in the Geetā and in the words of great saints like Ramana Maharshi and Rāmakrishna. Please go through my detailed compilation titled: The Relation between Ignorant Living Human Entity and the Supreme Lord GOD, Bhagavan, posted on the Blog of Hindu Reflections.

Purushasukta says: Vedaahametam (veda+aham+etam) purusham mahaantam aaditya varnam - Know this Cosmic personality AHAM (I), resplendent like the Sun. tamevam vidwaan-amrita iha-bhavati | naanya-h panthaa ayanaaya vidyate He is the one by realizing whom the realized masters (Vedantavijnaana sunuschitaarthaah) become immortal, even in this life. There is no other way for liberation (Purushasuktam). Vedas say vijñānenātmānaṁ vedayati …………. vijñānādānandam (MNU)--By unbroken direct realization (Vijnaanam) a person knows the Ātman (Self) that leads to Bliss (Anandam) --Infinite Happiness.

By his recent lectures on Vedanta based on Neo Practical Advaita of Ramana Maharshi, Appayya Dikshitar, and Ramakrishna about which I had also talked about Swami Chidananda has gradually taken us to Vedantic heights. Vedanta Teaching is not speaking about a system of philosophy that just needs to be clearly presented with a definition of the main concepts and its underlying assumptions. We should also be not speaking about a simple descriptive theory which needs to be experienced and validated by an action like meditation. We should speak about a means of knowledge revealing and unfolding the reality as it is. Philosophic discussions are intended for Vidwat Sabha where critical discussions take place with various philosophic thoughts. Therefore, here we should focus on a thought of fusion to make one understand this reality. Unfortunately like sectarian Religious Pundits these Vedanta Gurus end up in focusing on a particular Philosophy in which they are educated. Inspired by Swami Chidanandji's various E-mails I present you this elaborate compilation/ with my limited knowledge.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-relation-between-ignorant-living.html

--OCTOBER, 2019

DEEPAVALI STARTS THE SEASON OF FESTIVALS OF LIGHTS

Deepavali-- Is it Festival Of lights? Is it Women's Liberation Day? Is it Human Suffering and Pain Relief Day to celebrate Dhanvantari Jayanti?

All Hindus delight in lighting up and warming up the whole atmosphere during twilight zone and dark nights once a year to remind ourselves, as it were, that a period of sloth, tamas, is past, the days of progress and endeavor has come with lamps and crackers. Prag-Jyotisha-pura, is the City of Lights in the East, East being where the light breaks in. Lord Krishna killed Narakasura, the Dark Force of Evil and Ignorance by liberating the concealed light caused by Narakasura by the Liberating power, that resulted in the release and flooding of the concealed light. Lord Krishna also rescued the imprisoned 16000 damsels, and took them as his wives marking the day as Women’s Liberation Day by bringing light to their lives in a male chauvinistic society.

More than two million years ago, in Tretaa Yuga, Lord Rama brought back Sun Light to the gloomy city of Ayodhya along with Sita who also restored cool Moon Shine to the city. This great event of their return to Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile after Rama’s successful elimination of all dark and evil forces in the world to restore joy and happiness was celebrated by lighting the whole city with earthenware oil wick lamps followed by merriment in Ayodhya and the whole city started glowing with lights.

This festival again highlights Rama performing his Raja dharma as well as Kshatriya dharma in liberating a helpless captivated woman Sita but not his beloved wife. Why I say so will be clear if you go through the debate between Sita and Rama when Hanuman brought her back from Asokavana after the killing of Ravana. Rama doubted her chastity and asked her to marry any one of his brothers or even Vibhishana! Devastated Sita entered fire to prove her chastity! This did not end here. She was deserted during her pregnancy and later when she met her she was not welcomed and so she went back to her mother entering the Earth! So it was more a celebration of Women Liberation Movement. Whole Ramayana is focused on Dharma and the rest is history. It would have been more appropriate to title Ramayana as Seethopakhyana! While Ayodhyavasis reveled lighting the whole city Rama had a sigh of relief as Woman's Liberation Day too!

Bogged down by fear of death people raised the voices to the Supreme with the prayer “Mrityor maa amritam gamaya”-lead us from Death to Immortality Good Lord hearing their prayer emerged out of the milky ocean along with Lakshmi with Amrita Kalasa (pot of ambrosia) as Dhanvantari God of Health, Hope and Happiness to relieve humanity from the sufferings of pain, disease, old age and death.

Bhai Dooj or Bhaiya Dooj is a Hindu festival that is celebrated by all women by praying for the long life of their brothers and in return receive gifts. The festival is celebrated on the very last day of the 5 days long Diwali festival which is the second day of the bright fortnight or Shukla Paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik. Popular legend has it that on this particular day, Yama, the God of Death visited his sister, Yami. She put tilak on her brother Yama's forehead, garlanded him and fed him special dishes that she cooked herself. Since they were meeting each other after a long time, they dined together and talked to each other to their heart's content. They also exchanged gifts to each other and Yami had made the gift with her own hands. Yama then announced that whoever receives tilak from his sister on this particular day will enjoy long life and prosperity. Based on this, Bhai Dooj is also known as Yama Dwitiya.

In Maharashtra this day is celebrated for a different cause. Legend has it that as per the Hindu mythology, after defeating the evil demon Narakasura, Lord Krishna paid a visit to his sister Subhadra who gave him a warm welcome with sweets and flowers to celebrate Women’s Liberation Day. She applied Tilaka on Krishna's forehead as the Champion of the Women Liberation cause with affection. It is believed by some that this is the origin of the festival. Deepavali is not merely a religious festival, but on occasion for family reunions, the meeting of brothers and sisters, and also the commencement of the fresh crop year. Probably this meeting of Krishna and Subhadra that inspired Orissa people to replace the Lakshmi deity on Ratnavedi as the popular belief goes, with Subhadra who is correctly seen to the right of Jagannatha worshiped as Krishna. In Tiruppillani his consort Padmasini is to the left of Jagannatha.

Light is considered as a symbol of auspiciousness, prosperity and abundance in the Hindu religion. In almost every Indian home across the rural-urban divide, a lamp is lit daily in relation to sacred or secular domains of culture. Following hymn "Deepamjyothi Parabrahma Deepam jyothi Janardhana | Deepo Me Hara Tu Paapam Sandhya Deepam Namostu te" is recited while lighting the lamp meaning I join my hands before the lord, the maintainer of this creation, in the form of this light. I adore this light, which destroys all the pains resulting from my omissions and commissions".

Deepa or lamp is worshiped as Jyoti and Parasakti power aspect of Brahman decorating with turmeric, vermilion and flower. Deepas are thus used to invite mother Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth into the home on Lakshmi Puja during the third day of Divali festivals. We lit a lamp to bow down to knowledge as greatest form of wealth. Light is hence, worshiped as God himself.

Then starts the Hanukah and Christmas Season of Festivals of Lights that probably ends with the sight of Makara Vilakku on Makara Sankranti Day on Sabari Malai in January. Please go through my detailed discourse--Festivals of Lights in all world Traditions and Beliefs.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/12/festivals-of-lightsancient-in.html

--October 27, 2019

HAPPY DIWALI and Thanks for the beautiful explanation of the Diwali festival.

--Dr. Brahm Parsh

Happy Diwali! Let the Light of this Lamp eliminate all our sins! My salutations to this Radiant and Eternal Light!

--Bindu Schroff

Vinayaki or Ganeshini - Elephant-headed Goddess

Vinayaki is an elephant-headed Hindu goddess. Her mythology and iconography are not clearly defined. Little is told about her in Hindu scriptures and very few images of this deity exist. Due to her elephantine features, the goddess is generally associated with the elephant-headed god of wisdom, Ganesha. She does not have a consistent name and is known by various names, Stri Ganesha (female Ganesha), Vinayaki, Gajanani (elephant-faced), Vighneshvari (Mistress of obstacles) and GaneshIni, all of them being feminine forms of Ganesha's epithets Vinayaka, Gajanana, Vighneshvara and Ganesha itself. These identifications have resulted in her being assumed as the shakti - feminine form of Ganesha. Nagaraja yajnopaveeta of Ekadanta Ganesha becomes mangalya sutra for Enkadantini Ganeshini

In a Buddhist text called Aryamanjusrimulakalpa, the goddess is called the siddhi of Vinayaki. She inherits many of Ganesha’s characteristics. Like Ganesha, she is the remover of obstacles and has an elephant's head with only one tusk. She is also called the daughter of the god Ishana, an aspect of Shiva.

However, the upapurana (lesser Purana) Devi Purana explicitly identifies Gajanayika or Vinayaki as the shakti of Ganesha, characterized by her elephant head and ability to remove obstacles like Ganesha, and includes her as the ninth Matrika.Though generally the number of Matrikas is seven in sculpture and literature, nine Matrikas became popular in Eastern India. Apart from the classical seven, Mahalakshmi or Yogeshvari and Ganeshani or Gajanani were added as eighth and ninth Matrika respectively.

Vinayaki is sometimes also seen as the part of the sixty-four yoginis or the matrika goddesses. However, scholar Krishan believes that Vinayakis in early elephant-headed matrikas, the Brahmanical shakti of Ganesha, and the Tantric yogini are three distinct goddesses.

“Vishwaksena worshiped as Vighnaraja by Vaishnavites mentioned in Vishnu Sahasranama is the leader of all double-tusked elephant head lieutenants, single-tusked elephant head lieutenants, horse headed lieutenants, goat headed lieutenants, and every other lieutenant. Among these lieutenants, a double-tusk elephant headed lieutenant has the power to impart abilities in us for overcoming all hurdles. All of them represent valor to conquer any challenge. His consort is Su:travati” writes Chinna Jeer. He also says Ganesha's consorts are Siddhi and Buddhi. All the animal headed species stated above are part of God’s creation that is also described in Ramayana while describing origin of monkeys.

The Ganesha we worship as Jyeshta-bhrata of Subhramanya is not mentioned in Ramayana of Tretayuga while one whole chapter deals with Skanda who is also a Vedic deity identified as Sanat Kumara in Chhandogya Upanishad. The Ganesha we worship appears for the first time in Dvaprayuga as the one who assisted Vedavyasa in writing Mahabharata. It therefore appears, this Group leader was later adopted by Saivism as main deity and glorified as Brahman interpreting a Veda mantra as related to him and supporting with later inserted Puranic and mythological stories. Skanda Purana also mentions that Sanatkumara at the request of Siva was born as Skanda.

Puranas made Naramukha Vinayaka (worshiped in lone temple in Tamil Nadu), Ekadanta, so popular today, popularizing with myths and stories, much later. As a matter fact Uma the daughter of Himavan in Upanishadsa was later called Parvati and made consort of Vedic Rudra making him subdued and auspicious calling him Siva. Who can question or challenge our Puranas that are exaggerated texts to drive a point, which are not Itihasas, like Ramayana, Bhagavta and Mahabharata. Itihasa means it happened so.

Ganapathya, earlier promoted by Sankara for Panchayatana puja caught up like wild fire and the worship of Goddess Ganeshini or Vinayaki worship did not find favor with male chauvinistic society. Saktism also with its focus on Navadurgas, Brahma Vishnu Sivatmikas was lukewarm to the worship of the female counter part of popular male Ganesha that was competing with Viswaksena worship followers and to gain premier position among Advaita followers, Saiva siddhanta followers of Sangham movement.

The Avatar concept is peculiar to Vaishnavism as explained in the Vaishnava text Bhagavad Gita: “Sambhavaami yuge yuge”. Hayagriva, horse headed human Avatar started the Avatar Parampara. Hayagriva retrieved Vedas from a demon who was also a horse-headed demon and was celebrated as Adi Guru praising him as “jnaanaananda mayam aadhaarah sarva vidyaanam”. In order to match Hayagriva who was gaining popularity followers of Siva picked up the lieutenant of Vishwaksena Ekadaanta Gajaanana and related him to Naramukha Vinayaka created by Parvati by her Icchasakti as body-guard to protect her privacy. Even Tretayuga and Dvaprayuga were male chauvinistic as you could see from the fate of Sita and Draupadi! They therefore completely neglected the consort of Ekadanta Vinayaka, Ekadanti Vinayaki. The rest is all myths and beliefs. Why Ekadanta Vinayaka? Elephant head is known for intelligence and long memory! Followers of Siva tried very hard to make Ekadanta most popular against the avatars of Hayagriva and Narasimha known for his strength and anger. Ekadanta Ganesha was made Sivasuta, Varadamurti, Pratham Vandita even writing an Upanishad in Atharvaveda to match with earlier Narayana Upanishad--Ganapati Atharvaseershopanishad. Rudra known for his anger suited very well in this context with a story who later calmed down to become benevolent Siva, so Sivasuta!. Ganesha as Modaka hasta and mooshika vahana with fantasy stories became very appealing to kids and people at kindergarten level of knowledge of religion to kindle Bhakti at base level! Later Purans even projected Siddhi and Buddhi as consorts of Ekadanta Ganesha to match with his brother Subhramanya who is worshiped with his consorts Valli and Devayani by Tamils who are however consoled to the situation that Ekadanta Ganpathi is a Bachelor like Hanuman.

In the Jain and Buddhist traditions, Vinayaki is an independent goddess. In Buddhist works, she is called Ganapatihridaya (heart of Ganesha).

--October 26, 2019

Comments:

Very interesting!

--Dr. Vedavyas Biliyar

WHAT IS SAT-CHIT-AANANDA?

Please see below an important subject on which Dr. Thimmappa Hegde of Fowai Forum will touch upon six vital topics on Vedanta studies. If you had been following my discourses and E Mails you will be quite at ease to follow his lecture and also further your knowledge with additional information from a learned person. In this context I present below the gist on Sat and Sathyam as well as Sat-Chit-Ananda.

According to Vedanta, there is another reality in nature different from matter. It is the fundamental spiritual particle (called atman in Vedantic terminology), which T.D. Singh of Bhakti Vednta Research Institute has coined as “spirit-on” (Atman). It is a transcendental particle and is on to logically different from matter. It has a conscious property and has free will contrary to material particles like electrons. It is only by the presence of the spirit-on that matter appears animated. In Vedanta this seemingly animated matter is referred to as embodied life.

Spiritual Particle ‘Spirit-on’ and Consciousness

“… all knowledge relates to the spirit, or more properly, exists in it, and that is the sole reason for our interest in any field of knowledge whatsoever.” – Erwin Schrödinger. According to Vedanta, every life form has atma or spirit-on, within it. In other words not only do human beings possess a spirit-on, but so do all microorganisms, insects, aquatics, plants, reptiles, birds, and so on. In this regard, Vedanta is unique and different from the (W. Moore, Schrödinger: Life and Thought, 1989, Cambridge University Press, p. 429.4) scientific and theological views of many other world traditions. The Bhagavadgita (verse 15.7), states: mamaivamso jivaloke jivabhutah sanatanah, which means that all spirit-on-s are eternal conscious particles of the Supreme Lord. The fundamental qualities of the spiritual particle, or spirit-on are of the same nature as the Supreme Lord’s and are as follows: sat (eternal existence), chit (full cognition), ananda (blissfulness), sveccha (free will) and chetana (consciousness). Vedanta explains that matter, however complex, will never generate life or its inherent symptom, consciousness. There are two categories of consciousness, universal and individual. God’s consciousness is universal (all pervasive) whereas the spirit-on’s consciousness is individual (localized) and always remains so but both are onto logically non-physical in nature.

Today our concept of Paramatman and Atman being separate reflects in Temple Traditions. Otherwise we will not be standing before the deity praying or singing bhajans. In the process we are also made to recognize the existence of divinity in us and connect the same with Paramatman to ultimately get our Self or Jivatman to join and associate and integrate with Paramaatman and not get merged, get absorbed and get dissolved. Otherwise we do not have to go through Bhakti Marga or temples and need only Jnanamarga and sacrifice. Even Sankara realized this standing before Lord Viswanatha in Varanasai and confessing his three sins. We can see the Prayer to Atman and Paramaatman in Moorti upasana. The devotee first performs aatma pooja; that is he meditates on his inner aatman encased in his body. By appropriate mantras he first purifies his body including his praanas and his sense organs.

We explained above Atman as Sat-Chit-Ananda. Paramatman is referred as SATHYAM consists of three syllables, sath+thi+yam=Sathyam. Sat is the immortal; thi is the mortal; and yam means “by that both these are regulated” thereby meaning Supreme Brahman. Maayaa is Mithyam, opposite of Sathyam. World is Maayaa to those who have attained a desire-less (Gunateetha) state in this world by Sadhana or spiritual training and are on their onward journey only to integrate with Supreme. Occupying the same body both Paramaatman and Jivatman share the same qualities except Paramaatman is Sathyam Jnaanam Amalam and Anantam. Sathyam (as described above), Absolute Consciousness, Untainted by Karma at any stage, and Bhuma or indescribable Plentitude. It is the Self of all Selfs.

WEBINAR 159-- What is Sat Chit Ānanda?

Gist of the Presentation:

Every student of Vedānta must work to get a clear knowledge on the following six topics.

1. What is my true nature?

2. bWhat is the nature of the experienced world around me ?

3. What is the nature of Go?

4. Why is there so much suffering?

5. What is moksha or true Freedom?

6. What are the spiritual practices which will help one to get true Freedom?

In other words what is jeeva, jagat, Ishwara, bandha, moksha and sādhanā?

Most of these questions will be answered by knowing what is sat, chit and ānanda.

To understand these terms a sincere student must work on two fundamental pillars of Vedānta.

1. I as ātmā am different from whatever I experience.

2. All experienced attributes belong to the experienced objects and not to me the ātmā.

The terms sat, chit and ānanda are among the most difficult topics in Vedānta to understand.

This talk will give references in the Geetā and Upanishad where these terms explained.

--October 25, 2019

DIWALI STARTS THE GLOBAL SEASON OF FESTIVALS OF LIGHTS

All Hindus delight in lighting up and warming up the whole atmosphere during twilight zone and dark nights once a year to remind ourselves, as it were, that a period of sloth, tamas, is past, the days of progress and endeavor has come with lamps and crackers. The first fireworks were called "psa chu", by Chinese who invented them to scare away evil spirits. Tamils called "psa chu", Pattasu, Prag-Jyotisha-pura, is the City of Lights in the East, as the name indicates, East being where the light breaks in. Lord Krishna killed Narakasura, the Dark Force of Evil and Ignorance by liberating the concealed light caused by Narakasura by the Liberating power, that resulted in the release and flooding of the concealed light. Lord Krishna also rescued the imprisoned damsels, and took them as his wives, marking the day as Women’s Liberation Day by bringing light to their lives in a male chauvinistic society.

Diwali Festival again highlights Rama performing his Raja dharma as well as Kshatriya dharma in liberating a helpless captivated woman Sita but not his beloved wife. Why I say so will be clear if you go through the debate between Sita and Rama when Hanuman brought her back from Asokavana after the killing of Ravana. Rama doubted her chastity and asked her to marry any one of his brothers or even Vibhishana and live happily! Devastated Sita entered fire to prove her chastity! This did not end here. She was deserted during her pregnancy and later when she met her she was not welcomed and so she went back to her mother entering the Earth! So it was a Celebration of Women Liberation Movement. Whole Ramayana is focused on Dharma and the rest is history. It would have been more appropriate to title Ramayana as Seethopakhyana! It looks divorce and remarriage was an accepted moral norm in Tretayuga!

Bogged down by fear of death sages with people raised their voices to the Supreme with the prayer “Mrityor maa amritam gamaya”-lead us from Death to Immortality. Good Lord hearing their prayer emerged out of the milky ocean along with Lakshmi with Amrita Kalasa (pot of ambrosia) as Dhanvantari, God of Health, Hope and Happiness to relieve humanity from the sufferings of pain, disease, old age and death.

Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month Kartik especially in the regions of Bengal, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rangpur, Mithila, Odisha, Assam, ... It coincides with the Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali. Kali and Krishna means Darkness. Consciousness is Darkness(Unknown) . You search it with your Selfas light. That is why Garbagriha is dark. Countless Lights go in search of that Consciousnss.Krishna asked Radha why am I dark?

Radha Kyon Gori Main Kyon Kala is a popular Bhajan

There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. “~ Carl Jung

Light is considered as a symbol of auspiciousness, prosperity and abundance in the Hindu religion. In almost every Indian home across the rural-urban divide, a lamp is lit daily in relation to sacred or secular domains of culture. Following hymn "Deepamjyothi Parabrahma Deepamjyothi Janardhana | Deepo Me Hara Tu Paapam Sandhya Deepam Namostu te" is recited while lighting the lamp meaning I join my hands before the lord, the maintainer of this creation, in the form of this light. I adore this light, which destroys all the pains resulting from my omissions and commissions".

Diwali directs worship of multiple gods including Yama, Chitragupta, Hanuman, Kubera, Vamana (Bali Padyami) besides Rama, Kishna and Kali--Gods galore guided by Puranas! Why not then confine to Universal Light Jagajjyoti?

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/12/festivals-of-lightsancient-in.html

--October 24. 2019

Comments:

You are doing a great job! We are proud of you!

--A.S. Narayana

Happy Deepavali to you and your family!

--Sapthagireeshan A.K.

ENIGMATIC SPHATIKALINGA IN INDONESIA

Sphatik Shivalinga (more known as Glass Shivalinga) encased in a bronze cup, dating back to 1000 plus years at Candi Sukuh temple, Java, Indonesia. Water stored in the bronze cup has not dried even today. It is a mystery for scientists as well as archaeologists why the water hasn't dried up even after hundreds of years. They tested acidity of this water and found it to be pure even today. For the local Hindus there, it is Amrit. A story of the Amrit from the Adi Parwa of the 'Mahabharata' is inscribed on one of the walls of the temple. This Shivalinga was kept hidden from Islamic invaders, who vandalized the temple. Candi Sukuh temple that resembles a pyramid shaped Mayan temple in Mexico, was built around 1437 CE, but the Sphatik Shivalinga is 1000 plus years old. Info and image source: Amar Ujala.

--October 22, 2019

Comments:

Thank you for sharing this amazing piece.

--BRG Iyengar

Marvelous

Prof. G. Nagarajan

FORGOTTEN DHANVANTARI AND HIS WORSHIP

In my otherwise exhaustive write up on 5 day Deepavali Festivals I just missed to add Dhanvanatari Jayanti that falls on Dhan Teras day. We should be more worried about our health that is needed to enjoy wealth. Here is a Dhanvantari Stuti in Hindi , a very popular prayer dedicated to Hindu God Dhanvantari, who is the lord of medicine. He appeared with the elixir of life (amruta) during the famous churning of ocean. The prayer is chanted on Dhanteras or Dhanvantari Jayanti day which falls two days before Diwali. Please go through my detailed lecture on Dhanvantri that includes rare mantras and slokas. How can we lead our life without Dhanvntari looking after our health in his role as Vaidyo Narayano Harih?

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2015/11/hindu-god-of-hope-health-and-healing.html

India has wisely chosen this day as National Ayurveda Day described below

The main benefit of chanting the prayer is that it blesses a devotee with both physical and mental health.

NATIONAL AYURVEDA DAY

The National Ayurveda Day is celebrated every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (Dhanteras). This year Ayurveda Day is being observed on 25th October 2019.

Ayurveda is perceived as one of the most ancient and well documented system of medicine equally relevant in modern times. Its holistic approach whether for healthy individuals or for diseased ones remains unparalleled. Prevention of disease and promotion of health is the main aim of Ayurveda. Lord Dhanvantari is considered as divine propagator of Ayurveda. He is conferred with the virtues of granting health and wealth. Therefore, Dhanvantari Jayanti was preferred for celebration of Ayurveda Day to nationalize this system of medicine which can prove to be a cornerstone for its ultimate globalization.

Objectives of Ayurveda Day

An attempt to further promote Ayurveda into mainstream
Focus on strengths of Ayurveda and its unique treatment principles.
Reduce the burden of disease and related morbidity and mortality by utilizing the potential of Ayurveda.
Exploring the potential of Ayurveda to contribute towards National health policy & National Health programs.
Create a sense of awareness in today's generation and promote Ayurvedic principles of healing in society.

National Ayurveda Day logo

The logo for the National Ayurveda Day has the following elements.

The silhouette of lord Dhanwantari in the centre of the logo represents the lord of Medicine.
The five petals in logo symbolize Pancha Mahabhuta and three circles beneath signify Vata, Ptta, Kapha, the fundamental principles of Ayurveda.
An oval leaf encircling the elements depicts the essence of healing through Nature based on these fundamental principles.

National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Award

The award has been instituted by Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India to be conferred on Ayurveda experts possessing qualifications included in II, III, IV schedule of IMCC Act, 1970 and having profound contribution to the field of Ayurveda.

The award is conferred every year on the Ayurveda Day.

In India, the National Doctors' Day is celebrated on July 1 all across India to honor the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. He was born on July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years

National Doctor’s Day is a holiday which is celebrated on March 30^th in the United States. It is a holiday that honors physicians for the work they do for their patients, the communities they work in and for society as a whole. It is their hard work and devotion that keeps all of us healthy and this day thanks them for doing that for us and our loved ones.

The choice is before you to dedicate a day for Special Religious Worship in Temples for Dhanvantari, our God of hope happiness and well-being. In my opinion both March 30 and Aswija Krishna Paksha Trayodasi his janmanakshtra are very important and vital to focus on our health recognizing the hard work and devotion of doctors that keep us all healthy. It is very unfortunate our temples do not even remember him on this day while focusing on material wealth and Lakshmi! It shows how ungrateful we are and not concerned with those who care so much for us and our family! My Pooja room includes Dhanvantari deity to whom I pay my obeisance everyday with the mantra when I consume the sacred water: sareere jarjareebhoote vyaadhigraste kalebare | Aushadhee jahnvee toyam vaidyo Naraayano Harih|| He is none other than Lord Narayana who incarnated as Dhnvbantari with amrita Kalasa accompanied by Laksahmi.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/09/ayurveda-knowledge-of-longivity-of-life.html

--October 23, 2019

HIND-JEW WEDDING BOUND BY THE UNIVERSAL BINDING FORCE OF LOVE

Hinduism and Judaism are among the oldest existing religions in the world. The two share some similarities and interactions throughout both in the ancient and modern worlds.

About 5,000 Jews reside in India today. The Bnei Menashe are a group of more than 9,000 Jews from the Indian states Manipur and Mizoram who have resided in India since as early as 8th century BC. More than half have migrated to Israel when immigration laws were liberal. On 31 March 2005, Sephardi Rabbi, Shlomo Amar, one of Israel's two chief rabbis accepted the Bnei Menashe's claim of being one of the ten lost tribes considering their devotion to Judaism.

Of all religious groups, Hindus and Jews remain the most successful in retaining their adherents and are the two most educated groups. There are some who profess a belief in both religions: they regard themselves as Hind-jew, a portmanteau of Hindu and Jew. This group has started lifting its head in USA by inter-racial marriages unlike other interfaith marriages who largely move to SBNR group. In this SBNR group the children are often brought up in the faith of the parent who has strong influence on the children o with no religion lineage

Judaism has been compared with Brahminism by Osho Rajneesh and Steven Rosen in their books. They cite the similarities between Brahmins and Jews who viewed themselves as "God's chosen people." Rosen adds that Brahmins had a "community of priests" while Jews had a "Kingdom of Priests.

David Flosser says that the tale of Abraham has many similarities with a certain story from the Upanishads, stating that "One can easily discover parallels in the Upanishads to the Abraham legend".

American biologist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840) in his book The American Nations discusses linguistic and traditional similarities between the two religions. Rabbi Metzger stated: “Jews have lived in India for over 2,000 years and have never been discriminated against. This is something unparalleled in human history." When Romans were throwing Christians and Jews to wolves in the arena Jews were peacefully worshiping in synagogues in Kerala.

Swami Dayananda recognized the similarities of both religions and pointed to the belief in One supreme being, non-conversion, oral recitation of the Veda and the Torah, and the special importance of peace and non-violence.

Aptekar is a Bene Israel name; Apte is a Chitpavan Brahmin name. “For all we know, the Chitpavan Brahmins and the Jews came from the same stock of people who were thrown ashore in that shipwreck," says Moses.

Aristotle say: “Jews are derived from the Indian philosophers; they are named by the Indians Calami, and by the Syrians Judaei, and took their name from the country they inhabit, which is called Judea.” (Book I:22) [1]

Both Jews and Hindus perform marriage rites under a canopy. They remove their sandals while entering a temple or synagogue. They have ritual baths before special occasions. Both religions require the isolation of women during the days of the menstrual period and after childbirth. Their death rites are similar.

Living in USA I had visited two Hind-Jew weddings that took my thoughts to analyze the traditions of these two ancient religions of the East and Middle East. Normally in Hindu Christian Inter-race/ Interfaith marriages in USA the bride and bridegroom often decide to have the a Hindu wedding in Hindu temple and a Christian wedding in the Church. Here again Hindu partner is keen to have the wedding in Hindu style but not the Christian partner in Church for being not brought up in a religious tradition. But in Hinjew weddings both the partners are brought up religiously and insist to hold on to their traditions. Surprisingly these two ancient traditions blend so well often the wedding takes place under a canopy where both a Hindu priest and a Rabbi solemnize the wedding in their own style and participants take interest in all rituals and celebrations. Jewish Rabbi is thus more liberal in view than a Christian pastor.

Both the Hinjew weddings I attended in USA were conducted in Brahminical Tamil wedding style so popular in USA. In the recent wedding bride was a Punjabi and the boy was a Jew. Mother of the bride married to an Arya-samajist preferred a South Indian Brahmin priest to conduct the wedding and parents of the boy brought a Rabbi with them. South Indian wedding is loaded with Havans which Aryasamajists love. She is also very liberal minded and equally focused on Ramayan Path in Hindu temple and Sathyavachan in Gurudwara.

The wedding started with the Welcoming of bridegroom’s party by the bride’s party honoring them with aarati and garlands and leading the bridegroom to the canopy. The well dressed up in Punjabi style girl was brought by boy’s parents to the canopy as in customary Jewish bridal procession. The Hindu priest started with Family deity worship, kankana bandhanam followed by garland exchange that have the same significance as a later ring exchange in Jewish tradition. This was followed by kanyadanam, mangalya dharanam, panigrahanam, homam, saptapadi, ashmarohanam, laaja homam, aseervadam and kankana visarjanam. Then Rabbi also solemnized the wedding with Torah mantras, ring exchange, declaring them as husband and wife before the audience, calling for their blessings and breaking of the wine glass by the bridegroom. Thus concluded both Hindu and Jewish ritualistic ceremony. This was followed by the celebration of joyous movement both with Bhangra dance to the rhythm of beating drums brought from India in harmony with Jewish music and dance and tossing of the bride and bride groom and their parents as well and that of the bridegroom as in Jewish tradition. The whole object behind all this merriment is to bring the two families and their relatives together closer with community participation as well, and then leave the bride and bridegroom to their privacy or honeymoon plans. There was the usual vidayi farewell ceremony too. Both religions believe that a marriage is not only between the individual s but also between the two families to come together.

It was a thrilling experience to see a scene of Portmanteau and Amalgam of Cultures and Faiths. Some Hindus were reveling in skull-caps while many Jews were struggling hard with Sherwani sweating in sultry weather. White race girls were seen in salwar-kameez dancing Bhangra along with Hindu girls that should have taken them lot of prior learning and practice. Remarkably men too joined the dance group synchronizing with the beating of the drums got from Punjab, the groom himself leading the rest. I believe the food was kosher too since meat was served? I enjoyed sattvic part of food!

For a brief description of how these rituals and celebrations of two ancient traditions conflate with each other please go through an exciting article Portmanteau and Amalgam of Cultures. May be you need it too as such things may happen with your children too living in USA with the major cultures! So keep it handy as a guide to lead a happy married life.

All the above information confirms that there is no question of certain things being taken from Bharat and introduced into another country. 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 lands which in the subsequent period, historical times, came under Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity or Islam as the case may be. Vedic religion is now authenticated as being more than 8000 year old. It would be therefore wiser for such newly-weds to bring up their children spiritually practicing Sanatana Dharma or the Eternal Tradition. Philanthropic Institutions like Ramakrishna Vedanta Forum are conducting programs on Teaching Vednta to Children. Please go through my compilation on the subject:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/10/teaching-vedanta-to-children-and-adults.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2014/06/vivbaaham-hindu-braahma-sacred-matrimony.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/10/hinjew-inter-racial-wedding-celebration.html

--October 20, 2019

Here is a fascinating perspective. I am not sufficiently educated to critique the historical ‘fact’ below. Your comments and opinions are most welcome.

It is well-known that the Inter-religious and inter-racial marriages are on the rise among all communities since the people of different faiths are co-exist.

Your article was interesting; so I shared it with a number of my friends. After receiving the e-mail from Gokul Ji, I thought it to appropriate to make a mutual introductions This will possibly enable for further exchanges of thought, if both of you would like.

--Sant Gupta of HMEC

This article is full of false information and pure fantasy. It would take some time to respond because there are too many items that deserve a correction. This is a very sinister attempt to misguide the Hindus. That's all I can say about this piece. Yours in the service of Dharma,

--Gokul Kunnath

My reply: I am honored and humbled. I am at your service. I agree with Gokul Kunnath ji. This will misguide Hindus who practice Hinduism today forgetting Sanatana Dharma. So are many Hindu Americans. Vedas say "Atmavat sarvabhooteshu, eko viprah bahuda vadanti; krinvanto viswamaaryam ;sarvejanah sukhino bhavantu, sarve shantih" that inspired oft-quoted "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'' adapted from Panchatantra which Narendra Modi recently quoted meeting Israel Prime minister. I believe he has not looked into the attachment which is available all over the Internet. I wonder how Gokulji missed all of them to be corrected ? (NRS)

I very much enjoyed ... along with the Hin-Jew wedding description. Also noted your response about Hindu, Sanathana Dharma, Bharat, Sindhu, etc

--Dr. Santosh Venmkatraman

OPEN LETTER TO VHPA

Please go through my classified list as attached a work of nearly two decades SPREADING THE MESSAGE OF HINDUISM as the World Religion that has received appreciation from leading spiritual leaders like Phil Goldberg, Swami Chidananada of Fowai Forum,. Sree Maa of New Zealand etc.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/08/classified-discourses-posted-on-blog.html

Topics in Sections L & M reveal the inter-connection of all faiths and the growing need in today’s world for interfaith dialogue. They provide a source of light, a translucent pool of wisdom that offers from its depths an immense and lasting spiritual vision. My discourses especially in L & M should inspire all Hindu Americans to spread the message of Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Tradition) and Universal Oneness which Swami Vivekananda dreamed about and for which worked hard. Sanatana Dharma gave birth to many need-based religions including Hinduism as is practiced today focusing on things each felt as essential based on their culture and spiritual level.

I generally do not indulge in negative topics, discussing hate, crime, intimidation, class hatred, Inter-faith quarrels and fights, conversion etc., but on incidences that help interfaith dialogues and Universal Oneness. I am glad that I brought to your particular attention: Dussehra celebration in Scotland—medley of Hindu and Scottish culture; Reema Abbasi’s “Historic Temples of Pakistan: A Call to Conscience” documents the country's pluralistic heritage; Jeernoddharana Ceremony of all Gods and Kalyanotsavas of all Gods for Communal harmony and world peace in Nashville; Upanishadic Thoughts that helped the Vedanta in the Holy Bible etc. To this I may add the burning of the effigy of Ravana in Nashville in which all Hindu traditions and inter-faith (Christian-Hindu etc.) families participated for the first time.

Looking at the divergent spiritual practices Bhagavadgeetaa also felt World needs many religions, cults and deities but it should all lead one to tranquility, happiness and equanimity. It therefore did not prescribe any ritual or mode of worship. We should all perceive God is present equally in all beings and also treat all beings equally. Sanatana Dharma prescribes the four goals of human life as: Doing one' s duty; Earning wealth; Material and Sensual Enjoyment with senses under control; and attaining salvation by spiritual elevation.

Please see my discourses under L and M of the Classified List of Subjects. I have dealt on topics in L & M to a limited extent mainly focusing on Christianity where we conflate or conflict which religion I had studied during my school days which by coincidence is the major culture of USA with which we often interact in our day-to-day life including inter-racial marriages and parenthood. I have also lightly touched upon Quran, Buddhism, Jainism, Sufi Philosophy, Judaism, Atheism etc., here and there in my various discourses. I once thought of bringing forth all my discourses in a book format on “Hinduism and Its influence on World Religions” but gave it up because of my age, limitations and constraints. Such a work is needed for the present agitated world torn with religious conflicts, killings in the name of religion and environmental devastation in the name of growth and prosperity. We need to understand each other and our followings as recommended by scriptures in true perspective to establish peace in the world and enjoy it. For this we need first understand our own religious practices with the background of Manava Dharma and Sanatana Dharma. That is why I have spent lot of time assimilating and disseminating knowledge on Hinduism covering its various aspects: Hindu Festivals; Rituals; Hindu Samskaaras; Upanishads and Geetaa; Yajna, Homa and Mantras in Hindu Worship; Hindu Philosophy and Philosophers; Temple, Temple Worship and Pilgrim Centers; Hindu Culture; Relevant topics on Hinduism; Spirituality etc., besides focusing on cross cultures, wherewithal conflate and conflict, as well as the adaptability of the major culture with which we are living.

My blog has around 160 global readers drawn from more than 20 countries of the world/ore than 600000 pages of 392 topics have been read form blog readers besides my 120 registrants on regular E mail that includes Swami Chidananda, Phil Goldberg, Sree Maa, Sant Gupta etc. To my surprise around 15% of my blog registrants are Non-Hindus. I generally do not indulge in negative topics, discussing hate, crime, intimidation, class hatred, Inter-faith quarrels and fights, conversion etc., but on incidences that help interfaith dialogues and Universal Oneness. I had I brought to the particular attention of my global audience: Dussehra celebration in Scotland—medley of Hindu and Scottish culture; Reema Abbasi’s “Historic Temples of Pakistan: A Call to Conscience” documents the country's pluralistic heritage; Jeernoddharana Ceremony of all Gods and Kalyanotsavas of all Gods for Communal harmony and world peace in Nashville; Upanishadic Thoughts that helped the Vedanta in the Holy Bible etc. To this I may add the burning of the effigy of Ravana in Nashville in which all Hindu traditions and inter-faith (Christian-Hindu etc.) families participated for the first time.

Here is a comment from a blog reader from Argentina:

*I find wonderful and great insight from you in your blog posts. I am now living in South America. I’m a “devout” reader of J. Krishnamurti for last 10 years. From my understanding of these teachings, I don’t subscribe to any tradition or ideology. But at the same time, I find profound and timeless truth in many paths. I feel fortunate and extremely happy to have found Sanatana Dharma. Another source of inspiration for me continues to be the Tao Te Ching..

Your body of work is a great gift to others, and I only hope to grasp at least parts of it so that I live the positive effects of the awareness coming from self-knowledge. I was just reading one of your discourses I had saved, about Unitarianism Universalism (UU). Reminds me a bit of the brotherhood of theosophy that united many/all beliefs. I think this is positive for mankind, since leaves no room for discrimination, racism etc. How can one measure the instincts and objectives of fellow man if one never fully knows oneself? Many things unanswerable I think, only a silent mind can see with clarity.

--Gerard Janetzko from Latin America gerard.janetzko@gmail.com

A huge milestone, dear Srini! I am very happy that your profound work and sharing of these teachings, continues to inspire so many. I have no doubt that this truth will lead to a better life and relationships in the world. (Going through 600000 pages landmark E-mail)

--Gerard Janetzko from Latin America gerard.janetzko@gmail.com

Comments:

Thank you very much for reaching out and for the incredible amount of work you are doing.

--Ajay Shah, World Hindu Council of America

DIVINE WEDDINGS ON EARTH REFLECT HUMAN EARTHLY EXPERIENCE OF PAIN AND PLEASURE

The course of true love never did run smooth--people in love often have to overcome difficulties in order to be with each other; true love always has difficulties; there will always be problems in a romantic relationship. Krishna could never marry Radha but his sincere love lingered on.

Vishnu assuming the name of Srinivasa to please Vakuladevi for a promise made to Yashoda in her previous birth, married Padmavati and deserted her. That is why Venkateswara is also called Venkata Krishnan!

In spite of having very many Yogas Rama could not escape the consequences or the trials and tribulation, a human is likely to face. Mars in 7th gave Kuja dosha (defect) in his horoscope that his parents neglected while marrying Sita resulted separation in married life despite a powerful Jupiter aspect in his 7th house. His wife was loyal and virtuous but a victim of circumstances. She was doubted even after fire-entering testimony, abandoned when pregnant and was not welcomed back and so gave up her ghost after a short happy married life as queen while Rama ruled as a king for 10000 years focused on Dharma! He is only a Venkata Raman to his devotees which name is popular among Tamils but remained Sankata Raman to his devoted chaste wife!

Sanatkumara in his incarnation as Skanda had to forego his firm resolve of celibacy, marry a celestial bride Devayanai and Valli, a huntress as per Tamils only and has to run between Heaven and Earth to run a divided family life though Siva Purana justifies his being a champion of Caste system lauding inter-caste marriage or of different status in society! I do not know why gods were after so many wives Krishna topping the list with 16008 wives. Rama was not happy even with one wife?

We learn about Rudra and Uma daughter of Himavan as deities and scholars in Vedas but never about their marriage though we hear about Purusha married to Hree and Sree may be Sridevi and Bhudevi--(Hresscha LakshmeescHA patnyau--Purushasukta). Puranas made one of the ferocious Rudras auspicious ascetic Siva married to Ganga whom he carried on his head. They also made Parvati (parvata putri Uma) with her bridal sola singar beauty his devoted wife but she could never be happy as she was denied to have her own womb-born son. They pacified her creating Ekadanta by surgery out of killing her adult body-guard Naramukha Vinayaka by Siva or picking up one of the ekadanta deva-ganas from Vishwaksena army while hailing them as jagatah pitarau, ideal parents of the WORLD!

You can thus see how even gods submitted to human emotions and Dharma (Manava Dharma) while born as human beings at human level! Law makers cannot be law breakers! This is the purport of Kalyanotsava in temple ingeniously projected and displayed in temple festivals motivated by Puranas. With our limited understanding of the highly exaggerated riddles and parables in Puranas we remain confused and misled by misinterpretations of Puranas in following and teaching. Reading through the very descriptive married/love life of various gods in Puranas one wonders whether any moral can be drawn at all to lead a happy married life! It is doubtful even some of the divine weddings celebrated in temples really took place?

Drawing our attention to Srimad Bhagavatam 5.17.12, Srila Prabhupada explains that people have sex in the spiritual world but there is no possibility of conception there. Look at the life spent by Arjuna in Indraloka and also the sex life of Brahma with his consort Saraswati! How is sex possible like humans between different persons in the spiritual world and how can they be then part of Supreme Consciousness at the same time? The term sex is in reference to the Sanskrit concept of rasa, the original spiritual relationships. In the material world this rasa is best reflected as mundane sex. But even in this there are many gradations according to the degrees of covering by the three modes. The Taittiriya Upanishad describes the degrees of enjoyment among the different living species, the common man, the Gandharva, Apsara, Siddha, Deva, Devadeva, Devendra, Brahma, etc.-- each being one hundred times greater or more complete than the previous.

Since Lord is the causeless cause He has no cause and hence no parents as it were! When we perform a Kalyanotsava for the Lord in effect he gets to enjoy the role of being our son and we the unique privilege to act as parents! It looks as though even god is not exempt from this sort of human craving! To a spiritualist, the Kalyanotsava provides the opportunity to tune the mind for Jnaana-- preparing the mind for Jnana and the resultant fruit of Moksha. He thinks of the marriage between Jivatma and Paramaatma ignoring the fun and frolic and excitement! So focus spiritually and do not anxiously wait for the moment of “Mangalyam tantunahetur mama jeevana hetuna”.

Attending Kalyanotsava, (a Tamil magic formula to run the temple festivals colorful with all fan-fare as they do in life) in temples, indirectly calls for our spirit of charity and devotion for liberal donation that helps the temple authorities to continue with temple traditions with high spirits and merriment right or wrong and to make the running of the temple viable and rich.

Please go through the detailed discourse as posted on the blog:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/11/divine-weddings-on-earth-reflect-human.html

--October 2, 2019

RELATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN

In Chapter 7 of Chandogya Upanishad Nārada asks for that instruction which would carry him beyond sorrow. Accordingly, Sanatkumāra teaches Nārada starting with the possibilities and limitations of meditating upon various objects.

Bhuma is the Self of every other thing. That which is infinite is immortal and that which is finite is mortal (7.24.1). The infinite and immortal is Ātmā which pervades all and everything; whatever here has emerged from Ātmā (7.25.2). Thus knowing the ultimate principle of Ātmā, Nārada was relieved of his sorrows.

Sanatkumara that is Skanda in in 7-25-1 suggests “Ahangrahopasanam”-- meditating on Brahman as “Aham”. MNU mantra says “Ahamasmi Brahmaahamasmi” I am aham and aham is Brahman. Brahman is the Self of every other thing as said in Isavasyopanishad--isavasyamidam sarvam. This mode of meditation Upasana as “aham” signifying the Self is meant for firmly understanding that Paramaatman is the inner-self of Jivatman (mamaivamso jeevabhootah said in Gita) and that Jivatman is the body of Paramaatman.

When Bhuma (Supreme spirit or Paramatman) is to be meditated upon it should be meditated upon as the Self, and so as its inner-self of his self also. Bhuma is the Self our Self-s and our Self is the body of that Bhuma. Brahman is the Self of all Self-s!

Sa Evaadhastaat, sa uparishtaat, sa paschaat, sa purastaat, sa dakshinatah, sa uttaratah, sa evadam sarvamiti | athaato ahangaraadesa eva--ahamevaadhastaat, ahamuparishtaat, aham paschaat aham paschaat, aham purastaat, aham dakshinatah, ahamuttaratah, ahamevedam sarvamiti ||-- 7-25-1

The Infinite is above and below, before and behind, to the right and to the left (Poornamadah). I am all this. The Self is above and below, before and behind, to the right and to the left (poornamidam). I am all this (poornameva).

Aa is the first letter in Sanskrit and Ha is the last letter in Sanskrit. Brahman is also addressed as Akshara that also means imperishable. In English it can be said from A to Z it is Brahman alone that is Aa to Ha it is all Brahman in Sanskrt and with Ma you close the discussion that is period in English expression-Aa-Ha-M=Aham.

We should get away from sense influenced Ego that is Aham (I Am)-kara, self-sense (aham) or the actions of the self-sense, but focus on Aham Tattva that is Ahamasmi Brahma Ahamasmi. Upanishnads often refer to Aham as Self based on my explanation above.

Why did all Narada’s vast learning not satisfy him in the first place? If it is so with him what about us? Why did he still had grief, and desired to know the way out of it? What brought him to the doors of Sanatkumara, his own brother? It was because he (Narada) lacked the deep Understanding of all that he had learnt. However, the whole outlook changed in Section 7 on which Swamiji will talk about. The same knowledge which Narada learnt in a hard way, when deeply understood, is not a hindrance any longer, but will help towards the spiritual goal of life.

Through Understanding, one learns to see the Divine in everything, in every part of Creation. That is why we come across the term Vijnaana and Vedas say “Vijnaanena atmanam vedayati “-- one understand Brahman by deep knowledge or blooming knowledge.

Jnaanam is secular knowledge; Vijnaanam is deep spiritual understanding of that knowledge. By Vijnaanam, we actually understand at a very deep spiritual level. As this Understanding (capitalized to mean Vijnaanam, not ordinary mental understanding) is of such a deep nature, it is said that by this Understanding one understands everything else, both scriptural as well as secular knowledge. Just learning Vedas in a Pathasala for a professional pursuit is only secular knowledge as you see in our priests today.

As one grows in spirituality, and individuality is transcended, the whole universe becomes very much a part of one’s experience. One becomes less and less a limited single individual, and more and more a cosmic citizen. Just as the President views the country in a different light from that of an ordinary citizen, so too, the spiritually evolved soul views the universe differently from the ordinary person. Swamiji says even then we need strength--aatmanaa vindate veeryam. One attains strength by keeping his fingers always on the inner-net. What is this Strength? Not just the strength of the body-builder, nor that of the powerful administrator, but deep inner spiritual strength.

To an ignorant and innocent man Purandara Dasa sang; “alli nodidaroo Krishna illi nodidaroo Krishna ellelloo KriShana”--Krishna is here, Krishna is there-Krishna is there wherever you see! This is also narrated by a story. Narada of ever inquisitive mind once wanted to know how Krishna managed with 16008 wives and keep them happy. So he peeped into each of these 16008 houses and found Krishna in each house Krishna leading a happy married life with each one of them. Then he went around playing with his lute the above l

By his recent lectures on Vedanta based on Neo Practical Advaita of Ramana Maharshi, Appayya Dikshitar,and Ramakrishna he has gradually taken us to Vedantic heights. Vedanta Teaching is not speaking about a system of philosophy that just needs to be clearly presented with a definition of the main concepts and its underlying assumptions. We should also be not speaking about a simple descriptive theory which needs to be experienced and validated by an action like meditation. We should speak about a means of knowledge revealing and unfolding the reality as it is. Therefore, it should have a method to make one understand this reality. Unfortunately like sectarian Religious Pundits these Vedanta Gurus end up in focusing on a particular Philosophy in which they are educated. Here is an example from Ramana Maharshi on Ahamkara:

What is Ego or Ahamkara? – Ramana Maharshi Answers

Ramana Maharshi gives a simple answer to the perplexing question of what is ego or ahamkara. Life becomes smooth and the path of bliss opens up when we unravel the puzzle of ego.

The Jiva, or individual being, expressing itself as “I” is called the ego, or ahamkara. Jiva is that being which identifies its existence with that of life in the physical body.

The pure consciousness has no ego-sense about it. Neither can the physical body, which is, by itself, inert have this ego-sense.

In between the two, namely the Self, or pure consciousness, and the inert, physical body, there arises most mysteriously the ego-sense or “I” notion, the hybrid, which is neither of them and flourishes as Jiva, or individual being.

This Jiva is the root cause of all that is futile and undesirable in life. If, therefore, it is destroyed by any possible means, that whichever is alone remains resplendent or that which really exists will be seen as it is. This indeed is liberation or emancipation.

Gist of the Presentation:

Presenting the "advaita view," this webinar will touch on the aspects of "Ishwara" (God) as we find in the Upanishads, in the Geetā and in the words of great saints like Ramana Maharshi and Rāmakrishna. It will make it very clear that "advaita" does not put God down in any manner; it rather puts our ego down and urges us to realize our utmost intimacy with God. In a sense, God gets elevated to include everyone and everything. There is nothing other than God!

sa eva adhastāt sa uparisthāt sa paschāt sa purastāt
He (God) alon Webinar-158 e is below, above, behind and in front--Chāndogya Upanishad 7.25.1 (Webinar-158)

--October 2019

WISHING YOU ALL HAPPY DIWALI………

I am privileged to draw your attention (included under Rare slokas under preparation) sent by Mualidharan Kerishnan from Singapore, a very rare hymn on Lord Krishna by Lord Shankara whenever Lord Krishna visits Mount Kailasa taken from Harivamsha Puranam. His timely dispatch also includes very rare hymn on Goddess Rukmini taken from Skanda purana, Prabhasa Khansda, Dwaraka Mahatmyam. This is the only hymn we come across on Goddess Rukmini. We rarely see Krishna with Rukmini being worshiped as divine couples except in divyakshetrams like Parthasarathy temple in Chennai portrayed as his legally wedded wife, family member and Queen of Dwaraka in contrast to the popularity of Radha seen always to the left side as if a legally wedded wife celebrated in puranic lore and ISKCON movement. We also rarely hear about Rukmini Kalyanam in temple celebrations like Radha Kalyanam.

Vedas portray Aditi, Mother Earth as KA, as Parasakti and Mother of all mothers and so Power aspect of Supreme Spirit-Saguna aspect of Nirguna Brahman that has inspired the sloka expressing ka is the name of Lord Brahama and I am the Isha omni-present in all manifestations and we originated from your divine body and that is why you are called Keshava (ka + Isha + va):

Aditirdevaa gandharvaa manushyaah pitaroesuraa-stesha(ga)m sarvabhootaanaam maataa medinee | mahatee mahee saavitree gaayatree jagatyurvee prithvee bahulaa visvaa bhootaa katamaa kaa yaa saa satyeti amriteti vasishthah ||

Aditi is the mother of all living beings such as divines, gandharvas, human beings, manes, demons; hayagrivas, ekadantas etc; she is known by names such as Medini, Mahati, Saavitree, Gaayatree, Jagatee, Urvee, Prithvee, Bahulaa, Visvaa, Bhootaa, Katamaa, Kaa, Yaa, Saa, Sathyaa and Amritaa. Sage Vasishtha praised Mother Earth thus. Her greatness is very vast and it is not easy to describe her (Kaa means Avyakta-roopaa).

May I also draw your kind attention to the significance of two least known celebrations of the Diwali season, though popular, recently included as appendix to my elaborate discourse on Deepavali-- Hanuman Diwali of Gujrat and Neeru Thumbuva Habba of Karnataka:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/10/deepaavali-or-divaali-festival-of.html

Wish you all a very happy Diwali Season! All the Lights of the World cannot be compared to a ray of the Inner-net (Self). Merge yourself in this Light of Lights and Enjoy the Supreme Deepavali with the Strength of Hanumat Diwali!

--October 2019

Comments:

Thank you very much for your loving Deepaavali greetings and the wealth of information you have provided. Wish you and your family very happy deepaavali season love and good wishes

Your coverage on Deepavali was so nice and comprehensive that I could not resist the temptation of sharing the same with my friends and relations. So I have taken the liberty of sending them the same with the note

Note: This material is provided by my close friend, Mr. Srinivasan who is a prolific and well informed writer on various subjects. The link is

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2011/10/deepaavali-or-divaali-festival-of.html.

--BRG Iyengar

TEACHING VEDANTA TO CHILDREN & ADULTS IN USA

Sri Ramakrishna Vedanta (SRV) Classes are held for children in first grade through high school to give them a general knowledge of the universal truths of Vedanta, to acquaint them with the basic teachings of the major living religions, and to inspire reverence for the great religious teachers of the world. After a simple worship and prayers from all faith traditions and a brief meditation, the children then divide according to age to study the world’s spiritual teachers and philosophies in California. This may be a surprising news even to many in India.

Even a child should be taught Vedanta, provided the teacher knows very well what Vedanta truly means, and how it can be applied to the darkness. What is man, after all if not a thought, or a group of thoughts? And Vedanta is the light which illumines the world of thought, of understanding. One can very well imagine from this the importance of the Vedanta.” says Swami Sivananda. In this context I have sent several E-mails and also conveyed the message in my discourses. Besides having group discussions at adult level it is very important to focus on our children and think of how to preserve and propagate Hinduism in the migrant land. My job is made easier by Maa Sarada Annapurna of Ramakrishna Vedanta School not only suggesting but running a program in California.

Countless Indians live outside India now. Numerous children of Indian parents are born outside India. Many parents worry about the future of their children born outside India. They feel that the children must get to know their culture and civilization, must get connected to their traditional roots, and must learn from the eternal dharma.

Then there are countless non-Indians who lead exemplary lives following Sanatana Dharma. They are extremely devoted and lead extraordinary lives. They wish that their children must get proper training. They are concerned about their children’s future. They want their children to be noble and spiritual by nature. The world also is worried. It needs leaders who are well-educated, wise, and trained along moral lines. With the present system, that is becoming increasingly difficult.

There are diverse opportunities nowadays for such training: There is the powerful internet with all that the learner wants. There is YouTube with whatever you want. Yet, a broad guideline is necessary. Further, with all the gadgets around, there is the need of the human touch.

Swami Vivekananda says: “This quickening impulse cannot be derived from books. The soul can only receive impulses from another soul, and from nothing else. We may study books all our lives, we may become very intellectual, but in the end we find that we have not developed at all spiritually.” Therefore Vedas say--Sanghacchadvam samvadadvam

Parents are the best teachers. Children, especially little ones, will learn by seeing. They hear through their eyes. So the first duty of parents is to be, and not just say what the child must do. Parents must also lead lives that inspire their children. They must be happy, peace-loving, devoted, strong, honest and truthful. Then the children “listen” to them, meaning, see and copy them. So parents are the best teachers in every sense.

Teaching the children Vedanta is fun and challenging. The synergism of a group of children is part of the charm and the learning process.

The object of these children’s and teen’s classes is several-fold. The first is to instill basic Vedantic and Yogic principles and precepts in a natural way, which for the under 13 years set consists of combining story, art, philosophy, contemplation, and a major project tailored to their abilities. The next objective is to create an opportunity for the youth to bond with each other in this unique environment that we attempt to make similar to the legendary days of the forest ashramas of India.

One of the most difficult situations we may face in providing spiritually for our children is that children want to fit in with their peers, most of whom are not being raised with any spiritual teachings and only believe in a material reality. Babaji has lately been describing this “matter only” view as analogous to driving down the freeway/expressway in a car that has only first gear. The young ones need to be raised in the awareness that we have at least 4 gears available to us – the Four States of Consciousness. Then again, their friends who are raised in religion are sometimes antagonistic to Eastern perspectives. Thus, helping to create a community of peers who are also encountering Vedanta’s universal and transcendental teachings is pivotal.

As a third objective, parents should have the opportunity to focus completely on their own retreat while teachers take responsibility, as much as possible, for the children. The children learn by witnessing their parents’ seriousness, their respect for the teachings, the path and the teacher.

Meditation when the mind is rajasic is not possible. We must talk about how to make the mind one-pointed. The rajasic person has his eyes wide open, as if he would explode, with nearly a dozen bubbles full of symbols coming out from his head. The sattvic meditate has eyes closed and a single bubble coming from head with a few symbols in it.

One of the teachings in Sri Ramakrishna Vedanta (SRV) is called The Three Stages of the Mind’s Evolution and consists of Brooding Mind, Thinking Mind, and Illumined Mind. Brooding Mind is of the nature of rajas and tamas and corresponds with mudha and kshipta in Yoga. Thinking Mind spans higher rajas and into sattva and takes one to ekagra in Yoga. Illumined Mind is sattva and beyond. One of the implications of this simple teaching is that the mind/chitta must be charged up before attempting meditation (Ekagra Chitta). This comes via concentration and contemplation. We should learn from an early age to concentrate on something that inspires and calms the mind before attempting to stop the vibrations/thoughts of the mind. This avoids the pitfall of a mind that is void but dull – where the intellect does not reflect the radiance of the Self. It also develops the skill of making the mind concentrate at will, something that is extremely important as our youngsters enter adolescence.

Here is a useful verse II.ii.6 of the Mundaka Upanisad for szuich a concentrtion:

Om – Ara iva rathanabhau samhata yatra nadyah | sa esho’ntashcharate bahudha jayamanah | omityevam dhyayatha atmanah | svasti vah paraaya tamasah parastat ||

Om – There, within the heart, where all the subtle nerves meet like the spokes of a chariot wheel at the hub — there the Atman abides, unmoving yet assuming many forms. Meditate on that Self with the help of Om, and Godspeed to you in crossing over to the farthest shore beyond all darkness.

The last line in Sanskrit, “Svasti vah….,” is a secret passphrases required for anyone to cross over the bridge that leads to the kids’ teaching class. The children have to learn it in Sanskrit and English, and they often take delight in teaching it to the adults who visit their classroom.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/10/teaching-vedanta-to-children-and-adults.html

--October 18, 2019

KARVA CHAUTH VRAT AND FESTIVAL OF NORTH INDIA

Today is Karva Chauth (Aswija Krishna Paksha Chaturthi) celebrated on a grand scale in Jaipur not only as a vrat by ladies but historically connected.

Karwa Chauth is a Hindu festival celebrated among married women. Wo

Karwa Chauth falls on the fourth day after the full moon or Purnima, as per Hindu lunisolar calendar month of Kartik. On this day, women wear new clothes and apply henna or mehndi on their hands. They, along with other women, narrate folk tales and chant karwa Chauth vrat Katha as well as sing songs.

Karwa Chauth Sargi

Sargi or a pre-dawn meal is what women who observe fast on Karwa Chauth have early in the morning. Sargi is given to married women, observing Karwa Chauth fast, by their mother-in-laws. Saargi includes an earthen pot or Karva which has sweets, dry fruits, feni, snacka. It also includes a saree and jewellery. Women observing fast on Karwa Chauth wake up early in the morning and have items from the sargi. After this, they do not consume food or water during the entire day. They break their fast after seeing the moon and making the offerings to it.

Women gather and listen to karwa chauth katha. Married women take a glimpse of the moon through a Karwa Chauth Channi or sieve and then look at her husband through the sieve. The husbands then feed their wives with some fruits or sweets along with water to break the day-long strict fast of Karwa Chauth. Husbands also offer their wives Karwa Chauth gifts as a token of love.

Towards the end of sixteenth century, Maharaja Mansingh brought the statue of the goddess Shila Mata from the eastern part of Bengal. In the kingdom of Pratapaditya, Maharaja Mansingh received a defeat at the hands of king Kedar. Humiliated and depressed, the Maharaja worshipped goddess Kali to please her and receive her blessings so as to change his defeat into victory. Kali appeared in a dream to bless him. The goddess also obtained a promise from the Maharaja that he would establish her shrine in his capital. The idol of goddess was recovered from sea in the form of a Shila (Slab) and it was brought to Amer when cleaned and washed, the present idol appeared. This is why the goddess is named as Shila Mata.

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2017/10/popular-karwa-chauth-teej-rfestivals-of.html

--October 17, 2019

ARYA SAMAJ AND ITS COMMANDMENTS

Arya Samaj is a spiritual movement that played an important part in the nineteenth-century religious revival of India like Brahmo Samaj. The founder of the Arya Samaj was a ' pugnacious Hindu sannyasi who accepted the challenge of Islam and Christianity and was resolved to combat all foreign influence in India. Swami Dayananda (1824-1883) launched this movement in Bombay in 1875, and soon its influence was felt throughout Western India. The Swami was a great scholar of the Vedas, which he explained as being strictly monotheistic. He preached against the worship of images and re-established the ancient Vedic sacrificial rites. According to him the Vedas were the ultimate authority on religion, and he accepted every word of them as literally true. The Arya Samaj became a bulwark against the encroachments of Islam and Christianity, and its orthodox flavor appealed to many Hindu minds. It also assumed leadership in many movements of social reform. The caste-system became a target of its attack. Women it liberated from many of their social disabilities. The cause of education received from it a great impetus. It started agitation against early marriage and advocated the remarriage of Hindu widows. Its influence was strongest in the Punjab, the battle-ground of the Hindu and Islamic cultures. A new fighting attitude was introduced into the slumbering Hindu society. Unlike the Brahmo Samaj, the influence of the Arya Samaj was not confined to the intellectuals. It was a force that spread to the masses. It emphasized only one way, the Arya Samaj way, to the realization of Truth differing from Gita that says the world needs different religions, cults and deities to meet the vastly different needs of individuals.

These are the principles or commandments of Arya Samaj:

Parameshwara (God) is the fountain of all true knowledge and the primeval cause of all things knowable.
Worship is due to Ishwara (God), who is all truth, all knowledge, all beatitude, incorporeal, almighty, just, merciful, unbegotten, infinite, unchangeable without a beginning, incomparable, the support and the Lord of all, all pervading, omniscient, imperishable, immortal, exempt from fear, eternal, holy and the cause of the Universe.
Vedas are the books of true knowledge and it is paramount duty of every Arya to read or hear them read, to teach and preach them to others.
An Arya should always be ready to accept the truth and renounce untruth when discovered.
Dharma, after consummate deliberation should be his guiding principle in all actions.
The primary object of the Samaj is to go to the world for improving the physical, intellectual, spiritual, moral and social condition of humankind.
An Arya should manifest love for all and appreciation of justice in his behavior towards others.
He should endeavor to diffuse knowledge and dispel ignorance.
He should not be content with his own improvement, but look for it in that of others as well.
In matters which affect the general social well-being of humanity, he ought to discard all differences and not allow his individuality to obtrude; but in strictly personal matters, everyone may have his own way.

The first three principles deal with the existence and nature of God and with the doctrine of Vedic scripture and are theologically the most important. The rest (seven) are ethical principles.

--October 17, 2019

Live harmoniously with the Universe is the Most Sublime

Peace Message in Vedas

Rishis of Sanatana Dharma were mystics whose revelation disclosed a cosmos in which all beings exist in interlaced dependence. The whole was contained in the part, and the part in the whole. Based on this cognition, they taught a philosophy of non-difference of self and others, asserting that in the final analysis we are neither separate from the world and its manifest forms nor from the Divine which shines forth in all things and all peoples. From this understanding of Oneness in Vedic culture arose the philosophical basis for the practice of non-injury (Ahimsa), and commitment to it.

“May Mankind be in peace, May the world be blessed, and May the kingdom of God descend on this Earth for the immortal glory of this whole creation”--This is the message of Swami Sivananda and this is the message of peace of mankind”-- This is God’s message for the well-being of all in Vedas---May peace be to the whole world! The world is one whole-- and it is beautifully reflected in the Veda Mantra, Poornamadah poornamidam”

The Vedic philosophy points out that the whole purpose as a human being is to live harmoniously with nature, with the world, and all of society to accomplish the true goal of life. It is this human life on this planet earth that is like a portal through which we can attain many different realms of existence. After death, our consciousness carries us to the most appropriate place for us to continue our existence. It only depends on how we use this life. So the whole purpose of this planet earth and life on it is to spiritually progress, raise our consciousness turning to our Inner-net or Self and understand and perceive who we really are as spiritual beings, rising above this human experience and to attain our real and spiritual identity, and then to act in that way. But how long that takes is up to us. That is what we are meant to do, and by clearly understanding and being educated in this Vedic culture, and following its principles, is the way we can attain that goal.

This is called Sanatana Dharma, the timeless, universal spiritual truths, which do not conflict with anyone, but are applicable for everyone, for any time in history, and for any place in the universe. This is the uplifting nature of Vedic Dharma which mandates krinvanto viswamaaryam--let us ennoble the world.

This compilation contains collection of teachings from Vedas on peace that I could lay my hands upon. The quotes and thoughts from Vedas shows that peace is not just for human beings but for all animate and inanimate in the universe. For that we have to preserve the pristine beauty of nature as the good Lord gave it us with all round peace and harmony.

The great Vedic Rishis, our illustrious forefathers, had well understood the need for peace in the world. Therefore, in the ancient Vedic books one finds a constant reference to peace. It is the most sublime message of the Vedas – the need for peace; and it is a message that is more relevant now than ever before. In articulating this philosophy of peace, the Vedic Rishis took into account all aspects of peace.

Realize first your unity with all the members of your family, then with all the members of your community, then with all the members of your district, then with all the members of your state, then with all the members of the whole nation, then with all the people of the whole world. If you succeed in this attempt, then only can you realize your unity or oneness with GOD.

The whole world is operating through every person. This is a great solacing message indeed. As the whole body is operating through every limb of the body, the whole creation of GOD is active in every cell of every living being and in every atom (anoraneeyam). This is a great message which will "Keep us in Peace but not in Pieces” for ever and ever.

[GOD where G= Generator; O=Operator; D=Dis-solver]

I have the pleasure in presenting to you this unique collection:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html

--October 12, 2019

STRENGTH FROM UPANISHADS

The strength we derive from right food explained in Gita, yoga exercise etc., do have a place in the scheme of things, but that is not primary. But why Gita and Upanishads talk about it? On the spiritual path, we tend to ignore our bodies; we might even believe that the physical isn’t really spiritual. But your body is actually the key to consciousness and transformation in this lifetime. But with this strength of body and mind we should draw strength from abiding in Self-knowledge. For that you have to know the self and reach the button of your inner-net. But how do we acquire Self-knowledge to draw strength from it. Here Mahanarayana Upanishad (MNU) has the following advice and it is a long and winding path;

annena prāṇāḥ prāṇairbalaṁ balena tapastapasā śraddhā
śraddhayā medhā medhayā manīṣā manīṣayā mano manasā
śāntiḥ śāntyā cittaṁ cittena smṛtiḥ smṛtyā smāraɱ
smāreṇa vijñānaṁvijñānenātmānaṁ 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, 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. Knowing Atman is budding knowledge (Jnana). Knowing then Parammatman is blooming Knowledge (Vijnaana).

The goal of Vedānta is Paramātma-vijñāna or Self-Realization. This knowledge is attained through gaining strength in one’s Self taking to Sanyasa and Yoga. Here MNU says:

saṁnyāsa yogād yatayaḥśuddhasattvāḥ te brahmaloke tu parāntakāle parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve …..

Gaining strength of the soul with Sattvaguna (goodness of nature) and by the practice of the discipline of yoga and steadfastness (Sraddha) in the knowledge of Brahman preceded by renunciation, spiritual Yogis get themselves released into the region of Brahman at the dissolution of their final body.

The Universal Soul is manifest in the individual soul, the Atman – as it is called – in you. It is reflected through the buddhi, or the intellect; that is reflected through the manas, or the thinking medium; that passes through the prana that energizes the body. Then the sense organs begin to operate; then you say: "I am doing; I am seeing; I am alive." The Kena Upanishad says, in the very beginning itself, "He who sees through the eyes, He who hears through the ears, He who breathes through the breath, He who thinks through the mind, He who understands through the intellect, know Him."

Pratibhodaviditam matam amritatvam hi vindate | Aatmanna vindate veeryam vidyayaa (vijnaanena) vindate amritm ||

Indeed, he attains immortality, who intuits Self in and through every modification of the mind. Through knowledge of the Atman a seeker obtains real strength and through blossomed knowledge (Vijnaana or Vidya), Immortality.

A true Vedantin is a balanced individual. Discrimination and dispassion develops one’s intellect to an acute subtlety and in his practices of love, kindness, tolerance etc. He always tries to expand his mental qualities and emotions. This is Vedantin’s life. Merely hearing Vedantic discourses may give a vague concept of it, but will not make the listeners men of perfection unless they are ready to live Vedantin’s life!

One gains strength that is required for the fulfillment of meditation from Paramaatman who becomes pleased with him. Through Vidya or Upasana earned by such strength he gains Amritatva or immortality. Brahman is Amritam necessarily characterized by Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam Amalam etc. When Brahman is thus meditated upon, it will also the make the Meditate acquire these characteristics!

But please listen to Swamiji for I do not know how to make it simple and practical for our complex life!

Gist of his Presentation:

The strength drawn from abiding in Self-knowledge* is the area of emphasis in the Upanishads. Not the strength we derive from right food, exercise etc. The latter does have a place in the scheme of things, but that is not primary. We are guided to awaken to the “soul power” within us**, which the Upanishads claim to be way higher than the power that wealth, position or talent can bestow upon us. The webinar will examine the intricacies involved in the discovery of this spiritual prowess.

* ātma-nisthā-janita-veeryam.. (Shankara in Mundaka Bhāshya 3.2.4)

** ātmanā vindate veeryam - Kena 2.4

--October 11, 2019ish

Indian Hindu couple performs puja at Sharada Peeth in PoK

Namaste Shaarade Devii Kaashmiira-Pura-Vaasini!Tvaam-Aham Praarthaye Nityam Vidyaa-Daanam Cha Dehi Me ||

Salutations to Devi Sharada, Who abide in the abode of Kashmira. To You, O Devi, I always pray (for Knowledge); Please bestow on me the gift of that Knowledge (which illumines everything from within).

PT Venkataraman and his wife Sujatha, a Hong Kong-based Hindu couple of Indian origin, performed the puja near the Sharada Temple through coordinated efforts of 'Save Sharda Committee' and civil society in PoK.

The couple travelled to PoK on a valid visa and offered prayers to Goddess Sharada near the shrine.

This came even as people from the PoK are marching towards the Line of Control (LoC) for the past three days to protest the Indian government's move to end the special status to Jammu and Kashmir by abrogation of Article 370. Keeping this in mind, the members of civil society in PoK were requested to take care of them and provide necessary protection.

After performing the puja, the couple handed over the photographs of the Goddess Sharada and Swami Nand Lalji to the civil society members in PoK so they that they could be installed at the shrine after the relaxation in the tensions between India and Pakistan and the ongoing ceasefire violations across the LoC.

Earlier this year, a five-member delegation led by Dr Ramesh Vankwani had visited the Sharada Temple on June 24 with the help of Pakistan Hindu council (PHC).

There have been demands from various quarters to open a route between Jammu and Kashmir and PoK so that devotees in India can offer prayers at the Sharada Peeth, one of the the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas.

The 'Save Sharda Committee' was formed by a Delhi-based Kashmiri Pandit - Ravinder Pandita - and some other people to launch a campaign for re-opening of the pilgrimage route and restoration of the shrine of Goddess Sharada, one of the holiest site in Hinduism. The revered shrine is situated in Neelam Valley across Karnah tehsil of Kupwara district.

The committee is seeking the protection of Sharada Peeth and other Hindu temples and also permission to restart pilgrimage to this site, like that of Amarnath pilgrimage.

The Supreme Court of PoK last year converted a letter it received from Pandita into a petition and directed its government to protect the shrine.

Kashmiri Pandits remain highly devoted towards this ancient temple. The place was also once a celebrated center of learning in the subcontinent like Nalanda and Taxila. The native script of Kashmiri language, Sarada, is also named after the deity of this temple Sharada Devi.

The abandoned temple site was heavily damaged in the October 8, 2005 earthquake. Earlier, in 2014 and 2015, two citizens of PoK — Rehmatullah Khan and Ghulam Nabi — had approached the court seeking restoration and reopening of temples and gurdwaras.

--October 7, 2019

Comments:

Since you enlighten us so much by your beautiful e-mails, I thought I would share this today with you on the day of Vijaydasami.

For nine nights The Goddess fought

Each night she defeated one demon

On the first night she quelled Kama, the demon of Lust

On the second she extinguished Krodha, the demon of Anger

Then on the third she dispelled the demon of Attraction, Moha

Then she shattered Lobha, the demon of Greed

In the fifth night She came face to face with the demon Mada, and vanquished Hubris.

On the sixth night she confronted the swirling demon of Jealousy, Matsara and defeated it

Then still smiling with the energy of Beauty, she went forward and smote the Ugliness of Swartha, the demon of Selfishness

On the eight night she killed Anyaya, injustice

On the ninth night using only her kindness she banished Amanavata, the dreadful demon of Cruelty

Then on the morning after the ninth night, She was about to rest when She realized that her most difficult foe was upon Her.

She sat in the Lotus position laid down all her weapons and with a gentle sigh and a quiet smile, She dissolved the final demon. Ahankara, Her ego.

May all your demons be conquered! Happy Dusshara!

--Bindu schroff

Really good news! Jai Maa

--Balachandran

VIJAYADASMI MESSAGE FROM CHIDANNDA AND OTHERS

Today is Vijayadasami announcing victory over evil and triumph of the Good celebrating closing ceremony of Sharad Navaratri and Dusshara Festivals. I join Puiya Swamiji in extending to you Devis' blessings for Navaratri. Let us come together and pray together glorifying Mother Earth, Mother of all Mothers \as advised by Swamiji of paramrtha Niketan!

Navadurgaam mahaakaaleem brahma vishnu sivaatmikaam | trikaalajnaana sampannaam, namaami Bhuuvaneswareem ||

LET US REMEMBER AND PLEDGE TO TREAT EARTH AS OUR MOTHER

"One of the most important aspects of Hinduism is reverence for the Divine Feminine, the Shakti - the Mother - in all Her myriad manifestations. As we reach the end of Navratri, let us remember what it is that we are truly celebrating.

A mother is truly divine. It is from her womb we have come. Our life is a gift from her own; our nourishment flowed from her body. The love that sustains us, that embraces our soul, ceaselessly streams from her heart.

When I say your "Mother," I mean many things. Of course, I mean the actual mother who gave you birth. But, I also mean the Divine Mother, the Goddess - Mother Nature, Mother Earth and Mother Gang

These Mothers must be seen as divine. For your own mother, this means treating her with respect, with love and with patience. For Mother Nature and Mother Earth, this love and respect means protection.

Let us treat our Earth as a Mother. If our own mother were sick, you would not let her simply suffer, decay and die. We would fight tenaciously to bring her back to her full state of health and glory. Let us give the same to the real Mother. We must not pollute her or waste her. We must nurse her back to health!"

--Swami Chidananda's MMM from Hrishikesh with Blessings for Navaratri

The following popular hymn in praise of Mother Earth, consort of Lord Vishnu is chanted regularly:

Samudra vasane devi | parvata sthana mandale ||

Vishnupatnee namstubhyam | paadasparsam kshamasva me |

Oh Mother Earth! Vast Ocean is your abode. Mountains are your breasts. Thou art consort of lord Vishnu. Please forgive us for trampling on you all the time. Obeisance to you!

Please go through other Vedic Mantrason Mother Earth mentioned in Mahaa Narayana Upanishad explained by me before

“Man’s real nature is Absolute Bliss and Knowledge. He tries to reach this state with the help of his mind and intellect. But the mind constantly gravitates to the sense objects for sensual pleasures from the external world. By such extroverted pursuits man gets involved more and more in the world of objects and accumulates desires which veil the divinity in him.

Man is in a helpless condition consumed by numerous desires. The ancient masters knew that he has to turn his attention inwards to gain the state of Absolute Bliss and Knowledge which he foolishly seeks in the external world. With this view of mind, they introduced various rituals and festivals throughout the year to remind man of his supreme goal and ideal. And Dusshara and Vijayadashami are prominent among them.

The great day of Dasahara indicates, as the word suggests, Dasa-Papa-Hara or the end of the ten sins. The ten sins are attributed to the ten sense organs through which the mind contacts and gains knowledge of the phenomenal world, and also reacts to the stimuli received from the world of objects. Therefore the idea is that on this sacred day of Vijayadashami or Dasshara the ten sins are ended which signifies the end of the mind and therefore the end of the world of plurality when one becomes rooted in the transcendental experience”--Swami Chinmayananda

--October 8, 2019

Comments:

Many thanks for your sustained efforts to share your spiritual knowledge with us all. We pray that Goddess Vijayambika gives you excellent Health and Physical fitness so that we continue to get the benefit of your vast and deep knowledge.

--Dr. A.N. Sapthagirerersan

Prayer for Sarasvati, Goddess of Intelligence

Today is Navami and Sarasvati Puja Day for those who celebrate Navaratri and Festival of Dolls or Kolu. May I recall your memories to Medhaasukta in Trishub meter from Rigveda that is very effective when chanted for your intellectual progress--Na hi Jnaanena sadrisam; vijnaanena aatmaanam vedayati; aatmanaa vindate veeryam

Medhasukta glorifies the deity presiding over the power of intelligence or intellect. Sages like Vasiṣṭha have praised this deity and stressed the necessity of propitiating her. According to the Rigvidhana IV 96-97 the baby is fed with pap repeating the śraddhā and Medhā mantras, so that it may have these qualities when it grows up to an adult. In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad I 4 1-2 there is the prayer for intelligence coupled with prosperity, for, the latter without the former is dangerous and the former without the latter is often ineffective. Only those persons who are blessed with the right intelligence, by which they can wean themselves from the pleasure of useless and harmful talk, achieve inner illumination. They alone devote their faculty of speech for receiving and communicating knowledge of the Supreme. Their children and their disciples also become heroic and noble.

--October 7, 2019

Your articles on our sampradayam are actually PhD thesis that I enjoy reading. Many thanks.

--Janaki Sridhar Kilambi

OCTOBER NEWS LETTER FROM HINDU REFLECFTIONS

August --September kept me too busy with many religious and spiritual thoughts as you could see from the following collection of Thoughts of the Day available at one click:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/09/thought-of-day-august-september-2019.html

October draws our attention to International day of Non-violence & International Teachers day. Violence brings the storm. But all such storms should be calmed down appropriately by self-restraint DAMA says Swamy Chidananda in his AUPA news letter. Here we need the help of Teachers. That is why we celebrate all teachers at Global level and even looking at Nature as our Guru. That calls for turning to our Inner-net and meditation says Swamiji quoting Kathopanishad. Of course there will be always a vast Ocean.

My practical religious participant Vipul Bhataacharjee reminds that needs cleaning of our mind and seeking help from Maa Durga and sends Durga Chalisa for bhajan as follows reminding when you are helpless You Tube is your Guru and not mere dry discourses; of course bhajan brings people together “Sanghacchadvam samvadadvaWatch "Durga Chalisa by Navadurgas - Vande Guru Paramparaam" on YouTube https://youtu.be/zvRmYTkrBJE

So if you do not find time for my discourses take help from these tips and short cuts.

Wish you all happy Dusshara! After Dusshara comes Divali! Get ready for another Spiritual storm before seeking MOKSHA on Vaikuntha Ekadasi about which also Swamy Chidananda talks about!

You may wonder why so many packed messages? Vedic wisdom again says: aa noe bhadrantu kratavah yantu viswatah--do not abide by Vedas alone. Let noble thoughts come from all parts of the world! That is why we have so many vimarsana, tika anmd tippani- commentaries, discussions and notes that Swamiji explains in AUPA.

Our Mullaji from Islam does not lag behind and says:

“We must realize that the human society is one. We are all the children of Adam, and there is only one God and one prayer. The Bible, the Hindu Vedas and Puranas, the Zend-Avesta, the Torah, and the Qur'an - all these scriptures contain the words of grace given by God to the prophets. That grace is light*. If you look at these scriptures on the outside you will see only a book, nothing more. If you look inside the cover, you will find pages, letters, words, sentences, and stories. But if you look deep within, (Meaning Turn to your Inner-net) you will find Allah, the words of Allah, the duties of the prophets, the commandments, the power, and the light.”

*tamaso maa jyotir gamaya

--October 6, 2019

Comments:

Enjoyed reading your spiritual tips. HAPPY DASHERA TO YOU!

In sadgurudeva's smaraNam,
--Brni. Vibha Chaitanya

ATMAN IS VIJNANAM & PARAMATMAN IS PRAJNAANAM THAT IS SATHYAM JNAANAM ANANTAM AATMA

Etymologically speaking, the word prajna can be parsed into two syllables Pra + jna. The true meaning of pra-jna is the aAAsource of knowing, sensing, learning, or understanding. In the body or the microcosm, the source of awareness, consciousness and understanding is the inner Self. In the macrocosm it is the Supreme Self. From the above it is clear that in this Mahavakya, Self or Brahman is not only described as knowledge and .intelligence but also as the source of knowing and intelligence.

By taking 'pra-' to mean 'onward', 'praj~NAnam' is what carries on through different states of 'j~NAnam' or 'knowledge'. By taking 'pra-' to mean 'prior', 'praj~NAnam' is that logically prior principle of knowledge which is found to underlie all manifested appearances of knowing. It is that underlying principle called 'consciousness', which logically precedes all different instances of knowledge. And it thus carries on through time, in every changing mind, beneath all-knowing states that appear and disappear.

The term ‘j~nAnam’ means paroksha j~nAnam attained from the scriptures and the guru. The term ‘vij~nAnam’ means aparoksha anubhuti, the direct or immediate experience of the knowledge, or realization.

The entire world exists in waters. These waters exist in the wind. The wind exists in the intermediate region. The intermediate region exists in the Gandharva Loka.Gandharva Loka exists in the Adityaloka.Adityaloka exists in the Chandraloka.Chandraloka exists in the Nakshatraloka. ,Nakshatraloka exists in the Devaloka. Devaloka exists in the Indraloka. Indraloka exists in the Prajapatiloka. Prajapati Loka exists in the Brahmaloka. There is nothing beyond the Brahmaloka. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, III. 6). Brahman is the Lord of the Entire Universe pervading everything while Atman pervades the entire body of the individual.

Gargi, daughter of Vachaknu asked the learned Yajnavalkya two questions: That which is above heaven and below the earth, which is also between heaven and earth, which is the same through past, present and the future, in what that is woven, warp and woof? --was the first question. Space was the answer.

In what is space itself woven warp and woof?--was the second question. The sages call it Akshara, the Imperishable. It is neither big nor small, neither long nor short, neither hot nor cold, neither bright nor dark, neither air nor space. It is without attachment, without taste, smell, or touch, without eyes, ears, mouth, breath or mind, without movement, without limitation, without inside or outside. It consumes nothing and nothing consumes it. To some up Akshara is inter-woven in the Akshara itself.

This Akshara is Om or Brahaman. Om ityatmaanam Yunjeeta-- focus Atman on OM (Pranava). This Pranava is Prajnaanam that may mean Pranava Jnaanam while Atman is Vijnaanam (Visishta Jnaanam) or realized Self.

In this context please go through the following Mantra from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:

Yo vijnaane tishthan-vijnaanaad-antarah yam vijnaanam veda yasya vijnaanam sareeram yo vijnaamantaro yamayayti esha te aatmaantaryaamyamritah || 3-7-26 ||

He who dwells in Vijnaana (individual Self), who is within it, whom the individual Self does not know, whose body the individual Self is, who controls the individual Self from within, he is your Atman, the inner ruler, the immortal.

The essential nature of the inner controller dwelling within the earth, water, space, air, fire, the heavens, the sun, the directions, the moon and the stars, the ether, darkness, light etc., elaborated in previous mantras are referred as adhidaivata in the Vedanta Sutra. He is also the Inner ruler in Vital forces (prana) speech, the eye, the ear, the mind, and the skin as mentioned in previous mantras.

Vijnaanam signifies the Jivaatman. In texts like Madhyandina Saakhaa it is mentioned Aatmani Tishthan in the place Vijnaane tishthan stated in this mantra. The atman who is of the nature of consciousness is mentioned here as Vijnana or Consciousness. This section is discussed in the Vedanta Sutras 1-2-19, 1-2-20, and 1-2-2 and is confirmed that the antaryamin mentioned here is Paramatman and not the Jivatman.

annamaya-prāṇamaya-manomaya-vijñānamayam-ānandamayamātmā jyotih --MNU mentions five-fold self in an individual is comprised by the sheaths of food, breath, mind, intelligence and bliss that leads to Paramaatman. Pañca-Koṣas or the 5 sheaths which nest the finite individual Self and Parmatman as Jyoti or Effulgent Self that is the Self of Self--(annamaya-prāṇamaya-manomaya-vijñānamayam-ānandamayam-ātmā me śudhyantāṁ jyotirahaṁ virajā vipāpmā bhūyāsaɱ svāhā)

Please refer to another Mantra in MNU that says Vijnaanena aatmaanam vedayati --By unbroken direct realization or vivid perception one knows the Finite individual Self.

However, we are confused often as Pramaatman is simply referred as atman often in various Upanishads (part for the Whole) and the difference should be understood as per the context. This confusion was clarified in Vishishtadvaita philosophy.

We have similar confusion in another term Deva. Vedas emphatically address Supreme Being or Paramatman as Tadekam, Devo Ekah. But yet talk about Visve devah for a group of deities. Bhagavad Gita also talks about “Yanti devratah devaan….. mayaajinah Maam” Here it should have been devatavratah for Maam stands for Deva. What they all mean is Deva is the only Supreme Being and all others are Devatas or subordinates to the Supreme Being Deva. Since all devatas are devamsas (parts of Deva) they are often addressed as Devas and cause us confusion.

If Paramatman is the inner ruler of atman why we are often told to meditate on Atman alone turning inwards? Srutis and Smritis say the Atman is of as the nature of Consciousness or Jnaansvaroopa and it is at the same time having Jnaanam as its attribute or Jnaanagunaka. Paramaatman thus is Absolute Consciousness while Atman is Attribute (visishta) Consciousness. While jnana is Consciousness Atman is Vijnaanam and Paramaatman is Prajnaanam--Prajnaanam Brahma! This has been established in Vedanta Sutra 2-3-19. Jnaanam is inseparable attribute of the Atman who is of the nature of Consciousness is established in the Veda Sutras-2-3-29 and 2-3-30.

Jno-ata eva (2-3-19)--The individual self is a knower, for it is known from the scriptures.

Tadgunasaaratvaattu tad vyapadesah praajnavat (2-3 29) -- But the Atman is designated as Vijnaanam because he has Vijnaanam as his essential quality, as in the case of Paramaatman who is designated by the term (anandam) jnanam.

Yavadaatmasabhaavitvaccha na doshastaddarsanaat (2-3-30)-- There is no objection since the quality of knowledge exists as the quality of Atman as long as the Atman exists. This is being observed in the world.

Also refer to following Veda Sutras as to the nature of Brahman:

Antaryaamy-adhdaiva-adlokaadishu tad-dharma-vypadesaat (1-2-!9) --The inner ruler referred to in the context having the term like Adhidaiva and Adhiloka is Pramaatman alone, because the attributes of Paramaatman are designated there.

Na cha smaartamatad-dharmaabhilaapaacchareerascha (1-2-20)--The internal controller is not matter on account of the mention of qualities not belonging to that; nor even the individual.

Ubhaye api hi bedhenainamadheeyate (1-2-21)--The individual Self is not the internal ruler, for both the recensions of Brihadaranyaka speak of him as different from the internal ruler.

Bhagavad Gita also mentions while Jnaana is scriptural knowledge learnt from Gurus Vijnaana is the Self or Atman:

jñāna-vijñāna-tṛiptātmā kūṭa-stho vijitendriyaḥ | yukta ityuchyate yogī sama-loṣhṭāśhma-kāñchanaḥ || BG 6-8 ||

The yogi who are satisfied by knowledge and discrimination, and have conquered their senses, remain undisturbed in all circumstances. They see everything—dirt, stones, and gold—as the same.

[Jñāna, or knowledge, is the theoretical understanding obtained by listening to the Guru and from the study of the scriptures. Vijñāna is the realization of that knowledge as an internal awakening and wisdom from within (Self).]

asmāt tvam indriyāṇyādau niyamya bharatarṣhabha | pāpmānaṁ prajahi hyenaṁjñāna-vijñāna-nāśhanam || BG 3-41 || jñāna=knowledge; vijñāna=realization;

Therefore, O best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning bring the senses under control and slay this enemy called desire, which is the embodiment of sin and destroys knowledge and realization (of Self).

Brahman is also defined as Poornam which epithet is difficult to explain. Vijnanam, can be defined as Vikasita Jnanam or blossomed out Knowledge. Then Prajnaanam means Poorna-vikasita Jnaanam or fully blossomed knowledge where fullness or Poornam is not definable. Such words are common in Sanskrit that goes beyond human conception like svagatam (su+agatam) and susvagatam (su+su agatam)

For a person who is not a Vedantin, Jnana means Aparavidya while Vijnanam is Paravidya or Knowledge and Science of Vedanta while Prajnaanam is Poorna Prapancha Janaana or full Vision of Vedanta and the Universe all the time. Para Vidya is the knowledge of the Absolute whereas Apara Vidya is the knowledge of the world; the former has Reality as its content and possesses a unique quality of ultimacy which is singular and free from reason, senses, etc., but the latter has the phenomenal world as its content.

With Jnaana a spiritual seeker gets initiated to the knowledge of Brahman, with Vijnaana, blossoming knowledge finds progress in knowing Brahman and with Prajnaana, fully blossomed knowledge finds Brahman!

--October 5, 2019

KAALARATRI IN THE CONCEPT OF RAMAKRISHNA VEDANTA

Maa Kaali is the most misunderstood of the great Hindu Goddesses. She does not represent death and destruction but rather the victory over all death, sorrow, darkness and falsehood. Until we can face and transcend death we cannot know our true immortal Self. That is the death of the ego, not simply the death of the body. Then everything becomes bliss and returns to its origin of pure consciousness and light. There is no death for our inner Being that holds all time and space within its vision. Jai Ma Kali!

--October 4, 2015

Beautifully explained, you are truly leading us to Advaita Vedanta. Very grateful.

--Bindu Shroff

This is the Kali Sri Ramakrishna talks about!

--Balachandran

INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS DAY OCTOBER 5th WORTHY TO BE SPECIAL RELIGIOUS EVENT DAY IN TEMPLES--AACHARYA DEVO BHAVA

Indian tradition equates the teacher to god, as the Sanskrit hymn goes "acharya devo bhava". There is no denying the fact that the role of a teacher in a student's life is very crucial right from the time when a child joins a day care center to the stage when he/she takes a step forward towards establishing a professional career.

The early growing years in a child's life are the most crucial and lay the foundation for developing their nature, personality and the individual self. It has been rightly said that “children are the future of any country” and teachers play an important role in shaping their bright future. No doubt we can say that they are the building blocks, nay, the DNAs of our lives!

On October 5th, 1994, the first World Teacher’s Day was established in over 100 different countries. In the U.S, the first National Teacher Day was established on March 7, 1980. This was eventually changed in 1985 to the Tuesday in the first week of May by the National Parent-Teacher Association.

World Teacher’s Day is an international observance day that is celebrated on October 5th on an annual basis. It was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to not only show appreciation for teachers all over the world but also to be used as a day to assess and help teachers improve. It is also a day that is used to look at the unique issues that directly affect teachers. While many countries have their own specific national teacher’s day, UNESCO feel that it’s necessary to observe the national issues that affect teachers from an international view. After all, the world is producing global citizens, therefore, it’s necessary to have global teachers that can address and exchange ideas from one country to the next.

This international observance day is the perfect day to celebrate your favorite teacher, to show the teacher in your life how much he/she means to you or simply to acknowledge teaching in general. After all, the greatest barometer of a healthy society is the health of the teaching profession in that society.

Joint statement of Different Organizations of United Nations:

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. ”Today, following the lesson of Albert Einstein, we celebrate the expertise, energy and passion of teachers, who are the cornerstone of the education systems of the future. However, they are also central to the regeneration of the profession itself. Without a new generation of motivated teachers, millions of learners will miss out, or continue to miss out, on their right to a quality education. With teachers being underpaid and undervalued, attracting and retaining talent is a challenge. Attrition rates are rising rapidly worldwide, due in part to precarious employment and scarce opportunities for continuous professional development. Furthermore, there is a lack of resources for children with special education needs and disabilities, refugees and multilingual pupils. Today, it is urgent to take action. The figures given by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) are quite worrying: the world needs almost 69 million new teachers to meet the Education 2030 Agenda. Global inequalities could directly increase, as 70% of sub-Saharan countries face acute shortages of teachers, rising to 90% at secondary level.

Such problems are even more prominent in rural and crisis-affected areas in developing countries. Teachers, particularly women, risk isolation and violence. The resulting flux of teachers to urban areas leave rural schools short-staffed. To counter this situation, the pivotal role of teachers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals was reaffirmed at UNESCO’s Global Education Meeting and at the 11th Policy Dialogue Forum of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030. To succeed in this, education systems need an injection of fresh thinking on how to recruit, train, incentivize and retain the brightest minds for 21st century classrooms. The media and new technologies must be instrumental to elevate the teaching profession, and to demonstrate its importance for human rights, social justice and climate change. Governments must also improve employment and working conditions. This is all the more urgent given the shortage of young candidates for the 48.6 million teachers likely to retire in the coming decade. With the theme: “Young Teachers: The Future of the Profession,” we recognize the critical importance of reaffirming the value of the teaching mission. We call upon governments to make teaching a profession of first choice for young people. We also invite teacher unions, private sector employers, school principals, parent-teacher associations, school management committees, education officials and teacher trainers to share their wisdom and experiences in promoting the emergence of a vibrant teaching force. Above all, we celebrate the work of dedicated teachers around the world who continue to strive every day to ensure that “inclusive and equitable quality education” and the promotion of “lifelong learning opportunities for all” become a reality in every corner of the globe.

Vedas mandate "Acharya devo bhava, etah adesah" which means teachers are next to God; it should be strictly observed. Right from the ancient times, teachers are put on the highest position in Hindu Dharma. A good teacher always feels responsible to develop a child's conscience. He has the potential to become a friend, philosopher and guide for his students. With this special position in students' life, he often acts as their role model. His words highly influence the minds of the students. Furthermore, teachers convey many good things to parents and society through students in many parts of the world as messengers of happiness peace and harmony. Hindu Americans globally drawn, unlike other migrants, are equally interested in Aparavidya (spiritual education) besides Paravidya (Secular education). They therefore run Sunday Religious, Spiritual and Cultural classes to children and parents at convenient centers, mostly Hindu Temples, with the help of voluntary teachers wherever they are settled, for almost nine months in a year. It is therefore our bounden duty to recognize their self-less services and observe it as a special Religious Event Day like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day Valentine’s Day etc., honoring them and dedicated to the Supreme Knowledge-- Prajnaanam Brahma. India celebrates this day on September 5 to honor the Philosopher President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his Birthday. As Hindu Americans, and American Indians we can join 100 other Nations who celebrate October 5 as International Teachers Day. Our spiritual Gurus are today Globe Trotters enlightening the world spreading the Vedic messages--Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Atmavat sarvabhooteshtu, Krinvanto Viswamaryam.

After all, USA today constitute citizens globally drawn, many enjoying dual citizenship; therefore, it’s necessary to think of teachers in USA as global teachers that can address and exchange ideas from one country to the next that benefits USA most! In this context International Teachers Day becomes very important.

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about Teachers?

When you really want to learn, the entire world becomes your teacher. If that is the case, then what is the necessity of a teacher in specific? Can we skip schools, or forget about a guru of spiritual sciences?

No, because it is them who can give you the wisdom you need to decipher what you come across in the world and learn from it.

Without them, you might look at a thief and say to yourself, ‘I want to learn stealing’. This is only an example, but there can be mild to major situations when we may make unhealthy choices due to lack of good wisdom. Once our teachers help set our feet in right direction, and eyes in right perspective – learning becomes a beautiful journey!

Once upon a time, A king named Yadu was travelling through a dense forest. There wasn’t anyone around for a long while. Later he came across a sage. As he exchanged conversation, he understood the greatness of the sage. He was an avadhootha, an erudite scholar. The king asked, ‘How did you become so wise just living in this dense forest with no one around?’

He answered, “Seelavriddaah jnaanavriddaah vayo vriddhaah baha vaha pari upasthitaah”

“I have learned from many scholars here, some are great by virtue of age, some are great by virtue of wisdom, and some are great by virtue by learning from the experienced. They are all sattvic, not carried away by any temptations. I have many such teachers here, but primarily learnt from 24 of them.”

The king asked him where do they live in this forest? He named two of his teachers. One is the moon and the other is the honey bee! The king was shocked and later understood what it means to learn! It is not just whom you look at, it is how you look at something that makes you learn from it. This sage became the king’s teacher who helped him understand how to see the world and make it his teacher.

Moon is seen in 16 shades. One day, it is seen fully illuminated and another day it is hidden. The rest of the days, it is seen in different phases. What it tells you is that things seem to change, but the underlying spirit remains intact. The fight must not be about keeping things stable, it must be about utilising the change in your learning process!

Honeybees are extremely hard working when they build their homes. They are very grateful to the flowers from whom they collected the nectar. They pay them back by helping in pollination. When anyone tries to poke in their nose, they show the strength of team work! (A bee sting needs treatment!)

Teaching is therefore the greatest profession of all times. It’s not an easy job. Sometimes teachers must be hard on their students to train them right. It requires enormous efforts and balanced nature to teach righteous, principled, hardworking attitude in some students. How can we expect good music from drums until we hit them hardas and when required?

Let all the teachers continue to do their job well. Let all students continue to learn from them in full spirits! May the grace of Ramanujacharya, the greatest teacher, inspire us throughout our lives!

[From the discourse of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji on Teachers Day September 5, 2019 from India]
I learnt my first alphabets from my mom running my finger through sand spread on floor. My father was my elementary school teacher. My grand-father taught me Sanskrit at home while I entered middle school that became my language at school. He did Brahmopadesam to me too. He gave free education to many at home turning them scholars. I too did in my role as teacher and taught my adopted mother who never went to school. I continue to be a student at Vedanta class. Some gurus still teach me constantly through E-mails, Internet and writings and help me in my Svadhyaaya (self-study) and mission. I pay my obeisance to all of them on this historic day earmarked for Teachers of the Globe!

--October 3, 2019

Comments:

You are an excellent teacher too through your thousands of e-mails. God bless you.

--Prof. G. Nagarajan

SABARIMALAI SUPREME COURT RULING AND THE DISSENTING NOTE

May I draw your kind attention to the news column in Hinduism Today:

"SABARIMALA, INDIA, September 27, 2019 (Bar and Bench): The lack of concrete jurisprudence regulating the relationship between religion and the law has created an intractable lacuna in the social and legal ethos of India. Although the Supreme Court, through various opinions has helped curb this uncertainty, the ambiguity with respect to the interference of the courts with religion may not be easy to circumvent. One year since the Supreme Court's verdict in the Sabarimala matter, we take a look at various aspects surrounding the issue of balancing religious rights with other rights.

The Essential Religious Practice (ERP) Test, used to determine inviolable aspects of a religion, favors an interventionist attitude by courts. This is because the test enables judges to become prophets and determine what falls within the contours of a religion and what does not. This, in fact, is a discretionary test which leads to inconsistent outcomes in as much as it seeks to rationalize religion and purge it of superstitions. Against the backdrop of the sole dissenting opinion in the Sabarimala case, we seek to suggest that the social and cultural practices of a community with a clearly "identifiable set of beliefs, customs and usages, and code of conduct which are being practiced since time immemorial, and are founded in a common faith", cannot be compromised or interfered with on the mere basis of their essentiality, which in turn is a judge-centric approach."

Where will be an end if courts seek to rationalize religion and purge it of superstitions?

--October 2, 2019

THOUGHT OF THE DAY--AUGUST TO SEPTEMBER 2019

August-September 2019 had been a very busy traffic months with lot of E-mails from spiritual Gurus from India and also very heavy fertile months for festivals and rituals. Many of you were also busy with seminars and lectures. I am sure many of you were too busy to go through all my E-mails sent during these two months and might have lost many of them as I did not hear from you much. I have however been as vigilant as I was before and thoroughly studied each one of them and forwarded to you with elaborate explanations though my age was threatening at 90 and finger not co-operating due to arthritis. You have all the age to read and I do not have the luxury. I have also collected most of them and posted them on the blog for a single touch and leisurely reading. Of course good Lord had been guiding me from behind and therefore some of my E-mails have received glowing compliments that I have appended to the E-mail. He dictates and with added help from Gurus I type and therefore do not tax my brain too much. I always remember the Guru upadesa:"yuddhyasva vigatajwarah-- Act without anxiety or constraint. Retirement should not weaken your soul" I am also in the process of reading whole Valmiki Ramayana of 24000 slokas that I started in the beginning of September and some what hectic during this time of the year.. Important E-mail texts have also been posted on the relevant discourses to help global readers. These Thought of the Day Postings do not deprive them of the rich information sent through the e-mails to you as Participants. They are also becoming very popular with global readers and help spiritual and religious teachers in the class room. I greatly appreciate your active participation knowing how busy you are. as I find none wanted to get deleted in spite of my repeated E-mails calling for Voluntary cancellation if you are otherwise busy!

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2019/09/thought-of-day-august-september-2019.h

Comments:

Though I am one year younger to you, according to my certificate, I do not think of my age. I do my karma and leave the results to the Almighty. Please do not write the number of your age. You are as strong as I am. I am still working as a Professor of Physics at Tennessee State University and living on my monthly paycheck.

When God is always with you, what else you need?

--Govindaswamy Nagarajan, Professor of Physics Tennessee State University.

DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF AHIMSA (NON-VIOLENCE)

This year marks the 150th Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi! Tomorrow is Gandhiji's Birthdate!

The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.

According to General Assembly resolution A/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness". The resolution reaffirms "the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence" and the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence".

Introducing the resolution in the General Assembly on behalf of 140 co-sponsors, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Anand Sharma, said that the wide and diverse sponsorship of the resolution was a reflection of the universal respect for Mahatma Gandhi and of the enduring relevance of his philosophy. Quoting the late leader’s own words, he said: "Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man".

Gandhi was one of the world’s greatest and most influential leaders in the last century, and there’s plenty we can learn from him. Below are a few of his most beloved quotes. • “There are many causes I would die for. There is not a single cause I would kill for.” • “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.” • “And eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.

Non-violence is a proven method for social change. The term non-violence is a broad umbrella under which there are several categories. Non-violent actions include protests, marches and vigils, which were successfully employed in the 1960s to bring about social changes in America. Non-cooperation and non-violent intervention, such as blockades and sit-ins, were also used, and have been seen more recently in America to demonstrate further inequalities. All of these led to the peaceful spread of ideas.

--October 1, 2019

SRAMDAAN AND SEVADHARAM--SERVICE TO MANKIND

Pujya Swami Chidananda of Partamartha Niketan says in his Monday Meditation Memo (MMM) THE ESSENCE OF SPIRITUALITY IS THROUGH SELFLESS SERVICE. In this context I would like to reflect on my own life things that happened with the Divine will. Please do not misunderstand me that I am writing this to boost my image but to bring home effectively how we can fulfill these obligations of Sevadharma and Sramdaan in whatever position we are placed in.

I realized very early that only way to succeed in life was by focusing on Paravidya secular education, born poor. I even decided to leave my parents at the age of eight to get better education in a different State. Caught in caste hatred in Madras Presidency after Independence I was forced to specialize in a field that I did not like. With lot of struggle and overseas training in Germany I fought against corruption refusing to become rich in my role as Technical Manager of good standing, but wanted to help the ailing labor force by bringing up the Institution by my expertise and re-employ many who were laid off. Refusing an offer from a Chief Minister of a State for a coveted post I took up the challenge in a backward area to build a factory and train local poor educated boys as skilled labor force with the help of a technical team. In order to allure them during project stage I had to promise them with homely meals in backward area and built a temporary kitchen cooking myself to keep them devoted in their work. This called for lot of sramdhan on my part charity through physical service though not obligated. In the peak of my career while appreciating my service to society to create job opportunities to many I was strongly advised by Paramacharya that I should also serve the society after retirement to spiritually uplift. I did not take it seriously for I thought I am not fit for the job and myself was a case for cure.

Without caring for my coveted position I took up another challenge to migrate to USA to help an ailing industry when I was offered a job. Being registered as an UNIDO expert I could easily migrate. The exploiting industrialist after fast recovery closed his business and settled rich. I again got opportunity to serve in many lands to revive and build new Factories to create employment opportunity to many and improve economy of units in countries like Russia, China, Latin America, Algiers, Indonesia, Iraq etc. My Sevadharma through Paravidya thus ended satisfactorily though during its execution I refused to become rich and famous by focusing on corrupt ways. After retirement, looking at many philanthropist temple fathers in USA I felt sad why I did not earn money by hook or crook to join the team. But then guided my spiritual urge and the advice by late Parmacharya I started my global spiritual service through self-study that has given good dividends in unknown quarters benefitting many globally. Going bthrough my e-mail on 600000 land mark a Westerner writes: “A huge milestone, dear Srini! I am very happy that your profound work and sharing of these teachings, continues to inspire so many. I have no doubt that this truth will lead to a better life and relationships in the world. “

I did not realize that this too comes under the category of “service of all”. After going through the following message of Swami Chidananda of Paramrtha Niketan I am having a feeling of solace and satisfaction that I have not disrespected Paramacharya and served humanity with my limited capacity with divine help in my endeavor with both of my Paravidya (Secular education) and Aparavidya (spiritual education) !

THE ESSENCE OF SPIRITUALITY IS THROUGH SELFLESS SERVICE

Spirituality is the essence of life. It is the light that shines on our lives, illuminating our paths, bringing light to the darkness, joy to the sorrow, and meaning to the incomprehensible. And the essence of spirituality? The essence of spirituality is service. As one goes deeper and deeper on a spiritual path and as one gets closer and closer to Realization and Enlightenment, one realizes that the Divine resides in all. One begins to see God’s presence in every person, every animal, and every plant.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwan Krishna says, “I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the Beginning, the Middle and also the End of all beings.” When we embark on a spiritual path, or as we walk on the path, we must dedicate ourselves to cultivating the divine vision and awareness with which we can see the Divine in all.

Once we see every being as Divine, we cannot walk by someone who is suffering without helping them. We cannot sleep at night unless we have done our best to lessen the pain of our fellow beings, just as we could not sleep if we neglected to perform the Aarti in the Mandir or if we forgot to offer food to the deity of Krishna Bhagwan. We cannot see sick, starving animals wandering on the road or watch toxic chemicals dumped into our precious rivers, any more than we could tolerate watching someone toss a Shiva Linga onto the pavement.

So, ultimately, if the spiritual path is true, it culminates in an insatiable urge to serve all, to help all, to give to all, and to live for all. This does not mean that one forgets one’s personal meditation or japa. Rather, the two go hand-in-hand. There is a beautiful line in our prayers that says, “Mukha mein ho Rama Nama, Rama seva haath mein...Our lips keep chanting His name, and our hands keep doing His work.”

It is also important to note that “service of all” can take a variety of forms. For some, it may take the form of working hard at their profession every day and donating their income to humanitarian causes. For others, it may take the form of founding organizations or foundations which directly work to alleviate various aspects of suffering. For some, it may take the ARTICLES 45 form of giving lectures or writing books on spirituality which bring inspiration and uplifting the masses. For some, it may take the form of being a spiritual guide or Guru who brings the light of awareness to all of his/her devotees. The possibilities are endless. But the central core is the same – all of these people have a deep realization that all beings are Divine and that God resides in all. Once one has this realization, one feels unity with all creatures and beings on the planet; thus one hears the internal call to help and serve in whatever way possible."

--September 30, 2019

Hindu Reflections

Monday, December 9, 2019

THOUGHT OF THE DAY--OCTOBER 2019

No comments:

Post a Comment