Gyan Rajhans

Why is Ganapati with the right Sided trunk not commonly worshipped?

2012-02-19T20:51:00.000-05:00

Why is Ganapati with the right Sided trunk not commonly worshipped?

Gyan Rajhans: Am I Proud or Arrogant or both?

2012-02-17T07:08:00.000-05:00

Gyan Rajhans: Am I Proud or Arrogant or both?: “ Hypocrisy, pride, self-conceit, wrath, arrogance and ignorance belong, O Partha, to him who is born to the heritage of the demons .” Git...

spirituality inyou: How do I forgive those who have hurt me ?

2012-02-16T19:11:00.000-05:00

spirituality inyou: How do I forgive those who have hurt me ?: Usually forgiving someone is fairly easy, but it seems we all have had a time in our life where forgiving seems impossible and you feel the...

Why Celebrate Maha Shivratri?

2012-02-14T18:13:00.000-05:00

Why Celebrate Maha Shivratri?

spirituality inyou: The contract between you and your parents.

2012-02-12T19:04:00.000-05:00

spirituality inyou: The contract between you and your parents.: Did you know you actually chose your parents and your parents chose you ? The three of you had a contract or an agreement before any of you ...

Shiva Lingashtakam Mantra Lyrics and Meaning ~ Hindu Devotional Blog

2012-02-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

Shiva Lingashtakam Mantra Lyrics and Meaning ~ Hindu Devotional Blog

spirituality inyou: Ten of the biggest lies your being told.

2012-02-09T18:28:00.000-05:00

spirituality inyou: Ten of the biggest lies your being told.: We hear little fibs, half truths, even whopping lies throughout our days, but here are TEN of the biggest lies we have ever been told, by th...

How did Lord Krushna acquire Sudarshan Chakra?

2012-02-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

How did Lord Krushna acquire Sudarshan Chakra?

Lessons learnt while building our winter cottage in India

2012-02-02T19:35:00.000-05:00

1. IST- Indian Stretchable Time

The toughest element is readjusting to Indians work ethic. It would appear, at least in some parts of India, time seems not to exist and deadline means usually just a tentative date, which need not be adhered to.

After living in Canada for 44+ years our sense of time can be frustrating. It took us some time to get used to the ‘Indian’ sense of time. No one is ever punctual and they in turn do not consider it extremely rude if people arrived late. Fortunately, we NRIs can adapt to it, having born in India, sooner than those born and brought up in Canada or other western countries for that matter.

2. “Chalta Hai” Attitude

The ‘Chalta hai’ attitude meaning adjusting to every situation, is also something different from what we have been used to in the past 44 years living in Canada. However, once again we have learned to take things as they come here despite the initial frustration because of our love for India, its traditions and cuisine.

3. Extended Family

While living in Canada for the past 44 years we got used to work fast, go straight to the point, and discuss money openly and strictly with the contractors and workers you hire. In India, work can’t be done without making the hired workers part of your extended family and any reservations have to be expressed in an extremely polite manner. You are also supposed to offer tea, coffee and lunch at appropriate times while they are working for you and it takes mutual understanding to avoid conflicts.

4. Cheaper Human Resources

In India the approach to human resources has to be different. They are the cheapest element of a process especially if you convert your dollars to the Indian currencies (rupees). Hence in Canada we looked for all sorts of automatisation and all kinds of facilitators. In India, if you want to get more work done, you simply hire more people.

5. Learn to Work with it

I am sure most of you returning to India after a prolonged stay in a western country must have faced these distinctions and the conflicts they give rise to. More important than counting them is to learn to work with the diversity presented to us if we wish to get the work done. We must re-invent ourselves to work around the cultural differences, which we might have forgotten.

But, if the above insights are anything to go by, India has a long way to go before it becomes a great place for the NRIs to return and live in.

spirituality inyou: Why is it so hard to forgive and love ourselves ?

2012-01-30T18:18:00.000-05:00

spirituality inyou: Why is it so hard to forgive and love ourselves ?: Finding forgiveness and an unconditional love for ourselves can be a very difficult thing for some of us to do. This is for many reasons, bu...

spirituality inyou: Why, your friends and family may not understand yo...

2012-01-28T19:27:00.000-05:00

spirituality inyou: Why, your friends and family may not understand yo...: All of us here on earth no matter your age, race, gender, or how evolved we are, each one of us are at different levels of consciousness or ...

Basant Panchami and Mata Saraswati's Symbols

2012-01-26T05:31:00.000-05:00

Day after tomorrow is Basant Panchami dedicated to the worship of Goddess of learning, Ma Saraswati. It is believe to be the birthday of the Goddess of learning Saraswati. Basant Panchami - is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 5th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha. Hindus celebrate this festival with great fervor in temples, homes and educational institutes alike. Hindus believe that Ma Saraswati bestows the greatest wealth to humanity, the wealth of knowledge.

Saraswati Vandana: Sanskrit Hymn:
The following hymn is recited on Basant Panchami:

"Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha|
Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana||
Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhritibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha|
Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa||"

The beautiful human form of Saraswati comes to the fore in this English translation of the above Saraswati hymn:

"May Goddess Saraswati,
who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon,
and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops;
who is adorned in radiant white attire,
on whose beautiful arm rests the veena,
and whose throne is a white lotus;
who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me.
May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance."

Now let me acquaint you with the important symbols associated with Ma Saraswati on the eve of Basant Panchami.

White dress, white flowers, white pearls, white lotus :- All these signify absolute purity, true knowledge of the purest kind. For acquisition of supreme knowledge, one has to perform activities founded on purity and divine wisdom.

Lotus in water :- Water here symbolizes the ocean of life indicating that one has to attain supreme knowledge living in the world and not running away from it.

As we know lotus makes its way through water and rises above its surface with glory. It remains in water but is not incapacitated by it. These are two important characteristics on which knowledge must rest.

Veena:- Veena symbolizes the music of life. The collective sound of all our thoughts and actions in the cosmic forms operates as music in the universe.

The Book :- Ordinarily a book is a means of acquiring knowledge. But in the hand of Saraswati it symbolizes total knowledge. Saraswati is the Goddess of all knowledge-worldly as well as spiritual.

Hamsa (Swan):- At times Saraswati is shown sitting on a white hamsa (swan). The swan is known to have a tremendous amount of discriminating power. It has a very sensitive beak through which it can discriminate the right and the wrong. It can discriminate between the real and unreal. It can separate the milk from water.

In ordinary sense, a white swan represents purity and the capacity to discriminate between right and wrong and the will to accept the right.

The Peacock :- The peacock represents ordinary worldly knowledge. As most of you know peacock's moods keep on changing. It is overly influenced by weather conditions; sometimes dancing in ecstasy and when in the agony of separation, weeping for long, like most of us.

Now look at the picture above, the peacock is placed on the right side anxiously waiting to be used by Saraswatias her carrier, whereas the swan is on the left side, completely relaxed. This represents the desired balance between head and heart. Men of knowledge must possess this quality.

In the final analysis all the symbols associated with the image of Goddess of learning are reminders to the seeker of worldly or spiritual knowledge that he or she must possess the power of discrimination while maintaining purity and peace.

On Basant Panchami I pray to Mata Saraswati to kindle the light of true knowledge in you and your children and eliminate the dullness of intellect.

Gyan Rajhans: Significance of Rituals on Makar Sankranti

2012-01-12T18:56:00.001-05:00

Gyan Rajhans: Significance of Rituals on Makar Sankranti: Beginning today and until January 14 (15 this year), virtually every state of India will celebrate Lohri (Punjab), Makar Sankranti (Gujra...

Today-Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary

2012-01-12T04:03:00.006-05:00

A Chronology of Important Events in Vivekananda's Life:

Jan 12, 1863 Born Narendranath Dutta in Kolkata, India

1880 Passed the Calcutta University Entrance Examination in first division

Aug 16, 1886 Death of Shri Ramkrishna Paramhamsa

May 31, 1893 Swami Vivekananda sails for America

1893 Attends Parliament of Religions

Feb 20, 1897 Returns to Kolkata

1897 Founds the Ramkrishna Mission

Dec 9, 1898 Inaugurates the first monastery at Belur

June 1899 Sails for the second time to the West

1901 Ramkrishna Mission receives legal status

July 4, 1902 Vivekananda passes away in meditation at Belur monastery at the age of 39

Lectures at the World Parliament of Religions, 1893, Chicago :

Sept 11 Welcome Speech at World Conference

Sept 15 Why We Disagree

Sept 19 Paper on Hinduism

Sept 20 Religion Not the Crying Need of India

Sept 26 Buddhism the Fulfilment of Hinduism

Sept 27 Address at the Final Session

spirituality inyou: Are we ever given more than we can handle ?

2012-01-08T21:05:00.000-05:00

spirituality inyou: Are we ever given more than we can handle ?: Sometime life becomes so filled with surviving the overload of overwhelming feelings and situations, that the urge to run away or give up is...

ETERNAL FEELINGS: PHILOSOPHY OF TALKING

2012-01-08T19:08:00.000-05:00

ETERNAL FEELINGS: PHILOSOPHY OF TALKING: There is an English proverb- “To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming”. There is a Chinese proverb as well which says “To talk...

2012 astrological forecast-be cautious

2011-12-29T19:49:00.005-05:00

Since last Friday there is not one print or electronic medium in India that would not have published the 2012 annual predictions for all the zodiac signs; from Aries to Pisces. Admittedly, the astrology mystique has touched every culture. No matter if the scientific community shows deep concern over its unprecedented proliferation the world over, the astrological forecasts in our daily newspapers persist. Let me give you a brief look at the Science of Astrology.

The science of astrology has always fascinated mankind. In modern times the stresses and strains of modern life have compelled us to re-discover astrological consultations more than before. Today the practitioners of medicine and psychiatry are seeking astrology. Many of them believe that it is easier to diagnose an ailment through a horoscope and pinpoint the seat of trouble than it is through complex pathological and medical or mechanical devices. Many well-known psychiatrists have accepted the role of astrology towards remedy of psychological problems.

Influence of Planets

Since time immemorial we have known the extent to which earth and its inhabitants are influenced by the various planets. The human body is made of five elements; fire, water, earth, air and sky according to our religion. Sky obviously means the electro-magnetic force released by the members of the solar system, which are received and counter balanced by the earth. This should indicate that any disturbance in the solar system is bound to react on the life on earth including the children born. For example even science has proven that when the sun is more active and releases stronger radioactive waves, the children born during this period are healthier and have a successful life. The converse is also true. It has further been established that the life on Earth is greatly influenced by the cosmic waves and electro-magnetic forces. Thus the fields of energy all around us are influencing every moment of our life and the moment the child is born it is exposed to such a vast field of energy. Our astrological science tells us that as soon as a child is born, it is exposed to the various fields of energy and develops sympathies and antipathies according to the planetary juxtaposition at the moment of

birth. Different planets send on to this earth different radioactive waves from different angles to which the child is exposed at the moment of birth, which decide his or her subsequent life pattern. Life pattern here means health, nature, various skills, career, strengths and weaknesses.

Influence of Moon

In order to further understand the science of astrology, let us take the example of Moon. Moon causes tidal waves on earth. Water in the ocean is attracted and it causes high tides when the Moon is full. The human body is very greatly influenced by the planet Moon because our body contains nearly 70% water and fluids. This also explains why certain crimes are increased during the period nearing the full Moon. Certain diseases also get aggravated during this period. . Just as the Moon causes tidal waves, it also disturbs the blood and watery fluids of the human system. It has been seen that surgical operations performed on full moon days cause severe hemorrhage.

Role of Astrology

Now that we have understood the significance of planetary influence, the question arises as to what is the role of astrology in preventing or lessening the bad influences of planets in our lives. In my opinion by predicting the influences of extra-torrential life forces astrology can provide vocational guidance. It should however be not confused with cheap fortune-telling. Casting a horoscope on a scientific basis can warn an individual of future physical and mental diseases. If the physical and psychological diseases can be diagnosed with the aid of astrology, much can be done to cure the ailing patients by the experts of medicine and psychiatry.

Conclusion

However, I must caution you that astrology can at best be described as the spiritual science. In the words of Bejan Daruwalla, the most renowned astrologer of India , “ In astrology, nothing can replace the personal touch of the astrologer because astrology requires intuition, observation, experience, human understanding and above all, the Grace of God, to pick the right one from a multiplicity of choices. This is something not even the super-computers of the future can hope to achieve,”

Stress- a boon or a curse ?

2011-12-26T18:45:00.004-05:00

After more than a month since I left Canada for my winter vacation in India, I am writing this blog. This long gap is mainly due to two reasons: 1. Not having an easy and continuous access to internet at my winter cottage in Baidyanath Deoghar, India and 2. unable to find an appropriate subject to write on.

Last night I came across a 2007 article of Akhand Jyoti, a Gayatri Pariwar Haridwar India's monthly magazine. Since the article did not provide to share the link on my Face-Book or Twitter, I decided to cut and paste the significant portion with my amendments where deemed necessary for my friends and followers. The magazine permits this liberty.

If the moments of stress are utilized properly, life would continue to grow and mature smoothly; although, of late, stress has emerged as the main stumbling block in human progress and growth. It is true that at present stress is generally considered a curse and it is devouring human abilities at an alarming speed. The top echelon of the society is badly in its grip, and the situation has worsened so much that even school going children are falling prey to stress related ailments.

But what exactly is this much talked about stress? Stress is the name of the challenges that are being continually thrown at our body and mind by the circumstances and situations. Haphazard lifestyle, declining culture of cooperation and camaraderie, cut-throat competitiveness and unbridled ambition ; all these have combined to aggravate the intensity of stress. Incidentally, stress in itself is not a disease, but if left unmanaged, it becomes the source of all psychosomatic maladies. Continuous and prolonged stress shatters the immune system of the body which, in turn, falls an easy prey to an unending series of diseases of the heart, stomach, respiratory system, skin and what not. And the poor mind? The less said about its plight, the better. It is the mind which is its first victim. Passing through the stages of fear complex, anxiety and depression the condition occasionally deteriorates to the extreme of mental breakdown.

But such an eventuality occurs only when stress is not wisely handled and utilized. With proper utilization, malevolence of stress can be turned into the benevolence of gains. For this, we need to adopt the right attitude towards life, positive thinking and a healthy liferstyle. The first point to note in this connection is that stress is a messenger, not the message; a warning, not the worry. But for this timely warning, we would be deprived of many precious opportunities and gifts which nature and life wish to bestow on us. To create wakefulness is the first and an invaluable boon of stress. It is another matter that in our pessimistic mindset we mistake this wakeup call for a threat and get panicked.

Stress is also a great activator of body and mind. In this phase the activity level of mind reaches such a feverish pitch as cannot be achieved or even imagined in normal sedate circumstances. Ditto for the body; through stimulated nervous system and the endocrinal glands, the body primes itself and becomes fully organized, alert and geared. The whole energy of life peaks for the big fight ahead.

The next stage in this frenetic preparation is the single pointed convergence of all concentration on solving the stress generating problem. Perhaps this scenario is never possible without coming under stress. Solutions to the problems which otherwise would have troubled us for eternity are seriously sought and found in the stress born state of high alertness.

Guru Nanak (1469-1539 A.D.)

2011-11-08T08:24:00.004-05:00

The impact of Islam in India had its own desirous effects; many sainls and religious leaders arose who produced a sort of bridge to bring the Hindus and Muslims together. Among these, Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, may be regarded as an important one.

These mystics and saints iealised that mere adherence to exiernal forms and an insistence on their being invariably observed was the chief causeof dissension and discord. So in them, as in Nanak, we find the stress on the content, the inner spirit of things. Nanak, whose colleciion of devotional songs in the Granth-Sahib is a permanent beacon light of spirit, is at his best in his earnest appeal for turning every moment of our lives to spiritual use, as well as in his descriptions of the multifarious efficacy of the company of the saints.By a philiosophical-mystical insight, Guru Nanak sees the unity of the internal and the external God, as well as perceives God in all ihings and all things in God.

The following song of Guru Nanak on prayers emphasises the importance of the inner content of things.

"Panj nivajan vakht pani"

Five prayers, five times a day,
With five different names;
Make the first prayer, truth ;
The second, to lawfully earn your daily bread ;
The third, charity in the name of God ;
Fourth: purity of the mind;
Fifth: the adoration of God.
Practise these five virtues,
And let good deeds be your article of faith, the Kalma;

छठ पर्व रहष्य

2011-10-30T12:20:00.001-04:00

हमारे देशमें सूर्योपासनाके लिए प्रसिद्ध पर्व है छठ । मूलत: सूर्य षष्ठी व्रत होनेके कारण इसे छठ कहा गया है । यह पर्व वर्षमें दो बार मनाया जाता है । पहली बार चैत्रमें और दूसरी बार कार्तिकमें । चैत्र शुक्लपक्ष षष्ठीपर मनाए जानेवाले छठ पर्वको चैती छठ व कार्तिक शुक्लपक्ष षष्ठीपर मनाए जानेवाले पर्वको कार्तिकी छठ कहा जाता है । पारिवारिक सुख-स्मृद्धि तथा मनोवांछित फलप्राप्तिके लिए यह पर्व मनाया जाता है । इस पर्वको स्त्री और पुरुष समानरूपसे मनाते हैं । छठ व्रतके संबंधमें अनेक कथाएं प्रचलित हैं; उनमेंसे एक कथाके अनुसार जब पांडव अपना सारा राजपाट जुएमें हार गए, तब द्रौपदीने छठ व्रत रखा । तब उसकी मनोकामनाएं पूरी हुईं तथा पांडवोंको राजपाट वापस मिल गया । लोकपरंपराके अनुसार सूर्य देव और छठी मइयाका संबंध भाई-बहनका है । लोक मातृका षष्ठीकी पहली पूजा सूर्यने ही की थी ।छठ पर्वकी परंपरामें बहुत ही गहरा विज्ञान छिपा हुआ है, षष्ठी तिथि (छठ) एक विशेष खगौलीय अवसर है । उस समय सूर्यकी पराबैगनी किरणें (ultra violet rays) पृथ्वीकी सतहपर सामान्यसे अधिक मात्रामें एकत्र हो जाती हैं । उसके संभावित कुप्रभावोंसे मानवकी यथासंभव रक्षा करनेका सामर्थ्य इस परंपरामें है । पर्वपालनसे सूर्य (तारा) प्रकाश (पराबैगनी किरण) के हानिकारक प्रभावसे जीवोंकी रक्षा संभव है । पृथ्वीके जीवोंको इससे बहुत लाभ मिल सकता है ।सूर्यके प्रकाशके साथ उसकी पराबैगनी किरण भी चंद्रमा और पृथ्वीपर आती हैं । सूर्यका प्रकाश जब पृथ्वीपर पहुंचता है, तो पहले उसे वायुमंडल मिलता है । वायुमंडलमें प्रवेश करनेपर उसे आयन मंडल मिलता है । पराबैगनी किरणोंका उपयोग कर वायुमंडल अपने ऑक्सीजन तत्त्वको संश्लेषित कर उसे उसके एलोट्रोप ओजोनमें बदल देता है । इस क्रियाद्वारा सूर्यकी पराबैगनी किरणोंका अधिकांश भाग पृथ्वीके वायुमंडलमें ही अवशोषित हो जाता है । पृथ्वीकी सतहपर केवल उसका नगण्य भाग ही पहुंच पाता है । सामान्य अवस्थामें पृथ्वीकी सतहपर पहुंचनेवाली पराबैगनी किरणकी मात्रा मनुष्यों या जीवोंके सहन करनेकी सीमामें होती है । अत: सामान्य अवस्थामें मनुष्योंपर उसका कोई विशेष हानिकारक प्रभाव नहीं पडता, बल्कि उस धूपद्वारा हानिकारक कीटाणु मर जाते हैं, जिससे मनुष्य या जीवनको लाभ ही होता है ।छठ जैसी खगौलीय स्थिति (चंद्रमा और पृथ्वीके भ्रमण तलोंकी सम रेखाके दोनों छोरोंपर) सूर्यकी पराबैगनी किरणें कुछ चंद्र सतहसे परावर्तित तथा कुछ गोलीय अपवर्तित होती हुई, पृथ्वीपर पुन: सामान्यसे अधिक मात्रामें पहुंच जाती हैं । वायुमंडलके स्तरोंसे आवर्तित होती हुई, सूर्यास्त तथा सूर्योदयको यह और भी सघन हो जाती है । ज्योतिषीय गणनाके अनुसार यह घटना कार्तिक तथा चैत्र मासकी अमावस्याके छ: दिन उपरांत आती है । ज्योतिषीय गणनापर आधारित होनेके कारण इसका नाम और कुछ नहीं, बल्कि छठ पर्व ही रखा गया है ।-जय आनंद पंडा

Why and how of Chhath Puja?

2011-10-29T09:45:00.004-04:00

Chhath (Hindi: छठ, also called Dala Chhath) is an ancient Hindu Festival dedicated to the Sun God, known as Surya. It is a festival observed most elaborately in Bihar and Jharkhand on the sixth day of the lunar month after Diwali every year, hence another name for Chhath is Surya Shashti, usually a 4 day long celebration. In modern times it is also prevalent in areas where migrants from Bihar and Jharkhand have a presence. Thus it is celebrated in all regions and major urban centers in India.

Chhath is a way to be grateful to the Sun for giving the bounties of life on earth and for the fulfillment of wishes of believers. It is a festival of reverence to the solar deity, the only festival in the world where devotees offer salutations to the setting sun. Sun worship in Hinduism is believed to help cure a variety of diseases, including and helps ensure the longevity and prosperity of family members, friends, and elders.

The four days Of Chhath Puja

Day 1: Nahay khay (literally, bathe and eat)

On the first day of Chhath Puja, the devotees take a dip, preferably in the river Ganga and carry home the holy water of Ganga to prepare the offerings. The house and surroundings are scrupulously cleaned. The ladies observing the Vrata (a.k.a. Vratins) allow themselves only one meal on this day.

Day 2: Kharna (the day before Chhath)

On Panchami (5th day), the day before Chhath, the Vratins observe a fast for the whole day, which ends in the evening a little after sunset. Just after the worship of Sun, the offerings of Rasiao-kheer (rice delicacy), puris (deep-fried puffs of wheat flour) and bananas, are distributed among family and friends. The next 36 hours, the Vratins go on a fast without water.

Day 3: Chhath

Sanjhiya Arghya

(evening offerings): The day is spent preparing the prasad (offerings) at home. On the eve of this day, the entire household accompanies the Vratins to a riverbank, pond or a common large water body to make the offerings (Arghya) to the setting sun. It is during this phase of Chhath Puja that the devotees offer prayers to the just setting sun. The occasion is almost a carnival. Besides the Vratins, there are friends and family, and numerous participants and onlookers, all willing to help and receive the blessings of the worshipper.
The folk songs sung on the evening of Chhath reflect the culture, social structure, mythology and history of Bihar and Jharkhand. The three main linguistic regions of Bihar (the Maithili, the Magadhi, and the Bhojpuri), and all the various dialects associated with these, have different folk songs; but have an underlying unity in their dedication to Chhath.

Day 4: Paarun (the day after Chhath)

Bihaniya Arghya (next morning offerings): On the final day of Chhath Puja, the devotees, along with family and friends, go to the riverbank before sunrise, in order to make the offerings (Arghya) to the rising sun. The festival ends with the breaking of the fast by the Vratins and friends visiting the houses of the devotees to receive the prashad. The chhath has so much importance that even millionaire beg for prasad at the Chhath ghat. This symbolizes that all persons are beggar in front of the Almighty.

Why Salutations to the Setting Sun ?

Chhath is the only time when the setting sun as opposed to its rising is celebrated for its glory because according to the theory of reincarnation deeply rooted in Hinduism, the cycle of birth starts with death.

All about Bhai Duj

2011-10-27T13:18:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow the Hindus will celebrate "Bhai Dooj or Bhaiya Duj". It falls on the second day after Diwali, Bhai Duj is the festival that marks the end of Diwali celebrations.

The Legends

According to the legends, Lord Yamraj, the God of Death, visited his sister Yamuna on the second day after Diwali. He was given a hearty welcome by his sister, when he visited her home. On his arrival, she performed aarti, applied tilak on his forehead and adorned his neck with a beautiful garland. She cooked delicious dishes and prepared sweets for him. Touched by her heartfelt welcome, Yamraj bestowed presents upon her and showered blessings on her. He gave her a boon that every time a brother visits his sister on this day, he would be prospered with health and wealth. This is why Bhai Duj is also known as 'Yam-Dwitiya'.

Another version states that Lord Krishna, after killing Narakasur, the demon king day before Diwali, went to meet his sister Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed Him in the traditional way by aarti and putting on His forehead a tilak of her sisterly protection.

Another story behind the origin of Bhai Duj says that when Bhagwan Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, attained nirvana, his brother King Nandivardhan was distressed because he missed him and was comforted by his sister Sudarshana. Since then, women have been revered during Bhai Duj. Thus, Bhai Duj has also become an important festival for the followers of Jainism.

Bhai Duj Celebrations

On the auspicious day of Bhai Duj, brothers and sisters get up early in the morning and get ready for the day. On the arrival of their brothers, the sisters perform 'aarti' (of their brothers) and apply a beautiful 'Tilak' or 'Teeka' on their forehead. The sisters then offer sweets to their brothers. Thereafter, the brothers and sisters exchange gifts with each other.

On the auspicious day of 'Yam-Dwitiya' the people of 'Kayastha' community of Hindus celebrate the holy function of worshipping Lord Chitragupta who, it is believed maintains the records of life and death of the human beings. The 'Kayastha' community also worships the pen, paper and ink on this day in the honor of Lord Chitragupta.

In Bengal Bhai Duj is called "Bhai Phota" and is celebrated with a lot of grandeur . Sisters religiously fasts until she applies a 'phota' or mark with sandal wood paste on her brother's forehead, offers him sweets and gifts and prays for his long and healthy life. An 'aarti ' is also performed.

In Punjab this day is known as 'Tikka'. Sisters make a paste with saffron and rice and place an auspicious mark on their brother's foreheads as a symbolic gesture to ward off all harm.

In Uttar Pradesh, the brother is gifted with an `aabf'- a length of flax, knotted into a circular shape and dotted with sugar batashas.. After performing all the rituals that include the sister applying a tilak of roli and rice on her brother's forehead and praying him with an aarti to shed off all the evil effects, the story of Bhai Dooj is narrated.

The essence of the Bhai dooj festival is that it is celebrated to strengthen the love between brothers and sisters. It is a day of food-sharing, gift-giving and reaching out to the inner most depths of their hearts.

Ahoi Ashtami

2011-10-20T08:37:00.004-04:00

Today, October 20 is Ahoi Ashtami according to the Hindu Calendar. My Bhajanawali listeners have asked me to tell them about this Vrata. I must admit I do not know much about this Vrata but this is what I gleaned from various websites:

Celebrated in autumn on the Ashtami day, the Ahoi festival or Ahoi Ashtami is a fast observed by mothers for the well-being of their sons. The Ahoi Ashtami is usually celebrated in the months of October-November or the Karthik month (specifically the 8th day after full moon) in the Hindu calendar. Very similar to Karwa Chauth, although not as popular, the Ahoi Ashtami is performed mostly by people living in the North of India.

The story behind Ahoi Ashtami

The story of Ahoi Ashtami relates to a woman who lived in a village with her seven sons. During the process of renovating and painting her house, she went to the forest to bring soil. This was during the month of Karthik just before the Diwali festival. While digging the soil, the axe accidentally falls and hurts a cub in a nearby den. Subsequently, the cub dies and the woman feels sorry and responsible for what happened to the cub. However, she takes the soil from the forest and returns home.

Over the next year, her seven sons die and she feels it is a fallout of what happened with the cub in the forest. Unable to bear her guilt, she confesses her sin to some of her neighbors in the village. The neighbors tell her that by confessing her sin she has almost negated the effect of her sin. As atonement for her sin, they also suggest that she offer prayers to the goddess Ashtami Bhagawati by sketching the face of the cub.

So, the woman fasts on the Karthik Krishna Ashtami by praying and observing a fast regularly. She eventually gets back all her seven sons by the power of her prayer and ever since it becomes a ritual to worship the goddess Ahoi Ashtami Bhagawati every year. This story became popular and even today mothers fast and pray to Ahoi Mata for the well-being and bright future of their sons and listen to this story.

The procedure

The Ahoi Ashtami fast and prayer are almost similar to that of Karwa Chauth. People from different parts of North India celebrate the fast with a few variations. But broadly the following method is followed to observe the fast and prayer.

Mothers fast all day and offer prayers to Ahoi Mata. They wake up before sunrise, have some refreshments and proceed to the temple to offer prayers for their children. The fast ends in the evening when the moon appears. Some families also break their fast once they see the stars in the sky.

The picture of Ahoi Mata is painted on a wall and a bowl of water is placed on it. Printed calendars, posters and pictures of Ahoi Mata are now available and can be used in place of the wall painting (see above right). An untwisted red colored thread is wrapped around the bowl of water and the edges are smeared with turmeric powder and placed on the left of the picture. Then the story of Ahoi Mata is read out by an elderly lady in the household. All the other women sit down to listen to the story as written above.

The other essentials required for the prayer include grains that are placed in a plate and positioned in the center of the picture. The food offerings include puris, halwa, boiled channa and jowar, etc. Of late, people have been offering sweets that their children like to eat. Money offerings are also placed before the Mata's picture. Once the reading of the story is done, the sweets and money are distributed among children and elders of the family and the fast is broken.

Importance of Kartik Snan (Ablutions) and Kartik Month

2011-10-12T12:13:00.002-04:00

According to the Hindu calendar this year, Kartik Snan begins on 12th October 2011, Wednesday in Canada and 13th October, Thursday in India and ends on 10th November 2011 (Kartik Purnima).

In Hinduism, Kartik month is considered extremely pious and it is said:

Maasanaam kartikah shreshtho devanam madhusudanah|
Teerth narayanaakhyam hi tritayam durlabham kalau||

Na kartiksamo maaso na kriten samam yugam|
Na vedsadrisham shaastram na teertham gangayaa samam||
In other words: It is said that Kartik Snan is as glorious as Lord Vishnu himself or his pilgrimages. The month of Kartik is considered very beneficial for the worshipers of lord Vishnu or His incarnate, Lord Rama or Lord Krishna. There is no other month as the month of Kartik, no other era as the Satya-yug, no other science as the Vedas and no other pilgrimage as the Ganges:-

Kartik in mythology

The nobility of Kartik is described in 'Padma-Purana' and 'Skand-Purana'. In this month, ladies are worshiping Radha-Damodar after bathing in brahma-muhurat. According to the mythology, the month of Kartik provides all four kinds of benefits – religious, economic, good marital life and enlightenment as first narrated by Lord Narayana to Brahma, Brahma to Narada and by Narada to King Prithu for the welfare of mankind.

Ritual of Kartik month

Those ladies who are fasting on this day listen to the Vrat Katha of Kartikeyan on the Akshay Nawmi (November 3, 2011) under the tree of Amla (Emblic myrobalan). There is also a ritual of secret donation. Secret donation is made by hiding the money inside the ash guards. In a same way, food is also served to the unmarried boys and girls under the Amla Tree. However, there is also a tradition to give donation throughout the month.

Celebrations in Kartik month

The Hindu month of Kartik is important in many ways among other months. It is a tradition of celebrating the festival of lights on this month's new moon. This grand festival of lights is celebrated by everyone as 'Dipawali'. It is said that on the day of Dipawali, Maa Laxmi, consort of Lord Vishnu visiting every-where and accomplishing all the wishes of His devotees by giving them health and wealth. The second ritual is worshiping Tulsi. However, consumption of Tulsi is always very effective in each month, but worshiping Tulsi is having special place in the month of Kartik. It is very beneficial to worshiping God with Tulsi leaves and its Manjari (Blossom); and it is very significant to plant it in this month. It is said that Tulsi is very dear to Lord Vishnu.

Kartik Purnima

Kartik Purnima is considered to be very important during Kartik month. It is believed that Lord Vishnu also incarnated as Matsya on the day of Kartik Purnima. Taking a bath in river Ganga and donating food by a person as per her wishes on Kartik Purnima is considered to be the best sacred karma. Also, Remember Guru Nanak Dev ji was born on Kartik Purnima.

Why bathing in Brahma-Muhurat ?

Early morning, just before the sun rises is called as Brahma Mahurat, which means at that time, all the people are in deep sleep and nobody will disturb you so it is the best time to worship God. The atmosphere is sacred because the vibrations of mind involved in world matters are not emitted from the people since they are in deep sleep.

Why Sharad Purnima Celebration?

2011-10-11T07:28:00.002-04:00

Today, October 11 is Sharad Purnima, the full moon of Hindu month Aashwin. Sharad Purnima brings together two major aspects in the lives of India's agricultural people-prosperity promised by good harvests being the result of hard labour, as well as the seeking of spiritual blessings from a divine power which oversees all human achievement and endeavour.

Origin

1. Sharad Purnima is also known as 'Kojaagari Punam'. It is believed Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth moves around in the night sky, asking `Ko jaagarti' searching for people below who are awake. In Sanskrit, `Ko jaagarti' means, ' Who is awake?' And to those who are awake she gifts wealth.

2. According to Shrimad Bhagvat on Sharad Purnima night Lord Krishna invited his faithful devotees, the Gopis of Vrundavan, to play the Maha Raas (traditional folk-dance) with Him. They had earned His grace by overlooking society's disdain on them (`loklaaj'), to offer Him unalloyed devotion.
Describing the 'lila' in the Bhagvat, Shukdevji narrates to king Parikshit:
'O Parikshit! Of all nights, that night of Sharad Purnima became the most resplendent. With the Gopis, Shri Krishna roamed the banks of the Yamuna, as if imprisoning everyone in His lila!'

Ritual

Poha, puffed rice, and kheer, sweet, is prepared and left in the moonlight of Sharad Purnima and is consumed later. Since Moon is closest to the earth on Sharad Purnima day, according to Ayurveda the Sharad Purnima moon rays have several curative properties, hence the ritual.

Thanksgiving

2011-10-08T06:16:00.002-04:00

This weekend is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. For those who have not lived in the US or Canada, let me tell you that it is a harvest festival similar to Hindu's Diwali . Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks to God for the harvest and express gratitude in general. It is a holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States. However, according to the age-old maxim "Charity begins at home", let us first learn to be thankful to our parents, our spouses and children who stood by our side when we needed them. Then, thank God for the fine family you have and for all the wonderful things that have happened to you

In my article published in 2006 , http://hinduism.about.com/od/prayersmantras/a/why_and_how_to_pray.htm I indicated that the best form of prayer is Thanksgiving..

God only as Divine or Heavenly Mother

2011-10-04T11:16:00.003-04:00

After tremendous soul searching I have come to the conclusion that God can only be conceived as Divine or Heavenly Mother. Let me tell you why?

Since God cannot be comprehended, the closest we come to realize Him is by observing Mother Nature. In fact, God is Nature itself. The whole world is Her body. She runs this world show. However, you may say that God is also the creator of the world. Granted, but who can be better represented as a creator, mother or father?

Now consider this, what do you expect from God, that He or She should provide all your wants, look after your growth, development, and sustenance as well as all the necessaries of life and its activities in this world, and the energies needed for it. Am I right? Now, tell me what aspect of God can do all the above, Mother or Father?

Moreover, you are freer with your mother than father. You open your heart more freely to your mother than to your father. It is the mother who conceives you, protects you in the womb, brings you in this world, nourishes you, consoles you, cheers you, and nurses you.

Let me go on. A child is more familiar with the mother than with the father, because the mother is very kind, loving, tender and affectionate. Whenever the child wants anything, it runs with outstretched hands to the mother, rather than to the father. If she hears the cry of the child, she leaves everything and runs immediately to attend to the child.

Don’t you want to see the above motherly qualities in your God? None of us have ever seen God. Nor we will ever see. It is our faith, purity and devotion that create God for us. Why? Because, we need a Supreme Reality who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, capable of providing us protection, peace, love and materialistic possessions whenever and wherever we need them. However, since Hinduism provides me the freedom of my own conception of God, I would prefer “ It “ as the Universal Mother or the Divine Mother.

Durgashtami-a different interpretation

2011-10-03T09:51:00.004-04:00

Durgashtami, or Durga Ashtami, is the 8th day of the Navaratri . Durgastami is also known as Mahashtami and the most important day of 9 divine nights of Goddess worship (Navratri) in Hindu religion. Fasting is undertaken by many people on this day to please Ma Durga, if they have not done so during the previous seven days of Navratri. There are several mythological stories related to this day. The most common is that Durgashtami commemorates Goddess Durga's victory over the demon, Mahishasur.

However, in my opinion the 8th day of Goddess worship in Navratri is imprtant because:

Just like 9 as explained in my previous post, 8 is also a mystic number. The multiples of 8 when added together, is always 1 less than the previous number. For example:
8x2= 16, 1+6= 7, 1 less than 8. 8x3= 24, 2+4= 6, 1 less than 7. 8x4 = 32, 3+2= 5, 1 less than 6 so on and so forth.

In other words when delusion (attachment to materialistic things), referred to as "moha" in Sanskrit multiplies in our lives, we lose something more precious from our lives; like love, peace of mind and sustaining pleasure. That is why Divine Mother "Durga", when depicted as "Mahamaya" is shown to have 8 hands. This suggests that she protects her devotees from all illusions from 8 directions namely east; south-east; south; south-west; west; north-west; north and north-east. However, those who worship her on Durga-Ashtami during Navratri (9 Divine Nights), are never possessed by delusion.

Let us therefore sing the Glory of Mahamaya on Durga-Ashtami:

"Thou art the Supreme illusion and the Dispeller of delusion, purify my inner temple and grant me peace, O Merciful Mother of the Universe."

Why 9 nights of worship in Nav-Ratri?

2011-09-27T15:56:00.002-04:00

Beginning today in North America and tomorrow in India God as the Universal or the Divine Mother will be worshiped by the Hindus for 9 nights referred to as Nav- Ratri in Sanskrit. Let me once again tell you I why the number 9 is Divine.

For Indians especially those influenced by Hinduism '9' is the number to which sages have attached special significance. Hence, we have Nava-ratri (9 nights), Nava-patrika (9 leaves / herbs / plants), Nava-graha (9 planets), Nava-Durga (9 appellations), Lord Rama was born on the 9th day, The Bhagvad Gita has 18 chapters 9x2 =18, 1+8 =9 and a Hindu rosary contains 108 beads(1+0+8= 9). Now consider this the moment a woman conceives to the time she gives birth is 9 months. There are 9 principal attributes of the universe, 3 factors (Time, Space and Causation); 3 modes (Spiritual, Material and Sinful); 3 functions (Creation, Preservation and Destruction); 3X3 = 9. Our bodies have nine openings or gates; 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 ears, 1 mouth, the anus and the genital.

Also it is interesting to note that unlike any other numeral, 9 is the only number that all multiples, when added and reduced to one number becomes 9, for example:

9x2 = 18, 1+8 = 9; 9x3 =27, 2+7 = 9........9x9 = 81, 8 +1 = 9, 9x17 = 153, 1+5+3 = 9, 9X149 = 1341, 1+3+4+1 = 9. I can go on and on but I think I made my point that 9 is not only divine but also indestructible just like primordial energy represented by the Goddess Durga, hence her worship for 9 days or nights.

How to Banish Fear?

2011-09-21T15:49:00.005-04:00

Fear is a defeatist and retrograde impulse. It is a double curse in that it pulls down the person that is possessed by it and spoils the business s/he undertakes to do. It destroys our mind and its power, and corrupts our morals under threat. I propose the following to banish fear from your life:

1. The greatest fear is supposed to be of death. I have dealt with it in my article:http://hinduism.about.com/od/deathdying/a/approachdeath.htm

2. The other fears are of physical hurt, loss of power, position or business, loss of wealth and other similar fears, which may land him or her in anything from lifelong disgrace to utter poverty and misery.

To eliminate these fears, first you must decide how much fear you are willing to live with ? Once you have made up your mind, then take the situation bravely like a hero, but not weeping like a slave. If you do so, you will realize that dread is really not that dreadful in experience as in expectation and that will embolden you for similar future occasions.

In spite of the above, if the feared misfortune actually descends on you, remember,"What is destined to happen will surely happen. You cannot help it, and it is never in your power to stop it." So, why fear in anticipation?

Lastly but most importantly, remember God is Almighty and Omnipresent. He has got the power to do everything. He can do anything and everything He likes. His potency never fails, none can obstruct the operation of His energy. He is Omniscient. He knows wherein lies your fear. Pray regularly and more importantly be truthful to Him to help you banish fear from your nature for the rest of your life. Have faith, your prayer will be answered because He is your natural well-wisher.

Importance of Annual Ancestor Worship by Hindus

2011-09-08T08:59:00.003-04:00

Pitru- Paksh, Shraddh, Tarpanam or Shraddham are the various names used to describe the annual rituals performed for the dead relatives and ancestors in Hinduism. Shraddh holds an important place in rituals associated with Hindu religion and it is performed without fail by most Hindus.

Shraddh Dates 2011 as per Hindu calendar followed in India is from September 13 to September 27, 2011. In Canada it is from September 12 to September 26.

The person who performs the Shraddh should realize that for his/her birth, body, knowledge, wealth and sanskar he/she is indebted to the ancestors. All that is there was given by the ancestors. So the rituals performed is accepting this fact and is sort of thanksgiving. Both male and female relatives of the dead can perform the rituals.

You do not have to believe in this unique Hindu ritual because it is purely based on faith called Shraddha in Hindi. Hence, another name for annual ancestor worship is Shraddh, derived from the word shraddha (faith). However, you will agree it is the responsibility of everyone to keep up the pride of the family line by the performance of actions that promote the good of all. The fortnight of ancestor worship is nothing but a reminder of your lineage and duties towards it.

The Rituals

The rituals including the water and sesame oblations that are performed reach the dead ancestors through the rays of Surya (Sun.) It is said that a year of humans is a day for the dead and therefore the ancestors enjoy the fruits of the annual Shraddh throughout the year.

Another belief is that the souls of dead remain in peace in "Pitru Loka" as a result of the rituals performed by their children or relatives. It is also said that the dead bless them for this and it helps the children and relatives to lead a good life on earth.

Equally important is feeding the poor on the day. Whenever rituals dedicated to the dead are performed, people distribute food and clothes among the poor. The method of performing the rituals slightly varies from region to region. But the essence of the ritual is the same.

In my opinion we can honor our ancestors by making a donation to a not-for-profit organization, such as the local food banks , and by dedicating spiritual practices on the ancestors' behalf. These practices should include meditation, chanting, mantra repetition, and prayer. We need not perform rigorous practices of "Tarpan (water oblation)" using 'Kusha grass' unless the materials are easily available and the Mantras associated with the rituals can be properly narrated by the person performing the rituals.

Hartalika Teej

2011-08-30T07:51:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow many Hindu women will be celebrating Haritalika Teej and keeping strict fast without taking a drop of water to please the Goddess for longevity of their married life. One of them has asked me to write about this fast and festival, hence this blog.

Hartalika Teej is the biggest of the various variation of Teej. Hartalika Teej falls on the third day of the first fortnight of the month of Bhadra in Hindu Calendar. By rigorous fasting and praying to Goddess Parvati on Hartalika Teej, married women are blessed with healthy life of their husband while the unmarried girls are said to be blessed by a husband like Lord Shiva. This year Hartalika Teej Vrat (fast) is on August 31. Some Hindu calendars have also marked it on September 1.

On the Hartalika Vrat day, the idol of Goddess Parvati is decorated with fresh clothes and a pandal (small puja house) is made from banana bark and leaves. Today, most people prefer to observe the vrat in their usual pooja rooms and do not bother to create a pandal. A Shivlingam made from clay is placed along with Goddess Parvati. Listening or reading stories of Goddess Parvati and Shiva is considered auspicious.Women dress up beautifully on the day. Green is the most preferred color. New jewelry and new clothes are specially reserved for the day. In certain areas, married women visit their houses and observe the fast with parents.

The fast is broken on the next day morning.

Please note that if you are taking medicines or are suffering from any diseases, it is better to avoid strict fasting. Take the advice of the doctor, if you are so interested in observing the fast.

As I said above Hindu Women observe Hartalika Teej Vrat in remembrance of Goddess Parvati’s deep determination to win over her love. It is believed that Goddess Parvati will be pleased with those women who observe the Vrat. There are several regional variations in the Hartalika Teej Vrat stories. But the essence is the same.

What is "Mind-Culture?"

2011-08-24T07:01:00.005-04:00

This is the time of year in Canada when the growth of nature is rampant. Whether the individual who planted the seeds in the Spring is an amateur gardener concerned with the flower garden in his back-yard; an apartment dweller tending one lone flowerpot, or a farmer who can cast his eye over a thousand acres, now is the time when results are beginning to appear.

In many instances plants have already given forth their fruit and blossoms, others are just maturing and in some cases the results are yet to come. The beauty of the flowers and the anticipated harvest of the tomatoes and other vegetable crop, as well as the productivity of the plant in the window-sill flowerpot, are all things of wonder.

The work, care and effort of the planting, the careful weeding and nurturing to assure the proper result, are things that we all know have to be done. Not properly done, the weeds can take over and ruin a garden or a field.

It is an amazing thing the way weeds grow; in fact it seems that the unwanted weeds can completely outgrow and literally drown out that which we so eagerly planted in the Spring. It is only through constant, diligent and hard work that we can achieve the result we desire. Nature always does her share-sometimes too well. It is a case of keeping things under control.

When it comes to working with Nature there are many kinds of culture: agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, etc. However, the type of culture which can mean most to any of us might be called "Mind-culture." For just as surely as we plant seeds in the ground and expect and know we will get certain results, so it is with our minds. Whether we know it or not, every thought is a seed and it is always planted in Universal Mind. These seeds grow and mature, and Nature delivers to us a bountiful harvest-whether we like that harvest or not.

Let us watch our plantings and cultivate a "green thumb" for the things we want. That is the only way we can reap the abundant harvest we desire.

Shattering Myths About Lord Krishna

2011-08-20T08:21:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow and day after many Hindus and non-Hindus will be celebrating Sri Krishna Janmashtami, hence I would like to re-post my blog about myths related to Lord Krishna's life.

1. Krishna lustfully played with the Gopis in Brindavan.

The first question that must be asked in this context is “What was the age of Lord Krishna at that time?” Was he not a boy of seven? Could there be any trace of passion in Him? It was only the Gopis who could understand the secret of Rasalila (the culmination of highest Bhakti, Atmanivedan or total surrender to the Lord) because only they were qualified for this. From the beginning of His divine birth, Lord Krishna performed miracles because He was the incarnation of the Lord Supreme. For example, He showed Virat Darshan to His mother when He was a baby. He killed the Kaliya serpent by standing on its hood. He multiplied himself into countless Krishnas to dance with each Gopi individually during the Rasalila dance.

Who were the Gopis? Were they not intensely God-loving beings who saw only Krishna everywhere, and saw themselves as Krishna? The sound of the Murali (flute) could throw them in a state of divine ecstasy or Holy Communion. There was no consciousness of a body and its adornments.

Lord Krishna took away their clothes from the shores while they were bathing nude in the river. There is a great philosophy in this. He taught Gopis to have no attachment for worldly things. Forsake all thoughts related to body and sex and attain Immortal Atman.

The Gopis showed complete self-surrender (Atmanivedan) in its truest sense, and did not even care for their lives. In order to attain the Lord, one must serve Him like a Gopi, and must adore Him with the mental attitude of a Gopi. The devotee who worships the Lord with the Gopi- Bhava or earnestness of a Gopi, will enjoys permanent bliss.

Lord Krishna who incarnated for the sake of eradicating evil and protecting righteousness could not be associated with the sexual instinct or passion towards the Gopis. He is the slave of His devotees.

2. Lord Krishna & His 16,108 wives

Once again, the first question that must be asked in this context is “Why did Sri Krishna marry so many women?”

Bhaumasura, a wicked and tyrant king had kidnapped and made captive over sixteen thousand princesses by collecting them from the palaces of various kings.

Lord Krishna killed Bhaumasura and entered the palace of Bhaumasura. When the princesses saw Krishna enter the palace, they were captivated by the beauty of the Lord, and prayed that He would become their husband. They laid their heart at His feet and Krishna, being omniscient, understood their pure desire and so agreed to accept them as His wives.

In the Vedic system, if a girl were touched by a man nobody would marry her. They, therefore, pleaded with Lord Krishna to marry them. Krishna arranged to marry the 16,108 girls brought from the custody of Bhaumasura. By manifesting Himself in 16,108 forms, He simultaneously married them all in different palaces at the same auspicious moment. The beauty and riches of all the palaces of over 16, 000 queens of Krishna were unparallel. The newly wed queens of Krishna were all manifestations of the Goddess of fortune, Lakshmi,

In the Vedic system, a Kshatriya could have more than one wife, and we find many examples of this. (When Krishna accepted wives, he did so in His Lila as a king, or Kshatriya.) Even so, we cannot find anyone marrying 16,108 wives! To satisfy all of His queens, Krishna manifested Himself in multiple forms to reside with each queen, simultaneously! This is but one demonstration of the unique opulence and unlimited potency of Krishna. “Why only 16,108 wives?” Srila Prabhupada would sometimes remark about Krishna’s marriages “Everything and everyone ultimately are His property and He is the ultimate enjoyer”.

Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo

2011-08-14T18:04:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow India marks her 64th anniversary of Independence . However, it is also Sri Aurobindo's 138th birth anniversary, who had played a leading role in the freedom struggle and said on Aug. 15, 1947:

"I take this coincidence, not as a fortuitous accident, but as the sanction and seal of the Divine Force that guides my steps on the work with which I began life, the beginning of its full fruition."

As one of the greatest yogis of modern India, he predicted on August 15, 1947,"But by whatever means, the division (of India and Pakistan) must and will go and India will be united".

For those, who may not know much about Sri Aurobindo, let me give you his brief bio.

Aravinda A.Ghose (his birth name) was born in Calcutta on 15th of August, 1872. His father, a physician, was an anglicized atheist who sent Aurobindo (as Aravinda came to be known later) to England for education so as to avoid any Indian influence on them. Aurobindo was away from his parents from the age of 7 to 21. He excelled in his studies, became a scholar at King's College, Cambridge.

However, Aurobindo's interests lay elsewhere: poetry and languages, classical and modern, eastern and western, and in Indian Independence. Of his return to India Aurobindo wrote: "Since I set foot on Indian soil I began to have spiritual experiences, but these were not divorced from this world... I found myself entering supra physical world and planes with influences and effects from them on the material plane."

After some government service and teaching, he got involved in the Indian independence movement, was jailed for this, and began his intense striving for the "Life Divine." Sri Aurobindo believed that India had a splendid destiny: Not only in religion and spirituality, but equally "in the sphere of morality, it is her mission to purge barbarism out of humanity."

Because of British persecution, Sri Aurobindo moved to Pondicherry in French India: There he established an Ashram or hermitage, gave up all political activity, and plunged into full spiritual exploration. He wanted to serve mankind through spiritual endeavours. He developed spiritually, and wrote extensively. His fame spread far and wide, and he acquired a large number of disciples.

Sri Aurobindo passed away on December 5, 1950. In words of Dr. K. A. Hakim, " Sri Aurobindo has by a great spiritual vision comprehended into one organized whole the heritage of the East and the West, the old and new. He is rooted into Vedantic consciousness and harks back to the ancient sages of India who had a direct vision of Truth and lived in it."

Let us recall Sri Aurobindo's words which were written many decades ago, but which are still apt today: " People are unable to listen to profound subjects, they laugh at and make fun of everything- dharma, philosophy, high aspiration, great endeavours, liberation of the country. With a grin they want to dismiss anything serious, all that is high and noble."

On his 139th birthday I salute Sri Aurobindo, one of the greatest spiritual visionaries of India, who said on August 15, 1947,"India is free but she has not achieved unity, only a fissured and broken freedom...The partition of the country must go..in this way unity may come about under whatever form-the exact form may have a pragmatic but not a fundamental importance but the division must and will go." Let us hope his prediction comes true sooner than later.

Hindu Blog: Bhagavad Gita and Wealth Creation

2011-08-12T17:50:00.000-04:00

Hindu Blog: Bhagavad Gita and Wealth Creation: "Bhagavad Gita and money and Hindu spirituality and wealth creation are still perceived as odd combinations and it often raises several eyebr..."

Homage to Saint-Poet Goswami Tulsidas

2011-08-05T06:41:00.000-04:00

Today (August 5) is the birth anniversary of one of the greatest poet-saints of India, Goswami Tulsidas. He was born in the year 1532. There are conflicting stories about his early childhood. Not much is known about Tulsi's Guru either.

Tulsi's wife

However, in his youth, he got married to a woman named Ratnavali. Once his wife went to stay with her parents for a while. Tulsi, not being able to bear the separation, went to meet her. Ratnavali admonished Tulsi by saying 'I am just a bag of flesh and bones. Why are you so attracted to it ? Why don't you love Lord Rama with the same fervor?' This type of retort is not typical of Indian wives (at least during that time). One wonders whether Ratnavali was itself spiritually inclined or whether God determined it was the appropriate time for Tulsi to leave the family life. Anyway, Tulsi contemplated on this remark and severed all connections with the family life.

As time grew on, Tulsi's love for Rama grew deeper and deeper. Scholars have rightly pointed out that his most popular and the greatest Hindi religious epic ever written "Rama Charita Manasa", also known as Tulsi's Ramayana would never have been written if not for Ratnavali's remarks.

Rama Charita Manasa

Although Tulsi authored 22 books including Gitavali (1571), Kavitavali (1612), Barvairamayana (1612) and Vinaya Patrika (request to Rama), he is well known for the work, which was referred to as the greatest book ever written by Mahatma Gandhi, 'Rama Charita Manasa'. There is no book which is considered more valuable by millions of devotees of Lord Rama in North India.

When India was plunged in a gloomy atmosphere during the Muslim rule, the bhakti (devotion) movement which inspired hundreds of people arose. Whether it was Chaitanya, Ramananda, Vallabha, Mirabhai, Tukaram, Ramanuja, Madhva, Kabir, Suradas etc.., the common thread was the bhakti exhibited toward Rama or Krishna. But the epic " Rama Charita Manasa" brings the common people hope even nowadays in the darkness of Kali yuga.

Tulsi is so passionately devoted to Lord Rama that by the sheer liveliness of his poetic imagination, he brings into life Rama, not as a son of Dasartha but as a qualified incarnation of Lord Vishnu and also as Brahman itself. Yes, the same Brahman which the Vedas and Upanishads struggle to define and comprehend and resort to negativity as 'neti neti' (not this, not this). The basic religious principle of Tulsi can be found in the Uttarakanda of the Rama Charita Manasa in the dialogue between Garuda and Bhushundi. As Tulsi points out, the name Rama means 'like a sun which dispels the darkness of ignorance.' Tulsi's Rama is thus Satchitananda. He is the all prevading Brahman and as Lord Shiva says in the Manasa 'the story of Rama is an axe which fells the tree of Kaliyuga.'

Concluding Remarks

It is impossible to do justice to this great poet saint by writing a brief note on his birthday. Tulsidas was not writing a biography of Rama, but expressing a love towards Lord Rama in his work. Tulsi's Ramayana is not only meant for recitation but for reading and contemplating. It is an epic which not only provides hope and security in the midst of an ever-changing world, but also provides a sanctuary of love and peace. Tulsi shines like a lamp of divine guidance and by the light generated by Rama Charita Manasa dispels the ignorance into knowledge and wisdom.

21 Ways to Help a Grieving Friend - Beliefnet.com

2011-07-30T11:00:00.000-04:00

21 Ways to Help a Grieving Friend - Beliefnet.com

Legend of Samudra Manthan and its Symbolism

2011-07-15T10:48:00.004-04:00

The legend says that when the churning of ocean by the The Devas and Asuras - Samudra Manthan - done using the Mandhara mountain and Vasuki serpent as rope, in the Hindu month of Shravan, beginning tomorrow, fourteen different types of rubies came out. Thirteen of these were distributed among the demons, except Halahal (deadly poison). Lord Shiva drank the Halahal and stored it in his throat, which turned blue due to the effect of deadly poison. Hence the name Neelkanth (meaning blue throat) is attributed to Shiva. To reduce the strong effect of poison, all the gods thereafter started offering the Ganges water to Lord Shiva to make lessen the effect of poison.

Since, this happened in the month of Shravana, since then the Shiva devotees offer the Ganges water to Shivlingam in this month. The belief is that in Shravan month, offering the Ganges water to Lord Shiva pleases Him immensely. Mondays or Somvar of Shravan month are specially observed with austerity. Although all Mondays are devoted to the worship of Shiva as this day is sacred to Lord Shiva. No other Mondays of other months are so greatly honored as of Shravan.

Symbolism of Samudra Manthan

The story above represents the spiritual endeavor of a person to achieve self-realization through concentration of mind, withdrawal of senses, control of desires and practice of austerities and asceticism.

* The Devas and Asuras represent the positives and negatives respectively of one's personality. The participation of both the Devas and the Asuras signifies that when one is seeking bliss through spiritual practice, one has to integrate and harmonize both the positive and negative aspects and put both the energies to work for the common goal.
* The ocean is the mind or the human consciousness. The mind is like an ocean while the thoughts and emotions are the waves in the ocean.
* Mandhara, the mountain symbolizes concentration. The word Mandhara is made up of two words Mana (mind) and Dhara (a single line) which means holding the mind in one line. This is possible only by concentration.
* Mount Mandhara was upheld by Lord Vishnu as a Kurma (tortoise), not mentioned in the story above. The tortoise here symbolizes the withdrawal of the senses into oneself (just as a tortoise withdraws its head into its shell) as one practices mental concentration and meditation or contemplation.
* Vasuki symbolizes desire. Vasuki used in the churning of the ocean denotes that the Devas and the demons held desire (to seek immortality) as a rope and churned the mind with the help of concentration and withdrawal of the senses. Desire, if not controlled will overpower and destroy an individual.
* The Halahala poison symbolizes suffering and pain (counter-reaction of the mind and body) that one undergoes at the beginning of spiritual sadhana (practice). When the mind is subjected to intense concentration, the first thing that comes out of the process is intense suffering and great inner turmoil. These must be resolved otherwise further progress is not possible.
* Lord Shiva symbolizes the ascetic principle. His role in this story as the consumer of poison suggests that one can deal with the early problems of spiritual life by cultivating the qualities of Lord Shiva, namely, courage, initiative, willingness, discipline, simplicity, austerity, detachment, compassion, pure love and asceticism.
* The 14 different types of rubies that came out during the churning stand for the psychic or spiritual powers (Siddhis) which one gains as s/he progresses spiritually from stage to stage. The seeker should be careful about these powers as they can hamper her/his progress unless s/he uses them judiciously, not for selfish gains but for others' welfare. This is the reason why the gods and demons distributed these objects as they did not want to lose sight of their original aim which was to gain immortality.
* The Amrit, the nectar of immortality that eventually came out for which the gods and demons have decided to churn the ocean, symbolizes the ultimate achievement of the goal of self-realization.

Why Guru Purnima?

2011-07-13T07:00:00.003-04:00

The full moon day of Ashadh, the fourth month of Hindu year (tomorrow, July 14 in North America and Friday July 15 in India) is also known as Guru Purnima because it is the birth anniversary of Sage Vyasa, who codified the Vedas more than 5000 years ago and reavealed to the mankind in written format. Had he not done so, we would have lost the teachings of the four Vedas which were revealed by God to a few Rishis in the very beginning of the universe. The fourVedas are the primary texts of the spiritual and religious records of the ancient culture and teachings of India. The Hindus therefore refer to him as Veda-Vyasa and consider him to be the supreme Guru and celebrate his birth anniversary as Guru Purnima.

On this day, every Guru is offered Pujan (worship)by the disciples. A famous verse known by heart by all Hindus glorifies the Guru:

"Gurubrahma Guruvishnu Gururdevo Maheshwaraha |
Guruhu sakshaat Parambrahman tasmai Shrigurave namaha ||"

"The Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva), veneration to the Guru who is Parabrahman manifest."
The second line of the couplet does not literally mean that the Guru becomes Parabrahman - God, rather he or she is venerated as if God is manifesting through him or her.

This is subtly illustrated by another famous verse known to all Hindus:

"Guru Govind donu khade, kisko laagu paay,
Balihari Gurudevaki jinhe Govind diyo bataay."

The Guru and God, are present before me, to whom shall I bow down first? Glory to the Guru since he showed me Govind (God).

Guru Purnima Special- Who is a True Guru?

2011-07-11T19:13:00.001-04:00

The Upnishads including the Gita summarize the qualification of a Spiritual Master (Guru) in two terms-"One who is a master of the Scriptures" (Shrotriyam) and, "Well-established in the experience of the Truth" (Brahma-Nishtam).

A Guru is one whom we, with a little knowledge, approach to question and discover the truth. The actual transference of knowledge from the Guru to the disciple is not through words. For this, the power of communication must be in the Guru, and this he can consider only from his own experience.

A Pundit with book knowledge alone is insufficient to be an effective Guru; a Spiritualist with full experience alone is incompetent to convey that knowledge to us, as we are not prepared to receive his communion. Therefore, a Guru can serve society in the spiritual field only when he has got both these qualifications. Moreover, he must have two additional qualifications. His behaviour must be ideal because his disciples will be tempted to imitate him in all his external habits. Secondly, a Guru must have large-heartedness flowing with kindness and patience. To weed out the mind and to replant new ideas is a most painful operation and this can be achieved only when the Guru has infinite patience, endless love and supreme affection.

When these qualifications are not there, the Guru is not a true one. If you do not feel elevated and inspired to live a nobler life in his presence, he is not your True Guru. He whom when you remember, you feel cooled down even at moments of burning passions, he is your True Guru.

In fact, as I have reiterated time and again in my weekly spiritual broadcasts on www.bhajanawali.com, the true preceptor is very hard to find these days. Only by God's grace you will meet a genuine Spiritual Master. You can call him or her a true preceptor or a True Guru but you must first develop spiritual urge and practise a little will to instinctively recognize a True Guru when you are in his or her presence. If you are genuine and sincere in your quest, God will help you meet your True Guru.

Can God mitigate bad Karma?

2011-06-22T14:28:00.004-04:00

In my blog "10 Myths about Karma" http://gyansrajhans.blogspot.com/2010/05/10-myths-about-karma.html I explained what Karma is all about and why God does not dispense individual Karma.

One of the readers of my blog has asked "We often hear from temple Pundits, and in your discourses too:

If you do japa of certain mantra, or perform a specific ritual or a certain pooja, you get your desired need/want fulfilled; get a job, recovery from an illness or birth of a son etc. etc. A Teerth yatra or a dip in holy Ganga washes away all your sin. If you you observe a certain vrata or doing certain pooja regularly, God will bless you with this or that. For example, observing Shivji's vrata regularly by an unmarried woman will yield her a good husband. My questions are:

1. Are they true? Does it really happen? What is the origin of these ideas and suggestions? Puranas?
2. Are they just heresies? or made up by Karm kandy brahmins to give solace, or false hope, to their distressed yajmans (clients) seeking help to solve their problems, and make some money at the same time?
3. If all these things can reallly happen, or actually do happen, does it mean that you can over ride the Karma concept by doing all those things? "

ANSWERS:

1. Yes, they are true. It does truly happen. The origin of these ideas and suggestions is the Bhagavad Gita which suggests that karma is a law of cause and effect yet God can mitigate karma for His devotees.

2 and 3. While it is true that false pundits and Gurus exploit their distressed clients or should I say prey on them for monetary benefits without themselves acquiring the knowledge of how to perform the obligatory rites,poojas, vratas and yatras (pilgrimage) leading to the acquisition of virtue, which in turn eliminates the sin of the individual,

Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa said that spiritual practices such as japa, meditation, pooja, pilgrimage, etc., can lessen the effect of bad karma. Prayer is always beneficial.

Pooja is a ritualistic worship of the divine performed to keep one in harmony with cosmic forces, thereby removing and overcoming the sorrows of life and bringing spiritual upliftment. By doing pooja, thoughts and vibrations of spiritual forces are created around us. These spiritual forces work to eliminate the negative influences in our life and help surround us with positive energy which can bring peace of mind, prosperity and enable us to touch the divine, our true nature. The malefic effects, which are destined to befall us, can be averted or their effects reduced by sincere prayers, selfless service and performance of specific poojas as recommended in the Hindu texts. The body, mind and spirit are purified and harmonized by meditation, acts of devotion, prayers, mantra japa and the poojas we perform.

According to the Vedic scriptures and the learned saints, performing mantra-japa, stotra recital, dana, pooja/homa or a dip in holy Ganga etc. are auspicious as they produce positive effects and counteract and remove or at least reduce the negative (bad) Karma and improve your life.

I believe God is not only just but also supremely merciful and almighty. You may find yourself under the worst Prarabdha due to your bad or negative Karma yielding its fruit but if you raise your cry to God with full faith using external or internal means like puja, vrata, japa, homa, meditation etc., God will come to your aid. He is known to be the savior of the fallen and the degraded sinner (Patit Pawan). He has been known to alter the Law of Karma for His devotees.

In the final analysis, to counteract the negative influences of the bad karmas or to improve and attain various desired objectives, the scriptures have prescribed several poojas and homas of various deities. The deity is worshiped in the prescribed ritualistic manner with mantras and offerings. The positive influence of these give you positive results. You experience better results and get an inner strength and confidence. Sometimes the results are instant and sometimes they are slow. But they are certain. I say it with confidence because poojas have vastly improved my life.

Abortion- still an issue

2011-06-09T10:18:00.003-04:00

One of the listeners of my weekly religious broadcasts has asked me to write my thoughts on abortion, hence this post.

The subject of abortion is still an issue with some people. Materialists do not consider a fetus to be a carrier of divine life; they think of it as a merely physical thing, to be allowed birth or to be denied the right to express life, depending on the whim of the person who presumes to make such a decision. If more people were mature enough to assume personal responsibility for avoiding unwanted conceptions, the subject of abortion would not exist. The time to decide whether or not to be a parent is before conception of a child, not after.

Souls which are denied entry into this world will, if they have a destiny here, return in another body, being born in the natural way. But what about the destructive psychological effects upon persons who think about the unborn child in strictly material terms and act accordingly? Theirs is the real hurt, the real conflict to be resolved.

The above was my own personal thoughts. However, the listener has also asked about Hinduism point of view on abortion.

Hindu scriptures refer to abortion as bhroon-hatya (womb killing) and the Atharva Veda describes abortionists as the greatest of sinners. Gandhi, perhaps the most respected Hindu of the twentieth century, said: "It seems to me clear as daylight that abortion would be a crime."

In practice, however, abortion is practiced in Hindu culture in India, because the religious ban on abortion is sometimes overruled by the cultural preference for sons. This can lead to abortion to prevent the birth of girl babies, which is called 'female feticide'. Hindu scholars and women's rights advocates have supported bans on sex-selective abortions. Hindus generally tend to support abortion in cases where the mother's life is at risk or when the fetus has a life threatening developmental anomaly.

Some Hindu theologians believe personhood begins at three months and develops through to five months of gestation, possibly implying permitting abortion up to the third month and considering any abortion past the third month to be destruction of the soul's current incarnate body.

I am not sure if I have answered my listener's queries adequately but this is the best I can do at the moment.

Disasters; man-made or nature-made?

2011-06-03T09:05:00.004-04:00

There are a few thoughts which strike me. Every day when we open a TV news channel we see news of disasters--man-made as well as nature-made, of incessant rains, floods, tsunami, falling of houses , earthquakes, forest fires, thousands of women, children and men with their belongings washed away. All this news is heart-rending and one feels so very helpless and sorry.

But I believe the ruins wrought by nature are more man-made. Although we often blame common men for ecological imbalance by creating, CFCs, air and water pollution, soil erosion, urbanisation, deforestation, etc. but big companies and big nations have created the worst man-made environmental disasters of all time. Bhopal. Chernobyl. Love Canal. Seveso, just a few of the names that have entered the lexicon of devastation wrought by the foolishness of these companies.Ecological travesties afflict the seas: the dead zone at the foot of the Mighty Mississippi, the Exxon Valdez or the North Pacific Gyre.

Moreover, big and developing nations go on sending their satellites into outer atmosphere and other planets and make experiments of nuclear bombs under the earth and in the air. They disturb the balance of the nature in the worst possible way. The bombs and satellites create so much heat, which in its turn creates more vapour from the ocean and more rains and whirl-winds. What the scientists find is being used indiscriminately more for destruction.

As a scientist, I hate to sound unduly alarming but the prediction of world ending by December 2012 albeit foolish, may be true if all these experiments are allowed to be continued indiscriminately. Have we learned from the past? Are the laws promulgated after these disasters effective? And is there a lesson here that can change our path into the future? These are a few thoughts that struck me today.

Are there too many Hindu temples in GTA?

2011-05-11T07:00:00.003-04:00

QUESTION

Last Sunday I attended the official opening of the Hindu Heritage Center in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This is the 27th Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) including Brampton and Arya Samaj centers according to the "Bhaskar Panchang 2011". The question arises, are there too many Hindu temples in GTA and who will maintain them after the first generation of Indo-Canadians are passed on ?

ANSWER

No, there are not as many Hindu temples in the GTA as I would like to see. There are now 27 Hindu temples serving an estimated Hindu population of about 200,000 in GTA. This would mean that there is one temple per 7000 Hindus. However, GTA is a vast land. Most of the Hindus still have to travel for approximately half an hour more often in a wintry weather to worship their chosen deity and/or attend a communion (Satsang). In contrast, most of my Christian neighbors have to go down the street to go to their church. It is therefore essential that Hindus should also have temples located in close proximity.

Why do we need temples?

For Hindus, temple worship is very necessary especially in an alien surrounding. It is the temple that brings the community together and helps energize it and make it stronger. Most of the Hindu temples that I have known including the latest Hindu Heritage Center in Mississauga since 1968 when I first arrived in GTA, are not only places of worship, but they are like community centers where classical music, dance, arts, religion, Indian languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Bengali etc. are taught. It is where a relationship develops, not only for the community, but also that of love for our heritage and culture. If we do not have temples conveniently located, we will be denying our younger and future generations of our rich heritage and culture. Denying them that opportunity means cutting off their roots.

Who will maintain these temples in future ?

The second part of the question was who will maintain these temples after the aging first generation of Hindus have passed on ? This question implies that the second generation of Hindus living in GTA is far less religious and committed to Hinduism than their parents or grandparents. My experience of addressing many congregations of younger generations at various temples has clearly indicated to me that our younger generations are more eager to learn about Hindu (Vedic) religion, meditation, yogas, karma and other aspects of Hindu philosophy than their parents or grandparents, who were complacent about their religion because they were born in India.

For younger Hindus, these temples are becoming focal points of their collective memory and serve them in preserving Indian Hindu culture. Many of these younger Hindus have told me that the temples have exposed them to Hindu literature, Scriptures, songs, chants, music and festival dances, they never knew about. They have confided in me their pledges to upkeep the beautiful temples of GTA.

We should not underestimate the faith and commitment of our younger generation, who will most definitely make much more money than their immigrant parents and thus, will not mind donating a portion of their income to maintain these temples which have and will give them and their children a sense of pride for belonging to the richest heritage and culture.

Adi Shankaracharya - the savior of Hinduism

2011-05-09T08:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, May 8 was the Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti. Adi Shankaracharya, one of the greatest social and religious leaders of Hinduism, was born, about the last quarter of the 8th century at Kaladi, in Kerala, India.

When Adi Shankaracharya took birth, India was wallowing in the dark pit of decadence. Buddhism and Jainism had lost their pristine glory. Corrupt practices had crept into Hinduism. The people could not turn to the existing modes of Hinduism for solace and purposeful direction. In the name of the Vedas, the various sects of Hinduism had tried to propagate travesties rather than truths of the Vedic religion. Adi Shankaracharya had a panoramic view of all these when he wrote in his Gita Bhashya:-"Finding the texts being interpreted in all sorts of contradictory and conflicting ways." It was to silence the impostors who deliberately twisted the texts that he wrote the epoch-making "Prasthana Traya Bhashya" and his other illuminating treatises. Shankara’s rational commentaries undid at once the misinformed Hindu interpreters. He gave to the body of these texts the coherence of a system and thus won acceptability for his doctrine known as Advaita Vedanta.

Adi Shankaracharya, in the words of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was "a curious mixture of a philosopher and a scholar, an agnostic and a mystic, a poet and a saint, and, in addition to all this, a practical reformer and able organizer." He debated with relentless logic and outwitted the deluded, though scholarly interpreters of Vedic texts. He silenced by convincing arguments the clamor against Vedic authority. He revitalized Hinduism.

What is Adi Shankaracharya’s Advaita Vedanta?

"Brahma Satyam
Jagan Mithya
Jivo Brahmaiva Na Parah"

This translates roughly as follows:

"God alone is real,
the world is unreal,
the individual is none other than God"

This means that there is only one supreme reality, Brahman, the Supreme Being. Brahman is infinite and omnipresent, therefore nothing can be added to it and furthermore, there cannot be a place where he is not. There is no place for the world or man or any creature outside Brahman. It transcends all pairs of opposites and descriptions.

Brief life and the work of several lives

Adi Shankaracharya lived for just thirty-two years. But, during the brief span, he did the work of several long lives. Lord Shri Krishna gave the standing promise in the Gita to re-enthrone the majesty of the moral law whenever it declines. Accordingly, great souls come to this world periodically to fulfill the needs of the times.

Adi Shankaracharya’s advent called for the ruthless banishment of wrong ideas about Hinduism with the superiority of intellect, reason and logic. When he was born, India was going through great intellectual, spiritual and social turmoil. Hinduism or Vedic religion had become mere performance of elaborate rituals. Hindu religion had developed a lot of intolerant sects devoted to thousands of deities. There was much of squabbles, dissensions and corruption in the name of religion. It was into this fuming confusion and decadence that he started pouring forth the life-giving, purifying and unifying philosophy of Advaita Vedanta.

Ever since then, the Hindu religion, in spite of all its superficial differences in worship and practice, has been always basically anchored to the all-comprehensive and non-sectarian philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, a philosophy which is intellectually ac-acceptable and spiritually satisfying. Because of these great reforms, the followers of Hinduism have never suffered from the conflict of which deity to worship. All gods and goddesses are revered and worshipped by them because Adi Shankaracharya’s philosophy is one of inclusion and not exclusion.

Hinduism survived mainly due to his philosophy which continues to represent the dazzling, effulgent efflorescence of Hinduism. During his all-too-brief life of 32 years, he accomplished his life’s mission of giving the succeeding generations the distilled essence of the Vedic and Upanashadic truths.

Jaya Jaya Adi Shankara!

Sathya Sai Baba' Message and Mission , Part 2

2011-04-27T05:11:00.004-04:00

Yesterday in my blog I promised to give you more gems of Baba. Today when millions bid final farewell to Bhagvan Sri Sathya Sai Baba I would like to conclude my post on Him with a few more gems gathered during the last 30 years of Bhajanawali broadcasts.

God, Omnipresent

God is omnipresent. He is the Inner Motivator of every particle in the universe. To declare that He is amenable only to your style of worship and that He will answer only to the Name you have learnt to use, is to insult His Omniscience and His Glory. See Him, serve Him and revere Him, in all. Pray,"Let the whole world prosper and let all mankind be happy." This is my special message.

Essence of all religions

There is only one God, He is Omnipresent; there is only one religion, the religion of love; there is only one caste, the caste of Humanity; there is only one language, the language of the Heart. Paying too much attention to external forms and ceremonies , one loses sight of this essence and this is responsible for various quarrels and factions between human beings.

Symbolism of main religions

Baba has said that the Cross in Christianity carries the message of the elimination of the "I", the
ego. Cut the I feeling clean across and let your Ego die on the Cross, to endow on your eternity.

For the Fire symbol of the Parsis, He said that it is an invitation to cast into Fire, the lower instincts and impulses. Offer all bitterness in the Sacred Fire and emerge Grand, Great and Godly.

The Wheel of the Buddhist faith is a reminder of the Wheel to which we are bound and of the Wheel of Righteousness, that can release us. Remember the Wheel of Cause and Effect , of Deed and Destiny, and the Wheel of Dharma that rights them all.

For the Star and Crescent of Muslims, Baba said," Be like the Star which never wavers from the Crescent, but is fixed in steady Faith."

For the symbol AUM of the Hindus Baba said that it summarizes within itself all process of Being and Becoming and is to be accepted as the ultimate formula of spiritual success. "Listen to the Primeval Pranav, resounding in your heart, as well as in the Heart of the Universe."

Spiritual Qualities

In order that you may have spiritual qualities, you develop faith in your own religion and follow the paths indicated by the sacred texts like the Bhagavata, the Gita, the Ramayana, the Bible, the Koran and other Scriptures belonging to the various religions. If you put into practice whatever has been said in your own religion, then there will be no room for difference of opinions.

There are numerous Gems of Baba like the above that I have gathered over the 31 years. However, this is just a small attempt to pay my homage to Sri Sathya Sai Baba, a phenomenon, a god-man, an Avatara, a Bhagvan who walked on this earth in my life time. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to air special broadcasts on His birthdays since 1981.

THANK YOU BABA and LONG LIVE BABA.

Sathya Sai Baba's Message and Mission

2011-04-26T08:20:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday, Easter Sunday Sri Sathya Sai Baba (henceforth referred to as Baba in this post) decided to shed His mortal coil and achieved Nirvana. I have aired 29 special programs in Bhajanawali on His birthdays, November 23 since 1981. Next Sunday I will air one hour special paying my homage to him on www.bhajanawali.com. During the last 31 years I have gathered several gems from His messages and mission.

TRUTH & LOVE
One of the key words in Baba's philosophy was "LOVE". He said "start the day with love, spend the day with love, and end the day with love." Another is "TRUTH". Baba said "There are three "I"s..the one you think you are, the one that others think you are, and the one you really are, find out the Truth."

Mental Tranquility

Baba said "I want to give mental tranquility. My mission is to give comfort and joy, to drive away weakness and fear. I am ever on the move to fulfill the mission for which I have come. You are mine. I am yours."

India's Heritage

Baba said " From time immemorial India has made truth and righteous conduct its foundations. This is what has helped India to retain its distinctiveness among the countries of the world. Today our youth are getting mixed up with borrowed ideologies, imported ideas and exciting notions, all foreign to our culture, which are bound to do damage, not only to our present, but also to our future. Such borrowed ideas may seem to give happiness, but it will only be temporary happiness. For lasting Good and Happiness to come, it is necessary to overcome the influence of such ideas and make a determined effort to stick to what is our own. One can select one's wife, but one cannot choose one's mother. Dharma or right conduct is the basis of the culture of our motherland, we cannot try and alter that as we have no choice about the mother."

MORE GEMS OF BABA IN MY NEXT POST

Hanumana, a true friend and a great diplomat

2011-04-18T07:02:00.003-04:00

Hanumana- a true friend

The friendship of Hanumana and Sugriva was like that of the wind and the fire. Hanumana never left Sugriva even in the worst of times. He remained his friend in adversity as well as in prosperity.

Hanumana as a Great Diplomat

Rama had full faith in Hanumana's diplomacy and knowledge. When Vibhishana, the minister of an enemy kingdom and brother of Ravana, came to Rama, a question arose whether or not he should be accepted as a friend. It was very difficult to ascertain the purpose with which Vibhishana had come. Hanumana showed his diplomatic quality by advising Rama to accept Vibhishana. Rama took the advice and Vibhishana proved to be extremely valuable in killing Ravana.

Hanumana put Lanka to flames. This was a political move. By burning Lanka, Hanumana had won half the battle. He struck terror in the minds of the people of Lanka: They lost confidence in themselves. In war, when the confidence of the people is shaken, half the war is won. The terror stricken people were all the time busy guessing as to how many such mighty warriors may be there in Rama's army.

Hanuman Jayanti (April 17-18) Special

2011-04-17T19:44:00.002-04:00

Hanuman - a Humble Servant "Hanumana" literally means he who has demolished his ego. Both Valmiki and Tulasidasa have beautifully described Hanumana's deep sense of selfless service. Rama showing His gratitude asked Hanumana what He could do for him. Hanumana replied, "I only want that my respect and love for you should never decrease nor should I ever contemplate of anything else except you." He neither asked for salvation nor the Heaven. Tulasidasa says in Hanumana Chalisa: "Rama Rasayana Tumharey Pasa, Sada Raho Raghupati Kay Dasa.” meaning Oh Hanumana, you hold the essence of devotion to Rama, always remaining His Servant. Hanumana remained intoxicated with Rama's nectar and drew upon the Yogic siddhis only when executing some great work to serve the Lord, and even then in a resigned manner, without any display of the ego. Ordinarily, he remained oblivious of those super-human powers and had to be reminded of them from time to time. When Hanumana leapt across the ocean, he constantly remembered his Lord in his heart, so that he; might not trip, by mentally converting a dedicated performance into a sort of personal triumph. Hanumana showed us that if one is able to serve humbly can achieve greatness. The boldness of Hanumana is in his humility. The success of Hanumana is in his deep sense of service to Rama. In the final analysis let me quote Tulasidasa "Sankat Katey Mitey Sab Peera, Jo Sumirey Hanumat Balbira" Meaning one who concentrates on Hanumana's character and applies to his daily life finds his misfortunes come to an end, he is completely transformed and his inner self starts dominating over his pettiness which in fact is the main cause of one's misfortunes.

God as Mother

2011-04-04T12:43:00.003-04:00

Today is the start of 9 nights of worshiping God as Mother by the Hindus, first of two such occasions in a year. Every year on these two occasions I reiterate, "After tremendous soul searching I have come to the conclusion that God can only be conceived as Divine or Heavenly Mother."

Let me briefly put forward my thoughts again. The tender and affectionate relationship between the mother and the child has become the symbol for the relationship between the Divine Being and the human being. The earthly mother brings forth the child from the substance of her own being. She nurtures the child not only in the womb but later through its hapless years. She acts as a source and a resource when the child is growing up, teaching him/her how to live, leading him/her by the hand, and showing him/her the way. She is ever approachable and ever at hand when the child cries for help. By her soothing touch and a loving kiss she can make physical or emotional pain vanish instantly.

Similarly, the Divine Mother, from whom we have come creates the spiritual urge in us to reach up to Her. She nurtures us carefully during our trials and tribulations, and our errors and false turns, in the pursuit of our goal. She lifts our spirits when we are crestfallen and guides us back to the right path. She smooths us when we are discouraged. She never loses faith in us even when we lose it ourselves. Her divine smile soothes our wearying hearts and revives our spirits. Her Grace is unimaginable and Her forgiveness is immeasurable.

I wish to see the above qualities in my God.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance on Holi

2011-03-17T05:51:00.005-04:00

While celebrating Holi on March 19, let us not forget that it is also Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birthday. He was born nearly 600 years ago on Holi ( Phalgun Poornima ) , 1486 A.D. in Mayapur, West Bengal, India.

As a devotee to Lord Krishna, he revealed the most sublime sentiments and the natural disposition of a devotee. He taught us by his own example how to establish a connection with the Lord through the practice of pure devotion. That practice is Harinam Sankirtan, or the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord:

"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare"
His first mission was to write theological works explaining scientifically pure Bhakti and Prem.The second mission was to revive the places where Lord Krishna had, in the end of Dvapara yuga, exhibited His spirtual Lila for the benefit of the religious world, e.g., Mathura and Vrinavan.

Why need a friend?

2011-02-16T06:26:00.004-05:00

In my last three posts I talked about "Why complain?", "Why try to please everyone?" and "Why repent?" Today I wish to tell you why do we need a friend.

Who is a friend? A friend is a well-wisher, someone with whom we share interests, values, goals. There are casual friends and life-long friends. With casual friends, we may share passing or temporary interests. Our life-long friends are those with whom we share our life's goals.

All of us need friends. Human beings are social creatures and they need social interaction as they need food and water for survival. Happiness, and even sadness, has to be shared. Joy and grief have to be shared. Friendship gives us an opportunity to share experiences.This sharing is a two-way street. If we go to someone to unburden ourselves, but never concern ourselves with the well-being of the other person, it is not friendship. This is why it is said that friendship is between equals. Sometimes we keep the company of certain individuals because we expect something from them. This is not friendship. If one is a supplicant to the other, it is not friendship.

Friends do not act out of obligation, but out of honesty and sincerity. Anything done out of obligation has an expectation behind it and when that expectation is not fulfilled, it could lead to friction. He/she is a friend who speaks out at the right time. Sometimes we have to warn our friends, even if it is unpleasant. Our concern for our friend's well-being will outweigh the risk of annoying or offending our friend.

Swami Vivekananda says "In, happiness, in misery, in famine, in pain, in the grave, in heaven, or in hell who never gives me up is my friend.” Is such friendship a joke? No, through such friendship one can in fact approach God. This is how the gopis of Vrindavan approached Lord Krishna. They did not know, and did not care, about His greatness. They only knew Him as their friend and through that, they established a deep relationship. This is also how Arjuna approached Krishna. When Arjuna realized Krishna's spiritual status, he felt embarrassed at calling Him his 'friend'. Nevertheless, we can approach God through friendship. Not only that, Lord Krishna himself says in the Gita that He is the friendship between friends.

I said above that friendship is between equals and we may protest that we cannot approach God as an equal. We may even think that it is blasphemous. We are so used to approaching God as a supplicant. It is fine to approach God as a powerful being from whom we can beg the things we need in life. There is nothing wrong in that approach. However, if we are to grow spiritually, the relationship with God has to mature to be based on love. The supplicant has to develop a more two-way relationship.

If God made us in His own image, our true nature is divinity. It is because of this that it is possible to approach God as friend.

Why Repent?

2011-01-31T06:56:00.004-05:00

In my last two posts I talked about "Why complain?" and "Why try to please everyone?". Today I want to tell you about "Why repent?"

To repent is to feel self-reproach, or contrition, for past and present behavior and to literally change direction in life. We repent when we admit that what we have been doing is not worthy of us, and not useful to higher ends. We then change our attitude and our outlook, and decide to embark on a way of living which will be more constructive. Repentance is necessary as long as one has been living an unfulfilled life, as long as one is still clinging to thoughts, feelings and behavior which are sure to result in unhappiness or misfortune.

Then, fired with the enthusiasm of having repented, we make a firm commitment to live a natural, guilt-free life. When we do this we experience an upsurge of energy from within, because at the soul level we recognize the rightness of such commitment. We feel good about having made the decision. We feel clean and pure because we are now on the path of righteousness.

Often, to reinforce our commitment we need a process, a procedure to adhere to, lest we fall back into the old ways. Good intentions and a brief duration of high resolve will not ensure success on the path. What is needed is steadiness and follow-through so that, because of conscious and intelligent involvement, one is able to actually experience the redeeming influence of repentance.

Why try to please everyone?

2011-01-25T12:35:00.002-05:00

In my last post I talked about "Why Complain?". Today I am resurrecting a story from my weekly webcast to let you know that you can never please every one. You might have heard or read it before but it is worth repearing.

A son, a father and a donkey

An old father, his young son & a donkey were going to town. The son rode on the donkey & the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking & the boy was riding. The father & son thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later, they passed some people that remarked, "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." They then decided they both would walk! Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.

Now they passed some people that shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The son & father said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal & he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story?

If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your asset goodbye

Why complain?

2011-01-10T07:54:00.003-05:00

Every day I come across someone who is a perpetual whiner; spends all his/her life in complaining. His/her mind is eager to find out a cause for complaining; his/her life is a series of failures; and every time he/she blames his/her failure on somebody or something. By doing so, he/she becomes an easy prey to nervous breakdown.

My simple advice to the whiners: solve your problems yourself; learn to master your mind. Jump over the hurdles in your path. Do not carry your miseries to others.

Wisdom lies in accepting those things over which you have no control. Do not grumble. Accept them cheerfully and willingly. But, you should also equip yourself with the courage to change the things that are under your control. Apply yourself. You should change your angle of vision, alter your mode of thinking, stop all waste of mental energy. Give up the complaining habit. Have faith in the Higher Power and you will never become an easy prey to nervous breakdown.

Sure Way to Peace and Happiness

2010-12-29T05:44:00.004-05:00

As some of you know I was away on pilgrimage to India for the last six weeks, hence no blogs. During my stay at one of the most pious abodes of Lord Shiva in India, I came across a 85 year old God-Realized Soul. He shared with me the secret to peace and happiness in life. I wish to pass it on to you especially for your peace and happiness in the New Year.

According to this God-Realized soul, surrender to God is the highest, easiest and sure way to everlasting peace and happiness. Surrender does not mean to sit idle leaving duties in life. Nor does it mean inactivity. Surrender to God means surrender of the mind, the ego, the intellect and body to God. When this is done, we begin to feel that God is functioning through our body, mind and speech. The Lord now takes the whole responsibility.

Thus, we do not care to renounce the world or the action. We become tools in His hands. We look upon the whole world as an image of the Lord and all activities as a Divine sport. The God-realized soul further elaborated. We do nothing in reality even though we perform all our worldly duties. Our services of family, society, country and mankind, embarking in profession and business, showing valor in sports and imparting knowledge (he was referring to my weekly spiritual broadcasts)- everything is a part of His Divine sport (Leela in Hindi). We act in this world as a clever and dutiful actor in the Divine drama. Our actions are not egoistic but God-inspired. Thus, we become free from the good and evil consequences of our actions- no jubilation or regrets. This is the secret of Peace and Happiness.

May the Lord always be with you in the New year and after.

My Views on Arranged marriages,Love Marriages, Mixed Marriages and Divorces

2010-10-25T08:26:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow (October 26) is 'Karwa (or Karva) Chauth' a ritual of fasting observed by married Hindu women seeking the longevity, well-being and prosperity of their husbands.

In Indian tradition, Karwa-Chauth festival is considered as one of the most significant occasion that strengthens the sacred marital bond between husband and wife.

Last year on this occasion I wrote about the Relevance of Karwa-Chauth Fast in modern times:
http://gyansrajhans.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-karwa-chauth-still-relevant.html

Today I wish to talk about my views on Arranged and Love marriages. First, let me define these two marriages:

Arranged Marriage: where, parties concerned, groom and bride, have little or no say. That is because the elders in the family considered that marriage is not simply a union between a man and a woman, it is an alliance between two families and hence many other factors have to be taken into account. The compatibility of not only the couple, but also that of the families, the economic security of the young couple, social and/or other support networks essential for civilised living are all considered relevant. The families consider all these factors and only when they think that these requirements are satisfactorily met, do they present the choice to the youth concerned. Needless to say that the choice is limited and in rare cases may be nonexistent.

Love Marriage: where, only the parties concerned had the say and they agree to marry only because they love each other. According to this criteria, it is said that practically all marriages that occur in the Western cultures are love marriages.

My Views: Remember, the spouse selection is a multi-dimensional task (e.g., would-be spouse's character, compatibility, education, economic potential). It is not possible to score high on all dimensions. The process of arranged marriages is designed to maximize the overall score taking into account the relative importance of each dimension. It is done in an implicit rather than in an explicit way. Also, it is based on the assumption that the partners can learn and grow to love each other even when they have just met and not known each other for long. That this is not an unrealistic but an achievable expectation is borne out by parents' own experience.

On the other hand more than half of all love marriages in the western culture end in divorce. In fact, about 8 to 10% of the marriages are dissolved within the first 5 years, and almost 20% within the first 10 years of marriage.

What do these statistics indicate? Love, and perhaps more appropriately, what appears to be love at first sight may not be a secure or sufficient basis for choosing a partner for life. By this, I am not implying that love in a marriage is unimportant. On the contrary, it is very important. Love in the real sense of the word goes beyond liking for each other. Indeed, no marriage can last without love for each other.

Then what accounts for failure of significant proportion of love marriages? The values and attitudes of people undergo modification over time. What is important is that " whether it is the arranged marriage or the love marriage, it can be sustained only by love, consideration and compassion for each other. A continuing commitment to each other's well-being and to keep the marriage going is just as important. These are true for the Eastern culture as they are for the Western culture, and has always been so.

Mixed Marriages: There is nothing inherently right or wrong with mixed marriages. Many examples can be found where interfaith and interracial marriages have proved to be successful, while marriages within the faith have failed. Examples to the contrary are also plentiful. However, accurate statistics on such marriages are hard to come-by. Consequently, no generalization can be made without the knowledge of long-term survival or durability of mixed marriages.

Divorces: Even though divorce is frequent and accepted in Western culture, ideally everyone wishes rather not to have to go through with it except in unavoidable circumstances. Otherwise, why would they say "Till death do us part" and promise each other to be together "in sickness and in health" when they take wedding vows, thereby showing the identity of marital goals in both cultures. The question is, which system has a better chance of achieving those desired goals. If the current divorce rate is taken as an indicator, then unquestionably the system of arranged marriage seems to have a better chance. But, increasingly many arranged marriages are ending up in divorces or in "de facto" separation. Only the future statistics will give us the correct answer.

Is there an Ideal System? In my opinion, there is no such system which works in every culture and at all times. Each culture evolves its own system, and this may change over time. Each individual and each family have to decide how they want to resolve issues of spouse selection, keeping in mind not just the immediate needs but the long-term interests of the young couple.

Benefits of reciting the verses of Durga Saptashati

2010-10-09T11:27:00.003-04:00

The most popular work describing the supernatural elemental powers of the Universal Mother (Durga) is "Durga Saptashati" a collection of 700 verses singing Her glory and how to take Her refuge?

Most of Durga's devotees will recite some portion of Durga Saptashati every day of the 9 Divine Nights (Nav-Ratri that began yesterday according to the Hindu calendar, in order to obtain Her full grace and care. I have therefore, decided to tell you today what effects the recitation of Saptashati had on me over the last 28 years.

When I came to Canada in 1964 as a student at Queen's University, I had no vision of the future. After graduation and marriage in 1967, I was caught in the paradox of working to survive and surviving to work. Somehow a sense of boredom, frustration and futility had taken over my entire being. I kept changing my jobs until I safely landed a Governmental and secured job. However, I found myself avidly pursuing the highest position in the Government at the cost of remaining constantly in strife. A continual anxiety prevailed in which the vision of success or failure recurred to me day and night. Then, in 1982, I met a learned man on my vacation in India. He observed my restlessness and asked me some pointed questions:

Look at your past desires, how many of them were such transient and petty desires that you yourself could not remember after a few hours or a few days, not to speak in the context of your entire life? Aren't you possessed by your ego and hence, never sought the ways to get rid of this bondage?

In turn, I asked him what delusion has possessed me and how do I go about purifying my ego?
He gave me the Durga Saptashati with English translation and asked me to read part of it every day of Vasanteeya Nav-Ratri and Shardeeya Nav-Ratri. I decided to follow his instruction religiously. Believe me or not, the continual recitation of this book showed me how to surrender all my actions and possessions to the Universal Mother and achieve lasting satisfaction, sustaining pleasure and all inclusive delight. Every character mentioned in this book is within us: the forces which impel us to realize our own divinity, filling our lives with love and joy, as well as the forces which incline to diminish that perception.

If you have not read the Saptashati yet, you still have seven days of this Nav-Ratri left, start the new spiritual beginning. May the Divine Mother be your Guide!

Doubt often raised during Shraadha (ancestor-worship)

2010-09-24T17:50:00.004-04:00

In my previous blog on September 20th I wrote about Annual ancestor-worship (Shraadh) observed every year during the dark half of the Hindu month of Ashwin by the Hindus.This year it began on September 23 and will end on October 7 (the Mahalaya Amavasya). During this period of 15 days the Hindus donate food for the hungry in the hope that their ancestors will also be thus fed.

A doubt is often raised how can feeding the hungry here turn into different forms of food for the present state of the departed souls who might have re-incarnated anywhere in any form on the earth?

My answer: Suppose you send a draft in Canadian dollars via a local Canadian bank to your parents in India and one of your children studying in the USA and another in the UK. You know very well that the money will be paid out to your parents in India in Indian Rupees and your children in the US and UK in American dollars and British pounds, respectively.

If a human agency can accomplish this feat, a super-human agency such as the one we are dealing with during Shraadh, can certainly accomplish the proposition under discussion.

By the way, according to the Valmiki Ramayana Shri Rama, the human exemplar, also performed Shraadh.

Annual Ancestor-Worship by Hindus

2010-09-20T08:59:00.002-04:00

Annual ancestor-worship (Pitri-Paksha) is a period that is observed every year during the dark half of the Hindu month of Ashwin by the Hindus.This year it begins on September 23 and ends on October 7 (the Mahalaya Amavasya).This period of
15 days is set aside by the Hindus for the remembrance of their ancestry.

It is this time that Hindus throughout the world reflect on the contributions the ancestry has made to their present life,and the influences; in terms of cultural norms, traditions and values they have set before us to carry out so that our lives
can be better.

Three Debts an Individual is Born with

According to the Vedic scriptures an individual is born with three debts. The debt to God is called “Dev-rin”. The debt to the sages and saints is called “Rishi-rin”. The third debt to one’s parents and ancestors is called “Pitri-rin”. These three debts are like three mortgages on one’s life, they are not like liabilities. But, it is an attempt by Hindu scriptures to create an awareness of one’s duties and responsibilities.

“Pitri-rin”

The third debt an individual is expected to pay during one’s life is to one’s parents and ancestors. One’s entire existence, including the family name and the great dharma one belongs to are the gifts of one’s parents and the forefathers or fore-parents. Just like your parents, who brought you into this world, protected you when you were weak and frail, fed you, clothed you, taught you, even tolerated you, your grandparents performed similar duties for your parents.

So how is this debt repaid? Everything that one does in this world should enhance the fame and glory of one’s family, and of one’s forefathers. Your ancestors are anxious to help you in all your endeavors and the departed souls are capable of doing so. However, they have one expectation from all of us and that is to perform acts of charity in their names during their annual visits to your homes in their subtle bodies.

You do not have to believe in this unique Hindu ritual because it is purely based on faith called Shraddha in Hindi. Hence, another name for annual ancestor worship is Shraadh, derived from the word shraddha (faith). However, you will agree it is the responsibility of everyone to keep up the pride of the family line by the performance of actions that promote the good of all. The fortnight of ancestor worship is nothing but a reminder of your lineage and duties towards it.

Karmayoga- a difficult discipline?

2010-08-29T17:01:00.008-04:00

In my first blog on the occasion of upcoming Krishna Janmashtami, I said that of the four main teachings of the Gita I have found Karmayoga (Doing your duty with detachment) as more practical and easier to follow for acquiring perfect happiness than the other three. Now I am saying that it may be a difficult discipline to follow.

Why?

Difficulty in Practicing Karmayoga

The Karmayoga described in the Gita is not mere theoretical proposition, but can be actually reduced into practice. It appears difficult to us only on account of our ignorance of the secret of its performance and our attachment with the body and objects of the world as also due to lack of faith on our part. But as a matter of fact it is not so difficult. Through disinterested performance of duties laid down by the Scriptures with implicit faith in the words of the Gita and according to its directions, attachment for the world will gradually disappear and the secret of Karmayoga will gradually unfold itself to us. Through this process when attachment is completely destroyed and the secret of Karmayoga is revealed to us, practice of Karmayoga will no longer appear difficult.

The Real Problem

The scriptures and saints exhort us with one voice to give up the desire for honour and, fame as something exceedingly harmful. Nevertheless, when honour and praise are bestowed on us they bring joy to our heart and thus we develop attachment to them which in its turn stimulates the desire to win the same. It is due to ignorance or lack of wisdom on our part that in order to serve our minor interests we neglect our greater and truer interest, viz., the supreme bliss and supreme peace. However the real problem is that we have read so much about supreme bliss and peace in books but we have never tasted it. Hence, we are not prepared to renounce worldly and transient pleasure and work for eternal joy, peace and freedom.

What is the solution? I will talk about it in my next posting.

Homage to Lord Krishna on His upcoming Birthday

2010-08-27T11:46:00.002-04:00

Shri Krishna Janmashtami is on September 1, 2010, hence I commence my homage to Lord Krishna beginning today by posting essential teachings of His Song Divine; the famous Bhagvad Gita, which is an epitome of the essential teachings leading to the realization of all human aspirations.

Today I would like to talk about how one can attain a state of perfect happiness by just following one of the four main teachings of the Gita.

First, let me tell you what are the four main teachings of the Gita:

1. Doing your duty with detachment.

2. Praying with devotion.

3. Acquiring wisdom, and

4. Practicing Raj yoga.

Of these four teachings, I have found the first teaching (Doing your duty with detachment) as more practical and easier to follow for acquiring perfect happiness than the other three. Why? Because (a) Raj yoga has to be learned and practiced under a guru, (b) Acquiring wisdom is a very difficult intellectual and philosophical exercise and (c) Praying with devotion, though easily accessible to most of us, requires implicit faith in God, which is not always easy.

Let me now tell you briefly why I consider doing your duty with detachment is the easiest way of acquiring perfect happiness. Detachment or dispassion means, in plain terms, doing a thing wholeheartedly and not getting excited in the least by its result, be it success or failure. I know some of you, like my thousand listeners of Bhajanawali radio and webcasts will tell me that this principle is really not so simple as it appears at first sight. I agree but it still is easier than the other three. Let me explain.

Theoretical interpretations apart, dispassion or detachment presents, in practice, the most practical way of controlling or should I say eliminating the triple weakness of fury, fear and fondness, the root causes of unhappiness.

When an action is performed, two types of results follow: favorable or unfavorable. If the results are as we want them, we call them favorable. But we are human beings, not machines. So, whether favorable or unfavorable, results immediately affect us.

One thing is certain and must be understood: results are not in human hands. If results were to be controlled by us, the consequences would be dreadful. In the history of human beings, results have always remained beyond their reach.

Whatever we do will be followed by results, but they are not ours for the choosing. And yet, when we have unfavorable results to cope with, we become unhappy and sorrowful, refusing to be consoled.

This timeless truth of Gita's teachings (that results are not in human hands) should be understood, and after due reflection, accepted. "Ours is only the trying, the rest is not our business."

So, when faced with unfavorable results, we should not be disturbed and likewise if favorable results come our way, we should not be too jubilant. This is what the Gita says by "Doing your duty with detachment". Perfect happiness is not only controlling sorrow and unhappiness but also restraining our emotions and refusing to allow them to be influenced.

Gyan Rajhans: SRI AUROBINDO- Great Spiritual Visionary

2010-08-12T19:00:00.006-04:00

Next Sunday India marks her 64th day of Independence but I wish to talk about August 15, 1872 when Sri Aurobindo was born.The date is doubly important. Seventy-five years later, exactly on that date - August 15 - India attained her freedom. In a message given on that day Sri Aurobindo, who had played a leading role in the freedom struggle, said:

"I take this coincidence, not as a fortuitous accident, but as the sanction and seal of the Divine Force that guides my steps on the work with which I began life, the beginning of its full fruition."

As one of the greatest yogis of modern India, he predicted on August 15, 1947,"But by whatever means, the division (of India and Pakistan) must and will go and India will be united".

For those, who may not know much about Sri Aurobindo, let me give you his brief bio.

Aravinda A.Ghose (his birth name) was born in Calcutta on 15th of August, 1872. His father, a physician, was an anglicized atheist who sent Aurobindo (as Aravindo came to be known later)to England for education so as to avoid any Indian influence on them.Aurobindo was away from his parents from the age of 7 to 21. He excelled in his studies, became a scholar at King's College, Cambridge.

However, Aurobindo's interests lay elsewhere: poetry and languages, classical and modern, eastern and western, and in Indian Independence. Of his return to India Aurobindo wrote: "Since I set foot on Indian soil I began to have spiritual experiences, but these were not divorced from this world... I found myself entering supra physical world and planes with influences and effects from them on the material plane."

After some government service and teaching, he got involved in the Indian independence movement, was jailed for this, and began his intense striving for the "Life Divine." Sri Aurobindo believed that India had a splendid destiny: Not only in religion and spirituality, but equally "in the sphere of morality, it is her mission to purge barbarism out of humanity."

Because of British persecution, Sri Aurobindo moved to Pondicherry in French India: There he established an Ashram or hermitage, gave up all political activity, and plunged into full spiritual exploration. He wanted to serve mankind through spiritual endeavors. He developed spiritually, and wrote extensively. His fame spread far and wide, and he acquired a large number of disciples.

Sri Aurobindo passed away on December 5, 1950. In words of Dr. K. A. Hakim, " Sri Aurobindo has by a great spiritual vision comprehended into one organized whole the heritage of the East and the West, the old and new. He is rooted into Vedantic consciousness and harks back to the ancient sages of India who had a direct vision of Truth and lived in it."

Let us recall Sri Aurobindo's words which were written many decades ago, but which are still apt today:" People are unable to listen to profound subjects, they laugh at and make fun of everything- dharma, philosophy, high aspiration, great endeavors, liberation of the country. With a grin they want to dismiss anything serious, all that is high and noble."

On his 138th birthday I salute Sri Aurobindo, one of the greatest spiritual visionaries of India, who said on August 15, 1947,"India is free but she has not achieved unity, only a fissured and broken freedom...The partition of the country must go..in this way unity may come about under whatever form-the exact form may have a pragmatic but not a fundamental importance but the division must and will go." Let us hope his prediction comes true sooner than later.

15 Tips to Inner Peace and Happiness

2010-08-05T07:23:00.007-04:00

A few years back I published my article,"10 Commandments for Peace of Mind", which has since been republished by numerous websites and social and religious organizations, some with my permission and others without. However, I truly feel gratified that my article has helped thousands to attain peace of mind. Now I wish to give you 15 tips to peace and happiness based on my own life-experience and they are:

1. Don't expect; don't hope.

2. Don't keep in the heart any injury done by others.

3. Don't compare.

4. Don't build castles in the air.

5. Don't brood over the past.

6. Don't spend too much time in planning your future.

7. Don't get angry on trivial matters.

8. Don't multiply your acquaintances.

9. Don't keep bad company.

10. Don't squander your wealth.

11. Don't think too much of yourself.

12. Don't make mountains out of little moles.

13. Don't be extravagant.

14. Don't make much of trifling things.

and last but not the least

15. Don't forget God as your only natural well-wisher.

I hope to elaborate each tip given above in my future blogs.