Sanskrit, a divine Language Why?
1
There are many aspects by which a language can be said as sacred and how we use it. If a language is used to discover the sacredness, purity and spirituality of life, it becomes a sacred language. Whether or not a language is sacred is determined by who is using it. This in turn has a great deal to do with whether a language is being used consciously or unconsciously, whether we use language as an instrument to accomplish our real purpose in life, that is, wake up and find out who we are; or we are unconsciously programmed by language, to maintain patterns of a struggle for individual survival established by previous generations.
People are always at the effect of the unconscious operation of any language. Suppose a group of people listen to some very simple Sanskrit sounds, sung in a rhythmic sequence, and then individually duplicate the sounds, based upon what they heard many times.Everybody will think that in "my turn" that there is little space left to actually listen and enjoy the sounds. This overriding preoccupation with getting it right is accompanied by an endless barrage of strategies, evaluations, comparisons, judgements, expectations, hopes, rationalizations and fears of consequences. By writing down this list of what everyone was thinking, the unconscious operation of language becomes visible. Most people are not aware they are thinking all this until they see the language of it written on a flip chart.
But this is just peeling away the first layer. There's a still deeper layer of the unconscious operation of language where we have predefined who we are, based on whether or not we get it right.
We are given every opportunity to simply have a good time, improvise, play with sounds. But instead we choose to take it as a test of survival. In other words, it's more important to prove our capacity to survive than it is to have a good time. The hidden unconscious language that we base our lives upon, dictates to us that we must get it right or we will be dominated by others, and that threatens our safety, our well being and ultimately our survival. The first sign of a non-sacred, survival language is that it refers to "getting it right" as "smart", as "success" etc. Such a language defines a person by the way he/she performs in a particular circumstance. The person is always at the effect of the language. If I get it right, I'm smart. If I get it wrong, I'm stupid.
The problems and conflicts that occur with a survival language are myriad. To be happy, one must get it right all the time. And his primary motivation for doing so is to prove that he is brilliant so others won't control him .. The problem with "getting better" is that he becomes programmed to always be getting better, but it's never good enough. Getting better is an endless proposition. This survival model of language has conflict and suffering woven into its very fabric.
This particular phenomenon is defined in the Yoga Sutras as avidyaa, the fundamental lack of awareness which is the root klesha, or subtle cause of all suffering. The definition of avidyaa is: anitya-ashuci-duhkha-anaatmasu nitya-shuci-sukha-aatma-khyaatir avidyaa
"Avidyaa (ignorance) is an identity with a self which is not the self; with happiness in what is actually suffering; with purity in what is really impurity; and permanence in what is really impermanent." Avidyaa perfectly describes the nature of a survival language. A survival language is steeped in avidyaa. As long as who I am, is defined by such a language, I remain the victim of an endless vicious circle.
The question is -- why would we choose a language which keeps us in perpetual self-judgement. The fact is that we never chose the language. It has always been around, and as children, we were given no other options. As long as we do not consciously redesign the way we use language, we remain at the effect of the past, conditioned by the very language of the past to repeat the patterns of the past, again and again.
As long as this survival model of language is in effect, it seems virtually impossible for people to learn Sanskrit. This is to a large degree due to the fact that Sanskrit is a perfect model of a sacred language, and a sacred language cannot be learned by means of a survival language.
This is not to say that English or any other language could not be used as a sacred language. In fact, it has to be, to begin the study of Sanskrit. Conversely, Sanskrit could be used in a survival mode. It's just that in the design of most languages, there is very little safeguard against them being used as survival languages. And in the design of Sanskrit, there is every conceivable feature built in to keep it operating as a sacred language.
The single most outstanding difference between a sacred and a survival language is the definition, orientation and usage in the language of the word "I". "I" or its equivalent is the source of language. Without I, there is no you, he, she or it. The evolution of the word "I" into a complex language is a process of creation. In the development of a sacred language, the process is a conscious one; language is an emanation, a creation, an instrument of "I". In a survival language, "I" is an effect of the cultural patterns already unconsciously established by the language. In Sanskrit, even the sounds which make the word for "I" are consciously selected. AHAM. "A" is the first spoken sound, as well as the first sound of the Sanskrit alphabet. It can be discovered by breathing, in and with the mouth slightly open, releasing the breath with sound that requires the minimal effort. It naturally arises in the throat before the articulation of all other sounds. "HA" is the last letter of the Sanskrit alphabet. After all the systematic patterns created by the movement of the tongue and lips have produced in perfect order all the other letters of the alphabet, the final sound is "HA". It also is the only consonant sound that moves by the power of the breath alone, and the only consonant in exact proximity to "A" . The final letter "M" is the very last sound produced in the mouth, because it occurs due to the closing of the lips. In Sanskrit, AHAM is the beginning, the breath of life which brings forth creation, and the end. And this is expressed not just symbolically by the letters A-H-A-M, but physically, based on their location in the mouth.
The other most important attribute of a sacred language is that each of its individual sounds are regarded as sacred. Anyone can feel this by getting relaxed and repeating the AHAM, over and over, and while doing so, feeling a complete all-encompassing _expression of self. Then, becoming silent, continue to feel "A" as the inhalation and HAM as the exhalation. "A" is the only sound which is truly internal. "HAM" is the most complete _expression possible, arising directly from "A", and closing after passing through all the positions of all other existing sounds. The design of a sacred language is such that the sounds perfectly express the vibrational essence of that which they describe. In this way, words establish knowledge and understanding directly.
The next stage of establishing a sacred language is an intimacy with the other sounds of the language, becoming familiar with their exact location, savoring their delicacy, feeling their force and power, and the unique way they vibrate the body and atmosphere. This is simply a matter of enjoying sound without inhibition, as we did when we were children. In the process of learning the Sanskrit alphabet, one discovers that all sounds are encompassed in "AHAM". As other words are created, the sounds which compose them become the means by which "I-AHAM" establish my relationship of unity with, rather than separateness from, all existence.
Important characteristic of a sacred language is that the purpose for which it's being used is discovering one's own true nature. Sanskrit is so highly developed and refined as a tool for serving this purpose that even the task of learning the language seems "difficult" -- unless the motive for learning is aligned with the function of the language, that is, to know oneself. When Sanskrit is approached with the humility and one-pointedness that is the trademark of a genuine search for truth, it becomes revealed. There arises a simple joy in all aspects of its study. Singing the alphabet is especially inspiring even when one has become proficient. Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, although a master of Sanskrit, with more than 60 years of study behind him, and his speech impaired by a stroke, still seems to find his greatest delight in leading a group of students through the alphabet. Perhaps, this says a much as anything about the nature of a sacred language.
We seldom hear anyone over seven years of age singing the English alphabet. Its not that these sounds aren't enjoyable to sing. We do not have the same relation to the English language that adults and children alike who have learned Sanskrit have with it. That relation is a sacred one, based on the energy conveyed through sound, a love for the unique characteristics of each sound in engaging the mind, body, the breath, vocal resonance, the mouth, tongue and lips.
Because of the simplicity of life in ancient times, there was an acute awareness that all changes in life took place as a result of changes in language. As new discoveries occurred in language, there was an immediate and very noticeable shift in human beings' interactions and in the way that they perceived their environment. The evolution of human awareness was inextricably linked to the development of language. It was natural that more and more attention should be given to its development as the single most important factor in changing the quality of human life. This eventually gave way to discoveries whose magnitude is inconceivable to us in modern times, where language tends to be taken for granted.
The discovery, development and refinement of Sanskrit must have taken place over millennia. Although Sanskrit along with its great power to elevate human consciousness to sublime heights, is often attributed to a divine source, we can also hypothesize that its properties were discoveries that took place as a result of human beings actively and intensively engaging in the discovery of their own divine nature. The most significant question that must have arisen to the ancients was how to continue optimizing the human instrument, the body and mind, as a vehicle for the expansion of awareness and happiness. Knowing that the operation of the instrument depends entirely on the language with which it is programmed, they worked on the refinement of language software. They scrutinized and experimented with the vocal instrument and the structure of the mouth and then selected only those sounds which had the greatest clarity, purity and power of resonance. They then organized these sounds in such a way that they could mutually enhance and brighten one another, and build upon each other's resonance. They explored the factor of breath in creating sound, and discovered that by minimizing the breath with certain sounds and maximizing it with others, the language would induce in the instrument a state of relaxed alertness that could keep it operating efficiently and tirelessly for long periods of time, while expanding and building prana-energy. And as they did this, they became happier.
Furthermore, by coordinating the factors of purity of sound, enhanced resonance and breath, there also developed an awareness of the entire body as a resonating chamber through which sound could be transmitted. With increased vibratory power, the concept of the body as solid matter gradually became replaced by one of the body as the center of an energy field. In the process of transmitting sound energy, they observed subtle changes in the field and found they could expand it by following the sound waves. They had discovered that language has the capacity to convert the body and mind into pure energy. They began to feel joy.
It was further discovered that certain combinations of sounds would enhance the expansion of the field more than others, and this was experimented with, until sound combinations which could bring about this effect universally were revealed. Their joy expanded. These particular combinations became useful words for describing as well as feeling the state of consciousness they induced. In this way the breadth and depth of all that exists was explored. They looked and listened and experienced changes in the energy field, to see how the language could be further refined, what new distinctions could be made. Eventually, they fathomed creation and found their own identity at the very source of it all. Their bliss was boundless. When they spoke with one another in this language they established love and harmony.
Over millennia, Sanskrit was refined as an instrument of Yoga. By 500 B.C. it had reached a point where it was perfected, and ready to be laid down formally. The genius Panini was born for that purpose. So masterful, concise and comprehensive was his great work, Ashtadhyayi in formulating the Sanskrit language, that to this day, two and a half millennia later, no one has been able to improve upon his original work. For 25 centuries, the language has not only survived intact, but thrived through the love of countless enlightened sages, yogis and scholars, basically unmodified. Just imagine a language thriving with little change for 2500 years. In each century there have been spiritual geniuses, who immersed themselves in the blissful and timeless joy of Sanskrit. Many have elaborated or commented on Panini's original work, but none have changed it or replaced it. Yoga has thrived side by side with Sanskrit, but through all the practice, experimentation and discovery that has taken place in that science, there has been little need to develop new language or modify the old language in order to measure or inspire progress. Sanskrit had been perfected by 500 B.C. as a tool for defining the ultimate pinnacle of human aspiration.
Questions tend to come up as to why Sanskrit has not been used more as a popular language, or why we are not now utilizing it more widely. The primary obstacle, as I see it, is that we have had difficulty in accessing Sanskrit in the way that it is designed to be used. Because of the strong belief we hold that we are our body/mind, our primary concern is what is going to happen to us individually. We see the possibility of change, being happy in the future. And we try to choose and do those things which will most certainly secure our future happiness or enlightenment. This equation is almost universally interpreted as "getting more and getting better". The approach never works for learning Sanskrit, or for being happy.
The motivation for learning Sanskrit is the enchantment, inspiration, peace and deep sense of spiritual connection felt when listening to it. Or it may have been a pure childlike enjoyment in duplicating those sounds. Most people would have no difficulty learning Sanskrit, if they simply remained in the mode of what motivated them in the first place, their enjoyment. But something else usually happens. The desire to learn Sanskrit starts to be perceived as a future goal, which, when and if achieved, will represent the securing of the happiness which generated the desire to learn it in the first place. The goal is usually accompanied by an expectation of mastering a certain amount of material within a certain period of time. The problem here is the old conditioning, all past memories of happiness, present or future, being thwarted by difficulties and interruptions. Greatest among these memories is the loss of the simple joy of being a child and the pure direct perception of life we all experienced in our childhood.
The nature of a sacred language such as Sanskrit is the direct way that it models life, or accesses through the purity of its sound and rhythms, the perfection and beauty of life that we all experienced as children. On our first exposure to Sanskrit, we reconnect with that purity and joy, and then with the desire to secure that again in our lives, decide that we must learn the language. On a very deep level, it's a decision to nourish our spirit, and reestablish our oneness with life. But it also at the same time brings us face to face with our existential pain, the entire sum of our conditioning, all that has kept us in a state of feeling alone and separate for the greater part of a lifetime, as well as our repeated failure in attempting to regain that happiness.
Once the task of learning the language is conceived, the criteria for achievement are unconsciously measured. Success is determined by comparing what one has managed to learn with what remains to be known and how much others know. Success also depends on the mastery of a certain quantity of information in a certain period of time. The universal question asked at the beginning, is "How long will it take me to learn it?" But the Sanskrit language is so vast and distinctly different from other languages and other learning tasks, that from the very outset, it becomes apparent that it is going to be very difficult to achieve the expected success in the expected period of time. In addition, there are many Indian speakers and scholars, one could never even hope to catch up with. This inevitably brings the conclusion "Proficiency is further away than I had believed." Along with this assessment -- automatically arise the words "too difficult". Sanskrit is too difficult.
But the problem is not really the perceived difficulty based on the amount of information that exists in the Sanskrit language. The fact that there is more information actually represents more enjoyment. If one were offered a large collection of the greatest music of all time accompanied by a continuous flow of increasingly majestic and panoramic visions, one would not be disappointed because it would take too long to listen to. In other words, discouragement about being able to learn Sanskrit has absolutely nothing to do with Sanskrit. Sanskrit is an enjoyable experience at all stages. Working with Sanskrit increases and develops energy and clarity of mind. There are seemingly an infinite variety of euphonic sound combinations and rhythmic patterns to be enjoyed. Experiencing them expands the capacity of the mind to operate as the cosmic computer it is designed to be.
The only real problem that arises with regard to learning Sanskrit is forgetting why one decided to learn it in the first place -- to feel the joy and purity one felt as a child. When the real purpose is forgotten, we automatically default to concerns about success and failure based on past programming. It is only in regard to this that the idea "too difficult" can arise. Once "too difficult" takes root, the usual result is giving up, because one's image of oneself being proficient, seems too difficult to attain within the time limitations calculated as a factor in producing the necessary satisfaction.
Although such resignation is based on the fact of long-standing pain, it is not the truth. The truth is the original inspiration, the joy, the play, the heightened awareness. If Sanskrit seems too difficult, it's doing its job perfectly. A sacred language must teach us to discover where the energy of being flows, and it becomes easy.
The obvious solution is to have no expectations whatsoever with regard to time or quantities of information. This is an approach which serves our original purpose -- to enter into that timeless dimension. If concerns come up or it seems to be getting difficult, it's merely an indication that we've forgotten our real purpose. The moment the idea of getting or adding "more" arises, we lose the direct absorption, the enjoyment, the sense of play. This is direct bio-feedback
Sanskrit is a play, a dance of energy in the eternal now. It, modeling life, is perfectly designed to take us beyond our expectations, our self images, our programming. But we must be ready to be in the role of a perpetual learner, a student of life, of the ancient, eternal wisdom, miraculously encoded in this sacred language. If we believe that by learning a sacred language, we will gain knowledge and power, then we look to a future goal which is by definition opposed to our true nature. The power of a sacred language is to immediately mirror this back, as if to say, NO ACCESS. A sacred language, is one which guides us to our own true nature, and every time we derail ourselves, reminds us in some way that we're missing out on its real nourishment. If we are going to engage, it must be with our total being, one pointed awareness, free from the distraction of where it might bring us, or rather, we might take it in the future.
Sanskrit is the living heritage of great rishis who walked this earth thousands of years ago. It presents us with an awesome responsibility and a lifelong challenge, while it inspires us to remain fully engaged in exploring what's possible for a human being. Learning Sanskrit is an opportunity to know directly for ourselves what the rishis discovered long ago. Most important, when approached as a sacred language, it makes us happy.
From the perspective of Yoga, all life ultimately merges into samadhi. It could be said that samadhi is the essence of yoga, In the Yoga Sutras, samadhi is defined, "tad evaathamaatraanirbhaasam-svaruupa-shuunyam iva samaadhih" that (consciousness, engaged in sustained focus upon a single object), reflecting the object alone, as if empty of its own nature, is samadhi. Everyone has had the experience of samadhi, whether in childhood, or some deeply absorbing experience, such as listening to music. It's a period when our usual identity disappears because our habitual use of language has been discontinued.
Many teachers used to say "the body is a prison only when you cannot come and go as you please". The experience of samadhi is the freedom to come and go. Without samadhi we live in a prison of language, whose walls consist of words, whose bars and locked doors are the meanings and significance we unknowingly give to those words. Unknowingly, because the meanings were never consciously selected. They were programmed into us by prior generations. For example, when people make a mistake, they tend to feel stupid or embarrassed. But whoever (aside from lexicographers) really defined for themselves what a "mistake" is? The great sage Shankara (in the famous Bhajagovindam) wrote:
satsangatve nissangatvam nissangatve nirmohatvam
nirmohatve nishchalatatvam nishchalatattvam jiivanmuktiH
In a state of satsanga, good company, (comes) non-attachment; in non-attachment, a state beyond confusion; in truth beyond confusion, motionlessness; in motionlessness, living freedom.
The verse could be used as a model of the necessary conditions for making the shift from being at the effect of language to being at the source of it. It all begins with satsanga, good company. The best example of this that I know of is a group of people who have come together to learn Sanskrit. It seems that on some level, perhaps unconsciously, a person who has decided to learn Sanskrit, has decided in some way to use this sacred language for that which it was designed -- to be free. It is remarkably easy for such a group of people to change their relation to language, to put themselves at the source of language and then select and use language in a way that gives them access to Sanskrit, with ease and enjoyment. Without the mutual agreement of the group, satsanga, good company, it would be highly unlikely that the shift could ever take place. We grew up in a world where a mistake was a bad thing, enough so that most people would not risk making one. This led to massive withdrawal. Though people remained in a group, they were not really part of the group. In truth, fear dominated nearly all groups. Natural unity was shattered. The satsanga was lost. Groups were ineffective. Alone, individuals were powerless. Everyone was hopelessly at the effect of the language of right/wrong and smart/stupid. In effect, a "group" could have been defined as a "body of people which has come together to determine who is worthy and who is unworthy."
Fortunately, the Sanskrit language has given us the word "satsanga", which could be defined as "a body of people who have come together (sanga) to ascertain reality (sat)." The fundamental agreement of such a group, such as the one which has come together to learn Sanskrit, is that "I" am prior to language. I use language to direct my attention to a full appreciation of the beautiful sounds of the Sanskrit language, their harmonies and their organization, as well as the truths expressed through the language. The language that makes this possible is the language of yoga, another gift of Sanskrit. The satsanga agrees upon abhyaasa the selecting and sustained attention upon a single focal point, for example, listening to the sounds of the Sanskrit language. It's also agreed that there's nothing "wrong" with being off the point. Becoming aware that I am off point, without satsanga -- I might worry about what I missed that others got, I might worry about being left behind -- "others are succeeding where I fail." But in satsanga where the language of yoga has been agreed upon, there is vairaagya or non-attachment, "the full awareness of my own mastery to not-attach myself to habitual experience and simply return to the point, and even acknowledge 'I missed something -- could it be repeated?'". For the satsanga, if anyone missed anything, it's an opportunity for it to be reviewed and clarified and enjoyed again by everyone. It sounds too good to be true. Yet it happens exactly this way by shifting our relationship to language. This would not be possible without satsanga.
In the state of satsanga (satsangatve) comes non-attachment (nissangatvam). There is no more attachment to being right, and concurrently the fear of being wrong. The real satisfaction derived from the wholeness of group unity, the much greater capacity of the group to focus together, enjoy sound together, appreciate the beauty of Sanskrit together, all make the prior condition of being at the effect of words such as right/wrong or smart /stupid or success/failure seem totally irrelevant. Through satsanga, there's a complete shift in our relation to language -- we see through the prison walls.
In non-attachment (nissangatve), there comes a state beyond confusion (nirmohatvam). I'm no longer holding myself back because of the fear of consequences. I am feeling my oneness with the group. It's safe to put myself into it. There is no conflict over wanting acceptance, while fearing rejection. My confusion over whether to participate or not - will I be rejected if I do it wrong or isolated if I do it right -- is gone. The illusion, and the confusion (moha) of being separate from others dissolves. The truth that we are one emerges. When we move as one, we go beyond success and failure and access our natural ability to perfectly reflect whatever we perceive -- samadhi.
In the state beyond confusion (nirmohatve), is motionlessness (nishcalitatvam). This happens in the Sanskrit satsanga. In the absence of striving to be better, fearing getting worse, the old language that raced through our mind stops. The mind becomes still, sensitive. A state of listening is present, samÙdhi, in which we feel the nuances of Sanskrit, its power, and the subtle way it resonates in the heart of our being, like ancient and eternal music. There's no more struggle to learn, to gain and accumulate knowledge. The words of Sanskrit, through their sound vibration are like waves of pure energy, which we enjoy as if watching a performance taking place inside us -- while their meanings describe our own fathomless perfection, as the seer of all, ancient, eternal.
In motionlessness (nishcalitatve), living freedom (jiivanmukti), The prison walls, even the memory that they were ever there, has dissolved. From beginning to end, from the first attempt to learn Sanskrit to the direct experience of the meaning of its ancient words of truth and power, Sanskrit generates and establishes an entirely different relationship with language. It's the proper relationship, the true one, establishing our real unity, freedom from the bondage of the past illusions. It keeps us savoring the timeless enjoyment of the universe of sound, and a perfect creation.
By studying this sacred language only, the soul of India can be understood and a good example among foreigners, we can say, is Max Muller a German Scholar.
2. HINDUISM OM GANESAYA NAMH
Hinduism is the mother of all religions and it is individual's (jeevatma) association with the Supreme (Paramatma), and the ultimate objective of religion is realization of Truth. Forms which symbolize Truth are only indications; they are not Truth itself, which transcends all conceptualization. The mind in its efforts to understand Truth through reasoning must always fail, for Truth transcends the very mind which seeks to embrace it. (Tatwamasi)
It is unique among the world's religions. We may boldly proclaim it the greatest and oldest religion in the world. To begin with, it is mankind's oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. Hinduism's venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother of all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible because Hinduism looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual effort and knows unmistakably that all souls are evolving toward union with the Divine, and all are destined, without exception, to achieve spiritual enlightenment and liberation in this or a future life.
Any religion in the world is considered as a mind stratum within people It is a group of people who think consciously, subconsciously and subsuperconsciously alike and who are guided by their own superconsciousness and the superconsciousness of their leaders which make up the force field which we call a religion. It does not exist outside the mind. People of a certain religion have all been impressed with the same experiences. They have all accepted the same or similar beliefs and attitudes, and their mutual concurrence creates the bonds of fellowship and purpose, of doctrine and communion.
The people in Hinduism through a shared mind structure can understand, acknowledge, accept and love all the peoples of the world, encompass them within their mind as being fine religious people. The Hindu truly believes that there is a single Eternal Path, but he does not believe that any one religion is the only valid religion or the only religion that will lead the soul to salvation. Rather, the Eternal Path is seen reflected in all religions.
The will of God or the Gods is at work in all genuine worship and service. It is said in Hindu scripture that "Truth is one. Paths are many." The search for Truth, for God, is called the Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Path because it is inherent in the soul itself, where religion begins. This path, this return to his Source, is ever existent in man, and is at work whether he is aware of the processes or not. There is not this man's search and that man's search. And where does the impetus come from? It comes from the inside of man himself. Thus, Hinduism is ever vibrant and alive for it depends on this original source of inspiration, this first impulse of the spirit within, giving it an energy and a vibrancy that is renewable eternally in the now.
The Hindu feels that his faith is the broadest, the most practical and effective instrument of spiritual unfoldment, but he includes in his Hindu mind all the religions of the world as expressions of the one Eternal Path and understands each proportionately in accordance with its doctrines and dogma. He knows that certain beliefs and inner attitudes are more conducive to spiritual growth than others, and that all religions are, therefore, not the same. They differ in important ways. Yet, there is no sense whatsoever in Hinduism of an "only path." A devout Hindu is supportive of all efforts that lead to a pure and virtuous life and would consider it unthinkable to dissuade a sincere devotee from his chosen faith. This is the Hindu mind, and this is what we teach, what we practice and what we offer aspirants on the path.
To the Hindu, conduct and the inner processes of the soul's maturation are more essential than the particular religion one may be by the accidents of birth, culture or geography. The Hindu knows that he might unknowingly disturb the dharma of the individual if he pulls him away from his religious roots, and that would cause an unsavory karma for them both. He knows, too that it is not necessary that all people believe exactly the same way or call God by the same name.
Hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether dogmatic in its beliefs. Its doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy of nonviolence and compassion, its certainty of mystical realities and experience and its universality are held with unshakable conviction. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Hinduism is a religion more of experience than of doctrine. It prefers to say to its followers, "This is the nature of Truth, and these are the means by which that truth may be realized. Here are the traditions which have withstood time and proved most effective. Now you may test them in your own life, prove them to yourself. And we will help as we can." It will never say, "You must do or believe thusly or be condemned." In Hinduism it is believed that none are eternally condemned. That loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the goodness of life are another reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest religion even though not the largest in the world.
Within Hinduism, as within every religious system, are the practical means of attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity of life. Each Hindu is enjoined to attend a puja every day, preferably at a certain and consistent time. He must observe the laws of virtue and the codes of ethics. He must serve others, support religion within his community. He should occasionally pilgrimage to sacred shrines and temples, and partake in the sacraments. If he is more advanced, an older soul, then he is expected, expects of himself, to undertake certain forms of sadhana and tapas, of discipline and asceticism.
Though it is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to inquire, Hinduism is narrowly strict in its expectations of devotees--the more awakened the soul, the higher the demands and responsibilities placed upon him. And though other systems of belief are fully acceptable mind structures within the structure of the higher mind, there is no way out of Hinduism. There is no excommunication. There is no means of severance. There's no leaving Hinduism once you have formally accepted and been accepted. Why is that? That is because Hinduism contains the whole of religion within itself. There is no "other religion" which one can adopt by leaving Hinduism, only other aspects of the one religion which is the sum of them all, the Eternal Path, the Sanatana Dharma.
It can be said that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness and compassion and tolerance just mentioned, that Hinduism would be the greatest religion on the basis of its profound mysticism alone. No other faith boasts such a deep and enduring comprehension of the mysteries of existence, or possesses so vast a metaphysical system. The storehouse of religious revelation in Hinduism cannot be reckoned. I know of its equal nowhere. It contains the entire system of yoga, of meditation and contemplation and Self Realization. Nowhere else is there such insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle pranas and the chakras, or psychic centers within the nerve system. Inner states of superconsciousness are explored and mapped fully in Hinduism, from the clear white light to the sights and sounds which flood the awakened inner consciousness of man. In the West it is the mystically awakened soul who is drawn to Hinduism for understanding of inner states of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking that Hinduism possesses answers which do not exist elsewhere and is capable of guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata.
The various scriptures written thousands of years ago explain how we should live, and saints and rishis and seers throughout the ages have told us that it is impossible to live that way. So, Hinduism has a great tolerance for those who strive and a great forgiveness for those who fail. It looks in awe at those who succeed in living a life according to its own strict ethics. In Hinduism we have many, many saints. You don't have to die to be acknowledged a saint in our religion, you have to live. The Hindus, perhaps beyond all other people on the earth, realize the difficulties of living in a human body and look in awe at those who achieve true spirituality.
Hindus believes in reincarnation. He believes that he is not the body in which he lives, but the soul or awareness which takes on a body for a definite purpose. He believes he is going to get a better body in a better birth, that the process does not begin and end in a single life, that the process is continuous, reaching beyond the limits that one life may impose on inner progress. Of course, his belief in karma assures him that a better birth, that progress inwardly, will come only if he behaves in a certain way. He knows that if he does not behave according to the natural laws, to the Hindu ethics, that he will suffer for his transgressions in a future life, or future lives, that he may by his own actions earn the necessity of a so-called inferior birth, earn the right to start over where he left off in the birth in which he failed.
This belief in more than a single life brings to the Hindu a great sense of peace. He knows that the maturity of the soul takes many lives, perhaps hundreds of lives. If he is not perfect right now, then at least he knows that he is progressing, that there will be many opportunities for learning and growing. This eliminates anxiety, gives the serene perception that everything is all right as it is. There is no sense of a time limit, of an impending end or an ultimate judgement of his actions and attitudes. This understanding that the soul evolves gives the Hindu remarkable insight into the human condition and appreciation for all men in all stages of spiritual development.
Within it there is a place for the insane and a place for the saint. There is a place for the beggar and for those who support beggars. There is a place for the intelligent person and plenty of room for the fool. The beauty of Hinduism is that it does not demand of every soul perfection in this life, a necessary conclusion for those who believe in a single lifetime during which human perfection or grace must be achieved. Belief in reincarnation gives the Hindu an acceptance of every level of humanity. Some souls are simply older souls than others, but all are inherently the same, inherently immortal and of the nature of the Divine.
In Hinduism it is believed that the Gods are living, thinking, dynamic beings who live in a different world, in an inner world in the microcosm within this world in which there exists a greater macrocosm than this visible macrocosm. For the Hindu, surrender to the Divine Will, that created and pervades and guides the universe, is essential. The Hindu believes that these beings guide our experiences on earth, actually consciously guide the evolutionary processes. Therefore, he worships these beings as greater beings than himself, and he maintains a subjective attitude toward them, wondering if he is attuned with these grand forces of the universe, if his personal will is in phase with what these great beings would have him do. This gives birth to a great culture, a great attitude, a great tolerance and kindness one to another. It gives rise to humility in the approach to life. Not a weak or false humility, but a strong and mature sense of the grand presence and purpose of life before which the head naturally bows.
There are said to be millions of Gods in the Hindu pantheon, though only a few major Deities are actually worshipped in the temples. That God may be worshipped as the Divine Father, or a Sainted Mother or the King of Kings is one of the blessings of Hinduism. It offers to each a personal and significant contact, and each Hindu will choose that aspect of the Deity which most appeals to his inner needs and sensibilities. That can be confusing to some, but not to the Hindu. Within his religion is monism and dualism, monotheism and polytheism, and a rich array of other theological views.
God and Goddess in Hinduism is accepted as both transcendent and immanent, both beyond the mind and the very substratum of the mind. The ideal of the Hindu is to think of God always, every moment, and to be ever conscious of God's presence. This does not mean the transcendent God, the Absolute Lord. That is for the yogi to ponder in his contemplative discipline. That is for the well-perfected Hindu who has worshipped faithfully in the temples, studied deeply the scriptures and found his guru. For most Hindus, God means the Gods, one of the many personal devas and Mahadevas which prevail in our religion. This means a personal great soul which may never have known physical birth, a being which pervades the planet, pervades form with His mind and Being, and which guides evolution. Such a God is capable of offering protection and direction to the followers of Hinduism. The Hindu is supposed to think of God every minute of every day, to see God everywhere. Of course, most of us don't think of God even one minute a day. That's the reason that each Hindu is obliged to conduct or attend at least one religious service, one puja or ceremony, every day in his temple or home shrine. This turns his mind inward to God and the Gods.
Hinduism is an Eastern religion, and the Eastern religions are very different from those of the West. For one thing, they are more introspective. Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism, for Buddha was born and died as a good Hindu. And it gave birth to other religions of the East, to Taoism, to Jainism, to Sikhism and others.
There are three distinct aspects of Hinduism: the temples, the philosophy and the guru. It is very fortunate that in the last decade Hindu temples have nearly circumferenced the world. There are temples in Europe, in the United States, in South America, in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia. The Hindu temple and stone images in it work as a channel for the Deity, for the Gods, who hover over the stone image and in their subtle etheric forms change people's lives through changing the nerve currents within them through their darshan. People come to a sanctified temple and go away, and in that process they are slowly changed from the inside out. They have changed because their very life force has changed, their mind has been changed and their emotions have undergone a subtle transformation. The temples of Hinduism are magnificent in their immensity and in their ability to canalize the three worlds, the First World of physical, outer existence and the inner Second and Third Worlds. Hindu temples are not centered around a priest or minister, though there may be a holy man associated with a temple whose advice is cautiously and quietly sought. There is no sermon, no mediator, no director to guide the worship of pilgrims. The temple is the home of the Deities, and each devotee goes according to his own timing and for his own particular needs. Some may go to weep and seek consolation in times of sorrow, while simultaneously others will be there to rejoice in their good fortune and to sing God's name in thanksgiving. Naturally, the sacraments of name-giving and marriage and so forth are closely associated with the temple. One has only to attend a Hindu temple during festival days to capture the great energy and vitality of this ancient religion.
In its second section, of philosophy, Hinduism has influenced the deep religious thinkers of all cultures through known history. It is not a single philosophy which can be labeled "Hinduism." Rather, it is a network of many philosophies, some seeming to impertinently contradict the validity of others, yet on deeper reflection seen as integral aspects of a single radiant mind flow. In the area of philosophy must be included the enormous array of scripture, hymns, mantrams, devotional bhajan and philosophical texts which are certainly unequaled in the world. In the natural order of things temple worship precedes philosophy. It all starts with the temple, with this sacred house of the Deities, this sanctified site where the three worlds communicate, where the inner and outer mesh and merge. It is there that devotees change. They become more like the perfect being that lives in the temple, become the voice of the Deity, writing down what is taught them from the inside, and their writings, if they are faithful to the superconscious message of the God, become scripture and make up the philosophies of Hinduism. The philosophies then stand alone as the voice of the religion. They are taught in the universities, discussed among scholars, meditated upon by yogis and devout seekers. It is possible to be a good Hindu by only learning the philosophy and never going to the temple, or by simply going to the temple and never hearing of the deeper philosophies.
Hinduism has still another section within it, and that is the guru--the teacher, the illuminator, the spiritual preceptor. The guru is the remover of darkness. He is one who knows the philosophy, who knows the inner workings of the temple, and who in himself is the philosopher and the temple. The guru is he who can enliven the spirit within people. Like the temple and the philosophy, he stands alone, apart from the institutions of learning, apart from sites of pilgrimage. He is himself the source of knowledge, and he is himself the pilgrim's destination. Should all the temples be destroyed, they would spring up again from the seeds of philosophy, or from the presence of a realized man. And if all the scriptures and philosophical treatises were burned, they would be written again from the same source. So Hinduism cannot be destroyed. It can never be destroyed. It exists as the spirit of religion within each being. Its three aspects, the temple, the philosophy and the guru, individually proficient, taken together make Hinduism the most vital and abundant religion in the world.
Hinduism has a grand diversity among its many sects. That diversity is itself strength, showing how broad and encompassing Hinduism is. It does not seek to have all devotees believe exactly alike. In fact, it has no central authority, no single organized institution which could ever proclaim or enforce such sameness. There is an immense inner unity, but the real strength and wisdom of Hinduism is its diversity, its variety. There are so many sects within Hinduism that you could spend a lifetime studying them and never begin to assess them all. More is there than any single human being could assimilate in a single lifetime. Hinduism, therefore, has the magnetism to draw us back into its immensity life after life. Each sect may be said to be a full religion in its own right, with all the increments of faith, with no necessary part missing. Therefore, each sect works for the individuals within it completely, and each tolerates all the other sects. It does not totally divorce itself from the other sects, denying their beliefs, but simply separates to stress or expound a limited area of the vast philosophy, apart from all others, to be understood by the limited faculties of man.
These various sects and divisions within Hinduism all spring from a one source. Most Hindus believe in the transcendental God as well as the personal Lord or God, and yet there is within the boundaries of the faith room for the nonbeliever, for the atheist or for the agnostic who is assessing and developing his beliefs. This brings another unique asset to our religion--the absence of heresy. There is no such thing as a heretic in Hinduism, for there is no single right perspective or belief. Doctrine and sadhana are not considered absolutes, but the means to an absolute end, and they can be tailored to individual needs and natures. My Guru would say that different prescriptions are required for different ailments.
In Hinduism there is no person or spiritual authority who stands between man and God. In fact, Hinduism teaches just the opposite. The priests in the temples are the servants of the Deity, the helper, the keeper of the Gods' house. He prepares and purifies the atmosphere of the temple, but he does not intervene between the devotee and his God--whichever of the many Gods within our religion that he may be worshiping. Without a mediator, responsibility is placed fully upon the individual.
There is on one to intercede on his behalf. He is responsible for his actions, for his thoughts, for his emotions, for his relationship with his God. He must work out his beliefs from the inside without undue dependence upon external influences. Of course, there is much help, as much as may be needed, from those who have previously gone through what he is now going through. It is not enough that he adopts an authorized dogma. He must study and bring the teachings to life from within himself.
Within the philosophy each philosopher proclaims that God can be found within man if man practices the proper precepts of yoga and delves within himself through his kundalini force. The guru himself teaches the awakening of that force and how God can be realized in His transcendental as well as His personal aspect within the sphere of one's own personal experience in this very lifetime if he but pursues the path and is obedient.
Hinduism is unique because God and man, mind and God, instinctive mind, intellectual mind and superconscious mind, can merge as one, according to the evolution of the individual. Each one, according to his own self-created karma, has his own fulfillment. Those in the first stages of evolution, whose interests and experiences are basically instinctive, who possess little intellect or mental prowess are guided by their emotions and impulses are generally fearful. They have a personal experience of the Deity in the temple, but it is generally a fearful experience. They are afraid of God. Alongside of them during a puja is a great rishi who has had many hundreds of lives on this planet. He has his own personal experience of God, but it is an experience of love, of oneness and of union. There they are, side by side. Each experience of God is as real to one as to the other. There is no one in-between, no arbitrator of the experience to compel the one to see God exactly as the other one does.
Hinduism is as broad as humanity is, as diverse as people are diverse. It is for the rich and the poor, for the mystic and for the materialist. It is for the sage and the fool. None is excluded. In a Hindu temple one can find every variety of humanity. The man of accumulated wealth is there, supporting the institutions that have grown up around the temple, seeking to spend his abundance wisely and for its best purpose so that good merit may be earned for his next life. The pauper is there, begging in hopes that perhaps he will eat tomorrow and the God will inspire some devotee to give Him a coin or two. So a Hindu temple is a reflection of life, set in the midst of the life of the community. It is not making an effort to be better than the life of the village, only to serve that life and direct it to its next stage of evolution. The same Hindu mind which can consume within it all the religions of the world can and does consume within it all of the peoples of the world who are drawn to the temple by the shakti, the power, of the temple. Such is the great embracing compassion of our religion.
The greatness of Hinduism cannot be compared with other religions. There is no basis for comparison. Hinduism has no beginning, therefore will certainly have no end. It was never created, and therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is a God-centric religion. The center of it is God. All of the other religions are prophet-centric. The center of those religions is a great saint or sage, a prophet, a messenger or messiah, some God-Realized person who has lived on earth and died. Perhaps he was born to create that particular sect, that particular religion, needed by the people of a certain part of the world at a certain time in history. The Hindus acknowledge this and recognize all of the world's religious leaders as great prophets, as great souls, as great incarnations, perhaps, of the Gods, or as great realized beings who have through their realization and inward practices incarnated themselves into, or transformed themselves into, eminent religious leaders and attracted devotees to them to give forth the precepts of life all over again and thus guide a tribe, or a nation or a race, into a better way of life.
The Hindu mind can encompass this, appreciate it, for it is firmly settled in a God-centric religion. The center of Hinduism is the Absolute, the timeless, formless, spaceless God who manifests as Pure Consciousness and as the most perfect form conceivable, the Primal Soul. He radiates out from that form as a myriad of Gods and Goddesses who inhabit the temples and bless the people, inspire the scriptures, inspire the spiritual leaders and uplift humanity in general. It is a one God in many forms.
There are nearly sixtyfive crores Hindus in the world today. Hinduism attends to the needs of each one. It is the only religion in the world today that has such breadth and depth. Hinduism contains the Deities and the sanctified temples, the esoteric knowledge of inner states of consciousness, yoga and the disciplines of meditation. It possesses a gentle compassion and a genuine tolerance and appreciation for other religions. It remains undogmatic and open to inquiry. It believes in a just world in which every soul is guided by karma to the ultimate goal of Self Realization, or moksha. It rests content in the knowledge of the divine origin of the soul, its passage through one life and another until maturity has been reached. It offers guidance to all who take refuge in it, from the nonbeliever to the most evolved rishi. It cherishes the largest storehouse of scripture and philosophy on the earth, and the oldest. It is endowed with a tradition of saints and sages, of realized men and women, unrivaled on the earth. It is the sum of these, and more, which makes us boldly declare that Hinduism is the greatest, even though not the largest, religion in the entire world.
People in other religions may question the sanctity of idol worship and we can say it is only due to ignorance. God is all-pervading formless Being.
The divinity of the all-pervading God is vibrant in every atom of creation. There is not a speck of space where He is not. Why do you then say that He is not the idols?
The idol is a support for the neophyte. It is a prop of his spiritual childhood. A form or image is necessary for worship in the beginning. It is not possible for all to fix the mind on the Absolute or the Infinite. A concrete form is necessary for the vast majority for practicing concentration.
Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but shining channels through which the heart of the devotee flows towards God. Though the image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it and pours out his devotion unto it. The idol remains an idol, but the worship goes to the Lord.
To a devotee, the image is a mass of Chaitanya or consciousness. He draws inspiration from the image. The image guides him. It talks to him. It assumes human form to help him in a variety of ways. Idol worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. The Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one in kind, but only one of degree.
All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image. Everyone is an idol worshipper. Pictures and drawings are only a form of idol. A gross mind needs a concrete symbol as a prop or Alambana; a subtle mind requires an abstract symbol. Even a Vedantin has the symbol OM for fixing the wandering mind. It is not only pictures or images in stone and wood that are idols. Dialectics and leaders also become idols.
OM TATSAT
3.HAPPINESS
Everywhere in this universe, in one respect man’s condition is the same. No matter how vastly different he may be in the outer appearance of his life, different countries, different races, different cultures, different languages, different ways of living, eating, dressing, etc., he may be completely different in all of these aspects, but there is one thing that is the same to all human individuals. And it is this factor that binds them into a global unity. If analyzed, it will be discovered that all humanity is engaged ceaselessly, day after day, from the cradle to the grave, only in trying to avoid painful experiences and in trying to attain that which gives them happiness.
Yet, beloved seeker, let me ask you this one very important question. Since the time of creation, is there one single individual who has been born onto this earth who can stand up boldly and declare, "In my life I have never experienced any sorrow or pain or suffering whatsoever. My whole life has been a life full of joy, full of happiness, full of bliss". You will find that there is not even one single individual on earth who has not had at some time or another some type of pain or suffering or grief or sorrow.
This is a world of pain and sorrow. With a few minutes thoughtful reflection you will see that this is so. Many painful experiences are brought about by natural forces beyond our control—floods, earthquakes, tidal waves, cyclones, fires, famines. Then there is suffering brought about by other forms of life—germs, microbes, bacteria, viruses, insects, reptiles, animals. But by far the greatest source of suffering is caused by man himself. It is suffering that is self-created, that arises within our own psychological self due to desire and attachment for worldly objects—love and hate, anger and passion, fear, worry, tension, anxiety, jealousy, envy, greed, frustration, disappointment, disillusionment, the sorrow of separation, bereavement, and all other varieties of restlessness of mind due to our multitude of desires.
Everyone thinks happiness is to be found in objects and experiences. Everyone thinks, "If I could only attain certain objects, if I could only possess them, if I could experience them, I will get happiness." In spite of countless disappointments and disillusionments, man never learns.
There is not an iota of happiness in earthly objects. No object is perfect. They do not have in them the power or ability to give you lasting happiness or joy because they are finite and they are imperfect. Otherwise, they must be able to give a homogeneous state of happiness to all beings at all times under all conditions. But what do you actually see?
If you like milk and you take a glass full of sweetened milk flavoured with spices, the first glass may give you satisfaction. And if you are pressed upon to take another glass, the second glass may give satisfaction, but it is not the same degree of happiness or pleasure as was the first glass. And if your stomach is already full with two glasses of milk, if you try to take a third glass of milk, it becomes unpleasant, it becomes undesirable. And if it is forced upon you, a fourth glass of milk produces nausea and you will have to throw it up. Where then is real happiness?
If milk had in it the power of giving happiness, it must be able to grant you this happiness at all times, under all conditions. It cannot change its nature. Such examples show that all experiences derived from the contact of senses with their respective sense-objects ultimately are experiences that end in disappointment.
Therefore, the great world teacher, Lord Krishna had this very important insight to impart to us when he said: "O Arjuna, all these experiences brought about by the contact of one or other of the five senses with their respective sense objects, these experiences are ultimately the source of sorrow. There is no real happiness in these sense contacts and sense experiences. They are but mere momentary sensations afterwards giving you pain."
4.Mantra Therapy
Handed down since ancient times by religious seers who had attained self-realization by chanting them, mantras are words or syllables in Sanskrit which when repeated in meditation helps you transcend into a higher state of consciousness. As sound energies that have always existed the universe, they cannot be created or destroyed and command the power to heal you physically & spiritually. At the very basic level mantras help you to concentrate in meditation. And once you enter its auspicious circle, the mind instantly gets focussed and you discover a new realm of peace and tranquility.
The original of all mantras, Om, is the root of all sounds, thus letters and therefore of all language and thought. The "O" is generated deep within the body, from inside the navel, and slowly brought upward joining with the "m" which then resonates through the entire head. Chanting Om in a whisper correctly for twenty minutes relaxes every atom in of every cell of your body.
A mala (garland of Sandal or Rudraksha) is often used in accompaniment. It has one hundred and eight beads plus the larger `meru' beads. Holding it in the right hand, start at the meru and roll the beads along one by one between your thumb and third fingers while repeating your mantra. When you reach the meru, roll the mala in the opposite direction. Do not cross over the meru bead.
5
BHAGAVAD GITA AND MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Management has become a part and parcel in everyday life, be it at home, office, factory, Government, or in any other organization where a group of human beings assemble for a common purpose, management principles come into play through their various facets like management of time, resources, personnel, materials, machinery, finance, planning, priorities, policies and practice.
Management is a systematic way of doing all activities in any field of human effort. It is about keeping oneself engaged in interactive relationship with other human beings in the course of performing one's duty. Its task is to make people capable of joint performance, to make their weaknesses irrelevant -so says the Management Guru Peter Drucker.
It strikes harmony in working -equilibrium in thoughts and actions, goals and achievements, plans and performance, products and markets. It resolves situations of scarcities be they in the physical, technical or human fields through maximum utilization with the minimum available processes to achieve the goal
The lack of management will cause disorder, confusion, wastage, delay, destruction and even depression. Managing men, money and material in the best possible way according to circumstances and environment is the most important and essential factor for a successful management. Managing men is supposed have the best tactics. Man is the first syllable in management which speaks volumes on the role and significance of man in a scheme of management practices. From the pre-historic days of aborigines to the present day of robots and computers the ideas of managing available resources have been in existence in some form or other. When the world has become a big global village now, management practices have become more complex and what was once considered a golden rule is now thought to be an anachronism.
Management Guidelines from The Bhagavad Gita
There is an important distinction between effectiveness and efficiency in managing.
Effectiveness is doing the right things and
Efficiency is doing things right.
The general principles of effective management can be applied in every fields the differences being mainly in the application than in principles. Again, effective management is not limited in its application only to business or industrial enterprises but to all organisations where the aim is to reach a given goal through a Chief Executive or a Manager with the help of a group of workers.
The Manager's functions can be briefly summed up as under :
Forming a vision and planning the strategy to realise such vision.
Cultivating the art of leadership
Establishing the institutional excellence and building an innovative organisation.
Developing human resources.
Team building and teamwork
Delegation, motivation, and communication and
Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps whenever called for.
Thus Management is a process in search of excellence to align people and get them committed to work for a common goal to the maximum social benefit.
The critical question in every Manager's mind is how to be effective in his job. The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad Gita which repeatedly proclaims that 'you try to manage yourself'. The reason is that unless the Manager reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness that sets him apart from the others whom he is managing, he will be merely a face in the crowd and not an achiever.
In this context the Bhagavad Gita expounded thousands of years ago by the Super Management Guru Bhagawan Sri Krishna enlightens us on all managerial techniques leading to a harmonious and blissful state of affairs as against conflicts, tensions, lowest efficiency and least productivity, absence of motivation and lack of work culture etc common to most of the Indian enterprises today.
The modern management concepts like vision, leadership, motivation, excellence in work, achieving goals, meaning of work, attitude towards work, nature of individual, decision making, planning etc., are all discussed in the Bhagavad Gita with a sharp insight and finest analysis to drive through our confused grey matter making it highly eligible to become a part of the modem management syllabus.
It may be noted that while Western design on management deals with the problems at superficial, material, external and peripheral levels, the ideas contained in the Bhagavad Gita tackle the issues from the grass roots level of human thinking because once the basic thinking of man is improved it will automatically enhance the quality of his actions and their results.
The management thoughts emanating from the Western countries particularly the U.S.A. are based mostly on the lure for materialism and a perennial thirst for profit irrespective of the quality of the means adopted to achieve that goal. This phenomenon has its source in abundance in the West particularly the U.S.A. Management by materialism caught the fancy of all the countries the world over, India being no exception to this trend.
Our country has been in the forefront in importing those ideas mainly because of its centuries old indoctrination by the colonial rulers which inculcated in us a feeling that anything Western is always good and anything Indian is always inferior. Hence our management schools have sprung up on the foundations of materialistic approach wherein no place of importance was given to a holistic view.
The result is while huge funds have been invested in building these temples of modem management education, no perceptible changes are visible in the improvement of the quality of life although the standard of living of a few has gone up. The same old struggles in almost all sectors of the economy, criminalisation of institutions, more and more social violence, exploitation and such other vices have gone deep in the body politic.
The reasons for this sorry state of affairs are not far to seek. The western idea of management has placed utmost reliance on the worker (which includes Managers also) -to make him more efficient, to increase his productivity. They pay him more so that he may work more, produce more, sell more and will stick to the organisation without looking for alternatives. The sole aim of extracting better and more work from him is for improving the bottom-line of the enterprise. Worker has become a hireable commodity, which can be used, replaced and discarded at will.
The workers have also seen through the game plan of their paymasters who have reduced them to the state of a mercantile product. They changed their attitude to work and started adopting such measures as uncalled for strikes, Gheraos, sit-ins, dharnas, go-slows, work-to-rule etc to get maximum benefit for themselves from the organisations without caring the least for the adverse impact that such coercive methods will cause to the society at large.
Thus we have reached a situation where management and workers have become separate and contradictory entities wherein their approaches are different and interests are conflicting. There is no common goal or understanding which predictably leads to constant suspicion, friction, disillusions and mistrust because of working at cross purposes. The absence of human values and erosion of human touch in the organisational structure resulted in a permanent crisis of confidence.
The westem management thoughts although acquired prosperity to some for some time has absolutely failed in their aim to ensure betterment of individual life and social welfare. It has remained by and large a soulless management edifice and an oasis of plenty for a chosen few in the midst of poor quality of life to many. Hence there is an urgent need to have a re-look at the prevalent management discipline on its objectives, scope and content.
It should be redefined so as to underline the development of the worker as a man, as a human being with all his positive and negative characteristics and not as a mere wage-earner. In this changed perspective, management ceases to be a career-agent but becomes an instrument in the process of national development in all its segments.
Bhagavad Gita And Managerial Effectiveness
Now let us re-examine some of the modern management concepts in the light of the Bhagavad Gita which is a primer of management by values.
Utilisation of Available Resources
The first lesson in the management science is to choose wisely and utilise optimally the scarce resources if one has to succeed in his venture. During the curtain raiser before the Mahabharata War Duryodhana chose Sri Krishna's large army for his help while Arjuna selected Sri Krishna's wisdom for his support. This episode gives us a clue as to who is an Effective Manager.
Attitude Towards Work
Three stone-cutters were engaged in erecting a temple. As usual a H.R.D. Consultant asked them what they were doing. The response of the three workers to this innocent-looking question is illuminating.
'I am a poor man. I have to maintain my family. I am making a living here,' said the first stone-cutter with a dejected face.
'Well, I work because I want to show that I am the best stone-cutter in the country,' said the second one with a sense of pride.
'Oh, I want to build the most beautiful temple in the country,' said the third one with a visionary gleam.
Their jobs were identical but their perspectives were different. What Gita tells us is to develop the visionary perspective in the work we do. It tells us to develop a sense of larger vision in one's work for the common good.
Work Commitment
The popular verse 2.47 of the Gita advises non- attachment to the fruits or results of actions performed in the course of one's duty. Dedicated work has to mean 'work for the sake of work'. If we are always calculating the date of promotion for putting in our efforts, then such work cannot be commitment-oriented causing excellence in the results but it will be promotion-oriented resulting in inevitable disappointments. By tilting the performance towards the anticipated benefits, the quality of performance of the present duty suffers on account of the mental agitations caused by the anxieties of the future. Another reason for non-attachment to results is the fact that workings of the world are not designed to positively respond to our calculations and hence expected fruits may not always be forthcoming .
So, the Gita tells us not to mortgage the present commitment to an uncertain future. If we are not able to measure up to this height, then surly the fault lies with us and not with the teaching.
Some people argue that being unattached to the consequences of one's action would make one un-accountable as accountability is a much touted word these days with the vigilance department sitting on our shoulders. However, we have to understand that the entire second chapter has arisen as a sequel to the temporarily lost sense of accountability on the part of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita in performing his swadharma.
Bhagavad Gita is full of advice on the theory of cause and effect, making the doer responsible for the consequences of his deeds. The Gita, while advising detachment from the avarice of selfish gains by discharging one's accepted duty, does not absolve anybody of the consequences arising from discharge of his responsibilities.
This verse is a brilliant guide to the operating Manager for psychological energy conservation and a preventive method against stress and burn-outs in the work situations. Learning managerial stress prevention methods is quite costly now days and if only we understand the Gita we get the required cure free of cost.
Thus the best means for effective work performance is to become the work itself. Attaining this state of nishkama karma is the right attitude to work because it prevents the ego, the mind from dissipation through speculation on future gains or losses.
It has been presumed for long that satisfying lower needs of a worker like adequate food, clothing and shelter, recognition, appreciation, status, personality development etc are the key factors in the motivational theory of personnel management.
It is the common experience that the spirit of grievances from the clerk to the Director is identical and only their scales and composition vary. It should have been that once the lower-order needs are more than satisfied, the Director should have no problem in optimising his contribution to the organisation. But more often than not, it does not happen like that; the eagle soars high but keeps its eyes firmly fixed on the dead animal below. On the contrary a lowly paid school teacher, a self-employed artisan, ordinary artistes demonstrate higher levels of self- realization despite poor satisfaction of their lower- order needs.
This situation is explained by the theory of Self-transcendence or Self-realisation propounded in the Gita. Self-transcendence is overcoming insuperable obstacles in one's path. It involves renouncing egoism, putting others before oneself, team work, dignity, sharing, co-operation, harmony, trust, sacrificing lower needs for higher goals, seeing others in you and yourself in others etc. The portrait of a self-realising person is that he is a man who aims at his own position and underrates everything else. On the other hand the Self-transcenders are the visionaries and innovators. Their resolute efforts enable them to achieve the apparently impossible. They overcome all barriers to reach their goal.
The work must be done with detachment.' This is because it is the Ego which spoils the work. If this is not the backbone of the Theory of Motivation which the modern scholars talk about what else is it? I would say that this is not merely a theory of Motivation but it is a theory of Inspiration.
The Gita further advises to perform action with loving attention to the Divine which implies redirection of the empirical self away from its egocentric needs, desires, and passions for creating suitable conditions to perform actions in pursuit of excellence. Tagore says working for love is freedom in action which is described as disinterested work in the Gita. It is on the basis of the holistic vision that Indians have developed the work-ethos of life. They found that all work irrespective of its nature have to be directed towards a single purpose that is the manifestation of essential divinity in man by working for the good of all beings -lokasangraha. This vision was presented to us in the very first mantra of lsopanishad which says that whatever exists in the Universe is enveloped by God. How shall we enjoy this life then, if all are one? The answer it provides is enjoy and strengthen life by sacrificing your selfishness by not coveting other's wealth. The same motivation is given by Sri Krishna in the Third Chapter of Gita when He says that 'He who shares the wealth generated only after serving the people, through work done as a sacrifice for them, is freed from all the sins. On the contrary those who earn wealth only for themselves, eat sins that lead to frustration and failure.'
The disinterested work finds _expression in devotion, surrender and equipoise. The former two are psychological while the third is the strong-willed determination to keep the mind free of and above the dualistic pulls of daily experiences. Detached involvement in work is the key to mental equanimity or the state of nirdwanda. This attitude leads to a stage where the worker begins to feel the presence of the Supreme Intelligence guiding the empirical individual intelligence. Such de-personified intelligence is best suited for those who sincerely believe in the supremacy of organisational goals as compared to narrow personal success and achievement.
Work culture means vigorous and arduous effort in pursuit of a given or chosen task. When Bhagawan Sri Krishna rebukes Arjuna in the strongest words for his unmanliness and imbecility in recoiling from his righteous duty it is nothing but a clarion call for the highest work culture. Poor work culture is the result of tamo guna overtaking one's mindset. Bhagawan's stinging rebuke is to bring out the temporarily dormant rajo guna in Arjuna. In Chapter 16 of the Gita Sri Krishna elaborates on two types of Work Ethic viz. daivi sampat or divine work culture and asuri sampat or demonic work culture.
Daivi work culture - means fearlessness, purity, self-control, sacrifice, straightforwardness, self-denial, calmness, absence of fault-finding, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of envy and pride.
Asuri work culture - means egoism, delusion, desire-centric, improper performance, work which is not oriented towards service. It is to be noted that mere work ethic is not enough in as much as a hardened criminal has also a very good work culture. What is needed is a work ethic conditioned by ethics in work.
It is in this light that the counsel 'yogah karmasu kausalam' should be understood. Kausalam means skill or method or technique of work which is an indispensable component of work ethic. Yogah is defined in the Gita itself as 'samatvam yogah uchyate' meaning unchanging equipoise of mind. Tilak tells us that performing actions with the special device of an equable mind is Yoga. By making the equable mind as the bed-rock of all actions Gita evolved the goal of unification of work ethic with ethics in work, for without ethical process no mind can attain equipoise. Adi Sankara says that the skill in performance of one's duty consists in maintaining the evenness of mind in success and failure because the calm mind in failure will lead him to deeper introspection and see clearly where the process went wrong so that corrective steps could be taken to avoid such shortcomings in future.
The principle of reducing our attachment to personal gains from the work done or controlling the aversion to personal losses enunciated in Ch.2 Verse 47 of the Gita is the foolproof prescription for attaining equanimity. The common apprehension about this principle that it will lead to lack of incentive for effort and work, striking at the very root of work ethic, is not valid because the advice is to be judged as relevant to man's overriding quest for true mental happiness. Thus while the common place theories on motivation lead us to bondage, the Gita theory takes us to freedom and real happiness.
Work Results
The Gita further explains the theory of non- attachment to the results of work in Ch.18 Verses 13-15 the import of which is as under:
If the result of sincere effort is a success, the entire credit should not be appropriated by the doer alone.
If the result of sincere effort is a failure, then too the entire blame does not accrue to the doer.
The former attitude mollifies arrogance and conceit while the latter prevents excessive despondency, de-motivation and self-pity. Thus both these dispositions safeguard the doer against psychological vulnerability which is the cause for the Modem Managers' companions like Diabetes, High B.P. Ulcers etc.
Assimilation of the ideas behind 2.47 and 18.13-15 of the Gita leads us to the wider spectrum of lokasamgraha or general welfare.
There is also another dimension in the work ethic. If the karm ayoga is blended with bhaktiyoga then the work itself becomes worship, a seva yoga.
Manager's Mental Health
The ideas mentioned above have a close bearing on the end-state of a manager which is his mental health. Sound mental health is the very goal of any human activity more so management. An expert describes sound mental health as that state of mind which can maintain a calm, positive poise or regain it when unsettled in the midst of all the external vagaries of work life and social existence. Internal constancy and peace are the pre- requisites for a healthy stress-free mind.
Some of the impediments to sound mental health are
Greed -for power, position, prestige and money.
Envy -regarding others' achievements, success, rewards.
Egotism -about one's own accomplishments.
Suspicion, anger and frustration.
Anguish through comparisons.
The driving forces in today's rat-race are speed and greed as well as ambition and competition. The natural fallout from these forces is erosion of one's ethico-moral fibre which supersedes the value system as a means in the entrepreneurial path like tax evasion, undercutting, spreading canards against the competitors, entrepreneurial spying, instigating industrial strife in the business rivals' establishments etc. Although these practices are taken as normal business hazards for achieving progress, they always end up as a pursuit of mirage -the more the needs the more the disappointments. This phenomenon may be called as yayati-syndrome.
In Mahabharata we come across a king called Yayati who, in order to revel in the endless enjoyment of flesh exchanged his old age with the youth of his obliging youngest son for a mythical thousand years. However, he lost himself in the pursuit of sensual enjoyments and felt penitent. He came back to his son pleading to take back his youth. This yayati syndrome shows the conflict between externally directed acquisitions, motivations and inner reasoning, emotions and conscience.
Gita tells us how to get out of this universal phenomenon by prescribing the following capsules.
Cultivate sound philosophy of life.
Identify with inner core of self-sufficiency
Get out of the habitual mindset towards the pairs of opposites.
Strive for excellence through work is worship.
Build up an internal integrated reference point to face contrary impulses, and emotions
Pursue ethico-moral rectitude.
Cultivating this understanding by a manager would lead him to emancipation from falsifying ego-conscious state of confusion and distortion, to a state of pure and free mind i.e. universal, supreme consciousness wherefrom he can prove his effectiveness in discharging whatever duties that have fallen to his domain.
Bhagawan's advice is relevant here :
"tasmaat sarveshu kaaleshu mamanusmarah yuddha cha"
'Therefore under all circumstances remember Me and then fight' (Fight means perform your duties)
Management Needs those Who Practise what the Preach
Whatever the excellent and best ones do, the commoners follow, so says Sri Krishna in the Gita. This is the leadership quality prescribed in the Gita. The visionary leader must also be a missionary, extremely practical, intensively dynamic and capable of translating dreams into reality. This dynamism and strength of a true leader flows from an inspired and spontaneous motivation to help others. "I am the strength of those who are devoid of personal desire and attachment. O Arjuna, I am the legitimate desire in those, who are not opposed to righteousness" says Sri Krishna in the 10th Chapter of the Gita.
The Ultimate Message of Gita for Managers
The despondent position of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita is a typical human situation which may come in the life of all men of action some time or other. Sri Krishna by sheer power of his inspiring words raised the level of Arjuna's mind from the state of inertia to the state of righteous action, from the state of faithlessness to the state of faith and self-confidence in the ultimate victory of Dharma(ethical action). They are the powerful words of courage of strength, of self confidence, of faith in one's own infinite power, of the glory, of valour in the life of active people and of the need for intense calmness in the midst of intense action.
When Arjuna got over his despondency and stood ready to fight, Sri Krishna gave him the gospel for using his spirit of intense action not for his own benefit, not for satisfying his own greed and desire, but for using his action for the good of many, with faith in the ultimate victory of ethics over unethical actions and truth over untruth. Arjuna responds by emphatically declaring that all his delusions were removed and that he is ready to do what is expected of him in the given situation.
Sri Krishna's advice with regard to temporary failures in actions is 'No doer of good ever ends in misery'. Every action should produce results: good action produces good results and evil begets nothing but evil. Therefore always act well and be rewarded.
And finally the Gita's consoling message for all men of action is : He who follows My ideal in all walks of life without losing faith in the ideal or never deviating from it, I provide him with all that he needs (Yoga) and protect what he has already got (Kshema).
In conclusion the purport of this essay is not to suggest discarding of the Westem model of efficiency, dynamism and striving for excellence but to make these ideals tuned to the India's holistic attitude of lokasangraha -for the welfare of many, for the good of many. The idea is that these management skills should be India-centric and not America-centric. Swami Vivekananda says a combination of both these approaches will certainly create future leaders of India who will be far superior to any that have ever been in the world.
6
In the Rig Veda, the universal truths propounded explain the universal order of life in three planes
* Internal ( to the Soul )
* External ( to the body in terms of Dharma or worldly life )
* Spiritual ( in terms of the cosmos )
The universal order of life in these three planes is then linked to the Supreme encompassing the three planes. Thus all terms / names mentioned such as Indra, Agni, Vayu etc. have exoteric and esoteric significance in each of the three planes as understood by the individual Soul depending on the spiritual evolution of the Soul
The Sama Veda consists of hymns (many of them common with the Rig Veda) which when sung in the appropriate manner will strike a chord in enabling one to understand the universal truths and order of life depending on their stage of spiritual evolution. The source of the musical patterns of the Sama Veda hymns is derived from the vibration / sounds of the cosmos. This reveals that spiritual evolution can be achieved through music (by hearing as well as singing).
The Yajur Veda consists of hymns from the Rig Veda along with other hymns which when recited in the performance of a yajna / havan will enable the Soul or the beneficiaries to understand the universal truths of the Veda in any or all of the three planes of its meanings depending on the individual's stage of spiritual evolution. Though the Yajur Veda is associated with performance of Yajna for worldly gains, it is understood that the individual beneficiaries will ultimately evolve spiritually and subsequently undertake these Yajnas for the spiritual and material benefits of mankind as a whole. The Yajur Veda has two distinct schools of presentation and following as explained below.
This Veda is followed in the Northern parts of India and has mantras in the form of the Veda and Brahmanas (explanatory notes to the mantras) presented in the Satapatha Brahmana. The Shukla Yajur Veda is said to have been taught by the "Sun" to sage Yajnavalkya and hence the name "Shukla" or "White" Yajur Veda.
This is followed in the Southern parts of India and has Veda mantras and Brahmanas intermixed - that is, the Brahmanas follow the mantras as explanatory notes in the Veda text itself. Since Shukla Yajur Veda is known as "White", this Yajur Veda has been denoted as "Krishna" or "Black" Yajur Veda. Both the versions are accepted as authentic and both schools are practised widely.
The Atharva Veda, when understood in the external plane, is generally known to contain hymns common to the Rig Veda including others for the sole purpose of performing "Magic" or to communicate with ghosts and spirits or for curing ailments. However, when viewed in the spiritual plane, the Atharva Veda expounds universal truths of the oneness of the universe, the way to live in communion with the world of evolved souls, to pray for a healthy life and finally to merge with the Supreme.
All the Vedas provide the same knowledge to experience the Supreme through different paths.
The Rig Vedi would approach this goal through prayer and intellectual pursuits.
The Sama Vedi through musical renderings of the hymns
The Yajur Vedi through Yajna and invocation of Agni to carry the message of the hymns to the Supreme.
The Atharva Vedi through tantra or other rituals.
All the Vedas provide the same knowledge to experience the Supreme through different paths. The Rig Vedi would approach this goal through prayer and intellectual pursuits. The Sama Vedi through musical renderings of the hymns The Yajur Vedi through Yajna and invocation of Agni to carry the message of the hymns to the Supreme. The Atharva Vedi through tantra or other rituals. The Vedas propound and accept all forms of religious practice in the pursuit of understanding and merging with the Supreme. Hence it is highly secularand tolerant in its teachings by ultimately preaching.
"May Happiness and Peace come to One and All irrespective of Faith, Creed, Colour and Social order of the Society including Beings of other forms of evolution."
7,
Neurophysiology of Meditation
By simple definition, meditation is engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or devotional nature. To elaborate further, meditation is an attempt to concentrate mind on a single form or an idea or an aspect of divinity at the exclusion of all other forms, thoughts, and ideas. The mind is focused inwards, and this effort of concentration acts as a stimulus to gain access to knowledge of 'object of meditation'. The aspirant makes an attempt to minimize perceptions through senses - inputs through special senses like touch, sight, hearing, etc. - by detaching mind from sense organs in the brain. This helps in controlling restlessness of mind, in favour of inner contemplation. The mind, as if, is made still. Meditation may be, therefore, taken as a 'passive' activity! But is it really so?
Tremendous changes observed in the human brain and nervous system during mediation run contrary to this belief of 'passivity' attached to meditation. Unprecedented progress and research in neurobiology, investigative neurology, and study of neurotransmitters in the last two decades has given a great fillip to the study of neuro-physiology of Meditation and Yoga. Altered State of Consciousness can be brought about by hypnosis, drugs (e. g. LSD), sleep, etc., but here we are trying to study a state specific science of altered consciousness brought about by meditation alone.
We shall attempt to review the progress in neurobiology in the recent years. An attempt is made to throw light on this new and fascinating subject. The terms used are technical, but, as far as possible, an attempt is made to simplify the description.
This attempt to explain the neurophysiology of meditation is purely hypothetical.
Meditation and Changes in Neurophysiology:
One of the ways to control physiological reactions to psychological stimuli is meditation, Yoga, Zen Buddhism etc. The scientists take Transcendental Meditation (TM) as the uniform technique, and base their observations on the study of the subjects engaged in this form of meditation. In summing up the results the scientists have come to conclusion that the effect of meditation is a "wakeful, hypo-metabolic state".
They have found that:
1) Yogis could slow both heart rate and rate of respiration,
2) Yogis could slow the rate of metabolism as confirmed by decreased oxygen consumption and carbon-di-oxide output.
3) Electro-Encephalo-Gram (EEG - recording of brain activity) in Yogis showed changes of calmness in the form of "alpha rhythm" during both eyes closed and eyes open recordings.
4) Their skin resistance to electric stimulation was increased (indicating increased tolerance to external stimuli).
Our usual 'defence-alarm' reaction to emotional and physical stress is in the form of "fright, flight, and fight" mediated through over-secretion of certain neuro-transmitters and neuro-modulators, namely adrenaline and dopamine by way of stimulation of sympathetic nervous system. Under the influence of these chemicals and hormones, we reflexively become panicky or aggressive, our blood pressure rises. Thus stress and anxiety is the end result if we allow our natural age-old sympathetic reactions to act and to come to surface. We try to run away, become fearful, or fight the situation. But today these 'defence-alarm' reactions have no place in our lives. Rather, they should be replaced by more calm and serene reactions of equanimity and fearlessness. The need is to just 'face the brute, and it will go away'. Such desirable reactions of non-aggression and peaceful attitude are generated by Yoga and meditation.
EEG Studies on Yogis and The Zen Meditations:
Yogis practising Raja-Yoga claim that during the state of samadhi they are oblivious to the internal and external stimuli, and they enjoy a calm ecstasy during that state. A study was undertaken to record the electrical activity of their brain during this state by means of a regular and useful test known as electroencephalography EEG. Physiological and experimental studies have demonstrated that the basis of conscious state of brain, among other things, is due to activation of "reticular system" in the brain-stem in response to internal and external stimuli. These stimuli bring about various changes during sleeping and wakeful states of the organism and these can be studied by EEG.
The study was carried out on four subjects during the state of concentration and meditation. Effects of external stimuli, like a loud gong, strong light, thermal simulation, and vibrations were studied. The results were compiled and analyzed. It was observed that two Yogis could keep their hands immersed in extremely cold water for about 50 minutes (raised pain threshold). During state of meditation, all of them showed persistent "alpha activity" in their EEG with increased amplitude wave pattern, both during 'eyes closed' and 'eyes open' recording. It was observed that these alpha activities could not be blocked by various sensory stimuli during meditation. It was also observed that those, who had well-marked "alpha activity" in their resting EEG showed greater aptitude and zeal for maintaining the practice of Yoga. Similar observations and results were obtained when EEGs were recorded in persons adept in Zen Meditative technique. Can we say that only those persons who exhibit such recording of "alpha wave rhythm" in their EEG are fit for Yoga? and be designated as right candidates for meditation and Yoga practices? (Such experiments are indeed very few and the number of yogis examined is also very small. Therefore, scientifically and statistically these observations have only a tentative importance. Further research is definitely called for, albeit it will have its own limitations.)
Discussion and Conclusion
Neurotransmitters and Neuro-modulators: These are chemical substances released at the Neuronal Synapses (nerve junctions). They act by altering electrical membrane potential by opening up channels that permit diffusion of Sodium, Potassium, and Calcium ions in and out of the nerve cell. They not only transmit the message from one cell to another, but also selectively facilitate some information while inhibiting the other. Moreover, the action of Calcium ions permits transfer of electrical events into molecular changes that can alter functions of the nerve cells permanently, i.e. change cellular function to subserve a memory or learning response.
Neuro-modulators affect the neuro-transmitters by influencing neuronal plasticity, growth, or differentiation. Different types of receptors, as present in different regions of brain, can account for the complex and multiple effects of medication, meditation, concentration, and contemplation. This may be effected through actions of specific type of neuro-transmitter and neuro-receptor.
For example, a sub-type of glutamate receptor appears to mediate the function of brain plasticity, a process considered important in learning and memory.
Acetylcholine helps in memory, motivation, perception and cognition. It is also involved in attention and arousal functions of ascending reticular system. Decrease in the levels of this neuro-modulator leads to loss of memory, senile dementia - Alzheimer's disease.
Excess of serotonin, another important neuro-modulator, leads to hallucinations, as seen in LSD consumption, which causes increase in serotonin level. This discovery called attention to the correlation between behavior and variation in brain serotonin content. Selective depletion of serotonin, in animals, causes prolonged wakefulness. It also plays important role in circadian rhythm and sleep cycle.
Other neurotransmitters and modulators like nor-epinephrine cause changes in mood - excess leading to elation, and deficiency causing nervous depression. It also controls food intake, regulates temperature, and hormonal secretions.
Excess of dopamine level is responsible for schizophrenia and psychosis.
Nerve growth factor is a hormone like peptide that is responsible for the growth and maintenance of various brain structures.
The plausible hypothesis to explain the altered state of consciousness brought about by intense and prolonged mediation may be constructed as follows:
The evolutionary process adds higher centres to the primitive nervous system. These higher centres have inhibitory influence, in other words they suppress the functions of lower centres. Thus, the brain stem is controlled by the higher limbic system, and the limbic system in turn is controlled by still higher neo-cortex. The neuro-modulators with their influence on various neuro-transmitters effectively bring about this inhibitory modifications and inter-relations among various brain centres (hierarchy).
For instance, involuntary movements like tremors and chorea are suppressed by basal ganglia through the action of dopamine and acetylcholine synergy. Any imbalance in these neuro-modulators causes involuntary movements like chorea, tremors (Parkinson's Disease etc.). Similarly, loss of cortical control over the motor neurons of spinal cord leads to exaggerated muscle and tendon jerks due loss of inhibitory control of the higher motor cortex.
Neo-cortex keeps all the involuntary movements, hyper-reflexivity, rage, aggression, and similar animal tendencies under check so that it can effectively pursue its own highly developed activities of logic, memory, reason, language, calculations, judgement, and concepts, etc. Conscious, willful, imaginative functions are therefore, normal state of awareness of the human beings.
When meditation acts as a constant repetitive stimulus, certain qualitative and quantitative permanent changes develop in the nervous system. The neuro-transmitters and neuro-modulators may stimulate growth of dormant or latent neurons to develop a centre (or centres) which on the evolutionary ladder is/are still higher than the present day cerebral cortex. The brain may develop new connections and plasticity resulting in the capacity to think, to rationalize, and react in a different way to the sensory input than what is expected by present day physiologists. For want of name, we may label such higher center as 'God Module'. This higher centre will exert inhibitory control over the present day neo-cortex, and thereby, over the mind as a whole (consciousness, reasoning, conceptual thinking, willing, feeling, and doing, etc.)! The consciousness and all mental activities will hence be suppressed. The person will reach a state beyond mind itself - transcendental awareness!
"The spiritual ascent is from the least evolved state of consciousness to near perfect state, after which the mind itself will cease to be, and there will remain only non-dual experience."
8.
Brahmacharya ( Celibacy)
The importance of “Brahmacharya” is clearly explained in Yejurveda. In this modern life very few only understand this and practice it. All Vedas and other scriptures of Hinduism lay great emphasis regarding Brahmacharya. In vedic period a student is also known as Brahmachari. By preserving the energy, strength and vitality of mind and various organs one can lead a happy, energetic and healthy life. The mind will be clear and brain will superb for a Brhmachari. It enhances the strength, life span and health since it is the mine of all virtues .Brahmacharya is the dam of all pleasures of life and only learned people keep it and their power and life increases and all sickness is destroyed. It is easy to preach and to practice is very difficult. One should try to be always in the company of noble people and control their senses as far as possible to get the actual reward of human life. A man is known by the company he keeps. If one always move in the company of good, learned and noble ones there is no doubt that he can be one among them one day. Company is contagious and man changes his colors accordingly sooner or later. He cannot remain unaffected for long best company means not only noble people but also good books written by great scholars, Sages, Saints, Prophets, Rishis, and Munis. These contain vast treasures of wealth and will make one so rich that the worldly riches would appear very insignificant. One of the verses in YajurVeda state that taught people who are actually endowed with divine powers should do two things in this world. One is that they should propagate the teachings of Brahmacharya and control of senses so that people may become strong and healthy leading a full vigorous life. Next thing is by education and practice thereof, they should teach one and all how to develop their inner strength and power so that people may enjoy their blissful life fully in all respects. In another verse it is stated that such people who abandon the company of bad people and give up all bad evil habits and keep away from immoral life increasing their vitality beget good children, they strength and glorify their race and their country.
Brahmacharya will give the power to face and solve any problems as a boat can ferry people through turbulent waters of the sea. A Brahmachari will be liked and respected in all the societies and meetings. In one verse it is explained that the age of a boy begins at twenty-sixth year and for a girl it is seventeen and up to this period they should practice Brahmacharya at any cost and can get married. Those who get education following the rules of Brahmacharya, they shine like sun are quick in all what they do, like a hawk and become the hallmark of respect, enjoying their life skipping like a deer.
In the student life it would be better to preserve their vital fluid which is the life thread, so that they can utilize their energy and strength for their education and learning. In vedic period student is imparted with all the knowledge right from the Earth to the sun and in this way all divinity reside in his body and such students in future will assets to their country and world. They will have harmony of the head, heart and hand in such a way which will be beneficial to the society as a whole. It has been truly said that if our hearts are strong, our heads are right in vain. A person without education is beast and a person without Dharma is like a beast.
Education and knowledge are like two eyes of a person which enable him to see things correctly and assess his own position. The purpose of education is to make man what he ought to be.
According to Vedas education on arts and material science is not enough and because major portion of achieving perfection can be achieved by studying spiritual science. The aim of life and education is that we may live a new life in the realm of self and the creation, with harmony and happiness and will become virtuous. Every second of the life should be fully utilized so that there is no room left for idling. It may be noted that “An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.” Of course relaxation and enjoyment should be there along with study to keep one fit and fresh and ready to face any challenges of life.
If proper education is not given to children parents become enemies since they get isolated in society. Teachers should take utmost care for understanding to develop good character and affection along with studies. They should be taught that all women are like mother, sister or daughter according to their age and they should be protected whenever necessary.
In Vedas it is also stated that
Not to earn wealth at the cost of others pain and suffering
It is not good to be fatigue self too much both physically and mentally.
Hard-work is the keystone to virtuous earning with the sweat of one’s own brow, not by lottery, speculation and gambling.
Don’t do anything undesirable and harmful to the society
Acquire knowledge which can’t be stolen away by thieves than material wealth.
A great scholar of ancient India Sri Pathanjali's in his teachings explains the importance of Brahmacharya and it is studied by foreign scholars and one such famous scholar
Dr. Louis an eminent physician opined that most precious atoms of the blood
enter into the composition of semen (in his book Chastity) . So preservation
of semen by practicing continence helps the better development of brain ,
body, and mind .Dr. Nicholas says that the best blood in the body goes to
form the elements of reproduction in both the sexes .So if anybody waste
semen he is loosing the best part of the blood and he becomes weak physically and
intellegently. If preserved he becomes strong, intellectual, heroic and powerful.
Brahmacharya can be practiced by married people also. Chastity and fidelity are the foundation on which a strong and happy marital relationship stands and should be understood by husband and wife. In Srimad Bhagavatham a holy book of Hinduism it is clearly mentioned that practice of brahmacharya is also one of the important duties in married life and it is waived only for the purpose of procreation, austerity, purity, contentment and friendliness towards all. (11.18.43)
Ancient Rishi of India Pathanjali also says in his Yogasutra
that CONTNENCE IS LIFE AND INCOTINENCE IS EQUAL TO DEATH.
LORD SHIVA in the Jnanasamkalani Tantra says that " The wise do not regard the
ordinary forms of asceticism as real asceticism. Continence is the highest
asceticism. He who is a continent is equal to God.
So especially youth in whom the future of our country rests, should practice
celibacy as far as possible to lead the country and countrymen to have a prosperous future.
9.
THE ESSENCE OF HINDU SCRIPTURES.
1. Please know that God is within you.
2 God is infinite love and peace.
3. God is the eternal light and joy that shine the whole universe.
4. People should rise to the occasion to do their duty.
5. People should reach the height and glory of God’s supreme presence.
6. The feeling that I and mine should be given up and see every thing equal.
7. Have an elevated thinking.
8. Remember God in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end for all ventures.
9. Be humble, pure, simple, and innocent and God is yours.
10. God in the form of love reside in everybody’ heart and be conscious of this at all times
Then your thoughts, words and actions will be of love.
11. The light of God will always illuminate the heart and light only can be seen inside and outside.
12. Come out of the darkness of ignorance enter into the light of knowledge then only we can feel the presence of God the light of all lights.
13. Let all our actions be as per the directions of God within us.
14. Ego should be avoided to allow everything to be done at the will of God.
15. God is the only reality, truth, and live for God alone.
16. Detachment to perishable things and attachment to only God will give peace of mind.
17. Desire for material things is the cause for all sorrows.
18. Taking more than one’s requirement will ultimately give grief.
19. Acquire knowledge which can’t be stolen or lost.
20. Enjoy always the sunshine of God’s splendor and glory.
21. Remember always God and live in tune with him.
22. Be happy and calm in all situations.
23. See, hear, and speak only good things,
23. Serve the needy and sick wholeheartedly.
24. Total surrender to God will give peace of mind.
25. Remember always the God’s grace for all achievements..
26. Avoid self praise and say only good things about others.
27. See everybody with respect irrespective of caste color and creed.
28. Anger, lust and ego are the only enemies.
29. Purify the heart for the God to sit in.
30. There is no greater virtue than humility, no vice greater than pride.
31. Be sincere in all works, work is worship.
32. Make God your friend, philosopher and guide.
33. Don’t get dejected in failure and fall, God’s grace will be upon us.
34. Always you are one with God and different from Him.
35. Like a flower give always the perfume of love and joy.
36. Pray for the awareness that always you may be in Him and He in you.
37. Remember always that everything in the Universe belongs to God, nothing is ours
38. We have got this birth at the will of God and we are on our way to Him.
39. Know that our goal is to rest in peace with God.
40. Always remember that we are the immortal spirit.
41. Chanting the name of God will save us from fear, doubt and anxiety.
42. Supreme knowledge is ultimate devotion to God.
43. What ever we do will be seen by the God.
44. Overeating, earning money by unlawful means, desire for others property are our weakness.
45 .We are all safe in the hands o god.
46. God manifesting Himself as a person; the object of worship of the bhaktas. By worshipping God as a person, devotees are able to assume human-like relationships with God, for example: God as parent, devotee as child; God as Lord, devotee as servant. It is also much easier for many people to develop love toward God when He is regarded as a person. Such love is capable of triggering a spiritual awakening once it is a pure, selfless love.
47. In this kaliyuga Chant always the name of God.
48. God can assume any form to protect the devotees.
49. To serve the devotees is equal to serve the God.
50.Awake, arise and do your duty justifiably . God will be always with you.
10.
EXPERIENCE THE FRUIT OF GAYATRI MEDITATION
The Gayatri Mantra (Rig Veda (III, 62, 10 an ancinet Hindu sacred book said to be more than 5000 years old). does not belong to any particular sect of worship, or it is not restricted to any certain community. It is universal, for the whole world. It contains in it the culture not of any particular society, but the culture of humanity. The Gayatri Mantra is a treasure and heritage that belongs to the whole of humanity without exclusion.
Om Bhoor Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayaat.
Oh Creator of the Universe!
We meditate upon thy supreme splendour.
May thy radiant power illuminate our intellects,
destroy our sins, and guide us
in the right direction!
Rishis selected the words of various Mantras and arranged them so that they not only convey meaning but also create specific power through their utterance. Gayatri Mantra inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that "May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path". All the problems of a person are solved if he/she is endowed with the gift of righteous wisdom. Once endowed with far-sighted wisdom, a man is neither entangled in calamity nor does he tread the wrong path. A wise man finds solution to all outstanding problems. Only those persons who do not think correctly find difficulty and take wrong steps due to foolishness. Chanting of Gayatri Mantra removes this deficiency. The teachings and powers incorporated in the Gayatri Mantra fulfill this purpose. Righteous wisdom starts emerging soon after Jap(recitation) of this Mantra is performed.
Gayatri mantra is meant for realization of god and is regarded as representing the Supreme Lord. It is meant for spiritually advanced people. Success in chanting it enables one to enter the transcendental position of the Lord. But, in order to chant the Gayatri mantra, it is necessary for one to first acquire the qualities of the perfectly balanced person in terms of the qualities of goodness according to the laws of material nature. The Gayatri mantra is considered to be the sonic incarnation of Brahman and is regarded as very important in Vedic civilization. In Bhagavadgita (Ch. 10. 35), Lord Krishna states:
Brihat saama latha saamnaam
Gayatri chandasaam aham
Maasaanam maarga sirshoham
Ritunaam kusumaakaraha
Among the hymns, I am the Brihat saama sung to Lord Indra, Of the poetry, I am the Gayatri verse sung daily by the initiated, Of all the nuwsas (months), I am the margasira (November- December). Among all the ritus (seasons), I am the flower bearing spring. Gayatri is depicted seated on a lotus. She is depicted with five faces representing the pancha pranas /pancha vayus(five lives/winds): prana, apana,vyana, udana, samana, of the five principles/ elements (pancha tatwas) earth, water, air, fire, sky (prithvi, jala, vayu, teja, aakasha). She has 10 hands carrying the five ayudhas: shankha; chakra, kamala, varada, abhaya, kasha, ankusha, ujjwala utensil, rudrakshi mala. The Shiva-Vishnu Temple performs Gayatri havan (homam) periodically to propitiate the Lord. Numerous devotees participate in the function performed outdoors in the Temple precincts depending on the weather conditions. Ghee (rectified butter) is applied during the homa by all the participants seated around the homa-kunda.
The DIVINE AND GREAT GAYATRI mantra inspires righteous intellect and elevates prudence and devotion. It is a universal prayer and the supreme mantra of all ages. Chhandogya Upnishada describes the existence, expansion and activities of the world as a reflection of the eternal vibrations of this mantra. According to Adi Shankaracharya , "Gäyatrï represents the limitless Brahm --- eternal, omnipresent, absolute existence of Thee….". As per the Vrahadaranyakopanishada --- "One, who realizes and attains the essence of the knowledge of Gäyatrï in life, becomes Omniscient and Omnipotent". The Sädhanä of (spiritual endeavors of realization of ) Gäyatrï bestows immense boons on a true devotee and arouses the divine element existing in his individual self.
The Gayatri mantra is mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam also. Great sins are said to be expiated by a pious recitation of this Gayatri verse. The origin of the divine culture and philosophy of ancient times has been attributed to the Gäyatrï Mantra. The Indian rishis of yore --- who are honored as perfect beings, had devoted their lives to the Sädhanä of Gäyatrï Mantra for the ultimate realization and spiritual refinement of the inner self and attainment of divine potentials. Gäyatrï Sädhanä has been an integral part of the lives of the spiritual saints and sages of the later ages too.
That Gäyatrï Sädhanä indeed bestows miraculous blessings and boons. Although, the positive effects and astonishing attainments by Gäyatrï Sädhanä occur through the subtle scientific process at deeper domains of consciousness, the devotional sentiments of gratitude towards the power are advisable in order to maintain humility and dedicated sincerity of mind --- which are necessary for the consistent advancement of the Sädhanä".
Incidents of miraculous transmutation of the personalities of Gautam, Dhruva, Mahatma Anand Swami, Kathiyawadi Baba, Siddha Booti Baba, Madhavacharya, etc., by Gäyatrï Sädhanä and the experiences and views of Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Vivekanand, Ravindra Nath Tagore, Lokamanya Tilaka, Mahatma Gandhi, William Magnere, Arthur Koestler, etc, are worth mentioning in this context.
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Immediate effects of Gäyatrï Upäsana include --- cultivation of self-confidence and fearlessness in the Sädhaka (devotee) and gradual illumination of his intellect, power of decision-making and sense of responsibility and purification of the inner cores of mind. As a result, the devotee’s worldly life too begins to progress well at personal, professional and social levels. Further advancement of the Sädhanä with increasing devotion awakens the hidden talents and divine sentiments and opens the doors for materialistic as well as spiritual development. This implies the eternal validity of the following vedic hymn ---
" Om Stutä Mayä Vardä, Vedamätä Prachodayantäm
Pävmäni Dwijänäm, Äyuh, Pränam, Prajäm, Pashum,
Kïrtim, Dravinam, Brahmvarchasam
Mahyam Dattwä Brajata Brahmlokam "
That "Gäyatrï bestows good health, vitality, longevity, wealth with grace, glorious success, co-operation, love, intellectual elevation and divine culmination of the self" --- can be verified by everybody by sincerely practicing Gäyatrï Sädhanä in day-to-day life with intrinsic faith….. Nothing could be more authentic then self-experience…..
The highest level spiritual endowments described as ashta siddhi and nava nidhï are natural consequences of progress in Gäyatrï Sädhanä. At initial stage the righteous progress of this Sädhanä is reflected in the serene charm, impressive voice, brilliance of eyes, glow of the aura around the face and the body. Clarity of thoughts, trenchancy of wisdom, intellectual talents, creativity and prudence arouse automatically in the Sädhaka as he (or she) matures in the Sädhanä. Most importantly, the Sädhaka (devotee) begins to feel the presence of divine power in the inner self which educes immense strength and peace in his mind to face all adversities and ups and downs of life with stable faith and patience. His inner voice forcibly cautions him against every immoral activity and thought and guides ideal path in the moment of difficulty and dilemma.
The japa (rhythmic enunciation with deep meditation) of Gäyatrï Mantra is an integral part of Gäyatrï Sädhanä. This helps refine the Sädhaka’s voice and leads to its subtle transmutation into the extrasensory divine voice. Boons or curses expressed in this sublime voice indeed come true. Further awakening of the inner potentials gradually bestows the supernormal powers of premonition, afflatus, telepathy, clairvoyance and prophecy. Activation and sublime transformation of unconscious and super conscious minds of such a Sädhaka links his conscious mind with divine impulses….
In the above state, the Sädhaka -- whether awaken, asleep or in trance, can receive cosmic signals and divine messages. Transmission of his vital energy or mental vibrations into other beings becomes as easy for him as if one is handing over some physical items to the other. The atmosphere surrounding these spiritually empowered personalities also becomes serene and remains charged with some kind of divine influence.
Sincere and determined efforts in the appropriate direction take one closer to the goal. Spiritual endeavors are no exceptions. This seems to be more true and certain in case of Gäyatrï Sädhanä. The nectar of the eternal divine power of Gäyatrï is for every body. Each one of us can be blessed by enormous attainments in materialist, mental, intellectual and spiritual domains of life with the help of devoted Gäyatrï Sädhanä.
11.
9.Holy GITA
Bhagavad Gita", is the most important and cream of all scriptural texts for SanadhanaDharma
According to the Gita true religion is that which is inherent in the soul. It can not be changed, and it is universally the same for all living entities. The external faiths are material reflections of the
inherent spiritual quality of the soul. We must rise above the material bodily designations and realize our true identity as a spirit soul, part and parcel of God.
. Bhagavad Gita is more important for understanding the philosophy of Hinduism. Please take up a serious study of the Bhagavad Gita. I am sure you will find the answers you are looking for there.Srimad Bhagavat Gita is the beautiful Song of the Supreme personality of Godhead SriKrishna to rejuvenate Arjuna his dearest disciple from his depression, dejection and gloom to do his duty forgetting the attachments to preserve Dharma (Justice). Lord Krishna explaining to His friend Arjuna who he and He Himself really is. That knowledge would give Arjuna the strength and the resolve to know and to defeat his enemies. The crisis of Arjuna is that of identity: who am I, what am I to do, how am I to see things, what is my nature, what is the right attitude? How to attain peace ànd the victory? The majority population of the world are in the same position irrespective of achieving the highest materialism. Bhagavad Gîtâ is a supreme knowledge of philosophy actually, with which it is difficult to identify oneself. Second of all were most Gîtâ 's available cut into an enormous heap of philosophical fragments in studies of detail, from which the original course of reasoning became completely obscure. It was not difficult to understand what the preaching was all about, but what did the book say itself? How could one listen to the original speaker and pick it up from the heart as one usually does, following the reasoning in a book? . Thus can all the culture of belief and interpretation be experienced as a hindrance, or a problem of the purity of the medium between oneself and the Lord of Wisdom.: Lord Krishna, is speaking to us actually through the medium Arjuna.
Thus this presentation of the Gîtâ is an effort to reconstruct what actually was said by Lord Krishna written by Sri. Vedavyasa, the original author, used, can be appreciated as from him. On the battlefield of Kuruksetra just before the great war of the Mahâbhârata Krishna spoke these to Arjuna at the end of an era of vedic culture that left us with the nature of what we now know as modern time and by Hindus is called Kali-Yuga, the Iron age of Quarrel what we learn from modern science, philosophy and the spiritual teachings and last but not least we can have our own modern/postmodern experience reflected too without falling into the selfhood of ego. From the tradition itself it can be understood that its approach of proper reference does not really differ from the method of modern natural science also founded on proper reference. Sanjaya could be a pure medium for the words of Krishna, because he was a loyal pupil of Vedavyasa. We also could be a pure medium if we would follow the same method. Thus this Gîtâ does not stand on itself but is directly born from a previous version, a line of disciplic succession, the tradition; nay it also originated from all the versions and the whole discussion entertained at the present time. There are so many Gîtâ's and thus so many traditions of learning to respect..
It is taken from the epic the Mahâbhârata that is about the great war that ended the so-called Dvapara Yuga or era of vedic culture. The Kurudynasty in conflict meets on the battlefield. The preachings of Sri Krishna to Arjuna, who are nephews in a long line of vedic succession in dynasties of nobility that ruled Bhâratavarsa, India, with the knowledge of Bhagavân, the Supreme Lord who takes different forms in different incarnations (called avatâra's) throughout history to protect the good people. . Krishna's father Vasudeva was the brother of Queen Kuntî also called aunt Prthâ often mentioned in this Gîtâ. Arjuna, with his four brothers called the Pândava's, was born from King Pându and Queen Kuntî in the Kurudynasty. Pându had a blind brother called Dhritarâstra who himself had a hundred sons called de Kaurava's. Pându died young and the sons of Pându were raised by their uncle together with their nephews the Kaurava's. This family bond ran into a terrible fugue over a game of dice with which the Kaurava's denied the Pândava's the right to their piece of the common heritage. Especially seeing how well they did before the fugue gave rise to all kinds of bad character. Because of the -prepared- game of dice they were banned for the wilderness for a thirteen years. When after that period they were told that they hadn't perfectly performed according the rules and thus had their exile extended, the limit was reached: never would Yudhisthir, Arjuna, Bhîma, Nakula and Sahadeva, the Pândava's, get their kingdom back this way. Because of this injustice they then met at Kuruksetra, a holy place of pilgrimage, for battle. Arjuna seeing all his nephews, uncles and other family members on the battlefield collapses: he doesn't want to fight anymore and calls for his friend and nephew Krishna, who assists him as his charioteer, for help. Then Krishna manifests His true nature before Arjuna. He tells him that it is according to his nature as a ruler that he must fight and then explains to him how to attain to the transcendental position of selfrealization that is needed to be in control above the modes of material nature and all the character of man belonging to it and thus be assured of the victory. Krishna identifies Himself as Vishnu, the Maintainer, the one of goodness and explains to Arjuna that he should see Him as the Sun and the Moon; the order of nature, as the taste of water, the divinities and the Time itself. He also tells him that this type of knowledge is personal and confidential. This cannot be told to people adverse to the science of yoga of Him which Krishna explains in the underlying eighteen chapters of the Gîtâ.
The yoga of Krishna is divided in three main portions in this book: karma- bhakti- and jnanayoga. First of all there is the karmic point of view: through proper action and analysis one realizes ones connectedness, realigning oneself (through religion, realigning, called dharma or proper action) with the original person that is the Lord and the true self as well as with the objective of the Absolute of the Truth of the manifest complete of the material universe. This unwinding of the illusioned state achieved by abandoning profit motivated labor or karma is attained by detachment and meditation. Next, in the second section on Bhakti-yoga, Krishna explains what it means to attain to the transcendental position: without developing fortitude in devotional service or bhakti-yoga one can be enlightened - for a while, but one is not liberated, one does not attain to the stability of wisdom in good habits of respect that one is seeking. Krishna then explains Arjuna about His personal nature and how he should recognize Himself in His different identities. Arjuna's gates of perception are then, on his own request, broken open by Krishna who shows him His Universal Form, the complete of His personal nature. From then on does Arjuna no longer doubt the divinity of his friend and does he excuse himself for having treated Him as a normal mortal being in the past. In the last six chapters on the Yoga of Spiritual knowledge or jnana yoga explains Krishna how, with the difference between the knower and the known, the divisions of nature in three modes lead to different kinds of sacrificing and personal duty. Explaining the difference between the divine and the godless nature He then tells Arjuna finally how through renunciation, its threefold nature and its service with the divisions of society, one attains to the ultimate of liberation under the condition of respecting Him as the ultimate order and nature of the Absolute Truth of the soul.
To know more about the antecedents of the culture of devotion and spiritual knowledge, Krishna's life and the reality of our modern lives, is explained in the Srîmad Bhâgavatam,Which can said to be a post graduate course.
Let us pay our obeisance to Lord Krishna to protect all the people in the entire world to live in harmony
12.
10. Ancient Power of Sanskrit Mantra and Ceremony
The creative principle of the universe is called Brahma in Sanskrit. Brahma, who is depicted as emerging from the navel lotus of Narayana, is a metaphor for all of creation: its laws, its inherent intelligence, and its consciously manifested potencies which operate as sages, saints, rishis, devas, celestials, and divine beings of all kinds of nature, temperament and description.
Narayana is the Sanskrit name given in the Upanishads to that which is the sum and substance of all the manifested and unmanifested realms. Narayana is that which is neither created nor destroyed but transcends the creation, life and destruction of the universe.
Brahma creates, operates in the form of this universe for trillions of years, then dissolves back into Narayana. Narayana, however, is neither created nor destroyed. Later, another Brahma appears to begin the process again.
Since the term "Brahma" does not appear in the Vedas, its creation stems from the Sanskrit work "Brih" which means "'to grow" or "to expand." In this way, it became synonymous with Hiranyagharba: The Golden Egg of Creation. Growing from the Navel Lotus of Narayana, Brahma is the name for the principle which creates all of the manifest realms.
Since the Vedas proclaim in the Purusha Suktam that "three quarters of this universe are in indestructible realms above," then clearly Brahma, with his finite duration, is connected to the realms of the universe which we inhabit which are subject to creation and dissolution. Brahma was endowed with his "spouse" (Saraswati) and consciousness at the time of creation.
Brahma made certain "beings" solely by the power of his mind and thought. These beings are called the mind-born sons of Brahma. The state of their consciousness is summarized by the title Brahma Rishi: Seer with the Understanding of Brahma. Brahma Rishis, in turn, can confer this state of consciousness upon others who prove themselves capable and worthy.
To further understand the concept of Brahma and his relation to the universe as we know it, it is helpful to view the cosmos through the lens of the Vedic descriptions of the life of the universe as interpreted in human years. Here are cycles of time as recorded in the Vedas and Upanishads.
Small Yuga
2,000 years. The axis of the earth spends 2,000 years in an astrological sign and the moves on to the next sign, going backwards through the signs of the zodiac. Since we are finishing the Pisceaen cycle, we are ready to enter the Aquarian cycle for the next 2,000 years. We commonly refer to entering Aquarius as the "dawning of the age of Aquarius."
Complete Cycle of Small Yugas:
24,000 years. This is the amount of time needed for the earth to spend 2,000 years in each sign of the zodiac.
The Great Cycle
In addition to the earth's axis moving in an arc as it travels through the signs of the zodiac, there is another cycle. This is a cycle which involves the revolution of the entire solar system around the Central Sun of the Galaxy. The orbit is elliptical rather than circular.
To make the elliptical movement of the solar system around a great central point more understandable, the analogy of "seasons" is used. This is a useful analogy because changes in overall states of consciousness are represented as "seasons" through which the solar system passes on its journey.
When consciousness is in a high state, it is summer. At this time, 90% of the inhabitants of the earth are enlightened. This is called Satya Yuga, or the Age of Truth.
When Fall or Spring are in full swing, the numbers of enlightened beings drops to less than 10%. When Winter comes, far less than 1% of the people on earth are enlightened.
However, there are trade offs. First, it is easier to make progress in the "'winter of consciousness." The analogy is often used that if one tries to row one's boat in air, very little progress will be achieved. But when the oars are placed in water, much more rapid progress can be made. This is because compared to air, the resistance of water is much higher enabling the work of the oars to bear fruit.
It is the resistance itself which provides a route to rapid progress. Similarly, in spiritual winter our efforts to achieve spiritual growth produce much faster results than they would in any other age of consciousness because of the great general resistance to things spiritual. There is no disagreement among all the sages, pundits, gurus and swamis that Kali Yuga, the present spiritual winter, affords an opportunity for more rapid spiritual progress than any other age.
Further, the medium for rapid growth is almost universally prescribed by these same classes of spiritual teachers as divine sound through the medium of mantra.
Here are the various seasons and ages of the universe as measured in human years.
Winter (Kali Yuga): 432,000 years
( The year 1998 is 5,090 years from the beginning of Kali Yuga of the long cycle. For the short cycle, winter is ending with the entrance of the planetary axis into Aquarius, which begins the season of Spring for the shorter, 24,000 year cycle)
Spring (Treta Yuga)
1,296,000 years Summer (Satya or Krita Yuga) 1,728,000 years Autumn (Dwapara Yuga) 864,000 years Total Time for One Cycle or Manvantara: 4,320,000,000 years This is called "A Day of Brahma" and is followed by a night of equal length.
One complete day and night of Brahma: 8,640,000,000 years 360 of these days is called "One Year of Brahma".
3,110,400,000,000 years 100 of these years constitute the life of Brahma called a Maha Kalpa: 311,040,000,000,000 years At the end of a "Maha. Kalpa" or cycle of creation, Shiva manifests his destructive influence and the universe is dissolved. [Actually the entire universe becomes spiritualized, see the chapter on Shiva for discussion of this point.]
The ancient texts call this the cosmic dissolution. All the levels of the manifest universe disappear. After a great cosmic rest cycle, another creative cycle begins as a new Brahma emerges out of the navel of Narayana and the universe is created anew. Another item of importance is that one who has achieved the highest level of conscious realization is said to realize and become one with Brahman.
At this point, all individuality as we know it disappears. The individual Jiva, Soul or Atman retums to its source from which it will not return of its own volition. However, for reasons known only to itself, certain souls may return for reasons understood only by Narayana.
13.
Shankh: The Sacred Conch
Since the mythological past, the Conch or Shankh has remained as integral part of Hindu socio-religious ethos. It symbolises the cosmic space of which the attribute is sabda or sound. Moreover it symbolises a shape or rupa, rhythm and evolves into an elaborate iconography which dates back to its manifestation of divinities in the Vedas.
The resounding musical notes of sacred conch rent the air when it is blown during religious ceremonies and thus the devouts emotions get expressed. The sacred Sankhais found in abundance along the side of Bay of Bengal or Eastern Ghat of Indian peninsula like in Puri, Madras, Rameshwaram and finally at the coast of Sri Lanka where Indian ocean finds its shore.
Mythologically speaking there are three main types of Shankh: Vamavarta (left side open, it should be counted from the tip) or Uttar Mukhi, the second is Dakshinmukhi or Dakshinavarta (one that opens up on right from the tip); and finally the third type is called Ganesha Shankh. The most common amongst them is Vamavarta. Dakshinmukhi and Canesha all in the rare category. However the Ganesha Shankh distinguishes itself with its vermilion outer and inner surface and its short tail.
According to the Puranasthe Dakshinmukhi Sankhah the weapon or ayudha of Vishnu and thus this Shankh often symbolises as sustainer of the Universe which is the role of God Vishnu in the divine trinity of the Hindus. The Dakshinmukhi Shankh also signifies consciousness inseparable from the mudra. From arts and aesthetics point of view Shankh often symbolises Vishnu himself. Ancient sculptures give this evidence where one finds Vishnu or Narayana with a Shankh held elegantly in one of his hands.
From the ancient scriptures we find there were two types of Dakshinmukhi Sankhas—one is male or Rurusa and the other is female Scankhinii distinguishable with its characteristic variations. The purusa got a thicker crust than the finer Sankhini.
Structurally the ancient Hindu society was subdivided on caste-lines or varnas. Likewise there are references of Sankhas classified in four varnas—social stradficadons. The pure white Sankhas with finer surface are termed as Brahmanas or twice born. Sankhas having rougher surface with reddish or brownish colour temperatures are called Kshatriyas (the warrior class). The Sankhas with glossy surface and light yellow in colour are known as Vaishyas (the business community). Finally the hard dull grey-coloured Sankhas are categorised as Sudra Sankhas.
Ancient scriptures like the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas/Upa-Ruranas have eulogised Shankh which encapsules the aura of spiritual aspiration and veneration which lived down the ages as symbol aesthetics and theosophy. The Shankh is basically an integral part ofVaishnavite symbology. The practice of wearing tilaks in the shape of Shankh is in vogue since the days of Ramanujam.
In the legendary past we find that during the Samundra Manthana or churning of the ocean the Shankh was used and remained an object of benefaction. The God of Wealth in Hindu mythology is Kuber-who is said to be in possession of eight auspicious jewels and one of them was SankhanidhL On the score of snake worship this Shankh is counted as one of the astangas—serpent gods of eminence.
~ Apart from Shankh being a spiritual symbol it also played a vital role in the warfare of ancient glory and was counted as a marshal factor. In the epic era the Shankh remained an integral part of warfare. And wars used to be restricted to day time only. Thus the blowing of Shankh at sunrise meant that war was on and again Shankh used to be blown at dusk signifying retreat to the camps for night rest. Shankh used to signify victory signal as well. Moreover in the marshal formation Shankh played a very vital role.
In the Mahabharata we find that Shankh or conch shell had different names. The Shankh of Lord Krishna was called Panchajanya. The divine Shankh of Arjuna was Devadutta. Yudhistra's and Bheema's sacred Sankhas were known as Anantavijaya and Paundra respectively. The Manipuspaka conch was ofSahadeva, while the divine Shankh of Nakulawas Sughosh.
The Shankh's varied musical intonation of different pitches and frequency of sound signified particular meaning. On the score of blowing of Shankh there are mainly two processes. One is by holding the mouth of the conch or the drilled tip directly to the lips which is known as dhamana. The second one is by connecting the drilled tip to an ornamental brass pipe which is commonly known as purana. In the process of blowing Shankh one controls his breath and a slower and rhythmic flow of air current produced a harmonic effect which is called Sankhadhvani.
Ritualistically speaking Shankh is an essential part of Hindu way of life. It is customary in a Hindu household specially in a Brahmin's house to blow Shankh three times a day or Tin Sandhya accompanied by Gayatri Japa. In temple worship also the Shankh is blown during the Nitya puja (daily worship) accompanied by other musical instruments like Kansar (a plate of bronze beaten rhythmically with chandan or sandalwood).
According to hearsay the sound of Shankh produces a frequency which creates an uneasiness or an erratic sensation in animals. So if Shankh is blown none of the deadly animals like snakes can come close to the place of worship and devouts can concentrate on God safely. It is also believed that the sound of Shankh keeps away the evil spirits. On this score the practice of blowing Shankh during earthquake or natural calamities is still in vogue especially in eastern India. This signifies that a devout is calling upon Vishnu, the sustainer of the Universe and keeping the snakes etc. away from houses.
The Shankh has manifold ayurvedic or medicinal significance too. According to the Vaidya Shastras it has great medicinal value. Its judicious preparation alleviates many ailments.
The Shankh as never encapsulated in spiritual veneration only rather it lived as an auspicious sound which envelops the ceremonies like New Year or Nava-Varsha, birth, Annaprasana, Upanayana, marriage and death too. Since hoary past the practice of blowing Shankh on the occasion of bidding farewell to seafaring kinsmen is prevailing amongst the Sadhaba community of Orissa. During October-November the population of Tanjavur district of Tamil Nadu celebrates Sarnkabhisekarn. On this occasion one thousand and eight conches are taken out in procession. The conch shells are filled with water and assembled at Arnritaghateswar temple for abhishekarn or coronation. The water in the shell is considered as sacred where god dwells.
Shankh filled with water is an essential part of arati during Durga Puja in Bengal. It may not be out of place to mention that Shankh in Puri of Orissa is known as Sarnkha Khetra because there conch shells are found in abundance. During the famous Ratha Yatra, Subhadra, the sister of Jagannath and Baldeva, is seated on Sarnkhanavi MandaL Likewise Shankh has lived down the ages as an embodiment of spiritual aspirations and as socio-cultural ethos of Hinduism. This has remained as musical sensation with its marshal and spiritual intonations. Furthermore the Shankh is part of Hindu aesthetics as we find that from ancient days sculptors and artists made this Shankh a permanent motif in stone carvings and canvases as well.
14.Hindu Rituals are not magic. In fact they are very SCIENTIFIC in the philosophy used to correct our lives from our sins or karmas in the Universe. If a knowledgeable person follows the proper procedure when doing a puja, then the puja is sure to be successful.
I hope you benefit from all that.....K D Singh
