506. Is there a God Present in Human Form????

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/is-there-a-god-present-in-human-form

Yo Yo Yaam Yaam Tanum Bhakthah Sraddhayaarchithum Icchathi

Thasya Thasyaachalaam Sraddhaam taam eva Vidadhaamy Aham

Says Lord Krishna to Arjuna in Bhagavad-Gita meaning whoever wishes to worship in whichever form with faith He will bestow that unswerving faith in that form itself.

GOD is a person as well as a power, depending on the faith of the devotee. For some He is a presence not a person and for them it is not the prayer that is important it is the prayerful approach that is important. While for some it is the emotions of having Him as a person to have a dialogue with Him at every instance of life as if they are with some one very near and dear.

God is just a feel like compassion, beauty and joy which is to be experienced says some. According to them God is an ecstatic experience of silence, beauty and bliss. Being with that experience is a state of inner celebration to them. While some have Him as their partner in all the play they are indulged into. They live in their own world with Him. Apart from these two people there is another sect who feels God is somewhere far above beyond the sky and you have to always praise him, so that He is pleased and confers favors on you so that all your desires and ambitions are taken care. There is a requisite for a person to be moral fearing but he should not be God fearing, people who are afraid of God judge Him to be a strict school teacher with a bamboo cane in the hand who hits on the knuckles at a mischief. And seeing such people and their irrational belief some people group themselves as another section called atheists.

When you think of Him as a person or a power instead of fearing Him or negating Him you are closer to Him. Your mind chattering will become insignificant, you become one with Him. There is no talk with you and Him as words simply just vanishes from your consciousness. There remain no desires to be fulfilled and no ambitions to succeed. This is the moment of tranquility and calmness within and you become aware of a luminous eminence of existence. There in no one else in between because whether you know it or not you are already part of it. This is the experience that happens within you. This light within you enables you to perceive it everywhere around you in the same luminous eminence.

The concept of God as a person who protects you if you pray Him and punishes you if you don’t has to be stroked off. God has to be freed from any one particular form as He alone has the ability to assume all forms. He should not be bonded by any one particular name, as all the syllables from any vocabulary suites Him. Any sound for that matter can be His name; even the heart beat in you could be His name.  

The essential, the most fundamental thing about God is that the seeker has to be aware of his own innermost center; because it is there that the secret of the whole existence is present. This is where Upanishads and more importantly Maha Narayana Upanishad finds a tremendous important. It says, “In the bastion of the body, there is the small pure and crystal clear lotus of the heart in which the Supreme resides.”

Just because some Upanishad says so, God does not become a hypothesis, He has to be experienced. To experience God Consciousness one has to LIVE it and it is the one and only way to KNOW it. If one is living with such Consciousness he is God and then it is true that God is present in human form.............What say????

505. Yoga, Value Education or Sex Education in the Curriculum???

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/yoga-value-education-or-sex-education-in-the-curriculum

Learning does not differentiate between the subjects; it is the students who favor the subject. Knowledge of all subjects is a must. Values taught explicitly in reference to sex is the best sex education the younger generation can get. Sex education in schools takes away the responsibility of a mother towards a daughter and that of a father towards his son in a family. If the sex and relationship education is seized from the parents the bond is severed. Educating the kids about relationships creates a sort of bond of communication which is lost if the school curriculum steps in between. By introducing sex education in schools family ties might loosen to some extent.

Sex education in schools and colleges might bring forth the uncomfortable topic in the mainstream but could give the younger generation ideas of things that they had never thought of before. Will it not make them over curious to know more is the question, some things which are left to take their natural course is always better. While sex education would be the theory class for youngsters, the electronic media and movies act as the laboratory sessions and they end up making pathetic experiments which they never would have indulged in if they hadn't heard about it in the first place. 

Sex education could bring down the crime against women feels some section while others feel it might increase. Looking at the collapse of morality in the society the younger generation has to be introduced to an educational system which can uproot this relapse from the root level. The only method can be to impart education with values compulsory at levels of education in schools, institutions and universities. Here importantly the religious belief and dogmas have to be kept away. Irrespective of the religion the students belong they must be provided opportunity to learn about the values to be practiced in their life so that they create a value based society free from moral degeneration. As a first step spiritual education should become part of the curriculum.

Spiritual class develops the qualities that are predispositions for learning. It fosters a school ethos that emphasizes quality holistic education, high personal moral and academic standards. It develops thinking and interacting skills creating a calm and purposeful environment in which everyone feels valued. The teaching staff too feels valued in a culture of care and support helping the students to understand themselves. By understanding themselves the students are aware of their inner self, so that they grow to be self-disciplined and hence have the ability to observe and determine their own positive behaviour. This is what the sex education also aims at, but there is an uncertainty as that path could be disastrous.  

As it is the biology subject deal with the anatomy of body, reproduction activity and birth control, sex education could put light on unprotected sex, use of condoms and contraception. But value education trains the student from abstaining from sexual activity. Many fail to understand the importance of celibacy at time of student life. It is celibacy that can guide an adolescent to self-restraint which develops the inner strength, self-control, and most importantly conducive character.

The energy that is wasted in the thought of sex and the amount of vigor squandered by indulging in the activity will be hindrance for healthiness and affect memory. It is celibacy alone that makes the students understand that they are spiritual beings, distinct from the body. It is the act of sex which reinforces the illusion in them that they are these bodies. Sexual gratification and its extensions in family and society are the main knots that bind the students to material identification. Our ancient system of education aimed at distancing the student from these knots so they can act on the spiritual plane and be a good citizen.

Value education includes educating the student of sex and its desire disparity…….. What say?????? 

504. What do you want to be a Clever Person or a Wise Individual?

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/what-do-you-want-to-be-a-clever-person-or-a-wise-individual

Human Mind works from two different angles one which is focused on the sophisticated skills for survival and the other is the capacity to distinguish between to do and not to do. The former is cleverness while the later is wisdom. Cleverness has its base in “Medha Shakti” (intelligence) and enables one to quickly grasp the content of the subject he studies and retains the matter in his memory without any lapse to use it at appropriate times for his benefit. The current generation adore this angle to survive in this world which is hovering with the concept of Global Village, Capitalism, and Avarice. Wisdom has its base in “Dhi Shakti” (intellect) and enables one to be selfless and retain his true nature and relating to others in a sincere and straight forward way.    

There is a vast difference in living with a clever mind and wisdom. Cleverness encourages self-centered thought and is for immediate future, while wisdom induces the thought that everything is interconnected and stays forever. While leading a life of a clever person one has to take shelter in white lie and manipulation, while the wise always speaks truth and will let others to correct him if he finds his decisions were wrong.    
 
If being wise is more conducive than being clever, why is it that many wants to a clever and not wise??

A Wise person keeps away from what he thinks is illegal even if it is of benefit to him while a clever person looks for loopholes if any, to venture and get away. It is very unfortunate that the modern society appreciates a clever person but ridicules a wise individual. The people with accumulated possessions from their clever stance are glorified while the honest is castigated. A bureaucrat who has his house raided by the income tax sleuths is looked at as a hero in this society while a war veteran is disrespected. Civilized society does not want wisdom, it is happy with the short-term profits and gains that cleverness is providing. 

Even our education system does not want the young students to be wise it want them to be clever. The schools cannot teach the students how to apply wisdom with whatever educational knowledge they have, because wisdom cannot be taught by clever people. It can only be guided by wise individuals who admit they cannot teach. The young students have to be told that what is appreciated as cleverness today may not be so tomorrow but wisdom is always the same forever and is timeless. Wisdom is an insight into life and cleverness is the knowledge got from a source. Cleverness can serve us with an incredible stupendous meal once in a while, but wisdom guarantees staple food every time when one is hungry.
 

As one grows he tends to transmute from being clever and unwise to become wise and not clever. Why is this change in him? Some have a feeling that they were wise when they were young. But if they look back at the trials and tribulations of their life they understand that their cleverness which they presumed to be wisdom had in fact arrested their creativity and hindered their spontaneous behaviour. Wisdom has its route in the creative experience it can come while one is walking in a garden, or while watching the dew drops on the freshly sprouted leaf, or while writing a thought and posting it in a blog.
 

Wisdom can sometimes be mistaken for cowardice. A wise person will prefer to be a coward and let the clever person feel high of his heroic. Wisdom will hardly ever fight with cleverness even if it mocks at it as it is aware of the true Self. Cleverness feeds the mind with comforts and becomes fanatical with it. Wisdom nourishes the soul and is not attached to that nourishment. It lets it pass to others who are eager to receive it.
 

Being Wise is more worth than being just Clever …….. Isn't it?????

502. WHO YOU ?

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/who-you

My country India is the land of spiritual mystic ascetics and the Himalayan range is the central point to find many who have decided to live in solitude. The seekers from the mainland in India and the spiritual enthusiast from all over the world throng to this Himalayan plane to get in contact with the ascetics to gain Spiritual Knowledge.

In one such encounter an Englishman keen to know about spirituality met a mysterious looking Sadhu of Nath comunity, draped in orange garments, rudrakshya mala around his neck, with long unkempt hair, ash smeared all over his body and a trident in his hand. As the Englishman when near the Sadhu asked, in broken English, “you in India before also”

Since the Englishman had been in India for a number of times and so just wobbled his from side to side in a manner of affirmation.

As soon as the Sadhu saw the wobble there was grin on his face, “Who you?” was the next question from the Sadhu.

The man said, “I am James Atherton.”

The Sadhu stopped him, “No name or family name, Who You?”

The English man had some knowledge of the Self so immediately answered confidently and proudly “I am the eternal ATMA..”

Again with a grin the Sadhu stopped him, “not your identity tell who you?”

With the first “who you” the Sadhu wiped out the physical body and with the second “who you” he wiped out the mental realm of the Englishman.

Now what was left for the Englishman to answer with two small questions he had succeeded in proving that he was neither the physical body nor mental body. No knowing what to answer, the Englishman told the Sadhu, “I do not know who I am.

As quick as someone could battle an eyelid the Sadhu responded, “Find out who you”.

The Englishman asked, “How?”

The Sadhu replied, “Not how, find out who you.”

Again the Englishman asked, Yes to know who I am what do I do.”

The Sadhu was holding his Shalya (cloth to cover upper part of the body) in his hand and he opened his fingers and let the cloth drop to the ground and as it fell he said, “Let go.”

The Englishman asked, “How do I let go?”

Sadhu responded, “No question, just let go”

And then the Sadhu got up to leave then the Englishman and requested the Sadhu to give a clue to know how to let go.

Then the Sadhu said, “Everyone know how to let go, but not interested to practice it, because no will power to do it. Do you ask your mother how you should go to sleep, no you just let go and the sleep comes. When you pick a fist full of sand on the beach and let go through your fingers, what is left is YOU.”

The Englishman now understood that one become confused and disturbed if asked to “let go” in a predetermined notions as to who we are. But if one looks deep, one can understand the technique behind the calmness of the mind or so to say in meditation it is the only factor that helps “LET GO” and this will provide us the answer for final question of “WHO YOU”?

501. Why did Lord Krishna agree to mediate knowing the nature of the Dhritarashtra?

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/why-did-lord-krishna-agree-to-mediate-knowing-the-nature-of-the-dhritarashtra

After the exile and the incognito the Pandavas asked for their rightful share of kingdom. When the Kauravas led by the elder brother declined Lord Krishna don the role as the ambassador of the Pandavas. He reached Hastinapur to ask the Kaurava king to share the kingdom with his brother’s sons which rightfully belonged to them. King Dhritarashtra allows his eldest son to decide letting all the members of his council powerless. Why did he do so? It was his blind love for his progeny. Dhritarashtra had all rights to decide on his own as he was the emperor but that blind love towards his son let him down.  

Duryodhana had decided not to let Pandavas have their share. Was he avaricious?? No, Duryodhana was the one who had crowned Karna whom he had never seen before, the King of Anga. It was not the love for the land but revenge over the relations which stopped him from parting their share of kingdom. During the exchange of talks 

Lord Krishna even transcends the boundaries of justice to avoid the war and makes a charming request of at least five villages to the Pandavas. Lord was so confident that the Pandavas who took refuge in Him would happily accept whatever He brings home for them. Duryodhana rejects the proposal and his blind father stayed mum. The war becomes inevitable.

Now the question is, when Lord who is Omniscient knew that this would be the end result why did He go to mediate? Or even more if He is Omnipotent why did He not change the mind of the Dhritarashtra?

Lord is omnipotent He can do anything and they say even for the grass to move there has to be His grace. Unless faith in Lord is present 

a jiva (individual) cannot pick up anything from this universe be it goodness or profits, except for negative energy. The negative energy is self created. Positive energy is everywhere but negativity resides in the minds of individuals who shun His grace. Even the Lord cannot arbitrate as that negative energy is guided by ignorance. Unless one cultivates the higher modes of nature (sattva-rajas) within, he will ignore His grace and that is exactly what Duryodhana and his father did.

Lord who knew the consequences put the destined drama on to the second place and expected the Trigunas (modes of nature) within in the father-son duo to come off well. Lords grace showers on all of us unconditionally like the Sunlight which does not discriminate between the good and evil, rich and poor, elite and ordinary. But for that grace to unfurl on us it is our attitude that needs to change. As soon as the attitude to ask for His grace sprouts within one experience the shower of His grace which was always present……. Surrender is the key……what say????

500. Spiritual basis for Ekadashi Fasting (Hari Vasara) !!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/science-behind-ekadashi-fasting-hari-vasara

Ekadashi is called Hari Vasara, "the day of Sri Hari" and refers to the eleventh day of a fortnight in a lunar month. It occurs twice every month, in the bright fortnight and the dark fortnight. Majority of Vaishnavites (Followers of Vaisnavism) observe fast on this particular day. This observance is not merely constituted of avoiding food as fasting can be done any day. There is an astrological phenomenon to this also. We all know that our personality is tremendously influenced by the movement and the gravitational pull of the planets.

Rig Veda refers to Sun as "Atma Karaka" (Significator of Higher Self, Consciousness) identifying with the soul of the universe as well as the soul of an individual. Sun controls the center of our personality. While different planets influence different parts of the body, Sun is capable of influencing the entire being.

Moon has its influence on our mind hence  referred as "Mano Karaka" (Significator of Lower Self, Mind). Mind is just matter; it is a subtle portion of the material substance of what we eat. And it is what we eat which forms our Guna (Quality within) namely Sattva, Rajo & Tamo. On new moon day as there is darkness Rajo (Quality of Passion) and Tamo (Quality of Ignorance) are predominantly strong on the mind compared to other days. In contrast on full moon day there is a decrease in the Rajo and Tamo Guna prominence because of the increased illumination. That is why they say moody lighting for the scarcely lit ambiance.  Ekadashi has its relevancy to this relationship between moon and our mind.

We all know about certain energy centers called Chakras present in our body. They are not visible physically as they are psycho-physical and psycho-somatic and have their presence in the Astral Body (Mind and Intellect index). Moon which gets the illumination from Sun influence the Chakras which in turn influence on our mind. Hence there is psychic variation experienced by some on the full-moon and new-moon days.

Mind is an internal energy which has no limits. It finds its presence throughout the body if it is searched. At times it can be made to go out of the physical body also and for that greater level of practice is required. But sticking to the topic let us consider that it travels in our body and goes up and down the Chakras. Though it goes to every part of the body it has two places which it can say “My Own Place” that is the Ajna Chakra (between the two eye-brows) the Rational Thinking spot and Anahata Chakra (Heart) the Emotional Thinking spot. 

In the fortnightly movement Mind finds itself in its comfortable place in the Ajna Chakra and the Anahata Chakra on Ekadashi (the eleventh day). In Shukla Paksha (waxing moon phase) Mind is in the Ajna Chakra and in Krishna Paksha (waning moon phase) it is in the Anahata Chakra. As these two Chakras are the abode of mind, mind gets focused and connected to Absolute Consciousness in a jiffy at those days.

Our ancients have understood this secret and had taken advantage of these two days to focus the mind on Absolute. Fasting help in keeping body light and stomach free from excessive metabolic activity. We might have experienced that after a heavy meal we tend to feel sleepy because the blood circulation is accelerated towards the digestive system and hence there is deficiency in blood circulation to the head and so we feel drowsiness. With a feel of drowsiness and lethargy, mind fails to concentrate and focus. Fasting once in fifteen days on Ekadashi will bring feel of cheeriness not weariness. Those who are healthy can observe complete fast while those who are sick and weak can avoid rice and cereals and have milk and fruits on that day. This helps in controlling mind and also will power.