516. When Absolute is moved from His Eternal Dwelling ……….!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/when-absolute-is-moved-from-his-eternal-dwelling

A group of adepts traveling towards Himalayas happened to pass through a thick forest. The forest was so shadowy that the Sun-rays were unable to touch the ground because of the thick vegetation. It was almost pitching dark there, and to the amazement of the adepts they saw a powerful light emerging from a place and out of curiosity they followed the light and saw that the light was emerging from a cave. The light was so radiant that they were almost blinded; they went near the opening of the cave.

They wanted to know what kind of light it was. They shouted, “Who is inside?” The voice from inside the cave said, “I am Absolute Consciousness, the indwelling Conscience in all beings.”

One of the adept asked, “O Supreme Lord, why is it that you are here in this cave. What has made you come here to this thick forest?”

The Absolute Consciousness revealed thus, “You know my eternal dwelling is in cave of the Lotus Heart of all Beings. Earlier human species would visit me there and talk to me about their joy, grief, wantons, and convey their gratitude. But in recent times few of them have forgotten that I am in their Lotus Heart and have stopped visiting me and talking to me or sharing their joy and grief. They have moved me into the sanctum sanctum of Temples, Churches, Mosques, Gurudwars and other places of worship. They have separated themselves from me. They no longer want me to dwell in their Lotus Hearts”.

One of the adept asked, “O Supreme Lord, It is so surprising for us. In order to experience you in our Lotus Heart we thread the path of Truth and yearn to experience Eternal Bliss by finding you in the cave of our Lotus Heart, why should a few humans think of moving you from their Lotus Heart in the first place?”

The Lord answered, “You are right, Not all but some, want me to reside in their heart as indwelling conscience, while others want me to be confined to four walls of a place of worship. They think that by keeping me out of they do not feel the prick of conscience but I do know all. The reason for them to keep me out is that they have the guilt feel when they commit a mistake, with me inside them. When I was residing in their Hearts my presence itself would control, guide and protect them. In recent times they have started to get accustomed to lead a life of their own as getting vouched by me and the guilt due to my presence constantly bothering them. Most of them seem to need me only when they are in trouble, tension or fear. At such occasions they come running in search of me in those places of worship where they have confined me to seek protection, guidance and relief for their problems. This too they do at their convenience. When I was easily available for them in their own Lotus Heart they did not contact me and now foolishly they go in large numbers to places where they force me to stay. I am easily available to all those who remember me in their Lotus Heart. I will not be available to those who move me out from their Lotus Heart and lodge me in huge expensive place of worship”.

The Adept asked, “O Supreme Lord, they are after all your children they do make mistake would it not be kind of you to forgive them of their foolishness?”

The Absolute Consciousness replied, “I do forgive them as I know it is just a phase in their life which makes them feel that my necessity is not that important. After they understand that it is not their efforts alone which have caused the better moments in life, they start to turn towards me. At that moment I welcome them with both hands open just as a mother would do to a naughty boy who has broken her favorite flower vase. If they re-install me in their Lotus Heart and remember me with feeling of complete surrender and devotion and I assure them that they will be taken care of. I will make everything possible that would eventually be for their well being”.

515. Love: Unconditional while Giving, Reciprocal when Received…!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/love-unconditional-while-giving-reciprocal-when-received-367029

Reciprocal love is a means to share and should never be mistaken to be “I love you because you love me” circumstance. If one has understood it well he discovers the balance of mutual respect in it and make him think that there is great intimacy and has a trendy traditions reinforces in it. It is never a love of exchange or trade though it may appear to be conditional as it is a response to certain needs when they are met. At times this kind of love could also be automatic and impulsive. It blossoms out of me when I am satisfied and sated with love which I am least expecting from my counterpart.

Reciprocal love is not a bad thing; in fact it is indirectly a reason for the life to go on. I am a human and it is oblivious for me to respond to the take and give mechanism. In this way it may make me behave self-oriented but that is how it is. In a way reciprocal love may work as puffing up my ego and yearns to show the depth in it. 

In contrast unconditional love is divine and different. I need not look far to find it; I experienced it in my mother. Every person has relished that love from his mother. If there is a thick bondage between the siblings and the parents it is very normal to comprehend that kind of love. If one has received such kind of love, it often will pour out on to others as well. Unconditional love dwells in the open-hearted person who has a nature to be cool even if the love he is spreading may not give any guarantee of a similar reciprocal emotion to him.

There are no parameters by which love cannot be judged of its quality. To express love to someone simple because they are good looking or smart does end up in a disaster. Love has to be without any sort of terms and conditions. Unconditional love goes beyond such conditions and reaches into the very essence of the object of affection. To those who understand unconditional love they say only one thing: I don’t care if you do or do not respond to my love, but still I love you because you and I are one soul with two bodies. This attitude is to love everyone and everything, without attached strings and judging. Unhappiness is experienced when expectations are not met. If I can love without expectations, then I am definitely happy.

After much is told on unconditional love which I need to practice, I should not expect my counterpart to be like me. If there is a shower of love over me by my counterpart I have to respond to it, through reciprocal love. If I do not respond then it would look like one sided affair from others point of view, of not my counterparts.
 

The love showered by the Sun on the Sunflower is unconditional, but the Sunflower facing the Sun with a smile is reciprocal. The Sunflower faces the Sun the entire day and at night it bends itself and waits for the Sun to reappear at dawn to face and smile at it again. The scientific name for this phenomenon is “Heliotropism” but what I learn from this spectacular occurrence is that I need to show unconditional love to others like Sun and at the same time while I am receiving love, whether it is conditional or unconditional from other I have consciously reciprocate and show my love to them like the Sunflower. Hence I do need to give unconditional love and at the same time display reciprocal love when I receive one…….. I suppose you too agree with me ……!!!!

514. Faith begins when Reasoning ends……

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/faith-begins-when-reasoning-ends

Mind looks for a reason behind every phenomenon in this universe. It studies the patterns of repetitions as in seasonal changes or sequence of replications as in evolution and records the cause for the effect. Anything that obeys these patterns and sequence is considered as logical and those which differ from these patterns and sequence are termed illogical. So in short that which is logical is something which is based on reasoning.

Here we need to understand that these patterns or sequences that occur were not orchestrated by any of those minds which have observed and studied them. Hence they cannot do any modifications or changes. What they have studied and observed and recorded are on phenomenons which are happening naturally authored by some power to which they do not have access. Mind merely realized these patterns and sequences through study and observation.

The influence of Gravity, Inertia and Force were present even before they were recorded as laws by our scientists. And further there are many phenomenons which are to be observed and recorded for our references later in many areas. Reasoning is based on facts and on proven or accepted laws. Objective facts or review of a situation without any subjective aspect sneaking into it is essential for logical assumptions. This is possible only if one is not prejudiced or biased. Normally, people believe in what they like to believe in and pass it off as logical for others to acknowledge. This blog does not discuss that kind of reasoning here. There are some areas which is very difficult to source the pattern of repetition like in the study of mind, emotions and will, for which we have to rely on faith.

Faith is an intense belief on something which it is beyond the power of reasoning. For instance, a child has faith in the love and affection of its parents and hence it does not question their actions, even when it seems like their actions are not acceptable to the child. That is immense faith. Immense Faith on what I believe reflects a compelling urge from inside to remain devoted sincerely to whatever I have faith in. There is no need for me to look for logical explanations or have doubts or confusions. It is accepting without any reservation or condition. For instance, if I have faith in God I accept without any reservation or condition that it is the power that has authority which organizes the cause for every effect.

Now how did that faith dwell in me to think that it is some power which provides systemized cause for every effect???

When something cannot provide a logical reason it does not mean it is illogical there are chances that the logic could be beyond my realm of thinking or even understanding. If I can go to the roots of it I can surely find the reason for it too. Just like how the operating manual is provided for a layman to operate a television, there are scriptures which guide the seekers. If the seeker can go into finding the Truth he can do so, just as the serviceman understand the electronic appliances beyond its operating manual by studying the circuit diagram. There is place for both the operating manual as well as the circuit diagram. The serviceman cannot demean the operating manual just because he has the circuit diagram on the back of his hand. This is neither having faith nor looking for reasons but shear act of impertinence……... What say????        

513. A Lesson to a Jnani from a Sanyasini……

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/a-lesson-to-a-jnani-from-a-sanyasini

                  

A Sanyasini was living in an ashram on the banks of the river Ganga imparting spiritual teachings to women. She had many women disciples. The daily routine of the Sanyasini would start with a dip in the Ganges. She used to go to river Ganga every morning and on the way to the river lived an ascetic whom the local people considered to be a Jnani. Literally the Jnani was a person who had renounced the worldly pleasures and was very wise and knowledgeable. That Jnani had a small pot made of clay which he used to carry water. He was very much attached to this pot and would not be without it.

One day, he was sleeping with the pot tied to his leg so that no one steels it. The Sanyasini who was on her way to take bath in Ganges with her disciples one morning saw this and said, “This Jnani who is full of knowledge and wisdom but has a small flaw in him. He has renounced the worldly pleasure but is attached to this small pot and fear that it may be lost.” The Jnani heard it and became very angry, he could not tolerate the remarks made by a women.
 

He waited for the Sanyasini and her disciples to return back from the river after bath, when they were back he threw away the pot on the road. His intention was to show that he was not attached to it anymore and wanted to prove her wrong. Seeing this, the Sanyasini told to her disciples, “O, what a mistake I thought that this Jnani had only one flaw in him which was Moha (Attachment) but now he want to prove me wrong by showing up his Ahamkara (Ego). I wonder how a person who has Moha and Ahamkara can be a Jnani.” This statement by the Sanyasini was like an eye-opener for the Jnani he fell to her feet and became her disciple.

The Sanyasini was Ubhaya Bharathi, the wife of Mandana Mishra an exponent of Mimamsa. She had rescued her husband when he was about to be defeated by Sri Sri Sankara and challenged Sri Sri Sankara telling since she was the wife of the challenger she had every right to come to her husband’s rescue. She poised some questions regarding marital secrets to this Brahmachari, and had for a brief moment won also.

The questions Ubhaya Bharathi asked Sri Sri Sankara were as follows:

What are the signs and qualities of Conjugal Love?

What are the various types in eroticism?

Where the erotic passion does have its centers in a physical body?

By which physical acts does it find arousing and how is it subsided?

How does passion rise and fall in man's and woman's body in the bright fortnight when the moon waxes and the dark fortnight when it wanes?    

These questions were very remote to Sri Sri Sankara so with his yogic power he had to use the Parakaya Pravesha Vidhya (Art of one’s Subtle Body entering into the Dead Body of another and reviving it) and entered body of the King Amaruka of Varanasi to have the experience of the marital secrets. Such was the tactics of the Sanyasini to save her husband; later her husband and she became the disciples of Sri Sri Sankara. Her husband Mandana Mishra became Sri Sureshwaracharya and was crowned the first pontiff of the Sri Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasamsthana Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetha, Sringeri in Karnataka.

Ubhaya Bharati decided to return to her world since her husband renounced the worldly pleasures and became the head of Dakshinamnaya peetha. At that moment Sri Sri Sankara requested her to settle down at the proposed Dakshinamnaya Peetha in south as he experienced the presence of Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) in her. She agreed to his request on condition that she would follow Sri Sri Sankara, but if he looks back she would settle down at that very place. So Ubhaya Bharathi followed Sri Sri Sankara from Varanasi after they reached Kudali in Karnataka Acharya did not hear the sounds of the anklet bells of Ubhaya Bharati, and he looked back with anxiety. The very next moment Ubhaya Bharati stood at that place as per the terms of agreement. Since then she has settled down in that very place, Kudali in Shimoga district Karnataka and the people of the region regard her as the blessed one by Goddesses Saraswati and revere her even to this day.