749. Is it true more Civilized we are, the more Stupid we become?

Stupidity is being unaware of what is actually in reality and at the same time assuming what I presume is correct. Mankind has accumulated lots and lots of useful and useless information, which often we forget to avail at crucial times. I wonder if we have just piling up information of relevance to us only to make us feel that we are not stupid. If the relevant information is not put to use or made to serve us is it not stupidity?  Is the saying “More civilized we are more stupid we become” true then. It is quite common to equate stupidity to lack of civilization, but an uncivilized person may not be stupid and there are instances where civilized people are in some situations become stupid.  

Mankind alleges to be smarter than any other living beings on this earth plane. Interestingly all the other living things serve better to the environment than humans. Amazingly while all the other living species do their bit to conserve environment it is the human race which is destructive to nature. We nurture cattle and feed them unwanted and rejected remnant waste of grains as fodder. If it were in nature would it not have had the whole grain instead of the bran to eat?  Yet those cattle are so generous to human race. Do we realize this and learn from them; instead we stupidly see them in terms of money making angle every time. When they stop yielding we sell them again to make profits.

Look at the trees, we water the plants for certain time only and as they grow from a small seed to become a big tree we do not even bother to water them yet they give us shade and periodically fruits. Have we learnt from the nature to be useful to others? Does our civilization inflate our intelligence or stupidity? The stupid part of it is that we are applying the informative knowledge that we have for destructive purposes. Can destructive activities be equated with civilization then?

We have failed in our political approach also due to our own stupidity. In the name of democracy we have let our leaders to violate the constitutional rights using the loop holes and resulting in swindling the exchequers money and property. Is it an evidence of reducing our stupidity?

Even in the case of much talked Economic progress. Though we are a country of huge population and even after increasing production of goods and services we have failed to see prosperity in the grass root levels. In what way is civilization helping reduce poverty and sorting out unemployment? Civilization has lifted the standard of living and has in fact benefited those who are already rich. It has never helped the poor who are struggling in the face of inflation, scarcity and natural calamities. Where unearned and undeserving privileges exist there will be conflicts. Is this evidence of human wisdom or stupidity?

Now the Social progress, there are several voluntary Non-Government Organizations mushrooming in every nook and corner of this country to save the poor. The big question is have these NGO made a serious dent on the problems face by the poorer section? If they really have then the number of destitute count from the previous year should have come down, but sarcastically talking the number of these organizations are swelling year by year. Is this not our stupidly not to check on these issues to have a sane and stable society?

Is it not stupidity to be afraid of the enemies outside our country and buy and build war machines spending lakhs of corers of rupees while inside we are not able to feed a hungry child in a remote village? Is it not time for us to realize the colossal stupidity involved in our thinking and do something to reverse the trend? Is it possible to say with our heads high that we are progressing towards actions based on wisdom? Is it not time to think of alternatives for reducing our stupidity?

Sir Winston Churchill, the former prime minister of United Kingdom had quoted “Indians are not fit to rule, fit to be ruled”..... But that man forgot to note that for more than 5000 years we had Monarchism in this great land. It was the British Empire which introduced Democracy where anyone could do anything even if he is a stupid person.     

748. Money minded or Mission minded???

In age old days any help done to another person would be compensated with the equal amount of value in terms of money or any other things. The word used for this transaction was “Sambhavana” there are two words here Sama (Equal) and Bhavana (Reflection). A person who has benefited from the other was reciprocating with an equal amount of responsibility to see that the even that person has to progress. Though the thought of expecting anything in return was never an objective to do things from which the society would thrive upon. It was not on the line of monetary gain that a person would look at doing things. The only objective was that he had to be of use to society and he would strictly believe in the statement of the Sanskrit poet Bhasa “Paropakaram Idam Sariram” (This body is meant to serve others).

Last month when we recruited a few for our factory, the first information the boys wanted to know was about how much salary they get. Understandably with the standard of living in Bengaluru very expensive it is indeed important to get paid handsomely. But then salary is just a slab or a bench mark one may be worth the pay or even better. The salary expected information in the resume simply shows that the person is money minded not mission minded.

What is the difference between being money minded and mission minded?  

Money minded person looks at what he can get while mission minded person looks at what he can make. Money minded person is unconcerned of whether the work done by him is prolific he is interested only in the amount of money he gets in return. Mission minded person will not rest until the work done by him is beneficial.     

“Money is an adorable and abundant energy. If I have some money only then I can take better care of those who are dependent on me,” say some. And the dependent according to them the dependent are those who rely on them for food cloth and shelter. But then even people who say so are also dependent as a rice sack does not become cooked rice all by itself somebody has to cook. Parents spouse and kids are never dependent as a family we are interdependent. Yes, I do agree that money helps me realize the purpose of my life in a more efficient and powerful manner, but being rich is not the purpose of life. Being rich is not just about having lots of money. It is about being abundant.

Mission minded people do not think of amassing money. They think of helping others and uplifting people in their life journey. In being so they attract lots of money, love, health, success, service, adventure, fun and more. That’s abundance. Having lots of money and doing nothing to others is not abundance. Rich do not take their wealth to the grave. And too much money can distort the view of the world and our place in it.

Thus a poor family with love is better than a rich family which lacks it …………….What say????

747. Upanishads say I am Nothing and Everything!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/blog/upanishads-say-i-am-nothing-and-everything

“You are not your MATERIAL POSSESSIONS” said the Upanishads. Arey! How could that be I own my house, my car, I own all my branded material possessions. It is all mine I have brought it from my earnings…… but when those Material Possessions could not pull me out of tough times, I understood that they are mine only because they are with me…. I am not them.

“You are not your SUCCESS or FAILURE” said the Upanishads. Ayoo! My success is because of the amount of the efforts I had put in whatever I do. But failure could be due to the irresponsibility of others working with me. Success is mine and failure is not…………. but the moment that success was not tasting as sweet as the success hidden in the next venture, I understood that they are not mine I am just an instrument to make it happen….. I am not them.

“You are not your RELATIONSHIPS” said the Upanishads. Abba! No, I can’t believe, my relationship with everyone around me is real. They are all my people…..... but when in each phase of life I started to lose my beloved ones and when they lost me in some unavoidable situations, I comprehended that relationships are like the bubble on the water and no one know when the bubble bursts……. I am not them.

“You are not this BODY” said the Upanishads. My doubt was that this body which is I see growing every day and which I take care every second is mine. How can I say that this Body of mine is not mine…… but one day when I had to overcome ill-health, I realised that this Body of mine is not a permanent arrangement but just a temporary make shift. The moment the vital breath leaves this Body it is mere recycle item...... I am not this Body.

“You are not your MIND” said the Upanishads. Definitely, I am what I think and my thoughts decide my destiny. Cluster of my thoughts constitute my Mind. This Mind is me.......... but when my decisions went against the way life unfolded before me, what my Mind decided was not always right and it was not always wrong too. This made me think that this Mind is not me........ I am not my Mind.

“You are not your INTELLECT” said the Upanishads. I gain knowledge and with my knowledge I earned and with my earnings I could purchase comforts and those comforts have kept me happy. With my Intellect I am able to present myself as an elite individual in the society I live......... but when I look at what I have obtained from my Intellect it is nothing more than what my fellow creations have obtained from it, I feel I have used my Intellect for mere sustenance and not to excel......... I am not this Intellect.

The Intellect which is always connected to Cosmic Intelligence tells me that though I have achieved and lost many things in my life, one thing that is always present is BLISS......... Nothing can beat it neither material possession nor success nor relationship nor my body, mind and intellect.

I am BLISS and that is what I always am and that Bliss is EVERYTHING..........

746. Yajñopavīta, the Sacred Thread......!

Santana Dharma endorses Shodasa Samskaras, the sixteen sacraments that serve as rites of passage to bring positive impressions in the mind of an individual. Upanayana is the tenth in this series which is performed at a young age to provide “new vision” Upa Nayana are two words “Upa” is additional “Nayana” is eye…a la Third Eye, so that one can perceive things in a proper way and learn to discriminate what is wrong and right in terms of thought, word and deed.

It is a ritual which is performed at the young age by initiating the mother of all mantras, the “GAYATRI MAHA MANTRA.”As a symbolic gesture a thin consecrated cord, composed of distinct three cotton strands is donned which is called “Yajnopavita?” This Sanskrit word is a combination of three words “Yagya” meaning best action, “Upa” meaning near and “Pavita” meaning cherished. So, one who dons “Yajnopavita” pledges to do the best of the best action. It is a strong motivation to follow the very pious and sacred of ideals. This sacred thread is worn starting from left shoulder passing over the heart and going backwards near the right side of the trunk and ending in a knot. Left shoulder is the base for carrying the load of life with tolerance. Heart is the point of determination and faith. Back is a symbol of commitment. Thus the sacred thread represents the sadhana of the purest of pure with determination, courage, faith, commitment and a spirit of toleration.

Now let’s understand the significance of the three strands in the sacred thread. Every human is in debt to his Pitru (parents and ancestors who are the cause for his existence), his Guru (preceptor who provided him knowledge) and Rishi (sages who have given him priceless scriptures to comprehend the Art of Living). Each strand of the scared thread reminds about the vow he needs to take to clear those debts. The debt of Pitru is repaid when he becomes the strength of his parents during old age, the Guru debt is fulfilled when the knowledge assimilated is shared and Rishi debt is cleared when the nature is protected. And after his marriage the number of strands increases to six as takes responsibility of his wife vows too.

This day the Shravana Purnima is the day to change the sacred thread annually. It is symbolic to change on this day as it was on this day Hayagriva appeared to restore Vedas which were stolen from Brahma by the two demons Madhu and Kaitabha. But methodically this is the day to re-read the scriptures again to acquire the knowledge from a different dimension. Hayagriva is the embodiment of knowledge and hence it is consider auspicious to continue gaining a divergent knowledge by renewing that sacred thread.

I would just wish to add that the “Yajnopavita” is not a sign to boast superiority it just signifies the transition of a person. Donning the sacred thread without knowing its relevance is like participating in a Fancy Dress show. No one is born a Brahmin, all are Sudras at birth and the character and past resultant fruit of action makes an individual a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya or a Shudra. Every individual be it a Sudra or a Brahmana or a Kshatriya or a Vaishya he is important to the well-being of the society this is what our Vedas and Puranas say. Due to some ignorant people the original essence is lost today while the meaningless ritualistic tradition still continues. Many who are born in a Brahmin family wear this sacred thread and use it as key bunch and just by wearing a thread does not make one a Brahmin, but knowledge does and his love and compassion he has towards his fellow beings has.

May Lord Hayagriva bestow us all with Supreme Knowledge to enhance love and compassion in all of us.

745. Happiness can be got from Money......!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/happiness-can-be-got-from-money

Happiness, Peace and Bliss are three words that we mistakenly interchange and use without know the meaning of it. Bliss is “Ananda” which is our true nature and is never got from outside us. It is a light always present within and we have to be aware of it to experience it. No external situations or circumstances can dim the light which shines from within. No one not even a person who is depressed in life can lose it luminosity. That light is present irrespective of whether a person is rich or poor, healthy or sick, educated or illiterate. When it is universally present in all of us there is no need to feel elite and name ourselves and point out that we are in bliss.

Peace of mind is a state of mental and emotional calmness which is experienced when there are no worries, fears or stress. It is called “Nemmadi” in Kannada in this state our mind is quiet and tranquil. Such peaceful moments are not so rare. Every individual has experienced this state when engaged in some kind of an absorbing or interesting activity. It’s a sort of mental numbness forgetting our work and day-to-day-life chaos.

Happiness is “Santosha” and is derived from inner satisfaction can be in terms of a task done. While some argue that happiness can be achieved from money, some disagree that money cannot provide happiness. Most easy way to explain any view is by citing an example: If a teenage son is asking for a motorbike as a present for doing well in exam, the father needs to have enough stuff to buy him. When the bike is brought the kid is happy and in turn so is the father.

Once a person argues with his father that money can bring happiness and says he can prove it. He takes his father to a nearby park, asks him to sit on a park bench and watch what he does. The person walks to a balloon vendor and gives him a Rs.1000 currency note telling him that he was sent by “God” to give him that money. The balloon vendor was happy to accept it without batting an eyelid, he had to pay the rent that evening. Next was the sugar candy man and then the ice-cream vendor, florist and finally the cobbler who sat outside the park.

The person told his father sitting on the bench and watching him that his Rs.5000 has made all those five people happy. The father agreed to his son that the five crispy notes had indeed brought happiness. But, not for those who had taken them as they would be back to square one the next day. It had indeed brought happiness to himself, he told his son that he could see happiness on his face as he had offered some sort of financial help to five people that day.

Yes, Money brings Happiness not when obtained or spent but when given……. Do you agree???? 

744. Oh! Lord…mine is Limited Knowledge!!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/oh-lord-mine-is-limited-knowledge

Oh! Lord what can I do, I am Alpagyna (Limited Knowledge) while You are Jnanamayee (Embodiment of Knowledge).

I looked at the flower You had sent through a plant in my garden and with an ambition I wish to create a replica of it. With lots of efforts I did make a flower equivalent to Yours. Anyone looking at mine and Yours could not make out any difference.

Well, mine looked exactly like the one You created. The colors matched perfect and the feel of it was the same as the original in my garden. For the fragrance I used the artificial perfume and made my flower as sweet smelling as Yours. This venture satisfied me as everyone who looked at my flower told me it was on par with Yours.

But I have a problem Oh! Lord, why does not even a single Madhumakkhi (Honey Bee) come near my flower?????  What is so special in Your flower that attracts those swam of honey bees??? 

Oh Alas!!! That Makaranda (Nectar) is missing. My flower does not have the nectaries glands to produce nectar which attracts those honey bees.

Every one who looked at my flower appreciated me for my creativity and patted my back and encouraged me. I felt as if I am You, those praise and applauds elevated me high above the ground. 

I now know that those who appreciated my work were only compassionate and affectionate towards me hence they encouraged me but patting on my back for that I have done, but that honey bee showed me the difference between You and me. 

I know You are in me but I am not You. 

I can not exist without You, if I want to be You, it will be only with our merger. 

Oh! Lord, what I have is limited knowledge while You are embodiment of knowledge….!!!!!

743. An Extra Month in a year!!!!!! ADHIKA MASA

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/faith-and-rituals/an-extra-month-in-a-year-adhika-masa-530120

There are two basic sources for calendars in the world namely Lunar Calendar and Solar Calendar. First let us know what Lunar and Solar Calendars are. A lunar calendar (Chandramana) is a calendar that is based on transit of Moon into the each Nakshatra (Star) starting from Ashwini (Beta Arietis) to Revathi (Zeta Piscum). While Solar calendar (Souramana) is a calendar that is based on transit of Sun into the each Rashi (Zodiac) starting from Mesha (Aries) to Mina (Pisces).

Ancient seers found that Sun remains in a zodiac sign for approximately one month, the Moon travels through all twelve zodiac signs in about Twenty Seven and half days. As a result, on average, once about every two and half years, the entry of the Moon in the same zodiac sign occurs twice while the Sun remains in the same sign. In other words, when the Sun is traveling through the same zodiac sign, the month during which two new moons occur, happens once about every two and half years. This would result in sliding of a lunar month in relation to solar year. Such progressive slump of lunar months leads to disparity in seasons which depend on solar calendar. In order to synchronize the lunar months with solar calendar and to keep in pace with the seasons ancient seers formulated a concept or technique of adding an intercalary month for the lunar calendar.

Even this happens in Gregorian calendar also normally a month has only one new moon (Amavasya) and one full moon (Pournami). Sometime in a month two new moons occurred (it is very rare and called Blumoon). We can see that there are two full moons next month one on July 2nd and 31st there is another. In the same lines once in a while may be in 3 years, there will be no transit of Sun to any zodiac between two new moons such a month is termed Adhika Masa.
 
When was it suitable to add an extra month????

Adhika Masa, an extra month in the Hindu Lunar Calendar is also called Mala Masa. Adhika Masa happens to be from June 17th (tomorrow) to July 16th. Intercalation is the insertion of a leap day, week or month into some calendar years to make the calendar follow the seasons or moon phase. If there is Sun’s transit between two new moons (Amavasya) then it is a normal month, if there no Sun’s transit between new moons, it is considered Adhika Masa which happened this time. Sun transit to Mithuna Rashi (Gemini) takes place today June 16th and stays in that zodiac till July 16th there is no new moon (Amavasya) between those dates hence this entire Masa is Adhika Ashada Masa. According to lunar calendar from July 16th onwards it is Nija Ashada, while to solar calendar from July 17th onwards it is Karkataka (Cancer) Masa.  

742. Can I boast that I am Self Made Person???

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/can-i-boast-that-i-am-self-made-person

Success is the yardstick to gauge a person in this materialist world. The more successful one is the more elite one is considered. What seem to be amazing is that there are many who made the person successful yet we think that success is self made. In this universe every creature is dependent on other for its survival as well as success. I am never a self made person as I owe my success to many.

Then is the caption “Self Made Person” a myth? Yes, as I personally feel that there is a certain level of Egoism present in it. In this monetary world my success relies on many who recognize that there is something that I can offer to the world. A doctor is as dependent on the Hospital as the patient. A doctor did not become self made person just by studying medicine it was the patients who has proved him to be a doctor and that too a good doctor. In general producers need consumers and consumers need producers.  There are like two sides of a coin and both are dependent on each other. This is how nature too works look at a bee it is as dependent on the flower as the flower is dependent on the bee. The bee looking at its hive cannot boast that it is self made nor can the flower tell that it became fruit all by itself. Bee and flower are interdependent and both are benefited by either of them.

Then why did the sentence “Self Made Person” come into existence then?

A person who has reached certain heights in certain field from scratch is considered by others as “Self Made Person”. And the person who has thrived to achieve so should also feel the same in his heart not from his head. The thought of self made in the heart resonates to the other around him and motivates them to emulate him. If the thought is resonating from the head it is sure to inflate the ego of the person and make others around him to turn back considering this trait as some miracle which should not have been.

So there is nothing like “Self Made Person” as it is just a matter of perception. One who thinks that he is self made by considering himself as a part of this hierarchical world sits at the top beating his chest and propping-up his ego. While a humble guy who is made to the top can view himself as the hub at the center of a large and diverse network. The latter is both more profitable and enjoyable than the former. One can either opt to build a career at the expense of others or by helping others one need to choose wisely.

Is it correct to say one should not be self made then?

In my recent post on Dharma one of my fellow seeker had responded thus: The Dharma of a daughter-in-law is to look after her mother-in-law. If the mother-in-law is hale and healthy and she is able to walk to her kitchen to fetch a glass of water, she need not order it to her daughter-in-law taking the advantage of her daughter-in-laws dharma. Here the statement of self made person is pushed off under the carpet. I appreciate those who look at themselves as “self made person” from this post of view……..….What Say???

741. How much can you Give in Charity???

http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/how-much-can-you-give-in-charity 

There was a young man who worked hard yet was finding it difficult to make ends meet. He approached a Sadhu Maharaj who live in a temple and poured out his woes. Sadhu Maharaj after closing his eyes for few minutes told him to share a small pancake everyday with stranger before having his breakfast. He assured him by doing so he would be able to attain great merit and his financial conditions will improve.

The young man started following the advice strictly and made a habit to donate a pancake every day first thing in the morning. Amazingly his business started flourishing and he slowly became a wealthy man in the locality. Even after becoming a wealthy person he did not stop sharing the pancake daily in the morning. Years rolled by and he became old and finally one day he passed away. 

For all the good deeds done in this life he was reborn in a royal family and grew up to become the King of the region. He was happy there was no major issues in his life. Once out of curiosity he wished to get subjected to Past Life Regression (PLR) therapy and he came to know that since he had shared a pancake every day with a stranger and the result of that virtuous deed had earned him the status of a King. Without hesitation the King started to continue the act from the very next day. Years rolled by and one day too passed away.

Unpredictably the King was reborn as a beggar who seeks alms at a Dargah. One day a Sufi saint who visited the Dargah when up to the beggar and place his hand over the forehead of the beggar. He told him that even though he had donated daily in his previous two lives he was in this state. Citing the reason the Sufi saint told that prior to becoming a King he was an ordinary person and so sharing a pancake with a stranger was more than sufficient to provide him a lot of virtue. But in his next birth as a King he was endowed with affluence. So, thereafter, the gift of just a pancake a day was quite insufficient to earn him merit of any consequence.

It is the tendency of human race to hoard and not part with anything, this is greed. Those who hoard are willing to part only if they are told to part so that the current problem they are facing gets a solution. Art of giving is a supreme quality one need to develop for his own evolution and also to keep others around him happy. The blessings that come from a true heart is a true blessing for every individual to have a fulfilled and contented life at every stage. Though expecting blessing against charity is also not to be encouraged. Even parting with what we have, against a thought that it will bring benefits is not right. A philanthropist who is sponsoring students in an orphanage has to hope and pray that in the following year not even one less fortunate kid gets enrolled in the orphanage. 

Ultimately one has to understand that it is not "WE" who give instead it is "HIM" through us.

740. Can being Ignorant be considered Innocence???????

Innocence is the lack of knowledge as in a child, while Ignorance is the lack of capacity to absorb knowledge may be whether intentional or otherwise. A child is an icon of innocence and is rightly called an “angel” at that stage of its life. At that age they reflect ethical clarity, lack of remorse and lack of knowledge. When they make mistakes without knowing the consequential outcome, they are forgiven but warned not to commit the same nuisance.

Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. It's similar to innocence in some ways, because innocence can mean a lack of knowledge and understanding about the world. But there are distinct differences. Innocence is an optimistic term signifying inexperience and purity. There is some sort of solace in being innocent; if we happen to see the world today we would want our children to be innocent for as long as possible before they are spoiled by knowledge of the horrible things that are happening in the world. We idealize as elders the memories when we were young and innocent when we used to believe in all the stuffs which would make us happy and day dream.

On the other hand ignorance is that which imply to access of knowledge that isn't made use of. It's a term that can be applied to people who lack ability to understand matters that are more relevant in life, but are too lazy or don’t bother to learn. However we are fortunate that in this age information is fed to us by means of books, the internet, TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines. Lack of enthusiasm to know something that everybody else keeps track of, makes us seems as if we haven't bothered to learn about it.

There is up gradation of new information, ideas, technologies and strategies, in our jet speed world which needs us to be well connected with others. Unawareness of these connections may mean a missed opportunity. A well linked and diverse network annihilates ignorance. So we need to assess better networks that help us sustain in our success journey.

We cannot afford to be ignorant of things around us as we are living in a society. The only way to get rid of our ignorance is to get updated with the help of say, interacting with people, or reading about what has to be known, or ask for the answers from others. The main setback for us to know things is inhibition or arrogance. Inhibition can be taken care by joining to some personality development courses, but to handle arrogance is the tough task which needs to be looked in with high priority.

“IGNORANCE is not an offense but continuation of it IS”

739.. A Sthitaprajna in the Real Life ………!!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/a-sthitaprajna-in-the-real-life

About 12 years back on the advice of my father I read a book titled “The Glory of Gayatri” which is the English translation of a Great Kannada work “Maha Brahmana” by Sri Devudu Narasimha Shastry. It is an excellent story of how King Koushika transforms from being a proud and haughty Monarch to Vishwamitra (Friend of Universe), the Maha Brahmana. 


This work made me understand the importance of Gayatri Mantra. Even though I am not born in a Brahmin family and am not entitled to sporting a Yajnopavita (sacred thread), when I read this book by that great author I was mentally initiated with the Maha Gayatri Mantra and I remember it every morning and evening. I feel that every youngster should read this book to know that anyone can be a Brahmin by the way he conducts himself. The writer Sri Devudu Narasimha Shastry is famous in Kannada literary world. He had a strong hold on Mimamsa and Vedanta and had a great command over Kannada and Sanskrit languages. He made use of the language in his works hence his wisdom reached his readers through the characters in his works.


He talked on Bhagavad-Gita and once he was invited to talk in Udupi which is about 400 kms from Bangalore. Devudu along with his wife went to Udupi for a lecture on the Bhagavad-Gita. Just before the lecture there was a telegram to Devudu. He then requested the organizers for urgent transport to Bangalore after the lecture. When asked about the contents of the telegram, Sri Devudu mentioned that it was about a publication and that his publishers wanted him in Bangalore as soon as possible.


The lecture began Sri Devudu talked on the second chapter which deals with Atma and its nature. The lecture was most eloquently presented by Sri Devudu and his wife was also impressed. She felt that that particular lecture was the best he had delivered on the subject. After the lecture Sri Devudu broke the real news in the telegram. It was the death of his eldest son in Bangalore. The organizers were horrified at the news. This man seemed to be telling this news with such calmness while the news would have disturbed anyone’s mind. The head of the organization then asked Sri Devudu how he was able to deliver that phenomenal lecture knowing well that his son was no more. Sri Devudu replied that he had given himself the delivering the Song of the Lord. He had reflected upon the words of the Lord “Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja” which was the root of Sthitaprajnatva (Steadfast Mind).


 Sri Devudu felt that if he had mentioned the real reason to the organizers, it would have spoilt the efforts of all of the organizers and would have disappointed thousands of those seekers who had gathered and hence he decided to go ahead with the lecture.  Sri Devudu then informs his wife about the news the mother fainted on hearing that and became inconsolable.


All those who had gathered there could not imagine such a person of equanimity as mentioned in the Gita was in their midst in flesh and blood! There are many who write on Bhagavad-Gita and talk on the great scripture but a very few will behave and conduct themselves as the Lord has preached…They are rare…. very rare…..one such soul was Sri Devudu Narasimha Shastry ……….. I bow my head to such a person….

738. A crafty way of Exploiting Women by Male Chauvinists….!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/a-crafty-way-of-exploting-women-by-male-chauvinists

In Vedic period there was no gender discrimination in my land, but later on there was a time when women needed to be protected from male chauvinists. The general thought was that women are fragile by nature their physiological, psychological and emotional aspects were to be dealt with very delicately and they need to be protected. And that responsibility was shouldered by the male section of the society. Accordingly he was protecting her with love as a father, husband and later on as a son. As there would to be male chauvinists at all times there were a few and they too in the pretext of protecting women started to exploit them to satisfy their lust. They confined them as their personal property by taking advantage of their poverty or vulnerability. From then on started the various atrocities against women and those who protected from love were overshadowed by those who pretended to protect for lust.     

Unable to tolerate at one point of time women gathered strength and fought back by organizing groups and voicing their rights. They found it was unacceptable for them to consider that they needed protection as they were no way inferior to men folk. Then there were debates on equal rights and empowerment of women. Accordingly women refuse to sit locked up in their parents’ home till their families find somebody to marry them off and even so some did not find marriage anything as interesting. Male chauvinists started to fear these women with a good education and earning well. They acceptably got nervous and were afraid of losing their grip over women they suddenly found out that women do not need them to survive, neither financially, nor emotionally. Male chauvinists started to lose ground; they had to do something so that they continue to exploit women.

The new mantra they got was to fight for “independence” to women. They encouraged women folk to live as they wish to and be independent. They started to support them so that they are financially, emotionally and now “sexually” independent too. With such encouraging thoughts Indecent Representation of Women, Sexual Harassment at workplace and Live-in-Relationships thrived. And thus those male chauvinists have again started to have their say in exploiting women as before but very tactfully.

No parent would want their daughter to be so much independent. Independence for a woman is to let her choose her way of life not letting her get exploited. Some few years back I was watching the program “We the People” on NDTV. The topic was “Women projected in bad light by movies” one of the participant said there was nothing wrong if a woman performing skimpily dressed for an item song for a movie as it was art. But when the anchor asked if his daughter would wish to get into movies and want to do such a role would he agree, the gentleman said No!...this is how male chauvinism works. They want other mans daughter to get independent but not his own daughter.

No father wants his daughter or no brother wants his sister to have so much independence so as to let her exploited by such male chauvinist. Look at the advertisements which use women to sell their products; it is indeed disgusting to see advertisements being made exploiting women. In a resent advertisement a man was shown as if he is talking over to someone on a phone through his Bluetooth and tries to exploit a woman in the shopping mall. Is it this independence the women folk of my country are looking for……if so they need to rethink…. What say?????

737. There is Noise both in Srotakasa (Outer Space) & Hridayakasa (Inner Space)…….

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/there-is-noise-both-in-srotakasa-outer-space-hridayakasa-inner-space

There is noise which is absorbed by the sense of hearing called ears. That noise is then conveyed to our mind through which we experience it as hearing. This noise is in the space that is audible to others in the vicinity which is called Srotakasa (Outer Space). 

There is another noise which is heard only by our mind, but not heard by our ears, the sense of hearing. That noise is always vibrating and cannot be heard by others. The noise is in the Hridayakasa (Inner Space) and sometimes may cause annoyance. 

Serenity is obtained if the external noise is taken care of, but what can we do to the internal noise???

The noise from the Srotakasa, the outer space can be avoided by either getting away from it or even ignore the noise. The noise of Hridayakasa, the inner space is more problematic than the noise from outside. The simple reason is that one cannot stop getting involved with the noise as it is happening inside the mind. This noise in the inner space when allowed to chatter more and if the involvement to have a dialogue gradually grows then it becomes a stress on mind.

Now can that chattering be stopped? 

The mind is so unpredictable that it is difficult to say when it gets noisy or when it gets calm. No one, not even the enlightened person on this earth has been able to stop the noise in the Hridayakasa. Stopping the noise is equal to saying one can stop the heart beat, but that noise can be reduce. 

Now the question is how to reduce the noise?

The best way to reduce the noise in the Hridayakasa is by allowing the noise to happen withoutappraising or suppressing it. If it is appraised it will continue on the other hand if it is suppressed it will come up with an opposite thought. If not appraise or suppressed that thought loses its identity and will fade away. The noise in Hridayakasa is automatically reduced.

It is quite natural for the mind to have thoughts but it becomes noisy when there are too many of them wanting to air at the same time. 

As it is Mind has a lot of thoughts from the past experiences which always linger. These thoughts suddenly get intensely noisy and it can totally be disturbing those thoughts that are already featuring. Mostly people get scared of this syndrome and wince away from it or try to escape it through some means of addiction and cravings. But those who are willing to stay calm by understanding the ways of the mind, notice that mind is just broadcasting equipment that is transmitting those noisy thoughts and will fade off once it is said it all. The problem is when the mind is given a chance of countering the noisy thought. It is then there are more chances of stress on the mind.

To relieve this stress some opt for pilgrimage but ironically it is the same mind that they carry to the pilgrimage. Hence in most of the cases after visiting the holy place also the stress remains. Pilgrimage is a period where a short time is spent with solitude and it should never be looked as a stressbuster. Pilgrimage gets its fulfillment when there is inner peace. With the inner noise one cannot enjoy even heaven. Now if there is inner peace is there a need to go on pilgrimage some might asks. True, pilgrimage is just to have a change of spiritual scene, as we all know that the Lord whom we think is in a holy place is here too.

Some would like to put the inner noise to mute by pressing the mute button called “Alcohol” which is even more dangerous. Alcohol is depressant which will affect the nerves gradually. Alcohol takes one to a sort of no-mind state for a few hours and there seems to be the forgetfulness of the stress but the stress is always there. All that Alcohol does is puts one in a bad “lapse of judgment” and “awful misreading” of the situation. 

736. The Elusive Economics in the Law of Karma………….

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/the-elusive-economics-in-the-law-of-karma

The Law of Karma operates similar to a bank transaction. We living beings are the account holders who step into this world with a Credit Balance known as Sabeeja Karma. This Karma is with the individual from the birth and is the brought forward of his previous life account. Even though he might have had a physical death in his previous life his Karma Account has not been closed. It will be brought forward to his next journey in the cycle of unbroken chain of life and death. Whenever the account holder (individual) experiences the fruit of the past Karma which is issued to him from his Current Account that event of experience, for him is the Prarabdha Karma Phala. Here the individual tastes the Fruits of Karma and hence it is called Karma Phala.

Taste of Fruit depends on the nature of Karma that the account holder would have deposited in his previous life. The experience of Prarabdha Karma Phala has its direct effects on the physical body through his mind in this present state of existence. The account holder does not have any choice on the matter of the withdrawal since the maturity of Prarabdha Karma Phala has already been determined by the Manager of the Bank (Absolute) and even the Manager cannot alter the sequence or stop it. The account holder during the course of his transaction would not only enjoy the fruit but also consciously try to continuously replenish his account balance. These new deposits do not mature in this span of life. This is the Agami Karma. These regular cash deposits through deposit slips are combined with the Fixed Deposit called Sanchita Karma. Sanchita Karma is the balance that an individual would accumulate in every single past life in the form of Agami Karma which would have aggregated without the knowledge of the account holder. Sanchita Karma represents an individual’s fate of which the individual has no idea of its maturity. Even the Manager of the Bank (Absolute) is not in a position to ordain it, but a strategist (destiny) who works for the Manager of the Bank delivers this to the account holder from his Credit Balance. As the Fixed Deposit swells due to the deposit pay slips (Agami Karma) to the account, the account holder has no relief from the bank.

When there is nil balance in the Current Account as well as the Fixed Deposits, then the account holder is released from the shackles and entanglements. Such an individual has gained exemption from the cycle of unbroken chain of life and death. The very purpose of life is to ultimately see that the balance is eliminated in the Karma Bank Account. Zero Balance is the Goal to be achieved. There is a lot of misinterpretation on the words like Liberation, Moksha, and Salvation. They are not reward or punishment and should not be confused with the concept of “Heaven” and “Hell.” Liberation is to see that there is no “credit” of positive Karma, or “debit” of negative Karma in our pass sheet in the Karma Bank Account.

Now the most important question is:

Is Law of Karma only a solace for a weak mind???? If so, then how would one explain the reason behind an innocent infant born with physical or mental disability???? How could we justify a corrupt individual living a luxurious life evading the law????? How is it possible for an individual with an average IQ to get a high paid white collar job while a highly capable person has to be contented with a petty job?????

The answer to all such questions lies in the knowledge of Karma Siddhantha. The Jnana of Law of Karma will not let the questions arise at all in the first place. 

Now after knowing how the law of Karma works what are the benefits from understanding it????

There are many points but few are noted bellow as per my understanding:

1. We are our own destiny makers. We are the only cause for the situation we are facing hence no point in blaming either Absolute or Family or Friends.   

2. The action we do (Agami Karma) has to be at least beneficial to others so that the result of it will erase the bad karma phala in the Sanchita (Fixed Deposit).   

3. As we are unable to rectify our Prarabdha karma it is better to live with it without getting mentally anxious to evade it.

4. By understanding that we have to experience the Prarabdha karma phalas without fail, we will never have an inclination to take refuge in the superstitions and black magic. 

5. Most prominently with the understanding of Karma Siddhantha we are not skeptical in our belief regarding Absolute.