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.

              

512. God: Assumed in many Forms and Given many Names…!!!!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/god-assumed-in-many-forms-and-given-many-names

He knelt before the King and pleaded for justice. His cry was pitiable it was as if he had lost something very near and dear to him. The King consoled him and asked him the reason for his pathetic condition. The man started to speak. He said, “Oh! King I am a merchant in your kingdom I get the commodities from other countries and sell them here to our people for some profit. I have a family consisting of my aged parents who live with me. At times I go on trading trip to other countries for more than 3-4 months. While taking up my last trip I had handed over a Diamond which was half the size of my fist to my friend. I could not leave it with my aged parents and hence I gave it to him for safe keeping. After I returned back from my trip the person whom I trusted a lot is now saying that I haven’t given him anything for safe keeping.

The king summoned the person’s friend for enquiry. The friend came to the court sobbing he said he was never given anything by his friend. He started swearing on God, nature and his aged parents. Even after threatening him of dire consequences and harsh punishments which included blinding him and pushing him in the dark dungeon, the man never accepted his fault. The king was upset that both of them were sticking to their stand and the case was heading nowhere.

Suddenly the king asked the merchant, “Do you have any witness who could justify your statement that you have left the diamond with your friend for safe keeping.”

As it was so sudden that the merchant could not think but in an instant he said, “Oh! King, yes there was a person with me when I handed over the diamond to him.”

The king asked his guards to produce the witness before the court. The merchant said the witness was his neighbour who had a flour grinding shop and he was not available in his shop today as he had gone to his in-laws place and would be back tomorrow. The king told the merchant to bring the witness to the court the next day.

That night the merchant was worried he had to take a witness as he admitted that there was a witness. He went to his neighbour and told him to just say that he was present when he had handed over the diamond to his friend. The neighbour was a poor man who was earning his living by grinding rice flour using his grinding stone which alone was his ancestral property, he had never seen a diamond. He asked the merchant, “I will say I was a witness but I have not seen a diamond in my life.”

Merchant said, “You fool, diamond is a stone which shines. Just say you saw me handing over the diamond to my friend, that will do”

Next day all the three merchant his friend and neighbour came to the king’s court. The merchants neighbour told he was the witness to the event. Now the king asked his minister to give the merchant and the neighbor a pen and a small paper each and asked them to describe the diamond that had being handed over to the merchant’s friend. 

The merchant who had obviously seen a diamond wrote a page long description, the neighbour was in a fix he remembered the merchant had told it was a stone he wrote a full page description of his grinding stone and attested to have seen it shining.

The fraud was caught!!!

The neighbour’s mind could not grasp the characteristics of diamond hence according to his limited knowledge he could only think that diamond is something like his grinding stone which would shine. For that man his Grinding Stone was diamond and one has to appreciate his state of mind and at the same time the merchant also thinks that diamond is more dearer to him than his friend. Exactly as the merchants neighbour we are all assuming the forms of God and giving names to Him unable to comprehend His real nature which is innumerous times more than what we think and as the merchant we are all going against humanity to label that unknown energy as ours. He is not just a hero who can bash all the villains as told in scriptures. Firstly we have to understand that He is beyond heroism and our mind has its own limitations in the happenings of existence. Mind is just a small aspect of consciousness so it is difficult for a little part of consciousness to understand the whole of existence called God. He is revealed when mind stops assuming Him. Refusing to be just contented with the knowledge of God, one will start experiencing Him. Experiencing Him will prepare me to be involved in His work by developing in me a God-centered life........ am I right?  

511. What is Awareness? Who is Aware?

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/what-is-awareness-who-is-aware

The English dictionary defines awareness as a state of having knowledge, ability to perceive a situation or fact. Awareness is not simply being an intellectual person. An animal is aware of its surrounding and is to some extent aware of itself too when it comes to its own existence, this is because it thinks from the realm of its mind. A pet animal in the house can be made to behave by conditioning its mind and a wild animal uses the adoptive mind to suit for its survival. Being aware of Self does not only mean conscious knowledge of own character, feelings motives and desires, a mirror test will prove that many animals are self aware as they do have a mind like us. Being aware of the body, mind and those desires in it does not constitute awareness pertaining to human beings.  

What is that Awareness which is valid for humans?  

“Prajnanam Brahmaa” says one of the Mahavakyas which means Awareness is Absolute Reality. Prajnanam is referred to as supreme knowledge also but knowledge being the byproduct of awareness it is like calling a wedding ring as gold, while awareness is like lump of gold supreme knowledge is like wedding ring. The basic raw material for supreme knowledge is awareness. Though they both are same in the core there is a difference, a wedding ring could be called gold but a gold lump is never be accepted as wedding ring. Supreme knowledge is awareness but awareness is not knowledge. There is no awareness of awareness. It knows itself by itself. If it were to be known by something other than itself it would become an object and therefore cease to be awareness and become limited, which it is not. Unlike anything in the dark which need light beam for me to make sure of its existence, I do not need a torch to confirm that I exist in a dark room; awareness in me is self luminous. I am aware of my existence without the aid of any other means. It is an important point to make that no perception of any kind is needed for awareness to know itself.  

Awareness is ever present it does not depend on object around, irrespective of the presence or absence of objects like in deep sleep. It does not depend on objects to exist or be known. However, if awareness was not present, then the question of whether or not objects were present would be null and void. What would be there to know if objects were present or not? How existent is an object if it can't be known to exist? So, all is in the awareness; but awareness is not in all?  Lord Krishna also tells Arjuna the same in Bhagavad Gita chapter 9 verses 5, “All beings are in me, but I am not in them”.    

For example, the computer you are looking at right now is nothing but you, awareness. However, you are not 'in' the computer, meaning limited by it. Are you contained in the computer? No, in fact it is contained in you. There is a time when the computer did not exist. There is never a time when you have not existed. When the computer goes away, you are still there. The computer is limited by time and space while you are eternal and have no spatial limitations. So everything is awareness, yes, but you are not limited, affected or dependent on any of the apparent objects that appear in you. They come, go, and change. You remain the same, the awareness of the coming, going and changing. 

I am that awareness and hence there is no need for me to attain or cultivate it. All that I need to do is to give up being aware of other things, which are not-Self. If I give up being aware of them then awareness alone remains and that is the Self. 

510. The reason for a continuous conflict between Call of Duty and Self-Interest.....

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/science-of-spirituality/the-reason-for-a-continuous-conflict-between-call-of-duty-and-selfinterest

While explaining Arjuna about his duties as a Kshatriya, Sri Krishna warns him of those duties which are not prescribed to him and says by undertaking those he will not be benefited instead it will be a hindrance for his growth. There are two instances in Bhagavad-Gita where Sri Krishna talks about prescribed duty and ones nature here are those two instances:  

“Sreyan Svadharmo Vigunah Paradharmat Svanusthitat
Svadharme Nidhanam Sreyah Paradharmo Bhayavahah”

It is far better to discharge ones prescribed duties, even though they may be imperfectly, than doing another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.

“Sreyan Svadharmo Vigunah Paradharmat Svanusthitat                                                  Svabhava Niyatam Karma Kurvan Apnoti Kilbisam.”

It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be imperfectly, than doing other's duties. Doing action enjoined according to one’s nature, one does not incur fault.

Now what is Sva-Dharma and how is it different from Dharma ? While Dharma is the righteous duty which is expected in every individual to have a harmonious society, Sva-Dharma is Dharma coated with self-interest. To explain further let us suppose there is a person who donates funds every year to an old age home. If that person does not care for his own aged parents the donations he had given does not invite admiration. He has to set right everything at home and give a helping hand to others later. Some are eager to be a philanthropist to show their elite-ness and trigger their status, but is it right if they lack the same interest on their prescribed duties??? 

Sva-Dharma is ones duties which arise from ones own roles and responsibilities in life. Taking up those roles and responsibilities provides order and stability to our lives in particular and society in general. When each individual perform their responsibilities well then there is no need for another individual to step into his shoe to carry out them. There are few who do Dharmic task thinking they get recognitions in the society but ignore those duties that are prescribed to them. Sri Krishna warns those people by telling them that Dharmic task even though done excellently is not better compare to the prescribed duty done imperfectly. Even though I cannot provide a high class comfort to my parents but do as I can afford to, it is better than providing high class comforts to those in the old age home. In fact if every individual looks after their parents well at home, the strength at the old age home could be minimized.       

For my Sva-Dharma to be carried out properly my Sva-Bhava (Innate Nature) has to be on the right path. Sva-Bhava means ones preferences towards likes and dislikes. My Sva-Bhava incites me to feel interested in certain activities and unconcerned to some. From where does Sva-Bhava in me gets sprouted? My Sva-Bhava has its roots in my Vasanas (Tendencies) and Samskaras (Impressions) from pasts many births. There is a need to alter this Sva-Bhava if it is contrdicting Sva-Dharma. If Sva-Bhava is synchronised with Sva-Dharma there is inner purity which is called Antahkarana Shuddhi.

Sometimes Sva-Bhava and Sva-Dharma might not synchronise and may go in opposite directions creating a conflict in mind. We might be inclined in doing something while the call of the duty wants us to do other. It is wise to look at the Dharma (Righteousness) factor at that time. It is at this time we need to take the advice of elders and decide what has to be done. In most cases Sva-Dharma is altered according to Sva-Bhava which is not the correct way. Sva-Bhava has to be modified as per Sva-Dharma. When duties are done on this line there are greater chances of excellence and satisfaction in doing them. Collectively if every single person does his duty well then the whole society will look better and there would be less conflict in interpersonal relationships…………… What Say????

509. Pradakshina: Being aware of each Step and hav e a Conscious Walk.....

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/pradakshina-being-aware-of-each-step-to-have-conscious-walk

Pradakshina is a customary circumambulation of the outer prakara of the sanctum going from the right. Pradakshina and Parikrama does mean the same but the word Parikrama is used to go around a natural occurrence like a hill or a river or tulasi plant or even fire, while Pradakshina is limited to outer premise with the Lord as the central point. As it is impossible to draw a perfect circle ignoring the center point, Lord is the center point providing the source and essence of our lives. The significance of performing Pradakshina is to recognise Him as the core point in our lives so that we can go about doing our daily chores. This is to emphasize that He is the center of everything around and hence everything else revolves round him. It is the adaptation of the solar system where all the planets revolve around sun which is the reason for the other planets to exist. It is the same as our Muslim brethren do in Tawaaf-e-Kaabah, for the feel of oneness. We all know that any point on the circumference of a circle is equidistant from the center point. This shows that wherever we are we are equally close to Him who is at the center.  

As the matter of fact everything here in the universe does Pradakshina. In an atom it is the electrons which go around the nucleus. While in meditation our awareness goes around the inner self and has a rendezvous with it. This is called Atma Pradakshina and many a times it is done at the end of a pooja with the chant of a sloka which goes like this:

“Yani kani cha Papani Janmanthara krithani cha Thani thani vinashyanthi Pradakshinam pade pade”

(Sins of any intensity committed in this and previous births will be destroyed by doing Pradakshinam step by step).

Pradakshina is done very slowly and it is not hurried. They say it has to be done at the pace of a pregnant woman holding a cup of oil filled to the rim and walking. The essence is that it has to be done not as a brisk walk which we do as exercise. It has to involve both our body as well as our mind. In Pradakshina our mind has to remain one pointed even though the limbs and the body are moving. This is where the sloka gets its significance when mind is one pointed it acts as a sieve purifying the sins committed by thought, word and deed. This is same as the confessions done by our Christian brethren in front of the priest.  

Sri Sri Sankara in one of his works “Shiva Manasa Pooja” tells that our simple stroll becomes a Pradakshina if we just meditate on Him. Such a walk will take us around millions of galaxies as He is infinite. There is this puranic story where for the knowledge fruit symbolized as a mango fruit, Ganesha and his younger bother Karthikeya are put to test and asked to go around the universe. Whoever returns first will be rewarded with the fruit. Wasting no time Karthikeya mounts on his peacock and set off.  Ganesha just walks a full circle around his parents saying that since his world contains only his parents there is more logic for him to circumambulating them.

508. Feeling Elite is a Psychological Disorder which has its Cure in Spirituality…..

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/feeling-elite-is-a-psychological-disorder-which-has-its-cure-in-spirituality

I have always wanted to know what is it that motivates some people to earn more than what they are earning. Could it be insecure feeling which pushes them to make hay while the Sun is still shining? No, because they are happily spending what they are earning to buy things they want and are not misers. Could it be to improve the living standard? Yes, simply because the market is bullying them with new products with an upgraded technology tag on it. Suppose a person has purchased a new car from a most reputed company, the same company rolls out a new car in just a few months time. And he is itchy to buy it as a human mind never ceases to dream for new. It does not matter if we already has one or it would be an addition of one more to the existing fleet or sometimes a replacement for the old one is always on the cards. It is quite natural to always dream of owning a new product which hits the market and become ELITE owner. Amazingly this elite feel not only makes a person to reach out for new products from the market but also lures him to search and collect antiques.

But in this venture does the person ever felt if we really need the new product or the antique piece? No, he doesn't. Has he ever thought if he really enjoys having them? Very occasionally he does think of the new product and its usefulness but never always. For example: The latest high end mobile phone with lots of features which make it difficult for us to analyze whether it is a mobile phone or a computer, for how long do we use these new extra features? Mostly a mobile is used to converse with one another and sometimes send text message there are most of the things which we seldom use yet we aspire for those features which are neither needed nor enjoyed by us. When we seldom use the features why do we tend to buy high end products? To just show the possession of something that can makes us elite.  

Recognition among the friends and relatives circle is important than anything else. There is an immature feel that to get recognized in a jiffy one has to buy things which attract others envy. To buy something that is unique one needs to shell out lots of money. Money is the only way one can become “The-one-who-with-latest gadget” or “The-one-with-the-vintage car”. Hence for the person who wants to earn more it is not what he does with the money that gives him satisfaction, but what others see him do with the money. Amazingly society's perception of an individual's capacity is directly proportional to the uniqueness in the properties one possesses; more the money betters the elite-ness and best is the perception. This is the motivation to earn more money but at the same time an immature attitude.

Now this immature attitude has brought an end to many. We have seen many celebrities and page 3 glitterati who have tried their level best to remain elite and in doing so they have either landed as drug addicts and finished their lives or optioned Spirituality to live on a wonderful life. It is Spirituality alone which at start puts the principal thought that earning money to buy expensive products alone does not showcase elite-ness instead anything achieved worthwhile for self and society is also recognized. Further by treading the spiritual path one understands that even recognition also is a modest form of feeling elite and he shuns even that…….. What say????   

507. Only an Enlightened Being can be a Good Master.....

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/only-an-enlightened-being-can-be-a-good-master

Life is a learning curve we learn as we progress in life. It is quite natural to share what we have learnt and in sharing we also sometimes learn. In the process of sharing what we know, at times may sound as if we are giving advice to others. Giving advice is not easy unless we have precise knowledge and experience of the subject. An advice could go down to others in both positive as well as negative way. While sharing something with others one cannot predict how it is accepted.

There was an ashram where lots of disciples were accumulating knowledge from an Old Guru. After some years Guru decided to send some of his best disciples to spread what they have learnt in the ashram. Guru selected a few of them and asked them to choose the place they would like to go and preach. One particular disciple volunteered to go to a remote area. Guru was surprised and he wished to talk to the disciple. Guru warned the disciple that the people who lived there were uncivilized brutes.   

Disciple replied, “Gurudev, if they are that worst, they need your preaching. I am interested to go there and spread your word”.

Guru said, “Son, what if they tease and bully you?”

Disciple replied, “Gurudev, initially when I joined this ashram even I had teased you but you were so graceful to take it lightly”.

Guru asked, “What if they speak ill of you or even insult you with bad words?”

Disciple answered, “What are words? they are nothing but group of syllables. When every syllable has His name starting with it, I will relate every syllable in the word they use to abuse to the names of my Lord”.

Guru smiled and questioned, “If some hurt you or cause injury to you?”

Disciple said, “When they can easily kill me and if they only resort to injury me, I should be a blessed being”.

Then Guru quizzed, “O.K what if they actually kill you?”

Disciple looked at the Guru and said, “Gurudev, if you have chosen me as one of the able disciples to spread your word to the world, you know I am worthy of it. Here I feel my purpose of existence is fulfilled of now. There is every possibility that if I live for more years I may commit sin and fall from where I am today. In the process of spread your word and having a good intention if I am killed. I consider it as a great help by them.

Tears of joy rolled down on to the cheeks of the Guru. Looking down at the disciple Guru said, “Son, I am happy to say that you are a disciple of this ashram. An enlightened being can only be a good master. To be a master one needs to have tolerance, patience and endurance. He has to listen first and talk later. Every person who has knowledge and experience cannot become a master as it not just words but a concern to encourage a person by suggesting him that all the inputs required for him to excel is nowhere else but inside him. A master will not go after praise, price or prize. I am confident that you will succeed in your venture. Go my son, He will shower His blessing on you”.

Disciple took the blessings of the Guru and went to that place and became a medium to transform many of them there.