Sunday 30 June 2013

Natures Nature



Ganga Aarthi
courtesy Google images
||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

It was a few years back... I recall how I made my way with much resistance through the madding crowd. Unable to even hear my own thoughts, my feet panicked for some ground to land on. Amidst the bargaining and yelling I tried to manoeuvre towards the stall to purchase my offerings. Finally, bereft of any energy to continue, I made my way back to the hotel foyer and explained my predicament to the hotel assistant who immediately smiled and offered to make the purchase for me. I gladly accepted his offer. Within 10 minutes, he returned with the provisions for the Ganga Aarthi which was scheduled to start in the next 15 minutes. I rewarded him handsomely for his efforts and made my way towards the bank of the Ganga.

The hotel was only a few blocks away from the Temple and Ghat where the pooja was to be performed... but the journey was prolonged as I had to find my path around thousands of devotees who had planted themselves at vantage points to make their offerings. The heat of the day still hung over the air, but the gushing waters of Ma Ganga brought forth a breeze from the Himalayas. The chimes and gongs blared from the direction of the Temple, huge flames were then waved... and immediately in chorus everyone started to sing the Hanuman Chalisa followed by the Ganga Aarthi. At the conclusion, with immense faith, devotion and appreciation -thousands of devotees including me- lit our ghee lamp, held it to our heads, and offered it at Her feet. It was such a glorious scene to watch as thousands of prayers, love and devotion floated like tiny illumined bubbles towards the 'ocean of mercy'.

This week... I stood in horror as I watched that very river become the destroyer - carrying on Her lap buildings, bodies and causing extensive damage to infrastructure... leaving thousands stranded and marooned along Her causeway. It is only the ignorant, who devoid of any understanding of the nature of nature, who will see the Ganga in a negative light. Nature has its own way of evolving and maintaining a balance in the eco-system. If we out of our ignorance choose to defy the laws of nature and out of our own convenience operate dangerously within Her areas of flexibility, we have but ourselves to blame. Like Mother Ganga, we offer salutations and prayers to the sun, wind, ocean, rain and other forms of nature. We have also seen apart from their contributions to our wellbeing, that they can also be very destructive. It is only by a proper understanding of the nature of nature that we can live comfortably and safely.

Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita:

yuktaharaviharasya yuktacheshtasya karmasu
yuktasvapnavabodhasya yogo bhavati duhkhaha

"The path of meditation requires a moderate, regulated life, avoiding too much or too little food, work,and sleep, or use of the senses. The attention must abide in the soul all the time. For such a person,yoga destroys all sorrows."

It's a beautiful lesson we take from the incidents that unfolded over the past week. Over thousands of years, we have placed so much of emphasis on the external worship and we have become so fixated upon it, that when such calamities face us, we become disillusioned and loose our faith. We have failed to understand that these paths of worship are a means to an end and not the end itself. They help us through our evolutionary process, but many people have based their lives on it.

As Bhagwan Krishna explains above, we should not become extremists or fanatical about things we do, but should approach all things in moderation with most of the emphasis being placed on the inner-self.

This is where the beauty and brilliance of Swami Vivekananda’s practicality and brilliance as a Guru comes out. His words come with a punch of reality because He was a knower of Brahman. Swamiji said: "If you have faith in the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological Gods, and in all the Gods which foreigners have now and again introduced into your midst, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need."

The external shall provide joy as per its temperament, but within us is the nucleus of this universe which is eternal and a constant source of peace and bliss. Utilise whatever we need for our sustenance from the world, but tap on the internal for peace and joy. Swamiji went further to say that the ideal of 'faith in ourselves' is of the greatest help to us. If faith in ourselves had been more extensively taught and practised, I am sure a very large portion of the evils and miseries that we have, would have vanished. Throughout the history of mankind... if any motive of power has been more potent than another in the lives of all great men and women, it is that of faith in themselves. Born with the consciousness that they were to be great, they became great.

Swamiji added: “There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of work and decry thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no thought, there will be no work. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure. We have hypnotised ourselves into this thought that we are little, that we are born, and that we are going to die, and into a constant state of fear".

There is a story about a lioness going about in search of prey; and seeing a flock of sheep, she jumped upon them. She died in the effort; and a little baby lion was born, motherless. It was taken care of by the sheep and the sheep brought it up. It grew up with them, ate grass, and bleated like the sheep. And although in time it became a big, full-grown lion, it thought it was a sheep. One day another lion came in search of prey and was astonished to find that in the midst of this flock of sheep was a lion, fleeing like the sheep at the approach of danger. He tried to get near the sheep-lion, to tell it that it was not a sheep but a lion; but the poor animal fled at his approach. However, he watched his opportunity and one day found the sheep-lion sleeping. He approached it and said, "You are a lion." "I am a sheep," cried the other lion and could not believe the contrary but bleated. The lion dragged him towards a lake and said, "Look here, here is my reflection and yours." Then came the comparison. It looked at the lion and then at its own reflection, and in a moment came the idea that it was a lion. The lion roared, the bleating was gone. You are lions, you are souls, pure, infinite, and perfect. The might of the universe is within you. "Why weepest thou, my friend? There is neither birth nor death for thee. Why weepest thou? There is no disease nor misery for thee, but thou art like the infinite sky; clouds of various colours come over it, play for a moment, then vanish. But the sky is ever the same eternal blue."

That is our foolish nature, when all that we need is within, we place faith on the external nature, which has the tendency to bring but symptomatic relief. The cure for all our misery is right within us.

May we all make the effort to know ourselves, is my sincere prayer.

With love and prayers always
Yogan

www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com

Sunday 23 June 2013

Murali Mayam!!!


|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 
|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 
Bhagawan Sri Krishna
Google Images
I am yet to see anyone or anything disprove the timeless knowledge of our ancient religion and way of life which has over millennia turned many Jivas into Shivas. "Athithi Devo Bhava" - treat all guests invited or uninvited as God Himself... that is one of the instructions that came from the ancient seers. I had two such guests over the last two days. The drastic change in weather conditions saw me play host to a virus of flu which left me resigned to my bed, saturated with hefty doses of medication. Concerns on how to displace the boredom that may set in were removed when I received my second visitor in the form of a book from my very dear friend - "God lived with them". Being an avid collector of books from the Vedanta Bookshop, it surprised me how even at the behest of Swami Vimokshananda who read wonderful accounts from this book during sathsangs, it did not form part of my collection. The book delves into the life stories of the sixteen monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Although feeling a bit embarrassed about not making a concerted effort in reading their lives on account of  placing much emphasis on Master and Swamiji, I took to the book 'like a little child to candy'.

 

Here again, I skipped the introductory chapters of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda and approached the Life of Swami Brahmananada or Raja Maharaj with uncertainty as to how would it compare with Master and Swamiji.... but enroute, was left dumbstruck at the greatness of these disciples... who were regarded as "Ihswar Kothis" (inner circle with an avatar). The life of Raja Maharaj came as a tonic to my convulsing mind that failed to cognise the reality of life. The very questions that  taunted my peace were dealt with by Maharaj in various accounts of His life.

Google images
 

Once, Maharaj wrote in a letter to a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna: Who can understand the divine play of God? Man experiences happiness and misery according to his karma. This is true of every man whether he is learned or ignorant, good or wicked. Rare indeed is a person in this world who enjoys uninterrupted peace or bliss! Blessed is he who is free from desires, for he lives in the kingdom of peace. There is more misery than happiness in the world, and most people live in misery. If God is all mericiful then why do His children suffer so much? Only God knows the answer to this mystery, and not ordinary human beings. Man suffers because of his ignorance which manifests as 'I' and the 'mine'. The really happy and fortunate man is he who has given up his ego and has surrendered his life, mind and intellect to God... and ultimately, has nothing to call his own. The nature of the mind is to dwell on worldly objects, because it is created out of three gunas which also constitutes the outer world. It is only through divine grace that a man can withdraw his mind completely from external objects and fix it on God.

 

In reading this letter, it comes to light that the question as to why is there so much of suffering and pain would have been entertained by one, at some time or another. Taking note that the letter was written by Maharaj whilst He was on pilgrimage in the holy city of Vrindavan -where Bhagawan Krishna grew up-  I paused for a while in contemplation on the beautiful Lord and came across a divine idea which I would like to share with respect to the above conundrum.

 
Deep in the woods of Vrindavan which were lined with rows of flowering trees and lakes... streams and hills were buzzing with bees maddened with flower nectar and chirping with many kinds of birds. The Lord, whilst tendering His cattle began to play His flute (murali). The woman hearing the notes from the flute -some engaged in milking- put down the milking pail and ran; some kept the milk on the hearth for warming , but forgot to take it down; and others forgot to remove the pot of porridge from the stove... all stopped whatever they did and hurried towards the sound of the flute.

 
Just as Sri Rama is adorned with His bow and Mahadev His trident... Krishna Bhagawan is never seen without His flute. The flute is a symbolic representation of this creation. Life can be described as the momentary moment when our attention deviates from being absorbed in the Lord towards the 'Murali Maya' or the enchanting sound of the flute. The little session that the Lord plays His flute is creation, and when He stops, creation ceases. It is all a period of illusion or maya which I like to call 'Murali Mayam'.

 
Ignorant of joy, peace and the Lord who is right with us always - we run after this in the enchanting world like a donkey carrying hay on its back to feed the cows. Inebriated by the stimuli of the senses and the sojourn of pleasure it returns we find ourselves on our knees banging our heads on the temple floors asking God: “But why have you abandoned me? Why do you let me suffer this way?” To this question, He never answers but simply smiles, because He was always there offering His unconditional love and attention. It was us who ran away from Him enchanted by 'Murali Mayam'.

 
As a tree deepens its roots lest it be uprooted in a gale... cling to the Lord lest you be found suffering apart from Him. We see even Swami Brahmananda felt a great depression and agony after Sri Ramakrishna’s passing... for it is only in union with God and in His company that we really are in peace.

 
May we all find that peace, is my sincere prayer.

 
With love and prayers always

Yogan 

Sunday 16 June 2013

Parampara!!!


|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 

|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

Get well Tata Madiba
Image-Google Images
 

A sombre cloud hangs over June 16th once again, as the country prays for the ailing health of struggle hero and human rights icon, Tata Madiba. A sense of uneasiness seems to condense on everyone’s spirit. The euphoric mood that normally accompanies a long weekend has been substituted with welling emotions as we recollect the tremendous self-sacrifices made by the great Grandfather of our nation. The collision of Youth Day and Father’s Day gives us an opportunity to also pay special homage to our Fathers who have played / play a very significant role in our lives.

 

There are many different roles of the Father. The dictionary refers to one who procreates a progeny as a Father; one who is an elder in the society as a Father; even the leaders of nations are referred to as Fathers. We find sometimes... a man can barely show affection, love and care for his own child, yet there are some who are prepared to give their life for people they have not even met. That is the manifestation of a special Fatherhood - the Fatherhood of God.  Hence, when a nation such as ours tumbles into sorrow and grief at the news of a former President’s health - it is an affection that the nation shows towards a Father that expressed super love for them, returned their dignity and respected them as his own. When Swami Vivekananda said that "each soul is potentially divine", it was in reference to the potential of that Fatherhood of God within each of us: the ability to express selfless love and make immense sacrifices for the wellbeing of all.

 

Within the spiritual tradition, there is a 'Guru Parampara', where each Guru has transferred knowledge to His disciples in unbroken succession and this lineage can be traced back to Brahman itself. Spiritual strength and power has flowed through this great line and continues today through various monastic orders throughout the world. In the very same way, there is a 'parampara' within the family tree. The traditions of great grandfathers have been passed down generation after generation, up to a certain point. Like Sri Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita -Chapter 4, Verse 2-  that over a period of time the knowledge He had given to Vivasvat had been broken... in the family context, it is because of the changing times that this great tradition has been broken.

 

The times of opulence and pageantry show contempt towards traditions and value systems that were held in high esteem by our forebears. The material age nurtures and fertilises the ego and creates a reflective mirror for affections of the heart. Youth who grow up in this environment and who are potential  Fathers perpetuate this... thus the cancer of selfishness and lack of empathy engulfs society. The process of developing from a  potential Father to Father to Grandfather and Fatherhood of God stops abruptly at the Grandfather stage.

 

Why should we manifest that Fatherhood of God within us? Why did the youth of 1976 sacrifice their lives for others? Why should people like Tata Madiba, Gandhi, Steve Biko, Chief Albert Luthuli sacrifice their lives at the cost of their own enjoyment for others?

 

Swamiji proclaims: "Man is not travelling from error to truth, but climbing up from truth to truth, from truth that is lower to truth that is higher". The doctrine that "man is to become divine by realising the divine", that religion is perfected in us only when it has led us to Him who is the one life in a universe of death, Him who is the constant basis of an ever-changing world, that One who is the only soul, of which all souls are but delusive manifestations".

 

It is the awakening to this consciousness that we are all one beating through different hearts and being that one who is the seed-giving Father, as proclaimed by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Helping others is merely helping oneself because when others suffer, you alone suffer. That is the truth. You may not understand it when you are engrossed with the gross body, but when you have awakened that supreme consciousness within that you are divine, the veil of maya is lifted, where you have a vision of the truth and reality as stated by Swamiji that all worship is but preliminary when one sees God only in an image... he who sees Shiva in the poor, hungry and downtrodden really worships.

 

Great souls like Swamiji who don’t sympathise but express unalloyed empathy towards others have come to resurrect the broken Parampara to Godhead. They have come to show that the way to progress cannot be found around others, but through others... in that all must be raised and then alone progress shall come.

 

As youth - when we stand before the mirror, let us see the great responsibility that has been placed upon our shoulders... let us see our duty to raise the condition of the masses, let us see that duty of being the Father not only to our children, but to humanity at large. Let us understand that if it were not for the selflessness and the great sacrifices from icons like Madiba, we would not be able to enjoy the liberties we enjoy now and in order for the future generations to enjoy greater liberties, prosperities and bliss... we will have to play our role in society.

 

On this Youth Day, I offer prayers for the health of the great "Father of our Nation" and ask that every youth be inspired and motivated by the lives of our grea saints, sages and leaders. May we continue in the parampara of divinity, is my sincere prayer.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan


 Merisha has reminded me that today Sudarshana Vidya turns 2 years. I offer my pranaams at the feet of Master, Mother, Swamiji and our Revered Swami Vimokshanandaji Maharaj, who is the inspiration behind the blog. Maharaj not only inspired me through His own writings but mentored me and guided me to look and decipher the spirituality and Vedanta that is infused into everything in this world. I bow to Maharaj for His continuous blessings and grace upon my spiritual life.

Sunday 9 June 2013

Picture Perfect Moments


|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 
Picture Perfect- Google Images

||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 

A collage of white and yellow daisies bordered the pristine lake that mirrored the beauty of the majestic heavens ruled by the glorious solar star. A carpet of vibrant yet elegant lawn invited and welcomed many ducks and other game to quench their thirst and then take refuge under the bowing bottle brush - the perching station for a family of hummingbirds that anxiously gaze into the glistening ocean of wild flowers screaming out to be tapped for their nectar. If only these 'picture-perfect' moments sustained themselves I thought... as I tried to wrap my duvet more securely around me in defence of the obnoxious, advancing cold. Sometimes you wish photos had a portal through which you may go and enjoy those delightful moments. But alas, a realisation dawns that it is just that a moment that has passed.

 

I was never really in tune with the fine arts movement, but when I was in Paris a few years back, I was caught overwhelmingly by a few colleagues to visit the Louvre Museum in this most enchanting city. I was more enthralled by the street violinists and the Champs Elysees than the thought of walking through a museum the size of a little town with so many artefacts, that our guide said if you spent a minute at each artwork without any breaks it would take you 200 days to complete the tour. There are many old and wonderful paintings in the museum, which was once a palace, depicting the sorrow and joy of the time. But my attention and interest took a little nap until we reached the most visited and famous piece - Da Vinci’s "Mona Lisa".

 

Even though I was not an expert admirer of fine art, I was able to connect and interpret a message from the painting. I realised that Da Vinci had an understanding of life.  The most unique feature of this piece is her enigmatic facial expression. At one moment you will see her smile and the very next she will frown. Absolutely amazing and stunning as I could not believe what I saw - in total contradiction to the other artworks which in essence simply captured a moment in time. We all wish sometimes that our life was that polaroid moment of happiness... but in reality it is a motion picture of uncut scenes that can leave you bewildered. The "Mona Lisa" was the interpretation and representation of life: a scale of joy and sorrow balancing on the fulcrum of uncertainty.

 

Every one of us wants happiness to preside over us yet it eludes you somehow. It can only be captured in a picture but cannot be tied to you using ropes or chains. Then how do you keep it? Swami Vivekananda said: "There is the desire to be happy. We run after everything to make ourselves happy; we pursue our mad career in the external world of senses. We find at last that our desires cannot be fulfilled. Wherever we go, there is an adamantine wall beyond which we cannot pass. Every sense-activity results in a reaction. Everything is evanescent - enjoyment, misery, luxury, wealth, power, and poverty, even life itself, are all evanescent."

 

Our problem is that we root our happiness in the future rather than the present. We say that if this or that happens, I will be happy. 'If I win the Lotto, I will be happy' etc. etc. Hence, we are basing our happiness on something that is not certain. We are not sure if tomorrow will be there... how can we be sure that that which we are basing happiness on will happen... hence that which we pin our happiness on becomes the cause of our grief as well. How paradoxical, that our very pursuit for happiness results or becomes the foundation of our grief.

 

An eclectic analysis of teachings and thoughts but most profoundly from the words of Sri Krishna Himself says that rather than trying to derive your happiness from the results of your action which have no guarantee, you should rather derive your happiness in the action itself.

 

In our lifetime, we have seen how people have saved and sacrifice so much in their lives in order to enjoy their retirement, but passed on at a very young age. Even in spirituality, there are thousands who want to enjoy post-mortem-heaven. A debate on its existence can span an entire 'kalpa' with no conclusive answer. Even in the remote past, where recorded history cannot help us, in the mysterious light of mythology, back in the dim twilight of civilization, we find the same question was asked -said Swamiji.

 

Since actions can only take place in the present, and we want to enjoy happiness in the present and now, we must therefore enjoy all the actions we perform. Swami Tejomayananada said that "the present is a gift from God; we must cease and exploit it for our benefit". The secret lies then in taking whatever situation you in, and turning it into a happy movie not a moment. Swami Tejomayananda also said that "if you grumble, you crumble and eventually tumble".

 

This dear friends, is absolutely impossible if you cannot see God in everything and take every action as worship itself. It must be with the same attitude that you perform the aarthi and make offerings to the deity, that you must undertake your work, seva and other activities... and then only will you experience the happiness and bliss that will cling to you unassisted like a magnet clings to metal. 

 

May happiness inundate us all, is my  sincere prayer.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan

Sunday 2 June 2013

Marathon of Life


||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 

||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 

I really can’t figure it out now... but 'back in the day' when I was growing up, most things we did was pursuant with the seasons. Like clockwork there would be a seamless transition with pretty much everything... from clothes, food and even activities that would boisterously advertise the period we were in. Like around this time, we would be gearing up for the French Open Tennis followed hot-on-the-heels by the Wimbledon Championships. The guava and mango trees would be abandoned for the succulent mandarins, nectarines and the butter soft avocadoes that used to burden the arthritic branches of the aged trees. Adorned with fleece jerseys, socks and beanies; nursing a chesty cough and congested nose - we would take delight in tearing apart an orange bursting with juice that would intently trickle down our chapped lips. The winter sounds warm, fuzzy and cosy but also elaborates some idiosyncrasies - like alighting from bed in the grating cold at the rooster’s hour to watch the start of a road race. 

 

Comrades Marathon- Google images
As South Africans, we take pride in this event though - it is regarded as the "ultimate human race" and attracts thousands of people, both locally and internationally, to test their entire being between two cities: Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

 

This event was a must watch for many of us! It gripped our attention as we applauded the determination, strength, courage and camaraderie of the participants. As much as winning the race may be the objective of some competitive entrants... for the majority of runners... it is a test of passion, the human spirit and the ultimate feeling of crossing the finish line - not alone... but by inspiring, carrying and lifting others along the way. I think it is in this spirit that the race continues today, true to the ideology of the founder Vic Clapham who decided on the event as a living memoriam to the heroes of the war who showed much camaraderie despite suffering pain, agony and death in the searing heat on the parched eastern savannah of Africa. Today, in its 88th year, all roads led to Maritzburg as it’s locally known, to celebrate and appreciate the conquest of human frailties against all odds.

 

There is indeed a great spiritual lesson that can be derived from this ultimate human experience which dovetails into the ethos of Vedanta and especially the practical Vedanta philosophy of Swami Vivekananda. Whilst thinking of this marathon, I took up a deeper analysis of one of Swami Vivekananda’s sayings which may have sparked some sort of controversy by the traditionalists. However in this time of the widely read and aspiring spiritual seekers, Swamiji's thoughts planted during His time ripen as revelations for the emancipation of the shackled joy and happiness.

 

Swamiji without any hesitation proclaimed: "You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through study of Gita".

 

Yes! Apart from the fitness and physical stamina that is attained through practice and playing of football, some fundamental life skills are attained. To underpin my thought, please read now a commentary from a football match.

 

"Pillay bursts down the right flank but is brought down by Govender mid-flight. Moodley stands over the free-kick. Awesome ball in from Moodley - right in the mixer - and Naidoo meets it with a header that finds the back of the net."

 

The stats shall show that Naidoo scored the goal which took the team to the finals, but as a player each one realises that only through teamwork and the effort of others,  Naidoo had the opportunity to score the goal. Without the labour force there can be no industrialist; without the voting citizen there can be no President; and without the army there can be no King. Like how the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas etc by its own nature contributes to the wellness of the body... like that, in life we must realise that the welfare of each and every jiva shall bring about a healthy society. There cannot be real progress when but a few progress at the expense of others. There will come a time when such a system will collapse.

 

Our development and progress must be invested in the welfare of others. We must strive to succeed and prosper whilst ensuring that we raise the lives of others. It is only then that we can think of such ideals like moksha and liberation. That is what Swamiji meant when He said: "You are nearer to Heaven through football".

 

"Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making, assimilation of ideas", He said. It is the practical use of the information that is important. Going to satsang every week and saying  that you read the Gita is of no use if you cannot put one idea into practice or if that idea cannot deliver peace and improvement in one's life. Swamiji also commented: "The education which does not help the common mass of people to equip themselves for the struggle for life, which does not bring out strength of character, a spirit of philanthropy, and the courage of a lion – is it worth the name?"

 

Taking cognisance that we come from the same source and we are all after the same goal, as declared by Bhagwan Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita,  that "all creation emanates from Him", we can perspicuously call ourselves comrades in the struggle for absolute eternal bliss. And like how liberation movements worked and fought together as a single organism against the oppressive forces, we too must help each other and work with each other to attain love, peace and moksha.

 

May we be inspired by such events like the Comrades Marathon to bring about victory for all in the Marathon of Life, is my sincere prayer.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan