Maya(illusion) the reigning Queen of Kali Yuga

||Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

 
Nothing deals you a blow of reality than a visit to the high care trauma ICU of a hospital. As you make your way through the brightly lit corridors taking extra caution not to soil the sparkling floors which reflect your image with utter brilliance, you are suddenly greeted by a battlefield  populated by various contraptions and aids, as patients lay fighting for the opportunity to live another minute.

Standing at an angle with the vantage of being able to view a number of them at a glance, the scene pours confusion over my thoughts as I am unable to distinguish if any of them come from a wealthy home or disadvantaged background; have a higher education or are illiterate; or even what religion they belong to for that matter. They have all been reduced to a mere hospital gown devoid of any attributes and consciousness of the outer world, feeding off a mere saline solution.

In the hands of the best physicians and most modern equipment, the power of the divine stamps its authority as in an instant a living being becomes a mere corpse. All your status, accumulated wealth, estates, degrees, awards, friends and family vanish as you enter the kingdom of Yama Raj, and the only commodity of value is your impressions of the life that you have lived.

Oh what a fool I have been to have wasted this human birth in the pursuit of all things which have no value. I have been trapped in the clutches of the enchanting queen Maya where all things are transitory - garlanded with anguish, pain and suffering.  Yet all that earn great interest in the kingdom of God I heed not even an ounce of attention. This is the regret that will hijack your mind at the reception desk of Yama Raj.

Master Sri Ramakrishna said in the Gospel:

Worldly people wander about the four corners of the earth for the sake of happiness. They don’t find it anyway, they only become tired and weary. Through the attachment of lust and greed they only suffer misery. But what is there to enjoy in the world, the pleasure is only transitory. Take shelter in God and pray to Him with a yearning heart; He will surely listen to you and He will help you out this cycle of misery.

Lord Murugan

Yesterday, devotees of Lord Murugan would have descended upon temples throughout the world with intense bhakti and sincerity to commence the festival of Thai Poosam. In what can be described as a mass demonstration of devotion to Lord Murugan, devotees adorned with the patta (insignia of Shiva), will carry the kavady from a specified location back to the temple. This festival which features mainly amongst the Tamil speaking community has now attracted the attention of devotees across language and race barriers.

Here in South Africa, we find that devotees carry the kavady  during three occasions ie: Thai Poosam, Panguni Uttaram and Skanda Shasti, and as much as devotees derive immense benefit from this ritual, like being cured of ailments or attaining success with business ventures etc., I find that this practice teaches and prepares us for the reception with Yama Raj.

Kavadies in preparation

A brisk walk around the ground where the procession commences provides the mind with a feast of images, sounds and scents. The fragrance of the freshly cut flowers vary from carnations,roses, marigolds and wild flowers - an indication of the financial status of the various devotees. The kavadies also don’t escape the touch of pride as they range from intricately carved solid exotic woods to a plane bamboo pole adorned with milk at either end.

The boisterous screams of Haro Hara by the priests signal the journey back to the temple. Dodging the thorns, gravel and heat, the barefoot devotees, amidst the devotional singing and chanting make their way to the temple carefully balancing the kavady on their shoulder. 

At the temple, officials receive the devotees and immediately remove the milk from the kavady which is taken to the inner sanctum of the temple and is used to bathe the deity of Lord Murugan which is termed the abishegam. This act concludes the ritual and brings much delight to the devotee.

Close analysis and careful attention reveals that upon arrival at the temple, the kavadies are not allowed in the inner sanctum. It is only the milk which is received. Ironically, although much effort and resources were put into the kavady, Lord Muruga does not see the type of kavady that brought the milk to him, He only gets to feel the milk. He appreciates and receives the cool milk which has not been spilt and soiled, that which has been brought to Him with much care and sincere devotion.

In the world ruled by queen Maya, we pay so much attention to the body, wealth accumulation, degrees and status, yet like the kavady, it never enters the spiritual world. It is discarded at an instant. That which we fail to nurture and nourish in actual fact is what matters. Like the milk which adorns the kavady and is transported with utmost care for His abishegam; our consciousness and mind should be carefully prepared throughout our life so that it will be worthy of abishegam to the Lord.

Live a life of selfless service, purity and devotion always. Your life is like a long kavady procession. Engage every moment in thoughts of God, and every action as an offering to Him. Ensure that your mind and consciousness are not tainted and soiled by the impurities and trappings of this world. Immerse yourself in His love alone, and then alone can you stand at the desk of Yama Raj with a big smile.

May we be free from all our bondages like the cucumber severs its bond with the creeper and attain peace, bliss and abstention from birth and death is my sincere prayer. Urvārukam iva bandhanān mrtyor muksīya māmrtāt.

With love and prayers always.
Yogan

Vivekananda-An oasis in this dark age

||Sri  Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya 

Swamiji

It filled my heart with unspeakable joy to immerse myself into the bhav of our most revered Swamiji over the past two weeks. Thinking and speaking about Him nourishes the intellect and mind with undiluted inspiration to the point where any activity becomes mere child’s play. This week, we shall bring to a close our 3 part series dedicated to the glorious life of the giant amongst men, that was Vivekananda.

If one had to distil that fundamental instruction or teaching from Swamiji that stands out as the Gita of His works, that would be nothing else but to manifest the potential divinity within us. In identifying with the limitations of this body and the worldly conditioned mind, man projects meekness, fear, mediocrity and inadequacies. Like Arjuna, we surrender or contemplate defeat before the war even commences. In the same way as Shri Krishna warned Arjuna, that sort of behaviour is unbecoming of a warrior. Swamiji warned us that weakness, fear etc. are unbecoming of the divinity we are.

I would easily say it has been over two months since I visited the ocean - definitely an intrepid journey with the knowledge that the tourists have handed back these recreation spaces to the natives of the coastline. The heat and humidity had no chance of capturing my attention as the mere sight of the mighty ocean reconfigured my mood instantly to serenity and coolness.

As I gazed into this vast vista of infinity, my thoughts gravitated to drawing a similarity between the ocean and ourselves based on the profound message of Swamiji mentioned above.  I was deeply intrigued as to how the mighty ocean was ignorant of its potential and was simply satisfied with fulfilling the desire of the shore with recurring small waves. Yet in an instant that very ocean had the capability of flooding the entire earth right up to the Himalayas.

Likewise, ignorant of our divinity we are all preoccupied with insatiable desires and have enslaved ourselves with body and senses just like the ocean is enslaved by the shoreline.

During this month, thousands of pilgrims would have descended on Sabri Malai in India to receive dharshan of Lord Ayyappa, said to be the creation of Shri Hari and Shiva. The demon Mahishi, sister of Mahishasura who was vanquished by Mother Durga during Navarathri started to wreck havoc in the heavens, in revenge of her brother.

Having received the boon from Brahma that  one born of a man and man may vanquish her; she paraded the kingdom of the Gods callously with the incorrect perception of her invincibility. However her boon turned into a fallacy when she met death through the hands of Lord Ayyappa.

Yes indeed this may sound bazaar, but Swami Vimokshananda has always cautioned us against taking mythology literally. These mythologies are highly pregnant with profound philosophies that assist us in our journey to God realisation. It is therefore imperative that a detailed study and analysis of the mythology be done so that we may unpack the underlying philosophy.

The death of Mahishasura and the revenge by his sister Mahishi represent desires. It proves repeatedly that it is impossible to satisfy desires. The moment we get rid of one another is waiting to take revenge upon us.

Lord Vishnu is representative of preservation and Lord Shiva of dissolution. The convergence of these two powers results in constructive destruction.  Sri Ramakrishna said in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna that the only desire that one is allowed to have is the desire for God. All other desires are detrimental to our wellbeing.

Therefore, in taking the constructive destruction approach one should start to dismantle all other desires one by one and reconstruct them to a yearning for God. In that way, no void is created for more desires to disrupt your mind. All desires must be for God alone.  The Master then declares confidently that for him, who has a burning desire and yearning for God alone, the vision and realisation of God is certain.

The removal of desires from the mind is explained by Shree Tulsidas in the Hanuman Chalisa “Shri Guru charan saroja raja nija mana mukur suda” - Cleaning the mirror of our mind with the dust of the Guru’s feet, allows the ocean of divinity that was enslaved within to rise to the Kailas (the abode of Shiva in the Himalayas).  The rising of this divinity is representative of the spiritual progress of the aspirant; the point where the divine ocean and Ganga become one. This Jiva Athma becomes one with Paramathma, is representative of one being immersed in Satchidananda or Brahman (eternal peace).

And that was Swamiji’s mission: to work until every atman journeys back to that state of eternal peace. He has made so many sacrifices, one of which was His own liberation for the sake of the millions of atmans. The least we can do is dedicate a fraction of our lives to His work.  Free the trapped atmans from the bondage by spreading Swamiji’s teachings magnanimously; share His message far and wide; let all be inspired by His words. He came not just for Hindus but for the freedom of all creation. Swami Vivekananda’s books are ideal gifts to youth on birthdays and even to adults.

Let us all become conduits and amplifiers of His voice and message in this age of Kaliyuga is my sincere prayer. “Arise and awake the sleeping millions, as it’s time to go home”.

Jai Swamiji Maharaj Ki Jai!!!

You Tube videos and audio clips:

Chicago Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxUzKoIt5aM 

Swamiji’s Life In Pictures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JntwFFlzecA

Swamiji’s Quotes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gryu_7zVIhg

Bhajans

Yesudas Bengali Nahi Surjo Nahi Jyoti-Vivekananda Bengali Song by Dr KJ Yesudas and Salil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URVbGOfXDOM

Books:

Complete works of Swami Vivekananda

Selections from the complete works

Talks with Swami Vivekananda

With love and prayers always

Yogan

Shree Ramakrishna The King Maker

||Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

The drive to ashram was an immensely restless one... impatience smothered me as I could hardly wait for the commencement of the thithi pooja of Swami Vivekananda, undoubtedly a king amongst men.

The morning was beautiful - the gentle breeze teasing the atmosphere before the heavenly grillers were switched on; the moving trees launching the birds in all directions like confetti being strewn in celebration of Makara Sankranti (Sun moving into the Capricorn constellation).

As I drove towards the Veeraboga Temple on my way to ashram, I caught a glimpse of daybreak, as the sun slowly released itself from the grip of night. The air was perfumed with incense and overpowering smoke emanating from the log fire that was placed under a clay pot in which white rice was being prepared.

As the contents of the pot started to boil over, the mantras being chanted by the priest were suddenly disrupted with loud screams of “Pongal oh Pongal”. By this time, Surya (sun) had made a prominent display on the horizon.

Surya Pongal is a festival celebrated by mainly South Indians, and pays homage to Lord Surya for His grace and blessings, allowing them to harvest a bounty. Similarly, on different days, homage is paid to the cow, ancestors, etc. for their contribution to the agricultural success of the community.  Agriculture formed the backbone of Indian civilisation, providing abundantly for the country’s sustenance.

After India was conquered and colonised, many lost their land and became slaves to the empires, leading to the poverty and degradation of the masses of India, who at one stage were self sufficient through agriculture.

Pic of Swamiji at HQ Shrine Durban

Upon entering the shrine at ashram, devotees were greeted by the most outstanding and majestic picture of Swami Vivekananda - simply decorated yet it accentuated his regal personality - His eyes and posture displaying his determination and burning desire to ameliorate the suffering and pain of mankind.

At once, one is directed by the inner voice to bow and make pranams to Him, the king of renunciates, who is verily satchidananda, who has come to remove our miseries. When looking at this picture, at once, all your fear is removed, knowing that He has the power to eliminate all your miseries.

In continuing our account on the life of Swamiji, we shall commence with that epoch-making moment when Naren came into contact with Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa which will be recorded not only in the annals of Hinduism, but in the annals of history as a relationship that cut a new path as far as Guru-Disciple relationships are concerned. At this point, I recall in the talk that Swami Vimokshananda delivered in Tongaat the previous Sunday, where He quite clearly explained that Him coming to that function or one going to a particular temple was by the grace of that deity alone. Without the call or permission of that deity, one will not be afforded the opportunity to visit.

This first meeting of the young Naren and his Master then, was in no way an accident, but clearly the start of the most beautiful divine play for which the stage was being set.

It was at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna that Naren was delicately and purposefully moulded for the task of freeing mankind from the yoke of suffering. It is beyond the imagination of man to understand how a persona like Swami Vivekananda emerged out of the hands of an unlettered Brahmin from Calcutta. When Master on His death bed allayed Swamiji’s doubts by proclaiming that He who came as Rama and Krishna has come as this Ramakrishna, it was only then that Swami Vivekananda Himself truly understood the incarnation of Sri Ramakrishna.

In His talk today, Swami Vimokshananda clearly illustrated how Master created the restlessness in Naren -who loved to immerse himself in meditation- to do the divine work of the Mother. Master said to Naren that He holds the key to His nirvikalpa samadhi (union with god consciousness) and will realise it to Him once His work is done.

Swamiji Himself proclaimed Himself as a product of Master. He said: "A particle of dust from His blessed feet could have created a thousand Vivekanandas".

After planting the seed of His mission into Swamiji, Master entered mahasamadhi. At once, the powers of Master began to work in Swamiji and He started to wander India as a monk. Having felt the pangs of hunger and poverty after the death of His father who carelessly spent their wealth, Swamiji’s sincere and genuine empathy with the downtrodden of India started to churn His heart.

Having walked the length and breadth of India, every molecule of being was focused on the rejuvenation of India, to restore the dignity of the people. Every muscle and thought was utilised in the plan to free the masses of India from their plight.

It was at the southernmost tip at Kanya Kumari, where He mediated for 3 days and nights that the realisation came to Him that He must go to the west to bring back resources and best practices for implementation at home.

His travels to the west brought Him face to face with how education had the ability to develop a country and emancipate men and women from poverty. His approach broke through all forms of discrimination that shackled India at the time. His work in reform touched lives beyond caste, religion and gender.

Swamiji commanded India’s children to “arise and awake” inspiring them to the core of their beings to empower themselves and restore their dignity. He implored on all to perform Daridra Narayana seva,  ie. to worship God, by serving the sick , feeding the hungry and educating the illiterate. “That is true worship”, He proclaimed. In one of His most powerful quotes, He declares: “So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them”.

Swamiji contributed immensely to the freedom of India, and today as we celebrate Makara Sankranti, when that makara jyothi was seen from the Sabari Malai Hills, we know that jyothi is none other than Swamiji who continues to inspire millions to manifest the divinity already present in man. If we can all aspire to be a speck of what Swamiji was, the world will be a divine place to live.

Like the overflowing pongal pot, let prosperity reign and let our spiritual consciousness rise and merge into the supreme consciousness is my sincere prayer. Happy Pongal, Makara Sankranti and Vivekananda Jayanti to all.

With Love and Prayers always

Yogan

Feel my children, feel; feel for the poor, ignorant , the downtrodden; feel till the heart stops and the brain reels and you think you will go mad - then pour the soul out at the feet of the Lord, then will come power, help and indomitable energy.  Have fire and spread all over. Work!!! Work!!! Work!!!

Swami Vivekananda

Vivekananda- A Spiritual Comrade in the struggle for Moksha

|| Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

 
This weekend, all roads lead to Mangaung. The African National Congress has rolled out the red carpet to all veterans, comrades, friends and members to the centenary celebrations being held in Bloemfontein. The African National Congress is labelled as the oldest liberation movement in the continent of Africa.

I was blessed to witness the liberation of South Africa from institutionalised racism to a non-racist, non-sexist, united democracy. Indeed this process was not devoid of casualties as many lives were taken, amidst the intense conflicts between the security forces and comrades. To date, many families still bear open wounds, failing to reconcile the conditions under which their loved ones were slain.

The iconic product of the struggle Dr Nelson Mandela, represented the ethos and intentions of the founding fathers of the ANC in 1912, when upon his release from Robben Island after 27 years of imprisonment for political activity against the then government, led the reconciliation process in South Africa burying all pain and suffering he met under the oppressive regimes. He used humility and love of all South Africans as his glue to carefully patch a bruised and battered country back to health.

As much as we understand remarkable progress made in our new found democracy, we equally understand it is a work in progress riddled with various obstacles and challenges. In that breath we salute the founding fathers and all those who sacrificed their lives so that we can live the way we do.

The removal of this political yoke of oppression paves the way for us to now be able to concentrate on another liberation struggle that has been waging war on us since creation. The liberation of our atman from the repeated cycle of birth and death which has robbed us of that truth and eternal   bliss collectively termed satchidananda - the realisation and understanding of our true nature.

Unlike the political freedom where the opponent is palpable and tangible -inducing strategies like defiance campaigns, arms struggles and mass mobilisation- this proved very effective in eradicating the threat. The enemy in the spiritual struggle for freedom is very elusive and covert.

It does not utilise kshatriya codes of conduct in warfare but exploits our weakness for base sense satisfaction and greed, and attacks when you most vulnerable.

In this spiritual movement, towering leaders took centre stage in order to help us win this war. Personalities like Rama, Krishna, Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Sivananda, Ramana Maharishi and Sri Paramahansa Yogananda to name just a few that surface this instance at the top of my head.

They all have contributed immense thoughts, philosophies and methods that can assist a spiritual aspirant free him/herself from the attachment that bonds us to this manifest world. But for the next three weeks as an offering to the Great Swami Vivekananda on the occasion of His 149^th Birth Anniversary, I would like to try and showcase this towering spiritual freedom fighter’s life.

Born Narendranath Datta in Calcutta  to Viswanath Datta and Bhuvaneswari Devi  on Monday, 12^th January 1863. Little did his countrymen realise that the one who would shift and raise Indian thought and thinking into a new era had arrived. A force greater than a thousand tornadoes was about to swipe through the spiritual landscape of a country that had been thrown into decay and darkness by various exploitative forces.

As a child, Naren was extremely naughty and displayed behaviour like other children, like teasing his sisters and taking affection to pets. However his mother realised that her naughty son could not be taken away from his mischief in the conventional way. She found that pouring cold water on his head whilst chanting the name of Shiva worked perfectly in quietening him.

Naren took a great liking to monks and would gift them anything in his possession out of pure love. He had even indicated that he would like to be a monk. His mother’s heart would sink at the thought that he will perhaps follow the footsteps of his granddad(a sanyas).

As Naren grew up his phenomenal abilities of learning and memory retention were noticed. Whatever he undertook to study, he would master. From an early age, he never took anything at face value and always questioned - a characteristic we find even in his adult life.

Apart from his academic talents Naren was endowed with a melodious voice and had a great flair for physical exercise and games. He would never lay idle - he would go to gym, ride his pony or even entertain his siblings with stories.

In the midst of all his intense activities, he had a great attraction for meditation which intensified as he grew.  His meditation was so intense that once a cobra entered the room where he and his friends were meditating. All sprung to their feet and left screaming to their parents for help. But Naren didn’t even realise a snake was there when he was questioned about it later.

As he grew, Naren showed immense strength and fearlessness, and his life was underpinned by truth. He was always cheerful and joyful and showed vivid signs of leadership when he used to proclaim to be samrat - king amongst his playmates.

This tries to encapsulate the early childhood of Swamiji and I do pray for His forgiveness as even 30 volumes will not be able to do justice to the personality He was. In this attempt, I merely try to sketch some parts of His life so as to inspire you to read His life if you haven’t.

Next week, we will continue with His meeting with His Master, Sri Ramakrishna and His life as a wondering Monk. May Swamiji’s life be an inspiration to you is my sincere prayer.

With Love and Prayers

Yogan  

Happy Kalpatru Day (New Year)

||Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Aum Namo Narayanaya

I salute and make my humble pranams to the eternal atman within you. Upon the conclusion of the final blog last year, I indicated that I would start again in the New Year with no clear date or guideline as to when exactly I will pen the next one. With the festive mood still dishing out tamas as the daily main course, it becomes a challenge to gather thoughts and collect them on paper.

Today was indeed a special day when our Revered Swami Vimokshananda spread magnanimously a vaccine against this tamas. His words were verily Shiva (auspiciousness) flowing like the Ganges, knocking on every part of the mind and body saying “wake up”!!!

Yes, today is the 1st January 2012, the commencement of the New Year in terms of the Gregorian calendar, as explained by Swamiji. In India itself there are many different calendars according to the culture and language practiced in the region. As intercontinental trade and business flourished, there was a need to standardise a global calendar to facilitate smooth operations.

The New Year has become a reference point from which we can clearly gauge our progress against the resolutions that were made the previous year. The success and failures; the relationships that were made and broken; our progress made in secular and non secular activities. So an account of all this is tabulated, and a result is put before us from which we can deduce whether 2011 was good or bad.

But today as I sat and listened to Swamiji, I was able to glean something very important from his message in terms of making sure that when we sit to do this reflection next year, the result will definitely yield positive.

When we decide to set our goals for the New Year we must factor in one very instrumental tool. That tool is viveka (discrimination). Is what we asking for in the New Year going to add to my progress or my detriment? Is the goal within my means of achievement? Will the time and resources spent in achieving this goal dovetail into my life’s mission.

In my opinion it is no coincidence two very important days of the Ramakrishna Mission and Math fall in the first month of the New Year. Starting off today with Kalpatru Day (when Sri Ramakrishna showed his infinite mercy and grace on all devotees) where the pure and sincere desires of devotees are fulfilled.

Legend has it that there is a wish-fulfilling tree (Kalpatru) in the heavens, and when one stands before it and asks, one may get whatever one desires. However, Sri Ramakrishna being the most gracious and merciful becomes the Kalpatru who grants that which will help you lead a comfortable and spiritually rewarding life. It is the inflamed ego of man that makes him feel he knows what he needs.

Brothers and sisters, we all want success in our lives. If the goal is a noble and pure one the secret is to resign this at the feet of God. But this is only half the work done. Sometimes I think if only we lived in the times where great Rishis were able to materialise things or success with a mere sprinkle of Ganga water. Success comes with equal hard work and effort to be put in from the aspirant.

In this month we celebrate the birth anniversary of a saint whose brilliance and power, for a lack of a more suitable comparison, is described as brighter than a million suns put together. I bow to that great Swami Vivekananda whose life’s work was to show and help man realise the potential divinity within each and every one of us.

In helping us achieve success with our goals for the year provided that they are pure and noble Swamiji declares:

Take up one idea.  Make that one idea your life- think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.

How wonderfully explained by Swamiji. As youth, if I may still refer to myself as that, we feel because we are young we have the ability to take on many things at once. Yes sometimes it is possible, however is the quality of what we did in the category of excellence? In anything that we undertake we must strive for excellence. All our work is an offering to God, therefore only the best must be offered.

A cluttered mind, busy hopping around like a monkey will not be able to focus on the task ahead. Therefore youth and others should practice japa, meditation and regular exercise to help focus the mind and bring success in our activities. In all activities we must strive to excel in a humble way. But at all times, as asked of us in the Bhagavat Gita, we should never lay claim to the fruits of our actions. Always resign everything to God. Whatever the outcome of our work is, we must humbly accept it as His divine will. We must never give up hope and must continue doing work in this attitude.

Let us all resolve this year, to make our mind and body temples to the Lord’s energy. Let all our activities and thoughts be an offering unto Him. Let us accept whatever comes our way as prasadam from Him. Caste aside all fear knowing well that He is the sailor of our lives. Take instructions from Him and you will never lose your way.

In concluding, I close with this beautiful quote from Mother Theresa:

We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature  -trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to touch souls! Let us work to unclutter our minds and hearts. In that new found wave of silence and stillness we will find God and success in all we do.

Happy Kalpatru Day.  Happy New Year to all of you. May success and peace find you in 2012 is my sincere prayer.

With Love and Prayers Always

Yogan