Apparent Man vs Real Man

||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 

|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 

Gurudev

It would be extremely inappropriate if I commenced this blog without offering my sastanga pranaams at the holy feet of my Gurudeva -Srimat Swami Atmastanandaji Maharaj- on the occasion of His birthday yesterday -the Thrice Blessed Day of Lord Buddha- also known as "Janmo thithi". I must also offer my respects, pranaams and gratitude to our Revered Swami Vimokshanandaji Maharaj for regularly facilitating dharsan with my Gurudev who is in Belur Math, India through pictures sent by His devotee friends.

 

I must be candid here that up until 4pm yesterday evening, I was clasping at various strands of thought to write about... much like how a dehydrated delusional who having been marooned in the dessert for many days dives expectantly into mirages with the aim of quenching his thirst.

 

Gurudeva didn’t let me suffer long on His birthday... He sent forth His blessings and grace through His General Secretary, Srimat Swami Suhitanandaji Maharaj. Maharaj is on a 10 day visit to South Africa. He very modestly and humbly conceded to the audience that He is a better administrator than an orator, but His remarks remained just that -modesty- as His words and presence were enough to flood and emancipate all negative and regressive tendencies -- all with a deluge of Master's grace... like how a single wave can wipe away the impressions on the shore. 

Swami Suhitanandaji Maharaj

 

Whilst listening to the three papers that were delivered, I was pushed off balance by a very powerful idea of  Swami Vivekananda that was discussed... where He said that if there is one word that can describe or define God, it is unselfishness. When our hearts can feel the pain of another’s suffering and immediately dispatch the mind and intellect to find ways and means to alleviate their suffering then you have experienced or understood God.

 

It is our infatuation with the 'apparent man' - the socialite, doctor, lawyer, politician, movie star and other circles of prestige that robs us of the experience of our divine nature. What is the 'divine man' then? Is it a title strictly set aside for the Yogi in the cave or the sadhu in the forest? Absolutely not! With all gratitude to Swami Vivekananda who dusted off the sophistication of the scriptures and transformed them into practical vedantic action, we understand that all man who has transformed his education into a mechanism to empathise and raise the levels of society to his own with the understanding that this is worship in itself, has manifest the divine man. Selfishness is living in the realms of ignorance.

 

Recently, a missionary of another faith visited our town with claims of being able to heal the sick. I was really surprised at the amount of people that flocked to this crusade over the month-long session. Many Hindus and followers of other religious dominations also attended and it was disheartening to see the many people who thought they were going to be cured, easily crush and discard their faith in an instant. I am however still left bewildered at how in the wave of this crusade that took place next to a huge hospital... it still continued to do thriving business and certify many deaths.

 

It is for this reason alone the Lord Himself has come and great saints and sages lived amongst mankind to practically teach us that the body must perish and that our focus must be on the manifestation of the divinity within. We have seen how they have all suffered various diseases which debilitated their bodies, yet they remained poised in their faith, devotion and love for God.

 

Once while in the state of divine ecstasy, Sri Ramakrishna slipped on a rail and hurt His shoulder and was in severe pain. Find here an excerpt from the 'Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna': a conversation between Himself and a devotee.

 

-start-

After His arm was bandaged, He said: "I haven't very much faith in your Calcutta physicians. When Sambhu became delirious, Dr.  Sarvadhikari said: 'Oh, it is nothing.It is just grogginess from the medicine and a little while after, Sambhu breathed his last."

 

It was evening and the worship in the temples was over.  A few minutes later Adhar arrived from Calcutta to see the Master.  Mahimacharan, Rakhal and M. were in the room.

 

ADHAR: "How are you?"

 

MASTER (affectionately): "Look here.  How my arm hurts! (Smiling) You don't have to ask how I am!"

 

Adhar sat on the floor with the devotees.  The Master said to him, "Please stroke here gently." Adhar sat on the end of the couch and gently stroked Sri Ramakrishna's feet.

 

MASTER: "It will be very good if you can practise unselfish love for God.  A man who has such love says: 'O Lord, I do not seek salvation, fame, wealth, or cure of disease.  None of these do I seek.  I want only Thee.  Prahlada had this unselfish love, this pure love for God without any worldly end."

 

Mahimacharan sat silent.  The Master turned to him.

 

MASTER: "Now let me tell you something that will agree with your mood.  According to the Vedānta one has to know the real nature of one's own Self.  But such knowledge is impossible without the renunciation of ego.  The ego is like a stick that seems to divide the water in two.  It makes you feel that you are one and I am another.  When the ego disappears in samādhi, then one knows Brahman to be one's own inner consciousness.

 

-end-

 
 
One would immediately denounce the idea of anything pure growing in a stagnant, decaying pond playing host to bacteria, pests and other vermin. Yet to the utter astonishment of many, we see the divinely associated, extravagantly beautiful lotus thriving in such habitats without being stained.

 

Like that... Swamiji said: "We have to seize this unstable mind and drag it from its wanderings and fix it on one idea. Over and over again this must be done. By power of will we must get hold of the mind and make it stop and reflect upon the glory of God.”

Life is the gymnasium where we come to work out our karmas and like a good workout, there will be injuries and pain, but all for the long term good of us. Let us not focus on the body and the setbacks that come with it, but rather strive to enjoy the joy within.

 

May we all strive to drop off the 'apparent man' and project the 'real man' that we all are, is my sincere prayer.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan

www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com

Trice Blessed Day

||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

Lord Buddha(Google Images)

The dominance of Winter is quite prevalent in the way our activities seem to take an indoor approach. Gathering cosily under the blanket in front of the television or reading a book over a hot cup of coffee seems more comforting and satisfying than strolling the arcades of shopping malls or even meeting friends or family for a meal outing.  But, nothing can claim first prize away from a snug afternoon nap. However, we will show utter dissent at these in a few months when Summer shows resolute intent to govern us. Our lives are so easily influenced and shaped by the external that we rarely find the opportunity to project our inner being or self.

I found much resonance in this idea when I read the life of the Buddha. Born a Prince, nestled in the lap of luxury, he enjoyed every conceivable pleasure that wealth could bring until when on a few occasions after leaving the confines of his palace -which he never did for 30 years of his life- came face to face with the realities of life: such as death, disease and old age... which instantly shifted his balance and warranted an enquiry about the suffering of life. It dawned on him that all he had enjoyed had a definite life span and even his body shall degrade and perish. How then can all the pleasure and joy that entertained him be sustained?

Being plagued by this question to such an extent, he decided to abandon his family and undertake a life in the opposite extreme of his opulence... in search of the truth. At the juncture of this quest, he was tempted by Mara (a metaphor for worldliness and desire) to remain in the palace and enjoy the life of royalty and power that was destined for him. Overwhelmed with determination and the quest to resolve his quandary, he shaved his head, adorned the ochre robe of a renunciate and strode through the forests as a beggar.

In the forest, he came under the tutelage of many a Guru who taught him the science of Yoga, and under their guidance underwent severe austerities almost to the point of death... upon which he realised that all these external and physical techniques had not even attempted to resolve his primary question for which he had abandoned his princely life. Immediately, he accepted food from a well wisher and nursed his body to health, proclaiming that the body and the world were essential components to attain his answer. He then sat under a bodhi tree with determination never to arise until he had attained supreme knowledge. Siddarta Gautama was successful in his quest and emerged out of this meditation as the Buddha.

In the life of Buddha we learn that the two key components to realise the truth are sacrifice and suffering. In order to gain one thing one has to lose something. It was after six years of severe struggle that he eventually attained enlightenment.

What we need to understand is that within each and every one of us is a seed of the Buddha. Every person has potential to become the Buddha. What is the Buddha? It is a state of being where one realises that we are not separate from the world, that the welfare of the world is the welfare of the self. It is the ability to experience the highest peace of mind when confronted by any situation.

He gave the four noble truths of life:

1. Life is suffering: we will never be satisfied with anything, hence we shall always suffer.

2. There a definite way to end this suffering, and that is to remove the cause.

3. The cause of the suffering is the mind. Bring the mind to peace and all suffering will end.

4.  Find the path: extreme opulence or extreme austerities shall not bring peace. Find the middle way. Live a life of divinity.

Once a Brahmin was walking past and saw Buddha seated in meditation nearby. His curiosity made him approach and enquire who He was. Buddha, with a smile on his face announced: “Know that I am the awakened one”. The life of Buddha is nothing but Vedanta. 

Swami Vivekananda said:

Bud­dha was a great Vedan­tist and Shankara is often called a hid­den Bud­dhist. Bud­dha made the analy­sis and Shankara made the synthe­sis out of it. Bud­dha never bowed down to anything - neither Veda, nor caste, nor Priest, nor cus­tom. He fear­lessly rea­soned so far as rea­son could take Him. Such a fear­less search for truth and such love for every liv­ing thing the world has ever seen. Bud­dha was the ‘Wash­ing­ton of the reli­gious world’… He con­quered a throne only to give it to the world… as Wash­ing­ton did to the Amer­i­can peo­ple. He sought noth­ing for himself.

Look at Buddha’s heart! Ever-ready to give His own life to save the life of even a kid—what to speak of “bahu­jana hitāya bhahu­jana sukhāya—for the wel­fare of the many, for the hap­pi­ness of the many”! See, what a large-heartedness—what a com­pas­sion! … What was there in this coun­try before Buddha’s advent? Only a num­ber of reli­gious prin­ci­ples recorded on bun­dles of palm leaves—and those too known only to a few. It was Lord Bud­dha who brought them down to the prac­ti­cal field and showed how to apply them in the every­day life of the peo­ple. In a sense, He was the liv­ing embod­i­ment of true Vedanta.

On the 25^th of May, devotes all over the world will celebrate Buddha Purnima. It is referred to as the Thrice Blessed Day because it is said that Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and gained Maha Samadhi on this day. This very symbolic occurrence tells us that we to in this very life have the potential to enjoy the world, attain nirvana and remove ourselves from the cycle of suffering.

May the grace and blessings of Lord Buddha be our inspiration to strive towards enlightenment, is my sincere prayer.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan

 www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com

Cradle of Humanity

|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

By simply uttering the phrase “Cradle of Humankind” our thoughts immediately gravitate towards the Sterkfontein Caves situated in the Gauteng province near a town called Krugersdorp, northwest of Johannesburg. This site was proclaimed a World Heritage Site in the year 2000 for its preservation of treasures in the field of paleo-anthropology. If one has the opportunity to visit this world renowned site, one will be deeply impressed at the manner in which it is protected and maintained. Lots of resources are ploughed to ensure that future generations will be able to view the origin of our species.

As a budding spiritual aspirant, I am not convinced that we have come from the ape. Although the behaviour bears similarities, I find no correlation between intrinsic human qualities and those found within the animal kingdom. My personal thoughts definitively start to confluence around the idea that animals are purely instinctively motivated whilst human beings are divinely inspired. However, my thoughts are not marooned on the island of absurdity but are given some buoyancy by our scriptures and the various talks I have attended with Swami Vimokshanandaji. We are amrithsya putra - immortal children of God, explains Swamiji... sporting a smile of Shiva, as He rightfully places our ancestry with God itself.

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

In the Rigveda, it is stated that the source of all creation is the golden womb known as hiranya garbha, out of which this entire cosmos expands. In a beautiful hymn known as the Tantroktam Devi Suktam, I am able to perceive this infinite attribute-less energy of Brahman in a very tangible form. It states:

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Vishnu Mayeti Shabdita
Namastastyai Namastastyai Namastastyai Namo Namaha

We bow to the divine Goddess in all existence who is addressed as the perceivable form of the consciousness which pervades all. We bow to Her, we bow to Her, and we continually bow to Her.

From the divine womb of the Mother Universal has sprung forth this creation and by Her Shakti pervades all life and matter. She is the life-sustaining Ganga, nature and the seasons; She is our thoughts, actions and life breath; She is verily the earth, sky and the expanding universe; she is consciousness, intelligence, sleep, hunger, energy, desire, patience, forgiveness, humility, peace, beauty, wealth, compassion and satisfaction.

But of all these forms She has taken, I am eternally grateful to Her for:

Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu, Matr Rupena Samsthita
Namastastyai Namastastyai Namastastyai Namo Namaha

We bow to the divine Goddess in all existence who resides in the form of Mother. We bow to Her, we bow to Her, and we continually bow to Her.

Taking the form of my Mother - nourishing me for 9 months in her womb and giving me the opportunity of this human birth to purify myself and return to my true nature of infinite absolute truth, consciousness and bliss – I am indeed grateful. Having thus put in perspective my true lineage to the Divine, my heart sheds copious amounts of pain at the lack of respect and treatment of Mothers/Women in the world. When so much of effort and resources can dedicated to a historic site that merely preserves remains, why can’t we deploy resources and effort to protect and love the living palpable cradle of humankind that is right in front of us?

Our beloved Swami Vivekananda boldly said:

In what scriptures do you find statements that women are not competent for knowledge and devotion? In the period of degeneration, when the priests made the other castes incompetent for the study of the Vedas, they deprived the women also of all their rights. Otherwise you will find that in the Vedic or Upanishadic age Maitreyi, Gargi, and other ladies of revered memory have taken the places of Rishis through their skill in discussing  Brahman. In an assembly of a thousand Brahmans who were all erudite in the Vedas, Gargi boldly challenged Yagnavalkya in a discussion about Brahman. Since such ideal women were entitled to spiritual knowledge, why shall not the women have same privilege now? What has happened once can certainly happen again. History repeats itself. All nations have attained greatness by paying proper respect to women. That country and that nation which do not respect women have never become great, nor will ever be in future. The principal reason why your race has so much degenerated is that you have no respect for these living images of Shakti.

Manu says: “Where women are respected, there the Gods delight; and where they are not, there all works and efforts come to naught.” There is no hope of rise for that family or country where there is no estimation of women, where they live in sadness.

Swamiji being the reflection of His own Master -like how Sri Ramakrishna worshipped His wife as the Goddess Kali and took every woman to be an embodiment of the Mother- became the advocate to elevate the status of women and motherhood back to its rightful place of reverence.

The passion behind Swamiji’s words in His quote above is based on the role that Mothers plays in building a society. Read the lives of great saints and sages who have made an indelible mark on the world and you will be find their lives are underpinned by the flawless character, purity and divinity of their Mothers. Can you ever imagine a country full of Vivekanandas? How wonderful that place would be! It is the Mother who has the ability to create a hero out of a child; to imbed pure, man-making ideas; and noble virtues, love, compassion etc. for the betterment of the world.

Hence, if women are not treasured and they are not loved and treated with reverence and divinity, they will not be able to produce divine citizens... which will lead to the collapse of the society which we are experiencing now where women are being treated as objects of lust and pleasure.

If we want a peaceful world, let us start today to worship our Mothers and Sisters as the Divine Mother Herself. May all Mothers have a blessed Mothers Day, is my sincere prayer.

With love and prayers always

Yogan
www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com

Defining Moments

|| Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 

Picking up a little from the previous blog on ‘Freedom’, I believe that when we are shackled to a life of conformity and traverse the habitual highways, we tend to miss the opportunities of insight and illumination that can alter and shift our consciousness and the world around us. It is when we allow our minds to dig deep into the depths of our beings and make contact with that primordial energy of this universe, that we stumble upon an ‘epiphany moment’ that has the ability to shudder and rock the very foundations of our static consciousness... and the rooted comfort zones that fort our ability to expand beyond the entrenched ideas through our secular learning.

 

The history of the world is paved intently by such defining moments which have altered the cause of “business as usual”. These events have altered the consciousness of humanity and shaped a new horizon expanding the scope and vision of civilisation to new and interesting dimensions of existence.

 

The discovery of fire, oil, radio frequencies, gases and precious metals; the invention of the wheel, television, guns; democracy; the inauguration of Nelson Mandela and Barrack Obama as Presidents; the birth of Great Saints like Sri Ramakrishna, Adi Sankaracharya, Buddha and world icons like Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Theresa -but not limited to the above- can be proclaimed as moments that re-altered the course of the world.

 

One such defining moment took place on 1 May 1897, when Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission - a twin organisation of the Ramakrishna Math. Whilst many commemorate this day as the victory of unionised labour in attaining an eight hour working day in many parts of the world, Swamiji effected an organisation that would take up the work of raising the masses, feeding the poor and nursing the sick beyond the restrictions of hours, geographic limitations, gender and racial or caste orientation. The work is carried out in areas ravaged by natural disasters, famine and illiteracy as a complete selfless service to the divine.

 

Yesterday, I had the divine blessing of being part of an audience that witnessed stellar performances by not just the youth but the entire membership of the Sri Sarada Devi Ashram as they enacted various parts of Swamiji’s life as part of His 150^th Birth Anniversary celebrations. One very significant episode remains fresh in my mind... At one meeting between Master and Naren, Sri Ramakrishna asks him to read from a nearby book Howrah’s weather forecast for the impending weeks. After explaining that the next couple of weeks shall be rain, Master asked Naren to squeeze the book. Alas He exclaimed... of what use is speaking of rain alone if it does not appear from the book. It was Swami Vivekananda who was the great applicator of Vedanta philosophy. He presented to mankind in a tangible and palpable way the rich, noble and lofty teachings of Hindu Dharma. He removed the inertia from these ideals and ensured they don’t remain dormant within the bound covers of the scriptures, but exist as an active living tenet of society. He said that civilisation should be an expression of the divinity within.

 

It was by no means a co-incidence that Swami Vimokshananda spent an hour and a half last Sunday in the Tirukurral class explaining the characteristics of ascetics and monks. These are the souls that formed the back-bone of Swamiji’s army that was to start a wave that would fundamentally alter the way we view religion and worship in the future. These monks of the Ramakrishna order are the conduits of Master’s grace and undergo vigorous training and discipline.

 

Thiruvallar said in the Tirukurral: Thurandhaar Perumai Thunaikkoorin Vaiyaththu Irandhaarai Ennikkon Tatru... which means: to describe the measure of the greatness of those who have forsaken the two-fold desires, is like counting the dead (which is an impossible task).

 

Maharaj gave the beautiful idea of Hanumanji’s strength... when Tulsidas says that He is atulita bala - that His strength is incomparable to anything in this world. This can be accredited to His strict disciplined observance of brahmacharya. It is said nature is under the command of such a being. Our most Revered Swamiji (Vivekananda) was one such being. Therefore, these renunciates of the order are able to perpetuate the mission and vision of Swamiji in taking forth Master’s teachings to the world.

 

The Kurral further goes on to say: Niraimozhi Maandhar Perumai Nilaththu Maraimozhi Kaatti Vitum... which means: the hidden words of the men whose words are full of effect, will show their greatness to the world.

 

Maharaj through His poetic language gave accounts from the Puranas of how the sages who have control over their five senses, have the ability to be very prophetic. We find resonance of this in Swami Vivekananda’s life. He stood at Belur Math and proclaimed: “The blazing light of universal harmony that will emanate from here will flood the whole world.” On another occasion He said: “The power that will rise from here will flood the whole world and turn the course of men's lives into different channels; from this place will spring forth ideals which will be the harmony of knowledge, devotion, yoga, and work and all true seekers of spirituality will in course of time assemble here.”

 

True to these prophetic words by most Revered Swamiji, Belur Math -encompassing the Ramakrishna Mission- is recognised by the Government of India and Her people for the sterling, selfless work in providing relief during disasters and calamities as well as eradicating poverty, illiteracy and illness through its various programmes. Inspired by Sri Ramakrishna and put into action by His dynamo disciple Swami Vivekananda, this defining moment in world history speaks to the practical approach to religion.. giving life to His words: May I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls--and, above all - my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my God the poor of all races, of all species, is the special object of my worship.

 

Let us also not lead a habitual conformist life. Let us take the approach of Swamiji to create defining moments in our lives that will hasten our paths to liberation and happiness... not just for ourselves, but for every jiva that walks this earth with us, is my sincere prayer.

 

May this 150^th Birth Anniversary year give us all some inspiration to serve selflessly... as a gift to our beloved Swami Vivekananda.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan

www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com