A seeker's philosophical memoirs...

Man & woman...the inseparable whole

2012-05-14T14:55:00.001+05:30

Since perhaps creation itself, man & woman have independently and collectively tried to understand each other, but have seldom been successful. Since times immemorial, it has been a patriarchal society almost the world over. Yet, many (men & women alike) hold the view that man & woman although belonging to the same family, are actually 2 different species. Perhaps, in all these views / opinions, there is some element of factual correctness due to the various reasons in the way man & woman behave or think, but the truth is much more than being factually correct.

While acknowledging the fact that man & woman are indeed quite different both physiologically & psychologically, it is quite unimaginable to have a world without either. In fact, man is part of a woman; without man, there is no woman, & without woman, there is no standing for man. It is like, man & woman are 2 sides of the same coin. Only when the coin has both sides does it command economic value. Similarly it is with man & woman, the 2 inseparable sides of the coin of life. Hence, life without either is simply unimaginable. In fact, there wouldn't be life itself without either.

Realizing this truth, our ancient Seers envisioned the Ardhanaareeshwara, the half-Shiva half-Parvathi. Every man has woman in him, & every woman has man in her. It is only when this man-woman combination exists in every individual, does the Being become whole. This combination also is reflected in the different qualities that we exhibit during various times in our life. For ex., certain situations in life require tremendous courage & bravery, which is typically man's nature or quality; certain situations require tremendous compassion, love, & care, which is typically woman's nature or qualities. Each of these qualities are exhibited during different situations or circumstances in life, which are a reflection of man's & woman's qualities. Therefore, man & woman co-exist together, in every individual, at any given point in time. It is just that certain man's qualities are exhibited more in one individual (man or woman) and at certain times & similarly, certain woman's qualities are exhibited more in others (man or woman) again at certain times. Together, they make the whole Being.

Meaning of some of the rituals followed @ temples...

2011-06-28T11:29:00.004+05:30

It is not very often that I come across very profound meaning(s) behind some of our traditions and practices. But whenever I do come across, I am left with little choice but to be spell bound by the wisdom of our ancient Seers who have introduced these practices with deep philosophical meaning & insight. I came across the philosophical meanings of some of the practices in our temples while I was en route to work with a customer, who coincidentally also shares interest in philosophy. In fact, the meanings were shared by my customer while we were generally discussing philosophy. Here are the practices & their philosophical meanings.

When we visit temples or when we worship, we perform 5 major acts. These are: ring the bell, light the lamp & perform aarati, light agarbatti (incense sticks), take little water (teertham) in one's hand (mostly right hand) and consume it, and finally take prasadam.

While I share the meanings of the above, it is important to understand and agree upon the goal or purpose of human life as described in Hindu scriptures. To ATTAIN MOKSHA or LIBERATION, is regarded as the highest goal of human life. This is nothing but understanding Truth or Reality as it is and being one with It. In order to understand Truth, it is necessary to "experience It". For, knowledge of Truth cannot be imparted. This knowledge has to be attained thru' one's own experience, & this experience comes as a consequence of tremendous perseverence (the path of perseverence & what it means may be different for different seekers). The bottomline is to "EXPERIENCE THE TRUTH".

When we say "experience", the principal means to experience are the 5 sense organs namely: eyes, ears, tongue, skin, & the nose. We use these organs either independently or in combination, to experience objects. In addition to these sense organs, there is the mind. It is in the context of sense organs that we perform the above mentioned 5 major acts in a temple. Albeit we employ sense organs to perceive and experience objects in the course of normal day-to-day life, it is mostly in the dormant state. That is, there is no awakening or awareness behind the normal day-to-day perceptions and experiences. The purpose of performing the above 5 acts, is TO AWAKEN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE 5 SENSE ORGANS. Let me explain further.

By ringing the bell, we are awakening the ears; by lighting the lamp or performing aarati, we are awakening the eyes; by burning agarbatti (incense sticks), we are awakening the nose; by taking sacred water (teertham, which is given to devotees after abhishekam) in one's hand before consuming it, we are awakening the skin; & finally, by consuming the prasadam, we are awakening the tongue. In this manner, we have to awaken all the 5 sense organs. Together with the collectively awakened sense organs when the mind worships or offers prayers, in that state we will "EXPERIENCE THE TRUTH or REALITY".

This shows how much deep thought, insight, & philosophy have gone into the entire rituals. When the rituals are accompanied by deep understanding of their philosophy & meaning, it leads to EXPERIENCE.

Seeking...Knowledge...Ego...and Wisdom...Part - 4

2010-04-02T14:39:00.003+05:30

Let us look at a situation - that of a dead body. A dead body has all the physical elements that go to make a man, the integrated being we spoke about. But, what is that profound element which does not exist in a dead body, but exists in such glaring obviousness in a living person? Obviously, the dead body has no identity whatsoever. Ironically, when a person dies, we no longer address the body by the name of the person that once was, but we merely address it as body. The fact that the dead body does not command the same respect as that of a living person means that there is something, some profound entity that gives life to the body, which does not exist anymore in the dead body. Even when we pay our respects upon the demise of great men, we don’t pay respects to the body; we pay respect to that entity which expressed itself thru’ the physical body, with which we identified ourselves. Since the entity which expressed itself thru’ the body of a great man cannot be perceived, we pay respect to that entity thru’ the body of the departed person.

Therefore, we can conclude that the identification with ego or the “I” ness exists in a living person only & not in a dead body. In fact, the “I” ness is present only in man, & no other species. This is because of the “AWARENESS” that man has been bestowed upon. Now, when we talk about awareness, we should also answer – AWARENESS OF WHAT? It is the awareness of one’s own self and the surroundings in relation to the self. It is this profound awareness of one’s Self that is at the root of the ego or “I” ness. Therefore, what is absent in a dead person & is present in a living person is the awareness. Where from is awareness drawn? Awareness can only be drawn from an “intelligent entity”. This “intelligent entity” or intelligence itself is called "CONSCIOUSNESS". Therefore, it is Consciousness that imparts upon a person awareness of his own self. Whereas a living person who is the subject, can perceive objects because of the presence of Consciousness and thereby awareness of himself and the surroundings, a dead body cannot perceive because the same Consciousness does not exist any more. Hence, THE REAL SELF IS CONSCIOUSNESS ITSELF. There is no other self other than Consciousness. Whereas identification of oneself with Consciousness is indeed the only true identity, the “I” ness in the normal sense of use is false & is born out of ignorance.

Because Consciousness is the only true identity, it naturally follows that the subject is indeed Consciousness itself. Since Consciousness is the subject, the answer to the question WHO AM I is – I AM CONSCIOUSNESS. Therefore, what the statement “KNOW YOUR SELF” means is that we have to KNOW CONSCIOUSNESS ITSELF. Now arises a paradox – since I AM CONSCIOUSNESS, THE SUBJECT, THE STATEMENT “KNOW YOUR SELF” MEANS CONSCIOUSNESS HAS TO KNOW ITSELF. In other words, THE SUBJECT HAS TO SEEK ITSELF OBJECTIVELY TO EXPERIENCE ITSELF. But, how can the subject seek itself objectively, when it is not the object but the subject itself?

When discussing about objective knowledge, we saw that the premise of seeking objective knowledge is “OUTSIDE – IN”. Then, knowledge of the subject has to be sought differently because the subject is not an object to be sought. THE SUBJECT IS ITSELF. Therefore, the premise for seeking knowledge of subject is “INSIDE - IN”. That means, we have to seek knowledge of the subject within ourselves. I will not be able to dwell much in detail on how to seek the subject in this series of my blog because that is not the intent of this series. However, the approach in seeking knowledge of the subject is no different from that of the object. Whereas we employ our senses, mind, intellect, & all the other faculties with so much concentration upon an external object to gain objective knowledge, the same when turned within reveals the subject in all its glory and splendor.

So, what exactly happens when knowledge of the subject is gained? In the most profound and most beautiful book “SIDDHARTHA” by Harmann Hesse, the protagonist Siddhartha is a seeker of this knowledge of subject. It so happens that he meets The Buddha one day and asks precisely the same question – WHAT DID YOU EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU SAT UNDER THE BODHI TREE? The Buddha smiles and says – TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE IS A HINDERANCE, MY DEAR CHILD.

While it is important to acquire knowledge, it is necessary to recognize that wisdom 'happens' only when knowledge ripens... & we as students in life, should allow knowledge to ripen into wisdom without interfering with the process of ripening with all our false egos and prestige... the best of the best teachers in the world can impart only this much knowledge...that's it...from then on, it is our own individual journey to attain to wisdom...wisdom flows thru' each one of us, as long as we allow it to flow... if we construct massive dams of false egos and prestige obstructing the flow, all it leads to is gathering of filth, eventually leading to a slow but sure death of the wonderful river...
Knowledge when it ripens, leads to wisdom...And wisdom means, TOTAL, UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER...
Indian philosophy says - whereas seeking objective knowledge can make our life simple and comfortable, it does not bring about contentment and peace. It is the knowledge of the Self, eventually leading to the wisdom of total, unconditional surrender when that knowledge ripens, that MAN FINDS ETERNAL CONTENTMENT, PEACE, BLISS…

Seeking...Knowledge...Ego...and Wisdom...Part - 3

2010-04-02T14:30:00.002+05:30

Neuroscience teaches us that there is something called Autonomous Nervous System (ANS) that takes care of the independent working of these faculties. But, how does the ANS know that a healthy adult heart has to beat approximately 70 – 75 times per minute, and also make corrections as and when the body needs more oxygen supply? Or, how does the ANS know to maintain blood level & control blood flow or control breathing to ensure sufficient oxygen supply? Similarly, how does the ANS control and manage various other functions and faculties in the human body such as the digestive system or the respiratory system, & so on? Careful observation reveals that the ANS could be like a software program, which has been uniquely written by nature for every species to function in a particular manner. Like man, animals and plants also have their own ANS, & these are different from that of man’s. Just as single software program does not fit multiple purposes, functions, and applications, so too is the case with ANS. Hence, it can be reasonably deduced that every species has its own unique ANS serving it. Every time a being is born, it comes preloaded with its own set of program to carry out certain functions. Because the ANS maintains the critical functions of the body so precisely, it can be deduced that there is AWARENESS in the ANS for it to manage critical functions of the body without active participation of the person whatsoever. All that the person has to do is to react to the messages, signals, or information passed on by the brain upon receiving inputs from the ANS, which in turn is activated by the stimulus. Just think of a situation where nature had not designed the ANS and we had to make decisions for everything – right from whether the heart should beat, if it should, then how many times in a day; to how much oxygen should be supplied; or, how much food should be digested; what body temperature should be maintained everyday, etc. Clearly, we cannot even imagine existence of life itself under such circumstances. Can we imagine a situation where we had to keep making decisions all the time about things like:

The number of heartbeats in a day, should the heart take some tea break & if so, for how long?
Should we inhale air or water? If air, then how much oxygen should be inhaled per hour?

When, how, where, & how much thirsty should we feel? How much urine should be passed in a day?
When, how, where, & how much hungry should we be? How much food should we have?
How much of what food should be digested and how much of what to be excreted?
Should we shed tears during emotional moments? If so, how much tears should we shed & what should be the flow rate?
Whether the eye lids have to close instantly when dust falls or should there be a time lag in the response, & if so, how many hours time lag should be there and how to control that?

Can we even imagine for a moment all these things? Einstein once famously quipped after studying Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle – what this theory says is, God plays dice with the universe.

Einstein perhaps did not complete his thought. The complete statement should have been - God not only plays dice with the universe, but He also plays it very intelligently by betting His money on the most likely and necessary outcome. For, who could imagine the creation of a separate functional entity called Autonomous Nervous System and outsource most of the critical functions of the human body to it? Only God could have thought that we’d mess it up big time & hence proactively did a great job. Had it not been so, it would have been a collateral catastrophe.

Although neuroscience has taught us about the Autonomous Nervous System, its functions, etc., it is to be observed that ANS has been objectively studied by man and only after careful observation and deep studies have conclusions been arrived at. The point is that here too, a subject has objectively carried out extensive studies on the nature and functioning of the ANS before arriving at certain conclusions.

Seeking...Knowledge...Ego...and Wisdom...Part - 2

2010-04-02T14:23:00.002+05:30

The word knowledge consists of the fundamental word "KNOW". It's but natural to ask - KNOW WHAT? To my mind comes this universal answer - KNOW THAT WHICH IS TO BE KNOWN. WHAT IS IT THAT IS TO BE KNOWN? And, HOW DO I KNOW THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS TO BE KNOWN?

All the objective knowledge in the universe is relative, & a subject seeks this objective knowledge. Hence, the subject is the seeker. Because the subject seeks to know the object, objectivity by itself is rendered meaningless without the subject; for, it is the subject alone who is able to differentiate, deliberate, & debate upon the objects in relation to itself. Therefore, objects exist in relativity, & the subject actively seeks knowledge of objects. Now, what are these objects? Objects are essentially those which can be perceived by the senses independently or in a coordinated manner, sometimes using external means such as scientific instruments to gain deeper understanding of them. What is the nature of these objects? Science has taught us that objects in general are made up of atoms and molecules, which in turn are made up of sub-atomic particles. Science also teaches us about the physical properties, structure, chemical properties, etc., about objects, and even assigns some numerical values to these attributes. If objects are those external entities perceived by the senses, then the subject has to be the one who seeks knowledge of the objects thru’ senses and other faculties. Therefore, naturally, a person is the subject because he is the one who actively seeks objective knowledge. Indian philosophy says - at the center of everything in the universe (objects) is man, the subject. Whereas we have endeavored enough in making man's life pleasurable and comfortable by seeking objective knowledge and gainfully employing them to our advantage, enough efforts have not gone into understanding of the subject itself. Therefore, Indian philosophy says, and so have many great western philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates, "KNOW YOUR SELF". What does knowing oneself mean? It simply means I have to know WHO I AM. Therefore, knowing oneself begins with seeking answer to the most fundamental and profound question - WHO AM I? The profoundness of this question is such that, there is no objective answer at all to this question; for, the answer lies in the experience of the subject itself, which is one's own self. How am I to experience myself? The thought (of experiencing myself) itself drives me crazy. Should I ask questions like this to my neighbor’s lovely daughter, & she’ll think I’ve lost my mental balance and will most likely look for another boyfriend. Thankfully, the situation is not that bad. These questions and thoughts are true, valid, fair, natural, and profound. Therefore, they should be pursued relentlessly until we know the answers and take our thoughts to their logical ends. Having said that, I know I am the subject; I can feel, smell, think, see, hear, move my limbs, & am able to perform several tasks by applying my faculties…what not? What is the need to experience myself? In other words, am I not what I appear to be when I stand in front of a mirror? Better still, isn’t this thought of “experiencing oneself” illogical, perhaps even mad? Well, it is not so. The problem is, we are not what we think we are, or appear to be. All that was mentioned above are mere expressions of the subject. If these are mere expressions, then what exactly is the subject and what is its nature?

In order to understand the subject, we have to first and foremost define WHO THIS "I" IS, and in doing so we have to fix this “identity crisis” once and for all. We have to address the issue of “I” because when we think about the subject, the first thing that comes to our mind is “I”. Unfortunately, we do not know or realize who or what this “I” is and what it has got to do with the subject. At the macro level, it appears that the I in question is the person, the man. A little observation clearly shows us that the man is not a single entity at all; the man is in fact an INTEGRATED BEING. The man, who is in fact the subject, is an integration of the senses, limbs, the nervous system, the mind, & the intellect. If man is an integrated being, which is true, then who do we assign the "I"ness to? Is it the senses, the mind, the nervous system, the intellect, or all of these put together? The problem is that the “I” is none of these independently or collectively put together. It gets even more complicated when we realize that all the senses and other organs of the body & the nervous system are working independently of the person. That is, without the person’s active participation, all the various faculties of the person just do their work by themselves. To a large extent, the person merely reacts to the information sent by the various faculties.

Seeking...Knowledge...Ego...and Wisdom...Part - 1

2010-04-02T14:15:00.002+05:30

Ever since man set foot on Earth, he has nourished an insatiable desire, an unquenchable thirst, for knowledge - of himself, his surroundings, objects around him, and an entire universe. Knowledge is primarily of 2 kinds according to the Indian philosophy, namely - Para Vidya (higher knowledge), & Apara Vidya (lower knowledge). Without getting into the technical details or the reasons behind such classification, to put it simply, Apara Vidya is the knowledge of worldly objects, & hence regarded lower in nature; Para Vidya is the knowledge of the Supreme Being or Self, gaining which, a person attains contentment, peace, & omniscience. Is it right to regard knowledge as higher or lower? Perhaps not. Knowledge in my opinion has to be regarded in totality. Para or Apara, both are important and necessary, & fulfill their own objectives. In my experience, relentless pursuit of excellence in seeking Apara Vidya eventually leads the seeker toward Para Vidya. Having said that, one reason why they could've been classified thus could be from the standpoint of "inner contentment", which is difficult to explain about. Whereas Apara Vidya is endless and there has perhaps been no one person in time who has ever been able to command knowledge of the entire gamut of Apara Vidya, it is not the case with Para Vidya. There have been many men who have experienced the true philosophical intent and essence of Para Vidya. Some of these men have gone on to command faiths, & there are many many men who have experienced It & just been. The fundamental question with which a seeker usually comes to seek Para Vidya is – WHAT IS IT, KNOWING WHICH, ALL THAT IS TO BE KNOWN IN THE UNIVERSE IS REALIZED?

In India, the importance given to knowledge is simply unparalleled. In fact, the Mother Goddess Saraswati represents the entire gamut of knowledge or Jnana. When we pray to Mother Saraswati, we seek her blessings, her guidance, in seeking the right knowledge & to eventually acquire that right knowledge. In my personal experience, Mother Saraswati represents both Para & Apara Vidya, & She steadily guides Her disciples toward seeking that knowledge which gives contentment & peace in life, which in my opinion is supreme in man's life. There are thousands of sayings in Sanskrit highlighting the importance of knowledge in man's life. One of the most widely known sayings goes something like this - Vidyaa viheenah pashubhih samaanaha. What this means is - a man without knowledge is equivalent to an animal. Well, in the 21st century, we are heralding the dawn of what is made out to be "knowledge economy". I am clueless why it has to be so only in this century, or so has been made out to be? Since times immemorial, in India, we have placed enormous importance on acquiring knowledge. In fact, in our Varnaashrama system, during the Brahmacharya stage, young boys used to spend 12 - 14 years under the aegis of learned Guru, learning skills to support themselves and their families' livelihood & parallely, they used to also seek that knowledge which would bless them with contentment and peace in life. During these 12 - 14 years, the Guru not only imparted knowledge of worldly affairs which enabled the young disciples to seek and earn wealth and other material gratification, but, he’d also have made the students clearly understand and to seek the supreme goal in life; this supreme goal the Guru taught his young disciples, is to attain contentment and peace in life. The Guru also used to teach the students the 4 Purushaarthas in the life of every man – DHARMA, ARTHA, KAAMA, & MOKSHA. By imparting the knowledge of the 4 Purushaarthas, the Guru used to mould characters of the young disciples. It is important to observe & appreciate that the latter 3 Purushaarthas are based on the strong foundation of DHARMA – RIGHTEOUSNESS. At a very broad level, DHARMA MEANS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THOUGHT, SPEECH, & ACTION. DHARMA ALSO MEANS TRUTH; for, TRUTH ALONE IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. DHARMA IS ALSO USED TO MEAN DUTY; for, DOING ONE’S DUTY IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. The primary intent of the Gurukula system was "CHARACTER BUILDING" by imparting the knowledge of both Para and Apara Vidya. Essentially, the Gurukula system imparted that kind of education, which Swami Vivekananda very beautifully put in his words - We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet. In the present times, it is highly debatable how much importance we place upon character formation; for, in the 21st century, everything depends on 'economic cost'. Unfortunately, policy makers and educationists alike do not seem to realize that life of a human being is infinitely more precious than just the economic cost.

Coming back to the subject of this article, what is it so fundamental in man, in his mind, in his intellect, in his being, that makes him "seek"? I am not sure how convincing I can be about answering this question, but let me make an honest attempt here. Firstly, it is important to note that by nature, man has been inquisitive. This is so starkly evident from the simple fact that most children are so inquisitive that, quite often, we elders are left speechless about how and what to answer to the seemingly innocent, but profound questions. It is a matter of another subject altogether that during the course of education, we ruthlessly kill that inherent inquisitiveness in children.

Since times immemorial, man has been endeavoring to make his life more and more simple, easy, pleasurable, comfortable, & so on. In pursuit of making life easy, comfortable, etc., and in the course of this relentless, endless endeavor, perhaps were sown the first seeds of what I'd like to call - THE MOTIVATION TO SEEK. While seeking pleasure, comfort, etc., man began experimenting with how best he could gainfully employ objects around him to make his life simple & comfortable. In doing so, he began expanding the horizon of his inherent inquisitiveness. Therein man took the first steps toward the most exciting journey in his life - THE JOURNEY TO SEEK KNOWLEDGE. In the course of making his life simple & comfortable, man began seeking objective knowledge (Apara Vidya). The entire gamut of objective knowledge falls under Apara Vidya.

While discussing about objective knowledge, it is also important to consider the motivation behind seeking objective knowledge. Basically, senses are the means of acquiring objective knowledge. The fundamental premise of seeking objective knowledge is - here is the seeker who is a person, & then there are objects external to the person, about which the seeker has to acquire knowledge. Thus, in order to acquire knowledge of the external objects, the seeker has to direct his senses, mind, & other necessary faculties on the external object. Subsequently, he gathers information about the object, processes it internally in his mind using logic, reason, etc., and finally arrives at knowledge about the object based on the deductions made by applying his intelligence. Therefore, the means of acquiring objective knowledge is “outside – in”, that is, gather necessary information about the object from outside (the objective world), process that information internally (within the mind and intelligence of the seeker seeking objective knowledge), & make conclusions about the object sought, & hence acquire knowledge about the object.

Purpose of life...Dialogues between a Guru & Shishya - Part III...

2010-02-10T17:46:00.002+05:30

That night, after the startling conclusion that Siddhartha arrived at, he slept peacefully. But, he was still restless; for, his intellectual thirst to seek answers to his questions weren't fully quenched. So, the next morning, as always, Siddhartha wakes up early in the morning. After offering his morning prayers to Mother Gayathri, he heads to meet his Guru. Even today, he finds his Guru in absolute calm, contentment, & peace. He wonders whether his Guru is truly in such absolute state or is it just his perception. So thinking, Siddhartha sits near his Guru waiting for him to open his eyes. When the Guru comes out of meditation, Siddhartha notices the infinite compassion that his Guru radiates. He also observes that his Guru does not have any questions in his mind; the kind that Siddhartha was seeking answers for. On the contrary, the Guru not only seemed to be without any questions, but also seemed to express "complete understanding" of all the answers to Siddhartha's questions. This was something strange to Siddhartha. He wondered,"how can my Guru be so confident about the total understanding of such an abstract thing like life"? So thinking, Siddhartha pays his respects to his Guru & sits beside him.

Guru: My child, did you have good sleep at night?

Siddhartha: Sir, I did have a relatively good sleep yesterday. But, there are still questions in my mind. Please be gracious in clearing these doubts that I have.

Guru: Yes, my child. I shall try answering your questions with whatever little understanding I have gained in my life thus far. Without any fear, ask your questions.

Siddhartha: Sir, yesterday you made me come to the conclusion that - THE SELF AS THE SUBJECT IS SEEKING ITSELF. But, my question is, if The Self is seeking Itself, where does that leave me?

Guru: You? Who are you Siddhartha? Is that not the question that we began our deliberations with?

Siddhartha: Yes sir. We indeed began our deliberations with that very fundamental question. And, you very rightly pointed out that there is nothing more to Siddhartha than a name. But, what about this body sir? This body, that has been named Siddhartha?

Guru: My dear child, be patient. Let the "understanding" dawn upon you slowly & steadily. Do not hurry. Let me answer your question about the body. When you say,"the body named Siddhartha", which body are you referring to? Is it the eyes, nose, limbs, heart, or any other organ? Which body are you referring to, Siddhartha?

Siddhartha: Sir, I am unable to make sense of what you are asking. Why would I be any of these organs independently of each other? Am I not the sum total of all these?

Guru: Listen my child, for argument's sake, let's take your point of view that you are the sum total of all these organs. Where does that leave the independent functioning of most organs irrespective of your awareness, liking, or disliking? What I mean is, what you call as you by referring to the body, is by & large working the way it should, irrespective of your wishes. Your stomach gets hungry when there is no food & sends signal that you have to feed; your eyes see objects & send signals about them to comprehend the object; your heart works untiringly from the moment you took birth in this body, till the time you depart the body; likewise it is with almost all the other parts. If these organs were to wait for your permission to do their work, the body called Siddhartha would be dead by now. It is only because they are functioning independent of your wishes or otherwise, you are able to seek answers to your questions. Having said that, should you choose to identify yourself with the body, you'll have to answer the question, which of the organs in the body is you? The reason you have to answer this question is because, what you call as the human body, is not actually one body. The human being is an INTEGRATED BEING. This human form along with the mind & the intellect constitutes what I call as the HUMAN INTEGRATED BEING. What value has this human form without "THAT" which gives it life? What gives life to the integrated human being is The Self. It is the same very Self that powers each of the organs to perform their work. This Self is also the BEING. Therefore, The Self & The Being are one & the same.

Siddhartha: Sir, in that case, The Self exists in other forms also. The Self is also a dog, a tiger, a donkey, a rock, everything.

Guru: My dear Siddhartha, not only does The Self exist in various forms as you said, but The Self also exists in non-forms. The Self exists in all forms, non-forms, & also beyond.

Siddhartha: Sir, if, as you said, everything is The Self, then, The Self should also have been "SELF AWARE". Why then does The Self seek Itself?
Guru: That is indeed a very profound question my dear child. As you very rightly pointed out, THE SELF IS INDEED SELF AWARE. But for your coming in the middle in the form of this "I"ness, The Self is aware of Itself. This "I"ness is like a temporary separation between a small water body & the ocean. The moment this temporary separation is removed, there is no more "I"ness. There is only The Self. To make it even more clear, suppose there is a empty clay pot. As you know, there is space within the empty clay pot & so also outside of it. Is the space inside the pot any different from that outside? No. This apparent difference is not because of the space, but because of the transcient existence of the pot. The moment the pot ceases to be, there is no more any duality. There is only one Self & It is universal.

Siddhartha: In that case, the pot also is nothing but the space. Only that the same universal space has been modified. That means, there is no such absolute existence of the pot; only space exists. The pot is a temporary form arising out of the universal space. Therefore, The Self exists in Its Universal Being; & the same Universal Being takes all the forms & non-forms. By Itself, The Self is not just the Being in all the forms & non-forms, but Is beyond everything.
Guru: Yes my dear Siddhartha. Your understanding is becoming clear.
Siddhartha: Sir, since it follows that The Self is transcendental, does it also not follow that IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO "UNDERSTAND OR COMPREHEND" THE SELF? For, The Self is nothing but The Being. And, Being, is an experience & cannot be a subject of intellectual debate. The "understanding" aspect exists because of the "I"ness.
Guru: (Silently observing Siddhartha's deductions, deeply smiles).
Siddhartha: Which means, the very existence of "I"ness is a hinderance to experiencing The Self.
Guru: Yes my dear. This "I"ness is the root cause of all the evil & hence, the most formidable opponent "TO BE". The moment this "I"ness vanishes, there is no more you or me. There is only The Self.

Siddhartha: Does that mean I do not exist?

Guru: No, my child. Most definitely, you exist. But, you do not exist in the way you think you exist. YOU EXIST AS EXISTENCE ITSELF & not in any form. Moreover, remember that even in all the forms, "EXISTENCE MANIFESTS ITSELF IN THAT FORM". The form, by itself, has no existence, unless existence manifests in that form.

Siddhartha: Sir, how then do I experience The Self?
Guru: My dear Siddhartha, too much knowledge is a hinderance to Being. Transcend the "I"ness & you shall experience The Self & Be.
Siddhartha: Please guide me on how to lose the sense of "I"ness, sir.
Guru: Seek, my dear Siddhartha, seek. You have to relentlessly seek The Self before you lose sense of this "I"ness & Be one with The Self, which you have always been.
Siddhartha (in tears): Please bless me my most revered Master. Only your grace can save me.
Guru: Do not grieve, Siddhartha. You shall attain to oneness. Let there not be any duality about that. Continue to seek, & you shall Be; for, THAT YOU ARE.

Purpose of life...Dialogues between a Guru & Shishya - Part II...

2010-02-10T16:41:00.003+05:30

After the previous day's discourse with the Guru, Siddhartha woke up early in the morning & as is necessary in the Gurukula system, he completes all his morning ablutions & offers his prayers to Mother Gaayathri. Thereupon, he sets out to meet his Guru who was sitting in deep meditation under the banyan tree in the Aashrama. Siddhartha deeply observed his Guru & noticed that there was not an iota of any sign of discomfort, unhappiness, frustration, or anger on his face. He also observed that the Guru was totally at peace; and, peace radiated from his face like early morning sunrays falling on fresh dew drops on blades of grass in the garden. He also noticed that the Guru appeared to be one with meditation without any signs of duality. After some time, the Guru opened his eyes & found Siddhartha sitting in front of him observing him deeply. The Guru smiled silently & signaled Siddhartha to come & sit near him.
Guru: Siddhartha, my child, come and sit near me. Did you have a good sleep at night? For, you seem disturbed. What happened, my child?

Siddhartha: Sir, after yesterday's discourse, I was deeply inquiring upon the question "WHO AM I". But, I couldn't arrive at any definitive answer. The whole night I lay awake sitting on the banks of Ganga pondering over the question, but to no avail. Sir, please guide me to find answer to the question & to find peace.

Guru: I see that you are indeed disturbed. However, there is no need to be disturbed. For, irrespective of my guidance, you shall "discover your Self" only when the time is ripe. It is like a seed taking its own time to become a sapling, then a tree, & finally start bearing fruits. So, learn to be patient & at the same time, endeavor to seek WHAT YOU ARE. You shall definitely find your Self, for That is what you are. The Self cannot escape you, for, It is everywhere, in everything, & everything is in the Self. YOU ARE THE SELF Siddhartha; know this Truth & be free of all the other delusions clouding your mind. Knowing this Supreme Truth you shall know everything that is to be known. This Supreme Truth is what is sought by everyone, albeit they may not be "aware" of what it is that they are seeking. Knowing that you are The Self, you shall radiate peace, happiness, contentment, fulfillment, & completeness. It is like a man on the verge of death, wandering in a desert seeking water, finding it finally. Upon quenching the killing thirst, the fulfillment & happiness that he radiates is indescribable. The thirst for "Self knowledge" should be as strong as the thirst for water that the man wandering in the desert experiences. Quench your thirst with the sacred water of "Self knowledge" & attain to peace and happiness, my dear Siddhartha.

Siddhartha: Sir, although I see the power of conviction in your words, I still feel hollow. I am not fulfilled either intellectually or by experience of what you are saying. For instance, you say,"The Self cannot escape you, for, It is everywhere, in everything, & everything is in the Self"; and yet, I cannot see It, I cannot perceive It thru' my senses, or I cannot experience It. How then can I understand & know The Self, and be established in It as one with It? I pray to you sir, through your teachings, through the power of your grace and blessings, may all the ignorance clouding my mind be washed away just as Mother Ganga washes away all the sins through the holy dip. Bless me sir. You are everything to me. In your lotus feet I have taken refuge. Please clear my mind of all the duality; of all the disturbances; and may I be blessed with a clear & stable mind reflecting The Self in all Its splendor.

Guru (out of total compassion): My dearest Siddhartha, you are a very great soul. Only a highly evolved Being can ask & speak such powerful and mature words as you have spoken. You shall attain to peace, let there not be any doubt in your mind about that. Now, to answer your question on why you are not able to perceive or experience The Self although It exists in everything & is everywhere, let me try to answer that question thru' an anology. Suppose I tell you that the mighty Himaalayaas are fully covered in snow during winter, would you believe me?

Siddhartha: I think, I would believe you sir.

Guru: Why would you believe my words?

Siddhartha: Sir, I would believe your words because I have heard others who have visited the Himaalayaas during winter, say the same; that the mighty Himaalayaas are fully covered in snow during winter. So, if there are so many people who have experienced the same thing by going to the Himaalayaas during winter, then there must be some truth in it.

Guru: You are absolutely correct in your reasoning. Now let me tell you, there are many great Sages who have experienced The Self & have experienced for themselves that they are indeed The Self; that they have never been separate from The Self; the very idea of being separate from The Self is ignorance. Now, would you believe me?

Siddhartha: Sir, with due respects to your words, I speak the truth that I would not be satisfied with mere words.

Guru: Why would you not be satisfied with my words about The Self; whereas you believed that Himaalayaas are covered with snow during winter, although you have never seen it or experienced for yourself?

Siddhartha: I would probably believe the latter because it can be verified by seeing for oneself whether or not the Himaalayaas are indeed covered in snow during winter. All it needs is that I go to the Himaalayaas during winter & see with my own eyes.

Guru (smiling): You are perfectly right. Just as you can validate the truth about Himaalayaas during winter thru' your own experience, knowledge of The Self also can and must be validated with one's own experience. In fact, the truth about everything being nothing but The Self can only be established by one's own experience. There is no other way. The only limitation is, people who have experienced The Self can only do as much as show the path & direction to attain to The Self. It is like a person who has experienced the Himaalayaas giving directions to a person who has not seen the Himaalayaas on how to reach there, what are the potential dangers & pitfalls, how to avoid them, & so on.

Siddhartha (wondering): Sir, but, the person who has experienced the Himaalayaas can always come down & take the person seeking the Himaalayaas with him.

Guru: That's a very apt statement. Understand this my dear child, a person who knows The Self is established in The Self & is one with It. For such a realized person, there is no duality of coming down & taking you up to Himaalayaas; for the realized Sage, there exists only The Self, nothing else. Because there exists nothing but The Self, there does not arise a situation of the Sage walking the path with the seeker; in fact, in the eyes of the Sage, there does not exist the seeker himself. This is something like a person who has experienced the Himaalayaas & is established there; if you ask such a person about the Himaalayaas, all he can do is to give directions & leave it to you to follow the directions & experience for yourself. It is entirely your discretion to seek & experience The Self for yourself.
Siddhartha: But sir, I can still experience the Himaalayaas thru' my senses; what about the experience of The Self?
Guru: Suppose I tell you to see the Himaalayaas with your ears & tell me whether it is covered with snow, what would you do?
Siddhartha: Sir, how can I see with my ears? The ears are meant to hear. I can only see thru' my eyes.
Guru: Correct. That means, each faculty of the human body has its own intended purposes & hence limitations too. The mind, on its part, perceives the information in an integrated manner, based on the information it receives independently from each of the sense organs; the mind makes its deductions or conclusions by integrating all the information it receives from the senses. Therefore, when you go to Himaalayaas, your mind perceives the integrated information - that the Himaalayaas are indeed covered with snow during winter, that the snow is whitish, that it is very cold during winter, & should you taste the snow, you'll realize it has its own unique taste. You could validate all these facts only by your own experience & be established in the truth about Himaalayaas during winter although you had belief in the words of others.

Siddhartha: Yes sir, that is correct. All these facts can indeed be validated by my own experience.
Guru: You also made a very profound statement when you said - "I SEE THRU' MY EYES". Can you explain what you meant by that statement?
Siddhartha: Sir, the eyes, or for that matter any other sense organ is like an instrument used to perceive external objects. My understanding is that, by themselves, the sense organs have no purpose on their own. Just like any other tool or instrument have no independent purpose of their own unless they are gainfully employed by a master (the person who owns the tool or instrument), so also it is with our sense organs.
Guru: That is a very profound deduction you have made, Siddhartha. Now, as you rightly said, the sense organs are indeed the instruments used to perceive external objects. That brings us to the fundamental question - WHO EMPLOYS OR USES THE SENSE ORGANS TO PERCEIVE EXTERNAL OBJECTS? That is - WHO ARE YOU, THAT SEES THRU' YOUR EYES, HEARS THRU' THE EARS, TASTES THRU' THE TONGUE, FEELS, & SO ON? WHO IS THIS WHO IS USING THIS BODY TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE OBJECTS? If the external entities are the objects of interest, then, one who objectifies them is THE SUBJECT. Therefore, THE KNOWLEDGE OF SELF IS NOTHING BUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBJECT. Mind you, do not confuse knowledge of the Self to be subjective; KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF IS KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBJECT & IS NOT SUBJECTIVE. Having said that, KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF CAN ONLY BE GAINED SUBJECTIVELY & NOT OBJECTIVELY BECAUSE THE SELF IS NOT AN OBJECT, BUT THE SUBJECT ITSELF. Because it is the subject for every individual Being, KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF CAN BE GAINED SUBJECTIVELY ONLY. Are you able to appreciate the logic so far, my dear child?
Siddhartha: Yes sir, I am.
Guru: Therefore, we can conclude that - THE SUBJECT IS USING THE SENSES, MIND, & THE INTELLECT AS A MEANS TO PERCEIVE, PROCESS, & REASON THE OBJECT. Can we make this conclusion?
Siddhartha: Yes sir. That seems to be a fair conclusion to make.
Guru: Now, if I ask you, who is seeking knowledge of The Self, what would your answer be?
Siddhartha: Sir, I am the subject who is seeking this knowledge.
Guru: What is it that you the subject are seeking?
Siddhartha: I am seeking my own Self, sir.
Guru: Who is this Self that is being sought?
Siddhartha (suddenly realising): Sir, IT IS THE SUBJECT ITSELF THAT I HAVE BEEN SEEKING. I mean, IF I AM THE SELF, THEN, THE SELF AS THE SUBJECT, IS SEEKING ITSELF.
Guru (with a very deep smile): You are absolutely right. Understand that there is nothing else to be sought in life except The Self. Real peace, contentment, happiness, & bliss comes from this Self knowledge. And, this Self is the dearest of the dear for all Beings. Desire for everything else arises because of the lack of awareness of one's own Self. That's enough for the day, my child. We will continue further tomorrow. Now you rest.

Purpose of life...Dialogues between a Guru & Shishya - Part I...

2010-02-10T16:26:00.001+05:30

Once, a Disciple (Shishya) approaches his Guru with some profound questions. Here is the discourse that ensued between them.
Shishya: Sir, I am a very frustrated man. What do I do?
Guru: That your mind is frustrated is true. So, don't let your mind be frustrated.
Shishya: But sir, how not to be frustrated? I mean, whatever I see or do in life, the monotony of life seems to overpower me fairly quickly, so much so that, I lose interest in that thing & get frustrated. It is not as if I want to be frustrated. It's just that I get frustrated with whatever I do in a reasonably short time.
Guru: Listen my child, first of all, you should get some of your fundamentals right. You just mentioned that the "monotony of life" overpowers you. This is a very negative, unfair, & degraded view of life itself. Life is a very dynamic & meditative process. If you closely observe, everything in nature seems to be doing its work without complaining about the monotony or otherwise about life. For example, observe that all the rivers of the world are flowing endlessly & merge with the ocean eventually. They never complain about the monotony of the entire process. Just imagine for a moment what happens if the rivers stop flowing? The water becomes stagnant & before it's long, you'll see all the filth accumulating, mosquitoes breeding, & the once beautiful river dies slowly. Similarly, you can observe anything else in life. You'll come to the same conclusion. Can you imagine what consequences would befall the entire humanity (including all the various forms of life in nature) if all the rivers were to think alike & get frustrated with the "monotony of life"? There would be no more "life" on earth.
Shishya: Sir, I am an ordinary man & not a Saint. I can't think of the humanity. I can only think for myself. Very often, out of frustration, I end up asking myself - WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? The more I think of the question, the more I get frustrated.
Guru: You need not be a Saint to think about the entire humanity. You need not think of the entire humanity. And, it is wrong to think that you are committing a sin by thinking of yourself or for that matter your family. It is natural that each one of us thinks for oneself & their families. It is not only natural, but also fair. But, what you should understand is, as much as you & your family are important to you, so also are others & their families to others. No one person or his family is superior to others or others' families in life. Every individual or family is important in the entire scheme of things. Hence, it is important to appreciate others & their families as much as one's own. You said you end up asking yourself about the "purpose of life" out of frustration. Although the question is very profound, the attitude towards seeking answer to that profound question is not right. You should seek answer to that question not out of frustration, but out of the attitude of inquisitiveness of a child. For a child, everything is a surprise. For a child, the whole of creation, including "THAT, WHICH CREATED", is a surprise. The sunset is as much a surprise to the child, as the sunrise is. It applies to almost everything in life in the eyes of a child. Out of this surprise, out of this wonder, arises the genuine attitude of inquisitiveness in a child's mind. That's precisely the reason why the child is surprised when it sees new leaves in the spring or leaves being shed in autumn. This surprise leads to questions like what, why, when, where, & how, in the mind of the child. We, the elders, dismiss a child's inquisitiveness & put down the child. Out of this putting down over the years by elders, family, & the surrounding, arises frustration because there is no room for genuine inquisitiveness. That ingenuity has been replaced by the mundane & monotonous life. That's the reason we don't see the charm in the face of elders, whereas a child is charming without any effort. A child is charming by nature. A child is not charming by effort; it is a child's natural state to be charmful. Have you ever wondered what could make a child happy by seeing different toys or pictures? The child does not see these toys & pictures as something different. It sees them as a part of life; for the child, these toys & pictures are life. It sees life in these toys & pictures; whereas we adults dismiss them as mere toys & pictures. That is the magnitude of difference in the attitude of a child toward life & the attitude of adults toward life. What is important is, to rekindle that lost child within each one of us. And then, frustration automatically vanishes. Now, let me tell you the purpose of life. THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS "TO LIVE".
Shishya: Sir, you said the purpose of life is "to live". Live, & do what, sir?
Guru: My dear child, the purpose of life is "TO BE".
Shishya: Sir, you are now confusing me. You first say, the purpose of life is "to live". And, now you say, the purpose of life is "TO BE". Are you not trying to confuse or mislead me?
Guru (smiling): No my dear child. I need not confuse or mislead you. For, I gain nothing out of it. Having said that, "TO LIVE" & "TO BE" are not 2 different things. They are one & the same. The moment you "LIVE", you also "BECOME". The moment you "BECOME", you also start "TO LIVE". Therefore, they are one & the same.
Shishya: Sir, I now ask of you to explain - "TO BECOME" what?
Guru (smiling): "TO BECOME" WHAT YOU ARE.
Shishya: Sir, I am myself. What else can I become other than myself?
Guru (with a deep smile): You should "BECOME THE SELF" & not yourself. There is not yourself & myself. There is only The Self. Yourself & myself are everything but The Self. Therefore, remove the "your" & "my" from yourself & myself. You are The Self & the purpose is "TO BE THE SELF".
Shishya: Sir, but, I am Siddhartha. How can I be The Self?
Guru: My dear son, Siddhartha is only a name you have taken. But, that's not you.
Shishya: If I am not Siddhartha, which as you rightly said is only a name, then, "WHO AM I"?
Guru: My dear child, all I can do is to show you the path. It is then upto you to walk the path & find for yourself "WHO YOU ARE". I am more like a guide showing you different things of interest, my child. It is you who has to see, hear, touch, feel, & experience what I show. We will continue further tomorrow. Now, you rest.

The Philosophy of Sanaatana Dharma...

2010-02-05T16:43:00.002+05:30

The faith of India is - SANAATANA DHARMA. Now, the word Dharma is a very profound word & has very deep meaning. Although it can take different meanings in different contexts, the one fundamental meaning or affirmation that flows out of all the possible meanings is - RIGHT VALUES. Some of the meanings that the word Dharma can take are: Faith, Duty, & Righteousness. The common thread binding all these different meanings is - "RIGHT". Therefore, Dharma is RIGHT VALUES IN MATTERS OF FAITH, RIGHT VALUES IN MATTERS OF DUTY, RIGHT VALUES IN ACTION, RIGHT VALUES IN SPEECH, etc. Now, what are these right values? THAT WHICH IS IN THE COMMON INTEREST OF MANKIND (in the larger interest of all living beings), be it in terms of faith, action, speech, conduct, or performance of one's duty; that which is secular, non-violent, does not ignite dangerous passions in one's mind & heart; that which is compassionate, which is respectful of others' views (without compromising on values), which is caring, sharing, nurturing; that which unites all people as one family, THESE ARE RIGHT VALUES. Anything that does not fit into these common interests, is not right values. Hence, DHARMA MEANS - RIGHT VALUES; & these RIGHT VALUES ARE UNIVERSAL. These values are not time bound, in the sense that, they do not change with time, place, person, or circumstances. All these - time, place, people, or circumstances, are insignificant in the eyes of Dharma, because Dharma is SANAATANA. What is Sanaatana? It means - ETERNAL. How can these values be eternal? These values are eternal because, they are in the best interest of mankind as a whole. Whereas society may change, Nations may change, people may change...but, THE RIGHT VALUES ARE ETERNAL.

Our ideas / thoughts, speech, & conduct, should be based on the RIGHT VALUES, at all times. Who framed these values? These values were not framed by any human being. They have been & will be in the universe & beyond, for eternity. That's the reason it is called SANAATANA DHARMA. By living these values, we are DOING OUR DUTY, which in my opinion is Supreme Dharma, & it is certainly not about doing any favour to anyone by doing so. WE HAVE TO LIVE THE DHAARMIC LIFE NOT WITH THE ATTITUDE OF "WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME"; WE SHOULD LIVE THE DHAARMIC LIFE BECAUSE "IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO" & IS THE "RIGHT WAY OF LIFE". Therefore, SANAATANA DHARMA IS "THE RIGHT WAY OF LIFE".

Our great Saints & Rishis understood that Dharma is indeed Sanaatana & hence did not ascribe any time, place, event, or person to the "beginning" of it all. It is precisely for the same reason that our scriptures merely have these great men appearing as passing characters, time & again affirming and re-affirming the "eternal wisdom" of Sanaatana Dharma. Hence, the faith of Sanaatana Dharma does not have a "definite beginning". The faith of Sanaatana Dharma is so secular that it gives complete freedom to live one's life to the fullest without compromising on the right values. The ancient Rishis recognized that upholding the freedom of human spirit is supreme, but, it cannot be at the cost of righteous way of life. Therefore, they said - FREEDOM IS SUPREME, & THAT FREEDOM SHOULD BE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF DHARMA. That's the reason why we see the 4 Purushaarthas of human endeavor - DHARMA, ARTHA, KAAMA, & MOKSHA. The foundation for the latter 3 Purushaarthas is Dharma. Recognizing the supreme importance Dharma has in building an individual's or society's character, Dharma was emphasized to be the first & most important of all the other Purushaarthas. Only after the right values were inculcated were other Purushaarthas followed. Thus, seeking money & wealth (Artha) has to be Dhaarmic; satiating one's desires (Kaama) has to be Dhaarmic; & finally, when all this is done, the individual aspires for supreme freedom (Moksha) from all bondages. The essence here is - DHARMA IS THE BEDROCK OF ALL OTHER SUCCEEDING ACTIVITIES / PHASES IN LIFE.

Sanaatana Dharma is not a religion or set of dogmas, as is commonly misunderstood. Sanaatana Dharma is DHAARMIC WAY OF LIFE & has nothing to do with religion or dogmas. It is so all encompassing that an atheist commands equal respect as that of a theist, as long as he is Dhaarmic (follows right values in life). In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that an atheist with strong values commands greater respect than a theist with questionnable values, in Sanaatana Dharma. Such is the stature of the Dhaarmic way of life.

Because Dharma is supreme, there is no one Rishi or God who is more powerful than the other. The most important aspect of Sanaatana Dharma is EQUALITY OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL'S RIGHT TO LIVE GOOD LIFE IN THE DHAARMIC WAY. Hence, if we study India's history, we'll realize that we never felt "threatened" by other religions' presence. In fact, Sanaatana Dharma empowers an individual to choose whatever best way of religious life he wants to follow, but, the fundamental values are uncompromisable. Therefore, one can worship Raama, Krishna, Allah, Jesus, an idol, a tree, nature, or whatever, but, the values have to be strong & unquestionnable.

It is only when other religions started enforcing their ideologies upon the masses by exploiting their weaknesses and putting the marginalised to extreme hardship did the idea of Hindutva originate. This idea of Hindutva took a more hardline view in response to some extremely grave events in history, which unfortunately our history books do not teach us. This simply means that our understanding of our own history is lacking or incomplete. Out of such an eventuality were born many organizations / institutions whose ideology is to uphold & protect Sanaatana Dharma.
Institutions such as Ramakrishna Mission & Chinmaya Mission are engaged in spreading the message of Sanaatana Dharma, because of which our views are more educated & informed than it was a few years ago. It is the philosophy of respectful & compassionate coexistence that is of supreme importance.

MAY THE RIGHT VALUES LEAD US FROM UNTRUTH UNTO TRUTH...
MAY THE RIGHT VALUES LEAD US FROM DARKNESS UNTO LIGHT...
MAY THE RIGHT VALUES LEAD US FROM DEATH UNTO IMMORTALITY...

Honesty & Truthfulness...Why these are indeed the best policies in life...

2010-02-05T16:19:00.004+05:30

Since time immemorial, man has been taught by well meaning elders, teachers, & the society in general, that we should lead an honest & Truthful life. Basically, what do these words - Honesty & Truthful, mean? Honesty means - Sincerity, Truthfulness, Integrity, Openness, Frankness. So, Honesty & Truthfulness are essentially synonyms. Therefore, being honest leads to being truthful, & a truthful person is essentially honest.

In today's world, where man is so dishonest, & dishonesty & cunningness is highly regarded as being "smart" & "tactful", where is the place for the timeless virtues like honesty & truthfulness? Should we be honest at all, in the first place? Does it "pay" us in the long run, being honest? Do we run the risk of being fooled by the cunningness of others by being honest? How do we reconcile with these realities in the midst of which we all live currently, & still be honest in our lives? What do we get "in return" for being honest?

I must admit that answers to these questions cannot be answered without taking the help of Philosophy. Let me attempt to answer these questions with as little help from Philosophy as possible. I will try my best to be logical & rational to the maximum possible. Now, why should we be honest? Fundamentally, as is widely acknowledged by the wise, HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY. But, what is honesty? Honesty, as explained earlier is "BEING TRUTHFUL". Now, why should we be truthful? Let us try to answer the question - what is Truth? Truth is that, which essentially does not change with time. Truth is that, from which all of existence is born. Truth is that, which fundamentally governs life & therefore it governs existence. Truth is that, which is essentially the same for any man, & remains the same for eternity. Truth is that, which can be validated & established by any man ONLY through "SELF EXPERIENCE" & as a consequence, it cannot be established thru' words or speech. In simple terms, TRUTH ALONE IS, everything else is not. To be able to comprehend & establish Truth completely, we have to develop the ability to experience Truth "AS IT IS, IN ITS TOTALITY", & not "as we preceive it to be", based on appearances, attributes, or perceptions. "TOTALITY", that's the key to realize & experience & live life in Truth. What this essentially means is - each of the attributes of appearance, properties, or taste, or perceptions, independently of each other cannot give us the experience of "TOTALITY" of Truth. Perception can be misleading often times because it has to pass thru' the medium of the sense organs, based on whose state or well being, the mind draws its conclusions. And, mind, for all we know, is never steady. It is perhaps THE MOST IMPORTANT ENTITY WHICH MAN HAS TO ENDEAVOR TO CONQUER. In my opinion, the man who knows his mind in its totality & has conquered it, is the Lord of the Universe.

I remember a very beautiful story. Once upon a time, there lived a Guru who had 5 disciples. These disciples had never seen an elephant in their lives. So, one fine day, the Guru takes his disciples to an elephant by blindfolding them & asks them to perceive for themselves what an elephant is like, by touching it. So, each of the 5 disciples touches & feels different aspects of the elephant & comes to his own conclusions. After that, they all return back to the Gurukula & the Guru asks each of the 5 to explain what they perceive the elephant to be like. Here's what they said:

Disciple 1 (who had felt the tail): The elephant is like a rope.
Disciple 2 (who had felt the legs): The elephant is like a pillar.
Disciple 3 (who had felt the ears): The elephant is like a fan.
Disciple 4 (who had felt the trunk): The elephant is like bamboo.
Disciple 5 (who had felt the body): The elephant is like a wall.

After hearing their versions of what the elephant is like, the Guru sent for an elephant to be brought to the Gurukula. Seeing this, the disciples were surprised that the elephant was not only like what each of them independently experienced, but was much more than that. It was a combination of all that each of them had individually experienced. Seeing surprise on their faces, the Guru addressing them, says thus: Each one of you were true to the extent of your own individual experiences of the attributes of the elephant. But, Truth or Reality, is not circumscribed by individual experiences. Truth or Reality is an experience of the TOTALITY. And, this TOTALITY is not circumscribed by space and time, as was experienced by each one of you independently. In fact, this TOTALITY encompasses space & time within itself. In the case of the totality of elephant, to consider it as the sum or combination of all the attributes that you all mentioned is very limiting indeed. That is because, what you all described about the elephant are only the attributes of the elephant. The elephant is not the attributes that you described. Nor is the elephant sum of all the attributes mentioned by you all. Perhaps, a more "complete" way of defining an elephant could be like this - an elephant is a "Being" that has the physical attributes of a rope, pillar, fan, bamboo, & wall; in addition to these physical attributes, it also has attributes of strength; it can walk at an average speed of 4 - 6 miles per hour & can run upto a speed of 15 - 20 mph; it is a mammal which gives birth to young ones, & so on. You can go on describing each and every attribute of the elephant to the greatest detail possible, but you'll still not be describing the elephant itself by doing so. This is not because you are unintelligent or because you lack some special knowledge to describe the elephant. This is because, it is not possible to describe the elephant in its "TOTALITY" even if your eyes were not blindfolded. This is because, the elephant is not any object that can be described based on the deductions made by the observations about its attributes, behavior, way of living, environment, etc. THE ELEPHANT IS A STATE OF BEING, JUST LIKE MAN IS A STATE OF BEING.

This "state" can be an elephant, a dog, a rock, a tree, a river, an ocean, the Earth, the Universe, or whatever. Each of these is nothing but - THE STATE OF BEING. Since it is a state of Being, THAT BEING CAN TAKE INFINITE DIMENSIONS OR STATES. There is no law governing what state the Being should take. However, the state taken by the Being may in general be governed by a few laws which again is not binding, & is subject to change. Since everything is a "STATE OF BEING", it can be concluded that "THE BEING EXISTS IN EVERY STATE". Whereas the state is governed by the laws of space, time, & causation, "THE BEING TRANSCENDS SPACE, TIME, & CAUSATION". So long as we think we are the state, there are bound to be desires, suffering, & miseries, arising out of the bondage to the state. The moment we transcend the state & become one with the "Being", all bondage vanishes into thin air, as if awakening from a bad dream.

In this Being, there is "ONENESS" there is "UNITY". And, that is what you should appreciate when I told that you should look at the "TOTALITY OF TRUTH". IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO EXPERIENCE TRUTH IN ITS TOTALITY, AS LONG AS WE EXIST IN THE "STATE". WE HAVE TO TRANSCEND THE "STATE" & BECOME ONE WITH THE "BEING" TO EXPERIENCE TRUTH IN ITS TOTALITY. To understand, appreciate, & respect Truth or Reality in its totality, we should not be blinded by our own individual prejudices & judgements or be motivated to spread our own selfish agenda based on our limited experience & knowledge, as is bound to happen when we are in the grip of Maaya of the "state". Understand that the infinite states of the Being is nothing but Maaya, for, the state is bound to change as governed by the laws of space, time, & causation. The Being, on the other hand, exists in all the states & beyond all states.

THIS "BEING" IS THE "TOTALITY OF TRUTH". We have to open our eyes, our vision, our sight; we have to open ourselves completely like a lovely flower opening itself to absorb the early morning sunrays in order to experience Truth or Reality in its totality. That is the goal of all saadhana, all the penance. To expand, to elevate, & to increase the reach of our minds - to encompass both the gross & the subtle, is the goal of education. To inculcate such an education & live life based on these values, is the hallmark of Truthful & Honest life.

Hearing all this, one of the disciples asks: When the majority of people around us are leading untruthful & dishonest lives, why should I endeavor to inculcate these values which apparently do not yield me any benefits? Also, there is a strong likelihood of my being misconstrued as being weak & timid, & be taken for a ride.

The Guru replies thus: My dear child, by being truthful & honest, you are certainly not doing any great service to anyone, for, Truth does not need anybody's sanction for its existence. Truth exists on its own, & is independent of your being established in Truth or not. You are merely doing your duty by being truthful. However, I must say that as a consequence of being established in Truth, you are going to be a great character. Ideally, it is all of our collective responsibility to be truthful in our lives. By being dishonest & untruthful, leave alone anybody else, you are doing a very great & perhaps irreconcilable injustice and harm to yourself & your character. The majority of people are dishonest & untruthful because of their ignorance of Truth, & not because they want to be dishonest or untruthful. The moment they realise the "Truth of Being" and the ignorance of the state appearing to be real is removed, they become established in the Being, & as a consequence they will have no choice but to be Truthful & honest. For, THE BEING IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH & THE STATE OF BEING IS MAAYA OR TRANSCIENT TRUTH OR RELATIVE TRUTH BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF SPACE, TIME, & CAUSATION. Hence, by establishing oneself firmly in The Being, one naturally also becomes firmly established in Truth. Use your discretion and intelligence & do what is in accordance with Truth. Remember one thing, an act of untruthfulness & dishonesty does not change the Truth. Does it? Although you may act untruthfully & dishonestly and fool others, you can never decieve your own mind, heart, & conscience, for, they know what the Truth is. How do you reconcile with your own heart & conscience?

As for your being misconstrued as being weak & timid, that argument is totally misplaced & illogical. That's because, what does a man of Truth & honesty have to fear? On the contrary, being established firmly in Truth of Being makes you fearless & gives you infinite strength & courage. In fact, by being established in Truth, you are on the side of no less than Truth Itself. Everything else in the universe is rendered inconsequential in the eyes of Truth. Not even God can do anything when you are so firmly established in Truth. I dare to say that even Gods are rendered inconsequential in the eyes of Truth. Being so firmly established in Truth, you are like the burning Sun which renders everything that comes anywhere close to it into ashes. Only an untruthful & dishonest man has to fear for the consequences of his actions.

The disciple asks again: Sir, what if being Truthful & honest causes harm to me & my near and dear ones?

The Guru says: My dear child, if you understand deeply, you have no choice but to be Truthful & honest, for, the Truth of Being alone is the Supreme Truth & not the state of being. Also, appreciate that you have to be Truthful not to please anyone, but because, being Truthful is the right thing to do & you are duty bound to do such. Also, it should be borne in mind that if there is anything at all to which we owe our total & unconditional allegiance, it is Truth alone. However, should there be any harm to your near and dear ones at the cost of your being Truthful, instead of surrendering to untruthfulness unilaterally, you should try your best to be Truthful to the maximum possible and fight for Truth, for that's our fundamental duty. And, whenever an opportunity comes your way, where you can bring Truth into the open, you should sieze such an opportunity & use it to uphold the Supreme Truth. All of us are accountable to uphold Truth in each of our lives. A man of Truth becomes one with It & attains to freedom. Remember my child, our sacred scriptures have time and time again shouted at the peak of their voices - DHARMO RAKSHATI RAKSHITAHA (WHO PROTECTS DHARMA, IS PROTECTED BY DHARMA). For man, the Supreme Dharma is Truth.

My Principle of Life...

2010-02-05T16:12:00.001+05:30

This is one of the greatest stories I've read in my life. I hope, this small yet powerful story adds new dimensions & perpectives to your lives, leading to a more fulfilling & enriching experience of life.

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, and some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

After all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it's just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and then began eyeing each other's cups."Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, houses, cars, all material things, money, and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee.Enjoy your coffee. Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.

Isn't it so obvious that all that's needed in life is good coffee? Still, we hanker after the coffee container & not the coffee itself. This is exactly what's called MAAYA in the Indian Philosophy. Somewhat similar logic is used in Indian Philosophy to teach the Truth about the Atman or the Self. We get so easily fooled by the coffee container, whereas in reality, all that we've been truly wanting deep within our hearts is a "good coffee", without even an iota of realisation of what we've been wanting truly. This is exactly what's called ignorance. Ignorance is no more the lack of education or the lack of knowledge as a consequence. Ignorance is the lack of awareness about "essentials of a fulfilling & enriching life".

Alas!!! we have neither the patience nor the perseverance to introspect deeply & prioritise - HOW AM I GOING TO ENRICH MY LIFE EXPERIENCE? In fact, in my opinion, life is fair to one & all. Whereas we indulge in giving long discourses & scripting mammoth Constitutions to define equity & how it should be discharged in our society, life silently discharges everything equitably, relentlessly, without any prejudice or judgement, but purely based on ones own Karma (as we sow, so shall we reap). It is we (each one of us), who are judgemental, prejudiced, define inequity, persecute, & make a mess of an otherwise beautiful life. At the end of the day, it is EACH ONE OF OUR CHOICE...to make life beautiful or not...to enjoy the lovely coffee or just end up admiring the container...Hope, we are all blessed with the wisdom to make the right choices for the right reasons in our lives, so that we can live a contented, meaningful, fulfilling, & enriching life.

Statement of purpose of Advaita Ashrama

2010-02-05T15:46:00.002+05:30

I thought of sharing this statement of purpose of Advaita Ashrama, an institution under the aegis of The Ramakrishna Math & Mission. Deep & intense introspection on this statement very clearly indicates the noble mission, the intense focus, & dedication of this wonderful institution towards its purpose.

Advaita is the philosophy of India. It is the philosophy of unity, of oneness of beings, of Nonduality, of fearlessness, of strength. It empowers man to question the very fundamental assumptions about life, & still gives the freedom to live life to the fullest. It is that philosophy which gives man the ownership of his most important purpose - his own total freedom & complete possession of himself. It is the philosophy of Moksha (liberty) & yet makes man aware of his responsibility to live responsibly. It is the philosophy which sets man free from his Karma (the universal principle of causation) & yet makes him a Karmayogi. It is the philosophy which elevates man to the state of the Supreme Being. It is the philosophy of experience, of independent verification thru' every individual's personal experience. It is the philosophy which unites man with the Truth & mercilessly destroys the veil of ignorance (Maaya) in his mind. It is the philosophy which makes man transcend space, time, & causation, & yet gives every individual his space to live. It is that philosophy which makes man responsible & accountable to his own destiny. It is the philosophy which has the power to unite the Hindu, the Muslim, the Christian, the Jew, the Sikh, & yet advocates & gives freedom to each one of these to be true to his own Faith.

So, here goes the statement of purpose of the Advaita Ashrama...

In Whom is the Universe, Who is in the Universe, Who is the Universe; in Whom is the Soul, Who is in the Soul, Who is the Soul of Man; knowing Him—and therefore the Universe—as our Self, alone extinguishes all fear, brings an end to misery and leads to Infinite Freedom. Wherever there has been expansion in love or progress in well being, of individuals or numbers, it has been through the perception, realization, and the practicalization of the Eternal Truth—THE ONENESS OF ALL BEINGS. "Dependence is misery. Independence is happiness." The Advaita is the only system which gives unto man complete possession of himself, takes off all dependence and its associated superstitions, thus making us brave to suffer, brave to do, and in the long run attain to Absolute Freedom.Hitherto it has not been possible to preach this Noble Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness; this alone, we (The Advaita Ashrama) are convinced, explains why it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large.To give this ONE TRUTH a freer and fuller scope in elevating the lives of individuals and leavening the mass of mankind, we start this Advaita Ashrama on the Himalayan heights, the land of its first expiration.Here it is hoped to keep Advaita free from all superstitions and weakening contaminations. Here will be taught and practiced nothing but the Doctrine of Unity, pure and simple; and though in entire sympathy with all other systems, this Ashrama is dedicated to Advaita and Advaita alone.