"I Am That"

  Most of the Upanishads teach us the fundamental principles of Creation and the 'Reality of our Existence'. In that sense of the scriptural statements, "we (the humans) are not what we appear to be! We are more than what we seem to be! In fact, we do not exist at all in this sense of 'Reality of Existence'. Many examples are given to prove this point. For example, we all exist in three states viz, jagrata (awake), svapna (dream), and sushupti (deep sleep). Since these are ever changing from morning till late night everyday these are not our real state of existence. We can rise above these three and reach the transcendental meditative state and absolute state of samadhi, too. Those who practice yoga can easily stay in samadhi state at their will! Thus, it is clear that we are ever-changing- from childhood to old age in body (physically) and mind, as also, we go on changing from our state of social and economic status in life. Nothing can be said for certain, at any point of time, about the changing status. Hence, the learned sages tried to impart the doctrines and help the disciples to know who exactly are they in real life! But, it is definitely not easy for us, the mortals, to understand and live as per the doctrines. We cannot understand what the illusory world is despite an umpteen  examples given to us! We are told that the basic understanding about our existence is that of 'ignorance'. The entire life is one of birth due to ignorance and living in ignorance and die in ignorance to take birth again and repeat till knowledge dawns on us as to the 'truth'. The 'truth' is very simple. We are not what we seem to be, what we appear to be. We are different! We are the manifest aspect of the Absolute Abstract state of param padam called 'brahmn'. This is similar to Oxygen and Hydrogen that freely exist in air (nature) in vapor form and turn into solid state (of crystal ice, or liquid state (of water) under a particular condition of temperature and pressure. The question also arises asto what exactly is its eternal unchanging state? The same is the question as to the nature of a jiva that is embodied in different forms due to karma.     

 The Learned Sage Aruni Uddalaka taught his disciple Shvetaketu the doctrine of "tat tvam asi" (Thou Art That). But this simple statement is beyond our understanding or comprehension! The Vedic statement is tat brahma, tad Vishnu. tat sat param padam! The term 'tat' is something that connotes the supreme Absolute Abstract that does not come within our normal understanding. In fact, the term 'tat' (tyat) is 'brahmn'. It is a sound (svar) that creates, sustains, dissolves, and finally merges everything within Itself! This abstract concept cannot be either understood by us! The scriptures speak a lot about this. One of the most intriguing aspects of the Vedic doctrine is "so'ham asmi". This statement clearly states the doctrine of 'Atman', the 'Self'. In other words, it says, I am not the body, the mind, the intellect, nor am the ego. All these are the adjuncts of the body akin to the organs! There is something else that makes me call myself 'I! What is that? Is it the imperceptible notion of the Self, the Atman, the brahmn? Yes, it is!

   Now, the question before us is simply, "Whether what we perceive (as the sensuous world, the world that comes within the grasp of our senses) is real, at all?" The answer is an emphatic 'NO'; what all we see, hear, touch, feel or experience is that of the senses of touch, sight, sound, etc. There are the deaf, dumb, blind, etc. who cannot experience the sensuous world! This does not mean that they are completely insensitive and to tally deprived of worldly existence. They possess sixth sense and, in fact, better equipped to experience than us! But all these come to naught when we explore the deeper aspects of our existence. In the strict sense of the term, we do not really exist at all! What all exists is something that is mere reflection of 'That' (tyat), brahmn. This is like a hundred full moons reflected in a hundred water bodies.

  What is mere illusion say, like a mirage in a hot sandy desert, or mere waves of a rough sea, or just what we perceive as a snake on seeing a rope in the dark, or mistake for a person standing when we see a milestone. This is something like the previous impression in our mind and its recurrence as memory! We do not bother to realize that we are the same children that used to crawl on all the four in our infancy! Our memory is too short! It seems strange today if we just remember how, as kids, we used to climb the trees and jump about, and even had our limbs broken! 

  Thus, there is something that runs through our lives as memory, experiences, feelings, etc. At the basis of all these lies abominable ignorance! This ignorance goes only when a tormented jiva seeks the guidance of a learned guide to get rid of this eternal bondage. However, it is well laid down in the scriptures that "It is the prerogative of the Divine Force/Power to grant renunciation and freedom from bondage. The jiva must be lucky enough to get the blessings and has to work incessantly to attract the divine grace by constant adoration and prayer to the devi devata! The good work done in the past as well as the blessings of the elders also count in this! Hence, the jiva has to realize its true nature and get rid of the ignorance,

 Now, if we erase all these memories, experience, feelings and look at ourselves as a body made up of parts, we realize some strange mystic power playing behind all these creations. It is a divine or mystic power that creates a microscopic entity such as an ion, a Majorana fermionic cellular bio-technical-transformation, giving rise to biological entity called life, that too with the help of the basic five elements! Nothing remains if we remove these five basic elements from the material structure! May be, what remains is the spiritual entity, that is beyond the purview of science or rational explanation. In all, what we can say about this illusory world is that it is a mystery that something has been created out of nothing as if it is a magic! So also, we as humans who are made up of parts. Nothing remains if the parts are removed. Anything made of parts, for that matter, reverts to 'nothing' when the parts are removed!

  Thus, the scriptures emphatically lay down the fundamental principle of Atman- Brahman combine! It is the 'brahmn' that manifests as 'Atman' that takes numrous forms and perform functions. What all we see is the Atman that is invisible, a driving force in this universe. The Atman only takes the forms as the Vedic doctrine says, Eko'ham bahusyam!

  In this sense of the term, what all we see here is 'brahmn' only! It is 'brahmn; that appears as the material sensuous perceptible world, where there is actually 'none whatsoever'!!

Mahabharata

 The Epic Mahabharata by Sage Veda Vyasa is one of the eighteen that covered all the three segments of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara mythology. This epic Mahabharata is also considered to be a historical even that took place just 3500 years ago! Apart from the epic, the historical aspect is one of the great War that took place between the Pandava Kings and the Kaurava Kings. The cause of the war is acceding the flourishing kingdom of the Pandava who were known for equity, justice and pious rule. As the story goes, The Pandava King conducted the Rajasuya Yaga and invited all kings for the function. Sri Krishna invited the guests and even washed the feet of Kings and Nobles! The wealth displayed and the consequent jealous is said to be the root cause of the War. The Kaurava to usurp the flourishing kingdom through a game of dice. The Pandava lost everything in the game due to cheating!

   The present Kaliyuga started after the Great Mahabharata War. It is dated back to just 2000 to 2500 years old! The characters depicted here in the history of Dvapara yuga (that preceded the present Kaliyuga) has a number of mystic aspects that cannot be answered in any rational way. The Central figure of the Mahabharata War is supposed to be Sri Krishna who is an avatar purusha incarnate Vishnu! The Sage Vedavyasa has brought out the childhood days of Sri Krishna in the epic Bhagavata and characterized Him as a King of the Vrishni Kingdom who shared his army with the Kauravas in the epic war. He Himself stood on the side of Dharma supporting the Pandava kings who lost their kingdom in the game of dice where the Kaurava cheated with the help of their Maternal uncle Shakuni. It has along long story dated back to Gandhara days (today's Afghanistan). The Pandava lost their Kingdom in the game of dice and were sent to wander in the forests and even hide or be incognito for a year! Finally, the Pandava never got their kingdom back! This is the state of decline of dharma with the lapse of time from Satya yuga down to kali yuga! Sri Krishna is portrayed by Sage Vedavyasa as a witness here.   

  Sri Krishna is portrayed as the maternal uncle of the Pandava, as also, a King, a Statesman, a divine soul, and the supreme Lord of the Universe (as shown in the Vibhuti Yoga of the Bhagavad-Gita). The story of Mahabharata portrays Sri Krishna in many colorful shades and teaches us how any normal man can rise up to the status of a God! We all know how a person who is selfless, helpful to the needy is already a God for the distressed and the needy! The term God here means the helpful nature compassion, kind and sympathetic to the oppressed, downtrodden, and humane (besides purity of the blemished soul- full of greed selfishness and cruelty, etc.) 

  Hence, the epics are our handbooks of guidance, and it is the history and tradition of our village community to assemble in the temple premises and hear these epics after the hard work in the fields! In fact, it is now an urgent need to revive this culture and also introduce in our school curriculum. The word secular introduced by the corrupt and selfish rulers should be removed since it is only the sick liars who are taking advantage of this and ruining our ancient culture. There is no need to change or twist the history of India to please the 18% and another 4% who are the converts and invaders' clan! India, ie., Bharat is almost a 10000- ears old land of great civilization and there was neither Prophet nor a Messenger of God ever there in India prior to 2000 year. It is indeed a land of the Buddha, the Mahaveera, and the Guru Nanak and Shankaracharya, Madhva and Ramanuja. Forget about the misrule and misadventure of the Mughals and the Europeans who came to loot and cheat and overstayed here and regain the historic culture and tradition of the prosperous civilization! 

'Fire-God'

 Fire-God or Agni Deva is eulogized in the Rk Veda in 64 suktas,  The first verse begins with the worship of Agni. agnimeeLay purOhitam yajnyasya dEvam Rutvijam hOtAram ratna dhAtamam! Meaning, "Oh, Agni deva, our obeisance to You; You are the Chief Priest for Us Who prays for Us and offer our havis to agni deva, we worship you, you are the One Who sits in front of the Sacrificial Fire, offer our havis to Fire-God; You are the One  Who Prays for us, and carry our prayers to Higher-ups and bring us in turn the Blessings from the Gods in heavens! 

 Everything in the Universe is pervaded by Fire, Agni. Agni or Fire is worshiped by our forefathers since very ancient times. There are some who worship Fire at home 24/7 and see that the fire is not extinguished any time! These are the 'Agnihotri'. Sun is the prime source of all heat and fire for us. The Sun is not even one amongst the giant Stars; it is supposed to be just a dwarf, at that! It is enough to sustain our small universe that contain the Planets and their satellites. The Sun provides us all that we need for our survival! The position of the Earth as a Planet in the Solar system is such that it is the only planet that creates and supports life. 

  In a way, the Fire is an inherent aspect of everything that we find here. The fire is hidden in every micron of the mineral or metallic element. The atomic energy is one of the wonders that can either create or destroy this universe! The source of this Energy is traced to Ions, particularly the Fermion and its transformed or manifest aspect of Majorana ion. There are secrets that are yet to be unraveled! Not much is known beyond the Infra-red and the Ultra-Violet, the X-Ray, the Alpha, Beta and the Gamma rays!  Research works are continuing in this field of Energy, Light, Heat, etc.

  It is interesting to find how Agni/Fire is hidden in everything starting from a sand particle, a s piece of stone or wood. Our entire body is Fire! Conscience and Consciousness are fire. Intelligence is Fire.1ntellect is fire. The Mind. thought force or thinking process itself generate fire! The physical body is sustained by the fire. The food we take is fire. Fire digests the food and the metabolism is maintained by the fire in the body. There is nothing beside this Fire/Agni!

  No wonder the Yagniks or the priestly class engaged in the worship of sacrificial fire since very early times in our country. The story of Worship of Fire is traced to the Parsis community. the Aryans, the ancient Mayans and the Mexicans, and the like! However, the Veda have well documented the beginnings of the worship of Fire beyond all doubts!

 But, what is interesting here is that of the Vedic Pundits who worshiped Sun-God and offered cooked rice and dosa as havis with prayers for good rains, good harvests, welfare of not of just the Indians, but the entire mankind world-over. The prayers always started with Om and ended with Shanti mantra (Peace Chants). 

'Gitopadesha'

 What prompted Bhagavan Sri Krishna to impart 'Gitopadesham' to Arjuna in the epic Battlefield of Kurukshetra is indeed a puzzle! In fact, this 'Gitopadesham' was imparted to Sun-God Vivasvan first, at the beginning of Creation as stated in the Text- imam vivasvate prathamam praahaa...| Another strange thing is that the need for imparting dharma tp the Pandava, particularly Arjuna is very strange, indeed. None of these Pandava are humans - born of flesh bones and blood. These are the mantrasya putraah, the Blessed children of the power of the 'sacred word' (mantra), just like Karna born to Kunti when she was just an 8-yearold! Kunti's husband died or disappeared on the very day of the marriage and, hence the Pandava had no father, as such! In sum and substance, the entire Gita is riddled with a number of strange things. it teaches Sankhya, Knowledge (jnyan), Devotion (bhakti), Meditation (dhyan), Renunciation (vairagya), and finally transcendence (samadhi) in yoga!

   When the Blessed Lord says, I imparted this yogashastra and brahmavidya upanishad to Vivasvan, the first Manu, what is it that is imparted? Is it the secret of creation, sustenance, dissolution and merger? Truly it is everything! The entire Bhagavad-Gita is now considered a handbook or manual of Administration! It is now the panacea for all ills of social discord, unrest, strife and warfare. The Gita teaches how to work out a practical way of achieving world peace. It is more relevant today when the cold war days are over and there is better communication among nations to work towards a progressive prosperous development-oriented policies world over creating better standards of life for everyone everywhere.

  Many countries have now realized the importance of teachings of the Gita and want to adopt these teachings. It is now more relevant to adopt the teachings of the Gita than ever before. Fight poverty, hunger, unemployment and ignorance. Fight injustice and establish equanimity, social justice, and dharma. The days of war ae over and these are days of peaceful co-existence. Extend cooperation to uplift the downtrodden! There is nothing to gain by burning arms and ammunitions killing people! It is now the urgent need of the hour to extend mutual help and cooperation for betterment of life of the poor and the neglected. Bhagavan is the word used to denote the divine souls that work toward this universal welfare. Hence, everyone has to strive for this. Divinity is an inherent aspect of the jiva and it should be allowed to play its full role in everybody's life!

   Thus, the central theme of the Gitopadesham is to establish love, compassion, mutual understanding and cooperation, and peaceful co-existence. The entire episode of Mahabharata war started due to the cheating in the game of dice and usurp the rich and prosperous kingdom of Pandu by the cousins of Kuru King dynasty. The Pandava stands for the noble qualities against the hundred and odd bad qualities (avagunas) like cheating, usurp others property, hatred, jealousy, etc. Ultimately, what is gained in this war is well-known! Nothing accrued to the Pandavas and the Kaurava perished! This is a bitter lesson who want war to solve petty regional problems today, isn't it?

Comfort Zone

    When i saw some sadhus walking almost naked in the cold winter in the Himalayas i was wondering whether this is ever possible for me visiting these places with thick woollen clothes and still shivering! To my surprise, i even found  very young man walking naked in the cold morning and heard that he was a Ph. D. in Science. It was sheer madness or just a firm determination to experience the exotic! However, one thing is certain that these adventurists have taken a jump. Most of us do not want to get out of bed in the morning during winter days without a cup of hot Coffee or Tea.  We all want a comfortable life under any condition!  

  We all are accustomed to live in a comfort zone. We refuse to come out of it and face the harsh realities of life. We want to play safe. We want security and, at the same time, progress. We cannot understand how can there be progress and development if we do not let go our comfort zone take a plunge into the unknown. The dilemma is that we want to run and stay-put at the same time. We don't even know how one can reach to the top by leaving the step of the ladder/staircase where we stand. letting go where we stand at i Even the renunciates who are supposed to be out of this comfort zone seek comforts! This is the problem.  

  The need for leaving the comfort zone and move on to the unknown or the less-trdden arises only if one desires to search what 'lies beyond'. Only those who are tired of repeated births and deaths seek some sort of redemption. The Bhagavad-Gita shows the way! Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises Arjuna about the way out of this bondage, attachment to the worldly objects and craving for the satisfaction of the insatiable desires. He, the Lord says, "Arjuna, your wisom is clouded by the desire for the insatiable. You are full of ego. Your pride itself is a hurdle. Nothing everlasting can be attained here. Any achievement is bound to end in misery since time eats away the happiness of aattainment. There is bound to be some sort of dissatisfaction even after attainment of the so called impossible! Let alone disappointment, failure in these attempts to satisfy the the sensuous, even the power and riches have failed the high and the mighty. Many great warriors, kings and rulers have experienced this. Hence, give up all pride and do your ordained duties and that is ll that you can do!" This is karmanyava adhikaaraste! The Blessed Lord says, "To bestow what is due to you is my prerogative. You will not get anything just like the wages for the labor done! However, I assure you that you get your dues as per the karma, prarabhda, at that! You are assured of the right dues, nothing less or more, nor a little earlier or later! So, do not aspire for the results of all that work you perform. Do your duty with a sense of sacrifice!"

  The adventurists, however, do not bother about all these sayings in the Gita. They are in a mad rush to achieve something what no one has attained, reach somewhere where no one has reached! In fact the elders are crazy and want that their wards should achieve what they could not! They push the young minds to the edge! Lucky if some survive, but many may fall down the cliff.  Parents want their children to be great engineers, scientists, doctors and statesmen little knowing that each jiva comes here to fuldill its unfulfilled desires of its past life. Life of some children are sniffed at the bud due to unncecessary pressure on the young minds. 

  Some play safe and do not venture into the unknown. It is but natural in a protected environment. However, it is necessary to bring out the hidden talent, the potential in one by appropriate guidance. There is a great need for a mentor. It is here that one should leave the comfort zone, go out and search for a Guru. Luck, destiny, elders blessings and divine grace will help the jiva that innately desires to fulfill its aspirations.  

'Atmabodha'

 'Atmabodha' is Sri Shankaracharya's most beautiful work on "Self-Knowledge' This work is available in the Advaita Ashrama Publications of Sri Ramakrishna Matha. Sri Nikhilananda and Sri Vimuktananada have given beautiful commentaries on this original work. Ultimately, what is it we want? There are many a questions that bother a person who seeks redemption from this sensuous objective worldly existence. It is the insatiable nature of our wants, unending desires that are the seeds of rebirth, and the vasanas, taunting memories and the cravings that are the causes of the misery of man. Once a person realizes the futility of all this existence craving for the sensuous life, the jiva takes recourse to liberation. This liberation or mukti is of two kinds. The one one instantaneously stops craving is liberated. This is sadyomukti. The other one is a gradual one that comes with the death of the person. This is 'krama mukti' when the jiva leaves its carnal body whether its desires are fulfilled or not. 

 Now, the craving for liberation, mukti, will not come easily for all. Either a tormented jiva that finds life impossible  or a jive that finds it futile to seek any happiness in this death-knell, mrutyu loka only will seek mukti. However, he is jnyani, muni, saintly person who stops craving for worldly accomplishments, attainments, and sits quiet in meditation on 'brahmn', He is a person established in his/her Self. This is Atmabodha. He has realized his Self, the nature of his Atman that is already fully accomplished and happy and desires nothing!. The nature of such a realized soul, sthita prajnya, is beautifully explained in the Gita. A realized person will be one of equanimity, who does not dwell in dualities. He has attained oneness, samatvam, 'Oneness is almost sayujya with 'brahmn'! Lack of dualities is the real attainment. There exists no alternate, no question of 'the other', no need for attainment when there is only one, and no other. This is the ultimate truth.

  Now, Atmabodha explains how to attain to the ultimate oneness. It also explains the qualities of a realized person. There is a step-by -step rise in this effort, sadhana ,  The first requirement is the search for a Guru, an attained soul. Second step is an unswerving devotion (shraddha) and service (seva) of a guru. This service will erase the ego aspect of the mumukshu.  But, the fickle mind and the perverted intelligence still  play havoc with the jiva. Only Self-knowledge ('Atmabodha'), a journey towards the soul, the inward journey toward the Atman can solve this problem. But the problem here again is how to withdraw from the tentacles, the vasanas, past memories and the unending desires of the sense organs! Thus, the jiva gets into a whirlpool and get stuck. 

  The solution for all the ailments of the jiva is contemplation on 'brahmn', What is 'brahmn'? The state of 'turiya' may be called a transcendental meditative state where the jiva crosses the three normal states of jagrata (Awake), svapna (dream), and sushupti (deep sleep). Normally we go round and in these three states and never realize the need for the other higher states. One can reach the transcendental meditative state easily following Maharshi Mahesh Yogi's TM- a technique of yoga. Many a times we do exit for short period of time in this state of askance, otherworldly, or state of unawareness. But to be consciously unaware, or desist conscious awareness of worldly existence, is difficult. Normally people desirous of  staying in a transcendental meditative state go to forests or hills. Renunciation, vairagya, is a must for spiritual progress. However, the term 'Renunciation', vairagya, has many shades of meaning and connotations.  Generally speaking, renunciates live isolated, secluded, alone in forests and caves in hills. But, it is not necessary to leave family, society, or the home and retire to forests and hills. However difficult it might be, one can find some space and time for remaining quiet, silent, alone even amidst the family and social life. A deluded person always thinks that he/she is in bondage. But one must realize that there is Only 'ONE' and 'NO OTHER' in this Universe! The Universe is  One. Its peripheral outer circumference or its Centre, the focus is always One only. So also I AM only one and there is none beside Me! I alone exists  all the time. That is why everybody says I, I, I all the time. The words you, she it, they are all there only if I opens its eye or fixes its eye, or it focuses its attention on the other. Let's realize I, me, mine, my family, friends, or my social and governmental organizations are all there only if I think of them! If my attention is on my self, my body, my surroundings these come into my perception, attention; otherwise they just do not exist! Where are my family members, my house, bank balance or pass/cheques book and money when I am in deep sleep? Nothing exists when my body is at rest and Soul, Atman, rests in the company of its Lord, Paramatman. There is always time very early in the morning, or late in the evening, when one can sit alone and contemplate. Moreover, one can easily dwell into one's Self, 'atmabodha', contemplation on the Self, when all are asleep at night and you alone keep awake! Use whatever opportunity you get anytime to sit alone and contemplate on the Absolute Silence, mahattanta shanta.  This is the only Reality. If one can attain to it, the job is done. It is not that difficult since that is our natral satae. All else is a disturbance!

'Sanyasa'

 The term 'sanyasa' means taking to a life of renunciation. However, this renunciation has many shades of meaning and, for some, may not mean totally giving up family and social life. Even the persons who seek to live a secluded life in forests or distant hills may come to the village often and collect some essentials and return! Hence, total renunciation is a distant possibility. By the way, what do we mean by living a secluded life? Why should one give up social life and live in seclusion and for what purpose? The answer is simple and direct. Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, "I love a person who sits in solitude and think of Me". 

Ekanta', seclusion, renunciation, living in solitude, is advised for spiritual progress. The social life is full of distractions. The ten sense organs have ten thousand desires! It is impossible to fulfil all desires and ultimately satisfy oneself. The tantalizing objective worldly sensuous life will never bring peace and happiness ultimately. There remains a void, if not vacuum. Then, what is the solution?

  The learned sages have taken to sanyasa, meaning 'sum nyasa', giving up everything! Some advise taking to 'sat nyasa', the right and truthful way. Some say, total renunciation is necessary. However, it must be remembered that these are only the different steps towards attaining peace and tranquility. The secret of attaining happiness is very simple. Happiness is a state of tranquility. One should not rejoice with success or sit morose or remorse in adversities. This is a state of equanimity, samatvam. The state of equanimity is beautifully described by the Blessed Lord in the Gita. It is a state of oneness, where there is no discrimination. It is establishing oneself in a state of non-discrimination. Also, it is establishing oneself in one's own self (Atma-prajnyata). It is a state of withdrawing from 'the other'. 'sthita prajnyata. It is not exactly an averse to social and objective world, but a state of looking at it as a spectator in a drama! A spectator should enjoy the drama, but not jump on the stage to participate? What is sthitaprajnyata and who is a 'sthitaprajnya?. A person established (sthita) in self-consciousness (Atma-Prajnya) is a jnyani, muni.

  Thus, the one who is established in one's Self, atma-nishta, atma-tishta- is a 'sthitaprajnya'. Arjuna asks, Sri Krishna: kimaaseeta sthitaprajnyasya ka bhasha samadhistasya Keshava? sthita dheeh kim prabhasheta kimaaseeta vrajeta kim || The answer is simple. AtmanyevaatmanO tushta sthitaprajnyastod uchayte || sthitadheermunirucyate ! such a person will not rejoice in success, will not show any preferences, likes and dislikes, desist from ill-will, anger, jealous, and greed. This is the sign of a real sanyasi. Such a state of equanimity is difficult to attain as long as one lives in a worldly state of life with desire, greed, hunger and thirst and craving for sensuous life. Such yogins will treat all living creatures as one's own self and show kindness and respect equally.

   A saintly person seems to be on the last leg of the journey on this living Planet Earth. It is as if a journey that culminates with purification by discarding all cravings, desires for sensuous objects. A sense f repulsion arises after one realizes the fact that the sensuous objects are obnoxious. An aversion to worldly life arises and leads to resistance to craving for renunciation, and sanyasa. This paves the way for developing the renunciate life in the next birth. Hence, the present life of a recluse may be a carry over of the past life's desire for liberation, mukti from samsara..