http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC en-us Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:09:02 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=66
First to start with, we have the example given by Sri Ramakrishna. "In the infinite ocean of Sat-Chit-Aananda, by the cooling effect of the Bhakti of a devotee, the ocean forms into an ice block taking the shape that is worshiped by the devotee. Again, by the rising Sun of Jnaana, the ice block melts into the formless water of the ocean."

Always the worshiper and the worshiped can be of the same nature only. When you are in a mood of Jnaana, you see yourself as the Pure Conscious Subject and being so is the way to worship the formless attributeless aspect of God. When you are in a mood where you are very much aware of your body and mind, you worship the Lord also in the form of your Ishta with qualities like love, compassion, etc. This is called Bhakti. Thus they don't contradict. They are just different ways to worship the Lord.

When talking about Bhakta in Gita, Krishna classifies them as four types. (7.16) The first two are lower types - aartha and arthaarti - seekers of worldly ends by means of worship of God. The third is of medium type - jijnaasu - one who seeks God as the Goal of life. The fourth is the highest type - jnaani - one who knows God. Thus Krishna talks about Jnaana as the highest form of Bhakti.

The Sat-Chit-Aananda that is "known" as the Self at the height of Jnaana is not different from the Ishta. In Gita, Krishna tells this at several places. "I am the string that runs through this wonderful maala of pearls that is the world." (7.7) "Know that I am the Self who knows himself as the Subject in all embodied beings." (13.2) Thus God is the Subject, the Conscious entity in you. This is the ParaaPrakriti nature of God. Jnaana is the way to worship Him thus.

God also has become the manifested Object or Nature or Prakriti. This is the AparaaPrakriti nature of God. Everything that you see as objects - living and non-living - tangible and intangible - they are all the manifestations of the Lord by his Maaya. Everything that happens is by this Maaya only. Krishna tell this in several places also. "Everything is done by Prakriti by its Gunaas. The egoistic deluded person thinks 'I am the doer'." (3.27) One way to overcome this egoism which is called Ignorance or Maaya is surrender to the Lord. God is everything. vaasudevah sarvam (7.19) And everything that happens is by His Will. Maaya is just another name for His Will. There is nothing that exists other than Him. And everything happens by His sweet Will. This is a variation of Bhakti where the Lord is worshiped as the world - Vishwarupa. The world is seen as the manifestation of the Lord.

Now, how to live everyday life with this attitude? Having known the Lord as everything, live a life treating everything and everyone as His aspects and every incident in life as a manifestation of His Will. Swami Chinmayananda puts it beautifully "Your life is a gift from the Lord. How you live is your gift to the Lord." Do whatever you do as an offering to the Lord. Krishna says "by worshiping Him by doing your duty" (18.46). And take whatever happens as his prasaada. This is also Bhakti - the Karma Yoga way. When you are outside the puja room or temple, this is the way to worship the Lord.

When your mind is extrovert, see the Lord as the manifested world. Take a position as the servant of the Lord, because the body and mind are His servants. When your mind is introvert and when you identify yourself with the Subject, see the Lord as the Eternal Conscious Existence that is your own Self. When your mind is neither very extrovert nor very introvert, you worship the Lord in the form of the Ishta with attributes. Thus depending on the identity you take for yourself, your view of the Lord changes and the way of worship also changes.

]]> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:09:02 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=65 http://www.esnips.com/web/gokulmuthu-Presentations]]> Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:10:44 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=64
As an engineer, I got curious on how the various Yogas work. After a few days of thinking and discussions with friends, here is what I infer.

There are three entities talked about in all philosophies and religions - self, world and God. All religions and philosophies are merely different models for these three entities and the relationship between them. Every person has a personal model of these three depending on his stage of spiritual evolution.

The idea of all these three always go together. The person who identifies himself with the physical body sees the world as a physical entity and also needs a physical symbol of God to relate to. A person who sees himself as the mind sees everyone and everything in the world as mental entities and sees God also as a formless being with virtuous qualities.

By working on one of these three - self, world and God - and changing the perception of that entity, the other two get automatically changed. This is the basis of the various Yogas.

What is being aimed for is infinite, eternal and beyond causation. Anything finite cannot be fulfilling. Anything which can be acquired can be lost. So this leaves us with only one possibility. Whatever needs to be "acheived" is already there with us. The search is only because of the ignorance of it. The only remedy for ignorance is knowledge. Thus the final step to perfection is essentially that of knowledge (Jnana Yoga). There cannot be any other process there.

All other Yogas are preparations of the mind to make itself eligible to Jnana Yoga. It is here that the Yogas can be broadly classified based on which of the triad - self, world and God - that is taken as the primary entity to be worked upon. Each Yoga refines the concept and perception of a particular entity.

To start with, the self identity is with the physical body. This is because the objects of the senses are the main focus of attention. The body is taken as the subject when the external objects are focussed upon. Ashtanga Yoga (Raja Yoga) first makes the body and breath as the object and thus the identity shifts to the mind. This is only the beginning. After this, various practices of concentration make the mind the object. This makes the practitioner start enquiring "Who am I?". He finds himself as the consciousness without any qualities. Going one step further, he finds that he himself exists and appears as a everything and everyone. This leads him to knowledge.

A gross person looks upon the world as an object of enjoyment and exploitation. He sees the world as physical objects. He looks upon all the non-living and living things in the world, including human beings as physical objects who can either bring him happiness or sorrow. By serving others without aiming at one's own happiness and sorrow, the attitude about others change. The person starts seeing others as thinking and feeling entities. This is called Karma Yoga. Then going one more step, he realizes that everyone is a part of the same whole. Then he sees that the whole is in the core of every part. This leads him to knowledge.

The beginner of Bhakti Yoga sees God as a bigger power, who has to be appeased to get things done and to avoid calamities in life. He needs a physical symbol of God in a human form or any abstract shape. He needs to do a lot of physical rituals to connect to God. As he keeps following these, he develops an idea of God as a person with a lot of good qualities like compassion, fairness, omniscience, etc. Thus God's "mental" qualities comes more into his focus than the physical symbols and forms. As he progresses, he starts developing deep love to God and he starts loving God irrespective of the qualities of God. The "mental" qualities of God vanishes and he considers God as without any qualities. Once qualities are gone, the distinction between individual objects and people in the world and God is gone. This leads him to knowledge.

Thus the different Yogas take the aspirant from physical to mental and beyond. In all cases, the final blow to the individuality is given by the realization that there is nothing called an "individual". Only changeless eternal homogenous partless infinite consciousness exists. All variety is just an appearance. With this knowledge comes fulfilment. He finds that there was nothing to be acheived. He has been the infinite eternally. It was just the ignorance that made him think that he was not whole.

Thus the Yogas work.

]]> Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:10:11 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=63
We are usually extrovert. The mind is created so. So usually we are carried away by the noise of the external world and throw our mind on the various things we see outside. We desire for things, we hate things, we judge things, etc. The mind is thus scattered. When the mind is turned inwards it gets detached from the noise and activity. For a short period of time, the mind calms down. This results in an experience of peace.

There are two points to be noted here.
(1) The scattered mind is not powerful and so cannot do much harm to others and to the person. By this exercise, the person learns to concentrate the mind. A concentrated mind is very powerful. Unless the person has developed a good sense of values, the powerful mind will be like a nuclear bomb in the hands of a terrorist.
(2) The peace that the mind experienced is temporary. When the mind gets back to interact with the world, the peace will be lost.

Traditional Vedanta has three steps to the ultimate goal of human life, which is Jivanmukti.
(1) Karma Yoga - to purify the mind
(2) Upaasana Yoga - to make the mind calm and introvert
(3) Jnaana Yoga - to realize the Truth

Meditation is a part of Upaasana Yoga. It is neither the first step, nor is it the last step. There is a lot of misconception regarding this.

A person who has not purified the mind sufficiently before attempting meditation will land up in a lot of trouble. He can create a lot of harm to himself and to the society. A highly moral life is a prerequisite for meditation. Purity of mid is defined as "unidentification with the body". All impurities of the mind are because of identification with the body and other props that support it. This identification should be at least weakened to an extent before one attempts meditation. This is done by serving others selflessly. Doing one's duty without having attachment to the fruits will make the mind pure. A person who is attached to the fruits of his usual work should not attempt long periods of meditation. Social service, charity, discipline, etc are the activities that he should be involved in.

There is also the misconception that meditation is an end in itself. A person enjoys the peace of mind when it is introvert tends to get attached to it and wants to be in meditation always. Also, there are several cases that the person gets distracted by the various side effects of meditation like hearing sounds, seeing light, seeing visions, etc. Meditation is not an end in itself. It is more important how much peace the person and the people around him enjoy when he is not meditating.

Meditation is only a preparation of the mind. The mind should be made introvert and ready to think about things deeply. With this preparation, the person should proceed to hearing about the Truth, thinking about it and putting it into action. The final goal is to realize the Truth about the Jiva, World, God, Bondage and Liberation. When the Truth is realized, the person enjoys the peace of mind everywhere at all times. He enjoys the highest peace of mind when he is busily involved in all the activities of life. This is the final state of the Jivanmukta.

]]> Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:04:12 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=61
1. There is one God, who appears as everything and everyone in this world.
There are three stages in understanding this:
(a) God created this world.
(b) God has become this world, because He created the world out of Himself.
(c) God appears as this world, because He did not undergo any change when he became this world.
God is the unchanging principle beyond space, time and causation. This is possible only if He is Consciousness itself.
2. The aim of life is to realize God.
Everyone is after security (artha), happiness (kama) and peace (dharma). Real unconditional and permanent security, peace and happiness cannot come from anything finite. They can come only from the Infinite. By the definition of "permanency", we have it intrinsically at all times. It is the self-discovery of the intrinsic security, peace and happiness that is the aim of life. When the aim is reached, the truth of the first statement is discovered by the person as a personal truth. Due to psychological reasons, the journey has to start outwards, find that it is not there, turn inwards and reach it.
3. There are several ways to realize God.
Every individual has to discover God for himself. The factors in this exploration are the social circumstance, body, mind, intellect, emotions, etc. As all these are different for different people, every individual has a unique path to realize God. For the sake of simplicity, the infinite number of paths are classified into a few based on dominant characteristics.

If you think deeply about these three points, you will find that they include all the principles of all other religions. That is why Swami Vivekananda calls Hinduism as the "meta-religion" - the superset of the essence of all other religions. He says that understanding the principles of Hinduism will help a Christian to be better Christian and a Muslim to be a better Muslim.

]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:02:24 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=60
By watching the movies, I could learn a few things.
1. People with supernatural powers often misuse them, and hurt themselves and others.
2. Other people often exploit people with supernatural powers to get their personal wishes fulfilled.
3. Supernatural powers do not increase the peace or morality. They, in fact, decrease them.

After watching the movies, if anyone asks "If you are give a choice, which of the powers would you like to possess?", the firm answer will be "None".

I also remember the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl". The curse is that they cannot die. They try so hard to get free from this curse of immortality.

These movies give valuable lessons on the negative worth of supernatural powers.

]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:10:07 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=59
That set me thinking on the very concept of identity. What is my identity? Is it the body? The body is just a collection of atoms. Every moment millions of atoms leave the body and millions of different atoms join it. Every cell in the body has its own "identity". It has a life of its own. It is born, it grows and dies. The body is just a part of the grand dynamics of physical matter in the universe. The mind is also very similar. No ideas that I have are original. Everything is just a permutation and combination of ideas that have come from outside. Every thought is just a modification of some other thought that has come from outside in one form or the other. The mental world of everyone put together is just a grand dynamics of thoughts and ideas, just like the physical universe of matter. Just as I carve out a small, very loosely defined, imaginary part of the physical universe and call it "my body", I carve out a small, very loosely defined, imaginary part of the mental universe and call it "my mind". This definition is as imaginary and artificial like latitudes and longitudes on the earth. They exist only for the sake of convenience. They have no real, natural existence. Similarly, concepts like "my body" and "my mind" exist only for convenience and they have no real existence. When these two identities do not have a real existence, they bring down the entire superstructure that rests on them like "my house", "my parents", "my children", "my job", "my character", etc, etc. All these identities do hold relevance in everyday life. But they are only for the sake of convenience in everyday transactions.

Thus the very concept of "identity" is only imaginary and exists only for the sake of convenience in everyday dealings in life. Attributing too much reality to the concept of identity is the root of most of the problems faced by humans at individual and collective levels. A clear understanding that identities are only for convenience in transactions and that they do not have any real existence will solve most of the psychological and social problems faced by people today.

Does this mean I have no identity?

Not exactly. It is the "individual" identity, that is in question. I don't need any second proof of my own existence. So I do exist undoubtedly. What is in question is the various notions about myself. So, if not as an individual, what is my identity? Think deeply. What is my identity beyond the physical and mental planes? Surely I exist apart from these, because I am able to think of these physical and mental "apparent identities" in an objective manner. My real identity is that which cannot be conceived of as an object. The subject can never become the object. That entity, which cannot be objectified is my real identity. I can never be an object of perception or conception. Anything that can be an object is not the subject that I am looking for.

Search within and find yourself !! :)

]]> Sun, 14 Oct 2007 18:23:43 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=58
I read a book on Advaita Vedanta named Drg-Drsya-Viveka a few months back.
It is one of the most clear and straight forward logical framework to present
Advaita Vedanta I have come across so far. The language is also very simple
and easy to understand. It presents the philosophy and also presents some
meditation exercises to internalize and realize the philosophy. Here are the
free translation of a few verses. These are based on the translation by
Swami Nikhilananda. There is a scanned version of a 1931 edition of the book
at http://www.vivekananda.net/ The authorship of the text is not known.

1. The form is perceived and the eye is its perceiver. The eye is perceived
and the mind is its perceiver. The mind is perceived and the Self is its
perceiver. The Self is not perceived by any other.

2. The forms (objects of vision) appear as various on account of distinctions
like blue, yellow, gross, subtle, short, long, etc. The eye, which sees them,
itself remains the same.

3. The eye has characteristics like blindness, sharpness, dullness, etc. The
mind is able to cognize these differences. This logic applies to ear, skin,
etc also.

4. Mind goes through states like desire, determination, doubt, belief,
non-belief, constancy, modesty, understanding, fear, sleep, dreaming, waking,
etc. These can be perceived by the Consciousness.

5. This Consciousness does neither rise nor set. It does not increase; nor
does it suffer decay. Being self-luminous, it illumines everything else
without any other aid.

Thus the real nature of the Jiva as Pure Consciousness (Atman) is proved.

Next the real nature of the Jagat is discussed. The experience of the world
is undeniable. Maya and Brahman are introduced.

13. Maya is defined as to have two powers - projecting and veiling. The
projecting power creates everything from the subtle body to the gross universe.

14. The manifestating of all names and forms in the entity which is
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss and which is the same as Brahman, like, the
foams etc. in the ocean, is known as creation.

15. The veiling power conceals the distinction between the perceiver and the
perceived objects, which are cognized within ourselves, as well as the
distinction between Brahman and the phenomenal universe which is perceived
outside.

20. Every entity has five characteristics - existence, cognizability,
attractiveness, form and name. The first three belong to Brahman. The next
two belong to the world.

Thus, in the absence of Maya, which manifests as name and form, the Atman
and Brahman are the same.

After this intellectual presentation, the book starts presenting various
mental exercises to go beyond name and form, and realize this Truth. The
summary of all the various techniques is this:

22. Having become indifferent to name and form, and being devoted to
Satchidananda, one should always practise concentration either within
the heart or outside.

A total of six techniques are given. The first three are on the inside as
three steps to understand the true nature of the Jiva. The next three are on
the outside as three steps to understand the true nature of the world. When
these six steps are followed, the identity of the Atman and Brahman will
become apparent.

After presenting all the techniques, the text gives some final clarifications.

33. Limitation is illusory, but that which appears to be limited is real.
The Jivahood (of the Self) is due to the superimposition of the illusory
attributes. But really it has the nature of Brahman.

Thus in a short span of 45 verses, the text gives a very clear theoretical
framework and meditations to realize the Truth.

]]> Tue, 14 Aug 2007 03:23:48 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=55 suffer, when apparently bad people seem to enjoy.

One classic reply given by Indian philosophers is based on the Doctrine of Karma. They
say that they are reaping the effects of what they sowed in their past lives. Logically
speaking, this has to be so, going by the Law of Cause and Effect, which is so universal.
However, it is hardly consoling to suffering souls. There should be a more down-to-earth
answer too. And, here is what I wrote in reply:

First a small story:
Lord Vishnu took the form of a pig to save the earth from drowning and to
kill the evil Hiranyaksha. After the work was done, He was happily enjoying
rolling in the mud as a pig. Brahma and Shiva came to Him and asked Him
to come back to His abode, Vaikunta. Vishnu as the pig said that He was
not interested in anything else other than His mud pool. Shiva took His
trident and chopped off the head of the pig and Vishnu went back to His
abode of Vaikunta happily.

Now coming to the question:
It is almost impossible for embodied beings to see anything beyond the
senses. We are so much attached to the body that we cling to it with all
strength. The Lord out of His infinite Grace gives us calamities in life so
that we wake up and start questioning.

As long as we have a nice peaceful dream, it never occurs to us that we
are dreaming. We keep smiling blissfully in ignorance even if the whole
house is on fire. But nightmares and rude shocks in dream are a blessing
in disguise. They wake us up to the real world. Similarly, it is the troubles
in life that wake us up to the spiritual world.

My Guru said once to me, "If the Lord wants to enter into your heart, He
will cut it open and it will be a painful experience." He said that it is said
in the Bhagavata that if the Lord wants to bless a devotee, the first thing
He does is to remove his wealth and cut off other worldly ties. It is troubles
that teach us to rely on the Lord and none else.

You may ask if it is worth all the trouble :)

Well, there are three kinds of enjoyments:
The first kind destroys the senses through which you enjoy the sense objects.
As you keep indulging, more and more sense objects are needed to give you
the same enjoyment. In the absence of the sense objects, thought of them
gives a lot of misery.

The second kind of enjoyment does not destroy the senses. As you keep
indulging, even a little hint gives a lot of joy. Mere thought gives you a lot of joy.

Then comes the third type where no senses are needed to enjoy. Once you
have have tasted it, you can never lose the taste of it. You will be enjoying it forever.

Vishayaananda (sense pleasures) come under the first category.
Bhajanaananda (pleasures arising in the mind) come under the second category.
Atmaananda (bliss of Self/God realization) comes under the third category.

As you can see, Bhajanaananda is better than Vishayaananda. And Atmaananda
is better than Bhajanaananda. So, seek Bhajanaananda even if it means to sacrifice
Vishayaananda. And troubles in life forcibly deny us Vishayaananda and make us
seek an alternative. With right guidance at that time, we naturally land up at
Bhajanaananda, which eventually paves way for Atmaananda.

Thus suffering in the world of the senses prompts us and make us seek joy in the
realm of the spirit.

]]> Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:56:29 GMT http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-JwaavRw2dK0JJ7oY6S6jcIjC?p=53
Aim of Life

Several people have asked me if there is any aim in life. This aim has to be irrespective of the concept of rebirth and God. Any aim in life must be achievable here and now.

Let me question myself: "What is that I want in life? Even if I say that I do not have any aim in life, the very fact that I am moving around doing so many things show that I AM looking for something. What do I want in life? I go to work everyday. Why? What do I want from it? I go to movies. I go to my friend's house. I go to places of worship. Why? What do I expect from all these things? Nature shows me a beautiful scenery and says, Look and I stand awestruck. Why? Nature shows me a starving child. I feel a pang. I drop a coin into her bowl. Why? What do I expect from the act?" The answer to all the questions I ask myself is the same : "If I do not do it, I will feel unsatisfied." This makes me look as if I am very selfish. Even my act of dropping a coin into the beggar's bowl is for self-gratification; but this is the fact.

That leaves me with this : "Everything I do is to make me feel more satisfied, complete and perfect." This I find is the driving force behind all my actions. This, consciously or unconsciously, is the driving force behind the actions of everyone. A thief steals to be more complete. A labourer works to feel more complete. A person gives money in charity to feel more complete. The whole world is driven by a craze for perfection and completeness.

Man is a multi-faceted being. We see him as a physical, intellectual and emotional being. Let us see what perfection means in these different facets. What do I mean by perfection at the physical level? The first thing that comes to our mind is a healthy body. The body must be free from diseases. The sense organs must be sensitive for the body to maintain itself and to enjoy the sense objects. The organs of action must be strong and dexterous. Then, body must be pleasing to look at. At the intellectual level, the memory must be good. The power of discrimination must be sharp.

Before we step into the emotional plane, let us see if perfection is possible at these planes. How perfect can the physical body be? How much can a person take care to keep away from diseases? Even if that is possible, the body will be subjected to infirmity, old-age and death. Who can escape them? So, perfection at the physical level is a myth. How perfect can man be in the intellectual plane? How much can one remember? How sharp can the discriminating capacity be? To what level can logical thinking reach? The inherent limitations of logic and rational thinking have been realized and expressed by both Western and Eastern thinkers.

Now let us look into the emotional side of man. Let me portray my idea of a man who is emotionally strong. He has tremendous faith in what he is doing. This results in perseverance. He faces the obstacles that stand in his path with courage and confidence. He is able to take decisions quickly. He is fearless. He has mastery over his feelings. He is not carried away by sentiments. He can face any situation in life with a cool head. Elbowing down others is irrelevant to him. His strength does not depend on anything external. He is totally self-contained. He is emotionally stable.

Now, can a person be absolutely stable? What can move a man who does not depend on anything external to himself? What can touch him? Nothing. He is absolutely stable. This is perfection. This is completeness. So, perfection in the emotional level is possible. Now let us see what perfection at the emotional level means at the other two levels. How does a man who is emotionally perfect look at his physical and intellectual planes. Based on our previous arguments, even the body of the perfect man cannot be perfect. How will that affect him? If he is bothered about it, he is not emotionally perfect because he is not satisfied. So, the imperfection of the body makes no difference to him. Similarly with the intellect. Satisfaction is a concept in the emotional plane. So perfection there reflects at all the planes. Thus we find that the emotional plane holds the key to all the other planes.

So, the only thing worth striving for is emotional stability. Man's pursuit of happiness can be fulfilled only by his emotional development. This perfection can be achieved here, in this body itself. One need not think of any heaven or future birth. This is what is described in the Gita as the characteristics of a "Stitha Prajna" in the second chapter and as the characteristics of a "Bhakta" in the twelfth chapter. The emotionally perfect person is called Jivanmukta - one who is free while living - in the Indian scriptures.

]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:41:11 GMT