Be Positive

Positive pictures come out from negatives developed in a dark room. So if you find yourself lonely and in the dark, understand that God is working on a beautiful picture.

The Best Sculptor

Once Michelangelo, the famous sculptor was carrying with great difficulty a heavy stone to his work place. A man asked him what use was that stone for him, why he was taking such pains to drag it along. Michelangelo replied that there was an angel hidden inside the stone and he would liberate it.
Deep within all of us know that we are that eternel soul, the Universl Energy but the thing is that we do not know that we know,it is so because the Eternal Truth is concealed by the ignorance or illusory Maya. Guru like a sculptor chistles off the layers of ignorance and reveals to us our True Self. He is the best Sculptor who recognizes our real identity and brings it out to make us know ourselves. We are not stones (bodies) but an Angels (souls).

Have some Problem?.........This one is for U

In the Thar Desert there lived a wise old man who owned nineteen camels. He had four obedient sons. When his time was near, he called all his four sons, and said to them that after his death they must divide the camels among them so that the eldest should get half the camels, the second should get half of the remaining half , and the two younger sons would divide the rest of the camels equally between them.

One day he passed away. After giving him his last rites the four sons sat joining their heads to divide the camels among them the way their father had told them to do, but it was no easy sum. Dividing nineteen camels in equal halves was impossible without killing one and that was the last thing they would do as they loved them dearly. Now .they remembered their father had a Guru who guided him in all matters. They thought there must be some mystery behind their father’s will which his guru would certainly help them solve..
They all went to the wise Master and told him about there problem. The Guru smiled and taking his own camel went to their place. Now he added his own camel to their nineteen camels to make them twenty in number. He gave the eldest son ten camels, the second son got five (half of remaining ten). Now he was left with five camels to be divided equally among two younger sons. He took away his one camel and then divided the remaining four camels between them. All the sons accepted their shares and no camel was killed, Guru also got back his camel.
Now their wise father has given them a message in this way. It is:
Always heed Guru’s advise who connects you to God & whatever you do, add God (the twentieth camel) to it then no matter how difficult the situation may be, it will be solved easily. So always keep God and Guru with you.

Who am I?......contd...

न चैकं तदंयात द्वितीयम कुतः स्यात

कैवलत्वम न चाकैवलत्वम

नाशून्यम न चाशून्यमद्वैतकत्वात

कथं सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धं ब्रवीमि


It is not one for how can there be a second distinct from it?Aloneness cannot be attributed to it nor even not aloneness. It is neither a void nor a non-void. When it does not admit of a second entity, in what manner can Ispeak about it is established by all the Upanishads.

Who am I ? .........contd........

अपिव्यापकत्वात हितात्वाप्रयोगात
स्वतःसिद्ध भावादनन्याश्रयात्वात
जगत उच्चमेतः समस्तं तदन्यात
तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवलोअहम

All this universe which is other than self is unreliable (having no existence of its own) , for it is well known that the self is all- pervasive, it is the reality and existence ,so is self proven and does not depend on anything else....That one, the Residue, the Auspicious, the only One am I.

to be contd..........

Who am I ? .........cont...............

न जागरण न में स्वप्न को वा सुषुप्तिः
न विश्वानवातैजसः प्राज्ञ को वा
अविद्यात्मकत्त्वात त्रायानाम तुरीयः
तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवलोअहम

There is no waking state for me, nor dream nor deep sleep. I am neither Vaishvaanar, nor Taijas, nor Praagya (self identified with the stste of waking, dream and deep sleep respectively).
Of these ignprance bound three I am the eourth (Turiya)। That One, the Residue, the Auspicious, the Only One am I.

Talisman for peaceful living

Our scriptures have given us several guiding principles following which we can aviod many problems and with happy and peaceful mind engage in our own spiritual progress. We only have to choose from amongst the four major ways to react according to the nature of the person in question-


1. Maitri (friendship) : One should make friends with the people whose ideals, beliefs and nature match his.

२। KaruNa (compassion) : Be kind and show compassion To those who are ignorant or immature. He should try to raise them to his own level with all sympathy & compassion.

3. Mudita (Delight): One should rejoice at the success of those who are higher than him in level of understanding, skill or maturity. He should never envy them.

4. Upeksha (Indifference): One should remain indifferent to those who are obstinate and impudent, who are likely to become ill-disposed towards him if he tries to make them understand and see reason and are not worth making friends with. Such undeserving people should be overlooked and treated with indifference.

Who am I?.......contd........

न शास्ता न शास्त्रं न शिष्यों न शिक्षा

न चत्वं न चाहम न चायम प्रपंचः

स्वरूपावबोधो विकाल्पासहिष्णुह

तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवलोअहम्

There is no ruler nor rule, no pupil nor training; there is no you nor I, This universe is not, For the realization of the true nature of the self tolerates no distinction। That one, the Residue, the Auspicious,the only one am I॥

to be contd...............

Who am I?............contd.........

न शुक्लं न कृष्णं न रक्तं न पीतम

न कुब्जम न पीनम न ह्रस्वं न दीर्घम

अरूपम्ताथाज्योतिराकार्कात्वात

तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवलोअहम्

it is neither white nor black, neither red nor yellow

neither dwarfish nor stout, neither short nor long

as it is of the nature of light, it is shapeless also.

That One , the Residue, yhe Auspicious, The only One am I

to be contd................

To Pakistan with Love

Here is a tale which I would like to most lovingly relate to Pakistan....

once upon a time in a village a satsang was organised. Aman took the responsibility of serving the Sanits & the seers. He performed his duties most enthusiastically..He also attended satsang daily.But even after listening to the preachings of saints he could not free himself of the vices of ego, envy and greed and it was not hidden from the eyes of seers.

Satsang over, the saints and the seers decided to depart. Now was the time for seeing off the saints and also to seek their 'blessings'....so the man went to them touched their feet ...the pleased saints told him to ask for anything he desired... The man at once asked them to give him a mantra which would give him anything he wanted. The saints were wise people .They gave him the mantra but at the same time told him that this mantra will give him anything but the condition is that whatever he gets his neighbours would also get double that....and he must not do anything with envy and with grudge against others.

Now the man reached home and chanting the mantra, asked for nice food, clothes ,jewellery and a palatial house for his family...He got all but just then he heard a noise... He rushed out only to see his neighbours dancing and shouting with joy ....afterall they had got nice food ,clothes ,jewellery (double) and two palatial houses each.....This filled the man with envy, He thought It was I who served those saints to get the boon but my neighbours are getting its fruit for free...He stopped using the mantra .after some days he met his friend who told him how to use his mantra so as to bring satisfaction to him by harming his neighbours.......He went back home and chanting the mantra, demanded that there be a well just in front of his house gate...and there were two in front of all neighbours' houses....Happy...he asked for another wish forgetting all about the warning of the saints that he shouldnt use it with illwill against others. he demanded that he should become blind of an eye...but the neighbours would become totally blind....and then they will fall in any of so many wells and die...and then he would enjoy his boon alone....But lo! what happened॥He became blind of an eye alright.....but all the boons given to  him by the mantra were withdrawn.....To crown the things his neighbours were still hail and healthy still enjoying the boons they had got earlier....The man was left repenting in vain....

Now what is the connection between this tale and Pakistan? Only this that it is something Pakistan can draw a lesson from....

Pakistan got help from India at the time of partition...but that was used to support insugency in India....It has been getting help from US also but instead of focussing on development issues it continued to focus on Kashmir and giving strategic and monetary support to terrorist outfits(just like the man in the present story)...

so much so that Pakistan harboured them in PoK and other parts of Pakistan(demanding that it should become blind of an eye so that the neighbour becomes totally blind)......India is a powerful nation its people have made up their mind to fight terrorism and not to Kneel down before the terrorists ...and it has been braving all the small and big attacks of these terrorists(HATS OFF TO SECURITY FORCES)...but its situation is still firm and stable......People stand united in condemning terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.

Now turn your eyes towards the pathetic condition of Pakistan....So helpless that it cannot guarantee the SriLankan cricket team(which agreed to visit Pak even after India's refusal to do so) ....has to take fresh instructins and warnings from US...is facing Talibani threats in various regions and its government far from stable(caught between Obama & Osama)....with fresh rumours of power change and millitary rule arising daily.....

The moral to be learnt thus is that one should not envy one's neighbours for their prosperity and happiness but instead enjoy the little he gets or possesses...this contentment (which always remains absent in Pakistan's dealings with India) could have won true friends for Pakistan .....if only it had not chosen to nestling and nurturing foes inside its territory.........

But we still hope that we will rise above our diffrences ....as we know if true happiness is to be won it is to be won for one and all......

Who am I ?...........contd.........

न चोर्ध्वा न चाधो न च अन्तर न बाह्यम
न मध्यम न तीर्या न पूर्वापरादिक
वियद्व्यापकत्वाद खंड ऐकरूपः
तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवलो अहम्


There is neither above nor below, neither inside nor outside
no middle, nor crosswise, no direction East or West
For it is all pervasive like space, it is partless and homogeneous
in naure..That One, the Residue, the Auspicious, the only One am I


t0 be contd..............

Who am I?..........contd.......

न सांख्यं न शैवं न तत्पन्चारात्रम
न जैनम न मीमान्स्कादैर्मतमवा
विशिष्टानुभूत्या विशुद्धात्मकत्वात
तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवलोअहम्

there is no Saankhyaa, nor Shaiva, nor that Pancharaatra (VaishNava),
nor Jaina.The conception of Meemanska or other religions is not for me.
For through the direct personal experience,
The self is known as of the nature of Absolutely Pure
That One, the Residue, the Auspicious, the only One am I...


to be contd............

Who am I? ......contd........

न माता पिता वा न देवा न लोकाः
न वेदा न यज्ञ न तीर्थब्रुवंती
सुशुप्तौनिरस्तातिशुन्यात्मक्त्वात
तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवालोहम

there is no mother, nor father nor gods ,nor regions of experience
no scriptures, nor rituals; and nosacred place. So say the Sages:
For in the state of deep sleep, all these negate and that state is
completely devoid(of any object of perception) That One, the
Residue, the Auspicious ,the Alone am I...


to be contd..............

Who Am I?...........

Contd......

न वर्णा न वर्णाश्रमाचार्धर्मा

न में धारणाध्यान योगादयो अपि

अनात्माश्रयाहम्मामाध्यासहानात

तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवालोहम अहम्

The castes are not for me,nor the observances of

duties attached to the castes and the stage of life. Even the

steadying of mind, concentration.self communion and other

courses are not for me. For the mistaken senses of I and mine

which rested on the Non -self have been abondoned.That One ,

the Residue ,the Auspicious, the Only One am I....

to be continued.....................

Who am I?

न भूमिर्नतोयम न तेजो न vaayur
न खं नेंद्रियम वा न तेषाम समूहः
अनैकान्तिकत्वात सुशुप्तैकसिद्धस
तदेको अवशिष्ठः शिवा केवलोहम

I am not Earth nor water, neither fire nor air, I
am not space,neither am I any of the faculties nor am I their
aggregate..I am not any of these as they are all impermanent..I
am observed however in the sole experience of deep sleep
That One, the Residue, the Auspicious, the only One am I.....


to be continued..............

Want to break free?

All of us would surely answer this quetion in 'yes'...but here follow yet other questions- break free from what? What is it that has tied you or caught you?  

Look carefully .....there is nothing that can bind you unless and until you hold onto it...we can understand it better with an example of a monkey who put his hand in a pitcher containing grains and held a handful in his fist....now he tried to take his hand out of the pitcher but no matter how hard he tried ,the fist wouldnt come out of the pitcher....what will awise man do in such situation ? He will simply open his fist, let the grains go...and pull his hand out.

If we wish to break free we also need to open our fist of worldly desires and possessiveness......and lo! we step into the world of freedom & happiness where nothind binds and constrains us.....It is not the pitcher nor the grains which has caught the monkey it is his own hand (fist) ...so friends freedom & happiness or slvery of mind & misery the choice lies in our hands....tighten your fist (try to grab the worldly possessions & relations) and you are trapped OR loosen your grip open your hand and break free from the ties that hinder you.

Thanks to Guru

Happy Valentine's Day

The most misused word of today ,I think, is 'LOVE'. People use it ,without any serious thinking ,for any kind of selfish attraction or impulsive infatuation . Sometimes it is used to lure the innocent girls and to emotionally blackmail them to surrender in the name of love.

It is the need of hour as we celebrate Velentine Day to ponder over this question: What is LOVE?

The true love is unconditional.....it is there ,whether it gets anything in return or not...it is divine....and silence is the language of divine love...it knows neither expectation nor ego nor envy. It seeks no Explanation...True love always gives freedom & happiness....It is a state of mind which in itself is a reward..in which one can sacrifice even one's dearest & best things... 

So, dear ones before trusting someone test his or her love on this touchstone .......

take care ..as ur life is the most precious gift of   God..dont sqander it away on those who dont deserve it........God really LOVES you

Non violence means being free of any such violence

Purport:-
The Supreme Lord her says that one should worship The demigods and the deities selflessly. He has told that worshipping demigods is important as pleased by the worship , they bestow best fruits upon us . But one has to give up all his pride and become extremely humble while worshipping. Following the rites., and rituals and correct procedure of worship one loses his ego and his life becomes disciplined.
Lord krishna says that brahmins and gurus (those who teach us ) ie- our elders, spiritual masters, guides, and those who are superior to or older than us should all be revered and worshipped. we should try to please them in all possible ways.
Besides, the body should be kept clean and pure. Purity of body leads to purity of conscience. When we try to keep the body clean and pure , we note that this body is a 'bowl of filth'. There is nothing in it which is clean, pure, clear or fragrant. Such thoughts cut away all the bonds of attachment with this body and destory our false ego.
Simplicity is yet another part of austerity of body. One should give up all his haughtiness and vanity, and become humble and polile so that his entire behaviour- walking, talking, the way of holding body, looking, eating and drinking all become simple and straight. Well-being of a devotee lies in this alone. Praticing celebacy is also essential for him. He should observe the rules laid down by the scriptures regarding sexual relations (Which are different for different Ashrams). He should keep his thoughts pure and with firm will avoid being attracted towards any woman other than his wife.
Besides all these-practising non-violence also comes under this kind of austerity. Our ignorance and passions like lust, desire, anger, attachments and greed lie in the root of all violence. Enslaved by these, man hurts and incurs loss upon others. He kills animals for meat and leather. To fulfill his own desire he hurts others. Non violence means being free of any such violence.
Worshipping demigods and spiritiual masters, cleanliness, simplicity, celebacy and non-violence. These are five types of ansterties of body. The most important thing about these is that one does not have to undergo any tough penance, he just has to 'renounce'. While 'worshipping he has to renounce his pride and vanity' in 'cleanliness'- he gives up idleness, in 'simplicity'- ego and haughtiness, in 'celebacy'- his physical pleasure and in 'non-violence' he has to renounce the desire if having happiness, so has the Lord described the austerity of body.

Chapter-17 Text-16
Manah Prasadah saumyatram maunmatmavinigraha.
Bhav sanshuddhirityetatapo mansamuchyate.

Translation : -
Happines (satisfaction)] simplicity] gravity, self control, and purification of thoughts and feelings are called austerities of mind.

A LOVELY POEM WORTH READING

They who are near to me do not know that

you are nearer to me than they are.

They who speak to me do not know that

my heart is full with your unspoken words.

Those who crowd in my path do not know that

I am walking alone with you.

They who love me do not know that

their love brings you to my heart ...

- Rabindranath Tagore           

soul which is in the from of living entity in this world is my eternal fragment

Mamaivansho jeevaloke jeevabhootah sanatanah
manah shashthani-indriyani prakritisthaani karshati.

Translation : -
The supreme Lord says that the soul which is in the from of living entity in this world is my eternal fragment but due to being situated in material nature he accepts the six senses, including mind as his own.

Purport:-
This verse is very important as it satisfies some curiosity of all seekers- who am I? What is mine? whence have I come? and What is the hindrance between me and my real identity?
Here the supreme Lord says that the living entity is eternal fragmental part of Him(Ishwar ansh jeev avinashi). This world being the work of material nature, the living entity can never be one with it. But as soon as the living entity is ‘born’ in this world he is bound in various bonds of parental identity, heraldry, caste, gotra, nationality relations etc. All these labels are clung onto him and all this is done so spontaneously that the living entity becomes confused and due to his own ignorance he begins to recognize this body and all the aforesaid bonds as his identity. He considers himself one with body, mind, and senses and thus the soul become conditioned and becomes a Jeeva.
Here the good news for all is that the Supreme Lord himself is saying that all living entities are His fragmental part. How much God loves us! How much affection he has for us! but look at our own callousness! We leave God and are attracted towards this world and become the servants of mind and senses. Mind and senses can never be truly our own. No matter how much we try to satisfy them they are never contented. They suck away all our time, money and energy though the real claimant of all these is the Lord, by whose grace we get all these things. But due to being forgetful of our real identity we all are illusioned in this world.
The truth is that world is not true as the Truth is always Eternal. Where as nothing is permanent in this world, everything is transient and temporary. We are falsely proud of our anthority, honour, property, beauty, power, hevaldry etc. but these can never be our true identity- these are not compatible with our real self. we are the fragmental parts of God and possess His attributes.
So we are ever-existent, never growing old, and imperishable, non-performing, non-consuming. while all the aforesaid things behave against these divine attributes.
Our real identity is beyond the identity given to us by this world. Our true identity is our soul-Pure, consciousness-the true eternal blissful self.
What is the hindrance between me and my true identity? to answer this curiosity the supreme Lord asks us to know that we are souls. The only thing is that we are forgetful of this fact. Arjuna says-"Smritirlabdha Nashtomohah" ie now I have gained the remembrance of my real self and my ignorance is destroyed. As the remembrance comes forgetfulness is dispelled of its own. The only hindrance is our own ignorance- our affection. What is this ignorance- Living entity is attracted towards the world (the world is not its cause). He turns away from God (but God is not the cause of it). In both the cases the jeeva (conditioned soul) himself is the cause.
Being the fragmental part of the supreme Lord, freedom is the attribute of conditional soul. He has the rights to accept or not to accept. He misused this freedom not to accept his true identity and now he has to utilize this very freedom for his welfare.
For this the supreme Lord has told three ways:- first- Whatever he has got from this world, he should engage in serving the world. egolessy and selflessly. This path is called Karma yoga. Second is to detach oneself completely from one’s body and the world. This is the path of Gyan yoga. And the third path is to surrender oneself completely to God. This path is called Bhakti yoga. No matter which path one chooses the result is the same- Salvation (Mukti)

Thought for the Year

Prayer is not to lighten your burden. It is to strengthen your back. Ask not mountains to be removed, but for the strength to climb them..