We are because of our world and cosmos..

In the Ch. 10 of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says everything in this cosmos – all gross , subtle and causal creations, are from HIM only.  It not only includes the physical appearances, it also includes the mental and intellectual thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, patterns etc. expressed by individuals.   When a delicious food is made and kept hot and ready, the nice smell that comes out of it is because of the food and what goes in it.  If the food is not there or made in a different way, that smell also changes.  In the same way, the behaviors expressed by all living organisms in this planet arises because of the nature of that creation and belong to it. The ultimate creator has the ownership for all that is created and whatever comes out of it.

Extrapolating the same thought,  Sw. Chinmayananda emphasizes that we are not ‘entities’  separate and independent from our environment, the planet or even the universe.  We are all part of it and because of it.  Swamiji makes a wonderful declaration that ‘We do not come into this world (from somewhere outside); we come out of it (is part of it).   Just as a baby comes out of a mother and is a part of the mother, we all are made of this cosmos who is the ultimate mother of all.   It is our moral dharma (responsibility, duty) to keep this planet well and healthy as well as respect the nature of this planet and the cosmos as a whole.  Hari Om.

Lord's bold assurances

In Ch.9 of Bhagavad Gita, the Lord gives all devotees who are dedicated in the path of Spirituality, two strong assurances.  The first one is the promise of taking care of the Yoga-Kshema of HIS devotees.  It is explained in my previous blog posting.   The second confident promise of the Lord is that HIS devotees who are walking on the path of realizing HIM with full trust (‘shraddha’) and belief (‘bhakthi’) shall NEVER perish.  In verse 31 of Ch.9,  HE says as below

क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति |; कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्त: प्रणश्यति || 31||

He quickly becomes virtuous again and attains everlasting peace. O Kaunteya, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.

What a strong and confident message!   In today’s world when people  walk on two sides – materialistic and religious – just so that they don’t miss anything and grab everything,  this is a strong declaration from the LORD that walking towards HIM in unwavering mind (personality) will always ensure success in every form.  HE will ensure the devotee gains ever lasting peace and joy – the goal  of all perspirations in this material world !

I think the above statement along with Lord's promise of taking care of the 'Yoga-Kshema' work of the devotees are probably the two best assurances to us that we should give up our 'assumed' worries related to finances, family, career etc. and work confidently dedicating all our activities to HIM.  

Hari Om.

Spirit of offering.

The Ch.9 of Bhagavad Gita has the very famous statement of the Lord as below:

patram puspam phalam toyam 
yo me bhaktya prayacchati 
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam 
asnami prayatatmanah

Lord says that ‘Whoever offers me with devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water – that I accept when offered by the pure-minded”.

Sw. Chinmayananda in his wonderful explanation of this powerful declaration by the Lord says that an offering can be perfect only when it is accompanied by two conditions: 1) Offered with devotion and 2) by the ‘pure-minded’. It is not what we offer, but how we offer that makes a true offering a great sacrifice.  Swamiji exhorts all to let our entire life be a constant offering onto Him who is in all, by changing our mental attitude. In all activities, we can remember Him if we act in a spirit of offering unto Him. All acts of perception and our reactions to our perceptions – be they physical, mental or intellectual- let us make them all a ‘devout offering unto Him’.

When all activities are performed in the spirit of offering, not only our love for Lord increases,  but also our entire life gets transformed to become sanctified with a nobler purpose and a diviner aim.  This attitude of offering to God makes us remember Him constantly, not in deep jungle or in a secret cave, but right in the middle of our life’s marketplace !

Hari Om.

Yoga-Kshemam

Sw. Chinmayananda has very beautifully explained the meaning of the common usage ‘Yoga-Kshema’ in our scriptures.  In today’s world, all our energies are dissipated in two main directions – Procuring (Yoga, योग) and maintaining (Kshemam, क्षेमम).  We seem to spend all our effort, energy and time on procuring material pleasures or benefits and worrying about maintaining them our entire life.  Because of this, we do not seem to have the time  to engage in spiritual or welfare work (seva).

However, Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita in Ch, 9  emphatically says that for those true seekers who are dedicated in spiritual pursuits and attaining the Self (HIM),  HE (Lord) will take care of the ‘Yoga-Kshema’ work of HIS devotees.

ananyaschintayanta mam ye janah paryupasate tesham nityabhiyuktanam yogakshemam vahamyaham

Hari Om.

Lord Krishna’s message in BG Chapter 9

In chapter 9 of Bhagavad Gita,  Lord Krishna explains to Dhananjaya (Arjuna) His real nature and relationship with visible projections in the world.  The Self expressing through the total vasanas is the creator,  who creates the universe.  He is the substratum of all activities in and out of us.   Just as the projector in a movie hall project whatever is in the film (vasanas,  just as the light from the projector reflects the content in the film and is same in all movie halls,  the Supreme Self in us is not impacted or attached to our actions initiated by our vasanas.  The  white screen of the movie hall is the substratum on which the entire story of the  movie is projected, but the screen does not carry the marks of tears, blood or happiness.

Lord Krishna says He, as the Ever Pure Infinite,  is  just the witness of all that is happening around, but is unattached to it.  If we all perform our activities unattached and dedicated to that Lord,   it will help us in purging our vasanas and realize the Self within us, thereby not getting impacted from the  day to  day activities that we do,  just as the projector or screen in a movie hall.

Significance of Navarathri (Dussehra)

I received an excellent write up on the significance of Navarathri (9 nights) from Chinmaya Mission that is posted below.  Navarathri is also called Dussehra or 'Dasa-hara'.  'Dasa' is 10 and 'hara' is eliminate; so the word indicates our effort to eliminate the sins accumulated through our ten sense organs (5 organs of perception and 5 organs of action).  The culmination of our effort is the 10th day of 'Vijaya Dashami' which indicates the 'Vijaya' or win from the pulls and pricks of our senses !

The Spiritual Significance of Navaratri by Swami Chinmayananda

Ratri means "night" and Nava means "nine". At Navaratri ("nine nights"), the Lord in the form of the Mother Goddess is worshipped in Her various forms as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Though the Goddess is one, She is represented and worshiped in three different aspects. On the first three nights of the festival, Durga is worshipped. On the following three, Lakshmi and then Saraswati Devi on the last three nights. The following tenth day is called Vijayadashami. Vijaya means "victory", the victory over our own minds that can come only when we have worshiped these three: Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.

Durga

To gain noble virtues, all evil tendencies in the mind must be destroyed. This destruction is represented by the Goddess Durga.

Durga is durgati harini: "She who removes our evil tendencies." This is why she is called Mahishasura Mardini, the destroyer of Mahishaasura (demon), mahisha meaning"buffalo." 

The buffalo stands for tamoguna, the quality of laziness, darkness, ignorance and inertia. In the Puraanic story, Durga Devi's killing of the Mahisha demon is, symbolically, the destruction of the tamoguna within us that is very difficult to destroy. In the Durga Devi Havana (sacrifice), we invoke that Divine Power within us to destroy our animalistic tendencies.

Lakshmi

For knowledge to dawn within us, we have to prepare our minds. The mind must be pure, concentrated, and single-pointed; this purification of the mind is obtained through the worship of Lakshmi Devi.

The real wealth is the inner wealth of spiritual values that we practice in our lives, by which our minds become purified. 

Only when we have these noble values will we be able to preserve our material wealth and make good use of it. Otherwise money itself becomes a problem.

In the Upanishads, the Rishis never asked for material wealth only. In the mantras of the Taittriya Upanishad, they first asked to have all the noble virtues fully developed in them. "Having gained the noble virtues, thereafter Lord please bring wealth to us". The Rishis express here that in the absence of right values and good qualities, all our money will be wasted, and there are countless examples of this in the world around us.

Our wealth of virtues is our true Lakshmi. Its importance is shown by the fact that Adi Shankaracharya himself, in Vivekachudamani, describes that sat sampati, or six forms of wealth (calmness of mind, self- control, self-withdrawal, forbearance, faith and single-pointed ness) that are to be cultivated to attain wisdom. 

These virtues are important because our goal is victory over the mind - a victory such that we do not get disturbed by every change that takes place in our lives.

This victory comes only when the mind is prepared, and this mental preparation is the symbolism of the Lakshmi Puja.

Saraswati

Victory over the mind can be gained only through knowledge, through understanding; and it is Goddess Saraswati who represents this highest knowledge of the Self.__._,_.___

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Play in this world bravely; with Self in the background

Realize your true Self and play in this world bravely, fair and square, without expectations or worries. Always keep your mind and thoughts oriented towards the Supreme at the back of the mind.  The awareness of your Atman which is one with Brahman of this universe should be humming in the background during every activity in the awakened state (Jagratha), just as the 'sruthi' hums in the background for a carnatic music singer.  This will keep you in the true path and bring you the full focus needed for the success in every step of the way.
Hari Om.

Back to blogging...

Hari Om.  After a long gap of time, I am returning to my favorite blog and hoping to start contributing to it regularly from now. Work and other family activities kept me away from updating this blog regularly, all this time.  I am now enrolled as a voluntary teacher for Balavihar classes in the local Chinmaya Mission  here in Plano (TX) and I utilize my bandwidth availability for that one too, now. 

Instead of specific planned topics, going forward, I will try to update this blog with my general thoughts and readings about Vedanta.  Currently I am reading a wonderful  book 'The Art of Man Making' by Sw. Chinmayananda.  Though written for kids and youths who grow up in today's high pressure societies without a spiritual touch, the book is equally valuable for grown-ups too.  In the book, Gurudev wonderfully explains the spiritual truths of the Bhagavad Gita and guides the youth to understand and utilize the extorts of Lord Krishna for a contented and happy life.  This is an amazing book for all who are interested to know the inner depths of the Gita.  I would encourage all to read slowly  and reflect on the messages on each chapter before going to the next.

I am also reading another great book called 'Conscious Capitalism'  written by Whole Foods founder John Mackey and management professor Raj Sisodia.    The book explains how a true capitalist system should work and the authors emphasize that just like humans, organizations should have a higher ideal and purpose.  Though not a book on religion, or philosophy,  the book clearly shows how the authors have surely been influenced by the concept of eastern spirituality that emphasizes on the macrocosm and holistic thinking.

Hari Om.