The Bhagvad Gita – Chapter 12 – The path to love

Arjuna asked the Lord “Who are more dear to you -  the people who worship you or those who worship the eternal and the indestructible invisible one?” And thus spoke the Lord : Those who surrender themselves to me and fix their total devotion on me and worship me with their minds absorbed in me, I consider them to be my beloved. However, those who worship the invisible brahman also attain me. But the latter kind of people go through a lot of trial and tribulation and hence walk through the difficult path. I give them deliverance from the cycle of birth and death – those who are devoted to me.

Fasten your mind exclusively on me and place your intelligence in me, you will then reside in me forever. If you are unable to concentrate on me then follow the path of Bhakti yoga (devotional service) and you’ll surely come to me. If you are unable to do that too, then follow my words and work for me for acting on my beliefs will give you perfection. Even if this is not possible, then control your self and senses and renounce all fruits of action. If this also seems impossible then accumulate knowledge and better yet, meditate for from meditation comes renunciation and peace.

He who nurtures no envy or hate or egoism, who is gracious and compassionate, staying the same in face of pain and pleasure, who is tolerant, self-controlled, firm in his resolve, fixed in devotional practice and whose mind and intellect are fixed on me are very dear to me. One who treats his friends and enemies equally, balanced in honor and disgrace, heat and cold, happiness and anguish, free from attachment, not concerned about blame or praise, controlled in speech, even minded and engaged in devotional service is very dear to me.

Those who pursue sincerely the path of devotion setting me as their supreme goal always come to me.

So that’s the shortcut to love. Doesn’t get shorter than this.

Love and Blessings,

Guru30

The Bhagvad Gita – Chapter 5 – Renunciation and Selfless Action

Arjuna asks the Lord “On one hand you advocate renunciation (non-action) and on the other hand you talk of selfless action. O Hari (Lord Srikrishna) please tell me which is better of the two”. The Lord replies that of the two Selfless action is definitely better. A renounced man is devoid of hatred and selfish desire. Indifferent to all dualities, he/she is free from all bondage and attains liberation. Only a childish person thinks that these two people (one who has renounced and the one who is on a path of selfless action) are different. In effect, both of them reach the same goal. The realization of the Lord.

Karma yoga (The yoga of selfless action) and Jnana Yoga( The yoga of knowledge) both lead to the same destination. One who perceives this, sees things from the right perspective. Abandoning action without yoga is difficult. The sage who is established in Yoga quickly attains the absolute. One who practices yoga with senses controlled, the mind conquered and intelligence purified attains the self and remains free and un-entangled even when he/she is grounded in the sphere of action. One who is acting in Yoga  knows that what he hears or sees or his other senses are all that does various things and not him/herself.

Like a lotus leaf that remains unaffected by water, the yogi also remains untouched by evil. A karma-yogi is thus not affected by the impurities around him. Although he/she has to use his/her senses, the mind and intellect, the result is absolute as he/she has given up attachment to the fruits of the action. Thus having renounced this, he/she attains ultimate peace. Whereas they who do not practice Karma yoga get attached and hence cannot attain the ultimate Thus mentally even when existing in the city of nine gates (our body has 9 apertures. A woman has 10) he /she is free from delusion.

The Lord further says that he is not bothered by a man’s good/bad actions. Because our knowledge is covered by ignorance, we act in such a manner. This knowledge which shining like the Sun is to be attained. For the wise, a pound of Gold and Sand is the same. There is no distinction between a Brahmana or a Chandala (High and Low caste) One who is thus unattached and absorbed in action / contemplation in the service of the Lord achieves unbound happiness.The wise do not rejoice in temporary sense pleasures, as in retrospect, they bring only pain.

The seers who attain this knowledge and work for the happiness of others are truly realized. They attain the absolute. The way to attain the Supreme is to focus on the centre of the two eye brows, inhale and exhale in rhythm equalizing and control the senses and the mind and give up anger. One who realizes that it is God who controls the actions and the fruits and also knows that he is the supreme to be attained, who is the friend of all, he/she attains supreme peace.

That’s concisely this chapter on Renunciation and Selfless action.

Cheers,

Guru30

Bhagvad Gita – Chapter 4 – The meaning of Wisdom

Lord SriKrishna further explains to Arjuna the meaning of Wisdom or jnana (note that jnana actually means knowledge and wisdom is the awakening of the same. The Lord extols to Arjuna that this knowledge was given to Vivaswan who in turn gave it to Manu (all our ancestors) and so on. Arjuna may have forgotten as he is a mortal being, but the Lord knows it all. Arjuna has a hint of doubt as to how the Lord knows this all. To which Lord Srikrishna replies that he is the master of his material energy. He further says that when evil increases (decline of dharma – dharma is duty), the lord manifests himself in a form and descends upon Earth.

There were many people in the past who got rid of attachment and attained the Lord. Those who worship the Gods using rituals have also benefitted from their blessings. However please remember that all happens with the power of the Lord. As discussed in the earlier chapters, we dare sometimes deluded into believing that we are doers, when actually it is the three gunas which are responsible for driving us towards action. Taking into consideration the gunas and the effect of ones own karma, the good Lord had  divided people into four divisions: The brahmana (holy priests),  the Kshatriya (warriors), the Vaishnava (merchants) and Shudra (Those who do menial tasks). This division mind you is strictly for discrimination purpose and does not apply stoically.

The Lord has no desire for the fruits of action, but he still keeps acting. Whoever realizes this aspect of God, knows him truly. Lord Srikrishna now gives away the secret of action and inaction. He mentions that wise is  the person who understands this subtle distinction. So here it is. Action performed without attachment to  its fruits is inaction in action and action performed with attachment is action in inaction. Did you understand it ? Let me explain further. He who acts in the spirit of action for action is not doing any work at all. Because he/she does not feel that he/she is working. Work is pleasure or there is no action (inaction) whereas when one is feeling that he is working truly is active in inaction (actual work). Complicated. Not that much.

One who has been purified by his very thoughts acts like a sage. He/She acts really, who has understood the meaning given above. Detaching senses, they work towards only one goal. That goal is action and nothing else. If one’s thoughts are fully absorbed in the absolute, all his/her spiritual offerings also become a part of the absolute. Some offer their hearing, some sight and some others charity into the sacrificial fire. And let me tell you that there is nothing bigger than a sacrifice. It’s brahman. (atman or soul) The fire is brahman, the offering is brahman and the offerer is also brahman. That is how the term ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ comes. It means I’m brahman.

The person who realizes all this through wisdom is the highest of all. True transcendental knowledge is the knowledge of the self, and he/she is wise  who  has realized this truth. Wisdom has the power to burn all karmic activities to ashes. (of course with the Grace of God) So there is nothing above wisdom. All that is above it is the supreme soul. So arise Arjuna, the slayer of enemies, arise and awake to this call. Take the sword of discrimination and shed this illusion into pieces and be firmly established in  Yoga.

More in a week’s time.

Thanks,

Guru30

The Bhagvad Gita – Chapter 3 – Selfless Service

Here’s the third chapter of this great epic. Arjuna is embattled with questions, by now. He asks the Lord if Knowledge is better than Action, why is he asking him to engage in this war? And the Lord replies thus: You are a sinless one, dear Arjuna. As explained earlier, there are 2 paths you can trod: the path of jnana (for a knowledge seeker) or the path of karma (for the action oriented) There is a state beyond action also which requires real grit to achieve. However,note that there is no one in this world who can be free of action. The deluded think that they are the doer, but in truth, the gunas (sattva, rajasic or tamasic) are acting, at any point of time. Great is the man who can use his mind to control his senses and do his karma without attachment. Action is very important because we cannot sustain even our body without it.

All action binds us. The only action that does not bind us is sacrifice. The action performed in the name of God, without any attachment. The Gods satisfied with your action shall reward you aptly. Those who eat their food without thanking the Gods is a thief. Hence offer your food to the Gods. This food which has been blessed by the Gods is the leftover that we should eat. As you know food is  responsible for our thoughts. Food is nourished by the  rains, which again downs on us with a sacrifice. (the duties well done without expectation).

One who is free from duties and who is content in himself, derives happiness from the Self. He/She is truly happy who is content internally. There is no purpose that motivated a wise man. He/She does his/her duty as demanded, without any expectation of the fruits. Remember, we covered this in Chapter 2. There were great kings like Janaka who did their duty in this sporting manner and achieved results beyond their wildest imagination. Whatever such great men do, others follow. They set an example for others. Then the Lord says that there is nothing in all these 3 worlds that he doesn’t have, but he keeps working away like the Sun, spreading his light silently without any expectation. Imagine if God were to take a break, the whole world would be in Pandemonium. Hence he keeps working always and sets this example in front of others.

O great Arjuna, just like the ignorant are attached to their actions, the wise do it without expectations. The wise should not try to influence the souls which are ignorant, lest they may forget their duty in between. All people act according to their nature (gunas acting actually) and those who understand this concept, have a good understanding about themselves. Just like smoke covers fire, lust hides a human beings potential. Above the senses is the intellect. Hence as a parting gift the Lord asks Arjuna to control his senses through action with unalloyed devotion.

The secret behind this chapter is understanding the meaning of duty, the path of jnana and karma and doing things without attachment. Desires are fine, but selfish desires are not.

Hope that gave you a brief overview of this lesson.

More to come in a week’s time.

Stay tuned.

Guru30

All you wanted to know about Money

Do you recall the Beatles song ‘Can’t buy me love’ in reference to money. Money is definitely a very important aspect of our life, but we should not become slaves of it. Money is a consequence of hard work. If  your efforts are sincere, Goddess Mahalakshmi will endow you with all prosperity, one of them being money. You see, prosperity means happiness and money also is one of the factors which contribute to that noble goal. Always remember the law of attraction. The universe works in mysterious ways to bring you all that you desire. So go ahead make your wish for wealth in your life. True wealth is also good health and a strong dose of happiness. But be prepared to put in the effort and rest assured you will get what you yearn for.

Money becomes useful when it is put to good work. It can buy you a good piece of attire, but the infatuation with the attire will wash away, once you have worn it a couple of times. Hence that is temporary happiness, or pleasure. But the universe is glad that it could buy you happiness momentarily. Imagine that while buying an attire for yourself, you go ahead and buy some things for your loved ones also. Won’t that make them also happy? So here’s the lesson: Money is as good as how it is used. If you splurge it on yourself, you won’t really feel complete. Give it to others as a gift (clothes, shoes, books, gadgets etc) maybe as plain money. That will light up their faces and you will receive much more satisfaction, than when you had spent for yourself.

In the Malayalam language of India, Mon means son and so money roughly translates to something like you are addressing your son. So take good care of it, like you take care of your kids. Plenty of it, will give you peace of mind. But don’t get so much caught up in managing it that you lose your night’s sleep. Money attracts money. So make careful investments which will guarantee you future returns. Plan out the mix first and then monitor regularly for changes. Say once a week or maybe a month, as it suits you. I know people who check their balances every day. Drop that. Don’t be paranoid, so much so that the worry itself might take a toll on you. So get money and sleep well during the nights.

See it clearly. The utility of money is enormous, but it shines only when you give it away. Don’t hold it close to your heart. The more you give, the more you get in return. Money can buy you a better comfortable lifestyle, but true love – no. Yes, when you give it to others, without any expectation, that is money buying you love. Do not hoard money. There is more than enough for everyone on this great planet. But put it to good use. You don’t have to help the whole world, but be generous and help at least bring a smile to somebody’s face with your money. Maybe money is not required to bring a smile, yet it can do that too. So go ahead make your day (and a wayward strangers also) and I wish that you will be blessed with money always. And please thank God when you receive the bounty.

Forever your well wisher ...

Guru30

MahaShivratri – Ask and you shall receive it

Today is MahaShivratri day. According to legend, this is the day when Lord Shiva got married to Goddess Parvathi. On this auspicious day, all planets and stars are exalted in special positions and it’s a new moon night. People chant the holy mantra ‘Om Nama Shivay’ to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. The more a person chants this mantra, the more he or she becomes spiritual. Ladies fast on this day and get the blessings of Goddess Parvathi to attain a husband like Lord Shiva. Men eat Sattvic food (pleasant food devoid of spicy and stale food) and women also can eat diet food, if they are not fasting.

Now let us try to understand what Lord Shiva means. In mathematical language he is denoted by zero, which means nothingness. However when you add zero to any number, the power of the number increases by a factor of ten. Shiva also means nirguna brahman, which means one who is devoid of any qualities. He is basically an ascetic who adorns a tiger skin and his body is sprinkled with ashes. His head sports the moon and a snake. Also the river ganges is tied up in his headlock. He has a third eye, the opening of which means awakening. He is always meditating and his dance (he is also called Lord Nataraja) is called Tandavam, which is the dance of the cosmos.

Goddess Parvathi stands for ultimate devotion. She is also the most beautiful woman in the universe. Her penance in trying to attain Lord Shiva (despite obstacles, like others who persuade her to give up the obsession of Lord Shiva) is just beyond compare and is the ultimate symbol of love. Any woman who is captivated by a man can achieve him if she simply prays to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. They get married tonight and people sometime do not sleep the whole night. It’s celebration time and the whole world is illumined by the opulence of this lovely couple.

Whoever with true love and devotion worships his / her spouse is likely to get his / her wish fulfilled tonight. Also chant the holy mantra ‘Om Nama Shivay’ as many times as you can. You will receive it. But don’t be in a hurry. You may have to wait. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. And hence we may have to wait a while. But be sure of one thing. Thy wish will be granted. And this is also what the Bible says ‘Ask and it shall be given’. What better day than today to ask God to fulfill our wishes. So go ahead remember the Holy Father and wish for true love. Who knows, you may see a shooting star tonight.

May God Bless You.

Guru30

Why this Kolvari Di (The truth behind passion)

A song in recent times that became popular is ‘Why this Kolveri Di?’. This is a phrase in Tamil language which roughly translates to ‘Why this murderous rage against me, dear lady. ?’ Kola means murder and veri means rage and Di as in addressing a lady. If you try to analyze why this song went viral, well you can reach various conclusions. My feeling is that it simply is a meaningless song with lots of meaning embedded in it. Allow me to explain.

Some people have this passion for a belief. This belief may be simply something like “All fit men are attractive”, hence I should also be fit. Well, this seems like a rational belief, but some people take up fitness with a vengeance. They workout very hard at the Gym and put in extra hours to achieve a fit body. And you know what? The results may be good (provided he / she doesn’t injure him/herself in the process) but the matter doesn’t end there.

Of course, staying fit and being attractive makes us feel good inside, but we don’t have to be desperate. Even obesity or slimness has its own beauty. Some people have preferences for say plump men or women. Others may think that being thin is dashing. As they say, different strokes for different folks. Nevertheless, the fact remains that a majority of people think that fit men and women are more attractive. It’s not a universal law. But it helps.

Now coming back to our Kolaveri, the matter of the fact is that some people are driven by a passion which surmounts to being murderous. This is typically arising from the pent-up anger inside (a rajasic tendency, if you know what I mean) which can border on the lines of insanity. A lot of great men and women had this inside them. What they have achieved is clearly in front of us in the form of history. The pendulum of the good and bad have swung both ways and we are experiencing their mania in these times also.

My take: Passion is good but not so much so that it becomes insanity. Also passion should be for the universal good. A deep passion for something like ‘This is wrong or this is right’ can prove counter-productive. We do not have to be opinionated, even though, that is what some people call as character. A cause in the right direction (although there is no such thing in the absolute sense) can prove to be beneficial for everyone. A bad motive (again this is relative) doubled with a deep passion can prove detrimental.

How do we choose which is the path to be trodden? Remember what Lord Krishna says ‘Everything in moderation’ No excesses. Passion – yes. Murderous passion – no. Passion drives us forward. At the same time, we may become color blind because we tend to believe so deeply in this fictitious concept that everything else seems to fade away in the kick. It’s very essential to see the real as it is. And with a passionate mind we won’t be able to. Passion also can bind us in the form of attachments. Hence dear friends, I leave it to you, to decide.

With all my love …

Guru30