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core PRINCIPLES

Ego (Ahamkara)

8/20/2022

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Ego is self or “I-ness” Everyone has an ego, whether big or small. In Hinduism, Ahamkara (अहंकार) is a Sanskrit term that is related to the ego. Egoism is identifying with or attachment to one's ego. It is a crystallization of pre-existing thoughts and desires resulting into shadow self, which is subject to ignorance, duality and illusion (maya) that veils the true Self and lets the ego-sense take charge of the mind and body and act as if it is the real Self. Ego will significantly impact our relationships with one another and the outside world. It also affects our ability to be persuasive and understood.

Remember that the ego is mischievous, wicked and vulgar. Its voice is the noise of the world. Let us put out the noise of the ego to hear the voice of the divine. The elimination of egoism is the sole condition of self-realization. One’s individual ego, pre-conceived notions, pet ideas, prejudices and selfish interests should be given up. All these stands in the way of spiritual progress.

As per modern psychology, ego comprises the executive functions of personality by serving as the integrator of the outer and inner worlds as well as of the id and the superego. Freud conceptualised ego structure as id, ego and superego. The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. Ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world. The superego begins to emerge at around age five. The superego tries to perfect and civilize our behaviour. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather that upon realistic principles. However, id, the ego, and the superego are not three separate entities.

There is not much inputs about “ego” in modern psychology. But ancient Hindu rishis have deeply probed about it. As per Hinduism, “ego” has been elaborated as below:

What is Ego:
Ahamkara (Ego) identifies the atman (soul, self, jivatma) with the physical body. Ego is not mere self-pride or arrogance, except in a very narrow sense. In a wider sense, it is the very feeling of separation that makes one feel distinct and different from the rest of the creation and the Creator.
 
  1. In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Shree Krishna says, "Air, water, earth, fire, sky, mind, intelligence and ahamkara (ego) together constitute the nature created by me." In chapter 3, Shree Krishna says, “the person in material consciousness is convinced by false ego that he is the doer of everything. He does not know that the mechanism of the body is produced by material nature, which works under the supervision of the Supreme consciousness.”
  2. According to Samkhya darshan (philosophy), prakriti evolves twenty-three elements (5 organs of perceptions, 5 organs of action, 5 tanmantras, 5 gross elements, ego, mind and Buddhi.
  3. As per Vedanta darshan, ego is one of the four parts of the inner organs. The other three are manas (mind), buddhi (intellect) and chitta (memory).
 
How ego functions:
  1. Ego acts as the instrument of self, the principle of individuation, acting as an independent conscious entity within the impure reality.
  2. Chitta is storehouse of samskaras carried forward from one life to another life. Samskaras have three attributes - sattva (goodness, calmness, harmonious), rajas (passion, activity, movement), and tamas (ignorance, inertia, laziness). These samskaras develops veil of attachment and ignorance which frames the attitudes within ego – positive or negative and develops impulses of desires. These desires have three levels of potency – high, medium and low. Based on the potency of desires and signals received from sensory organs, the mind develops ocean of thoughts.
  3. With the help of intellect, ego manifests itself by assuming authorship of all the actions of intellect (buddhi), mind (manas), the senses and organs of action.
  4. Then the person indulges in desire-ridden actions and assume ownership of them.
  5. Due to egoistic actions, the person suffers from their consequences and is caught helplessly in the ocean of life.
 
How to overcome ego:
  1. Long-term process - All the malice, pains and miseries trace to the ego and ignorance. Anger, jealousy, ……originate basically from ego. It is not possible to be egoless but diluting the ego is possible only by realisation and becoming more and more selfless. The expansion of self to include others and thereby expanding the self to the society, results into becoming more and more selfless. Selflessness can avoid the recurring pains and miseries.
  2. Short-term process - To arrest negative thoughts, two levels actions are required. First, the person should use strong will power to avoid such inputs through sensory organs which develop such thoughts. Secondly, the person should delay the negative decisions at the time when the potency such impulses are strong.
 
The various Hindu scriptures have the dynamics of ego and actions in great details. I am discussing here only a few to describe -
  1. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (chapter 5.7) declares, the qualified karma yogi is one who pure in his heart, who has controlled his mind and his senses overcomes his egoistic thinking and limited vision. He sees his self in all living beings and remains free even though engaged in action.
  2. According to Hatha Yoga, the best way to progressively reduce the power of ego is to combine the Ida and Pingala paths; integrate the duties and work in the world with meditation practices.
  3. According to Samkhya Darshan, Ahamkara comes into being as proximity of two realms – consciousness or jivatma and unconsciousness or prakriti. Ego or Ahmkara provides basis for subject –object relationship. Ahamkara stands for the bifurcation of consciousness or true self and empirical “I” which is the root cause of ignorance and miseries.
  4. Sant Kabir has explained the above in his doha as under:

जब मैं था तब हरि नहीं अब हरि है मैं नाहीं । प्रेम गली अति सांकरी जामें दो न समाहीं ॥
अर्थ:  जब तक मन में अहंकार था तब तक ईश्वर का साक्षात्कार न हुआ. जब अहम समाप्त हुआ तभी प्रभु  मिले. जब ईश्वर का साक्षात्कार हुआ – तब अहम स्वतः नष्ट हो गया. ईश्वर की सत्ता का बोध तभी हुआ जब अहंकार गया. प्रेम में द्वैत भाव नहीं हो सकता – प्रेम की संकरी – पतली गली में एक ही समा सकता है – अहम या परम ! परम की प्राप्ति के लिए अहम का विसर्जन आवश्यक है.


According to Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, conquest of the self is therefore very important for peace of mind and union with God. He who conquers his self is in the company of the Supreme. He remains stable and serene in cold or heat, sorrow or happiness, respect or disrespect (6.7). Giving up all desires, without the awareness of any need, sense of ownership and egoism, he attains peace (2.71).
 
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Pride and Humility

4/22/2022

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Pride literally means self-esteem, self-satisfaction, self-worth, self-glorification; ego etc. When pride becomes excessive, it is “Mada” which is sign of the pre-dominance of tamas and rajas and results in delusion, egoism, ignorance and deep attachment. The baneful egoism generates actions, desires and pains. Ravana & Kaikeyi from epic Ramayana and Duryodhana from epic Mahabharata are glaring examples of excessive pride. Pride nullifies the fruit of our good karma. Pride makes us loose a correct perspective of things. Pride earns us many enemies.
 
On the other hand, humility, Modesty or Namrata (in Hindi), is the virtue which expresses low self-preoccupation and is opposite of Pride. When we perform duties as a service rather than a favor to the God and to the people around us, we cultivate humility.
 
Bhagavad Gita has listed humility or absence of pride as first virtue (13.7). Swami Vivekananda argues that the concept of humility does not mean "crawling on all fours and calling oneself a sinner." According to him, each human being the Universal, recognizing and feeling oneness with everyone and everything else in the universe, without inferiority or superiority or any other bias, is the mark of humility. 
 
When the yaksha, the divine being asked Yudhishthra, the eldest Pandava brother, “destroying what does one becomes dear”; to which, Yudhishthra had replied by killing pride one becomes dear. Pride keeps us on lonely island. One is unapproachable when he builds strong notions about him and around him.
 
Categories of pride:
Lord Buddha categorized pride into seven forms:
  1. Pride by judging others - By comparing oneself with the people around, one become either too arrogant or too shy, depending upon one’s false judgement about others as well as oneself.
  2. Pride by creating Split Personality - Unless one accepts his own weaknesses and limitations, pride will keep him in illusive state. He would pretend to be nobler & wiser than others so that others regard him in high esteem. 
  3. Pride of Superiority – when one is applauded for his abilities, he falsely thinks that he is superior. But he is aware of his dark corners. The tumour of pride penetrates deep within us when we live a thoughtless, ego obsessed life.
  4. Pride of thinking ‘I’ – Bondage with non-real (mortal) is the cause of re-birth. Bondage is due to ignorance which thrives on ego or false “I.” This “I” conceals itself in our senses, concerned only with satiating its appetite.
  5. Pride of Conceit – When one falsely presumes superiority and develops intolerance. .
  6. Pride of success even for wrongful deeds – It is wrong to conclude that success is meritorious and failure is condemnable. Deeds are faulty when intentions are wrong. So intentions are more important.
  7. Pride of lowliness – When one derides oneself, “he is senseless.” Many of our life’s valuable lessons were blossoms in the shower of failures. When we learn from our failures, we convert them into successes.
 
Grades of Pride:
In Hinduism, different grades of pride are denoted by various nomenclatures viz. Abhiman (Conceit, Vanity, and arrogance), Ahankara (Egoism), Darpa (Pride with arrogance) and Mada (excessive pride).
 
  1. Abhiman or Manitva - Manitva means demanding respect from others. It indicates the feelings of insecurity about oneself.
  2. Ahamkara (अहंकार) – It means “I-maker”. In Sanskrit, aham means ‘I’ and kara means ‘maker’. 
  3. Darpa (दर्प) – It is excessive pride.
  4. Mada (मद) – It means an unreasonable overestimation of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, rank etc.
 
Humility:
Humility is the virtue and opposite of pride. It is not sign of weakness but it elevates. Humility is part of the Hindu culture. Hinduism has given wisdom that every living creature has an identical soul in them. So, we are not superior to anyone in essence. In fact, everybody is constituted with same Jiva and Prakirti. All have same emotions, intellect, feelings, body etc. Some may be better in a few areas and worse in other areas.  Moreover, everyone is imperfect and commit mistakes. Hence, there is no place of arrogance or pride. The “Namaste” in Hindu culture, not only prevents spread of contagious diseases, but also signify the element of this deep philosophy. Even an old person bow down and touches the feet of the person of honor.
 
There are a large number of popular wisdom stories in Hinduism on humility & pride such the story of Sri Shankaracharya & Chandala; the story of Shabri and Sri Rama; the story of Bihima & Sri Hanuman etc.
 
Dr. S Radhakrishnan mentioned that humility in Hindu Dharma is the non-judgmental state of mind when we are best able to learn, contemplate and understand everyone and everything else. In Taoism, humility is defined as a refusal to assert authority or a refusal to be first in anything. Humility is one of the foundations of devotional life. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said:
"Consider yourself as less important than a blade of grass. Be more forbearing than a tree. Do not crave for respect, but respect others. Always sing the praise of Hari's name.
 
We are again and again drawn to live a mundane life. Selfless work and self-observation draw our attention to real purpose of life. Self-observation brings our attention to the ‘emotional personality’. At this stage, the attitude of nobility is more important than ability.
 
Action Plan to be humble:
  1. Appreciation of Achievements of others.
  2. One must learn to appreciate that everyone is born with innate and unique abilities, so respect each other.
  3. In fact, one should realise that all the abilities are bestowed by Brahman (God).
  4. Learning is possible only when we accept our ignorance. Then, one learns through self-surrender, self-inquiry and service to all as to the divine. 
  5. As soon as one realizes that his judgements and opinions are mostly only for his own ego-satisfaction, he no more entertains such mental pre-occupations. He stays alert and responds appropriately not temperamentally.
  6. Freedom from the ego.
  7. Determine our deeds based on intentions, not on the results.
  8. Change the perception of and attitude of life.
  9. Dasya Bhakti.
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Temperament & Selfless Service

2/18/2022

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Temperament & Selfless Service
 
Temperament has two dimensions – Passive and Aggressive. Passive temperament is based on apathy and aggressive temperament is based on selfishness. Passivity makes one want to escape from one’s duties and become unproductive. Shri Krishna ridicules such an individual as a hypocrite because his passivity is not born of wisdom and absence of desire, but ignorance and fear of failure. This only leads one to live as a burden to society. Aggressiveness based on selfishness may make one successful, but not without the manifestation of arrogance and pride.
 
Hinduism preaches serving both God and humanity. Selfless service or Seva is serving or working without selfish expectation. Selfless service is the antidote to be free of both these temperaments. Service means to perform one’s duties as an offering to the God.  According to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the joy of giving is far more exhilarating than the joy of getting
 
Shri Krishna explained the glory of performing duties & selfless actions to Arjuna in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita as under:
1.    One should perform the allotted duty as action is superior to inaction. Desisting from action, one cannot even maintain the human body (3.8).
2.    It is better to perform one’s own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well discharged. Even death in the performance of one’s own duty brings blessedness; another’s duty is fraught with fear (3.35). It is not advisable to abandon a prescribed duty. Such abandonment out of ignorance has been declared as Tamasika (18.7).
3.    In the path of selfless action there is no loss of effort, nor is there fear of contrary result, even a little practice of this discipline saves one from the terrible fear of birth and death. Selfless actions bring purification of heart which in turn leads to fearlessness (2.40).
4.    One should perform his duties efficiently at all times without attachment. Doing work without attachment man attains the Supreme (3.19).
5.    One, who think of Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) at all times and fight with mind and reason thus set on Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna), he will doubtless come to Me (Brahman/Shree Krishna) (8.7).
 
Hence, there are four basic principles of work:
1.    The work is more important than your opinion about it.
2.    Attempt to make your work useful to everyone (that may include yourself).
3.    Maintain your objectivity in all your work and their results.
4.      Do not hesitate to perform your duty and complete whatever you undertake.
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Indian Constitution & Hinduism

2/3/2022

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Picture
Indian Constitution & Hinduism
We are very much proud for the Indian Constitution and celebrating the Republic Day, but we never look through the Hindu Elements in Indian Constitution. Each part of the Constitution begins with the artistic picturization that traces our 5000-year-old history. The glorious history of the great India has been registered in the constitution of biggest democracy and oldest civilization of the world. Not only that it is an affidavit on Hinduism.
 
The original Indian Constitution, a hand-written document is essentially illustrating rich religious & cultural heritage of Hinduism. Important Parts of the constitution incorporated the photographs of Hindu deities such as Shri Rama, Shri Laxman, Ma Sita, Shri Krishna, Shri Shiva etc and historically important persons & monument works. The various photographs on the parts of the constitution are carefully selected and drawn on the original constitution signed by the members of Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. The original of the book is kept in a special helium-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizda. It was illuminated by Nandalal Bose and other artists, published by Dehra Dun, and photolithographed at the Survey of India Offices.
 
Unfortunately, post first republic day, the various governments never highlighted this vision of our great makers of constitution and buried in the helium filled case and printed faulty constitutional copies disregarding very foundation of our republic. The copy of photolithographed original constitution of India is available on internet and anybody can verify the facts.
 
The purpose of this article is to highlight vision, mission and the depictions of various arts which have been part of the original constitution approved by the makers of constitution. The details are as follows:
 
  1. The intricate gold pattern on the front and back cover itself borrow from the famous Ajanta murals.
  2. Preamble – It contains pictorially traditional motifs of Hinduism such as Padm, Nandi, Airavata, Vyaghra, Ashwa, Hans and Mayur.
  3. Part I - States and Union Territories – The first part starts with a popular Indus Valley seal-mark, the bull.
  4. Part II – Citizenship - The part is represented by India’s Vedic Age. It reveals scene from Vedic Ashram (Gurukul).
  5. Part III – First page of Fundamental Rights starts with photographs of Bhagwan Shri Rama along with Ma Sita & Brother Laxman (Scene from the Ramayana of the conquest of Lanka and recovery of Sita by Rama). Interestingly, this image of Ram was used for a verdict (Ram Janmbhoomi dispute) and the court thus declared Rama to be a constitutional entity.
  6. Part IV - Directive Principles of State Policy – It includes scene from Mahabharata depicting Bhagwan Shri Krishna propounding Gita to Arjuna.
  7. Part V - The Union – It contains the image of Buddha’s Enlightenment.
  8. Part VI - The States in Part A of the First Schedule – It contains a scene from Bhagwan Mahavir's life.
  9. Part VII - The States in Part B of the First Schedule – It has scene depicting the spread of Buddhism by Emperor Asoka in India and abroad.
  10. Part VIII - The States in Part C of the First Schedule – A beautiful scene from Gupta Art is incorporated.
  11. Part IX - The Territories in Part D of the First Schedule and other Territories - It includes a scene from Vikramaditya's Court.
  12. Part X - The Scheduled and Tribal Areas - It contains a scene depicting Nalanda University.
  13. Part XI - Relations between the Union and the States – It contains a scene of sculptures from Orissa.
  14. Part XII - Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits – It depicts image of Nataraja, the dancing Shiva.
  15. Part XIII - Trade, Commerce, and Intercourse within the territory of India – It has scene from Mahabalipuram sculptures (Bhagirath’s penance and the descent of Ganga).
  16. Part XIV - Services under the Union and the States – It contains portrait of Akbar with Mughal Architecture.
  17. Part XV - Elections – It portrays Shivaji and Guru Govind Singh.
  18. Part XVI - Special Provisions relating to certain classes – It depicts Portraits of Tipu Sultan and Lakshmi Bai.
  19. Part XVII - Official Language – It contains portrait the Mahatma Gandhiji's Dandi March.
  20. Part XVIII - Emergency Provisions – The picture is on Mahatma Gandhiji’s tour in the riot affected areas of Naokhali.
  21. Part XIX- Miscellaneous - Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and other patriots trying to liberate India from outside India have been illustrated here.
  22. Part XX - Amendment of the Constitution – The scene of the Himalayas is depicted here.
  23. Part XXI - Temporary, and transitional provisions – It contains scene of the Desert.
  24. Part XXII - Short title, commencement, and repeals – It picturises scene of the Ocean.
Hence, it can be realized that the original Indian Constitution is evidence of rich religious and cultural heritage of India.
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Soul (Jiva), its Composition & Attributes

12/24/2021

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Soul (Jiva), its Composition & Attributes
 
God, the universal consciousness along with Souls, the individual consciousness and Matter form an organic whole of the Universe. According to the karma, Jivas get material embodiments as per divine will.
 
Every thought (मनसा, Mansa), every word (वचना,vachna) and every action (कर्मणा, Karmna), good or bad, just goes down and becomes fine, and is there stored up as Samskaras, the impressions and create Karmic account. These impressions of past Karmas cause tendencies and desires. The fulfilment of desires leads to enjoyment and lack of fulfilment leads to sufferings. The cycle of pleasures & pains goes on and Jiva is caught in cycle of birth and death, to reap the fruits his own actions through enjoyments and sufferings. Hence, we become slave of situations. In case, we take decisions based on qualities of soul viz. Love, peace, Happiness, Knowledge, Power, Purity and Bliss and believe the situations are creation of past karma, negative decision and behaviour shall be avoided as a result karmic account or samskara will not be formed.
 
Composition of Jiva:
Jiva in bondage is composed of three bodies’ viz. Causal Body (Karan sarira, innermost), Subtle Body (Sukshma sarira or Linga-sarira, middle) and Gross Body (Sthula sarira, outermost). The details are as under:
  1. Causal Body - Blissful sheath is called as causal body (Karana sarrira). The causal body is merely cause or seed of subtle body and is characterized by ignorance. It contains the impressions (Samskaras) of experiences of past lives and current life.
  2. Subtle Body – Physiological, emotional and intellectual sheaths form the subtle body (suksma sarrira). The subtle body is composed of five subtle elements viz. subtle elements of five organs of perception, five organs of action, five-fold vital forces (Prana), Intellect (Buddhi) and Mind (manas, thoughts). The subtle body grows and develops through egoism, attachment, love, hatred etc.
  3. Gross Body – The physical mortal body (the skeletal sheath) is the gross body (karya sarrira).

Attributes of Jiva:
  1. Jiva is “Svayamprakasa” which means that it shows others and knows itself.
  2. Jiva have attributes of Dharmi-Jnana, Chetanatva (sentiency, perception or feeling), Atmatva (soul nature) and Kartrtva (agency). These attributes are similar to Isvara. Jiva differs from Isvara and matter in the attributes viz. Anutva (atomic nature), Sesatva (being an accessory), Adheyatva (supported-ness), Vidheyatva (dependence), Paradhinatva (subordinate status). Anutva does not mean atomic size but atomic nature. Atomic nature indicates only indestructible individuality and restriction of size which is applicable only to material substances.
  3. Jivas are countless quantitatively.
  4. Qualitative difference - According to Ramanuja and Nibarka, Jivas are qualitatively same. But according to Madhva, Jivas are intrinsically different in spiritual essence as these generate dissimilar and even opposite kinds of results and character patterns. It is this difference that accounts for the performance of actions leading to the accumulation of different types of karma patterns by each Jiva, leading to variations in enjoyments and sufferings and character traits in his life in Samsara. That basic or innate nature will persist in the state of liberation also. In Advaita, Jivahood itself disappears in release when the Jiva realizes his identity with Brahman.
  5. Gradation in capacity - Ramanujacharya, Nimbaracharya and Madhvacharya maintain the doctrine of Taratamya or gradation in capacity of Jivas. The doctrine of Taratamaya easily leads to what is known as Traividhyam or distinction of Jivas in Samsara. Jivas are of three grades viz. Nityasurs, Muktas & Baddhas as per classification done by Ramanuja and as per
  6. Nibarkacharya, four grades viz. Nityamuktas, Muktas, Mumuksus or seekers & Baddhas as under:
 
  1. Nityasuris or Nityamuktas – Jivas which are eternally free ones such as Adi-sesha (serpent bed), Garuda (mount of Sri Vishnu), Visvaksena (chief office of Sri Vishnu), Sudarshana (principal weapon of Sri Vishnu) etc. These jivas have never been in the bondage of karma and samsara, and always been in attendance of God.
  2. Muktas – Jivas which are liberated ones. These Jivas are evolved through all forms of bodies, at last come to the stage of human birth, and eventually attain salvation through concentrated spiritual disciplines, surrender to the divine and divine grace.
  3. Mumuksus or Seekers after liberation – those who are striving for it.
  4. Baddhas or Nitya Baddhas– Jivas who are oblivious to spiritual values and are wallowing in worldliness, are in bondage. They are open to three gateways of Naraka – sexuality, anger and greed. The conceit of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ indulgence in activities arising from fraudulence, cruelty, greed, pride etc. resorting evil company. Having missed the opportunity for higher evolution in human birth, they come back to this world, and get embodiments in animal bodies or among the most undeveloped species of mankind. But those, who gradually evolve, experience births and deaths, according to karma, until they eventually gain salvation at the maturity of evolution.
 
According to Madhva, gradation and the classification each Jiva results from the uniqueness of each Jiva. As a reflection of Brahman every Jiva has in him a modicum of Brahman’s essential features – Sat-Chit-Ananda. But due to their own intrinsic capacities, they share these characteristics in varying degrees only. They all alike have a dependent existence, but their capacity to know vastly varies and their joy much more so. In the state of bondage, the differences in nature of Karma clouding them can easily account for this variation in their intelligence, joy and misery. Madhva classified Jivas in three types viz.
  1. Mukti-Yogyas – Jivas who are receptive to spiritual values, and through repeated embodiments they evolve into better and better person, and finally through concentrated spiritual disciplines and God’s grace gain salvation. They gradually regain their full share of consciousness and bliss when by purifications and the grace of God they become eligible for liberation.
  2. Nitya-Samsarins – Jivas who delight only in worldly values and feel no need for ethical and spiritual life. Reaping the fruits of their own actions they pass through births and deaths eternally.
  3. Tamo-yogyas – Jivas who are positively evil in nature, go on degenerating more and more by their indulgence in evil actions, until the accumulated load of sins finally leads to eternal perdition (punishment). Their capacity of consciousness and bliss is completely effaced and reduced to inertness characteristic of material substances.
 
According to Vallabhacharya system, the classification of the Jivas is according to their varying capacities. The main classes are: Maryada, Pusti and Pravahini, and these have distinct goals to attain at the end of their evolution.
 
  1. Maryada (living within prescribed discipline) and Pusti (highest type in spirituality who receives grace of God) Jivas are of divine nature, and their evolution is towards the Supreme Purusottama whom they are bound to attain in course of time. These Jivas stick to the Vedic disciplines or the path of Yoga or Jnana. Maryada Jivas are at best motivated by the desire for moksha or release from samsara and mergence in the Impersonal Aksara, and they depend on the effort they put in. for them; devotion is only means for this.
  2. Pusti Jivas, devotion is both the means and the end. He practice devotional disciplines but it is more as an expression of his innate inclinations and not as a condition for securing His grace. The purpose of Jivas is the service of God and the Pusti Jiva fulfils this by shunning even Moksha or freedom from transmigration and preferring the service of the God. He becomes eligible for infinitely superior form of Ananda, namely Brahmananda.
  3. Pravahimi Jiva whose inherent nature makes them love the life of Samsara, and they eternally go round and round in cycles of birth and death. Some of these may be only Ajnas (ignorant) Jivas who are tied down to the life of Samsara by bad association, and these may turn to the life of righteousness and piety when they happen to have the association of the good. But the others among them are Durjanas Jivas who are positively evil and wicked and are doomed to eternal darkness.
 
According to the Advaita system of Shankaracharya, Jivas are all similar in their nature and realize their identity with non-dual Brahman ultimately. Ignorance is the cause of bondage, and liberation is attained when ignorance is removed irrespective of whether the body is alive or not. There is no necessity of physical body for attainment of liberation. The body will fall only when the prarabdha karma of the current body is exhausted. But Ramanujacharya does not accept that an embodied person can be liberated. For, according to him, the cause of embodiment is Karma. 
 
When jiva is suppressed by ignorance, its Dharmabhuta-jnana is contracted. When Jiva is liberated, he continues to maintain his individuality, his Dharmabhuta-Jnana expands and becomes merged in that of God.
 
 
Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
 

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Mind that Matters

12/17/2021

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Mind that Matters
As per modern science, brain is the most important part of the human body and functioning of its various parts have been identified. But science of Hinduism has also deeply probed into the mind. Mind is invisible to both the eye and the modern instruments of observations. It is not even made of the brain substances. Though it is an invisible substance, its activities can well be perceived. It is according to Hindu philosophy, a subtle and rarefied material.
 
Mind is a bundle of thought and Man is the product of the sum total of his thoughts. There is a world as long as there is mind. The world ceases to exist as a separate entity when the mind is annihilated. Thoughts are live vibrations. Each thought is a magnet and pulls in its like. Mind is full of energy. It is the author of all actions. The body is only the instrument. Lack of understanding of the inner structure of human is the cause of woes and suffering in domestic, social and political spheres.

Mind takes the form of the thing thought of. The whole universe has its existence due to the presence of the thought behind it. So, we say that in the mind both the external and the internal worlds are held and conditioned. The mind acts as a medium of communication between soul and matter. Man, who has the right mastery of the mind will have a mind full of peace. The mind has to be calmed and for that all sadhanas have to be performed systematically in the kriya manner and method.

The realization of the spiritual unity everywhere is affected by the cessation of all thoughts, or in other words, the utter annihilation of mind. The human in every one is to die, so that divine shall be revealed. This can be done through meditation, which neither means holding the mind in a negative dreamy state, nor on vague abstractions, but necessitates a continuous flow of thought towards the ideal, without any break and with a harmony between reason and emotion.

Genesis of Thoughts:
The mind constitutes the subtle body in every creature and does not die with the death of the body, but goes on along with the soul into another physical body & take re-birth to work and gather further experience through the medium of a subsequent body more suited to its purpose.

In subsequent birth, every child brings with it impressions from past lives in the form of tendencies, which can be classified partly as moral and good ones and others as evil or immoral. The latter are the kleshas (afflictions, poisons) which ought to be modified and sublimated. The problem that one has to face is how to change an undesirable trait of character or how to cultivate a good habit in place of a bad one.
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These tendencies create constant impulses in mind to trigger thoughts and in turn actions which may be negative or positive. The negative thoughts cause Kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment), mada (over pride), matsara (jealousy), swartha (selfishness), adamber (hypocrisy), anyaaya (injustice), ahankara (false ego) etc. The positive thoughts cause truthfulness, self-control, purity, dominance over the senses, simplicity, devotion, service, generosity, equality, tranquility etc.
 
Impulses repeated from an idea. Ideas repeated become an act. Actions repeated become character and character repeated molds the very creator of habit. A word is a vehicle for the thought to express itself. A noble and God like character is not of accident or a chance, but is the natural results of continued effort in right thinking.
 
These negative thoughts and feelings close up the channels of the body and mar the life forces in their flow. If the mind is not properly trained, the gross body will suffer from innumerable diseases. These are devils which crush the mind and injure the body. Poison and secreting cells are developed by them. The free circulation of blood is disturbed.
 
World of Mind:
Though the mind seems to exist in the body or the world, in the real sense, the body and world exist in the mind. The real universe is the occasion of the reaction of the mind and the mind is a mixture of actions and reactions. We generally note that it breaks into two and one half of it stands alongside as the witness, while the ‘other half’ goes on functioning. We have to master the lower mind with the higher mind. To conquer the mind is to conquer the world, since the mind and world are but the observe and reverse of the one and the same thing.
 
Attributes of Mind:
Mind is like sea which is sometimes turbulent, sometimes calm and sometimes silent. Sometimes, it experiences tsunami. Ripples in the sea are like thoughts in mind. When no ripple, no thought.
The mind is collective essence of the five elements (prathivi, jal, vayu, akasha and agni – solid, liquid, gas, space and energy) and compound of three attributes - tamasic (lethargy, dullness), rajasic (activity) and sattvic (rhythm). Mind is the receptacle of senses & factory of thoughts. The three states, instinct, reason and superconscious, (i.e., the unconscious, conscious and superconscious states), belong to one and the same mind. A man works the predominance of one guna alone at a time. When one guna is in play, the other two are at rest. It is thus a man is sometimes found to be dull, sometimes active and sometimes well-balanced. The tamasic nature in man is to be combated and conquered by a rajasic nature and this, in turn by a sattvic nature. And this sattvic guna also is to be dissolved and transcended by us to be ever in perfect unity with the universal consciousness. It is of the highest importance to make the mind lose itself in the infinite.

Functions of Mind:
Mind has four functions – thinking or knowing (Manas), likes or dislikes based on past memories (Chitta), discrimination & decision-making (buddhi, intellect) and I-ness to control other functions (Ahamkara). A man’s will-power is his power to deliberately wish and decide how to act. Passion are strong feelings of likes and dislikes, which rush like an unexpected flood and excite men and women to certain actions, making them to lose control of mind and body. Passions arise from lust, desire, hope and delight in things out of hatred, disgust, fear and anger. Passions are blind. Through will force, the mind and senses can be curbed.
 
Heaven & Hell in Mind:
The strength of the body depends on that of the mind, whose strength, in turn, depends on that of the spirit (Atman). Happiness proceeds from neither woman nor wealth, but from mind. Later the soul is the enjoyer.

Anger, envy, jealousy, malice, worry etc., should not find lodgment in the mind. These are devils which crush the mind and injure the body. Poison and secreting cells are developed by them. The free circulation of blood of the body and mar the life forces in their flow. On the contrary, love, the divine treasure in one and all of us, finds no obstructing reactions anywhere and it expands our little life by remolding the human in each and fashioning every one of us into a child of light (the light of sacchidananda).

We make our heaven or hell on earth by our petty desires and demands and what we do here makes or mars our hereafter. The mind that pursues the steps of its own whims, fancies and caprices is caught in its own cocoon of desires.


Vacuum cleaning of Mind:
  1. Mind is a garden which may be intelligently cultivated or may be allowed to wander aimlessly. If no useful seed is put into it, useless weeds fall therein. Don’t imagine that any of the thought can be kept ineffectual. Thoughts crystalize into habits and solidify into circumstances. Good thoughts bear good fruits and bad thoughts bear bad fruits. Circumstances do not make you but they reveal you. Don’t be bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations. Exclude doubts and fears that distract the straight line of effort. Whatever comes only test you, to measure your strength, to try your mettle. It comes only to lift you up and discipline your soul to be tranquil. Quicken your energy for the realization of self. Make your heart ever bolder and yet kindlier and gentler.
  2. Extirpate every sickly, bitter and impure thought from your mind and wash away every sinful stain from your soul. Live as finely and beautifully in private as in open glare of the world’s noon. Shake off and unload the useless baggage of cumbersome thoughts. Censor every thought of faulty nature and avoid its reactions. Constantly practice right thinking and prove to be a mirror reflecting the illumination of soul sunshine.
  3. Control of mind means really abandoning desires. The monkey-like mind will always be restless, desiring something or other. By killing all desires, ruthlessly, one controls the mind, freeing it from the surging emotions and bubbling thoughts and can attain one-pointedness of mind.
  4. Keep the sharp eyes of viveka and vichara (thoughts) wide open. At times, the man becomes poisoned in the course of his vyavahara. We can prevent the rise of evil, negative thoughts and further strengthen the good ones. The result will be that the negative thoughts will sink deeply into our subconscious mind and from this plane of consciousness still exert a strong influence on our endurance. If by discrimination we learn the basic truth that the atma (Self) and thoughts and feelings (chitta vrittis) are quite different from each other, indeed we have made a great step towards inner freedom and self-mastery and control over thoughts. In moments of surging temptation, the right thing to do is not to reason it out and struggle with it, but rather to be indifferent.
  5. The preliminary wisdom lies in selection of the best environments (Satsanga), company and associations of thoughts and emotions. One must retire periodically from the worldly atmosphere and recourse to satsanga, sadhana, reclusion and meditation. This is the spiritual sanjiva for you to revive yourself and enter the daily spiritual life again without fear. Desire is a great barrier in the path of Self-realization.
  6. The repetition of the mantra removes the dirt of the mind, such as lust, anger, greed, etc. the mantra is a spiritual soap cleansing the mind.
  7. When a balanced mind and equal vision meet all differences, kill the idea of separateness and mix with all, embrace all, love all, serve all, serve the God in them. Be self-disciplined, be simple and harmonious in thought, feelings, diet and dress. Fear none, shake off lethargy, laziness and fear.

Mastering the mind:
  1. In the Mahabharata, Arjuna finds himself in a very critical situation and informs Sri Krishna that the mind is verily restless and turbulent. It is very hard to curb, like the passing wind. The reply was that constant practice united with renunciation, can bring the mind under control. We should not allow the mind to back into vritti or modifications, nor should we identify ourselves with the thoughts that are like ripples or waves in the mind. There should come a period of calmness and tranquillity.
  2. Shree Krishna explained Arjuna in chapter 3 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita that the senses are said to be superior to the body; but superior to the senses is the mind. Superior than the mind is the intellect; and what is superior than the intellect is He, the Self (42). Thus, by knowing Him (Brahman/Shree Krishna) who is superior to the intellect and the mind by reason, one can conquer the desires. It is difficult to conquer desire because it is of a highly complex and incomprehensible nature. But a man of discrimination and dispassion, who does constant and intense Sadhana, can conquer it quite easily (43). (इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥ ३-४२॥ एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना । जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥ ३-४३॥)
  3. The four paths of liberation (Nishkama Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Raja yoga and Jnana yoga) eliminate the negative thoughts and channelize the thoughts towards pure self (Satchitanada).
  4. The repetition of mantra removes the dirt of the mind such as lust, anger, greed etc. The mantra is the spiritual soap cleansing the mind.
  5. “Pratpaksha Bhavana” or thinking of opposite qualities, transfers the battle from conscious plane into subconscious, making the fight less strenuous and less painful so that the struggle is easily gone through and one scathes through the ordeal with no stain in his character.
  6. Upanishad teaches “yad coati tad gati”, i.e., what man thinks that he becomes.

​The person who has the right mastery of the mind, will have a mind full of peace.

Reference: Voice of Babaji – by V T Neelakantan, S A A Ramaiah, Babaji Nagaraj
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Love, the mother of universe

12/3/2021

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Love is a feeling of strong and positive emotional and mental states. Love is commonly contrasted with hate (or neutral, apathy). Love-hate is for creation, maintenance and destruction of this world. Love also has a profound effect on our mental and physical state. A ‘broken heart' or a failed relationship can have disastrous effects; bereavement disrupts human physiology and might even precipitate death. Love can be impersonal (for object, principle, goal etc.) and interpersonal (between human beings).

Among living organisms, the natural love and attraction is the root of reproduction, growth and multiplication. In unicellular organisms, reproduction is asexual wherein the two strands of DNA repel and duplicates; wherein Hate-Love relationship is involved. In multicellular organisms, mostly sexual reproduction takes place due strong attraction between male and female. So, love creates and is responsible for organic growth and multiplications. Dopamine, oxytocin and Serotonin are neurochemicals which help in making love.

Love-Hate also exists in non-living and inorganic matter. The matter is made of minute particles – molecules, atoms, electron, proton, neutron and so on at micro level and Galaxies, stars, planets, moon etc. at macro level. Scientifically, the very basis of their existence and continuously held together are electro-magnetic attraction among these microscopic particles and gravitational force or attraction among galaxies and planetary systems.

Learn to love. Love one. Love all. Love your enemy as much as you could love your friend. Love the mute animals as if they are human. No barriers of family tie, no caste or communal considerations, no territorial boundary should obstruct the even flow of your universal love. No despising of the sinner, no consciousness of superiority towards those who are less advanced, no hatred of the vicious. Love all and lovingly lead them on.

Forms of Love:
Love has different forms, gradations of intensity and facets. Love may be for food, for relationships, for wealth, for particular profession, for wine & narcotics, for opposite sex, for plants & animals, for humanity, for almighty and so on. Magnetic attraction or love may manifest mildly to very intensely. Sometimes, one becomes very possessive for a particular person or thing. Love may germinate due selfish motive or selflessness, though very-very rarely. When selfish love turns into universal love then one sees divinity in all.
 
In Greek language, nine forms of love have classified - Eros (passionate love), Pragma (enduring love), Ludus (playful love), Agape (universal love), Philia (deep friendship), Philautia (self-love), Storge (familial love) and Mania (obsessive love).

In Hinduism, divine love or Bhakti is deeply probed and is one of the four means of salvation or liberation from the cycle of re-births. Various forms of love are explained based on selfish motives and selfless pure love.

1.    Sattvika Love - It is done to attain the almighty. It originates from intellect or Buddhi. When the person doing sattvika love desires Moksha, it is Sagun bhakti. When he loses all the desires of fruit, it becomes Nirgun or Nishkam love. It is pure love for the almighty.
2.    Rajasika Love – It is done to attain worldly comforts.
3.    Tamsika Love – It is done for attaining special powers (siddhis).
4.    Sakamya Love or Gauna Love – It is devotion with desire for material gains.
  1. Ragatmika or Mukhya or primary love or Nishkamya love or Avyabhicharini love or Ananya love – It is devotion without desire for material gains, will purify heart and divine grace will descend on bhakta.
 
Gradations of Love:
Sri Vallabhacharya has explained the different stages of love. Love has ten evolutionary stages of growth –
  1. Shraddha;
  2. Ardour - from Shraddha, ardour (dedication & eagerness) is born;
  3. Prema - when ardour deepens, it is called Prema (love without desire of material gains, without sensual attraction);
  4. Sneha - As Prema grows it is called Sneha (when heart melts in love);
  5. Mana (sensitiveness due to excessive love);
  6. Pranaya;
  7. Raga (eager longing for the object of love);
  8. Anuraga (experience of unceasing novelty in the object of love);
  9. Bhava (ecstatic expression of love) and
  10. Mahabhava (Divine madness). These are stages in the development of love.
 
Love in Hinduism:
  1. As per Narada Sutras, Divine love or Bhakti is the nectar, on attaining which, a person become immortal, perfect and satisfied forever. Bhakti is offering all acts to Him (God). It is self-surrender. There is feeling of highest pain on separation from Him. (Sutra-19). Bhakti should be like Gopikas of Braj with Shree Krishna. (Sutra-21). Complete effacement of the self and at one-ment with the god is crucial test of genuine bhakti. A bhakta is never prompted to love God by any profit-motive.
  2. In Ram Charitra Manas, Sri Rama has explained to Laxman ji near Godavari River in Parnkuti about Maya, Gyan, Vairagia, difference between God & Soul. Sri Rama has described nine forms of divine love (Navdha Bhakti).
  3. Shree Krishna explained in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita that the forms of divine love (Bhakti) are three – Ekatva (based on unity, soul’s oneness with Brahman), Prthaktva (separateness, Brahman is master of all, adoring him as father or husband) and Bahudha (multiplicity, immanent of all being, and service to all beings). Worship of shiva, Vishnu, Devi, incarnations etc. is done with understanding that it the one supreme being who has manifested as all these deities that it is He who is worshipped through them all.
Sri Ramakrishna, the realised saint asked to repeat God’s name and sing His glories, keep holy company; and visit God’s devotees and holy men for God-realization. The grace of God is required. Mere personal effort is futile.

In the Chaitanya school, about twenty characteristics are enumerated as expressions of the unique Divine sentiment of Maha-Bhava in both its phases as love in union and love in separation such as intense longing, inability to bear separation, readiness to bear even intense pain in the interest of the beloved, loss of the sense of time, power to influence one’s environment with the intensity of one’s feeling, loss of sense of self even in normal consciousness, loss of all fear of death and welcoming it as the means for elemental union with Sri Krishna, supra-normal behaviour that looks like ‘Divine Madness’ and so on. The Maha-Bhava is said to have manifested only in Gopikaa and in some divine incarnations like Sri Chaitanya and Sri Ramakrishna.
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God, whether fact or fiction

11/26/2021

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The existence of God may be a subject of debate.  To talk of God is not belief. Man, a finite being consciously feel for something unknown. They begin to unravel the mystery of infinite. They hear from the depth of their soul its irresistible call. Though the human body is finite the heart does not throb to its infinite capacity because the infinite reveals Itself in the inmost recesses of the human heart. It is man who seeks God for its own sake.

What is God:
The difference between man and man and between other animate and inanimate objects lies in the degree of divine manifestation. But there is unity of existence. In fact, at soul level and material level, there is no difference between she or he. It is only temporary appearance which is different. God is both with and without form and yet transcends both. He alone can say what else he is. God with form and God without form are like ice and water. Under the intensifying influence of the deep devotion of his worshipper, the Infinite reduces himself as it were, into the finite and appears before him as a Being with form.

God comes before us in the form of the needy, the sick, the poor, the wretched, is not a stranger to us, at all. Our salvation consists in the salvation of all who are the veritable manifestations of God.

Divine expresses into four cosmic powers – Wisdom, Strength, Harmony and Work – which are the bases of the four types of personality in the human mind. The wisdom of ancient India saw four powers of the creative. God manifests in four types of human beings, and called them as Brahmana, the Kshatirya, Vaishya and Sudra.

Why God:
The thought of God has a wonderful effect on the human soul. It wholly transforms a man’s character. Those who establish them based on the highest purity, unselfishness and intense love. The divine love – in any form whether any deity or guru, gradually grows to perfection.
 
What Hinduism says:
  1. Vedanta says, “I am not this body. I am not this mind. I am distinct from body, mind, sheaths and the three states. I am the Immortal, Infinite Self.” Watch the breath, it repeats Soham – “I am He”, or Shivoham – “I am Shiva”.
  2. The law of karma is one of the fundamental doctrines, not only in Hinduism, but also in Buddhism and Jainism. As a man sows, so shall he reap. All action bears fruit sooner or later, in this life or in coming lives. A virtuous action produces pleasure as its effect. An evil deed causes pain. If you sow the seed of an evil action, you will reap a harvest of pain and suffering. If you sow a seed of virtuous action, you will reap a harvest of pleasure. If you make others happy through service, charity and kind acts, you sow happiness like a seed and it will give fruit of happiness. On the other hand, if you make others unhappy through harsh words, insult, ill treatment, cruel acts, oppression etc., you sow unhappiness like a seed and it will give you the fruit of pain, suffering, misery and unhappiness. This is immutable law of karma.
  3. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita says, one should renounce all desires (including for sex) and attachment and not life and action. Do not slip down into the valley of the senses. Renunciation ought to begin with things nearest and dearest. It is that false ego, which one must give up, viz, the idea that engenders in one this false personality. One, “whoever does the work to be done without resort to its fruits, he is the Sannyasin and Yogi.
How to move to find God:
A man cannot have both enjoyment of monetary sensual pleasures and enjoyment of permanent spiritual bliss. This world is not an illusion. It is a relative realty, while Brahman is an absolute Reality.

Unless the person is purified and become as little child, he shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven i.e., bliss. Purity is freedom from unholy desires. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. The nearer a man approaches his goal, the more he captures his lost purity. He has less and less to conceal. Secretiveness becomes alien to him. A pure soul willingly lets others know. He is not disturbed by the shame of the guilty. His nudity is not nakedness. A pure soul is often an enigma to the worldly-minded. Innocence does not resist evil simply because it does not see it.
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  1. We are deluded about good or evil and caught in the net of the manifold, because of our ignorance. Know yourself and cut off your own cocoon of petty desires and demands.
  2. Pledge yourself to the observance of ahimsa, satyam and brahmacharya (non-violence, truth and celibacy) to the best of your ability.
  3. Make a strong resolve to lead virtuous life, to do good, to be good and serve your neighbours.
  4. On the basis of strong will and firm determination, a state of high purity is attained by the effulgence of spiritual practices. Sadhana or spiritual practice is the cessation of wandering, the return from aberration, in order to rest in one’s native home. This requires great viveka and vichara shakti, true renunciation and persistent practice.
  5. Vairagya is burning the boats, cutting the last thread od attachment with the world. Real vairagya is an attitude of the mind, a state of self, and the externals like the ochre robe or the recourse to forests are but accessories and not essentials. Vairagya is not a negative withdrawal from the world, but a positive approach towards reality. Renunciation alone can make you fearless and happy.
  6. One has to annihilate his ego until he finds God in all beings. Intuition is direct awareness of reality.
  7. See that humanity receives from you something in return for what it gives you. Regain the rapturous serene light of self-realization by living beyond the body. See God, the only Truth. Tear through the veil of appearances. Look through. Feel yourself identified with truth and sing songs of joy in Godhead. Seek no more for God somewhere, but see him everywhere. Equip yourself with four means: practice, hearing, reflection and meditation.
  8. “Arise, awake and sleep not till the goal reached” – this was the clarion call of Swami Vivekananda. The first step is always to overcome inertia (inactivity, lethargy) by setting in a tremendous activity, next control, followed by calmness, and finally going to the source, from which it started.
It is conscious union with the divine, but it is also the divinization of the material body itself. You are part of Divinity. Feel it, realize it and all ties will drop away and you will be free.
 
Reference: Voice of Babaji – by V T Neelakantan, S A A Ramaiah, Babaji Nagaraj
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Science in Sanskrit Syllables

11/4/2021

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Science in Sanskrit Syllables
According to NASA, Sanskrit is the most scientific language, suitable to develop computer programming for their Artificial Intelligence program. The grammar also makes Sanskrit suitable for machine learning and even artificial intelligence. The first research paper published in this regard was by NASA scientist Rick Briggs in 1985. In Germany, 14 of the top universities teach Sanskrit. North America - primarily the US - has the largest number of Sanskrit academic institutions. Sanskrit is taught in several other countries such as Russia, Japan etc.

Sanskrit is co-original with the Vedas. The Vedas cannot be studied without the six Vedangas of which the first three deal with the spoken aspects of the language. These are Siksha (how to pronounce the letters of the syllables), Vyakarna (grammar, meaningful word formations), and Niruktam (certain fundamental root words). The fourth, Chandas describes the formation of sentences in metrical form. The remaining two Vedandas are Kalpa and Jyothisha, deal with space and time.
 
What is Akshara:
It is fascinating to trace the science in Sanskrit syllables. Traditionally, syllables (not letters) in Sanskrit are called Akshara, meaning "imperishable (entity)": "atoms" of speech, as it were. Akshara denotes the set of letters of Sanskrit. Akshara (aksha + ra) represents the A to Z of the wheel of creation itself which is characterized by the union of Shakti (aksha) and Shiva (ra) respectively. The sounds and thoughts which manifest from the mantras and sacred syllables (bijaksharas) reflect the power of speech and the power of thought which grows exponentially when they are illuminated by the light of Shiva or intelligence.
 
Science in Akshara:
Each akshara is mapped to a concept or significance. The collection of aksharas could form a set of concepts forming a ‘periodic table’ and by stringing Aksharas in suitable order and composition, one could use sound as a very powerful tool. Select words and seed Mantas (Bijaksharas) in Sanskrit are then interpreted using this conceptual basis. The concept and significance of each Sanskrit syllable has been properly dealt with in an article named - Akshara – The Forgotten Periodic Table by Sai Venkatesh Balasubramanian and Gomathi Balasubramanian.
 
The sound of akshara does not ever get destroyed. There are two aspects of non-destruction:
  1. the aksharas retain their sound.
  2. the aksharas retain their individual meanings in composed words. For example, the word "guru" - one who dispels darkness (ignorance) of the mind (person). "gu" means darkness and "ru" means the act of removal.
 
Number of Aksharas:
Aksharas are classified mainly into two types: Svara and Vyanjana. A consonant derives its name from the sound when the basic vowel "a", is sounded with the consonant. In Sanskrit and in other Indian languages, each consonant has a generic form in which its pronunciation will not have any vowel sound associated with it.
  1. Svara (pratyahara aC): Vowel – 5 short vowels, 8 long vowels & 2 support vowels. Svara akshara: are also known as prana akshara; i.e., they are main sounds in speech, without which speech is not possible. Panini referred to svara as ac pratyahara. Later they became known as ac Akshara.
  2. Vyanjana (pratyahara haL): Consonant – these are 33 in number. The grouping is based on the natural ordering of sounds such as Guttural, Palatal, Cerebral, Dental & Labial (five each). The last one has ten syllables.
  3. Guttural (Velar - 5) - Using the back of the tongue against the soft palate.
  4. Palatal (5)- Using the flat of the tongue against the back of the hard palate.
  5. Cerebral (Retroflex - 5) - Using the tip of the tongue against the top of the hard palate
  6. Dental (5) - Using the tip of the tongue against the top front teeth.
  7. Labial (5) - Using the lips.
  8. Semi-vowels (4), Sibilants (3) & Aspirate (1).
3.   Swarayukta-vyanjan¡ni – Consonants with vowels - Any of the consonants can form a syllable with any of the vowels. Each vowel has a special shape associated with it for use with a combining consonant. This is known as a "matra" or simply vowel extension. A matra, when added to the basic shape of a consonant, results in a syllable consisting of the consonant and the vowel.
  1. Samyukta-vyanjan¡ni – Conjunct consonants - It represents a syllable made up of two or more consonants from the basic set.
Vasishiha presents a Sanskrit syllable of 68 letters, Panini suggests that there are 63 or 64 letters. Atreya counts 59 letters, while Apishali and Pari list 56 letters each. The Taittirya Pratishakhya presents 51 letters which include 48 aksharas used now-a-days.
 

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Stress or Tension

10/29/2021

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Picture
Stress or Tension
 
Stress or tension is an inevitable part of a busy, modern life. Stress by definition is, “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension”. Stress is not always harmful since increased stress results in increased productivity. During stress, body responds by releasing hormones that increase your heart and breathing rates and ready your muscles to respond.

As per research done (07.08.2014) by American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress, major causes of stress are job related, money, health, relationships, poor nutrition, digital or media overload and sleep deprivation. These causes include job related - co-worker tension, bosses, work overload; money – loss of job, retirement, medical expenses; Health – health problems, chronic illness; Relationships – fights with spouse or other relations, death of spouse, divorce, loneliness; Poor nutrition; digital or media overload – TV, internet, social networking; Sleep deprivation etc.

Nearly 9 in 10 Indians suffer from stress. As per findings of the 2018 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey - Future Assured, conducted by Cigna TTK Health Insurance, show that stress levels are higher in Indian compared with other developed and emerging countries. 95 per cent of Indian millennials between the age group of 18-34 are stressed compared to the global average of 86 per cent.

Why Stress:
Stress is, “a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” The root cause of stress is uncertainties. Fears, hatred, dislike, jealousy etc. are accumulated since birth and cause disruptive interaction with others. Much of the discontentment or stress is also due to behaviour of others and disruptive interactions.
 
Every psycho-physiological disturbance, every negative and destructive emotion causes conflict in the brain. This interferes with the normal tonic rhythm of the muscles and keeps them in an abnormally high state of stress. This over-activation of the muscles without the corresponding muscular activity results in a continual drain of energy from the body.
 
Impact of chronic stress:
Chronic stress can cause a variety of symptoms and affect your overall well-being. Symptoms of chronic stress include: irritability, anxiety, depression, headache, insomnia etc. Continuous mental tension leads to excessive muscular fatigue which ultimately results into chronic fatigue. Due to this, there continued drain of energy from the body. The digestive system, circulatory and respiratory systems have to work harder to provide more energy. Eventually, the body become less efficient and general health of body declines. Often there is a breakdown of one or more of these organs leading to ailments such as arthritis, coronary problems, constipation, asthma and so on. The endocrine system also suffers.
Further, emotional responses due to tension, automatically inject adrenalin into the bloodstream which causes contraction of muscles, contraction of blood vessels, increases the heart and respiratory rates, speeds up the thought processes and so on. Injection of adrenalin in bloodstream is warranted only during emergencies. But modern living abuses the emergency response system and eventually leads to malfunctioning of various organs and inefficiency. This is the precise reason of life style diseases – diabetes, cardiac stroke, BP, ulcers, brain stroke and so on.
 
Stress & Hinduism:
Memory is storehouse of past experiences which determine reactions in the similar situations. Hence, the mind is conditioned. These past experiences are stored as impressions (sanskars) and vasanas (deep-rooted desires) in sub-conscious realms. These impressions form the attitudes which are continuously updated in the light of new experiences.
Impressions stored in subconscious realms in the form of Prejudices, complexes, fears, etc. filter the incoming data. The perceptions from external situations sent through sensory nerves are processed in the subconscious realms of the mind in the light of impressions stored there. We have several prejudices such as some generally see good points of their favourite friends or relatives, whereas worst points of others; etc.

People have inherent fears. People have different fears such as fear of death, fear of failures fear from heights, fear from lonely or dark place etc. People are born with certain complexes such as undue attachment with the parent of opposite sex (Oedipus/Electra Complex), person views themselves as having God-like powers (God Complex), person that believes they are better than everyone else (Superiority Complex), person that always blames things that go wrong on themselves (Guilt Complex), person wants to be centre of attention (Hero Complex) etc.

  1. Attitudinal Changes - To modify the programming of sub-conscious mind and to bring attitudinal changes, the following methodology is suggested by spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar:
    1. Expectation reduces joy.
    2. Whatever you resist, persist.
    3. Living in present moment.
    4. Accept people and situations as they are.
    5. Don't see intentions in other's mistake.
    6. Opposite values are complimentary.
    7. Don't become football of other's opinion.
    8. Put your 100%.
    9. Don't blame self, don't blame others.
    10. Don't pour cold water other's enthusiasm.
 
Swami Satyananda Saraswati ji formulated following codes:
  1. Accept yourself fully. Don’t worry about your deficiencies and limitations.
  2. Accept others fully, and then they will also start accepting you.
  3. Watch your habituated reactions. Most people react without application mind. 
  4. Critically analyse the causes of unhappiness or discontentment.
  5. Try to live present moment as fully as possible. Enjoy every action.
  6. Don’t identify yourself with your actions, body or mind.
  7. Be more transparent in expressing your feelings to others. Hiding inner feelings such as guilt secret create stress.
  8. Everyone has unrealized potential waiting to be tapped.
  9. Treat difficult people and teachers as the greatest teachers.
  10. Try to put yourself in others people’s shoes.
  11. Yogic relaxation techniques - These have been found clinically useful in reducing psycho-physiological disturbances. These techniques involve in quieting of thought processes. Relaxation process is not closing of eyes and brood over problems. It is shutting off thoughts at a conscious level. This brings much needed rest from influx of sensory data from the body and the outside world. The amount of benefit gained from relaxation techniques is in direct proportion to the degree of mental awareness on the practice. Awareness on different parts of the body, or whatever, as prescribed by the practice, removes stress and fear. Reduction in thought process and mental conflicts reduces injection adrenalin into the blood system. 
  12. Pranayama - Breathing pattern has direct link between tension, nervousness and neurosis. Mental tension tends to cause tightness in the muscles of the abdomen, chest and stomach. Pranayama practises accentuate the movements of these parts of the body and loosens them up. Thus, in turn, induces a degree of physical and mental relaxation. Correct breathing through pranayama, will help to release pent-up emotional blocks and tensions. A rhythmical breathing process leads to a harmonized peaceful mind.
  13. Deconditioning of mind – Since birth we have been conditioned and trained to act spontaneously in automatic way to the given situations. This impulsive behavior is ingrained and deep rooted as habits and actions. But every situation is different. Yoga aims to slowly remove fixed and rigid habits, dogmas and conditioning, so that the individual is adaptable to new situations and perfectly receptive to new experiences. Meditative practices slowly remove the conditioning and habits and revert the mind to the original & normal functioning. In daily life, one should try to reflect on one’s actions.
  14. Desensitization – Choose a convenient method which will induce the greatest relaxation. When one is relaxed, he must create a picture of the object of his fear. At first, he may experience great fear. If the fear becomes too great than of course discontinue the practice. But if possible, face the problem and totally confront the object of the fear. Practice it for a few minutes.  Repeat the practice on daily basis until such time as he experiences absolutely no emotional response whatsoever.
  15. Autosuggestion – Autosuggestion is the driving force behind our actions in life. It is a powerful tool for eradicating and neutralizing mental problems.​
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