Guru-Purnima 2008
Om Sri Sadgurudevaaya Namaha
Guru-Mahima
Sab Dharti Kagaz Karoon, Lekhan Karoon Ban Raye
Saat Samundra Ki Masi Karoon, To Guru Gun Likha Na Jaye
Sant Kabir, in these words, expresses the incapability in writing the glories of His Guru - even if the entire earth is taken as the paper, all the big trees become the pens and the water of the seven seas become the ink.
Our Gurudev is the axis around which our world revolves but being lesser mortals we are unable to describe His glories. We nevertheless make a humble effort to convey our deepest reverence for the Divine Feet. A messenger of peace and love, of truth and honesty, Gurudev’s way of life is exemplary. Every action that he undertakes, every gesture of his has something to teach us. He insists that there are no shortcuts to attain the Parabrahman. Rich or poor, everyone has to traverse the path in the same manner. Baba never gives; He reaches you to a point where you desire nothing. He never instructs; He directs.
Sri Guru-Gita stresses on the importance of paada-puja of the Guru. The charan has been given the utmost importance in the saasthraas. Meditating on the Sri Charan can reach one to a higher plane. Just as listening to Baaba speak or just being with Him is an experience, meditating on Baba's feet is an equally overwhelming experience. The feet are the reflection of Baba's ideals - simplicity and honesty. Just as one can witness His aura when he talks, one can also witness the aura of His feet and it keeps on growing as it starts emitting more and more energy. Kripa incessantly flows from the Divine Feet. Baba’s divine feet are as pure as the Lotus. No negativity can ever touch them. They always glow, they always emit light and they are so powerful that any form of impurity touching them is immediately purified. Baba’s feet emit knowledge; there is so much of jnaana stored in every particle of the charan-raj that you feel overwhelmed when you touch His feet. To remove the dust which covers the knowledge within us, we need the dust from Baba’s feet. To take the dust from Baba’s feet, to do charan-sparsha, is to be fortunate enough to do sewa. To do sewa is to follow His ideals, to follow the path shown by Him, without any doubts, any questions.
Wherever the charan does the sparsha, that area is energised. Charan-raj is precious, charan-raj is full of energy, charan-raj has the power to Heal. Wherever Baba’s feet walk, wherever Baba’s feet touch, they leave messages of strength, confidence and determination. You do not require pancha-dravya to do abhisekha of Baba’s feet. The jala, which is poured on Baba’s feet, immediately turns to nectar, for amritha always flows from the Divine Charan! As we just sang the Abhinandanam, the Divine Feet are the sangam of Ganga and Jamuna. Worship His Feet daily; meditate on His charan and the nectar which flows is enough to take you across the bhavasaagara!
This Divine Soul continues to serve the society in different ways. A Reiki, psychic and maantrik healer, Gurudev heals physically, mentally and spiritually and transforms his disciples even when they are unaware of it. Whether one recognizes or not he is the force behind all that happens or does not happen. Aura reading, scanning and personal counselling, are some of the ways in which he guides all those who come to him with faith. He also heals through release of past life regression and emotional let-out exercises.
People from all over are drawn to Him – some by merely interacting with Baaba through the internet, some after listening to His Glories from friends and some after being lucky enough to get an opportunity to attend one of the His pravchan’s. Gurudev’s bi-weekly classes on the noble scriptures for more than ten years have brought about transformation in His disciples. Each class brings a new meaning to another simple word like spirituality or words like ignorance and ahimsa. Listening to Baba’s interpretation of words like ahimsa and ignorance evokes a lot of thought and arouses contemplation.
While Baaba’s commentary on Bhagwad Geeta is available in the form of DVD, very recently Bhagwad Geeta chants in Baaba’s own voice has been released on audio CD and is available here for sale. Several scriptures, on which Gurudev’s pravachan has been documented, have been published and are available for sale. MasterPieces – a compilation of inspirational messages has been received well. People and corporations have been buying this to distribute as gifts for different occasions. Within the first six months, over 3000 copies of MasterPieces have been sold. The website too is updated regularly. Another compilation of some disciplines to be observed is being distributed today which is meant for beginners who have the yearning to live life the Vedantic way. Free downloads of this will be available from the website – www.spiritualgrowth.org.in.
Gurudev can feel the yearning in a disciple’s heart. He lavishes grace at all who surrender at his feet. Baba is truly the personification of dedication, devotion, emancipation and enlightenment. To such a Guru we pray ardently again in Sant Kabir’s words –
Aisa Khel racho mere Daata
Jit dekhoon Ut Tuhi--Tu….Tuhi--Tu....Tuhi--Tu
Om Sri Gurobhyom Namaha!
Guru-Purnima this year was observed on the 18th July 2008. Abhinandanam for this Divine Soul sprang instantly from within and we the seekers felt incapable of welcoming Baaba and Maa. Disciples on this occasion come from far and near to convey their reverence.
After the abhinandanam and paada-puja, Baaba blessed the gathering with words of divinity. Amidst the chanting of bhajans and glories of The Divine Soul, disciples came forward to submit themselves at the Divine Feet.
Baaba's message to the humanity after the paada-puja in the evening
Purnima (full moon), according to sashtras and the Vedas, denotes purnathaa (fulfillment/completeness). Guru Purnima hence means purnathaa of the jnanam (knowledge), purnathaa of bhakthi (devotion) and purnathaa of shraddha (dedication). Anyone who has taken birth in this world has done so only to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death. While the purpose is to get liberated we keep on getting entangled in it. At the same time, since we all desire to attain liberation, knowingly or unknowingly all that we perform is only to attain moksha (liberation). We want mukthi from this sharira (body), karma mukthi, krama mukthi, vidya mukthi, jnana mukthi- liberation from everything.
Liberation comes through the dharmik way of living. Dharma, artha, kaama and moksha have the purushaaratha and through which the sanathana way or the dharmik way of living has to be followed. Sanathana dharma is ateeva purana and ateev naya – the latest as well as the oldest. Dharmik way of living implies to work through the jnanam (knowledge). All our efforts is to attain the Brahma saakshaatkaaram because we are all trying to acquire jnanam and through jnanam attain the Brahma saakshaatkaaram. Brahma saakshaatkaaram does not come from the external. A grahsatha (a householder) lives in this world, executes karmas, takes care of his family and surroundings – all these activities are meant to fulfill the karmas that have been accumulated as vasanas (desires) created by you in the previous birth, or in this birth or maybe in a number of previous births.
People suffer; people have kastha and dukha (problems and difficulties). There is no human being on this earth who has no sufferings irrespective of the fame and wealth one may have. Why do people have kastha and dukha? It is nothing but the karma phala (results of actions) and the vasanas that we have acquired. While executing karmas we are not aware of what we are doing and we do not realize that it will rebound back to us. When we criticize or malign someone else or when we try to hurt or inflict pain on others we always try to do it under cover or try to hide our actions. We do not know that all these come back to us in some form or the other at some point of time. It is definitely going to cause us pain. We forget this because when we get wealth, fame and power, for some time we become intoxicated. We lose balance; we are not in jaagrathavastha (waker state).
Jaagrathavastha does not mean to keep the eyes open. Adi Shankaracharya said this world is a dream and all that you see is a dream. Whether you keep your eyes open or closed you dream, only the physical position changes. You are either sleeping or keeping your eyes open. This is not the dharmik way of living. Sanathana dharma implies to live in the jaagrathavastha. Be aware, be alert. The question then arises how to be alert or how to be in the jaagrathavastha? You become intoxicated with anything that influences your mind. To be alert is to be constantly firm and balanced without getting agitated. Jaagrathavastha is that situation when there are no agitations or preoccupations of the mind, when there are no thoughts. The thoughts are your own creations and thoughts arise in the mind due to some previous experience. It could be in this janma or some previous janma. The dharmik way of living is to follow the sanathana dharma, which means to be always in the jaagrathavastha.
In jaagrathavastha one will always follow the principles of ahimsa. Ahimsa has been wrongly interpreted by many. What is ahimsa? People think that not disturbing others or not killing something is ahimsa. In Sanskrit it is A-himsa. So-HAM or HIM-Sa – HAM-SO is the prana that travels in you. HAM_SO or SO_HAM. Ahimsa has started from A_HAM_SO – or A_SO_HAM which means without HAM and SO. This means the situation when prana (life force energy) stops traveling within you. This is ahimsa. This does not mean that you are not surviving or that you are dead. In the physical sense we should be dead, the sharira should be dead. When we create agitations to the mind, agitations to the athma, it is himsa. You give problems to your self and this is the biggest himsa possible. One who causes problems for his own athma is the one who gives problems to others also. One gets used to the practice of inflicting atrocities on one’s self thereby creating negative karmas and does himsa against others.
Sometimes even when we think we are doing good can actually be an act of himsa for others. For instance, providing monetary help to someone in times of need may not always be ahimsa. The other person may use this money for his own destruction. He may use it for drugs or alcohol or any other destructive material. In such a case is it not himsa done? This cannot be called ahimsa; it is himsa. Bringing problems and difficulties for others and for the self is the biggest himsa. One who can keep himself in the absolute ahimsa status is the one who follows the sanathana dharma. How is it possible to maintain this? Is it possible to be in sanathana dharma and be in ahimsa? From where did you acquire words that inflict pain on others? How did you acquire the hatred for others or anger against others? Even a small child who has not even started school yet expresses hatred. You try calling him to you he would expression aversion. This means such expressions do not require formal education. This emotion of hatred is inborn and possibly he has attained it from the previous janma or from the previous karma phala. Even if something is bad, even if someone is bad, the expression should not hurt the other person. This should always be with love. You can scold with love at the appropriate time in the right manner. Again, ahimsa does not mean not killing. Even killing is because of karma phala. Butchers butcher the animals and by selling the flesh of the animals they earn their livelihood. Then this should be the biggest himsa but no, this is their karma phala and may not be himsa at all. He is executing his karmas. The dharmik way of living is totally different. In the dharmik way of living one has to follow the principles of sanathana dharma, the purushaartha has to be followed and it has to be with shraddha and bhakthi.
As I said on Guru Purnima, the Purnima is the completeness of the jnanam. Sanathana dharma explains and reaches you to purnathaa. All our scriptures insist on purnathaa of jnanam. The second Shiva Sutra says jnanam bandaha. Incomplete knowledge or the process of learning, be it in spiritualism or materialism, is a bandaha. It is an obstacle for our growth – jnanam bandaha. Jnanam should be complete because only when you attain purnathaa, jnanam has value. You have reached the purnathaa. Today being Guru Purnima, the true disciples or the true sadhak (seekers) should vow to attain purna (complete) jnanam. This is meant for the true sadhaks - not those who are interested in siddhi (powers) to perform magic because siddhi can be attained by anyone – anyone who struggles for it can attain the siddhi of showing or producing something. These come through practice, by chanting of mantras or thapasya. In kaliyuga most people appreciate the siddhas because the common man is interested in miracles or in getting some remedies for small day-to-day problems. This is not the way to attain true saakshaatkaaram; that is not counted as Brahma saakshaatkaaram. We must remember that the purpose of our birth is Brahma saakshaatkaaram. We are all born to have liberation from this cycle of births and deaths. We want mukthi from the life, from the karmas. To attain liberation from the karmas we have to do such karmas that do not create further karmas.
Another sutra from the Shiva Sutras is Chaitanyam Athmanaha – athma is the greatest chaitanyam. Chaitanyam is that power one attains when one reaches the knowledge beyond the knowledge. To know what is knowledge is the knowledge beyond the knowledge. To know what is knowledge, to know what Brahman is, to know what sharira is, to know what mana is, to know how the thoughts are created, to understand how karmas create negative results, is chaitanyam. I often get people confessing that even though they have not harmed anyone, why are they suffering? Naturally, every murderer thinks he has not done anything wrong. Whatever he considered right, he has done. He murdered someone because that person deserved it. If I know it was wrong I would not do it. We all have justifications for our actions. So, even when we think we have not harmed anyone, knowingly or unknowingly you might have done it at some point. Let us presume that you have not done anything wrong in this janma. What about the previous lives? Today you might be suffering, tears might be flowing down but think of the time when you committed something wrong? We never think of that because we are concerned only with our pleasures and happiness. We should not be scolded by any one or be troubled by anyone! Everyone should listen to me or pay heed to my instructions!! I speak the truth and that is the sanathana dharma and that is Parabrahma!!! This is the attitude that we have but this is not correct. The Vedantic way of living is absolutely necessary. The sufferings that you undergo is called bhogana – experiencing. Whatever you experience is the result of your own karmas. Please remember one big truth in this world – nobody can trouble you, nobody can promote you or help you. You alone can help your self.
Udyamo Bhairavaha – again from Shiva Sutra means udyamo (your own efforts) and Bhairava is another name for Bhagwan Shiv – the Supreme personality. The Supreme personality, the Parabrahma is Shiv. Shiv means infinite. Shiv is not that aakaara (form) that you see. Sham iti shivaha – sham is that which is not known, that which is beyond the knowledge, that which is Parabrahman. This is Shiv from which the entire existence has come. Shiv is beyond the existence; the existence has come from Shiv. From the existence the jivathmas have been created. The Aitareya Upanishad describes how the jivathma has been created from the athma to the athman and from the athman the antahkarana, the mana and the indriyas – the panchendriyas, the karmendriyas and the dharmendriyas have been created. These are the executing agencies that promote you from the athma to Paramaathma. While executing the karmas through the indriyas through mana and antahkarana, through udana, through the athma, you reach the true athman - the athman which is born in you, which is present in everyone, which is a part of the Paramaathma, which is the Supreme, which is the existence.
Many people say that we want to attain the God. We want to attain the Paramaathma is the language used in many places. Nobody can attain the God or attain the Paramaathma because we are in the Paramaathma. When you are in the existence how you can attain the existence? How can you posses the existence? You are a part of the existence but only thing is that we should realize the existence. We should realize the Paramaathman.
Today being the Purnima, I would like to say something about the Gurus. The true Sadguru is that who has attained the saakshaatkaaram. This is because the one who has attained the saakshaatkaaram, one who has realized the Brahma saakshaatkaaram, who is the Paramaathman, can alone lead you to Paramaathman. The one who is yet traveling towards the Paramaathma cannot lead you to the Paramaathman. He will only be a co-passenger. When you travel with the one who does not know the destination, one who presumes the destination, you are merely traveling with the presumption. It is like a trial and error method – if you are lucky you may reach the destination through that path. If you do not reach the destination you too sink along with that Guru. It is a very sincere effort towards destruction. So we must go with the true personalities, true Parabrahman, one who has the athma saakshaatkaaram.
How can we identify the Guru who has attained the athma saakshaatkaaram? There is no signboard that I have the saakshaatkaaram, please follow me! ‘Follow me’ is instructed by those who do not want others to see his face, so just follow!! Do not follow the Guru; be in front of the Guru. Be courageous, be honest. People do not like to sit in the front out of fear. Do not be a follower. Be a part of the Guru. No true Guru, no athma saakshaatkaari, no true Parabrahman likes someone to follow him. Here following means to just follow without knowing anything.
As I just said, have courage. Courage is to have dhairyam. This is one of the 64 kalas (qualities) explained by Bhagwan Krishna in Bhagwad Gita. Jumping down from the 16th floor of a building does not require dhairya. Dhairya is to be in the presence of the truth. In kaliyuga most people have the dhairya to be in the presence of the untruth or lie. They follow that. One of the qualities is to be in dhairya. Dhairya is to be in the presence of the God, to be in the presence of the truth, in presence of the sathya, to be in the presence of the athma saakshaatkaaram, to be in the presence of the existence, to be in the existence, to have the dhairya to transform himself towards the sanyaasa, towards the athma saakshaatkaaram, to be the jnani. When I use the word sanyaasa many people wonder what it really means. Sanyaasa is not necessarily moving away from the normal life and living in the Himalayas. Those living in the Himalayas have reached much higher level of understanding than us but sanyaasa can be practiced and attained even as a householder.
In the olden days people took to vaanaprastha - prasthaanam (departure) to the vana (forest). This was done because vana is a quiet place where meditation is easy and one can be away from the materialistic living. Today vana is not required and besides vana is clearing up and being replaced by buildings and habitation! People name their high rises as Vana-niwas which has 64 floors. They also provide a lift to carry you but this can only reach you up to the 64th floor. Beyond that there is no lift. It is a big fall from there. Spiritual please understand that sanyaasa is a mental status and it is not necessary to go to the vana.
Identifying the Guru who has the athma saakshaatkaaram may sound difficult for some because this too is based on the previous karmas. Had you walked seriously on the spiritual path in the previous life you would definitely have attained such a Guru in this birth also. Guru does not change in every janma. He may have a different physical form and shape but the athma never changes. If you can look within you would understand that your Guru has been the same in every janma. The same Guru teaches you in every janma. According to the sashtras there is only one Guru in the universe – Parabrahma, Param saakshaatkaaram – Bhagwan Shiv is the only Guru. None other than the Param saakshaatkaaram can explain to us. The true Guru is just one and he is the Parabrahman. That Parabrahman has come down to the earth in the form of several avataras.
Avataras are equal to the Paramaathman, Parabrahman. This can be better understood through an example. Suppose you take a glass of water from the Arabian Sea – the quality and the chemical analysis of the water in the glass and the Arabian Sea is the same. Only the shape and form differs. One is contained in the glass and the other in the ocean. The characteristics remain the same and what is contained in the glass is an avatara. The avataras are the projection of the lord, projection of the Paramaathman. It is a projection from the existence. You are also a projection of the existence or the Paramaathman but unfortunately you are unable to identify your self as your own Guru, as your own Bhagwan.
What does the Guru do? A Guru awakens the Guru within you. Each individual is his own Guru and listens to himself alone. You may receive innumerable advises from others but you do not pay heed to them. You listen to what you want to hear, which signifies that you are your own Guru. As I said in the beginning, to be alert is to be in the jaagrathavastha. When the antaraathma is alert, the Guru within you, the one who teaches inside you, the one who is accepting and directing you, is in jaagrathavastha, in the awakened state. This wakening state is important because this opens towards the Paramaathman. Even though every jivathma is a part of the Paramaathma, the jivathma has taken birth to fulfill the vasanas. We have to exhaust these vasanas through fulfillment of the karmas in this janma and liberate ourselves from these vasanas. To attain liberation from these karmas we need the support of the Paramaathma, we need jnanam. Hence we need to be alert towards the Paramaathman.
Jnanam bandaha should not be there. Ardha jnanam (incomplete knowledge) is bandaha (obstacle). We remain under the illusion that we know everything and because we have performed the puja well Bhagwan will definitely be pleased. We convince and justify that our puja is the best as we spend two or three hours in front of the God, offer flowers, naivedyam and many other things. Yes, I am the best pujari in the world but I am not able to derive any benefits! You can have the certificate of the best pujari in the world but you will not get mukthi or moksha. In order to have mukthi or moksha you have to acquire the jnanam.
Jnanam is not the formal education as we generally understand. It is the Parabrahma jnanam, the Parabrahma thathwam, Parabrahma saakshaatkaaram. For a Guru, his paada, his third eye or the ajna chakra, the sahasrara chakra are all jnanam. The sharira and mana of the Guru live in the Parabrahma thathwa; jnanam is constantly emitted through the paada of the Guru and through the ajna and the sahasrara chakra. A Guru should be a Parabrahma saakshaatkaari and if he is a Parabrahma saakshaatkaari, he is an embodiment of knowledge. He is the prateek (representation) of jnanam. One who is made of jnanam he can reflect nothing but jnanam. He has no control over it. When a lamp emits light it does not have any control over it. You switch it on, it gives you the light. The flow of light is not obstructed by any pillar or wall. Similarly, the jnanam in the Guru continuously reflects and flows. There are no restrictions and he has not imposed any restrictions on anyone or forbidden anyone from receiving it. If you keep your eyes close you will not be able to see the light. If you keep your eyes open you can see the light. Similarly, when you are with the Guru, when you in front of the Guru you can see the light, you can become the Guru.
Through the scriptures you attain the jnanam and for this shravana (listening), manana (conceiving) and dhynam (contemplation) are the basic karmas required in the beginning. Shravana is not through the ears but through the mind. We always talk in this language – read mindfully or listen carefully with attention or speak consciously. What it amounts to is that the mind has to be involved in every action and it has to be done with full consciousness. These actions of speaking or talking are not through the throat or the mouth. It is not a physical activity. At times people do speak just externally without any feelings or without meaning it but others can recognize this. What comes from the throat or the mouth may not be true. It has to be a reflection from the athma.
One has to become like the Guru. The observance of Guru Purnima is meant for the disciple to become a jnani, a bhaktha and shraddhavaan like the Guru. One cannot attain this alone and hence requires the blessings of the Guru. The disciple has to be with the Guru to attain the athma saakshaatkaaram. We need some assistance to climb up; we may need a ladder to attain certain heights. No problems. We can take the help of the ladder and the ego should not be an obstruction here. The Purnima is meant for the disciple to become like the Guru. Another importance of Guru Purnima is because Veda Vyaasa has also compiled the Brahma Sutras on this day. This is why it is also known as Guru Purnima. Veda Vyaasa has expanded the Vedas and in the form of scriptures it has been made available to us for learning and through them attaining the Parabrahma saakshaatkaaram.
Even for the grahastha jivana Parabrahma saakshaatkaaram is very essential. We do everything only to attain mukthi from karmas. For this we need to walk on the path of mukthi and not on the path of karmas. There is a scripture called Sri Rama Gita. After Bhagwan, Mata Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya and Sri Ram had taken charge of the kingdom he was forced to send Mata Sita to the forest. Lakshman went and dropped her to the Valmiki Ashram. Lakshman is the greatest bhaktha of Bhagwan. For Lakshman Bhagwan Ram is not just a brother but was his swami and Guru. When Sri Ram was sitting alone after this, Lakshman goes up to him and says that while staying with Bhagwan for so many years he (Lakshman) has exhausted the karmayoga. So Lakshman requests for the easiest method to overcome the saagara (ocean) of this difficult life, the problem life. He wanted to know how to come out of this or get mukthi from this bhavasagaara (ocean of delusions). Lakshman felt that he had executed his karmas in the right manner and exhausted the vasanas. He then sought guidance how to attain mukthi. Sri Ram Gita is based on this. Bhagwan Ram had no doubts that Lakshman would reach so he started giving upadesha to Lakshman. Sri Rama Gita contains this upadesha. This scripture portrays the importance of jnanam, bhakthi and shraddha in a human’s life.
There is none that can match Lakshman as a karma yogi. For fourteen years in the forest Lakshman did not eat or sleep even for a moment. He was awake for all the 14 years and his bhakthi was absolutely pure. He made no pretensions about fasting; he really did not eat even a morsel. People who engage in the so-called religious fasts, have their minds preoccupied with the thoughts about fasting from the moment they open their eyes in the morning. They are conscious every moment that they would be fasting up to 7pm in the evening. They also announce this to all who offer them food. Somehow they manage to live through till 7pm. This means the thought of food is constant in the mind as they keep informing everyone they meet. They make sure they are home at the designated time, have a wash, and finish puja so that they are at the table by that time. What is the use of such an upavaasa?
Upavaasa is again not a physical activity and does not mean to refrain from food. You can observe upavaasa even when you eat. To sit beside the Guru is known as upasana; to live in the heart of the Guru is upavaasa. Vaasa is to live and hence upavaasa is to live in the mind of the Guru. That penance is called upavaasa. Not eating is merely depriving the sharira of food. Mental upavaasa is necessary. Mental upavaasa is to be with the Guru always and have the right thoughts; to be like Him, have thoughts like Him, live in His teachings. These have to reflect in the mind constantly.
This jnanam comes through the scriptures. Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita are the authoritative vyaakhyaana (explanations) of the Vedas. They are the authoritative scriptures, the authoritative prasthaana. The Upanishads are the shruthi and Bhagwad Gita is smrithi. Shruthi and smrithi are authoritative; they directly transmit the Vedic science for you to implement it. There are no discussions on that. Vaada-prativaada (debates and discussions) arise when logical problems arise. So Veda Vyaasa has created another scripture – Brahma Sutras – to have the logical status of the nyaaya prasthaana. Through this, discussion or vaada can take place, arguments can take place. Arguments lead to arguments only but in the Vedic science and the Bhagwad Gita it is the shruthi and smriti. There is no scope of any disputes or discussions. You just accept it.
The dharmik way of living is to live through bhakthi and shraddha. In order to attain bhakthi, jnanam is necessary without which bhakthi remains superficial. We shall not have faith on such bhakthi. I have seen people who have been bhaktha since childhood up to the middle age may be 30 or even 40 years of their life. When some unexpected incidents took place, they lost their bhakthi. They always had thought that God was a watchman who will protect them from everything. They lose faith on God and they openly declare it also. They say their vishwaasa from God has been washed away– as if their vishwaasa was important to God. Who has it affected? Your vishwaasa has been wiped out so you are the one that is affected. Bhagwan is firm and whether you have or do not have faith in Him, he still cares for you.
This is again where intelligence plays. If Bhagwan cares anyway why should we have faith on Him? This is how we add on to our karmas and vasanas. This is how we continue reeling in the cycle of births and deaths. The dharmik way of living is to be in the dharma at all times. Everyone has their own dharma in order to execute their own karmas. We should follow the swa-dharma and not paro-dharma. We get kastha or dukha because they are all reflections of our own karmas. Accept it in the right manner through the Guru.
When you have a genuine thirst for a Guru, when you have the real hunger, real need for a Guru, you can attain the true Guru who can lead you to the path of the Brahma saakshaatkaaram jnanam and not to the path of siddhi. One who teaches you through some tactics, exercises or some process, through some education, chanting or any other method and takes you to a level where you feel happy for some time; it is not athma saakshaatkaaram. It is merely satisfaction of the ego. Ego is an illusion that elates you with the thought that I am a successful person, or demoralizes you when you think you I am a failure, or I am an educated person or I am a rich person. There are too many ‘I’s while the true ‘I’ is the infinite. The true ‘I’ is the Parabrahman. The true aham, a-ham is the ‘I’. ‘I’ does not mean aham; it does not mean this sharira and mana. A-ham means I am not the hum.- the one that is not me (ham), the one that is not this sharira and mana is the me – aham.
The hum is visible and experienceable. There are two sciences – experimental science and experienced science. Experience means anubhava. This experience cannot be seen and you cannot experiment it either. In the materialistic world everything has to be experimented to prove it right. You cannot see Ishwarathwa (Godliness), you cannot see the gunas (attributes), you cannot see the virtues of the prayers, you cannot see bhakthi, and you cannot see shraddha. They are all experiences and this is the true Vedic science. As I always said in Sanskrit that there is nothing called spiritual-ism or material-ism. There is no ism; they are added by people to make it convenient for them to express it in the language. In Sanskrit there is only adhyathma or spiritualist. There is no association of the adhyathmis. There is no union or sangathana of the adhyathmis – NO. Adhyathma is adhyathma – Parabrahman saakshaatkaari adhyathma – it is the adhyayana of the athma. There is no mention of materialism. Everything is adhyathma. The context in which the word materialism is used is also spiritual. The so-called materialists are trying to become spiritualists through the materialistic path. The materialistic ways and methods are known as execution of karmas. Do not take it as a path towards the spiritualists. It is only meant for exhausting the vasanas.
When you climb the steps, you got a leg pain. You apply some cream or oil which gives you temporary relief from the pain. It does not give permanent relief from the pain of the body. It has just given temporary relief for that particular pain because you climbed the steps. Similarly, when we execute certain karmas we attain certain results. Then we have to remove those experiences through the execution of further karmas. The experiences can be good or bed; we are not just referring to the bad.
You enjoyed a party and when you return, that enjoyment remains with you for some time till you fall asleep. You wake up the next morning with a headache because you had a late night. Today’s pleasure has become a pain tomorrow. Yesterday was very nice but today is very bad – the after effect of the pleasure. If the after effect of the pleasure is pain why should you go for it? Adhyathma is not like that. When you experience the jnanam, bhakthi and shraddha it gives you permanent happiness. It never reduces and in fact bhakthi only increases. The pleasure increases and reduces; the pleasure can transform into pleasure and pain whereas the shraddha and bhakthi transforms into jnanam.
Jnanam is the true knowledge of acceptance and non-acceptance, discriminative thinking, discriminative acceptance, the true acceptance of the true existence, identification of the truth - from where have we come and where are we going, who are we actually and what are we doing, why are we doing and how should we do it. The answers to all these questions can come through jnanam and only then is your life complete; you are in purnathaa. For jnanam either you have to do absolute thapasya but this in kaliyuga is very difficult. So we have to get assistance from the Guru.
Who is God? God is the existence, the creator, that shakthi – it does not have any aakaara or vikaara. We call it the Parabrahma chaitanyam – chaitanyam is the knowledge of the knowledges. It is the knowledge that can understand the knowledge. This knowledge is bhakthi and in bhakthi the knowledge is also renounced. For knowledge all other emotions have to be renounced and to have bhakthi the knowledge has to be renounced so that the ahankara of knowledge does not arise. Bhagwan Krishna sent Uddhava to the gopis who were suffering; they wanted Bhagwan to come to them. Uddhava expressed his jnanam of the Vedanta to them but the gopis were above the jnanam; they did not know about the Vedanta. They simply said they did not understand his language and did not understand the Vedanta. They had true oneness with the lord and this oneness becomes the bhakthi.
Kuchaila is another example of such a bhakthi. Even though he was a great friend of Bhagwan Krishna he never wanted to take any favors. His wife insisted that he should go as they had been suffering but at no point of time did he want to approach the lord and take advantage of the friendship. He was a Brahma saakshaatkaari. He was a Brahma jnani and his bhakthi was through Brahma jnanam. He never falls down and he never gets emotionally attached to kastha and dukha. Today people have no tolerance capacity. The moment they encounter even the slightest pain they stand in front of Bhagwan Shiv’s photo and pray to be relieved of the pain. They even give him orders and if he does not relieve them of the pain or follow their instructions they just replace Bhagwan Shiva’s photo with that of Bhagwan Krishna because miraculous events have taken place in the lives of people who worship Bhagwan Krishna. The next day they heard that some sadhu or saint is a siddha and can work miracles, so they would replace Bhagwan Krishna’s photo with that sadhu’s picture. This is what we want. We are only interested in following the dictates of the mind and our bhakthi ends there. Kuchaila’s bhakthi was much above all this. Despite all the troubles he underwent he never once asked Bhagwan to relieve him from troubles. Being a Brahma jnani he knew that he had to undergo the sufferings because of poorva (previous) janma karmas. He was also aware that he should not be attached to the results of the karmas. When we suffer we become attached to the mental agonies but Kuchaila did not get attached. He instead just smiled and uttered the name of the lord. He never prayed to be relieved of the sufferings. When his wife insisted that he approach the lord with the small gift, he goes with reluctance and even then never asks to be helped. Ishwara was waiting for such a bhaktha who never asked for anything.
Try and analyze and test your self. What thoughts arise in your mind when you are in trouble? Suppose what you wish for does not take place, how do you react? What are your thoughts towards the Guru? The first thought would be that this Guru is useless. So they then change the Guru just as they discard the clothes everyday. This is not way to attain Bhagwad saakshaatkaaram. Kastha and dukha are the fruits of our own karmas. A Sagduru is one who does not relieve you from the troubles but gives you the strength to overcome these problems and obstacles. You experience that problem because you have earned it. If the Guru saves you from that trouble, you will have to pay it back with interest at some point. The problem intensifies so the Guru only gives the strength to overcome the problems.
It may not be possible for common man to suddenly accept this thathwa (principle). I will narrate a small example. I have lots of anxious parents coming to especially during the board exams. They are more anxious than the child herself but at the same time they are unable to see the child suffering. The child keeps drinking 10-12 cups of coffee the whole night to keep awake. Since last two months the child is suffering and the parents express that they are not able to see this. Fine, but have they ever told the child that I cannot see you suffering like this so please do not study so much or have they ever asked them not to appear for the exam? Has any parent ever told this? Then as a parent what are you doing? The parents keep talking of the tension around the house which runs for months but have they ever tried to stop their children from pursuing their studies? Why did you not stop them? Because you love your child and you want them to do well in life. And you know that to get established in life you have to see them suffer for some time. You undergo the anxiety along with them but since it concerns their future, their career, you cannot stop them from studying. God too does the same thing. He too takes care of his children. I too have sishyas and I know they are suffering but to promote them God gives more trouble so that they come out of it one day and are free. A true Guru would do the same thing instead of saving them from trouble for some time. He does not save them from karmas but gives them liberation or mukthi permanently from the karmas. One is to protect from karmas and the other is to give them mukthi from the karmas. Everyone has to undergo the wrath of their own karmas so trying to escape is only prolonging the agony. You must understand this principle because troubles do not come to you for nothing.
What is the representation of the Guru and Bhagwan - it is an autonomous body of jnanam and bhakthi. How can God or Guru give you trouble? They can only emit jnanam and bhakthi. Hence kastha and dukha are the phala of our own karmas. To fulfill the karmas we need the support of God. Just pray to the lord to help you cross over the troubles. Guru will give you support but he will not save you from the kastha or dukha. He too says just close your eyes for some time; this will pass by. You do not know the problems of the Guru; you do not know the problems of Bhagwan. When Kuchaila went to Bhagwan Krishna with a few grains of puffed rice he was hesitant to give it to the lord and could not make himself ask the lord for anything. Bhagwan on his part could not give anything until Kuchaila asks for it. Even if Bhagwan gave without Sudama (Kuchaila) asking for it, Sudama would not accept it because he was a Brahma saakshaatkaari.
Sudama used to ask for bhiksha from five houses only – representing the panchanbhutas and pancha dharmas. If he does not get from five houses being a Brahma jnani he would remain hungry but would not approach the sixth house. Bhagwan was suffocating that His bhaktha was not asking and Bhagwan’s hands were tied because unless he asks Bhagwan is unable to give. If Bhagwan gives without Kuchaila asking for it, it will add on to the karmas of Kuchaila. Bhagwan tried different tricks to make Kuchaila ask for something but failed in front of this bhaktha who was a Brahma jnani. Bhagwan expressed his sadness to Mata Rukmini since Kuchaila refused to ask for something. Bhagwan was weeping and could not sleep. Bhagwan pressed the feet of Kuchaila when he was sleeping. Sudama said hey Krishna what is this that you are doing? This will bring the paapa of Brahma hathya on me. Bhagwan said to have a bhaktha like you is very difficult to get…one in several janmas. Let me also experience your bhakthi so please let me press your feet.
Such is the Ishwara, the Sadguru. They weep inside. A bhaktha can weep in front of the Guru but the Guru has no place to express. A Sadguru weeps silently when he sees his disciples in trouble but cannot express it externally. The Guru does not get carried away by sentiments and save the disciple. He knows this gesture would only result in higher sufferings later in life. He just gives the strength so that the disciple does not lose hope. He gives us mukthi from karmas and to attain this we need to pray to the lord and take their blessings. I have sishyas here who have been with me for long and we make an effort to understand the scriptures. There have been lots of improvements, changes and transformations in them. I am happy that I am an instrument for this. Bhagwan is the cause; Bhagwan is the result. Everything is Ishwara. Some bhakthas have developed to such an extent that they can be compared to Kuchaila. Bhakthi has arisen within them.
Who is a jnani and what are the lakshana (characteristics) of a jnani? One who has purna bhakthi – ardha jnanam is a bandaha. It is an obstacle because they can have pride in knowing so many things. When the bhaktha has reached the last rung of the ladder of jnanam, he attains bhakthi and shraddha. There are no doubts left, no vikaara. The reflection is only bhakthi, the true reflection of the Guru. Adhikaara prasthaanam like Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita the authoritative prasthaana do not require contemplation. Contemplation is necessary only when one does not understand. We are all karma yogis and to take care of the jivathma, to fulfill the karmas, we have to undergo plenty of troubles. This only helps us to exhaust the karmas; it does not grant us karma mukthi. After exhausting the karmas the development of spirits takes place through jnanam and bhakthi; the development of the athma takes place towards the Parabrahma saakshaatkaaram and then the Parabrahma thathwam is understood which is known as sanyaasa.
How will you get peace if the mind becomes silent? What is the correlation between peace and silence of mind? These are very good questions by sincere saadhaks. When the mind becomes silent neither good nor bad is happening; there are no satoguna, rajoguna or tamoguna. When this happens the mind is silent and there are no agitations. When there are no agitations there are no thoughts created. When there are no thoughts, no emotions are created. There is no aakaara or vikaara and when nothing is created this is not called peace. It is merely silence. Then how can silence give peace is the obvious question.
When the mind is silent, the jnanam that continuously flows from the Sadguru reaches the disciple and he attains peace. The Sadguru never functions through his mind or the sub-conscious mind. Whether the Sadguru meditates, eats or sleeps, it is only the chethna that functions in him. The pravachan and the teachings all come from that chethna, from the athman and not the mana. When the mind becomes silent, when no new thoughts arise, at that time jnanam emits with a gush from the antaraathma which is the prapancha chaitanyam. It is like the water that flows down the mountains after heavy rains. Nothing can stop it. The water pushes through even big rocks and gushes down with great force. Similarly, when these emotions are not there and when there is total silence, jnanam of the Sadguru flows and when it flows nothing can come back. Then there is absolute peace. When nothing can come into us there is peace. When it is going out it is happiness. Disturbance and agitation happen only when something comes inside. This is how silence is connected with the peace.
SHAMBHO MAHADEVA!
OM SHANTHI SHANTHI SHANTIHI!!!
Baaba's pravachan after the morning Paada-Puja
The Vedas have been divided in several ways and one such bifurcation is shruthi, smrithi and nyaaya. Upanishads are shruthi; Bhagwad Gita is smrithi. Brahma Sutras are under nyaaya. They are known as shruthi prasthaanam, smrithi prasthaanam and nyaaya prasthaanam. Nyaaya is logical information. Shruthi is shravanam. The true Vedic representations are Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita. They are the authoritative declarations. There are no disputes or discussions on them. Shruthi and smrithi are hence authoritative declarations. Then comes nyaaya – nyaaya is logical declaration. It has been put serially depending upon the requirement of the listener, and placed logically to convince him. This is how Veda Vyaasa has compiled the Brahma Sutras.
In the case of a seeker, in the early stages an upasak requires logical explanations to make the physical mind understand. Every human being in this world, especially in this yuga (era), compares or derives meanings of spiritualism through the knowledge of materialism. He would always try to interpret or understand spiritualism through materialism. This is where the failure takes place. Spiritualism begins where the materialism ends. There is nothing called spiritualism or materialism. There are only spiritualists or spiritual seekers. Every thing is spiritual in fact. Every thing is done by a spiritualist. A spiritualist is one who has the spirit in him. In English language it is known as spirit whereas we call it the athma, athman.
I would like to clarify the difference between athman and athma as many are confused about it. Both are Sanskrit words but the usage of the two words has to be distinctly understood. The athma takes the birth in order to execute the karmas. According to Aitareya Upanishad a birth takes place and athma is the support for taking the birth. Once this jivathma (that is the athma) is in and the birth has taken place, during execution of karmas the vasanas are being executed through the mind, intellect, udana and the actions are being directed, whether it is spiritualistic or materialistic activities – by the athman. The one which is in action is the athman. The one which is the jeeva, the root cause of the kaarana sharira (causal body) is the athma.
The sukshma sharira (subtle body) or the athman can be identified through vyasthi where vyasthi is the microcosm. I am the Brahman, I have the realization, I have taken birth - that is sukshmathaa. When we say the universe is me, Aham Brahmasmi, the Brahman is me, that is macrocosm (samasthi). In microcosm (vyasthi) there is dwaitha siddhantha (duality) – he is the jnanam, he is the Brahman, he is everything but I am able to identify the jnanam. I am seeing the Brahman, I am experiencing the Brahman, I am experiencing the jnanam – is vyasthi.
The true spiritualist goes into the samasthi where everything is filled with him. Twam ayam Bramaha – is one of the four mahavaakyas, four upadeshas. Aham is not the individual because individual is indivisible. The indivisible is the Parabrahman; the man is divisible; the mind is divisible. Think of your self at this moment – how many different personalities you are representing in a fraction of a second? You represent thousands of you and contradicting each other, conflicting with each other. There are no similarities. Hundreds of conflicting me is coming out of my mind and thoughts every moment. These are only meant for external form of you whereas a spiritualist can eliminate the mana because it is not the mind that creates spiritualism.
People believe that if the mind can be controlled it is possible to do anything. While speaking, we also say so but it is only meant to make the beginners understand the existence of the athma that is invisible to everyone. Through the mind one easily understands that control of the mind is important in order to attain the spiritual practices.
It is important to understand that the mind can create but the mind cannot heal. Even though people say that what has been created by the mind can also be eliminated but that does not happen. Dukha is created by the mind, discomforts are created by the mind but the same mind does not remove the discomforts. Then you look for assistance elsewhere. Why is the mind unable to eliminate what it has created? The basic principle behind this is that the mind does not initiate, produce or reflect the truth. It acts as the nyaaya prasthaanam – logical prasthaanam. Depending upon the situation at that point of time whatever is necessary is being done by the mind and it is satisfied. The mind could do whatever was possible even if it was a mistake. Do not go by the nyaaya prasthaanam alone; nyaaya prasthaana is necessary, nyaaya is necessary but only to make the logical mind understand. By making the logical mind understand you cannot walk into the spiritual path. You can only make the mind understand. The mind’s understanding and the activity of the athma or the activity of the spiritualist are totally different.
We often say make your mind calm so that you are able to control the intellect as well as the athma, and receive the reflection from the athma. To make the mind calm is not spiritualistic. Yes this is a necessity leading to the spiritual path. In order to lead to spiritual path you require the elimination of thoughts that are created every second in the mind and being analyzed by the employees or the indriyas of the mind. They multiply the ideas of the mind and they feedback the information to the mana. Then it goes to the antahkarana and tries to reflect upon the antaraathma. It is not spiritualistic but then you can ask why the mind is necessary. The mind has been created because it is necessary to execute our karmas. There nyaaya prasthaana is necessary. That is why the Brahma Sutras have been created so that the purpose of the creation of the body and the mind is understood. This krithi helps a person to understand the purpose of the existence of the sharira and the mana for the execution of karmas. This nyaaya, this logic is behind it. As far as normal people are concerned it is absolutely true. Even though a Maharishi too has a sharira and mana, he is a noble man who has had the athma saakshaatkaaram or the Parabrahma saakshaatkaaram to do his thapasya. With great discipline he could detach himself from the external world, the maayaik world or the materialistic world.
Which is the materialistic world in us? The mind. This is why I said there is nothing called materialism. The mind is the materialistic world for us. Whatever you think you execute only that in the materialistic world so the material and spiritual are both within you. Everything is in you. The mind is the materialistic thinker because the mind tries to identify, understand and exercise its powers through the external objective pleasures and objective pains. The mind can function only for external objective purposes. The mind cannot function for an internal subjective purpose. You might have heard the thathwa jnanis saying that the mind has to be quietened and then derive the subjective experiences. So the mind is only meant for the external objective purposes. The mind cannot meditate, the mind cannot contemplate and the mind cannot derive the meaning of spiritualist, the meaning of the antaraathma because elimination of the mind is the requirement for any spiritual practices. In order to develop your self subjectively, as all books and others suggest, the mind has to be calmed. That means the mind is always agitated. Some people think that if you give the mind whatever it wants, it will calm down. Have you ever heard of anyone who receives continuously and can keep quiet? Give money to one man endlessly. That man will go crazy but he will not stop asking for money. By constantly feeding it is not possible to silence or calm the mind. It may be possible for smaller purposes but not for a grosser purpose. If you give a man tasty food the next time he looks for tastier food. If he receives good clothes, he wants better clothes the next time and the best ones after that. After the best I do not know what they would want. Nothing is left, they will say, no clothes. Yes that is what is happening in the world. After wearing and trying all sorts of clothes now people are walking naked. The mind is never fulfilled with the giving so it has to be deprived. Everyone talks of disciplining the mind and not of the athma because the mind is the one that is indisciplined. The mind will behave this way and it has been proved time and again so it needs to be disciplined.
What is discipline? Discipline is only to make him a disciple. Who is a disciple? The mind has to be a very honest, obedient sishya to the athman. The mana has to be the disciple of the athman, not of the athma. Athma is silent. Athma is Shiv. Athma is the existence; athma is a part of the Paramaathma. Athman is an active athma. The mind has to be the disciple, a decent slave having a decent submissive pattern (not suppressing or oppressing like the slave as we normally understand). They are not allowed to suppress the thoughts and become a disciple of the Guru who is the athman. Athman says understand my reflection as that reflection gives the power of discrimination. This is called the discipleship. A disciple is the one who receives the jnanam from the Guru, contemplates on it and then absorbs and then puts into practice to become the Guru.
Everyone is his or her own Guru. God is in everyone. Everyone is God; everyone is Guru but so long you do not have the qualities of the God or Guru you cannot call your self the God or the Guru. That is the difference. You have the capacity of the godliness; you have the capacity of the Guru but it has not been experimented or experienced or put into practice to execute and live your own life in those principles. So you cannot call your self God. Only those who are under that discipline can call themselves God. Discipline is not imposed on them; discipline is practiced by them to become a disciple. Disciple is a great word. Who can be a very good disciple? The most knowledgeable person is the right good disciple. He will never deviate because he knows what is right and what is wrong. Such a person makes the best disciple.
When Bhagwan Krishna started advising Arjuna in Bhagwad Gita, Arjuna was very agitated. He was not listening to Bhagwan and on the other hand he was opposing Bhagwan. He was debating and questioning Bhagwan whether karma yoga is better or jnanam maarga or sanyaasa maarga. He was having doubts in his mind because he was not a jnani. At that point of time he was not a disciple but when everything was over, when all the jnanam has been transmitted from Bhagwan to Arjuna, he had become a true bhaktha, a true disciple. A greatest jnani is a bhaktha who has no doubts. He is a bhaktha not out of ignorance but out of jnanam. There are two types of people who have no doubts – those that know everything and those that know nothing. A good jnani is a good bhaktha because he has no doubts and he knows it is true. Kuchaila could be a very good bhaktha because he was the Brahma jnani, thathwa jnani. Vaayu putra Hanuman too was a good bhaktha because he too was a thathwa jnani and a Brahma jnani. When there are doubts it becomes a question and an answer session. When there is no doubt then there is a session of jnanam. In jnanam there are no differences of opinion; there is only acceptance. When buddhi is utilized, when there is question and answer there are doubts and clarifications; there is right and there is wrong; there is good and there is bad. Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita are known as authoritative granthas; they are authoritative prasthaana where there are no doubts. Through jnanam absolute silence is created because you have no doubts and no questions. When there are no questions there are no clarifications and there is no classification so there is silence of the mind. The mind is not agitated. The mind has something to do only when it starts doubting. Then it starts asking questions. To know more is also an agitation; to prove whether the knowledge spoken is right or wrong is also an agitation. These are the two times when questions are asked. One is to find out the knowledge of the waktha and the other is to find out the knowledge of the self. At both times the mind is agitated because the mind acts with the buddhi – bodha. If through buddhi, through intelligence, through mind you start understanding things you will have agitations of the mind but when you understand through jnanam you have authoritative prasthaanam like the Upanishads, the Vedas and the Bhagwad Gita. Then there are no doubts, no questions and that is why Bhagwan Krishna could explain the entire Bhagwad Gita to Arjuna in detail and there were no doubts left. Ninety percent of the doubts were dispelled even after the 11th chapter and in the 18th chapter that Arjuna’s thought process became the same as Bhagwan’s.
Through intelligence doubts keep increasing; today you create a doubt through intelligence and tomorrow you create another doubt. If yesterday you had one doubt on a subject today you will have ten doubts on the same subject. If I clarify those doubts tomorrow you will have 20 fresh doubts arising in your mind. The intelligence of the mind will increase the clarifications and classifications because that is the work of the mind. Without this the mind cannot survive because the mind depends on the indriyas. In the question of jnanam, with the explanation through jnanam the mind becomes silent. We become silent and peaceful. The mind can attain peace in silence and then the knowledge is revealed from the antaraathma and given to the universe. When the pravaha (flow) from the antaraathma is constant and continuous, when it is nithyam (constant) there arises the bhakthi. Bhakthi is not an emotion from the mind. If the mind creates the bhakthi it will be temporary because the mind always has doubts and questions.
We often hear of the miracles that have taken place at some old temple. You are urged to visit such places of worship and gain benefit by praying there. You go with high expectations and when they are not met your belief on the temple wanes and you wonder how people gave such an opinion about the place. If you do experience something good, you will reaffirm and have faith on people’s statement. So basically you go to that temple just to establish others’ opinion. Secondly, as you become a regular visitor to the temple you become familiar with the deity because you are doing an external puja. What is the right puja then? This is all external puja - you appreciate the vigraha (idol), you enjoy the puja vidhi, the place is good, the alankaara (decoration) is good, and lot of such experiences you have. I felt this and I felt that. You only felt it but that may not be real. During summers when someone is down with fever they say I am feeling cold. That does not mean that the atmosphere is cold. The same way, you felt bhakthi, which means it is merely your feeling for sometime. The feeling has absolutely no meaning. This is an emotion, bhakthi should not be an emotion; bhakthi is Supreme. Only after attaining jnanam you attain bhakthi. In bhakthi there is no doubt left whereas in emotion there are many doubts and expressions, there are lot of questions. In true bhakthi that comes from beyond the antaraathma or the antahkarana, there are no doubts. When you desire or have moha for something, when you want to derive something out of bhakthi, when you are asking a repayment for bhakthi then arise the problems and that is nothing but the emotion of the mind. In kaliyuga most prayers are to attain some materialistic object or pleasure. There is some need or want behind all prayers. Vedanta says when you stop having the want, when you stop having the desires, then the true bhakthi and true jnanam arises. Do you think this is a contradictory statement for bhakthi?
Desires are mental phenomena, all manifested by you and you want to fulfill the manifestations of the mind. What you require is the subjective bhakthi that comes from the antaraathma and not an objective experience. When you ask for something it is objective. If you have bhakthi for a particular purpose, it is not correct. Bhakthi should be nithyam. The best form of puja as the Maharishis have prescribed is the manas puja where the mind is totally absorbed all the time. It is not for a few hours or for few days. Your mind is engaged in doing puja all the twenty four hours. The mind is under the discipline of puja and when the manas puja is done the revelation of knowledge takes place.
Guru Purnima marks the beginning of the month of shraavan – the month of shravana. The majority of the population in India comprised of farmers who used to work for eleven months. Shraavan is the month of water. Astrologically the significance of shraavan is that surya (Sun) enters the Chandra kshetra (orbit of the moon) on the first day of shraavan. Surya is prakaasa, surya is light and brightness, according to the Vedantic classification. Agitations may have been there but when it enters the Chandra kshetram there is calmness. This is the month where you establish all the relationships on the earth. Even Guru Sishya sambandha is established in this month and that is why in this month the Guru Purnima is observed.
For Guru Purnima there is another classification – this is the day when Brahataayana or Veda Vyaasa has composed the Brahma Sutras the logical or the nyaaya prasthaanam. Purnima itself is fulfillment or purnathaa of jnanam. Surya enters the Chandra kshetram consciously; the disciple consciously attains the purnathaa of jnanam. This is not done mechanically or by force. When the disciple consciously develops and projects the jnanam to be one with the Guru layam takes place. When all the experience and karmas have been executed and exhausted then layam takes place. Guru Puja represents this layam. Puja has to be executed physically so that one gains the experience of being in the layam honestly. If one considers puja a formality, if puja is forcefully done, or while doing puja if one feels uncomfortable or there is resistance or doubts in the mind, then the layam is incomplete, the jnanam is incomplete. The Guru Sishya samparka has to be firm where there are no doubts. That is why in olden days the Guru Kula vaasa (staying in the Guru Kula) was prevalent so that the sambandha could be practically identified, classified, understood, and experienced. When this ritual is performed daily it confirms that the relationship has been understood.
The importance of Guru Kula vaasa lies not merely in the studies but it leads to a total understanding of the Guru. The sishya realizes that the Guru is not the physical sharira. In fact after some time we do not look at the body of the Guru. We only listen; we only vision the Guru thathwa and not the Guru. Layam takes place when the Guruthwa is understood. Layam is with the Guruthwa and not with the Guru. Guru is the representation of the knowledge. You should have layam with the knowledge, with the Guru. Nevertheless, sharirik (physical) representation is necessary in kaliyuga so that people can see and believe with the physical eyes. Without physical representation their minds will not understand.
Transformation becomes easier by silencing the mind. Jnanam can be easily absorbed when the mind is silent and this is how in olden days the disciples could retain all of the 40,000 shlokas of the Bhaagwatham and over 28,000 shlokas of Atharvana Veda of shukla paksha paatha. Those days there were no books and no writing. Everything was chanted through the Guru mukha. The disciples could absorb the Guru – vaani and this happened only through shravanam. Shravana was possible those days because there were no preoccupations of the mind. The mind itself was eliminated.
When we are preoccupied we cannot understand or learn anything. Today people are entangled in the objective world and objective experiences and the mind’s preoccupation is practically hundred and ten percent. There is a queue waiting to occupy the mind - waiting for some thoughts to leave so that the next one can enter. This situation has to be got rid of. Occupation itself is wrong because these are all objective occupations. In subjectiveness there is no occupation. When something comes from outside then we say it has been occupied. For instance, we would not say that the room is occupied by the floor or by the wall or the beam but when we bring some furniture we would say it is occupied by the furniture. Similarly, we fill the mind with thoughts external to us. We mostly work in rajoguna and tamoguna. As the needs and necessities increase rajoguna also increases. You need to create a balance to go into satoguna. Only in satoguna it is possible to identify and silence the mind. In rajoguna this is not possible. In rajoguna prayers are also not possible. It is only an external show. In rajoguna meditation is not possible, thapasya is not possible. Spiritual path in rajoguna is not possible. As mentioned in Sri Ram Gita the two activities are totally different. One has to end and then the other can begin.
I again emphasize on shraavan – the month of shraavan has been created for a reason, you are born to execute your karmas. The rest of the eleven months are necessary to fulfill your karmas and only then you can get liberation but in shraavan the scriptures are read and worship is performed. In addition, the amavasya (new moon) of shraavan is supposed to be auspicious to pay respects to the pitras (ancestors). This is the time when you are supposed to remind your self, educate your self. It is the time to remember and respect the pitras and thank them for their teachings. You have to remember the benefits they brought to the family spiritually.
Hence shraavan month is when shravana takes place and it has to be remembered in the spiritual way. This month is important for developing the self and one month in the year has been clearly earmarked for those who have been working hard for their survival. Everyone needs to spend one or two months in a year to develop their spiritual activities. This month has thus been granted. Lots of dedication and devotion has to be there in this month. This month is full of vratas (fasts) and pujas all of which help in the increase of jnanam and bhakthi. This is the time when wants and desires are the minimum.
The desires have to be consciously reduced. We say when people grow old their demands are very few – their time is spent in doing puja, they require frugal food, they do not go out anywhere, only two pairs of clothes in the year, they sleep early, wake up early and the requirements are practically negligible. They have no requirements, no desires. So what do we understand from this? The desires reduce when he has grown old. This means that when we are not materialistically attracted, when our karmas have reduced towards the end of life, our attraction towards the world has become less, and then the desires reduce. Hence it is not with the biological age that the attraction towards the world has reduced. There are so many old people who, even a few minutes before they breathe their last, wish to have a last look at the jewelry in their locker so that they can die peacefully knowing that they are safely kept. Both these types of people may be in their nineties – one says I do not need anything and detachment has been created because the desires are less. The other is still attached to who will get what after his death and what he is leaving behind. He holds on to the documents till he breathes his last. Whether his will, will be executed or not but he will have a satisfying death. Hence it is not merely the age that matters; it is the attraction towards the materialistic world that matters. Old age means one who is contented and has no desires or wants. Even at the age of thirty one may be contented and attain sanyaasa. He is old to the external world, no more attachment and no more desires. The reduction of the desires of the materialistic world has to come. Then only we can progress in the spiritual path and then we can reach there.
I do not mean to say that material things are not required – yes – they are required even for a sanyaasi food is required, he needs clothes but the desires have to be brought down and prominence has to be given to the antaraathma. The development of the self is important. We are in the month of shraavan and in shraavan lots of athmiya (spiritual) studies have to be done. Athmaayanam – like Ramayanam - athmaayanam have to be done, adhyayana (studies) of the athma has to be done for the liberation. That brings lots of peace to the world. We give lots of importance to ‘T’ and always say I have to do this, I did not do this, I am responsible for this. The process of renunciation has to be practiced this month. Everyone has a right to execute their karmas the way they want. It is the mind within you that is attaching and giving importance to whatever you think is important. For you what you think is important and not what is important in the world. The rocket that is going to the moon is very expensive and is very important but for us it is not important at all. That is not what we want. So what is important outside need not be important to me. The important to me is what I think is important to me. When the agitations are less, the importance is earmarked. We realize that subjective experience is most important because that only helps us to progress. All other importance that is given by your mind is only taathkaalik – kshanna maatraha. It only gives temporary satisfaction.
SHAMBHO MAHADEVA!
OM SHANTHI SHANTHI SHANTIHI!!!