BODY OF FIVE ELEMENTS Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 8/5/2013 We call this body Paanchabhowtikam, meaning made of five elements of nature, earth, water, air, fire and space, hence impermanent. This body is called Stoola Sareera, the gross body. Then we have the senses and mind, intellect that belong to the Sukshma Sareera, the subtle body that is semi permanent that lasts till Moksha. Within this is the causal body, the Karana Sareera that is permanent and the God principle within us. We often compare the gross body that is impermanent to the Atman that is the causal body and permanent. On spiritual scrutiny it reveals to us the impermanent body of five elements comes from the permanent, changeless Atman. Since body is also the creation of Atman its source, we should pay the same respect, reverence and gratitude to the body that is visible as much as the Atman that is invisible. All clouds emanate from Ocean, all amber comes from the fire, all pots come from clay and all ornaments come from the gold. Thus the original, primordial unchanging principle and the changing forms and names called the deha or the creation and the world is not separate from its source the Brahman. For a sadhaka in his early stages of spiritual journey, one separates the permanent and impermanent. He calls the body as perishable and follows the suggestion to focus on the imperishable Atman within. But the same sadhaka after advancing in spiritual quest realizes that permanent Atman (consciousness) is all pervading and is present in all that is changing and the changeless. He sees the unchanging in changing and the changing in the unchanging. This is a more mature state of a spiritual aspirant. This is an integrated view of the universe (Samyak Darshan or Viswaroopa Darshan). This is an irreversible attitudinal shift that sees life and activity even in inanimate things and the permanence and inactivity (Atmic principle) in the animate things. Edi kaadu pujjarham. Sarvam Brahmam. Sarvam Brahmamayam Jagat. There is nothing other than Brahmam. Our thoughts emanate Brahmam, Our words emanate from Brahmam, Our acts are from Brahmam. We wake up in Brahmam. We smile in Brahmam. We cry in brahmam. Everything there is, is Brahmam. Seeing separation is Pravruthi (of the mind). Seeing the oneness is Nivruthi (integrated vision of atman). Diversity in Unity is Pravruthi and unity in diversity is Nivruthi. Thus if we feel that this is the body of five element and perishable, impermanent entity, it becomes less important and negative aspect of our existence. To the contrary, if we take this body as the temple of Divinity (Deho Devalayo Prokto), then this body picks up its true importance of adoration and admiration and care. This all in our attitude. Spirituality in essence is an attitude of Oneness and Unity. It is an integrated attitude of universe. This is Samyak Darshan or Viswaroopa Darshan.

ACTING : REACTING Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 8/3/2013 Reaction is an animal tendency that we inherited through our phylogenetic evolution from animals. It’s purpose is survival. This happens at sub-conscious level, with knowledge of the past memories. Action proactively is a human character. This happens at the level of intellect or higher. Wise people act and the unwise react. In reaction past baggage of memories play a big part. In action Atmic reflection plays a significant role, through mind (buddhi). Here are two example for us in Bhagavatam, Kamsa and Parikshit. Both are destined to die. Kamsa is destined to die in 10 years (through the 8th pregnancy of Devaki) and Parikshit in 7 days by snake bite. Kamsa reacted, lived in fear, killed several innocent children in the process and ultimately could not escape the destiny and died in fear. On the other hand, King Parikshit, who was cursed to die in 7 days, acted calmly, did not curse the curser in retaliation (though he had the capacity to curse), made no excuses, apologized for his error in judgment, intensely looked for productive way to spend those 7 days. He was grateful for the advance warning, listened to Bhagavata for 7 days narrated by sage Suka, and attained Moksha. In one of the Yaksha prasnas, Dharmaja was asked is, “What is the most amazing thing in the world?”. Dharmaja said that while death is always following every human from birth, most humans act as if they are going to live forever. Death is a shadow of life. This awareness of the presence of this shadow, puts our priorities of life in order. Thus we have a choice to be the Kamsa or the Parikshit. A choice to be reactive or proactive, to be in fear reactively or be at peace like King Parikshit and be proactive.. Parikshit welcomed the inevitable and made sure he spent every minute of his remaining days in search of realization and attained Moksha. This is a lesson for most of us, who have forgotten the impermanence of the body and permanence of the soul. We spend and waste time in external worldly pursuits that enhances our inadequacies and fears. Instead we should understand the impermanence of this body and feel the urgency to make the most out of this life and do activity (sadhana) to make us realize our true nature and reach the destination called Moksha, like King Parikshit.

RADHA TATVAM Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 7/31/2013 Radha is present in all of creation. It is through this Radha tatva that Divinity is recognized, as air is recognized by the coolness when it touches us. It is also most misinterpreted and misunderstood by most. Divinity is Omni present (all pervading), Omniscience (all knowing) and Omnipotent (all powerful). Divinity is nirakaara (formless), nirguna (attribute less) svaroopa. This is called Sat (Truth). Truth is something that does not change with time and space. However everything our senses can perceive change with time and space. Does that mean that the changing world is not Divinity? It is also said in Upanishads “Sarvam Kaliidam Brahmam” meaning that all that is Brahmam. This means that the changing as well as unchanging is Brahmam. There is an unchanging principle in the changing and a changing principle in the unchanging. How can it be? You may ask. Just lie the seed is in the plant and plant is in the seed. Tree (diversity) is the expression of seed and seed is the unity principle of the tree. Seed is the Sat and tree is the Chit. Divinity is described as Sat + Chit + Ananda Swaroopa. Thus Chit is the expression of Sat. This relationship between Sat and Chit manifests Ananda. This completes the cycle of Satchitananda that is Divinity. Radha (love) is the emotion of creation. It is the cement that connects all of creation. This cement is love. Intense love for God is Bhakthi. Radha represents this love, bhakthi. It is the magnetic force in Krishna. Krishna is defined as “Karshatethi Krishnah” the one that attracts is Krishna. This attractive force in Krishna is Radha. Radha is the magnetic and Krishna is the electric force. Radha is the kinetic energy while Krishna is the potential energy. Radhakrishna is the ardhanareesvara swaroopam. Radha is the naari and Krisna is esvara. Flow of Divinity is Dhaara. Flow is the Chit of Divinity. This is the expression of Divinity like the plant from seed. Sarvam Vishnumayam jagat and sarvam radhamayam jagat. Sarvam premamayam jagat. This dhaaara when reversed becomes Raadha. In Love there is merging and union. In love there is expansion. Radha is ultimate expansion into Kishna. All the gopikas represent this love principle or bhakthi principle. Raasa Leeela is the full expansion love that fully encircles Divinity that is in all. One Krishna for each Gopika and yet One central Krishna. This explains the Poornamitham sloka in action. Putting it mathematically “God is a circle whose center is everywhere and periphery (circumference) is nowhere”. Radha tatva is manifestation prema tatva in each one of us.

GIVING IS GROWING AND HOARDING IS DYING Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 7/18/2013 Life is a dynamic process and flow. If water stagnates, it becomes a cesspool of bacteria and a reservoir of disease. The same water when it keeps flowing maintains its clarity and purity in spite of impurities coming and joining it. Every cell in the body gets nourishment from the body and works for the common good of the body. When it become selfish and grows at the cost of other cells it called a cancer cell. Similarly we should earn money but at the same time let the money flow out for common good of the society. It is said: “NA DAANENA PAAPENA IHAM DARIDRAM” (POVERTY IN THIS LIFE is the result OF NON-GIVING IN PAST LIVES) Thus each one of us in our own way and to our capacity let our wealth flow out for common good. This makes us healthy and real wealthy. The real wealth of person is not determined by his bank balance, but by his giving for common good. This is the only element of fame that one leaves behind as legacy. Some of us are spontaneous givers. These are the satwic givers. Some of us give for recognition, name and fame. These are the Rajasic givers. Some of us give reluctantly after being coerced because of obligation. These are the tamasic givers. Some of us give our time and effort. Some of us give our knowledge. Some of them give all three kinds of resources. The highest giver is the giver of knowledge (jnana data). The next is the selfless giver of time and energy (karma yogi). Next comes the giver of monetary and other resources, the satwic, rajasic and tamasic in that order. No matter where one start in giving, over time, it becomes a habit and discipline. Soon it becomes our character. No matter where one starts in giving, it gradually transforms us into greater state of true giving. What is important is to start giving and sharing. It is said: “THYAGAINENA AMRUTATVA MANASU” (ONLY THROUGH SACRIFICE AND GIVING, WE EXAPNAD INTO UNLIMITEDNESS) By giving we expand from the limitedness of “me and mine” to “we and ours”. Thus common good becomes our good. There is joy in giving and sharing. Our welfare lies in the welfare of others. Common good is our good. Let us keep this in mind in all our endeavors.

PREMA – LOVE Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 7/16/2013 Love is the emotion of creation. All of creation is created because of love (God loved see himself in creation). It sustains in love and merges in love. Love is the cement of creation. Love is the element that binds all in creation. In love there is merger and union. In love there is expansion beyond the limited self and ultimately into oneness in creation. The effect of love can be seen day to day with mothers and their children. When the child hurts from a pin prick, the mother feels the pain and rushes to attend to the child, leaving everything else. This is because the mother’s body expanded to include the child’s body in it. Similarly when two long term friends who did not meet for 30 years suddenly meet in the airport, they forget all surroundings and become one with each other. This is a joyful feeling. This joy of the friends and the pain of the mother is the result of love, though not fully expansive in the true sense. Thus love is of two kinds, the restrictive, constrictive love called mamatha, mamatva or mamakaara and the expansive love, Divine love or Bhakthi. Narada Bhakthi Sutras define Bhakthi as “intense love for God”. This is the only expansive love that when practiced makes our life loving and transforms us into embodiments of love. Once this expansive love dawns in us, we develop Ekatma Bhava and we experience the world of unity and oneness. All other forms of love are a restricted spark of this expansive love. When the restrictive love fully blossoms away from the shackles of restriction, it blossoms into true love. Let us ponder on the differences between these two forms of love. Restrictive love is what Arjuna had during Kurukshetra war that blinded him of his dharma with mamatva. Krishna expounded on the principle of expansive love of creation and creator through Bhakthi Yoga and advised him of total surrender of limitedness (Ahamkara) at the altar of un-limitedness (Divinity). In other words all of Gita is a flow, journey from limited love (mamatva) to unlimited love (Mama Dharma – Atma Dharma) through sacrifice of limitedness (Sarva Dharman Parityajya). Restrictive love is possessive love and desire for self (ego), to satisfy needs of self (ego). This is what we call love, the misunderstood love. True love is expansion. It wishes the welfare and happiness of the lover or object of love. It gives, not takes. It does not demand, it abundantly gives. This kind of love is seen in Gopikas of Brindavan towards Krishna. Here is an episode in Bhagavata. When Krishna pretended to having head-ache and asked Narada to give the dust from his feet to ameliorate his head-ache, Narada refused saying it is a sin for him to do that. However when same thing was said to Gopikas, they danced till they got tired, collected the dust from their feet to help the head-ache of Krishna. They said even if we go to hell in the process of giving dust from feet to lord, they would feel better if Krishna ‘s head ache is ameliorated. Their only thought is welfare of their beloved even if they acquire papa in the process. Fundamental principle of expansive love or true love is it seeks the welfare of the beloved, the object of love. There are no demands of anything in return. It loves for loves sake. It is love without duty. It is said: DUTY WITHOUT LOVE IS DEPLORABLE DUTY WITH LOVE IS DESIRABLE LOVE WITHOUT DUTY IS DIVINE It is the love without duty that is the true expansive love or Divine love. This is what we should be cultivating. Be good for goodness sake. Be loving for love’s sake. Give. Give. Give. In giving Love blossoms. Here are two worldly examples of such love in my own life, if I may share to make the point. However the restrictive love we all naturally possess can be expanded to expansive love (Divine Love) even in our human relationships, when we treat each other as embodiments of divinity itself. Thus worldly restrictive love can be transformed into Divine expansive love. My father is very fond of my mother. She loves fish and non-vegetarian dishes. My father is a strict vegetarian, cannot even eat eggs. He cannot eat in the same plate that others used for non-vegetarian dishes leave alone fish. Since my mother loves fish, he used to go to the fish market in Ongole on foot, enquires the fish vendors about good fish, buys them and brings them home for my mother. This is an expression of his expansion love towards my mother, by catering and attending to her happiness and needs. Here is another example of such expansion love from Kalyani (my spouse) towards me. Though she wears a hearing aid, she still cannot hear and decipher all the conversation fully in a group. Since I enjoy and committed to study group at Sathya Sai Center, every Sunday, she spontaneously gets ready and enthusiastically comes and gives me company to Sathya Sai Center. Though she does not enjoy as much as I do (because of her hearing problem), she does it to make me happy as a saha dharma charini. This is true with several other community events and programs that she religiously accompanies me to make me happy. This she does as an act of love to give me the pleasure of her company. These are some examples of this selfless expansive love that elevate human relationships into divine relationships. This fostered the oneness and unity in our relationship which both of us cherish. In true love oneness and unity prevails. One (true lovers) thinks as one, speak as one and act as one. You feel the unity in diversity in action. In order to reach this stage, lot of nurturing and cultivation is necessary. We need to transform the restrictive love, fondness, adoration, appreciation into ever expanding love. It begins with each of one of us, it all begins with us. World and the worldly relationships are a medium through which we can directly experience the Divine expansive love, if we so nourish and cultivate it to attain the Divine joy and happiness leading to bliss.

OBSTACLES IN THE JOURNEY HOME Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 7/15/2013 Journey home is journey to OM through OM. Journey home is the realization that all of creation is one. Oneness and unity is the underlying truth of diversity. Diversity is the manifestation of Unity. Unity to diversity and diversity to unity is the eternal cycle of creation. The world of diversity is in its eternal journey to Unity, which is the home of diversity. There are some obstacles in the path of reaching home (Unity). Those are 1. Karmic baggage 2, Arishadvargas 3. Particularly the ego . How do we overcome, get rid of these problems in the path is the following discussion. 1. KARMIC BAGGAGE (samskaras or tendencies). This is burnt through nishkama karma and jnana. As we burn past baggage with new knowledge and nishkama karma, we should avoid creating new baggage. Pending desire is the karmic baggage and these create vasanas or samskaras. There are two ways to burn the karmic baggage. A. EXHAUSTING: One with exhausting the current desires by experiencing them and in the process, not creating new desires. This is called the process of exhaustion. B. CEILING ON DESIRES: The second is ceiling on desires and surrendering all desires at the feet of Divinity. 2. ARISHADVARGAS: The problems with arishad vargas (kama- desire, krodha-anger, lobha-miserliness, moha-delusion, mada-ego, matsarya-joulosy) could be decreased by one of the three processes. A. AWARENESS: By bringing in awareness of these impurities. In the presence of awareness, the arishadvargas dissipate. They only survive in unawareness. When any of the six enemies start appearing in our psyche, if we bring awareness of their presence, they dissipate. This awareness is Atmic vision. Kama cannot survive when Rama is there and vice versa. B. POSITIVES: Flushing with Positive values like Sathya , Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, Ahimsa and Thyaga shall purge negatives of arishad vargas like flushing the toilet with good water. When good comes in the bad cannot stay in. 3. EGO (AHANKARA): This is the final frontier in self realization. While ego is part of arishdvargas, it is mentioned again separately because of its enduring quality. We need to understand the purpose of creation of ego by Divinity. Nothing is created without any purpose. When the world of duality is created from Unity, the one has to appear as many. Hence a boundary is created around each human to create a Ghatakasa (Bounded consciousness- contained Atman) from Chidakasa (unbound consciousness- Paramatman). PURPOSE OF EGO: The purpose is that each of these humans identify its uniqueness and perform the Divinity’s leela (Stage show as an actor). This platform is given to work out our own salvation through self realization as humans were given some of the creative powers and free will of the creator. With this creativity and limited free will they were given the choice to follow Dharma and further evolve and merge into their source Divinity (Satchidananda Sagara) or move away through Adharma and go through repeated cycles of birth and death (Re-incarnation). Certain amount of ego is necessary for functioning in human form. When it exceeds certain limits it deludes us and becomes an obstacle. When we use the word ego in spiritual language, it only means excessive ego that is disruptive of spiritual progress. Here are some ways to sublimating our egos. A. AWARENWSS: Ego grows in unawareness and dissipates in awareness as mentioned above. Bringing constant integrated awareness (CIA) of our true nature, the ATMAN, the ego and other arishadvargas disappear. B. SURRENDER: By attributing the body, mind complex to Divinity itself as surrender, the ego of separateness vanishes. C. FLUSH WITH ONENESS: When we flush our mind with attitude of Unity and oneness the separateness of ego dissipates. Positivity of oneness removes the negativity of separateness. Ego is the final hurdle in full expansion of self towards self realization. It is the final frontier. In removing this ego, several events and people in our lives are helpful. Rather than being angry towards them for the insults or otherwise hurled at us, we should be thankful for them for helping our spiritual advancement by curtailing our ego. Those that praise us enhance our ego and it is only the ones that criticize us and belittle us that will limit our ego. Be thankful to those, who has the freedom to tell you the way it is or the children, particularly teenagers who do not mince words, your adversaries, all adverse events and enemies all contribute for your spiritual growth. Be thankful for them. Ultimately Guru and prarbda contribute for ego breaking. Sani Graham (Saturn) that everybody fears is the best helper in ego breaking. Welcome it as friend and thank him for your spiritual expansion. When we read the biographies of sages and saints, we find they all invariably have to go through this ego breaking process to become Paramhamsas. Thus adversity and adversaries contribute more to our spiritual maturity than favorable events and our well wishers and be thankful for them. Thus all of them become our friends. We become friend of all. This develop ekatma bhava in us. This is our destination and goal.

ADVERSARIES OF HINDUISM AND HINDU CULTURE Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD July 3, 2013 Indian civilization is the only living ancient civilization that is still existing on earth. While the Babylonian, the Nile Vally, Chinese, Roman, Geek civilizations flourished and died, the Indian civilization is still alive and well, flourishing in India. What are the elements of Hinduism and its culture that sustained it from the vigors of time, from the onslaughts of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and others. There are several Hindus that believe the enemies of Hinduism and Bharatiya culture is other foreign religions like Islam and Christianity. It is a fact of history that Muslim invaders destroyed the Hindu temples and looted wealth of India. There is some damage done to the body of Hinduism by the evangelism and conversions promoted by Christianity through incentives. However greater is the damage caused to the body of Hinduism by Hindus through disunity, through ignorance of the tenants of Hinduism and its culture by Hindus themselves. Thus the enemy is not outside, but within us. There are five strengths to Hinduism that sustained it, protected it, in spite of numerous attempts by competing foreign religions and cultures to destroy it. These unique qualities are its sustaining life blood namely: 1. INCLUSIVITY: It’s inclusiveness to respect all other religions is its very character and strength. It believes in the principle that all religions are like the rivers that merge into the same ocean of Divinity. It is not mere tolerance, but genuine respect. 2. DIRECT EXPERIENCE: It’s emphasis on direct experience of all seekers. It is an experience based religion, not a book based or a prophet based religion. It believes each seeker to be a Moses and get their own ten commandments through direct experience. 3. COMMON HUMANITY: It seeks welfare of all of humanity as “vasudhika kutumbam”. It prays for happiness of all the beings in the world. It believes in universal brotherhood. 4. DYNAMISM: It is a continuously evolving religion and continues to take good from all sources. Hence it is ever new and adjusts to times and places. 5. POSITIVITY: Positivity is its hallmark. It never talks in negative language and does not use fear tactics. Negativity is foreign to Sanatana Dharma. Many well intended staunch Hindu leaders are useing alarm tactics and negative statements with an intent to protect Hinduism from these outer enemies of Hinduism. Sometimes blinded by the constant negative thinking, these well intended individuals and organizations, do unintended damage to their own religion by going against the basic unique tenants that protected Hinduism all these centuries. They go against the grain of inclusivity, positivity and expansive love. Hatred and narrowness, exclusivity and constriction is against the very nature of Hinduism. Hinduism without these five qualities invites self destruction. Any damage in numbers caused by conversions is because of the man made impurities that crept into Hinduism like caste system by birth and our forgetting the common humanity of Hinduism. Let us review the things we as Hindus need to do to rejuvenate and strengthen Hinduism by promoting its strengths. 1. Promoting unity among Hindus. 2. Propagate knowledge about Hinduism among Hindus. 3. Promote positivity, inclusivity, common humanity and direct experience. 4. Bring awareness on the mis-understandings about caste system and work for a casteless society. 5. Promote self confidence and self esteem of Hindus by making them aware of the glory and uniqueness of Hinduism. It’s inclusivity is its exclusivity. 6. Promotion of leadership and values through education to youth. These are the things that every committed Hindu has to understand and promote. Each of us should be a participant in this yajna of rejuvenation of Hinduism. When Hinduism flourishes, the universal brotherhood of mankind and common humanity is restored in the world. Let us protect and promote Hinduism by the above six steps. What is good for Hinduism is good for the world. It is one religion that promotes Oneness and Unity in society.

EVOLUTION OF HUMANS Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 7/1/2013 Creation starts from Oneness (seed) called Brahman. This seed of the cosmos has all the variety in cosmos in dormancy and it has all the intelligence of creation in an inactive form called Hiranyagarbha. The first thing that happened is the thought of creation (light and sound). This thought is a vibration called pranava, primordial sound or OM. Then Space (akasa), air, fire, water and earth came in. These are called pancha bhootas. Ist Inanimate objects , then the plant kingdom, then aquatic animals, then amphibians, lower animals and higher animals. Then as a pinnacle of creation homo sapiens, the humans came in. Till the humans are formed, creation followed Darwin’s theory of evolution with survival of fittest and natural selection. Humans are endowed with a discriminating mind called intellect (Buddhi). While the rest of creation go through the programmed dharma as instincts, the humans were created with some freewill through intellect where he can choose to follow Dharma or go against it and pay the consequences. He can realize his source and merge with the Divinity or keep re-incarnating and going through the cycles of birth and death. But after the human being, the pinnacle of creation was born, the further evolution is through a process of stilling and purification of mind. It has three stages in purification. One can choose and deteriorate into a Danava with cruelty and violence or to animal man with thick ego that functions in reactive mode or remain as human in reflective mode with intellect or evolve into Divinity with revealing mode. The reactive mind reacts with instincts is like the animal mind, works at the level of survival, the next phase is the reflective mind that uses discrimination. This is unique for humans and through this one can discriminate between good and bad. It is a reflection of Atma, though some what still distorted. The clarity is dependent on the level of purity. The third phase is revealing mind, which is fully transparent to reveal Atma through revelation, spurana with absolute clarity. This is the state of full evolution of human being into Divinity itself. Thus a human becomes, what he chooses to become. He can deteriorate to become a Danava man or an animal man, by clouding the mind with addition of karmic baggage and increasing arishadvargas. We can become persons with humanity by sharpening the intellect or evolve into a Divine man by purging the karmic baggage and arishadvargas. Attaining Divinity is our full potential of human birth.

UNITY: PURITY: DIVINITY Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 6/30/2013 Isavasyam Idam Sarvam Sarvam Khaliidam Brahmam Sarvam Brahmam Every speck of creation is permeated by Divinity like every speck of milk is permeated by butter. Then why we do not see him, not able to touch him or experience him/her. To bring out the butter in milk certain processes needs to be done. We need to boil the milk and crystallize into curd and churn and separate. This process in religion is called adhyathmic sadhana. This boiling is the intense desire, adding yeast is the grace of Guru, stilling into curd is stilling the mind and churning it through kavvam (churning stick) of viveka and with the churning rope of vairagya, we separate the karmic baggage, arishad vargas, including ego, then extract the butter of Divinity. First we need to understand God. He is Nirakara, Nirguna Svaroopa. He is the smallest of the smallest and biggest of the biggest. He is the all pervading cosmic energy and intelligence. He is the all pervading electro-magnetic force. He is the cosmic awareness. This awareness is present all over except it is in different proportions in aspects of creation. This awareness, consciousness is least in inanimate objects, gradually increasing in plants, animals and most in humans in the form of discriminating mind. Every speck in creation is in its eternal cycle to merge back into its source of Divinity like all the rivers merge into Ocean. Up to the formation of humans, the evolution follows the Darwin’s theory of evolution, the survival of the fittest and through natural selection. This is done through programmed intelligence called instinct. After the advent of humans, a different cosmic law is applicable for further growth of human to Divinity. This is called purification or samskarana through free will, self effort called sadhana. This is because humans, being the pinnacle of creation were endowed with the creative intelligence, energy and sustenance of the creator. He can discriminate and use his free will and follow dharma or go against it and pay consequences. Through this free will we purge the non-essence, the karmic baggage, arishad Vargas (kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya) including ego. When the non-essence is separated the essence reveals itself as Atman. This gives us vision of Unity and the Visvaroopa Darshan. This is a paradigm shift in consciousness from the world of duality to Unity and Oneness. This is the vision of Unity in diversity. This is integrated vision, Samyak Darshan. The whole universe is experienced as connected web as www, world wide web of awareness, consciousness and divinity. This is Atma darshan. Thus the aberrations created by interspersed lens of maya are removed. we experience the Unity and Oneness that is Divinity. This is the reason why Sanatana Dharma extols each seeker of Truth to have direct experience of this Unity and Divinity through purity. All the spiritual practices are towards developing this purity. It says that each seeker to be a Moses, that receives his own set of ten commandments, not something handed over by others. Thus it becomes the only experience based religion that is not based on a book or a prophet or a set of ten commandments. It promotes the direct experience of our own true nature, the oneness, unity and Divinity. That is reaching home, the OM.

Here is a discussion between Swami Vivekananda and his disciple Sarat Chandra Chakravarthy in 1899 in Belur Math, that still has relevance even today. He talks about the curse of caste system by birth and resultant discrimination and injustice, the need to reform, even it means whriting new Dharma Sastra to suit the current times based on Vedas. Times changed. Facts remained the same even after 114 years after this conversation. Read and understand how restless this spiritual giant feel about the caste system. (Swami Vivekananda (2011-02-12). Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Kindle Locations 46591-46672). . Kindle Edition.) 7.2.11 SHARAT CHANDRA CHAKRAVARTY (From the Diary of a Disciple (Shri Sharat Chandra Chakravarty, B.A.)) (Translated from Bengali) [Place: The Belur Math (under construction). Year: 1899.] Disciple: Why is it, Swamiji, that our society and country have come to such degradation? Swamiji: It is you who are responsible for it. Disciple: How, sir? You surprise me. Swamiji: You have been despising the lower classes of the country for a very long time and, as a result, you have now become the objects of contempt in the eyes of the world. Disciple: When did you find us despising them? Swamiji: Why, you priest-class never let the non-Brahmin class read the Vedas and Vedanta and all such weighty Shastras — never touch them even. You have only kept them down. It is you who have always done like that through selfishness. It was the Brahmins who made a monopoly of the religious books and kept the question of sanction and prohibition in their own hands. And repeatedly calling the other races of India low and vile, they put this belief into their heads that they were really such. If you tell a man, "You are low, you are vile", in season and out of season, then he is bound to believe in course of time that he is really such. This is called hypnotism. The non-Brahmin classes are now slowly rousing themselves. Their faith in Brahminical scriptures and Mantras is getting shaken. Through the spread of Western education all the tricks of the Brahmins are giving way, like the banks of the Padmâ in the rainy season. Do you not see that? Disciple: Yes, sir, the stricture of orthodoxy is gradually lessening nowadays. Swamiji: It is as it should be. The Brahmins, in fact, gradually took a course of gross immorality and oppression. Through selfishness they introduced a large number of strange, non-Vedic, immoral, and unreasonable doctrines — simply to keep intact their own prestige. And the fruits of that they are reaping forthwith. Disciple: What may these fruits be, sir? Swamiji: Don't you perceive them? It is simply due to your having despised the masses of India that you have now been living a life of slavery for the last thousand years; it is therefore that you are the objects of hatred in the eyes of foreigners and are looked upon with indifference by your countrymen. Disciple: But, sir, even now it is the Brahmins who direct all ceremonials, and people are observing them according to the opinions of the Brahmins. Why then do you speak like that? Swamiji: I don't find it. Where do the tenfold Samskâras or purifying ceremonies enjoined by the Shastras obtain still? Well, I have travelled the whole of India, and everywhere I have found society to be guided by local usages which are condemned by the Shrutis and Smritis. Popular customs, local usages, and observances prevalent among women only — have not these taken the place of the Smritis everywhere? Who obeys, and whom? If you can but spend enough money, the priest-class is ready to write out whatever sanctions or prohibitions you want! How many of them read the Vedic Kalpa (Ritual), Grihya and Shrauta Sutras? Then, look, here in Bengal the code of Raghunandana is obeyed; a little farther on you will find the code of Mitâkshâra in vogue; while in another part the code of Manu holds sway! You seem to think that the same laws hold good everywhere! What I want therefore is to introduce the study of the Vedas by stimulating a greater regard for them in the minds of the people, and to pass everywhere the injunctions of the Vedas. Disciple: Sir, is it possible nowadays to set them going? Swamiji: It is true that all the ancient Vedic laws will not have a go, but if we introduce additions and alterations in them to suit the needs of the times, codify them, and hold them up as a new model to society, why will they not pass current? Disciple: Sir, I was under the impression that at least the injunctions of Manu were being obeyed all over India even now. Swamiji: Nothing of the kind. Just look to your own province and see how the Vâmâchâra (immoral practices) of the Tantras has entered into your very marrow. Even modern Vaishnavism, which is the skeleton of the defunct Buddhism, is saturated with Vamachara! We must stem the tide of this Vamachara, which is contrary to the spirit of the Vedas. Disciple: Sir, is it possible now to cleanse this Aegean stable? Swamiji: What nonsense do you say, you coward! You have well-nigh thrown the country into ruin by crying, 'It is impossible, it is impossible!' What cannot human effort achieve? Disciple: But, sir, such a state of things seems impossible unless sages like Manu and Yâjnavalkya are again born in the country. Swamiji: Goodness gracious! Was it not purity and unselfish labour that made them Manu and Yajnavalkya, or was it something else? Well, we ourselves can be far greater than even Manu and Yajnavalkya if we try to; why will not our views prevail then? Disciple: Sir, it is you who said just now that we must revive the ancient usages and observances within the country. How then can we think lightly of sages like Manu and the rest? Swamiji: What an absurd deduction! You altogether miss my point. I have only said that the ancient Vedic customs must be remodeled according to the need of the society and the times, and passed under a new form in the land. Have I not? Disciple: Yes, sir. Swamiji: What, then, were you talking? You have read the Shastras, and my hope and faith rest in men like you. Understand my words in their true spirit, and apply yourselves to work in their light. Disciple: But, sir, who will listen to us? Why should our countrymen accept them? Swamiji: If you can truly convince them and practise what you preach, they must. If, on the contrary, like a coward you simply utter Shlokas as a parrot, be a mere talker and quote authority only, without showing them in action — then who will care to listen to you? Disciple: Please give me some advice in brief about social reform. Swamiji: Why, I have given you advice enough; now put at least something in practice. Let the world see that your reading of the scriptures and listening to me has been a success. The codes of Manu and lots of other books that you have read — what is their basis and underlying purpose? Keeping that basis intact, compile in the manner of the ancient Rishis the essential truths of them and supplement them with thoughts that are suited to the times; only take care that all races and all sects throughout India be really benefited by following these rules. Just write out a Smriti like that; I shall revise it. Disciple: Sir, it is not an easy task; and even if such a Smriti be written, will it be accepted? Swamiji: Why not? Just write it out. " — Time is infinite, and the world is vast." If you write it in the proper way, there must come a day when it will be accepted. Have faith in yourself. You people were once the Vedic Rishis. Only, you have come in different forms, that's all. I see it clear as daylight that you all have infinite power in you. Rouse that up; arise, arise — apply yourselves heart and soul, gird up your loins. What will you do with wealth and fame that are so transitory? Do you know what I think? I don't care for Mukti and all that. My mission is to arouse within you all such ideas; I am ready to undergo a hundred thousand rebirths to train up a single man. Disciple: But, sir, what will be the use of undertaking such works? Is not death stalking behind? Swamiji: Fie upon you! If you die, you will die but once. Why will you die every minute of your life by constantly harping on death like a coward? Disciple: All right, sir, I may not think of death, but what good will come of any kind of work in this evanescent world? Swamiji: My boy, when death is inevitable, is it not better to die like heroes than as stocks and stones? And what is the use of living a day or two more in this transitory world? It is better to wear out than to rust out — specially for the sake of doing the least good to others. Disciple: It is true, sir. I beg pardon for troubling you so much. Swamiji: I don't feel tired even if I talk for two whole nights to an earnest inquirer; I can give up food and sleep and talk and talk. Well, if I have a mind, I can sit up in Samadhi in a Himalayan cave. And you see that nowadays through the Mother's grace I have not to think about food, it comes anyhow. Why then don't I do so? And why am I here? Only the sight of the country's misery and the thought of its future do not let me remain quiet any more! — Even Samadhi and all that appear as futile — even the sphere of Brahmâ with its enjoyments becomes insipid! My vow of life is stem the tide of this Vamachara, which is contrary to the spirit of the Vedas. Disciple: Sir, is it possible now to cleanse this Aegean stable? Swamiji: What nonsense do you say, you coward! You have well-nigh thrown the country into ruin by crying, 'It is impossible, it is impossible!' What cannot human effort achieve? Disciple: But, sir, such a state of things seems impossible unless sages like Manu and Yâjnavalkya are again born in the country. Swamiji: Goodness gracious! Was it not purity and unselfish labour that made them Manu and Yajnavalkya, or was it something else? Well, we ourselves can be far greater than even Manu and Yajnavalkya if we try to; why will not our views prevail then? Disciple: Sir, it is you who said just now that we must revive the ancient usages and observances within the country. How then can we think lightly of sages like Manu and the rest? Swamiji: What an absurd deduction! You altogether miss my point. I have only said that the ancient Vedic customs must be remodelled according to the need of the society and the times, and passed under a new form in the land. Have I not? Disciple: Yes, sir. Swamiji: What, then, were you talking? You have read the Shastras, and my hope and faith rest in men like you. Understand my words in their true spirit, and apply yourselves to work in their light. Disciple: But, sir, who will listen to us? Why should our countrymen accept them? Swamiji: If you can truly convince them and practise what you preach, they must. If, on the contrary, like a coward you simply utter Shlokas as a parrot, be a mere talker and quote authority only, without showing them in action — then who will care to listen to you? Disciple: Please give me some advice in brief about social reform. Swamiji: Why, I have given you advice enough; now put at least something in practice. Let the world see that your reading of the scriptures and listening to me has been a success. The codes of Manu and lots of other books that you have read — what is their basis and underlying purpose? Keeping that basis intact, compile in the manner of the ancient Rishis the essential truths of them and supplement them with thoughts that are suited to the times; only take care that all races and all sects throughout India be really benefited by following these rules. Just write out a Smriti like that; I shall revise it. Disciple: Sir, it is not an easy task; and even if such a Smriti be written, will it be accepted? Swamiji: Why not? Just write it out. " — Time is infinite, and the world is vast." If you write it in the proper way, there must come a day when it will be accepted. Have faith in yourself. You people were once the Vedic Rishis. Only, you have come in different forms, that's all. I see it clear as daylight that you all have infinite power in you. Rouse that up; arise, arise — apply yourselves heart and soul, gird up your loins. What will you do with wealth and fame that are so transitory? Do you know what I think? I don't care for Mukti and all that. My mission is to arouse within you all such ideas; I am ready to undergo a hundred thousand rebirths to train up a single man. Disciple: But, sir, what will be the use of undertaking such works? Is not death stalking behind? Swamiji: Fie upon you! If you die, you will die but once. Why will you die every minute of your life by constantly harping on death like a coward? Disciple: All right, sir, I may not think of death, but what good will come of any kind of work in this evanescent world? Swamiji: My boy, when death is inevitable, is it not better to die like heroes than as stocks and stones? And what is the use of living a day or two more in this transitory world? It is better to wear out than to rust out — specially for the sake of doing the least good to others. Disciple: It is true, sir. I beg pardon for troubling you so much. Swamiji: I don't feel tired even if I talk for two whole nights to an earnest inquirer; I can give up food and sleep and talk and talk. Well, if I have a mind, I can sit up in Samadhi in a Himalayan cave. And you see that nowadays through the Mother's grace I have not to think about food, it comes anyhow. Why then don't I do so? And why am I here? Only the sight of the country's misery and the thought of its future do not let me remain quiet any more! — Even Samadhi and all that appear as futile — even the sphere of Brahmâ with its enjoyments becomes insipid! My vow of life is to think of your welfare. The day that vow will be fulfilled, I shall leave this body and make a straight run up! Hearing Swamiji's words the disciple sat speechless for a while, gazing at him, wondering in his heart. Then, with a view to taking his leave, he saluted Swamiji reverently and asked his permission to go. Swamiji: Why do you want to go? Why not live in the Math? Your mind will again be polluted if you go back to the worldly-minded. See here, how fresh is the air, there is the Ganga, and the Sadhus (holy men) are practising meditation, and holding lofty talks! While the moment you will go to Calcutta, you will be thinking of nasty stuff. The disciple joyfully replied, "All right, sir, I shall stay today at the Math." Swamiji: Why "today"? Can't you live here for good? What is the use of going back to the world? The disciple bent down his head, hearing Swamiji's words. Various thoughts crowded into his brain and kept him speechless.

BRINGING UP CHILDREN Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD 6/27/2013 The eternal question of all parents is how to raise the children. Everybody wants their children to be better than them. Parents will be happy when children exceed their expectations. Sometimes parents do this by providing them all the things that they did not get in their life. This is in terms of material things like toys, cars and other luxuries, which causes problems for them, more than helping them. In order to know what the right thing to do is, we should first understand the purpose and meaning of children and their relationship to us. All things in life happen for a cause, including children. This cause is the karmic baggage or debt or relationship. It is said that we do not choose our children. It is our children that select us to be their parents to burn their karmic baggage (desires). In order to understand this we need to understand death as per Sanatana Dharma. When a person dies, the causal body the Atman (Ghatakasa- contained soul) merges with the Parammatman (Chidakasa – all pervading Brahman). The subtle body (mind) with its pent up desires and memories become the karmic baggage (pretatma). This waits for a suitable family to be born again to fulfill its pent up desires. It is the gross body that is left on earth that is burned or buried that merges with the five elements in nature. When a suitable family is found the subtle body along with causal body descends into the gross body in the womb of the mother around the 12th week of pregnancy. Child thus brings with it the karmic baggage of past life with it and is born in a particular family, because it has some karmic relationship with that family to fulfill. Birth of a child is complex event. The parents feel that they are responsible for their children, while it is the choosing of the child to be born into that particular family. Thus each child has three layers with three bodies. It is a combination of Karmic baggage (prarabda) from the subtle body of past lives and hereditary genes (from parents) the gross body and the Atman, causal body. There are three elements in child parent relationship. One the karmic baggage and relationship (samskaras-tendencies) that the children bring into this life, second the hereditary tendencies of the parents through gross body, the third one is the environment that the parents provide as parental dharma towards the child to grow to its full potential. While parents have no control over the first one of karmic baggage, and the second one of hereditary genes, they do have some control on the type of environment (nurturing) they provide to the child. All our focus as parents should be on this variable aspect of nurturing and nourishing the growth and development of the child to be a productive, contributing human being in society and to Divinity, the full potential. The right attitude for parenting is to keep these facts in mind and function accordingly. What the children become is the product of samskaras (fate, prarabda), genes and nurturing. All three play a role. Thus parents who think that everything a child becomes depends on their nurturing is not fully correct, because of the other two factors. Mythology gives several example of this phenomenon. Hiranyakasipu is a Rakshasa that is born with asuric tendencies (bad); however his son Prahlada was born with daivic tendencies (good). Prahlada’s son Virochana was born with asuric tendencies while his son Bali Chakravarthi was born with daivic tendencies. While same parents raised Ravana and Vibhishana, Ravana developed asuric qualities and Vibhishana developed Daivic qualities. We see this in the world now. If five children of same parents, brought up the same way, each one become different way in their mental makeup like Jimmy Carter and his alcoholic brother. Five fingers of the same hand are not similar. No two brothers and sisters are the same. Keeping this in mind is important, so that the parents will not take ownership for good and bad that happens to children and feel elated or guilty depending on how they turn out. Their only responsibility is to provide equal good opportunity as parental dharma to their children to grow as productive children of the society. This is their Grihasta Dharma to the society. What they ultimately become, they do not have control, since other factors of samskaras and prarabda karma comes into picture. The correct attitude to raise children is as custodian of God’s trust. We are a trustee for the children. We are custodian to our children. We need to be good custodians, trustee for God’s trust, our children. This brings an attitude of detachment. We should Love our children, but not own them. If we own them, we own their successes and failures also. This most often brings sorrow like in the case of Dritarastra who forgot this truth and was blinded by mamatva. The first sloka of Bhagavad Gita starts with the word of Dritarastra “Mamaka Pandavachaiva”. This mamakar is responsible for the destruction of his clan and ultimate sorrow and defeat. Similarly Arjuna’s Mamatva is the reason for Arjuna’s vishada and is the prompting for Gita as a solution. Gita runs between Mamatva to Mama Dharma. Similarly each parent has to get away from mamatva and fulfill their mama dharma (parental dharma) with detachment. WHAT IS THE MAMA DHARMA OF PARENTS THEN? PARENTS TO BE GOOD ROLE MODELS: 1. Parents should lead extemporary lives that their children can emulate. 2. Parents should be positive contributors to society. Actions speak louder than words. 3. Parents should work towards the vision of oneness and unity in the world. EDUCATION THAT INCULCATE VALUES AND CHARACTER: 4. Provide educational opportunities for children that give values and bring splendid character in children. End of education is Character. Sign of education is humility and fragrance of education is goodness. Goodness is greater than greatness. Then what is character? Sustained, spontaneous positive behavior over a period time is character. Character is something we do right when nobody is watching. Education should open up the minds of our children. GOOD EXAMPLE: SCRIPTURES: SASTRAS: BIOGRAPHIES: How do we impart this? First by being a good example. Second through study of scriptures and Sastras. Ramayana, Bhagavata, Maha Bharata are such examples. Life histories (biographies) of sages, saints and good people is also a motivating factor. NAMASMARANA: MANTRA: 5. By having children practice namasmarana (Ram,) or a mantra like OM (or panchkshari, astakshri) or Gayatri that will purify their mind and connects to the cosmic knowledge. BHAKTHI AND KARMA YOGA: 6. By encouraging children to have their own shrine and do daily pooja and thus planting a seed of Bhakthi in them. 8. By encouraging them to participate in community service, volunteering and such other altruistic activity. Help them involve in community activism like protection of environment, noise pollution and the like. COMMITMENT: PERSEVERANCE: EXCELLENCE: SELF CONFIDENCE: 9. By creating an enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge and excellence in everything they do. 10. Empower them with responsibility and help them develop self confidence. 11. Help in developing commitment, steadfastness and perseverance in all the things they like to do. POSITIVITY: ONENESS: UNITY: 12. Help them develop a positive attitude for life and living. 13. Help them see unity and oneness in creation. Let them experience connectivity of humanity. REVERENCE: RESPECT: EQUANIMITY: 14. Help them to show respect and reverence to people in their life (mother, father, teachers, and guests) and to all in creation with an attitude of gratitude. 15. Help them see the big purpose and meaning in all the normal ups and downs of life. Help them develop to be proactive instead of being reactive to life events. FRIENDSHIP: CHEERFULNESS: BE HAPPY: 16. Help them to become Stitapragnas. Teach them how to smile, laugh and be happy. 17. Help promote goodness in them with friendliness to all, but keeping friendship with likeminded good people. TRUSTEESHIP: GUARDIANSHIP: CUSTODIANSHIP: BE A FRIEND 18. Be a trustee and a custodian of God’s trust (your children). Be detached like a Lotus in water and mud. Be a good friend when they grow to be young men and women. While the above were my views based on my growth under my parents and as per my understanding of Sanatana Dharma. I humbly invite others comments and experiences so that the readers will be benefitted by several peoples experiences in this difficult area child rearing.

WHAT IS GOD? WHERE IS GOD? HOW DO WE SEE GOD? Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD June 18, 2013 Most of us have a concept of God as an all powerful person in the sky, overlooking our activities, rewarding us for good deeds and punishing us for bad deeds. We conceptualize him as a judge. Sometimes God is somebody who when prayed takes care of us and gets rid of our troubles. For some God is forgiver of our sins and when surrendered takes care of us like a parent. The common theme in this is a rewarder, punisher, helper, deliverer that is more powerful than us. WHAT IS GOD? “Yad Bhavam Tat Bhavati”, as you think so you become is the upanishadic statement. However we imagine God, that is how they get the response of Divinity. God takes the shape of devotee’s thoughts. “World is a mirror in front of us”. We see ourselves in the world. We see a God that fits to our thoughts. There are four categories of devotees and their God appears to them in four different ways. FOUR KINDS OF DEVOTEES (BY HEIR NATURE): These are Arthi, Ardharthi, Jignasu and Mokshakami. One can start as an Aarthi and ascend up as Jignasu & Mokshakami as in the case of Dhruva. 1. Aarthi: One who calls upon God when in trouble. 2. Ardharthi: One who prays for material wealth & power. 3. Jignasu: Seeker of knowledge. 4. Moksha Kami: Seeker of self realization. Out of these four kinds, Arthi and Ardhathri are the most common type of devotees. However even these devotees after a while get purified and transform into Jignasu and Moksha Kamis. The jignasu and mokshakami finally realize the fullness of Divinity. It is said that “Sathyam, Jnanam, Anatam Brahma”, Truth, Knowledge and Infinite is God. SATHYAM BRAHMA: “Trikala Bhadhyam Sathyam”, Sathyam is something that does not change with time. This unchanging thing is something beyond our senses and should be the finest thing in creation, the very seed of creation, the God particle or Consciousness. All the things that we perceive through our senses change and cannot be this truth. Truth is the unchanging principle, the base (Adhara) of the ever changing world of duality, like the center (eye) of a hurricane. When we further reason, everything in our body undergoes change, except the true “I”, this is not the body, this is not the senses, this is not the mind, this is not the intellect. This is something that is beyond all these, that is in waking, dreaming and deep sleep state without changing and is there as a witness. This is the Atma in us or called Consciousness. JNANAM BRAHMA: Knowledge is God. What is this knowledge? It is also called awareness or witness. This awareness in nature and in us is God. Each cell is aware of its in-built function and responsibility and function for the common good of the body. Similarly in the nature even a blade of grass is aware when the spring comes and blooms. This awareness is God. Omniscience , all knowing awareness is God. Cosmic intelligence is God. WHERE IS GOD? We start with the question where God is and end up questioning where is he not? God is finer than material, finer than senses, finer than mind, finer than intellect and is the finest of all, hence omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. ANANTAM BRAHMA: Infinite is God. Infinite is fullness. Fullness is God. Omnipresence is God’s character. All pervasiveness is god’s trait. There is no place where God is not. God is through and through us. God is outside us, inside us and in us. We are like fish swimming in God. God changes from one form to other. All forms are God. All names are God. All energy is God. The unchanging and also the changing is God. The truth and delusion both are God. There is nothing but God. God is infinite and fullness is God. We start our life’s journey from birth with a birth cry “KOHAM”, who am I?. Finally we find out “SOOHAM”, I am that. I am God. This is part of the universal “I” that is God. Hence we realize that we are part of the infinite. Mathematically if a straight-line infinitely prolonged it becomes a circle. God is a circle whose center is everywhere and periphery is nowhere. This means that God is infinite and omnipresent. HOW DO WE SEE HIM? Finest of vibrations of sound cannot be heard through our physical ears. Similarly the finest of the particles cannot be seen through our physical sense of eye. We cannot see air but feel the effects of air. We cannot see God with our physical eye , but feel and experience God’s presence through the effects. This experience comes through the inner eye and inner vision. This experiencing all pervading Divinity through inner vision is called visvaroopa darshan, self-realization, Moksha, Nirvana or sakshtkar. Similarly voice of Divinity is heard as inner voice and this is called Sruthi, Veda, revelation or intuition. The requirement for inner vision and inner voice to manifest is Purity, that is unison of thoughts, words and actions. Once this is experienced, this irreversibly changes our attitude. We develop an attitude of unity and oneness. We develop constant integrated awareness (CIA). We see the whole universe as connected and feel the kinship to all. Our whole perspective changes. Those that attained this vision are jeevan muktas. They are in the world, but off the world. Their mind is in Himalayas and their hands are in the world. World appears like a beautiful playground of God. They enjoy playing their given roles on the stage, as spectator watch themselves and enjoy the actors acting and director’s skill of direction at the same time. This is called witnessing, awareness or integrated vision or living in NOW. STAGES IN KNOWING GOD: There are three distinct stages all of us go through in our relationship with Divinity. Initially we see God away from us as separate, then near us, yet separate and then feel oneness with God. God as separate from us at a distance is called Dwaita, duality, God near us, yet separate is Visistadwaita, qualified non-dualism and oneness with God is Adwaita, non-dualism. DUALISM QUALIFIED NON_DUALISM NON_DUALISM “I am in the light” “ The light is in me” “I am the light”. “I am the servant of God” “I am the son of God” ‘I and my father are one “said Jesus HANUMAN SAID: “When I think I am the body, I am the servant of Rama” (DUALISM) “When I think I am the mind, I am the devotee of Rama” (QUALIFIED NON-DUALISM) “When I think I am the Atma, I and Rama are One” (NON-DUALISM) Each one of us go through these stages of experiencing God. Distantness, nearness and dearness is the gradual progression in our relationship with Divinity. TWO LEVELS OF CONTEMPLATION: From form to formless: In spiritual path contemplation starts with the form aspect of divinity, since mind can only imagine divinity in a form. If a buffalo has to imagine God, it can only imagine God as a huge buffalo. As long as mind is involved, we can contemplate divinity in form only. As we progress in spirituality, we sublimate the mind (ego), and then we can contemplate on formless aspect of divinity as all pervading, all knowing, all powerful divinity beyond form, space and time. Form (idol) represents ideal behind the form, like flag represents the ideal behind the nation. Idol worship is indeed an ideal worship. Goutam Buddha was against idol worship, but his followers started worshipping his idol after his death. For Muslims it is the Kaaba stone in Mecca and for Christians it is the Cross. These are all examples of form (idol) worship. Initially people ascribe divinity to the idol and start praying (Salokya). As the devotee advances in spirituality, he will feel kinship to the ideal behind the idol (Sameepya) then he will start seeing the ideal behind the idol in most of the things around him like Gopikas saw Krishna in the flowers, bushes, trees and everywhere (Sarupya). As devotion reaches its peak maturity, the devotee senses will be suffused with divinity. When he develops this inner vision, his whole world transforms into a beautiful divine tapestry. For him everything is divinity alone (Sayujja). This is the stage of “Sarvam Brahman”, and called Nirakaropasana. A. Sakaropasana: -contemplation with form B. Nirakaropasana: -contemplation without form Hence two forms of worship are not exclusive, but two stages of evolution of worship. While form worship is the beginning, the Nirakaropasana is final stage of this evolution. ALL IS GOD: Though we state that unchanging Truth is God, the changing world derived from unchanging is only an apparent reality like our dream reality. It is like the clouds that come because of sun, obscures the Sun., like the discharge from eye covers the vision of eye. Hence the nature and the nurture (creator) are both God only. There is nothing but God. In nature day in day out we see the cosmic intelligence in action. The grass knows when spring arrives and blooms. Similarly they are several trillions of chemical processes that are happening in our body without our awareness. We lead a life of forgetfulness, though physically awake. Awareness to this cosmic intelligence that is all around us in nature and in us is realization or seeing God. This is how each one of us can experience Divinity by God’s manifestation of cosmic intelligence. In fact we are seeing God all around us every day.

WHO ARE WE AS HINDUS? WHAT ARE OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES? HOW DO WE OVERCOME THESE WEAKNESSES? Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD June 18, 2013 What makes Sanatana Dharma Unique is its basis of direct experience and its inclusivity. These two elements are its two eyes. Because of these two elements; it has withstood the onslaughts of invasions from other cultures and religions. While 45 other ancient cultures flourished and died in time, Hindu culture continue to live and flourish in India and in the world, because of its inclusivity. It is the ultimate refinement of human thought. To say it correctly, it is beyond the human thought, hence its longevity. Everything that is perpetuated by thought is time bound and perishable. It is only the one that transcends the time, space and causation that stands for eternity and beyond time. Sanatana Dharma is anchored in Truth that is beyond time and space. It is much more than a religion. It is the process like the various rivers of religions and also the destination, the Ocean that all these rivers merge into. Rivers may come and go, rivers may flow and dry, but the all inclusive mighty Ocean will never dry and stands by its own strength. What are these strengths that make it an eternal universal religion? It is its very foundation that is eternal beyond time and space. Hinduism is a Vedic Religion. It is based on Vedas. It is not based on a book, a founder, a prophet, a sage or saint or a messiah. It is based on eternal TRUTH. What is this Truth and how does it come into Sanatana Dharma is the next question. TRUTH: Truth by its very definition is something that is unchanging and permanent. The only thing that stands to this definition is God the original eternal principle. The primordial essence of creation out of which this whole universe appears to manifest. That is the Unity principle in the world of apparent diversity. Vedas are the vibrations of cosmic truth. Truth is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. It pervades in the cosmos as all pervading cosmic intelligence in the form of vibration. It is represented by pranava symbol, the OM. People who are able to connect to this frequency of cosmic vibrations, gifted them to the world in the form of mantras. The people who heard these cosmic vibrations are the Rishis (sages) and the mantras that are given to the world are Vedas. Ved means Knowledge. Nobody claimed ownership or copy righted this knowledge since it is the cosmic knowledge and it is freely available to tune in and capture even by others in similar situation today. It is verifiable even today. The only requirement is absolute purity defined as Unison of thoughts, words and deeds, the aim all spiritual Sadhana. DIRECT EXPERIENCE: Thus the first uniqueness of Sanatana Dharma is its emphasis on direct experience. The foundation of Hinduism as a religion is based on direct experience (Vedas, Revelations). It also promotes and encourages the seekers to aim at direct experience. Experience of others is only a basis, but each seeker should not rest until he/she develops this direct experience. This direct experience is called, sakshatkar, revelation, spurana or visvaroopa darshan, realization or nirvana. The experience others could not be our experience. Sanatana dharma insists on direct experience as the goal of spirituality through which one can realize the answer to birth cry “KOHAM” (who am I?). This answer comes in as experience of “SOHAM”, (I am that). INCLUSIVITY: The second most important element of sanatana Dharma is its inclusivity. In all its proclamations the common theme is inclusion, Unity and Oneness. All 4 Vedas are based on the principle of Truth, which is Oneness. Essence of Rig-Veda is “Samatvam”. Essence of Yajur-Veda is “Yajnam”. The essence of Sama-Veda is “Pranavam”. The essence of Atharvana-Veda is “Sangham”. Whether it is Samatvam (Unity, equality), yagnam (Selfless service, common good actions), Pranavam (song, vibration of creation, of oneness) and the Sangham (society) is all about Oneness and Unity. This is the reason why Vedas proclaim “Vasudhaika Kutumbam” (World is one family) and “Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu” (Let all the beings, people in all the worlds be happy). Truth is the foundation, Direct experience and inclusivity are the two eyes of the Hinduism. Our foundation is Truth that is experienced by seers in the past and can be experienced by each seeker directly even now. Once this is experienced then all the scriptures become confirmation to already experienced truth. Till such time the scriptures are only road maps and cannot be destination. Each one is supposed to use the road map created by past successful travelers, travel the path recommended and reach the destination and experience the ultimate bliss. Once one reaches the destination, he/she experiences the oneness and unity in creation and develops an attitude of inclusivity. This inclusivity is the other strength of sanatana dharma. Truth, Direct experience and Inclusivity are the trinity of Hinduism that kept the effulgence of Hinduism in the world and protected it from intentional onslaughts by other religions to conquer and destroy it. While these evangelical and invading religions succeeded in parts of the globe, they miserably failed in front of the three strengths of Hinduism. Let us analyze why? Truth has no boundaries and no enemies. It takes good from all and accepts all even if others do not accept. Gowtam Buddha was a Hindu, revolted against the practice of ritualism, experienced Truth and preached what he realized. While he preached against idol worship and ritualism in addition to compassion and love, his followers after his death worshipped his image and formed a religion called Buddhism. Because of the patronage of the emperors and kings it spread rapidly and almost wiped out Hinduism from India. Then what happened is the incarnation of Adi Shankara with his emphasis on Unity and Oneness (Adwaita), the core principle of Hinduism that revived Hinduism back. How did this happen in practice? Hindus took Buddha’s teachings as also part of the infinite Truth, created room for Buddha on their altars and considered him as the 9th Avatar in 10 incarnations of Vishnu. They took his teachings as truth since love and compassion is part of expressions of Truth. Hindus have a culture of accepting Truth from any source and good from any source. This is their inclusivity and strength. While, Truth, Direct Experience and Inclusivity are our strengths, there are some in us who are raising alarm that this is our weakness and we need to be exclusive like other religions. If something that is so valuable for centuries, some thing that protected us from all these exclusive evangelists and exclusive invasions for so long, should we change those very protective principles? Should we change to exclusiveness like others from our inclusive attitude? We as Hindus have to answer this question by each one of us and decide which way to go. If all our ashrams are filled by westerners attracted by our culture of inclusivity, should we change our basic culture that attracted them in the first place? They come to us because of our inclusivity that they did not find in any other religions. Inclusivity is our strength not our weakness. Then, people can question the issue of recent conversions to Christianity. Think about who are being converted. Majority are the under privileged, illiterate and the tribals. This is because of their ignorance, poverty and their treatment in society, they become vulnerable for exploitation. Food for the hungry, education for the illiterate, money for the poor, jobs for the unemployed and honor for the dishonored, attract them, since it is their immediate need. Somebody is addressing their immediate need and they are being attracted and exploited, not because they have something that Hinduism do not have. WEAKNESSES (IMPURITIES) TO CORRECT: All religions accumulate some garbage over time to its fundamental Truths. Similarly while basic tenants of Sanatana Dharma is absolute Truth, Experience and Inclusivity, as time passed certain impurities joined and accumulated. It is because of this accumulated dogma that our religion is criticized. It is the responsibility of each Hindu to cleanse these impurities that do not belong to Hinduism. I call them the weeds in the field of Hinduism. Let us discuss those weeds and ways to remove them. These are internal weeds that we need to remove. They are within us and if not removed could potentially harm the harvest of Hinduism. 1. LACK OF CLARITY: One of the weeds that cloud the Hindu mind is lack of knowledge of the tenets of Hinduism. The only solution is learning and teaching about Hinduism by all concerned. It should start in each Hindu home. Parents should learn, live their lives accordingly, teach children, and mentor them to be good Hindus. Each temple and community should be gurukulas of Hinduism. This should be the Dharma of each Hindu. 1. Learn, 2. Travel the path, 3. Experience, 4. Teach, 5. Contribute should be PANCHA MARGA, fivefold path of each Hindu. 2. LACK OF UNITY: While our Vedas proclaim Unity and oneness, in practice, we are acting differently. With the fierce competition of globalization each one is thinking about himself and his family more and more and less and less about greater good of the society. We become divided based on caste, language, religion, race, region and the like. As these divisions in society are increasing, we are travelling away from the essential tenants of Hinduism, unity, oneness, inclusivity and Truth. Historically nobody was able to conquer Bharat as long as we were united. It is the rivalry of Jayachandra with Pridhviraj that resulted Ghori’s conquest of Hindustan in 1192. Same story with British and other colonial rulers that ruled India. This is true even today. Individually we excel and collectively we fail. While Dharma talks about greater good principle where in, we need to sacrifice the lower Dharma for the sake of higher Dharma; in practice we do the reverse. We are sacrificing the community for the sake of me and mine. This attitude can only change with proper awareness of what Hindu Dharma stands for. CASTE SYSTEM: Other significant obstacle for this is our deteriorated God given natural Varna system into society created caste system (Kula Vyavasta) by birth. This is what other religions are pointing to us as our weakness and exploiting for conversions to their religions. There is need now to address this squarely and remove this weed from the field of Hinduism. 3. IDENTITY: Identity of who we are is very important for each one of us for self confidence. Self confidence leads to self satisfaction and that leads to self realization. Self confidence is the foundation on which the mansion of self realization is built. We are God first, Humans next, Bharatiyas, Telugus, then our family and ourselves in that order. The work for a better humanity begins with self and the last to receive the benefit is self. This should be the order. Greater good is the principle that Dharma is founded on. This is how our body works. The liver cells, bone cells, blood cells, bone cells and brain cells all derive their nutrition from the body and work harmoniously for the greater good of the body. When a cell or a group of cells forget this greater good principle and work selfishly for itself, then it becomes a cancer cell. Selfishness is cancer and selflessness is health. We should identify ourselves as humans and Hindus then everything else and we should be proud of who we are. A true Hindu is a blessing to the world because of his inclusivity. Indians whether it is Hindus, Muslims or Christians should proudly proclaim that they are proud citizens of Hindustan, Bharat and India. They should proudly declare that they belong to great ancient living Hindu culture , Bharatiya culture and Indian culture, They should proudly proclaim they are from Hindustan, Bharat and India, the most inclusive country with the most inclusive religion.. To summarize we as Hindus have our work cut out for us. First task is to learn and disseminate proper knowledge about Hindu Dharma to all. Second promote unity among Hindus and Hindu organizations. Third to remove the obstacles to unity in Hinduism like caste system. Fourth, we need to promote, project Hindu identity with self confidence and reverence.

EVOLUTION OF CONCEPT OF GOD AND RELIGION DR. RAGHAVENDRA S. PRASAD, MD JUNE 13, 2013 Humans have an innate desire and craving for expansion since their source is infinite. They labeled this infinitude as God that resides externally. Religion caters to the human need for expansion and greater freedom (called God). This is an expansion from limited self to greater self is the evolution of human search for God and evolution of religion. This expansion happened gradually over the centuries in the world from tribal Gods to a One God that is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. TRIBAL GODS: Most ancient people have different deities for different tribes, each proclaiming that their God is superior and more powerful than the others. Then they fought to decide on whose God is superior and victors God was claimed superior over the loser. The Christian crusades of 11th to 13th century, European wars of religion of the 16 the and 17th century, Muslim conquests of 7th to 19th century and the Spanish Reconquuista of 8th to 15th century are the examples of this religious warfare. ONE GOD IN THE HEAVENS: Later on the concept of one God evolved who is powerful, residing in the sky and heaven that is omniscient and omnipotent. He was a distant God that is all powerful and watching over us. GOD IN NATURE: Then evolved the concept of God in the nature that we see daily. God is not only in the sky, but also on earth as cosmic intelligence. God is now closer than before. GOD WITHIN: Further evolution is the concept that God is within each one of us as Atman. This further evolves into a state where we are like fish swimming in the water that is God, which is outside, within and inside us. Thus god and we became inseparable. In this stage Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is within us. While these concepts evolved over centuries, these concepts repeat itself in humans during each of our spiritual journeys. All religions are paths towards this expansion and freedom towards realization of Divinity. While some religions address some aspects of this progression, the Sanathana Dharma in its doctrines caters to all stages. THE STAGE OF TRIBAL GOD: DISTANT GOD (GOD IN HEAVEN): This stage in Sanatana Dharma is called DUALISM (DWAITA). At this stage God and the devotee are separate. Symbols, Icons of worship, rituals play a big role. Pleasing the God to get blessings becomes an important element. One drawback at this stage is the element of superiority of their symbol of God is very possible because of their ignorance. THE STAGE OF GOD IN SKY AND IN NATURE: In this stage there is some closeness and relationship as son, devotee or kinship with God. This stage is called QUALIFIED NON-DUALISM (VISISTADWAITA). This is an intermediate stage in spiritual progression. I AM GOD: GOD WITHIN ME: This mature stage is full expansion of human potential with an attitude of Oneness and Omnipresent God. God is felt within through and through us. This stage is called NON-DUALITY (ADWAITA). Here are the examples from Vedas, Bible and Ramayana for these 3 states of development. DUALITY QUALIFIED NON-DUALITY NON-DUALITY (DWAITA) (VISTADWAITA) (ADWAITA) I am in the light The light is in me I am the light I am the servant of the Lord I am the son of the Lord Me and my father are one I am the servant of Rama I am the Devotee of Rama I am Atman Rama All religions evolved to cater to the spiritual need of the times, geography. Thus each one is unique with one commonality of destination. All of them help the seeker merge into Divinity. While this is the truth, some religions because of the dogmas that crept into their religions due to self interest and selfishness of leadership claim exclusivity. They thus promote conversion to their religions by giving incentives. . Any religion that claims exclusivity to the Truth and any religion that has one way as one size fits all is a commercial religion or a commercial enterprise that sells its products claiming exclusivity. Any religion that does not believe in Oneness of humanity and acceptance of other religions as legitimate path to Divinity are either not a true follower of their founders of the religion or commercial salesmen of that religion. There are different needs at different stages like same physics is taught in elementary school, college and university differently. Childhood adult and elderly needs are different. Similarly the needs at different stages of spiritual maturity are different. Sanatana Dharma caters to the full spectrum of religious evolution of humans.

UNIQUENESS OF HINDU (INDIAN) CULTURE Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD June 2, 2013 Thoughts are waves/ each wave form part of the memories of waking state and dreams at night. Sustained memory becomes a habit. Sustained habits become Character either good or bad. Sustained good character of large number of people and their beliefs, attitudes and functioning over a long period of time becomes the culture of that society. Sanatana Dharma is the original name of Hinduism and this is based on Vedas. Vedas are cosmic knowledge, heard by the rishis in their contemplation, as revelations. The culture of India is the culture of Sanatana Dharma that is based on Vedas. GRATITUDE: Vedas proclaim Matru Devo Bhava - Mother is God. Pitru Devo Bhava - father is God, Acharya Devo Bhava - Teacher is God and Atidhi Devo Bhava - Guest is God. All these four statements reflect GRATITUDE to contributors to our life, sustenance and learning. Reverence gratitude and admiration is the hall mark of Vedic culture. INCLUSIVITY AND ONENESS: All four Vedic Mahavakyas point to the ultimate knowledge of oneness. Prajnanam Brahma - Awareness is God. Tatvamasi - That and me are one. Ayamatma Braham - This Atma is God, Aham Brahmasmi - I am God. It proclaims Vasudhaika Kutumbam - the world is one family. Hindu culture reflects this attitude and considers that every speck of creation is permeated by Divinity. This attitude brings in inclusivity which is another attitude of this culture. SELF REALIZATION THROUGH SELF CONFIDENCE: Hindu culture reflects this confidence that we are not an accidental isolated entity and we are part of the oneness in creation. It believes that we are one cell in the body of cosmos. Selfless action for the greater good of society is upheld as a virtue. This brings Self satisfaction which leads to self confidence, leads to self sacrifice, and leads ultimately to self realization. KNOWLEDGE IS THE TRANSFORMER: Adwaita Darsanam Jnanam - Seeing oneness in creation is knowledge, Brahma Vid Brahmaiva Bhavathi - Knower of nature of Divinity becomes God. It puts lot of importance on knowledge. The word Veda comes from Vid, meaning knowledge. Indian culture puts lot of importance to learning. FORGIVENESS AND SACRIFICE: Vedas proclaim Thyaganaike Amrutatva Maanasu - Only through sacrifice one attains immortality. Ultimate sacrifice is the sacrifice of ego. Forgiving and forgetting is a value in this culture. HUMILITY AND MODESTY: While exuberance is a virtue in the west, humility is considered as a virtue in India. Their child raising practices reflect this. Vedas proclaim that end of education is character and sign of education is humility. DIRECT EXPERIENCE: Hinduism is not a book based, a messiah based, a prophet based religion. It is based on direct experience. Vedas that are the basis for Hinduism itself are based on direct experience of Rishis. However it accepts this direct experience is potentially possible to all, through some effort and purifications. Hence Hindu culture does not claim exclusivity for the Truth. It believes that each religion is a different river that merges in the same Ocean of Divinity. This inclusivity is in built in this culture. RESPECT AND REVERENCE FOR ALL OF CREATION AND LIFE: Vedas proclaim Isvara sarva bootanam - God resides in all creatures. Isvara sarva bhotantaratma - God resides as indweller as Atma in each creature. Hence Hindu culture reflects this with non violence (AHIMSA) and respect for all. Majority are vegetarians for the same reason. Non-violence and peace is the undercurrent of Hindu culture. They worship all animals, all rivers, hills, and all the 5 elements of nature. This reflects their attitude of Omnipresence of Divinity. In spite of onslaught of invasions from the Greeks, Muslims, British, French and Portuguese, India kept it’s culture intact. , India has taken good from all these cultures. This speaks to the inclusiveness of this culture. While Babylonian, Egyptian, Roman, Ottoman, Inca cultures lived, flourished and died, the Indian culture still lives. It is the only living ancient culture in the world now. The main reason is its adaptability to take good from all and its inclusivity.

VERIFICATION OF INTUITIVE STATEMENTS For the person who had the intuitive knowledge, he/she does not need to verify because of the clarity that it brings. They will instantly know that has come from cosmic source. Here are the qualities of intuitive knowledge, which is also called revelation or Veda: 1. CLARITY: It brings absolute clarity. 2. BREVITY: it is harp and to the point, like the Vedic Mahavakyas. 3. SELF ILLUMINOUS: It is self explanatory and does not need further interpretation. 4. PROFOUND: It amazes the receiver also who feels in wonder how this has come. He will be a pleasant witness to the happening and feels as a conduit for Divine knowledge flow. Then the question comes when somebody claims to have a revelation, how to determine the truthfulness in the statements. Here are the ways to separate truth from false claims of intuitions: 1. It comes from a person of character. Since purity is a requirement for cosmic knowledge revelation, this is an absolute requirement. 2. The person should be functioning beyond the senses with humility. 3. Statements do not contradict existing earlier knowledge but only builds on it. 4. The truth is verifiable. 5. That knowledge is freely available to all without commercial nature. In addition to these it should satisfy one of these three pramanas 1. Sastra pramana 2. As followed by pious people 3. Atma pramana (when Consciousness is mature). A statement of revelation could be partially true and partially false depending on the degree of purity. If somebody has 80% purity, their intuitive statements are 80% truthful. All harm done to the world, all religious killings result from these partial impurities. Hence we should use our sense of discrimination to separate truth from falsehood and only take in the truth.

LEADERSHIP: In the world 5% lead the 95% that follow. The one that leads is called the leader. At one time the kings or the monarchs used to be the leaders and they used to be guided by the advice of spiritually elevated souls. In the kingdom of Ayodhya, Vasista is such a guru that guided Dasaradha and similarly Sage Suka Guided Janaka. Thus they made sure that the brains are guided by the heart. When mind/ brains rule, egos rule the decisions. When Hearts rule, greater good rules the decisions. Brains think about the popular and cater to the popular desires of people (Priyam). The Heart thinks about what is beneficial to the people and caters to the greater good (Modam) of the people. In today’s world this kind of guidance is lacking and this kind of listeners of advice from spiritually elevated souls is lacking. QUALITIES OF IDEAL LEADERS: Leaders should have five qualities. Creativity, Capability, Connectivity. Goodness and unselfishness, empowerment. 1. CREATIVITY: An ideal leader should be a visionary. He should be able think ahead of times to foresee the needs of tomorrow and plan for that. He should be able to get the most of the people around them. He encourages creativity and encourages development of team work. 2. CAPABILITY: An Ideal leader should be capable to deliver the results. This is the skill needed to lead the team and perform the task. He should have the required knowledge and skills to perform the tasks. 3. CONNECTIVITY: A leader should be able to connect to his following. Followers should have faith and trust in the leader. This generates from consistency in action. 4. GOODNESS: A leader should always aim for greater good of greater number of people. People should be able to communicate with ease. He should be a good listener and problem solver. 5. UNSELFISHNESS: A leader should be unselfish and should always think beyond self. Fearlessness and strength comes from unselfishness. 6. EMPOWERMENT: A good leader identifies good human resource to do the tasks at hand for various tasks and delegates tasks. Periodically discusses and guides the team players as needed. TYPES F LEADERS: There are three kinds of leaders by their gunas and karmas, the Tamasic, Rajasic and Satwic. 1. TAMASIC LEADER: A leader with no vision, capability creativity or connectivity becomes one though hierarchy or by chance. He delegates all his responsibilities to others without giving the clear guidelines. He is the most inefficient leader and is detrimental to the society. 2. RAJASIC LEADER: This is the most common type. He does everything for name and fame. These are the ones who feel that winning at any cost is important. They do not hesitate to compromise people or country for personal benefit. They tend to be autocratic and authoritarian. They make decisions without seeking inputs from others. Hence their decisions tend to be less creative. They only think about the present with no vision of the big picture. They tend to be autocratic and authoritative. They tend to micromanage and stifle creativity. They consider others with vision as competition and try to curtail their prominence to the detriment of society. Me and my family first and everything is next is their policy. 3. SATWIC LEADER: This is the ideal kind of leader with a vision, fore thought, thinks about greater good and unity in all actions. He identifies the right people for the right tasks and delegates, seeks input and when needed takes tough decisions without wavering. These tend to be democratic or participative leaders. They understand human nature and build systems to benefit the society. In this Satwic type leader there are three types: They have some level of spiritual maturity that brigs clarity in thinking. INFORMATIONAL LEADER: This is the kind of satwic leader who is good in communicating the tasks at hand and disseminate that information to greater number of people. INSPIRATIONAL LEADER: This kind of satwic leader inspires large number of people towards the national tasks. They were very clear in their thinking and transmit this clarity to the masses. They are very passionate about their tasks and yet good listeners. TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER: This kind is rare. These are the satwic leaders who developed spiritual maturity within and have their heart run their minds. These leaders transform the societies even after their death. Gandhi is the typical example of this kind of leadership. All leaders may or may not have all these qualities. But a good leader even if he/she does not have these qualities to start with takes advice from spiritually mature advisors to fill the gap on clarity to do greater good to the society. Ultimately this should be the objective of all leaders. Leaders, who do not realize this, disgrace themselves, their teams, their cause and society. Those who aspire for leadership in society should first learn to be the servants of society, decrease their egos and then enter the arena of leadership with service to the society. “KINKARUDU KANIDE SANKARUDU KALEDU”. Hanuman is the great example. He said in answer to a question that when he thinks he is the body, he was the servant of Rama, when he thinks he was the mind, he was the devotee of Rama and when he thinks he was the Atman, he is the Atma Rama. A true leader should function at all these three levels with people and country. He should be the servant of the people, devotee of the task given and should be one with the country.

INDIFFERENCE TO SUFFERING IS INHUMANITY

I saw on NDTV a video clip today where an 8 month old infant and her mother were hit and run by a truck in public busy street of Jaipur, Rajasthan. As both mother and infant lay injured and bleeding to death, the husband desperately sought help from pedestrians and drivers. No body, nobody cared to stop and help. Ultimately the mother and infant bled to death. This was a preventable death of two people if somebody had compassion to stop and help.

Similar story with the Delhi rape victim. As she was lay naked road side no body stopped and helped including the police. The other day in Tenali, AP similar story. A teenager was physically harassed by 6 men in front of her mother. When the mother intervened, she was pushed in front of a moving truck. She died of injuries. All this happened when a Sub-Inspector of police was watching amusingly.

What is happening to my India and its people? Are they losing their humanity  and their souls? That too in a country with culture that proclaims to the world lofty ideals of Vasudhaika Kutumbam. Are our preaching limited to lips only?    Stop and think INDIA. What is happening to your humanity and human values?

When things go wrong, the true character of people and the country come out.  In all these instances, why do people not respond humanly?  What India preaches to the world is followed more by the rest of the world than us. This is a collective shame. In a country that is supposed to be materialistic, see how people responded and showed their humanity. Learn from New York and Boston. Character and humanity of a country comes out in tragedies like these. It is about time India and Indians ask themselves these questions, respond and be their true selves.

HEART: HEAD: HANDS

HEART:  HEAD:  HANDS

Dr. Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD

4/15/2013

From the seed of oneness has come the variety of all creations.  Mind is common to humans and animals. The purpose of mind is survival. This survival mind that identifies with body is called ego.  Its purpose is to give a separate identity that gives instincts to protect self.  There is another faculty of the same mind that is exclusive to humans that makes them distinct and unique in creation. This is the capability of this mind to reflect Atman. This gives the unique capability of discrimination to the humans. Not only this, when this mind is pure and fully transparent it can reflect Atman in its full light and glory. This gives capacity for intuition, inner voice, and vision of unity. Thus we can connect to the totality of creation.

With the reactive and survival mind we are humans by form and animals by quality of mind. With reflective, discriminating mind (intellect) we are humans by form as well as by our quality of our mind. With the transparent, pure mind we become divatma swaroopas and angels in human form. We become one with divinity. Our thoughts attain the power of Divinity and it is called sankalpa siddhi. Our words become Divine words of wisdom and truth. Our actions become Divine actions. We transmit aura of Divine effulgence. Our presence ushers in peace between warring factions.  Our adversaries turn to be our admirers.

When the senses and mind rules our body and over rules the intellect, we function at the level of animals only.  In this state we spend all our life in sleeping, waking, eating, mating and reproducing. We are in a reactive mode and survival mode. All our actions become reactive actions controlled by others. We are like a kite without a string, fully controlled by the winds of others. We are tossed up and down mercilessly at the whims of others with no self respect. Ego is very thick in this state and does not let discrimination to come through.

Next level of functioning is the human level of functioning, where in the mind starts reflecting the Atman partially as discriminating intellect. We stop acting by reacting and start taking control of life. In all situations we stop reacting, but act after review of pros and cons of the situation. This faculty of discrimination makes us unique in animal kingdom. We start acquiring the human values of sathya, dharma, shanthi, prema, ahimsa and thyaga and start purging the egocentric animal characteristics of kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsaryas.  We try to separate good versus bad.

As this refining process continues our mind become fully transparent and becomes purer and purer with no distortions of ego lens. This is the Divine man with his or her full potential. This  is our home. We are restless till we reach this home. Though we are functioning in the world of duality we function with an attitude of unity. This is true viswaroopa darshan. In this our heart (Spiritual heart, Atman) rules over our mind, senses and body. There is unity of purpose and absolute harmony in this functioning.

Thus we should develop purity, transparency of mind through which we get full Atmic functioning. This is like connecting to cosmic intelligence, cosmic unending energy and cosmic sustenance. All we need to know comes from within. All energy we need comes from our own cosmic generator and all the wealth we need to sustain comes from cosmic wealth. Thus one becomes a conduit for cosmic intelligence, cosmic energy and cosmic sustenance. This was where the knowledge, sustenance and energies true education is humility. Ego and humility cannot co exist. When humility comes in ego  leaves. Ego and arishadvargas cannot survive in awareness of their presence. Thus bringing awareness to otherwise unconscious level of existence of ours is a sure way to conquer the formidable ego.of Gandhis and mother Theresas of the world derived  from. This is how  the little miniscule people accomplish insurmountable tasks.  This capability to generate inherent Atmic power is within each one of our capacity, when we cleans ourselves from the obstacles.

The major obstacles are arishad vargas, karmic baggage and finally ego. Ego is the final frontier one needs to conquer. That is why it is said that sign of education is humilty. humility and ego can not co-exist together. when humility comes ego leaves. Arishadvargas including the formidable ego can not survive in the presence of awareness of their presence. Thus bringing awareness to otherwise unconscious life is a sure way to conquer the final frontier ego. When arishadvargas including the ego leaves the heart gets purified and becomes transperant. we then reflect pure consciousness of Atman.

Thus the HEART should lead the HEAD and in turn lead the HANDS. Heart Head and Hands in that order.This is the right way to functioning that leads us to the full potential.

CASTE IS A COVER OF IGNORANCE ON MIND

CASTE IS A COVER OF IGNORANCE ON MIND

Different groups of cells in our body have no caste. They do their defined job and work for common good of the body. Different species of birds live harmoniously without caste following their own dharma. All the five elements, space, air, fire, water and earth work with all with no caste. Sun gives sun shine equally to all without caste.

We have no caste at birth and no caste in death. Why do we need the caste in the middle? We are humans first and humans last. We are one great humanity. We are one.  Caste is a limiting boundary that we created for ourselves. Caste is the cover of ignorance that covers our humanity.

We have gotten a political freedom on August 15 1947. We are still slaves of our minds that are still restricted, constricted, enslaved and imprisoned with shackles of caste. It is about time that we wake up  From morning to evening during all waking hours we liberally criticize the government and people for not being responsible and doing their job. It is about time that we question ourselves if we are doing our part to free our minds and society from the shackles of caste. Jagrath, uthist, wake up and let us do our part. It all begins with us, each one of us.

STAGNATION STINKS

STAGNATION STINKS:

Raghavendra S. Prasad, MD

4/9/2013

Life is a dynamic process and flow. If water stagnates, it becomes a cesspool of bacteria and a reservoir of disease. The same water when it keeps flowing maintains its clarity and purity in spite of impurities coming and joining it.  Similarly a stagnant society or a religion that does not adapt to the needs of place and times becomes dying entity and is harmful to the society.  Societies and religions should be dynamic and adapt to changing times and the needs, while keeping its core values, in case of Sanathana Dharma, the values of Sathya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, Ahimsa and Thyaga.

Hinduism has shown this dynamism in adapting to the changing times more than any other religion. Hence it can be called a universal religion that is dynamic and vibrant.  It is a living religion that absorbs good from all sources, cleanses itself from impurities, in its journey towards Truth. This dynamism is its strength; hence it has survived invasions and onslaughts from many other religions.

It is about time that Hindu leadership as well as all the practicing Hindus has to show some leadership in showing this dynamism in getting rid of this disease of caste in Hindu society. Our predecessors have done their part in keeping the sanctity of Hinduism by preventing its stagnation. Let us do our part in addressing this illness of caste (which is stagnation of mind) to the essence of Hinduism. Nobody else will do it for us. It is our problem. We need to recognize and accept that it is a problem and take steps to correct it. Please join me in this sacred yagna.

ATTITUDE OF ONENESS AND UNITY

 The world of duality emerged from Unity. The world of variety has emerged from Oneness. The five trillion or more cells in our body emerged from the one primordial cell. That one is infinite and the many are finite aspects of the infinite. Every speck in the world of duality, everything in the world of variety and in every one of the trillions of cells in the body is embedded with a seed of Unity, Oneness and the infinite.  Thus infinite oneness and unity is in finite, many and variety. Finite, variety and finite comes from infinite, Unity and Oneness. This is the unique embedded relationship of nature whether we realize or not.  This journey of duality, variety, cells towards the Unity, Oneness and infinite is the goal of life’s journey. The name that is given to this flow to the destination is spirituality. The channels of this flow are named religion.

Why is there a thirst for bigger and bigger things in our life? Why is that we desire for bigger houses, bigger cars, bigger bank balances? These are our innate expressions of our true self, though mis-directed externally in the wrong direction. While in America we crave for our villages. Why? Since craving for source is in built.  Like all waters that started from Ocean form clouds - rains – rivers and final merger into ocean again. Till this happens the waters are restless. They overcome incredible obstacles in this process of reaching home. The biggest and infinite is resident right within us. Unfortunately not realizing this we search all over outside for this.  After we get tired, we realize the mistake and begin our inward journey to reach home.

Similarly our very source is Unity, Oneness and Infinite. We are and will be restless till we reach and merge into our source, home. People call this merger by different names, Nirvana, self-realization, moksha, bliss, ananda. While this is the goal of all, all of us without any exception are on this infinite journey to reach home. Each one of us is at different stations on this road to home. Some of us may reach this home in this life, while others may take several lives (re-incarnations) to reach this goal. Nothing will change this, since it is our in-built programmed destiny.

Now the question is how we by our effort (sadhana) hasten this process. When we go against this flow towards Unity, we feel restlessness, pain and suffering. When we are going with the flow we feel happy and at peace. This is the criteria with which we can judge ourselves if we are travelling with or against the flow of life. Obviously we want to be happy, restful without pain and suffering.  After checking this out if the indicators show that we are going against the flow towards home (Unity), the following steps will put us back in the right flow or enhance the force of flow towards our destination.

1.                  ATTITUDE (BHAVA):  ATTITUDE OF UNITY (EKATMA BHAVA):

“Yad Bhavam Tat Bhavathi’ declare Upanishads. This essentially means that our thoughts shape our destiny. The creative intelligence that is responsible for creation of this variety in creation is also present within us in a limited format (limited only by our mind). This is called Sankalpa Shakthi. The degree of presence of this Sankalpa Shakthi is directly proportional to the level of transparency or purity of our mind (chitta suddhi).

When we have an attitude of oneness then we feel kinship to the world we live in. We see goodness in all and see a world of harmony and beauty. Thus world is mirror in front of us. We see ourselves in the world. It is our attitude (bhava) that determines our vision and destiny. Initially developing the right attitude is an effort like anything else (swimming, bicycling). However through practice it becomes our second nature, spontaneous, effortless character. This is what Krishna said “abhyasena Kounteya”, in response to Arjuna’s question. By practice one can bring in, learn any new thing.

The first step to correct our direction towards the flow of life or increase force of flow is to develop the attitude of oneness. This is done initially by effort that becomes our second nature (character) through practice. How do we do this is the next question? In all our activities in day to day world we come across situations where in we need to decide on the sides to take. Take the side of Oneness and Unity in all circumstances. Oneness and Unity is the ultimate TRUTH. The apparent differences in creation is only an apparent, contemporary reality caused by Maya (illusion). Behind this apparent variety there is the sutra of oneness, though not seen or perceived initially.

Behind the variety of flowers in the garland, there is the thread (sutra) of Unity. Hang on to this Sutra and practice visualizing and seeing this Unity.  Pretty soon after a while one will start experiencing this Unity spontaneously. The yad bhavam tat bhavathi manifests as Unity in our own life. This experience of Oneness and Unity is the real Viswa roopa Darshan, not the Ravi Varma’s drawing, which is symbolic. This means that we are close to the destination.

1.                  TRUTH  (SATYAM):

Trikala Bhadyam Satyam. The one that does not change with time (past, present and future) is Truth. With this definition only one thing remains as Truth, that is the Oneness, Unity or Divinity. But what is the world of duality that we see, touch, feel. This is called contemporary reality (pratibhasika sathyam), just like sun-rise and sun-set. Sun has no rising or setting. But we see that and experience that and state it commonly.  This is the contemporary reality, not Truth. Contemporary reality is the world of duality projected (maya)  on the screen of Consciousness (Unity). While we enjoy and react to the movie, we should not be deluded to the fact that it is  only projection of maya on unity. When we deal with the world of contemporary reality, we should always approach it with the attitude of Oneness and Unity. This is functioning in duality with full awareness of Oneness.

How do we put this into practice in day to day world. In all circumstances and events that life presents to us, we should take the side of Unity. I would use the following criteria. Does it Unite people or divide the people. Take the side of Uniting and Union. This is yoga, which means Union. Follow this principle that is very fundamental and one will be on the right side always. This helps going with the flow of nature towards Unity.

2.                  LOVE (PREMA):

Love is the emotion of creation. Unity, Oneness expressed as emotion is Love. In love two becomes into one. Love unites, Love merges. Love dissolves the separateness. Love dissolves the separating boundaries. Through love we not only feel our own feelings, but we also feel others feelings of anxiety, concerns, joy, pain or happiness. In other words Love connects. Love is the great networking force. Love is expansion while hate is contraction. In order to reach our home of Oneness and Unity, we need to keep expanding.

We should plant a seed of love in our hearts, water it, fertilize it and let it grow. Let it start at home, grow to include friends, society and ultimately to include even our so called enemies. It should be a continuous expansion process. Love is the emotional force of Unity that takes us to the destination faster. When you get feelings of hate towards any one, just stop, think. In that awareness hate disappears. Awareness is the antidote for the disease of Arishadvargas (The six enemies - Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya) caused by ego and karmic baggage.

 3.                  AWARENESS AND WITNESSING (SAKSHI):

Ego is mind’s identification with body and gives the false “I” while the true “I” in us is the Atman. We are not the body, not the senses, not the mind, not the intellect. As we go through this negation process (neti, neti – not this, not this), we arrive at the conclusion, I am that I am, the true “I”. This true “I” is ever present even in deep sleep. This true “I” is the real seer, hearer, smeller, feeler, taster not the eyes, ears, nose, skin or the tongue which are just the equipments of this true “I”..

Absence of light is darkness. Absence of knowledge is ignorance. Absence f awareness is branthi (illusion or maya). All the arishadvargas are the off shoots of ego, maya and ignorance. They cannot survive in the presence of awareness. Bring awareness where there is forgetfulness is present. We lead a life of forgetfulness of our true self and identify with body mind complex. We spend the life with the mistaken identity that we are the body, mind and senses which we are not. Awareness is functioning with true identity that we are the Atman and thus connected to totality of creation and to the creator (www – the true  World Wide Web). This awareness brings us the attitude of Unity and Oneness. Thus it brings back to the flow of life towards Oneness.

4.                  CHARACTER AND GOODNESS:

Coin has two sides. The world of duality made up from Unity has two sides. We are a combination of prakriti and purusha. Positive and negative. Electric and magnetic force. Kinetic and potential energy. Ying and yang. Yada and pingala. Thus each one has two sides. The positive side and a negative side. The positive side of humanity unites us all and the negative side separates us all into narrow compartments. Our negative side is responsible for all the problems in the world and the positive side for the harmony and beauty in the world.

Focusing on the positive makes us experience a harmonious, loving, caring beautiful world. We have the capability to create a harmonious world. This cannot happen by trying to change the world which most of try or tried. This is a wasteful effort that leads to disappointment. However this change can be accomplished by changing, transforming ourselves to be positive. When we make our antahkarana (inner senses) positive the whole world follows, because “yad bhavam tat bhavathi is the rule. You become the change that you desire and change happens. Let it begin with me should be the rule. This is the reason Gandhiji’s autobiography is titled “My experiments with truth”. He experimented with himself – not with the world. He transformed and the world followed.

Developing positivity within ourselves is the key. Positivity is the attribute of unity. This attitude of Unity  will be reflected in our character.  End of education is character.  Sign of education is humility (devoid of ego).  Fragrance of education is Goodness”. Goodness is the effulgence of Atman. Develop positivity inside. This leads to goodness in our character. Then we will start seeing more and more positivity in others. We will be seeing more and more goodness in others. Then we will be a witness to a good world. Thus we transformed the world through change in our attitude. This is way to connect to the world and this connected world follows you with your intentions and with your transformation.

5.                  SERVICE  (SEVA):

Normally we serve ourselves and desire others to serve us. We harbor a feeling of entitlement that world is there to serve your needs and gets disappointed that when they do not. This is contraction caused by our ego. This attitude causes disappointments and unhappiness and takes us against the flow of life. The perpetuator is our ego that causes “I”ness and “my”ness. This is self centeredness with the wrong self, the ego.

To correct this we should start focusing on the needs of others like our mothers. Thus we should focus on service. Most people consider service as helping others. This is a mistaken idea. Service while it helps others limitedly, it helps the server immensely. Service expands the server. Server expands beyond his body’s physical limits to include others into their bodies. This barrier for expansion is ego. Best ego breaker is service. We see this expansion in mothers. When the child gets a pin prick the mother feels the pain. In other words, the mother’s body expanded to include the child, hence she feels the pain along with the child.

As we do more and more service, we expand more and more to a point of fully dissolving our ego. This state is called purity (chitta suddhi). In that purity divinity is experienced. This is experience of Unity. Thus service with the right attitude of expansion of self will put us into right flow of life towards its goal and home.

6.                  GRATITUDE:

Gratitude is experiencing our presence, where in we experience contribution of the whole towards us the part. We are one cell in the body of the Universe. We get our nourishment from the body (universe) and function for the greater good of the body. Our welfare is linked to welfare of the whole.  If any cell feels that it is entitled to have all the nourishment and grows at the cost of other cells and the body, it is called cancer. Hence functioning with attitude of entitlement is cancerous disease and functioning with awareness of the totality of the body (cosmos) is an attitude of gratitude. This attitude of gratitude connects us to the flow of life and takes us to the destination. This attitude brings, reverence, respect, adoration, admiration towards all that contribute to our welfare. This bring awareness to life which is otherwise lived in forgetfulness. Gratitude brings presence to life and connects us to the infinite, the source of us all.

Thus we should function with hands in duality and mind in Unity. We should function with mind in the Himalayas and hands in the world. Said differently the Heart should lead the head, which leads the hands to serve the society. Global thinking local functioning. This is the attitude of Oneness in our thinking that is translated into worldly functioning, that makes us reach the destination faster and safer.

PASSING CLOUDS

Life has an up stroke and a down stroke. If it is flat, it is not life. It signifies death. Example to this is an EKG tracing. World of duality that was created from Unity has as its very nature the ups and downs. We get elated when things are going well our way and feel dejected when they are going the other way.

These ups and downs that are the very nature of life and living will cause lot of stress and strain, if we do not have the right attitude. If we take this as abnormal and feel we are singled out for the problems in the world (self pity and victimized feeling), these problems will hurt us and cause great pain. On the contrary if we take these ups and downs as natural sequences of life and living, the very same problems does not affect us negatively.

So it is not the ups and downs or problems in life that cause pain and suffering, but our attitude to these that is responsible for this. For a sedentary horse to race is stressful and for a race horse to stand quite and still is stressful. It is not running or standing still, it is its attitude towards the event that makes the difference.

The central piece in this is our ego. As long as this ego (mind’s identification with the body) is strong, all things that happen to us, we take personally as our strength and weaknesses. As a result we go through pain and suffering alternating with elation and joy depending on the phase of our life then.

There is a better way to handle this as they really are. Only thing we have control really is on how much effort we can put. That is it. Results are determined by several factors that we do not have any control. After putting 100% effort, we should accept results as they are. This putting effort with zero expectation. Accept the results as a gift and be pleasantly surprised. This does not mean that one should  sit lazily and have no goals, planning and effort. It only means having a goal, plan and execution with 100% effort and accept the results gracefully whatever they are, as a gift.

 This is nishkama karma (selfless action). This is the essence of Karma Yoga. This is what it means by witnessing, where in we watch the results of our actions dis-passionately as a witness. This witnessing is also called, Living in NOW or in constant Integrated Awareness. In other words we bring presence to life, awareness to life. We become the spectator to our life’s drama.  We become  the actor, spectator that is enjoying the acting  the given role and also enjoy the skill of the script writer and the director. This called Constant Integrated  Awareness of life.

In this state we see all problems as passing clouds and as a result we do not feel the pain and suffering one normally feels when things are going down. When things going right also, one does not get too elated. They will feel these good times are also passing clouds. Thus they maintain an even keel. This is Buddha’s Madhye Marga or Krishna’s Sthitapraajnatva.

We should remember to say “passing Clouds” when going through good times and remember to say “passing clouds” when going through tough times. Then life will be full of joy and happiness in all times good and bad. Passing Clouds is the mantra of enjoying the present and overcoming adversity. Remember to say PASSING CLOUDS.

STANDARDS FOR JUDGING ACTION: STEADFASTNESS

STANDARDS FOR JUDGING ACTION: STEADFASTNESS

When we do things questions arise if our actions are correct or not. When these questions arise we are supposed to use one of the three pramanas (bench marks or standards).  These are 1. Sasthra Pramana 2. Shresta Acharana Pramana 3. Atma Pramana (one’s own consciousness).

1.      SASTRA PRAMANA:  This is the scriptural standard for our actions. In similar situations whatever is recommended in scripture is the standard to be followed. Thus scriptures act as a guide for our actions.

2.      SHRESTA ACHARANA PRAMANA: Standard followed by good people in society is the next standard.

yadyad ācarati śhreṣṭas

tad tad evetaro janaḥ

sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute

lokas tad anuvartate B.Gita 3-31

"Whatever action is performed by a great man, all other people will follow”.  

3.      ATMA PRAMANA:  Third and most important pramana (standard) is Atma pramana. This atman is our Consciousness. When our Consciousness tells us clearly, then that overrides all other pramana.

One problem here is how clearly this Consciousness (Atman) is reflecting. The clarity of this reflection is directly proportional to the degree of transparency of mind (chitta suddhi or trikarana suddhi or purity). When this transparency is 100% the Atma pramana is 100% correct. When it is 75% transparent the Atma pramana is 75% correct and so on.

PROACTIVE VS. REACTIVE ACTIONS: Another way to look at this is if our actions are proactive or reactive. Most reactive actions stem from our ego (body-mind complex) hence are fallible. Most pro active actions are based on Intellect which is a reflection of Atman and are less fallible.  Again the degree of infallibility depends on the degree of transparency. All our actions should be guided by our intellect but not by ego. Actions stemming from ego tend to be survival actions not rational proactive actions.

DHARMIC OR ADHARMIC ACTIONS: one way to judge our actions is if our actions are dharmic or not. Then the question that needs to be addressed is what dharmic actions are. Any action that enhances common good is dharmic action and anything to the contrary is adharmic action.  Any action that unites us is dharmic action and the one that divides us is adharmic action.

KARMA: SUKARMA: VIKARMA: AKARMA:  All actions other than nishkama karma produce karmic baggage.  Actions that are good that produce positive karmic baggage is sukarma. Actins that are forbidden that produce negative karmic baggage is called vikarma and selfless action (nishkama karma) that does not result in karmic baggage is called akarma.

When we are doing selfless work (akarma), when our conscious is very clear and have no traces of selfish motives, any derogatory comments by others should not perturb us in continuing that action. In such situations we should not be reactive to the provocative comments. Our conscious (Atma) is the absolute guide in those circumstances.

It is common that even good selfless actions often attract derogatory comments, mostly from the commenter’s own mental status (world is a mirror in front of us) or from jealousy. We should not be affected by such comments and continue our selfless work un perturbed. This is the test for our steadfastness.  Only people with steadfastness reach the destination. Steadfastness is the quality of stitaprajna.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

All animals go through and spend time in the three functions of life, Ahara (eating), Nidra (sleep), Mythuna (mating).  Humans also spend their life with these three functions. Then what is the difference between animals and us. Humans are uniquely endowed with the faculty of Buddhi (Intellect) that discriminates good and bad. This faculty of discrimination helps us seek the purpose and goal of life and living. This sets us apart from animal kingdom. Majority of us  work typically for jeevanopadhi (livelihood) similar to animals. As humans we should also use our intellect and work simultaneously for Jeevana Parmavadhi (purpose of life).

How many of us are working towards this Jeevana Paramavadhi is the question?  Typically in a given society a small percent say 5% of people live a life of absolute laziness and do nothing to contribute either to themselves or to others.  A large portion about 90% are satisfied with jeevanopadhi and their life is centered on themselves and their immediate family. The later 5% are the ones who work for jeevana paramavadhi along with jeevanopadhi.

This 5% is the one that make a difference in the world. These people not only work for themselves, their families, but they also work for greater good of the society.  They try to find salvation through nishkama karma (selfless  action).  World has witnessed  many people come and go that represent this 95%. These does not reap the full benefit of the full potential of human birth. Then what are the principles that help us attain our full potential.  These are as follows:

1.     1“Help if you can always - Even if you cannot help – Do no harm”. The above principle is derived from  Puranas  which are the case history of Vedas. The principle “Help Ever – Hurt Never” is the essence of 18 puranas as Vyasa put it. “Astadasa Puranesu Vyasena Vachanam Dwayam, Paropakaraya Punyaya – Papaya Para Peedanam” means essence of 18 puranas is “helping others is punya and hurting others is papa”.

2.      “Make a difference with your presence”. Our presence should bring in a positive change in the place or people. This should be the case in all places, in all times, in all circumstances.   We should work to make people feel better, to make people happier. When we leave a place that place should be happier than at time of our entrance

3.   “Life is a balance sheet – Have a positive balance sheet – Leave the world with a positive balance”. Life is a running balance sheet. What we received from others and the world on one side to what we have given to others and the world on the other side. At any given point of final departure from the world, one should leave the world with a positive balance sheet.  Unfortunately none of us know when is our departure date. Hence it is prudent to have a positive balance sheet at all times.

4.   “Attitude of Gratitude” should permeate our very being. This attitude is an acknowledgement of the contributions to our well being from all around us.  Various elements and several people contributed for our wellbeing and welfare. This includes more than five trillion cells within our own body.   Usually most people lead a life of entitlement as if everybody owes them and as if the world is indebted to them. Attitude of gratitude help us connect and experience our blessings.

5.      “Experience Connectedness”. We are not alone. We are connected to everything and everyone in the universe. Experience this connectivity. This is the true world wide web (www). Any thought word, action by any one of us has an impact to the totality of universe. As for the law of transformation of energy, the sum total of energy in the universe is constant.  It can neither be created nor destroyed and it can only be transformed from one state to another. This applies to all our thoughts, all our words and actions. So we are connected to everybody and to every thing in the universe. One should be careful on what they think, say or do.  One should think positive, speak positive and do positive things. This experience of connectedness is Visvaroop Darshan or realization. This is also called Constant Integrated Awareness (CIA). Experience the Oneness, we are.

6.     “Don’t Worry - Be Happy”. Be yourself is the motto. We are Sat, Chit and Ananda. We are happiness itself. This is the reason why we crave to be happy. Happiness is being home. We are happiness itself. Be happy always. Be at Home. Most of our life is spent with memories of by gone past and worries about the future. In this process we lose the present. Present is a gift. Enjoy it with your presence.  Be in the present.

7.      “Sacrifice the Limitedness”. Ahankar (ego) is the mind’s identification with the limited body.  Thyaga is sacrifice. True sacrifice is, sacrifice of our limitedness, so that we expand into unlimitedness (infinite). This is what the Upanishads mean when they declared “Thyagenaike Amrutatva Manasu – Only through sacrifice one attains immortality”. Selfless Service  is a good vehicle to expand to our full potential through sacrifice of ego. This is the final frontier in the journey towards self realization. Serve All. Sacrifice what you are not (ego) and be what you really (atma) are, your true self (Atma).

    

DANAVATVAM – MANAVATVAM – DEVATVAM – DAIVATVAM

We are one. This one has two sides, Like in the computer language plus and minus. There is light and absence of light is darkness. We are the combination of good and bad. Good is Atmic reflection. Absence of Atmic reflection is bad.  These two forces, asuric and daivic tendencies and their proportions determine who we are and our character. We can be either Devatas, Humans or Danavas depending on our reflection. We have body, senses, mind, intellect, Atman in us. When we reflect only Body and senses we are Danavas. When our body and senses and intellect and Atman balance each other we are Manavas and when we reflect Atman through our intellect and all our actions are done through this reflection, we are Devatas.

As Danvas we only see our goodness and only see faults in others. Remember that world is a mirror in front of us. We see ourselves in the world. In this state the senses rule the mind and body. As humans we see a balanced world with each person a combination of good and bad, strengths and weaknesses. Our mind and intellect rules the body and senses in this state. As Devatas we see only good in others and see our own weaknesses. We function in the world as humans but our minds are attached to atmic consciousness, oneness and unity. This is a state where our mind is on Himalayas and hands in the world. Here the heart (Atman) rules the mind (thoughts) and hands (action).

While the type nature is partly acquired as samskaras from past lives, it is also partly acquired from spiritual effort in this life. Each one of us has an opportunity to advance through human effort. The task is to sublimate our animal tendencies (survival reactive tendencies) to become humans then by surrendering the ego (body – mind complex) to advance to be Devatas (Daivic sumpathi) and to final merger into Divinity. In this path we can measure and gauze where we are in this process through some mile stones. Those mile stones are:

1.   Aggression, anger, cruelty and finding faults of others, reactiveness, unhappiness, Tamas  - Stage of Danava.

2.      Duality, happiness and unhappiness, restlessness , rajas –  Stage of Manava.

3.      Peace, joy, equanimity, stitaprajnatva, tranquility, balance, seeing only good in others, Satwa – Stage of Devata.

By spiritual sadhana one can advance from Danava to manava to Devata and ultimately to Divinity. This moving from sensual life filled with kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya of Danava to life with predominance of mind  and intellect in varying proportions, slowly annihilating the arishadvargas and promoting satya, dharma, shanthi, prema, ahimsa as manavas and to a life of Atmic reflection and ego sublimation (Thyaga of ego) of Devatas and finally merger into oneness, unity and divinity. Each one of us should find out where we are in this transition and advance further to our full potential of Divinity.

NEED FOR CLEANSING OF RELIGION

We take shower every day to cleanse our body. We sleep 8 hours a day to cleanse our mind, we use toilet to cleanse our bowels and bladder daily, we change engine oil in car every 5000 miles. We sweep the floors and cleanse the dishes in our homes daily. We do spring cleaning around the house and remove, discard broken trees and garbage every year.

Similarly our institutions, religions needs to be cleansed periodically. This is usually done by reformers or social activists or concerned citizens. A reformer points to the problem and helps us accept that there is a problem that needs addressing and purging. It is for each one of us to accept that need to change and bring the needed change. This process is a must for any progressive organization or religion. Religions that are static and refuse to change for better decay and die. The ones that accept the problems adapt and change with changing needs for the better,  flourish and live for ever. The purpose of this cause is to bring the issue to focus and stimulate your thinking. Then we will all be witnesses to the unfolding of a change towards the truth and greater good.

How do we decide what  needs to be changed and what needs to be purged is the question? Any thing that is causing disruption of harmony and unity in an  orderly society, dividing the society and causing problems needs to be addressed and purged.

The caste system by birth worked well in yester years of agro based rural India for a long time. However it is causing more harm now by dividing India and destroying unity of its population. It is depriving a sect of population access to knowledge of the scriptures, by saying that Sudras are not permitted to chant Vedas and Gayatri, preventing their entry into temples, forbidding them drinking water from the same wells, not permitting them living next to us. This practice is against the very tenets of our great religion, Hinduism. Hence, it is our responsibility as Hindus to cleanse the body of Hinduism from the divisiveness of caste in our society, hence this attempt. Let us join hands in this yajna of purification. Hinduism is the most inclusive religion in the world that has all the characteristics of a Universal Religion. It proclaims:

“Vasudhika Kutumbam – World is one family”.

“Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu – May all the people in all the worlds be happy”.

“Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanthi – Truth id one, learned call them by different names”.

Hinduism believes that all religions are facets of the One Truth (GOD).

It proclaims that different religions are different rivers that ultimately merge into the same Ocean (GOD).

While this is so, it is the mis-interpreted, mis-understood, selfish practices that brought out the human weaknesses to come out and taint this otherwise lofty religion. This accumulation of garbage of mis understandings happens in all religions and it is for the wise in each religion to periodically address these issues squarely and maintain the sanctity and purity of the religion and its practices. This cause is an attempt to do that. This is not to blame others or other religions. This is an attempt at self purification. The need to self purification is not unique to Hinduism. All religions periodically have to do this like dredging and cleaning up the rivers.

Christians who decry caste system are the ones that practiced racism that caused slavery of blacks in USA. Even today the black and white Christian churches in the country are segregated, while Jesus taught Love of each other. The practice of Apartheid by the Christians in South Africa is similar human weaknesses at its worst. Islam has similar problem with mis-interpretation of Jihad that is responsible for most of the terrorist activities in the world.  Buddha was against idol worship, but after his death, his followers are worshipping his idol.

Who has to correct these practices related to human weaknesses in religion?  Leaders of these religions themselves have to correct these practices. The very religions that practice these inhuman practices come to India and exploit weaknesses in our practices and try to convert them into their religion instead of trying to put their house in order by curbing racism. It is not the religion that is at fault, it is the practices that are at fault. It is the human weaknesses that restrict their expansion to experience oneness in creation are at fault.

Having said this, my effort is to set our home in order, refine our practices, and sanctify our religion and to take Hinduism to its true effulgence. When we do that the masses that converted to other religions, because of discriminatory practices in Hinduism and by the incentives offered for conversion will come home to Hinduism by its own attraction and strength. No promotion is needed for this. Hinduism is a lofty Universal religion that is a guiding light for spiritual seekers from all over the planet. It believes in LOVE ALL and SERVE ALL. Let us be ourselves, the pure selves. Let us understand, experience and proclaim that that there is only one caste – the caste of humanity. Please sign the cause and proclaim that WE ARE ONE.

FOCUSSING ON POSITIVES BRINGS HAPPINESS:

Coin is one but has two sides. World of duality that originated from oneness has both positive and negative sides, like light and darkness. There is  nothing separately as darkness. Absence of light is darkness (negative). What we have in the world is GOD (consciousness - positive) only. Absence of this awareness is Maya, illusion or negative. Focus on the positives in people, places and circumstances and you become positive and attain happiness and bliss. Focusing on the negative makes one unhappy and miserable. One should always see the glass as half full than as half empty. Finding faults in others is putting focus on negative and seeing good in others is focus on positive. In every thing, in every one and in every circumstance see the positive and become positive (GOD). This is the way to unending happiness and joy.

LESSON FROM MOVIE “LIFE OF Pi”

I saw the movie Life of Pi today. To me it reminded me of the Ksheera  Sagara Madhana story in Bhagavata Purana. In this story, the Devas and the Danavas churn the milky ocean, to get the celestial nectar of immortality . Instead of the Divine nectar they got the halahala (poision) first. When they surrendered the halahala to lord Shiva, later on they got the celestial nectar that gives immortality. Devas and Danavas were our own, positive and negative tendencies. When we churn our intellect,  the animal tendencies (halahala) emanates first. When we surrender them to lord Shiva  (Atman) in us the celestial nectar of immortality is attained later. This is the symbolism of Ksheera Sagara Madhana.

The story of life of Pi is similar. Pi (pie) also means part (portion). One can say life of Pi  is also life of part or incompleteness in its quest for fullness or completeness. Here the Pi Patel sails with family in the stormy ocean of life. While others are sleeping to the realities of impending struggle in life Pi was awake (like an alert spiritual seeker) and ready for the challenges of ups and downs of life.

                                  Ya nisa sarvabhuthanam thasyam jagarthi samyami   

                                  yasyam jagrathi bhuthani sa nisa pasyatho muneh  -   B. Gita 2-69

When all beings sleep (unaware) that the realized is awake (aware), When all beings are awake to(worldliness) the realized is asleep (disconnected to worldliness).      -         B.G 2-69

When he was faced  with the life’s struggle in stormy  ocean, he passes through a sequence of events like in Ksheera Sagara Madhana. First he was confronted with his animal nature (survival instincts - reactive mode), Then he makes peace with his animal nature and  subdues his animal nature . Next at one point he totally surrenders his ego at the feet of Vishnu (all pervading divinity- to divine will). With this surrender he loses fear of the tiger (ego – limitedness - animality). He was deluded by an attraction of a safe island (Maya), but soon realizes that it is a trap at night (carnivorous island). He leaves this attachment also and finally the tiger (ego)  in him disappears. When tiger (ego) is gone he becomes full (poorna) and complete. He experience Oneness with totality of creation.

Thus this story is relevancy for each one of us. Upanishad declares “Thyagenaike Amrutatva Manasu”. Only through sacrifice (sacrifice of ego) one attains immortality.  This is similar to the statement in Bible “The meek shall inherit the earth” (meekness is a state of humility attained after sacrifice of ego).

This story depicts the eligibility criteria for this realization of Oneness. Pi Patel has glimpses of this connectedness of all of creation shown by his connection to the wild animal like the tiger. He tried to feed the tiger with bare hands fearlessly. His purity, connectivity (samskaras – vasanas – tendencies) is displayed here. He experiences “Eswara Sarva Bootanam”, “Eswara Sarva Bhootatma” and “Eswara Sarva Bhootantaratma”. This is Buddha’s “Boota Daya”. This is “Jiva Karunya’. This kind of purity is the one that prevented him from drowning in the stormy ocean of life like others and successfully made him reach the shores of Ananda (self realization). As shown in the life of Pi the final step is to let go the ego (tiger). When we do that we realize our true nature of Unity and Oneness.

When the Japanese insurance  adjusters interviewed him,  he narrated them the true story of what really happened, which they did not believe. This is similar to our life’s story. When realized souls tell us that this world of duality in unreal (midhya), we deny their assertions and say this world is real. Similarly when they say all are one, we say that they are different and distinct.  When Pi narrated a fictional account of the same story, they believed it. In this fictional account, he himself was the tiger (Body-mind complex, ego). What ultimately happened is the departure of his ego and his realization of Oneness.

In our own journey of life, which is like a boat sailing in stormy seas, with full of ups and downs, we should always be awake and aware. The biggest enemy is our own limitedness created by our own ego, that makes life fearful and unbearable. Once we tame our ego and finally let go, we expand ourselves to our full potential of Oneness. This is a state of fearlessness and joy. When we attain this state of Unity, the world of duality perceived by others transforms into a beautiful world of Unity.

Man – Ego = God

God + Ego = Man

INDIA - TERRORISM

Most prevented terrorist acts in the world are due to infiltration and interception of communication. India should focus on these two areas. 

Another problem area is non-coordination between center and state. It is advisable that India to consider to start single department to handle terrorism similar to Dept of Homeland Security in USA. All public populated areas and intersections should have CC Cameras to monitor suspicious activity or to catch people after an incident. 

Terrorism is a reality of today's society. We should handle it with seriousness and with enough human, monitory, technical, law enforcement and intelligence resources. With every incident in India, leadership descends on site to declare ex-gratis and to declare that they will take steps to prevent further incidents. This was done in Mumbai incident by Mr. Chidambaram and current incident by Mr. Shinde. But incidents keep happening. Proof of pudding is in eating. 

Wake Up India. People lives are serious business. One life lost prematurely is too many. One does not need to reinvent the wheel. Do at least what successful countries are doing in this area. Internal security is first priority of a responsible Government.

LESSON FROM OUR BODY

Creation is division and organization from unity and oneness. The one cell divides into many. Many cells organize into different groups of cells to perform defined tasks as organs, for the common good of the whole. Each cell and organ has to remember its source of oneness and unity in order to function to its full potential and be healthy. This is the very nature of creation. This division, separation and organization are beneficial as long as the common good principle (Dharma) is the central theme of all its activities. When it becomes selfish (Adharma) and feels that is better and superior than other cells and other organs and tries to outgrow at the expense of others it is called cancer. This is detrimental to the organization, to that group of cells and ultimately to that cell also.

Each cell and each group of cells as an organ should always maintain the attitude of oneness and unity in order to perform its dharma properly. This is constant inbuilt integrated awareness of oneness of each cell that drives its activity. When it forgets that, it becomes a diseased or cancerous cell. We have 100 trillion cells organized into 1000 organs (13 major) that work for the common good of our body. This is the story about our own body and how it is organized and works. When it works harmoniously it is health and minor disharmony is disease and major disharmony is cancer.

Our presence and functioning in the society is very similar. Each one of us is unique and has taken birth from that oneness. We group ourselves into a particular group or the other to perform some common functions. This organization nature is inbuilt in all of us as an intrinsic nature.  Ultimately all our actions should be towards the common good and unity principle. Awareness of this common good principle (Dharma) and oneness is constant integrated awareness (CIA) and forgetfulness is dysfunction and ego (Adharma).

What does our own body teach us? It is okay to grow in number and it is okay to organize into different groups for coordinated functioning purpose. But all these divisions and formation of various organizations has to be for the purpose of the common good only. Anything to the contrary is cancer to the society.

This principle has to be remembered by all of us. We organized as NRIs from India, then as Telugus, then by region, then by district, then by caste and then by families. As our numbers grow these divisions keep growing. It is okay with these divisions as long as it contributes to the common good of humanity. When it doesn't these diverse groups is a curse on the society and to themselves.

Thus each person, each group, each organization should do introspection and see whether they are functioning to the greater good of the society or not. If they are only functioning for selfish reasons, these organizations and groups are a cancer to the body of humanity. This kind of distorted thinking  is what resulted in 9/11 and Hyderabad incidents. Therefore we should never forget our common humanity. We are One. All are one.

Dharmam (Common Good) Saranam Gatchaami

Sangham (Society) Saranam Gatchaami

Buddham (Buddhi, the Atmic reflection) Saranam Gatchaami.

COMMON GOOD IS OUR GOOD