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

POWER OF THOUGHT

We are a wave in the Ocean of Satchidananda Sagara (consciousness) created by pentup winds of desire of past life. Thus our pent up thoughts (karmic baggage) created this life.

Our thoughts determine our words and our words determine our actions. Then we should have good thoughts, good words and good actions. This unity of good thoughts- good words - good deeds is called Trikarana Suddhi or PURITY. In this Purity Divinty manifests. Thus Unity leads to Purity leads to Divinity.

While this is so, why do we get bad thoughts and why we do not have unity of thoughts, words and actions is the question?

When we eat bad food we get bad burps, and when we eat good food we get good burps. The fact that we are getting bad (negative) thoughts means that we accumulated bad food (baggage of past bad thoughts) in the past. These are called bad Samskras (tendencies) of past lives that we bagan our life with in this life.

How we to clean up these bad Samskras in this life? To force bad thoughts out reinforces the bad thoughts. Hence we should flush out the bad with good thoughts. Example is our toilet. We flush out the undesirable with the Good water and bad leaves.

Thus by filling ourselves with good and noble thoughts (positive), we can get rid of the bad (negative) thoughts. This is not the end of it. After we replace the bad with the good (positive from negative) thoughts, we progress further to a stage of zero thoughts, to a state of still mind.

When the mind is still Atma reflects and reveals through intellect. This is called Realization. Any wave of thought that emanates from this still (pure) mind is the thought of Divinity only. This is called revelation or Veda. This is experience of Divinity.

Thus Purity - Unity - Divinity is the process. From Bad thoughts to Good thoughts to No thoughts to Devine thoughts to Divinity. Thus our thoughts are the seeds of our life. Good seeds give us good fruits. Divine thoughts leads to the fruit of Divinity itself. YAD BHAVAM TAT BHAVATHI. Think good - speak good- do good - be good. This is the way to Divinity.

INFILTRATION - PREVENTION OF TERRORISM:

If we look at the steps taken in prevention of terrorism by governments all over the world, the one most useful step is the infiltration into terrorist groups. T/his will provide advance information of their vicious plans, so that they can be prevented. After 9/11 no major terrorist act took place in USA. This is all because of advance information of terrorists plans through infiltration. 

While these are the facts, it is difficult to understand why no body, not even the Indian Home Minister talks about this issue of infiltration. Center feels it's job is over by letting the states know the non-specific intelligence information. It seems that there is no coordination between center and states. May be they should consider a central agency like Department of Homeland Security like in USA. It looks like that our governments are satisfied by declaration of ex-gracias to victims rather than taking coordinated proven steps to prevent terrorist incidents.

Government has a responsibility to let people know why they failed in intelligence gathering, dissemination of information and acting to prevent acts of terrorism. Particularly they need to explain why they have not infiltrated into terrorist organizations to know their plans ahead of time so that their attempts are foiled and culprits are brought to justice. Why do we refuse to learn from world wide experience on the topic. Are we really serious in protecting our citizens.

In USA a CC camera is installed at every traffic intersection so that they can look back and catch the culprits with video proof. Why not we do the same and mandate businesses to install CC cameras. We need to think globally and act locally with determination. Infiltration - Infiltration and Infiltration is the first step in prevention. 

Mr. Shinde! Wake up to this reality and be specific on what actions you are going to take rather than repeating the same empty words of Chidambaram after the Bombay blasts. Your incompetence is costing citizens lives. Wake Up India.

RELIGIONS AND VIOLENCE

All religions are supposed to show the path to Divinity. They are supposed help humans destroy their animistic and demonic tendencies (weaknesses) and promote human values of Love, Service, Sacrifice and Surrender to elevate humans towards union with Divinity. While this is the main goal of all religions, some perverted religious followers use the name of religion to justify their devilish thoughts and actions. While all religions talk about Love, these religious perverts talk and practice revenge, hatred and violence in the name of religion. This certainly is not the fault of religions that these religious perverts do these devilish acts.

Then who is responsible for these distorted ideas of individuals and to their devilish acts. I would say that when a minor child does wrong acts, the parents are responsible and when grown up people do a bad act, they are personally responsible. If anybody uses the name of a religion to justify any barbaric acts, it is the responsibility of that religion to actively denounce and disown such idiotic ideology in a public statement, so that other followers do not do similar acts in the name of their religion.

If this is not done promptly and silence is maintained in spite of barbaric acts in the name of their religion, then that particular religion carries the burden of responsibility for these barbaric acts. They should not be offended if someone labels that religion a violent or barbaric religion. Any religion that keeps silent when inhuman acts are perpetuated in the name of their religion carries the burden of those acts.

Religion thus have a responsibility to actively come out and speak loudly to denounce such acts and detach from such people. Non-detachment from such ideology and people will attach and taints that religion with those acts. Similarly the religious authorities in each religion have a responsibility to maintain the purity of their religions. All religions while they promote values, also at the same time accumulate some dogmas. It is the responsibility of the leaders of the religion to declare dogmas as dogmas and get rid of the dogmas in order to maintain the purity of their religion. This is an ongoing process.

What happened in Hyderabad is a devilish act perpetuated against unsuspected innocent humanity. If the culprits perpetuated these devilish acts in the name of any religion, then that religion should not maintain silence. The religious leaders of that religion should openly declare that these acts are devilish,  barbaric and these acts have no religious sanction. They should discard these people who committed these crimes from their religion.  

Silence of religious authorities to these barbaric acts, shall give ownership for these acts and justifiably earn a label of barbaric religion.  If all religions openly and actively condemn these acts and disown these people, less people will commit barbaric acts in the name of religion. This is the least any religious authority must do. They vow this to the society. This is the only way they can maintain the sanctity of their religions.  

TIME AND SPACE: Part IV: Dreams:

Dreams are of three types, the sub-conscious dreams, conscious dreams and super-conscious dreams.

Sub-conscious dreams are the projection of memories in subconscious on the screen of consciousness. These are our most common dreams. These are non-structured, haphazard and vague dreams and difficult to remember with any degree of clarity. They can come at any time of the day. They do not mean much except the fact that they indicate baggage in sub-conscious memory.

The super-conscious dreams are the dreams that feel very real and can be distinctly remembered with clarity after waking up. They come in early morning hours (Brahma Muhurtha, 4-8AM), usually they are either about our previous life or events to take place in the future. Some times these give guidance to the direction that we need to travel. These dreams come to people who are pure at heart who are sincere seekers of Truth. These are dreams that take us beyond the limits of time and space either into the past or future. These are also called prophetic or epic dreams by some.

The conscious dreams are nothing but our own day to day lives. This is our life of duality perceived through the glasses of MAYA. Though we feel that this life of duality we lead is very real, it is in reality a waking dream state of us. The ultimate truth is Unity and Oneness. Till we wake up to that reality of Oneness in creation, we are considered to be in our dream state by the realized souls. Our life is a waking dream state. This waking dream state is bound by time and space elements. When we wake up to the reality of Oneness in creation (Moksha), we transcend the time and space elements of creation. It is a paradigm shift in our consciousness, that the realized souls talk about. This is a state of experience.

In Bhagavad Gita it is said that the wise are awake when others are asleep and the wise are asleep when worldly people are awake. This means that when ordinary people are living the day to day life in the world of duality (waking dream state-conscious dreaming), the wise are sleeping to this world of duality and dwelling (awake) in the world of unity. The reverse is also true.

Awake means awake to our true self of Oneness and sleep means living in the world of duality. Awake means transcending time and space limitations and asleep means bound by time and space limitations. Time and Space determine if we are awake or dreaming (sleep).

TIME AND SPACE: Part III

World of duality is the space, time dimension of Oneness and Unity. The worldof Unity is projected through the lens of space and time on the screen of Satchidananda (Consciousness). The world of contemporary reality is the dream (yoganidra of Vishnu) state of Brahman, similar to the dream world we create for ourselves in our dreams.

This Brahman's (God's) dream is the world of duality and this process is called LEELA. Just like our normal dreams originate from the memories of sub-conscious mind, this world of duality originated from the desire(wave-vibration-ohm-pranava) of Brahman.

All of creation and it's contents and inhabitants are part and parcel of theBrahman. Constant Integrated Awareness of this connection to Brahman and the experience of Unity in creation by transcending the space, time dimension is Self-Realization.

Some times we see this transcending (of time and space) process in super-conscious dreams in which we travel into past lives or into future happenings.More about the dreams in Part IV.

TIME AND SPACE: Prat II:

Macrocosm and microcosm are the same says the Upanishads. Let us look at the seed form of human, the fertilized egg in mother. It has trinity embedded in it. It has the yolk sac (food for the baby (annadbhavantu bhutani - Vishnu-Lakshimi, the sustenance) and potential energy (Shiva-Parvati) and the creative knowledge (Brahma-Saraswati).

This fertilized egg replicates into 2, then, 4, 8, 16 cells and so on. They form the 3 layers of body, the ecto, endo and mesoderm. From ectoderm comes the skin, hair, teeth etc, from endoderm all the internal organs, from mesoderm the bones and muscles. Thus from a pleuripotential fertilized egg (a combination of Prakriti-egg and Purusha-sperm), around the 12th week, vibration begins (heart beat -quickening-pranava) and human being is formed.

This human is born with trillions of cells, trillions of chemicals and processes, billions of organs. All this variety is born out of this one cell. So is this universe.

The so called Big Bang of Scientists may be the thought of the Creater (vibration dipicted as light). Scientists also agree that energy is neither created or destroyed. It only transforms from one state to the other (Law of transfermation of Energy).

This energy in seed form is called potential energy and it has two components, electric (purusha) and magnetic (pakriti). World of duality is filled with this electro-magnetism. In seed form it is called potential energy with potential cosmic intelligence (hiranya garbha). In manifest world it is present as kinetic energy, manifest cosmic intelligence.

All this together is the Brahman of Upanishads. In simpler words the Omnipotent - Omnipresent - Omniscience Divinity in which we think, breath, speak, act, cry, laugh, sleep and are a part of it. While we are inherently part and parcel of all this, feeling that we are seperate and distinct is the delusion (Maya).

But all this journey began with time and space with primordial thought - vibration (Pranava). To go back to our source is Our spiritual journey. To go back, we need to transcend the time and space dimensions of universe. Then only we can exprience the Oneness and Unity in creation. This experience of Unity in diversity is called PRAJNA. This awareness is our home.

"PRAJNANAM BRAHMA" says the Vedas.

(It is one of the Maha Vakyas of Vedas - in Itereya Upanishad of Rig Veda).

TIME AND SPACE: Part I:

BLOG FOR 2/16/2013
30000ft in air to LA

TIME AND SPACE: Part I:

At the begining when the cosmos was in its seed form, there was no time and space. There was absolute stillness (hiranya garbha).

Then the thought of creation came in as a vibration (wave - pranava - ohm - shabda) in this stillness. This vibration needed space to travel and space came in. With space time came in with elements of past, present and future.

This is well represented by Sankhu (space) and Chakra (time- as kala chakra) of Vishnu.

From space air, from air fire, then water, earth came in. These five elements of space, air, fire, water anad earth were represented in us as 5 senses perceptions sabda (ears), sparsa (skin), rupa (eyes), rasa (tongue) and gandha (nose).

Then inanimate variety, plant kingdom, aquatic animals, amphibians, birds, land animals and ultimately humans as the pinnacle of creation came into existence. Part II tomorrow.

FRIENDSHIP (SAKHYAM)

Friendship is the highest in relationship. For this reason it is put as the eighth step in Navavidha Bhakthi before Atma Nivedanam. Bhagavad Gita is selectively revealed only to Arjuna among the Five Pandavas since Arjuna is also a friend of Krishna in addition to be a relative.

In all relations including between partners in marriage, between parents and children, friendship is the best relationship.

Let us analyze why this is so. In friendship there is best to and fro communication. One shares with a friend things not shared with even parents. It also has closeness and a higher level of intimacy where one can be themselves without any formalities, We can count on our friends and there a higher level of commitment, trust. Concern and compassion is in built in this relationship.

7 "C"s of Friendship:  Communication, Commitment, Comfort, Closeness, Concern, Compassion and Connectivity. Embedded in friendship are all these seven elements to make it the best of relationships.

This being so, we should aim at developing friendship in all our worldly relationships as well as in our spiritual relationship with Divinity. When we attain that state it means that we have perfected in human relationships in the world and perfected our relationship with God.

JUDGING OTHERS

Judging others is an easy task. It is a defect. When we see defects in others and feel like passing a judgment - Hold off and see if the same defects are in oneself also. If the answer is affirmative, use this as an opportunity to correct those defects and be a better person. Thus the defect of judging others tendency can be used for self improvement. Remember that the WORLD IS A MIRROR IN FRONT OF US. We see ourselves in others. We attribute our defects on others. Hence this self correction  is more important than judging others.

Pointing finger at others is easy. Turning that finger towards oneself is self analysis. It is one of the most important elements in spiritual growth. When some body insults you, responding (reactively) in kind does not do any good to you. In fact it  is harmful. If the same insult is used for self analysis and to see if you have insulted anybody in similar circumstances. If the answer is yes, try to make rectification in your attitude and actions, so that you become a better person. Thus all happenings, all weaknesses  can be used for this self analysis that will help one transform into a better human being.    

ESSENCE AND NON-ESSENCE

If we take our own body and what it does, it should be example on what we need to do with cultural traditions and religious rituals. Body takes in oxygen and discards the carbon dioxide. We take in food in bulk and discard the waste and unwanted. Let us think about the scenario where in we keep the waste also, then this body becomes toxic and it is death to the body. In cultural practices, religious rituals, Puranic stories and in pravachanas by religious leaders, we need to use the faculty of discrimination and separate essence from non-essence.  We then need to take in the  essence and discard the waste and non-essential. 

If we take in the non-essence it will cause delusion and confusion. Thus it will take us away from the goals in spirituality. Unfortunately they come in mixed and it is our task to separate and take in what is good. GOOD and BAD and they way to separate is already dealt with in detail in a prior blog.

INTENT (BHAVA)

Here is an email I received from a listener of my radio interview on 2/9/2013 on 104.9 FM. “Doctor Garu, I have been listening to your speech in radio show. Our elders preach many traditions but they do not give justifiable answer, where can we find an answer. There are many traditions ex: a menstrual woman is prohibited in devotional/regular activities, make them untouchable completely. I do not want to comment but does it harm if we violate, for ex: we know for sure if we touch fire it is going to hurt/injure, like in a similar way are there proofs so we follow certain traditions?? Sorry for bothering.  Naresh Bhaskara Panthula”

These are the most common questions we have and also our young generations of Hindus have. Naresh just verbalized one such question. Hindu leadership has to squarely address these questions. If you ask the orthodox Hindu leadership they will confuse this generation of Hindus more with their orthodoxy that is not based on rational thinking.  

Hinduism is based on Vedas which are revelations as inner voice on the pure hearts of the sages. These are no different than some of the scientific revelations that occurred to the scientists. Hinduism unlike some of the other religions is scientific and evidence based by direct experience by the seekers. It is not dogma or here say.

Each scriptural statement has levels or layers of meaning. The deepest meaning is the Veda or the intent, spirit or essence. On this intent the rest of the description is built. For every story there is an intent or central theme that it conveys. This is like that every idol has an ideal behind it. If we lose this ideal and hung on the idol then we are making God into a stone. But, if we see the ideal and worship the idols with that ideal then we convert the stone into Divinity. Even in criminal justice system intent only matters. The sentence varies for murder depending on the intention of the culprit if it is done in self defense or with willful criminal intent. The intent of societal practices and norms are of utmost important.

Similarly if we lose the intent or essence of a puranic story and only caught on to the external details of the story, we lose the purpose of the story. Here is an example. We are all familiar with the Sathyanarayana Vrata Katha from Skanda Purana. The story’s intention is  this.  Our life runs between MARAPU (forgetfulness) and ERUKA (realization). When we forget who we are (Swaswaroopa Jnana) we have troubles and when we remember (realize our true nature) we are trouble free. This essence is conveyed in the 5 chapters of the story. If we do not get this essence, this story generates fear of reprisal from a vicious God and makes God as a bribe seeker for granting boons. We can conclude that we need to do favors to God in order to get blessings. This is contrary to its intended meaning. Fear should have no place in faith.

Similarly several of our practices, traditions are mis-understood and mis-interpreted by even the scholarly. Even scriptures and religious  books were similarly mis-interpreted by these scholars. It is not scholarliness that is needed, it is the purity of heart (CHITTA-SUDDHI) that is needed to interpret or understand the intent of our scriptures. In the first place, practices, traditions, clothing, are part of the culture, not of religion. Culture is defined as the practices of a large group of people over a long period of time that becomes their second nature. This culture is wrongly attached and attributed to the religion.  The religion has a positive effect on the culture of the land but the contrary is not necessarily true. Each of these rituals, practices has an inner purpose. Wise separate the inner purpose with the actual practice and follow the inner purpose. It is like eating the Banana and discarding the peel. Those who practice without understanding the purpose also accumulate this garbage that causes further confusion. Wise know what to take and what to discard. This is the purpose of our intellect (BUDDHI).

On the specific question of Menstruation and why women in menstrual period are forbidden (not by religion-but by culture) is to give them rest during that period. Women continue to work long hours for the sake of the family. This kind of forbidding them from activities is intended to give them rest during this time of need. In today’s day and age where modern conveniences are available and women running marathons in menstrual periods, this prohibition should not be taken literally by the wise. It goes without saying that the orthodox Hindus may disagree with me. Similar is the ban on women and Sudras to chant Gayathri. Gayatri is a powerful mantra that is available for the benefit of mankind. Some in their selfishness restricted its learning and use only to themselves. Selfishness should have no place in a religion that desires and preaches LOKA SAMASTA SUKHINOBHAVANTHU.

Thus in every issue related to practices, we need to probe into the intent. God is Bhava Priya not Bahya Priya. Our purity of intent is the one that will take us to our destination. Not the mere meaningless practices with no connection to the intent. Bhava is the Essence. Essence is the one that will take us to the destination.

GOOD AND BAD

We use the words good and bad in judging people and their actions. What is this good and bad.  How do we determine which is good and which is bad?  This is the question commonly asked by most. This becomes more difficult since one person’s good id another person’s bad and vice versa. Then what is good and what is bad?

This I found is easier if we take the approach that is basic and fundamental. Let us take the approach of the Truth. “Trikala Bhadhyam Sathyam” Truth is something that does not change with three states of time (past, present and future). The only one that satisfies this definition is Brahman. This means that this world of variety in an illusion projected on the screen of Brahman. This projection is called illusion or Maya and the screen is called Consciousness or Brahman.

This means to say that oneness and unity is the only Truth and what we perceive through our senses is only contemporary reality like the Sun-rise and Sun-sets. Sun really has no rise and set. It is the earth that goes around the Sun that makes us feel that there is a morning sun-rise and an evening sun-set.

Similarly the fundamental definition of good and bad is also based on this absolute Truth of Oneness and Unity in creation. Based on this, anything or any act that takes us towards Truth is good and that takes us away from Truth is bad.  To make it simpler, anything that that unites us is good and that anything that (in the name of race, color, religion, caste, creed or nationality) divides us is bad. This is the basic definition of good and bad that I try to go by and found this help me in all situations.

CONSCIOUSNESS

Every speck of creation is permeated by consciousness. We are a wave in the ocean of cosmic consciousness created by the winds of pending desires. When there are pending desires (persistent waves caused by winds of desires)  each receding wave merges into an oncoming wave to become a new wave (reincarnation). When there are no desires the wave merges into the calm serene ocean of satchitananda sagara (moksha).

It is the seed form of Divinity.  It is like the stem cell that can manifest into any form of creation (any type of cell). It is Truth that is pluri-potential, from which everything emanates (created). though which everything is sustained. Into which everything dissolves. This is Sat (truth). This is Chit (awareness). This is Ananda (bliss). This all pervasive consciousness lies in the human being as “conscience” (inner voice or inner vision or third eye).

Birth  is   when this  all  pervading  consciousness  creates  the   vibration  (prana)  in food (sustenance)  for 

all the life to  manifest  (annadbhavantu bhootani).  At the  time of death the gross body merges into the five 

elements of nature.The subtle body (mind) with it's  baggage of pent up desires (reincarnation) desires lingers 

in subtle plane ( Astral Plane) till it finds suitable body to be born to satisfy it’s desires. The causal body 

(atman) merges into  the  consciousness (paramatman). 

The cosmic energy and cosmic sustenance  permeates in all of creation. All humans are  made up  of this  

consciousness  as  conscience,  with  al l the  elements  of  creation, sustenance and dissolution in built in  all 

 the processes of life.  Everything  in  the creation and cosmos is embedded in every human being and in 

 every cell. He is made up  of same substance as the cosmos.. All the attributes of Divinity are applicable 

equally to human also; hence he can say Aham Brahmosmi, that he is God.

GAIN THROUGH SACRIFICE

THYAGENAIKE AMRUTATVA MANASU

Thyaga is the  only way, one reach immortality says Upanishads. What is immortality. It is state with no death and no birth. It is  a state of fullness. A state of full expansion to our full potential.  What is restricting us from this full expansion?  Limitedness is the obstacle and hindrance. Air in the balloon is limited and restricted air. Full expansion of air in the balloon is to become one with air out side. The restrictive element is the balloon. If we puncture this balloon, the air inside becomes one with the air outside . This fullness is full expansive state of this air.

Similarly our “I”ness “My”ness is the balloon that acts as the restrictive factors for our full expansion.  This “I”ness  and “My’ness is called Ego (AHANKAR). This is mind’s identification with body. This ego had some initial purpose in our lives. That is survival. This is what we inherited from the animal kingdom.  Ego is a survival tool. It helps to get an identity, protect ourselves and survive in competition. In today’s world it gives self confidence to think, plan and execute and excel. This gives the drive to succeed and excel. So far it is helpful and it is the very  purpose of ego.

Humans are much more than survival. We will not be satisfied with survival and livelihood. Our restlessness still remains till we attain full expansion and reach our full potential. We desire bigger and bigger things. We desire for more and more money in the bank. We desire for more and more happiness. The reason we crave for more and more, bigger and bigger things is because our source is infinite. Our source is unending happiness,  ANANDA. This craving is nothing but the desire to reach our source, our home. Only problem with this desire is, it’s is mis-placed towards the wrong direction.  Instead of towards real  infinite fullness, it is towards finite things. It is not addressing the true limiting and restrictive element  in us.

That restrictive element that needs to be addressed is the EGO. When balloon is ruptured air reaches full potential. When ego was burst, Amrutatva is attained. This is what Upnishads are saying. This ego piercing (bursting) is the final frontier in spiritual journey.

To cross a river, one needs a boat. Once one reaches the other shore,  one should not carry the boat on his back. The one that helped you cross the river will become restrictive for your further journey. One should  leave the boat and move on freely.  Thus we need to leave the ego that helped us to get through livelihood, and move on to reach our full potential (JEEVANA PRAMAVADHI) by leaving it or discarding it.

When it is said that only through sacrifice one reaches immortality, most people think that sacrifice is material things that we possess  like money. It is the ego (AHANKARA) they are talking about. When we say ego we are talking about ego that is restricting us, not that level of ego that gives self confidence.  In reality Full self confidence comes from egolessness in Atmic state. Atmic connection gives infinite potential, knowledge and energy.

Na karmana na prajaya dhanena
tyagenaike amrta tvamanasuh
parena nakam nihitam guhayam
vibhrajate yadyatayo visanti

Neither by actions, nor by (acquiring) progeny and wealth, but by renunciation alone is immortality attained. That Supreme State is far beyond the highest heaven, and the sages perceive it, hidden in the cave of the heart, shining brilliantly therein.

How do you recognize ego free state.  It is recognized through modesty and humility. Egolessness is humility. End of education is Character. Sign of education is Humility. Fragrance of education is goodness. Any act of us towards (through) sacrifice is our journey towards our full expansion. It is not a loss but a gain.

HUMILITY AND GOODNESS ARE HALL MARKS OF

EXPANSIVE PERSONALITY THAT  IS FREE OF RESTRICTIVE EGO.