Emotions Are Tricky

Do you know about emotions? Have you ever got emotional? How many types of emotions there are? How these emotions affect our life?

Emotions are basically the waves of feelings that arise in our mind. Due to these emotions our mind feels happy, distressed etc. There are many types of emotions that arise in our mind like love, hate, anger, jealousy, infatuation, fear, grief, compassion, happiness, distress, pain & pleasure etc. Out of these love, compassion, happiness, pleasure etc. are called positive emotions while hate, anger, fear, jealousy, infatuation, grief,distress, pain etc. are called negative emotions.

Emotions are required in our life as without these, one's life is mere mechanical. The difference between a robot & human being is that humans have emotions, feelings while a robot is not having that. Both robot & human being have intelligence but only humans have emotions, feelings etc. in their mind. Emotions make life pleasant, enjoyable unless until these are sensible and within limits. But when emotions are uncontrollable & beyond limits then mental equilibrium of a person is disturbed. Also negative emotions like hate, anger, jealousy, infatuation, grief, etc. destroy one's mental & physical health.

Bhagwat Gita is a great book which teaches us how to control our emotions & how to remain equipoise, calm when such emotions empower our mind. In ancient times "Arjuna" was involved in a war against his enemies (some of them his own relatives too) but he refused to do his duty of fighting a righteous battle as he got infatuated with emotions & started thinking of his enemies as his own near & dear ones. He told his master "Lord Sri Krishna" that he is going away from the war & do not want to fight on the battle field. Arjuna's mental equilibrium became disturbed due to negative emotions & he got deeply depressed. To overcome his disciple Arjuna's depression & to motivate him to fight a righteous war, "Lord Sri Krishna" gave the great teachings of "Bhagwat Gita" to his disciple "Arjuna". After listening to all these great teachings, Arjuna's mental health became well & he became motivated & energetic to fight the war.

As per Bhagwat Gita our true nature is that we are a "Soul" which is beyond mind. "Soul", our true self in this body of ours is a witness to everything while the drama of life with all the emotions in our mind goes on. "Soul" is only a witness & does not take part in this drama of life. All the emotions whether these are positive or negative arise in human mind only & we feel pain, pleasure etc. "Soul" is different from the mind but when we associate our true Soul nature with this mind, we also feel the qualities & emotions of this mind. The real tatva, the "Soul" is Satva & has no body, no mind, no intellect, no ahamkara (ego), no memory & no senses. "Soul" is beyond the body, the senses, the pranas and the four-fold interior substance consisting of the mind, intellect, ego and memory. Emotions are product of Maya; these are simply illusory, transient things & we should not associate our true self ("Soul") with these. We should know ourself to be that "Soul" who is beyond the unreal & should not be affected by the qualities of nature (Maya) which affect our mind.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which describe the above said:

"na-asato vidyate bhavo
nabhavo vidyate satah
ubhayor api drsto ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darshibhih" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: Arjuna, the unreal has no existence, and the real (soul) never ceases to be; the reality of both has thus been perceived by the seers of the truth."

"maatra-sparshas-tu kaunteya
shitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino-anityas
tams titiksasva bharata" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, the contact between the senses & their objects, which give rise to the feelings of heat & cold, happiness and distress, etc. are transitory & fleeting in nature, therefore Arjuna, one should not get swayed by these and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed by them."

"yam hi na vyathayanty ete
purusham purusharsabha
sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram
so ’mrtatvaya kalpate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 15)

"Sri Krishna said: Arjuna, the wise human being to whom pain & pleasure, happiness and distress etc. are alike, and who is not tormented by these contacts i.e. remains steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation & immortality."

So we should not let our mind be swayed with these emotions in our life & in the midst of these emotions we should be rational. It is only when we are carried away with these emotions that we harm ourself or others with anger etc. So let's know our Soul nature which is beyond these emotions. Let's always establish ourself in the Soul nature so that our mind is not swayed with these emotions & is always calm, composed & peaceful.

Jai Shri Krishna

Chameleon

"Chameleon" is a creature in nature who can change his body color at will. It looks sometimes lavender in color, sometimes gray, sometimes green, yellow, cream, and sometimes it has really no color at all. Here is a story regarding that chameleon & why someone called God as chameleon.

"In ancient times, in a rustic village of India, there was a little park where people used to come in their spare time. Villagers used to spend their idle time over there & used to sit and chat with each other. The path to this park lay alongside the forest. On the edge of the path there was a large, well-known Kadamba tree. One day a city-dweller came to the village, passed by the tree, and saw a peculiar lizard climbing on the trunk of that tree. When he reached the park he told the others sitting there, "I just saw a Green lizard on that old Kadamba tree!"

"Oh," said one man, "I know that lizard. I've seen it there several times -- but it's not Green-colored, it's Yellow."

"No, no, not Yellow," said another, "it is Cream colored." Then others chimed in: "We have seen it -- it is lavender (gray, etc.). Each person had a different picture of the lizard.

They decided to go to the tree to find the animal and settle the argument. Over there what they found was a Sadhu (Saint) from the forest, sitting in meditation under that Kadamba tree. The villagers questioned him about the animal. The saint answered, "I know all about that creature, who lives on this tree," he answered. "It is a Chameleon" (a creature who is able to change his body color at will). "It is sometimes lavender, sometimes gray, sometimes green, yellow, cream, and sometimes it has really no color at all."

Saint further said, "God, too is like that Chameleon, taking on different qualities and appearances, and then again He has none."

Different people in this world follow different religions & have different faiths in regard to God. Different religions of the world depict God in different forms. In Hinduism God is depicted as Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma etc. while in some sects of Hinduism, God is depicted as formless God too. In Christianity God is depicted as Jesus Christ who is said to be the Son of God. Sikhism & Muslim sects mostly believe in a formless God. So different minded people of the world see God in different forms or formless God too.

God is almighty & He is free to take any form. He Himself is Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva & Lord Brahma. He Himself is Rama God too. He Himself is Allah, Jesus also. So as per one's faith He appears in that form & that's the reason that above said saint called God as chameleon.

In Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten Lord Sri Krishna himself declares about His different forms & attributes which you can read here.

In fact God himself is the creator of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Him.

"aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."

Jai Sri Krishna

Bhagwat Gita & Philosophy of Life

We encounter myriads of problems in our day to day life. We daily get work pressure, stress, tension etc. in our life. Now if we can find some way in which we can de-stress ourself & find peace of mind within us then how good it would be. The great philosophy of Bhagwat Gita not only tells us about the Yoga technique which can make our body stress free but also gives us many teachings by which we can calm our mind. Other than that it tells us about the mystery of Life & Death. It also tells us about the origin of this universe & life on other planets.

In fact Bhagwat Gita is the "Song of the Divine" told by the Divine (God himself) to His disciple Arjuna. In it God (Lord Krishna) himself teaches Arjuna the philosophy of truth. In it Lord Krishna tells Arjuna about the philosophy of rebirth or reincarnation & how individual soul transmigrates from one body to the other. It also teaches you the difference between a Soul & Supersoul (God). It also tells you, what is Karma & how you can do the Karma effectively through Karmayoga.

In Bhagwat Gita, God teaches basically the four paths through which one can understand the philosophy of soul or oneself. First one is "Sankhya yoga" or the "Yoga of Knowledge". In it one can know the God through knowledge or through one's intellect. The second one is "Karma yoga, or the Yoga of Action." In it one can know the God through offering all of his / her actions to God. Third one is "Dhyana yoga" or the "The Yoga of Meditation". In it one can know the God through Meditation of God. Fourth one is "Bhakti Yoga" or the "The Yoga of Devotion." In it one can know the God through having devotion, love towards God.

So if you want to have a stress free life & the peace of mind then you should read Bhagwat Gita. If you want to know the mystery of Life & Death, rebirth etc. then also you should read this great "Divine Song". It is basically the essence of all the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads & all other Hindu scriptures. If one is able to understand the divine philosophy of Bhagwat Gita then one is able to understand all the great scriptures as it is the essence of all these great books.



Otherwise, reading Bhagwat Gita gives peace of mind, clears all doubts about life, makes one understand people better & let's one come closer to God.

Here below are thoughts of century's greatest saint Mahatma Gandhi about Bhagwat Gita & why he used to read this great philosophy of Bhagwat Gita.

"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad-Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day." - Mahatma Gandhi

Jai Sri Krishna.

Kun Faaya Kun

You must be wondering why I am writing about a song of a movie "Rockstar". In fact for me it is not a song but a Prayer, devotion or Ibadat to God.

'Kun Faaya Kun' describes the attribute of God through which God can create anything  just by His wishing & that thing immediately becomes a reality. Literal meaning of 'Kun Faaya Kun' in Arabic is "Be, And It Is!". That means by just wishing of God everything is possible & everything becomes a reality. In Vedas also it is said that God created this world just by His wishing. God just thought of this world & it became a reality immediately. Below are few lines of this song:

"Kun faaya kun  faaya kun faaya kun
faaya kun faaya kun faaya kun

Jab kahin pe kuch nahi bhi nahi tha
wahi tha wahi tha wahi tha wahi tha
who jo mujh me samaya wo jo tujh me samaya
maula wahi wahi maaya"

Meaning of above lines is that:

Be, and it is! Be, and it is!

When there was nothing nowhere,
He was the One, only One.
He is within Me, He is within You,
He is the One, only One.

That means before the creation when there was nothing in this world then He, God alone was present. God is eternal & existed before the creation also. God wished this world & this world came into existence just through His wishing. Also one God is there within me & you. God is the only one reality. Vedas also describe the God similarly.

In Bhagwat Gita also God himself is saying the same thing:

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 61)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The Lord / Supreme God dwells in the heart of all beings. He is deluding all beings by His illusive power of Maya / Material energy by which they revolve according to their actions in this world."

So, O God, You live within me & I live within You. You are the only Truth. Only You are the Real one so have mercy on us.

Jai Shri Krishna