Sunday, January 29, 2012

Churn Your Mind

When we mix water in the milk, it gets mixed up very easily & we cannot separate the milk from the water. But when we churn it, we are able to transform the milk into the butter, which floats on the water. Now whatever, amount of water we put into the butter we cannot mix it with water. It always floats on the water. Similarly when our mind uninspired by Godly Wisdom roams in this world then it is like the milk which gets easily mixed up with the water of the world. But when by churning, we are able to purify our mind by divine knowledge; then even if it dwells in the world, it will not get polluted by worldliness. So we should churn our mind by enquiring about the mysteries of this world, try to get divine knowledge & devotion towards the God. By doing so we shall be able to live in this world, in which though we shall be doing our duties in this world but still our mind shall be holding on to the God.

Below is a verse from Bhagwat Gita which illustrates that if we are able to anchor our mind towards God then we live in this world like a lotus flower leaf, which is untouched by water while living in the water only.

"brahmany adhaya karmani
sangam tyaktva karoti yah
lipyate an sa papena
padma-patram ivambhasa" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 10)

"Sri Krishna said: One who performs his duty offering all actions & surrendering the results unto the God, remains unaffected by sin; same as the lotus leaf is untouched by water."

Jai Shri Krishna

Sunday, January 22, 2012

You & Your God Live in Your Body


As the title suggests, this article deals with Yourself, Your Body & Your God. When we are talking of Yourself, we are talking of You as an individual Soul who is present in your body. When we are talking of Your God, we are talking of that Supersoul who is Indestructible, is very fine, very subtle & is the omnipresent God who is also sitting in your heart as "Antaryamin", one who is witness to all of your actions. When we are talking of Your Body, obviously we are are talking about the external visible body of yours. Your body is the Temple in which the Divinity of your Soul & Supersoul (God) both live together. To better understand this let's first read below a parable from "Mundaka Upanisad".

"Mundaka Upanisad" compares the individual Soul and the Supersoul as two friendly birds sitting on the same tree (your body made of elements of nature). One of the birds who is the individual Soul, is eating the fruits of the tree (enjoying the pleasures of the senses afforded by the material body), while the other bird, the Supersoul (God) is simply watching his friend, the individual Soul. Of these two birds, although both are of the same quality, one is captivated by the fruits of the material tree (this material world) while the other is keeping watch on him only. Although they both are friends, one is the master and the other is the servant. Forgetfulness of this relationship by the individual Soul is the cause of one's changing his position from one tree to another, or moving from one body to another. The Jiva, or individual Soul, is struggling very hard on the tree of the material body, but as soon as it agrees to accept the other bird (God) as the Supreme spiritual master, (as Arjuna agrees to do so by voluntary surrender unto Lord Krishna for instructions), the subordinate bird immediately becomes free from all lamentations.

Below are verses from Mundaka Upanishad explaining that only:

"dva suparna sayuja sakhaya
samanam vriksham praishasvajate
tayor anyah pippalam svadv
atty anasnann anyo 'bhicakasiti"

In the tree of this body, Soul & Supersoul (God), are like two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic Soul) is eating the fruit of the tree (the sense gratification afforded by the material body), and the other bird (the Supersoul) is not trying to eat these fruits, but is simply watching His friend.

"samane vrikshe purusho nimagno
'nisaya socati muhyamanah jushtam
yada pasyati anyam isam asya
mahimanam iti vita-sokah"

Although the two birds are on the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord, and knows His glories, at once the suffering bird becomes free of all anxieties.

Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which too explain about the nature of Soul & Supersoul:

"dvav imau purushau loke
ksharas chakshara eva cha
ksharah sarvani bhutani
kuta-stho ’kshara ucyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, There are two classes of beings, the fallible (this body) and the infallible (this Soul). In the material world every living entity having a body is fallible, and while this Soul is infallible & it never dies.

"uttamah purushas tv anyah
paramatmety udahrtah
yo loka-trayam avisya
bibharty avyaya ishvarah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Besides these two (this body & this Soul), there is the greatest living personality, the God, the Supersoul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them."

So from the above it is very clear how this little individual Soul is different from the Supersoul (God) in nature. Though Soul is part & parcel of Supersoul (God) only & both are unborn, imperishable but still one is limited in capacity & power, while the other is Lord of unlimited power. Individual Soul is the enjoyer of fruits of this vast nature, while Supersoul (God) is the provider of all these fruits & simply watches the actions & play of these different Souls. Let's turn our mind towards our friend Supersoul (God) who is sitting within our heart only in the subtle form. Doing so we shall come in His protection & He shall shower us with His divine love & grace always. So once we turn towards the God, we shall become free from all the anxieties & lamentations in life.


Jai Sri Krishna

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Two Kinds of Knowledge

Long long back in ancient India, a very wise man named "Angiras" used to live in a hut in the forest. He had inherited the spiritual wisdom from his father & forefathers. Once a young man from the village came up to him. This was a man well-known as the owner of land, wise in the ways of the world. He said to sage "Angiras", "Please tell me that knowledge which will explain everything to me."

Angiras looked at him & said. "There are really two kinds of knowledge," he replied. One of them is higher knowledge and the other one is lower one. The lower knowledge is of hymns and scriptures, rituals, grammar, poetry, astrology and other such sciences.....but the higher knowledge leads a man to that being which never dies. That is called the knowledge of the Indestructible."

"Yes, sir," said the young man. "That is what I want to know about."

Angiras said, "Then, listen well. The Indestructible cannot be picked up like this stick or that stone. It belongs to no family, nor to any caste. It neither has eyes nor ears (yet sees & hears everything), It has no hands or feet, It is forever. Wherever you go It is there; you cannot leave It; It is all around you.

"Indestructible is very fine, very subtle, and that is why you do not see It. Everything else has come out of this Indestructible, you see. You know how a spider spins out her thread from her own body, and draws it back with her arms, or how plants grow from the soil, or how hair grows on a person's body. In that same way, the whole universe emerges from that Indestructible Being called God.

The God who is present everywhere in space & creation is called Omnipresent God. There is no place in creation which can be without the presence of God & He is present there at every point of time and space. God fills all the space & places in heaven and on earth.

Here below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which describe about the infinite nature of God:

"sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato ’ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah shrutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tishthati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Thirteen verse 14)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Everywhere are His (God's) hands and feet, His eyes, heads and faces, and He has ears everywhere. In this way the Super Soul exists, pervading everything in this world."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, there is nothing else besides Me in this world. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this world is threaded on me.

Here below is a "Hymn to that Universal, Omnipresent Infinite God". It is from "Svetasvatara Upanishad":

"O God,

You are the Ancient One & the Lord of Shining Light,
You dwell beyond all the darkness and the night;
knowing You alone can a man cross over death,
There is no other path for him to take."

All heads are Your heads, all faces Your faces,
You dwell inside the heart & also in all hidden places.
Through the whole universe, You have extended Yourself.
You are Shiva, the auspicious, the ever-present Lord."

With hands and feet everywhere, eyes and ears
Everywhere, heads and mouths everywhere,
You have filled up every corner of the space.
Smaller than smallest and larger than largest."



So let's pay our obeisance's to such an Indestructible & Infinite God. Let's also think that God is always near us & is always in our heart. Then He too shall never give you up or never depart. God is always with you & shall always be with you if you think Him to be supreme Indestructible. So always have trust that God is near you though He is present in all the creation.

Jai Sri Krishna

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Look For God Within Yourself

That day my friend misplaced his Mobile Phone somewhere in the home. He looked for it all around the house, in his table, on top of TV set, in the drawer, in the bed etc. etc. Everywhere he searched for it but could not find it. He felt little worried. Incidentally I too was with him over there. I said to him that I shall ring his number from my mobile phone & wherever his mobile will be, it shall ring up & we shall come to know, where it is. A simple & great idea!!!! When I called up the number, his mobile started ringing & it seemed that it is ringing nearby only. I asked him to check the nearby TV table top but it was not there. I told him that it is ringing near to him only. Lo! mobile was ringing from the left pocket of his trouser only. Strange, I asked him, why didn't he check his left pocket? His simple answer was that, "I always keep my mobile in my right pocket or outside somewhere!!! Though it is rare but still it happens sometimes with us.

Same is the case with our search for God. We search Him outside in the world, in temples, mosques, churches etc. however, He is sitting within our body only, He is sitting in our hearts only. The pure joy is there in our self (soul) only which is a part of God only who sits in our heart. If our mind shall turn inwards & see the God sitting in our heart then we shall get the eternal pure joy & peace which is much better than joy of the senses. A deer who is having the Kasturi (Musk) in his body only, searches for the cause of fragrance all over there in the wild, while that sweet fragrance comes from the inside of his body only. Same is the case with us that we are searching for the God outside ourselves while He is sitting in our heart only.

In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Fifteen verse 15 Lord Krishna says:

"sarvasya chaham hridi sannivisto"

God is seated in everyone’s heart

In the Bhagwat Gita Chapter Eighteen verse 61 Lord Krishna says:

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati"

The Supreme God resides in the hearts of all beings.

So let's leave our search of God in the outside world & look for Him inside our hearts only. In this way we shall find Him in our hearts who is the source of all Joy, Peace & Bliss. Be sure that "God Loves You", only thing is that you need to turn toward HIM.

Jai Sri Krishna

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Supreme Abode Of God


Lord Krishna, is the master of the three worlds and the three principal demigods. All this Infinite, limitless material universe is manifested by one fourth of the powers of God. By the remaining three fourth spiritual worlds are manifested. No one can measure the length and breadth of the one fourth of Lord's energy manifested in the material world. Who then can measure the three fourths that is manifested in the spiritual world? Spiritual nature & spiritual worlds are indestructible, eternal, inexhaustible and unlimited. It is the Supreme abode of God, consisting of three fourths of the Lord's opulence & it is known as paravyoma, the spiritual sky. Although God is present in His Spiritual abode in higher spiritual worlds, He is yet all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which describe about the material & spiritual spaces & worlds :

"a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino ’rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My Supreme Supreme abode, O Arjuna, never takes birth again.

"paras tasmat tu bhavo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktat sanatanah
yah sa sarveshu bhutesu
nasyatsu na vinasyati" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: Yet there is another unmanifest Spiritual nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested material nature. This Spiritual nature is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this material world is annihilated, those Spiritual worlds remains as it is."

"avyakto ’kshara ity uktas
tam ahuh paramam gatim
yam prapya na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 21)

"Sri Krishna said: That which the Vedantists describe as Spiritual unmanifest and infallible, that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having attained it, one never returns—that is My supreme abode in the Spiritual world."

"purushah sa parah partha
bhaktya labhyas tv ananyaya
yasyantah-sthani bhutani
yena sarvam idam tatam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: The Lord / God, who is greater than all, is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His Spiritual abode, He is all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him."

So let's always pray to The Lord Krishna, who is greater than all, with full devotion. By doing so we can attain to His Spiritual abode where there is no misery of any type & which is full of bliss.

Jai Shri Krishna