Can Money Give us Real Happiness of Life?

Money is one thing which is required by all of us to live a normal life. We all need money & without it our life seems incomplete. So we have a aim in life to earn money & the more we earn it, the more we feel satisfied in life. But, is money everything in life & can money give us Real Happiness in Life? With money we can buy many things & these things may make us happy for a short while, but such happiness does not last for a long time. If we need only material things to make us happy, then we live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.

Happiness is not much to do with material goods or high achievements in life, rather it is all about our outlook on life. A poor person can be much happy in life than a rich person. One of the good way to be happy in life is to attain happiness by doing your work in life (whether it is your household duties, office job, teaching, managing children, doing social work etc.). Money that comes from your doing the job is only a fruit or by-product of doing your job. If we hate what we are doing and rely on the money that we earn to make us happy by buying products in the market, then we are living a meaningless life. True happiness in life comes from doing your job / work properly without caring much for the money it earns.

As per Bhagwat Gita also, it is doing your job / duty in a proper manner without caring much for the fruits or the money that it shall generate, gives true happiness in life. As per "Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47", Lord Sri Krishna says to his disciple Arjuna:

"karmany vadhikaraste
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango’stv akarmani"

"You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

So as per Bhagwat Gita, money etc. are just the "by-products" of doing your duty. Main thing is that you do your duty with full devotion in life without caring much for the fruits or money it shall generate.

As per another Bhagwat Gita verse, true happiness of life comes not by hankering after the Material desires. One who is able to control his/her desires, finds peace in life & with peace comes happiness in life.

“aapurya-manam achala-prathistham
samudram apah pravishanti yadvat
tadvat-kama yam pravishanti sarve
sa shantim-apnoti na kama-kaami” (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter II verse 70)

"As the waters (of different rivers) enters the Great Ocean, which though full on all sides remains undisturbed, like wise a person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires - can alone achieve peace, and not the man who runs after these desires & strives to satisfy such desires."

So let’s do our job / duty properly without much caring for, how much money it shall generate. Let’s not hanker after money unnecessarily & do the good work in life. Let’s enjoy our work & that selfless work only shall give us happiness in life. Also Love & appreciate your loved ones, your children, as loving them shall bring peace & happiness in your family life.

Jai Sri Krishna

Meaning of Om Tat Sat

In Hindu religious practices "Om Tat Sat" words are considered highly spiritual words. These are three mystical words which are uttered many times during  Hindu religious practices like yagnas performed by Hindus. These are considered very holy & auspicious words. What is the meaning of "Om Tat Sat"? What does these three words mean?

In literal sense:

"Om" is the Sound symbol of God. If you want to express God in the form of sound, you should utter this mystical sound "Om". In Bhagwat Gita also God says that:

"maharsinam bhrgur aham
giram asmy ekam aksharam
yajnanam japa-yajno ’smi
sthavaranam himalayah"  (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: Of the great sages I am Bhrgu; Of vibrations / sounds I am the transcendental Om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa], and of immovable things I am the Himalayas."

"Tat" means ‘that’; it also refers to God only.

"Sat" means ‘truth’ & God is truth which is everlasting and unchanging.

So "Om Tat Sat" means; what is everlasting and unchanging is God, whose infinite Existence - Consciousness Bliss is denoted by Om. Within Om is everything. Om contains all. Om is all. Om is present everywhere, like light.

As per the Bible which refers to "Om" as "Word":

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." which is simply that "In the beginning was the Om, and the Om was with God, and the Om was God."

So If anyone knows the meaning of the above saying, they need not go anywhere. They know everything.

In Christianity also three words are referred & those three words are "Father, Son, Holy Ghost". These three words of Christianity corresponds to the above said three words only "Sat, Tat, Om". "Father" corresponds to "Sat". "Son", corresponds to "Tat" & "Holy Ghost" corresponds to "Om". These three fold nature of God in Hinduism & Christianity is beautifully related in his book "Autobiography of a Yogi" by great saint Paramhansa Yogananda. As per him:

"Sat" or "Father" aspect of God is one who lives beyond this vibratory creation of ours.

"Tat" or "Son or Christ Consciousness" aspect of God is one who lives within this vibratory creation of ours & is present everywhere within this space or vibratory creation & is called omnipresent God.

"Om" or "Holy Ghost" aspect of God is one who is witness of this "Tat" or "Son or Christ Consciousness" aspect of God.




As per "Paramhansa Yogananda":

The outward manifestation of the omnipresent Christ Consciousness (Tat aspect of God), "It's Witness", is Om, the Word or Holy Ghost. This Om is the invisible divine power, the only doer, the sole causative & activating force that upholds all creation through vibration. Om, the Word is the creative vibration that externalizes all creation.

Brahma - Vishnu - Shiva represents the triune expression of God in the aspect of "Tat or Son", the Christ Consciousness immanent in vibratory creation. The Shaktis, Energies or the "Consorts" of the "Trinity" are symbols of "Om" or the "Holy Ghost" the sole causative force that upholds the Cosmos through vibration.





Below are some verses from Bhagwat Gita also which illustrates the "Om Tat Sat":

"om tat sat iti nirdeso
brahmanas tri-vidhah smrtah
brahmanas tena vedas cha
yajnas cha vihitah pura" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, From the beginning of creation, the three words "Om Tat Sat" were used to indicate the Absolute Truth. These three symbolic representations were used by Brahmins while chanting the hymns of the Vedas and during sacrifices for the satisfaction of the God."

"tasmad om ity udahrtya
yajna-dana-tapah-kriyah
pravartante vidhanoktah
satatam brahma-vadinam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 24)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Therefore, transcendentalists undertaking performances of sacrifice, charity and penance in accordance with scriptural regulations begin always with Om, to attain the God."
 
"tad ity anabhisandhaya
phalam yajna-tapah-kriyah
dana-kriyas cha vividhah
kriyante moksha-kanksibhih"
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 25)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Without desiring fruit producing results, one should perform various kinds of sacrifice, penance and charity with the word Tat. The purpose of such transcendental activities is to get free from material entanglement."

"sad-bhave sadhu-bhave cha
sad ity etat prayujyate
prasaste karmani tatha
sac-chabdah partha yujyate"

"yajne tapasi dane cha
sthitih sad iti cocyate
karma chaiva tad-arthiyam
sad ity evabhidhiyate"
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seventeen verse 26-27)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The Absolute Truth is the objective of devotional sacrifice, and it is indicated by the word Sat. The performer of such sacrifice is also called Sat, as are all works of sacrifice, penance and charity which, true to the absolute nature, are performed to please the God."

Jai Shri Krishna

God & this Universe

Our Universe with endless Galaxies is Infinite. Now what is the relation of this Universe with God, is what we shall know in this article. As per one recent article on universe:

“Astronomers have unveiled the largest ever 3D map of the sky, encompassing massive galaxies and distant black holes. The new map pinpoints the locations and distances of over a million galaxies. The release includes images of 200 million galaxies and spectra of 1.35 million galaxies, according to a Harvard-Smithsonian statement with SDSS-III.

Mapping these big galaxies thus provides an effective way to make a map of the rest of the galaxies in the universe. With such a map, scientists can retrace the history of the universe over the last six billion years. With that history, they can get better estimates for how much of the universe is made up of “dark matter” - matter that we cannot directly see because it does not emit or absorb light - and “dark energy”, the even more mysterious force that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe. We hope that our new map of the universe can help someone solve the mystery.”

Now God is also called Infinite. Infinite simply means “Without Limits” & beyond the comprehension of human mind.. When we think of that infinite then we just think of the limitless. Now God is called the creator of this limitless Universe & is much bigger than this Universe. Vedas say that all this Infinite, limitless Universe was created with just one fourth of the powers of God & three fourth of His powers still remains with the God. So God is beyond Infinite & is incomprehensible.

We human beings cannot measure the vastness of the God & Universe due to limitations of human mind. The above study of scientists to measure, to have the pictures & to map 200 million galaxies proves the existence of so many & more galaxies which exist in this universe. As per philosophy, all these infinite galaxies are created by God who Himself is infinite. God is infinite, limitless, omnipresent & the one who fills this limitless space. Such an Infinite God exists everywhere & is not limited by time or space. In all the religions of the world God is designated as a singular, universal Supreme Being who encompasses all this creation. His all the attributes such as power, wisdom, love, compassion etc. are limitless & hence Infinite.



Bhagwat Gita describes the God as unborn, eternal, ever-existing, infinite and primeval. God is never born nor dies at any time. God is manifest & un-manifest both i.e. He is there before the creation & also present during the creation. He is omniscient (knows everything), omnipresent (who is present everywhere), omnipotent (who is having all the powers & is all powerful), imperishable & indestructible. He is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. He is having supernatural powers. He is Truth Absolute, Knowledge Absolute and is Infinite. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same. So are some of the qualities of God described.

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."

"O Lord, Creator of even Brahma, the creator,
Revealer to him of the knowledge called Veda,
To You, I come in my longing for freedom;
To You, for refuge, with reverence, I come!"

So let's pay our obeisance's to such an Infinite God. Let's also think that God is always near to 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. So always have trust in your life that God is near you though He is present in all the creation.

Jai Sri Krishna