Monthly eMagazine of Vedanta Ashram & Mission Vedanta Sandesh Year 27 Oct 2021 Issue 4
Cover Page The cover page of this month's Vedanta Sandesh is a lovely pair of Silver Bills. Silver Bills are a common, widely spread, lovely birds. The Indian Silverbill or White-throated Munia (Euodice malabarica) has a conical silver-grey bill, buff-brown upper parts, white underparts, buffy flanks and dark wings. The tail is black, and the wings are dark, contrasting with a white rump. The sexes are similar. The tail appears pointed. It feeds mainly on seeds, but also takes insects and has been known to visit nectar bearing flowers. These birds are gregarious and are found in flocks of as many as 60 birds. They feed on the ground or on low shrubs and grass stalks. Every bird, like every other living being, is a unique creation of God, it is a Vibhooti. Seeing their awesome beauty, one just remembers their awesome creator and reverentially bows down to him. Om Tat Sat
CONTENTS Vedanta Sandesh Oct 2021 1. Shloka 7 2. Message of P. Guruji 8 3. Sadhana Panchakam 16 4. Letter 24 5. Gita Reflections 28 6. The Art of Man Making 36 7. Jivanmukta 48 8. Story Section 52 9. Mission / Ashram News 60 10. Internet News 74 11. Forthcoming Progs 75 12. Links 76
Editor Swamini Samatananda Saraswati
Monthly eMagazine of Vedanta Mission Oct 2021 : Year 27 / Issue 4 Published by Vedanta Mission Vedanta Ashram, E/2948, Sudama Nagar, Indore-452009 (M.P.) India http://www.vmission.org.in / [email protected]
r}SjkX;a tqxqIlk ;k n'kZuJo.kkfnfHk%A nsgkfnczãi;ZUrs áfuR;s HkksxoLrqfuAA The desire to give up all transient en- joyments gained through seeing, hear- ing, etc., and also experiences gained through equipments ranging from a mortal human body to the form of Brah- ma is called ‘detachment‘. Vivekachoodamani - 21
Message from Poojya Guruji
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 9 Lessons from Vibhishan Lessons from Vibhishan T he personality of Vibhishan is very in- teresting and inspiring. Here is a person who lives in the midst of evil, violent and insensitive people, yet manages to keep his mind pure & positive. This is indeed a very big challenge and achievement, and we need to learn this art from him, so that we stop being excessively bothered about the environment and people around us. Karma has a big role to play for our “To be a pure-minded person inspite of nega- ”tive people around is indeed a big achievement.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 10 Lessons from Vibhishan adhyatmic evolution. Bhagwad Gita says that without going in the midst of Karma-Kshetra, with all its challenges and problems - there can never be a chance to purify and beau- tify one’s mind. The priority, however, has to remain subjective. The world is a creation of God, and therefore it is indeed very beautiful, apart from the pos- sibilities of so many pleasures. Pleasures give us immediate joys, and therefore more often than not we tend to gravitate in that direction and make their acquisition and gratification our pri- ority. It is this possibility alone which becomes the stumbling block (for our spiritual evolution), and not the presence of so many awesome objects and the interaction in the world. If someone can truly aim & aspire for ‘actualiz- ing’ a mind which is thoughtful, focussed, inte- grated and sensitive, then this very work-field can become like a springboard. Challenges, “Equanimity in all situations helps us to actualize ”a pure mind.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 11 Lessons from Vibhishan duties and problems help us to think deeply, and be aware of the various possible con- sequences. That is how the intellect can wake up and become sharp & active. However, for such a blessing to dawn, we need to keep our mind equanimous and bal- anced in & through all our work. What this means is that when we face success after some real hard & intelligent work - then instead of gloating over the worldly suc- cesses in the form of prosperity and fame, we need to rather evaluate our success in terms of our mental and intellectual actualizations. Work-field can give us all kinds of joy, whether “Equanimity in all situations helps us to actu- ”alize a pure mind..
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 12 Lessons from Vibhishan it is pleasures or fame, or whether it is our men- tal equipoise or intellectual finesse. “G ”oals are drivers and motivators.. We always need some goals in our work-field, but these goals vary. Without goals, we can- not work. Higher the goal, greater will be the enthusiasm to achieve it. Goals are drivers and motivators. So one should always have big goals and dreams. Let us challenge our exist- ing notions about our competence and strive to stretch higher. In this process we will defi- nitely get various worldly successes, however, beware, let us not fall in the trap of self-accla- mations on their basis. Our real aim should be something more lasting and permanent, and this can be something subjective alone. The possibility of ever-present inner joy is indeed very beautiful, the work output becomes bet- ter, and thus the possibility of getting so many worldly pleasures too. Pleasures should not be
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 13 Lessons from Vibhishan our priority, but a natural fallout. Our scriptures always propounded this fact, and Abraham Maslow also says in his Hierarchy of Needs says that Self-Actualization is the best, highest and lasting kind of motivation which a man can ever have. Such a motivation keeps us on & on, and there should be no complacency in spite of various possible successes or failures. In fact, greater the challenges and failures, the better - because then we have no other option except to tax our mind more & more. If mental evolution and intellectual acumen is our aim, then more problems and challenges the merrier. It is such people alone who can come out from their Kurukshetra and Mahab- harata’s in shining colours, irrespective of the external success or failures. Even though we all know that a person with a beautiful mind & intellect alone gets more worldly success “It is not the objects, but the wish for enjoy- ”ment binds.
14 Lessons from Vibhishan and fame, yet as this was not his or her priority therefore he moves on. This was definitely the attitude and motivation of Vibhishan also, otherwise living in a highly uncordial environment how can one become such a sensitive, loving, caring and also a highly intelligent person. This is the crux of the teachings of Bhagwad Gita also. The essence of Karma Yoga. Yoga always aims for a bet- ter mind & intellect, and our Karma-Kshetra indeed helps us in this respect in a profound way, we just need to have that aim and aspi- ration to actualize it. Vedanta Sandesh-Oct
15 Vibhooti Darshan Lessons from Vibhishan Vedanta Sandesh-Oct
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 16 Lessons from Vibhishan Sadhana Panchakam Swamini Samatananda
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 17 Sadhana Panchakam - : 27 : - Lok}éa u rq ;kP;rke~ Have no cravings for the taste of the tongue.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 18 Sadhana Panchakam Sadhana Panchakam S angati: In the begining of the fourth sloka the Acharya gave us some special tips regarding our atti- tude towards food. ‘May we treat hunger as a disease and food as a medicine to cure this disease’ - this has been the point of discussion so far. Taking the thought one step ahead, in the present sopana too, the Acharya goes on to share another dimension regarding the at-
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 19 Sadhana Panchakam titude towards Food. The Acharya says do not crave for the taste of the tongue. Food is the source of energy & life. We cannot survive without food. In fact the need for food is one of the main reasons to motivate every living being to get up and work. Every being works in his own way to earn that bit of bread and butter to sustain his life. But more often than not food is much more than a means to sustain the body. Along with a stomach and a digestive sytem God has also given us a tongue. This not only releases juices to primar- ily digest food but it also has taste buds which is one of the important sense organs. It is the sensual taste which often brings down this in- telligent human being on his knees. “Food for life is fine, but food for pleas- ”ure binds.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 20 Sadhana Panchakam The six kinds of rasas or tastes that a human being can taste can easily make a person “Tongue can be a great blessing or our ”stumbling block. dance on its tunes. How often we make re- solves to discipline our food habits but very soon we end up cheating ourselves due to the attraction of taste. Thus the tongue goes on to become one of our biggest enemy, which is extremely challenging to conquer. If this weakness is dominant in a sadhaka then it can become a great hinderance in the practise of any sadhana or during shravan, manan and at the seat of med- itation. In order to win over our weak-
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 21 Sadhana Panchakam ness towards the taste of the tongue one has to discriminate between that which is right and needful and that which is harmful for the body and the mind. In Kathopanishad this vivek is called as ‘Shreya’ and ‘Preya’. ‘Preya’ is that which is based on our conditional pref- erances of likes and dislikes. May be I have eaten something in childhood and my senses and mind have become conditioned to that taste. A samskaar has been created. So as I grow up, I refuse to break that conditioning and have an open mind towards it. I refuse to try something new. Or I refuse to give it up, if in case it is not good for my health. So ‘Preya’ is following the path of ‘I like’ and ‘I don’t like’. On the other hand ‘Shreya’ is that option which I choose on the basis of that which is beneficial for my physical and mental health irrespective of my personal likes and dislikes. “A ”lways choose right, over pleasure.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 22 Sadhana Panchakam Walking on the path of ‘Shreya’ is surely a sadhana. It involves wisdon and also austerity, and that alone bring about long term welfare of the Self. Whereas choosing the option of ‘Preyas’ gives us momentary pleasure but it is harmful in the long run. It only adds to a chain of samskaars and vasanas binding us further and making us helpless and dependent. So discriminating between that which is good for me and that which is harmful for me is of ut- “O ”pting for Shreya requires wisdom. most importance. Further to this, when one looks deeper into the subject, then we all have experienced how momentory is the pleasure of the tongue. En- joying something conducive to one’s taste buds is a matter of a few minutes and then the pleasure is gone. Secondly some kind of
23 Sadhana Panchakam food is tasty and some is not is such a relative thing. The dining table itself is proof to the fact that so many dishes are made all to suit each person’s taste-buds. What one person likes the “Capacity to tread the path of Shreya is a liberat- ”ing capacity. other may not like. When we bring about such a discrimination at the subjective level then alone we shall be able to free ourselves from the dependencies of likes and dislikes. One needs to question the conviction that I am a limited being and external experiences will give me permanent joy. Then alone the doors of right understanding shall open for us. And we will not only become masters of the tongue but all other senses too. Vedanta Sandesh-Oct
24 MMaaiill from Poojya Guruji The Question: I am in shock & grief about the lingering death of my wife and also myself. Pl guide? Vedanta Sandesh-Oct
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 25 MMaaiill from Poojya Guruji Mail From Poojya Guruji Hari Om S. Yes, Covid has been tough for all, however that is life, and we all have to continuously face our challenges. Yes, I am aware of P’s illness but unfortunately like anyone else she has no other option except to face the truth “D ”eath is an inevitable eventuality.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 26 MMaaiill from Poojya Guruji of life and at the end of the day slowly fade out like a candle. Human body is the abode of diseases, and so we all have our quota of the same. Sorry to hear about yours too. “Human body is the abode of diseases, and we all ”have our quota of the same. Come to think about all this - is it really some- thing strange or unexpected? Not really, just that we never expected it to happen to us and that also so soon. When we saw death & diseases all around, we should have pre- pared ourselves for such an eventuality, but we were too busy elsewhere. As of now, the obvious question is as to how does one prepare for such inevitable eventualities. Well, just do one thing, and this will definitely help you profoundly.
27 MMaaiill from Poojya Guruji Turn belief in God as something more substan- tial. Your Shivji has to be as real as - your dear wife. Try. You have been very alone, and thus all the burden is on your small & frail shoulders. It is never too late. This helps us to accept things as his will, and thereafter our end is not really an end. The fear of death also goes away. Try. Love & om, Vedanta Sandesh-Oct
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 28 Gita Reflections Gita Reflections Gita Ch. 2 Sloka 13 Swamini Samatananda
29 Mail fromGPitoaojRyeaflGecutirounjsi nsfguks·fLeu~ ;Fkk nsgs dkSekja ;kSoua tjkA rFkk nsgkUrjizkfIr% /khjLr= u eqáfrAA (Gita Ch 02/ Sloka 13) Just as for an individual there is in his body childhood, youth and old-age, so too, the gaining of another body. With reference to that, a wise person does not come to grieve. VVeeddaannttaa SSaannddeesshh--JOuclty
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 30 Gita Reflections Gita Reflections Sangati: In the following verse from Srimad Bhagwad Geeta Chapter two Sri Krishna reveals the changing nature of the body in the first line, and the changeless nature of the Atma in the second line. It is very interesting to see how Bhagwan Sri Krishna points out the futility of grief either from the point of view of the gross body or from the point of view of the Atma. Sri Krishna reveals that the gross body is ever
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 31 Gita Reflections changing and therefore it is not wise for an individual to grieve upon it. On the hand the Atma being the eternal and changeless sub- stratum in and through all the changing di- mensions, there is no scope for grief. “Atma being the eternal and changeless sub- ”stratum, there is no scope for grief.. Dehinosmin yathaa dehe: Word Meaning: Just as for the emobodied (for an individual) in this body. Dehinah is the Jiva. Jiva is the indweller in this body. It is the manifested consciousness. Jiva is the one who makes this body alive and conscious. One can say Jiva is the atma with a body, senses, and the mind. It is the ‘I’ which is a constant factor. Very many states come and go, childhood, youth and old age, waking state, dream state and the deep sleep state, one birth and then another birth,
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 32 Gita Reflections everything undergoes a change but ‘I’ is the changeless factor. This Jiva does not die or change with the changing dimensions of the body and mind, but here the changing body and mind are the pointers which through their journey of change point out to that dimension of existence which neither changes nor dies. That is the ‘I’ the ‘Dehi’. Sri Krishna explains the changeless nature of the ‘I’ using the gross body as a pointer. He says- “The physical body goes through vari- ”ous phases of change, but not the ‘Dehi’. Kaumaram, yauvanam, jara: The physical body goes through various phas- es of growth and change. All of us at the level of the body are born at one point of time and then we go through childhood, youth and old age wherein the body starts to degenerate. In childhood the body goes through a phase of
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 33 Gita Reflections nourishment in order to grow up to be healthy and fit and as we enter youth, the body is at it’s prime time of energy, glow, physical pot- tentials, mental helath and fitness. Soon after a couple of decades the body starts entering middle age. This marks the begining of major changes in the body’s fitness and energy lev- els. In fact Science says that the cells of the body are undergoing a continuous change every moment and every day. To the extent that our body has gone through a complete metamorphosis every seven years. Such is the changing nature of our physical body. But the purport here is that even though the physical level is going through various chang- es, yet there is a dimension of our existence which is constant and unchanging. The goal of spiritual learning is to turn our attention from the changing realm of our personality to the unchanging dimension of our existence. The unchanging dimen-
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 34 Gita Reflections sion is the ‘I’. The ‘I’is constant and therefore we are witness to all the changes from child- hood to old age. We are conscious of all the experiences in and through these phases of life. Being aware of this changeless Self brings about a revolutonary turning point in our un- derstanding of life and the Self. It results in lib- eration from being bound in time and space and its consequences of a sense of limitation. Thus Sri Krishna further says- “Jivatma is constant in the various phases of ”life. Tathaa dehaantarah praaptihi: Just as this Jivatma is constant in the various phases of life so also it is the constant and changeless factor as one leaves this body and attains a new birth with a new and fresh physical attire. Travelling from one birth to an- other is as good as changing our daily clothes.
35 Gita Reflections But the Atma the Self is one non-dual existence that forms the substratum for all changes that the body and mind go through. Dheerastatra na muhyati: If the Atma is indestructable, unchanging then where is the question of delusion and sorrow. It is only due to ignorance that delusion over pow- ers or faculties and we come to see the atma as anatma and the anatma as the atma. When through knowledge one comes to see birth and death as a play of the unmanifest getting mani- fested and then going back into the unmanifest, then alone the cloud of delusion is cleared and we are able to see the atma as the atma and the anatma as the anatma. Wise Men have seen this truth and therefore they are not deluded nor do they lament on the change and death of the physical body. Because the Atma never dies. Vedanta Sandesh-Oct
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 36 The Art of Man Making P.P. Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji - 43- The Art Of Man Making The Law Of Invocation
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 37 The Art of Man Making The Art of Man Making T he eloquent declaration that the om- nipotent Lord is functioning through our equip- ments in all our activities opens up enchanting possibilities. If this be true, there can be no limit to the abilities and capacities in man....since the Infinite is functioning through us, Infinite are our potentialities. This is also demonstrated sometimes in some people. An inspired artist or poet is capable of
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 38 The Art of Man Making excelling his own past normal performances. At times we all have experienced an excel- lence which we cannot reproduce at will. At such moments we ourselves become excited onlookers of our won perfect performanc- es. Such spontaneity is not always with us-it comes of its own accord; we seem to have no authority over it. According to the Geeta, there is a definite dis- cipline by which we can come to live almost continuously in the spontaneity of inspiration in our thoughts and actions. The great saints have demonstrated this possibility in the dar- ing dynamism of their actions and in the mag- nitude of their life’s achievements. To many of us it is an accidental mood; but those rare mo- “We can come to live almost continuously in the ”spontaneity of inspiration.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 39 The Art of Man Making ments are fulfilling in as much as in that rare mood we excel in our actions and are regard- ed by a sense of joyous satisfaction, at once refreshing and nourishing. Scientists, artists, men of action-all have climbed to the peak of their individual achievement in life, during such accidental moods of inspiration and unearthly spontane- ity. Geeta echoes here the Upan- ishadic declarations that we can learn to invoke this di- vine mood at will and train ourselves to remain con- tinuously in it, and thus come to constantly function with height- ened joy and subtle thrill. This was already dis-
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 40 The Art of Man Making cussed in the last chapter when we advised upon the technique of Karma Yoga-the art of fulfilling all our obligatory duties in a divine Yagna spirit of total dedication. Here are the conditions necessary for the infux of this enthralling mood. “Freed from attach- ments, fear and anger, absorbed in me, tak- ing refuge in me, purified by meditation, many have attained to my Being”. “ ”Where attachment is, there alone fear is. Where attachment is, there fear for the loss of the thing becomes natural and anger is automatic when fear entertained is found baseless. These three are unavoidable con- comitants, when our attention gets turned out towards the objects of pleasure, seeking
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 41 The Art of Man Making therein our satisfaction and happiness. Freed from attachment, fear, and anger” (veetraa- ga bhaya krodhah) is an essential condition for the invocation of th e mood of true in- spiration. The three stumbling sentiments are natural with us, who are living our ego cen- tric little life of sense-gratifications. Hence the Lord guides us on how we can rise above the attachment-fear-anger complex in us. Those who are absorbed in Me” (manmaya) are persons who are not absorbed in the ego. This all-absorbing identification with the Lord can come to men only when they “take refuge in Me” (maamupashritah). “Lord guides us on how we can rise above the ”attachment-fear-anger complex in us. We, as common folk, without much thoughts, assure our life’s joys with objects of pleasure, house, wealth, relations, etc. We take refuge
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 42 The Art of Man Making in these worldly things for our security. The more we do so the more our faith in them increases. Krishna advises us to take ref- uge in Him, so that our faith in Him deepens, until we come to be as fully absorbed in Him as we are today absorbed in our ego and ego-interpreted world of experiences. When these three things are accomplished-1) Free- dom from attachment, fear, and anger, 2) absorbed in Him, 3) taking refuge in Him- “K ”rishna advises us to take refuge in Him.
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 43 The Art of Man Making then all our personality layers, physical, men- tal and intellectual, come to rest single-point- edly in the contemplations of Him. This is the state of Meditation. In the awareness of His Presence when we serve, our Vasanas get ex- hausted-and so our inner equipments of mind and intellect become more and more pure. Into such a pure bosom inspiration divine floods in, and inspires the pure hearted to act with an irresistable charm. Such a pure heart automatically invokes the highest spiritual bliss and experiences the full beatitude of the Self. “All our personality layers, physical, mental ”and intellectual, come to rest single-pointedly in the contemplations of Him. But all men do not use their mind or the invo- cation of the Supreme. There are scientists, art- ists, politicians, economists, authors, and oth- ers-each producing spectacular results, often
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 44 The Art of Man Making products of some subtle inspiration. How do the generality of people get their inspiration? Krishna answers this logical doubt, and says, “In whatever way men worship Me, the same way I fulfill their desires; it is my way that men tread everywhere.” Herein we have the very basis of one of the HIndu characteristics-its incorrupti- ble tolerance. Anyone invoking the Lord in any form, be it in a church or a mosque, or a Vihar, or a Gurudwara, they all are direct “lanes” on the same road-to His infinite Beauty Palace. Subjectively, from the standpoint of man’s personality reconstruction, whatever be the mode of invocation, he gains the fulfillment of desires, if the conditions are fulfilled. With single pointed intense consistency one may invoke war, and another peace: both shall have their desires gratified. There is nothing impossible for man-only he must be able to steady his mind, intelligently apply it with the required intensity
45 The Art of Man Making and constancy: he shall gain what he wishes, be it spiritual unfoldment or material gains in this world. As they invoke, so will I give them: (ye yatha maam prapadyante taanstathaiva bha- jamyaham), Everyone comes to gain, in his own field of endeavour, according to his in- tense invocation-but all are from me alone. As the infinite Self is Omnipotent, all abilities, successes, gains and joys are from Him alone-although different men may in- voke Him differently. The secular and the spiritual, the hon- est and the dishonest, the saint and the sinner-all men, of all persuasions and professions, all of them walk, everywhere, my path alone: (mama vartmaanuvartante Vedanta Sandesh-Oct manushyah paarth sarvashah).
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 46 The Art of Man Making Every success, any splendid performance, an- ywhere, at any time, are all sparks from the pure inspiration-which is the State of Selfhood. Eliminating all attachment, fear and an- ger, with a steady mind, through meditation upon Him, some come to experience the In- finite Beatitude. Others prompted by noble desires, invoke Him, and His grace of inspira- tion, achieve success. Even those who have nothing but low selfish desires and ambitions of wealth, power, sense-gratification, etc.. even they achieve these fulfilments by invok- ing in themselves the same Infinite Power only. Declares Krishna “Craving for success in their undertakings in this world, some worship Gods, for success in actions is quickly gained in the world of men”. Worldly success is easy and enchanting to the many and therefore, they run to invoke “Gods”-the Powerful ones; even there they are but invoking aspects of the In- finite Supreme Power Divine.
47 The Art of Man Making Majority of people run for worldly gains and material successes because they are easy to get at, and they do not demand subtler self-efforts. In spiritual successes each has to strive alone for his inner beauty and cultural development: physical excercises and efforts are much more easier than mental disciplines and contemplations. And everywhere the law of inovocation is the same. Vedanta Sandesh-Oct
Jivanmukta Wandering In Himalayas 101 Reaching Chandananath Excerpts from the Travel Memoirs of Param Poojya Swami Tapovanji Maharaj
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 49 Jivanmukta Jivanmukta On arriving at Chandananath, we took up lodgings at the house of the village head- man. The village chief and the village officer as well as the village judge attended to our needs, following directions from the Jagarcot royal family. One mornig, having bathed in the ice-cold water of Thila, I went to the Chan- dananath temple for darshan. To this temple is attached a monastery of Dasanami Sad- hus. The sadhu who was both priest and head of the temple, as well as other sadhus, wel-
Vedanta Sandesh-Oct 50 Jivanmukta comed us with pranams and arranged for the darshan. We also visited the Bhairavnath tem- ple nearby. Both temples were small but bright with spiritual effulgence. The sadhu brethren regretted that we had chosen to stay in the village, a mile away, instead of joining them at the temple. After passing some days at the house of the brahmins, we also spent three or four days in the temple, as we were pressed again and again to do so by the head priest and others. The meals at the temple resembled malayali meals and so were highly agreeable to me. Rice, pulses, curries, and curds were the chief items. In Uttarakhand and the Himalayan re- gions I generally take bread made of wheat flour, but in these few places where paddy is cultivated I eat rice twice a day. Though the dishes were all agreeable , I could not enjoy them fully because I had an attack of fever while residing at the temple. The judge who loved religeous discussions and held sadhus in
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