Guru-Purnima 2009
Om Sri Sadgurudevaaya Namaha
Guru-Mahima
>Eɮ ɯ{ɪ, xɮvɮ, x̙{i, ƺʮE |{S ʽi, {ɮɼ Sixɨ ʙ{i, nM֯n ɤ xɨɨɽ*
EhɺMɮɪ, Hiəɪ, {ɮIiEɮ nM֯n ɤ |hɨɨɽ**
ɤ E MhMh Ex E Mi Z xɽ * ɹ Eʶɶ Vɯ Ei {ɮ Vɤ +J n EU Sx ʙJx E Eʶɶ Ei , i BE +ni +x֦i ɽں i - +{x +{ E |{S Six Pɮ + {i *
ɤ B* =xE xv ʤiɪ + {ə iM * i ɯ{ ɤ E xv E iɮ ɤ E |ɦʴi Ei <E +{E BE U] =nɽh ni * EҤ 15-20 nx {ɽ Vɪ M֔V - V EU n ɤ E Sɮh Vx +{i EM - ɮ iM +ɪ l* EU MVə x< =xx + 2-3 Mx E n E =` - {i xɽ +V C Mɪ * ɤ EU spirituality E + V * i ɽ i i E Mi - ɤ E xv E |ɦɴ*
En En {ɮ J xE h ɮ M|nx Ei * n-C i V ɤ E Vɼ {ɮ ʴɮVɨx i * < C {ɮ M EVɪ - the one who seeks only spirituality is a spiritual seeker and not the one who seeks spirituality also. +{x +{ E , +EI+, ɺx+ x̱{i Jx E ʱɪ ɤ Ei - To have it is not a sin; to want to have it is a sin.
Baaba can give relentlessly and he continues to do so day after day, year after year. Very recently we had the blessings and we spent one week with Baaba and Guruma in West Sikkim engaged in spiritual activities and meditation in the peace of the hills. Love, karuna and dayaa flows incessantly through Baabas eyes, through his hands and through his very being. Baaba emanates Ishwarathwa Godliness every moment and one has to just close the eyes and be still to experience it.
Regular bi-weekly pravachan and satsang is held at Baaba-Dham. Babas discourses on various Upanishads and other scriptures have been compiled into books. These include Sadhana-Panchakam, Sri Guru-Gita, Guru and Disciple. MasterPieces, is a book on inspirational messages extracted from the various discourses and sessions. In addition, Baaba will shortly be releasing His latest book FORGIVENSS which is Baaba's commentary on the thought-provoking shlokas by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. All the books, CDs of discourses and Bhagvad Gita chanted by Baaba are available on sale.
Bestowed with Divine Healing Powers, Baaba continues to heal people at all three levels body, mind and soul. His deftness in energy balancing based on vaastu sashthra saves many a people from demolishing and rebuilding factories, homes and offices. Apart from counseling on various issues, Baaba also helps people find their path through past life regression and emotional let-out exercises. Baaba also keeps spreading the message of jnaanam, bhakthi and shraddha through the website - www.spiritualgrowth.org.in.
Baaba says:
Man gives relief to give you pain;
God relieves you of the pain.
When we are in the presence of a living God, when we are blessed to be with Him, to be relieved of the pain, why should we seek anything elsewhere? Every moment we can feel the Guru-Kripa, Guru-kataksham, which is the greatest kavacha, the greatest shakthi one can have. It is truly overwhelming and Baaba we just wish to express our happiness:
M֯n {vɮ ɮ +Mx, B ɤ +i-ʴɦ
Sɮh {ɶ jh, ɮ +i PxP
{ɴx + ɽ +xn x, vx B ɤ ʶɹMh
ɺ +xn x , ɺ Eh-Eh **
Om Sri Gurobhyom Namaha!
Guru-Purnima was observed on the 7th July 2009. The day started with Paada-puja at Baba Dham amidst bhajans and chanting, followed by Baba's pravachan on Bhakthi and concluded with prasad-vitarnam. Devotees from different cities of India assemble on this auspicious day to seek Baaba's blessings and offer their respects.
Glimpses of Abhinandanam of Baaba and Guruma, Paada-puja, arathi of the Divine Soul and the audience during Baaba's pravachan.
Baaba's Pravachan after Paada-puja in the morning
The purpose of human life is to attain purnathaa (completeness). This purnathaa can be attained through puja of the Ishwara or the Guru. Puja is a mere ritual for an ordinary human being but it is a sadhana (means) for a sadhak (spiritual seeker). For a true sadhak every action should represent the samarpana (surrender) bhaavana. We can be complete when the surrender is total. Samarpana of the jada-vasthu purusha and prakrithi is essential without which we remain incomplete.
Purusha is the Ishwara in us and prakrithi is the manifested field of the purushthwa. Purusha is the substratum while prakrithi plays on this substratum. This is the reason why the prakrithi is known as Maya. For Maya to play on there has to be a substratum. The play may be excellent but it needs a stage to perform upon. It needs an area where it can be presented. Similarly, Maya too needs a substratum on which to perform.
The substratum on which Maya performs has to be infinite anantha one which has no aadi (beginning) and no antha (end). Prakrithi can play on an infinite sutbstratum; puja too can be performed when the substratum is infinite. Puja is prakrithi and that is accomplished only in the presence of the purusha. Puja is meant for the purusha, for the jnaanam, for the divyathaa. It is not meant for the manifest but for the unmanifest. Hence samarpana represents the surrender of the manifest to the unmanifest. When the manifest is surrendered to the unmanifest, the manifest becomes the unmanifest. Those who do samarpana become samarpitha (surrendered). After samarpana you do not have your body or mind or even the swabhaava (nature). The entity, to which you have surrendered, alone exists. This is true sadhana.
Regardless of the way the puja is performed, whether with grandeur or simplicity, with flowers or with just leaves, the puja is incomplete unless samarpana has been done. Even if a stone has been offered with samarpana it has more importance than a flower offered without samarpana. Bhagvan Vishnu while offering 1001 flowers along with 1001 names of Bhagvan Shiva did samarpana of His kamala nethra (lotus eyes). This signifies that the nethra was equivalent to the kamala he surrendered his eye in lieu of the lotus and so he came to be known as kamala nayana. This tells us that when you surrender with the mind, when you surrender the mind, when there is sama arpana, the arpana or the offering is sama or equal to you, not to anything else, not equal to pushpa (flowers) or prasadam, the puja is accomplished. The surrender has to be you and nothing less than you because Bhagvan Shiva says in Sri Guru-Gita:
+jxj& ɴǺI +Si֤ǽSi&
+Siִnx M֯& Eli& |ɪ **
aitrintra sarvaskacaturbhuracyuta
acaturvadan brahm rguru kathita priy ..
(Sri Guru-Gita: shloka 47).
Bhagvan describes the qualities of the Guru who is all-encompassing even without the trinethra (third eye or the jnaanam chakshu) and the chaturbahu (four arms like Brahma).
The Gurus trinethra may not be visible but it is inherent. The Guru is a-trinethra but can see everything. Everyone in this universe has trinethra the two eyes represent the purusha and the prakrithi while the third eye is the jnaana chakshu. One who has overcome the trinethra, or is beyond the capacities of trinethra is known as atrinethra. Bhagvan Shiva explains to Matha Parvathi that the Guru is atrinethra the one who is beyond the trikaalas and trigunas, beyond all capacities that human mind can even think of. One can see through the nethram, or have the vision but the Guru is beyond visibility. It is not possible to see Him through any of the trinethra. You can find Him only when you do the samarpana of your bhaava, of your sharira and mana. With intelligence you cannot see the Guru; with your efforts you cannot see the Guru, with your imagination you cannot see the Guru. With your karma you cannot see the Guru; with your learning you cannot see the Guru. Once the samarpana is complete you will be able to see him.
When you do the samarpana you become the jnaanam. One, who wants to see the Guru, wants an external objective experience. One, who wants to learn from the Guru, also wants an external experience. To know the Guru is also an external experience. Param Shiva says none of these are true experiences. The true experience is beyond these three you should neither desire to see, nor want to experience or even to learn from the Guru. When you are beyond these, when your samarpana is total, the jnaanam is yours, the bhakthi is yours, the Guru is yours, and the Ishwara is yours.
The importance of atrinethra is enhanced when it is read in conjunction with the next two words of the shloka. Atrinethra sarva sakshi the Guru is a witness to everything even without using trinethram. Atrinethra is a true witness because the witnessing is neither through the purusha nor through the prakrithi; it is neither through the Maya nor through the jnaanam. Sarva sakshi is one who knows everything. A witness knows everything and as a sarva sakshi he can identify who is sathwika, rajasic or tamasik.
In addition to being atrinethra sarva sakshi, the Guru is also achaturbahu. All the Gods have four hands where each hand represents one disha or direction. They do not physically have four hands but it is a representation of covering the entire universe, taking care of all the four directions. The Guru, says Bhagvan, is beyond chaturbahu. He does not need physical hands to show the direction. Just as He is the sarva sakshi without the trinethra, He is also the pivot or the achyutaha without the four hands or the chaturbahu. Without a wheel he is a pivot. This implies that everything comes under the control of a pivot. He does not create a wheel. He is a pivot ; achyutaha is the pivot of the wheel.
The Guru is sarva sakhsi as well as the pivot achyutaha. One, who wants to go around the wheel, can continue to do so; one who wants to be at the fulcrum or one, who wants to be with the pivot, one, who chooses to be in the middle with the achyutaha, he can be with the achyutaha. If one does not want to be with the pivot, one can always keep rotating in the kaala chakra for several janmas. Alternatively, after experiencing gradually in the outer ring, one can come to the inner ring like the pin on the record that plays the Gramophone. From the outer periphery slowly the pin comes to the next track, and then next, and gradually the fulcrum comes to the middle. The kaala chakra denotes the number of sins committed, the experiences of the karma phala, and depending upon these we keep rotating. If one has a desire to be with the pivot, by exhausting the karmas, we can reduce the number of cycles and come to the achyutam. The Guru never takes you around the karma phalas for number of years. When you do the samarpana he takes you to the achyutaha. The Guru can easily do so because he makes the needle of the Gramophone pin blunt so that it slips down to the centre without playing through all the tarcks. The Guru removes the sins the pin which is the sin in your life.
Bhagvan further says that the Guru is also achaturvadana. Brahma has four heads or chaturvadana but the Guru is beyond Brahma and that too being achaturvadana without the four vadanas. Brahma needed four vadanas in order to create sristhi because he has to have an eye on all the four sides. The Guru can just close His eyes and He is able to see all around. Guru does not need to have chaturavadana. Being achaturvadana he is the sristhi kartha.
Here Bhagvan explains to Matha Parvathi, who wants to know about the Guru, why one should have a Guru. Bhagvan says unless you have Guru you will not be able to see my rupa (form). He himself is the swami of Matha Parvathi and he tells Matha that you are seeing only one rupa of me as the husband. If you want to see my anantha rupa (number of rupas), if you want to see my arupa (formlessness), you must have a Guru. A Guru is atrinethra, sarva sakhsi, achaturbahu and achaturvadana. Without the trinethram, chaturbahu and chaturvadana, the Guru is the protector and can help one to attain mukthi from the sins. This can be possible when you do the total samarpana.
Sri Guru kathitha priye Bhagvan then says to Matha this is what is told about the Guru in the scriptures. These are the sayings so it must be true.
Emphasizing that Gurus anugraha is essential for mukthi, Bhagvan further says:
+ ɪɉʙr nɺMɮr
nxOɽi VxiʝjɺƺɮHE **
aya mayjalirbaddh daysgaravddhay
yadanugrahat jantucitrasasramuktibhk ..
( Sri Guru-Gita: shloka 48)
Human beings remain entangled in Maya and find it difficult to come out of it. Bhagvan says Maya is not with me or within me or external to me; I am the one who is tying the Maya around me. Bhagvan says that which has come from me is Maya-anjali. Ayam Mayaanjalir baddho means that which belongs to me. The one who has taken birth from Him, the one who is the projection of Him, that Maya has come from the purusha. Maya is the projection of the purusha; prakrithi is also the projection of the purusha. So He says such a Guru who is a projection of Me, he has dayaa saagara vriddhi every moment. Every moment his dayaa multiplies, there is vriddhi in the dayaa that he emits. You may approach Him with any number of complaints but you can only see vridhhi of dayaa. Guru is the ocean of dayaa and keeps on having vriddhi. Ayam mayaanjalir baddho the one who has been projected from me, the one who is the dayaa saagara who does not have anything other than dayaa such a Guru only blesses even when people continuously commit sins. However, the Guru may bless you but you have to undergo penance for the sin and pay for it. The Guru does not get angry at your actions; He may simply ask you why you have done it and then just shower dayaa. His blessings may save you from extensive punishment but you have to undergo some penance. If the shirt becomes dirty the Guru can supply the detergent but you have to wash the shirt on your own. The karma of washing has to be executed by you alone. He will supply you the soap, water, place or the field of activity. The field of activity is a place on the earth which implies that He provides you with another janma. Kaala too will be provided for executing the karmas that dayaa is always there even if you keep on committing sins. Without the detergent the shirt may not become spotlessly clean, stains may remain so the detergent from the Guru is important and not just any detergent. You may blindly commit sins but please remember, you will have to keep washing them in every subsequent janma. You will never be able to wear a new shirt. However, He continues to provide you with all facilities to overcome them. Is this not dayaa?
With Gurus dayaa you become anugrihitha. The culture (samskaara) or the society that you have created is based on the samsaara. Samsaara is society whereas samskaara is the culture. In order to be in the society you have created a culture, samskaara this samskaara is burnt when you do the samarpana. The Agni of the jnaanam of the Ishwarathwa (Godliness) in the Guru burns this samskaara and saves you from the samsaara samsaara mukthi bhaava and then from the samsaara you gain the mukthi. This is what Bhagvan says about the Guru to the Matha. You can have all the opportunities and all the facilities provided to you. You will not be left alone regardless of your sins. You will be provided with all kinds of tools in order to attain mukthi but you have to work for it. Then when you experience it through Him, you will be in a position to understand how it has to be worked with. This requires samarpana but the samskaara that you have created is ahankara and this ahankara does not allow you to do samarpana.
None of us really want to do samarpana. We want to hold a bit of it always with us. People call it their right there is nothing called right. The bhumi (earth) belongs to Bhagvan, the house belongs to Bhagvan, the air and the Agni all belong to Bhagvan, annam (food) belongs to Bhagvan and we claim that we have a right over that. We are all busy in establishing the right. Jivathma is Bhagvans sristhi but I say I have a right on my child. I have a right on my mother, on my father, on husband. You can derive ego-satisfaction that you have a right over others. Truly speaking, nobody has any right over anyone. Every jivathma is an individual and has taken birth to execute his or her own karmas. By way of execution of karmas, identify the dayaa of Bhagvan, the karuna of the Ishwara, the blessings of Bhagvan. Samarpana to the Ishwarathwa is absolutely necessary. There is no body that can save you from the sins. By having an attachment or desire, by ownership or possession you are not getting any salvation and neither does it help you to solve any problem in life. There is no short cut and there is no alternative advithiya. The only way is samarpana because there are so many things in life that we are unable to do it ourselves. We cannot do many things, we will not be able to do many things because we do not have the knowledge to do it and when we do not have the knowledge it is better to do samarpana. Sharirik aswasthathaa, mansik aswasthathaa, karmic aswasthathaa all take place because of the ignorance ajnanam in me. That holds us from doing the samarpana. The moment we do the samarpana all that is required and necessary will be taken care of.
Let us understand this principle through an example. Suppose someone gives you a loan of Rs. 1000/-. The one who has given you this loan has enough wealth and has given you this money which you did not have. Once this money has been given to you the management of that money is your responsibility. It is no more the responsibility of the man who has given it. Now if you do not know how to take care of it, and you have not been able to utilize it to earn further money, the best way is to return the loan with grace instead of mishandling and spoiling it. Please manage my problem surrender! Samarpana is the best way because we are unable to execute karmas on our own, or through our intelligence or buddhi or through ahankara. These are all great adhyatmik prakriyas. These adhyatmik prakriyas can be done by the Guru alone. You have to do samarpana and hence Bhagvan says:
xlSɮhuu ɺ nʶ ʴɮVi
iɺ n xɨɺEn H |inx |ɪ **
rnthacaraadvandva yasy dii virjat
tasyai di namaskuryd bhakty pratidina priy ..
( Sri Guru-Gita: shloka 50)
You cannot surrender at the feet of just anyone but to the advithiya samarpana to the Brahma saakshaatkaari, samarpana to the Brahma jnaani. He is all over, not just in front of you. Hence, wherever the Gurus feet are placed is the disha for you. You do not have to see whether it is on the east or west or in any other direction. The charanaamritham (holy water from the Gurus feet) that flows from the Gurus feet is called the punya teertham. The bhaktha who prays, or does namaskaara to that charana everyday, nithyam, constantly, he becomes the true bhaktha. Guru chintha and Guru bhakthi have to be constantly in your mind. Through this prakriya he attains the position of the bhaktha.
The importance of the Gurus charana has also been emphasized by Mahaguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya in the following verse from Bhaja Govindam:
M֯SɮhɨVxɦǮH& ƺɮnSɮɑ H& *
xpɨxɺxɪɨn pIʺ xVɾnɺl nɨ **
V Mʴxn V Mʴxn....
gurucarambujanirbharabhakta sasrdacirdbhava mukta .
sndriyamnasaniyamdva drakyasi nijahdayastha dvam ..
bhaja gvinda bhaja gvinda....
(Shloka 31)
We have always emphasized that bhakthi is not a bhaavana; bhakthi is jnaanam and only a jnaani can do bhakthi. Here Sri Adi Shankaracharya compares Gurus feet to the lotus flower when He addresses them as charanaambujam. Lotus (ambujam) denotes the highest form of purity in the universe and that is why ambujam has been compared to the charanam. It is absolutely pure. You surrender not at the feet of the Guru but the charanambujam of the Guru - that which is absolutely pure. Through the jnaanam alone bhakthi can flow. When you surrender at such pure feet with total the bhakthi and with purity, the purity transmits the bhakthi in its purest form since the medium itself is purity. When this transmission takes place you are detached from the samsaara saagara. Such a bhaktha who has surrendered is called the nirbhara bhaktha one who is nirbhara dependent on the Guru. When the pure bhakthi is transmitted to the Guru the nirbhara bhaktha receives the mukthi from the samsaara. The indriyas then function only to attain the jnaanam. He detaches you from the samsaara saagara, karma phala, karma bhumi and also from the papa karma phalam. He takes you directly in the hridayam. Hridayam in Vedanta is the athma he takes you directly to the athma. Such a bhaktha becomes equivalent to deva (the Gods) When you give the bhakthi, jnaanam flows to you. Such a nirbhara bhaktha receives total kshama and dayaa and he gets a place in the hridaya of the Ishwara or the Guru.
That is why Bhagvan says to Matha that a Guru is necessary to identify His niraakaarathwa, His viraata aakaarathwam, or sakaaraathwam with or without the gunas or with or without prakrithi, all of which are projections of Maya from Him. When you drive a car at night and the headlight of another car flashes from the opposite direction, you are blinded and cannot see anything. Your eyes are unable to see the car behind the light. Only when it comes closer then you can imagine that it could be a car, or a truck or perhaps even two motorbikes. These are just imaginations but not necessarily the truth. In order to realize the truth you should have perfect vision. With perfect vision you can identify what is behind the light. Similarly, Bhagvan urges us to travel beyond the light, to identify what lies beyond and see his different forms and shapes. This can be possible only with the blessings of a Guru. Guru is nothing but an avataara. Ava taaraha that which has descended from above, come down from the heavens. Guru is thus the embodiment of jnaanam and bhakthi and to be able to see the different forms and shapes of Bhagvan, we have to surrender to the Guru. To attain this purnathaa we have to surrender and to reach the status of surrender we have to travel through the ritual of puja, become a sadhak and finally become a bhaktha who becomes stitha (established) in the hridaya of the Guru.
SHAMBHO MAHADEVA
Baaba's Pravachan in the evening after Paade-puja
Guru Purnima is an occasion when we pay respects to the Guru. This does not mean that we must respect the Guru only on Gurupurnima. It implies that everyday should be Purnima; we should experience purnathaa (completeness) everyday. We should never be apurna (incomplete). To be purna (complete) does not mean to have Gurus picture or His vaani (voice) in front of us. Guru represents knowledge and that knowledge should always, at any point of time, be within us. Guru is an incarnation, an embodiment of knowledge. He is not a vyakthi (person/individual), but a vyaktitwa (an institution). If we look at him as an individual it is wrong. He has taken a human form so that while living amidst ordinary human beings he can teach them the principles of life. This is the way he can impress upon the people and hence the importance of a human form. However, the human form is temporary and we should strive to see the formless.
Vision to see the formless
To see the formless requires the right vision the inner jnaanam (knowledge). We all know that God is in everything, in every form because He is niraakaara (formless). An aakaara (form) gives limitations but He is beyond limitations. The question may arise in a sadhaks (spiritual seeker) mind - how to look at the unlimited from the limited? Yes, this is difficult. When we see the viraat aakaasha (vast expanse of the sky) that has no aadi (beginning) and no antha (end), we see with our limitations and classify the beginning and the end. We travel a distance of say 40,000 km and then say this is the end because we can see only up to that limit. Niraakaarathwa (formlessness) is going beyond the limitations and this is what we all have to endeavour for. We should be able to see the niraakaarathwa. To see the niraakaarathwa we have to become niraakaara. If we try to see the niraakaarathwa through the human form it is not possible. We have to travel beyond the sukshma sharira (subtle body), beyond the kaarana sharira (causal body), beyond the athma (soul) and beyond the mana (mind). This requires jnaanam anthara jnaanam (inner knowledge).
Purusha (wisdom of unmanifest) and Prakrithi (wisdom of manifested universe)
There are two types of jnaanam anthara jnaanam and bahira jnaanam. To acquire the knowledge about the external world we require bahira jnaanam, which is temporary. These are all manifested and can be seen through the external eyes. We have to see the unmanifest that which has not been created by a human being. If the world has been created it will also have an end. Anything that has been created will have end/destruction. Whatever has not been created and exists has no aadi (beginning) and no antha (end). It can never be destroyed. This is existence or the purusha or Ishwara. Purusha is the wisdom of the unmanifest and prakrithi is the wisdom of manifested universe. The Maya or the prakrithi is full of the trigunas (the three attributes), and because it contains the happiness, the sorrows, the dukha and kashta, it is called Maya. Maya is temporary taathkaalik it is there one moment and not there the next. Dukha and sukha come and go every moment. This is why it is known as Maya loka (world of delusions) because it is not constant. We are all aware that the dukha and sukha we experience is short-lived but we still enjoy it. We have to overcome these temporary pleasures and that is possible only when we have absolute bhakthi.
The absolute nature of bhakthi
The absolute nature of bhakthi for a sadhak is sadhana, upasana, renunciation and samarpana. As long as we do not have the samarpana bhaava (quality of surrender) within us, we will not be able to do our own uddhaara (Self-development). Before approaching the God or Guru, you have to first learn to do samarpana of your ahankara (ego) and your desires. Yes, we certainly need wealth and material for survival but that does not need any prayers. You can work for it and you will get it. For the development or the uddhaara of the self, in addition to your own efforts, you need kataksha (grace), you need aashirvada (blessings) of the Guru. You need to travel beyond the five senses. We only have the capacity to control our five senses but in order to attain the sixth sense these five senses have to be renounced.
Synchronization of the sense organs
When you are able to control and travel beyond the five senses, these five senses function for the sixth sense. The five senses are not independent of each other because if they do so, each of the five senses would conduct its own activity such as shravana, drishya, graahana, grahana and sparasha. The physical ear is only a shape of the external indriya and besides, every species has an ear including dogs and even insects. What then is special about human beings? The human beings should not merely have an ear to listen with but they should have shravanendriya the capacity to have the shravana. They must have the capacity beyond the external listening. The jnaanendriyas (the five sense organs of perception) should be able to take the information to the mind and analyze it adhyatmikally (spiritually). Thus, if it is true shravana, something will be established within and bring about transformation is us. Shravana gives us the capacity to discriminate between the day and night, wrong and right. Shravana should be right but how do we do this? This is possible through the right thoughts.
We have taken this janma only to exhaust the karma phala (results of the karmas), to execute the karmas and exhaust them. During the process of exhausting the karmas we accrue some karmas and release some karmas. A jnaani, a wise person, a Maharishi, or a thapaswi only executes karmas; He does not get attached to the karma phala. Such noblemen do not take anything from here; they only give. We can give only what is the nature or the rupa of the prakrithi or swabhaava of the prakrithi. The swabhaava of the prakrithi is love and affection and this can be given selflessly. Love and affection exist in the universe, exist within you and have not been created by you. Nobody has to learn to give love; even a small child knows how to love. When we come into this samsaarik jivana (worldly life), our indriyas (sense organs) have already been bestowed with the capacity to give love and affection. Each sense organ has a devatha or deva (deity) that makes up for the deficiencies of the sense organs. The execution capacities of the indriyas are known as devatha. These devathas can create certain functions in our system and we become daivika (Godly). This is how we can give love, affection and blessings. If we expect something in return for this then it is vyaapaara (business exchange). Such exchanges are only vested with ulterior selfish motives. We should learn how to give selflessly. This nature of giving promotes or improves the functioning of the indriyas and purifies the mana, the antaraathma (inner self) and the kaarana sharira (causal body). When total purification has taken place and when we have exhausted the karmas, we do not take rebirth. We merge with the Supreme or experience layam (become one with Him). To experience layam, bhakthi has to be absolute, bhakthi has to be nishkaama.
Nishkaama bhakthi (Devotion without expectation/desire)
To have layam is different from seeing the Ishwara. We all want to see Ishwara but the human mind plays tricks. We assure Ishwara that all we want is darshanam (just to see Him). If Bhagvan believes you and gives you darshana, you will immediately start making a list of all that you want from him. In fact the list is already prepared in the sub-conscious mind. The list of what you want from Him is ready but you do not have a list of what you already have. You know what you do not have but you do not know what you have. If he does give you darshanam, you hand over the list to him even before he asks you. This is neither nishkaama karma (karmas without any desires) nor nishkaama prem (bhakthi without desires). Bhakthi should be nishkaama without any desires whatsoever otherwise it is not bhakthi. In fact there is no qualification needed for nishkaama bhakthi. Bhakthi itself is nishkaama (selfless) and does not need an addition to qualify it as nishkaama. Bhakthi is always nishkaama and anything else is only desires.
Through thapasya or dhyaanam (meditation) you can acquire shakthi or some siddhi (powers). You can create something or even make something. You can harm someone or benefit someone everything is possible but a jnaani or a thapaswi, one, who has merged with the lord and whose only interest is the upliftment of the humanity, will never use such siddhis. Once a jnaani starts using such siddhis he gets an attachment and would like to use it always. The repercussions are not desirable and they will not be able to come out of it. It is a sort of addiction or intoxication just as one gets addicted to alcohol or as we say some people become workaholic or as some has the addiction for morning walk. They are unable to retrace their steps and hence the jnaanis or the true Gurus always emphasize not to get attached to anything. Dont even say that I want to see God; dont say I want to ask God for something. Just pray because asking for what you do not have is a desire, a want or an ichha. This desire has to be eliminated. To want to see the God is also a desire and even that should not be there.
If this desire also should not be there then what is bhakthi? In Kaliyuga lot of business is being transacted in the name of bhakthi. We play games with the Lord and even challenge him. We bribe him. Millions visit the temple everyday but is there one single person who does not ask God for anything? All prayers are full of selfishness. We need to have kshethra darshanam. Sri Adi Shankaracharya says kshayathe iti kshethraha. Kshayathaath iti kshethraha. Those who visit the temple, their ahankara and desires, moha, lobha and attachment should become kshaya (perish). Those who would like to get rid of these negativities go to the kshethra and hence it is known as kshethra darshanam. The ultimate purpose is to purify your self and the purification process is known as kshethra darshanam.
Layam with the Parabrahman
Absolute bhakthi alone can lead one to layam with the Lord. Bhagvan Shiva explains how to have layam:
ɨp S l i IҮ IҮ Pi Piɨ *
ʦz E lEɶɺili {ɮix **
samudr ca yath tya kr kra ght ghtam .
bhinn kumbh yathkastathtm Paramtmani
(Sri Guru-Gita: shloka 162)
Anything that wants to merge with the water of the ocean has to become the water. This alone can facilitate layam otherwise it remains as independent. You can throw anything in the ocean but it does not become the ocean. When a river joins the ocean it becomes the ocean. A drop of water that falls on the ocean becomes the ocean. Hence Bhagvan says, in order to become the samudra (ocean) you must have the characteristics of the samudra. Similarly, in order to have layam with the Paramaathman you must have the qualities of Paramaathman. As a human being it is not possible to have the layam because the jivathma and the Paramaathma are two different characteristics, two different materials. This can create explosion or destruction just as two unwanted chemicals if merged together can create a problem. Hydrogen and oxygen can join to become water because they have similarities and compatibility. To have the compatibility you must have the same characteristics of the Paramaathman just as milk can merge only with milk and the ghrtam (clarified butter) only with ghrtam. We have to reduce this gap between the Ishwara and us which means we have to renounce the desires, moha, and attachment. We should have no bandhana (bondage). Kaama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment), mada (pride), maatsarya (envy) are not the qualities of the athman. These are present only in the jivathma and as long as these negativities remain, layam with the Paramaathma is not possible. Unless you are one with His prakrithi, His aacaharnam (discipline of rituals ), His vichaara (thoughts), His swabhaava (nature), you cannot become one with Him, you cannot have laya with Him. Layam with the Lord is the purpose of every human life. Even a thief or a murderer, at the core of his heart, has the desire to have layam with the Ishwara. A pujari (priest) thinks that by doing puja he will attain layam but after some days he gets used to the rituals. There is a saying athi parichayaa avajna (negligence due to closeness). A pujari may be doing puja for years together without attaining any results. Initially he may be doing it with full concentration but after some time it remains a mere ritual, devoid of devotion.
This can happen because the mind of the jivathma, the functions of the kaarana sharira become affected due to the karma phalas. We call them as sins. I would call it as karma phalas the result of the karmas. If we light a lamp where it is not supposed to be lit, it is a sin. You may be having a good voice but you are not supposed to talk loudly in a hospital. Just because you are a good singer you cannot go and sing in a hospital. Hence, when we do what we are not supposed to do, it is known as sin. To attain liberation from these sins we need to wash it off. We can wash them off through regression. This means we have to experience the same event all over again. Then we must follow the discipline strictly and not do what we are not supposed to do. This is the way to exhaust the karmas and not acquire karma phalas. This is the way to attain mukthi. This is why it is known as karma mukthi through krama mukthi.
Three ways to attain mukthi
There are three ways to attain mukthi one is karma mukthi through krama mukthi work towards it by exhausting it at every step and the second is jnaana mukthi where we attain liberation through jnaanam. The third is samarpana mukthi there is no need to do anything else just samarpana - vairagya and total samarpana to the Ishwara, to the Sadguru, who is the incarnation of the Lord.
Sadguru the prapancha chaitanyam
A sadguru is one who has the capacity of Parabrahma saakshaatkaaram, who is a Parabrahma saakshaatkaari (one who has witnessed the Parabrahman), who is a Parabrahma jnaani. Others can only be guides or teachers. A Sadguru alone has the capability to explain the true Parabrahman nature to the disciple. From the books such details cannot be obtained. You can only try to understand what Parabrahman is, but a Sadguru can take you to the Parabrahma thathwa, Parabrahma jnaanam, Parabrahma saakshaatkaaram. Such a jnaani is the true Guru and in Sri Guru-Gita Bhagvan Shiva says such a Guru is the projection of the Paramaathma. Bhagvan Shiva is the representation of jnaanam; He is always under thaapa the highest temperature of the reviving factor of the prakrithi and purusha. A thapaswi remains unaffected by the temperature. He has no rights and expectations of the result of tapophala, from the tapo jnaanam. One who has no ahankara, because of his thapasya, he can create a wall between the prakrithi and purusha. He remains as a purusha, just as Brahman who has the creative capacity of the prakrithi.
Maya springs from this purusha and Ishwara is the substratum on which Maya can play. The substratum has to be unchangeable. That unchangeable is the unmanifest the Ishwara. We perform the leela (play) and execute the karmas on that stationary background. That is the unmanifest our own antaraathma, the Ishwara, the Paramaathma, the chaitanyam (the super consciousness) within us. When this athma chaitanya purifies the vikaaras (emotions) and the thoughts, and turns the mind towards the adhyathma, towards the athma, then it is known as prapancha chaitanyam. The mind has the capacity to absorb the vikaaras the kaama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, maatsarya but because of the practice of the adhyathma (spiritual practices), the mind is able to keep away from them and remain attached to the antaraathma this is prapancha chaitanyam. The word pra-pancha itself suggests the state when you are beyond (para) the pancha or the five senses, beyond the five lokas. This prapancha chaitanyam has to be created in us to have absolute bhakthi and to have layam. This can be attained through Guru kataksha. The importance of kataksha has been explained by Bhagvan to Devhuti in Srimad Bhagavatham.
Devhuti and Kapila Avataara
Bhagvan in Kapila avataara tells Matha Devhuti that Guru kataksham is necessary to attain bhakthi and mukthi. A small story with high principles in Srimad Bhagavatam teaches us the importance of Guru, importance of the jnaanam of dharmam and bhakthi.
I will just briefly give you the background. Vidura, as we all know was a great athma jnaani, a dharma Raja himself he is actually reincarnation of dharma Raja, or Yama. Because of certain curse Vidura had to take a human birth and come to the earth. Once, when Vidura was travelling to meet Bhagvan Krishna after 33 years of Mahabharata Yuddha, he meets Maharishi Maitraya. On seeing Vidura, the Maharishi intervened and enquired of his destination. When Vidura said he was going to meet Lord Krishna, the Maharishi replied that Lord Krishna had already departed. This news saddened Vidura because he had not met Bhagvan for a long time. The Maharishi then informed Vidura that Bhagvan knew Vidura would come that way and hence he entrusted the Maharishi with the task of passing on some messages to Vidura. At this juncture, Maharishi narrates the story of Rishi Kardama and Devhuti.
Rishi Kardama was a great thapaswi and a jnaani. His wife Devhuti, daughter of Swayambhu Manu, was also from a great source of knowledge but unfortunately she got attracted to Maya and slid down. When she slid down there was no escape so she prays to Brahma. Brahma granted her a boon that Bhagvan Narayana would be born to her as Kapila avataara and He would be her saviour. This would help to absolve her of the sins or paapa and give her moksha from the jeevana. Devhuti had slid down due to attachment of the indriyas to the external objective attachment and desires and hence the boon was granted. Devhuti knew she had the vara and both she and Rishi Kardama knew that the child born to her was Bhagvan Narayana himself. He was known as Kapila Bhagvan in this avataara.
Importance of Varaaha Avataara (Boar incarnation)
At this point I would just like to share a little on the sequence of avataaras in Srimad Bhagavata. After the varaaha avataara comes the Kapila avataara and the sequence has its own significance. Varaaha avataara varaaham retrieved the earth from the bottom of the ocean. Bringing the earth out of water signifies to evoke knowledge from within. The knowledge or jnaanam gets covered or submerged due to the dushta karmas of the two asuras created by Brahma. Brahma had created two asuras to test how asuras rule the country. These two asuras immediately went and sunk the earth under water. Now Bhagvan had to incarnate as varaaha (boar) to rescue the earth. This represents that even two negative thoughts in the mind, can sink the whole of you inside the ocean, can sink you to death. When this happens, you have to take an avataara of varaaha to come out of the ocean. To emerge again from the ocean requires adhyathmik jnaanam.
So this is the varaaha avataara after which the Kapila avataara comes. After the birth of their son, Rishi Kardama renounced the family life and went away to the forests for thapasya. Kapila Bhagvan stayed back at home to help his mother. Since the Rishi had left for thapsaya, Devhuti had no duties to be performed towards the husband. She was free and one day feeling frustrated leading such a life, she told her son that she knew He was the incarnation of Bhagvan Narayana and she asked Him to become her Guru. She asked for the path of renunciation and to have layam with the Lord. Then Kapila Bhagvan presented himself as Ishwara and assured to show her the path. Devhutis son became her Guru and she prayed to Him but today it is difficult for a mother to accept her son as a sanyaasi let alone her Guru. Devhuti prayed to Bhagvan Devhuti uvacha
ESkɪSi H& Eo ɨ MSɮ *
ɪ {n i xɴhɨ\Vɺx + **
M Mɴrh xɴhiƺiɪni& *
Eo& Ei SɃx iɺikɴɤvxɨ **
Kcittvayyucit Bhakti Kd Mama Gcar .
Yay Pada T Nirvamajasnvnav Aham ..
Y Yg Bhagavaddh Nirvtmastvaydita .
Kda Kati Cgni Yatastattvvabdhanam ..
(Srimad Bhagavata: Skandha III: Chapter 25: shlokas 28-29)
With folded hands she asks what should be the nature of bhakthi or devotion that I should develop towards you. I do not know how to do this and what type of bhakthi would help me to attain you immediately. She does not want to undergo the process through a number of janmas and has no patience for karma mukthi. You have to advise me a short-cut and easy method to attain you, Bhagvan I have no other way, she prays.
She then asks for the character of the discipline of yoga referred to by Him. She wants to know the direct means of Gods perception like an arrow that goes direct to the target. As well as the realization of the truth, how many are the supplementary of the same, she asks. She wants to know the simple principles, the supplementaries so that she can practice it and attain Him easily. Hey Bhagvan kindly explain all this to me in such a way that:
inix ʴVxʽ lɽ xnvҽ *
J r nv ɴnxOɽi **
Tadtanm Vijnhi Yathha Mandadhrhar .
Sukha Buddhyya Durbdha Y Bhavadanugraht ..
(Srimad Bhagavata: Skandha III: Chapter 25: shloka 30)
She prays for His grace so that even a durbuddhi one who has fallen down can understand and grasp the way to attain mukthi. Because of the attachment and attractions of the Maya, I have fallen down from the buddhi, she says. The mother is asking the son for the right path. Devhuti knows that the mere presence of Bhagvan is not sufficient. Bhagvan may even preach on jnaanam and bhakthi but she prays for the kataksha, the blessings through which she will be able to grasp the knowledge imparted by him.
See the humbleness of the disciple. The discipline of the disciple has to be maintained. Discipline means bhakthi towards the Guru. Bhakthi is the superlative of love, superlative of jnaanam, superlative of affection or superlative of attachment - beyond the emotional setbacks. Negate the emotions from these and you have bhakthi. Remove the ahankara, moha and attachment from the drishya (vision) and you can see Bhagvan. Remove the ahankara, remove the moha and attachment, from shravana (listening), remove the swaarthatha (selfishness), and you can listen to Bhagvad naamam (Glories of the Lord). In each indriya for that matter when you negate the unwanted, you have bhakthi. This is called the vinamrathaa (humility). We can attain the God only through this way and this is the discipline of the disciple. We simply show the attachment externally but such displays are temporary in nature. Do you really have an attachment? Do you really have love? Do you really have the desire? The desire keeps changing. Once you fulfill one desire, another desire springs. Even if the desire remains unfulfilled, you still have another desire. There is no limit to such desires as they are all changeable and temporary. Remove all these from the indriyas and be vinamra (humble). Vinmarathaa means to remove the veil the cover, the golden lid which may be shining and you get attached to it. Once you remove that and create vairagya you can have the bhakthi and that is the true jnaanam. When you have the true jnaanam then you are in a position to attain the lord.
Then Bhagvan explains about the purusha and prakrithi and tells about the bhakthi. In order to have the bhakthi the only way is to surrender and the only way to attain the jnaanam is through the scriptures, the Vedas and the Gurus. You must understand that whatever you are undergoing today are all because of your past life experiences. They are all the result of your karmas of your past life and karma of the present life, which nobody can change. The aashirvada and the anugraha as Devhuti is asking, is what we all need to follow. With great humility she confesses that I am not eligible for this grace but please grant it to me. You should have the eligibility to ask for kshama. The eligibility is to understand that I have committed a mistake, please give me kshama (forgiveness). Such a person is a sharanaarthi (one who seeks refuge) and when you are a sharanaarthi of the Guru or God he can never refuse it. The principle of Brahma jnaanam and Brahma thathwa is that even if a person who commits the most condemned act in the world goes to the sharana (refuge) of God or Guru, they have to accept him. Their responsibility is to transform him as he has come with that intention after realizing his mistakes. A true sharanaarthi, if he approaches with humility after realizing the mistakes, attains the Lord. In the sense he gets the aashirvada and when he gets the aashirvada he attains the jnaanam. He goes to the jnaanam and then he identifies what is bhakthi, what is a-bhakthi. Once this has been done he understands which is temporary, which is purusha and which is prakrithi. Then he attains layam with the purusha. To remove your self from the prakrithi and attain the purusha is true bhakthi.
Sudamas bhakthi
Whenever I speak of bhakthi I cannot forget Kuchaila Sudama one of the childhood friends of Lord Krishna from the Gurukula vaasa. Kuchaila was a great jnaani but due to some mistakes committed he had to undergo the karma phalas. Kuchaila was an absolute jnaani and an absolute bhaktha. Sudama underwent the process of struggle wearing torn clothes, no food to eat, and witnessing five children crying for food who fall asleep in that state. All through he continues japa Hey Krishna, Hey Krishna. His wife urges him to ask his friend Krishna for help. She tried to convince him that his friend had all the riches and if Kuchaila approached him, his friend would certainly help and moreover it was Krishnas responsibility also. Immediately Kuchaila smiles and says that whose responsibility is this? We are undergoing all this because of our karma phala. He gives us strength and that is the biggest help he can extend to us. Because of the hunger and poverty we have not broken down. Despite this we are surviving. The children are not dead; they are still surviving. Even though we are wearing torn clothes, we may not have a palace to live in but we have a roof over our heads. All these are the mercy of the Lord because we are not eligible to get it. It is the grace of the lord. He is not responsible for the kashta, dukha, the poverty and hunger that we are experiencing. Bhakthi just drips from the very being of Kuchaila.
Another incident teaches us the importance of bhakthi. Once Sudama found two grains of rice left in the pot. He gives one grain to his wife and the other he offers to Bhagvan. Sudama lit the lamp and he did the samarpana of this grain as the naivedyam and continued chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. This tells us of the selfless surrender, the jnaanam and the bhakthi that Kuchaila had. One grain is good enough as prasadam or naivedyam it is the bhakthi that matters and not what you offer!
We only ask for relief from our struggles and troubles. Suppose he grants you all what you ask for what would be your state? How much of sins we would be accumulating in the process! The moment he gives you, karma phala is carried forward to the next janma. It keeps accruing interest it is worse than the bankers who charge interest on loan. The next janma you have to repay double the amount. Fortunately he knows and understands and makes you undergo the karma phala. Divert the shraddha for the attainment of jnaanam and bhakthi. This requires learning the principles of Brahma jnaanam, principles of Brahma thathwam directly from the Guru who can teach you.
Principles of life through Srimad Bhagavata stories
When you listen to the stories of Bhagvatham you should know how to relate it to life. Read the Puraanas to extract the teachings in them which will help us to relieve ourselves even from two mistakes committed. Ishwara could have lifted the earth by the mere wave of His hand but He did not do so. This teaches us that no magic is possible once mistakes have been committed. To create knowledge for development of the self requires undergoing struggles and strain. This is not possible through siddhis and tantras. Such means only give temporary results but jnaanam has to be permanent and each individual has to develop his own jnaanam. One has to walk through the adhaytmik path and evoke the jnaanam from within.
To walk in the adhyathmik path is to have absolute chintha (one-pointed concentration) of only one. One has to be advithiyam, nithyam (constant), ekaagrachitta, for attaining the jnaanam, through the jnaanam. It is said that a jnaani becomes ahankari. True if they attain jnaanam alone they will become ahankari. However, a total or an absolute jnaani becomes a bhaktha, and not an ahankari because the last rung of the ladder of jnaanam is bhakthi. Anyone who commits a mistake cannot be called a jnaani. One who has ahankara cannot become a jnaani. Hence a jnaani getting ahankara is a contradictory statement. There are ardha jnaanis (partial) like Trishangu in the swarga (heaven) yes there are such people who have partial jnaanam and get ahankara but they cannot be called true jnaanis. Trisangu created his own swarga. Similarly, ardha jnaani can be an ahankari but a true jnaani will never have ahankara.
If you think you can attain all these by merely reading the scriptures, you would only apply your own emotions to the book. Moreover, if you try to understand according to your own perception it may even distort the principles. Hence these should be learnt only from one who knows about it and has experienced it himself. He alone is eligible to give you the right Brahma thathwa, Brahma jnaanam. Jnaanam cannot be explained, it cannot be learnt. It is imparted that which is given automatically without reading or without chanting. It is imparted through the third eye; it is a realization. This is not a language that can be read, memorized or understood. Jnaanam is the status of transformation. To move into layam is jnaanam.
When we go to a temple we always ask for swaartha (selfish) but pose to be great bhakthas. We give lot of donations, we go on pilgrimages, and we do a lot of such activities. Yes these are all good to bring the mind to a stable condition but dont think that these activities make you a great bhaktha. Once a person bought a lottery ticket which carried a prize money worth Rs. 10 lakhs. He prayed to the Lord that he may win this prize and also assured the lord that he would share 50% of it with Bhagvan. The next day to his amazement he found that he had won the second prize he had received Rs. 5 lakhs. He tells Bhagvan, Nowadays even you have no faith in me. You have taken your share of 50% and then given me the balance. Is this bhakthi?
Bhakthi should make you ask only for self-development, the uddhaara of the self. Prayer should only be to have layam with the lord and to learn the sashthraas (scriptures). This does not mean to read the book you have to be in laya with that. You have to understand and live the principles of Brahma thathwa, Brahma jnaanam. That is the difference between learning and application. We may have learned so many things from the book but have never applied them in life. We lead a life differently and not as learned from the book or the scriptures. If you continue to lead your life the way it was yesterday then what difference has learning made to you? The same anger, the same jealousy, the same maatsarya, the same hatred, enmity, the same attitude of revenge but when at satsang you call out Hey Krishnawhat is the use? What we need is samarpana bhaava, the principles have to be applied in life. It is important to understand the scriptures, the Vedas and the Upanishads and it is equally important to follow the principles.
Principles to be followed to attain moksha
In Sikshavalli of Taittiriya Upanishad, the Maharishi explains to the Brahmacharis how to lead life in samsaara. The Maharishi explains the right conduct of behaviour, of speech, how to respect the Gurus and the elders, how to earn and how to spend the money. This Upanishad also highlights what is love, the limitations of affection and love, and teaches us how to fulfill our duties. However, here are a few simple steps that you can follow towards the attainment of moksha.
May God bless you all to develop true bhakthi and jnaanam within you and progress towards the spiritual development. Pray only for the layam.
SHAMBHO MAHAADEVA
OM SHANTHI SHANTHI SHANTIHI!!!