Who am I?

Who am I?
I would not be me if I can answer that, right?

They keep asking me, Who am I,
As if I can tell them
They keep asking about a me
Like I am a thing told to be.

Is my picture a description
Or my face a reproduction
Is it my name or my position
Is my body not a composition?

Well then, can one know me
By talking, living and communicating with me
Can a life be described, a smile be defined
When one cannot answer a simple "about me"?

Who am I then, if not a bubble
Transient, here today disappearing hereafter
Is there a me, beyond the mirage
Would I be me, if I answer that?

What then is the use asking through the voyage
If the ship is useless on the bank
There may be a me beyond all this,
Only one who is; can answer that.

humein maar dala

aadmi to the hum bhi bade mastane
bas is tanhaai ne hume maar dala
pyaar ke khayal se hi yun ghabara gaye
ki ikraar ke intezar ne hi hume maar dala

ghum rahe the asmaan me pankh lagakar
dol rahi thi har daali hume dekh kar
pyaar bhari nazar se usne yun dekh liya
ki uski us adaa ne hume maar dala

pyaar jo diya usne hume apna salona
ke haath liye pesh kiya humne seena
muskurakar phir fuul ne hume yun dekha
ki pyaar ke us mausam ne hume maar dala

hosh aaye to panchii wo ud chuka tha
jaag gaye to samjha wo ek sapna tha
dil hi ne dil ko humare yun tadapa dala
bas is tanhayee ne hume maar dala

na tha asmaan na tha koi panchi
na dikh raha tha ped na koi daali
mara na tha koi na kisine maara tha
apne hi khel me mai kho gaya tha
mere sivaa aur yaha, khel hi kaun raha tha?

(P.S. I actually dont remember fully writing this, but it is in my records. So for clarity's sake, I wont take credit for writing, only for being a messenger. :D)

Silence

What do you do with an old shoe
When all they care for is a golden one
With worn laces and a shine long gone
Who cares at all for an old rag?

I could give them smiles and laughters
And an occasional peace with eyes closed
But what should I do if all I have
Are tears, soft sobs and an unspoken lament?

I could write a joke or two
A funny poem, with a moral or two
But now I have only rants, with no listeners
And my own sorrows, to cope up with.

When I had flowers I shared; but my sorrows, I cant
My tears are mine, for no one to see
My sorrows are private, for me alone
To be buried, with a blanket of tears dried.

Grief I wont share and bliss I have not
Hence silence is the key, which is the resort
Close my eyes I will, where I can
To be opened, when comes the dawn.

Stillness

I was happy
When I wandered without a direction
Until you gave me a map, with a course to follow
And now I am lost.

I was happy
When I sung my heart out, in discord
Until you gave me notes to follow
And now I've gone mute.

I was happy
When I ran through the garden, from tree to tree
Until you showed me the basket, to collect fruits
And now I can swing no more.

I was happy
When I knew not what is love, or hate
Until you showed me pleasure and attraction
And now I smile no more.

For the sake of a goal, the freedom is lost,
For achieving a dream, the sleep is lost,
For the sake of love, the innocence is lost
For the sake of tomorrow, today is lost.

Vivekananda Vidyarthi Seva Prakalpa

No concerned Indian today can disagree about the importance of educating the Indian masses. Most of India's problems have their basis in a lack of proper moral as well as vocational education of the people. Often times, it is not the lack of will to study but the lack of proper facilities to do so, which is the problem for many committed individuals. Me and a few friends have decided to do a small part in helping such people achieve their goals by helping them in various means, mainly financially.

Vivekananda Vidyarthi Seva Prakalpa is an attempt inspired by the message of Swami Vivekananda for the education and upliftment of the masses of India. The basic aim of this Prakalpa or initiative is to be a medium of doing Swamiji's work of educating young Indians for the establishment of a stronger India.


Details:
http://vivekanandavidyarthisevaprakalpa.blogspot.com/

How you can help:
1. By donating to this noble cause. The details of the bank account are given below:
http://vivekanandavidyarthisevaprakalpa.blogspot.com/2007/06/bank-account-information.html

2. Come forward to find dedicated, committed individuals who are in need of support for support for education. Once the authenticity of such students is established, they can be served through the Prakalpa.

3. Spread the word for this noble cause.

More information/inquiries:
Mail to: sevaprakalpa@gmail.com


-"They alone live who live for others, rest are more dead than alive"
- Swami Vivekananda.

Let us all attempt to "live" through this or some other noble cause. There is no person in the world who has no worries of his own, and we all are no exceptions. But as much as we can, let us try to spare a thought for those who are not as fortunate as we are, let us try to alleviate their pain a little; by even a small act or even a thought, let us wish everyone in the world a better life.

May we all proceed on the path of service to other human beings, may we all learn to 'live' in the truest sense. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.

From darkness to light

Thanks to the increasing age, or the silent call of the inevitable death, or simply due to a philosophical disposition or a life-shattering incident; almost every person atleast once in his life asks himself the question, "What is the purpose of my life?"

All religions, philosophies, greatest thinkers of all time have tried to answer this. Some say its salvation, some say its realization or nirvana, yet others claim it to be simply maximum enjoyment by maximum number of means and yet others claim it to be obtaining maximum money, power and fame. What does any of this hold for us on a day-to-day basis? How does it help us in making daily decisions, both small and big, about how we talk with people, how we deal with those around us and finally how we lead our life in general. Any of the above might serve as a guiding principle for those whose sole aim is to achieve the purpose as stated above, but what does it do for all others, who are still confused, still searching?

The contention of this blog is, although we might still be searching at the global level to find the purpose of our life, on a daily basis, we can still do little things in a directed way. We can strive for 'light' on a daily basis, whether we are doing as simple a thing as buying a vegetable or trying to talk someone on the phone? A little smile, a slightest nod of acknowledgement, a sweet word can do a lot to spread happiness in daily life.

The ideal is to not even hurt anyone in thoughts. People often take thoughts very lightly. They think that it suffices to have an emotion on the face, no matter whats in the heart. Often times this might be the prudent thing to do, but it is also true that thoughts shape our mental character. A constant flow of negative thoughts, even if they are for a right reason, spread negativity around the person. It is said that if a person has a good thought, and dies before acting or conveying the thought, that single moment he has that idea also works for the overall development of the world. One needs to act to curb the negativity, to reduce the bitterness and try to spread love and positivity around themselves. The idea is to not simply display positive attitude and a lack of any negative feeling towards anyone, but to actually feel it inside. Fake affection, care or concern might help soothe some wounds sometimes, but a true feeling of love, even temporary, can go a long in building a relationship and actually helping a person.
Someone like a Buddha or a Christ was capable of such a thing. They knew who was going to kill them, when and how, but still had absolutely no malice for anyone. This love, this positivity is the real 'light' of life.

One needs to find this light in the heart. True, one cannot be the Buddha or Christ, but THAT should be the ideal, there should not be a compromise in THAT. Absolutely no malice, no jealousy, no anger, no hatred, that is the goal. This does not mean one should not do stern things when they are right, but they should be done in a detached fashion, like Arjuna was able to kill his kin for the right thing. One might have any of the lofty ideals listed above as a global view of life, but in our daily life we can ask ourselves, 'Is my act, speech or thought spreading love and good will, is it going to help a person, and is this coming from me with a feeling of selfishness or selflessness? That is the light we need to spread, only that light will remove all the darkness and misery in the world.

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya
Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.


Lead us from Untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from death to Immortality. Om, peace, peace, peace.

And there is God!

This is my answer to the question "Where is God?"

Look at the yearly rains, the daily flowers and the shady trees, and there is God.
Look at a smiling face, a contently sleeping man and a laughing baby, and there is God.
Look at a helping hand, a shoulder patted in support and a wiped tear, and there is God.
Look at the hungry, at the disfigured and the helpless, and there is God.

Look at those who kill in His name, and then who save in His name, and in both there is God.
Look at all the devastation and the prosperity, the haves and the havenots, and there is God.
Look at the night, He is the moon, look at the day, and He is the Sun.
Sometimes He smiles in prosperity and abundance, and other times He calls through pain and sufferring.

For those who wish to see Him, He is everywhere.
For those who close their eyes, He lives within.

Baba Amte: The Modern Buddha

(This is an attempt to make people familiar about the work done by Baba and Sadhanatai Amte for the leprosy patients in India. Those who wish to know more can visit the links at the end of the blog.)

About 2500 years ago, a young prince from the kingdom of Koshala saw a crippled man, a diseased man and a decaying corpse. The sight changed his whole life. This man sought to remove old age, disease and death from the world. He penanced, he sufferred and he meditated and found out the ultimate truth of existence. He declared desire to be the rootcause of all sorrow, and preached renunciation. This man became Buddha.

About 60 years ago, in a newly-independent India, a young lawyer and landlord saw a decaying man sufferring from leprosy, with hands and feet dacaying. So revolted was he by the sight and smell, that he simply turned his face away and left the place as fast as he could. But the memory of the incident will not leave him. For months, he thought of the plight of the leprosy patient and his own helplessness in the matter. That one sight changed his whole life.

"Would I have done the same had it been my wife or children?" was the only thought in his mind. So deep was the impact that he got trained to treat leprosy patients. He received formal training to treat them, diagnose, treat ulcers, administer injections, remove the decomposing bones and give drugs. From then, treating leprosy was his aim. He established a colony for leprosy patients named 'Maharog Seva Samiti' or Leprosy Relief Society. The first settlers were Baba, his wife Sadhanatai, six patients and a cow.

Baba, however, had a different approach towards 'relief'. His aim was 'Work builds, charity destroys'. His aim was not to simply treat the patients, but instead to make them self-sufficient. He not only made them well, but also taught them simple jobs which made the once-dying patients stand on their feet. The whole colony of lepers is self-sufficient in most of its needs. The patients intermarry within the colony, grow vegetables, make handicrafts and their Anandvan or the 'house of bliss' is a self-sufficient village.

What is most impressive about Baba's life is his outlook towards it. His initial 30 or so years of life are not different than many people. But it is the courage, the fearlessness, the love for fellow humans and the willingness to go as far as required for the welfare of those who need you is what distinguishes him from many other people. Apart from the Anandwan, he has been a great worker in many social fields and won numerous awards for the same.

At 92 today, Baba is a great inspiration. Not only has his wife, Sadhanatai, been at his side through all times, but both his sons, Vikas and Prakash, along with their families are involved in the same work as Baba.

Unlike Buddha, Baba does not claim to have found answers to life's questions. But he still shows a way. In his own words, "I don't want to be a great leader, I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown offers his help." Baba has provided light to thousands of people and inspired millions others to atleast take a footstep towards the path of compassion.

Both Baba and Buddha teach love and compassion. Buddha taught the Four Immeasurables; Baba, by his work, has done the same. In the words which he says inspire him the most,
"I sought my soul, My soul I could not see.
I sought my God, My God eluded me.
I sought my brother, I found all three."

May we all be able to find our brothers. May we all follow the path shown by Baba in his life.



(This is an extremely short version of Baba's life and work. Follow the following links to find more about him.
http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Biography/BiographyAmteMur.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Amte
http://mss.niya.org/people/baba_amte.php )

Evolution and Religion

In the ongoing debate about the position of religion on evolution, this is the best position I have seen, and it comes from nowhere other than Swami Vivekanada and his teachings on Vedanta.
The video at the end does a superb job of explaining the confluence of Vedanta and evolution. I am trying to give a gist here.

Vedanta rests on 2 basic beliefs with regards to existence and evolution.
1. There is a continous all pervading Consciousness in the Universe.
2. The Conscious manifests itself in a cyclic manner.

With these two basic beliefs one can understand the whole of evolution as well as the formation of universe. The underlying Consciousness first manifests itself in the simplest, the most subtlest form as energy during the Big Bang. The formed energy becomes grosser and more complex and forms matter in the form of atoms, molecules and inanimate objects.

The next step of evolution is the combination of atoms and molecules into small, living organisms, which become more and more complex from microbes to small animals to mammals. Man, of course, forms the most complex of these, and has an added faculty of rationality as a result of evolution.

The common thread in the process of evolution is the struggle of the Consciousness to manifest itself in more and more complex form, starting with pure energy and ending in man. The view of Vedanta is not antagonistic to Darwin's theory of natural selection, but in accordance with it.

The last step of this process is the evolution of man. And it is not more at the macroscopic, gross level of body, but it is in the subtler, more complicated level of mind. Human mind has no doubt evolved over time, and become more complex. What is the end result of this evolution of mind? What is the next step in the manifestation of this Consciousness after the formation of a rational mind?

That step, is the realization of the human self, the understanding of the nature of the manifesting Consciousness, the realization of the unity of all existing things into that Consciousness. This is the attainment of Buddhahood, where no duality exists, where the understanding of Consciousness as the sole all-pervading entity dawns upon the man. That is the completion of evolution, the highest possible state of manifestation, the realization of the Unmanifest.

Thus, Vedanta has complete agreement with evolution and science, as far as the mechanism is concerned. But Vedanta goes a step ahead and generalizes the entire process as the manifestation of the Consciousness.
I hope the video, with Swamiji's teachings, gives a better idea of the same.

Line becomes a circle?

This is an attempt to explain a concept from one of Swami Vivekananda's lectures. It was first raised on the SV community on Orkut.

There is no motion in a straight line. Everything moves in a circle; a straight line, infinitely produced, becomes a circle....
-Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Vol 5.


The essential thing to keep in mind is that there can only one thing which is infinite. A straight line when extended in either direction reaches infinity. However, it cannot reach two different infinities in two opposite directions, since having 2 infinities would be absurd. Hence, it reaches the same infinity in both directions, i.e. the two ends of a line when infinitely extended meet at infinity, or in other words, the line becomes a circle.

Apart from the geometry, what is the significance of saying 'line becomes a circle'? The point Swamiji was try to drive is that nothing in life is completely bad nor is it completely good. A person cannot have a life in which everything is bad, nor can one have a life in which everything is good. When things start taking a turn towards the downward side, they cannot keep doing so infinitely, for at some point, they have to take a turn towards good.

A belief in this inevitable cycle is 'hope'. Hope is what drives the world and makes a person do things amazingly. Hope is what provides energy to get up in the morning and do the same chores daily. Take out hope from a person and there is no difference in him and a robot. Keeping up one's hopes, inspite of the circumstances, is real test of life. What Swamiji says in the lecture is that there is no need to loose this precious hope, since it is nature's law that things will inevitably turn better.

Let our lives be always filled with the hope to do good things, and let the hope give us determination and courage to perform them.

The Song of the Soul

Day after day
Night after night,
Wonders a soul
About its plight

Why’d I come
On this earth
Whats the reason
Of my birth

It looks around
Towards all sources
In books of ages
In temples and churches

They all run mute
And fall short
To satisfy him
A poor soul smart

It looks beyond
To the world real
Into nature infinite
For answers surreal

Rises the sun
To clothe the earth
And comes the moon
To spread the mirth

Rises a flower
Shining in happiness
Grows a fruit
Gives away its ripeness

From rivers and mountains
To birds that sing
States the mother nature
Giving is the thing

Live to give
Give to live
Is the only message
Of every age

Giving is the aim
Tis the only goal
Of its existence
Realizes the soul

To give is to be pure
To help is to believe
To serve is to worship
To love is to live

Love and compassion
Are His only wishes
Rest all are dogmas
Unnecessary and worthless

The one who knows
And follows this always
To the last breath
Is the realized Self

That is the aim
That is the goal
To be good and pure
That’s why you’re here.

(Inspired by Swami Vivekananda's lecture 'The Real Worship'.)

The gist of worship

It is in love that religion exists and not in ceremony, in the pure and sincere love in the heart. Unless a man is pure in body and mind, his coming into a temple and worshipping Shiva is useless. The prayers of those that are pure in the mind and body will be answered by Shiva, and those that are impure and yet try to teach religion to others will fail in the end. External worship is only a symbol of internal worship; but internal worship and purity are the real things. Without them, external worship would be of no avail. Therefore you must all try to remember this.

This is the gist of all worship – to be pure and to do good to others.
......

This unselfishness is the test of religion. He who has more of this unselfishness is more spiritual and nearer to Shiva than anybody else, whether he knows it or not. And if a man is selfish, even though he has visited all the temples, seen all the places of pilgrimage, and painted himself like a leopard, he is still further off from Shiva.

~Swami Vivekananda

Every man works to live. One who does not work is but an extra baggage on the earth. How then does one choose one's work? What is the final aim of one's existence, one's occupation?

The only reason to do anything should be to help those around us. Love and compassion towards all is the only aim, is the only religion, it is one's only true belief, it is the only thing that gives meaning to existence. To love is to live, and one has to live to the fullest.

How is one 'good' and 'pure' in one's daily life? By simply realizing the ultimate aim of the activity is being selfless. Try to love, try to help, try to serve, it is always the right thing to do. If you are a doctor, fight to save every patient's life, if you are a waiter make sure every customer is fed, if you are a builder, make sure every building you build is a perfect home for someone.
The difference is in treating what you do as a job and treating it as a duty. The duty is to serve whomever you can, however you can. From the shoe-maker to the President, no matter what job you have, make it a duty, make it your service.

That is the only knowledge and wisdom, no religion, no saint, no holy book can teach anyone anything more. To try to inculcate that in what we do, and to do our work with that attitude, without any results, without any selfishness is the only thing. It is the gist of religion, it is the gist of life.

May we all proceed on this path of righteousness, may our minds be free from enchantments, may we all live to serve, may we all help and be kind, pure and giving. May giving love and compassion be the only mission of our life.

Indian thought and Western Science

The main difference in the two IMO is that Indian philosophies developed on an abstract basis versus the exact nature of the Western rationale (which has it's roots in Aristotle and Greek science). Consider the view of nature of the two - The Western thought says everything is divisible. You break a substance into atoms and molecules, they are further divisible into electrons, protons etc, which are further divisble. Everything can be studied by dissecting it infinitely. This thought, although changed a little bit with particle physics and quantum theory still forms the basis of Western science.
On the other hand, Indian or more correctly Eastern thought believes in the essential unity of things. If you want to study and object, do not break it, rather see its interaction with others, and most importantly study the system as a whole, rather than its parts. To state a simple example compare Ayurveda and Western medicine. Antibiotics are full of side effects,as any doctor should tell you. On the other hand, Ayurvedic medicines are such that the "whole body" is considered, hence curing a burn does not affect any other organ. The whole body is treated rather than the individual parts. With a little thought, one can get this stark difference in thoughts in Eastern and Western philosophies easily in almost all of their aspects.


The same happens when one deals with the question of evolution. With their characteristic experimentation, Western scientists came up with classic explanations of the phenomena. Microbes to aquatic animals to amphibians to terrestrials to apes to humans. One can see the evolutionary tree in any biology book.
The Indians, on the other hand do not give as much attention to the detail. They base their theories on abstract concepts. They realize that everything starts small, as a seed. Be it a plant, an animal or a work or a thought, it needs a seed. Thhe seed, when nourished completely results in a plant. Like Tukaram says:
'Aadhi beej ekale, beej ankurale rop vadhale'
or there was but one seed, the seed germinates and the plant grows.
The Indians realize this inevitable process in all processes. The seed germinates, grows and dies. This is the inescapable law of nature. Similarly, there cannot be something as complicated as a man ad hoc. It (the life) has to start with something small, simple, but has all the potential to fully grow. But what was in the small is also in the magnification, hence the equal importance given to all life-forms in Indian scriptures. The basic knowledge that life started with simpler creatures and then became more and more complicated is present in the Indian thought, however there are no details filled in like the Western thought. A classic example (and proof) of this is the Nasadiya Sukta or Creation hymn in Rig Veda. It says there was a ‘source of power’, and nothing else. From ‘It’ came everything else. This is the highest generalization about the nature of the process, without any details. The stress again is on knowing the essential nature, and not the details.

With this striking difference in methodology, the one striking similarity is that they both are intensely rigorous. When one says that mind has a material nature and depends on external input (like food, water) just like the body, the rishis have studied the mind carefully to discern that. In Indian thought, the entire stress is on experience, no logic, words or explanations, only experience proves the truth. There is not a shred of blind belief; all realities described as ‘truth’ are open to questioning and have stood the test of repeatability. The same can be said of Western science, with one major difference. The difference being that science still admits there is no ‘Theory of everything’, in other words, science is still not in a position to explain everything. On the other hand, Indian rishis claim to have found the truth and simply describe it as ‘indescribable’. Although they say the truth cannot be conveyed in words, they prescribe the ‘yoga’ for finding out the truth for oneself. This is perhaps the only thing to suggest that Western thought is on its way, while the Indian philosophy has reached the goal in deciphering the truth, and hence is able to grasp the underlying unity in all the things.

To sum up, it is wrong to say one system of thought is superior to another or vice versa. Rather, both are not only complementary but also useful for the human race. While the spiritual thought process (Indian/ancient Vedic for our discussion) is required for a basic sense of understanding of our own Self (no matter what degree the understanding is at), the Western science and technology is required for the daily sustenance and wellbeing of the race. A combination of both, and an intense study of both is required for the advancement of the human race!

Kabir's doha

Kabir was a saint in India, who is dear to many people's heart. Unlike many other saints who walked in India from time to time, Kabir refused to have himself categorized as either a Hindu, Muslim, or a Sufi or a bhakta. Kabir's dohas are usually in simple, easy-to-understand Hindi, with a very nice meaning and moral.

I wish to present one of his dohas here.

Moko Kahan Dhundhere Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein
Na Teerath Mein, Na Moorat Mein
Na Ekant Niwas Mein
Na Mandir Mein, Na Masjid Mein
Na Kabe Kailas Mein
Mein To Tere Paas Mein Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein
Na Mein Jap Mein, Na Mein Tap Mein
Na Mein Barat Upaas Mein
Na Mein Kiriya Karm Mein Rehta
Nahin Jog Sanyas Mein
Nahin Pran Mein Nahin Pind Mein
Na Brahmand Akas Mein
Na Mein Prakuti Prawar Gufa Mein
Nahin Swasan Ki Swans Mein
Khoji Hoye Turat Mil Jaoon
Ik Pal Ki Talas Mein
Kahet Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho
Mein To Hun Viswas Mein

This is a crude translation:
Where do you search me, my friend
I am near you
Not in a teerath(holy place), nor in a moorat (idol)
Nor am in solitude
I am neither in a mandir or a masjid
Nor am in the Kaaba or in Kailas
I am near you, my friend,
I am near you.
I am not in jap (recitation) or in tap (penance)
Nor am in proceedings or in fastings,
I dont stay in kriya-karma (action)
nor in yoga or in sanyaas (renunciation)
Not in the pran (the vital elements) or the body
Not in the universe or the sky
I am not in the womb of nature
Or in the breath of the breath
If you look for me, you can find me immediately
With searching just for a moment,
Says Kabir, listen all you good folks,
I am present in the trust (vishwas).

As is evident, the 'I', in the whole poem is the 'Self' or the 'truth' or simply the 'peace', that a common man searches in his life. Kabir starts off by declaring it is not to be found in any of the common places, such as places of worship, holy places, or in actions or renunciation. It is not even present in the body or the breath or the sky or the Universe. The last verse, then says, that "it is always within us, and hence can be found within a moment, if you know where to look for."

The moral of the doha is to turn oneself inward, to seek what one is finding within and not outside. All our life, we move around to try and find some things. Although there is an excitement of search, there are also wounds we incur as a result of ceaseless movement. The key to stopping this is to look for the truth first within oneself, which according to Kabir, is where it always rests!

In the last line, Kabir says, 'main to hun vishwas mein'. 'Vishwas' can be translated as faith or belief or trust. Here, Kabir asks the seeker to simply have trust in God! Most people try to find Him, without trusting Him. The key is complete submission, like Krishna asks one to do in Gita. Do your duty, let Him take care of the results. If you depict your life as a chariot, the key is to hand over the reins in His hands and do what part He asks one to do. That is the complete 'trust', which Kabir asks a person to have within himself. Only a man with such complete submission comes close to finding the truth!

May we all have that trust within ourselves, may we all follow the path of complete submission, may we all get a taste of that Infinite Bliss the saints covet! May we all follow on our path towards Truth!

The Cup

This is an attempt to interpret the poem 'The Cup'. It is a poem by Swami Vivekananda with a very beautiful meaning.

The poem is set up as the Almighty speaking out to his child, the man!

This is your cup -- the cup assigned
to you from the beginning.
Nay, My child, I know how much
of that dark drink is your own brew
Of fault and passion, ages long ago,
In the deep years of yesterday, I know.

The 'cup' is the cup of karma/mind where the good and bad thoughts and deeds get added and subtracted. Every person begins life with an empty cup. A baby is the most innocent person, the only emotion it understands is love and does not bear anything against anyone. Its 'cup' is empty. As we grow up, we add good and bad 'drinks' to the cup, making a queer concoction called life. But the thing is there is only 1 cup per person and you have to drink what is in the cup before you die. If you add sweet things in the forms of good deeds, you get a sweet drink in the form of good action by others towards you. If the drink is dark, like Swamiji says comes from faults and passions, you get a bitter drink from the cup!

This reminds me of a story in the life of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. Once his so-called tutor (who taught him mysteries of samadhi) was telling him "Just like you have to wash a cup daily so that they dont corrode, you should practise little meditation daily so cleam your mind". Ramakrishna snapped at him "What if your cup is made of gold?". Totapuri realized he was teaching a Master, with the purest possible mind!

This is your road -- a painful road and drear.
I made the stones that never give you rest.
I set your friend in plesant ways and clear,
And he shall come like you, unto My breast.
But you, My child, must travel here.

The 'road' is life. No matter who one is, everyone has to walk on the 'road', or 'lead life'. The road is painful and full of 'stones' or hurdles and one constantly gets hurt by them. The Lord says that to make the journey pleasant, he set some 'friends' along the road, which are the companions one gets along in life. Although the friends make the journey little confortable, each one has his own road. The friend will lead his life and go to Him in the end, and so will the child. That is his road, this is the child's; they only meet for a while and off they go again - alone!

This is your task. It has no joy nor grace,
But it is not meant for any other hand,
And in My universe hath measured place,
Take it. I do not bid you understand.
I bid you close your eyes to see My face.

The 'task' is the most important thing, it is what the child is on the road for! It is the duty one man has in his life. Each one's duty is unique, and is not meant for anyone else! He finallyasks the child to not worry about the reason why that work is given to him, just says to do it. Like Krishna says in Gita, "The action is your right, work without worrying about fruits!". God asks is child to simply close his eyes and pray, and see the face of Almighty within himself!

May we all lead on our roads, doing our tasks and may we empty our cups. Good and bad karma, both bind us down. It is when the action is done without an apparent intent to achieve something, does the cup remain empty! May we all lead our life to empty that cup. May we all close eyes and find the Almighty within ourselves! May we all walk on the road to the Infinite, Immortal Bliss!

When I Asked God

This poem is self-explanatory! Very beautiful and meaningful!

When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face

When I Asked God for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve

When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People

When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Favors
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed

(P.S. I am not very sure if this is indeed composed by Swami Vivekananda, since I couldnt find it in the Complete Works. But it is still very beautiful!)

Should one believe in God?

I guess before believing or not believing in God, and finding reasons for either, it is necessary to say what you mean by God. And I believe therein lies the answer to the posed question as well.

What is God? Swami Vivekananda explains this beautifully in one of his lectures (The necessity of religion). The entire concept of God and its necessity can be traced back to the struggle of every society to fight nature, to go beyond what seems to be limit of one's prowess. Early man thought rain gives food and water. Since the survival off human beings was based on it, 'rain' is a kind God. But sometimes it rained too much and it destroyed food. So 'rain' is also a God who became angry. It all lead to nature worship. With progress in instruments, technology and knowledge about surroundings, man reached a stage where he can exert 'control over these so-called gods. If Sun-god decides to be too hot, man can build a shelter and protect himself. If 'rain-god' decides to be evil and destroy crops, he can route the water away and save his food. Thus, he could control these aspects, and hence they lost their 'god-hood' in the mind on the man.

Although there was a progress in the physical sciences, there still were other battles man fought. There was the fate, the future, the death. These things still haunted the man and hence subsequent versions of 'gods' became those who could either conquer these for men or help men conquer them. In a way, we find most people even today believing in these concepts of Gods. One prays for safe return of a beloved gone to war, because God can control that person's 'fate'. An ill-man's relatives pray to a God to save the dying man because they believe that God can fight death. In some way or another, always God is the person who does something which the worshipper is powerless of doing.

This is the God of the masses. The God who gives hope, strength, belief in a higher power, and becomes ultimately the Savior. Most people believe in God for exactly these reasons.


But every once in a while, there are certain men and women in every society for whom this concept of God is no good. They declare that such a definition of God as ‘savior’ is very narrow and unsatisfactory. They take one of the two paths, and both lead them to gaining higher understanding about God. Some worship God, assuming He is the highest for only the sake of worshipping. They ask for nothing, only keep giving whatever they have to offer. Some offer worship, others offer love and yet others offer all their deeds or actions to God. These people, due to lack of want, have a clear mind, and have all their faculties towards the higher truth, and hence are blessed with higher understanding of their own selves and God.

The second category of people undertake a rigorous effort in the understanding of the principles of nature, and their own Self by various men. These men become the ‘Enlightened Ones’, who understand the basic unity between the human being and the Universe. The people in first categories become the Mirbaais, Prahlads and Tukarams of the world. The second become the Buddhas, Christs and Shankaracharyas of the world.

The one thing that runs common in the teachings of all these great men and women is the fact that they proclaim the existence of a higher truth that is not seen in the human world or experienced by any of the senses. More importantly, they claim that this higher truth is what every human being possesses in himself but is unaware and can become potentially aware. Some called it by the name Krishna, some Brahman, some the ‘Father in the Heaven’ and some say it is Allah. One could say that the ‘gods’ of the masses are but lower versions of what these souls called as the ‘truth’. Some people see a small stream, some see a waterfall, others see a lake or a river and yet others, with their wide eyes see the ocean. However, the 'wise' ones among us realize that the essential element in all these different forms is the water, each of these are but a temporary form, the ultimate reality is water!

With this perspective, is there is a God for us to believe in? The answer is both yes and no. If believing in Krishna helps you, he is the God for you, if believing in Brahman or a Lord in heaven or Allah works for you, he is your concept of ‘God’. An atheist believes that law of causation explains all, then that is his God. In a way, we all begin as agnostics, and over a time form an opinion of ours about God. For some this concept comes solely from religious books, family and various places of worship, while some see beyond all these and use their own faculties to understand Him!

More than anything else, the concept of God is the most personal and hence should not be enforced upon anyone else. Like a Sufi poem goes,
“Dair Mein Tu Haram Mein Tu, Arsh Pe Tu Zameen Pe Tu
Jiss Ki Pohonch Jahan Talak Us Ke Liye Waheen Pe Tu
Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho"
(You are in every place of worhip, on the throne in heaven and on earth, however far one can reach, you are there for him, you are a mysterious puzzle.)

So yes, with his definition of God, everyone believes in a God, only the names, definitions and concepts of God differs from person to person. The need for a person is to believe in his God sincerely and not to force his or her. The requirement is tolerance, let each individual define and believe his own 'God'.

May the Krishna, the Allah, the Lord, the Yehowah all give us peace on this beautiful earth, may we all open our eyes and see their light, may we all learn to respect each other's concepts, may we all reach the peace within, and create the peace outside!

Good Thoughts?

I had to write this before I could post any more blogs.

I planned to write on this blog because I believe every person gets good thoughts once in a while, and it is a part of being a good human being to develop these thoughts and make them known to people. I believe doing our part in spreading our good thoughts definitely helps in increasing the good will in the world.

But where does one get good thoughts from? There always are minor squibbles in each person's life. And most of us get over them and smile in front of the world neverthless. That smile might be fake sometimes for most of us, but still it gives sense of hope. A smile returned with another smile, even from a stranger, gives a sense that there is some good existing in the world. There is this sense of things being in order. We play these little games, but they do a lot in maintaining a sense of well-being in the world.

But last week has been shocking and I personally found it difficult to maintain that smile. And it was not for personal reasons. First, my city, Mumbai, was attacked. Again. For absolutely no fault of theirs, more than 200 people lost their lives, and around 1000 were injured. This comes along when the wounds of Varanasi blasts have not even started healing! For some it may be a way for gaining political clout, for others, mean to spread their version of a religion and for yet some other people, a simple means to vent their frustrations with what they think is wrong. But for those who died, and their families, it meant the end of the world, the breaking of a sweet thing called 'home'.

This was not just a single incident. There is havoc going on in the Middle East, not to forget Afganistan and Iraq. There was a bomb-blast in Pakistan too. Without going into who is right or wrong, any action or inaction leading to the death of so many people is wrong. There is news that some 600 Indian farmers committed suicide because of various reasons - not able to support their families, pay loans and malnutrition. In any other country, 600 suicides in a span of a few months would have become the talk of the whole nation. In this case, neither the media, nor the government seemed concerned.

Terrorism, hunger, poverty, lack of education, diseases... the list goes on. These are the real problems facing us today. No matter how much optimism one has, one has to accept that the world is going through a very bad phase now. Not only is it bad that about half the world is hungry, the problem is the other half doesnt care about it.

In this context, where do the good thoughts fit in? How does one flaunt the smile to a stranger when the inside is full of disappointment, anger, resentment and depression? The answer, I believe is again in hope! In spite of all the bad things happenning, there still are people working for others. There still are the common men and women of the world who believe in the value of life and love. The same blasts in Mumbai which signified inhuman acts by some men gave an opportunity for others to show their human side. There were 100s in the hospitals within an hour of the blasts to volunteerily donate blood. That is a sign that the indomitable will of human spirit is still strong and nothing can crush it.

Sai baba, a sage from India, said the biggest mantra for a human being is 'shraddha and saburi' - faith and patience. With these, a man can climb mountains of difficulties. There is still faith in the human side of people, in the fact that even in this age of inhuman killings, there are people who believe helping another individual is their duty and can derive happiness from doing it. All we need is patience. If there is any strength in the feeling of love, the human spirit shall survive - as it has done in the past.

Meanwhile, we should all do our little part in spreading the good will. We should all still give that free smile spreading happiness, we should still use our means and facilties to spread our good thoughts. There might be a dark night going on, but the only thing that will come out of it is a bright morrow.

Let us all join hands and work for the survival of good will and love. Let us all wish for a happy world and spread the hope. Let us all give that smile!:)

4th of July

Thousands of Americans today celebrate the Day of Independence from their colonial rulers more than 300 years ago. For the Hindus in India and abroad, and also his other followers, this day marks the one on which Swami Vivekananda took samadhi in 1902. For several reasons, this marked the end of an era and the beginning of another one. It is a remarkable thing that the greatest disciple of all times took samadhi on the day of American Independence, 4th of July, and his guru, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa had done the same on the day India was destined to get its Independence in 1947, on 15th August 1886. It was fitting that the work the guru had started in India was continued by the most fitting disciple all over the world.

The emergence of this guru-shishya pair into prominence in India and abroad both hold great significance for various reasons. It was a time in India when Macaulayian education was fastening its grip over the young Indian intelligiensia. Every year, thousands of Indian youth were being educated in Western education and were made to hate Indian traditions, culture and way of life. It had become a fashion to ridicule anything Indian or Hindu and the young minds were being foolishly drawn to Western ideals. Vedas and other scriptures were being ridiculed like never before! At this time, one voice firmly declared that the Hindu religion and Hindu thought were the things which should make the Indian nation most proud and it was a wealth which all Indians should cherish. This voice, which echoed in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, soon swept across all of the Western world and captured back the hearts of the Indian youth. 50 years of Macaulayian education was rendered useless and once again thousands of Indian men and women were inspired by this young monk to study, respect and nourish Indian traditions and values. This was the voice of Swami Vivekananda and he was speaking the words of his guru Ramakrishna Paramhamsa.

The phenomenon, that this guru-shishya pair were, had its effect not only on the Indian mentality and general public, but also changed the way Westerners looked towards India. Hundreds of Westerners were first impressed, then inspired and finally won over by this spirited Hindu sadhu wearing a saffron robe and speaking in their own language about some of the boldest religious principles they had ever heard! Several of them were so attracted to Swami Vivekananda's personality that many of them followed him to India; only to find there were 15 or so of his fellow disciples here, each of whom was as spirited as him and each showed a different aspect of their guru's personality. The lectures and yoga lessons that Swamiji gave in the West completely changed the outlook of Westerners towards these practices and a lot of success of these things today in the West can be attributed to him.

Today, more than ever there is a need for the following of the teachings of this great pair. In the day when religious fanaticism is on a monotomic rise, there is a need of a voice saying that all religions are finally ways and means to realize the same Eternal Truth. When the mind of a person is being constantly grippled by insecurity, loss of faith and self-doubt, the practice of yoga is very much necessary to maintain a physical and mental equilibrium. When the rich are becoming richer and poor are becoming poorer, when the gap in haves and havenots is widening faster than ever before, when all a person can think of is accumulating as much wealth as possible, teaching the ideal of renunciation proposed and followed by these two great mean is the real need of the hour!

It has been 104 years since the great light name Swami Vivekananda merged into its source after being on this earth for a mere 39 years. The work he did in these 39 years has taken firm roots and has spread across the whole world under the name of Ramakrishna Mission. His words have inspired thousands of men and women across the world and is changing the life of thousands more daily. It is time we all gather together under his guidance and follow on the path towards truth prescribed by him!

May we all progress towards this greatest Truth and ultimately realize the true, Immortal, Infinite nature of our Self! May we all be blessed with that Immortal Bliss which he always said is rightfully ours! May we all feel the Sat, Chit, Anand that even the highest of the yogis crave for!
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!

What saved Hinduism?

Often it has been wondered in discussion groups, media about the reason for the existence of Hinduism, and the reason it has survived the incessant attacks. The other major religions of the world, Judaism, Zorastriarism (religion of Parsees) and infinite others which existed in the past are either extinct now or have to lead a meagre survival. For more than 1000 years, India, the home of Hinduism was ruled by non-Hindus for the major part, yet the flame of Hinduism didnt burn out! Hinduism still has its flag high up, making the name 'Sanatana Dharma' given to it very apt.

But what is the reason behind this greatness of Hinduism. Mind you, it is not just a religion in the sense that people follow certain religious practices, go to temples etc. So far, in some form or another, the Hindu way of life has survived not just in India but beyond. True that it has got mixed with the other cultures it came in contact with, has trasnformed with the necessities of time, but still it continues to add its own favor in the places where a Hindu goes.

So what makes Hinduism unique? Is it the Vedas, Upanishads and Gita? But hardly a percent of Hindus read any one of them in their entirety! Also, the possibility of a book of such stature as a Veda or an Upanishad being lost in say a Babylonian culture cannot be denied. Is it the philisophy? For ages, people have kept thinking about ways of explaining nature; and have created philosophies in that attempt! Is it the Indian science, culture, arts and architecture which preserved Hinduism? But there are the pyramids, the whole of Mayan artefacts and the Roman collosium. There was Greek geometry, Roman science and amazing artforms all over the world. The fact that Indians were good at each of these things hardly explain the survival of Hinduism.

I had been thinking about this for a while now, and the answer came in an indirect manner in one of Swami Vivekananda's lectures! It is amazing how whenever I feel down or disturbed, opening a page in the sayings of the great man makes all my agonies unreal and trivial! The words have such energy that inspiration flows into a person by simply reading them!

The lecture I read was the one titled 'My Master', which is his discourse on life and teachings of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. Of the hundreds of lectures SV gave since his historical speech at Chicago, this probably is the only one where he speaks of his Guru's personal life! The reason behind this is that he wanted to spread his guru's teachings, not his guru's fame!

In the course of his description of his Guru, he starts with first explaining what India stands for, what India means! He says that the basic soul of Hinduism and of India, the one common thread that binds the hundreds of sects in Hinduism together is this, 'There is a certain higher principle which is unmanifest, which exists in a dimension higher than the ones that are manifest; and the sole aim of human life is to realize that principle'. He says it is around this principle that the whole of Indian life revolves, the understanding of this higher principle! Indians can call it with multiple names such as moksha, mukti, nirvana, atma-dnyaan, they all mean the same thing, realizing the truth of life!

And therein lies the secret of Hinduism's survival! The sole aim is realization, for which a book, a messenger, a prophet, or even a son of God is not needed. For this, a clergy is not needed! Neither is the knowledge of a particular language required! One does not even have to be a genius to understand the truth! All that is needed is a pure heart and an intense desire to know the truth! Swamiji explains that as a boy, his guru, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, naturally possessed these qualities, and that they truly signify the defining characteristic of a true Hindu!

So how could Hinduism be destroyed! The invaders came and plundered. They destroyed the temples and the idols! But that was simply the 'body' of Hinduism, the external visible part! They destroyed the books, mistranslated and misprojected them! They even tried to burn the great libraries, which were 'mind' of Hinduism. The books simply stated the truths, they were not the truths! The last attempt, the one done by Western education was to play with the 'intellect', where the young minds were systematically taught to hate their religion and culture. But alas! They missed the important thing, the 'soul' of Hinduism! The Hindu declares that the body,mind and intellect of a person are mere the projections, the manifestations! The real nature of a man is his soul! So is it with a religion. The soul of Hinduism is in realization and that is as strong as ever!

Can this soul ever be destroyed? No! It is a basic nature of humans to enquire, to ask about what is beyond to try to find out what the beginning and the end of the existence is! Until this nature exists, such a question will always come up, "What is beyond?" and until such a question rises, noone can kill the soul of HInduism! The self-enquiry will continue, beings will realize their true nature and the flag of Sanatana Dharma will shine high!

This immortality of the soul of Hinduism is the real reason for its eternalness! All other factors are the after-effects, the helping tools. As long as there is one man on this earth who wishes to enquire in his real nature, Hinduism continues to exist!

It is well summarized in the story of King Alexander and the monk he meets! Alexander, the ruler of half the land on earth, is impressed by the life of this monk and wishes to take him to Greece with him. But the monk refuses. The king promises all the riches, a comfortable life and a big piece of land, but the monk refuses to move! Alexander finally draws his sword and says if he doesn not oblige, he will simply kill the monk!
At this the monk laughs and says, "This the stupidest thing you have ever said! I have realized I am not the body but the soul, and my soul cannot be pierced by any weapon or burnt by a fire. It is immortal!"
Such is the soul of Hinduism! The Alexanders of the world can try as much as they want to kill it, it is immortal, indestructible! Like the seed that springs from the land in the form of a tree, it will always rise no matter how deep it has been buried!

May we all become such seeds and blossom into trees where the flower of realization blooms and spreads its fragrance to the whole world!