Blog

November 2016

Spiritual perfection is not to be created – it is in us already. We have only to remove what obstructs its manifestation. – Chinmaya

Q: Why perfection need not be created?

A: Perfection is our nature. Hence it need not be created. Just like fire need not create heat.

Q: If we are perfect, why don’t we experience this perfection?

A: We don’t experience it because we don’t know who we are. Our ignorance about ourselves prevents us from experiencing this perfection.

Q: Why do you say we are ignorant about ourselves?

A: All of us experience the ‘I’ in us. But when asked to define what this ‘I’ is, we say that this ‘I’ is nothing but the body-mind-intellect (BMI) complex. This is called ignorance about oneself.

Q: Then what is self-knowledge?

A: True knowledge about oneself is called self-knowledge.

Scriptures say that this ‘I’ which we experience all the time has nothing to do with the BMI complex. Rather, this ‘I’ is Consciousness in us which by nature is real, infinite, immortal and blissful.

Q: How can I say I am not the BMI?

A: What belongs to me should necessarily be different from me. BMI belongs to me. Therefore I cannot be the BMI. But ‘I’- the Consciousness, doesn’t belong to me; it is me.

Again, the observer should be different from the observed. Therefore I, the observer-Consciousness, am different from the observed-BMI.

Q: If I am not the BMI, why is that I feel I am the BMI?

A: It is because of identification. When I identify with something, I consider that thing as a part of me. For example, a mother identified with her child considers the child’s joys and sorrows as her own. When I identify with the movie character in the movie, his/her moods become my moods. So too with identification with BMI.

Q: What is wrong with considering oneself as BMI?

A: BMI is finite and mortal, impermanent and perishable by nature. When we identify with the imperfect BMI, we experience imperfection. But when we identify with perfect Consciousness, we experience perfection.

The strict law of the game called life is – we experience what we identify with.

Q: How to gain Self-knowledge?

A: The problem started with our identification with the BMI. So the solution lies in dis-identifying from the BMI and identifying with Consciousness. Any other way to get rid of our imperfection will only be futile.

One day Buddha came into his assembly of the monks. His sannyasins were sitting and waiting for him. Buddha had come with something in his hand – a handkerchief. They all looked at the handkerchief. What was the matter? There must be something special in it. And Buddha sat on the platform and rather than speaking to the assembly he looked at the handkerchief, started tying a few knots in it – five knots in all.

Buddha said, “Right. Now you see these five knots. Suppose I want to open these knots.” And he started stretching both ends of the handkerchief farther away from each other. He asked Sariputta,” What do you think? By stretching farther will I be able to open the knots?”

The confused disciple said,” You will be making knots even more difficult to open because they will become smaller, more tighter.”

Buddha said, ”Right. What should I do so that I can open the knots? How I can untie them again?”

Sariputta said, ”Bhagwan! I would like first to come close and see how in the first place the knots have been tied. Unless I know how they have been tied it is difficult for me to suggest any solution.”

Buddha said, ”Sariputta! You are blessed, because that is the most fundamental question to ask. If you are in a certain fix, the first thing to know is how you got into it rather than trying to get out of it. Without asking the most fundamental and the primary question, you will make things worse.”

“And that’s what people are doing. They ask, ‘How we can get out of  greed, anger, attachment, jealousy, possessiveness, this and that?’ without asking, ‘How in the first place we get into them?’ If you can see the entrance, the same door is the exit; no other door is needed. But without knowing the entrance if you try to find out the exit you are not going to find. “

The way to spiritual perfection is five-fold:

Observe oneself, Detect where we go wrong, Eliminate the erroneous ways of thinking, Substitute it with the right knowledge, and Master this knowledge by practice.

How clearly can we experience this perfection? The Bhagavad Geeta says:

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मन: | तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम् ||
(In those whose ignorance has been destroyed by Self-knowledge, in them, the ultimate Truth shines as clearly as the sun.)

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, one of the greatest seers of our age, was once asked by a journalist coming from the West, “Do you believe in God?” Bhagavan said, “No.”

The man was shocked. He had heard that this man has realized God, and he says he does not believe in God! He repeated the question. He said, “Sir, hope you have heard me rightly. I am asking, ‘Do you believe in God?’”

Bhagavan said, “I have heard you perfectly. I don’t believe in God, because I know. We believe in something only when we don’t know. For me, there is no need for belief. I know the whole existence is divine. Every part of this universe is divine. Every being is divine. Since I know it, there is no question of believing.”

Perfection is already ours. The choice given to us is – to own it or to ignore it.

The masterpiece of Michelangelo (the world-famous sculptor), the statue in the Vatican, is of Jesus Christ lying in his mother’s lap after he was taken down from the cross. This statue was thought to be one of the best statues in the whole world. There is an interesting incident behind this statue.

Michelangelo went to a market where there were shops selling marble. Just in front of a shop on the open ground, there was a big rock – a huge marble rock that had been lying there for years. And he asked, “How much is the price?”

The owner said, “There is no price; it has been lying there for almost ten years, and you are the first person ever to ask about it. If you can take it away, it is yours. It will be enough payment that our grounds are cleared and we can put out other rocks for show. That rock is taking so much space. And every artist comes here; no artist has ever seen any possibility for that rock.”

And Michelangelo cut from that same rock this statue.

When the statue was ready, he invited the shop owner. The man could not believe it. He said, “Where did you get such a beautiful piece of marble?”

Michelangelo said, “This is the same rock that you gave me at no charge.”

The man said, “My God! But you have created the most beautiful statue I have ever seen. How could you manage to think, looking at that ugly rock, that you would be able to do it?”

He said, “I have not done anything. It was just that Jesus cried out to me, ‘Michelangelo! I am encaged in this rock. Make me free!!’”

The sculptor doesn’t add anything new. He only chisels out what is unnecessary. So too, the hidden divine perfection in us becomes manifest when we use the chisel of self-knowledge to chisel away the wrong understanding about ourselves.

O  M    T  A  T    S  A  T

August 2020

We think something is wrong with the outer world.; something is wrong with the Creator. The fact is Creator is supplying us with the best possible things. It is our unintelligent behaviour which is spoiling it. – Chinmaya

The Corona crisis continues, and there is a widespread concern among the masses regarding future uncertainties. Hence it becomes imperative to understand the spiritual perspective of the whole scenario.

In the Bhagavad Geeta there is a famous verse:

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युथानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानम् सृजाम्यहम्||
(Whenever there is a decline in dharma, and an ascend of adharma, I manifest Myself.)

When a manufacturer designs a device, he thinks of all possible situations which the device might have to go through in the field of its operation. Hence the device is designed with an intrinsic protective mechanism by which it is capable of dealing with all possible emergencies. Such a device then becomes an intelligently designed one.

 Whenever (यदा) there is a crisis, then and there तदा) the protective mechanism comes into play and does the corrective measures. This ‘yada – tada’ relationship is found in all intelligently designed devices.

For example, whenever (yada) there is a sharp spike in the current or voltage, then and there (tada) the fuse wire is blown out and the device is protected.

Whenever there is a power failure, the elevators are designed to halt at the nearest floor with its back-up power supply. Likewise, computers are designed to store the unsaved files and shut down smoothly in the wake of an unexpected power failure.

Whenever (yada) there is an accident, then and there (tada) the seat belts and airbags become active to save the life of the traveller.

This vast creation of the Lord is also an intelligently designed one. Hence a ‘yada-tada’ relationship exists in this creation too, so says the above verse.

Let’s pay attention to our own body.

Whenever dust enters into our eyes, tears wash it away. Yada dust…tada tears! Tears don’t come all the time. It comes only when there is an emergency. Tears, without hurting the eyes, wash away the dust particles; and once the job is done, they withdraw themselves to the background.

In the same way, when dust enters the nose, sneezing happens. Whenever there is indigestion in the stomach, loose-motion happens. Whenever there is a fracture in the body, swelling happens to protect that part from further injury. When the body runs out of energy, hunger rings its alarm; and when it runs out of the water, the panic button called thirst gets pressed. There are such countless instances where the body functions in ‘yada-tada’ relationship.

We must indeed be grateful to the Lord for taking care of all the complicated functions of the body. We are able to fulfil our responsibilities in the world, only because there is Someone constantly at work, without a break, even at night, even in sleep. If we were given the responsibility of keeping ourselves alive, none of us would be alive even a moment!

 Amazing indeed is this divine creation called body where infinite intelligence of the Lord is seen even in small day to day happenings! mÉzrɳÉÌmÉ cÉ lÉ mÉzrÉÌiÉ qÉÔRû:- though we see, we fools don’t notice them.

Just as in the microcosm (body), this ‘yada-tada’ relationship is seen in the macrocosm (cosmos) as well. The Lord says in the above verse, whenever the functioning of this cosmos is messed up, I manifest Myself to set it right.

Corona Virus is, from a spiritual standpoint, such a divine manifestation.

We must say that this pandemic has struck us at the right time – a time when we all were busily exploiting the natural resources to the extreme… a time when industries were indiscriminately pumping chemical wastes into the rivers, and polluting the atmosphere with its poisonous fumes… a time when vast forest reserves disappeared to become commercial malls and skyscrapers… a time when mother earth was at the mercy of short-sighted politicians who, with their greased palms, sanctioned any environmental violation… a time when it was predicted that all the natural resources on this planet would be depleted in another 50 years… a time when very many species – animals and birds – had already become extinct… a time when the ecology kept giving warning signals of danger one after the other – such as ozone layer destruction, tsunamis,  floods, the global warming, and the melting of ice in the polar regions – but all fell into deaf ears… a time when even the international organizations for environmental protection became a helpless and mute witness to ongoing tragedy…  a time when we were helplessly watching ourselves cutting the very branch we sit upon…

At such times, indeed an Avatar was essential – an Avatar which would put a brake to this unhealthy, uncontrolled, and unintelligent indulgent materialistic ways of living.  Now that the human-beings had become helpless, an Avatar – a Power from the beyond- was an unavoidable necessity.

And that Avatar appears to be Corona.

Interestingly, the virus has been named as COVID. In Sanskrit, COVID means the one who is wise, experienced, an expert, an all-knower. Indeed, a perfect name for the Lord!

It is not necessary that Avatars must come only in human form. The Lord can take any form. He takes form according to the need of the hour. He took the form of a turtle to give a stable base to Mandara mountain while churning. Varaha avatar was taken to uplift earth from the waters of the deluge. Narasimha avatar was the result of the complicated conditions put forth by Hiranyakashipu. Vastra avatar appeared when Draupadi was in trouble in the evil assembly. Vishwa-Roopa avatar appeared on the battlefield to instil confidence in Arjuna.

Now the Lord decided He must appear as a virus!

May be He wanted to humble the pride of mankind bloated in pride of their scientific advancements. He wanted to show how insignificant and powerless human beings are who could not even resist the onslaught of a tiny little virus which doesn’t even weigh a milligram!

For the countries boasting of their atomic weapons,  an atomic creature has become the cause of sleepless nights!

And what were the after-effects of Coronavirus?

The reports say that within a few days the mother nature started showing the signs of healthy revival. Rivers became clean. Air quality considerably improved. Animals and birds celebrated the noise-free, pollution-free, and human-free environment. Various diseases related to air pollution reduced. Road accidents reduced drastically.

Lazy unhealthy habits like ‘eating out’ vanished. Aimless wanderings in malls and streets ceased. When maidservants were barred from entering the apartments, all couch-potatoes became busy cooking and washing, cleaning and mopping.

Corona taught people to live with the bare minimum, and to remain contented in it. Many became philanthropic, distributing food to the poor and needy, and experienced the joy of selfless service. Even street dogs were well-taken care.

The future uncertainties made prayers of the devotees more sincere and intense.

All were grateful to doctors, policemen, and others who were risking their lives in serving others even in such difficult times. Spiritual seekers found it a golden opportunity to withdraw and to go within.

It appears that Corona has taught us all the important spiritual lessons of life – to have control over the mind and the senses, to remain contented, to live in gratitude, to serve others selflessly, to surrender unto God, and to offer regular prayers unto Him!

Indeed, in all ways, Corona has become a blessing in disguise.

The world’s best brains are working hard, day and night, 24/7, to bring out a vaccine. Surely the vaccine will come, but only by His Grace. And only after He has achieved what He has intended to achieve.

Our prostrations unto that All-Compassionate, All-Knowing Lord whose ways, though unknown and mysterious, are always for the good of all!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

July 2020

Why should tools worry about how the technician is going to solve the problem and do his job. Be a mere tool in His hands. – Chinmaya

Being a tool in His hands means total surrender. It means total acceptance without complaining, with a deep conviction that He does what is right and what is best, and thus allowing His will to work through us.

Gauranga was the original name of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. He always marvelled at the good fortune of the flute of Krishna. It was near to Him and dear to Him. It enjoyed the bliss of the touch of divine lips and hands. At times it would rest in His waist-cloth. He longed to be near and dear to the Lord as the flute.

One day he prayed to the Lord, “O Lord! Will you tell me the secret of coming near You and becoming dear to You? How fortunate is that flute!”

That night Lord Krishna appeared in his dream and said, “Gauranga, if you want to be transformed into an instrument like the flute through which my breath flows and Divine music emanates, examine the flute. The flute is hollow; nothing is inside. When I blow my breath into it, it flows freely into it, producing enchanting melodies.

“So render yourself hollow. Let your heart be rid of all passions and worldly desires. Then I shall certainly make you My instrument. But beware! There should not be any trace of ego or attachment in you, because that would prevent My grace from flowing into you. I bless you, Gauranga.”

Gauranga woke up excited early in the morning. He knew well that the surest and the most effective way to make one’s heart pure is to sing bhajans. He equipped himself with a pair of cymbals and a drum. He walked along the streets of the city singing bhajans. But there were a few persons in the city who did not like to be disturbed from their sleep early in the morning and they decided to put an end to this ‘Nagara Sankeeratan’.

One day, they seized the drum and broke it into pieces. Gauranga was not in the least upset but just said, “O Lord! Let Your will be done. Perhaps You do not approve of my drum beats. That is why it has been broken.”

The next day when Gauranga was going about singing bhajans, some men came and snatched away the cymbals. Gauranga exclaimed ecstatically, “O Lord! Perhaps you are not quite pleased with the way I play the cymbals. I am glad that I have got rid of them.”

He went about singing bhajans and clapping hands. He continued this singing for years together. This one sadhana relieved him of all traces of attachments and egoism. He reached a stage where just an utterance of the name of Krishna would throw him into a trance. There was nothing in Gauranga’s mind except Krishna Consciousness. Hence he came to be called Krishna Chaitanya by his admirers and ardent followers.

Once we have surrendered, we have no right to question and to grumble.

“God! But why?” is not the way of the one who has totally surrendered.

A Devotee went to the Guru and said, “O Guro! I have totally surrendered to the Lord. But my questioning mind is still not at peace.”

The Guru said, “If the mind is questioning, then your surrender is questionable!”

The true sign of surrender is measured in terms of how much the mind reacts to the ups and downs of life. Greater the reaction, lesser the faith in God; greater the inner disturbance, lesser the surrender.

Meera was a great devotee of Lord Krishna from her very childhood. She never desired or aspired for anything other than Lord Krishna. Yet she did cherish one desire – to install her beautiful idol of Lord Krishna in a temple of marble. She wondered whether her one wish would ever be fulfilled.

In course of time when she grew into a beautiful maiden she was married to Maharana of Chittorgarh. Meera at that time, having just stepped into teens had hardly any anticipation of marriage or married life. So her love for Krishna went with her to Chittorgarh.

There she requested her husband to build a temple for her idol. Maharana did build a marble temple for Lord Krishna to please his wife. Meera’s joy knew no bounds. Her wish was fulfilled at last.

Meera spent all her time in worshipping Lord Krishna and singing bhajans. Most of the time, she was in the temple. That made Maharana furious as he felt that his wife was ignoring him. So he ordered the closure of the temple. Thus Meera was prevented from entering the temple. She was shocked and sad beyond all measure. She did not know what to do.

When the mind questions the Lord’s will, it is immediately disturbed!

She turned to Krishna for solace. And she received the answer from within. She said to herself, “Why should I feel sad for the closure of the temple? Maharana could close this temple because it was built by him. But how can he close the doors of the temple of my heart where dwells the Lord? That is the temple built by God and the real abode of God. Let me reach Him there.”

She felt as though the Lord was telling her, “Why go out? Seek me within.”

Thus Meera considered it as Divine will the closure of the external temple. And before long, she found Him in her own heart!

A devotee knows that (i) Either He will solve the problem; or (ii) He will make him capable of solving the problem; or (iii) He will make him capable of enduring the problem. Hence a devotee is free from all worries.

Once Jnanadev and Namadev were walking through a forest. They were tired and thirsty. They found a well, but the water was deep down and the well was very steep. Now how to get the water?

Jnanadev had yogic powers. He turned himself into a bird, flew into the well, reached the water, drank it, and quenched his thirst.

Namadev had no such yogic power, but only intense devotion to the Lord. Thirsty though he was, his thoughts were in God alone and he got immersed in the chanting of His name. He was drifting into ecstasy and was in pure bliss, as if tasting the sweetness of God’s love.

Just then, the waters from the depths of the well rose up and started overflowing. Namadev, then, without any effort, drank the water and quenched his thirst.

God Himself gives whatever His devotees urgently need.

A lady, who used to efficiently manage a big orphanage, was once asked, “How do you do run this whole affair so efficiently without any worry?”

The lady replied smilingly, “I have made an agreement with God – that I will work, and He will worry!!”

How foolish it is to say, “I did, I achieved, I helped, I earned, I donated…”The world belongs to God; so too the body, the talents, the abilities, the field of action, the life, the inspiration, etc. In what sense, then, can we arrogate to ourselves of any achievement?

Rahim used to write poetry dedicated to Krishna. Tulsidas came to know about the unique behaviour of Rahim. While giving alms to the poor, Rahim gave with extreme humility. While giving, he kept his gaze downwards towards the earth. Tulsidas promptly wrote the following couplet and sent it to Rahim:

 ऐसी देनी देंन ज्यूँ  कित सीखे हो सैन | ज्यों ज्यों कर ऊंच्यो करो   त्यों त्यों निचे नैन ||
(O Great One!, from where have you learnt this amazing way of giving? As your hands rise to give, your eyes look down.)

Completing the couplet which Tulsidas wrote, Rahim replied in extreme humility:

 देनहार कोई और है   भेजत जो दिन रैन | लोग भरम हमपर करे   तासो निचे नैन ||
(The Giver is someone else, giving day and night. The world has a misconception that I am the giver. So, I lower my eyes in embarrassment!)

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

June 2020

So long as our attitude is purely materialistic and selfish with no touch of spirituality, nature will continue to be disturbed by our actions. It is an echo. Nature is only echoing our behaviour. If we don’t change, nature will make us suffer. – Chinmaya

Nowadays everywhere, there is only one topic of discussion – the Corona Virus Pandemic. Lakhs of people are getting infected all over the world and thousands are dying every day. There are panic and unrest everywhere.

How did it all start?

The virus is believed to have originated from the wholesale seafood market located in Jianghan District, Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Its lanes are narrow. Here around 120 different kinds of mammals, animals and birds are kept in the most unhygienic environment with poor ventilation. These animals are tightly squeezed together in cages, and these cages are stacked one above the other. Hence often these beings are found drenched in excrement falling from above. These unhealthy conditions make them prone to various illnesses. The sanitation is dismal with garbage and filth piled on wet floors.

These animals are mercilessly and openly slaughtered, brutally skinned and deliciously eaten, and their skin carries a very high price in the cosmetic market. The beings include bats, venomous snakes, crocodiles, dogs, crabs, camels, ostriches, donkeys, wolf puppies, peacocks, worms, rats, rabbits, porcupines, cockroaches …

There is hardly anything which is not available in this market!

A Chinese citizen was asked, “Any animal which you don’t eat?”

He had to think hard! After a long pause, he said, “We eat everything!”

What is wrong with non-vegetarianism?

The human body is designed to be a vegetarian. So say the scriptures. So says modern science.  Nature has never designed our body to digest animal flesh. Hence canine teeth are not given to us.

The digestive juices in our stomach are milder compared to that of the carnivorous animals. Hence our intestines are designed to digest only fruits, roots and vegetables and not flesh or meat of any kind.

Also, our intestines are 25-feet long, compared to the lions and tigers, which are only 5-feet in length. This means the meat we eat remains in our body for a longer time. These undigested meat rots and putrefies in our body and can lead to various diseases.

Also, the violent method of killing creates fears and anxieties in these animals. These negative emotions create lots of poisonous toxins in their body. These toxins, which are not destroyed while cooking, enter in us when we eat them. These toxins, in turn, create varieties ailments in our body.

Hence meat-eating is absolutely unhealthy for human beings.

The epidemic, which showed its first symptoms on 1^st December 2019, soon spread in China, and in no time, out of China.

To date, there has been no vaccine invented to prevent this virus attack.

Where have we gone wrong?

The above quote answers it all.

Scriptures teach us to perform Pancha Maha Yajnas – the fivefold duties, and one among them is Bhoota Yajna.

In Bhoota Yajna, we are advised to take care of all other beings. We are asked to feed them and be kind towards them. Our ancestors knew that for the smooth functioning of the cosmos, all beings have an important role to play – be it animals, birds or insects.

Being the crest and crown of creation, being the most evolved among all beings, it is the duty of mankind to look after the welfare of all beings. As Sadhu Vaswani has said nicely, these birds and animals are our younger brothers and sisters. This Mother Earth belongs equally to them as it belongs to us. 

Is there a relationship between our behaviour and the nature surrounding us?

Bhagavad Gita says yes. यज्ञात् भवति पर्जन्य: (= from yajna comes the rain.)

When we live on this planet with an attitude of Yajna Spirit, nature functions with perfect harmony.

What is Yajna Spirit?

 Yajna means sacrifice. Yajna Spirit means sacrificing oneself for the welfare of the totality. The Yajna Spirit is the right attitude to living life.  When we live a life of sacrifice and service, pouring out our God-given talents and abilities for the welfare of all, performing all our duties as a worship of the Lord, as an expression of gratitude towards Him, without ego and egocentric desires, not in a spirit of competition but in a spirit of co-operation – then that attitude is called Yajna Spirit.

In the Chinmaya Mission pledge, Pujya Gurudev has introduced Yajna Spirit thus, “Producing more than what we consume and giving more than what we take…”

Wherever people live harmoniously with such an attitude of Yajna Spirit, rain happens. Rain represents all natural phenomena that support life on this planet. Rain represents the smooth and efficient functioning of the cosmos. It means a perfect ecological balance.

Hence the functioning of the cosmos is deeply connected with the way we live our lives.

It is said in Mahabharat, that when Yudhisthira was ruling the kingdom, righteousness prevailed everywhere. Like the King, people were truthful, good-hearted and service-minded. There was no corruption or dishonesty of any kind.

And how did nature respond to this goodness of mankind?

It is said there was no disease of any kind in the kingdom. Natural calamities were unheard of. Seasons changed in perfect order and rhythm. There were perfect rain and perfect shine. The rivers turned perennial and the trees became fruit-yielding throughout the seasons. The rich flora and fauna added beauty to mother earth. There were prosperity and plenty everywhere.

When Pandavas were hiding during the ‘ajnaata vaasa’ – the one year of exile, Duryodhana sent his army in search of Pandavas. Interestingly, the command given by Duryodhana to his armed forces was: “Wherever you find plenty and prosperity, search there intensely. Because wherever this Yudhisthira goes, prosperity just follows his footsteps!”

The Lord in the Bhagavad Gita advises mankind – परस्परम् भावयन्त: श्रेय: परम् अवाप्स्यथ |

(=cherishing each other, may you attain the highest good.)

This is the loving advice of the Lord to all human beings, “May you live in Yajna Spirit. May you worship the cosmic forces by living a life of sacrifice and service. They, in turn, will bless you with material prosperity and spiritual evolution. Thus may you attain the highest good, i.e. liberation from this birth-death cycle.”

On the other hand, the Lord shows great displeasure against people who don’t follow this teaching.

The Lord says: अघायु: इन्द्रियाराम: मोघम् पार्थ स जीवति = Such people who live a sinful and self-centred life steeped in sensuality, indeed they live in vain.

भुञ्जते ते तु अघम् पापा: ये पचन्ति आत्मकारणात् = Those selfish people who ‘cook only for themselves’ verily eat sin!

Coronavirus appears to have emerged from the wrath of the Lord. Let us admit our mistake of living a life unbecoming of human beings.

After the Coronavirus attack, people, throughout the world are adopting the Indian ‘Namaste’ posture! In our culture, we greet each other not by hand-shakes, ‘Hi’s, and hugs, but by saying Namaste.

Namaste means -नम: ते  = prostration unto the Lord in you.

Namaste is a beautiful way of saying, “You are Divine. The Supreme Lord resides in you. Hence you are worshipful. It doesn’t matter what your gender, religion or nationality or even character is. I prostrate to the Divinity in you.”

Lord is none other than the Consciousness in each one of us. Hence all living beings are the different manifestations of the same God. No doubt why the Lord says in the Gita – भूतानामस्मि चेतना = I am the very life principle in all beings.

How great is our culture! A culture that teaches us to respect and revere every living being seeing the one Lord in them! A culture that makes every being a vehicle (Vahana) of gods and goddesses and asks us to love them, protect them and take care of them!

If only we had practised ‘Namaste’ in the true sense of the term, we would not have been seeing these terrible times!

What a contrast! Other cultures see ‘food’ and ‘business’ in all beings and our culture teaches us to see ‘God’ in all beings! How fortunate we are to have taken birth in this holy land of saints and sages that has taught us to see God in all and to love all!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

March 2020

Submit to the will of the Lord and draw a lesson from every event. – Chinmaya

The omniscient Lord knows all. He does what is good for all. Hence the best attitude is the attitude of surrender.

There is a beautiful story in the Quran.

Once, Prophet Moses was addressing the people of Israel. Somebody from the crowd asked, “Who is the most learned man among human beings in the world?”

Moses believed that there was no other man on earth who could possibly compare with him in knowledge. Hence he said, “I am the most learned.”

The Lord cannot stand pride in His devotee. The all-knowing Lord, the Indweller of all, realising that Moses was puffed up with pride, decided to teach him a lesson in humility.

The Lord instructed Moses thus,  “Cross over the river that flows past your house, and meet the fakir who you will find on the other side. Then go with him and do whatever he wishes you to do.”

Moses, obeying the command of the Lord, crossed the river, and soon found the fakir of whom he had been told. He was known as Hazrat Khizr.

 “The Lord told me to come to you and to obey your commands, whatever they might be,” Moses told the fakir.

“That is all very well,” replied the fakir. “But frankly speaking, I am not at all certain that you are worthy enough to receive the teaching the Lord wishes me to give you.”

Moses felt that this was not only untrue but also an insult. Nevertheless, he did not reply angrily.

“The Lord has ordered me to obey you, Hazrat Khizr,” he said, controlling his irritation. “Whatever you command, that I will do. I will not raise any objection.”

“Very well,” said Khizr. “Please do not object, then, to whatever I do.”

Khizr then started to walk along the bank of the river, followed by Moses, and before long they came to a place where some small boats were moored.

“Who owns this boat?” Khizr asked the local people pointing at a boat.

“A very rich man who lives in the city over there,” was the reply.

Khizr pointed to another boat and asked, “And this one?”

“Please do not touch that boat,” he was told. “It belongs to one of the most important men in our city.”

“Who is the owner of this one?” he said as he pointed to yet another.

“You can use that boat if you wish to.” the people said. “It belongs to some poor people who are of no importance.”

On hearing this, Hazrat turned the boat upside down, and stamped on it, with the result that some of its wooden planks were broken.

This seemed like outrageous conduct to Moses.

“Are you in your senses?” He burst out, in spite of himself. “Why should you break a boat, and that too the one belonging to the poor ones! It is indeed a cruel act. You should never have done such a thing.”

“Do you remember your promise?” Khizr asked him. “You told me that you would not object to anything I might do.”

Moses, controlling himself with great difficulty, apologised for his sudden outburst. “Please pardon me, Hazrat,” said Moses. “You are right. I should have said nothing.”

The two men then continued their walk along the river bank and after a mile or so they came to a village in which there was a deserted and half-ruined house. One wall was little more than rubble.

“We must repair this wall,” Khizr said. “I will go and get some water, and we can then mix it with earth and build up the wall.”

This was done, and when the wall was finished it was evening and both of them were tired and hungry. Since the house they had repaired was deserted, no one came to offer them anything to eat or drink, and as a consequence, they lay down to rest and sleep with empty stomachs.

“Hazrat, it was very foolish to repair the wall of a deserted house,” said Moses. “Nobody is going to benefit from this house. We could have chosen a dilapidated house where poor people stay. At least they would have benefitted from our effort. Also, then, they would have offered food and drink to us. But look at us now. We are tired and hungry, and there is no one here who will give us anything.”

The murmuring and complaining went on and on for some time. At last, Hazrat had to break his silence.

He said, “Did I not tell you that you cannot be patient with me?”

Moses became silent. But it was gradually becoming unbearable for him to put up with the seemingly stupid actions of Hazrat.

The journey continued.  On the way they found some boys playing with each other. Hazrat caught hold of one boy and hit him very hard. The boy died on the spot.

Moses could not believe what he saw. This was the limit of his patience. He yelled at Khizr in total disbelief, “What have you done! You have killed an innocent boy ruthlessly! Are you a demon in human form?”

Moses went on lamenting, “O Lord! Is this the holy man You want me to learn from? He is an embodiment of stupidity and cruelty! How can I obey and submit to such a devil? Where have You brought me, O Lord!”

“Leave me and go away,” said Khizr when he had finished. “It is quite evident that you are unfit to be in my company or to receive my teaching.”

This was absolutely agreeable to Moses, for he had seen no purpose whatever in the things that Khizr had done, and had learnt no lessons from them.

Moses decided to part ways.  After packing up, he came to meet Hazrat to bid farewell. He told Hazrat, “I have decided to leave you, Khizr,” he said, “but before I do so, I have a final question to ask you. Please tell me why you did these strange things.”

  “Listen,” said Khizr. “Here are my reasons for doing what I did. I broke the boat that belonged to the poor people because a king with a large army will soon pass through this region. He and his soldiers will take away all the boats except the broken one. The poor ones can easily repair it, and make a great deal of money ferrying the people across the river.

“The wall that we repaired was part of a house that belongs to two little orphan children, and inside the wall, there is hidden a treasure of jewels and gold. This treasure belonged to their righteous father who is no more. The Lord wanted to protect the treasure until these children grow up and become mature. When the children come of age, they will have the house and will find the treasure.

“The boy who was killed had all criminal tendencies latent in him. His parents are great devotees of the Lord. Had he been alive, he would have tortured his parents and would have created a hell of sufferings for the whole village. It was the will of the Lord to eliminate him for the welfare of all. Very soon the Lord is going to bless the devoted parents with a virtuous child.

“Whatever I have done, it was only according to the instruction of the supreme Lord. I do nothing on my own. He commands and I implement it without questioning. Who am I to go against His will? I do what pleases Him, not what pleases me. I am a mere instrument in His hands. Hence I am free from the fear of criticism and insult, guilt or remorse.”

 Khizr became silent.

Moses was filled with deep regret for having misunderstood Hazrat and for having abused such a holy man. With tear-filled eyes, Moses bowed before him in utter humility, and said, “Sir! In my ignorance, I misbehaved with you. I sincerely beg your forgiveness. I am truly grateful to you, for you have humbled the pride in me, and have taught me what true surrender is. Please bless me…”

The ignorant ones say, “Which God? Mine will be done!” The wise say “Thou Lord! Thy will be done!” The former suffer and repent. The latter relax and rejoice.

Let’s surrender. Only then can the omniscient Lord guide us and lead us out from this abode of illusion to the abode of Truth.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

February 2020

The Lord is in our own heart. To deny Him is to deny ourselves. You may leave Him, but He will not leave you.  – Chinmaya

The above quote is something which devotees all over the world belonging to all religions have experienced time and again. The Lord does such ‘Leelas’ that even the hard-core atheists have transformed into His greatest devotees!

This is an incident narrated by a famous cardiac surgeon in Baroda, Dr Shailesh Mehta. Dr Shailesh Mehta is so famous, even to get an appointment with him, one has to wait for at least one month. He cuts at least 10 hearts physically everyday. He has got hundreds of doctors in Ahmedabad, Baroda and Rajkot. He is about 80 years old and he narrated an incident that changed him completely.

On 21^st of Dec, 2008,  a couple walked into his office with a small child of 6 years old girl. Junior doctors had made a report and the child’s heart had a problem. Being a senior doctor, he looked at the file for a moment and he could easily make out that the case was bad. The heart had been completely clogged with blood and nothing could be done about it.

He explained the situation to the parents, “I am very sorry. The situation is quite bad. We have only two options now. One is, to make the child undergo the operation immediately. It is already quite late. But I should warn you that the success rate is only 30%. That means, even if I operate the child, 70% chances are that the child may die on the operation table.”

“But,” continued the doctor with a grim pause, “ if you don’t make her undergo this operation, she will not survive beyond 3 months. It has come to that stage.”

 These words from the doctor were too much for the parents to bear. What could the parents do? They cried their hearts out. Controlling the emotions with great difficulty, the father of the girl said, “Sir, we will take the chance. Please do the operation immediately.”

 The child was admitted to the hospital. The date was fixed. Six days before the operation the child was admitted to a ward for preparatory tests. The mother stayed with the child.

Everyday, the mother would pray and make the child say prayers. She would put Vibhooti (sacred ash) on the child’s forehead and would encourage her to pray sincerely. She would say, “ My dear child! God is with you. There is nothing to worry about. Hold on to Him. His blessings can do wonders. Is there anything that God cannot do? You are safe in His hands…”

This prayer continued everyday. Looking at the cheerfulness of the mother and the child, it appeared that they were more confident of success than even the doctors themselves!!

Finally came the day when the operation was to be performed. All the doctors came to the operation theatre, made all arrangements and waited for Dr Shailesh Mehta, who came in the end, wearing his sterilized coat, cap, mask and gloves.

Everything was ready. Dr Mehta saw the 6 years old on the operation table, lying down. As the doctor looked at her innocent face, a disturbing thought passed by his mind, “Poor girl! Now she appears so cheerful and alive, but by the end of the surgery she may not even survive!”

He just patted on her back to encourage her and said, “ Don’t worry my dear! You will be alright!” The child looked at him and said, “ I am not worried, doctor. But I have a question to ask. May I?”

The doctor replied with a smile, “Sure dear one! what is that which bothers you?”

The child said, “Doctor, everybody is telling me I have to undergo open-heart surgery. Does it mean that you will open my heart completely?”

 The doctor laughed aloud and said encouragingly, “Don’t worry dear! You will never experience the pain. I will give you medicines for it. You will not even know that the operation is being performed. We all are with you. Don’t worry.”

The girl said with a smile, “ Sir, I am not worried. My question is not about pain also. I am confident that my Lord will take care of me. My question is, are you going to open my heart completely? Because my mother keeps telling me every day that God resides in the heart. When you open my heart kindly watch Him carefully; and then when I am all right, describe His nature to me. I want to know how He looks like!”

 The doctor did not know how to respond. He himself was more of a believer in Science than a believer in God. He was not a man who believed in prayers and miracles. Hence, after a moment’s silence, he said okay, just to cheer up the girl.

The operation started. Forty-five minutes passed by. Not even a drop of blood was coming into the heart. The heart-run machine was on, and slowly the pulse rate was coming down. The blood pressure also came down and the doctor knew it was the end of it. It was clear the child would not survive.

He told his junior doctor, “Sorry. We could not save the child. Let’s stitch everything and wind up.”

It was at this time that he remembered what the child had asked.

For Shailesh Mehta, the operation was nothing new. He had been doing this for the last 40-45 years. But those last words of the girl made the doctor extremely emotional. He could not control his tears.

He did something which he otherwise would have never done…

His hands, soaked in blood, folded in prayerful posture as he uttered these words, “God! All my knowledge, all my skills as a doctor have come to an end; and I know I cannot save this child. But the child, her mother and everybody believe that You are in the heart. If You are there, only You can save the child. It is beyond me now…”

Dr Shailesh Mehta was in tears – a rare sight which made other doctors wonder. They knew this doctor as a tough man, as a rational man, never as a man of prayers or tears.

Tears made him unable to see. Dr Mehta asked the nurse next to him to remove his spectacles. The nurse pulled out his spectacle and he wiped his tears. As he remained in silence with closed eyes for a few moments, not knowing what to do, he received a nudge from the doctor next to him, “Sir! Blood has started coming into the heart!”

It was one of the most unbelievable moments in Dr Mehta’s life!

At once the heart machine was switched on and the operation began which continued for the next 4 and a half hours. All the arteries of the heart were cleaned. At the end of the operation, Dr Mehta exclaimed with an unusual sense of fulfilment, “Operation is successful. This child will survive at least 60 years without any problem!”

The family was very happy. They thanked the doctor profusely from the depth of their hearts. Before departing the cheerful girl approached the doctor with great curiosity and asked, “Sir! Did you see God?”

The doctor, with tears trickling down, gave her a tender hug and said, “Dear one! He is not the One to be seen through naked eyes, but the One to be experienced in a humble heart! I could. You too can…”

This incident changed Dr Mehta. Every time he narrated this incident, he would cry bitterly like a child. He would say, “I have become cultured now, and it is this child who has made me cultured.”

Earlier he was so confident of his skills and knowledge. Now he has a picture of God in his operation theatre. Before every operation, he would go and stand before the photograph and would pray, “ I am a small man. With whatever little knowledge and skills I have, I can only try my best. But now I know. It is Your blessings that make all the difference. My humble prostrations to You…”

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

January 2020

All the great Masters have constantly advised seekers to maintain perfect consistency between their thoughts and expressions. – Chinmaya

Intellectual conviction is ‘thought’. Putting it into action and living it is ‘expression’. Knowing is ‘thought’. Doing is ‘expression’.

Consistency is saying what you think, and doing what you say. Hence consistency is to walk the thought and to walk the talk.

Preaching is easy. Practising is always difficult. The path of Truth is compared with the razor’s edge. No wonder why very few are found treading this path.

In the early stages, Mohammad was disliked by the influential Koreish tribe. They sent round word that Mohammad had become mad. Insults were heaped upon Mohammad. Even children ran after him and pelted stones on him.

Abu Talib, Mohammad’s uncle, was an old man. He appealed to Mohammad, “Son! The Koreishites are the strongest tribe. They are dead against you. Why don’t you give up your role as a preacher? Why don’t you become a merchant again?”

Then spoke Mohammad, words wherein lied hidden the fire of a true servant of God, who would not barter with the world, come what may! To his old respected uncle, Mohammad said gently but firmly, “Even if you were to place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, I will not swerve from the Truth. God will teach me to stand by Truth. Yes! Truth at any cost – even if the way is covered with flaming fires! Truth and Truth alone – even if the reward is agony, persecution, prison or the scaffold!”

It needs tremendous courage and strength to walk the path of Truth. And this we gain when we surrender unto the Divine.

Gandhiji, with hard work and God’s grace, gradually blossomed into an outstanding lawyer in South Africa. He had a high reputation for his knowledge of the law, laws of evidence, skills to get at facts, and effective presentation to the court. He enjoyed a high reputation among his professional colleagues. The Courts held him in the highest esteem.

Everyone knew Gandhiji’s loyalty to truth. He would never stand up in Court and plead ‘not guilty’ for a man who he knew to be guilty. If at any time during the proceedings he discovered that he had been misled and the client was really guilty, he never hesitated to give up his case and leave the Court.

Even before deciding whether he should accept a case, Gandhiji thoroughly interrogated the client. In one such case, a man charged with stealing wanted Gandhiji to defend him. When Gandhiji interviewed the accused man and interrogated him closely, very soon the man confessed that he had committed the crime.

“But why did you do it?” asked Gandhiji. “You knew you were stealing, and you knew the penalty. Why then did you do it?”

“I had to live,” replied the man with finality.

“You had to live?” echoed Gandhiji softly. “But why?”

 This reflected Gandhiji’s view of life –  ‘being alive’ is not more important than ‘being truthful’.

Sometimes our own mind, addicted to something lower, justifies the compromise. Here is a classic example of how our own mind cheats us:

Winston Churchill, who was a well-known drunkard, was once asked about his position on whiskey. This was his tactful reply:

“If you mean whiskey, the devil’s brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean that evil drink that topples men and women from the pinnacles of righteous and gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, shame, despair, helplessness, and hopelessness, then, my friend, I am opposed to it with every fibre of my being.”

“However”,

“if by whisky you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the elixir of life, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean good cheer, the stimulating sip that puts a little spring in the step of an elderly gentleman on a frosty morning; if you mean that drink that enables man to magnify his joy, and to forget life’s great tragedies and heartbreaks and sorrow; if you mean that drink the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars each year, that provides tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitifully aged and infirm, to build the finest highways, hospitals, universities, and community colleges in this nation, then my friend, I am absolutely, unequivocally in favour of it.” 

“This is my position, and as always, I refuse to compromise on matters of principle.”

The result? He could never come out of this addiction. He needed drinks even for lunch and for dinner. He died an addict.

When we justify a weakness in us, we hardly come out of it!

There are three types of people in this world: the unintelligent, the moderate and the wise.

The unintelligent people are those who compromise at every step, even for the least material gain. They yield to temptation easily.

The moderate people are those who don’t compromise with values, because they know that to succeed materially one must be credible and trustworthy. Hence they stick to values for a larger material gain.

But the wise ones are those who value only spiritual gain. They are ready to go through any amount of material losses and hardships, but never can they agree to a moral compromise and a subsequent spiritual downfall. 

On his death bed, Tom Smith called his children and advised them to follow his footsteps so that they can have peace of mind in all that they do.

His daughter, Sara, said, “Daddy, It is unfortunate you are dying without a penny in your bank. Other fathers that you tag as “being corrupt, thieves of public funds, etc.” left houses and properties for their children; even this house we live in is a rented apartment. Sorry, I can’t emulate you. Leave us alone. Let’s chart our own course…”

A few moments later, their father breathed his last.

Three years later, Sara went for an interview in a prestigious multinational company. At the interview, the Chairman of the committee asked, “Which Smith are you?”

Sara replied, “I am Sara Smith. My dad Tom Smith is now no more.”

Chairman cuts in, “O my God! You are Tom Smith’s daughter?”

He turned to the other members and said, “This Smith was the one who signed my membership form into the Institute of Administrators and his recommendation earned me where I am today. A man of principles, he was considered the most incorruptible man of his times and was revered by all in the entire department for his honesty and integrity.”

He turned to Sara, “I have no questions for you. Consider yourself as selected for this job. Come tomorrow. Your letter will be waiting for you.”

Sara was stunned! She could hardly believe her ears!

Sara Smith became the Corporate Affairs Manager of the company with two cars with drivers, A duplex attached to the office, and a salary of £1,00,000 per month excluding allowances and other costs.

After two years of working in the company, the MD of the company came from America to announce his intention to resign and needed a replacement. A personality with high integrity was sought after. Again the company’s Consultant nominated Sara Smith. This was beyond her wildest dreams!

In an interview, she was asked the secret of her success. Tears welled up in her eyes as she replied, “My dad paved the way for me. It was only after his death that I came to know of his greatness. He was financially poor, but was stinking rich in integrity, discipline, and honesty. He had nothing, but he gave us everything…”

As she said this, her voice choked.

After a few moments of silence she continued, “On his death bed, I insulted my dad for being an honest man of integrity. But today, when I look back, I must admit that left to myself, I am nothing. Riding on his glory, I achieved everything. Whatever I am is the result of his sacrifice…”

At the end of the interview, she was asked, “Will you follow your father’s foot-steps as he requested?”

Wiping her tears, she answered in a clear, confident tone, “I now adore the man, and he will forever remain a role model for me. To follow his footsteps will be my greatest offering of gratitude unto him. May God bless me with strength in living up to his ideals!”

The one who has known the joy of having a clean conscience will never yield to any materialistic temptations; because the joy of the heart is infinitely more fulfilling than the comfort of the flesh.

No wonder why, with an uncompromising attitude, the great ones, even in the face of death, ever remained true to their Self, their God.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

December 2019

The goal of teaching is to impart to the children the ability to make the right judgments. – Chinmaya

Why teaching is necessary?

The world is a mixture of good and bad, right and wrong. Hence to live in this world, the right knowledge is necessary. The goal of teaching is to impart the right knowledge.

Aparna’s mother one day sent her to the woods to look for mushrooms.

 “Mother,” cried the girl when she returned home, “Today I found some truly beautiful mushrooms! Look at them,” she said, opening her basket, “they are all shining red and purple colour as if embroidered with lovely pearls. There were also some plain mushrooms like the ones you brought home last time, but they seemed so ugly that I left them there.”

“My sweet little girl! Don’t you realize how silly you are?” exclaimed her mother. “The beautiful mushrooms that you brought home today, even if they do seem so brightly coloured and enchanting, are poisonous. The brown ones, instead, which you despised, because of their plain look, are edible and are the best kind. Such is also the case with the things of this world, my dear.”

The world is strange. What appears obvious is often erroneous. What is attractive is often destructive. What is pleasing to the senses is often harmful to the soul. What appears nectarine is often poisonous. Hence right teaching is necessary.

One can teach. But learning is possible only when we are available to learn. The one who is obstinate and stubborn and remains inside his own cocoon of inhibitions, superstitions, or belief-systems can never see the light of truth. 

When Galileo wrote that the sun does not go around the earth as it appears,

but in fact, it is the earth that goes around the sun, he was called by the Pope to his court. Galileo was then old, seventy-five years old, sick and almost on his deathbed.

The Pope asked, “You have to change your book because it goes against the Bible. In the Bible, the statement is that the sun goes around the earth, and we are not ready to listen to any argument. You simply change it; otherwise, death will be your punishment.”

Galileo said, “There is no need for you to take so much trouble to kill me. I am going to die anyway. As far as the book is concerned, I will change it, but I want you to remember that by my changing the book, neither is the earth going to change nor is the sun going to change. The earth will still go around the sun, because they don’t read my book and they don’t care what I write.”

So he cancelled the statement in his book. And in the footnote he wrote, “I am cancelling the statement, knowing perfectly well that it makes no difference. The reality remains the same.”

Our wrong knowledge doesn’t make any difference to the world. But it makes all the difference in our lives.

Nowadays, in schools and colleges, mechanical memorising of facts and figures is considered education. This ability to reproduce the text-book data from the memory to the answer-sheets, and to parrot-like repeat in the exam hall is no knowledge at all.

In the life of one of the British viceroys, Curzon, there is mention of an interesting incident. Curzon had heard that there was a man in Rajputana whose memory was just unbelievable. The man knew only his local dialect, Rajasthani, a dialect of Hindi; he did not know any other language.

He was called to the court of the Viceroy Curzon; a special meeting was arranged. Thirty scholars, knowing thirty languages, were to examine the man and his memory; and all those thirty languages were foreign languages for him.

The arrangement was such that each of those thirty scholars was to deliver one sentence in his own language to the poor villager from Rajasthan. But the sentence was not to be delivered to him in one piece. The villager would go to one person who would give him the first word of his sentence. Then a bell would be rung. Then the villager would move to the next person, who would give him his first word. In this way, he would go round and round. After thirty persons, he would come again to the first person to get the second word of his sentence; and after each word, a big bell would ring to confuse him.

The scholars were not certain that they would be able to remember their whole sentence for the whole time, because it was going to take so much time. They all had their sentences written in front of them, and they were marking off each word they had given. And this man went on and on, round and round, taking their words, and accumulating in his memory the sentences which were given to him in pieces.

After all the scholars had given their sentences, he repeated thirty statements in thirty languages, of which he knew nothing. He knew nothing about what they meant. He was so correct that all the intellectuals were puzzled. Curzon was amazed. He praised the man and rewarded him.

But it was found by talking with his fellow villagers that he was an idiot. Just as far as his memory was concerned, he was simply great, but he was incapable of handling even a simple situation in life. They said, “He is known in our village as `the great intellectual idiot’.”

True education must make us fit to face the world. It must make us capable of making the right decisions amidst problems and challenges.

A Guru and his disciple were travelling in a bullock cart loaded with household items. Before commencing the journey, the Guru, who was sitting in front, instructed the disciple, “Keep a watch on all the things in the cart.” The disciple nodded his head in humble obedience.

Journey started. Sometime later, the Guru, feeling thirsty, asked for the Kamandalu. The disciple replied, “Sir! It fell down on the way. Since you have asked me only to keep a watch on everything, I did not pick it up. I just looked at it!”

The frustrated Guru then said, “Idiot! Now listen. Whatever falls must be picked up irrespective of what it is.”

The journey continued. After some time, the bullocks defecated on the road. The alert obedient disciple immediately stopped the cart, got down, gathered the dung and came running back. He lovingly offered it to his Master. The Guru, looking at his disciple, let out a long sigh of despair. “How to put some sense into this foolish disciple?” He thought.

Soon he found out a solution. Writing a list containing all the items in the cart, the Guru then called the disciple and instructed, “Buddhu! Listen. Only those things which are present in this list should be picked up if it falls.”

The journey again continued. The rhythmic movement of the cart, hot sun, tiredness, long journey and old age – the occasion was conducive for the Guru to take a nap. No sooner did he doze off than he lost the balance and fell off from the moving cart.

The disciple checked the list. The Guru’s name was not there. The cart moved on leaving behind the Guru on the road!!

Educated literate people assuming high offices who ‘stick to the letter but not to the spirit’ have done more harm to the society than the ignorant, illiterate vagabonds!

Sometimes, half-knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge.

Pasha Bhai’s one leg had turned blue. He went to the doctor.

Doctor: “Poison has spread Pasha Bhai. The leg needs to be amputated.”

The operation took place and Pasha Bhai’s one leg was removed.

After a few days, another leg turned blue.

Doctor: “Poison has widely spread. We need to amputate this leg too.”

Now Pasha Bhai had two artificial legs fixed.

After a few days, the artificial leg turned blue too.

Doctor: “Now I understand your problem. Pasha Bhai, your Lungi is leaving colour.”

Sometimes, our likes and dislikes can hamper perfect decision-making.

One professor, seeing the growing habits of drinking among the youngsters, decided to instruct them on the harmful effects of drinking. He went to the classroom with a glass of alcohol, and in front of all the students, put a worm in the glass. In no time, the worm disappeared. Turning to the students, he asked, “What do you understand from this?” One youngster got up and replied, “Sir! If we drink, the stomach will become free of all worms!”

To summarise, education must give us not only the right knowledge but also make us capable of right thinking.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

November 2019

Invoke the Mother to help us annihilate within all negative forces and all weaknesses. – Chinmaya

A mother is an embodiment of love, of compassion, of forbearance, of patience, of forgiveness, of tolerance, and of sacrifice. No wonder why in Hinduism, God is worshipped as Divine Mother during the Navaratri festival.

Pujya Gurudev used to narrate a story.

Monsoon season is in progress. The 5-year-old boy can not contain the excitement of playing in the way-side ditch water. Though he is warned not to play in the dirty water, the temptation appears too much to resist! At last, finding an opportune moment, he escapes the attention of the grown-ups, stealthily enters into the rain-collected muddy water, and fulfils his desire to his heart’s content.

The boy thoroughly enjoys the mud-splashing game with the local slum boys. An hour passes by. When the excitement cools down, his attention turns to his muddy, wet clothes. He visualizes the future consequences of his aquatic adventure – a serious father and a furious mother.

Totally drenched head to toe, with a heart filled with fear and guilt, he reaches back home. Father is absorbed in reading the newspaper sitting in the courtyard. Mustering courage, the boy calls out meekly, “Papa…”

Father, hearing the call, lowers his newspaper and looks out. To his horror, in front of him, he finds his darling child, his apple-of-the-eye, in the filthiest condition.  He removes his specs and stares at the boy for a few seconds. And in those few moments, the boy sees a total transition happening in his father. The otherwise loving figure now becomes stern, fiercely silent, and absolutely unapproachable. In a serious tone, the father now calls out the boy’s mother.

Mother, working in the kitchen, hearing the call, comes out. Seeing her child in that deplorable condition, she becomes a BhadraKali!

She drags the boy into the bathroom through the backside, all the while shouting, “How many times I have told you not to play in that dirty water…” And as the boy cries in protest, she lands some tight slaps on his cheeks. Amidst the boy’s loud weeping and wailing, the mother undresses, him, puts him in a bathtub, applies soap and rubs him and scrubs him.

Bathing is over. The mother wipes her child with the bathing-towel. By then the boy also realizes his mistake, “The fault is mine. My mother is always my well-wisher. She had warned me, but I disobeyed her. I should have been her good child…” The boy becomes silent, obedient and humble.

Seeing her child quiet and repentant, the mother’s heart also melts in love, “Poor child! I have been so harsh to him. It is but natural that children will want to play in the water. How will a poor innocent child know what is good or bad? I should have been more forgiving and compassionate…”

After the bath, the mother puts new clothes on him. Applying face-powder, a black dot is put on the cheek to save the child from ‘evil-eye.’ For being obedient, the mother presents a lolly-pop to her baby and then takes the happy child to his father.

The boy stands behind the father’s chair, not having the courage to come in front. The boy is worried whether he will be accepted by his father. He has not forgotten the serious, unwelcoming face of his father. But the mother persuades him to go near the father.

With all humility, with a tone soaked in confession, with a heart filled with sincere love, he calls with all meekness, “Papa…”

The father turns back and looks at his child. The serious face of the father within a few moments lits up with joy and forgiveness when he finds a totally transformed child.

The father lifts the child, and placing him on the lap, gently kisses him!

This incident happens in every household.

Gurudev then elaborates upon the moral of the story:

Child playing in the dirty water:

This is our story. Turning away from our father and mother (the supreme Lord), we enter into extroverted activities, indulging in all worldly pursuits and sense pleasures. Thus our mind becomes dirty, filled with ahankara-mamakara, kama-krodha and raga-dvesha.

Child rejected by the father:

With such an impure mind filled with worldly vasanas, when we sit for meditation and chant, “ Aham Brahmaasmi, I am Brahman”, we don’t experience anything! True, Brahman is our own nature, but with a mind possessing all evil traits, we are denied entry into the kingdom of our own ‘heavenly Father’.

Father commands the mother:

In Bhagavad Geeta, Brahman is compared with the father principle and Maya/Prakrti is compared with the mother principle. It is said: Brahman, the Pure Consciousness, does not do anything. In His presence, empowered by Him, the Prakruti, the power of Maya, does everything.

Mother Nature takes over to correct and guide us, her erring children.

Mother cleans the child:

Mother Nature, through various ups and downs in life – heat-cold, joy-sorrow, honor-dishonor, profit-loss, pain-gain, purifies us. Like that child, we also protest, but the cleaning continues. We may complain and grumble, protest and murmur, but Mother Nature turns a deaf ear to all our ‘Why me?’-s. She is a tough Task-Mistress. She will not let us leave until we have learnt our lessons!

Sufferings teach us wonderful lessons in life. Sufferings make us humble, sensitive, introspective, grateful and make us God-dependent. It makes us fit to deserve liberation. This is the blessings of Mother Durga – to clean us of all inner impurities through measured doses of timely sufferings.

Introspection makes us learn one of the greatest lessons in life – ‘I alone am the cause of all my suffering.’ We realise that reforming oneself is the only way to peace and happiness. Life then takes a U-turn; grumbling stops and inner-refinement begins. We work on ourselves. We become a sadhaka, a spiritual seeker.

 The child gets good clothes, the mother’s love, and lolly-pop:

As we try to improve the quality of our thoughts, something wonderful starts happening in us and around us. We experience tremendous peace because of our noble thoughts. Through such a beautiful mind, we perceive a beautiful world. And then we start creating a beautiful world around us through our noble thoughts, words, and actions. Goodness within attracts goodness without. This is the blessings of Mother Lakshmi – Goddess of material prosperity and divine virtues.

Mother takes the child to the father:

An intense desire to be one with God comes spontaneously to a refined mind. Understanding our need, Mother Nature blesses us with the opportunity to attend Satsang and to listen to the scriptures through mahatmas. The sincere seeker gets a Guru. This is the blessing of Mother Saraswati – the Goddess of knowledge.

The child calls, “Papa”:

With such a purified mind, with all humility, respect, reverence, surrender, and love, we contemplate upon the meaning of the Mahavakyas, the Upanishadic statement “I am Brahman.”

The father lifts the boy, places the boy on his lap and kisses him:

We realise our oneness with Brahman. The delusory world ceases, the illusory ego disappears, the birth-death journey ends, and we become one with our Creator.   

In the end what remains is only gratitude to the Divine Mother, who pulled us out from the filthiest worldly ditch, and made us one with Brahman.

 To that Mother, our humble prostrations!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

October 2019

Education in a country must help to rebuild the character of its people. – Chinmaya

What can be called perfect education?

Swami Vivekananda defines education thus, “Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man.” True education makes a person aware of the glory of the Self, and thus instils self-confidence and self-respect.

What happens when education stoops down to a mere bread-winning money-making education? Education without values makes a man a ‘cleverer devil’. An instance is discussed below:

Researches conducted all over the country say that surgeries taking place in the hospitals have increased multiple-fold. The reason?

A senior orthopaedic surgeon in a corporate hospital explained the reason behind this unsettling trend: “The doctors have a quota to meet every month. Hence they see patients as potential candidates on our operating table. It is the easiest and safest way to make quick money. Many of these surgeries don’t involve too many risks, while at the same time fetch more revenue for the hospitals. Hence the doctors create fear in the patients by describing all the dangerous consequences if not operated; thus they compel them to undergo various tests and surgeries.”  

A doctor said he was suspended by the hospital administration for having only a 10% ‘conversion rate’ – referring to the number of patients who were advised to undergo surgery. Hospital authorities force the doctors for operation, because, for a Rs 2 lakh surgery the doctor probably gets Rs 25,000, while the rest goes to the hospital.

Theodore Roosevelt has rightly said, “A man who has never gone to school may steal from a railway wagon; but if he has a university education, he may loot the entire railway department!”

Corrupt police officers, power-hungry politicians, spineless I.A.S officers, unjust lawyers, money-minded doctors, food-adulterating farmers…  – Education without focussing on the character can ruin the entire nation.   

Regarding education, Gandhiji rightly points out, “University education has served its purpose only when it turns out true servants of people.”

True education makes a person the master of his mind and the senses. Such a person becomes a man of character.

Two men, an American and an Indian, were sitting in a bar and discussing their family problems.

The Indian man said to the American, “We have a problem in India. We can’t marry the one whom we love. My parents are forcing me for arranged-marriage – to get married to this so-called homely girl from a village whom I haven’t even met once. I don’t want to marry a woman whom I don’t love. I told them this openly and now we have a lot of family problems.”

The American said, “In America, we can marry the one whom we love. I’ll tell you my story. I married a widow whom I deeply loved and dated for 3 years. After a couple of years, my father fell in love with my step-daughter and married her, so my father became my son-in-law and I became my father’s father-in-law. Legally now my daughter is my mother and my wife my grandmother. More problems occurred when I had a son. My son is my father’s brother and so he is my uncle.

“Situations turned worse when my father had a son. Now my father’s son, my brother is my grandson. Ultimately, I have become my own grandfather and I am my own grandson. And you say you have family problems!!”

The Indian fainted!

Education without character-building can only bring out lettered but uncultured, informed but unrefined, schooled but uncivilized, literate idiots and educated sense-slaves.

Once a Britisher asked Swami Vivekananda “Why can’t you wear pants, shirt, and tie and look like a gentleman.” Swami Vivekanand smiled and said:  “In your culture, a tailor makes a gentleman; but, in ours, the character makes a gentleman.”

What happens when education becomes a mere information-gathering, mugging-up business? Here is an e-mail letter written by a software engineer settled in the USA to his friends when he was asked to visit his home town in India:

“I lived in Trichy for 22 whole years. But I don’t have any bonding with my native town. For 22 years, I have been with my parents. But I don’t have any sweet memories of them. My father has always planned to make me an engineer. He even planned it right before my LKG.

Studying in the school, studying in the tuition centre, and then studying at home – these are the only memories of my childhood that I carry around. Even on summer holidays, there is no fun or play; even for festivals like Pongal and Diwali, there’s no celebration; its only study.

“Mine was a private school. It was ranked the best for squeezing my childhood into marks. People would stand in queues even to get admission. There’s no way the school authorities would let me laugh or play. It’s just study, study, and study. The school’s prestige and popularity depended on our marks. Hence there was constant pressure from the teachers and the school management. Even in that study, the only thing they taught me was to cram and to mug up, to xerox the whole text with my memory and to write on the exam papers.

“Now, after finishing my graduation, getting employed in America and living here for long, Trichy has become a strange city to me. I can’t stay for more than a day in it.

I have no love for my parents. For 22 years, though I had been with them, we never had any general discussions. They only frightened me with their fears of studies and my future. Even now, they frighten me with questions like, how much I earn and what are my savings plan. They are asking me to live their life. How do you expect me to come to a city which has given me only pains and fears, and robbed my childhood in the name of studies?”

It is so well said, “Educating the head without educating the heart is no education at all.”

When the atom-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Albert Einstein could not sleep the whole night; for days his nights were disturbed. He could not sleep, he could not rest; he was terribly disturbed.

He had been instrumental in creating the atom-bomb. It was he who wrote the letter to the President of America saying that the atom-bomb was possible. But he never thought of the consequences of releasing this powerful information to the politicians. He never could imagine that his knowledge of atomic power will be used in bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where thousands of people, innocent civilians, would be burned within seconds, for no fault of their own.

Strange but true, today we are living in an age where guided missiles are in the hands of misguided people!

Just before Einstein died somebody asked him, “If you are born again, what would you like to be? A great mathematician again, a great physicist, a great scientist?”
He is reported to have said, “No, never! Rather, I would like to be a plumber. But now it is too late…”

No wonder why spiritual stalwarts like Tapovanam Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa left schooling at a very early stage, even against their parents’ wishes!

According to Rabindranath Tagore, “ The highest education is that which does not merely give us information, but makes our life in harmony with all existence.”

Let’s summerise and conclude with a quote from Swami Vivekananda:

“All power is within us. We can do anything and everything. We want that man-making education by which character is formed, the strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. Educate and raise the masses. Then alone a nation is possible.”

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