Chintana

February 2013

To derive a sense of lasting joy, give the mind a new direction. Change the direction of your thoughts; make them divine. – Chinmaya

Man is constantly seeking lasting joy – beyond the sky, beneath the ocean, within the earth, within the atom… But alas, nowhere is lasting joy found.

The one who has searched everywhere, has experimented with everything life can offer, and has been disappointed completely, is considered the fit student of spirituality, says Mundakopanishad. The world can allure him no more, as this matured seeker of Truth comes to these following conclusions about the pleasures that life can promise:

1) Worldly joy is uncertain:

This is so because the results are uncertain. The one who depends on the results for happiness will surely have to go through fear, anxiety, worry, stress etc. If you connect happiness with something uncertain, your happiness also becomes uncertain, says the laws of nature!

2) Worldly joy is finite:

What we seek is infinite happiness.

3) Worldly joy is impermanent: Even if we gain the object of desire, the happiness can last as long as the sense object remains in contact with the senses. Both of them being impermanent, the happiness derived cannot be the reverse.

4) Worldly joy drains out the physical vitalities:

No gain, no pain. For every pleasure enjoyed, there is a price to be paid in terms of weakened body and the senses.

5) Worldly joy makes us a slave of the mind:

Every time one goes through indulgence, the vasanas become strong. The cravings of the mind increase. A mind filled with intense cravings compels us to yield to all temptations.

6) Worldly joy makes the intellect dull and inefficient:

Intellect is the faculty which helps us take the right decisions in life. Intense attachments cloud the intellect, making us incapable of discriminating between right and wrong.

7) The belief that joy comes from the world is a myth:

True, though difficult to accept! When we get what we desired, the anxious, worrying, doubting mind becomes quiet. The happiness is experienced, not because of object, but because of the quietened mind! The source of joy is not the outer world but our own mind. Once a person comes to this conclusion in life, the extroverted worldly man in him dies, and the inward-looking spiritual seeker is born.

This story is about a silent sage, Tinnai Swami, an ardent devotee of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. His birth centenary was observed recently on 12-12-2012.

Sri Tinnai Swami was born in Coimbatore on 12th December 1912 in a family of lawyers and doctors belonging to a Telugu Brahmin community. As a young man, he was employed as a biochemist in Madras Medical College, during which time he married and had four children.

In the mid– 1940’s, he came to Tiruvannamalai on three occasions to have darshan of Bhagavan.

One day, he approached Sri Bhagavan and asked permission to leave for Pondicherry to apply for a job, to which Bhagavan replied, “Iru”(Stay/Wait/Be).

Sri Tinnai Swami obeyed both colloquial meaning (i.e Stay) and the literal meaning (Be) of the word uttered by Bhagavan. From that moment till his death, for more than five decades, he never left his place in Tiruvannamalai, and remained firmly fixed in the eternal state of Self-abidance.

Sri Tinnai Swami’s inward transformation was reflected in a complete transformation in his outward life. He remained away from the eyes of the public. He seldom spoke, and when he did his words were usually enigmatic, often allegorical, and at times, appeared meaningless. He neglected his appearance, allowing his hair to grow long and matted. He lived by begging his food, usually just one meal a day,and sometimes not even that.

His finger and toenails grew long, thickened and curled, which grew back into the flesh, causing bleeding and obviously painful wounds which were sometimes invaded by the small red variety of ants, whose bite stings sharply. From the occasional words, he uttered it was clear that he knew many things, including things which he had no means of knowing through the usual channel of the five senses, but he was simply unaffected and untouched by anything.

Towards the end of 1985, Sri Tinnai Swami lost his eye-sight, apparently due to cataract, but he never allowed the doctors to check his eyes. He remained unaffected by and totally unconcerned with the failing strength and health of his body. His state remained unshakable as ever.

Finally, a few days before his 91st birthday, on Deepam Day, 6^th December 2003, he left his body as quietly as he had lived in it, in the early hours of the morning when everyone in the compound was asleep.

In the eyes of the world, which attaches importance only to doing, there may appear to be little greatness in the extraordinary life of Sri TinnaiSwami. He did not speak, write or teach anything, nor did he perform any other “useful” function.

But whether we are able to recognize it or not, his mere being was a great blessing bestowed upon the whole world by Sri Bhagavan, the effect of which cannot be known or measured by our finite intellects.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

January 2013

Silence heals; silence soothes; silence comforts; silence purifies; silence revitalizes us. – J. P. Vaswani

All goodness and auspiciousness in nature express as silence.

Sun rises in silence. Bodily organs function in silence. Flowers bloom in silence. Beings evolve amidst the marching seasons in silence. Mother Nature’s love pours out in silence. The sick recuperate in silence. The bereaved recover in silence. The ignorant rejuvenates in the sleepy depths of silence…

An intellect free of doubts is silent. A heart soaked in love and gratitude is silent. A devotee surrendered totally unto the Lord becomes silent. A meditator merged in the non-dual Self becomes silent…

All love silence. Why? The above quote gives the answer. But again, why is it that silence alone has the ability to heal us, energize us? It is because in silence we are closest to our real nature – the Self, the ultimate Truth.

Self is of the nature of supreme peace and happiness, because in It there is no ‘otherness’. The Upanishads say, ‘The fear comes from the other’.

Silence implies no-otherness. The moment the ‘other’ comes, there is noise and disharmony.

A lady went to a Mahatma and complained, “Swamiji, there is no peace at home. My husband argues, fights and ultimately beats me up.” The Mahatma gave her a bottle of water. The lady inquired, “Swamiji, when should I give it to him?”

The saint said, “It is not for him; it is for you. Whenever he argues, fill your mouth with this water. All problems will be solved!”

One among the 24 gurus for Lord Dattatreya is a maiden. Once, a family came to visit her, seeking her hand in marriage for their son. As she was alone at home at that time, and the guests had to be entertained with refreshments, she at once started husking the paddy, pounding the food grains with a pestle etc. The bangles on her hand started knocking against each other creating too much of jingling noise. The wise girl reflected thus: “The party will detect, by the noise of the bangles, that I am husking the paddy myself, and that my family is too poor to engage others to get the work done.”

Removing all the bangles except one in each hand, she was able to finish her job quietly.

Just as a single hand cannot clap, so too the Self alone does not create noise. Someone else is also necessary. That someone else is our superhero – the Ego, an illusion born of ignorance.

The ego, in the guise of the Self, arrogates that it knows everything, that it does everything!

An elephant was crossing over a bridge. The bridge started shaking under his weight. A fly was sitting on his trunk. When they both got to the other side, the fly said, “Son! We really shook that bridge.”

The elephant said, “Sweetie! Until you spoke I didn’t even know you existed.”

Destroy the noisy illusory ego, to experience the silent real Self. But how to destroy the ego? Destroy the mind, the ego is destroyed. And how to destroy the mind? Watch the mind, and the mind vanishes – so says Ramana Maharshi in Upadesha Sara.

In the life of Baal Shem, a great mystic, there is an incident. He used to go towards the river in the middle of the night, just to be alone with himself. On the river bank was a rich man’s mansion, and the watchman there was puzzled about this man, Baal Shem. Every night, exactly as the tower bell was tolling twelve, Baal Shem would appear out of the darkness.

The poor watchman could not contain the temptation. “Why do you come here every night and sit next to the river in the darkness? What is the purpose of it?” He enquired once.

Rather than answering him, Baal Shem asked, “What do you do?” He said, “I am a watchman.”

Baal Shem said, “Me too. The only difference is, while you watch somebody else’s house, I watch my own!”

As we watch our mind, a great secret is revealed to us – that this noisy mind is nothing but a mind full of thoughts; and the root of all thoughts is the ego, the subtlest thought. As the watching becomes more intense, another secret gets revealed – that the thoughts vanish when observed without identification. Once thus the ego is burnt in the fire of intense observation and washed off in the tears of devotion, the mind becomes silent. The silent mind uncovers the pure Consciousness – the Truth Absolute, of the nature of peace, joy and contentment –which is our own true nature.

Such Silent Ones alone know that Silence – the Silence of the Self Divine – the Presence that presides over even the dead silence of the burial grounds – the resting grounds of the silent ones.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

December 2012

Every sunrise is a message from God and every sunset is His signature. – Chinmaya

The above quote will make no sense to the modern man buried in his iPods and iPads, the internet and the mobile phones, busy with his career, business, or the stock markets… He has no time even to look at the sun! Being with the machines, he has become another machine, devoid of all noble emotions and feelings…

Let’s come out of the rat race, at least a few moments in a day, and watch this majestic cosmic happening in the infinite expanse of the sky.

What message does the sun bring along with it? Well, when we start pondering, the list appears unending!

The rising and setting sun serves as a reminder that the Lord is in full control of His creation – whether it is the heart’s beating or the sun’s heating. The message is clear: Why fear when God is here?

How to live life? Learn from the sun. It goes on burning itself down silently for the welfare of all, nourishing all with its heat and light. Lead a silent life of sacrifice and service, dedicating your entire God-given talents in the wellbeing of all.

The rising sun and the setting sun – both look exactly alike! No one can make the difference if asked to identify from a photograph. Always remain equanimous amidst the pairs of opposites ( like the joys and sorrows etc).

Every sunrise is fresh and new – no decrease in the brightness or temperature despite burning for millions of years! The exhaustion of the past is not carried forward to the present! Learn from the past but don’t live in it. Face life every day with a fresh mind without polluting it with the past regrets or future anxieties.

The sunlight waits outside a shut window or a closed door, making itself ever available to brighten up the dark room, but never forces its way in. Let us not force our opinion on others, but let us be ever available to serve.

Sun is self-effulgent. So too, the Self in us, the pure Consciousness, is that light of awareness because of which everything else is known, including our body and the mind. Hold on to God, the Pure Consciousness in us.

 In the presence of the sun, everything happens, but the sun ever remains detached from all these happenings. Serve all maintaining a healthy detachment from all.

Even when ignored by all, or disbelieved by the blind, the sunlight falls equally upon all without any discrimination. Love everyone unconditionally based on the vision of oneness.

The sun, a little closer, and we are burnt to death; a little away and we are frozen to death! Avoid all extremes. Follow the middle path. Be moderate in food, sleep etc.

Close the eyes – the sun becomes invisible. Press the eyeballs – the sun becomes double! The Truth, though self-evident remains ungraspable to the crooked minds. I am the one to be changed, not the world.

The rising or the setting of the sun is never doubted. Be consistent, and you become trustworthy.

The sun ever remains contented, not depending upon anyone for anything. Be a Master of all situations by ever remaining contented in the Self.

The sun’s rising and setting reminds us of the fleeting time. Time is precious. Never waste it.

A retreating sun? Never! With an understanding clear and the intentions noble, march ahead, unmindful of the criticisms and abuses en route; not a step backwards!

There are no two suns. You are unique and special in the whole cosmos. You are irreplaceable.

The sun rises and lo! The darkness disappears. So too with knowledge and ignorance. Attain Self-knowledge, the only solution to all sufferings born of ignorance.

To form the rain-clouds, the sun takes only the water-vapour from the ocean and leaves the salt behind. Pay attention to the goodness in others; ignore their weaknesses.

The sun serves us even in its absence in the night by making the moon a reflecting medium. Where there is a will, there is a way!

The sun’s hot rays of discipline and cool rays (through moon) of love – both are necessary for our growth and nourishment. Rich in love, strict in discipline – they form the rules in Parenting.

The stars boast of their brilliance only in the night. But with the rising sun, they fade away and disappear like the valour of the cowards. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

When difficulties and failures make our minds sway, have a look at the passing sun and say – Even this will pass away!

In life, every moment contains His message with His signature. The purpose of life is served once the message is decoded and the Messenger is identified. Then alone the Signatory is recognized!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

November 2012

Watch in others for weaknesses which you should guard against in yourselves. – Chinmaya

All of us, without exception, have been blessed with one great ability in abundance; and that is to find fault with others!

Why not use this ‘God-given talent’ creatively?

The above quote shows us the way.

Why is it that we generally show greater interest in others’ weaknesses than in their goodness? It is because our egos find great joy in proving themselves better than all others around. ‘Either lift oneself high or pull others down’ is the way of the ego. The latter being the easier and the cheaper way, the ego derives its sense of satisfaction by probing into the negativities in others.

This story is of the time when Sheikh Sadi, a famous Persian poet and a great saint, was studying in a school. He was a bright and meritorious student. Anything taught by the teacher would form part of his permanent memory. He would even cram the meanings of the tough words of the Hadis (the traditional sayings of Prophet Mohammed) very easily. His extraordinary capabilities caused jealousy for him among his classmates, which he was very well aware of.

One day Sadi went to his teacher and said, “Sir, some of the classmates are jealous of me. Will they be liable to go to Hell for this?”

The teacher looked at his student carefully and said, “Sadi, you too are committing a crime of complaining against them. This act of yours will cause you also to go to Hell!”

The moment we touch filth, our hands become dirty! So too, the moment we contemplate upon the evil traits in others, we find our minds getting disturbed.

Any mental agitation is an indication that we are going astray from the path of righteousness. It indicates the Lord’s displeasure. He has created us to live in love and harmony with each other. Fault-finding will only lead to mutual hatred. In Gurudev’s words, “When the fault becomes thick, love becomes thin!”

If we develop a lovable nature in ourselves, it becomes very easy to deal even with uncultured people and handle difficult situations.

There is an incident mentioned in the life of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (Indian educationalist, the founder of Banaras Hindu University – the largest residential university in Asia, notable freedom fighter and who also had been the President of Indian National Congress for many years).

Once some university students went to the bank of river Ganga. They went berserk after climbing into the boat and as a result, damaged it badly. In great distress, the boatman came running to the residence of Malaviyaji. Boiling with anger the boatman began shouting at the top of his voice, “You have formed a band of hooligans…”

Malaviyaji, hearing the noise outside, came out of his room. When he learned that the students had damaged the boat of the boatman, he stood before him with folded hands in all humility and said, “Brother, with deepest regrets, I seek forgiveness for all that has happened. I am ready to take any punishment for whatever loss my students have caused you. I shall in no time arrange to have your boat mended.”

The boatman was greatly embarrassed to see a great personage like Malaviya ji behaving in so humble a manner. He began begging for his forgiveness and said, “I am extremely sorry sir! I had lost control over my tongue due to anger. Please forgive me. I shall have my boat mended myself.”

The one who ever remains alert guarding the inner purity, detects and rejects the outer impurities with ease.

Someone once wrote an abusing letter to Mahatma Gandhiji which ran into many pages. Gandhiji went through the letter, kept the paper-clip, and threw away the letter to the dustbin. To those present there watching this, he said with a smile, “In life too, we must learn to retain the useful and reject the worthless!”

Many times we get disturbed and irritated seeing the uncultured behaviour of others. But let us not forget that once upon a time we were also like them!

It takes millions of births for anyone, to graduate from the animal kingdom and attain the saintly status of Godly Perfection. Going up the ladder of evolution is always slow and steady. Like the foetus in the womb, every being takes its own time to emerge out of its sheaths of selfish imperfections. No haste is ever observed in nature.

This being the case, when we see the imperfections in others, let us be reminded of our unrefined pasts in all our previous lives. Let us, time and again, bring into our minds how others too, in their magnanimity, had put up with our imperfections silently, forgiving and forgetting our ungrateful moods and unethical motives.

In one of the favourite Bible stories, Jesus saves a prostitute, Mary Magdalene, from being stoned to death. Jesus says, “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” All leave, because in the heart of hearts they knew that none was clean!

Bumps and pot-holes are but part of any ride; so too the uncultured and the unrefined, the careless and the inadvertent, the arrogant and the boisterous in the journey of life. None can avoid them. Let us equip ourselves with solid shock absorbers – of forgiveness and compassion – and thus make each moment of life’s journey pleasant and memorable.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

October 2012

The only private treasure we can really possess in this world is our own thoughts within. It is a sacred sanctum and none can invade it.
– Chinmaya

Do you often find yourself complaining and grumbling over everything that is going around in the world – the Government, the roads, the police, the in-laws, the neighbours, the traffic, the politicians, the irresponsible public? Do you often point fingers at others trying to correct them? Do you consider yourself a ‘Mr Perfect’ living in an imperfect society…? In short, do you think that the root cause of all your sufferings is someone/something outside and thus do you hold them responsible for all your miseries?

The above quote asks us to stop complaining and own up the entire responsibility. Master the laws of life to be a master in life.

And a simple inviolable law of life says –You get what you deserve. What happens to us depends on what happens within us. Take care of the ‘inner’, and the ‘outer’ is taken care of automatically. What we think day and night becomes manifest in the outer world. The inner thoughts and outer happenings are intimately connected.

When Abraham Lincoln was a small boy, he husked corn for three days so that he could earn a little money, to pay for the second-hand copy of ‘The Life of Washington’. He read the book avidly and said to a woman he knew, Mrs Crawford by name, “I don’t always intend to do this you know – delve, grub, husk corn, split rails and the like…”

“What do you want to be then?” asked Mrs Crawford.

“I shall be the President,” announced Abraham Lincoln. “I shall study and get ready, and the chance will come.”

The chance came and Abraham was ready to take on the most powerful position in the land!

It is well said, while the winners make goals, the losers make excuses!

The Lord has given us complete freedom in choosing the model we want to make of ourselves. Our mind is the sacred sanctum where every model is designed – devil or divine. Choose the thoughts and you choose your model!

Girish and Ramesh were neighbours. Both men had salon shops, which conducted brisk business. But the competition between them was healthy, and each one was good at his work.

One week, Girish found that there was a large increase in customers in his shop. He learnt that his competitor was ill, and had shut down his shop for one week. Girish worked every day till late night during that week and made a lot of money, over and above his usual intake.

On Sunday, he put on his best suit. He took all the money he had made during the overtime hours that week and put it in an envelope. He visited Ramesh, who was convalescing at home. “There is a little present for you, Ramesh,” he said, handing over the envelope to his competitor. “Get well soon, I miss you!” With a bright smile and a warm handshake, he was gone.

The wise convert every situation to their advantage with the right choice of thoughts.

Miners all over the world use Davy’s Safety Lamp when they descend into the dark and deep mineshafts to carry out their work of digging for coal or other minerals. Dangerous inflammable gases are found in the depths of the earth, and there is constant danger of fire, which could prove fatal underground. Therefore, ordinary lamps cannot be used in the mines.

The man who invented the safety lamp was Sir Humphrey Davy. He had to work hard for several years, before his experiments led him to design the lamp, which would not set fire to the gases in the mineshaft. The Safety Lamp was thus a great boon and blessing to the miners.

Davy could have made a fortune out of his unique invention. But he did not do so. His valuable work was offered freely to the miners. When friends urged him not to lose the opportunity to make money out of his invention, Davy’s reply was categorical, “It was not my intention to gain fame or make a fortune out of my work,” he said. “I don’t think these things can give me happiness. But I did want to help the poor men who work in the mines. My lamp will make life just easier for them, and this gives me the greatest satisfaction.”

Little wonder then, that Sir Humphrey Davy is remembered today as a great scientist, a benefactor of humanity.

 Selfless, noble thoughts, when entertained, instantly bless us with deep satisfaction and fulfilment, while the evil, ignoble thoughts make us exhausted and disturbed. If such a choice be available, why not sow in abundance the thought-seeds of love, purity, kindness and all goodness in our barren hearts, and thus reap a rich harvest of the choicest blessings from the garden of life?

But it is easily said than done. The treasure of perfect life can become ours only when the right key is employed i.e. the key of constant alertness and strict vigilance over the thoughts entertained within the sacred sanctum of our hearts.

Own the key, and you own your uninvadable private treasure, says the quote.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

September 2012

Contentment in anything that reaches him accidentally, unasked and unexpected should be the motto of all serious seekers of inward growth. – Chinmaya

The word ‘contentment’ has been misunderstood and misused quite often.

The lazy reinterpret their sluggishness as ‘contentment’… the weak one’s ‘contentment’ comes out of helplessness… the poor appear ‘content’ as they can’t afford the luxuries of the rich… for the coward ‘contentment’ is an excellent means to escape challenges… the old man’s ‘contentment’ is born out of the incapable worn-out body…!

All speak of contentment but none are content!

Men of Self-knowledge alone can be truly contented. Rest all pose as content, hiding their inner hollowness. A little temptation, and lo! – The truth is out.

The growth ‘within’ expresses as contentment without, says the above quote.

In fact all noble virtues like love, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, humility, peace, contentment etc. are byproducts, born out of the right understanding of ourselves.

Once the President of India, Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan had gone to London to participate in World Peace Meeting. There, a British Minister asked him, “Why is it that India has not developed like the Western countries in the world?”

 Dr Radhakrishnan replied, “It is true that people in the Western countries have learnt to swim like fish and fly like birds. They are dreaming of settling down on other planets of the universe, and they have been successful to quite an extent in their endeavour. But what they have not been able to learn is how to live in peace and harmony on this planet of human beings. Whereas India, which has given the message of peace and harmony to the entire world since time immemorial, is still capable of inspiring the whole world to be loving, kind-hearted and humane.”

Being rich doesn’t mean having greater possessions, but in having fewer wants.

As rightly said, “Contentment is a pearl of great value. Whoever procures it at the expense of thousands of desires makes a wise and happy purchase!”

Being at ease with oneself and with everything that happens around in life is the sign of the content.

The famous Greek philosopher, Socrates once arrived in a city. There he met an old wise man. Both talked to each other for some time and became friendly. Socrates took a lot of interest in his personal life and discussed things openly with him.

Socrates expressed satisfaction and said, “You have had a grand past life. But how is your present life?”

The old man smiled and said, “I am free from all worries after having handed over all the responsibilities of the family to my capable sons. I do whatever they ask me to do, I eat whatever they give me to eat and pass my time happily playing around with my grand-sons and grand-daughters. I don’t say anything even if my children make some mistake. I never cause any kind of hindrance in their way.

“Still if they come to me for a piece of elderly advice, I give an account of my life long experience, alert them against the bad consequences of any mistake committed by them. Whether they follow my advice or do not, or to what extent they adhere to my advice, is not my headache. I do not insist that they follow my instructions. I am not bothered if they make a mistake even after my experiential advice, and if they come to me again for a piece of advice, my doors are always open.”

Socrates became very happy to hear that wise old man speak thus. He said, “You have understood well as to how to live successfully and happily at your age in a world where everyone is chasing happiness not knowing that happiness is right at our heels!”

Discontentment expresses itself as ‘I want’. Every ‘want’ is backed by the imperfect, egoistic ‘I’. In fact, every ‘want’ originates from this false ‘I’. Hence the only way to get rid of all ‘wants’ is to get rid of this illusory ‘I’.

Q: Now, why do we call ‘I’ as false, illusory etc.?

A: It is because the ‘I’ that we know now is only a wrong notion in the mind, born out of the identification with the body-mind complex. (Proof? When the mind is gone, the ‘I’ is also gone, as in deep sleep.) Due to this identification, all the imperfections of the body-mind appear to be present in the real ‘I’, the Self.

Q: What is the nature of the real ‘I’?

A: The Self is infinite and complete, ever perfect, ever secure. There is nothing lacking in it. It is of the nature of pure Consciousness or Awareness which can ever be experienced as the witness of everything that is happening within and without, as the very Knowing Principle in me. It is the real ‘me’, free from all limitations. Not knowing myself is called Self-ignorance – the cause of all discontentment.

Q: How to get rid of this false ‘I’?

A: Through enquiry. Pay attention to this Awareness, instead of getting caught up in what happens in Awareness. The illusory drama of life and death, which are nothing but thought modifications, goes on only because the substratum, i.e. the Awareness, has been ignored.

The one who has known this Awareness as one’s own true Self remains in a state of Being, free from all wrong notions about oneself, perfectly contented – like a turtle, at ease within one’s own shell!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

August 2012

Effectiveness of Japa to a large extent depends upon the spirit of surrender with which the seeker is practising it. – Chinmaya

Among all Yogas, the Japa Yoga has been the greatest attraction for the lazy, easy-going seekers of all ages as it promises great results with almost no effort from the part of the sadhakas.

There appears to be no condition in this Yoga. It is widely believed that one may chant the name wrongly, or even mechanically, at any time, in any place, with or without faith, with or without interest – but results are guaranteed… no consistency, no commitment needed… like the man who gets cleaned up and freshened up even if he accidentally falls in a river – so too with unintentional chanting … like Ajaamila, who attained the Supreme in his death bed while calling his son named Narayana…!

The beginners in spirituality get allured by these promises and take up Japa Yoga all at once. Result? Even after years of their half-hearted chanting, they remain where they were without any fragrance of inner-awakening, without an iota of progress.

The bead rolls, the tongue rolls, the mind also rolls, says Kabir!

The above quote targets such immature seekers. The message is clear and simple – there is a price to be paid to attain anything great. Nothing comes free.

Japa Yoga too, like all other Yogas, demands from the seeker the greatest of all prices – the price of self-surrender.

This story is about a lady whose mention comes in the list of devotees who were associated with Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Her name is Aghoremani Devi. She was born in a Brahmin family in 1822 at Kamarhati, a northern suburb of Calcutta.

She got married at the age of nine, but soon became a widow, poor and illiterate, at the age of fourteen, never meeting the husband even once after the marriage. However, she was initiated into spiritual life by her husband’s family guru and, with the child Krishna as her chosen deity, she was given the Gopala mantra.

Aghoremani rose at two o’clock in the morning and did her japa till eight o’clock, and after her daily chores, again continued with her sadhana from evening till midnight. She followed this routine daily for over thirty years – from 1852 to 1883. Very soon she was blessed with a continuous vision of Gopala, the baby Krishna of around 10 months of age. The boy would come while she chanted, sit on her lap, snatch her beads away, dishevel her hair, climb on her shoulders or ask for butter to eat. Then she had to feed Him, clothe Him, carry Him and even put to sleep.

It was Sri Ramakrishna who recognized her spiritual greatness when he said that she had attained everything with her single-pointed Japa sadhana. The devotees were amazed to see their Master, who never even touched a woman, in a state of ecstasy, sitting on her lap like a child and eating even the ordinary sweetmeats with great relish brought by her. She saw in him her beloved Gopala and fed him with her own hands.

Sri Ramakrishna loved humour. Once Gopaler-ma (Gopala’s mother), as she was called, was asked by Sri Ramakrishna to narrate her experiences to Narendra (later Swami Vivekananda), who was modern, educated, intellectual and a staunch believer of formless God.

While narrating she kept asking, “My son, you are learned and intelligent, and I am a poor illiterate widow. I don’t understand anything. Please tell me, are these visions true?”

With tears in his eyes, Narendra assured her, “Yes, Mother, whatever you have seen is all true.”

One day a group of devotees, knowing her high spiritual stature, began to ask her some questions. She said to them: “Look, I am an old, illiterate woman. What do I know about the scriptures?” But when they persisted, she said finally, “Wait, let me ask Gopala.

“O Gopala! I don’t understand what they are talking about. Why don’t you answer their questions? Hello, Gopala says this…” In this way, Gopaler-ma answered the abstruse questions of the devotees. They were amazed. That remarkable question and answer session ended abruptly, however, when Gopaler-ma suddenly said, “O Gopala! Why are you going away? Will you not answer their questions anymore?” But Gopala had left!

After returning from the West, Swami Vivekananda sent his Western disciples to meet Gopaler-ma. Later, to them, he said, “Ah! This is the old India that you have seen, the India of prayers and tears, of vigils and fasts, that is passing away…”

Once, being asked for some advice from a disciple, Gopaler-ma said, “Ask advice from Gopala. He is within you. No one can give better advice than He. This is the truth. Cry with a longing heart and you will reach Him…”

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July 2012

For the man who relies on wealth, of what avail is God’s aid? For the devotee of God, of what use is the worldly wealth? – Chinmaya

Two different attitudes towards life: worldly and godly.

The former says, “No Lord. My will be done!”

The latter says, “You Lord, Thy Will be done!”

While the former follows the path of egoistic self-assertion, the latter takes to the path of total surrender.

Result? The former falters in every step, confused and confounded, hopping from the frying pan to the burning fire, while the latter reaches the goal safely, effortlessly with an abundance of peace all along.

Let us ask ourselves where we belong.

It was the sacred Janmashtami day. A poor woman, whose husband had been paralysed, had promised three little starving children of the neighbourhood a feast. She entered a grocery store and asked for enough items for a sumptuous meal for three children. When the owner asked how much she could afford, she answered, “My husband has been sick for many months. Truly, I have nothing to offer but a little prayer.”

The man, an atheist, said sarcastically, “Write your prayer on a piece of paper and you can have its weight in groceries.”

Without hesitation, the woman took out a folded note from her pocket, handed over to him and said: “Here is my little prayer which I wrote during the night while watching over my ailing husband.”

On the small piece of paper were written these words, “You alone are my refuge, Krishna!” The man read those words, laughed and put the piece of paper on one side of the scales. “Now let us see how much food this is worth”, he said.

To his deep astonishment and dismay, he found that nothing happened when he put a packet of flour on the other side. He was greatly upset when he added other things and still the scales would not move. Finally, he said to the poor woman, “I do not understand what is happening today. But I will be true to my promise. Take from the shop whatever you need, for it appears that your little slip of paper weighs more than all the things my shop holds.”

The woman took only the things she needed for the feast. With tear-touched eyes, she thanked the grocer and silently sang the praise of the Lord who provides for every need of His devotees.

The grocer later discovered that the scales were out of order. “But why at that very time?… And why had the woman written out the prayer before she came to his shop?” Many questions remained unanswered. His heart was converted and he too became a devotee of the Lord.

A devotee knows only one wealth – God. Worldly needs are fulfilled by Him; timely unerring guidance – he gets by listening to Him; peace and security – he gains by abiding in Him; worldly detachment – he gains by attaching himself to Him; total contentment – he experiences by loving Him…

For a devotee, God is The Solution, nay, the Only Solution for all problems.

Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Church, had to face many trials and tribulations. One day, his wife, finding her husband in a dark mood of depression, wore black clothes and stood before him.

“Why these black clothes?” asked Martin Luther.

The wife quietly answered, “Don’t you know God is dead?”

“How can you say that?” admonished the Protestant leader. “How can God die?”

The wife answered, “If God is not dead, what reason do you have to be so sad and downcast?”

Martin Luther immediately realized his mistake, put a smile on his face and said, “Yes, to the devil belongs to be sad!”

Let us probe deep within ourselves – Does the mind often become restless? Does it keep worrying about the unborn future? Are there frequent appearances of negative emotions like fear, dejection, discontentment, stress etc.? Does the mind grumble or complain about the happenings around? Has it fallen in the habit of brooding over the past? – These are clear symptoms of a worldly mind.

Let us redefine these painful symptoms as the unrelenting effort of the Self Divine, Who is ever lovingly guiding His erring children blinded by self-forgetfulness wandering aimlessly in the dense forest of matter envelopments.

Divine Love thus nurtured then, like a philosopher’s stone, transforms the base metal into gold, the worldly into godly.

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June 2012

In the grand scheme of time, plans will get executed as ordained, in the system of evolution. Individuals are mere tools. – Chinmaya

He will get His plans executed, anyway. There is none to object if He has decided.

The authority with which Lord Krishna speaks to Arjuna even before the start of the battle says it all – “These mighty Kaurava warriors have already been killed by Me. You merely be My instrument and take all the credit of killing them!”

Individuals are mere tools in the hands of the Lord.

Now, what is that great grand plan that He executes with these tools?

In the fourth chapter of Bhagavad Gita, the Lord makes it clear His task – to establish righteousness (dharma samsthaapana). All His tools are employed for this purpose.

Total surrender means allowing Him to use His tools according to His Will.

A man was walking along a dusty road in New England. It was a hot day and he was tired. Suddenly, he came upon a water spring. “If you are thirsty, drink!” said a sign put up nearby. He drank the cool water and felt refreshed. A little further up the road was a comfortable wooden bench under a shady tree, with a sign which said, “If you are weary, rest awhile!” Close by, was a basket of delicious looking apples with a sign, “If you are hungry, help yourself!”

The stranger was moved by the unknown benefactor who had shown such care and concern for passers-by. As he walked further, he came upon a humble cottage, outside which sat an old man, whose face beamed with kindness. “Lord’s blessing be upon you!” called out the old man upon the sight of the stranger.

“Thanks a lot, but, may I know what is it that has prompted you to be so kind and generous to perfect strangers?”

“Oh, God has given us trees, shade, water, fruits and so much else in plenty,” replied the old man. “All I do is to share the blessings with weary travellers. It is the least I can do!”

The weary traveller on that hot, dusty road was Sam Walter Foss, the famous English poet, journalist and humorist. His encounter with the kind old man inspired him to write the famous poem ‘The House by the Side of the Road’.

This attitude, that “God alone is the Doer and I am a mere tool”, frees us from all our imaginary fears and anxieties instantly.

A wealthy man was full of worries, despite having everything the world could give. He was never happy. He had a servant who knew what it was to trust in the Lord.

One day, when he found his master worrying himself almost to death, he said to him, “Master, is it not true that the Lord ran this world before you were born into it?”

“Yes!” said the master.

“Is it not true that the Lord will run this world after you leave it?”

Again the master said, “Yes!”

“Then,” said the servant, “why not allow the Lord to run the world while you are in it?”

In surrender, our actions gain a new glow, a greater efficiency as the self-asserting ego is no more there to interfere with the Divine plan.

A famous and successful surgeon once invited a friend to watch a complex surgery that he was about to perform. As the surgeon went through the laborious process of preparing himself for the operation, the friend was surprised to see that he was a little tense.

“All set?” the friend asked him gently.

“Almost,” replied the surgeon, and then stopped what he was doing and bowed his head for a moment. Then, calm and relaxed, he led the way to the operation theatre.

During the surgery his hands never faltered, his concentration never wavered. The complicated procedure was accomplished smoothly and successfully.

Later, the friend said to him, “I was surprised that you prayed before you started. I thought that a surgeon only relied on his own ability.”

He answered, “A surgeon is only human. He can’t work miracles by himself. I am certain that science could not have advanced as far as it has, were it not for something more than man. You see,” he concluded, “I feel so close to God when I am operating, that I do not know where my skill ends, and where His begins!”

Let’s stop interfering. It is His world. We are His tools. He has His ways and He knows what is best. Let’s remain a hollow flute and allow Him to play His music.

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May 2012

On the spiritual path, there may be lots of ups and downs, but never a fall. – Chinmaya

There was once a farmer who, after a poor crop, complained: “If God would only let me control the weather, everything would be better, because He apparently does not know very much about farming.”

The Lord said to him: “For one year I will give you control of the weather. Ask for whatever you wish and you will get it.”

The poor man became very happy and immediately said, “Now I want sun,” and the sun came out. Later he said, “Let the rainfall,” and it rained.

For a whole year, first the sun shone and then it rained. The seed grew and grew; it was a pleasure to watch it.

“Now God can understand how to control the weather,” he said proudly. The crop had never been so big, so green, such a luscious green.

Then it was time to harvest. The farmer took his sickle to cut the wheat, but his heart sank. The stalks were practically empty.

The Lord came and asked him, “How is your crop?”

The man complained, “Poor, my Lord, very poor!”

“But didn’t you control the weather? Didn’t everything you wanted turn out all right?”

“Of course! And that is the reason I am perplexed — I got the rain and the sunshine I asked for, but there is no crop.”

Then the Lord said, “But you have never asked for wind, storms, ice and snow, and everything that purifies the air and makes the roots hard and resistant. You asked for rain and sunshine, but not for bad weather. That’s the reason there is no crop.”

So too, ups and downs are essential in our daily life. In His infinite wisdom, he has provided these for our healthy growth and evolution. Experiences, good or bad, make us rich in our understanding about life.

As a pretty girl passed by, Mulla Nasrudin turned to look. His wife, murmured with displeasure, “Every time you see a pretty girl, you forget you are married.”

“That’s where you are wrong,” said Mulla. “Nothing makes me more aware of the fact!”

Setbacks and failures are normally considered inauspicious, but on the contrary, these bitter experiences make us alert, introvert and disciplined in our quest for the Higher.

The value of anything valuable is appreciated only when we pay the price for it. Every fall, every slip, every suffering is the price we pay for ignoring and disregarding the Reality. Just as a thirsty man alone knows the value of water, a suffering man alone feels the need to seek the Higher. These tragedies bring along with it a great reverence for Truth. In this sense, no fall is really a fall.

Failures remind us how fragile and weak we are to attain the Infinite through our own self-effort. The miserable ego, after having tried everything under the sun, getting kicked hither and thither by the world, tossed up and down by the inner conflicts, at last surrenders helplessly at the Higher Altar. It is in these sacred moments of total surrender that the Self is realized, the ultimate freedom is gained.

Once, a French prince visited a jail. In honour of the royal guest, the prison warden offered to release any prisoner the prince might designate.

To pick out that prisoner, the prince began interviewing each of the men privately, asking, “Why are you here?”

“I’m innocent, my lord!” cried one.

“I’ve been framed!” pleaded another.

Perjury, prejudice, injustice and oppression were reasons given by the convicts for their being in prison.

Only one man told a different story. “Your highness,” he replied, “I deserve to be here and I have no complaint. In my time I have been a wicked, desperate murderer. It is a great mercy, both to society and to myself, that I am here.”

“You wicked wretch!” the prince replied. “What a pity you should be confined among so many honest citizens. You admit yourself that you are evil enough to corrupt them all. I can’t allow you to remain in their company another day. Guard! This is the man I wish to be released!”

Let us allow the Lord to polish us from all sides through the rough surfaces of ups and downs of life. Thus having become round and beautiful, freed from all sharp egoistic corners, may we offer ourselves in His service in His effort to shape others.

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