Chintana

June 2011

‘Renounce the ego’ is the Lord’s only request; ‘I’ll make you a God’ is the promise. – Chinmaya

 “Can we see God?” is a common question asked by many. The above quote answers it all. You can not only see God, but you can be God as well! In fact, seeing God is being God.

A determined young man – a college student – once confronted Sadhu Vaswaniji and said to him, “You talk of God all the time – but where is He? He is not to be seen or heard! Your God is nowhere!”

Vaswaniji asked him to write those words on a piece of paper. Casually, the student picked up a pen and wrote in block letters: GOD IS NOWHERE. Vaswaniji smiled gently. He took the pen from the young man’s hand and drew a line – a stroke between ‘W’ and ‘H’ and asked him to read it.

The student read it aloud “God is now here”!

God is in the now, and God is right here! God is that light of awareness in whose presence we are aware of form, colour, sound, touch, taste or smell. God is that light of consciousness because of which we are conscious of the outer world of things and beings and the inner world of ideas and feelings. Again, God is that ‘I’ in us without which we have no existence! God thus defined becomes our innermost and intimate experience which none can deny or refute.

If this awareness, this consciousness, this ‘I’, is God, then why is it that we don’t experience the blissful state of Godhood?

Pujya Gurudev gives an apt simile in this regard. Why blame the chocolate if it doesn’t taste good when eaten along with the wrapper. Pure Consciousness ‘tasted’ along with the wrapper i.e. the body-mind-intellect entity or the ego, can only give us limited and painful experiences. Renounce the wrapper of ego and then enjoy the sweetness of the blissful Pure Consciousness.

Also, there is no ‘becoming’ God. Renounce the ego and what remains is God alone!

It is like silence. Stop making noise and the silence is already there. Stop dreaming and lo! The waker alone remains. It is only a wrong notion in the mind which makes us believe that we are this body-mind entity. Scriptures ask us to remove this imaginary egoistic notion, logically proving that the seen ego (the body-mind entity) is different from the seer, the Pure Awareness. Abidance in this Awareness itself is being God.

The Lord can only request us to renounce the ego; He cannot do it for us. The choice is given to us – whether to allow the play of the tyrant ego in us or allow God to take over. Making the first choice will mean keeping all the mind-born diseases like worries and anxieties as our constant companions. Make the second choice and we will see for ourselves how effortlessly the mind rests in peace, receiving the timely and appropriate guidance from the Divine.

Professor Samuel F B Morse, the inventor of the first electromagnetic single-wire telegraph system and the co-inventor of the Morse code, was asked in an interview, “In the course of your experiments at the university, there must have been occasions when you felt you were at a dead-end, knowing not which way to turn.”

“Of course yes,” he answered. “Such situations happened more than once.”

“Then what was your reaction?”

“I prayed for light, more light.”

“Did God give you what you asked for?”

“Yes, He did,” answered the Professor. “That’s why I always felt that I never deserved the honours that came to me from Europe and America. All this is due to God’s help. I wasn’t in any way superior to other scientists. The Lord had to bestow this gift (telegraphy) on mankind, and He had to choose someone. I am grateful that He chose to reveal it through me.”

Prof. Morse did not make the mistake of forgetting the Lord, as is the case with most of us. Once the invention was made in May 1844, the first message he sent through the telegraph was, “What God hath wrought!” (= what God has done).

It takes a great amount of maturity and wisdom to say, “O Lord – Thine, not mine!”

Thales, one of the seven wise men of ancient Greece, famously known as the father of modern science, was once asked, “What is the most difficult thing in this world?” Without a second thought, Thales replied, “To renounce one’s ego!”

Hundreds of devotees thronged to see the Master. This used to shatter the silence of the ashram, upsetting the inmates living there. But the Master seemed to be just as content with the noise as with the silence. One day, the disciples came to the Master, complaining about their difficulty in meditation due to the absence of silence in the ashram.

With a gentle smile, the Master replied, “silence is not the absence of sound, but the absence of the self!”

May we remain ‘absent’; and in that silence of absence, may we recognize His Eternal Presence!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

May 2011

Your life will be blessed if you need nothing until you have it.
– Chinmaya

The above quote is an advice given by Pujya Gurudev emphasizing the importance of practising contentment in our daily living.

It is said that the richest man is the one who is truly contented in life, and not the one who has lots of possessions, as has been widely misunderstood.

 “Who is wise? The one who learns from everyone; Who is powerful? The one who has governed his passions; Who is rich? The one who is content; and who is he? No one!” says Benjamin Franklin.

A rich man came to a Swami and offered him a thousand rupees. Swamiji asked the rich man, “You are offering me a thousand rupees. How much do you have for yourself?” The rich man answered, “Swamiji, I have many lakhs of rupees with me.” Swamiji asked, “Do you still wish to have more?” “Surely yes!” answered the rich man.

“Then I shall not accept your thousand rupees”, said Swamiji. “For a man must not receive from the one poorer than he!”

When the rich man expressed his inability to understand, Swamiji elaborated, “Though I have nothing, I desire nothing. You have so much, still, you desire more! Surely the person who desires to have is poorer than the man who feels satisfied and desires nothing!”

Our possessions have nothing to do with contentment. It is said, “A begging bowl was large enough for the saintly Diogenes, but even the whole world was too little for Alexander!”

Now, how to develop contentment?

First of all, we must realize the fact that any amount of indulgence is never going to give permanent satisfaction. Rather, satiation of desires only intensifies our craving to indulge more and more.

The name Mahmud Gazni once spelt terror all over India. Wherever he went, he looted, plundered, kidnapped and killed. In those days the temples of India were repositories of great riches. The idols were made with precious metals and adorned with precious gems. Mahmud ransacked these temples and killed the priests looting everything. From the year 1000 to 1026 he mounted at least 17 raids against India. It is estimated that Mahmud took from India jewels, gold, and silver in excess of 3 billion dinars, in addition to hundreds of thousands of slaves. He lived an indulgent life and had 9 wives and 56 children.

But alas, at the time of death, all the wealth that he had amassed was of no avail to this ruthless conqueror. He lay on his death bed with profound agony, tortured by the memory of his countless crimes and sins. He had lived a life tainted by greed, lust and violence. All the wealth he had captured could not bring him a moment’s peace in those crucial final hours of his earthly life.

On his death bed, he called his ministers and counsellors and warned them not to live as he had lived. He instructed them thus, “When I die, open my hands and let them hang loose outside my coffin as you take my body in a funeral procession. Let the people realize that despite all the wealth I have looted, I had to leave this world empty-handed.”

Contentment makes the poor man rich, while discontentment makes even the rich man poor!

 No one has ever attained total satisfaction by indulgence and fulfilment of their worldly desires. It is like trying to quench the thirst by drinking salty water, or putting off the fire by pouring ghee to it. Hence says the Bhagawad Gita, “The desirer of desires can never be happy”.

 Contentment consists not in adding more fuel, but in taking away the fire!

 Once having realized that worldly pleasures and gains cannot give us total contentment, the next question is obvious, i.e. what else then, can give us total fulfilment?

The scriptures answer our problem saying that the true contentment comes not from outer acquisition, but from the inner realization that it is the very nature of the Self to be content. The Self, being the abode of Eternal Existence and Infinite Bliss, is the only place where our joy seeking mind can fully rest in peace. Once we realize this, our mind will stop wandering outward, like a well-fed pet dog which never gets attracted by the filth in the streets.

Just as a rich man’s son need not struggle to gain his father’s property, all the wealth already being his, we too, the children of the Heavenly Father, have inherited from Him His true nature, the Self, which is our very own. It is available for us at all times and in full measure. It contains all that we seek in life – security, freedom, joy, love, peace or contentment.

But sad to say, our condition is like that ungrateful son who, having lost touch with his rich father, is leading a beggarly life pestered by unending wants.

Blessed indeed is the one who, having realized this, shifts his attention from without to within. And with this shift comes the final end of an otherwise endless journey started billions of births ago, culminating in a perfected state of having everything and wanting nothing.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

April 2011

Success is not in the trophy won but in the race run. – Chinmaya

 The above quote reminds us of the famous verse from the Bhagawad Gita: Karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana.

The verse says that we have the right only in performing actions and that we have no right to insist upon their results. Here, in the above quote, running the race is the action and winning the trophy is the result of those actions.

 We are, therefore, asked to concentrate upon the work at hand rather than worry about the future results. The present is the only moment where the action can take place, and hence anxieties regarding the results will only bring out inefficient actions. Actions thus performed with a disturbed mind, cannot but produce inferior results.

 The famous musician, Arturo Toscanini, celebrated his eightieth birthday. Someone asked his son, “Walter, what according to your celebrated father, is his greatest achievement?”

 Walter replied, “For my beloved father, there is no such thing. Whatever he happens to be doing at the moment is the greatest thing in his life, whether it is conducting a symphony or peeling an orange!”

Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. The past and future are illusions, as they too exist only in the present.

 Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we are sure of is what is right here right now. As life is a succession of moments, we are successful when we live each and every moment. It means living our life consciously, being aware that each moment we breathe is a gift.

 A famous quote says, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present!”

 It is said that God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road!

To bring our entire attention to the present – our head, heart and hands – to the work at hand, not allowing our mind to wander either into the dead past or into the unborn future, is itself called Yoga.

 Also, referring to the above quote, if actions are performed keeping the ‘trophy’ in mind, then we are only postponing happiness to the future, uncertain and unknown. Vedanta says that happiness does not lie in the object, but it is the very nature of the subject, the Self. Hence it is not impossible to remain happy and contented even while ‘running the race’.

From the standpoint of worldly wisdom also, we find that it is not the end result which determines our joys and sorrows. It is the way we respond to those results that determine our state of the mind.

 Little Raju was very much excited. His class was all geared up to present a play during the forthcoming School Day celebrations. He had set his heart on being selected to play a part in it. Day after day, he chatted on excitedly about the role that might be offered to him, and how well he would play it.

 His mother, however, had her own fears. She felt that he may not be chosen to play a part, and feared that he might be terribly disappointed.

 On the day the roles were allotted, she went to pick him up after school. As usual, Raju ran up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. “Mama”, he gushed, “I have been chosen to clap and cheer!”

 One who has cultivated to think positively ever remains happy irrespective of the outer happenings.

Looking through the eyes of spirituality, the purpose of any action is served only when it purifies the mind. This happens when all our actions are performed as a worship of the Lord, taking their results as Prasadam from Him. When actions are performed with this attitude – called the attitude of Karma Yoga – the mind gradually gains purity. With such a pure and quiet mind, one gains the knowledge of the Self, which is the very purpose of life.

While performing actions, if this spirit of Karma Yoga is missing, then those very same actions bind us. In this sense, even if the outer ‘trophies’– of name and fame, victory and wealth, powers and pleasures – are won, we will still be considered only a failure, as we have failed to win the inner ‘trophy’ – our true Self.

 All may not get the outer trophies as they are limited in number, but the inner trophy, the only real trophy, is available for all, provided we ‘run the race’ with the right attitude – the attitude of Karma Yoga.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

March 2011

Beating one’s own drum is worldly outlook. Beating oneself into shape is spiritual effort. – Chinmaya

There is a widespread belief in the minds of the people that spirituality means an exhibition of supernatural powers like reading others’ minds, walking over water, flying in space, predicting the future, or showing some miracle.

 The above quote makes it very clear: Any ‘beating one’s own drum’, i.e. any effort where one tries to project oneself as extraordinarily great or special is not spirituality. True spirituality involves ‘beating oneself to shape’, i.e. it involves an effort to efface our little ego and allow the Divine Will to express through us. Whereas the worldly outlook encourages the development of the personality, spiritual outlook works towards the annihilation of the personality.

‘Personality’ is nothing but a false notion which an individual gathers about oneself in the process of interacting with the world. Any such notion is only an imagination born of the mind and hence not true. One has to know oneself as the Supreme Self, of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, as that alone is our real nature. Any effort which destroys the wrong notion in us and reveals to us our true nature is real spirituality. And this effort itself is the greatest austerity, says the great sage of Arunachala, Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi.

In the spiritual path, therefore, the effort is in annihilating the wrong notion in us, i.e. the ego. This annihilation of ego is what makes the spiritual path most difficult as it almost amounts to committing suicide. But this ‘self-destruction’ is unavoidable to regain and relive as the true Self. When the self-asserting ego dies as a part of one’s spiritual sadhana, one becomes very humble. This we see in the lives of all saints and prophets.

In the dark and troubled years of religious conflict, just before the partition of India, Sadhu Vaswani was asked to give an address on “Education and the Spirit of Islam”. The talk was presided over by the then Vice-Chancellor of the University, Mr Haleem.

The assembled scholars were stunned by the brilliance and depth of Sadhu Vaswani’s address. A highly ranked official, who had listened to the talk, came up to meet Vaswaniji. “Sir, are you a Hindu or a Mussalmaan?” he asked. “I am between the two”, answered Vaswaniji with a smile. “But between the two there is nothing”, the official insisted.

The great saint replied, “I am that nothing”!

Our Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandji used to humorously say that in the world, as a part of organizing an event, after every ‘brainstorming’ session, there follows a ‘claim storming’ session, if everything comes out well. But if the whole event turns out to be a flop, then there follows a ‘blame storming’ session!

In silent egoless service, Mother Nature is our best role model. Sun rises and seasons change in silence, flowers blossom and fruits ripen in silence. All growth happens in silence. All the important physiological functions like blood circulation, digestion etc. happen in utter silence. Let us, therefore, learn to serve in silence.

Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar, one of the greatest leaders of Bengal and a man of affluence and influence, lived a life of utter simplicity. He wore simple clothes and often passed unrecognized.

One day as he was going along the road, he saw an old and poor labourer, with his back bent and his steps faltering due to a heavy load. Vidyasagar’s heart went out for him and he asked him, “Brother, may I carry this burden for you?”

Not recognizing his benefactor, the old man gratefully relinquished his load. Vidyasagar lifted the load and carried it on his back right up to the destination. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a silver coin and pressed it into the palm of the baffled labourer saying, “Brother, please bless me”.

The drum belongs to Him. The ability to beat the drum also comes from Him. We show our disregard and ingratitude when we ‘beat our own drum’ forgetting the Lord who has given us everything.

Our ego is our greatest enemy. This enemy resides in our own heart. Hence instead of worrying about how to change the world and the people around, let us pay more attention to ‘beat ourselves to shape’. In fact, this is the only way to shape the world too!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

February 2011

The action of today becomes the destiny of tomorrow. – Chinmaya

In life, there are no miracles. When we choose our goal and work for it with all the necessary zeal, dedication and single-pointedness, we undoubtedly reach the goal.

Let us make it very clear to ourselves – there are no short cuts to success. Success gained through short cuts is always short-lived. Only short-sighted people take short cuts, but they too soon come back with cuts all over!!

A wealthy businessman was about to enrol his son in a famous University. But he was taken aback when he realized that his son has to study for four years to get his basic degree, and that with all the eight semesters packed with tests, assignments, projects and exams.

Frowning, he flipped through the catalogue containing all the course details and asked the college Principal, “Why does my son have to go through so many semesters? Can’t you make the whole thing shorter? I want him to get out of it quickly!”

“Certainly, he can take a shorter course,” replied the Principal politely. “It all depends on what he wants to make of himself. You see, it takes 20 – 30 years for an oak tree to grow, but a mushroom springs up overnight.”

We all have heard of Dr T M A Pai, the world-famous doctor, educationist, banker and philanthropist, who has been recognized as the one who has established the most number of educational institutions in his lifetime. He is well known for building the University town of Manipal in Karnataka.

He was the first to start private self-financing medical college offering MBBS in India. Kasturba Medical College in Manipal and Mangalore, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences were all established by him. Later on, he went on to establish Syndicate bank. He is also responsible for the popular Pigmy Deposit Scheme.

Initially, Manipal was nothing but a barren hillock which was considered as wasteland.

When Pai went there and shared his mighty vision of establishing schools and colleges within every 5 km in South Kanara District, all labelled him as a mad crack. Disregarding all the discouraging comments from the public, Pai, after making a small hut for himself in that barren land, persevered hard to materialize his dream vision.

Today the journey he started is passing through a destination which is called the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG). It overlooks running of three well-established Universities, close to 20 Super speciality hospitals, more than 1.5 Lakh students and 50,000 employees.

T M A Pai was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Govt. of India in 1972. He was awarded the degree of D. Litt by Karnataka and Andhra Universities. The Indian Govt. has also brought out a stamp commemorating Pai in 1999 for his philanthropic achievements.

There is a price tag for every achievement. Nothing comes for free. Heated gold alone becomes the ornament, beaten copper alone becomes wires and chiselled stones alone become the worshipful idol. To gain the strength of the steel, one has to go through the hottest furnace.

When it comes to hard work, very few turn up their sleeves while some turn up their noses. And the majority of us never turn up at all!!

You cannot climb the staircase with both the hands in your pocket!

There are some others who have greater faith in the omens seen all around and the prophecies they signal. But they hardly have any faith in themselves or in the effort they can put forth in achieving the goal chosen.

When William, the Conqueror landed in Hastings and stepped on the English soil, he stumbled and fell. This was regarded as an ill omen by the soldiers who let out a cry of dismay. But William was a man of tremendous optimism.

“What a wonderful thing has happened,” he exclaimed. “I have already ceased the land with both my hands.” These words of the conqueror were greeted with a loud cheer by his soldiers who then marched forward with redoubled enthusiasm. Needless to say, William went on to make history conquering the English soil. We may get discouraged many times but we are not a failure until we begin to blame somebody else for our failure and stop trying.

Let us therefore not unload our responsibilities on the stars of the Astrology or on the evil-noble omens of the superstitious. It is our past actions that have brought us here, and it is our present actions that will carry us forward into the future. Hence the future lies in our own hands and it depends on how we utilize our present moment.

It is said, God has given us two ends- one to think and the other to sit. Success depends on which we use. Head? – we win. Tail? – we lose!

There is nothing impossible in this world, provided we keep trying hard with patience. Even the ordinary water is capable of cutting the hardest of rocks, not because of its strength but because it keeps flowing on and never gives up.

Great saints were none other than sinners in the past who always kept trying. Big shots were only small shots who always kept shooting!

Albert Einstein, the world-famous scientist, says that it was not that he was very smart or extraordinarily intelligent, but it was only that he kept trying a little longer!

It is so well said, “Winners never quit. Quitters never win”!

God has totally entrusted us to ourselves. Time, energy, resources and the life principle are common to all. But what to do, what to think, what goal to choose and how to live life etc. – the choice is ours. There is no interference from the Divine whatsoever. When such total freedom is given, a terrible thing happens – there is none to blame!

Let us, therefore, be careful of every act done in the present moment, as they alone determine us and our future world.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

January 2011

We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
– Chinmaya

Joys – all of us want; sorrows – none of us prefer. But strangely we involve ourselves in those activities which bring in nothing but sorrow and ignore those which bring in joy!

It is only when setbacks and misfortunes, failures and disappointments, tragedies and calamities occur in our lives that we start cause-hunting, and that too, with an attitude, “Why only me?”

The above quote answers it all. Let us not vainly console ourselves with meaningless terms like luck, fate, prarabdha, destiny etc. Everything here happens according to the laws of Nature. Nature’s laws, just like her Creator, are perfect and precise. Obey her laws, and we will have a life filled with joy, peace and contentment. Disobey them, and we will find those very same laws crushing us within the wheel of Time.

All great inventions in science or medical field have come up only when these laws are unquestioningly accepted and strictly obeyed. None can transgress these laws. We only break ourselves when we break the law. The one who has disciplined oneself in tune with these laws has learnt the art of right living.

“As you sow, so you reap” is the only law to be mastered here. Love and forgive, and you will be loved and forgiven. Hate and cheat, and you will receive the same. The one who digs the pit shall fall therein. Hence doing good to others is the only way of doing good to ourselves.

Swami Vivekananda used to say, “God helps those who do not help themselves”!

This is the true story of a humble night clerk named George who was very honest and sincere and worked in a small hotel. He went out of his way to help as many as he could.

One dark and rainy night, there came to the hotel an old couple asking for a room. Unfortunately, no room was vacant. Seeing their advanced age and also the poor weather outside, George said to them, “We do not have a vacant room right now, but if you could wait for a while I shall see what I can do for you.”

He called the maid and within fifteen minutes got his own room cleaned for the old couple to stay. As the clerk took the old couple to the room, he said to them, “I am taking you to a room which surely is not the best room in the hotel. But I hope you will find it cosy and comfortable, neat and clean. Please feel at home and I shall send you two cups of hot tea before retiring for the night.”

Several months passed. The clerk had completely forgotten the incident. It was just one of the many similar incidents in his life.

A big hotel was being built in New York-the famous Waldorf Astoria. It was built by a man named John Jacob Astor. When the time came to advertise for the post of a manager for the hotel, he said, “I do not need to advertise for the post, because I already have a man in view.”

The man in view was none other than George, the night clerk who, on a dark and rainy night, had obliged the couple, Mr and Mrs Astor, when they wanted a room in his hotel. At that time he had no idea as to whom he was obliging. It was natural for him to go out of his way, to bring comfort into the lives of those who needed it.

The night clerk, who worked in that small hotel, now attained instant success becoming the manager of a huge, world-famous hotel.

Our thoughts, words and deeds, whether good or bad, return to us with astonishing accuracy.

That is the reason why great ones never blamed anyone for their sufferings.

A great saint, Abu Usman was walking one day, on the street, when someone threw ashes from the balcony of his house. The ashes fell on the head of Abu. His companions, who were with him, became enraged and were about to abuse the offender when Abu said to them “Keep your peace, my friends. Let us thank the Lord that one who deserved fire was let off with ashes”!

It is said, “Before you begin the journey of revenge, dig two graves”!

Hell and heaven are our own creation. We unnecessary drag the innocent God in between. As Pujya Gurudev used to say, we are punished not for our sins, but BY our sins.

Let us therefore closely examine the nature of thoughts that run through our minds. Deep within us, if we find ourselves holding on to something base, ignoble and inauspicious, let us have the courage and wisdom to drop it, with the fear of a bitter future.

Nature’s laws help those who watch, and not those who sleep! The price of freedom is always eternal vigilance.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

December 2010

The man who is not proud of his motherland and who is not true to his customary duties must be regarded as a base ungrateful fellow.
– Chinmaya

There is a saying in Sanskrit which says, “ Janani Janmabhoomishcha swargaadapi gareeyasi”, which means our mother and our motherland should be considered greater than even heaven.

A little boy, while sitting on his mother’s lap said to her, “O mother, you have the prettiest face in this world.” As he uttered these words, his eyes fell upon her hands, which were burnt and badly deformed. He exclaimed with a shock, “But mother, your hands are the ugliest one!”

His father, hearing this, took the boy on his lap, and narrated to him the story of a mother and a child. Touchingly he described how the newborn child sleeping in the burning cradle was saved by its daring mother and in the process got her hands burnt. “What a brave mother!” the little boy exclaimed. The father added, “That child was none other than you, and these disfigured hands were the ones which saved your life.”

The little boy turned towards his mother with tear-filled eyes and said, “O mother, these are the prettiest hands in the world.”

My mother may be illiterate, ugly, unhealthy, or even uncultured. But for me, despite all her shortcomings, she is very special because I am here only because of her. So also is the case with our motherland.

A true patriot is ever ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of his country without a second thought.

Once, a massive earthquake hit Japan because of which millions were rendered homeless. Famine broke out and disease followed. The Emperor was clueless regarding the efficient administration and handling of the relief measures- distribution of food, medical help, provision of shelter for the homeless etc. There was only one who could shoulder that tremendous task – Kagawa.

Ironically, this great leader was in jail. He was released by special order. The government offered him a large salary, a huge residence and other comforts – if only he would undertake the task of organizing relief. Kagawa gladly accepted the responsibility but with the condition that he would not accept anything in return. Rightly, he is called the Gandhi of Japan.

For a sincere lover of one’s country, duties towards motherland are more important than one’s rights over her.

After the successful Russian revolution over the Tsar’s empire, Lenin, the inspiring leader and the father of USSR, was offered the vast public buildings and beautiful palaces. But Lenin chose to live in a very humble cottage, far removed from the worldly glamour and pomp.

Love and sacrifice are always found to go together.

In the Indian Army, the officers are ever reminded of their motto, “The safety, honour and welfare of your country, come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time.”

Each one of us is responsible for determining the fate of our nation. The culture of a nation is decided by the culture of each individual living there. To the extent the thoughts and actions of the citizens are noble, to that extent a country becomes glorious, prosperous and cultured. Hence national revival is possible only through individual transformation, and not by any amount of economic development or scientific progress.

Patriotism in no way means harbouring ill feelings against others, as is generally misunderstood. In fact, a true patriot appreciates the love and the noble feelings which all men everywhere have towards their motherland.

Speaking about a true patriot, Abraham Lincoln once said, “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live, so that his place will be proud of him”!

The national leaders have a great role to play in instilling patriotic feelings in the hearts of their people. The noble and pure life led by them alone can inspire the upcoming young generation to follow their footsteps.

While Lal Bahadur Shastri was holding office as Prime Minister, his son, though unqualified, got a prestigious job in a famous company. But Shastri did not allow him to accept the job, as he refused to compromise with his principles.

Mahatma Gandhiji has said, “My life itself is my message.”

May we have that daring and courage to set such high standards of morality and ethics in our life for our younger generations to emulate in the years to come.

As has been rightly said, “He loves his country the best who strives to make it the best.”

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

November 2010

The impossible is achieved through the process of self-perfection called meditation. – Chinmaya

Ask anyone these questions, “Is it possible to conquer death? Is it possible for us to be present everywhere? How about becoming someone who knows everything and is All-Powerful? Can there be a state free from all kinds of disease and old age? Can we experience infinite happiness? Is it possible to become God…?”

The answer will be a clear-cut “Impossible”!!

All that has been asked above is nothing but the description of our true nature, which, in our present state of ignorance, appears to be an impossibility. Pujya Gurudev is only pointing out to us the possibility of attaining this supreme state in ourselves through a thoroughly developed technique of perfection called meditation.

At the seat of meditation, the only thing that needs to be done is to quieten the mind. Once the mind is hushed in silence all the characteristics of the Self becomes available for experience, just as we see our face clearly when the dusty mirror is wiped clean.

Just like heat in the fire, whiteness in the milk and sweetness in the sugar etc. are their natures and hence cannot be separated from them, so are Existence, Consciousness and Bliss our true nature and can never be separated from us.

But then why is it that we don’t experience these characteristics of the Self in us? It is only because of our disturbed mind. We have filled our minds with various wrong notions about ourselves. These wrong notions are nothing but consolidated thought patterns strengthened due to our repeated unconscious ways of thinking during our response to the world outside. This has been happening in all our countless past lives and hence these wrong notions, which are nothing but a bundle of thoughts, appear to be so real and insurmountable.

Just like a fireball, when rotated with high speed appear like a circle in the space, in the same way, intense and continuous flow of these thought patterns gives a false appearance to the Self which we generally call as the personality of an individual. These firmly etched strong impressions of the mind are the ones which, like a wall, prevent us from knowing our Self.

A pregnant lioness, while pouncing upon a flock of sheep, gave birth to a baby and died. The sheep flock, feeling pity for the little lion cub, took care of it with great love and affection. Very soon, the cub, being attached to the flock, started moving and playing around under their loving protection.

As the days passed by, the elderly sheep became the role model for the baby lion. The little one would imitate whatever the elders did, whether it was in bleating or eating. In this way, years passed by and the cub grew up to become a huge lion with all the characteristics of a meek sheep.

One day, as the sheep were grazing, a wild lion entered the forest and gave a loud roar. Scared, the sheepish lion also took to heels along with other sheep. The wild lion, seeing this strange scene, chased and caught hold of the sheepish lion, who, trembling with fear kept bleating, saying “Please don’t eat me…”

Astonished, the wild lion tried all ways to make him understand that he was not a sheep but a lion. When nothing worked, he took him to a nearby pond and showed his face in the water. The sheepish lion saw that his form resembled that of the wild lion. Now the wild lion gave out a loud roar and asked him to repeat. Soon, the sheepish lion too roared like any other lion. Since then, he lived like a true lion and roamed fearlessly in the forest.

Here the sheepish lion is the individual soul, the wild lion is the Satguru, the pond is the scriptures and the reflection seen in the pond is the knowledge of the Self. The roaring is the realization of the mahaavaakya “I am Brahman”!

The sheepish lion was never a sheep. It was only his wrong notion born out of constant false imagination. He was always a lion, even though he never knew it earlier. In the same way, our nature is ever Sat-Cit-Ananda, though we may not accept it in our present state of ignorance.

Meditation helps us to remove this veil of ignorance. It is by meditation alone that all ordinary persons transformed themselves into great stalwarts to become the redeemers of mankind of their times, be it Narendra (Swami Vivekananda), Mohandas (Mahatma Gandhi), Ratnakara (sage Valmiki), Seenappa (Purandaradas) or Siddhartha (Gautam Buddha).

Meditation reveals to us our true nature when the misleading mind is disciplined to silence. It is only when the silence starts speaking in the loudest voice that we come to know that there was an Ever Perfect One in us whom we ignored all through our lives, while in search of perfection outside!

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

October 2010

Love creates and lust destroys peace in the heart of a man.
– Chinmaya

In true love, the mind always derives inspiration from something higher. In Sanskrit, it is referred to as Bhakti. E.g. Desha bhakti, Matru bhakti, Guru bhakti, Eshwara bhakti etc. This love always expresses itself in the form of sacrifice. Here the concern of the lover is not what he will get, but what he can do for the beloved. His happiness lies in the happiness of the beloved.

Such a lover is ever selfless. Moreover, such love being unconditional remains ever permanent. Also, in this love, there is no expectation of return from the beloved. The very act of loving itself fills the heart with joy and peace. True love blesses both the giver and the receiver.

In sharp contrast is the case with lust. Here the mind is instigated and tempted by something low or mean. In Sanskrit, the term normally used is Aasakti. The love here remains so long as one gets what one needs from the beloved. Once the expectations are not met, the love attains its natural grave.

Though love and lust are characterized by a feeling of liking in the mind, there is a huge difference between the two. Lust follows the principle “I love because I am loved”, whereas in true love it is “I am loved because I love”. Lust says “I love you because I need you” but true love says “I need you because I love you”.

Lust makes a person dependent, miserable and weak as he constantly craves for love, pleasure, consolation etc. from the beloved. That may be the reason why the usage ‘falling in love’ has become so popular as fall is always the end result!

True love raises a man to the status of God making him strong, independent and fearless.

A young man fell in love with a young maiden who was very beautiful and equally cruel. Despite his earnest attempts to win her love, she remained indifferent to him. One day, seeing his ardent fervour and intense passion, she decided to tease him. “Is there no other woman in your life?” inquired the lady. “Only my mother, whom I love dearly.” replied the earnest young man. “In that case”, said the cruel lady with a bewitching smile on her lips hiding her murderous instincts, “cut your mother’s heart and bring it to me as an offering of your love. I promise you, I shall be yours!”

Blinded by passion, the young man set out to fulfil the desire of his beloved. That night, he stole into his mother’s room and killed her while asleep with a dagger. Like one possessed by the devil, he cut out her heart. In the dead of the night, he hurried to the house of his beloved, carrying his mother’s heart, still warm, in his hands. In the darkness, he stumbled on a stone and fell. The mother’s heart dropped down from his hands. Instantly, out of that heart, came the mother’s voice, “My dear child, are you hurt?”

Unmindful of that sweet voice, the young man, maddened by lust, quickened his pace, and on seeing his beloved, placed the blood-stained offering at her feet. But she rejected his offering saying that she was only testing him as one who could be so cruel to one’s own mother could never be trusted.

In true love, one wants the other person’s good whereas in lust one wants the other person!

In his early days when Tulsidasji, blinded by lust, approached his wife, she bitterly reproached him saying, “Shame on you that you crave so much for this impure body! If only you had half this longing for the Lord, you would have attained Him long back!!” These words struck him like a thunderbolt, transforming his lust to supreme love for God, and thus making him one of the greatest saints of India.

The law of love works just like any other laws of the universe. According to Mahatma Gandhi, the person who has discovered and mastered this law of love is far greater scientist than any of our modern scientist!

A famous prayer of St. Francis of Assisi goes thus, “O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

May our hearts, now filled with love for power, be replaced with the power of love. Then alone will the world know the blessings of peace.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T

September 2010

I leave all care with Him, seated in my heart, Whose love for me is endless and true. – Chinmaya

The Supreme Lord is not only a perfect Law Maker but also a strict Law Administrator. It is said that even a blade of grass doesn’t move without His permission. Kathopanishad says that He stands like a terror with a raised thunderbolt and therefore, out of fear of Him, the sun shines and the fire burns, the wind blows and the earth revolves etc.

But the sweetest thing is that the very same omnipotent Lord is all the time very very near to us as our own sweet Self, ever available for experience in our hearts. What is there to fear when He is there to take full charge of the entire cosmos. Such being the case, it is utterly foolish to become worried and anxious, thinking of what has happened or what is going to happen.

The condition of the one who worries thus is compared with the traveller who carries his luggage on his head even while travelling in the train. Just as the traveller’s carrying his luggage serves no purpose other than making him tired, our imaginary worries and anxieties drain us away unnecessarily. Lack of faith in His existence and lack of trust in His loving guidance is the cause of all our miseries.

Bhagavan says in Gita that a doubter of the Lord perishes undoubtedly.

A poor Brahmin lived on the banks of Ganga along with his wife. Every day, after his sandhyavandana and other routine ceremonial worships, he used to read one chapter of Bhagavad Gita and then go out for alms. As the days went by, his faith in the teachings was severely put to test when he had to struggle with utter poverty. His begging bowl was seldom filled and the devout couple had hardly anything to eat.

One day, overcome by grief at his misery, as he was going through his regular study of Gita, his eyes fell on the 22^nd verse of the 9th chapter where the Lord says-Yogakshemam vahaamyaham– assuring to bear the burden of all those devotees who take refuge in Him. In that mood of frustration, he took a red pen and scratched out that verse as he felt that in his case the assurance had turned out to be bogus. Somewhat relieved of his anger, he went out for his alms with his begging bowl.

Before long, two boys, brothers by appearance, the younger one of a darker hue, came to his door carrying a bag of rice and other provisions. The wife was surprised, as the boys insisted that the entire provision was for them alone. She found a bleeding cut on the back of the younger boy, and when she asked them who had inflicted the cruel wound, the child blamed her husband. The lady wondered how could her husband lose temper so much as to stab such a charming child. But the brothers disappeared in a flash.

The Brahmin, who knew nothing about this incident when questioned, pleaded innocence. He wondered as to who could have sent them help. His head was in a whirl. As always, he turned to the Gita for consolation. It was then that his eyes fell on the angry gash he had drawn on verse 22,9th chapter. That pen had gashed Sri Krishna’s back!

His want of faith had “wounded” Him so much. He ran like a mad man, to discover the Boy and to fall at His feet, crying for mercy. But He could never be found.

In the Gita, Lord claims that he is the father and mother of the entire universe. Just as a mother loves her child always, irrespective of whether the child is blind, lame, deaf, or dumb, Lord’s love for us also is endless and unconditional.

Bhagavan Sri Adi Shankaracharya says that a wicked son may be born but never a wicked mother. It was He alone who took care of us in our mother’s womb. When we came out, He fed us with mother’s milk. All the love and support we receive from our relatives and well-wishers come from Him alone. When we thus recognize His hands in all happenings, ever extended to bless and guide us, we begin to experience an unearthly peace, as we come to realize that everything that happens to us happens with a purpose, that there is some great lesson to be learnt therefrom. As we evolve through these experiences that life brings to us along with its flow, we gradually recognize His unending love. From then on even the bitterest experiences cease to be bitter, as in and through them is seen His deep concern to relieve us from this unending birth-death cycle.

May we put our trust in His hands so that He may put His peace in our hearts.

O   M         T   A   T         S   A   T