Some verses from the Bhagavad GItA

Here are some verses I was thinking of from the Bhagavad GItA with regard to who is drawn to the true faith quickly, and how all-encompassing the vision of the GItA is:

In Ch IV on ज्ञान योग: (jnAna yoga) verse 11:

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहं ।

मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या: पार्थ सर्वश: ॥

Whatsoever the manner in which they approach Me, in that very manner I resort to them; for, O Arjuna! on all sides, men tread paths leading to Me.

(indicating how all gods are essentially forms of the same Consciousness), and

verse 12:

कांक्षन्त: कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवता: ।

क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ॥

People in the world offer sacrifices to gods, desiring the success of their works. For, in this human world, quick is the success born of works.

 (describing how in the human world, success born of works comes quickly).

Also in verses 25-32, various forms of यज्ञ yajna (sacrifice) are described.

In Ch VII ज्ञान विज्ञान योग: (jnAna vijnAna yoga), verses 19-23 that describe how other faiths and paths come into being and where they lead those devoted to them. Verse 19 says:

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते ।

वासुदेव: सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभ: ॥

At the end of many births, the man of knowledge directly reaches Me, realizing, "Vasudeva is all." Such a great soul is very rare indeed.

How are people led to other faiths? Verse 20 explains this:

कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञाना: प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवता: ।

तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियता: स्वया ॥

By a variety of cravings having lost their (true) knowledge, people resort to other deities; they adopt other disciplines, being constrained by their inborn nature.

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्त: श्रद्धयाऽर्चितुमिच्छति ।

तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहं ॥

Whichever devotee seeks to worship whichever object of his devotion with faith, to each such devotee I give unswerving faith.

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनामीहते ।

लभते च तत: कामान् मयैव विहिता हितान् ॥

Possessed of that faith, he desires the worship of that form. From that divinity he secures the objects of his desires; for, I Myself have ordained them.

And what comes to those of other faiths (that do not lead to Consciousness)

अन्तवत्तु फलां तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् ।

देवान् देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ॥

The fruit of karmas that accrues to those small-minded men must come to an end. The worshippers of gods proceed to the gods (of the senses in heaven); My devotees come to Me (from where there is no return).

In Ch IX, verses 20-21 and 23 (showing the catholicity of our सनातन धर्म sanAtana dharma that does not condemn other forms of worship, but realizes that all forms of God are merely different names for the same Consciousness);

येऽप्यन्यदेवताभक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विता: ।

तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकं ॥

And those who worship other deities with faith, they also worship only Me in truth, although in ways not approved by the Vedas.

This is the verse with the phrase अविधिपूर्वकं avidhipUrvakam (avidhi meaning not according to Vedic injunctions, and hence in ignorance, as Sri ShankarAcArya says in his commentary).

Also verses 24-26 of the same chapter are relevant. In verse 25 (yAnti etc), 

यान्ति देवव्रता देवान् पितृ़न् यान्ति पितृव्रता: ।

भूतानि यान्ति भूतेज्या यान्ति मद्याजिनोऽपि माम् ॥

Sri Krishna says, 'To gods repair their devotees; to the Manes go those devoted to the Manes (Manes is an interesting old Latin word for the ancestral spirits), etc. My worshippers come to Me.

It is all lovely, and I hope these bring joy to all sincere aspirants.

Invocation of sUrya

PRAYER TO THE SUN

Om sUryam sundaram lokanathamamritam vedantasAram shivam,

jnAnam brahmamayam sureshamamalam lokaikacittasvayam;

indrAdityanaradhipa suragurum trailokyacUDAmaNim,

brahmAviShNushivasvarUpahRdayam vande sadA bhAskaram."

I always worship sUrya (the Light of Consciousness who in the gross world is seen as the Sun), the beautiful Lord of the world, the immortal, the quintessence of the Vedanta, the auspicious, the absolute knowledge, of the very nature of Brahman, the Lord of the gods (sura means deva or gods of the senses), ever-pure (free of impurities), the one true Consciousness of the world (which is nothing but the mind), the Lord of Indra (the mind who is the Lord of the senses), the Adityas (sons of aditi who are associated with effulgence) and of men, the preceptor of the gods (of the senses), the crest jewel of the three worlds, the true nature of Brahama, Vishnu and Siva, the giver of light.

The Path

The spiritual path is very hard, and often it can seem almost too ambitious, almost futile. All I can say is, if anyone cultivates an attitude of 'never give up', help always arrives in the nick of time. SwamiJ has a nice phrase (you can search it on his website to find the context) that became a mantra for me for a short time 'never give up, always let go'. This seemingly contradictory phrase can carry you through the 'dark nights of the soul'. Essentially, the sAdhaka never gives up trying for moksha, and yet at every point one has to let go of everything mentally. Along the way, the hardest thing to find is constant inspiration. Any determined sAdhaka who has felt the need for it can somehow dig it out of websites, books, teachings, etc. It is undoubtedly difficult, but it can be done. As you know, if anything, the message I have wanted to convey to anyone who wanted to listen, is that Self-realization is an achievable goal for householders in this day and age.

A slight variant of the anecdote of the diamond that the servant went to sell for the master can be helpful here. If one wants to own a very expensive diamond, the first step is to know what a genuine diamond looks like, how much it weighs etc. Then of course, one has to raise the capital to buy the diamond, but without knowing the genuine article, one can cheated by a piece of ordinary glass. Once you have recognized the diamond and started raising the capital, it is also good to take stock of all the capital already raised. Reflecting on your own progress is a useful and inspiring exercise. Without being complacent, it is useful to see how far a little practice leads one, and then one can take stock of the future. Often times one may be closer than one thinks. However, the nature of sAdhanA is that God will lend a hand, and will take 10 steps for each one you take towards Him, but it is also true that until the sAdhaka pays down the entire capital, Grace will not descend. So it is a peculiar balance between putting in full effort, and surrendering the mere self. That last lap is probably best done at a time when one has few commitments, but one can prepare for it even 10 or 15 years ahead of time. The final assault is like going for the Olympic gold, but as you know those athletes practice for years in advance. Keeping that long term goal in mind, but acknowledging and gaining confidence from current progress, while keeping the appetite whetted for shorter term goals is the best path for sAdhakas.

Soma

Soma is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Veda. In the Rg Veda, Indra gets intoxicated with Soma, and in other parts of the Veda there is a description of the soma yajna and there are directions on how to procure the soma plant (a kind of ephedra) found high in the Himalayas. A lot of the recent (especially Western) literature is obsessed with the hallucinogenic aspects of soma.

The import of Indra getting drunk with Soma is that man is drunk with the world because Indra is the King of the gods (who are the senses), so man whose senses are not under control is drunk with the world. Soma means the moon, and the moon is the source of the mind, and the mind is the source of the world (jagat). When the senses are conquered through yoga, man acknowledges God and the intoxication with Soma is pierced. Soma as the mind also appears in yoga and tantra, where once shakti is awakened in the sushumnA, the soma that drips from the lalATa cakra no longer gets burnt in the jaTara agni, but is quaffed by the yogi. Indeed, after kuNDalinI awakening, there are intensely pleasurable feelings when this soma is enjoyed. But as you know, this too has to be set aside with the spirit of vairAgyam, since it is also a product of the mind, and hence impermanent. Only when the mind completely comes to rest is the Eternal and Absolute Truth experienced. This is why all sights and sounds in the inner realm are all mere distractions along the way, although they can be useful markers of progress and an inspiration to move forward.

Guru and Grace of Devi in navrAtri

May these navrAtri of the Devi bring you closer to your chosen Ideal. This morning Devi revealed that embodiment is for service.

It becomes clear how a Guru takes the pain of disciples and lightens their karma. By going through the internal penance on his or her own, the Guru pays the dues ahead of time, so that when the sAdhaka encounters those same difficulties in their sAdhanA, they don't have to fight those battles internally, but can turn to the Guru who can provide immediate guidance in the external world. That is a great blessing, since most often it is hard to find someone in the external world who speaks the Truth and clears ignorance. By providing this immediate guidance, the Guru helps the sAdhaka skilfully navigate the difficult parts of sAdhanA and helps steer a steady course to the Chosen Ideal, thereby saving the sAdhakA the karma of taking wrong turns and getting stuck in whirlpools and rapids. It is in this way that the Guru 'takes the pain' of disciples and lightens their karma.

Dharma

In today's meditation the following insight presented itself:

Dharma is that engagement with the mAyA of jagat (the world) that is not opposed to moksha.

Act we must, but those actions that do not lead us away from liberation are dhArmic. Since the moment this realization may dawn on a jIvA is not known, by its very nature, dharma is a dynamic thing. That is why it is said that it is circumscribed by desh, kAl and paristhiti (place, time and circumstance). Earlier the same insight had been interpreted as "svadharma is the first dharma, and that is moksha or the desire to know the true Self, and that trumps all other dharma-s". Viewed in today's wording it is easy to understand the shAstras, such as mAnava dharma shAstra. For that particular time and place, they prescribed the actions that would encourage a sense of non-doership (thus leading to liberation) and yet sustain society and life in the best way. The basic principles remain the same even today, although without this realization several of those practices seem anachronistic to many today. Many of those practices seem outdated today to unripe egos. Certainly one cannot follow all of those practices today because realization dawns after many arrows of karma have already been launched into flight.

A suggestion to sAdhakas when one's days are busy and it is hard to find time to do meditation, a good auxiliary practice is to listen to shlokas such as the rAma nAmAvali, ganesha pancaratnam or hanuman cALIsa. They are a great aid in the attempt to maintain constant awareness. Whenever the mind drifts off in the middle of the day, often snatches of these are remembered, and if one knows the meaning then it resets the mind back on the path. The sanAtana dharma has some of the most potent practices for liberation- the sages had literally thought of *everything* and figured out a very smart way to live life.

क्रम मुक्ति (krama mukti) and जीवन्मुक्ति (jIvanmukti)

क्रम मुक्ति (karma mukti) as the name implies, literally means liberation in sequence (krama means in sequence), and it applies to liberation at the time of disembodiment (death) where the sequence of prArabdha karma has played out in this embodiment. जीवन्मुक्ति (jIvanmukti) on the other hand means liberation while still embodied.

Now the krama mukta has to repeatedly access the 'exit door' to liberation through dhyAnam and samAdhi, where by ascending kuNdalini shakti to the sahasrAra, the mind is brought to rest and reminded of the Absolute, and those samskAras tend to inhibit the other samskAras of avidyA. So the krama mukta daily checks the 'exit door' and reminds himself or herself of the path to liberation. On the other hand, the jIvanmukta has permanently left the 'exit door'. The mind has so completely been extinguished that complete freedom is at hand. However, this state would actually be difficult for the jIvanmukta's near and dear to comprehend and adjust to. To him, everyone appears the same, and there is no attachment to home, body, relations or wearing clothing or not wearing clothing.

But such a person is completely free and immediately and eternally in Bliss. Of course, whether one is granted one or the other is also strictly speaking not in one's hands. For me the daily reminder of sAdhanA is needed to check the path to the 'exit door', and to remove the algae of daily experience that covers up the clear water of discrimination that is so evident in sAdhanA.

Above all in sAdhanA, remember that the path of exit is up the spine through the sushUmna, and so that sushUmna needs to be activated. Both Sri RAmakRshna and SwAmi RAmA (and SwAmiJ) emphasize that this is necessary for the true Light of Knowledge to dawn.

But along the way, reading and karma are useful and necessary as well.

Kabir: Jhini, Jhini Chadariya

My mother sang this bhajan many times to me as I was growing up, but only today did I pay attention to the words and completely understand it! In a few short verses, Kabir shows his intimate direct experience of Yoga (ingla is IDa, pingla is piNGala and sushUmna nADIs), sAmkhya (gun toni), tantra (ashtakamal- eight petalled lotus), and again Yoga and VedAnta (panca tattva). You can find articles on each of these in the sAdhanaguidance website and I think they are the most important concepts that need to be directly experienced and understood on the path.

And he ends it all in a beautiful line that is sure to bring tears to the eyes of any bhakta. One can really appreciate this masterpiece now!

There is a version by the Gundecha brothers in the Dhrupad style on Youtube as well.

Jhini jhini bini chadariya.
kah ke tana, kah ke bharni, kaun taar se bini chadariya
ingla pingla taana bharni, sushumna tar se bini chadariya.
ashta kamal dal charkha doley, panch tatva, gun tini chadariya
saiin ko siyat mas dus lagey, thonk-thonk ke bini chadariya.
so chaadar sur nar muni odhi, odhi ke maili kini chadariya
das Kabir jatan kari odhi, jyon ki tyon dhar deeni chadariya.

The Lord Supreme has woven a very fine and delicate tapestry,free of impurities of any kind!
What refined and subtle yarn, what complex interlacing, He has used to weave it!
Using veins and breath His threads Twenty four hours on end, His spinning wheel turns,
Weaving the tapestry from all five essential elements.
Ten months does it take the Lord to weave his tapestry,
Using the greatest of craftsmanship, care and skill.

That exquisite tapestry is worn by the celestials,by Saints, and by human beings alike.
But they all invariably have defiled it !
Your humble devotee Kabir has worn it scrupulously and meticulously,
And is returning it to You, O’Lord, unblemished and pure !

Kabir: Chadaria Jhini Re Jhini.

झीनी रे झीनी रे झीनी चदरिया, झीनी रे झीनी रे झीनी चदरिया

के राम नाम रस भीनी चदरिया, झीनी रे झीनी रे झीनी चदरिया

अष्ट कमल दल चरखा डोले, पांच तत्व, गुण तीनि चदरिया

साइँ को सियत मास दस लागे, ठोंक-ठोंक के बीनी चदरिया

सो चादर सुर नर मुनि ओढ़ी, ओढ़ी के मैली कीनी चदरिया

दास कबीर जतन सो ओढ़ी, ज्यों की त्यों धर दीन चदरिया

jhini re jhini re jhini chadariya, jhini re jhini re jhini chadariya
ke ram naam ras bhini chadariya, jhini re jhini re jhini chadariya
ashta kamal dal charkha doley, panch tatva, gun tini chadariya
saiin ko siyat mas dus lagey, thokey-thokey ke bini chadariya
so chadar sur nar muni odi, odi ke maili kini chadariya
das kabir jatan so odi, jyon ki tyon dhar deen chadariya

In translation:

This is fine, this is fine cloth.
It is been dipped in the name of the lord
The spinning wheel, like an eight-petal lotus, spins,
With five tattvas and three guNas as the pattern.
The Lord stitched it in 10 months
The threads have been pressed to get a tight weave.
It has been worn by gods, people, and sages
They soiled it with use.
Kabir says, I have covered my self with this cloth with great care,
And eventually will leave it like it was.


This is fine, this is fine cloth.
Dyed in the Ram Nam, the name of the lord,
A spinning wheel like an eight-petalled lotus spins it,

Five elements and three qualities are its pattern.
The Lord tailored it in ten moons,
Pressed the threads to get the weft tight.
It has been worn by gods, men and sages:
They soiled it with use.
Says Kabir; I have covered myself with this cloth most carefully,
And eventually will leave it as it was before.

Reflections on a trip

A very interesting insight in meditation today, that this trip is no different from the other trip (this janma [birth] is after all another longer trip). So even if one knows that the future holds the potential for discomfort or something pleasurable in a short visit, there is no reason to either reject or be attracted to the same. The same thing is called samyagdarshana in Yoga- it is a certain equality in viewpoint. There is a verse (5.18) in the Bhagavad GItA that I was reading the other day, which captures a similar sentiment

Text 18

vidyA-vinaya-sampanne

brAhmaNe gavi hastini

shuni caiva shvapAke ca

paNDitah sama-darshinah

Translation 

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]. 

And another practical insight was also revealed. Although I could feel that the timing of this visit was not at the best time, one realizes that faith in Devi can conquer even these unsuitable conditions because Her power is what enables the planetary movements and their subsequent effects on human life. Or one may interpret that as a mind made strong by faith in Shakti can conquer the ups and downs of circumstances and situations. So it all went well.

Daily remembrance and satsang

I can understand that sometimes it is hard to set aside the right time for meditation, and I think you are doing exactly the right thing: which is finding some time during the day to either read the Gita, or listen to a stotram, or to read the autobiographies of the gurus and saints. They all accomplish the same thing- which is to remind us of the Divine around us and in us. If this can be done as often as possible, even once a day to begin with, then it is very uplifting. That is the first step towards the final goal of constant remembrance.

The daily grind in the mundane (and this word with its Latin root mundo- the world, captures the point so well) leaves us spiritually exhausted. Even conversations with friends and others often revolve around something or the other that is not altogether uplifting. In time the invigorating tonic of hearing about the Divine becomes intoxicating, and it is accessed in different ways. One of the benefits of satsang is the opportunity to discuss something uplifting, where otherwise it would be difficult to talk about anything other than the mundane.

Free will and Determinism

From Sri RamaNa MahaRshi:

Firm and disciplined inherence in the Atman, without giving the least scope for the rise of any thought other than the deep contemplative thought of the Self, constitutes self-surrender to the Supreme Lord. Let any amount of burden be laid on Him, He will bear it all. It is, in fact, the indefinable power of the Lord that ordains, sustains, and controls everything that happens. Why then should we worry, tormented by vexatious thoughts, saying: 'Shall we act this way? No, that way,' instead of meekly but happily submitting to that Power? Knowing that the train carries all the weight, why indeed should we, the passengers traveling in it, carry our small individual articles of luggage on our laps to our great discomfort, instead of putting them aside and sitting at perfect ease?

And some other thoughts on free will and determinism for sAdhaka-s

https://sites.google.com/site/sadhanaguidance/concepts-1/free-will-and-determinism

ShivAnandalahari

The ShivAnandalahari directly captures so many insights, and unsurprisingly it is composed by none other than SrI Adi ShankarAcArya himself!

It takes this mind quite a bit of time to understand and digest even one verse of it, so it is pretty amazing how people chant this at high speed like the TGV express!

Reflecting on verse or two at a time that captures a particular idea that resonates in sAdhanA and then dwelling on it is very useful. As an example, here is one that clearly informs of the folly of arduous religious pilgrimages when the mind is not truly seeking to know the true Self:


Searches and hunts the dim witted one, 

In the deep dark lake, 

In the lonely dangerous forest,

And in the broad high mountains 

For a flower to worship thee. 

It is a wonder, 

That these people do not know, 

To offer to you the single lotus, 

From the lake of ones own mind, 

Oh God who is the consort of Uma, 

And be happy at ones own place.

Difference and Reality

An insight arose in the mind on waking up:

"The least perception of difference is false perception"