Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Lead, kindly light!

The mind, confused by the unknown powers which seem to exert so much influence on one's life, which can make or break a person, one is bewildered, not knowing what is the best thing to do under the circumstances. With this tired mind, seeking rest and security, we, I beseech to the unknown Supreme power of all, to guide our thoughts.

Upanishadic Shaanti mantras in place of Pranaayama

It is advised to do Pranaayama 10 times before one starts chanting Gayatri mantra. During Pranaayama one is also advised to mentally chant the Gayatri Shiras.

The question is, what about those who are not taught the proper means of doing Pranaayama? It is certainly not advisable to experiment with breath control without the assistance of a Yoga instructor. It can lead to bad effects.

The alternative is to do some other thing that will have an effect approaching the effect given by Pranaayama. For those Brahmins who are not aware of the proper way of doing Pranaayama, it is advised to merely chant the Gayatri Shiras 10 times. As one of the key aims of Pranaayama is to relax and calm the mind, I have been chanting the Upanishadic Shaanti mantras instead, immediately after chanting the Gayatri Shiras 10 times. They seem have some positive effect on my concentration in the subsequent Gayatri japam.

Satyameva Jayate

The principle of the Gayatri mantra is Satyameva Jayate - also beautifully expressed as a spiritual aspiration in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, as "Asato Maa Sadgamaya, Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya, Mrtyormaa Amrutham Gamaya". The Self of the Gayatri mantra, expressed as TAT, is the only eternal truth, as everything else is transient which will vanish like an mirage. That Self energizes us all, and we want to completely align our thoughts and activities to that TRUTH of the Self, since truth alone wins. He who thus always aligns himself to that Truth and Dharma set out by the Self, need fear nothing. He is ever secure. He will get the brilliance and splendour of the Self. Through an awareness of our inner self potential, we also attempt to manifest it by associating and conforming to that Self. Like in the Dvaa Suparnaa verse of the Upanishads.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Shani Dasha

Shani is the God of perseverance and hardwork.

Thru the hardships he gives, Shani also reveals to us our inner source of fortitude and strength to bear any difficulties.

The below quote is most applicable to someone who has undergone a lot of hardships under Shani Dasha but still keeps hope and faith in himself.

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer" - Albert Camus

Chanting Hanuman Stutis like Hanuman Chaleesa is an effective remedy to counter the effects of Shani Deva. One can also chant the Dasharatha Kritha Shani Stotram.

Who is a Brahmana

In the Katha Upanishad, one of the earlier upanishads...when the boy Nachiketas visits the abode of Yamaraaja, he is referred to as below.

"A Brahmin visiting your house is like Vaishwaanara Agni. Give him Udakam to propitiate him, else he will burn everything that is worthwhile to you".

Now the question is - where is it mentioned that Nachiketas was a Brahmin? His father conducted a Yaaga but that's not the preserve of only Brahmins of that age. Somewhere I read Swami Vivekananda actually referring to Nachiketas as the son of a King.

The one thing that distinguishes Nachiketas was his Sraddha, ie Aasthikya Bodha. It is this Sraddha that drives Nachiketas to seek the meaning of Death. This Sraddha makes him ignore all the material pleasures offered by Yama Raaja and make him ultimately eligible for Brahma Jnaana.

I feel that having Sraddha, the Aasthikya Bodha is what makes one a Brahmin.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Soulful living

"You can never get what you want, but you can love all you have, and you can have everything."

These are momentous words from an article I read sometime in 2004-2005, which, along with certain other articles like 'Shadow comforts' were extremely soothing and strengthening to me - which gave me renewed joy in life.

For the entire article
http://www.soulfulliving.com/manifestinghappiness.htm

They have helped me in 2001

These are contents of a mail I wrote to myself on 9/11/01. That is, just a few months after one of the most crisis ridden periods of my life. I had already noted earlier, how VSN helped me then. Hope the wonder works this time too!

1) Aapadam - is a good booster of spirits. I recite it first, to reaffirm the allpowerful nature of the Soul. One who believes in It will be no more affected by accidents, even the mere thought of Its infinite, eternal, allpowerful nature would deliver a person from all rogas whatsoever(mental and physical). The prayer is a good method to start the aatma-sadhana.

2) the VSN has a multitude of underlying concepts..as one continues with the prayer daily, one will get to know the deeper meanings residing in the stotra. Many of the underlying concepts have been expanded in later hinduism, so there's a certain amount of historical content in it as well. As one recites in the beginning, this stotra is seen by rishi Vyasa, of the guru parampara of Vasishta, Sakthih and Parashara. The stotra begins by advising us to see God in the Guru - meditate on Vyasa as the swaroopa of Vishnu(brahman itself, and on Vishnu as the swaroopa of Vyasa himself. In this glorious note, the meditation of 'yasya smarana matrena janmasamsarabandhanaat vimuchyate' is to be commenced. And how is It to be understood?

It is the 'samastabhuutanam aadibhuutaya bhuubhrteh, who is present before us as anekaruuparuupaya'. It is equally present in all beings, and the originator and controller of all.

So the stotra is the means to see the infinite self present in all our hearts, as eternal and unquenchable, which has manifested in such forms as are mentioned in the thousand names mentioned later. To borrow a few lines from Swami Vivekananda, the self is everything, ready to do everything, the self can do everything and the self does everything. Thus let us pray to the Infinite Self present in all of us.

3) Now we come to the holy Gayatri mantra. we recite it, with our spirits uplifted with faith in the Self, faith affirmed by the japam of aapadam and VSN. In the Gayatri, we pray to the eternal self to uplift our minds - to realise more of his infinite glory in this material world.